I got MEME Tagged by Jeff Wasserman (who was sweet to think of me, thank you)....who was maybe tagged by Dan Meyer (who has not yet visited me) who was tagged by.....well eventually I saw this on Borderland listening to Doug Noon, really enjoyed his photos. And poetic responses.
Then it was getting kind of late and I've been having my 19th nervous breakdown......
making me think these guys know things I DON'T KNOW YET.....
Now I'm tagging Bruce S. at Throughlines (who already is answering this I correctly intuit finding it today and adding in these little words.. proving I still "have it" intuitively speaking .... so go...figure) , Mark Ahlness who has successful life figured out I think, Brian Crosby, Paul Baker the poet researcher PR guy, my very hard working friend Miss Prof. who I'm behind reading...and if I can get her to do this, somehow, my friend Susan Ohanian who I know has great insights about life. At least she has certainly helped me live mine....oh I want to tag Sylvia, my daughter....good one. Miss Going To CalTech, I'll think up some other poor souls and add you or just add it in yourself......but let's see if I can think up my "secrets"...to a successful life?
I should call this, "Hanging on by the Skin of My Teeth" ...so ...Blackbird if you will....

Sarah's KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL LIVING
(A MYSTERY TO ME MOST OF THE TIME)...click out to songs....1) Figure out your passions, strengths, gifts and work through/out of them.

Basically coming to terms with who I am, developing some kind of relationship to my capacities has been a worthwhile struggle. In a sense I was forced to become the "real me" , giving up pleasing a harsh father, others, taking on a mom and finding myself inclined to "pleasing" even at the expense of self. I call this the nature/nurture "issue." (Key the violins please) Unlocking this....has lead me to what I would call my core, well my core as I can " know myself."
I'm visual, artistic, emotional, hard working, blah, blah but as I teach children and work with students , I'm helping them not only to find a set of strengths, but to understand the implications for them. It has been important insightful work.
I recently talked here about a Foster child I saw up close who discovered his capacities to play piano extremely well in his mid teens....just at a time, something external, some validation for him of his "gift" was needed. He was in self-doubt that had the capacity to ruin him. It was a "look at this I can do by myself " kind of extraordinary gift. At a period in his life his anger and sense of doubt was so palatable. He was loved greatly but that alone wasn't enough, but to my mind, he needed this 'ah- ha' of meaning in finding this beauty within himself. It brought a sense of possibility.
I have this thing to nourish, cherish others and to create, it is mine to find a way to grow and give through. This to me, finding capacities, seems essential to our finding our way. I felt compelled to use this as a kind of flag, one waving out my truth, in you are things you barely realize. It's there to be found. Look for your gifts. Don't live in your pathologies. I really think most of the time the paradigm of pathology is the issue for unhappy people.

In all of us are capacities, gifts, strengths, and life circumstances allow us to glimpse our "divinities" , "capacities" sometimes just very once in a while. With this we open windows and doors for life to be lived, or have new paths. One of the keys to a successful life, finding paths...ways...(not to discount the sheer accident of it all)

2) Making connections to mentors, those you respect, those who see you as a being worth loving, being open to others as a mentor....most everything in me was built as a part of social constructs with others. The love of an early neighbor in her 70 through 90's from my early childhood, for example, built in me my love of gardens, my belief in my having something to say worth hearing. Her time, love, care never not once contained a word of anger. I realized later in life just how tremendous a gift she gave me from just that one point..My early life was a tribute to watching core adults in anger. The capacity to understand that one can be a friend that gives acceptance and love matters so much to those mentored through it. Essentially she taught me relationships need not be hurtful...she balanced childhood issues.

She was unconditional in her belief in me, with her friendship. From age 6 to her death in my early 40's Freda loved me like a rock, like the rock of ages. Mentor others, give to others in the forms they come to you, it's always different and unique in how it happens and is a "happening". So be open to these roles and opportunities, love them like a rock....She loved me, loved me , loved me....we are here to love in this way too.
The key to success is to lower the wants and define the needs so that you can give to others what they need. I don't know how else to say this. The key to success in life lies in this relationship building, mentoring, giving away the "secrets" by modeling, talk. This chain of love we build to support one another and build future and carry our past forward positively in our actions matters.

3) Break the bonds that hold you......back.....one of the things that I sit thinking having just watched East Of Eden...fate, free will... Are we to replicate the things endlessly as humans that cycle us back into these patterns that hold us in suffering and grief? One of my challenges is to find ways to not replicate the past, to be able to actually listen to criticism and not be destroyed by it, consider arguments more fully, listen with my heart open, to see with new eyes. Always hardest, listening. I tend to realize this but not always do it. Next is forgiving. Born into complex family dynamics I need to learn, to recognize what I do without fully processing why. Which is I'd say a 99% of the time issue. To examine myself, to not allow fear to push me into actions. To say I'm wrong, to be aware of my limitations, self fulfilling prophesies that I propagate...key to success.......brother take these chains away from me...I don't need them any more...

