An Abundant Life - Sustainability

This past week I received an email that was a very lovely surprise. Someone who I'd met a few months ago who is part of a group who host a radio show on WBAI invited me to be interviewed and appear on the show which was live and also done on Zoom for video online. The show is called Eco-Logic, and the three hosts are all so knowledgable and also so enjoyable to spend time with that not only did I feel like I could learn so much from them, but when we had our pre-interview I stayed on the Zoom call for quite a while, even after they told me that I could leave if I wanted to. It's rare to meet people who are all so passionate about the topics that inspire them and who can ask questions of each other with such caring and respect that the conversation just flows. It was something in the way that they interacted that made me want to continue the conversation and when we had our broadcast, it felt the same way.

We talked about the Food System, and how it might be possible to create a more equitable environment for people who are food insecure to get the food and services they need to live healthy and well nourished lives. It's a topic that is such an important one to me, and one of the aspects of it that came out in our conversations is that it's the work that is done in person that makes all the difference in how successful programs and implementation of projects can be. It's the conversation we have with people, the getting to know each other on a more personal level and building trust that creates an environment where we can really find out what it is that people can use or that they would prefer, rather than deciding that we know what they need. When we make the decision for other people we take away their power, and it is one of the core beliefs I have that was developed over the years of the work I have been doing that giving people answers that we think are right may not be answering the actual needs that they have.

There is so much to be done in the world, and it can be daunting, but the truth of it is that all we need to do is start taking steps. Not every one of us is called to the same way of working or to the same group of people or to the same type of work. There is need on every level, and each one of us has gifts to share. A person who loves finance can help a not-for-profit or charitable organization or small community business to find the best ways to build their business sustainably; a performer can be a part of fund raising events or entertain at parties for the holidays to add joy and lighten people's lives. I'm a producer at heart and I love to put pieces of puzzles together to create events and projects and design programs, and my public relations and marketing skills can be happily used to explain what those projects and programs are meant to do and why they are worth people investing their time and resources in. Each one of us can play a role in the development of a community, and whatever the interest and ability, each gift is needed.

When we work together, using our gifts with respect and care and a feeling of camaraderie, we'll find that the work we do is more complete and more fulfilling to ourselves and to others. Like the conversations we had in our radio interviews, there is a free flowing that can happen that can make the work that we do sustainable, and while also making it replicable, we can keep it unique and of the highest value. Work done like that will never grow tired or become outdated, because it will always have a place to organically grow and succeed.

Eco-Logic

With Ken Gale, Donna Stein, Sally Gellert

And The Ecologic Collective

On WBAI

Meme Courtesy of Donna Stein

https://www.wbai.org/program

When the air or water are clean, thank an environmentalist. If not, become one

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - The Romance Of Artistry

A few months ago Hoboken had the Art and Music Festival which is something that in years gone by I always loved to go to. We missed a year and so when it was brought back I was looking forward to just going and being there again. It's always a beautiful day, with Washington Street closed to car traffic and tables and tents for blocks that stretch from one end of the city to nearly the other, filled with art and crafts and artisans, food and music and people enjoying being outside. I didn't know what to expect this year and it felt so good to be there because things had a feeling of being the way that they used to be back not too long ago when we could have beautiful days with a party atmosphere and people could feel the freedom of walking and talking and being together on a lovely autumn afternoon.

There were people I know who I stopped by to see and others I remembered seeing other years, but there was one small table that I felt drawn to because it seemed as if the items on it were very specially selected, a carefully curated collection of handcrafted treasures.

Each piece was so lovely that I could have happily worn any of them. The woman behind the table was lovely too, and such a sweet and quiet person in the way she allowed those of us who stopped by to enjoy viewing the pieces, adding helpful information and sharing suggestions in a very gentle way. As I spoke with her, I discovered that the pieces were made by women artisans in Italy, and that she was helping to share their work with new markets and new people who might not know about them otherwise. It was a pleasure to speak with her and hear about the work that she and the women were doing, and to see how beautiful each piece was and how carefully and lovingly made.

She told me the name of the company was Romantica, and there is something about that name that fits the style of these elegant and artistic pieces that are classic and timeless while also being extremely up to date, modern, and chic. They are pieces that help a woman to feel beautiful, and give a glow to any occasion.

The Founder's name is Natascia Cesarano, and she is a fashion designer and stylist, originally from a small town near the Amalfi Coast in Italy. She studied Fashion Business at Parsons School of Design, and found inspiration from all of the strong, beautiful and independent women she met who had their own businesses and who along with her family, encouraged her to start her own. She founded Romantica Jewelry Company in 2019, in her words, "with the intention of giving positive messages to women, every piece is made to give the title touch that lets them feel beautiful from inside out. No matter how a woman decides to show herself to the world, taking the freedom to decide is amazing. Here women are not just buying jewelry but giving to another woman a real opportunity to grow."

Jewelry is something that can make any outfit special. Accessorizing with the right pieces can make a statement that is memorable and that gives the wearer a feeling of being unique and stylish. There is an artistry in the jewelry designs of Romantica that brings a feeling of romance and art together with beautiful metals and pearls and stones to create moments in time that shine.

