The News

Do you want to hear the news, the Real news? Watch.   LOL

The Stash With Abash

The old Toker, Willie Nelson.  Whatta Guy

Willie does what he wants to do, dress as he wants to dress and
smokes what he wants to smoke. If he goes to prison for a while,
so what. At least he's his own person and look at all the lingering
songs he's given to the world.

He's right, you know. Marijuana is one of the all-time greatest
medicinal plants ever grown in North America. I can't think of
anything that it WON'T cure.  Actually it's the oil that is used
for healing. It was at one time legal in MT but the yayhoo
governor revoked it after it was voted in by the people. Now,
when it's put on a ballot, it gets rejected by the big pharma
worshipers.

I'm considering driving to CO to visit Marilyn and spend some
time taking advantage of the healing properties of the oil for
my skin cancer and glaucoma.

As I was looking at the presidential hopefuls, I at one time
was carefully scrutinizing Dr Ben Carson.....intelligent, soft-spoken
Ben until he said he supported mandatory vaccinations and
wanted a more extensive war on drugs. That did it for me. Bye
bye Ben. It only proves he's tightly in bed with big pharma and
probably even drives one of those BMW's Daddy Pharma gives
away to doctors at the big freebie conventions.  As a doctor I
thought that Ben would especially value the merits of hemp.

I just saw a video on hemp oil by an elderly seasoned grower
of the precious medicine who lives in Nova Scotia. (Pat, there
ya go) but he was afraid Canada would be closing them down
soon, too. Too bad. The governments want all the money for
themselves. Ha

I wish Willie was my neighbor. I bet he has a good stash and
it would be heavenly to listen to him sing too.  Deam on.....

Do you have any definite views on legal hemp. I just bet
you do. Wanna share?

Where's the Nickel?

Do You Ever See Nickels Anymore?

In fact do you ever see change anymore, you know
that loose stuff in your pockets...... the jingling stuff.
They used to talk about pockets that jingle.
 I recall an old song
.....I wish I were single again
Cause when I was single
My pockets did jingle
Oh, I wish I were single again

You might also hear, "He doesn't have 2 nickels to rub
together." That always confused me. Why would you
rub 2 coins together? Rub, rub, rub.

I think that one meant they were poor....most likely it
came from the depression when everyone was poor
 but a nickel could buy a couple of carrots, a
potato and an onion for a stew. Hobo stew, it was
called OR.......you could go to the nickelodeon.
Duh, guess how much it cost.

And in place of a "good-by" someone might say,
"don't take any wooden nickels."
hmmmmm  what meaning?  Maybe lookout for
scammers or don't accept a worthless token. ???
Beats me.

Restaurants and many public places that had a
rest room had nickel coin boxes outside of the
stalls. Women (in the days when there was a
division between men and women) would write
on the inside of the stalls. I recall one duezy......
Here I sit all broken hearted
Paid 5 cents and only farted

(I could never bring myself to use that word.
Proves I'm not a Lady anymore, Blue. Now
I've earned the title "Broad". )

Buffalo nickels, that's the name. There used to
be a lot of Native Americans and their symbols
on the coins.

War Nickels...... I remember the name but I had
to look this up. They were minted from 1941 to
1945 and have a large P over the building
(Monticello) on the back. Find one.

That's all I remember about nickels. Here's a useless
bit of information about the amount of silver in coins.

Dimes, quarters, half dollars or dollars, dated 1964
or earlier are 90% silver.

But half dollars dated 1965--1970 contain only
40% silver.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't take any wooden credit cards. Nyuk, nyuk

Gleanings from an Iconoclast

Political cartoonists have a rare sense of
humor. I love em. 

I know nothing about Kentucky except that I always got
confused if Davy Crockett was from Kentucky or Tennessee.
But I'm sure it is the latter. As for Kentucky, I don't know
 the govenor's name nor anything about him either but this
morning the radio newsman said the Kentucky governor
and his wife had adopted 4 kids from Ethiopia.

Newsman went on to say the Governor wasn't pleased with
this mornings political cartoon which depicted the Governor
hiding under his desk with the caption saying, "Sir, they're
 not terrorists, they're your own adopted kids. "

Iconoclast or not, it made me laugh out loud and it wasn't
a demeaning laugh on Kentucky or it's Governor. It just struck
me funny
If it's funny captions on political cartoons that you're hankering
for, take a hop over to "Penwasser Place" Al's salacious
humor always promises a morning snicker. I guess he recently
got in a little trouble at someone's blog. I didn't see what
it was but I bet it was a good one.

Hey, I'm an old broad. I appreciate a little salacity once in a
while.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yay for Craig's List

My big old tree........gone.

Here's my tree.
You can see how
the inside is rotted
away and would
withstand very
little wind stress.

I told the tree men
to leave the cut up
pieces by the alley
and neighbors could
help themselves
to fire wood
But, I hadn't
considered
the huge pieces
of the tree trunk. Snow may be visiting us this week and I wanted
the wood gone. Craig's list..... I'll try that. I entered an ad at 10 AM
and the wood was all gone by 2 o'clock.  The first man to call took
every scrap of wood. He came with a big trailer and 2 sons and they
had it loaded in a blink. He estimated some of the large pieces of
trunk weighed up to 300 lbs. But they brought a dolly and the
moving seemed effortless for 3 burly Montana guys.

I'm excited now because my head holds a vision for a new vegetable
garden, as I had given my old garden space to the chickens.

I'm impressed with Craig's List.  List at 10 and gone by 2 and even
on a Sunday.

Have you ever used that much-touted Craig's List?

