Satvic Movement and Madewell dress, which I love

I mentioned fitness/weight, obliquely, in the prior post. Intermittent fasting with a ketoesque bent works well for me, I found fairly recently. Then I kept the fasting (cause that's my preferred way to eat anyway, I've never jumped out of bed to eat breakfast. But breakfast food, yum...and coffee) and  returned to some of my bad carb ways. It's been a mistake in terms of my hip measurement. Then, perusing support and love on youtube I see one from the _hey I tried to get the green back but couldn't do it!!_: Satvic Movement, which admittedly sounds a bit wicked. I digress.
Satvic propose fasting and eating a very restrictive diet of only things that would sprout if you put it in dirt/the ground/you get what I'm saying here: whole, fruit, veg, legumes/seeds/nuts. They love lentils - those little sprouters! - and frankly fruit and grains, lentils really, aren't that appealing to me. I love veg, egg/dairy (some moderation here with the creamest stuff), charcuterie/jerky (Aldi has a teryiaki pork that is wonderful), some nuts. Soup is a food group to me and my family. What knocks me off keto is the potato: chips and any other way. Irish. And ice cream. But once I get going I'm good.
So, the Satvic say fast for 16 hours, then get your sprout/coconut(they are big on this and milk,water) thing ON. Maybe first meal have tons of fruit, then another 4 hrs later of veg/grains/nuts. NO dairy/meat,
which you understood but....they also advise an enema. Really regularly. I don't think that's medically over the top? Would have to get my researcher on it. ha.

Okay Europe. Oh yes please. Found some Paris reading/map stuff yesterday when cleaning the upper hall cabinet. Fun!! To clean and find stuff and to be going to Paris, win win. This weekend we must book our Copenhagen lodging. Easter breakfast/brunch tomorrow, so if you thought intermittent fasting was in my future, non, but I am only drinking black coffee now, so I am mid fast. Not hard when you count the hours you are sleeping! As a note I'm going to try and exchange a Madewell dress that I wore and discovered a weird pull on the back seam last night. It's new, but I have worn it and the pull is in a spot that I wouldn't have created this by wearing it (I don't think). Their stuff is pricy so......hope to get a new one.
XXOO

Nine Days - Three Super Cool European Capital Cities

Going to meander a little bit and then title this post. What a nut! I've gotten several Cara Black books from le biblioteque and requested a Ruth Reichl 'what i ate in paris'  book also. I'm crazy and oh so intellectual. I have been enjoying the travel prep quite a bit tho.

In prep I've purchased a smaller size, rolling carryon. Samsonite from Marshalls. Needs a cute thrift store scarf bound to it somehow tho as it's pure black. The European concept of a carry on (on some airlines) is smaller than the US standard  - not surprised. I also got amazon basics packing cubes caving to youtuber pressure. For $20 I'm sure they'll be useful, maybe more than that.  We will see. Not 100% sure of my carry on accessory  bag yet. Didn't like the one I tried from ones I own when I flew to Boston in January for a commercial job. Don't think a backpack, however cute, is for me but want something that 'works' for the plane/travel portion of the gig. As for my purse:  I don't mind my trusty Hedgren crossover bag which will be with me, as it is at home, everyday.

 Finally got onto Amsterdam and know that we'll be about a 20 min walk from train station (Centraal) to our hotel on Beursstraat, red light baby. Well, it's near the district and supposed to be fabulously located. We have 4 beds and a bathroom so we'll be out and about for everything and that'll work from here I think. Of course a canal ride, need to look that up. Also the Bateaux Mouche and whatever canal ride we'll do in CPN.
Water is the only theme that will follow thru this 'weekend - like'  traipse thru 3 super cool European cities (capital cities?, check this.... YES, the fact has been verified).   At least so far. We're flying, taking the train, metro. Staying with a friend (hi Andrea), VRBO, hotel and ???  The 36 hours theme, change of venue, walking , eating, hanging out, exploring.

