happy thanksgiving!

Not having grown up in the US, I don't have a specific attachment to Thanksgiving as a holiday. I do however, love the idea of having a day to focus on gratitude.

mehndi (henna) on my 5-year-old niece-in-law, India | May 2012

I have to admit, I don't get excited about turkey and stuffing. So instead, I'll share what I'm reading and reflecting on today:

My Heart Brims with Affection and Expansion

I am committed to gratitude in my life. This choice opens my perceptions to receive the good. This choice shows me the inner doorway through which abundance comes to me. My heart is connected to universal love. Opening to my inner connection to Source, I receive an inflow of love and further gratitude. I give out an outflow of love and further gratitude. Gratitude for me is active. It is an inner decision to name and cherish what I love. It is a recognition of the many ways in which I myself am loved and cherished. In committed gratitude, I strive to touch all with the loving-kindness which touches me. I practice the principles of love in action. I am kind and compassionate first to myself and then to all others. I cherish our worth, our dignity, our shared path as co-creative beings shaping our shared world.

- Julia Cameron, Blessings: Prayers and Declarations for a Heartful Life

on mindfulness, abundance, and gratitude

This time between Diwali and Thanksgiving has made me reflect on abundance and gratitude. I think they go hand-in-hand; as we recognize the abundance in our lives instead of focusing on all those "things" that we wish for, gratitude comes next.

Many times, I catch myself thinking, oh, I wish we had this piece of furniture or this or that or the other thing. We're only human, right? But nothing else jarred me back to my senses than the recent disaster that was Sandy. People suffered damage to their homes -- their shelter, for crying out loud, and here I am wishing for a new couch. 

I wish it wouldn't always come to that - for a tragic event as a reminder to be grateful. Why does that happen? A health emergency reminds us to be grateful for the health that we do have. An experience of loss or grief reminds us to be grateful for the people in our lives.

So I try to express gratitude as much as I can. For the abundance I have - love, friendship, health, work. And yes, even the challenges.

And for the little things. The stranger at the checkout line that lets me go ahead. The way my nerves, bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and every little part of my body work together so that I can enjoy my walk in the sunshine or a yoga pose. The little (but big) things that my husband does for me, like fill my gas tank the night before, when he knows I have a morning appointment.

I think it's mindfulness that connects the dots between abundance and gratitude. When I am mindful of the little things, it's much easier to recognize abundance and feel gratitude. If not for mindfulness, it's also easy to forget how important these "little" things are and how they enrich my life in so many ways. The extraordinary in the everyday.

To me, nothing else says it better than this poem...

Mindful
By Mary Oliver

Every day
   I see or hear
      something
         that more or less

kills me
   with delight,
      that leaves me
         like a needle

in the haystack
   of light.
      It was what I was born for—
         to look, to listen,

to lose myself
   inside this soft world—
      to instruct myself
         over and over

in joy,
   and acclamation.
      Nor am I talking
         about the exceptional,

the fearful, the dreadful,
   the very extravagant—
      but of the ordinary,
         the common, the very drab,

the daily presentations.
   Oh, good scholar,
      I say to myself,
         how can you help

but grow wise
   with such teachings
      as these—
         the untrimmable light

of the world,
   the ocean’s shine,
      the prayers that are made
         out of grass?

gather and give thanks

"I have always been curious about what joins people together than what separates them." - Yo-Yo Ma, cellist

Wishing everyone time to gather with loved ones and feel gratitude for life's many blessings.

birthday yoga!

I have to admit that I am not the biggest fan of "hot" yoga. I've tried it, but don't practice that way on a regular basis. And it has nothing to do with the yoga itself... it's just a matter of personal preference. I LOVE yoga outdoors, and if indoors, I usually prefer a room with comfortable, just-right HVAC.

