LoLo's Sunshine

Some of life’s simple beauties lie right at our feet. I wonder if we take notice or simply walk on by. There is beauty in almost everything if we take the time to discover it. I had the opportunity to learn this first-hand.

Recently while strolling along Beverly Beach in Oregon, I was drawn to a view I had never before seen. It had been a stormy January week prior to my arrival. The night before the wind demonstrated its power by pelting sand at anyone or anything within reach. Yet, like most things in life, after the storm, beauty shows up. The day had unfolded into an unusually warm sunny day for January and I discarded my jacket. Sunshine in January for Oregon is always a beautiful thing. But I wish to draw your attention to different beauty, one that was created by nature, literally beneath my feet.

Along the rock-strewn beach, patterns of diverse forms emerged. Some were displayed by the various particles of sand mixing their colours with the ocean water. Others appeared around the very rocks I normally avoid stepping on. Now let it be noted, I have gone to the beach a good many times. When I go, I love watching the ever-changing waves and hearing the force with which they crash upon the shore. Habitually, I look ahead in the direction I am traveling; however, this trip was different. My eyes were averted to the assortment of rocks on the beach. I stopped to stoop low for a closer examination and was astonished! I quickly fell to a knee to capture a photo so that I might share my discovery. Suddenly, I slipped into a serendipity mood. Without any planning on my part, I was captivated and a new quest began.

I felt a child-like wonder set in. My investigation into this unique art form compelled me from rock to rock. Each one intrigued me with its own patterns of refinement. It was as though an artist had made brushstrokes in the sand. I carried on spellbound by the simple beauty that quietly washed up before my eyes. I was in awe of the gift the beach presented to me. I dubbed it “rock landscapes.”

Reluctantly, I left the beach and ended my quest, feeling a sense of renewal and invigoration. I was inspired by yet another beauty of nature. A new lesson formulated in my mind as I pondered the events of the day. I must remember to never lose my child-like wonderment that leads to undiscovered simple beauty!

Let me begin by showing you a comic that helps set the stage for what I want to talk about.

Parents have gone overboard in parenting and perhaps you’ve witnessed this style of parenting. It is actually a detriment to our kids’ personal growth and future.

Allowing failure to happen is necessary for kids growth. The positive outcomes that result from failure show us plainly why parenting styles must change. Having raised 4 kids, coached four different sports for 20 years and worked with the Foster Care Review Board, I have been given plenty of insight into this growing problem. Young adults are struggling in society and kids are becoming more entitled, and we need to start letting our children fail if we desire to see them succeed.

There are many reasons why we should let children fail and not hover over them to “save them.” By not allowing failure we are sabotaging their lives. We are setting them up for harsh lessons that should have been learned in their youth. We are promoting entitlement and limiting their personal growth and shattering their ability to achieve their goals and dreams. Let’s take a look at the various areas that are contributing to this trend.

Natural consequences are essential. Breaking down how we go about letting our children fail requires us to take a more in-depth view of where we often “save them” from natural consequences. Sara Bean lists “5 Natural Consequences Why You Should Let Your Child Fail.”

Allowing failure when poor decisions are made at school results in showing your child “that rules are here for a reason and going against them is unpleasant.” When something goes wrong at school and your child receives detention, believe that there is a good reason for it. Allow the school to take action. If that action is no recess or perhaps a detention or community service, please support that authority and do not undermine the teachers, it is a natural consequence.

Another area of concern is with personal belongings. Most kids have their own space and a simple task of putting dirty clothes in the laundry can teach them a lot. If they choose not to, they simply will have no clean clothes. Maybe as a parent, you might even decide that the natural consequence of no clean clothes will go one step further, meaning that they are now responsible for washing their clothes.

A friend of mine, Brooke, shared with me how her son, Ty, forget his jacket one day and was so cold at school during recess. His mom does not run to his aid and as a result, Ty has never forgotten his jacket again. Ty is responsible for his choices and is growing into a great young man.

Household chores should be part of all homes. Teaching kids to work for a small allowance by paying for the chores they do, helps them understand the real world. You must work if you expect to get paid, or you will be fired and not be able to buy the things you need or want.

When my kids were all still home it drove me crazy to see their stuff strewn about the whole house. I finally told them I was going to collect their stuff each night after they had gone to bed and anything I found was going in my collection basket and they would have to pay me to get it back. One daughter told me,” I am not paying to get my homework back because there is no way you are going to keep it.” Her teacher agreed with my rule when this child told her she didn’t have her homework because her mom confiscated it. She soon learned to put homework in her backpack where it belonged.

That leads me to the next natural consequence area of homework. Sometimes a child is embarrassed when they don’t do their homework and are called on in class to give an answer and they do not know it since they didn’t study it. Other times their poor grades remove them from sports activities they desire to be in. Maybe even in the long-term, they are unable to go to the University they want too, due to poor GPA scores. Every child must learn to take responsibility for their own progression in school. You cannot follow your child to work every day when he is an adult to remind him of his responsibilities. Far easier for a child to learn the lesson in their youth. Getting a poor grade is a natural consequence and not nearly as painful as losing a job!

