A Short History of Self-Sufficency & How It Can Save Our Lives

We can learn a lot from our ancestors who utilized every resource they had, never allowing anything to go to waste. If an animal was hunted and killed for food, all parts of the animal found a use one way or another. The animal provided meat to eat, bones to make tools, hides to tan to make rugs, blankets and clothing. The tendons and sinew could be processed property for sewing and suturing.

As we became a more industrialized country with large cities replacing old hunting grounds, many forgot the principle of self-sufficiency and re-purposing. It took tragedy to remind us just how important this principle was to our survival.

In 1917, shortly after joining in the fighting of World War I, the U.S. Food Administration was formed to oversee the wartime supply, distribution, and transportation of food throughout the United States. Food was rationed by the populace to be able to provide food for the soldiers fighting in Europe. Families were urged in increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables (which were difficult to ship to Europe) and asked that the consumption of meat, wheat, fats, and sugar, be kept to a minimum. The war ended in 1918.

As America's economy improved and families finally recovered from the economical impact of World War I, they were hit yet again.

In 1929, the stock market crashed, triggering the Great Depression. The 1930's were destined to become the deepest and longest-lasting economic downturn in the history of the Western industrialized world.

The average family income dropped significantly from $2300 a year to $1500 per year. Families lost all they owned as banks crashed.  Rent and mortgage went unpaid and many families were left homeless. If one had not experienced poverty before, they did then.

Families were expected to adapt and change their way of thinking. Women were allowed to work outside the home and self-reliance again came to the forefront. The 1930's was perhaps the darkest period in our nation's short history.

Before the decade even passed, America entered World War II. Among the things rationed during the war were meat, sugar, coffee, processed foods, cheese, meats, tires, gasoline, oil, bicycles, fabric, typewriters, and even shoes. Cook books were revised to teach housewives alternative ingredients to replace the rationed items. The government asked a lot of its citizens, who did not fail them.

The American people learned to improvise, to recycle, and to re-purpose. Many lived only on what they could grow, can, and preserve for the winter.

Those in Appalachia, already knew a life of poverty, and the practical methods needed to survive. In some way, that may have been an advantage.

Today, in 2016, we are slowly losing the generation of people who lived through two world wars, the Korean conflict, and the greatest financial depression the U.S. has ever known. Even those of us alive during Vietnam, did not experience the very personal financial effects of the previous wars.

Generations of people left largely untouched by the wartime need to ration, recycle, and re-purpose, created a throw-away society. Self-sufficient skills like sewing, canning, or cooking from scratch has been forgotten. America depends heavily on processed foods, and our health is deteriorating because of it.

We hire people to do work our parents and grandparents did themselves. Instead of cooking our own food, we prefer the drive-thru. Instead of tending our own gardens, we hire gardeners. Instead of building our own house by hand, we hire architects and contractors. It is clear that we prefer conveniences that move us away from self sufficiency and creates a generation completely dependent on technology, the government, and skilled workers.

Over the past several years, the trend of living-off-the-grid, survivalism, homesteading, and other forms of self-sufficient living has become popular. People are realizing that being uneducated about simple skills can be detrimental, not only to the individual and his/her family, but to humankind as well.

What would happen to us if technology was taken away? Would we crash and burn, or could we adapt and change? Once our parents and grandparents are gone, who will teach us?

The task of becoming self-sufficient, of recycling, re-purposing, and utilizing what we already have, can seem daunting. We can't become self-sufficient overnight and most of us may never reach the point where we need no outside help at all. However, we can take baby steps and learn the skills that were required of those that came before us.

We can learn to sew. We can learn to grow our own food. We can learn to cook from scratch.

We simply have to WANT to do it. Will it require war and tragedy to teach us that the time of learning is now? I hope not.

We have to change the way we think. We have to stop being a throw-away society. We need to look at what we already have and utilize it before buying more. We have to return to the mindset of those who found a use of every part of the animal, and stop taking our resources for granted.

Simple changes in our life can push us into the right direction. Becoming mindful of what surrounds us and considering that its use can be more than originally intended, is an excellent first step. This is re-purposing at its best.

Ideas for re-purposing and up-cycling are boundless on the internet. Turn a cracked aquarium into a planter. Make two useful desks by cutting and old table in half. Up-cycle your laundry detergent bottles into bird feeders. Create a play kitchen utilizing an old entertainment center. These are just a few ideas available.

