Trust
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, trust means “Assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.” In these days, trust seems to be in pretty short supply. Assured reliance on anything is in short supply – whether that reliance is on our families and spouses, our jobs, our government or even ourselves. God disappeared from that list probably in the 60’s or at least the latter part of the last century. And that may not be a good thing. In her book, Mind over Medicine, Lissa Rankin points out some interesting findings from a...
Read MoreThe Thursday Writers
Written in twenty minutes by Chris Beryl from this writing prompt: “He Turned the Key in the Lock and Opened the Door” He turned the key in the lock and opened the door. To his horror, he saw a huge dog and three puppies. “What…where did these come from ? We’re not keeping them you know. Oh no…” “Daddy daddy, we found them in a field. Someone forgot them. They left them in a box. They were crying Daddy.” ” Left them in field my …. Dumped them more likely” he said under his breath. He looked at his children. They were delirious with joy. Jack and Patricia sat on the...
Read MorehOMe Grown Living Foods
Not many people can say they have successfully built their company by putting lifestyle before profit. However Shani Cranston and Willy McBride, of hOMe Grown Living Foods, are an example of a local business that has managed to balance their entrepreneurial spirits with a deep reverence for Mother Nature. “Nourishing people is our passion, and living a balanced life is one of our core values,” explains Shani, Chief Formulator for hOMe Grown. It is truly impressive how much Shani is invested in her work. She started producing her delicious and healthy snacks over eight years ago after...
Read MoreWhen Good Teeth Go Bad
When was the last time you had a good look in your dog’s mouth? If he’s over three years old, there is a 75 percent chance that he has dental disease—plaque, tartar, and inflamed gums. However, besides causing bad breath and tooth loss, the infection in the oral cavity can spread to vital internal organs. Small breed dogs are prone to tartar accumulation at very young ages. The result is they lose many teeth by the time they are 10 years old. It all begins with the formation of a thin, soft film of plaque (food and bacteria) on the teeth. Left undisturbed, plaque eventually mineralizes...
Read MoreYour Perfect Packing List
Late fall, the birds fly south, and with them, so do many people seeking a change of pace and a change from the cold of winter. Obviously, a different climate calls for a different wardrobe for warmer climes, so this article we will focus on how to shop, pack, and dress for those locations. Many stores stock heavier clothes during the fall and winter months, however, it’s common for stores to begin receiving spring items early. When asked, a salesperson will likely be able to direct you to a few items that are from their spring inventory. If they don’t have spring/summer clothes...
Read MoreBenefits of a Graphic Designer
When you have an idea but you just don’t know how to make it come to life, that’s exactly what a graphic design professional will do for you. They will listen to your ideas, you know your business better than anyone else, and this is the place to start. The designer will then work with you to come up with concepts that work within your budget and business plan. Another huge benefit of using a graphic designer is the fact that they are a one-stop source of services for your businesses. For instance, you are starting up your own business or updating the look of an existing one and you need...
Read MoreMedical Marijuana
I recently attended an information workshop in Duncan regarding chronic pain control and was pleasantly surprised by the range of people attending, their ailments, and their ways of dealing with their pain, or not. The participants were adults of various ages, men and women, and they were looking for the relief of chronic pain for themselves. The causes were numerous and varied, caused by accidents’ and ailments. To help control their pain some used various prescription and over the counter drugs. Some were also smoking marijuana, or using other forms of cannabis. Although I know...
Read MoreKeeping Wills Current
Many things have changed since the ‘good old days’ but, unfortunately, some things haven’t. My Dad died overnight at age 57 from a massive heart attack; to say it was unexpected is an understatement. We were terribly unprepared, both emotionally and estate wise. My Dad had a will, but it needed updating, and everything was in my Dad’s name. The estate took almost a year and a half to settle, and, in the meantime, my Mom had never written a cheque or paid a bill in her life. I talk to many women and couples – it still surprises me how often wills are not done or updated, or, the...