But on this day, the day of my birth, I decided, why not do something different and go to a hot yoga class? And in perfect timing, I received an email from this studio, which entitled me to a free yoga class during my birthday week! The class description stated that the room would be warmed to 85 degrees. Ok, not bad... at least it wasn't a feverish temperature. So off I went, wearing the most sweat-absorbing, moisture-wicking workout top I own. Having been to this studio before,  I knew how hot it could be. So I also brought a sweat-absorbing towel and a big bottle of water to be as ready as I could for buckets of sweat.

It turned out to be a great class! The instructor led us through multiple vinyasa sequences and warrior poses/variations and balancing sequences, in a room that felt much warmer than 85 degrees (considering the full yoga room, body heat from what seemed like 30 people, each one practicing the ujjayi breath). The instructor made us work, stretch, and sweat, but also made us laugh.

There's something so primal, so cleansing, so life-affirming, about movement and breath and sweating from every single pore of my body. About getting out of my head and into my heart. I welcomed every sweaty vinyasa as a chance to celebrate life, to challenge myself while exercising patience and awareness of what my body needed and felt. Aaaahhhh... the joys of truly being in my body, moving, and feeling every movement. Each time I moved from a standing forward fold to sweep my arms up to the side and overhead to mountain pose, it was like scooping up all this wonderful energy. I couldn't help but smile in extended side angle, feeling the deliciousness of the stretch, and in dancer pose, feeling grounded yet light. I bowed into humble warrior pose with gratitude. Each lion's breath in upward dog and fish pose was so life-force-giving. Just as my mother and father gave their own life force to me on this very day years ago.

So on that note I say THANKS... for this day, for the gift of breath and movement, and to all those who gave meaning and life to my days.

Today's meditation: "May every breath I take be a prayer." (How very fitting for a birthday meditation!)

Thank you, A., for the pretty birthday flowers!

snow day = slow day

Ever since I moved to this colder and more snowy city, I have to admit that I have a tendency to obsess over the forecast on weather.com. Being the control-freak-in-recovery that I am, knowing the hour-by-hour forecast is somehow very...comforting.

I have to remind myself not to stress out about it, because 1) I am back home this afternoon and have no other reason to go out driving; 2) it's pretty toasty warm in my apartment; and 3) I have the luxury of sitting in my room and looking out the window to watch the falling snow.

(If you are out and about and have to face the roads tonight, I'm sending you some positive energy.)

The other thing about snow days is that it reminds me to slow down. I am working mostly from home today but I just took a nice 10 minute break from work to get up, stretch, and enjoy a short tea ritual.

For me it always has to start with boiling water in a real kettle. No microwave water here. Microwaved water makes the tea taste flat.

Then I take this wonderful green tea blend from my favorite tea place in Cincinnati. I'm glad I got a refill when I went back for a visit a few weekends ago.

I take in the scents as I open the canister. Wine connoisseurs swirl their wine in their glass and take a sniff. I like opening tea canisters to take a whiff of good quality loose tea leaves.

If I can make this a scratch-n-sniff photo I would. Just smelling it is an experience in itself.

Here's the description:

"Luminous green tea infused with cheerful mango-apricot flavors and flower blossoms. Evocative of a sunny spring meadow."

Isn't it beautiful?

Had this with some Meyer lemon bars which I made last Sunday. The tangy-sweet citrus flavors of the Meyer lemon bars complemented the tea nicely.

I sat in the kitchen to watch the falling snow. I sipped tea, took deep belly breaths, and felt thankful for being safe and warm today.

I have an even greater respect for those who drive the snow ploughs, who go out in the elements to keep us safe. Another reason to be thankful.

I send out positive energy to my loved ones who have to drive home from work tonight. I wish for your safety. You know who you are. :)

happy new year! (plus some holiday snapshots)

It's 2010!

May this year be filled with hope, dreams, adventure, and all that joyful stuff.

