I just watched an interesting episode on the Smithsonian channel (free) via my Roku box for streaming. (You can also watch it on the web.)
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Money Saving Tip! Another way to save $$$: I cut loose all cable / satellite TV some years ago and don't miss it at all w/ my streaming ability. The Roku box only costs you once and you can stream NetFlix and a number of other channels (many for free) for a fraction of what your cable TV costs. I supplement w/ digital rabbit ears to pull in local stations (all of which are broadcasting in HD for free) for traffic & weather. I do keep the boxes hardwired w/ an Ethernet connection because it's faster than wireless. (So you'd need to add a couple routers and cable, which rarely need replaced.) Just think of how much cash you could save --- upwards of $100/month easily!
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This episode is titled: Decoding Immortality and it talks about the telomeres in our cells that control aging. Shorter telomeres equal shorter life while longer ones equal longer life. Biologists have known about telomeres since they first started studying genetics in the 50s and how they are related to the aging of cells. What is new information, however, is that some studies have now been done (see the episode) that firmly show how stress reduction (meditation, yoga, life style changes) lengthens the telomeres, meaning a longer life. The study was done with men who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
I would add to that list for stress reduction: self-hypnosis, energy healing / Reiki, gardening (digging in dirt has also been shown to scientifically reduce stress levels, as any gardner could have told you, and be very grounding for those of us needing to re-connect in a very real and concrete way w/ Mother Earth), petting animals, creating art (drawing, painting, music) and just soaking up nature in every way shape and form possible. But don't take my word for it --- please, try some of these activities yourself, watch the vid, and let us know if you feel better. :)
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
New Year's thoughts on many things...
There have been a lot of things floating around my mind since the last post and every time I was about ready to put something down here, something else would happen that I needed to digest for a while before I could talk intelligently about it.
CT School Shootings
For example, the CT school shootings 11 days before Xmas. I have an old friend from my high school days (don't you dare ask how long ago that was! lol) who lives in CT. Her two youngest are 4 and 8 or 9 (4th grade). She lives 10 miles away from the school and she had to have a talk about death with her two beautiful daughters because they lost a playmate and friend in the shooting. At those ages, all those girls should be worried about are which dollie to play with, what color clothes to wear, and when they're going to see grandma. I've posted before about soul contracts, ascension & crazy shootings so I won't belabor the points here. But I did feel it necessary to say something about those 20 beautiful little babies lost in CT. Please keep them and their families in your healing thoughts and prayers as we move forward thru the year.
ObamaCare, Economic Policies, Inflation & Saving Money
The next thing that's been rattling around my brain regularly is this set of issues. For those of us in the US, the economy has been on the top of all our minds because of the prices spiking all over: groceries, heat/electric, and gasoline. There are still many out of work and those of us with "day jobs" are hanging onto them pretty tightly. Our taxes are going up at least 2% with the reinstatement of Social Security with holding going back to where it was previously, and many of us have been doing the work of more than 1 person (in some cases 3-4 people) for so long now that we've given up hope of ever having our companies hire additional help. On the bright side, ObamaCare (which we won't fully feel in our wallets until 2014) will make it easier to be self employed, but that is a small bonus. So, since I know we all have saving money every way possible on our minds (mine too), and since I grew up on a farm where nothing was wasted and since my parents both made it through the Great Depression of the 30s (read: Frugalness passed on to me), I'm going to start sharing tips on how to do many things around the house for less money. I'll toss them out when they float to the top of my mind and post them here. :) And that brings me to the final topic below.
Herbal Remedies, Backyard Gardens & Food Preservation
These days, some folks call that "backyard homesteading." :) As ObamaCare fully kicks in, it will result in longer wait times for appointments with your doc. My own doc told me that when it was first being discussed. So my friends, those of you with healing skills and herbal skills should start getting ready to help your friends and neighbors with all manner of non-emergency wellness issues: colds, coughs, flu, rashes, chronic complaints and so forth. When I was growing up, we only went to the doc when we were really sick and not for every ache and pain as many do these days. I see us moving back to that earlier model for doc visits.
