signs all around us

It's true, our American political landscape is littered with on-the-down-low corporatists who seem to despise the common man.

Our oceans are filling with oil, and natural resources and possibly unknown species of deep sea fish are being destroyed daily.

I worry for my children's future and their right to live on a planet where they can breathe clean air and drink non-toxic water.

Combine that with the usual annoyances like bikini razor burn, oily skin and pimples at age 38, and an informidable flea takeover of my house since we brought home two cats.

It can be upsetting...sometimes infuriating. (I keep finding little curly black pieces of flea shit on my kitchen table after I've shooed a sleeping cat off, and it's grossing me out. This seems to be one of the joys of living in sub-tropical Tennessee.)

But life doesn't stop. It can't stop, or we've lost the battle. I won't stop being silly here, or anywhere, although sometimes I may get into a little ranting funk. But lucky for everyone who reads this blog, I usually reserve my diatribes for facebook, where I think I secretly enjoy aggravating online "friends."

We can't allow ourselves to quit looking at the world with a sense of wonder. Anger and disappointment aside, there is something new and beautiful to be discovered each day.

Now I know I'm seriously late with posting some Nashville flood photos. But does anyone care anymore? They're interesting photos, if for nothing more than historical significance.

But today, I have something more timely to share with you--signage highlights from my recent trip through Virginia on our way to D.C.

If you want to see stuff like this, you have to get off the highway...there's just no other way.

Every state likes to act all normal from the safe and impersonal confines of the high-speed roads, but once you get to really know that state...well, you know what I mean.

Okay, this one isn't weird. It was late afternoon and we had just arrived at the Virginia state line. I found the cloud behind the sign to be breathtaking. I love cumulonimbus. No, the rest stop didn't smell bad, so I still had breath to behold the cloud. Although Tennessee has much nicer waysides--ours smell like potpourri and ham, and they have rocking chairs too, just like at Cracker Barrel!

I did not note any sort of crumpacking factory in the area. Apparently, in the early colonial days of Virginia, there was a Dutch Crumpacker dynasty going on, with family members soldiering and farming and all that good colonial stuff, later emigrating to Indiana where they became all political. Are you questioning whether or not I need to get a life? Because I am.

I begged my husband to stop so I could get a photo of this sign. What sort-of name was that for a state park anyways? I thought it was pretty funny. I guess anyone would think that if they didn't know the story behind the name. It's actually very sad. This story would make a good bluegrass or folk song.

The Legend of Hungry Mother

Legend has it that when the Native Americans destroyed several settlements on the New River south of the park, Molly Marley and her small child were among the survivors taken to the raiders’ base north of the park. They eventually escaped, wandering through the wilderness eating berries. Molly finally collapsed, and her child wandered down a creek until the child found help. The only words the child could utter were "Hungry Mother." The search party arrived at the foot of the mountain where Molly collapsed to find the child's mother dead. Today that mountain is Molly’s Knob, and the stream is Hungry Mother Creek.

(copied from http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/hun.shtml)

Southern food and gasoline in one place! Sure beats the usual gas station taquitos.

Have a great week! I'm off to stir my enchilada sauce :-)

cabbage worm invasion

The heart of organic gardening goes beyond a desire for natural, pesticide- and chemical-free food. What it ultimately encompasses is the belief that all creatures have a purpose in this world and each is essential to the interdependent food web, and a loss of any single species of creature would throw the environment out of balance. Reaching the "end," which equates to a prosperous garden and wholesome food, should not justify an inhumane or destructive means. Each creature is precious, and no matter how annoying to our gardening activities, must be dealt with respectfully.

Last night when I checked on my lettuce plants, they were perfect. I woke-up this morning to sheared and holey leaves and a scene of destruction:

It amazes me how fast these sneaky creatures work!

Hidden in the leaf vein, this big guy was well-concealed.

The smallest larvae were found on the underside of the leaf. This is the first place you should look when searching for the culprits. It's a good hiding spot for them, and a common area for the adult female to lay the eggs.

I've found the method that best satisfies me in my quest for completely organic gardening is to manually remove the larvae from the plants and take them to the other side of my yard. I'm still a little squirmish about touching them, so I use a narrow popsicle stick to scoop them up, then drop them into a cup. For the past few years that I've done this, I have not found repeat offenders. Next year I may grow a special "veggie butterfly garden" just for them, far away from our food, since I know that by moving them to the other side of the yard, I am essentially sentencing them to death by starvation.

How do butterflies and moths find the correct place to lay their eggs? I have only three trial lettuce plants in my backyard. How on earth did they locate them within the sprawl of suburban grass in my neighborhood?

