Wish List

On one of the rainy afternoons this week, my son was perusing his Lego catalogues and started circling things he wants to get. He has his own business building and selling birdhouses - he markets them through the local corner store at the moment - so he does actually have plans for acquiring the money. I helped him type up a wishlist on the computer, and then that evening, got to thinking, what if I posted a wishlist on the blog - things I'd like to bring into my life in the next year? It's all about putting your intentions out there into the world, so here is my list of things I'd like to - no, no, not like to - here is my list of things that I will have come my way in the next year (even if I am struggling with putting my intentions out there, as it seems all consumerist):

• an Excalibur 9-tray dehydrator
• a Champion (or Green Star) juicer
• a Saladacco/Spirooli slicer
• a Reverse Osmosis water filter and/or a whole house water filter system - AquaSmart has one RO with a ceramic Alkaline filter ($735 in case you're wondering; http://www.aquasmart.com/). (I put a chlorine filter on the shower not long ago and wow, it makes a big difference in the quality of the water you're bathing in.)
• Raw Vegan 'cook' books - Jennifer Cornbleet's Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 people; Fresh by Valya & Sergei Boutenko; Angela Stokes' Juice Feaster's Handbook, and Raw Emotions e-book; Bryan Au's Raw in 10 Minutes; Raw Revolution Diet (Cherie Soria, Brenda Davis & Vesanto Melina), just to name a few.
• a trailer hitch for the Subaru ($399 installed), and a bike rack that will fit the hitch so we can take the bikes out (we don't live near many bike trails & the "Hwy" is not child-biking-friendly). And at some future point, how about the top rack for the kayak.
• TIME. Is there ever enough?! Just a few hours to myself, I think, just a few more. But really, life is grand just the way it is.
• Let's just, overall, wish for health & abundance to frow freely into my life in the next year. Abundance of time, abundance of money, abundance of unconditional love and positive regard and goodwill...

For what it's worth, in the next month, I've committed to donating blood and going to a naturopath, not because my health is poor, by any means, but just to see if we can't tweak me into the supremely vibrant health that is our birthright. I am also committing to more exercise - rowing more often (5 kms, 4x a week) and doing tai chi more regularly (more than the once a week class I'm doing right now, anyways), and I'm committing to maintaining the raw vegan lifestyle. I am also going to look into a continuing education night-class at the local uni in November I'm interested in taking, and in the next month, I'll begin assisting teaching a Tai Chi beginner's class as well. I'd like to make the time to go for a massage, check out that new raw restaurant, and also perhaps go for accupuncture. So there you have it - I've put my intentions out there, so now let's...

BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Winter Veggies...

Spent a good deal of time yesterday afternoon in the garden... finally for the first day in what seemed like weeks the rain had ceased and the sun was shining (I felt like a reptile as I sat with my back against the south wall of the house, the warmth heating me up). I harvested potatoes - about 8 whole pounds worth! Not a bad harvest at all, considering I had only planted about 8 sq ft of potatoes - so I guess you get about a pound for every square foot? In the spot where the potatoes came out I planted 3 dozen kale starts - green curly, red russian, white russian, and rainbow tuscan kale (just like aleesha over at http://aleeshasrawlife.blogspot.com/, I love my kale!! I usually blend it into a green smoothie, but I'm looking forward to kale salads, too - and last week I dehydrated some and added it to my veggie soup mix). I am so excited at the thought of harvesting fresh greens from the garden throughout the winter!

My next step is to close the garden in for winter - to turn it into a greenhouse of sorts. I have the framework in place - and I have some 6mm poly that I am planning on putting over the existing fence/frame structure. All I need is 7 - 10' 2x4s that I can make rafters out of. Sounds simple enough but I've been procrastinating on this for many weeks - nay, months - now. But now that we are at the end of August I am wanting to get on with it.

I picked up the veggie starts at a plant sale earlier this week. I got cress, the different types of kale, broccoli (purple sprouting & green goliath), cabbage, a couple varieties of chard, silverbeet, raddichio, spinach, cilantro, bunching onions (apparently like a perennial green onion), and others I can't even remember. Greens, greens, greens! I also planted two packages of lettuce/mesclun mix yesterday (mild & oriental), but realized afterwards I should've maybe planted them in what will be the "covered" garden, as opposed to the herb garden that I usually leave uncovered in the winter, but which is next to the house and doesn't usually freeze (not that we get your typical Canadian winter where we live - at most we'll have one week below 0C). I'm not sure how the lettuce will manage uncovered.

Put the potato plants on the compost, which incidentally is hovering at a lovely 110F at the moment. I am intending to add some horse or chicken manure to it and with regular turning and adding, am hoping to get OVER 110 at some point! Wouldn't it be nice to have it heat up to 120 or even 160 or 170 like in hot composting? Well, okay, so maybe you don't share my enthusiasm for compost (I am a Master Composter, after all, LOL). Still, it would be kinda cool. I toy with the idea of getting 3 or 4 chickens every now and again - just for the manure that I'd have on hand to add to the compost. But I chicken out every time I think of it (collective groan for the bad pun there, please). Still, I might one day...

