Kim Kash's Blog, page 5

Merci au revoir, Morocco

The fruits of our labor in a Marrakesh cooking class

I'm just back from a week-plus tour of Morocco with my friend Mary. We spent a day in Tangier, and several days each in Marrakesh and Rabat. We're both of the opinion that we've about seen it. No need to go back. Merci au revoir.

You may have heard that "India" stands for "I'll Never Do It Again." From what I've seen of that country, it can leave you gasping in astonishment, in bliss and/or in horror. Although Morocco--at least Marrakesh--is wildly crowded, frantic and strange to westerners, it's not on the same jaw-dropping level as India. For the most part, I just found it exhausting and even a little monotonous, which was really surprising considering its exotic reputation. 

I live in a very conservative Muslim country, so I wasn't shocked at the unequal footing that women have on the streets of Morocco. In Saudi Arabia, women cannot drive and they must wear an abaya and in many cases a head scarf to cover when they are in public. Pretty draconian. Morocco, of course, is not that extreme. There's no law saying what women can and cannot wear, and woman are free to come and go as they please. But I felt an underlying attitude that it's at least slightly inappropriate for uncovered women to be walking around the streets. The vibe feels like, "You can do what you want, sure, but if you're out without a man and you're not all covered up and roasting, then you're going to get hassled and what else did you expect?"

Marrakesh is a city full of adolescent boy grifters who will offer to help you navigate the maze-like streets of the souk (the neighborhoods of the old marketplace) for a price. In our first experience with one of these kids, we paid more for directions to the Photography Museum than we did to enter the museum itself! Okay, chalk that up to experience. But every interaction--with taxi drivers, with shop owners, with these boy guides through the souk--began with a negotiation on price. Sometimes it was genteel, but mostly the exchange felt sort of hostile. It was exhausting.

What was even more exhausting, though, was the endless stream of commentary that Mary and I heard trailing off behind us. "You want make sex?" "Verrrry nice." Once, when we did not respond (with what? Giggles? Smiles?) we got a vehement "Fuck you." It was nerve-wracking, and we would have been much better off traveling with our menfolk. Not cool.

Our riad courtyard kitchen with Souk Cuisine

On the bright side, we spent one fine day cooking an elaborate, traditional Moroccan meal with Souk Cuisine. Gemma, a Dutch woman who has made Marrakesh her home, led us on a guided tour of the spice and vegetable markets, and then turned us loose with a team of Moroccan chefs in the large courtyard of a traditional riad (a residence with a big open courtyard in the middle.) A dozen or so of us created a beautiful lunch, chatting all the while in English, German, Dutch, French, and Arabic. 

Majorelle Gardens

Another highlight was Majorelle Gardens, famous for having been owned by Yves Saint Laurent (though they were created by the expat French artist Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s and 30s.) Mary's guidebook claims that the garden includes over 8,000 species of cactus. We questioned whether there were even 8,000 plants in the garden, but whatever. It was a beautiful, serene space made vibrant by the signature blue color of the residence and some of the garden walls. 

Other high points included the two charming riads where we stayed: Mon Riad and  Riad Cherrata. The former serves dinner and offers beer and wine in the evening, which is great because, good grief, we needed it. Also, alcohol is not typically served in restaurants, and this is a shame because Morocco produces some very nice wine.

Note: these photographs were all taken with my creaky old iPhone 3. I brought my good camera on this trip and do plan to post some of those photographs later (check for new Travel Snaps), but on most days I didn't feel like dealing with the added hassle of carrying and protecting my camera. That pretty much sums up our approach whenever we left the riad: we suited up in modest (read: overly warm) clothes and sensible shoes and waded into the hot mess that is Marrakesh.

 

Leveling Up at Devil's Lake

That's me up there! Thanks to Katie Weiher for the photo.

A few weeks ago I went with a friend and fellow climber to a Chicks Climbing workshop in beautiful Devil's Lake, Wisconsin, and I tell you, it was a game changer. My physical skills did improve over the course of the four days, but mostly I began to grasp the mental aspects of climbing.

 

Our fearless leader, Dawn Glanc. Thanks to Katie Weiher for the photo. 

