New Year Resolutions: To Be or Not to Be!
BY ELLY SMITH
If you are like many, you decided that this is the year! No more COVID excuses, you are going to do this new exercise plan and eat healthier foods, right? Well, did you know that the second Friday in January is known as Quitter’s Day! That’s when it all falls apart, for so many reasons, and I am sure there is a book on all of them.
After trying to book a yoga class during the fi rst two weeks of January, I became frustrated, thinking what is going on? I emailed to check — yes, it’s crazy busy, but don’t worry, it will open up in another week or so. And so it did and off to yoga I went. One instructor told me that the fitness gyms experience their highest days of attendance on January 2 and 3, but by the end of January, there’s lots of space. Are people predictable or what?
So, if you are still kicking yourself or coming up with excuse number 32, take heart, you are defi nitely not alone, and say to yourself, you can do this. Just start again. No judgement. Don’t announce it to the world on social media — just between you and you, start again. Quitter’s Day is the new beginning for you.
Here are a few suggestions from our local health and wellness practitioners for living your best life. Here’s to your health and happiness!
Elly Smith feeling the joy.
Photo: Wayne Smith
Sage Postural Alignment
I’ve learned from my clients that sharing the goal to improve physical health is an important step towards aging well together. The inspiration and motivation you give and receive will make exercise all the more enjoyable and will help you to stick to your routine. Small steps in the beginning will lead to large rewards down the road!
Whether or not you have a walking buddy, here are some practical, easy to follow tips to enhance your routine and minimize your chances of strain or injury:
• Warm up before you begin your walk with some stretches. Some guidance with stretching and mobility would be ideal; there are plenty of videos online to assist you. For your upper body, do 10 to 15 standing arm circles forward and backward; you can check proper form online.
• Keep your posture upright. Adjust yourself when you slouch.
• Allow your arms to swing freely from your shoulder joints.
• Find a stride and pace that increases your heart rate to a level that you and your doctor are comfortable with. You should be able to carry on a conversation easily.
• If you’re using walking poles, remember they’re not crutches. When used correctly, they add a challenge to your upper body.
• Finishing with gentle leg stretches will leave you feeling well balanced.
Champagne Hill Botanical
Having relations with non-human creatures and plant beings is crucial for our human wellness. The Earth is an animate living entity as is everything that springs forth from it. We humans have forgotten the power and incalculable value and importance of the non-human. True human wisdom stems from the Earth. Be humble; lie down on the ground, put your
bare feet in the damp grass, run your hands through the flowing water of a stream, and cultivate a relationship with nature.
Wildflower Natural Health
Since antiquity, the rose has been widely venerated for its virtues and was associated with goddesses of love and beauty. Florists will tell you that the rose is the undisputed queen of St. Valentine’s Day, but it also rules in the world of perfumery.
Rose is also known to be tonic to the heart (as well as the liver, kidney, stomach and uterus), is sedative, aphrodisiac, antidepressant and emollient and aids with grief. All essential oils work on multiple levels, offering mental, emotional, physical and spiritual responses. Pharmaceuticals almost certainly do not have the capacity to touch all these elements of the human experience.
February is heart month and the month of love, so no matter which way you look at it — heart tonic, a symbol of love, euphoric scent or aphrodisiac — everything’s coming up roses! Couples massage workshop Sunday, February 12. Visit the website for details (www.wild flowernaturalhealth.ca).
Bliss Hypnosis
The decision to give up smoking is an easy one. You promise yourself, “tomorrow.” The tomorrow comes, and with it, the cravings. Those cravings are so powerful, so controlling, so uncomfortable, that the only choice available to you is to satisfy the urge.
What if you had no cravings? What if, in your mind, you were NEVER a smoker? Would it be easier to give up the habit of lighting up? Of course, it would. Hypnosis is an extremely powerful method for empowering you to do what you already want to do. When you make the decision to give up smoking for good, Bliss Hypnosis can help.
As a part of an elite group of certi fied hypnotherapists trained
in the most effective process to help people stop smoking, I work with your brilliant subconscious mind to eliminate the cravings, once and for all, in one two-and-a-half-hour session. Book during February and receive the “Heart Month” rate of $250. Your heart will thank you.