And today I stopped by the local farmer's market and picked up some lovely carrots, celery, onions, cucumber, and heirloom tomatoes. I was about to make some flax crackers last night when I realized I had no carrots for the recipe (actually, they're the Pizza Crust crackers from RawRose's Uncook book - check her out at http://www.rawrose.com/, and they are delicious).

Hope you're enjoying your Saturday!

Hurricane Gustav

I have family who live down in the Carribean and Hurricane Gustav is, as we speak, heading directly for their little island. It is particularly worrisome, as the news reports I've read indicate it is gaining strength as it heads for their home. It reminds me of the winter storms we have here, with the unrelenting high winds and rain, snapping tall fir trees over and leaving destruction in its wake. Never underestimate nature's brute force - Dec 15/06 we had one of the worst winter storms I've ever experienced pass this way, and it was really amazing to see the aftermath. And Tropical Storm Fay just hit their island - was it last week? - and now another one?! Sure it's a tropical paradise but to have to deal with hurricane season every late-summer would get old pretty fast. The opportunity here is to think about how our lifestyles are contributing to global warming (which may be contributing to wilder weather worldwide, depending on your POV) and to see the repercussions of our choices - to take some responsibility for the nearly 70 people that have died because of this one storm in the Carribean, and this storm hasn't even ended yet! We are all one, people, we are all one.

Anyways, wishing everyone in the path of Gus a safe journey through. My thoughts are with you.

Heal Thy Self this new Moon...

This New Moon (30 Aug) and the subsequent waxing two-week phase to the Full Moon (15 Sept) is a time for serious inner reflection and toward healing for yourself and the world, a time to express the values of service & selflessness. Though it can be hard to do, this is the New Moon to realize that we each have a duty to heal ourselves by reaching out to heal others.

This is the time to take your commitment to health and healing very seriously. Health, well-being, seeing the body as a temple of the spirit. Viewing the body as a sacred vessel to house the mind and heart, it becomes almost impossible to consider doing it harm. (Why not have a colour bath - a pink one - to facilitate healing?!) "A healthy body creates a healthy mind.” Be attentive to good health and ingest delicious, healthy foods in moderation. Getting healthy is one of the highest forms of self-love, and this new moon is all about the mind-body connection; the most powerful medicine for healing. Achieve total health through activities like Mindfulness Meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, or Aikido, all of which simultaneously heal the body and center the mind.

This is also the time to tame your inner critic. Deal with unrelenting self-criticism, perfectionism, from the sense of never being good enough, of not feeling worthy. Instead, meditate on the idea that all that you are, existed 15 billion years ago at the beginning of time. Think of the interconnectedness of life - we are all sourced of the same energy, we are all made of the same material, we are all one. We are all radiant and divine beings and yes, you really are that important to the continuing unfolding of the universe. What I do for one (like healing my self), I do for all.

And remember, "the only way to transcend tragedy is to laugh." (Deepak Chopra) If you can view 'tragedy' as 'that which requires healing in my body', then it's clear - laughter is valuable medicine. Laughter brings both a certain tension & an elasticity into our lives. It releases pent-up energy. With laughter, we become self-aware. A little Laughter Yoga, anyone?

In order to make your commitments stick you must continue to give your goals lots of attention and energy during the two weeks while the Moon is waxing to full.

Namaste.

Vegan Diets

There was an article front-and-center on MSN today. The article, entitled "Going Vegan" by Flannery Dean (2008-08-18) had some solid information in it, but I would dispute the claim that "there’s no substantial research to suggest that a vegan diet is healthier than a regular diet." While I didn't have a pre-vegan medical, I can tell you from my own experience that adopting a vegan diet helped me shed many pounds of excess weight, and my post-vegan medical tests (cholesterol, blood pressure, & others) indicate I have the health of someone many years younger. And yes, there are vegans out there who eat vegan junk food, and a lot of it. But overall, I think many vegans are a lot healthier than their SAD-eating counterparts, but that's just my opinion. I guess I'd like to see more research done on the benefits of vegan diets - but I can't see that happening much because big business that produces all that cheap mass-processed food (and I use the term "food" loosely there) isn't about to financially support research that shows that eating food in as close to its natural state as possible is healthier for you than a box of Kraft Dinner or Hamburger Helper.

I *did* like that the article cited this research: "In fact, in 2006 a University of Chicago study published in the journal Earth Interactions concluded that adopting a vegan-inspired diet is more significant in the fight against global warming than driving a hybrid car."

Overall, I think that eating local, in-season, organic, raw, vegan foods are probably our best choices, as much as is possible - at least it's *my* best choice. But then more attention needs to be paid to ensuring balance and nutrients in a diet like this, I suppose. Me, I'm not quite ready to give up some of my non-local foods just yet... but mentally I'm working towards it.

Farmer's Markets...

Yet another beautiful sunny day here... three in a row!! We're spoiled. We hit two different local farmer's markets this morning... and what a SCORE of beautiful produce we got! Artichokes, corn on the cob, Peas, Garlic, Basil, Strawberries, Cantaloupe!!! And there was SOOOOOOO much more for sale. On top of our weekly box from the organic farm, we have an abundance of fresh food to eat.

