Most of us think that if we are not suffering from any particular disease or illness, then we are healthy.

But true health is more than the absence of disease.

True health is about our physical health and our emotional, mental and spiritual health.

In fact, it is nearly impossible to be physically healthy if we are emotionally distraught, mentally distressed or spiritually out of touch. Our physical health occurs in the greater context of our mental, emotional and spiritual health.

Gerald Jampolsky M.D., psychiatrist and author, defines health as "inner peace," which comes from an inner sense of unity and wholeness.

It is interesting to note that the words "health" and "healing" both come from the root word "whole," meaning "to be one." In other words, true health and healing embody the notion that we are more than mere physical beings. We have thoughts, emotions and spiritual beliefs that move us far beyond mere physicality.

-Neil Neimark, MD

I've got an old friend in town. We haven't seen each other in two years so I'm taking a blogging break! See you all later!

Good Morning, Morning!

pamela1, originally uploaded by fardazza.

"Try not to become a man of success but a man of value."

Albert Einstein

Good Morning, Morning!

Heart of flower, originally uploaded by manu4971.

In the middle of the night, there is a star. That keeps me smiling.

Agitated

Snarl, originally uploaded by Ajka_Hungary.

I'm so agitated. For the past few nights, I've been on the brink of having an anxiety attack. Each night I have a great deal of trouble falling asleep as I struggle with a sense of impending doom. I'm not ready to follow through with a lawsuit. It feels wrong to me. I know that I cannot put all of my reasoning into words because, frankly, a lot of it isn't reasoning: it is emotion.

Good Morning, Morning!

(252/365) (099/365), originally uploaded by kimberlyfaye (busy).

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

~Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Swiss and Fig Sandwich

My mom harvested so many figs from her tree again this year and brought 2 bagfuls to us. Because figs are very perishable (they only last about 5 days after picked), I've been trying to find a recipe to use all of them. In the meantime, I was hungry and made a delicious sandwich with the figs! If you have any fresh figs on hand, try it!

*1 crusty baguette
*several fresh figs, sliced lengthwise
*swiss cheese
*fresh rosemary, minced
*olive oil
*salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the baguette lengthwise and heap the fig slices on one half. Layer swiss cheese on the other half. Sprinkle a bit of olive oil over the figs. Sprinkle a bit of minced rosemary and salt over the cheese. Close the two halves together and bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is well melted.

*This recipe would probably be even better with goat cheese, but I didn't have that on hand.

If you are just making a single sandwich like I did and don't want to go through all of the trouble of heating the oven, etc, just pop the sandwich in the microwave for 25 seconds. Yum!

Good Morning, Morning!

Willow Lake Sunrise, originally uploaded by NaturalLight.

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."

~Albert Einstein

Have a good weekend!

I wish you a warm breeze that kisses your face,
A gentle sun that lights your path,
A blue sky that inspires your heart,
A strong hug that strengthens your resolve.

Good Morning, Morning!

Seagulls mobbing behavior, originally uploaded by Bеn.

"A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song."

- Chinese Proverb

My Great-Grandmother's Blueberry Tea Bread

Here's a recipe that my grandmother got from her mother and then passed down to me. It is a beautiful breakfast tea bread that reminds me of a moist blueberry muffin in loaf form. It is delicious and with all the ripe blueberries at the market, you've no reason not to enjoy this right now!

*2 cups flour
*2 tsp baking powder
*1/2 tsp salt
*1 cup sugar
*1/2 cup butter, softened
*1 egg
*3/4 cup milk
*1 1/2 tsp vanilla
*1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven for 350 degrees. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, butter, egg, milk, and vanilla. Mix at low speed until ingredients are dampened, then mix at high speed for 3 minutes. Dust blueberries with a bit of flour then plop them into the mixture and gently fold them in. Bake in a sprayed loaf pan for approximately 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out cleanly.

*This is delicious served with cinnamon sugar whipped butter. Just mix softened butter with some cinnamon and sugar and voila!

A Break

I've been on a little blogging break because this three day weekend took a lot out of me. I've been feeling quite tired and need to get the house straightened up. A toddler can do a lot of damage in no time at all!! Despite being tired and having to deal with a bad case of the grumps (4 molars coming in and a diaper rash make for an unhappy Claire) , we got in a bit of fun. We've been trying to teach Claire how to sign, watched two firework shows (Claire seemed quite alarmed by the antics in the sky and kept saying "Bye, bye," trying to alert us to her uneasiness), went to a a friends house to play Taboo, and visited with Aunt Yung.

I make no apologies for the lack of posting though. I have some great books and have had little time for reading lately. At any opportunity, I'm trying to catch up with housework or reading. Once I'm done with some books, I'll post reviews!

Good Morning, Morning!

Alive...moving in grace and liberty...floating lighter than a feather...dancing in the morning light, originally uploaded by neloqua.

"I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief...For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free."

-Wendell Berry

Happy 4th of July!

Photo: The American Flag of the United States of America (USA Flag), originally uploaded by jcolman.

Good Morning, Morning!

"We are not born all at once, but by bits. The body first, and the spirit later; and the birth and growth of the spirit, in those who are attentive to their own inner life, are slow and exceedingly painful. Our mothers are racked with the pains of our physical birth; we ourselves suffer the longer pains of our spiritual growth."

-Mary Antin

Good Morning, Morning!

The Earth & the Heaven, originally uploaded by Catch the dream.

"When our two lives grew like two buds that kiss At lightest thrill from the bee's swinging chime, Because the one so near the other is."

-Brother and Sister by George Eliot

*Strike My Fancy*

Summer reading!

Last week, Barnes and Noble held a great sale online. I bought a few books for myself and bought a few for gifts. Part of my order arrived today! So, now I just need to find the time to read. I'm one step closer to this goal, having finished all of the dishes, vacuumed the house, and laundered every piece of anything that needed to be washed. These are the triumphs of a stay-at-home mom!

I'm not sure which of the three books I should start with. The one that I was most excited about, The Scent of God, has yet to arrive. Eeny, meeny, miny, mo should do the trick..

Good Morning, Morning!

"Cheerfulness is the very flower of health."

~Proverb