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Do You Hear What I Hear?
December 5, 2016
— 1 Comment
Do you hear what I hear?
Listening with full attention is an art and a skill. I believe one can listen to several layers of reality. I listen to music all day which I pipe into my environment on purpose. At the same time I read posts from all over the world making an effort to truly lend an ear to each point of view. I am sure I edit in favor of my own proclivities all the time. I hear what I want to hear, like all my fellow humans. The written word has less power over the brain to create action than the sound of the spoken voice. We can skim over either written or spoken words by drifting off with our attention. The question is, what do we hear when we distract ourselves from our own reality? Whose voice is creating our desires? Do we hear the voice of the universe, the voice of God?
Prayer and contemplation are designed to create an atmosphere in which we hear or know our purpose. Silent meditation is purposeful to teach the mind to shut up sometimes. Mystics and prophets have made contact with the Beloved by various means for all of history. Silence, and often seclusion, has been the path for many to attain mastery. Those who have not tried to be still and know might be very surprised how many internal voices have so much to say when one simply wants to quiet the mind to focus on the divine. These little chatterboxes are constantly yacking it up in our consciousness, a combo of memory, prejudice, and persona. They are the voices that make excuses for the ego. They are the smarty pants know-it-alls in our personas that are busy composing a response rather than paying full attention to a speaker. They think they are all that, but they are often confused. This does not indicate that we have split personalities, or are unusually fragmented. Everyone has to practice to be able to quiet the mind and keep it quiet. The phrase “a mind of its’ own” applies to your attention. Harnessing the full power of your own mind will be the greatest feat of patience you will ever achieve.
- Listen to what nature tells you in your body and in the environment
- Hear the sounds of the Beloved in music and chanting
- Sharpen discernment by listening deeply to other people
- Make a joyful noise unto the Lord
#WeekendCoffeeShare Set For The Season
December 4, 2016
— 10 Comments
high notes
front yard decorated
candles
front yard decorated
If we were having coffee this morning I would serve you any hot or iced tea you might like or a cup of medium roast coffee. For those of you arriving at cocktail hour from other continents I have some cranberry vodka for cocktails. It is pretty and tasty at the same time. Have a seat, put up your feet on the fireside ottoman and tell me what is happening with you. I have the room seriously scented with lavender and citrus essential oils. The wood stove is a perfect diffuser. I need to replenish the moisture it sucks out of the air, so I position two containers of water on top to continually evaporate. It is a little bit shocking to see how much goes into the air. I dump substantial amounts of essential oils in those vessels, which become my giant air fresheners all winter.
Citrus is the scent of the season for me. I have purchased a full set of citrus essential oils for December which are going quickly because I love using them liberally. Now I am rocking sweet orange and mandarin, mixed with a lot of lavender. These are all high notes in aromatherapy, or uppers if you will. The idea is to extend comfort and joy in the atmosphere. I have my ceramic gingerbread diffuser rocking the scent with a scented candle as the heat. This is the only time of year when I burn wax candles in my house because it does pollute the air inside that we breathe. I am not worried about the amount of pollution a few tiny tea lights will emit. I also have my digital candles with remote control LED lights that change color. They make me very happy. My decorating theme is not exactly geared to a modern religious holiday but to the winter solstice, and a celebration of light that seemed to happen universally in ancient times around the darkest night of the year. I am fully ready of Old Man Winter. We are stocked with wood for the fire and I have mounted all manner of solar twinkle lights in the front and back yard. We are warm and, if I do say so myself, lit.
If we were having coffee and American politics came up I would tell you that yesterday I attended a meeting to organize a satellite protest march to show support for the Million Women March on Washington, 21 Jan. Many American women are traveling to DC to march on the mall to protest the inauguration of the Donald. I have much sympathy for this movement, but not enough to travel to DC. I decided to find out what the Tucson group looked like, and what they planned to do. I live streamed the event to my FaceBook page. The meeting was at once very uplifting and disconcerting. The median age of the women in attendance was around 55 or 60, with very few under 40, and I saw nobody under 30. They debated the language of protest and how to best express the outrage they felt. They talked about Gandhi and Martin Luther King, which was predictable. There were 3 men over 60 in the crowd. One with his wife, one with Occupy Tucson, to convince the group to join their march, and one who had very good sense who came out of nowhere. He suggested the group use positive rather than negative language. A lot of women wanted to show off and talk about their previous political involvement and how they knew Trump supporters who were poor and underserved who needed to be converted. When I asked them if they knew how hashtags work I was told they planned to find high school girls who would instagram and hashtag the whole thing for them. These old ladies have missed the point. They can march until the world looks level and will have little sway on national politics. They need to learn how to lobby, how to hashtag, how to trend, and how to relate to the youth. The times they have been are a changin’ and they need to acknowledge that the problem here is not HOW Americans voted, but that half of Americans did not vote at all. I am in favor of their march and movement, but the medium is the message. The most efficient and effective mediums must be exploited along with the labor intensive.
