mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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California Hip
September 17, 2015
— 1 Comment
Buddha waterfall
I can adopt a prejudice and keep it forever for no particular reason. I decided long ago I have no use for Los Angeles, California, although it has much to offer. I wrote it off my list completely because I just did not like to drive around in it. My friend and I came to Topanga Canyon, which is in, but not of LA, to visit a friend of ours who lives here. I have had a change of heart about this entire region. We easily avoided traffic and experienced an exceptional day in Topanga Canyon with an old friend who lives there. I love the place much more than I had expected.
Topanga is rugged steep, and somewhat primitive in some places. The main road is narrow and curvy, which makes it treacherous to drive. It was all worth the trip for the atmosphere. The people I met all seemed to be in extreme chill mode. The retail and restaurant scene is completely to my liking. The merchandise and menus all seem to be created for my personal taste. I might eventually tire of the selections if I lived there, but that would take a long time.
Since it was a reunion of friends after many years it was the right time to celebrate with a fancy dinner. Inn of the Seventh Ray was the perfect place to go for the occasion. Our server Rudy did a superb job of detailed descriptions of the menu. The creative and colorful combinations the chef used were a delight to the senses. Fresh ingredients transformed into unique and exciting flavor thrills. We shared dishes in order to try more items on the menu. Portions were not large, but the flavor and satisfaction in each and every bite was enormous. All of the salads, entrees and desserts we tried made us very happy. Service was attentive, but the creekside setting is the icing on the cake. Between courses we spotted a family of deer having dinner across the creek in the grass.
deer dining
The setting, the cuisine, and the company made the evening memorable and special. For out of the ordinary fine dining I can’t think of a better place.
charm and style
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- deconstructed desserts
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- delightful dining
reunion of friends
California Hot
September 15, 2015
— 2 Comments
Swami’s
Southern California is a wonderful place to visit. I am lucky enough to be on a road trip with a friend who is doing all the driving. We are exploring some places that are new to both of us, then going to a hot spring to spa down before returning to Tucson. I have some aversion to driving here, but since I have been freed from the task I am really enjoying the trip. There are still hippies here. It is much hotter than I have ever known it to be, so many of the Californians are freaking out. I am used to hot weather, but this is the strongest evidence I have experienced for global warming. The beach sand burns your feet, and the ocean is amazingly warm. The drought is obvious everywhere. If any group of smarties can solve the water problem with science and technology I suspect that group would be in California. I hope science will save the day so we can all continue to eat produce, drink wine and come out here to the beach.
sunset
woody
bird of paradise
Legos in the Garden
September 10, 2015
— 4 Comments
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- Lego dragonfly
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- Lego dragonfly
Tucson Botanical Gardens has been a favorite place close to home where I enjoy nature. A recent building project has enhanced the garden’s entrance and gift shop space significantly. Tomorrow a special exhibit will open called Nature Connects, Art with Lego Bricks. Sculptural designs made completely with Legos are on display in the gardens. The pieces came assembled and will stay in Tucson until Jan. 3. They depict animals and a flower.
Lego spider
To pay for the exhibit the plan is to charge all members $5 every time we visit during the nearly 4 months that the Legos are installed. We have maintained a couple’s membership for many years. If I decide to renew when my membership comes due in February I will only buy a single. I have in the past felt generous toward the gardens, but now that they are throwing the members out for almost a third of the year that feeling has passed. I have started to think about where I will go to take a walk in nature without any membership fees. I can think of plenty. Nature without Legos works best for me, so perhaps our taste in botany has simply diverged. In my opinion the plastic animals are tacky and belong elsewhere. Poetry in the Gardens has moved to the U of A arboretum this year, yet another reason to drop my membership. The garden is an asset to the neighborhood that I will miss…at least for the next four months. I think they could have thought of a more respectful way to treat loyal members.
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- Lego deer
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- Lego deer eye
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- Lego deer
plastic pansy
Lego peacock
Lego turtle
Seeking Refuge
September 9, 2015
— 1 Comment
sunrise
Many of my ancestors came to North America seeking refuge. Most of them had religious problems in the old country that caused their exodus. My Irish family fled the potato famine in the 19th century. I don’t think any of my family came to escape war. When I consider the conditions on a sailing ship in the 17 or 18th century I am amazed that so many survived the journey across the ocean. The earliest arrivals had the most difficult time establishing their culture and society on land that had previously belonged to native peoples. The European settlers conquered the continent and took control of all natural resources to create comfortable lives for themselves. Slave labor was one of the practices that made the cultural dominance swift and complete. The Europeans enslaved Africans and made war on the native people to “win” and develop the land we now occupy. In some places a natural alliance between slaves, former slaves, and native people developed based on strong mutual distrust of the ruling culture.
