mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
You can scroll the shelf using ← and → keys
Busy Body
November 14, 2017
Mr Busy Body
Busy Body takes a dim view of other fellow sculptures’ emotional needs
He fancies himself a special man among all the men who have ever been
His masquerade from day to day hides the truth he completely disregards
As just some kind of background noise from his own distant, fragile past
His foundation has eroded leaving his memory in a precarious position
He can go on pretending his shining honor has never been tarnished
But everyone knows his life was a series of misguided actions that killed him
Beautiful Rustic Food
August 19, 2017
“We find inspiration for photos and recipes all over the world. . . . Breathing the air on a different continent, our hands intertwined.” Susann and Yannic bring ideas home, then share beautifully styled vegetarian recipes from their Berlin kitchen. (In English and German.)
Listing To The Left
August 11, 2017
— 1 Comment
crew
Returning from the voyage with a dangerous leak in the hull
The ship barely remained afloat while listing toward starboard
The lifeboats had all been deployed when the mast snapped
The crew had no choice but to try to make land on the carcass
Of the wooden vessel, laden with treasure, sinking from the weight
Plundered booty, food stores and ammunition, symbols of victory
Were all tossed overboard in an attempt to save human life
What did this say about the success of the voyage?
How does this comfort those who drowned in the service
Of the now deceased captain of this ship?
Sails Under Stars
August 1, 2017
— 1 Comment
nature
nature
nature
How does the navigator read the map of the stars at night?
Do the winds and tides hold secrets used to predict a fight?
We have little knowledge of our history, and even less of our fate
This ship on which we are sailing is loaded down with pieces of eight
Stolen from pirates in the last century down on the Outer Banks
Our treasure has become our curse as we labor without thanks
Our masters run a cruel ship, violently whipping the crew
We would have never joined their side if we had known what’s true
Terror Trap
July 25, 2017
— 3 Comments
symbolic
When the center of town exploded we checked the sky
Nobody could see the cause of the blaze or find out why
Our news was jammed and twitter was disabled tonight
We are not sure if this is an invasion, a prank, or a fight
If our communications are stopped we will quiver in fear
It will be of no use to have all the latest of apps and gear
Please send us a signal, a message, a hint or a sign
Are we surrounded by zombies, or enemies of some kind?
We have become hyper-vigilant, paranoid, and obsessed
Is this one road we have traveled doomed or blessed?
symbolic
#SelfCareSunday Art As Therapy
July 9, 2017
— 2 Comments
floral art
An appreciation for art of all kinds is a practical way to stay sane. During free time we can fall into the trap of planning too much, doing too much, and expecting others to do too much. Then the pleasure of leisure dissolves into another competitive realm to conquer. I believe that one of the best ways to indulge oneself and nurture creativity is to spend time making or admiring art. This is an open category. Art includes performance art, movies, theater, stand-up comedy, dance, and musical concerts of every kind. It is also written, painted, sculpted, and drawn. One can find it in museums, galleries, front yards, gardens, and libraries. There is plenty of art to view on line, but I think the best place to look for artistic talent is within.
It is fine to be a student, a novice, a dilettante. We do not need to be naturally endowed with talent, training, or determination. We simply need to dedicate some time to the discovery of the inner artist. I believe we can all seek greatness in one medium or another. It does not hurt to try, and it can enhance life to find a creative outlet at which we may excel. I have pursued many crafty, arty visual arts, but now I like to combine the visual art with something in writing. I am attempting a little bit of fiction lately, which I find liberating. It inspires me to broaden my vocabulary and learn more about story crafting. I think writing is good for my imagination and problem solving skills.
I love singing and was trained very well in my youth. I am a second alto and can hold my part in harmony. I no longer sing in public but I accompany many of my favorite recording artists, providing the harmonic third while I listen. I don’t want to go to choir practice any more, but raising my voice is a thrill and a chill. It puts me in a good mood, which usually means I dance around the house too. For me there is no better stress relief than belting a song.
