New

Lichen Symbiosis Science 2016 magazine

how to make veggie stock from kitchen scrapes

HAnging GArdens of Babylon

Old Friends

I just finished visiting my old friend Lia, and I'm in a state of elation. I loved talking with her.

 It's wonderful to reconnect with old friends and old roots.

Flawed Love

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSjQ6u_Jl1AcXa7Yrs1TdFpb4_ceHALksTcJAVDA0I_vIWVuOKzKg

Exercise for the New Year

My parent's shower is horrible, and one way  I cope with it is I take showers at gyms. Today,  I went to Truve and took a Volt Dance class. Geeze, I'm out of shape! I'm so embarrassed by my physique.

Anyways, I need to start training for a Scrambling class that is going to start in February. The class will be safer if I get in better physical shape.

Below is some gyms and suggestions for the New ear.

Bike to class
Hike difficult mountains.

Parkour Visions!!-- they are in an accessible place!!

Seattle Bouldering Project
Cappy's Boxing Gym
CrossFit CD

FuerteFitness
Alpine Accidents International--??

Rainer Fitness
South pArk Commnuity Center
Swim Center - take swimming classes
Bellevue Stone Gardens - Ladies night
Salsa nights

Artists Adds Monsters on Subway

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping
Still my guitar gently weeps.

I don't know why nobody told you
How to unfold your love
I don't know how someone controlled you
They bought and sold you.

I look at the world and I notice it's turning
While my guitar gently weeps
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps.

I don't know how you were diverted
You were perverted too
I don't know how you were inverted
No one alerted you.

Read more: Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

Filled with Love

Being at my parent's house is like camping at a disorganized bookstore. The shower has no pressure, the toilet is subject to breakage, the refrigerator is a time-capsule, the heater heats mostly the dining table, and books cover every surface of the house.

Being at my parent's house is an academic experience. Every night my parent's watch the PBS Newshour, read, take a walk, and then watch a documentary (or independent film).

Generally after the documentary, my mom becomes sleepy and goes to bed. My dad stays up and composes his organ Music,

In the morning, my mom wakes up early and takes a walk to procure nourishment from Whole Foods. My dad wakes up and unfreezes his Safeway Select waffles. He eats them with berries on top. My parent's leisurely read, while waking up to the morning sun.

I love my parent's house. I love my parents. I soak up the atmosphere like a sponge. I feel like I have been waiting all my life to just sleep in a field of books with my parents. My heart is filled with love, and my head is overwhelmed with knowledge.

(A note-- so I don't forget-- Years ago, people called my dad 'the berry man' at the flea market buy a huge box of berries and then bike away)

Japanese Interment History

https://anchoreditions.com/blog/dorothea-lange-censored-photographs

Dull Things

The Big Birthday & The Small Heart

Today is Sam's big 30 Birthday, and instead of partying, I'm sitting at home.

I'm so sad. I tried to going out, but then I broke down crying. I'm staying home as a result, listening to music and waiting.

Name Change

Changing the Title to Much Ado Aboat Nothing.

Building An Ark

Due to my pending enrollment in a Marine Technology program, I'm renaming this blog to Building an Ark.

The name is a little too biblical for my taste, but the story of Noah is ancient and permeates throughout many cultures.....So, if it is that important to so many people, I should try to exercise a little open-mindedness about it.

Friends & Fear

Last Weekend, I did something I've never done before. I went to a Salsa Convention; I went to The Pacific Northwest Seattle Congress. 

For a taste of it, I put a video below of the social. 

The NW Salsa Congress was epic. It was a day of workshops followed by all night dancing. 

To be honest, I'm still trying to recover from it. I danced holes into my shoes, and now at 2 am, I just want to party. 

 I had so much fun, I'm considering going to the March VanCitySBK Festival in  Vancouver BC. It's a lot of money, but if I plan for it sooner, it should be cheaper. Mat knows that I love to dance and has offered to pay for a motel as a Birthday gift. --That might just push me over. 

However for now, I've got more important bills to pay. The Seattle Congress has left my $100 or 200 short on rent. Though the rest is coming soon. The bills will get paid.    

Next year, money is going to be stressful, and I'm afraid. At the same time, I'm excited (Though, I'm not excited for Trump). 

Starting January, I'm going back to college. I'm going to go to Community College to get an Associates of Science in Marine Technology. --at least that is what I'm saying. Really, I'm just going to take classes to see if I like it.

WHY the fuck am I doing that? I've never been on a boat, it's crazy. College nowadays can be the most efficient way to become broke. 

So WHY?... An adviser told me to do it, and I'm desperate.

As far as jobs go, I've been around the block. I've done a little of everything, and nothing has stuck. My work history is a mosaic of quitting, being fired and working gigs.

I'm not good at anything, and it's scary to suck. I want to be stable and safe, but I understand  now that safety is not an option. If I can't have safety, I'm going to do what I want. I'm going to take risks.

I've learned that there is a difference between facing fear (attacking it) and accepting it. Right now, I'm learning to accept it.

In the past, I worked construction, and I really enjoyed working with my hands. However, I had social problems. The men in the construction industry didn't like me, and I thought I could continue by training myself to be less socially sensitive. ..Heh...I Was WRONG.

When I left construction, I was 'stemming' pretty badly.  I was having problems speaking. My social life was non-existent, and I was developing a temper. It wasn't obvious to me that I was 'stemming'. At first, I thought that I was just nervous and that my ticks would go away. They didn't, and I just got worse.

Normally when people 'stem', they rock physically back and forth. I didn't do this., I'd repeat the same word over and over in my mind. As I became more and nervous, the social climate seemingly more hostile, the word would take a larger section of my brain. Until eventually, I couldn't think of anything but repeating the word.

As far as what the word was, usually, I'd pick a monosyllable name of a friend and would repeat it endlessly. Looking back at it, it's really clear I needed connection.

How is that 'stemming'? It's so different from rocking. 

It's repetition. It's reassuring. It blocks the 'realness' of the external world and brings you back to the comfort of the mental realm.

When I was growing up, my twin was diagnosed with severe Autism, and my mother took this news badly. Badly is a bit of an understatement, it nearly destroyed her emotionally. I think from an early age, I learned not to rock because it's such an autistic trait. Visually 'stemming' would make my mom cry. I am socially aware enough not to continue doing that.

Mental repetition is the coping mechanism that I use instead. When I was younger, mental visuals and daydreams would repeat. Now, it's mostly words. ( I moved away from visuals because when your suffering, sometimes the visuals can get unhealthy.)

Words work just fine. I can't stop 'stemming' anymore than I can stop breathing. When I'm nervous, dealing with new experiences, I 'stem'. I thought that isolating myself would make me feel better. It didn't. You get out into the world after a period of isolation and everything is scary. It causes you to 'stem'. That kind of fear is unsustainable.

What is the solution? 
Friends. ..They are reassuring. They are important. The more I feel accepted, the less I feel nervous. The less overwhelmed feel, the more functional I am. Sure, the process of making friends is hard, scary and 'stem' inducing. However, when someone that I love hugs me, I don't 'stem', I just love back.

Love is the sustainable solution.
Being human means being connect, whether you are aware or it or not,

Different Topics- More practical things- Stuff I want to remind myself

I took a workshop on making water-landscapes, and when I get access to money, I'm going to look into designing more of these things.

