Blood and Tumbleweeds

We were fortunate three weeks ago to attend a performance  of William Shakespeare's  Romeo and Juliet presented by the Southwest Shakespeare Company. The Company presents its productions at the Mesa Center for the Performing Arts, Mesa, Arizona. Like many buildings in this part of the desert it is an impressive structure of stainless steel glass and stone. 

It was a matinee performance and the theater was only partially filled.  Our comfortable seats were only a few rows back and to the right of center stage. The stage itself had minimum of props. It was multilevel and had the appearance of stone. The director, Patrick Walsh, addressed the audience first with brief comments about the production, requests for monetary support for the theater and the usual prohibition of video and audio recording. And, of course, the obligatory silencing of cellphones. 

Shakespeare's words had not changed since the last time I had heard them and nor do I remember the last time I had heard them. Let me preface my following comments by stating that I am not a Shakespeare scholar and my views are not those of expert of the theater or the thespian arts. I have seen a number of performances of the Bard's works and did, nay I say, suffer through a study of several of his plays in high school.

I found several things unique in this production. Light was used very effectively in the production. Not only was the color of the light effective in contributing to the mood of various scenes but emphasized certain actors as well.  Music.  I had never seen music used in a Shakespeare play and I'm not aware of its used in the Elizabethan theater. Nevertheless, a cello off stage but in full view provided much mood inducing music for the performance. In this play the fight scenes were well choreographed and well acted. In one fight scene the the director took a cue from the cinema and had the actors perform in slow-motion!

Later as were enjoying vegan cuisine with Pat and Kim who had treated us to the performance we discussed the play. Criticisms were few. Perhaps the only criticism of merit was the age of the leading actors. Kyle Sorrell and Sasha Wilson both appeared to be in the thirties.  A bit old to be playing teenagers.  Nonetheless, it was a very enjoyable afternoon in the desert. 

FMST Graduation

The air was chilly, no, cold, as we left the motel in Jacksonville, NC for the short drive to Camp Johnson. Although we had entered the destination into the car’s navigation system we followed Mark, who was driving Jen’s Lexus. There was light traffic on the Jacksonville Parkway as we approached Camp Johnson. We parked at the Veterans Park, which is at the entrance to the military installation’s gate. Between the two cars we had only one vehicle pass, but we had a plan. Mark would drive Jennifer, James and Michael through the gate and then return to get Claudette and me.  

The uniformed guard in fatigues checked Mark’s credentials as we entered the camp.  Soon we were standing in the cold morning air with a sometimes stiff frigid eastern North Carolina breeze buffeting our faces. We were standing there  or warming the very cold seats of metal folding chairs for about one half hour before the troops arrived. It was Nathan’s graduation from Field Medical Service Technician and Marine Corps Expeditionary and Combat Skills Training. Nathan is a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy but chooses to serve with the Marine Corps.  The Navy supplies corpsmen for the Marine Corps since the Marine Corps is a part of the Department of the Navy.   Appropriately, the ceremony was being held in front of Doc Bradley Hall. The building is named for John “Doc” Bradley, Navy corpsman who helped the marines raise the flag atop Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima during WWII.  Corpsmen are commonly referred as “Doc”.

Soon we heard the sound of marching feet and the guidons calling cadence. The 187 corpsmen came into view with their platoon flags fluttering in the breeze. Soon the national anthem was played, and I restrained myself from physical contact with the young woman in front of me who chose not to stand during the playing of said anthem. If you enjoy the freedoms afford to you while living in the greatest nation in the world, you should honor that country’s anthem.

There were comments by the program commanding officer, followed by the keynote speech by Rear Admiral Brent W. Scott, Chaplain, USN. He was a very inspiring speaker. He told the story of a Medal of Honor winner from the Battle of Belleau Wood in 1918 who was a US Navy dentist attached to the Marine Corps. The Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest medal awarded to an American armed service member.  The admiral told the assembled that they had the skills needed to perform their assigned tasks during their training at FMST. But, one other component was needed for them to be the complete Hospital Corpsman: courage. Each man must reach inside himself to find that courage.

