March 27 – May 1 Instructor: Mikell Worley 6 weeks Colors are associated with gender, life - passage ceremonies, seasons, holidays, moods, diseases and health. Colors can increase, or reduce your energy level, blood pressure and appetite. They can inspire passion and loyalty. Ask any sports fan! Each multi-media lecture will feature a rainbow color, its characteristics, and impact on history, culture, fashion, art, music, literature, folklore and more. Mikell Worley has explored the impact of color as an artist, through work with adjudicated youth, women in prison, and training sessions for schools, health care providers and state agencies as Director of PA Department of Health State Health Improvement Plan. After years of working with Healthy Communities, SHIP (State Health Improvement Plan through the PA Dept. of Health, and the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), my first thought with addressing the concerns in our area was to see what is already in place and not reinvent the wheel. I wondered if there was a local Healthy Community group and a SHIP locally.
Healthy Community embraces the broad based concept of health, In addition to access to health care and our traditional perceptions, it includes safe streets, clean air and water, education, skill building to ensure marketable skills, youth mentors, volunteering, transportation. Dr. Peter Benson's 40 Assets for Youth and Colin Powell's America's Promise exemplify these concepts. All are asset based. Instead of focusing on the results we don't want which is so typical and defeatist (crime, drug use, disease), these visionaries determined asset based results and moved in a positive direction with remarkable outcomes. Fortunately, there is a SHIP in Maryland, called the State Health Improvement Process. The Maryland SHIP has a wealth of information including statistics, newsletters, events and webinars. There are promising and model practices from Healthy Community sites all over the country such as Establishing a More Livable Community through Community Collaboration. Sadly, there have been some changes since I was director of local SHIP. Words that enhanced and drove our work, "science based" and "evidence based", have now been banned by the current administration. Words have been banned. Let that sink in. Our local United Way was superlative, and the hub of resources and funding locally. I chaired the youth component. We organized and delivered training throughout the community including youth groups, church groups and school programs using the 40 Assets for Youth. If youth organizations couldn't demonstrate results through evidence, they weren't funded. I wonder how the CDC and SHIPS are monitoring results with these bizarre restrictions. It's been years since I was involved. My job as director, in addition to being president of our local America's Promise, and co-chair of the Gandhi-King Peace Coalition were all consuming. When I came to Maryland, my daughter got me this business card holder. "There are always flowers for those who wish to see them." ~ Henri Matisse . . . and if we can't find them, sometimes we need to make our own. There have been frustrations with living in my community recently. I won't get into specifics but they are serious, significant and disturbing..
When I get stressed and frustrated, I need to return to gratitude. I truly believe we get what we focus on. Lately my thought have been on things I certainly don't want to increase in my life. There are a lot of reasons to love my home and community. I have wonderful neighbors who are peace loving with kind hearts. That makes the recent incidents all the more disturbing. The 'magic alley' is only a few steps away. It takes me less than 5 minutes to drive to the Renaissance Institute at Notre Dame University of Maryland for chorus and classes. My back yard is overflowing with rosemary, lavender, thyme, other herbs and vegetables and flowers in the summer months.I am less than 15 minutes away from superlative museums, restaurants, gardens and Camden Yards. Live music is abundant through out the area seven days a week. I've been told violence is increasing in communities all across the country. I'm still familiar with places that are safe so I'm not buying into that gloom. I didn't lock my door for over a decade at the cabin and my neighbors from that area still don't. If my house hadn't been flooded, I'd still be there, but I was divinely guided to move heer and for now< i'll make the best of it and focus on all of the blessings. . . . off to paint more flowers! Honey lemon tea can be used alone or with black tea or any combination of herbal teas.
Sterilize wide mouth canning jar or glass container. Ingredients
Place lemons loosely in jar. Slowly pour in honey, using a knife to pull lemons away from the sides and allow honey to flow cover entirely. Place jar in refrigerator and let marinate for seven days. To serve, use 2 or 3 Tablespoons per cup or to taste, "Gather ye rose buds while ye may, |
Welcome!! I’m Mikell (pronounced Michael). If you love spicing up your life with herbs, recipes, decorating and crafts, symbolism and rituals like I do, I hope you’ll sign up for my newsletter and free Enhancing Your Life with Herbs e-book!
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MikellMikell is a writer, artist and professional treasure hunter, finding the greatest treasures in the wonderful people who enter her life! |