New Bern, NC – Have you done that DNA thing with a registry that will reveal from what part of the world your ancestors came? So 
tempting. A great gift idea, too. Haven’t taken that swab plunge yet, but sometimes a very Nordic, “Yah,” periodically comes out of my mouth that I wonder, “where did that come from?”
Anyway, I am in the middle of a “domino drop” of sorts that started out with a random cancelation. You know 
what I mean: some ‘random’ thing that leads to something else that leads to something else? The dominoes keep tipping over in a beautiful opening of blessings?
This past September, I received a call from my minister of music and senior adults, early on a Friday, that a cancelation had just occurred for the senior adult fall trip leaving for Pennsylvania in two days. Would I like to go? Well, sure! Let me pack my bag!
This trip was going to take me over the first bumps in the road to widowhood: my husband’s birthday and what would have been our 42nd wedding anniversary. Coincidence? We’ll see. Keep reading.
Our tour of the lush and rolling landscape of historic Pennsylvania took our group to Hershey, Lancaster, Gettysburg, Sturgis, and other wonderful places. Every day was packed with good food, splendid vistas, great company, laughter, and new experiences.
One evening, we dined with an Amish family who served traditional Amish fare supplied by a local restaurant and who opened up for an honest and frank question and answer period. As a personal thank you gift, I gave her a signed copy of my book, Toolkit for Wellness, as a gesture of sharing, in kind, a bit of myself.
Flash forward to late November, and what should appear in my mailbox but a book from our lovely Amish hostess. She shared in her inscription that someone had given her a copy of the enclosed book 
when her husband had died in 2010, but that she waited two years to read it. She said that reading the book, When God Winks at You, changed her life.
She said that I will find my God wink when I least expect it.
This is not an attempt to answer questions wondering why God allows “this or that,” when I also believe in God blessing random coincidences at times.
Let the author’s website speaks for itself:
“Squire Rushnell teaches you how to use the power of “God winks” — divine coincidences — to seize certainty in uncertain times and enrich your career and relationships.
Whether you call it synchronicity or coincidence, it is not an 
accident that you just picked up When God Winks. In fact, you may have suspected all along that there is more to coincidence than meets the eye. These seemingly random events are actually sign posts that can help you successfully navigate your career, relationships, and interests. By recognizing the God winks our Creator sometimes places in our paths, we can understand—and embrace—the journey God has laid out for us.
As my wink let me pass on this random blessing to you in the form of a book-giving idea for the holidays.
Speaking of book-giving at Christmas – where did that tradition come from? I have always loved giving and getting books for Christmas. Yah?
Yah? Well, seems the Icelanders started it all off. Their word for it is Jolabokaflod, which roughly translated is “Christmas book flood.”
Seems that during WWII, books were one of the most un-rationed
items readily available to give as gifts at Christmas. Hence, a strong tradition of book ownership, reading, and Christmas gift preferences.
Whether we are from Iceland, Norway, or where ever, I can recommend not only anything from the God Winks books but also Out of the Maze by the author of Who Moved My Cheese.
While change is one of the few constants in this world, it’s the one we tend to like the least. The older we get, the tighter we cling to the old ways and resist anything new.
So many people in my community are being trust into change post Hurricane Florence. Out with the old, in with the new – maybe a new community altogether. Have you lost or changed jobs? Lost a loved one? There’s plenty of change swirling around us.
Want it or not.
I have to say that the simple wisdom found in this quick read of Out of the Maze has helped me in my own transitions of late. It’s a great book to pull off the shelf at the start of each New Year as we all move forward with our lives and pause to reflect on our progress or to consider if we are ‘stuck’ in a maze.
There you go. I’ve given you two great leads for presents for yourself and for your loved ones.
That’s why I call this Foodtalk4you, because these articles are
targeted to be ‘food’ for your mind, body, and spirit.
Don’t forget to subscribe by clicking the subscribe button. You’ll get an email when there’s a new post. That’s it. No hard sales and no sharing of your information.