If you were relaxing by the fire today I would now end my observations of politics and society in general and find out what you have been doing. I have a killer nutloaf of spinach and almond with a nice parsley sauce. Let me heat up a slice and serve it to you while you enjoy the fire. I have almost used up all the nuts from last year, but am still pitching the nuts to guests because they are so healthy and tasty. Thanks for stopping in today. You are welcome to take a nap by the stove after your snack, especially if you have a long trip home. Alexa is loaded with Amazon unlimited music, so please ask her to play your favorite music. Just say her name and tell her what you want.
Ending the year with this sophisticated group of digital coffee drinkers is a pleasure. I appreciate knowing you, sharing with you, and learning about your writing journeys. Thanks to Diana for keeping the party going from New Orleans even week. Drop in and comment, post, or just enjoy the coffee. Cheers!
Christmas cactus
Season’s decorations
scent diffuser
Alcohol Advent Calendars
December 1, 2016
the ginvent calendar
I am impressed with the creativity and packaging of these specialty advent calendars by Drinks by the Dram. They are partnering with Masters of Malt to bring customers a unique way to celebrate the season. They are offering 24 different drams of spirits to cheer up the recipient who opens each day with anticipation. Alternately they sell Christmas crackers, a British thing, also filled with spirits. The crackers include a bad joke and a party hat, all that any reveler needs to crank up a holiday fiesta at the office or anywhere.
The chance to taste test exotic and rare spirits is a very festive idea. I like gin because of all the variance in the botanicals used. Each gin has a particular blend of herbs that creates that flavor profile. I have tried a few expensive gins, and have thought the extra cost was worth it. I think it would be fun to be guided like this for 24 days to try 24 new kinds of gin. We don’t have a traditional gift exchange around here because we are trying to go minimalistic with little success. I am tempted to buy it for myself. Which spirit would you choose, gentle reader? The most expensive collection is $156.57 worth of fancy whiskey. They also offer the customer a chance to build you own calendar by combining spirits. This is a special way to make the season bright with delight. Cheers!!!
the armagnac advent calendar
Visit To Plymouth Plantation
November 23, 2016
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cannons above church Plymouth
Pilgrims
Pilgrim
miller’s take
mill pond
When I visited Plymouth Plantation to see how my ancestors had lived the Mayflower was out of town being repaired. That did not bother me. I filled my day visiting at the museums of the living culture, including the grain mill extension in town. The details are fabulous and the actors doing the recreation are very knowledgeable and professional at their work. My personal ancestors were not on hand the day I went, but I did see the recreations of their homes. I also spent time in the cemetery and the church. The whole town is kind of preserved, with a definite Mayflower Pilgrim theme.
I was most interested in the Wampanoag section of the display. I thought for years I was a descendant of Quadequina, a member of the first Thanksgiving party. I was thrilled to be a Wamp, but later my first cousin discovered an error in my research. I had to cut that branch from the tree and begin again in the 1700s in South Carolina. I was super distressed at this news, which at first I was unwilling to accept. I was furious at my cousin, but had to face the reality that I had based my conclusions on specious data. I had mistaken one John Taylor in South Carolina for another, and that was all it took to lead me astray. It was a bummer. I was just a wanna be Wampanoag after all. It was a sad day when I had to admit that.
I stayed on Cape Cod where many of my ancestors moved after they had had it with the Plymouth bureaucracy and religious police. The whole area is filled with history. Even though my dreams of being a Wampanoag were dashed I enjoyed learning about the tribe and their struggle today. My relationship to them is purely intellectual, but I still love the People of The First Light. I love them more than I love the Pilgrims, who turned out to be pretty religious crazy. That whole story about religious freedom and Plymouth has been stilted quite a bit. They had no use for religious freedom other than their own specific brand of religious practice. They forced everyone to go to their church and obey their church’s rules. That is why many of my ancestors left for Cape Cod and later for Rhode Island. Those oppressive Pilgrims were just too intrusive to have as neighbors.
