Vol. 1, No. 6
February 2009
An Educational Guide
to Sustainability and Spiritual Well-being
Artists find creative ways to reuse, recycle
page 14
INSIDE:
Time’s running out to view sandhill cranes 4 Swarm of earthquakes strike in Yellowstone Lake 7
New column: The Healthy Gourmet Calendar of events
13 24
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New locations added every month!
We encourage our readers to patronize the merchants who support Earth Odyssey. Earth Odyssey can be found in the following locations: Ash Fork Ash Fork Public Library
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Camp Verde Camp Verde Chamber of Commerce Camp Verde Public Library Artisans Gallery and Bookstore
Cave Creek Cave Creek Coee Company & Wine Bar
Chino Valley Chino Valley Public Library Chino Valley Senior Center
Christopher Creek Creekside Restaurant Double D Store, CafÊ & Bar Kohl’s Ranch Tall Pines Market
Congress Country Corner Congress Library
Cordes Junction Arcosanti Over the Hill Coee Shop
Cottonwood Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce Cottonwood Public Library Habitat ReStore Mt. Hope Natural Foods
Dewey Dewey Public Library Dewey Senior Center
Coconino Center for the Arts Coconino College, Lonetree Campus Crystal Magic Flagsta Public Library Flagsta Visitors Center Habitat ReStore Sacred Rites
Jerome Firehouse Jerome Gallery Jerome Public Library
Mayer Mayer Chamber of Commerce Mayer Mercantile Mayer Public Library Mayer Senior Center
Paradise Valley Whole Foods
Payson Back To Basics Bashas’ Gila Community College Fiesta Business Products Fireside Espresso CafÊ Green Scene Solar National Bank of Arizona Payson Center for Spiritual Awareness Payson Feed Store Payson Public Library Plant Fair Nursery Re-Runs Rim Country Chamber of Commerce The Bookstore and More Town of Payson Municipal Building Town of Payson Parks & Recreation Vita Mart
Animas Trading Co. Arizona Music Pro
Ponderosa Market The Crystal Lotus The Herb Stop
Prescott Cat’s Meow Cuppers Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Library Habitat for Humanity Restore Hastings Books Music & Video Highlands Center for Natural History La Fonda Mexican Restaurant On The Mesa Pangaea Prescott Chamber of Commerce Prescott College Library Prescott Public Library Raven CafÊ Roosters CafÊ The Art Store The Catalyst Tim’s Toyota Wild Iris Coee House Yavapai College
Prescott Valley Claycomb/Rockwell Associates Inc. Dippin’ Dots Healing Essentials Prescott Valley Public Library The Honeyman Natural Food Stores
Phoenix Phoenix ReStore
Mesa
Peoria Phoenix Phoenix ReStore
Whole Foods
Tempe Borders Book Store Ejoy Internet CafĂŠ
Tucson Casbah CafĂŠ Epic CafĂŠ Food Conspiracy Hippie Gypsie The Other Side Third Eye Arts Tucson HabiStore Whole Foods Worldwide Wraps
Skull Valley Skull Valley General Store
Star Valley Kelly’s Sweet Revenge
Wickenburg DQ/Jack in the Box Ginny’s Vitamin Village Habitat ReStore Quarter-Horse Antiques Wickenburg Public Library
Wilhoit Wilhoit Public Library
Williams JD’s Espresso Williams Public Library Williams Visitor’s Center
Mesa ReStore
Sedona
Habitat Home Improvement Store
Flagsta
Scottsdale
Pine
Crystal Castle D’lish Vegetarian CafÊ Sedona Arts Center Sedona Chamber of Commerce Sedona Public Library
Yarnell McGerk’s Mercantile Yarnell Grocery Yarnell Public Library
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February 2009
Vol. 1, No. 6
February 2009
News and Features Cover Story:
Artists find creative ways to reuse, recycle14 100 pronghorn antelope relocated to Arizona
5 projects harness energy 5 Winning from landfill gas of non-lead 6 Popularity ammunition program increases
by Maya Joy Angeles Page 7
Page 10
of earthquakes strike 7 Swarm Yellowstone Lake of the Year: Imbolc, 8 Wheel Festival of Spring
Page 12
retailers boost 9 Manufacturers, consumer electronics recycling
4 Time’s running out
Page 12
to view wintering sandhill cranes
Columns and Entertainment Our Natural World—photograph by Jason Allen 6 9 Sustainable Living by Shawn Dell Joyce 11 Vibrational Realignment by Mike Davis 13 Yes! You Can Recycle That by Patricia Melchi 21 Nutrition News by Charlyn Fargo 21 Green Minute by Jim Parks 22 Puzzle Pages 24 Calendar of Events 28 Antiques or Junque by Anne McCollam 32 Eco Living by Christopher J. Peacock
By Christine Bollier
Page 13
reveals hazards 31Study of severe space weather Page 20 Erratum The Flagstaff Habitat for Humanity ReStore is located at 2016 N. 4th St. The phone number is (928) 779-1314.
ON THE COVER: Mike Yacos is one of three artists featured this month who reuses and recycles materials. Also featured are Sandhi Schimmel Gold and Earth Odyssey. Stories begin on page 14. Photo by Pia Wyer February 2009
Earth Odyssey • www.pinonpinepress.com
Movie Reviews by Jason Allen
Page 29 Page 3
An educational guide to sustainability and spiritual well-being
Our Mission The mission of Earth Odyssey is to encourage individuals to develop sustainable lifestyles and healthier well-being by providing educational information needed to make wiser choices. We envision an extended community of individuals who care passionately about their environment and their own spiritual well-being and recognize the symbiotic relationship between the two.
Magazine Staff
Photos by Ann Haver-Allen Above, sandhill cranes leave the Willcox Playa Wildlife Area at sunrise. The sandhill crane viewing area is a hike of about 2.4 miles round trip and takes about 20 minutes each way for the vigorous hiker. Below, sandhill cranes in flight.
Time’s running out to view sandhill cranes By Ann Haver-Allen ird lovers have only a few more weeks to observe sandhill cranes wintering in the Sulphur Springs Valley of southern Arizona—one of the largest wintering populations of sandhill cranes in the nation. “This large flat valley, which includes the Willcox Playa, attracts one of the largest wintering concentrations of sandhill cranes in the Southwest,” said Mike Rabe, the migratory bird biologist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Every year in late September thousands of sandhill cranes begin arriving from Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah and Alberta, Canada. Biologists recently surveyed 28,814 sandhill cranes in southern Arizona for the winter. Sulphur Springs Valley is more than 80 miles long, stretching from Bonita, north of Willcox, to Douglas, along the U.S./Mexico border. The cranes roost at night in areas of shallow water with low or no vegetation. The Sulphur Springs Valley is an ideal location for wintering sandhill cranes, not only because of the shallow lakes, but also the abundance of grain fields. At sunrise, they leave the roosting areas and fly to the fields, where they feed. “During the day, vast numbers of sandhills can be found feeding in the extensive grain fields of the Sulphur Springs Valley, especially in the Elfrida area,” Rabe said. After feeding three or four hours, the birds fly to “loafing areas,” which may be the night See Cranes, page 30
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Publisher/Editor Ann Haver-Allen Photographer, Photo Editor, Web Master and PR Director Pia Wyer Advertising Art Director Distribution Manager Jason Allen Advertising Director John Dersom Advertising Representatives Bill Allen Kelly Shattuck Pia Wyer
Contributors Maya Joy Angeles Leilah Breitler Mike Davis Cherlyn Fargo John Hall Shawn Dell Joyce Anne McCollam Sarah McLean Patricia Melchi Jim Parks Christopher J. Peacock Dominique Shilling Pia Wyer Earth Odyssey is published monthly by Pinon Pine Press LLC and is available online at www.pinonpinepress.com. Send comments and suggestions to: editor@pinonpinepress.com OR via U.S. mail to: Editor 1042 Willow Creek Road Ste A101-PMB 486 Prescott, AZ 86301 Phone: (928) 778-1782 The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or advertisers. Copyright © 2009. Pinon Pine Press LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, is prohibited without written permission. For photo reprints, contact Pia Wyer at pia@animistarts.com. Printed by Prescott Newspapers Inc. 8249 East State Rt. 69 Prescott Valley, AZ 86314
Earth Odyssey • www.pinonpinepress.com
February 2009
100 pronghorn antelope relocated to Arizona
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rizona’s pronghorn antelope received an instant population boost recently thanks to an area in Utah having an excess of these high grassland
speedsters. Through a professional cooperation between wildlife agencies, the Arizona Game and Fish Department received 100 pronghorn antelope from the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources, to supplement current populations and take advantage of habitat improvements made to historical antelope range here. To enhance natural population growth, the 100 young pronghorns consisted of a 5:1 doe-to-buck ratio. The department released the animals in three different Game Management Units. Unit 21 received 40 animals near Cordes Junction (20 each at two different sites), Unit 1’s Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area received 20 animals and Unit 27 received the balance of 40 animals north of Morenci. “All of these areas have undergone years of habitat improvements, including range fence modifications, removal of encroaching juniper trees, thinning of brush in movement corridors and the construction of new reliable water sources,” said Brian Wakeling, the department’s acting game chief. Wakeling pointed out that all these improvements came through countless hours in the field and partnerships with the Arizona Antelope Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service and others. Wildlife translocations continue to be a valuable tool for improving existing wildlife populations. Although these efforts are primarily funded through sportsmen’s dollars and federal wildlife restoration funds derived from the Pittman-Robertson Act, wildlife belongs and is enjoyed by all of the public, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department continues to follow the North American Wildlife Conservation Model to ensure that wildlife populations are here for future generations to enjoy. To learn more about the department’s wildlife management and conservation, see www.azgfd.gov.
Photo by Ann Haver-Allen The Arizona Game and Fish Department received 100 pronghorn antelope from the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources
Winning projects harness energy from landfill gas
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even innovative landfill methane capture projects were recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for generating renewable energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The winners included a project that converts landfill gas to fuel for county vehicles, and one of the largest multiple-customer landfill gas use projects in the country. “Our award winners demonstrate that through partnerships and innovation we can transform waste into environmental wealth,” said Robert J. Meyers, principal deputy assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “These projects, and others like them, not only address
February 2009
climate change, but also produce renewable energy and economic benefits for the local community.” Methane, a primary component of landfill gas (LFG), is a greenhouse gas with more than 20 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. Methane emissions from landfills represent an opportunity to capture and use a significant energy resource. Instead of allowing LFG to escape into the air, it can be captured, converted and used as an energy source. EPA has assisted in the development of more than 360 LFG energy projects over the past 13 years. Currently, there are approximately 470 LFG energy projects operational
in the United States. Electricity projects generate an estimated 11.5 billion kilowatt-hours per year, equivalent to powering 915,000 households. Direct-use projects deliver 80 billion cubic feet per year of LFG, equivalent to heating more than 700,000 homes. EPA estimates that 520 additional landfills present attractive opportunities for project development. The 2008 LFG award-winning energy projects employed unique project structures and took creative approaches to use LFG from municipal solid waste landfills, creating a new source of renewable energy to benefit the local community. The winners are:
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• Granger, Conestoga Landfill Gas Utilization Project, Morgantown, Penn. • Green Energy Center, High Btu Landfill Gas Energy Project, Grove City, Ohio • Greenville Gas Producers, LLC and County of Greenville, Greenville, S.C. • Casella Waste Systems Inc., Angelica, Morrisonville, and Seneca, N.Y.; and Hampden, Maine. • Lansing Board of Water and Light, Lansing, Mich. • Mars Snackfood US, Waco, Texas • Seward County Landfill, Seward County, Kan. For more information on Landfill Methane Outreach Program and awardees, see www.epa.gov/lmop.
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Photo by The Peregrine Fund A California condor soars over the Grand Canyon in this undated photograph. In the summer of 2000, five California Condors died from lead-poisoning, probably from eating carrion contaminated with shotgun pellets. The Arizona Game and Fish Department combats lead poisoning among California condors by encouraging hunters to use non-lead ammunition.
Non-lead ammunition program increases
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ead poisoning is the leading cause of death in condors and the main obstacle to a self-sustaining population in Arizona. Studies show that lead shot and bullet fragments found in game carcasses and gut piles are the main source of lead in condors. To counteract this problem, the Arizona Game and Fish Department started offering free non-lead ammunition in 2005 to hunters drawn for hunts in the condor’s core range. The popularity of this voluntary nonlead ammunition program grows each year. Participation has increased more than 40 percent from 2005’s initial levels.
Surveys show that 90 percent of hunters took measures in 2008 to reduce the amount of available spent lead ammunition in the condor’s core range versus 80 percent the year prior. “We are very encouraged by the high participation rate in 2008 and the yearover-year increases since the program began,” said Kathy Sullivan, the condor program biologist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “It clearly indicates that hunters are aware of the conservation challenges condors face, and they are willing to voluntarily take action to reduce the available lead.” Of the 90 percent of successful big game
hunters who took lead reduction efforts, 654 used non-lead ammunition during the fall hunts in the condor’s core range. Another 160 hunters removed gut piles from the field or took other action to reduce the condor’s access to lead. The free non-lead ammunition program is supported in part by the Heritage Fund, a voter-passed initiative started in 1990 to further conservation efforts in the state, including protecting endangered species, educating children about wildlife, helping urban residents to better coexist with wildlife, and creating new opportunities for outdoor recreation. Funding comes from Arizona Lottery ticket sales.
• Lead poisoning is the leading cause of death in condors and the main obstacle to a self-sustaining condor population in Arizona. • More than one-third of condor deaths have been from lead poisoning, and 300 cases of lead exposure have been documented since 1999. • Studies show that lead shot and bullet fragments found in game carcasses and gut piles are the main source of lead in condors. To review these studies, see www. azgfd.gov/condor. • Lead shot and bullet fragments remain in game carcasses and gut piles left in the field. • Condors are group feeders, so several birds can ingest fragments from one carcass or gut pile containing lead. • Radio tracking and visual observations confirm condors feed on game carcasses and gut piles during the fall hunt season in greater concentrations. The condor is the largest flying land bird in North America. The birds can weigh up to 26 pounds and have a wingspan of up to 9½ feet. Condors were first reintroduced in Arizona in 1996, and they now number 66 in the state. Visitors at the Grand Canyon and Vermilion Cliffs may be able to observe the birds, especially during the spring and summer. For more information on condors and lead, see www.azgfd.gov/condor.
Our Natural World Winter creates some beautiful sights, if you take the time to look. Photo by Jason Allen Page 6
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February 2009
Swarm of earthquakes strike in Yellowstone Lake By Ann Haver-Allen ellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park is shaking up the seismographs. Between Dec. 26, 2008, and Jan. 8, 2009, about 900 earthquakes rumbled beneath Yellowstone Lake in northern Wyoming. The largest earthquake—a magnitude 3.9—occurred on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008. Seismologists said 18 earthquakes exceeded 3.0 and 111 earthquakes registered magnitudes greater than 2.0. The swarm began near Stevenson Island, and quake locations migrated north in the days that followed. Magnitudes in this earthquake swarm ranged from 0 to 3.9. People usually do not feel quakes that are smaller than magnitude 3.5, and magnitudes must generally reach 5.0 to damage buildings. After a break in activity, another small swarm of 10 earthquakes was reported Jan. 9 at the corner of Yellowstone Caldera. The largest of the new earthquakes was 3.3. Seismologists at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory said this earthquake swarm within the Yellowstone caldera is “well above typical activity at Yellowstone,” but it is not unprecedented. In the past 40 years of monitoring, periodic swarms of small earthquakes—some reaching magnitudes greater than 4.0—have been the typical mode of activity at Yellowstone Lake.
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A swarm of more than 3,000 earthquakes in 1985 on the northwest rim of the caldera lasted three months and registered earthquakes up to 4.9 The last notable swarm occurred in April 2004, when 400 earthquakes were recorded over a three-day period. Geology at Yellowstone is complex, and earthquakes can have multiple causes. Numerous faults crisscross the area, and earthquakes occur when the ground moves along these faults. In addition, the movement of magma more than four miles below ground causes other earthquakes. A third earthquake trigger is the area’s well-known hydrothermal activity. Groundwater is heated to boiling by magma, and the heated water rises and expands, often explosively. The Yellowstone caldera began a period of accelerated uplift in 2004 following the swarm. For a time, the ground rose 7 centimeters per year (2.7 inches/year)—three times as fast as any rate in recorded history. Computer models link the uplift to the recharging of the magma chamber about six miles below ground. The rate of uplift has since slowed to a maximum of 4 centimeters per year. “At this time, there is no reason to believe that magma has risen to a shallow level within the crust or that a volcanic eruption is likely,” states the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory’s Web site at www.volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo.