We can change the direction our planet and its people are headed. We can use less, recycle more, and re-purpose everything we can. Not only does this keep trash out of the landfills, putting less pressure on the environment, it teaches us self-reliance, self-discipline, and responsibility. We need to regain our independence, not through political means, but through personal changes that empower us to care for ourselves.

We can't do it all, put each of us can do something. 

If we can teach the next generation those principles, we will leave behind a legacy we can be proud of.

Time is ticking.

Fishin' for Savings with Coupons and Common Sense

Around 500 BC, the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu wisely said, "Give a hippy a fish, and she will eat for a day. Teach her to fish and she'll feed the entire commune for a lifetime."

Or something enlightening like that.

The premise is perfect for this blog.

A few months ago, a very kind lady donated 60 lbs of cat food to our rescue, T.Paws Rescue and ARFanage. She told us how she used coupons in such a way, that the final cost of the food was very little. After an informative conversation, we begin to inquire into the world of "extreme couponing."

We found out that there is a big world out there with its own language, unique perceptions, ethical quandaries, and opportunities to save that are as believable as your uncle's latest fishing tale.

"Extreme" or "super" couponing can be defined as the act of combining store sales, store rewards, and coupons to achieve tremendous savings.  For example, recently Petsmart had its 4 lb bags of Science Diet Optimal Health for cats on sale for $11.99 (normally $13.99). They also had a store promotion that if you bought $35 worth of merchandise, you would get an additional coupon for $5. We had several coupons for $7 off a 4lb bag or larger. We purchased three 4 lb bags for $35.77. The cashier subtracted the coupons (-$21), which left us with a cost of $14.97 plus tax. With that purchase, we received a $5 coupon to use for a future purchase. So, we actually paid $9.97 or $3.32 per bag plus tax.

This process is often call "stacking" as we combined three different types of promotions to achieve maximum savings. Our best stacking deal to date saved us 98%.

Perhaps the most difficult aspects of couponing and stacking deals is using common sense and restraint. Buying items you don't need or use is wasting money unless you plan on donating what you purchase to a charity or friend in need. Before you consider selling the items you purchase with coupons, it is important to know that this practice is considered illegal.

While the savings is exciting, fishing for these deals requires hours of work and preparation. One must first find legal ways to build a coupon supply. This is a topic of debate among coupon enthusiasts: is it legal to buy and sell coupons? Some argue that there are loopholes that allow one to purchase coupons.

However, according to the Federal Trade Commission and  Coupon Information Corporation, buying and selling coupons is illegal. While coupons are for sale on Ebay with disclaimers attached that the seller is selling their time to clip the coupons, not the coupons themselves, the seller has still violated the terms and conditions of the coupons. Coupon fraud is huge business that can be legally penalized, including jail time. In 2013, a housewife was convicted of counterfeit couponing, sentenced to two years in prison, and fined 5 million dollars for her part in a 2 million dollar counterfeit ring.

"Coupons may not be combined, sold, auctioned, or otherwise transferred or reproduced."

Abuses of the coupon system, such as clearing out shelves of merchandise, using counterfeit coupons, or misusing coupons to buy items not covered in the coupon offer, has lead manufacturers and stores to tighten their coupon rules. Stores limit the number of coupons that can be used, will only double a few coupons (when at one time they doubled them all), and question the legitimacy of certain coupons. Manufacturers are fighting back against the sales of coupons by shortening the expiration date, lowering the amount of the discount the coupon provides, and jacking up the cost of the item to make up for the money lost through coupon fraud. If the illegality or ethical compromise of coupon fraud isn't enough to discourage misuse of coupons, consider that the entire coupon-inspired savings lifestyle could become obsolete. When coupon fraud results in $500 million of losses a year, do you think companies will continue to provide those coupons?

So how does one build a good stash of coupons legally? Sunday paper inserts are the most obvious place to find legal coupons. In small town America, however, those Sunday paper inserts can be very limited. One can ask friends, neighbors, and family to save you the inserts they will not be using. You can also speak to your newspaper carrier to see what he or she would be willing to let you have the inserts from the leftover papers. You can also start a coupon exchange or trading group.

Most of our coupons come free directly from the manufacturer or from legitimate coupon sites such as Coupons.com or Grocery Coupon Cart.

