Happy weekend...

Happy Friday! It's been a long first week of spring, and I'm looking forward to enjoying some time at home before hitting the road again on Monday morning. I hope you have a restful and fun weekend as well! Here are some things I've been fancying for the past few days:

• Revisiting Joni Mitchell's "Ladies of the Canyon" and getting overly excited about spending a July weekend up in Woodstock, NY with my own ladies in a gorgeous modern barn.
• Thanking my lucky stars, and this Black Elderberry Syrup, for keeping me healthy this past week after the flu hit our house and I spent a few hours on a plane.
• Slowly increasing my daily meditation to 10-15 minutes, twice a day, thanks to apps like "OMG. I Can Meditate!" and "Simply Being." It really does help induce restful sleep and peaceful living.
• And finally, a gorgeous quote on sowing positivity and growth to take you into the weekend:

“When you open yourself to the continually changing, impermanent, dynamic nature of your own being and of reality, you increase your capacity to love and care about other people and your capacity to not be afraid. You’re able to keep your eyes open, your heart open, and your mind open. And you notice when you get caught up in prejudice, bias, and aggression. You develop an enthusiasm for no longer watering those negative seeds, from now until the day you die. And, you begin to think of your life as offering endless opportunities to start to do things differently.”

— Pema Chödrön

Favorite World Music Flicks

For the next few weeks, I'll be spending a bit of time on the road for work, which translates to evenings in hotel rooms and more than enough hours to re-watch some favorite flicks. I'll preface this by saying that I'm a terrible television watcher - always have been, and probably always will be. But if there are two things that can hold my attention on a screen, it's music and food.

Music is a very important thing to me. It has the power to elevate vibrations, move us through moments, and inspire all at once. A penchant for world music grew throughout my childhood, from listening to a variety of global-influenced radio stations and developing an obsession with renting foreign films from the public library in my hometown.

I began studying Anthropology as a freshman in college, and one of my most beloved courses was in Ethnomusicology, where we dug deep into the intersection of cultural tradition and musical expression, discussing the globalization of Pygmy lullabies and learning to Gumboot dance. Eventually, I hosted a world music radio show, and from there, the love affair has continued to evolve.

In celebration of world music, this week, I'm sharing some of my longtime favorite music films. Also, if you have a favorite music film, I'd love to hear about it. Share it in the comments below!

• "A Visit to Ali Farka Touré": At eighteen, I became transfixed by Ali Farka Touré; a spark for Malian music that bloomed into a wildfire during college. While most known for his collaboration with Ry Cooder in the Grammy-winning "Talking Timbuktu," this film follows the guitarist to his homeland, where he dedicates himself to improving living conditions, and continues to evolve his music.
• "Throw Down Your Heart": In high school, I listened to a lot of Béla Fleck - his instrumental banjo jams blaring from the speakers of my little Jeep Wrangler as I roamed around the Connecticut countryside. In this documentary, Fleck heads to Africa to understand the origins of the banjo. Most notable is the joyful song played by a female thumb pianist.
• "Bamako is a Miracle": Toumani Diabaté comes from a long line of kora players, and collaborated with Ali Farka Touré on several albums, including the gorgeous "Ali & Toumani," released in 2010 after Touré's death. This film focuses on the creation of an album between Diabaté and a famous jazz trombonist in the capital of Bamako, and highlights the magical convergence of cultures.
• "Under African Skies": While the obvious primer for this film is "Graceland: The African Concert," this documentary is an interesting and different look at the making of Paul Simon's "Graceland," the controversial and groundbreaking 1986 album.
• "Buena Vista Social Club": A classic must-see for any world music fan, this film is about Ry Cooder's journey to bring together the remarkable sounds of Cuban musicians, showcase their culture, and share their life stories.

And a bonus non-world music film that I recently revisited:

• "Nina Simone - Live at Montreux 1976": Nina Simone - diva, love sorceress, and high priestess of soul - is stunning in this emotional performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival. A must see if you're looking to have your mood moved, see a musician bear her soul, and follow it up with a few performances from later in her career.

Weekly Words: "Pale Blue Dot"

"The Earth is the only world known, so far, to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment, the Earth is where we make our stand. It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience.

There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."

- Carl Sagan

Happy weekend...

Happy SPRING Friday! It has been a quiet few days in our house. We were two days shy of escaping this winter illness-free, until somebody accidentally brought home the flu. I won't point fingers, but let's just say that one of us has been blending away some delicious new green smoothies (I've got a new one to share!) and wiping everything down with citrus all-purpose cleaner to limit the victim count to one. Here's looking forward to a weekend of feeling better and catching a little spring sunshine. But first, a few links to get you to the other side of Friday:

• Compiling a playlist of sunny tunes for cruising around the city. You can listen too here.
• Ordering double batches of this savior of a salve that has no rival these days for healing hands, lips, dry noses, and more.
• Interrupting this week's regular March Madness programming by revisiting the magical "Big Fish"(available on Amazon Prime Instant Video), in anticipation of seeing it come to life at the Calderwood on Saturday night.
• And finally, in light of the new season, and hearing those birds chirping more and more every day, a favorite line:

"sweet spring is your
time is my time is our
time for springtime is lovetime
and viva sweet love"

- E.E. Cummings

Weekly Words: "A Coherent Electromagnetic Field"

"When cells are caught in the same field of resonance, they are all dancing to the same music. Studies show that when we’re thinking creatively, or when we are feeling peaceful, or when we’re feeling love, those emotions generate a very coherent electromagnetic field. And that electromagnetic field is broadcast to the rest of your body. It also creates a field of resonance where the cells of the body lock in with each other.

