We are already through half of 2002 which is hard to believe. Time seems to be moving so quickly and so are people. Tonight I was out for my walk in a nearby residential area. As I moved along the quiet crescents and streets I could hear the constant humming of cars zooming along the busy nearby streets and in the distance I could hear the machine-gun-like crackle of a high-powered car pressing the gas peddle to the floor as if in a race. I didn’t see anyone just sitting on a chair in their yard or on their front steps relaxing. Instead I saw people of all ages scurrying to their cars, their vans, their trucks, their motor-homes, their motorbikes, or they were whizzing by me on their bicycles, their rollerblades, their scooters, or their tricycles. I didn’t see anyone enjoying stillness and relaxation. I find it fascinating how the pace of our world has changed so drastically in only eight years.

In the midst of it all, however, I remain thankful for this glorious time of year when all the trees and bushes are showing off their lush green leaves and some their radiant flowers. The other day I smelled the sweet fragrance of lilacs as I passed a yard full of bushes with their purple flowers hanging over the fence. Further on I saw several large trees filled with masses of gorgeous white flowers. From within these sights came the lilting sounds of robins and sparrows twittering and whistling their tunes as they flew through the air, or hippity-hopped across the grass and sidewalks. Mother Nature is so precious to behold! I am forever in awe of her rich tapestry of colours and her never-ending natural cycle of life, death, and rebirth. These are the gifts of our earth - it is wise that we preserve them.

Many of us are concerned about the unhealthy state of our environment - our Earth Mother - and many of us, individually and in groups, are making efforts to honour her gifts she has bestowed on us. I honour and applaud all those who are working to keep our planet clean and healthy, and to restore her to her natural state. May you keep up the great work and know that it is truly appreciated. One such person who truly respects the environment and teaches the preservation of it is eco-herbalist Kahlee Keane. We are pleased she has written an article for us on Saskatchewan’s own Yellow Pond-lily (p. 10) – a plant with many nutritional and medicinal properties.

In this issue you are going to be taken on an Adventure to the Real World (p. 16) by freelance writer Jean Macleod le Cheminant. As she describes her delicious experiences of the natural world at Hollyhock Retreat Centre on Cortes Island, B.C., you will feel as though you are there with her. A wonderful writer, she covers the gamut from the beauties of walking in nature, to kayaking, to hot-tubbing, to a massage treatment, and finally to some exquisite dining, which she describes as "… a buffet of extravagant beauty, spread around a huge bouquet of the biggest flowers I’ve ever seen. They look like giant yellow sea anemones." By the end of her adventure she can "… begin to understand the wisdom of traditions that called for regular retreats to just such places."

According to martial arts student and teacher, Raymond Ambrosi, his article Meihuazhuang or Plum Flower Post Martial Art (p. 14) may be the first English language article written and published in North America on this ancient art–a Kung-fu and Qigong health training regime from North China dating back to the 1500s.

Paulette Millis’s article titled, Ah, Potatoes! (p.8), says it all when it comes to this well-loved food. As usual she includes important nutritional information, buying and storage tips, and then tops things off with more awesome recipes.

Intuition is a learning tool we all have inside us yet very few of us really know how to use it. In John Living’s article, Intuition Technology (p. 24), he explains how "dowsing" is a form of accessing our intuition using an instrument, and that "... you have to put effort into learning [it] if you want the best value."

I would like to thank all the advertisers, writers, and helpers who have contributed to this issue. Without you it would not exist and therefore I extend to you my heartfelt gratitude for your generous and continuous support.

May everyone have a joy-filled summer! Blessed be!

Namaste!

(I honour the Spirit in you!)