Blog No. 209: Intelligent Trees, Playlist of Winter Songs, Melissa Clark Latkes Recipe

December 21, 2024

Intelligent Trees Documenatary

Just discovered the documentary, INTELLIGENT TREES, directed by Julia Dordel and Guido Tölkeabout, about one of my favorite subjects: those majestic green beauties that surround us and provide all living things with the essentials of life: oxygen, prevention against floods, a home for millions of species that protect us from disease, air conditioning for our streets and cities, and a huge contribution towards our emotional well-being.

When my nephew Aaron was in 2nd Grade (at P.S. 290 in New York City), I was so pleasantly surprised that as part of the regular curriculum was a bird study. To this day (he is 30), he knows how to identify many aviary species and knows their birdsongs. It occurred to me that we don't teach enough about our natural environment and what is right in front of us. I, for one, wish I had that kind of education and knew more about how to identify all the trees that surround us...

I read The Hidden Life of Trees by the German forester Peter Wohlleben and this film is a perfect companion to that book. Wohlleben is featured in the documentary along with Dr. Suzanne Simard, a forester and professor of Forestry at University of British Columbia and Dr. Teresa Sm'Hayetsk Ryan, Lecturer of Indigenous Knowledge and Natural Science, UBC. They have a lot to teach us about the interconnectedness of our forests and how trees work as a community and form mutualistic relationships with other species.

We think of a tree as the trunk: leaves and the crown but did you know that the major part of a tree takes place underground with a complicated network of it's roots and fungi that exist on the tips of the roots. There are "mother trees" that protect their sapling kin. Even seemingly dead stumps retain life and are fed by the surrounding community. To say that trees form "friendships" is not as far fetched as we think...

Playlist of Winter Songs

I am slowly putting my toe in the political arena again, but just a tiny bit. Mostly I stay in touch through the substack newsletters of Heather Cox Richardson, and Robert Reich's and Michael Moore.

I know it is time to pull my head out of the sand, but I am not sure I am ready just yet. In the meantime, I spend my time listening to music. Here is a short playlist of some winter songs that I love...

Song for a Winter's Night by Gordon Lightfoot

Flowers in December written and sung by Mazzy Star (Hope Sandoval and David Roback)

7 O'Clock News/Silent Night by Simon and Garfunkel

Baby It's Cold Outside written by Frank Loesser (1944), sung by Ray Charles and Betty Carter

Winter Wonderland written by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith (1934), sung by Michael Bublé

Melissa Clark Potato Pancakes (Latkes)

Of all the chefs on the New York TImes Cooking app, Melissa Clark is my favorite. I haven't made one recipe of hers that I didn't consider a success...

Right in time for Chanukah, here is her recipe for latkes (potato pancakes)--one of my favorite things to eat, and not just in December. Courtesy New York Times Cooking App

POTATO PANCAKES
by Melissa Clark

Ingredients (makes 3 dozen)
2 large Russet potatoes (about 1 pound), scrubbed and cut lengthwise into quarters
1 large onion (8 ounces), peeled and cut into quarters
2 large eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Safflower or other oil, for frying

Instructions
In a food processor, with a coarse grating disc, or by hand, grate the potatoes and onion. Place on a clean dishtowel and squeeze out excess moisture.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder and pepper, and mix until the flour is well.

 Over medium-high heat, pour in about ¼ inch of the oil in a heavy pan and heat on medium-high. Once the oil is hot, drop a heaping tablespoon of the batter into the hot pan, cooking in batches. Use a spatula to flatten and shape the drops into discs. When the edges of the latkes are brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, flip. Cook until the second side is deeply browned, about another 5 minutes. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt while still warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Paintings of the Week

Pam Smilow, Tree Series: Day and Night, mixed media on paper, 60” x 22” each

Charity of the Week: American Civil Liberties Union

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

Source: intelligent-trees-peter-wohlleben-suzanne-...

Blog No. 208: Chasing Childhood Film, Taylor Swift Kindness, Mourning Restaurants

December 14, 2024

Chasing Childhood Film

“From a biological perspective play is nature's way of ensuring that young mammals practice the whole range of skills that they need to become effective adults.”--Peter Gray, research psychologist, Boston College.

Play is practice in what is arguably the most important human skill, that which is being able to get along with other people. If there is any criterion for happiness, it’s that!

So how is it that we have managed, for the first time in human history to deprive our children of freedom? Except in times of intense child labor, and times of slavery, children have always been free to explore, to play, to do things away from adults. We’ve created a world in which we are in some sense negating childhood and we are making children depressed, and anxious and in the worst case, suicidal.

CHASING CHILDHOOD takes a direct look at this ever growing problem and forces the viewer to examine their motivations for pushing pushing pushing our kids and to what end...This is an important film that every parent should see, espcially ones with young ones, as we set the stage very early for the future lives of our children...I highly recommend this documentary!

Taylor Swift Compassion

Courtesy Forgotten Scrolls, Youtube

A little kindness can go a long way...This is not the shortest youtube video you will ever see, the AI narration is annoying, but I think it is worth sticking to. It is a beautiful story about Taylor Swift and a homeless guitar player she encountered on the street and instantly fell in love with his heartfelt music. What she did next changed his life forever. You don't have to be Taylor Swift to show a little bit of compassion and recognize the humanity in everyone...

I don't think you will ever walk by a homeless person again without being reminded of this story. We all have the capability to touch the life of others and be helpers...Sometimes it can take so little to literally make a difference in someone's day, or their life for that matter...I am reminded of the Mr. Rogers quote:

Mourning Old Restaurants

the former Chaiwalla, in Salisbury, Connecticut, famous for their tomato pie and delicious chai.

Tomato Pie, courtesy Berkshire Kitchen and Chaiwalla

the former O’Chamé, Berkeley, California

One doesn't often mourn a restaurant but there have been a few in my days that stick vividly in my mind. Sadly they have closed for one reason or another. I can still taste some of these beloved dishes and wish I could just go back and relive those delicious sensory experiences. One of those places, maybe top of my list, is Chaiwalla, a tea room in Salisbury, Ct. I loved it so much that I would drive all the way from NYC to have their tomato pie. My studio manager from Brazil, Poli, reminded me the other day about the time we went there with her mom, who was visiting from Belo Horizonte and we had the best time on a fall day...

Luckily, I wasn't the only one who loved their tomato pie, (not the best for someone on a diet)...and I found the recipe on the internet...Here it is!

It is hard to find a true neighborhood place in NYC and Bistro 61 was just that place--a hangout for all us locals and a home away from home. Gert and I used to hold court their in our day--we had our special seats in the bar and the three owners became dear friends (and still are!). There was no need to go to Nice anymore for soupe de poissons--they had the real thing right their on First Avenue and 61st Street! And I will never forget the night Obama won in 2008 and we danced on 1st Avenue!

O'Chamé,, a Japanese restaurant that celebrated home cooking rather than just sushi was another of my favorites that I miss to this day. Located in on 4th Street in Berkeley, Califoria, it was my go to place in the East Bay when I was out there selling art...It was family run--and warm and friendly and the food was divine...

And the last for now, for us New Yorkers, so many of us still mourn Prune, Gabrielle Hamilton's gem of a hole in the wall on the lower east side...I had many a great meal there--seemingly simple and yet deep--and dare I say one of my favorite dishes was celery! I could go on and on but I will stop here for now and savour the memories...

I welcome your input--if anyone, like me, misses a favorite restaurant, please join in here with your thoughts in the comments section... Another of those restaurants I mourn is Central Cafe, a breakfast place I used to frequent whenever I could while going to school at the University of Michigan. They made the best hues rancheros and although this is not an uncommon dish, and probably not that complicated, I never found one to rival it. ..

**In NYC. Call for details 917-239-3789.**

Great Gifts in our ArtSHOP

Charity of the Week: American Civil Liberties Union

Source: chasing-childhood, ...

Blog No. 207: Robert Reich News Source Recs, Ted Kooser Poetry, Chicken au Poivre Recipe

December 6, 2024

Robert Reich News Source Recommendations

Robert Reich, Former U.S. Labor Secretary served under three presidents. He is currently the Carmel P. Friesen Professor of Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.

In a time when mainstream media has failed us so miserably, who can we rely on to deliver us truth. And yes, truth does exist even if we are told otherwise...
These are the sources Robert Reich relies on for honest news. I trust him and share in many or his recommendations:

Here are the sources we currently turn to:

The Guardian
Democracy Now
Business Insider
The New Yorker
The American Prospect
Americans for Tax Fairness
The Economic Policy Institute
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
ProPublica
Labor Notes
The Lever
Popular Information
Heather Cox Richardson
robertreich.substack.com/.