In school the manifest destiny business is taught to children as if European culture had been sponsored by European God to spread across the North America. Very little mention is made of the treatment of the tribes who opposed the conquest. By the time I was born we had taken all the land we would claim, but had not yet made Hawaii or Alaska states. We still have territories around the world, including in the South Pacific. Our political reach extends beyond the boundaries of our nation in obvious ways. Our military and our intelligence community reach across the globe. In the name of defending democracy the United States has made many enemies. In the precarious balance of worldwide power we play the role of peace keeper. In this role we have fought and are fighting wars on other people’s homeland. No matter which side eventually may surrender the residents who must flee or live in a battle are the real victims of these wars.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The refugees arriving in Europe will not be stopped until the war that they want to escape is contained. The situation is complicated and strained in every way. We can see no winners anywhere from London to Afghanistan. Chaos and suffering are moving across very large landscapes with no remedy in sight. There is not enough money, infrastructure, or housing to deal with the crisis that will continue to flow into Europe. This is the most serious issue in the world right now. Containing the disaster and stopping the violence deserves all civilization’s attention. Compassion is the only responsible response.
Diet of the Ancestors
September 7, 2015
— 4 Comments
The typical American diet is driving obesity, diabetes and heart disease to higher heights. Fad diets and processed shakes abound, but to heal the country of illness we need to return to whole foods. Factory farming and distribution call for processing, refrigeration or freezing. The end product often costs more to ship and preserve than it did to grow. The longer it is stored the more it costs to keep it frozen. The health of the nation would be better served by consuming food that has not been packaged or canned. I do, of course, eat some processed foods, but I am working to get back to basics. I want to improve my habits for the sake of the earth, and for the benefit of my health.
Coconut oil is now a daily part of my routine. I swish a tablespoon of oil in my mouth for 40 minutes each morning to kill cooties. The oil slides into all spaces and treats all surfaces in my mouth with anti-bacterial agents. I spit out the oil and rinse my super-clean feeling teeth to finish the process. On my last dental visit my dentist raved about the positive properties of coconut oil and extolled the virtues of eating it and using it topically. I let him know I was using it to kill bacteria since it seems to be working for me. My annual thermography report showed much less inflammation in my eye ear nose and throat than last year, and less in my digestive tract also. I am a fully committed oil puller. It takes some getting used to, but now I have the habit. It is one of the easiest things I can do to improve my health.
I think oral health has a big impact on the entire body. My dentist agrees. Today I learned about Dr Weston Price, a dentist with an interest in diet and anthropology. His popular ideas are still followed today. He determined that avoidance of artificial and refined sugars, fats, and flours that were not available before industrialization, could prevent disease. He recommended local nutrient dense foods that included a variety of natural fats. His view into the mouth of societies with ancestral diets showed him the wisdom of developing a palate for savory unprocessed foods. I am lucky to have time and circumstances that support home preparation of whole foods. I may not be able to give up sweet potato corn chips or my favorite jars of salsa, but at least I do eat them with home made guacamole.
Westin Price’s book
William Pickens, 8th Great-Grandfather
September 5, 2015
— 1 Comment
parish church in LaRachelle Normandy
My 8th great-grandfather was born in Normandy, France circa 1670, and died circa 1735 in Pennsylvania. His parents fled after the Edict of Nantes to escape religious persecution. Many Scots-Irish, including these, immigrated to Pennsylvania and joined Dutch Reform churches. My branch of the Pickens family continued on to South Carolina where they formed a Presbyterian congregation.
William Pickens (1670 – 1735)
is my 8th great grandfather
Anne Pickens (1680 – 1750)
daughter of William Pickens
Nancy Ann Davis (1705 – 1763)
daughter of Anne Pickens
Jean PICKENS (1738 – 1824)
daughter of Nancy Ann Davis
Margaret Miller (1771 – 1853)
daughter of Jean PICKENS
Philip Oscar Hughes (1798 – 1845)
son of Margaret Miller
Sarah E Hughes (1829 – 1911)
daughter of Philip Oscar Hughes
Lucinda Jane Armer (1847 – 1939)
daughter of Sarah E Hughes
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of Lucinda Jane Armer
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor
William Pickens was the son of Robert (Andre) Pickens and Esther Jane Benoit. He married Margaret, traditionally Margaret Pike, in Northern Ireland. He died circa 1735 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Traditionally it is said that William Pickens was born in France and was taken to Scotland, then to Northern Ireland, by his parents when the Huguenots fled following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. His mother was French; his father was, according to various theories, either Scot or French. But regardless of his actual ancestry, it is fair to say that William was Scots-Irish.
