smooth Friday

Hello and Happy Friday!

I wanted to share a helpful, easy, “you will thank me by next Thursday” tip.

When you fill up your refrigerators and freezers this weekend, might I gently suggest you make 7 or 8 smoothie packets at the same time?

Super easy.

A beautiful way to bathe yourself in Grace and Wellness.

Bring home your greens and wash.  (Yes, even the greens in the bags.)  I wash with vinegar then rinse with water. Then I dry/spin the whole bunch in a salad spinner.  You could easily use paper towels or a clean cotton towel.   Vinegar is inexpensive and best part ….. it really works.

We froze oodles and oodles of berries last year, so I am still working off of those.  Or you can purchase frozen berries.

Now, get out 7 or more zip freezer bags.  Roll down the tops.  Set up an assembly line of sorts.

(I use these amounts for one smoothie, you can certainly double or so forth the recipe for more.)

Add one cup of clean, dry spinach or Swiss chard or bok choy or kale or a combination of greens to each zippy bag.  Then I add one cup of a variety of berries.  Sometimes, I toss in half a banana.  Add anything else you want.   The sky is the limit.  Toss in a handful of chopped up peaches or apricots!   (some weeks I do a tropical take on the smoothie….pineapple, mango, strawberry, lime) 

Actually, next time you are at your specialty health food store and you “treat” yourself to a $6.00 smoothie, jot down the ingredients that you fancy in your favorite option.  Then re-create in your homemade freezer packs.

The idea is to create these helpful, beautiful packets that will help you make a smoothie quick and easy and almost effortless.

That way, you can add your liquid, fresh coconut pulp, ground flax seeds, etc. and toss in your bag of frozen goodness.  40 seconds of blending later, you are enjoying a great smoothie.  Little effort to create something wonderful.  Fast and hits the spot.

Refreshing.

Perfect to drink on the way to work.   Perfect to drink on the way to take care of your grand for the day.  Perfect to drink while you decide if you want something more for lunch.

Just think of all the good you will be doing to your body?  One cup of berries a day times five days a week times each month.   Woah, Nelly!  That is a bucket full of antioxidants!  

Berries are some of the most powerful (and delicious) disease-fighting foods available. Color pigments in berries that are powerful antioxidants. Blue, purple, and red color have been associated with a lower risk of certain cancers, urinary tract health, memory function, and healthy aging.

In this together, friends.

(next Thursday, when you take out a frozen zippy bag and make an amazing smoothie, send me an email.  I promise you, you will be so happy that you took the time to make something good for you!)

Here’s to our wellness and good health!

Cheers!

 

ouch

Drats, that stung.  I just scraped the underside of my wrist while fluffing and puffing the chicken coop.  (doesn’t fluffing and puffing sounds so much nicer than mucking out the straw & changing out the bedding?)

Okay, so the scrap (not bad, just annoying) is under my wrist exactly where my watch sits.

First clean it out, then put some ointment on.  Grab the first aid cream with nary a second thought.

Here’s a thought….

While going through your home and replacing healthier versions of food and lotions and potions……..you might forget about one little ointment that you purchase once a year (yes, there is an expiration date), unless you have pre-teen boys…..then you go through first aid ointment like fresh-baked loaves of bread.

We all have Neosporin in our first aid kits.  We use it every time we need to use a band-aid.
Here is my “duh” moment.  We work diligently to remove all chemicals and artificial antibiotics from our family life.  We buy organic vegetables and fruits when we can afford it.  I have eliminated 95% of all chemicals in the make up and potions that I use on a daily basis.

Yet, somehow, a cream that I am willing to put on a small scrape or burn, I didn’t do the research.  Really?

I won’t go into the research, techno babble and the very serious topic of antibiotic resistance…………you have Google at your fingertips, so please dig in.

This is just me saying, I found an exceptional product that works and doesn’t cause more harm than health.  If you can’t find it at your local health store, amazon.com does indeed carry it.  Just sharing a product that works.  No, I was not paid to tell you about this.  

This is the first aid cream I would be willing to use on my grandchildren, dog and the rest of the family.

Here’s to our health and wellness!

