Author Archives: wildsage

Oaxaca Adventure

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Two weeks ago we returned home from Oaxaca, Mexico. Marigolds are the keystone flower for Day of the Dead celebrations throughout the region.  They symbolize all that is supremely wonderful about this celebration.

I first encountered the Day of the Dead when I moved to Tucson in the mid 1990’s.  There is parade known as the “All Souls Procession” which takes place on the weekend of All Souls Day (November 2).  I learned that Dia de Los Muertos was a Mexican celebration of family members who had passed on.   It involves decoration of family graves with flowers, food and drink, home ofrendas (alters) with special foods, photos and mementos etc.  There are many family celebrations in honoring the memory of those who had passed.  It is their belief that these souls return for a short visit and it becomes an annual connection with loved ones no longer living.

Wow – there’s nothing in our culture that celebrates death in such a positive fashion. We began going to these processions and witnessed the positive ways death can be honored and celebrated.  We wanted to explore it even more which brought us to Oaxaca.  We spent a week there immersed in the art and craft of the Zapotec indigenous culture and their celebrations of Dia de los Muertos.  In the markets and villages and all around the Zocolo(city square) marigolds and celosia prevailed.  There were skulls and skeletons in all art forms – ceramic, wood, sugar, papier mache and more!  Special foods including delicious moles, beautiful formed breads and the most delicious tamales I’ve ever had, were essential components of family meals.  Music was everywhere – lots of bands with tubas and drums setting the pace for everyone.  Guitar maestros strummed at grave sites.  Costumes were amazing.  Many of the young people dressed up in elaborate fashion – often with skeleton faces but devils and scary creatures were everywhere.  We even saw Zapotec warriors wandering in the plaza as part of a big celebratory parade and a family dog with red devil ears!

We observed families dressing graves at three different local cemetaries.  People started arriving after 8 in the evening and by 10 pm it was almost impossible to move around the graveyards.  The graves were elaborately festooned with flowers, food, drink and photographs.  People were anticipating the return of the souls after midnight and some planned their vigil for a full 24 hours.

One night we joined in a dancing parade known as a “comparsa” in a small village about 30 minutes outside Oaxaca City.  This was a family parade with almost the whole town dancing to the music as they traversed the parade route.  There were two starting locations and two little bands – each on a different side of the village.  They came together and then danced their way to a large plaza where the festivities continued.

On our last night we went to a traditional Zapotec family celebration and were greeted by a 15 piece band. That was the background for dancing and eating.  The eating began with a mescal toast (like high octane fuel) followed by wonderful tamales, a panetone-like egg bread, and a cup of delicious Mexican hot chocolate.  After much dancing and fireworks it was over and time to return home.

While our culture seems to focus on grief, sadness and loss, I see these wonderful Oaxacans celebrating with gratitude and joy.  They honor the ones who have died and remember them with love and energy – preparing their favorite foods, creating ofrendas  as they believe deeply that souls return each year on this special occasion.

I shall plant marigolds in my garden so that they are in full bloom when the end of October arrives.  Their bright colors will continue to remind me of a joyous way to celebrate my dead relatives and hopefully their souls will come back to our home on All Souls Day to enjoy a little celebration with the living.

Note:  You can view our photographs at:

www.eddddean.zenfolio.com   Scroll through the programs and look for Oaxaca, 2012

If this trip is one you think you would enjoy, visit www.crizmac.com.  Stevie Mack, the owner, has been taking people to Day of the Dead celebrations for over 17 years.  We think she does a fabulous job.

The Five Minute Breakfast

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Healthy, quick and a bit unconventional!!!

I’ve never been a breakfast lover.  As a kid I didn’t like cereal, eggs or pancakes.  My favorite was a liverwurst sandwich which was not my Mom’s idea of a good morning start.  I like a breakfast that is simple to make and easy to clean up.  That way I have more time in the morning to get ready for the day.

For most of my adult life, I would rely on a cheese sandwich for my morning meal.  It was quick to make and very portable.  I could eat it in the car as I was driving to work.

About 20 years ago I discovered fruit-based breakfasts.  Ed and I were at Esalen in Big Sur, California.  Every morning their breakfast table would include a sumptuous array of fresh seasonal fruits.  I would load up my plate with three or four fruits and add a hard-cooked egg for protein.  It was simple and very satisfying.

When I got back home, I began to have fruit plates for breakfast, but substituted a handful of nuts (almonds or walnuts) for the egg.  It was portable, nutritious, tasty and quick!

