Berkshire Living "Rest of the Story" Free Event About Healthy Eating

Well, don't I feel special...as it happens, the March Berkshire Living community event is also an off-shoot of an article I wrote. The press release follows below. This event is free and the two panel members are both super smart and lively. Hope to see you there!

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Kripalu executive chef Deb Howard and Dr. Nina Molin, founder of Ananda Health Center for Integrative Medicine, will discuss strategies for health and wellness through healthy cooking and eating in "Eat Right," part of Berkshire Living's award-winning Rest of the Story series of free public forums, on Sunday, March 22, at 11 a.m., at the Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington.

An outgrowth of the story "Kitchen Aid," by writer Gina Hyams -- who will also participate in the event – in the March-April special Food and Dining issue of Berkshire Living, the event, moderated by editor-in-chief Seth Rogovoy, will focus on nutrition, ingredients, food selection, and healthy preparation methods, and include a question and answer session.

Each month, Berkshire Living, a regional lifestyle and culture magazine, and the Triplex join forces to present "The Rest of the Story," free public forums based on an article running in the concurrent issue of the magazine. The series was awarded a Gold Medal for Community Service by the National City and Regional Magazine Association.

For more information, call Berkshire Living at 413-528-3600.

Obamicon Yourself

I'm posting altogether too many photos of myself lately, but I thought you, too, might wish to Obamicon your profile picture in honor of our new president's upcoming inauguration. Click here for Paste Magazine's nifty free application.

R.I.P. Lucky Green Sweater

Looking through a folder of old digital photos this evening, I stumbled on this shot of Susan, Anne, and me celebrating the almost-sale of Searching for Mary Poppins and S's and my 40th birthdays at Tabla in New York. I'm wearing the fabled lucky green sweater, which will soon be transformed into a keepsake felted something thanks to Kari of Chixon.

Twitter Update

"Blog to reflect. Tweet to connect."

I don't know where this quote originated. I read it via Debbie Stier whose Twitter stream I stumbled upon a few days ago -- how I don't remember, I just liked that in her profile, she described her profession as "Publishing Insurgent."

I figured out how to feed my Twitter updates to this blog (see right), so those of you who don't want to join the fray can still get a taste of it and click as you like on the various interesting links that pass through.

RT = retweet, meaning one is forwarding on someone else's post. @whatever name = who one is responding to or talking about. Out of context, the posts may not make much sense. That's OK. Just let the experience of reading them wash over you and whatever pleasure or horror sticks, that's the point.

My friend Susan Ito blogged about the appeal of Twitter and Facebook today. She wrote, "I was always a sucker for passing notes in class, and writing observations in a notebook a la Harriet the Spy, and this is the grownup, high tech version of that." Exactly.

will.i.am's "It's a New Day" video

I woke up happy, with this song blasting through my head. Perhaps you, too, would like to watch this video again.

Lemon Water, Lotusland, Hello

Hello, Imaginary Friends --

As I type this entry, a wildfire rages in Santa Barbara and my thoughts are with Lotusland, an extraordinary garden that seems to be in the fire's path. I took Dave there for his birthday years ago. It would be sad to lose this historic treasure. If it survives and you haven't visited, I suggest you book a trip there pronto.

I spent the week at an organic juice purification retreat at Kripalu doing research for an article. I'd never fasted before and it was...challenging. I found that the detoxification process made me queasy (a symptom that, according to the instructor, meant my gallbladder was purging). My sense of smell became so acute, I couldn't stomach the potassium-rich root vegetable broth or the enzyme-laden green juice spiked with spirulina. Even the ginger tea didn't sit well. I mostly stuck to lemon water, Emergen-C, and millet. After four days, I emerged radiant, five pounds slimmer, and a little loopy, craving yams and chicken soup.

While the experience was interesting, I can't imagine wanting to repeat it...except for the lemon water part, which I've vowed to keep drinking every day. I'm quite convinced that it, salsa music, and walking Goose in the woods, are key to my mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

I hope you all are well. Thanks for stopping by.

Love,
Gina

UPDATE - November 17, 2008
Good news posted on the Lotusland website:

"We are relieved to let you know that Lotusland has survived the devastating Tea fire. We would like to express our most sincere gratitude to the brave firefighters, police, sheriff, and all departments involved in the heroic effort to save lives and property. For further information please check www.montecitofire.com."

