Sunday we had an at-home day. Even as a 'stay-at-home parent' those days are rare. LOL So the night before, I decided to juice fast for the day. It's been about a year since I've done any juicing in earnest, and I can certainly tell. I feel sluggish, moody, and when I think back to the times I've done longer juice fasts - 30 or 45 days - the difference is incredible. I had a thought a week or so ago that I, personally, need to continually reaffirm my choice and commitment to a healthy, long life. If I'm not constantly working towards and making choices that support that decision, then I'm going backwards. And this year, in particular, feels like I've really stumbled backwards. Ideally, right now I would juice for at least a month, preferably longer, but I find committing to longer fasts is harder when I've got so much going on in my life. I find it much easier to commit to juicing when I'm at home for the entire day, or most of the entire day.
When I recently read Helen Nearing's Loving and Leaving the Good Life, one thing that struck a chord was that her and Scott would fast one day a week all year, and once a year for 2 weeks. Like Terces Engelhart, who juices the first week of each month, this seemed completely manageable.
So for the next few Sundays (which I'm planning on being home all day), I'm planning on juicing.
Yesterday went just fine. Despite the mental struggle of changing from a solid to a liquid diet, the day was relatively easy. I had apple juice, apple/carrot/beet greens, a glass of kombucha, and a couple mugs of nettle tea with stevia. Funny that in the morning I was making juice hourly, but as the day wore on, I went a couple or several hours between juices. Making juices hourly or close-to makes it difficult to leave home (and your beloved juicer) for even shorter periods of time, which is one of my mental blockages towards longer-term juicing right now. However, I did the math that if you fasted one day a week for an entire year, it's still 52 days a year fasting - which is very decent indeed.
This is the funny part, though: I woke up at 4:30 this morning having dreamt of ordering a veggie burger and fries!!! LOL Still, I'm not starrrrrrving right now. It feels really neat to tune into the body as it releases all its build-up in the colon... to get a sense of the body becoming lighter and less bogged down with waste.
Looking forward to next Sunday. :)
24 October 2011
21 October 2011
2nd post today
other than the post below, things that are on my thought-radar today:
- having to wear my glasses pretty much constantly the past few days. not used to wearing them so much; obviously haven't been wearing them enough which is why my one eye in particular is feeling fatigued. so suck it up and wear 'em.
- the raw food order just went in. HUGE success. thanks to all! another order will go in next month, monday nov 21st @ noon. Check out all the offerings over here.
- another apple order is going in very soon. ambrosias, nicolas, golden delicious, and possibly pears. all organic. great deal.
- timeless spirit mag's latest issue is now online here. check it out. ;)
- the fall leaves are beautiful here, even in the pouring rain. the fall chrystanthemums, the maple leaves, everything, just beautiful. Of course, fall rains bring the mushrooms out, too - lovely chantrelles and morels and more. On the farm, there are numerous chores to be done - weeding, and composting, and planting cover crops. There's beets, (massive!) rutabagas, carrots, leeks, and kale and more to harvest, and in the greenhouses, greens like lettuces, spinach, and more are planted. And the overwintering veggies are growing well - cabbages, purple sprouting broccoli, things like that.
Some quotes that were quoted in David Suzuki's The Legacy (great read, btw):
The real voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes. - Marcel Proust, writer
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back... The moment one definitely commits, then Providence comes too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred... Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, writer
There is no escape from our interdependence with nature; we are woven into the closest relationship with the Earth, the sea, the air, the seasons, the animals, and all the fruits of the Earth. What affects one affects all - we are part of a greater whole - the body of the planet. We must respect, preserve, and love its manifold expression if we hope to survive. - Bernard Campbell, anthropologist
Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of birds, the ebb and flow of tides, the folded bud ready for spring. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after the night and spring after the winter. - Rachel Carson, biologist, author of Silent Spring
We must convince each generation that they are transient passengers on this planet earth. It does not belong to them. They are not free to doom generations yet unborn. They are not at liberty to erase humanity's past nor dim its future. - Bernard Lown, co-founder, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
- having to wear my glasses pretty much constantly the past few days. not used to wearing them so much; obviously haven't been wearing them enough which is why my one eye in particular is feeling fatigued. so suck it up and wear 'em.
