April 24, 2023 · 4:14 pm

Why Get a Tattoo?

After I turned 60 and survived breast cancer, I decided to get a tattoo. I never had one, but I always wanted one. With the help of my daughter (who has several) I found a great artist and together we designed a tattoo for my wrist.

For many, getting a tattoo is a deeply personal decision. But beyond aesthetic reasons, many people opt to get inked as a way of expressing their identity or undergoing personal transformation. For me it was a lifelong desire, but for others? There are a number of reasons.

A form of self-expression

For many people, tattoos are a way of expressing who they are or what they believe in. Whether it’s a quote from a favorite book, a symbol of faith, or an homage to a loved one, tattoos can be a way of communicating your values and identity to the world. This is particularly true for people who feel like they don’t fit into societal norms and want to show their individuality.

A means of empowerment

Tattoos have long been associated with outlaws, rebels, and other countercultural groups. But in recent years, tattoos have become more mainstream, and getting inked is now seen as an act of empowerment for many people. From survivors of abuse to people in recovery from addiction, tattoos can be a symbol of overcoming challenges and reclaiming control over one’s body and life.

Mark life transitions

For some people, getting a tattoo is a way of marking a major life event or transition. This could be a wedding or a birth, or it could be a milestone birthday or the loss of a loved one. By getting a tattoo, people can commemorate these significant moments in a way that feels meaningful and lasting.

Creative expression

Tattoos are a form of art, and for some people, getting inked is an opportunity to express their creativity and showcase their individual style. From intricate designs to colorful murals, tattoos can be a form of self-expression that is both beautiful and personal.

A few things to keep in mind before taking the plunge

The day I got my tattoo…

If you’re considering getting a tattoo, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure that you end up with something you’re happy with.

Do your research:

Before you commit to getting a tattoo, it’s important to research tattoo artists in your area. Check out their portfolios and read reviews from previous clients. This will give you an idea of their style and skill level and help you choose an artist that matches your interests and preferences.

7 years later.

Think about the design:

Take your time choosing a design that you love. Tattoo artists can help you with the design, but it’s important to come up with a concept that resonates with you. Think about the significance behind the tattoo and consider how it will look on your body over time. As you can see from the photos that mine looks so beautifully detailed initially. The ink has slowly bled into the surrounding skin and lost some of the details. My artist informed me that this would happen so I’m not surprised by the changes.

Be prepared for the pain:

Tattoos can be painful, so be prepared for some discomfort. Different areas of the body are more sensitive than others, so consider the location of your tattoo. If you’re concerned about the pain, talk to your artist beforehand and ask about any numbing creams or other options that might be available. For me, I did not have any numbing and boy did it hurt! The wrist is one of the more sensitive areas to get inked and I am so glad that it wasn’t an extensive design. The artist will be able to guide you to the least painful places.

Follow aftercare instructions:

Once your tattoo is complete, it’s important to follow the aftercare instructions provided by your artist. This typically involves keeping the area clean and moisturized while it heals. Be prepared for some itching and scabbing, but resist the urge to scratch or pick at the tattoo. Keep the area moisturized (I used Aquaphor Ointment), and if you have any concerns during the healing process, don’t hesitate to reach out to your artist for advice.

Embrace the experience:

Getting a tattoo is a unique and personal experience, and it can be an opportunity for self-expression and creativity. Embrace the process and enjoy the experience of working with a talented artist to create a beautiful piece of art that you’ll enjoy for years to come.

Getting a tattoo can be a wonderful way to express yourself and create a beautiful, lasting piece of art. With some research, preparation, and aftercare, you can ensure that your tattoo experience is positive and rewarding. Remember to take your time (a tattoo cannot be easily erased), choose a design that speaks to you, and enjoy the experience of creating something that reflects your personality and interests. I have not regretted mine for a single day and am thinking about the next one (hopefully before I’m 90!).

