2020-10-29 16:38
Image by Ioannis Ioannidis from PixabayUntil I sang this gorgeous and poignant piece with the Cherry Creek Chorale back in the spring of 2017 I had never heard of Houston Bright, a prolific… Read More
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Intentional Living Blog
debisimons.com
Anything and everything that has to do with how we can create a happier life for ourselves, from media to observations of others to tales from what’s going on with me.
2020-10-28 16:17
This is another one of those endlessly variable folk songs with about a hundred verses. You might ask, though, “Okay, but who’s the ‘she’ who’s comin’ ro… Read More
2020-05-01 02:57
As I mentioned in my last post, I’m scaling back my writing for this blog as I move towards developing my music blog, where there’s a fair amount going on. I hope you’ll ta… Read More
2020-04-30 17:29
Britten in the mid-1960s, by Hans Wild, image accessed via WikipediaI want you to imagine yourself in this situation: You’re a very popular English composer, becoming especially known… Read More
2020-04-28 22:14
Charles V. Stanford approx. age 42, c. 1894, image accessed via WikipediaThe master of this motet was Charles V. Stanford, an Irishman who lived from 1852-1924 and who had an extremely disti… Read More
2020-04-13 00:00
Image accessed via WikipediaI’m a certified Gilbert & Sullivan junkie, as are my husband and his family. When I was in grade school I had a set of Golden Something-or-Other records… Read More
2020-04-10 17:07
Jugurtha in chains before Sulla, from Sallust’s La conjuracion de Catilina y la Guerra de Jugurta (Madrid, 1772)Answer: You won’t believe how much. Keep reading to find out.
Firs… Read More
2020-04-08 20:30
Martha Goertzen, my dad’s sister, who lived from 1924-2019. Image retrieved from the website of LaCanne Family Funeral Services, Windom, MN.Later today or tomorrow I’m planning t… Read More
2020-04-03 20:17
Caroline Quiner Ingalls with her husband Charles Phillip Ingalls, image source WikipediaI said in an earlier post that I wanted to explore further the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s mo… Read More
2020-04-02 23:07
Image by sandid from PixabayHow large was that audience? Well, estimates vary–all the way from 750 million to one billion. And I was one of them, folks.
Oh how well do I remember the e… Read More
2020-03-31 23:55
Image by palmettophoto1 from PixabayHave you been encountering articles online about how it’s a great idea to get into cooking and baking during the coronavirus shutdown? Make bread! M… Read More
2020-03-26 21:03
Image by Evita Ochel from PixabayI mentioned last week that I had a head of Napa cabbage in the fridge (that’s the stuff in the lower right-hand corner of the picture) and was looking… Read More
2020-03-25 23:07
“The Lady Greensleeves” by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, By Dante Gabriel Rossetti – No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA… Read More
2020-03-24 19:37
This image is copyrighted, but hey! I’m pushing people to go there!Jim and I made our way to Costco yesterday morning, the first big shopping trip since everything started shutting dow… Read More
2020-03-22 18:46
Image by Manuel Darío Fuentes Hernández from PixabayFrom Emily Landon, chief infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Chicago:
“It’s really hard to fe… Read More
2020-03-20 23:08
Image by PublicDomainPictures from PixabayI wrote recently about being “in a slump” and how to get myself out of it. (When I looked at the “related posts” links at th… Read More
2020-03-19 01:23
I was irresistibly reminded of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s The Long Winter as the cascading news reports have been coming about the coronavirus. It’s so interesting to see the differe… Read More
2020-03-18 22:16
Aretha Franklin in 1968; image source WikipediaHello dear music-loving friends! I’m continuing to cross-post the articles I write for the Cherry Creek Chorale, the wonderful group that… Read More