Illustration courtesy Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Yellowstone Lake showing locations and times of the recent earthquakes from Dec. 27, 2008, to Jan. 8, 2009. The M 3.0 and greater earthquakes are shown as stars, the smaller earthquakes are shown as circles. During the swarm, the earthquake locations appear to have moved north.
It’s a good month to become aware of love
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hhhhhh………(sigh) Love is in the air! How we love and show love to ourselves and others is a reflection of how we personally relate to our heartspace. For us to give and receive love, we must first be aware of what love feels like to us. February seems to be a time when we become aware of love (or lack of it) in our life. The month of valentines, hearts and feelings of love with a romantic partner has been sensationalized so much by the commercial media that it seems to be a bit overdone at times. What are we feeling when we love someone or feel a special connection that warms our heart? I’m sure that most of us have noticed that we actually feel sensations in our physical heart when we have matters of the heart come up for us. Sometimes we can feel the “warm fuzzy” just by thinking of something we can relate to a loving feeling. We also can feel the opposite of that, such as a painful or icy cold feeling in our heart center. There is definitely a physical change that takes place in the body that is triggered by our feelings or emotions. Love, peace, acceptance and happiness are some of the feelings that we can focus on which are health producing. Negative emotions, such as fear, anger or apathy are emotions that sabotage our health. While I believe that all emotions and feelings are a part of life that most of us will experience, I also believe that we can make positive choices about what we focus on so that we may have the opportunity to create experiences that keep us healthy and balanced.
February 2009
by Maya Joy Angeles Nurturing our heart center is a great way to create a positive loving flow in our lives. This produces a vibrancy about us that can illuminate and enhance the energy surrounding us, affecting the mood and tone of love and acceptance wherever we go. We have all met people who just seem to emanate love or those we enjoy being around because they have such warm loving energy. It isn’t that these individuals don’t have any negative experiences or “down time” in their life, but they seem to have a natural ability to keep a positive outlook. Are there certain souls who were born under a lucky star or who just have a tendency to lead a charmed life? Maybe. But more likely they have learned to go with the flow, take life as it comes and focus on the positive aspects even when things
are going in an unexpected direction. The world is full of unexpected changes that affect all of us at times. These changes may seem to be more intensified for many of us with the current uncertain world economy, as well as the predicted influx of new energy from the cosmos that is bringing about rapid spiritual awakening for many of us whether we realize it or not! People are changing careers, relationships and living situations more frequently than ever before and most of us are affected by the stressful emotions that can go along with making such changes. To minimize this stress so we can increase our heartfelt joy, we can bring our conscious awareness to our heart center and feel the love that is there. Focusing on universal love, self love, and the love that eternally exists in your soul allows you to open your heart and heal your life. Using a simple heart chakra meditation to release sadness, grief or fear brings love and compassion into your life, creating inner peace and joy. Meditation is a simple and natural practice. There are many mediation techniques and practices you can choose from and it is important to find one that feels right for you. As we connect with our heart in meditation, we revitalize our spiritual energy. Meditation teaches us to shift from our intellectual way of viewing the world to the heart centered wisdom we all have innately within us. When you are feeling a need to connect to this love energy, this chakra meditation can nurture your heart. Sit in a comfortable position, either crosslegged on the floor or in a chair, hands—
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palms up—on your upper thighs. Close your eyes and inhale slow and deep, opening the chest and abdomen and exhale relaxing the shoulders keeping the back straight. Breathe in and out a few times bringing your attention to the heart area and letting go of external thoughts and worries, quieting the mind. Feel a warmth embracing your heart chakra and surrounding your entire chest area. Allow this warmth to comfortably expand until you feel completely encompassed in it. Feel or visualize a soft green light of love energy flowing into you through this warmth. Allow the feeling of this love energy to warm any places in your heart that may have been cold or hurting. Be with this feeling for as long as you wish or until you feel content and peaceful. Now imagine yourself directing this love energy outward towards specific situations or loved ones in your life. Direct this love in your heart even farther out to the world and see it encompassing all that is. When you are ready, allow that expanded love to come back to you, filling you with unconditional love and peace. Be with this feeling of peaceful love and feel it become a part of your being as you now center in a harmonious place within your heart. Take another deep breath, slowly bringing your attention back to your surroundings. Breathe in a new sense of awareness keeping the feeling of love and peace with you as you go through your day. We all have the ability to be happy. Perhaps the key to that happiness resides in our heart. Peace and Blessings, Maya Joy Angeles Co-owner of the Crystal Lotus Gallery
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Wheel of the Year: Imbolc, Festival of Spring By Pia Wyer
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he “Wheel of the Year” is an agrarian-based calendar of eight festivals honored by those who practice diverse forms of earth-based spirituality. In our modern, technology-driven culture, we have become estranged from the cycles of our planet Earth, although we are no less dependent upon them. The “Wheel of the Year” provides us with an opportunity to remember, recognize and honor the waxing and waning of earth’s cycles, and to become balanced with our environment. The “Wheel of the Year” is divided into eight festivals, and we will explore each one in the issue closest to it. Samhain/All Hallow’s Eve (Oct. 31); Yule/Winter Solstice (Dec. 21); Imbolc/Candlemas (Feb. 2); Ostara/Vernal Equinox (March 21); Beltane/May Day (May 1); Midsummer/Summer Solstice (June 21); Lughnasadh/Lammas (Aug. 2) and Mabon/Autumnal Equinox (Sept. 21). Earth-based spiritual traditions offer an integrative approach to living as one species among many in a diverse planetary ecosystem governed by seasonal cycles of life and death. We recognize the cycles on a practical level as they pertain to planting, growing and harvesting. We also recognize a spiritual aspect to our relationship with all life and ways in which we might expand our consciousness to rekindle a sense of awe, wonder and reciprocity. Inherent in most Earth-based spiritual traditions is the recognition of an “I thou” relationship with creation rather than one of human dominance, viewing nature as a commodity. Perhaps now that we are experiencing global shifts in our financial and production markets, it is a good time to be still and remember to appreciate the phenomenal complexity and beauty of those creatures we seldom acknowledge, if we see them at all. Honoring the cycles of the earth, moon and stars, reminds us of the fragility of our being and the gift of being alive.
Imbolc Imbolc (pronounced “im-OLk”) occurs midway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox and traditionally begins
the evening of Feb. 1, continuing into Feb. 2. Imbolc is a fire festival, with emphasis on light rather than heat. Winter is still at its height, yet the emergent energies of spring are beginning to unfold. The earth in the Northern Hemisphere rouses from her slumber, and the promise of transformation and fertility approaches through the lengthening days. The name “IM-mol’g” (literally “in the belly”) also means “ewes milk” and symbolizes the return of earth’s fecundity. Animals prepare for their young, and the soil is tilled for planting. In pre-Christian Celtic Ireland, Imbolc was dedicated to the goddess, Brigid, an archetype of the Great Goddess, triune Maiden, Mother and Crone. Brigid was the keeper of the sacred flame, goddess of metalworking, poetry, magic, inspiration and healing. At Imbolc, the Crone aspect recedes and makes way for the Maiden, symbolizing fertility, abundance, generosity and potential. Fires and candles are lit in honor of Brigid and the return of the light, both figuratively and literally. A variety of rituals are made at Imbolc. Candles standing in water are lit and placed in the windows of homes. Straw is fashioned into what came to be called “Brigid’s Crosses,” unlike traditional crosses in that they have arms of equal length and a deliberate woven pattern at their center. They are given to friends and neighbors as symbols of protection and prosperity. Another craft associated with Imbolc is the creation of corn dollies from oat or wheat straw. Often intricately woven and decorated with ribbons, feathers and dried flowers, these “corn dollies” were also offered as symbols of prosperity. Imbolc invites us to clear the remnants of all that is outlived in our lives. Psychologically and spiritually, it is a time for cleansing and renewal rituals, integrating wisdom gathered through the preceding dark, fallow winter, a time of planting seeds for the spring. We are encouraged to clean our homes, our minds and hearts, and dedicate ourselves to new growth and challenges in the quickening months.
Photo by Pia Wyer Wheel of the Year silver pendant, design copyright by Paul Borda of Dryad Design.
goddess Brigid was transformed into Saint Brigid, patron saint of Ireland, almost on a par with Saint Patrick. Although her goddess energy was curtailed by the prevailing patriarchal culture, aspects of her powers remained and carried over in what became the festival of Candlemas. Candles replaced hearth and bonfires of earlier pagan days. Candlemas, also called Purification of the Blessed Virgin and Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple occurs on Feb. 2. In Jewish tradition, a woman must be ritually purified 40 days following childbirth. Christian tradition celebrates the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25.
Candlemas
Groundhog Day
During the Christianization of Ireland, the
In modern interpretation, Imbolc became
Groundhog Day, a revisionist tradition that began in the metaphor of Brigid’s snake emerging from below the mound under which it hibernated during the dead of winter. If the snake remained above ground, spring had arrived; if it returned under ground, winter was not yet over. In pagan times, the snake was also a symbol of the Goddess, of renewal, fertility and connection with the underworld. It subsequently suffered pejorative reinterpretation by the Roman Church, and the weather vane animal in Ireland and Britain became the hedgehog or badger. In the United States, the tradition was changed once again to the groundhog, and Groundhog Day is celebrated on Feb. 2.
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February 2009
Manufacturers, retailers boost consumer electronics recycling “The Story of Stuff” chronicles America’s love affair with stuff and traces the path of our stuff from the cradle to the grave. “The Story of Stuff” is available for free online, courtesy of Free Range Studios, at www.StoryOfStuff.com.
Learn to decrease the need for ‘stuff’
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ost of us are surveying the damages right now. The credit cards are maxed— we spent more than we intended to. Now, we have to decide where to put all the new stuff, especially those gadgets we just had to have. Only about 1 percent of all the consumer goods bought during the holiday season will be in use six months from now, said Annie Leonard in “The Story of Stuff,” a short film produced by Free Range Studios and available for free online at www.StoryOfStuff.com. “The Story of Stuff ” chronicles the life of consumer goods from the cradle to the grave and offers an alternative vision to our consumerist culture. Leonard points out that we have lost our identities as mothers, farmers, teachers, etc.; we have become consumers. Indeed, we are defined by what we consume and are targeted demographically by stuff peddlers from infancy to old age. In our culture, we feel awkward if we don’t have “the right stuff ”—fashionable clothes, flashy bling or the newest gadget. What we don’t often see are the consequences of our national addiction to stuff. We see more advertisements in one year than our grandparents did in their whole lifetimes. We consume twice as much as they did as a result. Our houses are twice as big; our waistlines are bigger; and our savings accounts are considerably smaller. The United States has 5 percent of the world’s population, but consumes 30 percent of the world’s resources and creates 30 percent of the world’s waste, according to “The Story of Stuff.” We already have used one-third of the world’s natural resources and quickly are chewing our way through the rest. Melissa Everett, executive director of Sustainable Hudson Valley, defines “sustainable living” as “not filling a spiritual need with a material thing.” People buy stuff for many reasons, but for a substantial segment of our population, shopping is an addiction. “Compulsive shopping or spending can be a seasonal balm for the depression, anxiety and loneliness during the holiday season,” said Indiana University Professor Ruth Engs. If living more simply is one of your New
February 2009
By Shawn Dell Joyce Year’s resolutions, here are a few suggestions: • Author and therapist April Lane Benson, who wrote “I Shop, Therefore I Am,” recommends that before you make an impulse purchase, ask yourself: Why am I here? How do I feel? Do I need this? What if I wait? How will I pay for it? Where will I put it? • Buy used things and borrow from friends and neighbors before buying new things. • Repair and update computers rather than buying new ones. • Develop habits of zero waste. Use both sides of paper; carry your own mugs and shopping bags; get printer cartridges refilled instead of replaced; compost food scraps; and avoid bottled water and other over-packaged products. • The average person in the United States watches TV for more than four hours a day, notes “The Story of Stuff.” So four hours each day are filled with messages about stuff we should buy. That is time that could be spent with family, friends and in our communities. • Recycling saves energy and reduces both waste and the pressure to use more resources. Unfortunately, many cities still don’t have adequate recycling systems and need public pressure at the local government level. Start pre-cycling; buy the least amount of packaging, or skip buying it altogether! Shopping is not the solution to personal or environmental problems. The real changes we need just aren’t for sale in even the greenest shop. Learn to live more simply so that others may simply live.
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lug-In to eCycling partners expanded their electronics recycling programs and collected and recycled more than 66.5 million pounds of used electronics in 2008, nearly a 30 percent increase from the previous year. Plug-In To eCycling is a partnership between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and leading consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers that fosters opportunities for consumers to donate or recycle their used electronics. “Our Plug-In partners are continuing to develop programs that help consumers protect the environment,” said Susan Bodine, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. “It’s exciting to see these programs mature rapidly at a time when people are increasingly looking for ways to do their part by recycling their used electronics.” Recycling electronics conserves resources and energy needed to manufacture new materials. In 2008, Plug-In partners prevented the release of greenhouse gases equal to the annual emissions from approximately 15,500 cars. Plug-In partners have tailored the collection of consumer electronics for reuse and recycling in a variety of ways, such as in-store take back, mail-in recycling, online trade-in and hosting local collection events. Notable programs and new partnerships developed in 2008 include: • Dell/Staples partnership, where consumers can recycle any Dell-branded computer product for free at any Staples store in the United States; • Best Buy’s pilot program at 134 stores to test in-store take back of selected consumer electronics; • Sony’s expansion of its partnership with Waste Management to more than 160 drop-off locations in the United States, where consumers can recycle any Sonybranded products, including televisions,
at no cost; • LG’s launch of its partnership with Waste Management, also offering free recycling of LG, Zenith and Goldstar brands; • Samsung’s Recycling Direct program, available at more than 170 U.S. locations and its partnership with Wal-Mart, in which Durabrand and Ilo electronic products (two private brands formerly sold by Wal-Mart) can be recycled at Samsung’s Recycling Direct locations; • Partnership between Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba (via their recycling platform, the Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Co.) and Goodwill Industries of Central Texas to pilot television collection and recycling; • Toshiba’s free online take-back services for any brand of selected consumer electronics; • Free in-store take-back or mail-in recycling programs for cell phones and other mobile devices available from all Plug-In carriers or cell phone manufacturers. Since the program’s inception in 2003, Plug-In partners have recycled more than 200 million pounds of electronics. More information about the Plug-In to eCycling program and a list of partners: http://www.epa.gov/plugin/.
Shawn Dell Joyce is an award-winning sustainable activist and director of the Wallkill River School in Orange County, N.Y. You can contact her at Shawn@ShawnDellJoyce.com.
