On the dangerous streets of Vancouver's downtown east side, the female inhabitants are representative of every national origin, race, age, status and faith. Those streets are likely home to a woman who grew up in your neighborhood, who attended your local schools, who laughed and cried with and loved at least one other member of … Continue reading ‘Herstory’ In Focus
Gardening angst is a whole new experience for me. Since we moved to an acreage, I have been happily harvesting the incredible variety of medicinal plants that inhabit the space. Hawthorn, devil's club, cottonwood, fir, wild geranium - a living, breathing apothecary that I just bumbled into by chance. I can hardly believe my good … Continue reading Confessions of a newbie gardener
Based on observations I have made in the course of cleaning my short term rental suite over the past year, I have come to the following brilliant albeit totally unscientific and sweeping conclusions: Nobody knows your personal habits better than your housekeeper. When it comes to nature, Europeans use less and appreciate more. They use … Continue reading Less and More: what a European’s room on check-out reveals about them, us and the place we call home
Got aches and pains? Check out black cottonwood medicine. There are probably more black cottonwoods in our valley than there are people. Despite the fact that they provide welcome shade from our blistering summer sun and important wildlife habitat, some of us love to hate them because they have a nasty tendency to rot from … Continue reading Black Cottonwood – Good for What Ails You
Today I pressed a tincture of hawthorn leaf and flower, as I do many times throughout the year. I go through a large amount of it in my practice. It smells wonderful and its welcome aroma always lifts my spirits and brings a smile of recognition to my lips. In the Middle Ages the shrub … Continue reading Hawthorn: Medicine of hope
Yet another email from Lisa with a short list of 250 questions to answer regarding the outcome of my personal #50DayWellnessChallenge plus a request for corroborating photos or even a slide show of my progress. As Wally Lamb would say, "I know this much is true." If you do not enjoy the wellness protocol you … Continue reading Sweat, Rules and Endless Nit Picking: Evelyn’s #50DayWellnessChallenge
It was a simple email - "Hey everyone, I'm inviting you and everyone I've ever known in this or past lives to devise your own wellness challenge and post a daily-ish running commentary on the ups & down's of following it." This prefaced a terse "Best Lisa" and a virtual maniacal giggle. How could I … Continue reading Lisa’s 50 Day Wellness Challenge
When I was a young married woman with no babies to cosset other than a huge, 100 pound dog, I took him for a walk in a local park that I had played in as a child. It was April and the path to the lake was deserted. I could see in every direction because … Continue reading Ways of a Child
Well hello August! Where did you come from? I totally didn't see you coming.Pemberton's fabulous Slow Food Cycle Sunday approaches quickly. On August 17th, I'll be at Helmer's Organic Farm on the Meadows Road once again trying to stimulate community dialogue on the concept of sustainable medicine."Leave your drugs in the chemist's pot if you … Continue reading Free Herb Walks
I recently received injuries to my right hand that caused damage to some of my nerves. During my recovery process, I experienced exquisitely painful sensitivity at the sites that were healing and forming scar tissue. Time and Mother Nature wait for no one however and the St. John's wort blossoms emerged as my hand was … Continue reading The Lesson
The Wellness Almanac 