mermaidcamp

mermaidcamp

Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water

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Poetry at the Gardens

March 29, 2014 — 1 Comment

Today at the Tucson Botanical Gardens docents from the U of A Poetry Center offered a reading and workshop in Ekphrastic Poetry. This style of poem is a response to a piece of art, the Ek being from Greek and referring to echo. The group attending was a mixture of students, visual artists, and poets.  By far the most emotional poem of the day was read by a Nam Vet who sat behind me. He chose to read War Photograph by Kate Daniels.  His choked up emotions brought tears to his eyes which brought tears to the eyes of the audience.  The other poems were discussed and analyzed but we were all very touched and had nothing more to say after he read.  At the end of the session participants wrote poems about the photos in the gallery.  All were striking.  I apologize, gentle reader, for cutting off the very beginning of some of these gentle readings.  It was a well produced and very well appreciated poetry experience, and we all have beautiful handouts to finish at home.  There is one more session this spring of Poetry in the Gardens, Native poetry on April 26, 2014.  These programs are included with garden admission.  It is SUCH A DEAL!!

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Grow Down at Tucson Botanical Gardens

March 25, 2014 — 1 Comment

The second annual Grow Down competition was held over the weekend.  Three designers had three days to complete an example of landscape design for our climate and region. Metal was the trending darling material, and chickens won the prize.  I liked all of them very much, but the winner featured shade for the chickens in the coop, but none for the people.  This year they added a feature I think is important to the viewing audience.  Competitors are allowed to ask for donations from suppliers.  The one who hustles up the most donations naturally wins.  This happened last year as well.  Now they make a note of the cost of materials only.  The winner had a materials budget about 30% higher than the other two competitors.  They all showed ingenuity and style.  It is a wonderful way to check out new ideas to incorporate into our own gardens.

Pastiche Food and Drink in Tucson

March 23, 2014 — 4 Comments

Pastiche opened in the neighborhood 16 years ago as a “modern eaterty”.  This year it was closed for a couple of weeks in January to update and remodel the space. The bar was made larger, walls changed and removed for a new look. The colors are beautiful and the new bar very classy.  We went for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed the new look and the old menu.  Bob had a sirloin steak and I had a grilled Portobello with asparagus.  I chose French fries as a first course, while Bob enjoyed a cup of the delicious shiitake mushroom soup.  Service was impeccable, which we have come to expect from Pastiche.  One addition they have made is to feature a very extensive list of whiskies by the glass.  I tried the Hochstadter’s Rock and Rye with my mushroom dish and thought it was a perfect match for the flavors in my entrée.  I like the fun of tasting  the different kinds of whiskey without investing in a bottle.  We left with some Irish whiskey pie to eat later at home. For me this restaurant rates  an A plus in all categories.  The menu is just the right size, and everything is always prepared perfectly.  Service is friendly and seamless.  The wine list and beers on tap make the patron choose from a very extensive selection, a pleasant problem the wait staff can help you solve.  We are happy this is just a hop, skip and a jump from home.  It has always been well run, and now is once more very modern.

Hephaestus, Blacksmith of the Gods

March 20, 2014 — 5 Comments

Hephaestus was the crafty, cunning metalworker son of Zeus and Hera.  His difficult life began when his mother (or possibly his father) threw him off the planet at birth which pissed him off quite a bit and made him lame.  His talent at the forge became obvious early in his life, and he was called upon to craft golden thrones for his parents.  He used his extensive powers to revenge his rejection by creating a throne for his mother from which she could not escape.  A deal was struck to release Hera from the throne by giving Aphrodite to Hephaestus as a wife.  His marriage to the goddess of the sea was not blissful because she was unfaithful to him.  He is the only god that was imperfect and the only god that worked.  His mastery of fire was envied greatly by his father.  His archetype as a loner craftsman can be seen in people who focus on great artistry, production and invention. In Rome he was known as Vulcan.  In Tucson he is called Jerry Harris.  He was an ancestor of Daedalus, who fashioned wings, as does Mr. Harris.

Self Contained, Butterfly Magic in Tucson

March 19, 2014 — 4 Comments

Each year the Tucson Botanical Gardens hosts an orchid, butterfly, and now tropical frog display for the public.  It is popular with families and with me. I enjoy the humid tropical mist on my skin and the fun of watching the butterflies and people.  Yesterday there was a lot of activity.  Kids love to use the magnifying glass, no matter why they see in it.  It is  a small lesson in science, botany, biology, and ecology, adapted for all ages.  Who doesn’t like butterflies?

Self Control, Trip to the Festival of Books

March 17, 2014 — 2 Comments

My strong love of reading has compelled me to do many things, including restricting my book consumption on a 3 book diet last year.  My consumer weakness it is for art and books.  I never seem to have enough of either one, even though I have more than I can store in my present circumstances.  The Kindle has helped me to reduce the space I dedicate to books, but the passion to read everything all the time was not diminished by the diet.  If anything I am rebounding since November when I allowed myself to buy books once more. I have loaded up on both print and Kindle books, plus I had a big backlog from the book diet year that I had acquired and not opened.  I am back in full force as crazy reading woman, proving once and for all that diets just do not work.

