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Japanese curry soup

Oh dear, I hesitated on posting this, but the soup turned out to be so delicious… I thought why not. Coming from a culture that loves its soups (Chinese)… my Mom was a wiz at pulling together a soup for almost any occasion, and usually it involved left overs and of course always rice. After my trips to Japan, I developed a taste for Japanese Curry. Since I am currently dealing with a mild concussion, I don’t feel like cooking or eating even, but being the mature .. responsible adult I am… I know I have to eat. So for the last many days I have had a soup going on the stove.

My first soup was a rice, mushroom and chicken soup, it was cooked up much like a congee… and would take from the pot a bowl every time I felt I should eat. That was eaten up… and I needed to come up with another easy peasy soup..

I found a cabbage sitting forlornly in my fridge… I chopped it up with a lonely carrot that was in the crisper and put it on the stove to simmer while I got ready to go to church… ( my symptoms were such I never made it to church, I got about 2 miles away from home and turned back.)

I turned the burner under the pot of cabbage soup back on.. and looked around for what to do with it so that I could let it cook and have myself a tempting cuppa when I got hungry. I spied box of Japanese curry in the pantry. (it comes in flat squares) I had one square left. The Japanese curries come in mild, medium and spicy, This was a mild piece. I added it to the broth.

I also found a couple of small pieces of pork liver that I had cooked a few days ago, that got chopped up and added along with what was left of the Tim Horton’s chicken noodle soup a friend brought me yesterday. I cut up a nice fresh potato into thin strips and added that too.

Letting that simmer. I came in to my office to do the blog, the aroma of the soup called me back to the kitchen. It is delicious. I took a picture of it after I realized that it was yummy and really hit the spot. It was so good that I almost demolished what was made this morning… so … I have now put in what is left of the congee and added a chicken garlic broth (Campbells) so that I will have enough to dip into for the rest of the day,

When I made the congee I had also used dried beancurd sticks.. So there will be some sticks in this new batch, can’t wait to try that later.. I’ll let is simmer for awhile.. the flavours will be richer in doing so, In the congee there was also dried chinese mushrooms and shrimps…that had been soaked and added… it will be a whole new taste delight for me to enjoy later,. Especially combined with what is left of the Japanese Curry broth. .OOOH OOH YUMMY.

Because of the way we make up our homemade soups… they never come out the same way each time, that is what makes them soooooo wonderful.

Make the best use of materials and money. You can do different things as materials and money play their roles. How to make them work is important.
Perfect Liberty 2023.16

the little green bits you see .. fresh garlic shoots cut up into tiny bits so that you get that tangy hit of garlic, you put it on (if you like garlic) fresh as a topping when you serve.

I added no salt.

Category:

appreciation, educational, expression, feelings, Life, mind, mirror art, Oneness, perfect liberty, philosophy, photograph, pl, prayer, quotations, sadness, sharing, smile, spiritual, Taoist, teaching, Uncategorized, unconditional love, visual art, wonder

coming to terms

Coming to terms with the reality of Now. When was younger, I was always confident that if something didn’t happen today it would tomorrow. Now ,, I realize that what is happening Now, is the reality of the moment and even if you wake to a new day, it will still be NOW.

If today is when you want ice cream, then either get it and enjoy it, or forget it. Tomorrow should you wake to live it, it will be a brand new day. It is simple really, don’t live for tomorrow, live for the moment, NOW is all you can be sure of.

Respect the existence of each other. the world consists of people with different circumstances and different lifestyles. Respect and understand each other.
Perfect Liberty 2023.14

Don’t think too much. Simply live each moment the best you can.

Today is Thursday isn’t it. Here is my door for today..

I wanted nothing fancy, nothing new, I just wanted to be able to enjoy the view. I picture this little cabin somewhere in a wooded area, an easy walk to a babbling brook, or a lazy stream. come join me .. sit a spell, let’s simply enjoy being in nature together.. No cell phone, no television, not even a radio.

Later we can build a fire, or start the old wood stove and listen to the crackling of the fire around the dried wood. while we wait for the water to boil and we will share a refreshing cup of ginger tea. I have a shawl or blanket if you feel the chill of the early evening, we can watch as the stars start appearing in the sky.

If you would like to see more doors please visit.. Dan’s No Facilities site. https://nofacilities.com/2023/07/13/more-from-iowa/

Cheers.

Category:

appreciation, art, Life, living, mind, mirror art, musing, nature photography,, quotations, sadness, sentiment, spiritual, Tao, Taoist

S o S

Good Morning … how are you today? Please I would like you to take a moment … sit back and listen.. Can you hear silence? Do you recall the ” Sound of Silence.” When did you last hear “silence”?

Let me explain, the other night, the dog barked to go out, it was something like 2 a.m the house was dark, I didn’t even think to turn on a light I made my way to the back door, opened it and let them out. Velcro is very good and letting me know he needs out… Keeper being the smart whippet she is, knew to take advantage of the situation and join him in his outing. I let them back in, I still have not turned on any lights, we are moving around with the light from the back veranda and the moonlight.

