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

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: 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.

Animal Stories

I am a sap for sweet animal stories--here are some of my favorites on instagram:

stuffed animals on a bed

dolphin and little girl

Tara and Bella

rabbit and monkey friendship

interspecies love

family photo

Otto and the crow

Painting of the Week

Muxed Media on Canvas, 60” x 40” approx.

Charity of the Week: The Innocence Project

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

Blog No. 189: Carl Jung on Synchronicities, Poem by Derek Walcott, Nordic Noir TV

August 2, 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.

Carl Jung on Synchronicities

Beginning at a young age, Carl Jung had direct personal experience with the paranormal, including unusual visions and events that could not be explained. This led to his fascination with the unknown, the mysteries of the supernatural and his longtime interest in parapsychology... He observed early on that scientific rationality could not easily explain many things. Jung's ideas at that time intersected with what we now know as modern quantum physics and the double split experiment, where particles can behave differently, depending on whether they are observed...

Synchronicities, according to Jung, are events that coincide in time and appear meaningfully related, yet lack a discoverable causal connection and are, according to him, a profound interaction between our consciousness and the physical world..

Poem by Derek Walcott

Poet and playwright Derek Walcott (1930-2017) originally set out to follow in his father’s footsteps as a painter but soon switched to writing. He published his first work while still a teenager. Born on the island of Saint Lucia, Walcott was the first Caribbean to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992. He was also the recipient of a McArthur genius award and the T.S. Eliot Prize , among other honors.

“Love After Love”
by Derek Walcott

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

Scandinavian Nordic Noir Television

I might be partial having been married to a Dane for 25 years and having so many connections to that region of the world but when I am looking for something good to watch on TV, I turn to the Scandinavian thrillers and mysteries. They seem to be more sophisticated and intelligent than your run of the mill American equivalents as clearly evident in the contrast between Swedish vs. American version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. If for some reason you missed that movie (or book for that matter by Stieg Larsson), it is well worth watching and reading...

Here are a few of my favorites, available on various tv platforms.

Deadwind, on Netflix, is a Finnish thriller featuring a very interesting intelligent female detective, Sofia Karppi, 30 something from the Finnish police department. Recently widowed, she is raising a young son and teenage stepdaughter. The plot revolves around her discovery of a young woman's body on a construction site and a chain of events that threaten to destroy her life again...

One of my favorites of all times (and chilling in a political way) is a series called Occupied, available on Apple TV. The premise of the show is that the Green Party wins in Norway and decides it is irresponsible of them to continue producing oil. Russia and the EU freak out because they are dependent on their oil and Russia decides to take action by occupying Norway, saying they will just stay long enough to get oil production up and running again. Plausible, yes and you will be on the edge of your seat with this intelligent thriller that evokes the history of Norwegian Nazi collaborator Vidkun Quisling ...The series got under the skin of the Kremlin--read here to see why...Search around but you can definitely see it on youtube.

Trapped, on amazon prime, is another of these great TV series, this time coming to you from Iceland. It is a crime-drama series following a police department as they try to uncover a mystery against the elements, in the constantly snowy environment of a small town. When a dismembered, mutilated body washes up onshore, the local police realise a murder has taken place just hours before. Everybody trapped in the vicinity, including the inhabitants of a 300 person ferry from Denmark, immediately become potential suspects and chaos descends as they try to find the killer.

There are so many great shows--I only mention a few here, none of them new. I will revisit this topic again...

Photo of the Week

A very colorful house full of art in El Cerrito, California.

Charity of the Week:

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 188: Keb' Mo Put a Woman in Charge, Van Jones on Biden, Tree of Life Symbol

July 27, 2024

Please bear with me while I migrate my blog to substack. This might take a few weeks but the blog will still be available here on my website as well...You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and photos below as well as the underlined links. And scroll all the way down for previous blog entries.

Keb'Mo
Put a Woman in Charge Featuring Rosanne Cash

Keb'Mo wrote and released the song Put A Woman In Charge back in 2018 and dedicated it to his mom, a powerful and strong leader who died at the age of 91. Featuring Rosanne Cash, it is as relevant today as it was back then and will no doubt soon become the theme song of the Kamala Harris campaign.

Van Jones

"This is the difference between a politician and a leader." so says Van Jones commenting on President Biden's withdrawal from the presidential election. Jones is in my eyes one of the true humanitarian journalists of our time...His instincts are so aligned with mine--he seems to always hit the right tone for me when reacting to current events in real time on CNN or elsewhere.

Van Jones has been at it a long time. If you would like to read more about him, here is an NPR piece from 2017 where he espouses love rather than hate as a reaction to the racial tensions of our time and another article about him I found interesting from Yes Magazine..

Tree of Life Symbol

Three of my Tree of Life pieces, 60 x 22 inches each, mixed media on paper mounted onto canvas

Tree of Life Candleabra, collection of Rancho La Puerta, Tecate, Mexico

The Tree of Life is a widespread archetype common to many cultures, religions, mythologies, and folktales. It represents, at times, the source of life, a force that connects all lives, and the cycle of life and death itself throughout history.

In some cultures a sacred tree was said to bear fruit that could grant immortality to the one who ate it. In Chinese Daoist mythology the pantao is a peach that ripens once every 3,000 years and is the food of the immortals. In Norse mythology apples of immortality are grown on sacred trees guarded by the goddess Idun. In the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, both the tree of life and the tree of knowledge are said to grow in the Garden of Eden.

In Mexican culture, Trees of Life were traditionally used as a gift for newlyweds as a symbol of fertility and abundance and evolved over the years with images of Mexican culture and history, including decorating Day of the Dead altars to remember past loved ones.

The three day workshop I led at Rancho La Puerta last week used the Tree of Life as a jumping off point for us to create our own versions of this sacred tree. Rancho La Puerta has an extensive collection of Arboles de la Vida.

Photo of the Week

Gert Mathiesen, Rust Tree of Life, acrylic on canvas, available as a giclee print in various sizes on both canvas and paper

Charity of the Week:

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/keb-mo...

Blog No. 187: Rancho La Puerta, Marc Scibilia, Turmeric Shot Recipe

July 20, 2024

You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and photos below as well as the underlined links. And scroll all the way down for previous blog entries.