A few weekends ago, I did my yearly volunteering at the Elwha River. (The Elwha used to be a dammed up river, and then in 2014, the dams were taken down. The restoration work there is experimental ground for future dam demolition at other sites- You think I'd be a big fan of hydroelectric power. I am and I'm not. This dam wasn't producing anything, it was just crippling the ecosystem by blocking the Salmon run. The Plants in Olympic National Forest are limited by the amount of nitrogen in the soil. Salmon brings nitrogen to the ecosystem that enables the trees to grow. A lot of Dams are designed only to last 100 years. )

So, I volunteer yearly to restore the site. By now, the park rangers at the Elwha recognize me because I fraternize with almost every group who volunteers there.

This trip, I started started learning about an incredibly talent woman named Ashley.

She's great at finding pathways, getting resources and connecting groups. Ashley doesn't have much money, but unlike most, it's not a crippling hindrance for her. Ashley is talented at navigating bureaucracies and is passionate about issues of community and the environment. She travels all over the world doing conversation projects that she loves and believes in. I've got nothing but respect for this amazing woman.

 I hope our paths will keep crossing. This Saturday, I'm planning on attending a Mountaineers meeting and giving her a book on Plant Hunters.

 List of Stuff not to Forget

                                                         Potential Classes to Research

Scrambling Course -Mountaineers

Winter Classes/ Navigation/ Nature/ First Aide - Mountaineers

Boaters Exam

Chinese Course?? Spanish Course

Salsa in VAncouver in MArch???

Swimming Classes at the Community Pool

Renton Garden Place- GArden walls-etc 

Keep Eyes Open for Music Classes

Welding Intensive

Various Clubs in January

Rock Garden Society 

West Seattle Rock Club 

Cascade Grotto

Seattle Robotics Society

Current Money Making Jobs

Dirt Corps

Lab Rat for French Studies at UW

Always looking out for other things

Future Volunteering

Theaters 

Duwhamish Restoration 

Estuary/ Salmon Stewards

etc 

Other

Getting a Ticket Home 

Lia's gift

Christmas gifts/cards

memorise - making a course- latin plants- solid state 

staying on top of the news -newshour - npr 

Mat & Sam's Birthday

Title Change

In preparation for the trip to Iceland, the title of this blog is changing from "Dangerous Obsessions" to "Green Ice".

The Cycle

When you eat, you destroy. However in this destruction, you recycle. And when you die, you give it back.

The Nature of Business

I am researching Benefit Corporations for an organization called Dirt Corps, and frankly, I'm getting upset.

I hate the machinery of business.

Businesses are social structures designed to extract money. You can call them many things and give them wonderful mission statements, but at the end of the day, a business makes money.

They asked me, "What is your pie-in the-sky vision for a Dirt Corps Company?"

I don't have a pie-in the-sky vision. I know what a business is, and they don't. Businesses are not for public good. They provide the illusion of convenience, while extracting resources.

A proper business goes a "viking'. They plunder and pillage. They waste the environment and eventually disintegrate. They get bigger and squash their competitors. Then when nothing is left to extract, they die.

A business is a low form of social organization, and as a species, I think we can do better. .

So I finally found a group that helps me to do good in this world, and they want to become a business? Ok, fine.

What is my vision for this business? I want business to act as an independent contractor, perhaps as an LLC. I hope it helps the rest of Dirt Corps to become a training ground for future environmental change. I hope it builds a few rain gardens, it makes a little money, it supports a couple of families, and then before it gets big and finds something to exploit, it dies. I hope it stays small, does a little good and then it dies.

On the other hand, I hope the organization of Dirt Corps lasts a long time and continues to do good. Do you see the difference? Do you understand?

games

playsterr.com/dont-tap-the-tiles
http://www.adultswim.com/games/web/robot-unicorn-attack-evolution

http://www.kongregate.com/games/chickadeegames/notorious-inc

www.gamesfree123.com/puzzle/3983/play-bubble-town-quest

playsterr.com/cut-the-rope

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/533001

http://jayisgames.com/games/the-earl-octopusor/

https://archive.org/details/msdos_Oregon_Trail_The_1990

playsterr.com/cowboy-vs-martians

http://www.crazygames.com/game/color-run

http://hextris.io/

http://armorgames.com/community/thread/12397780/the-awakening-rpg-walkthrough

http://2048game.com/

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/674476

http://www.miniclip.com/games/orbox-c/en/
http://armorgames.com/play/15474/min-hero-tower-of-sages

bdsm test

== Results from bdsmtest.org ==
88% Rigger
82% Dominant
78% Primal (Hunter)
78% Voyeur
75% Rope bunny
74% Exhibitionist
65% Vanilla
65% Master/Mistress
56% Non-monogamist
50% Primal (Prey)
47% Sadist
39% Switch
38% Owner
37% Experimentalist
36% Masochist
36% Brat
35% Brat tamer
28% Submissive
22% Daddy/Mommy
17% Degrader
15% Girl/Boy
13% Pet
12% Slave
10% Ageplayer
8% Degradee

http://bdsmtest.org/result.php?id=2696257

Friends

It's the morning before my double shift at the fair, and I'm thinking of all the ways to make friends.

There are a lot of Spanish speakers in my area, and to be honest, a little knowledge goes a long way. Maybe I should consider a Spanish class?

In the past, I wasn't good at Spanish. My essays in Spanish caused more laughter than anything I've done in my life. I don't know what I said, but I was a freaking comedian.

Kindness is another strategy. Perhaps if I'm learn to be nice enough, people will want to be my friend, . 

Learning to express ideas and emotions efficiently would be another one.

Lastly, I could just offer my friendship openly and see if there are any takers. 

It's not true that I don't have friends, I just don't know how to express myself and bond appropriately. 

I'd be great if I solved people's problems, but so far, that hasn't happened.Experience has told me, I usually make people's problems worst. 

Lastly, I should stop listening to my older brother. I'll talk more on this sometime, but he has become a toxic person. I still want to connect.

Graduated From MA

Yesterday, I graduated from the Industrial Manufacturing Academy.

 I woke up today crying because I'm going to miss it. I'm going to miss mostly the people.

 Being in the program has shown me, that it is impossible to function without strong social connections and bonds. I don't want to be isolated any more. 

Fearful of Decay

Iceland is right around the corner,and although I am super excited, it is a thorn for my pretend career.

I'm missing out on fall programs, and I can't get a job until November. I'm lucky to have the few gigs that I do.

Despite my whining, this Iceland trip is going to be amazing, and it is absolutely essential for Sam's well-being. Without this trip, Sam would go crazy next month, and for that, I am eternally thankful for the timing of our vacation.

Between the end of this week, and the beginning of Iceland, what am I going to do?

I can't spend much money, and ideally, I'll need cash for Iceland. During the next month, I need to invest in structuring my time, but I can't go crazy. I'm going to do everything in my power to avoid staying at home, but with no job, except Dirt Corps after the Manufacturing Academy, it's hard not to rot at home.

When you work hard, you romanticize free time.  I love the idea of endless free time, but realistically, I know I'm just going to decay mentally, physically and spiritually. Challenge is apart of being human. It makes us great, despite our flaws.

Anyways, I'll be around more.

Mindless Games

If you are tired and just want to play a video game instead of sleep, these games are for you.

Extreme Kitten Game

Sticky- Linky-http://www.coolmath-games.com/0-sticky-linky

aphton corbin

Animator for Pixar

Rock Clubs

https://mineralcouncil.wordpress.com/member-clubs/

Math + Art Website

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/roots-of-unity/the-beauty-of-converting-between-addition-and-multiplication/?WT.mc_id=SA_FB_MATH_BLOG

SABATON - Night Witches (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO)

Favoritism

In the Manufacturing Academy, I'm a favorite of my teacher, and I don't deserve it.

I suck at sheet metal bending, and yet Jim, my teacher, is very understanding.

