Ballsy is my blog about natural health, vegan food, sustainability, social justice, crafty recycling, literature, and other things that get me riled up.
I recently finished a fascinating book called Pigtopia, by Kitty Fitzgerald. It has a somewhat bizarre plot with one utterly revolting section, but the writing is devastatingly lovely. Here’s my favorite passage and a great example of the unique voice of the character Jack Plum, a disfigured and isolated man with a tender heart and love of pigkind. This is right after his abusive mother dies:
I gaze at the morningtime’s arrival up on all. The light of it, the warm of it, gliding and glistering along tree branches, grass, puddles, fetching the lifeglow what is from sun energies for all our living. Round nearby the river place, the trees is thick in together and full blossomed. The flowers is mouth wide as if calling tunes to the day coming. There is a silver mist remnant gliding upward for mingling in to the cornflower blueness of sky. Maybe this is soul stuff, energy soul stuff, rising at a forever rest place. In the case that it is, I whisper of goodbyes and make a small wave and I do breathe deep in the scent of Dad which is still strong in that space.
I also read Barack Obama’s first book recently, and I am so excited at the possibility that this man could be our next president. I’ve never in my life had anything close to this level of hope for a political candidate. He truly seems to be the real thing - an intelligent charismatic leader who’s coming from a sincere place, who can garner wide support without oversimplifying issues, and who has deep insight into the racial and religious divides in this country. With his organizing background, he knows how to negotiate diverse interests and build a movement over the long haul. He’s sensible about money but radical about change. It’s hard not to get starry-eyed. I’m supporting him, but I’m trying to brace myself just in case. He’s almost too good to be true.
As a kid, I loved Knight Rider. When you’re eight, there’s not a lot cooler than a talking car. For my little brother and me, Knight Rider was right up there with The Incredible Hulk and Transformers. [Sidenote: I know I'm not the only one out there who still can't read or say or even think "transformers" without playing the "more than meets the eye" jingle in her head. That's definitely a contender for most powerful earworm of all time.]
Anywho… now they’ve made a new two-hour Knight Rider TV movie. I probably won’t ever actually watch it. I’m sure it’s as bad or worse than the original show. But I still couldn’t resist looking into it a little. If you can tolerate the ad beforehand, this little interview with The Hoff is hysterical. Or at least it is to me. Something about that freaky man just completely cracks me up. And if you’re not already fed up with this little trip down memory lane, here’s the original Knight Rider Intro.
Yikes. I think this post proves that I burned up some brain cells today. Maybe I’ve been working too hard…
I haven’t been feeling too great lately. I haven’t finished any of the now much-belated holiday gifts I mentioned in the previous post, the apartment is a wreck, and I’m too tired to make excuses. However, I did finally post a bunch of pictures from the holidays, including a few things I made, up on flickr, and that’s enough of an accomplishment for today.
Also, because you deserve some joy today, I offer you 1 minute and 4 seconds of funny courtesy of sweetie. This is an excerpt of Ben reading at the Salon of Shame earlier this month from a story he wrote in high school. One morning he woke up and all the people in the world were gone, except perhaps Kelly (the girl he had a crush on)…
My holidays turned out delightful, although several people will have to wait for handmade stuff I haven’t had time to make yet! Here’s one thing I did finish, pear lavender sachets.
Recycled Christmas is not going so great. Much as I don’t want to get caught up in the consumerist BS of the season, I don’t want to give people gifts they don’t want. And while my loved ones have been very tolerant of the silly things I’ve made for them over the years (like the ice rink “sculpture” I once made for my aunt out of a piece of mirror glass, a lot of cotton ball “snow”, and various scraps of plastic, sequin, and paper), I’m having trouble coming up with great ideas for people who are not children, babies, or women with style at least tangentially similar to mine.
I’m now alternating my “free” time between buying stuff and desperately trying to finish the gifts I’ve already committed to making. Quite obviously my time is rapidly winding down. It’s true that last year I did most of my gift-making in a mad final week rush, but I really didn’t intend to do that this year. I’ve been tracking ideas and making lists all year. I have hundreds of bookmarked project inspirations. I just never got it all sorted out and focused in on the actual making of holiday gifts. I somehow let December completely sneak up on me. I’ve spent the whole year planning and never coming up with an actualization strategy. Only a handful of gifts are complete, and I’ve only got a few days left before I’m on a plane to Virginia!
Since this is the first Christmas ever when I’ve had a halfway reasonable amount of actual money (not credit) to work with, I’m comforting myself and avoiding total panic with a plan to make donations in the names of friends and family members who I really think will appreciate it. I’d welcome your feedback in the comments about this. For the most part don’t you think that grown-ups value the knowledge that somebody did something good in their name? Like my Grandma, for example. She really and truly doesn’t need anything. In fact, one of the major stressors in her life is trying to keep up with all the stuff she does have. So I’m hoping she’ll be happy with a little token gift and evidence of a donation in her name to a cause I know she appreciates.
This recipe was taste-tested by non-vegans on three separate occasions last week, and everybody agrees that it’s delicious. And so easy! Consider it a holiday gift from me to you, dear reader.
Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Gently melt the following ingredients together, breaking the chocolate into small pieces:
1 bar of high-quality non-dairy baking chocolate (I vote for Green & Black’s 70%)
1/3 bar of your favorite chocolate (Green & Black’s Maya Gold adds a lovely touch of orange & spice)
1 small can (5.5 oz) coconut milk
In a blender, mix the following until smooth:
1 box (12.3 oz) silken firm or extra firm tofu
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup agave nectar (Honey would probably work okay too, or sweet booze, like kahlua or amaretto. I’ll be honest and confess that I don’t actually measure here. I just drizzle in whatever seems like the right amount and add more if needed. You don’t want it too sweet. That’s part of what makes it so good.)
