Greek Pizza with Feta, Spinach and Olives – Inquiring Chef.
I really like this kind of blogger, even though it can make me hungry, it also inspires me!
The natural writing style, the friendly voice of the author, the excellent photos all make for an attractive, and inspiring read.
The author provides some recipes also, so fill your boots!
One of my favorite blog posts (you can find it in that category) has to be the list of the Five Regrets Most Given by people at the end of their lives.
This Regret ” That they wish they had lived their own life, and not the one that others expected of them” resonates strongly with many people, maybe everyone, maybe you.
Have you ever said out loud an expression that you would like to go to this exotic location, or that you wanted to buy a motorcyle, or return to school ~ only to have your inner circle shoot down that expression of interest, of desire?
Is there something you would like to do, somewhere you would like to travel? An activity you would enjoy? but you are holding yourself back?
I think what happens before we hold ourselves back, is that we have our desire balloon pricked – that balloon of interest, desire to venture, our individuality in a sense is mortally wounded by the very inner circle that we don’t hesitate to open our hearts with. They possess, we grant them in fact, with kryptonite to our ideas; but I believe they zap us unknowingly, and innocently.
Our inner circles, I hope really do want the best for us, so we really need to just listen to them with balance and weigh their comment. If our desire was to unicycle naked against the traffic on the freeway for example – then they may have a legitimate concern. Those leather seats get hot in the sun!
Consider the quote from Robert Heinlein.
“Do not confuse “duty” with what other people expect of you; they are utterly different. Duty is a debt you owe to yourself to fulfill obligations you have assumed voluntarily. Paying that debt can entail anything from years of patient work to instant willingness to die. Difficult it may be, but the reward is self-respect.
But there is no reward at all for doing what other people expect of you, and to do so is not merely difficult, but impossible. It is easier to deal with a footpad than it is with the leech who wants “just a few minutes of your time, please—this won’t take long.” Time is your total capital, and the minutes of your life are painfully few. If you allow yourself to fall into the vice of agreeing to such requests, they quickly snowball to the point where these parasites will use up 100 percent of your time—and squawk for more!
So learn to say No—and to be rude about it when necessary. Otherwise you will not have time to carry out your duty, or to do your own work, and certainly no time for love and happiness. The termites will nibble away your life and leave none of it for you.
(This rule does not mean that you must not do a favor for a friend, or even a stranger. But let the choice be yours. Don’t do it because it is “expected” of you.)”
― Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love
Cauliflower, Sultana & Almond Salad with Turmeric Dressing.
I love the photographs on this post, the food looks delicious. In the past I have cooked the meat and left the salads to my wife. Recently I started to move towards vegetarian a few days a week, and found I felt better. I have made some delicious and healthy meals and I like cauliflower to cook with. Since this recipe does have fewer ingredients, common ingredients it is one that I would use as a base to recreate – I can never follow a recipe exactly, one of many defects I have, I have to change it and make it differently, but a recipe like is inspiring, like a guide for my own experimentation.
I hope you decide to experiment also! Thanks Julie, and my wife thanks you because she loves coming home to delicious vegetarian cooking!
The Picnic at Ag. Igionnais – Samos.
You’ll love the story, you’ll love the photographs, and you might book a flight to Greece.
“ We left our food under a vine-covered terrace and wandered into a small orchard containing peach, lime and orange trees. This is where we came upon the priest. Further back was a terrace containing olive trees and trailing vines loaded with ripening grapes and beyond that the reason for the existence of the monastery – a spring . The monks had taken the concept of the traditional well one step further and built a pool to accommodate the water burbling to the surface. It was here that I saw an azure blue, 12 cm, gauzy winged dragon-fly on my first visit many years ago. It was also here that when stung by the only jelly fish to be lurking in the waters around Samos, and there being no resident priest at the time, was administered first aid (vinegar rubbed over the infected site ) by another visiting family.
I have always thought it was rather pretentious, and almost insulting like someone who says to you” that’s nice, but I like to treat myself first class” [?? – and I don’t?]
What are they saying? Is it an implication that you are satisfied with less and they would never do that? I think that’s insulting.
Go Big! what I think it means now is keep having a desire to reach for more in your life. Are you coasting? Look at the mental image of coasting ~ you usually coast downhill or else you lose speed, right?
If you are coasting then I think it is time to go big again. Can you point to anything you have done recently where you could not predict the outcome? Have tried a new sport? Set a new goal? Signed up something new to try at the community centre? I have not, and it time to do so again. I have learned and reminded myself that is good to put yourself in new, slightly uncomfortable situations so you obtain growth!
A few years ago I tried Tai Chi for six months – it was fun, and relaxing; I learned 101 moves like “Fend off Monkeys” and I learned about Tai Chi. Proud and glad I did that.
I also one January signed up to do the Sun Run – the first day I was standing there at the community centre with 120 or so growth seekers, in a snowstorm. I have a picture of that first class, all of in the snowstorm. I did stick with it, and did the 10 K Sun Run that year; it was an adventure. Proud and glad I did that.
A few years ago I was invited to join Toastmasters, I held off, and then realized I had nothing to lose. I joined, and since then I have tried to keep resisting ever saying NO, I have been an officer of my club nearly every year, and I even said yes to being Area Governor one year. Do I feel like I can do it, sure; why not? The best thing is knowing all I need to do is try, and work at it; it isn’t heart surgery and I am pleased to say again it was an adventure, a pleasure, and a risk I am glad I ventured. Proud and glad I did that.
Go Big. Go Big. This is your life, no re do’s, your regrets will be yours forever, some day nothing will ever change, and you will no longer have any risks in your life, but then you will be dead. Now you are alive – Go Big.
This blog, very small and unknown in a big sense is another Go Big for me; I work at it and hope that I have something to be proud of. A small venture, but am proud I ventured.
Look around – plan now to go big, cooking class, join Toastmasters, try Yoga, get off the downward slope and say to yourself – what small step can I begin the journey with today? Do something for yourself, you will encourage yourself, be proud of yourself, you will grow in yourself. Go Big!
Thanks for visiting, visitors make blogging worthwhile and inspiring. Let me you know your view on how I can improve, or what you thought of this post. Cheers !
I couldn’t wait for “hump day” so I played hookey this afternoon instead.
A day in the sunshine is never wasted!
