A Very Sacred Space: Arlington West, Santa Barbara

"You don't have money to fund the war or children, but you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president's amusement."

Rep. Pete Stark

I am not a political person. However with the recent veto and lack of Republican votes to pass the Children's Health Care Bill, I am angry. And I fully agree with Rep Pete Stark on his comments. He should not have to apologize. So what does this have to do with Sacred Spaces? Quite a bit, because for me a sacred space can be anything, and right now one of my sacred spaces is the job I do; I am a Family Advocate and I have seen first hand what happens to families with no health insurance.

Last weekend I took a little trip to Santa Barbara. Every Sunday the Veterans put up crosses, one for each soldier who was killed since 2003. As I was doing the "tourist thing", I happened to glance and the sea of crosses and I was moved. I wonder how much longer will this war last? How much longer will we as a nation continue to put up with this administration? How many more crosses does the veterans have to put up weekly until this war is over?

The pictures speak more than my own words. Remember those who have died in this war and pray for a safe return for all soldiers who are abroad.

Gnosis Chocolate

Hello Readers,

Two people sent me this link for Gnosis Chocolate. I have yet to order any chocolate from Vanessa, but I will probably soon. The Mayan one looks particularly interesting!

Happy Chocolate!

In Serenity and Joy
Andrea

A New Twist to the Incredible Edible Egg

There was a time I thought I didn't enjoy cooking. But I find creating a dish for myself and my family to be a spiritual experience. It's also easier when I have time to cook, like I did this last weekend. Normally during the week I just grab whatever is available in the kitchen, maybe a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a bowl of cereal. But during the weekends, I have a bit of time to create new dishes. And this morning I tried a new twist to the egg, which many of you have already done before. But this is my version.

A little side note: I never give measurements out, because I figure people have different tastes and tolerance for seasonings. So measure at your own discretion.

Ingredients:

Eggs (two per person)
Olive Oil
Green onions
Fresh Basil
Minced Garlic
Cheese
Oregano
Rosemary
Thyme
Basil
Marjoram
Salt
Pepper
Fresh Tomatoes

Procedure:

Cut green onions and fresh basil. Heat olive oil in the frying pay and sauté green onion, basil and garlic until succulent. Beat eggs. Turn down heat and put eggs in frying ban, add oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil flakes, marjoram, salt and pepper. Stir. Add grated cheese and fold into egg mixture. After eggs are cooked, place on plates and put fresh tomatoes on the side of the egg dish. You can serve this with salsa if desired. Enjoy.

If you have any egg dishes you'd like to share, please do so! I'd love to hear from you.

In Serenity and Joy
Andrea

Music Review: Brandi Carlile

I have a confession. As a child of the 1960's and 1970's I became fond of music that told a story. Jim Croce, Neil Diamond and John Denver were among my favorites. I also enjoyed Joni Mitchell and Carol King. All of these musicians had something in common, they were all storytellers. And you could understand the lyrics.

I may be a dinosaur where music is concerned, but I never really got into the heavy metal scene as a teenager and early adult. And I found the "alternative" music in the early 90's a little too cliche, although early Pearl Jam was good and I did like the Counting Crows along with Sheryl Crow. I guess I had a thing for crows back then in the 90's.

Today there is an artist that I really enjoy, Brandi Carlile. Her new CD, "The Story" is refreshing and the music is lovely. To me it's a mixture of folk, rock, ballad and country. She almost reminds me of a female Johnny Cash, another musician I am growing to appreciate. In her CD, Carlile is a storyteller. And I believe that's what has been missing in music lately, the ability to tell a story through song.

If you have any music you'd like to share, I'd like to hear your comments.

In Serenity and Joy
Andrea

Bread Salad

One of my favorite places for shopping is "Top of the Hill" in Renton. It's a market on 4th street with fresh produce, wonderful meats and poultry and a variety of pastas, breads and cheeses. If you're ever in Renton, check this place out. It's one of the best markets with good prices on the produce. The meats a little expensive, so I haven't bought any yet. But the quality looks fabulous. And the staff is very friendly and informative.

Last month there was a demonstration on "bread salad". I never thought of creating a salad out of bread, but I tried it and it was delicious. So I bought the ingredients for this recipe and served it the next day at a party. There was none left after the party, so I assumed people liked it. I experimented with the recipe a bit tonight, and here's what I came up with. So perhaps this can go into the "Gnostic Haggis Sophia" cookbook.

Bread Salad

Ingredients:
Bread (French Bread or an Artisan loaf is best)
Cherry tomatoes
Green Onion
Fresh Basil
Olive Oil
Balsamic or Red Wine Vinegar (optional)
Oregano
Thyme
Basil
Salt
Pepper

Cut up bread, tomatoes, fresh basil and green onion and combine them in a bowl.
In a separate bowl combine olive oil, balsamic, red wine vinegar, oregano, thyme basil salt and pepper and stir. Use your own judgement on how much you want added to the bread.

Pour the dressing over the bread salad, mix and serve. You can also let it marinate for about an hour before serving.

Tonight I combined both the balsamic and red wine vinegar together. I'll let you know how it turned out. I'm bringing this dish to a potluck tomorrow.

In Serenity and Joy
Andrea

The Beginnings of Transformation

My husband and I worked in the yard over the weekend. We ended up spending quite a bit of money at Molbacks in Woodinville, but it was worth it. For years we've had these boulders in our backyard that was over run by weeds. Throughout this last summer we've been planting herbs and flowers to make this section more pleasant. I've taken some photos of our new flowers.

This section of the backyard has a patio area where we have our social gatherings. To the east of the patio is where we'll plant the meditation/prayer garden. Right now my family is getting rid of unwanted and dead plants. Hopefully by spring of 2008 we'll have some beds to plant flowers in. During the fall and winter I plan on purchasing some pots when they are not so expensive to enhance the surroundings of both the social area and prayer garden. For now, this is our humble beginning towards beauty and peace in the suburbs.


The blue lobelia


Pink Flowers (I can't remember the name right now, but they look pretty)


Yellow Flowers (Again I can't remember the name)


Delphia, the blue reminds me of Sophia


And my very own "Rose of Sharon". I can take pictures of my own flowers and not borrow them from images on Google.

In Serenity and Joy
Andrea

Gnostic Recipes

After mass today, we had conversation over coffee, wine and food. During the course of the conversation, we discussed compiling a Gnostic Cook Book. So I thought perhaps all of us out in the blogosphere could share our various recipes and come up with catchy names.

One title was Haggis Sophia. Though some of the congregation contemplated after the descent of Haggis, if there would be an ascent. I've had lutefisk, but have yet to try haggis.

Anyway, if you would like to share any recipes, please do so. I know I'd like to get Marsha+'s recipe for her lavendar oil.

In Serenity and Joy
Andrea