In this together, friends,

Chat soon.

pesky plastic

A friend sent me a text early this Sunday morning:

Sparkle of the Day

  “Our Lord has made the best gifts the most common.”

Oh, that’s not only sparkly but so juicy.

I’m going to savor that all day long.

..the most common…..

a cup of coffee

warm, fluffy socks

small project bag

common sense

Here’s a thought, a common bag.  I use it every single day, sometimes, several times a day.  Very common in my world.

100% cotton fabric, one zipper, two buttons, nothing too flashy, just a bag to store my current project in while I am not working on it. Takes me about 45 minutes to sew one. Easy, common.  Actually, I have sewed and given so many, I have lost count.

I have sewed them for college kiddos.   I have made them for make up bags, travel bags, zipper bags full of birthday goodies, bag to take to the hospital, bags to hold crochet hooks, bags to hold a sleeping mask and lavender and on the list goes.  All made and given as gifts.

I have not made one for myself.  Seriously?  No.  I have not taken the time to sew one of these beauties for myself.

One night, as I sat and worked on a project.  I thought… why on earth are you still using a zip lock PLASTIC bag for your supplies?  I guess I am like everyone else, we get so comfortable using and seeing something day after day, we forget to “see” where we need to make some changes.

**********Side note: If you want to skip the next few paragraphs where I talk about bisphenol A and how it is one reason I became so sick, I totally understand. Life is messy and you don’t always want to be reminded of the messy.   I will insert a picture of a cute puppy so you can skip down to the part about sewing & happy & common sense. 

In the last four years, among 101 other things, one thing we have had to eliminate in our life is plastic (read that as bisphenol A) . BPA is a weak synthetic estrogen and is one of the things that caused me to be diagnosed with “that which will not be named”.

Sounds easy enough.  Just don’t use it. Simple.

The following is sarcasm:  “What?  Me?  Oh, we stopped using all plastic. We store our ketchup and mustard in clay pots in the basement.  No, we don’t own a refrigerator that is made with plastic.   What do we brush our teeth with, you ask?  We use a hand carved, with a wooden handle and boar bristle toothbrushes.”

Really?  Good for you!  That is tricky, hard and all-encompassing.  We are still trying to get rid of as much as possible.

Roll up your cotton sleeves and let’s do this!

Okay, no more plastic ice-cube trays.  No more plastic shower curtain liners.  Toss all the plastic storage containers.  Plastic measuring spoons. Plastic container your laundry soap is stored in, next to your plastic laundry basket.   Plastic silverware on a picnic. Plastic yarn needle.  Toss those disposable diapers of your grandchildren.  My cell phone has a plastic case.  Does your organic make up come in a plastic container?  Plastic scoop I used to measure out chicken feed. Plastic tape measure (my grandma had a cloth one.) I use a plastic ruler to measure fabric.  Plastic containers my spring plants were grown in.  Plastic bag I use to buy/measure out my bulk food.    Plastic on my sneakers.  Plastic container my coffee beans are ground in.  The useful plastic zip bags we use to store everything in……

…. I am pausing to take a DEEP CLEANSING BREATH.

I am sure you are thinking about a thousand and one other pieces of plastic that I didn’t mention.  Oh, she forgot…..

Depending on where you live and work, you’re likely to be exposed to many plastic products every day. Food and beverage containers, some disposable plates, and toiletry bottles are all plastic and all are made from chemicals. Research suggests that all plastics may leach chemicals if they’re scratched or heated. Research also strongly suggests that at certain exposure levels, some of the chemicals in these products, such as bisphenol A (BPA), may cause cancer in people.

enough, if you want to learn more , I am sure you know how to use Google.  Just type in why/how bisphenol A…aka… BPA  causes cancer.

***********For no reason at all, except that puppies are adorable, here is  the promised photo of an impossibly cute puppy.

Hi, I am glad you found the cute puppy.

One more time, Sparkle of the Day,

“Our Lord has made the best gifts the most common.”

A picture of a puppy on verdant grass.  Common

Beautiful brown puppy eyes.  Common

Common sense.  Sewing a useful cotton bag.

I used my noodle and I sewed myself a pretty project bag out of 100% cotton fabric. (yes, I know the zipper and buttons are plastic…..progress not perfection)

In this together, friends.

