A Crunchy Life - January 2019 Newsletter
Happy New Year! WELCOME to my first newsletter. Thank you so much for being here. I truly hope this grows into a community where we share our ideas with each other. To that end, these monthly newsletters will share what I am currently exploring.
What I am reading
I just started reading The Friend: A Novel by Sigrid Nunez - the winner of the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction. I read a lot of non-fiction on a regular basis so the opportunity to explore fiction was not to be missed - especially when the book is about a woman and her relationship with a giant dog!
What I am listening to
On this New Year's Day Chris decided to have each of us list our five favorite albums of all time. He then made a playlist of all ten albums, and shuffled them for constant play throughout the day. Here they are:
Chris's five:
1. Kaputt by Destroyer
2. Achtung Baby by U2
3. Piñata by Freddie Gibbs and Madlib
4. Check Your Head by Beastie Boys
5. Since I Left You by The Avalanches
My five:
1. American Beauty by the Grateful Dead
2. The Beatles 1962-1966
3. Murmur by REM
4. Miles From Our Home by Cowboy Junkies
5. Saturdays = Youth by M83
What I am eating
I have recently discovered Monk Fruit sweetener. I have reduced my intake of refined sugar but there are some things that I make that need a bit of sweetness, especially when it comes to making treats for our girls. I first read about monk fruit sweetener on mindbodygreen.com and in plant based cookbooks such as Eat Feel Fresh by Sahara Rose Ketabi. What I have noticed is that it is a 1:1 substitution for sugar and there is no discernible difference in taste or texture of the resulting baked yummy. The upside comes that it has antioxidants and is zero on the glycemic index.
What I am excited about
I am so excited about the Super Blood Full Wolf Moon Eclipse. This will be a simultaneous total lunar eclipse and a supermoon on the night of Jan. 20 into the morning of Jan. 21. It will be visible across all of North America. During the event, the moon will appear red-colored and slightly larger than usual for about an hour. Eclipses create doors of opportunity and change so I am excited to see what it has in store for me.
What I am practicing
With the new year here I find myself needing to ground and settle. Grounding practices provide me with the opportunity to set a solid foundation for the new year. I am in love with this grounding practice from Britt B Steele.
I want to hear all about you and what you are interested in so that I can tailor these newsletters to your interests, too. What are you trying to accomplish or fulfill or complete in this new year? What word or intention have you set for yourself? This life is messy and it is all we have so let's support each other.
Love.
Karen