"Change is a measure of time and, in the autumn, time seems speeded up. What was is not and never again will be; what is is change." - Edwin Way Teale
As the Bracebridge tour winds down, I sense how the passage of time can erode the memory of something once very special.
Our next stop on the tour is a visit to Rene's grave. Read More →
After visiting Rene Caisse's statue and Bracebridge Falls, we took a stroll up the main drag, Manitoba Street, where Rene's Father had his Barbershop. Manitoba Street, then and now:
Manitoba Street c. 1900
Manitoba Street 2012
The road was new to me, as roads always are going back. ~Sarah Orne Jewett, The Country Road of Pointed Firs, 1896
What a week it has been. We've gone back to the source..me for the first time, but for Mali Klein, the road going back did look familiar.. Mali, over the course of nearly two decades' worth of writing and researching the history of Rene Caisse and Essiac, has witnessed Rene's legacy in this place pass from its youth into the 21st century. Mali's writing partner Sheila Snow lived her whole life here. Sheila worked with Rene Caisse directly during the last years of her life. She wrote one of the first Essiac books, The Essence of Essiac, 
as well as an article for the Canadian Homemaker magazine entitled "Could Essiac Halt Cancer?" which played a major role in putting Bracebridge on the map in the 1970s. Sixteen years ago she showed Mali the sites to see for the first time, just as Mali shows me today. Read More →
Yesterday morning the sun came up pink, ushering in the autumn equinox. I started the new season learning more about GMOs than I'd bargained. It was the last day to view the newly released documentary Genetic Roulette for free - I took notes so I could share this really important info. Update: here is a link where you can still watch it -
Genetically modified organisms - GMO - are created when the DNA of one species is forced into the DNA of another species. There are a couple of different varieties that have been patented.
Herbicide-tolerant crops (Roundup-ready). You can spray them with Roundup and it doesn't kill them but it kills the weeds.
Insecticide-producing crops (BT, for bacillus thuringiensis) kills insects when they eat the plant.
Mind you, GMO food is not about better flavor, nutrition, or saving money at the grocery store. Monsanto marketed this seed to farmers for better crop yields and increased profit. However, that hasn't panned out. In fact, GMOs are turning out to be bad for everybody but Monsanto. But, the citizens of California once again are coming forward with a unique proposition that could change things for the better and lead the way for the rest of the nation. Read More →
I am sending out a call to all Essiac users, producers, growers and wildcrafters - let's get together! October 1 will find myself and Mali Klein in Bracebridge, Ontario, Rene Caisse's home town and where she had her cancer clinic in the 1930s. We'll be talking to some folks who have had a part in Essiac history, and visiting what's left of the Essiac sites to see. We'll be making lots of video and uploading to YouTube. I'll be blogging all about it! I am really excited at the prospect of meeting some of my fellow Essiac advocates.
Mali will then be coming out to Montana later in the month, and we'll be putting on the Essiac Master Class in Missoula on October 27. We'll also be hosting an Essiac meetup potluck at the Bistro in Polson Montana on October 19 for any and all fellow Essiac folk to network and enjoy an evening with Mali. Call (406) 883-0110 to reserve a place at the table, or email Debbie! Let's find our common purpose and work together for Essiac - hope to see you there!
The dream … to grow the Essiac herbs applying permaculture principles, to hand-harvest the herbs, and to provide a model for community-scale production of Essiac and other medicinal herbs. In doing so, to meet local or regional needs in the retail sector as well as through charity. To produce the highest quality herbs so that this remedy can be researched properly and its value officially proven, as was Rene Caisse’s lifetime dream.
What else to do in Missoula in October? Here's a great preview from Permies.com!
Lately I've been reading about some really cool affordable ideas being put to action for small-time entrepreneurs. The first one is called SQFT (Square Foot). Its based out of San Francisco and just starting up. Their mission is geared toward small-time vendors who couldn't afford to rent traditional retail space but COULD afford a fraction of that amount for a fraction of the time. They are putting them together with underutilized spaces in non-traditional settings. Its a win-win-win Read More →
I had the blessing of having some sessions with Jimmie last fall and it changed my life. I was sad to hear he had passed but I know he is still with us. I'll be at his memorial service. He is a sweet soul. This tribute is full of his healing energy and so well worth the watching whether or not you knew him this side of the sky.
There is so much information at our fingertips in this 21st century world and lately I, being a child of the 20th century, have been feeling the gap. I find myself googling everything while my books gather dust and the days fly by! I am in awe at the agility of the new generation in electronically interfacing with the world. There is so much to learn and know and much of it free on the internet. But its a bit like going for a bath in the ocean... Read More →
Apparently 3/4 of the U.S. is getting rain, hail, or even tornados so here are a couple movies well worth watching:
Happy Independence Day!! Hoping we can have independence in our health care choices, too.
Cancer the Forbidden Cures is an informative documentary, with an excellent section on Essiac. There is also a great interview with the filmmaker, Massimo Mazzucco of Buena Onda Films - click here for that link, or to buy the DVD.
Not only are Essiac, Hoxsey, Gerson, etc. covered, but also Dr. Tullio Simoncini's theory that Cancer is caused by the candida fungus and can be treated with sodium bicarbonate is explored. His book by the same name on Amazon is fetching $60!
Also, below is Zeitgeist 2 Addendum, worth the watch.
Zeitgeist 2 Addendum
Its starting to get out that cell phones are actually more hazardous to your health than previously publicized. Dr. Devra Lee Davis gives a talk on April 4, 2012 before the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences that documents and describes how cell phones are dangerous to have any closer than 5/8 inch from your body, asnd how they are especially dangerous for young children. I had no idea there were iphone apps for babies in their cribs....baaad idea. Wow. Read More →