Saffron Gourmet

Saffron Gourmet
1007 Solano Ave
Albany, CA 94706
(510) 528-8282


I must mention the name of this place gives away some of my affinity for exotic spices, so naturally I was thrilled to stumble in while wandering one morning on Solano ave.

The owner and market are a true gem of a find with flavors out of this world. The smells, well, words cannot do justice. I encourage you to go there and give your nose the opportunity to experience it for yourself.

I visit Saffron whenever I can. I am quite hooked on a lot of the signature dishes usually including pomegranate, or moroccan flavors. Even rice! Who knew rice could taste so good? My delight continues when I find zataar, and challah. Though I am not Jewish, I have an affinity for really good finds and food, and respect and honor hospitality.

The spices are curious even to my not so standard american diet (SAD), and make the entire mouth happy.

After speaking with the owner a bit, I learned a little more about his philosophy of food and what a slow food advocate he is. Naturally! To find someone who is capable of creating a way for people to have complex and healthy dishes, by bringing in traditional dishes to a take out counter, dinners don't have to be complicated and entertaining need not be a burden.

Jamsheid has engineered flavor. Additionally he's dishing ingredients of season, enthusiasm, natural ability, and passion in every culinary masterpiece.

My secret wish list for my next birthday is to have it catered by Saffron.

astrology and astronomy

Get ready for drama! A total eclipse of the Sun will occur in the sign of Cancer on July 21-22. Although this eclipse will only be visible in northern India, eastern Nepal, northern Bangladesh, Bhutan, the northern tip of Myanmar, central China and the Pacific Ocean, this is the longest total solar eclipse that will occur in the twenty-first century. This total eclipse will last for up to 6 minutes and 39 seconds; will not be surpassed in duration again until June 13, 2132!

A Solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is exactly between the Sun and the Earth, blocking the solar rays from reaching us. From ancient times to the modern-day world, solar eclipses have heralded spectacular events and drama! This eclipse occurs in the last degree of Cancer -- and brings all the Cancerian energies of home, family, nurturing, caring, maternal instincts, emotions and sensitivity into focus.

Eclipses always occur in pairs. While a lunar eclipse brings the past into the present to see what works, a solar eclipse brings the future to present and triggers new potentials. Since Cancer rules family, home and vocation these areas will take center stage during this eclipse.

What does the eclipse mean for you? Since this eclipse occurs in the sign of Cancer, its impact will feel different depending on which House Cancer is positioned in your birth chart. Where the eclipse falls in the chart is significant, as the energies expressed by its house placement will show the areas of life that are affected by the new beginning that is implied.

If your Sun sign or Ascendant is Cancer, almost every part of your life will be affected. If Cancer is in your First or Seventh House, you will focus on yourself, your marriage or your relationship. If it is situated in the Second or Eight House, your earnings or joint finances will be impacted. If it is the Third or Ninth House, travel or educational pursuits are highlighted. In the Fourth or Tenth House, home and career will be front and center. Eclipses in the Fifth or Eleventh House put the spotlight on self-expression, children, groups and organizations. Finally, eclipses in the Sixth or Twelfth House put the focus on health, work and service. Wisdom holds that events that are triggered by an eclipse usually take six months to unfold, so you can expect this process of change to continue. The opportunity to break old patterns will present themselves as you make changes.


astrology.com

another letter---this one about leadership

Leadership-A Daily Gift

I just spent the last week vacationing on the shores of Lake Ontario, a hallmark setting, not a rumble of city life for miles. Subsequent to this gorgeous setting I had very little access to the outside world. The one day that I was able to get the New York Times, on my iphone actually, I was struck by an article about President Obama’s nominee for Surgeon General.

Dr. Regina Benjamin is a rural Alabama family physician whom founded a clinic in a small shrimping village called Bayou La Batre. (sound familiar…yep Forrest Gump) The town of 2,500 contained residents with almost no health insurance, most are immigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Since opening the clinic, she has rebuilt it 3 times due to hurricane devastation. During the rebuilding she twice mortgaged her own home, maxed out 3 credit cards, and to this day is owed $300,000 dollars of her own money she put into the clinic. If this is not the mark of a leader, someone who leads with action, then I don’t know what is.