Back to reality; gigging tonight in North Royalton. I must not eat altho they have excellet food and feed us. Part of the trip prep that I'm not focused enough on is eating properly and getting back into the shape I've been in. Winter in a word is a large part of the issue. However, my version of keto is a good way for me to eat - I feel lighter, more alert, less achy and I am leaner, despite the season. Because why wouldn't I want those benefits? It is a discipline developed tho, especially starting up.
We're getting the deck prepped and have eaten al fresco when possible. Keto, and the one big meal - if you eat it with friends/family - is very social, healthy and you can enjoy it every day! Live life like a European.
xo

Aldi's crab legs - Paris in May

Rolling our way toward May, toward our ten day folly in Europe. A quick, weekend-like visit of three days to Paris, then three in Amsterdam, followed by the Copenhagen trois. This will be our third time in Paris, my love, and my first time the elsewhere. I feel overly prepared for Paris and not a bit for the others, ha. I can't get enough of Jay Swanson rolling arrondissment by arr. on his wheel, smile perfect. Or what Ruth Reichl ate in Paris. - youtube to paper/books to my in the flesh account, coming soon. I'm trying to get a good head plan around what we'll be doing. Of course the daily routine is smashed to hell (and I like mine.....:)) sleep is different, the four of us will be together basically 24/7. (we know we travel well together, huge).  So beginning now I'm attempting to get up between 7 and 8 am. Not as many gigs yet and the ones we have are earlier now so I need to be prepped for that. Working as many appraisals as I can accept and not feel pushed.  Trying to get some home stuff done pre trip - deck washed, windows etc. We've been cognizant of eating out - and not doing it as often - for about 2 months, also in prep for the trip. Last night we made 2 large bags of crab legs, 4 of the most humongous artichokes ever, cheese/charcuterie plate and had a delicious wonderful meal with our daughter and her boyfriend. Spendy seeing the trip prep statement above but still much less than eating that dinner out and was really good. Not too much work either!! Aldi's crab legs, tested more than once and highly recommended. I'll put that in the title, click bait.
Anyway more prep: bought shorts (!!!??) and linen cropped pants in soft green. Weird sizing but I liked that both items were very different for me and I think very wearable. Shorts are Jones NY, black and white pattern (chanel-ish) and I'd wear with one of my many white t shirts and black  sandals or tennies. White Kors blazer I've never worn might look good with them too. So....in addition to the sizing on the garments I'm a bit super sized this month. I think the 10 should work fine, but I'd love to be in the 8. I can see both items going to Europe.
Pretend day in Paris: wake, get coffee, prep for day, walk/sightsee, snack, relax, walk sightsee dinner, walk/ boat ride,travel the sites bus, picnic meal, bistro meal, street market, flea market, Marais, Latin Quarter, Montmartre, Effiel Tower, Louvre etc.
See ya!

Six weeks of anticipation

Anticipation. The best part of a trip? It might be. From my comfortable surroundings I imagine all the highlights of world class cities. "The best is yet to come", it screams to me. Airplanes figure in very little if at all. Lines. Other people in airplanes that I can see, hear and smell. So there's that for anticipation, selectivity. I suppose if you aren't anticipating it's called dread. Totally different.
So let's embrace anticipation. In the perusing,planning, packing - put your arms around it and ride the wild semi unknown. Yesterday I mentioned packing and distilling your style and that idea stuck with me. I have my travel essentials list, one I created and has everything for travel in planes and cars so I simply cross out anything that's not going this time and add my daily clothes, shoes and accessories to it. For this trip we are driving to Toronto so we'll need all the car stuff. Then we fly (overnight, yay, best way) to CDG, Paris. So first night is in Toronto, night two is on airplane, nights 3,4,5 are at VRBO in Paris. Nights 6,7,8 are in Amsterdam. Nights 9,10,11 will be spent in Copenhagen and night 12 is a flight, landing in Toronto that same evening, so I'm treating it like an overnight if I can, we leave Paris at 5 pm arr. TO 7:30 pm so...... Drive to CLE next am.  Break it down: 2 days car, 2 days airplane,  9 days of eating, sightseeing, short travel, sleeping/lounging.  A travel outfit really works great and I love black. Generally I wear black rayon pants with a drawstring and elastic waist - this waistband combo is essential, mine are GAP. Wear black tights underneath if it's cold (if not, pack those tights anyway, you never know! and they take up no room). Cool tennis shoes - currently: black leather with one white star on each shoe or low heeled booties. In the car footwear might be my sturdy leather thongs. In all cases supplemented with black ankle sox when lounging en route. 3/4 sleeved black scoop neck t in rayon/non wrinkly material. Army green vest with several pockets and breaks up the black, lol. Jacket, loving one from Zara which we also bought our son. Navy, looks like a well tailored blazer however has a zip in/out hoodie hat and neck layer. Genius. Looks polished and cozy all at once.  Time's up lovelies.

