PARADIS STUDIO
"I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're doing something."
— Neil Gaiman
HAPPY NEW YEAR! We at INK hope that your holiday season was filled with all the things that make the time of year special. As we enter our 20th year of INK, looking in the rear-view mirror, 2024 was like a blur. Time seems to move quickly when you mark the calendar the way we do as publishers. I would describe it as a combination of being late all of the time, while being finished all of the time.
It’s hard to describe but imagine feeling as though you’re late for a meeting for an entire year while hoping that you brought a pen. I am kidding with no complaints here as these are great problems to have.
As we enter 2025, we find ourselves filled with all the hope and promise of the new year. Our wish for all our readers and partners is a feeling of forward motion. A return to the “we got this”spirit. So many external forces pushing and pulling at us from all perceivable angles. Have you checked your phone while reading this? We hope not.
What is on tap for you this year? Any big plans? If not, that is fine too because in this modern world holding down the fort is a noble plan. Our hope for 2025 is that we all can find common ground, bridge gaps, with agreements made even if it means to disagree. Humans needs other humans to survive. It is woven deep within us. Do we have any resolutions here at INK? Why yes, no more typos.
Juxt kidding! lol Happy New Year!
Susan Cornell - editorial
Deana Simmons - editorial Rona Mann - editorial
Carolina Marquez-Sterling - design
Gregory Post - editorial
Jan Tormay - editorial Star
Rona Mann - Greater Connecticut six07co@att.net - 401-539-7762
On the Cover: Edward Oslund, Untitled abstract photography
Jeffery Lilly founder / publisher
e whisked me away from the orchestra of reveling fraternity brothers and sorority sisters, drinking and dancing to Otis Day and The Knight’s Shout. Holding my hand, we climbed two flights of stairs to a small room with a twin bed and posters lining the walls. It was more like a closet converted into a room. To the side of the bed was a stereo, some speakers, and a small lamp with a pink light bulb, giving the small dwelling a cozy ambiance. He directed me to sit down while he chose some music. The energy between us was humming, and I was
grateful to be away from the debauchery below us. He sat next to me and tried to talk. I often go silent around someone I like.
Intuitively understanding my feelings, my new friend Dana said, “Relax,” motioning me to lie down, “I am going to give you, my earphones. You will love this.” Naturally trusting, I lay down, though I felt anxious about his request. He glanced at me, flashed a genuine duchenne smile, and said kindly...” No worries, Carolina, I’ll leave the room and stay outside the opening.” Then, with great charm, he laughed. I can still hear
Pointed Citizen of the pointed village.
that laugh today. It had a distinctive quality, as if he was grabbing short gulps of air. As I think of it, I can’t help but smile; it was natural and reassuring.
He dropped a curtain separating the space from the larger room. Sitting close, he placed the earphones on me. The din of the house muffled instantly, and then the music began—it was Harry Nilsson’s The Point. As I listened, I smiled. He chuckled and exclaimed, “Right!?” I motioned for him to lie beside me, and we shared the earphones. We listened intently to the imaginative tale together.
For those unfamiliar, “The Point!” is a tribute to the outsider archetype—a children’s story written by Harry Nilsson in 1971 and narrated by Ringo Starr, presented without the typical condescension often found in children’s entertainment.
The story follows a little boy named Oblio, born without a pointed head, a flaw that makes him different in the Land of Point. In this society, being different is outlawed, leading to Oblio’s exile from the Pointed Village. Along with his trusty dog, Arrow (a metaphor that signifies direction), Oblio journeys through the ominous Pointless Forest.
A unique adventure unfolds as he encounters various curious creatures, each offering wisdom and unique perspectives. Among them is a three-headed man pointing in all directions who claims, “A point in every direction is the same as having no point at all.” The pointed man disappears and reappears at distinct crossings of Oblio’s travel, commenting on the contrarian complexity of a point of view.
Next are the humming giant bees. “E Flat double style Extra Fortissimo” describes a groovy hippy-sounding Rock-man who dispenses this gem: “Ain’t necessary to possess a point to have yourself a point...Dig?” He advises Oblio to “Be steady as a rock. You see what you want to see.” Suggesting what you focus on shapes your perspective. Rock people naturally focus on the present moment. Appreciating the birds singing, the sweet smell of life, the warm sun, and the rhythm of the music.
When the pointed man reappears, Oblio shares his experience meeting the Rock-man. The pointed man asks if Oblio received any gifts, to which Oblio replies, “No, he told me interesting things.” The pointed man responds, “Ah, completely pointless.” The pointed man suggests a conversation that opens your mind produces no tangible value—a dubious sarcastic perspective.
Oblio’s Parents saying goodbye to Oblio and Arrow.
Pointed citizens hammering out points.
According to the pointed man, the three dancing, singing fat sisters Oblio runs into “are fat, round, and pointless.” Frustrated by this description, Oblio asserts, “It’s about laughter and merriment. They make each other happy.” Understanding that singing, playing, and making someone happy has value and significance.
