terrific tuesday!

My nephew's 4 today! happy birthday, buddy! :D miss you!!!

we all woke up fighting the *slightest* of colds. unusual, but alright, whatever. i confess i hadn't even thought of taking oil of oregano until just now. i just ignored it all day; it was so slight it wasn't worth my attention, really, but it's definitely *something*. :P

BEAUTIFUL sunny day today, albeit cold... like around 3C. brrrrrr. (oh shush up if you're on the prairies already) It *tried* to do this funny snow-freezing rain thing briefly (very briefly) but mostly just sunshine all day. Somehow, though, we spent part of the afternoon inside at the kitchen table. dd's decided to make a family tree on poster paper and is drawing and cutting out little circles for every person, their picture and name in the circle. Very cute. ds prefers playing piano to practising his penmanship but its a necessary evil these days it seems, so he was completing workbook pages.

Tai chi this morning was great. Do you know I've done it daily for over a week now? It feels great to do even just one set each day... usually either first thing in the morning or last thing at night. I am loving the movement in the spine, loosening things up in there, releasing tension. Feels soooooooo good. I managed to make it for about half of the continuing class and then taught for an hour. Instructing is so rewarding. While we practised today I listened as everyone's feet stepped in unison into the next position. *bliss* And to think that about 6 weeks ago, they were just starting, and here we are, probably 25 or 30 moves into the set! They're doing really *really* well. Most enjoyable!

I've been a little more conscious the past couple days of my food intake. I don't usually write down ahead of time what I'm going to eat for the day, rather, I fly by the seat of my pants. Which I know isn't an advised plan of attack when it comes to people who have a tendency to overeating. I just kinda realized I'd slipped into overeating (even if it was raw), and wanted to be a little more aware of what I was ingesting. I've started making smaller quantities of smoothie - 1.25L instead of 2L. It makes a big difference. However I still feel like I'm overeating. It's really hard to become aware of our emotional state in regards to food, and to curb ourselves from reaching unconsciously for food. Today I realized even chewing gum is a mind-numbing thing.

The other part of the equation is that I'm just not active daily like I have been. I've struggled to get myself back into a daily exercise routine. Tai chi is not enough for me, although its benefits are wonderful, for sure. I just think as humans we have become (generalization here) very sedentary compared to our ancestors, and it's not to our benefit. Well, I'll work to get back to that place of daily movement. I'll learn to embrace it yet.

Grateful for Life and its abundant blessings
~n~

natural body care

Just wanted to share what I've found to be good, natural alternatives to chemically-laden commercial body-care products. I started looking for alternatives when I came across the idea (not mine, so I won't take credit where it's not due, lol) that you shouldn't put things *on* your body that you wouldn't put *in* your body.

Shampoo: use baking soda. I use about a tbsp or maybe two. Mix it into a paste in my hand, continue as usual. (dd was helping me fill the various b soda glass jars today and while my back was turned, stuck a wet finger in to taste it. She says it tastes horrible. LOL)

Conditioner: apple cider vinegar, usually with 3-5 drops of essential oil (one of: lemon, orange, lavender, tea tree). again, i use about 1 tbsp and put it in a glass jar. when i'm ready to use it, i fill the jar up with water and pour over my hair. i find it works well on my hair (which is not coloured, btw), but on my daughter's hair, which is VERY long and quite CURLY, it doesn't do the trick. for her, i haven't found a good alternative to commercial conditioner, and furthermore, while it's in her hair, *that's* when i brush her hair. seems to work much better than brushing *after* the bath.

Soap: i have a wonderful, organic coconut soap that's available through rawfoodsooke. love it.

Deoderant: i don't usually wear any, to be honest. i have an organic, natural brand that is lemongrass scented that i do wear sometimes. and i also have a popular/commercial brand that is baby-powder scented that i wear only when i'm going out for a formal evening... to its credit, it does work. But it has things in it that i'd rather not put on my body on a regular basis. i have tried just rubbing b soda on and yes, it does work, but that's an every-day kind of thing, imo, not a going-out for a formal evening out option. thankfully, formal evenings out are rare around here. ;)

Toothpaste: At the moment, I'm using a mint toothpaste that is a natural, but popular, brand (like the natural deoderant). Sometimes I just use baking soda. Some people I know use a neem toothpaste and swear by it. Others use tooth 'shreds'; I haven't seen them available in Canada but would be curious to try things other than what I'm currently using.

