When suicide, murder and loss marred her childhood, Nicky Gallas turned to a friend she could always count on. That friend was food. Food offered dependable comfort, year after year. With her 40th birthday nearing, she weighed a discouraging 212…
A major depressive disorder — usually just called “depression” — is different than the “blues”. Someone experiencing depression is grappling with feelings of severe despair over an extended period of time. Almost every aspect of their life can be affected,…
We hear a lot about China’s food safety problems, but we seldom hear about the growing number of people fighting for healthful, organic foods. Kunming, in Yunan Province, boasts some exemplary initiatives. Thanks to The Perennial Plate and Intrepid Travel,…
A couple months ago I wrote about a village in Senegal that ended female circumcision. Now, thanks to Donna Duke, I’ve learned about the “Dropping of the Knife” by 30 female circumcisers in mid-April 2013. The women, who operate in…
Perhaps the most famous photograph of twins taken in the last two decades is of Kyrie and Brielle Jackson. The daughters of Heidi and Paul Jackson were born on October 17, 1995, twelve weeks early. Kyrie thrived in her incubator…
Signs like this are popping up around France: “Nourriture à partager. Servez-vous librement, c’est gratuit!” My French is rusty, but I recognize this generous sentiment: “Food to share. Help yourself. It’s free!” The idea behind Les incroyables comestibles had its…
During 70 years of marriage, Jack Potter kept a diary. He had always taken notes about his days, but when he met Phyllis Clayson at a wartime dance in 1941, he had even more to write about. He fell head…
Three women on Vancouver Island are growing a dream. Rachel Fisher, Heather Stretch, and Robin Tunnicliffe are farming their way to a sustainable livelihood on three small, certified organic farms. Together they are Saanich Organics. Their explanation of why they…
When 6-year-old Dylan Siegel of Los Angeles decided he wanted to do something to help his best friend, Jonah Pournazarian, he decided to write a book of the most awesome, aka “chocolate bar”, things he could think of. His plan…
Baby Mei was curious, reaching out and touching the children she met in the class where she taught empathy. She was a serious baby, “a philosopher king”, says Mary Gordon, a baby who only smiled three times in the year…