Pour melted chocolate mixture into the blender mixture. Blend thoroughly, stopping to scrape down the sides with a spatula as needed.
Refrigerate at least two hours. Serve plain or top with pomegranate seeds and shredded coconut.
Alternatively, you can substitute a bag of chocolate chips for the recommended baking and eating chocolate.
I’ve been thinking a lot about dreams and goals. I’ve been a big planner most of my life, and I’ve also made quite a few leaps of faith. But I’ve slowed down over the last few years. I’ve had plenty of major changes to settle into — partnering, switching coasts, entering my 30’s, and various career shifts.
Lately I feel the change energy rising strongly again. I’ve been working to prioritize and follow through on some of my dreams outstanding, and when I came across this random meme I was inspired. Maybe it was the number 8, so ambitious and infinite. I like 8 almost as much as I like 12. Or 3. Or 9. Well, clearly I have affection for many numbers. Like 13. She always gets left out.
Ahem, yeah, so welcome to me me meme time:
8 Passions in my life
1. Ben and our life together
2. Friendship, heart connections of all kinds
3. The creative process
4. The natural world
5. Speculative thinking (what could be, how change happens)
6. Language and story, especially novels
7. Travel of the leisurely soak-it-all-in variety
8. Good food, especially if chocolate is involved
8 Things to do before I die
1. Be a mom
2. Write a book
3. Snorkle and hike in Hawaii (just happens to be next up on my dream travel agenda — this list could easily be nothing but places I want to go)
4. Finish learning to drive stick shift
5. Let go of useless fears
6. Live and learn
7. Love
8. Laugh
8 Things I often say
1. Arghhh!!!
2. Fuck (and frak thanks to BSG)
3. hey sweetie (Or honey, sweets, baby, sweetcheeks, poodle, etc. Used primarily in reference to Ben, but certain friends also forgive my liberal use of sappy pet names. This phrase is often followed by a request for the loved one in question to do something I’m too lazy to do for myself.)
4. “Who’s my fluffernut, my sweet boy, my mischakins, my most favoritest kitty kitty in the whole wide world?” (typically said while nuzzling a furry belly)
5. what if…
6. i miss you
7. i’m not sure, i can’t remember, maybe… (i would give a lot for a really sharp long-term memory. i hate when i’m flakey. I try to compensate with extensive list-making and google calendar manipulation.)
8. I should or I should have (I’m working on this one! I also apologize too much and too reflexively.)
8 Books I have read recently
This is tough because I’ve been in a weird holding pattern for a while. I keep adding ambitious new books to my pile, and I haven’t finished anything in a while. So the finished ones go back a few months and there are a lot in progress. Also I’m leaving out a few books that weren’t all that great.
1. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert (in progress)
2. The Hoop and The Tree - Chris Hoffman (in progress)
3. Energy Medicine - Donna Eden (in progress for the long haul I think)
4. Peace Like a River - Leif Enger
5. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers
6. Eat the Document - Dana Spiotta
7. No One Belongs Here More than You - Miranda July
8. The Ladies of Grace Adieu - Susanna Clarke
8 Songs that mean something to me
Most of these songs go back a while. The last couple years I’ve mostly been into music I can dance too and music that makes me feel happy or peaceful. But when I think of songs that mean something to me, it’s the ones that helped me get through sad times and the ones that make me think of special people in my life.
1. Massive Attack - Teardrop
2. REM - You are the Everything
3. Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees
4. Tori Amos - 1000 Oceans
5. Nirvana - All Apologies
6. Joni Mitchell - All I Want
7. Tom Petty - Wildflowers
8. Indigo Girls - Ghost
8 Qualities I look for in a friend
1. Honest and genuine
2. Kind
3. Open-minded
4. Chatty or comfortable with silence (I love friends who can keep the conversation going when I go blank. They take the pressure off. But I also need my fellow introvert friends. They’re the ones who often understand me best and get the most out of me. It’s a rare joy for me to be quiet with someone and feel comfortable. Usually I can only do that alone, and when it happens with others it often opens the door for deeper conversation.)
5. Willing and able to go deep (think big thoughts, share personal truths)
6. Unique or different experiences and perspectives
7. Ability to have fun with the silly and superficial.
8. Reasonably healthy boundaries and some degree of self awareness
For my fellow Joss Whedon fans who thought of Firefly when they saw the previous post, I just want to make sure you’re aware of the new show in development. It’s currently scheduled for Fall 2008, but of course the writers’ strike is a major factor.
I really hope that gets resolved soon. If I were a studio executive — even if I didn’t care about common sense, fairness or human decency — the prospect of trying to fill my immediate schedule with bottom feeding reality shows would be more than enough to convince me that writers deserve a share of money made from their work online or anywhere else.
“In yoga we learn that although you are in this body, it is also a carrier for the spark of divinity. An underlying fear of death and clinging to life are there in each of us. But we can learn to let go if we truly experience our actual, infinite capacity. You let go and let go and let go and let go, until all that is left is that tiny spark of divinity. We always talked about that spark as ‘the firefly.’” ~ Molly Kenny
From this beautiful article about the Samarya Center and their new Firefly Project. There’s a fundraiser Saturday night. I’m inspired to limit my UCU budget accordingly. I’ve spent enough time at Samarya to be really impressed with how they’re using yoga to “help anyone — no matter their age, finances, or state of health.”
