Enjoying The Festival of Sukkot....

Wikepedia tells us:
"A sukkah (Hebrew: סוכה‎, plural, סוכות, sukkot, often translated as "booth") is a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is topped with branches and often well decorated with autumnal, harvest or Judaic themes. The Book of Vayyiqra (Leviticus) describes it as a symbolic wilderness shelter, commemorating the time God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness they inhabited after they were freed from slavery in Egypt. It is common for Jews to eat, sleep and otherwise spend time in the sukkah. While Sukkot is a joyous occasion and is referred to in Hebrew as Yom Simchateinu (the day of our rejoicing) or Z'man Simchateinu (the time of our rejoicing), the sukkah itself symbolizes the frailty and transience of life and our dependence on God".

Our friend, Bernice, built this sukkah and invited us for a wonderful evening dinner.
The night was crisp and cool but the conversation and company was warm and nurturing. Friend Jill is not seen because she was our photographer.

That's Bernice on the left; too humble & shy to look at the camera.
Did I mention that she's a great cook and baker??
In Bernice's day life, she is a librarian; in her other life, a fantastic artist.

Thanks Bernice!!

Life's Majesty....

My friend Jill recently was in the Detroit area visiting her father. They have a home by a lake and before she flew back to Seattle, she took a walk.

From Michigan to northern New Mexico. I am in the process of selling our family home in Los Alamos. Our Realtor sent me these pictures of recent backyard visitors....

My sister Gloria was also visiting and her visit coincided with this beauty...

The selling of my parent's home has evoked many feelings and memories in me. Many years ago when I was in high school, I awoke in the middle of the night to a "clomp, clomp, clomp sound". I moved the curtain on my back door window and found myself face to face with a very grand buck. It was knocking his hooves against the cement step, knocking away the snow. We had eye contact for about 1o seconds before he turned and sauntered away. What a memory!

It's been difficult for me to go through this process of selling my family home; we already have a solid offer....I'm thinking that these majestic beauties are here to tell me that they'll keep an eye on things....

A Long Work Week....

This past week, I worked 12 days straight. Poor, poor me; there has been no decent rest for me since we returned from Alessandria! Do I expect you to feels sorry for me? No. The Pisces in me says no, no, no.

So, what was I doing that took so many days in a row? I was teaching mostly young, bright, energetic acupuncture students about an acupuncture technique that we use in substance abuse settings. In addition to the acupuncture, the course (30 hours) has a heavy emphasis upon issues and neuro-brain chemistry related to drug abuse. I really enjoy teaching and this was a particularly good class of 15 students. So, actually, even though I was working, I really enjoyed myself.

Ear anatomy and point location.

Look at those notes my students take! It's like they are listening and find some important things to write down.

Here's the protocol. Ah, but does it CURE addiction? Nope. No one individual treatment approach cures addiction. No one stand alone treatment "cures" addiction for all people; addiction is a illness of which the phenomena of relapse is a major symptom. It takes multiple treatment options to give an individual a fighting chance--ie AA, support groups, counseling, anger management, housing, money, jobs, acupuncture.... Auricular acupuncture is a supportive, adjunct treatment that is a "slice of the pie"; it's not the whole "treatment pie". No one approach makes up the entire treatment pie.

It really doesn't hurt; it's a small pinch in the ears and usually quite tolerable for most people (except maybe my girlfriend). The treatment is very relaxing and calming.

I was tired at the end of four days. It's a challenge to talk 7 hours a day and keep one's audience interested and attentive. I need acupuncture.

So, the next day, right after the class was finished, I resumed my "new job" activities,
walking the halls of the various buildings and knocking on doors.

Stairs, stairs, stairs are everywhere...I have to say, walking these halls and stairs gave me a few anecdotal tidbits for my class...

And as my long two weeks began to wind down, I realized and saw that things could be worse.

More shoes lost....

Not much to count on when one is homeless, addicted and mentally ill. My new world where I straddle many conflicting feelings and thoughts. I'm guessing my students picked up on that.