Unfortunately, he is not nice to everyone and has been giving Ben, Art and Laura a hard time. It has been making me uncomfortable because this hasn't gone unnoticed. I sense a misplaced aggression towards me by the other students.

 Which sucks, when a lot of your co-students are ex-felons.

Tasha is brilliant and everyone knows it. She has proven herself multiple times, but me, I fuck up. I haven't earned my colors. I don't want to hear nice things about me, unless I've earned it.

(Picture of planning garden at Dirt Corps) 

Abandon

I've been busy, and overall, it's been great. The Manufacturing Academy will end soon (Sept 16th). Though, I will have Dirt Corps. (The picture above)

After September 16th, I'm going to spray paint kids at the Fair again. It's only 4 days of work, but it's going to be fun.

As a nugget of good news, our house passed inspection and a new lease was signed for another year. Yay!

Sam has been stressed and is on the edge of breaking. I cleaned the room and bought him new bed sheets. It helped, but it's not enough. Overall, September is going to be a long month.

The last few days have been frustrating....I've been feeling so dumb and ugly, it's been unbearable...I went Caving last weekend, and it took it out of me. (I know I'm avoiding caving b/c of WNS but  the prospect of an all Grrs caving trip was irresistible...and the gear was new and unused... Also, I only went to one cave... My gear is still in a bag, waiting to be decontaminated. )

I'm almost chickened out of caving, but I had no where to sleep Saturday night and decided that it was better to camp with the caving group than to sleep by myself in a car at a rest stop.. Saturday wasn't a waste though, I did see Lava Canyon, and it was glorious, and on Sunday, I crawled through the Red River Cave with the caving group.

I suppose what scares me about caving is not dying in a cave. Dying in a cave seems pleasant. I'm afraid of being left alone to die. The prospect of being abandoned to the darkness.. is horrifying.

What we See

In the future, water is going to be everything....

This is the first year that I've grown a garden, and I'm in danger of losing it, due to the summer heat.

It's not the heat that is killing my plants, it's the lack of water.  Since they guzzle it so fast, it's hard to find enough time to supply my plants with enough water. I went from manually watering them with bucket to using a hose. Now, I'm thinking that next year I'm going to make an irrigation system for the plants.

A couple weeks ago, I visited the South King Water Treatment Plant. I know that as an industry, water treatment is going to grow. Our future is going to be dictated by those who control water, and right now, before things get dicey, we got to pay attention to who is bucking for that power. Our very lives depend on it.

Anyways, keeping water clean is going to become essential. I don't think most people realize how medieval our water reclamation systems are. In a good system, when you pour oil on the street, it's going to end up in the river. In a outdated system, when you pour oil on the street, and it rains heavily, it'll end up at the treatment plant and swamp the whole facility, forcing it to release excess pressure. When those facilities release extra pressure to stop system wide flooding, they dump pure shit in the ocean. They do this to prevent the flooding of sewage in the cities.

As you can see, there are bad choices everywhere.

A lot of our problems with our water treatment  system is that it is outdated. Pipes, that were installed 100 years ago, are in a desperate need of repair/ redesign. There are enough holes in the system, that when it floods, ground water leaks into those pipes floods the treatment plant.

Not many people know this, but our water treatment plants only filter so much. They remove trash and shit, but that's about it. When you put a pharmaceutical, a chemical (a cleaner/ shampoo) or a tiny pellet of plastic into the shower or toilet, those things reach the ocean.  

The water treatment plants are really designed to prevent an outbreak of disease. They don't so much else.

This is my tour.

This is where they remove trash from the facility. 

 The shit, which is removed from the water, is digested in a tank for about a month, and then it is trucked to further facilities to turn that product into soil. At these facilities, the shit is further fermented and mixed with mulches. Then is is bagged and open for select soil distribution.

This is the shit digestions. It produces an excessive amount of methane. 

Particles are removed from the surface of the water with a spray hose system. A lot of the facilities at water treatment plants are just an industrialized version of the treatment technology that you will find in nature. You have tanks that will mimic a river and a wetland, this portion of the plant acts more like a river. 

A\ lot of what a treatment plant does is that it manages the bacteria. The bacteria is what cleans the water. A treatment plant, it makes sure that the conditions are right for the proper bacteria to thrive. They have a lab, just to make sure everything is in balance. 

This is the control room for a plant operator. A lot of what they do there is that they monitor flow levels and make decisions impacting the health of everyone. 

This part, I don't know what it does. It just that all the pipes and caution signs make it look cool. 

Anyways, water is our future. Our ability to survive is going to be dependent on our ability to clean water. It's a basic concept. 

 In our industrial society, there is a shield that covers the inner workings of how we manage our lives. Ever since I worked in HVAC controls, HVAC systems have been an obsession of mine. They are everywhere. The are costly, dirty, gross and they give us the convenience of controlled temperature at a high energy cost. No one ever sees them. People don't understand how their lives work. I didn't.

I guess, I want to spread the news. 

Running Away

I went on a night run.
I felt so much.
I was alive.

I didn't run very far, and whenever I tried to go, my breasts hurt.
Not wearing a bra sucks. Wearing a bra sucks.

I'm want to run before bed,
so that I can sleep.

Sleepy Activities

I'm about to go to bed.

 Last Friday, I got my forklift certification!

 I suck at driving a forklift and nearly creamed a box truck with the forklift, but I got my certification anyways!

When I got home, I was locked out of the house and took a nap in the backyard. After my refreshing nap, I tried to kill time at the bookstore, and when I finally got inside the house, I fell asleep for the night.

I don't know why I sleep so much, but Mat thinks I need more exercise. I think he is right. I sit too much during the day, and when I am in this MA academy, it is hard reality to change

 I've been adding more physical activities to my schedule. I bike to class, and now, I'm dancing again.

Tasha, a woman from the manufacturing Academy, likes to dance too. So, I have a dance buddy. ...but I still need more exercise.

On Saturday, I went on a tour of the South Water-treatment plant for Seattle with Dirt Corps, and afterwards, I learned about the Farm and the bid that Dirt Corps is working on to make a garden for the Water-treatment plant.

Today, I cast cement leaves with Mat. Tomorrow, we shall see what those cement leaves shall look like.

Oh, how did my bike get off the school? I used an Angle Grinder for the First time. On Thursday, I went Tango dancing in the park with Sam, but I nearly fell asleep, during our fancy dinner.

Sleep, sleep and more sleep

I just want to fight, have sex and sleep.

Stressed

 I am stressed. Bills bills & bbills

Rants

My previous post on Ben was mean.

I regret writing  all that nasty stuff.. In fact, one of my primary reasons for writing such a detailed post like that, is that I like Ben. I want to go hiking with him. I want to be his friend, but it's frustrating because trust is an issue.

The whole prisoner/felony world. ..It's just not a world that I comprehend.

Yesterday, I biked to school, and it was exhilarating. Unfortunately after class, my u-lock key got jammed in the lock and now, my bike got stuck at school. It's been a day, and my bike is still stuck there now.

Kimani, a student in my class, got a job in Spokane WA. I'm really happy for him. Though, I confess that I'm a little sad we won't be friends after the Manufacturing Academy. ; I have a platonic crush on him. He's smart, funny and nice. What's not to like?

This girl Roxane joined our class, and I think she has a crush on Ben. It would be worrisome if she seemed oblivious to Ben's record, but I'm pretty sure she has some felonies too.  So, maybe the romantic flares of kindship will bond them? I'm excited, everybody needs a little love.

Class has been boring, and I catch myself thinking 'what am I actually doing here?'I guess, I want to make the world a better place. I want to have a livelihood, but I want to do good. It's a serious problem.

