sirdle - 2019

[sirdle]

Hi Sirdle,

Liked your Thursday post in particular. Happy you have seen some relief from your shoulder pains.

What positive energy you put out there.....I remember MAD....didn't remember the the words you posted but they were also VERY HAPPY, SUNSHINY and POSITIVE. Keep the momentum going!

Thanks, Michele!

Onward!

[sirdle]

Once you get the hang of it (learning to keep it fully immersed while it is running!)...

If yours came with a container, cup-like piece, it is great for blending salad dressings, too.

That's a great idea! Thanks!

The split pea soup sounds good. I love split peas. Did you get the recipe from Cathy Fisher's cookbook or her website? I love cookbooks but I have so many. With all the recipes available on the web now, it's hard for me to justify another cookbook. I've started reading Joanna Macy's book, Active Hope. Are you familiar with her work? This book deals with the challenge of climate change and how to approach changing our behavior. I'm becoming more aware of my consumption habits. Buying books may be too wasteful.

As far as I know, all of the recipes in Cathy Fisher's cookbook are freely available online. When I started this way of eating it became obvious that I was going to have to cook most of my meals. And since I didn't know how to cook, I enrolled in the Forks over Knives cooking course. The recipes were all delicious... but involved a lot of work. I eventually purchased a dozen different cookbooks (from various WFPB chefs), but felt like most of the recipes were too involved for week-to-week cooking.

Cathy Fisher - Split Pea & Yam Soup

Then I discovered Cathy Fisher. She has a gift for creating recipes that are simple, yet great tasting. After using her recipes for six months, I decided to give something back, so I purchased two cookbooks and gave one to a vegetarian niece.

Cheers,

BTW, if you are worried about the environmental load of purchasing another cookbook, you can purchase it as a pdf.

[sirdle]

Day 25, Sat

Food
==============================
B: oatmeal, blueberries, flaxseed
L: sweet potatoes w/cinnamon + salad
S: grapes
D: kale soup + asparagus
S: grapes

Exercise
==============================
Activity - walking (intermittent) 3,500 steps
Cardio - none
Strength - none
Balance - none
Flexibility - none

Rest
==============================
Sleep - 9 hr, restful
Meditation - none
Stress - very low
Reading - none

Notes
==============================
Speed Racer - while lost and wandering aimlessly though the library, my wife happened across a 6-cd set of the old anime TV series, Speed Racer (from the late 1960s). We watched the first 2 episodes last night. It is amazing the things we remembered from long ago. We didn't remember the parents, or the mechanic and we didn't remember that the plots were so simplistic (what did we expect?) or that it was mostly slap-stick comedy, but we could both sing the theme song! "Go, Speed Racer! Go, Speed Racer! Go, Speed Racer, Gooooo!" It was fun... in a ridiculous sort of way.

Next thing we knew, we were singing the Cal Worthington advertising song... the Pete Ellis Dodge song... and reminiscing about E-Tickets and Captain Kangaroo! Ah, growing up in Southern California.

[sirdle]

Day 26, Sun

Food
==============================
B: oatmeal, blueberries, flaxseed
S: scones & decaf coffee
L: kale soup + salad
S: grapes
D: pasta w/ marinara sauce
S: pineapple

Exercise
==============================
Activity - walking (intermittent) 5,500 steps
Cardio - none
Strength - none
Balance - none
Flexibility - none

Rest
==============================
Sleep - 7+1 hr, restful
Meditation - none
Stress - very low
Reading - none

Notes
==============================
Did you know... - that Elephant Seals spend 8-10 months a year in the open ocean and come ashore only twice a year – in the winter for the pupping and mating season, and in the late spring and early summer to molt and grow new fur? They are quite silly looking, but adorable, and my wife and I love to watch them. October is the Fall haul-out for the juvenilles. In a few months the juvenilles will return to the sea... the adult males will arrive and battle for dominance... and then the adult females will arrive give birth... and then, er, the cycle begins again.

Introduction to the Elephant Seal

Exercise - relaxing walk along the ocean bluffs, looking at birds and marine life.