In health-
Deidre
drop of water floating along…sometimes at a lazy trickle over pebbles … sometimes on top of a leaf scurrying along a fast stream …sometimes rushing along in the swift currents of a raging river. We ride alongside other drops in an ever-
changing scene. Some drops are carried away from us at a faster pace, but with the ebb and flow of currents we may once again float along with them as neighbors.
Bone health is a topic foremost on my mind as I will share my efforts to move that bone density scan from osteopenia/osteoarthritis to normal bone density. Hint: There’s a lot more exercise happening and collagen consumption going on.
This fall, I will also be writing the last chapters of my next book, Toolkit for Caregivers. It is a project I hope to share with others on a grand scale. There will be presentations nationwide for caregivers who need tips, hints, and practical how-to ideas for taking
care of someone who is confined to a hospital bed at home. The need for this supportive and encouraging information is great, and I feel “called” to help others walking that path.
you at the end of summer and early fall. Until then, I am listening to my body, mind, and soul and am entering into a period not of inactivity but of calm. My transition into flying solo has actually been full of activity but has lacked nature’s touch.
Ocean waves beckon. Stargazing beckons. Quiet forests beckon. I need to heed the call of nature and the deep desire to spend time with family.
world turn while watching the clouds above float by.
forests of Northern California was a holy experience. Quietly stepping into the ancient tabernacle of giant redwoods was life-changing! I return to that experience often to relive the awe and wonder of it. Presently, extended slow walks to the mailbox and some time spent on the back porch swing have to satisfy that deep need for now.
boat on the river or time sitting on one of our beautiful beaches satisfies many. Time to unplug from the rat race and reconnect to the REAL WORLD of nature.
The best indicator of longevity turned out to be the number of daily face-to-face connections we had. Smiling at people. Striking up brief conversations with strangers. Laughing about the human condition with someone while in line at the bank. Lamenting about the price of tomatoes with a fellow shopper. Little connections. With humans. Face-to-face.
Yours truly won one of the main door prizes! I had never heard of a Dash Caddie before, so the young inventor and his wife had to show and demonstrate it to me.
Caddie, which is a portable box that can mount into almost any golf cart or suction-cupped onto the dash of an RV or boat with ease.
may have some sense of a lack of fulfillment – or downright panic -with no added sugars. Dessert seems to be a thing of the past.
In the recipe section of Toolkit for Wellness, I included a few ideas to dress up these seeds into what I call a jam. If you add berries and cook them in on the stove, you can get a bowl of chia goodness (that will be prettier).
add creates the flavor. A small handful of dried fruit works well, too.
Yawning yet? 
expected to last 
life is NOT to kill you. Think about it. You are the host – their home – and they don’t want to burn down their home. What they want to do is MULTIPLY – pure and simple. Keep their species viable; alive and well. As long as you are alive, they are pretty happy feeding off of you.
These micro-organisms do all kinds of crazy things to stay alive. When conditions become unfavorable for their survival, for instance, some form spores. Spores are like time capsules full of DNA instructions and materials that – some day or century – when conditions once again become favorable to grow, multiply, and flourish, they will spring back to life. Presto!
Just count the 
You may have been extra careful washing your hands after hanging over the commode, puking your guts out, but now? How about after a round of diarrhea? Of course 
we get well! If the “stomach flu” is racing through your family or through your child’s classroom, it’s because of germ-filled poopy hands touching things. Those things get touched by those who, n
Well, how are we supposed to wash our hands you ask? I was waiting for that question. Let me cut and paste a segment from my up-coming book about tips for home caregivers of loved ones:
Scouring the house with Clorox wipes is helpful, but proper hand washing and not touching our faces will go a long ways in avoiding not becoming the next victim and in not spreading the bad news around to others.
stomach that just ingested a bit of the divine … that is … a spoonful of Coconut Ganache.
For my one post this Holiday Season, let me share this little bit of Heaven. It will challenge you to dish out this goodness with all you meet. Spread the love and possibly heal a past hurt by sharing the healing “salve” of Coconut Ganache!
gulping in fresh air before taking another dive? That’s me, too! Taking vacations can definitely help, but we need to “breathe” more often than that.
ly! Yikes!