The vast, dark, and pointless hole Oblio finds, cueing the song “Is there anybody else here?” symbolizes loneliness: when you are with
importance and discipline of natural capitalism with good timing, honesty, and roots. Alluding that “planting roots” and achieving something is a worth while occupation.
someone, you don’t realize how happy you are until they are gone. Additionally, the pointed man advises the importance of not dwelling too profoundly. “It wouldn’t do to bury yourself intellectually.”
As Oblio reaches the end of the pointless forest, he meets a walking, talking tree. The talking tree is in the business of making leaves. He extols the
The Point is a tale with a treasure trove of points to ponder. With delightful musical numbers, the animated music video loosely strings the scenes together in surreal watercolor/magic marker animations. Adult overtones scripted cleverly and humorously embed morals within the tale. It is a simple allegory of having a perspective, a point of view, with the added subtle wisdom that the journey is the destination.
After the story ends, the stereo needle repeats the inevitable end of the “Point.” Dana reaches over, grabs my face, and gently kisses me. I lean into the lovely moment. We talk for hours, sharing our lives, laughs, and dreams. I told him about my
The Count and King discussing the law that doesn’t allow pointless people.
Oblio, Arrow and the 3 headed pointed man
The adjudication of Oblio and Arrow by the Count.
studies at MassArt and how I can relate to Oblio in this environment. I curl into his side, and he hugs me. We fall asleep, wrapped in a cocoon of affection and comfort.
We are awakened in the early morning by a frat boy inquiring if I’m Gloria’s sister. “Oh shit, my sister is looking for me,“ I exclaim. “I should go.” He leaves the enclave and returns within minutes.“ Everything is okay I told her you were with me all night.” I smile,” She isn’t going to like that.” Two Cheshire smiles beam with the light of mischief. I tell him, “I should go anyway.” We get our shoes on, and I grab my sweater and head down the two flights to a foreign landscape. The house is full of party litter,
beer cans sit precariously everywhere, and people slumbering in every position on tables, chairs and the floor. Dana deftly navigates, the remnants of overindulgence, like a sea captain in icy waters. He asks if I want him to walk me back to the sorority, literally feet away. I smile. “I can find my way back.”
As I approached the door of my sister’s sorority, I decided to walk the campus in the early dawn light. A beautiful glow emerged, creating a blissful and almost sacred moment. Knowing I could navigate the world, I felt a sense of freedom and independence. Most students were asleep, and only the birds were singing of the day ahead. Occasionally, a car drove by, piercing the dawn’s softness with headlights.
In the tranquility and serenity of the moment, I began to ponder the movie’s messages. What is a point? What does it mean to have a point? What is pointlessness, and who defines it? Why was I at an Art school studying hard while others at this school seemed to be having fun? Did I represent Oblio wandering without a point in search of
Rock-man explaining a Point to Oblio and Arrow.
Oblio and Arrow find a vast dark hole.
Giant Bees with “E Flat double style Extra Fortissimo” as described by Rock-man.
one? Was that pursuit pointless? Isn’t art about making a point? Here, I observed the party-goers and considered them missing the point. Were they celebrating another Saturday night? Didn’t that feel pointless? The contrast was powerful.
During my time at college, everything felt intense. We were constantly defending our work and developing skills to create meaningful art. It often appeared easier to party than to seek more profound meaning and stay connected to the larger context of life.
I had no answer, but my time alone in the lovely hours of morning light was a great place to leave the questions. These are musings for another day. Another day came very quickly. My sister and a flock of her sorority sisters greeted me and began probing me about what had happened. I winked at my sister and replied, “I do not kiss and tell.” As I entered my sister’s room, she gently cradled my head, a moment I will never forget. Her nurturing nature, packed into her 5’ 2” frame, cupped my face as she checked my eyes to see if I was okay. I told her it was a magical moment. Dana was lovely, and I will cherish the enchantment of that evening for a long time.
What remained with me from that evening is that our experiences shape our perspectives, and since everyone is unique, it’s essential to ask questions and stay curious. While some themes in the movie
were ambiguous, I found comfort in the ideas presented, which were illustrated in an unsanitized yet light manner, conveying positive sentiments. More importantly, as an artist, I believe that when society’s wisdom is askew, an outsider’s insights can aid in restoring our sense of wholeness and inspire the shifts vital for a more genuine and free society. The enchanted evening helped me become more imaginative, a better thinker, and, most importantly, a better human being.
After a day full of adventure, Oblio and Arrow drift off to asleep, lulled by the tune “Are You Sleeping?” which hints cleverly to a double meaning. He awakens to a sign that reads “Destination Point,” which visually indicates a double entendre for direction.
Oblio and Arrow
Talking Capitalist Tree
Fat, round and pointless dancing ladies
June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994
Oblio triumphantly returns home and tells the people that the pointless forest is full of points. “Every person has a purpose, whether it’s apparent or not.” The essence of life is connection, which includes everyone despite our differences.
Years later, I learned that Mr. Nilsson had passed away, and it bruised my heart. There are moments in life that you never forget; they mark a stitch in the cloth of time that stays with you forever. When I was 20, I experienced a fleeting connection to all of life—an awareness of myself and my relationship with another, ironically intertwined with Mr. Harry Nilsson and the Point.