I hope to go back to Plymouth some day. I now have done more research and more people to find in the vicinity. I also hope I will revisit Williamsburg, VA because many of my ancestors were living down there in the 1600’s too. If you have a chance to go see the exhibits at Plimouth Plantation Thanksgiving will never be the same for you. You will see a clearer picture of what really happened in history.
Healing Through Hedonism
November 22, 2016
— 1 Comment
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- vinegar face
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- helpful staff
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- blackberry ginger balsamic
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- perfect gift
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- Alfonso’s
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- lunch
Without further ado I dedicate the rest of 2016 to pure pleasure. If politics is the malady, happiness and personal fellowship is the remedy. The election will not dominate my December. The inauguration and the results will come soon enough for me. What I do best is cook and entertain. The drudgery of politics not only bores me, but usually astounds me with the futility of it all. I have spent some time trying to change the political horizon during my life, but I now look upon all that time as a monumental waste. I could have been just living my life in the most pleasurable way possible at the time. This investment would serve me better than taking time to convince others to participate in political causes. Being happy and free is where it is at.
When I use the word hedonism I mean only fun. I do not mean overindulgence to the point of ruining all the good times. This common mistake has given fun a bad name. Addiction is perhaps the shadow side of hedonism, but it is not pleasurable. Fun is only fun when it is well managed. Well executed pleasurable pursuits provide stimulus to all the senses and a feeling of time well spent. It can be a week in Thailand or a walk around the block. The difference between the ordinary and the hedonistic is attention to detail. Wear what you want, see what you like to see, eat what delights you, linger over what intrigues you without trespassing on the pleasure of others. Travel to your own happy place. This will require that you get to know your own true preferences, which will naturally change over time. Self care for a teen is different than it will be when that person turns 65. We must evolve with our own best interests in mind.
My good friend and neighbor and I have opposing political views. We never need to talk about politics at all. If we do we joke about how crazy people are. We have much in common, including an interest in cooking and cuisines. To celebrate Heidi’s birthday we visited one of my favorite stores in Tucson, Alfonso’s Olive Oil, for a tasting of their vast selection. It was a blast for me to introduce her to this wonderland of flavor and my great pleasure to buy her first bottle to start her own specialty oil and vinegar collection. We tasted all over the store for a long time before she came to a decision. She wisely selected the classic best unflavored dark balsamic vinegar because she can infuse it herself if she wants. The vinegar she chose is exquisite, deep, complex, fruity….everything you want in a vinegar. I was happy to buy the gift, but more happy to introduce her to someplace she did not previously know. Then we had lunch, also very good. The balsamic birthday will go down as a complete success with little effort or expense on anyone’s part. It was all about the discovery.
I suggest you look into your heart and decide what makes you happy. Just do that, gentle reader. Start with that.
Weekend Coffee Share-Urban Pride
October 29, 2016
— 3 Comments
TenWest Festval
If we were having coffee I would tell you about my exciting week attending events at the TenWest Festival. This Tucson startup/tech conference is a tiny infant version of South by Southwest, the festival in Austin that has grown exponentially. The 30 year old Austin festival is the Tucson Gem Show of trendy startup tech parties. I have not attended, but would no longer really want to go just because it is so crowded and popular. Our own home grown business incubator has organized the Tucson festival around our unique qualities.
The keynote I attended was the one about our designation by UNESCO as a city of gastronomy. I knew about it, but was interested in how it came into being and what it would mean for the city in real terms. A well known local chef, an archaeologist, a writer, a tourism PR professional, and the director of the Mission Garden spoke on the subject. We received the designation because a group spearheaded by the archeological interest group proved to UNESCO that Tucson had the oldest agricultural history in the country, documented to be more than 4,000 years in existence. The first application was rejected, but the committee gave some guidance about how to strengthen it in order to be designated. On the second try we got the coveted city of gastronomy designation. It is much more than just a vibrant restaurant scene, as our speakers explained. Food and sustainability are big interests of mine so the presentation fascinated me. I took my neighbor Heidi to that day because she is also a food diva.
Heidi and I attended two workshops before the keynote that pretty well blew our minds. The first on 3 D printing was presented by an architecture professor from U of A and an engineer currently engaged in the field of 3 D printing. We saw examples both on the screen and on the display table of objects created by 3D printers. The capability to produce small individual manufactured products has become not only affordable but incredibly controllable. I was highly enlightened by this class because my previous understanding was zilch.
