mermaidcamp

mermaidcamp

Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water

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Michael Dalzell for Shiatsu

May 16, 2013 — 3 Comments

Michael Dalzell

Michael Dalzell

Yesterday I returned to Supportive Care for Healing at the U of A Cancer Center where I am the substitute client for last minute cancellations.  I look at the rotating offers I get as sort of a Zen oracle of healing. All of the therapists are very talented, and the room is spacious and comfortable.  I go when I can, and always feel good as a result.  Since shiatsu is an offering that just did not come up for me on the zen cancellation calendar, I decided to book an appointment in advance to try the work of Michael Dalzell.  My neighbor Mindy told me how much she enjoyed her treatment with him, so onto the table I went.  It was an excellent call.  The stretching movements not only loosened me from within, some kinks that had developed while driving, flying, and traveling for two weeks departed. I am now loose as a goose and ready to put the finishing touches on the summer garden this weekend.  Michael does all his work at cancer centers around Tucson because he finds it very rewarding to help this population.  The benefits are well documented for patients undergoing heavy radiation and chemo treatments. He sees a lot of success using shiastsu as a healing modality.  I am going back next week for two hours.  If you want to schedule a treatment with him or the other fine therapists at Supportive Care for Healing call the super  helpful volunteer desk at 520-694-1812.  They will so hook you up.

Music, A Family Tradition

May 14, 2013 — 2 Comments

Music is part of many spiritual practices and worship ceremonies. Musical exposure at an early age is a gift.  If parents appreciate and play music for a child, singing and dance will be a natural part of life.  In my household folk music and piano rolls were always being played and sung during my childhood.  I played classical music on the piano, but I absorbed American and English folk music from my parents, who invited friends over to play and sing music.  The Moore-Khalsa home is full of musical talent and knowledge, but of a different sort.  They are more meditative and prayerful ,kind of musical monks. They harmonize well together, making a joyful noise.

We were given an added treat during the Thomas Moore weekend at Kripalu recently.  His wife and daughter gave a special evening program on Saturday night.  The Kundalini yoga session was directed by Hari Kirin Kaur Khalsa, Tom’s wife.  The musical accompaniment was done by their daughter , Ajeet Kaur,  and her band. I sat myself right next to the musicians for max vibrations during the demonstration.  Drum, guitar and harmonium formed the instrumental background for chants.  Sanskrit mantras were used.  These chants have specific meaning and results when repeated.  One specific breathing and mantra round was taught to combat insomnia.  I sleep well normally, but had a profoundly deep sleep that night.  I felt the results of the chanting and movement in my body and mind.  Ajeet’s clear sweet voice carried the group into focused concentration. The twin brothers who played guitar and drum were also accomplished and well rehearsed in this music.  The total package was a pleasant and instructive voyage into the technique of Kundalini yoga. The people in our class all reported a positive experience.  It was fun to be included as her talented parents encourage her musical career by working with her.  She has recorded a CD with her band and is setting out to soothe the planet with her musical talent.  Our group was lucky to meet her as she sets out on this adventure.

Extended Spring

May 11, 2013 — 1 Comment

I had the super fine opportunity to extend the season of spring this year in the most pleasant way.  By visiting New England I had the chance to study my ancestors in the places they lived and died.  One of the strongest impressions I have of my visit is of the flowering trees.  The botany of the ancestors reminded them of spring and hope in a way that was dramatic every year.  To witness the return of color, warmth and spring fashion unfold before my eyes was a treat that stays in my memory. Hope is the motto of Rhode Island.  I have a dreamy set of images that express hope through blossoms.  I will not forget how happy all the flowers made me feel.  I am comfortable and at home with all the people I met in Rhode Island.  I love the way Jamestown, an island where my ancestors had dairy farming business in the 1600’s, is still a place for dairy and produce farming.  They are completely rural and close to town at the same time. Hope springs eternal.

