I earned a master’s degree in leadership from Gonzaga University (Go Zags! Pre-season #1 ranking for college basketball!). Getting this degree was a pivotal point in my life – I was 48 years old and going back to school?? It was a great move for me, and I love Gonzaga for enabling me to enrich my life.
Gonzaga’s president addressed graduates this year. with a treatise on The Gift of Simple Truths. We have all had our lives changes and disrupted, and President McCulloh stated, very accurately, there are things we’ve learned and certain truths have been affirmed and more obvious – “When we persist in spite of adversity, we become stronger and more resilient.”
Here are the five pieces of advice shared:
- Nurture the people who matter the most to you. Make them feel good by treating them properly.
- Find a vocation that makes you happy. Wealth and status are not central to your being; joy and fulfillment will carry you much further.
- Use your awareness. Our world has become cynical and less than trusting. It’s important to choose your response – be positive, build others up, speak up, or remain silent – make your world be a better place for you and for others.
- When the going gets tough, get moving! We are all experiencing uncertainty right now. Don’t let it immobilize you. Keep moving forward as best you can toward new adventures and experiences.
- Never forget you are a beloved person. We are miraculous creations of a higher power! Remember this when you, or others make you, doubt your self-worth.
President McCulloh implored the graduates to remember the above wisdom as gifts to be used when needed, and I’ll add the same request here. Keep yourself firm and fit both physically and mentally. Reach out to those who love you and you love. And, when our lives normalize again, keep these Simple Truths close to you. They are timeless.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
A week ago, our grandchildren came over to Mimi and Chief’s to carve (and paint) pumpkins. With lots of help from their aunts and uncles, we had a fun night – and great creations!
Pumpkin is a superfood high in nutrients, both the pulp and the seeds. Pumpkin is a great source of potassium, beta-carotene, and other anti-oxidants, like lutein and zeaxanthin, which are good for eye and vision health. Maybe this is why we carve eyes and mouths into a pumpkin for Halloween! Pumpkin also contains vitamin A, calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, plus a healthy amount of fiber.
Pumpkins seeds (sometimes called pepitas) have healthy protein – about the same as black beans, and the fiber mentioned above. Roasting pumpkin seeds brings out their good nutrients.
Grab a pumpkin from your neighborhood farmers market or vendor and roast it one nice fall afternoon. If you, too, are carving pumpkins, save the seeds and follow the recipe below. It’s easier than you think!
Roast pumpkin like any type of squash. Cut it open (carefully!), remove the seeds and stringy insides. Rub olive or coconut oil on the cut areas, place face down on a baking sheet lined with foil, parchment, or a silicone baking sheet. Wash the seeds off and dry them.
On another lined sheet, toss the seeds with the same oils as above, add any seasonings you like – sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger to make them sweet or sea salt, garlic, turmeric or cayenne pepper to make them savory. Bake at 350 degrees. Keep your eye on the seeds – they won’t need much time to roast. Remove them once they appear crispy. Let them cool and store in a glass container for munching anytime you’d like.
Continue roasting the pumpkin for about an hour (depends on the size) until the pumpkin is soft and squishy – use a knife to test. Allow it to cool, and scrape the pulp from the skin. Voila! Your own pumpkin filling that can be used in recipes in place of canned pumpkin filling. Or, add some organic butter and spices to it and eat it just as it is.
Great advice and great roasting this month! To Your Vitality!