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April 22, 2023 · 8:00 am

Sabino Canyon, Arizona

Here is another area near Tucson to hike, Sabino Canyon. There is an extensive trail system here that are the full range of difficulty from easy to challenging. We went here recently with my sister-in-law and her husband and we enjoyed every bit of our hike.

Sabino Canyon is part of the Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area in the Santa Catalina Mountains. This particular area is very popular so the crowds can be quite heavy especially late winter into spring. There are enough trails that once you get away from the visitor’s center the crowds spread out and you’ll sometimes find yourself alone.

My last hike there took us along Phoneline Trail and Rattlesnake Canyon Trail, but you can choose your own path. We did this hike in early March and to be honest, I didn’t keep track of exactly where we parked to access the trail. There are a ton of places to park so just pull off into a designated area and start hiking.

We hiked just over 4 miles and it was easy to moderate. We did end up at some lovely waterfalls and had many photographic opportunities. Here are just a few:

Sabino Canyon is east of Tucson and is easily found by taking Ina Rd east. It will turn into Sunrise then follow the signs to the entrance. There is an entrance fee. Take note that no dogs are allowed in the park so Fido has to take the day off.

Happy Hiking!!

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April 21, 2023 · 9:17 am

Romero Pools, Catalina State Park

Are you looking for a challenging hike? Romero Pools should be on your checklist! This out and back hike will get your heart pumping with the estimated 1,000 foot elevation gain in only 2.5 miles. Talk about your stair-master! The payoff? Romero Pools.

Montrose Pools

Here’s the low down on this up hill climb. It is a mile from the parking lot along Romero Canyon Trail toward Montrose Pools. This is a great stop off before you attempt the rest of the hike to Romero Pools. Montrose Pools are dry much of the year, but during the monsoons and in the spring you will be treated to a wonderful “mini-Romero” experience.

Romero Pools

Now, on to the hard part (it’s worth it, trust me). Some people claim that this is a moderate hike, but in my hiking journal this is a bear of a hike. For 75% of this trail you will be stepping up and scrambling over rocks. It took two attempts before I actually made it to the pools. When we got there we were pressed for time and weren’t able to spend any time there. The cooler temperatures kept us out of the water as well. With that said, the pools are amazing. The water tumbles over huge boulders then crashes down waterfall. I could have stayed for a couple of hours.

Made it to Romero Pools!

There are a few things you should note before you head out.

First (and most important) take plenty of water. Seeing people with a single bottle of water makes me worry. Desert hiking is DEHYDRATING. Your body will lose more water than you can imagine and fast too. We don’t head out with less than 2 liters (about a half gallon) of water each, along with at least a quart of hydration water. If the temperatures are going to be above 80 degrees we take even more.

Second, leave Fido at home. This is a wildlife management area for the big horn sheep. You can have Fido with you up to the turnoff point of going up to Romero or right to Montrose, but no further. You’ll see the signs.

Third, you have to cross Oro Canada Wash which will have foot soaking water in it about half the year. You can take off your hiking boots to cross barefoot, or bring a couple of bread bags to put over your shoes to keep them dry.

Getting here is easy. Just take Highway 77 (Oracle Road) to Oro Valley, AZ. Catalina State Park is well marked. There is an entrance fee. The parking lot is large and the road also has room to park along when the lot gets full (usually in the spring on weekends). The trailhead is right off the parking lot. Total out and back is 7.3 miles.

Happy Hiking!!

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April 20, 2023 · 7:00 am

Quire, Quiddity, Quixotic, Qi, and Qat

Words that have the letter Q in them are worth the most in Scrabble (Z ties it). I went online to see what the value was (it’s been a while since I played the game) and I found some interesting trivia about Scrabble and the letter Q.

First off, there are lists upon lists of words to aid you in your quest for the high value tiles. If you have a Q on your rack you actually do not need a U to succeed. But, only 5% of the words that have a Q can live without the U. If you pop over to ScrabbleWordFinder.org you will find several lists of using the letter Q without a U. I haven’t heard of most of these words, but if you are a Scrabble Queen you’ll want to keep this link handy. Want a full list of words with a Q anywhere in the word? Dictionary.com has you covered.