When James I of England ascended to the throne in 1603, among his main objectives was to Protestantism Northern Ireland. To that end he began an extensive colonization plan that encouraged Protestants from England, Scotland, and even France and Germany, to emigrate to the Ulster Plantation (Northern Ireland). The vast majority of Protestants who settled there during the 17th century were lowland Scots, but those we now call Scots-Irish were not exclusively Scot. What they were, were Presbyterian; what they were not, were Irish.
Well, the Irish Catholics hated the Presbyterians, the Presbyterians hated the Irish Catholics; and the English crown hated both. Over the next 100 years or so, the Scots-Irish Presbyterians had to deal with the Irish who wanted them out of the country, English landlords who charged ever-higher rents, and Anglican ministers who made most of their income by imposing tithes. There was a constant struggle for religious tolerance, civil liberties and political rights. For example, the Scots-Irish could not hold office and were denied representation in government. The “Great Migration” of the Scots-Irish to America began in 1717 and occurred in waves over the next 58 years. With them, the emigrants brought a deep-seated resentment toward the English that would lead to the Revolutionary War and Independence.
It is thought that William and Margaret Pickens arrived in America with their children about 1719. Although the majority of Scots-Irish immigrants to Pennsylvania arrived at the Port of Philadelphia, a significant number came through New Castle, Delaware. It is probably safe to say that William and family arrived at one or the other. Apparently, they settled first in Bensalem, Bucks County, where William Pickens and his wife, and Israel and Margaret Pickens are found in the records of the Low Dutch Reformed Church. On a list of “Newcomers from Earlandt” who joined the church are found.
1719 – Willem Pecken and his wife, by certificate.
1720 – Iserell Pecken by profession.
1722 – Margaret Picken by Profession.6,7
And under “New Church Members from Ireland, Nov. 4, 1724. . .”
The new members from Ireland have been received on letter of attestation and have now become chosen Elders – William Pickens
and his wife.
Also. . .
Israel Pickens by profession of faith.
Margaret Pickens, communicant, June 6, 1724.
The Low Dutch Reformed Church at “Bensalem & Shammenji” was established on 20 May 1710 as a Dutch speaking Reformed congregation under Presbyterian authority. (The Low Dutch should not be confused with “Pennsylvania Dutch” who were German, not Dutch). The early Scots-Irish immigrants to Pennsylvania, having no churches of their own, joined Dutch Reformed churches. In the years that followed they came to outnumber the Dutch at Bensalem. Fearing the loss of their identity, the Dutch congregants withdrew to form a new Dutch Reformed congregation, and by 1730, the Bensalem church was clearly a Scots-Irish Presbyterian Church.
According to Sharp, William’s death in 1735 is recorded in Bucks County and his estate was administered there.
Dine Out for No Kid Hungry in September
September 4, 2015
— 3 Comments
Dine Out
During the month of September No Kid Hungry is sponsoring a drive with participating restaurants in the US. Each restaurant decides how to reward the customer for donating. Since we are regular restaurant patrons we like to enjoy a good deal and contribute to a group effort to feed the children of America when this opportunity presents itself. Some places offer gift cards for future visits, others match the patron’s donation. To find restaurants near you, and learn what the special offers are go to No Kid Hungry.
This year the restaurant most appealing to our palettes near home is Romano’s Macaroni Grill. We have enjoyed meals at this well run chain very much in the past. Both my carnivore craft beer drinking partner and my vegetarian cocktail drinking self have plenty of choices on the menu. They make fresh pasta, and I remember the pizza is good too. The offer they are making for the entire month is excellent. What is not to like? Take your friends out to eat this month. Every dollar raised helps feed a kid up to ten meals. Everyone needs to eat. For some of us it is much easier than it is for others. Please help end childhood hunger in America by patronizing great restaurants this month.
No Kid Hungry Dine Out
Sarah Odding, 8th Great-Grandmother
September 1, 2015
— 5 Comments
Home in Rhode Island
My 8th great-grandmother was born in 1609 in Cornwall, England and died in Rhode Island in 1681. She sailed to America with her mother, step father, and husband in 1633. The group left Roxbury for Rhode Island because they probably were already Quakers. The Pilgrims made life hard for Quakers.
