Guest Post: Ollin Morales

Thanks to Ollin for the invite to guest post at his blog, Courage 2 Create. Click over there to read my contribution, after you’ve read what Ollin has to say about how nature can inspire us and our writing.

The Creator of Courage

By Ollin Morales

I walk through a little dirt pathway, hugged on either side by bright green grass. There are trees all around that seem to greet me in their silence. The little stream whispers, “Hello.” A leaf or two can be seen falling to the ground, with the power and grace of any Olympic diver. There, in this sacred place, you feel yourself embraced by a cool, tender brush of mountain wind.  There, you can almost swear the branches are speaking to you in a language all their own. There, you are almost certain that a squirrel, who freezes just underneath the sunlight as you approach, is reminding you of something you forgot. {That living occurs in the moment.}

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Tammy’s Top Ten (t3 report) Ways to Save Water

Hy*po*na*tre*mia. As I understand it, the condition arises when too much water inside the body causes tissue to swell. Because our cells maintain a certain sodium content, excess water outside of our cells begins to draw sodium from within the cells in an attempt to re-establish the specific concentration. As more water gathers, the sodium concentration decreases and creates this condition. It occurs from drinking too much water. Actually, that’s not an accurate diagnosis and we are not drinking too much water but in a world where 38,000 children die weekly from unsafe water, we are wasting too much.

flickr.com/creativecommons/darkpatator

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This is National Farmers Market Week

There is encouraging news coming from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Today we have 6,132 farmers markets. That’s a 16 % increase over 2009 and a marked increase since the USDA started tracking. The USDA has declared August 1-7 as National Farmers Market Week for 2010.

Olympia Farmers Market

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Writing Down the Bones – or the Butt

You already know that Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones is a favorite book of mine. In it she speaks of filling spiral binders with her words consistently – one notebook per month. She writes that her efforts to get her thoughts on to paper actually translate to greater mental health for herself. I began blogging as a way to get myself to write more consistently and while it has done that, I also find myself spending an inordinate amount of time reading other blogs, commenting and analyzing traffic stats.

Sushi Ina's food journal

My friend Preston, a personal trainer, recently suggested that I begin writing something else down on a consistent basis. He recommends that I start keeping a food journal. All I have to do is write down what I eat all day long and add a few other ancillary comments about how I’m feeling after each meal or snack. That’s simple enough since I’m a healthy eater and of course I’m easily drawn in because it sets up a structured framework for me to operate within. (more…)

Tammy’s Top Ten (t3 report) Ideas for Poetry to Enjoy

As another tribute to National Poetry month, I’m offering up ideas of places to start in order to “taste” poetry. I hope you’re moved to grab one  and give it a try. And in full disclosure, let me admit to pirating a few choices from the lovely list compiled by Nancy Pearl and given out in her interview with NPR earlier this week.

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Dinner and a Poem

We were gathered around a large table for the neighborhood potluck. My husband and I are fortunate to live in a community where this is not a rare occurence. On this particular eve, we were celebrating a marriage.  At some point during the meal, our neighbor J stood up and announced, “I’ve got a poem.” And he read that poem from his tall wiry Elvis Costello like frame with animation and emotion. I was sort of embarrassed, a bit amused and definitely intrigued. Days later I followed up with his wife, “Does he read poetry often?” “Oh yes,” she sighed “and he’s serious so I have to stop and listen. There was the time at our daughter’s 16th birthday…” her eyes roll to the back of her head and she relives the teenage embarrassment of the girls gathered for that event.

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The Green Deluge on St. Patrick’s Day

There are times when I can’t stand the thought of one more batch of sauteed swiss chard. Arizona winters produce an abundance of leafy greens; kale, chard, spinach, arugula, mustard, mizuna, collards, and the green tops of kohlrabi, beets, and turnips.

I do enjoy them and the fact that they’re an immense reservoir of calcium and vitamin C places them high on my personal consumption list. I sneak them into lasagna, roll them into tortillas, mash them into potatoes, use them as wraps for interesting appetizers and seek out other family-friendly recipes. Regardless of my own preference, week after week of greens is challenging for me and for other CSA participants. (more…)

My 1st Month – Sharing Lessons in Blogging

I might’ve called this post “On Being Grateful”. Every week, with my CSA delivery, farmer Kelly provides an adventurous recipe that uses fresh produce. She’s passing along her learnings.  Over the past month, I’ve received countless warm and welcoming encouragements from readers and stoppersby. I can’t thank you enough and so I’m taking a moment to share what I’ve learned during blogging. (more…)

The Beginning

I’ve been taking writing classes for several years now and the reason I do it? Certainly not to add to an already abundant schedule. I take writing classes in order to write. The presence of a syllabus and an instructor create discipline for me. It requires me to spill thoughts and ideas onto paper or into Google docs. The assignments offer a framework for me to operate within and being one who needs to understand the rules, I find freedom within the structure.

Another place that a structured framework works well for me
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