In my case as a 24/7 caregiver, just getting away several times a week has helped – but only so much. Solo trips to the gym or walks around the waterfront answered only a part of my needs.
t has its place. Usually in group conversation, however, the talk bounces around; others throw thoughts into the mix, and more diverse news is shared.
week-check
appreciate its full brilliance.
Soil prep. This step is essential for a plant to thrive. Can’t grow in rocks. Think about it. Are we expecting our bodies to thrive while we ‘plant’ them in rocky soil filled with added sugars, unpronounceable chemicals, or ingredients that are incompatible with digestion?
an attractiveness to butterflies, bees, or hummingbirds? What are our goals? What is the effect of our actions today? Are we being true to ourselves? Are we adding beauty, yield, and attractiveness to the world around us?
a few weeds. Prune as needed. Fertilize regularly. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
buddy. Relationships are built over time. Generally, a consistent effort to reach out in friendship will break down barriers.
Time to apply the “Gardener’s Promise.” More sunshine (more effort and a wider variety of exercises), fewer weeds (sugar and carbs), better fertilizer (fortified protein shake for lunch), and patience. If you are doing the right things, keep at it day-by-day, and the results will come.
a bit the next day, I know that I am making a difference. Some recently acquired winter bulges are disappearing.
takeoff. What switches are we supposed to flip in order to “power up” our engines? There are so many on our dashboard. Can we realistically try to flip them all every day; or are there a critical few that will give us the lift and acceleration we need for a good takeoff and flight?
The goal is not to feel like a failed, spineless weakling if we are not doing these things. The idea is to lead a natural, comfortable life that uses nature’s laws to optimize health – and – to accept the responsibility of intention.
Granted, smooth uninterrupted daily routines probably exist only in fairy tales.
last post 
coffee is brewing. Did your grandmother do this? Mine did. She swore by it and lived to be over 100. Today, we know that a simple drink of lemon juice in warm water is a marvelous detoxifier, helps regulate bowels, and actually helps de-acidify the digestive system! Start by using the juice of ½ of a lemon in one cup of warm water. Swish your mouth out to eliminate remaining juice from reacting with tooth enamel.
Cookies- plain coffee just doesn’t do it for me anymore. Learn about this amazing drink 
One of the best articles I have read about the benefits and history of oil pulling is found 
mouth but the entire body because toxins are absorbed into the oil which is spit out. Coconut oil is highly absorbent so its benefits of moisturizing skin, raising healthy blood cholesterol, increasing energy, and killing toxins are easily accessed by oil pulling.
and put into your mouth and chew on it until it is a swish-able liquid. Hint: You may want to start with a smaller amount just to help yourself warm up to the experience.
o vigorous that you tire your muscles!
solid at cooler temperatures, remember.
So if you are not getting up an hour early each day for the ‘perfect start,’ then just know there are a few things that you can do in your normal, real-life routine that will definitely perk up your body and your day.
enjoy a big game, final tournament, or the Olympics, (YES!), every once in a while. What’s a big game without big game food? Can the words, ‘big game food,’ even be uttered by someone trying to, “Do my body good,” at every turn?
Wonder why that weight is not melting away after holding back on gluten? It’s probably because you have a cupboard full of gluten-free equivalents. In other words, you are still eating pretzels, pizza, brownies, pasta, cakes, and cookies. That’s a lot of carbs, folks.
done in such a rush, you know? I was hastily scanning the gluten-free frozen foods section when I spied what I thought was frozen thin crusts for pizza. A quick read of the very short ingredient list passed the test for no chemicals or high fructose corn syrup. Okay. Grab it. Done. Out of the store.
Prep an assortment of vegetables. I used purple onion, red and yellow bell peppers, mushrooms, baby spinach leaves, and olives. Use your imagination- colors and textures abound!
Maybe this paper thin crust pizza will become your go-to big game or Friday night treat. It has for me!
