Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Burning Qualities of Wood

Oak logs will warm you well, that are old and dry
Logs of pine will sweetly smell, but the sparks do fly;
Birch logs burn too fast, chestnut not at all
Hawthorn logs are good to last, cut them in the Fall.
Holly logs will burn like wax, you may burn them green
Elm logs like to smouldering flax, no flame can be seen;
Beech logs for winter time, yew logs as well
Green elder logs, it is a crime, for any man to sell.
Pear logs and apple logs, they will scent your room
Cherry logs across the dogs, smell like flowers of broom;
Ash logs, smooth and grey, burn them green or old
Buy them all that come your way, worth their weight in gold. 

Thursday, December 19, 2024

The Winter Winds Bring Me Home

The cold winds of winter have arrived. When I stepped out side my front door, I was at once blasted awake by the duality of sharp crystallized air and the blindingly brilliant sunlight. My husband and I decided to go for a short walk and it was clear we would need to dress in layers as the temperatures would vary widely from open fields to protected hollows. Out of the depths of the hall closet, I retrieved last year's winter paraphernalia of scarves, hats, and gloves. Adorned with all these accessories, I decided to leave my binoculars behind; after all the migrations were over and these were only backyard woods.

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Ethical Shopping Decisions


"Shop wisely from ethical sources, and only buy what you need. Recycle, renovate and repair" 
Many goods made for the Western market are made using poorly paid staff from poor countries with bad human rights records. We must consider paying a little more for the purchased item in order to give a reasonable wage. In the past, children in India were paid in pennies, some as young as seven years old. They were tied to carpet looms to stop them from running away! When you can, buy Fair Trade Products that give producers a living wage. You might want to complain to the shop owner if goods are wrongly labelled, such as many real fur products which are labeled as fake fur because real fur is cheaper than fake fur! You can write to trade magazines also with your preferences and concerns and also tell your MP who might be able to assist with new legislation.

Thursday, December 12, 2024

Tonglen

In Tibetan Buddhism, a breathing meditation practice of giving and taking, sending and  receiving. It is designed to unite self with others. It is one of the special offerings of the self, with patience, concentration, wisdom, joyous effort for others and ethics and reduces self centredness and increases a sense of self renunciation.

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Dr Robin Wood - The Green Shift




 
Dr Robin Wood is a Change Agent (otherwise known as an innovation specialist). Here he is speaking on the Information Channel 212 on Conscious TV about 'The Green Shift'. He invites us to transcend and transform our lives through ownership of our future. 60% of people are living in cities, yet cities are places of pollution and waste. Stop - feel - question! By bucking the current system, we can become an explorer, researcher and activist and examine our choices and become responsible for a collective and sustainable future. He has been a Fellow at the Centre for Management Development at London Business School and at the Institute for Coherence and Emergence and is now working in 35 countries on four continents to increase 'thriveability' in business management.

Monday, December 9, 2024

A Better World is Possible

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: A Better World is Possible by Bruce Nixon, Published by: O-Books as Paperback: £14.99 and E book: £8.23 409 pages Visit Author’s website where you can download your free ebook: www.brucenixon.com

Bruce Nixon is a veteran change agent, activist, writer, speaker, facilitator and business school teacher and he is passionate about sustainability, global justice, inclusive democracy and non-violence. In this comprehensive book, he brings all his knowledge and experience into the analysis of the state we are in, how we got here, and – more importantly – how we can turn things around and create a new and positive society by facing “the biggest challenge in our history”.

Friday, December 6, 2024

Earth Dance

 
Elisabeth Sahtouris is a highly qualified evolutionary biologist and environmentalist, whose work mirrors that of James Lovelock.