Papercuts and Movie Buffs

Papercuts sting. Every time I get one, I think of an old
movie, "36 Hours," starring James Garner and Eva Marie
Saint. It takes place just prior to D-Day, June 6, 1944.
Garner, an intelligence officer is going over the plans in
a briefing when he gets a paper cut. He does the usual,
comments on it, puts the finger to his mouth and goes
on his way to a secret mission in Lisbon.

There, the Nazi's drug him, capture him, take him to a
phony U.S. Military Hospital, work on his body to make
it appear as if he had aged 6 years. When he awakens,
they tell him it is now 1950 (even with dated newspapers),
that they are in Germany and the allies won the war.
They make him believe he's had amnesia all this time.
Of course, all the workers in the hospital set-up, are
German actors for this elaborate ruse in order to get
Garner to divulge the D-Day date.

At first, Garner completely falls for the perfect charade,
especially when he sees his gray hair and advanced-age
vision but THEN he feels the sting of the PAPERCUT
they missed.

Of course, lots of intrigue and action follows.  I never
get tired of watching this movie but why does it always
come on the tube when I'm extremely busy. I suppose
I could somehow tape it for later but I forgot how to do
that so what the heck, I just drop everything and watch
it.
I love movies. Does that mean I don't have a life?
Maybe. If I see a movie advertised at the Cinemark,
a few blocks away, I toss off my apron, (yes I still
wear aprons) stuff a few bucks in my pocket and
get my movie fix for the day.

Anyone else have that habit?

When is a Tree Not a Tree?

After a tree is cut down, is it still a
 tree? I'd call it firewood. 
After a shady rock garden no longer
has shade, is it now a sun rock garden?

Dang Sam, I'm losing a big huge tree that shades a large
rock garden AND a portion of my neighbors house.  The
tree was old (next to ancient) some 30 years ago when I
bought this property and now, when the wind blows free,
it sends it's parts, like old bones, crashing to the land. I do
not want to think of deadwood piercing my neighbor's roof.

In 1865, gold was discovered in this area of Montana while
the Civil War was raging in the East. The first man to acquire
this particular chunk of land, ran cattle to supply fresh meat
to the miners.  My house was a log cabin house and my
neighbor's house was the bunkhouse. Years later, when this
land was plotted out to become Helena, the capital of MT,
the log cabin and bunkhouse were grandfathered in and the
block kinda carved around them. My neighbor had built
his house where the bunkhouse stood and that
eventually put his house far in the back of his land and
almost spot-on the lot line dividing our properties.

The old log cabin still stands beneath the added wood siding  of
my simple farmhouse. It was enlarged and an upper floor
added but I can envision the old log cabin when I enter the
cellar with all it's spooky ghosts.

Somewhere along that time, a tree seedling must have
taken root and the shade seemed like a good idea. No one would
ever plant a tree in that precarious spot where the tree is
sandwiched in among high-wires, fences, the alley and the
neighbors house. No, none of those things were there and I
often sit beneath that old tree and can see the cowboys lolly-
gagg'n aroung the bunkhouse after the evening meal, while a
lone harmonica wails out an old haunting tune.

I asked Brady, the treeman, how his crew would get the tree
out of there.

"Very carefully," he replied.
(ummmmm....we'll see)

I do know one thing. I'll get real misty-eyed, along with the birds,
as it's being cut down.

I'm really going to miss that tree, my old friend.

A Kiss in a Cup

Do you ever really listen to the words of songs?
I don't. I'm kinda a beat person and only feel
beats for dancing. When I do my closet-screeching,
the dog howls. I guess it hurts her ears,
poor thing.

One of my morning favorites is "Drink to me
Only With Thine Eyes," an old English troubadorian
ballad from "Song to Celia." I wonder why troubadours
gave up the Trubing business. They could add a
nice contrast to some of today's raucous music.
Can you imagine Troubadours in Montana?

1. Drink to me only with thine eyes and I will pledge
with mine. 
   The burned out bull-rider at the end of the bar,
watches the glassy-eye, hotsy-totsy rodeo queen
hoist her mug of Buds. "She's the one," he thinks.

2. Or leave a kiss within the cup and I'll not ask for
wine. 
    Did she just lick the mug or was that a kiss, as
she glanced in his direction and no one drinks wine
in a cowboy bar. 

3. The thirst that from the soul doth rise, doth ask
a drink divine.
    "She's so beautiful, " thinks the bull rider, "if I
buy her a beer, I wonder if she'll take a ride in my pickup.

4. But might I of Joves nector sup,  I would not 
change for thine.
    "Oh what the hell, it's late so I'll just take mah
roady, get my Border Collie and head back to the
ranch."