While it can take time to amass a good collection of coupons this way, it is honest, legal and supports the continuation of the coupon distribution.

As you build your coupon collection, it is important to arrange them by category and by expiration date. We categorize our coupons by pet food and supplies, cleaning and household supplies, and people food. The coupons to expire first, go at the front of each category.

The art of getting amazing deals is using a coupon in conjunction with a store sale and/or store reward. The place to learn how to do this is The Krazy Coupon Lady. Not only does The Krazy Coupon Lady teach you how to master this process, she provides you an daily updated database to show you how to get the most savings on an item. Instead of going through every single sales papers for the week, KCL does it for you. The website will provide you links to online coupons and tell you the date a particular coupon insert was printed that contains the coupon you need for this savings. The photo below is a screen shot from The Krazy Coupon Lady.

In this example, the deal is for two packs of two Nylabone Healthy Edibles Dog Chews at Petsmart or Petco. Two important factors that The Krazy Coupon Lady reveals in the introduction, is that both companies have member rewards cards, and that they accept competitors coupons. It is assumed that the consumer has a member rewards cards for the deal.

This week Petsmart is offering a buy one, get the second at 50% off deal for this Nylabone product. The regular price is $3.99 for one pack of two bones. A link is provided for a $2 for one coupon on Nylabone's website. Next, the customer is advised to use the peelie coupon on the product itself which is for one pack for $1. Finally, you will see "submit $1.00/1...via rebate app (Ibotta)."

Ibotta is a phone app that allows you to submit proof of purchase by taking a photo of your receipt once you get home. Ibotta then sends you a rebate check once you have reached $20 or more. Not all items qualify for Ibotta, but if you plan your shopping carefully, the savings adds up quickly.

The final cost of this $3.99 Nylabone product is only $.99 each when you purchase two packs.

While this process may appear overwhelming at first, the Krazy Coupon Lady makes it simpler by putting all of your deals for the week, including specific instructions, in one place.

Taking advantage of this process may require some changes on the part of the consumer. First, instead of listing everything you want to buy on your shopping trip and tossing it in the basket, preparation is vital. It can take a few hours a week to prepare a shopping list complete with coupons and deal instructions. That change, is perhaps, the most difficult to make, but it can save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars over the course of a year.

Secondly, be willing to go to more than one store. While stores may take competitors coupons, they will not match the in-store deal. Target may have a "buy four and get a $10 gift card" offer that Walmart will not honor. That's $10 you will be missing out on if you shop at Walmart for convenience. Anyone who has spent $1.75 for a 12 oz bottle of soda when an entire 2 liter is $1.25, can testify that convenience costs money.

Thirdly, become accustomed to doing several transactions, instead of only one. This can be very advantageous to your wallet. Not only does this allow you to use more coupons, but it can help pay for itself. For example, Target may offer a $10 gift card if you purchase 2 large bags of Pedigree Dog Food. Buy 4 bags in two separate transactions. Use 2 Pedigree coupons for each bag in the first purchase, and two in the second purchase. On the second purchase, use the $10 gift card to help pay for the second purchase. You will have another $10 gift card for other purchases or for your next visit.  

Fourthly, be prepared to frustrate cashiers and other customers. Many cashiers dislike having a person with loads of coupons in their line. It slows their line down and they may be judged by their employer on the number of customers they were able to process during a given shift. For this reason, ask the store manager how he or she would like for you to check out. At Target, the manager asked us to go to customer service when we have multiple transactions or lots of coupons. It is also a good practice to tell the customers behind you that your transactions may take some time. This offers them the opportunity to go to another line if preferred.

Finally, learn to stockpile frequently used items. Shampoos, body wash, paper towels, non-perishable foods are just a few of the items we stockpile. The Krazy Coupon Lady website will often tell you when a product is at a stock-up price. This may mean you will only need to buy shampoo once or twice a year, but you will have purchased it at phenomenal prices.

As you learn more about saving big with coupons, you will find it advantageous to add other savings apps to your smartphone.  Cartwheel, an app for Target, is one example. Cartwheel allows you to choose from hundreds of offers with discounts of 5-50%. Choose an offer and add it to your Cartwheel list, then scan your bar code in store, and save.

The more you investigate the opportunities for savings, the more excited you will become.

