Today's salad- fresh herb salad mix, pea shoots, chickpeas, half an avocado, some diced cucumber, half an heirloom tomato, fresh mint leaves, shiitake vinaigrette, black pepper and a diced scallion. Yum!

I also have biscotti.

Where has it been all my life???

It is this wonderful almond cookie thing slathered in a chocolate shell and sprinkled with more almond. Mmmnhg. It's sweet and crunchy and firm right up until it's dunked in the also wonderful cinnamon spice coffee and then it becomes fluffy and decadent.

I need to bring some of these to Despair. They would cheer her right up.

THE BASICS

Name: Death.
Age: I've been around a few centuries, anyway.
Gender: female.
Likes: long walks in the moonlight, being barefoot in the grass, floppy hats and anything tasty or lovely to smell!
Dislikes: mean people.
Strengths: well, I'm omniscient when I choose to be, but I find it so limiting.
Weaknesses: like all creatures I too will eventually die, of course.

THIS OR THAT
(Please provide a short explanation as well)

Optimistic or pessimistic? Oh, optimisitic, I'd say. I mean, inevitably, no matter how much people shy away from me, I meet them all eventually anyway.
Leader or follower? Obviously I'm what follows everything else.
Introvert or extrovert? Bit of both?
Mature or immature? Whereas I'm far from childhood, I find it's important to keep some childlike wonder about things.
Violent or peaceful? I'm the peace that comes after whatever violent act might have ended you.
Selfish or altruistic? Neither, really, I just am.
Rude or polite? Depends how you treat me.

JUMP DOWN THE HOLE

How do you present yourself in the company of friends? Whereas most people are pretty shocked to see me, I try to make them comfortable for what's coming next.
And in the company of your enemies? If you cross me I am what so many assume I am- the worst thing that could ever happen to you.
And what about the company of strangers? No one is really a stranger to me. I've met them all at least once, and I will meet them all again.
How do you react to people insulting your beliefs (your faith or your opinions in general)? Whereas I do get people occasionally saying they don't believe in me, I most assuredly believe in them.
And people insulting your loved ones? I'm loyal to those I spend the most time with, yes.
And what about people insulting you? I try not to be overly vindictive if I can help it. After all, now as you've met me what worse could possibly happen to you?
Are you better at coping with physical or mental pain? Physical. Physical wounds heal faster.
Are you better at defending yourself physically or verbally? Neither, really. I'm not really put here to fight with.
Do you prefer to assault people physically or verbally? I don't tend to assault anyone.

×÷·.·´¯`·)»that movie meme
1. Pick n of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.
4. Fill in the film title once it's guessed.
5. NO GOOGLING/using IMDb search functions!

Right. and off you go..

a.)Stay awake, don't rest your head. Don't lie down upon your bed. While the moon drifts in the skies... Stay awake, don't close your eyes. Though the world is fast asleep, though your pillow's soft and deep, you're not sleepy as you seem; stay awake, don't nod and dream... Stay awake... don't nod... and... dream.
b.)Vice, Virtue. It's best not to be too moral. You cheat yourself out of too much *life*. Aim above morality. If you apply that to life, then you're bound to live life fully.
c.)Eckhart saw Hell too. He said: The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of life, your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you, he said. They're freeing your soul. So, if you're frightened of dying and... and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth.
d.)You know, I used to be in the music business, but now I'm what you might call retired. It's a refined name for bum.
e.)I am a loner, a crazy wide eyed loner on a doomed mission to Venus to battle with the 3 headed mega beast but on the way I caught cornflakes disease.
f.)-What the hell is wrong with freedom? That's what it's all about.
- Oh, yeah, that's right. That's what's it's all about, all right. But talkin' about it and bein' it, that's two different things. I mean, it's real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. Of course, don't ever tell anybody that they're not free, 'cause then they're gonna get real busy killin' and maimin' to prove to you that they are. Oh, yeah, they're gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em.
g.)Back where I come from there are men who do nothing all day but good deeds. They are called phila... er, phila... er, yes, er, Good Deed Doers.
h.)Over the years, I came to know a great many grownups. My opinion of them never improved. In time, I stopped showing my drawing, and never again mentioned boa constrictors, elephants, or stars - instead, I would talk about golf, money, politics, and neckties, and everyone was pleased to have met such a sensible man.
i.)She used to go to this playground. See, they made an area in the park. Gave 'em money for swings, and little wooden animals, and there are these plaques on the sides of the swing, bottom of the horse: 'From Alice's mom and dad. In Memory of Alice, who used to play here'. And of course, Alice goes back there all the time. And when you see the parents take their child from the swing, and see the sign... They hold on to their son and daughter, so tightly, clinging on for dear life. And yet... The capacity that people have to love... Where does it go?
j.)I only distribute pigs to early risers, and Fern was up at daylight trying to rid the world of injustice.

