the magic of ebills

I can't believe that it's taken me this long, but I am finally making the switch to e billing. Regular bills that come in the mail use so much paper! DUH.

Another change that I've been making is not only turning off but unplugging energy sucking appliances when I am not using them. Like my computer, TV, stereo, and cell phone charger. One more thing, I turn off my phone at night to conserve the battery power so I'm not charging it every three days. Now if I could just remember to turn it off during yoga...

grrrrrr

I just came home from an incredibly unsuccessful bra shopping trip. I have been waiting weeks to be able to shop for a bra when Elias wasn't with me, and the opportunity arose today so I jumped at it. 

I picked 10 different styles, in many colours and sizes to ensure that something would fit. It soon became apparent that I was in the wrong store. First of all, why are 90% of bras padded? I saw a commercial the other day for a new bra, and its main selling feature was that on top of the already padded bra they added another special padded nipple part for "modesty". Since when did nipples become immodest? Why are we so obsessed with ensuring that no one knows that we have nipples under our t-shirts? Do men wear special nipple protectors so we can't see them under their clothes? I didn't think so.

After trying on all 10 of them, not only was I thoroughly disgusted but I was also incredibly frustrated. Who is designing these bras? I wanted to tell the saleswoman that the reason I wasn't buying any of these ill fitting bras was mainly because I like my nipples! Why should I wear an extra layer of padding? Why do women want to look like barbie, who by the way has no nipples!!!

Another problem with these bras is that most of them have a metal wire in them, and to me that just doesn't seem right, why put metal right next to your breasts? And who wants to wear a bra that has such a small cup that your breasts spill right out the top? Not only that, but they are squished together and lifted so high that you could rest your coffee cup on them. My breasts aren't cup holders!

To me this illustrates how screwed up our ideas of reality and beauty have become. Mainstream society is on a downward spiral, I think I'll just wear my old bra until it falls off me.

stop bill C-51

It will be a scary world if bill C-51 is passed. I should have wrote about this sooner, but here is the low down in case you haven't been following it. Basically, Health Canada wants to outlaw natural health products by making it illegal to sell products that aren't licensed. Currently that is about 70% of the natural products out there. Interestingly enough, you will be able to get any number of pharmaceutical drugs because they are licensed. And why wouldn't they be? Big Pharm has lots of money and are obviously scratching the backs of government officials.

I was once told by a doctor that the only way that my body would function normally would be for me to take $300 of prescription drugs each month, drugs that were not covered by my health plan and could quite possibly cause other organs to fail. There was no discussion about alternative therapies, but there was the implication that if the drugs didn't work for me they could always cut out a part of my colon. 

I basically ran out of the hospital and never went back. When they called me I told them to stuff it, I didn't want their treatments. I was not sick, just a little off track. And so my quest for health began. I encountered some quacky natural health doctors, but I finally found Dr. D. who looked me straight in the eye and without hesitation told me I was healthy, just a little off track, and I would be better within days. I started taking homeopathic remedies and other natural health products and I was feeling better within 2 days.

2 years later, I am healthier than I have ever been. I take supplements when I need to, and I eat healthy. I am grateful that my search for health led me to Dr. D. I feel sad for people who actually believe doctors when they are told that the only options for crohns or colitis are pharmaceuticals. 

Pharmaceutical companies are more powerful than we know, and it's time to stand up for our health. Even if you don't take natural supplements, someone you love certainly does. Click here to find out more.

hello, spring?

Is it just me or does Spring seem to be taking her sweet time arriving this year? Come on already!

I just came in from planting some more seeds in my front yard. I planted spelt, and lots of sunflowers. Elias is a big help when I'm working outside, he is my official soil tester, and according to him the soil is yucky. Perfect, just what we need. He knows, because he ate a mouthful of it while I was digging rocks into the side yard for a rock garden. 

He is sleeping right now and every time he lays down for a nap I am amazed and I feel like I have won the lottery! He sleeps! On his own! Am I the luckiest mother around or what?

Normally he sleeps with his hammer in hand. You never know when you are going to need a hammer during nap time or even at night. Some kids like stuffed toys, some like blankets, mine likes tools.

Anyway, although I haven't posted any changes for a few weeks, I am still changing something every week. Rain barrels are one thing and driving less is my newest challenge. It is hard when you live in the boonies, but I am trying to do more things near my home and walk to places that I can, like the library or the grocery store. Somedays I don't even drive at all. It's easy when the weather is warm, but believe me, when it's -30, I won't be walking to the library.

it's been a long long time a coming...

How long has it been since I last wrote? It should be called the small planet whenever I feel like it. or the small planet monthly.

I've been busy since my last posting. I've had my first few nights of blissful, uninterrupted sleep, and strangely I am more tired than I have been in years. It's like my body suddenly realized I've been working on such an incredible sleep deficit, that now it's saying, "whoa! slow down lady. We need some SLEEP!" and so, that is what I have been doing, in between taking classes on organic gardening and naturalized landscaping, planning out my vegetable garden, and setting up rain barrels in my yard.

Actually, Mike is in charge of the rain barrel portion. We have 4 rain barrels connected by a series of tubes and hoses and it works! We are only watering with rain water that we have collected from the sky! It's amazing. In fact most of them are full just from the rain and snow that has fallen in the past week. If you don't have a rain barrel get one, get four, or six...

I have planted some native wildflower seeds, that I got for free from the Bow Point Nursery, in my front yard. The nursery is quite unique and environmentally friendly too. They specialize in native, drought resistant plants, shrubs, and trees that grow in right here in Southern Alberta. Imagine planting something that will naturally do well here! So smart. There is a reason that cedars don't grow here, they are meant for a moister, warmer climate. (like the west coast) It makes me sad to drive by the superstore and see all of the half dead cedars standing outside.

Next I will be transplanting the tomatoes that we started from seeds in March. They are quite big now and are taking up half of my kitchen table, so it will be nice to get them outside. I am planting them with lots of basil to confuse insects and make them taste better. If it would only stop snowing... Then I'm planting lots and lots of peas. I am going to build a structure so they can climb upwards, saving space and creating a windbreak for the rest of my garden. ( a little trick I learned in my class.)

We bought a truckload of compost from Bow Point as well. We filled up the back of Mikes truck and it only cost $10. That we dug into the vegetable beds so they are ready for the organic seeds that I bought at sunnyside market. I wish I would have bought more seeds on seedy saturday.