Indian Cup Plant

I took Friday off and got a good start on my garden. I love working in the garden. Since it has been raining, the plants are doing great, but so are the weeds. Oh well.

I have been dividing plants and giving to friends and my neighbors have given me plants that they need to get rid off. About half of my wildflower garden is plants that friends have given me. I am particularly proud of a beautiful prairie plant called Silphium Perfoliatum or Indian Cup Plant or Cup Plant. It grows to be about eight feet tall and attracts butterflys and humming birds. This year it had lots of "babies" and I am either transplanting to different areas or giving to friends. Of course, I warn them that in a sunny place this large plant will grow and grow and grow. As you can tell by the picture, it has beautiful yellow flowers.

Indian cup's most common use by Native American Indians wasn't exactly medicinal it was used for chewing gum. When the top of a cup plant stalk was snapped off, a large blob of resinous sap would slowly ooze out and eventually harden. This hardened sap could be chewed and is said to freshen breath.

Some tribes, like the Winnebagos, attached much more importance to the plant. Believing that it had supernatural powers, braves would drink a concoction derived from therhizome to purfiy themselves before embarking on a buffalo hunt or other important undertaking.

The Chippewas used an extract from the roots for back and chest pains, to prevent excessive menstrual bleeding, and as ameans to stop hemorrhaging from the lungs.

This plant is native to my state, but of course through development it has retrenched to more wild environments. Perhaps it will flourish in the metropolitian area because I'm cultivating it and spreading via friends. It is a hardy plant.

Llama de Amor Viva

¡O llama de amor viva
que tiernamente hieres
de mi alma en el más profundo centro!
Pues ya no eres esquiva
acaba ya si quieres,
¡rompe la tela de este dulce encuentro!

¡O cauterio süave!
¡O regalada llaga!
¡O mano blanda! ¡O toque delicado
que a vida eterna sabe
y toda deuda paga!
Matando, muerte en vida has trocado.

¡O lámparas de fuego
en cuyos resplandores
las profundas cavernas del sentido,
que estaba oscuro y ciego,
con estraños primores
color y luz dan junto a su querido!

¡Cuán manso y amoroso
recuerdas en mi seno
donde secretamente solo moras,
y en tu aspirar sabroso
de bien y gloria lleno,
cuán delicadamente me enamoras

Creating a Wildflower Garden

Well, today was mellow day, I woke up about 11:30 a.m. and played on my computer. Towards the end of the afternoon I than started working on my someday gorgeous wildflower garden and lawn. I transplanted some wildflower plants that were over-grown to new areas. I'm trying to recreate a prarie type/wildflower environment. Already I have quite the garden with plenty of birds, butterflys, humming birds and pesky rabbits that I must admit are part of the environment. Anway, my garden keeps me sane, but I wish I had a better vision...I just plant and re-plant, but maybe that's how nature does it too.

Okay, I hope we all have a great week, I know last week was great even thought I was worn out this weekend. Be well.

Reflections of the Week

This was a great week with many new beginnings in terms of work. I really enjoy working with cultural communities building capacity to address social justice issues - especially related to reducing the harm that tobacco causes our communities. In fact, if I was independently wealthy I would do this work without pay. I have met such wonderful people in this work and unfortunately sometimes they want me to do more, but I only have so much control through the system I am working with.

The only missing part in all this is that I need to take care of myself better and attend to my love interests and keep healthy. I try to work out about three to four times a week, but its tough getting to the gym...always more work to do and I sit on a couple boards that also have time demands. Boy, I wish I could win the lottery so that I could do what I want to do...not that I wouldn't still do some of the social justice stuff that I do, but I could do it when I want to. Some say that I wouldn't be as happy as I think I would be if I won the lottery. Well, I'd love to prove them wrong, but I got to win the lottery first:-)

Anyway, I'm looking forward to Sunday...I'm going to sleep late and if it doesn't rain (it's been raining the whole week) I'll work in my garden.

Leadership Institute

Well, on Thursday of this week we begin a year long journey to train community activists to organize against tobacco and the harm that it causes their communities. The Fellows come from diverse communities including, African/African Americans, American Indians, Asian American Pacific Islanders, Chicano Latinos and the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities. I think it will be an exciting year with these communities building strong political force to take on tobacco and other social justice issues.

National Day Without Immigrants - May 1, 2006

Gone Fishing