Pesto is the Best-o With Leftover Pasta and an Appetite After Dancing All Night (well til 11pm.) City Saucery Filled the Bill for Other Hungry Happy Festive Folks Too!

A few posts ago, I was charged with reviewing the enticing City Saucery's Tomato Sauce made from 'seconds' of organic tomatoes here in New York City. I meant to serve it to the owners of Hudson Jane on Myrtle Ave in Brooklyn NY to help them celebrate their first year in business in a delightful space that adds a new dimension to the experience of the bustling Myrtle Avenue. Their space has huge picture windows on a corner with wonderful doors that swing open like you're coming to a barn dance. The open floor plan has found little ones inspired to run around and roll on the floor and allows for an easy flow of people. Then the food is great and served by friendly folks so why not toast them with a special meal, tips or the treat of enjoying a meal there? That said, I found myself in need of providing a nice meal to two special guests near twenty years old who were busy. So spaghetti with the special sauce seemed a way to mark the occassion which was also way to celebrate one turning 19 on the 19th of this month. Yee-haw, as Hopalong Andrew of NYC  Singing Cowpoke Fame would say, who recentyl successfully fundraised $10K for his Kickstarter album project. I was lucky contributor #19 by the way! Now I see that wink from the universe reminding me of the fun of that number (and each one can have its special dazzle..or reverent reminder of the many aspects of the gift of life.)

Now back to our hearty meals of Spaghetti with City Saucery..we finally set ourselves for some well-deserved carb loading After a lovely evening dancing and at the Brooklyn Contra Dance with music by the Organic Family Band from Baltimore MD. Like good medicine, who could ask for anything more than a wonderful family of four--Mom, Pop, older bro and sis pouring out the tunes like maple syrup on pancakes...one great tune after another, some familiar, some delightfully new, with a moment to light the Menorrah for Hannakuh as an added treat and a Happy Birthday song for the gal turning 19 and one in her 20s with today as her birthday, the 16th. 

Everyone who had a serving of the organic whole wheat spaghetti with the City Saucery enjoyed it, one noting it was a more natural simple flavor. Some added Parmesan but the pesto was used separately by a good sport who realized the sauce was running out from others who had enjoyed a serving before we returned at midnight. This morning I got the leftover pasta with pesto along with scrambled egg and cottage cheese so I was a happy camper. If I hadn't thought to use the special sauce for a special occassion I likely would have had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich late at night and maybe even this morning. I am trying to keep the eggs to a few a week (one fellow who lived to be over a hundred was very good at watching the count and keeping it to egg whites.

A man who 'had everything' in the material world and a lovely wife and family, also had self-control and self-discipline working for years with a steady trainer to help him keep walking at least a short distance and muscles toned. Another gent well into his 90s believes ardently in 'use it or lose it' when it comes to mobility, and would consciously do laps around his circular driveway--especially when it wasn't too muddy or icy.--or up to his mail box a thousand feet from his house.He's still in good health at 99 even if not as mobile.

He did have The Reconnection when he was 93 so that's one case where it helped with his longevity. Friends and good food makes the time worth living for, though some flecks of depression would creep in, and maybe some memory creep out. Having live-in care is key to everyone feeling more at peace when someone needs help. As I explore in other posts, the End of Life Doula movement is one everyone can embrace as part of their life planning to ensure 'peace of mind' and a 'plan' rather than a 'no plan Plan' and challenges with medical or social systems when one may be compromised or nearing death.

Ideally if we back up a little more to help all people regularly with friendly ways to check in and monitor one another basically with at least a visit to the doctor every few years (annually is recommended) and review of important paperwork (health insurance, bills, Medicare and Medicaid requirements, and all the basics for food, shelter, transportation, work, school or appointments and outings) then problems could be addressed more readily. Learning what each state 'has on the menu' for options for help (Meals on Wheels type programs, Access A Ride which gives rides to people with disabilities in NYC for instance, and many other services from public transportation-- a term unheard of in many rural parts of a state or in patchwork manner even in suburbs or some cities--can limit many opportunities.

