Long time no post! Too busy making a living, helping care for my dear old Mother up in Maine, and trying to nurture the nature in my front, back and side yard. Threw a small midsummer nights' celebration on wed july 28th complete with refreshing raspberry lime rickeys (thanks to Evelyn Rosenthal), ice cold watermelon triangles, 5 kinds of homemade Christina's ice cream (with cones and sprinkles, and chopped choc covered almonds--thanks to Gina Foglia), plus glo sticks and bubbles for all. Mother Nature blew a wild wind during the party hours of 7-10pm, so all revelers kept cool and bug bite free. Zippy Jr. was celebrating her/his one week emergence day up in the kitchen for all to see (monarch butterfly caterpillar I found as an egg on a milkweed leaf at the farm on Sligo Road last Sunday July 18th). Zippy emerged on Wed July 21. Following photos of his/her growth spurt, some party guests and the flowers, of course!

Day One: Little Lepidoptera


Day 3: Zippy grows out of skin and face mask. Eats for nutritional snack.


7 pairs of legs clearly visible. Separates the flies from the butterflies and moths!


One week old. Star of the party. Munching away on the kitchen counter.


Flowers in back yard: Windblown Hibiscus


Hibiscus Buds

Garden Lights--Black Eyed Susan, Spider Flowers, Hibiscus, Cup Plant

Melissa, Reynold, Allison, Jasmine - see through!


Reynold and Allison ready to ride home to Davis Square

Karen and Ken in zee jardin


Eli and Marcia

Jenn and David -- my neighbors!


Spider Flowers Blowing in the Wind


Home Sweet Home

Until next time....nurture your nature!

Love Ruthie

Zippy Jr., Update

Day 12. Aug 1, 2010 Zippy Jr spins a silk pad and hangs upside down into "J" position. He/she does this on the popUp picnic mesh umbrella I set over milkweed leaves while I left for a day at the beach. I have tied a stick to the top of the umbrella since monarch caterpillars never peg on their host plant. They crawl off in search of a nearby sturdy branch or stick.

Day 13. Aug 2, 2010
Zippy Jr. metamorphosized around 1pm when I went out. Jade case with gold dots. Delicate, gorgeous, miraculous! Only evidence of previous life as a 'worm' is shriveled up outer skin...shed in a heap underneath hanging spot!

Day 21 - August 10 Zippy Jr. Cracks out of the chrysalis at 8:30 am.
I put the camera on time lapse mode. One frame every 30 sec. Zippy Jr. flew off after 3 hrs of wing pumping, drying, stretching. The dark spots on the lower wings give away this flutterby's sex as Mr. Zippy Jr. (Danaus plexippus).

Contra dance fun in western Massachusetts with Liz Ehrman and Marika Partridge with the band Wild Asparagus. Check out their website to see when and where they might be performing near you: click here for more info on the band

Diamonds WildAsparagus 3 from Ruthie Ristich on Vimeo.

Info on the band members:
The heartbeat of Wild Asparagus is Ann Percival on piano, guitar, and vocals. Ann's playing is highly inventive while still maintaining an irresistible rhythm. David Cantieni, a wood-wind wizard, pours forth lively melodies and liquid harmonies on his flutes, tin-whistle, oboe, saxophone and bombard. Becky Tracy's masterful fiddling is that rare combination of energy and beauty. George Marshall is an accomplished English concertina player and also provides driving rhythms on bodhran and bones. We usually play with a bass player, some of our regular players include Corey DiMario, Mark Murphy, Harry Aceto and Ralph Gordon among others. George also provides excellent instruction and calling for New England style contras.

Sam Ristich Mushroom Guru 1999 from Ruthie Ristich on Vimeo.

I received a Cambridge Arts Council Grant and Massachusetts Cultural Council grant to direct, produce and edit this video project with music by composer Patricia Van Ness. The acappella piece, part of a larger work entitled The Nine Orders of Angels, was sung in Latin by Telarc recording artists (the vocal group) Tapestry**. The group had partnered with choreographer and dancer Julie Ince Thompson who agreed to dance in front of a "green" screen for inclusion in the piece as the Archangel Michael. The idea was to make the video visually interesting for younger grade school listeners. I brought the finished piece in to different classrooms, along with the costumes and puppets (all from different countries, cultural traditions and religions). The children were curious about the editing process and how the special effects were achieved. I was thrilled to be able to hire cinematographer Robin Tams, pro lighting, makeup artists, costume makers, and with the help of some volunteer production assistants we had 3 successful days of shooting. **Tapestry consists of Daniela Tosic, Cristi Catt and Laurie Monahan. Find out more about them and where to purchase their many excellent CDs here: Tapestry

Tapestry2 from Ruthie Ristich on Vimeo.

Fun piece circa 1999 with my young friends Katy L. et al having fun on a Saturday night in Cambridge. Shot with hi8 camera, edited with EditDV.

Rockin' Robin from Ruthie Ristich on Vimeo.

Dirty Dozen: buy these organic
peach, apple, bell pepper, celery, nectarine, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, grapes(especially imported), carrot, pear.

Clean 15: lowest in pesticides
onion, avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, mango, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, tomato, sweet potato.

Not all of us can afford to go 100% organic every time we shop. The solution? Focus on those foods that come with the heaviest burden of pesticides, additives and hormones. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), consumers can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80% by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating only the cleanest. If consumers get their USDA-recommended 5 daily servings of fruits and veggies from the 15 most contaminated, they could consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Those who eat the 15 least contaminated conventionally grown produce ingest less than 2 pesticides daily.