To keep myself from getting into a breakfast “rut” I sometimes cook rice, oat groats or steel cut oats in broth.  I season them in a savory fashion with onion, garlic and soy sauce as I do not care for most breakfast sweets (other than fruit).  They can also be cooked in coconut or almond milk or fruit juice and sweetened with honey or agave. Fresh or dried fruits and nuts make for a delicious concoction.

Several years ago I discovered “congee”, a savory rice gruel.  It has become a favorite breakfast food.  I cook half a cup of brown rice in about 5 cups of water (or broth).  I add a chopped onion and a generous amount of garlic and cook it for 1.5 – 2 hours until the rice has broken down and the fluid has a creamy texture.  Often I’ll add chopped spinach, grated carrot, bits of leftover chicken and grated ginger.  I use salt, soy sauce and sesame oil to enhance the flavor.  I store the congee in the refrigerator.  A serving takes a microwave minute to warm up.  When I have leftovers (even soggy salad) I will add them.  Just writing this up makes my mouth water!!

This week I am breakfasting on cold steel cut oats cooked for about 35 minutes with onion and garlic and stored in the refrigerator.  I could cover it with milk or broth and microwave it.  But I discovered that I love eating it as cold “paste”.  So that’s another very fast breakfast with very little clean-up.  I cook oat groats in a similar fashion, but they take up to two hours to become soft and chewy.  A friend with cholesterol issues found that she had lowered her numbers by eating oat groats every day.

I also love smoothies for breakfast but they take more prep and clean-up time.  Yes, I am lazy in the morning!!!!  I make smoothies with my blender.  I always use banana, apple and some fluid such as fruit juice, almond milk or cocoanut milk.  Favorite additions to that base are watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries and spinach.  Any or all work.  For extra protein, I add yogurt or protein powder, and I always use a few ice cubes to create a nice chilled drink.

Using these approaches my breakfast has been transformed into an enjoyable morning event!!

Art Boards for Free!!

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I was reminded recently by Arizona Artist, Cory Celaya, of the use of recycled hard book covers as art supports.  I’ve been doing this for a long time.  I use them for small works and have worked on them in a variety of media: graphite pencil, acrylic paint, collage, and even encaustic!

For collage, the covers can be resurfaced by collaging on pages from the book itself.  Pick covers that are in decent condition.  You don’t want “dog-eared” corners on your finished work.  Remove the text block and cut away the spine.  You’ll have two boards to finish. Use white glue (Tacky is my favorite) watered down to the consistency of cream.  Cover the front being sure to wrap around the sides.  While still wet, wrap the cover in waxed paper and place under a weight.  A brick wrapped in contact paper or felt will work well.  When dry, add a coat of gesso to provide a nice surface to receive your next layer.

If I want a “fine art” surface to work on for drawing,watercolor or encaustic then I usually will cover the board with Velin Arches or 90# watercolor paper.  I place the cover on the paper and draw a light line around the cover.  Next I add 3/4” margin all around.  Using a 45 degree angle I cut off the corners leaving about two cover thickness to cover the corner.  I paint the paper with a thin coat of the diluted glue and lay the cover on the page.  Then I glue the two long sides, tucking in the corners.  To finish I glue the short sides, cover with waxed paper and weight down.  It’s important to have a bone folder to make sure that you get all the air bubbles out before you turn the corners , and again before you wrap the board in waxed paper.

Platinum Patti

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Meet “Platinum Patty”

my  birthday doll

Last year I learned about a fiber artist who celebrates her birthday by  making a doll.  I decided I would do the same and made a doll from the gift wraps that were used on presents my sister sent me.  I called her “Sallie Fran”.

This year was a landmark birthday so Ed (my husband) and I decided to celebrate by spending a week by the sea.  We traveled to Oceanside where we had rented a condo at North Coast Village.  I brought along a little bag of stuff that could be used to make a doll.   On my birthday I birthed “Platinum Patty” at the dining table. I had hoped to incorporate beach items in the doll, but the beach at Oceanside is quite clean and the beach-combing rather scant.

Her arms and legs are wrapped fabric rolls.  Her hair is a scrubbie – to represent my every greying hair.  And the yarns chosen to adorn her were from the lovely packages friends had prepared for me.  The little book contains a special affirmation I had written to help give focus to my future.  The cover of the book is from paper gift wrap given to me on my birthday.