It Was Magical.
Our incredible Canadian women in Rio have restored my faith in what competitive sport should be. There was no chest beating or posturing, just beautiful smiles and hugs. No words were needed because the joy and the excitement in their hearts shone through. Their love was strong; there were no winners or losers; they were as one; sharing their love of...
Read MoreMy Haibun Memoir
Within my heart I always knew at some point I would write about those magical days leading up to the reunion with my daughter whom I put up for adoption shortly after her birth. Almost 20 years later the first 32 copies of Dancing Into Reunion have just arrived by courier. I am so very pleased with all aspects of this book. I am also sincerely appreciative of those who encouraged me. My first experience of venturing into publishing has been a satisfying and a rewarding one. A professionally made CD featuring three songs I have written and sung as part of my healing journey...
Read MoreGlen Eden Organic Farm
Certified Delicious! Originally from London, UK Howard and Sally Green met in Toronto where they were both working in an advertising agency. Interestingly they discovered that they shared a common interest for gardening. They left Toronto, turning their caps towards the West Coast in search of a quieter life. Soon their gardening interest took over and retirement plans of sunbathing, traveling or resting on their laurels quickly turned into a farming frenzy. The 8 ½ acre property located on Cowichan Lake Rd, was acquired in 2002 and a great amount of work and effort as well as extensive...
Read MoreOma’s Pflaumen Kuchen
Granny’s Plum Slice.This is one of my summer favourites, my Grans used to have a farm and we had an Orchard, including plum trees. Oma used to make a plum cake baked in a tray from the first batch that we pulled off of the trees, it’s the best – Oma’s baking always was. This particular sheet cake is not sickening sweet, it preserves the tartness of the plums and the dough is rather dense. You can add ground filberg nut flour to give it that special nutty touch You will need: 250gr. Unsalted butter 200gr. Sugar 2 eggs 1 lemon zested 3ml Vanilla Pure...
Read MorePerfect for afternoon tea …
A little while ago, over on Local Loves Nanaimo, I made a TON of pumpkin puree using fresh local pumpkin and decided to have a baking marathon. So far I’ve shared my pumpkin pie recipe as well as my twist on the classic roasted pumpkin seeds. Well today, I’m going to show you how to make pumpkin bread! I’ve never made pumpkin bread, or even tasted it, before this! But I had it in my mind that it was the same as banana bread, only with pumpkin. My educated guess was right! This festive autumnal loaf is super moist, with the right amount of pumpkin and spice (and everything nice!). It’s...
Read MoreEmotional Health Issues.
Emotional Instability and other health problems are caused by a combination of environmental factors: for example the increasing exposure to Electro-Magnetic-Fields (EMF)- industrialized diets – toxins – the microbial world – Votile Organic Compounds (VOC) – bacteria that are around us. The result is an inability of the cells to communicate properly, causing an imbalance in brain and body. Dr. Mercola in a conversation with Dr. Suruchi Chandra said science has found out cells are signalling then to each other that they are in danger and when the cells do not feel safe they...
Read MoreOur Vancouver Island.
Yesterday I came across a very rare and refreshing item, an article in a newspaper that made me feel happy and content. By and large the mainstream media, especially television, have become peep show galleries to other peoples misery and distress. They intrude with microphones and stupid questions when people are at their lowest, it’s amazing that reporters are not verbally and physically attached. Please read the article below, I guarantee will make you feel better. We are so fortunate to live on the Vancouver Island. ******************************************************* This...
Read MoreThis weekend we are supposed to contemplate how lucky we are to live in British Columbia.
That’s the theory, anyway. Reality, for most of us, is more about beaches, barbecues and baseball tournaments. And that’s how it should be at the height of summer in Canada’s astonishing, fantastic, unbelievable province. Life is for living, after all. Whether dipping a paddle in some magnificent lake or river, pitching a tent and listening to wind in the canopy or the boom of surf, strolling the seawall — or just kicking back on the patio with a craft beer from one of B.C.’s three-score breweries or wine from one of 160 vintners while grass-fed Nicola Valley steaks...
