Restoration Replaces Sustainability - An Interview with Betsy McKinney
Whole
Life Network Release
Have you ever shopped in a store that had
the following magazines in their rack: Alternative Medicine, Vegetarian
Times, The Ecologist, Earth First, Hope, Native Peoples, Mother Earth News,
Midwifery Today, Organic Gardening, Bitch, Shambhal Sun and Tikkun? By the
way, this store also had a organic cotton “T-Shirt” that proclaims, Well
Behaved women rarely make history”. This business also has great fair trade
coffee and outstanding organic salads, wraps and soups. This marvelous
establishment does exist and we can give you directions to it. Just follow the
highway to Telluride and look for the ReStore Our World sign in the window on
the main drag in town. Recently we made an appointment to talk with the
founder, owner and manager of this innovative business venture, Betsy McKinney.
Here’s how it went.
Whole Life Network: We had better start
with some background for our readers who have not met you.
Betsy McKinney: Okay! Let’s start then in 1991; that’s the year that we moved to
Telluride. Like most people who make the move to Telluride our motivation was
to lessen the human environment and increase that of nature. I had studied
solar architecture in school and we aspired to a “ Green” home. Our current
residence utilizes straw-bale construction and boasts an interior greenhouse.
We founded and were involved in the Farley Foundation, a nonprofit organization
for outdoor education. I got really involved in recycling. But, as with so many
other people, our life was turned upside down on September 11th, 2001. I had a
two year old daughter, and I realized that changes had to be made. I had to get
more involved.
WLN: Is that when you came up with the
idea for your business, ReStore Our World?
Betsy McKinney: Not immediately. I began to read everything I could in the alternative
press and I wrote a column called “Positive Future” for the Telluride Daily
Planet. But this never felt like enough. Today we can’t have the attitude of
“business as usual”. Do you know that there is a dead zone in the Mississippi
Delta that is hundreds of miles long that is caused by the use of pesticides
and chemical fertilizers? We have reduced the fish populations in our oceans by
80% but the fishing nations of the world have not taken positive steps to
reduce the harvests of the remaining fish.
WLN: What steps do you support to promote
sustainable living practices on our planet?
Betsy McKinney: Sustainability is not the answer; we are beyond the point where
sustainability will save our natural resources. Our challenge is to enter the
age of restoration. Our challenge is to repair the damage that the practices of
humanity have produced in the last century. We will either enter the age of
Restoration or the age of extinction. We are all needed right now! I don’t know
who said it first, but, if you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the
problem. My advice is to, connect, connect, connect. Keep looking for
connections, because that is where change can begin. Time is critical. We must
get people involved in the age of restoration.
WLN: Beyond the usual profit motive, what
were your goals when establishing ReStore Our World?
Betsy McKinney: Actually, profit was the least important factor in my action. Long
range, we do desire to generate profits so that we can return resources to the
community in which we reside. Our primary reason for being here is to showcase
those involved in the restoration effort. We accomplish this in many ways. Have
you visited our “Joiners Table”? We have dedicated an area where friends and
strangers alike can sit and join in conversation. There is rarely an evening
when we do not have some event scheduled at ReStore Our World. As an example,
each Friday night we watch Bill Moyer’s “Now” program on PBS and have a
discussion following the viewing.
WLN: You are so obviously passionate about
this calling. Is there any one individual or group of individuals that has
provided you with this inspiration?
Betsy McKinney: That’s easy. The answer would be the Bioneers. With the
assistance of Joan May and Elisabeth Gick, we have hosted in Telluride the
Bioneers Conference for the past two Octobers. If you haven’t attended a
Bioneers Conference, you must plan to do so and support this organization and
their work. The Bioneers are creating an earth-honoring culture that creates
conditions conducive to life.
WLN: What’s next at ReStore Our World?
Betsy McKinney: Our immediate job is to get our web site up and operating
(restorationstation.com). It will be a true information portal, and it will
showcase all of the Cultural Creatives involved in restoration projects. In the
meantime, your readers can sign up on our email list at info@restore-ourworld.com. The next step
will be to multiply the influence of ReStore Our World by franchising our
concept. Eventually, I will step out of daily management of the local store and
set up an operation to return the profits to the community I love.
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Turn The Tide
by The Center for a New American Dream
The Center for a New American Dream offers
nine "Actions for the Planet" that Western Slope citizens can take
today to halt energy waste and it's damaging environmental consequences. And
their web site has built-in "calculators that tally and track our
individual and collective impact."
