1.Exercise

When I was 8 or so, I came to the realization that my mother was overweight.  I also realized that a lot of the women in my family (aunts and family friends) were overweight.  My Grandma Isabel was what is now termed, morbidly obese.  After making this observation I then looked at my school friend’s mothers.  While some of them were also a heavy weight, an equal number were slim.

As young as I was I made the determination that as an adult I would do whatever it took to never be an unhealthy weight.  And I have honoured that promise to my 8 year old self.

My main key to maintaining a healthy weight has been exercise.  I have exercised my whole adult life.  Beside walking and occasionally running I have tried all the exercise fads that have come along – aerobic classes,  Step-aerobics, exercise bands, deep water aerobics, to name a few.   Whatever I am doing, I always balance out my aerobic routine with weights.  This has become more important as I have gotten older as building muscle takes the back seat to increasing bone density.

I know that if I ever reach a nursing home I will be the old lady doing laps with a walker.

Use it or lose it.

2.Water

It is amazing how many people don’t drink water.  They say they don’t like the taste of it.  Not drinking water is like not putting gas in your car and expecting it to run.  I drink 6 glasses of water a day.  I know that it is commonly stated that everyone should drink 8 glasses of water per day but I have found that 8, for my body, is extreme.  (More about extremes later).

I Googled Wikipedia to get the actual amount of water in the human body:

Guyton’s Textbook of Medical Physiology states that «the total amount of water in a man of average weight (70 kilograms) is approximately 40 litres, averaging 57 percent of his total body weight. In a newborn infant, this may be as high as 75 percent of the body weight.

You might need to experiment to see what your optimal number of glasses of water per day is.  Once you make the determination, I think you should make a concerted effort to drink the water.  It doesn’t have to be plain water.  A simple way to make water more palatable, if you don’t like the taste, is to add slices of lemon to a jug of water.  Or sip herbal teas throughout the day.

Your body does a lot for you, do something for your body.  Drink your water.

3. Vitamins and Minerals

When I was 30ish I was a wife, a mother of 2 small children, a full-time elementary school teacher and the main caretaker of a house.  Also, I had a 1-hour commute to get to my job which was located 50 kilometres west of Edmonton, where I was living at the time.

I thought I was managing all these jobs fairly well, except that during the winter I found myself with one cold after another.  Also, I was always tired.  I went to my family doctor for some advice and was surprised at the little she had to offer.  She told me that I should get my husband to vacuum.  And that I should give up my job and stay home.  The first bit of advice was too little and the second was out of the question.

I have always been one to find my own answers.  So I thought there has got to be a way to solve this problem.  I went to the library and got out a stack of books on how to build and maintain good health.

One book was written by a female scientist who damaged her health by her research in radioactivity.  Although she developed cancer she managed to prolong her life by developing a vitamin and mineral regimen for herself.  I have forgotten her name but her book was the start of my lifelong commitment to supplementing a fairly healthy diet with vitamins and minerals.

Once I started taking vitamins and minerals I have rarely been sick.  And though I am past the half century mark I take no prescription drugs.

Your family doctor will probably not endorse you taking vitamins and minerals.  Most say that if you eat a balanced diet that provides all your nutrients.  At most they will advise a multi-vitamin.

If you choose to listen to your doctor and take a multi-vitamin, fine, but please step outside the box and also take vitamin D.  Your body will thank you.

4. Say no to Cigarettes

I tried smoking when I was 12.  I joined an after school curling club and all the cool kids were smoking.  What do you do?  Join the crowd of course.  However, it didn’t take me long to decide that smoking didn’t make sense to me.  Not only did it waste money that I didn’t have to waste, it just did nothing for me.  Unlike candy it didn’t even taste good.  I quit almost before I got started and have never looked back.