Read MoreThe 3 ring circus that is American Politics.
The Presidential election campaign that is currently underway in America is truly frightening. How can a country that is so rich in so many ways be so bereft in moral and social leadership. Scaremongering and appealing to the masses is nothing new. Hitler perfected it. It’s easy to offer a rosy future with lies and innuendos. It’s easy to inflame passion with rhetoric and no substance. It’s easy to be smug and pompous when you already have everything. “Tough on Crime”, started by Ronald Reagan, and emulated by many others around the world does not work. The...
Read MoreA Lifetime Fear…
I recently worked with a client who came to me with many questions about metaphysics and with an innate curiosity about how to connect to the spiritual and energetic worlds. One of her biggest blocks to connecting with her own intuition and psychic abilities seemed to stem from her irrational fear of priests. She shared with me that she came from a strict, Catholic upbringing and yet had no recollection of a priest ever harming her in any way. They were strict, she told me, and her upbringing as a girl and young woman was very limited as to her opportunities and expectations. Yet she...
Read MoreSeniors Care Falling Behind.
The BC Seniors Advocate holds an important role in supporting our province’s seniors and through close communication with seniors and key stakeholders in BC senior care/supports, compiling information, making recommendations, and initiating action on key items. Just this month the Seniors Advocate for BC, Isobel Mackenzie, released her annual report which detailed the current state of senior care and seniors housing in BC, amongst other important issues facing seniors in BC as well. Out of interest, some of the key highlights from the report are summarized below….see if you can spot...
Read MoreMindfulness:
Mindfulness generally refers to the ‘practice and capacity of being fully engaged in this moment without any judgment of what is present, either in consciousness or in form’. There are also many mindful practices which stem from Buddhism, including compassion, generosity and reverence for life. Being mindful, or present, is a starting point to becoming more self- aware. Most people tend to carry on with their daily activities without much awareness of what is going on in their thoughts and emotions. Thoughts are very powerful and unchecked, can lead to anxiety and depression. ...
Read MoreThe very concept of self policing by organisations of any sort will never be acceptable to the general public.
The authority to do so renders the outcome suspect, self-serving and meaningless. All oversight mechanisms must be conducted be a 3rd party. No-one should be exempt from this, not politicians, licensing authorities, law enforcement, the military, labour or professionals organisations. The Mount Polley disaster is a prime example of what can happen without oversight and legal liabilities. We must learn from examples like this, especially with projects like the Site C dam, and John Hart expansion project here on the island, currently under construction. Click the link below to see...
Read MoreIt’s Outdoor Music Time on The Island.
We are now in the full swing with outdoor music concerts on the island. What is your favourite?
Read MoreTrying on a decision
In my last post, we talked about intuition, where it comes from and why it’s a useful tool to develop. If you missed the last edition, click on “All posts by Erin Lee” below. One of the most valuable ways we can use our intuition is in decision making, and I’d like to share one of my favourite exercises, “Trying on a Decision”. Trying on a Decision is kind of like shopping for jeans. Most of us don’t take a pair of jeans off of the rack, look at them and say, “yup, these will look good!”. No! We take several pairs of jeans into the change room and try them on. Have...
Read MoreArtisans of Gabriola
In the clearest, broadest sense, Arts Gabriola “A creative, engaged, and inclusive community sustaining Gabriola’s vibrant island culture, oversees the importance of arts in community and individual development—both social and economic”. When I was scanning the scape looking for gifts for buyers and sellers of real estate properties here on Gabriola, I discovered right before my very eyes, Allana Thorne, creator of The Thorne Crate Co. Established in 2012 as a start-up she focuses on quality Gabriola-made juicy items stuffed into nifty baskets, all wrapped up spiffy so you can see...
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