I just finished reading The 100 Mile Diet by Alisa Smith & J.D. MacKinnon, two Vancouverites who, in March 2005, decided to eat nothing but local foods (i.e. produced within 100 miles of their home) for an entire year. The book chronicles their adventures. It was very inspiring to read. They really emphasized what an ABUNDANCE of food we have available to us, especially where we live, here in the Pacific Northwest. And if this isn't a testament to the popularity of the 100 mile diet - there are 17 copies of the book available in the local library system and 89 - yes 89 - hold requests for the book. Craziness. So many many people are becoming educated about the importance, the sustainability, of eating local, in-season, (preferably organic) foods. So nourishing for both the earth and body. And I guess it was really interesting that so many of the other books mentioned within theirs, I'd read already. I don't consider myself a voracious reader, but any stretch of the imagination, but I guess local food security is a pretty strong interest of mine it seems.

Blessings to you on this most beautiful of days
~n~

Tai Chi

Last night at tai chi class, it was amazing that after nearly 3 years of practicing tai chi, i am still learning something new each week. I mean, it doesn't take 3 yrs to "learn", in one sense, the 108 moves. Within 6 months, I had those down pretty good, really. But now, with every class, my understanding of how much awareness can be brought to each move deepens. This week as we were working on this one particular move, I realized how before I've completed the move in its entirety - like before I've completed the stretch forward, for example - I'm already giving it away and beginning to go on to the next part of the move, where you turn to 45 degrees. It was amazing to think of how that relates to the rest of my life - how many times do I not see things through to their natural completion? How often am I already thinking ahead to the future, and not FULLY present in the moment? Oh my, if only I had penny for every time I can think of! It was an awe-inspiring realization. Huge. I'm giving away the full stretch. Why?! Why?!

Today I am grateful...
for my tidier-than-normal house at this moment, for my health and the health of those around me, for the unconditional love and big hugs my dd gives, for my ds's giggle and snuggles, for the voice of my husband and his near daily phone calls which keep me feeling supported and cared for, for foraging for huckleberries and super-fresh and super-local berries, edible flowers and vegetables from the garden, for clotheslines and sunshine, for the sound of the waves on the pebbled beach, for the sounds of children playing on the playground, for the gift this moment is.

namaste
~n~

Raweos & Chocolate Banana Milkshake

Recipe for the Raweos from Bryan Au's "Raw in 10 Minutes" cookbook. The only thing I would suggest, after having made them, is not to store them in the fridge before eating them, because the coconut oil middle ends up as hard as candle wax - same texture, too. It's a bit unnerving - LOL... but they are delicious, and a wonderful (& super-easy) way to use leftover almond pulp from making almond milk.

And secondly, we whipped up a batch of almond milk this morning, added a tbsp of raw cacao powder and voila - you have chocolate almond milk. Whip up a couple of bananas with it and mmmmmmm deeeeeeelicious. Goes very well with the raweos. Hard to tell in the picture just how chocolatey it is.

Lightning and... nitrogen???

Found out this rather bizarre fact from our local organic farm where we support their CSA (community-supported agriculture) - aka Box - program...

Did you know that lightning fixes nitrogen in the soil? After a lightning storm, watch your crops to see if they grow faster with the added nitrogen around.

Bizarre, isn't it.

Supporting Canadian Women in Business...

I was looking over the nominees for the Mom Entrepreuener Award at www.saavymom.ca that's on right now (because I personally know two of the nominees), and I was really impressed by some of these Canadian women - managing to balance family responsibilities with earning an income. Here are some links to some of these businesses, both near and far, you might want to check out and possibly support. And while you're at it, why not vote for your personal favourite at http://www.momentrepreneuraward.ca/

In no particular order:

Concierge Home Services (Ottawa) - http://www.conciergehomeservices.com/ - offering pet and house sitting, cleaning, and more

Victoria Concierge (Victoria) - http://www.victoriaconcierge.com/ - similar to above, also offers relocation services and local tours.

Little Earth Children's Store (Vancouver) - http://www.littleearthvancouver.com/ - Kids' consignment store

Salts Organic (Sooke, BC) - http://www.saltsorganic.com/ - Designer clothing for women, men, and children

Elephant Shoe (Winnipeg) - http://www.elephant-shoe.ca/ - Kids' store

Happy Mail for Kids - http://www.happymailforkids.ca/ - You can subscribe and have a mail parcel delivered, one-time or repeat, with things kids will love!

Little Ones Tack Shop (Newmarket, ON) - http://www.littleonestackshop.com/ - Yes, all things horsey for little people

Mountain Blue Eyes (Red Deer) - http://www.mountainblueeyes.com/ - Nursingwear for the active mother

Otter Bottle - http://www.otterbottle.ca/ - Stainless Steel water bottles (although I didn't like that they were made in china, personally)

Lil Inkers (Lake Cowichan, BC) - http://www.lilinkers.ca/ - environmentally-aware children's clothes with a slogan

And while we're at it, a plug for Timeless Spirit online magazine, published by a women entrepreuner: http://www.timelessspirit.com/

There was a letter to the editor in the local newspaper a few weeks ago that said "kudos to all the women in business in Sooke!" We are fortunate to have many thriving businesses, like Souki Sushi, Sea of Bloom flower shop (also do weddings), Nut Pop Thai restaurant, Double D Gardens & Nursery, just to name a few...