There were about 15 of us in total, divided into four groups according to skill level. My friend and I were proud Advanced Beginners. Our instructor was the inimitable Dawn Glanc, rock and ice climber. Dawn started climbing at age 20, which is the age of many competitive climbers. But she loved the sport so much that she stuck with it, and now, in her late 30s, Dawn is competing nationally and internationally.

My pal Shannon, climbing the quartzite Spidey-style! Thanks to whoever picked up Shannon's camera and snapped this photo.

The most important lesson I learned from Dawn has to do with the process of relaxing and thinking rationally when I'm right in a difficult or scary part of a climb. When I'm seriously "in the business," as Dawn puts it, there is a very specific set of physical and mental steps that I can use to create calm clarity. (What are these secrets? Ah, talk to Dawn about this. She's available year-round on rock and ice; I recommend any workshop where she's teaching!)

Dawn's technique, modified only slightly, also applies when I'm "in the business" on solid ground. This is what I love most about climbing: very much like yoga, climbing is a metaphor for life.

When climbing, I must focus on what is real, what is happening right now, and not on mental projections that may or may not be based in fact. I must also move with confidence, with decisiveness. Making tentative, half-hearted moves increases the chance that I will fall. Or fail.

Inching up a chimney. Thanks to Shannon Russell for the photo.

The great thing about climbing is that you're wearing a harness, and the belayer on the other end of the rope has absolutely got you. If you fall, she's got you. So no worries! Climb on! This is where the climbing versus life metaphor breaks down, of course. Life on the ground can be a lot sketchier.

 

Socks, Thermometers and Opthalmascopes for Madagascar

Cass with a recently born baby.

Some people look forward to retirement so that they can spend their days on the golf course, or poolside, or relaxing on the front porch. Not my mother-in-law. When she retired from her career as a pediatric nurse practitioner (having spent most of her career at DC's Children's Hospital), Cass Cooney began doing medical mission work.

This September she will be going to Madagascar for the second year in a row, and she needs help. Normally here at The Adventures of Kim Kash, I natter on about books, travel, and my very comfortable home life. But today's post is different. Today I invite Cass to talk about her work. I also ask you to offer a donation to help her bring medical care to families who live with less than we can possibly imagine, and do so with grace. 

Here's Cass, talking about this year's medical mission: 

Cass doing triage with the waiting patients and family.

This year's team consist of nine volunteers, seven of which are medical persons and two of whom are focusing on other aspects of care - such as literacy training, micro-lending for small businesses, healthy village worker development, and support for the medical clinics. There is really a lot done in two weeks by a small group of people!

The focus of the medical team this year will be on the reduction of maternal and child mortality around the birth period. Classroom sessions will be directed toward infant resuscitation,  care of the infant immediately after birth and for the first 24 hours, handling hemorrhage during pregnancy, critical care issues in pregnancy and delivery, and hemoglobin testing to identify anemia.

In addition, last year the need for education in the treatment of respiratory illnesses became apparent when we were conducting the free clinics. So this year we have a pulmonary doctor with the team, and he will offer lectures to the midwives, community and hospital physicians in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and in asthma management when electricity is not available. We will also be at the hospital in the afternoons of the first week to mentor and assist.

Families awaiting clinic opening in the bush village. Some traveled on foot all night to get there for the opening.

The second week we go out to the bush. Last year we saw 250 patients a day in the bush. Some people had walked for three days to get there. It was a most humbling experience. The needs were overwhelming and the resources were limited to what we carried with us, and to what could be done without electricity or clean water, or the  ability to heat water. We are also going to include a day of clinical care at the prison on this trip. The prisoners, including mothers with young children, receive no medical care.

All the volunteers pay their own way and for all the expenses that are involved in housing, food and transportation there. These come to around $4,000.00 per person.

Doesn't leave much to spend out-of-pocket on supplies that we would like to have or to donate to the medical clinics there. I would like to be able to get an otoscope/opthalmascope for the pediatric clinic, and one or two electric thermometers too. They had none of these last year and conditions have deteriorated since then.

These two things would cost about $900.00. I have a set of my own that I carry with me. Last year we saw an 18-month-old who had a raging ear infection in both ears that would have gone undetected if I hadn't had my equipment with me. The doctors and midwives that I met were very caring and dedicated, but they practice with such limited resources.