And life goes on in Montana.
~~~~~~~~~~~~



     

Reflection

Old age is the time for reflection or so we're lead to
believe.  Certain truths smack us right in the face,
usually kicked off by thoughtless remarks of our
issue.

My first truth is that our kids don't have a clue as
to who we really are or that we had a vibrant life
before they took that first gulp of oxygen. Often
 kid's remarks stop us dead in our tracks and we
think, "Why try to explain?  They won't get it."

For instance, child #3 (with all her fancy education) 
said to me, "You never went to college but you
don't talk like a hill-billy."  I opened my mouth
but was too stunned to reply so I let it go.

Were my kids really THAT self centered and
preoccupied NOT to notice that I took college
courses every chance I could get, for ten years?
They probably never did notice because my classes
were evenings and day time while they were in school.

I never intended to get a degree....it was knowledge
I was seeking. I doubt if young people today would
understand that. When I was advised to choose a
major, it always changed. English, psychology, horticulture...
but no hill-billy talk.

The whole economy was different and wives were not
expected to work. In fact, I never wanted to work outside
 the home, I just wanted to be aware of what was going
on out there.  I loved my life as wife and mother although
now I realize I must have looked to my kids, like the
boring, shades of gray, home-maker.  We were all June
Cleaver's back then.

Should I have tried to explain to my daughter? Would
she understand?  I don't know. What do you think?

Ninny

Dear Gentle People
How'sago'n. That is Montana lingo and
I guess it's one of those things that you
have to be here to understand. 

Then there is "ninny." That is a word from my childhood.
I still say, "Don't be a ninny." Most people don't know what
I mean so I wonder if the term is still used. It means a
"foolish person." Know any "ninnies?"

All this politically correct stuff has me completely baffled.
You go and use a certain word for 85 years and then have
someone tell you that you have to replace it with another
word OR you are a NINNY.

Take the word "retarded." That was the legal term for a
person with a low IQ .....way back when I was a psychiatric
nurse. I guess one never uses that word anymore or it's
Ninny Time again.

There is one word that has changed meaning completely
and for that, I could cry. Most of my fond memories of
nursery rhymes included a cat...... an adorable pussy cat.
Now the meaning of pussy is mostly a slang term for a
 part of the female anatomy, a word that brings on
snickers and gaffs. No matter, I still call my cat Puss
or Pussy. So there.

Thank you Donald Trump, for bringing political
correctness to the fore. You are making the hard-core
political-correctees look like a bunch of NINNIES.

Maybe It's Because

Today I am a copy cat. I heard Beate's
song and was immediately transported
back to 1949, when my husband and I
discovered our song, 
              Maybe It's Because
      I'll wager most of Beate's readers were transported
      back in remembrance of "their song." Great
      job, Beate.

When Louis Armstrong came to town,
it was as a dance band, not as a single
performer. What a guy he was as he'd
even visit our table inbetween sets. 
      It was easy to fall in love to his music but I knew
         I would marry Daryl the first moment I saw him.
         His father was a patient at the hospital where I
         was training and he came to visit his father. On
         that first meeting, he asked me to go dancing.
         I remember going back to the dorm, telling my
         room-mates that I had just met the man I was
         going to marry. They said I was crazy. Ha But
         we were married 3 months later, after graduation.

The rest really is history. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     

Franklin

Way to Go Fella's
Traveling across the country in a restored 1908 Franklin, 3 elderly gents were
re-stocking their vintage car with snacks for the road. Everything about this
car looked brand-spank'n new, including the leather trunk that sat on the
luggage rack.
The Franklin auto was manufactured from 1902 until 1934. It competed with
the luxury big boys but like many of the more expensive cars, folded under the
rigors of the depression.  I had never heard of that make of car, have you?

As the gentlemen closed the doors on this fine old car, one shouted back
to me,"Hope we don't hold you up on the highway."

Nope, it was my pleasure to wave as I passed them. LOL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yesterday I wrote a post about a depressing subject but today, I don't know why I wrote it. I can get sad but I'm 
never depressed so it's gone, deleted, kaput.(In case you caught a glimpse)

Dupery Reigns Supreme

So you think government officials are like Jimmy 
Stewart in "Mr Smith Goes to Washington," pure 
of heart and fighting tooth and nail in Washington 
for bills that will benefit the people. Yeah, well....
sorry your lobectomy went haywire. 

I bet you think this post is political.  No, not
really. Maybe just some leanings in that direction.

I remember life in the 1950's....... I was at a 
cocktail party wearing a new black cocktail dress,
similar to the ones Audrey Hepburn usually wore.
Of course everyone had a fancy-named drink in
one hand and a cigarette in the other.  Cigarettes 
and booze in a smokey room. The talk was, "Buy
chemicals and plastics." Yup Froggy, that was
the beginning of poisoning the planet and I 
stood there like an idiot, only caring if I was
making an impression on the sad joker in
a pin-stripe suit. 

Up to that time, lawns were almost maintenance
free because white clover lawns were the choice
of the day.  Clover lawns were beautiful AND
(get this) drought resistant, fixed nitrogen from
the air, needed no fertilizer and tolerated 
compacted soil. 

Can you imagine NOT spending a red cent for
up-keep on your lawn? How much do you spend
now, with mowing, aerating, fertilizing, watering, 
power-raking, and often re-seeding in the spring?

So after the war, big campaigns for beautiful
grass filled the hearts and minds of the new
suburbanites. Buy "Round-up," kill the clover, kill
the bees and we all know what happens after we
kill all the bees. Let your kiddies and pets romp
in that brilliant green chemical grass. Oh, so 
Sonny has allergies, too bad, wonder how he got 
that.

I do small patches at a time. I lay down card-
board and cover it with black dirt. I keep it moist
and during the winter, it's all covered with snow. 
Then I mix clover seed with more black dirt
and add a netting if it's scorching hot come
summer. My yard is terribly large for me to do it
all alone but I'm gaining on it. Today I unloaded
