Movie - "The Sessions"

Oh. My. Lordy.  How refreshing!

I saw the movie "The Sessions" today.  It was fantastic.  It was provocative, romantic, real, sad, funny, raw, human and humane. It is based on the autobiographical writings by Mark O'Brien, a poet/writer who was not-quite-paralyzed from the neck down due to a bout of childhood polio.  He lives mostly in an iron lung and always on a gurney.  At 38, he sets out to lose his virginity and after consulting with his priest, decides to see a sex-therapist.  It challenges the conventional stigma surrounding the disabled and allows you to truly empathize with the guy.  The movie did a great job of bringing the characters to life - the relationships were real and you could genuinely relate, no phony business.

I think the actors were fantastic, John Hawkes plays Mark O'Brien and Helen Hunt is Cheryl Cohen-Green, the sex-therapist.   You really had a sense of empathy - both happy and sad, for Mark.  I will leave it at that, you ought to see the movie for yourself to truly experience it.  

Growing up

I don't know if it's that I'm growing up and I'm realizing that there is some crazy stuff in the world or if the world is getting weirder.

An anthropologist told me that people have been saying since the dawn of man (ok maybe not since the dawn of man, but since we have had written record of people), "men are starting to dress like women, women are starting to dress like men, we're losing our values, society is falling apart...blah blah"  So maybe I am just growing up and realizing that people are human and do stupid things.  The world is so huge and there are so many people out there...think about all of the people you know and then all of the different personalities/quirks they have...now multiply that by 7000000 to roughly give you the world's population (about 7.052 billion people, according to the US Census Bureau as of March 2012; this is also assuming you know 1000 people - I'm being generous with my estimate).  Now think that all of these people have individual personalities, problems, culture, religion, consciences, hurt, vengeance, karma, you name it, to give you...the world we live in.  It's no wonder we have people killing other people, leaving all their money to a stranger, torturing other people, falling in love, resolving to swim across various straits to "prove something," etc.  People are freaking rad.

Growing up is weird.  It's like shattering everything you always believed as a child except there is so much more cool stuff out there.

Humanity

Do we forget that we are human?  Is it a product of where we live?  Our society?  Is it cultural?  Do some cultures have a better grip on what it is to be human? Or how to live life?  Does the sound of a cello not stop your heart from beating?  Human tears - salty human tears.  The sound of a man's baritone voice, unwavering as he belts out a ballad of a lost love.  A baby.  People in love.  The sunset.    Dancing so much you get dizzy and lose yourself in your partner's arms.  Jumping in a cold lake.  The sun on your bare skin.  The eminent beat of a drum.  Or a heart beat! Freckles.  The way fire dances in the night.  A good glass of champagne.  Stories you get lost in.  The smell of a jasmine vine on a warm Spring day.  The physique of an athlete.  The foam of a latté.

I guess this just turned into a short list of the countless things I find beautiful.  You're also on that list :)

Don't ever lose your innate ability to appreciate life.  

Passion

So I find it really interesting the conversation surrounding "passion."  My friend, Merriam-Webster, defines passion as "a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept" or "an object of desire or deep interest" (source) (there are some other definitions for the word but for the most commonly used context, I think this is appropriate).  

Now with that said, I would like to talk a little bit about passion.  There is a Spanish song by Bebo and Cigala, a Spanish singer and a Cuban guitarist that sings of a man that is in love with two women.  One is his wife, the mother of his children and the other is the passionate love of his life.  I think of this and I think, why can't those 2 people be the same person?  But then I think of the people I have known and the conversations I have had and many people do not have the courage to pursue passion.  It is like living a convenient life, an easy life.  It is easy or safe to just settle but to have passion you have to suffer.  I think in the society we live in we view suffering as a bad thing but I think that one must suffer to experience the good things in life.  Suffering is another emotion we must endure to feel other sentiments in life.  I don't believe that you would feel truly happy having not felt sad.  Why can't the woman you're married to, the mother of your children also be the woman you are passionately in love with? Why cannot people be happily passionate, why must we settle, why can't we take risks?  I understand why but I don't know why so many people just accept this.   It is easier.  But do you want your life to be easy or thrilling?  Do you want to wake up for the rest of your life just going through the motions or do you want to be happy, excited, passionate about your life?  Crying isn't the worst thing in the world, at least you got to experience something so meaningful in your life that it brought you to tears.   

