I make a special effort to be on Front and Union Streets as often as possible when the trees are blossoming. They wont last long, those branches of airy snowballs. This week full bloom, next week withering, and then the leaves start up. Im surprised with what Ada Limn does with that. I expected her, as people usually do, to go on about the beauties of spring blossoms.

But she leads us from the beginning with more than, and more than. Even the words almost obscene display, shoving, and baubles and trinkets prejudice us in favor of what must come next. She has the blossoming feel garish compared to the greening.

In the aftermath of all that display, here come the trees, patient and plodding. How can I help but think of the condition of the world right now? How can my mind not turn to politics, war, chaos? Maybe thats why I landed on this poem. Because it reminds me, as a walk in the woods reminds me, of the ongoingness of things. I dont read this poem as an invitation to do nothing but watch trees leaf out, but more as a reminder that life is continuous, in spite of the mess of us, the hurt, the empty. The leaf unfolds the way a fist can turn into an open palm and take it all.

Im struck by the tree saying, Fine, then. I read that as Okay, I get it, thats the way its going to be. Not particularly joyful about it, but not sad either. Life is a turmoil, and it is necessary to open to whatever is the case.

Not that greening is any more virtuous than blossoming. You might think of it like courtship, all full of excitement and flowers. Then comes the commitment to making something ongoing together. If you were thinking in terms of politics, you might think of doing the steady, hard work of governing, after the fanfare of elections. Of not giving up, as the title says.

I notice that she says the strange idea of continuous living. Whats strange about it? Maybe its that our natural inclination is to think in narrow terms, short bursts of enthusiasm. I guess it may be stranger to imagine the steadiness, the cyclical nature of things.

Ada Limn is the author of Bright Dead Things (Milkweed Editions, 2015). She teaches in the low-residency MFA program at Queens University of Charlotte and at the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center and lives in Lexington, Kentucky.

Fleda Brown of Traverse City is professor emerita, University of Delaware, and past poet laureate of Delaware. For more of her work, and to see her website, go to http://www.fledabrown.com.

Original post:

On Poetry: Meditation on the ongoingness of things - Traverse City Record Eagle

COME, HOLY SPIRIT, COME!

A Universalist Meditation for Pentecost

James Ishmael Ford

4 June 2017 Unitarian Universalist Church Long Beach, California

One of the lovelier things that can happen for a writer is when something theyve composed takes on a life of its own. In my Unitarian Universalist life this has in fact happened twice. Maybe twenty years ago I wrote a little piece called An Invitation to Western Buddhists. It was basically a suggestion that convert Buddhists who were mostly practicing meditation at centers, which were organized more like spiritual-gyms than spiritual communities to consider joining Unitarian Universalist churches. I provided a couple of reasons, of which I felt the most important was how UU churches are Buddhist-friendly places to raise children. It has been reprinted here and there over the years, and actually I was informed not long ago it is going to be included in a forthcoming Skinner House (our UU book publisher) anthology on UU source materials.

The other piece I wrote that has been reprinted here and there, was an appreciation of the formal adoption of our current Unitarian Universalist Principles and Purposes. It was originally part of a sermon, but like that Invitation has taken on its own life. Ive run across it in any number of locations, almost always credited to me. I believe Ive shared it at least once, here.

Today is Pentecost in the Christian tradition, the marker of the descent of the holy spirit on the disciples, a moment some count as the founding of the Christian church. And as that piece Id written was my mild tip of the hat to that older Christian celebration, I find myself thinking of it once again. I hope youll indulge me repeating it here. We can think of it as the text for todays reflection.

On June 25, 1984, Unitarian Universalists from across the United States and Canada gathered at the Ohio State University campus in Columbus for the eleventh General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. The great focus of this GA was a vote on a new statement of principles.

When the document was pretty close to being finished, it was, frankly, mostly mom and apple pie. There was hardly a word in it that anyone, of almost any spiritual tradition, could argue with. It was what I would call the perfect product of a committee. Its most distinctive feature was the First Principle, a declaration of the inherent worth and dignity of every person, carrying forward a libertarian focus on the individual that had marked out English-speaking Unitarianism for its entire history.

