Month: May 2025

Love After Love by Derek Walcott

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Love After Love

Derek Walcott

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

Source

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Today’s Quote: Discover the Small Joys

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“Many people lose the small joys in the hope for the big happiness.” ― Pearl S. Buck

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Healthy Foods: Orange You Glad We Made This Tex Mex Twist? Vitamin C Just Got Spicy

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Oranges aren’t just for breakfast anymore—or just for winter sniffle season. These citrus superstars deserve a year-round VIP pass to your plate. And once you taste this sizzling Tex Mex dish starring juicy oranges, you’ll wonder why they weren’t doing the cha-cha with your jalapeños sooner.

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Four Healthy Reasons to Eat Oranges Year-Round

  1. Immune Support that Doesn’t Clock Out Oranges are loaded with vitamin C, your immune system’s favorite wingman. Whether it’s flu season or just allergy season in South Texas (read: always), these citrus bombs help your white blood cells stay ready for action.
  2. Heart Health in Every Slice Packed with potassium and antioxidants, oranges help regulate blood pressure and reduce inflammation. Translation: they’re like yoga for your arteries.
  3. Fiber That Keeps Things Moving One orange provides about 3 grams of fiber, which supports digestion, balances blood sugar, and helps you avoid becoming besties with your antacid tablets.
  4. Skin So Radiant, You’ll Glow Like a Sunset Vitamin C is key to collagen production, which means fewer wrinkles and more glow. Bonus: oranges hydrate you while you munch.

🌶️ Tex Mex Citrus Fiesta Bowl (with Orange Mojo Sauce)

🥗 Ingredients:

  • 2 medium oranges, peeled and segmented
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange (for the sauce)
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, minced (optional for extra kick)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

🍊 Orange Mojo Sauce:

  • Juice and zest of 1 orange
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Pinch of salt

🛠️ Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients for the orange mojo sauce until well combined.
  2. In a large bowl or plate, arrange brown rice as your base.
  3. Top with black beans, bell pepper, red onion, avocado, and orange segments.
  4. Drizzle with the orange mojo sauce.
  5. Garnish with cilantro and jalapeño. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Final Word:

Oranges are more than your lunchbox’s old flame. They’re nutrition powerhouses that can dance right into your Tex Mex routine. Give your body what it wants—and your taste buds a reason to party.

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Healthy Tips: Thankful to Heart-Healthy: A Gratitude Love Story

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Turns out saying “thanks” is good for your ticker. No jogging required (but go ahead if that’s your thing).

Grateful people have healthier hearts. Studies show lower blood pressure and reduced inflammation in folks who regularly practice gratitude. Tonight, take a moment to thank your heart—literally—for showing up every day. That quiet pump deserves some love.

Send a thank-you message—text, email, or handwritten—to someone who’s supported you. Your heart (and theirs) will beat stronger for it.

You know what else gratitude strengthens? Your immune system. Yep, “thank you” might just be your new multivitamin. See our next post.

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Muscle Mayhem: Who Would Win in an Animal Arm-Wrestling Match?

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They don’t hit the gym, but these animals are jacked. Which one would dominate in a no-holds-barred arm wrestling showdown (if they had arms, of course)?

QUIZ START

Today’s Quote: There’s Wisdom Here

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“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king. J. R. R. Tolkien

Still ~ A Poem by T. P. Cameron Wilson

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Still

T. P. Cameron Wilson

STILL though chaos
Works on the ancient plan;
Two things have changed not
Since first the world began.
The beauty of the wild green earth
And the bravery of man.

Source

Healthy Foods: Red Hot & Healthy: Why Red Peppers Deserve a Standing Ovation (and a Tortilla Wrap)

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Red peppers don’t just make your plate look like a confetti explosion—they’re nutritional ninjas dressed in party clothes. And when you toss them into a sizzling Tex Mex dish? Ay caramba, your taste buds and your heart will thank you.

🩺 Health Benefits of Red Peppers:

Red bell peppers aren’t just crunchy eye candy—they’re one of the healthiest foods in the produce aisle. Here’s why:

  • Vitamin C Superstar: One red bell pepper packs more than 150% of your daily vitamin C, supporting immune health and collagen production (translation: fewer sniffles and smoother skin).
  • Antioxidant Armor: Loaded with beta-carotene, capsanthin, and lutein, red peppers help fight inflammation and oxidative stress—your body’s sworn enemies.
  • Eye Health Hero: With vitamin A and zeaxanthin, red peppers help protect your vision. Perfect if you want to see who took the last taco.
  • Low-Cal & High-Fiber: They’re waistline-friendly and digestion-happy, making them ideal for healthy meals without the bloat.

🌮 Healthy Tex Mex Recipe: “South Texas Sizzlin’ Stuffed Peppers”

Ingredients:

  • 4 large red bell peppers (cut in half, seeds removed)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa (or brown rice)
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, minced (optional—but come on, it’s South Texas!)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Optional toppings: avocado slices, plain Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream), hot sauce

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. Rub the red pepper halves with olive oil and place on a baking dish, open side up.
  3. In a bowl, mix quinoa, black beans, onion, jalapeño, tomatoes, cumin, paprika, lime juice, cilantro, and season to taste.
  4. Stuff the pepper halves with the mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
  5. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes until peppers are tender and tops are slightly crisp.
  6. Top with avocado, a dollop of Greek yogurt, and a dash of your favorite Tex Mex hot sauce.

South Texas Tip: If you’re brave, roast the peppers beforehand over an open flame to get that smoky, blistered flavor. Your ancestors and your taste buds will cheer.

Healthy Tips: Gratitude: Nature’s Stress Buster You Don’t Have to Swallow

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An attitude of gratitude has health benefits for us. For the next 5 days, including today, I will provide blog posts that provide a way in which you can use gratitude to improve your health.

Why pop a pill when you can lower stress levels by saying “thank you” to life’s little gifts—like your coffee staying hot until the last sip?

Chronic stress wrecks your health—but gratitude fights back. Research shows that practicing gratitude reduces cortisol levels and increases heart rate variability, a marker of resilience. Start small: each night before bed, write down 3 things you’re grateful for. They can be as simple as not burning your toast.

Practice Tip: Create a “gratitude jar.” Each day, write one good thing that happened and toss it in. On tough days, pick a few out and remind yourself: you’ve got more wins than you thought.

Think gratitude only calms your nerves? Wait until you see what it does for your heart—literally. Stay tuned for a cardiac surprise.

New Podcast: You Can’t Go Back. But You Can Move Forward—With Grit and Grace

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In this episode of Journey from Grief to Healing, Ray shares a personal story of leaving home at 18 to join the army—and how that pivotal moment taught him a truth we all live: life is a series of transitions, and none of us are ever truly “settled.”

From small life changes to monumental grief, the way we navigate transitions defines our happiness. Using poignant reflections and a healthy dose of old neighborhood wisdom (yes, Moxie makes an appearance), Ray explores how grief fits into the larger arc of human change—and how embracing the ride is the only way to eventually arrive at peace.

Whether you’re adjusting to life after loss or simply riding the wave of another big shift, this episode reminds you: You’re not alone. You’re not broken. You’re in transition—and that means hope is walking with you.

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