Happy Thanksgiving Day

Image via theartmad.com

Give 

Thanks. 

Video credit: Alexander Gerst, NASA/ESA

Be 

Happy.

Image via vecteezy.com

Peace abides with us.

National Seafood Month: October 2015

So here I am, a pescatarian, and I posted an entire blog featuring “the other white meat,” pork, because Astronaut Reid Wiseman mentioned sweet and sour pork as a favorite space food in a tweet chat.‎‎  Sycophantic fangirling aside, I feel I might save face with a foodie blog I would actually partake of…SEAFOOD! 

Image via @FDA.gov

Georgia Aquarium's mention of a National Seafood Month offered a great segue and chance at redemption. Seeing their Twitter announcement made me chuckle, a conservation aquarium announcing seafood month. I tweeted how I felt somewhat redeemed for loving the ocean fauna and feeling *cannibalistic* as I might think 'yum' with a Bubba list of recipes comically floating around my head when I view certain types of the ocean inhabitants.

Image via Newsweek.com

Newsweek tormented me for weeks with this article about sustainable fishing. The particular variety of fish, sardines(s) invariably inspired the culinary vision, "light dusting of seasoned flour, flash fry in hot oil to crispy, golden brown and juicy inside, carmelize onions and hot peppers to garnish. Serve with skinny fries, or bread and avocado, or with a brown stew sauce over rice and pigeon peas." this is all visualized in a flash as I resisted the urge to respond and scrolled on by quickly. 

Image via @CaribCookSchool

National Seafood Month (October 2015) excites my culinary and gastronomic fancies.  I'm thinking we could create an East Coast Kai Ryssdal burger with a crispy onion crusted tuna steak, an Astro_Reid Hardwood Grilled Swordfish, a Astro_Alex Red Snapper Ceviche, some CraigyFerg Shark Filets, seafood tom yum, pumpkin risotto topped with crispy calamari, Neil Tyson Bourbon BBQ Salmon with  Harvest Wild Rice medley,  braised red cabbage, Sagal Sea Bass, Chef Jason Howard’s Fish Casserole with Bream (pictured above), Haddock Etouffe, Codruple (bacalaitos/akra, mofongo, pickup with cucumber salad, creole style with roasted sweet potato, dumplings.) 

Image via @gsobsports

And it's football season, so break out the wet naps and let's dig into a seafood fest—Fish-Fry where I’m from: spicy peel & eat broiled shrimp, seafood gumbo (sans sausage,) clam chowder, lobster bisque, garlic crab, conch in lemon butter sauce, grilled clams, mussels cioppino, roasted sardines, crispy assorted fruits de mer. Oh yeah, will need lots of baked and fried potatoes, corn on the cob or sauteed, butter, remoulade, cocktail sauce, slaw, salad, and beverages. Watch out now. Who said chicken and beef ruled the party. Nope. N'at-allll.‎

Image via Twitter

Has this sufficiently whetted your appetite for some seafood? And redeemed me, somewhat, for that unabashed fan-girling post? ‎

Poster via @EatingAtAdelphi

National Seafood Month, however, is about the serious business of sustainable seafood. Eileen Sobek, Assistant Adminstrator for NOAA Fisheries, a division of the U. S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration ushered in the commemoration with this message: 

Our fisheries are among the largest and most sustainable in the world, and all U.S. seafood is responsibly harvested and grown under a strong monitoring, management, and enforcement regime that works to keep the marine environment healthy, fish and shellfish populations thriving, and our seafood industry on the job. 

A steady, sustainable supply of safe, healthy seafood is a critical ingredient to keeping our coastal communities and working waterfronts resilient, both environmentally and economically. And we know that our investments in science-based fisheries management are paying off. In 2013, U.S. fishermen landed 9.9 billion pounds of fish and shellfish worth $5.5 billion—that’s an increase of 245 million pounds and an additional $388 million compared to 2012. And in 2014, the number of U.S. fish stocks rebuilt since 2000 increased to 37. As a result of the combined efforts of NOAA Fisheries, the regional fishery management councils, and all of our partners, the number of stocks listed as subject to overfishing or overfished continues to decline and are at an all-time low.

