the darling buds of.... April

I'm not attempting to correct Shakespeare's sonnet Shall I Compare Thee in which he wrote "rough winds do shake the darling buds of May."

But I wanted to capture the changes and transitions that this season brings. I love spring. It's almost... magical. I love the word SPRING and how it sounds, and the images and phrases it evokes in my mind. Spring forward. Spring in my step. It's about everything fresh and new. It's about feeling a renewed sense of energy after being dormant (at least I was) for the past three months. I've been taking more walks outside, and each time I wonder, where was I all winter?

I am filled with the heady scent of spring.

feeding my soul... some more

I wouldn't call myself an artist... I'm not an art critic, and I don't have any formal art training. But as someone who appreciates art, I think I can be a pretty good spokesperson for it. :)

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of going to another art show with this friend, to see the work of Tara Donovan at the Contemporary Arts Center.

I can't begin to describe Tara Donovan's work. Look her up on the internet, and you'll find some interesting descriptions and photos... but nothing compares to actually being there, experiencing it. There are no words for it. Her sculptures silenced me, gave me goosebumps and chills down my spine (in a good way), and brought me back to my center the way no other art has. It was actually... yogic. I could really see myself going back there to just sit in that space, and meditate on her art... like meditating on a mandala.

At the art shop of the CAC, I came across a book: "Seeing is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees" by Lawrence Weschler. I think that phrase captured my experience that day.

Her work is on exhibit at the CAC until May 3rd. Oh, and did I mention that if you're an Enjoy the Arts member*, you can get 2 free tickets to the Contemporary Arts Center (among other places)? Otherwise, tickets are still under $10... a small price to pay for an incredible art experience.

*I personally think that the Enjoy the Arts membership is one of THE BEST things about this city.

feeding my soul this weekend

Aaaaaahhhh.....
I let myself sleep in this morning, guilt-free.

Work and school combined have left me feeling run-down. My coworker commented, "You have to remember, you're not a young college student anymore." I had to laugh at that.

Sometimes the "shoulds" of life make me feel so consumed. There's a lot of giving involved in a service-oriented job. I really do love my job, but sometimes I have to remember that there is a balance, and that I don't have to be everything to everybody... or else I will feel so consumed that there would be no energy left. And so I remind myself to find ways to "refill my cup". So that when Monday rolls around, I have more to give.

So, in an effort to refill my cup, I celebrated the end of the work-week, the end of the quarter, and the end of finals with art last night. Lots of it. A photo exhibit here, followed by a poetry reading, followed by live music, and then a cupcake from this place to top it all off.

For some reason I was expecting the live music to be jazz, but it wasn't. My mind must've made that up. But back to the arts.



I LOVE the arts in Cincinnati. I never understood why Cincinnati has been nicknamed "Nasty 'Nati". I think this city has a lot of things to offer, a lot of best-kept secrets. It's not all "in your face" the way New York City attractions or other big-city attractions are. You have to let Cincinnati's charm unfold, but you also have to make the effort to discover little pockets of interesting places, beyond Kings Island and waterparks (which I haven't been to and have no real desire to go). Case in point - who would have thought I would find an event with Tibetan monks making sand mandalas in a part of town many people still avoid?

And really, Cincinnati's best-kept secrets are not that hard to find. I came to Cincinnati 6 years ago, and over time Cincinnati grew on me. Being an outsider to this country, I have come to call Cincinnati my home (well, at least for now and until my work visa expires. But that's a whole other story and I won't talk about that here.).

At the exhibit last night I found it comforting to see some familiar faces, some were people I've met, some were people I haven't met but have seen out and about in the community, whether it's in other art galleries or art events, or even at the neighborhood coffee shop. One person even recognized me from a small art show that I did almost a year ago. I like that. I like how art brings people together. But more than that, seeing the same people gives me a sense that I am no longer such an outsider. It gives me a sense of being...home.

This weekend I'm going to another art exhibit here, then to a play at this theater. And then I'm contemplating going to another show tomorrow night. It almost makes me dizzy, but in a good way.