Shop local, and have a great day!
~n~

One last post for today.... mindless ramblings...

Celebrations...
Forgot it was International Green Smoothie Day today. No, I didn't make a green smoothie today. But I did have lots of other yummy raw food, and ds made a wicked fruit smoothie this evening that we all shared (strawberries, blueberries, mango, almond milk, and banana).

Astrology...
Also, once again I'm copying from Angela's blog (http://rawreform.blogspot.com) as she paraphrases astrologer Lisa Dale Miller (www.astrowisdom.com/thisfullmoon.htm) about tomorrow's full moon:

“This is the Full Moon for involvement in something larger than you. Remember that Aquarius rules the breakdown of the old ways by questioning the status quo. Those who create revolutionary change in societies are always the ones who can vision far beyond accepted beliefs and structures. Step fully into a commitment to teach and serve by breaking down the attraction to focusing only on your own life. Selfless giving to others is a true Aquarian vision of working for the collective upliftment of all sentient beings. This is the Full Moon to honor freedom, idealism, humanitarianism, egalitarianism, and the revolutionary impulse toward reform, without causing harm to anyone. Aquarius is the impulse to raise-up everyone and leave no one behind."

Love it! I recommend going to her website and reading the full article. It's great.

Tai Chi...
I know I already mentioned last night's tai chi class in another post, but I wanted to add what a wonderful set I had. Last week was the first class I'd attended in 3 wks, and I was rusty!!! This week, I was able to focus intensely throughout the 15 minute or 20 minute set and I really felt the energy flowing and the groove. It was bliss. Sure there was a moment or two where I faltered, but it was a pretty darned good set. And of course, I slept really well last night, too. :)

Gardening, composting, and some extreme fatigue...
Gardened for several hours this afternoon, despite getting lightheaded/dizzy every time I stood up quickly (which happened at least a dozen times) - low blood pressure, I'd guess. I enjoyed being outside and playing in the soil thoroughly - my compost is up to 110F!! - (AND the children were cooperative and played nicely together!!), but this evening I've been completely wiped - like I have chronic fatigue or a nutritional deficiency or something. Or maybe the example of how much "normal" people get done in a day that I grew up with was a little warped? LOL Just maybe. Anyways I've been so very very very tired this evening and the kids are running circles around me - they're happy, though, and quite frankly, being at home all day and only having talked to a couple other adults on the telephone, I'm feeling pretty lonely for some adult company, in all honesty. (Should I be admitting that in public?! LOL) I could really use a deep conversation right now. ha ha ha

Namaste,
~n~

Raw Parfaits...

from Jennifer Cornbleet's book, Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People....

Chocolate Mousse alternated with Vanilla Creme...

Raising our children for tomorrow

A friend said to me the other day, as we were talking about parenting, that someone had once told her, "Don't raise your children for today. Raise them for tomorrow." When you think of all the changes that have happened in the last 100 yrs, even in the span of just one generation, you can see how important this becomes - why, I remember getting our first microwave, first VCR, first Vic 20, Commodore 64, Atari, and then Nintendo, and how about cell phones, and oh, I could go on and on. So when we look at raising our children, how do we determine what qualities and skills our children will need when they are adults? Well, I'd say that a child who grows up with the ability to interact well with others, who has clear communication skills and is empathic and caring, who has demonstrated problem solving abilities, who can think independently and critically about ideas (and share their thoughts from a basis of nonviolent communication), who has a clear set of values from which to base their behaviour... I think this child is going to fare better than one who knows the standard curriculum learned in our schools. I understand this is a fairly radical idea. For example, my friend said to me, "when was the last time you wrote - I mean, actually picked up a pencil and wrote substantial quantities of anything?" And I'd have to agree, it's been a long, long time. The skills (in this regard) I use now are typing - specifically, keyboarding.

No, I'd much rather give my children a firm set of values and an ability to communicate well and think critically and problem solve. Cooperation rather than competitiveness. Am I giving my children a disadvantage by homeschooling them from this basis? Only time will tell, but obviously I believe whole-heartedly I am not.

When to let children make food choices for themselves

DS and I were discussing modern diseases the other day. I said, The current belief about diet is that it is generally NOT recommended to eat more meat or dairy to help prevent diseases like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and so on. Hasn't happened. What I *do* hear time and time again is "eat more fresh fruits and vegetables". Or as stated in La Leche League philosophy: "Good nutrition means eating a well-balanced and varied diet of foods in as close to their natural state as possible." As in... RAW fruits and vegetables.