Behavior in the community is the last area I will touch on. Sometimes our kids act poorly at their friend’s house and are not invited back. That is another natural consequence. Or maybe they are out joyriding and lose track of their speed and the natural consequence shows up in a speeding ticket. Once a child of mine experienced this. The State we lived in at the time required an adult to accompany their child to court if they were under 18 for a speeding ticket. Once we were there, the judge immediately asked when her case was presented who was paying the ticket. My daughter’s quick response was, “Me, I am the one who sped and my mom would never pay it.” The judge then thanked me in a loud voice so everyone in the courtroom could hear it, and commented on how this child is being taught responsibility and she will think twice before she speeds again. We also had a rule in our family that when you received two speeding tickets you were removed from our insurance. This further instilled the natural consequence process.

Does failure really work? Let’s take a closer look. Chip Ingram, the author of “Let Your Kids Fail” teaches us by allowing our children to fail gives them a “life-altering perspective on the realities of working for a goal. He reminds us that we do a disservice when we cover for them or alleviate the consequences and we are denying the opportunities for growth that come with failure and disappointment.” Our kids must learn how to cope so they can build their confidence and learn how to persevere. Yes, there will be bumps and bruises, some of their own doing and others inflicted upon them, but as a result, they will learn how to hold their own and will be better for it.

Susan Newman teachest that “today’s overprotective, failure avoidant parenting style has undermined the competence, independence, and academic potential of an entire generation. One university student she said became conditioned of a fear of failure. In Newman’s book, “The Gift of Failure”, she reminds us that failure helps children to learn about themselves and they will recover. Another point she offered was to be “patient and trust in your kids and remember when we say let me do that for you, we are telling our kids they are not capable.” Newman also wrote that the harder kids work to overcome challenges, the smarter they become and those children whose parents support autonomy become more competent and resilient. Her last point reminds us that kids who pursue their own goals are likely to meet them and stick with them for the long haul.

The word crisis is a scary word. James Lehman teaches us about the word, crisis. He shares with us that “The Chinese symbol for crisis is a combination of the symbols for danger and opportunity. And yes, a crisis presents a danger, but it also presents an opportunity. Allow your child to learn, failure is an opportunity to get your child to look at himself.”

Let’s review what a few others think of failure. This advice comes from well-known individuals who embraced failure and is quoted from the online site, Develop Good Habits.

1. Elvis Presley, “When things go wrong, don’t go with them.”
2. Michael Jordan, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
3. Vincent Van Gogh, “What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”
4. JK Rowling, “… rock bottom became a solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”
5. Thomas Edison, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

As you have now understood from the information presented there are many reasons why failure is actually positive. Please remember that failure brings forth many good fruits, both for the parents who desire the very best for their child and ultimately for the child.

By choosing to let our kids fail in their own personal life, in the home, at school, and within our communities, we are affording them the best opportunity to face any crisis in life and come off the conqueror. They will learn how to cope and face the natural consequences of their own decisions head-on. As a result, both parents and children will learn to view failure as a positive. We can alter the trend of bringing up entitled kids who cannot succeed in the real world. The new generation will grow into confident, young adults who are ready to be a force for positive change in their world. They will be competent adults who can weather the storms of life by being empowered through failure to reach their goals.

Failure, when experienced properly, is not failure. I plead with you to allow failure to be the teacher it was meant to be so that our next generation of kids can achieve their dreams!

Works Cited

Bean, S. (2019). 5 Areas to Let Your Child Face Natural Consequences.     Empowering Parents. Web.          https://www.empoweringparents.com/article/5-areas-to-let-        your-child-face-natural-consequences/

Develop Good Habits. (2019). Top 9 Successful People Who Have Failed.          Web. https://www.developgoodhabits.com/successful-people-      failed/

Ingram, C. (2019). Let Your Kids Fail. [online] Focus on the Family. Web.          https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/spiritual-growth-   for-kids/let-your-kids-fail

James Lehman, M. (2019). Benefits of Natural Consequences |        Empowering Parents. [online] Empowering Parents. Available at:        https://www.empoweringparents.com/article/why-you-should-    let-your-child-fail-the-benefits-of-natural-consequences/

Newman, S. (2015). How Allowing Children to Fail Helps Them Succeed.  Psychology Today. Available at:          https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/singletons/201508/h ow-allowing-children-fail-helps-them-succeed

Lest you think I fell off the planet and bagged this blogging venture, know that I will eventually return and report! (You’ll get the joke if you read on!)

Have you ever reflected back on an unfinished goal? Does it resurface in your thoughts every so often and leave you wondering if you should go down that path again? Perhaps it is something like a ballet class you imagined yourself attending or a book you thought you should write. Maybe it’s an art class you wanted to continue but life took its toll and something had to be sacrificed and once again, your ephemeral goal ended up on the back burner.