Notre Dame is burning and I'm not

Well it's been awhile. I'm planning our trip to Paris*Amsterdam*Copenhagen which will be happening in 6 weeks and realizing that all I want from life is to wonder the first 6 arrondissments of Paris aimlessly and endlessly. Seriously, I watch youtubers wander those streets and wonder why NOT ME!?  So what is it. What is it that I really want?  I just heard BHL on NPR about the ND fire and he mentioned the 'spirituality' that comes from old, old things, such as the wood beams of the roof, now lost forever. 8, 9 centuries old - you had to be there dude there is no replacing that shit.
So is that ineffable, gorgeous net of spirituality what I love about Paris? Walking the streets and simply being is enough there. I started this blog to help remind myself that while I live here, in CLE, and it's not anything like Paris, perhaps mindful thinking could make it more like the experience of being in a world class spot.  I think I've failed and it's probably not my fault. So now what? I don't know but I'm going to blog daily and see what comes up.......

So today it's 59 degrees/cloudy here and 56/cloudy in Paris. Remember we're on the same longitude(ish) and both are divided by a river. 

Plans for our three days in Paris: vrbo rental in the 5th, near the famous Rue Mouffetard and close enough to our preferred area around St Michel, Ile de la Citie and Notre Dame (sadly looking at a map of the area when I heard about the flames breaking out!).  We'll fly in nonstop from Toronto.
After Paris, three days in Amsterdam. We take the train from Gard du Nord. I'll have to get our airb&b info from Jake on Amsterdam. Then we fly to Copenhagen to meet our friend for three days!
Back to Paris for the flight home. Rather a fast trip. We'll have two of our (adult) children with us as well. Nothing like packing for any travel to make you think about your style. Here's where you take it on the road!! And you have to carry it.
Later

La Belle Vie

               Am I happy about the recent election here in the US?
 Well... non.


For many reasons.....  let's explore...     I disagree with the overall tone of the new administration - and administration is the word and tone is too subtle -

come on!!!

It's 2017!! : multiculturalism is, almost,  out!! Except with you. Who are you????

Where is your fear coming from?
Feel it and tell me. Feel it and explain it to me as best you can.
Do we not want the same things:  family, food, fun.    ????
Do we not????

My walk, my simple walk with my simple dog in my simple park is so sacred I can almost not profess it.  You have to know the same things - you have a dog. You have a child. Why don't you want the world to live - for more children? for more dogs?  - for more people who breathe for the first time that day when they walk their dog - ......for all of us?  Is it so hard to take care of your Mother???