Dangerous Obsessions

I need write about my obsession with Ben, the sex offender.

Friday, I left the Manufacturing Academy early because I was feeling sick .This weekend I haven't done anything but sleep.

Anyways, my obsession with Ben....

 Despite my better judgement, I did a background check on Ben. ..(Oh god, I'm turning into my mom)

What I found is disturbing and is embarrassing to read.

 The rape in which he was charged, he gave a visiting 20 year old girl, a place to stay, and when she tried to leave in the middle of the night, he raped her. I find that story menacing, but the more interesting story was his attempted rape case, in which he was primarily charged with burglary. Pretending to be a acquaintance of a 70 year-old woman's husband, he was given entry into the disabled woman's home. When the woman wheeled into her living room, he was waiting for her on her couch. He then wheeled the woman into her bedroom, saying something how she "was in for a treat and was about to get some sex today". In the bedroom, he tried to remove the woman's pants. However, the woman fought back. In the ensuing conflict, the woman fell down and hit her head. The assailant decided to abort the mission and fled, taking $65 with him.

First off--emotional vent---God, what a piece of shit! He was a real piece of crap...Second, WTF?! ....Probably thought raping someone in a wheelchair was easy...IDIOT....ok ok, I'm good now.

I really wish I was ok with him being a sex offender, but I'm disgusted. I have a morbid fascination with who he is and why he is who he is.

.if that makes any sense?

I can't figure the guy out, and it's driving me crazy.  I think Ben would make a fantastic independent film about the nature of sexual assault, our prison system and the special societal stigmatization of sexual offenders.

Also, I am personally having trouble interpreting Ben's remarks. I realize that every remark he says can be interpreted differently. For example...

I was talking about my household, and the cheap rent, and he asked, "So when you go home, are there people in the halls?"

 My answer, "Of course, there are people. There are lots of people", which is true.
He responds, "That's too bad. I wouldn't want to live like that."

The way he phrased that initial question was creepy.  It was too specific.

Also, he is a hiker, and I've been encouraging him in this because I think it's important for ex-felons to get a change of scenery, but  when he suggests that we should go hiking, my encouragement ends.

The day that Ben was announced as a level 3 sex offender in class, I felt bad for him. It's humiliating to have your dirty laundry aired in public. During lunch, he asked if I would sit with him, and I agreed because I could sense he felt vulnerable and needed the support.

But I won't lie, the conversation went weird that day.

He looked me up and down, as if evaluating my character. He said, " You're a strong person, aren't you? " I put my hands up in air and said, " I guess".

Then he went on. He said, "I told my friend that there's a hot girl in my class...." He continued talking but my mind went blank.  I concentrated so hard on that statement, that I missed everything else he said. By the time he finished talking, he showed me a picture of a black woman with a fat booty, which was apparently sent by his friend.
He said, "it looks uncomfortable."
I said, " It does. I feel bad for people that fat". He didn't agree, but his disagreement says nothing about his character.

Anyways, when he talked about there being hot girl in his class, I don't know what he was trying to say or do.  Was he talking about me? Was he talking about some other girl in class? Was he talking about the MA before ours? Anyways, it was weird....

I know Ben is trying to reform himself, and his crimes happened nearly 20 years ago. But...but...but.. he is still creepy.

I don't understand him. How can I? This is my suspicion of who he is...

 I think Ben is a power rapist. He is a white male, who was born into extreme poverty. He had a fucked-up childhood, that was consistently littered with violence. When Ben reached adulthood, Ben was a white male, who could not support himself. Feeling inadequate and unable, Ben looked saw burglary and rape as a way to restore his own sense of masculinity. He also has a personality disorder that prevents him from forming close relationships and having empathy for others.

He has been actively reforming himself. To some degree, he has been successful, but on another level, he is still the same creeper. He is always battling his normalized impulses.

Here are my predictions.

Ben is not choosy of targets. He is looking for easy and convenient.
Ben does manipulate, lie and plot...but he wants easy.
Ben will use acts of charity as a form of gaining trust.
Ben is more of a danger, when he feels personally vulnerable or inadequate.
When societal doors shut on Ben, it makes him more likely to offend in the future.
The only reason why Ben has good behavior is because he is looking to have a better life.
Ben wants a girlfriend but does not have the capacity to empathize. He is emotionally disabled. To have a relationship, Ben needs to exercise restraint.

Things I can do to protect myself
Form a strong social network
Don't go hiking with Ben, --only if there is a third party involved.
When Ben says or does something weird, it important to talk about it.
Avoid Ben when his ego has taken an active hit or when he seems vulnerable
Understand that nothing that Ben says or does will ever be my fault, Ben is the master of his own destiny.
Having a strong sense of entitlement and clear communication is essential

Also, I shouldn't fear Ben. Ben should fear me.

How do you feel a wetland?

What the Fuck? How do you feel a wetland?

My annoyance with Dirt Corps was great, as we scribbled pictures of wetlands with colored pencils.The lecture was feel this, feel that, and I was having difficulty with all these feelings. What does a wetland make me feel? Where was all the facts?

They wanted me to express emotions from the day of the field trip on Saturday, but this whole activity felt silly because it was a long day in traffic on Saturday, and when we got to the site, we had to rush. Everyone felt fatigued, even though nothing was done.

What did I feel that day? I felt frustration. However, as I approached the wetland memories of refuge surfaced. After doing electrical work, I'd take long walks near nisqually, and when I walked, I felt like I could finally breath. Emotions would drift into the soggy abyss of the mudflats. When I walked, I felt the trees and the air. I filtered my thoughts, and I wondered if life had to suck.

Rash - Panic

O Geeze, a rash is spreading across my body. I noticed it today during class, and when I went home and took my clothes off, I could see that the rash has spread across my torso. I feel so paniced, tired and alone.

Potential

I wish the English language had a more encompassing vocabulary for being tired because I'm exhausted.

I'm not physically tired, I'm mentally tired.

The new schedule and social demands are taxing.

 This week, I've been sleeping A LOT. Before falling into this pattern, I just kept slowing down more and more. Now I give up, I'm going to sleep more.

On a positive note, the long hours of sleep might be a sign that I'm truly changing, and the extra sleep might help me adapt.

Wouldn't be awesome if I could become more socially intelligent and responsive?

Overall, I've been very happy. The top two pictures are mountain peaks that I've hiked. I climbed McClellan's Butte (not McClellan's Butt), and last week, I summit-ed Mt. Ellinor. 

On Mt. Ellinor, it was still snowy, and I was caught unprepared. I didn't know that at 6,000 feet, we still have snow this late in the season. I was enthralled to see snow. The last few years, the PNW mountains have been dry, and it has been quite disturbing.

I met this woman above, and she invited me to go hiking with the woman's pacific northwest adventure club. I still can't find the club, but I'll do a more aggressive search later. 

Yesterday, I went to the Nisqually Estuary with Dirt Corps, and due to an I-5 closure, it was mostly traffic. However I did a lot of thinking. I think the reformed prison population is ideal for restoration work and providing work opportunities. I bet nobody will appreciate nature more than those who have been locked away...but that's only a guess.

MA/ Dirt Corps/ Crime Declaration

The Manufacturing Program changed, and instead of being introduced to composites, welding and CNC, I'm going to enter into a 5 week manufacturing internship.

To say the least, the change is annoying. It's not what I signed up?!
But I can't complain too much, this program is still giving me a lot.

I'm attending this program to get a hands-on introduction to Welding, Composites and CNC, and now, it's not going to happen. This program is being geared to apprenticeship seekers, and I just can't commit to an apprenticeship without knowing what I am signing up for first.