Here’s to our health & wellness.

Chat soon.

tip the balance

I am having one lou lou of a time finding balance.  While I recover from being extremely ill, I still have to go about my daily life.  It’s really a dance.  It is two days forward and one step back.

Balance.

As a matter of fact, just yesterday, my eyes filled with tears as I learned about yet another favorite food I have to say good-bye to.

While I am grateful, truly grateful for another day, in my mind sometimes, it seems I should be glowing with gratitude and grace, moving gently about, pleased with everything and everyone. Yet, there are days, I am still a normal girl who wants to complain about her hair style, fuss about paint color, and whine about what to make for supper.

I am supremely grateful for walking a path of healing and yet, I somehow find the energy to grumble under my breath about having my medicine in place of lunch daily.  Yes, I know how lucky I am to have the money to pay for the protocol.   The stubborn 4th grade girl in me, still complains now and then.  It’s not pretty, it’s just the truth.

How do I tip the balance?    I am feeling so lucky and happily teeter tottering one moment and then bam, my fanny hits the ground and I need to re-group and gather some strength to push-off with my feet to send myself back up into the clouds.

There is nothing lofty about cleaning under the kitchen sink nor scrubbing the bath tub grout.  I still need to vacuum out the car and feed the chickens. I need to grocery shop weekly and purchase or make gifts for others.  I cannot sit each day, all day long, with my hands folded in prayer of thanksgiving.  I need my hands to pull on work gloves and work.  Hey, that garden hose, isn’t going to roll itself up.

I am healing every single day however,  I don’t live on a movie set where I am dressed in a beautiful, embroidered gown and float among everyone being happy and serene and grateful.  I still get ticked off by some folks.  I still burn food.  I still cuss now and then.  Occasionally, I still act like a spoiled child when the “want” platform outweighs the “give” platform.

This excerpt from,  The Year of Pleasure by Elizabeth Berg,  has help nudge me in the right direction.

“…I know you are hurting!  But what if you determined to find one thing every day that you-“

“I know. Count your blessings.  Remind yourself every night of every good thing that happened to you that day.”

“No, I’m not talking about things that happen to you.  I’m talking about things you make happen.  I’m talking about purposefully doing one thing that brings you happiness every single day, in a very conscious way.  It builds up the arsenal, Betta.  It tips the balance.” 

It tips the balance.

I like that way of thinking.

Instead of feeling sorry for myself, (which, honestly does happen), I look for ways to build up the arsenal.  I look for one thing that brings me happiness each day.

Somehow, one day has turned into the next and those days turned into a couple of months and somehow, every now and then, I forget to count the exact days on the calendar.

That jolt of the teeter totter slamming down?  That happens when I panic and fret about a sore thumb or small bruise on my toe.  ( Um, no, you are not sick again, maybe it is just a hang nail?  Maybe it is just a bruise from stubbing your toe?)  I spend way too much time each day wondering if I will get sick again.

I want to spend my time, building up the arsenal of happiness so that I tip the balance.  I want to spend more time looking for happy than worrying about the bad that may come.

I look for leaves.

I look for a recipe to try.

I buy two new dresses for  the sweet grandgirlies in my life.

I buy socks for Mr. Right.  Somehow, seeing a man well dressed in “go to work” clothes and then knowing he has on goofy socks, makes me chortle.  

For me, wrapping them in gift wrap with a pretty bow adds to the humor.  Just out of the blue on a Monday night, he comes across a gift tucked into the utensil drawer or set on his desk.  

A couple of weeks ago, before his chess lesson, he unwrapped chess socks.  This week, because he loves pumpkin pie………Thanksgiving socks of course.

 

Just for happiness, every Saturday, I trade pictures of eating a banana with grand #3.  We each eat a banana then trade pictures.  This is HAPPINESS pure and simple folks.  Makes me happy to see his picture and he gets to yell, “NANA” when he sees my picture.  haha

While on a walk , I found this ginormous leaf and it made me happy.  I had to share it with the grands. Golly Wally, a leaf is as big as my head?  That’s happy, pure and simple.  