After a delicious lunch we went to a presentation by Jerzy Rozenblit, PHD, a professor of surgery at the medical school at U of A. He is developing a simulator for surgeons to practice laparoscopic surgery. This is needed because it takes time and practice to become proficient in this art. Currently this practice takes place on live humans. The obvious benefit of more training before reaching into a living person became clear when we saw examples of the training data. The students “under the hood” have to learn to smooth out their movements while maneuvering two long instruments to do an operation. The tracking device on the simulator shows how erratic and out of control the student can be on initial attempts. Over time (an estimated 300 hours is needed to become really good at this) the sensor shows the device going smoothly and directly to the target organ in the body. This work will definitely save some lives.
I took two very well presented workshops on podcasting. We learned both about the popularity and effectiveness of the trend, but the specifics of getting started. Our teachers were working professionals in the field of marketing and audio engineering. The sessions were jam packed with information, and like all the presenters they invited the audience to visit them in person or on line to stay in touch. They could not have been more cordial. The fellow participants I met were equally charming and insightful. I feel sure this even will grow. I am pleased I went to see what they are doing this year. I am proud of my city’s efforts to stay on the cutting edge of technology, art and community. The major funding comes from Cox Business, which deserves a lot of credit for serving our local businesses so well. They gave away $50,000 in a shark tank style contest as well as funding much of the activity during the festival. I am their customer, so i like seeing some of the profit be plowed directly back into innovation in Tucson.
Tomorrow is Cyclovia, a super fun bicycle event taking place close to my home. I don’t always go on my bike, but this time it starts at my beloved Tucson Botanical Garden, where all participants will be invited to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit gratis. I am a local first kind of person. I like to support my local merchants and non profits because my own quality of life depends on it. I have been very uplifted by my city this week, as I will be tomorrow biking around in summer weather with my fellow Tucsonans. We live in a fabulous city with diverse cultural and commercial interests.
I am serving both coffee and tea this weekend. Please help yourself. I am drinking medium roast coffee right now to jump start this day. There is a lavish buffet of finger sandwiches, potato salad, raw vegetables, the pickles I made last week, stuffed peppers, and vegetable stew. I picked up another 60 pounds of produce again today and can use your help in eating it all. I am starting my first fermented pickles later from the beautiful pickling cucumbers I just scored. I have fermented lots of foods, but never tried pickles. Wish me luck with this chemistry experiment. You will be able to taste them some weekend soon. I am going to focus on heavy garlic and dill flavors.
What has been happening in your part of the world, gentle reader? If you want to share, or read personal tales from writers visit our group here, at Diana’s weekend international coffee share. Pour yourself a cup, fill your plate, and stay a while. Tell us what is on your mind.
#WeekendCoffeeShare
Daisy Duke Rides Again
October 23, 2016
— 2 Comments
I went to a music festival in Tucson yesterday on a sunny hot beautiful day. My favorite local band, Calexico, was playing. The crowd was overwhelmingly college aged people. I was struck with the fact that more than 90% of the young ladies were dressed in Daisy Duke shorts. I was teasing them because they buy them pre shredded at the hem rather than cut them off and wear them until they shred.
I had a really good time at the festival hanging out and meeting the youngsters. I danced with some and joked around with a few of them. One young lady asked me if I had gone to music festivals back in the day. I said yes and chuckled to myself thinking I was dressed just like they were back in the day. The music made me very happy. The food was good, and the community came together in a super festive mood. I left early, senior citizen that I am. I was completely satisfied with my festival experience, so I called my Uber and made it home by my regular bedtime.
cut offs
cut offs
cut offs
Dusk Music Festival
What is #J’Ouvert?
September 5, 2016
On Labor Day in Brooklyn every year there is a street carnival to mimic the Carnival in Trinidad which held the week before Lent. It is a chance for the West Indians living in New York to celebrate together with traditional costumes and musical competitions. In Port of Spain the best steel drum bands bring it to Panorama in the Grand Savannah. In Brooklyn the steel bands are small, but many of the really popular pan virtuosos move to New York to further their careers in music. The performers who are paid to entertain at the Brooklyn Museum are the same ones who appear on the big stage in Trinidad.
