Not Gonna Do Should Today

April 21, 2024

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the blue sky, is by no means a waste of time.”

~ John Lubbock, The Use of Life

 

My first thought as I sipped my coffee this morning was that I should be mopping my floors today. Mopping is not my favorite activity and my work schedule has lately gotten in the way of me checking that task off my weekly to-do list as often as I should.

My second thought was remembering my friend Astrid recently advising me to, “Enjoy your Sunday and just relax without ‘shoulding’ on yourself.”

It took me a few minutes to understand her play on words and chuckle to myself about her characterization of the to-do list metaphorically dumping on a potential day of relaxation and renewal.

I work as both a yoga therapist and fitness instructor. I talk to my clients often about how the body benefits from having both strength and flexibility. One of my first yoga teachers used to say, “It doesn’t matter how good your abs look if you can’t bend over and pull your pants up over your hips in the morning.”

Muscle building and strength training alone can make one vulnerable to injury. Stretching those muscles is just as important, so that, in times of stress, they’re able to adjust, accommodate and go with the flow.

Rest days are crucial as well. According to Dr. Karen VanBaak of the University of Colorado Sports Medicine & Performance Center, “I think days of doing nothing are really important. I want almost all of the athletes I take care of to take a full rest day every week.”

Our mental and emotional bodies also require periods of rest and relaxation. In that spirit, I decided to let go of my to-do list today and treat myself to writing a new blog post.

This blog is not a source of income for me. I write these posts for my own joy and, hopefully, as an occasional enjoyable diversion for others. I don’t have advertisements because I have always wanted this place to be a respite from sites with constant pop-ups and video ads requiring you to stop and search for the tiny “x” to click them away, often unsuccessfully. I want stopping by to read something here to offer a break from all of that “noise”.

So, writing this blog does not feel like work to me. I post here in my free time, when inspired to do so. Since my last post in honor of my late Sofia, a lot of “should” has gotten in the way of setting time aside to write again.

In closing, I would like to encourage you to, as my friend Astrid advised me playfully, “Enjoy your day and just relax without ‘shoulding’ on yourself.”

Or, as John Lubbock more poetically wrote, to “lie sometimes on the grass under the trees…listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the blue sky.”

It is by no means a waste of time.

 

~~~~~

Easy and delicious, Mushroom, Goat Cheese and Blueberry Bruschetta are a perfect culinary activity for a foodie having a lazy day.

Mushroom, Goat Cheese and Blueberry Bruschetta
Of all the recipes I’ve come up with for this blog over the years, this is one of my favorites. The flavor of blueberries pairs surprisingly well with mushrooms. This tasty and easy to prepare bruschetta (pronounced “broo-skeht-tah) makes for an impressive first course, snack or light lunch.

 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups thinly-sliced cremini or button mushrooms
(most of an 8oz container)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, diced
1/2 cup frozen organic blueberries
1/8 teaspoon allspice
Salt and pepper to taste
4 to 6 slices of sourdough or other rustic white bread (depending on size)
More extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
4 to 6 ounces of chèvre style (soft and creamy) goat cheese

 

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet and cook the mushrooms over med-high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the vinegar and lemon juice, then the diced shallot, followed by the blueberries. Stir in the allspice. Reduce the heat to low and add just a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer until juice is thickened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.

Toast the bread slices on both sides, under a broiler or on the grill. You want the surface to be crisp but the inside still somewhat soft. While the bread is still  hot, drizzle both sides with a little olive oil. Spread one side of each slice with about 1 ounce of the goat cheese. Divide the mushroom blueberry mixture among the slices, spooning over the goat cheese. Serve immediately or heat very briefly under the broiler to warm the topping, if desired.

Serve with a knife and fork.

Makes four appetizer or two main dish servings.

 

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