This post is rather late, as I ushered in the new year in bed with a 101-degree fever. Yes, I got sick, even after having received a flu shot. It started with unusual body aches one day. I thought, hmmm, maybe I need to do more stretches. So I practiced more yoga. The next day we flew back home, and the day of travelling -- flights, layovers, etc -- took its toll. The following day, New Year's Eve, I ran a fever which lasted for 2 days. Well, four bags of Ricola (and still counting), 2 boxes of tissues (I'm loving Puffs with Vicks), lots of ibuprofen, and one 8-ounce bottle of Tussin later, I am still not fully recovered. I finally went to the doctor and was prescribed a round of antibiotics (note to self: take some probiotics too!). I don't think I've been this sick in a LONG time.

I haven't even been in the frame of mind to reflect on the year that has been, and write and visualize my 2010 will-do's. That will follow in a later post.

On a more positive note... Here are some snapshots from my holiday celebrations with my family:

A hanging mobile in my niece's bedroom

PEEKABOO!!!
My 16-month-old niece in her playpen

The magic of jumbo blocks

Waking up to the comfort of breakfast pancakes

Many lazy mornings like this -- witnessing the sheer joy and spontaneity of my nephews and niece at play. Morning sunshine streaming in through the window blinds. Being fully present.

The blessing of a birthday celebration... on the same day as my brother and sister-in-law's tenth year wedding anniversary.

The joy of a home-cooked, lovingly prepared meal...

... and the wine to go with it.
This is from the wine cellar of a friend of the family. Before you get shocked, I only took a couple of sips of each of the 4 Pinot Noirs we tasted... and then I was as red as a beet. (I won't post photos of that... heehee.)

Festive dishes to go with the meal...

... and a lovely table setting of flowers that remind me of home...

... and a sense of gratitude for nature's bounty, that somewhere in the world it is warm enough for fruits to grow, so that we can enjoy them.

(photo taken by my brother)

And many other moments of breaking bread together -- sharing meals, fancy or simple -- with family and friends.

last night's dinner menu

Last night I celebrated my 30th birthday a couple of days early (so everyone can get on with their Memorial weekend plans).

I love planning for dinner. I wanted something light, easy, and spring-y.

This was the result...

Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Spread
I love having lots of spreads and dips at a party. I like variety. I find that if I have about 3 appetizers like this, I don't have to make several entrees. (Ok, friends, now you know my little secret.) This spread is really easy...


Just combine lots of sun-dried tomatoes (the oil-packed kind*), an assortment of pitted olives, a few garlic cloves, really good extra virgin olive oil (or you can use the olive oil the tomatoes were packed in), and balsamic vinegar in a food processor. I think I added some basil leaves too. Season with salt and pepper. Best if made a day or so ahead.

I do love make-ahead dishes.

*If you don't have oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, you can pour a little boiling water over the dry sun-dried tomatoes, then let it sit for a while to rehydrate before putting it in the food processor.

Artichoke Spread
Ooey-gooey, hot and bubbly. Enough said.

See recipe here.

Edamame Hummus
(darn, no photo... and everyone raved about its pretty green color)

I love hummus, but good old chickpea hummus didn't fit the bill for my spring menu... so here's an edamame version. I like having a bag of edamame in my freezer at all times. This is one good reason.

1/2 bag of frozen shelled edamame, steamed for 5 minutes or until soft
about 2 tablespoons sesame tahini
1 large clove garlic, or 2 small ones... or more if you prefer
lemon juice
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper


I. love. my. food processor. I made this on a spur of the moment once my friends started arriving. It took all of 5 minutes, maybe, and 3 taste-testers to make sure we had the "just right" garlic-lemon-olive oil-salt ratio.

One friend announced pretty early on that he would claim the leftover dip, so I sent the rest home with him. He was quite happy. I wasn't able to take a photo of it, but I find great happiness in feeding friends, so it's ok. And, that gives me a reason to make it again. Not that I really need reasons for good food. ;-)

Pesto Pea Soup
I wanted a light spring soup. Hearty split pea soup is usually my fall/winter soup of choice, but frozen green peas did the trick for a lighter soup appropriate for this time of year.



