new moon in leo signifies energy for creative projects, generosity, romance, and determination. all good things to clear the channels for. took a walk around herrick lake last night, noting the wildflowers along the forest trails and the purple and grey cloud patterns falling on the water. came home and slept better than i have in weeks. i'm enjoying this cooler autumn-like weather in august. the crabapple tree in the back yard is already yellowing and getting ready for winter. brrr. what a thought.
the planet mercury has gone
retrograde again and won't reverse itself until early september. i know everything with transportation and communication tends to collapse--but there is a positive aspect about it too--it assists with finishing up old projects and makes one more aware of their internal communication process. so with that in mind, i'm off to tool with some short stories.
here's a little ode to mercury from the video poem, "a bird in hand: thirteen postcards from paris": "patron saint of thieves. guide to every traveler. mercury. mercurius. if you can hear me, perched as you are atop the place de la bastille. help me put the world together. trumpet at the crossroads. messenger of the gods. keep me in your fold. hermes. thoth. i’m trying to write down my life. cast my breath out in sentences. i send postcards to myself. make poems out of the minutes. little sparks from your caduceus. winged heels. what would it be if I exchanged everything into words? what would happen if I told myself the truth?"
dawn and angela visited the townhome last weekend and brought a wonderful gift: a tin of spanish saffron. i found some basmati brown rice and dawn furnished her favorite rice recipe. saffron has a long history associated with it. it was a sacred flower in ancient crete. it is a long revered symbol of the sun. it was used by cleopatra as a seductive essence and ancient egyptians sacrificed cakes of saffron to their gods. i know it's a staple in indian cooking and ayurvedic medicine. i think it's even found in some arabic coffees. here's dawn's recipe for rice with saffron:
2 cups basmati rice (available at indian markets, specialty foods stores and some supermarkets)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 small onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
12 whole black peppercorns
8 whole cloves
6 whole cardamom pods
3 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
4 cups water
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup chopped cashews
1/4 cup raisins
rinse rice under cold running water. place rice in large bowl. add enough water to cover by 3 inches. let stand 20 minutes. drain. heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. add onions; sauté until golden, about 8 minutes. add cumin, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves and cinnamon; sauté until onions are brown, about 4 minutes.
add rice to spices and stir 2 minutes. Add 4 cups water, cream, salt and saffron. bring to boil. reduce heat to low. cover saucepan almost completely and cook until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
add peas to rice. cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 5 minutes. season with salt and pepper. sprinkle with nuts (dawn prefers pistachios) and raisins. serves 6.
disco 'til you drop/august mixtape 2004: "when you wake up tomorrow" and "young hearts run free" by candi staton, "(i've been looking for you) haven't you heard" by patrice rushen, "keep it hot" by cheryl lynn, "i don't know what you want but i can't give it any more" by pet shop boys, "square biz" by teena marie, "i don't know if it's right" by evelyn "champagne" king, "perfect day" and "safe in these arms" (todd terry mix) by jimmy sommerville, "lost in music" (ben liebrand mix) by sister sledge, "you stepped into my life" by melba moore, "saturday love" by cherelle, "heartbeat" by taana gardner, "runaway love" by linda clifford, and "nights over egypt" by the jones girls.
