Life On A B-I7

Writing

I want to write beautifully. I’m not talking about the words or the meaning, although that would be nice. I’m talking about how the writing looks when I put pen to paper. I want the writing to be fluid. I want each character to express itself as beautifully as it can. When I look at the page after I set the pen down, I want to be proud of what I see — even before I read it. That means taking it slowly and focusing on each moment of the experience. Sometimes the words in my head will get ahead of the letters that are coming out on the paper. That’s okay. I can hit rewind and retrieve them, but once the ink is on the page, I can’t go back. The essence of writing by hand is engaging the brain on multiple levels, physical and mental, simultaneously.

I want to ski the same way that I want to write.

RBG

“Fight for the things you believe in, but do it in a way that will cause others to join you.” —RBG

I prefer to say “make others want to join you for the right reason.” Good lesson to remember in these troubled times.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 96

“Character is fate.” —Heraclitus

Considered in the long run, character will carry you further than luck or associations. Always strive to build character rather than rely on your association with others.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 95

We need each other and we must be there for each other. We must also allow others to take care of us. This is as much a key to living as the law of gravity is a key to physics.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 94

“Crimes often return to their teacher.” —Seneca

When considering your course of action, remember there is a balance in all things.

I copied this right from the website Every Day Dutch Oven Cooking. I think this is going to be a good one.

Forget the grill this weekend, for your Memorial Day cook out why not try these Baked Hot Dogs in your dutch oven? I was so intrigued by this recipe when I saw it, one of my favorite ways to eat a hot dog is with a soft, steamed roll. By baking the hot dogs with all the toppings together, everything is wonderfully heated through and piping hot at the same time. I thought maybe the rolls would burn in spots but they were perfectly baked, warm inside and a little crispy on the outside.

Ingredients

• 8 hot dogs
• 8 hot dog buns
• 1 14 oz can chili with beans
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1-2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• Mayonnaise
• Mustard
• Sweet Relish

Directions

1. Lightly oil or spray Dutch Oven
2. Spread the inside of each hot dog bun with mayo, mustard, and sweet relish
3. Fill the hot dogs and place side by side in the oven
4. Top each dog with chili, cheese and onion
5. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes
6. Remove with large spoon or and spatula

Queso in the afternoon with chips is a real treat in the campground. You don’t just open a package and throw it into a pot. This one takes a fair amount of skill and care in the preparation. This is a real treat. Dip the chips directly in the Dutch Oven.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup finely diced white onion
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 4 oz can fire roasted diced green chilis drained
• 1/4 cup canned diced tomatoes (drained)
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/3 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
• 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
• Dash of cayenne pepper for a spicier queso, optional
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/3 tsp table salt plus additional to taste as needed
• 12 oz can full-fat evaporated milk
• 8 oz freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese see note
• Corn chips for serving

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large pot or skillet
2. Add onion and cook until softened and translucent
3. Add garlic and cook until fragrant then add tomatoes and chilis and cook until well-combined
4. Add minced garlic, diced Roma tomato (or canned), fire roasted diced green chilis
5. Sprinkle cornstarch over the ingredients and use a spatula to stir and cook until absorbed and no lumps remain
6. Add cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, pepper, and salt
7. Gradually drizzle evaporated milk into the pot while whisking. Cook, stirring or whisking, until milk is completely combined, warmed, and slightly thickened
8. Turn heat to low (remove most of the coals) and add shredded cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and completely combined. Taste-test and add additional spices as needed.

Dutch Oven Cooking

I’m cooking for eight guys in Joshua Tree National Park for three days. I’m assuming you are one of the many that sets an alarm every day to read each new post that I put up… Oops, I just realized that last bit I wrote after accidentally taking a second recreational gummy. I suppose demential has benefits. I’ll give myself a bit of time before continuing this entry.

Now that the gummy is beginning to wear off I can continue my rambling on Dutch Oven cooking. If you want good food in a campground, I don’t think you can do much better than to haul an assortment of cast iron ovens around in the back of your truck. There’s also the steel cook stand and all the accessories that go along with this sort of cooking. The benefit is you have available a wide range of menu choices from which to choose. Main dishes, side dishes, deserts, and everything in-between. You can do some of that with a stove, but not all. That’s what makes Dutch Ovens such a great choice, You can also use them at home in the back yard when you’re not in the campground.

For this trip, I tested all the recipes at home and fed my neighbors with leftovers for a week prior to heading out to Joshua Tree. The good news is I got good reviews from all the neighbors. The bad news is they are going to be expecting more of the same.

All of the recipes for this upcoming trip I found more or less at random. Some from the internet, some from the Lodge Dutch Oven Cookbook. Here’s the menu for the trip.

(1) Not in a Dutch Oven

I’m going to throw in a few surprises in addition to what’s above. I plan on a hot Queso dip with chips one afternoon, and maybe a baked hot dog lunch as well. I’m also going to be preparing breakfast on my bad-ass Camp Chef 3-burner stove top.

