Compost Happens

Sometimes, bad things happen.  Injuries.  Losses.  Injustices.  Setbacks. We can't avoid them.  We can't prevent them.  What matters is what we do with them.

Of course there will be an initial reaction.  Anger.  Grief.  Frustration. Sadness.

The most important thing is to not become paralyzed, wallowing in these negative feelings.  To move on, after an appropriate time.

There may be some cognitive analysis about what's happened.  Some lessons learned.  Some decisions about the future. Again, the trick is not to wallow.  Not to stay trapped by repetitive thoughts.

The best way to move on is to take action.  To move forward.  To take steps to improve the situation.

Like my gardener friend Julia advises, "Compost happens."

We both lost our mothers this year.  And we've both been stunned and blindsided at some of the actions taken by our family members -- at a time when we would have preferred their support.  We've both been disheartened and dismayed when relatives have hurt us.  But all we can do is walk away with our lumps and move on -- with gratitude for the love and support that, thankfully, we get from others.  Some people may have behaved nastily to us...but many more people have been kind during this sad, difficult process.


What about you?  Are you holding on to some 'compost' unnecessarily?  What can you do to let go and move on?

Not Too Old to Learn

One of my Guilty Pleasures is websurfing.  Part of the attraction is that its brain stimulation -- what’s going on in the world?  

Another part of it the appeal derives from the helpful tidbits you pick up along the way.  Just in the past month, I’ve picked up tips and techniques that I’m enjoying using. 

Here are some examples:

* I've been driving all wrong:  here's the right way to drive, given the current technology.

*  if you put scallions root down in a glass, partly filled with water, they will root and thrive.  You can either then plant them in little pots or just keep them in the glass (keeping the water level sufficient) to have fresh scallions at the ready in your kitchen window.

* ditto for herbs like parsley, basil and cilantro.  These take longer to root and are a very handy way to have fresh herbs on hand.   Pluck a few leaves to enliven any dish.  I haven’t tried mint yet, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, either.

* the natural way to sleep isn't necessarily for 6-8 hours straight. Turns out that in in human history,  it's more natural to sleep for a few hours, then get up and do other things for a while, then return to sleep for a second session.   Here's the full scoop.

* here’s the instructions for a new way to poach an egg.  There’s none of the vinegar taste from traditional poaching.  There are not of the ‘hairy’ bits that break off the eggs while they cook.  Rather than ending up with vinegary egg drop soup, you get tight little balls of poached egg.  As well, you can add whatever the seasoning you desire to the package, making for a much tastier finished product. 

* I’ve adapted the preceding technique to create faux coddled eggs -- basically it’s like making the poached egg recipe except that you whisk the egg and add a bit of cream or cheese plus seasonings -- then you pour this into the plastic package.

The point is, to keep learning at any age...how easy it is to do so, given our technology...and what fun it can be to discover new things.  

What about you?  What have you learned lately? Message me or leave a comment in the section below.