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sunrise over canyon wall
shimmering heat of a summer day
sun sinking behind cedars
beauty
Book Review by Mary Sharratt: ESTHER by Rebecca Kanner
I am reblogging this because it fits with my next book project: poems from the viewpoint of the ancient mother goddess and others from the viewpoint of women in the Bible.
We have been lost to each other for so long. My name means nothing to you. My memory is dust. This is not your fault or mine. The chain connecting mother to daughter was broken and the word passed into the keeping of men, who had no way of knowing. That is why I became a footnote, my story a brief detour between the well-known history of my father and the celebrated chronicle of my brother.
-Anita Diamant, The Red Tent
To a large extent, women have been written out of history. Their lives and deeds have become lost to us. To uncover the buried histories of women, we must act as detectives, studying the clues left from ages lost.
At its best, historical fiction can write women back into history and challenge our misconceptions about women in the past. Anita Diamant’s novel, TheRed Tent, became such an…
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Typical Summer Morning
listen to birdsong
walk to barn
feed Rosie
photograph flowers
Sacred
Warm summer raindrops on my face
Crimson cardinal drinking in blue birdbath
Feather grass waving in the wind
Last lavender and white iris before first frost
Cups of coffee from Chiapas at 6 in the morning
The sunning rattlesnake lying by my feet
Horses running wild and free
Facebook messages from friends far away
Waterfall’s roar after the thunderstorm
Night songs–coyote, cricket, nighthawk, frogs, hoot owl
Life
First Flowers on the Rim of Wonder
Spring comes several weeks later in the country compared to town. The recent rains caused a sudden rush of beauty for wild flowers and iris which grow here almost as readily as the wild, native plants. They seem to appreciate this high, semi-arid country.
These iris thrive in spite of native, caliche soil, no extra water, nothing. About 1 1/2 years ago, I simply planted them without soil amendment or fertilizer. These are rebloomers. They will bloom again in autumn.
These I planted along side the barn. Once again no soil amendment, nothing extra. However, they receive extra water from rain running off the barn roof.
Notice, the tallest one. I did not even know I had one that color until it bloomed.
Here it is up close. Now for the wild flowers I found just strolling around after letting my horse out to graze.
After looking through a couple of native plant books, I gave up on identifying this one. If someone who reads this knows, please tell me what it is. I have also heard there is an app for my iPAD that identifies plants. I have yet to find it.
This grows by the retaining wall near the barn. Although the flowers look like guara, the rest of the plant does not. What is it?
Chocolate flowers were in full bloom a few days ago. Here is one still blooming with a few scrambled eggs (yes, the common name for the smaller flowers) here and there.
These carpet large portions of the pasture. Guessing they are some type of wild onion but not certain.
The blackfoot daisies are just beginning to bloom. They will cheer up the landscape all summer and into the fall.
As more flowers bloom, I will add photos of flowers living here on the rim of wonder.
Saturday Night
Read two pages,
“Ghana Must Go”.
The wife’s Nigerian,
Yoruba, Igbo.
She sells flowers,
not in Nigeria.
The author’s name
Ethiopian?
Sip zinfandel
flowered glass.
Take a bite
chocolate filled
peppermint,
lick peppermint
fingers.
Read two pages:
“Africans…the indifference of the abundantly blessed…
who can’t accept, even with evidence, that anything native,
occurring in abundance, is exceptional without effort,
has value.”
Does anyone?
Costa Rica Adventure, Day Five–Hidden Treasures in the Rainforest
After we left the little village of Colonia Liberatad, we headed down another unpaved road to a tiny little building in a large garden for coffee and dessert. Costa Rica is heaven for flower and plant lovers, a true botanists’ paradise.
A pebbled path led from the road to the “restaurant”. No one rushed; we were too enthralled with the flowers, the humidity, the total intenseness of the surroundings and atmosphere.
Although I have been to Costa Rica twice now, ten days each time, and love flowers, still I can only recall the names of a few.
Hundreds, sometimes, thousands, of species reside within only a few square yards.
Everyone stopped along the way to look. Some of the children wanted to hunt for reptiles. They were warned because the deadly fear-de-lance lives here. A few assured everyone they knew exactly what they look like. Knowing them, it was probably true.
