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Souped Up Law Enforcement Vehicles, 2015
November 8, 2015
— 2 Comments
Maximum Migramobile
The Tucson Police Foundation holds a giant car show every November that is very popular with the public. I enjoy seeing all the well cared for vehicles as well as the cops of various kinds on display. The Border Patrol was on hand with a truly amazing vehicle they souped up as a hyper dune buggy. It has a Corvette engine and looks like Road Warrior. I am sure it scares those it chases. I am scared by the latest intelligence the Border Patrol agent laid on me. The farmers in Sonora are all switching to growing poppies because the weed market is no longer profitable. This is terrible news for the US, now trending heavily into heroin as our current drug darling. He said only two thirds of the drugs that enter the US travel through here. When I asked how he knew that without busting them all he replied that they have their ways of knowing. This is all pretty creepy, but the vehicle is impressive. Tempe Police Department entered for the first time this year with a confiscated very hot car they took form a drug dealer who used it for work. This special police car in use for “crime prevention”. This makes me laugh. Tempe police are saying we will drive your car after we bust you. I bet it does do some crime prevention.
Tempe’s crime prevention car
Tempe’s crime prevention car
It is fun to talk to the helicopter pilots who hover over our neighborhood so often in the night. They land the helicopter at the park so they can show it off to the citizens all day. There are many great examples of antique law enforcement vehicles every year too. The show brings together love for cars and history creating a time the public interact with the cops in an informal (not enforcement) atmosphere. It is my favorite thing the cops do in my city. My favorite cop in the city, canine Officer Evo was present, hamming it up for the cameras and winning hearts and minds.
antique cop car
TPD helicopter
The next post here will be devoted to Officer Evo and a new canine officer on the scene this year, Officer Cookie of the bomb squad, a lab who loves to party. The canine cops both fascinate and thrill me. They are very professional, but underneath it all they are dogs. Stay tuned to learn more about dogs in law enforcement and the cops who love them.
Officer Evo, TPD
Nuts for November
November 6, 2015
— 2 Comments
I had a fire in the wood stove last night, officially welcoming the winter to our house. This week we welcomed the nutcracker and some mixed nuts to the kitchen. I am not sure why I feel so much satisfaction in nut cracking, but I do. It slows down the process and makes me appreciate the taste of my nutty prize when I manage to crack the shell and extract it. This time of year we start to eat nuts more often because they are featured in seasonal fall dishes as part of a healthy harvest. Arizona grows wonderful pecans and pistachios, two of my favorite crops. Both are healthy and add rich flavor to all kinds of dishes.
We are big fans of cheese and pear combinations, so this month I will make us a pear pecan roquefort cheesecake. That has to be a winner with those ingredients. Brussels sprouts have arrived on the stalk as a favorite vegetable, so we will try the pistachio cranberry sprouts as a savory treat as well. Nuts always make appearances in cookies and sweets, but this year I want to try the extravagant pumpkin pecan cobbler. This will be right up our alley for dessert, and a new way to use both November favorites, pumpkin and pecans.
This weekend we have a neighborhood potluck party. I plan to take some soup, but this pineapple cream cheese spread covered with pecans is so cute I think I will make one of those for the party too. It is simple, but looks really festive.
Trader Joe’s brings out small cans of exotic nut oils this time of year which I enjoy using to add rich flavor to all kinds of dishes. Using walnut or pistachio oils for roasting vegetables delivers fabulous punch. Gravy based in nut oil is lovely and mysteriously rich. I still like butter, but like to variations that nut oils can bring to the fall table. Evidence keeps piling in about the benefits of including nuts in the diet. While I do believe the research I am nuts for nuts because they taste so great. Do you have a favorite nut, gentle reader?
fall harvest
Tucson’s Japanese Garden
November 4, 2015
— 1 Comment
family crests
family crests
lotus and koi
architectural accent
lotus and koi
Yume Japanese Gardens
architectural accent
water garden
gravel
gravel
Yume Japanese Gardens
gravel
gravel
tea house
architectural accents
lotus and koi
koi
color
bamboo
I recently joined Yume Japanese Garden in my neighborhood. This choice little private garden space provides peaceful surroundings and privacy in the center of the city. When I visit I enjoy sitting for meditative times in the little tea house shelter. I plan to bring tea and art supplies with me in the future because the space is energetically serene and beautiful. The artful surroundings invite creativity. I think it would be a great setting for composition of poetry or drawing. I plan to make it my picnic spot/ art studio this winter.
