Life, Thoughts & Coffee

When we start to trust it it’s easy to see that nature provides beautifully for us according to the way it most likely was meant to.

For instance, apple cider vinegar’s versatility appears to be endless. I purchased Dr. Earl Mindell’s book, AMAZING APPLIE CIDER VINEGAR, a few years ago, and am always surprised at the ease in using vinegar for all sorts of, shall we say, things. Dandruff? This from Earl Mindell: “Simply pour full-strength vinegar on your head and work it into the roots of the hair, then wrap your head with a towel; let the treatment work for a full hour before washing your hair. Repeat the procedure as many times as necessary to do away with dandruff and itchy scalp for good.” Warts, calluses? Apply apple cider vinegar on a cloth and adhere to skin, or apply on a band aid mornings and evenings until the area is wart or callus free. Have patience; it works. Now people in the know who write about acv say taking 1 tablespoon in a glass of water 30 minutes before meals, among other things, aids in digestion.

In past years when a recipe called for fresh ginger and I was new to buying it, I couldn’t think how else to use the rest of it. Now I know that when it’s grated it can be added to just about anything. For tea slice a 1-inch piece and steep it for 10-15 minutes - drink hot or cold. Good to know because ginger’s benefits are powerful. I once took a cooking course in Manhattan taught by Virginia Lee. She said that ginger stays fresh when kept in a jar of sherry. She and Craig Claiborne wrote a cookbook worth having.

Turmeric has finally found its place in the American spotlight, and recently I read on aol’s news page, (from David Servan-Schreiber’s book as reviewed in Prevention Magazine), that turmeric is “the most powerful anti-inflammatory today.” Good to know. Not used to this spice? Well, it takes a bit of time sometimes for one’s taste buds to savor the new; continue to use and eventually you’ll think, hmm, this dish needs more turmeric.

On that same site I read that “the active compounds in garlic are released when you crush the clove, and they’re much more easily absorbed when they’re combined with a small amount of oil.”

Henry is someone I met in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. He had been a merchant marine for many years, and in his 50s decided to study Chinese medicine and acupuncture in Hawaii. He was very popular in Vilcabamba. There were nights when a group of us sat outside the cafe facing the plaza listening to Henry, and gathering information. I remember he said that to know whether you have parasites spit into a glass of water - if spit sinks you have them. Parasites? There are many helpful books on detoxifying. Something we all should do - every year it gets easier and easier to rid toxins from our bodies. Yes, it does.

Peroxide tries to compete with apple cider vinegar; its uses are many. It’s an excellent mouth wash, toothbrushes can be soaked in a cup of peroxide to kill germs, it can rid kitchen counters and wooden cutting boards of bacteria. Adding a little in water when watering plants keeps them healthy. Add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in washing machine, spray on mirrors to clean them. I bought a spray cap for the peroxide bottle and spray just about everything in sight. So watch out when visiting my place. Just kidding.

Soon I’m going to bake chocolate chip cookies. And this time I’ll replace the white and brown sugar with Stevia. www.stevia.com Stevia has been used in Japan for 50 years. And in “Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, and China it’s been used to sweeten food and tea for centuries. Stevia is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, with virtually no calories, and 1 teaspoon of the liquid is equal to 1 cup of sugar.” August 2008 www.prevention.com

Should you want a list of natural physicians in your area, the website is: www.acam.org, the American College for Advancement in Medicine, or call 800 532 3688. And for allergy screening and treatment the website is: www.aaem.com the American Academy for Environmental Medicine, or call 316 684 5500.

And let’s not ever forget the tremendous power of our thinking in helping to keep us healthy.

“If I had to leave my children just one piece of advice, it would be to live in the moment.” - Nicholas Evans, Writer

Indeed the world is experiencing unimaginable chaos and suffering, but since the world is experiencing a vast amount of good, also, all is not wrong with the world. Does experiencing the world one way or the other depend on us - our thoughts, and how we create in our lives? Over and over it has been said that it does. Imagine that.

“Words are the vibrations of nature,
therefore beautiful words create
beautiful nature, ugly words create ugly
nature, this is the root of the universe.” -Masaru Emoto

A little bit of this, and a little bit of that can be a wonderful thing.

www.evanhandler.com

www.ted.com

www.ask-inc.com

www.isha.com

FISH to avoid? FISH for your health?
www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp
from an article by Sarah Cimperman, www.drsarahcimperman.com

And from Ode Magazine:
www.greenschool.org

www.odemagazine.com/voluntourism

www.odemagazine.com/beatree

www.paulocoelhoblog.com

www.odemagazine.com/graphology

A book or two perhaps:
www.odemagazine.com/slowmoney

www.newsociety.com
“Weapons of Mass Instruction” by John Taylor Gatto (under “Upcoming Releases”)

www.rabbirami.blogspot.com
The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness by Rabbi Rami Shapiro - from Spirituality&Health magazine

Music maybe:
www.odemagazine.com/tonmaas
Riccardo Tesi, Presente Remoto

Just a click away. Enjoy!

