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Introducing a New Vision: Foliar-Human Figure Hybrid Tabletop Sculptures
Welcome to the latest entry on Barbara Phelps Art & Design blog, where the rhythm of creativity and the pulse of inspiration never cease....
barbara0732
Feb 5, 20242 min read
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What is a Heart Berry?
Gifts come in a variety of forms. During this holiday season my sister is visiting from Richmond, Virginia. It has been a year since her...
barbara0732
Dec 6, 20221 min read
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Why the Buzz around the Bearberry Flower?
On one of my first walks through the fall rain on our woodsy 5-acre site in Lake County, I was surprised by a whiff of fragrance. That's...
barbara0732
Nov 21, 20222 min read
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Time to Change the Name of the Manzanita to Bear Berry?
The name Manzanita rolls off the tongue easily. The Spanish priests of early California gave this tree its name little apple for its tiny...
barbara0732
Jul 14, 20224 min read
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"The Basket is in the Roots. That's Where it Begins."
Did you know that basket weaving is more than weaving fibers together to make a container? Elder basket weavers have recounted that the...
barbara0732
Jun 30, 20223 min read
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The Truth about Pomo Kashaya Seafood from the Pacific Ocean!
Much sought after was the seafood and seaweed from the Pacific Coast. Pomo as well as Coast Miwuk enjoyed seafood almost all year round...
barbara0732
Jun 22, 20223 min read
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Is Coyote Always the Trickster?
The word Coyote is the Mexican-Spanish variation of the Aztec (Nahuatl) word coyotl. The Nahua people lived in central Mexico. Coyote is...
barbara0732
Jun 16, 20223 min read
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Which is Better--Acorn Bread or Dark Chocolate Cake?
You decide! Here's how we'll prepare it. First, all cooking by the Pomo was done outdoors and mostly in a basket with hot stones. In this...
barbara0732
Jun 8, 20223 min read
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Which is it Mycorrhizae or Micorrhizas?
The Greek word for fungus is myco and for root is rhiza. So Mycorrhiza means fungus root. So both Mycorrhizae and Mycorrhizas for the...
barbara0732
Jun 1, 20222 min read
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Acorn Woodpeckers Love Acorns, Don't They?
Acorn woodpeckers look mischievous and dapper in their red caps. They love to store acorns in trees for a very special reason--but it's...
barbara0732
May 25, 20222 min read
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Why is this Wisteria a Free Gift Giver?
Is it only the grape-like bunches of violet blossoms that we get to enjoy? Do we look forward to the leaves and petals that we have to...
barbara0732
Apr 7, 20222 min read
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Did you have a YaYa, Babushka* or Oma who influenced your life?
A superhero is how many children view their extraordinary grandmother or the one standout relative (there's one is every family, right?)....
barbara0732
Mar 31, 20223 min read
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How Many Spokes Does it Take to Make a Wheel? A Basket? A Pomo Community?
Pomo Basket Weaver No.2 Spokes of the Pomo Community Series I live in Northern California, Lake-Sonoma-Mendocino counties. I have an...
barbara0732
Mar 24, 20221 min read
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Who are the True Spokes of the Pomo Indian Community?
Pomo Basket Weaver No.1 Spokes of the Pomo Community Series I live in Northern California, Lake-Sonoma-Mendocino counties. I have an...
barbara0732
Mar 16, 20221 min read
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Spring is coming! Time to Plant Seeds?
Native Seeds? Seeds of Awareness? Sure, why not?! Let's savor the warmth of the sun on our face, feel the freedom of open space around...
barbara0732
Mar 9, 20223 min read
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"Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power." -Lao Tzu
We have all seen the photo from Ukraine. Women in fluffy pink parkas, men in sneakers joining other parka-wearing citizens of Kiev in...
barbara0732
Mar 2, 20221 min read
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What Do Swiss Cheese, Fungus and Lace Have in Common?
You may be familiar with Highway 20 if you've driven to the beach by way of Fort Bragg. I was on my way, just leaving Willits, when I...
barbara0732
Feb 23, 20223 min read
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The Dalai Lama...Does It Matter?
You are so anxious about the future that you do not enjoy the present. You therefore do not live in the present or the future. You live...
barbara0732
Feb 15, 20223 min read
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Spring is a great time to begin a new adventure!
This past week has been a physical exercise to "clutter bust" one of the five acres on which we live. Our north SF Bay land nurtures...
barbara0732
Feb 10, 20222 min read
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Explore. Go Deep. Now
What does this mean? Explore the depths of the ocean? The woods? Consciousness? What's the riddle? Let me explain. You may recall being a...
barbara0732
Feb 2, 20222 min read
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