4) Do what you love, love what you do. (the link here to an odd song that popped in my head -consider the Doors played in my house from the time my brother was 9 until he was 17 never stopping as a loop coming throug the floor boards)
Investing everything you do with a whole heart, caring, meaning, intensity of feeling.....centered in a spiritual or moral or ethical self. (I blame the Doors and Stairway to Heaven , Zeppelin entirely for this philosophical outlook from said bro. Call it a paradox.)
I have a friend who says this is truing the wheel. As in work on a bike tire where one progresses around the circle in small increments bringing things into alignment by a process of tweaking around the rim. However I verbalize it, through time I find myself bringing this "love it" issue through a life work. In my case I have found it valuable to always turn the tables when doing something that felt out of balance. If the job was growing harder to feel connection, I changed it up by asking myself how could I turn it into something helping me grow in some way. Also it's very important to align yourself in work you love.
Risk it. A kind of balance.

5) For me, live life like it is your symphony, your masterpiece, your art form.
SING YOUR LIFE.
When I had my children, worked my work, made art, married, made my friends, reached out into the world, chose my causes, spoke my truths, walked my walks, loved my flowers, felt my moments, trusted my instincts, or as a friend told me "listen to the music play ", I always tried to think of this life as my gift, my canvas. I've had lots to deal with, cancer, pain, suffering, disappointments....and I try to not invalidate this or not feel it...just not allow it more than it's place in the total work. A necessary element. A structural one, a tension. It's simply a part of something that I'm continually writing and revising. A life in progress. A key to successful living is approaching life as an artist with creative abilities responding to its dynamics. Be in the moment. Let It Be....

6) It's probably a key to successful living to keep in mind that looking like or being a horse's behind is generally a given.

Ah...this said...I'm grateful and glad today, exhausted for two hard days of work judging a tremendously impressive Migrant Speech and Debate Tourney for junior and High School-about 500 kids from half the CA Migrant divisions or regions. Can you believe I was a debate judge.?..I was. An exhausted one right now.

I'm so grateful my life was lived in many different places , through the times of the great social changes of the 20th century, able to see so many realities and finding the richness of my life often is being able to reflect through so many wonderful people, experiences, to find I often am forced to re-examine and rethink...amazing this life.

So I hope I didn't tag already tagged people...Mark, Brian, MissProf. Paul, Bruce....and if I knew how to do that link thing I would...or will if I figure it out.

Think old, tired, bilingually exhausted debate judge......full of about a week of different events dinners, Syls' Reagan Library Star Student award night, This Cinco De mayo Migrant Regional CA Debate, the Impact 2 Teacher awards...lots of chicken banqueting ...lots of education to celebrate....no time for written thoughts. And Happy Cinco De Mayo! Thank goodness in my life for those I've known that celebrated this as their own were among the closest friends and most wonderful people I've ever known. Again another wonderful way to spend the holiday listening to Migrant children show me just how capable they are.We are lucky to have them in our world.
We are FAMILY.

Oh, you are now obligated to go listen to music, relax, sing your joy.....
Sarah

For anyone making bread that would like a really easy, direct recipe that totally reminds me of rustic farmhouse European, this one is great. Made in a Dutch oven it turned out marvelously about ten minutes ago.
It's a bit salty, if that is not for you lower that salt a bit.

Right now with a toast to my daughter Sophia's birthday and a very rare half glass of Asti I am enjoying it immensely. My mother says she found this on-line on the NY Times but she cannot tell me anything else and it's handwritten so I'm not able to better attribute. It has some things she did to change it...she says. But we both dickered over making it.

Crusty Home Style Bread
(ok...it was called Speedy No-Knead, but "speedy?" Who thinks that has allure?)

You use 3 cups flour, we did use bread flour. Again what flour you use makes tremendous variation

1 package instant yeast ( I never buy that so we used regular)

1 1/2 tsp. salt

Oil as needed

(I recommend trying handful of fresh thyme or some spice you like, perhaps some dill, or oregano for a variation)

Mix flour, yeast and salt together in your bowl. Then add 1/2 cups water and stir to blend, this is a sticky dough at this point.Cover it with Saran. Let it sit 4 hours ( I went grocery shopping) at warm room temperature ( 70 degrees)

Oil a work surface, put out the dough, fold it over on itself, heat oven to 450. Put a 6 qt to 8 qt Dutch oven ( I actually think mine is 5 quarts I just got it and it's wonderful) in oven as it heats up . When dough is ready remove hot pot from oven. Put your hands around, under the dough and put it in the pot. Seam side up. Shake the pan a time or two, but it straightens as it bakes.

Cover with pot lid, bake 30 minutes, remove lid bake 15 to 30 minutes more until beautifully browned. Cool, cut, serve.

Leaving in the pan makes it really crusty after it comes out as it continues to cook.