Freedom and Free Books!

FREEDOM AND FREE BOOKS!

Last night, I happened to come across a program where two women were discussing Soup Joumou. Now, I am no cook but I do make soup, often, and so although I don’t watch food shows in general, this one seemed unique because of the historical connection.

Soup Jomou is made of several ingredients but a main base is squash. You can find out the ingredients by googling the name of the soup. This soup comes from a tradition evolving from the Haitian Revolution in the 1700’s. Enslaved people were forced to make this soup for the rich and the plantation owners but forbidden to make it for themselves. When they freed themselves from Colonial enslavement, people who left Haiti for Louisiana brought the recipe with them and on Haitian Independence Day each year, they make it and enjoy the taste of freedom in every spoonful.

By coincidence, this morning, in my e-mail, I received an invitation to join the Free Books Project at Newton Friends Meeting for Squash Soup on Saturday! Unfortunately, I was unable to visit this Saturday, but once again, I was impressed with the generosity and creativity of the Free Books Project at Newton Friends.

Also, for the most successful early gardeners, I believe we are in or approaching that season when the prolific squash rises in abundance and becomes widely available, often for free from gardening friends, so what a great time to find the recipe that suits your taste and to think of the long noble history of this healthful soup. Bon Apetit!

Jo Ann Wright wrightj45@yahoo.com

An Essay from a friend - good thought!

My Ode to Clover and Pollinator-Friendly Lawncare: a Friend’s Idea for Better Stewardship of the Earth Many of the residents in my 55 and over community remember the time when lawns often included and were even encouraged to include white clover. Clover seeds automatically came with the grass seed. “75 years ago, no one planted a lawn without mixing a little white clover in with the grass seed (Roger Swain, The Victory Garden, PBS).” It was often packaged with the grass seed.

Historically, clover became an unwanted weed after World War II during which 2-4, D was discovered. Its original purpose had been to destroy potato crops in Germany and rice crops in Japan. In the form of a weed killer, it became popular for lawncare, known as WeedOne , thought to be much more toxic than RoundUp. to which it has often been added. With long-time and frequent use of RoundUp, studies have increasingly uncovered health problems with it as well with many countries currently choosing to limit or ban its use. As soon as it was found that weed killers also killed the clover, their producers encouraged calling clover an unwanted, unsightly weed.

Keep in mind that lawns of turf grass comprise the single largest irrigated crop in America, about 40,000,000 acres (twice the size of Kentucky).

Studies of mixed lawn and clover show that such lawns attract many kinds of pollinators, as many as 2 to 12 different species of pollinators, and in some areas, up to 200 different species of pollinators, and there are 3,500 native bees in all of North America. Moreover, such a mixture renders lawns friendly to microbial and earthworm habitat. They also sequester carbon, which helps fight climate change. If during the mowing process, clippings of grass and clover are left on the lawn, enough nitrogen is provided for lawn health without adding fertilizer.

Our zealous desire to kill off clover and other weeds has come to favor the use of neonicotinoid pesticides (e.g., clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam) which are the worst threat to bees. They interfere with the mobility, navigation, feeding behavior, reproduction, and overall colony health of bees. They seriously endanger many species of plants and insects that are already classified as endangered. Such pesticides have been banned in the EU and in Canada. New Jersey is one of the few states that have banned neonicotinoid use. Because these chemicals remain in the plants and soil for years, they continue to harm those who use lawns for play and recreation or for food. The question is if the American public and its politicians will be brave enough to stand up to Big Ag and the Fish and Wildlife Service. That would help avoid the end of pollinators and even the kinds of wasps that feed on cutworms, grubs, and other lawn-and-crop-eating creatures. The report on these chemicals came out in May, 2023.

I am personally willing to live with some clover. I recently welcomed the various bees I found in little patches of clover. Clover can be beautiful once again. In conclusion, let us support our friends, the pollinators, in whatever way we can. It will give our children a more livable future.

Resources included:

https://www.pollinator-pathway.org/

https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/5/11/law-maintenance-and-climate-change

https://www.beyondpesticides.org/assets/media/documents/infoservices/pesticidesandyou/CloverCited.pdf

https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/epa-three-popular-neonicotinoid-pesticides-likely-to-drive-more-than-200-endangered-plants-animals-extinct-2023-05-05/

http://nebula.wsimg.com/cca8724b79162214c52d2ee6b227fad4?AccessKeyId=D2195B5438568F141D86&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

https://extension.umn.edu/landape-design/planting-and-maintaining-bee-lawn

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/24-d-most-dangerous-pesticide-youve-never-heard

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9101768/

The Grapevine -

Our kind and wise assistant clerk at Woodbury Friends Meeting, Carleton Crispin, suggested recently that it might be interesting and worthwhile to take a note on our discussion themes in our Adult First Day School each Sunday. I volunteered to do that and decided it might be of interest to share with others. This is what we talked about today.

