Changing My Point of View

San Manuel Airport - Thank You, Dr. Michael for taking me up!

Flying over Aravaipa Canyon

Sometimes it is good to get a new perspective on a situation as well as location. This time I went up in a little plane to have a look around my environment and I now have some new places to explore that I never knew existed.

Great Year for Bellotas

Arizona Wild Flowers - Wildflower Pictures And Photos helps us identify the gourmet acorn of Oracle!



the blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook has a good article on harvesting and processing acorns.


Some really are so bitter they’re not worth working with. But others, like the Eastern white oak, the bellota oaks of Europe and the Emory oak of the Southwest, are sweet enough to need minimal or no processing



Slow Foods USA tells us about the nutritional facts:


"Specifically, the wholesome nutritional content protects people from dangerously high increases in blood-glucose levels after meals because of the acorn’s slow digestion rate and low glycolic response. This is a huge contrast to white flour, which has a fast digestion rate and rapid glycolic response."



Other types of Acorns need processing to get the tannic acid out but then you have water for tanning hides. Grandpappy has recipes and techniques at http://www.grandpappy.info/racorns.htm

as well as
Nutritional Information About Acorns
Acorn Nutmeats, Shelled, Dried

Actual Lab Analysis Results Vary for Different Acorn Varieties

and from One Growing Season to the Next

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 ounce (28.4 g)

Minimum and Maximum Values Shown Below

Category ___________Amount _______% RDV
Calories __________109.7 to 144.5_____ 7 %
Calories from Fat____ 60.9 to 80.3
Total Fat ___________6.8 to 8.9 g _____14 %
Saturated Fat ________0.9 to 1.2 g _____45 %
Polyunsaturated Fat____ 1.3 to 1.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat ___4.3 to 5.7 g
Cholesterol __________0.0 mg _________0 %
Total Carbohydrate _____11.5 to 15.2 g ____5 %
Protein _____________1.7 to 2.3 g _______5 %

Vitamins
Vitamin A______ 11.06 to 11.14 IU _______Less 1%
B1, Thiamin _______0.03 to 0.042 mg _____3 %
B2, Riboflavin______ 0.03 to 0.044 mg_____ 3 %
B3, Niacin __________0.52 to 0.68 mg_____ 3 %
B5, Pantothenic Acid ___0.20 to 0.27 mg ____3 %
Vitamin B6__________0.15 to 0.20 mg ____10%

Tucson Children's Museum Trip

Tucson has some great attractions. The Tucson Children's Museum has interactive, educational displays that teach through play.

On the way home we visited the Goulder Ranch Fire District station and had a great tour. We climbed around in all the vehicles and even got to use the fire-hose! Their web page has a great kid section. Thank you, DSP Harley for arranging this event. We had a great time at the museum and fire department.

Gardening as a Healthy Hobby

We have created a beautiful garden with the help of the whole team and some dedicated clients.
Seeds were donated, soil was tilled, watering chores were shared, and weeding was endured.

Now we have calendula, sunflowers, hyacinth vine, and gourds as well as chile, tomatoes and onions. Cantalope vines are already flowering so we may have some to enjoy before the frost of fall comes.

Hiking - walking is the best exercise!

Our part of the state has great trails. The Arizona Trail is accessable from three points within just a few miles from our office.
Our newest children's group is going to include survival skills, plant identification, and stamina building. We will begin with the shorter/easier trails and advance to day-long hikes into the canyons and mountains.

Tucson Botanical Gardens

Psychoeducational services taught community building, gardening skills, and teamwork. We got some great ideas for out own garden back at the clinic.

Children find snails in the garden
There were lots of butterflies in the garden
A beautiful sundial tells the time naturally
Zen Garden for contemplation and relaxation.

ceramic tiles decorate the garden wall - little coyote doll looks on

Simple cement pot holds succulents

Summer Youth Wellness Activities at SPVBH

David Tineo's mural at Ochoa Elementary School in Tucson - see more images at Tucson Murals

By Giovanna Hesley
April 26, 2010
Oracle, Arizona
Tuesday, April 25, nine strong hearts (staff) and eight trusting souls (clients) set off to learn more about being part of a community. Although we thought we were going to learn how to create a mural, we had no idea we would come home having learned how to live in comfort as others lived homeless; how to understand that our words could wound and that our careless joking could create deep pain; how our perceptions of the people around us alters as we learn who they really are and thus we learn who we really are.

Veronica Agredano is in charge of the amazing mural project at the San Pedro Valley Behavioral Health Center in Oracle, Arizona. She is a Dedicated Case Manager in the Meet Me Where I Am program that serves young clients who are in great need of individualized services. She assembled a team of trained social workers to expose our clients to the beauty and depth of David Tineo’s murals on display at the Tucson Museum of Art as well as community murals in Tucson and Oracle. Veronica, three other case managers, three dedicated peer support providers, our driver and myself, a counselor, took on the challenge of helping some of our clients understand public art and realize that they and we could create something meaningful for ourselves that would have a lasting impact on our community.

For a child with ADHD this activity builds the skill of learning how to focus –to look at something and focus on it. For a child in RAD therapy, it provides a sense of belonging and a chance to socialize. At lunch we played games as simple as Simon Says and Red Light-Green Light, as well as an exhausting round of Tag. Physical activities combining multiple ages taught our clients that they could have fun at the park with grown-ups without alcoholic beverages being involved. Another child found confidence in a supportive, encouraging environment in which she was praised for her contributions.

Future therapeutic field trips include a trip to the botanical garden, headed up by Case Manager Jaime Martinez, that will help us design and build our own garden. Fishing at the local reservoir with a mandatory training class the day before – this will help build an understanding of responsibility and delayed gratification. Case Manager Shae Slyter put together a trip to a local ostrich farm that will expose some of our clients to the complexities of animal husbandry, caring, and responsibility. Our ongoing Archery program, lead by Dedicated Case Manager Mark Rhoads, teaches our clients focus, social skills, communication, and accountability. I have put together a Youth Leadership Retreat for older children with Wellness Director Gustavo McGrew, and we are now working on getting another for our younger clients since the first one was such a powerful therapeutic tool that had children designing and acting in their own theatrical productions concerning drug use in the home and drunk driving.

Clients are hand picked for each activity, which is designed with their therapeutic needs in mind. Although we set out to achieve a certain goal, we are delighted and amazed by the breadth of what we have already accomplished and we are all excited to continue with this powerful wellness program for our young clients.