mermaidcamp

mermaidcamp

Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water

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What is a Milagro?

June 10, 2013 — 2 Comments

Milagro means miracle, and it also means a specific symbol used to make an offering.  Offerings have meaning in the context in which they were made.  Churches around the world have tokens left in hope, remembrance, or gratitude.  In Ted DeGrazia’s Virgin of Guadalupe chapel people have left these symbols for many years.  The oldest chapel I have seen like this has many offerings from sailors that include hats.  It is in Cap D’Antibes, France.  The chapel of Notre Dame de Garoupe is enchanting as well as historic. In Tucson we also have shrines known as El Tiradito and the Virgin shrine at San Javier del Bac Mission:

An offering can be made in nature, in a chapel, or in a garden.  Altars exist in every form.  The meaning is in the heart of the person making the offering. Milagros express hope, faith, and dedication. They tell the history of people’s aspirations, tragedies, and triumphs. The spirit of the place is reflected in the objects left on the altar.  The altar assumes a collective consciousness by making space for all the offerings and their symbolic powers.  It becomes an archive of religion.

Slow Food in Tucson

June 5, 2013 — 6 Comments

The Slow Food movement is a worldwide pushback to fast food.  We all know, more or less, what is intended by the phrase fast food, but only after some examination does the core meaning of Slow Food emerge.  As a food hippie from the 1960’s when health food and coops and gardening were a reaction to the available sources and quality of nutrition, I do not need coaching in this matter.  In fact, I eat more convenience foods now than ever because I purchase a bit of fake meat from time to time. I am sometimes now a lazy food hippie at Trader Joe’s frozen food aisle.  My core belief is that we need no packaged or processed foods in our lives unless we do that processing ourselves.  Slow Food is out to change the conditions of farming, eating, and distributing food.  I applaud the whole thing.  They (we) are making strides.

This movement started in Turin, Italy and has fortunately spread as a philosophy and an organization.  I joined this year and my first impression is really good.  We attended tasting held by the Slow Food Southern AZ chapter at Lodge on the Desert.  The event was inspirational and very reasonably priced.  I, for one, loved having the posole deconstructed so I could have it without the pork.  Ryan Clark was one of many chefs showing off their talents for a happy crowd.

Chiltepin, Mother of All Chiles

June 3, 2013 — 4 Comments

Here in the Sonoran Desert the precious chile tepin grows wild.  It has a distinctive flashy flavor that is desired by many on both sides of the border.  It is said to be the mother of all cultivated chiles.  I have recently replanted some in my garden after loosing some old ones in frosts.  They can live for many years when protected in the winter.  This promotional video from Sonora has chosen to use South American Inca pipe flute music, which has nothing to do with Sonora…but the chile is an emblem of life in desert conditions.  Our natural chile forrest south of town in Tucson is still the largest in the US.

All Souls Tradition in Tucson

June 1, 2013 — 3 Comments


The All Souls Procession each year in Tucson is a community event that takes mass coordination and will now cost more.  Our new trolley system will complicate the planning and add to the expense.  The volunteer organizers work all year to make it better all the time.  In November another new and amazing, creative expression of this tradition will take place downtown.

Tucson’s Iron Chef Goes Hog Wild

June 1, 2013

Tucson’s own Iron Chef, Ryan Clark of the Lodge on the Desert ,is committed to sustainability and creativity.  He butchers and cures the meat served at his restaurant.  This very special Berkshire pig has been served recently to guests.  This attention to detail is one reason his cuisine reigns supreme in Tucson.  July 7 he will face a challenger in the cook off competition.  If the secret ingredient is a whole pig, this chef is ready.

Steve Miller, Gangster of Love, Ace Contractor

May 31, 2013

The windows in my house leaked badly although the contractor, Tucson Window and Door,  reinstalled them 3 times.  Faulty workmanship is not covered by insurance, and if more than 5 years pass there is no recourse at the registrar of contractors.  I had a big problem that would only become worse if I requested a 4th reinstallation.  I met Steve Miller in my neighborhood while I was walking my dog.  I talked to him in his own front yard about how nice his home looked, and then I saw his truck with his contractor’s license on the side.  I explained my problem and asked him to bid the repair job.