Wellness Spa:
Rancho La Puerta

Rancho La Puerta, located an hour from San Diego on the Baja Peninsula in Tecate, Mexico is North America's legendary wellness and fitness retreat founded all the way back in 1940 by visionaries Deborah and Edmond Szekely. I had the good fortune of spending the last week there, and I want to tell you about this special place...

With 4,000 acres of mountains, meadows, landscaped gardens, and hiking trails, Rancho La Puerta offers a wide range of fitness classes, lectures, musical programming, and art workshops in an idyllic setting in the shadow of Mount Kuchumaa, a mountain long considered a place of healing and sacred to the Kumeyaay people, the original inhabitants of this part of the Baja Peninsula.

Rancho La Puerta seeks to "guide those who come towards a sane, well-balanced program of living. It is a place where one can step outside of one's normal life, pause and focus on one's health, spiritual well-being and physical fitness. Their myriad of offerings include healthy, delicious meals, evening concerts and lectures, and everything from pickleball to pilates, aerial yoga to aquafit, and sound healing to meditation and cooking classes--but one is just as welcome sitting at one of their many pools and listening to the birds or reading a book.

Last but not least is the feeling of community one gets at the Ranch. I am going home with a warm sense of connectedness and I know I have formed long lasting friendships as a result.

Rancho La Puerta is ranked #1 on the Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards 2024 list of International Spas. As you can imagine, this is not the cheapest vacation you will ever take. But watch for specials which they do run from time to time, and one can also go for part of a week rather than the full week...If you have a big birthday coming up and you decide to splurge, this just might be the ticket--I guarantee it will be memorable.

Amazing musicians Juan Pablo Andrade and Linda Chavez

Marc Scibilia

I really like the music of singer songwriter Marc Scibilia. From a long line of musicians (both his father and grandfather played music), Marc began playing the drums and writing songs at the age of six, trained in classical piano in high school and then also picked up the guitar around that same time.

After high school, his guidance counselor called him into the office, concerned that he had no plans for college. She said sarcastically "what are you doing to do for a living--move to Nashville and write songs for a living?! Well, here he is, Marc Scibilia, a number of years later. He dared follow his passion, and it took some time and a lot of practice and hard work but check him out now: manifesting the life he imagined for himself...

Here is a playlist of some of my favorites, original and covers:

"More Than This"

Here's To

She's Always a Woman" (Billy Joel)

This Land is Your Land (Woody Guthrie)

Clocks" (Cold Play)

Turmeric Shot Recipe

Click for the benefits of turmeric *photo courtesy Rancho La Puerta*

Photo courtesy Krisanapong *Detraphiphat/Getty Images*

This is the way I start my day at Rancho La Puerta--a shot (or two) of this immune boosting elixir. Not only does it taste delicious but I feel envigorated and like I am doing my body a huge favor by drinking it. It is what I miss most when I leave here but this year I am going to try and make it a ritual at home too...

TURMERIC IMMUNE BOOSTING SHOT
Kickstart your day with vitality and wellness. Here’s to a brighter, stronger you!
(makes four portions)

INGREDIENTS:
2 inches fresh ginger
1-inch unpeeled fresh turmeric or 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 large lemon, peeled
1 green apple, cut in quarters and seeded

DIRECTIONS:
*Place the ingredients in a cold press juicer or regular juicer and process. If you don’t have a juicer, you can use a blender, and strain with a cheese cloth.

1. If using ground turmeric*, be sure to add it after juicing the other ingredients.
2. Serve in a shot glass and enjoy with a pinch of pepper or cayenne.
3. During winter, you can drink it with ½ cup warm water and a teaspoon of honey.
* Turmeric stains surfaces and clothing so be careful!

Photo of the Week

I used the virtual tool of superimposing this painting on this bedroom wall…a perfect fit for the room, creating a serene, monochromatic vibe in this modern setting.

Charity of the Week:

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

Blog No. 186: Eero Saarinen's TWA Terminal, Project 2025, Poems about Trees

July 13, 2024

You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and photos below as well as the underlined links. And scroll all the way down for previous blog entries.

Eero Saarinen's TWA Terminal

The next time you go to Kennedy airport, take a look around for this iconic building, designed by Finnish American architect Eero Saarinen. Would you believe this gem of a building was set for demolition in 1993. Thank goodness the New York city Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the terminal as an exterior and interior landmark in 1994 and it was saved from ruin.

Although there were some adjustments made to fit the new Jetblue Terminal behind it, the building is now home to the TWA Hotel with 512 guest rooms, 40,000 square feet of meeting space, and an observation deck of 10,000 square feet. If you can't stay overnight, you can book a daycation! "Whether you’re a New York City native or just flying through, you can take a trip to cloud 9 at the TWA Hotel’s rooftop. Watch planes surf the sky from the infinity-edge pool with views of JFK’s Runway 4 Left/22 Right, then refuel at The Pool Bar with a snack and a craft cocktail. Open year-round, the pool turns into a pool-cuzzi in the winter and is heated to 95 degrees! In the cooler months, après swim at the Runway Chalet, an Alpine-themed hideaway with festive fare, plus a retro fireplace and games."

To learn more about Eero Saarinen, who incidentally died just before the terminal was completed, click here.

In addition to building design, Saarinen was a top-notch furniture designer--I am sure you will recognize some of his iconic pieces below.

Project 2025

Caution: This entry falls into the category of things we don't love.

I usually use this blog as a source of inspiration but in this case I feel I need to sound a loud and clear alarm to any of us who are on the fence of how to vote in this upcoming election. Please share this with friends and people you may know. It is a difficult conversation to have but we must not stop talking to each other, no matter what "side" you are on...

In a world that seems to have turned upside down, where up is down and black is white, where obvious outright lies are taken as truth, where the Republican party used to be against government overreach, they now want to be in our bedrooms, in our pockets, and in our schools, hoping to control women's bodies by supporting a total federal ban on abortion and even having their eye on opposing contraception. Did anyone see A Handmaid's Tale? or read George Orwell?

