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Thursday, September 13, 2007

”Mom, I’ve Never Had a Sore Throat Like This Before!”

That Thursday morning, I woke up my son at six o’clock in the morning as usual. Even in the dark of the room, with only little brightness from the night light in the hall, I noticed right away how pale he was. In the next moment he clutched his throat and could barely whisper: “Mom, I’ve never had a sore throat like this before!”

Read the rest of the story at:
http://www.dariasworld.info/never_had_a_sore_throat_like_this_before.htm

Mission 24: Solution (saline solution to solve a sore throat)





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Saturday, August 04, 2007

How Angelica Herb Got its Name in the Year of the Great Plague in 1665, London

One of the greatest legends about angelica dates back to 1665, the year of the great plague in London.

In early spring of 1665 the number of deaths, caused by plague, was on the rise in poorer sections of London. Death rate escalated when the spring turned into one of the hottest summers ever. As the panic set in, the rich, followed by the merchants, lawyers, clergy and surgeons left the city.

By June, the gates of the city were closed and the only way to get out was to present “the certificate of health” which became much more valuable than gold.

In July, when about 1,000 deaths per week were reported, the rumors spread that cats and dog spread the disease. According to author of the “Journal of the Plague Years”, Daniel Defoe, about 40,000 dogs and 200,000 cats were killed.

However, the real carriers were fleas, which lived on rats as parasites. With all the cats and dogs in the capital gone, rats had even fewer natural enemies and the plague was spreading more and more rapidly.Doctors, nurses and inspectors, who were in constant contact with the victims of plague, were forced to wear colored staffs outdoors so they were easy to spot and to avoid.

The houses of victims of plague were sealed for forty days after the person recovered or died. In the meantime, the guard was watching the house to make sure no one got out. The imprisoned inhabitants became so desperate that they bribed the guard in order to get some food passed to them. In the worst cases the inmates broke through the wall of their home to escape or they hung the guard by lowering the noose through an attic window and over the guard’s head.

Even the letters from London were said to be treated as poisonous. On that behalf they were heated, scraped, soaked, aired and finally pressed flat to dispose of "pestilential matter".

In August of 1665, the death rate reached its peak - over 6,000 deaths per week. According to estimates, over 100,000 people perished until February of 1666, when King Charles declared that return to the city of London is safe again.

The legend says that in the middle of this true horror story, an angel visited a monk in his dreams and gave him a message that angelica could cure the Black Death (which was another name for plague due to the tell-tale black lumps on the bodies of the victims).

Some sources deny this particular healing virtue of angelica but the written historical sources are proof that angelica water became one of the ingredients in “the King’s Majesty’s Excellent Recipe for the Plague”. That was an official remedy for plague, published by the College of Physicians in London.

Angelica water, nutmeg and treacle were beaten together and then heated over the fire. Twice a day this medicine was given to those who suffered from plague.

Obviously, angelica herb had an important role in curing one of the deadliest diseases of all times and therefore deserves an ‘angelic name,’ whether an angel was involved or not, in carrying the message about angelica’s healing powers.


still growing 6/16





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Thursday, July 05, 2007

Disadvantages of Using Tap Water for a Drinking and Cooking Supply

Water is the most abundant and the most important medium on Earth as well as in the human body. Because water is universal solvent, all the other substances are found in it, dissolved to different degrees and that is why pure water can not be found in nature. Mineral content of natural waters (and waters in our bodies) varies.

Water is fundamental to all the living creatures and in human body it is the primary component of every bodily fluid and involved in almost every bodily function.

Water requirements depend on our diet, activity level and climate in which we reside.
Regardless of our personal water requirements and geographical location of our residence - how to keep water clean and safe (how to heal polluted bodies of water) for human consumption should become everybody’s concern because there is no optimum health without clean water.

Most of the tap water in U.S. comes from surface sources (rivers, streams and lakes) and the rest is from groundwater (subterranean reservoirs). Water from both sources (surface and subterranean) most likely contains many environmental pollutants: animal wastes, local fertilizers (i.e. nitrates), insecticides, industrial chemicals and wastes, air pollutants (i.e. lead and radon), toxic organic chemicals, petroleum spills.

All the city tap water is treated in local treatment plants which in many cases use an obsolete process of settling tanks, filtration through sand and gravel and adding chemicals to purify the water for human consumption.

After the treatment our “drinking” water might contain all or most of the following, most likely hazardous chemical additives: chlorine (to kill the germs), fluoride (to prevent tooth decay), calcium hydroxide or other alkaline substances (to change pH of the water and prevent pipes from corroding).

Unfortunately, all of these processes may still not clean up the water of all the environmental pollutants.

To make things worse, chlorine and other chemicals are likely to react with other organic chemicals in the water and form new substances that may act as carcinogens. Even some water pipes might contribute toxic chemicals or metals.