It would seem that this election year is not about having a black or white man, or having a woman in office or not. It’s strange that after all these years, and all that’s happened/happening in the world, this, among other things, is what’s written about and talked about. The world’s needs are not about skin color or gender, but about needing a person having extraordinary wisdom, along with a brilliant mind unencumbered by decisions of the past. The world of 2009 needs leaders of every country capable of implementing the changes needing to occur at this stage of the world’s development, and for the benefit of people everywhere. Imagine that!

Sometimes one could easily believe that our beautiful world exists for a handful of people. I feel that written on the soul of every creation is a right to evolve physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. How is it that a few have wrestled power at the expense of many, and, in the process, have caused unimaginable chaos and suffering around the world? It boggles the mind!

May our next president be all that he can be for the good of himself, our country and the world.

My friend in Thailand sent an email to me yesterday. I always like reading them because he talks at length about the adopted country he so much enjoys, and the new precious Thai family he married into. I’d say he’s along the same lines of Cloris Leachman - no ordinary person. How does one describe one who is no ordinary person? Well, I can describe the little things about him, and perhaps the little things about a person tell the biggest story. I’ve noticed that when he travels he never mentions the negative of any country. He writes at length about all the things he likes, - the people, food, beautiful sites, great, simple places to stay to learn the ways of the country, the how-to of getting around. He doesn’t seem to buy into anyone telling him what he can and can’t do, especially as it pertains to his personal life - that which he’s quite capable of deciding all by himself. He doesn’t listen to what can and can’t be done when a certain age is reached, or at any age for that matter. Categorizing and/or labeling life is not his thing. He lives, explores, enjoys being alive, and, if you were to meet him along the way, I bet you’d be glad you did.

He’s been around the world. If someone were to hand him a container of soap for additional sanitizing of hands, he’d give it right back to them. If he happened to be watching tv and a drug commercial appeared he’d casually mute it. Why allow that into one’s psyche? - I can hear him say. On second thought, that would be me saying that. He would simply mute it.

Yes, no ordinary person is he.

I flew to Raleigh, NC a few days before beautiful, petite, determined Clover Alessandra was born on 18 September 2008 to Alicia and Michael. Her arrival created an amazing whirlwind of activity for which she was blissfully unaware, and left 28-month old brother Sebastian deeply concerned about the new addition to the family. We noticed quickly that this kind of acceptance isn’t easy for an only child. Time will change all that.

We all got colds, or was it allergies mimicking a cold. No matter, all of us, including Clover, coughed, sneezed and sniffled through the days ahead. Clover was a trooper; her first cold didn’t leave her too dishelved.

And we danced around Clover’s schedule as we shopped at Earth Fare, Fresh Market and Lowe’s. There was no restaurant dining this time around (except for a relaxing lunch at Winston’s Grille for Alicia and me the Monday before Clover’s arrival). Then in came Granny Yang from Virginia with a large box of big, tasty Asian pears, and enough ingredients purchased at Kim’s Asian Market to prepare a Korean feast for Clover’s first day home. The dining table looked mighty happy that evening. Yang also prepared Korean style seaweed soup to keep Alicia and Clover in good health. That and Mother’s Milk tea, a bottle a day of O’Doule’s non-alcoholic beer, lots of water, and a bit of juice will assure a good supply of milk for tiny Clover Alessandra. And friends dropped by with lasagna, pasta with meatballs, and enchiladas for the rest of us.

Two big boxes arrived during the second week for Clover from Aunt Sumi and Uncle Toshi. What fun it was sitting around with mama Alicia holding Clover, and dad Michael holding the big box. He opened each individually-wrapped gift with care. And we all loved seeing your first four-leaf clover in the form of a little charm. Is that Clover’s first clover of a clover collection? Wisely, there was a gift for Sebastian - a yellow taxi. And in a flash Sebastian left to play. The second box was clothes 16-month old cousin Sophie outgrew.

Aunt Emi is knee-deep in her studies at Columbia, a work/study program, and an internship. Clover will see her when she comes up for air. ha ha

Baby Clover please know the entire family fell in love with you at first sight. And it seems it’ll only get better and better. And Sebastian, well, every so often, he shows a little interest in trying to figure out who you are, and how you were suddenly in his life. But we know that soon you and he will be friends, and that one day we’ll see you walking hand-in-hand with your cousin Sophie who spends a lot of time these days at playgrounds and sing-alongs in Brooklyn. And Sebastian will tease both of you unmercifully as his father once did with his sisters Sumi and Emi.

Dad Michael went to the World Beer Festival (tradition) on 4 October from 6pm to 10pm with Uncle Alex who drove from Atlanta, and four beer-loving friends. Dad Michael chose to be the designated driver so as to be in good shape the next day. Mama Alicia and I ate a late-night dinner while Sebastian slept. Clover was awake most of the time with head lifted, wide-eyed, and simply observing. Don’t want to miss a thing, eh? Your parents are looking a little tired these days, Clover.

