Gabriel’s Sad Gift: Losing an Eye to Give the Gift of Sight to Others Potentially

Furry Hosts....

So many of you who have come to Adytum Sanctuary have enjoyed the dogs and cats and in your reviews on Yelp, Trip Advisor and Bed and Breakfast.com have let us know that they added to your adventure at Adytum. We think of ourselves as hosts here to welcome you, and they carry the exact same energy and intention in their own, sweet ways.

Gizmo's Fort in the Digital Baby Grand Piano...Watching the Rain, Wanting to Play...

Everyone asks about the stories of how each one of the ‘pack’ came to be here. Many of you know Gabe’s story of being a rescue dog that came up the hill negotiating thorny Himalayan blackberry vines and enduring stickers in his paws to escape his private hell in the concentration camp which was his daily life for God knows how long. The day Gabriel appeared on the porch, our house staff at the time said, “Kat, there is a mangy dog wetting all over the front porch. What do I do?” I peeked out. The ugliest dog I have ever seen in my life was shaking in temperatures that were projected to drop to 8 degrees that February night. He did have mange and was emaciated. And yes, he marked the front porch of Adytum as his new home….I just didn’t know it yet.

Ancient Kitty Boy Covers Alyssa's Chest With His Substantial Girth..Dash Below

This pitiful animal was digging at his ear groaning, his head nearly touching the icy ground in his effort to show me he needed help. Because night was approaching, we had to make that hard decision. Did we want another dog? No. We had an elderly 12 ½ year old Borzoi, Sasha that was my ‘soul-mate’ of the animal World. Once before I had an Arabian horse aptly called Kismet, Turkish for “fate”- I called him AJ usually and he too filled that rare slot that doesn’t come around in life too often: ‘soul-mate’ of the animal World. I had no desire to replace Sasha and we were actually in that horrible limbo of “do we put her down or not? There’s still so much life in her but….” We could see she suffered. Selfishly, we hung on as long as we could but pain began to fill her large eyes that were always full of pure love that literally arced out us before. It was getting quite clear, a decision needed to be made.

Sasha and Kat in Autumn Before Her Passing

Sasha had been attacked by a huge bear on the back of Adytum lands – a bear that has since sadly been shot by hunters. His big paw scraped claw lines down her bony spine damaging her hip. She was never the same since. The morning’s walk through our tree plantation revealed the hard decision that would come later the afternoon of the next day. But for today, we had a mangy, emaciated dog asking desperately for help. I had heard a massive amount of shooting earlier and guess that someone was driving him purposefully away because they didn’t want to pay to repair all the damage their neglect had done to him.

Nameless, yet, Gabriel was asked to enter the garage where we’d made a bed for him. It was clear he wasn’t going to do it. He apparently had been confined in a dark place for long time periods because it took months and months before he would consent to look me in the eye and to enter ‘inside’. I went to town immediately with nightfall approaching and bought an Igloo and filled it with warm blankets on the covered part of the porch. We fed him and started working on his ear- the worst infection I have ever seen actually protruding out of his ear like a giant black cauliflower. 

The next day he was gone before I could try to coax him into the truck to visit the vet. The vet ended up coming to us…the next day, my beloved soul of my heart, Sasha was gone too and I cried so desperately, so hopelessly with my poor vet looking on like I might need sedation too…It was – well you know beyond humiliating, but who cares. You’ve done it too.

Look at the Love Beaming Out of Sasha's Eyes- It Intensified The Older She Grew

The space left by Sasha was pure emptiness where her bed and constant loving glances had filled so many years. I had a day to mourn, three days wearing sunglasses to the optometry office because my eyes were nearly swollen shut. Then guess who returned the day after her death? Our ugly friend with his paws full of thorns again. He spent hours patiently licking them to get them free. Later we learned that he would go up and down the hill and take food and bones to the rest of his pack. He would even go lay with them on cold nights, leaving the comforts we provided, because his loyalty ran deeper than that of most humans and he put everyone ahead of himself..still does.

He healed my heart in time when he began to share his loving eyes with me, so rich with gratitude and relief to have been accepted and actually loved. We healed his ear and turned him back into the beautiful creature he always knew he was... The transformation was miraculous. I wish I had taken pictures to show you…you would hardly believe it. The nameless, collarless dog became Gabriel because he is the angel that gave me his healing love when my heart was breaking…breaking. We gave him safety, protection and a new life full of all the love he deserves.

It really impressed me too that he created this new life for himself. Even an animal has the power to choose a better life. Think about that. Live in the valley below with beatings, confinements, starvation, humiliation or…move through thorns and obstacles and head straight up the hill to reach a better Way. My admiration for Gabriel equaled my gratitude that this angel appeared when I most needed healing.