Duncan Sheik to Perform at the Mahaiwe

Next Saturday, November 15, singer-songwriter-composer Duncan Sheik will perform selections from his hit musical, Spring Awakening (which won eight Tony Awards in 2007 ), along with other original material, at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington. Spring Awakening original cast member Lauren Pritchard will join him for the concert. How fun is that? Be there!

And please consider joining me as a friend of the Mahaiwe, which just lost $150,000 of its funding due to state budget cuts. We are so lucky to have this gem of a venue in our little town.

Ben Hillman's Victory Video

O to Joy from Ben Hillman on Vimeo.

Yes We Did

Zilly Rosen of Zillycakes in Buffalo, New York, built a likeness of our now President-Elect Barack Obama using 1,240 cupcakes. Click here to read an interview with the artist-baker.

I feel proud to be an American this morning.

Pumpkins for Obama

YES WE CARVE
For stencils to carve your own Barack O' Lantern, click here.

Babies for Barack Obama

American Prayer (Barack Obama Music Video)

Shelley Memorial Movie Club Goes to Wilco at Tanglewood

Jamie, Emily, Georgene, me, and Lisa
(sorely missed: Chandler and Kathleen!)

This photo doesn't do justice to our Wilco picnic, which even at Tanglewood prompted oohs and aahs from passersby. That's my Barefoot Contessa Fresh Corn Salad (with corn cooked Dan's mom's way) in the upper right of the table...yes, we had a proper table, a card table sawed down to picnic size thanks to Jamie.

Hello, Neighbors (Part Two)

Welcome, Berkshire Eagle readers.

Remembering Shelley Jean Schuster Abrahams

Shelley with daughters Lily and Anna

Shelley passed away a year ago today at age 46 of bladder cancer. The local obituaries noted that she left behind a stunned community. Her most recent prognosis had been that she was out of the woods and then suddenly she was dead, leaving behind her beloved daughters and husband Ed, along with hundreds of stunned and shaken friends who packed Hevreh for her funeral. She was a whip smart, funny, strong, generous person, who took the wellbeing of her community extremely seriously.

It was my great good fortune to meet her within weeks of moving to the Berkshires. In her honor, I co-founded the Shelley Memorial Movie Club, which has evolved over the year to be a monthly night out with a group of six moms. We eventually decided to skip the movie and head straight to dinner as we're all so hungry to talk. I cherish these new friendships and am grateful to Shelley for her legacy.

Paging Germantown, Maryland

This blog is oddly popular in Germantown, Maryland, a place I've never visited. Who are you people? Do you know each other? I'm mystified, but appreciative of your interest.

Who's Going to James Taylor at Tanglewood?

There may not be much glory in my job, but there are some perks...like two out-of-the-blue lawn tickets (and a parking pass!) to James Taylor's sold-out July 4th concert at Tanglewood. There will be fireworks and 18,000 people there.


Are any of you going? Can I come to your glamorous Tanglewood picnic like the one pictured above? I could bring something fancy, like this. Or not.

Also, I haven't yet given away the extra ticket, so I hereby announce the first Gina's Blog of Curiosities Sweepstakes. If you would like to be entered into a random drawing to be my date to the James Taylor concert, please send me an e-mail at ginahyams @ gmail.com by Sunday, June 15, 5pm. Winner will be announced at approximately 5:01pm that day. Annalena will certify that I actually close my eyes before I reach into the bag or hat or whatever to pull the winning name.

Hello, Neighbors

Well, yesterday's off-the-cuff (off-the-wall?) review is generating more local traffic to this blog than usual...hello, neighbors. It's a little unnerving, as my worlds rarely collide.

Michael Pollan moved with his family from Connecticut to California about the time we made the reverse move. I'm told that he's explained the difference between the cultures by describing how in New England you might see someone everyday at the post office and after ten years they might consider inviting you to tea, whereas in California you meet someone at a school PTA function and they immediately invite you to their home to try out their new hot tub.

My fantasy of small town New England life involved lots of pie. Neighbors would welcome us with pie. There would be lots of occasions for pie. I'd learn to bake. Suffice to say that hasn't happened and if any of you would care to introduce yourselves, I'd be happy to meet you.