mermaidcamp

mermaidcamp

Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water

You can scroll the shelf using ← and → keys

Gloria and the Virgin of Guadalupe

May 23, 2013 — 2 Comments

I met Gloria on the flight from Chicago to Tucson recently.  I enjoyed her company and invited her to call me.  She is visiting her son who works at the U of A during the week.  She told me she was Catholic and that as a child she walked to mass by herself.  She is now fed up with Vatican politics, and wants the Latin liturgy to return.  I took her yesterday to see Ted DeGrazia’s chapel to the Virgin of Guadalupe.  She had never seen milagros on altars before.  Since I would not be caught dead or alive without some milagros on me, I gave her a tiny jet key from Venezuela to unlock her future. I have more at home, and she had no offering with her.  I explained that our Virgin is pre Christian and that is all right.  She is both Catholic and pre Christian, and we see no conflict with that. She had a good time with this altar and milagro business.  She also enjoyed the art gallery. I always love to go up there, and am happy I had the chance to share it with someone who really found new meaning in an old practice through an ancient design left behind by a great artist.

IRS and Non Profit Status

May 21, 2013 — 2 Comments

Food handling

Food handling

food charity scam in action

food charity scam in action

charity scam

charity scam

donation drop off

donation drop off

operations

food handling

truck of used bread

truck of used bread

food handling

food handling

unload and load

unload and load

IMG_0220

holiday traffic

holiday traffic

The current uproar at the IRS highlights the  much misunderstood function of granting tax exempt status and enforcing it. I have gone through the process of obtaining a 501C3 permit to run a non-profit corporation, and can tell you it is exhaustive and thorough. Like Medicare fraud, there must be pros who go about cheating and defrauding the system from within. Tax exempt status is given to legitimate corporations willing to go through strict accounting documentation to prove that they are satisfying the mission they stated in the original application. By submitting in good faith to this non-profit status scrutiny they are subject to a review of their activities constantly.  Applying for the status is technical and rigorous, as it should be.  Keeping it is equally serious in nature.

Going completely commando, soliciting donations from the public without any IRS permit or reporting of the donations whatsoever is the highly lucrative method that has been used in my neighborhood for many years.  They have begged openly for donations of  food, money, items, and labor.  They ask for public support to store prepare food in a residential condo to be served randomly to presumably homeless people they find in parks. No laws are obeyed, from zoning, to health code, to revenue laws.  They openly ask for donations on the internet, although multiple law enforcement agencies have been informed for many years of the crimes.  This self-appointed charity does not feel the need to obey any laws because no laws are enforced.  The lack of interest of  the government agencies could be seen as negligence.  You might believe, if you love conspiracy theory, that since these charity folks presumably vote liberal democratic tickets, they are allowed with the collusion of our local government, to break all these laws. That is too silly.

I don’t believe there is a conscious effort by government to allow crime to take over the neighborhood.  My impression is that public servants feel resentful about serving the public.  When opportunity arises to feel powerful through corruption, the loyalty of any public servant to act for the benefit of all concerned is questionable. This is where mental illness diagnosis is important.  If only insane and or incompetent people are left to run the government, the government will continue to act against the citizens’ best interests.  I do not think we have good or effective governance.  I do not trust that the money collected by the IRS is well spent.  I have always paid taxes, and benefit from no loopholes.  I pay taxes knowing it must be done.  Waste and corruption are not what I want to buy with my tax dollars, but they are all I see on the menu at the moment.

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.

Tucson Farm Report

May 15, 2013 — 2 Comments

My garden grows more important to me all the time.  Growing fruit trees and grape vines is satisfying and tricky too.  We have to keep the birds and pests from consuming too many of the products.  This year we are lucky with a big peach crop.  They are tiny, cling peaches you can pop right into your mouth in one bite. Leaving them on the tree to ripen fully makes for a very full flavored peach.  They are getting ripe this week, and I plan to get more than the birds.  We are eating and sharing globe artichokes now, and starting to have ripe tomatoes.  We make and drink lots of tea and flower essences.  The herbs are used for baths, cooking, and tea mixtures.  The Lakota squash might be a healthy crop, but it and the Jerusalem artichokes are new crops for us this season.  So far, everything looks happy and healthy.