Moisturizer: A few years ago I really liked Aveda's sensitive skin moisturizer. Most of the time now, though, if I use any at all, I'll use cert org extra virgin coconut oil. Or a little EVOO. And on my lips, at the moment I'm really enjoying a Burt's Bees lip balm.

That's about it. I hardly ever wear make-up; maybe a dozen times each year, if that. (so yes, i do have some, but even then, it's a pretty simple routine: foundation, powder, lipstick, and *sometimes* mascara, which I find irritates my eyes terribly). Usually I only wear make-up because my face (cheeks) have moments where they flare up from what i've been told is roseacea. I actually have little burst blood vessels in my cheeks that never go away. Someone suggested laser treatments could reduce or eliminate them, but i'm not keen on that at this moment. So when we're headed for a formal evening out, I choose make-up over having to go through the evening explaining my skin.

I'm really a pretty low-maintenance person. I buy baking soda in bulk through the food co-op, as well as apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, and olive oil, and soap. Funny when I think about it, though, because when I was 18ish I was soooooo high maintenance with my fake nails and highlighted hair and daily make-up and on and on. yeesh. good riddance!!! (i should try & find a picture somewhere... or, maybe not.)

The raw food order is going in tomorrow and there are a few more items available: http://rawfoodsooke.blogspot.com

A nice week. It was dd's birth day, then dh's birth day... and lots of tai chi. Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat, and today. I think I also may have done a little on Wed, too. Hard to remember.

Today I made some curry nori sticks to put in the dehydrator, as well as some (raw) pizza crusts. I hadn't had nori sticks in quite a long time, but picked up a 3-pack while on my way to tai chi yesterday (as well as a shot of wheatgrass... which I can now swill in my mouth before swallowing! *progress* - no gagging, LOL)... anyways, the nori sticks were *so* good, so I made some walnut curry pate and then some sunflower curry pate this morning, wrapped up some, and they're happily dehydrating now.

Spent most of the day outside with dd - she played on the trampoline (well, I came and lay with her and watched the clouds float by for a while, too) while I cleaned the chicken coop, washed the car, and moved dirt. ;) We blew bubbles and she & the dog chased them and listened to the spa channel on the radio of the car. It was so cute; she said chasing bubbles with the spa music on made her think of fairies and magic. so sweet!

Work for dh is crazy right now - somehow they've got themselves into a position where they only have 70% of the staff that they need to fill all the shifts, so there is plenty of opportunity for overtime... and it looks like it will be this way 'til at LEAST early fall, likely 'til the end of the year. I imagine most of the remaining staff will experience some degree of burn out before then. :( Being an essential service you'd think whoever's in charge of staffing would see the challenges facing this office.

I can see some assistance is needed mediating the play behind me, so good night. I'll be back another day.

raw food bulk order - going in monday 21st @ noon

if you're interested in ordering anything, here's the link:
rawfoodsooke.blogspot.com

Things on my mind...

Things on my mind today... (consider yourself warned)

