After two years of pandemic stress, lockdowns, and mask wearing, most people are breathing shallow, contracted breaths. This is what happens under extreme stress. Pre-pandemic, the average person accessed 20-40% of their breath capacity, depending on whether they held trauma or were managing daily life stressors. Can you imagine what it is like now? It…
“It was a pleasure to burn.” As many remember, that is the opening line to “Fahrenheit 451.” Published in 1953, it still occupies the #7 spot on the New York Public Library’s list of their most-borrowed books of all time. Its author, a pulp magazine story writer from the Midwest, tapped most of it out on…
In March 2021, Forbes Magazine ran an article titled, “The Roots of Conspiracy Theory.” According to Helen Lee Bouygues (the author), “What’s needed is a more nuanced understanding of what drives conspiracy theories, and what kind of interventions can actually be effective against them.“ Labeling conspiracy theories as “far fetched ideas,” she reminds us that…
Respiratory diseases are surging again, and there is disagreement about what we should do in terms of masking. Some people are masking when they go out, some are no longer masking, and some would like everyone to wear a mask. There’s been no answer that makes sense for everyone, and this puts us all at…
Perhaps language arose with humans as a kind of call-and-response with the natural world. In the midst of the companionable sounds around us, we found ourselves with things to say in turn. In any case, nature expresses in our languages. We can hear the waters, aspects of geography, animals, birds, weather, and temperature in the…
There are many things in our kitchen cupboards that can bolster our body’s ability to heal itself. Every mother is a bit of a medicine woman, and what do you do if no doctor is available? Prevention is of course the best medicine. We all know that fresh air, fresh vegetables and fruits, and plenty…
Welcome to our January puzzle! ****** SPOILERS!**** Answer Key below Last chance to look away, look away before the Answers appear! Okay, here is the – ACROSS: 4. lemon 5. zinc 7. ionophore 8. raw 9. nature trails 11. coffee 12. sleep DOWN: hydrated 2. walking 3. vitamin D 6. chocolate 10. honey
As we change from the old year into the new year, and as I shed my aging skin, I tend to look at myself in the mirror and laugh now at the different things we are going through as we get older. Recently, I’ve been alerted to the fact that we are starting up a…
Do you have a business on Vashon? If so, are you like the majority of Vashon businesses in that you’re not located uptown? Vashon businesses are everywhere on the Island – really, everywhere. But many are effectively hidden, without the storefront or drive-by appeal that would let you know they exist. Because Vashon is not zoned…
I discovered this amazing pâté in Kauai. It is an adapted version of a recipe from the vegan cookbook, “Blossoming Lotus.” I’m not vegan, but I sure love the vibrancy of this versatile food. You can serve the pâté on toast, use it as a salad dressing or pasta sauce, or put it in puff…