It doesn’t come as surprise that bottled water is one of the fastest growing businesses all around the world. Anyhow, the synthetic materials, used for manufacturing of plastic bottles are also a growing concern, so - home-filtered tap water (using solid carbon filtration) is at the moment our safest source of fresh drinking and cooking water.


Baja





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Thursday, May 03, 2007

Bankruptcy: Adding Insult to Illness and Injury

“Debt can feel like the heaviest burden in life.” ~ Suze Orman

Declaring bankruptcy is a very serious action with stressful consequences even beyond the challenges of life before filing for bankruptcy and credit repair after bankruptcy. Unfortunately, this still seems to be the only way out of debt for millions of American families every year.

It is especially shocking that the major cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. is medical bills. And even more shocking is the fact that most of those forced into bankruptcy by medical expenses actually had medical insurance!

Modern medicine is becoming more and more expensive for patients due to hi-tech procedures and methods of medication, vaccination, surgeries and diagnostics. In fact, it is becoming financially more and more difficult to afford advanced treatments for the majority of the population. In addition, many times unexpected or unpredictable side-effects are on the increase, which simply means extended care and more expenses.

Traps of Health Insurances

And if it is not enough to become seriously ill or injured, unable to work, with job and income in jeopardy, it also seems like the health insurance companies do not really stand by their clients’ side when most needed. Too many times an insured individual doesn’t even realize the extent of uncovered medical conditions until the doctor’s office/hospital checks the insurance policy and starts sending bills.

And it doesn’t really make any difference if you were paying your premiums for decades and never used your insurance to cover a medical bill before. Clever rules (hidden in fine print), including high co-payments and deductibles the health insurance companies use, are written not just to make a decent return, but to make vast profits for medical insurance providers, not to support the insured and their families in times of need.

At the same time, approximately 9 million children in the United States are uninsured. Parents do not take them to the doctor at the first signs of disease because they are afraid of the cost. In some cases, the child’s illness worsens to the point where the parent is forced to miss work or even quit a job to nurse the child until it gets well again.

Unfortunately, nursing a family member (by a family member) back to health does not help this family’s financial health in any way.In short, one can lose everything because of illness in the richest country in the world – and the only advanced country with no universal health insurance. That is not very likely to happen in Canada or Europe, where medical insurance is separated from employment.

Major Cause of Bankruptcy

Several studies show that medical expenses are a major cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. not just among the poor, but also among the middle and working class – families who often have medical insurance. For most uninsured the insurance premiums are simply unaffordable.

Since a bankruptcy stays on one’s credit report for a decade, it makes other payments like mortgage and car insurance more expensive or even out of the reach, and makes applying for another (much needed) job much harder. Many debtors continue having troubles paying their mortgage or rent and utility bills, all that mirroring in emotional and financial exhaustion.

“During the two years before filing 40.3 percent had lost telephone service; 19.4 percent had gone without food; 53.0 percent had gone without needed doctor or dentist visits because of the cost; and 43.0 percent had failed to fill a prescription, also because of the cost. Medical debtors experienced more problems in access to care than other debtors did; three-fifths went without a needed doctor or dentist visit, and nearly half failed to fill a prescription.” (David Himmelstein, Health Tracking Marketwatch)

The Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 was supposed to prevent abusive bankruptcies. What it really did was make the filing process harder. “Harder not just in terms of requirements, but in also that filing became harder to afford.” (Gayle Ronan, MSNBC.com)

According to Boohaker (bankruptcy attorney and a certified financial planner) ‘the biggest misperception surrounding bankruptcy remains that bankruptcy is a lifestyle choice overspending consumers use to absolve themselves of debt obligations so they can spend anew.’ She says that typically, ‘any excessive use of credit occurs after a catastrophic event like a divorce, job loss or medical issue sends them scrambling to pay bills.

’These unhappy events are not something anybody wants in their life but they do happen at least once in a lifetime to most people. Therefore, an act, even though it dictates protection in its title, is not really protecting or helping the ones who are unfortunate enough to need the help.

Alternatives

In Western societies most people believe that the health-care system is accountable for responding and taking care in times of uneasiness or disorder. These so-called modern civilizations were training their citizens for centuries to become more and more dependent on different institutions and medical care is no exception.

Luckily, there are still different choices available to anyone who is open for possibilities and willing to take charge and responsibility.Naturopathic and holistic health procedures are a lot more user-friendly and by far cheaper than traditional biomedicine’s ones.

They take into account the whole life-style (body – mind approach) which means the improvement of our eating and exercising habits, the elimination of addictions and the adoption of a healthier attitude toward life. This alternative approach to wellness can greatly reduce if not completely eliminate most disorders. It’s easy to find the best providers: just ask at your local health-food store.

For those who are ready to take charge of their lives completely, some more research in the area of ‘working with the Secret’ or the ‘Healing Codes’ would be something to look into. Choose to live your life the way you want and at the same time be happy and healthy, without being dependent on any-one or any-thing – whenever possible.