15 bags of dirt by myself. Yeah for my Bliss Work.

What's my point in all of this?  I don't really know. 
Maybe I'd like to influence just one person to 
think of what we're doing. Are we going to end
up as we did in "Planet of the Apes" with the statue
of liberty mostly stuck in the sand?????

Who knows and only time will tell.

Always Carry a Big Stick

I got up this morning at the tip of dawn with an agenda on
my mind. Another wasp  nest in the greenhouse had to be
destroyed. I hate that. I'm really scared of those buzzy critters.

I tossed on a winter parka over my PJ's, tied the hood tight
around my face, zipped up and approached the greenhouse
with a big stick. DANG, the nest faced away from
the door, meaning I had to cross over the nest to get back to
the door once I poked down the nest.

My urge was to return to the house, mission UN-accompolished.
But what to do????? I can't use a poison in the greenhouse.
What if I tripped and fell during my escape? What if the sky is
falling on Henny Penny? Oh just do it, big CHICKEN.

POKE POKE. It was stuck tighter than I thought it would be.
I was using a walking stick. Who said, "Always carry a
big stick?" Was it Teddy Roosevelt? Who cares at this point.
I had to jump over that fallen nest as the wasps were beginning
to wake up and come zooming out. OMG....how could all
those wasps fit in that little nest? They were zooming all
over the greenhouse and I never realized how fast they
could fly. They were not happy with me, yet they were the
usurpers. Ain't fair.

Back in the house and nary a bite or a trip or a fall. Time
for my morning curds and whey. (I really do eat curds and
whey......it gives me wasp courage and makes me "Oh sooo
adorable."
ADIOS for now
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where's the Mansions?

I was working in my
yard when a large
black car filled with
elderly people, stopped
and asked, "Where are
the mansions?" I directed
them and returned to my
hoeing.

Where are the mansions?"
Can't they see the one in
front of them? No. I
guess not because mansion it's NOT. It's older than the
mansions and there's a log cabin under the farm house look
but they want to see the glitze of conspicuous consumption.

Gold was discovered in Helena in 1865. Miners were dreaming
 of getting rich while soldiers from the North and South were
 engaged in their civil war. Most of the miners didn't strike it
 rich  and either returned home or went on to the next gold
strike. The ones who struck gold, remained in Helena and
built a mansion more grand than their neighbor's.

My humble farm house was/still is, a log cabin for the family
who owned most of the land that is now Helena. They raised
cattle, thus providing meat for the miners. The house next
door was the bunk house for the cowboys. They eventually
added the looks of a farm house OVER the log house, evidence
I still run into when trying to pound something into the wall.

I call the house a dump because it's still the same old creaky
structure with nary a closet. Thank god plumbing was added.
Haha     But it's a friendly house, full of ghosts. The living/
dining room (also was my studio) has windows facing all
directions and is never without sunshine. The yard is some-
thing special for me to work in.

I hope the visitors in the big black auto enjoyed the mansions.
I rarely walk through the mansion district as all the chemicals
from each property trying to "outgreen" the other, really make
me ill. I much prefer the dandelions and white clover found
in my neighborhood. LOL

One More Birthday Party

My gardening friend Julie has an annual birthday party for her
husband, usually attended by the same group of friends and
neighbors. The event took place last evening in Julie's
enchanting garden where I had a chance to visit with people
I hadn't seen since last year's party.

The one person I look forward to seeing is Al, Julie's 101
year old neighbor.  It's not too unusual for someone to reach
the bright and snappy age of 101 but Al is using that bright-
ness to live in total independence. Living alone, Al performs
all his housely duties, buys his own food and cooks. But get
this, AL STILL DRIVES A CAR. He said they made him
take a driving test that consisted of him driving around the block.
That was it!

What is so amazing is that Al joins in on almost any
conversation. He knows exactly what is going on in the world
and expresses his ideas in a strong, clear voice.

Those of us who love history are forever bombarding him
with questions concerning his early life. Last night I heard
him say he moved to Helena in 1930 (year I was born) and
bought the land where his house stands, for $95.

In my mind I was comparing Al to the ladies in my Bliss class.
Their average age is somewhere in the early 70's but take my
word that Al could run circles around many of them. I've heard
them use the phrase......"but at my age"..........which is complete
non-sense to keep referring to a number. Al knows exactly how
old he is but when someone asks, "are you one hundrea and
one" I've heard Al laughingly say, "Am I?"

Who can say what it takes to live a long and healthy life.
Genes? Diet? Attitude?  I really don't have the foggiest but
it's a delight when you see it in action. I know one thing, Al
loves ice cream and he ate a lot of it.  hahahaha

Dance Floor

Have you ever started a project and straight from the git-go, 
everything went wrong. I don't mean a little glitch here and there
but I do mean "everything." That's what is happening right now
in my garage, as I'm setting up another studio.  

First of all, the structure itself is nearly 100 years old and 
would welcome a wrecking ball.  (Actually the house would 
too, but that's another story).  What we did to the garage, we 
did it twice because nothing worked the first time. The maple 
dance floor is half finished and driving the young floor installer 
crazy. Well, I guess I'm the one who is driving him crazy because 
if there is one thing I really know, it is dance floors.  It is the 
dance floor I had designed for the Bozeman studio and my son 
so graciously took it apart. (Does muttering to himself count?)
My header for the past couple months is the dance floor, as 
it waits patiently for installation. 

Is that the pinnacle of optimism, building a dance studio at
age 85? I'll be teaching Bliss Work to Senior Ladies.  I've 
been studying it for the past year by Skype and the beautiful 
teacher wants me to teach it here. It is the chance to help older
women as I have been helped by Bliss so I am eagerly approaching
this new endeavor in my life.  I will also have the 2nd part of
the class a jazz class. Older ladies STILL like to dance with a
little hootchy cootchty wiggle. LOL

But what the heck, who cares what goes wrong because I have a