2020-03-16 20:05
Image source: Pixabayduring this time. I have no great insights, and there are tons of food blogs out there. Just a few things that have occurred to me:
Don’t waste food. I have a cont… Read More
2020-03-12 18:44
Here’s my problem: I need to be BOTH people in this image.Image by mohamed Hassan from PixabayAs I’ve said lo these many times on this blog (both before and after re-naming it to… Read More
2020-03-09 20:42
Image by TanteTati from PixabaySo . . . this past Friday, March 6, was the Irish concert by the Cherry Creek Chorale, a great, great occasion. And afterwards was the reception (which, thankf… Read More
2020-03-02 19:34
Jim and I have been going on big trips ever since we got married almost 28 years ago. Most of our traveling has been in the US, but we’ve now made three international trips together. B… Read More
2020-02-28 22:55
Billie Grace Ward from New York, USA / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)As I write this post my beloved choir The Cherry Creek Chorale has recently performed a great concer… Read More
2020-02-24 19:08
Image from AbeBooks; follow the link to purchase: https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/title/your-carriage-madam/Two recent interests have led me to the above source, and I’ll be devel… Read More
2020-02-23 01:23
Image by Sean Griffin from PixabayIf you live in the Denver area, be sure to get your tickets to the Cherry Creek Chorale’s Celtic concert, March 6 and 7. Here’s one of the songs… Read More
2020-02-20 23:24
Up until this past holiday season I prided myself that I’d never eaten any kale. It just seemed so trendily healthy, and it looked tough and unappetizing. I’d read that you need… Read More
2020-02-14 18:33
Image by Emilian Robert Vicol from PixabayThe above is from Gretchen Rubin and tweaked by me. I’ve made this point many times, most recently in the area of healthy eating: What counts… Read More
2020-02-10 17:49
Image by Wokandapix from PixabayLast week I needed to get keep a doctor’s appointment in order to refill an expired prescription, so even though it was pretty snowy I got myself out th… Read More
2020-02-06 20:17
Image attribution: Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]I realized that I didn’t include agave nectar syrup in yesterday’s post, so her… Read More
2020-02-06 00:31
Image by zwei chen from PixabayI used to watch a TV show called “Christina Cooks,” with host Christina Pirello. She advocates a vegan diet and will not use regular sugar, opting… Read More
2020-02-03 21:11
Photo credit: © William Murphy/Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/First things first: what’s a cockle? Maybe you already knew… Read More
2020-01-28 17:33
Image by marijana1 from PixabayToday I’m sharing another one of my Astoundingly Obvious Observations (AOOs): The more conveniently available food is, the more you’ll (probably) e… Read More
2020-01-23 18:38
Image by Tafilah Yusof from PixabayHo-kay. I’ve been diving down rabbit holes all over the place this morning as I try to come to some conclusions about these rather weird substances c… Read More
2020-01-21 23:41
Image by Tumisu from PixabayHow many times have you been talking to someone and she (or he, but usually a she, let’s face it) says, “My wellness counselor says . . . “ or … Read More
2020-01-16 03:35
Image by Félix Díaz G. from PixabayI wrote an earlier post on the whole idea that sugar is sugar is sugar, dealing with maple syrup, honey, and molasses. At some point I want t… Read More
2020-01-10 00:21
Image by code404 from Pixabay; to see original photos go to https://bojongourmet.com/gluten-free-vegan-chocolate-tart-tahini-caramel/I’m not a vegan myself nor do I plan to ever become… Read More
2020-01-03 17:38
Image by Jèwon Bong from PixabayI spent some time in my previous post talking about what it really means to respect food and its role in our lives. The topic of respect for people is… Read More