I had heard a story to prepare me to accept him even though he did NOT fit the model we wanted to represent Adytum.  Graceful Borzoi, yes. Mangy flea ridden starving mixed breed mut? No. Not really…Love comes in so many different packages and I am ashamed at that shallow thinking when Adytum was beginning to open and be presented online to the World…

At the optometry office late one afternoon when I don’t have time for stories…an old woman said, “My friend had a German Shepherd appear on her doorstep the day after her husband died. She scared him away even though he came back again and again. When I asked her why, she said she didn’t have enough money to pay for dog food. That week she was robbed and lost much of her possessions. If she had accepted the dog, which seemed to be an angel in disguise, it probably never would have happened.” The story most definitely came to mind and regardless of whether Gabriel fit the image we wished to portray at Adytum, we welcomed him with open arms and gave him his new name. We left the collar off, however, as we were on to his mission. He made it appear he was still in residence as part of the pack. He came and went at regular hours. He always came back…

The vet, the same one here to put Sasha down, treated his ear over and over actually. He had some other name and she knew this dog. She suggested we turn the family in because they had 7 dogs all chained and used as guard dogs. Once, they had spayed him and loved him. I don’t know what happened. Perhaps they beat them to make the pack mean and starved them to keep them alert. People in the country sometimes have different ways. From my neck of the woods, it is called abuse. The only reason we didn’t turn them in was because Gabriel continued to care for his pack with his trademark intense loyalty.

We often bought home raw bones from Morton Meat Company. Most of you know it as having the best beef jerky around…Entering this shop is a sacrifice for me, being vegetarian, and having to smell the butcher shop but it’s a sacrifice I gladly make for our dogs. Any gift we gave Gabe went right down the hill. He shared his treats, rawhide bones, raw bones and his body heat on frigid nights. Finally the family was evicted or some such event because Gabriel finally accepted a collar and became ours when they left, leaving only the paper notice nailed to the front door.

Beautiful Gabriel in the Snow

It is with great sadness I have to share with each of you who have called Gabriel a real angel…felt his love and protection…those single women at Adytum who found a loving guard stationed outside their door or at the foot of their bed if they allowed him in…Gabriel has suffered a great loss this week. Strangely enough, being placed in an eye doctor’s home, Gabriel has lost his eye to glaucoma. Knowing Gabriel, he will view it as a gift because this incomprehensible loss is provoking a call to demand a pressure check at the routine vet visits we all attend. It isn’t the fault of the vet. The standard is not set for dogs as it for humans to have our pressure checked each year at our eye exam. Glaucoma progresses silently with no symptoms. It is blinding. Donn’s year in Africa yielded many such human cases who became blind with little warning or symptoms. It is VITAL to get an annual eye exam and submit to the pressure check none of us enjoy. I believe it is VITAL to insist our pets have the same privilege.

Gabriel never gave any indication anything was wrong. His persistent ear infections, probably made worse by the beatings he endured causing structural damage…who knows, they gave way to what appeared to be an eye infection. Donn feels the rare appearance of glaucoma may have been due to structural damage in the eye as well from abuse. We treated for 1 ½ weeks for allergy eyes and finally went to the vet where she diagnosed glaucoma. Watering eyes that mimic allergy are not a part of glaucoma symptoms but dull, throbbing pain is and it was clear Gabe didn’t feel good.  We had no way of knowing and he had no way to tell us but to shiver inside, to lay low, to leave his continually happily thumping tail on the ground instead of waving it at everyone…We were convinced he had a tough eye infection and began to use stronger cortico-steroid drops, but nothing resolved it as it would have in humans…

No More Working Eye....

One day his eye turned blue…The vet referred to an ophthalmologist and Donn took both dogs to her a few days later. She confirmed that Gabriel’s precious watchful, loving eye had been lost and suggested removing it, sewing up the lid and treating the other preventatively for glaucoma. Glaucoma is rare in this breed. She said it was the fault of no one…there was absolutely no way to know.

Look At Dash's Smile on His First Real Hike

We took Dash, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, to the same doctor because that breed is known to have blindness issues. Amazingly no pressure check was done- even though we were seeing a specialist. So really, with all due respect with the tremendous training and knowledge these professionals have, as well as tremendous graciousness toward we humans while they are lovingly putting our old pets down- there really WAS a way to know before the eye was lost and that is by a routine pressure check just like we do at our annual eye  exam.

Our Morton Office- Donn's Optometry and my Nutritional Therapy Practice

Again, I cannot place blame on a discipline that has yet to recognize the need to prevent glaucoma by annual pressure checks. There are those skilled in fighting for animal rights and I ask you, beg you, to get the word out that the standard needs to be changed. Gabriel lost an eye needlessly. I am sickened by it as are others that have come to learn of his private, needless tragedy.

In this day and age with all our prevention, all those vaccinations for dogs and heart worm medicine and on and on…why in the world did no one factor in the extreme value of sight and make a test mandatory for it?