- the raw food order just went in. HUGE success. thanks to all! another order will go in next month, monday nov 21st @ noon. Check out all the offerings over here.
- another apple order is going in very soon. ambrosias, nicolas, golden delicious, and possibly pears. all organic. great deal.
- timeless spirit mag's latest issue is now online here. check it out. ;)
- the fall leaves are beautiful here, even in the pouring rain. the fall chrystanthemums, the maple leaves, everything, just beautiful. Of course, fall rains bring the mushrooms out, too - lovely chantrelles and morels and more. On the farm, there are numerous chores to be done - weeding, and composting, and planting cover crops. There's beets, (massive!) rutabagas, carrots, leeks, and kale and more to harvest, and in the greenhouses, greens like lettuces, spinach, and more are planted. And the overwintering veggies are growing well - cabbages, purple sprouting broccoli, things like that.
Some quotes that were quoted in David Suzuki's The Legacy (great read, btw):
The real voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes. - Marcel Proust, writer
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back... The moment one definitely commits, then Providence comes too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred... Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, writer
There is no escape from our interdependence with nature; we are woven into the closest relationship with the Earth, the sea, the air, the seasons, the animals, and all the fruits of the Earth. What affects one affects all - we are part of a greater whole - the body of the planet. We must respect, preserve, and love its manifold expression if we hope to survive. - Bernard Campbell, anthropologist
Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of birds, the ebb and flow of tides, the folded bud ready for spring. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after the night and spring after the winter. - Rachel Carson, biologist, author of Silent Spring
We must convince each generation that they are transient passengers on this planet earth. It does not belong to them. They are not free to doom generations yet unborn. They are not at liberty to erase humanity's past nor dim its future. - Bernard Lown, co-founder, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
club foot treatment
dd was born with a club foot. They don't know what causes club feet; there's a 1 in 800 chance of being born with one. What *I* can tell you is that when I was 8 or 9 wks pregnant with her I had food poisoning brought on by pesticides... I was canning 100 lbs of (non-organic, i.e. sprayed) cherries, and was eating them while I worked... and before I washed them. I got really sick and later I read that this is when the legs/feet develop in the fetus. So for me, there's an obvious connection, one which the medical world will not acknowledge because there's been no research done on that. nonetheless, dd was born with a club foot.
When she was an infant, she had weekly full leg casts, and then wore a dennis-brown splint full-time for 3 months and every night until she was 4 yrs old. At that time, it looked like the foot was corrected and no further treatment was required.
Sometime around 7, we began to notice her running gait was changing. She went through a growth spurt and then it was obvious the foot was relapsing. Back to the specialist. She spent 6 wks this summer in a half-leg cast.
But the foot is relapsing AGAIN. So now it's on to surgery. Basically a tendon transplant. You see, 1 in 800 kids will have a club foot. 3 out of 4 of those will respond to casting (the Ponsetti method) and avoid having surgery. Only 1 in 4 kids will need the surgery. I should buy the kid a lottery ticket, lol. So she'll have casting prior to the surgery, as well as after. There's a bit of a wait list, so we're now just waiting to get a date. And because it's the tendons, the healing time is long - like over a year to 18 mos before she regains full strength and mobility in that foot.
It'll all be fine, but wow, hey. Soooooo blessed to live in Canada with our fantastic medical system and also sooooooo blessed to have a world-renowned specialist in club foot at our local hospital. Absolutely fantastic.
In the meantime, she's hulahooping around the house and jumping on the trampoline, riding her bike, dancing ballet and jazz, hiking, generally you really wouldn't notice anything wrong with her foot at all. And here she comes, in a witch hat and cape, pretending to trick-or-treat, hoping I'll give her a candy. LOL
When she was an infant, she had weekly full leg casts, and then wore a dennis-brown splint full-time for 3 months and every night until she was 4 yrs old. At that time, it looked like the foot was corrected and no further treatment was required.
