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…
I have leaned back on a grassy knoll in Kelowna’s Waterfront Park and listened to the Kelowna City Concert Band and watched the swaying hips of belly dancers in Kerry Park. I’ve tapped my toes to the wild rhythms of…
A court in Marivan, Iran punished a man by parading him through the streets in traditional Kurdish women’s clothing. They could think of no greater humiliation. I do not know what crime landed the man in court, but his punishment…
“A succulent wild woman is one of any age who feels free to fully express herself in every dimension of her life.” ~ Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy (SARK) We know it is spring when this little finch returns to our…
This clever young man’s seed business inspires me. I also love the nose-tweaking nature of the name Zach Pickens has given his Brooklyn-based company: Rooftop Ready Seeds*. I have trouble growing any kind of plants on my balcony because of…
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…
OK, I’ve decided to come clean about one of my embarrassing habits. I chew gum. Not just from time to time but pretty much every day, when I sit down at the computer to write. I swear it helps me…
When a 16-year-old from Plano, Texas has her research published in a peer-reviewed journal, I take notice. When the research supports my bias toward organic produce, I pay special attention. But her giving me a new appreciation of fruit flies…