More delivery services are flourishing for receiving groceries, diapers, household products, but whoever is doing the math of how much energy and traffic that uses is not likely publicized. More group co-ops and even co-housing efforts could likely be a boon to those needing to explore alternative living situations which may be allowing someone to live in their dwelling or for them to live with someone else even temporarily, during a time of recovery or period of cold or even extreme heat.

Keeping the table set and ready to receive guests is a theme of the holiday season and of good will throughout the year. Let's hope the other planets and any other beings in the universe appreciate this sentiment. Steven Greer offers ideas that they patiently waiting for more of humanity to evolve with love as the currency instead of money, with a willingness to consider there may be a whole new way of doing things and being on the planet amicably, with free energy resources and few things to worry about. Woth a google if you've not heard of him. The other folks to be in the know about are Linda Moulton Howe who explores how any of that could be...aliens, other space questions, time travel and more with a journalistic, interview approach. Then there's the whole question of Planet X also known as Nibiru or thereabouts.

All sorts of things to get twirling one's spaghetti over or forgetting about for a few hours on the dance floor. Sharing the Contra Dance forms would be a great platform for a dance troupe. There could be some juggling and aerial work mixed in and even as I did last night, some free style modern interpretative dance which may be beyond explanation..it's just a flowing form of moving, like swimming freely in an exploratory way in water..even though there's not actual H2O, connecting with the area right around oneself and trusting that bubble of energy is a 'field of flowing energy' one connects with is the ticket.

Turning the lights off or down low and turning some music on may help (of course in a safe place and maybe with a friend to check should one get lost in the dance or fall and need help.) Okay, back to being open to the gifts of this day. Keep in mind when dressing in general or for movement, to use cotton fabric rather than synthetic as much as possible. Having some air flow is helpful too (so not too tight) and ideally more of a tank top for comfort. I saw a simple demo that showed synthetic fabrics can change the flow of energy in our bodies (likely some more than others...) If you are sensitive to that, maybe pay closer attention and see if some make you 'too hot' or otherwise uncomfortable. Just a thought I've been meaning to share since buying a few tops and pants (synthetic jean looking pants) that look good but can be uncomfortable for moi.

My last note about the weekend is that I heard a team from a Brooklyn school was needing money to get to a tournament some of the kids qualified for at the high school level. One was asking for donations simply by standing with a paper and pen to have people make pledges if they inquired as I did. When I met this teen eager to play basketball, I got his coach's number to learn more about the overall trip. I will continue to look into the basics of how these things are run. Ideally people could be looking out for the youth in their local area and get to know the programs, coaches, other adults and form a booster club to help fundraise so the youth can focus on the skills and schooling.

There likely is a real need to promote support for the schooling to help the athletes succeed in and out of school and the game. If there were an agency formed (even a mission from a church or ideally a secular group like a recreation program) that schools and other groups could get assistance from more youth could likely stay in the game. I mentioned the immediate need of the one team player to some on Facebook and began to think of fundraisers which could include bridging needs such as a benefit game with a health fair. Those attending could get their blood pressure, blood sugar or other basic info as well as hear about having a health care representative or proxy which everyone over 18 (or even 16) should have especially if not living with one's parents.

Many youth are 'almost homeless' if one or both of their parents has died or is 'missing in action' or otherwise not available, maybe due to poverty or other stressors. The cost of living (COL) is going up, up, up with fewer resources being readily made available particularly in areas with population going up, up, up. I happened to be looking at a book about Detroit which suffered decades of having to fund pensions and other priorities without the right oversight and letting basic city services go down the drain.

One dire scenario after another was spelled out like an intense sports game, with the winners taking all mentality winning out and many abandoning the city or staying their in a suffering mode. It is on the mend but many suffered needlessly and it's likely  a work in progress. More municipalities, cities and towns, if not entire states are facing bigger challenges every day.

Few seem to know how to think ahead and outside of the box so hopefully pooling talent and using the internet to convey good ideas to many can help those in dire need and plan ways for more to succeed. I will wrap up this post on that positive hope and wish everyone a wonderful winter season with whichever holidays one celebrates and a warm welcome to the New Year after the solstice that's coming right up, when the daylight will be the shortest and the night the longest for the year. After that the days will grow longer and the nights shorter to the summer solstice in June. Sweet dreams year round... 'we've got this' and hopefully 'we've got one another and love from above..'