 

With my heart and soul I am going to continue to look for happy. Even on the crummy days, I will continue to search.

On my search, I have stumbled upon…….ginormous leaves, shared bananas, sweet dresses and goofy socks.

It all balances out.

Chat tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

1,000 eggs

It was a dark and stormy night……………..

No, wrong guess.

Picture this:  It was a beautiful, blue sky, warm, sunny June afternoon, 2013.

I was extremely sick.  It wasn’t pretty.  It took effort just to get dressed and put lipstick on. Not the “movie star” kind of sick.  The real life, not good kind of illness.

My wise friend was stopping by to visit and bring something. I was thinking a nice, pretty card or a cheerful bouquet of flowers.

No, wrong guess.

Out the kitchen window, I saw a huge truck pulling a horse trailer pull through our circular drive way.  Along with her, were 4 teenagers.

Next they unloaded a brand new chicken coop, 3 chickens, bedding, organic feed, treats, water & food containers.  They caried it and set it all up in the backyard.

In the same whirlwind that they arrived, they left just as quickly.  They were headed out to pick up a load of hay for their horses.

That left me and our Golden Retriever, peeking into their coop, looking at 3 very young chickens.  Alone.

How the heck is this going to work?  (She had made a side deal with Mr. Right, if it didn’t work out, she would graciously take them back to her ranch.)

Remember earlier, I called her my wise friend?

Somehow, she knew I would have to turn on the computer and read.  She guessed I would have to get dressed and have Mr. Right drive me to a book store, to buy a couple of books.  In her smarty, awesomesauce, cowgirl way, she knew, I would have to get up off the sofa a couple of times a day to feed, water, fluff straw, check on my new animals.

My wise, amazing girlfriend had a feeling, that I would need to clean the coop.  Carry water, lift bedding, fill the food container.  In the beginning,  I was not able to lift a 25 pound bag of bedding, so I took small buckets.

My wise, amazing, thoughtful, beautiful friend, Kristy, knew that I needed organic eggs to eat.  She knew that I needed to be around “farm dirt” and straw and outdoor good germs to build my immune system.  In her wisdom, she knew I needed to feel grateful and thankful every single day.

Surprise, surprise, Mr. Right, only helped when he absolutely needed to.

I took care of them myself.  I never skipped a day.  Some times, it took me a half hour just to change the bedding and straw and give them fresh water.

One day, my little grand girlie was helping me and she said, “egg”.  WHAT!  I couldn’t actually believe that we had gotten an egg!  I had to take a picture.

Then somehow, a week went by and another.  People asked me how many eggs I had collected.  I kept track on the calendar.  I started taking pictures to share.  I didn’t want the eggs to roll off the counter during the photo shoot, so…….. one thing led to another and ……..well.

I started setting the eggs in things.  A basket, a dish, a creamer shaped like a frog, I put them in a fruit basket, and a bowl that had coffee beans.  I used anything I could find. I even made a calendar showcasing 12 pictures.

Here’s the update:

I still have one of the original chickens.  Since then, a couple more chickens have joined the party.  I currently have four chickens.  Yes, I still keep track of how many eggs I collect.  (It’s the best part, sort of like an Easter Egg hunt everyday!)  I am healthy enough to lift the bag of bedding.  I can move the coop.  I can walk to the neighbor’s to share my bounty.  We donate 20 chicks a month, so others can flourish, just like me.

Today, Friday, November 18, 2016, I am celebrating my 1,000 egg!  

I am grateful.

I am healing.

Thanks in a huge part to my friend.  She was the only friend who believed I could/would do it.  She knew that I would get out of bed, put on my boots and tend to other creatures that needed my help.  I felt needed.

 

Those dang chickens need me in the beautiful, blue, sunny skies as well as the blustery, wild wind, cold, pouring rain, boot wearing, dark stormy days.

Oh, I get it!

My friend.  She was there for me in the dark, stormy days…and yes, today, on a clear, beautiful day, she is in my corner, celebrating 1,000 eggs.

Boy Howdy, I am one grateful chick!

Who knew chickens could help me heal?

She did. 

 

 

 

 

the need to knead

Some weeks just feel out of sorts.

