the only thing i know

i dedicated myself earlier this year to exploring the concept of bravery. i have been thinking a lot about what it means to live thoughtfully, yet tenaciously and what it means to take the small and sometimes invisible steps towards a life lived boldly. yesterday marked the birthday of frida kahlo: mexican painter, cultural icon, and personal inspiration to yours truly.

i know that it is cliche to carry around frida paraphernalia. frida kahlo is to young female aspiring artisans and hipsters what hillary clinton has been to a generation of politicas. it is a cliche that i'm willing to embrace because for as long as i've loved art, i've loved frida kahlo.

i am drawn to her use of color and symbolism, but primarily i am fascinated by her obsession with the self. it is bold to make any piece of art. it takes a certain gumption and abandon to perceive, feel, and then respond through creation. however, i find that it is even more brave to recreate images of the self. frida's long term partner diego's revolution was on the streets; frida's revolution existed within her soul and body. it is brave to struggle and to look deeply within yourself and then even more flagrant to then share the raw internal truth with the world.

i do not love frida because she is a superior painter to others of her generation. i do not love her because she suffered and indeed i wish that her life had been full of sweetness. i love her because she was brave. i love her because she took what was graceful and what was awkward; she took what was broken and divine to reflect and transform herself.

frida said, "I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration."

happy birthday frida. thank you for living boldly in your own reality...

it's a beautiful thing.

images:{fridakahlo}

channeling

it was a wonderful three day weekend. i stretched out in a hammock and ate peaches. then i played bingo. it geriatric luxury.

tomorrow i'm speaking to some people who do amazing work in my community. i'm excited and nervous so i'm thinking about one of my world inspirations zainab salbi. she believes in community and individual growth, justice, cultural preservation, and she is tenaciously confident.

i'm hoping to channel her tomorrow!

cook and photographer crush

ree drummond, creator of both the drinks and their photo documentation on my profile. thank you for your fabulous work ree!

girl crush

a friend asked me who my girl crush is today. i have three. i cannot decide definitively. what do you think?

edwidge danticat, fierce and graceful writer from Haiti
emma thompson, nefarious creature and brilliant performer
juliette binoche, beauty, plain beauty

Butter Tea: Tea for Tibet

I'll take my tea with some yak butter and salt please.

In the mountainous regions of Tibet, Bhutan, and Southern China communities do not fill their tea cups with cream and sugar, but rather rich yak butter and sea salt. As many as 40 cups a day can be consumed.

This tea has become a cultural stronghold. It is what people serve when they have guests. It is how families share morning and evening time together. It is ritualistic and served at major events such as religious festivals, weddings, births, namings, and funerals.

It is a lovely ritual, but when I first heard about this practice I have to admit that I thought, "why butter?" I then answered myself, "Silly girl, butter makes all things better. Perhaps the question that the western world must ask itself in relation to our tea drinking practices is: why not butter?" Yes truly, why not butter?

Butter is: delicious, creamy, soft, and full of calories. For many families living in the Butter Tea Belt of Southern Asia this beverage provides a significant number of their daily calories needed for high altitude living. It also conveniently protects against cracking and chapped lips.

It would be quite an experience to sit down to a steaming cup of butter tea. I hope that someday I'll journey to Bhutan and partake.

When in doubt it is generally safe to say that whatever ails your spirit will be at least temporarily eased if you throw some butter on it!

photocredit:{hewy, butter tea vessels, neil }

a swamp cooler

hello world,

it's night time. i'm typing in rhythm with the consistent burbling hum of the swamp cooler. a swamp cooler, for those of you who live in places where the humidity surpasses the intense percentage of 10%, is an alternative to an air conditioner. it lives on our roof. it is a strange shade of olive. it evaporates air and does something magical to it in the bowels of my house turning it into a delicious cool stream. it uses virtually no electricity.

i am not someone who is enamored of gadgets. i try to be, but i'm not. however, the swamp cooler has won my heart.

thank you swamp cooler for changing my life. when you call my answer will always be, "yes please!"

oops it's june

hello all,

i've been quite mia this spring. apologies. it's been a whirlwind season of friendship, food, idea generating at the workplace, healing, and a touch of love. i have been undergoing some health issues of late and it's affirming for me all my wisdom guru people have been sharing for years:

it's okay to slow down, being sick can make you understand your body in a more profound way, being quiet is important sometimes, flowers are restorative in every season, people fuel my soul, and an eternal piece of wisdom: honey is medicine.

it is now summer. it is the longest day of they year and i am so excited to eat pasta, drink cold water, and watch the sun set.

hope everyone is in proximity to something interesting or beautiful at this very moment.

photocredit: {Yolshin}