I’ve often found that when academics, motivational speakers, politicians and the like speak of leadership, they regularly refer to military heroes. Individuals whom have marked themselves on the battlefield, bled for country, cause, or possibly just the man next to them. These metaphors ring true in our ears, years of cinematic vignettes flood our minds. We recall explosions, last breaths and the fearless leader promising it will be okay.

Fortunately for most of us, we have never had to endure the trappings of war, never been asked to charge a bunker in some distant land, or take a final sweetheart letter from a fallen comrade. But still each day offers us a chance of sacrifice, an opportunity to provide leadership in a moment of uncertainty, give hope when it seems there is nothing to be promised. We do not need a battlefield to experience this, we simply need to open our eyes to the opportunity before us.

We awake each day with the incredible gift to lead. Leadership is not pithy sayings, kitschy slogans, or daily calendar quotes. Leadership is taking on the personal responsibility, everyday, to have your actions and deeds be the example that your words describe. Leaders awake every morning with the conviction of person to carve their own path, they call on their own minds to be the lighthouse of guidance. A leader has the confidence, and welcomes the challenge, of standing alone, accountable and compassionate of others. A leader does not say, “follow me”, rather, a leader says, “follow you.” Be reliant, and unwavering with the commitment to yourself, and your own personal truth.

Leaders have vision. There is very little more powerful than an individual’s imagination. Imagination is often associated with fanciful daydreaming, the best friend of childhood. But imagination is the emotional capital of the true entrepreneur. It’s not enough to articulate your vision; you must be the very manifestation of your words. Leaders are always cognizant of the greater purpose, and have active plans of achievement.

Leaders set standards. Accountability begins intrinsically. We often assume accountability is a list of responsibilities. A schedule, punctuality, bills. Accountability comes from within. It is the fervent belief that I will not let myself down.

Leaders take vigorous action. Passivity is the mark of the follower. They are stagnant and allow themselves to be victims of circumstance rather. Circumstances only befall those who allow it to be so.

Leaders make excellence the expectation. An individual can never outperform their own expectations, if they expect excellence. Mediocrity is simply the result of mediocre ambitions. Be brazen with your thoughts, desires and expectations.

Leaders don’t set out to be so, the integrity of their actions and intent make them so.

All My Best,

jay_signature lake-ontario

Jay Kubassek

time keeping

It brings me great relief to know that the feelings and gut intuitions I have about "these days" is validated by and honored with systems beyond some of our comprehension. I take delight in being part of the collective transformation, and monumental shifts occurring at this very instant.

Years ago I had the great pleasure of meeting a mentor, and star (gazer that is) to help me along the path of self discovery I indefinitely find myself on. After a class, a year of following the calendar, essences and a consult later, I still find myself in awe of Li, aka Stargazer.

Luckily, she was prepared, wise beyond years with essences, a calendar, and the most amazing astronomical information. Being a student of astronomy myself and delving very much into the mathematics of space and time, this is my language!

She's now found a way to keep this information in circulation for today's minds and schedules. take a listen. delight. feel free to share in my timekeeping adventures!

Here is a recent letter for you to enjoy:

Greetings Keepers of Time,

The turning of the year is nearly upon us! And it's feeling so different already...

The shift from the Year of 3 Storms Moving the Earth, and all its thunderous transformations, to the Year of 4 Seeds Forming a Dragon Portal, brings our birth and growth into form.

You might remember that last year, when the 3 Storms demanded I let go of how I had been doing the calendar, I said it felt like time to move toward a more oral tradition way of being with the calendar... well sure enough, now that the 4 Seeds of form are beginning to sprout, a New Audio Version of the Calendar is what's emerging.

Here's a link to my website where you can hear me telling the story of the Turning of the Year. Both a brief and a longer version are available, along with pdfs of the visuals for Moon 13 and Moon 1. You can listen online or download them right into your computer to listen through iTunes, transfer to your iPod, or even burn a CD. Enjoy!

http://www.keepingtime.net/audio_calendar_pg.html

I hope you'll take a listen soon, as next week, Tuesday through Sunday July 21st-26th, is a powerful sequence of days that brings the birth into form that we'll be living out all year.