Awards were given. Pledges recited. Shields pinned. Songs sung.

After the ceremony we enjoyed taking photos of our favorite graduate before leaving Camp Johnson for a warmer place and later some lunch.

Tony Young, Nathan Herrington, Mark Herrington
three generations of sailors

Altun Ha and Other Things Mayan

We were on a bus bouncing along the road on the way to the ruins. The big cruise ship had entered port earlier in the day, and we were quick down the gangway to get on the bus. Our guide dressed in o. d. Bermuda shorts and khaki shirt proclaimed how the new prime minister of Belize had improved the country’s roads. I nudged Claudette. “Not quite as bad as the road from Barahama to the batays,” I said, referring to our time in the Dominican Republic. “We take so much for granted in our country, “ she said, reminding me of our country’s infrastructure.  

It was warm on the bus even though the air conditioning was on. According to our short and somewhat rotund  Belizean guide, the air conditioning was either on or off, with no adjustments.  I was willing to sweat a bit for dependable transportation. The bus negotiated the narrow streets as our guide continued to talk about her country. She exclaimed that Belize was the only English speaking country in Central America. I asked why did the British Commonwealth country drive their motor vehicles on the right  side of the road. “I’m glad you asked that,” she responded. “The Pan-American Highway once came through Belize, and for that reason we changed to driving on the right side of the road. It would have been quite confusing for drivers to be required to change lanes when entering our borders. However, we had a huge hurricane and the Pan-American highway was relocated, but we did not change back to driving on the left.”  She was indeed a fountain of knowledge and pointed our why there seemed to be so many unfinished houses in the country. “In our country,” she said, “people do not borrow money to build a house. They save their money and begin building their house.  They may only build a few rooms before they give out of money.  They man have to save many more years to have enough money to finish the house.”

She continued to talk as the bus slowed and pulled over to the side of the road to allow a large truck to pass. We were now in rural Belize.  Colorful shacks and derelict automobiles were common among the dense tropical foliage. Some of the members of our tour group spied an iguana. These vicious appearing vegetarians always capture an audience.  The “Oohs and “Aahs” of the group prompted an explanation from our guide, Lee. “Iguanas, like other meat eaten by Belizeans, tastes like chicken, but not  this iguana!”

“And why not?” I wanted to know.

“‘Cause they’re scavengers. They’ll eat anything. Stuff like garbage!”

I turned to Claudette. “They’re like the catfish of the lizard family,” I said.

“You won’t find me cooking one anytime soon!” she said. Her response was no surprise to me.

We soon reached the archaeological site. The tour bus number 569 was parked in line with three others. Opposite the buses were a few low buildings which appeared to had been hastily constructed. Garish signs advertised beer, food, and of course, tee shirts.

We gathered around our guide and entered the site.

I was unprepared for what I saw.  One of the reasons we were here was because I had always wanted to see some pyramids. Claudette had expressed her opinion that Egypt was unsafe, and that she would not go there. It did not tax my limited amount of native wisdom to realize that I might be able to walk like an Egyption, but would never walk with one. However, I did persuade her to visit the four-sided conical structures of the western hemisphere. We were at Altun Ha.

Altun Ha is about an hour’s drive from Belize City and about seven miles from the Caribbean Sea. During Mayan occupation it was a trading center. The location was actually discovered in 1963 by a bush pilot. I think that perhaps he thought the green hills looked too perfect to be natural. One day local men were seeking to quarry some stone when they found the first pyramid.  The most prolific

archaeologist  was a Canadian, Dr. David Pemdergast. Later, while supervising the digging, one of the diggers fell through the roof of a 1300 year old tomb. Imagine his surprise when he found himself beside a reclining centuries old skeleton. Under the boney arm of an elderly man was an object most interesting: a green sphere scarcely six inches in diameter.  With crossed eyes and a mouth with fangs, it represented the head of the sun god, Kinich Ahu. (There are experts that disagree with this assessment  of the skull.) The head and other relics were stored in a safe place. A legend arose about the jade head suggesting that it had disappeared and moved as if spirited away to different locations.  In reality it is stored in a number of secure locations on an ever changing schedule. It is a national treasure. There is nothing else like it in Mesoamerica. The dig continues today.