There is a gift shop, an art gallery, and a small display for education in Japanese culture. Currently the museum space is showing examples of Japanese versions of coats of arms. The tightly packed show informs and enlightens the viewer about families and history. Special events are planned to share cultural experiences. I plan to attend the tea ceremony this month, and am very excited about the big flower show over Thanksgiving weekend. Classes in Japanese language and flower arranging are offered as well. I am curious about the flower arranging, which sounds like fun.
I have been a member of Tucson Botanical Garden for many years, but my new membership is an different and welcome way to enjoy gardens. Yume is located just south of Tucson Botanical Gardens, in the same block. I had been curious in the past, but was inspired to join when the TBG thew out the members for 3 months. I am really savoring this opportunity to continue my garden visits with a new twist. There are sometimes concerts of Japanese music held in the evenings. I am both learning and feeling lucky to have this great opportunity so close to my home. If you live in Tucson or visit I highly recommend spending time at Yume Japanese Gardens.
Thankful This November
November 3, 2015
— 3 Comments
apples and pumpkin
The month of November is a gateway to winter and festivities. In Tucson we have had a very mild warm fall season with generous amounts of rain. It is predicted to be an El Nino winter which will bring additional rain to the dessert. Our desert is green and lush right now and the weather has been superb for a string of lovely outdoor parties and events. We look forward to a neighborhood pot luck gathering this weekend to savor the place and the people where we live. This is the season to be jolly outside in Arizona. It is perfect for bike riding grilling or hiking.
At this time of year we switch wardrobes and perhaps change our activities. I began a tradition of cleaning and clearing for the holiday season last year. The big purge of wardrobe items was by far the best gift I gave myself because it keeps on giving in the form of a happy closet. This year I have fewer things to discard, but am taking a look at using and appreciating absolutely everything I own. There is no reason to store and care for stuff that no longer is useful. I also need to be aware of all the memberships and subscriptions I have that need to be rationalized. I need to evaluate to be sure I am not over cluttering my membership reality. Like clothing in the closet, if subscriptions are crammed in and too crowded they will not be noticed or appreciated.
This Thanksgiving I want to feel grateful for my extreme good fortune without creating too much waste. I want to prepare highly gourmet cuisine for the whole month that thrills, satisfies, and does not end up in the compost bin. I have improved my food prep skills to avoid waste but can still step up my game. I still need to cut down on portion size for the two of us. I believe that pulling off a month of healthy tasty meals we both enjoy will be a better use of my talents than making one big meal with too many leftovers. We like to go to Govinda’s vegetarian buffet for the Thanksgiving meal because it is good and you can usually have a photo shoot with a live turkey on the patio. That sets me free to find ways to make the rest of the month delicious. If you have any seasonal recipes you want to share, please send them this way. I will be cooking up a storm, just not an excess. Stay grateful, gentle reader.
blood oranges
squash and tomatoes
Death, the Party
November 2, 2015
— 3 Comments
Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead
Beliefs about death and afterlife vary, but we all share the knowledge that we will die. If you have helped anyone with end of life issues you know each departure is unique. If you are close to anyone who has departed you have had the experience of some eternal bond that is not broken by that exit. Some essential part of your relationship remains and feels alive. I started to study my ancestry after both of my parents were dead. I had a few brief conversations with them about their families in history, but they had little information. My dad said he was Scotch Irish, which is true. My mother thought she was a relative of Zachary Taylor, which does not seem to be a fact. I believe they would have been very fascinated to learn about their ancestors, but maybe now they are one with all our relations.