I visited Google for this quote on smoking.  Wong Liza writes:

Here is the hard truth, which is nothing to make light of.  Half the people in the world who smoke regularly today – about 650 million – will eventually be killed by tobacco.  Even more startling is that hundreds of thousands of people who have never smoked die each year from diseases caused by second-hand smoke.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world.

It seems like a no-brainer to me.  Do your body and the world a favour and don’t smoke.

5. Balanced diet

I try to eat a varied diet that incorporates all the food groups.  I have committed to memory the food pyramid and try to eat foods from each level.

I am not fanatical about my diet but one hard and fast rule is that the good has to outweigh the bad.

Sometimes it is hard to eat healthy.  Especially when traveling.  I do the best I can, given the situation, but as soon as I get home I clean up my diet and walk a straight line until I feel good about myself again.

Chocolate any one!

6. Flexibility and balance

I do yoga to keep from stiffening up like a machine that needs oiling. If yoga is not your cup of tea try Tai Chi or develop your own stretching routine.

Yoga is good for balance.  I read recently that if you don’t want to run the risk of constantly falling when you reach your golden-years then work on your balance now.

To check your balance, stand on one foot with your hands on your hips.  Can you hold this pose for one minute?

Being able to mimic a pretzel and a stork is good for your body.

7. Exercise your brain

Challenge your brain outside its comfort zone.  The key is variety and curiosity.  If you’re favourite pastime is reading and writing then periodically, do something mathematical, such as Sudoku.  If math and science is your bag then add Scrabble to your repertoire or do a cross word.  Or learn a new skill.   Do you have a piano sitting in the living room taking up space?  Left over from your child rearing days?  Learn to play it.  Is travel high on your list of things to do?  Then learn a new language.

Some scientist say that challenging your brain will help to prevent the development of Alzheimer’s;  others refute this claim.  But to me it’s an easy form of insurance and also interesting.  It beats sitting in front of the television all day doing nothing more challenging than trying to figure out how to use the remote.

Anyone for a game of cards?

8. Don’t skip meals

Skip breakfast!  Are you kidding?

My usual breakfast is a bowl of healthy cereal, fruit, and tea.

If you don’t eat breakfast you miss the most important meal of the day.  By the time you get around to that doughnut and coffee at 10 a.m. your body has fasted for over 12 hours.

My older brother is a journeyman.  His routine was to go all day without eating then have a big meal before bed.  Get up in the morning and do it all over again.  Finally he found he wasn’t feeling so well.  He went to see his doctor and he was rushed to the hospital where he remained for over a week.  He had become diabetic.  The doctors were amazed that he wasn’t in a coma.

My brother will be the first one to tell you that he attributes his poor diet for the fact that he now takes insulin shots.

Eat your 3 squares a day for your bodies’ sake!

9. Lemon water

I start my day with warm water and lemon.

My husband’s grandmother started every day of her life with this drink and lived to a healthy, ripe old age.  She did develop Alzheimer’s (I guess she hadn’t heard about keeping her brain exercised) but her body was in great shape.  When she died at the age of 90 she still had killer legs.

Lemon juice aids your liver in flushing out toxins from your body.

Lemon and water please. Hold the gin!

10. Moderation

I hate extremes.  Any form of extreme.  And don’t get me started on fanaticism.  My byword is moderation.  Everything in moderation.  Even drinking too much water in a short period of time can kill you.

My father-in-law, a very accomplished man who liked things to be as near perfect as possible, would say after he completed a job,

“That’s good enough for government work.”

Lastly,

Take what you will from this article.  The intent is not to tell you how to live your life.

My overall life statement is, ‘Each to their own’, (as long as it doesn’t harm others).

I had long since given up hope of being invited to tea at Buckingham Palace but recently I had an opportunity to do the next best thing –  enjoy tea at The Empress Hotel in Victoria BC.  The majestic Fairmont Empress Hotel, a landmark in Victoria, has been serving its renowned afternoon tea for over one hundred years to royalty, famous and not so well known individuals.  I belong to the later.