1 large onion
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
3 cups water
3 cups vegetable broth
2 lbs frozen green peas
salt and pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup basil pesto

Saute the onion until soft, then add the carrots and celery. Add water and broth and let this simmer for a good half hour or so. Add the frozen peas and let it simmer some more until heated through. Use a hand blender/immersion blender* to puree the soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Add pesto.

*If you're using a regular blender and not a hand blender or immersion blender, be careful... from experience, hot liquids like soup get pretty wild and crazy in a regular blender and it can cause a big mess. Try taking off the cap in the center of the lid of the blender, and cover with a dish towel instead when you turn it on. But don't say I didn't warn you... I'd say go for the hand blender if you have it.

Orzo with Spinach, Kalamata Olives, and Feta (aka Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad)

I love this teeny-tiny pasta. It's so versatile, and it doesn't overpower the flavors of the other ingredients.


(for a crowd)

3 cups whole wheat orzo
spinach - I did a shortcut and used frozen chopped spinach, about half a bag
3 small shallots
3-4 cloves garlic
white wine
a generous handful of pine nuts, toasted in a skillet until golden brown
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
about 1/2 cup of chopped kalamata olives
sea salt and pepper
good feta cheese (The real deal, sheep's milk feta. I find most of the cow's milk feta cheese brands out there to be too salty.)

Cook the orzo until al dente, then drain. Mix in the spinach while the orzo is hot, so that the steam from the pasta makes the leaves wilt and you don't have to cook the spinach separately. (I do love short cuts.)

Saute the shallots until soft and caramelized, then add a good splash of white wine to deglaze the pan. Let it simmer, uncovered, until the wine reduces to about half. Add garlic and cook until soft but not browned. Add this to the pasta, and mix in the olives. Season with salt and pepper.

I also like making this a day ahead to allow the pasta to absorb the flavors. Bring to room temperature before serving, and add the crumbled feta.

White Sangria
I've made red sangria before, but I think the white version goes better with this selection of dishes.


(for a crowd)

3 bottles white wine (I used whatever I had at home - a bottle of pinot grigio and a bottle of moscato, and another kind of white wine I can't remember)
1 1/2 cups peach schnapps
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 liter sparkling water, lemon flavored (this is not necessary, but I'm a lightweight with wine)
2 cups seedless green grapes, halved

Combine everything but the sparkling water in a large pitcher. Actually I think I used 2 large pitchers. This is also better if made the night before. I add the sparkling water before serving. Then, IF I have leftover sangria, I freeze them in ice cube trays for the next party so that I can add sangria ice cubes to the drink. The flavor won't be diluted when the ice cubes melt.

My friends are excellent cooks. One friend brought a cauliflower dish, this friend brought roasted sweet potato and pears, another brought home-baked whole grain bread (pictured below... isn't that seedy bread lovely? Thanks, RZ).

And this friend brought pasta salad with tomatoes, roasted red peppers, spinach, and navy beans (below).

I was planning to make dessert, but my friends drew the line at the birthday cake and said, "You are NOT baking your own birthday cake!" I was planning to bake cupcakes from my go-to cupcake cookbook, but I conceded.

After my errands yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised to come home to a slice of sinfully delicious chocolate cake from the Bonbonerie, along with a birthday card, from this friend. You were missed last night, but I had several bites of dinner in your honor. :)

Two friends brought cupcakes from Sweeterie.

photo credit: EyesOpenWide

(thanks for the beautiful cupcake photo!)

I think the cupcakes deserve a separate blog entry. More on that later...

A wonderful gathering of friends from around the world, a cool spring night, and lots of laughter on the balcony.

Thank you my dear, dear friends, for celebrating with me!

happy Thanksgiving!

