Exactly Where I Need to Be

My older daughter and I had the good fortune to see Amy Steinberg in concert this week. How a woman with such a soulful and spirited voice isn't hugely popular is beyond me. After the show we stood in line to get Amy's autograph on our CDs. I also brought along my camera, hoping for a photo like the one above of Amy, me, my daughter. Amy knew without being told that we were friends with AnneO and part of the Shine with Unschooling list. I guess our sparkle was too shiny to not be noticed. :) Or, maybe it was my "Incredibly Loved" shirt?

I asked for the photo and Amy asked the closest stranger to take the photo for us. What a nice surprise it was for us to find that the stranger wasn't a stranger at all, but rather our amazing and wonderful hairstylist, Jennifer Andrews. Amy happened to be on the lookout for a someone that could give her a good haircut. The two made plans to get together the next day. I'm sure she now has the best hair cut that she's ever had.

Find music you like and support the artist! Big names aren't necessarily better than what you'll find locally (or at least on a smaller level). We've found another concert (KT Tunstall, the Indigo Girls, Brandi Carlile and Ingrid Michaelson at ONE event!) to go to in December and we can't wait.

Madera Canyon

Here are a few images of Madera Canyon (near Green Valley, AZ) that I took this week.

Pleasure Writing -- The World of Fiction

Today is day 3 in the somewhat famous NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) experience. The goal of each participant is to write a minimum of 50,000 words (a novella) in the 30 days of November. This is my fifth year of participating and the second year that I've gotten a very late start (I haven't written a single word of fiction yet this month...). I do, however, intend to finish a rough manuscript before the end of the month.

Concerned how this can work? Check out Chris Baty's (the founder of NaNoWriMo) book: No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days.

I spent the day at a writer's workshop, sponsored by RWA-Tucson, called "Discovering Story Magic". While the group was large (and the dynamic of the group discussion period would have been a lot more fun with less people), there was a lot of fantastic information passed along. If you have the opportunity to attend this workshop, I do recommend it. Our wonderfully special RWA chapter apparently came to a unique conclusion that none of the other "Discovering Story Magic" workshops have ever come to before. No spoilers from me. :)

If you have any desire to become a fiction writer, events such as NaNoWriMo are a fantastic way to get the momentum started. You might not come away with a best-seller at the end of the month, but you'll certainly be one step closer. Try participating in NaNoEdMo in March to edit your November masterpiece in a one month time period. A mere 50 hours counts as completion in this event, although most writers need significantly more to completely edit a novel.

Prefer writing a screenplay in a month? Check out Script Frenzy next June. This event has participants writing a 20,000 word screenplay in the one month time period. I've yet to participate in this, but I plan to at some point.

Think these are doable events? Feeling inspired? If you think you have it in you, you do. Have fun writing.

Kitt Peak and Tohono O'odham Diet

My family and I spent yesterday afternoon exploring Kitt Peak and the Tohono O'odham reservation area (just west of Tucson, Arizona). It is GORGEOUS there! This is not to be underrated. It didn't hurt that the weather was perfect (although it usually is with its 300+ sunny days per year), of course, but the photographs of the area in inclement weather proved that it is spectacular then, too.

My children are incredibly interested in space. They were delighted to see the telescopes at Kitt Peak. With 26 huge telescopes in work, we were only able to see a couple up close and personal. I was the most fascinated to find out that there are currently 895 potentially dangerous meteors hurling themselves toward/near the Earth right now. It is amazing what all we can discover about space today. We loved hearing about the process in place for getting time on the telescopes for research. We can't wait to attend one of their overnight sessions that are open to the public (all attendants must now be 9 or older).

As a completely random and happy surprise, we saw a shocking and wonderful billboard in this Indian Nation. It read:
"Diabetes is Preventable"
with subtext stating that a change in diet is all that is necessary to rid people of the disease (I sadly did not get a photograph). I was VERY impressed with the message and the gorgeous vegetables on the sign! The Tohono O'odham people are taking back their health. They've discovered that the people in their nation that have changed from a native diet to a SAD (Standard American Diet) are falling prey to the wide variety of diseases that the rest of America is riddled with. Changing back to a diet high in vegetables, whole grains, and fruit completely reverses the diseases. Diabetes in particular has been proven to be completely preventable amongst the Tohono O'odham people, which is an amazing thing since eating a poor diet causes four times as many Native American people to develop diabetes as in the U.S. population at large. Before this study, between 50 and 75% of the Tohono O'odham people had diabetes. I look forward to hearing the new statistics as dietary changes are sweeping the area.

What is the most surprising to me in all of this information is not that it is true -- it definitely is; what surprises me is that this hasn't become common knowledge. This dietary information should be on the news and in the newspapers. This is the stuff that will change the world! Can you imagine a disease free world, or even just a world free of diabetes? It's a glorious thought.