One of our members, Marilyn, had recently attended the 78th Annual Seabrook Buddhist Temple's Obon Festival with her husband, who is a long time reader of Buddhist literature and practitioner of Buddhist meditation techniques as well as a teacher of Tai Chi.

Back in the 1970’s, many Americans (including Marilyn’s husband Ralph and me) became acquainted with Buddhism through two books that were best-sellers and immensely popular on college campuses and among counter culture folks: The first was ZEN MIND BEGINNERS MIND by Shunriyu Suzuki. The other was Alan Watt’s book, The Way of Zen. Watts, was born in England and studied philosophy. Both authors popularized the study of Buddhism in America. Alan Watts was also a vegetarian because, he said “Cows scream louder than carrots.”

For simplified information on the basics of Buddhism, I recommend a pbs website accessible through google. It describes the 4 noble truths which involve human suffering and the eightfold path out of suffering.

My own personal study of Buddhism continued from the above mentioned books into the writings of Pema Chodrin, American Abbot of Gumpo Monastery in Nova Scotia. She has a gift for translating abstract ideas into applied behavior. It is no exaggeration to say that her books came to me at a time of great pain and confusion and saved me. The first book I read was When Things Fall Apart, the second was Start Where You Are, and then Comfortable with Uncertainty. I have since read my more. She is known for teaching the Path of Loving Kindness, in which, I am sure, we can all find parallels with our Quaker faith.

The Light Within has glowed in the hearts of people of many cultures around the world and throughout time. I find it hopeful to know that.

Jo Ann

The Electronic Divide

First of all, I am not alone in this. Secondly, it is becoming increasingly apparent that among the other divisions we have in our society: race, economics, class, we now have a new way the poor the elderly, and the dsadvantaged are going to be cut out - Electronics. This first became apparent to me during the Covid epidemic when everyone was forced to use on-line access to register for immunization. Shockinly to me, I couldn't get immunized at my doctor's office or the hospital to which she is connected - we could only get signed up ON-LINE. Fortunately for me, through my years in education I had already learned enough to be able to wade through this rubble strewn stream to register at every recommended county/state/national site. Never did I recieve any information from any of them. It was as if I had sent a message in a bottle. Finally, an even more experienced and possible more intelligent or perhaps more connected friend sent me a link through some My Chart portal to register and I got my shot.

Meanwhile, my brother in West virginia, a life-long working class ironworker who lives in the mountains without internet access or any electronic experience whatsoever was shut out entirely although he was in the endangered age group, as was I and he was also a veteran! No, the Veterans associations could offer him no help with this situation and could not offer him vaccination either - you HAD to register electronically. Fortunately on his way home from yet another futile attempt to get some help with this, he stopped at the Liquor store and the woman at the counter used her computer to get him signed up.

If you didn't have a grandchild who could maneuver this land- mine field, you were out of luck! Remember, during Covid the libraries were closed.

Not everyone can afford home internet or a home computer, or even a smart phone. My brother had none of these. He is retired and lives on a meager social security income that pays enough for food and utilities, car insurance and taxes but does not afford cable and internet service, also he lives in the mountains in West Virginia AND he is visually impaired!

So let's stop and think about visual impairment for a minute; one group I left out is the aged, a group to which my brother and I both belong being in our 70's. My vision is failing and my brother's is very poor and has been most of his life. Old people, the very ones most in need of the vaccination were the group MOST likely to have visual impairment and financial limitations. And I can tell you from having taught community education classes back in the 1990's and early 2000's, many people who have never typed or used any kind of electronics were very hampered in progressing with this new skill.

After the pandemic, when people tried to get jobs, they found themselves shut out because all employment was suddenly behind the gatepost of the the internet. You couldn't fill out an application and get an interview anymore, even for unskilled or low skill labor - all jobs were behind the electronic fence of the internet. And to make it more insulting there were headlines about people not wanting to work! They wanted to but they couldn't manage the electronic mine-field of electronic application, even for jobs like Wawa clerks and Diner waiters.

This doesn't even touch on the huge portion of the population with literacy problems and perceptual impairment! So lets talk about how disabled people are also left out in the cold in this brave new world of electronics.

I am in support of the screen writers strike because AI is about to take over writing the pablum that makes tv series these days. The AI uses previously written plots to get the pattern and churns out the crap that is modern entertainment.