I attended the Brooklyn Carnival in September of 1989 when Dinkins was running for mayor against Ed Koch. At that time New York City was a big, fat, violent mess. The racial tension was palpable. The murder of a teenager in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn turned New York into a symbol of racial hatred and violence. The Koch/Dinkins race was perceived to be mostly about race. All my friends who lived in Manhattan told me I would get killed if I went to the Carnival just for being white. I already had my tickets to see the Mighty Sparrow and Tambu in a small venue, and I was not at all to be dissuaded.
Two things happened to me that week that were spectacular. There was a show running on Broadway called Black and Blue playing at the sumptuously classy Minscoff Theater. It was sold out, but I decided to go down to the box office right before a matinee and try my luck for a standing room only spot. The box office had nothing to sell me. A lady from group of extremely well dressed black people approached me and asked if I wanted a free ticket because their friend had cancelled. I offered to pay but she refused. I then proceeded to watch the show in a very good seat, way down front, right smack in the center of my new best friends. I was underdressed to be with them, but they did not seem to mind. I thanked them profusely, but we all had this feeling we were doing something kind of symbolic (because we were). I accepted the rare generosity and they bestowed it on me as some kind of show of racial solidarity. It was very cool.
I then felt completely confident to ignore my wimpy Manhattan friends who thought it was dangerous to go to a show at the Brooklyn Museum. I saw great musicians, had a wonderful time with my fellow concert goers, and then the most magical thing happened. The Mighty Sparrow, the undisputed king of Trinidad Carnival off all time, stepped down from the stage into the crowd in his Congo Man costume. He had just performed the song, and since the crowd was so tiny compared to Port of Spain, where he would have been mauled by fans, he personally mingled with the audience. I was hugged by the Mighty Sparrow in his Congo Man costume. Very few people can say that. I treasure the experience forever.
This year shootings erupted at the J’Ouvert parade and celebration. This warm up event is a costumed street parade leading up to the more formal Fat Tuesday costume balls and floats. It happens before dawn on Carnival Monday in Port of Spain. The costumes are anything but fancy, because celebrates the dark, sinful side of life before Lent takes over the calendar. It is time to blow it all out before 6 weeks of some kind of penance. The mas players who want to do it all start on Monday, then sleep very little between that opening party and Tuesday at midnight when it ends abruptly. The political significance is huge because it was the time slaves and European masters exchanged places in a symbolic way. This is where the very sarcastic and political practice of calypso was started. Brooklyn is now one of the places on earth that still has this culture.
Beach, Biker Bar, Bar Mitzvah, a Magical Trifecta
August 3, 2016
— 3 Comments
woodie
Yogananda’s surfers
Yogananda’s koi
I am pumped, gentle readers. I am embarking on a road trip to one of my favorite destinations on earth. I love Cardiff-by- the-Sea, California. This suburb of Encinitas has everything I want in a destination…..beautiful beach, a classic biker dive bar with great rock and roll ( right across the street from the beach), and many good friends who live in the area of North County San Diego.
The Kraken
At home in Tucson I rarely go out and night and have not been out dancing for ages. The music at the Kraken usually suits me to a T, and there is no need to choose a partner in order to dance. It is not that kind of bar. It is a bar for locals, bikers, and everyone who wants to preserve 1975 for eternity…..my kind of place. I have found an Airbnb accommodation that has everything I every hoped for in an accommodation. I can park ( this is a very big deal in this neighborhood) and walk 5 blocks to the beach and/or the Kraken and walk right back up the hill to go home. I will have a balcony with an ocean view ( pretty excited about that aspect).
The big event of the weekend is a Bar Mitzvah celebration for my good friend’s son, Ben Levy. After the service we will go to a trampoline park in Vista for the party. This will be the best Bar Mitzvah party I have attended…I know already. I am really into trampolines, and not that into your typical after Bar Mitzvah party. I have attended my share, but never been offered a chance to trampoline. Go Benny, what a great decision!!!!!!! I will be very happy to share your special trope and tramp day with you and the family. California, here I come!
Happy 240th Birthday America! — Cherokee Billie Spiritual Advisor
July 2, 2016
— 3 Comments
“America, God shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood…from sea to shining sea!” Happy 240th Birthday America! “The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission.” President John F. Kennedy Freedom […]
via Happy 240th Birthday America! — Cherokee Billie Spiritual Advisor
Patriotic Poetry by the Man in Black, Johnny Cash
