Things to do in Ithaca, NY
Three years ago when I moved here, practically everyone I met volunteered things to do in Ithaca, so as not to be bored. They felt it vitally important to share with every newbie—and potential former Ithaca resident. I kept hearing the exact same three things from the different people who live here. Someone would say “ohh if you like Mexican food, we've got the best Mexican downtown it's called Viva …Gimme Coffee has the best coffee…of course you’ve got to go to the famous Ithaca farmers market .” These things always came up as a tri…
Inexpert Guidance on Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is the practice of giving your full attention to eating and drinking, noticing what happens to foods as you process them. It is derived from mindfulness, focused on being present and fully engaged with whatever we're doing . When you eat mindfully, you focus on the loof, feel, smell, and even the sound or your food. And you pay attention to your feelings of being hungry, sated, and full. I don't have any rules for my mindful eating, but I've come to recognize some patterns that made me want to try mindful eating..…
Mindful Eating: Day 4...
How to mindfully eat a hamburger and fries...or not. On the one hand, I was not looking forward to mindfully eating my weekly hamburger and fries from Five Guys. This is because I wasn't sure I could do it. This meal is quite often scarfed down, book-ended by a handful of salty roasted peanuts. Questions in my head: Will I be able to do it, eat a succulent burger and too-many-delicious fries slowly? Chewing and swallowing the bolus before taking another bite? If so, will I enjoy this meal more than in the past? As with others this week…
Mindful Eating: Day 3…
Finding the time for mindful eating…Breakfast is a challenge. First, because it’s muesli. I’m not a fan of oats, so I must to doctor them up special to make them palatable. Practical DINK Muesli recipe: (random amounts of) Oats, unsweetened dried coconut, dried cranberry or currants, unsalted pepitas, raw sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and a scoop of raisin bran cereal. Next, I have grown accustomed to standing for breakfast, and shoveling it in (again because I don’t really like oats) , and I have rarely sat down to eat breakfast. So, Today, I…
Why I’m Trying Mindful Eating
I caught myself on two separate occasions last week, having consumed a delicious bag of Barbara's cheez & jalapeño doodles. I had no recollection of any enjoyment in either one. With this snack in particular, it’s just not like me...I love those things, and they often remind me of Friday evenings back in grad schools, when I worked in the multimedia studio—managing training and checking out audio/video equipment, lighting rigs, microphones, cameras and DAT recorders—late into Friday nights. My meal of choice back then was a pot of hon…
Grad-School Second and Third Thoughts...
When school started in August, I scrambled to cancel everything I had planned for the fall and early winter. On this list were monthly sound bath sessions with a couple beloved clients, one-off sound bath sessions with brand new clients (schedule months before) , a weekly sound meditation class, that I had contracted to teach at a local university, a handful of routine (and not so routine) medical appointments that I'd scheduled months earlier, visiting family and friends (alongside that is an imperative to visit with an old acquaintance …
Recent Painting & Accomplishment
I snapped a few photos of myself while watching the first England match of the 2023 Women's World Cup, at 4am, on my laptop, at the farm. This was my favorite one of the series. I challenged myself to relinquish control and succeeded. Rather than rely on small brushes, short strokes, and meticulous control over the medium, I slathered on acrylic paint with larger brushes, finger tips, and pencil butts to daub on acrylic paint. This was a meditative practice, and I am brimming with pride at the result!
Walking in Baltimore, Mid-May
Gorgeous pink and peach roses, in a dry garden... I decided to bike from my neck of the woods to visit a friend who lives a couple miles north. After enjoying the ride for a few blocks, I opted to hop out of the saddle and stroll, taking in much more of this glorious day. Dogwood shrubs, and no wire! On my first photographic pause, I bent down to pick up some trash in the parking lot of the Northwood shopping center, a redeveloped retail space meant to serve the community. My personal feelings do no align with those of community members and ne…
Sound Bath at the Writer's Retreat
A few months back, a mentor-friend asked about my willingness to facilitate a sound bath at an upcoming retreat, held by the American Assn. of Colleges and Universities. The week-long writer's retreat was to occur in March 2023, to benefit STEM faculty at historically Black universities. This gathering was right up my street; serving one of my favorite professional audiences, who would welcome a break from the week of intense focus required for their work. This woman is not an official mentor, but an expert, an friend, a sounding board, a …
Post-Covid Social Anxiety
A week ago today, I was sat across from two good friends/neighbors who were in our Covid Bubble during lockdown. We were attending a book event at the new local bookstore/cafe. The younger of my two friends admitted to me that she finds it challenging to prepare for social engagement and was relieved that we all decided to attend the book talk together. I must say I feel this challenge at social events, myself. I often just power through the angsty feeling and head into the social morass anyway--as I did before the pandemic. But the angsty fee…
On Socials