2020-01-02 17:16
Image by John Hain from PixabayOf course, I’m poaching unashamedly from Gretchen Rubin and Liz Craft, as they discussed their words for the year on yesterday’s “Happier pod… Read More
2019-12-25 15:10
Hi folks! Today is Christmas Day. I started this post two days ago, but company and outings and cooking interrupted me. Probably no one is going to read this post until tomorrow, but if you… Read More
2019-12-14 16:48
Hi everybody! My last post was before Thanksgiving, with a promised post-mortem on the meal. I’m afraid I’ve let events get the better of me on that, so here are some thoughts on… Read More
2019-11-27 00:56
Just a thought. As I sit here late Tuesday afternoon my mother-in-law and I have done some menu simplification. We’ve ended up having only 11 people (and we’re happy to see all o… Read More
2019-11-23 00:10
Great breakfasts around here this week! Remember the principle that you frontload your day, eating a hearty breakfast and then a lighter lunch and an even lighter dinner, with no evening sna… Read More
2019-11-20 23:22
My husband listens to a podcast called “The Art of Manliness,” but it should really be called “The Art of Living Well.” They’re up to well over 500 episodes, wi… Read More
2019-11-10 00:42
photo: Jim SimonsFor the main dish at a Saturday-morning breakfast I’m making my tried and true, old reliable Union Square Breakfast Casserole. I didn’t make enough of my Caramel… Read More
2019-11-05 02:01
Well, this past Friday, Nov. 1, was supposed to be an encouraging day because I had scheduled an A1C re-test, using the second kit in the two-pack that my in-laws gave me for my birthday bac… Read More
2019-10-31 22:50
I have a podcast on my “favorites” list from Dr. Al Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, the flagship divinity school for the Southern Baptist Convention. I’ve heard him… Read More
2019-10-30 23:26
I wrote last week about my accidental weight loss of 2-3 pounds and how I’m trying to hang onto it. So far, so good. Yesterday was 115.5. I have my A1C reading on Friday, so we’l… Read More
2019-10-23 21:19
This morning on the “Happier” podcast Gretchen Rubin gave a truly shocking statistic:
“Research suggests that Americans consume an astonishing 30% of their daily calories i… Read More
2019-10-21 22:40
There’s been a friendly rivalry of sorts going on at our church between another woman and myself over who gets to do what food events. Neither one of us is actually running a business… Read More
2019-10-16 21:12
Image by rawpixel from PixabayHi folks! I’m rather taken aback to see that it’s been over a month since I posted anything on this blog. Are you a subscriber? If not, sign up on t… Read More
2019-09-10 02:23
Image by Pezibear from PixabayThis previous Saturday the Cherry Creek Chorale held the first of four special Saturday-morning rehearsals as we prepare for our October concert. To add a note… Read More
2019-09-05 20:45
Image by Free-Photos from PixabayJust back on Monday from a lightning-like trip to North Carolina to celebrate the 80th birthday of a family member. Such a nice time! Once again, as I mentio… Read More
2019-09-01 12:12
Image by JamesDeMers from PixabaySaturday night we had the annual Cherry Creek Chorale picnic. I’ve been in charge of this event now for six or seven years and every one has been a lea… Read More
2019-08-23 22:16
Image by TheAndrasBarta from PixabayTomorrow is the annual member picnic for the Cherry Creek Chorale, with about 75 people attending. I went to Costco this morning to pick up the food for t… Read More
2019-08-20 00:01
Image by DanaTentis from PixabayThere have been quite a few temptations around here lately, what with the leftover lemon bars from the wedding. I love lemon bars! It’s been helpful for… Read More
2019-08-12 23:49
photo credit: Jim SimonsHope you got the Dr. Seuss reference.