Mother bathing her baby before coming to clinic.

One thing that impressed me the most was the attitude of the people. The parents were very loving and proud of their children. They took such care to dress them and have them clean before coming to the free clinics. This in an area with no clean or running water, and no store to purchase soap!

Cass treating a young boy's infected foot. Note how well-dressed and scrubbed the child is. Though poor, families have much pride in presenting themselves and children to the western medical team.

On a smaller scale, I plan this year to take as much antibiotic ointment and bandaids as I can, because I ran out last year and had to be really stingy in how I handed them out. I also want to take a supply of thin, inexpensive cotton socks, which was one of the things I really needed last year for the kids with parasitic infections.

Thanks for your offer of help.

Donations can be made on-line by going to www.caringresponse.org

Click on  "donate"

Click on  "Network for Good"

Then make the donation on-line through Network for Good.

Please designate the donation to Medical Mission 2013-Cass Cooney.

-or-

Send a check to:

Caring Response to Madagascar Foundation

1193 Balmoral Drive

Cinncinati, OH  45233 USA

Please designate the donation to Medical Mission 2013-Cass Cooney

 

Back to Kim: More and more people are finding joy in doing volunteer work while they are on holiday: painting a school, helping with a harvest, building a house. A whole lot of good  is being done in the world, little by little. But these medical missions are way, way beyond that. This team spends the entire two weeks, from morning until night, caring for patients and doing training in very primitive conditions. This is no pleasure cruise. Cass could, in fact, be enjoying a pleasure cruise this fall, but she chooses to serve in Madagascar instead.

Please donate generously.

 

The House That Is a Pipe Organ

(I used Grammarly to grammar check this post because my husband isn't always around to proofread my stuff.) 

Bill Mollema has a lifelong obsession with pipe organs. He lives every day with this passion; it infuses every part of his life, every waking and sleeping moment. He is surrounded by his art. Even his home is a testament to it. 

No, really. Bill loves pipe organs so much he built one. And lives in it.

Bill Mollema and Jefferson Kye at The Scotts Fox, in Scotts, Michigan, just outside of Kalamazoo

Bill is a close friend to my cousin's family in Kalamazoo, and during a recent visit he gave me the grand tour and a brief concert. At theaterorgans.com, Bill tells his story. "In 1976 I installed a new instrument in a church which had a very unusual design. The building was basically a cross of two symmetrical, flat topped A frames; and I was struck by the plan and felt that a down-sized version of this design would make a really neat home. More importantly, it would be a house that would lend itself to a pipe organ installation. I immediately set out to design my dream home and in the early summer of 1976 began construction after acquiring 20 acres of property in the country on which to build."

 

These are the pipes that would play during a fanfare (bugle and horn sounds), which protrude from the fireplace surround.

Now both the house and the organ are complete. (Well, there's always something else to be done, as with any house and, I would imagine, any gigantic pipe organ.) Organ enthusiasts regularly visit his home, Scotts Fox, and Bill hosts house concerts.

 

The living room

A bridge connecting the two sides of the second floor floats above the living room. This is the room where concerts are held, and where the organ console is played. It is bookended by the fanfare fireplace on one end, and on the other, multiple levels of pipes in all sizes. 

Pipes in front of and behind glass baffles  

The organist can accentuate or muffle the sound as he is playing by using a foot pedal to open or close baffles in front of of a particular group of pipes. Commonly these baffles are made of wood or some other solid material, often padded or upholstered. Some of Bill's pipes are baffled in this way, but for most of the baffles, Bill used glass. That way, the pipes are always on view. In the top half of the photo above, you can see a few of these glass slats, which louver open and closed at the touch of different foot pedals. 

A very small sampling of pipes at Scotts Fox

The pipes in Scotts Fox were collected over decades from churches and old theaters, as he says, "through a fortunate combination of happenstance and luck."

 

The console, built by Bill

Bill is interested in both church organs and old-fashioned theater-style organs, and built an instrument that combines pipes and a console from both. Drawing again from his own (somewhat technical) words at theaterorgans.com: "By the time a specification had been conceived and put down on paper, I realized that I would never find a console of sufficient size with which to control this organ. As a result of this realization, I designed and built my own 4 manual console in my workshop. It was my desire that the console be 'user friendly' - a console at which both theatre style organists and classic oriented organists could easily feel at home. Although the console is constructed in the theatre style, it can still easily be managed by the classical musician since those stops are grouped together in a standard arrangement rather than being mixed in with the theatre voices. Aside from sharing keyboards and couplers, the arrangement is really like two consoles in one."

