"Acting as if..faking it until WE make it..Giving time time... Turning it over"
"Never in the onomasticon of places was ever a place so well named as Cherry Grove--and it doesn't have to do with the trees, although ripe for picking are the words that spring to mind the minute that boat pulls out of the dock in Sayville." - James McCourt, Queer Street page 209.
What does the word 'onomasticon' mean? A book such as the Oxford Names Companion is an onomasticon. The word is from Greek onomázein, to name, of which onuma, a name, is a close relative. An Onomastician studies the origin and form of proper names of every kind and the field of study is called Onomastics.
Although a Red, White and Blue Day--I want to continue GREEN. We were talking about organics yesterday. We know that organics can be pricy, so let me give you the rundown on how to start. I will get to fish in a minute. There are foods that come to you very contaminated. If you decide to start buying organics (which I believe we all should), start with some basic foods to buy. The following foods tend to thinner skinned and therefore more likely to absorb chemicals, so choose organic:
1. Green beans
2. Apricots
3. Apples
4. Celery
5. Peaches
6. Nectarines
7. Grapes
8. Strawberries
9. Bell Peppers
10 Spinach
I was going to mention organic wines, but since I do not drink I will save it if anyone asks a question or posts a comment. I want to talk about fish. In March, I blogged about the benefits of fish. I even had a needlepoint of a fish on a pillow.
We should know by now the benefits of fish, but you must buy fish carefully. Fish can be super healthy, but caution and knowledge is important. You do know that global warming, pollution (recent oil spill) and development/ technology has threatened our waters and the fish habitat. How is the fish raised--farmed or wild? How was the fish caught? Where was it caught? And the question you all should be asking is the amount of mercury (Hg) and PCB's (polychlorinated biphenyls) does it contain? Over the last 14 years I have treated individuals with mercury toxicity. I am not going to discuss how I treat such patients, and the method used. Instead I am going to start at the basics--what fish should you buy?
I prefer Salmon- go for the wild Pacific or Alaskan Salmon. Do not buy farmed salmon--it can be high in pollutants and the process is hard on the environment. In actuality the flavor is blah, blah. If you ask why can't you get wild Alaskan salmon--the answer is simple--an endangered species.
Fish to avoid:
1. Sea Bass
2. Swordfish
3. Tuna
4. Atlantic Halibut
5. Bottom Dweller Fish
6. Crustaceans - Crabs, Lobsters and Shrimp
Fish to HAVE:
1. Wild salmon
2. Sardines
3. Mackerel
4. Squid
5. Artic char
Where should you buy fish? It depends on where you live. Rick and I chose www.vitalchoice.com Look at this mercury free website. It is fantastic. Also I recommend carrying a fish card. You are saying, "What is he talking about now?" A seafood card is available from the Audobon Society at www.seafood.audobon.org It lists the fish that are better choices for consumption.
Another website Rick reminded me to mention is www.salmonsafe.org
I love the silence of the morning here on the island. I cannot recall but someone said, "Under all talk that is good for anything lies a silence that is better." How true and how needed at times. Silence is golden. Silence is a time to reflect. To meditate. No have closer contact with God. The first quote today is from a 12 step program. "Acting as if...faking it until WE make it..Giving time time... Turning it over" Over the years, I have certainly turned many things over. I am powerless over people, places, things, alcohol, et al ...I love the birds chirping in the morning, the silence of the waves, and of course, THE PLANTS.
Today, is the 4th of July. I am not going to give the history of Independence Day. I will save that for Rick. His blog two days ago had lots of interesting facts about the 4th. The 4th is a special day in Fire Island. It is the Invasion. Not unlike the Boston Tea Party. The recently won 1976 home-coming queen, Thom Hansen, aka Panzi decided with a group of friends to invade the High Tea in the Pines at the Blue Whale. Boarding a water taxi, these cross-dressed brave souls (now known as drag queens--I do not think we had that term in 1976) entered the Pines Harbor singing Kate Smith's 'God Bless America.' All were met with mixed emotions--possibly fear, joy, excitement, anger, and disbelief that the Pines would be considered a cross-dressed community.
Oh, my my... Regardless, it wasn't a riot, as the 1969 Stonewall Inn Riots, but an institution and a tradition was born. Today more than 300 drag queens will board a Sayville Ferry in the Grove and enter the Pines Harbor. It is a sight that must not be missed. Through the years I have laughed, cried, shouted and even dressed. I have shared these memories with my children, family, friends and partners. When living in the Pines, I never got to enjoy the festivities as the boat was boarded in Cherry Grove. Over the last five years, as a volunteer physician in the Doctor's House, both Rick and I have had great memories on the 4th of July.
Until tomorrow...
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