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Seasonal Spirit

December 19, 2013 — 2 Comments

Memories, traditions, and the ghost of Christmas Past visit everyone this time of year. Sometimes it is sad to compare the reality of rushing, spending, gifting, and manic activity with an ideal celebration to honor this time. Nostalgia for earlier times is not helpful in bringing about a better spirit of sharing now. How can we contribute to a brighter, more uplifting celebration?

Make and cook gifts
Spend time just listening to those who need an ear
Create more and buy less
Find unusual and low impact ways to surprise others
Recycle

This message was brought to you by citizens for a Clearer Holiday Purpose.

Labyrinth Walking

December 18, 2013 — 2 Comments

: Catalina Mountains

: rope labyrinth

: ladder/portal

: Virgin o Guadalupe

: sunset

: in the dark

: center

The practice of drawing and walking labyrinths is ancient and has been found all over the world. Today there is an interest in this form of meditation, and full moon is a perfect time to commemorate a moment in time by walking one. In Tucson there is a group hosting a full moon labyrinth walk each month and just recently they decided to become mobile. Rather than center the walks at a Unitarian Church with a lovely permanent labyrinth the design is now drawn on the ground for a temporary portal. Last night was the last full moon of the year, just a few days before the winter solstice. The labyrinth was constructed of ropes on the lawn, a shiny center with LED lights, and rattles for those who wanted to borrow them.

The weather was mild so we enjoyed the meditation and stayed to share cookies one of the ladies brought. Everyone expressed a feeling a full presence and appreciation. I have normally liked to go on these alone, but the drumming and the shared reverence, not to mention to rainbow around the full moon as we said good night, gave a depth to the moment that was very special. People of all ages, shapes, sizes, and cultures came to participate and commemorate the season. It was perfect.

Phun in Phoenix

December 16, 2013 — 3 Comments

There is an arch rivalry between the cities of Phoenix and Tucson. We Tucsonans know that people outside the state have no way to distinguish the two and often confuse them. Politics aside (which would be impossible for Arizonans), there are extreme differences in the tourism and hospitality styles of these two towns. Tourists are attracted to the golf tournaments in both Maricopa and Pima Counties. Baseball spring training has all moved up there, and brings in millions. Bowl games and the Phoenix Suns brighten the economic situation for them too. The typical Tucson tourist is much less interested in shopping and is more likely to be spending time involved in outdoor sports of all kinds. Scottsdale is not afraid to step up and cover that niche offering the shopper from back east a wester phantasy phree phun time. Phree parking in old town allows these people to leave the car and ride around in a horse-drawn wagon for an exorbitant price. Everyone is excited to be way out west. The city of Scottsdale hires the trusty horse Dusty and Gary J Sprague, the singing cowboy, to serenade the crowd 1-4 on Saturdays. They are a huge hit.

I am inspired to drive to the Valley of the Sun for the phabulous phood scene. The AZ Slow Food newsletter informed me recently about the existence of a special highly rare date variety growing only in Scottsdale known as the Black Sphinx. The market was established in 1951 selling a date that developed there from seed and was distinct from all others. The extremely thin skin makes it a poor candidate (pun intended) for shipping. The fresh dates require refrigeration and are extremely delicate. After shopping the Scottsdale Pharmer’s market where I scored amazing produce and preserved items, we visited the date store, which features Arizona products of high gourmet quality. Bob bought beers brewed in Arizona, one of which was a stout that contained the dates from the Sphinx Pharm. We both agree the Black Sphinx is the best date we have ever tasted, and before Bob ate it he told me he does not like dates…a convert. We also tried a very good date cookie and some chocolate covered Medjools that are scrumptious. We came home loaded with gourmet groceries and exotic citrus. We have to admit we had phun.

: Pharmers Market

: cowgirl

: Dance with God

: art and I

: blacksmith shop

: exotic dates

: gourmet heaven

: FireSky

: resort

: Sky

Rock, Paper, Paperwhite

December 11, 2013 — 1 Comment

I am a recovering reading addict. I will probably be an over-reader for the rest of my days, so the question is where why and how to read. I received my Kindle Paperwhite yesterday and am very pleased with it. It has a very adjustable screen that allows you to fine tune the font and the backlight to suit all situations. It is light and I find it is much easier to hold than an iPad, where my first Kindle books resided. There has been much thought and design work put into this creation. It is for reading, without distraction. It is a noticeable upgrade from paper.

People used to hold newspapers up to read, and some still do. This is a kind of space divider that lets others know (or think) that we are busy reading, learning and becoming more informed. I used to read the Wall Street Journal almost every day with the small print and big ads. If you hold that paper up to read at the Starbucks you are making a statement about your interests. I used to read Architectural Digest and Yoga Journal all the time. I still have subscription to The Week magazine which I am much more likely to read in the digital version, while the paper one sits around unopened. I just cleared out years of them from my magazine rack, most with almost no pages read. I bought a 5 year subscription, and I do love the reporting/curation because it features articles from journalists around the world rather than an American only perspective. While Newsweek is returning to print for subscribers only, my involvement with paper publications is dwindling. If I have a burning news question I ask twitter what is happening. My conversion to digital makes my life easier and better because:

The Paperwhite and it’s cover fit nicely into my purse
The entire Amazon Prime lending library is available to me on it
The advanced comfort and ease of the adjustable settings is stellar
I can store books in it for reading with no Wi-Fi
I have nothing to return to the library or eliminate if I don’t like the book
The screen stays on for recipe use, which is a problem with iPad
It has a super long better life so I can read for days without recharging

In the kitchen or on the go, the Paperwhite is the tiny portable but unlimited library I always wanted. I am sure I will return some day to the Pima County Library, but for now I am perfectly happy to have my library in the cloud.