Ted Kooser Poetry

Tree by Pam Smilow (detail) mixed media on paper

Pulitzer Prize winning Ted Kooser is a poet, essayist and Presidential Professor Emeritus at The University of Nebraska. He served as U.S. Poet Laureate from 2004-2006. Here are a few of his poems that I like:

JUST NOW
Just now, if I look back down
the cool street of the past, I can seelighting small circles of time
into which someone will step
if I squint, if I try hard enough--
circles smaller and smaller,
leading back to the one faint point
at the start, like a star.
So many of them are empty now,
those circles of roadside and grass.
In one, the moth of some feeling
still flutters, unspoken,
the cold darkness around it enormous.

TREES
Trees are born blind and in need of each other.
With luck they come up in a forest with brothers
and sisters to listen to. Growing up for a tree
is mostly reahing out and out to touch another.
and that's enough of a life. None of them knowwhere they are, but that's OK. It doesn't matter.
They don't ask for much, a good rain now and then,
and what they like most are the sweet smells
of the others, and the warm touch of the light,
and to join the soft singing that goes on and on.

Chicken au Poivre

Courtesy Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist Cyd Raftus McDowell

This recipe comes highly recommended from my dear friend Claudia, college roommate (from way back when) par excellence. I always loved steak au poivre so this variation is a good alternative for those who like to avoid red meat...

CHICKEN AU POIVRE

INGREDIENTS
4 servings
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
Salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
3 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, plus more for garnishing
Crusty bread or egg noodles (optional), for serving

PREPARATION
 Use a mallet, bottom of a pot or mortar and pestle to crush the peppercorns coarsely. Set aside.

 In a 12-inch cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat oil over medium. Season chicken with salt. In two batches, sear chicken until light golden all over, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate. Pour off any remaining oil in the skillet.

 Add butter and shallot to the skillet and cook, stirring, until butter is melted and shallot is softened, 1 minute. Add broth, heavy cream, thyme sprigs and cracked peppercorns and mix well, stirring to lift up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

 Add chicken (and any accumulated juices), bring to a simmer and cook, turning and basting occasionally with the sauce, until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes.

 Divide chicken among 4 serving plates and discard thyme.

 Add lemon juice to the skillet and stir until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and stir in parsley.

 Spoon the sauce over the chicken and garnish with more parsley. Serve with crusty bread or egg noodles, if desired. you here.

Great Gifts in our ArtSHOP

Charity of the Week: American Civil Liberties Union

Source: yo-yo-ma-cello-duets-joan-baez-interview-o...

Blog No. 206: Yo-Yo Ma Duets, Joan Baez Interview, Maira Kalman on Remorse

November 29, 2024

Yo-Yo Ma

Creator: Todd Rosenberg | Credit: © Todd Rosenberg Photography Copyright: © Todd Rosenberg Photography 2010

I never knew that Yo-Yo Ma was a musical prodigy. A child of musician parents (his mom was a singer, his dad was a University professor of music), Yo-Yo began at the age of three to play the drums, viola, violin and piano. At four he told his dad he wanted a "big" instrument--so his father introduced him to the cello. At five he was performing before audiences and at seven, he had already played for two presidents: Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy.

I love listening to Yo-Yo Ma play classical music but I really love his versatility and playfulness with other genres of music as well...He loved collaborating with other artists of all types. Here is a selection of duets with renowned musicians:

With James Taylor Sweet Baby James and Here Comes The Sun

With Bobby McFerrin Hush Little Baby

With Chris Botti My Favorite Things

With Alison Kraus Simple Gifts

With Kathryn Stott Over The Rainbow

Joan Baez Interview

Krista Tippett On Being Interview with Joan Baez November 2024

Joan Baez marching alongside James Baldwin

Documentary Trailer, Joan Baez I am a Noise

Who hasn't admired Joan Baez...For the beauty of her stellar voice, for her songwriting, for her political activism, for her poetry and her painting...She is a true icon of our generation!

Krista Tippett recently produced an wonderful and revealing interview with Joan Baez which I share with you here...In her own words, “You know, I am over 80 years old and I wanted to leave something truthful."

Diamonds and Rust debuts on a pair of charts in the U.K. this month as people discover the tune for the first time

Maira Kalman on Remorse

Kalman’s beautiful work has often graced the covers of New Yorker Magazines…

To say Maira Kalman is an illustrator is to totally limit her. She is a true artist in every sense of the word...she writes, she paints, she tells stories...and explores the human condition through personal zany projects that are wildly innovative and full of joy and pathos, honesty and deep feelings. Aside from a series of wonderful children's books (some of my favorites of that genre), she has written a series of eclectic adult ones as well, including an illustrated quirky version of William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White's The Elements of Style, a history book, written on the occasion of Barak Obama's election, about democracy and politics entitlted The Pursuit of Happiness, and a book on her mother, Sara Berman's, closet.

The Book of Remorse is her latest. The New York Times wrote about her and her recent offering in a recent article which I share with you here.

Great Gifts in our ArtSHOP

Charity of the Week: American Civil Liberties Union

Source: yo-yo-ma-cello-duets-joan-baez-interview-o...

Blog No. 205: Human Kindness to Animals, Jimmy Kimmel Stunt, Lazy Peach Cobbler

November 23, 2024

Human Kindness to Animals

Here are a few stories where humans did the right thing--where their kindness and compassion towards our animal co-habitants on this earth shines through. May this part of human nature win out in the end...

This first story about a whale off the coast of San Francisco fully entangled in a net actually broke my heart right open--it enabled me to finally let out the tears that have been stored up inside of me since Election Day...I cried for this whale and what we have done to it, I cried for how we saved it in the end, I cried for the whale's tenderness towards us, and then I cried for our country, I cried for the loss of freedom, I cried for what we are doing to the earth, I cried for all of us that have to live with such evil and mean-spiritedness, I cried for the blatant exposure of the underbelly of America--the racism, the hate, the misogyny...May good win over evil in the end...

Here's another nice story that involves a dolphin that I found on facebook:

”The famous Italian diver Enzo Maiorca dove into the sea of Syracuse and was talking to his daughter Rossana who was aboard the boat. Ready to go in, he felt something slightly hit his back. He turned and saw a dolphin. Then he realized that the dolphin did not want to play but to express something. The animal dove and Enzo followed. At a depth of about 12 meters, trapped in an abandoned net, there was another dolphin. Enzo quickly asked his daughter to grab the diving knives. Soon, the two of them managed to free the dolphin, which, at the end of the ordeal, emerged, issued an "almost human cry" (describes Enzo). (A dolphin can stay under water for up to 10 minutes, then it drowns.) The released dolphin was helped to the surface by Enzo, Rosana and the other dolphin. That’s when the surprise came: she was pregnant! The male circled them, and then stopped in front of Enzo, touched his cheek (like a kiss), in a gesture of gratitude and then they both swam off. Enzo Maiorca ended his speech by saying: “Until man learns to respect and speak to the animal world, he can never know his true role on Earth." ~ Vangelis.” Credit to the respective owner

Jimmy Kimmel Laugh Out Loud Stunt

This Jimmy Kimmel stunt had be doubled over with laughter. I had to put it on here...God knows we need a little comic relief. Hope it has the same effect on you.

Now for something more serious. Driverless cars are becoming more of a reality. You can ead this account of a Times reporter's trip in a driverless car.

Lazy Peach Cobbler

One of my favorite fruits is peaches. Of course I prefer them fresh but it is not always I even like the canned variety. I just came across this super easy recipe for a quick peach cobbler. Here goes:

LAZY PEACH COBBLER
Directions
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2:
Pour the melted butter in a 9x13-inch baking dish, evenly coating the bottom and the sides.

Step 3:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the peaches and their juices.

Step 4:
Add 1 cup of the sugar and 1/2 cup of the water to the peaches and bring to a simmer.

Step 5:
In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch into the remaining water.

Step 6:
Stir the cornstarch mixture into the peach mixture and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.

Step 7:
Transfer the peach mixture from the heat and let it cool slightly.

Step 8:
While the peach mixture cools, in a medium bowl, whisk the flour, the vanilla, 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, and the milk together.

Step 9:
Pour the peach mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Step 10:
Spoon the flour mixture over the peach mixture.

Step 11:
In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and the remaining sugar.

Step 12:
Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar over the cobbler.

Step 13:
Bake the cobbler until the top is golden-brown, about 30 minutes.

Step 14:
Serve topped with the vanilla ice cream. © 2024 by Recipe Saver

Great Gifts in our ArtSHOP

Charity of the Week: American Civil Liberties Union

Source: human-kindness-to-animals-whales-dolphins-...

Blog No. 204: Tibetan Sound Healing Bowls, Boycotting Tool: Goods Unite Us App, Remember, Poem by Joy Harjo

November 16, 2024

Tibetan Sound Healing Bowls

I am trying to focus on helping people cope right now, to remain calm and try and gather strength to continue the fight...And for that, I at least need some healing time to center myself and get back on my feet again. It is my hope that these Tibetan/Himalayan crystal sound healing bowls played by Tseyangyoga might help in that endeavor: as a stress reduction technique to help us remain grounded at times of complete overwhelm...