After I put this menu together I found the ultimate Dutch Oven cooking website. I can’t believe the recipes there. It’s going to be a blast making all of these!

Every Day Dutch Oven Cooking

Cheers!

1846

Wake up America.

“If you remove a dictator and put yourself in charge without an election you are a dictator.”

That is the best statement I have seen yet that summarizes Trump’s illegal and immoral action in Venezuela.

The second co-equal branch of government is asleep. The primary role of Congress is oversight. They are also the sole authority to approve an act of war. Their abrogation is appalling.

The third co-equal branch of government has completely lost any moral authority they might have once possessed. What could they possibly be thinking, weakening voting rights and raising the office of President above the law. And that’s is just for starters.

Welcome to 1846. How did that go?

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 93

Live a good life ruled by reason. Consider carefully at all times, are my actions in accordance with nature? Do my actions benefit humanity? Are my actions in accordance with truth?

We are Lucky

We don’t understand how lucky we are. As a country and as a world community. And yet there seems to be an abundant willingness to throw it all away. I heard someone that lives near me say recently, “I don’t do anything the government tells me to do.” I have no idea what that person could possibly mean. I can’t help but think that person needs to leave America and go live in Iran, or Russia, or China in order to fully appreciate how lucky we are.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 92

Find work that is satisfying and then bring something to that work that only you can provide.

Every event, no matter how small, is an opportunity to practice the principle of always doing the right thing.

Use either 10” or 12” Dutch Oven. This recipe bakes up very nicely but it should be allowed to cool before serving.

Ingredients

Directions

1. Melt butter in melting pot add sugar to incorporate
2. Mix dry ingredients
3. Best eggs
4. Fold butter/sugar mixture and eggs into dry mixture
5. Spread into parchment lined Dutch Oven
6. Dab bits of peanut butter here and there on the top
7. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top (optional)

Bake 15 to 25 minutes. For 10” oven use 7 coals on the bottom, 14 coals on the top. For 12” oven use 8 on the bottom, 17 on the top. Cool before cutting.

I lean toward non-fiction and poetry, contemporary novels don’t do much for me, but I haven’t completely ruled out fiction. There is some fiction on my Lifetime Reading Plan, so tackling a work of fiction is bound to happen sooner or later. Reading is a great way to keep your mind flexible and engaged.

January

Gitanjali
A Collection of Indian Poems by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore

Nine Lives
In Search of the Sacred in Modern India by William Dalrymple

Rumi’s Little Book of Life
The Garden of the Soul, the Heart, and the Spirit translated by Maryam Mafi and Azima Melita Kolin

Joy Ride by Kristen Jokinen
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Stuck by Yoni Appelbaum
How Emotionally Mature Are You? by The School of Life
Turning to Stone by Marcia Bjornerud
Greek Philosophy by Helen Gagatsu
Merlins Tour of the Universe by Neil DeGrasse Tyson
The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
The Cat Who Taught Zen by James Norbury
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday
The Hollow Crown by Eliot A. Cohen
Walking in Wonder by Adam Segel-Moss (Cliff Dancer)
Raising Hare A Memoir by Chloe Dalton
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
On Quality by Robert M. Pirsig
How to Write a Sentence and How to Read One by Stanley Fish
Abbey in America Edited by John A. Murray
Shadows on the Koyukuk by Sidney Huntington
Flaubert A Life by Geoffrey Wall

I’m calling this my Lifetime Reading Plan. This is a place to occasionally come when I’m looking for a reading project. If something speaks to me here I’ll pick it up, if not, perhaps then another day. It gives me satisfaction to have a plan and this list is an inspiration.

Titles

The Magic Mountain
Buddenbrooks
Les Miserables
The Return of the Native
Essays
The Third Policeman
Letters to Eckermann
Lord Jim
Hamlet
King Lear
Moby Dick
The Sun Also Rises

Authors

Whitman
Thoreau
Twain
Joseph Campbell
Gary Snyder
Annie Dillard
Basho
Cervantes
Homer
John Muir
Chekhov
Dostoyevsky
Camu
Beckett
Nietzsche

Masters
Zen, Muslim, Taoist, Hassidic, Hindu

Male Behavior

There’s an old saying, women spend more time wondering what men are thinking than men actually spend thinking. It’s also been noted that men and women’s behavior is very different.

I think a lot of the difference in behavior is cultural. Here at home in the United States I wouldn’t hesitate to give a close male friend a hug in greeting or farewell, but wouldn’t occur to me to hold hands with him while walking down the street. In India where I was recently traveling, an Indian man that was one of our guides frequently reached out to take my hand as we were walking. At first I was taken aback, then I realized this was his way of saying that he loved me and respected me. Women probably would not have given this a second thought. Now that I have had the experience, I have to admit, it was gratifying.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 91

We can look for goodness or we can choose to make goodness. The latter is the path that leads to a better society. If everyone took that path, imagine how wonderful society would be.