Do you make time for artistic expression? Can you think of ways your creative side helps you deal with some of the more annoying parts of living?
garden
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 Tempe Edition
March 4, 2017
— 9 Comments
high noon
Desert Botanical Garden
Desert Botanical Garden
Desert Botanical Garden
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
Scottsdale Artists
Scottsdale Artists
Scottsdale Artists
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
Fermented Full Moon Fun
February 13, 2017
— 1 Comment
Luke’s Pizza
Luke’s Pizza
towel toss
Luke’s Pizza
Hop Shop menu
The Metal Arts Village has a party every month with open artists’ galleries, live music and food trucks. This month was special because there as a DJ’d yoga class in the parking lot, and some acrobats on silk fabric hanging from a big tripod. The crowd was happy and the entertainment was fantastic. The fuel that kept the fun going was as ancient as human partying itself–fermentation. Beer is a fermented beverage, and pizza dough is a fermented grain product as well. Brewers and bread makers often combine to use the leavening from a beer in a bread. This kind of artisanal food production is rampant in Tucson, which is a happy thing for us. I am not the biggest beer drinker, and try to keep my pizza eating to a minimum, but do indulge when the time and the quality is right. Full Moon Party at metal Arts Village is just such an occasion.
I drank a glass of excellent stout aged in a bourbon barrel as a starter. Bob had a more bitter stout, which he stuck with for the day. I switched to a cappuccino stout from Lagunitas Brewery that made me happy. We sat with a couple drinking a red pilsner that was yummy also. This is the kind of place where people taste each other’s beer, no fear of cooties. Our table companions were interesting and cool with two dogs under the table. We enjoyed chatting with them. We all noticed Luke of the pizza truck trowing a towel in the air, pizza style. From a distance is certainly looks like dough. I went to investigate the situation and enjoyed learning about Luke’s dough and fermentation process.
He uses a sourdough proofing to create an amazing crisp thin crust. His wood fired oven takes 4 hours to heat up, but once it is hot the pizza cooks quickly. We ordered the pesto pizza from the menu and added jalapeño and garlic. This rates as one of the pest pizzas we have ever eaten. We will now become groupies of Luke and follow him around town when he parks at breweries and events. I can highly recommend this pizza with Lagunitas cappuccino stout..it is dreamy on the tastebuds. It would be good with any beer….or without beer.
The flying acrobats were fabulous, but the night was still young. One of my favorite artists in Tucson had set up a table top sell little stuff from her garage, and I was able to buy a piece of her art for almost no money. I now own an original signed Lynne Rae Lowe metal sculpture, that was derived with an amazing story. It is a Shabbis angel. She is highly symbolic, and now has a place of honor in front of a lamp I made myself. This is huge, and unexpected. I bought her on Shabbat, right before sunset on Saturday, then I walked home. OY!!!! Magic Moon!
Listen To Mikhail Baryshnikov
December 26, 2016
— 2 Comments
Bryshnikov speaks
I was at the Metropolitan Opera on the 4th of July, 1986, the day after Misha became an American citizen. He danced in the ballet Giselle, and leapt into the air with what appeared to be the greatest of ease, but was the result of a lifetime of training. He was young and stunningly talented. American Ballet Theater gave the people an outstanding show, starring the rock star, movie star, ballet star who came to us as a gift from Russia “with love”. The crowd went wild and threw hundreds of roses while giving a standing ovation after the performance. The audience showed how deeply his presence, and now his citizenship, was appreciated in New York. It was an exquisite moment in history to witness. He made his stage debut at the Mariinsky Theatre in 1967, featuring in a production of Giselle. He was born in Riga, present day Latvia. He was trained in ballet in Riga and St. Petersburg in his youth. He defected from the Soviet Union in 1974 after a performance of the Kirov Ballet in Toronto. He moved to New York and became the director of American Ballet Theater.
I was also lucky enough to see him on stage in Paris in the 1990’s when he was dancing to his own choreography in the White Oak Project. His leaping had been somewhat subdued, but he chose younger dancers for his company who could still hit the very high leaps. His own style had only mellowed and perfected itself then dancing his own creations. He has performed around the world with many different troupes. His talents and achievements are legendary. His training by and defection from the former Soviet Union made his gift even sweeter. Now his birth land of Latvia is voting to confer Latvian citizenship on their famous son. He has applied for it and the parliament is scheduled to take it under consideration. It would be ironic and odd if he were to need to defect to Latvia once his dual citizenship has been conferred.
Last week it was Prince Charles of the British monarchy warning us that he feels a 1930’s vibe. Now Misha tells us he is feeling a cold war. We should take heed, gentle readers. Experience and history are talking to us.
mermaidcamp 