I could go off on another tangent about the misconception of passion and anger in our society or the poor reception of passion but I will leave that for another post.  I can't tell you the number of times people have said (about me) "what's wrong with you?" or "Why are you so angry?"  It's called passion!! A reason to live something worth my energy, my breath, my time! 

I will leave y'all with my thoughts.  I hope you find passion in your life, I hope you have the courage to pursue your passion and I hope you never settle for anything below your standards for yourself.  When you put your head down on that pillow at night I hope you are happy with the decisions you made during the day or at least can understand why you made those decisions, if you're unhappy I hope you don't repeat those mistakes.  

Rainy Day

I am a self-admitted sun bunny, desert rat, you name it...I'm sure there are a thousand ways to describe us sun addicts but I must admit, the rain is charming.  This morning when I left the house it was pitch black and  unusually warm.   You could tell the barometric pressure was low.  Some people say you can smell when it's going to rain, but maybe it is just feeling the pressure change in your nose or in your head, I don't know.  I went to exercise at the gym and when I came out, it was raining.  It was awesome.  I feel like the world slows down when it rains, maybe people drive slower or maybe it causes us to see things from a different perspective but it was really beautiful to watch the world go by.  I did my normal commute (about 7 minutes, including parking time) and was quite taken back by how different everything appeared all wet and grey.  Rainy days are great for fireplaces and books, hot chocolate and blankets and quiet classical music humming from a muffled record player.  Hopefully by the time I get home in the evening it will still be raining and I can cuddle up under a blanket with a good book and eventually fall asleep to the pitter-patter of the rain on the roof...

Jack's Peak, Saturday hike

Another beautiful Saturday morning hike in Monterey.  Papa B and I went to Jack's Peak and had a great hike.

When I was in highschool, my cross country team would regularly race there.  It was one of my favorite places to race because I loved being in the solitude of nature, boiling with competitive juices and adrenaline, not to mention the gorgeous view of the Monterey Bay.

We did our cross country course, backwards and then some.  We walked and talked and laughed.  There is one section that has switchbacks, it makes the really steep incline seem not so steep.  I kept telling Papa B, we used to run here and there and that was the start and there was the finish.  At the switchbacks I told him, we used to run this!  He said (switching to English, which he does for dramatic emphasis), "used to is in the past tense, Sally, you need to think in the present."  Woah!  He's totally right.

We hiked along, enjoying the scenery, smelling the pine trees - slightly green and sour smelling.  In the background you could hear the concert that was happening at the Fair Grounds.  Also occasionally we would hear planes taking off or landing, Jack's Peak is just up the road from the Monterey Airport.  There were bugs glistening in the sun light and if you pay attention you could hear the woodpeckers high up in the trees.  It was a really wonderful hike.  I hope you get there someday. 

We unfortunately did not see any mountain lions

View of the bay

Monterey bay through the trees :)

The trail

A fallen tree covered in moss and pine needles

A banana slug!!! Hi buddy.

Spider web

After our hike we came home and had lunch with Mama B.  Life is good, isn't it?

 

Lunch! Green beans with garlic, olives, red cabbage and sesame salad, cut vegies

Point Lobos with Papa B

It was a gorgeous Indian Summer day here in beautiful Monterey so Papa B and I decided to go down to Point Lobos for a hike. (For those of you who unfamiliar with the concept of Indian Summer - it's a phenomenon that occurs in the Northern Hemisphere marked by warmer than expected weather in late-September-November, we definitely experience it here in Pacific Grove).  