Project 2025, brought to you by the Heritage Foundation and the platform of Donald Trump (don't kid yourself if he tries to lie his way out of his whole-hearted endorsement), is the most radical far reaching assault on democracy and the American way of life as we know it. Don't trust me--watch this from the conservative Wall Street Journal. And have a look at the 2025 Project list below for yourself and please consider sharing it with everyone you know. Let's keep our eye on the ball--this is what we are up against:

TRUMP'S PROJECT 2025
•End no fault divorce
•Complete federal ban on abortions without exceptions
•Ban contraceptives
•Additional tax breaks for corporations and the 1%
•Higher taxes for the working class
•Elimination of unions and worker protections
•Raise the retirement age
•Cut social security
•Cut medicare
•End the Affordable Care Act, eliminating health insurance for 29.8 million people according to the non-partisan Economic Policy Commission
•Raise prescription drug prices
•Eliminate the Department of Education
•Use public, taxpayer money for private religious schools
•Teach christian religious beliefs in public schools
•End free and discounted school lunch programs
•End civil rights and DEI protection in government
•Ban African American and gender studies in all levels of education
•Ban books and curriculum about slavery
•End climate protections
•Increase Arctic drilling
•Deregulate big business and the oil industry
•Promote and expedite capital punishment
•End marriage equality
•Condemn single mothers while promoting only "traditional families"
•Defund the FBI and Homeland Security
•Use the military to break up domestic protests
•Mass deportation of immigrans and incarceratiom in "camps"
•End birth right citizenship
•Ban Muslims from entering the country
•Eliminate federal agencies like the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), EPA (Environmental Protection Agency, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
•Continue to pack Supreme Court and lower courts with extremist right wing judges

I don't know about you but democrat or republican, if these changes go through, we will have lost the heart of the United States and our democracy...How did this come about that the republican party now embraces the dictatorship of Putin and Kim Jong Un?

Poems about Trees

The Book of Frank [“don’t tell me it was”]
by Caconrad

“don’t tell me it was
the wind!” Frank shouts
“THAT TREE
WAVED
AT ME!”
Courtesy The Poetry Foundation

Living Tree
by ROBERT MORGAN

It’s said they planted trees by graves
to soak up spirits of the dead
through roots into the growing wood.
The favorite in the burial yards
I knew was common juniper.
One could do worse than pass into
such a species. I like to think
that when I’m gone the chemicals
and yes the spirit that was me
might be searched out by subtle roots
and raised with sap through capillaries
into an upright, fragrant trunk,
and aromatic twigs and bark,
through needles bright as hoarfrost to
the sunlight for a century
or more, in wood repelling rot
and standing tall with monuments
and statues there on the far hill,
erect as truth, a testimony,
in ground that’s dignified by loss,
around a melancholy tree
that’s pointing toward infinity.
Poem copyright ©2012 by Robert Morgan, whose most recent book of poems is Terroir, Penguin Poets, 2011. Poem reprinted from The Georgia Review, Spring 2012, by permission of Robert Morgan and the publisher.

About Angels and About Trees
by Mary Oliver

Where do angels
        fly in the firmament,
and how many can dance
        on the head of a pin?

Well, I don't care
        about that pin dance,
what I know is that
        they rest, sometimes,
in the tops of the trees

  and you can see them,
        or almost see them,
or, anyway, think: what a
        wonderful idea.

I have lost as you and
        others have possibly lost a
beloved one,
        and wonder, where are they now?

The trees, anyway, are
        miraculous, full of
angels (ideas);even
        empty they are a
good place to look, to put
        the heart at rest--all those
leaves breathing the air, so

peaceful and diligent, and certainly
        ready to be
the resting place of
        strange, winged creatures
that we, in this world, have loved

Photo of the Week

Charity of the Week:

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 185: Sonabai Rajawar: Indian Folk Artist, Advice from Kurt Vonnegut, Thai Crunch Salad

July 6, 2024

You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and photos below as well as the underlined links. And scroll all the way down for previous blog entries.

Sonabai Rajawar, Indian Folk Artist

My Camden friend Kathleen Brown shared with me the work of a very interesting and cool Indian artist named Sonabai Rajawar, whose mud bas relief art sprung from her solitary and lonely life and escape from a mean husband that isolated her from the rest of the world...

Not allowed to go out of the house, Sonabai started out creating toys for her only child and then it blossomed into her desire to give meaning to her life and environment, expressing her creative spirit in any way she could. Using materials she found readily available around her: straw, bamboo, and clay that she sculpted and colors made from herbs, spices, vegetables and cooking oil from her kitchen, Rajawar created an incredible unique world of beauty and meaning by applying the clay mixture to the walls surrounding her: inside and out.

American art historian, photographer and cultural anthropologist Stephen Huyler devoted his life to exploring Indian art and craft throughout rural communities in India and assisted by Kathleen Brown, captivated by the uniqueness of Sonabai's work, created this thirty minute documentary about her extraordinary art. He also created a beautiful, colorful book of her work entitled Sonabai: Another Way of Seeing.

Sonabai influenced a whole new generation of folk artists in her hometown village of Puhputra, in Chattisgarha, India (although she had absolutely no interest in fame) and this unique form of bas relief to this day continues to adorn the village with gorgeous ornamentation--a true expression of the indomitable human spirit...

Sonabai: Another Way of Seeing by Stephen Huyler

Vishakha Chanchani has written this book about Rajawara

Advice from Kurt Vonnegut

Advice From
KURT VONNEGUT

In 2006 a high school English teacher asked students to write to a famous author and ask for advice. Kurt Vonnegut was the only one to respond - and his response is magnificent:

Dear Xavier High School, and Ms. Lockwood, and Messrs Perin, McFeely, Batten, Maurer and Congiusta:

I thank you for your friendly letters. You sure know how to cheer up a really old geezer (84) in his sunset years. I don’t make public appearances any more because I now resemble nothing so much as an iguana.

What I had to say to you, moreover, would not take long, to write: Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow.

Seriously! I mean starting right now, do art and do it for the rest of your lives. Draw a funny or nice picture of Ms. Lockwood, and give it to her. Dance home after school, and sing in the shower and on and on. Make a face in your mashed potatoes. Pretend you’re Count Dracula.

Here’s an assignment for tonight, and I hope Ms. Lockwood will flunk you if you don’t do it: Write a six line poem, about anything, but rhymed. No fair tennis without a net. Make it as good as you possibly can. But don’t tell anybody what you’re doing. Don’t show it or recite it to anybody, not even your girlfriend or parents or whatever, or Ms. Lockwood. OK?