As I resesarched the singing bowls, I came across an interesting article by a sound healer named Guy Beider, who told the special story of what the singing bowls mean to him.

Boycott Tool: Goods Unite Us App

Get the app on your phone by clicking image above

There are very few ways right now where I can see tools we have to fight--but here is definitely one of them...GOODS UNITE US is an app and website that lets you see the political affiliations of thousands of brands and companies...and gives us the opportunity to use our power to decide where to spend our money. I grew up at the time of the Delano, California Grape Strike and I remember it pretty vividly. No one was buying grapes in my household and neither were our like-minded neighbors and friends. It was a movement. The boycott was eventually successful--it took 5 long years, but with the help of consumers, civil rights groups, and labor organizations, the UFW (United Farmworkers Union) won contracts with most California grape growers by the summer of 1970. The strike was most notable for "the effective implementation and adaptation of boycotts, the unprecedented partnership between Filipino and Mexican farm workers to unionize farm labor, and the resulting creation of the UFW labor union, all of which revolutionized the farm labor movement in America. In this day and age, it is not as simple as avoiding one product--so much of our economy is based on very large companies that are in control of so many industries. And we have all gotten totally used to and spoiled by the ease of Amazon--everything literally at our fingertips--so this is going to take some doing. Many of us have already been aware of this. But let's all double down and try very hard to commit and being conscious of putting our money where our mouth is...

Remember
by Joy Harjo

Photo courtesy Joy Harjo and Blue Flower Arts

Click image to hear an interview with Joy Harjo

My friend Brab shared this poem with me a couple days ago and it hit the spot...

REMEMBER

Remember the sky that you were born under,
 know each of the star’s stories.
 Remember the moon, know who she is.
 Remember the sun’s birth at dawn, that is the
 strongest point of time. Remember sundown
 and the giving away to night.
 Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
 to give you form and breath. You are evidence of
 her life, and her mother’s, and hers.
 Remember your father. He is your life, also.
 Remember the earth whose skin you are:
 red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth
 brown earth, we are earth.
 Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
 tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,
 listen to them. They are alive poems.
 Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the
 origin of this universe.
 Remember you are all people and all people
 are you.
 Remember you are this universe and this
 universe is you.
 Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.
 Remember language comes from this.
 Remember the dance language is, that life is.
 Remember.

A member of the Muscogee Nation, Joy Harjo is "an American poet, musician, playwright, and author. She served as the 23rd United States Poet Laureate, the first Native American to hold that honor." (Wikipedia)

Painting of the Week

Pam Smilow, Pink Floating House, mixed media on canvas, 68” x 40”

Charity of the Week: Bob Casey Pennsylvania Senate Race Recount

Source: tibetan-sound-healing-crystal-bowls-boycot...

Blog No. 203: Words of Anne Frank, Satygraha, Holding Vigil by Alison Luterman

November 9, 2024

Words of Anne Frank

Miep Gies, the office secretary who defied the Nazi occupiers to hide Anne Frank and her family

The words of Anne Frank from 80 years ago touched me today, and I hope they have meaning for you: “It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness, I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too, I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquillity will return again." Let us be reminded of what is truly important in the midst of challenging and chaotic times, maintain our ideals, strive to better understand and work with each other, and keep fighting the fight. And follow the immortal words of John Wooden: “Things turn out best for the folks that make the best of the way things turn out.”

Satygraha: An Opera

Philip Glass Album artwork; credit: Luis Álvarez Roure: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

I spent the day after the election listening to music--I definitely need to bury my head in the sand for a while...I found solace in Philip Glass's opera Satygraha, which aside from its beautiful music and the visual feast of Julian Crouch's Metropolitan Opera production, also has a very relevant theme. Satygraha is made up of three acts, each dedicated to a key figure in the life of Mahatma Gandhi: Leo Tolstoy, Gandi's personal friend the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore, and Martin Luther King. I saw it back in 2008, going two days in a row I was so mesmerized...If you ever get a chance to see it, go running...One of the best productions I have ever seen...Youtube is not the real thing but this six minute clip is better than nothing. Particularly apt today, the meaning of the word "satyagraha" according to Wikipedia, comes from the Sanskit: "सत्याग्रह; satya: "truth", āgraha: "insistence" or "holding firmly to"), is "holding firmly to truth",[1] or "truth force"--a particular form of nonviolent resistance or civil resistance.

Holding Vigil by Alison Luterman

HOLDING VIGIL by Alison Luterman

My cousin asks if I can describe this moment,
the heaviness of it, like sitting outside
the operating room while someone you love
is in surgery and you’re on those awful plastic chairs
eating flaming Doritos from the vending machine
which is the only thing that seems appealing to you, dinner-wise,
waiting for the moment when the doctor will come out
in her scrubs and face-mask, which she’ll pull down
to tell you whether your beloved will live or not. That’s how it feels
as the hours tick by, and everyone I care about
is texting me with the same cold lump of dread in their throat
asking if I’m okay, telling me how scared they are.
I suppose in that way this is a moment of unity,
the fact that we are all waiting in the same
hospital corridor, for the same patient, who is on life support,
and we’re asking each other, Will he wake up?
Will she be herself? And we’re taking turns holding vigil,
as families do, and bringing each other coffee
from the cafeteria, and some of us think she’s gonna make it
while others are already planning what they’ll wear to the funeral,
which is also what happens at times like these,
and I tell my cousin I don’t think I can describe this moment,
heavier than plutonium, but on the other hand,
in the grand scheme of things, I mean the whole sweep
of human history, a soap bubble, because empires
are always rising and falling, and whole civilizations
die, they do, they get wiped out, this happens
all the time, it’s just a shock when it happens to your civilization,
your country, when it’s someone from your family on the respirator,
and I don’t ask her how she’s sleeping, or what she thinks about
when she wakes at three in the morning,
cause she’s got two daughters, and that’s the thing,
it’s not just us older people, forget about us, we had our day
and we burned right through it, gasoline, fast food,
cheap clothing, but right now I’m talking about the babies,
and not just the human ones, but also the turtles and owls
and white tigers, the Redwoods, the ozone layer,
the icebergs for the love of God—every single
blessed being on the face of this earth
is holding its breath in this moment,
and if you’re asking, can I describe that, Cousin,
then I’ve gotta say no, no one could describe it
we all just have to live through it,
holding each other’s hands.

—from Poets Respond

Painting of the Week

Charity of the Week: Doctors Without Borders

Source: words-of-anne-frank-satygraha-philip-glass...

Blog No. 202: Subway Station Mosaics, Songs of Freedom, Back on Your Feet Run Clubs

November 1, 2024

Subway Mosaics in NYC

I entered the 72nd Street Q station this morning on my way home from early voting and was reminded of the treasure trove of art we have underground in our subway system. 72nd Street is my favorite--mosaics by Brazilian artist Vic Muniz--but there are so many stations that brighten up a commuter's life. Each image is clickable so you can see the whole array of each artist's work.

*Blooming*, 1996, MTA Arts & Design, Lexington Avenue-59th Street. Photo courtesy Murray Holman Family Archive

***Stream*, 2001. MTA Arts & Design, 23rd Street-Ely Avenue, Long Island City-Court Square, *Images courtesy Fabrizio Travisanutto, Travisanutto Mosaics.***

Keith Godard’s glass mosaic hats at the 23rd Street N & R subway station

Songs of Freedom

Courtesy of Junne Alcantara via The Washington Post

Back On My Feet Run Clubs

It is New York City Marathon time this Sunday and one of my favorite days to be in New York City. I live just a half block away from the half way mark and I always like to get out there early and see all the wheelchair runners zoom by--what a symbol of the indomitable human spirit. By the end of the day I always have a sore throat from cheering everyone on...this is the human spirit at its best.

I recently heard about an organization that attempts to help the homeless by getting them back on their feet, literally. According to their website, BACK ON MY FEET is a national organization operating nationwide, that combats homelessness through the power of running, community support and essential employment and housing resources. They seek to revolutionize the way society approaches homelessness. Their unique model demonstrates that if you first restore confidence, strength and self-esteem, individuals are better equipped to tackle the road ahead. For all in need, they aim to provide: practical training and employment resources for achieving independence; an environment that promotes accountability; and a community that offers compassion and hope. For all with the capacity to serve – volunteers, donors, community and corporate partners – they seek to engage in the profound experience of empowering individuals to achieve what once seemed impossible through the seemingly simple act of putting one foot in front of the other."

Painting of the Week

Pam Smilow, Diving Board, mixed media on canvas, 50” x 70” approx.

Charity of the Week: Voters of Tomorrow

Source: subway-mosaics-nyc-protest-songs-freedom-s...

Blog No. 201: Let America Be America, Potato Leek Soup, Music to Relieve Stress

October 18, 2024

Let America Be America
by Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes’s genial, generous, and guarded persona was self-protective.Photograph by Carl Van Vechten / Carl Van Vechte

Print by Ryan Sheffield available on Etsy https://www.etsy.com/listing/1067594746/langston-hughes-author-portrait-quote

LET AMERICA BE AMERICA AGAIN
by Langston Hughes

Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed—
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There’s never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this “homeland of the free.”)