Magic Word

May 10, 2013

Carl Jung carved a Latin inscription above the door of his house in Kusnacht, Switzerland: “VOCATUS ATQUE NON VOCATUS DEUS ADERIT.” This means: “Called or not called, the god will be there.” To actively call and later, be still and know is the heart of meditation. The call can be music, nature, yoga, chant, movement, or poetry.  The goal is emptiness gained through insight. This free time beyond the word, beyond the concept, and beyond imagination is free time with no boundaries of space and time. The ultimate reality is unlike the one in which our ego goes and does and consumes all the time. It has infinite qualities, at which words merely take a stab at defining. Words and chants are used to create liturgy and forms of reverence. Group voice has a magical quality that lifts spirit and satisfies the soul. Words and sounds resonate as well as drive the memory deeper, creating more meaningful images of past and dream life as a collage.

Rarely do direct and useful insights arrive like lightning bolts.  I notice that visual cues stimulate my contemplation, but often a single word has great and continued meaning.  Last week I heard the sound of a name I have often read, Hecate.  I noticed that my mental pronunciation had been incorrect.  Perhaps for this reason the name and her meaning came back to me a few times over the weekend.  As we learned discernment between soul and spirit, her name was mentioned as the night goddess of magic.  Her meaning is all about soul, in the living and the dead.  She stands at the crossroads and is a guide to the underworld. At the end of our group’s time together we got to gaze into Tom’s obsidian mirror to stimulate our intuitions.  The small shiny mirror was passed around from student to student as we said our goodbyes to each other.  I moved about with my reflective image,  finally settling on a shot of the ceiling , which was covered with acoustic tile.   I gazed for a few moments and again Hecate came faintly into my mental focus.  Days later I remembered the image of that cross of the intersecting ceiling tiles.  This time the metaphor of my question as a crossroads, and Hecate is the ruler of the place was clearer.

All decisions are not life or death.  I take from this contemplation on my own soul and spirit the idea that life is finite, but the soul is not.  Hecate is a symbol of darkness, death, and magic.  Called or uncalled, she will be there at the crossroads.

Be Passionate and Determined

May 8, 2013 — 5 Comments

Ninth on the Zappos list of core values is a description of attitude. To be passionate and determined to please customers buying products is one thing, but this means passion to deliver happiness to all concerned.  I just read that the average American employee spends 24% of the time they are paid at work cruising the internet for personal reasons.  The sapping of energy and time that this represents also creates, I think, a big deficit in the happiness quotient. Both individual workers cheating the company out of work, and the ultimate customer experience for the client is cheapened when the employees are feeling cheated themselves.  Sticking to core values that uplift, support and reward the staff has to result in higher fun factors all around.

When I invented Floatli training systems I thought I wanted to teach people how to use them.  I have changed my mind.  Now I want to provide this naturally entertaining and useful aquatic equipment to everyone and let them do whatever they care to do.  I have abandoned the idea of teaching teachers, party because it would mean finding passionate and determined instructors to certify.  I want to present it like a hula hoop or a water gun, something any and everyone can use in the way they like.  The arm floatation units provide security for those as yet uncomfortable in deep water, and the full arm and leg combination is a challenging workout if used as such.  I am passionate and determined to convince Zappos to adopt Floatli as the official company sport.  That is how I picture everyone having the maximum amount of fun. Zappos markets better than anyone, and the product itself provides happiness to those who buy it.  I am determined to get an audition to demonstrate why Floatli and Zappos are an excellent match.  It soon will be hot and nothing will feel better than a romp in cool water.