Speaking of births into new forms, you'll likely be seeing lots of new sprouts and fruits from Keeping Time with Stargazer Li this year, including a new website. After 30 years of working full time in human services (while also Keeping Time), I've shifted to part time so that I can devote myself to more fully serving you during these years of profound transformation through the tools of the calendar, essences, and stargazing. So many opportunities for learning and shifting that you've been asking for and that I've been conjuring up will now have the chance to see the light of day, or the sparkling stars of night. Stay tuned!

Toward the birth of these new forms, this year I'm offering an Audio Calendar Subscription, where each Moon I'll record and send you a file where you can listen to me telling the in-depth story of that moon. You'll also receive pdfs of the visuals of all the Moons of the year. A subscription for the full year is only $37, that's about $3 a month for stories to guide your growth into this new form. A signup link is on the page with the Turning of the Year audio. If you've been receiving these emails and they've contributed value to your life, I hope you'll consider deepening your relationship with the calendar and supporting Keeping Time in growing to the next level by subscribing to this new audio calendar.

As the calendar becomes an audio/visual experience, which will enable much more depth of story to be shared with those of you who are engaged with the calendar in that way, please know that I will still be sending out moonthly email updates, but with much less detail, more just the heart of the story (which I know will be much less confusing for many of you!). This will also create space for sharing more about my new portal essences, and what's happening in the sky too.

For now, once again, here's a link to the Telling of the Story of the Turning of the Year...

http://www.keepingtime.net/audio_calendar_pg.html

Be well,

Li
aka Stargazer Li

celebrate interdependence

My celebrations for Fourth of July are hardly typical. Most can usually count on a big BBQ, heat and then staring at the night sky and avoiding mosquitoes. Regardless what the event, the ripeness of summer beckons our spirits and is something we can count on; whether hosting a big shindig in the backyard, accompanying others to an event or flying solo. And indeed, celebrating Independence and most holidays are about a personal declaration of who and how we like to spend our free time.

In 2006 I was boarding a plane to visit China which felt really strange, leaving that morning while all the festivities were underway. I had no idea that i'd see fireworks almost every night in China. I guess there are perks to inventing pyrotechnics!

2007, I attended the largest parade in the entire United States with a rollerskating strawberry and banana and beach cruisers, in a small town called Alameda and won an award.

2008, I visited a friends country house and there among the walnut groves and the roses in full bloom. I will never forget the Martha Stewart of a dessert we assembled. Vine ripened and seasonally appropriate blueberries, and raspberries provided the stripes along with powdered sugar and strawberries. The time it took to complete the project was not nearly divisible by the length of time it took to devour the sweet treat, a snap shot was not even granted!

This year I had the great chance to visit the Santa Fe National Forest to camp with an eclectic bunch. At first I was a skeptic, then the magic of the woods and the season took over and I met some friends who I was meant to meet and had some wholesome fun. Though it rained, A LOT, the thunder and lightening were in a way a nice alternative to fireworks. The canopy of trees that kept me warm and dry and allowed me to sit and read, one of my favorite rainy day or everyday past times will indeed be a cherished memory.

One of the themes that has brought these years together is a strange sense of longing. Among the choice of independence and the freedom this choice often provides, the paradox of feeling alone is alive and well. Within the realization of my independence, it can bring about a peculiar sense of loneliness.

It seems my cellular memory at this time of year is heightened and takes over my senses keeping me in a daze of partial present sense and mostly of nostalgia.
Maybe I do miss my brother and family, care to spend the day with a special other, or perhaps these are the stages of life that are most pivotal into creating the life and memories I choose to remember and leave as my personal legacy.

Fireworks like Christmas lights are often more fun with the kids. But what happens to the newly accustomed adults still kids at heart? What about those that are still afraid to light fires, but opt for a sparkler any day?

Eventually I'll take my Susan B. Anthony of a friend up on her invitation after the parade. Her husband plays the bag pipes and they are the coolest Kosher hippie couple, (and perhaps the only) i've ever met. I may even bring out my most prized possession, the American flag I have actually "Made in America" .