new Happy Pill.  It's called Boost by touchstone essentials.
Ingredients: Pouchong Tea Extract, Arabica Coffee Bean 
Extract, Cocoa Powder Estract. Rhodiola, Rosea Root, and
Garcina Cambogia fruit. WOW now that's a boost!

"Oh Dang!  There's another problem you say?  Who cares? Just hand me mah happy pill and go fix it. " 

Z is For Zeolite

My theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity


The whole, exciting
trick to longevity is
staying healthy by
eliminating toxins.
Every direction we
turn, we run into
poisons and chemicals
that take a hit on our vitality.

The zeolites are from a natural formation of volcanic
rock and natural saline. It has a remarkable chelating
effect for removing heavy metals and poisons from
the body. A healthy body, free of chemicals and
toxins is about the thing that leads to a long, happy
life.

The 2 zeolites I take, are fulvic acid (not folic acid)
that dissolves bad calcium and I occasionally take
MSM.  (I talked about that under the letter M)

We must be vigilant to promote good health in our
twilight years.  When I talk to my older friends, we
all agree that it takes all morning to take us through
our health routine. Is it worth all that effort when one
gets old?  That is up to the individual. If one gets
old and cranky, probably not. Let it go. But if you
are filled with laughter, enjoy people and still have
hobbies, I'd say, it is definitely still worth the effort.

A young couple moved in across the alley.
When I was in my garden last week (and the sunshine
was pouring down) the young gal came over and
said, "I'm so happy we moved here because I can
learn so much from you." That made it all worth
while and I'm closing with laughter and happiness.

Thank you for reading my posts and it has been
a fun journey through the alphabet with you.

Y is For Yacon Root

My theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity



Yacon Root is a favorite
natural sweetner that
also offers many
health benefits. It has
an amazing quality that
regulates and nourishes
the friendly intestinal flora. This positive factor is a boon
at any age but especially appreciated by those who have
reached the top of the hill and are slightly on the declining
side.

The Yacon Root resembles a yam and is juiced into a
concentrate.  Besides being a guardian of yeast, diabetes
and bone density, it has been touted as a food for weight
loss, made popular by the Dr. Oz. show.  Mostly, I
believe the weight loss scam should be replaced with
holistic reasoning, but that won't sell the manufacturers
product.

Always beware. Too many weight loss gimmicks. Here
is a secret. Keep your body in sparkling health and
the pounds will melt away. But I think we already
knew that.

X is For Xylitol

My theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity


A number of years
back, I was somewhat
shocked when my
biological dentist
told me about the
benefits of xylitol,
like actually helping
prevent cavaties. He suggested I take both the gum and
the little candy pellets. It tasted so sweet and was far
too yummy for me to believe this was actually good
for my teeth. Why was my dentist telling me to eat
something that tasted like sugar and had half the calories?

Xylitol was the big name around 15 years ago and even
 promoted as a tooth savior by my dentist. I
bought the gum and candy but never felt this sweet-
mint could protect my teeth. The original boxes are
still sitting, nearly full, in my herb room.

Then I stopped hearing about xylitol and a report
recently appeared  in the "Journal of American
Dental Assoc" suggesting the claims that
xylitol stops cavities, needs further studies.

Well I guess I called that one right. Anyone have
any thoughts on xylitol?

W is For

My theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity










    W is For.......Forget it. No way!!!!!
I can't go there. You'd never believe me anyway.

I'll just wish you a Super Happy W-Day.

V is For Vitamins

My theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

When I was on the
Gerson diet a few
years ago, I
began giving myself
Vitamin B12 shots
daily, I noticed
an improvement

in my mental clarity.  Humans get most of their
vitamin B12 from animal products and since I
eat very little meat, my body greatly benefits
from the vitamin B12 shots.

40 % of the eldery seem to be deficient in B12.
Symptoms of a B12 deficiency are low energy,
fatigue, poor memory or auto immune diseases,
and thyroid problems.

We may actually get enough B12 but are not
digesting what we eat. Here I go again, always
reverting to digestion but see how the lack of
probiotics and enzymes and not chewing enough
affects your whole body. It's all connected and
that is why it's called holistic.

Do yourself a favor and ferment a jar of that
yummy, crunchy home-made sauerkraut.  The
commercial stuff is always soggy but you can
find that crunch in your home-made.

U us For Underwear

My theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

One thing I've noticed
about aging..............
no more cute little
undies. It's not
that there's any law
against wearing
scanty panties but
the utilitarian ones
just feel more comfortable. Nor do I mean we have
to send away to the Vermont Country store for the
old granny bloomers that come to the knees. lol

It's just "good-by" thongs and bikinis and "hello"
panties that at least come up to our natural waist.
It's really just "hello" comfort.

Stop dreaming. No one's looking at your bum
anymore, anyway. hahaha

T is For Trampoline

My theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

Jumping on a trampoline
(also called a rebounder)
is the secret to keeping
your cells free of debris.
With every jump, all
the cells are being
squeezed and it
eliminates stagnation.
A person absolutely has
to get this pumping action in order to make the lymph
fluid move around.

If the elderly lose their balance on a trampoline, there
is a bar for sale that attaches to the side and gives
one stability. I'm not to that point yet, but it's good
to know it's on the market for when the time comes
that I'll need it.

You really do get more bang for your buck on the
trampoline and your lymphatic system will thank you.

S is For Sourdough

My theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

In spite of the fact
that I am a nutcase
in the belief that proper
food heals the body, I've
been guilty of periodically
following the hedonistic
life-style.

During WW2, when women hung up their aprons and said,
"Good -by" to the kitchen, family health took a downward
plunge.  Enter allopathic medicine with it's chemicals and
drugs, trying to make up for the loss of medicinal
benefits that the stay at home mom had previously provided.

Let's take one food item....sourdough bread."

Baking sourdough bread takes time, often several days. One
