What is real?

I am one of those that likes to think outside the box and this is a question that I find I have to ask myself a lot. This is not a ‘Matrix’ reference (which I do get a lot with the last name of Anderson). This is on a deeper level. So get ready to jump down a rabbit hole and see where it leads.

When you look at the religions of the current era, you will notice there is one common theme – one divine entity. Why? Why were all the other gods and goddess’s demoted? What makes them so different than the singular god that most follow today?

If we look at the world that we live in now, wouldn’t it make more sense to see each part of nature for what it is? How does one deity control all that we see and know? To me this makes no sense.

When we go down the rabbit hole we see that the Ancient religions had something more. Instead of one deity there were many. This was an easy way for people to understand the world. If you looked at the world today through the ancient gods you would see that there would be a better chance at paradise for more through the balance that people had in their lives.

Let’s go further down the rabbit hole, shall we? If we go back to Ancient Greece, we find there were the original gods called the ‘Titan’s’. They were the parents to the Gods of Olympus. When you look at the God’s of Olympus, they all had human qualities. Zeus while being married to Hera, he was well known for having affairs outside the marriage. Ares, the god of war had a counter balance, Athena. While Ares showed the crazy and blood lust side of war, Athena was the calculating one. The one that had the strategy.

While each had their own sphere of influence they also were able to show human sides as well. The reason for the seasons? When Hades took Persephone to be his wife, her mother Demeter went into a period of morning for her daughter. To make sure that Demeter would help the humans survive by bringing the spring and summer, Zeus convinced Hades to let Persephone come up to the surface for a period of time each year to be with her mother.

Hades agreed but Persephone had to return to the Underworld each year for the number of pomegranate seeds that she ate. She had eaten 7 seeds so for our fall, winter and part of spring she is in the Underworld with Hades and when the thaw has started it is when Demeter is getting ready to see her daughter again.

Do you like to drink wine and have a nice BBQ? In the ancient times that would have been a celebration in honor of Dionysus. Originally known as the god of fertility he later became known as the god of wine and pleasure.

So the next time you hear someone saying that the ancient ways are ‘pagan’ remember that they had a life full of wonder and celebration. While they may not have had the internet, they had lives that were rich with celebrations of the natural world. The next time that you see a person and fall head over heals in love with them – thank Cupid and his bow. For it is said that any person who was shot with one of Cupid’s arrows would inspire love and passion in the victim of his shot.

Real Foods … Real Fast

These are some of my favorite meals that believe it or not don’t cost a lot to make and are so wonderful to eat. They are also very healthy. For an FYI you may want to have a crockpot if possible so you can start it and go.

Teriyaki Chicken– Yes you read that correctly. You can have teriyaki Chicken and be healthy as well. There are several teriyaki sauces that are low salt and very tasty. I will take a couple of green onions cut them up, some garlic crushed up, olive oil and toss it all in the crock pot. I will normally use Soy Vay Teriyaki sauce and pour one bottle in the crock pot. Add water to the bottle and shake it up well. Add that in as well. Put some boneless skinless chicken breast or other parts of the chicken (as long as it is boneless and skinless) in the crock pot. 1/2 of a small spoon of chicken bullion in as well. Make sure the chicken is covered with liquid and cook in a crock pot for 6 hours on high or 8 on low. – Serve with rice and enjoy.

*** You can add lemon juice, sesame seeds, pineapple juice or pieces for some added flavor.

Pasta Bake– Yes, pasta bake. Slightly different than Lasagna but just as good. This one does take a bit longer.

In the crockpot you want to add two cans or jars of plain or your favorite spaghetti sauce, toss in some fresh onion cut up small, garlic crushed small, Italian seasoning, diced tomatoes and meat precooked. A couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a small spoonful of sugar. The sugar will calm down the acid. Put it on high for 6 hours on the crockpot and you can stir if you want.

When the sauce is done, take some pasta (macaroni, rigatoni, or spirals) and cook most of the way. Put a layer of pasta in a baking pan, then some sauce, you can add some cheese shredded if you want, and repeat until the pan is full. Top with shredded cheese and bake for 30 minutes at 350.

Split Pea Soup – This is a good one for the cold winter days and you can use meat in it or not and different types of meats. I use dried split peas in this. Put some olive oil in the bottom of the crock pot and spread it around so the peas don’t stick. Put in 1 bag of dried peas in the crock pot, some onion and garlic cut into large chunks in, cut small carrots in quarters, if you want to add meat cut in small pieces here and 7 cups of water. You can add Italian seasoning if you want or potatoes that are cut up small and about a lid full of olive oil. Cook for about 5 hours stirring a couple of times. Cook on high.

Take the time …

Take the time to listen. With the pandemic that is going on, we often forget to listen to others. We may want to tell someone to ‘go for a walk’ or ‘let it go’ it maybe hard for the person to do just that. The reason is that a person may not be able to get out and ‘go for a walk’. If a person has a walking challenge then telling them to go out and go for a walk is only going to make the person feel worse.

Taking the time to understand that a person may not feel safe with doing something that for you is easy is important. Whether people have a history that prevents them from doing something or there is a feeling of dread when they do needs to be understood. If you don’t understand how a person feels then making a mistake of opening your mouth and sticking your foot in it can happen. An example is if a person has a fear of going outside then telling them to go for a walk isn’t the best thing to say.

Taking the time to care. Most people are worried about how to make it during the challenging times that we live in and are often forget to think about the others that need care. They may need a person to talk to, or they may need a shoulder to cry on but the most important thing is that we show each other that we care.

Understanding that there are people need to hear a voice that cares, understands and is willing to listen while things are so uncomfortable. People in this time, are so willing to do things if they are getting paid for it. The thing is that we shouldn’t have to pay for friendship. We shouldn’t have to pay for an understanding voice to listen when we have neighbors and people who should be willing to help in the community.

We need to be part of community that cares and is willing to listen and care for each other.