Wildlife - elephant seals, sea lions, and dolphins. Cormorants, pelicans, gulls, oystercatchers, egrets, herons, hawks, kestrels, and vultures. Cows, horses, and zebras. Ground squirrels and lizards. Clear, cool and breezy. A very nice day.

Naps - I am part elephant seal.

[moonlight]

Naps - I am part elephant seal.

I love this!

BTW, I took the FOK cooking school online course, too. I had been a vegan cook for many years when I took it. Still, I learned a lot about cooking without oil. I also enjoyed the classes on knives and cutting techniques. I thought it was well organized. Did you feel you benefited from the course?

[sirdle]

BTW, I took the FOK cooking school online course, too. I had been a vegan cook for many years when I took it. Still, I learned a lot about cooking without oil. I also enjoyed the classes on knives and cutting techniques. I thought it was well organized. Did you feel you benefited from the course?

I thought it was amazing! I could barely boil water before I took the class.

I liked the part about knives and cutting techniques (and safety), too. I liked the part about 'resetting' your kitchen and stocking it with staples.

But what I liked best was the idea that cooking is more an art form than a set of rules and procedures. I always thought of it like Chemistry Lab... everything mixed in precise ratios and cooked for predetermined times. But in fact, it is a much more holistic experience. You need to pay attention to how things look... how they smell... how they taste. The spices you have might be dried out, so you may need to add more than the recipe calls for; the beans you have might be old, so you might have to cook them longer.

Paying attention to what I'm doing in the kitchen has made the entire experience much more enjoyable. Almost meditative, at times.

But most importantly, the cooking class has made me fearless. I will never be a professional cook, but I can throw together a dinner that tastes at least as good (to me) as anything I can buy.

Cheers,

[moonlight]

My favorite part of the course was the focus on mise en place. If I take the time to do this, then I can have a more pleasant time cooking. Otherwise, I'm burning something, cutting a finger trying to hurry and chop, and generally getting grumpy.

[Lyndzie]

That is fascinating information about the elephant seal. Thank you for sharing! What part of the coast are you located?

In the northern part of Indiana we get the Sandhill Crane migration, peaking around Thanksgiving. I’m planning on checking it out this year. 20,000+ birds in one place sounds incredible.

[moonlight]

Hey, just to chime in on the sandhill crane migration. We have an area in Tennessee where they come every year. It is incredible to see and hear such a large flock of big birds. Lindsey, I hope you have an opportunity to go see the ones in Indiana.

https://www.tn.gov/twra/wildlife/birds/ ... tival.html

[sirdle]

That is fascinating information about the elephant seal. Thank you for sharing! What part of the coast are you located?

In the northern part of Indiana we get the Sandhill Crane migration, peaking around Thanksgiving. I’m planning on checking it out this year. 20,000+ birds in one place sounds incredible.

You're welcome, Lyndzie! I live about halfway between L.A and San Francisco. (My wife's family is from Fort Wayne!)

Hey, just to chime in on the sandhill crane migration. We have an area in Tennessee where they come every year. It is incredible to see and hear such a large flock of big birds. Lindsey, I hope you have an opportunity to go see the ones in Indiana.

https://www.tn.gov/twra/wildlife/birds/ ... tival.html

I agree with Moonlight, you should definitely go see the cranes if you get a chance. There is an inland basin about a 2-hr drive from here called the Carrizo Plain where Sandhill Cranes used to Winter, and my wife and I would often drive out to see them.

Around 2004, I drove to Iowa/Minnesota to visit family. Stayed overnight in Ogallala, Nebraska on the South Platte River, about where it joins the North Platte. Now, I don't know about you, but when I grew up, I was always looking at maps, trying to imagine what distant places looked like. Were the roads windy or straight? Did they follow a river, or head over a mountain pass? Was the road a 4-lane or gravel/dirt? What was the elevation? What kinds of plants, trees, grass, or animals might I see? What types of rocks and soil?