"Because each species of butterfly or moth is adapted to eat specific species of plants, females are very selective about where they lay their eggs. These plants are called “host plants.” The female butterfly instinctively recognizes the correct leaf shape, color, odor, taste, and appearance of this host plant. Once satisfied, she lays her eggs, coating them with an adhesive that fastens them to the leaf." (http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/education/guides/butterfly-guide.pdf)

But more specifically, the December 1985 issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology contains the essay "Communication of Insects," which goes into further detail on how larvae select suitable food for themselves, outside of the proper egg-laying site by the female moth:

"Insects recognize food and food plants by means of tactile stimuli (e.g. smooth and hairy surfaces vs. rough and hairy surfaces) and by nonvolatile chemical cues. The latter require for initial recognition some contact with the plant's surface by the antennae or by the chemosensory apparatus associated with the mouthparts. The initial contact is followed by sampling the chemicals by biting the plant."

Once the larva breaks the surface of the plant, amino acids, steroids, salts, sugars and other complex chemicals are released. The caterpillar has specific gustatory receptors to respond to them. This is how they know which food they should be eating. In addition to biting, simply tasting the plant food source can give feeding clues:

"Host-plant selection requires biting to release the soluble signals, whereas cuticular cues can be tasted directly from the surface. [Larvae and adult moths] can identify ovipositional stimulants, feeding stimulants, antifeedants, repellents, and toxins."


Just a little bit of research a day is all it takes to gain a greater appreciation of the common things in our lives that we see everyday but don't have any personal knowledge about.

Humans have sought to harness and control the wilderness since the beginning of time. But ruling over nature can have harmful, long-lasting, and irreversible effects. It's much better for everyone involved--meaning all of the creatures that live and breathe on this blue earth--for us to try and gain a greater understanding of other species, which will in turn bring about environmental harmony. To do otherwise will bring destruction for all, including us. We must learn to reconnect with our natural world.

Flood update

Just wanted to give a quick update to my blogger friends... I got into grad school! I will be working on my nurse practitioner degree starting in August! Yay!

I haven't visited blogs like I normally do because my new template won't allow me to post my favorite blogs on my page; either that, or I just haven't figured out how to do it yet. This has been a big hindrance for me because it was once so easy for me to see the new posts. I will get back to reading my favorite blogs, slowly but surely!

The Tennessee flood has kept me emotionally and mentally occupied, and soon physically occupied as well. I will be going out Saturday morning, and hopefully again next week if my schedule allows, to do some volunteer work in the community.

I'll admit, I was initially a little ambivalent about volunteering. I really didn't want to leave my kids behind to do it considering that I already work full-time. But I am inspired by the enormous response to this natural disaster and really want to take a role in helping! Churches have organized multitudes of food, clothing, and cleaning supply drives. Kids are getting involved by bringing food to school to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank. Businesses are donating lunches for the volunteer workers. Nashville had one water treatment plant that had not been damaged, so jail inmates and private citizens sandbagged it to within a foot of being engulfed by the Cumberland River, and the treatment plant was saved! Strangers are helping strangers, asking for nothing in return.

We were so fortunate not to have any sort-of damage to our house. Some of the neighbors down the street were hit hard, however. I feel like it is my responsibility to do something, if for no other reason, because we were spared the pain of losing everything we own. So many others around here have suffered. I can't just sit on my behind and go about life as if nothing has happened. I promise to post pictures soon, hopefully sometime this month. In the meantime, stay safe, and be thankful for all your blessings :-)

The 287(g) program and Arizona immigration law--a human rights issue

In light of the recent immigration bill passed in Arizona, which gives police the right to stop and verify the immigration status of anyone they suspect of being illegal, I was reminded of a federal program that was implemented in Nashville in 2007: the 287(g) program.

First of all, what exactly is the 287(g) program? Here's a basic primer from the U.S. Customs website at http://www.ice.gov/:

Delegation of Immigration Authority Section 287(g)Immigration and Nationality Act

"ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) developed the ACCESS program in response to the widespread interest from local law enforcement agencies who have requested ICE assistance through the 287(g) program, which trains local officers to enforce immigration law as authorized through section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Terrorism and criminal activity are most effectively combated through a multi-agency/multi-authority approach that encompasses federal, state and local resources, skills and expertise. State and local law enforcement play a critical role in protecting our homeland because they are often the first responders on the scene when there is an incident or attack against the United States. During the course of daily duties, they will often encounter foreign-born criminals and immigration violators who pose a threat to national security or public safety."

"The cross-designation between ICE and state and local patrol officers, detectives, investigators and correctional officers working in conjunction with ICE allows these local and state officers: necessary resources and latitude to pursue investigations relating to violent crimes, human smuggling, gang/organized crime activity, sexual-related offenses, narcotics smuggling and money laundering; and increased resources and support in more remote geographical locations."

The Immigration and Customs website contains a section called "Success Stories." They failed to report the following:

"In July 2008, Berry Hill Police stopped a very pregnant Juana Villegas for apparently changing lanes without a turn signal. Instead of avoiding detention, Villegas was jailed, went into labor, was transported to Metro General Hospital (and reportedly shackled to a bed), gave birth and went hours without seeing her child and days without seeing her husband. The deportation process was begun for her before charges were dropped under the glare of local and national media exposure of the case."--The City Paper, October 26, 2009

What makes this situation much worse is that it is actually policy to lock-down in handcuffs any women who were in custody while in labor. This is a policy that treated human beings worse than animals. Criminal or not, a civilized nation should not tolerate such abuses.

