Thursday evening – dog name

I’m sitting here on the floor of the mudroom with baby puppy hoping that some how, miraculously she will tell me her name.. There’s something interesting happening around this new being in our lives. Why can’t we find a name. Cahi’s name was a foregone conclusion.. 2 minutes thought and there it was.. site unseen. This one here is different. We’ve had suggestions from every quarter.. Some of the names suggested have been:

Yoshimi
McLuvin’
Ninja
Tesla
Coco
Latte
Inky
Spot
Fido
Robot Oblivion
Kiwi
Sammy
Mystery
Satori
Ahsa
Akasha
Ananda
Dog
Peeve
Chia
Matte
Luna
Magma
Magna
Eclipse
Chi
Snow
Number 2

And many more that I’m sure I’m not remembering . Why can’t we name her. ? It’s tough doing this with Max down in NYC.. We are using phone tag to pass the ideas back and forth … but so far nothing satisfies everyone.. part of it is the trouble capturing such a cute and lively spirit as this dog has.. part o it.. I’m sure.. is the big hole missing from Sam’s input.. (What do YOU like for a name ,  Sam ?)
We’re at about 5 days with no name.. and ‘the dog’ just isn’t cutting it.. I was thinking about it today and remembered a poem from my favorite author Ts. Eliot. He preferred Cats .. but the sentiment is the same:

THENaming of Cats
               . . .   T.S. Eliot

The naming of cats is a difficult matter,
It isn’t just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I’m mad as a hatter
When I tell you a cat must have three
different names.

First of all, there’s the name
that the family use daily,
Such as Victor, or Jonathan,
George or Bill Bailey–
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names
if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen,
some for the dames;
Such as Plato, Admetus,
Electra, Demeter–
But all of them sensible everyday names.

But I tell you,
a cat needs a name that’s particular,
A name that is peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he
keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers,
or cherish his pride?

Of names of this kind,
I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quazo or Coripat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellyrum–
Names that never belong
to more than one cat.

But above and beyond
there’s still one name left over,
And that is the name that you will never guess;
The name
that no human research can discover–
But The Cat Himself Knows,
and will never confess.

When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought,
of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

That just about sums up the problem.. Folks we need your help !  Keep those suggestions coming..  Sam.. send us a name…We love you !
-me

Wednesday night – Ayurveda

Howdy folks.. We’re just back from Night Riders at Bolton. Gabe had a good night up there. He won a pair of goggles. I’ve really come to love these snowy Wednesday nights up there. I was glad to be there tonight. I was still planning on being down in New York.. but decided to drive back last nigth because of the snow storm. It turned out to have been a good idea. I’m sure I could have driven this evening.. But I’m sure I’d still be driving now. The meeting wasn’t to have gotten over until 5.. and with the roads as they are.. I’ll bet I wouldn’t have been home till 2 or 3 AM .

  It even worked out for my meeting. I did the whole day meeting by phone.. and actually was able to hear and participate better remotely than in the room down there.. Alls well that ends well.

Hmmm.. what else to report. The big thing on my radar right now is diet. Our friend Marci… our massage/reiki therapist suggested that I might benefit from a consultation with her mom, Sharon, an Ayurvedic practitioner.  Ayurveda is an ancient Indian health care system. Most of it is based on diet and herbs. We saw a ton of it as we traveled in India last fall, The basic premise of Ayurveda  is that all folks are a combination of one of three doshas” Vata, Pita, and Kapha. Wikipedia describes them as:

  • Vata is the impulse principle necessary to mobilize the function of the nervous system
  • Pitta is the energy principle which uses bile to direct digestion and hence metabolism into the venous system.
  • Kapha is the body fluid principle which relates to mucous, lubrication and the carrier of nutrients into the arterial system.

A generally Vata person is generally skinny, energetic, nervous and quick, a Pita person can be muscular, powerful, easy to anger, acerbic and a kapha person can be big. slow and sensuous. .. Those are my recollections.. I may be off base.. Anyway.. I’ve been interested in this stuff peripherally for years.. I’ve always been pretty hard over to Vata. Since Sam’s passing I’ve picked up more Pitacharacteristics. .. That makes me Vata-Pita.   Sharon is giveing me some herbs to take daily to see if that can bring me back in balance. .. Here balance would mean.. more peace of mind.. less anger..

Sharon is also recommending a strict ayurvedic diet  for awhile..   She just sent me the following list of goods and bads.. Some of this is going to be reallllllly hard for me. I can’t imagine life without cayenne pepper.. or wine.. or peanuts.. or snow peas. I’m stating in a week or so.. I’ll let you know how it goes..

OK.. gotta sleep now.. More tomorrow.. Ayruvedicly yours, Sam..
-me

Vata-Pita diet recomendations:

Grains

It is best to eat these as cooked grain or as unyeasted bread.

Best: Wheat, cooked oats, white basmati rice.