 

A very small percentage of the circuitry that controls the organ

Almost as jaw-dropping as the living room/concert hall above was the belly of the beast, in the basement below. Thousands and thousands of circuits run the organ, and once again, Bill built them all from scratch. The wires are meticulously color-coded, tied, and labeled. A separate power supply runs the organ, and all of the mechanics and cooling fans are housed in a sound-insulated room underneath the pipes.

Every theater organ needs a good alarm bell!

The instrument is effectively finished, much to the surprise of his friends, who feared the project would drag on forever. That said, Bill will probably always be adding this or that novelty sound as he finds it: fire alarm bell, telephone bell, old-fashioned "aaawOOOOOgah" car horn. 

The pond at Scotts Fox

He writes, "Now that I have retired from the business of organ selling, installing, and maintenance; I have once again become a hobbyist and finally have the time to put the finishing touches on this project." Not to mention tending the garden, the pond and the pool, and rolling through the green Michigan countryside on his Harley. Bill Mollema may live in a pipe organ, but he plays more than just one tune.

 

Author Discovery: The 3rd Option by Ben Sharpton

Ben Sharpton's The 3rd Option is a well-reviewed thriller. Here's more from today's featured Author Discovery guest:  

Allan Chappel enrolled in seminary to change the world, but people lied and people died, and he turned in his clerical collar for an office cubicle. Now, years later, the ghosts of his past are back to haunt him, and they're uglier and more powerful than before. 
     When the offices of a new medical think tank called Inc.Ubator are destroyed in a fiery blast, Allan finds himself the prime suspect and the target of an international manhunt. Forced into hiding, he sets out to find the terrorists responsible and clear his name. But his quest for answers only leads to more questions: What were the researchers at Inc.Ubator hiding? And who was willing to spill blood to keep their work a secret? Allan must stay alive long enough to untwist the truth. Unfortunately, the forces opposing him will stop at nothing to prevent the release of the 3rd Option.

"This is the kind of rare thriller that I love--one that grabs you on page one and won't let you go until the satisfying conclusion. The 3rd Option is smart and fresh, combining timely issues with thoughtful insights, relatable characters, and shocking twists. It makes you think while it makes your heart race. Bravo, Ben Sharpton...more please!"

--Peter Wallace, author of The Passionate Jesus: What We Can Learn from Jesus about Love, Fear, Grief, Joy, and Living Authentically

Author Discovery: The Trouble With Rane by Robert Beacham

Today's Author Discovery is a novella that takes us far into Earth's troubled future and introduces a new hero. A lucky hero. Here's more from Robert: 

The Trouble With Rane is an adventure-packed, humorous, science fiction enovella from Robert Beacham. At 18,000 words it’s long enough to get your teeth into but short enough not to demand too much of your time.

Although there’s an earlier short story (available for free here) this is our first proper introduction to Ranger extraordinaire, Ceras Rane – a highly-trained individual whose skills and deductive abilities are only surpassed by his remarkable luck.

Going “Outside” on Earth provides more dangers than just the toxic atmosphere – but that’s just the start of Ceras’ problems. There’s intrigue, deceit, secretive departments within law enforcement, androids, corruption, gun battles, aliens, a huge space station, a moon colony, drug smuggling… even a cat or two.

Oh, and it’s only 99¢ – how can you lose?

Download now for Kindle

Download now for Nook, iPad, Kobo, Sony Reader, etc.

Author Discovery: Penumbra by Kat Micari

An urban fantasy by Kat Micari is in today's author discovery spotlight, and guess what? She's giving away free copies! Read on for details: 

An urban fantasy story that will grip you and leave you wanting more.

Fed up with the dirty city and a disenchanting life as a fashion model, Beauty’s world is at least safe.  But the illusion of safety shatters the night that she frees herself from her self-imposed fears only to be thrust into the magical underbelly of the city, where forces that want to save humanity and evil beings that want to feed off humanity’s despair fight for balance and power.