Boarding a BC Ferry with a friend, we travelled from the lower mainland to Victoria, took a bus into the centre of town and arrived in time to partake of the legendary tea.  It did not disappoint.

Before entering the prestigious building we were greeted by a bronze sculpture of  Victoria’s most cherished citizen, artist Emily Carr. Upon being seated in the elegant tea room, we were presented with fresh strawberries in a sherbet glass topped with whipped cr?me, while deciding on the perfect pot of tea.  After much deliberation we chose Kea Lani Orange Pineapple, a refreshing aromatic herbal blend.

Soon after, a three-tiered china server arrived at our table with a variety of delicacies artfully displayed.  We had difficulty deciding where to start.  The selection of dainty sandwiches was amazing; cream cheese with crated carrots and ginger, smoked salmon pinwheels, mushroom pate crostini, egg salad croissants and mango curry chicken.

The pi?ce de r?sistance was the freshly baked scones with Devon cream and strawberry jam.  This is a taste you tend to dream of later.  The top plate held exquisite desserts, such as pink, brown and vanilla Battenberg squares, rose petal shortbreads, lemon curd and berry tarts, and my favourite – green tea cheesecakes trimmed in dark Belgium chocolate.  We tried everything.  As we relaxed over our tea, with a stunning view of the harbour and Queen Alexandra looking down from the mantel, we felt like royalty, or at least, like friends of royalty.  We were certainly treated royally.

A commemorative box of Empress Tea was presented to each of us to take home as a reminder of our fabulous experience. It proved to be a lovely outing and an unforgettable treat.

Don and I spent the winter dodging one natural disaster after another: floods, more floods, fierce rain, and an earthquake. This happened in Australia and New Zealand where we spent part of our winter months.

I wrote a blog about our travels.

While in Perth there were floods just north of the city that wiped out large plantations. This created hardships for the growers as well as threatened the local food supply.

From Perth we traveled to Cairns where the flooding down south (north of Brisbane) prevented the trucks from getting through. It didn’t take long to notice the effect in the local super markets. The shelves, which usually were well stocked with fresh produce, bread, and milk, became noticeably bare.

We were in Cairns for about a week. From there we were to travel to Brisbane to stay with friends.  Every day we checked the flood situation. The stories coming out of the region were heart-rending. Tales of homes lost and destroyed, all possessions gone. In most cases their livelihood also gone as people could not get to work because of flooded roads or, in some cases, their place of work no longer existed.

On the morning of the day we were to leave for Brisbane the newscaster reported that the Brisbane area was under flood watch. We decided to change our flight to Sydney and bypass Brisbane. It turned out that we would have to buy a whole new ticket and forfeit our Brisbane ticket. We decided to land in Brisbane and see how close to the city the flood waters were.

As we flew over the outskirts of Brisbane we could see water where it should not be. We decided Brisbane was out for this trip. We never left the airport but bought a ticket to Sydney and from Sydney we immediately left for New Zealand. We thought we would have better luck with the weather in a new country. We were wrong.

For our New Zealand leg of the journey we had pre-rented a camper van.  (Bad move!! Never again).  On the day we picked up the van – within an hour of our taking possession – it started to rain. Not a little shower, or an ordinary rain, but a deluge. It was like standing in your shower with the knob turned on full-blast. It rained like that for 3 days.  On the 3^rd day we finally had enough. We looked at the weather report to see if there was a dry corner on the whole Northern Island. We found one in the south-west, not far from Wellington, the capital.

We had to drive through flooded roads to get to Wanganui.  Though the rain had stopped there was evidence of just how much rain had fallen. The river that ran through the town (fittingly called the Wanganui River) had flooded its banks and covered the board walk.

The daily news continued to broadcast the devastation that was taking place in Australia. The Australian Prime Minister visited the area and was moved to tears. There was one horror story after another.

