Nature | mermaidcamp

#NaPoWriMo #MeatlessMonday Made Easy

April 17, 2017 — 1 Comment

roasting tomatillos

Texas caviar

citrus

ripe tomatoes, ready to juice

Find the freshest, most attractive produce in the aisle
Cook it as little as possible in order to create a masterpiece
To satisfy all your senses, to tempt your tastebuds in style
Consider presentation, flavor balance, and prep with ease
Jars of layered salads, wraps, burritos, and quinoa bowls
Bring out the healthy chef within to take care of nutrition
Take gourmet living seriously by designing a diet for souls
To live in balance with nature is a healing prescription

#NaPoWriMo2017

#GloPoWriMo

This poetic invitation to vegetarians on Mondays is inspired by the #veggiepoetry people on twitter. I stopped eating meat in 1969, and do not miss it, so this is a sincere recommendation. It is also my daily poem for National Poetry Writing Month. Find more poetry at the #NaPoWriMo site.

#NaPoWriMo Rutabaga, Satan’s Own Root Vegetable #VeggiePoetry

April 14, 2017 — 1 Comment

The devil’s favorite veggie

The Holy Ones created all the root vegetables, the ground provisions,
Then scattered them across the earth to feed man and beast
The French got all the radishes, the Russians got the beets
Yams and sweet potatoes grew all over the southern lands
Generously rewarding any farmer who buried them in sand
Ireland had plenty of potatoes, until crop failure let them down
Turnips were pickled in pink brine, prized in Middle Eastern towns
The devil slipped in and made away with the rutabaga on his fork
He took it to the underworld, where his finest vintage he uncorked
I will send you back to the mortals, but with a distinctive smell
There will be no doubt when you are cooked that you have been to hell

He sent them all to Scandinavia, where they are lucky to grow anything to eat

The people all said hallelujah these giant turnips are delicious and sweet

(Then they pissed on some fish and buried it in the frozen ground for a few months)

: #GloPoWriMo

Today’s poem in #NaPoWriMo is dedicated to my erstwhile roommate from South Carolina. Her parents had a truly awesome garden, and her mom made the best canned tomatoes in the universe. However, they also grew the evil rutabaga, which she imported to our North Carolina home, and cooked. The first time I smelled it I thought a dog had died in the house. It left a lasting impression. When I learned there is such a thing as #VeggiePoetry I knew I had to try at least one during April. Tune in to these and other poems at the #NaPoWriMo site. Don’t be shy. Write an ode to a veggie you love…or detest..you may find the #veggiepoet within.

#WeekendCoffeeShare Road Tripping

April 9, 2017 — 7 Comments

Casa Grande Ruins

adobe

Casa Grande Ruins

If we were having coffee I would invite you to relax with a cup of tea or coffee of your choice. It is getting warm (hot for most of you), so I have a couple of iced teas on hand to quench your thirst and take the edge off the heat. We just returned from a road trip to take in the blooming trees and cacti. We always intended to visit the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, but have somehow managed to postpone the visit for years. The place is out of the way, so we created an itinerary around it. Initially we had planed to go to the Greek Monastery in Florence, then the ruins. When we passed the road to the monastery it was too early to visit, so we decided to drive a few more miles to a place we know and love, Queen Creek.

We stopped to shop and picnic at the Queen Creek Olive Mill which as expanded since we last saw the place. It was swarming with customers, but the ample outdoor picnic space is ample. We purchased a few choice groceries and a mimosa for me, then headed out to the porch to enjoy our fare. After lunch we went across the street to the Schempf Farms for a little more gourmet grocery procurement before we hit the ruins, about 15 miles down the road. My senior pass gets us in to all the National parks and monuments forever for free. It is my favorite senior benefit.

The ruins must have been a complete wonder when first built. The Casa Grande has such thick walls that even in the heat of summer the people could find great relief inside. At one time when the rivers flowed these people had a great civilization, which vanished. Like the Anasazi people the Hohokam had advanced agriculture that sustained a large population for a while. Nobody knows exactly how and why they vanished. The Parks Service does not restore, but does preserve the structures as much as possible. It is impressive that it is still standing. It gives one a very large sense of history.