Sometime around 7, we began to notice her running gait was changing. She went through a growth spurt and then it was obvious the foot was relapsing. Back to the specialist. She spent 6 wks this summer in a half-leg cast.
But the foot is relapsing AGAIN. So now it's on to surgery. Basically a tendon transplant. You see, 1 in 800 kids will have a club foot. 3 out of 4 of those will respond to casting (the Ponsetti method) and avoid having surgery. Only 1 in 4 kids will need the surgery. I should buy the kid a lottery ticket, lol. So she'll have casting prior to the surgery, as well as after. There's a bit of a wait list, so we're now just waiting to get a date. And because it's the tendons, the healing time is long - like over a year to 18 mos before she regains full strength and mobility in that foot.
It'll all be fine, but wow, hey. Soooooo blessed to live in Canada with our fantastic medical system and also sooooooo blessed to have a world-renowned specialist in club foot at our local hospital. Absolutely fantastic.
In the meantime, she's hulahooping around the house and jumping on the trampoline, riding her bike, dancing ballet and jazz, hiking, generally you really wouldn't notice anything wrong with her foot at all. And here she comes, in a witch hat and cape, pretending to trick-or-treat, hoping I'll give her a candy. LOL
12 October 2011
Mrs. Many-Hats
Trying to stay organized lately has proven challenging, as I try to balance many varied responsibilities daily... I've decided to write them all down, lest I forget one (which will inevitably happen, nonetheless):
- (Homeschooling) Mama to my awesome kids
- Homemaker - keeping the house functioning - making meals, cleaning, caring for animals, yardwork, house maintenance, paying the taxes & bills, and more.
- Organic Farm Labourer - working a couple (half)days a week on a small local organic farm in exchange for knowledge, experience, and produce. sweet deal!
- Tai Chi Instructor - I teach two 90 min classes weekly as well as take a 90 min class for my own health. I also organize and participate in demos around the community and take workshops as they are offered, and teach open practice in the city.
- Water System Operator - testing our local water system and source for various things and ensuring our water system's users have access to top-quality water.
- Egg-seller (when our hens are laying) at the end of our driveway.
- Master Composter - yes, I have a certificate to that effect. I pick-up a couple people's scraps and compost them at our place, for $5/bucket. It's keeping their kitchen waste out of the garbage dump and gives me more compost for the gardens, so a win-win.
- Cleaner at our local community hall - okay, okay, it's officially my son's contract with the community association, but we split the work and split the earnings. It's a commitment of 3 hrs a month, so not huge, but still, another hat I wear.
- Columnist at Timeless Spirit magazine - check out past issues and enjoy this gem of an e-zine.
- Reiki Master/Teacher
- Raw Food orders - I coordinate a monthly bulk raw food order and distribute the order. We also order caselots of fresh organic bc fruit in season (cherries, plums, peaches, apples, pears and more).
Oh, there's probably more responsibilities that I've forgotten. Right now, I have to go put on a few of those hats and try and balance spinning plates on top of them. LMAO Such is life.