Emotional or stressful, whatever the heck you want to call it……it sort of hangs in the air.

Like when you accidentally burn beautiful little orange pieces of carrots for fried rice.  Then you have to stop and toss and take out the garbage and scrub & clean the pan five times.  Then you start over, and yet somehow that smell of burnt carrots is still lingering, hanging in the air, for quite some time.  Come back into the kitchen, windows open, 3 hours later, yep, it is still faintly floating in the air.

This past week, some of us have dealt with wedding stress, the stress of being unwell, injury, memories of the past, poor sleep, missed talking to grands, stubbed our little toe on our right foot,   however, I can safely say, we all have felt the punch of our election.  Boy Howdy, did we all feel the stress.  yikes.

No matter what side you were on or if you were balanced precariously on the fence……..political stress packs a wallop.  (I won’t mention the poor behavior of talking badly about others.  They all better be on their knees thanking the Good Lord, that I am not their mother.  My kitchen floor would be spotless!  If you have time and energy to talk bad about others, then I guess you have time to scrub my floor or rake my leaves, or wash my windows?)  If you would like, you can certainly ask our grown boys how I feel about talking poorly about others.  I am quite sure they will fill you in.

The stress is still lingering, floating all around us.

Back to basics my friend.

When I can’t seem to move gracefully forward, I notice that I stop and stay put.  I do things that I can control.  I take extra time to wash dishes, by hand.  I don’t grumble about folding laundry, I just find the calm in the process.  I don’t mind plucking weeds or raking leaves.  I can see the results of my efforts.  I send cards.  I write actual letters & walk to the mailbox and send.

I bake.

I measure and stir and use a whisk.

Oh sure, I have a great machine with a wonderful dough hook.  I didn’t use it.

I used my hands.  I needed to knead dough.  I wanted to work with my hands.  I was making something to give.  Not to sound to “Medusa Mom crazy”….. however…………..I needed to feel connected to it.

All with the idea, there is no way, we could ever eat all this food before it spoils.

So instead of fretting and fussing over things I couldn’t/can’t control , I decided to bake rolls for some neighbors.   No other reason than just to share with our neighbors.

To remember and to remind myself that we belong to each other.  Not what the news reporters tell me nor what I see on face book.

Plain and simple:  We belong to each other. 

pink, pink you stink

Imagine if you will, being so sick you couldn’t even think straight.

After a few years and buckets of hard work, and a thousand glasses of green juice, bit by bit you began to heal.

Then year after year, October after October you are SMACKED in the face to relive and remember.

Pink.

It’s the pits. It is awful.  It is crappy.  You get the picture.

3+ years ago, I chose the path less traveled.  I chose not to “join” the wear pink club.  Instead of joining and being encouraged and supported by friends and family wearing pink boas and pink tutus……….I went a different direction that was right for me.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I used to love pink.  It was one of my top 3 or 4 color choices.

However, I can clearly remember “the” closet day.    I went to my closet and started ripping down anything I saw that was pink.

Pink t-shirt, pink fleece jacket, pink Oxford shirt, pale pink tank top, pink glittery tank, pink long granny gown hanging up.

Next, I stepped over to my dresser.  I tossed into the pile: a pink slip, a pale pink lovely piece of lingerie and some pink panties.

I didn’t even donate them.  I threw them in the trash can for pick up the next day.

Done.  Moving on.  Brushed my hands of that.

Flipping through catalogs, I was drawn to the pink, but chose gray or taupe instead.

Imagine being so broken that for a time, I couldn’t even read, bake, write,  cook or sew.  It was a huge accomplishment when I made our bed or fed and watered the chickens by myself.

Slowly, ever so slowly with fierceness, determination, encouragement & support of Mr. Right & my family,  I started to heal.

Trying to fill up that sick, painful, time and memories with new, good, healthy positive things was/is slow going and tricky.  Bit by bit.

Then I would catch sight of a pink bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken,  pink Jello, pink diet soda, pink gummy vitamins, pink garbage bags(?), pink cake mix, professional football players wearing pink shoes or socks or the referee using a pink whistle, pink menu card in the airline seat pocket and on the ridiculous list goes.  Not one of those things would help me heal.  While the chemicals, sugar, colorings would only add gasoline to the fire, the stupidity of pink garbage bags or pink furnace filters is an assault on my intelligence.