Attending the Tucson Festival of books for the first time was amazing to me.  The super well-organized event takes place on the U of A campus in buildings and in various tents set up for the weekend.  Windy weather did not deter the visitors or participants from having wonderful time.  Presentations for readers as well as writers are given all day both Saturday and Sunday.  A giant food court assures that spending the day there will require no sacrifice.  I did not eat or attend a session, but I thoroughly enjoyed all the tents I visited.  Volunteers make sure the crowd is informed.  Families with kids can participate in several ongoing demonstrations, book give aways, and photo ops with favorite characters from children’s literature .  I bought some great cookbooks, two of historical significance, from the Assistance League tent and a book of memoirs from an Albuquerque lawyer, Laws and Loves Part I, Real Stories of the Rattlesnake Lawyer.  I am a sucker for books that contain the word rattlesnake in the title. I am also planning to attend a free introductory class by the Writer’s Studio in Tucson.  I have some desire to write poetry, and this group offers workshops that are convenient and well priced.  Who knows, gentle readers, where this may go.  Maybe all this reading will help me learn to write.  Stay tuned; the plot may thicken.

Self Expression, The Metal Art of Jerry Harris

March 13, 2014 — 2 Comments


While hanging out in the steam room at my health club I noticed a man wearing a lot of silver jewelry and thought it must be hot on his skin. After a few steam room conversations I discovered that he is a metal sculptor who had worked in a shop in Tucson that I had later used as a pottery studio in the distant past. I have not worked with clay for a long time, but Jerry has evolved from making simple objects to producing very artful and complicated mixed media art. He worked as a ferrier.  He played polo in Colorado.  He bought the Village Blacksmith shop 30 years ago from another blacksmith.  His art today is centered around birds in action.  His knowledge about anatomy of birds has grown deeper as he has worked in this specialty field.  I was very lucky to have a personal tour of the shop and sculpture on display. He participates in the Pima Arts Council open studio tours.  Since there was no fire during my visit I thought my gentle readers would also enjoy watching the tools and Jerry in action:

Self Propelled, Cyclovia

March 3, 2014 — 1 Comment

Cyclovia Tucson is looking for a few good volunteers. This twice a year event is held to encourage the use of our public streets for alternative uses.  I used to travel to Lugano, Switzerland in the summer to visit the lakeside city.  Once a week for an evening the center of town was closed to motor traffic and skates, skateboards, bikes, and other self propelled transportation filled the streets.  This was a great opportunity to get out and share the warm nights with locals as they rolled.  Now Tucson has joined an American movement to follow a similar plan.  Last year I was out of town for Cyclovia, but my friends who attended told me it was excellent.   On April 6, 2014 a route that will include downtown will be opened for Cyclovia.  Super volunteers can assist during the event and others are invited to participate by rolling through all or part of the route.  Entertainment and local color are on display.  It will be fun to join the moveable feast.  I hope the concept catches on and becomes a more frequent part of our culture in Tucson.

Craft Brew in Tucson

February 24, 2014 — 1 Comment

We attended the Southern Arizona Craft Brew Festival yesterday at Maker House. We received tickets and glasses at the door to taste the many offerings at the brewers’ booths.  The music was excellent, the weather perfect for February, and the crowd very cheery.  That is the thing about beer and its’ fans….they tend to be jolly and care free.  Members of our group all enjoy dark beer so we gravitated to stouts and darker brews.  One of my faves was the salted caramel stout.  After about 3 hours of beer tasting we all had tickets left when we were ready to leave.  We had sampled so many robust and complex flavors that we were both full and sated.  I enjoyed a plate of Yakisoba from the Bam Bam food truck to go with my brews.  A good time was had by all, and the beer scene is growing with gusto.

Babylon Market in Tucson

February 17, 2014 — 2 Comments

I am happy I do not need to go to Babylon to savor the flavors of Iraq.  The Babylon Market has all the groceries and deli items I could possibly desire.  I enjoy learning to prepare new ethnic foods, and the ingredients I found make it easy for my to try my hand.  I purchased $50 worth of groceries to get $5 credit at the deli.  I had a great time searching around the store while my lunch was prepared.  The store has a bakery and a butcher shop as well as a deli in the back.  The store is stacked to the rafters with all things Mediterranean.  I bought those red picked turnips, some canned stuffed grape leaves, some fresh Turkish bread, cheese stuffed pastry, honey, nuts, and spices.  The atmosphere is friendly and buzzing as customers patronize the deli and shop like I did.  The store is very popular for a good reason.  The proprietors are helpful and happy, and the offer a wonderland of grocery and deli delights.  I will surely return to this excellent and exotic establishment.  My partner agreed that our lunch was outstanding.