Chai Tea and Pumpkin Sunsets

Sometimes I miss living in the country,lots of time actually but last night in particular.Autumn outside of the city just seems to arrive at exactly the right time,cool nights mean chai tea by the fire and apple picking in the warm Indian summer sun. This quote explains it ..

"The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly
changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools."
- Henry Beston, Northern Farm

 It is a natural occurrence for the Earth to take her slumber in the colder months,allow the fields to harvest their abundance and the tree's to hibernate for awhile. Winter weather gives Mother Earth time to recover from days of dancing wildly in the sunshine.I felt like I was becoming too caught up in the ever present flurry of the city so I took a walk last night and bumped right into the most brilliant pumpkin hued sunset.It took hold of my breath as I paused to look around the neighborhood that is now my home.Change brought me to this exact moment in time and it is for a reason that I am here, a piece of my heart will always belong to the countryside but I can get used to pumpkin sunsets in the city.

Chai Latte's are best around a campfire !

Here is the recipe:

1 cinnamon stick


5 whole green cardamom pods

5 whole cloves

5 whole black peppercorns

2 1-inch pieces ginger root, sliced

1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon loose black tea

1/2 cup milk (or milk substitute)

Honey, to taste

In a small pot, combine cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, ginger, and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 7 minutes.

Remove from heat, add tea, and steep for 3-5 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and return liquid to the pot. Discard solids.


Over a low heat, stir in honey and milk and cook until heated through. Pour into mugs, and top with frothed milk and cinnamon, if desired.


I also like to drizzle caramel over the top !







 

Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Soup

This is the time of the year that my Soul Shines !
Pumpkins, Apples, Cider and Spooky Nights and I am a Happy Girl ..

Try this Pumpkin Soup Recipe, It is Enchanting !!

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/soups/curried-pumpkin-soup/

One Moment Meditation

http://youtu.be/F6eFFCi12v8

Love this video !

Pearl Jam 20

Pearl Jam 20 will be at The Little Theatre on Tuesday, September 20th for one night only !!

https://www.thelittle.org/moviePage.php?filmID=1277

Join me :) !!

Tuesdays with Morrie

This book is a requirement for the course I am taking called Death and Dying. I heard great reviews about this book prior to the course and I believe a movie was made about it as well. I placed it on my reading list of "one day when I have time books" and never found the time. I think in some ways I didn't want to read it. The descriptions sounded like it may bring up some securely hidden emotions. I am an empathetic reader, if a book interests me ,it is like I become the character, I will carry the acquired feelings with me for days so a book like this may set me back a few steps,or so I thought.

The book did bring up hidden emotions I have buried since I saw my grandma take her last breath. I have been asked to describe my feelings, I have yet to find the words. This story touched on my experiences before she passed and it spoke to me in a way that not much else has. I have amazing friends who walked every step of those days with me ,I have family who was present for every single moment and carry their own set of scars and yet I am unable to express in any real depth what I actually feel,even to them.

I chose a new career path of hospice nursing based on my new view of life and love. I am inspired even further to keep forging ahead on this path ,this book helped the light at the end to glimmer brighter. I always believed it isn't so much the destination but rather the journey that guides a person towards their highest self.

Honey Tea and the Moon

I try not to write too much about my sadness here,I would much rather spread light, I am not usually so sad but sometimes its best to be honest. I wasnt feeling much light yesterday and sleep did not grace me well with its presence.I walked to the window at some wee hour this morning and was greeted with the very start of the sunrise ,the sky was silent.

I sat in the stillness and watched a prism of colors slowly illuminate the sky until daylight broke.

I contemplated darkening all of the windows and summoning sleep but instead I went to work where I acquired my current raspy throat.

My Irish grandma had the best remedy  :

Boil water with a squirt of fresh lemon
Pour the lemon water over black tea
Add a shot of Irish Whiskey
Take a spoonful of honey and mix it all together.

So as the Harvest Moon painted the sky tonight I sipped my tea and the stillness returned.

Harvest Moon

I think I have been kidding myself lately. As summer comes to a close and the leaves begin to flutter about with the apple scented wind,I am kind of sad. I adore Autumn,I wait for it all year,I always have and yet as it begins to grace the earth in its crimson magic,I am feeling more and more dismal.
I think it may pass and I suppose its symbolic of the seasons,as summer ends the harvest begins,we now reap what we have sown. I believed I have sown good tidings except I have ignored the ever present flicker of grief lately,as the leaves fall off the tree's,I need to allow the tears to fall so as to reap the goodness that only a cleansing can give.

The Harvest Moon dances in the sky tonight and year after year I believe it becomes more enchanting,it is and will always be my favorite moon.

http://youtu.be/KPURzgM14SM