Today is the final day of our local farmer’s market. It is a pleasant outing and I go almost every week to purchase fresh produce. I will miss it. Many of the vendors had crates of apples. The apples are beautiful and abundant this year. I was delighted to find…
When my children were little, I noticed that their health patterns were different from mine and my siblings when we grew up. More ear infections, more antibiotics, and food sensitivities. I struggled to understand. I kept journals of the meals I served, looking for the foods that caused gastrointestinal distress.…
My elderberries are beginning to ripen. The Johns elderberry bush ripens first, the Adams bushes ripen a few weeks later. Having a couple different varieties is beneficial for increased pollination and production of berries.. After picking each cluster of berries, clipping the stem behind the cluster, I bring them inside.…
Let’s face it. A cherry tree in the backyard has pros and cons. This year the tree has produced an abundance of cherries. For five days I have been picking, pitting, freezing and canning cherries. I expect to see cherries in my dreams. Many of the cherries are perfect. But a…
When I go to the library, I tend to pick fiction books over nonfiction. My favorite genre is historical fiction. I like a good story. It takes more effort for me to choose nonfiction. Recently I heard about a book written by Casey Means, M.D. and requested it. In the…
Over the years I have become increasingly concerned about the health of children. My son, a close friend’s daughter and my college room-mate’s grandson were all diagnosed with leukemia. Cancer has gradually increased in children. Chronic illness in children has increased dramatically since the 1980s. An article in the Journal of…
We have a new granddaughter. When we visited our son’s family, we brought gifts for the baby and her big brother. We also gave our grandson a few of the cars and trucks that had once belonged to his father. One truck had the McDonald’s insignia on the side of…
When it snowed on Wednesday, I realized that the mild fall weather was turning towards winter. Thankfully I had brought my potted herbs indoors prior to the snow. It is a blessing to have fresh herbs year around. I have a sunny bay window that is the perfect spot for…
The elderberry bushes in my yard have been harvested. I have canned elderberry juice for the winter, and I have berries in the freezer. Elderberry bushes have a long history of use. The flower heads in early summer are beautiful. The flowers can be used to make a cordial that…
Mothers want to do what is right for their children. Sometimes the right thing is not clear. Sometimes important information is not available. As a mom and a nurse with a B.S.N., I did not question the childhood vaccine schedule until I worked with a group of doctors who raised…