Small Amounts: Amaranth, barley, rice (brown or white, short or long grain), millet, quinoa, rye.

Avoid: Buckwheat, corn flour products, dry oats.

 

Dairy

It is best to use raw or organic milk.  Milk should be taken warm with a small amount of spices such as ginger and cardamom.

Best: Butter, cottage cheese, cream cheese, ghee, milk (whole), paneer cheese.

Small Amounts: Buttermilk, hard non-salted cheeses, kefir, sour cream, yogurt.

Avoid: Ice cream, frozen yogurt.

 

Sweeteners

Over use of any sweetener will eventually cause an imbalance.

Best: Honey (fresh), maltose, maple syrup, maple sugar, rice syrup.

Small Amounts: Date sugar, dextrose, fructose, grape sugar, molasses, succanat, jaggery.

Avoid: White table sugar.

 

Oils

Oils are very important and should be used abundantly if the skin is dry.  They alleviate dryness and are generally heavy and nourishing.

Best: Avocado, coconut, ghee, olive oil, sunflower

Small Amounts: Sesame, almond, castor, flaxseed, corn, soy.

Avoid: Safflower, margarine, mustard, peanut, lard, canola.

 

Fruits

Fruits are best when they are well ripened and sweet.  These will bring balance to both doshas.  In general, due to their lightness, their intake should be consumed in moderation.

Best: Apricots, avocado, bananas (very well ripened), blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, coconut, dates, figs, grapes, lemons, limes, mango, nectarines, oranges (sweet), papaya, peaches, pears, persimmons, plums (sweet), pomegranate, prunes, raspberries, raisins, strawberries.

Small Amounts: Apples, cranberries, grapefruit, sweet, pineapple, tangerines, watermelon.

Avoid: All sour and dry fruit.

 

Vegetables

Cooked vegetables are best as they are more nourishing and easier to digest.  Only leafy greens may be eaten raw with dressing.  More raw salads may be eaten in the hot summer if digestion is strong and there is little gas or constipation.

Best: Artichoke (with oil dressing), avocado, bean sprouts, bell peppers, cauliflower, cilantro, corn, Jerusalem artichoke, leeks, okra, onion (cooked), peas, potato, pumpkin, seaweed, squash, (acorn, winter, crookneck, zucchini, etc.) sunflower sprouts, tomato (sweet vine ripened).

Small Amounts: Alfalfa sprouts, asparagus, beets, bell pepper, bitter melon, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, celery, cucumber, eggplant, green beans, lettuce, kale, mushrooms, mustard greens, parsley, spinach, sweet potato, turnips.

Avoid: Chilies, hot peppers, radishes, raw onion, tomato paste and sauce, snow peas.

 

Nuts and Seeds

These should be eaten lightly dry roasted to assist digestion an d only very lightly salted, if at all.  Nut butters, except for peanut, may also be eaten.

Best: Coconut, pine nuts, sunflower seeds.

Small Amounts: Almonds, brazil, cashews, lotus seeds, macadamia, pecans, pistachio (non-salted), pumpkin seeds.

Avoid: Peanuts.

 

Meats

Repeated research shows that plant-based diets are healthier than meat-based diets and prevent many diseases.  Ayurveda and Yoga emphasize a vegetarian diet primarily for spiritual reasons.  Hence, omnivores should limit meat consumption if possible.  Weak patients should take them as a soup broth.

Best: Chicken (white meat), egg, fresh water fish, pork, turkey (white meat).

Small Amounts: Duck, venison, beef, seafood, lamb.

Avoid: Shellfish, dark meat of chicken or turkey.

 

Legumes

Those listed in “Small Amounts” are best as a dal or spread with spices added.  When digestion is weak or constipation present, even those beans listed under “Small Amounts” should be avoided.

Best: mung beans, tofu.

Small Amounts: Aduki, black gram, chickpeas, kidney, black lentils, navy, pinto, soybeans, split peas.

Avoid: Fava, red and yellow lentils.

 

Spices

Spices aid the digestion and absorption of nutrients and improve the flavor.  Food should have an overall spicing effect of being warming but not hot.  It is the overall effect of spicing that is most important and not the individual spice used.  You may use large amounts of the best spices and even very small amounts of the avoid spices.  Food should never be bland.

Best: Bay leaf, caraway, catnip, chamomile, cardamom, cilantro, cumin, coriander, dill, fennel, lemon verbena, peppermint, rosemary, saffron, spearmint, turmeric.

Small Amounts: Anis, basil, cinnamon, coconut, fenugreek, ginger (fresh), marjoram, nutmeg, oregano, poppy seeds, sage, salt, star anise, thyme.

Avoid: Asafoetida, black pepper, cayenne, calamus, cloves, garlic (raw), ginger (dry), horseradish, hot mustard, hyssop.

 

Condiments

Best: None

Small Amounts: Carob, mayonnaise.

Avoid: Catsup, chocolate, tamari, vinegar.