Betska — The Guru Coach
Our relationships will be strong when we communicate the following messages: “I believe in you. I trust you. I know that you can handle it. You are listened to. You are cared for. You are important to me. I love you.”
How can we demonstrate these messages? By communicating our thoughts and feelings, listening with an open heart, hugging many times during the day, sharing a piece of fruit or texting loving messages from time to time. Our loved ones feel special when we surprise them by making them a special dinner, creating a picnic lunch or doing something that will bring a smile to their face. The most important time to hug and kiss is before you fall asleep. The message is this, “We may have our ups and downs, but just know that I love you more and more each day. I respect you.”
For a free copy of her latest book The Key to a Happy Life or to book a coaching session, contact Betska@CoachingandLeadership.com or call 250-924-4545.
Ladysmith Golf Club
Golf is an excellent outdoor sport that may be played at almost any age. It can also be played by participants with a widely varying level of fitness, yet all will benefit from playing both physically and mentally, no matter what level of player you are. Players derive cardiovascular benefits from walking and the effort required to hit the ball. The swing motion and rotation
of the torso and legs used in the golf swing improve flexibility, balance and hand-eye coordination. The walking and ball striking enhance muscle tone and strength. Not to mention the cardiovascular benefits of exercise, including exercising your heart, sleeping better and lower blood pressure.
Since it is played outdoors, you benefit from lots of fresh air and vitamin D from the sun, which boosts your immune system. The enjoyment helps improve creative thinking and reduces anxiety levels and depression. Golf is a social sport usually played with one to three other players. You can make new friends and connect with old ones while enjoying your time on the course.
Pharmasave — Ideal Protein
Reset your body to burn fat and lose weight in a three phases:
1. Optimize fat loss and preserve lean body mass.
2. Learn how to manage hunger and cravings while stabilizing your weight.
3. Learn how to navigate the real food environment.
Coach Bev at Ladysmith Pharmasave has lost and maintained a 92-pound weight loss. Ideal protein is low carb, low fat with adequate protein. Gaining weight is natural, losing it is science. Bev provides one-on-one professional coaching, getting you successful results.
Nanaimo Curling Centre
Curling provides physical, mental and social benefits to participants of all ages. Physically, curling requires balance to walk on the ice, which strengthens core muscles and coordination. Because curling is played in the cold, it burns more calories while players walk about two miles during a game. The strength required to deliver a 44-pound rock is signifi-
cant, from either a lunge position (claves, thighs and glutes) or upright delivery (core, arms and legs). The sweeping motions employed are great for upper body strength as well as aerobic activity.
Curling also provides great mental stimulation, requiring strategizing and teamwork. In addition, curling is a highly social activity with teams consisting of two to four people. Following a game, players will share a coffee or beverage and visit with the opposition. Curling clubs provide numerous opportunities for volunteers as organizers, board members, coaches and many more.
Plantitude Kind Food
Plant-based 101 — here are some reasons to start now:
• Plant-based strengthens your immune system with minerals and antioxidants and reduces in flammation, lowering your risk of many cancers.
• Experiencing high cholesterol, high blood pressure, digestion issues or are overweight? A well thought out, clean, plantbased diet could help move you in the right direction to longevity and a more sustainable lifestyle. Science tells us that the most important thing we can do to reduce climate change is to lower our consumption of meat and dairy.
• Kind food just tastes good!
The Healing Nest
BY ELLY SMITH
This month I had the pleasure of meeting and sitting down with Linda Edwards, owner of The Healing Nest in Nanaimo. As her career as a mental health and addictions counselor for 26 years was wrapping up Linda saw an interview with the creator of the Harmonic Egg. She was so drawn to the concept of this ‘magical egg’ that she knew this is what she wanted to do in her ‘retirement’. She opened the business in late 2021 and in Linda’s words… “it all just flowed like it was meant to be”. Linda added in business partner Veronika Cerna in January 2022.