While the pink does uplift some, brings others hope and they find comfort in the meaning, I do not.

Pink, pink you stink.  Seeing that color is a huge road block for me.  I am working to get around it. I try all the tricks the mental health field has to offer.  I continue to work on it almost daily.  It is tough, really tough to gracefully deal with it, process it and skirt around it if I am not strong enough that particular day.

Every single week, Mr. Right brings me flowers.   However,about 3+ years ago,  he considerately stopped bringing pink flowers.

As a matter of fact, for date night last night, he gave me the most beautiful burnt orangey, salmoney, fall color saturated roses I have ever seen.

In the name of healing & progress, I decided to type this.

Last night for date night.  I wore a brand new, very cute black and white pencil skirt. An adorable smokey gray (encrusted with jewels) sweater tied causally around my shoulders that was over a brand new stunning, color saturated pink blouse.  I paired it with a stunning pair of antique earrings.  

Doesn’t seem like a huge deal to most.  I talked about it way, way too many times with Mr. Right.  However, once I decided to wear it, I was done talking about the color.  As always, he complimented me several times.  Not one person pointed or even noticed, no other human being in the restaurant even gave it a second thought.

It was a humongous step for me.

Right in the middle of a beautiful, lovely, middle of the week, awesome-sauce date night at the Space Needle, I quietly, without fanfare, took one more healing step. 

As the sun set, the skyline was a light with sky scrapers. Several of those buildings have pink twinkle lights lining the rooftops.

I am not completely happy and comfortable with being constantly reminded with pink for many reasons, choices and the seriousness of this topic………..at least I didn’t dissolve into a puddle of tears as I have in the past.

Girlfriend to girlfriend, I actually sort of forgot about it.  It sort of faded into the background.

I was thinking more about:  the view, the food, the piano music, how Mr. Right still does it for me,  the dessert choices, my manicure, the card he gave me, how tight my Spanks were (I was just seeing if you were paying attention), how I love tasting his food and sharing mine,  how cute & remarkably comfortable my peep toe shoes are, my pedicure, how much I enjoyed the after dinner coffee, the bracelet I wore,  how much I enjoyed the conversation, how much I enjoy spying Mr. Right politely and smoothly tipping the young valet, how nice the car drive home was…….and on the list goes.  Yeah, I sort of forgot to fuss and fret over wearing pink.

I am making a tiny bit of progress.  Maybe my heart is starting to heal?  Maybe I am finding my own way?  Maybe, just maybe I am making my way back to liking the color pink again?

Pink, pink you are just sort of smelly.

progress.

Polly put the kettle on

In the nursery rhyme, who was Polly?  Why was a child concerned about drinking tea?

Getting rid of heavy metal toxins in the body is one of the best ways to dance down the path of wellness.

The short version of this blog post is this:  Ditch the metal tea kettle and buy a ceramic one.  The end.  (If you want to keep reading and get some learnin’ by all means, join me.)

If you choose the shorter, quicker route:  here is the before and after pictures of what we are using then and now.

By now, you’ve probably heard about negative side effects of heavy metals on your overall health and longevity.  Heavy metals are lead, mercury, cadmium, fluoride and chromium.  These heavy metals exist in our environment, air, water and food supply and long-term accumulation of these heavy metals in the body can cause many health problems.

If you are choosing health and wellness then you are on a mission like me, to eliminate as many of those heavy metals as possible. There are certainly oodles of ways to accomplish this.  Every good choice adds up in the healthy column.

Do your due diligence, folks. You and your family’s health & wellness will benefit greatly.  May I gently suggest you put on those sassy reading glasses and jump into some book learnin’.  Nah, you don’t have to drive to the library, although, that is a wonderful idea.  Open up the internet and have a look.  The card catalog of 1970 has been replaced by a high-speed, incredible version call, “Google”.  Give it a try.  It opens amazing windows of possibilities.  Get out pen and paper.  Take notes like a 7th grade school girl!  This is vital and important stuff.  