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek—
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one’s own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean—
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today—O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.

Yet I’m the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That’s made America the land it has become.
O, I’m the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home—
For I’m the one who left dark Ireland’s shore,
And Poland’s plain, and England’s grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa’s strand I came
To build a “homeland of the free.”

The free?

Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we’ve dreamed
And all the songs we’ve sung
And all the hopes we’ve held
And all the flags we’ve hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay—
Except the dream that’s almost dead today.

O, let America be America again—
The land that never has been yet—
And yet must be—the land where every man is free.
The land that’s mine—the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, ME—
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose—
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people’s lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath—
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain—
All, all the stretch of these great green states—
And make America again!

Potato Leek Soup

**Courtesy Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.**

I used to just wing cooking, reading a few different recipes and then just making up my own.  The results were sometimes good, sometimes lacking.  I have to say my life changed when I decided to splurge and subscribe to the New York Times Cooking App--well worth the money.  When I am short on ideas, I go to them.  My repetoire has expanded and the people who share my meals thank me endlessly for it...
As temperatures lower, this soup is super appealing to me.  Velvety, smooth, flavorful and most of all, just plain comforting.  God knows we all need a little comfort these days!

POTATO LEEK SOUP
by Kay Chun

INGREDIENTS      

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium leeks, light green and white parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

Salt and pepper

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 4 cups)

1 fresh or dried bay leaf

1 cup heavy cream

Chopped chives, for garnishing

Crusty bread, for serving

PREPARATION

In a large pot, melt butter over medium. Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add broth, potatoes and bay leaf; season with salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, adjust heat to medium-low and cook at a gentle simmer until potatoes are completely tender, 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

Working in two batches, if necessary, transfer soup to a blender and purée just until smooth. (Resist the urge to overprocess in the blender, which can result in gummy soup.) Return soup to the pot or, for an extra-silky soup, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into the pot.

Stir in cream and warm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Season with salt.

Divide soup among bowls and garnish with chives. Serve warm, with crusty bread.

Serves 4

Music to Relieve Stress

If you are anything like me, you are feeling excess levels of STRESS. I thought I would include a playlist here of music that might help relieve some of the angst so many of us are feeling right now.

Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A major, K.622

St. Saens The Carnival of the Animals The Swan

Massenet "Thais" Meditation

Erik Satie Gymnopedie No. 1

Schubert Impromptu No. 3

Debussy Clair de Lune

Pachelbel Canon in D Major

Chopin Nocturne No. 1 In B Flat Minor, Op. 9 No. 1

Painting of the Week

One of my favorite paintings these days, this one at the home of my niece Maia and her husband Julian along with their two children, Otto and Hugo, in Brooklyn, New York.

Charity of the Week: Voters of Tomorrow

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/langst...

Blog No. 199: Danusha Laméris, Ancient Remedies, Michael Moore and the Polls

October 11, 2024

You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and underlined links below.

Danusha Laméris

I've always thought it was the small things in life that shape our days--saying hello and getting a big smile from the UPS guy, holding the door for someone, carrying the groceries home for an older woman...

I first saw this poem, written by Danusha Laméris, on a fellow writer, Lily Diamond's substack (check her out) and asked permission to include it here, as it expressed exactly what I have been thinking for a long time now. Laméris's poem was originally published in the New York Times in 2019.

SMALL KINDNESSES
by Danusha Laméris

I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk

down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs

to let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”

when someone sneezes, a leftover

from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.

And sometimes, when you spill lemons

from your grocery bag, someone else will help you

pick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.

We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot,

and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smile

at them and for them to smile back. For the waitress

to call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder,

and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.

We have so little of each other, now. So far

from tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.

What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these

fleeting temples we make together when we say, “Here,

have my seat,” “Go ahead—you first,” “I like your hat.”

Danusha Laméris, born to a Dutch father and a Barbadian mom, is a poet and essayist living in California. She has published three books: Moons of August, Bonfire Opera, most recently Blade by Blade and her work has been included in many publications including The Best American Poetry, The New York Times, Orion, The American Poetry Review, The Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, Poetry, and Prairie Schooner. She has won many awards for her writing and was chosen as the Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County, California in 2018-2020. She is currently on the faculty of Pacific University’s low residency MFA program.

Ancient Remedies

Western Medicine has been around for only 200 years (the American Medical Association was founded in 1847), whereas ancient cultures such as China, Greece, India and the Middle East created sophisticated medical systems over 4000 years ago that in many cases are still in use today. These systems espoused a more wholistic approach: diet, herbs, essential oils, acupuncture, exercise, meditation and spending time in nature. Sounds familiar? Many of us are acknowledging this ancient wisdom and turning back to knowledge we have more or less ignored or lost in modern times... Dr. Josh Axe's book Ancient Remedies, written in 2021, is a useful guide in teaching us everything we need to know about getting, and staying, healthy—without toxic, costly synthetic drugs. Did you know that there is promising evidence that sage extract can improve brain and memory function, especially in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Or that curcumin (contained in turmeric) is strongly anti-inflammatory, to the point where it matches the effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory drugs. And that cinnamon has potent antioxidant activity, helps fight inflammation and has been shown to lower cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. It can also lower blood sugar by several mechanisms, including by slowing the breakdown of carbs in the digestive tract and improving insulin sensitivity.

If you want to go into more depth, the classic The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide will take you one step further and show you practical tips, in-depth preparation techniques and best formulas for making your own remedies at home.

I am not saying modern medicine and pharmaceuticals have no use--we have made amazing advances in the field of modern medicine over the years, but these ancient remedies are re-worth taking a look at and considering...

Michael Moore and the Polls

Michael Moore was right in 2016 when he predicted Trump would beat Hillary Clinton. (I don't mean to brag but I was one of the few who came to the same conclusion at that time.) In the end, in 2020, Moore predicted a Biden win when everyone was predicting the opposite and he was right again. I don't want to jinx it and I certainly want to warn against complacency (I for one am spending every weekend of October in Pennsylvania and I urge all of you to, as Michelle Obama says, Please Please Please "DO SOMETHING!."

I am not ready to make a prediction yet but this is what Michael Moore is saying now and maybe it is wishful thinking--I so desperately want to believe: "Do the Math: Trump Is Toast"

To read his analysis, go to his substack post of October 4, 2024." Please take the time to click this link if you can...

NOTE: My writer friend who I went to high school with, Carol Weston, author of sixteen fiction and nonfiction books is hosting a writing workshop retreat in a chateau in France next spring. Contact her directly if you are interested in going...I think there are only a couple spots left...

Paintings of the Week

On my studio wall today, among other things...

Charity of the Week: Voters of Tomorrow

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/danush...

Blog No. 198: Climbing Mount Everest, Historian Allan Lichtman's Election Predictions, Lisa Bayne Astor

October 4, 2024

You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and underlined links below.

Climbing Mount Everest

*Climbing party 1924 Courtesy: Royal Geographic Society via Wikimedia Commons.*

Photo courtesy of Cory Richards and National Geographic

I have very mixed feeling about the documentary series Ultimate Survival: EVEREST: Team Discovery. On one hand, it was literally edge of your seat TV, excitement throughout each episode, living vicariously through this group of intrepid, determined climbers. I was totally engrossed and actually binge watched the whole six episodes in two days. This was footage where you actually felt like you were there, climbing alongside them, trying to traverse those treacherous ladders, hopping huge crevasses, fearing falling into the invisible hidden gaps underneath the snow and ice, out of breath from the endless steep inclines, dwindling oxygen, super high winds, freezing fingers and toes, frostbite, exhaustion, suffering through headaches and other symptoms of altitude sickness...You admire them for their sheer ability to endure, their bravery, their determination, their willpower and ambition.

But then something else comes up for me. Are these people out of their minds? What are they doing and why are they doing it? Do they have a death wish? Why is it so important to reach the top? What makes them push so hard? What are they trying to prove? And is this just borderline masochism?

I do not claim to be an athlete--forgive me for being naive--and I truly know nothing about it so it is hard for me to understand this deep drive to compete, to conquer, to defy pain and even death...I know for those who do attempt to conquer Everest, I am told that they feel that the most exhilarating way to embrace life is to risk death...a concept I have a hard time fathoming.

I hold these two thoughts in my mind: the utmost admiration at the same time thinking they must all be totally crazy...I would love to hear what you think about it...

For the hardworking Sherpas, the Tibetan natives to this region whose livelihood is to accompany the mostly rich climbers (it costs a lot to attempt to summit Everest), doing the heavy lifting: set ropes in truly treacherous terrain, schlep equipment, carry the heavy cannisters of oxygen and basically service the climbers in a multitude of essential ways, climbing has spiritual meaning--they call the mountain sagramatha (Mother of the Sky) or chomalunga (Goddess Mother of the World) and they revere her as sacred and a religious experience--before every expedition, a llama asks for permission to climb...They believe Mount Everest is a higher power.

