Championing the makers, artists, and wanderers in all of us.
l had so much jewel-toned goodness to share with you in part 1 of this color story that it overflowed into this whole separate post!
So you can continue to revel in jewel-toned art, nature, artisan goods, destinations, and DIYs.
Continue reading “Color Story: Gems + Jewel Tones (part 2)”
Agave has been cultivated in the Tucson area for hundreds of years.
While tequila might be the most widely known product made from agave (a.k.a. the century plant or maguey), it’s certainly not the only one! Different species of the plant are distilled into different spirits, collectively called mezcal.
Native peoples would also use agave to make food, medicine, and even rope. They developed farming techniques to maximize the plant’s adaptability and drought-resistant qualities, so they could grow it where other crops wouldn’t thrive.
The annual Agave Heritage Festival in Tucson celebrates the plant’s natural and cultural significance. It includes special agave-centered menus at local restaurants, gardening demonstrations, concerts, lectures, mezcal tasting events, hikes to ancient agave roasting pit sites, and a re-creation of the traditional way agave hearts were cooked underground.
Continue reading ” The Agave Heritage Festival’s Sweet Return”
We were already on the road to Colossal Cave Mountain Park, when we realized we’d overshot our original destination. We had heard about the cave but hadn’t ever been there. So, instead of doubling back and trying to find the entrance for the nature preserve we had probably just driven through but weren’t sure how to access, we kept going!
We weren’t even sure if we’d be able to get into the park or if it was still closed due to the coronavirus. And we certainly weren’t planning on going into any caves since Quijote was with us. But it was Phillip’s birthday, and he voted to go see what we could find.
Colossal Cave is a dry cave system under the Rincon Mountains in the Tucson-adjacent community of Vail. Before being developed into a tourist attraction by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s, the cave had served a variety of functions, including a shelter for the Hohokam people, train robber hideout, and guano mine.
What to know if you decide to visit:
There are also nice hiking trails outside the cave – I’m sure they’ll be even nicer when it’s not summery hot.
We were looking around the terrace when I overheard one of the staff tell the group waiting for their tour time that they often see coatimundis going in and out of the cave.
That stopped me in my tracks.
A coatimundi (or “coati”) is a long-nosed member of the raccoon family that mostly lives in Central America, but has also found its way into higher elevations of the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico (Mt. Lemmon, for example).
Phillip and I have been on the lookout for one ever since we went to Chiricahua for the first time and didn’t see any there.
We had no idea there’d be a chance to see one that day. Apparently, though, they’re a common sight, going in and out of the cave and hunting around the park for trash (which, of course, is on-brand for the raccoon family).
Moments later, we saw a young coati atop the hill above the cave entrance! He started sniffing along the edge, and then scampered down its sheer face and into the cave.
Phillip barely had time to snap photos, and I had my hands full with Quijote.
But we saw it.
It was like nature gave Phillip a colossal birthday surprise!
There are lots of ways to get crafty to do some good – regardless of your skill level!
Here are some DIY projects to make a difference.
Make a place for a neighborhood book exchange! You can build it or repurpose a phone booth, mailbox, vintage bread warmer or other weatherproof container to house books in.
Organization(s):
Little Free Library
Good to know:
Help someone with hair loss due to cancer treatment feel more comfortable.
Organization(s):
Good to know:
Before making a cap to donate, check the charity’s guidelines on best yarns and patterns to use. Many of them offer free patterns on their sites!
You can reduce trash by composting food waste and turning it into something that’s good for your garden.
Good to know:
Caitlin’s Smiles distributes handmade cards and “bags of smiles” with arts and craft supplies to kids in hospitals. You can make cards, tote bags, or donate art supplies.
Organization(s):
Caitlin’s Smiles
Make blank cards that will be personalized and sent to people with a cancer diagnosis.
Organization(s):
Card Care Connection
While there won’t be an official Meals on Wheels campaign like last year’s “Love Letters,” you can contact your local Meals on Wheels program to find out about creating cards.
Organization(s):
Meals on Wheels
Postcards may currently be the most effective way to let Congress know what issues matter to you.
Good to know:
You can knit, crochet, sew, or tie blankets for dogs and cats in shelters.
Organization(s):
Comfort for Critters
Good to know:
Knit or crochet neonatal baby blankets.
Organization(s):
Knots of Love
Organization(s):
Help save the bees! Solitary bees are great pollinators and don’t have painful stings.
Good to know:
Bats not only help pollinate plants, they eat mosquitos and other pests. As forests are cut down, they have fewer safe places to raise their young.
Organization(s):
Bat Conservation International
Hummingbirds need a lot of calories every day! They can fuel up on nectar at feeders or flowers like honeysuckle.
Good to know:
If you sell items you’ve made, you can give the proceeds to whichever charity is meaningful to you. Cash is the most versatile donation.
One fundraiser craft idea is hand stamped bracelets. MyIntent (who I received a necklace from) now sells a Maker Kit, so you can make your own custom jewelry. One fundraiser selling hand-stamped bracelets brought in over $4,000 in 3 weeks!
UPDATE: Found a discount code, so I wanted to share! VDAY25 will get you 25% off a MyIntent Maker Kit.
Organization(s):
MyIntent.org
What else can we make to make a difference?
PS While some of these projects are U.S.-specific, hopefully, they’ll spark ideas for anywhere you are!
Last Saturday was Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day. The weather was too good to be inside, but they count the Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) as a museum, so we took advantage of the free admission and spent the afternoon walking garden paths.
I guess a botanical garden is kind of like an outdoor museum with living plants and animals.
We saw a hummingbird and bees buzzing around the Garden’s flowers and a big lizard was just hanging out on a rock next to the bench where I was sitting.
Since the DBG no longer allows picnicking, we ate our lunch at a nearby picnic area in Papago Park and were entertained by ground squirrels scurrying around and birds attempting to carry off pieces of a pizza someone had left behind.
Maybe they’re the reason DBG banned picnicking. You really don’t want grackles flying through your museum and dropping half-eaten pizza slices.