I would venture to say that all of us have pursuits we once set our sights on, yet we never made them a priority and thus, they never saw the light of day. I recently have had the pleasure of going back to school to seek a degree after many years of neglect, and I do mean many – 35 to be exact!

Astonishing feelings arose from this endeavor. Immediately, I felt a little fearful that my academic brain might have shut down and I would not be able to restart it or kick it into high gear. Thankfully, I came to the realization that over the years I had matured and knew how to be more disciplined, even if that penciled out into hours of homework each night. Determination surfaced, along with a flicker of hope.

Fast forward to my most dreaded class – mathematics. I bravely attacked that class first, thinking if I can conquer my toughest one, it would increase my confidence, solidify my goal and help me stay my course.  Striving to remain positive, I convinced myself that learning about our tax codes and statistics was at least somewhat useful. Acquiring a basic understanding of how to calculate and properly interpret standard deviations and tying that into interpreting a box-and-whisker plot felt a bit like I was enrolled in some foreign language course. I dug in my heels, added more hours of homework and felt over the moon when I finally grasped the concepts. Elation at 1 AM is electrifying to the point where sleep became elusive!

Enduring and pushing myself to succeed brought about a feeling of triumph and jubilation! Seeing a 4.0 GPA propelled me onward and soon I found myself excited to sign up for the next semester. School became intoxicating. Amazement set in and I was hooked! Suddenly learning was no longer a chore I dreaded; instead, it offered wonderment and new insights! News regarding the many galaxies viewed through the Hubble telescope suddenly became quite interesting due to my latest science class.  Hearing about various issues in the world left me pondering on how to tie that into my latest essay. My brain cells continued to be energized and life took on more meaning as I gained a deeper understanding of the world around me.

This journey of higher education offers many rewards that I didn’t calculate or foresee.  Somewhere along the line, my confidence grew, along with an increased appetite to know more of past and present cultures. In addition, I am now more aware of what natural disasters might occur near me and how I can mitigate their effects. I felt envigored and more alive than I have in many years. I’m so glad I conquered my fears enough to join in the game, even as late as it was. Now I can actively step up to the plate and swing with all I’ve got! I may not hit a home run, but little by little, I am rounding the bases and will make it to home plate and score my degree. I would highly recommend this course of action to anyone desiring to step up their game, conquer a new challenge, or feel more alive!

In our modern day, there are various types of beneficial screens that serve as tools for work, education, communication, journaling, and entertainment. Screens afford many wonderful opportunities to connect and help speed up work in countless areas for a high percentage of the population. In society, cell phones, computers, kindles, TV’s, tablets, and other electronic gadgets gobble up a lot of time. Does the average person understand and recognize the dangers of screen time in their own lives and their children’s lives? Doubtful, and they must curb this addictive appetite and strike a better balance before screen time destroys them.  An in-depth review of current data on the effects of screen time will illustrate the crisis stage they are at and why action is needed immediately.

There is considerable data to support the need for greatly reduced screen time.  One occupational therapist, Victoria Prooday, recently wrote a blog post titled, “The silent tragedy affecting today’s children” (Prooday). In it, she identified in detail some scary statistics. One area is the sharp increase of suicide for children ages 10 -14, now up to a distressing 200 %!  Prooday attributed this in part to the fact that parents are distracted digitally, meanwhile children experience endless stimulation and technology is now the babysitter. This results in a sad toll on children.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Even though screens offer connections across vast distances and enable folks in many areas, there is a real and present danger that goes unnoticed. Doctors are reporting frequently the damages from screen time that they observe in their patient’s bodies, especially in regards to their eyes. Symptoms range from headaches, dryness, blurry vision, neck and shoulder pain and even damage to our retinas. Doctors have labeled this Computer Vision Syndrome, to cover all the problems resulting from excessive use of screens (Seidman). Constant exposure from the screen’s blue light causes the sleep hormone melatonin to be suppressed. This is a contributing factor to the lack of good sleep. Lest the public think this is a small percentage who will experience difficulties from excessive screen time, please be aware that Nielsen Consumer Research reports that an average American adult spends 11 hours a day on various screens (Brown). Keep in mind that most humans are only awake 16 to 18 hours a day and it becomes clear that humanity is out of balance!

