Getting Centered

If you regularly meditate or engage in contemplation, you might sometimes find a bit of difficulty engaging in that sweet, quiet space within.  That’s normal, even the most advanced meditators have admitted that they sometimes encounter those situations.

Trying to engage the mind in creative pursuits and remain focused on the task at hand can also be challenging for many of us.  This is especially true these days with the plethora of gadgets and the web with its own universe of distractions.

I’m having one of those tests right now as I write these words.  It’s a lovely spring morning with temperatures in the low 50s Fahrenheit.  The birds are singing and screeching, the sky is perfectly clear and the ground is bright green.   The sounds of roofers installing new shingles on my roof are foremost at hand.

Humans are very perceptive, sensitive creatures.  Sometimes we love to engage in extreme activities that include brilliant light, high speed, intense stress and loud noise.   Generally, those experiences are not only enjoyed, they are actively pursued.  There are other times where stress and noise are actively shunned and avoided because we don’t plan them or the intense sensations are just something to endure.  I think of having a tooth filled at the dentist’s office.

Endurance is my opinion of this morning’s noise level.  The men who are engaged in the hard work of installing roofing materials are polite, skillful folks providing a much needed service to society and to me.  I know that the job will be finished by the end of the day.  The result being protection from weather elements.  I’ll be snug and comfortable in this little house.  I’ll be largely uninterrupted, too.

But now, there is a radio blasting hard rock music, an air compressor cycling on and off to power the nailing guns.  From time to time a worker tosses a bundle of shingles onto the roof making a loud crash that vibrates my room.  I hear footsteps and the shuffling of material.  Sometimes voices shout out and other times I hear laughter.  But mostly, I’m aware of constant sounds.  Sounds that are unfamiliar to me.  These sounds are normal to the roofers.

Just paying attention to these various aspects and writing them down does much to bring a sense of centeredness to the process of writing this post.  Instead of fighting against the interruptions and extreme noise, I am going with the flow, as much as I can.  I don’t think I can sit in quiet meditation and contemplation in this environment, but that is not my point, now.

My point is to appreciate being a part of the real world.  Much of that appreciation is in the active gratitude of the effort put into improving my real life living space.  The roofers’ efforts make my life better.

This is not airy fairy thinking.  It’s also not heavy philosophy.  It’s just the act of paying attention and finding that space inside that accepts the world for what it is and how my little life fits into the grand scheme of things.  In doing so, I find that I not only endure the inconvenience of the construction activity, I can find something of interest in the toil that is taking place above my head.

In my own opinion, I’ve found that in order to become centered inside, I need to let go, accept and engage in the real world outside my habitual bubble.

Ciao

The Blue Jay of Happiness quotes Ted Shawn. “I wanted to see if the American man in plain brown pants and a bare torso could speak profound things.”

The Harrison Book

I’ve been looking forward to spending quality time with the photo book by Olivia Harrison.  The widow of George Harrison has compiled a rather large collection of images into a book that Beatles fans and Harrison fans, in particular, will want to have.  I’ve had to wait in line to see and read George Harrison–Living In The Material World because there is only one copy at our library.

My patience was well rewarded.  The book is quite large in format and in the number of pages.  Each chapter illustrates a period of George Harrison’s life.  I remember some of the images but most are revelations about parts of his life that are new to me.

Readers will enjoy the luxurious appearance and feel of the book as they savor each photograph.  I could almost feel the love that went into each page.  Selecting the photos and images must have been emotionally difficult for the author.  It’s only been ten years since George’s death.

This isn’t a book to just flip through and cast aside.  I found myself lingering on each image trying to imagine the event or moment the photo was taken.  I’d sometimes go back to enjoy a photo again and see it from a new perspective.

Picking up this heavy book and bringing it to the table for comfortable viewing was like preparing a time machine.  My mind was taken back to my childhood when I was caught up in Beatlemania.  I  had a youthful love of John Lennon and George Harrison.  I could relate to both men.  Later in life, my concepts of spirituality were quite similar to those of Harrison’s.

Around 1967 it seems like both Harrison and I discovered the masterful work of Sri Ravi Shankar.  I had been gifted with a Shankar record of ragas for Christmas of 1966.  The next year, “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was released.  Of course, George’s “Within You, Without You” became one of my favorite songs from the album.

The book has many photographs of Harrison and Sri Shankar together.  The Beatles’ spiritual and musical journey to South Asia is represented in chapter four.  The close friendship between the student Harrison and the Master Shankar is evident in the photographs.  Having seen Ravi Shankar in concert, I know the incredible charisma and energy that Shankar possesses.  I can hardly imagine being around him, closely, on a regular basis.  It’s no wonder that Harrison became skilled in playing the sitar.