Learning to super-coupon and how to stack deals does have a learning curve.  However, once you bring home a trunk full of supplies for the price you used to pay for a few bags of groceries, you will be H O O K E D.

 

The Rain Barrel Experiment, Liquid Gold, & Drying Racks

The summer has been one of experiments. Two lesbians getting legally married without protests and mean people. With the exception of a few inconsequential people, most folks here in the Bible Belt have been pretty nice to us. Once we won our right to marry, we had ice cream.

We are always trying to find ways to save money and be more efficient. So following the 30 minute ice cream honeymoon, we tried prepping our meals for the week every Sunday. We could predict how much money we would spend every month. Normally it was between $50-80 per week for 2 people eating 3 meals and 2 snacks.  If it wasn't on the list for our meal prep, we didn't purchase it. Sunday was busy, but the rest of the week was free from cooking. It was superb.

Then came the mason jar salad incident ...well, lets just say, it didn't go so well. We dropped that idea like a hot, well seasoned, skillet.

Finally, we hit pay dirt. One of our biggest money savers so far, RAIN BARRELS!

The idea came from where all ideas come from.... Facebook.

A friend took a photo of his rain barrel and I found out that they were only $40 each, with free delivery. At first, we ordered one barrel and Jamie's dad installed it.

Then it RAINED, I tell you....it RAINED.

Like, a lot. 

The water hitting our eastern facing roof all funneled into the barrel and was coming out of the overflow valve.

We were stunned. We had no idea how much free water we had been missing out on.

One rain barrel quickly became two.

Then a huge rainstorm hit.

Both rain barrels quickly filled. The 5 gallon buckets under the overflow valve couldn't keep up. 

 My dear sweet, stubborn and money conscious better half, filled every bucket we had. Soaking wet, she carried full buckets, emptied them in the house and went back for more. She rinsed out and disinfected 50 gallon trash cans and put them under the overflow. It was like money running in these wonderfully full garbage cans.

At least until we discovered a tiny hole in one garbage can had emptied every single gallon.

No worries, however, as the rain continued for days. The bad garbage can was used for.....well....garbage and another was used as an overflow tank.

We filled bucket after bucket over the next few days using at least 200 gallons of free water to wash laundry, water the pets, water the plants, mop the floors, and with added bleach, even wash dishes.

Our water consumption has dropped dramatically. One single rain storm can keep us flowing with free water for a week. We have found that less laundry detergent is required with rain water. Perhaps it is not as hard as tap water.

We hang our clothes outside when the weather allows, but we invested a small amount of money that allows us to dry our clothes inside instead of using our gas-powered dryer.

I would show you a picture of the laundry room, but my underwear is hanging out to dry. However,  I will tell you about some of the items we used to dry our clothes inside.

First we bought a sturdy  3 Tier Drying Rack from Wayfair for $25. Next, for about $10 each, we purchased two Pressa Hanging Dryers with Clips. These are perfect for hanging socks, undies, and family cloth. (Family cloth is small strips of organic cotton that we use after utilizing our beloved bidet instead of toilet paper). Locally, we purchased two portable garment racks. With these, we hang our shirts or pants on the clothes hanger, hang them on the garment racks, put the rack under our ceiling fan, and tada! Dry clothes. Our final purchase was a big $1.00 plus tax for enough indoor clothes line that now hangs in our laundry room. That you can see. :)

With the rain barrels and indoor clothes lines and racks, we have spent very little money on laundry. A little electricity for the washer, and inexpensive, but effective, laundry detergent.

We've considered purchasing another barrel, but we have to create a good storage system for the water. In the summer, the standing water would help mosquitoes breed successfully.

For now, our friends are giving us their empty cat litter buckets with lids. For us, its liquid gold.

So while I hope we can forget the evil that befell us from the mason jar salads, I am thankful for the lessons learned this summer. The money we have saved can go where its most needed...our animal rescue.

Until next time.....

Namaste.

June 26, 2015: The Day Gay Marriage Came to Hawkins County, TN

                                               ~Originally written on Whisper Creek Blog, June 27, 2015

June 26, 2015, gay marriage was declared legal throughout the entire country and every member of the gay and lesbian community were no longer considered second class citizens. 
 
