Essential oils and open heart surgery.

Yes you read that right. I’m coming off a mitral valve replacement with a hefty side of pulmonary hypertension. It’s my 4th day in ICU and it looks like there will be a few more before I move to the actual hospital room. I asked for my friend to bring the essential oil kit I’d packed in advance. Not sure if American hospitals would put up with essential oil but it’s fine here. If you or someone you love is doing a surgery like this, and they want their oils, I can relate my experience. But …

It's the Lunar Month of Ramadan

The Muslim world today begins the lunar month of Ramadan, which many of us know for its fasting: no food or drink, tobacco, sex or gossip, from sun up to sun down. The idea is to stop focusing on worldly things, to focus on helping others, to have empathy for those without, and to practice self-discipline and kindness. And it lasts a month.Ramadan is festive all over the world, with late hours, night markets, special foods, and a general conviviality and feeling of celebration. The world c …

Happy 2023....And Orange Love!

Welcome to 2023…….I don’t want to jinx anything, so I’ll just say we are ready for a nice year, and it’s about time. The last part of 2022 seemed like it was starting to go in a better direction, so let’s hope that direction continues. Remember, if you haven’t started off 2023 well, it’s ok, that can change. And if 2023 so far has been a relief, or acceptable, or good, or even superlative, then awesome, and hopefully that can carry through. My point is that we’ve been through a lot. It’s n …