Sources:
1. Orman, Suze, The Ultimate Protection Portfolio – Credit: Cards, Records, and Debt. Carlsbad, California: Hay House, Inc., 2003. 45 pages
2. Mitchell, Stewart. A Practical Guide to Naturopathy. London, UK: Vermilion, 2001. 146 pages
3. Himmelstein, David. "Health Tracking Marketwatch." Health Affairs. 2 February 2005. Project HOPE–The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc. . 3 Jan 2007 .
4. Ronan, Gayle B.. "Bankruptcy is no longer a financial lifeline." MSNBC.com. 2 November, 2006. MSNBC.com. 3 Jan 2007 .


The Empire of Debt by Dee Hon

Friday, April 27, 2007

Which Water Filtration System to Choose?

Necessity of Filtering

Most of America's tap waters are not very healthy. According to Elson M. Haas, M.D., "Many local treatment plants use a very old process of settling tanks, filtration through sand and gravel, and then chemicals to clean up the water so it is fit for human consumption."

Chemicals and minerals, used for "purification" by treatment plants, may not clear from drinking water pollutants like animal wastes, fertilizers and insecticides, chemicals from tons of drugs, flushed down the toilet, industrial chemicals and wastes, lead and radon - besides recent concerns: asbestos and uranium.

Unlike some other countries, in which the biggest threat is infectious water (polluted by bacteria), our main concerns are toxic chemical and farming wastes, and heavy metals - all the results of modern technology.

At the same time, adding fluoride (which does prevent tooth decay but also causes serious health problems), is still in use while European countries removed fluoride from water years ago, after studying the consequences closely.

Home Water Purification/Filtration

Water purification means removing of contaminants from water to produce drinking water. By law, "purifier" has to remove 99.75 percent of incoming bacteria. A few millions of home water filters are sold every year in U.S. alone and there are several different water filter systems to choose from.

Boiling of water destroys most of the microorganisms but does not remove technological wastes or heavy metals.

Different Kinds of Drinking Water Filters and what They (don't) Do

Granulated Activated Carbon (activated charcoal, active coal) has a large surface on which contaminants from the water attach themselves. Active carbon can only filter cold water and is relatively effective in removing larger bacteria and microorganisms, chemicals, and toxic minerals with higher molecular weights. Activated loose carbon filters are not very highly recommended by leading nutritionists because they might collect bacteria and dump them back into the water. Although granulated carbon filters are economical, they are short-lived and their safety uncertain.

Solid Carbon Block water filter does not breed bacteria and traps more pollutants than granulated carbon filter. To prevent dumping bacteria and chemicals back into the water, they need to be changed regularly. Solid carbon block purifiers are economical, effective and highly recommended by leading nutritionists also because they leave in the water natural trace elements, beneficial to our body.

Reverse Osmosis water filtration is considered by many to be the most effective way of purifying drinking water. The pores in special membranes let pass through water molecules but stop larger, organic and inorganic materials. This process under pressure is followed by carbon filter and basically all the organic particles are removed along with almost all the minerals.

Distillation means turning water into steam first and in the separate chamber cooling it down and turn back into liquid. This procedure supposedly removes all the chemicals, minerals and organisms from the water. Although, there are many concerns regarding distillation. One of them is that regular intake of distilled water can cause mineral deficiencies. In addition, pre-filtering by solid carbon is necessary - to remove evaporating chemicals. On top of everything, distillers are quite expensive and inefficient.

Clean water is the essence of life and our ultimate human right. Therefore, we should know what our drinking water contains to make quality decision about proper filtration or proper water source.

Solid carbon block filter seems like our best choice. It's cost effective and removes out of our tap water most of bacteria, chlorine and other chemicals. But only reverse osmosis also removes fluoride ions.


Castle Falls HDR (Castlefalls-DSC_2860.jpg)





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Thursday, April 26, 2007

Mineral Waters – What Are They?

In nature, most waters are mineral waters because they contain minerals. In sales, on the other hand, every country has its own regulations to define which waters can be considered and sold as bottled mineral waters.

Generally speaking, mineral waters contain different kinds of minerals, trace elements and gases. Minerals in water give it its taste and sometimes therapeutic value. Often, natural mineral waters can be effervescent which means that in water dissolved gas is escaping from the liquid with fizz. When this is the case, water is sometimes called sparkling mineral water or natural sparkling water.

Mineral waters can also be created, by adding minerals and carbonation. Seltzer is any water with added carbon dioxide. Club soda usually also has minerals added in addition to carbonation. Both are filtered tap waters.

Researches on heart diseases and cancer show that healthy water is the one that is relatively hard and high in total dissolved solids (TDS). Distilling, de-ionization and reverse osmosis units remove during the purification process the harmful agents as well as beneficial minerals.

According to Dr. John Sorenson, leading authority in the area of mineral metabolism, "Minerals in drinking water are more easily and better absorbed than minerals from food."