“Smell this!” a uniformed guide told me as he pressed a small fragment of a leaf into my palm. I obeyed his command and immediately traveled back in time to my grandmother’s kitchen. She was baking a fruitcake and the room was filled with the odor of allspice. In my hand was a piece of a leaf of the allspice tree, or rather shrub. The guide brought me back to reality by explaining how the Mayans used the plant to hide the odor of the decomposing bodies of the dead. Also, it was as an anesthetic when chewed, which was no doubt useful during Mayan dental work. (There is archaeological evidence they performed dental procedures!) With a somewhat leery smile he suggested it also had the same effect as a certain blue pill taken by older men.

The site is comprised of over ten excavated structures with more obviously still covered by vegetation. I estimated the entire area excavated to be about ten acres or less, but the total area would have been about 25 square miles and had 10,000 inhabitants in its heyday.  The largest pyramid is the Temple of Masonry Altars, which is located on a central square. This particular structure is where the jade head was found. Unlike other pyramids in Mesoamerica, you are allowed to climb to the top of these pyramids.  Some of these structures reach heights of over sixty feet.

As we left the site we walked close to the base of one of the pyramids and the guide was telling us about how the structures were made of local limestone. With his left hand the muscular young man of obvious Mayan ancestry grabbed some crumbled pebbles of limestone. He held it in his hand telling us how soft yet durable it was. I asked him to crumble it in his hand and then blow on it before smelling it. He looked at me like I was crazy but complied with my wishes.  Once he sniffed the limestone dust a smile spread over his face.  The carbon dioxide in your breath reacts to the calcium carbonate in the limestone to create a unique odor. We exited Ahun Ha after hearing three different guides extol the features of the ancient city.

Near the entrance to the ruins were several open air cafes. We needed to relax a bit and get a bite to eat. Since we follow a vegan dietary plan, food is not always easy to find. The folks at the cafe were very accommodating in providing vegan burritos with fried plantains.  The local beer Belikin, with a picture of the Temple of the Masonry Altars on its label, was the perfect accompaniment.

I will probably never see the pyramids of Egypt, but I thoroughly enjoyed those of Belize.

I Think I'm A Vegan...

"We have to do something," she said.

"What?" I asked, lifting my head from watching a video on the ty2u channel on Youtube.

"Well, we have to change our eating habits." There was conviction in her voice. "Remember the military diet? The South Beach diet? And all those other things we've tried for weight loss?"

"I do," I said hesitantly, not knowing what was coming next.

"We're going on a plant-based diet.  Vegan," she said emphatically.

I was speechless. After a few minutes I managed to mouth the word, "Why?"

"Because we've tried all these other diets and nothing worked completely for weight loss.  But this change is about our health. I just watched this movie, What the Health, on Netflix about the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Not only did the people interviewed lose weight, but their health problems were solved. One lady's sleep apnea disappeared. We have to do it!" She was still standing looking down at me relaxing on the sofa.

I knew very little about vegans. Images of skinny old people in jeans and Birkenstocks picking berries or doing Tai Chi came to mind. I had heard once that vegetarians smelled different from omnivores, so I assumed vegans did also. And there was that image of Mr. Spock on the bridge of the Enterprise saying, " It looks like the Vegans, Captain!"  Maybe that was Vulcans? However, according to those unwritten words in the marriage contract I would comply with her wishes. 