Then the Rev. Paul LHerrou made his way to the microphones. People who remember the scene say he was lanky and bearded and that he stood at the microphone with the ease of an experienced pulpit minister. He looked around, briefly stroked his beard, and then addressed the proposed Seventh Principle, which was a call to respect for the Earth and the interdependence of its living systems. In my minds eye, as Paul stood there, the hall fell to a hushed silence. I imagine that the world outside grew quiet, as well. Perhaps one or two stars broke through the Ohio daylight, shooting beams in the general direction of Columbus. Out of the silence Paul pointed out how that wording fell far short of what it could be.

Paul proposed new wording for the Seventh Principle: a call to respect the interdependent web of existence of which we are all a part. Im pretty sure, although I have to admit theres no hard record of it, that with those words the roof blew off the convention center and a host of angels, devas, and other celestial beings from all the worlds religionspast, present, and futuredescended from the heavens, some playing instruments of astonishing beauty, while others sang a Gloria that reached out to the farthest corners of the universe. Even the stars danced in joy at the revelation of this great secret of the universe to a gathering of Unitarian Universalists in Columbus, Ohio, in the United States, on the North American continent of a tiny planet circling a middling star at the edge of one of a hundred thousand million galaxies.

The call: to know that interdependent web of existence, of which we are all a part.

And then it was over. The roof resealed and the beings were gone, only a hint of their song remaining in the hearts of the assembledwho then voted. They accepted the proposed change, and with that decision our little band found itself marked with an astonishing charism, a particular channel of divine blessing aimed at healing this poor, broken world. I suggest in that hour our future was articulated with as much authority as if it were from the tongue of an ancient prophet.

Thats it. Presented with some artistic license, and I hope respectfully, as I said with a tip of the hat to the Christian Pentecost. But, today, on the actual festival of Pentecost, I want to consider a little more that idea of spirit. And particularly Id like to consider what spirit and spiritual might mean for us, religious liberals, the larger majority of whom are pretty naturalistic in our sensibilities.

Me, I have a favorite trope that I cite from time to time. It goes the spirit lists (or rests) where it will. As a Zen Buddhist Ive always felt it captures something of the, if you will, spirit of Zens awakening. As a Unitarian Universalist I tend to think of it as referring any moment that enlivens us. Spirit after all means breath. I also like that it is something just a bit outside of our control. In some ways its a corrective to the excesses of our libertarian impulse.

However, while I know the line is biblical, I have to admit Id forgotten the actual citation. So, I googled it, using quotes around the phrase. And just to be sure I did it twice, once with lists and the other with rests. In both cases, it was mildly distressing to discover the first two listings each time were links to something Id written. And no scriptural citation popped up.

I was led to some references to spirit in the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly a lengthy passage in the Book of Numbers, where the spirit almost seems more like a contagion or even some kind of contact high. I found myself thinking of that old line the madness of crowds. Which has its own lessons, and perhaps warnings. But, it certainly was not that full-throated assertion of how the spirit, the breath of life, wisdom, the great heart, God if you will, comes to us without condition.

Now, I know in my heart of hearts that spirit resting where it will is a true thing. Ive witnessed spontaneous manifestations of deep wisdom erupt in all sorts of unlikely conditions among all sorts of equally unlikely people. Like, for instance, that vote in Columbus in 1984. This descent of the dove presents in two principal ways. The one is our noticing that we are all of us connected. We give it different language, usually based on culture or personal disposition. The other is less common, but just as important. It is a revelation of how no thing, you or I or the world itself, is substantial in and of itself. As precious as we are in our individuality, we are at the very same time utterly dependent on others. And that dependence, that connection, is something precious. It sings of the holiness of this world.

Now, while there are consequences to this, ethical, political, social, psychological, all of which deserve exploring, at the first instance, at the beginning, it is important to note it comes freely. This opening to our deep joy is never earned. For me this is the heart of my Zen Buddhism. And, I would add, it is at the heart of my Unitarian Universalism, or more specifically my Universalism. We see traces of this insight in the writings of nearly all the worlds religions. And, as the google machine can attest, Ive been pleased to cite this rather explicit version from the Bible about the spirit resting where it will, a lot.