04 October 2011
Book quotes that have resonated with me lately
I love these quotes from "Loving and Leaving the Good Life" by Helen Nearing, a notation from a card in Scott Nearing's files:
"The majority will always be for caution, hesitation, and the status quo - always against creation and innovation. The innovator - he who leaves the beaten track - must therefore always be a minoritarian - always be an object of opposition, scorn, hatred. It is part of the price he must pay for the ecstasy that accompanies creative thinking and acting." (p17)
On the subject of dying:
"Birth and death are but words that we've invented to express the limit of our knowledge... 'Death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.'" (p175)
On living mindfully:
"Yes, we meditated - not always by sitting down cross-legged, trying to direct our erring thoughts toward higher realms. We might start the day with a recognition of our relationship with the whole, opening ourselves to an acknowledgment of the creative forces in the universe, keeping wide the channels of our being so that benign forces could stream through. We breathed especially deep of life at those times and tried to continue this sense of dedication throughout the day. Was this meditation? For us it was." (p164)
Scott Nearing, on consumerism and materialism:
"It is not what we have but what we do that changes us and helps us grow. Often the things we have get in the way." (p155)
Perhaps my favourite quote from the book (probably because it so clearly articulates the baby-steps to take to live a life in accordance with one's expressed values, something I was contemplating in my last post):
"We offered tips on de-stressing one's life:
1. Do the best you can, whatever arises
2. Be at peace with yourself
3. Find a job you enjoy
4. Live in simple conditions: housing, food, clothing; get rid of clutter
5. Contact nature every day; feel the earth under your feet
6. Take physical exercise through hard work; through gardening or walking
7. Don't worry; live one day at a time
8. Share something every day with someone else; if you live alone, write someone; give something away, help someone else somehow
9. Take time to wonder at life and the world; see some humour in life where you can
10. Observe the one life in all things
11. Be kind to the creatures" (p151)
From Twelve-by-twelve: a one-room cabin off the grid and beyond the american dream (William Powers):
"We humans are nature become conscious of itself." (p51)
This one's for my sister, lol - having grown up in a family where it was all about accomplishment and 'success' - doing, not being - I've added the italics on the final sentence:
"A slightly horrific vision formed in my mind of their farm five years hence: not this perfectly raw, deer-filled, wild space, but a domesticated pastoral idyll with a summer camp feel. The Pauls would show people around and describe the present moment as those terrible days "when there was absolutely nothing here."
I recognized this as a symptom of that contagious, middle-class virus that causes addiction, anxiety, depression, and ennui: affluenza. The richer we get, the poorer we feel. To fill the void, we do. I know the feeling. Like the Pauls, I'm American, not indigenous Guatemalan. I am conditioned to equate my self-worth with being active, productive, useful." (p145)
"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to leave alone. (Thoreau)" (p146).
"There is no greater gift to the world and to others than being true to your deepest self." (p242)
"The majority will always be for caution, hesitation, and the status quo - always against creation and innovation. The innovator - he who leaves the beaten track - must therefore always be a minoritarian - always be an object of opposition, scorn, hatred. It is part of the price he must pay for the ecstasy that accompanies creative thinking and acting." (p17)
On the subject of dying:
"Birth and death are but words that we've invented to express the limit of our knowledge... 'Death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.'" (p175)
On living mindfully:
"Yes, we meditated - not always by sitting down cross-legged, trying to direct our erring thoughts toward higher realms. We might start the day with a recognition of our relationship with the whole, opening ourselves to an acknowledgment of the creative forces in the universe, keeping wide the channels of our being so that benign forces could stream through. We breathed especially deep of life at those times and tried to continue this sense of dedication throughout the day. Was this meditation? For us it was." (p164)
Scott Nearing, on consumerism and materialism:
"It is not what we have but what we do that changes us and helps us grow. Often the things we have get in the way." (p155)
Perhaps my favourite quote from the book (probably because it so clearly articulates the baby-steps to take to live a life in accordance with one's expressed values, something I was contemplating in my last post):
"We offered tips on de-stressing one's life:
1. Do the best you can, whatever arises
2. Be at peace with yourself
3. Find a job you enjoy
4. Live in simple conditions: housing, food, clothing; get rid of clutter
5. Contact nature every day; feel the earth under your feet
6. Take physical exercise through hard work; through gardening or walking
7. Don't worry; live one day at a time
8. Share something every day with someone else; if you live alone, write someone; give something away, help someone else somehow
9. Take time to wonder at life and the world; see some humour in life where you can
10. Observe the one life in all things
11. Be kind to the creatures" (p151)
From Twelve-by-twelve: a one-room cabin off the grid and beyond the american dream (William Powers):
"We humans are nature become conscious of itself." (p51)
This one's for my sister, lol - having grown up in a family where it was all about accomplishment and 'success' - doing, not being - I've added the italics on the final sentence:
"A slightly horrific vision formed in my mind of their farm five years hence: not this perfectly raw, deer-filled, wild space, but a domesticated pastoral idyll with a summer camp feel. The Pauls would show people around and describe the present moment as those terrible days "when there was absolutely nothing here."
