mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Fall Superfood, The Sweet Potato
September 27, 2015
— 3 Comments
sweet potato vine
My food prep practice has helped me introduce more variety into our diet and reduce waste. I don’t aspire to fit all my preparation for the week into one day, like many of the serious preppers. My goal is to consolidate my cooking in order to have a few days each week free from major kitchen cleaning. The reward is so valuable to me that it inspires me to improve my strategy. I believe 3 days at leisure with a selection of prepared meals available is ideal for me because I do enjoy cooking. My perfect style is like having a delicatessen at home that never runs out of treats. Sometimes specialty items can be purchased to fill in for home-made, but cooking from scratch is what I like to do and the way I like to eat. Trader Joe’s helps me a lot when I don’t want to fuss, but I have a goal of eating more whole foods.
This autumn season I want to develop some new variations on some old themes. Chowder, chili, and cornbread are on the menu for savory foods. Tapioca pudding and bubble teas are on the new frontier of desserts. I like deconstructing desserts, then building small portions when I want a bite. Deconstructing lends itself to food prep, since you can create the elements to be combined later as desired.
There is one healthy food I want to include more often in new ways. That food is the mighty sweet potato. Most of the dishes I prepared in the past were sweet, like soufflé or sweet potato pie. I recently tried a savory sweet potato salad with cilantro, bell peppers, cumin and chiles. That savory recipe has inspired me to experiment with the spicy/savory realm. There are good reasons to include sweet potatoes in your diet:
- Potassium rich
- Fiber source
- High in antioxidants
- Low glycemic index
This healthy root vegetable will be featured on our fall table in as many new ways as possible. What is your favorite sweet potato recipe, gentle reader?
sweet potatoes
No Place Like Home Wellness Plan
September 23, 2015
— 2 Comments
pure intention
My recent odyssey was perfect for my taste as well as my health. Winding up the last three days and nights in Desert Hot Springs gave me every chance to relax, release and renew in the water. The drinking water there is also excellent, so I came home hydrated and healthy. Taking a mineral water cure is always my favorite way to retreat to center and focus. Leaving home is a great way to assess which best and healthy practices to nurture, and which habits to eliminate. I was very lenient with my diet on holiday but did not suffer ill effects from a few days of extra alcohol and taste treats. We did not go overboard very much on the trip, and a little splurge is good for the attitude.
The first day of fall beckons to holiday celebrants to begin planning, singing, and collecting recipes. The Pumpkin Spice lifestyle is propagated everywhere, and obligatory holiday consumerism is praised as virtue. I am not opposed to merriment, gifting, or parties, but think it can all be done with less waste, more true spirit of giving, and some refined restraint. I plan to use this season of harvest and thanksgiving to clean up my act, my house, and my lifestyle choices. I am the only one who can give myself these gifts.
Now that I am home I have the chance to create positive new change:
- This fall I will limit myself to 3 alcoholic drinks a week
- I will go through my books and office to reduce clutter/clear space
- I will try at least 3 classes a week at the Racquet Club
- I will have acupuncture or body work every week
- I will write poetry and mine my dreams for self-expression
When the winter solstice arrives in December I want to feel happier, lighter, and more free. Three months of concentration on my wellbeing is an investment that will pay big dividends long into the future. This holiday present I am giving to myself is more valuable than anything I could be given by another person.
shadow selfie
California Heals
September 18, 2015
— 1 Comment
Mark 6:31
super staff
Miracle Springs Resort
Hot springs around the world have been used for healing purposes for centuries. The word spa is derived from a backronym (created in later times) in Latin, Salus per aquam, health through water. The meaning has been broadened to such an extent that today it is hard to know what it means. To me it still means drinking and soaking in mineral spring water. I have visited many spots around the world to enjoy balneotherapy and the benefits of drinking specialty water. On our road trip I am introducing my friend to the concept. We are staying 3 nights in Desert Hot Springs at the Miracle Springs Resort. This is the best deal I know for a mineral hot spring stay in the United States. There are small hotels and inns all around town with the water, but only this one, and the sister spa next door, to which guests also have access, offer so much space and so many different water temperatures available 24 hours daily. Nights under the stars are particularly wonderful in the pools.
My friend has just retired from work and had never experienced body work. I encouraged him to try it. He enjoyed his first massage tremendously. His therapist was excellent, according to him. Prices for services here are very reasonable, and I have always had good results. The hotel has upgraded some of the amenities since my last visit, and changed managers. The staff is professional, knowledgeable, and very friendly. The initiation of my friend has been very successful. He is quickly turning into a spa bunny.
If you think spa means nail salon, jacuzzi, or an all-inclusive week-long excercise program I urge you to think again. Health is our only real wealth. A few days of mineral water hot spring soaking and drinking can make a world of difference to your wellbeing.
Miracle Springs Resort
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
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