Even people mildly interested in the Beatles and in Harrison’s solo career will enjoy the images of other famous musicians.  Roy Orbison, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and Carl Perkins are a few names that come to mind.  All of them, masters in their own way.  George Harrison has a category of his own as one of the world’s greatest guitar players in history.

This book is a wonderful tribute to a complex, kind, compassionate and talented man.

George Harrison Living In The Material World by Olivia Harrison  Abrams Books ISBN 978-1-4197-0220-4

Ciao

The Blue Jay of Happiness enjoys the song “Blue Jay Way” from “Magical Mystery Tour” and penned by George Harrison.

Slow Cooker Peach Cake

It’s a pleasure to serve fresh baked desserts to friends and family year around.  I certainly don’t like the idea of cranking up my conventional oven to bake a small cake when the temperature outside is a summery 90-plus Fahrenheit.  If I’m running the air conditioning, it seems like a crying shame to cool the room that is being heated by the range.

I’ve tried microwave recipes for various baked goods, but the food just doesn’t taste right.  A person could use a toaster oven or convection oven, but again, there’s more high heat involved.  If you’re only serving a few people, you might want to try your slow cooker, instead. 

Using a slow cooker like a CrockPot is not only heat smart, it’s liberating.  Just whip up something; place it in the appliance; plug it in; and turn it on.  Then walk away for a few hours.  You’re free to have a life.

One of my friends/readers told me he’s been baking cakes lately.  That got me to thinking that I also enjoy home baked cakes.  I just don’t like a hot kitchen in the spring and summer months.  So I brought out my old Rival CrockPot.  This one has the original equipment baking pan.  I’m in business!

This is super easy because it’s not made from scratch.  But I’ve tweaked the ingredients to make it my own.  Of course, if you want to make it from scratch, that’s fine, it will only require more work.  Get everything you need for the cake together before you begin.  There are few situations as frustrating as preparing food, then discovering you’re missing a key ingredient.  This cake is all about convenience.

First, prepare the CrockPot or other slow cooker for baking.  Make sure you have the baking pan insert designed for your appliance.  Are you missing it?  Don’t proceed yet.  Check eBay, another auction site or maybe a thrift store and get one there.  If you are daring, you can use a suitably sized coffee can.  I don’t recommend it, but some people claim it’s OK.  I discourage it because of the sharp edges.  It’s also more difficult to remove the finished cake. 

I have crumpled a few pieces of aluminum foil to elevate the pan from the cooker’s bottom.  Don’t use the standard rack, it’s actually a meat rack.  If you attempt to use the rack under the pan, you won’t be able to cover the cooker.

Next I opened a standard 14.5 ounce (410 grams) can of yellow cling peaches.  I placed approximately half of the slices into the bowl then cut them into smaller chunks.  Then I emptied the chopped fruit into the very liberally greased baking pan.  At this point, I also plugged in the CrockPot and began to preheat it on the high setting.

To mix the batter, I followed the package directions for a Jiffy yellow cake mix EXCEPT that I substituted the peach juice from the can in place of the water.  It is important to use the exact amounts when baking.  In this case, Jiffy called for a half cup of water, I nixed that and poured in a half cup of peach juice.  By the way, if you’re using a standard layer cake mix, use half the box and adjust the wet ingredients, accordingly. 

Add your egg or egg substitute, then blend.  You can use a mixer, a spoon, a handheld blender or wire whisk.  I like the wire whisk because I’m a guy and whipping batter by hand just looks more macho. It also helps to tone the biceps.

Carefully pour the prepared batter into the pan on top of the peach chunks.  Place the pan inside the slow cooker.  You must use the crockery insert, don’t attempt to cook anything without doing so.  Press the pan gently against the aluminum foil to level the pan.

Place the metal pan’s lid onto the pan and twist it past the slots to secure it in place.  Place the glass lid onto the CrockPot and leave it alone.  Check the sides of the appliance to make sure it is heating.

Allow the mixture to bake on high for around three hours.  There is plenty of wiggle room on bake time because of the nature of slow cookery.  Regarding my own, old CrockPot, at the end of three hours, I switch off the appliance and unplug it.  I don’t remove any lids for approximately half-an-hour.  You can experiment with your own unit.  If you must check the baking process, remove the lids quickly, peek inside, then quickly replace both lids.  Use potholders or oven mitts.