• relationships with our fathers. Just in general, really. And nothing specific that I'm thinking, I'm just observing people and their fathers, and listening to people talk about their relationships with their fathers. I'm just finding it interesting. And my thoughts go out to those who struggle in their relationships with their fathers, as they struggle for peace and healing, acceptance, and unconditional Love.
• I was trying to figure out why I'm so passionate about growing my own food. Or more generally, why I feel the need to take the bull by the horns, as it were, when I see things that aren't right in the world. When I see something that needs fixin', I generally jump right in and start fixing (sometimes without consulting anyone else to see if anyone's tried anything already). And I wondered why, for example, when I was a kid and picked raspberries for a summer job (as well as delivering newspapers daily), my dad said something to the effect of, 'get your fill of hard, physical, outdoor work so that you'll remember that, and go off to college and get a good job'. Something to that effect, anyways. And so I *did* get a degree, but the office didn't bring me a sense of fulfillment. And I asked myself why, over the past decade, have I become more and more passionate about food security, about the connection we have with our food, with the farmers, supporting the local economy, and so on? I wondered the other day why we don't value farmers more highly? Why is farming looked down upon? Why do we all think it's just sooooooo much work? ('too much for me', we think. 'Let someone else grow my food.') That it's something we only did when the 70's oil crisis peaked? Not something we do because of a love for the Earth, or an appreciation of great-tasting food, or simply because the very act of tending for another species brings us joy?
• I've been reading Toby Hemenway's book about permaculture (Gaia's Garden, 2nd ed). I'm not far into it, but what strikes me is the idea that we, as humans, can coexist with other species. That our gardens don't need to be tidy little plots of foods for us, but nothing for other species. That it doesn't have to be an inordinate amount of work on our part to grow our own food. I like the idea of planting things all mixed together. I'm not describing what I'm experiencing as I read it well, but I hope to expand on my thoughts on this in the future.
• 'Invasive' plants or 'opportunistic' plants. Is Scot's (or Scotch, as I tend to call it) Broom an invasive plant? Or simply opportunistic? What about alders, salmon berries, salal, and oregon grape? These are plants that come in once the soil has been disturbed. But who's doing the disturbing?! Humans. *We're* the invasive species!
• And on a completely different note, there's the strange dreams I've been having lately: two nights ago I got shot in the neck in one dream??? and last night I was in an auditorium, watching something like the golden globes or emmys live (weird since I don't watch tv), and then this gang broke into the auditorium (fwiw they were wearing pink satin jackets, LOL) and they GASSED everyone who was left. my dd & I were there, and I awoke suddenly as soon as I realized the gas was not just the 'fog' they put for special effects. disturbing dreams, to say the least.

Anyhow, that's generally what's on my mind this moment.

Love and Light to you,

~n~

happy valentine's day!

it's my daughter's 7th birthday today (her picture's here). she had a wonderful party yesterday surrounded by family and friends... AND the weather cooperated (no rain!). The kids played outside on the trampoline and also inside (pin the fairy on the flower!) and had a barbie cake (picture to come) and a great time.

i have been feeling under-the-weather for several days now... i realize it came on slowly starting about a week ago - a general digestive upsettedness that i ignored fairly well until the weekend. I am alright during the day but towards evening I crash. Saturday night I was asleep by 9 and last night by 8:30. *not* like me at all. *sigh*

wishing you a very happy valentine's day. may the year ahead be filled with an abundance of Love in all its expressions for you.

a peek in the pantry

I feel like I didn't get a whole lot accomplished today, but in retrospect, it was all good. dd played at a friend's while I taught tai chi, and the class is going really really well. I picked up our food co-op order afterwards and got to meet my friend's new puppy, who (of course) is adorable. Husky/Shepherd/Collie cross; 14 1/2 weeks old. very sweet puppy. and smart. I came home and had good intentions of getting out and doing yardwork (it was overcast but not raining) but ended up playing duets with my daughter on the piano (*most* enjoyable!) and hanging out at the table while my son did workbook pages. We put his hanging shelf unit back up (it fell down when the roof was getting fixed; those roofers were thumping around up there, and i'd (foolishly) only used 1/2" screws to install the shelf. Today I put 2" screws in and it's not going anywhere now!). Got all his books and stuff back onto the shelf and generally tidied his room. Got myself mentally in order for the weekend; it's dd's bday party on Sunday and I still have to clean the house, make the cake, prepare food and put goody bags together. There's time, right?!? (she said, hoping...) I'll start the pre-party-panic tomorrow. LOL That's what it's known as around here: PPP. "You in full PPP?" "Sure am." So really I'm feeling like the only 'task' that got done today was putting ds's shelf back up. It's not much (considering the multitude of unfinished house maintenance tasks), but it's a step in the right direction. We'll have to tackle dd's room tomorrow. There's paper dolls, stuffies, pretend food, tea party stuff, Barbies, Polly Pockets and more out at the moment. All in a space that measures 8'x16'. What I neglected to mention was all the housework and little things I did today - laundry, dishes, caring for the animals, etc., etc. So really it was a productive day... if it's important to measure productivity, that is. LOL

