Starry, Starry Night

Nebula

How many times to we go out at night, whether we are driving the kids around or coming home from work, rushing to and fro just to get to our destination?  Do we ever bother to look up?  There’s something magical going on over our heads and we pay no attention.  Way up in the sky, on a clear night, we can see something astonishing.  We can see stars, constellations, other planets and even another galaxy!  During a recent visit, my brother-in-law asked me to accompany him to the beach because he wanted to take pictures of the evening sky.   He has always been fascinated by space and its vastness and likes the idea of journeying back in time.   I dressed warm and off we went.

Okay....Maybe not warm enough!

We found a remote, private beach.  Up in the sky, on a very cold winter day, you could see Mars, Jupiter and Venus.  I was struggling to remember what I learned in astronomy when I took it in college over 20 years ago.  I did get an A for the course, despite the fact that my best friend was in the class and we couldn’t stop laughing at the professor.  I remember one time he was trying to show us how the planets rotated by a tennis ball with a long string.  He swung it in circles over his head until he clocked himself right on his forehead.  It was hard not to laugh but I never forgot his experiment.  I also never forgot the order of the planets; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

Jupiter with it's moons

My ruling planet....Mars!

In addition to the planets, my brother-in-law pointed out a Nebula, which is where stars are born.  He became very excited when he was able to get a shot of Andromeda, a distant galaxy that is 2.5 million light years away, which means that it took the light captured in the photograph 2.5 million years to reach Erath, so we were seeing the galaxy as it existed 2.5 million years ago (well before modern man walked the Earth).  How crazy is that?!!

Andromeda - A distant Galaxy!

Why bother paying money to watch a science fiction movie when all you have to do is look at the sky at night?  If you live in a warm climate, take a towel and lay flat on your back and watch the show.  You may see a few shooting stars!  To help you out, there are applications for cell phones and ipods/ipads that can assist in identifying constellations, specific stars, galaxies, nebulae, etc.  My brother-in-law uses Google Sky Map and Sky View.

Please don’t miss the show.  The next time you are out in the evening and it is a clear night…”LOOK UP!”

***A special thanks to my brother-in-law (Brian Murphy) for taking me star gazing and providing information and pictures for this blog post.

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Also new this week is my video “Please Open Your Windows.”  Please watch….

Christine’s Pepper Steak And Other Muses...

Ingredients for Christine's Pepper Steak

I know we are all busy!  When responsibilities pile up, we tend to service those first, leaving ourselves at the bottom of the list.  Yes, we have bills to pay.  Yes, we have kids to cart around.  Yes, we have to clean the house.  But, ask yourself, why do you prioritize and schedule time each and every day to accomplish these goals and not schedule in time for yourself?  During an average day, your most basic need is not met.  What I mean by your basic need is a healthy, home cooked meal loaded with nutrients.  How do you expect to get through each and every day if you don’t take the time to feed your body with the right fuel?  How many times do we “grab” dinner or “make due?”  Stop the insanity and spend a little time each day planning what you are going to eat.  Here are three ways to make sure you eat well each and every week…

·         Cook once and eat twice – This means to make double what you would eat in one day and save the rest for the following day.  I like to make two salads and save one (without dressing) for the next day so I don’t have to chop again.

·         Assemble all ingredients the night before – When you are dead tired at night, go in the kitchen and “set up” meals for the next day.  Doing this requires little energy and little concentration.  I like to soak my oatmeal overnight so in the morning it cooks quickly saving me some extra time. 

·         Crockpot – One of the best cooking inventions!  Place all ingredients in the crock before you leave in the morning and a warm dinner is waiting for you when you get home.  Make more than what you need and freeze the rest in single servings that you can reheat for lunch.

I was busy this past week and decided to cook once and eat twice.  Actually, I cooked once and ate three times!  This is a fast and easy recipe.  I served with a salad.  Remember my rule, if you eat meat; always have a fresh salad as an accompaniment.  The reason is that the greens will help you digest the meat.  If you don’t have the ingredients to make a fresh green salad, stay away from meat.  It’s that simple!

Christine’s Pepper Steak

1 ½ tablespoon tamari

½ tablespoon arrowroot

1 tablespoon organic wine

1 ½ tablespoon coconut oil

1 lb flank steak, cut into strips *from grass-fed cows only

1 yellow organic pepper

1 orange or red organic pepper

1 large onion

¾ teaspoon ground ginger

½ cup chicken stock

Fresh chopped organic parsley to garnish

Sea salt & pepper to taste

Cooked organic brown rice

For marinade, mix tamari, arrowroot and wine into a bowl.  Pour over the cut beef and let marinate.  The longer it marinates, the better the meat tastes.  Heat coconut oil in a large fry pan or in a wok over medium-high heat; add peppers and onions.  Cook until vegetables are slightly browned, about 10 minutes, and transfer to a bowl with broth; set aside.  Add to pan the ginger and beef and cook a few minutes until meat is cooked through, stirring constantly.  Return vegetables and broth to the pan; heat through.  Spoon over rice.  *Serve with a salad*

Christine's Pepper Steak

Since I ate well all week I was able to get things done.  Good thing because I was incredibly busy! 