I tripped and fell, I heard the dog dish clatter and the sound of my head hitting the wooden banister and the wooden gate we had installed to keep the dogs out of the kitchen when we needed them out of the way. After that I am aware of lying there taking inventory of my body, my situation. I knew not to move until I was sure nothing was broken etc. (if you are new to this blog, I am what is known as a mature individual, I can get senior discounts at some stores =^_^=)

Obviously I did get up, and I went back to bed, pulled up the blankets, snuggled down and went back to sleep. That was a couple of days ago. I woke the next day, a tad sore, but went about my daily routine and “business”…BUT of course the body was not simply going to snap back into “all is well”….so for the last 24 hours or so, I have been doing a lot of sitting, lying down, and when I can sleeping.

I lay there this morning realizing that I am surrounded by a constant “hum” “noise” whether the ceiling fan, the air purifier, the central air, outside noises, AND my own AI (artificial intelligence) “stuff”… iPad, cellphone, television, desk top…refrigerator, also known as “white noise”

When you are lying on your back just doing nothing (or trying to) it is amazing the “stuff” that runs through your gray matter. I also had read a fellow bloggers post on the summers in NY city back when there was no such thing as air conditioners, fans, and the like. People had to try to find somewhere, or place they could sleep the heat was so oppressive. You can see, being quiet, having to be still… was having an affect on me. I began to think back… and of course all the while I am aware of the whirling of the ceiling fan, the constant whirring of the air purifier, etc etc…

My audio from the iPad was droning on about the need for us to find silence in our lives (Alan Watts, philosopher).. darn… I thought.. I must be feeling better, I’m awake and hearing all this noise.. for the last while I hadn’t cared. my body was bruised and just wanted to heal. Now, this must be I’m feeling better..

I got up and turned off the air purifier.. and the fan on my bureau.. NO I didn’ t turn off the ceiling fan.. Daft I’m not.. nor is my brain fried… but I did hear the difference and it got me thinking.

So here I am.. asking you for your input, should you wish to join me in this exercise. Do we have access to quiet, real quiet…? What is quiet to you?

Today’s calendar…

Others are others … I am I … If you force your values on others, it can be self-righteous. don’t be overeater and have a sense of “Others are others, I am I”
Perfect Liberty 2023.13 English translation was done (quote) in Japan

Calling for rain for the next 3, 4 days… stay dry and enjoy your week-end it is just a day away,

Category:

appreciation, educational, expression, faith, feelings, friendship, Life, Light, living, mind, mirror art, nature photography,, pl, sentiment, sharing, spiritual, Taoist, teaching, trees, trust, truth, Uncategorized, unconditional love, Universe, wonder

07.09

You all know my passion and love for crows, ravens, and now we can add the grackle… what some often call, blackbirds. The common Grackle is slightly more stretched, they are taller and longer tailed t han a typical blackbird and the adult male will have an iridescent bluish head and bronzy body in good light.

this photo from internet. male on left, female on the right.
I have been spending mornings with these birds, they come when I arrive for their share of peanuts and corn. What interesting behaviour they have. Especially when it comes to making their presence known in the community. They will stand up to the bluejay and dive bombing competition can get fierce if they zone in on the same coveted peanut.

What I found most interesting was that both the blue jay and the grackle have taken a liking to the special bird butter that I put on the tree limbs.. (it gets smeared on, much like putting icing on a cake) I put on only about a tablespoon in this one area, and then further up the limb where there is a pocket in the bark, I tuck in some more. They wait in the tall branches of neighbouring trees… while I spread the butter.. if I’m slower than then usual, I don’t know I get distracted by a chipmunk pulling on my pant leg for a peanut, or one of the wild turkeys chest bumps another turkey and I have to move out of the way… they (the birds) can get very vocal.

Today the parents brought their young to the feeders.. what a joy that was. I got to see them even closer than I did the other day. =^_^=

Perception is important … take immediate action once you suddenly perceive, You might discover something important in what you perceive.
Perfect Liberty 2023.9

Living where I can spend time with and in nature, is such a blessing. Have a wonderful start to a new week everyone! Life is to be enjoyed,

Category:

appreciation, Life, living, Love, mind, musing, nature photography,, Oneness, perfect liberty, philosophy, photography, pl, prose, quotations, sentiment, smile, spiritual, Taoist, teachings, Uncategorized, visual art, wonder

July 6

This doorway is to the Abby Saint Benoit in the Eastern Townships (Canada) … Many moons ago when I was touring through Old Montreal, and Quebec city lookin for interesting architecture, I came across an old Abby that was actually open, it was years ago .. church doors were open, you could walk in to meditate/pray… it was always an awesome experience… to be able to sit on an old sturdy well worn and polished bench… depending on the time of the day… you could even smell the wood polish used to clean and polish the pews.