In the early 1970s, American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson reached the height of fame. He was known for blending Caribbean sounds with the Great American Songbook and experimenting with vocal overdubbing. Uniquely, he achieved significant financial success with few public performances or tours.
While working as a bank programmer, he became interested in close harmony singing and music composition. His songs were notably recorded by various artists, including the Monkees.
His album Nilsson Schmilsson was a big hit, featuring the top 10 songs “Without You” and “Coconut.” He also had a popular cover of “Everybody’s Talkin’” that got much attention in the movie “Midnight Cowboy.” Plus, Three Dog Night’s cover of his song “One” also made it into the top 10 in 1969.
In a 1968 press conference, The Beatles named “Nilsson” their favorite American group, dubbing him “the American Beatle.”
“I was on acid, and I looked at the trees and I realized that they all came to points, and the branches came to points, and the houses came to points. I thought, ‘Oh! Everything has a point, and if it doesn’t, then there’s a point to it.’”
Nilsson’s next project was the animated film The Point! created with director Fred Wolf and aired on ABC on February 2, 1971. He also produced an album of songs from the film, which was well-received, including the top 40 hit “Me and My Arrow.”
My favorite song is “Think about Your Troubles.” It’s an introspective and haunting melody that explores dealing with life’s adversities. The song conveys a cathartic perspective that life is short and that what we feel today may not be what we feel tomorrow. It encourages listeners not to dwell on their troubles too much, as the essence of life is change, and ultimately, our difficulties will pass. If you haven’t seen The Point, treat yourself to this wild, weird, vintage animation—a decades-old contemporary parable. If you have, consider watching it again with a different perspective.
Nilsson, born with congenital heart problems, suffered a heart attack on February 14, 1993, and died of heart failure on January 15, 1994, at age 52 in Agoura Hills, California.
Harry Nilsson
An Image from the musical number Are you Sleeping.
Love Letters to the Shoreline
by Elizabeth S. Mitchell
Harvey’s Beach Sunset
“Magical places are always beautiful and deserve to be contemplated…Always stay on the bridge between the invisible and the visible” - Paulo Coelho
Something magical happens at Harvey’s Beach at sunset. In the summertime, the joyful squeals of children playing, the interwoven sounds of beach blanket speakers, and the sound of people splashing in the water all begin to hush and give way instead to the contemplative quiet that suggests every person on the beach is engaged in the same activity at the same time - watching the sunset.
As the sinking sun paints the sky fantastic shades of reds and pinks and purples, people settle onto blankets, into chairs, or stand at the edge of the water, still. There is a type of beauty that demands attention, that forces us to pause and be present, if only for a moment. Sunset at Harvey’s Beach in Old Saybrook is just that sort of beauty.
Before I moved here, I spent a whole summer visiting repeatedly. One day I was invited to join a local conservation group in tagging horseshoe crabs; another day I became friends with Kim, the woman who runs the Shore She Shed food truck parked every summer at Harvey’s; and another time I stayed on the beach the entire day, from morning until evening. Each time, the day ended the same way: contemplating the always-different but always-beautiful sunset.
After I’d moved to town, I continued my ritual of getting to the beach to see the sunset throughout the seasons. And when Covid hit, these daily trips when I otherwise lived absolutely alone helped to keep me connected to the world and to the people in it. I would park just before sunset, and inevitably, even in winter, there was at least one other car parked, its occupants doing the same thing I was. I would look over and see strangers’ faces illuminated by the same golden light that I could feel on my own face, and I knew none of us was truly alone.
One day, after the world had opened back up to some degree and the weather was turning warm again, I went to take my usual sunset walk on the beach. It was low tide, and the sand seemed to stretch on forever. Far out ahead of me sat a lone couple in two beach chairs, facing the sunset. I took a photo of their silhouette against the sky. And then, for no reason I could understand, I felt the need to walk over to them. I did so, and I said,“I hope this isn’t strange, but I took this photo of you both from way back there, and it was so beautiful, I wanted to show you.”The woman was elated (and I was relieved).“Can you send this to me?” she asked me, excited.“It’s our anniversary! I love that we have this photo.”And once again, I knew I was at that sunset on that beach for a reason.
Years later, in the summer of 2024, the man I met here in town and had been dating for two years drove me, as he often did, to see Harvey’s as the daylight began to fade. We walked down to the water’s edge as usual, and as I dipped my feet in the water, I felt him let go of my hand. I turned around to see him knelt down on one knee, with an open ring box in his hand.“You’ve often told me how this beach changed your life,” he said as I covered my face with my hands and started to cry.“I want it to change our life together, too. Will you marry me?”When I found my voice through the joyful tears and accepted, I turned to see my friend hiding behind the bathroom building, taking photos. She had set up a blanket, champagne, and flowers, right in the perfect spot to watch sunset on the first evening of another new chapter of my life.