Driven from both the comforts and the trappings of her old life, now hunted by a cadre of sinister, rat-faced business men, Beauty’s only hope is to join with a strange magical ally. Together, with the help of fae creatures in unlikely guises, they must seek out an enchanted, improbable artifact that can heal the city before evil tips the balance, once and for all.

This powerful coming-of-age fairy tale follows the path of a young heroine who chooses to take fate into her own hands for the first time in her life, and of the consequences that her choice has on the magical beings of the city.

Why This Story?

Penumbra started as a short story years ago, but the main character got into my head.  Beauty is my response against the many young heroines popular today that rely solely on other’s for their strength and happiness.  In this story, on this journey, Beauty is finding herself.  It’s as much an inner journey for her as it is a traditional fairy tale.

I also had lots of fun creating my own creatures of magic and fantasy and playing with traditional fairy tale tropes in a modern setting.  Part of the joy of being an independent author, for me, is being able to write a story the way it wants to be written, serving the characters and the plot rather than a preconceived market put on me by an outside person.  The result, in this case, is positive, and I have high hopes for my future work as well.

The Giveaway

In celebration of Discovery 4 at Discover Authors being my first round robin blog tour, and as it is my birthday month, I will be giving away three (3) ebooks.  You can enter in many ways, up to three times.  First – comment on this blog.  Second – link to either the Amazon or Smashwords page via social media, and either comment here or email or tweet at me that you have done so with the link to your site so I can follow you.  I’ll count two social media links as separate entries.  On August 20th (the day after this blog tour ends), I will do a drawing and announce the winners!

Penumbra is available at Smashwords and Amazon.

Author Discovery: Inertia: Book One by Dani R.R. Hermit

There's something in this author tour for everyone, and maybe today's your day! Dani R.R. Hermit's Inertia: Book One is an erotic title that sounds absurdly naughty. Just the author's warning about the content may curl your toes! Welcome, Dani R.R. Hermit:

The book I am taking on this tour of the virtual world is Inertia: Book One, the latest installment in the Parliament of Twilight world. Inertia is best described as a Yaoi-inspired M/M erotic romance with elements of horror, paranormal and a dash of sci-fi, all rolled up into a delicious, twisted adventure.  There is a warning we post on the Parliament of Twilight books and it goes something like this:

Warning: The books set in the Parliament of Twilight world are often more than the average person can handle. Contents may include but are not limited to: beast form sex, angst, spanking, inappropriate use of showers and/or bathtubs, elements of horror in erotic settings, implied m/f incest, outright m/m twincest, dubious consent, cliffhangers, tentacles, cheating, bad decisions, BDSM, bondage, campy humor, threesomes & more-somes, supernatural creatures, May/December romances, eternal love, blood play, murder, animated corpse sex

If that hasn’t scared you away, then let me tell you about the story of Inertia.  This series is going to focus mainly on the developing relationship between Skye Crestal, a bad boy shifter and RT Wilmont, a washed up Broadway composer.  They meet in Book One at an out of the way bar where Skye is working his last night before leaving the small desert town for Hollywood and the opportunity of a lifetime.  The rest of the series will follow their adventures in Hollywood and beyond, as well as give glimpses into the stories of the characters around them.

RT is in a downward spiral, at the lowest point of his life.  He is playing at the dive bar as an impersonator of himself, because no one in their right mind would hire the actual RT Wilmont, notorious drunkard and seducer of young men.  Once, playing like this, connecting with the people in the intimate way only a dimly lit bar could provide, was an amazing experience.  But no longer.  RT is ready to end it all.  He intends for this performance to be his last, ever.

But before he can go through with it, two things happen to the older man.  He gets a call from the organization known as the Parliament of Twilight ordering him back to duty after years of quasi-retirement.  And he meets Skye, the bartender who he was hired to play for.

Book One follows Skye and RT on their wild night that starts at the bar and ends in a cheap motel room.  They are irrevocably connected by the end of that first night together, but the world has other plans.  RT is being followed by another Agent of the Parliament and Skye’s master is calling him back to California.  They are torn apart by the promises they made long before met.

But fate just might have a happy ending in store for these star-crossed lovers.