One story that will stay with me is the sacrifice of one brother for another:

After the fact, this is what the father told the local paper, the Toowoomba Chronicle:

John Tyson said that Ms Rice and their sons, Jordan and Blake, were on their way back from a trip to buy school uniforms when the waters rose up around their car as they drove through the city’s central business district..

After the engine cut out, Rice, 43, managed to get through to the emergency services, who told the family to stay where they were.

But as the waters grew higher, the three had to climb on to the roof of the car.

«All these people were just standing around until an old scrawny guy grabbed a bit of rope, wrapped it around himself and jumped in,» said Tyson.

«Jordan (13) can’t swim and is terrified of water. But when the man went to rescue him, he said, ‘Save my brother first’.»

Although the rescuer managed to save 10-year-old Blake, the rope broke when he tried to tie it around Rice and Jordan, and mother and son were swept downstream.

After holding on to a tree for a little while, the pair were carried off by the floodwaters.

«I can only imagine what was going on inside to give up his life to save his brother, even though he was petrified of water,» Tyson told the Chronicle. «He is our little hero.”

At least 10 people have lost their lives in what police in the Queensland city have described as an «inland instant tsunami».

Even though in New Zealand we would not encounter near the amount of water that created havoc in Australia, we were visited by heavy rains the whole time we were on the South Island. The day we were to stop in Christchurch it was pouring rain. We had wanted to stop and see what damage the September 2010 earthquake had done to the city. However, by this point we were pretty water-logged and couldn’t bear to stop. It turned out we missed the February 2011 earthquake that destroyed a large part of the Christchurch downtown by 11 days.

Back in Auckland we heard that there were brush fires within 20 Kms from downtown Perth. What’s going on?

We arrived home, mid-February, to teeth-numbing, freezing weather which didn’t let up until the end of March. Now it is April 4^th and it still looks like mid-winter. Again, what’s going on?

In Edmonton (Alberta) there is a snow mountain, created by street-clearing, which is over 6 stories high. The City is sponsoring a contest where citizens can predict when the mountain will totally disappear. My prediction is that, if we have a non-summer like last year, the snow mountain will not melt away. It will still be visible in early fall and will be supported by another early snow fall and turn into a glacier. It will become a major tourist attraction, named the South-Edmonton Glacier.

Now, the earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan. Don’t forget the 2010 earthquake that destroyed much of Haiti.  And, all over the world, flooding.

What IS going on?

It seems everyone has an opinion as to the WHY of all the natural disasters.

• The Mayan Calender

• Global warming

• The moon’s closeness to the earth

• An overall natural phenomena

• Man’s payback for disturbing the natural balance of the earth.

• The earth’s over-crowing

What ever the explanation, can the world continue to recover from the serious levels of destruction? Will it eventually become too much to clean–up? Will we, as a result, start to sink back into a form of the Dark Ages?

My husband’s parents retired to Spain from England a few years ago.  This gives us a wonderful holiday destination. I have had the opportunity to visit them in this sunny country three times already and each time explored different parts of the country.  I must admit I love Spain very much.  So much that I decided to write a second book with the same character as my first book. Amanda in Spain- the Girl in the Painting is based loosely on some of my experiences.  It was fun creating a children’s book about another part of the world and including an adventure.  I hope that the children who read it will be inspired to travel there and see it for themselves.

Amanda went to Spain to spend a holiday with her friend Leah.  She loved Spain and got to see and do many interesting things. She visited Madrid, explored a mountain town with houses hanging on the edge of cliffs, stayed overnight in an old, spooky monastery, took part in a tomato fight and discovered the sights of Barcelona.

There was only one problem; a young girl, looking amazingly like a girl in a famous painting, kept showing up wherever Amanda and Leah happened to be.

Following her was an evil horse dealer who seemed determined to make life miserable for everyone. Could Amanda keep this sweet young girl, and her beloved pony, safe without bringing harm to herself and Leah?