When my partner and I read the ruling, we jumped with joy and then cried. Those tears had been held back for so long. They were tears of joy, tears of relief, and tears of grief for those who died before they knew that their country recognized their right to love, to marry, and to simply exist. 
 
My partner, Haseleah, and I had been waiting to marry in Tennessee. We were afraid to get our hopes up that the Supreme Court would vote in favor of equality. We didn't even really expect to hear the ruling Friday and expected some kind of delay. We had planned to work on my book which is expected to be out by the end of August and maybe go to the gym. 
 
Instead, we were in shock. It took a while for it  to sink in. 
 
Haseleah called the office of the Attorney General of Tennessee to see when Tennessee would begin issuing marriage licenses. We were told that the county clerks would have the directive by the end of the day. Then she called the county clerk in our home town to find that the office was closed on Fridays. Next she called the clerk in our county seat who said they were still waiting for further instructions. She called the clerk in the next city closest to us, and again, they weren't sure when they would begin issuing licenses. 
 
So we turned back to the internet to read in full, the decision that made gay marriage legal in the US.
 
I don't know if any LGBT person ever expected to see this measure of equality in their life time, so it was with absolute amazement to read the findings of the court in the Obergefell vs Hodges decision. 

 

The court recognized that far " from seeking to de-value marriage, [gays and lesbians] seek it for themselves because of their respect—and need—for its privileges and responsibilities." 
 
It went on to define four principles and decisions that support and demonstrate that the Constitution, as it is written, fundamentally applies to same sex couples.  
 
1) [T]he right to personal choice regarding marriage is inherent in the concept of individual autonomy. This abiding connection between marriage and liberty is why Loving [vs Virginia] invalidated interracial marriage bans under the Due Process Clause." Its also why women are no longer considered the property of her father who sells her to a husband chosen for her. Individual autonomy means individual power over oneself to make decisions for him/herself in regards to marriage, among other things. 
 
2) "[T]he right to marry is fundamental because it supports a two-person union unlike any other in its importance to the committed individuals." This refers most specifically to Griswold vs Connecticut, which held "the Constitution protects the right of married couples to use contraception." This meant that one's intimate associations and decisions were given to the couple, thus not ruling out a same-sex association within the confines of that committed relationship. 
 
3) Citing Pierce vs Society of Sisters, the court further declared that "protecting the right to marry safeguards children and families and thus draws meaning from related rights of childrearing, procreation, and education." Adding what LGBT families have been saying for years, "without the recognition, stability, and pre-dictability marriage offers, children suffer the stigma of knowing their families are somehow lesser. They also suffer the significant material costs of being raised by unmarried parents, relegated to a more difficult and uncertain family life." BAM. Thank you Supreme Court. The decision went on to say "this does not mean that the right to marry is less meaningful for those who do not or cannot have children. Precedent protects the right of a married couple not to procreate, so the right to marry cannot be conditioned on the capacity or commitment. In other words, the reason for marriage is NOT procreation. 
 
4) "States have contributed to the fundamental character of marriage by placing it at the center of many facets of the legal and social order. There is no difference be-tween same- and opposite-sex couples with respect to this principle, yet same-sex couples are denied the constellation of benefits that the States have linked to marriage and are consigned to an instability many opposite-sex couples would find intolerable." The court recognized that to have a strong nation, we must have strong families. To have strong families, we must allow marriage to all consenting adults, no matter their gender. 
 
The Supreme Court concluded by invoking the equal protection clause and the due process clause to determine that  the present "laws burden the liberty of same-sex couples, and they abridge central precepts of equality.The marriage laws at issue are in essence unequal: Same-sex couples are denied benefits afforded opposite-sex couples and are barred from exercising a fundamental right. Especially against a long history of disapproval of their relationships, this denial works a grave and continuing harm, serving to disrespect and subordinate gays and lesbians." 
 
....and marriage equality became law.
 
Not long after reading the decision, we heard that a neighboring county clerk was now issuing same-sex marriage licenses. We drove the 30+ miles to the courthouse and were the third same-sex couple to request a marriage license. A lesbian couple, whom we had never met, saw us outside the courthouse after obtaining our license, hugged us in victory, and took our picture on the courthouse steps, ironically in front of the Ten Commandments. 

 
We then returned to our hometown and drove directly to our friend's house. We were determined that the religion that had condemned us all our lives, would NOT be requested of, or allowed, to oversee our marriage vows. 
 