Winter Traditions Unplugged

December 10, 2013

The ancient world was more highly aware of the seasons than we are today because they had to make fire to stay warm or see at night. Religion, tradition, and regional provincialism are woven together at the winter solstice time. We have a food and drink festival that imitates Saturnalia and a birthday the resembles the birth of Mithra. I believe I have inherited some feelings for Christmas from the way my ancestors behaved. I have had the good fortune to be in other countries to celebrate the season, which opened my eyes to the wide variety and regional roots of the holiday practices. I choose the part I like and feel no pressure to perform now that my ancestors are all dead. I see the end of the year as a fun break before tax organization season, and a good excuse to party with friends. We give few gifts, but like to share extra food and drink with friends. I like to embrace it as an upside down time, a season for preparation and clearing. Spring will be right around the corner, when the harvest cycle can begin once more. For now, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen; it is time to party.

Sugar Plums

December 4, 2013

Dancing in our heads in December are sugar plums, even if we don’t know what they are. I started making them years ago after I looked them up in a cookbook. I mix and match any dried fruits and nuts for the desired texture. I am not a fan of fennel or anise, so I never use those spices. You can choose the ones you prefer. I like the drunk ladies’ addition of the orange peel, and I plan to incorporate it this year. I am also stalking an exotic date found only in Scottsdale, the Black Sphinx. I am going up soon on a visit and will bring these delicate beauties home for an extra special batch of sugar plums. Dates are extra sticky and sweet, and lend themselves well to this treat. If you have not tried to make this, it is almost impossible to fail, so give it a whirl. They are universally liked by all ages.

Aguinaldos for Christmas

December 4, 2013

In the tropical part of the world Christmas is celebrated differently. Aguinaldos are songs that people sing during the season. The man above is playing an instrument I have not seen, the Puerto Rican cuatro ( which seems to have 8 strings and be pretty big). The traditions differ, but where I lived in Venezuela, the parranda, or band of musical merry makers, went from house to house singing, drinking and then taking the family with them along to the next house. Unlike Christmas caroling, this parranda gets bigger and more spirited as the night continues. They usually came to my house last because my dad was their boss (everyone who lived in the petroleum camp) and it was fitting that he supply the alcohol for the majority of the evening. They came with harps and cuatros, guitars and furucos, cramming into our large central courtyard and rushing the bar. They made up improvisational songs about our house and our family, a la calypso (which comes from neighbor Trinidad). Many of the songs were funny and had nothing to do with Jesus. Some people think of Christmas and snow, and that is fine, but there is more to December than sleighs and gluttony. Here are some religious Venezuelan aguinaldos. I do like to hear the Mormans ripping a Hallelujah Chorus or two, but I am also very nostalgic about the memory of my tropical Christmas fun. Feliz Navidad!

Trickster Timeline for December

December 3, 2013

When our parents told us about Santa they may have introduced the trickster archetype. They meant to transcend stuffy conventional behavior by using a character who rides in a reindeer sleigh. They created a fairy tale about being good little girls and boys in order to influence us. They fooled us, some more, some less. I remember finding the matching Ginny doll ( she was before Barbie, and younger with flat feet) dress my mother was sewing hidden in a drawer before Christmas. I knew it was going to become a surprise from Santa, and I instantly activated my own trickster archetype in order to make my parents keep up the heavy duty gifting. The double tricking, which was probably known to all, lasted until I felt the need to tell them I had busted them and was no longer in need of a Santa Claus.

Kids in other cultures are taught different stories about Christmas. Traditional celebrations frequently predate Christianity, but have blended now with church practices. Krampus, aka Shmutzli, is the dark, scary-hairy dude who travels with St. Nicholas on Dec 6. They have the job of scaring all the children into good behavior for the following three weeks. Only the well behaved kids will be gifted by the baby Jesus on the night before Christmas when he flies around and enters their windows with presents. Advent is typically a big deal in Europe, as is Three Kings Day. They spread it out over a longer period, not so much focus on 25 Dec and buying all the goods in the world. December 6th is officially Krampus Day in Austria, which they enjoy with much costuming and scary monster gear, like torches. I was once in Vienna on Krampus Day and came upon one in the night..they jump out and shock the bejezuz out of you. Krampus is much more popular in Austria than Santa, I think because he is more exciting. He is often seen hanging from rear view mirrors in December in Austria.

Why We Love to Live in Tucson

November 25, 2013 — 3 Comments

Yesterday, 24 November, was Porch Fest in the Dunbar Spring neighborhood of Tucson. This local party includes musical entertainment scattered throughout the hood, food trucks, mesquite bean grinding, and more. I went to attend a food swap with a theme of local food. I went to my garden and harvested herbs, calamondins, and Jerusalem artichokes to make trade baskets. Since this was my first time to attend the food swap I was not sure what to expect..but it was better than I might have expected if I had had expectations. We set out our trade items and used a paper bidding system to indicate interest in swapping. I scored some spicy dill pickles, jalapeño prickly pear jelly, cranberry curd, rosemary focaccia, and delicious chive dip that was perfect on the focaccia. Best of all I am now an official swapper, with the chance to join in future swaps with my new friends. Everyone was super helpful and informative. I learned about new products and tasted some great items. I packed up my excellent swap and partied with friends for a while before sunset. Please note if you live somewhere else, it is sunny, and although for us it was a bit chilly in the shade, we are able to go outside and celebrate our neighbors, our talents, and our supreme good fortune almost all year. We have a diverse culture and a growing interest in sustainable practices such as rainwater harvesting and eating local. Our local music scene is diverse and sustainable too because our citizens come out to support local artists and musicians in an effort to make this a more artful place to live.