Ouray Yoga™

Soul Cakes (or Soulmass Cakes) come out of the middle ages. Souling is the practice of going door to door to sing for a treat. Often associated at Samhain and Yuletide. The practice of our meditation is to offer prayers for both living and passed souls and their friends. The cakes are usually filled with allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger or other spices, as well as raisins, currants or cranberries and marked with a cross to signify that these were for alms. Mulled Wine Soul Cakes 1/2 c raisins 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 c red wine 1/2c red currant jelly 1 pinch chili powder 1 t. ground cinnamon 1/4 t. ground cloves 1/4 c. hazelnuts, chopped* 1/4 c. whole blanched almonds, chopped 3.1/2 oz plain carob sweetened chips* 2/3 c self-rising flour finely grated zest of 1 orange 1/4 C unsalted butter 1 egg powdered sugar and extra dried fruit of choice 1) To make fruit mixture: put raisins and cranberries into a small heavy saucepan with wine, jelly, and spices. Heat un

I have never been a huge fan of Mexico. For many Americans, it's almost an obligatory pilgrimage, especially if you are between the ages of 18 to 21, a collegiate rite-of-passage. As the mother of a few up-and-coming collegians, we decided to introduce our brood to the experience that is a Mexican Spring Break under controlled supervision. Actually, we started our inauguration Thanksgiving 2017. My husband's teenage stomping grounds was So Cal and San Diego is where our true hearts first met. Therefore, rolling across the Tijuana border was not too daunting-of-thought. To me, it is amazing how quickly one is hit by a proverbial geo-political Wall. My anecdotal border crossing experience, which is somewhat vast, is that crossing the US/Mexican border is one of the most dissonant one can experience. While the roads are maintained to a level of consistency, the lack of public services and poverty on the Mexican-side is consummate and pervasive. The word amongst Americans is

“There is  a kind of magicness about going far away and then coming back all changed." ~Kate Wiggin Day 1: The return to the Big Island. I am not sure I can express my intense love of Hawaii. Some places just feel like home. Aside from our Ouray home; Boulder, San Diego and the Big Island; two of which I have no intention of ever living there again, but they feel like home when I visit. I am sad to say that in the 5 years since our last visit, Kona has been discovered and infiltrated by Boomers. It has become a bit of a mini-retirement SoCal or Aging Boulder.  But, perhaps, that is why I love it.  Nonetheless, when my family journeys, we tend to take the paths less traveled. We booked the newest craze, a short-term rental, our VRBO was very adequate; however, located on a very hilly neighborhood, with an ocean overlook, and a black pebbles beach only a short, steep, drive away. We were south of Captain Cook, remote from any convenient store; roosters and north america