Sunday, February 14, 2016

An Abundant Life - Joy In The Making

I first met Richard Skipper in 2006 at a time in my life when I was working with many different artists and designers. He had put a notice in one of the newsletters I regularly received that he was looking for an assistant to help him in his home office, and as that's one of the things I was also doing for other artists and designers at the time, I responded and we made an appointment to meet and work together for a day to see how it would go. Working with Richard was one of the highlights of my life. I learned so much from him, and it wasn't just a job, it was an adventure. One of the best things I learned was how to keep making joy no matter what was going on around you. So many of the people I met through Richard are amazing and talented and lovely people, but life is life, and sometimes there are tough times and rough times for all of us, but through it all, Richard's belief that we treat others as we want to be treated, that we give respect and love and that we do all we can to support each other shines through. He is professional to the utmost, a man of his word, and if he says he'll do something he'll go above and beyond his promises to make sure that things go more than well. I'm not sure when he sleeps because he's such a hard worker - a tireless fountain of life and joy and love.

At the time I met Richard, he was focusing his time on performing, something that he is gifted above all measure to do, but something that he did even then was to help support other artists, and I caught up with him recently to discuss some of the ways his business is growing in the direction of his great gifts of Public Relations, Marketing and Events Planning through Richard Skipper Celebrates. He makes it seem effortless, but I know first hand all the hard work he does, and I know from my own experience how hard it is to do. The event I attended at the American Popular Song Society to celebrate Peter Filichia and his book, "The Great Parade: Broadway's Astonishing, Never to be Forgotten 1963-1964 Season", was full of amazing performers who played to a packed house even on a bitter cold day. It started on time and ended on time and there wasn't a glitch anywhere to be seen. That's talent and hard work and time - combine that with a class act that treats everyone with respect and kindness and you've got Richard Skipper. Follow him and get on his mailing list - you'll always have a great show.

Richard Skipper
www.RichardSkipper.com
At The American Popular Song Society
Associated Musicians Of Greater New York, Local 802
322 West 48th Street, NYC
www.AmericanPopularSongSociety.org

With Peter Filichia

Glen Charlow and Dan Sherman
At The Door For A Warm Welcome

Free CD's And Sheet Music
Courtesy Of The American Popular Song Society




Anita Gillette
With Michael Lavine On Piano

Peter Filichia And Richard Skipper
Discuss The Inside Scoop On The Shows
With Musical Direction By Michael Lavine

Michael Kostroff

Leah Horowitz

Jim Brochu And Steve Ross

Camille Saviola With Lots of Laughs And Gifts Of Pasta For The Crowd

Sean McDermott

Sally Mayes

Barbara  Minkus

Steven Brinberg

Klea Blackhurst

Aleka Emerson And Danny Gardner

Maureen  McNamara

Sarah Rice

Danielle Erin Rhodes

Diane Findlay

An Amazing Cast - An Exhilarating Show!


Peter Filichia's "The Great Parade"




The Great Pumpkin

Last weekend when I was on my way to the Hewn Arts Center and The Hudson Flea for Myrtle And Flossie's 5th Anniversary Celebration, I walked by a pumpkin lying on the sidewalk near an area where there are stores that sell produce. There were lots of people around shopping, and I saw a truck that was almost finished unloading, so I figured someone would be coming back for the pumpkin they dropped and I kept on going. But as I crossed the street, I noticed that no one was coming back for the pumpkin, so I went back and looked around again, and decided to see if had a bag large enough to carry it. I always keep extra bags in my bag because where I live some of the stores give you a few cents discount if you use a recyclable bag, but this pumpkin was so big that it broke one of the plastic bags and one of the cloth bags I had. I must have been there at least ten minutes wrestling with the pumpkin until I found a bag that would hold it, and I tell you this so you know that no one else cared about it or saw its value. I love pumpkin, and it's so healthy - I love making everything with it and now I have enough for cakes and pies and muffins, as well as just simply steaming and mashing or sautéing with pasta. I made a soup last weekend that was simply divine - and it was so simple to make I wanted to share it here for all the pumpkin lovers out there.

Pumpkin Soup
  • In a large soup pot, sauté two or three cloves of garlic in olive oil
  • Chop two pounds or more of pumpkin and place the pieces in the pot - you do not need to peel it if you scrub the outside well under cold running water
  • Add a cup of beef or poultry or vegetable stock
  • Cover and bring to a boil, turn down and simmer until the pumpkin begins to soften
  • Begin to mash the pumpkin with a spoon or masher, you can also let the mixture cool and put in a blender or food processer, but this is not necessary unless you want it to be completely pureed as the pumpkin will soften easily in the pot
  • Serve simply with butter and salt and pepper or add other spices as you wish. Cream or yogurt can be nice for a cream based soup, and other vegetables can be added for color if you want more variety.









Blessings,

Jannie Susan

Sunday, February 7, 2016

An Abundant Life - Healing Arts

I was talking to some friends recently at different times and in different places and a similar topic kept coming up. When that happens I know that God has a message for me, and He's just going to keep knocking with it until I open the door and allow the message to come in. The topic lately has been about gratitude - or the opposite, when we complain and feel as if we don't have enough or don't have what we want, or want something that someone else has. The opposite of gratitude brings all kinds of negative emotions that keep us away from joy, but they are human emotions, and one thing that kept coming up in my conversations is that God understands that we have those emotions even when we are trying our best not to. The key to keeping our joy is to get back to the place of gratitude, but sometimes that's hard.