Allan Lichtman Election Predictions

Photo courtesy Katie Couric and Allan Lichtman and Katie Couric Media

Katie Couric sat down with American University Professor Allan Lichtman on October 2, 2024 to talk about his predictions for the upcoming presidential election. Collaborating and teaming up with an acclaimed Russian scientist who was a predictor of earthquakes, Lichtman devised a system of 13 key questions or keys as he calls them and using this methodology has successfully predicted the outcome of every election (with one exception: Bush/Gore--which he argues was not an error on his part). These keys tap into the fundamental forces that drive elections and ignore the pundits, don't follow polls--for them it is the governing not campaigning that counts.

The methodology was developed by accident--after Lichtman met mathematician Vladimir Keilis Borok in 1981 at a university in California, the Russian leading authority on earthquake prediction from the Institute of Pattern and Earthquake Prediction in Moscow. Vladimir Keilis Borok loved politics and wanted to use the methods of earthquake predictions to predict politics but obviously couldn't use those skills in Russia ...They became the odd couple of political research. Combining their separate set of expertise and fields, they set out to reconceptionalize presidential elections in geophysical terms: They took a look at every presidential election starting with Abraham Lincoln's in 1860 through Ronald Reagan in 1980, using Keilis Borok's method of pattern recognition to see what patterns in the political environment were associated with stability and earthquake.

Here are the keys and how Lichtman has rated the situation and come to his conclusion:
1. Party Mandate: Does the incumbent party hold more seats in the US House of Representatives than after the previous midterm elections? (False so it gets a score of -1).

2. Contest: There is no serious contest for the incumbent party nomination. (true)

3. Incumbency: The incumbent party candidate is the sitting president. (-1 false)

4. Third Party: There is no significant third party or independent campaign (true)

5. Short term economy: The economy is not in recession during the election campaign (true)

6. Long term economy: Real per capita economic growth during the term equals or exceeds mean growth during the previous two terms (true)

7. Policy change: The incumbent administration effects major changes in national policy (true).

8. Social unrest: There is no sustained social unrest during the term. (true)

9. Scandal: The incumbent administration is untainted by major scandal. (true)

10. Foreign/military failure: The incumbent administration suffers no major failure in foreign or military affairs. False Score of -1 (he is attributing failure in the Middle East). This one and the next are difficult to call according to Lichtman.

11. Foreign/military success: The incumbent administration achieves a major success in foreign or military affairs (Ukraine is still standing and our NATO coalition is strong and has held together). (true)

12. Incumbent charisma: the incumbent party candidate is charismatic or a national hero. (false hence score of -1)

13. Challenger charisma: The challenging party candidate is not charismatic or a national hero. (true)

When five or less items on the checklist are false, the incumbent party nominee is predicted to win the election (which is the case in this election predicting a Kamala Harris win) but when six or more items on the checklist are false, the challenging party nominee is predicted to win...

Final Score according to Lichtman's system: 4 false (negatives) predicting that Kamala Harris will win the 2024 ...Even if one of the foreign policy keys are poorly predicted and come out with negative scores, Harris would still win. Democrats need 6 negatives to lose...

A Visual Diary by Artful Home's Lisa Bayne Astor

Courtesy the Alembika blog https://blog.alembika.com/

Mesh Arroyo Dress designed by Lisa Bayne

I met Lisa Bayne Astor, one of the founder's of the beautiful catalogue The Artful Home at a recent overnight at Rancho La Puerta. She and her husband looked welcoming so I sat down at her table. Turns out she is a fashion entrepreneur and the designer of much of the clothing I have admired over the years in the Artful Home catalogue. She combines great style with a bit of whimsy, comfort and designs for women of all shapes and sizes...In addition, Artful Home features a beautiful mix of art, craft, and accessories.

Lisa and I got to talking and I realized that she is also a visual artist in her own right. I love the idea of a visual diary--always wanted to keep one myself and aside from a few years back when I was a teenager and my early twenties, I was never able to keep it up...She shared with me what got her started: "I began an illustrated journal shortly after my beloved Aunt Sandy died. She was like a mother/best friend to me, and she passed away in May of 2023. I had never journaled, and certainly had not painted with watercolors since art school 50 years ago. So this was all new, and became a daily practice, almost a daily meditation of sorts. It gave me a way to process my grief and my thoughts of Aunt Sandy, and gradually moved beyond Aunt Sandy and a way of reflecting on my day. It gave me an opportunity to pay attention more to my day, to my surroundings, and gave me great pleasure. It still does and I am still keeping up the practice." Here are a few of those drawings/entries that struck me...

Paintings of the Week

Sold these two pieces to a wonderful pr woman in San Diego. She wrote me this text after we placed these two pieces in her home: "OMG PAM! My son noticed it (he’s not talking yet) and pointed out and freaked out. He was “chatting” about it all throughout dinner (he’s not really talking yet 😂). And then when we put him to bed, he noticed right away and lit up babbling about the canvas over his crib 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰. He woke up pointing at it and babbling, then at this one all throughout breakfast. He’s so connected to them 😭😭😭😭😭." I always say kids notice so much more than you think they do. This is the best endorsement yet!

Charity of the Week: Voters of Tomorrow

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/climbi...

Blog No. 197: Psychic Medium Laura Lynne Jackson, Artist Elise Margolis, California Playlist

September 28, 2024

You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and underlined links below.

Psychic Medium Laura Lynne Jackson

Click here for a thought-provoking, long interview, given by podcaster Jay Shetty with one of my favorite people: Laura Lynne Jackson. She is both a psychic and a medium. (There is a difference by the way. According to the Cambridge English dictionary, a psychic is "a person who has a special mental ability, for example, being able to know what will happen in the future or what people are thinking." A medium, according to the Omega Institute, is a person "who has fine-tuned his or her extrasensory perception and can interface with the spirits in other dimensions").Some people are gifted with both powers.

Many of you know that I’ve became interested in all this kind of stuff about death and dying after I lost my husband, Gert Mathiesen, very suddenly in 2013. At first I was just grasping at straws, wanting to simply figure out what happened, where he went, how could someone just be here one minute and not the next. The night he died, I got a tap on my back that said--"it's alright." Not "he's alright" but that "everything is okay and will be okay..." I wonder about that nudge on my back to this day, since I was sitting up against the wall and no one was behind me. And since he died while on a trip to Denmark I have no real way of knowing whether that nudge came at the time he actually let go and died...but I have a feeling it might have.

From that day on, I started to research everything I could get my hands on related to death and dying... I wanted to believe but I was a skeptic, a big time skeptic. It took a lot of studying and reading and learning to get me to the point where I can now say with confidence that I really do not think this is all there is...

Laura Lynne Jackson was somebody I stumbled upon who seemed to really be the real thing. She was originally a very popular English teacher in Long Island and hid her abilities for a long time for fear of being mocked or fired from her job. Turns out that these abilities she had ran in her family and she noticed them ever since she was a little girl. She has it all spelled out in her first book The Light Between Us, which I highly recommend. It explains very clearly how mediumship works for her and how she processes the information she receives from people on the other side...Her second book, also a bestseller by the way, is called Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe, where she documents signs people have received from loved ones and how she believes we are all able to receive them if we just open ourselves up.

Laura Lynne is a highly respected psychic medium who has been through many scientific tests, most extensively with the Windbridge Institute and serves on the board of both the Forever Family Foundation and the Rhine Research Center in collaboration with Duke University, dedicated to research in PSI and the nature of human consciousness.

Have a listen and let me know what you think...

Artist Elise Margolis

When it comes to artists, Elise Margolis is the real thing. She is making art for all the right reasons: because she is compelled to do it, because she has no choice, because it is a form of self expression and she needs to get it out of her…

I have admired her work for a long time--it is small, poetic and embodies the concept of shibui, a Japanese word that has no English equivalent: a combination of simplicity and beauty is the way my Dad described it. Wikipedia's definition is "an enriched, subdued appearance or experience of intrinsically fine quality with economy of form, line, and effort, producing a timeless tranquility."

The two artists Elise admires the most are Stuart Davis and Alexander Calder. You can see the influence, especially with the former, but she has a style of her own. Her works on paper are small since she lives in a small apartment and produces the work on a small table. But I can't help but think some of them would also make amazing sculptures if done in 3-D.

California Song Playlist

I am on my way to San Diego, writing this blog on the plane. Only thought it appropriate to include some songs about this wonderful state that I love so much:

John Craigie: I am California

The Ramones: California Sun

Steve Goodman: California Promises

Arlo Guthrie: Coming into Los Angeles

The Mamas and The Papas: California Dreaming

Dionne Warwick: Do You Know the Way to San Jose

Tony Bennett: I Left My Heart in San Francisco

Concrete Blonde: Still in Hollywood

Natalie Merchant: San Andreas Fault

Painting of the Week

Pam Smilow, The Party, mixed media on canvas, 50" x 80" approx. This painting is being featured on the label of a bourbon and vodka bottle by Fierce and Kind, a wonderful small business based in California that donates 25 percent of their profits to charitable organizations.

