May Day

May 1^st marks the end of a half a year of winter! Boy is this ever true this year in Willamette Valley, six months of cold and rainy. At least today I could see my shadow for most of the day and was able to get some color back in my cheeks. However, my bare feet remain a blinding, reflective, glowing, fluorescent bright white. If winter is over then why am I still bringing in the baby tomato plants over night so they don’t freeze?!

Hope this glorious day finds everyone well. With each passing year I cherish life, and all it has to offer, more and more.  Is this normal “getting old” syndrome? It becomes easier to step back and see the big picture and what is important in life. I am learning that the stress of what modern America expects of me should not ruin my day, month or entire life.  There is a rush to do this repair or paint the house, have kids or become an expert in a new area of medicine…until I mentally step back and back and back. I think of the whole country and then the whole world and my little worries seem so insignificant.  On the other hand the simple act of a stranger’s kindness or a shared meal with a friend can mean so much and make someone feel so good.

Recently I have been thinking more “cosmically” as I watch my dear companion Sheeba deteriorate with aging. She gets up everyday and goes through all the motions with her stiff (and I suspect, achy) body. She is so happy at times and attempts to run only to have the hind legs buckle and leave her pulling them along with the front legs. The latest concern is that she no longer can tell when she has to have a bowel movement. It is quite sweet to see her trudge up the ramp after going outside for “potty” only to find that once in, realizes she was not done and runs for the back door to try and get down the ramp with a fecal ball plopping out as she goes.  We’ve had a few accidents in the house of course.

So I wonder when she wants to go; looking in her eyes I ask: “Sheeba please just let me know when you want to go”. She is definitely NOT ready.  On the pillow within straight site of me she sits and stares at me, keeping vigil over my every move. Thanks Sheeba, I will be lonely when you are gone. 

Aging Pets

It is easy to see our pets as ageless. They are forever our ”babies” even as their eyes become cloudy and they move more stiffly. I find myself disappointed that my 12 year old German Shepherd, Guinness, can no longer retrieve her favorite basketball or jog with me even 1 mile! When did it happen?! They are still so darn cute it is hard to understand that they are seniors. I mean I actually think it is sweet when Sheeba, almost 15, wets her bed!

Our walks should be called ‘bumbling strolls’. Imagine a one-eyed dog with a lung tumor and a partially paralyzed larynx (makes breathing difficult), hip dysplasia, back arthritis and a gimpy right front leg along with Sheeba who has a head tilt and is dizzy, a back end that does not seem to communicate with the front hind, and if you pet her too firmly she will fall over. Fun times. But we keep walking because I firmly believe when you stop moving you die.

The girls no longer can be left outside for fear of the “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” scenario. Therefore they need to be let out at least 3 times a day or we find poop surprises. I am always amazed to see they make it to the kitchen and save my rugs, how sweet!

Meal times are fun too! Each dog gets about 10 pills/capsules of herbs and pain medications and supplements. Sheeba takes coaxing and tricking and 3 different flavors of cat food to get the pills down.

The 20 linear feet of home-made dog ramp has been a beautiful addition to the house, not!

Having two large breed dogs, over 12 years old who have health problems and need lots of care taking has made it quite clear to me: I am engaged in caring for the elderly.  Many of you may be doing the same. We owe it to our loyal companions. I realize how important this job is, that this caretaking of the elderly is a part of life. At times it makes me sad to know they will be gone, but I continue to be there for them with love and compassion. For our pets and elderly people it is one of the more important things we can do.

Grape Harvest 2010

Witness to Oregon Grape Harvest

I have come to realize that we live in a true "garden of eden" here in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. This became clear on my first witness to a wine grape harvest.  Luck (and the gods?) brought a clear, cold sunny day on the first day of grape collecting at a local vineyard. Despite having to get up early on my one day off, I became giddy with excitement as I climbed to the top of the hill and saw the crates of grapes piled high. Workers hand picking, quickly and efficiently. Bucket after bucket of grapes tumbling into the grape bins. Leaves and defective clusters quickly removed, once full away the grapes would go to the winery for processing. 

In rows, the clusters all present at one level, maybe 3.5 feet from the ground. The vines pruned with deliberation the year before to create a somewhat organized presentation of fruit. I tasted several grapes right from the vine and pondered how the high quality wine from this vineyard begins right here with this simple fruit. But of course it is not simple and it did not "begin" with this grape. Much thought and organization went into the growth of this plant.

Silly as this may sound, I did not even realize that the grapes were hand picked! But this 60 acre or so vineyard, and many others, are dependent on the hands of many agricultural workers.  The number of workers you can amass determines how fast you can bring in the harvest.

I have always enjoyed wine, but now now I see and taste a work of art created by many hands and minds.

Did I say I love Oregon? Did I say I love Salem?

Sheeba

HAPPY WINTER

I guess when you get snow that stays on the ground longer than 2 hours in down town Salem in November…winter is here.  I cannot believe I am going to say this, but I am so excited. Even though there was no summer to speak of the change feels good.

Why is that?  What is so appealing about the change of season? I cannot understand it because I lived in Florida for the last 16 years and never felt bored by all the sun. But now that I experience all the colors, smells and textures of different seasons, it really feels great. The variety makes things interesting.

I am going to bundle up and enjoy the cold fresh air. Let me admit that the best part of a winter day is the part where you come inside to a roaring fire and a cup of espresso or tea. Yum.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Your Own Internal Pharmacy

A recent article from one of the herbal pharmacies I use, Kan Herbal, poignantly discusses what we all know at some level. The body can heal itself! As American's we grow up taking a drug for all our aliments...but did you stop to consider that the body has it's own “internal pharmacy”? Within our own bodies are hormones, pain relieving substances, cells to fight infection and cells that direct healing of tissue. There are enzymes and all sorts of chemical compounds with particular actions within our bodies.

What a beautiful system we have and we often do not let our bodies do the work and so they are out of shape. On top of that we damage ourselves daily with mental and physical stress and the toxins in the air and soil damage us. Focusing on reducing these outside attacks will allow our body to get back into its own balance. For example, over exercising or work that abuses the body puts it out of balance. The stress in personal life damages us. Eating unhealthy food reduces our ability to be healthy.

What to do? One of the easier things to do is to focus on what goes into your body. Buy the healthiest food you can afford and cook as much as you can. My rule when buying pre-packaged items is buy the ones with the smallest ingredient list. If your peanut butter has more than 2 ingredients listed on it, peanuts and salt, I would be raising my eyebrows.

Would you believe that just breathing more will help you? Try it. If you are exercising and feel burning in your muscles or lungs...take several deep, deliberate breaths and think of all the Cosmic Qi (qi from the universe) you are taking in. Lift up your arms and open your chest and breath. You will immediately have more energy.

Emotional stress can be more difficult to deal with. You must practice! Practice telling yourself that you are a wonderful, intelligent person. Practice thinking positive about everyone around you. I read once that love is power. It sounds so cliché and “goody-two-shoes”, but it is completely true. When everyone around you is angry or sad or unkind, throw love back at them and they will be powerless. What can they say to that? If the world cannot suck you in to this negative energy, you are powerful. And I tell you, you will raise up everyone around you.

There is no question that sometimes you will need help. Acupuncture has been used to tap in to the healing highways of the body and turn them on or put them in the right direction. Herbs go into the body and balance what is out of balance. They too can turn on the body's mechanisms to heal. There are other medical therapies as well like homeopathy and chiropractic.

This kind of internal healing I believe is true healing, lasting health.