Every cell knows what every other cell is doing because they’re all doing the same thing, while still expressing their unique functions efficiently: stomach cells are making hydrochloric acid, immune cells are generating antibodies, the pancreatic cells are manufacturing insulin, and so on. In a healthy body, this synchronicity is perfectly regulated. Healthy people are firmly locked into these rhythms...

...There are many emotions that can cause a disruption of the electromagnetic field in the heart, but the ones that have been most precisely documented are anger and hostility. Once this synchronization is disrupted, your body starts to behave in a fragmented manner.The effect is so strong that animals can pick it up. If a dog sees a person who is harboring hostility, it will bark and act ferocious.

Wherever you go, you are broadcasting who you are at this very intimate level."

- Deepak Chopra

Happy (early) weekend...

Talk about a glorious week! If you live in the Northeast, you know what I'm talking about: sunshine, warm breezes, and an extra spring in your step. Tomorrow I kick off my studies to become a certified coach, so I'm sharing some awesome sights and sounds with you today. Have a wonderful weekend!

• Boogieing to summer-like jams, including Tennis's 2014 album "Ritual in Repeat." Start with "Needle and a Knife" and continue on to feel the warm weather vibes.
• Practicing my español as we've booked our honeymoon to Peru and Mexico! Two great resources that we've found are iTalki, which sets you up with native language speakers all over the world to have conversations, and Duolingo, which helps users practice  language skills while on the go.
• Re-ordering my daily sunscreen so that I don't miss a beat with these longer daylight hours. I love this one because it's a light powder and easy to apply on the go.
• And finally, a reminder from the highly-recommended guide  "The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It For Life" on the importance of taking risks:

“If you only do what you know and do it very, very well, chances are that you won’t fail. You’ll just stagnate, and your work will get less and less interesting, and that’s failure by erosion.”

— Twyla Tharp

Weekly Words: "Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front"

"Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everything ready-made. Be afraid
to know your neighbors and to die.
And you will have a window in your head.
Not even your future will be a mystery
any more. Your mind will be punched in a card
and shut away in a little drawer.
When they want you to buy something
they will call you. When they want you
to die for profit they will let you know.

So, friends, every day do something
that won’t compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it.
Denounce the government and embrace
the flag. Hope to live in that free
republic for which it stands.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand. Praise ignorance, for what man
has not encountered he has not destroyed.

Ask the questions that have no answers.
Invest in the millennium. Plant sequoias.
Say that your main crop is the forest
that you did not plant,
that you will not live to harvest.
Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.

Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under the trees
every thousand years.
Listen to carrion – put your ear
close, and hear the faint chattering
of the songs that are to come.
Expect the end of the world. Laugh.
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful
though you have considered all the facts.
So long as women do not go cheap
for power, please women more than men.
Ask yourself: Will this satisfy
a woman satisfied to bear a child?
Will this disturb the sleep
of a woman near to giving birth?

Go with your love to the fields.
Lie down in the shade. Rest your head
in her lap. Swear allegiance
to what is nighest your thoughts.
As soon as the generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn’t go. Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection."

- Wendell Berry

Happy weekend...

Happy Friday! This weekend I'm looking forward to watching the snow melt (forty degrees and sunny? I'll take it!), checking out some new food for Restaurant Week and working to finalize our honeymoon plans. Here are a few things that fascinated me this week:

• Swaying to the sweet honey voice of Leon Bridges, the latest crooner to steal my heart. His first few released songs have those good Sam Cooke vibes that transports you to another time and place.
• Listening to the newer (to me) NPR series Invisibilia? It examines the intangible forces surrounding us in this modern world, and is utterly fascinating.
• Making my favorite bean burger for lunch today. The spices and dressing are totally divine.
• And finally, a long-time favorite poem, "Sonnet: Against Entropy" from science fiction and fantasy writer John M. Ford (that last line really gets it!):

“The worm drives helically through the wood
And does not know the dust left in the bore
Once made the table integral and good;
And suddenly the crystal hits the floor.
Electrons find their paths in subtle ways,
A massless eddy in a trail of smoke;
The names of lovers, light of other days
Perhaps you will not miss them. That's the joke.
The universe winds down. That's how it's made.
But memory is everything to lose;
Although some of the colors have to fade,
Do not believe you'll get the chance to choose.
Regret, by definition, comes too late;
Say what you mean. Bear witness. Iterate.”

- John M. Ford