So... The Rapture

I wasn't going to blog on this because I think it's been done to death. Obviously not as 'to death' as our dear old reverend 'predicted'. So how did you spend yours? Any actual looting? That would have been quite biblical. I got the time wrong. I recognise the irony. I thought it would hit midnight so as I considered the possibility of this being the end I did in fact prepare. Why not? It gives you a moment to reassess your life. Did I achieve what I wanted? How many things on that list did I actually tick? Do my friends and family know how much I love them. 

I've been in situations where the possibility of dying was very realistic. The first time I was panicked, afraid and then it dawned on me. If this is it then this is it. I might as well be happy with it because there's bugger all I can do about it now. That was the first time I ever dealt with my own death. I've had opportunities since then. Each time I have spent the interim loving. Loving my family and my work and all the things in my life. Why? Well they say finding out you have a terminal illness has a profound impact on the way that person lives your life. I hate to be pessimistic here- though I prefer realistic- but are we all not terminal? Is death not the end for us all? The difference, I believe, is that when you face a situation where you believe you will die and you have time to contemplate it, such as in the case of terminal illnesses you know HOW you will die. We all know we WILL die but the how and the when and even the why are things that make it real. Death is the only thing we can be wonderfully ignorant of. There are somethings we are willing to take the hypothetical leap for- what would I do if I won the lottery? What would I do if I could be a kid again. But what would would I do if I was dying? It's not really something we like to think about so we push from our minds. 

Or do we? Every day there are soaps and documentaries, the news and dramas that all deal with imagined and real death. It's almost like subconscious practise. As if we know our conscious selves aren't ready to process it yet so we go through the motions. We watch soaps with mothers dying and we empathise. How would I feel if it was my mum? We watch news reports of people fighting for euthanasia and we wonder- would we make the same choice? It's believed being able to empathise makes us a better person. To be an unsympathetic person to its it greatest degree is to be classified sociopathic. Being able to empathise is deemed a pre-requisite to social acceptance.

When I have faced my own mortality I have counted my blessings, closed my eyes and I have let go- I have pictured my last words with my mum- the person I have become- the friends I have made and the lessons I've learnt. 

So does this 'practise' make us better people? I make sure I speak to my mum regularly- I make sure she knows how much appreciate everything she's done for me. I make sure I've given my cats cuddles and asked my friends how they're feeling. I don't do this just because any moment could be our last- I do it so that any moment CAN be my last. So that every moment of every day I can close my eyes and feel content- content that if this moment should be my last then at least I am who I wanted to be. 

Is it possible that this idea of a death that will come out of no where- take your loved ones and have no mercy- is maybe a practice session? (We've had enough of them!)- Devised by our subconscious to help us cope- an evolution designed to evolve our own personal understandings of our place in the world. An opportunity to re- evaluate? Or maybe the rapture did come. The Bible says no man shall knoweth the hour. Maybe we each went to sleep at our respective times and woke up in our own individual post rapture hell. We were told there would earthquakes and famine and war. There always has been though? Right? What if we believe that because it is part of the torture- to not know of our perfect world we once occupied- so stripped from God's grace even our memories of such are wiped. It's just as likely as any of the other beliefs and conspiracies out there...

My rapture then? I entertained the possibility it was true- in the realm of possibility all things are true! I thought if this is the end then am I happy? I smiled, gave my cats a cuddle- called my mum and asked her how she was, I made my favourite dinner- fish cakes, steam veg and parsley sauce (sad I know) and watched some decent t.v. I did think if this is my last supper then it's also my cats so I gave them some treats as well. I treated it the same way as every other day. The same way I spend my life- content for any moment to be the last and living to keep it that way

A Healthy But Satisfying Breakfast (or snack).

I have an extremely sweet tooth and I'm terrible for snacking which is why I'm always happy when I find a cheap and easy recipe for healthy snacking.

Now I don't count healthy as purely low-calorie. This isn't particularly low-calorie but it's good energy food an dis packed full of nutrients.

The base of honey and low fat yoghurt can be adapted suit any taste.

Skinny Greek Drizzled with Honey


That's pretty much all it is! But it's what you do with it that counts...