Read MoreClose Friendships are Vital
Bonds of friendship are often formed when we are young, and many of these bonds continue to stay strong well into the golden years. It’s important for your senior loved one to stay socially active, whether it’s through maintaining longstanding friendships or building brand new relationships. That’s because the more social connections a senior has, the healthier and happier they generally are! WHY DO SENIORS BECOME SOCIALLY ISOLATED? Older adults who retire or move in with their families may have fewer opportunities to engage with other seniors. Limited mobility and various other health...
Read MoreAmerica’s Electile Dysfunction
The world watched amazed when Donald Trump pulled off a stunning election upset, defying polls that generally agreed he was not going to win. Everyone thought Hillary Clinton was a shoo-in. After all, she had the support of the larger part of the media, the establishment, the business community… she even had the endorsement of the current President! What we saw instead was the complete and utter repudiation of the established political system by a large, overlooked segment of America: The Rural, blue collar worker. Proven terribly wrong, the political pundits and talking heads licked their...
Read MoreMore Women in Leadership
Last week we got closer than ever before to electing the first woman President, and millions of young girls across the country have been emboldened to dream even bigger and see no role as out of their reach. Despite the progress made by Hillary Clinton’s historic candidacy, the campaign has forced us to reckon with issues of gender bias that emerged in the national dialogue – from tone of voice, to stamina, to what a leader “looks” like, to how the media covers gender. The sadness, anger, and motivation that women across the country are now dealing with are familiar, as we have been...
Read MoreSigns Our Body is Giving Us
Heart palpitations, anxiety, memory difficulties and more. These and many more signs our body is giving us that it is under constant stress from electro magnetic frequencies emitted by the wireless technology we use (see below). These devices emit radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, including cordless phones, cell phones, IPads, Wi-Fi routers, wireless games, baby monitors, and smart meters. An Information Package was sent to Doctors together with a letter signed by Una St.Clair Executive Director, Citizens for Safe Technology Society. On...
Read MoreTrump Election.
Good, bad or ugly the 58th U.S. presidential election is finally over. Donald Trump will be the next President, to the surprise of many observers considering he trailed in most national polls in the weeks leading up to the vote. Riding on his coattails, the Republicans held onto control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives (throughout the campaign most analysts anticipated the Senate swinging back to the Democrats). This sets the stage for a much more aggressive pursuit of Trump’s campaign platform positions that would be possible in a divided government. Among other...
Read MoreNovember on Gabriola.
Lost between the October Ferry to Gabriola and December, lies November. Like nothing happens here in November? Get on the bus-Gus. Of course it does! Here’s my November as an example of nothing happens here, so pour yourself a java and put up your feet. Dream if you will and ask me again, “Why do I love it here”. Besides the dark nights, really-really dark-dark nights, and hardly a noise ‘cept the odd car. Most Gabriolans happily are tucked in for the evening, me by my fireplace toasty warm. Fact is, I just got home from Iyengar Yoga with Karin Young. Twice a...
Read MoreBooks, Bills & Bios.
That title pretty much describes my desk in what I call the ‘view area’ of my family room. When I first looked at this spot some decades ago when house-hunting, it sported a rudimentary desk, but what truly grabbed my attention then was this corner’s ideal placement with easy access to the kitchen beyond. What better place to store helpful book titles, pay the inevitable bills, and write irresistible biographies of talented artists, writers and musicians or announce the what, where, and when of upcoming events? Here I could sit searching for just the right phrase, watch the decreasing...
Read MoreReflexology to perk you up…
Our daylight time is getting shorter and the clouds seem to have rolled in. This season can certainly be a struggle for some of us. Depression and anxiety can start to rear their not so pretty heads. The good news is, our bodies can help us find those inner rays of sunshine once again. What a relief to know that our own bodies hold such keys to our well-being! How do we unlock these golden treasures? One path is to apply pressure to specific reflex areas of the body. This assists in boosting our spirits through stimulating endorphins to release naturally. How do endorphins make a difference?...
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