If we were having coffee I would tell you I am still true to #NaPoWriMo, although I do not plan to combine the two this week. I will write another one with a poem in it today. I am really impressed with many of the contributors this year. I have been reading some very inspirational poetry of all kinds. I never knew there were so many formal formats in use. Some poets are incredibly flexible with all these various forms. I just crank one out in some form every day, and am satisfied just to do that. How are your writing projects going? I know many are going to novel writing camp this month. That seems like a very big challenge to me, but the poems I can handle. How are you handling your latest challenges?

Me in ruins

Thanks for stopping by today for a beverage and a visit. I look forward to spending time on the weekends catching up with this talented group. To read, comment, or submit your own coffee share post, please visit Nerd in the Brain. Meet interesting writers from all over the world.

#WeekendCoffeeShare

Arizona Highways #NaPoWriMo

April 7, 2017 — 1 Comment

palo verde

wildflowers

prickly pear

fairy duster

Riding in the red Mustang down Arizona Highways in the spring
Psychedelic colors flash like cartoons across the landscape
Brightly blooming trees and cacti light up the desert and sing
Mysterious, haunting, and otherworldly, it is here we can escape
Taking in the wonders of nature, we heal our weary souls
Retreating into the beauty of the season we are made whole

We run with the roadrunners and hum with the hummingbirds

: #GloPoWriMo

Please ride the poetry train this April at #NaPoWriMo. You are invited to contribute, read, comment, or participate in some of the many contests happening this month. You can follow both #GloPoWriMo and #NaPoWriMo on social media to discover more poets.

Without Water #NaPoWriMo

April 2, 2017 — 1 Comment

cactus

We fished and swam in the rivers, let our storms run down the street
It did not occur to us that one day our water supply would retreat
The plants and landscape told us our methods were made to defeat
The natural song of the rain and the snow, converting to concrete
When our hillsides and forests burned down and washed out to sea
It left us with few choices, no resources, just a distant memory
Of springs and brooks and underground streams that filled our land
We can no longer feed our people, our lives slip by like sand
In the hourglass of history no single ruler takes the burden of blame
For the killing of the living waters. All we can say is it is a shame

#GloPoWriMo

All month in April you can enjoy reading poetry submitted from around the world at #NaPoWriMo. Discover new poets or write some yourself. It is all in good fun. You may find a poem in you that needs to be written.

#NaPoWriMo2017

#WeekendCoffeeShare Spring Training Edition

March 18, 2017 — 17 Comments

my front yard

lemon in bloom

pink jasmine

ripe tomatoes, ready to juice

If we were having coffee this weekend I would show you my new favorite item, which is parked just inside my front door. It is my new Power Plate Personal vibration platform. I had purchased a cheap knock of version of this equipment and become very addicted to using it. The knock off completely died electronically after two month’s use. I am always bragging that I am thrifty but not cheap. In this case I proved myself wrong by purchasing an inferior product while trying to “save” money. Imagine my ire when I looked it up on Amazon and found out they are no longer even selling the thing. I left a horrible review, then went on to read many other horrific reviews of the many cheap knock off brands. I reached the conclusion that I needed to invest in a Power Plate to make the most of my dollar expenditure. Amazon delivered, as usual, and sold me a 5 year warrantee on parts and labor that makes me feel secure that I have made a good decision this time about my purchase. My new equipment is far superior to the trashy thing I bought, and comes with a free month of video training. This is the spring training I had in mind. I learned my lesson about Chinese knock off merch.