Doctors are also sounding the alarm by outlining several studies that prove human brains are shrinking in gray matter, particularly with Internet and gaming addictions (Dunckley). Dr. Dunckley goes on to talk about how the atrophying gray matter is occurring in the brain where processing happens.  To better comprehend just how valuable and vital this gray matter is they need to understand its function.  Gray matter in the frontal lobe area of the brain enables humans to plan, organize, and control impulses. In addition to that frontal lobe damage, another area is being affected too.  It is an interesting area known as the insula (fifth lobe of the brain), also known as the information superhighway of the brain. Its function enables us to develop empathy, compassion and to show emotion. With the insula being impaired, an obvious link to violent behavior has been noted along with a significant reduction in depth and quality of personal relationships. Visibly, this is what is witnessed in our world today. More violence and an alarming increase in failing personal relationships. The brain is being rewired in a very detrimental way! Screen abuse shows up in another area of the body as reduced cortical thickness (the outermost part of your brain). This reduction was found in online gaming addicts, both male, and female, and it impairs cognitive functions such as memory, motor skills, language, and attention perception. Video games increase the release of dopamine and help accelerate the addiction process. That in succession creates brain changes which produce similar cravings found in drug addicts. Bear in mind that frontal lobe and remember that it undergoes substantial changes from puberty until the mid-twenties when it matures. Basically, this frontal lobe development or lack of makes or breaks your life plans. Both in your ability to forge ahead with a career and correspondingly in your capacity to develop lasting personal relationships.

We would be wise to follow in Steve Jobs (the iconic co-founder of Apple Computers) footsteps. Jobs “firmly believed in restricting his children on electronic devices.” (Butters). Absolutely, Jobs was ahead of his time in more than inventing, he discernibly understood and protected his offspring by limiting and seeking balance for their lives. We would be prudent as parents to follow suit and begin to spend far more than the “34 minutes a day” with our children that a United Kingdom news report stated was the average (Maughan).

A Canadian study outlined unmistakably how kids with an increase in screen time yielded a decline in mental and physical health (Rowan). The question was raised of have we become a society of parents, educators and health professionals who no longer promote child wellness?  The Canadian study coined a term called “Tech Neglect” and reminded us that due to our attachment to screens, our children and youth are struggling to simply survive, sadness has permeated childhood to a deadly point. We are now at epidemic levels with kids! Studies have shown 1 in 5 experience some type of mental health illness, ADHD has jumped a staggering 43 %, and teen depression has risen to 37 % (Prooday).  The common contributing factor is our inordinate amount of screen time by everyone in society.

Every study indicates overwhelming data confirming that we have reached debilitating levels of screen time and it is affecting all of us. Noticeably all the data from various studies demonstrate that our appetite for screens in all areas of our lives is not benefitting us! If we value our children and their futures, we will immediately establish controls and set boundaries on screen usage. We would be wise to mirror those boundaries in our own lives as well. Respecting our own self-preservation demands that we take action or continue to suffer the loss of gray matter, crucial brain function, painful eye and sight problems, and our basic quality of life. Certainly, no screen is worth that that toll on our minds and bodies. We must remember too that our children are following in our footsteps, so awareness of where we are leading them is critical. Unquestionably, no screen is worth these costs. For the sake of all humanity, we must make a change in our habitual screen usage before it is too late!

Works Cited

Prooday, Victoria. “The silent tragedy affecting today’s children.” 24 May 2017 https://yourot.com/parenting-club/2017/5/24/what-are-we-doing-to-our-children

Seidman, Bianca. “What too much screen time does to your eyes.” 13 August 2015 http://www.cbsnews.com/news/screen-time-digital-eye-strain/

Brown, Molly. “Nielsen reports that the average American adult spends 11 hours per day on gadgets.” 13 March 2015 https://www.geekwire.com/2015/nielsen-reports-that-the-average-american-adult-spends- 11-hours-per-day-on-gadgets/

Dunckley, Victoria, L. “Gray Matters: Too Much Screen Time Damages the Brain” 27 February 2014 https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mental-wealth/201402/gray-matters-too-much- screen-time-damages-the-brain

Butters, Tim. “Steve Jobs didn’t let his kids use iPhones or ipads: here’s why” 11 September 2014 http://www.inquisitr.com/1468612/steve-jobs-didnt-let-his-kids-use-iphones-or-ipads- heres-why/

Maughan, Rick. “Parents’ spend just 34 minutes a day with their children’- because stressful life is too distracting. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/parents-spend-just-34-minutes-5518081

Rowan, Chris. “Suicide by Screens – the impact of Tech Neglect on child and youth.” 27 March 2016 http://movingtolearn.ca/2016/suicide-by-screens-the-impact-of-tech-neglect-on-child- and- youth

Pysanky is a very cherished art to me.  The method of egg decorating known as pysanky comes from the Ukrainian verb pysaty which means “to write.”  You’ll notice I switch between pysanky and pysanka.  Let me just explain to avoid confusion; pysanka is the singular (one egg) while pysanky is the plural form (many eggs or the process in general).  In the Ukrainian culture, this art is held in high esteem and in the olden days carried a dominant role in their spring rites.  Today the meaning has changed and receiving a pysanka egg is a gesture of peace and goodwill.  Each egg is tailored to represent specific needs of the receiver, perhaps a need for a good harvest, or a desire for fertility and whatever else one stands in need of.