We have an option for surgery which is obviously very expensive and there is a 15% chance that the pressure in the dead eye will not go down and it will have to come out anyway. At a friend’s insistence and horror at Gabriel losing his eye, I emailed Bill Sardi who is a famous researcher on the eye and is the man responsible for our human clinical trial at Medical Vision Center (www.medicalvisioncenter.com) on red wine extract – the Longevinex brand in particular (www.longevinex.com) for the treatment of blinding macular degeneration both wet and dry forms. I asked Bill if he had options.

Bill Sardi Lecturing at the Roxy on Longevinex for Macular Degeneration

We use Hyaluronic Acid in our dispensary for those glaucoma patients who opt out of the standard medical treatment and want to try a natural product. Glaucoma drops are about $80 a month. HA is $78 – the good brands that are pharmaceutical grade. HA also helps joints and makes our skin like baby’s skin…nice and plump diminishing wrinkles and fine lines. HA makes up the eyeball and provides structure for it. So many are deficient in HA in their eyes. We have actually had a measure of success with those few patients lowering their pressure and maintaining normal pressure by using HA.  So that’s exactly what Bill suggested and we are now using oral HA and topical glaucoma drops twice daily to see if we can alleviate his pain by lowering pressure in the dead eye staving off surgery and saving the eye, albeit a dead eye.

Kat and Gabe Near Adytum Sanctuary

Gabriel is always thinking of others. When you’re here, he’s thinking of you and watching out for you. He will show you the trails, sleep outside your door to protect you from dangers that never come…if you’re a furry friend he will share his food and his treats with you…even his precious body heat on cold nights. This time Gabriel has given a very priceless gift: he is asking that awareness be raised that animals need preventive care that includes pressure checks to prevent or detect glaucoma. He can’t speak but for those who have been in his care, he trusts you will speak for him and his friends, and I trust you will too. When you take your animals to the vet, pay whatever they need to receive to perform the simple touching of the Tono-pen to the cornea to register pressure in the eye. Suggest, please that they include this as a part of their annual exam. Nothing is wasted now, is it? Meantime, we will do our best to save the eye instead of the unthinkable option…Meantime, will you please consider sharing some or all of this post with your vet, with your contact list? And pray for him too, will you?

Happy Breakfast Guests, Housemade Grand Marnier Vanilla Extract and the MeDi....

Eye Doc Turned Prep-Chef

Sometimes we find ourselves with a dietary mixed table ~ a couple who are trying the Vegan lifestyle for a month and a couple who aren’t. Donn and I get into the kitchen at 8 a.m. for 10 o’clock breakfast service hoping to make everybody happy at breakfast. 

Donn has discovered his inner chef and has progressed from being a prep chef to dressing the oven roasted potatoes, seasoning them perfectly, himself. He has brought the majority of the new gadgets lately and loves his de Buyer mandolin that creates the thinly sliced onions to top this morning’s paleo pizza - recipe to follow for both vegan and regular variations.

His prep-chef routine doesn’t work for part of the week when he leaves for our Olympia Optometry office- Martin Way Vision Center, but for most of his local eye doctor week at Medical Vision Center (www.medicalvisioncenter.com) in Morton, he starts the day in the kitchen with me and ends it at the clinic. While guests often sleep on, we’re creating fantastic memories playing in the kitchen together…

We all wear lots of hats these days! I was appointed Associate Editor of the National Health Federation’s (www.thenhf.com) magazine, Health Freedom News, so I will often be writing for NHF or lining up authors while the pizza crust is on its first bake. Check out my article on Dry Eye in the Spring issue of HFN and learn to solve it naturally, once and for all. Magazines are free with your membership of $36 for the year and some of you will also wish to publish in this international, sophisticated magazine.  Call me if you have an article to share...

This morning, we make one gluten free Vegan paleo pizza crust using ground flax seeds mixed with water as the egg substitute and one crust with eggs. Each will receive the topping suited best for the desires of the guests, and we end up making everyone happy. We start with the Sweet Breakfast Quinoa that I shared with you before- only now, since we went to the Hawaiian Vanilla Company on the big island bringing home beans with us and I learned to make our own Vanilla Extract- this time we finish the quinoa with a healthy splash – okay, splashes…of Grand Marnier Vanilla. Yes! This is the ‘elevator’ that takes it to the next level. Everyone loves it!

 We have a large bottle ‘brewing’ of Vanilla Rum and Vanilla Vodka and also the Queen of all Vanillas: Grand Marnier. They each add their own special signature to the dishes we prepare. Do you know the Vanilla Orchid only blooms once a year? It is hand pollinated on that singular day and is one of the most expensive spices in the World…Fascinating!