Minerals are essential in optimal mental and physical health but our body cannot make any. Wholesome foods, like fruits and vegetables, grown in rich soil containing all the nutritious minerals, are our best source, along with clean, hard water. Processed, hi-sugar and refined foods, caffeine and alcohol deplete body of its minerals.

Experts of course disagree about benefits of mineral water. One of the objectives is that minerals in water are not easily absorbed in the body. Also, the elements contained in every mineral spring water should be closely monitored for contaminants like asbestos and uranium.
Unfortunately, the existing labeling on water bottles does not yet give enough information to consumers.

While in U.S. advertising of mineral water as beneficial to your health is against the law, the story is way different in Europe. Mineral water spas have many centuries long tradition and they are used for therapy and rehabilitation as one's own choice as well as prescribed by conventional medical doctors (and mainly paid by health insurance).

The best and safest mineral water bottle is, like all safe containers, made out of glass.


Mineral water 14





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Wednesday, April 25, 2007

The Role of Nutrition in Prevention of Illness and Health Maintenance

"Given the history of Western medicine to date, many people seek empowerment in the health care of themselves and their families; nutrition is really basic component of preventive medicine and also an area that can be effective in corrective medicine for many common health problems." *

Nutrition is a basic element of health and should not be overlooked during disease. Some well renowned practitioners state that every disease is a result of improper dietary habits.

Because of the rapid increase in cost of medical care and desire to live longer and healthier, higher and higher percentage of the population is becoming concerned about nutrition and maintaining their health. Without a doubt, nutrition plays a big role here.

Proper nutrition and regular physical activity can help us avoid taking drugs or even have surgeries to correct the results of fast-paced, fast-food consuming, multitasking life with no exercising.

Healthy dietary habits (the way we eat) are the foundation of healthy nutrition. Choosing nourishing (whole, unprocessed, without chemical additives) foods alone is not enough.
Simpler meals (with specific combination of foods for better digestion and absorption) are becoming the top-choice of many, who are oriented toward optimum health.

However, the factors that are often overlooked, but just as important in healthy nutrition are:

~the way our food is prepared and served,
~the time of the day when we eat,
~the setting in which we eat and
~how we feel when we eat.

The way of the Western world is that poor nutrition is readily available everywhere, any time and cheap. Farmers' markets and health-food stores, on the other hand, are harder to find in some areas. In the end, all comes down to common sense. Our body is sending us messages all the time and if we would only learn to listen to these messages again, there would be no need whatsoever for trying out all the countless diets which don't work.

So, even though our biofeedback is a perfect messenger, we tend to override the signals and follow heavily advertised addictions. This kind of behavior affects the way we feel now, as well as over the long term. Being overweight is mostly the result of poor nutrition and low activity level.

The only way to lose extra pounds permanently is to change the lifestyle. Choosing less fattening foods is a good choice, but not sufficient. Because certain emotions and fear of creativity and change also promote unhealthy (over)eating habits, we need to choose personal growth (over addictions), decide what we want and stay focused on our goals.

Dietary habits and eating patterns from our family's traditions affect us all in our young age. As adults, however, we are making our own choices and decisions and we should keep asking ourselves why we're doing the things we do - and keep the answers in our sight.

When body is in a detoxification stage (like during cold or flu when bowels, secreting cells and mucous membranes become more active), it is simply trying to eliminate the buildup of toxins we consumed throughout the longer period of time. Eating lightly (especially fruits and vegetables) and drinking more liquids (clean, fresh water and herbal teas), supports the cleansing process.

Our dietary needs are changing with the seasons of the year as well as with our age. Growing children need richer diet to construct and expand tissues. When we stop growing physically, we only need to maintain our body, which calls for lighter, fiber and nutrient rich natural foods. As we age even more and our metabolism slows down, our food requirements decrease further.

Just like fitness activity is equally important at any age, so is the low level of stress. While under stress, our body may not digest and absorb the necessary nutrients so well and sometimes the additional supplements are needed.

When we lose our appetite in response to the stressful situation, that is a very helpful reaction. As mentioned before, in stressful times our body does not process foods so well. Not eating will allow us to "hear" better what the only body we have for this life, is signaling us, and explore our feelings.

Human body needs food as a source of energy and as a fuel to maintain life. It is quite obvious that nutrition plays a major role in health as well as sickness. Fortunately, there are more and more practitioners available who are nutritionists. There are also more and more choices of wholesome, nutritious foods offered online and in the brick-and-mortar stores. Information is plentiful. But it's up to us to decide to do and choose what's best.

*Haas, M.D., Elson M.. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. 1. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts Publishing, 1992.

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Internet Phone - Stationary Phones' Superior Phone Service

I’ve been intrigued to write this article by our recent experience with a local phone service. In the area where our new home is located, there’s only one phone company available at the moment.

The day after we got our new phone number, the phone started ringing off the hook. Telemarketers’ offers and special deals for “new home owners only” were pouring in at an unbelievable pace, morning till night to the point when we simply unplugged the phone because that was a lot more than we would ever be willing to take.