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Monthly horoscope from Dominique Read your Sun, Ascending, and Moon sign. An astrologer can help you find all of the planets’ places on the day that you were born. Included this month, you will find the planet that rules your sign.
tell yourself and others. You are seen as a stabilizing or grounding force. d Cancer—June 22–July 23 Positive news or something good happens at your work. A relationship is changing. You may have to speak up about an issue concerning someone close to you. Travel at this time could bring up the unusual or unexpected. Think about your spiritual beliefs; has anything changed?
k Aquarius—January 21–February 19 Others may notice or think you have changed. This is a great time to work on improving your intuitive abilities. Notice the small things that most people ignore. Changes and new ideas are what you are all about! Others may find that it is hard to keep track of you. l Pisces—February 20–March 20 Your mind may be on the immediate past. Focus on your current activities and dealings with others. Possible increase in money, or a gift can be yours. You may notice an increase in your energy level as well. A friend is there for you. Trust your feelings. a Aries—March 21–April 19 Three good things are possible this month: new friends, lucky occurrences and some recognition. Are you happy with what you have done so far? Do not ignore the truth. Your friends may seem like they are changing, maybe it is you. True peace is found when we stop judging. b Taurus—April 20–May 20 This month is for lessons about purpose and
Dominique Shilling, MAFA, is a counselor and astrologer with a practice in the Valley. For an appointment, contact her at Way to the Light Within, (602) 279-2941 or check out her Web site at www.way2light.com.
reputation. Know that you are loved and then look for the evidence. You are lucky now. Something valuable comes to you. You may find something that you thought was lost. It is easier to open your mind to new things now. A burden could be lifted or taken away. c Gemini—May 22–June 21 This is a good time to strengthen your intuitive ability. Spirituality and travel are highlighted. Something unusual or unexpected is possible in your career. Listen to what you
e Leo—July 24–August 23 Others are attracted to you. Seek to understand your feelings. Make your approach to life’s challenges positive. A complement you receive is from the heart. Those you are close to and/or are working in harmony with seem to mirror yourself back to you. Use discipline to improve finances. f Virgo—August 24–September 23 Work, health and close relationships are the focus now. Your physical energy and vitality are likely to improve. Relationships could be extreme or boring. Change is possible when it comes to loved ones. Your creative ability is enhanced now. Focus on the good things you have to attract more. g Libra—September 24–October 23 Creativity and romance are highlighted. You may get a gift or gesture from a loved one or
partner. Your ideas about home and security could be changing now. Renewal is possible here. Physical and/or mental changes let you get a better look at areas of work and health in your life. h Scorpio—October 24–November 22 Trust your intuition to aid you in artistic endeavors and communication. Your ability to go deep and really focus in on things can help you to expand your world. Your home environment is changing. A major change around your living space or an all-out move is possible now. Do what you say. i Sagittarius—November 23–December 22 Is there something that you want to, or need to, say? Communication is highlighted for Sagittarians this month. Focus on what you are good at. You have talents and abilities. Intuition can lead you to something valuable. Are your beliefs reflected in the way you live? There is an opportunity for change in your home. j Capricorn—December 23–January 20 Travel for work or for other important reason is possible this month. When it comes to friends you are lucky now. Lots of activity in areas of money and value could make this an interesting time. You might want to think about what you really want and then go for it!
Dominique takes an in-depth look at the stars
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his month we look at the moon! This is the most familiar of the astrological planets. We can see it. The placement of the moon in an individual’s chart can define moods, instincts, feelings, personality, subconscious self, receptivity and the feminine principle. It also includes habit patterns from the past, functional health of the body, personal expression and impressions. It is also about our personal relationships and where we feel tides of life. It rules the sign Cancer. Since the moon is close to us, it only takes two and a half days to go through a sign. When we know what sign the moon is in on a given day, we can see what kind of mood she is in and work with her energy. Our moods are tied to the moon. Here is a list of moons through the signs. The moon in Aries is about physical energy and taking action. People may be more direct and able to express their emotions more clearly. Think of Aries moon like the spark to a fire. Under Taurus influence we feel more grounded and our physical senses are enhanced. We appreciate our relationship to our immediate environment and the earthiness of things. This is also the best time of the month to plant seeds in the earth. When the moon is in the air sign of Gemini, we could feel restless or scattered. This is a good time for handling change and
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can be great for communication like writing, talking and networking. Cancer moon is emotional and is a time to reconnect with self and others. It is a time for nurturing. Focus on improvements in your home and security. Water in all of its uses can be very healing at this time. Leo is dramatic. This would be a good time to express yourself! Be creative, make things beautiful. It is time to gather, celebrate and share! Virgo sharpens the mind and shows us what needs work. This is the best time to cleanse and organize. Details are important. Libra is about relationships, one-to-one, partnerships and socially. It is easier to work together now. It is also time to make amends, and to restore harmony and balance where needed. Scorpio heightens our ability to focus and concentrate. It can turn us inward. Desires are stronger at this time. Do take some time alone to refresh. The moon in Sagittarius gets us moving again! Our speech is more direct. It is easier to laugh. This is a good time to travel, and/or for education. Capricorn fosters ambition, organization and is practical. People could be more businesslike. This is time for work, not play. Capricorn energy is about responsibility. Under the Aquarius moon, we desire to break tedium, or maybe even be feeling rebellious. We tend to have more of a sense of community. Oneness is an Aquarian desire!
Pisces heightens compassion, intuition and imagination. We may feel more sensitive and want to sleep more. This time can turn us toward the spiritual. You can find the moon’s signs in Astrological calendars or contact me for one that is tailored to your specific birth info. This month’s Retrograde Planets: Saturn started into retrograde motion on Dec. 31 at 21 degrees Virgo and will continue in retrograde motion until May 16, 2009. The following paragraphs are broken down by weeks. Feb. 1, Mercury goes direct at 21 Capricorn. The next day Venus moves into the sign of Aries. Mars enters Aquarius on Wednesday. The 4th has Saturn in Virgo opposite Uranus Pisces. The seriousness and structure of conservative Saturn to Uranus’ originality could foster frustration and resistance. Venus Aries square Pluto Capricorn is like harsh judgment. This relates to the public or the masses because Pluto’s influence works on national and global levels. We want things to be better, but much energy and hard work is still being spent on clearing up past missteps. Venus’ beauty and the means to have the nicer things is greatly slowed down by the practical energy that is spent on setting things right again. This could take years. These planets are mirroring our frustration and resistance to the work that needs to happen. We want it to be easy and nice and forget about how it got that way.
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The good news is that Capricorn will keep working until the task is accomplished. It may be take time, but it WILL be done. Monday the 9th has full moon 21 Leo at exactly 7:50 a.m. MST. Full moon happens when the sun is directly opposite and shining on the moon. The light on this month’s moon is in the sign of Leo, making it even stronger! So, now what does Leo moon energy do? According to the above list, Leo is dramatic. When the moon is at its fullest, it is ready to start getting smaller or waning. This is the time to let things go. Do express yourself as well as letting go of things you no longer need. And yes, we can celebrate, and share! The 12th’s Sun Aquarius conjunct Neptune enhances our intuitive ability. You may find yourself wanting to ignore the practical in order to get away to something dreamy and calming. On the 14th, Mercury joins Mars in the constellation of Aquarius. This planetary combination enhances mental ability and can activate the imagination. On the 16th, with Venus Aries sextile Jupiter Aquarius, it is a good time to decorate or to improve things in a creative and unusual way. You may notice a desire to become more independent. Mars Aquarius conjuncts Jupiter on the 17th. These two planets combine to create a whole lot of energy, which can help with assertiveness and the ability to move forward. See Astrology, page 11
February 2009
The ‘Course’ rejects notion that illness is physical
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any of us are familiar with “A “Course” in Miracles.” Its introduction is terribly seductive: “This is a “Course” in miracles. It is a required “Course.” Only the time you take it is voluntary.” I was unable to resist the challenge. Not only has its teachings on love and forgiveness inspired millions, but also it has been instrumental to the work of many prominent writers, including Marianne Williamson, Debbie Ford, Colin Tipping and Doreen Virtue, just to name a few. It has certainly changed my life. The “Course” is at its core a path to healing, teaching all of our dis-ease is a symptom of separation from our Source, and that only forgiveness can end our unconscious guilt. But if you believe you have heard that old platitude before, think again. The “Course” quickly dispenses of any notion that traditional forgiveness is the correct path. Indeed, the “Course” teaches that our physical world is but illusion, the masterful creation of our ego, engineered by the faulty perception of our unconscious mind. “It is the mind that interprets the eyes’ messages and gives them ‘meaning.’ And this meaning does not exist in the world outside at all. What is seen as ‘reality’ is simply what the mind prefers. Its hierarchy of values is projected outward, and it sends the body’s eyes to find it.” Forgiveness, then, as called for in the “Course,” is the suspension of belief in the illusion, and an end to all judgment. It is the absolute requirement of forgiveness in every situation, with every person, every time. This
Vibrational Realignment
By Mike Davis is because forgiveness is at its essence, selfforgiveness. If this seems an impossible task, then I urge you to read the “Course.” But much less well-known are the teachings on healing itself found in the “Course.” Building on the core argument that our physical world is but an illusion, the “Course” notes: “Healing is accomplished the instant the sufferer no longer sees any value in pain…. Healing must occur in exact proportion to which the valuelessness of sickness is recognized…. If sickness is but a faulty problem-solving approach, it is a decision. And if it is a decision, it is the mind and not the body that makes it…. The acceptance of sickness as a decision of the mind, for a purpose for which it would use the body, is the basis of healing…. What is the single requisite for this shift in perception? Simply this: The recognition that sickness is of the mind and has nothing to do with the body.” I suspect no single statement could be
Astrology
continued from page 10
It can also put focus on career and attainment. The sun moves into the sign of the Fishes on Wednesday, the 18th. Venus Aries sextile Mars Aquarius could make this a romantic day. Saturday the 21st’s Sun Pisces sextile Pluto Capricorn enhances our ability to go deeper into our subconscious mind. Mercury Aquarius conjunct Jupiter on the 23rd helps to make it easier to think clearly and be objective.
February 2009
Tuesday the 24th’s new moon is at 6 Pisces and happens at 6:35 p.m. MST. The new moon’s energy is best used for anything you want to increase, enhance or create. On Wednesday, Mercury Aquarius sextile Venus Aries could help make this a very calm and pleasant day. It is easier now for us to be logical and fair-minded. Logic and beauty join together giving us the opportunity to come up with answers in a pleasing way. This connection is also excellent for creative endeavors!
further from conventional wisdom, shaking at once all our moorings in philosophy, psychology and medicine. But it rejects a systemic belief that is at the very foundation of our modern existence. It denies that we are victims, that we are not in control of our own lives, that our problems are due to the actions of others and that the solutions lay with changing them, rather than within us. And it also profoundly rejects the notion that illness is physical, thus suggesting that all bodily approaches to health ignore the root cause. Illness does not just happen to us. “For with this recognition is responsibility placed where it belongs; not with the world, but on him who looks on the world and sees it as it is not…. The world does nothing to him. He only thought it did.” Broadly describing all who seek to practice the “Course” as teachers of God, the “Course” elaborates on the specific role of healers. “If the patient must change his mind in order to be healed, what does the teacher of God do? Can he change the patient’s mind for him? Certainly not. For those already willing to change their minds he has no function except to rejoice with them, for they have become teachers of God with him. “He has, however, a more specific function for those who do not understand what healing is. These patients do not realize they have chosen sickness. On the contrary, they believe that sickness has chosen them. Nor are they open-minded on this point. The body tells them what to do and they obey…. To them God’s teachers come, to represent another choice which they had forgotten…. It is not their hands that heal. It is not their voice that speaks the Word of God. They merely give what has been given to them.” The role of the healer, then, is as facilitator, bringing another mind, another frequency, if you will, to focus on the illusion, even at the level of unconscious mind. This is the best explanation I have seen of the seemingly miraculous power of vibrational or spiritual healing. “Not once do the advanced teachers of God consider the forms of sickness in which their brother believes…. They recognize illusions can have no effect. The truth in their minds reaches out to the truth in the minds of their brothers, so that illusions are not reinforced. They are thus brought to
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truth; truth is not brought to them.” What is being described is clearly a selfhealing process, but one that takes place between the patient and God, Spirit, Source, Innate or the Universe, as one prefers. The healer is not doing the healing. Nor should he take responsibility for it, either in terms of the miracle or its absence. “No teacher of God should feel disappointed if he has offered healing, and it does not appear to have been received. It is not up to him to judge when his gift should be accepted…. It is not the function of God’s teachers to evaluate the outcome of their gifts. It is merely their function to give them…. Healing is the change of mind that the Holy Spirit in the patient’s mind is seeking for him. And it is the Holy Spirit in the mind of the giver who gives the gift to him.” This is spiritual healing. The exciting news is that there is no order of magnitude with miracles. Be they large or small, they are just corrections of misperception, and are thus available to us all. “There can be no order of difficulty merely because all sickness is illusion…. The body’s eyes will continue to see differences. But the mind that has let itself be healed will no longer acknowledge them…. The one answer to sickness of any kind is healing. The one answer to all illusions is truth.” Seek out spiritual or vibrational healing. Since it is our own mind at the root cause of our distress, a facilitator can often greatly speed the process of healing. And because we are working at the level of unconscious mind, the results can be swift and life-altering. I have seen what can only be described as miracles. But be ever mindful that all healing is ultimately self-healing, and take full responsibility for the end result. After all, you are the creator of your own reality. While this may sound frightening at first blush, this notion can be very empowering, as well. The good news is that we are not alone on this journey. We need only ask. Mike Davis is CEO of Energy Medicine Foundation and a member of Mountain Spirit Co-Op in Prescott. He has integrated the principles of the “Course” into his work, and is the creator of Vibrational Realignment, a unique approach to spiritual healing. He can be reached at (928) 862-0594 or at VibrationalRealignment.com.
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Herbs to warm things up for Valentine’s Day
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alentine’s Day is Feb. 14, in the dead of winter, so I thought we should warm things up a bit. Everyone desires love. It is human nature. For those of you lucky enough to have found true love, cherish it, as it is the most precious of gifts. For those still looking for love, when it finally arrives, it will certainly be worth the wait. In the meantime, our trusted herbal friends can help you enhance your love life or attract someone special.
Love is in the Air Certain aromas can act as an aphrodisiac. In fact, that is what the perfume industry is based on—creating a scent that will attract others and make us feel better about ourselves. Here is a list of essential oils that have the potential to make us feel warm, romantic and loveable, and promote feelings of self-confidence and well-being. These essential oils can be used in aromatherapy diffusers, massage lotions, or can be simply used as a personal perfume. For the greatest effect, perfumes should be applied behind the ears, décolleté, inside the wrists or into the hair.
• Bergamot can coax you out of depression
•
• • •
and make you feel more alive. It’s good for the “not-tonight—I-have-a-headache” syndrome. Black Pepper warms the heart, stimulates the body and the mind. It is also thought to give men stamina. Cardamom evokes the natural man’s erotic nature and sexual being. Cedarwood relaxes the analytical mind. Clary Sage is euphoric and stimulates the sensual side of you. An excellent essential
oil to use for PMS. • Jasmine is seductive, brings out hidden desires and fantasies. Hypnotic and euphoric. Boosts confidence. Ideal for frigidity. • Nutmeg promotes desire and availability.
In the perfume industry it is known as being provocative, yet calming. • Patchouli is earthy and masculine. An antidote for indifference; it reaches down into the emotions. The “Hippie-Time” fragrance. • Rose is an aphrodisiac of pure love, euphoric and intensely feminine; it brings out your truest feelings. Vetivert relaxes deeply felt feelings and fears. Added to perfumes to enhance sexuality and sensuality. • Ylang Ylang is exotic, exciting and stimulates the senses. Helps dispel anger and /or fear.
Aphrodisiac Herbs Celebrate life and make everyday warm, nurturing and communicative with that special person in your life. Some of the following herbs are known to have aphrodisiac properties; others may just relax tension and stress, or strengthen an exhausted and depressed person. They can be brewed up alone into a tea or mixed into an herbal formula. They can also be added to foods and drinks. Be creative! • Damiana is also known as Turnera aphodisiaca, suggesting it has been used as an aphrodisiac. These fragrant leaves have been used by
ancient Aztecs as a most powerful sexual tonic and stimulant. It is also an anti-depressant and urinary antiseptic. • Oats have been eaten throughout the ages to strengthen the entire body and to increase vigor and vitality. They are nourishing to the nervous system, are considered an excellent nerve tonic and have an anti-depressant effect. • Roses have long been given as gifts as an instantaneous aphrodisiac and an acknowledgement of desirability and passion.
Sensuous, Seductive Foods Did you know that seeds and nuts have long been associated with fertility, abundance and potency? Pine nuts and almonds were favored aphrodisiacs of the Romans and Arabs. Pumpkin seeds are loaded with zinc and good for men’s prostate gland. Eat alone or add them to your foods. Recently, chocolate has been much advertised as an anti-oxidant and to promote good feelings.