Tear it up into teeny-weeny pieces, and discard them into widely separated trash receptacals. You will find that you have already been gloriously rewarded for your poem. You have experienced becoming, learned a lot more about what’s inside you, and you have made your soul grow. God bless you all!

----Kurt Vonnegut

Thai Crunch Salad Variation

I used to love the California Pizza Kitchen Thai Crunch Salad and would go there regularly for lunch with my friends but then the location near Bloomingdale's closed and I totally forgot about it. I came across this related recipe on instagram, courtesy Valerie's Kitchen, and my mouth started watering again...

Here it is for all of us to savor:

THAI PEANUT DRESSING
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons less sodium soy sauce, or tamari for gluten-free
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ lime, juiced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Place all ingredients for the dressing in the bowl of a food processor or small blender. Process for about 2 minutes, or until smooth and emulsified.

CRISPY WONTON STRIPS (OMIT FOR GLUTEN-FREE)
5 to 6 wonton wrappers
vegetable oil, as needed

Slice the wonton wrappers into strips ¼-inch strips. Heat about 1-inch of oil in a large skillet or sauté pan. Fry the strips in batches, spreading them out so they don’t stick together. When golden brown, quickly remove from the oil with a slotted spoon drain on paper towels.

THAI CRUNCH SALAD
3 cups romaine lettuce, well chopped
8 ounces 3-color coleslaw mix
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
1 cup shelled edamame
3 green onions, chopped
½ cup shredded carrot
½ red bell pepper, diced
2 cups rotisserie chicken breast meat, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts

In a large serving bowl combine the Romaine, coleslaw mix, cilantro, edamame, green onion, shredded carrot, red bell pepper, and rotisserie chicken. Toss well to combine.

Drizzle about ¾ of the peanut dressing over the salad and toss well. Add the avocado and peanuts and toss lightly. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the top and garnish with the wonton strips.

Photo of the Week

Tree of Life I, II, III mixed media on paper 60” x 22” each

Charity of the Week:

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 184: Pete Muller House Concert, Practical Things You Might Find Useful, More Mary Oliver

June 28, 2024

CORRECTION: Sonabai Rajawar: Indian Folk Artist coming next week

You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and photos below as well as the underlined links. And scroll all the way down for previous blog entries.

Pete Muller House Concert

I held a really cool house concert last Sunday with Pete Muller and his band the Kindred Souls (Martha McDonnell on violin, Andy Mac on drums). I got the idea many years ago when I attended a David Bromberg concert in the Ann Arbor living room of Dave and Linda Siglin--they called their place The Ark (after Noah). The Ark still exists but now in a much more official, larger space...At that time, and still now, they attract the big names in the singer/songwriter folk roots blues genre...

I hosted my first house concert just before the pandemic--I had my friend Sloan Wainwright come play in my living room and it was a big success. I wanted to continue the trend but covid got in the way. When Pete Muller put out a call that he loves doing house concerts, I jumped at the occasion.

I personally love this informal approach. It is the way I sell my art, going into people's living rooms and showing my work in that informal setting--it is the direct contact with an audience and the intimacy that has meaning for me (and obviously for Pete too).

I took some video which I will share with you here. And if you like what you hear (they are really good!) and you are in NYC on July 10th, you may want to catch them at Joe's Pub. They are playing all over these days so check out their facebook and instagram for more information and future concerts.

Practical Things You Might Find Useful

Here are a few practical life tips I didn't know. Hope one of these comes in handy for you too one day.

And here are a few more:

How to Grow Vegetables from Vegetables

How to Easily Hang a Picture

A few more general tips

How to Put on a Duvet Cover

Miracle White Vinegar

Natural Bug Repellent

Dogfish by Mary Oliver

I just can't resist sharing these Mary Oliver poems I come across. So beautifu, so seemingly simple and yet so profound. And accessible...

DOGFISH
By Mary Oliver

Some kind of relaxed and beautiful thing
 kept flickering in with the tide
 and looking around.
 Black as a fisherman’s boot,
 with a white belly.

If you asked for a picture I would have to draw a smile
 under the perfectly round eyes and above the chin,
 which was rough
 as a thousand sharpened nails.
And you know
 what a smile means,
 don’t you?

I wanted the past to go away, I wanted
 to leave it, like another country; I wanted
 my life to close, and open
 like a hinge, like a wing, like the part of the song
 where it falls
 down over the rocks: an explosion, a discovery;
 I wanted
 to hurry into the work of my life; I wanted to know,
whoever I was, I was
alive
 for a little while.
It was evening, and no longer summer.
 Three small fish, I don’t know what they were,
 huddled in the highest ripples
 as it came swimming in again, effortless, the whole body
 one gesture, one
black sleeve
 that could fit easily around
 the bodies of three small fish.

Also I wanted
 to be able to love. And we all know
 how that one goes,
 don’t we?
Slowly

the dogfish tore open the soft basins of water.
You don’t want to hear the story
 of my life, and anyway
 I don’t want to tell it, I want to listen
to the enormous waterfalls of the sun.
And anyway it’s the same old story – – –
 a few people just trying,
 one way or another,
 to survive.
Mostly, I want to be kind.
 And nobody, of course, is kind,
 or mean,
 for a simple reason.
And nobody gets out of it, having to
 swim through the fires to stay in
 this world.

And look! look! look! I think those little fish
 better wake up and dash themselves away
 from the hopeless future that is
 bulging toward them.

And probably,
 if they don’t waste time
 looking for an easier world,
they can do it.
-– Mary Oliver

Photo of the Week

Charity of the Week:

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 183: Usonia Video, National Dance Institute Event of the Year, Two Strawberry Recipes

June 21, 2024

You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and photos below as well as the underlined links. And scroll all the way down for previous blog entries.

Usonia Video

Many of you know that I grew up in a cooperative community called Usonia, founded by Frank Lloyd Wright and disciples of his in the 1940s. It was a truly unique place! Last summer many of us past and future inhabitants gathered to celebrate 80 years of this amazing community that endures to this day.

I felt it was very important not to let this opportunity go by so we hired a film crew to come shoot footage to document the event and conduct interviews with Usonians, past and present.

It has been a long time coming but we finally have a short video/teaser which is an overview of the community and what it means to all of us that have been connected to it over the years...