Participated in a vision boarding class!

Spent the day in New York City!

INNER BEAUTY WORKSHOPS CLASSES ARE ALWAYS FORMING.  PLEASE EMAIL:  CHRISTINE@INNERBEAUTYWORKSHOPS.COM FOR INFORMATION.

No Nonsense!

Great place to hang a wreath!

I decided about six months ago to stop watching television.  It wasn’t a hard thing to do given that I hardly turned it on anymore.  I felt my time would be better off spent doing more productive things like reading or working on my business.  It’s kind of strange not turning on the television for months at a time especially when you are used to watching it daily.  You have to be careful not to fall too far behind on current events.  Recently, I went to the post office to purchase stamps and was told they increased to $9.00.  I had no idea.  The post office attendant looked at me like I was living in a bubble and said, “The increase was all over the news.”  If you do decide to turn off the television set, make sure you pick up a daily newspaper or read the news online.  I, obviously, need to pay closer attention to current events.   

It’s very strange turning on the television set after it’s been off for several months.  You look very differently at the shows you used to enjoy.  It’s a hard feeling to describe; it’s something you just have to try for yourself.   Recently somebody asked me to watch Christine Applegate’s new comedy.  (Sorry, but I don’t remember the name.)   I agreed and sat and watched the half hour show.   At the end, I was asked how I liked it.  All I could think was what a waste of one half hour of my life!   A few days later, I was waiting for my car to be inspected.  In the automotive waiting area there was a television set.  I brought my book to read, but the TV was too distracting.  I decided to put my book down and watch.  The morning show was on (NBC) which featured Kathy Lee Gifford and some other woman.  The two of them chatted and even sang songs for the entire 45 minutes that I was stuck watching.   I was waiting for them to say something constructive….but it was nothing but “NONSENSE.”  Now, don’t get me wrong, I like Kathy Lee and think she has great talent but since she had the command of the camera, teach people something!  Or, if you cannot teach something, then entertain them.  Kathy Lee has a great voice!  I think Seinfeld spoiled people.  That was a great, funny show about “nonsense.”  Since then television has tried to duplicate that show, failing miserably, resulting in dumb and dumber shows.

I want my own television show!

I will do my best to use television time to demonstrate and teach people how to live a healthy life.  If it is during the morning hours, I will use that time to motivate people to be productive.  There are so many interesting, thought-provoking and fascinating topics of conversation in the natural realm; I could be on television longer than Oprah!  Are you familiar with the Law of Attraction?  I just put my intensions into the Universe.  This is not “nonsense!”

 Please evaluate for a moment your favorite shows and see if you are actually learning something or wasting life’s precious time.  Remember, each and every one of us has a purpose to fulfill and it requires hard work in order to achieve it.  Television can be a huge drain if we don’t set limits on what or how long we watch.  Why not try turning off the television set for a while and see how you do without it.  Try reading a book or the old fashioned playing a board game.  It’s amazing how much more fulfilled you will become.  Feel free to turn the television set back on when I have my show.  The name of it will be, ”NO NONSENSE!”

Christine Segal, Tom Fabbri

*My first guest will be Tom Fabbri, author of “Ageless You.”  Check out his website:  http://tomfabbri.com/

Inner Beauty Workshops classes are currently underway.  Please email me at christine@innerbeautyworkshops.com for a list of upcoming classes

New York Magazine Parody

In a recent issue of New York Magazine, I stumbled across an ad by two plastic surgeons who claim it costs $856,500 over a four decade period to look like you are 19.  First of all, who would want to look like they are 19 when they are 55?  What happened to aging with dignity and grace?  Second, I can think of much better ways to spend $856,500.  How about you?  Seeing the ad got my mind spinning and I just couldn’t resist having some fun with it.  I asked my neighbor to photo shop one for me.  Here’s the original ad and the Inner Beauty Workshops version.  (*Please note…I’m not yet 50.  I still have a little more than three years..lol)  Enjoy the parody……

New York Magazine - February 6, 2012

Photo shopped version of how you could look young at any age

**Press on photos to enlarge if you cannot read.

References

http://nymag.com/

INNER BEAUTY WORKSHOPS CLASSES ARE CONSTANTLY FORMING.  PLEASE EMAIL CHRISTINE@INNERBEAUTYWORKSHOPS.COM FOR WORKSHOP DATES AND TIMES