Chocolate Kisses 3 oz butter (soft) 4 oz powdered sugar 4 oz chocolate (melted) 2 tbs. damiana extract Mix together, form into mouth-size balls and roll them in cinnamon and cardamom. The products discussed in this article can be purchased at the Herb Stop, 4004 N. Hwy. 87 in Pine. If you have questions or would like to attend a free class, please call (928) 476-4144 or e-mail Leilah.b@HerbStopOnline.com. The FDA has not approved these statements. The information given is not meant to act as a prescription, medical advice or therapeutic advice. Consult your healthcare professional prior to using botanicals discussed in this column.
Learn to listen: It is easier than reading minds
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Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force,” a renowned psychiatrist, Karl Menninger once said. “The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.” Byron Katie, a friend, author of “Loving What Is,” and teacher of a method of selfinquiry that she calls The Work, suggests the practice of literal listening: “Hear people out. Catch yourself when you want to finish a sentence for someone, either aloud or in your mind. And when we are busy thinking we know what they are about to say, we often miss what they are actually saying. “Practice listening to others in the most literal sense, believing exactly what they say, without attaching a future to it, and do your best to resist falling into your own interpretations about the information they share with you. “For example, someone might give you a compliment, and you interpret that to mean that the person has ulterior motives. Our
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interpretations of what we hear people say to us are often far more painful or frightening than what people actually say. We can hurt ourselves with our misconceptions and our thinking for others. Try trusting that what they say is exactly what they mean: not more, not less.” There are so many reasons we don’t take time to listen: We’re either preoccupied with something else, or we’re anticipating something fascinating that we are going to say that we listen mainly to find an opening to get the floor. Or, we’re formulating and listening
to our own rebuttal to what the speaker is saying before they are finished. When I have been heard by the other, I am more open to them. A recent survey of 146,000 American teenagers found that more than one-third (36 percent) of respondents believed that to improve their relationships, adults should listen more. I bet they are right. Try this during a party or gathering: When someone is speaking to you, take a moment to completely listen and be present to them without finishing their sentence (in your mind or out loud), without assuming you know what they are going to say and without formulating a response while they are still talking. You’ll find that making the time to listen will create more intimacy and peace. And when we listen literally we’ll create more silence in the mind and more harmony with others. I was researching listening and I found that there is a whole site about listening called Story Corps (www.storycorps.net), which is an independent nonprofit project
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whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening. It suggests that we set aside one hour to record a conversation with someone important to you. You can interview anyone you choose: an older or younger relative, a friend, a teacher or a familiar face from the neighborhood. They even give you the tools to do it—FREE! Conversations are recorded to take home and share, and and archived for generations to come at the Library of Congress. Many stories are broadcast on public radio and the Internet. As Byron Katie says, “Listen. It can be amazing to hear what comes out when we allow others to complete their thoughts without interruption.” Sarah McLean is the director of Sedona Meditation Training & Retreats and is certified and recommended by Dr. Deepak Chopra. She can be reached via e-mail at meditate@esedona.net, phone at (928) 204-0067 or fax at (866) 6541705. You can also visit online at http://www. SedonaMeditation.com.
February 2009
Food can be healthy and taste good too “Ew, health food!” those three words were uttered by a boy, who couldn’t have been more than 8, as he passed our healthy snacks booth last spring. I was puzzled. Why does this young boy think health food is bad? Did his parents shape his opinion? Did the media? Now, my mission is to dispel the myth that healthy food can’t be tasty, too. What you will never see in this column: Food that pretends to be something it’s not. (NO tofurkey! NO soy hot dogs!) Health food has come along way from bland, dry, flavorless pre-packaged food— and the flavor it may have had wasn’t great. What you will see in this column: Fresh, organic, locally sourced food bursting with flavor! February is Heart Health Month, so I am going to share my heart healthy recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies. My original recipe called for 1 cup of butter and 1 1/3 cups of sugar. I have swapped the butter for the heart healthy fat from avocado—saving 488 grams of cholesterol and 115 grams of saturated fat. The added benefit, 15 grams monounsaturated fat which, according to the American Heart Association, can have a beneficial
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
By Christine Bollier effect on your health when eaten in moderation and when used to replace saturated fats or trans fats. Monounsaturated fats can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. I also swapped the 1 1/3 cups of sugar for ¾ cup of agave nectar—saving more than 300 calories and reducing the total glycemic load (glycemic load is a way of expressing a food or meal’s effect on blood-sugar levels) by 128 points! Also by removing the butter and sugar, you get the added antioxidant benefit from the chocolate. And don’t worry, you don’t taste the avocado!
1 cup mashed avocado ( about 2 medium avocados) ¾ cup light agave nectar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla (I use Tahitian for best flavor!) ¾ cup cocoa powder 2¼ cups unbleached flour 1 tsp baking soda ¼ tsp chipotle chili powder (optional, adds a bit of spice) 2 tsp cinnamon 10 oz Enjoylife semi-sweet chocolate chips Pre-heat oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat (a silicone-based baking mat that is reusable and keeps the cookies from sticking to the pan!) In a medium bowl, combine cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, chipotle powder and cinnamon. In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, mix avocado and agave syrup till thoroughly combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add in dry mixture with mixer on slow speed. Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Drop cookie dough by tablespoons (or use a cookie scoop for even sized cookies) onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes until set. Cool and eat! If any are left after cooling, store in the refrigerator. Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies. All of the ingredients for this recipe can be found at VITA-MART 512 S. Beeline Hwy., Payson, AZ 85541. Questions can be answered via e-mail: Christine@thevitamart.com; or by calling (928) 474-4101.
Journeying forward in recycling
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ith the New Year came a whirlwind, sudden changes that required me to look at ways to reuse everything in my possession. I was packing it up in Washington to move back to the warmth of my desert sun. I needed to make this a fast move and as effective as I could, while recycling and reusing everything at hand. I did not need to run out and by bubble wrap, Styrofoam® popcorn or boxes. The local liquor store always has free boxes available, so I loaded up my trusty van with as many as I could. Over the years, I have collected lots of glasswear and plenty of precious stoneware, so I was looking around the house to see what I could use to pack my belongings in as few boxes and as effectively as I could.
February 2009
I started with my summer clothes. I used shirts to wrap my plates in and socks over my glassware. I used towels to wrap some fine art, and sheets to line boxes that held my special fragile things. I rolled glass items in my extra skirts and pants to cushion them in the box. My extra winter clothes came in handy. My boots especially, because I could stuff little items down in them and then just throw the boots in extra garbage bags. I didn’t even need boxes for them. I found plenty of free ads on craigslist for any extra fillers and boxes I needed. I decided, however, to pack differently this time just by using the things I have to take as filler for my moving boxes. I have plenty of blankets, so I used those to cover my furniture while loading the moving truck.
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I put all my plasticware around other fragile items to protect them—and there you have it. I used books to fill in void space in boxes so that I was not wasting space while packing up the things I wanted to take. All my recycled grocery bags came in handy for filler as well. Remember all the swatch cloth I mentioned in my last article? Well, I am once again recycling it as cushion in my boxes of breakable things. Everywhere I looked I had something I could reuse for my move. Once I arrived at my destination, I was pleasantly surprised to see that not one item had been damaged and my reuse and recycling of items was a success. Remember you don’t have to spend a fortune on a move, you can do it yourself and save money while keeping green.
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Artists find creative ways to reuse, recycle The Earth Odyssey spotlight this month is focused on three artists who reuse and recycle materials to produce works of art. First up is Sandhi Schimmel Gold, who uses recycled greeting cards, postcards,
menus, ticket stubs, brochures and other printed materials to create sustainable mosaic art, an art form she created. Next is Mike Yacos, an artist who harvests dead wood to carve amazing creations
that feature the flora, fauna and heritage of Arizona. Lastly, is Earth Odyssey itself, whose distribution stands are custom-made of reclaimed and recycled materials.
Perhaps these stories will inspire you to take a second look at your “trash,” and create some art of your own. We invite you to share your recycling stories. Submit them to editor@pinonpinepress.com.
Sandhi Schimmel Gold
Sustainable mosaic art elevates junk mail to a higher realm By Ann Haver-Allen andhi Schimmel Gold said she has been an artist her entire life and that she learned to mix paint before she could write her name. She is also a “rabid recycler” and saves everything believing that it will get used somewhere, sometime. Gold combined her love of art with her compulsion to recycle and created a mixed media art form she calls Acrylic Mosaic Fusion. Gold uses tiny scraps of paper—instead of glass or tile—to create sustainable mosaic art. “I’ve always been a recycler,” she said. “I was one of those people who had an ecology flag way back. I am hardwired that way. I just don’t like wasting things. Being a relentless recycler, I am compelled to upcycle unusual resources to create my art.” Gold, who has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a bachelor’s of fine arts in painting, began her professional career painting murals. She studied mosaics in Turkey and glass in Venice. Her vision, she said, is to use the disciplines of painting and mosaic to create a connected collection of representational or abstract images in segments of color by using resources that would otherwise go to waste. Her style or technique, she said, has been compared to Andy Warhol, Gustav Klimt, Peter Max and Chuck Close—comparisons she finds odd, interesting, thrilling and extremely complimentary. “It’s a spiritual and an artistic calling, complete with the inherent agony and ecstasy,” Gold said. “There are moments when I look at my work and think, that’s extraordinary… that’s why I do this. It’s also an organic communion of thought and inspiration. I portray faces as I imagine they might be using images from advertising ephemera. I am motivated by external stimuli—art and beauty, fashion
S
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Photo by Pia Wyer Artist Sandhi SchimmelGold deliberately incorporated letters all over the face of this 30” x 30” portrait—Cherry Blossom—in response to people asking if she uses Scrabble® tiles in her work. She doesn’t. Gold said she loves the cerise color of the blossoms and was inspired to add a red and metallic gold background. The flowers came as a last minute amusement, she said, adding to a Japanese anime theme.
and design. “It’s the attention and dedication to craft—hand-cutting, hand-fitting each tiny piece—some work includes thousands of pieces—from squares to shards. It’s close to couture in the amount of time and detail.” Gold finds her inspiration from many different sources. Sometimes she sees a “really cool” picture in a magazine with dramatic shadows or an interesting expression. Sometimes she is commissioned to create a portrait. “I create as an emotional response to visual stimulus—a photo, an idea, a theme… and it
morphs as I work, as the subject itself guides me, as the face I paint ‘speaks’ to me,” Gold said. “I use material that is saturated with color.” The portraits begin as a painting—eyes first—which is then overlaid with mosaic created from thousands of paper cuttings made from greeting cards, postcards, menus, ticket stubs, brochures and many other printed products that she saves and stores in boxes. “I believe we are an aggregate of tiny bits: Who we are and where we’ve been—or who we want or pretend to be,” Gold said. “The tesserae, the “tiles” I create from junk mail
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represent those bits in color and texture and meaning.” To finish her works of art, Gold shellacs them with a water-based sealant. “I shellac them because I have to,” Gold said. “When I first started taking them out to art shows and festivals, people felt like they had to touch them and even pulled pieces off. People at festivals are always eating. They would take a bite of kettle korn and then touch my work. So I started sealing them so they wouldn’t pull anything off, and hopefully, would not smudge them.” I caught up with Gold at the Scottsdale
February 2009
Library at the end of her month-long, invited exhibit. She said that when the library called with the invitation, they asked if she had portraits of authors. “A few of the authors I did specifically for this show,” Gold said. “It’s interesting because I painted a portrait of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. in high school. I did him again for this show—same color scheme, but a very different picture.” Gold’s art has been televised on Fox 10 News, KPNX-TV, KTVK-TV and ArtBeat on Channel 11. She has been featured in the Arizona Republic, London Times, Denver Post and The Artist’s Magazine among many others. One of her most recent coups was being a participant in Access Hollywood’s Golden Globes Stuff You Must Gift Lounge at the Golden Globe Awards Jan. 9-10. For a video clip of Gold presenting a portrait to Access Hollywood’s co-hosts Nancy O’Dell and Billy Bush, see her Web site at www.schimmelart.com. Gold said people ask her frequently if she uses Scrabble® tiles in her work because lettering on the recycled paper products is sometimes visible. “No, I don’t use Scrabble® pieces or Monopoly® pieces or anything else other than
recycled paper,” Gold said. But she did create one portrait—Cherry Blossom—where she incorporated letters all over the face (see photo on page 14). “Because people always ask if I use Scrabble® pieces, I put letters on this one,” Gold said. “It’s my own inside joke.” Gold’s work is in a number of galleries and private collections. She has sold and shipped work to Singapore and Malta. “The Malta sale was a piece I had made for myself,” Gold said. “She saw it on my Web site and had to have it. I said OK.” Gold said she has tried to elevate recycled art. “A lot of recycled art is more crafty, but my goal is to create fine art,” she said. “Something you would really want to own to hang in your office or home.” She said that once someone commented to her that her artwork is just paper. “I said yes, and the Mona Lisa is just paint and David is just a rock.” Gold will be at the Scottsdale Art Festival March 20-22 at the Civic Center in Scottsdale and has a solo show at the Translations Gallery in Denver, Colo., opening in April. Her work can be viewed online at www. schimmelart.com.
Photos by Pia Wyer At right, artist Sandhi Schimmel Gold uses recycled greeting cards, postcards, menus, ticket stubs, brochures and other printed materials to create sustainable mosaic art, an art form she created. Below left, this 24” x 30” portrait is titled “I want Khandi.” Below right, this 20” x 24” is titled “Kate at Smokey Joe’s,” and is a portrait of model Kate Moss.
February 2009
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Mike Yacos
Carving a place of his own in Congress By Ann Haver-Allen rtist Mike Yacos has carved out his own little piece of heaven in Congress—and carving is something Yacos does extremely well. “I started carving when I was doing tree work,” Yacos said. “I climbed and topped trees for 25 or 26 years. I would end up with some trees that were too big to mill and rather than cut them into firewood, I decided I would start carving and playing around with it.” Yacos said he realized that the worst he could do would be to make something that ended up as firewood after all, so with nothing to lose, he started carving. Now, on his spread in Congress, Yacos has created and built his own little world. When driving by on Highway 89, his compound almost looks like a ghost town. But the buildings are well-kept and the antique wagons and gasoline pumps were put there by Yacos, not abandoned by those who moved on to better things. He has built all the buildings himself over the past two years. Buildings include a house, which functions as a showplace; a garage, for housing his two Woodies—which he is restoring himself using native Arizona wood; a workshop, which is equipped with the latest woodworking tools; and an art gallery, where he displays his art work, as well as that of Margo Peterson, a renowned Western artist and personal friend. “I want to build a couple more of these buildings so it looks like a little town,” he said, adding that maybe he would build a “pharmacy” to house his collection of antique bottles. Yacos said one of the reasons he built all the buildings, which are different log structures, is so that people can get ideas of what is possible with wood. The house features doors, tables, fireplace mantels and even sinks that Yacos carved out of individual blocks of wood. The doors have running horses, an eagle catching a snake, a Native American smoking a pipe and a Native American riding his horse. One features a cactus wren coming out of her nest in a saguaro and another has a cactus wren feeding her open-mouthed chicks. All are carved with exquisite detail and are subtlety painted. The fireplace mantles have a menagerie of featured flora and fauna—from big horn sheep, cow skulls and cacti to rabbits, mice and hummingbirds—all expertly carved and painted. A mirror showcases a stream of rainbow trout. The sinks are made of beautifully finished mesquite wood. One is a carved rattlesnake. When asked how long it takes to carve a mantel, Yacos said it takes about a month, depending on the size and detail the customer orders. “It’s been slow, although it’s starting to pick up,” he said. “That’s the way my business is, though. It’ll be slow for a little bit and then all of a sudden, people will come in and have me do all kinds of different stuff.” Yacos said just last week a couple visited
A
Photos by Pia Wyer Above, a detailed view of one of the many carved and painted doors created by artist Mike Yacos. Below, Yacos said he originally planned this portrait to be on a door, but it developed a life of its own. The completed carving is a stand-alone sculpture. See www.MikeYacos.com for more of his work.
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February 2009
Photos by Pia Wyer Left, a carved and painted door created by Mike Yacos. Above, top, a carved Gambel’s quail is perched on an ocotillo branch. Prickly Pear pads with a blossom are also visible. Above, The rainbow trout is part of a carved and painted mirror. Below, when traveling Highway 89 south, look for the little town created by artist Mike Yacos. Be sure to stop and visit.
