I have been making one or two sales a month from my Cafepress shop (or more accurately, from the cafepress market) which makes me happy. On the downside, commissions are often less when sales are made through the marketplace, and maximum tax is deducted from your earnings when the customers are from the US. However, I will persist as this shop is a labour of love for me; I have a lot of fun designing products and watching my sales.
Once again I am back to the Body Ecology diet as things have not been good in the digestive department lately. I have tried some new recipes (note: do soak your buckwheat!). If you are a fellow Canadian and frustrated by the lack of availability of the Body Ecology products here, please look at my food page for some comparable items including water kefir grains, sauerkraut, and the main ingredients of Lakanto sweeter, Erythritol and Lo Han Guo. I am also taking some locally purchased digestive aids including CanPrev Digestion & IBS, and Prairie Naturals Enzyme Force, both of which seem to be helping.
***update 08/31/15: A new business has opened up in Calgary called The Light Cellar, offering a
"unique and diverse spectrum of the highest quality superfoods and herbs, including in-house hand-crafted chocolates, ferments, tonics and elixirs..." Sounds good! ***
I was recently tested for gluten intolerance (as well as a range of other ailments) while investigating the cause of my painful, stiff fingers (a new problem). However, there were no conclusive results. The gluten test verifies a previous naturopathic test I had done a few years ago - I react to white flour, sugar and a host of other things but not gluten itself. I have found that by baking with organic, unbleached wheat flour, and usually combining it with some other organic flours, that I am tolerating my home-baked products quite well. I also use a reduced amount of brown sugar and lo han guo rather than white sugar, and always throw in some chia seeds for an added health boost :) As for the fingers, the quest for understanding and improving my health continues..
I finally had the chance to try the amazing Wild Divine software that I have coveted for years after first reading about it (in Utne magazine I believe...). It is as cool as I had hoped, and quite perfect for a practice-from home type like me. I have dedicated a whole page to Wild Divine (see navigation links at top) so please take a look.
Adventures in online shopping: I have learned that I am not petite enough to wear fashions from Asia (regardless of what size I order) and need to be more cautious about ordering "organic" fruit and vegetable seeds from Amazon (I received some strawberry seeds from China that do not appear to match the description online). Live and learn!
A longtime fan of Dr. David R. Hawkins (seriously, if you have not read Power VS Force, please do!) I was happy to hear about his latest book (available on Amazon - only 1.99 for Kindle but I bought the paperback):
A major stumbling block as always, is finances. I have finally reached what should have been the end of a 4 1/2 year debt repayment program only to find out some of the banks are still charging me interest (beyond what the credit counsellors tried to negotiate), which translates into several thousands of more dollars. It is a long, hard road. I have moved home to my family farm to try to help out following my dad's death two years ago, and it is frustrating to work full-time off the farm to make ends meet and have nothing left to put into the farm at the end of the day. But we carry on. When feeling especially defeated I try to remind myself that if nothing else, a shift in my energy might be enough to get me through. We always have the ability to change our minds, even when circumstances are challenging. We do our best.
This leads naturally to my other recent discovery - the UBUNTU Movement. I stumbled upon it in a strange manner, being in the mood for something esoteric and deciding to look up videos about the Annunaki. I found a fascinating lecture by Michael Tellinger, which by the end had transitioned to the topic of modern politics. I have loved the concept of Ubuntu since first hearing of it a number of years ago, and now it has been translated into a political movement. Beginning in South Africa and spreading to several countries around the world, including Canada, this party concentrates on "contributionism" and a no-money system where every individual contributes their unique talents for the good of all. Look it up when you are in need of inspiration and hope for the future.