mermaidcamp

#WritePhoto Peace Trance

July 6, 2017 — 8 Comments

peaceful paradise

At the most stressful times she could remove herself from the action by calling on her ability to go into a trance. She had been a captive since her early childhood. She can barely remember her own abduction and the long ride down the mountain out of the forrest. They crossed barren plains scarred with the remnants of war to the camp where she remained. She never saw her family again, and was taught a new language, full of harsh sounds and concepts. In her few hours of rest she remained faithful to her tribe’s values, trying to keep the few sacred words of her mother tongue alive in her mind. There was no speaking around in that forbidden language, for the camp was used to erase culture and tribal belief. The process was a special kind of stripping of confidence that left them all exhausted.

Her skill to call down the moon was still in tact. She spent the full moon nights in reverie, practicing the trances and the dances she had been taught as a little girl. She felt her own power grow as her values changed. She knew the secret of taking responsibility. The people brought to the camp were stripped of their identity and culture, then programmed for menial and dehumanizing work. They were hoodwinked into thinking they had no choices in life, that this awful slavery was a punishment for something they had done.

In her meditation she saw the logs in the forest that her grandmother used for an altar. She could pull in every detail of that scene, and even hear the voices of her people chanting to bring her back home. Finally one night in her dream the path to return to her village was revealed. A strong bold figure opened the gates and brought all the people into freedom. She ran quickly up the hill with an unlimited energy she had never had. Her steps were swift and sure as she climbed the last hill. She saw her whole family gathered around the altar, dancing slowly, chanting sweetly. When she awoke and found herself safely snuggled in her own hammock she knew she had been taken on a special dream journey. She ran to her grandmother for an explanation. All her grandmother would say was, “You have been chosen. Now you must choose which path you will use.” She was not sure which one, if any, was real.

#writephoto

This story is a response to the Thursday photo prompt on Sue Vincent’s Echo. Please join each week for poems and stories on a photo theme. It is fascinating to read the different ways writers interpret the picture.

#WeedWednesday Welcome To Arizona

July 4, 2017 — 1 Comment

cannabis

Arizona made medical marijuana legal in November, 2010 by enacting Prop 203, which won by a narrow margin. The health department of the state regulates and licenses dispensaries. The number of dispensary licenses issued is linked to the number of pharmacy licenses in the state. Prop 203 calls for no more than one dispensary license to be granted for every 10 pharmacy permits issued by the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy. As of 2010 when the law was passed, that equates to 124 dispensaries statewide. Patients who live more than 25 miles form a dispensary can apply to have a caregiver grow for them, or be their own caregiver. Many rural areas of the state are more than 25 miles from a dispensary, most of which are concentrated in the urban areas of Phoenix and Tucson.

In Nov 2016 Proposition 205 was defeated by the voters, 51.32% to 48.68%. Had it passed Arizona would have joined the adjoining states of Colorado, Nevada, and California in legalizing recreational marijuana. This makes Arizona a less well-funded state, and creates a tourism draw for the other three. The marijuana tourist tax dollars Arizona turned away will visit Las Vegas and have no remorse.

Canadian firms have started to invest significantly in the AZ market, buying dispensary management companies and making other large investments throughout the state. The cannabis business will grow at a slower rate than our adjoining legal states, but still contribute much to the economy under the current medical law. Most people think it will eventually be legal in all states soon. Investors and consultants are setting themselves up in business within the law and are also preparing for the future. New products and product lines are brought to market and management contracts are being signed. Weed is big business, a growth business. The expanding market will be served in new ways, yet to be discovered. This is an interesting segment to watch. What are the marijuana laws in your state, gentle reader?

cannabis

#TeaTuesday Dewey Cherry

July 4, 2017 — 1 Comment

Brewing Dewey Cherry

Nothing says summer more than the taste of ripe cherries. I get excited when the various kinds of cherries show up in the grocery store every year. They all make me happy, from the tart to the white Mt. Ranier. The fun of sucking them off the pit never fails to please me. I keep the pits in my mouth for a while because they have their own flavor. All the cherries we eat are imported from other places, so they are pricey by the time we buy them. There is one cherry I can count on all year to deliver that tangy special taste. That is my Dewey Cherry tea from Adagio. I am drinking it this week to accompany all the fruit we are enjoying.