February 2009
Earth Odyssey • www.pinonpinepress.com
and liked his show house so much, they want him to build one for them. “I found them the property and everything,” he said. “I’ll build the whole house for them.” He’s also working on an 80-foot covered bridge that is being constructed with no hardware, but with mortise and tenon joints and pegs where needed. “It will look like an old Amish bridge when I’m finished,” he said. And as the Earth Odyssey interview progressed, a couple stopped in and after viewing Yacos’ work, said they will likely commission him to build a front door for their Prescott home. Yacos gets his wood from the forest—dead wood that would otherwise be wildfire fuel. “Most of the time, the camps—like the Boy Scouts or the Christian camps—call and ask me to come get the wood,” he said. “It’s already dead, downed trees. They just want to get rid of the wood because it’s a fire hazard and they don’t want the kids to get hurt on it.” He said he recently collected some black walnut from a camp in Prescott that’s going to make some nice carving material or cabinets. He also sells wood from his vast storehouse. “People come over and buy logs,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons I built all these different log structures, to give people ideas.” In addition to his woodworking, Yacos paints and creates bronze sculptures, many of which are on display in his art gallery. The gallery is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. “I’m here every day, unless I go to the woods,” Yacos said. “If I have to go out, I leave a note stating when I’ll be back. But if I’m not here, someone can just leave me a note and I’ll get hold of them.” He said even though he has an Art Gallery sign, people often miss it. Just look for the little “town” on the right as you are heading south on Highway 89 toward Wickenburg. It’s unlikely that Yacos will be in the gallery, unless he is talking to customers. Otherwise, he will be outside carving and creating. “Most of my stuff is bigger and I like to work outside,” he said. “Besides, I need the light. Life isn’t too bad right now. It’s nice working here and things are starting to pick up.”
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Earth Odyssey distribution stands made using reclaimed and recycled materials By Ann Haver-Allen erhaps you’ve noticed Earth Odyssey’s distribution stands when you are out and about. Some of the stands are sizeable metal sculptures, while others are smaller wooden ones. But all Earth Odyssey stands have one thing in common: they are all made from reclaimed and recycled materials. The large metal sculptures are designed and made by Jason Allen, a found-object artist. Jason said he collects scrap steel—mostly car parts—from his neighbors and friends and from along the roadsides. He organizes the steel so that he can easily see what he has to work with. “Most people use something and when that original purpose can no longer be fulfilled, they trash the item,” Jason said. “My objective is to show that things have an extensive afterlife that is many times longer than the original lifespan.” Jason said he usually works along a theme. Previous themes have been circles, squares, car parts, spirit, robot and bicycle. “I just look at the stuff and piece it together mentally,” he said. “When I get something I think is good, I start welding.” But the welding is only the first step in a
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Photos by Pia Wyer Above, Jason Allen positions a metal sculpture Earth Odyssey distribution stand outside the Crystal Lotus in Pine. Below, a wooden Earth Odyssey distribution stand is located outside VitaMart in Payson.
Photos by Jason Allen Above and at right, two metal sculptures created as distribution stands for Earth Odyssey.
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February 2009
labor-intensive process. After the sculpture is welded together, the steel is then sandblasted to clean and prepare the surface for patina. “I have to do a lot of experimenting with my chemicals,” Jason said. “Although patina on bronze is very common, patina on steel is quite uncommon. Some things work and some things don’t.” When he is satisfied with the patina, Jason seals the sculptures so that they are weatherproof. The sculptures are then placed at distribution points that appreciate the artistic creation and have the space needed for display. Allen earned his BFA in photography, painting and sculpture from the University of South Carolina. After graduating and moving to Arizona, he worked in bronze foundries until an on-the-job injury ended that. He has won numerous awards in professional juried exhibitions, including first places in sculpture, wheel-work, ceramics, oil portrait painting, printmaking and photography. Currently, he teaches photography at Yavapai College, designs ads for Earth Odyssey and manages distribution for the magazine.
Wooden stands Photos by Jason Allen and Pia Wyer Earth Odyssey distributions stands are metal sculptures made from recycled steel, wooden stands made from recycled redwood and cedar lumber and plastic boxes that were rescued on their way to the dump.
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arth Odyssey’s smaller wooden stands are made from recycled redwood and cedar lumber, topped by custommade, patina insignias on recycled metal. These stands were designed and made by Bill Allen, while Jason Allen designed the custom toppers. “The first few stands were made with redwood lumber from our own deck, which I salvaged when I rebuilt the deck,” Bill said. “Then a neighbor replaced their deck and I harvested all of their old lumber.” When that ran out, an ad was placed in Earth Odyssey seeking additional lumber. Star Valley resident John Killips answered that ad and contributed a truckload of cedar siding. “I read the first issue of Earth Odyssey and loved it,” Killips said. “It’s about everything that Nancy and I are into. We recycle everything—plastic, cans, glass, paper—everything. I saw the ad and I have all this wood that I had taken off the Landmark Restaurant in Christopher Creek when it was deconstructed. I kept it because it’s good, beautiful wood. I’m glad it’s being put to good use.” Not only did Killips provide much-needed cedar lumber, but he also volunteered to handle Earth Odyssey distribution in Christopher Creek and a few other places.
Rescued stands
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ecently, Earth Odyssey introduced a number of manufactured distribution stands into the mix. Some of the new stands are plastic, weather-proof boxes and others are small wire stands. Don’t panic. These stands were not purchased new. They were purchased from a newspaper that closed down in December and these distribution stands were destined for the landfill when we learned of them. We interceded, purchased them and are customizing them for Earth Odyssey. Next time you are out and pick up your copy of Earth Odyssey, take a minute to look at the distribution stand. You will see that we practice what we preach.
February 2009
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Living within Mother Earth’s means
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his month’s subject is the big picture—regarding the environment, sustainable living, sustainable development and sustainable redevelopment. Let’s step back and look at ourselves, and this big picture. Let’s look at our population. We currently have approximately 6.8 billion people living on our Mother Earth. Some scientists have estimated that the planet can reasonably sustain only about 4 billion. Coming to that conclusion would make anyone passionate about a push for zero population growth (ZPG). I, however, subscribe to the belief that we can make it very well with our current population, assuming that our technological innovations are rightly managed. And I believe ZPG will naturally become a reality without requiring legislature (as has been enacted by some countries) to limit the number of babies a couple is allowed to bring into the world. Our planetary rate of population growth was an estimated 2.2 percent in the year 1963, and it had reduced to approximately 1.1 percent by the year 2000. As we get more crowded, and people become more educated and happier, it is evident that the rate of growth will get down to less than zero, meaning each couple of people being responsible for the birthing of an average of less than two kids. In this way, the population would begin to decrease. So, I’m not getting all worked up over the ZPG movement. I believe we just need to get smarter in the way we use our available natural resources. Let’s look at our most precious natural resource: land. “Sustainable development” is nearly a contradiction in terms. We should be moving toward the idea of not developing any more land whatsoever. One of the problems is that our current economic system is based on growth. If we are not creating more “stuff ” (material items that add to the gross national product of the country) than we did in the previous year, our economists perceive this to be a huge problem. And it is a huge problem, given the way we have set up our markets. But I’m optimistic about the way this may all be chang-
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ing. With the population moving toward zero growth, we should theoretically be able to preserve all land that is not already developed. In fact, we will be able to reduce the amount of developed land worldwide, with sustainable redevelopment. Currently, there are federally funded inner-city redevelopment projects known as “Brownfields Projects.” We can take this incentive-based program to the outer suburbs as well, and governments can buy up private lands to add to the national reserves of protected areas. Let’s take any and all unsuccessful development projects and redevelop them in smarter fashion, with demographic diversity within the developments, and with mixed uses providing commercial, office and residential areas in close proximity. This will encourage fewer auto trips, more community relations and less infrastructure requirements. I can envision such redevelopment, coupled with ZPG, leading to the creation of less “stuff ” than in previous years. And we will evolve into happier and simpler lives with less excessive material needs. Politics! I may be criticized for speaking of an ideology that is politically unpractical. For example, it may be impossible to expect, in a free world, to restrict private land holdings from being further developed. But, let’s consider the destruction of the rain forests of South America, and other examples of land developers who are financially over-motivated to fulfill certain market needs. The reasons for such over-development range from an understandable matter of survival for the local people, to a matter of an insane greed of foreign money interests.
Year
World Population
Rate of Increase per year
1800
1 billion
1.0%
1900
1.5 billion
1.0%
1930
2 billion
1.7%
1960
3 billion
2.0%
1975
4 billion
1.8%
1987
5 billion
1.7%
2000
6 billion
1.1%
United Nations data shows that while the percentage of population growth has decreased since 1960, global population is more than 6 billion and growing at the rate of 90 million a year. By the year 2025 world population is expected to reach 8 billion.
In Third World countries, there are unconscionable crimes of environmental destruction because the resulting political backlash has no power to it. Regardless, the necessary environmental controls need to be in place worldwide. This may take a while, or not. We have gone from an agrarian-based economy (generations ago), to an industrial-based economy (for much of the 20th century), and now many countries have awkwardly embarked into the information age. The information age is conducive to a new kind of economy that is based less on creating material possessions and more on catering to our cerebral needs. We are heading toward an informationbased economy, where we will no longer need to have huge industrial infrastructure to maintain the system. The environmental buzz-words should be “sustainable living,” as opposed to “sustainable development.” And sustainable redevelopment of previously developed land will be undertaken with all of the technology available to us for energy conservation, water conservation and the recycling of materials. We should also keep in mind that sustainable living is not only the creation of “green” structures and energy conservation. It should also involve food conservation and simple frugality.
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Only in America: A piece of food in a typical mainstream grocery store travels an estimated average of 1,300 miles before getting to the point of sale. We need to make educated choices in what we eat and buy food and things with conservation in mind. It can be a surprising eye-opener to monitor your garbage for a week or so. You may be surprised at the excesses in your personal consumer habits. Doctor Juanito’s Free Health Tip: It is a healthier choice to eat fresh local produce as opposed to preserved imported produce. I believe if you and I create the intention of worldwide sustainable living in every aspect of our lives and the lives of all people, then the collective consciousness of humanity will tend to shift in that direction. Of course, the political and economic systems will require some overhauling before achieving the Utopia I am envisioning, and this will happen. Whether it happens smoothly or with much difficulty I do not know. But it will happen, and the environment will be just fine. John Hall is a co-owner of the Crystal Lotus Gallery and Spiritual Life Center, located on Highway 87 in Pine, Arizona. Telephone: (928) 476-3410.
February 2009
Researchers connect diet, eye health
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recent eye exam (and a pair of glasses for the first time in my life) prompted me to do some research on the connection between diet and eye health. Like an apple that turns brown when it’s cut open, the lens of the eye gets brown as we age, writes Allen Taylor, director of the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research at Tufts’ Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition, in the January issue of “Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter.” The browning has to do with oxidation, and in terms of our diet, the oxidation of carbohydrates. Aging eyes can lead to cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), conditions he expects to see more as baby-boomers age. In a study of 500 women, ages 53 to 73, in the Nurses Health Study, Taylor and colleagues found that women who consumed diets with a high glycemic index had a greater risk of developing signs of early AMD than those with a lower glycemic index diet. The glycemic index measures how rapidly the body converts food to sugar. High glycemic index foods like white bread or potatoes are considered lower-quality carbohydrate sources than lower glycemic foods like lentils, yams or whole grains. A study of 4,099 nondiabetic participants in the National Eye Institute’s Age-Related Eye Disease Study found that 20 percent of AMD cases would have been prevented by a low glycemic diet. Changing a diet from the top half of the
glycemic-index scale at greatest risk for AMD to the bottom half is a simple as switching from five slices of white bread daily to five slices of whole wheat bread, Taylor said. Even small changes like that can reduce the risk of AMD and delay the progress of AMD in patients who already have it, he added. Besides consuming good carbs, there may be other dietary changes that can help eye health. Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E and beta carotene also have shown promising results. There also may be benefits from carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as omega-3 fatty acids. Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in the macula of the eye and are the yellow pigments found in leafy green vegetables and egg yolks. One of the best sources of lutein is spinach. Zeaxanthin is also found in corn. More studies will be forthcoming. —Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, January 2009
Spray-on Power Cheap and inexhaustible electricity production remains one of the Holy Grails of the green movement, with solar running neck-and-neck with wind in its ability to inspire innovation. Here’s an example: Conventional solar cells are made of silicon, a brittle substance that requires a solid backing. But recently, Xiaomei Jiang from the University of South Florida has announced the development of the tiniest solar cells ever produced—cells made from an organic polymer that is able to be dissolved and painted onto any surface that is exposed to the sun. Jiang envisions the cells being applied not just to rooftops, but to cars and clothing as well. The power output is small at the moment, but Jiang hopes to double it soon. “It’s just a matter of months,” she said. “The main components are carbon and hydrogen—materials that are present in nature and are environmentally friendly.” ... And we dream of warm solar cell winter jackets as we wait for the bus.
Magic Number 350 Andrew Gardner and Bill McKibbin are fixated on the number 350. And they want everybody in the world to be fixated on it as well. They’ve got high-profile athletes wearing
February 2009
Q&A
Recipe
Q: Do the new exercise guidelines recommend that all Americans take up weight lifting? A: Not exactly: The latest recommendations (including the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and the 2007 recommendations of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and American Heart Association) both agree that musclestrengthening activities benefit most people. They recommend performing eight to 10 different strength-training exercises at a moderate- or high-intensity level at least two days a week. This should include exercises for the upper and lower legs, hips, back, chest, shoulders, abdomen and arms. Strength-training does not have to mean weight-lifting, however. The goal can also be accomplished with resistance bands or calisthenics that push against body weight (such as push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups), or even yard work with heavy digging and lifting. Appropriate muscle-strengthening activities for children include those listed above, as well as some types of recreational play like climbing on playground equipment and trees or playing games like tug-of-war. According to the ACSM, strength training is especially important for adults over 65, so they should aim for two to three sessions each week. The new federal guidelines suggest that older adults who are unable to follow the general adult guidelines should be as active as their physical condition allows. —American Institute for Cancer Research
This is the season for comfort foods. If they can be made healthy, even better. This recipe for Old-Fashioned Beef Stew, from Prevention magazine, is lower in fat than traditional recipes.
can be translated across different countries,” said Jamie Henn, San Francisco campaign co-coordinator. Now we’re at about 387 parts per million and gaining about two more parts per million per year, so you might want to spread the word. There’s a wonderful animation on their Web site at www.350.org.
of wooly mammoth tissue may be within reach. Are we one step closer to a real-life “Jurassic Park?”
Cloning the Extinct?
green sweatbands that bear the number. They have church bells ringing 350 times, polar explorers planting the number on mountaintop banners, quilters affixing it on their quilts, farmers planting 350 trees and grads in offices using the Internet to spread the word—just to name a few initiatives. Why the fixation? It is the number—in parts per million of atmospheric carbon—to which we must return in order to sustain life on Earth. So said Dr. James Hansen, a wellknown climate scientist. “It’s a quick three-digit, go-to symbol that
It’s possible that a baby wooly mammoth carcass that Russian scientists discovered in 2007—which has been frozen for more than 40,000 years—may be able to be cloned. Someday soon. Wow. Until now, cloning frozen tissue was impossible because cells burst open during freezing, which damages the DNA. (The only exception to this is when cryoprotectant chemicals are used to preserve the DNA before the tissue is frozen—which obviously doesn’t apply to the baby wooly mammoth.) But recently, Japanese scientist Teruhiko Wakayama and his colleagues were able to clone unprotected mice that were frozen for up to 16 years. They put nuclear material from a frozen mouse into an egg cell that had its nucleus removed, then stimulated the resulting cell—which began dividing as if it had been fertilized. ... Which leads scientists to think that cloning new animals from frozen samples
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Old Fashioned Beef Stew 12 ounces beef, cut into bite-size pieces ½ cup chopped onions 1 green bell pepper, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced 4 medium carrots, sliced 1 can (14 ounce) beef broth, defatted 1/4 cup evaporated nonfat milk 1 teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons dry red wine Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray. Heat skillet and add beef, onions, bell pepper and garlic. Cook and stir until beef is browned. Stir in potatoes, carrots and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until meat is nearly tender. (Do not boil). Stir in milk and paprika. In custard cup, stir together cornstarch and wine until smooth. Then stir cornstarch mixture into beef mixture. Cook until slightly thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Serves 4. Per serving: 340 calories, 28 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 10 g fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 460 mg sodium. Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian in Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com.