Have a look and let me know your thoughts. I welcome the feedback! My hope is that turns into a bigger project...

National Dance Institue Event of the Year Excerpts

These videos below are really worth watching!

Just coming off a high of spending the weekend immersed in the wonder that is National Dance Institute, New York's premier non-profit arts education organization that brings children together through inclusive dance and music programs in the New York City public schools and beyond.
This week was the performances of their Celebrations and SWAT teams entitled Earth Song. It was the culmination of a year of study on the environment. Below are a few videos for you to feast on--there is nothing like seeing them live but this will have to suffice. I have seen them perform ever since my daughter particpated in their amazing program beginning 21 years ago. I can honestly say I only missed one or two annual events that take place every Father's Day weekend. If you are in town then next year or thereafter, you won't want to miss it. People literally walk out of there saying this is the best thing I have seen in NY this year, not just the best kid's program...It is a shot of joy straight into the heart...

2 Strawberry Recipes

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
by Betty Crocker (remember her!)

INGREDIENTS
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/3 cups Bisquick™ Original Pancake & Baking Mix
2/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oven to 425°F.
In large bowl, mix strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar; set aside.
In medium bowl, stir Bisquick™ mix, milk, 3 tablespoons sugar and the butter until soft dough forms.
On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by 6 spoonfuls.
Bake 16 to 17 minutes or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.
Split warm shortcakes; fill and top with strawberries and whipped cream.

STRAWBERRY GINGER LIMEADE
by Millie Peartree
Courtesy New York Times Cooking

INGREDIENTS Yield: 8 servings
1 tablespoon zest and 1½ cups juice from 12 to 14 large limes, plus 1 for garnishing
¾cup honey
1(3-inch) piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1 cup mint leaves picked from 1 bunch
1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered
Ice, for serving

PREPARATION *
1 combine lime juice, honey and 4 cups water in a large pitcher. *

2 To a blender or food processor, add ginger, ½ the mint leaves, all the zest and ½ cup water, and blend until smooth. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the mixture into the pitcher, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. *

3 In the same blender or food processor (no need to clean), add strawberries and ½ cup water. Blend until smooth and strain into the pitcher. Stir and chill until ready to serve. *

4 Taste for sweetness and add more honey (or sugar) if need be. Muddle remaining mint leaves in glasses, add ice and pour limeade over. Garnish with slices of lime.

Painting of the Week

Orange Fantasy mixed media on canvas 60” x 40”

Charity of the Week:

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 182: Krista Tippett Interview with Ross Gay, An Interesting Reincarnation Story, Songs I am Listening to These Days

June 16, 2024

You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and photos below as well as the underlined links. And scroll all the way down for previous blog entries.

Still time to attend this joyous performance…click image for tickets

On Being: Ross Gay, On the Insistence of Joy

When I am in search of wisdom, Krista Tippett, creator of the podcast On Being is someone I often turn to. She introduces me to many interesting people, and through the interviews she conducts, I walk away a little wiser.

In this week's episode, she poses the question: How can we possibly be joyful at a time like this? If you seek the answer to this question like me, you might want to listen to this interview with Ross Gay, poet, essayist, gardener, professor, and ex-college football player Ross Gay.

ODE TO SLEEPING IN MY CLOTHES
by Ross Gay

And though I don’t mention it
to my mother
or the doctors
with their white coats
it is, in fact,
a great source of happiness,
for me, as I don’t
even remove my socks,
and will sometimes
even pull up my hood
and slide my hands deep
in my pockets
and probably moreso
than usual look as if something
bad has happened
my heart blasting a last somersault
or some artery parting
like curtains in a theatre
while the cavalry of blood
comes charging through
except unlike
so many of the dead
I must be smiling
there in my denim
and cotton sarcophagus
slightly rank from the day
it is said that Shostakovich slept
with a packed suitcase beneath
his bed and it is said
that black people were snatched
from dark streets and made experiments
of and you and I
both have family whose life
savings are tucked 12 feet beneath
the Norway maple whose roots
splay like the bones
in the foot of man
who was walked to Youngstown, Ohio
from Mississippi without sleeping
or keeping his name
and it’s a miracle
maybe I almost never think of
to rise like this
and simply by sliding my feet into my boots
while the water for coffee
gathers its song
be in the garden
or on the stoop
running, almost,
from nothing.

An Interesting Reincarnation Story to Consider

I found this story on Facebook in a group called Signs of Reincarnation: Experiences and Research that I joined a while ago. It is hosted by a man named Jim Matlock, someone like me fascinated with this subject and unlike me, has become a real expert in the field. This particular anecdote was written in by a woman named Anne Ward and it struck me as particularly compelling. Judge for yourself:

"My adult son brought a young lady he was seeing over to my house one evening. We were talking about various subjects when out of the blue she said, "I have something to ask you. I understand you have abilities and I need help with something that has been bothering me for years. " She went on to say that she knew she had lived in the south in a previous life and she felt she had lived during the 1960s because she recalled watching tv shows that were only in the 60s and she remembered many other things about her childhood. She felt that she had lived in either Alabama or Georgia. She had never been to either state and was born in Arizona. She said she remembered having long red hair because she drowned in a swimming hole and she could see her hair flowing in the water as she was drowning. She also recalled that she was a young teenager when it occured."

At first I didn't know how to help her so I told her that I would mediate and see if anything came to me. Later, I did a meditation and requested help. Quite unexpectedly, a message came from the other side that her name was Joy Morgan (I'm not listing her real name) and that she died in 1978 in the state of Georgia. I was excited and immediately began my research the following day. It took some time but I found the grave in Georgia through a great website called Find a Grave The name and the age were spot on. I contacted the newpaper in Augusta GA and asked them for a copy of the obituary. Still, it didn't say how she died. I then contacted the name of the person who entered the memorial info on the cemetary site and she was very forthcoming with info. She said that Joy was her first cousin and that she was a zany kid with long red hair. The 14 year old had gone with a friend to a local swimming hole (common in the southern countryside). She wanted to get the attention of some boys there by pretending she was drowning and she actually couldn't swim well. She went under and didn't come up. The red hair was the clincher. I knew for sure that it had to be her. Another interesting tidbit....her initials then and her initials now are the same, except in different order. Her photo was on the site and there is a resemblance in the eyes. I continued and found her old residence and copied the photo. I showed it to her to see her response and her first reaction was, "that's the tree I used to play in." She was amazed and so relieved to know that her memories and feelings were now authenticated. I feel this is truly a verifiable case. I have others with family and pets but this one is unique

