Editorial
Volume 19 Issue 4 — November/December 2013
by Melva Armstrong

Hello and welcome back! It’s good to be with you again. This is the time of year when we have the opportunity to slow down and become more inward focused. I appreciate this change of season with its cooler temperatures and longer nights (and no bugs). After the busy spring cleaning and planting, then the very active summer, followed by harvesting the bounty of what was sown, it only makes sense to have a gentler, quieter time to get in touch with that still small voice inside – a time to be grateful and to reflect, to write poetry, to read some books, to play fun board games, to invent something, to draw or paint, to explore, and to do so much more.

I thoroughly enjoyed September and October on the farm. The autumn colours were spectacular, the skies were incredible, and the weather continued to be pleasantly warm. Our lasagna garden yielded peas, yellow beans, gorgeous rainbow Swiss chard, beets, potatoes, and eighteen cute little pumpkins. Five or six volunteer tomato plants grew well amongst everything else, but unfortunately the time was too short for them to produce any fruit. Now, everything has been harvested and the garden is covered with a thin crusty layer of snow. Time for it to rest and renew itself for next spring.

I have been busy in October preparing this issue and, as usual, I have thoroughly enjoyed all those with whom I have worked and interacted. Every journal brings a wide variety of new experiences and that’s what makes this work so enjoyable and appealing.

In this issue, Sandra Brandt covers one of the world’s favourite foods in her article, Chocolate: Antioxidant-rich Medicinal Food (p. 8). She provides a wide variety of information, from its historical roots to its many health benefits, including some delicious recipes. For years, I have been an advocate of buying only fair trade organic chocolate because I abhor the use of child labour and child trafficking which goes on in some countries that grow the cocao beans. According to Brandt’s article, “When any particular country tries to introduce laws to curb abuses, the global [multinational] companies simply move on to a more corporate-friendly region.” So, if you aren’t already converted to supporting fair trade practices, I would suggest that you seriously think about the abusive child labour practices that take place in our world every day. Most of these children have never even tasted chocolate. This is a sad commentary on the darker side of life on this planet, so let us all commit to making our world safe and beautiful for every living thing. Together we can do it!

Another positive way we can improve our world is addressed in Jeane Manning’s and Joel Garbon’s book, Breakthrough Power: How Quantum-leap New Energy Inventions Can Transform Our World (excerpt p. 20). In their book, they explain that there are many new clean energy inventions that could greatly improve the environmental health of our planet (and thus, ourselves), and yet these inventors often face harassment and rejection. The authors say, “And the vested interests in unclean energy won’t back away from trillion dollar profiteering until the people insist.” So, here’s another opportunity for all of us to speak up and insist that our leaders consider the many kinds of clean energy inventions that already exist. Once again, together we can do it!

Kelsey Timmerman’s book, Where Am I Eating? (excerpt, p. 14) explores the global food economy and the issues surrounding it—including workers’ and human rights, rural poverty, the loss of culture and biodiversity, climate change, and fair trade—through the lives of workers he met along his journey. He travelled around the world on a quest to meet and work alongside the farmers and fisherman who feed us. He asks us to consider both the global and local food movements and how our food choices affect both. After all, it is we, the consumers, who have the power of choosing, so let’s use this power wisely for the good of all.

Be sure to check out all the other articles and the advertisers who offer an abundance of possibilities for your continued good health and happiness. Thanks to one and all for your support of me and WHOLifE Journal.

Wishing everyone a bright and blessed winter solstice and a joy-filled and peaceful festive season. May the winter be a time of reflection and contemplation, and may you enjoy each day to the fullest and keep well and happy.

Namaste
(The spirit in me honours the spirit in you)