mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Self Sacrifice or Delusion?
March 10, 2014
— 3 Comments
Sacrifice is presented as desirable in some circles. Women in particular are lead to believe that sacrifice will be rewarded, even when the reward is not in sight. While we can’t go through life without any instances of victimhood, making a habit of it is a very bad idea. Feminism had a lot to do with rejecting victim status, and yet women today are wrapped up in a number of delusional mindsets that rob happiness. Perfection will not be attained for more than a few seconds in any arena, so expectations must be matched to that reality. Striving for more of everything without stopping to enjoy what we have will lead us in a downward cycle. There is no amount of money or status that can change the need to wallow in the role of the victim. Sore winners abound, and wining does not make them happy. Suffering is a matter of perspective and is not absolute.
I have been studying and meditating on Thomas Moore’s new book, A Religion of One’s Own, which I am enjoying. When I heard him talk about the book he said many of his patient’s in his counseling practice were treated too harshly in childhood. Since this heavy discipline was sometimes associated with religion, these adults suffer today from combinations of guilt and inappropriate self punishment. Mixed messages from our youth of spirituality and sacrifice can create havoc in the soul. Take good care of yourself, gentle reader.
Self Evident, Truths
March 9, 2014
— 2 Comments
The Declaration of Independence is often quoted saying:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
- What then, is true about our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness?
- Have the tables turned on middle class and working class tax payers, or is poverty the new happiness?
- Does the government work as it is intended or is it off the rails?
- Where is the Creator and what can be done to get some clarity about these rights that are not distributed evenly?
I believe that our short-sighted system that rewards politicians for serving special interests of all kinds is dishonest. Lobbyists and lawyers write the laws that favor their patrons. Our lawmakers just pass them with little revision or thought. This is not what the taxpayers intended when we paid our taxes. I wrote both a senator and a congressman about serious issues in the last year. The senator has not responded at all. The congressman never answered my concern but sent me an e-mail asking me to rate the quality of the help I had received from his office. I replied that there had been none, so it was not applicable. There has still been no response. I give it an F.
Education is the way out of this hole in which we find American democracy. It seems that the people who know who government works are abusing the systems, while the majority are not well served by the results. iCivics is addressing the problem of a large undereducated population that does not participate in elections. In the future we can hope educated people will make the bureaucracy responsive to all citizens. Learning how the government is intended to work is the first step toward making it work.
Self Image, Centering
March 5, 2014
— 2 Comments
Centering by Mary Richards
I made pottery on the wheel when I was young. Two books were read by almost all the potters I knew in those days, Clay and Glazes for the Potter by Daniel Rhodes, and Centering by MC Richards. The first technical manual often called simply Rhodes gave formulas and facts needed to produce pottery. The centering book was all about zen and becoming one with the clay in the middle of the wheel. I used to think the centering book was too silly, but now I think it is brilliant. I have not thrown pots for at least 30 years, but the practice did make a difference in my philosophy. To center the clay one must be centered. All work is exactly like that. If you are not centered, balanced, able to focus, your clay will be hard to manage. Your vision will not quite be achieved because of distraction. With clay it is possible to endlessly recycle it if it has not been fired. However, if one works for too long on a thrown piece it is very likely to collapse. Brevity and self assurance are the essence of throwing pots.
Centering was taken from an inspirational speech given to fellow craftsmen. Mary Richards was asked to elaborate on that talk in a book. The 25th anniversary edition is out so I have zapped it into my Kindle. In her introduction Ms Richards states, “The imagery of centering is archetypal. To feel the whole in every part.” Chapter one begins, “CENTERING: that act which precedes all others on the potter’s wheel.” This seems obvious, but the metaphors are many. Whatever raw materials we have must be treated as a whole to make the most of them. Many mediums are not as forgiving as clay. Once wood or fabric has been cut it can’t be thrown into a slip barrel and become new. An unfired pot that does not meet standards can begin as a new lump of clay. Sensitivity and refined touch are the main skills needed to center and throw pots. Porcelain has different feel and qualities to stoneware. Each clay body has potential and personality. Each will take glazes differently. The chemical process of fusing glaze to pot happens at high heat and must be cooled slowly to avoid cracking and crazing. There is technical accuracy, just as in distillation. One follows a recipe and keeps a firing log in order to attain exact desired results on a regular basis. There will sometimes be pots that are ruined in the kiln, and this is a fact that must be accepted. Not every pot will survive.
