Saturday, February 9, 2008

Do you remember the Desiderata? It was very popular in the 70's. It said something like this "You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here" For some reason I have been hearing that in my head all day. Maybe it's because I have been comtemplating things I like about myself and it has been instructive, a real learning process.

Today we come halfway to number 5. I like that I am smart. I think I could learn almost anything I put my mind to (excluding geometry which is the only subject I ever technically failed in high school but thanks to a compassionate teacher, I passed with a C). I am a self taught knitter and crocheter. I learned to sew in school at a time when all young women had to take home ec and sewing and cooking. ( Makes me sound so old! ) I like to sew and I embroider beautifully but when I wanted to learn to knit a few years ago, I had to find resources to teach myself. Thankfully, the internet is filled with information and all I had to do was follow the directions. I found knitting blogs and saw how others solved problems and learned that if I made a mistake, I could rip it out and start again. Knitting is such a forgiving art. I have had some successes with the knitting but often feel that somehow, sometime, somewhere , someone will come up to me and say" No, that's wrong." I know, I know. I have learned to knit well and am willing to try new things to learn new skills. Somehow in my mind, if I taught myself, then I must be doing something wrong. I am working to overcome this.

In an interesting serendipity, this is today's inspiration:
The underlying principle of this teaching is the universal principle of causality. What becomes important in the understanding of this basic teaching is a genuine awareness of one´s own potentials and the need to utilize them to their fullest. Seen in this light, every human action becomes significant. - Tenzin Gayatso

A genuine awareness of one's own potential. That is such a powerful concept. We are all filled with potential and we don't realize it or recognize it as such. So here's a challenge. Look inside yourself and try to see your own potential. What are you capable of? I'll bet it's a whole lot more than you think.

And now some knitting photos. Here are Elanor's Go with the Flow socks. I am onto the foot of the first one. They are really pretty. Here is a close up of the pattern. The color is pretty true to life. El loves them and that's what matters to me.


These are my train knitting and at home after dinner I work on my shawl. After I finish these rows of white, the last few rows are shades of browns. The colors of this shawl are all neutrals based on colors of Icelandic wool. The stripes that tie them all together have both grey and brown/beige in it and it is so soft and wonderful to work with. I have finished the main body and am putting on the lace border.
I took these photos yesterday when we actually had some sun. It's promising to be a gloomy and wet weekend. So once I finish the laundry, I will grab a blanket and either read Stephen King's new book (it's such a good read even if it's brain candy) or knit and listen to some mystery I have downloaded.
And before I go, I want to share a favorite family recipe. I found it years ago in an issue of Bon Appetit magazine in an article on France. It's called Chicken of the Good Woman. If nothing else, I love the title. This is so simple and I haven't found anyone who doesn't like it.
Ingredients:
Chicken (I use boneless skinless thighs. You need 2 pieces for each person)
One potato for each person
One or two onions chopped
About 1 cup chicken broth
1 pound of bacon
salt,pepper, thyme, to taste
Partially cook the potatoes in the microwave. About 5-8 minutes on high. Or par boil them.
Cook the bacon in a large frying pan. Drain off fat.
Brown chicken in same frying pan, using a little bacon fat to keep it from sticking.
Leave chicken in pan, put onions on top of chicken.
Chop potatoes and place them on top of onions and chicken.
Pour broth over the whole thing and add seasonings to taste.
Put on a lid and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Crumble bacon and put on top and serve from pan.
This is out of this world delicious. It only uses one pan and who knew chicken and bacon would taste so good together? Add a salad and you have a good meal. If you use turkey bacon, you can cut some of the fat. I just use less pork bacon and drain it well.
This is what we are having for dinner tonight. Soon the house will have that good smell of bacon that always makes me hungry. The hard part is not eating the bacon before the chicken and potatoes are done cooking.
I hope you all are having tasty, peaceful weekends. And remember, you are filled with potential!

13 comments:

Em said...

I have looked inside myself, and I have the potential to come home for dinner tonight, especially if someone else cleans up.

You are smart, and a good teacher, too. I'm very thankful I've had you around to help teach me things you've learned.

TinkingBell said...

What a fabulous recipe - that may well become a staple - we love chicken a get great organic free range birds ! Yum!

amy said...

Mmm, I may have to try that. I was going to ask if it would be okay without the bacon--I love potatoes and onions--but I've used turkey bacon before and so that's fine. I'm reading blogs on my husband's laptop while I stir the risotto that is part of dinner. I am so hungry...

Sheepish Annie said...

Awareness of potential...I never actually considered that. I'm always sort of surprised when I am good at something. It's not a self-esteem thing. I like me lots. I just never plan on being good at things. I think I actually plan how I am going to explain myself when it all goes wrong! I may need to think on that one for a bit. Good thing it's the weekend and I can stay up late. I'll be mulling.

Excellent post!!!!

Denise said...

We used to have the Desiderata pinned up in the loo at home, when I was a kid! Great astronomy photo there (my hubby is an astrophysicist).

I admire you for doing this 'What I like about me' thing - I don't think I can do it, not in public anyway :/ So I think you have great strength of character, as well as being smart :)

Amy Lane said...

hee hee... I was going to say something wise and supportive--and true-- about the socks being gorgeous, and how articulate you are and I'm glad you see that smartness in yourself...

And then I saw em's post about how she's coming over for dinner, and now I'm cracking up. I'm so glad they don't go away completely...I'll miss mine when they move out!

Rose Red said...

Chicken for the good woman - sounds fab! Even just the name is great!

It's probably extremely daggy of me to announce this publicly, but I really like the Desiderata - thank you for reminding me of it!

And I think along with being smart, you have the quality of being able to give things a go - not be scared because you "can't" do it - that's a great quality to have.

Bells said...

I'm loving reading these ten things I like posts by people. Really encouraging and enlightening!

That chicken recipe sounds fantastic. Turkey bacon?! How curious. I'm going to have to look that up.

And I think I am unaware of the desiderata. I have heard of it of course and know vaguely what it's supposed to be. I think I will go look that up too!

Thanks for the food for thought, as always, Donna Lee.

roxie said...

First of all, as a Certified Master Knitter, let me tell you that there is No Wrong Way to Knit. There are a wide variety of right ways to knit. If you are getting the results that you want (and you certainly seem to be, seeing the works of art you are producing) then you are doing it right. Anyone who wants to criticize your style is simply ignorant, rigid, and selfishly wants everyone in the world to do it her way.

I am so glad you like being smart. I could tell that you ARE smart, but I didn't know if you would fess up to it. Yayyy for you!!

My potential? If I fullfill my potential, then I'd have to WORK and I wouldn't get to drift along being dead-possum, slug-butt lazy. I LIKE being lazy. Can I pick just one potential and fullfill it? And then go on from there? I have the potential to get another book written and another book published this year.

Taphophile said...

Can smell it from here - yum. I've got a similar recipe that also has a Granny Smith apple in it - chicken, bacon and apple with thyme - divine!

Anonymous said...

sounds scuptious to me...yummy

Anonymous said...

this chicken sounds to die for i am copying it right now and giving it to my friend to test!

Michele said...

i've been wondering how your shawl is coming along so nice to see photos of it here.

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