EWG has been publishing guides to the "dirty dozen" of most pesticide contaminated foods since 1995, based on statistical analysis of testing conducted by the USDA and the FDA. The latest guide is now available, and will soon be an iPhone application. According to EWG analyst Chris Campbell, the new dirty dozen only reflects measurable pesticide residues on the parts of the foods normally consumed (i.e. washed and peeled). We have listed these 12 foods in the following pages.

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods#ixzz0lb8vsBH5

performance schedule :

APRIL 2010
Sat April 3
8-11pm
Ruthie Ristich with John Pierce Trio
Tim Ray-piano
John Pierce-bass
Jon Hazilla-drums

All Season's Table-Modern Asian Cuisine
64 Pleasant Street Malden, MA 02148
(781) 397-8788
http://www.allseasonstablerestaurant.com/
Come early or late to get a seat. Terrific food. Hands-on owner Douglas makes you feel right at home. If you come for a later dinner you'll be able to hear the music more clearly. The big room can get noisy when it's crowded.

MAY 2010
Monday May 10
Private concert.
Yarmouthport, MA.

Sunday May 16
Private concert.
Medford, MA.

JUNE 2010
Sunday June 6
The Island Merchant http://theislandmerchant.com
The Sisters of Swing http://thesistersofswing.com
4:30-7:30pm
Hyannis, MA

Saturday June 12
Private party. Evening.
Osterville-Cape Cod.

Sunday June 27
Somerville Jazz & Blues Festival
The Nave http://www.artsomerville.org/nave/directions.html
3-5pm. Reception to follow in the Nave Art Gallery. 5-7pm.
Ruthie Ristich Trio featuring Bill Brinkley-guitar, Rick McLaughlin-bass
plus special guests The Sisters of Swing with Gaye Tolan Hatfield, Roberta Radley, Brad Hatfield.
This performance is a benefit for Groundwork Somerville http://www.groundworksomerville.org/Groundwork Somerville strives to bring about the sustained regeneration, improvement and management of the physical environment through the development of community-based partnerships which empower people, businesses and organizations to promote environmental, economic and social well-being.

They have some wonderful programs for children, including a maple syrup making project right in Somerville: tapping the trees here! Check it out on their website.

JULY 2010
Sunday July 4
Greenvale Vineyard Jazz Series
1-4pm
Ruthie Ristich Trio
free and open to the public: lovely lovely place
http://www.greenvale.com/

Sunday July 25
Greenvale Vineyard Jazz Series
1-4pm
The Sisters of Swing
free and open to the public: lovely lovely place. bring the family. bring a picnic.
http://www.greenvale.com/

AUGUST 2010
Wednesday August 4
7:30-10pm
Sardellas Jazz Series
30 Memorial Blvd West, Newport Rhode Island
http://www.sardellas.com
The Sisters of Swing featuring Dick Lupino-bass, Brad Hatfield-piano

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For booking information please Email Ruthie
sing@ruthieristich.com

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Carefully Taught-Rodgers/Hammerstein. arranged Ristich
Alain Mallet-piano, Ben Wittmann-drums, Ira Coleman-bass, Ruthie Ristich-voice
Carefully_Taught.MP3

Samba de Orfeo-Luiz Bonfa with English lyric by Evelyn Rosenthal arr. Ristich
Alain Mallet-piano, Ben Wittmann-drums, Ira Coleman-bass, Ruthie Ristich-voice
Samba_de_Orfeo.MP3

Easy to Love-Cole Porter arr. Ristich
Renato Chicco-piano, Ben Wittmann-drums, Peter Herbert-bass, Ruthie-voice
Easy_to_Love.MP3

I Only Have Eyes For You-Warren/Dubin arr. Ristich/Gohl
Teese Gohl-piano, Ben Wittmann-drums, Ira Coleman-bass, Ristich-voice
I_Only_Have_Eyes.MP3

Please Send Me Someone to Love-Percy Mayfield arr. Ristich/Friedland
Ed Friedland-tenor bass, Ristich-voice
Please_Send_Me.MP3

"I know Ruthie Ristich to be a big hearted, highly intelligent woman with a warm, honey toned singing voice and a wide range of interests and curiosity about the world. Anyone who digs fine jazz vocals, expert highly musical accompaniment with a dash of African, Latin music flavor should love this CD." -Bob Moses Rakalam

"Ruthie gives new life to this material with her intelligent phrasing, great sense of humor and acute musicianship. She is one of my favorites!!!" -Mili Bermejo

"Ruthie has been a favorite of mine since the first time I heard her sing; clearly intelligent, insightful, delightfully innovative, and always an artistic joy! We've waited patiently for this project and we sure are glad it's finally a reality!" -Rebecca Parris

"She even laughs in tune." -Hermeto Pascoal

"Ms. Ristich knows what she wants, and how to get it. She also has an
unerring ear for great material... Her relaxed, personal delivery makes it seem easy; her compelling arrangements, and the wonderful musicians she works with are a delight. Bravo Ruthie! Carefully Taught is a gem." -Brian Flick, Jazz Director KPBX-FM (Spokane, Washington)

"It's rhythmic and I like the words." -Ruth Pullen Ristich, age 88

"...a jazz vocalist of uncommon range and depth of feeling." -Boston Globe

"...the very finest jazz vocal interpretations...when she got her heart wrapped around Amazing Grace there were no word to describe the pure pleasure of listening to such a fine singer." -The Southern Oregon Traditional Jazz Society

"...intimate...hot...electric...sincere..." -Annalisa Scarpa/Nuova Venezia, Venice Italy

"She sings songs you may remember or you'll want to remember." -Jack Reilly, Ryles International Jazz Club, Cambridge, Massachusetts

"...[Ruthie was]...singing it so clearly that it curled the hair on the back of your neck." -Harry Schroeder/Island Life, Key West Florida