Boating and Voting

Went out boating today for many hours. First time this year/season and it was very calm and absolutely wonderful. Rocking away (my eyes still feel like they're rolling on the sea) on the gentle waves. Until a rogue wave comes!!! I have no idea where it came from, but at one point, all 3 adults are simply not aware, but ds suddenly says, Grampa, Wave ahead! and sure enough, coming straight for the boat, is this wave - there were about 3, very quick in succession, and very big (says me who's used to a rowing scull which would flip on the slightest ocean wave) - they were probably 4' waves, which on a 26' boat IS pretty big - not enough to flip the boat, but enough to dump everything out of the cabinets and onto the floor, and to toss the kids around a fair bit. Luckily we had enough time to turn head on and it was still a good ride, for the maybe 5 seconds as it passed. Thank GOODNESS for the acute peripheral vision of my son!!

While we were heading down to the marina, we passed an election sign. ds asked what it was all about and we had a discussion about voting. He wanted to know how would we know what each candidate wanted to change if elected - he said he wanted to know, even though he knew he wasn't old enough to vote. So we talked about the televised debates and then he made up a game where I was the MC/interviewer/broadcaster and he & his sister were the candidates and suddenly we were having this mock tv debate in the car. DD was so funny; she said she'd paint all the houses in Canada purple if elected (her fave colour)! But soon it got serious and we were discussing transportation, housing, health care, education, the economy, energy and resources, the environment, and more... BIG issues for children to consider. DS was so eager to discuss it all, and his solutions were really innovative and creative. It was great fun... and educational. I LOVE homeschooling. ;)

Raw Food in Victoria...

Angela's coming to town! Angela Stokes (www.rawreform.com) is coming to Victoria - Wednesday September 17th, 7-9 p.m. at Cafe Bliss on Pandora (next to Mo:Le). Angela is a British raw foodist who lost an amazing amount of weight and achieved radiant health on raw foods. No ticket necessary; $10 at the door.

Speaking of Cafe Bliss, the kids & I headed down there yesterday. It was very enjoyable. The atmosphere is simplistically beautiful (I especially loved the skylights allowing daylight in) and the food was deeeelicious. The kids had the daily special smoothie (apricot, banana, and almond mylk?) and I had a Berry Green (orange, banana, blueberry, spinach). The kids also had a kids' plate with some of the most delicious flax crackers I've yet tried - tasted cinnamony with cranberries in them. I had a Sombrio salad (marinated kale, kelp, arugula, cucumber, daikon radish, grated carrot, red onion, and fresh ginger, marinated shitakes and cashews with a orange/miso dressing). The salad was really good - the fresh ginger was JUST the right touch. More importantly, watching them prepare your food, it was clearly evident they were being mindful and loving towards the food and it really came through in the taste of the food. It looked beautiful, it tasted beautiful, and was infused with love. Check it out at www.cafebliss.com at 556 Pandora in Victoria.

Happy Grandparents' Day!

Did you even know that the first Sunday after Labour Day is celebrated as Grandparents' Day? A few years ago we found out and my ds made a little book for each of his grandparents, drawing pictures of things he enjoyed doing with each of them (playing soccer with Grandpa, playing board games with Grammy). This year he decided to buy them chocolates and make them a card. It was very sweet as he picked out two of each flavour of chocolates at the store and asked the clerk to gift-wrap them for his Grammy & Grampa. I bet they will very happy to receive their gift later today. He is also going to make them dinner - Annie's organic whole wheat shells & org white cheddar sauce (Bunny Pasta; aka. the much healthier version of Kraft Dinner). Bunny Pasta is a favourite meal of my kids; I usually add a variety of vegetables to it - cut up red pepper, peas, diced carrots - whatever's around.

For me, Grandparents' Day is a good day to reflect on just how much support I get from both my parents and my in-laws. Always there for me, always supportive. They will jump at the chance to see their grandchildren and get snuggles and I really REALLY appreciate all they do for us. They are excellent role models, all 4 of 'em, and we are very blessed to have them in our lives. And no, I'm not brown-nosing. None of 'em read my blog. LOL

Happy Grandparents' Day to all the grandparents out there.