Here Come LEDs CFLs have been heralded as the green alternative to the familiar incandescent light bulbs that were brought to us by Thomas Edison, but CFLs reign may be short-lived: LEDs are on the horizon. We’ve seen LED bulbs in digital clocks, outdoor television screens and traffic lights, but with semiconductor technology falling in price and a promised 50,000 hours of use, their appeal is growing. We’re told that LEDs last 60 times longer than incandescents and 10 times longer than CFLs. And since LED bulbs are lit entirely by the movement of electrons, there is no filament to glow and no energy wasted on heat. But there are obstacles that manufacturers are working to overcome. First, LEDs aren’t yet as bright as other lighting systems; they have to be bundled together in a single casing to provide enough lighting oomph. Second, mass distribution hasn’t yet kicked in—until the ball gets rolling, units go for $50 to $80 a pop. Still, running an LED for $2 a year is too attractive to ignore. Questions can be sent to Jim Parks at jrparks@mac.com.
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Sudoku!
Find 21 words relating to Valentine’s Day
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains numbers 1 through 9. The puzzle has only one solution. The solution is on page 28.
Word Power
Admirer Candy Card
Cherish Chocolate Cupid
February Flowers Fourteenth
Give Greeting Heart
Kisses Love Romantic
Roses Saint Sentimental
Besot (verb) Pronunciation: [bi-’saht] Definition: To muddle or stupefy, as with liquor—or love; to infatuate, to make a sot of. Usage: Besot works as a verb, as “I’m besotted with you,” but the form “besotted” is also an adjective. “Besottedly” is the adverb, and “besottedness” is the name for that particular stage of a relationship. Suggested Usage: Is there anything more intoxicating than love?
Sweetheart Tradition Valentine
When one is besotted, one is likely to behave in a foolish way because one is drunk on feelings. “Adrienne’s eyes besot Dennis to total speechlessness, a state in which she finds him more attractive.” Love, however, is not the only thing that besots: “Letty is besotted with dreams of owning a Harley-Davidson and roaring up and down the highway on weekends.”
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February 2009
Daniel, Noah, Joseph, Jacob, Brandon and Devin each gave one Valentine’s Day card to a girl in their class. The girls Rachel, Elizabeth, Sarah, Courtney, Ashley and Stephanie each received one Valentine’s Day card and want to know who gave it to them. 1. Brandon could not decide whether to give a card to Stephanie or to Courtney. They are both nice, and he likes to talk to both of them. Since he couldn’t decide, he decided to give a card to someone else on Valentine’s Day! 2. Noah did not give a card to Sarah. 3. Noah likes Sarah and Stephanie. He gave a card to one of them. 4. Joseph did not give a card to Rachel. 5. Ashley heard Devin say that he did not give a card to Stephanie. 6. Ashley heard Devin say that he did not give a card to Rachel. 7. Daniel gave Ashley a card.
8. Elizabeth knows that either Joseph or Jacob gave her a card. 9. Joseph could not decide whether to give a card to Elizabeth or to Sarah. They are both nice, and he likes to talk to both of them. Since he couldn’t decide, he decided to give a card to someone else on Valentine’s Day!
Riddle Me This
1. Throw me off the highest building, and I’ll not break. But put me in the ocean and I will. What am I? 2. What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but
never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps? 3. You use a knife to slice my head and weep beside me when I am dead. What am I? 4. I’m where yesterday follows today, and tomorrow’s in the middle. What am I?
Solutions on page 28
Educational books, puppets, toys and puzzles focused on nature. Highlands Center Insignia— help spread the word with a Highlands Center T-shirt, cap or water bottle. Coming soon: fleece vests. Newest title to hit the shelves—I Love Dirt! 52 activities to help you and your kids discover the wonders of nature. Check out our latest selection of natural history books and field guides. Selection of wildflower and grass seed available. Local retailer of Soil Secrets products www.soilsecrets.com. Coming soon: Highlands Center apparel for the youngest members of the family—infant and toddler sizes.
The Benson Family Nature Store is located at the Highlands Center 1375 Walker Road, Prescott • (928) 776-9559 Solution on page 28 February 2009
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Recurring Events Monday nights, 7 p.m.—Self Search/Channeled Readings, The Way To The Light Within, Phoenix. This class has been going on for over 12 years now. In the first part of the class, Dominique uses her psychic ability and StarWheel™ tiles to give each participant a mini reading. Bring your questions about anything you want to know, because in the second part of the class Dominique connects to her own as well as your guides, to get answers and guidance for you. Dominique is also a medium and can connect with and give you information from departed loved ones or friends. $20, Call (602) 279-2941 to reserve your place. Wednesdays in February and March, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.—Soap Making Class, Rimrock (near Camp Verde). Learn how to make all natural handmade soaps from vegetable oils. Also, we will be making natural body balms, bath fizzies and spritzers. All materials provided and participants will each take home products valued at $50 retail. Taught by Vyktoria Keating, owner of Pie Town Soap Co. Cost is $100 for four classes. Refreshments provided. For more info and to sign up, call or e-mail (928) 204-0537 or vyktoria@sedona.net. Thursdays, Vibrational Realignment, a unique form of spiritual healing, with Mike Davis at Mountain Spirit Co-Op, 107 N. Cortez St., Suite 100, Prescott. For more info or an appointment, call (928) 862-0594. Sundays through May, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.— Go Green Farmer’s Market, intersection of Craftsman Court and Fifth Avenue, Scottsdale. The Go Green market will offer local produce and products related to health, wellness and sustainable living. This market will feature artist demonstrations, guided meditations, yoga, music and storytime in the adjacent Kiva Courtyard. For more info, call Phone: (623) 848-1234 or see http://arizonafarmersmarkets.com/pageScottsdaleGoGreen/ScottsdaleDTGoGreenSun.htm__.
Nonrecurring Events Feb. 1, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.—Spring 2009 Permaculture Design Course kicks off. Sponsored by the Phoenix Permaculture Guild, organized by Don Titmus. Additional dates are Feb. 21, 22, March 14, 15, April 4, 5 and 18. For more info, call (480) 241-5882. Feb. 1, 2 p.m.—The National Old Trails Road, established in 1912 as the first coastto-coast highway, running across more than a dozen states. Presented by Richard and Sherry Mangum. Red Rock State Park theater. Reservations recommended, seating limited. (928) 282-6907. Feb. 2—2009 State of Green Business Forum, PG&E auditorium, San Francisco. For more info, see www.greenbiz.com/stateof-
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greenbusinessforum. Feb. 2, 6 p.m.–9 p.m.—Private Well Owner’s Workshop, offered by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Office for Yavapai County. Free, Yavapai County Building, 1015 Fair St., Prescott—Board of Supervisor’s Room.
Feb. 3, 9 a.m.-Noon—Beginning Birdwatching at Desert Botanical Garden and Beyond, classroom session. To register, log on to www.DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146. Feb. 4, 6:30 p.m.- 8 p.m.—Raising Chickens in Your Backyard with Rachel Bess, Downtown Phoenix Public Market meeting room, 721 N. Central, Phoenix. For more info, see www.phoenixpermaculture.org. Feb. 4, 6:45 p.m.-7:45 p.m.—Introduction to Birdwatching, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. For those 16 and older. Cost: $12. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. Feb. 5, 8 a.m.-11 a.m.—Beginning Birdwatching at Desert Botanical Garden and Beyond, field trip. To register, log on to www. DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146. Feb. 5, 3 p.m.-7 p.m .—Downtown Chandler Farmers Market, Dr. A.J. Chandler Park. Fresh, local produce, jams, honey, salsas, artisan breads and more. For more info, see www.chandleraz.gov. Feb. 5, 4 p.m .-6 p.m.—Nature Photography Workshop for Students, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. Students must supply their own digital camera. For ages 6-18. Cost: $38. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. Feb. 6, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.—Star Party, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. Members of the East Valley Astronomy Club will bring their telescopes to Veterans Oasis Park to allow park visitors to explore Arizona’s amazing night sky. This
public program is free. Participants under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis.
Yábar and other world spiritual traditions. For more info, see www.kenosis.net/Articles/ lifepathflyer09.pdf.
Feb. 7, 8 a.m.-Noon—Monthly Family Birdwalk, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. Feb. 7, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.—Land Navigation with a Map and Compass (Basic), The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. For ages 16 and older. Cost: $28. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. Feb. 7, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.—Wallace Desert Garden. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to see an exclusive private collection of desert plants from around the world without leaving the Valley of the Sun. Travel by van from the Desert Botanical Garden to Wallace Desert Gardens in north Scottsdale for a leisurely walking tour, led by knowledgeable Wallace Desert Gardens and DBG staff members. Limit 20. For more info, or to register, go to www.DBG.ORG and click on the green education button located on the top menu bar, or call (480) 481-8146.
Feb. 8—Bikers Soar for Wildlife Fundraiser. The Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center Auxiliary (AMWCA) annual “Bikers Soar for Wildlife” fundraiser to support the Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center (AMWC), often the best hope for an injured or orphaned wild animal. The Center takes in more than 1,000 animals annually, many with severe injuries that require months of nursing care from the volunteers at the Center. Happily, about 65 percent are successfully returned to the wild. Those that cannot be released are used in our educational programs or placed with zoos or qualified facilities. For more info, call (623) 587-0139 or see www. azwildlifecenter.net. Feb. 8, 9 a.m.-11 a.m.—Build Your Own Rain Barrel With Chip Satterlund, 922 W. Pierson, Phoenix. For more info, send e-mail query to liz@phoenixpermaculture.net.
Feb. 7, 9:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m.—Designing a Vegetable Garden, Part 4, with Heather Welch, downtown Phoenix Public Market, meeting room 721 N. Central, SE corner of Central Avenue and McKinley Street. For more info, see www.phoenixpermaculture. org/events/designing-a-vegetable-garden. Feb. 7—“Your Relationships—A Pathway to Personal Power.” A one-day experiential workshop with John English in Novato, Calif. For more info, call toll-free (866) 304-8700 or visit www.stellarproductionslive.com. Feb. 7, 4 p.m.-5p.m.—Complimentary Workshop: The Fork in the Road: How to Move Off the Beaten Path. Prescott Library, Founders Room, 215 E. Goodwin St., Prescott. This workshop is a free introduction to Navigating Your Lifepath, a program for those who are committed to moving into an authentic life, their full potential and spiritual values. Integrated are the sacred ways of the Andes learned over 15 years through renowned mystic Don Américo
Earth Odyssey • www.pinonpinepress.com
Feb. 8, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.—Family Fun Hike at Javelina Canyon. Enjoy a family fun hike at South Mountain. For ages 7 and up with an accompanying adult. We will discover the Javelina Canyon Trail, an easy two-mile roundtrip hike, starting from the Beverly Canyon parking lot south of Baseline Road at the end of 46th Street. Limit 15. To register, log on to www.DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146. Feb. 8, 2 p.m.—Geology Hike at Red Rock State Park. Reservations may be required. Bring water and wear comfortable shoes. Call (928) 282-6907. Feb. 10, 9 a.m.-Noon—Beginning Birdwatching at Desert Botanical Garden and Beyond, classroom session. To register, log on to www.DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146. Feb. 10 & Feb. 17, 6:15 p.m.-7:45 p.m.— Astronomy 102, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. For those
February 2009
13 and older. Cost: $13 for both weeks. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veteransoasis. Feb. 11, 6:45 p.m.-7:45 p.m.—Introduction to Birdwatching, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. For those 16 and older. Cost: $12. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. Feb. 11-13—Wind Power Finance & Investment Summit, Paradise Point Resort and Spa, San Diego. For more info, see www.infocastinc.com/index.php/conference/wind09. Feb. 12, 8 a.m.-11 a.m.—Beginning Birdwatching at Desert Botanical Garden and Beyond, field trip. To register, log on to www.DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146.
Feb. 12, 4 p.m .-6 p.m.—Nature Photography Workshop for Students, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. Students must supply their own digital camera. For ages 6-18. Cost: $38. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. Feb. 12, 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.—Lecture Series with Mike Davis, CEO of Energy Medicine Foundation: “Energy Medicine: What is it, and Why You Need to Know.” There will be hands-on demonstrations and special offers for all attendees. For more info, call (928) 862-0594. Feb. 13, 7 p.m.—Roanna Kagenveama, Hopi WisdomKeeper. Roanna Kagenveama is a Hopi Wisdom-Keeper, artist and musician raised in the traditional way of her ancestors. She is a member of the Sand Clan, who have inhabited the mesas in Northern Arizona for the past 700 to 800 years. Roanna has performed many ceremonies and workshops in the United States and twice traveled to Japan, teaching about Hopi customs. She will share
February 2009
Registration begins Feb. 1 for April Birding Festival
R
egistration for the 2009 Verde Valley Birding & Nature Festival begins Feb 1. The festival will be held at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood April 23 thru 26. The theme for this year’s event is “The River is the Reason” and will feature field trips, guided walks and presentations focusing on the Verde River. Many favored events from past years will be included this year, such as the trip to the Grand Canyon to view the famed condors plus lunch at the historic El Tovar Restaurant or a guided canoe trip on the Verde River followed by a catered riverside brunch. New this year is birding on horseback on the state park trails and a just for fun kayak trip down the Verde. The keynote address and dessert reception will feature Jim Burns, Arizona birder, author and photographer. Workshops, exhibits and tradeshow round out the event. Workshops and field trips are led by experts who enthusiastically share their expertise in birding, geology, area history and other areas of specialization. Pronounced an “Arizona Tourism Treasure” by Arizona’s Governor Janet Napolitano, this is an extraordinary festival, with
her story and her wisdom for the benefit of all peoples. Seating is limited, reservations required. For more info, or to make reservations, call (928) 282-1298. Feb. 13-15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily—Scottsdale 5th Avenue Fine Art & Wine Festival. The Scottsdale 5th Avenue Fine Art & Wine Festival will feature more than 125 juried fine artisans from throughout the United States, wine and micro-brew tasting, live musical entertainment, chocolates and more! Feb. 14—Tour of Historic Florence. The town of Florence will open 14 homes and buildings for a self-guided tour. These structures range from the 1870s through the 1930s, and include the 1878 Territorial Courthouse (McFarland State Historic Park). The park will feature re-enactors and displays from the 1860s to 1912. (520) 868-5216.
Photo by Susan Beach The 2009 Verde Valley Birding & Nature Festival will take place April 23-26 at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood.
something for everyone, from birding beginners to experts, lovers of nature and lovers of learning. Saturday is a free “Family Nature Fair” with activities for children and parents
alike. For more info about all the events and activities, or to register, visit the Web site at www.birdyverde.org/ or call Barbie at (928) 282-2202.
Dynamic gardener, author and lecturer, Jim Muir. For more info, see www.phoenixpermaculture.org.
of outdoor photography experience. Phone (520) 689-2723 to register.
Feb. 14-15—Buffalo Soldiers, Fort Verde State Historic Park. The buffalo soldiers will be at Fort Verde to celebrate Black History Month, in conjunction with the Town’s Pecan and Wine Festival. They will present riding demonstrations as well as Living History Presentations. (928) 567-3275. Feb. 17, 9 a.m.-Noon—Beginning Birdwatching at Desert Botanical Garden and Beyond, field trip. To register, log on to www. DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146.