1. Skip a car trip each week
The average American drives over 250 miles each week. Replace a weekly 20 mile
car trip by telecommuting, biking or combining errands and you'll reduce your
annual emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide by nearly a thousand pounds!
Can't pull off a 20 miler? No problem! Skip what you can and report it -- we'll
calculate your positive impact and add it to the collective effect of all Turn
the Tide participants.
2. Replace one beef meal each week
Meat production is extremely resource-intensive - livestock currently consume
70 percent of America's grain production! Feedlot beef is particularly
wasteful. For every 1,000 of us who take this action, we save over 70,000
pounds of grain, 70,000 pounds of topsoil and 40 million gallons of water per
year!
3. Shift your shrimp consumption
Today, nearly 70 percent of the world's fisheries are fully fished or
overfished, and about 60 billion pounds of fish, sharks, and seabirds die each
year as "bycatch" - animals caught accidentally as a result of
wasteful fishing techniques. For every 1,000 of us who stop eating shrimp, we
can save over 12,000 pounds of sea life per year.
4. Declare your independence from junk
mail
Surely we don't need to twist your arm to do this one! Begin by using the Center
for a New American Dream's online form to get yourself off junkmail lists. For
every 1,000 of us who succeed in halving our personal bulk mail, we will save
170 trees, nearly 46,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, and 70,000 gallons of water
each year.
5. Replace four standard light bulbs with
energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs)
Want a hundred bucks? Replace four standard bulbs with low-mercury CFLs, and
you'll reduce your electricity bills by more than $100 over the lives of those
bulbs! More importantly, you'll prevent the emission of five thousand pounds of
carbon dioxide. Feel like replacing more than four bulbs? Go for it! Replace as
many as you like and report it -- we'll calculate your positive impact and add
it to the collective effect of all Turn the Tide participants.
6. Move the thermostat 3°F
Heating and cooling represents the biggest chunk of our home energy
consumption. Just by turning the thermostat down three degrees in the winter
and up three degrees in the summer, you can prevent the emission of nearly
1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. Feel like starting with a 1°F shift?
No problem! Turn your thermostat as far as you feel comfortable and report it
-- we'll calculate your positive impact and add it to the collective effect of
all Turn the Tide participants.
7. Eliminate lawn and garden pesticides
Americans directly apply 70 million pounds of pesticides to home lawns and
gardens each year and, in so doing, kill birds and other wildlife and pollute
our precious water resources.
8. Install an efficient showerhead and low
flow faucet aerators
Of all natural resources, water is the most essential. But available supply is
diminishing rapidly as human populations swell and inefficiently drain precious
aquifers. For every 1,000 of us who install faucet aerators and high-efficiency
showerheads, we can save nearly 8 million gallons of water and prevent over
450,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year!
9. Inspire two friends
Last but not least. No, check that -- Last and most important! There's an easy
way for you to triple the positive impact you are making with these nine
actions and that is to convince two friends to join you in your effort! Just
pass a copy of this list to receptive friends or tell them to check out The Center
for a New American Dream at www.newdream.org
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HEALING THE WOUNDS OF WAR
by Judith Boice, N.D., L.Ac.
Five days after President Bush’s fateful
speech to Iraq, I was driving through the small, western Colorado town where I
live. Gathered in the postage-stamp-sized park at the town’s main intersection
was a small group of war protestors: youth in jeans and hiking boots, adults
holding hand made posters, a punker with spiked black hair raving "War is
terrrrrible" into a microphone.
This impromptu gathering in our
conservative town tugged at my heart. I rolled down the window and gave them a
honk and a thumb’s up.
The light turned green. As I rolled across
the intersection, I saw another group of people on the opposite corner. Dressed
in jeans and tan parkas, the uniform of the ranchers and farmers in our
community, they were holding placards in support of the war. My heart stretched
even wider. My thumb remained up. I honked again.
Tears rolled down my face. The war I had
prayed so hard would be avoided was real, in fact was happening right there in
my own town. The conflict was made visible in these two groups facing off on
opposite corners.
I was also crying out of confusion. My
contradictory show of support had jarred me. How could I be both for and
against a war? Always before I had known whose side I was on. I had invested my
student days in protesting oppression and resisting war. Gradually I had
learned that opposing anything simply bred the same animosity I had intended to
heal. Still, I held a deep desire for peace, for a world that could resolve
conflict without violence. So, I asked myself as tears wetted my cheeks, why
are you crying? Aren’t you against this crazy war?
The lines of a song by Julie Gold came to
mind:
From a distance you look like my friend,
even though we are at war.
From a distance I just cannot comprehend
what all this fighting is for.