So, it was mildly disappointing that my memory had failed and the quote isnt in fact there in the Jewish or Christian scriptures. Still, I sure thought it was. And, Im pretty familiar with the Bible. At the same time clearly I had the quote wrong. But the question became, how? The fact that the quote as it bubbles up in my mind uses that archaic term lists, for rest, made me feel it was there somewhere. I was just a little off. So, I went to a King James Bible search site. Oh, I do love our new computer age. Although, working through various combinations of words, I still couldnt find it. I was beginning to think oh dear, I have imagined this, when Jan suggested I add in the word whither. Another of those archaic terms, and one that felt right.

I googled. And there it was. The Gospel According to John, the third chapter, the eighth verse. The actual text in the always lovely King James Version goes, The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Now one reflection on that text I found points out how the same Hebrew word is translated first as wind, and then as spirit. Breath and wind are probably the most ancient metaphors for that transformative force in our lives. That movement of air as the primary metaphor for the spirit occurs in languages as diverse as Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. And the list continues. We also find it in Sanskrit and Chinese. Actually Ive been informed it is a near universal metaphor.

That same article cites a couple of other scriptural verses I found intriguing. One is Ecclesiastes 3:6,the wind goes around and the wind returns to its going around and from the Psalms, 78:39, a breath, going and never returning Now, I admit those lines takes a rumination on wind as spirit in a number of directions I hadnt given a lot of thought to. But it is valuable. People have been thinking about this not quite controllable aspect of our lives for a very long time.

And what might my take away be from the collective wisdom of our ancestors? Well, for one, that wind, that spirit, would be in constant motion. Of course. And it definitely comes from and takes us home. Thats always the subtext. And its not just wind, it is breath. It is that which gives us life. Here the verb of our reality is revealed.

How we engage spirit and spirituality does indeed matter. There are so many lessons, so many pointers for us. In the Ecclesiastes example, we cannot grasp it intellectually. Rather, we can only experience it. But when we experience it, we find our true home is within the wind. Another lesson is that warning about taking something living and crushing the life out of it. The spirit gives life, but the letter kills. Not bad Zen lessons, not bad Unitarian Universalist lessons uncovered in the ancient texts of the Hebrew tradition.

For me it is a call to humility, an invitation into the dance of our world spiritualities. But as to that full throated call to that particular magical quality, that we dont have to do anything, we dont even have to be good, and the great realization can settle on us, anyway, it is there, if buried a bit. And I like that. Not esoteric, not hidden, but mostly noticed out of the corner of the eye.

And theres a truth. We find that pointing to the spirit resting where it will in what I find a complicated and not entirely attractive text, the Gospel According to John. Okay, I have to like that. It shows the point. The spirit rests where it will. That is the great secret of our hearts. Like the spirit descending on a crowd of Unitarian Universalists in a hot convention center in Columbus, Ohio, in 1984.

This life giving moment, this transformative instance where our lives are revealed is there for anyone willing to open up and let it rest on us. Well, on occasion it comes even to those who do all they can to resist. I think of the story of Saul and his fateful encounter on that road to Damascus. For me this is the real universalism. Not the old Christian idea that all dead people go to heaven. Rather that the spirit cannot be contained, and genuine wisdom is available to all of us. And, that wisdom comes like a thief in the night.

After which we have to figure out what to do with it. Then we hear the night whispers of justice. With that descent of the spirit, with our knowing our connections so deeply true, we also know the calls of a hurt world are calls from our hearts to our heart. We are connected. We are the wind. We are the breath.

The secret message of Pentecost.

What will we do with it?

Amen. And, amen.

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COME, HOLY SPIRIT, COME! A Universalist Meditation for Pentecost - Patheos (blog)

The National

Emirates shows a clean pair of heels on jet cleaning The National Keeping an aircraft clean is more than just a cosmetic excercise. The dirt that accumulates on a plane's surfaces also increases the fuel it consumes by making it and less aerodynamic. Traditionally, aircraft are cleaned by using highly pressurised ... and more »

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Emirates shows a clean pair of heels on jet cleaning - The National

INDORE: A hut on banks of the Narmada river in Dewas district was abuzz with activity as onlookers keenly watched a team of policemen gazing at photographs in their hands and trying to match it with an elderly woman clad in saffron, on Friday.