The funny thing is that unplugging the phone was perfectly fine since we’ve never got a chance to notify anyone of our new home phone number. We were far too busy answering the “spam phone calls”.

Therefore, with access to hi-speed Internet (broadband Internet connection), anybody’s best choice in stationary phones is to do some research on Internet phone companies.

Why internet phone?

Five obvious reasons:

#1 Internet phone calls are reliable, in high quality

#2 Very likely, you Internet phone will be the cheapest phone service ever

#3 Unbelievably low international rates

#4 Internet phone service usually comes with an option to have a video phone

#5 Equally price and quality efficient for home or business

It is always smart to take some time, do some research and compare different providers side by side: their installation fees, price of subscription, the price of local and long distance calls, and especially international rates which have a tendency to sky-rocket your phone bill (with certain providers).

In case the content of this writing lured you toward checking the Internet phone services and providers out, packe8.net is the one you should certainly consider.

We’ve been using it for about three years and are more than happy to plug-in our phone again into their service, especially after we had a chance to compare their services and rates to the ones from a short relationship with a local phone company.

Copyright © 2006-2007 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

15 to 20 Minute Workout Versus Exercising for an Hour

Long Workout

Exercise programs that last for an hour or even longer per session seem to be a waste of time for many people who try to establish their workout routine. Many get bored of their exercise machines and routines pretty soon and that is just one of the strong reasons to drop-out of the vast workout plan.

"Look, we've been led to believe that, for some unknown reason, a 'workout' needs to last an hour or it's not worth doing at all.

That's nonsense!

In fact, of the many thousands of clients that I've worked with personally or through my company, I've found that those who are investing this much time are very often getting LESS of a result than those who are training for shorter periods." (Dax Moy, UK's premier personal trainer)

As soon as your long workout program starts feeling like a chore, suffering, stale or plain boring, there's a good chance you'll start looking for excuses to skip your next training.

If, on the other hand, you're enjoying your chosen long exercising activities and they don't feel like an obligation, go for it - there's no need to limit your workout time!

Short, Intense Exercise Workout

To most people, not having time to exercise for an hour, sounds quite reasonable. May-be that lack of time is not even the real reason to avoid fitness activity. But 15 to 20 minute workout can not become a time concern.

Choose to exercise shorter, more intensely. Use different sets of exercises and switch them around to avoid getting bored of them.

It is possible to enjoy your home exercise without any exercise equipment or workout clothes!
This can be an entirely free workout routine because you can exercise in your jammies, at home.
A good set of exercises will stretch every muscle in your body and if you primarily train to lose weight, you might choose the meltdown exercises.

Short routine makes it easier to enjoy every move, to stay focused and to feel every muscle that stretches.

To make things even better, appreciate and be grateful for your every breath and every sip of clean, fresh water and you'll be well on your way to new you, fit and healthier.

Copyright © 2007 Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary, Sarasota - Florida

How It All Started

Every caring person can make a difference. Even more powerful, a dedicated team of employees and volunteers in Pelican Man Bird Sanctuary is making a huge difference in the life of more than sixty thousand migrating and native birds and other animals of Florida's Sarasota Bay.

It all started in 1981, when Dale Shields found a pelican, lying on the beach. The bird looked dead. When it finally moved its eyes, Dale rushed it home. At the time, there were no organizations that would be able to help, so the nursing took place in Dale's bathtub until the pelican was well enough to be released back into the wild.

During this experience Dale developed a vision to create a Wildlife Rescue of Sarasota and succeeded after eight years, in 1989. The construction of the Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary began with the generous help from the City of Sarasota. Throughout the last year alone the Sanctuary has rehabilitated and released over 4,000 birds into the wild.

Injuries

Some of the common injuries for which the birds are treated in Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary hospital are: wing, eye, leg and feet injuries, and beak damage.

And reasons for most of these and several other injuries?

There are many of them, including the environmental issues like polluted water and traffic struck. Fishing line entanglement and fishing hooks cause lots of troubles as well. Therefore, all the fishermen should keep in mind not to cut the line when a bird swallows a fishing hook. The hook has to be removed. Lots of injuries are caused from predator attacks as well.

One of the most surprising common injury reasons are hits by golf balls. In particular Sandhill Cranes are the victims of golfing quite often.

Since the wetland and grassland areas are smaller and smaller every year due to drainage projects, agricultural development and logging, these sensitive to disturbance and very majestic birds are trying to survive and look for new feeding and roosting habitats which include margins of lakes and ponds. Two very important factors for nesting location of sandhill cranes are isolation and presence of water. No wonder we find them at the golf courses.

Hospital

The backbone of the sanctuary is of course the hospital in which on average fifteen patients per day are treated. Wildlife Rescue volunteers bring the birds in after caring people report injured, sick or orphaned bird.

All of the birds are supposed to be released back in the wild. Unfortunately, that's not always possible. Some of the injuries are so severe that a survival is endangered. For that reason some birds are given a permanent home in natural, spacious habitat at the Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary.