Good Thrift Hunting

May 7, 2013

I am technically on restriction from all thrift stores since I do not need or want anything.  On holiday I do fall off the wagon from time to time, thinking I need a souvenir of the place. Yesterday I discovered a palace of super fly thrift in East Greenwich, RI, where I went to check on my ancestors.  On Main Street, right next to the Town Hall, is  Worth Repeating Consignment Boutique.  I knew right away I had to do it.  I had in mind to find something for my neighbor Heidi to give a a gift, but she has very specific fashion needs.  I asked Arlette Cornwall, the shop curator and owner if she had any chicken specific gear.  It turned out that, tragically, she had just sold a fabulous purse featuring a Rhode Island Red…it would have been the bomb for Heids, because she is so into her chickens.  We also checked out a very cool turban hat that Heidi might have worn, but it was very small and I have no idea about my neighbor’s head size.  Having exhausted the gift search I knew from the feel of the place that I had to succumb to the call of the vintage.  I have only bought one thrift item in the entire two weeks I have been on the Rhode Island rode.  I did score a fun lightweight silk skirt and then hightailed it before I went any deeper. If you are not on restriction from thrift shopping I highly recommend a visit to Worth Repeating.  If you are, well the, like me, you probably need to cheat once in a while in a very worthwhile, and perhaps historical setting.  Arlette is there to make your shopping fun complete.  She knows her stuff and prices things in a very attractive way.  I left town without the graveyard visit to my dead peeps, so I can almost feel myself being drawn back for another visit.  Arlette is a siren..be careful…she can read your mind.

Living Soul

May 6, 2013

book signing

book signing

Kripalu is a yoga school and retreat center in western MA that is leading the way in yoga instruction in the US. With a long background, checkered, then revised, they had the head start on yoga when it hit the competitive mainstream of American fitness.  I have several friends who are certified by Kripalu in yoga, and they are all very well versed in the whole system and philosophy.  I enjoy yoga practice, but have been out of the habit of taking classes for years.  I like my yoga room at home for the freedom and variety that I practice.

My reason for spending a weekend at Kripalu was to be in a workshop taught by an author I really admire.  Thomas Moore instructed a group of about 40 students the difference between soul and spirit.  This seems like a small technical issue, but it is much more basic.  We had about 8 hours of class with him, and a special evening was offered to all Kripalu guests with his wife and daughter.  The Kundalini yoga session with live band chanting was a perfect counterbalance for the intellectual work we were doing.  They are quite a stunning family, described by Thomas as a kind of monastic group.  Each is a monk in a certain personal way.  The ladies are Sikhs with turbans and sheepskin mats, the distinctive look of the Yogi Bhajan followers. They teach Kundalini yoga.  Tom is an expert in the world of religion who has his own way of practicing reverence.  They radiate the power of individualization.  If nothing else (and there is plenty) they teach the value of following the individual call to a specific path without regard for anything else.

The alchemy of thought, dreams, poetry, and the ritual of Kundalini yoga were all thrown into the still and worked.  The distilled result is wisdom, the kind that sinks in and becomes useful over a long period of time. The time and space expanded to allow a remarkable level of teaching to take place.  An artful, and soulful lesson was delivered as if they were translating directly the language of  the sky.  We now have a lifetime to absorb our new insights.  Although in the last few years I have walked out of a couple of workshops I paid for and attended because I felt the teaching was unethical and possibly harmful, this one made up for all of that.  I notice that the presence matters more than the material to me.

Urban Delight

May 2, 2013 — 5 Comments

Providence, RI is a wonderful city to visit for many reasons. The steeple situation makes it very easy to navigate around the town.  The landmark hills are conveniently located on each side of the river. Downtown is mixed old and new buildings, but College Hill houses Brown University and RISD campuses. The preservation of history is important on both Federal Hill and College Hill, so the architecture is in fine shape.  The trees that are blooming now enhance the beauty of both neighborhoods.  Since I am a fan of both the building shapes and the trees I am very pleased to be here while the blooming is showing off the colorful past of the people who planted them.