Follow the adventures of Amanda in Spain

I was fortunate enough to win an over night stay at The Painted Boat Resort in Pender Harbour on the beautiful sunshine coast of British Columbia.  My husband and I chose to spend our time at this lovely spot set amongst the fir trees, during the recent Thanksgiving weekend.

It was a wonderful get-away in a perfect setting.  Our spacious villa overlooked the tranquil marina.  We sat on our balcony enjoying a cup of tea and watching a heron as he sat on guard surveying the scene.

The resort has an infinity edge pool, a hot tub with a harbour view and a luxury spa with its own relaxation patio and waterfall.  Our dinner at The Restaurant at the Painted Boat was exquisite, both in quality and service.  A wonderful treat to top off our Thanksgiving.

There is something for everyone in the area; numerous fishing charters, hiking trails, boat rentals and golf clubs.  Well known for its community of artists, there are many art galleries and studios to visit.  We had breakfast at The Copper Sky Gallery and Caf? in nearby Madeira Park village where I met Cindy, the friendly owner and talented artist.  While my husband enjoyed his fair trade coffee and homemade muffin, I did some Christmas shopping.  Across the street I met Dale, owner of Bluewater Books, a delightful book store well stocked with local authors and best sellers.  Again I was made to feel most welcome, had a nice chat and found a few more Christmas gifts for the book lovers on my list. (I picked up a book for myself as well)   It was so refreshing to spend time in these smaller centres where you are made to feel like part of their world instead of intruding strangers.

We had a great time and look forward to returning soon.

To learn more about the Painted Boat and the Sunshine Coast.

Darlene Foster

Giving Thanks
Yesterday, Monday October 11th, was Thanksgiving.  Don decided to phone and wish his Uncle Alex, who at 82 has lived in the United States for all his adult life, a happy Canadian Thanksgiving.  We were surprised when Uncle Alex said that he did not remember celebrating Thanksgiving growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  Even though Uncle Alex is starting to suffer some memory loss we wondered if he were mistaken, as usually, when the memory starts to fade the early events of a life are the ones that remain intact.
We Googled the subject to find out that Uncle Alex was correct. The formal celebration of Thanksgiving in Canada is a fairly recent event.
On January 31, 1957, the Canadian Parliament proclaimed:
“    A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed … to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.    ”

For Thanksgiving dinner we often have an extended gathering of family plus friends, however this year it was strictly a family affair.
There were seven adults and four children sitting down to a sumptuous meal that we truly had to give thanks for in light of all the ongoing trials and tribulations that are part and parcel of living on Mother Earth. We were mindful of the toxic waste spill in Hungary.  Sent a silent prayer to the 33 miners still trapped in the Chileans mine.

We were grateful for the Calgarians who chose to forgot their own family meal in order to volunteer at the Mustard Seed (a place of shelter for those in need)in order to help prepare and serve a turkey dinner for the homeless.  This act of generosity reminds us that despite the ongoing trials experienced by so many, there is always that little ray of sunshine.
Before starting our meal we joined hands and Gillian volunteered a grace.  While eating we passed around the ‘talking rock’.  The person who has the rock has the floor and expresses gratitude for something positive in their life or the good things that happened that day.  The aim is to focus on the positive even if, at the end of the day, you feel as if you’ve been flattened by a Mac truck.

One thing that everyone feels gratitude for is the Indian Summer we have been blessed with.  For those not familiar with the term it refers to a period of unseasonably sunny and clear weather (above 21 °C (70 °F) after  all the leaves have put on their fall colours, but before the first snow has fallen.  It is the reprieve that those who live in the northern hemisphere long for before the snow blankets the landscape for the long, cold, dark, winter months.