Der Spiegel

Der Spiegel Magazine in Germany has Trump’s number. These are the covers from six issues published since the start of Trump’s second term.

Historically speaking, Germany has a bit more experience with Fascism than America. Perhaps that’s part of the reason why approximately 60% of Americans still support or are undecided when it comes to Fascism in America.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 90

It is always important to examine why you are committed to a goal. Commitment is good. Goals are good. Keep in mind, they should always be pursued for the right reason. For example, if you are training for a marathon because that means you can spend less time at home supporting your family, you are committed to the wrong goal.

Free Speech

Free speech is a wonderful thing. But the thing about free speech that most people don’t understand is that it is illegal to use it to lie, cheat, and steal. It’s a shame that just saying it is immoral is not enough to stop some people from using it as a shield against the perpetration of illegal acts. We are living through an era where the most powerful people in our country are fully aware of this and are still using free speech to cover their aim of ripping off Americans while enriching themselves and their friends.

I never expected to see something like this in America. It’s possible this is what happens when you take civics out of the public education system, but I’m not going to rest the blame there. Our infatuation with social media and our inability apply moral filters to the content we are consuming is another important factor. The fact that Americans are slipping into illiteracy is not a trivial piece of the puzzle. Perhaps most significant, political actors with autocratic leanings realized that Donald Trump is the perfect tool for them to use to shift our nation to the right in ways that the people that voted for Trump never suspected.

It would be nice to get back to a political culture that embraces truth and respect over politically motivated lies and self aggrandizing tweets.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 89

What is the meaning of life is a question we should all ask. We should be seeking the answer constantly, recognizing that it can change over time. There is no one answer out there to be found. The meaning of life is different for everyone. For me, the meaning of life is simply to practice justice, courage, and avoid those things that might bring harm to others.

I’ve been nominated to be the camp chef for our little group of misfits. It was actually more self-selected than nominated. I volunteered. I love cooking in the wild. Dutch Oven cooking is the only way to go. I’m excited for this year’s conclave. Cast Iron Cooking in Joshua Tree National Park

Night 1 - Pork and Beans, Corn Bread, Peach Upside Down Cake
Night 2 - Beef Stroganoff, Crispy Red Potatoes, Pumpkin Pie
Night 3 - Sloppy Joes, Apple Slaw, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Morning Routine

I’ve been refining my morning routine and I have landed on a set of practices that feel good. First of all, I’ll admit it’s nice being retired. You have a lot of time to devote to self-actualization endeavors. I wish I would have landed on these practices thirty years ago, but of course from a stoic perspective, wishing is not a productive use of one’s time. So without further ado, here’s what my mornings look like.

Meditation

This is key to all that follows. I have a writing desk where all of the morning activity takes place. Centered on the desk is a statue of Shiva (which I understand is my personal deity thanks to a birth chart reading I received in India) and two glass candle holders and a lotus flower incense holder. I light the candles and incense. I put on a recording of the “Om Namah Shivaya” Mantra. A simple chant. I play that in a loop while counting the repetitions on my Mala (Indian Rosary) until I have reached 100. (That’s about 20 minutes) Eyes closed, I focus on my fingers and the beads and try to let my mind relax. I relax my breathing as well as the rest of my body as best I can. It takes time. I haven’t perfected this yet but I’m excited about where this will carry me.

Writing

After my meditation I’m ready to start writing. I focus my writing on six areas. I will spend anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes on each area.

• Reactions from my meditation.
• A few words about what occurred yesterday.
• A few words about my intentions for today.
• Some prompted writing.
• A Stoic thought.
• Today’s Journal entry.

To explain in a bit more detail.

• The reactions from my meditation are simply a recording of any thoughts that came to me during or after the meditation. Since I try not to focus on specific thoughts during my meditation, this is generally reactions that come to me afterwards.
• Next I recap yesterday. I do this as a memory booster. If I choose to review my week I have a source to go to.
• The words about today are simply a way to prioritize what is most important to me today.
• The prompted writing is responding to prompts from the “The Book of Alchemy” by Suleika Jaouad. The book contains 100 writing prompts. My daughter gave this to me for Christmas and it’s been great to read a prompt a day and then write about whatever they brings to mind.
• I write a Stoic thought. These are inspired from the book “The Daily Stoic” by Ryan Holiday. Not original on my part, but writing about the material in this book is a great way to absorb classic Stoic advice. It’s also a great way to learn a subject.
• I close my daily writing with a Journal entry. Often these are short, but these can be anything. After I have loosened my writing muscles with the first five tasks, I am often surprised by what this final pen to paper exercise generates. Sometimes these entries end up here on my blog but more often than not they are simply thoughts that help me see more clearly.
• I also have a Mindfulness journal which I write in occasionally. I like having a separate journal for that type of though.

There you have it. Following this practice feels good. How far it will eventually take me I have no idea, but I am optimistic that this practice will help bring me to better health and help me be more focused. It is gives me a better understanding of what my goals and desires are.