Point Lobos is a State Natural Reserve a bit down the coast from Monterey.  We headed down and parked just outside of the park and walked in.  There were many people out today, it's Saturday and a clear day - it's great to see so many people out! 

We walked through the trees, it was a bit cooler than out in the sun and a little darker.  After some time, we saw blue and turquoise through the trees.  Although I have grown up on the Pacific Ocean, I find it amazing how diverse it is - it amazes me every time.  It's completely variable depending on the weather, the lighting, the time of day, the tide, the wildlife, etc.  Today was especially spectacular.  

The ocean through the trees 

Gorgeous cove!

Looking across to Carmel, Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove

p-r-e-t-t-y

We admired the ocean, told jokes and "hello-ed" people as we passed them on the trails.  Going around a little cove made me think of "Island of the Blue Dolphins" a book we had to read in the 4th grade.  It's about a Native American girl that lives on an island off the coast of California.  I haven't read the book in over 10 years but I guess the imagery stuck in my subconscious.  

This is what reminds me of "Island of the Blue Dolphins"

There were scuba divers preparing to go out - how cool!  I wonder what all they see down there?  

We were lucky enough to see a vulture fly by overhead, its wings spread magnificently with the ends sticking up like fingers.

The water was pretty calm, when the waves were well behaved, the water looked super smooth and the sun reflected brilliantly off of it.  

It looks like glass, doesn't it!

At one point we sat on a bench and admired the coast.  There were rose petals all around the bench and Papa B said there must have been a girl here reciting "he loves me, he loves me not."  

I love seeing the crushed abalone shells in the ground, their metallic color always catches the light just right and reflects up at you.  It's like a silver, green, pink, purple color.  

Broken abalone shells, can you see the metallic coloration?

Eventually we came upon a little cabin with whale bones around it.  One rib was about the length of my height!  There was also what looked like the hip bone of a whale and the vertebrae of a whale.  On the side of the cabin was framed baleen - the filter in the mouths of baleen whales.  (S)He consume a huge volume of water that hopefully has lots of krill in it, the whale then pushes the water out but the krill are trapped in the whale's mouth - dinner! 

Whale bones!

It looks like where the vertebrae would connect, but I'm not too familiar with whale anatomy...

Whale ribs, vertebrae, fin and baleen 

Next we went around a different bend and encountered some deer.  It is rutting season for the deer here.  That means they are mating.  This usually happens right before daylight savings time and there is a drastic change in their hormone levels.  They behave abnormally, more agressive, and if they don't move out of your way - you should get out of theirs.  We saw three young males and clapped at them, they looked at us a bit and didn't budge, we went down a different trail.  

We came upon another bench overlooking another little cover.  There were three seals resting on the rocks.  

Seals on the rocks! Can you see them?

Looking across to Carmel 

We admired from afar and eventually had to get down to the water.  Luckily there was a bonafide trail and we slowly made our way down to the rocky beach.  I quickly lost my shoes and socks and tried to run to the water, it was difficult to do on a non-sand beach.  The water was refreshingly cool.  It was low tide and so there were uncovered rocks filled with sea anemones.  You can't really see them unless you're looking because they are closed and have bits of sand and rocks stuck to them.  I touched them just to watch them shrivel back - I hope I wasn't harming them, they're just so amazing, and I couldn't help it!  

Rocky beach :)

Sea anemones!  They close up during low tide

More sea anemones 

We eventually walked back to the car, retracing our footsteps.  If you are observant enough, you can notice slight changes in the light, coloration, etc. in the trails that you walked in not too long before.  There was the same creaking noise from a tree when we walked back as when we had walked past the first time.  It would stop as we walked by and pick up again after we were past the tree.  I therefore am convinced that it was an animal but my dad claims it was just the wind causing the tree to creak.  