I love that even with the dire economy, the arts is thriving here. I think we all need it. Art is a breath of fresh air. We need reminders that there are a lot of good things to appreciate. We need reminders to live a beautiful life.



What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit. ~John Updike

The laundry can wait.

photos taken in Over-The-Rhine, October 2008

Happy Spring!

How interestingly perfect and fitting it is that the traditional Persian new year marks the first day of the vernal equinox, or the beginning of spring...

Spring has arrived, O Souls!
Young branches on the tree, dance!
You've lost your head and feet,
so without your head and feet, dance!

You who is drunk with existence,
the dissolution of self is your destiny.
The time for losing the self is here.
Prepare yourself for the journey,
dance!

The end of war is here,
the music of the harp begins to stir
Clothing has no importance,
you with a beautiful frame, dance!

The peacock will appear, his colors will shine,
he'll call out
To the bird of the soul,
"You without wings, dance!"

- Rumi, Sufi mystic poet (translated by Haale)

I crave the promise of spring on my skin...

my million-dollar question of the moment

Ok, so maybe it's not really a million-dollar question. But it's my current burning question:

How does one balance...

- a full-time job
- a part-time doctoral program
- exercise... I miss my long walks, which seem to be limited to a weekend-only event now
- yoga and meditation, and all things related to self-care
- shopping for real food (this IS important to me, you know)
- cooking real food from scratch
- keeping the apartment fairly clean and organized
- staying abreast with current events -- beyond listening to NPR for 10 minutes in the morning during my drive to work
- time with friends...especially those I haven't seen in MONTHS like this gal, and this one too.
- time to nurture my spirituality
- reading for pleasure (ok, so maybe that's pushing it)

... and at the same time, get at least 7 hours of sleep and stay somewhat sane? And do the things that feed my soul, like photography and art/culture events and baking one cake a week?

Any ideas?

Or do I really have too many irons in the fire?

a deliciously slow morning

I woke up this morning at 7:20 am, without an alarm clock. And it's Sunday. For me, that's EARLY.

But as early as it was, I felt rested, even after 6 or so hours of sleep. Coming from someone who needs 7-8 hours, that's unusual. It must be the morning sunshine, the warmth pouring into my bedroom and onto my skin. This is what waking up should be.

I checked the time and couldn't believe that it was only 7 in the morning. I thought maybe the power went off sometime during the night and my clock was wrong. I checked the time on my cell phone. Yes, it was 7:20.

Today, the first of March, holds the promise of spring, the coming warmth, longer days, and baby leaves.

I get up and look for my camera.

Two hours later...






It is a quiet morning, save for the sound of the camera clicking. It is a morning meant for taking pause. Forgotten tea.

*Thank you, EyesOpenWide, for the really great mug!*

spinach artichoke dip

I've been experimenting with "veganizing" some old favorites. I was craving for a cheesy, ooey-gooey spinach artichoke dip one night and my kitchen playtime led to this recipe below....

- olive oil
- about 1/4 of an onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 tablespoons Earth Balance -- a non-dairy, non-hydrogenated, non-Crisco (enough said) butter substitute, available at Whole Foods
- 2 tablespoons flour
- about 1/3 cup of Silk soy creamer

- 1 can of artichokes, drained and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup (or more) of chopped frozen spinach
- 1 tub of Tofutti soy cream cheese
- 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast (for the salty cheesy flavor, available at the bulk section of Whole Foods)
- zest of 1 lemon (using a Microplane is GREAT for this -- probably one of my best kitchen tools)
- juice of half a lemon
- chopped fresh thyme

- a handful of fresh breadcrumbs
- a few sprigs of thyme

Heat the olive oil and saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, then transfer this to a bowl.

Using the same saucepan/pot, make a roux with the next three ingredients. For instructions on how to make roux, click here.

Add the rest of the ingredients (except the breadcrumbs and whole springs of thyme) to the roux. Mix until the cream cheese is melted all the way through. Transfer to an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs on top and add the thyme sprigs on top.

Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly. Enjoy with some good baguette, thinly sliced and toasted.

YUM!

* Please note that all the quantities are just estimates!