You can keep a bottle of vanilla extract going for years. Just keep adding the same liquor. Back in the Prohibition Era, because people started drinking Vanilla Extract as liquor, they diluted it with water by 40%

The Owner's Son Teaching Us The Art of Vanilla Bean Production...Another Plan for Adytum

. So if you want the real thing…get some beans, open and scape the seeds down into the liquor of your choosing and drop the beans in- three to a large bottle. Six months later you have The Real Deal! And seriously, what a difference. You can buy directly if you’re ready to try your own and you will not regret it: http://www.hawaiianvanilla.com/

Today, with half Vegan guests, the traditional ‘Egg on the Half-shell’ is transformed into a base of roasted Portobello mushroom with slivers of garlic, garlic powder, sea salt, olive oil and Italian Seasoning. Each option is topped with the same sauté of mushrooms, red bell pepper and garlic highly seasoned. We only use sea salt at Adytum…one is topped with Vegan Cheese and the other with Asiago. Again, all guests are happy. You can sauté all this off with Pesto too, but it has a bit of Parmesan in it.

Sweet Breakfast Quinoa in the Making in My French Apron!

I’ve done all the diets…raw, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian 

which includes fish in a vegetarian diet, traditional SAD (Standard American Diet)….In my perfect, idealistic World no one has to pass up a dish at the table because, “I can’t eat that…” and in my ultimate perfect World, we can actually eat out at restaurants and have amazing meals anywhere, anytime because GF and vegetarian are mainstream. My chef son, Phillip advised me that to order vegetarian at the average restaurant was to get options that have, shall we say, been around in the freezer for awhile? 

Beautiful  Dinner for Donn and Me: Kale, Chestnuts, Cranberries, Raw Cashews and Cardamom

That isn’t appealing…why can’t they realize there isn’t “one size fits dietary ALL” out there?? Get real, this is 2012 not 1960. I remember when basil hit mainstream and I thought, “Where have you been all my life, baby??” We know how to make sure everyone leaves not only full, but nurtured, nourished and pleasantly surprised at how good ‘healthy, (modified to GF) Mediterranean based foods can be!”

 The Hale Project is something I have discussed frequently- Google it if you haven’t heard it yet or check out this link: http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/292/12/1433.full.pdf    . The study took people aged 70-90 years of age with active diseases in progress. After ten years’ adherence on the MeDi, with no smoking and moderate red wine/moderate exercise there was an amazing 50% reduction in ALL causes of death and disease. This isn’t a vegetarian or dairy free diet, but realize that lamb and sheep/goat cheese and fish are different (i.e. healthier…) from our choices in America. The molecular size of the milk from sheep and goats is different from cattle,  and European standards are often so much higher and the food cleaner…You never heard this on this diet promoted as being both healing and preventive for major diseases on the nightly news, did you? If Big Pharma produced a drug that promised these same results, you would have heard about that though. We need to invest in our own health. No one is going to do it for us.

Health begins in the kitchen - really in your bowels with good bacteria...and in the mind and our will- our freedom to choose living, health promoting foods. We’re currently immersing in fermented foods to restore the proper terrain/terroire of the gut and I’ll share in future blogs our smelly kitchen concoctions…or you can share with us as so many of you already know how to make many fermented things we are just exploring. “Wild Fermentation” is now downloaded on our Kindle…Donn is also playing with the dehydrator again- this time making Kale Chips with a Cashew Cream Chili Sauce that is fantastic! Friends popped by this afternoon and finished them off not realizing they were full of active enzymes and full of health.  They are better than any chips we’ve had. Olympia Vegan shared that link on You Tube and this is how we all grow in health…By caring with love for the health of every one of us…iron sharpens iron!

Donn's Dehydrator Kale Chips With a Cashew Creme and Chili Finish- Excellent!

It’s amazing how many people really love the paleo pizza crust. With Cross-Fit pushing paleo in the form of meat (read the latest studies on red meat…Hmmm. Someone is after looks before health there… the main cause probably being iron overload) it’s nice to find this morning’s table devoted to Paleo with the protein in the crust and in the quinoa- a complete protein there much the same as eggs or meat. We love introducing people to things they haven’t tried yet- or tried in that form. We all help each other and so many of our guests are introducing us to recipes that we turn out loving. Adytum is a magnet for this healthy exchange. 

Despite some early predictions that we would fail unless we offered “a complete English breakfast” (Google that one…) we are holding our own as a vegetarian, gluten free kitchen. Even dedicated meat eaters don’t miss it because the food is savory, prolific and satisfying. We are open to growth and change and would love to hear YOUR favorite recipes. One guest left me with a Pumpkin Paleo Muffin that actually did come from the Cross-Fit people that I’ll try tomorrow with guests here. We appreciate these ‘gifts’ so much, so please do share!! We need you and we appreciate each and every one of you so very, very much…We are a growing community of like-minded individuals here growing in grace and health every day of our lives. Blessings to you all.

Paleo Pizza Crust - From a Telluride Chef - a Friend of a Friend...