From a distance there is harmony,
and it echoes through the land.
And it's the hope of hopes, it's the love
of loves,
it's the heart of every man. . . .
And God is watching us, God is watching
us,
God is watching us from a distance.
From a distance both groups looked like my
neighbors, patients, and colleagues. They looked like my friends. Why were we
dividing ourselves this way?
I felt a deep need to bring healing to
that central corner of our town. I thought of the poet Rumi and one of his
inspired utterances:
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and
rightdoing,
there is a field. I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase each
other
doesn’t make any sense.
(Translated by Coleman Barks with John Moyne)
I had an inspiration - to turn around and
go back to that corner and stand in the middle of those two opposing groups. I
would ask the war protestors if I could borrow their microphone, stand on the
concrete island between the groups, and sing "From A Distance." I
would invite those two opposing groups to stand with me, out there on that
lonely island, outside of rightdoing and wrongdoing.
If enough of us gathered, maybe we could
move together to a different corner of the intersection. We could form a new
liaison, a third option outside of the "us" and "them"
model.
I thought of the Green Party in Germany.
After winning its first seat in Parliament, its members were asked whether they
wanted seats on the left or the right side of the Bundestag. Historically the
conservatives had always sat on the right side of the central aisle, the liberals
on the left.
"We are neither left nor right,"
replied the Greens. "We are out in front." The Parliament had to
build a new seating section in the center front of the Bundestag for the Green
Party.
I envisioned such a radical gathering in
our community – the ranchers, farmers, aging hippies, and environmentalists
standing together on a third corner, neither left nor right, but out in front,
focused on our common love for the Earth. Could we meet out there, outside of
rightdoing and wrongdoing, beyond left and right, for and against, and truly
see each other with loving eyes?
Sadly, I allowed the demands of children
and work to quell my inspiration. Perhaps I would have been nothing but a town
fool stranded on a cement island, eventually drowned in a sea of traffic.
Perhaps I could have started a revolution. I’ll never know. I drove home and
buried myself in work.
I promised myself, however, that I would
write, speak, and sing whenever and wherever I could, suggesting the
possibility of a third response to war. As these words reach you, I offer the
following invitation: please, come stand with me. Here, on this island in the
center of the road.
I really don’t care if you are for or
against war, wearing jeans or India-print skirt, reading the Bible or the
Koran. I just want to stand with you and celebrate our humanity.
I’ll make room for you. Please make room
for me. There’s so much space out here, beyond rightdoing and
wrongdoing.
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Remembering Aztlán
A Column of Poetry, Culture & Spirit by Art Goodtimes
HUNTING & KILLING … Last weekend found me down crawling around in the barrow ditch that
runs past my home on County Road 44ZS. No, I wasn’t letting out my deep animal
self in some New Age right of highway passage. I was pulling weeds … Now that’s
an old-fashioned way of doing things. Most folks prefer to kill at a distance.
With advanced technical weapons. Chemical defoliants. Mowers. Toxins … But I
like dealing with undesirable plants face-to-face. Gloved hand around root and
then pulling hard, ripping ‘em up and out. Russian knapweed. Canada thistle.
The ubiquitous Bindweed. Convolvus arvensis. That European immigrant
spreading around the West with its ten-foot taproots and seeds that remain
viable in disturbed soil for up to 50 years … You know, in some ways it’s odd
we are so engaged in a war on the natural world, trying to eradicate “invaders”
who came over from Europe and elsewhere. You’d think newcomers like us who are
also descended from immigrants from Europe would be more tolerant of our plant
analogues … I remember the first time I read Susun Weed, and learned that many
of the plants that followed us over form the Old World are great healers –
dandelion, mustard, tansy, burdock. That was an eye-opener … But having
acquired an acre of land near Norwood (twice actually, but that’s another
story), I’ve seen first-hand what happens if you just let things be, or try to
tinker with what’s growing there, disturbing things. ‘Course I inherited a
parcel that had already been severely disturbed -- grazed by goats, dug up,
chopped over, radically changed from what it must have once looked like -- as
sagebrush flats ringed by piñon and juniper … I actually got a juniper to grow
back – twenty years and it’s finally taller than I am. Trees take time at our
altitude … Thistle was what annoyed me at first. But Russian knapweed kind of
snuck in from the road, and took over almost the whole property one year, when
I was living in Telluride in the last trailer court in town. I’ve been
struggling ever since to get it under control. Hand-pulling knapweed year after
year … A few areas are relatively clear, and seeded with grasses or amaranth.
