Local restaurant reviews, spring 2022.
Book Review: World of wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments is a pleasant read from cover to cover. The lighthearted prose of celebrated poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil reads like a picturesque spring day—a soft breeze, sunlight warming the earth after a long winter, and scents of growth and new beginnings.
The New Context of Essential Oils
Take a moment to imagine a beautiful rose garden. Notice your surroundings. Feel the sun warming the surface of your skin, as a gentle breeze dances by. Listen to the sounds of nature around you. The leaves on the trees sway in the breeze. Birds off in the distance. A sense of stillness within the activity of nature.
Crysta Goes Visiting, Spring 2022
In this column, Crysta Coburn writes about crazywisdom-esque people and happenings around Ann Arbor.
Out of My Comfort Zone: In the Space Between My Comfort Zones
Does exhaling take you out of your comfort zone? How about taking a step out ahead of you? How about the first pangs of hunger, or the chill of the air, when you step outdoors on a cold day?
Raptors to the Rescue! Wildlife Ambassadors Teach Lessons in Conservation
Like many people I know, if you told me in the summer of 2020 that the pandemic would probably drag on for two years or more, I would not have believed you. In fact, I would have thought you were a negative, defeatist person, and I would have avoided you like—well, the plague.
From Depot Town to Showtime: An Interview with Actor Leo Sheng
“The roles I’ve taken so far have all been trans characters. And so, they are innately trans stories,” said Leo Sheng. “And with my job comes this joy of getting to be this type of representation that I didn’t have growing up. So maybe [the reason I’m an actor] is a little selfish, but I’m excited I have this opportunity to tell stories, period.”
Moving Meditations and Comparative Prayer Forms: An Exploration of Altering One's Consciousness Through Movement
One day while teaching Tai Chi—somewhere between forms—I was no longer cognizant of my body, my students, the studio, not even time! There was suddenly nothing except delightful whiteness, bliss, and an ethereal consciousness. When I came back to the immediate physical surroundings, I admitted to my students, “Ummmm I lost count. Was that two or three Part the Horse’s Mane?” We all laughed. Later, I recalled having had other similar experiences during movement as well as sitting/lying inert.
The Process of ‘Becoming’ Through the Diamond Approach – As Taught and Practiced by Lou Weir
The Diamond Approach, as taught and practiced by Lou Weir at the Ridhwan School in Ann Arbor, can be likened to the pupa stage of metamorphoses. It is a cognizant, individualized, un-becoming process through active inquiry (psychologically and emotionally). It is a process which transforms students to becoming their most beautiful, authentic selves.
Community Farm of Ann Arbor-- A Look at the Past, the Present, and the Future
The Community Farm of Ann Arbor was founded in 1988. It was one of the first organic, and perhaps the only biodynamic, farm in Michigan, as well as one of the first CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture). A few years after the Farm began, and up until three years ago, it was run by Annie Elder and Paul Bantle. After Annie and Paul moved to California in 2018, several other farmers ran things, and then this spring, Dan Gannon was hired to run the Farm.
Bringing Nature Back to Our Yard: Trading In Harmful Landscaping Habits for Healthy Sustainability
Late winter is the time we may start dreaming about the color green, about flowers, imagining new vistas as we look out our windows or walk around our frozen yard. This is a wonderful time to explore a fresh outlook on our little piece of earth. As new life emerges from dormancy, we may ask ourselves, “What is the purpose of my yard?” There are many possible answers: enjoying beauty and colorful flowers, complying with homeowners’ association regulations, conforming to the neighborhood, impressing neighbors and friends, creating a safe space for the kids to play, or wanting to help save our planet.
Vivante: Notes From a Year of Dreaming Dangerously
March 12, 2020. Out on the town with friends. We are in a restaurant. Upon leaving, we see it has mysterious doorframes. Two are rectangular. One is round, named “Eternity”, and seems to be forbidden, but we are drawn to defy that and move toward it anyway. It has a silver-gray cast. Within it is a mirror, in which we see someone whose body has become a chair with white plastic upholstery. The doorway now reminds me of a window in a washing machine. Everything dreams. Every element, every cell, every organism.
Tending the Divine Feminine Flame
awoke in my first breath with a deep yen in my heart. My soul’s purpose and mission on earth was to know the nature of the feminine and to find myself constantly in love with love and being loved. I searched for her, the face of the feminine divine, everywhere. I looked under stones, oh how I worshipped the woods. I dipped curious fingers into streams filled with crawfish because water was my solace. I leaned on trees and listened for her. In the night sky with winking stars and shining moon I would gaze, wishing to see a glimmering reflection of that which is in me. I devoured the power of femininity in women’s narratives and every book my young fingers could grip. In the sanctuary of a church, and the ritual of song and word, I wished to feel her. My young soul was a deep well of wanting to know her. Our deepest desires are non-negotiable.
CW Kids in the Community: Winter 2022: Kids Volunteering Opportunities To Give Back To The Community
Kids are back to school, but the community is still struggling. Many activities are up in the air even now. One of the ways we can create meaning out of the suffering around us is to volunteer to help others. We all know people or know of people who still have jobs but struggle to afford enough food or utilities. The environment continues to need our help. There are many ways that volunteering can help us help others, which can also support our own mental or physical health.
Hand Crafting: Wet Felted Vessels
Wet felted vessels: Looking for a fun craft to make with the kids or an easy to make, but beautiful, gift for a friend? Learning to wet felt a small vessel is quick and easy. You just need a few supplies, many of which you already have in your home!
What We Can Predict
The Farmer’s Almanac predicts a colder, flakier winter than usual for those of us who live in The Mitten. Normally this would not be worth noting, but there is no “normally” anymore, and so I do note it.
Maybe I note this prediction because at a time when truth seems to be elusive, and not being prepared threatens to be deadly, The Farmer’s Almanac is a reliable source when it comes to foretelling the weather and helping people prepare. And it tips its hat to inclusivity, in that anyone is welcome to read and heed its advice—not just farmers. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac website, it is North America’s most popular reference guide and oldest continuously published periodical.
The Food of the Gods-The Sacred Cacao Ceremony
Over 5,000 years ago, the cacao bean was first used by early Mesoamerican civilizations. It has been celebrated ever since as a sacred plant medicine in many indigenous cultures in South and Central America. Cacao (kə-ˈkau̇) known as the “food of the gods,” is the seed found in the fruit of the Theobroma cacao tree, which is native to the Amazon basin.
Out of My Comfort Zone: Being a Parent to a Parent
I couldn’t find her anywhere. I went to all the places where she could be, asked store clerks, drove by frequented bus stops and walking patterns, and then went back to her apartment. In her bedroom I found her mobile phone, apartment keys, and her ID. I was uncomfortable and a bit in a panic. How long should I wait before I call the police? My brain said “long enough.” I made the call.
Namaste Katie: Winter 2022
Winter 2022, Yoga column. Whether you're a seasoned yogi or getting ready to roll out your mat for the first time,
here you'll find a variety of useful tips from local yoga instructor, Katie Hoener.
Leaps of Faith: 2 Dandelions Bookshop
As I walked into 2 Dandelions Bookshop on Main Street in Brighton, I was greeted by two women with smiles as cheerful as the color sprinkled about the store. As I noticed their outfits, I couldn’t help but mention, “I love that you both wore yellow for the photos.” Jeanne Blazo and Jeri Kay Thomas looked at each other’s outfits and laughed while simultaneously explaining that it wasn’t on purpose. They “just wear it a lot.” I knew then that these long-time friends were in sync and that I would enjoy learning about them and what they created together.