The day before Clover was born a purchase was made at Dilly Dally of a Bebe Au Lait coverup for nursing in public, and at North Hills the tiniest and prettiest white dress for first photos was bought.

Clover, can you feel the love?

www.thefreshmarket.com
www.earthfare.com
www.lowesfoods.com
www.northhillsraleigh.com
www.allaboutbeer.com
www.winstonsgrille.com

Kim’s Asian Market, 6014 Duraleigh Road, Raleigh, NC ph.no: 919-788-7777
Bebe Au Lait coverup from Dilly Dally baby boutique, 6675 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh, NC

For many people Labor Day means closing a beach house, or leaving a rented villa in a beautiful European city, or summer day outings with family and friends, or, shall I count the endless vacation choices? Better not, you say. Okay, I understand; I won’t. In any event, it’s time to head back to a big city, a small town, or the countryside to greet autumn - time to unpack. I hope you’re all well-rested after a lovely summer. Now settle in and have a fun-filled Labor Day weekend. www.dictionary.com Labor Day n. The first Monday in September, observed as a holiday in the United States and Canada in honor of working people. (Australia, too?)

Ahh, but some people have yet to take a vacation; they like traveling during autumn and/or winter. Where are you all going? Will you travel beyond your borders or stay close by? In either case, I’ve got a few websites for you who have yet to pack.

Here we go, or rather, here you go -

www.yotel.com

www.airhitch.org

www.ecuadorexplorers.com

www.casademariafelix.com

www.heartoftheinitiate.com

www.hiayh.org

www.wtgonline.com

www.anzacguide.com

a few lightweight clothes -

www.travelsmith.com

a book -

www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org

thoughts for the road -

www.mindmovies.com.

Wherever you go, enjoy.

Sometimes when you think you’ve found the right method for doing this or that, something comes along to knock it. For instance, Dr. Jonathan Wright (”Physicians honor Dr. Wright with medicine’s first LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD”) refers to yellow mustard as “THE MUSTARD MIRACLE” and he goes on, “So harmless you could (and probably should) take it every day just to be on the safe side!” Okay, why not? I think to myself, that’s easily accomplished. I mention this to a friend, who said, “No. No. I’ve read the opposite, vinegar, black pepper, mustard should be avoided. They irritate the stomach and are harmful.” I don’t want to know this; vinegar, black pepper, mustard are great with foods. “Tell me no more.” says I.

Well, I go through my books, they say good things about organic apple cider vinegar, and nothing about black pepper. To be honest though I’ve heard through the years that black pepper is a stomach irritant, but who wants to know that because what will replace the taste of black pepper steak, black pepper on fried eggs, etc.? I know the answer, it’s beneficial, wonderful cayenne, once you’ve gotten used to its bite. Cayenne to the rescue. Right?

Now about yellow mustard, I found a book hiding on my bookshelf, an old packed-with- information-and-wisdom classic titled The Original Back To Eden by Jethro Kloss - Healing Herbs Home Remedies Diet & Health. He healed countless numbers of people the natural way. He speaks highly of wonderful cayenne. And mustard? Well, Jethro Kloss wrote “. . . it is harmful to use mustard in food.”

So, my questions: why are two excellent sources writing contrary opinions about something that seems pretty straightforward? And does anyone out there have sound information about that delicious tasting seasoning called yellow mustard?

Seventeen years ago I bought a book titled The Sermon On The Mount The Key To Success In Life. A lot of years passed since I last read it. It was packed away, found, and recently read again because it’s a book with a lot of substance. The www allowed for further information about the writer of the book, Emmet Fox. He was a scientist, philosopher, and spiritual teacher who was born in Ireland, educated in England, lived and worked mostly in the United States, and died in France. His adult life was dedicated to spiritual teachings, people, traveling, and living life energetically. His books are easy to read, deeply moving, and immensely informative. He wrote with intelligence and heart.

Now with a new President of the United States on the horizon, there are two chapters of another of his books, Alter Your Life, that make for very good reading at this particular time in our history. The two chapters are: “The American Spirit - The Principles Underlying the Constitution” on page 166, and “The Historical Destiny of the United States” on page 188. If you’re thinking that you’ve studied it already, you might want to think about reading Emmet Fox’s words. Because to remember why and how the United States of America came into being, and to review the meaning of The Constitution and what took place during and after, and to connect with what our Founding Fathers were all about helps put our thoughts in order. And putting our thoughts in order is extremely important since it appears we’ve strayed far and wide from the original course.

And the rest of the book? Well, you just might want to keep reading.

Today in Phila is about lots of rain, and laughter.

www.laughteryoga.org from: www.odemagazine.com

Many years ago I heard or read that our bodies can’t tell whether our laughter is real or not. In either case, laughter helps heal. And, if that’s the case, let’s do it - let’s laugh loudly now. Watching the videos on www.laughteryoga.org will, well, you’ll see. And then there are all those laughing yoga clubs. Maybe one of us will want to start one. You never know. Right?

Enjoy the day!