My dad died in a a hospital setting, but my other died in her own home. She had severe dementia at the end of her life. We had excellent help from hospice for the last months of her existence. The hospice nurses know all about death since it is their specialty. They let us know that it is common to have visitations like my mother did before she passed. Some people have brief encounters but my mother had large crowds of visitors for months. It was clear that she was in touch with other beings, and sometimes we had the sensation of feeling their presence also. They were not ghosts, but were the ones who had come to accompany her across the bridge. She was able to die peacefully in her bed after all the interaction.
This week celebrations mark the remembrance of the dead. As we in the northern hemisphere journey deeper into winter and darkness the departed are free of time. Neither global warming nor the stock market has power over them. They are in an eternal state we will know someday.
Day of the Dead
John Woods, 10th Great-Grandfather
October 31, 2015
— 1 Comment
Woods Coat of Arms
My tenth great-grandfather was born Feb. 6, 1610, in England. He died July 10, 1678, Marlborough, MA.
John WOODS, a pin-maker by trade, arrived in America at age 26 in 1635 aboard the ‘Hopewell,’ and first settled at Salem, MA, but removed to Sudbury, MA by 1638, becoming a proprietor there in 1639. He was admitted freeman on May 10, 1642, and received several Sudbury land grants through 1655. After Marlborough was formed in 1660, John sold his property at Sudbury and relocated to Marlborough, where he had been granted land and served in various town offices. On Apr. 4, 1664, he deposed that he was about age 54. His will, dated Nov. 26, 1677 and proved Oct. 1, 1678, names his wife Mary, his three sons, daughter Katherine, son-in-law John BELLOWS, and grandchild Hannah LEVINS. The inventory of his estate, on Jul. 19, 1678 at £303.03.07, mentions son-in-law Joseph NEWTON. Married about 1633.
John Woods (1610 – 1678)
is my 10th great grandfather
John Woods (1641 – 1716)
son of John Woods
Lydia Woods (1672 – 1738)
daughter of John Woods
Lydia Eager (1696 – 1735)
daughter of Lydia Woods
Mary Thomas (1729 – 1801)
daughter of Lydia Eager
Joseph Morse III (1756 – 1835)
son of Mary Thomas
John Henry Morse (1775 – 1864)
son of Joseph Morse III
Abner Morse (1808 – 1838)
son of John Henry Morse
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
Chile, Spice, and Everything Nice
October 29, 2015
— 1 Comment
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- Santa Cruz Chile and Spice
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- Santa Cruz Chile and Spice
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- antique equipment
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- Santa Cruz Chile and Spice
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- Santa Cruz Chile and Spice
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- Santa Cruz Chile and Spice
No visit to Santa Cruz County, Arizona would be complete without a stop at the Santa Cruz Chile and Spice Company. In the old days the products were more limited to the local chile powder and paste. Now that hot sauce and chile in general is a huge trend the store stocks hot sauce and spices from around the world. The selection includes jellies, sauces and a large number of dried spices. I had always used the old fashioned red chile paste from this company to make my enchiladas. Now they make several kinds of chile paste. I picked up a jar of green chile and garlic paste for our holiday enchiladas this season. The sample was delicious and who doesn’t need to shake things up with tried and true recipes like sour cream enchiladas? The chile makes all the difference.
Outside the store there are displays of many of the old pieces of equipment used in the past to process chiles. Even those who don’t care for spicy food will enjoy a visit to this tasty and tasteful historic business.
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- large selection
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- Santa Cruz Chile and Spice
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- antique equipment
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- antique equipment
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- antique equipment
chile ristras
chile ristras
Tumacacori National Historical Park
October 28, 2015
— 1 Comment
Padre Kino
Padre Kino
I initiated my new fabulous senior pass for the national parks yesterday at Tumacacori. It was a full moon night and a special program was presented. The park reopens a few times a year to let the public experience the place after dark. The ranger was a wonderfully knowledgeable presenter who showed a lot of pride in her position. This is a unique park because it preserves history of a mission that was abandoned. The original mission was founded by Padre Kino, who visited a couple of times before he died, but had little contact with the locals. He became popular by gifting the natives with seeds, animals and trees. Mission land was granted for the natives to use, but not trade or sell. Success through new agriculture was the main selling point used by the missionaries. By farming within the mission walls the crops were protected from wildlife and livestock grazing in the area. Crops and animals were introduced that provided food in seasons when native plant harvests were scarce.