Geeta Bai, who was fondly called 'Jiji' by pilgrims visiting the ashram, turned out to be Indira Bishnoi, an accused in the infamous Bhanwari Devi murder and carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on her head. The news came as a shock to the ashram dwellers in Nemawar.

"We can't fathom the fact that Jiji is a murder accused. And that too in Bhanwari Devi case," said Dev Kumar Shastri, a prominent volunteer at the ashram.

Indira had been visiting the ashram once or twice in a month. She offered prayers, meditated and went on her way, without disturbing others, he said. "While in Nemawar, she stayed at a rented accommodation of one Rajkishore Parashar," Shastri said.

Indira had successfully evaded police for six years with meticulous planning. Her three-layered network of security and communication was quite sophisticated, said Rajasthan ATS officers.

"We have been tracking her movements and communication for last five months, but we are yet to fully decipher her messages," Rajasthan ATS SP Vikas Kumar told TOI.

While staying in Harda town, Indira had completely shunned technology and adopted a lifestyle that did not raise any eyebrows and also helped her stay clear of CBI's radar. "She, however, used to manage her business through coded messages," said Kumar.

Originally posted here:

Nemawer ashram inmates shocked on Indira's arrest - Times of India

By FPJ Bureau|Jun 04, 2017 12:11 am

Indore : Under the aegis of Vartika Mahila Mandal, NTPC Rihand organised a 15-days aerobics, dance workshop at Triveni Preksha Grah recently. President Shridevi Narendra was the chief guest at the function. In her address, she encouraged the organisation to keep up the tradition of organising such events as it is a good platform for children and women to showcase their hidden talents. Aerobics and dance specially help in the physical development and gives a lot of confidence, she added. Manager (human resource) Narsingh Yadav anchored the show. Nisha Agarwal, Geeta Singh and Nirmala Yadav marked their presence as special guests.

Stock clearance sale at Bharat Lifestyle

Indore : Bharat Lifestyle is back with its crazy stock clearance sale offering flat 50 percent to 70 percent discount. Bharat Lifestyle offers a whole range of furniture including sofas, beds, dining tables and more. They have a fine collection of solid wood dining set. Customers can buy furniture at 0 percent interest rate by financing from Bajaj Finserv.

Omaxe Ltd gives possession to those in need

Indore : Omaxe Limited gifted houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna at a subsidised rate to those who are financially weak. Possesion letters were given at Omaxe City -1, Bypass road. Company business head Vineet Sharma, sales marketing head Anoop Agrawal, chief manager Praveen Sharma and construction site in-charge Hitesh Goyal said that for the ongoing social concerns company gave house possessions under Basera Project at a subsidised rate of Rs four lakhs to Balveer Singh Jatt, Annapurna Verma and other customers. Interested customers can also avail houses under the Basera Project.

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NTPC Rihand organises aerobics, dance workshop - Free Press Journal

You may have a heavy period with annoying and painful side effects like cramps and headaches, but is it better not to have a period at all? Some raw vegan bloggers think so, and they are encouraging their readersto follow a similar extreme diet in order to lighten or eradicate their periods, which they claim are toxic.

Many girls who lose their period often worry and try numerous things to get it back, Miliany Bonet wrote on her blog, RawVeganLiving. Its often advised that to get your period back, you should stop exercising and eat more calories and incorporate more plant-based fats in your diet. What if I told you that everything you were taught about menstrual cycles was a complete LIE?!

Despite controversy, Bonet continues to support her claim. A non-menstruating body indicates the body is clean, the 19-year-old told Broadly in May. If a woman or young girl decided she wanted to stop menstruating or lighten up her heavy periods, then I would recommend a raw foods diet to help them with that. The industry has done a great job of brainwashing too many women into thinking that if they do not get their periods on a monthly basis, that something is wrong with their body and hormones.

Bonet is not the only blogger to lose her period and insist that its healthy. Back in 2013, controversial raw vegan blogger Freelee the Banana Girl shared a video discussing her period, stating that she was happy when she lost her period, and suggesting that her now very light, three-day period was healthy. A lot of people were like, no, thats unhealthy, you need your period, thats terrible. But is it? Well, a lot of people dont know, Freelee said. And all I can go on is my instincts and my feeling at the time that it felt good. It felt right, and at the time I think it needed to happen for my body to balance out.