If you’re satisfied that baking is complete, go ahead and remove the baking pan from the CrockPot and remove the metal lid.  I prefer to then hold the pan from the bottom then place a heat resistant plate on the top, holding it in place with my other hand.  I quickly and carefully flip the pan and plate then park the plate onto the countertop.  Soon, the cake drops away from the pan and onto the plate.  Carefully lift the pan away.  You should have a fabulous cake.

The cake mix box says the finished cake should serve four or five people.  My experience says four.  The dessert will be a little heavier than a standard oven baked cake.

A reminder:  Be sure to use the proper size baking pan or can that fits in your slow cooker.  There should be air space all around it.  You must use the glass lid to cover the appliance during cooking.  If you’re using a coffee can, place a wet paper towel on top of the can to retain moisture during cooking.

Bon Appetit!

The Blue Jay of Happiness likes to enjoy this dessert, one on one, during a romantic meal with somebody special.

The Bridge Is 75

Everytime I visit San Francisco I walk across the bridge.  Ever since I moved away from the Bay Area, my return visits have been marked by this personal tradition.  It’s almost a religious experience to stroll on the walkway of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I’m usually in a rental car when I visit.  I drive north to Marin County and park in the visitors’ center lot near the footing of the bridge.  I check that I have my camera, then climb the stairs to the bridge deck.  Pedestrians use the walkway that was constructed on the east side of the deck.   This affords views of the Golden Gate Straits below and San Francisco nestled into the east and southeast. 

I make sure my hike lasts awhile because I don’t get to do this very often.  This is in spite of the fact that I can’t remember how many times I’ve walked the span in my lifetime.  Of course I have to cross it again to return to the car.  So, I need to double the figure.

Sometimes I wonder who the first person to officially walk across the bridge was.  How did he or she feel?  I don’t know if that person was a city official or just a regular Joe or Jane who managed to lead the pack.

I know I’m jumping the gun, ahead of the anniversary of the official opening of the Golden Gate Bridge.  But so did the first pedestrians.  The structure was legally opened to foot and bicycle traffic 75 years ago, today. May 27th, 1937.  The very next day, at noon Pacific Time, President Franklin D. Roosevelt tapped his telegraph key, from the White House, to proclaim that the bridge was officially open to traffic.

The bridge was designed by engineer Charles Alton Ellis who collaborated with designer Leon Moisseiff from a basic concept from architect Irving Morrow.  Joseph Strauss was the promoter of the idea of building a bridge across the Golden Gate Straits.

The construction efforts took just over four years at a cost of $35,000,000.  All said, the Golden Gate Bridge was finished ahead of schedule and well under budget.

The first aspect most visitors notice is the bright International Orange paintjob.  The color was originally to be only a protective sealant.  There was to be a final coat of silver or grey.  The U.S. Navy had insisted that it should be painted in yellow and black stripes in a step towards safety for passing ships. Thank goodness the Navy lost out on that horrible scheme.  Orange won the day because many of the local population pursuaded Irving Morrow to retain the orange color idea.

Morrows ideas went into the Art Deco style of the towers, railing, walkway, lighting method and streetlights. Charles Ellis engineered the nuts and bolts of design through Moisseieff’s theories of suspension bridge design. At completion, the main span was the longest in the world at 4,200 feet (1,280.2 metres).  Total length of the bridge from abutment to abutment is 8,091 feet (2,373 metres).  It’s towers held the record for tallest until 1998 when Denmark and Japan built taller ones.

To this day, architectural critics and esthetics experts rank the project as the most visually pleasing bridge in the world.  It is also believed that it is the most photographed bridge on earth.  It has been a global symbol of San Francisco and the United States ever since its completion.

Ciao

The Blue Jay of Happiness notes that the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the “Modern Wonders Of The World” as declared by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Dorothea Lange

Cameras and photography are everywhere today.  We’re literally awash in photographic images about our daily lives.  We rarely give much thought to this phenomenon.

It wasn’t always this way.  Photographing our lives used to be much more rare and artful when photography was still young and relied upon emulsion based images rather than digital technology.  Taking photos depended on more laborious and cumbersome means.  Whether by glass plates or film.  Not every person or family owned a camera.

With this background in mind, consider the early 20th century attitudes about working women.  Also consider one who carried the result of a childhood bout of polio.  Think of an amazing person named Dorothea Lange.  She was born May 26th, 1895 in Hoboken, New Jersey as Dorothea Nutzhorn.  After her father abandoned the family, her mother and Dorothy adopted the mother’s maiden name, Lange.