What was on our dinner table?  Turkey with Apple-sausage dressing; Chevre mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts with bacon, savory carrots, gourmet sweet potatoes (the real sweet potato not yams), baking soda biscuits and cranberry sauce.  Plus, an assortment of pickles.  Not to mention the wine.
For dessert we strayed from the normal.  Usually it’s lemon meringue pie, apple pie and pumpkin pie.  This year, as we celebrated three birthdays while giving thanks, we served chocolate cake with boiled sugar icing, garnished with dark chocolate shavings.  As it is mandatory to have something pumpkin we had pumpkin cheesecake instead of the traditional pumpkin pie.

At the end of a happy family occasion we stop to reflect on life’s constant changes and wonder where we will all be next year?  Will additions (the birth of a baby) or deletions (a death) take place?  Whether the upcoming events are happy or sad overall it is lucky that we cannot see into the future. All we can do is give thanks for what we have today and let tomorrow take care of itself.

A belated Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

For many years I have dreamed of going up in the air in a hot air balloon.  My husband so kindly gave me a gift certificate for a hot air balloon ride for my birthday and on June 5 of this year, my dream was realized.  The experience was amazing.  Once the balloonist decided the weather was suitable for flying, we all assisted in taking the balloon out of its large duffle bag and unraveling it.  Then two large fans were set up to fill the colourful material with air.  Soon it grew to an enormous size dwarfing the people around it.  When it was almost filled to capacity and attached to the sturdy wicker basket, hot air was blown into it and it began to right itself. The balloonist then instructed the eager passengers to jump into the basket, and without a moment to spare, we were airborne.

I closed my eyes for a minute.  Is this really happening? Am I actually flying in a hot air balloon? When I opened my eyes we were floating over farms, dense forests and green fields with Mount Baker always in clear view.  There was no feeling of movement, just the sensation of being suspended in air. Like Arianna in Jane Urquhart’s novel Changing Heaven, I felt as light as milkweed.  I could see deer running in and out of the forest and cows making their way home.  A wooden bridge crossed a stream and dogs barked at us from farmyards. It was like looking down on a miniature rural scene.  I relaxed and enjoyed every moment.

Our seasoned aeronaut landed the balloon in a field of clover so gently we did not realize we were back on the ground.  The evening ended with all of us flattening the balloon, rolling it up and packing it away for the next adventure.  Then we shared the traditional glass of champagne as the sun set behind the mountains.  A perfect end to my dream come true!

Darlene Foster

www.darlenefoster.ca

http://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/

I want to thank all those who took the time out of their busy lives to respond to my article, ‘The Price of Excess.’

First let me defend my use of the term – Western Lifestyle, which Serg took exception to.  I use the term western lifestyle because it is a commonly used generalization for the lifestyle lived in the west. I know it is a life style that is also enjoyed in Europe and parts of Asia and they probably have other terms for expressing their culture, but here in the west we have adopted, Western Lifestyle.  Wikipedia has this to say:  Western Lifestyle is defined as a social classification of people significantly influenced by the (often romanticized) attitudes, ethics and history of the American Western Cowboy Culture. This lifestyle affects this sector of population’s choice of recreation, clothing, and consumption of goods.

Regarding the observations I made as to the state of the world and our impact on that world I found that some of you agree, some disagree, and some appeared to choose the safe position of sitting on the fence. The comment that surprised me the most was that my article was in support of socialism and/or communism.  The point I was trying to make was that unless we take care of the earth we may not have to worry about any form of government.  There will be nothing left to govern.

Regina made the point that perhaps if we had a complete history of the weather patterns from the beginning of time we would see that the exceptional weather that is plaguing all regions of the earth over the last few years is not unusual.  Perhaps she is right.  But what if she isn’t?

Imagine that the world is a large manor house or even a palace.  A Brideshead Revisited type of house, or say Blenhem Palace, the childhood home of Sir Winston Churchill.  Imagine that.  What if that house were threatened.  Do you think that all that live in that house, from the lord of the manor down to the lowliest scullery maid, wouldn’t be concerned for the overall welfare of their place of residence, their livelihood?  What if to save the house all were called upon to ration their daily intake of food and water?  All were encouraged to wear last year’s fashions and generally curb all discretionary spending.  Would they do it?  Would you?