So in 2004, I'm sitting in this hotel room, looking at Google maps and thinking that I might zip up U.S. 26 for a while to check out the North Platte, when I noticed something weird. The roads in NW Nebraska largely followed a 'grid' pattern... but there were lots of lakes in between... and no rivers. I couldn't get my head around it. Even in northern Minnesota the lakes are connected by rivers.

So, the next morning I decided on a 300-mile detour, to find out what was going on.

What I discovered was mile after mile of very old sand dunes covered with scrubby plants. The lakes were nestled in the dunes. I stopped and hiked out across a meandering trail to one of the larger lakes and discovered hundreds of cranes, just like the ones I had seen back on the Carrizo Plain.

And then it hit me... I was in the SANDHILL region of Nebraska!

[sirdle]

Day 27, Mon

Food
==============================
B: oatmeal, blueberries, flaxseed
L: kale soup + salad
S: pineapple
D: potatoes w/ salsa, mustard, ketchup + cauliflower
S: blueberries
S: corn

Exercise
==============================
Activity - walking (intermittent) 6,000 steps
Cardio - none
Strength - none
Balance - none
Flexibility - static stretching (30 min)

Rest
==============================
Sleep - 6.5+2.5 hr, restful
Meditation - none
Stress - very low
Reading - none

Notes
==============================
Pain - feeling pretty darned good today. Right shoulder pain is completely gone. Left shoulder is back to about 60%... almost low enough to sleep on my left side, but not quite. Got in a good stretch this morning. Feeling well-rested and ready to go back to work.

Food - last night I ate like the big dogs were coming. I need to watch that.

[sirdle]

October 1st
6', 164 lbs, 55 y/o, BMI 22.4
Blood pressure: 103/64
Resting pulse: 55

Code: Select all

Month     BP      RHR     BMI      Waist      %BF      Weight
-----   ------    ----   ------    ------     -----    ------
Sep     102/66     47     22.8     34.50"     18.6     167.9
Oct     103/64     55     22.4     34.25"     18.3     164.0


Day 28, Tue

Food
==============================
B: oatmeal, blueberries, flaxseed
L: split pea soup + salad
S: pears
D: kale soup + green beans
S: blueberries

Exercise
==============================
Activity - walking (intermittent) 2,500 steps
Cardio - none
Strength - none
Balance - none
Flexibility - static stretching (30 min)

Rest
==============================
Sleep - 6+2 hr, restful
Meditation - none
Stress - very low
Reading - none

Notes
==============================
Hardwood - when the early-morning sun kisses my hardwood floors... it's quite obvious that I need to vacuum. I think I'll close the curtains, instead.

Exercise - still recovering from my heart issues. I'm looking forward to my appointment with the cardiologist on Thursday. I have many questions, but tops on the list is: when can I start exercising again? I know. I could be doing my stretching, meditation, and Tai Chi... but I feel emotionally drained and extremely cautious. I'll wait until after Thursday.

[sirdle]

I came across the following post again recently and thought I'd share.

Reflections on Happiness by Nathaniel Branden

The following thoughts, originally posted to an electronic mailing list, are now part of the introduction to Dr. Branden’s recent book, Taking Responsibility: Self-Reliance and the Accountable Life.

The Basic Disposition Toward Happiness

During the past three years, I have found myself thinking a good deal about the subject of happiness, and about the idea of not merely desiring happiness but making it a conscious purpose. This was an idea that first hit me as I approached my 61st birthday, and I would like to share some of the important things I’ve learned. My most important teacher in this area has been my wife of fifteen years, Devers, who is the most consistently happy human being I have ever known. What I identified about how she achieves this is part of the story I wish to tell.

There is a tendency for most people to explain feelings of happiness or unhappiness in terms of the external events of their lives. They explain happiness by pointing to the positives; they explain unhappiness by pointing to the negatives. The implication is that events determine whether or not they are happy. I have always suspected that our own attitudes have far more to do with how happy we are than any external circumstances. Today, research supports this view.

Take a person who is basically disposed to be happy, meaning that he is happy a significantly greater amount of the time than he is unhappy, and let some misfortune befall him — the loss of a job, or a marriage, or being hit by some physical disability — and for some period of time he will suffer. But check with him a few weeks or months or a year later (depending on the severity of the problem) and he will be happy again.

