The worst accident in Everest’s history underscores an unfortunate reality: ascents have gotten safer for Westerners, but not for Sherpas.
Alison D. Gilbert‘s insight:
Will our consciousness change enough to prevent another tragedy like this from happening? I see no reason why not as long as enough people are made aware of the inhuman circumstances surrounding ‘recreational’ climbs up Mount Everest and others like it. The lives of those who can’t afford the luxury of doing this for recreation should not be put on the line for those who can. Something must be done about this inequity NOW.
“According to PANTONEVIEW.com contributor OLTMANS VAN NIEKERK, the digital universe is vast and impossible to pin down. Its pervasive force has had a major impact on the way we live and work. It seems that everything that people think is important is virtual and everything and everybody is in a hybrid, digital state. The digital is invisible and everywhere. No hard disks, no desktop computers, no fixed place. The asset-light generation embraces simplicity in order to gain freedom.”
Alison D. Gilbert‘s insight:
I am not especially fond of the blues show here. Nor am I excited about ‘these new waves of blues trending for 2014 and beyond.’
The worst accident in Everest’s history underscores an unfortunate reality: ascents have gotten safer for Westerners, but not for Sherpas.
Alison D. Gilbert‘s insight:
The tragedy on the recent Mount Everest climb injured nine. I addition, it took the lives of sixteen Nepali guides.
"Although many news reports indicated that all the victims were Sherpas, the legendary mountain people who comprise just half of one per cent of the Nepali population, three of the sixteen were members of other, much larger ethnic groups: one was Gurung, one was Tamang, and one was a member of the Hindu Chhetri caste.
All, however, were employed as high-altitude climbing sherpas, with a lowercase “s”—an élite profession that deservedly commands respect and admiration from mountaineers around the world."
It’s being called “the most beautiful, haunting infomercial you’ll ever see.”
Alison D. Gilbert‘s insight:
This video is addictive and eerie at the same time. It does tell an ‘Orwellian’ story of what has become of the food industry and what can be if we take back our power, our passion and our hearts.
Lately ‘Back to Basics’ A Simple Healthy Green Natural, Relaxed and Thrifty Life has become my Ikigai, my reason for being. Ikigai is a Japanese word that roughly means what motivates me ‘to rise and shine’ each day. My Back to Basics projects certainly qualify as just that. On a daily basis, I rise and head for my laboratory (also my kitchen) to see how something is fermenting, gelling, infusing or whatever process is used as a back to basics alchemist.
I am not very good at remembering things. I have numerous paper recipe notebooks. But I either forget to write things down or do a terrible job of it. On the other hand, I love to blog. So I decided that Alison*s Back to Basics Journal, an online collection of blog posts, would be the best way to go. This also provides a recording of my current Ikigai and an archive of these activities.
MY BACK TO BASICS JOURNAL Journal notebooks. Photo credit: notebookstories.com
Here I am at a new beginning. I have completed a few ‘Back to Basics’ projects. So before I forget what they are and the details, I better get going with this journal. I have been working on five projects that are at various stages of maturity. They include: • orange essence infused vinegar (not shown)
• homemade apple cider vinegar
• Kombucha
• Kefir water/Kefir milk
• homemade laundry detergent (not shown)
HOMEMADE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR Making Your Own Apple Cider Vinegar, Photo from JanellaPurcell.com
I have already written a blog post about homemade apple cider vinegar. Ironically, it is the last project to be started and the first to be written about. I have followed Janella Purcell’s instructions as indicated:
“Here’s what you need –
cores and peels from 6-8 (preferably) organic apples (colour not important)
2 tbsp organic sugar or raw honey
filtered water to cover
Return the liquid to the jar and cover it again with a paper towel and band. Leave it for 4 more weeks, stirring daily.
Taste it and see if it has the acidity you would like. If it does, transfer it to a bottle with a lid for storage. If not, leave it in the wide-mouthed jar for a little while longer, checking every few days.” #applecidervinegar #janellapurcell #fermentedfoods”
Since I just started yesterday, I have to wait until the 28th to remove the scraps. Then I have to wait another 4 weeks to taste it. I am going to have to be very patient with this project. Next, I think I will explain how to make orange vinegar. It is easy, fun and great for house cleaning. It also smells great.
KOMBUCHA Why You Should Be Drinking Kombucha from www.positivehealthwellness.com
The most involved are the Kombucha and perhaps the Kefir. They involve not only fermentation but also a special mushroom to transform the ingredients added to them to give them probiotic qualities for consumption. Both Kombucha and Kefir have links to them so you can learn more about them. In fact, if you can’t wait for me to include them in my Back to Basics Journal, you can learn how to make them from watching YouTube videos and asking lots of questions, yourself.
KEFIR The Difference Between Kefir and Yogurt from CulturesforHealth.com
Kefir water can look very similar to Kombucha. But Kombucha has some effervescence and Kefir does not. They are both supposed to be very healthy. So I guess it is a matter of taste preference. I actually prefer Kombucha to Kefir water and Kefir milk to kefir water.
HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT
Last but not least is my homemade laundry detergent. I am having lots of fun working on perfecting the consistency. I may wash all the clothes in my neighborhood by the time I perfect it. One bucket goes a long, long way. But I am going to wait for another day to go into detail on that project in my Back to Basics Journal. Suffice to say, I have grown to love it. The savings makes it even more desireable. There is a blog with a recipe in the additional resources below.