2 cups almond meal
2 eggs - or 2 T ground flax seeds mixed with 6 T water and let it sit a few minutes
3 T olive oil
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 T freshly chopped rosemary (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Using a spoon mix all crust ingredients together until it becomes very thick. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball. Press it onto a lightly greased pizza pan all the way to the edges making it as thin as possible,  and remember to make the hole in the center that Mike taught us was essential to allow the steam to escape. We bake on a pizza stone for 20 minutes, then remove and put the toppings on and put it back in for 20 minutes watching for burning around the crust edges. We brush olive oil on to make the edges more crispy before baking the first time but it is not necessary. Everyone loves this...use oil on your hands if you're having trouble pressing it out. Without the seasonings it could be used as a tart base for fruits...you may want to add a little sea salt to the dough recipe before baking too.

Classic Belgian Gluten-Free Waffles~ Sunday Brunch At Adytum

 

End of February Snow

 

We woke to snow this late February Sunday morning at Adytum. What a better way to celebrate the end of Winter and Spring just around the corner with the warm scent of yeasty Classic Belgian Gluten Free Waffles filling the house? Amber was here last weekend with her partner, Trista. She returned to enjoy the Orion Suite with her mother Linda this weekend. 

Arthur and Rachel...pre-brunch hot tub in the snow!                                                                         

Arthur and Rachel came down from Seattle where he works at Google Maps to relax in The Star of the North this snowy weekend. Despite the often stormy weather, they got a great long hike in to the Fish Hatchery and also the look out at Noble Springs Tree Plantation with its magnificent territorial view.

New Seasons Market in Seattle Carries These and So Will Adytum Now Thanks to Amber!

Amber was sweet to bring a case of drinks that we will begin carrying at Adytum for those that don’t want red or white wine or champagne and are overwhelmed by the sweetness of Sparkling Cider. They are fantastic and carried by New Seasons Market in Seattle. I have yet to find them in Olympia, but will keep looking.

Amber enjoying a Carrot-Lemon-Ginger Shooter from a frozen shot glass 

In the past I’ve blogged “Every guest that comes to Adytum leaves a bit of themselves here.” How true when Sparkling Cider, which has been around the block a few times, gives way to drinks with exotic names and even better tastes- and pretty healthy as well- low/no glycemic.

Enjoy the following recipe that our guests are still lingering over the Adytum table with for Sunday Brunch. I bought the waffle maker- two now actually – from the Kitchen Collection Store at the Centralia Outlet Mall for about $100. It’s made our guests very happy and these waffles leave us feeling fantastic instead of sleepy and bloated from using regular flour.  We paired them with oven-baked Smoky Sweet Potato Fries dredged with sea salt and the Peach-Mango salsa. Using Thai Sweet Chili Sauce is great too.

Crispy on the outside, soft inside...Mmmm!!!

Classic Belgian Gluten-Free Waffles

Classic Belgian Waffles have a crispy outside and are soft and moist on the inside. They are often served as part of a celebration – even to celebrate something as simple as a beautiful day of one of the last snows of the season. Try these waffles with pure maple syrup and organic butter or one of the many toppings that we serve at Adytum; house-made blueberry compote from the fields of blueberries in the valley below…house-made lemon curd atop the compote or a raw caramel sauce to die for- made with our own Adytum Vanilla from beans we picked up  in Hawaii.

This recipe that came with the Waring Pro Professional Waffle Maker is modified to gluten free by experimentation and it’s open to more improvements. So far, guests love them and they are thoroughly enjoyed! I will experiment further with creating a vegan, gluten free option and let you know how that turns out.

Makes 10 Waffles

1 ½ cups water, divided

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)

3 cups sifted Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Flour

1 T cornstartch

1 T baking powder

¼ tsp sea salt

3 large organic eggs, separated + 1 egg white

1/3 cup sugar

1 ½ cups whole milk

8 T unsalted organic butter, melted and cooled

2 tsp olive or coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

Heat ¾ of the water to lukewarm 105-110 degrees. Dissolve the yeast in the water with a pinch of the sugar froom the recipe; let stand 5-10 minutes, until the mixture begins to foam.

Put the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt into a large bowl; stir to blend and reserve. Add the egg yolks, one of the egg whites, and remaining sugar to the yeast mixture; stir to blend. Add the remaining water, milk, melted butter, oil, and vanilla; stir until the mixture is smooth. Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and beat until the mixture is smooth.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites gently into the batter. Let the batter stand for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Preheat your Waring Pro Professional Belgian Waffle Maker on setting #4 or preferred setting *green indicator light will be illuminated when preheated.

For best results, do not open waffle maker during the cooking process. Doing so will offset the timing mechanism.