Am I harming myself by subsisting on a diet of whole foods - of fresh, organic, raw fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds and sprouts? It's been 3 months and I wouldn't say my health is deteriorating at all. In fact, if you can wrap your head around it, I feel like my energy levels on raw food are amazingly high. I feel like my outlook on life is extraordinarily positive and that I am better able to cope with stressful situations. I feel like generally, I am in a better mood overall. And I wonder, as I watch one of the children have an emotional outburst or a melt-down, I wonder if their diet isn't contributing to it. I have read other blogs of children who are thriving on raw food. And then I start to seriously questioning, if I'm nurturing myself with raw food, why wouldn't I give the same benefits to my children? Up until now I've let my children make their own food decisions - and ds has, at 8, come to his own decision to be vegetarian. We already make certain food choices for our children when we start them on solids (even before then, it could be argued). At what point do you let your children decide for themselves? Do you only keep raw food in the house? Do you keep a variety of whole foods - including ones that can be cooked (like whole grains)? Do you keep dairy products in the house? Is meat a food option in your house? Are our children armed with enough knowledge to make these kinds of decisions on their own? So much to consider, and the outcome is not to be taken lightly. What we eat becomes part of us, it becomes who we are. How have other people reconciled this dilemma for themselves?

Raw food helping to sort through food "issues"

Going on a raw-food-preparation binge today and yesterday. Yesterday I made flax crackers, tricolor salad, and guacamole. Today I'm making "not tune pate", walnut pate which will be made into "not meatballs", vanilla creme sauce which will be made into parfaits with chocolate mousse (doesn't that sound yummy?!), and almond milk, and almond creme which will be the base for vanilla ice creme (i've been thinking of raw ice cream in this summer heat for a few days now). Today's recipes are all from Jennifer Cornbleet's book "Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People". Awesome book. Yesterday's recipes are from Raw Rose's Uncookbook, which is the only raw cookbook I own to-date. The others all come from the local library, but judging by the number of holds on them all, raw food is becoming quite the trend!

I also tried the winning chia recipe off Angela Stokes' blog (http://rawreform.blogspot.com/), and I apologize to the submitter as I can't remember her name right now, but it was quite good (I just got a lb of chia seeds & some maca powder in my raw food order yesterday: I order from realrawfood.com in Naramata). I made a half-batch, soaking 1c of chia seeds overnight, and then blending with 1/2 tbsp of maca powder, 1/2 tbsp of raw cacao powder, and i put 1 tbsp or so of raw agave nectar b/c the recipe called for yacon syrup and i didn't even know what that was, so i substituted. oh, and ~ 1/4 c of raspberries (said the recipe). and i added a good size handful of huckleberries (probably 1/2 c, and yes, from our yard). It made about 3 cups of raspberry chocolate chia pudding, about 2 or 3 servings.

It's challenging if you're already hungry, go looking for food, and there are raw ingredients around, but nothing prepared. Those are the moments I'm most likely to opt for the frozen vegan pizza in the freezer or something else I'm trying to avoid. I really need to make a meal plan and prepare food ahead of time so I'm not caught in that situation. Having non-raw food in the house sometimes creates major struggles for me.

Here's where I come from, in relation to food - I am told that as an infant, my mother didn't feel she had enough milk to supply me with breastmilk, so within a couple months (I'm not sure exactly how long it was, but I think it was about 4-6 weeks) I was on formula. Apparently I would suck that bottle dry quick as a wink, and it was "like I was starving". I gained weight very quickly and at 3 or 4 months, the dr recommended I start solids. So here I am on solids already and eating quickly, like I was starving, gaining quickly. As a child, I was hungry. Constantly. If I skipped a meal my blood sugar'd be all over the place and I'd be moody and feel nauseous and ill. It seemed to me that there was never enough food. It was like I didn't have an "off" button. Even at a buffet, I'd eat and eat and eat until that awful feeling of over-full-ness would hit. I was constantly trying to sneak cookies and food. I grew up on the SAD, too, and struggled with weight issues. Actually, when I look at pictures, I don't think I look overweight. Classic example of this is a group photo of my friends and I when I was 17; I remember at the time the picture was taken being horrified and feeling like I was "huge" when in fact, I look at that picture now and am amazed at what great shape I was in, but how distorted my body image was. Anyways at 13 my mother put me on my first diet. In my 20s, out on my own for the first time and without an ability to say no to food, I ate and ate until I was well into the 200's and it has only been since going vegan (cold turkey, no pun intended) in April 2006 that I began to finally beat some of the food issues that have been plaguing me, seemingly, since birth. I lost 50+ lbs and now, having gone raw vegan 3 1/2 months ago, I've lost another 20 lbs. And I feel like mentally, I am finally able to confront some of the demons in terms of food issues that I've been hiding behind.

At tai chi class last night, I said that I feel like I'm finally able to focus on the inside - the mechanics of the hips and spine turning, and not think about the outside physical-ness of my body, and when we focus on the spine turning or the bone alignment or what-have-you, we are all identical. Sure my bones are inherently larger than my sister, although we're roughly the same height. I said that to my ds one day - if you took all the bones from my body and weighed them against someone else the same height, my bones might weigh more - they are dense. I've ALWAYS been this way and it's not something to try and change. It just IS. I'm solid. Always have been. Having solid bones does not mean I'm overweight. It means I'm never going to be a waif, that's all.