As Freelee says, listening to your bodys signals is a good thing. But losing your period is indeed a signal sent from your body, and an important one at that. Doctors warn against changing your diet in an attempt to alter your menstrual cycle. Dieting to get rid of your period is unhealthy and anyone promoting this should be ashamed of themselves and take a first year biology course, Dr. Jen Gunter told theDaily Mail. This is a very dangerous idea and displays a complete lack of understanding of female biology and the human body in general. Periods are not bad or filled with toxins. This trend is alarming because it comes from someone who clearly has no understanding of periods or even biology in general and is just another form of body shaming.

Gunter says that women who are very thin and dont have a period may not be ovulating, and thus have very low estrogen levels and risk osteoporosis and other health concerns.

While Freelee acknowledges that ovulating is important and advises followers who lose their periods to check that they are still ovulating, she herself does not follow this advice. For some reason I just instinctively felt like I was still ovulating because I felt so good, Freelee said. I still believe that, largely, menstruation is toxicity leaving the body, she explains in her controversial video, which was heavily criticizedby some viewers and the eating-disorder charity Beat. So a lot of people are having these heavy, heavy periods and painful periods because they have a toxic body or have a toxic diet.

In response to the video, Beat defined the absence of periods as amenorrhea, a sign that somebody is at a low weight. Amenorrhea has in the past been used to diagnose anorexia nervosa.Being at a low weight and restricting intake for a significant [length] of time can have other serious side effects low blood pressure, osteoporosis, organ failure, infertility, restricted growth among others, Beat said.

Even vegan dietitian Vesanto Melina, a memberof the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, agrees that vegan diets centered around only fruit, as many raw vegan diets are, are low in protein and zinc. Its not an ideal vegan diet because the nutrient intake is very insufficient, Melina told Hollywood Life. And while its certainly possible to maintain a healthy vegan diet, losing your period is not a good sign. These women believed it was a good thing. They made a mythology out of it. But its not a normal thing. You need different food groups.

Despite the risks, these blogs remain popular, and a video uploaded by Freelee in September, which claims, If youve got heavy periods, thats not normal, has been viewed almost 250,000 times. That is not as healthy as you can be.

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Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.

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Controversial Raw Vegan Bloggers Claim Diet Gets Rid of 'Toxic' Menstruation - Yahoo Health

Now that summer's unofficially here, Philly vegans are getting out of the house and trying out new vegan venues (more about that next week!) and also looking for excuses to hang out with other area vegans. Some fun opportunities for that happen this weekend, with the requisite yummy vegan food treats as the main excuse for getting together.

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Tomorrow, June 3rd at the Rotunda (4014 Walnut St; information@therotunda.org) you can get some free vegan ice cream at Animal Activists of Philly's 2017 Ice Cream Social, running from noon to 4 p.m. Organizer Marianne Bessey remarks that despite what you might have heard about June as National Dairy Month, in actuality "it's National Dairy-FREE month for animals, and Animal ACTivists of Philly will be giving away vegan ice cream in West Philly to show everyone how delicious animal-free can be!"

Remember, you don't have to be vegan to enjoy the free treats! You also don't have to NOT be vegan, of course - though in the spirit of the event, maybe bring someone with you who thinks vegan eating is all about raw carrots and righteousness and watch their eyes (and mouth) open!

Then on Sunday, June 4th from 1 to 4 p.m. at Tattooed Mom's (530 South St; 215-238-9880) - which is making its name as the go-to nonvegan venue for social vegans (and hungry vegans) - the infamous Philly Vegan Lady Gang will host a Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale. Yes, it's just happening at this one spot but is part of the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale launched in 2009 that has helped raise more than $300,000 for a number of animal-related causes. In this case the proceeds will benefit Woodstock Farm Sanctuary.