Hey! Did you know that it's Beautiful Women Month? Well, it is and that means you, ladies!!! ♥

Also, Passover starts tomorrow night
I'd like to wish anyone who celebrates it ZISN PESACH! :-)


As for myself.. I cannot concentrate for the life of me! I'm just thinking about sushi.. I should have a nice Bento for lunch.

I promised myself I'd start thinking about meaningful things now and again and posting on them, and my reflection of the day was this- I hate that I have a lack of hate sometimes.

My hate is transient at best it seems. I get fair miffed at someone for something, have a good yell at them for it- I like to think I'm fairly forward in this, after all, and then, having doneso it's just sunshine and flowers again. Is this right? There's so much injustice and things to focus upon and be annoyed about, but they rarely effect me. Once I have filled my quota of hate, I seem unable to hate again for a time.

I hate that.

I'm acutely aware of being strange for doing the things I like to do. I like to take aimless walks late at night, and just look at the small details of what's around me. I stop for birds. I pick up pennies when I find them. I stare at things for long periods of time, just because there is so much to see.

I'm always glad when I have time to go to the bookstore all by myself and
spend as long as I want looking around without having to keep an eye on or listen out for anyone but myself. Pure heaven, I tell you.

Anyway, I did my usual and hit the bargain books section, and I picked up three coffee table books, one of famous English gardens, one of Japanese
prints, and one about the culture and history of tea.

Oh, you didn't know? Tea has quite the long and fasinating history.

Isn't he just the most precious thing???

Now that's odd..

{{..aand I'll pick up pings later. ;-)}}

Passenger pigeons.

I really liked them!

Straight up, extinction is a damned shame. Usually there's enough of one creature or another that you'll eventually find another one of the same kind to love; it may sound callous, and everyone's sick of the clichèd 'time heals all wounds', but fact is it does.

Granted, a loved one or a treasured pet dies, you mourn, and you should and you will- that one was unique. But they find a place to live on in your heart and memory, and that connection keeps their light still burning somewhere, if not as brightly, then perhaps in a new way; twinned, connected to your own brief candle.

But extinction! To be the last, the very last of anything! I admit, that's my one great dread, after all, I'm Death. I spend time mortal now and again just so I stay in touch with what life is, and what I'm for, and at the end of those times I die so I know what it is, intimately, that I am. But in the end it's a bit of a cheat, isn't it, to go and to return, to not have any permanence to the act.

Oh, but mark my words, we all die permanently one day. Perhaps energy goes on forever and matter recycles, perhaps something of the soul finds a happy paradise to inhabit, or returns to the source for another vessel, or a pleasant mix of both, as the Egyptians thought. Perhaps. But still, the day will come, for myself included, that in that strange aeon I too will die.. that part doesn't worry me so much as the terrible burden of being last. Final. The final of all beings, and that when I go all that I remembered and treasured and held dear will come along.

There'll be no one left to connect to that light, because I shan't be me anymore. And whither then? I cannot say.

I wonder sometimes if there's some way to replicate it, the last cry of the last passenger pigeon as it winged on its way into the great blue eternity. Did it truly know there were no others? or simply that it hadn't seen any others in a great long while, but perhaps they were out there somewhere. Did it have that hope, as sure as eggs is eggs, that there was a future, no not for it, but for its kind?

Extinction saddens me. To be the one to be there when the last of something is extinguished. But, all the same.. it's my job, and I do it as well as I can manage.

So I just made something very tasty and totally surprised myself. I found a recipe for mashed cauliflower which, of course, has less calories than mashed potatoes but tastes like mashed potatoes. No, straight up, it does! You take a head of cauliflower and chopped it up into florets. Throw that into a big pot with 1 cup of veggie broth and simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes or until they're tender to fork poking. Toss the cauliflower and broth into a blender with 1/4 cup of oil (I only used 1/8) and 1/2 tsp of sea salt. Blend until smooth or leave it a bit chunky.


