Take Time to Say Thanks

Unexpected blessings sometimes come from strange circumstances. A few weeks ago I went to the doctor to hear the results from my annual bone density test. Again this year, the natural products I'm using brought a bit more bone growth; good news but not a surprise. During that visit the doctor discovered something on my liver that concerned him. The CT Scan a few days later did show a small cyst on the liver and an abnormality on the adrenal gland. What concerned him was the nodules in both lungs. That meant a trip to a special lab in Portland, not a great day for me. Prepared for the worst, I was elated when the doctor called the next morning to let me know the chances of cancer were so small as to be insignificant. What a blessing and from a circumstance I never would have expected. There is some infection and the possibility of TB which will have to be checked but knowing I don't have to have a serious talk with loved ones lifted a weight I didn't know I was carrying.

This recent situation reminded me, once again, that an important part of taking care of myself is being thankful for what I have. When things are moving at a steady pace with few or no snags in the way, being thankful and finding joy in the now can become habit with little meaning. Perhaps events like this are a wake up call and serve to pull me back to this second of this day instead of thinking about tomorrow or yesterday. Now, if I were a four footed animal, a dog or cat perhaps, living completely in the moment would not be a problem. That's what they do whether it is joyfully or sadly. Our dogs can go from sadness to happiness in less than a second. All it takes is some attention from their humans, a chew stick, a walk, or laying in front of the fire on a cold winter day. I need to live more like a dog or cat, sleeping when tired, eating when hungry, and jumping with joy when I see someone I love. What a great attitude!

Can You Say Enough?

We recently watched the film 'Regarding Henry' again. After being shot in a robbery, surgery and rehabilitation, Henry goes back to work at his law firm. On the first morning, Henry's secretary brings him a cup and pot of coffee. She pours coffee into the pot until it spills over the sides because Henry forgot to say 'enough.' Not saying enough is common in modern society. No matter how big the house, how fancy the car, how large the income, we seem to have difficulty saying that simple word. However, if we take a look at the types and amount of food people in other countries have stocked on their shelves, then compare that to our own cupboards, perhaps saying 'enough' might be a bit easier. The family pictured lives in the country of Chad in Africa.

If you look at what this family lives on for an entire week, then compare it to your family's consumption, it might help you understand what a society of consumers we have become. I'm not advocating for Americans to attempt living on such scant foods but it sure wouldn't hurt us to eat a bit less on a regular basis. We might also think a bit more about being less wasteful. In our country, the average family throws out more food per week than families elsewhere in the world consume.

There really is enough food in the world to feed every man, woman, and child. The problem is one of distribution and how food is produced. It takes approximately 9 calories of fuel to produce 1 calorie of beef, a product consumed by the pound in America. If everyone in the world was put on the average American diet, it would take four planets to support our appetites.

Water, another commodity fast become scarce, is another consideration in food consumption. For example, you can grow a pound of potatoes with 60 gallons of water. If you grow a pound of wheat you will need 110 gallons of water. Beef, a favorite in American, requires 12,500 gallons of water to grow one pound. It may surprise you to learn that President Eisenhower warned against yielding to public pressure for wasteful public funding of agriculture. He saw, long before most of us, that such funding would lead to the loss of small farms and a takeover by huge corporations that care only about the bottom line.

Some of my friends and family members have told me my insistence on a healthy, organic diet is silly. I learned the hard way 50 years ago that food additives were not good for me after eating a salad dressing containing MSG. I've been beating the organic drum ever since. Organic food has more flavor and nutrients. It takes less to satisfy my body's needs. In my opinion it makes sense to eat healthy food prepared at home. It costs less, tastes better, and supports local farms. That is a win-win situation and one I hope will be replicated across the country as more families take a taste test for themselves.

We recently joined a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) to assure a supply of organic meats and produce for our needs. With an organic garden in the yard as a supplement, we will have all we need for ourselves and visits from friends and family. On delivery day, if our produce box has more of an item than we can use, it is easy to donate the excess to a neighbor, family in town, or the local food bank.

I hope you are one of those who joins the healthy eating parade. It is never too late to begin for each day is brand new, a gift from the universe to live in the way you choose. Remember, there really is an abundance of everything we need on our planet, we simply need to learn how to share.