And a few areas are diehard infestations that just won’t die. Reappear year
after year … So I pull. And kill. Sometimes sing a death song, as I go about
selecting what will live and what must be removed … But, lately, I’ve been
having some serious misgivings. A friend from the Mushroom Festival sent me a
startling book – David Theodoropoulos’ Invasion Biology: Critique of a
Pseudoscience (Avvar Books, Blythe, CA, www.avvar.com, 2003). As the dust jacket asks, “…[Are invaders truly an
environmental threat, causing environmental damage? Do the facts support this?
Is ‘bioinvasion’ a real problem, or is invasion biology a pseudoscience, an
illusion arising from the architecture of our psyches – an illusion that corporations
and governments are cynically exploiting in order to further their own ruinous
agendas?” … A conservation biologist working for the last thirty years in
ethnobotany and plant germplasm research, Theodoropoulos manages a biological
preserve and a public-access seed bank in the Santa Cruz Mountains of
California. His book examines the biology of anthropogenic dispersal (the
movement of species by humans) and concludes that weed control efforts seem
less like good science and more like a “reactionary movement for biological
nativism [that’s] rooted in the psychologies of racism and xenophobia, and
financed by some of the world’s most destructive corporations.” … As if this
wasn’t heresy enough to those of us native-plant lovers and weed warriors
who’ve been struggling for years to prevent the mass “takeover” of invasive
species, Theodoropoulos insists that research shows “man-dispersed species
actually increase biological diversity, benefit ecosystems, and act as an
important force for healing the planet.” … This is a radical book. And I can’t
wait to read it!
TERRY TEMPEST … What a wonderful emotional presence this brilliant Mormon-born
naturalist and storyteller brings to the world. I swear, she had most of us
Western Colorado Congress folks in tears several times at the Montrose Pavilion
last weekend … Speaking of the “Open Space of Democracy,” she gave WCC’s annual
meeting’s keynote speech. The space she spoke about was the place where folks
go in mutual respect for differences, with tolerance and compassion, and then
work together in collaboration to achieve political goals … But, ironically,
she’d just been denied the ability to speak at a state campus in Florida
because the school was funded by Republicans loyal to Jeb and George Bush, and
the college president preferred national opprobrium to the fiscal and personal
employment backlash, if he allowed Terry Tempest Williams to speak to his
students … It’s become a national story, and one that Terry did not relish, but
rather deplored as a sad and sorry commentary on the state of the national
political debate, even as she goes around the country preaching just the
opposite -- the Open Space of Democracy (Orion Society, Massachusetts,
2004) … Highly recommended -- from a most amazing woman!
© 2004 Art Goodtimes
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ReConnections: A Look Back
The heritage of The Whole Life Network
from the pages of Connections.
One Year Ago ** "You are invited to attend a weekend intensive workshop on The
Work of Byron Katie. It will start at 7:00 p.m. on Friday November and
continues at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday November 8th at The Holiday Inn
Express, Apex Room, in Montrose."
**Laurel Ann shared her views on total
health, "The essence of the healing process is the balance or integration
of the subconscious (Moon), conscious (Sun), and the higher self (Neptune)
while working simultaneously with spiritual, psychological and physical
therapies. Helping individuals achieve this balance has been the aim of the
Holistic Health movement in this country for over 40 years."
Five Years Ago ** "Congratulations to the
newly nominated Whole Life Network Board members. Nominees include: Don Bailey,
Earl Sires, Roger Baril and Suzanne Ziglar."
**Bernie Heideman had these thoughts about
his favorite subject, " What are the Dances of Universal Peace? I have
been asking myself this for years. What goes on in these dances? Here are my
thoughts today. The Dances of Universal Peace are an interactive community
choir, where all voices are welcome."
Ten Years Ago ** "The Whole Life Network
Board of Directors announces the 1994 Annual Membership Meeting to be held
November 7, at 7:00 p.m. at the offices of Coldwell Banker Bailey and Company,
1100 S. Townsend in Montrose.
**President, Don Bailey, posed the
question, "What's next? We've received several suggestions for upcoming
speakers and are considering a Spring workshop in addition. What I found
particularly exciting is the wonderful networking of like minds that our
organization brings out."
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Dea's Kitchen: Playing with your food
by Dea Jacobson
Mollie Katzen, author of several
cookbooks, including The Moosewood Cookbook and the more recent Sunlight Cafe,
offers that Thanksgiving be a day to acknowledge and appreciate food, "to
joyfully reclaim within ourselves a sense of childlike wonder and appreciation
for the miracle of food". With reference to one of the first rules we are
taught about food – not to play with it, I think of what Edward Espe Brown,
author of the Tassajara Bread Book and Tomato Blessings and Radish Teachings
has to say on this subject. He claims that we can regulate ourselves with so
many rules that we miss the direct experience and enjoyment of eating.