Lovely. Try it. I don't post these tidbits up here for a lark you know; I've always felt it's good for people to try a few new things in their lives.

Don't you agree?

There are not many people in this world who don't get along with me outright. Granted, this might be because a lot of them I only see twice, and I tend to avoid the ones I find a bit off-ish until such a time as I have to go see them, but for the most part I'd like to hope I get on with people as I try to be the most optimistic and helpful anthropomorphic personification as I can be.

But my faults. I'm aware of most of them, though I won't be completely egotistical and say I recognize them all. I am overly arrogant about a lot of things. I don't feel the need to pander to people. I don't care to let emotion be a substitute for logic - leading to a certain coldness that makes it so most people don't bring their troubles to my doorstep unless they're truly looking for advice. I am uncompromising on certain points- look, when it's your time, it's your time, and that's that. I'm.. a little insensitive, in short. Still. I like to think I'm a fair amiable sort. But occasionally I get these little mincers who really tee me off.

The other day I had an appointment I knew was going to be a bother. Fellow'd slipped me a few times prior and now there he was- cut in half no less, trying to give me a sob story about how he had a girlfriend and brother to look after, and couldn't leave them in debt at this juncture.

I mean, come on! Cut in half! And trying to wheedle a deal and keep himself alive.

He even had the gall to offer me said girl and brother's lives in exchange for his own, as if they were his to give.

Needless to say, I took him on out of there. I'd like to hope these significant others of his did a little dance of relief when they saw he'd gone.

I just hope he had the decency to leave them behind an insurance packet. Least he could do after a lifetime of mooching and scams.

For breakfast today I have had strawberries, fried in olive oil with pine-nuts and black pepper. Wanted to try strawberries with black pepper for ages - saw it on a menu in Carnaby Street about 9 years ago - but never got round to it until today. Very nice it was too!

Oh yes, hello again, Lucien. You missed rather a bit.

I noticed Destruction, Desire and Despair have been keeping busy as well, which is always good news. Granted, maybe not for everyone but there you have it.

Yes, yes, I notice. Pray don't berate me I rarely mention them- curses here, curses there, and I oft immune to the lot.

It's not my fault, honestly. I do enjoy a bit of change now and again. I think I should very much like to feel all these odd changes in my body and my awareness, but alas! not all of them seem to reach me.

I wonder if there's some sort of thing I could do to fix that? Bit of a ritual perhaps? Put a paperbag over my head and shake a gourd at all odd hours?

Sometimes I wonder if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about, don't you? I shouldn't be surprised, really.

Another tasty I found:

1 medium sized can red kidney beans
1 can coconut milk
2 cups of rice
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 table spoon oil
1 scotch bonnet pepper (whole, do not chop up)
water

Drain the liquid from the can of beans into a measuring cup and add the can of coconut milk and enough water to make four cups of liquid. Place liquids in a pot with beans, onions, garlic, thyme and oil, bring to a boil. Add rice and stir for a minute. Reduce heat to Medium-Low. Place scotch bonnet pepper on top of liquid and cover tightly for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked. Remove scotch bonnet pepper before serving.
~*~
I am really looking forward to growing flowers this year. I have seeds for a neat variety of hollyhock that is a deep chocolate brown, almost black, and for some mixed delphiniums. Neither of those two flowers will come up this year, but I'll plant them for blooming next year. I also have two varieties of oriental poppies, some blue morning glory, a cornflower mix, a columbine mix, some chinese lanterns and some sunflowers. I'm going to put most of them in the flower bed, though the sunflowers are going to go in the back behind the squash bed.

Someone asked me recently why I don't tend to write about the really heady stuff, like my work. Do you really think anyone would care? I don't. For one, everyone's death is unique, personal.

And I only escort them, I'm no great expert on theology or the wheres and whyfors of what comes after. That too, I expect, is different for them all.

Besides. The great secret to death? is its flipside, life. Who you were and how you did is what makes it all so grand.

I enjoy the little things of it. Nice food. Gardening. Collecting prettysmellies and odd little curios as I find them.

You should too, now as I think of it, were I to give any great and wordy-pretentious advice. I'm not saying I know for sure you'll miss any of it when you go; perhaps you shan't. But just in case.. best make the most of it while you have the chance, yes? ;-)