Read her full message and some of the activitiies of the month here.

Poster via @Seafood4Health

Sustainable fishing encourages healthy eating and living. Geographic exploration of National Seafood Month ‎can stir up cultural roots. Make it a #FishFriday, #SeafoodSaturday, or explore through other cultures like a Moroccan tandoor, Japanese sushi, Spanish ceviche or paella, Jamaican escovitch, Italian cioppino or French bouillabaise, or a favorite Southern (USA) brunch treat--fish and grits (yummy with shrimp too.)  

Image via allposters.com

As child of the sun, native of the islands that form a gateway to the Americas on the Atlantic side, encirling the Caribbean Sea, our delicious fruits de mer are immortalized in song. Before Bubba we had the Caribbean folk musicians like Jamesie and the Happy Seven of the Virgin Islands, as well my native French/British culture, sing odes to the bounties of the sea. Jamesie’s fish market song was (and still is) a great way to teach and learn about the marine biology of the ocean and sea around us.

Scott's Seafood (Sacramento, CA) adds an exotic flair
with plantain, avocado, corn coulis.

At the halfway mark of seafood month, what fishy adventure can you incorporate into your dining and activities. Any fish today? (haha, lyrics from a Frenglish folk song: Poisson, poisson, fait un belle dejeuner...any fish today, madam? (Fish, fish, makes a lovely lunch...any fish today, madam?) Share with us via pic on Twitter @DeepDish_.

The Martian: Resilience Rocks!

The Martian, starring Matt Damon, an epic sci-fi adventure about a gritty, wisecracking protagonist who defied the odds and got rescued from the red planet after he “science(d) the shit” out of his predicament. There’s fixation on the science, technology, and space cred of the book and the movie in all the reviews that are still forthcoming, naturally, because the writer and protagonist point you in that direction and hold you there throughout the story. But there’s more depth to this coming back from the grave epic.

Just about everyone in the science-space-tech community have endorsed the movie which inexorably brought the book to mainsteam, including our affable Astrophysicist extraordinaire and Director of the Hayden Planetarium, Dr. Neil Tyson. Known for checking the cosmological integrity of films that might escape the science illiterate eye--like recently applauding Trevor Noah for correcting the rotational direction of the Earth in the opening credits of The Daily Show--Dr. Tyson articled his approval of The Martian’s science in a series of tweets. No novelty there, except for one little dig at God, as Dr. Tyson is wont to do.  Others do it to appear science literate without the same camraderie.

Image via projectcasting.com

At first the obvious dig could have been dismissed as a one might ignore a deliberate mock or poked fun. Viewed as Dr. Tyson’s strategic and social media savvy style of stirring up interest on a topic that had been covered ad infinitum, it became what seems like a teacher’s boon to get the nerdy kid with knowledge on a topic that had not yet been covered to speak up. In contrast to emphasis on the tech and aerospace science of The Martian, the tale is at it’s core one of resilience, pure human grit and ingenuity. We explore this view in this discourse.

The indomitable protagonist of The Martian, Mark Watney, sets the tone of the story when he says he’ll just have to “science the shit out of this,” meaning the very complex and daunting engineering tasks of survival and rescue. Resilience, however, wins the Best Supporting Actor in the story, because without it, that statement would never have been uttered. As Watney himself stated in his assessment there was a cache of drugs that could be taken in lethal dose which would have made the book and the movie simply an interesting short on how to take a pharmacological exit when in the most dire straits. 

Image via slate.com

This is not to say resilience is not science. It is often that the physical sciences will dismiss or consider metaphysical science as an after thought. We generally forget that the scientific method, science, grew out of metaphysics, philosophy. Likewise, in the scheme of who gets to become an astronaut and actually get selected to go into space,  STEM may be prerequisite, but resilience is also a strong factor of consideration. Consider that presently six people are housed in a habitat on a volcano in Hawaii for research on long duration effects of isolation and interpersonal relations as might be expected in the Journey to Mars.