I recently read a National Geographic Magazine article that stated that the earth has the same amount of water that was present during the time of the dinosaurs.  I found that hard to believe because I don’t necessarily believe all that I read, but I do tend to believe such a venerable publication as the National Geographic.

The article stated that the amount of water on the earth, that was present at the time of the dinosaurs, is the same amount that is present today.  It has not been diminished by one ounce but it may not be enough to sustain the world’s present day population.  I worry about that.  I worry about the people who struggle daily to get enough to drink, never mind enough to bath in or wash their clothes.  We read daily about how the population continues to grow.  Are you getting worried too?

I would enjoy my western standard of living much more if I weren’t aware of what it is costing all those who do without, so that I may drive an adequate car and live in a comfortable house.

A definition of excess might be stated as ‘more than or above what is necessary’.  Therefore, anything that is above and beyond what is truly necessary to keep a person alive might be considered living beyond ones required needs.  How many of us are guilty of living beyond our required needs?  What percentage of the earth’s population would have to raise their hand?  I don’t know the exact percentage but I know that it is over half and we are all beginning to pay the price.  The innocent, along with the guilty.

The burden of guilt lies with all citizens who enjoy a ‘western lifestyle’ (a short hand phrase that depicts a life of relative ease and affluence).  All aspects of the western lifestyle are characterized by “more than or above what is necessary.” This includes our choices in recreation, clothing and the consumption of goods.

Man has 3 basic needs to sustain him: food, clothing and shelter.  All the rest (the wants) add to the comfort and enjoyment of life, i.e. education, religion, and the arts.   I think at one time the needs and wants may have been in balance but in all western societies the wants far outstretch the needs.

I am made slightly nauseous by the excess I see on a daily basis.  Huge gas guzzling SUV’s with one person in them.  Houses, the size of castles, that provide shelter for, on the average, one to four persons and sit empty most of the day.  And every where you look, food, food and more food.   The constant message is to eat and unfortunately the encouragement is to eat a diet that, in the long run, is almost guaranteed to make you sick and will most likely kill you.

Obesity is epidemic in western societies and has taxed the health care systems almost to the breaking point.  Everyone you talk to either has, or knows of some one who has cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, emphysema, or some other malady brought on by our ‘western’ diet.

A few years ago I visited the island of Zanzibar.  I was struck by the simplicity of the life style.  The people seemed to have little compared to what we in the west take for granted and yet seemed far happier for it.  I found myself reflecting upon how freeing it would be to live in shorts and flip flops and to reside in a small thatched-roofed hut.

One day we were out walking with our guide in a Mangrove swamp.  As we strolled along the boardwalk looking at the birds and various monkey species, we happened upon a coconut that had fallen from the overhead palm fronds.  With glee our guide snatched it up and stated that it would do for his lunch and would save him the cost of having to purchase it from the market. How wonderful to get such enjoyment out of the simple find of a coconut.

The evidence of our excess and the toll it is taking on the earth is everywhere.  The amount of arable land buried under concrete.  The expansion of all the worlds deserts.  The melting of the polar ice caps.  The daily extinction of yet another animal species. The holes in the ozone layer.  The destruction of the seas by the oil spills, the vast islands of garbage and over fishing.

I will be the first to admit I am no less guilty of leaving a larger carbon foot print than I need and am entitled to.  The carbon footprint refers to “the estimated emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other GHGs associated with a particular activity (e.g. a plane trip), use of your car, your family’s overall lifestyle, or use of a particular product or service.”

More and more people are becoming aware of the need to change their lifestyle in order to be kinder to the earth.  Increasingly there is the knowledge that we have dug ourselves into a huge hole and we are not sure of the way out or if even if there is a way out.