Sarah ODDYN or ODDING, daughter of William ODDYN or ODDING and Margaret Lang (parents from England). Details on vitals still being confirmed: Birth 05 Feb 1609 in Madron, Cornwall, England; Death 05 Feb 1681 in Kingston, Washington Co., Rhode Island.
Sarah Odding (1609 – 1681)
is my 8th great grandmother
Eber Sherman (1634 – 1706)
son of Sarah Odding
Mary Sherman (1688 – 1751)
daughter of Eber Sherman
Thomas Sweet (1732 – 1813)
son of Mary Sherman
Thomas Sweet (1765 – 1844)
son of Thomas Sweet
Valentine Sweet (1791 – 1858)
son of Thomas Sweet
Sarah LaVina Sweet (1840 – 1923)
daughter of Valentine Sweet
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Sarah LaVina Sweet
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 – (not you?)
Sarah married Phillip Sherman (Shearman), son of Samuel Sherman and Philippa Ward.
Mr Phillip Shearman was one of the 23 signers of the Portsmouth Compact dated 07 March 1638 (13th signer) … a document 138 years older than our Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Sarah and Phillip had perhaps 12 children (other source says they had 11 children and all survived to adulthood):
Eber Sherman1634 – 1706
Sarah (md Mumford) Sherman1636 – 1718
Peleg Sherman Sr. 1638 – 1719
Mary Sherman1639 – 1700
Samson Sherman1641 – 1718
Edmund Sherman1641 – 1718
Sarah Sherman1641 – ?
William Sherman1643 – 1646
John Sherman1644 – 1734
Hannah Sherman1647 – 1717
Samuel Sherman1648 – 1717
Mary (2nd one) Sherman1652 – 1729
Philip Sherman1652 – 1731
*Source: Ancestry.com
References to Phillip Shearman and his wife Sarah Odding (Oddyn) being Quakers:
• “After Phillip Shearman went to Rhode Island he left the Congregational Church and united with the Society of Friends.” (Representive of Men and Old Families of Rhode Island, Volume 1, publisher Jeff Beers & Co, Chicago c1908, page 210).
• “In the meantime, Phillip Shearman, became a member of another religious order, the Society of Friends (Quakers).” (Going to Palmyra: Sherman Deeds, by Margaret Sherman Lutzvick, 1997, page 38).
• “Philip and Sarah Sherman joined the Society of Friends as did their children and their children’s children for two hundred years.” (A New England Heritage, by Frederick Barreda Sherman, c1969, page 64).
• “After he removed to Rhode-Island he left the Congregational Church and united with the Society of Friends.” (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Vol 24 Jan 1870 page 66: Article titled The Sherman Family, By Rev David Sherman).
*SOURCE: Alonzo Sherman (descendant)
Family and descendants:
While still living in Roxbury, in the Massachusetts colony, Sherman married Sarah Odding, the daughter of William and Margaret Odding. He and Sarah had a large family of at least 11 children, most of whom survived childhood, married, and had large families.
Sherman’s mother-in-law, Margaret Odding, married secondly John Porter, another signer of the Portsmouth Compact. With Margaret, Porter had one child, Hannah, who married Samuel Wilbur, Jr., whose father, Samuel Wilbore was another signer of the compact.
Among the many descendants of Philip and Sarah Sherman are former United States Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush. Other descendants include James S. Sherman, Susan B. Anthony, Janis Joplin, Sir Winston Churchill, Lyndon LaRouche, Conrad Aiken, Mamie Eisenhower, and possibly Marilyn Monroe.
*Source: Wikipedia summary of sources.
Family links:
Spouse:
Phillip Sherman (1610 – 1687)
Burial:
Portsmouth Friends Churchyard
Portsmouth
Newport County
Rhode Island, USA
SARAH ODDING
In the list of admissions to Roxbury church, member #95 was “Sarah Odding. She was step daughter to John Porter & came with her parents & was after married to Philip Sharman of this church”.
COMMENTS: This admission was late in 1633, but her parents were much earlier in the list, and the family probably came to New England on one of the ships that arrived during the early summer. See JOHN PORTER and PHILIP SHERMAN.
In 1998 Patricia Law Hatcher discovered that Sarah Odding was born by 1612, daughter of “William Oddyn” of Braintree, Essex.