If you were hanging out here today, perhaps trying the Power Plate, just for fun, you would be seriously treated to major aromatherapy. The pink jasmine in front is in full bloom, along with the white Lady Banksia rose. The jasmine scent is intoxicating, and will soon be followed by two other varieties of jasmine. In the back yard my lemon tree is blooming and setting fruit profusely this year. Last year I had a crop of zero lemons, which saddened me greatly. It looks like a bumper crop this year. The bees are very busy pollinating the flowers. Please sit back and enjoy some iced tea, pink grapefruit juice, or freshly squeezed tomato juice. I processed fresh tomatoes all week, and still have almost a full case, so this morning we are making a big brunch with fresh tomato juice. Please stay for brunch, which will feature very fresh eggs from my neighbor’s pampered chickens.

If we were having coffee (juice or iced tea) this weekend I would extend my sympathy to those of you who suffered severe snow storm, Stella. I loved snow as a child growing up in Pittsburgh, and as a serious downhill skier in middle age, but have no use for it today. I don’t know how to drive in it, and probably could no longer construct a decent snow fort if challenged to a snowball fight. Winter weather does seem rather perfect for writers, in a way. Stuck indoors, perhaps with winds howling past the door, and perilous conditions on the nearest waterway, a creative person could come up with some imaginative stories. I read some really good ones this week on Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo #writephoto blog. My own little fiction story took a hellish, dark, underworld turn, once again surprising me with the disturbing sinister tales my fiction muse creates. I think maybe I need to listen to Homer’s Odyssey to get into this whole journey into darkness and then home again theme. I found it free on Amazon and will add it when Alexa finishes reading my next book. I never hurts to review the classics.

Pray tell, gentle reader, what have you been reading and writing? This movable coffee, tea, juice, and story smorgasbord meets each weekend at Nerd on the Brain’s blog. Please join us here to contribute, to comment, or enjoy the literary and imaginary international gourmet feast.

#WeekendCoffeeShare

#WeekendCoffeeShare Spring Fever Edition

March 13, 2017 — 1 Comment

aloe

bees on lavender

aloe

If we were having coffee this weekend, you might notice I have not shown up until Monday morning. No real impediments kept me from meeting my own deadline here. I have just been feeling spring fever. I have been particularly lazy on my blog, although I did manage a short piece of fiction this week. After my quick trip to Tempe and Scottsdale last week I started to shop around on air bnb for other wildflower destinations. I told myself I would fit in one more photo safari on this exceptional rain year when I am finished preparing my income taxes. I found some excellent options near Anza Borrego, California, where there is a gigantic super bloom happening now. It is very tempting to just pick up and go, but I do need to consider finances.

My vacation and photo shoot quickly turned into a spa staycation when a surprising turn of events changed my financial picture. The cheap knock off vibration platform I have been enjoying daily kicked the bucket. This was distressing because I am now addicted to using it, and must replace it with one that will not break after two month’s use. I read reviews and did more research than I did the first time, including calling an old friend who is a vendor of the Power Plate brand. The superior quality as well as the warranty convinced me to order a Power Plate platform. It will arrive tomorrow. I have a new appreciation for it, and see it as a good exchange for a short vacation. This will contribute to better health every day. I have become accustomed to the convenience of using it whenever I want at home. The wildflowers will have to wait. I have invested in my home spa gear and my every day pleasure. This investment will pay off in the future.

We are still finishing the ruby red grapefruit, and Bob brought home two cases of mangos from the produce distribution in the neighborhood on Saturday. He arrived as they were leaving, and wanted to get rid of extra tomatoes and mangos, so he took six cases of tomatoes, and two of ripe mangoes. They are in perfect condition, so I was roasting and simmering stroganoff and soup yesterday. I still have many tomatoes, so today I will set up the food drier to take care of more of them. I will make a batch of mango chutney and some salsa today too. I love the smell of chutney while it simmers. Please help yourself to fruit to go. We are overstocked once again.