I'm quite thankful for what I have--it's way more than I really need.
Please be well, happy, and generous.

Rita Gave Me Courage...

Every day on my way from work, I walk by a fantastic kitchen store in downtown Seattle. This past month, they have been having their annual month long sale. One my third trip in, I bought a pasta maker. While in Alessandria, I spent many hours watching Rita make pasta and I decided it was time for me to take the plunge. Of course, I bought one just like hers.

Where Rita and I differ is that she did the traditional moat with eggs and then mixed the pasta by hand with a knife (here's a memory lane reminder).

I, however, used...

my Cuisinart! It took about 40 seconds.
Ahhhh, Americans!

For my first pasta creation I decided to make two types: tagliatelle and ravioli. How would it turn out? Good I hope because we invited close friends for dinner and this is truly
an experiment for me....Yikes!

For the ravioli, I made a filling of cannelini beans, prosciutto,
goat cheese, scallion and fresh basil.

Of course I used the Cuisinart!

I'm not a totally lazy person. Here is traditional kneading of the dough.
I love the feel and contact.

The maiden voyage of the ATLAS 150!

Whoaaaaaa!!! Nellie.....

Putting in the filling....

The cover up.

My first ever made ravioli....

Meanwhile, the real Miss Lazy Bones enjoys a beautiful day out doors.....

For the tagliatelle, I tossed it with garlic and olive oil and topped
with freshly made bread crumbs.

I made a mushroom sauce for the ravioli.

I also grilled a pork tenderloin.

Our good sport dinner guests--Peter, Toni, Deb, Amanda, and of course, Kim.

And little Miss Hermione just kept being herself all the many hours.

Thank you Italian Atlas Company.
Thank you Cuisinart Company.
Thank you good friends.
AND, Thank you Rita for all you taught me!

Alley's of Seattle...

Walking the alley's of Seattle I have no worries...These gentlemen as well as the horses were really big...

Wednesday and Thursday in Seattle....

I'm getting pretty good at working my way around Seattle on our bus system. This is where I get off to walk to Wednesday morning psychiatric consultation meetings at Evergreen. Depending upon the time of year, the art work varies.

Our new light rail system goes right by here. I haven't ridden it yet; I've stuck to the buses.

This was done by high school students --an "artwork empowers youth project."

A city view, looking north.

These are some of my client's favorite things...

For some reason, I passed individual shoes; never saw their mates.

This is Evergreen Treatment Services,one of Seattle's methadone maintenance clinics and my home away from home for 16 years. Now I go on Wednesdays for weekly psychiatric consultation meetings. It's always good to see old colleagues and many of the patients I used to work with. They've been quite sweet and show lots of excitement when they see me. I see them at Evergreen, I see them downtown, I see them on buses and sometimes in stores. Once, while in a grocery store I heard someone call across the store:
"Hey, acupuncture lady! Remember me? I met you at the prison in Spokane...."

To the right of Evergreen, they are building a shopping complex with condominiums. Every time I walk by I smile because I wonder if potential buyers know who their colorful neighbors will be. It will be interesting at least because there's never a dull moment at Evergreen Monday through Saturday mornings from 6AM - 11AM.

This poem was on the table of the room where we have consultation.

Back at another of my main bus stops everyday around 7:30AM this woman is always standing here. She never looks around and just stands in the same spot,
barely moving and quietly looking north. When I return later during the day, she's always gone.

This is the Mexican Embassy and it's right across the street from my office. Every morning there are long lines waiting for it to open.

Westlake Mall fountain in downtown Seattle on Pine between 3rd and 4th Avenues.

Mall locals.

One of the high end stores that creates a contrast between the "locals" and shoppers.

A block away, someone searches for dinner.

Even I would have to duck to enter this little doorway.

Heading home on a different bus route I pass a major Seattle landmark.

Good to know!

Bye, bye. It's my weekend!