I think it is a pretty good symbolic 4th of July drink because many Americans associate the holiday with George Washington. We may know little about his life, but we have all heard the story of his cherry tree. It is also red in color, so it brightens up the look of the party table. A dessert in itself, it naturally aligns with all fruit flavored sweets such as pie. The slight sharpness of the tart cherry cleanses the palette between samples of sticky sweet samples. It would be the perfect drink for a pie eating contest.

Serving this as a cocktail base leaves the options open. It would be delicious combined with whipped or black cherry vodka, or some rum. I like to make tea cocktails very weak in alcohol so they are drinkable and tasty, but not too psychoactive. I like to micro dose. You could add a splash of this tea to a Pimm’s Cup, designed to be consumed all day while watching tennis matches. The color and taste match well with this legendary beverage.

So, if you are watching Wimbledon today, or celebrating the American Independence (from those fabulous Brits) I can recommend the fantastic fruity flavor of Dewey Cherry to enhance your festivities. Enjoy it straight up or with a little shot of your favorite alcohol. Drink it in good health, gentle readers. Cheers!

Pimm’s Cup

Keeping Our Cool

July 3, 2017 — 1 Comment

best wishes

To whom can we look for guidance in crisis?
The sea is full of troubled waters and dying fish
Our battles and embroiled excuses do not end with ISIS
Our future floats lifelessly on the surface, a futile wish
For earth to find the harmony needed to stay alive
While we argue viciously about every possible decision
Blindly contradicting truth only helps ignorance thrive
Time leaves us with fewer options to complete our mission

#WeekendCoffeeShare Memoir Moments

July 1, 2017 — 8 Comments

raw borscht on ice

If we were having coffee this weekend I would invite you to drink iced tea while enjoying the last of my three blooming jasmine varieties. The yard is again scented with that sweet jasmine flavor that carries well in a breeze. You will want to observe it from the front window while we chat because the heat out there is harsh. Sit back and relax in the air conditioning while I pour your favorite iced tea. I also have two kinds of raw fermented borscht for you, which restores your electrolytes and adds probiotics to your diet. It is like a floating salad suspended in beet juice and kvass. It cools you and helps you keep balance in the heat. I also think it is yummy, but you can decide for yourself. The cucumber and dill will remind you of pickle juice.

If we were having iced tea this week I would tell you I decided to join Audible for a year because the subscription was discounted heavily. For $100 a year I have access to books and podcasts that make my new job a dream. I can do my job and listen to books without distraction. It is a wonderful two birds with one stone situation. I finished the book on biological biodiversity, then knocked off a book about writing by Jeff Goins, and have started The Power of Memoir, by Linda Joy Meyers. This book is inspirational to me because I have studied my family history for years, and written a few very short poems about the ancestors (who were poets themselves). I have wanted to write historical fiction, but never attempted it. Ms Meyers lays out all the steps needed to write a riveting memoir, some of which I have done, like the genealogy research. I was inspired by the book to use my grandmother as the subject this week of my short fiction in response to Sue Vincent’s Thursday prompt. I think I can apply what I am leaning from this generous and well written instruction to my own writing. It can unlock many stories for my future. I recommend the book to all writers, even if you do not plan to write a memoir. She covers technique we all need to remember.

The Power of Memoir

I began my weekly #WeedWednesday feature with a post in the lab at the grow where I work. The short, warm up, educational piece was well received by readers. It is fun and easy to do, and it informs me as well as the audience. There is so much advancement in the science of medical marijuana that I will have much material to cover on this subject. I plan to interview the experts about the plant varieties and all the ways we process the plant to create various therapies. There are new developments all the time, so I doubt that I will ever run out of material for that segment.

How did you spend the week? Have you made progress with your writing, or with your life? Have another glass of tea and fill me in on the details.

#WeekednCoffeeShare

Thanks for joining me today for tea and borscht. Stay cool, and preserve what you still have of your political cool. It looks like it will be needed for a long time in the US. Wishing all the sentient beings everywhere independence and time to savor it. Please visit our hostess, Emily, from Nerd in the Brain for more coffee and news. Read, write, comment, or just drink lots of digital coffee with us every weekend.