I've gone through some very tough times in my life, but have never experienced the hardship that some people do, and through it all, though God has been faithful to provide more than I need, I still sometimes find myself looking at other people and wondering why I can't have it easier. It's only when I bring these feelings before God and am reminded of the blessings that I do have that I am able to understand that though things may not come in the form or the way or at the time that I think I need them too, that I have abundance every day if I am only willing to open myself up to accept it in the form that it comes.

This week was a weird week for food shopping - my cash flow is low and I have some bills that need to be sorted out and we had a blizzard and the store where I usually buy milk because it is a much better price is a bit far off my usual route. I happened to have some clotted cream, not just any clotted cream, but luxury clotted cream, that was left over from an event someone I know was having, so instead of milk I've been having clotted cream in my coffee, a luxury that I can't usually allow myself to afford. But as I was drinking my gourmet coffee each morning I found myself asking God why it was that I couldn't have the cash flow I needed to buy milk. It sounds very silly as I write it here, but just so you know, God doesn't think we're silly, He knows that it's hard for us to give up what we think we should have and accept the blessings He is giving us. The children of Israel complained about the manna in the desert, and I find that I can do that every day if I'm not careful. That's one of the reasons I started writing this blog - to share with people that we can have abundance in our lives no matter what our circumstances or our budget, and the key can be found in our own communities. Sharing time and resources and ideas, and yes, even sharing our complaints and feelings of loss or sadness, can lighten the load each of us bears and help us to live in abundance and joy.

A Community Of Health And Well Being

Last weekend I had the unexpected pleasure to meet some of the finest practitioners of health and wellness in Hudson County at the annual Wellness Fair at Devotion Yoga. Dawn Pascale, a powerhouse of wellness, wholeness and goodness, sent out the announcement to her Instagram followers - follow her and you'll know about every wonderful event in the area! Dawn is the owner and proprietor Om Sweet Home, and true to her name, she brings light and warmth wherever she goes and shines that light on everyone she meets. She's all about community and though I know that about her, I was overwhelmed by the goodness surrounding me when I walked into Devotion Yoga. I'll be talking about Dawn with you all another week, but today let me stop here to let you see the beauty I experienced at the Annual Wellness Fair at Devotion Yoga, 12 Hudson Place, Floor 2, Hoboken, NJ, www.devotionyoga.com.

Om Sweet Home
Dawn Catherine Pascale, Owner
(973) 420-2255

Jeannine Morris And Rae Broderick
Health Coaching
Devotion Yoga
12 Hudson Place, Floor 2
Hoboken, NJ

Ann Gilmartin
Oils Enthusiast
essentialoilsann@gmail.com
(732) 539-1580

Morgan Vlahakis
Consultant
Beauty Counter
(804) 513-0575

Liza Bertini
Perfecting The Journey
Yoga * Coaching * Writing

Athleta
316 Washington Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030
(201) 653-4101

Lauren R. Penza
Diamond Butterfly Photo, LLC
Beauty, Life, & Nature
diamonbutterflyphoto@gmail.com
(973) 906-3308

Sara Khosrowjerdi
Founder, M.S. L.Ac.
Acupuncture Atelier
(978) 761-6676

Blooming Lotus Jewelry

Jennifer Araneo, Reiki Practitioner
(908) 705-1667
Kelly Ur, LMT
Annealing Healing
Therapeutic Massage And Doula Services
(862) 228-0741
Patrick Murray
New Motive Hypnosis
(201) 240-9730

Dr. Olga Alvarez
Hoboken Chiropractic and Wellness, Inc.
(201) 792-3544

Kure Pilates
22 Hudson Place, 4th Floor
Hoboken, NJ
(201) 222-0088

Clarity Juice

Honey Grow
Honest Eating And Growing Local


An Artistic Scent*sation

I've written about A.Roma in the past, and just recently for my birthday I treated myself to a consultation with the owner, Aromatherapist Amy Anthony. Aromatherapy is such an amazing practice, and there is so much to it that I won't even try to explain it here. But I will say that I feel like a million dollar baby after taking a bath with the bath salts and using the body butter Amy created for me. I have never smelled anything more divine, and the scents that were made are unique blends made just for me. The packaging is eco-friendly and the ingredients are sustainable, and I'm walking around feeling like I'm being rejuvenated by the minute. I love taking baths, but usually after a few minutes I start to get restless. With Amy's blend I don't want to get out of the tub at all. I've been using the body butter at night as per the consultation directions, but it smells so delicious I want to use it all day. Why did we ever stop using plants for healing and wellness? There is nothing more nurturing than these scents and blends of essential oils and infusions.

A.Roma
Amy Anthony, Aromatherapist

Protect Body Butter
Chrysalis Bath Salts

Oh How Sweet It Is!



Celebrating The Birth Cycle

Over at Hewn Art Center and The Hudson Flea, there is another powerhouse woman who is helping support women who are pregnant and in the time after giving birth. You don't have to be pregnant or a mother to meet with Nia for her nourishing council and advice, but if you are, you'll find her special gifts will help keep you glowing through any kind of weather. This weekend marks the 5th anniversary of her business, Myrtle and Flossie, and she is having the loveliest party all weekend long at the Hudson Flea. Stop by if you can for good cheer, good talk, and good friends. Children are welcome too!

Myrtle And Flossie
Pop Up At The Hudson Flea
140 Sip Avenue
Jersey City, NJ
www.myrtleandflossie.com

The Gorgeous And Inspiring Founder Nia Reid-Allen

















Fifth Anniversary Celebration









Altbabies Workshop
Modern Babywearing For Every Family
www.altbabies.com


AJ Natural Hair Care Specialist
Master Loctician
www.Kissmynaturalhair.com





Blessings,

Jannie Susan