Some of us approach this time of year with
trepidation. Months of dieting and weight loss will be abandoned as we are
bombarded with seasonal goodies and food fests. The so-called "rule"
is that enjoyment of food means gaining weight or eating what is not good for
us. However, Espe Brown points out that, if you really enjoyed your food
"you wouldn't desperately keep eating in order to find the enjoyment you
weren't getting. You wouldn't be going unconscious in order to have some
enjoyment, to get away from all the rules and regulations, all the instructions
and judgments you harass yourself with." Enjoyment is often confused with
lust, greed, excitement- things that surface when we feel weak. Think of
enjoyment as connecting at the heart level with what you are doing.
If you really connect with your food
you'll truly be more satisfied. A simple moment of eating an apple becomes an
intimate ritual connection with "the incredible taste of the
Infinite". Stuffing yourself in a feeding frenzy doesn't give the satisfaction
we are really after.
Remember that you can never get enough of
what you don't really need to begin with (My definition of "addiction). So
recognize addictive behavior for what it is. Don't replace it with a bunch of
rules, though. Slow down and take a few deep mindful breaths before digging in!
Now, here's a great Cranberry Relish
recipe for Thanksgiving Dinner:
1lb. fresh organic cranberries
1 cup fresh orange juice
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup raisins or dried cherries, or
combination
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Dash sea Salt, and ground pepper
Organic sugar to taste
In a non reactive saucepan, combine all
ingredients (start with 1/4 cup sugar and keep it tart!). Simmer till
cranberries pop and flavors blend, about 10-15 minutes.
Enjoy your food...and be sure to play with
it, too!
Dea Jacobson, RYT, is owner of Blue Heron Yoga in Cedaredge. She teaches
classes and has one-on-one yoga therapy sessions in Delta and Mesa Counties,
and cooks for retreats regionally. Contact her at 970 856-4905 or www.blueheronyoga.com.
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Peaceful Contributions for the Soul
by Kathy Gates
November is the time of year that
everything seems to slow down and become dormant. This is a good time to go to
the Sacred Place within. A time of contemplation, a time to look at your
strengths and weaknesses. A time for balancing, a time for noticing every
precious living thing and that includes you.
(Do not drive while meditating)
Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths.
Carry your breath deep into your being. Every time you breath out let go, send
this breath out of your body with Love. Continue to do this until you begin to
feel more relaxed and at ease. When you feel a sense of Peace, let your mind
take you within yourself, to that place deep inside, go deeper into your
deepest self. Ask yourself what is it you need to know in this very moment.
Quietly listen. Stay in this place for a while and just listen. Pay attention
to anything that comes up during this
sacred time. We all have a different way to listen. Some may see a symbol or
color or a word or direction. Or you may experience a Peace within. Go with
what comes through to you and just notice. Become the watcher of your inner
voice. Spend time here and just notice what your inner wisdom wants you to know
about you.
When you feel ready, gently open your
eyes, take a deep breath. Stretch and come back to this place where you are in
this moment.
Take a look at some different ways that
may help you to balance your life in a positive way. Be willing to change
current thoughts that you may have to help you know that you a truly a divine
creation. Do something nice for yourself. Even if it's giving yourself a pat on
the back for all that you are. Be the Love that you are. Enjoy the scents and joys the upcoming
season has for you. Be thankful for the gifts that this life has brought to you
in it's many forms. Begin to notice the good in yourself and then you will
notice more and more the gifts of others in your life. .Beyond that you will
notice the beauty in all life all around you at all times. Be thankful for this
experience of Life and be willing to forgive.
Peace and blessings to You.
I would like to thank everyone who
participated in our Colors of the Canyon Sacred Steps to the Sunset Program.
You are all so beautiful. Stay connected.
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Ginger
© Anne Calzada Herbalist
Ginger is a valuable plant to know. Its
latin name is Zingiber officinale. It is a member of the Zingiberaceae family.
It is originally from Asia. It has a history of use of more than 2,000 years.
It is one of the classic herbs used in Traditional Chinese Medicine where it is
known as "sheng jiang". Ginger continues to be important medicine in
Chinese, Ayurvedic and Western herbal practices. The root is used for flavoring
and healing. Ginger is a good ally to have on hand when you feel the onset of a
cold or flu. It is helpful when a fever is present as it contains diaphoretic
properties, which help you to sweat. It warms the body and promotes
expectoration, helping to clear out the lungs. Making a cup of ginger tea of
either the fresh or dried root is indicated. One tsp. of dried ginger powder to
one cup of water or a slice about an inch long of the fresh root will do.