If we were having coffee I would ask you to enjoy the scent of the lemon tree blooming in the back yard and the pink jasmine and white roses blooming in the front. The perfume of spring is heady and floral. It is warm and sunny. We cleared out all the wood from the garage, not expecting to need another fire in the stove this year. Tell me how your writing has been going. I hope you are not on a lazy streak like I am. This is not writer’s block. This is plain old procrastination. Do you suffer from that? It seems like after I miss one day of blogging it is easy to skip another. I need to jumpstart that writing engine and get in gear. Thanks for sharing stories and digital beverages this week. Pardon my tardiness, please. I will work on that for next week.

If you would like to connect with a group of talented diverse writers, check out Nerd in the Brain, our gracious hostess.

#WeekendCoffeeShare

#WeekendCoffeeShare Tempe Edition

March 4, 2017 — 9 Comments

high noon

Desert Botanical Garden

If we were having coffee today I would invite you to sit by the pool at my fabulous air bnb accommodation in lovely Tempe, AZ. I am visiting the home of the Sun Devils because I love this town, even though the ASU/UofA traditional rivalry demands that I not. I have no wildcat loyalty, except during basketball season. I am glad to show you around this history filled place to share the reasons I find it so fascinating. I think you will agree that Tempe is worth a visit. We will stop at Tempe Farmers Market for our take out coffee and then take off for the Desert Botanical Garden for a special festive day.

I came up this weekend to attend a big opening party at the Desert Botanical Garden for a new butterfly pavilion. I am dressed in my Tucson Botanical Garden Frida shirt so I can be easily identified as a Tucsonan. I plan to spend the greater part of the day at the gardens, which are extensive and have good wifi throughout the space. I have a reservation to eat brunch at the restaurant inside the garden. This will be the kind of solo travel day that really makes me happy. I can stay as long as I want, which is always much longer than any other person wants to stay at a botanical garden.

Scottsdale Artists

Thanks for going to the party at the Desert Botanical Gardens with me today. I was particularly delighted that a group of artists were painting all over the garden. They all had different styes and personalities. It added a wonderful dimension to the already great day. I enjoyed every moment of the time. I took a real camera as well as two iPods, and used them all. I am very pleased with the volume of photos, as well as the quality. I plan to use some for fiction and poetry inspiration in the future. I hope you also had a good time seeing all the wildflowers and cacti in bloom. The desert is a flamboyant place, especially in the springtime.

Let’s take a break in the shade and enjoy some lunch at Gertrude’s Restaurant, inside the garden. I want to hear what is happening in your life. What is happening with your writing these days. Do you have new projects? How is the seasonal change where you live (if you are not at the equator)? I enjoy keeping up with the coffee crowd. If you, gentle reader, want to take part in this digital coffee drinking party each weekend, check in with Nerd In the Brain. Please feel free to read, comment, or submit your own coffee share post here. The group is diverse, worldly, and sophisticated.

#WeekendCoffeeShare

A Month Of Snail Mail

February 28, 2017 — 1 Comment

#InCoWriMo supplies

Today is the last day of #InCoWriMo, International Correspondence Writing Month. I just achieved one of my goals, which was to use all the 37 cent stamps I inherited form my mother in 2008. I had 18 left, and used them on an international package. Now I will be able to use forever stamps forever. I found out about this month by associating with some bullet journal people on social media. They write down and draw in their journals to be more creative and archive ideas for writing. I started the BuJu-ing, but am not very prolific with the journalling. I might get into it, because it is a very valid way to stimulate creativity.

I do make some iPad art, digital style, but have thought for a while the manual side of my skill set has been left to atrophy. Indeed, my cursive writing has become a thing of the past. I will never be able to compete with the pen pals with beautiful handwriting, but pen pals don’t compete. I have found that waiting to see what is in the mailbox as well as composing an artful response has become a real joy. I have just barely made a dent in the card collection with which I started the month. Inspired by my BuJu and calligraphy pals, I have bought some finger color ink and some sealing wax to make my mail more exciting and individual. Some new designer stamps will arrive in the mail soon, and today I purchased some international stamps to keep in touch with my new friends in Canada and England. The handwritten mail reveals more about the sender than digital communication. I have instantly become fond of my letter writing friends. I plan to write to them until all the cards are gone.