To understand this beautiful art, one must learn about the meaning behind the colours, and motifs/designs.  White represents purity, black suggests the darkest period before dawn, yellow symbolizes both wisdom and a plentiful harvest. Green carries with it a sense of rebirth and its many different associations – freshness, innocence, and youth.  Orange is a very important colour, as it is a combination of red and yellow. Viewed as yellow of wisdom and red of passion, it also is the colour of the sun with its attributes of warmth, endurance, and power.  Brown, as one might think, represents the earth and our connection with it; while purple is associated with royalty, representing faith and trust in the power of pysanky.  An egg with black and white combinations summons protection from harm and honours the dead as well.  Just as all of the colours have meaning, so do the motifs and designs.  To mention all would take me numerous pages, so I will mention only a few.  The most powerful one is the circle, as it is viewed as a symbol of protection and one that evil cannot penetrate.  An endless wavy line illustrates eternity.  Triangles represent trios like mother, father and child, or fire, wind and water, or the Holy Trinity in the Orthodox faith.  Various animal symbols denote the fulfillment of wishes.  For example, if your friend was childless, you would put a rooster into the design on the egg you were creating for her, for increased fertility.  As well, you would include floral in your design as it embodies love and charity.

Now that you have a small understanding of pysanky, let me tell you how you create this lovely art.  First thing is to hollow out your eggs.  You do this by poking a needle into the top and bottom of the egg, making a slightly larger hole on the bottom. Then you blow into the top hole until you get all the egg guts out.  Be sure to poke the yolk to break it though, or you might blow your own guts out.  I also tend to rinse them with water a bit once all the egg is out, just to make sure I got it all.  After your egg is empty and dry, it is ready for the first step of the pysanky process.  This is done using a kistka tool with various sizes of tips that you load pressed beeswax into, then heat and draw on your egg with the wax, creating the egg using a batik method.  You must layer your colours on from light to dark, keeping in mind the colour wheel as previous colours on your egg will have an effect on the next colour you dip it in. Your first colour is white (the egg shell itself), and then yellow and so forth.  When you are finished with the background colour, you will have a dark egg.  That is when my favourite part comes in.  You hold your hollowed-out egg that is fully designed with colours hidden by the wax at an angle over the flame of a candle.  Slowly, the wax melts and your colours are revealed. You must be very careful not to destroy its beauty by holding the egg too close to the candle and making a carbon burn as you remove the wax from your egg.

One of the blessings of this art is how I feel a connection to my dear Aunt Dorothy, who taught me this as a child.  Aunt Dorothy was a kind, patient soul who warmed my heart and I was eager to be her pupil. I have taught my family and hope they carry this tradition on. I have also taught it to many friends as well.  Another blessing is the lessons l learn as I spend contemplative hours with this art. Those hours bring me peace and joy.  It has taken me many years to learn all I presently know, and I am still learning new techniques and designs that keep me interested.  On many occasions, friends will come join me for a night of pysanky and time flies! I still giggle when I reflect back to a night where a friend and I were so immersed in conversation and pysanky that we didn’t notice the time until her husband called.  It was only 3 AM, we told him, but it was a school night and we both had young children that would be up in a few hours! Neither of us regretted that evening and we still remark fondly that we need a repeat of it, as it was so satisfying and memorable.

Some pysanka will require a few hours to finish and others I have done took me twenty to thirty hours to create.  (Sadly, I didn’t take pictures of those masterpieces.) The whole purpose behind this art is that the pysanka is to be given away, not kept.  I have spent many hours in my life over the span of 40+ years, learning, practicing and teaching this work of art.  It has been my pleasure to present pysanky as a gift to my friends and seeing their delight leaves me feeling an even closer bond of friendship.  I am grateful that my children have also chosen to learn and embrace it so that they might pass it on to their children one day.

Looking back as a young teenager, I can recall another experience that still stands out in my mind. We had an honoured guest, Charles Didier, who came to our home for supper.  My mom had seated us in the dining room and Charles had commented on the beautiful eggs he had viewed in her china cabinet.  Immediately, without hesitation, my sweet Ukrainian mother did as her heritage taught her, and offered him any egg he admired as a gift.  I had just finished an egg that I considered my best and wouldn’t you know it, he chose it.  I wasn’t happy at that moment since I had just spent days creating my masterpiece and it left my home hours after being finished.  However, as I have gotten older and wiser, and understood the culture better, I realize that was, in fact, my first step in experiencing true sacrifice.  Now, I am grateful I didn’t act like a child and refuse my mother’s invitation to Charles Didier.

I have grown to love the Ukrainian culture and this beautiful art of pysanky as I have progressed and worked at it for many years.  I feel rewarded as I ponder upon all the cherished memories of family and friends gathering to create pysanky. For me, the wondrous eggs are a reflection of the beautiful loving culture of Ukrainians!

Pysanka process of an egg, minus the white (eggshell) step I forgot to photograph

Have you ever had a treat that leaves an imprint on your taste buds for life?! As a child growing up in Alberta, Canada I was privileged to have my Aunt Irma, she lived on the farm and made everything from scratch. She was one in a million and taught me many valuable lessons while schooling my palate and mind.