Organizer LJ Steinig, whom V for Vegan readers may recall as the first winner (2016) of the Vegan MacDown, says "I've never been more stoked for a bake sale" and urges everyone to "stop by Tattooed Mom on the afternoon of Sunday, June 4th, get your arts & crafts on, eat a vegan sandwich & some tots, and then enjoy cupcakes and cookies and more!" The baked goodies will be supplied both by the "Philly Vegan Lady Gangsters" themselves and also by well-known vegan pros such as Soy Cafe, Crust Bakery and Miss Rachel's Pantry. Quite a lineup!

Also, since I noted last year that Lancaster, PA now has something of a vegan scene itself, I'll pass along that also tomorrow, from noon to 5 p.m. (enough time to get to both this and the ice cream social, if so inclined) Lancaster's first annual VegFest will be held at that city's Musser Park (more info: pavegfest@gmail.com or pavegfest.com). It's "a free public event whose mission is to provide information about the benefits of a plant-based diet for health and the benefit to animals" including "speakers, vendors, vegan foods, entertainment, raffle prizes, childrens activities, non-profit organizations, and much, much more!"

Wherever you are when you're out and about this weekend, stop at one or all of these and fill up on delicious vegan food and camaraderie. Raw carrots and righteousness can wait till Monday!

Published: June 2, 2017 3:38 PM EDT

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Weekend social events for Philly vegans? Sweet! - Philly.com (blog)

An Atlanta vegan is one of 10 women from across the country vying to be namedPETA'sSexiest Vegan Next Door.

Arnisha Keaton, 25,beat out hundreds of other entrants to become a finalist, according to a news release.

The winner will get a free vacation for two to Maui, Hawaii, fromHumane Travel. There is also a male category. Out of the 20 contestants, shes the only one from Georgia.

Keaton,a remote train conductor and Army Reserve chemist,went up her chain of command to get animal-free ready-to-eat meals served during pre-deployment training, PETA said.

PETA

Keaton stopped eating meat out of compassion for animals when she was in preschool, but went full-on vegan two years ago, according to the website.

PETA will select the winners based on several factors, includingvote count. Voting ends at noon on June 21, and winners will be notified and announced on June 28.

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Atlanta Army chemist is a finalist in PETA's 'Sexiest Vegan' contest - Atlanta Journal Constitution

Baker Bhava Carr's new cafe sells her signature vegan and gluten-free baked goods as well as vegetarian breakfast and lunch dishes. ABBEY GINGRAS/FREE PRESS

The outside of Sweet Alchemy has a front porch and a back patio area for extra seating on a pleasant day.(Photo: ABBEY GINGRAS/FREE PRESS)Buy Photo

ESSEX JUNCTION The smell of brown sugar and maplewafts out of Bhavatarini Carr's kitchen at Sweet Alchemy Bakery and Caf as she rushes around to preparefor Saturday's opening. Maple pecan coffee cakes are baking in the oven and molasses cookies are piled up in bags on the counter, bound for a nearby store.

Carr isn't new to the world of baked goods she's been satisfying many a sweet tooth in Vermont for years with Four SistersBakery, her wholesale home business that sells to stores and cafes in the area.But this new venture, complete with breakfast,lunch and her dream kitchen to run,is all her own.

"I'm excited to have a space for people to come and gather," Carr said."Working from home you never get to communicate with the people who are eating your food, and you can't close that circle. I'm excited to get to know my customers and the people of Essex."

The items on the menu are magic tricks unto themselves, with unexpected ingredients masquerading as their more traditional counterparts to make gluten-free and vegan treats. Gone are the flour and butter, replaced with components like pumpkin and chickpeas.

More: Pace gets ambitious at new Burlington restaurant The Great Northern

More: New restaurant opening on Church St.

Trying out new concoctions is one of Carr's favorite things to do.

"Sometimes I get it in one shot and sometimes it takes me a couple of years," she said. "You have to be willing to play around with it. It's half art and half science, but eventually it becomes something you feel. I think it's a really interesting medium to work in."

While all the baked goods will remain gluten-free and vegan, her breakfast and lunch options will be vegetarian and sometimes incorporate flour or butter.

Sweet Alchemy baked goods are also available at a variety of stores and cafes in the area, like City Market in Burlington.(Photo: ABBEY GINGRAS/FREE PRESS)

"I'm looking forward to offering a wider variety of things," she said. "One is a sesame ginger blueberry waffle. The sesame is something my mother did growing up and it adds this cool savory note that goes great with maple syrup, I don't know how people couldn't enjoy them."