Namaste,
~n~

Superfoods

Superfoods - foods that are high in nutritional value for their suggested serving, compared to other foods. Like: a fresh apple is more nutritious than those frozen "fish" sticks shaped like cartoon characters. Agreed? I've started adding lucuma, maca, and goji powders to my smoothies sometimes. What ARE these things, you ask? Tonight I went in search of an answer. These all seem to be part and parcel of the new term "superfoods." Here's a list of foods that I would say, IN MY OPINION ONLY, are superfoods:

• SEEDS: like flax, chia, (unhulled) sesame, sunflower, and hemp hearts.
• BERRIES: blueberry, raspberry, mulberry, goji berry, blackberry, huckleberry, black currants, rose hips, acai berries, noni berry, camu camu berry... the list could go on...
• DARK LEAFY GREENS: watercress, kale, chard, silverbeet, bok choy, spinach, collards, romaine lettuce, sorrel, dandelion greens... again, the list is long.
• SPROUTS: wheatgrass, alfalfa, radish, mung bean, lentil, garbanzo/chickpea... I love sprouts! Easy to grow, and really good for you.
• CACAO: in a word, chocolate. Raw chocolate. Blissful.
• ALGAE: whether spirulina, chlorella or Klamath Lake blue-green algae, these are nutritional powerhouses at a recommended dose of ~1 tsp/day.
• NUTS: walnuts, almonds, pecans, macadamias, cashews, and more...
• AVOCADO: For you naysayers, try it in a chocolate mousse. No guarantees everyone will like it, but I think most would. High in fiber, folate, potassium (more than a banana!), and monosaturated fats, and avocado's been shown to help lower LDL levels, raise HDL levels, and lower triglycerides slightly as well.

I guess that would round out my list, at this point in time (have I forgotten any you enjoy? Leave me a comment below) - sounds like a pretty good raw vegan diet, once you add in a variety of other fresh fruits and vegetables (think RAINBOW). Let me just go over the purported health benefits of some of these super foods.

For example, maca is a Peruvian plant, similar to a turnip or radish (it's a member of the potato family), and dates back to the Incas. Rumour has it that people who consume it daily are known to be very fertile. It has sexual enhancing effects, and is said to increase sex drive and strength, AND eliminate menopausal symptoms. It is said to improve energy and also to adapt to your body's metabolism, helping repair whatever needs to be repaired.

Or camu camu: The berry from this native South American bush is said to have 30 to 60 times more vitamin C than an orange. It is beneficial to healing and eliminating scar tissue. It is a source of iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorous and other minerals. It supports your immune system, eyesight, skin, it helps maintain clarity of mind during stress. It's a source of antioxidants and is an antiviral. The RDA? 1/8 tsp. This gem is truly packed with nutrients for the quantity you consume.

Hemp Hearts, at a recommended daily intake of 4 tbsps, provide a complete protein source and is high in protein. They contain all 20 known amino acids, including the 9 EAAs (essential amino acids) not produced by the body. Hemp increases energy, promotes vigorous cell development, is easily digested, lowers LDL cholesterol levels, lowers blood pressure, increases immune functioning, and decreases PMS symptoms. It is used for treating dry skin/hair, and contains more Omega-3 than fish. It has a 'perfect' 3:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 (essential fatty acids) and also contains GLA: gamma linolenic acid. It is recommended to consume 4 tbsps at breakfast time and many have said doing so alleviates all hunger at lunch, so they snack in the afternoon, have salad for dinner and contribute their consumption of hemp hearts to weight loss.

Tonight I tried a little bowl with 1 tsp each of maca powder, goji powder, raw cacao powder, lucuma powder, and then 2 tbsps raw almond butter, with enough water to make it blend smoothly (using a spoon). DEEEEEElicious... actually, it was super. Just super.

The world is spinning...

We were on our bikes, coasting down the gravel driveway in the brilliant warm sunshine, on our way to a picnic lunch at the windy beach, and my dd says, you know what's making our bikes move? The earth's spinning, says my ds!! And they both went on to say how the earth is always spinning - very fast, too, did you know - and it's simply amazing to them how we even manage to stay ON the earth when it's spinning so fast (think of a merry-go-round, for example - the centrifugal force pushes you outwards, right). pretty amazing.

A no-car day here (yes, by choice). We need those. For the environment. And our peace of mind. Worked in the garden/greenhouse, turned the compost, picnic at the beach, sang along with Rock Band... it's a glorious day!

