Zen Journey

This week's Zen suggestion is asking yourself "what's not wrong?"

"We often ask, "What's wrong?"...we would be much happier if we tried to stay in touch with the healthy, joyful seeds inside of us and around us. We should learn to ask, "What's not wrong?" and be in touch with that....Life is filled with many wonders, like the blue sky, the sunshine, the eyes of a baby...wherever we are, any time, we have the capacity to enjoy the sunshine, the presence of each other, the wonder of our breathing...we can be in touch with these things right now." -Thich Nhat Hanh

Zen Journey

We would like to invite our friends and family on a Zen journey. As a family we are practicing mindfulness and the art of being present. As a result we are experiencing peace, harmony and joy. We hope you will join us!

"Every morning, when we wake up, we have twenty-four brand new hours to live. What a precious gift! We have the capacity to live in a way that these twenty-four hours will bring peace, joy, and happiness to ourselves and others".
- Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Zen Master


Each week I will post a suggestion for your journey. Incorporate it into your life and share your experiences with us.

This weeks suggestion is: Eating Mindfully

For the past three weeks we have been eating in mindfulness. Each evening we sit down at the table as a family. We take a moment to clear our minds with a few deep breaths (inhale-I calm myself, exhale-I smile). These few breaths help us become present, in the moment. After our breathing ritual, we look around the table and smile at one another. This only takes a few seconds, but it enhances the quality of our meal together. If you cannot smile at one another, it is very hazardous for the family. After our smiling, we bless the food. We thank God that we have such an abundance on our table. We are then aware and are ready to eat. We eat in mindfulness, appreciating the food and where it came from. If the kids don't like something, we help them understand the good things it provides for our bodies (ie. "Why did you make this?" "Damon, that spinach and black bean burrito fills your body full of germ fighters and muscle builders"). We are aware of our conversation, allowing only positive discussions. It is very toxic for our bodies when we eat while we are speaking negatively about others or our jobs. We have had three weeks of relaxing, enjoyable dinners. Kenyon and Damon have been extremely receptive to our rituals. They love to take deep breaths, and love to smile at one another. Our conversations have improved (although we are still working on eliminating the fart/poop talk), and the boys have been willing to try new things. This is an easy step that brings joy every day. I challenge you all to join us on our "eating mindful" journey!

Fancy Fish…Faulty Fish…FLAMING FISH!

We got together with a long lost friend Daman and his family last weekend.  He was excited to steam a whole fish for us - Hong Kong style.  First we got to know the fish:

Daman – proud of his beautiful creation.  I call the eyeballs! 

 

But we dug in and – oh my – it was a little raw down by the ribs.  So Daman put it back on the burner and…

 

 

There lies the precious carcass in a bed of shattered Pyrex, roasting on two open gas flames.  We all learned a little about the consequences of rapid cooling / heating of glass cookware.

The Cleanup

 

Daman couldn’t stand the thought of our sweet rockfish going to waste.  Mmm, crunchy.

Good times with the Reynolds!  Thanks for letting us crash your place!

First Haircut

Selah was not so sure about having her hair cut. She stated, "No haircut, I don't like it" (with her little Irish accent).

She didn't want to sit in the seat or wear the gown, so lucky Derek got to do both and set a good example.

All done!!

The Big Biff

It was a beautiful Sunday morning, we thought we would get the kids wiggles out before church. We took them on a nice bike ride, but Kenyon got more than his wiggles out... Hilary took the boys down a super fast hill, Kenyon went flying-squirrel over his handle bars . After the initial shock he exclaimed, "I don't think that was a very good idea Mom".

Look at the size of that lip...now that is a fat lip!

He got back on his bike and rode home, that's my boy!

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth

What do you want for Christmas this year?

Tofurkey vs. Hog Maw

What happens when a vegetarian hostess invites central PA locals over for Thanksgiving dinner? My family is left wondering...where's the turkey?

Hil's Tofurkey vs. Hog "Wash" AKA: Pigs stomach

Thanksgiving started off beautifully with a nice run and Derek's annual Turkey Bowl. It also ended beautifully with a fabulous pumpkin roll, pumpkin pie and a competitive game of Nerts. But what happened in the middle was a vegetarian's nightmare!! First my tofurkey was terrible!! I guess that is what happens when you try to recreate a bird out of bean curd. Second, I had to endure torture as I was taught the process of making an Amish classic, Hog Maw. See for yourselves:

This was my reaction when the Hog Maw was first unveiled.

We love you White Family. We hope to see you and your pig stomach again next year!! As for myself, I suppose Thanksgiving will continue to be a day of side dishes.