A wood building is a rare sight anywhere I have been there–too much rain. All roofs are either metal or tile for the same reason. Other types of roofing rot. Some have totally given up trying to add color because it disappears quickly apparently. This area of Costa Rica on the Caribbean side of the mountains receives rain daily. It rained off and on all day.
I have no idea the name of the dessert they served us with coffee. It resembled Indian Fry Bread (from New Mexico and Arizona–I love the stuff), super crispy, soaked in honey.
The road just outside this hidden gem.
The Haunting of the Mexican Border
If you have any interest whatsoever as to how times have changed along the border, the culture of the people of Sonora and Chihuahua, this is a must read. I need to go visit my friends who live there.
Cowboy and flowers on grave © Tim Fuller
The Haunting of the Mexican Border
I had no idea the blessing I was about to receive when I was asked to review The Haunting of the Mexican Border: A Woman’s Journey by Kathryn Ferguson for Story Circle Book Reviews. I said yes, since how could I possible resist that title? I spent the next few weeks savoring the experiences, ideas, and prose of this book. This is not a book that I read fast. I found myself re-reading sentences for the sheer beauty of the prose and scenes for the powerful experiences conveyed.
Mostly, I was taken with the melding of past and present, as my own experiences growing up on a ranch along the San Pedro River, a vein for Mexican migrants coming to the US, sent me reeling between the intimate familiarity of the rhythms of migration in this region…
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Costa Rica Adventure, Day Five-Part One
After spending our first leisurely late afternoon and evening at Rio Perdido, we arose early the next morning heading to a farm near the Nicaraguan border. On our way, about 3/4 to one hour from Rio Perdido, we stopped at the studio of the sculptor Tony Jimenez. Apparently, Tony loves–perhaps an understatement-the female form. With few exceptions, he carves women, mostly giant women, in wood.
He sells smaller statues, even as small as eight inches high, but refuses to sign them partly because they are made from less substantial wood. I bought one about a foot high. Later, in another part of Costa Rica I saw some very similar to mine. When I asked if Tony made them, I was told his cousin was the sculptor.
Although Tony sells sculpture, his front door fascinated me even more. It, too, is carved, a frieze. Even the crossbars on his windows are carved.
We drove along the west side of a volcano for hours. Because of clouds, wind, and weather from the Caribbean, even though we were on the Pacific side, we never saw the top of the volcano. It remained misty and rainy most of the morning as we crossed from the Pacific to the Caribbean side.
I do not recall anyone mentioning the name of this volcano. Given where we were headed, it would appear to be Volcano Miravalles.
Tips for a Healthier You
Recently, I ran across a variety of tips to lower heart rate and triglycerides, reduce wrinkles, and feel happier and healthier.
- Herbs like coriander, cilantro, oregano, garlic, ginger, thyme, basil, and pepper flakes block fat absorption in the digestive track. Just add two teaspoons of any of these daily to reduce triglycerides.
- You can also lower triglycerides with black tea–eight ounces with every meal. Research indicates consistency matters. In one study this routine cut triglycerides 35% in three months. White and green tea help too.
- Slow your heart rate and calm down by listening to relaxing music. The most effective tempo is 60 beats per minute. Think Baroque.
- One half cup of almonds daily can also reduce heart rate by as much as four points because almonds contain magnesium.
- Eat ten large green olives daily to reduce wrinkles and inflammation. I will admit my concern with this would be the sodium. Olives generally are quite salty.
- Eat sweet potatoes and strawberries to smooth skin. They are filled with betacarotene and vitamin C. You can even make a face mask with mashed sweet potatoes–just add a bit of milk and honey. Leave on face ten minutes and wash off.
Personally, I use essential oils to improve my health and skin. Every morning I put one drop of essential oil of cardamon in my first cup of coffee. It improves digestion and helps fight infections. After tiring of my students complaining about the smell in my high school class room, I tried various essential oils in a diffuser. The one that worked and about which no students complained is rosemary. It helps with allergies, hay fever, and memory. Some students jokingly tell me I need to dump the whole bottle in. It also combats hair loss and dandruff. I put it in my shampoo. My favorites, however, are frankincense and myrrh. If your joints or muscles are aching, rub them down with magnesium oil and add a little of these.
Here’s to a healthier, happier you!!
writingontherim 