Now if you want to learn from a pro about each letter in the game, head over to Will Anderson’s You-Tube channel (I linked to Q, but you can browse his channel for other letters). After watching his seven minute video (OK, I actually skimmed it), the biggest takeaway came in the first 60 seconds. Spoiler alert! Mr. Anderson rates the Q as the absolute worst tile to have out of all of them. I may have to agree.

I did find that Q is worth 10 points so if you have one, play it early. If it is left at the end of the game your opponent will gain 20 points. OUCH! If you find yourself stuck with a Q just remember two simple words: Qi and Qat. Either that or just trade it in and hope for an E.

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April 19, 2023 · 7:00 am

Prickly Pear

For today’s post I am going to dive into the Prickly Pear (Opuntia). It is large cactus with paddle like leaves. They grow abundantly in Arizona and across most of the hot, arid states of the southwest and Mexico. They are easy to propagate and grow. The well known prickly pear fruit is used in jellies, syrups,

Thornless Prickly Pear

In my own neighborhood there are hedges made exclusively of thornless prickly pears. One neighbor’s hedge is over 8 feet high. Interestingly, the thornless variety was born through careful breeding by Luther Burbank in the latter part of the 1800’s (you can read his entire story here). He had hoped that the spineless breed would give grazing cattle a supplement for their water needs. As it turns out, he could not permanently breed out the thorns. If a cactus faces stress it will push out a most prickly pin cushion.

One of the wonderful aspects of prickly pears is the fruit. The easy part is knowing that all species of prickly pear fruit (and the whole plant!) is non-toxic and quite delicious to eat. The hard part? Harvesting them. A woman here in Arizona uses a set of long hot dog tongs and a plastic bucket.

My personal favorite way to harvest them is at the store after all the thorns are removed. I have an aversion to wandering off the beaten path, into the desert, with scorpions and rattle snakes. I like to stay far away from the things that are poisonous.

Bonus! These beauties are good for you too! They aren’t classified as a super food, but they should be. High in fiber, antioxidants, and carotenoids they rank right up the with the best of the green foods. It is promoted for treating diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and hangovers. It’s also touted for its antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. I think I’ll start eating these by the basket full and live to be 110! Before you go too crazy munching on these, be aware that your stomach may need a little bit of time to get used to the fiber.

The prickly pear cactus is also a nice place for pack rats and other rodents to build their homes. It is a great place for them to nestle in for the winter months and find a protected place from their various predators.

Although this plant looks intimidating it is worth getting past that and discover all that you can do with it. Whether you make smoothies from the fruit or toss a salad with parts of the paddles, you will have a plant that just keeps on giving. Just beware of the thorns. They are sharper than you can imagine.

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April 18, 2023 · 7:00 am

Oracle State Park

What a find! This is one of the quietest hiking areas I have been to here in Arizona. Not only is there no traffic noise, but there is little foot traffic.

When arriving to the park you are greeted by the Mediterranean style Kannally Ranch House built in the late 1920’s. It is open to the public to wander through the rooms which have the history of the building on display. The smell of old paper and the creaking of the wood plank floors will take you back in time. My suggestion is to enjoy one of the many hikes throughout the park then wander through the ranch house after. With tables in the shade, and a lovely garden on a lower level it is the perfect end to a great hike.

The hikes are under a wide open sky varying between easy and moderately easy. If you are looking for a challenge you may want to head over to Catalina State Park and do the Romero Pools Trail. What I like about these trails is the length of the trails which range from the simple 1 mile Nature Trail loop to 10 mile out and back trails. Our personal favorite is the Windmill Loop. Until we found our bearings, it took a few trips to actually get to the windmill.

On occasion, the park is open after dark for Night Skies. The night shy has a little bit of light pollution out of Tucson, but not enough to interfere with the beauty of the Milky Way. Call ahead to see when the park is open for star gazing.