Charity of the Week: Voters of Tomorrow

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/psychi...

Blog No. 196: Animal Stories that Bring Joy, Project 2025 Revisited, Buttermilk Chicken

September 20, 2024

You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and underlined links below.

Animal Stories that Bring Joy

I grew up with dogs who ran free and have always been an animal lover. But living in the city, I thought it impossible to really have a pet in an urban setting. I tried to convey that to my daughter, who thankfully didn't listen to me and went out and rescued an adorable black pitbull Australian cattle dog mix from Tennessee. So much joy this animal brings to her life (and mine!).

I love a good animal story and I have collected over time a series of these from instagram that bring joy, put a smile on your face, and remind us of how important and connected we are to the animal kingdom. Hope you enjoy these as much as I did...

Cats in Istanbul

This Puppy Lost his Parents

An Elephant and a Dog

Pairing Prisoners with Cats

A Dog and a Pig

A Deer and a Dog Door

The Intelligence of the Octopus

A Blind Cow

Wake Up

A Kangaroo and a Baby

Project 2025 Revisited

Click on this image above for a complete guide to Project 2025 put out by the Santiago Mayer founded organization called Voters of Tomorrow.

I try to avoid politics in this newsletter but when the very soul of America is at stake, I can’t just keep my mouth shut.

I think it is imperative for us to understand the Republican Party blueprint for America. It is called Project 2025 and make no mistake, this is Trump's plan (although as of late he has tried to step away from it) and he has every intention of implementing it. It terrifies me and should terrify everyone who believes in democracy in America, no matter what party. That is why so many Republican leaders, former members of Trump's cabinet, and other prominent GOP officials have endorsed the Harris/Walz ticket. Here it is spelled out again, (per Democracy Forward). I shared it once before on this blog and if it spurs you into action this election cycle, I have made my point...

·      Impose a national abortion ban
·      Restrict access to contraception
·      Remove medical privacy protections for people seeking reproductive healthcare
·      Repeal Obamacare which means if you have a preexisting condition, your insurance will not cover it...
·      Engage in mass deportations of 20 million immigrants
·      Roll back protection for same sex marriage and LGBTQ rights
·      Remove prohibitions on discrimination on the basis of race or sex
·      Allow the president to use the DOJ to target political enemies
·      Cut funding to the FBI
·      Eliminate the Department of Education
·      Eliminate the Department of Homeland Security
·      Disband the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
·      Slash corporate income taxes
·      Eliminate the ability of the federal government to drive down drug costs by negotiating prices of Medicare drugs
·      Restrict access to food assistance by imposing work requirements on disabled and single parents
·      Eliminate Project Head Start
·      Cut funding for green energy and encourage reliance on fossil fuels
·      Expand offshore drilling and drilling on public lands
·      Eliminate funding for public transportation projects
·      Grant parents control over school curricula

Buttermilk Roast Chicken

Courtesy Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.

From the favorite cookbook by Samir Nostat entitled Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, this is a whole chicken recipe that leaves the chicken nice and juicy and doesn't require a ton of ingredients. It does need to be marinated overnight so best to plan ahead...

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
1 chicken, 3½ to 4 pounds
Kosher salt or fine sea salt
2 cups buttermilk

PREPARATION * Step 1 The day before you cook, remove the wingtips of the chicken by cutting through the first wing joint with poultry shears or a sharp knife. Season chicken generously with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes.
* Step 2 Stir 2 tablespoons kosher salt into the buttermilk to dissolve. Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and pour in the buttermilk.
* Step 3 Seal the bag, squish the buttermilk all around the chicken, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Turn the bag periodically so every part of the chicken gets marinated.
* Step 4 Take the chicken out of the refrigerator an hour before you plan to cook it. Heat the oven to 425 degrees with a rack set in the center position.
* Step 5 Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can. Tightly tie together the legs with a piece of butcher’s twine. Place the chicken in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a shallow roasting pan.
* Step 6 Slide the pan all the way to the back of the oven on the center rack. Rotate the pan so that the legs are pointing toward the rear left corner and the breast is pointing toward the center of the oven. Pretty quickly you should hear the chicken sizzling.
* Step 7 After about 20 minutes, when the chicken starts to brown, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and continue roasting for 10 minutes.
* Step 8 Shift the pan so the legs are facing the rear right corner of the oven. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so, until the chicken is brown all over and the juices run clear when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and the thigh. If the skin is getting too brown before it is cooked through, use a foil tent. Remove it to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Painting of the Week

Charity of the Week: Voters of Tomorrow

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/animal...

Blog No. 195: Beekeeping in Zimbabwe, Excerpt from the Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo,

September 13, 2024

You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and underlined links below.

Beekeeping in Zimbabwe

Click image to see a short video on Charles Hamilton's bee project...

My friend, who on a trip was being put up generously with people he hardly knew, blurted out in a particularly good moment fueled by scotch, "you know, there are such wonderful people in the world." And yes, I have to agree...There are so many good people in the world doing wonderful things, if we could just get the media to stop directing us to look at the negative all the time...

So here's a wonderful person for you that I read about on instagram, published by his son. He didn't share his father's exact identity but I did some digging and his name is Charles Hamilton, a man that lives in the middle of nowhere in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe in a simple, modest house with no internet and just enough solar energy to power his lights and charge his phone...and he builds beehives. He doesn't just build them for himself--he builds them to distribute free of charge to anyone in the surrounding communities who wants to learn beekeeping--and he makes them the following promise: if you let me teach you how to keep bees ethically and sustainably and you don't spray pesticide, you can bring me your honey production and I will process it and buy it from you (above market value at a very fair price) and sell it in the capital city of Harare. He’s not doing it for money. Celebrating the beauty of his dad, his son explains that he is doing it because "he believes in helping people. He believes in protecting nature. He believes that communities should look after each other. He believes in the goodness of human beings. Because that is the kind of person his parents raised him to be. And I’m privileged to say that it’s the kind of person my dad raised me to be."

His son, a filmmaker, has put together a go fund me for his dad and his beekeeping project. Details here if you would like to contribute.

Excerpt from Mark Nepo's Book of Awakening

I have written a whole entry on The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo--I love this book that consists of a daily wisdom--one for every day of the year--and I have given it as a gift to many of my friends. Each dated entry brings new insights, advice, and thoughts on life's emotional challenges and celebrations. I share with you here an excerpt from September 12th's entry which particularly struck me today:

In an Eagle's Eye

The vastness of this endless sky
is reflected in the corner of an eagle's eye.
In just this way, the heart
when lifted up, reflects the universe."

As the moon brings sun to those turned away from the light, the opened heart brings love to those struggling through darkness. It is important to remember here that the moon is not the source of light but a reflection; and likewise, as magnificent as the heart is, it is not the source of love, but a conveyor of forces often out of view when we are struggling.

I have come to realize that the people I've admired throughout my life, the ones I've tried to emulate, were all like the moon appearing in the night, and though I secretly wanted to be like these wonderful people, it was their openness that allowed them to shine in the middle of my darkness, an openness I didn't need to copy or envy, just uncover in myself..."

Carol Hancuh's Voting Line

I came across this really cool exhibit at the Minneapolis St. Paul airport recently on my way to a show in Boise, Idaho. A quilting artist named Carol Hancuh (I seem to be running into a lot of quilters these days), has a timely exhibit of life size Voters on Line to Vote. These full-size quilted figures represent Americans from all walks of life: farmer, yoga teacher, firefighter, housekeeper, nurse to name a few. She’s created a whole narrative around each, their background and what they do in life, and why they are standing on line to vote. She is as much a storyteller in words as well as images...As you walk to your gate at the airport, these life size figures are lined up in cases as if they are walking next to you.

The exhibit couldn't come at a better time, especially now when we are reminded of how fragile democracy is and how important it is to exercise our ability to vote. Thank you Carol Hancuh for that important reminder!

Paintings of the Week

Tree of Life Series, mixed media on paper mounted on canvas, private collection Ketchum Idaho...

Charity of the Week: The Innocence Project

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/beekee...

Blog No. 194: Northern Bald Ibis, Ayelet Waldman Quilts, Bon Jovi's Soul Kitchen

September 6, 2024

My blog will remain free of charge but for those who can and are willing, I have decided to offer a paying version for $50/year. If you decide to go that route, thank you so much in advance--much appreciated! and I would like to reward you by sending you an 8" x 10" giclée print of your choice as a thank you.
You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and underlined links below.

Northern Bald Ibis

I caught this story on NPR as I was driving down from Maine a few days ago and decided to include it here in case you missed it.

