Southern Nuggets

Although the second time it snowed in Georgia this winter, it was the first time that it snowed in Central Georgia. Honestly, I don't think many of us actually believed that it would as weather reports advised and even when the school districts posted notices of school closures today. As you can imagine, as I stepped outside at six this morning to say my morning prayers, I was delightfully surprised to see snow, peacefully falling. Shopai, my dog, woke up about this time. After wishing me a good morning, ran around in the dark trying to bite the flakes before making her version of snow-angels on the ground. What a wonderful sight. For Georgia, it was a decent amount too, I should wonder if it would stick around long enough for my nieces to see it after the sun comes up. It did and in the shades of the many trees surrounding the house, still some remains at 3 p.m. (I know, this post is up late.) The girls said that after the sun came up, Shopai was curiously looking at the sno

There are many things I detest about winter. I hate that Christmas is unavoidable. I hate that it's cold (I am thankful that I'm now in the South where it's not as cold, however.) I hate that the days are shorter. I hate that the fruit available doesn't taste as good. And I hate that it becomes cold and flu season. I can't think of one person who enjoys getting and being sick. Before leaving to New Mexico I developed a dry cough. Because it was a dry cough I wasn't much worried about it. It was just annoying. While in New Mexico, one some nights it got slightly worse. The air was super dry there and I think it contributed to it. Regardless, I still put in a 4 mile run one afternoon. I hated myself for that afterwards. Let me rephrase, my body hated me for that afterwards. I don't like running outside, it tears up my throat. Although it wasn't cold, it was cold enough for my lungs to get angry. When I was a baby I nearly died from pneumonia so I hav

Dear Sheleena, if you're reading this, you've visited this blog after I posted a new entry. The kick ass lasagna I told you to try out is in the previous post. Yours truly, Tyson. :-)  Speaking of that lasagna (have you tried it?) I just have one more miracle story from the miraculous dish from heaven. My two nieces, who I have not seen since before I left to New Mexico, finally came home last night from their personal adventures. Luckily for them, they arrived just before the last of the pasta was licked from the dish it was cooked in.  My nieces are picky - PICKY, when it comes to food. One likes cheese, the other does not. I know, who really doesn't like cheese? I think she might be an alien. One likes peanut butter but not jelly. One likes jelly but not peanut butter. One likes syrup and...you guess it, one doesn't. Despite their polar opposite likes and dislikes, there are a few things they do agree on.  They don't like vegetables. They especially do

I'm back in Georgia, back in the kitchen, & back in the apron. Alright, I am back in central Georgia, getting back into the swing of things. With that, let's drive right into this... Just like it's been said that someone who's an alcoholic can't take just one drink because by doing so they open up a dangerous road that quickly escalates into being wildly intoxicated. An alcoholic can't stop. This also holds true for me in regards to meat. What started out as an innocent by product of beloved foods, in no time at all snowballed into multiple cheeseburgers, steak, ground beef, and chicken. Even yesterday, with all my will power, I ended up reaching over and helping myself to a friend's chicken wings in addition to my meat-less salad. I know. I'm something of a disappointment right now. Vegetarian gone bad! I figure, since I'm already in this downward spiral I might as do it big. What WILL be the end of this run away food cart, is the Wor

New Year's Day I took a mini hike to the Jemez Hot Springs, located about an hour north of Albuquerque. It was a great way to connect with nature. Before we dive into it, I would like to wish everyone a very joyous new year! It's something of a remarkable thing each year when we gather with friends and family, if not alone, to reflect on the year that so quickly came and went. Years, time I suppose, are like wide rivers that approach a restricted passage. Everything moves so slowly, calmly if we are fortunate, then without realizing it the water has sped up and we're sailing at full speed down the same river. Then the water again finds it's opening and everything again slows down as the new year starts. In contrast to new year celebrations of my past, I brought in the new year in meditation. It was something of a last minute decision after a new friend that I made during this visit to New Mexico expressed he was thinking about driving to Santa Fe to spend NYE a