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#WritePhoto Flights Of Fancy

June 29, 2017 — 15 Comments

flight of fancy

Her troubled mind had conjured up some frightening scenarios. She sat for hours wringing the hands that had once been so productive and accomplished. Her memory played cruel tricks on her as she tried to survive without her husband. Ernie had taken care of certain aspects of life that had always been a mystery to her. Although my grandparents ran a farm together, sharing the heavy work load, my grandmother was in the dark about the family finances. When she became a widow and could no longer stay alone at her farm it had been sold. Her life of relative freedom came to an end. She lived in institutions or at her children’s homes, never really settling. She missed independence even though she could barely manage daily tasks without a great deal of assistance. She disliked the feeling of being a houseguest, or even a child, of her son’s family. She had lost her matriarch status, and had to defer to her daughter-in-law. This life in suburban Pittsburgh was foreign, and cold. She rarely went out, and when she did she was fearful, even with her family. She lost her ability to relax. Anxiety was her only companion.

When the sun set she sat in the back yard in silence. This time to herself was spent every day engaging in bird watching. She had little sensitivity to human emotions, but was tuned into nature like a trance. She could feel the spirits of each bird soaring. Their playful flight brought a rush of feelings from her youth, from her most sorrowful, as well as her brightest times. She could sense that her own spirit was close to a threshold. She sometimes thought her spirit left her body and explored the sky above her for a while. As darkness fell the caregiver arrived to guide her into the building. Her lightness of being vanished as the door closed behind her. Perhaps tomorrow will be the day she finally takes off for eternity. She feels as if she has already spent an eternity here.

#writephoto

This fiction is written in response to this week’s photo prompt from Sue Vincent’s Echo. Join us each week to read, write, or submit your own take on the Thursday prompt.

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#WeedWednesday CO2 Extraction

June 28, 2017 — 3 Comments

Welcome to the first edition of cannabis college. I plan to present a short informative post each Wednesday about the current state of development in the science of medical marijuana. Much has changed, and I anticipate more science based therapies will be developed using cannabis in the near future. I work at the Desert Bloom Re-Leaf Dispensary grow, where we grow indoor and outdoor crops. In the lab and kitchen we produce a wide range of products, which is expanding as new products are tested and developed for the patients. I am new on the job, and learning more every day. I know I am curious about all the varieties being grown and the products on the market. I hope to enlighten both myself and the gentle readers in this series on the science behind this growing industry. Patients now have amazing control of dosage and specific medicine for various conditions. I want to find out more about this, and share what I learn with you.

Justin McKenzie is one of our head growers, with years of experience in growing and processing cannabis. He was good enough to join me in the lab to answer some questions about CO2 extraction. This is the beginning process for many end products. Next we will cover butane extraction in the lab, then go to the kitchen to see what happens there. I am very curious about all the new ways to micro dose cuisine.

Juliana in the kitchen

Henry Smith, Tenth Great-Grandfather

June 28, 2017 — 1 Comment

Ye History of Ye Town of Greenwich

My tenth great-grandfather, Henry Smith, was born in 1619 in St. Mary-Adermanbury, in London,England. He died 5 Jul 1687 in Stamford,Fairfield,CT. He was a minister. While no proof positive exists for the name of his first wife, circumstantially it is quite possible that she is Ann Jackson, who came to America [of record 27 Jul 1635] on the ship “Princess”, along with (a) Henry Smith; he age 22; she age 23. The age of 22 for Henry Smith of the ship “Princess” equates to a birth year of about 1613, the probable birth year of Henry Smith in this writing. In the absence of a verifiable source for this theory, Ann Jackson is placed in this writing, but with question. I am descended from his second wife, Hannah:

Henry Smith (1619 – 1687)
10th great-grandfather

Hannah Smith (1636 – 1674)
daughter of Henry Smith

Sarah Knapp (1669 – 1750)
daughter of Hannah Smith

Ebenezer Mead (1692 – 1775)
son of Sarah Knapp

Deacon Silas Meade (1730 – 1807)
son of Ebenezer Mead

Abner Mead (1749 – 1810)
son of Deacon Silas Meade

Martha Mead (1784 – 1860)
daughter of Abner Mead

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

Rev. Henry Smith arrived in Charlestown, MA from England in 1636 (according to Savage). By 1648 he was in Wethersfield, CT. with his second wife and children from his first marriage. Henry was described as a gentleman from a good family. He was the patriarch of what was considered one of the best sustained and accomplished families in New Engalnd.
He was the first recorded minister in Wethersfield, but his ministry was not a happy one. Mr. Clement Chaplin, a Ruling Elder of the church was a man of wealth, prominent and influencial with a majority of the congregation. For many years he involved Henry Smith in difficulities to the point the conflict wa before the General Court. After a long examination of the merits of the case, in 1643 Mr. Chaplin was fined 11 pounds for libeling Henry. But Mr. Chaplin continued to harrass Henry with carious civil suits until again it came before the General Court. Henry was again exonerated and vindicated by the court. Although the conflict did not completely end, there was no further serious issues. However it is believed the the strain of the trails and harrassment brought Henry to an early grave in 1648.