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."
- Melodie Beattie

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Between our inevitable over-indulging today, let's pause for a moment and remember what we are grateful for.

I am thankful for...
my beautiful (and growing) family... Mom, Dad, grandparents, 3 brothers, 3 sisters-in-law, 2 nephews, and 2 nieces born this year!
friends near and far
opportunity and possibility
choices
my job, which to me is more than a job... it's my life's work
waking up to beautiful mornings, like today!
dark chocolate
the gift of movement... our bodies are amazing machines
art
dreams
the journey ahead
... and this mysterious, confusing, yet joyful and incredible thing called life.


Nischala Joy Devi, author of The Secret Power of Yoga, wrote about yoga philosophy according to  the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Here is her translation of Sutra II.39:

Acknowledging abundance (Aparigraha), we recognize the blessings in everything and gain insights into the purpose of our wordly existence.

Such abundance in this life!

(not an) everyday miracle

I am the proud aunt of 2 new nieces, Alexi and Paulina, born about 3 weeks apart on opposite sides of the world: Alexi in New Jersey, Paulina in my home country, the Philippines.

Precious bundles of joy. Can't wait to meet them in person!

happy birthday to me

So you'll have to bear with my dose of self-love here.

Today I declare: I am a headstand-ing, cartwheeling, frontwalk-ing, eat-my-dust running power walking, loving-life 29-year-old.

I've been having the perfect day... I got to do all the things that I love to do. It really doesn't take much to make me happy...

I should say this celebration of life, love, and friendship started last night when a group of friends and I gathered at this awesome sushi bar, where we sampled amazing Japanese edible art, shared stories, and got into fits of laughter. Thank you, my dear friends.

Then I woke up this morning to cloudless blue skies.



I started my day with a yoga class at this studio, where I stretched with a sense of gratitude and acceptance for my changing body (as a friend of mine says, as you approach 30, the warranty's over), and drifted into a blissful relaxation.

Then I went food and produce shopping in this bustling market, and had my favorite there-are-no-words-for-it waffle.

I received several calls and messages from family and friends.

Then I went for a long walk, and couldn't help but smile at strangers I passed on the street. I walked with a spring in my step, and ended in this park where I practiced more yoga and some gymnastics (didn't I say I would do cartwheels outside this spring?), enjoyed the soft grass, the warm sunshine, and the cool refreshing breeze. As I was practicing downward dogs and headstands, I gazed at the grass right in front of me, and despite the seemingly random, chaotic sea of green, I realized that I found a point for meditation, right in the center of it all: "order in chaos."


It's amazing how nature can really heighten your awareness of the present, and of being alive... I drew long, deep breaths while in headstand, feeling supported by the soft earth.

So of course I had to run walk back home to grab my camera and capture the moment. Thank goodness this park is only about a mile from my home!

(view from a headstand)

So I'd like to share some more of the beautiful moments I captured today.
Who would have thought weeds could be so interesting?

The amazing thing about weeds is that they just GROW, against all odds. As nature intended. And so do we... with every experience, pleasant or unpleasant. We grow, when we embrace all that life has to offer, while saying, "Bring it on." We grow, when we open ourselves to new perspectives, and when we accept and learn from past mistakes. We grow, against all odds.

 It's amazing to see a different perspective the closer you are to the ground.

"If you want to kiss the sky, better learn how to kneel." --U2

And so I kneel, with a deep sense of gratitude, for all the wonderful souls who brought joy and beauty into my life for the past 29 years. Thank you for celebrating with me!

happy thanksgiving!

Every day should be Thanksgiving Day. And no, not just for the food... but for the people in our lives who make us laugh, surround us with positive energy, and stand by us during the best and worst of times, and everywhere in between. For adventures and quiet moments. For dreams fulfilled and yet-to-be-fulfilled.

Thank you, all, for making my life full.

As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world. ~Adabella Radici

(my adorable nephews, Lorenzo and Martin - photo from Cathy)