Feb. 14, 8 a.m.-11 a.m.—Beginning Birdwatching at Desert Botanical Garden and Beyond, field trip. To register, log on to www.DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146. Feb. 14, 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m.—Composting in the Southwest Desert With Jim Muir, downtown Phoenix Public Market meeting room, 721 N. Central Ave. Learn and understand composting from the expert—Organic/Bio-
Feb. 18, 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.—Nature and Wildlife Photography Workshop, Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. $25 for members, $32.50 for nonmembers. Eagar resident Maggie Leef will share her lifetime
Earth Odyssey • www.pinonpinepress.com
Feb. 18, 6:30 p.m.—What is Wilderness, a Two-Part Series, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. Learn about the current efforts by the Arizona Wilderness Coalition to help protect and conserve our wilderness, and find out what YOU can do to help! This program is free, but pre-registration is required. For those 13 and older. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. Feb. 18, 6:45 p.m.-7:45 p.m.—Introduction to Birdwatching, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. For those 16 and older. Cost: $12. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. Feb. 19, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.—Rancho de lost Caballeros hike. Head out Wickenburg way for this popular seasonal outing featuring cowboy naturalist Richard Fredrickson and Eric Garton of the Desert Botanical Garden’s education department. Lunch, gratuities, bottled water and snacks are included. Limit 20. For additional information or to register, please go to www.dbg.org and click on the green education button located at the top of
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the menu bar, or call (480) 481-8146. Feb. 19, 8 a.m.-11 a.m.—Beginning Birdwatching at Desert Botanical Garden and Beyond, field trip. To register, log on to www.DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146. Feb. 19, 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.—Basic Photography: Camera Settings and Applications, Photography Workshop at Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. $25 for members, $32.50 for nonmembers. Eagar resident Maggie Leef will share her lifetime of outdoor photography experience. Workshop for beginning and intermediate photographers. Topics include camera features and practical ideas in the field. Phone (520) 689-2723 to register. Feb. 19, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.—Nature Photography Workshop for Students, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. Students must supply their own digital camera. For ages 6-18. Cost: $38. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. Feb. 19, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.—HIV/AIDS, a roundtable discussion hosted by The Ripple Project of Prescott College. Room 206, Crossroads Center, behind the College’s main buildings at 220 Grove Ave. For more info, contact Lianne Rydell, Service-Learning Coordinator, at (928) 350-1002, or lrydell@ prescott.edu.
Workshop for beginning and intermediate photographers. Phone (520) 689-2723 to register.
Downtown Phoenix Public Market meeting room, 721 N. Central, Phoenix. For more info, see www.phoenixpermaculture.org.
Feb. 21—“Introduction to Shamanic Journeying & Trance” —One-day experiential workshop with John English in San Francisco. For more info, call toll-free (866) 304-8700 or visit www.stellarproductionslive.com.
Feb. 28, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.—World Desert Fair, Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. Showcases desert plants and ecosystems from all around the world. This event is a chance to experience a taste of the food, crafts and cultures from faraway continents as you walk the 1½ mile long main trail and explore the Sonoran, Australian, South African and Mediterranean gardens and collections. (520) 689-2811.
Feb. 21, 8 a.m.-11 a.m.—Beginning Birdwatching at Desert Botanical Garden and Beyond, field trip. To register, log on to www.DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146. Feb. 21, 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m.—Raising Chickens in Your Backyard with Rachel Bess, Downtown Phoenix Public Market meeting room, 721 N. Central, Phoenix. For more info, see www.phoenixpermaculture.org. Feb. 21, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.—Opening the Energy Gates Chi Gung for Vitality Class. Learn Tai Chi health exercises used effectively in China for chronic fatigue, burnout, immune deficiency, cancer, degenerative diseases, arthritis, heart disease, pain, and high performance. Backway’s, 250 S. McCormick St., Prescott. For more info, call Susan Kansky (928) 925-3426. Feb. 21, 10 a.m.—Third Annual Geo Cache Bash, Cattail Cove State Park. Discover all the hidden treasures to be found at Cattail Cove State Park. Be sure to bring your handheld GPS unit with you. (928) 855-1223. Feb. 21, 10:30 a.m.-Noon—Solar Cooking with Anne Goldfeld, Downtown Phoenix Public Market meeting room, 721 N. Central, Phoenix. Learn how to cook with the power of the sun! For more info, see http:// www.phoenixpermaculture.org. Feb. 21, Noon-2 p.m.—Beginners GPS Class, 1750 S. Greenfield Road, Mesa. This class is FREE. For more info, contact Tommy Valentino at (480) 558-1111, or see www. sportsmanswarehouse.com.
Feb. 20, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.—Hike Through Time – Geology of the Superstition Mountains at Hackberry Springs. Geologist Richard Allen leads this exciting hike on First Water Trail to Hackberry Springs in the Superstition Mountains to discover the geologic history and wonder of this legendary area. Limit 12. To register, log on to www.DBG. org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146. Feb. 20, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.—Photographing Spring Color, Photography Workshop at Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. $25 for members, $32.50 for nonmembers. Eagar resident Maggie Leef will share her lifetime of outdoor photography experience.
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Feb. 21, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.—Energetic Resolution Technique Group Healing Session. Rapidly clear root causes underlying physical and emotional issues. Backway’s, 250 S. McCormick St., Prescott. For more info, call Susan Kansky (928) 925-3426. Feb. 21, 5 p.m.—The 104th Anniversary of The Elks Opera House. Enjoy a great dinner at The Palace Restaurant on Whiskey Row, with a special appearance of The Regulators and their Shady Ladies. Then, take a trolley ride to the Elks Opera House, where you will enjoy The Outlaw with Jane Russell. A raffle of a Western-themed gift basket for the ladies and a hand-tolled gun belt and holster for the gents. The evening finishes with coffee
and dessert in the lobby and a trolley ride back to The Palace or The Granite St. Garage. $40 per person or $75 per couple. Call Maxine at (928) 778 5236 for your reservations. The movie is free to the public. Call the theater at 777 1366 for info. Feb. 21–22—The International Green Ideas Show, Albuquerque, N.M. Here is the one exposition in the Southwest to specifically showcase the earth-friendly products, programs and services of inventors, companies and concerned groups from around the world in a popular consumer show format. For more info, see www.igishows.com/.
Feb. 28, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.—Resonance Repatterning Group Healing Session. Rapidly clear root causes underlying physical and emotional issues. Backway’s, 250 S. McCormick St., Prescott. For more info, call Susan Kansky (928) 925-3426. Feb. 28, 7 p.m.—Beneath the Runways: Archaeology of Sky Harbor Airport, Riordan Mansion State Historic Park. Todd Bostwick, Ph.D., Archaeologist, City of Phoenix will discuss the archaeological excavations undertaken over the last 20 years at Sky Harbor International Airport. RSVP Free! (928) 779-4395.
Feb. 24, 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m.—Evening Under the Sonoran Desert Sky: Astronomy Outing in the Foothills. The cloudy skies backup date is Tuesday, March 3. Limit 20. To register, see www.DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar at (480) 481-8146. Feb. 24, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.—Beginning Birdwatching at Desert Botanical Garden and Beyond. To register, log on to www. DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146. Feb. 26, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.—Nature Photography Workshop for Students, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. Students must supply their own digital camera. For ages 6-18. Cost: $38. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. Feb. 28—Sustainability Workshop: Making the Green Link—Sustainability in our Daily Lives, Chautauqua Community House in Boulder, Colo. For more info and to register, see www.greencollaborative.org. Feb. 28—”Energetic Tools for an Energetic Universe.” A one-day experiential workshop with John English in Scottsdale. For more info, call toll free (866) 304-8700 or visit www.stellarproductionslive.com. Feb. 28, 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m.—What to do in Your Garden in March With Doreen Pollack,
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March 1, 2 p.m.—How Astronomy and Science Helped Create the Ancestral Puebloan World: What Archaeoastronomy Tells Us about Puebloan Culture, Red Rock State Park. Archaeoastronomer Bryan Bates shares his research into the astronomical world of the ancestral Puebloan peoples from Chaco Canyon National Historic Park, Wupatki National Monument and Mesa Verde National Park. Reservations recommended, seating limited, in the park theater. (928) 282-6907. March 3, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.—Beginning Birdwatching at Desert Botanical Garden and Beyond. To register, log on to www. DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146. March 4, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.—Raising Urban
February 2009
Chickens With Myron Mykyta, Downtown Phoenix Public Market meeting room, 721 N. Central, Phoenix. For more info, see www.phoenixpermaculture.org. March 4, 6:45 p.m.-7:45 p.m.—Introduction to Birdwatching, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. For those 16 and older. Cost: $12. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. March 6-8, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.—Carefree Fine Art & Wine Festival, featuring first class wines from all over the world, live musical entertainment, gourmet food, surrounding specialty shops, boutiques, restaurants and outdoor cafes. For more info, see www.carefree.org/. March 7—Early Survival Methods, Red Rock State Park. Learn about some of the early survival methods used by the Sinagua Indians more than 1,000 years ago. Join Roy Julian in weaving sandals made from yucca fiber at 11 a.m. Observe four prehistoric fire starting methods demonstrated by Al Cornell at 12:30 p.m. Then at 1:30 p.m. learn about the atlatl and dart, an earlier form of the bow and arrow and participate in throwing this instrument with Bob Sizemore. Reservations recommended. (928) 282-6907 March 7, 8 a.m.-Noon—Monthly Family Birdwalk, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis.
March 7, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.—Land Navigation with a Map and Compass (Basic), The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. For ages 16 and older. Cost: $28. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. March 7, 10 a.m.—Ostrich Festival Parade. The parade travels south along Arizona Avenue, from Ray Road to Chicago Street. For more info, call (480) 963-4571 or see www. chandlerchamber.com. March 8, 9 a.m.-11 a.m.—Build Your Own Rain Barrel With Chip Satterlund, 922 W. Pierson, Phoenix. For more info, send e-mail query to liz@phoenixpermaculture.net.
March 8, 9 a.m.—Guided Hike with Llamas, Oracle State Park. Hike with ranger Cyn-d Turner and her eco-friendly pack llamas. Reservation required. Call 896-2425 for more details. Free with park entrance fee of $6 per vehicle; annual passes available. March 8, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.—Family Fun Hike at Javelina Canyon. For ages 7 and up with an accompanying adult. An easy two-mile roundtrip hike, starting from the Beverly Canyon parking lot south of Baseline Road at the end of 46th Street. Limit 15. To register, log on to www.DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146. March 8, 2 p.m.—Geology Hike at Red Rock State Park. Bring water and wear comfortable shoes. For more info or reservations, call (928) 282-6907. March 9-11—Going Green East 2009, Four Seasons Hotel, Boston. For more info, see http://alwayson.goingon.com/ecom/productview/30326. March 10, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.—Beginning Birdwatching at Desert Botanical Garden and Beyond. To register, log on to www. DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146.
March 7, 8 a.m.—Ostrich Festival 5K Family Fun Run, Dr. A.J. Chandler Park East. Participants can run through the streets of Chandler on the course that will travel up and down Arizona Avenue. For more info, call (480) 963-4571 or see www.chandlerchamber.com.
February 2009
March 10-12— Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America, Rio AllSuite Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. For more info, see http://rewna09.events.pennnet.com. March 11, 6:45 p.m.-7:45 p.m.—Introduc-
tion to Birdwatching, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. For those 16 and older. For more info, visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. March 13-14—Southwest Build-It-Green Expo and Conference, Phoenix Convention Center. The Build-It-Green Expo is Arizona’s largest green conference with more than 500 anticipated exhibitors showcasing sustainable products and services impacting every area of life. For more info, see http://azbigmedia. com/content/southwest-build-it-green-expoconference.
March 13-15—Annual Ostrich Festival, Tumbleweed Park, 2250 S. McQueen Road, Chandler. Friday, 4 p.m.-midnight; Saturday, 10 a.m.-midnight; and Sunday, noon-11 p.m. Carnival, ostrich races, history fair, music, vendors and demolition derby. For more info, see www.ostrichfestival.com/. March 13, 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m.—“The Gift of Relationship.” Hear John English speak during this FREE presentation at Kensho Awareness Center, 1438 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, Calif. March 13-14—Go Green Expo, Philadelphia. For more info, see www.gogreenexpo.com. March 14—“Your Relationships—A Pathway to Personal Power.” A one-day experiential workshop with John English in Laguna Beach, Calif. For more info, call toll free (866) 3048700 or visit www.stellarproductionslive.com. March 14, 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m.—Composting in the Southwest Desert With Jim Muir, downtown Phoenix Public Market meeting room, 721 N. Central Ave. Learn and understand composting from the expert—Organic/ Bio-Dynamic gardener, author and lecturer, Jim Muir. For more info, see http://www. phoenixpermaculture.org. March 14, Noon-2 p.m.—Beginners GPS Class, 1750 S. Greenfield Road, Mesa. For more info, contact Tommy Valentino at (480) 558-1111, or see www.sportsmanswarehouse.com. March 14-15—2009 Archaeology Expo, Pueblo Grande Museum & Archaeological
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Park, Phoenix. The Expo provides a special opportunity for visitors to learn more about why it’s important to preserve archaeological sites and historic places; what archaeologists, historians, and tribal members do in their jobs; and about the prehistory and history of Arizona. Both days will feature workshops, craft demonstrations, displays and booths, living history re-enactors, storytellers, Native American demonstrators and entertainers, hands-on activities, free raffles and local ethnic food. FREE. (602) 542-4009.
March 15, 2 p.m.—Soldier and Indian Trails of the Verde Valley, Red Rock State Park. Jerry Ehrhardt, 2007 award winner of the Governor’s Archaeology Advisory Commission’s Award, will present what started out as a proposal to scout and record several prehistoric ruin hilltop sites that had been spotted by an airplane doing an aerial survey of Sycamore Canyon, has turned into a major discovery of 125 previously unknown prehistoric Honaki Phase sites. Reservations recommended, seating limited, in the park theater. (928) 282-6907. March 17, 8:30 a.m.—Water Resources Research Center 2009 Annual Conference – Best Practices for Stakeholder Engagement in Water Resources Planning. The University of Arizona, Student Union Memorial Center Ballroom. Registration before Feb. 16 is $55; $65 after. No charge for students, but registration is required. To register, see www.cals. arizona.edu/azwater/programs/conf2009. March 17, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.—Beginning Birdwatching at Desert Botanical Garden and Beyond. To register, log on to www. DBG.org , or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146. March 21, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.—Opening the Energy Gates Chi Gung for Vitality Class. Learn Tai Chi health exercises used effectively in China for chronic fatigue, burnout, immune deficiency, cancer, degenerative diseases, arthritis, heart disease, pain, and high performance. Backway’s, 250 S. McCormick St., Prescott. For more info, call Susan Kansky (928) 925-3426. March 21, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.—Energetic Resolution Techniques Group Healing Session. Rapidly clear root causes underlying physical and emotional issues. Backway’s, 250 S. McCormick St., Prescott. For more info call Susan Kansky (928) 925-3426.
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Ewer with clock ticks to a valuable time Q: My grandmother gave me the pictured piece of pottery in 1954. I know it is old because it has been in our family since the late 1800s. Impressed on the bottom in a semicircle are the names: “Louwelsa—Weller—626.” The color is a beautiful, shiny cobalt blue glaze that lightens near the clock and flowers. Standing 13 inches tall, the clock keeps good time when wound, and the overall condition is perfect. Could Louwelsa be the name of the piece? What’s its approximate value? Any other information you can provide on this unique piece will be appreciated.
A: You have an ewer with a clock that was made by Weller Pottery. Founded by Sam Weller in 1872, the company was located in Zanesville, Ohio. “Louwelsa” is the name of a pottery line that was introduced around 1896 and used until 1924; it was available in 500 different shapes. Although most pieces were finished in a brown glaze, they also produced a shiny blue glaze.
by Anne McCollam Creators Syndicate The name “Louwelsa” is a combination of the first three letters of Weller’s daughter’s first name, Louise, the first three letters of his last name, and the first two letters of his first name. The mark was used from 1896 to the early 1900s, and the number “626” is a design number. Weller Pottery closed in 1948. Your ewer/clock would probably be worth $1,000 to $1,500. Q: My friend gave me an antique cup and saucer for my birthday. She told me it is a chintz pattern that was made around 1920. Each piece is decorated with exotic, mythical birds, insects, flowers and fruits against a lavender background. I have enclosed the mark seen on the bottom of both the cup and saucer. What can you tell me about the history of my cup and saucer? A: In Tunstall, England, A.G. Richardson created Crown Ducal Ware, which produced earthenware from 1915 to 1974. Chintz china patterns were inspired by the floral fabric patterns imported from India in the 1600s. In the first half of the 20th century, less than a half-dozen English potters were busy turning out a plethora of transfer-print chintz patterns—they produced tea sets, coffee services, accessory pieces and complete
dinner sets. American collectors were swept away with the charming patterns, thus causing prices to rise, not only in the United States but also globally. Chintz china has been reproduced. Some manufacturers include a date with their mark. Since not all provide a date, a collector has to use caution when buying. Your circa 1920 cup and saucer set would probably be worth $75 to $125. Q: Several years ago, my great-uncle gave me a set of glass tumblers that are decorated with images of Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight to Paris. The scenes include his plane, The Spirit of St. Louis, the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower and the dates of his departure and arrival. My uncle told me that someday the set might be worth something. I was wondering if you have ever heard of these glasses. A: Charles Lindbergh was the first aviator to successfully make the solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Ashtrays, bookends, postcards, textiles, glassware and toy airplanes are just a few of the items produced to commemorate his flight. Each tumbler would probably be worth $25 to $35, assuming they are in very good condition.