Try ginger tea with honey and lemon for
soothing sore throats. Ginger is also very comforting to bathe with when you
don't feel good, or have arthritic pain. Add 1/8 cup of ginger powder to the
bath or a few slices of the root. Soaking tired aching feet in ginger tea or
taking a ginger bath is so relaxing and warming after those snowy days when you
are chilled to the bone. It will warm the water and circulate your blood. It
contains a compound called "gingerol" which inhibits inflammation and
eases rheumatoid arthritis. It stimulates peripheral circulation, which is
helpful for pain and congestion. Using a compress of ginger tea, (soak a cloth
in ginger tea) apply to the chest for lung congestion. Put a few towels over
it. Reapply up to three times as needed. You can use a ginger compress on any
aches or pains and you may also use a heating pad to drive the heat in if you
wish. The constituent "gingerol" is also known to be effective in
thinning the blood, inhibiting blood clots to form and lowering cholesterol
levels. Ginger has therefore been helpful for preventing cardiovascular
problems such as hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure. It is
helpful for cold hands and feet resulting from slow blood circulation. It has
even been used in formulas for impotence. Some massage oils contain the
essential oil of ginger for its properties of stimulation. Ginger is very
helpful when nausea is present and is used for travel sickness and morning
sickness. It soothes the bellies of pregnant women, who should drink a weak cup
as needed in moderate amounts. In small amounts it can soothe nausea in
pregnant women, but in large amounts it can stimulate the uterus, so use it
responsibly in cases of pregnancy. It is known to have emmenogouge properties,
which is that it can bring on menstruation. For menstruating women, ginger
lends its antispasmodic properties to the uterus, relieving painful cramping.
Being a carminative, ginger stimulates digestive function and is soothing to
upset stomachs, nausea and intestinal cramping. Try making your own
"ginger ale". Make the amount of ginger tea you prefer, add your
choice of sweetener, a slice of lemon and an equal amount of carbonated water
to the amount of tea you have made. It is quite tasty! Ginger is
anti-parasitic, as seen in Asian cultures; it is eaten with raw fish also known
as sushi! Crystallized ginger is candy for the digestive system; look for it at
health food stores. Ginger is an ingredient in Chai tea. A warming spicy herbal
tea made with milk originating in India. Chai tea is a delight for the taste
buds and oh so good. Use ginger in stir-fries. How about gingerbread or pumpkin
pie? In this time of Thanksgiving, I give thanks to the magical world of the
green! Enjoy the ginger and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Anne Calzada is a Certified Herbalist and
founder of Healing Heart Herbs. Her products can be found at Food For Thought
in Ridgway and at other fine natural health outlets. For consultations or
classes she may be reached at 626-5663 or by email annecalzada@aol.com).
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SETTLED ON THE BANKS OF MINERAL
CREEK - (Tributary to The Animas River)
Part Four of a Series by Earl Sires
Today as I write I sit at what you might
call a destination point, one of many spots I have thought about as I planned
and have undertaken this tour of celebration. I will be settled here for about
ten days or a week. I have parked the Nomad (van) with its rear facing the
river. As I look out from either side or the rear window I can see Mineral
Creek as it dances in from the northwest, makes a sharp turn south, weaves its
way down toward where I sit and skips on down making several pirouettes to
finally swing east to join the Animus three or so miles below.
I have finished my lunch, a sandwich of
two slices of chopped ham, two of Swiss cheese, a slice and a half of purple
onion, with a side of potato chips. As I ate my sandwich I also devoured the
scenery around me, the wide flood plain of rock and gravel laid down by
millions of years of the watery dance, the mountainsides swiftly rising to snow
covered peaks to surround this place where I am living for the moment. I have
often driven past and looked down upon this spot and from the roadway that
traverses the mountain that separates this valley from the one east which is
the cite of the famous little town of Silverton. I spent last night there in an
RV park, all the while cherishing the very thought of being there where the
narrow gage trains from Durango chug chug into town, their whistles sounding
far down the valley, haunting reminders of the trains and the railroad people I
grew up with and the excitement the old steam engines brought. I am living
temporarily the life of a settler in order to get some serious writing done.