The Harmonic Egg® is a unique, patented chamber created to promote mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual healing and wellness. The Harmonic Egg® uses the frequencies of sound, light, color, and sacred geometry to empower the body’s own healing energy. By providing a vortex of energy resonance within the chamber, the client receives a TotalEnergyBody balance that is precisely controlled, consistent, and repeatable. According to the website www.thehealingnest.com
Prior to going into the Egg, a Bio-Well Energy Scan is recommended but not mandatory – it is a tool to show people vi-
sually where they measure on their physical, emotional, and spiritual levels and where particular organs are working harder than they should. The results show biofield aura and chakras, emotions and stress, and blockages in the body – what is drawing on the system. From this information, Veronika can help clients understand where they are at physically, emotionally, and spiritually to guide the focus of the Egg sessions. The scan information is reviewed with clients along with recommendations on protocol and the extensive areas of concern. A report can be emailed and may be shared with other practitioners by the client.
The Egg is a 12-sided structure made of natural wood which increases the resonance providing a more therapeutic experience. Each session in the Egg is individually tailored to the client’s needs and goals through the selection of individualized soundtracks and color combinations.
Clients are in the Egg for 50 minutes of which 40 minutes is the soundtrack, followed by a 10-minute integration period of silence. An electrolyte drink is offered afterward to assist with the detoxing process. Linda adds “in the Egg, clients are healing themselves; the Egg provides the environment for that healing to occur. The environment of the Harmonic Egg works on the autonomic nervous system. Our stress levels are high and always on these days. The frequencies of a client’s session harmonize the client’s frequencies to bring the body back into homeostasis; a relaxation response occurs which allows the body the space to heal.”
Use the Healing Starter package TAKE200 promo code for a 2-hour session which includes 1 hour of the bio-well scan and 50mins inside the Harmonic egg. Visit https://www.thehealingnest.com/ or call 250-739-2544 for more information and the locations in Nanaimo and Victoria.
The Harmonic Egg. Photo: Elly Smith
Cenotaph turns 100
BY ESTHER SHARP
On January 28, 2023, the cenotaph marked its 100 years since it was dedicated. Ladysmith sent 20 per cent of its population off to war in WW1, many of whom never returned — some to settle elsewhere; others to be forever mourned. After the war, there were too many men and not enough ships to send soldiers back quickly.
Those who returned early joined the newly formed the Ex-Servicemen’s Association. They lobbied for better conditions, job training or retraining for injured soldiers. They also wanted a remembrance of those who passed, giving meaning for those lives lost. Those in Ladysmith banded together to raise funds for a lasting memorial.
In October 1922, ex-soldiers met to design a fitting memorial in Ladysmith. Once they received permission, they started to raise funds to pay the $1,543 it cost. The design went out to Stewart and Willy of Vancouver, and it was ready for names by January 1923.
The criterion was those who gave their lives as well as those who later died from the direct effects of those wounds — men like W. Torkko, who was gassed; J. Barron, who died of kidney problems; R. McNiven, who died of TB; and F. W. Millar, who was gassed and later died of cancer of the larynx. Names were gathered of those who had left, never to return. Several were men who had left a year or two before war broke out (bank tellers who were transferred regularly). We often found them on other cenotaphs. Ladysmith had 41 names on the cenotaph from WW1. Unfortunately, there were 17 men who were missed. The organizers simply asked for names. With communication mainly by word of mouth, mistakes were made.
The archives researched almost 500
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people who went off to WW1 from Ladysmith and district. Fifty-eight never returned, as opposed to the 294 persons listed on the sign outside the Legion as on active service in WW2, with only 11 deaths.
In 1923, the city council readily granted permission to put an 8-foot-square, 12-foot-tall monument on the corner of First Avenue and Gatacre Street. Not the greatest choice, as in 1923, First Avenue was the highway between Victoria and Nanaimo. It seemed the priority was to put the monument in a prominent place, where it would never be forgotten. Less than a month later, the newspaper was reporting problems, with cars going the wrong way to get around it.
During the fi rst five decades after WWI, the services were somewhat different than today. Ceremonies were largely held in local halls or theatres. Speeches, prayers and hymns were held inside, followed by a procession to the cenotaph for wreath laying.
In 1949, the cenotaph was moved from First Avenue to Esplanade across from the old post office. It was south of the newly constructed Crown Zellerbach offices. When the main highway between Victoria and Nanaimo was being widened and straightened and new bridges were being built, bypassing some communities like Chemainus, it was moved a short distance south and further back as well. According to the Ladysmith Chronicle, November 10, 1955, there was a five-foot rise difference when they fi nished the new highway and a wooden platform and stairs had to be built.