Gingerbread Latté

The other day I had a gingerbread latté at East Village Coffee Lounge.  It was delicious.  I guess it's one of those things that is truly "American" or "Californian."  It's actually really cool to see how seasonal things become advertising tools.  You know it's fall because Starbucks Coffee and Peet's Coffee and Tea are advertising for "Gingerbread Lattés" or "Pumpkin Spice lattés."  Well I was going to have my usual tea but a little chalk board caught my eye, advertising for gingerbread and pumpkin spice lattés.  This is beyond the marketing giants of Starbucks and Peets, this is little locally owned and operated East Village.  So I ordered a pumpkin spice latté but they were out so I went with the next best thing, gingerbread.  It was great!  Beyond the flavour being delicious, the foam of the milk was nice and thick and mixed just enough with the espresso.

Anyhow, it's a lazy Saturday and I woke up from a nap wanting a gingerbread latté so I set out to make one.  I turned to my trust friend, the internet for a starting out point.  I found one recipe that called for "Gingerbread syrup," right, because if I want to make a gingerbread latté at home, I of course have gingerbread syrup.  Next.  I found a recipe that called for actual ingredients that I had around the pantry.  I messed around with it and came up with the recipe below:

Gingerbread Latté

• 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. black strap molasses
• 2 tsp. honey (you could use any sweetener you like, sugar, brown sugar, etc.)
• 1 shot of espresso 
• 3/4 of a cup of milk - heated, steamed if you have the capabilities to do so 

Make your espresso in a percolator, what the Italians call a moka (a stovetop coffee maker).  While that's brewing, heat up your milk and set it aside.  In a mug mix the rest of the ingredients, pour the espresso over it and mix it really well so that all the spices get blended and the molasses and honey melt.  Add to that the hot milk.  If you wish, you can sprinkle cinnamon on top or add whipped cream for decor (and deliciousness!) 

Voila! 

Good morning

Today as I was leaving the gym, I sneezed.  An old man carrying a water bottle turned to me and said "Bless you!"  I thanked him and he held the door open for me.  As we walked out together he said "do you know why they say that?"  I told him my understanding was that it was because one's heart stops when (s)he sneezes, he said "EVERYTHING stops," with a swoop of his hand.  I thanked him for the knowledge and told him to have a good day.  He said "everyday is a good day, if my feet touch the ground, then I know it's going to be a good day." 

What a great attitude.  Words to live by :)

Nature Tax

I was on a morning walk the other morning and I walked past a tree full of apples.  I went over and picked a couple and went along on my walk.  After I got a reasonable distance away, I inspected them. One had a big hole in it and there lay a fat, black momma worm and several of her young.  I threw it to the side of the road and inspected the second one, it was spotless.  I stuck it in my pocket and continued on my walk, pondering this situation.  One could remedy this by spraying some type of pesticide on the apple tree, but I immediately refuted that idea as we're all aware of the harmful effects of pesticides on other wildlife, the environment and ourselves.  I thought of something my friend in Spain had told me.  She had a whole bunch of fruit trees in her yard - cherries, walnuts, plums, apples, pears, figs not to mention the vegetable garden!  I remember walking around her yard with her, going from tree to tree, admiring her crop.  I saw that some of the cherries had bird pecks in them which prompted to me to ask if she sprayed her yard with any sort of insecticide.  She answered very matter-of-factly, "no."  She went on to explain that that was just the price it took to have a fruitful yard.  All the while on my walk I thought of this...I thought when you make money, you pay taxes to a government for it to give you good things, to take care of you, so to speak.  In some parts of the world you pay more taxes than others and in various places you get more goodies for your taxes than in others.  So couldn't animals having at your crop be thought as a tax that you pay to nature?  I mean nature is giving you something good - fruit or vegetables, cereals, etc.  In return, just like you pay taxes to your government for "life goodies," you pay tax to nature for "real goodies" - food!