Think you have to change your diet to a Tohono O'odham native diet of prickly pear pads, chia seeds, tepary bean, and other Sonoran Desert plants? You don't. I live here and I have no idea how to prepare any of these plants (although I'd like to learn). Any lowfat whole foods vegan diet will work in the prevention and reversal of diabetes. Native people around the entire globe have been showing us their healthy diets -- all will work at keeping all people disease free. It isn't until a group of people change their diet to include huge amounts of meat and/or dairy that they develop the killing diseases of today (like heart disease and diabetes). Try one style of food and stick to it only, or mix it up from day to day. You don't have to have a boring, uninteresting, tasteless or difficult diet in order to eat healthy.

Here are a couple of of the many sites that talk more about this tremendous information, with specific information regarding diet and the Tohono O'odham people:
TOCA: Tohono O'odham Community Action
CBS News: 60 Minutes: "Why is America So Fat?"
W.K. Kellogg Foundation: "Fighting Diabetes with Native Foods"

I left the Tohono O'odham Nation with a sense of peace. It is a beautiful nation with amazingly beautiful people that are talented, artistic (their baskets are amazing!), and intelligent. Their culture is strong with a rich and and fascinating history. I can't wait to learn more.

Arizona Pumpkin Patch

My daughters and I visited Agua Linda Farms pumpkin patch this afternoon with one of our local homeschooling groups. While clearly the patch (and the other vegetables growing on the farm) needed irrigation, we still found the farm beautiful. We love the scenic mountains in the background, although I personally miss Iowa's silos. The typical Midwestern corn maze (or soybean maze) were replaced with a hay maze [although it has been pointed out to me that at least one corn maze does exist each fall in Arizona, I just haven't seen any yet]. The whole experience was a lot of fun. My youngest especially appreciated the petting zoo. If you haven't had a chance to visit one of your local pumpkin patches this fall, try and find the time to do it! Connecting with where your food comes from is always a rewarding experience.

Zen Gardening

Here is my family's ~30' labyrinth. We built this for meditating, relaxing, walking (exercise), and for just plain enjoyment. I've always wanted a rock labyrinth. Sometimes we walk as a family, sometimes individually. I believe that everyone needs their own little space (inside or outside) to help allow for a zen filled existence. Whether yours is a garden, a meditation area, or a labyrinth like ours, I hope you get a little corner of the world that is all yours.

Create Your Own Community

With families often living great distances from each other, and friends often going separate ways, finding a community to share your life with can often be tricky in this day and age. Are you feeling alone? Consider creating your own community!

Since there are not a lot of Unschoolers in Southern Arizona (where my family and I live), some friends and I started the SOARing Unschoolers (SOuthern ARizona Unschoolers) group to seek out other families with similar parenting and lifestyle interests. We talk online and have gatherings that average out to about once a week. While none of us are identical in our beliefs and come from very diverse backgrounds, our bonds strengthen whenever we are together since we all believe in Unschooling. Unschooling is a lifestyle choice that bonds families in very interesting and strong ways, even when cultural and individual differences exist. It is a whole way of thinking that respects children as fully formed human beings and believes in their innate ability to learn from living.

Advertise what you are looking for. Libraries, bookstores, and online lists are great ways to seek out like-minded people/families. Thousands and thousands of google and yahoo groups exist just for people to find communities of people with similar interests. If in your search you can't find a single individual with a similar lifestyle, consider broadening your scope and definition of lifestyle. Just get out there (or stay home) and do the things that interest you and look around at the other people doing them with you. The people might not be a similar age or from the same background as you, but these are the people that make up your community. Take a class, browse around a hobby shop, ask your co-workers out to dinner. You might find that you have a lot more in common than you originally thought (or you might learn about new ways of living that you never knew of before). Don't be afraid of talking to random strangers in stores. You might find a new best friend in that carseat aisle. Then again, you might not, but at least you'll know that you broadened your horizons and took a chance!

Happy World Vegetarian Day!

October 1st is World Vegetarian Day, which kicks off October as Vegetarian Awareness Month. Many vegetarian and vegan groups host potlucks, cook-offs, and free cooking classes/tasting displays this month. If you have considered vegetarianism, this is the perfect time to try it out. Many people find that they are so amazed with the results, they never eat meat again.

Try doing a google search with your town's name and the word vegetarian or vegan. Your town might even have its own vegetarian group! Despite the reputation many vegetarian groups have, I've found every group that I've personally interacted with to be full of extremely kind and tolerant people. Whether you are a vegetarian already or not, you can use the month of October to learn how to improve your health and cure the diseases that your body currently has. In seeking out local groups in your area that promote healthy living, you can surround yourself with others that want to improve their own lives. This is inspiring. In addition to the myriad health benefits of a strict vegetarian diet, there are even more moral and ethical reasons for not eating meat and other animal products. If you aren't sure what they are, consider ordering a Free Vegetarian Starter Guide.

If you are in the greater Tucson area check out the Vegetarian Group of Tucson and then, try eating a meal at our favorite restaurant, Lovin' Spoonfuls Café, sometime this month. I've also made a quick list of where in Tucson/Green Valley to purchase various meat and dairy analogs since these are the foods that people often think are not replaceable.

Looking for a good vegetarian restaurant in your own area to try out? Check out HappyCow's Vegetarian Guide to Restaurants and Health Food Stores. Be sure to add your own reviews, also.

Happy World Vegetarian Day! Try a new recipe this month! It might become a new family staple.