Anyway, we had a lovely, lovely wedding at our church Saturday. The colors were navy blue and yellow, the flowers were sunflower… Read More
2019-08-08 17:09
Image by braetschit from PixabayYesterday I looked at the actual story in the Old Testament book of Daniel chapter one, in which the Israelite Daniel and his three friends refused to eat the… Read More
2019-08-06 20:43
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from PixabayThe whole idea of the Old Testament prophet’s being a health and wellness guru was given a bit of juice in January of this year when the s… Read More
2019-08-05 19:40
Image by Martin Ludlam from PixabayHere’s what happened, as Monk used to say on the old TV show:
As I explained in the previous post, Rick Warren realized that he was fat and out of sh… Read More
2019-08-03 17:48
Image by engin akyurt from PixabayIt’s been over a week since I’ve posted anything on this blog, but that lack of posting doesn’t mean that I haven’t been thinking an… Read More
2019-07-23 22:36
Image by Free-Photos from PixabayWe are helping to host a group of international students/interns as they attend a two-week seminar on leadership and get some good American cultural experien… Read More
2019-07-16 17:31
Image by Gerd Altmann from PixabaySomehow, we have to manage to do two contradictory things at once: Passionately enjoy and pursue the present, with whatever challenges and pleasures it hold… Read More
2019-07-09 21:08
I’ve decided that I will be making two pies a year from now on, the Brandied Butternut Squash Pie from the peerless Melissa Clark that I made for Thanksgiving last year and this apple… Read More
2019-07-02 20:08
As I’ve been working on the chapter on bread in my planned forthcoming cookbook (when it will come forth is very much an open question), I got inspired to make a bread-machine loaf, so… Read More
2019-06-28 02:18
Take a look at the two pictures above. They have a tenuous connection to the subject of this blog, as both beds are supposed to yield food. The picture on the left is of an asparagus bed an… Read More
2019-06-24 20:30
Image by 200 Degrees from PixabayHo-kay. I haven’t written about fad dieting for a while; to be honest, I thought I’d pretty well covered the bases with the keto, Whole30, vegan… Read More
2019-06-21 18:07
Image by Robin Higgins from PixabayI made valances for our patio door and office window back a year ago, with the window valance still needing to be installed. These added (or will add) a ni… Read More
2019-06-19 18:16
Image by silviarita from PixabayI’ve been thinking a lot recently about party food, even more than usual, because I’m working on a cookbook about such stuff (working title: Tiny… Read More
2019-06-17 22:45
Image by Christopher Kuszajewski from PixabayWe are mildly obsessed with homemade pizza at our house. (But not as obsessed as Kenji Lopez-Alt, who carried out a monster experiment in his mon… Read More
2019-06-14 21:50
Image by Free-Photos from PixabayI’ve mentioned this blog before, having stumbled upon it by accident several years ago. While MMM has gone through some upheaval in his personal life… Read More
2019-06-13 16:33
Image by Mladen Gegic from PixabayI have a number of posts in mind—a great new muffin recipe, some more anti-fad-diet rants—but for today here are some ideas for you to ponder as… Read More
2019-06-08 20:15
Image by ElodiV from PixabayI follow the cooking blog Smitten Kitchen (as you know if you follow this blog), and her latest post is about a recipe for a super-rich chocolate Italian cu… Read More
2019-06-04 15:50
Image by Negative-Space from PixabayWhen we were in Kansas City recently we visited the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, a truly splendiferous place that we had missed out on the last time we ca… Read More
2019-06-03 22:00
Image by Gerd Altmann from PixabayWe just got into the month of June, and I was thinking about ideas I could implement to get some results I’d like to see over the summer. Laura Vander… Read More
2019-05-31 17:07
Image by kitkatty007 from PixabayNo picture of this one, as it was thrown together at the last minute and rushed to the dinner table. But the stock photo gives you an idea of some ingredient… Read More
2019-05-28 17:20
Not a food-related post today, but just a nice reminder from our trip that sometimes you get to see the fruits of your labors in a surprising and gratifying way. These two trees are in the… Read More
2019-05-24 19:45
Image by Quinn Kampschroer from PixabayI haven’t written much while we’ve been on our trip, although I hope you got the recipe in the previous post for the white chocolate-cream… Read More
2019-05-23 02:40
Here I sit in Kansas City, Missouri, well after the events I described in my last post: the post-concert reception and the dinner for the annual business meeting. So I’ll give you a qu… Read More