Our friend, Mary, is a high priestess and third-generation witch. We had a short, simple ceremony because the right to marry was more important than a grand wedding. 


Weeks before, we talked about what we would like to wear if gay marriage became legal. I told Haseleah, I loved the hippy skirt I first saw her in. She liked my black shorts and black top. End of wedding plans. We even had to find some temporary rings laying around the house until we had the money to buy some. We didn't care. We were getting married. 


We were joined by Mary's son and her dogs under a shade tree and in front of Mary's altar. It was a wondrous and beautiful moment. At the end, Mary's said, "by the power given to me by the goddess and the United States government, I now pronounce you married." 
 
MARRIED. Jamie and Haseleah, MARRIED. 

  As far as I know, we are the first lesbian couple in Hawkins County, TN to get married. 
We sighed in relief. We were safe. 
   
I don't know if heterosexual couples know what that feels like....to finally feel safe because you married your life partner and your government recognized and supported that right. Haseleah is not my "old ball and chain". She is tethered to my heart in love. We do not take this marriage for granted because we knew what we didn't have before. 

JC, Mary, Haseleah

 
Until yesterday's decision, there were 1,138 rights enjoyed and taken for granted by heterosexual couples, that were denied to gay and lesbian couples. It didn't matter if the gay or lesbian couple had been in a committed relationship for decades. Yet straight couples who just met could do drive-thru Vegas weddings with an Elvis impersonator officiating and immediately have those rights. All 1,138 of them. 
 
Just a few of those are listed below:

• If a couple is not married and one partner dies, the other partner is not entitled to bereavement leave from work, to file wrongful death claims, to draw the Social Security of the deceased partner, or to automatically inherit a shared home, assets, or personal items in the absence of a will.
• Unmarried couples are often not covered by laws and policies that permit people to take medical leave to care for a sick spouse or for the kids.
• Unlike spouses, unmarried partners are usually not considered next of kin for the purposes of hospital visitation and emergency medical decisions. In addition, they can't cover their families on their health plans without paying taxes on the coverage, nor are they eligible for Medicare and Medicaid coverage.
• Unlike marriages, which are honored in all states and countries, domestic partnerships and other alternative mechanisms only exist in a few states and countries, are not given any legal acknowledgment in most, and leave families without the clarity and security of knowing what their legal status and rights will be.
•  Unmarried partners can't always sign up for joint home and auto insurance. In addition, many employers don't cover domestic partners or their biological or non-biological children in their health insurance plans.
•  In addition to being denied access to shared or spousal benefits through Social Security as well as coverage under Medicare and other programs, unmarried couples are denied withdrawal rights and protective tax treatment given to spouses with regard to IRA's and other retirement plans.
•  Unmarried couples cannot file joint tax returns and are excluded from tax benefits and claims specific to marriage. In addition, they are denied the right to transfer property to one another and pool the family's resources without adverse tax consequences. 

For more information, see Federal rights and protections denied gay couples

Perhaps living in the Bible Belt made the thought of not being able to legally marry more frightening. I can't say for sure. However, I know my biggest fear was not being able to get to Haseleah if she were hurt, ill, or injured.


We already experience discrimination in the medical system, so our worries were indeed valid.


All I know is that, while I watch my wife sleep beside me in bed as I write this, I am breathing easier. She is now mine to love and protect, and I am hers. We are us. And now our government says our marriage is protected under the Constitution. 
 

People will continue to hate, to tell us we are abominations to God, to look at us with disgust, but I will look at them and smile because now we are legally married and equal citizens under the law.


Equality matters.  

 Namaste and blessed be. 
 

Our post-wedding ice cream celebration

 
 

Honey Bees and 3D Faith

In May of 2010, Jamie first wrote about Shay Kelly and Project 50/50 on her blog Whisper Creek.

Shay was attempting to travel to every state with only her camera, her dog Zu Zu and her truck Bubba.She was able to give the homeless a face and a name with her photography as she collected and distributed food and socks to them as she traveled.

It was, in many ways, a faith journey for Shay, and Jamie felt she was a lovely, living example of what she called 3D faith. 3D faith, Jamie defined, is the act of making a positive difference in the world as a result of one's faith. Instead of being a set of rules and regulations, 3D faith is inspiration to act to better the earth and the those you share it with.