While we find mercury in many fish, wild caught Sockeye Salmon as the lowest levels & if you continue with your research you will find mercury in High Fructose Corn Syrup and vaccines.  Keep reading, keep learning!

 Sure you can eliminate fluoride in your toothpaste and by using a water purification system like a Berkey filter you can clean your water….. don’t stop there, keep going.  A gentle reminder to check your vitamins.  Fluoride is showing up in some of those lists.  Staying on top of this is vital to good health. The lists and research goes on and on.  You and your family are worth doing a bit of research on health.  

I am not a tea drinker/lover.  Oh, sure, on a hot, hot summer day, one glass of tea with lots of ice and lemon is a nice choice.  However, to sit and drink a cup of hot tea, when the coffee pot is RIGHT THERE, seems rather pointless.  Ha.

One of the things about choosing to heal, is that I must do lots of things……… eat lots of things and drink lots of things that I don’t really like.

Tea is one of them.  Sure, I have friends who swear by a “nice cup of tea”.  urgh.  While I am glad they enjoy it, I don’t.  However, to help cleanse my liver and heal my body, I must drink a cup of tea or more a day.

If you ever want to be impressed, blown away, shocked, in awe, grateful….. read about a Canadian nurse named Rene Caisse. http://www.healthfreedom.info/cancer%20essiac.htm

Pinching my nose and just drinking the tea quick (yes, thanks for your ideas, I have tried oodles of blends, flavors etc…)  I cringe even thinking about that weird metal taste.

So in an ultra clear moment of common sense……………TOSS THE METAL TEA KETTLE.  duh.

Here is what Chris Wark had to say about tea pots:

“Metal tea kettles can leach heavy metals and metallic taste into your tea when they’re exposed to high heat.  A few years ago I went in search of a ceramic kettle we could brew tea in and found an awesome one.  You should know that there is a difference between a tea-pot and a tea kettle. A tea pot should never be used on a stove, it is merely a serving piece.
A kettle, on the other hand, is designed for brewing.
The Joyce Chen Ceramic Tea Kettle is fired at 2700 degrees which makes it tough enough to use on an open flame gas cook top.  We love this kettle!
Note: It doesn’t whistle, so you need to keep your eye on it, or set a timer.
It comes in black or white, with a bamboo handle and it rocks!”

I am pleasantly surprise to share, the metallic taste is gone.  Jeepers, that was a huge common sense moment for me.  Geesh.

So while, if like me,  you may be attached to your beautiful red tea kettle that your Mr. Right gave you for a Valentine’s gift………may I gently suggest, in the name of love, you toss it in favor of a healthy heart, body & soul?  True love!

By the way, I have friends who use a cast iron tea kettle.  Now, that is another great idea.  ~just sharing the goodness.  I am always, always open to new, healthy ideas.  Thanks in advance for sharing what you have figured out.

In this together, friends. 

Here’s to our health and wellness!

 

 

color question

Question?

When you walk through the grocery aisle of spaghetti sauce in jars, how is it that they are all the exact same color?  I am not picking on any certain brand or flavor or company.  I just got to wondering how on earth they get every single jar, can, sauce, paste, organic, expensive, dirt cheap and so forth….. all pretty much the exact same color?

Earlier today, I was in the kitchen processing tomatoes.  I removed the skins, chopped and filled the slow cooker with 29 tomatoes; three varieties from our garden.  I added my usual:  fresh parsley,  basil, rosemary, oregano, chopped onion, oodles of garlic, S & P.

As I was chopping, I got to thinking, this is a more deep, rich intense red than the tomatoes a couple of weeks ago.   Maybe I let them ripen a touch longer?  More or less sunshine, more or less water?

First picture was two weeks ago, second picture was earlier this morning:

So the question is hanging there.  The longer I don’t answer the question, more pop up.

Just “maybe” food coloring is added to store-bought sauce (similar to store bought orange juice to give uniformity of color) to help it have the right marketing color?  Maybe folks like you and I are trained and looking for a particular color with bits of herbs here and there?  No matter the season, we want our sauce to be the same color as it was 4 months ago.

Our bodies, the wonderful machines that they are, were never ever, ever, meant to work this hard to clean out so much “stuff”; colorings, flavorings, chemicals, additives and on and on the list goes.

