These Final March Days

1) Planning our April vacation: camping, national parks, big sur, the beach, hot springs, fresh olives and cheese!
2) Making yet another butternut soup and granola bar recipe that were flops!
3) These amazingly delicious sour cream pancakes from Smitten Kitchen...(apparently i've become a huge pancake fan).
4) Discovering Warby-Parker, this amazing online glasses company where you can get a pair of glasses (prescription lenses included) for only $95! What a deal. Plus they have free home try-ons and all the shipping is free. Plus for each pair of glasses sold, they donate a pair. Pretty sweet, as the anti-reflective coating on my current glasses is peeling off and I'm not about to pay hundreds of dollars for a new pair!
5) Re-reading this sweet book.

*I have to retract the above statement. Sorry Warby-Parker, but your frames were not up to par!

Socks for Japan

Last week I was going to write a post about how I was so thankful spring was almost here and how happy I was for laundry on the line that didn't freeze. And it is officially spring- only now we have snow again! The other day I discovered there was lettuce growing in my garden, I hope it survives.

Also, last week I discovered the beautiful blog Tea and Cookies. This morning when I was reading it, the author recommended this great thing called Socks For Japan. There's this American guy who works fairly close to the town with the nuclear reactor on the fritz and he goes and delivers the socks to people. Apparently, lots of people need socks! When you send socks, you're also encouraged to send a little note and the website links to a page that helps translate your note. I know it's not much, but I'm excited to do something helpful for even one or two people...

Japan

Today, Japan's National Police Agency confirmed that 6,539 people have died in Japan due to the tsunami/earthquake. Another 10,354 people are missing. 300 people are still working at their nuclear power plant, exposed to radioactive material. 320,000 households have no electricity in freezing weather. 1.6 million are without running water.

I'm not sure why, but in the past, when horrible things like hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes happened, it didn't touch me. I don't know why, and am ashamed to admit it. I mean, I felt bad for the victims. But somehow I didn't really feel anything, it didn't penetrate. Maybe I was too young, maybe I was wrapped up in an American bubble of okay-ness. Or maybe I was just lacking in compassion. I don't know. All I know is that these horrific things that have occurred and are still occurring in Japan right now have somehow cracked my shell of apathy...

Lama Tharchin Rinpoche has recommended certain prayers to be said, including a prayer written by Chatral Rinpoche for averting nuclear war. If you're interested, here's the link: http://www.vajrayana.org/retreats/rinpoche-s-advice-re-the-japan-tsunami-and-related-events-march-/

Despite

the earth's convulsions, the ocean's rising, men slicing their own throats.

there are
yellow crocuses poking through brown soil

there is
fresh green grass by the garage

Pixar's UP inspires National Geographic to build flying house

sweet

Oh No!

I just found out about the earthquake and 23 foot tsunami in Japan which has left hundreds  thousands of people dead, missing and injured! Also,
"Japan lies on the "Ring of Fire" — an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones stretching around the Pacific where about 90 percent of the world's quakes occur, including the one that triggered the Dec. 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami that killed an estimated 230,000 people in 12 nations. A magnitude-8.8 temblor that shook central Chile in February 2010 also generated a tsunami and killed 524 people. "

My happiness over spring flowers seems trite compared to all this...I am forever grateful that K and I narrowly missed the 2004 tsunami...Back then, we were in Phuket, Thailand for a bit. Then we went down to Singapore for a few days to see HH Penor Rinpoche. We were planning on returning to Thailand and heading to some islands in the Andaman for a few weeks. Luckily, in Singapore, Holiness' monks urged us not to do that, but instead to leave immediately  for India and Namdroling for the inauguration of the new Zangdopalri temple, which the Dalai Lama was presiding over. Fortunately, we listened to the monks, just stopping back in Phuket for one day. A few days later, our hotel was wiped out...

This is a reminder to myself to not get caught up in the mundanity and drudgery of daily life, to not take this precious human rebirth for granted. I pray that all the people who have died in this Japanese tsunami and others might go to Dewachen (or at least have good rebirths)...

Do You Know What This Means?

SPRING!!!
Hooray for violets and crocuses popping up!

This Is Not Healthy

But it is delicious!

For years I have unsuccessfully been trying to bake bread. Each time it would turn out hard as a rock and wet in the middle. But this time ladies and gentlemen, we had a winner. Here's the recipe for Delicious But Unhealthy White Bread (makes 2 loaves).

Ingredients:
-2 packages active dry yeast
-3 tablespoons sugar
-2 1/2 cups warm water
-3 tablespoons butter, softened
-1 tablespoon salt
-6 1/2 cups flour

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Stir in butter, salt and two cups of the flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.

2.Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

3.Punch the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans (or save one for the next day in the fridge). Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.

4.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

5.Bake at 375 degrees F  for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Voila!

Losar Tashi Delek!

Happy Losar to all my dharma friends! I hope this year brings you into the presence of many amazing teachers, that you receive lots of teachings, and that your practice is fruitful! I miss you all! Love, J