Organic Granny

This essay was written, along with various sketches, in the Summer of 2017 when our granddaughters, Alyza and Angelika, spent four weeks with us.

Dr. Greger approves of this rich dark cherry-chocolate smoothie ... daily! https://t.co/d1xFkTzJRv #mmyumm   (@healthiacynthia) August 26, 2018 Dark. Cherry. Chocolate. Smoothie.  This morning the news (and my heart) is full of the sadness and fear of all number of disasters: Hurricane Irma and clan, wildfires burning up large chunks of the world, an 8+ rated earthquake in Mexico.  Yesterday we attended a memorial service for our neighbour's 22-year old grandson who died in a car accident across the world in Western Australia.  On our walk this morning we prayed for Facebook friends in Florida, our dear friend's mom who is somewhere between Florida and Boston, and others in distress.  Meanwhile... in an overcast but mild-weathered, quiet, somber but peaceful Comox Valley tucked away on idyllic Vancouver Island North, on a Sunday morning, we feel grateful and blessed to be spared, at least for now, of the devastation that we see happening livestream.  We have an

My husband has us trying a week-long campaign to see if taking a shot of ACV (apple cider vinegar with the "mother"*) in our water 3X a day will provide us with the health benefits that are "proven" in medical literature: Weight Loss Lowered Blood Sugar and Insulin Sensitivity after Eating High Carb Meals Since we are eating a plant-based, whole food, low fat way, it is helpful to see if the diet can be additionally boosted by the addition of Apple Cider Vinegar. And I want to continue dropping pounds (I weigh in with TOPS weekly) eating the healthy foods that I do.   We have enjoyed a rather hot summer from mid-July until now, so cold filtered water with ACV (1 teaspoon to start, 3X a day) is a refreshing event.   -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- A friend of mine had a drink and commented, "Tastes like kombucha."  She sa

A cancer diagnosis can be a little too much to swallow at the moment it is delivered. So, you go to the doctor to get something like a mole checked out-- you think maybe you will have it frozen off, like your friend Bea suggested.  The next minute you hear:  “Hmm... this doesn't look good.  I'd like to schedule an appointment for a biopsy.” And next, your well-intentioned doctor begins blasting you with descriptions of treatments and protocols (whatever protocols are?) that you must listen carefully to, and do right away.  Your head feels like it might explode. How you proceed can mean the difference between life and death... Chris Wark understands this all too well. In December 2003 (just two days before Christmas!), when he was just 26 years old, he was diagnosed with advanced cancer. It was definitely NOT the Christmas present Chris was expecting, and he was immediately rushed into the cancer treatment system, but a decision he made a few weeks later changed