Lesson Learned

We had our usual arts and craft group yesterday at the senior care facility (doesn't that sound better than Nursing Home) where I volunteer.  Our project was to create crushed paper art pieces.  It was a learning experience, especially for me.

Although I've created a number of these in the past and brought some of these pieces as examples, the actual "How To" was not as obvious as I imagined.  In my ignorance, I simply directed the residents to crush up the paper I provided and glue it to squares of cardboard.  The residents struggled.  Finally, I demonstrated.  Ah!  So that's how it's done.

Truthfully, I should have known better.  I'm a person who learns best by being shown.  Written or verbal instructions never quite sink in the way a demonstration does.  So here's what I learned.

Take the time to demonstrate each week at the beginning of each session.  Don't assume that because the process seems evident to me that it will be evident to everyone else.  And even after a demonstration, watch and guide without being intrusive on people's individual creative processes.

Also, while we in the midst of creating, it was evident that one of the participants was not as engaged as the rest.  It was then I noticed that she was having a hard time reaching supplies that were placed at the table where she was working.  Once supplies were moved to within easy reach she engaged. 

There's always something to learn.  Hopefully, I will keep my eyes, ears, and heart open to what the residents have to teach me and make our mutual learning an enjoyable time together.

Speaking of Just About Anything

Although this entry is under the label, Book Reviews, once again it is not a book.  This is rather a site I stumbled upon which led me to American Public Media and a program, Speaking of Faith.  I don't believe this program is broadcast in the area where I live.

Once again, thanks to the miracle of technology, which I intermittently decry, I have been able to listen to some pretty amazing presentations.  One of their offerings was an interview with Matthew Sanford, a paraplegic who is also a yoga teacher now working with injured soldiers returning from war zones.  Another program I enjoyed is "The Ethics of Eating," a conversation with Barbara Kingsolver.  Then there was Desmund Tutu's God of Surprises.

The good news is that there are numerous programs in the archives just waiting to be enjoyed.  The bad news is that I am one of the last people on earth not to own an iPod and so must sit at my computer to listen to these wonderful programs.  Other bad news is that I've run out of busy work (cleaning and sorting) so I have nothing to do while I sit at my computer and listen to these offerings. The solution to my dilemma would be to find more busy work or to purchase an iPod.  Anyone out there with an old iPod for sale?

Check out Speaking of Faith.  Presenters and topics to feed a hungry mind. 

Shaving Cream Prints

This is a fun project that takes just minimal supplies.

The supplies include:
  Shaving cream
  Liquid paints
  Paper
  Plastic spoon
  Mixing stick
  Scraper
  Styrofoam or paper plate
 

Simply spread a coat of shaving cream onto a plate and smooth it out with a spoon so it's about 1/4 inch thick.  Next, dot on some paint, as seen on the plate to the left.  I used acrylic paint on this but liquid watercolors work just as well.  Next, mix the colors together using a mixing stick (a pencil works well) as seen on the plate to the right.

Take your piece of paper that is slightly larger than the paint area and press it down onto the paint.  Pat it lightly to make sure that the paint transfers to the paper.  Now lift the paper off of the paint and behold something that looks like a mess.  Fear not.

Take your scraper, which could be a square of cardboard, and scrape the shaving cream off of the paper.  Voila!  This will reveal your beautiful design.  At this point you can smooth out the shaving cream left on the plate and add additional colors to make another design or start again with fresh shaving cream and new colors.

In the above picture you can see the paint dotted onto the plate and paint mixed with wild abandon.  Actually, I mixed it with a plastic skewer that once held a fruit kabob.  The paper I used for the print that's shown is cardstock.  I find that I get the best results with watercolor paper or white construction paper.  Dark colored paper doesn't seem to show off the design as well.

You can also write on the paper with a dark crayon, messages like "Happy Birthday", before pressing the paper onto the swirls of paint.  This way you could design our own birthday cards.

Besides birthday cards, designs can be cut into bookmark sized pieces and used as bookmarks.  When doing this activity with senior residents we took some of their creations and framed them in 4x6 frames so they could have them as art pieces.

Experiment and enjoy!

Holy Cow!