Use the measuring scoop to measure the batter and pour into the preheated waffle iron. Use a heatproof spatula to spread the batter evenly over the grids. Close lid and rotate waffle maker 180 degrees to the right. Bake the waffles in the waffle iron until beeper indicates that the waffle is done. Rotate waffle maker 180 degrees to the left. Remove waffle and repeat until all batter is used. Waffles may be kept warm in a low (200 degree) oven. Place waffles arranged on a cookie sheet on a rack in a warm oven until ready to serve dredged with powdered sugar.

Cinnamon Kissed Greek Yogurt, Lemon Curd and Raw Caramel Sauce with our own Vanilla

Pure maple syrup pairs nicely with organic butter and the raw caramel sauce and perhaps a dollop of Greek Yogurt... Blueberry compote pairs nicely with lemon curd. You could toast some chopped pecans to scatter over the top and of course, fresh berries always work well.

Pre-brunch Shooters- Fresh Carrot, Ginger and Lemon with Kiwi, Strawberry and Blackberry Garnish

Touching the Palette of a Child By Katherine A. Carroll, NTP

Touching the Palette of a Child By Katherine A. Carroll, NTP

From Bluebloods to Collodial Silver: The Philosophy of Collecting Antique Silver

Collecting antique silver reflects a philosophy of life. Anything worth maintaining is going to require some diligent hard work at times and at minimum, regular care and attention. If you’re simplifying your life, don’t collect silver or close friends. Both have similar needs. I’ve been willing to provide that loving care since inheriting an antique silver set from the 1800’s.

Sitting on the mantle in the Adytum kitchen, it reminds us of a gentler time when there were formal teas and butlers and maids to serve them. It comes from a time when there was more time. From its quiet reminder to live more slowly to the time it takes to slowly polish its tarnish away, it is also about slowing down-puttering...letting your mind wander while your hands do the work, to contemplate life and the beauty shining out of the metal.

On my way to the outlet malls to get The Orion Suite more effective as a lock-off condo, where guests can provide most of their own meals with a Panini Press, Crockpot and Egg Cooker, I pulled into the Silvercreek Grange to see what was inside. I’ve driven past for 5 years now and have only now slowed down long enough to check it out.

 Outside there a sign that said, “Antiques” and when I entered, I was pleasantly surprised to see it was very full of interesting old artifacts common to all good antique stores as well as some newer things like a saddle. I bought a brass ewer…when was the last time you saw that word? “An ewer is a vase shaped pitcher, often decorated, with a base and a flaring spout…” Ok, got it Wikipedia. It holds a bouquet of orange Oriental lilies I picked up later in town.

At the entry were freshly baked cinnamon rolls that Juanita, one of the vendors, said she lays down on a bed of sautéed cinnamon apples. That’s original!  I had just finished breakfast with guests at Adytum, so I will try them next time, assuming she always brings them for customers. Juanita’s son, John, helped me carry out box after box half hour later. I found abundant silver both antique and silver-plate…and a very unusual metal bench that looks handmade.

These prices are what every bargain hunter lives for. I’ve noticed many of the shops on the way to Mt. Rainier are all priced well under retail in any city antique store. $20 for silver trays…$15 for the lovely set of mugs (I’ve yet to discover what metal lays under the tarnish but I love them with their tarnish coat on anyway and my arm is falling off trying to find out…)

I paid $15 for the 6...bought at an auction and cooler than cool....

There are several vendors displaying in the Silvercreek Grange; the hours are Saturdays from 11-3:30p.m.   The Silvercreek Grange is on Highway 12 off exit 68, just before the Great Wall Chinese Restaurant which happens to be run by Portlanders. If you stop there on the way to Adytum, split a plate because they serve monstrous proportions. We like the Mao Po Bean Curd and Vegetable LoMein without MSG.

Morton has a charming antique store called Town and Country. It’s a flower shop full of armoires, dressers and interesting smaller pieces. Many of the antiques in Star of the North came from this little hidden gem in the heart of downtown Morton. Again, the prices are 1/3 what you’d see in downtown Seattle or even on a side street in Portland. This is what makes small town antiquing fun!

I've already shared about the little antique store in Packwood where we got the antique trunk with the rolled top. Many of us seek to pare down instead of adding ‘knick-knacks’. Buying for the Retreat gives me an excuse to indulge a little and spoil our guests too with fresh visual stimulation, which I love doing. Beauty is best expressed when the element of ‘soul’ is inherent. The little flaws, the hints of use and the patina of age. For this reason, I much prefer these kinds of shops versus the catalog stores in the city or online.

Cleaning this silver this late, rainy afternoon makes me realize that life and the accoutrements of life flow into the hands of the next generation in a steady stream. I wonder as I work whose hands caressed these platters and lovingly encouraged the tarnish to give way to the shine beneath? Did the teapot serve the highborn or the field hands? Did they know how bad sugar was for them back then, I think shining countless covered sugar containers. Did these tea sets sit in the parlor of a grand house? It made me think about the bluebloods. We’ve all heard that word but most don’t know it bears a literal relation to the use of silver. 