Benefits of Honey

The benefits of honey don't just stop at satisfying the palate; honey also offers incredible antiseptic, antioxidant and cleansing properties for our body and health, hot beauty and skin care tips for ladies, and amazing healing properties as a head-to-toe remedy, from eye conjunctivitis to athlete foot. http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/ 

Benefits of Yoghurt

Yoghurt is a great source of calcium and Greek Yoghurt is especially rich in protien. There are also low fat version and Greek yoghurt is already lower in calories.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/300164-what-are-the-benefits-of-eating-greek-yogurt/


Benefits of Dried Fruit and Nuts

This is a massive subject- there is soooh much information out there on the benefits of various nuts- they can be high in fat but it's all about the right fats in the right balance. In my humble opinion. I go by the ethos of- Excess and abstinence make no man happy. (Don't know where I heard it.) If you want to know more on dried fruit and nuts then try the links below. Have a look around for recipe ideas...

http://www.juicingcafe.com/health-benefits-of-dried-fruits

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/nuts_nutrition.html

On a lighter note...

 Sometime we need to just share what makes us smile. That's why there are millions of videos on youtube of cats on treadmills. Here are some weird and wonderful things that made me smile. Please browse through the sites- see what you can find that makes you smile...



Shared by many including Derren Brown, an eloquent soliloquy on the magic of milk.

Moving review of Tuscan Whole Milk on Amazon.com

I know! I was amazed tooo!

Do you have an ipad? Buy a cat! Do you have a cat? Buy an ipad! Do you have both? Then you must buy this app to ensure the continual hilarity of the universe!!! The ipad app for cats!

And then there is the cruel but oh so funny world of pensioners and technology...

What would happen if you told your dad that Twitter was the search engine...

shared by 

www.brandflakesforbreakfast.com- Twitter Search

A Post on Vilifying- Reclaim the Swasika!

This post is inspired by someone I encountered on another of those pesky social sites.


Quotes are from the website 'Reclaim the Swastika'- link at bottom of post.

I would like to explore the act of vilifying with the swastika as the case in point. Over millennia our species have created numerous symbols for as numerous purposes  We have created symbols to protect and to curse, to cause hunger and to bring harvest- for birth and for death. The swastika is not a modern symbol- it is one of these ancient symbols.

The swastika is an ancient symbol present in numerous and diverse cultures around the world, including the cultures of India, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. 

So, if it's not a Nazi symbol in itself, what did it represent originally?

The swastika has been seen as a symbol for good luck by people in both ancient and modern times... the etymology of this Sanskrit word, however, reveals a deeper meaning. When... the Sanskrit scholar and spiritual teacher, P.R. Sarkar visited Germany in 1979 he gave the following interpretation of the word:

• su - means "good"
• asti - means "to be, to exist"
• ik - means "what is in existence, and will continue to exist"
• a - denotes feminine gender

So "Swastika" means a 'good existence' that is not to be destroyed and that remains in a good condition.  
( Abridged- full text at link below)

But why would the Nazi's take a 'foreign' symbol and use it as theirs? Apart from the fascinations in the 'occult' that was rife in the upper echelons of the Nazi's maybe there is something more basic about this?

 As a species we are constantly pilfering- we share, steal and reproduce others ideas. The cross of Christianity- is said to have actually been a stake and prior to that the ankh was a symbol for birth- fertility and was actually the pictogram for life. Were these two amalgamated to give a more profound impact- the-true-origin-of-the-cross. the pagans of early Briton certainly had an equal armed cross. symbolism-of-the-equal-armed-cross The cross is a hotly debated symbol amongst differing christian denominations. Regardless of the views expressed about the origins of Christianity and wether or not you agree, Zeitgeist Movie- The Greatest Story Ever Told. Pt 1 has some interesting ideas and discusses the development of the cross.

 

The cross in any format and in any country holds power and belief. It represents life, strength, fertility and balance. The ankh, the 'crucifiction' cross, the equal armed cross and the swastika- maybe this form is just so deeply built in to our psyche that it was bound to be pilfered by someone for negative use eventually. But in all it's forms, what a shame we first think of it's one, darkest incarnation. For more information please take a look at http://reclaimtheswastika.com/

The chaotic genius of the human imagination...