Every cousin learned at a young age that if Aunt Irma got up from the Sunday dinner table and brought a container back and scooped mashed potatoes into it, it was a moment to inwardly celebrate! You had to be smart and remember to help out with chores the next day to ensure she would have time to whip up her famous spudnuts.

Now for those of you who have not had the opportunity to experience this pleasure, let me introduce you to the world’s best type of doughnut. Obviously, we say spudnut, since there are mashed potatoes in it and that distinguishes it from other less tasty doughnuts. Spudnuts are incredibly light, due to the yeast dough being proofed twice.

Building upon my beloved Aunt’s tradition and desiring to create more fond memories, I happily invite family and friends to assemble for our spudnut brigade. Many volunteer willingly after just one experience. If you decide to strike up this tradition, let me offer up a few suggestions for ease.

While the proofing period is happening, start making your toppings. Spudnuts are so delicious, that you must not limit yourself to just one! Far better to try at least three with different toppings of flavours. Cinnamon and sugar is an ole favourite, chocolate and maple icing are not far behind.

As soon as the first proofing is done and the dough is punched down, begin to heat the oil so you can orchestrate the next step of frying them. Once the final proofing is finished and the dough is punched down, your oil should be at the desired temperature (375 degrees F/190 degrees C.). Divide half the dough and begin rolling it out on a floured surface. Next, enlist your brigade of friends to undertake cutting the doughnuts. Carefully drop the spudnuts into the oil, and be prepared with long tongs to flip the spudnuts after they are lightly golden on one side. Be diligent in your frying as these cook fast. Remove once both sides are golden and place on paper towels to cool.

If you are old school like my Aunt, then dip a warm spudnut into a cinnamon sugar mixture on just one side and place it on a tray.  If you are like me, simply plunge that nearly hot spudnut into a Ziploc gallon bag half full of a cinnamon sugar mixture and shake. Insert immediately into one’s mouth for quality assurance and repeat if necessary. Invite others to indulge once convinced of quality, as nothing beats a warm cinnamon sugared spudnut.

After spudnuts have cooled, dip remaining ones into glazes (frostings). Recently with bacon becoming such a rage, we have married a few maple dipped spudnuts with bacon crumble. Don’t knock it ’til you try it – I never would have thought I’d like ’em, but I do!! Simply put crumbled bacon on a plate and dip maple glazed spudnuts into it. Invert onto a tray for further visual pleasure or insert into mouth immediately for a new taste sensation.

Be sure to invite a community of friends as this batch makes over a hundred spudnuts. At our most recent spudnut observance we had in attendance ladies ages 3 – 93! Smiles were abundant as we savoured the good things in life. Friendship accompanied with an ample supply of scrumptious spudnuts unites and unifies my little corner of the world. Creating memories is what happiness is all about!  Spudnuts make that easy and tasty!! I hope sharing my family recipe can bring more happiness to all of your lives too.

As I am sure you’ve noticed, I’ve taken a hiatus from this blog for a few months.  Allow me to share with you the unexpected journey I’ve been on.

This past October, I happened to be standing in the perfect place to meet head-on with a large tree limb that was falling. The blow to my head from the hefty branch struck with such force that I broke through our deck railing and tumbled down a hill.  As I laid there seeing stars and feeling nauseated, I could feel my head swelling with each passing second.  Next, I felt a strong throbbing pain in my left hip.  Slowly I realized I was facing downward on the hill.  I tried to get up, but couldn’t get my body to cooperate.

Shortly thereafter, as I was resting with an ice pack on my head, I took a peek into a mirror to see the damage.  Wow, I was ready for Halloween early!  I looked like some distorted creature with a (hematoma) horn protruding from my forehead.

I was assessed with a moderate concussion.  Thankfully, a CT scan and X-Ray cervical spine views showed no active hemorrhage on my brain, just spasms in my neck (whiplash).  Meanwhile, my backside displayed every colour of the spectrum.  Feeling very out of sorts, I listened to wise counsel from a friend who kindly referred me to her instructor’s practice at Counterstrain Portland.  Two days after my misadventure I was able to secure an appointment with Tim Hodges in Portland, OR.

Not really knowing what to expect, but knowing my friend wouldn’t be wasting time on a useless class, I limped into Tim’s office.  From the get-go, I felt as though I was in good hands.  Tim has a demeanor that is affable and he explains very clearly to a patient everything he is doing.  His approach builds confidence and allows one to put their fears at rest.

As I laid on a table similar to one at my chiropractor’s, Tim used his hands to scan my cranium and assess the damage to my body. Immediately, he began treating the whiplash. I noticed that my neck pain was gone in mere minutes.  I was in awe, especially since my doctor and others led me to believe that whiplash was going to be my new, not-so-wanted friend for a while.  Since he saw me hobble into his office, Tim suggested he also treat my leg.  I am still amazed at how some releases and adjustments brought instant relief from some of my pain.  As my treatment time came to an end, I arose and was pleasantly surprised to be able to bear weight and walk. My friend and daughter were in shock when I walked towards them without a limp, and a huge smile on my face.  I was thrilled with this new gentle treatment called Counterstrain!