Image source: Center For Resilient Children

On the science of resilience let’s begin by teasing the phenomenon with a few words: devastation, destruction, adaptation, competent functioning, resourcefulness, realistic plans, follow through, confidence, strengths, abilities, communication, problem-solving, skills, manage, progress, failure, conscientiousness, experience and learning, sense of control, flexibility, effective risk, restructuring demanding situations. Without context, these terms could easily apply to any field of performance management. Not surprising, resilience factors are highly correlated with the Big 5 personality characteristics.

Image source via Internet

Wikipedia offers a comprehensive, objective definition of resilience:

Resilience is generally thought of as a "positive adaptation" after a stressful or adverse situation…"resilience research is focused on studying those who engage in life with hope and humor despite devastating losses". It is important to note that resilience is not only about overcoming a deeply stressful situation, but also coming out of the said situation with "competent functioning". Resiliency allows a person to rebound from adversity as a strengthened and more resourceful person.

Psychology Today defines Resilience (as)-- 

that ineffable quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever. Rather than letting failure overcome them and drain their resolve, they find a way to rise from the ashes…Even after misfortune, resilient people are blessed with such an outlook that they are able to change course and soldier on.

Wikipedia notes also, "Resilience" occurs when there are cumulative "protective factors"… These factors are not necessarily inherited; they can be developed in any individual and they promote resilience.”

Image Source: Center For Resilient Children

What are these “protective factors” and how do we recognize them? The factors that promote and demonstrate resilience can be summed up in two umbrella traits and processes: positivity and grit. 

Positivity includes having a healthy self-esteem and self-confidence in one’s strengths, abilities, and worth, an optimistic outlook and self-regulation. Positivity not only buffers the onslaught of negative reactions when facing catastrophic and difficult circumstances, Wikipedia notes, “it also facilitates adaptive coping, builds enduring social resources, and increases personal well-being.”

Watney is profiled as having an adaptive sense of humor, his wisecracking personality is his stress-response, the more stressful the situation, the more jokes are forthcoming. Neither bombastic or snarky, rather, his humor aims to ease tensions allowing for clarity and flexibility in restructuring the demands of the situation for greater effectiveness in assessing risks and resources. It’s the difference between seeing the existential absurdity of racking up a record number of “firsts” on Mars that he might not outlive versus being seen as an overweening blowhard with a hero complex obsessed with making history. So yes, even the irreverent flashcard showing emoji breasts when told he was on live communications is calculated in keeping things in perspective.

Beyond the sense of humor is Watney’s epic optimism. Faster than IBM’s Watson (Watney, Watson, smh) Watney takes stock of his situation from the immediacy of repairing his compromised space suit and injured body to his chances of getting off the planet, and then connecting the dots for getting from point A (staying alive) to point B (getting off Mars and back to Earth). He had no children or beloved spouse to drive his will to live, just pure, intrinsic self-worth, odds calculation, and can-do attitude. If we are looking for a modern concept of God to replace the traditional patriarchal model, this could be it, one in which a seamless, transparent inner relationship allows us to instanteously visualize the options and having the firm drive to “make it so.” We find evidence of this in the Christian Bible:

Now faith is [the] substantiating (realistic assessment) of things hoped for, [the] conviction (trust) of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1, Darby Bible Translation)

Now faith is a well-grounded assurance of that for which we hope, and a conviction of the reality of things which we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1, Weymouth Bible Translation)

Image source via Internet

Parabola’s Terry Cochran references this evolved concept of God, a connection to a vaster quantum universe beyond the finite individual:

“ you may find that something else is quietly happening when we face obstacles.  Under the mind that is freaking out or shutting down, we may find another mind, a vastly more quiet and responsive mind. And within the body that ordinarily seems so limited, so lacking in energy or strength or beauty, we may find a doorway to another body—an inner body of sensitivity and intuition that feels as vast and wise as the earth (the body is of the earth)…It is often in the midst of big trouble that we discover that the universe is responsive if we are…It turns out that faith is a willingness to let go of our ideas and see what is…(aka getting out of your own way.)

