Super Bloom San Diego

San Diego Home/garden

A Civil Society Teaching Primer

How can I arrange a purposeful civilian life as I move through an unfamiliar place? From what place and to what place does water flow through my place of residence? This book is situated at the convergence of these seemingly unrelated questions. At this convergence is an opportunity to teach college-age learners to practice a thoughtful, disciplined inquiry about their places in American civil society. This book is written for college teachers. It contains a plan for teaching learners to make connections between American civil society, civilian life in recognizable places, and organized water services. The book is filled with teaching resources about a sense of place. These resources include photographs, newspaper bibliographies, mapping exercises, and literary tours. This book is a novel venture in two respects. First, the focus is on civilian life in American civil society. Second, American civilian life is depicted as an experience shaped through the organized movement of water. Neither focus is presently available in the American undergraduate General Education curriculum.

Tears for a Golden Butterfly

In the summer of 2023, author Corine de Ruiter was suddenly confronted with her twenty-nine-year-old son Julian’s mental health and substance use problems. After Julian’s passing from an overdose, she started to receive messages about the planning for his celebration of life. These messages became more and more frequent, and it dawned on her that these were not her own thoughts. In Tears for a Golden Butterfly, Corine presents a touching memoir of loss, grief, and spiritual awakening. Attempting to comprehend her experiences, she dove into the research literature on so-called after-death communications and near-death experiences. She began following online courses with Suzanne Giesemann, a former US Navy commanding officer who is now an evidential medium and spiritual teacher. During meditations and mediumship practice sessions, Corine developed her skills to connect with beings in the spirit realm and learned that Julian was still very much a part of her life here on Earth. Over time, Julian shared what has happened to him with his mother, as the afterlife had given him opportunity for reflection and continued learning. From across the veil, Julian supported his mom in her writing as she investigated the link between quantum physics and spirituality, while experiencing that a field of energy connects everything, so nothing is ever lost. Julian’s passing opened a portal to this field of love, wisdom, and intelligence, and both he and Corine hope their story will bring healing to those who miss their loved ones. ‘An eloquent elegy to life, loss, and eternal love. Corine’s loss becomes the reader’s gain as she shares a lifetime of spiritual wisdom made all the more potent when amplified from her connection with her son in the higher realms. A healing balm for those wrestling to understand death as part of our ongoing journey.’ Suzanne Giesemann, spiritual teacher, medium, and author of The Awakened Way