 

Beverages

Best: chamomile tea, licorice tea (only if blood pressure is normal), mild spice teas (Chai), mint teas, milk, water.

Small Amounts: Carrot juice (diluted), fruit juices (diluted), naturally flavored soda and juice beverages, black or green tea.

Avoid: Alcohol, coffee, soft drinks, very spicy tea, tomato juice, vegetable juices (green).

Tuesday night – greetings from the road

Hi friends.. I’m writing from a rest stop on I89 on the way home.

I was supposed to have stayed another day in Armonk.. but the coming snowstorm made me want to come home.. Actually.. missing my family and the coming snowstorm made me want to come home.   The meeting I was attending down there had just started to get interesting, but I didn’t want to get stranded down there tomorrow by the weather. I think I made a good call.. the drive back has been pretty tough.. Normally it takes me between  5 and 6 hours.. So far tonight it’s taken me 7 .. and I still have close to an hour to go.It’s a tough night to be on the roads..  There’s a ton of snow on the road.. I was going under 30 MPH for a large part of I- 91 in VT. It’s also the kind of night when the snow coming at your windshield tries to hypnotize you…   Here’s a blurry picture to give you a feel.. I kinda like the blur.. it’s what my eyes feel like now

One saving grace tonight is the book on tape I’m listening to.. still Tolle’s ‘The New Earth’.. It’s a book about Being in the moment.. There are so many things in this book that resonate with what I/we have gone through since Sam’s death. Not just the very sad parts .. but also the ‘awakening’ to the present.

 I don’t think I can explain the book any better than I can explain the transformation I’m going through. I’m just realizing that I’m now so much more ‘awake’…   That said, I’m pretty sleepy.. so I better get back on the road.. More tomorrow.. Gnite all.. Gnite Sam..

-me

Monday evening – last two days

OK… I have a few days of pictures/stories in backlog due to my late arrival last night. Let me start on Saturday night… puppy day.. It was a beautiful end to a beautiful day..   can’t remember the last time the skies were so blue.. the twilight was like one of those Magritte paintings of the darkening sky,,,

Inside the puppy was having her 2nd meal at home.. She’s a slow and deliberate eater… the only one in our house, I think.

A gaggle of neighborhood kids were up sledding and came down to googoo over the puppy. It was Rose’s birthday.. She’s the one in the middle with the pink headband.

That’s when the evening took a mysterious turn.. While we were eating dinner someone or something stared banging on our windows,,, the something was giggling like a bunch of girls..  like Sydney and scout kind of laughing… We went out to find them, but they had arraigned for a getaway car !  

A few minutes later the girls called the house and invited Gabe, Will and Austin up to hang out at Sydney’s..    They came home around 11 pm and went straight to sleep … coincidently.. just as they went off to sleep… three mysterious ninjas showed up..

As well as their aged Ninja master,,,  

silently they drove up the hill to Sydney’s house.. and sprung a suprise attack…

Then ran back to base..   Sydney and friends didn’t know what had hit them..

It’s too bad Gabe and his friends missed all the excitement.. I had to tell them all about it the next mornign when they woke up !  When they did wake up, it as another absolutely brilliant day.. The puppy’s first mrning in Jonesfille. She hd a great time jumping around on the snow.

Around midday Diane and I took Gabe and his buds up to Bolton.. then Diane Chai., Puppy X and I went down to take a walk at Little River.. There were lots of folks down on the ice.. it was a bit windy though so we decided to hike on the road.

Now.. here’s a sign you don’t see every day !

We didn’t see sled dogs, but we did see plenty of dogs.. The puppy walked some of the way.. but her legs are so tiny.. we had to carry her much of the way.

We got home just before 4.. I went up and got Gabe and friends.. then I packed and took of for New York.. I have a 3 day meeting down here in Armonk. The drive down went really quickly because I was listening to a good book on tape (see yesterday’s post.. Echkhardt Tolle’s .. A New Earth)   I did stop for a lonely but tasty  steering wheel meal..

Around Hartford I decided that I did have time to take the 2.5 hour detour to NYC to see  Max. Diane had made him some fresh cookies.. and I wanted to see Max and deliver them. I got to Pratt just at midnight. It was so good to see Max.. he was just settling down for his Sunday night homework session… Same hours I kept in college ! 

We talked for a bit then he showed me one of his animation class projects. I think it’s pretty cool !

Max’s roomate Adam was there too.. Hi Adam..

I saw this sign on the way down.. I always have to take pictures like this.

Today was pretty uneventful.. All day meeting.. not much for me to contribute, but good conversations..   In the evening I took a short visit to my friends Ruchir and Rashi’s . They cooked a great Indian feast for me as they always do.

I played with their kids.. Older Isha went to bed early.. but the younger, Anika, and I played and read books for a long time.  I feel so comfortable in their home.

OK.. now it’s late again.. and I must sleep More tomorrow !..
G’nite all. g’nite Sam !  Talk to you all tomorrow !

-me