Are we veering off topic? No. Psychological studies have shown that faith is an ultimate protective factor when all else seems hopeless. 

Positivity is just the beginning with resilience; optimism must be backed with ability, determination and sustained effort. Picture the setbacks that could have overwhelmed Watney in the midst of isolation and you get the point. ‘Can’t stop; won’t stop’ is the dyed in the wool mantra of the other overarching factor in resilience, grit. 

"Prior to launching into space it pays to say goodbye to the 

comforting “prepared-for-anything-feeling”. But honestly,

the 20% of unknown is what I am most looking forward to!"

~ESA/NASA Astronaut Alexander Gerst (l.), pictured with

Russian Cosmonaut Makc Suraev (c.), and NASA Astronaut

Reid Wiseman (r.) preparing to launch to International Space

Station, Expedition 40/41.

Wikipedia defines grit as, 

 …the perseverance and passion for long-term goals. This is characterized as working persistently towards challenges, maintained effort and interest over years despite negative feedback, adversity, plateaus in progress, or failure.

Grit also explains why the pharmacological exit took no precedence with Watney--

Grit may also serve as a protective factor against suicide. A study at Stanford University found that grit was predictive of psychological health and well-being in medical residents.] Gritty individuals possess self-control and regular commitment to goals that allows them to resist impulses, such as to engage in self-harm. Individuals high in grit also focus on future goals, which may stop them from attempting suicide…Grit alone does not seem to be sufficient, however. Only individuals with high gratitude and grit have decreased suicidal ideation over long periods of time. Gratitude and grit work together to enhance meaning in life, offering protection against death and suicidal thoughts or plans.

Essential to his survival, Mark Watney demonstrated exceptional training and technical expertise that enabled him to hack solutions with the resources on hand. Even more vital, Watney’s personality—unquestioned belief in himself, expressed with humor, positivity, and sheer grit--enabled his triumph over seeming insurmountable odds in enduring four years to an uncertain rescue. To Mark, there was little doubt expressed that he would make it, just simply a solution focused perspective on what to do with the challenges that presented in the course of getting back to Earth. Not even the hab blowing up seemed terminal to him. In viewing The Martian’s epic tale from the perspective of human grit and ingenuity, we could say, Dr. Tyson’s dig handed the author and film-makers, a proposal for a sequel in which we will see how the experience shapes Watney’s life upon return to Earth including eidetic flashbacks of how his former life shaped him to become The Martian.

10 Factors of Resilience (caregiverresilience.com)

Learn more about Resilience and how it can be developed as a personal strength from these resources:

Studies show that there are several factors which develop and sustain a person's resilience:

1. The ability to make realistic plans and being capable of taking the steps necessary to follow through with them. 
2. A positive self-concept and confidence in one’s strengths and abilities. 
3. Communication and problem-solving skills. 
4. The ability to manage strong impulses and feelings

The American Psychological Association suggests "10 Ways to Build Resilience", which are:

1. to maintain good relationships with close family members, friends and others;
2. to avoid seeing crises or stressful events as unbearable problems; 
3. to accept circumstances that cannot be changed; 
4. to develop realistic goals and move towards them; 
5. to take decisive actions in adverse situations; 
6. to look for opportunities of self-discovery after a struggle with loss; 
7. to develop self-confidence; 
8. to keep a long-term perspective and consider the stressful event in a broader context; 
9. to maintain a hopeful outlook, expecting good things and visualizing what is wished; 
10. to take care of one's mind and body, exercising regularly, paying attention to one's own needs and feelings.

The Besht model of natural resilience building in an ideal family with positive access and support from family and friends, through parenting illustrates 4 key markers. They are:

1. Realistic Upbringing. 
2. Effective Risk Communications. 
3. Positivity and Restructuring of demanding situations. 
4. Building Self Efficacy and Hardiness.

Definitions--

1. Self-efficacy:- The belief in one’s ability to organize and execute the courses of action required to achieve necessary and desired goals.  
2. Hardiness:- Hardiness is a composite of interrelated attitudes of commitment, control, and challenge.

Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_resilience

Additional resources: 

What is Resilience-PBS
The Road to Resilience APA.org
Key Facts on Resilience Background Definition and Theory

The Martian (In Theatres October 2nd): A Food Desert Challenge

One of the most anticipated movie releases in 2015, The Martian, starring Matt Damon, deorbits in theatres this Friday, October 2nd. Of all the geekiest, McGyver improv survivalist things that captivate you about Matt Damon’s character, the instantly likeable Mark Watney, is among his repetoire of astronaut training he is a botanist. A botanist…*crickets* Yeah, a movie about a botanist is likely to be as slow moving as the seasons, but in Andy Weir’s prescient imagination, botany is exactly the preparation which meets the opportunity to increase Watney’s chances of surviving being marooned on yet to be inhabited Mars. The rest is credited to the rigorous, painstakingly detailed NASA astronaut training and space travel destination planning.

The island girl in me, who preferred day trips with grandma and uncles out on our large, bountiful piece of Eden to playing with dolls, perked up at the mention of this very existential task of growing food from scratch. Eventually, the gastronomist took over consideration of how to make a diet of predominantly potatoes not make you hate potatoes for life. This could happen as I remember seasons of breadfruit, dasheen, flying fish, and other yields of our bountiful Edenic offerings growing tiresome by the end of the summer. That never happened with mangoes or avocados though. Go figure, they top the list of #FoodOfTheGods.

What does happen when you have an abundance of one type of food is that you get creative and start rolling off an itinery of gastronomic styles and applications that might challenge or delight the palate. I’m surprised Watney did not roll off a Bubba list of potato recipes he could use to keep things interesting. The lowly potato is not only quite nutritious, feeding Watney’s optimism for survival, but quite versatile in preparation with only a few seasonings. Simply boiled it can seem bland, but baked and served with a tablespoon of butter (you can never have too much butter on a baked potato, right, Marty? 😊*An inside joke, the rest is NSFP*), it is elevated to the privileged status of #FoodOfTheGods. From breakfast to lunch and dinner, you could easily rotate for about a week or two and have a variety of yummy dishes from just potatoes. Just Go-ogle (yes, Sergey & Brin, I can do that 😇) and you'll be as delightfully amazed that there are as many potato recipes you can think of on the Internets. Roasted, baked, fried, scalloped, mashed, gnocchi, pancakes, fritters, soups, rolls, you can have your potatoes A-Z and eat it too. You can even make alcohol from potatoes.

Assorted "space food"/NASA

Aside from agrarian and gastronomic roots, another perspective which gravitates Watney’s potatoes-for-survival solution stems from the preoccupation with astronauts’ diet on the International Space Station. Recalling what I knew of military rations from historical accounts and I thought, egads, how quickly could one tire of that on a six-month tour of duty. There are critical factors of weight, hydration, among other things when considering propelling a supply cargo ship from Earth gravity to zero-G, so understandably the options are limited. Tortillas seem to be the versatile staple in the space station’s pantry, allowing astronauts to construct breakfast, lunch, and dinner burritos while keeping crumbs to a minimum. Burrito-style cheeseburgers are quite popular with the crew.

SA Astronaut Samantha Cristoferetti assembles flatbread sandwich 
with gourmet delicacies from her native Italian region.

NASA Astronaut Terry Virts tweeted his cheeseburger creation:
rehydrated beef, tomato paste, cheese sauce

Of the usual offerings of rehydrated fare, when asked what his favorite meal was on the space station, Astronaut Reid Wiseman consistently preferred the sweet and sour pork and chocolate pudding cake. Yummy. I’m now pescatarian so I’m relying on taste memory for that evaluation; I can see how the tart, sweet flavors can keep things interesting on rotation. High protein and flavorful when tastefully prepared, pork makes a desirable accompaniment to Watney’s central ingredient of potatoes. As the Martian opens this weekend, we open an Iron Chef inspired challenge to share your tastiest potato recipe with minimal ingredients and simple preparation. Here we feature a more elaborate (awesome seasoning goodness) homecoming sit-down with potatoes and ‘the other white meat’ even Wiseman and Watney could still find appetizing after a tour.