In contrast, take a person who is basically disposed to be unhappy, who is unhappy a significantly greater amount of the time than he is happy, and let something wonderful happen to him — getting a promotion, inheriting a lot of money, falling in love — and for a while he will be happy. But check with him a little later down the line and very likely he will be unhappy again.

Research also tells us that the best predictors of a person’s disposition to be happy are (1) self-esteem and (2) the belief that we ourselves, rather than external forces, are the most significant shapers of our destiny.

I have always thought of myself as essentially a happy person and have managed to be happy under some fairly difficult circumstances. However, I have known periods of struggle and suffering, as we all have, and at times I felt there was some error I was making and that not all of the pain was necessary.

Rationalizing Happiness

I began to think more about Devers’ psychology. When I met her I thought that I had never met anyone for whom joy was a more natural state. Yet her life had not been easy. Widowed at twenty-four, she was left to raise two small children with very little money and no one to help her. When we met, she had been single for almost sixteen years, had achieved success in a number of jobs, and never spoke of past struggles with any hint of self-pity. I saw her hit by disappointing experiences from time to time, saw her sad or muted for a few hours (rarely longer than a day), then saw her bounce back to her natural state of joy without any evidence of denial or repression. Her happiness was real — and larger than any adversity.

When I would ask her about her resilience, she would say, “I’m committed to being happy.” And she added, “That takes self-discipline.” She almost never went to sleep at night without taking time to review everything good in her life; those were typically her last thoughts of the day. I thought that this was important.

Then I thought of something I had noticed about myself. And that was, as I sometimes joked, that with every decade my childhood kept getting happier. If you asked me at twenty or at sixty to describe my early years, the report would not have been different about the key facts, but the emphasis would have been different. At twenty, the negatives in my childhood were foreground in my mind the the positives were background; at sixty, the reverse was true. As I grew older, my perspective and sense of what was important about those early years changed.

The more I studied and thought about other happy people I encountered, the more clear it became that happy people process their experiences so that, as quickly as possible, positives are held in the foreground of consciousness and negatives are consigned to the background. This is essential to understanding them.

Happiness in Action

But then I was stopped by this thought: None of these ideas are entirely new to me; at some level they are familiar; why have I not implemented them better throughout my life? Once asked, I knew the answer: Somehow long ago, I had decided that if I did not spend a significant amount of time focused on the negatives in my life, the disappointments and setbacks, I was being evasive, irresponsible toward reality, not serious enough about my life. Expressing this thought in words for the first time, I saw how absurd it was. It would be reasonable only if there were corrective actions I could be taking that I was avoiding taking. But if I was taking every action possible, then a further focus on negatives had no merit whatsoever.

If something is wrong, the question to ask is: Is there an action I can take to improve or correct the situation? If there is, take it. If there isn’t, I do my best not to torment myself about what is beyond my control. Admittedly this last is not always easy.

The past two-and-half years of my life have been the most consistently happy I have ever known, even though it has been a time of considerable external stress. I find that I deal with problems more quickly than in the past and I recover more quickly from disappointments.

I can summarize the key idea here as follows: Begin each day with two questions: “What’s good in my life?” and “What needs to be done?” The first question keeps us focused on the positives. The second reminds us that our life and well-being are our own responsibility.

The world has rarely treated happiness as a state worthy of serious respect. And yet, if we see someone who, in spite of life’s adversities, is happy a good deal of the time, we should recognize that we are looking at a spiritual achievement — and one worth aspiring to.

[Daydream]

Sirdle, thank you for posting this about Nathaniel Branden--very interesting! I'm going to see if I can borrow that book from the library.

I'd like to know if our happiness is genetic or not and just how much control we have over it. It would be interesting to hear Dr. Lisle's thoughts about genetics and happiness.

[sirdle]

I'd be interested in Dr Lisle's thoughts, too.

My impression is that Dr Lisle is familiar with Dr Branden's work, and respects it, but believes that science has shown its limitations and has moved beyond it.

Cheers,