Five years later, Shay is still trying to make a difference.

Shay and Zu Zu

Shay fell in love with an organic farm and beekeeper and now she is part of Bee Chama Honey, in  New Mexico. Shay also has her own skin care product line, Shea by Shay using Bee Chama Honey and other natural ingredients.

To get a good perspective on the importance of their work, keep in mind, without the honey bee, the human population would be in trouble. One-third of our food needs to be pollinated. Honey bees, do most of that work and they are now endangered.

According to a UN report: “The fact is that of the 100 crop species that provide 90 per cent of the world’s food, over 70 are pollinated by bees.” 

So Bee Chama Honey, Shea by Shay and other organic beekeepers are doing a very important job.

Jamie and I had the opportunity to try several of their products and they were, in a word, divine. :)

In addition to the extra-virgin raw and ulfiltered honey (of which they sell 16 varieties), we tested Shay's Sun Spirit SPF 15 Organic Sunscreen, Spread the Love Spritzer, Lemongrass Good Morning Cream, Lavender and Tea Tree Honey Soap, and Carrot/Honey/Citrus Lip Balm.

The honey is considered a superfood because it still has all the natural enzymes and pollen that is processed out of store bought honey. It is also incredibly tasty. We usually add it to our hot teas.

Having an autoimmune disease that has triggered a long list of allergies, I avoid artificial chemicals at all costs. Particularly those I apply to my body. Shay's products are chemical free. As it says on the side of the Spritzer "no chemicals, no weirdness!"

The prices are surprising reasonable. Normally organic products are out of our reach unless we can find them at deeply discounted prices. Now we know just where to go.

In her blog in 2010, Jamie began with a quote from the Dalai Lama that I, as a Buddhist and human, find beautiful:

"I believe an important distinction can be made between religion and spirituality. Religion I take to be concerned with faith in the claims to salvation of one faith tradition or another. Spirituality I take to be concerned with qualities of the human spirit, love and compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, a sense of responsibility, a sense of harmony, that bring happiness both to self and others."

I can understand what Jamie meant by living a 3D faith, and I can see that type of faith in Shay, just as she did. Its refreshing to see a faith that considers saving the planet as important as saving souls.   





 

Note to Self: I am Enough

I have a secret. A secret inside a secret, I guess you could say and it is our secrets that keep us sick.

My secret begins with this confession.....I was obese.

One day I walked out of the convenience store. My clothes didn't fit, so my tummy was showing. Two teenage boys looked at me and said "Oh.... my.....God."  Its all they said, but what I heard was "Look at her belly. Look at that butt. She is so fat." I heard nothing but disgust.

I went home and determined that I was going to change.

I started out walking five minutes a day. I huffed and puffed my way through it. Not only was I obese, I was a smoker. I was an insulin-dependent diabetic. I was on cholesterol reducing medication. I needed a cpap at night to sleep. I was depressed. I was miserable.

Five minute walks became ten minute walks, and then fifteen minutes. I finally found the nerve to join Curves. I took the American Diabetes Association class and began their suggested diet. I lost 50 lbs. After those fifty pounds, I was able to get off the insulin.

By this time I was able to walk and work out for 30 minutes. My apartment complex had a treadmill and a recumbent bicycle. In addition to working out at Curves, I worked out on both of those and slowly continued to lose weight. I walked my dog, Abigail, twice a day through the neighborhood.

I  joined T.O.P.S. (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) which is a weight loss group that encourages healthy weight loss. There are weekly weigh-ins. I stopped smoking as well.

I lost a total of 140 lbs and won first place for the most weight loss in Tennessee in my weight loss category. I didn't go to Knoxville to pick up the award because I had another secret.

I was anorexic. 

Anorexia had been a part of my life since I was very young. It wasn't until after my mother died ten years ago that I began to gain weight.

As I began to approach my goal weight in T.O.P.S, I started once again to focus on the number on the scale, not on staying healthy. As my weight diminished, my physician became concerned. She employed the health of a board certified nutritionist that I saw on a weekly basis.

I joined the YMCA and began to exercise, I sought out personal training with Pam Archer.

Pam taught me about strength conditioning and always told me, "Moderation, Haseleah. Moderation."  My nutritionist, Amber Reynolds was saying "Moderation, Haseleah. Moderation." My primary care doctor was also saying "Moderation, Haseleah. Moderation."

