"It's the Water..."

Anyone remember the Olympia Brewing Co. advertising slogan from eons ago...

"It's the water, and a lot more"?

(Yeah. I didn't think so.) Seems that can also be the case when it comes to the water we drink.

 

Here's the skinny: 
--Drink 6-8 glasses of water daily. The body needs it for everything.
--Drink bottled, at least temporarily, until you're certain the supply is pure.
--Flush your pipes regularly which means, run the faucet open

Fall's Friday Frenzy

Even if you're not going to school yourself, or have kids who are navigating the delicate re-entry into the educational atmosphere, it's hard not to be affected by the energy surrounding it all. In spite of my good intentions, it seems that sitting down to write gets pushed to the side. (Okay. I confess. It's more likely web-induced ADD.)
In any case, the 8-week program continues. I've managed to...

Winning...

Who doesn't love winning? And when it's stuff you love, even better! Check out this stuff I won that I also happen to love, which is different than that random white elephant you got for being one of the first people through the door at the used mattress sale: (eeew!)

Easiest Salmon Ever; You Have the Right to Infuse

Think it's hard? Think again. I bought a package of wild caught salmon/filleted/skin on, from Costco on Friday. I cut it into serving-size pieces, wrapped each in plastic and paper, popped them, in a ziploc and tossed into the freezer.
To use, thaw in the frig overnight or a couple hours on the counter. (This is probably a good place for a disclaimer to avoid a law suit. I don't know how my mother kept from killing any of her five children, umpteen grands and

Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber

Surprised by “Surprised by Oxford”! Forgive me, but like a reluctant maiden, I was not easily captured. It took me a full 60 pages to fully engage with the author and to fall in love with her story. But fall, I did. Sometimes even the most enduring romances get off to a rocky start. In this memoir of spiritual and romantic awakening by Carolyn Weber, we are guided through the privileged halls of Oxford University, and ushered into the inner life of a young person who is in the process of becoming.

She is…

…becoming a woman, arriving in London with a suitcase of shoes, an engagement ring and high hopes.

…becoming a teacher, a female doctoral candidate at a prestigious institution with rigorous intellectual demands.

Bust a Moooove! (Week 1c)

Walk... salmon... vitamin C... breathe... get flowers...

I have been at the beach with family since I posted last. Staying on track away from home--camping in a yurt and fixing meals over a firepit--was the challenge. Of course, you're already surrounded by nature and glorious air. For food, we packed lots of fresh fruit and some blanched broccoli in the cooler. But just in case you run short, there are delightful organic markets nearby.

I found some things actually easier. For example, just going to the restroom half a block away means you exercise every day (...albeit at 3 in the morning,

Better Than You Think - (Week 1b)

Week 1b: Think about the body's amazing ability to heal; consider things from which you and others have recovered.

I saw the physical therapist today for a shoulder that has ceased to operate like one. Still lying in bed, just that first morning stretch sends me into a pain-induced state of shock which is no way to start the day! And it's downhill from

Really? 8 Weeks to Optimum Health...? (Wk 1a)

                             Week 1a: Eat fresh broccoli twice this week.

Some experts say it takes 21 days--three weeks--to establish a new habit. Opinions differ, but in any case, I know it takes me more than a week. So I'm giving myself three times that--24 weeks, not eight!

I ran across this book at Goodwill a few months back. (By the way, thrift shops are a great place to shop for books if you can't afford new

"Migraines Are What Happens When You're Making Other Plans"

No doubt you've seen this clever axiom, credited to John Lennon...

For the past several years, my experience has been that...

"Migraines are what happens when you're making other plans!"

For instance, I planned a week-long trip recently to a town three hours away

Never Give Up

This stuffed turtle reclines on the top of my piano where each music student can see the words "NEVER GIVE UP" in bold print across its exposed underbelly.

But what if our environment and resources prevent us from experiencing some

Choices That Change: Define Wholeness

Four Domains/One Whole
1. Physical
2. Psychological (Thoughts/Feelings/Behaviors)
3. Social
4. Spiritual

When you think about holistic, or wholistic (I guess there's some difference in meaning according to the different spellings), what comes to mind? For me, it conjures up the image of a low-budget office, manned by a single New-age naturopath smelling of herbs and supplements. Like me, you may have been in a few.

Slow Start

I'm inspired. On one of my favorite blogs, Encouraging Words for Writers, Bonita assures her readers that their writing, like a fingerprint, is supposed to be unique, unlike anyone else's; that there isn't one right way to speak. Now that's a piece of work for one whose default behavior is compliance!