[On a related note, we are on the verge of a great resurgence of magick in our reality. All complimentary practices will be used fully so please my healing friends get your home offices ready to see people. The policy decisions made and the 2012 election outcome are guiding us firmly in that direction. The re-birth of that type of a healing society is indeed part of the Divine Feminine energies re-surging to re-establish the balance.]
Herbal remedies are what nature intended for most ailments that aren't acute (like car crashes or broken limbs), so plant both a medicinal and culinary herb garden by your back door. Fresh vegetables are going to get even more expensive than they are now, as will all meats, dairy, and grains. You can easily plant enough fresh vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, zucchini, bush beans) in your backyard for a family of 4. That will help save a tremendous amount of grocery money. And if you find yourself with excess veges, you can freeze them, can them, or preserve them in some manner. Those preserves and bumper crops used in sweet breads and gifts to others are usually greatly appreciated if you can't use them yourself.
In fact, I've about picked out my own herbs for planting, my Amazon cart has the makings for about 4, 4x4 raised beds where I'll do mixed plantings of herbs, veges & flowers (See Roses Love Garlic, Carrots Love Tomatoes, and The Heirloom Life Gardner). I also have the makings for a small indoor greenhouse for fresh lettuce and a few veges year round. That's about all I can "get away with" since I have a HOA to answer to here. BUT, if you don't have a HOA you can plant more and add a few chickens for fresh eggs (chickens also eat bugs and all manner of things), and maybe add a root cellar (pretty easy to build). :) What? Worried about watering all of that? Add a couple of rain barrels and use the water from there, and don't forget to add a small composting system. There are small, closed systems you can buy these days so you won't stink out the neighbors (yes, of course my HOA has a rule against compost piles!) --- and there's also one of those in my Amazon basket.
Companion planting is a way to control pests, keep the soil fresh, and maximize production in a small area. Think of it this way: American Indians use to plant the "3 sisters" together --- corn, beans, and squash. Well, now the science is there to back up that planting scheme. Corn depletes nitrogen from the soil badly; beans are legumes and "nitrogen fixers" so they put nitrogen back into the soil; and squash has very broad leaves that keeps the moisture in like a natural mulch. In much the same way, garlic keeps bugs off roses, marigolds help control pests in the vege gardens (and they are also a good herb to have around for healing cuts and scrapes --- calendula is marigolds). Heirloom varieties are those vegetables that have been around forever (the ones your grandparents grew), are air pollinated, and who's children are true to the parental type (unlike hybrids). These are the varieties and the seeds you want. And if you're really frugal, you can even save the seeds from some of the crop for planting the following year.
I'll share here some of the garden and herbal adventures as I get things put in place. And I'll be cleaning up my own home office so it's presentable to people again. :) Happy New Year all, blessings to your & yours as we move forward thru 2013!
CT School Shootings
For example, the CT school shootings 11 days before Xmas. I have an old friend from my high school days (don't you dare ask how long ago that was! lol) who lives in CT. Her two youngest are 4 and 8 or 9 (4th grade). She lives 10 miles away from the school and she had to have a talk about death with her two beautiful daughters because they lost a playmate and friend in the shooting. At those ages, all those girls should be worried about are which dollie to play with, what color clothes to wear, and when they're going to see grandma. I've posted before about soul contracts, ascension & crazy shootings so I won't belabor the points here. But I did feel it necessary to say something about those 20 beautiful little babies lost in CT. Please keep them and their families in your healing thoughts and prayers as we move forward thru the year.
ObamaCare, Economic Policies, Inflation & Saving Money
The next thing that's been rattling around my brain regularly is this set of issues. For those of us in the US, the economy has been on the top of all our minds because of the prices spiking all over: groceries, heat/electric, and gasoline. There are still many out of work and those of us with "day jobs" are hanging onto them pretty tightly. Our taxes are going up at least 2% with the reinstatement of Social Security with holding going back to where it was previously, and many of us have been doing the work of more than 1 person (in some cases 3-4 people) for so long now that we've given up hope of ever having our companies hire additional help. On the bright side, ObamaCare (which we won't fully feel in our wallets until 2014) will make it easier to be self employed, but that is a small bonus. So, since I know we all have saving money every way possible on our minds (mine too), and since I grew up on a farm where nothing was wasted and since my parents both made it through the Great Depression of the 30s (read: Frugalness passed on to me), I'm going to start sharing tips on how to do many things around the house for less money. I'll toss them out when they float to the top of my mind and post them here. :) And that brings me to the final topic below.
Herbal Remedies, Backyard Gardens & Food Preservation
These days, some folks call that "backyard homesteading." :) As ObamaCare fully kicks in, it will result in longer wait times for appointments with your doc. My own doc told me that when it was first being discussed. So my friends, those of you with healing skills and herbal skills should start getting ready to help your friends and neighbors with all manner of non-emergency wellness issues: colds, coughs, flu, rashes, chronic complaints and so forth. When I was growing up, we only went to the doc when we were really sick and not for every ache and pain as many do these days. I see us moving back to that earlier model for doc visits.
[On a related note, we are on the verge of a great resurgence of magick in our reality. All complimentary practices will be used fully so please my healing friends get your home offices ready to see people. The policy decisions made and the 2012 election outcome are guiding us firmly in that direction. The re-birth of that type of a healing society is indeed part of the Divine Feminine energies re-surging to re-establish the balance.]
Herbal remedies are what nature intended for most ailments that aren't acute (like car crashes or broken limbs), so plant both a medicinal and culinary herb garden by your back door. Fresh vegetables are going to get even more expensive than they are now, as will all meats, dairy, and grains. You can easily plant enough fresh vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, zucchini, bush beans) in your backyard for a family of 4. That will help save a tremendous amount of grocery money. And if you find yourself with excess veges, you can freeze them, can them, or preserve them in some manner. Those preserves and bumper crops used in sweet breads and gifts to others are usually greatly appreciated if you can't use them yourself.
In fact, I've about picked out my own herbs for planting, my Amazon cart has the makings for about 4, 4x4 raised beds where I'll do mixed plantings of herbs, veges & flowers (See Roses Love Garlic, Carrots Love Tomatoes, and The Heirloom Life Gardner). I also have the makings for a small indoor greenhouse for fresh lettuce and a few veges year round. That's about all I can "get away with" since I have a HOA to answer to here. BUT, if you don't have a HOA you can plant more and add a few chickens for fresh eggs (chickens also eat bugs and all manner of things), and maybe add a root cellar (pretty easy to build). :) What? Worried about watering all of that? Add a couple of rain barrels and use the water from there, and don't forget to add a small composting system. There are small, closed systems you can buy these days so you won't stink out the neighbors (yes, of course my HOA has a rule against compost piles!) --- and there's also one of those in my Amazon basket.
Companion planting is a way to control pests, keep the soil fresh, and maximize production in a small area. Think of it this way: American Indians use to plant the "3 sisters" together --- corn, beans, and squash. Well, now the science is there to back up that planting scheme. Corn depletes nitrogen from the soil badly; beans are legumes and "nitrogen fixers" so they put nitrogen back into the soil; and squash has very broad leaves that keeps the moisture in like a natural mulch. In much the same way, garlic keeps bugs off roses, marigolds help control pests in the vege gardens (and they are also a good herb to have around for healing cuts and scrapes --- calendula is marigolds). Heirloom varieties are those vegetables that have been around forever (the ones your grandparents grew), are air pollinated, and who's children are true to the parental type (unlike hybrids). These are the varieties and the seeds you want. And if you're really frugal, you can even save the seeds from some of the crop for planting the following year.
I'll share here some of the garden and herbal adventures as I get things put in place. And I'll be cleaning up my own home office so it's presentable to people again. :) Happy New Year all, blessings to your & yours as we move forward thru 2013!
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