Happy Halloween!

I am of the nature to grow old.
There is no way to escape growing old.

I am of the nature to have ill-health.
There is no way to escape having ill-health.

I am of the nature to die.
There is no way to escape death.

All that is dear to me and everyone I love
are of the nature to change.
There is no way to escape being separated from them.

My actions are my only true belongings.
I cannot escape the consequences of my actions.
My actions are the ground on which I stand.
~The Buddha

President Obama's Diwali Message

So very cool of our President.

It's all too beautiful...

A teachable moment

You Go Girl

I feel so lucky to be represented by these women.

I Looked Away~Derek & the Dominoes

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren

Costing $500,000 a pop, the SLR is the fastest automatic transmission car in the world. It was produced by a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive.

Design: One the most futuristic designs on the industry, the car comes with full carbon-fiber monocoque, crash structures and body panels.

Performance: Sit tight now. Its features a 5.4-litre, supercharged, SOHC V8 engine. What kind of power is that? 616 bhp, with an acceleration from 0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) in 3.1 seconds.

Chick Factor: High. The car is a monster, what else can I say? Additionally, when the ladies see the door opening vertically (called butterfly doors, but they won’t know that) they will love it.

Ocotber ~ Robert Frost

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
To-morrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
To-morrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow,
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know;
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away;
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!
For the grapes' sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost--
For the grapes' sake along the wall.

Searching...

The first week of my unemployment was spent, as is quite typical I understand, in an emotional jambalaya of anger, fear, sadness, resentment, exhilaration, indignation and relief. I think I cried every day. Despite that, I managed to go on a job interview on Friday.

The second week of my unemployment I swung into gear assembling all my pertinent job search paraphernalia, I applied for unemployment, I watched the dismal want ads and I cleaned. I cleaned my whole house from top to bottom. Dusted and vacuumed and threw out and put away all the stuff that gets neglected over time when one only gets two days a week to de-compress from the stress of working Monday to Friday. I think I only cried once.

I've been walking everyday and doing my stretching yoga because I want to feel more confident in my clothes when I go on job interviews.

On Tuesday, I roasted a chicken (whole, Foster Farms at Safeway .79/lb) I served it with mashed potatoes, green beans and dinner rolls. It made for a hot and nourishing dinner on a fair Autumn evening.

Yesterday, I made a rich and healthy chicken stock from the leftover chicken. Simmering that golden goodness for hours and filling the house with homey aromas. And then turned that into a Minestrone.



Garden vegetables sautéing.




After adding the tomato and chicken stock base.

Served it with some warm crusty bread. Even the teenager liked it.



I used this recipe from MyRecipe.com as a basis for this first effort of mine making a Minestrone, although I improvised some things, like substituting the squash we had for the zucchini and yellow squash and using our family favorite red kidney bean instead of the Great Northern Beans. I especially liked the baby spinach leaves.

Since many of the vegetables came from our own garden produce (squash and tomatoes) I think I made very economical use of our food shopping budget. Every little bit helps.

I applied for a really promising looking job offer yesterday. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Please.