On another note, I've really enjoyed being back in school. It's been easy to acquire friends, and in the machine shop, I've really enjoyed problem solving.

My class is diverse, outspoken and generally unemployed. I've been shocked by the racial, gender and educational diversity of the class. I've been learning that a good idea can come from anywhere, almost randomly, and that it is a real trick to get everybody to share their ideas equally.

By being in this class, it is becoming obvious that I want more schooling. But I don't want just theoretical training, I want hands-on experience, and I want to work people who have unusual ideas.

The Dirt Corps program is going well. We have gone on a lot of tours, and I'm excited for the day, when we get our hands dirty, doing restoration work. I really think people in this program would benefit from a tour of the Elwha region, but developing a tour is complicated because the people in Dirt Corps have other jobs.

In Dirt Corps, there has been a language barrier, and I think the only way to overcome it, is for me to learn a little Spanish.Which is ok, I'll do my best to get talking to people.

On a sidebar, I've been getting to know a guy on my lunch break.

 On the first day of Manufacturing Academy, I sat at his table during lunch and started asking questions about him. Unfortunately, it turns out that he is a registered sex offender and told me because the school has to publicize it. I'm a little sad to know he's a sex offender.

On one hand, it protects me from having bad judgement  and being alone with him. However on the other side, it's been hard for me to develop any trust with him because all I know about him is that he is a sex offender, he's gone through hormone therapy, a guy was murdered on the floor above his, he likes biking and that his parole officer is itching to get him back in jail.

If he told me, he was in prison, I wouldn't think that much on it. However, by making him declare his crime, it leads to questions about him. I'm sure I've worked with murders before, but murders don't have to declare their crime in the same way. ...so it enables them to get more of  fresh start. I feel bad for the guy, but then again, I don't. I don't really know him.

I encouraged him to go hiking because he seems he'd benefit from it. He is going to Mt Rainier this weekend with a buddy. He has insinuated that we should go hiking, and my thoughts on it has been that I won't go hiking with him, unless it is with a very large group, such as the Mountaineers..but then I'm worried about releasing him on the Mountaineers...I don't know, I'll just have to see what he does next.

Though it is exciting that this guy will have a change of scenery.

Today, in the Manufacturing Academy, we toured the Orion and Skills manufacturing facility. I'm impressed with my classmates. The diversity and positive insight has been a strong influence on me, and I'm learning a lot from the people themselves. As far as my classmates, this has been my favorite class of all time.

I don't know how this program attracted such a diverse group of people, but I am inspired by it.

I often find myself admiring my classmate's jokes, ability to communicate and their ways of working together.



I wish I was more socially capable of joking and expressing myself like my other classmates. I wish that I had the courage to own up to my flaws like the other people in class.

I'm obsessed with Ben, the sex offender. I'm both fascinated and worried about him.
. I confess I have a unhealthy obsession of him, but occasionally I do get very obsessive about indivuals anyways.
 and I keep wavering between wanting to protect myself and wanting to see Ben do well in life. I keep reminding myself that I don't know Ben,...

After an almost sleepless night, thinking on this

 I've decided that the only avenue is for me to reach out to other people and develop a stronger social network. Even if Ben turns out to be a creeper, I'm less likely to get in trouble, if I don't keep my actions a secret. Ben can't get power over me, if I have a strong social base.

Ben is scary, but I don't want to turn my back on him. Society has already closed its doors on him, and

Just finished Rizzmic, I feel amazing.

sonoma prison horticulture
restoration work with felons

Wheel

I'm happy. How odd?

It might be that I'm hopeful my life won't be a waste.
It might be the organization of my time, keeping the existential wizard away,
It might be my hobby of germinating seeds.

I don't know, something is working, and for once, it's not the chemicals of exercise or the sultry seductress of booze.

I keep having dreams of swimming, and dreams where I'm a fitness instructor, teaching people to stretch their psoas. -these dreams can get a little graphic.

As I proceed with the manufacturing academy, it is becoming clear that I'm setting myself up for failure. I don't actually want to be part of a machine. When I see myself in manufacturing, I see someone who feels safe, secure, has a place in society and who is seemingly self sufficient. But all those things are illusions.

In reality, I'm the deviant, and there is no safety,

We are all part of a wheel. Everyone working together.

Oh god, my stomach hurts.

MA and dirt corps

I started the Manufacturing Academy today, and I also started Dirt Corps yesterday. I hope that I will update more soon.

Plants From Pits

The book Plants from Pits: How to Grow a Garden From Kitchen Scraps by Holly Farrell

Chapter 1
How Plants Grow
What are pits? - seeds of plant/ fruit ovary of plant
whats inside a pit? a pit contains everything to enable the plant to sprout such as
Cotyledons - nutrients such as carb, fats/ oils
Monocotylendenous - grasses
dictotyledenous - most flower plants
Embryo - contains root (radicle) and shoot (plumule) connected to structure called hypocotyl.
Seed Coat- Skin of seed. It will determined characteristics to germination- hardness, chemical smoke -etc
Seeds with endosperm- an additional storage of energy

How do plants spread their Pits?
Dispersal Air, water, explosion and digestion
How pits grow? normal seed timelapse
Growing from pits? many tropical plants are unlikely to bear fruit in cold climates

Chapter 2
How to Grow Plants Successfully?
Gathering the pits? a grocery store, farmers market, etch
tips for choosing fruit/ vegetable
pick fresh and never frozen, dried, cooked or treated
buy organic
don't go seedless (all bananas)
choose variety
take time to ripen fruit
wash seeds

What plants need to grow well? - light, water, dirt, air mixture
Where to grow the pits?- indoors- windowsills - sun lovers south/west & non- sun lovers east/north-beware of a cold draft from windows ---outdoors --Fullsun 6-8hrs sun, partial sun 3-5 hrs, ground near house is in rainshadow and ground is dry
Basic equipment - pots/trays, saucers/trays, compost, a trowel, a sharp knife, a sieve, clear plastic covers, labels, pen, watering can, A spray and misting bottle, a dibbler, a pair of pruners, a spade, a rake, a trowel and hand fork
What to grow pits in indoors- Pots- be mindful of materials-- Trays, heated propagators, compost-seedling mix-- recycled containers - be careful of metal containers in the sun
What to grow pits in outdoors- you can be creative with containers, the ground -- preparing it -- dig/turn soil, remove weeds, remove large stones, spread compost, tread down soil & rake level-- soil types Sandy- mix lots of compost, Clay- horse manure or compost not fully rotten,
Sowing the pits - keep moist, packed and label --special treatment - a fake winter, testing seed viability, breaking shell, turning up heat
Watering - keep soil damp, don't let it dry out and don't flood
Feeding - compost, slow release or liquid, balanced nutrients - nitrogen, phosphate and potassium (K)...NPK

Chapter 3
The Pits - 
Avocado - Easiness Medium/ Patience Medium Method 1 soak for 48 hrs in tepid water - sides will be easy to pierce. Take pointy end upward. Use toothpick to pierce pit's side & roughly in the middle of pit. Another two pits around circum. Fill jar with water and half submerge pit in water. Balance toothpicks on jar. Keep in warm sunny spot, change water every few days. Germination will take a few weeks. Roots grow first. Once shoot has 4 leaves - transplant in compost. Temp = 68F, height 6 1/2 feet

Method 2
Plant pit in pre watered compost with pointed end upward. It is half submerged in compost. Put pit in whole plastic bag and fasten it at top. Keep pot somewhere warm-- on a heater if possible or heated propagator( without bag). Make sure compost stays moist. Germination will take a few weeks. Once shoot is visible, remove bag.