A Few of the Songs I am Listening to These Days

Theme Song from Big Little Lies

James Blunt & Iam Tongi, Monsters

Michael Kiwanuka Cold Little Heart

John Hiatt What Do We Do Now

Bruce Hornsby Big Swing Face (the whole album)

Shakira, Hips Don't Lie

Leonard Cohen sung by Jennifer Warnes, First We Take Manhattan

George Harrison, sung by Astrid Samuelsen, Beware of Darkness

Los Lobos, Kiko and the Lavender Moon

Uniontown (whole album)

Tracy Chapman, All That You Have is Your Soul

Sergio Mendes, Mas Que Nada

Painting of the Week

Charity of the Week:

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 181: Ezra (the Movie), Nobel Laureates Doris Lessing and Kazuo Ishiguro, Art by Diana Arcadipone and Susan Hostetler

June 8, 2024

You can find additional content by clicking many of the images and photos below as well as the underlined links. And scroll all the way down for previous blog entries.

It’s that time of the year when I look forward to National Dance Institute’s Event of the Year! Don’t miss this—one of the wonders of New York City…Trust me—you won’t be sorry…

Ezra, The Movie

Went to the movies last night--my friend called spur of the moment to see if I wanted to go--and I realized it had been a long time since I was in an actual movie theatre...it really does beat netflix at home...And by sheer coincidence, or I prefer synchronicity, the movie theatre was designed by the same architect, Benjamin Schlanger, who designed the Waldo Theatre, where I go often for concerts, in Waldoboro, Maine....

I had no idea what the film was about but EZRA is a sensitive tale about a comedian (Max) and his ex-wife coming to grips with the struggles of raising an autistic child (Ezra), whom they love dearly. Trying to do the best and protect their kid, they are "forced to confront difficult decisions about his future, which leads the father (maybe on the scale himself) and his son to flee on a cross-country road trip. This has a transcendent impact on all of their lives."

EZRA is not an easy film to watch (I had to cover my eyes a few times, not because of violence but because of emotional pain), but the movie does have moments of humor carefully laced in to provide some relief. Robert DeNiro puts in a commanding performance as Ezra's grandfather, as does Bobbie Cannavale (the father Max) and his real life partner Rose Byrne (the mother Jenna). Whoopi Goldberg has a small part as Max's agent but the star of the show is William A. Fitzgerald, a first time actor who in real life is autistic.

I don't want to give the whole story away but suffice it to say that the film, as described by Deadline Magazine is "a touching testament ot the power of love", and it moves us and presents what I think is a realistic and very tender nuanced portrait: of autism, the entire family and what they are all going through. What makes EZRA even more compelling is the fact that it is based on a true story and is a labor of love between the director, Tony Goldwyn, and his real life best friend, screenwriter Tony Spiridakis, whose son is autistic.

There aren't many movies like this these days anymore--they were popular in the sixties and seventies but now the movie houses go for the big bang blockbusters and the sensitive, emotional pieces just don't sell out and bring in the big bucks...I am hoping to see more movies like this in the future.

Nobel Laureates Doris Lessing and Kazuo Ishiguro

Here are some thoughts on two of my favorite writers: Doris Lessing and Kazuo Ishiguro. What they have in common is that they are both Nobel Prize Laureates so I give myself credit for knowing how to pick them...

I have read multiple books from each of these authors but the two that stand out for me are Shikasta, Doris Lessing's foray into science fiction with her Canopus in Argos series (actually canned by many critics but I just found out through an interview that she thought were among her best) and the classic Remains of the Day, also made into a movie starring Anthony Hopkins, by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Doris Lessing does not have a conventional mind and has written many series of books exploring the themes of male/female relationships, political disillusionment, and the social and political issues of our time. All I can say about Shikasta is that it really had a major impact on me and in fact what used to cause me great angst by the end of the book gave me great comfort--not about the future of our particular planet but of the expansiveness of the universe..."Blending myth, fable and allegory, Lessing's astonishing visionary creation both reflects and redefines the history of our own world from its earliest beginnings to an inevitable, tragic self-destruction." As is often the case, science fiction can be a predictor of the future and it will be interesting for me to reread this book (it was originally published in 1979) to see if that is true. I fear it is...

Kazuo Ishiguro's Remains of the Day brings us back to earth in a slow moving, profound reflection on what it is like to be human, aging, and to look back and question one's life. Seen through the eyes of a butler that has sacrified his body and soul to service, it is a moving story that explores themes of dignity, integrity and emotional repression....

Both these authors are interested in the need for individuals to "confront their fundamental assumptions about life in order to transcend preconceived belief systems and acquire self-awareness." Their work has stuck with me, even though I have read their books many years ago. I find myself wanting to revisit them again...

Here are some interviews if you are interested in delving further:

Doris Lessing on Dreams and the Unconscious
Doris Lessing long interview.

And Kazuo Ishiguro interview about Remains of the Day
Kazuo Ishiguro official Nobel Prize interview

Susan Hostetler & Diana Arcadipone Art

Diana Arcadipone, mixed media on magnolia leaves

Susan Hostetler, mixed media on handmade paper

Diana Arcadipone, Triptych, mixed media on paper

I have lately gotten involved in helping to curate some shows for the Waldo Theatre Gallery (officially The Bill and Joan Alfond Gallery) in Waldoboro, Maine. The latest show, featuring Diana Arcadipone and Susan Hostetler will run for the whole month of June, 2024. Both artists are friends of mine--Susan going back to my Barcelona days in the 1980s and Diana being a relatively new Maine friend...But more importantly, they are old friends themselves from their college days at art school in Michigan and have maintained a life-long dialogue through their common artistic interests, their exploration of handmade paper, printmaking, painting and the natural world.

Diana Arcadipone lives in Otisfield, Maine and her passion lies in the use of natural materials and the combination of mediums including traditional crafts: embroidery, book arts, basketry in additon to paint and pastel.

Susan Hostetler works in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional arenas with a focus on animals, something both artists have in common. Most recently Susan focuses on birds and their murmurations.