Appetizers
Spicy Bacon-Chorizo Potato Crepes/Pineapple-Mango Salsa

• Make Pineapple-Mango Salsa and store in refridgerator until ready to serve: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/jason-wrobel/pineapple-mango-salsa.html (ditch the red peppers).
• Make Bacon-Chorizo filling (overnight allows spices to mellow, or fresh before serving): http://www.thecrepesofwrath.com/2009/07/20/ground-beef-chorizo-chili/ (ditch the ground beef and add equivalent chorizo, double the bacon too, ditch chicken stock, beer, and everything on the last line of recipe; 
• Make crepes just before serving: http://www.food.com/recipe/potato-crepes-211949
• Assemble: Spoon Bacon-Chorizo filling onto top half of crepe; mark a vertical line in middle of filling; fold bottom half of crepe up to meet edges, then fold at the demarkation line to make fan shape fold. Place on serving platter along with Pineapple-Mango salsa with a spoon and cocktail napkins to serve.

Herbed Potato Puffs Fromaggio/EVOO-Basil Marinara

• Make potato puffs: http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Mashed-Potato-Puffs-896997?columns=3&position=3%2F40 (substitute Marinara for Sour Cream, or enjoy with both) 
• You can find some great marinaras a the gourmet store or you can put a little love in making your own: http://www.edgefitnessnow.com/homemade-roasted-tomato-basil-marinara-sauce
• Serve on platter along with Marinara and Sour Cream with spoons/hors d'oeuvre plates to serve.

Salad
Warm German Potato Salad on Hearts of Romaine

• Make potato salad (warm or cold): http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/german-potato-salad-recipe.html
• (Keep potato salad chilled or combine warm ingredients just before serving. Purchase package of hearts of romaine lettuce for maximum quantity, spoon potato salad into hearts of romaine leaves, and serve.)

Soup
Creamy Vichyssoise

• Make vichyssoise and chill (not being snarky): http://www.food.com/recipe/anthony-bourdains-les-halles-vichyssoise-136057?photo=367273
• For a semi-vegetarian option (ditch the chicken stock): http://www.marthastewart.com/332810/homemade-vegetable-stock

Entree
Sweet & Sour Pork Tenderloins with 3-Way Potatoes (Roasted Rosemary Fingerlings, Garlic Smashed Yukon Gold, Cilantro Potato Gnocchi), Haricots Verts Almondine & Pan Roasted Carrot Spears

• Prepare sweet and sour pork loin: http://www.afamilyfeast.com/sweet-and-sour-glazed-pork-tenderloin/ 

• Prepare potatoes:

• Roasted Rosemary Fingerlings http://www.food.com/recipe/roasted-rosemary-fingerlings-218656

• Garlic Smashed Yukon Gold: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/creamy_mashed_potatoes.aspx

• Cilantro Potato Gnocchi: http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/cilantro-pesto-gnocchi/

• Prepare vegetables:

• Haricots Verts Almondine: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/haricots-verts-with-toasted-almonds-and-caramelized-shallots.html

• Pan Roasted Carrot Spears: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/pan-roasted-carrots-with-mint-and-parsley-gremolata-recipe.html (Fancy things up using carrot spears)

Dessert
Tres-Leches Chocolate Cake a la mode

Substitute all-purpose flour with potato flour or mashed potatoes (will that work? Seen it done somewhere): http://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/tres-leches-chocolate-cake

Hmmm…wouldn’t it be totally rad to cater this menu for a special screening at AMC’s dinner theatre in Buckhead, or Fernbank, with an appearance from Damon, Wiseman, and Weir? …a girl can dream. And we're not counting calories here, Watney would need it. 😉

"Let This Not Be A Death, But Completeness": Dr. Wayne Dyer Has Died

Today ends on a sad note. Dr. Wayne W. Dyer who shared so much guidance, insight, and encouragement with us has died. Our deepest condolences to his family, loved ones, friends, fans, and the Hay House community. I cannot find the words for now so I will let Tagore's Flight to Freedom speak for my heart.