Simple Joys

Mother's Day could not have been better this year. My youngest daughter and her family came over to spend the day. Son-in-law, Matt, worked with Phil on Kira's tree house and it is now almost complete. Daughter Tina, hauled dirt, compost, and potting soil to the raised beds, filled them, and transplanted the strawberries. Later in the day we got the tomatoes and worms in so all we have left to do is fill the two remaining raised beds and we're set for the summer growing season. The organic beef we barbecued came from our local CSA and was absolutely wonderful. I suppose some would think Mother's Day requires a fancy brunch or dinner in a nice restaurant with some shopping thrown in. My simple day with family might have left them feeling let down. However, for me the simple things are what bring the most joy. What do you think Mother's Day should be?

Earlier in the day I baked a sour cream coffee cake for snacks and on Saturday I prepared Potato Vinaigrette Salad, a warm weather favorite of mine as it does not contain mayonnaise. We took frequent short breaks, yet by the time Phil fired up the barbecue we were all getting rather hungry. Needless to say, we had a wonderful, relaxing meal and finished it off with ripe watermelon and strawberries. Days like that one and simple yet delicious meals with loved ones are joys that create lasting memories.

With all the hooplah in the media these days, the arguments about politics, right wing, left wing, and wars around the world, a bit of simple joy is just what I need to put things in perspective. I cannot change how others behave or what they believe. I can speak when an opportunity arrives and that is a responsibility we all have. However, when we think we can change what someone else believes, it is important to recognize that the closed door to a person's mind opens only from the inside. Speaking out is a bit like scattering seeds along side the roadway. Some will find fallow ground and sprout. Many will be eaten by birds and small rodents. Still others will land on rocky soil where there is no place to put down roots. It would be silly to expect all the scattered seeds to grow and even sillier to try forcing them to sprout. No, scattering, whether it be seeds or wisdom is all we can do. While we wait to learn which grows and which dies, we have time to sit back, relax, and find joy in the simple things of life.

Daily Choices, Lack or Abundance?

This past week we've had snow, hail, and rain so cold it was almost freezing. Being a lover of sunshine, heat, and soft breezes, my first reaction was dismay. I had to give myself a bit of a shake and remember that how I feel each day is my choice just as how you feel it yours. I meditated for a few moments and concentrated on the blessings such weather bring to our aquifer, replacing water we humans drained in past months. It took a bit of work, for I truly love hot weather, however the effort was worthwhile. My dismay turned into gratitude for the abundance of water we will have this summer.

Choices are available in ways we don't always comprehend. For example, there are many recipes that have high fructose corn syrup as one of the ingredients. When we really enjoy some particular dish but don't want to ingest corn syrup we have choices to make. One person might decide to simply not eat that item and view that as a lack of some kind. Another could choose to eat whatever it is, knowing that corn syrup is not healthy. My choice is to substitute honey and enjoy the abundance provided by our buzzing friends.

As bees buzz around blossoms of every kind, they pollinate the tree, bush, flower, or plant and then return to their hive where they produce honey. The specifics of where they were pollinating before producing honey determines the type of nectar they create. From working in blackberries they will give us honey of a darker color and a mild blackberry taste. You will find honey on the grocers shelf with labels such as clover, alfalfa, apple, peach and just about every kind of flowering plant around. If you are preparing a dish requiring as little added flavor as possible, using clover honey is always a good option. When I stir up a new batch of honey mustard salad dressing, I like to use a different type of honey than in the previous recipe.

Try substituting honey for high fructose corn syrup in your favorite recipes. You just might amaze yourself and your family with the subtle taste differences as you experiment. Here is one recipe you can try as soon as fresh, organic fruit of any kind arrives at your farmer's market.

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Freezer Strawberry Jam

3 1/4 cups crushed berries
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup honey

Place exact mount of crushed berries and lemon juice in a large bowl. Gradually stir 1 box of pectin into berry mixture and set aside for about 30 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes.

In another bowl, measure exact amount of sugar and set aside.

Pour honey into fruit mixture and mix well.

Stir sugar in gradually and continue stirring until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy.

Pour jam into clean, dry plastic containers, wipe tops and place lids on tops. Set aside until jam sets, up to 24 hours. Place containers in freezer.

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When I choose joy, or at least contentment, instead of dismay my blood pressure drops and my spirits lift. Always, the choice is mine just as it is yours. What will you choose today? I hope it will be joy and happiness rather than dismay or anger.