Some more thoughts for the day and a recipe

When I started blogging it was for the "soul" purpose of having an outlet for my thoughts. An on-line journal of my journey through life.
I made myself a promise to always be myself and not just write stuff to be popular or to appease the masses. That is not me, and if you know me you are probably laughing a bit, trying to imagine me just saying things for the sake of popularity or because it was the thing everyone was saying at the time.
From the time I was a child, I marched to my own drum beat.
When I write, its my thoughts, for me, not trying to change anyone else. Sure, I would be a liar if I didn't want everyone to get off this materialistic "plastic" highway to nowhere. I would much rather see people live simply and without all the stress this world is so full of. I would love to see people talk more, listen more, walk more, step gently on the land. Think more than just act and not to care what the world standard seems to dictate as far as "what we must have." I personally think it would make for a better world
But those wishes of mine come from knowing that people want to live simply but simply don't know how to get off the hamster wheel of life as we know it.
I sure have found out in the last year that there are lots of people wanting a simple life for themselves. I hear from so many each and every day.

What I do write about is what I think for me, what's right for me, what is my personal journey, my calling.
If it tugs and you and you can empathize, great. If it makes you mad, its not for you. Simple as that.
With me, what you see is exactly what I am. I will share my confusions, my desire to live better, to be a better person, my mistakes and my seeking more each and every day to be at peace with how I live.
I see my life as global, not just my house, my street, my town, my state, my country. I see the whole world. People loving their children with the same depth that I love mine with. I see each of us with the same needs of happiness, contentment, food, clothing and a home. We all need medical help, we all need respect, we all need compassion shown to each of us. Its not religious doctrin we need, its humility and compassion.
I have no desire to upset anyone or make you feel defensive for how you chose to live. I am simply marching to my own drum beat as I always have done or tried to. I have lost my way a few times. Being part of the mennonite community was one of those times.
Its never been a crowded road I walk and I don't expect it ever will be.
If I can put a smile on one person a day, I am happy. If I can cloth one person a day, I am happy. If I can feed one person a day I am happy. Not by writing a check and putting it in the offering plate or mailing it off to some place, but with my own hands, with compassion running through my veins and with no judgment for how these folks got where they are.
That's what I want to do. So that requires changes in so many elements of my life.
I am not you and you are not me. There is room next to me on this road should you wish to join me, in making the world different with your own steps, your own words, your own hand.
In the late 1960's and early 1970's, I was idealistic. I married, raised an incredible family, and now its time to pick up that idealism again.

Even in respect to what I eat and what I wear, I want to be more aware.

Today the treat of choice to make for our hike tomorrow is this recipe.
It started out as a written out recipe that I found on line, but gradually transformed until it no longer resembled what I had printed off. So guess now its my recipe.
Think I will call it......

Bars of Change

1/2 cup rice syrup
1/2 cup light agave nectar
1 cup nut butter (I used hazelnut butter )
2 T hemp seed butter

In a large bowl combine.....
2 cups puffed brown rice cereal
( I was out of this so used 2 cups rice puffins a bit crunched up)
1 cup fine unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup date sweetened carob chips or choc chips
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

Bring syrups to a boil in a medium saucepan, simmer on low for 2 minutes. Stir often
Add nut butter, and simmer on low for another 3 minutes, stirring often
Add the hemp seed butter after cooking the other ingredients, it will blend in to the warm
mixture nicely.

Pour hot syrup with the nut butter over the dry ingredients and blend well

Spread into a greased 9x13 pan
Cool, cut and enjoy.