My nephew is 3. I see some similar tendencies (food issues) arising in him. Even as early as a year and a half ago, if he had a bowl of, say, grapes, in front of him, he would stuff them into his mouth as fast as possible (not chewing them) and soon his mouth would be SO full of food, he couldn't possibly chew, and he'd suddenly look at you - surprised! - and wonder what to do. So his parents would keep their hand over his food, and check that he had chewed and swallowed one bite before allowing him the next bite. What is this all about? Why is it that some of us don't have "off" buttons? Did he & I die in another lifetime of starvation?

I am very grateful to raw food, and all those who have supported me along this journey, as I am finally able to begin to understand what food has meant for me throughout my life, and to process the relationship with food I now have. So thanks. :)

Tricolor salad:

2 cobs fresh corn, kernels cut off
1 1/2 c cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/4 c chopped red onion
1/4 c fresh basil, chopped fine
1 tsp sea salt

Stir together & serve

Menstruation

I was reading an article in Alive magazine (July 2008) called, "The Pill: Miraculous, advantageous, or perilous?" (p.62-64, by Cathy Carlson-Rink, ND, RM, a Langley practitioner). The article debated the merits of the pill. (Directly from the article,) OTOH, it offers effective contraception, protection against ovarian and uterine cancers, and has rapid reversibility (many women will return to ovulating very very soon after discontinuing the pill). The cons are that it can cause nutritional deficiencies (long-term use causes folate, other B vitamin, vit C, magnesium, and zinc deficiencies), it doesn't prevent HIV and STDs, it can have side effects, it can lead to estrogen in our water supplies (women on the pill excrete hormones into waste water - in other words, it doesn't break down), and of course, suppression of menstrual cycles. Now this last point was interesting (it wasn't news, of course, but this next part was).

"Women are cycling in a linear world. Is it any surprise then that the message in our culture is that our period is inconvenient - and unnecessary? An interesting study in the 1930s - well before the pill was introduced - found that during the first half of the menstrual cycles, women's energy was directed toward the outer world. During ovulation, women were receptive to being cared for and loved by others. During the premenstrual or postovulatory phase, women were more focused inwardly." Isn't that amazing? I had no idea that many women would find a pattern in their outlooks connected to their cycles - a change from being more extroverted to more introverted. It certainly explains so very much. My question is, if you're on the pill and it's suppressing your natural cycle, how are you going to be attuned to your body's natural rhythym? It seems we are suppressing more than "just" our menstrual cycles by taking hormonal contraception.

Summer time, and the livin's easy...

Ahhh glorious summer....

A glass of fresh watermelon juice...

A glass of fresh cantaloupe juice...

Stepping On Toes....

This is about those internal monologues we have. What are you subconsciously telling yourself? Are you special? Are you a deservingly radiant being? Damn straight you are. Radiant. That's you. And me.

Today has been a beautiful day, despite me feeling a bit like a fumble-bumble. This afternoon, I made a phone call to my sister to share some news, and by doing so, I apparently accidentally over-stepped some unspoken boundaries (that I obviously didn't even know existed); that certainly was NOT my intention (regardless, that's how it was perceived). So I went outside and gardened in the brilliant, warm sunshine, knowing that I was honouring myself, and by connecting with the earth and my spirit, that I was a worthy person. I guess the message I was sending myself after listening to the message I received, what made me upset, was the internal dialogue I was having: wow, you messed up; you shouldn't've done that, you suck, you should've known better, yadda yadda. So to reassure myself that I am a complete and whole being, and that life is unfolding perfectly every moment, I spent a little time in the sunshine, with the earth, in silence; a little time honouring ME, and connecting to something much larger than myself. And it helped. It also helped me see that some people close to me needed some serious amounts of compassion and unconditional positive regard and love. And after honouring myself, I was able to see this and start sending them loving and peaceful energy, and forgive them for assuming I was a blabbermouth. If it wasn't my intention to step on others' toes, perhaps it wasn't their intention to upset me with their message in reply. Lots of compassion and love going out to them.

My horoscope today? Something like, Don't let others' disappointment in you become your self-image. As we approach the full moon on the 16th, keep reminding yourself how special you are. Because you truly are.

It's so easy to forget, to get caught up in the DRAMA, to live unconsciously... But I know that what I need is uplifting, inspiring energy around me. Which, incidentally, is JUST what my partner offered me when I spoke with him. A little laughter, light-heartedness, and a whole lot of love. So a big thank-you goes out to him. And then little A and I went out and picked fresh raspberries together and she danced around the garden, barefoot in the dirt, singing a song about how she loves the growing plants, the beans, the sunflowers, the raspberries, and me. And she gave me a big big hug. Love her so much for that.

Angela Stokes (http://rawreform.blogspot.com/), fellow raw foodie (okay, she's a celebrity and i'm not... yet), turned 30 yesterday. To celebrate, she had a list of 30 wishes, which she posted on her blog, and I'm putting it on here because it really resonated with me today, with a big BIG thank-you to Angela for sharing...

