78. All You Need is Love

Bottle cap from my boyfriend's iced tea binges.

77. Memorial Day

Arlington National Cemetery - January 2008

Vietnam Memorial - January 2007

Vietnam Memorial - January 2007

Vietnam Memorial - January 2008

 Korean War Veterans Memorial - January 2007

Dulce et Decorum Est

by Wilfred Owen (written 1917-18)

 

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,

Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,

Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs

And towards our distant rest began to trudge.

Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,

But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;

Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots

Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.

Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling,

Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;

But someone still was yelling out and stumbling

And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime . . .

Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,

As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams before my helpless sight,

He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace

Behind the wagon that we flung him in,

And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,

His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood

Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,

Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud

Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, –

My friend, you would not tell with such high zest

To children ardent for some desperate glory,

The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est

Pro patria mori .

76. Cajun Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans

 

Memorial Day is a celebration of veterans and is also a day when families and friends come together, bonding over grills and cases of beer. Rather than bringing the usual macaroni salad or veggie burger platter to tomorrow's festivities, spice up the party with a dish that everyone is sure to talk about.

Ingredients:

4-6 medium or large sweet potatoes

1 can of organic black beans, rinsed

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp dried minced onions

2 tbsp dried powdered garlic 

pinch of each: sea salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, and black pepper

Directions: 

- Cube your sweet potatoes into small pieces.

-  Place potatoes in a large skillet over medium heat and drizzle them with olive oil.

- After approximately 10 minutes, add your rinsed black beans and all spices. Mix well until oil and spices are distributed. Allow to cook for 5-7 more minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.

 

 These sweet potatoes are delicious at cookouts, but are also tasty additions to brunch. I enjoy them alongside a batch of vegan chocolate chip pancakes, allowing me to enjoy a meal that is sweet, spicy, savory, and full of nutrients- all in one sitting.

76: DIY Inspiration Tarot Cards

If you have ever had writer's block or other forms of creative stoppage and restlessness, then you may need to give yourself a push when divine inspiration fails to arrive. To get my brain moving, I like to use my own personal set of "tarot cards" to choose my artistic fate, so to speak. The creation of the cards themselves is a stimulating project that forces you to use your imagination.

Materials:

Old magazines and books

Matte finish card stock

Scissors

Acid free glue

Two small containers or pouches

To begin, choose one of your containers as your Tarot Deck Holder. Be sure that it is a container that you like, as it will be with you often. I use everything from velvet pouches to little tin cans as my holders.

Once you choose your container, measure it to determine the size of the cards that you will cut. Cut your cards to the appropriate size using a ruler and rotary cutter or a paper cutting blade that you can get at any craft store. Use a variety of colored and patterned card stocks. Find patterns that resonate with you.

From your magazines and books, cut words and images that stand out.

Keep thee clippings in your second container. You may also want to keep a folder to hold magazine pages that you want to use at a later time.

Begin assembling your cards. Personally, I paste an image (photo, artwork, etc) on the blank side of each card and then flip the cards over and paste phrases and words on the patterned side. This creates lovely cards with two sides to inspire you. Your words and images may or may not relate to one another - you decide the relationship and how it will influence you or your work. 

Create as many cards as you'd like and store your materials so that you can continue to add to your collection as wanted or needed.

Don't be afraid to make your cards bold or personal! Use your own poetry or snippets from famous poems to provide springboards for you to dive from. Utilize cheesy magazine headlines about celebrities. Find pictures that are both grotesque and gorgeous. As Picasso said - "Everything you can imagine is real."

When you need a creative pick-me-up, pull out your tarot deck and browse for inspiration. Meditate upon the words and images you have chosen and try to find elements within them that you can translate into your own work.