Ok, I have let off steam. I was angry because my sister has to attend Drug and alcohol counseling because of a DUI and I had to give her an old laptop, which we took to a computer shop to pay to have zoom put on because neither of us could manage it, and then when she tried to log on at home, there was some problem with one of the many mysteries of internet access - something to do with a firewall. Now my sister is a culinary expert and an expert landscaper and I am a three college degree expert in literature, art and teaching. Neither of us could wade through the obstacle strewn field of this electronic nightmare. Finally her son was able to get her set-up in an old i-phone she had. Her new android phone wouldn't work either. Logged on to her session, the chaos you might expect did in fact ensue - people couldn't get the camera right, get the mute and unmute sorted out and got so frustrated they cursed and got kicked off. Those who don't complete the on-line counselling may have to go to jail. Maybe in jail they will teach them how to navigate this new elecronic world.

At the same time, the SODAT office that used to handle these issues with in-person counseling sessions and drug testing, has been shut down, so there is no alternative to the on-line version.

I am surprised more journalists aren't talking about this but, of course, they are already expert at maneurveiing the zoom world and they don't apparently know enough people in the "lower classes" to have seen first-hand the fall-out from it.

This new "Smart World" is in fact, an inhumane world and further disadvantages those who are disadvantaged. Sadly, I see no escape, at least for the existing generations. I suppose the younger people raised in this world will be more adept at managing it. I hope so, although reports of the ravages of social media and on-line counseling via AI have already been making that look like a fool's hope.

Don't get me wrong, there are good aspects and I am writing this on a blog, after all, but, the downside is huge and glaring. And by the way,libraries are closing down left and right, so where are people supposed to go for computer access who don't have it at home and can't afford it? This is the unforseen Brave New World and 1984 we have been fearing. That's enough ranting for me for today. I am going to the real world to walk my real dog in the Climate Crisis Heatwave that is also wreaking havoc on us.

By the way, I didn't even begin to rage about PASSWORDS! I just joined a new gym and suddenly was confronted with the specter of registering for classes online. I created an on-line account with password and failed at registering becasue it didn't like my password, or my new password, and even after a second phone call I had to persuade the desk clerk to register me.

Jo Ann

MUSICIANS - This is interesting!

From The Stationn, Art Gallery and Arts Center, Merchantville, NJ

Bring your musical instruments, amplifiers, pedals, and other music gear to find potential buyers or trade them for new treasures. It's a perfect chance to upgrade your setup or find something unique to add to your collection! Register here if you like a table

🎤 Open Mic Night: Calling all musicians, singers, and performers! Take the stage and share your passion with a supportive audience. Whether you're a seasoned artist or a first-time performer, this is your chance to shine. Sign up at the venue.

Contact Mat for any questions: mat@eilandarts.com

Asit happens, I have two instruments but I am holding on to them in hope that someday I will be inspired to begin again and learn to play. The one I have the chance of learning to play is the Ukelele which I made good progress on but then I fell by the wayside and now I would have to go back to START. The other is a piano but it really belongs to my daughter and soon as she is settled in her new apartment with her husband, she will come for it (she says).

Pleas use my e-mail for comments as the comments on the blog is completely swamped by robospam and obscenities. Thanks wrightj45@yahoo.com

34 mile bike trail coming!

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — A 34-mile bike trail planned for South Jersey has received some significant federal funding. The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the county $19 million to develop key portions of the Camden County LINK.

Once completed, the LINK will span from the Ben Franklin Bridge in Camden to the Pinelands National Reserve in Winslow Township. The grant will fund the development of the pedestrian/biking trail's most complex portions in Camden and Pennsauken Township. See Camden County's portion of the planned trail here.

The LINK will be part of Circuit Trails — a network of multi-use trails around Greater Philadelphia. Circuit Trails currently includes more than 370 miles of multi-use pathways. The coalition set goals to reach 500 miles by 2025 and more than 800 miles of interconnected trails by 2040 across nine counties in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Sadly, my biking days are over but this is such a wonderflu plan when it is finished, I may invest in a 3 wheeler so I can bike again! I had to stop because although my bike was the correct size for me anatomically, it was too tall for me to feel safe and stable, so I gave it away. I can imagine this new trail will possibly spur a bunch of 34 mile hikers! Now more than ever we need to encourage the population to get outside and get moving to combat the epidemic of obesity and related illnesses.

Here's to the great RIDE! Happy Trails - Jo Ann don't use comments it is polluted by robo spam - contact me by email if you wish to comment wrightj45@yahoo.com