I came here by way of one of the most
beautiful long drives you can imagine. Leaving Royal Gorge, I once more took to
old US 50 which dropped down quickly into the long gorge through which the
Arkansas River flows out into the plains to join the Mississippi hundreds of
miles to the east. This stretch of road winds about through rugged walled
canyons, hugging the mountainside to keep from falling into the river only a
few feet below. Every turn brings another astonishing display of rock, sky, and
water. The river itself, oblivious to the traveler's peril, flows slowly and
peacefully in places, at others rapidly, literally tumbling through the gorge
on the billions years task of carving the gorge.
At Salida a wide valley opens out
displaying the awesome Sawatch Range of the Rockies where lies a long climb up
a steep grade that winds around and up to Monarch Pass which was still in the
process of removing its winter mantle of snow. Once through the pass a longer
descent runs through curve after curve and bend following bend where trucks are
constantly reminded to gear down for the 6 and 7% grade. Once over this stretch
of mountains a long glide down the valley through wide delta land threaded by
creeks and runs carry snow melt out to the Gunnison River, a welcome sight for
I know that it runs off west to within ten miles of Montrose before it turns
north through the spectacular gorge it has long been busy cutting a two
thousand foot gash in the earth. Still, before I arrive at Montrose, I will drive along Blue Mesa Lake another
spectacle, that ends where the road suddenly dips down and threads its way
through a very narrow but short slot canyon that opens out on the rolling hills
just east of Montrose and finally brings me over a rise to the Uncompaghre
Valley in the palm of which nestles the hub city of the one hundred mile long
valley, a valley bounded on the west by the 11,000 thousand foot high
Uncompaghre Plateau, on south by the San Juans.
Leaving Montrose, I roll on south through
the valley past Ridgway and on up into the San Juans at Ouray, where the
mountains circle the town so closely it looks like the quaint little village
sits at the bottom of a volcanic cauldron with one side blown out, then up the
switchbacks and along a hanging highway that threads its way past spectacular
Red Mountain, so called because it is red, through the high pass and then down
again, dropping a thousand feet along another road that hugs the mountainside
and switches back and forth and finally levels out to allow a long roll into
Silverton, still the nearest town to the nineteenth century I've seen.
(Editor's Note: These are excerpts from
the journaling of Earl Sires, former Board Member of The Whole Life Network.
Earl Sires has removed himself from our valley as a permanent resident, but he
continues his influence in our community with frequent visits. Please refer to
the March 2004 issue of Connections and the article, Earl Sires Marks
His 75th, for more detail on his life and travels.)
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15th Anniversary – A Returning
Whole Life Network Release
On
Saturday evening, October 23rd, an enthusiastic crowd attended the
15 Anniversary Banquet of The Whole Life Network. We enjoyed the musical talents of David and Tamara Hauze and
savored a bountiful buffet prepared by the Grand View Palace. But this gathering will be remembered for the
camaraderie and love shared by old friends and associates, many of whom had not
visited with each other for ten or more years.
Returning members of the original 1988 Board of Directors included:
Rebecca Lindsay Kent
Don Bailey
Sandi Galbreth
Andrea Bartlett Leak
Dr. Richard Gingery
Walt Hill
and Bill Wilson.
Not
present, but sending her regards by email was Joan May. “I was at the Western Colorado Congress
meeting last week and saw several old friends from The Whole Life Network: Don
(Bailey), Geoff Tishbein, Bill Wilson.
And there was an article about Becky and Kelvin (Kent) in our local
paper, and I see that Dick Gingery is running for commissioner, so despite the
time and distance, I still feel somewhat connected to the old family. …. I wish
you all a fun and successful celebration!”
These
founding members compared the current activities and agendas of our network
with their original intent, and, while there has been some change in emphasis,
we all agreed that the original Mission Statement remains our guiding
philosophy and inspiration.
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Procrastination—Bane or Blessing?
by Dr. Jerry Overton
"Procrastination is fun. Just wait
and see."—Unknown
"Anybody can do any amount of work,
so long as it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing."—Robert Benchley
"Procrastination is the thief of
time."—Edward Young, Night Thoughts
"We have left undone those things
which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not
to have done."—The Book of Common Prayer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Procrastination—is it a bane or a
blessing? As you can tell from the quotes above, there is a difference
of opinion, at least among those quoted!
As one who has done his share of it,
here's my take on it.
There was a time when I would
procrastinate badly and then feel even more badly about it. I'd beat myself up
for days, and feel guilty, for putting off what I thought I should be doing.