So while 287 (g) may be a worthwhile program, in theory, at identifying people who enter the U.S. illegally and who are also criminals, is the risk of abuse to law-abiding citizens, and even law-abiding non-citizens, worth the cost?

The problem here is that the door has now been opened to unchecked racist actions by Metro police in Nashville, and the unfettered arrest and deportation of people based on activities that are not defined by what this proposal was originally meant to be used for. Small traffic offenses that would oftentimes be overlooked by patrolling police officers provide an excuse for profiling in order to possibly catch an illegal immigrant.

The similarities between 287(g) and the Arizona law SB 1070 are obvious. They both invite legalized racism, human rights abuses by police who are angry at the influx of illegals to their state, and the potential to overwork the police force more than they are already overworked.

It's a fact that illegal immigration is straining our resources as a nation, especially in the area that I'm most familiar with--medicine. Hundreds of hospitals and emergency departments, forced to give free care under EMTALA to people who don't pay, have had to close down due to the high percentage of unreimbursed care.

However, the old argument that illegals should be denied rights in this country does not hold up in this situation. Why? Because your rights are sure to be violated in Arizona if you are legal, but don't have the proper paperwork to prove your citizenship at the moment of your police encounter. Americans are not required to carry such identification. And once jailed, the possibility of enduring physical and emotional abuse is real. Therefore, the Arizona law has the potential to violate basic human rights, as well as current federal law.

If you are brown-skinned and live in Arizona, because of this law, you will no longer be free. You are now a potential target for unwarranted harassment. Some people are okay with that and say that this draconian measure is necessary in order to prevent our country from turning into a "Brave New World" situation. But we must remember that when the rights of one group are violated, especially based on ethnicity, we are all violated. How? By dangerous precedent. Have we already forgotten the plight of the innocent Japanese people who were interred during World War II, simply for the way they looked?

dyeing Easter eggs with food you find around the house

Somewhere in this pot a cracked egg lurks.

We carried out our secularized but very fun Easter tradition today--dyeing eggs. The egg symbolizes the beginning of life, renewal, and rebirth. I want to try and make these traditions meaningful and relate them to spring as well as the resurrection of Jesus. So instead of using the prepackaged Paas kit, which had also become a tradition, I decided to try doing it naturally, meaning no artificial colors or dyes. Back to the earth. Plus, I have three bottles of vinegar that I enthusiastically purchased for cleaning mirrors and stuff, only I don't get around to cleaning mirrors that often.

I found a chart online, which seemed too complicated for a first-time family project, at about.com http://chemistry.about.com/od/holidayhowtos/a/eastereggdyes.htm. Using wildflowers, especially dandelions, would be a problem, since a few days ago I yanked much of the rebirth out of my lawn with a shovel and weed puller. I ultimately decided to scrounge around the kitchen and use what we had on hand.

The final contenders: spinach, lemon juice, wine, grape juice, cinnamon spice tea, blackberry jam, and V-8 Splash.

First, I boiled every last vitamin out of the spinach leaves until they were surely devoid of nutrition. I've been meaning to make creamed spinach with this box--it has been in my freezer for over 6 months. I won't kid myself into thinking the little ones will eat it, and it is probably freezer-burned anyways. Justification. I feel much better now.

Attempting to hasten the coloring process

Lemon juice was a stretch, but it turns a pretty bright yellow when mixed with borax. Not so much with vinegar. It's more like...dirty lemonade. A pale yellow just like...lemon juice.

The 2-year-old housewarming bottle of Merlot from the neighborhood association that we never joined in order to avoid the $40/year fee, which seems to buy nothing for the joiners but mailbox neighborhood watch stickers. This egg is reserved for my husband, just as I'm positive that he will say the spinach egg is for me.

Grape juice (store bought--not fresh squeezed). I've actually heard this works--it's not one of my crazy concoctions!

Mango and peach V-8 Splash. A food item that refuses to exit this house and has taken up more than its allotted time in the fridge. It might be fermented at this point. Even better!

2 bags of cinnamon tea. If nothing else, it covered up the spinach smell that permeated the cracks in the kitchen floor.


2 varieties of blackberry jam--Walmart and All-fruit, a.k.a. the pauper and the prince of smashed fruit.

This is a sputtering egg as it drowns in jam.

all the dyes representin'

playing in the gooey jam is the funnest part

And here are the lovely products. Starting from the top left, we have two colored with grape juice, then spinach, Merlot, and V-8 Splash. The bottom row showcases two cinnamon tea specimens with a blackberry jam egg in the center.


I asked my 7-year-old son what we learned from this experiment of coloring eggs with food.

He unapologetically said "to never do it again."

Dear Son, you have not yet developed a deep understanding of the type of mother you inherited. If something doesn't work, go radical. Stay tuned for our next post-Easter egg-dyeing session!