I am far from the only person for whom this particular place at this particular time of day is magical. Talk to a few locals, and you are sure to hear the same thing from them. Stop by yourself as the day is coming to an end, and you will see wedding photoshoots being taken, couples cuddled up on blankets, friends and neighbors having a quiet picnic, and individuals standing perfectly still, all looking at the same sky. Local brewery Myrcene has even named one of their summertime sours Harvey’s Beach Sunset, proving that we all wish we could find a way to bottle the magic of Harvey’s Beach at sunset.
Harvey’s Beach, Old Saybrook
Photo by Elizabeth S. Mitchell
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t the and
Profile By Jan Tormay
Photographs Courtesy of Edward Oslund
“In the end, any artist will tell you that they don't do it for the money or anything else. They do it because they enjoy doing it.”
dward Oslund does not title his abstract work - unless he has a built-in theme, such as a photograph of a model’s face, dog, or wolf (from his 10,000plus photo library) juxtaposed within it. “I just enjoy mixing things up and putting them together and sometimes I have a purpose in it. Sometimes I don’t,” he said.
As for his other theme-less works, Oslund wants viewers to freely develop their own interpretations.
The Warwick, Rhode Island resident waited a long time for technology to catch up with his vision of abstract and composite art. However, once Photoshop computer software and high-resolution digital cameras became available in the 1990s, it still took more time for him to think about his art and put more effort into it – especially since by day he was working in the information technology industry.
During a visit to his home studio, Oslund said he just worked on his abstract art for
fun – more seriously over the last 15 years. “In the end, any artist will tell you that they don't do it for the money or anything else. They do it because they enjoy doing it.”
The 73-year-old retired computer programmer said he now feels his “work has matured enough to be valuable and worth bringing out into galleries.”
Currently, Oslund is showing his abstract/ composite art publicly as a member of the Artists’ Cooperative Gallery of Westerly (ACGOW) located at the train station on Railroad Avenue.
Above Left: Colorful Girl, Bottom Right: Eyes
The self-taught artist often begins his creative process by working with some clear or almost clear, high-viscosity fluid, such as thick corn syrup, which is basically sugar and water. After placing it in a container for a while so the water can evaporate, he pours it into a framed flat plate, ranging in size from 5”x 7” to a 10” square and 12” square. Oslund then adds color to it – usually watercolors, but sometimes oils and acrylics – which flow very slowly in swirls and different patterns. "I find viscosity is a big thing because I don't want things to move rapidly."
While watching his work develop over several days, he sometimes lets “it do its own thing” and other times he might prod it. “If I drag a stick (or other instrument) through it, and it's got three different patterns in here, the stick will mix them in different ways.”
Oslund takes periodic photographs over multiple days. He emphasized that he is not photographing the whole plate at one time, but rather micro, 1”x 1” sections of it while it is drying. “So I may be taking five or six areas of it and different exposures,
different combinations and different rotations of it. There are lots of different ways you can take the images out of the same set. Sometimes you get a whole set of good ones, or sometimes you don't get any at all. So it is not entirely under my control."
Depending on his mood, he said he might change things, perhaps by adding a brighter paint to the clear fluid or even more dramatically by enhancing the hue, saturation, and/or luminosity of photos he takes once they’re uploaded to Photoshop. Laughing, he described the process as both exciting and frustrating. "When I get really nice images coming out, I get a bit of a thrill out of it.” Sometimes, however, when he tries to recreate something he did before,
or something similar to it, and he can’t do it, he says it irritates him.
The artist works with a 10” tall x 3” deep/ wide glass column. After filling it with a clear solution, he adds color at the top, which falls down with gravity. "Then if you add heat (or cold), it starts to circulate in circles and so on."
Other fluids Oslund works with include water, which he describes as "awfully thin," and clear, and slippery medical gel used during ultrasounds, which makes the paint behave very differently. “It draws water out of paints.”
"Mandelbrot demonstrated that such things as the coast and flowers and mountains, pretty much everything created by nature, is a fractal in one way or another. That's why CGI now is so capable because they're using his theories to recreate the natural world.”
He said he tries very hard to avoid dust getting into his work because it becomes magnified. Air bubbles can also be a problem because they can create stars with a camera flash. “Sometimes they look okay in my images, sometimes they don't.”
The beauty of Oslund’s work is that no two original pictures he creates will ever look alike, even if the same solutions, paints, and temperature are used, he said. Additionally, since he did not learn his art form in school, is self-taught, and doesn’t know anyone else who is doing it, he believes his process is unique.
After being juried in January 2024 and accepted into ACGOW, Oslund sounds enthused about the nonprofit organization. “Obviously, I haven't been around the world on this sort of thing, but I don't know of anybody else who does it this way. We've got a group of volunteers;
essentially, it's a cooperative. These are just artists that are around here, and they have a space that's really a gallery. It's not a shop, which so many of them are, where they're selling their arts and crafts. But this is a real gallery where they change it each month.”
Even though there is a monthly featured artist, other artists’ work is also on display.
His interest in abstract art grew out of his love of color, art, fluid movements, and Mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot’s work with fractals in the 1980s. “He was the person who came up with the fact that clouds and so forth, natural things, are built off of a repetitive mathematical formula.”
