Embracing Change, Loving What Is, and Learning to Fly

I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday last week! Our Hachiya and Fuyu persimmons made it safely through airport security and those that remained after the holiday feast are sunning themselves in the light of the Marie's kitchen window to, at some later date, impart their sweetness to chutney, pies, or cakes. This week I am sharing my recipe for Sweet and Savory Stuffed-Pumpkins, a vegan substitute for stuffed turkey main course. Even though pumpkins may not be available still in your area, kabocha or golden hubbard, or any other variety that sits like a pumpkin will do nicely. Have fun, be creative, and enjoy this nutritious, hearty main course.

My dad made this fabulous brine for the turkey this year with whole clove, juniper berry (which grow in plenty in their neighborhood), ginger root, sugar, salt, orange, bay, garlic, and apple juice which the turkey bathed itself in for 16 hours or so. He then dried the bird and cooked it slowly in a pan atop the barbecue grill for 6 hours or so. This freed up the oven and the kitchen, for that matter, for all the wonderful side dishes which Marie prepared: yams with pear sauce, a green bean dish, a green salad, a wonderfully tart cranberry chutney. Friends and family enjoyed a wonderful feast made complete by an assortment of pies. I am happy to say that I did not over-indulge!

Two high points of the trip, for me, (aside from the feast) were our Friday hike in the Woods Canyon Lake area of the Mogollon Rim with its incredible vista views of the Coconino National Forest and our Wednesday flight to Sedona. Some of you may not be aware that I come from a flying family. My father, a retired airline pilot learned to fly when he was 14 years old, before he learned to drive a car. His father, a doctor, also enjoyed flying. Now, my youngest son, Shawn is learning to fly at 14 years old. The day before Thanksgiving, Shawn flew us to Sedona in their Cessna 182 under the instruction of Marie, a Young Eagles Flight Instructor. The red rock formations stand majestically as if guardians of grace around the gentle plateau of the Sedona airport. We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at the airport's Mesa Grill restaurant after the 30-minute flight. 

I have grown up flying in jets, single, and twin-engine prop planes and it never ceases to amaze me how being in flight uplifts and changes my perspective on whatever is happening in my life. I am so grateful for the wisdom I have learned about how to navigate life's changing terrain and weather patterns from my experiences of flying over the years. This year, Jon and I, have found a new support called Real Love which is supporting me in letting go of old patterns of fear and protection. This week I've been playing with co-mingling what I've learned from flying and my Real Love experiences. Here it is for your further musing:

Check my fuel level - Am I feeling full and ready to give to others or do I need a re-fueling first before I enter the others airspace? Sleep, water, food, self-love are tanks that need re-fueling on a regular basis. Flying with an empty tank will only cause me to crash and burn.

Check the functioning of my gauges and equipment - Is there any part of my mental, emotional or physical body that needs repair or adjustment before I take-off? Am I willing to take the time to adjust my mental attitude, take care of my body, or know where I am emotionally so I don't experience engine failure which shows up as my feeling powerless, acting helpless, and forgetting that my happiness is my own responsibility - not someone else's.

Plan my flight path - Where will I be in relationship to the landscape of my relationships? What are others going through that is known? Leave room for the unknown.

Never assume anything without checking in. Remember as Winston Churchill said "Planning is invaluable, plans are useless." This means once the flight has begun "be in the moment".  Be positively prepared for a change of course if equipment malfunctions, weather changes suddenly, or the unexpected occurs (like dropping the turkey). Be willing to ask questions. Respect the terrain of others emotions and opinions. Honor the presence of something that is at least for this moment unmovable whether it be within or in another. Don't insist on my way but be willing to turn around and go back to where I began (re-access my own motives) if I find myself confused or entering dangerous relationship conditions.

In the event of a change in cabin pressure, place the oxygen mask on myself first, then help another with theirs. Love and take care of my own energy before placing myself as a support for another. 

Holidays can challenge our ability to love ourselves and others especially when we become attached to how things look or happen. It helps me to remember that when I find myself having expectations of people or outcomes, I am usually in fear about something. If I can stop and notice this, I can make choices to reconnect with my trust and faith that life is a gift; that my fear is an experience - not who I am; and that every moment that looks or feels challenging is also an incredible opportunity to let go of thinking I know how it should look and welcome more freedom to give and receive unconditional love. Everyday now, I am reaching for that inspired and uplifting sense of flying in the course of my day-to-day choices remembering to stay in the moment with love and gratitude for the adventure that life is.

Autumn asks us to embrace change, to let go of what no longer serves our highest good, and to ready ourselves for a loving and deep inward experience of winter. Winter provides the opportunity to re-access our current course and to allow that which is true and pure within us to incubate until it is ready to be born into expression and allowed to prosper and grow. 

You see, Love'n Every Bite is experiencing some change at present. Due to an important family matter, Dawn has suddenly moved out of Auburn and is discontinuing her participation in the Love'n Every Bite blog and cookbook projects. I am in a peaceful, trusting acceptance of this change and absolutely honor Dawn's choice. I feel an immense feeling of gratitude for the last year of friendship with Dawn. She has contributed to my life, helping me to grow in ways I wanted to, and I am equally grateful for the challenges as well as the easy times. Even though I did not expect this, I am trusting that all is well and unfolding perfectly for the highest good of all concerned. I feel a sense of clarity about the only purpose for pain and loss and that is as opportunities to give and receive unconditional love.

With that said, I am letting the readership know that I will be taking a month away from posting to re-group and work more specifically on the cookbook proposal. I look forward to re-connecting with you about food and life again in January 2012. 

May we all fly into the unknown adventure of life open to that limitless source of unconditional love that dwells within that is ready and willing to meet whatever may come our way. May we surrender to Its wise and intelligent guidance in all that we think, say, and do.

Happy Holidays! 

With Love, Deb