Kino was a member of the Jesuit order, which would eventually be banished from New Spain by the king. The Franciscans took over the place, but when Mexico won independence the funds no longer flowed from Spain. The missionaries moved north to Mission San Javier del Bac, which is still in use today as a Catholic church. The abandoned site sat empty until the National Park Service took over.
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- mission church
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- Franciscan church
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- mission church
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- mission church
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- altar
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- church door
The full moon tour was an exciting and authentic way to honor this historic place by learning about the past. I learned many new facts that make me curious to learn more and return in the future to take in this very special atmosphere. I plan to make the most of my senior pass by checking out all the national parks in Arizona. I will have many happy travels in the future by tuning into programs and events such as the one we enjoyed yesterday as a day trip . If you know a senior (62 or over) who does not yet have a pass, this would make the very best of holiday gifts. It works for a whole car load of visitors. You only need one senior pass per car for free entry for all passengers. Maybe it is time to start traveling with a senior on board.
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- native dwelling
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- native dwelling
Arizona is full of scenic places with ancient civilizations. We are privileged to have such a rich cultural and natural tradition surrounding us. Now that I am loaded with my lifetime park pass I will be taking full advantage of it.
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- mission garden
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- mission garden
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- mission garden
candle lanterns
altar in the church
park ranger and Padre Kino
Stay Calm, Restore Balance
October 26, 2015
— 2 Comments
look up
Life can throw challenging circumstances and people into the mix at any time. Our own composure and resilience is our biggest investment because the quality of our time is tied to it. The sayings on tee shirts about keeping calm then doing something are not only comical but are also practical. We can hardly accomplish our best work if we are flipping out about something. Remaining calm in the face of tense situations is an accomplishment. We need personal tool boxes ready to employ when stress becomes hard to handle. Although many practices work, the tools must be tailored to the individual. What lifts my mood might not be fun for you, so this takes some discernment. Packing the right tools for the job requires concentration as well as honesty. You need to know not only what will work for you but also what you will actually practice.
Meditation takes many forms, not all of which require sitting still. Walking meditation and mindfulness training are both active ways to keep moving while training the mind to focus and stay clear. Mantras, chanting and other sounds are excellent tools to anchor the mind. Formal training is wonderful, but we don’t need to wait to start a practice. Artistic expression provides simple straightforward access to the unconscious. Making art requires a special sensibility, a focus on creativity that is strong. Tapping into the inner artist is a way to train the mind and liberate the soul.
look up
Here are a few ways I find inner peace and concentration through art:
- Visits to museums and gardens
- Photography
- Digital drawing and art
- Freestyle freehand doodling on paper
- Dancing at home by myself
- Singing while dancing at home by myself
- Poetry writing
- Cooking
- Gardening
look up
I have no professional aspirations as an artist, yet I consider myself artistic. I am not meditative 100% of the time I engage in the above activities, but frequently they lead to a calmer happier state of mind. I believe each of us has essential creative gifts to offer which we have the option to develop. Finding time to immerse ourselves in our own creative juices can be a path to peace and happiness.
look up
The Druids Prepare As The Dead Approach For All Hallows / Halloween
October 24, 2015
— 1 Comment
spirits of the dead
(image) https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Alla_helgons_dag_vid_R%C3%B6ke_kyrka-1.jpg
The Celts have learned every celebration has its risks.
The Druids taught them this, and the Druids are correct. Samhain is a festival of the harvest; the end of summer; the preparation for the winter to come. Samhain is a juncture.
As they all know, junctures lead to sundry places. There is both the leaving and the coming. A time of disquiet. A time of danger for those unprepared.
It holds the magic and the power of midnight. Midnight is a powerful time because it is the juncture of two days. Midnight of Samhain thus holds double the power. It can not be avoided. It must be met with all the power mortal man can muster. It must not be met alone.
On the Eve of Samhain, the border between Life and the OtherWorld is breached. A door swings invitingly open, but it is not inviting those who live. It is inviting those who have died…
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