Oslund’s journey began when he was given a Kodak Instamatic camera as a child, followed by a single-lens camera as a birthday gift at 14. By 16, he had his own darkroom and began working with non-representational images that did not start with a camera lens. Utilizing an enlarger without negative film, he put objects between the light and the paper to get patterns. Even though he got some interesting images out of it, he said it was very limited and didn’t work very well.
Referring to the famous “Mandelbrot set,” which repeats itself indefinitely on larger and smaller scales, Oslund explained it never completely repeats exactly the same way, but it appears to be the same. “He (Mandelbrot) demonstrated that such things as the coast and flowers and mountains, pretty much everything created by nature, is a fractal in one way or another. That's why CGI now is so capable because they're using his theories to recreate the natural world.”
Utilizing Photoshop, Abstract Artist Edward Oslund combines his two images of the moon and mountain/landscape taken during his Summer 2024 Alaska trip with two abstracts for color into a composite work titled "Mt. Denali Imagined.” Photo by Edward Oslund
Oslund added that he continues to work with fractals, “because anything that nature starts carrying on, like the movement of fluids or gels or transfers of heat, is all done on fractal mathematics. That's just the way nature works.”
For more information or to view Edward Oslund’s abstract and composite works and other gift ideas, go to Imagery-imagined.com. His email: Edward.Oslund@ gmail.com. The artist’s work can also be viewed at the Artists’ Cooperative Gallery of Westerly at the train station at 14 Railroad Avenue. For more information, go to westerlyarts.com.
Numerous photos of the artist’s studio set up with camera, tools, and framed space: Edward Oslund’s abstract and composite art begins here in his Warwick, Rhode Island studio utilizing thick or thin clear fluid, paints, and changes in temperature. Sometimes, he uses the tools (pictured in container) to move fluids around and waits for nature to do the rest. Above Right: Edward Oslund at his Warwick, Rhode Island home studio with prints of his abstract and composite work. Photos by Jan Tormay
By Jan Tormay
"birth in the physical is death in the spiritual. death in the physical is the birth in the spiritual."
eligious, spiritual or agnostic, many of us wonder if there is life beyond this world. And if it exists, what is it like? People who have experienced near-death events offer us hope, a glimpse of their out-of-body experiences, and for some, renewed faith.
Deceased Relatives Visit Patient In Coma
While a doctor was preparing Joann Dinwoodie’s husband, Patrick, for her impending death after she was intubated, connected to a ventilator and placed in a medically induced coma in February 2021, Joann visited with deceased relatives and heard Jesus, she said during a telephone interview.
“I saw all of my loved ones that had passed before me,” which included her great-grandparents, great-aunts and uncles and stepfather. “They all told me to go back.”
Joann said her nephew, Steven, who died six years earlier looked right at her and said, “Aunt Joann, what are you doing here? You have lots to do. Go back.”
The Pawcatuck, Connecticut resident said Steven also told her to “just live life, because you never know when your last day will be,” and that she is “supposed to stay here and watch her grandchildren grow up.”
Even though her relatives looked “solid”, and she wanted to hug them, Joann said they wouldn’t get that close to her.
“I think there are these thin places where sometimes the spiritual world, which is very real, and the physical world come close,” said the Rev. Cal Lord of Central Baptist Church in Westerly, Rhode Island during a telephone interview. “And I think at the time of death, very often that thin space becomes so thin that you can see into the spiritual world.”
On her final day in a coma, Joann said she experienced a peaceful tunnel surrounded by white light and heard Jesus say, “It’s not your time child. Go back.” She believes it was Him, because “You feel His love. You feel safe. You feel protected.”
Joann was admitted to Westerly Hospital in Rhode Island after contracting Covid and pneumonia. While unconscious, she said she could feel prayers being said for her (coast to coast), hear nurses encouraging her to breathe on her own and family members talking in another room, as well as her husband asking the nurses to play Bon Jovi music for her, because “she loves it.” At one point, Joann said she even traveled to her cousin Joel’s house and saw his backyard fire pit, which she didn’t know he had. Lord said when he visits someone in a convalescent home or hospital who is in a coma and they’re non-responsive, he said he still talks to them and prays with them as if they can hear him, because he believes a part of them is still alert, even if they don’t remember his words if they wake up. “When the body is alive, the soul is still within the body.”
The medical staff was shocked when she woke up after almost 10 days in a coma –the day before they were going to disconnect her from the ventilator, Joann said. “I opened my eyes, and the nurse was walking by and she’s like, ‘She’s awake, she’s awake,’ and I was breathing on my own.” Joann, 59, said her faith has grown stronger and she is no longer afraid of death, because she knows she “is going to Heaven,” and she knows what to expect.
“I just want everyone to know that Jesus is real, and Heaven is real.”