Lange earned her degree in photography at Columbia University.  She moved to San Francisco in 1918 and opened a well-regarded portrait studio. 

With the onset of the Great Depression, Lange became interested in unemployed and homeless people on the streets.  This involvement led to work with the Farm Security Administration. It is this job that Lange garnered her acclaim and worldwide fame.

                                  

Her photographs illustrated the fate of poor and neglected people of the hard times.  There were photos of migrant workers, sharecroppers, displaced farm families and other hard hit people.  Her most famous photograph is called “Migrant Mother” (Florence Thompson).

Some of her other noteworthy work revealed the plight of relocated Japanese Americans during World War II under contract from the Federal War Relocation Administration.  The images were so emotionally moving that the U.S. Army impounded them and were not shown until well after the war.

After several years of ill health, including post-polio syndrome and espophageal cancer, Lange died October 11, 1965 at the age of 70.

Lange received many honors and has been featured in several prestigious exhibits.  She has been included in the California Hall of Fame.

Ciao

The Blue Jay of Happiness remembers this American icon on the date of her birth.

Flower Pots …Floral Friday

Many of us were first exposed to flower culture by seeing or using basic flower pots.  My mom enjoyed raising African Violets in small glazed or terra cotta flower pots placed near the south windows.  Various aunts and uncles used flower pots for other cheerful houseplants, too.  There’s a simple, home style feel about the basic flower pot.

Vintage pots are fun to collect.  There are many old ones that feature interesting, inscribed stylings and glazes. The McCoy pottery company had dozens of designs and sizes in their day.  I used this African Violet pot as the foundation for a radical splash of sunflowers and fuzzy mums.  This is just a fun way to play around with form and color.

If you look at the succulents and cacti, you’ll see that they are at home in a standard, terra cotta flower pot.  I buried it into the soil to create a way to segregate the different watering needs of the plantings.  The square glass pan is also home to various flowering plants combined into a rock garden.  It features a selection of stones gathered from a nearby river.

I certainly wanted to show off a more traditional way of using flower pots.  I have a well worn, stained medium-small yellow Shawnee pot.  I couldn’t resist using some good old fashioned marigolds inside of it.

How about it?  You might have some old flower pots around the home somewhere that could use some new flowers or an arrangement.  Cheap and basic flower pots are good and fun places to start your creative efforts.

Ciao

The Blue Jay of Happiness appreciates your comments.

Chong

You didn’t need to inhale to enjoy his comedy.  Tommy Chong is most famous for his comedic partnership with Cheech Marin.  The Cheech and Chong comedy gags on records and film were mainstays of youth of my generation.  I remember laughing so hard at some of their sketches that I couldn’t see straight because of the tears and convulsive laughter.  Some of the most hilarious comedy of the 1970s and 80s was performed by the duo.

Today is Tommy Chong’s 74th birthday so I wanted to remind his many, many fans of that fact.  In the slim chance that Tommy might be reading this blog post, I want to wish him a very happy birthday today.  I appreciate him and Cheech for providing much comedy relief during my college days.

He was born Thomas B. Kin Chong on this day in 1938 in Edmonton, Alberta.  His earliest professional entertainment work was as a guitarist for a band called “The Shades”.  The band name changed with a move to Vancouver, British Columbia when they were called “Little Daddy And The Bachelors”.   Their first single was “Too Much Monkey business”. Soon to follow came “Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers” band.  Around the same time Tommy Chong and Bobby Taylor opened their nightclub, the “Blue Balls”. 

If you remember “Sister Mary Elephant” and “Earache My Eye”, you are familiar with Chong’s most famous endeavor, the Cheech and Chong comedy act.  They were most active from 1971 to 1985.  Their comedy as stand-up performers, radio entertainers, recording artists and films are legendary. The duo split up in ’85 due to creative differences.

Tommy Chong’s career veered into television when he appeared on “That ’70s Show”.  His character was Leo.  He also appeared as Carl on “Dharma And Greg”.  In addition, he appeared in cameo shots in various roles and as himself on several TV shows and Hollywood movies.

Chong became a political activist after his arrest and time served regarding charges of paraphernalia distribution. The events centered around his involvement with his son’s water pipe business, “Nice Dreams”. He has since been an advocate for the legalization of marijuana and medical marijuana. 

All in all, Tommy Chong remains quite active and very interesting on his 74th birthday.

Ciao

The Blue Jay of Happiness says, “Far out man!”