We all have heard folks having issues with children “a bit more energetic” then the families would like.  Adults that can’t keep focus and stay on track.  Folks that are more depressed than they were 5 years ago.  More and more among us having headaches, serious headaches, trouble loosing weight and so forth.

I am not saying this is the miracle we all have been searching for, what I am saying is I think it is a strong case of food for thought.

Now, I am well aware that we cannot all can, process, freeze all our own food.  While that might be a wonderful goal, some days, I just can’t do it. Some times I am tired and I just want to buy a perfect tomato in the produce department that someone else tended.  I am still having troubles growing my own basil, so yes, I buy it.  Some days, I run out and just want to buy a bottle of sugar-free ketchup from Whole Foods. I just don’t want to stop and make it.

I just got to thinking, maybe just maybe the answer is…. we all make a little more effort into growing our own something?  Then share.  Yes, I said, share with your neighbor.  Maybe trade a few of these tomatoes for some cucumbers or trade some beans for fresh eggs.  Maybe trade hemming a pair of pants for some beautiful fresh grown radishes? 

While not every one has the luxury of baby steps, maybe together we can collectively take small steps towards regaining health and wellness?  Give our bodies a break from the overload of colorings, flavorings … things that are foreign to our bodies.

Just asking the questions is a good start. Maybe having a great discussion over a home cooked meal or a tall glass of fresh juice?

If we put our brains together, oh yes, there is power in numbers, we might come up with some useful and amazing ideas towards sharing health and goodness.  I know, I for one, would looooove some ideas and tips and suggestions.  I am anxious to have a discussion and hear your ideas.

In this together, folks.

Here’s to our collective health and wellness!

Chat tomorrow.

 

 

 

unexpected grace

Last night, I couldn’t fall asleep.

I read and read and read some more.   Nothin’.  (note to self:  next Sunday when you are feeling super sassy, don’t go overboard with so much coffee, end of lesson)

I got up and went into the library/tv room.

Netflix.  Yes, we have had it for a couple of weeks, giving it a try.   B and I have watched a few things together.  I didn’t pay close attention on how to actually turn it on.

Are we the only family that has 4 remotes?  We seldom turn on the television, so I need a cheat sheet to figure it all out.

After several attempts, I did it!!!

I wanted to see the documentary “I’m Not Your Guru”  with Tony Robbins.

(spoiler alert….HIGHLY recommend)

First let me say, I love this guy.  We love this guy.  He has taught us/we have learned so much about finances/giving.

Other than about money and giving to charity,  never have I seen or listened to any of his other seminars.  We both have read the book about money, investing and giving to others.

This was new for me.

HUGE WARNING:  In this documentary… his language is not for the faint of heart.  It is salty and brass and in your face.  He uses some mighty ugly words and drops the F bomb on several occasions.  His words are harsh and I am thinking do what they are intended to do.  Snap people out of their comfort zone and help them start anew.

This is a behind the scene view of how one of his yearly seminars is run.  People pay $5,000.00 just to gain admission.  That doesn’t include airfare or hotel etc.

If you asked any of them, just guessing here, they would positively say it was worth it.

The personal stories are rough and tumble, hard to hear.   Some of these folks have had extremely tough times.   (after video follows up on the folks that were interviewed and you find out how it all turned out)

The high energy level is unbelievable.

Here is the thing that I wanted to share.  In among all the swear words, energy, people…lots of people, groups, sharing and what can only be described at control chaos…………..there was a pearl.  (nah, not his beautiful, smart, lovely wife, Bonnie Pearl “Sage” Robbins)……..right in the middle of all that madness…..

……….. Tony Robbins said,  “that’s grace……Grace is a connection to the Divine.”

While not being billed as a feel good seminar, it was really about Grace and Love and Goodness.

Here’s the thing,  I need to be reminded to love myself and love others with fierce passion.  I need to look for more goodness and seek it out.

I feel enlightened, I am enthralled with his thinking and his commitment to figuring it all out.   It certainly was a good use of my time.

Grace is a connection to the Divine.  

I love this thought.  It is going to hold me all week and then some.

5 Star documentary, worth your time.