The Book of Awakening

I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions. Not sure why. I always feel like I don’t ever really carry them out anyway and I just feel that this is something we should be doing every day, not just on New Year’s Day.

But never say never—this year, while cleaning up my desk piled high with papers and books and everything that had accumulated over the holiday, I came across a book that my friend Dyan gave me last year called The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo, and it is a daily dose of wisdom and meditation. The author set out to write his thoughts in hopes of introducing his readers to their own wisdom.

So I decided I’m going to try and read this every morning as Dyan does just as a reminder of how to center myself and what’s important in life.

Below is the January 3 entry, which, as you could see, I started a couple days late. Even though God is mentioned in the title of this entry, I do not see the book as at all "religious" in the typical sense of the word. I’m sharing it with you here today in case you are inspired to get your own copy and have a look at it every day like I am planning on doing.

Starry Night Sky

One of the pleasures for me of being up in Maine is going out in the middle of the night and looking up at the stars. Sometimes I am even too lazy to put on a coat, even in the dead of winter. It is refreshing and I don't have to go far...

From my little rented cottage, there is very little light pollution so it is a great place to view a good portion of the sky, being on the rocks with the ocean 180 degrees in front of me. Here is a simple lesson from an Indiana Science teacher on how to identify basic constellations.

The New York Times publishes a sky calendar every year and it can be synched with your regular phone calendar. And here is a what to look forward to in 2024 including meteor showers, moon schedules, eclipses etc..

Two Air Fryer Recipes

***Courtesy Eleanore Park, NY Times Cooking App. Photo Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.***

For those of us who have air fryers, here are two super easy to prepare recipes adapted from the New York Times Cooking App. Tasty and crispy without the amount of oil usually required for frying...Looks like a good meal to me! Complete it with a good salad of your choice...Courtesy of Eleanor Park and Melissa Clark.

***Courtesy Melissa Clark, NY Times Cooking App. David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.***

CHICKEN THIGHS
Ingredients for 3 servings
3bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 ounces each) or boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Step 1 Heat air fryer to 375 degrees, if preheating is recommended for your air fryer.
Step 2 Pat chicken dry. Add salt to both sides of chicken thighs. In a Combine the sour cream, mustard and rice vinegar in a bowl and coat the chicken. (Chicken can be marinated up to 8 hours.) Refrigerate, then let return to room temperature before cooking.
Step 3 Transfer chicken in an even layer to the air-fryer basket. With bone-in, skin-on thighs, place them skin side down. Cook chicken until browned all over and skin is crisp, flipping halfway through (approx. 15 minutes). With boneless, skinless chicken thighs, put in fryer smooth side down. Cook until browned in spots and their juices run clear, flipping halfway through, about 15 minutes. When fully cooked, an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thick part of the thigh should read 165 degrees and the juices should run clear when pierced. Return to fryer if not done and check every few minutes. Let chicken thighs rest slightly and then serve.

FRENCH FRIES in the Air Fryer
Ingredients yields 2 servings
1 large russet potato cut into ¼-inch-thick sticks
1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tsp kosher salt, more as needed
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Step 1
 Put potatoes in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight, stored in the refrigerator), then drain and pat very dry.
Step 2
 Heat the air fryer to 350 degrees, if preheating is necessary. Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels.
Step 3
 In a dry bowl, toss potatoes with 1 tbsp oil and 1½ tsp salt. Transfer to air fryer and fry at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, tossing halfway.
Step 4
 Turn the air fryer heat up to 400 degrees. Drizzle potatoes with ½ tbsp oil. Cook for until golden and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes, tossing or stirring halfway through. Transfer immediately to a serving platter and sprinkle with more salt.
Step 5
 While the fries are cooking, make the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard and paprika. Serve alongside the fries for dipping.

Painting of the Week

Love in the Pacific Northwest, mixed media on canvas, 50” x 80” $8500

Charity of the Week:

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.