And what better proves that this is a nice place to live than a choice of several wild birds to live and breed in or around the Sanctuary.

How You Too Can Help

Dale Shields passed away in 2003. His life was dedicated to wildlife despite his ill-health. But his vision survived. It is alive and growing with new areas developing in the Sanctuary and more being planned on.

If you, too, are concerned about the wildlife or just birds, it's easy to help this bird-and- visitor friendly and well maintained place. You have several choices and you can find one that suits your budget and interest with no hassle. If you are in the area, go visit and see the Sanctuary for yourself.

Recently constructed Heronry, the most advanced habitat at the Sanctuary for Herons, Ibis and Egrets, is focused on water and native wetland plants. This super-structure is designed for minimizing maintenance and disturbance to the birds. Any size of your help or donation improves the living conditions for all the birds that found safe home at the Pelican Man's.

Copyright © 2007 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Monday, April 09, 2007

Linden Flowers Tea for More Warmth in Your Body and Your Soul

My grandfather was the biggest linden expert I’ve ever met in my life. In my memories, I can still see him, standing in the front yard, smoking his ever present pipe and looking with love and admiration upwards, in the greenness of the linden tree, growing above the road passing by, in the curve of the driveway.

After a few minutes of observation and several neatly shaped clouds of smoke, he would tell me how many days before the linden flowers are going to be ready for picking and drying - for year-round supply of delicious tea that (at least in my experience) provides more warmth to your body than any other herbal tea.

The picking of the linden flowers took a few days and he would always start on the south side, where the leaves reached that mature golden color which meant they were filled with sunshine to the max and ripe, first.

Drying was also a delicate process because my grandfather wanted to keep every fragile linden flower whole, without crumbling. Just with as much caring attention as he was paying to the linden tree before picking the flowers, he was now supervising the drying process.

I am quite sure that winter was my grandfather’s favorite time of the year. Small farm was a lot of hard work from dawn till sunset. Only in winter he was able to sit next to the welcoming wood-burning stove, smiling while reading an article about a distant country in the newspaper and enjoying a cup of his linden flowers tea.

This memory leaves me wondering if my grandfather was smiling like that because he was cozy and warm, because the newspaper story reminded him of something pleasant, or was it the mildly sweet taste of home-grown and home-made linden flowers tea that was making him feel so happy and relaxed.

Copyright © 2007 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Saturday, April 07, 2007

The Dawn of Pajamas

Sometime around 1920s everything was changing rapidly in the world of lingerie. For the first time machine-made underwear became a lot more affordable price-wise while still being made out of the same fine and luxury fabrics as the high-end hand-made undergarments.

During the thirties, fitness became fashionable and under the pressure from the hungry-for-change customers, manufacturers finally started producing smaller, lighter and foremost - better-fitting lingerie.

At the same time new fabrics (nylon and elastane) were introduced and they were a perfect match for the rising era of new - fitted underclothes. Women wanted more flexible foundations and all the basics were transforming into their lightest form yet.

Sleepwear was changing as well. Made out of transparent fabrics, with round or V necks, night-gowns became narrower and more revealing. Fashionable Oriental kimonos had richly quilted cuffs and collars while dressing jackets were hip-level long but short-lived as the new star (pajama) took over the stage.

‘For years women have surreptitiously been stealing men's stuff... pyjamas are now by far the smartest form of negligee.' (Vogue, 1924)

Pajamas were made out of all kinds of fancy fabrics (satin, cretonne, velvet, crepe, lame etc.) in bright colors as well as pinks and flesh tones; some even stayed true to their Persian origins in coloring, print and metallic thread embroidery.

Probably the most unusual fact from this era when traveling was very fashionable is that couture houses (couture = dressmaking, sewing or needlework) of the time were making the complete bed-sets (sheets, cushions, sheets, coverlets and even sleeping bags) to match lingerie sets. In one of its issues from that time period Vogue stated, ‘The smart woman travels with lovely lingerie and amusing pyjamas in her train.'

That, of course, was just the beginning of the PJ's popularity. At first they only replaced the nightgowns since they were so much more comfortable and easy to care for. But soon after that the form of pajama was used for lounging, beachwear, evening wear and sportswear.

Today, PJ is just as popular as it was when first introduced decades ago. We have the bigger variety of materials available than ever before, more solid colors and prints than ever before, décor is only limited with the imagination of the designers, but the form remains - timeless.

Copyright © 2006 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Friday, April 06, 2007

The Past Times and the Present of Fine Lingerie

These days, fine lingerie is mostly advertised as a concept for seduction. Other (practical, health and hygiene) aspects of wearing silks and satins, stretch laces, micro fibers or simply - cotton, are greatly neglected.

Lingerie is not only a fashion statement but also plays an important practical and aesthetic role. That's exactly why it's so important to choose comfortable, perfect-fitting items, made of materials that feel good to the touch.

