Category: philosophy

Don’t Wanna/It’ll Be Fine

I’ve been nominated by one of my ornery peers for our company’s “Employee of the Year” award.   I have no idea who it was.   “The alien” (as I’ve begun referring to Ian) keeps saying I deserve to be nominated as much as anyone else does.  I think only someone on psychadelic drugs would nominate me to be employee of the year.   They obviously didn’t see me all stressed out on help desk last week (but oh how quickly working help desk makes the day pass).

The nominees get to have time scheduled for an interview with one of the company VP’s.   I told Ian, “I don’t want to go.  Can I remove my name from the list?   Would that be wrong?   I don’t LIKE to talk about myself!   Waaaaaaa!”

He said, “Just go in there and be yourself.  Tell them you’re a bit nervous.  They’ll understand”

So I did.   

It worked out fine.  

I don’t know who they’ll pick.

I was nominated last year, too (yes there is more than just one of us working for the company!) and I did get a free box of Wheaties.   They decorated the box to show our faces on it, because typically Wheaties has pictures of people on the box… and because “they could”.

Feelin’ Good

One of my favourite songs, sung by Nina Simone and featured in “Seven Pounds” which you may want to run out right now and rent.

    Feelin’ Good

Birds flying high you know how I feel
Sun in the sky you know how I feel
Reeds driftin’ on by you know how I feel

It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life
For me
And I’m feeling good

Fish in the sea you know how I feel
River running free you know how I feel
Blossom in the tree you know how I feel

It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life
For me
And I’m feeling good

Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don’t you
know
Butterflies all havin’ fun you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me

Stars when you shine you know how I feel
Scent of the pine you know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine
And I know how I feel

It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life
For me
And I’m feeling good

Focus on the good. Try to toss the rest away, as best you can.

Generosity

I was reading from “Life is a Verb” last night, and something struck me.  I thought I would write it down while it was fresh in my mind.   It goes like this:

“Creating inclusion [a simple mindfulness that others might have a different reality from our own] requires being generous.  Most often it consists of simply extending a hand.  That’s hard to do if you are grasping tightly to your sand, your rightness, your belief system, your superiority, your assumptions about others, your definition of normal.”

I think it’s safe to say that there are a lot of us grasping tightly onto our belief system.    One of the goals of my life over the last several months has been to be as generous as I have always wanted to be.

It’s a part of remaking myself.

Making Cake

I made this fruit cake last night.   My mom sent it and I was instructed to “go out immediately and get the ingredients so it’s ready when Ian comes.”   🙂      I had enough batter for 2 medium loaf pans and 3 cupcakes.  

What I appreciate about this recipe, by Alleene Bary-Cooper, is that it doesn’t involve citron, which I don’t really care for.

 CHUNKY DRIED FRUIT CAKE

  • 1/2  cup butter, softened
  • 1/3  cup butter-flavored shortening
  • 1  cup sugar
  • 3/4  tsp. baking powder
  • 4  eggs
  • 1-1/2  tsp. almond extract
  • 1-1/2  cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3  cup orange juice
  • 1-1/4  cups Brazil nuts, coarsely chopped
  • 3/4  cup blanched whole almonds
  • 1  cup pecan halves
  • 1  cup dried apricots, halved (7 oz.)
  • 1  cup dried cherries (6 oz.)
  • 3/4  cup dried blueberries
  • 3/4  cup dried cranberries
  • 3/4  cup pitted whole dates, halved (4 oz.)
  •   Brandy or orange juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan; set aside. In extra-large bowl beat butter and shortening with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in almond extract. Alternately beat in flour and orange juice, beating on low speed after each addition until just combined. Stir in nuts and fruits until combined. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.

2. Bake for 1-1/4 hours, or until a wooden skewer inserted in cake comes out clean. To prevent over-browning, cover cake with foil during last 1 5o 20 minutes of baking. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on rack.

3. Wrap cake in cheesecloth soaked in brandy or orange juice. Wrap cloth-wrapped cake in foil; refrigerate overnight. Store in refrigerator up to month, moistening cheesecloth with additional brandy or juice once a week. Makes 20 servings.

YUM!

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