I am extremely pleased with his work because in the process I became aware of other basic problems I needed to correct.  Now my condo walls are actually anchored to my foundation!!!  I am the only one in my neighborhood with a second floor that is no longer blowing in the wind.The stucco job looks excellent, and the way they solved the window problem was brilliant.  I am ready for a rainy season this year with no leaks at all. If you need a construction expert in Tucson who is professional, punctual, and polite, call Steve at SHM Construction.  He is creative and smart about building and materials. His talented sidekick Geraldo does fine work and is lots of fun to have around the house.  I have done many construction projects, and have never worked with such an amiable crew.

Beware of HOA Fraud

May 29, 2013

I live in a small community of 30 town homes in Tucson. Our dues money has been spent to do as much damage as possible to our property value for over a decade. The board has run a charity scam in the home that has a common wall next to mine for about 10 years. They have solicited and collected donations, including truck loads of bread, stored them in the house that has never had pest service, or any basic maintenance. The mainline of the house has been leaking for months, but the board denies any responsibility to make this board member repair the leak. It has been flowing onto the roots of a mesquite tree and causing the ground to heave right next to the sewer out take, and my house. Left to swell and grow the roots are very likely to crack the foundation of my house, but there is no response from our HOA board.  If an HOA board is out of control like this one your real estate value can be taken to zero.  Black mold loves the conditions set up by donation collection and water leaks, and few insurance policies will cover a homeowner whose home is ruined by mold.

Heidi and the Goats

May 28, 2013

My neighbor Heidi loves to farm. She and I both enjoy vegetable and flower gardening in Tucson. She took me to the goat pen this morning to bring home a big load of goat manure for fertilizer.  Heidi has her own chickens at home, but her goat coop arrangement is a shared experience with the owners of the goats, a Waldorf School, and other goat lovers.  She does her duty at the goat pen weekly, and takes home all the milk she gets during her shifts.  I had a French Alpine goat for years, and I made this same arrangement with a friend to do goat care and milking when I went out of town. Fresh goat milk is worth the work.  Heidi makes incredible cheeses from hers.  It was fun to meet the animals who have provided all those fabulous cheeses to our house.

Iron Chef Competition Heats Up in Tucson

May 27, 2013

I had the pleasure of spending some time yesterday with Tucson’s Iron Chef, Ryan Clark. His kitchen at Lodge on the Desert pumps out cuisine that is much adored by my highly evolved and somehow still carnivorous partner Bob and me. We are farmers in our own tiny right and both enjoy dining, although we eat at home or carry out from home 98% of the time.  We go to Lodge on the Desert for our special occasion and holiday meals, when we feel particularly festive.

Recently we attended a Slow Food tasting set up for 250 guests to try local wine beer and food.  It was fun for us and did expose us to new places we have tried since the event.  Now Chef Clark is preparing to host twice as many tasters to Lodge on the Desert this Thursday as part of the Iron Chef competition for this year.  The challengers will bring samples and vie for the chance to try to take the title from Chef Clark in July.  The chef with the most votes from the public will be the challenger, so there is a lot at stake.  Stella Artois is the sponsor, so the blonde Belgian beer will flow freely.  The challengers are not too shabby, and chef Ryan exceeds all expectations as a host in my experience.  This $5 tasting will be a happy hour of outstanding opportunities for those who want to find out what is happening in the kitchens of Tucson chefs.

Bird Houses

May 24, 2013 — 4 Comments

Have you ever thought about all the different ways birds design?  What do birds look for in a piece of real estate?  There must be a very wide variety of tastes.  For an exhibit at the Tucson Botanical Garden artists have designed bird spaces from all kinds of materials.  They are for sale.  Birds have so many choices from rustic to modern.  I love all of them, so it is good that I am not a bird.