Love me, love my quirks

When I logged into WordPress today to write in my journal, I noticed that it was the last day of the month. I also noticed that I was sitting at seven posts for the month of May on this blog. Now, anyone who has been here for a while knows that I have this strange thing about posting an even number of posts each month. (Even the tiny single-digit even numbers I’ve been coming up with lately.)

But then an incredible urge came over me. I should grasp this growth opportunity and leave May’s post count at seven. Yes, just walk away and let this month be known throughout the history of Reflecting as the first month (because if I can do it once, I can do it again, yes?) with an odd number of posts.

So that’s what I decided to do. I am commemorating the occasion with this post so that you can revel with me.

Oh…

Shut up.

I am in a better place

Intuition is a powerful, powerful thing.

In the past 6 months, I’ve come to the firm, unshakable belief that in fact, we have all the answers. Each of us do. That within us, if we just stop and listen, there is enough guidance to let us know whether the path we’re about to take is the right one for ourselves. That if we all just take a moment to quiet our minds and listen to our hearts, we’ll know exactly what to do.

That the secret to renewal, to rebirth, to metamorphosing into exactly what we’re meant to be is to just be still and listen. It’s not always easy, but it is possible. It just takes conscious, determined practice. I’m not perfect at it, but I am getting better. And trust me, if I can do it, so can you.

The passage above was written by Karen as part of her guest post on Andrea’s blog. It was published the day after I wrote the post, Where I am now. Coincidence? Maybe. But it certainly sounded like she was speaking directly to me. Then this tweet made an appearance four days later:

Making my single item to-do list for first-thing in the morning, a great tip I learned from twitter! What will I accomplish FIRST? 9:53 PM May 22nd from web
whymommy / Susan

For some reason that simple two-line tweet, that a couple of weeks ago I may have overlooked, stood out like a beacon on the page. A single item to-do list. What will I accomplish first?

It had me rethinking my entire strategy. I was trying to come up with a plan for the rest of my life when all I really needed to do was identify the next step I needed to take. Suddenly, everything seemed far less daunting. I still do not know what my purpose is, and maybe I never will, but I can determine what may be the obstacles in finding it. Eliminating those obstacles will be my to-do list.

For now.

I always seem to find answers when I write down the questions…even when I’m not entirely sure what the questions are. The posts I wrote about the mid-life crisis (here and here) were my first step in beginning to search for answers. I knew that if I threw some of what I have been churning through out into the universe, the fog would start to lift. And once again, the universe redeemed itself.

I think I will

Every year since I started blogging I have asked myself the same question. Will I or will I not go to BlogHer? As of this writing I have never decided in favor of it. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which being that I have this vision of BlogHer being much like the Oscars but with online celebrities. And in that scenario I am essentially one of those seat fillers that they hire to make the place look full when everybody gets up en masse to go to the bathroom…to snort coke or purge.

And does BlogHer really need seat fillers? I think not. So why would I go?

The more people I meet online though, the stronger my inclination to attend has become. The first year I was blogging, I didn’t know anyone who went to BlogHer…well, except Dooce, and it wasn’t as though she would run up and throw her arms around me. I’m not one of those people who even registers on her fellow blogger radar. She would probably take one look at me and say, “Hey, hon, could you sit here and save my seat while I run to the bathroom?” See? I’m even a seat filler in my imaginary encounters with real bloggers.

But now I’ve been doing this a while. And I read a lot more blogs than I used to. And I have ventured into the Twitterverse which is a great way to network among the notoriety. I mean, where else in life would Maggie, Karl, Danny, Jenny, and Jen actually read what I write? No where, that’s where. But on Twitter, we’re almost equals. I mean, they get 140 characters to sparkle and shine just like I do. We’re practically the same. Okay, I even made myself laugh on that one.

Anyway, my point is, I’m not completely unknown anymore. I could go to BlogHer and walk up to a few people and say hi and tell them my blog or twitter name and they would squeal and I would squeal and there would be a big hug and then…well, we would probably stand around awkwardly because I can be a tool when it comes to small talk. But still, they would know me.

And there would be even more people that I know who wouldn’t know me but I could at least tell them that I’m a fan of their writing. Everyone would appreciate that, right?

So, yes, I’m leaning more towards going these days.

Last night, I had a dream about attending BlogHer. In the dream, I walked into a huge hotel conference room (which may or not have been catered by Wolfgang Puck, like an Oscars after party) and everyone I knew and loved was there. I just floated from person to person, introducing myself, giving and receiving hugs, knowing all the perfect things to say. It was amazing.

But in my dream, I never actually got to the conference part of BlogHer. I stayed in this permanent Oscars after party atmosphere and just basked in the energy that comes from human social offline interaction. I enjoyed it and when I woke up, I had the thought that yes, maybe, I could do this.

Though it is too late to attend this year (it’s been sold out for a couple months now), I do have it added to my 100 Things list. I hope, someday, to see you there. I’ll be the tall blond who will squeal and hug you…and then not know what to say.

Note: I do not normally squeal when I meet someone. But even just imagining meeting Maggie or Karl, yes, I did squeal.

Memorial Day

Remember and honor those who serve our country, past and present.

New Recipe #9 — May 2009

As per my 100 Things list, I am tackling #41 – Try a new recipe every month for a year. The previous months’ recipes can be found here:

Sep 2008: Butter Bean Burgers
Oct 2008: Pasta e Fagioli
Nov 2008: Sweet Potato and Cranberry Hash
Dec 2008: Potato-Onion Tartlets
Jan 2009: Butternut Squash Soup
Feb 2009: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread
Mar 2009: Hearty Bean Nachos
Apr 2009: Rice with Tempeh and Spinach

I know what you’re thinking. Didn’t you just do a tempeh recipe last month? Yes, I did. But I enjoyed it so much I decided to search for a second recipe that used this new favorite ingredient. I found this month’s recipe here. Of course, I had to put my own stamp on it so mine below varies a little.

Marinated Tempeh Stir-Fry with Broccoli and Bell Pepper

INGREDIENTS
* 4 oz. tempeh, cut into 1/2″ pieces
* 1/4 C. light soy sauce
* 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar (I used the herb vinegar I had in the pantry)
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/8 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
* 12 oz. broccoli, stems peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, florets cut into 1-inch pieces
* 2 Tbsp. water
* 1 tsp. honey
* 1 tsp. corn starch
* 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
* 1 medium bell pepper, sliced into 1/4″ strips

DIRECTIONS
Stir tempeh, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and crushed red pepper in medium bowl to blend. Let marinate 1 hour at room temperature.

Steam broccoli until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Set aside. Strain marinade from tempeh into small bowl; set tempeh aside. Whisk 2 tablespoons water, honey and cornstarch into marinade.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add marinated tempeh and bell pepper and sauté 4 minutes. Add broccoli and marinade mixture and sauté until broccoli is heated through and sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with onion and serve.

NEXT TIME
Yum! I don’t know that I would change anything other than perhaps add something else to the stir-fry. Water chestnuts maybe. Or slivered almonds sprinkled on top. That would give it a crunch. But this recipe was really good and can stand on its own.