medium slice of homemade sourdough bread will provide a
high % of daily requirements for selenium, thiamine, folate
and manganese.

This daily bread relates directy to avoiding age-related ills
as eye, hearing and heart problems.  Further breaking it
 down, it aids in resistence to arthritis, osteoporosis, heart
disease and cancer.  I was a stay at home mom and bread
making was my spiritual ritual, as was my grandmothers.

Kids leaving home, I  dropped the sourdough habit.  Big
mistake. Now a sourdough starter happily bubbles away
in my kitchen again and I think of how much more healthy
I would be if I had never ever stopped it.

R is For Reishi

My theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

The Taoists consider
Reishi mushroom to
be an "elixir" of
immortality.  It is
preceeded, at least
by 2 thousand years,
by it's radiant health
and superior anti-aging
properties. How's that for starters?

Reishi is also held in high esteem for it's ability to
fine-tune the immune system to give us protection
against viruses, parasites, bacteria, chemicals, and mold.
It also rates  high for an anti-stress herb. Another plus is
that it counter-balances coffee, chocolate, yerba mate
and green tea. It is also one of the safest herbs and is
non-toxic.
 I love the medicinal mushrooms and this one is the
one to use if you are just beginning your Longevity
quest. Power..... always look for the power.

Q is For Qigong

My theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

I became acquainted
with Qigong during my
early years in Florida.
Twice a week, I would
make the drive to
Orlando and study
Qigong, massage and
swords with a Dr. from
Vietnam, who wasn't recognized as a medical doctor in
the US.

What a beautiful learning experience, as we gathered
together in the early morning sunrise and performed
our flowing movements.

Qigong is a grounding experience as we work with the
natural energies of the earth and one's own body.  I
remember how my arms shook at first, as I began sword
work but eventually I became steady, without a
waver and I still retain some of that.  Now my Bliss
Work is connecting with the Qigong and I'm amazed
at how steady this practice has made me.

Steady......that is one thing that is appreciated as we
advance in age.

P is For Probiotics

The theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

Probiotics are
"friendly microor-
ganisms."  These are
the good guys and
especially as one ages
these should be kept
in the great majority.

Here's something to think about; we cannot live with
out probiotics. They help us digest food in both the
small and large intestines.

They play a huge role in our immunity as they
directly drive out the bad guys and secrete substances
used by the immune system.  Now, get the connection:
keep working, working, working on a powerful
immune system and you'll have no colds or flu.

I've really been hard hitting already on probiotics....
with the kombucha and the fermented foods. I know
mostly this is boring crap but I'll tell you what is
more boring.......growing old and not feeling well
and being a burden to your loved ones.

I wish I could communicate to you, the pure joy
of old age.  It's such a special time and it's usually
very short. Make it the best dang part of your
whole life.

O is For Oil Pulling

My theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

When you begin to
get a little long in
the tooth, what about
those pearlies that
used to bedazzle
every time you opened
your mouth. Oh boy,
now when you smile
do you say a tiny prayer that your dentures won't fall
out?

Dentistry has failed us and tricked us into a life of
root canals, crowns and implants. If you've fallen
into that trap, you are no doubt walking around
with the economic equivalent of a Maserati in your mouth.
If you are still fighting to save your teeth, (like
I am) here is some hope and it's called "oil pulling."

It is simply swishing coconut oil around in your
mouth, perhaps twice a day. I do it but dang, I'm
not consistent with it and I've only myself to blame.
People who do it with regularity, swear by it.

A good book to read, "Cure Tooth Decay" by
Rameil Nagel. I wish I had read it when I
was younger, but it wasn't written yet. Ha
Some of you younger people still have a
chance to save all your teeth.
But...never ever get a root canal.

It sounds like I'm bashing dentists but they were/are
only doing the available procedures that have
been available and taught to them. Now there is
care for teeth that involves healthy, holistic dentistry.

Right now I'm going through the uncertainty
of a root canal gone-bad.  I may have to lose
my first tooth. Thanks root canal.  Years
ago they sure saw me coming.

N is For Nori

The theme for my
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

Nori seaweed is one of
the most celebrated
sea plants because of
it's high content of
vitamins A, B1 and
Niacin. It has the
highest protein content
of any seaweed and
contains valuable enzymes that break into calcium
deposits.

Many recognize it as the outer wrapper for Nori Rolls,
without knowing of all it's medicinal benefits.

You can purchase the toasted or plain nori sheets
but I always toast mine, either way. I hold a sheet over
a gas flame until it is slightly wrinkled and then crush
it into small pieces to be sprinkled as a condiment
over food.

I often eat a bag of Nori outside because they're
messy when you crunch them up. Try it,
you'll like it.

M is For MSM

The theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity.

MSM (Methyl Sulfongl
Methane)

To me, MSM has
always been kind of
a "strange duck" as a
medical helper. It's
an off-shoot of DMSO
in a crystallized form. MSM is to joints and flexibility,
as the oil can was to the tin man.

I have a jar of MSM sitting on my herb shelf but I
don't use it very often. I just forget. It works wonders
in relieving arthritis pain. It goes right to town on the
build-up of calcium crystals in the joints of arthritic
conditions, bursitis and inflammation. MSM is one of
 the great re-discoveries and I should remember to use it
when those "Itis" boys come around. lol

L is For Lion's Mane

Lion's Mane is a medical
mushroom that has the
ability to slow the
progression of
degenerative
neurological conditions
such as, parkinson's
disease.  It has the
knowledge to
stimulate the
production known
as nerve growth factor.'
To live a long life, we are constantly searching for
ways to strengthen the immune system. Lion's Mane
offers necessary items for longevity such as,
immune strengthening and good digestive health.

I have worked on my immune system for many years
and that work seems to have paid off in keeping me
free from colds and the fluey stuff.

The medical mushrooms (I include all of them) are
the best immune builders I can think of.