Not gonna get me down.  Freedom isn't free.  And don't take the good life for granted.

xoxoxox    La

My 2017 goals for this blog

I just need to write more, for one thing!
 The purpose of this blog is for me (and anyone else who enjoys it) to reinforce the belief that life is created by your thoughts and to keep myself on track with those thoughts and subsequent actions. It's not realistic for me to think that I'll be moving to Paris anytime soon: I appraise real estate and have no license to do so in France, we own a few properties in the Cleveland area that we also manage and my husband's job is representing manufacturing business in Ohio. But I so love the joie de vivre of the stereotypical Parisienne and I know it would be easier to embrace this living amongst other practitioners in that gorgeous city with it's beautiful buildings and life affirming scenes on every corner. So I created this blog - Paris on the Cuyahoga - to bring Paris to me. Both Paris and Cleveland are cities divided in half by a river, the Seine and the Cuyahoga respectively so I found this to be appropriate.

In 2017 I will write more.

In the current political climate I've been more active than I've ever been (well, since the 1960s and '70s) and that is very European. Maybe we've taken our freedoms for granted just a bit too much.

I've been implementing and experimenting some facial massage and other facial care products that I will share.

I am valuing my time with my family more.

I am constantly curating my life so that it holds only the best for me and my loved ones.

So I guess my goals are to keep on and keep up. Consistency is key.

Please comment if you have any ideas, questions or ??? for me. I'd love to hear from you.

bisous

Soup Cleanse: Delicious recipe

Bonjour. I consider myself a skilled, ardent and appreciative soup creator. My pots of warm love (eww is that weird sounding!!??) are well reviewed by those who know. This attribute alone will constitute one of the (few) better things on my epitath.
 Let's be real: most soup is pretty darn healthy. Yeah you can cream it up with, well, cream or sour cream, cheese - but even then: it's eaten by the spoon, it's basically a liquid, you have to eat A LOT to really overdo a portion. It's easier for your hardworking intestinal track to process due to the liquidity and smaller, well cooked vegetables and proteins simmered in soothing, healthy broth. Most soups begin with a mirepoix (celery, carrot, onion and often garlic) so we begin with healthy vegetables, almost always and almost always add more. And olive oil - we simmer the mirepoix in the golden juice of the noble olive. So soup is mostly- almost- always healthy.

But this, this soup cleanse soup, it is a wonder!! Easy, inexpensive, vegan, cleansing, ultra nutritious and absolutely delicious.   You will make it over and over as I do. Beta carotene baby!

Sweet Potato Cream Soup

8 sweet potatos - I quickly scrub and dry them and bake, intact, at 400 degrees for about an hour.
                            When cool I cut them in half an squeeze the potato pulp into the following:


This is made while the potatos bake:
One onion sliced and sauteed in about a tablespoon of olive oil. Add
one to two tablespoons of minced garlic, don't burn it! Lightly salt. After a few minutes of sauteeing on low-med heat add 8 cups of vegetable broth and bring to a simmer/low boil. You can partially cover to speed up the process and then:
This is when you add the pulp of the sweet potatos. Add a bit more salt, lightly. Lower heat and let cook softly for about 10 minutes. Let it cool and then puree with blender in batches (or immersion blender). Check seasoning add: salt, pepper for sure. Then you can add: hot sauce, sour cream (this is not a cleanse variation!) or go your own crazy way. A healthier variation is to add ginger, grated raw (about a tablespoon) would be great - toss right into the broth before pureeing.

Delish, enjoy!
La

Living with intent

Why is your (delicious) morning coffee so important? Beyond the caffeine - it's because it's a ritual, a way in which you treat yourself, first thing (?!), every day. Self love. Deliberation. Curation/deliberation, the world is wide and there is always room for more - but I want to live a life, here where I am now, that resonates and calms. That feeds the concentric circles of La.  So I must choose, often, and make the effort to upgrade when I can; make the effort to know what I want; organize,think, have the discipline to implement this new way.
I guess I'm thinking this way b/c we are thinking of paying off some real estate to live in our current home indefinitely.  We are facing winter cold currently and snow. Is that what I want? I love this house: our kids were all born and raised here, it's got a layout that works for us -  it's a 1953 era home, well built, with details like lovely hardwood floors and a large wood deck we designed with railing walls including an old, folding brass elevator door bought in Toronto and wrought iron railings salvaged from somewhere (behind the bike shop??).  We have grapes and golden raspberries and other well established perennials in our gardens. We are 1.1 miles (1.77 km) from city center. Just a bit too much for walking (for me, at this point!) and it's just a bit more to my preferred Aldi and Target etc. The bottom line: do I want to really dig in, here, at Elmwood? Can we stay really long term? Do we want to remodel the kitchen (we must) and first floor full bath? I actually picture an older woman from a blog photo - probably from copenhagencyclechic.com - walking alongside her basket laden bike, elegantly pushing it as a very practical shopping cart. This time that woman is me.