Care
keep sunny spot in warm room 68F. Needs big Pot. Support Stem. If you want bushy, once it has 10 leaves, cut top.

Melon and watermelon - Easy/ Short- melons & watermelons are ripe when they smell sweet & sound hollow. Keep fruit a day or two beyond this before scooping out. Wash pits in sieve - use a little dishwashing fluid. Sow individually in small pots or the cells in modular seed tray. The seedlings dislike thier roots being distrubed. Keep pots/ tray at 61F. Germination 1-2 weeks.

Care - sunny, warm spot. 2 gal pot repot. To fruit, they need to be at 77F, constant moisture and regular feeding. 3 pairs of leaves, take out tip and top pair to encourage side shoots. Take tips of side shoots as well, to form 8 stems. tie stems to supports if space is limited. Provide support for any growing fruit. pantyhose. 61 F  6 1/2 FT

Citrus - Easy/ medium - space seeds in tray- some seeds are polyembryonic - they will produce more than one shoot from single seed. Put pot in bag and seal the top or cover seed tray. Keep compost moist and pots at 61-70F Germination 2-8 weeks. Once shoots appear, remove cover and keep in warm place. 43F 3-6 1/2Ft 

very sunny, clean leaves, need to be protected from frost (fleece).  57 F to produce fruit. they like to have soil almost dry  between waterings. If it starts to fruit. Don't let it dry out. Remove side branches 2 years and use support.

Passion Fruit - Easy/ Medium -need to be allowed to ferment in fruit juices. Keep fruit until it has shriveled up to half its original size but still moist. -buy more than one fruit to test this--sqeeze pits onto paper towel, wash in seive and dry on plate. --or cut open, scoop and leave in covered bowl till drying out -it will ferment & smell. -- Cut off mold, wash in sieve and dry. Sow seeds once dry in prewatered compost. 68-77F anf germinate 2-4 weeks.

care
8-12 in transplant. give support stakes. Final pot, no smaller than 14 inch.  suitable for cuttings.
Lychee - East/ Short -- Lychee turns dark brown, score with knife top to bottom & peel shiny pit. Remove & Wash. Must be sown right away. Plant in pot of Prewatered compost. 70F. compost should not dry out. 2-3 weeks.
Care
repot - use ericaceous compost (acid loving plant) mixed with grit for drainage. room temp, sunny. Water with rain water, moe acidic. Takes 3 1/2 years to get 6 1/2 Ft.  59F 6 1/2 Ft.
Cape Gooseberrry- Easy/short- 2methods for extracting seed- put fruit in small bowl and smash with spoon. Add water and leave for an hour or two. Flesh foats, pits sinks. Pour water and flest, collect pits.

Or suash in seive and cheescloth--wash under running water. dry on plate. Prewatered compost. pour a little bit on tip- seedlings want a little light. Put plastic bag on top and keep soil moist. Pits will germinate in 2-3 weeks. 60-64F. Remove bag when shoots appear.

Care
5 leaves, repotted. Support stem. no risk of frost. sunny spot. Tips can be pinched to make bushy. 34F 4ft.

Papaya - Easy/ Short- Cut papaya open and scoop pits onto paper towel. Wash pits in seive. Can be kept in fridge for few days in moist paper towel or sown right away. Sow in prewatered compost. Put bag on top or heat. 70- 80F germinate.

2-4 weeks germinate. Remove bag when shoots appear. Grow quickly, want to be warm but not excessively, prone to fungal infections and is important not to get water on the leaves.

Care
Repot into final pot. sensitive - do not like to be disturbed. warm, bright sun, moist, loves food. 55F 11 1/2 ft.

 mango - Medium/ Long
Method 1
remove pit & wash. Husk will be hairy. Make nick in husk on flatter edge. leave in water at 70F for 2 weeks. Change water daily. Remove from jar & plants. Put bag over, if no shoot.

Method 2
Cleaned husk to dry overnight. Use strong pair of scissors, clip out triangle shape at flatter end. Pry sides apart & push pit into prewatered compost. Keep bagged at 70F.  2 months germination. and then transfer to bright spot. Seedlings need to be acclimatizing to drier air. remove for a few hours first.

Care
Like acidic conditions. High potassium feed in summer. Less watering in winter. bright, warm spot out of direct sunlight. prune tips to make bushy.

Kiwi - Easy/ Medium Scoope into seive and wash off flesh. Sow into pot of pre-watered compost & put in bag. Sunny windowsill and make sure soil does not dry. Germination takes 4 weeks. Remove bag. Mock winter for month if nothing. Repot 2 inch tall.

Care
Repot & give support. 
Pomegranate- Easy/ Short
leave in fruit after 2 weeks after eaten. outer skin hard and wrinkly. open fruit and scoop juice sacs containing pits. Sqeeze onto paper towel to get pits. Wash. Sow or Dry. Sow in prewatered compost and seal in plastic bag. 70F -ideally heated. 5-10days germination. Once pits sprout, keep at sunny window.

care
4 inch repot.  32F 6 1/2Ft

Dates - Easy/ Medium extract the pit from fuit by scoring from top to bottom, peel back flesh, and wash it well. Hard outer coating, soften it by soaking for 48hrs in a jelly jar or glass or water. --dry pits after washing and rub with Sand paper until rough. Put layer of compost in plastic food bag lay pits on top. Seal bag and put in warm dark place. Check the bag daily for signs of growth...keep moist but not soggy. Shoots appear 3-6 weeks.

Care
Once a plant has produced a shoot, put it in a pot--about 2/3 below the surface.
Keep plant on warm, sunny windowsill out of drafts and take care not to over water.

61F 5Ft

Dragon Fruit (pitaya) Medium/ Medium
Scoop out pits and press into sieve lined with cheesecloth. Wash. Take and dry onto a plate. Prepare pot with compost. Use cacti compost mix. seedling mix to perlite in 2/3 to 1/3 ratio. Fill pot, leaving 1/3 in lip and water.  Press pits on top of compost and seal in a bag/ or heat and keep at 64-70F. Mist surface with spray bottle. Keep in warm, sunny spot. \. Pits should germinate in 2-4 weeks.

Care
Keep in warm bright spot. Repot.

Grapes-  Medium/ Long
Wash in seive and soak for 24hours in glass of water. Sow in pre watered compost and seal in bag. Put in fridge for 6 weeks. The pits need to be kept at 34-37F all of the time. Check regularly that compost is moist and water is required.

Once mock winter is over. Move pot or tray into the warm. Room temp 64-68F. Such as a sunny windowsill. The pits should germinate in 2-3weeks.

Care'Pot each seedling into its own pot and keep in sunny place. They require a lot of water.
14F 5ft

Olives- Hard/ Long
Clean pits of any flesh, then soak in jam jar of water for 20 days. Discard any pits that float to the top. Change water every 3 days. This will soften the pit to allow water to come in. Drain. Once dry, carefully rub pits all over with sandpaper. Don't take off too much. Trying to take chemicals on top. Sow in pot of prewater compost. it now needs chilling for 2-3 months Fridge. Check to make sure compost is moist but not wet.

Move to a windowsill. Germination may take up to two months.
14F 5Ft.  

Fig -Hard/ Long - Separate figs from flesh by scooping the flesh into a bowl and adding water. Mash and squash flesh by hand and leave it for an hour or so. Flesh will float. Pits will sink. Scrape off surface with fork and discard, then carefully pour off water, leaving rest of fig pits in bowl. Add more water and leave overnight. In the morning rest of the flesh should have floated away. Discard any pits that have floated. Sow pits n pre watered compost, put whole plastic bag and tie on top. Put in warm place 64-68F. Check daily to ensure that compost remains moist. Germination should happen in tow months. When pits have shoots, remove bag.