K is For Kombucha

My theme for
the A -Z Challenge
is Aging into
Longevity.

I readily admit that
working on longevity
is a constant job.
Most of the time the
elderly are cooking,
baking or fermenting.
(At least they
better be if they are
interested in retaining
their spunky ways. )

Kombucha is one such homemade drink that adds some
healthy years of longivity.

For the full benefit of Kombucha, it should be made at
home because the commercial kombucha is not entirelly
ripe and the sugar hasn't been fully eaten up by the bacteria.
 When it is made at home and is truly ripe, it regulates
the level of acidity and supports health for a longer life.

Yay! Let's have a kombucha party.

J is for Junk Food

The theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

Two things that
should never
go together are
Junk Food and Old
Age.
 Follow this rule:
Only shop the
perimeter of the
supermarket.  Stay our of the middle aisles, where
you find food in cans and processed food in packages.
Everything you need to sustain life is found around
the outer edge of the shop.

Even cars know they can't run if someone has
sneaked in during the night and dumped sugar in
their gas tank. So be wise like
a car and avoid the sugar isle but double down in
the produce isle.  Wise advice.

I is For Invisible

My theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

One thing You can
expect as you age
is that you become
invisible.  It is
quite remarkable
the way people don't 
see you. For
instance, "you're
shopping for salmon at the fish counter at the
Co'op Food Market." You are next in line and
thank god because you are tired of standing and
waiting. As you are about to tell the counterman
what you want, that very fish counter man looks
directly at the hot young gal directly behind you and
asks with a big smile,  "What will it be for you?"

You have just become that old comic book character,
"the invisible cloak has surrounded you. "
 Get used to it, you had your day. Hahahahahaha

H is For Ho Shou Wu

My theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

If you want herbs that
make you young as a
pup, look to the
Chinese medicine.
It has a remarkable
ability to strengethen
the kidneys and
and adrenals while
it also boosts sexual energy and fertility. Another rich
gift is mental clarity.

Ho Shou Wu helps in the development of tissues
and fluids, like hair, blood and tendons. It is considered
to be  #1 anti-aging herb tonic.  It's really amazing
medicine as it also feeds the bone marrow. WOW, some
fantastic herb.

I wish I had taken a jump start on aging and started using
these while still young. Yes, I really wish I had.

G is For Goji Berries

My theme for the
 A-Z Challenge is
"Aging into Longevity"

 Here is a nutrient-rich
food that is also a
delight to the palate.
In fact, some consider
goji berries the most
nutritious fruit on the
planet. It adds
natural human growth
hormones, makes
us younger and  gives
us back some traits of youth. (Now if I can only remember
what they were). LOL

Recient research indicates that the little red berries also
help protect the eyesight of the elderly.  This perk for
longevity would make the berries a popular staple food.
They are always named in nutrition lectures as taking
the first step toward longevity.

Maybe it's true and maybe it's not but I also like
the taste and I've planted goji plants because they
winter well in cold climates. I cross my fingers
that they grow.

F is for Fermented Food

;y

My theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

During the past 2 years,
I've really become serious
about fermented food.

My gut feels peaceful after
a meal of mostly fermented
food.  I began to experiment
fermenting different vegetables,
thus nourishing my organs
by adding the good guys to fight the bad.  I also took pleasure in
all the fermented drinks, such as kefir and kombucha.
My favorite is a kvass.  Beet kvass is a "toofer" (like at my dry
cleaners, 2 items for the price of one) because the benefits
include healing the liver with the powerful beet juice, while
adding good bacteria to a depleted gut.

Here's a drink you'll love........fermented lemonade. This one
you'll have to try.  And it's sooo simple to make.
2 C fresh lemon juice (or limes or a mix of both)
1/2 to 3/4 C sugar
1/2 C whey
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 qt. water
Mix and put in a 1-gal glass jar with cover. Use a wooden
spoon to stir......not metal.
Leave on counter for 2 days as the sugar gets eaten up,
 then refrigerate and begin drinking after a week. If it's
too tart for your taste, add up to 5 drops of stevia as
you drink it.

How to make whey from plain commercial yogurt
Put the yogurt in layers of cheese cloth or a dish towel.
Let drip (maybe overnight) into a bowl
You can hang it like a bag from a cupboard door knob (or)
Tie the bag around a wooden spoon handle and place
across a tall pitcher.

The more good bacteria you put in the gut, the better you
are able to fight off the bad bacteria, virus and fungi.  Killing
the pathogens may cause symptoms of die-off, such as headaches
and a flu feeling. That is when many people blame the
fermentation and quit. Wrong.
At that time just buck up because it will end in a couple days
and you'll feel a sudden rush of good health.

I truly cannot recommend a greater boon to good health and
 longevity than eating fermented foods.

E is For Exercise

My theme for
the A to Z
Challenge is
Aging into Longevity


The more years I
acquired, the more
aware I became of
the need for exercise.
Daily walking, I
found, gave me a
steady feeling of well-being.  If the weather prevented
my daily walk, I felt sluggish with brain fog.

During walks, I begin to vary my pace and often I felt
this urge to break into a run that lasts perhaps, a half a block.
This sounds wimpy to most, but I also haven't run
in years.

I had always done more than a fair amount of
dancing but I never felt that was adequate exercise,
unless of course, I was doing the polka for hours.

Owning a herding dog was also a good motivation to
get outside and walk. I might as well put on my wallking
shoes and leave the house or this dog will drive me
crazy with her restless pacing and whining.  Even
the necessary bending and picking up dog poop is
a great catalyst to get the aging out in the yard.  LOL

D is For Digestive Enzymes

My thene for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

Living things 
would not be able
to sustain life with-
out enzymes.  The
name "enzyme" is
a generic term for
a protein catalyst 
that is made within
the cells.

When I was younger, I never knew,  or gave a 
fiddle dee dee about enzymes and why there are
so many different kinds.  For instance, the digestive
enzyme, Amylase is found in saliva and reacts only