I recognized this as a symptom of that contagious, middle-class virus that causes addiction, anxiety, depression, and ennui: affluenza. The richer we get, the poorer we feel. To fill the void, we do. I know the feeling. Like the Pauls, I'm American, not indigenous Guatemalan. I am conditioned to equate my self-worth with being active, productive, useful." (p145)
"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to leave alone. (Thoreau)" (p146).
"There is no greater gift to the world and to others than being true to your deepest self." (p242)
Balancing the teeter-totter of life
Struggling to find balance between long-term goals and the daily things that need to get done. Because those long-term goals have steps that I ought to be focusing on daily, and yet it seems like there isn't time each day to fit those long-term baby steps into life.
Like, as an example, long-term goal: cultivate mindfulness within the family. Daily baby-step: meditate just 2 minutes with the kids each morning. No biggee, right? Except it just doesn't happen. Even me meditating on my own for 2 mins just doesn't happen regularly. *sigh*
Other dilemma is that I don't have clear, written long-term goals, and I *know* that this is part of the whole problem. *is* the problem. Can't get there if it's not put out there clearly.
And also, how do we get to having those meaningful conversations in life rather than discussing the day-to-day things? Like, really I'd like to talk to you about philosophical matters, or have deep, meaningful conversations with you about things that inspire you and so on, and instead I feel like sharing things that I know won't matter 20 yrs from now.
Things like:
- had a good tai chi intensive/workshop this morning. I hope the 20+ attendees got as much out of it as I did (I wasn't instructing; I was participating).
- the chickens aren't laying at all. Went from laying 7+ eggs per day before our holiday to 0 the past 4 days. The person charged with caring for the cats & chickens while we were away neglected to feed or water them adequately and now they're in shock and not laying at all. Very disappointing. Cats were not fed enough but are outside 'mousers' and did alright although they're a little starved for Love and attention.
- Feels kinda weird to be back home and it's taking several days to settle back into life. Especially odd is having the dog around again after 12 days travelling without the dog. I'm really noticing her presence, whereas before holidays she just fit silently into the family. It's nice, but an odd awareness on my part.
See, these things are all matters occupying my mind at present, but what I really want to talk about is how seeing street kids in Mexico affected my 7 yr old deeply, and the observations my children had about American vs Canadian society while travelling - slight observations about how things are different, or how people behave differently, but important subtle observations, nonetheless. Or how dh & I watched The Help on our holiday and how I heard sniffles and tears throughout the theatre - how deeply that movie affected people. I watched it twice and had the same observation about the audience both times.
I want to talk about the things that *really matter* in life. Problem is, first I need to articulate better exactly what those things are for me. ;)
Hang in there; I can feel the hamster wheel churning in my brain. I'm sure something more intelligent will burst forth soon.
Like, as an example, long-term goal: cultivate mindfulness within the family. Daily baby-step: meditate just 2 minutes with the kids each morning. No biggee, right? Except it just doesn't happen. Even me meditating on my own for 2 mins just doesn't happen regularly. *sigh*
Other dilemma is that I don't have clear, written long-term goals, and I *know* that this is part of the whole problem. *is* the problem. Can't get there if it's not put out there clearly.
And also, how do we get to having those meaningful conversations in life rather than discussing the day-to-day things? Like, really I'd like to talk to you about philosophical matters, or have deep, meaningful conversations with you about things that inspire you and so on, and instead I feel like sharing things that I know won't matter 20 yrs from now.
Things like:
- had a good tai chi intensive/workshop this morning. I hope the 20+ attendees got as much out of it as I did (I wasn't instructing; I was participating).
- the chickens aren't laying at all. Went from laying 7+ eggs per day before our holiday to 0 the past 4 days. The person charged with caring for the cats & chickens while we were away neglected to feed or water them adequately and now they're in shock and not laying at all. Very disappointing. Cats were not fed enough but are outside 'mousers' and did alright although they're a little starved for Love and attention.