The shade there is limited so be sure to wear a hat and have plenty of water if the day is hot. Oracle State Park is at 4500 feet so the temperatures are a little cooler than down in Tucson. To reach the park take Highway 77 (Oracle Road) north out of Tucson to Oracle, AZ. Follow the signs to the park entrance.

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April 17, 2023 · 7:00 am

Nelson Lake, Illinois

Nelson Lake is a tiny spit of a lake nestled in a quiet corner of Kane County, Illinois. It is a marsh nature preserve with an easy walking trail that circles it. Last year I visited my sister who took my husband and I to enjoy the perfect weather, fall vibrancy, and the large number of water fowl that enjoy the lake on their migrations south.

If you are ever in the area, this is a lovely place to take a break from the hustle of daily living. You will enjoy the rustle of the breeze sifting through the grass and the call of geese, swan, and heron.

Nelson Lake is about 35 miles east of Chicago near Batavia, Illinois. We accessed the park from the small lot off Nelson Lake Road. The path leading out is easy to find. Everyone of any age will enjoy this flat, 2.5 mile loop.

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April 16, 2023 · 9:20 am

5 Reasons You Should Join a Writing Organization Right Now

Being a volunteer with a writing organization makes the world a better place! Thank you Kim Olgren for such an insightful article.

Kim Olgren's avatarK.A. Olgren Stories 'n' More

Pikes Peak Writers (a 501(c)(3) organization) is committed to helping writers grow and thrive through education, outreach, and community.

I’m the president of my local writing organization, Pikes Peak Writers. The term is a minimum of two years and a maximum of six. Sound like an enormous commitment? We have volunteers who have been consistently volunteering in big ways with the organization since its inception in 1993. We are an all-volunteer organization with an all-volunteer board of directors. Volunteer time is dictated largely by the volunteer and the positions they want to fill. Heavy lifters are usually members of the board who fill at least one position in addition to their board position. We are what you would call a “working board”. We have volunteers at conference that just moderate a couple of workshops. One thing is true for them all. We value and appreciate their service no matter how…

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April 15, 2023 · 7:00 am

Motherhood

A Flash Fiction Story

Beerus’ mother stopped giving him the medication months ago. Synthetic inhibitors were Satan’s work. She knew he would be better off to come into his power as the Goddess had meant, naturally. It is a mother’s choice to see her son grow to be a strong god. The inhibitors only suppressed his potential. Besides, he was just a child. What’s the worse that could happen?

“Your Highness, I am sorry. I didn’t know.”

King Everclear sighed as he watched the bits of Earth float around the sun, “I warned you about the dangerous game you were playing. Putting power in the hands of a child was a temper tantrum waiting to happen.”

A note to readers:
Beerus and King Everclear are a part of the Dragon Ball world. I am not a follower of the Dragon Ball stories and games, but I needed characters who would fit the bill on this story of a mother who goes against her husband’s wishes by allowing her toddler to have too much freedom (the medication is a metaphor for the suppression of freedom and freewill) leading to the inevitable, planet destroying temper tantrum. After all, as every mother knows, toddlers invariably throw them as if their world is collapsing.

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April 14, 2023 · 7:00 am

L

Lately I have been languishing over the letter ‘L’. It is a simple little letter who, when not capitalized, is just a line. L, l, line.

So many lovely words begin with ‘L’; like, loyal, lucky, laugh, luscious, lavish and so many more. ‘L’ is also the first letter for some less than loathsome words; lost, lame, lonely, licentious, livid, lousy, and listless are just a few.

L is not quite the middle of the alphabet, but it is only a single spot away which leaves the poor L not the center of anything very lavish unless you’re talking about helix, agley, folio, igloo, or zilch.

As I ponder this lost little letter I am reminded that without it, there would be no lions, only ions, and any luck would turn into uck.

So, I am thankful for this little fellow of a letter.

It is as lovely as a lilac on a lonely road in Louisiana.

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