Here are my 30 wishes for YOU, in no particular order:
1. That you tell at least one person today that you love them
2. That you hug at least one person today
3. That you realise you have access to ALL the answers from within
4. That you drink some fresh vegetable juice today
5. That you touch the Earth with some part of your bare skin
6. That you enjoy some nourishing time connecting to nature
7. That you mooooove your body and break a sweat ;)
8. That you truly listen to others
9. That you see the divinity in everyone and everything
10. That you breathe deeeeeeeeeeeep
11. That you practice forgiveness (for yourself and others)
12. That you hold a loving space out towards all others
13. That you consume food optimally for YOU today
14. That you laugh out loud at least 5 times today
15. That you tell someone today WHY you appreciate them
16. That you get clear on your optimal vision for your life
17. That you give thanks for all that you experience
18. That you remember it’s all a game ;)
19. That you speak honestly and with integrity
20. That you give another person something, with no expectations
21. That you stay centred in your truth, regardless of circumstances
22. That you experience deep, rich eye contact with someone today
23. That you open to synchronicity and flow in your life
24. That you feel excited to be on your life path
25. That you feel supported and cared for by those around you
26. That you enjoy some time in direct sunlight today
27. That you explore your passions
28. That you choose inspiring, uplifting company and entertainment
29. That you feel healthy, confident and abundant
30. That you live, love and let go ;)

Be peaceful,
Namaste.
~n~

Happy Anniversary

Just wanted to wish my sweetie a happy 11th anniversary today.
With much love
~n~
xoxx

Shirley Day

Today is our community's annual event, Shirley Day - always the second Sunday in August. It starts with a 4 km family fun run/walk down to the lighthouse and back up (gravel road), followed by a pancake breakfast. The run was my idea last year (I'm on the organizing committee for Shirley Day) to give people in our community an active, fun event to participate in - it's all about healthy living. At 10 a.m., the crafters and vendors are set up in the park adjacent to our community hall and the kids' games are ready to be played. There was a tai chi demo, and music throughout the day (a classical trio, bluegrass band, and chamber vocal ensemble) - all local talent. In celebration of B.C.'s 150th anniversary, a historical display was set up by the local regional museum inside the community hall, along with a pioneer family's collectibles. There were t-shirts for sale with a print of the community hall (last year we had a photo of the lighthouse on the t-shirts which were very popular). One of the community members was giving 15 minute chair shiatsu massages; all proceeds were donated to the community association. A silent auction inside and a concession, featuring burgers, samosas, spanakopita, reportedly-delicious cheesecakes.... There was free watermelon in the afternoon and the kids LOVED the barbie dunk tank and face painting. The afternoon culminated with a salmon barbeque and free birthday cake for B.C.'s 150th, both of which were well-received by the community (our first time having a salmon bbq to end the day). The weather, despite having rained HEAVILY yesterday, was great all day - a little overcast, but the sun did peak out in the afternoon and warm things up. All in all, a very successful event.

And a *huge* round of applause to all the volunteers who make community events like this happen; goodness knows this event is no exception. Every last detail was handled by volunteers - some of whom put in untold hours. This is my definition of COMMUNITY SPIRIT. And it makes me darned proud to live in Shirley.

Now if only I could convince the other committee members to have at least *some* raw food on the menu. It was monumental that they had veggie dogs. So we have a long way to go in that regard.

Happy Philip Petit Day!

Happy Philip Petit Day!!! On August 7th, 1974, Philip Petit walked a tightrope between the twin towers in New York while they were under construction. Crazy. And amazing. Check out the wikipedia entry on 'im: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Petit

To celebrate, I got a haircut this morning - first time in I don't know how long. It feels good and was totally worth the $21 rather than trying to cut it myself, as I've been doing the past couple years. I'll try and post an updated picture when I can. And okay, I didn't really get a haircut because it's Philip Petit Day. I was sorely overdue for one, that's all. :)

Ordering raw food today. Really finding it hard to get back into being at home and making raw food again. That holiday really threw me for a loop. I think it is more just having gotten sick upon returning - there is still laundry to be put away from the trip, and the kitchen floor desperately needs washing, and life is, well, busy (who's isn't). It'll all get done eventually but what it means is that I am looking for quick food - like a cut up avocado & mango together. That quick. I made a smoothie this morning with salad mix, banana, mango, and cherries. Delicious and it's amazing what a difference a smoothie makes in filling you up. Oh, and almond milk in it, too. Anyways, it's time for more almonds and other nibblies from realrawfood.com in Naramata. Check it out.

Food co-op pick-up this afternoon. Not much of the food co-op items are raw; in fact, it's mostly dry goods/processed goods. But it is mostly natural/organic as much as possible - like organic canned tomatoes, organic whole-grain flours, that kind of thing - even 'green' household cleaners. And being that I'm the only raw foodie in the house, the kids need to eat, too, so we'll be picking it up this afternoon.

And tonight, for the first time in 3 weeks, I'm hoping to get to Tai Chi class. It's amazing how much you miss it. I really ought to get into the habit of doing it daily. It feel sooooo good - so relaxing - like an internal massage. And yesterday I put a kink in my neck (might go to the chiropractor today, too), so I'm hoping the stretching in Tai Chi will put it right.

Water with freshly squeezed lemon. Doesn't that sound refreshing? Mmmmmm....