To see more of their work which spans a lifetime, here are links to their websites: www.susanhostetler.com and www.https://www.arcadipone.com/

Painting of the Week

Gert Mathiesen, Purple Birds, mixed media on rice paper, available in various sizes in giclee form…

Charity of the Week:

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 180: Rock Paper Scissors Store, A Beautiful Simple Salad, Story Songs of the 70s

June 6, 2024

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

Rock Paper Scissors Store in Wiscasset, Maine

Erica Soule, owner of my favorite store, Rock Paper Scissors

I just simply love this store. Rock Paper Scissors, located in Wiscasset, Maine is an eclectic mix including housewares, accessories, art supplies, stationary, textiles, books, jewelry, children's toys, etc. etc.--all beautifully curated to include items of the highest quality and top notch sense of design...The owner of this small, independently owned shop, Erica Soule, has an uncany ability to choose the best of the best from all over the world. In her own words: "Over twenty years ago, I opened rock paper scissors in my hometown of Wiscasset Maine. Spending days as a kid on the coast of Maine with my ever-curious grandmother peering into tidal pools, I learned to look for the small moments of wonder in the world. Finding a perfectly smooth stone, oddly colored lichen, and searching for only the yellow periwinkles started my love of collecting, the search, the hunt."

Rock Paper Scissors is now online for everyone to enjoy. It has been one of my favorite stores for a long time now and a go to place for all kinds of wonderful gifts. It was a summer destination for me and my family. My daughter Morgan used to buy many of her school supplies there: Japanese folders, cool pens, interesting notebooks—not your usual Staples fare. My sister Judy would always get herself a special piece of jewelry every year on our summer vacations. And I would always find something unique: a cool mug, beautiful earrings, unusual patterned origami papers…

Erica has carried some of my Smilow + Mathiesen products over the years and I’m proud to be a part of the Rock Paper Scissors shopping experience.

Follow Rock Paper Scissors on instagram.

A Simple Beautiful Refreshing Salad

CUCUMBER MANGO SALAD
Courtesy @beeyawellness
Serves: 4 portions
Prep time: 10 mins

Ingredients:
✨1 english cucumber
✨1 ripe mango
✨2 green onions, sliced
✨1 green chili pepper, sliced
✨1 tsp grated fresh ginger
✨1 lime, juiced and zested
✨1 Tbsp fish sauce
✨1 Tbsp sesame oil
✨handful of cilantro

Instructions:
1️⃣ Use a vegetable peeler to create ribbons of cucumber and mango.
2️⃣ Toss ribbons with green onions and green chili pepper in a bowl.
3️⃣ Whisk together grated ginger, lime juice, zest, fish sauce, sesame oil and chopped cilantro to create a dressing.
4️⃣ Toss everything together. Add salt to taste if needed.

Story Songs of the 70s: Tom DiMenna with Eddie Holm

Click image to follow Tom DiMenna on instagram

I just got back from traveling for a couple days with my musician friends Tom and Eddie (sounds like a cartoon!) who were performing first in Cohasset, Massachusetts at the historic Red Lion Inn and then last night at City Winery in Philadelphia after a ten day tour in Canada and the Midwest of the United States.

Maine-based singer/songwriter Tom DiMenna has an impressive vocal range and guitar style, perfected by decades of stage performances. Accompanied by the talented bass player Eddie Holm, they bring to life Story Songs of the 70's, performing classics by Gordon Lightfoot, Cat Stevens and Harry Chapin. With their permission, I thought I would share some of the video clips I took of them from the last couple of days…

Gordon Lightfoot, Sundown

Cat Stevens, Father and Son

Harry Chapin, Cat's Cradle

Gordon Lightfoot, Race Upon The Ruins

If you would like to hear more, go to www.tomdimennamusic.com for their upcoming shows and follow them on instagram and on youtube.

Painting of the Week

Pam Smilow mixed media on canvas 50” x 80” approx.

Charity of the Week:

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 179: Rupert Sheldrake, Jacob Holdt American Pictures, Chicken Rhubarb Recipe

May 24, 2024

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

Rupert Sheldrake

Rupert Sheldrake has been on my radar for a long time but only peripherally. I knew there was a lot of controversy around him so when I came across this banned Ted Talk of his from 2013, I was curious. In it, he challenges basic scientific principles, so I decided to listen to it and explore this interesting figure in more depth.

Sheldrake has been extremely controversial, mostly because he challenges scientific dogma and the foothold science has had on all of us for a very long time. Below are what he considers the mistaken assumptions/dogmas he is talking about:
1. The universe, nature, animals and people are machine-like.
2. Matter is unconscious—there is no consciousness in stars, galaxies, plants, animals, and humans, etc.
3. The laws of nature are fixed—and have been since the time of the Big Bang and will never change.
4. The total amount of matter and energy is always the same.
5. Nature has no purpose.
6. Everything you inherit is material and in your genes.
7. Memory is stored inside your brain.
8. Your mind is inside your head.
9. Psychic phenomena is impossible and illusory.
10. Mechanistic medicine is the only kind that really works.

In Sheldrake's mind, science must be set free and returned to being a legitimate system of inquiry rather than a rigid belief system.

In 2013 Sheldrake was called a heretic and condemned for these ideas as his Ted Talk was removed from the air. But this didn't stop him. Since 2013, Sheldrake has continued to operate at the margins of his discipline, looking for phenomena that "conventional, materialist science" cannot explain and arguing for a more open-minded approach to scientific inquiry." I would like to think we have made some progress in this arena nowadays. I wonder if he would agree...

Jacob Holdt, American Pictures

Click image above to hear Holdt talk about himself and his inspiration for the book.

Danish photographer Jacob Holdt might be a household name in Denmark but he is little known in the United States, even though the bulk of his work has to do with the study of culture and social issues in the United States. In the tradition of Frenchman Alexis de Toqueville, Holdt came as a visitor and in the course of his travels hitchhiking across the States, he photographed and wrote, witnessing the underbelly of life in America. It culminated in his book American Pictures, published in 1977--it is internationally renowned.