With each painless Counterstrain treatment, I have steadily progressed and improved in the areas injured by my untimely meeting with that tree limb. In addition, I have experienced another remarkable breakthrough.  To my absolute astonishment, after working on my left leg ligament in one treatment, I was able to finally bend my lower leg to line up with my good leg.  I do not want to bother you with too many details, but after five knee surgeries, and many painful physical therapy visits with no measurable results since I was a teenager, I had given up hope of ever making headway.  I simply accepted the pain and loss of range of motion.  To say I was thrilled, ecstatic, and over the moon, is an understatement.  Who knew we could address injuries that are decades old, and make improvements?!!

Being so thrilled with my healing journey, I referred other friends and each one has marveled at their own results.  One friend said her mom arrived home after a session and did jumping jacks that she previously couldn’t do! Another friend felt such improvement that she became emotional and wept.  To me, this therapy is how our bodies are meant to be worked on.  I feel empowered in learning and understanding how our bodies work, the dura aspect and more.  This therapy offers life-changing improvement and recovery.

I had never heard of Counterstrain therapy before my latest adventure and feel very blessed that I was introduced to it.  I chose to write about this therapy to offer encouragement and hope to others who have experienced setbacks with their health.  I will include a write-up below on both Counterstrain and Tim should anyone be interested.  I could continue to elaborate on the many ways Counterstrain has helped me and friends, but suffice it say – I’m a believer in it!  Bottom line here, keep an open mind, try new things and never give up hope!!

What is Counterstrain?

Counterstrain is a therapeutic, hands-on method, designed to release reflex protective spasm in all tissues of the human body. Every organ, nerve, artery, muscle, ligament, tendon, vein and lymphatic vessel in the human body can actively spasm and produce pain in a natural, protective response to injury. Once this reflex spasm is triggered it can persist, spread & form hundreds of diagnostic tender points. Counterstrain works to release the tissue in spasm and the corresponding tender point by gently unloading the injured structure.

To accomplish this release, Counterstrain uses gentle, passive body positioning that compresses and shortens the strained structure. By positioning the body against the strain or by applying a “counterstrain”, the structure quickly relaxes, thus reducing tension and immediately alleviating this primary source of pain. The elimination of this strain can be verified through range of motion testing, functional movement improvement and by re-checking the diagnostic point.

Timothy J. Hodges, LMT, JSCCI

Tim has worked in the field of physical rehabilitation since 1996. He has spent the last 16 years honing his skills in the application and development of Counterstrain and designing training programs renowned for producing highly skilled practitioners.

He started his private practice, now called Counterstrain Portland, in 2003. Now in its 13th year, Counterstrain Portland has grown to attract a global clientele. From professional athletes to chronic failed cases, Tim and his team have worked to relieve pain and help restore vitality to thousands of patients using the gentle Counterstrain technique.

He actively mentors healthcare practitioners at the Counterstrain Academy through the Counterstrain Mastery Program as well as teaching continuing education seminars for the Jones Institute. He is one of two instructors certified to teach the modern version of Counterstrain and has helped develop many of the techniques used today. He is also involved in the ongoing development of the 3D Counterstrain application.

Our society has accumulated so much stuff that we often just toss or give it away. Portlanders are some of the most generous folks when it comes to listing items for free on sites like Craigslist and others. One of my favourite things to do is to peruse over Craigslist and see what is being donated. I have found many a great deal on there. Let me just share two of my recent acquisitions and the innovations that were created through them.

Due to flat screens replacing old TV’s, there has been a surge in disposing of entertainment centers. I discovered one that caught my eye and began to think of just how I could repurpose it. It was beautiful on the outside and I felt it needed a purpose. Bringing to mind my leaning tower of games in the corner of my kitchen, I thought why not turn it into a game (still entertainment!) center. So with my hubby, we headed out in our truck to go pick up this free gift. The next day, we purchased some shelving and by that night, we had finished our project. Very minimal work and cost for a wonderful, functional piece of furniture. Everyone loves the newfound ease of choosing a game and avoiding the hassle of trying to see what is available on the closet shelf or somewhere in the pile in the kitchen corner. An extra bonus was being able to fit my sewing machine and accessories in the bottom two cupboards. (Perhaps now mending might even get done faster with the sewing machine upstairs instead of hidden from view downstairs in storage!)

Thrilled with the first makeover, I continued browsing Craigslist and shortly thereafter, I came across a large two-drawer filing cabinet. My mind immediately started working on what I could do with that. We live just outside of town a bit in the country and love having friends over for a campfire.  We were constantly having to run back to the house to retrieve various items that are needed when we have a social gathering. Not everyone is a fan of being the runner, especially if they are sent a few times.

