hope

I think we've all hit the point where the thought of another day of gray and cold and windy and damp weather keeps us hitting the snooze button in the morning and snuggling further down under the duvet, with every intention of hibernating there until the second week of April. Right? I even normally like winter, but after two straight months of rain and gray, I found myself pricing SAD sun lamps while I ate my lunch today.

Fortunately, I also came across this short article, which lightened my mood. With so much negativity in the world and reinforced by the media, a quick reminder of the importance of hope and faith in our lives was just the boost I needed. :-)

“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places — and there are so many–where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.” ---Howard Zinn

40 days

Wow, is it me or did we just reach holiday overload? Between Carnaval/Mardi Gras, Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, President's Day, Fat Tuesday, and now Ash Wednesday, my head is spinning! :-) Which is why I have decided what I most need to address during the 40 days of Lent is slowing down and taking some time away from the crazybusy world to meditate and reflect.

So what a better time to sign on to a 40-day yoga challenge! I have been doing yoga for years, but I admit when my work schedule fills up my trips to the mat become irregular. And lately between the article writing and back to back to back book editing projects, my yoga practice has suffered. But I am ready to change that over the next six weeks. :-) One day down, 39 to go!

carnaval!

According to my calendar, Fat Tuesday and the Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent, are next week. Which means we are in the midst of Carnaval, or Mardi Gras if you prefer, here! This cutie was a part of the local school parade today. :-)

We continue the celebration through the weekend. Tomorrow friends are coming to dinner and Sunday, if you haven't heard, is Cupid's day. I know, I know, but Valentine's was celebrated long before Hallmark hijacked the holiday, and one doesn't need to buy into the commercial hype to still make the day special. We're doing simple homemade paper cards and heart-shaped baked goods at The Happy Recessionist's house.

Have a GREAT weekend, everyone! And don't forget to remind the special people in your life how very loved they are!!!

first signs of spring

Ha-ha groundhog and Snowmageddon/Snowpocalypse, look what I found on our terrace yesterday!!!

Spring REALLY will be here soon, and boy does it smell delicious! :-D

candlemas

Ok, so there is no reason to be sad that good old Phil saw his shadow today, thus granting us at least another six more weeks of winter. The more inspiring Candlemas, which marks the half-way point of our cold season, is celebrated today. And as our thoughts turn toward seedlings and the approaching season of growth, perhaps Candlemas is even more fitting a holiday than January 1 to contemplate our new beginnings and set goals we hope to achieve during our personal growing season.

We also celebrate Candlemas by lighting candles in every room of our house and having breakfast for dinner: tonight, pear-filled pancakes (with a drizzle of hot chocolate sauce, yum :-)! And this past Sunday, my husband spent the afternoon beginning to prep our garden. Because, yes, in just a few short weeks, we will start planting our summer harvests. So forget about the groundhog---light a candle and dream about the warm and sunny days ahead. :-D

sardines, tomatoes, & pasta

Is it me or has this week just flown by?! Which is why today I made one of my favorite "5 or less" meals. Not only is this one supereasy but it's also superhealthy AND supertasty---the trifecta of happy eating. :-)

While the pasta water was boiling, I opened a can of sardines packed in tomato sauce. In a saute pan, I added a little olive oil, a couple cloves of finely chopped garlic, and a diced tomato. Then, after adding the pasta to the water, I cooked the garlic and tomatoes for a couple minutes before mixing in the sardines and sauce. I prefer to remove any larger fish bones beforehand, but it's not necessary. Simmer for five minutes and then toss with the cooked, drained pasta. Voila!

Today I added some chopped olive and fresh Italian parsley as well. I also tend to follow the Italian tradition of not mixing cheese with fish, so I mixed in some fine breadcrumbs seasoned with garlic and parsley; the breadcrumbs give a very similar texture as finely ground romano. Obviously, though, if you love cheese, traditions are always made to be broken. ;-) Enjoy!

sweater blanket

Wow, do I love this idea! ReadyMade (another one of my favorite sources for inspiration) has published instructions to make this gorgeous patchwork blanket using old sweaters and a bit of satin ribbon. Have I mentioned how much I love this idea? :-) Anytime an article is repurposed, recycled, reused gets the "thumbs up" from The Happy Recessionist, and when the end product is a beautiful warm winter blanket---and you know how much these cost retail---I make an appointment to scour our drawers and the local charity shop for sweaters looking for a second lease on life. I like the idea of mixing up basic knits with textured and cabled pieces, too. Obviously, the size can be played with as well, so the kids can have smaller versions of their own. ReadyMade DEFINITELY gets The Happy Recessionist seal of approval for this creative concept. :-)

Photo by Kate Lacey.