Photo of Sky by Pixabay
Joann Dinwoodie with sons (from left) Joe and Sean Dinwoodie,
Photo by Becka Dinwoodie
Patrick and Joann Dinwoodie, Photo by Joe Dinwoodie
The Reverand Cal Lord is pastor of Central Baptist Church in Westerly, Rhode Island. Photo courtesy of Rev. Cal Lord
Photo
Routine Outpatient Procedure Goes Wrong
During an outpatient medical procedure at a doctor’s office in 1980 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, 21-year-old Geri Vincoli experienced a near-death experience. Medical staff had neglected to ask about her broken wrist that was in a cast or if she was taking any medication, she said during a telephone interview. As it turns out, Vincoli was using prescribed-Oxycodone for pain. As general anesthesia was administered, the Fairfield County resident said she felt herself “slipping away and heard a nurse say my pulse was 20 beats per minute and they were losing me.”
Still, she said she felt very emotionally flat and detached about her body. “It’s almost as though you’re at a totally different level. You’re not judging or looking at yourself or anything around you objectively or critically.”
During this time, she said it felt “so good” not to be in a physical body. There was no panic or fear, but rather immense peace and calmness. “You just feel like this ‘ahhhhh’ feeling, like you’re free from this body, this planet, whatever, which is so crazy.”
Vincoli, now 67, said her “soul” was suddenly on the ceiling watching medical staff run around trying to save her. One was doing chest compressions, and another inserted a needle. During the same time, she said she could hear the “buzzy chatter” of nurses and other medical staff talking throughout the building. She also traveled to other rooms, but did not see anyone. Instead, she described having a “high level of hearing and intuition that you don't normally have when you're physically in this physical world. It was just almost like a lot of humming, droning and inaudible vibrations of people speaking.”
“I felt no fear,” as well as “eerily at peace,” which Vincoli said she hadn’t experienced in all her 21 years.
As she looked down at her five-foot-fourinch, 100-pound frame with a grayish pallor, closed eyes and long dark hair lying on the table, she said she didn’t recognize herself. “It was so surreal.”
Vincoli said she then realized from the ceiling corner, “If I’m down there, then I’m not in my body right now.”
Then as soon as she heard a nurse say, “We’ve got a pulse,” Vincoli said, “It’s as though someone took a huge vacuum and sucked me right back into my body.”
The entire experience lasted minutes, even though she said it seemed much longer. “When I came to in the recovery room, I asked what happened, but no one wanted to fess up to anything. I was young and naive, so I didn’t question them, but I was very altered from that experience.”
Vincoli said her near-death experience changed her spiritually, emotionally and intuitively as a person and has reawakened the vibrational/emotional sensitivity she experienced as a child. Now when she discusses metaphysical/spiritual topics with people about God, their beliefs, and the hereafter, she can offer them hope, because she knows that even though the body dies, the “soul” doesn’t. “Now where your soul goes, I don’t know. I never went anywhere.”
Near-death stories are comforting to people, said Lord, who hopes these anecdotes encourage people to a “faith in God” now and to know that He has “a plan and purpose” for their lives. “These experiences show us, reveal to us that there’s more to life than what we see.”
Months after her near-death experience at 21 years of age, Geri Vincoli said she awakened to see her maternal grandfather, who died when she was six years old, standing at the foot of her bed. Speaking telepathically in Italian, which she could barely understand, she said he wanted her to tell her mother “Not to worry; everything was going to be okay, and he was waiting ‘there’ for her brother.” Vincoli relayed the message to her mother, who wasn’t sure what to make of her daughter’s story. Two days later, Vincoli’s uncle died, and her mother told her, “Oh my God, you were right. My father was conveying the message that he would be ‘there’ to meet his son.”
If you have a story to share about a near-death experience, divine intervention or miracle, email jantormay@comcast.net.
Epilogue
What is Greg Drinking?
Fox Farm Brewery and Ashlawn Farm Create a Collaborative Stout
New Year. Same stout-loving me. There are certain preferences that those who know me best are well aware of, and dark robust beer is right up there with generous pinches of crushed red pepper and the smell of the sharp ocean air as it takes over my senses on the deck of a sailboat. Whether on one of my many trips to Ireland with my partner or just popping along into the craft breweries of this great nation, stout speaks to something deep within me. Fox Farm, a brewery this article has covered in the past, is arguably one of the best statements on craft beer that the Revolutionary State offers.
Ashlawn Farm coffee, thankfully located down here on the Connecticut shore, is another flagship example of what the Nutmeg State brings to the table. Combining these two beverage champions could only be made better if they were pouring this beer at the Hartford Civic Center during a Whalers home game. There are few things that can ease the transition onto the commuter train better than a cup of java from these local roasters. They run one of the best coffee spots along the coastal corridor, putting out espresso every bit as delicious as whatever awaits you in Boston or New York!
The glass from which I chose to sip is from Ashlawn Farms. A beautiful glass shaped like the can of the beer it is serving, with their motto, “Preferred Drink of Hard Working People.” The roastery opened in 2002, Fox Farm Brewery in 2017 (the year I started at Saltwater Farm Vineyard), representing almost thirty years of small business excellence in our little state. One of the reasons why I chose this particular release of what has become a somewhat regular rotational offering is to highlight just that: this is a beer that changes batch to batch based on the beans that Ashlawn Farm is roasting. This latest offering went au naturel with some Ethiopian roots, specifically Sidamo Oromia. The roasting process is essential not just for coffee, but for coffee-stout as well, so time is of the essence. To that effect, it was done just a few hours before brewing began, making the short trip from Old Saybrook to Salem.