Zombies!
Love em or hate em they are fascinating. Or rather the creation of them is. They were created by pure human imagination inspired by hideous encounters and gruesome nightmares dating back to the earliest mysticism.

http://www.paranormalhaze.com/the-evolution-of-the-zombie/

 Intrinsically linked are the more  recent and appropriately industrial visions like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. We explore the concept of what is behind that unfocused gaze, hypothesise on how- with our scientific understanding- a 'zombie' outbreak could actually happen. This in itself isn't even the fascinating bit. What is truly wonderful  about the human mind is that we then took these stories and beliefs, took the fear that has built up over generations and turned it into ENTERTAINMENT! We recreate our nightmare and broadcast it across the globe for millions to then watch... For fun?! What does this say about the human psyche? We create a being, we terrorise ourselves silly with it and then we produce life like versions of it for fun. Better still is the bizarre market for "Zombie Survival Kits'. After creating this being we now have weapons, tactics, badges, warning signs and websites devoted to exterminating our own creation. Is mankind really this in need of conflict? That we create enemies where there are none. Or did this kind of speculation help us evolve? Was it that forward thinking imagination that enabled us to think ahead of our predators and invent things like agriculture...

Spare a thought for our creations, the product of our chaotic and beautiful mind. That target we've created to pour our aggressions and fears upon.  Love em or hate em. They are fascinating.

Make cake not war...

When I'm stressed I bake, when I've gone into work despite feeling like crap I take home baked cakes with me. It makes me feel better to cheer people up and the conversation doesn't start with 'I feel like crap'. Whilst baking I realised something. If you bake cakes in a bad mood they come out heavy and dry. I found meditating and singing gave me a light and moist bakey goodness. This is probably because the distraction means you don't over work your dough but I still sing and meditate when I bake. And my work colleague are always asking for more...

Basic Rock Cake Recipe:
Ideal to bake with children (requires supervision)

Ingredients
9oz self-raising four
3oz butter plus extra for greasing
3oz golden caster sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
raw brown sugar for sprinkling
4-5 oz of fruit/nuts/coconut etc.

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 200 celsius/ 400 farenheit.

1. Sift the flour getting plenty of air into it. Add the butter and rub it between the figer tips until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. This is easier if you allow the butter to reach room temperature first. Stir in the sugar and fruit/nuts/ etc

2. Break the egg into a bowl and whisk in the milk so that it is light and fluffy. Pour  most of the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a fork until its a stiff dough. Add the rest of the mixture if needed.

3. Using two forks separate the mixture into ten rocky piles on a greased baking tray. Sprinkle with brown sugar (or chopped nuts, choc drops etc). Leave plenty of room for them to expand and if needed bake in two batches.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 10-12 minutes. They should be just firm to the touch and a light golden brown.

I've tried this with so many different extras. A dollop of jam (large tablespoon) gives an almost american muffin type cake. Soft and moist inside but with a tastey baked top. Plain chocolate drops and marmalade or orange essence are a classic mix given a rustic twist. The options are endless. Why not try savoury ones? Poppy seeds with cheddar grated on top?

Have fun!

Surely we need to work past this first?

Humanity has truly come quite far. Our quality of lives, education, medicine, technology are all constantly being updated and yet still there is something we are missing. We have tried to improve our fellow man from afar. Observing and implementing, taking statistics and writing reports. But now we must turn to our neighbour and really look, really listen. I will be pilfering James Cameron's Avatar and TED Talks to illustrate... In Avatar there is a real deep emotional link between the Nav'i, their greeting 'I see you' suggests an outlook on interpersonal relationships superior to our own.

How can we begin to move forward however when our minds wander off and do things all of their own? Like living in a permanent state of rightness. Where being wrong is the worst thing in the world. Kathryn Schulz had some brilliant things to say on this subject at TED2011

http://www.ted.com/talks/kathryn_schulz_on_being_wrong.html

Maybe if we can start to look at the way we view the world, take some control and modify these auto perceptions- we may find a more innovative and content society at the end of it. Just a theory.