It is a fascinating story about the Northern Bald Ibis, a large, incredible looking bird previously found in Europe and Africa that disappeared way back in the 17th century. What remained was only a tiny breeding population in captivity.

Along comes a man named Johannes Fritz, biologist and conservationist who was determined to save these birds from utter extinction and had the goal in mind of breeding and setting them free in the world. He has spent an entire career doing just that.

It turns out that large birds, like so many of us animals, need parents to teach them the ways of the land. And one of the most important components of that for the Northern Bald Ibis was how to instruct them to migrate to warmer climes in order to ensure their winter survival.

This project has taken a major amount of planning over time and culminated in Johannes Fritz as pilot of a microlight plane actually getting up in the air with these particular birds, leading them south, the latest of such voyages from Austria to Italy. It involves foster parents too (who spend much time preparing by bonding with the particular birds), shouting encouragement from the backseat through a megaphone...

If you are interested in learning more about this, here are a few other articles about Fritz's lifetime work:
New York Times
The Guardian

Ayelet Waldman Quilts

Ayelet Waldman is a fascinating figure by anyone's estimation. She has led a very full life as a prolific author, public defender lawyer, mother, adjunct law professor and collaborator with her husband, fellow writer Michael Chabon. Her books and essays cover a wide variety of subjects including mental health, motherhood, micro-dosing, mysteries and novels.

I met Ayelet very briefly many years ago when she was organizing a political event and I donated and dropped off one of my paintings at her home in California. I had no contact with her since but was recently attracted to her beautiful quilts that occasionally appeared on my feed on instagram. She seemed so passionate about this new found interest and I was curious what was driving this sudden burst of energy--she seemed to be producing a quilt a day! So I wrote and asked her if it would be okay to feature some of these creations on my blog.

Little did I know that there was a moving story behind the quilts, related to her upbringing, and the current state of affairs in Israel and Gaza. In fact, there was an article which appeared in The New Yorker Magazine back in March 2024 about this very subject and her motivation. Here is that complete article entitled Piecing for Cover.

But for those who just want to look, here are a few of the quilts that caught my eye...

Bon Jovi's Soul Kitchen

Jon Bon Jovi is the 2024 MusiCares Person Of The Year for his philanthropic work. Photo: John Nacion/Getty Images

The Jon Bon Jovi Family Foundation's Soul Kitchens

Bon Jovi, known as one of New Jersey's most favorite sons, has earned that title not only by his musical prowess but also by his community-mindedness and philanthropy. Since 2006, The Bon Jovi Family Foundation has been active in trying to break the cycle of poverty, hunger and homelessness in New Jersey and across the entire United States. Their main focus at the start was with affordable housing: the JBJ Soul Foundation has helped provide support for almost 1,000 units of affordable and supportive housing in 12 states for thousands of people including youth and veterans.

In 2011 they expanded their mission to include a series of community restaurants to fight food insecurity, where those able to pay, do so, and those who can't eat for free (and volunteer in the restaurant if they are able). Diners sit alongside each other, fostering a sense of community that crosses economic lines. It's "Community Dining with Dignity" according to their website. "All are welcome at our table where locally-sourced ingredients, dignity and respect are always on the menu."

To date, there are four JBJ Soul Kitchens, one in Red Bank, one in Tom's River, both open to the public and two serving exclusively the Rutgers and New Jersey City University communities.

Living on a Prayer.

Painting of the Week

Pam Smilow, Mandala Series: Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night mixed media on canvas 68" x 48" $6500

Charity of the Week: The Innocence Project

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/substa...

Blog No. 193: Substack, Eydis Einarsdottir Photography, Best of Lists

August 28, 2024

Substack

Welcome to my first blog sent out via substack. I decided to switch platforms from squarespace to substack and have been working to that end for the past month. It doesn't sound that complicated but it was, and for help I sought out an expert recommended by Mailchimp. I hit the jackport alias Robbie Kohli, CEO of Deep Focus.In, a Delhi, India native who is the epitome of everything customer service isn't anymore in the United States. He and his expert coworker, Harsh Gaur have held my hand through the whole transition process and taught me a ton of technical tricks that have proved invaluable along the way. It gives me great pleasure to put in an unabashed plug for them in case you have any needs in the area of digital and email marketing, website design, platform transitioning, social media, branding, SEO, etc. They are smart, extremely knowledgeable, personable and a pure pleasure to work with. In addition, I feel that I have gained some new friends. Don't hesitate to contact them and by the way, their English is perfect...

Eydis Einarsdottir Photography

I first came across the photos of Eydis Einarsdottir when I read Pico Iyer's book The Art of Stillness. Her beautiful photos served as dividers to some of the chapters and struck me as a perfect accompaniment to the book--serene, soothing, and deep in a quiet kind of way.

When I checkout her website, I realized there were so many of her photos I liked. The best for me were the ones I consider borderline surreal...

Eydis was born in Iceland and grew up in such a striking visual environment. As a result, she has long been fascinated with photography and her main subject: the ocean and water in its natural state. Here is a selection of her amazing work:

And look at what she can do with black and white and her knowledge of light. These photos shine through with such luminescence!

She sells her photos so please contact her through her website for dimensions and prices.

Best of Lists

I have always loved best of lists: best books, best movies, best tv series, etc. as they are very useful when trying to figure out what next to read or watch...

Here is one: The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, as voted on by 503 novelists, nonfiction writers, poets, critics and other book lovers — with a little help (and courtesy) from the staff of The New York Times Book Review.

Here's another one: Top 250 movies in ranking order, as chosen by regular IMDb voters

Paintings of the Week

Gert Mathiesen, mixed media linocut monoprint acr

Charity of the Week: The Innocence Project

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/substa...

Blog No. 192: Central Park Five, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Zucchini Recipes

August 24, 2024

You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and underlined links below.
Please bear with me while I am in the midst of migrating my blog to substack.

Exonerated Five

Central Park Five were wrongfully accused in New York City in 1989. Click image to see Ken Burns documentary trailer.

Whatever one's politics might be, I think we can all agree how horrible it is for someone to be jailed for a crime they did not commit. Nothing exemplifies the tragedy of that more than what happened to five Black and Hispanic teens in April 1989 when they were arrested and wrongfully accused of assaulting and raping Trisha Meili, a jogger in Central Park. The case stands as a warning to snap judgments, racial profiling, and just plain old racism... These young boys served between seven and thirteen years in prison...Matias Reyes, a serial rapist, confessed to the Meili assault ten years after they had already. DNA evidence confirmed his involvement. Justice did eventually prevail and aside from total exoneration, each of the Central Park Five received settlements from the City of New York to the tune of 41 million between them all. Who knows what damage was done during those crucial years they spent in prison--years they will never get back. Ken Burns made a documentary about the case. "A must see. A profound indictment of mob mentality" according to Kristopher Tapley of HitFix.

The Exonerated Five made an appearance at the Democratic National Convention--see them here.

If there is ever an argument against capital punishment, this is it for me. At best, we humans make mistakes and at our worst, racism and prejudice play a big role in wrongful arrests, indictments and wrongful imprisonment. And FYI, Donald Trump jumped on the wagon when they were arrested, immediately calling for their execution in a full page ad he took out in the New York Daily News. To this day, now called the Exonerated Five with DNA evidence backing them, Donald Trump still maintains they are guilty... Trump called for the reinstatement of the death penalty in New York following a horrific rape case in which five teenagers were wrongly convicted.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

There are some songs that are just universally loved and Somewhere Over the Rainbow is definitely one of those songs...What I didn't know was the story behind it and the context...(I now know courtesy of the Keller newsletter.)

Written by Edgar Yipsel (Yip) Harburg (né Isadore Hochberg) and Harold Arlen (né chaim Airlock), sons of European immigrants who escaped the pogroms of Eastern Europe and anti-semitism, it was first penned to accompany the movie The Wizard of Oz, which came out in 1939. It was just two months after Kristallnacht, that horrible night in November 1938 when the Nazis looted and destroyed Jewish businesses and synagogues, including my family's furniture factory in Germany.

Here are a few of my favorite renditions:
Judy Garland
Eva Cassidy
Eric Clapton
Israel IZ Kamakawiwoʻole

Zucchini Zucchini Zucchini

Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables. If you have a garden, I am sure you know how easy it is to grow and how come August, everyone has a surplus. One of my favorite ways to prepare it is to simply sauté think slices in olive oil and salt on a relatively high heat, so it gets dark and maybe even a little burnt.