Let this time of parting be sweet

Let it not be a death, but completeness

Let your love melt into memory 

and your pain into songs

Let your flight through the sky begin with the unfolding of wings...

Stand still, oh beautiful (one), for a moment

And say your last words in silence

I bow to you and hold up my candle to give light to you 

on your flight to freedom

Here are some links to Dr. Dyer's wonderful children's books we covered a few years ago, DeepDish: Do you believe in Santa Claus? A gift of wisdom for all ages, 

and his blog 

Namaste

"That Is Not A Sunset": Reverence

Dream fragment (circa early to mid 2000s): I am standing in the doorway to the patio of my top floor apartment, facing west, a panaromic view of NW to SW. A colleague and friend is standing near the banister, facing me, his right hand on the banister he gestures behind him with his left. "That is not a sunset," he stated simply in an authoritative tone, prompting me to take in the orange glow of the atmosphere from what appeared to be the setting sun. I gazed into the light and realized it was not a setting sun, indeed, but a trinity of brilliant mandalas hovering in the sky, each depicting a different scene..."

I've spent a good bit of time over the years analyzing this dream (fan of Jungian analysis), particularly the trinity of mandala's and what it meant then as well as whenever it came to mind. The begining of the dream seems particularly important as I become aware of dreaming at precisely the point when the familiar figure states matter-of-factly, "that is not a sunset," compelling me to pay attention and look closer. Another significant factor was that the setting was exactly where I inhabited, on my patio where I had observed many times the pendulum like swerve of the earth's axis as the sunset tracked from left to right and right to left as the year and the seasons went by.

Tree top life.
See this and other bio-pics at SpiritVision(c) on Flickr.

For a child of the sun (Caribbean) sunsets are almost ritual, a childhood signal to head home from play, a transition from work to evening with a swim at Trunk Bay for a young graduate,

Image via natezeman.com

and a vital connection to the natural world for a young woman in the city.

Image via SpiritVision(c)

In the manner of the dream figure, sunsets are a beckoning to be present as the sun's glow deepens to a warm orange glow and turns the sky into a spectacular tableau. 

Naturally, I am drawn to sunsets real and in imagery, even before the dream, so when our friends at Pics Of The World tweeted this pic, I had to look. 

Image via Pics of the World

A riveting scene, otherworldly. Perhaps a Mars sunset some day in the future of our Space travel. Yet, I was sidetracked by the caption which described the sun setting on a lonely tree. Lonely tree... At first mystified by the label, then acknowledging that we each see through our own perceptions, I quoted the tweet with my own impression: "Meditative solitude. Sun worship." Just look at the symmetry and balance of lines and curves in the image with the sun poised at the center of the spreadeagle branches atop the trunk. A solificato.

A process was started as I kept going back to the picture on the Twitter timeline, then downloaded a copy. Some flowers along my daily walk reminded me of the purple, wine, pink atmospheric colors which led to creating a triptyich.

Each progression in the self-generative process seemed to expand the scene in my consciousness. Another dream came to mind, of me, walking up the hill overlooking Cruz Bay to my mother's home at sunset. I retrieved an original painting by a resident artist to see how closely the painting matched that dream. Somewhat but not quite. 

By then, the picture had become a meditation, organic, which, to me, approximates the Gayatri mantra. An Internet search yielded several versions, each resonating with its own meaning, forming a beautiful meditation of several stanzas.  Here are each interpretation of the Gayatri mantra, take them in part or as a whole.

Intepretation on gayatrimantra.net

Interpreted by enlightenedbeings.net

Interpreted by enlightenedbeings.net

Interpreted by enlightenedbeings.net

Interpreted by enlightenedbeings.net

Interpreted by gayatri.info

Namaste.

Image credits: SpiritVision(c), Pics of the World

Interpretations/translations:

enlightenedbeings.net 

gayatri.info 

gayatrimantra.net