Back to Basics has become a necessity for many of us. For some it may be a trend, a fad, even an adventure. It is all of those. But at the same time, it is an imperative for those of us who: • Need to simplify our lives
• Become healthy
• Live a green life
• Live naturally
• Relax
• Practice thriftiness
Let’s examine each of the above points to get a better understanding of the Back to Basics Movement. • Need to simplify our lives
One need look no further than the skyline to see the proliferation of self-storage facilities. We have so much stuff. How much stuff do we need? How many cars? televisions? Internet devices?
How many of us have gone into debt, maxing our credit cards, to have the things that we keep consuming to fill the hole inside us?
• Become healthy
We are a nation of sick people. We have been led to believe that disease is inevitable. We are committed to a deteriorating life-style as we age until the point that we die an unnatural death.
Disease is not our birthright. Wellness is.
• Live a green life
We suffer from allergies. We can’t breathe. We get headaches. These have become the norm. They are not normal. Due to all the chemicals and toxins in the air and in the food we eat, we are being poisoned. Our very immune systems are being compromised.
• Live naturally
How great it would be to live free of allergies, breathing difficulties, headaches, other symptoms and illnesses. Imagine that as well as not having to take a cabinet full of medicines for these ailments. Living more naturally can go a long way in helping to bring this about.
• Relax
Our lives are very stressful. We work longer and harder than ever before. We have tremendous financial pressures. We have lost the ability to just be. We are always having to do something.
• Practice thriftiness
Increasing numbers of people are having to be very thrifty. In addition, the number of people who need government assistance are employed. But the money earned is not enough to live. We need to be thrifty, very thrifty.
The intention of going Back to Basics is to recapture something good that we have lost while seeking more. We need to surrender the glut, greed and self-destruction. It requires letting go of the baggage that weighs us down by literally and figuratively. We live lives based on immediate gratification and ‘gimme-gimme-gimme’. The idea is to regain a good life, a really good life. Slow down. Get back to basics and let’s see what happens. The results may be very pleasantly surprising.
“Making Your Own Apple Cider Vinegar – with the Mother.
The ACV available in supermarkets is refined and distilled, over-processed, over-heating, and filtered. DIY vinegar is easy, and cheap.
By making your own ACV you’re boosting the natural fermentation qualities of the apples. When the vinegar is ready, it contains a dark, cloudy, web-like bacterial foam called mother, which becomes visible when the rich brownish liquid is held to the light. The mother can be used to hasten maturity for making more Apple Cider Vinegar. Natural vinegars that contain the mother have enzymes and minerals that other vinegars in grocery stores may not have.
Back to Bascis: Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar. Photo credit, Janella Purcell
Here’s what you need –
cores and peels from 6-8 (preferably) organic apples (colour not important)
2 tbsp organic sugar or raw honey
filtered water to cover
Method – After you’ve dried apples, made apple muffins or fruit salad etc, place the cores and peels in a large, wide-mouthed jar. Cover the scraps with water and stir in the sugar or honey.Place a paper towel on top of the jar, and secure it with a band. Let the mixture sit for 2 weeks at room temperature, then strain out the liquid. Discard the solids. (compost or worm farm.)
Return the liquid to the jar and cover it again with a paper towel and band. Leave it for 4 more weeks, stirring daily.
Taste it and see if it has the acidity you would like. If it does, transfer it to a bottle with a lid for storage. If not, leave it in the wide-mouthed jar for a little while longer, checking every few days. #applecidervinegar #janellapurcell #fermentedfoods”
The above photo shows what is should look like when you start to make it. I started today, Monday, April 14, 2014. I have to wait until April 28, to discard the solids. Then I have to let in stand for four weeks at room temperature, stirring daily. This is a fun back to basics project. But it does require a lot of patience. We’ll see if it is worth it. More to come.
Spreading joy is an essential component of a fulfilling life.
This statement may seem like a profundity. But is it one of the most basic elements of a joyful life. We are all so busy keeping busy. Social Media has become all consuming. It is a gift and a curse.
Today, I am inspired to share the joy I am finding on it. I have been drawn to Google+ lately. I am sure it has many more profound uses than the one I have just discovered. It is the Pinterest component. In face, I feel like I am on Pinterest when I use the ‘posting’ feature. So let’s pin some Google+ posts (from +Diply and +Fashion is my Attitude) as a way of spreading joy today.
These hydrangea cupcakes make the most appealing photo and irresistible treat. I smile every time I look at this image and the others that follow.
How much product information provided today to consumers is for educational purposes? And how much is merely the latest advertising hype filled with buzz words to grab our attention? We live in an age where the media mesmerizes us into buying a product. All too often the message is filled with misinformation.
We are forced to find out the facts for ourselves. There are often so many choices that it is dizzying. This is no accident. Millions of dollars are spent on product research. The goal of most food companies is not to produce what is best for us. It is to produce what makes the most money for them. But at least with eggs, now we can now be informed consumers. This is because of ‘The Egg Labels Infographic’.
In case you would like a translation of ‘The Egg Labels Infographic, read Jane Says: Here’s How to Unscramble Egg Carton Labels by Jane Lear also of Takepart.com. She goes into great detail to explain what all the terms mean. As consumers, we are entitled to know what the products we purchase contain. May this egg label post set an example for other areas in the food industry to become transparent. But more about that at another time.