2019-05-06 23:23
Not a great shot; I’ll hope to replace it after this week’s reception.What’m I making for this Friday, the last post-concert reception for the year? I’m so glad you a… Read More
2019-05-02 22:29
Image by Andrew Martin from PixabaySince I’ve been writing so much about various fad diets that you should just blithely ignore (with more to come), I thought it might be a good idea t… Read More
2019-04-30 21:30
Image by Manfred Steger from PixabayI thought that I had covered the major fad diets out there but realized that there are a few more to aim at. Before I plunge into more of these scams, I f… Read More
2019-04-25 21:06
Image by GLady from PixabayJust a quick post today as I go back to a principle I’ve been on the verge of forsaking, that making/serving a big, massive dessert is almost always a mistak… Read More
2019-04-22 23:56
Image by timokefoto from PixabayI hope all of you had a blessed Easter Sunday, with time to reflect on the day’s spiritual significance and a chance to connect with friends and family… Read More
2019-04-18 23:57
Image by photosforyou from PixabaySunday is Easter, and we’re having about 15 people over for an early dinner around 5:00. I asked if I could do the meat, potatoes and dessert. And rol… Read More
2019-04-10 20:06
Image by silviarita from PixabayI wrote last week about some of the complications that can arise from following a vegan diet, and I want to follow up with more, perhaps rather scattered, obs… Read More
2019-04-04 17:38
Image by silviarita from PixabaySo far I’ve discussed the keto, paleo, Whole30, food sensitivity, and Tom Brady diets, and there are many more out there. I’m going next to vegani… Read More
2019-04-02 16:23
Image by Mary Pahlke from PixabayI have a dear friend who said that she always looked at her birthday as the start of her own personal New Year. I feel the same way. Sunday was my 67th, and… Read More
2019-03-29 18:28
Image by Mabel Amber, still incognito… from PixabayI mentioned in a previous post that I was facing foot surgery, which took place on March 11. So it’s been about 2 ½ wee… Read More
2019-03-27 00:10
I first got acquainted with Michael Pollan back when I was trying to be a vegetable gardener as well as a flower gardener and was reading every gardening book I could get my hands on.
Secon… Read More
2019-03-22 19:06
Image by Steve Buissinne from PixabayIt has occurred to me that I’ve evolved two simple principles that can then be applied to any aspect of life, in particular to eating. Here they ar… Read More
2019-03-19 17:57
Image by silviarita from PixabayYesterday I ranted and raved about Melissa Hartwig and her crazy diet (that’s made her a very, very rich celebrity), but I went on and on without ever g… Read More
2019-03-18 22:50
Image by PublicDomainPictures from PixabayNow you know what I’m going to say:
If it’s a fad, forget it.
And if there were ever a fad diet, Whole30 is it. It has become especially… Read More
2019-03-13 16:27
Alas. I have no pictures of these wonderful items, but I plan to make them again soon and will try to get myself together a little better then. I look forward to having one or two of them wh… Read More
2019-03-09 18:26
Image accessed from Soloman Baking Co. website, http://solomanbakingco.com/chip-variety/What’s the bad advice? I’ll quote two statements (actually imperatives) from the back of t… Read More
2019-03-05 21:07
In the previous post I discussed what the popular “food sensitivity” tests are actually testing, which is exposure and not actual food reactions. This one fact explains why the l… Read More
2019-03-04 20:53
I don’t know how many people reading this post are following a food-sensitivity diet regimen or are supporting someone who is, but I’m sure there are some. So let me say first of… Read More
2019-03-02 00:42
The Hungry Brain: Outsmarting the Instincts that Make Us Overeat by Stephan Guyenet, Ph.D., originally published in 2017, now available in several formats. I accessed the book via Audible.c… Read More
2019-02-28 23:39
I’m doing something a little self-indulgent today, writing a post that explains how I got into the three fields of writing I focus on:
1) food/nutrition/diets/hospitality
2) literary a… Read More
2019-02-21 22:36
The Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man’s Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America by Tommy Tomlinson, 2019, available in several formats. I strongly recommend the audiobook versio… Read More
2019-02-19 17:13
image accessed via Wikipedia.Hi folks!
I should have posted this right after the Super Bowl, when (sigh) Tom Brady pulled it out yet again. At least everybody said it was the most boring SB… Read More
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