Then one day it hit me. I didn't put off
those things that I enjoyed doing. I got those done right away. In fact, I could
hardly wait to do them! It was only those things that I did not enjoy
doing that I procrastinated about. It was those things that I thought I
"ought" to do or was told that I "should" do that I
procrastinated about. As I began to look more closely, many of my
"oughts" and "shoulds" were not even of my own choosing—I
had let somebody else choose them for me.
No wonder I procrastinated! It was as if
everything within me was screaming out to me saying, "Wake up! Don't
you see what is going on here? Somebody else is choosing your life for you!
Resist with all your might, or they'll take over completely!"
And that's when my procrastination went
from being the bane of my existence, and the source of much self-abuse, to
becoming one of my best friends! And you ask, how so?
It goes something like this. Whenever I
feel myself procrastinating, I take it as an “early warning signal” to pay
attention to what I'm doing. It's my wake-up call to ask myself some important
questions: Is the object of my procrastination of my own choosing? Do I want to
do it?
If the answer is "No" to these
two questions, then I ask myself another question. Will it benefit me to do
it—or will there be negative consequences if I don't? If there is no benefit to
doing it, and no negative consequences if I don't, then I can easily decide
it's not something I want to do, so I don't—thereby eliminating my
procrastination (as well as all the self-abuse that was sure to follow).
If there are benefits, or if there are
negative consequences to not doing it (like with my taxes), I either choose to
do it (which now I can, because I see the motivation), or I get somebody else
to do it who likes to do it (and believe it or not, there are actually people
out there who love to do those things that you don't—even taxes!).
Being willing to see procrastination as my
friend (the one willing to keep resisting and shouting until I wake up to my
actions), I can now live much more of my life in choice. As a result, I wind up
doing much more of what I truly love, and I find that procrastination is no
longer a problem. I either do the thing about which I've been procrastinating
(because now I see the motivation and can choose to do it or have it done), or
I let it go.
I invite you to see procrastination as
your friend, too. Honor its willingness to resist. Let it wake you up to all
the "oughts" and "shoulds" in your life. Let it direct you
to living more of your life in choice as you eliminate all those things that
don't fit who you are. And let it lead you to discovering and living the life
you truly love! For you deserve nothing less.
Godspeed!
Copyright 2004
Dr. Jerry D. Overton
All Rights Reserved
Jerry is a personal coach, counselor, and
Director of The Center for Personal and Spiritual Growth. He can be reached at
252-9311.
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Whole Life Network
Business Member Profile
KVNF Public Radio
Whole Life Network Release
KVNF, our noncommercial, community
oriented public radio station in Paonia, that officially broadcast for the
first time in October 1979 brings public radio to our West slope home. Starting
from 10 watts of power, KVNF grew to 500 and then to 3,000 watts. As KVNF grew
to serve the informational news of Western Colorado and the demand for
programming from National Public Radio grew, KVNF became the first station to
offer NPR to Western Colorado in 1983. Today, KVNF is a regional station that
serves us with NPR news, local information diverse music and, of course, on the
fourth Thursday of each month, Connections, the radio program of The Whole Life
Network. Our radio show, Connections, is currently hosted by our Business
Member, Josh Hayward, and has been broadcast continuously since 1999. Indeed,
the partnership of KVNF and the Whole Life Network has had enormous benefit to
both parties. The current list of Underwriters (those providing financial
support) for KVNF include: Don Bailey/Alpine Remax, past President and Business
Member, David Hauze, Lifetime Honorary Member, Patty Painter, Business Member,
The Center of Religious Science, Business Member, and Dr. John Unger, past
President. The Whole Life Network is credited with underwriter status through
the involvement of our members in our radio program.
Now, more than ever, KVNF needs the help
of all of the residents of our community. KVNF needs and deserves a new home.
The appeal of their radio program service has created a situation in which the
current facility is no longer large enough or adequately equipped for them to
be able to their members. A new home will allow KVNF to strengthen every aspect
of their organization. It will further enhance their sound that keeps listeners
in 6 counties connected to the world at large and to the place that we call
home. A fundraising program is underway to generate $700,000 to be used as
follows: $210,000 to purchase the historic building at 233 Grand Ave. in
Paonia, $290,000 to renovate the building, and, $200,000 for new broadcast and
recording equipment. Currently KVNF is housed in 2,000 square feet of area.
Crowded? If you have ever visited the facility, you could see the problem. The
new building will have a generous 6,000 square feet. The new facility is
envisioned as a platform for exciting new initiatives – radio drama, live
music, local news and public affairs and more youth radio. Make your generous
checks payable to: KVNF Capital Campaign, P.O. Box 1350, Paonia, CO. 81428
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