I heard this joke the other day: Why do people lock their cars in Maine in the summer?
So people don't put zucchini in it.
And another joke along the same lines:
Did you hear about the woman who left a zucchini in her car while she went shopping? When she got back, someone had broken in and left her three more.
So, in case you are wondering what to do with all that zucchini, here are a few ideas courtesy of downshiftology. I love pancakes in any form and here is a good one using zucchini as the main ingredient, courtesy Aytekin Yar, Adapted by Elaine Louie, courtesy NYTimes Cooking:
ZUCCHINI PANCAKES
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 12 pancakes
3 medium zucchini (about 1 pound), shredded
Salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs, beaten
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 scallions, finely chopped
⅓ cup finely chopped dill
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 to 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, more as needed

FOR THE YOGURT SAUCE
⅔ cup plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt

FOR THE PANCAKES
Step 1 
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place zucchini in a colander over a bowl, and mix with ½ teaspoon salt. Allow to drain for five minutes. Transfer to a cloth kitchen towel, and squeeze hard to extract as much moisture as possible. Squeeze a second time; volume will shrink to about half the original.
Step 2 
In a large mixing bowl, combine zucchini and eggs. Using a fork, mix well. Add flour, ½ teaspoon salt, olive oil, feta, scallions, dill and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Mix well, add baking powder, and mix again.
Step 3 
Place a cast iron skillet or other heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and heat until shimmering. Place heaping tablespoons of zucchini batter in pan several inches apart, allowing room to spread. Flatten them with a spatula if necessary; pancakes should be about ⅜ inch thick and about 3 inches in diameter. Fry until golden on one side, then turn and fry again until golden on other side. Repeat once or twice, frying about 5 to 6 minutes total, so pancakes get quite crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels, and keep warm in oven. Continue frying remaining batter, adding more oil to pan as needed. Serve hot.
Step 4 
For yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine yogurt, garlic and salt. Mix well, and serve on the side or on pancakes. And if you still are in need of some ideas, here are a bunch more:

Paintings of the Week

Gert Mathiesen, mixed media on canvas, 84" x 36" each, inquire

Charity of the Week: The Innocence Project

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/exoner...

Blog No. 191: Pico Iyer's The Art of Stillness, Crispy Rice Salad, Wisdom from a 96 Year Old Woman

August 16, 2024

You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and underlined links below.
Please bear with me while I am in the midst of migrating my blog to substack.

Pico Iyer's The Art of Stillness

I am on vacation in Maine for the whole month. I didn't bring paints with me and decided to take the month off, working on migrating this blog from Squarespace to Substack and trying to slow down a bit.

Call it synchronicity, but this is what I found on the shelf in the house I am staying in: Pico Iyer's The Art of Stillness: Adventures In Going Nowhere.

I've always enjoyed everything I have read by this British born essayist and novelist known chiefly for writings on his inner and outer journeys through life. This book seemed to be exactly what I needed right now as I am trying to learn a little about stillness myself, meditate more regularly (I am terrible at routine!) and attempt to unclutter my brain a bit more...If you feel anything like I do, you might consider picking up a copy of this short gem of a book.

And in the words of Pico Iyer himself,
“In an age of speed, I began to think, nothing could be more invigorating than going slow. In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention. And in an age of constant movement, nothing is more urgent than sitting still.”

Chapters of the book are separated by exquisite photos by Icelandic photographer Eydis Einarsdottir.

In her own words, "As soon as I take out my camera I find that stillness within, that deep sense of peace that I crave everyday. I get lost in such a beautiful way that it’s hard to describe... it’s like I find a piece of me that I had lost, not really knowing that I lost it."

Crispy Rice Salad

Courtesy Sivans Kitchen on Instagram @sivanskitchen

Crispy Rice Salad
courtesy Sivanskitchen

Ingredients
2 cups white rice cooked and cooled*
1 heaping tbsp chili paste
3 tbsp. oil
*cook rice 1:1 ratio rice and water approximately. 10 minutes

Ingredients for salad

4 persian cucumbers
1/2 bunch fresh mint
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
5 scallions
1 cup shelled edamame
1 avocado
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Ingredients for Dressing

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 clove of garlic

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Line a baking dish with parchment paper
În a large bowl, combine cooked rice, chili paste, and vegetable oil. Mix well
Spread rice mixture evenly on baking sheet
Bake for approximately. 40 minutes, tossing rice every ten minutes or so to ensure even baking. Watch to avoid burning
Once crispy and golden, remove from oven and let cool.

Chop all vegetables and place in large bowl
Add edamame and diced avocado

Make the Dressing:
Combine all ingredients and whisk together into well mixed.

Assemble the salad

Add chopped roasted peanuts and the cooled rice over the salad and toss.
Serve immediately.

Wisdom from a 96 Year Old

Courtesy Reflections on Life, Video Featuring Dot Fisher-Smith, filmed in Ashland, Oregon..Thank you filmmakers Justine and Michael (previously known as Green Renaissance)

Lots of wisdom in this 11+ minute video from this beautiful 96 year old woman. I just came across it on youtube and it defintely fits into the theme of the day: go slow, live in the moment.

I encourage you watch it.

"I am happy for whatever I have."
"I am the same as the tree
I am the star thistle
and the grass
and the dirt
and the black ant
I am you
you are me
we are the same
same same different

"We die with the dying see they depart and we go with them we are born with the dead see they return and bring us with them.
--T.S. Eliot
And what's the secret of longevity?
for her
if it is one thing:
go slow

Painting of the Week

Charity of the Week: The Innocence Project

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/bitty-...

Blog No. 190: Bitty and Beau's Coffee Shops, Oysters, Animal Stories

August 10, 2024

You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and underlined links below.
Please bear with me while I am in the midst of migrating my blog to substack.

Bitty and Beau's Coffee Shops

Let me introduce you to the 2017 CNN Hero of the Year, Amy Wright. Together with her husband Ben, they are proud parents of four children and founder of a chain of coffee shops called Bitty and Beau's, named for two of their kids who happen to have been born with Down's Syndrome. When the kids were young, they started taking a hard look around at the opportunities for people with disabilities and were dismayed at what they saw. With two hundred million people across the world living with intellectual or developmental disabilities, “they were shocked to learn that 80% of people with disabilities didn’t have jobs in our country,” Amy says. “We didn’t want our kids growing up in a world that didn’t think they should have the same opportunities as other people.

So Amy took matters into her own hands and the couple decided to open their first Bitty and Beau's coffee shop, in Wilmington, North Carolina. Dedicated to advancing the inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the workplace, they hired 19 employees with disabilities of all kinds and created an environment where diversity is not just appreciated, it is celebrated. Serving delicious coffee and typical coffee shop fare, Bitty and Beau's pays all of its workers above minimum wage with opportunities for raises and promotions. The way they see it, Bitty and Beau's is a Human Rights movement disguised as a coffee shop.

Today, there are twenty Bitty & Beau’s employing more than 400 people with Down's syndrome, autism, and other disabilities. They are constantly growing, with locations now in Birmingham and Auburn Alabama, Boulder Colorado, Washington DC, Jacksonville Florida, Savannah Georgia, Annapolis Maryland, Ann Arbor Michigan, Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Wilmington North Carolina, Columbus, Pittsburgh and Bethlehem Pennsylvania, Columbia and Charleston South Carolina, and Frisco Waco and Houston, Texas. Franchise opportunities are available.

Oysters

An oyster farm in the Damariscotta River

I have thought of myself as many things but I never thought I would be a connoisseur of oysters too. But here I find myself smack in the middle of prime oyster country up here in midcoast Maine and to taste them is to love them. "Eating a raw oyster is a uniquely visceral experience" says oyster expert Rowan Jacobsen. And I would have to agree!

Thousands of years ago, Native Americans knew that the river had these gifts to give and were already harvesting, eating, and even relocating these prized oysters to other watersheds. But wild oysters, once abundant in U.S. waters, fell victim to centuries of overfishing, pollution and habitat devastation, desecrating their population drastically (sounds like a familiar story!). So today, more than 95 percent of all the oysters consumed in the country are cultivated on highly sustainable aquafarms.

The Damariscotta River is a perfect storm of conditions to produce some of the best oysters in the world: a cold mix of sea and fresh water that makes for a perfect salinity, a river rich in phytoplankton that the oysters feed on, hearty tides that replenish twice a day, a perfect temperature, and a very cooperative community of oyster farmers whose farms dot the region.

According to Rowan Jacobsen, who has written several books on oysters and the environment, “among Maine’s string of finger estuaries, the Damariscotta River stands out. It’s the best spot in Maine for growing oysters... This river is the Northeast’s Côte-d’Or, and for an oyster: it’s heaven on earth."--A Geography of Oysters

Here is a description of the area and a list below of the individual oyster farms:--
DODGE COVE MARINE FARM
GLIDDEN POINT OYSTER FARMS
GREAT SALT BAY OYSTER COMPANY
HERON ISLAND OYSTERS
JOHNS RIVER OYSTER
MOOK SEA FARM
NORUMBEGA OYSTER, INC.
PEMAQUID OYSTER COMPANY

Look for these particular oysters the next time you dine out: you will find them in restaurants across the country and beyond. Just like wine, “the same kind of grape varietal can take on a completely different personality depending on where and how it’s grown. It’s the same with oysters.”

My personal favorites so far are the Norumbega, the Moondancers and Glidden Points.