Staff of Life

I’m not a big bread eater. I don’t eat much because the stuff you get in stores is tasteless paste. I love to travel to other countries and reconnect to what bread is supposed to taste like.

I used to make bread, but I don’t have time for all the mixing, kneading, rising and baking that has to take place. In addition, I end up with two loaves of bread that will most likely get moldy before my husband and I can consume it. Because I make a big pot of homemade soup every week, it would be so nice to have fresh bread or rolls to go with it once in awhile.

A few weeks ago, I was listening to a NPR show, The Splendid Table as they replayed a show where the host discussed the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

Oh my gosh, this is the most amazing thing I’ve encountered in years. The artisan bread is easy to make and you only have to bake as much as you want for your meal. On top of that, there is no kneading, so it only takes a few minutes to make.

You combine the four ingredients; flour, water, yeast and salt together. Let it rise in a warm place for a couple of hours, then put it in the refrigerator. Anytime you want bread over the next two weeks, cut a grapefruit size chunk from the bowl, shape it and throw it in a 350 degree oven and in thirty minutes you have a little slice of heaven; piping hot, full of flavor and substance.

I’m only on my first batch, so I don’t know if it works with whole wheat flour and I’m haven’t considered the extra calories that I’m consuming. For a special treat, it certainly has been a pleasure.

A Vibrant Life: Yoga in the Middle years and Beyond

Book Review

Unlike other forms of keeping fit, Yoga has multiple layers. Some view yoga as a spiritual as well as an exercise practice. I use it mostly as a way to stretch and strengthen muscles. I try to stay focused on my breathing when I’m involved in a routine, but my wicked brain often journeys to the day’s tasks and paintings I’m working on. I always feel better when I do my daily yoga, and miss it if I don’t. I’ve been doing yoga, either at home or in classes for over ten years.

I was intrigued when I started to read A Vibrant Life : Yoga in the Middle Years and Beyond by what I know, but also what I don’t. Felice Rhiannon does a wonderful job of explaining the elements of yoga that will inform the beginner, but also enhance the knowledge for the more experienced practitioner.

Felice Rhiannon shares her story about being bed ridden for a year. Barely able to move, she started practicing postures in bed, followed by floor and then chair exercises. She believes yoga was instrumental in her healing process.

Felice wrote the book for the individual who is out of shape, older, or intimidated by classes. Felice goes into focused detail about yoga without the burden of extraneous explanations. The purpose of the book is to engage people, whether they can get up or not.

The book is loaded with pictures of Felice doing poses with explanations of the pose, how to go in and out of it, as well as cautions and benefits. The book also contains a section of chair poses for those who have mobility issues.

Felice makes you believe you can do yoga. There is a calm and reassuring presence in the book. You can tell Felice cares about not only yoga, but also helping others to learn and grow with this wonderful practice.

Permanent Passenger

Book Review

Reading much like the cruise ship version of the British drama Upstairs, Downstairs, Micha Berman takes the reader behind the scenes of his life as an assistant cruise director in Permanent Passenger: My Life on a Cruise Ship.

While finishing his last year of college, Micha began a quest to find a career that was "nontraditional in a creative atmosphere, providing opportunities to speak to crowds, be with young people and included travel". He remembered watching Love Boat as a child and decided the job Julie McCoy had was the one for him. He set off on a one-man campaign to get a position as an assistant cruise director. His description of how he organized and conducted his job search would make any career counselor beam.

Securing his dream job with Carnival Cruise Line, Micha embarked on an eleven-month ride on the M.S. Ecstasy. This behind the scenes tale provides information to anyone interested in a career at sea. Micha describes the different occupations of the 800-member crew on the ship. He also describes the hierarchy, behind the scene intrigue, loves and fights that occur unbeknownst to the thousands of passengers.

It is also fascinating reading for the cruise ship enthusiast who would like to learn more about what happens below deck. Most of the crew is invisible to the guests. They come from a wide array of countries and live almost in a caste system based on their country of origin and occupation. You will learn the most dreaded position on the ship. It may surprise you. While the crew may be virtually invisible to the passengers they serve, they are people who share in the joys and challenges of living in close quarters at sea.