In 1920s boned and rigid corsetry started blending (for the first time in known human history) with soft and gaudy lingerie. The corset finally became softer (and more user-friendly), mostly due to the medical research which proved the damage (distort of the spine) that infamous 'S'-bend caused to the women's bodies.

Nevertheless, fashion dictated most of the changes in lingerie. Focused on a particular silhouette, all the underwear was designed to achieve the ideal look of the time.

Unfortunately, for about one hundred years the natural look has not been praised and the undergarments have been designed accordingly. At the end of twenties manufacturers finally became aware of variety in female figures and started producing lingerie tailored to different physical types.

This was a great move towards comfort as well as affordability. Machine-made lingerie was mass-produced and the invention (by Dupont) of revolutionary new fibers: nylon and Lycra (elastane) enabled increasingly better fit of the garments. Despite the prevailing philosophy that 'some constriction is supposed to be good for women' the armor-like pieces of underwear were banned forever.

Only, one deep scar remained. Almost a hundred years later, too many women are still trying to re-learn how to accept their bodies, how to feel comfortable inside them, how to love them and how to listen to them. Centuries long constriction was complete - and successful.

Copyright © 2006 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

'Take for Granted' Meaning While Living In Abundance

On Saturday morning I went to the farmers' market. Buying the usual weekly supply of fruits and vegetables, my last stop was at the pretty Chinese lady's stand where I was buying pounds and pounds of persimmons for the last few weeks. She was smiling at me as usually, recognizing my face and welcoming my interest in this extraordinary fruit, often referred to by Greeks as the 'food of the Gods' or 'kaki' in Japan.

While I was loading the fruits that looked the most ripe to me, the Chinese lady told me that the persimmons were now out of season and that this was one of the last days she was still selling them. I wasn't happy about hearing that. I got so used to have an abundance of persimmons on my kitchen counter week after week that I almost forgot that soon they wouldn't be available any more.

It has to be the nature of the human (or our ego) that we so easily take for granted everything that's available to us in bounty. We forget to be grateful (without even noticing it) and the biggest flaw is - we cease to enjoy all the plentiful goodies!

That is a shame because the persimmons aren't less sweet because I bought a few pounds of the ripe-tomato-like looking crop instead of a single fruit, and their nutrition value doesn't change with quantity available, either.

At first sight bad news about the fast approaching end of the season for one of my favorite treats, became unexpectedly a very beneficial reminder. When I started eating my first kaki this morning, I suddenly remembered that this might be one of the last of its kind until late next fall. Believe me, I enjoyed every bite of the ripe, nutritious fruit tremendously, appreciating the rich taste, the pleasing texture and the seasonal color, thanking God for everything good in my life.

Copyright © 2006 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Inspirational Message Mirror - An Art-Piece that Should not Miss in Anyone's Home

For more than 25 years, Pamela and Charles Bogdonoff from Virginia have been creating stained glass mosaics. Their creations come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, as birdbaths, mirrors, tiles and stepping stones, sun catchers, wall plaques and table tops, as well as cabinet panels and transom panels.

Every single piece of glass used in laying pieces into mosaic pattern is hand-picked because of its exquisite color and quality. After that it has to be carefully cut and ground in fine detail of another admirable stained glass art product by Pam and Charley.

But that is not what's so special about their artwork they make with so much love and devotion. What really separates them from so many artists who use glass to express their creativity in glass are their Inspirational Message Mirrors. They were inspired by Charles being diagnosed with cancer.

Ever since that time, inspiring words like: JOY, LOVE, BELIEVE, FAITH, DREAM, IMAGINE and others are incorporated in their message mirrors to motivate and heal themselves and others who decide to enrich their living space with one of Pamela and Charles' Message Mirrors.

There's no shortage of shapes, sizes or motives in the selection of Message Mirrors from this husband-and-wife art-team. There's something for everyone. Besides, they are still healing and you should know in your heart that whenever you decide to buy one of their products, you not only make your home more delightful, but also acquire a gracious art piece and foremost, support Charley in his healing from cancer.

To see Pamela and Charley's art pieces, visit:
http://www.laughingglass.byregion.net

Copyright © 2006 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Mini Garden - Terraria (Terrarium)

According to dictionary.com terraria is "a small enclosure or closed container in which selected living plants and sometimes small land animals, such as turtles and lizards, are kept and observed."

If you are a busy or lazy plant lover, terrarium is a perfect way of keeping some live plants in your home. Miniature garden in glass container or bowl looks very decorative and requires no fuss the regular plants in potting soil do. Just remember to water every once in a while and take care of flowers that grow too big or die.

The lowest maintenance kinds of mini garden are the tall, lidless ones. Plant growth is slower in them. Another choice is the glass container with a lid which makes a stylish centerpiece on your coffee table. Just remember to clean the algae buildup from the glass when it appears.

The most decorous terrariums are the ones designed on a certain theme: bottom of the ocean, ancient civilization, mini landscape etc. If you decide to create one by yourself, don't forget to put some pebbles or aquarium charcoal on the bottom first or your plants might start rotting in standing water. Small orchids, begonias and air plants are excellent choice of species for glass environment.