Mary Richards quotes Emerson who said the law is: “Do the thing, and you shall have the power. But they who do not the thing, have not the powers.” When I read this book about centering today I know that being a potter early in my life gave me an appreciation for practice and balanced design in all things. I enjoy making my own clothes, growing my own food, and designing my own life. The concept of centering means connecting from my center to the center of others, touching the core. That is the essence of life. Stay centered, my friend.
Self Determination, #VenezuelaMuereTuCallas
March 4, 2014
— 2 Comments
Tomorrow, 5 March, 2014, use #VenezuelaMuereTuCallas to share concern for the violence in Venezuela. Brutality has broken out all around the globe lately, and none of it was spontaneous. The seeds of ugly war have been planted long before they bear fruit this bitter and horrid. It is hard to know if violence has been reduced or increased as a result of YouTube, twitter, and all digital formats. What is surely true is that we are exposed to it in direct ways that were not possible in the past. We shall know the truth and the truth will set us free…That is what I learned from reading the University of Texas tower, and I believe it.
The call to action bringing attention to the expanding crisis in this Caribbean nation with petroleum and a history of corruption is close to my heart. I still have friends who live there. With the violence heating up I am concerned for their safety. It is the least I can do to spend some time tomorrow tweeting leaders in Washington. You can use hash tags now on Facebook too, for those of you who don’t tweet. You just type it all as one word #VenezuelaMuereTuCallas. It means Venezuela is dying and you are mute. Please speak up and become informed, gentle readers.
Jakob I von Baden
February 25, 2014
— 2 Comments
Jakob I
My 16th great-grandfather was from Baden-Baden, Germany. I have been to Baden by Vienna and Baden by Zurich, both fabulous historical hot springs. I have not visited the fancy German double Baden, but have always wanted to go. Now I have all the more reason:
Jacob I of Baden (15 March 1407, Hachberg–13 October 1453, Mühlburg), was Margrave of Baden-Baden from 1431 to 1453.
He was the elder son of Bernard I, Margrave of Baden-Baden and Anna von Oettingen. Jacob I was a man of deep religious beliefs, well-known as a founder of churches. He founded the monastery at Fremersberg and was a major benefactor of the Stiftskirche at Baden-Baden.
According his father’s precepts, only two of his sons were to be considered heirs of the margravate. Therefore only Karl and Bernhard received a secular education; the other children had a strict religious upbringing. Georg, after making a religious profession in his youth, returned briefly to the world, but in 1454 reverted to holy orders and later became Bishop of Metz.
Jacob I was the opposite of his father; Enea Silvio de Piccolomini (Pope Pius II) characterized him as famous among the Germans for his justice and intelligence.
In his early years he was ruler of the family possessions in Hohenberg, until at the age of 24 he succeeded to the government of Baden. He was described as a pugnacious knight and a frugal father of the state and was popular among the princes as a mediator. Both Emperor Sigismund and Emperor Frederick III, under whom he served, thought highly of him.
When as the result of a miscarriage his sister Agnes fled in the middle of a conflict about inheritance, the Margrave lost his claim to the Duchy of Schleswig. He was so angry that he confined Agnes for the rest of her life in the castle of Alt-Eberstein. (The incident is remembered as the “Double Disaster of Gottorf”).
When in 1427 the Treaty of Sponheim came into force, he gained possessions on the Moselle. In 1442 he bought for 30,000 guilders from the descendants of Walter von Geroldseck half the lordship of Lahr and Mahlberg.
Family and children
He married 25 July 1422 Catherine of Lorraine, daughter of Charles II, Duke of Lorraine and Margaret of the Palatinate. They had the following children:
Charles I, Margrave of Baden-Baden (d. 24 February 1475, Pforzheim).
Bernard II, Margrave of Baden-Baden (later beatified) (1428–12 July 1458, Moncalieri).
Johann (1430–9 February 1503, Ehrenbreitstein), Archbishop of Trier.
George (1433–11 February 1484, Moyen), Bishop of Metz.
Markus (1434–1 September 1478), abbot in Liège.
Margarete (1431–24 October 1457, Ansbach), married 1446 to Albert III, Margrave of Brandenburg.
Matilde (d. 1485), Abbess of Trier.