On July 31, 2017, we began our dietary adventure. My dear wife entered the adventure with the assurance and zeal of a sixteenth century explorer.  I, on the other hand, took a more cautious approach. It became my job, or dare I say duty, to rid our refrigerator and pantry of all foodstuffs that were non-plant-based. Those were memorable days of ice cream, bacon, eggs, sausages, burgers and all the foods I now dream of.  But, the last of the animal and  dairy food products were properly disposed of by yours truly. 

Changing one's diet requires a lot of education on food and nutrition. Developing a keen eye for the tiny print on food labels is of paramount importance as well. My wife is a good shopper and cook when it comes to preparing tasty vegan meals. I believe scientists can create a reasonable facsimile of virtually any animal product from either soybeans or chick peas. I dare not ask what additives are used to produce the textures and flavors for this facade, but I am curious how soybeans can be processed to present a very good substitute for chicken in color, texture and taste. 

While finding the proper foods in the grocery store or market is not extremely difficult, eating out is another matter, because vegan menus are rather rare. Some vegetarian restaurants, such as the Laughing Seed in Asheville, NC, have great vegan options on their menus. Regular restaurants have very little vegan fare. Usually they have a salad, and that is about it. Sometimes after you have them hold the cheese, bacon, sour cream and such there is very little left. You also have to be aware that many baked goods have eggs in them.  That is a "no-no" in a vegan diet. 

I don't know why, but I find it difficult to confess that I am a vegan. After all, it is simply a matter of what I choose to eat. Why should I be apologizing for my choice of food? I've gotten used to being stared at when I order my meal.  I expect any time to hear someone say, "If you aren't going to eat that cheese, can I have it?"

I don't think we have received the full benefits of a plant-based diet yet. I do know that my digestion system no longer needs prodding medicinally to work properly, and that I have lost over fifteen pounds. I feel better.  But, my overall objective is to decrease the number of medications I take. And I am confident I will reach that goal.

Yes, I am a vegan!

Living with CHF

It was about fifteen years ago when I saw my doctor, a general practitioner, about my shortness of breath.  I was in my late fifties. I didn't think it was anything serious. After all, Mom and Dad had both lived to the ripe old age of ninety-three. Daddy's major medication when he passed away was a baby aspirin.  But after tests and hospitalization I was diagnosed.  I will always remember when my height challenged Italian doctor spoke in a calm almost undertaker voice and said, "Mr. Tony, many people that gave the same condition as you live long lives with proper medication." I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.  All I knew about the disease was that I saw in the obituaries that people died from it.  Claudette, my wife was more upset than I was. She had consulted "Mr. Google".  According to this electronic fount of knowledge people with CHF only had a life expectancy of three years after diagnosis. She had lost one husband to a heart attack and did not fancy losing another to heart problems. By the way, she was not immediately forthcoming with the knowledge obtained from "Mr. Google." It was several years before I found this out.    How did I react? I thought about my situation while I was looking at the ceiling of a hospital room. (I was hospitalized a few days during my diagnosis.) I took a close look at my mortality. I had a "come to Jesus" moment much like I had once before when I awoke with a cockroach crawling across my face while lying flat of my back on the floor of a somewhat untidy apartment.  But that is another story. I evaluated my relationship with the Almighty and decided I could be a better follower. I decided that Christianity was not a spectator endeavor and became more involved. Secular wise I followed my doctors' instructions explicitly. I exercise daily and try to eliminate stress. Although my heart is very weak, I don't want to do anything to weaken it further. Managing my medications is one of my goals.  I don't like pills. Taking flaxseed and fish oil capsules have eliminated the need for cholesterol medication. Recently, we have converted to a plant-based diet which I believe will improve my health further. 

I think living with a deadly disease  is a combination of spiritual and physical care. About death,  I think the great general of the American Civil War, Thomas J. Jackson, put it best when he said:"My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave."

art work by me, a computer mono print