  
Peanut -Easy/ short
Choose peanuts with shells still intact. Crack and remove shells. Soak peanuts in jam jar or glass of water for 12 hours, discard any that float. Sow in pot of prewatered compost -need lots of surface space to grow. Put in warm sunny place 70F and check daily. 2-3 weeks germination.

Care
select strongest seedling per pot. Short and sturdy. and putt out the outher. Compost always moist. 61F 1-2 Ft.

Tomato - Medium/ Short- Coating that inhibits germination has to be remove. Leave out, until it is about to go moldy. Scoop and wash in pieve to remove all traces of juice. Tip pits onto a dry plate. Alternatively ferment the coating away. Put juice and pits in small bowl and 50% water to volume of juice. Leave for 3 days, stirring twice daily. The mix will become covered in mold or start to bubble. Add same volume of water again and stir. Viable seeds will sink. Rest can be poured off the top. Rinse by adding more water and pouring twice before straining through a sieve and leaving to dry on plate. Sow pits in prewatered compost 68F ideal. Ensure compost stays moist. germ in 1-2 weeks.

Repot seedlings

Capsicum and Chile Pepper - Easy/short- cut open pepper and rub seeds off white pith onto plate. They can be sown right away. Sow pits in prewatered compost and seal in plastic bag. They will germinate at 64-70 F but benefit from base heat. Keep compost moist. They should germinate in 1-2 weeks, When shoots are aeen, remove bag. Keep in warm- well- lit place.

Only plant outdoors once night time temps are above 60F. Give them high K fertilizer.

Pumpkins and Squash - Easy/short - Scrape away and wash. Seedlings are slow growing. 50F 61/2 Ft.
Apples and Pears - easy/ long- sow clean pits into prewatered compost. put about 5 in a pot. Put in fridge for 2 months. If sown outside, put netting over pits. Sunny windowsill. Should germinate in 3-8 weeks. Keep compost moist. 

Plums and Apricots Peaches and nectarines - Easy/Long- clean pit and put in glass of water for 48 hours. Sow in prewatered compost and leave in the fridge for 2-3 months. Use netting for protection outside. Move pot to warm, sunny spot, where it should germinate within a few months. It could take as long as 18 months.

Keep re-potting as tree gets bigger.

Cherries-wash and sow. several pits in one pot. Fridge for 3 months and then move to sunny windowsill. Germination should take in a couple of months.

Peaches/ Nectarines -  Easy/ Long- Clean and leave to dry on windowsill for 3 days. One pit per pot sowing. Dislike root disturbances. Chill pots in fridge for 2-3 months. After mock winter, move pot to sunny windowsill, where temps are 59-68F. Put on heater. Pits should germinate in couple of months.
Gooseberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants and white currants- Easy/ Medium- Sieve and wash. Dry on plate. Sow and cover with netting. Put in fridge for 2-3 months. Move to warm sunny spot. should germinate in few months.
Blueberries and cranberries - Easy/ Medium - Squash into sieve lined cheesecloth and wash pits. Sow. Fit netting on top. Store in fridge 32-41F for 2-3 months. Move pot to sunny window. Germination will happen 2 months. repot, using ericaceous compost -like acid. Add sulfur.
strawberries and raspberries and black berries -Easy/ Medium -strawberries pick off with point of a knife and wash in sieve with cheesecloth. Sow - the pits should germinate in 4 weeks. 

Raspberry and Black berry- Squash in sieve with cheesecloth and wash flesh to extract pits. The pits will need a period of 1 month cold. Put in fridge. ensuring compost remains moist. Once out, move to warm spot. they should germinate in a month.

Looking after Plants after they Grow-- these other things I'll get from around town. 
Repotting- water before moving it. 
Planting out - make sure to harden off your plant before moving it out. Prepare ground. 
Keeping plants to size - removing tip. 
Supporting tall plants and climbers -tying in 
Pests - prevention is best. Big, Aphids, Slugs, Caterpillars, Mealybug Mildew, Viruses
+iseases
Problems- under watering/ over watering. nutrient deficiency, leaf scorch, physical damage. 
Taking Cuttings - learn this elsewhere. 

Further resource
American Horticultural Society Website
Grow your own: For kids by Chris Collins 
Rodale's Vegetable Garden Problem Solver by Fern Marshall Bradley 
American Horticultural Society Propagation by ALan Toogood
American Horticultural SOciety Pruning and Training by Cristopher Brickell and David Joyce 
The AHS Pest and Diseases by pippa Greenwood and Andrew

Seeds: the ultimate Guide to growing successfully from seed by Jekka McVicar

Vegetable and Fruit Gardening by Michail Pollock 

Asian Vegetables by Sally Cunningham 
Son't Throw it! Grow It By Deborah Peterson and Millicient Selsam 

Local Gardening Group s

Notes: The China Tea Book

The China Tea Book Luo Jialin

Part 1 TEA

Overview 1
Green -energetic as the youth
Oolong -reserved and mature as a middle aged man
Black Tea - Maternal love
Pur-erh- incarnation of a wise old man with a lot of stories

Production of Tea
harvesting -plucking tender leaves. Most tea is from buds. Oolong is full leaf

withering - partial dehydration of fresh leaves (Green tea does not require withering or fermentation)

fermentation-  Using air to stimulate oxidation (oolong varying levels, black tea 100%)

fixation - using high temperature to kill leaf cells and terminate fermentation

rolling - rupturing cell walls and shaping leaves (green tea lightly rolled, black heavily rolled. Oolong any way)

drying- removing excess moisture via steaming - stabilizes the key properties such as flavor

scenting/ rolling - causing leaves to absorb a floral fragrance-properties of a flower

Roasting -using fire to dry roast the leaves - heavier , more mature -- rock tea (oolong) is heavily roasted

Tea & Your Health
Tea has 'tea polyphenols', which are catechin based substances.
alkaloid in tea leaves is caffeine
amino acids such as thiamine - 2-5%
water soluble vitamins vitamin c and b group. Also, fat soluble vitamins, such as A. (have to eat tea leaves for A)
minerals - potassium- osmotic pressure and blood balance, as well as renewal of cells
Manganese, selenium, zinc and calcium.
Lipopolysaccharides that improves that body's ability to manufacture blood, strengthen immunity and resist the effects of radiation. --C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B11 H

Storage of Tea- stored away from light. It should also be stored in airtight jar and stored away from moisture. -- Pu-erh ages and should be stored in bamboo, paper or cloth. Black tea is good for sachet.

Green Tea 2

It is good to brew in it a clear teapot because then you can see the green tea leaves unfold. Green tea likes to be boiled at a low temperature, 175F. If it is brewed at a higher temperature nutrients and minerals are lost. Also, the tea becomes bitter and loses vitality. Pick cups that can dissipate heat rapidly. - cup choice is important. 

Dragon Well Tea

From the time of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, the name comes from a well. This well did not dry up during long droughts. People believed that the dragon of the seas lived there. On the well near Hangzhous West Lake to Xishi. 

Green Spiral Tea

 Famous tea from Suzhou, it is cultivated within the east and west Dongting Mountains in Taihu Lake. Green Spiral Tea is grown with various fruit trees that protect the plants in shade and keep them from freezing over. 

Mount Meng Sweet Dew

From Sichuan, growing on mountain tops, is the Mount Meng Tea. It was the first tea to be cited on ancient documents and was given to the emperor. 

Bamboo Leaves Green Tea

This tea has lasted less than half a century and is grown on mount E'mei/ It was classified as an imperial tribute, during the Tang dynasty, It was christened by General Chen Yi. 