Sadly such times have come and gone, seldom can you walk up to a church door and just walk in. (Sundays and church days are exceptions) This Abby is in the Eastern Township south of Montreal going towards the American border…. this is a much visited area by avid readers of the Canadian mystery writer Louise Penny, who uses the charming community as a backdrop for her murder mystery series (Chief Inspector Gamache Novels)

To see more doors, visit Dan’s No Facilities site for doors from all corners of the world. https://nofacilities.com/2023/07/06/iowa-beer-club-doors/ ( A Thursday feature)

Make Happiness with willingness. People who like to make an effort can enjoy anything. Those who spare no effort for anything and anyone know the joy of making art. Make an effort with willingness.
Perfect Liberty 2023. 6

Abby picture taken by Bonnie H.

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#Thursday doors, appreciation, educational, expression, Life, living, Oneness, perfect liberty, philosophy, pl, sentiment, Taoist, teaching, Thursday Doors, visual art, wonder

07-05

Always be humble. If you work on things with the attitude of asking a favor, people around you will advise you what they have noticed. There is something in fact you are not aware of that you do
Perfect Liberty 2023.5

Category:

appreciation, giving thanks, living, Love, mind, mirror art, pl, quotations, sentiment, sharing, spiritual, Taoist, teaching, Uncategorized, unconditional love, Universe

Tagged with:

Bruce Lee

Bom dia, good morning

Cherish this moment, this time, this day. People keep growing as time goes on. cherish your self expression
Perfect Liberty 2023

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appreciation, art, coping, faith, friendship, guidence, hug, Life, living, Oneness, perfect liberty, philosophy, photograhy, pl, pray, prayer, sentiment, sharing, Taoist, teaching, truth, Uncategorized, unconditional love, Universe, visual art

finding solace

photo Chris O’keefe, USA (Milford St. Blog)(2012)

Chris took this back in June 2012, or at least that is when I first encountered this find of his. when I saw it, I was so taken with the creativity of the artist’s sculptures he’d found. I remember thinking at the time, that the artist had to have had vision.. the picture has always stayed with me, I often see trail bike riders enjoying the woodland trails, wondered if I would love the feeling of traveling through the woods with the canopy of trees overhead and all around.

The idea appealed to me, yet at the same time, I love the slow wander through the various endless vignettes I find when I am enjoying the calm of an unpreoccupied mind when I give my mental faculties a rest as I tune into my surroundings while practicing mindfulness exercises.

Get things started with grit. If you work on things in daily life with the attitude of “let’s do it” you will feel a power to accomplish things. People around you will rely on you
Perfect Liberty 2023.

Tune into your surroundings. Try narrowing your attention to something very small, i.e the woodgrain on the bench where you are sitting, a blade of grass….. acknowledge just how being in the outdoors bring you peace of mind – disconnect from the hectic world you are often surrounded by.. find yourself . try the exercise for 10 minutes. find the sense of true calm.

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amazement, appreciation, art, blessing, coping, educational, expression, friendship, giving thanks, guidence, Life, Oneness, perfect liberty, philosophy, photograhy, photographs, pl, quotations, spiritual, Taoist, teaching, trees, trust, truth, Universe, visual art, wonder, world peace

staying calm

— We may not be able to change those around us – but we can change our reaction to them —

When we encounter a situation or “person” that creates in us a negative or upsetting reaction, pause, take a moment to reassess your reaction. We all have moments where we have to readjust our “thinking/reaction” to a colleague, in-law, family member, whoever could be a total stranger. This is an exercise in becoming more adept at communicating from a position of awareness rather than one of defensiveness.

Develop new ideas through your imagination -softly and flexibly. If you could find a way to add a twist you will have more joy,
Perfect Liberty 2023.28

^{photo Shriey Keen, NZ}

Category:

amazement, appreciation, art, expression, Life, living, mind, musing, nature photography,, sentiment, sharing, Tao, Taoist, Uncategorized, unconditional love, Universe, visual art, Wordless Wednesday, world peace

Doorways

Today I’m starting with doorways of places visited by friends Nick and Mel who are travelling/exploring and visiting with family in Europe. We see similar impressive entrances in our older buildings here in Canada when we visit bigger cities, and/or ones that have been around for a very long time.

This group of doors I took while on a scenic tour of a tourist destination in Ontario, about an hour plus from where I live. Out of interest, which doorways would draw your attention, the big wooden doors in huge impressive fortress type buildings, or the colourful and charming doors in older commercial buildings in small towns.??

Discover something new today. Have a willingness and an interest, start your day with excitement.
Perfect Liberty 2023.22

For more doors visit Dan’s No Facilities site… where you will find doors from all corners of the globe. This feature happens very Thursday (most anyway) https://nofacilities.com/2023/06/22/june-leftovers-2/