Chow Down in Tucson

April 21, 2013 — 1 Comment

Recently reminded of the superb quality of the cuisine at Feast, we took the middle of the day on Saturday to enjoy it.  I started with the violet flavor and mysterious look of the Cuyahoga cocktail, which improved as the ice melted. It was a new twist on lunch beverages that grew on me.  In fact, I ordered another one to go with my salad.   Bob wanted to try snails, so he ordered quail and snail, which he said was mostly mushroom in flavor, and he liked it.  My first courses were delightful wild rice savory pancakes with sautéed vegetables, and a fried artichoke heart dish we both loved.  I enjoyed the gnocchi salad, but was too full to finish.  The use of pan fired gnocchi as croutons made this a filling dish I will have again today for lunch. Bob loved the banana and pork combo he ordered.

We passed on dessert in order to attend an event to support the Humane society of Tucson.  A vegan bake sale, complete with adoptable dogs, was the perfect place to buy our take home tofu cheesecake and peanut butter brownies for the late afternoon snacking.  We napped, we slowly chipped away at our dessert until nighttime.  There was only one vegan peanut butter brownie left to split for breakfast.

Slow Food

April 19, 2013 — 3 Comments

Last night was the first food and wine tasting presented by Slow Food in Tucson. I would call it a complete success.

We attended with our friend Sara, who enjoys a tasty bite as much as we do. We arrived early, and set out with a really outstanding Bloody Mary served by Pasco kitchen and lounge. Their urban farm cuisine is totally amazing. We plan to go to brunch there this weekend for more. We tasted our way through the most innovative dishes and drinks put together in one place by the Slow Food people. The live band and the lively crowd of foodists made this a party to treasure in the tastebuds of the mind. I started out to be very precise and document all the flavors and happy moments, and then happiness took over. We ran into old friends and I abandoned the picture taking to just have fun. I am not, gentle reader, a real reporter. I am an enthusiastic and opinionated blogger who loves to taste. I had more wine than beer, but am still of the opinion that the beer is better in Arizona than the wine. The beverages were all worth trying and complimented the food nicely. I came away liking a beer from Dragoon Brewery as my fave new discovery. It is Stronghold Session Ale, with a dark and festive flavor.

The chefs all made amazing bites, and were willing to serve me the plate without meat when it was easy. Chef Ryan Clark, the host chef of the event, served green posole, vegetarian, with the option to add pork. I loved him for that, and think the posole should go on his menu because it is epic. Doug Levy from Feast made mesquite biscuit mini sandwiches that drove me and the whole crowd wild. Everyone was talking about those. He did not mind that we were all snatching more than one. The radishes with mozzarella foam butter from Zona 78 were incredible, as was the grilled radicchio. They brought their farmers with them which was very cute. Acacia served me a plate minus the meat which was fabulous. There was no bad food at all. From my own taste perspective I gave Nancy Taylor, a woman who wrote a book and supports Slow Food with it the best dish award. She served prickly pear. Nopales, prickly pear cactus pads, are delicious, lower the blood sugar of those who eat them, and are virtually free to anyone who wants to go pick cactus. I adore nopales, and have a never ending search for the best recipe featuring them on earth. At the moment Ms Taylor is in first place with her tepary been, chiltepin salad. I will knock this off in my kitchen very soon. The contest will continue, however. Don’t hesitate to contact me, gentle readers, if you have a recipe for nopal. I am open to learning them all.

We discussed our discoveries on the way home in the car. Bob, Sara and all have all discovered new restaurants we want to visit, and been reminded that we are surrounded by talented, caring, creative chefs. This is all very good news.

What Harm Could a Little Charity Scam Do?