Butterflies Blooming in the Air, Momma Don't Cry

While riding her tricycle around Grammy & Grampa's deck in the sunshine the other day, dd made up this song (no, I wasn't crying at the time - LOL)... "Butterflies Blooming in the Air, Momma Don't Cry". She is right into making up songs these days - free songs, uninhibited, creative songs. It was such a precious moment, watching her ride, listening to her sing...

ds is at day camp and dd is enjoying a day at home with me. I'm trying to catch up on emails that piled up while away and she has been playing on the other side of the room, making up songs, talking to herself, dancing occasionally and singing little ditties. But now it's time to go make her a cucumber sandwich for lunch.

And i just wanted to add how much we are all missing dh/daddy these past 3 weeks. It's another 58 days 'til we see him on holidays, and another 136 'til he returns. i'm reading posts to an e-list about creating a peaceful relationship/partnership in your life, and someone posted, "Does absence make anyone else's heart grow fonder? Do you miss the rituals and the smaller pieces of kindness and affection that fill your days, even while enjoying your own capability?" People posted about the various kind, small gestures they and their partners share - things like leaving little notes for each other, filling the car with gas, leaving the coffee mug and coffee ready to go in the morning, leaving special voicemails privately for each other, sharing a bath and bottle of wine together in the evening... made me try to think of something special I can do for dh while he's 5,000 kms away. One guy posted about how he misses his wife/family even when he's gone just for the work day, and how much he looks forward to reuniting with them each evening. Yep, nothing like 136 days apart to make the heart grow fonder...

another thing, which needs no further comment but may give you food for thought today, that someone else posted was: "I know that every relationship I have is a mirror reflection of ME."

we're back!

Wow, that was one awesome road trip! We visited friends & family along the way (including the family wedding in Winnipeg), did some camping, visited the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller, AB (HIGHLY recommend it) - lots of dinosaurs there - went to the Forks in Winnipeg (even went on the touristy boat ride up the Assiniboine & Red Rivers), saw the world's largest Pysanka in Vegreville, AB, as well as North America's largest coke can in the same town (is there a connection there? Do Ukrainians drink a lot of Coke while painting Easter Eggs?!), saw a buffalo or bison in a national park just east of Edmonton, which I failed to stop and take a photo of, went to West Edmonton Mall (the kids LOVED Galaxyland! and I was so grateful for a fresh squeezed vegetable juice concoction from Jugo Juice), Fort Edmonton where we went on a steam train as well as a street car, drove the Columbia Icefield Parkway from Jasper to Banff (saw elk, mule deer, and coyotes), also drove the Fraser Canyon (Cache Creek to Hope), saw a few really awesome thunder/lightning storms, even tried to camp in one... a very memorable trip. Oh! I nearly forgot to mention the man-eating mosquitoes! I had forgotten completely to bring my citronella spray and the poor kids (& I) were eaten alive! I also at some point misplaced the bottle of lavender essential oil (which is wonderful for putting on bites, although this is an after-the-fact measure). I actually wasn't worried until we were listening to the local radio and they were warning everyone about West Nile virus. We camped in some pretty mosquitoey places. And some friends had about 6 cans of Off in their place (frankly, that stuff scares me; I prefer the citronella myself). And yes, we survived travelling without a portable DVD player. My girlfriend in Winnipeg lent us the Chronicles of Narnia audio-books (19 CDs) - we made it through 12 or 13 of them before arriving home - they really were a god-send. But we played travel bingo, who's who, and many other games and things to keep the kids entertained, and it was great.

Unfortunately on our 2nd to last day, one of the children got sick - VERY sick - while we were driving and now the inside of the Subaru is fairly plastered in stomach contents. It needs shampooing - in a big way. I thought, at the time, that it was food poisoning - came on quickly, lasted several hours, went away just as quickly, it seemed, but it turned out that 36 hrs later, I spent the night over the toilet (thankfully at home) myself. I *still* thought it was confined only to our family, but then I find out that where we stayed overnight that fateful 2nd-to-last-day, nearly everyone in that household is now sick, too. Which begs the question, where the HECK did we pick up this nasty bug? And how many more people have we been in contact with are going to get sick?! I feel terrible at passing along such a terrible flu. (And only now as I write this am I wondering if we contracted West Nile?! good grief, could it really be?!)

Staying raw while on a roadtrip proved more difficult than I imagined. I was fine for the first week - the bride at the wedding is vegan and there was lots of vegan food there - including some very very delicious vegan desserts (not raw, but I indulged)... but it was the week-long trip home where I lost willpower - not enough planning ahead left me in small prairie towns where it seemed there was no grocery store, where everyone in the entire town ate at A&W - so I did end up having a veggie burger a couple times (which honestly tasted disgusting). I was reading a couple books about fasting on the trip, and kept telling myself to just skip the meal, have some water, and keep driving. In a sense, I'm grateful for getting ill, as it seems to have purged my body of most of the non-raw/vegan food I was eating on the way home (I *did* stay vegetarian; the thought of meat was repulsive, but things like TimBits and Iced Capps made it into my body). Now that I'm back at home with my VitaMix I'm so glad to be able to start honouring myself with raw food the way I had been before the trip. It also just lets me know that on our next trip to the Maritimes in October, I'm going to have to pack more flax crackers, bring the blender, and locate enough supermarkets to keep me going.