Puzzle Solutions
Logic Puzzle Solution: Devin gave Sarah a Valentine’s Day card. Joseph gave Courtney a Valentine’s Day card. Brandon gave Rachel a Valentine’s Day card. Jacob gave Elizabeth a Valentine’s Day card. Noah gave Stephanie a Valentine’s Day card. Daniel gave Ashley a Valentine’s Day card. Riddle Me This Solutions: 1. A wave. 2. A river. 3. An onion. 4. Dictionary.
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Q: I would like to know more about my pictured gilt bronze compote. It is more than 7 inches in diameter, 2 3/4 inches high, and is decorated with a blue enameled design on the rim. Marked on the bottom are the words “Louis C. Tiffany Furnaces Inc., Favrile, 519.” Included with the mark are four concentric circles with an “L” in the center. Is this an authentic Tiffany piece? What is it worth? A: Louis Comfort Tiffany, who founded his Studios in New York in 1900, created your compote. He produced splendid iridescent art glass, leaded-glass windows and lampshades, as well as both silver and gilt bronze metal accessories. Tiffany established the term “Favrile,” which was used on his glass, enamels and
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pottery. The word was inspired by the old English word “febrile,” meaning handmade. The number “519” is the design number of your compote. Your compote was made around 1920 and would probably be worth $1,000 to $1,500. Q: This mark is on the back of an ironstone plate that is 9 inches in diameter. Using black transfer print, the plate is decorated with a country scene against a white background. It is in mint condition. What can you tell me about the manufacturer, the age and value of my plate? A: Charles Meigh & Son Pottery made earthenware and stoneware in Staffordshire, England, from 1835 to 1901. From 1850 to 1851, they operated under the name: Charles Meigh, Son & Parkhurst. After 1851, they reverted back to Meigh & Son. “California” is the name of the pattern. Your Staffordshire plate would probably be worth $100 to $150. Q: I have a 1978 book club edition of Stephen King’s “The Stand.” A hardcover published by Doubleday, it is in very good condition and still has the dust jacket. The inside flap has an early picture of Stephen King and lists four books that he had written. It also contains the same artwork on the front as the first editions. Before I put it in a yard sale or donate it, I would like to know if it is “antique or junque.” A: None of the above. It is only 30 years old—too new to be an antique and too collectible to be junque. King told the tale of the post-apocalyptic horror and science fiction following a plague of biblical proportions. The novel was published in 1978 and became a blockbuster book. In 1994, a TV series was based on the story. As a rule, first edition copies of just about any book are far more valuable than book club editions. Book club copies of “The Stand” are selling for $25 to $35 on the Internet. The 1978 first editions are fetching up to $4,000. Q: I inherited a cranberry-colored glass bowl that sets in a silver plate stand with a handle. I was told it was given to my great-great grandmother in the late 1800s and that it is a bride’s basket. The bowl has a waffle pattern and a ruffled edge; both the stand and bowl are in excellent condition. What is a bride’s basket and does it have any value? A: Bride’s baskets were extremely popular wedding gifts in the late Victorian Era. The stands or frames were often silver plate or gilt metal. Brides loved these baskets because they could be used as centerpieces, hold fruit, or just sit on a side table for everyone to admire. Your basket would probably be worth $175 to $275. Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters.
February 2009
Put blame where blame belongs
Wal-Mart doesn’t destroy communities; Shoppers do
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ast month we looked at the corporation as a whole; this month we’ll get a little more specific by looking at one corporation—the largest one—Wal-Mart. “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price” starts out with that tired old argument that makes Wal-Mart out to be some sort of evil wizard that magically destroys towns single handily, when really it’s only Wal-Mart’s fault that they sell what they sell. It’s the people of the communities who are to blame for the death of their town. My great-grandmother used to say, “Give people enough rope, and they will hang themselves.” Wal-Mart sells rope. No one is forced to shop there. I don’t, and I have been living well below the poverty line for quite some time. Some people say that they have to shop there in order to save money, when really they usually end up spending that saved money on more junk they don’t need—but. anyway…. The real meat and potatoes of this film is the poor and often unethical treatment of the worker, with a whole lot of inside information like interviews with store managers (more like confessions of a Wal-Mart manager), official training videos (these are great) and interviews with the workers. It explains how—despite record prof-
Movie Reviews by Jason Allen
Movies that won’t make you dumber its—they refuse to offer decent wages and affordable healthcare, how they encourage their employees to go on welfare, WIC, Medicaid, etc… and also how they aggressively discourage unionizing. In fact, the only reason they have footage of one of the abductions/murders that happened in one of their parking lots is because they had cameras installed to bust unionizers, not for the safety of their customers. And for some reason, they only have this authoritarian sort of control in the United States; other nation’s Wal-Mart’s don’t have such issues. Some of the problems of Wal-Mart that
matter in a real world are: forcing employees to work off the clock under threat of replacement, environmental effects caused by the storing of herbicides and pesticides in parking lots that run off into water supply during a rain, lack of concern for what happens outside the store where they have no security, i.e., parking lot attacks and suppression of
that data, and of course, production warehouse conditions in China, India, Mexico, Central and South America. Another big problem is how local governments give massive subsidies to the largest corporation in the world to open a store in their community—without a public vote—but will refuse to give money to local businesses. These subsidies hurt more than local business; they also take away money from local systems, such as schools, police and fire. It’s a dismal outlook for the future if people are willing to ignore all of these detriments in order to save a couple of dollars. As Americans we only have one voice, and that is how we choose to spend the few dollars that we may have. If we say that we prefer cheap products that we only use for a month or so and then go replace them with new garbage, then we are willing Armageddon upon ourselves. If, however, we choose to buy quality products, which we only need to buy once, from a local source, and perhaps made from re-used and re-usable products, then we may actually have a future as a species, but who knows? It does end on a happy note, it covers all the places that have fought and won to keep Wal-Mart out of their communities.
An Educational Guide to Sustainability and Spiritual Well-being
Reaches people.
Co-owners Maya Joy Angeles and John Hall
At Crystal Lotus Gallery, we have had visitors from Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff, Scottsdale and more as a result of our ads in Earth Odyssey! We have had great success through advertising with EO. Thanks EO for getting your magazine (and us) out there! Also, our customers look forward to getting the latest issue of EO at the Crystal Lotus Gallery. Keep up the good work! February 2009
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Cranes
continued from page 4
roost, other wetland areas, fallow fields or desert grassland areas. As sunset approaches, they return to their roosting sites. Sandhill cranes are some of the largest migratory birds found in North America and can have wingspans of up to 6½ feet and can stand up to 47 inches tall. They are gray with black feet, legs and bill. They have a red patch of skin on the forehead. The premier viewing location is the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area between Bisbee and Elfrida. This state wildlife area features viewing platforms, bathrooms and a large parking area. From Interstate 10, take Highway 191 south. The main entrance on Coffman Road is accessible either from Central Highway via Bagby Road, or directly from Davis Road one mile west of Central Highway. Signs posted along the way help you stay on track. At this location, you can walk to the water’s edge, sit and listen to the cranes as they congregate in the shallow water. I sat for about two hours immersed in the visual and auditory experience. To see and hear the cranes yourself, see the Earth Odyssey Web site at www.pinonpinepress.com for a video. A second viewing area is the Willcox Playa Wildlife Area. From Willcox, take State Route 186 south to the Kansas Settlement Road (about 6 miles), then travel about 3½ miles to the parking lot of the wildlife area that will be on your right. It is not well marked. Be on the lookout for trees, which define the parking area. The Willcox Playa Wildlife Area has no amenities, but does allow overnight camping. To reach the sandhill crane viewing area, hike the trail that begins at the right of the parking lot. It’s about 2.4 miles round trip and takes about 20 minutes each way for the vigorous hiker. The designated viewing area is quite a distance from Crane Lake and only those with really long camera lenses are apt to get detailed photographs. One path does lead down to the lake, but it is posted warning hikers not to approach the lake or the cranes. A third viewing area is the wetlands created by AEPCO at the Apache Generating Station in the 1980s, which has become an important roosting location for sandhill cranes. This area includes a public access road, a well-marked parking area, information signs, picnic facilities, public restroom facilities and a wheelchair accessible viewing dike that provides unobstructed observation of the wetlands. In my opinion, the viewing platform at AEPCO is so far away from the roosting area that it is not worth visiting this location. Although on-site telescopes help you get a closer look, the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area is still a much better location for viewing and photographing the cranes. I did not visit the fourth viewing spot, Cochise Lake in Willcox, so I have no first-hand knowledge about what to expect there. If you want to see the wintering sandhill cranes before they leave, you need to do so soon. The sandhill cranes will return home in March and begin nesting. But if you miss them this winter, they will be back again come September.
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Photos by Ann Haver-Allen Sandhill cranes congregate at the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area near Willcox, Ariz. To see and hear the cranes, see the short video posted on the Earth Odyssey Web site at www.pinonpinepress.com.
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February 2009
Study reveals hazards of severe space weather
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NASA-funded study describes how extreme solar eruptions could have severe consequences for communications, power grids and other electrical technologies on Earth. The National Academy of Sciences in Washington conducted the study. The resulting report provides some of the first clear economic data that effectively quantifies today’s risk of extreme conditions in space driven by magnetic activity on the sun and disturbances in the near-Earth environment. Instances of extreme space weather are rare and are categorized with other natural hazards that have a low frequency but high consequences. “Obviously, the sun is Earth’s life blood,” said Richard Fisher, director of the Heliophysics division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “To mitigate possible public safety issues, it is vital that we better understand extreme space weather events caused by the sun’s activity.” Besides emitting a continuous stream of plasma called the solar wind, the sun periodically releases billions of tons of matter called coronal mass ejections. These immense clouds of material, when directed toward Earth, can cause large magnetic storms in the magnetosphere and upper atmosphere. Such space weather can affect the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based technological systems. Space weather can produce solar storm electromagnetic fields that induce extreme currents in wires, disrupting power lines, causing wide-spread blackouts and affecting communication cables that support the Internet. Severe space weather also produces solar energetic particles and the dislocation of the Earth’s radiation belts, which can damage satellites used for commercial communications, global positioning and weather forecasting. Space weather has been recognized as causing problems with new technology since the invention of the telegraph in the 19th century. A catastrophic failure of commercial and government infrastructure in space and on the ground can be mitigated through raising public awareness, improving vulnerable infrastructure and developing advanced forecasting capabilities. Without preventive actions or plans, the trend of increased dependency on modern space-weather sensitive assets could make society more vulnerable in the future. NASA requested the study to assess the potential damage from significant space weather during the next 20 years. National and international experts from industry, government and academia participated in the study. The report documents the possibility of a space weather event that has societal effects and causes damage similar to natural disasters on Earth. “From a public policy perspective, it is quite significant that we have begun the extremely challenging task of assessing space weather impacts in a quantitative way,” said Daniel Baker, professor and director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Baker chaired the
February 2009
Illustration courtesy NASA This illustration shows a coronal mass ejection (CME) blasting off the sun’s surface in the direction of Earth. This left portion is composed of an EIT 304 image superimposed on a LASCO C2 coronagraph. Two to four days later, the CME cloud is shown striking and beginning to be mostly deflected around the Earth’s magnetosphere. The blue paths emanating from the Earth’s poles represent some of its magnetic field lines. The magnetic cloud of plasma can extend to 30 million miles wide by the time it reaches earth. These storms, which occur frequently, can disrupt communications and navigational equipment, damage satellites, and even cause blackouts. (Objects in the illustration are not drawn to scale.)
panel that prepared the report. “Whether it is terrestrial catastrophes or extreme space weather incidents, the results can be devastating to modern societies that depend in a myriad of ways on advanced technological systems,” Baker said. “We were delighted that NASA helped support bringing together dozens of world experts from industry and government to share their experiences and begin planning of improved public policy strategies.” The sun is currently near the minimum of its 11-year activity cycle. It is expected that solar storms will increase in frequency and intensity toward the next solar maximum, expected to occur around 2012.
Illustration courtesy NASA Illustration of a coronal mass ejection (CME) particle cloud blasted from the sun impacting Earth and creating aurora (in actual photo of aurora as taken by an astronaut on the space station). At left, this image, taken Jan. 8, 2002, shows a widely spreading coronal mass ejection (CME) as it blasts more than a billion tons of matter out into space at millions of kilometers per hour. Photo courtesy NASA
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A Beginner’s Mind approach to simplifying
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s I work on packing for an upcoming trip to the Yucatan, I am cruelly reminded of the incessant chatter and busyness around us in our daily lives. While this trip is to focus on yoga and meditation, getting there requires that I sift through a lot of “stuff,” both physically and mentally. The bare necessities are all I really need, but there is so much more that would be nice to have. This leads me into the purpose of my writing for Earth Odyssey, and in particular, the Eco-Living column. Finding ways to live life in a more sustainable manner, decreasing our footprint on Earth and being conscious of our impact are all great. But really what I am seeking is a much simpler life. There is a lot of time discussing two of the Rs—reusing and recycling. Being selfish and wanting to find simplicity, this is about the third R—reducing. How much stuff do we really need anyway? Obviously we don’t NEED everything we have. I am sure there is plenty we have that we don’t even want! So let’s work on reducing our intake— simple right? We reduce what we use, we reduce what we need to recycle, the better off
Eco Living By Christopher J. Peacock
everyone is. Well, perhaps not quite so easy in this consumer-driven society that we love to hate. Like most people, I like the pretty packaging and sometimes buy into the hype of something that I really don’t need. Over the past few months, I have taken a new approach to my purchases. I regularly ask myself if what I am looking to buy is really something I need. In essence, I have taken a Beginner’s Mind approach to my own consumption. What I have found is something I have always known—reducing consumption not only saves me from disposing of something I
never really needed, but also increases my disposable income for trips like the one I am taking. The Beginner’s Mind: How many of us strive to find this place of innocence, purity and modality of thinking to experience the world anew? It is not always easy, but worth the efforts. Beginning today, right now, take a look at how you live your life. How much stuff do you really need? What can you do without? The less we have, the less we have to deal with at the end of its useful life. When I begin coaching individuals, we invariably start with a journal to track how time is spent throughout the day. Start tracking how you spend your time, where you “spend” your resources (whether they be money, food, gasoline, emotions, etc.), and start understanding the return on your spending. In other words, are you spending your resources wisely, could you be more efficient, and more importantly, do they support your life’s purpose and goals? Reducing consumption is not only accomplished by looking at the end product, but also in how the product is packaged. Look at alternatives to those oversized plastic packages that contain a micron of a product—can you just buy the product from another
manufacturer without the insane marketingbased package? Of course, buying something secondhand is even better as we then reduce and reuse. Begin taking stock of your decisions and how they relate to your goals of living sustainably. Understand where you are to determine how you can get where you want. You might be surprised how the daily grocery shopping trips can be condensed into one or two during the week, promoting less waste in terms of gas, time and energy. You might even find planning ahead will help you eat healthier and “give” you additional time for meditation, exercise, reading, community service or time with the kids. Taking a Beginner’s Mind approach to sustainable living will permeate more than a reduction of consumption. It will begin to take hold in other areas as well. Begin tracking your resources. See what evolves and let me know how you do. In the meantime, I need to finish sifting and packing so I can leave on my trip, where I will focus on reducing the chatter in my own mind! Christopher is an executive coach and business consultant focused on sustainable practices. He also serves as the marketing and business director for a civil engineering firm in the Prescott area. He can be reached at chris@aeleader.com.
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February 2009