from the land where the sun still shines ~

I realized I have only posted one blog so far this year, so I'm trying to rectify that. My problem is that I don't know what to say. I feel like so much is happening but I have no way to describe it, at least not coherently. But I will do my best.

At work, I've been focusing on several different areas:

Food Workshops - We are trying to develop locally made products that can then be sold at the Farmers Market to support Iskashitaa. We're experimenting with some lesser known food resources--carob powder and Seville oranges, for example--and making a lot of unique food items. I try to schedule at least one workshop each week, and we've been making progress with the help of our main food workshop volunteer, Cadie.
I'm also working on scheduling food demonstrations for refugee cooks to teach one of their recipes using a local food item. At our first demo, we made Seville Orange Swirls and Seville orange juice, learning from a competent Iraqi cook. [This is particularly significant because Sevilles are sour and lots of people here view them as ornamental/useless, and they are everywhere.] Our next workshop is coming up in April, and we'll be learning to make lemon pickle relish from a Bhutanese woman.

Seville Orange Swirls

Faith Based Groups - I continue to try to work on Iskashitaa's connections with various faith-based groups around Tucson. I've been giving lots of presentations, particularly to United Methodist Women's groups, and working on various service projects with church groups/youth groups.

Food for Thought - This is a bi-monthly community potluck that I have been coordinating/developing for the past year or so. It is held at different churches around town, and we invite the congregations/community members/refugees to attend and bring a dish made from a family recipe. These gatherings are so much fun, and the amount of delicious food is overwhelming. Witnessing people come together across cultures to share food and get to know one another is one my favorite parts of working with Iskashitaa. The next potluck is coming up later this month, and I'm hopeful that it will be our best yet!

Our most recent Food for Thought dinner, held at St James UMC in January, had 60+ guests!

Citrus Season - This is primarily affecting the work of my colleague, Chloe, who is our harvesting coordinator. We are in the thick of citrus season, which is the busiest time of the year for us. We get several calls every day from homeowners interested in scheduling a harvest to donate their fruit. Right now, we are scheduled through the beginning of April with 2 harvests each week (and each harvest including multiple properties.) Tomorrow, we are going to a mobile home complex with 39 trees, and later this month, we'll be returning to an orchard with 100 trees for the second time this citrus season with a group from a local church. We have lemons, oranges, blood oranges, tangelos, pomelos, tangerines, Seville oranges, white grapefruit, pink grapefruit, and ruby red grapefruit. Grapefruit. We have more grapefruit than you have ever seen in your life. Really.


I've also been enjoying life outside of work:

Family Visits - My dad came to visit for a week in February, and we had a great time visiting Mount Lemmon, harvesting at Iskashitaa, spending time with my friends, and enjoying some of Tucson's incredible restaurants. Dad also enjoyed working on a variety of projects around our house, including but not limited to our freezer, our doors, and our shower rods. Next up is my mom visiting in a couple weeks, and we'll be going to the Grand Canyon & Sedona before coming down to Tucson. Then, in April, Erica will *hopefully* be coming to stay, too! I'm also holding out for visits from a few of my friends...

Concerts & Performances - Last Friday I got to see the show "Guys & Dolls" with my housemate, Kay. It was my first time to see the show, and it was fantastic! Last Saturday, I went to a special concert celebrating Black History Month featuring some locally known ethnic bands, and a few Iskashitaa musicians opened for them! It was such a fun night to spend dancing and talking with friends.

Time with Friends - In January, I got to spend a weekend in Flagstaff relaxing with some of my friends from the university. Since the New Year, my friend & former US-2 Darlene and I have started taking walks and having dinner together once a week. We have also had a couple potluck parties at my house that have been incredibly fun, especially when they featured impromptu singing/piano performances from some of my friends! I also continue to attend Wesley Foundation every Wednesday, and I'm also enjoying co-leading a Bible study for Wesley every Sunday.

It is hard for me to believe how quickly time seems to be passing. It is now March, and my program ends in July! I have busy months ahead of me, and I know the time will be gone soon. Because of that, I'm beginning to think about what I want to do with the time I have left and how best to value it. I'm also thinking about what I need to do at Iskashitaa so that I can leave things in a good place for whoever comes along after me.

I'm also enjoying the beautiful weather here...sorry to all my friends and family suffering in the cold! As my dear friend Joy says, this has been an update from the land where the sun still shines.

A recent harvest done by a local youth group in one afternoon!