It took me two years to listen. I worked out 7 days a week for several hours a day. I restricted my calories to dangerous levels. It wasn't until a reoccurance of my autoimmune disease knocked me to my knees, and put me on medical leave, that I fully understood what everyone was telling me.

Now, I am learning every day what moderation means. I eat a healthy balance of all food groups. I keep a food journal. I watch my fluid intake. I do my best not to over exercise. No longer will you find me in a gym 24 hours a day. You will find me there, but for an hour or two doing sensible workouts.

I am still under the care of my nutritionist and my autoimmune disease is being treated by one of the best immunologists in the country. I take injections each week to boost my immune system. 

I'm living now. Really living. I look healthier because I am healthier. I lost a few of the wrinkles on my face when I started focusing on health rather than numbers on a scale. I feel better than I ever have. I don't weigh anymore. We don't have a scale in the house. I've learned that a person's worth cannot be measure by a scale. I am already worthy. I am enough.

 When the journey seems too long Jamie and I remember this quote: "You must have one successful day before you can have two days, and you must have two successful days before you can have twenty. All you need to think about is today."

I have missed my job at the Greater YMCA of Kingsport. I miss the members, the staff, and all my friends. It is my hope to return to work the first week in June.
Teaching others about healthy living is my dream and the YMCA helps me fulfill that dream.

I am still gaining my strength and I am having more good days than bad. I am encouraged every day by my partner, Jamie, and my daughter, Amber. I'm able to look at pictures of myself for the first time and see myself the way they do.

My journey doesn't end here, but I have taken a different road. A healthier road.

Winston Churchill once said something that stays with me and I find very profound:

"Success isn't final, failure isn't fatal. Its the courage to continue that counts."

I failed. I succeeded. I failed again. Then I got up and tried once more.

You can do the same. You are worthy too. You are enough.

My daughter and I. Mother's Day 2015

 

Baking soda saved my sanity

Jamie here. Haseleah's life partner and hopefully soon, her spouse.

So I have a bit of a testimony. 

I would like to testify-ah to the power-ah of baking soda-ah.

If you understood that, you know it was in the voice of a good Baptist/Pentecostal hell-fire-and-damnation preacher. :) I'm a recovering Free Will Baptist but still appreciate the passion of it all. People listen when the preacher is excited enough to end all the important words with -ah.

Although this isn't going to save your soul, it could save your sanity.

BAKING SODA. Indeed.

So I have a history with poison oak and not a good one. It began as a teenager. I was very much focused on God, being the good Free Will Baptist, until ONE day.....

I was naughty. I went up into the hills with the preachers son and.....kissed. Yep. Kissed a lot. Next morning I was covered in poison oak. I decided it was God's punishment for my indiscretion and took the itching like the martyr I was.

To avoid a similar fate, dear reader, memorize the plants in the picture above, before venturing to the mountains for holy or sinful purposes.

Many times since that time, I have had poison oak, although I haven't been able to connect it to a particular sin.

Unless you call weed eating a sin.

Yes, indeed. Every time I weed eat, the next day I find my legs covered. Normal people would wear pants. I'm not normal. I'm convinced each time that I will overcome the demonic weed and triumph in the name of stubbornness.

Alas, I do not.

Last night I felt like a million bugs were underneath my skin. One Benadryl didn't help. Two Benadryl did nothing. Hydrocortisone cream was a failure. My itchy salvation was not even in Benadryl spray.

By this time Haseleah had fallen asleep. We had watched a British show called "Cranford" which felt like some kind of punishment from God in its own right, but it helped Haseleah sleep better. I was hoping for a temporary coma.

But I digress....back to the power-ah of baking soda-ah.

After Haseleah fell asleep, I recalled the use of baking soda for itching and decided to give it a try.

I put the soda in a bowl and added warm water. If the mixture was too runny, I added more baking soda until it was a thick paste. Once ready, I applied it to both my legs. INSTANT RELIEF-AH.

I kid you not. It was better than two Benadryl tablets, hydrocortisone cream and Benadryl spray combined. Within minutes, I was able to fall asleep. If only I had done it before turning on "Cranford", I could have slept through it.

So I hope you can learn from my itchy suffering.

Baking Soda-ah saved my sanity-ah.

Amen.