On a completely different note, (lol) I've started washing my hair with baking soda. I've been rinsing with apple cider vinegar (and a few drops of essential oil: lemon or orange usually, sometimes lavender) for a while now, but switching to baking soda for washing is new. So far it seems to be working quite well for my hair. I also read that baking soda can be used in place of deoderant, among its many varied uses. I generally buy a 10 lb bag of b soda through our food co-op.

As you know, I eat raw vegan, for the most part. My son is vegetarian and dd and dh are omnivores (although dd eats vegetarian at least 50% of the time). So our cupboards and fridge really do have quite the variety of foods. From time to time it's good for me to reflect on just what I have in the house that's "my" food, and I thought I'd share what's on the shelves/in the fridge at the moment, in no particular order: (all organic unless otherwise noted)

• maca powder
• kelp flakes
• raw nori sheets
• raw agave
• extra virgin coconut oil
• extra virgin olive oil
• goji berries
• incan/goldenberries
• purple and white mulberries
• dried mango
• dried apricots
• dried cranberries
• thompson and golden raisins
• currants
• black sphinx dates
• dried plums
• dried cherries
• raw cacao nibs
• raw cacao powder
• cacao butter
• whole cacao beans
• carob powder
• himalayan salt
• pacific sea salt
• dulse
• acerola cherry powder
• acai berry powder
• chlorella powder
• spirulina powder
• wheatgrass powder
• sunflower seeds
• pumpkin seeds
• hemp seeds
• chia seeds
• sesame seeds
• almonds
• walnuts
• pecans
• cashews
• brazil nuts
• brown flax
• golden flax
• flax crackers already made
• nutritional yeast
• sprouted almond butter
• dried figs
• sundried tomatoes
• coconut sugar
• buckwheat, including sprouted dried buckwheat
• kelp noodles
• sprouted trail mix
• nama shoyu
• vanilla beans and homemade non-alcoholic vanilla extract
• apple cider vinegar (as well as balsamic and white)
• some pine nut/red pepper salad dressing
• miso
• dried wild mushrooms
• dried stinging nettle
• whole hullless oat groats
• a large assortment of dried herbs and spices, as well as condiments like sweet chili sauce, pickled ginger, stone ground dijon mustard, etc.
• a variety of sprouting seeds, and a tray of half-grown wheatgrass

Then of course, there's the produce (about half of which is non-organic at the moment):

• bananas
• apples, org
• lime
• lemon
• ginger
• yam, org
• garlic, org
• onion, org
• broccoli
• carrots, org
• bell peppers (red, orange & yellow)
• cucumber
• cabbage, org
• celery, org
• mushrooms, org
• collards, org
• kale, org
• romaine lettuce
• oranges, org
• jerusalem artichoke/sunchoke, org
• tomato
• green onions, org
• kombucha (I have about 2L in the fridge, and also have two new batches on the go)
• some sprouted almond milk
• frozen berry blend (blackberry, raspberry, blueberry)
• frozen raw chocolates, raisin nut fudge with young coconut topping, and caramel bars

WOW! What variety!!! (And that's just off the top of my head; if I looked, there's probably more) I was saying to someone the other day how I have never been the person who's cupboards were bare. I'm no Mother Hubbard, that's for sure. Even in university, when everyone is so stereotypically poor, I always had food to eat. It's one of my 'issues'. LOL But let's not open that can of worms! lmao

Suffice to say, there's plenty of variety available to me in terms of food. Plenty. I like that I have a variety of foods with which to create raw food entrees, although admittedly, I stick to a few staples, like green smoothies, nettle tea, chia pudding, salads, and trail mix. But if I *want* to, I have options. LOTS of options, by the looks of it. Time to get creative in the kitchen! ;D