Editorial
Volume 24 Issue 3 — September/October 2018
by Melva Armstrong

It is a beautiful summer day as I write this editorial. The sun is shining and a light breeze is blowing gently through the living room window. The peace and quiet are calmly soothing my soul.

I have been enjoying the beans, peas, kale, and Swiss chard from our sweet little garden and apples from our two trees. There is nothing better than eating fresh picked vegetables straight from the garden, smothered with loads of butter and afterwards some hot apple crumble and yogurt. Yummy! There is also a local farmers’ market during the summer on Saturdays at a farm not far from us and we’ve been getting vegetables, homemade bread and pies, crystals, artwork, and some BBQ chicken on buns for lunch time delights. I like to support local folks whenever I can.

Near the beginning of August our neighbour cut, raked, and baled our hay, both square and round bales. We had fun picking up the square ones and bringing them back to our yard and stacking them near the barn. The round ones he moves with his tractor and stores them up in the field for the winter. This city girl has learned lots about living on a farm with horses to feed. We also have two barn cats, one orange and one black, that live in the tack room. It has a small door where they can jump in and out and a heat lamp and heated water dish in the winter. Cats are necessary on a farm because they catch lots of mice and other wild critters who can be a nuisance.

It is harvest time of year and people in our province are reaping what they have sown and getting their garden produce ready for storage to help keep them fed throughout the winter. Mindful Eating writer, Stacey Tress, knows all about home garden food preparation and preservation and in this issue she gives us a look at Fall Veggies Done Ukrainian Style (p. 8). She writes about the importance of eating green veggies like kale, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. She includes lots of great ideas about preparing each of them along with recipes chosen from a 1957 cookbook called Traditional Ukrainian Cookery.

On the other side of harvest time are the many large scale farmers who grow grains, seeds, pulses, and more. I especially adore those farmers who produce certified organic products. They are my fave and I support them wholeheartedly. In fact, on page 17 is an article called Organic Connections by Marla Carlson, who writes about the upcoming biennial Organic Connections Conference and Trade Shaw November 1–3 in Saskatoon. It is the largest organic conference in Western Canada with a fabulous lineup of speakers. I am planning to attend it and I hope many of you will, too.

Once the food is harvested, we will likely joyfully indulge in eating it, which will involve one of the most important functions in our body—our digestive system. The help understand this amazing system more clearly, we have included Nina Lane’s article, Digestion: Why It’s Important, What Can Go Wrong, and Simple Steps to Optimize It (p. 10). The title really says it all so be sure to check out the details under each section so you can maintain a healthy and well-nourished body.

To help understand how we can keep ourselves in good condition through our many years on this planet, Virginia Dakiniewich has written about Healthy Aging for Life (p. 12). She provides a number of options from balanced eating habits, to social interactions, to education, to physical fitness for maintaining your good health and keeping it for many years.

After the relaxing summer holidays, it’s time to get back to work or school and to a whole lot of busy-ness for most people. With that in mind, Colleen Bond reminds everyone that the most important thing to do regularly is to, Stop and Smell the Roses and Let the Stress Go (p. 30). I couldn’t have said it better myself. Letting go of stress is imperative if you want to have good health and happiness.

There is much more to read and savour in these pages and I encourage you to take everything in from cover to cover. It is meant to be positive and uplifting and comes from the lives and experiences of local people.

May you count your many blessings on Thanksgiving Day and every day, and enjoy the gifts of this gorgeous autumn season with its coat of many colours!

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