Oolong Tea 3 - the Mature Tea of a Middle Aged Man

Fermentation of oolong is based on Tea Tree variety and on cultural factors. The more fermented the tea, the redder it looks and the more challenging it is to identify the original flavors of the tea. Rock Tea must be roasted to produce it. Roasting reduces the lightness of the liquor. Water usIt is generally ahverested in spring and winter ed for Oolong should never exceed 195 degrees F. The more heavily fermented the tea, the hotter the water has to be. Red porcelin pots are typically picked for Oolong tea. It is generally harvested in spring and winter. White tip oolong the exception because of buds

Wuyi Rock Tea

It is from the Fujian Province and each tea bush takes root on rock cliffs. It was the cradle to the philosopher Zhu Xi's Neo-confucian philosophy. The primodial ancestors of the tea are four ancient tea trees on a Tianxin Cliff, where the words "Big Red Robe" have been written. Or it might be that the farmers blended a variety and claimed it was the orginal tea, beacause it is now extinct. Big Red Robe, Golden Water Turtle, White Cockscomb and Iron Arhat- High degree of fermentation and roasting. "Craggy Charm" - It is a recluse tea- not changing - Ming Emperor cured of illness draped the tea in red robes.

Iron Mercy Goddess 

Semi-fermented Oolong tea. It is cultivated in Anxi, Fujian Province.  Temperature should be no higher than 195F  or less. To taste good, when brewed, the leaves should unfold.

Frozen Summit Oolong 

Light fermentation and emphasis on Aroma. A Taiwanese tea. 

White Tip Oolong

It is only grown in Taiwan. Only variety of tea that uses buds. It is heavily withered and fermented. Harvested before the Qingming festival. Flavor is believed to be produced by the bites of a grasshopper. -Bitten Tea--Boast Tea- it is a rarity and historically expensive

Black Tea 4

In Chinese, black tea is 'red tea', which is the color of the drink after it has been brewed. Black tea is heavily fermented. Black Tea can be brewed in water exceeding 195 F and is made of buds and tender leaves.

Keemum and Dian Hong

During Tang Dynasty, Keemun was a known production place for tea. Though during the tang dynasty, green tea was produced not black. That changed with the Qing dynasty.  

Lapsang Souchong

Like Rock Tea, Lapsand Souchong is grown in the wuyi mountains. This was one of the first varieties that was introduced to the western world. During the drying and withering process, a pine-scenting process is added. It is chopped up for international markets, but it is important to try to tea in its rolled form. 

Pu-erh Tea 5

It is believed to be good company when we want to lose ourselves in meditation or seeking inner peace. Pu-erh is a dark tea, and it is post fermented, meaning that its fermentation never fully stops. The tea changes with age. Pu-erh takes its name from its production in the Pu-erh county, yunnan province. It is a broad leaf tea that is compressed into cakes and bricks. --raw and ripened categories--wet piling. Pu-erh break down fats. It is believed to prevent cancer and help with cardiovascular disease. brewing methods enhance flourine content.

Part 2 TEA CULTURE 

To start we need to focus on the principle of tea culture. 

Principles 6

Time - two types of time-- the physical domain and the abstract/ sentimental. Green tea is best for morning. Oolong for midday. And roasted Ooolong, black tea and pu-erh for afternoon and evening.--More heavily fermented tea should be in the evening-- pur-erh last. 

-no man steps in the same river twice. 

Space -Tea settings space. A theme is a defining feature for a tea setting. Differentiate between decoration and function. The boundaries between these two may blend. Teahouses, mountains or gardens...Japanese culture tends to have tea houses. For drinkers in ancient china, one could not appreciate tea without drinking in the mountains or close to water. Tea houses in china fill the niche that cafe in western societies provide. Even strangers are expected to greet each other in a friendly way. Servers are almost intimate in their relationship to the customers. Operas are held in tea houses. 

Teaware-  Ingredients - dry leaves/ water, people who brew tea, tea utensils--teaware with time will survive throughout the ages. Sancia cup for green tea. -- nature themes utensils.  

Ambiance --Incense burning came into being in the spring and autmn period of the warring states period. Did not gain maturity til Sui and Tang Dynasties. Later, it was introduced to Japan. Long parties- you can show how incese is made.. shorter parties, you can just burn the incense. boned incese or boneless incense. Incesne should not interfer or distract from tea drinking. Flower arrangement- maturity during Sui and Tang dynasties. Pick flowers without a strong scent. Flowers should go with the theme. Musical playing can be at end of party or between servings. Traditional zither...selecting music is based on theme of the party. 

Ancient Chinese Tea Culture 7

Chinese art centered on calligraphy and painting- hanging scrolls or handscrolls. For a long time, poetry reigned over all other art forms. 

Poetry- Chinese Tang poet Jiao Ran makes the poem "drinking tea" that defines the tea ceremony/ experience. Li Bai wrote a poem exemplifying his gratitude for getting cactus tea.Tang Poet Yuan Zhen made a pyramid poem of the shape and color of tea leaves and what fun it is to drink tea in the moon light. Sang Dynasty, poetry became broader and rules and motif of tea came into discussion. --Cold food Festival and Qingming Festival. Chon'er prince and accidentally burning alive his servant tale. Song poem by Sui Sui speaks of homesickness and tea - "we can do nothing but seek joy admist sorrows'Song poet Huang Tingjian made a poem relating tea drinking to 'meeting up with an old friend after a long time" Ming and qing synasties focused on novels. In novel " A dream in Red Mountains" readers can find descriptions of tea. Tang and song dynasties, tea was in short supply and required a complicated process to brew it. 

Calligraphy- It evolved from the oracle bone script, drum script, great seal script, lesser seal script, clerical script to the cursive script, regular and running. The meaning and aesthetics of script are both important. Song dynasty Cai Xiang calligrapher made a treatise' notes on tea'--Su was also recognized for his experise on tea-- he documented how to take care of your teeth, using tea. Ming and Qing dyanasties Xu Wei made "seven procedure to brew tea"  

Painting -"scroll of Exemplary Women' by Gu Kaizhi in Jin Dynasty. Zhou Fang "playing Zither and Drinking Tea"Ming  Dynasty Ding Yupeng "Yuchuan brews tea" 

TEA and Zen 8
Tea associated with the meditative state of zen practice. This idea reached maturity during the Song Dynasty. --valued unexpected comprehension . Sage of Tea, Lu Yu was a buddist follower. In Tang and Song Dynasties, Two monks named Jianzhen and Eisai introduced tea to Japan. Real Tea lovers will make the best out of an imperfect cup of Tea. This is a type of Zen Thought. "Let it be" and ' All are equal" --Tea forethought and introspection are a microcosm of greater life. 

Dissemination 9
Tang Dynasty- Steaming Tea
Song Dynasty - Whisking the Tea
Ming Dynasty -Steeping
Japan- Matcha

Historically Tea was grown in South China.
Beijing known for scented tea
Assam black is made from original trees
Darjeeling Black was originally grown in china

Japanese Tea ceremony 

Senchado
Heian Era, the tea brewing method of the Tang Dynasty was introduced to Japan.
Momoyama Eras- Whisking method spread from Song to Japan.
Edo Era- steeping from Ming was introduced =, giving rise to various schools.
Japanese Tea Ceremony - Murata Juko, Takeno Joo and  Sen no Rikyu
Japanese saw it as form of spiritual expression
Japanese Tea ceremony has thought and performance about it
The book of tea by Okakura Tenshin   

Ancient Tea Route 
Central China and Tibet Route-created ancient Tea Route- Older than Silk Road and passes huge mountains - roof of the world.