Back to Class-Fall for Fitness
August 30, 2015
— 3 Comments
Tucson Racquet Club
I enjoy my membership at the Tucson Racquet and Fitness Club very much. The facility is open 24 hours and is kept clean by a friendly and competent staff. As a steam room fan I am mighty particular about the cleanliness of our spa. The indoor jacuzzi/steam area is thoroughly cleaned, and the water in the jacuzzi drained and replaced twice a week. I have worked at fancy expensive spas that do not maintain such a level of attention to cleaning spa facilities. The steam room is the only one I have seen with a view of outdoors. The natural light and view of the mountains adds to the pleasant steam experience for me.
The Racquet Club an open, family oriented place with acres of space for recreation. The tennis, handball and volleyball teams are active. Pickleball and even a ping pong table add extra fun for the competitive sport. Two olympic sized heated pools provide plenty of room for lap swimming and classes at the same time. The cooler lap pool is shaded from the Arizona sun. Since I use the private pool at my condo village I have not used the pools very much. In the 7 years I have been a member I have taken two classes. I am happy to do my own thing in the weight room without a set time. This has suited my lifestyle and may still be my favorite way to use the club. However, Medicare Advantage, for which I will qualify next year, will give me a Silver Sneakers membership at no cost. If I want to include all the classes offered I will be charged $22.50 a month. This is a screaming bargain, but only if I go to class. The next step in my health care journey is to analyze the cost benefits of taking fitness classes.
This is ironic because I have taken and taught thousands of fitness classes and private lessons. At one time in my life I spent lots of money and time to seek teaching from accomplished yogis and other master teachers. I do appreciate the value of good instruction, but I believe I have become jaded and stagnant. I don’t know exactly why I took such long break, but I now see many reasons to go back to fitness school this fall. For the next four months, while I still pay full price for my membership I will take classes at least five days a week in order to establish a habit. I can only benefit from what I learn during this fall fitness semester of training. To pick and choose from the wide variety on menu of classes is a luxury I might as well enjoy. If I find that I like classes attending again the $22.50 monthly fee will be super reasonable in the future. The classes I plan to incorporate into my schedule on the first week are:
- Postural Fitness- an excellent system based on the work of Pete Igoscue
- Pilates- there are two levels of mat classes for me to try
- Yoga- the club offers 5 kinds of yoga for all kinds of tastes and abilities
- TRX- I have never tried this popular training method
Do you have a fitness routine, gentle reader? Are you loyal to classes or do you like to mix and match with your own thing? My investment into trying new classes this fall will be an adventure back to the future for me. Whatever the outcome I am sure the time I spend will be well rewarded. Health is our only real wealth.
Fluidity and the Future
August 26, 2015
— 2 Comments
fountain of youth
When the worldwide economy takes center stage anything can happen. Some people are caught in a crunch without sufficient funds to cover their losses. Some investments are easily converted into cash. These are considered to be fluid investments. Anything that you own for which there is no instant market is not fluid. You must find a buyer in order to unload those items. Often the seller takes a serious loss when forced to raise funds to cover losses. Think of the recent real estate tragedies in the united States as an example. The underwater homes and mortgages were stuck in a stagnant market that favored buyers over sellers. The American dream of the 30 year mortgage in real estate as a fabulous investment has been revealed to be less than foolproof. Not all homes will retain value, and in some markets real estate is very difficult to move.
Fluidity is a factor in investing and planning for retirement, but it is also a major element in future flexibility in life. The body you create as well as inherit will serve you for better or for worse as time passes. You will be able to enjoy activities and stay involved in social and intellectual interests as long as your physical health allows. The precious resources of healthy mind and healthy body can’t be overprotected. The body is the permanent home we will occupy until we die. Keeping it in good working order is the most valuable gift we can give our future selves. Retaining good range of motion will pay excellent dividends in terms of comfort and ease. How can we contribute to our liquid physical assets?
- Immerse yourself in water- use the support of hydrostatic pressure to bring ease to your movement and enhancement to your natural flexibility
- Try new forms of artistic expression- the latest trend is all about adult coloring books as a meditative practice. Crafty or edible, use any new excuse to expand your artistic horizons.
- Plan free time to include more activities in nature. Picnics, hikes, and trips to the dog park all bring the healing power of nature into our daily experience.
- If you have any space (even a balcony) try growing some of the foods or herbs you eat. The satisfaction of gardening is a shortcut to both better nutrition and therapy.
- Start a regular stretching and strength routine. The methods you use are less important than making the practice a daily habit. Keeping range of motion all over the body, especially the spine, is an investment well worth your time.
fountain of youth
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