If not, the comfortable, easy way is to purchase terraria in a specialized store. Then, all you need to do is -- to pick a perfect spot and enjoy watching this wondrous mini nature for months... until some rearranging is needed.

Copyright © 2007 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Monday, April 02, 2007

Easy Garden - Sunflower Spacing

Easy Garden - Sunflower Spacing

Seed spacing is important for several reasons. Whenever we are trying to achieve the best performance of a certain plant, the best way to go (before starting the seeds) is to check and use the instructions on the seed packages. They will usually tell you the exact perfect distances between the seeds and plants.

Reason #1: Every plant needs plenty of room to grow, sunflowers especially. If their seeds are planted too close together, they won't reach their full potential. Their heads will be smaller. The cut flower growers use that to their advantage. They want to grow petite blooms that are not too heavy; therefore they crowd the plants closer together. But when you grow sunflowers in your garden, give them extra space. They will thank you by growing the biggest and most beautiful blooms possible.

Reason #2: Sunflowers that are spaced correctly are much easier to maintain. Every single plant will be easy-accessible, which means easy weeding, watering, fertilizing and pruning. About once a week cut the spent flowers from the poly-headed sunflower species. That will promote more blooming. Also, plenty of space means abundance of sunshine for each plant. When lacking sun, sunflower stems grow frail; they might even collapse in effort to reach for the sun.

Reason #3: The roots of sunflowers excrete toxin (not harmful to humans and pets) that prevents seeds from sprouting and seedlings from growing. The toxin is biodegradable but in the growing season it just might affect another sunflower shoot when planted too close together.

Sunflowers are easy to grow and not fussy about the soil. Just give them plenty of space, sun and good drainage and you'll be able to enjoy their happy faces throughout the season.

Copyright © 2007 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Friday, March 30, 2007

Clean, Fresh Water – Essential Nutrient for Life

By far the largest percent of human body's volume consists of water, which is also the solvent for all soluble essentials that maintain life and enable cell and tissue growth. Water is present in almost every process in the body, helps to eliminate toxins out of your body, helps regulate the temperature of the body, lubricates and cushions joints, keeps our skin healthy and more.

Water requirements are different from person to person. It's obvious that we need more water when engaged in physical activities or if we live in hot climate. The quantity of water our body needs also depends on our diet.

The rule of thumb used to be eight (8 oz.) glasses of water per day or 1 quart (1 liter) for every fifty pounds of weight. Lately, Dr. Mercola and other practitioners recommend obeying your thirst and watching the color of your urine, which is supposed to be very light-yellow (unless you're taking riboflavin - vitamin B2).

Clean water is a must for optimum health and bottled water recently grew into a major industry. Consequently, several companies are competing in offers of designer waters, fluoridated waters, spring waters, flavored waters, juice waters, vitamin enriched waters and the list goes on and on.
It's no surprise that consumers are confused and many times choose (in good faith of buying healthy liquid) waters that might do more bad than good to their body.

Like, for instance, fluoridated water which causes fluorosis (excessive fluoride gets incorporated in the structure of the bones and teeth), especially in children. Or water bottles made of polycarbonate plastics which can leach an unsafe chemical called BPA into supposedly clean water - to mention just a couple.

So, what is the safe, healthy solution?

The only water we should be drinking is clean, spring water and filtered water. When bottled, glass bottles are the best. At home, home filtering system is the most cost effective and safest way to provide good drinking water. Well water source should be analyzed for bacteria, minerals and organic chemical pollutants before using it freely, with no filtration.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

A Cup of Tea to Nurture Your Body and Lose a Pound or Two

Even though a soothing cup of tea is a perfect treat any time of the year, the beginning of the season of the cold, short, sun-lacking days is especially good time to pamper yourself with a cup of hot tea and even better, try a new taste.

Think of it not just as an intake of hot liquid but more as a relaxing therapy, which will feel good to your body with the welcoming warmth, your mind because you're doing something kind for yourself and taking some quiet time off, as well as your soul. If you're not able to quiet your mind's chatter and completely and exclusively enjoy the aroma, color and taste of your chosen tea, then try to smile and recall a pleasant memory.

Another smart benefit of enjoying a cup of tea is here for you to use if you don't mind losing a pound or two. When you feel hungry, brew a cup of your favorite tea, sit down and enjoy it as described in the previous paragraph. For a few minutes stop working, talking on the phone, answering emails and foremost, thinking angry or any other negatively-charged thoughts. If you really have to think, at least focus on what you really want in your life.

However, it is very important that you really enjoy your cup of tea or you might not even notice that you've consumed anything. On the other hand, if you pay attention, that one cup of pleasantly tasting, warm liquid will feel you up and you can go on for a few more hours doing what you're doing without stuffing your body with some highly processed boxed-or-bagged food that lacks all of the nourishing ingredients.