Sensology.blog.com shares:

               Why is the term "blue blood" used for aristocrats?

“The term blue blood came to be associated with the aristocracy simply because it was not uncommon in earlier times for European nobility to have skin that appeared to have a blue cast.  The bluish (or sometimes greenish) discoloration of their skin was often caused by a condition known as Argyria.

Argyria is the result of ingested silver particles that are not able to pass through the body and instead are deposited under the skin.  Historically this was caused by particles from silver eating utensils being swallowed along with food or silver being taken for medicinal purposes.  Since aristocrats were the ones who could afford medicine and who enjoyed the daily privilege of eating off of silver plates, drinking from silver vessels and as the saying goes being born with "a silver spoon in their mouth" it was a condition that was more common among the upper class.”

Bought at an auction, I still don't know what metal they are but I love all six

Now we use Colloidal Silver (www.silver100.com)  to achieve what the bluebloods got by multiple daily exposures. In fact, I sprayed some in Gabriel’s eyes this morning after our shepherd mix got an eye infection and it is clear this evening. It’s good for everything from sore throats to wounds and much more. Here’s the information on the website www.silver100.com :

“Silver 100™ Ionic Silver Complex with Opti-Silver™ is the state-of-the-art technology for delivering silver ions to the body. It is designed to surpass all other forms of silver in performance and efficiency .The result of more than a million dollars in development, it has gained the reputation for being the leading-edge product in the field by healthcare professionals, retailers and users.

Jay Newman, the President of Invision International and co-creator of Opti-Silver™, has been interviewed on such shows as Good Morning America and NBC TV news as the leading expert in the industry. The company's Board of Advisors includes such highly credentialed experts as the former heads of the departments of chemistry of major universities and the founder and director of the world's largest clinical research center for pediatric drugs.What all this means to you is that you get far superior chemistry, information, and performance.”

The Ewer is now pressed into service as a vase for my favorite flower: lilies. 

On the way back over the Lake Mayfield Bridge, I saw bald eagles hunting although the lake was so rough and choppy from strong winds they must have been worried about going back to the nest hungry. It’s hard fishing in chop. Heading down Birley Road, I drove through Robins scattering. Spring is coming and these long, dark evenings spent tending to things inside the Retreat will give way to time in the garden. But still we will find balance, as in any good relationship. This time with a commitment to keeping alive something of the past, pressing it into service and appreciating the beauty it radiates.

Adytum was already lit up like a beacon on the hill, lights lovingly turned on to shine through nearly 100 windows welcoming my return home from town. After polishing all the great finds from the Silvercreek Grange, the silver lends a soft light to lead us out of this winter and into the days when the sun sets at 10 p.m. Silver adds firelight of its own to the dark of late winter and it’s worth the effort to keep it burning bright. 

Pura Vida! The Lure of Black Sand...

Pololu Trail to a Black Sand Beach in Hawaii

The black sand was the lure. The surprise was finding so much spontaneous natural art! The determined and the strong who made their way from the slippery cliff  descent to sea level expressed themselves with a creativity most likely unparalleled in their daily lives. The fine black sand interspersed with an artistic and amazing display of volcanic rock and driftwood proved irresistible to many. How I wish I could have carried just a little bit back to Adytum as it transcended any display the well paid merchandising departments of the catalog shops ever brought to market....this is my favorite table-scape right here on the beach....and I have carry on....Grrrr.....

This Beach Releases the Inner Artist In Us All

 Altars, stacked stones imbued with tiny holes and dips, figures drawn from driftwood, more stacked stones and volcanic stones marching in file along bleached driftwood… a large stacked stone fire pit, hammocks fashioned out of fishing nets and heavy rope washed ashore long ago…this beach has a Robinson Crusoe feel to it. It invites languorous play to be sure....it most assuredly brings out the inner Child. Met that Child lately?

Why Does This Beach Inspires Creativity and Art?....

We tried finding it yesterday and ended up at a Catholic cemetery instead. Don't despair. It was fascinating! I am a self confessed cemetery junkie...One of the head stones from the 1800's  was written by hand in wet concrete.Still, we were heading to the beach for that elusive black sand.... We hiked a mile or two on a deserted, overgrown road replete with orange butterflies, tiny blue butterflies that swarmed around my feet like a silent entourage and thankfully guavas! They looked a bit like lemons and because it was 3 p.m. and my blood sugar was low, I bit in…4 total. Mmmm! Nice! Strength to go forward!

It Felt a Little Threatening Here...

We came to an old Hawaiian sacred space and a sign asking us not to enter.Sorry, Hawaiian deceased. I never met a rule I could  follow.. but still  we respectfully skirted around the edges in case we inadvertently offended SomeOne coming to the cliff overlooking the sea...

'Overlooking' being the key word. Wrong turn way back there before the guavas. Should have gone right following some Hawaiian boys with boogie boards we saw earlier that flashed a knowing look at the honkies... No access  here and no black sand. The dead evidently don't need beach access but revel in great views...

