Some Things Are Universal

Things that don't require any interpretation and cannot be convoluted by our own fickle nature are the best, most pure phenomena.

A smile on a harried, rainy morning

Laughter between comrades

Touch of compassion

Hunger of every sort

and ...

Music !!!!

I’ve believed in, and benefited from, music therapy all of my life. Although I'd be lying if I said that at age 7, as I bounced on my bed to "Davey Crockett", or at age 14, as I daydreamed through Teena Marie's "Portuguese Love", that I recognized le chant as an invisible salve being massaged into my brain matter; I can say with absolute certainty that music has played a part in my healing.

Music's healing powers are hypnotizing people all over the world! Let's clap our hands and be awakened to a new harmonious planet.

I saw this video on the ABC evening news on Saturday. I was awestruck as I watched it and days later still can't get it out of my mind. So thought it worth sharing here with any of you who haven't had a chance to see it yet. Bisous!

Signs

I am (gratefully) filled with Mercurial Energy.
I was born under the mutable zodiac sign of virgo with gemini rising.
Mercury rules both signs.

"The mental skills a person has and the way he uses them tells a great deal about his personality, the construction of his values, his outlook on the world, and his ability to have his ideas and knowledge make an impact on that world. Mercury energy, in and of itself, is considered neutral, somewhat sterile, and even impersonal -- as befits the qualities of reason and logic -- being, in its pure form, devoid of both ego and emotional considerations."

This, in short, means I am a born writer/communicator/linguist. Some things are so clear and evident. Thank you, Father.

One of my goals in writing this blog is to communicate concepts and ideas and to give people something to think about. Not necessarily to persuade anyone to my way of thinking … just to think and possibly spark some worthy conversation.

With communication being two-dimensional and 90% of it being non-verbal, sometimes with people, all you have to go on is signs. I read signs well, but often interpret them to satisfy what I want. I believe it’s only when we ignore the signs that we have trouble in life.

I’m a big sign watcher because people will lie. They say what they think you want to hear or what they were told to tell you or whatever else is convenient. Their words weave a web that hypnotizes you into complacency. You must watch the nonverbal signs – where betrayal of the truth will ooze from their pores.

A person can stop speaking, but cannot stop communicating – whether with hand gestures or eye movements or posturing pretenses. These are all visual signs that cannot be masked and are significant to what one really means to convey.

Our actions really do speak louder than our words.

As I grow and mature and change, I strive to be a person whose words and actions match up … so that when I communicate, all of the signs point in the same direction.

Bisous!

Excerpt taken from: http://www.enchantedspirit.org/Astrology/RulingPlanets/MercuryRulerofVirgo.php

In Pursuit of Happiness

If there's anything worth slaving over a stove, on a hot summer's morning, it's Eggs Imperial. What raises the egg to a state of sovereignty in this dish is the fact that it sits upon a delicate filet mignon. The tenderloin, which is where the filet comes from, being among the most expensive cuts of beef, makes it fit for an Emperor, hence the name.

It's a take on the classic Eggs Benedict ... which has nothing to do with Benedict Arnold.

Eggs Imperial is an english muffin buttered and toasted topped with a piece of filet (medium, please). On top of the filet is a poached egg and the whole thing drizzled with a ribbon (or more) of bearnaise sauce. I have to say so myself ... it is delicious. The only thing necessary to go with it is mimosa and coffee (of course).

This kind of breakfast/brunch I will usually save for an occasion because bearnaise sauce is no joke to make. There is a lot of prep work to be done and then you have to stand and stir for a solid 10 minutes (at least) and if you let the egg mixture "break" you have to throw it in the garbage and start over! The last time I made it was during the Christmas holiday when I had overnight guests.

Today though, I woke up to beautiful sunlight streaming in. When I walk down the hallway from my bedroom to the kitchen, the wall of glass doors in the kitchen make me wanna sit out on the deck. It's so calm and green and sunny. It's the kind of morning that makes living such a blessing. I'm happy. I feel like I deserve to slave over and then devour Eggs Imperial and drink mimosas ... even though I'm without an overnight guest to spoil. I need to spoil myself. It makes me happy.

Eggs Imperial

2 servings

4 English Muffins
4 Filet Medallions
4 Eggs, poached
4 Egg Yolks
5 peppercorns, crushed
1 cup Fresh Tarragon leaves
4 Shallots, chopped
1/2 cup of White Wine Vinegar
2 Sticks Unsalted butter
pinch of cayenne
salt, pepper
optional: hotsauce to taste

Saute the filet to medium (it's a delicate piece of meat - do not overcook)
keep it warm.

prepare a skillet with water and a teaspoon of vinegar added to poach the eggs

Sauce Preparation:
Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat just to melt (sit aside to cool, slightly).

Boil shallots, and tarragon, peppercorns in vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Strain the liquid into glass bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks. Place the glass bowl over a pot containing simmering water. Make sure that the top of the water does not touch the bottom of the glass bowl. Whisk constantly. The second that the yolk mixture lightens and begins to thicken slightly, remove the bowl from the heat and continue whisking. Whisk in the melted butter, drizzling it in VERY slowly. Once all of the butter is incorporated add the cayenne and/or hotsauce. Add some extra fresh tarragon to finished sauce to perk up the taste. If the sauce is too thick, thin it out with a little bit of HOT water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow the sauce to sit covered and unheated (heat will break the sauce) until ready to use it. If you've not used it all within 4 hours you have to throw it out. It doesn't 'keep' well.

Egg preparation:

Turn the heat on high under the skillet with the water and vinegar. Crack and drop the four eggs into the water and cook just until the egg whites are firm and the yolks are a little runny.

Assembly:

Place the filet on top of the English muffin and the egg on top of the filet and drizzle with the sauce.

My suggestion is to serve with mimosas!

Bisous!