I recently picked up an audio book entitled, "The Way We Eat, Why Our Food Choices Matter" by Peter Singer and Jim Mason.  I expected a discourse on nutrition with a smattering of food ethics thrown in for good measure.  And I've been more attracted to non-fiction just because so many fiction books have dust jackets that announce, "Mandy was anxious to return home after her honeymoon and begin life as a married woman.  And then they found that dead body in the basement."  And then there is always, "They were a happy family.  Typical in so many ways, until the accident and that dead body in the basement." 

Anyway, with my interest in nutrition I thought this would be something I'd enjoy.  And maybe a bit of information that might help me decide how much I want to pursue vegetarianism, which has been my general path of choice.  This vegetarian bent began when I read that the fossil fuel fiasco we're facing could be solved if everyone ate vegetarian.  Eat your grains, beans and veggies and save the planet.  I can do that!

Hold on to your socks, and don't continue reading this blog entry if you're squeamish or are eating your lunch.  This book traces three families and their food choices, going from a typical American diet of meat and potatoes with a good dose of fast food, to a family that chooses organic.  And then the authors went on to investigate where the food comes from, what labels really mean, and how animals that produce the bulk of our meat are farmed.  This includes cows, pigs, poultry and their eggs, fish, shrimp, and other seafood.

The image that  keeps dancing around in my head are two of the methods for disposing of chickens who are no longer able to produce eggs at a profitable rate.  One egg producer, with the aid of a bulldozer, simply dug a large pit and buried the chickens alive.  Another fed the live birds into a wood chipper.  Yes, these were the extreme cases, but many other stories of animal treatment were not all that inspiring.  Unfortunately, there are no general standards against torture when it comes to farm animal treatment in many segments of the industry.  It's basically a nod to common practice. 

A good thought provoking read.  And maybe another reason to give the vegetarian life-style some serious thought.

Ch Ch Ch Chia

I recently read a book (so is this a book review or a recipe) called "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall.  It tells you everything you've ever wanted to know about running, running shoes, and the greatest runners of all times, the Tarahumara people who live in the Copper Canyons.

In this book is a recipe for a beverage consumed by the Tarahumara people which seems to give them incredible stamina.  It's known as iskiate.  One of the ingredients in this drink is the chia seed, that innocuous little seed used to grow hair on the infamous Chia Pets.  I've been acquainted with the nutritional value of chia seeds and already had a supply that I would occasionally slip into my morning fruit smoothie. 

The recipe for iskiate is simple -
     10 ounces of water
     1 T Chia Seeds
     Squirt of lime juice
     Dash of Agave nectar for sweetness (optional)
Shake up all the ingredients in a jar or bottle and allow to sit overnight.  The chia seeds will soften.  Drink and go find something to do with all of the wonderful energy that you'll feel.

My version of this drink is to put the water and a whole peeled lime into my Vita Mix and liquefy.  Next I add the chia seeds and the agave nectar.  And if you remember from the incredible chocolate dessert from some weeks back, agave nectar is a preferred sweetener because of its low glycemic index, which means it goes into your system slowly and does not cause a spike in blood sugar.  But back to the subject at hand.

For those of you unfamiliar with chia seeds let me quote from the book.  "As tiny as those seeds are, they're superpacked with omega-3s. omega-6's, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fiber, and antioxidants.  If you had to pick just one desert-island food, you couldn't do much better than chia, at least if you were interested in building muscle, lowering cholesterol, and reducing your risk of heart disease; after a few months on the chia diet you could probably swim home."

In a pinch I've used plain orange juice and chia seeds when I was out of limes.  It seemed to work just as well.  No jitters or other effects.  Just lots of energy. 

So now we come to the warnings and other things to think about.  The first time I concocted a batch of iskiate and drank it I wanted enough energy to get a good start on redoing an overgrown flowerbed.  I decided that if I got a good start I might have the project finished in a few days.  Actually, I had the project finished in a few hours with enough energy left over to do a second flowerbed, and all before lunch.

Wanting to see how much more I could accomplish that day I had another glass of iskiate after lunch.  Caution!  Come bedtime I was still vibrantly wide awake.  Tried this a second time about a week later to see if this was a fluke or a result of the drink.  Spent another night alert and ready for action.

Finally, like any other nutritious food,  iskiate is not a magic bullet.  Don't expect to indulge in a diet of junk food and have one ten-ounce drink make you feel great.  Also remember to hydrate.  Water is magic and essential to life.  Happy running!