This is a nitro-style stout, meaning it was carbonated with nitrogen rather than the conventional carbon dioxide. What does that mean?
Less carbonation, a thicker head (foam), and generally a smoother and richer flavor profile. If indulging in a canned offering, follow the instructions on the side and give it a firm shake and an aggressive pour to activate the contents and get that cascade effect and creamy appearance you most likely associate with Guinness.
This beer is as dark and formidable as the winter night sky that surrounds where this beverage is born, a working farm just outside of the busier elements of greater New London County. It has what you want from a warmth in the first sip, paired with a slightly sweet aroma that should be of note. If I were to compare it to coffee itself, this would fall into the ‘cold brew with a little vanilla or hazelnut syrup’ category of sweetness. Coffee stouts are relatively popular as a style, but all too often the coffee is clumsily presented leaving the finished product with more notes of burnt grounds than anyone wants. The balance is the key, and anyone who knows the work of these two companies could have bet the farm (either one, in this case) that they would stick the landing. At 7% ABV it is a winter warmer that will make any hearth heavenly this time of year.
This beer makes you feel secure in the knowledge that the sage words of poet Oliver Herford still ring true, that we are “Closer to the Spring than we were in September.” Surely there will be some blustery days that seem to never emerge from the cloak of nightfall, but before you know it we will start having a few holidays to cheer us up and encourage the spirit to hold on until bud break. In the meantime, stoke the fire and indulge in soup and stew season. To be a New Englander is to find beauty in every month while complaining about it for sanity’s sake. So open a can, raise your glass, and hope for a New Year filled with more hope and less haranguing.
Gregory Post is a manager at Saltwater Farm Vineyard, affiliated with Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard.
Gregory Post is a manager at Saltwater Farm Vineyard, affiliated with Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard.
By Susan Cornell Photographs by Susan and Bob Cornell
urrounded by steep majestic cliffs and colored sandy creeks, our first landing occurred at Europe’s westernmost town, Patreksfjordur (population 700). This fishing town is charming but didn’t offer enough for a 12-hour stay, so we booked an excursion ~ an interesting combination of the impressive Dynjandi waterfall at the base of the Arnarfjörður fjord, thermal pools, and the Icelandic Sea Monster Museum in Bildudalur (yes, many are absolute believers).
Our one and only Icelandic souvenir was purchased in Patreksfjordur: Brennivín, considered the country’s signature distilled beverage. While we haven’t cracked open the bottle, this aquavit is often described as tasting like rye bread.
Next on the itinerary was Grundarfjörður, where we planned to hike beautiful Kirkjufell (Church Mountain), the most photographed mountain in Iceland. Because of the nasty weather, the captain opted to forgo this landing and head directly to Greenland instead. We were thrilled as this meant an extra day in Greenland with two additional Zodiac landings, one at a sheltered natural harbor, Stordalen Haven, and the other at a former community and Norse settlement during the colonization of Greenland, Ikigait.
Sadly, as “weather is the master,” both expeditions were cancelled due to a fog/polar bear combination. The guides previewed the situation, and with dense fog, it is difficult to spot polar bears. Okay, I can see their point, but I still wanted to see land and bears. We sailed for Kangerluk Glacier and had a choice of Zodiac cruising or kayaking (we opted for the Zodiacs because we kayak a great deal in Connecticut).
Off to Narsarsuaq (population 123). In 1941, the US built an air base here named Bluie West One (Bluie was the Allied military code name for Greenland). Thousands of planes used BWI as a stepping stone on their way from the aircraft factories in North America to the battlegrounds of Europe. A 600-bed hospital was built in order to deal with casualties from the Normandy landings.
The highlight was an Icefjord Cruise on a local boat. The icebergs calve from a nearby glacier at a rate of 200,000 tons per day. Blue ice is old ice, up to 2.5 million years old, and unbelievably stunning.
Nuuk, the capital and most populated city in Greenland, was next. Six of us created our own excursion, taxied to a trailhead, and hiked Paradise Valley, logging nearly 10 glorious miles, including city exploration. Other passengers tasted Nuuk craft beers, hiked on a formal (official) excursion, or took a helicopter ride.
A Sea Day following Nuuk was welcome, and then we landed at Ilulissat for cultural immersion (museums, artisan workshop visits, shopping) and hiking the Yellow Trail and the Ilulissat Icefjord Loop, making for one of the best hikes of a lifetime. The views! Ilulisssat Icefjord was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its natural beauty and the importance of the fast-moving Jakobshavn Glacier in developing the current scientific understanding of anthropogenic climate change. We saw our first sled dogs! and purchased the classic souvenir of Greenland, a tupilak, a small but powerful avenging monster carved from a reindeer antler. We will now be protected from enemy attack.
We headed to Eqi Glacier (Disco Bay), another breathtaking destination, hoping to finally spot seals and whales. Surprisingly, this entire trip, there was practically no wildlife. We expected to see few people on
this enormous island, but we saw very little life whatsoever! What we did see, however, were hundreds of magnificent and unique icebergs, waterfalls, and glaciers.
