Christmas Long Long Ago

Memories are funny, triggered by the strangest things, a smell, a picture, so many things. I was thinking this week of some of the most memorable Christmas's of my child hood. I was born about the time of the war, in the early 40s. Money was tight, food was rationed, we practiced blackouts, and Dad worked at the bomb plant in Mead NE, which was likely a much more scary job than I would have known about back then. We did not do big Christmas affairs, we did have a tree and there were always gifts, mostly home made. From a new dress( Mom made) to a doll, retrieved from a thrift store, painted and a wardrobe created for it. Or a cloth doll, or dad got a hold of the rollers from the newsprint at the printing shop he worked at sometimes, and cut that roll into round blocks that he painted with bright colors. We had a sock, it always had an apple and an orange, some Good n Plenty's, and maybe a few whole nuts. But we were thrilled with those things, they meant the world to us. If kids today got something like that they would go ballistic. We were grateful for small things and quite happy and content with them. Gram Sharp always saw we had a new book. I collected the whole set of Bobbsey Twins over time. And family, we had family with us for a good meal. i can';t remember what we ate, so it was not likely a big turkey or ham dinner. More likely a big bowl of soup and a sandwich. But times were simpler, and happy. Kids could walk many blocks to school, we spent our days outside playing. Bike riding, roller skating, hopscotch, jacks. Nothing electronic. And we were seldom sick. You could go out in public and not worry about some disturbed person with a gun or a knife attacking and doing in a lot of people. Our politics were simpler too, most presidents were God fearing and based their rule on that. Life surely does change, and not always for the better. Sometimes I would like to go back and spend time with mom and dad again, just being together and warm and happy in our little house. I wonder what kind of memories our grand kids will have someday? Nothing like mine. I wish all my family and friends some of that warm fuzzy feeling from the past, hopefully happy thoughts and memories for you too. And maybe this year will be a better year, how I pray for peace on earth, understanding and caring for each other, doing things to help where ever possible. that's what we are here for, to care for our brothers and sisters and make life the best we can for everyone. Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you all.

Aromatherapy, Thyroid ideas, Jack fruit, what?

I am blessed with an amazing family. kids, sisters. grand kids, great grand kids and friends scattered through all the places I have traveled through along this journey called life. For a good many years I have been studying what we eat, what's in it, on it etc, and what it does to our bodies. Anything grown with GMO's is not good for anyone and we are slowly waking up to that fact. Dairy and meat products are next in line, full of anti biotics, inhumane practices, hormones that alter youngsters bodies, so much to think about. I quit milk and dairy products for the most part 40 years ago. And after all the scary recalls on hamburger and meats with ecoli etc, I stopped eating red meats and have only had chicken and turkey for some time. Organic. My Grand daughter has done some research on dairy and meat, and is now baking in her bakery with all plant based products. And she is teaching me a lot more. She found something called Jack Fruit. Its grown in south American countries, the trees get to 70 feet tall and bear 100 pounds of fruit a year. They might grow in southern Florida or California, or Texas, but no where else. The fruit is like pulled chicken or pork, and can be made into sandwiches with bar be que or adobo sauce or what you like. Amazing. Never too old to learn something new. Sea food has been on my hit list too, most of the things people eat are bottom feeders, living on the excrement of other sea creatures. Not appealing. Ok, moving on. There has been a lot of talk about candles, unless they are beeswax or soy, they are carcinogenic. I have been using misting fountains for about 15 years now, , and the new thing is a difuser. Into these you put essential oils, designed for what ails you. If you have sinus, colds, bronchitis etc you could use camphor oil and eucalyptus oils, smells like vicks and helps clear your lungs. I like a mix of lavender and vanilla just for calming and relaxing. Another blend for congestion is 3 drops of peppermint oil, 2 drops of eucalyptus oil, 2 drops of tea tree oil and 1 drop of lemon essential oil, mixed and added to your difuser. lacking that, you could put it in a pan and simmer it on your stove. If you crave a holiday scent, try cinnamon, cloves, spicy smelling oils. I recently purchased a new one from Piping Rock called Christmas, have it going today and love it. Using oils again, if you are having thyroid woes, to boost thyroid function mix 1 drop each of lemongrass, clove, myrrh and peppermint oils, difuse or simmer. Also massage into the adrenal area, Slow down an overactive thyroid, use 1 drop of myrrh, 1 drop of lemongrass and massage into thyroid area and on the bottoms of your feet. There are many place to get good oils, Mountain Rose Herbs, Piping Rock, Swanson Vitamins, and on and on. Even Amazon has a good supply. The fire in the Smoky Mountain Park is finally out. So much damage, 14 dead, thousands of acres burned, homes and businesses destroyed. All by a couple of kids, one 13, one 17 walking through the park tossing lit matches into the dry leaves. A tourist caught them on camera and thus they were apprehended. What an awful thing to do. Seems the whole world is responding, donations and help coming from all over. There are still an amazing amount of good people who are wanting to help their fellow man when trouble comes. It's getting close to Christmas, have my little tree up and music playing, and have baked a few cookies and made some truffles. Hope you are about ready too, what a great time to gather with family and be aware of how much we have, and that family is much more important than any gift under the tree. Give your family extra hugs and love this year. We all have much to celebrate. Merry Christmas!