April 15, 2013 — 3 Comments

I have lived in my condo for 11 years in central Tucson.  My location next door to a full time charity scam in operation for many years has  ruined quality of life, safety, and property value while  giving the neighbors a dim view of law enforcement. I can think of few crimes ethically and morally lower than taking advantage of the public’s ignorance and sympathy to make a living by claiming falsely to be doing charity.  I have learned that most of the public does not write off tax deductible donations, and therefore may be completely unaware of the laws governing charity and donations.  Sandra Day O’Connor has her work cut out for her in her attempt to teach Americans how government works.

Ignorance is not all bliss for the folks supporting charity scamming over real non profits.   Giving an unreported income to a scam hurts legitimate charities by diverting donations, money and volunteer time to private, criminal (unreported) purposes.  These days when the Food Bank and Salvation Army are scraping to get by, it is especially insulting to compete with community resources by scamming for donations that are never reported.  The laws are in place to protect the public, but there is not much sophistication about the law.  The IRS grants non-profit status to those who prove they are serving the community.  Once the status of 501C3 non profit corporation is obtained strict accounting must be submitted to the IRS to keep the status.  Deciding that you are entitled to collect donations from the public without following any laws that legal charities have to follow is a lot like stealing resources from the victims you claim to help.  If you cash in on sympathy for the homeless without really helping the homeless find shelter or improve their lives your crimes are deeply immoral.  Shelters that are there all the time for them need the donations that are diverted by scammers who decide they are above the law. One of the typical ways scammers approach the public is to donate for holidays.  This one is no different, collecting donations full time to supposedly help someone eat outside in a park on a holiday.  If you give support to anyone, please check to know that your “charity”  reports donations to the IRS and has some oversight.

In Tucson it is easy to live above the law.  We have the 20th worst run city in America, according to some Wall Street Journal poll.  I think the listing was overly flattering to Tucson.  You can openly beg for donations, collect them in a residential condo, then solicit help from the public to prepare food in a residential kitchen to be served outdoors in a park to homeless people. You can break the revenue laws of the US and Arizona, the health code of Pima County, the zoning laws of the city of  Tucson for as many years as you like.  Your neighbors can report your crime to the cops, the city councilwoman, the mayor, the city manger and the IRS.  No response or help will come from the vast numbers of folks who are paid to enforce the law.  They do not see any problem with breaking all these laws to run a charity scam in a residential condo.  Law enforcement is the least of their concern.

Poetry and Plants

April 7, 2013 — 9 Comments

New this year at the Tucson Botanical Gardens is a collaboration with the U of A Poetry Center, bringing poetry to the gardens.  I attended the class next to the iris garden yesterday and was surprised at the depth and education they packed into the experience.  We learned about the Poetry Center’s history and the very good luck we have to live in a city with a center such as this. We learned about the botanical gardens and the history and meaning of the iris plant.  An enthusiastic docent from the Tucson Botanical Gardens opened the readings with a poem of her own about iris and the field of everyday glory we can find in nature.  We then read together a selection of poems, all in some way referring to the iris.  Our favorite reader was dressed like an iris and has a British accent that enhanced her interpretation.  It was an exceptional experience on all levels for me.  I enjoyed the crowd, and had time after the class to get some technical growing advise from the lady who represented the Iris Society.  Poetry and gardens do go together very well.  Next month the group will meet by the cactus garden….a thorny subject.  I am encouraged to use my poetic voice more often, and listen for stunning stories to tell.

Cactus in Bloom

April 5, 2013 — 1 Comment

Cactus bloom quickly and with amazing flourish. The colors are often so bright they look almost shocking. The current cactus blooming color splash is a delight to the eye. There is little scent, but lots of pollen for the insects to enjoy and move. Our Sonoran desert environment is rich with diversity and beauty.

Iris

April 5, 2013 — 1 Comment

Iris means rainbow in Greek, the name of a messenger goddess . The flower has been used in medicine and perfumery for many centuries.  The symbolic fleur-de-lis is a stylized iris used in many coats of arms, and by the New Orleans Saints. In healing the essence of iris is used for seeing. Notice that the iris can only look up.