Inertia – once in motion, there’s no stopping.

Book One is available at all major online book sellers.  Find your favorite on our shopping page.  Book Two is currently in the editing process and is tentatively scheduled to be released in early 2014.

Other titles from the Parliament of Twilight world:

Monster: Book One (released Jan. 2013)

Monster: Book Two (to be released Sept. 2013)

Ghost House: Book One (released June 2013)

Ghost House: Book Two (to be released Dec 2013)

 

Author Discovery: Don't Judge a Book By Its Magic by Kate Policani

A big round of applause for Kate Policani, author of today's featured title and also the mastermind of the Author Discovery series! Kate's cheerful can-do spirit is an inspiration to me as an indie author. If you're looking for your next good magician-next-door story, I hope you'll give this series a try. Oh, and she's giving three copies away! Here's more: 

Don’t Judge a Book By Its Magic(Book 1 of The Convergence series)

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal

Win one of three copies of Don’t Judge a Book By Its Magic! Click here => a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy on Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/3910971

Buy for Kindle and in Paperback on Amazon

Buy on Smashwords

Buy at Barnes & Noble

Buy on Kobo

Buy at iTunes

Links to all the wonderful reviews of my book can be found here: http://katepolicanisreviews.wordpress.com/2012/10/27/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-magic/

Read an excerpt at the book page.

Synopsis:

I’m a normal girl. I am. I love shoes, fragranced body care, and hair products. I love all the chick flicks that have come out in the theaters in the last 2 years (and a lot of the old ones) and I obsess about my wardrobe.  I respond positively to most of the marketing directed at females in my age group.

My name is Colleen Underhill, and the only abnormal thing about me is that I just discovered I am, or I transformed into, a magician; not the disappearing bunny kind, but the power-shooting-out-of-your-hands kind of magician.

My problem now is that I do NOT believe in magic. Well, I believe in it. I have seen it shoot out of my own hands, but I oppose it in a moral sense; no hexes, no spells, no incantations, no potions, no amulets, no tomes, no casting circles, no eye of newt, none of that. I have to be very clear because people pressure me about it. Whatever they say about “how it’s done,” this is a morality issue for me and I will not cave in to their pressure.

But what do I do now?

Don’t Judge a Book By Its Magic on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16045564-don-t-judge-a-book-by-its-magic

 

Author Discovery: Win No Matter What by Nihar Suthar

Today's discovery title is a motivational book, and author Nihar Suthar is donating a portion of his profits to a charity working to end global poverty. Enter Nihar:

Check out my newly released international motivational book, Win No Matter What. 

It is made up of powerful inspirational stories, impactful quotes, and meaningful commentary that convince readers of all ages to make the most out of every single day. Even better, ten percent of all book sale profits are being donated to Acumen, a charity investing in solutions to global poverty.

"I read a lot of motivational books and most of them are all alike, but not this one. I feel like I'm giving a movie review here, but.... I laughed, I cried, I was genuinely touched."

-Lisa G.

Excerpt:

    An Indian saint named Yogiji Mahraj was once at the village of Maliya Hatina in Gujarat, India over 50 years ago. He decided to visit a nursery of 300 mango trees while he was there. So, Yogiji Maharaj and two other companions got into a horse-drawn carriage in order to get to the nursery. While they were riding along, one of the wheels of the carriage suddenly broke. The carriage careened and reeled over. Everyone inside bumped into each other and fell out. Even though all three people were severely bruised and hurt, they were luckily able to still walk. 

    As Yogiji Maharaj brushed the dirt off of his clothes, he happily exclaimed to the other two people, “A miracle has happened, right?”

    The other two in the carriage thought that Yogiji Maharaj was crazy. They retorted, “Oh? And what kind of miracle would that be?”

    Yogiji Maharaj excitedly replied, “We were saved!”

    The other two realized what Yogiji Maharaj meant. Their injuries could have been much worse. They all started laughing. Even when it seemed like there was nothing to be positive about, Yogiji Maharaj picked out a positive thing about their carriage falling apart. This positive thought comforted everyone and made them laugh even though they were hurt. Thus, make it a mission to find one or two positive things out of the next “negative” event that you go through because positive thinking creates happiness.

Support the amazing cause and inspire your life by buying the book HERE.