Does the answer lie with the earth itself?  Are we going to go the way of the dinosaurs only after a much shorter reign?  If we do not manage to make some changes and make them soon I feel that we will get our answer sooner rather than later.

We lost a family member last week  – Sydney, my daughter, Gillian’s, dog.  Sydney, an Australian Shepherd, was 12 years old – the average life span for a medium-sized dog.  It makes you wonder why dogs aren’t allotted a longer lifespan.  Why aren’t they allowed the longevity of elephants, which live to approximately 80?  That age would bring them in line with their owners.  Instead, dog lovers easily go through 5 or 6 dogs from birth to grave.Sydney woke up last Thursday morning her usual self, but after her morning pee it was obvious that something had gone wrong. While she was outside she had some sort of attack and would never run again.  A visit to the vet showed internal bleeding caused by a large tumour on her small intestine.  Gill sat with Sydney’s head in her lap as she slid into her final sleep.  Sad days ahead.

Why is there a love affair between humans and dogs?   I think it’s because dogs offer unconditional love.  You can get angry with them and they won’t hold a grudge.  They will slink off with their tail between their legs but when you call they run back to lick your hand.  All is forgiven.

It is interesting to see a dog suffer embarrassment.  Sydney had a number of run-ins with skunks.  After her first spraying each succeeding incident seemed to cause her chagrin.  “I can’t believe I fell for that again!”

The biggest trauma in Sydney’s life was when she was playing fetch the stick and ended with it lodged in her throat.  The stick became impaled in the ground and Sydney lunged after it.  Her yipes of pained surprise were heart breaking to hear.  For many months after splinters caused puss-filled blisters to form in her throat.  Many visits and many dollars later it was determined no more stick games.  Even up to the time of her death Sydney would occasionally drop a stick at your feet and look up at you hopefully.  “No way, Jose.”

Throughout most of her life Sydney didn’t seem to realize that she was a dog.  She would give most dogs barely a passing glance.  Especially small dogs.  Three years before her death Sydney started to show the signs of her advancing years.  She was less tolerant of the children in the family.  As a young dog she loved going out in all weather but as she aged she avoided the cold.  And when she got up after her naps she was stiff and slow moving.  Gill decided it was time to get another dog.  This over-lapping is a common practice among dog lovers.  The old dog teaches the new dog the rules of the household.

Panda, another shepherd, looks like the Red Panda hence his name.  Panda was a little over a year old when Gill brought her home from the Humane Society.  She had been abused as a pup and was untrusting and skittish, especially of men.  Also, she had some bad habits such as jumping up on the couches and even the dining room table.  It didn’t take her long to realize those behaviours were a ‘no, no.’

Right off the bat Sydney and Panda hit it off and became the best buddies.  Sydney was the steady, loving mother that Panda seemed to need.  And Panda gave Sydney a whole new lease on life. The two dogs became inseparable and Sydney seemed to regain her youth.

Before Panda arrived Sydney would not leave the property.  Unfortunately the two dogs were soon wondering far a field.  Gill had to fence the property to keep them at home.  One of their favourite pass times was to go tearing across the fields after the gophers.  Sometimes they would tease the horses when there was nothing else to go after.  And they never learned to give the skunks that took residence under the blue shed, the wide berth that they demanded.  I wasn’t surprised that Sydney forgot, from one time to the next, to leave the skunk alone, as she couldn’t smell them.  After her stick incident she seemed to loose her keen sense of smell.  Panda on the other hand had no such excuse.  Surely the smell alone would be enough to make her stay away from the cranky creatures.  But no, time-after-time one or the other would come home reeking of skunk perfume.

Even with the sadness that comes from losing a best friend after only a hand-full of years together, man will continue to seek the companionship of dogs. Nothing is more rewarding than to have a dog wait for your return and then greet you with exuberance whether you have been gone for an hour or a day.