In the words of one reviewer: The moral and physical courage it took to do what Jacob Holdt did is just...staggering. How many people from a comfortable background would dare to travel through the economic underbelly of America, for years, depending for daily survival on the kindness of strangers? Who but a foreigner could paint such a portrait of structural oppression and its effects on the American underclass? If you haven't read Tocqueville, or Jacob Riis, or "Black Like Me", start here, with this book, whose emotional power is so much greater.

Although Holdt's American Pictures was published in 1977, it is sadly still very relevant today. To see the collection of these photos and more, click here.

Pan Seared Chicken with Rhubarb Thyme Sauce

I met Linda Augustine in Seattle at one of my shows out there. She is a talented writer who writes her own beautiful blog called A Year at the Table, where she celebrates and shares seasonal food recipes.

Linda recently sent me this Pan Seared Chicken with Rhubarb Thyme Sauce recipe. I never really know what to do with rhubarb aside from the typical rhubarb pie, and since it is in season right now, I thought it apt to include it in this week's blog. Doesn't it look delicious! I haven't tried it yet but plan on making a meal of it someday soon...

PAN SEARED CHICKEN WITH RHUBARB THYME SAUCE (Serves: 4)

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 5-6 ounces each (see note)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
½ cup all purpose flour, optional (see note)
2-3 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped sweet yellow onion
2 cups chopped rhubarb (2 medium stalks, about ½ pound)
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic (1 medium clove)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup chicken broth or stock
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon lemon zest

INSTRUCTIONS
Place each chicken breast between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and pound to ½-inch thickness or cut in half widthwise
Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper
Dredge in flour and shake off excess
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil. When butter starts to sizzle, add chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes (do not move chicken – allow it to brown).
Turn chicken and cook until browned on other side, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm
Add onion to the same pan, adding additional 1 tablespoon of olive oil if needed and cook and stir until softened, about 2 minutes.
Add garlic and cook and stir an additional 1 minute.
Stir in rhubarb and brown sugar, then add chicken broth and thyme;
bring to a simmer, then return chicken to the pan (chicken on top of rhubarb), cover partially, and cook on low just until rhubarb is softened and chicken is cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Transfer chicken to serving plates or a platter.
Lightly mash part of the sauce with the back of a spoon, leaving some of the rhubarb in the sauce in pieces.
Add lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon sauce over chicken (chicken can also be thinly sliced and sauce spooned on top of it). Makes 2 cups sauce.
Notes
Two large chicken breasts (weighing in the range of 10 ounces each) can be cut in half, lengthwise, and then pounded to get 5-6 ounce size breasts. Dredging the chicken in flour can be eliminated for those avoiding flour.

The only other thing I know about rhubarb is that my late husband as a kid used to treasure his summer afternoon naps under the giant leaves of a rhubarb plant in his father’s garden.

Painting of the Week

Charity of the Week:

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 178: Another Mary Oliver Poem, My Sauna Friend Graham Waltz, Crows vs. Ravens

May 18, 2024

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

Mary Oliver Poem from the book Thirst

I don't think I will ever get tired of Mary Oliver. Here is another of her beautiful poems:

My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird--
equal seekers of sweetness.
here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young and still not half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished. The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.
--From Thirst: Poems by Mary Oliver

My Sauna Friend Graham

One thing that makes me feel richest of all is the fact that I talk to everyone and value the daily connections I make just about every day of my life. By being open, I am always running into interesting people with stories to tell. And I realize that much of life is made up of these little, seemingly insignificant encounters we have every day--with the UPS delivery guy, the person serving us our morning coffee, the kid who overheard I needed bug spray and ran and got hers from her mom...

What better place to strike up a conversation than by sweating in a 180 degree (yes you read that right!) sauna at the Penobscot Bay YMCA. That's were I met Graham, who shows up just about every day with energy and a positive attitude, despite the fact that he lost his leg as a result of that rare condition called necrotizing fasciitis, the flesh eating bacteria that gets into your system through a break in your skin and proceeds rapidly, destroying muscle, skin, and fat tissue.

It was a seemingly minor injury that caused Graham to lose his leg. A slight fall in an otherwise very active life caused a rupture in his quadriceps tendon. It required surgery but a simple one. It went smoothly and he was home in just a few days. Three days later he got a high fever as an infection set in. Turns out 97 percent of the people who get this die...But Graham was a fighter.

His surgeon explained the amputation left very little residual limb. Not enough to support a prosthetic. Graham, obviously strong of mind, nodded his understanding and thought, let’s get on with it. And with the support of my wife, nurses and physical therapists, his many days, weeks and months afterward became consumed with hours of occupational and physical therapy.

Graham shows up now every day at the Y in Rockport for daily exercise, going between the gym, the pool and the sauna. In his own words: "Forty years of handball and biking are now a memory. Our home in Hope, Maine (aptly named) is one level and has a ramp. I do get out on Church Street for exercise weather permitting. Seventy years of life in Chicago and Minneapolis didn’t exactly prepare me for rural Maine. My wife has a beautiful garden. We read, listen to Classical music, and subscribe to Netflix shows. I am a sports junkie. Friends from many cities come to visit. I do realize how many elderly people kind of shut down over time. I’m not one of them!""

I am writing about Graham here because he inspires me every time I see him--he always has a smile on his face, a positive attitude and a will to go on no matter what. It is that indomitable human spirit I celebrate here--thank you Graham for reminding us!

Crows vs. Ravens

This is a crow. Click image to learn more.

This is a raven. Click image to hear a fun story.

Photos clockwise from top left: Common Raven, Ed Oakes/Audubon Photography Awards; American Crow, Brian Kushner; American Crow, Arend Trent/iStock; Common Raven, Andrew Lunt/Audubon Photography Awards

How to Tell the Difference Between a Crow and a Raven

I always wondered about this. Maybe you did too. The Audubon Society, that great nonprofit organization that is dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats has provided us with a guide on how to differentiate these two bird species.

Here are a few tips for starters:

A crow makes a cawing sound--caw caw caw whereas a raven's voice is lower pitched and sounds more like croaking.

A crow's tail feathers are the same length and spread out like a fan whereas a raven's feathers are uneven--the middle feathers are longer than the outer ones.

Ravens travel in pairs while crows are usually seen in large groups.

Ravens kind of hop around on both feet at the same time.

Ravens beaks are larger and more curved.

Painting of the Week

Living Green (in progress) mixed media on canvas 54” x 84”

Charity of the Week:

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...