Next time you're in victoria, I will most definitely be dragging you along to check out Cafe Bliss, a new raw juice bar/restaurant opened next to Mo:Le's on Pandora. you can check out their menu online: www.cafebliss.ca YUMMY! :) I'm so excited to check it out myself very soon.

~n~

108

It's 108 days until dh returns. There's 108 moves in the Taoist Tai Chi set that I practice. And 108 days is how long blogger Bronwyn juice-feasted for (http://juicepulpnonfiction.blogspot.com/). It made me really REALLY want to get my hands on a juicer - a Champion or GreenStar - so that I could juicefeast even for a day. And then two. And maybe even do a 15 day feast. No, I'm not ready to go 108 days yet. But I felt the same way about raw food before trying it, too ("how will I ever manage more than a day?!"), and it's been more than 4 months now. And I think of the success Aleesha's had with her fast - now into it's 6th week (http://aleeshasrawlife.blogspot.com). It's totally possible. Totally do-able. The 108 days will pass whether I make a commitment to greater health and vitality or not.

The Significance Of The Mystical Number 108
By Vaughn Paul Manley, M.A.
Copyright 2004.

Have you ever wondered why a typical beaded neclace from the East, called a mala, is always strung with 108 beads? You'll find this to be the case not only in Hindu traditions but also Buddhist, Sikh, Jain and virtually any tradition that has it's roots in India. If you've ever been initiated into the use of a mantra you've probably been told to chant your mantra at least 108 times a day, not fifteen minutes a day. Why? In Japan the Zen temple bells ring 108 times to bring in the New Year. Obviously this number is significant. But why not a more round number like 100?

The early Vedic sages were renowned mathematicians and in fact invented our number system. 108 was definitely the number of choice for this simple reason: 108 represents the whole of existence. Here's some interesting reasons why:
1. The number 9 represents wholeness and 108 when added together equals 9. 1+0+8 = 9. Interestingly, if you multiply 9 times ANYTHING, the answer is always 9 when you add the numbers together. Try it! 1x9= 9. 2x9=18 1+8=9. 285x9=2565 2+5+6+5=18 1+8=9. 8543x9=76887 7+6+8+8+7=36 3+6=9 The logic behind this is that 9 represents wholeness or God and God times anything is always God since God is all there is!
2. The 9 planets travelling through the 12 signs constitutes the whole of existence. 9 x 12 = 108
3. The 27 nakshatras or lunar constellations spread over the 4 elements - fire, earth, air, water or the 4 directions - north, south, east, and west. This also constitutes the whole of existence. 27 x 4 = 108
4. Consider the powers of 1, 2, and 3 in math: 1 to 1st power = 1; 2 to 2nd power = 4 (2x2); 3 to 3rd power = 27 (3x3x3). 1x4x27 = 108. The logic behind this is that 1 represents 1 dimensional reality, 2 represents 2 dimensional reality, 3 represents 3 dimensional reality. When you mulitply their powers together then you encompass the whole of existence.
5. The universe is made up of 108 elements according to ancient texts. The current periodic table claims a few more than 108.
6. The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the earth (give or take a few miles).

Not-Back-To-School Picnic

The big yellow school bus rolled by at 07:25 this morning, and once again, my children were not waiting to get on - in fact, they weren't even awake yet. We will begin the school year by celebrating our decision to homeschool with other local homeschooling families by having a picnic on the beach. So this afternoon, despite the clouds, we will head out and join as many as 100 other families down at the beach. This will be our 5th year of attending and it is wonderful to see the familiar and the new faces each year. Attending the picnic builds a sense of community when we don't all live next door to one another. And although we may each have our own approaches to homeschooling - some may unschool, some may do 'school at home', some may homeschool for religious reasons; there are as many approaches to homeschooling as there are families who homeschool - we are all welcome to join each other in celebrating the decision we feel is right for our children.

Picking up 'school supplies' consisted of running shoes and rubber boots, a spiral logbook/notebook so I can record our daily activities and conversations and learning, and a new backpack for each child, since their old ones were worn right through. The children don't need a whack of new clothes or new pencils or certain brand names on their stuff. After all, they've been learning all summer. Just because school's not 'in', doesn't mean learning doesn't happen, and it's important for children - for all of us - to realize that.

September plans: connect with Learning Consultant and formulate Learning Plan, begin swimming lessons and register for skating, attend a one-day field trip where the kids will be doing rock climbing, archery, and orienteering...