I envisioned building the drawers into a cupboard with a granite countertop. Then we could keep supplies handy and have a permanent surface to use as well. After discussing the idea, we agreed it was a worthwhile project. We made plans to build the countertop with enough storage underneath to house the tabletop barbecue, propane tank and newly repurposed filing cabinet.

A year ago, our old barn came down and we salvaged what we could of the unique and exquisite wood. It had intrinsic value to our family and gorgeous character and patina you can’t find in new wood. Following the theme of repurposing, we elected to build with the salvaged wood.

Beginning to construct the table, my husband and son mixed up cement and poured a foundation base for it. I scampered off to collect the filing cabinet. This project entailed many hours and a mini celebration upon completion. We have become quite fond of our new addition as we have had friends over. There is a place for everything and everyone is thrilled to just relax and enjoy one another’s company.

It is truly rewarding when you can innovate and change the tune of “out with the old; in with the new” to “in with the new, out of the old!” Be a part of the fun; take a second look at things and see what your mind conjures up. It might come as a surprise what pleasure awaits you!!

Today after a long reprieve from rain, I looked up with anticipation at the menacing clouds eating up the blue sky. Before long, that familiar gray Oregonian sky overtook. Protected by my covered porch, I leisurely swayed in my hammock chair to watch nature unfold. Closing my eyes, I sense that sweet, powerful, evocative smell of fresh rain. I breathe in deeply that wonderful earthy smell, I am hooked. Eagerly, I step away from the security of my shelter. Into the rain I gleefully stroll, feeling the raindrops alight upon my skin.

My mind revisits fond memories of playing in the rain as a child. Oh, how I loved jumping in puddles and sticking out my tongue to catch a few drops and savor the taste. My inner child surfaces again as I find myself revitalized and energized as I wander about.

Through the woods, I saunter, fascinated by the scenes before me. Lime green moss envelops trees, small cracks in the ground begin shrinking, leaves are bent; some depositing their load of raindrops on my head. The effect of those tiny waterfalls elevates my spirits and leaves me feeling restored.

I ponder and recognize the connection once more of all the beauty around me linked to the life-cycle of rain. Slowing down, I vigilantly observe the raindrops descending into the stream. Enchanted with the view, I perch myself on a wooden footbridge, mesmerized and captivated by the symmetrical show. Feeling the need to capture the bloom on the water, I reach for my phone to snap a few shots so I might share them with you.

Onward I go, as the soft rain turns into a burst of heavy rain. It drenches my clothing, but not my desire to continue my peaceful ramble. I head for the garden and find myself smiling and giggling as the sky lightens and the sun reveals itself again. The rain-kissed berries and grapes taste even sweeter. Everywhere I glance, everything looks refreshed. I emerge rejuvenated too!

I wonder just how many of us truly appreciate the raindrops and the life they bring to everything. I know how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to see nature spring to life firsthand. I hope that any of you living in wetter climes can appreciate, rather than begrudge, the rain as it comes back into season. Let the rains begin!!!

You have to accept summertime is nearing a close when the branches of your trees are heavy laden with fruit and a few of them tumble to the ground. I love observing each species and watch with anticipation as warmer weather triggers the show. From the budding leaves to the blooms and onward to the fruit multiplying and taking on colour to maturity.

My cherry trees started off this wonderful season bursting forth with elegant blossoms. Without fail, the birds appear and the race is on to see who can glean the most cherries. Thank goodness for tools like the cherry picker, that allow me to parlay a greater share and even the odds more against my feathered friends.

Nearby, gnarly looking trunks of grapevines emerge with leaves overnight. Soon tendrils reach out for support of anything to coil themselves around. Excitement rises within me as I spy the flower clusters maturing into little grapes. I relish my time spent sitting in my hammock chair wrapped up in the grandeur of seeing nature at work. A plum tree is just beyond my front door. Witnessing the plums enlarging and finally ripening to a beautiful purple, suddenly enhances the task of mowing the lawn. A sweet treat awaits each pass I make. (I can down 4-6 plums each time I mow!)

Meanwhile the pears are starting to take shape and before long it is obvious which ones are Anjou or Bosc. Later when the pears start to drop, my palate starts to water in anticipation of one more scrumptious fruit.

Not to be left out, my McIntosh apples join the race. This year they are flourishing and thriving like no other year. Striving to gather in the bumper crop, I found myself grazing on a few. One snack led to another and soon I could justify a few more as I realized lunch had passed me by. Nothing tops homegrown fruit. Though I feel a little daunted at the task ahead (envision a few hundred apples), I know I will be smiling this winter when I have a hankering for some apple crisp and can easily reach into the freezer for that pre-made bag of apples.

What a gift it is to live amongst such beauty and bounty! It is the simple things in life that make life worth living in my humble opinion. Come join me one night for apple crisp and see if you agree!