to carbs. Enzymes are now being recognized as a key 
element controlling health.

Chewing is to the 1st stage of digestion, as enzyme is
to  saliva when it begins to break down the food.  
When I reached 80 trips around the Sun, I began to
realize the importance of good digestion and 
it's direct relationship to food and the preparation. 
The simple thing to remember is to CHEW, CHEW
CHEW.  Let the food turn to liquid in your mouth
before you swallow. The gulpers of big food will
certainly be in trouble as they age.
Now here's a subject I wish I had started on long 
before the realization  hit me that I was growing old. 

C is For Chaga Mushroom

My theme for the
A-Z Challlenge is
Aging into Longevity

As I am getting older
I have become aware
of the immense power
of medicinal mushrooms.

Chaga mushroom is
one of my favorites and
I try to keep a pitcher of Chaga tea in my fridge. The
taste is deliciously refreshing and gives a natural
high so why would anyone prefer a surgary beverage?

You could walk right by a birch tree when out in the
woods and never suspect the black gnarly patch growing
on the side of the tree is Chaga, as it has no resemblance
to other mushrooms.

There are many, many health benefits to assist the
super prize of longevity. If this king of mushrooms arouses
your interest, there's a lot of information available online.
Check out Chaga's amazing attributes. That is one food
I wish I had connected with sooner.

B is For Bones

My theme for the
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

Bones, oh bones
Oh dem dry bones.

As one advances in
age, strong bones
will support the
body during the
bumps and falls. One way to maintain strong bones
is with Bone Marrow broth that can be used in
soups, stews or in a delicious drink.

I buy marrow bones at the health food store because
there, you'll find bones of grass-fed animals. To
extract the powerful juices of the marrow bone, it
will take at least 18 hours of slow cooking.
Obviously this does not fit into busy lives, so bring
out the old slow cooker (also known as crock pot).

I cook marrow bones in a pressure cooker for 1 1/2
hours. Whatever method you choose, always add a
couple tb. of apple cider vinegar, perhaps a half
an onion and some carrots for flavor. Then put
the broth in the fridge and skim off the white fat
that forms on top.  What's left is a purely nutritious
jelly-like food that will keep in the fridge for
a month.

My body can't seem to get enough of that
yummy broth and it's a perfect companion
to my breakfast.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's  P.S. to this as people seem confused.
Simmer the bones for 18 to 30 + hours
Toss bones or give them to the pup
Strain liquid and put in fridge
A white fatty top will form when it's cold.
I skim this off and don't use it.
The stuff underneath may be jelly-like or
liquidey. I take a couple of tb. of that and
heat it ....add more liquid if you want or
drink as it. I always add more salt.
It is soooo yummy in the morning.
You can use the broth in soups too,
or whatever. Lots of vids on YT.
Look it up.

A is For Aging

f

My theme for the 
A-Z Challenge is
Aging into Longevity

Aging was something
that never entered my
mind until that
morning of March 15,
2010. I recall my
exact thoughts,
"Today is my birthday
and I am 80. Holy
Cow, that's for old
people." And then I went a little crazy.  I wasn't prepared for
this interloping number that had silently crept into my life. I
had ignored the nagging little signs of saggy skin, stiff fingers
and indigestion. Dummy, why didn't I pay attention?

Now, 5 years later, I've done my homework into this thing
called aging and I realize it's not so bad, after all, if I follow
a few new golden rules.  I am going to alphabetically share
with you, some of my mistakes and learning, and what I
wish I had been doing sooner.  Then it becomes a fun
project because only I can reap the rewards or suffer
from my own stupid mistakes.

I love projects. My kids say, " to keep Mother happy, give
her a project.  I became my new project. 

So here goes.

What a Day

                      What a day this has been
                      What a rare mood I'm in
                      Why it's almost like being in love

I think the above words are from the song, "It's
almost like being in love" but from what musical?
It feels like Guys and Dolls? I'm too lazy to look
it up but I'm sure someone will know and tell us.
It feels like when they went to Cuba on that bet
and she, (Jean Simmons in the movie) fell in love
with Marlon Brando.
God, he was really a hunk when young but look
what old age did to him. Twas a pity.

This is the day after the love day and where is the fat
little guy in the diaper?  Did he use up all his arrows?
What a bothersome little twit he is. Are all the
maidens puffed up and zitted out from stuffing their
faces with the chocolates from heart shapped boxes.

I was at the health food store yesterday and the check-
out gal asked me about my evening plans. I told
her that my lover was taking me to dinner and
he had previously asked me what I wanted.....to
which I replied, "A diamond tennis bracelet. He
is so generous." She just stared at me with her mouth
 open, as though she wanted to say something but
couldn't form the words. Then I said, "Kidding," and
we had a big laugh.

Darkness has fallen. I have to go out to the
green house and check the temp. I transfered the
new little plants from upstains to the green house
but I put a heat lamp on them for the night.

Hope your week is filled with new and exciting
ideas. uuummm...... I think I really would like
that tennis bracelet.

Dream on, kiddo

Springtime in the Rockies

It's here. Woopi Ding. Springtime has spring. I knew it, I just
knew it. I could smell it in the frozen air and hear it in the
crunch of the little icy crystals as my Snow Trax cleats bit into
the solid ice.

For the past 3 days, temps soared into the 50's and the sun
burned into the newly exposed skin of the runners and even the
strollers. People are coming out of their houses in droves.

Will we have more cold and snow? Perhaps, a little but February
is our month to shine. I'm already planting seeds in the green
house. Goji berries and more alpine strawberries. Who's
gonna be the health nut now????

I know I've been among the missing but the 2 cold months
of winter is the time for catch-up and making future plans.
Look out springtime, I'm a-com'n.

As soon as I say adios, I have to challenge one hungry
Puss to go into her travel bag. No breakfast for her as she's
off to the vet for teeth cleaning and hair matt removal. But
it's sleepy time work and I feel terrible to do it to her.

So with this little newsy tid-bit, I'll say adios and locate the
hungry Puss, who is probably under the bed because I
think she knows what is coming.