Her products already fly off the shelves at places like City Market in Burlington. The cookie monster cupcakes and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies have amassed a loyal fan base at Pingala Cafin Burlington, according to Charles Dowling.

"Her stuff is fantastic," said Dowling, a friend of Carr's and front-of-house manager at Pingala.

A chocolate almond lavender cupcake from Sweet Alchemy, made without gluten, dairy or soy products.(Photo: ABBEY GINGRAS/FREE PRESS)

Her father especially loves herbutternut squash mac and cheese, which will be on the menu.

"It's so yummy. My father is a huge cheese fan and he can't believe there is not butter or cheese in it, but I can't give away my secrets."

Carr spent severalyears living in India, which helped shape her appreciation for food.

"The way I was raised was that you cook with a mood of reverencethat it's a privilege to be able to cook for people and be involved in that part of their day," Carr said."I try to think about that because I don't want to put a bad mood into what I'm cooking.I'm conscious as to what I'm putting out into the world."

The seating area inside Sweet Aclhemy is open and relaxed, with a perfect view of the dessert counter.(Photo: ABBEY GINGRAS/FREE PRESS)

Her life has been a blur these past few months as she moved to a new apartment and readied Sweet Alchemy before its official opening. The long hours and late nights are about to be put to the test when she opens her doors on Saturday.

"Vermont has always felt like home, and the overall foodculture is great," she said."I can create the kind of food I'm excited about and people are interested in it. People care about what they eat and where it comes from here, and I'm glad to be in a place like that."

Sweet Alchemy Bakery &Caf is located on the lower level of The Barns at Lang Farm off Vermont 15 in Essex Junction. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday (hours subject to change).

Sweet Alchemy Bakery &Caf

Address: 43 Upper Main St. Essex Junction

Website:https://www.facebook.com/sweetalchemyvermont/

Phone: 802-662-5905

Contact Abbey Gingras at agingras@freepressmedia.com or 802-660-1875. Follow her on Twitter@abbeygingras.

Read or Share this story: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/life/2017/06/02/sweet-alchemy-bakery-essex-junction/354235001/

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Vegan baker opens new cafe in Essex Junction - BurlingtonFreePress.com

DENVER - You dont expect to hear people singing and playing classic songs in an hospital. But on the 10th floor at Presbyterian/St. Lukes Medical Center in Denver, Lee Newman is being treated to live music.

Its being performed by a group who not only sings there, but works there.

Lela Monsoori, Brandt Miller, Angie Appel, Daniel Rule and Sam Helgesonare physicians, nurses and staff members who not only provide patients with medical care, but musical care.

For them, making rounds take on a whole new meaning.

For transplant patient Rick Almond, they are a welcome sight.

"Ive been really sick for a few years here, and liver gave out, and the kidneys started giving out and was close to not making it, Almond says.

As they performed it wasn't hard to tell how much the music moved him. And it's moments like that, that makes them glad they started the group.

We all sort of realized that we were all musicians, says Miller.

Six months ago they began sharing their love of music with their patients between their other hospital duties.

The space in this hospital can be really hard and intense for patients, says nurse Angie Appel. And so we get to come in and bring a sense of lightness and help, and it's so inspiring for me I love it.

Endocrinologist Dr. Lela Mansoori sings with the group as well and says the impact is far reaching.

It releases stress, Dr. Mansoori says. It lowers cortisol and it actually has been shown in several scientific studies to decrease the length of stay to decrease the disease progression and it's just been very beneficial for patients.

In the short term, it's bringing a huge smile to Steve Barbier's face, even as he battles cancer.

It's nice to have a little change of pace, Barbier says. Because i can't go out or anything so yeah they did raise my spirits.

As duty calls, the group gets smaller, but their determination doesn't.

The next stop is Don Grosser's room.

After hearing the group play Brown Eyed Girl, Grosser says, It was wonderful. Wonderful.

It's said that music can touch the soul, and this group is proof that it can do so much more. It's building connection and trust.

To come in and have a relaxing music side of them is really great, Almond says. It just makes it more person to person, more one on one. And its bringing joy to those who play and listen.

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