Romantica

https://www.romanticashoponline.com

Photographs Courtesy of the Romantica Website

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - The Beauty In Pastry

There is a wonderful Pastry Chef who I met through Instagram a few years ago. I wrote a little note about him in one of my blogs early on when he had posted a recipe for a coffee cake from the New York Times that I was pretty sure was one my mother had read years before and used to recreate a coffee cake her father who was a baker from a family of generations of bakers had made when she was growing up. It's a very special cake to me and one I make as often as possible, and when I saw the post and the recipe I had had sent a note to the Pastry Chef to tell him I thought it was a recipe that I recognized. At the time I asked him if I could write a blog post about him, but he said he was just creating pastries for fun and mostly for friends and family, but that maybe one day in the future if he ever became more professional about it we could talk about a blog post. The years went by and I kept seeing his gorgeous creations. Although he said he was just doing it for fun, what he creates is always so intricately beautiful and so full of knowledge, history and craftsmanship that it seemed to me that he really was a professional although he kept saying he was not.

From time to time I saw that he was making special orders for people, and then last year I saw that he had started an online company and that he was making deliveries and taking orders for pickup, and so I reached out to him again about the possibility of a blog post. I didn't hear back and then I saw just a few months ago that he was making moon cakes for the special moon cake holiday celebration, but I had missed the post with the deadline for ordering. He posted one more time about it, saying that there might be one order available and that he would announce by Friday if there was, and whoever was the first to send him a direct message to order it would be the one who would get it. The person who ordered it would have to pick it up, but that didn't bother me. I don't mind traveling and because I haven't been traveling much these days at all it seemed like a lovely idea for an adventure. I made sure to look at his post first thing, and sent him the message, and so finally I was able to place an order, and one lovely afternoon in September I headed out to find my way to the place where he made his beautiful creations.

The moon cakes were not only lovely, but they really were delicious in a way that truly artisanal baking is. There was something that was indescribably special about them, and each one was made with such care and such artistry that when I arrived home I kept finding different ways to photograph them. Even the packaging was special and so carefully done that I felt as if I had received a very special gift. When I picked them up I was able to find out just a bit about them from from the person who met me and gave them to me. It wasn't the baker himself because he was working that day, and so I have still not met him, but what I learned in the few moments when I picked them up confirmed to me that he is a very special person. The recipe he had used for one of the cakes was from a very special family recipe, and he had taken the time to learn the tradition of what he was creating as he does with all of the pastries he makes. There is a respect for tradition and the skill of an Artist that goes into this Pastry Chefs careful work. I think there must be much love and the wish to give people something that is not only beautiful but also that will taste of the finest and most memorably enjoyable moments. In the words written on his website, "Bringing you sweet happiness is our mission." He has found the way of revealing the beauty in pastry, and in his effort and skill and remarkable creativity he has brought the tradition of a craft and artistry into the lives of those who are lucky enough to meet him.

Earl Liao

Mooncakes From Trombone e Gatto

https://www.tromboneegatto.com

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - Finding Your Place

Several months ago I was visiting with a friend and we had gone to see an art show at The Oakman in Jersey City. We wanted to go somewhere to have dinner afterward, and it was a very rainy and stormy evening. While we were at the art show it had been hurricane rains and wind, and though the storm had calmed it was still raining and at times seemed like it might become a storm again. There are two restaurants that are not far from The Oakman, one right next door and the other across the street. We thought they could at least be all right to go to because they are always very crowded although that night everything was much quieter because of the rain. We decided on the one across the street, but when we walked up to the door we saw it was closed that night, and so we settled on the other one, a place called O'Hara's. When we went inside it was very cozy and comfortable, and the staff made us feel right at home. We took a table by the bar area and settled in to look at the menu which was very full of delicious sounding options. Our server told us that it was Taco Tuesday, and when I saw the specials I was immediately in the mood to try the Biria Tacos. I love Tacos and they sounded wonderful, and I didn't know until afterward that they have become a bit of a trend.

Although tacos are always a favorite choice, sometimes they're better than others and sometimes not, and sometimes they don't really fill me up. When these arrived they were even better than the description, with rich roasted meat in a group of tacos that were so filled with goodness that I didn't have to even think about ordering anything else and I could have shared them. They came with pickled onions and some very delicious hot sauce, and the tortillas themselves were excellent. I had a feeling that night that there was someone very special in that kitchen who was making food the way they would make it for themselves and their friends.

I've gone back since and had another wonderful meal with another friend and it's become my go to recommendation for anyone who asks me and an excellent choice whenever I'm in that area. The service is always wonderful, the feeling of the place whether sitting outside or inside is so pleasant. It almost feels like I'm not in a city at all, or if I am, that I've found my place in it where I can enjoy an afternoon or evening in a way that feels just right.

Ohara's Downtown

172 First Street

Jersey City, New Jersey

https://www.oharasjc.com

Blessings,

Jannie Susan