The Aroma of Peace

Today is BlogBlast for Peace. Bloggers everywhere are sending out peace globes such as this one and blogging their thoughts on peace.

Words can be so very healing. I think food and aromas heal in a deeper way as they are capable of triggering intense primal emotions and memories.

We all have foods we think of as comfort foods - foods that feed more than just our bellies and fill us with more than just a list of nutrition facts.

Aromas also trigger emotional memories. The best aromas churn up memories of quiet, peaceful, or beautiful times. Right now, my fingers hold the pungent aroma of fresh picked basil and parsley. With each sniff I am reminded of times in the garden - planting, watering, and selecting parts of my dinner from the plants that survive my often lackadaisical care.

I have the aroma of peace in the tips of my fingers.

Peace and Pappardelle

Any day that promotes peace should include a peaceful offering at the table. On this most excellent day, when bloggers world wide are writing BlogBlasts for Peace, it struck me that if the entire world could sit down together and enjoy a purposefully mindful and peaceful meal, world peace could be achieved in one evening. Mindful and peacefully prepared, served, and consumed food is a balm for mind and soul, so today, I will prepare Peace and Pappardelle. Please join me and serve a peace-filled meal tonight.

Peace Globes

One of my favorite blogs about peace is Dona Nobis Pacem - The Peace Globe Posts.

She is the one that began BlogBlast 4Peace and there are a lot of things at her blog that will help you become one of us - we'd love to have you blog peace with us.

Janice

Mushrooms

the simple fungus is delicious, nutritious, healing food for the body and soul. Consuming them immediately connects me to the natural bounty of the earth. A very peaceful thing indeed.Today I will enjoy mushroom bourguignon, a mindfully peaceful dish filled with many gifts from the earth.

Four Rules

Four Rules for Living a Life of Mindfulness and Peace

With thanks to Micki Fine at Mindful Living.

1. Show up
2. Pay attention
3. Tell the truth without blame or judgment
4. Be open to outcome not attached to outcome

100 Reasons Why I Blog for Peace

You can blog for peace too by visiting Mimi Lenox's BlogBlast  For Peace. Use one of her beautiful templates to create your very own Avatar of Peace - or design one of your own! Then join our worldwide collective of Peace Bloggers on November 4, 2011 and blog your thoughts on peace. But, why wait? Start blogging now, and make the world a little more peaceful each and every day, one reason at a time.

100 Reasons to Blog4Peace

Reason #100 - because someone must stand in the face of unreasoning hatred and say "stop".

Reason #99 - so that my time on our planet matters.

Reason #98 - for my children and for children all over the world.

Reason #97 - to find a small quiet place within myself where I can find healing.

Reason #96 - because it's the right thing to do.

Reason #95 - to send out a ripple of hope.

Reason #94 - for the benefit high blood pressure everywhere.

Reason #93 - because force is the tool of violence and words are the tool of peace.

Reason #92 - because my podium is my blog and it does no good if I am quiet.

Reason #91 - so that soldiers may one day live in peace at home.

Reason #90 - because life is too short to spend a moment on hate.

Reason #89 - to give encouragement to others.

Reason #88 - to cool off a world on fire with rage.

Reason #87 - to become more mindful of the presence of peace.

Reason #86 - because a single voice matters.

Reason #85 - because someone must simply declare world peace.

Reason #84 - to help put a shattered world back together.

Reason #83 - so that children can grow up in peace.

Reason #82 - for my sanity and the sanity of the world.

Reason #81 - to make a difference.

Reason #80 - because hurting others is wrong.

Reason #79 - one person at a time really works.

Reason #78 - to collect my peaceful thoughts and learn to verbalize them more effectively.

Reason #77 - to collect all the pieces and use them to create peace.

Reason #76 - to remind me that anger does not bring peace.

Reason #75 - because when I stand for peace, I am part of the solution.

Reason #74 - because it makes me confront my fears for our world.

Reason #73 - to right wrongs.

Reason #72 - because if violence perpetuates itself, so can peace.

Reason #71 - to extend a hand in friendship.

Reason #70 - because the seriousness nature of the world's problems should not be ignored.

Reason #69 - because it really does give me a way to feel as if I matter.

Reason #68 - the planet is worth it.

Reason #67 - so I can unclench my brow.

Reason #66 - to fight hate.

Reason #65 - to give hope.

Food for Peace

USAID Food for Peace has helped save the lives of starving people all over the world for 50 years.

"Food is strength, and food is peace, and food is freedom, and food is a helping hand to people around the world whose good will and friendship we want." - John F. Kennedy in a 1960 speech in South Dakota, a few weeks before he was elected president.

This is the sort of organization the entire world should support. I hope it survives the current political trend of anti-intellectual, anti-concern for others, and anti-peace activism that is harming our country.

Fruit for Thought

I want to keep this blog simple. Maybe it will become something that I extend to others. Maybe it will remain just for me.

In part, it will be about simple natural food and the peaceful feelings that come from eating organic whole foods. This will be an encouragement for me to eat well. Maybe one day it will encourage others as well. Sometimes when I post I will pick a natural whole food and talk about it a bit and include enticing pictures.

Grapes are simple and natural. These beautiful red grapes were organic, and it felt good to eat them.

They were pretty too. I took my time and mindfully enjoyed each one. Noticing the variation of color, how they crunched, and how the juices squirted out. Satisfaction on a stem.