He also had an illegitimate son, Rudolf of Baden.
castle of birth
Jakob I Von Baden (1407 – 1453)
is my 16th great grandfather
Karl I Von Baden (1424 – 1475)
son of Jakob I Von Baden
Christof I VanBaden (1453 – 1527)
son of Karl I Von Baden
Beatrix Zahringen (1492 – 1535)
daughter of Christof I VanBaden
Sabine Grafin VonSimmern (1528 – 1578)
daughter of Beatrix Zahringen
Marie L Egmond (1564 – 1584)
daughter of Sabine Grafin VonSimmern
Richard Sears (1590 – 1676)
son of Marie L Egmond
Silas Sears (1638 – 1697)
son of Richard Sears
Silas Sears (1661 – 1732)
son of Silas Sears
Sarah Sears (1697 – 1785)
daughter of Silas Sears
Sarah Hamblin (1721 – 1814)
daughter of Sarah Sears
Mercy Hazen (1747 – 1819)
daughter of Sarah Hamblin
Martha Mead (1784 – 1860)
daughter of Mercy Hazen
Abner Morse (1808 – 1838)
son of Martha Mead
Daniel Rowland Morse (1838 – 1910)
son of Abner Morse
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Daniel Rowland Morse
Ernest Abner Morse (1890 – 1965)
son of Jason A Morse
Richard Arden Morse (1920 – 2004)
son of Ernest Abner Morse
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse
seal of Jakob I
Sabine VonSimmern
February 24, 2014
— 1 Comment
Sabine VonSimmern
My 12th great-grandmother was born in Germany and died in Belgium. She had a very long royal name: Sabine von Pfalz-Simmern (Wittelsbach, Pfalz-Simmern) (Sabine von Pfalz-Simmern) durch Heirat Gräfin von Egmond und Fürstin von Gavere. This did not help her when she begged to spare her knight husband’s life. Such was the fickle finger of royal fate in those days.
Sabine was the daughter of the Count Palatine and Duke John II of simmern (1492-1557) from his marriage to Beatrix (1492-1535), daughter of Margrave Christoph I of Baden. She was a sister of the Elector Friedrich III of the Palatinate.
On April 8, 1544, she married Egmond Lamoral, Prince of Gavre (1522-1568). The wedding was in the Diet of Speyer in the presence of Emperor Charles V and numerous other German imperial princes. The marriage was of great political importance but was described as extremely happy. Due to his link with the German Empire princess (Sabine was called “Bavaria” in the Netherlands), Egmond ranked among the Knights of the Golden Fleece, in 1546.
Sabine begged on her knees to the Duke of Alba to spare the life of her husband but he was beheaded in 1568 in Brussels. After Egmond’s death, Sabine and her children lived in poverty. She was buried beside her husband in Sottegem. The place Oud-Beijerland in the Netherlands is named after Sabine.
Sabine Grafin VonSimmern (1528 – 1578)
is my 12th great grandmother
daughter of Sabine Grafin VonSimmern
son of Marie L Egmond
son of Richard Sears
son of Silas Sears
daughter of Silas Sears
daughter of Sarah Sears
daughter of Sarah Hamblin
daughter of Mercy Hazen
son of Martha Mead
son of Abner Morse
son of Daniel Rowland Morse
son of Jason A Morse
son of Ernest Abner Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse
Beer Week, Baby
February 22, 2014
— 2 Comments
Tucson has rapidly developed a bevy of micro breweries and beer emporiums. Downtown is awash in beer, and this week is Arizona Beer Week. I am less of a beer fan these days, but I like to support local businesses and taste new flavors. Sentinel Peak Brewery was holding a launch party yesterday for two new beers. I have been wanting to visit this new nano (teenier than micro) gastro brew pub close to my home. In a shopping center in the middle of town, between Petsmart and Trader Joe’s, these smart entrepreneurial firefighters have opened a bar for fans of high quality, hand crafted beer. They hit the mark so well that the very first problem they had after opening was running out of beer much faster than they had anticipated. They are trending…and they still have jobs as firefighters, so they are in the process of dealing with their sudden popularity.
They maintain a very friendly atmosphere and welcoming service. Sara was serving me from behind the bar with enthusiasm and lots of knowledge. I learned that she sings sometimes with her guitar to entertain the guests. The lady sitting next to me at the bar was a friendly beer lover who had also come for the party. She had much more experience than I in beer world/Tucson, so I learned a lot from her as we enjoyed our beers. She let me know about a Sunday brunch wrapping up the festivities this week, hosted by a group known as Girls’ Pints Out. Just a few years ago I attended beer festival in Tucson that consisted of spending a few hours inside the baseball stadium with a few beer vendors and a small cup. Now we are not exactly Denver, but we are well on our way to serving the needs of the most discriminating local craft beer lovers. Life is good.
They are open now on weekends, and next week plan to expand to Thursday, and lunch. We must be patient while they brew enough beer to meet the demand. I bought a growler of the Dunkle Monsoon to bring beer week home to my partner Bob, who is a giant beer fan. We both enjoyed the growler with some rich oyster mushroom chowder I had made before I went out afternoon beer drinking. The creamy soup went well with the dark complex brew, and now we have an empty growler!!! To stay current with hours and new beers on tap like them on Facebook.
Flight of Firefighter Craft Beer
Donde Vas, Venezuela?
February 21, 2014
— 4 Comments
I lived in Venezuela in the early 1960s. My father was manager of operations for Mene Grande Oil Company, aka Gulf Oil. I lived in San Tomé in a remote petroleum camp in the llanos. I lived as a petroleum princess and listened to Radio Havana because it was the only station that came in clearly. We lived an opulent life surrounded by fences and guards. Trinidadians usually worked as servants in our homes because they were bilingual. We had one very high lifestyle in every respect.
John Kennedy was shot before I moved to South America, which was unsettling. Race riots were taking place in the states, but we were isolated from that reality hanging out at our private social club in the tropics. We lived in extreme segregation, but thought nothing of it. The seeds of revolution are planted many years before they mature. The wealth discrepancy in South America was shocking, but since it was all to our advantage we were told it was inevitable. These experiences all became part of my knowledge of the world and later part of my politics. I distrust all imperialists and their motives.
With a simplistic agenda to end unbearable insecurity the students began to march last week in all the cities in Venezuela. The outcome of this battle will be significant and was long in the making.
MGO employee handbook
His Holiness on Instagram
February 20, 2014
— 3 Comments
The coolest monk on earth has opened an instagram account. His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet is now updating his travels with photos. This is so much more exciting that Pope Francis’ twitter streams, although I do applaud @Pontifex for multi-lingual tweeting to anyone who wants to stay in touch with him. If you have been in the presence of His Holiness (I have had the very good fortune of doing so in 3 different teachings) you never forget the way he laughs and smiles. He is infectious and inspires this adoration instantly by giggling. I have seen him teach in Tibetan, and even in the middle of serious rituals he jokes and giggles with his students. By the time we had our translations in our earbuds the Tibetans were laughing at his jokes. He connects on all levels with all people. Those who understand and practice the fine points of Buddhism learn deeply and some probably glimpse enlightenment in his presence. Those of us who come in relative ignorance to his teachings may come away with less refined ideas, but we are also subject to instant enlightenment in his presence. The ancient texts he uses for study require lifetimes of study and meditation to do them justice. When he flashes a smile from that cute baby monk face he touches everyone in exactly the same way. Now we can all follow his smile around the world as he keeps us updated.
He enjoys a hobby in horology, and since his youth has taken watches apart to rebuild them. I believe he is a geeky monk who appreciates technology and wants to understand and use it to the max. What ever his reason may be, I am following him, and suggest that the gentle readers might want to check out his account. He is changing the world with his smile.
Why Study Ancestry?
February 19, 2014
— 4 Comments
I did not start studying genealogy with the expectation of spending years involved with my family tree. I did not expect to find much data, and thought I would be finished in a couple of weeks. In my sixth year of tracing my family back in time I could not imagine life without this research. I have now relearned history by tracing my own DNA through it. Believe me it becomes more interesting when you picture your own ancestors in events. The timeline is an important tool in life to assess progress and enlightenment. The same can be said of a much longer timeline, such as human history. I am starting to understand the mass migrations caused by religions that have shaped the political world. My people were motivated to take great risks and leave their known environments to follow religious convictions. They crossed the Atlantic in rickety boats with nothing but beer to drink. They froze and starved in the early American colonies. They adventured way out west to Ohio and beyond after the Revolutionary War. They fought on both sides of every British and American war, which is most revealing.
Ancestry.com is run by humans and therefore human error is part of it. The site has gathered and continues to gather public records to share as well as trees published by members who make them public. Often an unsubstantiated piece of data will be shared and repeated in the public tree arena. Fortunately there are also wizards who find some errors, and advise the owners of bogus trees to double check the data. I have twice needed to erase several generations of mistaken identity when I was given more information by a fellow family member. Bittersweet, erasing..I had become fond of the ancestors who were not really my own. It was a horrible blow to be wrong about them, but this study is about verification and facts, not just being up in your tree.
I have been asked which are my favorite ancestors, to which I generally reply I like them all for surviving so I could be here now. There are a few that I might love more than the others:
They are either well known or unknown, but all important to me and my existence. If you take the two week trial I bet you will find something remarkable in your own family history.
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