FYI: Icebergs cover a considerable spectrum of sizes, from the tiny “growlers” (less than 3 ft tall and 15 ft across) and “bergy bits” (up to the size of a small cottage) to huge ones that can be bigger than a Caribbean island.
One more day at Sea before our final stop, Kangerlussuaq. Cruising Greenland is unlike cruising the Caribbean or Med, for example, as there are many sea days due to the distance between destinations. Keep this in mind if you don’t care for days at Sea.
Breaking up the sea days and adding a bit of “fun” were two traditions: a Blue Nose Ceremony and a Polar Plunge. The plunge is obvious, but a Bluenose is simply a sailor who’s crossed the Arctic Circle above 66°34’N. The ceremony entails having one’s head dunked in ice water and then applying a blue concoction to one’s nose. That makes sense, right? If you stuck your head into -40F weather, your nose would be blue, too.
Disembarkation at Kangerlussuaq included an Arctic Tundra Safari, complete with snow, traveling Greenland’s longest road. Note: Greenland’s transportation system is unusual in that there are no roads between towns. Hence, the longest route is only 24 miles.
We finally saw two Arctic hares and a reindeer, though Rudolph was deceased. Kangerlussuaq is currently Greenland’s central air transportation hub. The airport dates from American settlement during and after World War II. In the Cold War, it served as one of the Distant Early Warning Line bases and a supply station for similar early warning facilities. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, the usefulness of the base was greatly diminished, and the last US Air Force personnel left the base in 1992.
Our charter to JFK was delayed for de-icing. When did you last sit on a plane in summer for de-icing?
The weather (aka “the Master”) on this trip was godawful ~ colder, snowier, and foggier than typical. We never saw the wildlife on our wish-to-see list… or the Northern Lights. The night we left, however, the Northern Lights were reported to be spectacular! We also didn’t see the volcano erupt … but we didn’t die in an ice cave either. And, we still had the experience of a lifetime (thanks to base layers, mid layers, heated gloves, waterproof gear, and adventurous spirits).
The Cheesemonger
Deana
Simmons, The Cheese Shop of Centerbrook
And the Winner is... The 2024 Guild of Fine Foods, World Cheese Awards.
By Deana Simmons The Cheese Shop of Centerbrook
Each year over 4000 cheeses from 40 different countries make their way to a chosen destination to be put on display and judged. I’m talking of course about the prestigious World Cheese Awards, organized by the Guild of Fine Foods. This prestigious annual event celebrates exceptional cheeses from around the globe to honor traditional cheesemaking and highlight and promote international cheese culture.
This year’s event set a record with 4,786 cheeses from 47 different countries entered in the competition. The judges (who are split into groups of 3 or 4), assess each cheese on appearance, texture, aroma, mouthfeel, flavor and originality, before awarding bronze, silver, gold and super gold. The top 104 super gold cheeses are moved to the super jury round where they are re-evaluated down to 14 “Super Gold” cheeses. The final judging round is then debated in front of a live audience before a grand winner is chosen.
This year the competition was held in Viseu, Portugal and a soft, raw sheep’s milk cheese named Queijo de Ovelha Amanteigado (pronounced oh-VEHL-ya ah-MAHN-tay-gah-doh) made by Quinta do Pomar in Soalheira, was crowned number one. This was a happy day for Portugal. Not only did they take first place, but they did it on their own turf. Unfortunately, if you want to try this award winning, ooey, gooey, spoon-able cheese (as it’s been described) you’ll have to book a trip to Portugal. This is because raw milk cheeses are not allowed in the US unless they are aged for longer than 60 days… I supposed we can only hope that may one day change… here’s to hoping.
Out of the 104 cheeses that made the Super Jury cut, 8 of them were from the US. Including:
Humboldt Fog , Soft-ripened goat cheese - Cypress Grove Creamery
Vermont’s Jasper Hill’s Baily Hazen Blue - Raw cow’s milk, blue aged 90-120 days- which made it into the top 14 Super Golds’. Way to go!!!
Harbison by Jasper Hill also took home a gold, not too shabby!
In 2023 Harbison by Jasper Hill took home the trophy for best American cheese. I’m sure you’ll agree, they know what they’re doing when it comes to cheese making.
Some other gold winners this year were Beemster XO and The Beemster Royaal Grand Gru won a Super Gold. Something I’m certainly looking forward to trying. Stay tuned.
Did you know? In 2019 Rogue River Blue, Rogue Creamery, Oregon was named the winner of the World’s Cheese Awards, making it the first US (and only) cheese to ever be announced a world champion.
I’m not sure about you, but I am certainly looking forward to next year’s competition to see what extraordinary cheese steals the spotlight. But until then, to all the incredible cheesemakers who poured their passion and creativity, and dedication into this year’s World Cheese Awards competition, we say Thank you. Because without you, it would be a world without cheese. And without cheese, pizza would be bread and sauce, nachos would be naked and charcuterie boards would be sad wooden trays.
Without cheese, life may still go on, but let’s be honest, it would be a grate deal less exciting.
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