I have met artists of various kinds, gardeners, crochet and knitting crafters, a book binder, and many who are into botany and botanical gardens. I mentioned my botanical interests when I publicly listed my mailing address, so I attracted many like minded plant lovers. Now a group has been formed on Facebook for a combination of correspondence and poetry for the month of April. I think I can get behind that challenge also, since I already write 30 poems in 30 days for #NaPoWriMo in April. I might be really cool to write them out and decorate them ..and send them away in the mail. It is really kind of mysterious. I like many retro trends, but am surprised by how much I delight in this one. Do you write snail mail, gentle reader? I am still collecting addresses, so if you want a card..or possibly a poem, in the snail mail, give me your mailing address here. I would never share it with anyone else.

#WeekendCoffeeShare, Spring Farming

February 25, 2017 — 8 Comments

Desert Botanical Garden

If we were having coffee I would invite you to once again sit by the wood stove, which has been cranked up for a couple of days. This short cold snap may be the last time we need to burn wood this year. The quick warm up has caused all the trees to go into blossom mode. My peach tree is in bloom, and the apricot and grapefruit are budding up. Since I still had a large crop of ruby-red grapefruit on the tree I needed to act quickly to get them picked. It stresses the tree and the fruit will start to lose weight if I leave it much longer. I picked about 100 pounds, and took them to the farmers market. I am a member of a coop sponsored by our food bank that allows us to drop off our produce to be sold at the coop table.

It is great because small growers who do not produce enough to want to rent their own table use the coop to sell their fruits, herbs, and vegetables. I joined last year when I had too many grapefruit at the end of the season, and think it is a wonderful service to the community. I take extra herbs and citrus that turn out to be more than we can use. Others are doing it to increase income from home gardening. I came back to the market at the perfect time!! Tomorrow there will be a party at a brewery downtown hosted by the Arizona Small Scale Farmers Alliance, a ranger and farmer meet up. This will be a very fun event for me. I plan to attend and find out what is happening in local farmer land. I have also made my plans for wildflower safari to Tempe and Scottsdale in the beginning of March. One of my Air bnb hosts up there has a miniature farm with free range chickens and organic gardens. Guests are invited and encouraged to eat the produce and eggs. That will be interesting to see as well as taste. I want to see what farmers do in Scottsdale.

My trip to Maricopa County will include the opening of a new butterfly pavilion at the Desert Botanical Gardens for which they are having a party. It will be wildflower as well as citrus bloom season up there, so the sights and scents will be very exciting. On Sunday I will visit the Museum of the Musical Instrument, where I will see the exhibits at leisure the attend a classical matinée concert by the Phoenix Symphony. There are special exhibits about 20th century guitar art, and another about Woodie Guthrie. I could easily spend an entire day there. I am enthusiastically looking forward to my weekend away, not very far from home. I plan to purposely take some botanical/architectural images to use later as prompts for poetry or fiction. There will be plenty of subject matter from which to choose. I am still writing fiction once a week to Sue Vincent’s photo prompts, which gave me the idea to capture a few of my own for future use. April is poetry month and I always use an image with each of the 30 poems, so might as well prepare.

If we were having coffee I would be seriously pushing the grapefruit juice, and sending a few fruits home with you when you go. I want to hear about your week and writing projects. I know many of you are still in winter, and are probably getting tired of it. My early spring farming issues might not inspire much sympathy if you are still snowed in. Think of it this way. Soon you will be able to enjoy the blaze of color and flash of Phoenician spring without leaving home. I will bring it to you on coffee share. I only wish I could transmit the amazing aroma of citrus in bloom. It is sweet and uplifting beyond measure. Thank you for visiting this week. Take some spring vibes home with you.

If you want to join other writers and digital beverage drinkers visit Nerd In The Brain to hook up with stories from around the globe each weekend. Feel free to read, comment, enjoy, or submit a post of your own here.

#WeekendCoffeeShare

Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water

April 17, 2017 — 1 Comment

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