Party in Cape Cod

April 26, 2013 — 2 Comments

Four friends who have never met in person gathered yesterday in Falmouth, MA to meet, eat, party and fully enjoy each other. Our host, Chico, lives right next to the beach and is a really excellent chef. He prepared a seafood extravaganza that lasted all afternoon. Deborah Elizabeth lives in Boston.  Christine lives in Australia. I live in Tucson. We planned this for months since Christine was in this hemisphere for a visit. The meal included bay scallops raw and scampi style, raw oysters, salad, bread and spicy dipping sauce, mussels, clams…and then…. we all had to take a break. We walked along the shore to do some digesting for an hour or so…and then there was lobster and NY cheesecake. The entire meal lasted, including the walk, about 6 hours. It was luxury that few ever experience.
Since Christine was basically on a drive by, she stayed in the hotel with me last night and we set out for breakfast and one last photo shoot and shopping trip in Falmouth village. We both love blooming trees, so there was much to shoot. One dip of her feet in the Atlantic, and she had to drive to Newark to return her car for a flight back tomorrow. I have rarely packed so much in to a 24 hour time frame. It was memorable. We found a perfect day, a perfect place, and a perfect meal to share with each other. Our extreme compliments to the chef and host for the best day.

John Brown

April 24, 2013 — 2 Comments

New Hampshire

New Hampshire

My 10th great grandfather was baker in London who came to America with his very young future wife in 1635.  He became wealthy in New Hampshire.

” John Browne 40″ as well as “William Walker, 15; James Walker 15 and Sarra Walker 17, servants to John Browne, baker, and William Brasey, linen draper in Cheapside” embarked upon the Eliz abeth, Mr. William Stagg, master, leaving London on 17 April 1635 and arriving in Boston, Suffolk County, MA in June, according to Peter Wilson Coldham’s  The Complete Book Of Emigrants . 

In London, Middlesex, England, John was a Baker and was listed as such on the manifest of The Elizabeth.  His master, John Browne, was a Puritan who followed his preacher, Reverend  Stephen Bachiler, to New England to escape the oppression of King Charles.  He became a freeman two years after arriving in 1635, then moved to Hampton, New Hampshire.

First called the Plantation of Winnacunnet, Hampton was one of four original  New Hampshire  townships chartered by the General Court of  Massachusetts , which then held authority over the colony. “ Winnacunnet” is an  Algonquian  Abenaki  word meaning “pleasant pines”. The town was settled in 1638 by a group of parishioners led by Bachiler , who had formerly preached at the settlement’s  namesake :  Hampton,  England .

He received a grant of 4 acres for a house lot on Brown’s River. He eventually became the third wealthiest man and the largest landowner in Hampton, owning four farms. John served as Selectman in 1651 and 1656 

John sued Thomas Swetman for a debt due “for two fat oxen” in 1654. He also brought suit against the “prudential men” and the Town of Hampton for not building a road to his farm, which was near the Falls River toward the part of Salisbury, Essex County, MA that became Seabrook, Rockingham County, NH. The court decided in his favor and the road he wanted was built.

Once in New Hampshire, John built the first bark, a small ship, in Hampton, Rockingham County, NH at the river near Perkins Mill. This ship was mentioned in John Greenleaf Whittier’s poem “The Wreck of River Mouth.”

John Browne (1589 – 1687)
is my 10th great grandfather
Rebecca Browne (1669 – 1700)
daughter of John Browne
Dorothy Whipple (1669 – 1728)
daughter of Rebecca Browne
Dorothy Rhoades (1705 – 1705)
daughter of Dorothy Whipple
Margaret Hammett (1721 – 1753)
daughter of Dorothy Rhoades
Benjamin Sweet (1722 – 1789)
son of Margaret Hammett
Paul Sweet (1762 – 1836)
son of Benjamin Sweet
Valentine Sweet (1791 – 1858)
son of Paul Sweet
Sarah LaVina Sweet (1840 – 1923)
daughter of Valentine Sweet
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Sarah LaVina Sweet
Ernest Abner Morse (1890 – 1965)
son of Jason A Morse
Richard Arden Morse (1920 – 2004)
son of Ernest Abner Morse
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse