Sunday, May 29, 2011

It's Green isn't it


Last week I was away and emailed hubby a list of vegetables I needed for green smoothies. By in large, he did a pretty good job with the list, with the exception of Kale.  Kale looks like this:


And this is what he bought, which is called green kohlrabi.
 I'm not even sure where he found it, never saw it before.  It is the correct color and leafy but I'm not sure if I can juice it.  How do I use this, do I just put it in a salad?

Friday, May 27, 2011

Stranger than Fiction



After twenty-five years Oprah ended her talk show by delivering an hour-long “love letter”.   I, with millions of others watched. 


She impacted many people either directly or indirectly.  I hate to admit it, no really. I really hate to confess that she had an impact on me in spite of my conscience efforts to the contrary.   If Oprah endorsed it, I would immediately walk away from it.   It was not personal to Oprah the person, I think she is a lovely lady, but it is more of a reaction to the industry that is Oprah. 

I am a type of person that abhors trends, groupies, or fads. The whole “Oprah craze" was way too cultish for my liking.  People were following her every word, liking her “favorite things” joining her book club, without a critical mind or second thought.  My point, if Oprah endorsement it you bet that it would go to the top.   This type of power given to one person goes against everything I believe.  Admittedly, that is not Oprah's fault. 

I think, there are two camps of people where Oprah is concerned, in one camp people Love her, and in the other people hate her.  Personally, I think hate is too strong a word.  Perhaps, they don’t hate her in as much as they don’t place her on a pedestal or think that her word is gospel.   I belong to neither camp.  I didn’t love her, nor did I hate her.  I felt she was so far removed from my life that she held no relevance to me.  That is, until the spring of 2008!

It began with a book gifted from hubby.  Horror of horrors, he gave me a book recommended by Oprah.  What was he thinking?  It sat untouched for a few weeks, and then one day, I picked it up and started reading. 

Intrigued, I decided to google the author and that led me to Oprah.   Oprah was doing her first online web course with the author, Eckhart Tolle.  I signed on for the full ten weeks.  But that is not the most interesting part. 

It was through the comments section that I met Carol who because we had so much in common became friends.  The crazy thing is, we were more connected than we could have imagined.  

Coincidently, she knew my niece who is living in Australia.  Furthermore, she also knew an aboriginal elder I visited on a previous trip to Austraila. In fact, believe it or not,  she lived right next door to him! Moreover, over two million people were on that message board and the messages where changing quickly.  How we ever connected, being from different time zones, in different countries, is beyond chance and incredibly Oprah facilitated it.   I had the good fortune to traveled to Australia that fall but my schedule was too hectic for me to meet Carol in person, it would have been heaven to have tea and cookies with her.

I blogged about it here but didn’t give Oprah credit for being the conduit to this amazing introduction. 

Indeed, life is a mystery.  Oprah, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.  Could we ever cross paths again and maybe this time in person?  Who knows, life can be stranger than fiction. 

Monday, May 16, 2011

Margo



June 14,1946 - May 18, 2011


A rainy, desolate, melancholy day
heavy emotions erupt without notice
lips taste the wetness
warm, salty, abiding
with restrained precision I swallow sadness
breathe deeply, in control
lucid nostalgia immerges 
and
it rains all over again


Sweet blog by her daughter

Sunday, May 15, 2011

A Friend Indeed


June 14, 1946-May 18,2011

We first met when I knocked on her door first thing one sunny summer morning, when I was just a teenager.  Whoa!  Big mistake!  That’s when I discovered that she was not a morning person, especially not before her first cup of coffee.  I never made that mistake again.  We became fast friends, and have been friends for over thirty years, in spite of my initial blunder.   
Over the years we have shared many laughs, tears, talks and meals. I can honestly say that we’ve never had a disagreement; she never said anything to me that could be misunderstood or hurtful.  No matter where our lives took us, she has always had a way of making me feel truly special, beautiful and accepted.  If I’ve gained a few pounds she’ll say: "You look great."  And when I say I am on a diet, she'll say: "Don’t lose too much weight."   Always complimenting my hair if we haven’t seen each other in a while, saying: "This suits you so well, what a great haircut."  
She has never driven because of an accident she had while learning to drive. So, I'll pick her up and we’ll have our ‘private girl talks’ at a restaurant.  I enjoy dining with her because she gets immeasurable pleasure from eating.  I never met anyone who adores food like her. I guess, you could describe her as a foodie before the term became popular.  She takes her time eating, delighting in every bite.  She’ll say: “Don’t mind me, I’m a slow eater. Well, I’m more of a picker, I like picking at my food.”  Then she’ll laugh.  Our meals can last several hours.  
We have always enjoyed long talks about everything under the sun. Sometimes, our best discussions have been while she did my nails.  “You have to really get under these cuticles to have healthy nails,” she’ll say.  I agree; after all she has the most amazing natural nails and she has saved me tons of money.  Although she doesn't have any formal education on physiology she has an intuitive skill and can read people like no other. And she dispenses advice to me, often saying: “Listen to me, I know what I’m talking about, just watch.”   She has always been right of course.  She knows.  She knows more than people give her credit. 
I can never really surprise her because when I show up at her door unannounced she’ll say: "I was just thinking about you.  Should I put on some tea?"
She has this uncanny way of knowing what you needed.  When I lived in Edmonton, whenever I was sick I’d go over to her house.  Most people would say: "What are you doing here when you’re sick"? But not Margo. I’d snuggle under the blanket she'd bring to the couch and she’d make me tea and bring me cookies.  She is happiest when she is taking care of somebody.        
If you look for the definition of a ‘true friend’ you’ll find her name in bold.  But you what, in as much as she makes me feel unique, I have a suspicion that I'm not the only one who is lucky enough to be her friend. To be Margo's friend is to be a forever friend.   

Saturday, May 14, 2011

River Musing


Morning Battle

The fog moves with confidence over the river
slowly swallowing the horizon
a lone crow laughs 
the cedars, tall, motionless, a wait
the disappearing world
carefully, tentatively, surely,
the sun penetrates like a sharp knife
relenting, the fog surrenders
the trees wave their finger tips slightly
nature's dance is just beginning 

Blog Archive

Labels

#greencold-pressedjuice #healthcare #sisterlylove #healing #love (1) 100 days of gratitude (4) 2008 (1) 2010 review (2) 2012 (1) 2014 letters (1) 2015 (1) 2016 (1) 2018 (2) 2019 review (1) 2021 (1) 26 years (1) 6th line (1) 751 Discovered (1) A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table (1) Acadia University (1) acai bowls (1) accident (1) accidents (1) ACDEN (3) ACFN (9) Addictions (4) Adia (1) Advertising (1) Africa (1) Agricultural benefits (1) Airbnb (1) Ajahn Brahm (1) Albert Mercredi (1) Alberta (1) Alberta government (1) Alcoholism (4) Alinker (1) Allan Adam (1) alternative care (1) Andrew (9) Andrew Gr.7 (1) andrew's books (1) Angelina (1) anger (1) animals (1) Annie Pootoogook (1) anniversary (7) Aphantasia (1) apology (2) April (1) Arctic (1) artist (2) Arts (1) Asia (1) Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (1) attachment (1) Attawapiskat (1) August 2011 (1) aunt (1) Aunt Marie (1) aunt Marie Memory lane (1) Auschwitz (1) Australia (3) Autumn (2) Ayurveda (1) Baba (1) Bad to the bone (1) BAL 2021 (1) BBF (1) BC (1) Being a leader (1) Bennet Dam (1) Beverages (1) Beyak (1) bias (1) Bill C-31 (1) Billy (1) Biology (1) birthday (5) birthdays (1) blessing (2) blogging (3) blogs (1) Blood pressure (1) Bob Dylan (1) Bodhi (2) book review (3) Books (3) boys (1) brain (1) breast cancer (1) Brother (2) brothers (1) Buckminster Fuller (1) Buddhism (1) Buddhist (1) Burns (1) Bush (1) Business (1) camera (1) Canada (1) Canadians (1) cancer (1) Cancers (1) Captain Schettino (1) captain Sullenberger (1) Cars (1) Carswell Lake (1) cat (1) CBC (1) cell phones (1) Challenge (2) change (1) charity (1) Charles Camsell Hospital (1) cheating (1) Chief (2) Chief Adam (1) Chief Allan Adam (1) Children (1) China (1) Chipman House (1) Chocolate (1) choices (1) Cholangiocarcinoma (1) Christian (1) Christmas (8) Christmas 2015 (1) Christmas music (1) Christmas Mystery (1) classic cars (1) cleaning (1) climate change (1) cold (1) cold pressed juice (1) cold season (1) cold virus (1) colonic (1) Coma (1) communication (4) community (2) Consumer alert (1) conversations (2) Cook (1) coping (1) core (1) cottage (1) Cough (1) country life (4) covid (1) covid19 (2) Cows and Ploughs (1) CRE2015 conference (1) creative (1) Crisis (1) Daniel Lanois (1) Danielle (1) Dawn (1) daydreaming (1) Death (6) death life (1) deer (1) Dene (2) Dene Sayisi (1) Denesuline (1) dentist (1) deranger (2) destiny (1) desuline (1) Developed country (1) disc hernaiation (1) disconnected (1) discovery (1) Distracted drivers (1) DIY (1) doghead (1) dogs (1) Dorval (2) Dr. O’Connor (1) drama free (1) dreams (3) drive (1) Drum (1) drunk drivers (1) Dunrobin (1) Dunrobin Ontario (1) earthquake (1) Edmond Metatawabin (1) Edmonton (2) Ego (1) Elderly (1) Elders (1) Election (2) election 2015 (2) electronics (1) Elegy for Mama (1) elope (1) emotions (2) Empire State Building (1) Enabling (1) energy (1) Environment (2) enzymes (1) Eulogy. (1) Executive Balinese Home (1) Facebook (5) fall (3) family (47) family tree (3) family vacation (2) farm (1) farmer's market (1) Father (1) Feb. 12 (1) feel good (1) Fiction (1) Fiji (1) fire (1) Fire 2016 (1) Firewater (1) First Nation (6) First Nations (4) First Nations Financial Transparency Act (1) fisher (1) Flora and Fauna (1) focus (1) fondue (1) Food (5) Food and Related Products (1) for sale (1) Forgiveness (1) Fort Chipewyan (20) Fort McMurray (12) Frank Abbott (1) Fred C Adam (1) freedom of speech (1) Freeze (1) French Toast (1) Freshman (1) Friend (1) friends (6) friendship (5) fun (3) functional medicine (1) future (1) Games (1) garden (2) Ghetto (1) Ghost (1) gifts (3) ginger tea (1) Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest (1) Goals (2) God (1) gofundme (1) Good bye Mom (1) goodbye (1) Governance (1) gratitude (3) green smoothie challenge (1) green smoothies (3) Green tea (1) greens (1) Gretchen (1) Gretchen Morgan (1) Grey Owl (1) guest book (1) habits (2) hair (1) halloween (1) happiness (7) Harold R Johnson (2) harvest (1) hawaii (5) healing (2) Healing Our Spirit World Wide (1) Health (13) health Brain (1) healthy (1) heart (1) Heart and Soul (1) Hearts (1) heatwave (3) Helen (1) helping (1) Henry's (1) here is what is (1) High School (1) Hilton Hotels (1) Historical fiction (1) Historical novel (1) history (1) holidays (6) Holy Angels (4) holy Angels Residential School Dene (1) holy Angels residents (1) Home (2) homeless (1) homeopathic (1) hope (2) Horns (1) Horns: A Novel (1) horror (3) Hot chocolate (1) housework (1) hubby (2) Hummingbird Hill B and B (1) hurt (1) hurts (1) hypertension (1) Ila Bussidor (1) impermance (1) independence (1) Indian Act (2) Indian wedding (1) indigenous communities (2) Indigenous healthcare (1) Indigenous Peoples (1) integrity (1) intention (1) intergenerational trauma (1) Isidore (1) Jacob Liberman (1) January blues (1) Jerry Seinfeld (1) Jian Ghomeshi (1) joe hill (1) Joseph Boyden (1) Joy Bliss Raw (1) juice (4) Karen (1) Kauai (3) Ke e Beach (1) kindeness (1) kindness (2) Kinship (1) Kitty Kelly (1) KMS (1) L (1) L l (1) L le (1) L lea (1) L lead (1) L leade (1) L leader (1) L leaders (1) L leadersh (1) L leadershi (1) L leadership (1) La Loche (1) Lac St. Anne (1) landline phone (1) Last wish (1) laugh (1) Laughter (2) leadership (1) Lend Me a Tenor (1) Lent (2) Leonard Cohen (3) lessons (1) letting go (1) life (14) life skills (4) lifeskills (1) lifestyle (1) Lights (1) Limiting beliefs (1) line ups (1) Lists (1) Literature (2) living (1) liz (1) lost dog (1) love (26) Lumahi Beach (1) Lunar ice (1) Mac (1) Macbook air (1) mad as hell (1) Mad Men (1) Magical universe (1) Makua beach (1) mama (12) manners (1) Maple syrup (1) March winter (1) Margo (2) marriage (1) Mary (2) Mary Olive (1) Massage (1) Master Cleanse (1) Matt Lauer (1) Max Deranger (1) MD (1) Meaning of life (1) media (1) meditation (5) meeting (1) Melbourne (1) members (1) men (1) Mental health (2) miata MX5 (1) Mike and Kay (1) mind (1) Mindful (1) Missing and Murdered women and girls (1) Molly Wizenberg (1) mom (1) moments (2) Moneca (1) Money (2) Montessori method (1) Montreal (2) Moon (1) Mother Earth (1) mothers (1) Music (2) Music Box (1) musician (1) musing (1) my birthday wish (1) MySpace (1) nap (1) NASA (1) National Arts Centre (1) National Youth forum (1) Natural law (1) Nature (4) Nechi (1) Neil Young (1) neuroplasty (1) New Year's resolution (4) New Years (2) New York City (1) news (1) newsletter (2) Night Spirits (1) no snow (1) Norman Doige (1) Novel (1) November madness (1) nuheyatie (1) Nuns (1) Nurses (2) NYC (1) Obama (1) Odyssey trip (1) oilsands (3) old days (1) On the Web (1) Onion (1) Onions and Garlic (1) Online Communities (2) Online Writing (1) opinion (1) opioids (1) Oprah (1) Oprah Winfrey (2) Organic food (1) Ottawa (2) Ottawa River (3) Pacific Foods (1) pain (1) painting (1) pandemic 2020.doctor (1) Paris (1) passion (1) pat brother. (1) Patric (3) Pay-Per-Click Advertising (1) Peace (3) Peggy Blair (1) People (1) People and Society (2) Personal finance (1) Peru (1) pets (1) picnic (2) pizza (1) planes (1) Play (1) plumber (1) poem (2) poet (2) point claire (2) Poland (2) politics (3) pollution (1) pond (1) Pool (3) Port Alberni (1) power (1) power outage (1) present (2) Princeville (1) privacy (1) Produce (1) Promotion (1) public washroom (1) Publications (1) purpose (2) Q (1) Quebec City (2) Racism (1) raclette (1) Radha Agrawal community (1) random (1) Range Rover Evoque (1) raw foods (6) RCMP (1) RECONCILIATION (2) Reflection (1) rehabilitation (2) relationships (12) relaxing (2) religion (1) remembrance day (1) repairs (1) Residential School (2) Residential schools (3) resolution (1) Resolutions (1) responsibility (1) Review (1) Rick Mehta (1) Riddell street (1) rituals (1) river (1) River musings (1) Roger (1) Rose (1) Rossi (3) rumi (1) Rupert Ross (1) sacrifice (1) sadness (1) sailboats (1) Salad (1) Saskatchewan (1) Saturday (1) school (1) schools (1) Scotland (1) Scottish independence (1) Search Engines (1) Search for Granddaughter (1) seasons (1) Second Life (1) Security (2) self care (2) Self identifying as indigenous (1) sensual (1) sept 2 (1) September 18th 2014 (1) Services (1) shakespeare (1) Shanghai (1) sheep (1) Shepherds of Good Hope (1) shooting (1) Shopping (3) Sigh (1) silence (1) singer (1) Sisters (4) sisters. good bye Love (1) skiing (1) sleep (1) small town (1) smile (1) Smoothie (1) snake (1) snow (3) Social Media (5) Social network (3) Social network service (1) Social Networking (1) Society and Culture (2) solocree (1) song (1) Sorapot (1) Sorry (1) soul (2) Soul School (1) souls (2) Spa (1) Specific Claims (1) Spirit of Christmas (1) Spreadsheet (1) Spring (2) Status Indian (1) Stieg Larsson (1) Stillness (1) storytelling (1) Street people (1) strength (1) stress (2) stroke (2) success (1) summer (2) Summer 2012 (3) Summer 2013 (1) summer fun (1) summer intention (1) Sunday 160 (7) sunday picture (1) sunny ways (1) sunrise (1) sunset (1) Surgery (1) surprise (1) Tag (1) tansi (1) Tea (5) Technology (1) Teenagers (1) Tesla (1) thanks (1) Thanksgiving (2) the real you (1) Theatre (1) Therese Deranger (2) thinking (1) thoughts (1) Time (2) tooth (1) Toronto (2) Toxins (1) tradition (1) traffic (1) transformation (1) trapper (1) travel (1) Treaty No.6 (1) Treaty No.8 (2) tribe (1) truth (2) turkey (2) turtles (1) tweets (1) twitter (3) UFO (1) University (1) University of Warsaw (1) unmarked graves (1) unplugged (1) Uranium city (1) vacation (1) Valentine's Day (2) values (1) Victoria (1) Vik (1) vistors (1) vote (1) walk (1) Warsaw (1) Water fasting (1) weather (1) Web Design and Development (1) weddings (2) weight (1) Wellness (1) William Blake (1) William Ricketts (1) Williams (1) Winnipeg (2) winter (2) WIPCE (1) Women (1) world series (1) World War II (1) writer (1) year in review (3) Yma Sumac (1) yoga (1) Youth (1) zombies (1)