- Feels kinda weird to be back home and it's taking several days to settle back into life. Especially odd is having the dog around again after 12 days travelling without the dog. I'm really noticing her presence, whereas before holidays she just fit silently into the family. It's nice, but an odd awareness on my part.
See, these things are all matters occupying my mind at present, but what I really want to talk about is how seeing street kids in Mexico affected my 7 yr old deeply, and the observations my children had about American vs Canadian society while travelling - slight observations about how things are different, or how people behave differently, but important subtle observations, nonetheless. Or how dh & I watched The Help on our holiday and how I heard sniffles and tears throughout the theatre - how deeply that movie affected people. I watched it twice and had the same observation about the audience both times.
I want to talk about the things that *really matter* in life. Problem is, first I need to articulate better exactly what those things are for me. ;)
Hang in there; I can feel the hamster wheel churning in my brain. I'm sure something more intelligent will burst forth soon.
01 October 2011
october
i'm here! we just returned from a family holiday, and while it's wonderful to travel and explore new vistas, it's super-awesome to return home, too.
we had a wonderful holiday, but those all-you-can-eat american buffets are BRUTAL when you are falling off the wagon. my relationship with food is seriously dysfunctional now and i'm so glad to be home, surrounded by my raw foods. I need a loooooooong cleanse and more mindfulness and an awareness of the sacredness of ingesting nourishment in a big big way. And exercise. Even with all the walking we did on the holidays it doesn't replace the exercise i get in my daily life at home, between housework, hanging with the kids, farming, gardening, etc.
I read Loving and Leaving the Good Life by Helen Nearing while I was away. *LOVED* it. I haven't read Helen & Scott Nearing's other books but look forward to doing so.
Also read Twelve by Twelve which was, imo, rather philosophical and poetic and not so much about the daily adjustments to living in a space 12'x12' for a period of time. Which I appreciated, actually.
I've not yet read Thoreau but it's definitely on my list.
While on hols, we stopped in at Powell's books in Portland, OR and I can't BELIEVE that place! Portland, overall, was fantastic. It appealed to every member of our family and I could've spent far longer there than I was alloted. lol I also chuckled at just how many of the sustainable living books on their shelves I've read. Yep, that one. And that one. Oh, and that one. Yep, loved that one. It was rather humorous.
So now I'm back and trying to sort through emails and phone messages. It was GRAND signing off from being available for 12 days; now there'll be a slight adjustment to being back on solid ground (after being at sea and then on a train - oh, did I mention i get motion sickness?!?) and back in reality with day-to-day living.
NAMASTE; I honour you and will learn to honour my self, too.
we had a wonderful holiday, but those all-you-can-eat american buffets are BRUTAL when you are falling off the wagon. my relationship with food is seriously dysfunctional now and i'm so glad to be home, surrounded by my raw foods. I need a loooooooong cleanse and more mindfulness and an awareness of the sacredness of ingesting nourishment in a big big way. And exercise. Even with all the walking we did on the holidays it doesn't replace the exercise i get in my daily life at home, between housework, hanging with the kids, farming, gardening, etc.
I read Loving and Leaving the Good Life by Helen Nearing while I was away. *LOVED* it. I haven't read Helen & Scott Nearing's other books but look forward to doing so.
Also read Twelve by Twelve which was, imo, rather philosophical and poetic and not so much about the daily adjustments to living in a space 12'x12' for a period of time. Which I appreciated, actually.
I've not yet read Thoreau but it's definitely on my list.
While on hols, we stopped in at Powell's books in Portland, OR and I can't BELIEVE that place! Portland, overall, was fantastic. It appealed to every member of our family and I could've spent far longer there than I was alloted. lol I also chuckled at just how many of the sustainable living books on their shelves I've read. Yep, that one. And that one. Oh, and that one. Yep, loved that one. It was rather humorous.
So now I'm back and trying to sort through emails and phone messages. It was GRAND signing off from being available for 12 days; now there'll be a slight adjustment to being back on solid ground (after being at sea and then on a train - oh, did I mention i get motion sickness?!?) and back in reality with day-to-day living.
NAMASTE; I honour you and will learn to honour my self, too.
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