Pequod War

Heritage Inn, Hospitality And History

June 27, 2017 — 1 Comment

rose garden

patio

rose garden

The Heritage Inn in Snowflake, AZ is perfectly positioned in the middle of an historical neighborhood. Surrounded by restored buildings, the Inn stands out because of the flower gardens. The luscious rose collection welcomes guests at 161 Main Street. The ample shaded front porch is home to a couple of active humming bird feeders, vintage furniture, and charming outdoor art. One is instantly transported to a specific time. The decor throughout the inn reflects the historic legacy of this well restored home. Portraits of the original inhabitants and some traces of their story remind the visitor of the founding of this small town. We stayed in the Mary Maude Porter room, named for one of the first inhabitants of the home, which had been built in the 1890’s.

pioneer home

front porch of the inn

German baby for breakfast

Bob at breakfast

We went to Snowflake to escape the heat and go to a lavender farm that was having a festival. The heat followed us up the mountain, so the relief was not forthcoming from mother nature. We decided not to go out to the farm because it was just too hot to deliver what we wanted. Instead, we investigated the little town of Snowflake, then the adjacent town of Taylor, and checked in to the room a little early chill in the air conditioning. The weather was pleasant enough to take a stroll in the evening, and we walked around the museums and historic homes that were not open on Saturday. There is a good display in the small Heritage Park next to the inn that details the founding of the town and the families who developed area.

Our room had a French door that opened onto the patio, where a fountain decorated a lovely garden. Tables and chairs are placed for guests to use for relaxing, or for breakfast service. We chose to eat by the fountain in the morning, when the weather had cooled down a bit. Our fancy table setting and gourmet breakfast in the cool setting gave us what we had come to experience, a complete change of pace. When I travel I am looking or something different from day to day existence. The hosts of the Heritage Inn, JoAnne and Craig, give guests superior service in an elegant atmosphere of private, historical chic. We liked the feeling of elegant leisure, and plan to return when we know the weather will be cooler. Next time I will plan ahead and arrange to see the tour of the historical homes. The tiny town has much to offer the history buff, and the Heritage Inn offers superior accommodation from which to see it.

fountain patio

restored forge

history museum

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#TeaTuesday Rooibos Jasmine

June 27, 2017 — 5 Comments

my front yard jasmine

I am drinking some iced rooibos tea lightly laced with natural jasmine flavor. Rooibos Jasmine tea is a floral tea for special occasions. I love it, but find it is a taste for which I have to be in the mood. The taste of jasmine is slightly lighter than the typical black jasmine tea. The caffeine free rooibos herb from South Africa has a toasty, nutty finish that also distinguishes it from the typical jasmine tea. I am enjoying it today because I am also enjoying the last of three jasmine varieties that bloom in my front yard over a period of about 2 months. This Asian Jasmine plant is close to the front door and the walkway, so visitors are wafted with the strong scent when they approach the entrance to our home. Come on in and try the jasmine tea.

The thirst quenching qualities of this delightful beverage are awesome. The lingering floral taste is refreshing and invigorating. I normally drink this tea hot because the aroma from the cup is a major part of the experience. The heat releases the smell for the drinker as well as anyone in the room at the time. It is never cloying or overbearing on the floral notes. The perfect amount of flavor picks up, but does not cover, the taste of the herb. Over ice the floral notes come across as much more muted, with less of an aroma. The jasmine hits you after you swallow the cold version of the drink.

I like almost every rooibos and honeybush tea blend based on the fact that the herbs themselves are healthy and delicious. This floral version is great for any time I feel particularly floral. It goes with sweets in my mind, but I suppose I could imagine it with savory foods like goat cheese. I drink it solo for the good feeling of the floral aromatherapy. Try it if you like a caffeine free flower shower in your tea time. It perks me up and makes me feel a little decadent when I taste it because the jasmine flavor is so rich and exotic.

Jasmine

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Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water

July 6, 2017 — 8 Comments

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