It was ruggedly beautiful in a frightening sort of way- like you better trust the one you venture here with or you might end up on CSI. The sense of dread and foreboding literally haunted this exquisite space. It was palapable....

Rule Breakers At the Off Limits Beach....

Whether it was the sacred burial area of ancient Hawaiians or the sharp drop off the cliff, it was hauntingly beautiful but again,  not peaceful. The constant wind fed a growing agitation and we left after a short while determined to find the elusive black beach another day.

The Pololu Trail is on the northernmost tip of the map before curving gently around this island in the sea. The cars along the road were the dead giveaway we'd found it. Few travelers were willing to venture down and were taking pictures from the safety of the look-out above. 

Live your life while you can. There will come a day when you’ll slide down on your arse before you’ll make the trek with any sense of dignity. This turned out to be challenging. Mentally I was cutting about 90% of the ‘team’ up top as we began the descent. 

What a Welcome....

It was slippery down and tedious and taxing coming back up Think 'work out DVD's... It reminded me a lot of walking across stones in a river, but there was no water. Just constantly picking and gauging the next steps. Dexterity. Agility. Great ass in the making...

Get too close to the edge and yes, you really could meet your Maker. All those signs were for a reason. My Keens worked out pretty well. I can't imagine making it in anything less.

Whatever washes up on the shore is fair game for play...again creativity abounds here. The black sand beach is a vortex for pulling creativity out of those that venture down...

You're Never Too Young!

There are no facilities so don’t overdo on the MaiTais or iced tea before heading down or you will be achingly miserable.

The ocean is rough and the undercurrent signage in full view. So what is the lure? It’s just a great, quintessential hike. It’s challenging, engaging, interesting and ends in yet another feeling….different from the one evoked by the ancient Hawaiian burial ground. it is Pure Unadulterated Beauty.  We had seen a few signs that said ‘Pure Life’ (Pura Vida)  Yes, that capsulizes the feeling this beach of fine black sand evokes. Nature in all her pure fineness. Rugged and pristine. Visually stimulating and even artsy. There is a heartbeat here…the pounding waves in their rhythmic cycle pounding out life - our life - on the black shores of this beach for centuries with a metronomic sense of duty.

The Long Rocky Road Down...To Pure Life

Off on the horizon, we see a whale blow and breach. Donn is a child again asking questions of me I have no answers for…”Why do whales breach?  Do you know?". “No, but I’m glad they do…” It breaks the sparkling beautiful monotony of the ocean. 

Plus it makes me wonder what else is going on down there…it reminds me of a parallel universe, another dimension that is inhabited that remains largely outside our consciousness. It is indeed, suggestive of more, isn’t it?

On the way, we pass a man heading down with a lot of baggage. He will stay there alone tonight lulled to sleep by the incessant wind through the pines and the roar of the incoming tide. He’s brave…he looks simple enough but deep inside I know he quests, or he’s a rugged individualist that doesn't let society confine or define him. I admire him, but were he in the supermarket I’d just pass him by unaware.

How can we see more deeply into people in the middle of our busy days? He is the one who should be writing this blog and I’m sure he would have much, much more to say. His finger is on the pulse of the Universe and I am simply an observer...

We are so hungry when we get back to the Jeep that we stop and have a pizza in Kohala- surprisingly cheap and surprisingly good but yes, the dreaded gluten crust that will make us tired and bloated later…In a perfect World all pizzas are GF, we think….

We sit outside next to 4 Hawaiian girls about 12 or 13 years old… long black hair cascading down each back like a shimmering black waterfall…We wait a long time for this pizza and so we overhear their lives, their memories of being in class together in second grade. We hear them talk about ‘white people’ and realize suddenly there is color. We’ve been in Nature where all is One…We are back up on top now where there is separation… We watch them flirt with the cute Hawaiian boys eating an after school snack here and who are old enough to drive off in a car. They dream of them at night... We wonder what it is like to be Hawaiian and to live on this lovely island earth in the confines of a very small Universe here.

The Long and Winding Road Down...to Paradise

Nature is the One that unites us all. Down below, on the black sand beach we are absorbed by the passion and energy of the Sea. The whales breaching and blowing engage every single One of Us. The lonely beach calls out to the inner artist in each and many succumb to the pleasurable temptation of playing like a child with the materials Nature has so freely provided in extravagant abundance as she is so prone to do.

A few brave souls venture into the wild waves, sure of their ability to swim against the strong under tow and emerge braced against the eternal agitating wind and chill in the supposedly tropical air. Here, on this black sand beach there are Two – but those two are One. There is Nature. There are Humans. There is no male. No female. No white. No Hawaiian. No separation. This is It. Get It. 

Life is short. Get out there. Pura Vida!

Stairway to Heaven....