My love/hate/really hate relationship with Facebook

This isn't very well thought out but I woke up early and feel like ranting about facebook. I really hate it. It's one of those things that you can't cut loose even tho you hate it. I found out about the sudden death of a dear friend via facebook. I was filled with doubt and anger and disgust and fear at postings by 'friends' during the recent election. I scroll the vacant lives of people I don't really know or care about. I wonder if I can delete my account and live with the FOMO that might result?  In full disclosure I am one of those musicians who use facebook to promote gigs and, wow!, wonderful tool! Amazing, free way to do what used to be accomplished by a copier, a stapler and someone with the desire to plaster up the available, appropriate telephone poles and bulletin boards with your flyer. So on the one hand - as I said, amazing. On the other hand, who are these people??? Seriously I have friends that I don't know. It's my fault, I accepted them and they are probably people that have seen one of my two bands or friends of friends etc. but I don't care what they are up to. I get seriously riled at their, or their friends, inane comments, posts, rants. Then I see one, sweet thing that inspires me. Or get some important information and keep scrolling.
I have got to quit this.......but......are you on facebook? what are your thoughts?
La

11/26/2016: from my journal

Just back from Toronto - the nuclear family (minus cfj of course) on our annual Thanksgiving holiday. Our long weekend destination has been Baltimore for a few years as cfj finished at Loyola but....2016, she's in Thailand and we're heading north.
Musings: There is definitely a European feel to Toronto and, altho subtle, it's very refreshing. Cities are made for walking or there is no point.  I think I like the small florist shops every few blocks or so the most. The chandelier purveyors catch my eye every time too. How many can a city support? I wonder this time and again as we pass yet another charming coffee/bakery/cafe or vintage clothing retailer. All local merchants. Cannabis stores. (local? not sure on that?!). Assorted gated, hidden, painted, locked, half forgotten doors leading to the mysterious apartments occupying the upper floors of these pleasantly busy businesses that line mile after mile of Queen Street.

Good Thoughts and Yoga with Raquel Welch

That's the secret to a happy life. Good thoughts. If you can hold onto them.....
Good morning (on my end at least). It's been awhile. Recently I rediscovered an old love of mine:
Raquel Welch's yoga video from the 1980's.  youtube is incredible,  and I love this workout. An hour and 20 minutes of slowing down. Of breathing. Of being worthy of the attention I'm giving myself. Such a gift -  and the kicker - I try to do it every day!
In addition I'll be walking Scout in the woods.  We've been happy with the wonderful autumn weather here this year, (we walk no matter what's going on out there!) and I'll be researching the soup cleanse a bit more altho what I've seen so far basically jives with my "regular" soup. Soup is healthy no matter what - even the richer, fattier ones - because it makes you slow down in the moment. The soup "cleanse" uses homemade broth and or miso, one purees all soups, heavy on the prime ingredients garlic, onion, ginger -  all the usual suspects when it comes to fighting illness. There is some real estate business to do, an email regarding an other real estate issue and I'd like to repot my new ferns.  Huge boston ferns!! Summer patio plants were destined for the landfill, sitting on the tree lawn awaiting their fate. It makes me so happy to have saved them and to love them so.  Win win. Swimming is on the agenda and the wood floors need mopped. Ambitious!! But this is a 2 - 3 day plan. xxoo La