It was decided after the 1956 ceremonies to move and redesign the cenotaph. The town found a lot on the Esplanade at the bottom of Warren. The pillars were removed and used for the four corners of the monument, and the top of the structure was used as part of the base. D. Greenhorn did the fi nishing work. At the same time, a cairn was constructed to mark the 49th parallel. Ceremonies were held at the new location in 1957, and later, there was a re-dedication ceremony.
Author’s Note: It was difficult to get names as the 2 year strike had many men leaving to find work elsewhere, leaving families until work and housing could be found. In addition the many British were reservist and immediately left to rejoin their regiments. A strong reason for signing up locally was that the men refused to join a regiment that that had been here enforcing the peace for the past 2 years.
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Cenotaph at its earlier location on Esplanade Ave., Ladysmith. Photo: Ladysmith Archives.
Money Matters
With soaring infl ation, repeated interest rate hikes and rising food prices expected to increase by another seven per cent this year, here’s some timely financial advice.
If you want to see your fi nancial future realized starting in 2023, you need to develop the following strategies:
Pay yourself fi rst (establish a savings program). Each payday, put money into a RRSP or TFSA before anything else. People tend to spend what they make. If you save fi rst, the remaining money is what you will spend.
Build a nest egg as early as possible during your working career.
Learn that money makes money, and the money that money makes, makes more money. This is the power of compounding, and it works best when you start early. Compounding is how you measure the worth of your investment when you add the annual interest to it. So, every year the interest payment gets bigger and bigger because the amount the payments are made on has become larger and larger. For example, if you have $100 at five per cent at the end of the year, you have your $100 plus the $5.00 in interest. In year two, you earn five per cent on $105, so you earn $5.25.
Take advantage of a TFSA or RRSP, which shelters your growth from tax. Remember if you earn five per cent outside a TFSA or RRSP, you will lose a portion to tax. If you are at a high tax bracket, in most cases, you are better to use an RRSP and get a tax deduction each year. If you are at a low tax bracket, it may make sense to use a TFSA and shelter the earnings from tax but receive no tax deduction. You will build up your RRSP room each year that you can use down the road if your income increases.
Take prompt action — just start no matter what amount you save.
- Victor Malli, Senior Financial Planner, CFP® Assante Financial Management Ltd, Ladysmith
Your home can provide access to the lowest interest rates available. With the gains in home values over the last few years, it is wise to keep the equity that you have built up in mind. Whether you are looking at fi nancing a renovation, consolidating other high interest debt or a reverse mortgage in retirement to provide extra income, your home’s equity could be the solution to put you in a better fi nancial position.
— Aaron Baxandall, mortgage professional, invis.ca
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RDN Area A Cedar, South Wellington, Cassidy & Yellow Point
In reflecting upon how I can best serve my community, communication seems key. Communicating what I am doing and hearing from community members about their needs and wishes are necessary for me to ensure that my priorities are consistent with the priorities of the community and that I serve this community well.
Regarding my time, in addition to the RDN Board and the committees that all electoral area directors sit on (the Electoral Area Services Committee, the Fire Services Advisory Committee, the Nanaimo Regional Hospital Committee, the Regional Parks and Trails Select Committee and the Transit Select Committee), I have been appointed to the Agricultural Advisory Committee and Electoral Area A Parks, Recreation and Culture Commission. I am excited to chair the Agricultural Advisory Committee and look forward to working with committee members to advocate for progress on local and regional agricultural goals. I have also been appointed to the following external committees: City of Nanaimo/RDN District 68 Sports Field and Recreation Committee, the RDN/Port Liaison Committee, the Snuneymuxw First Nation/RDN Protocol Agreement Working Group, the Climate Action Technical Advisory Committee, and the Yellow Point Ecological
Society working group. As well, I serve as the alternate for the Vancouver Island Regional Library Board and the Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities Climate Leadership Plan Steering Committee.
To improve awareness about RDN programs and opportunities, I post information and share other community events on my Facebook page: @jessicastanleyareaa. I will also post to various community pages but will be selective so I do not drown out other community posts. It is particularly exciting to see the recreational opportunities come online now that we have a Rec. Coordinator in Area A. (Welcome, Jessie Thorne!)
Regarding creating opportunities to hear from community members throughout Area A, I look forward to attending community association meetings and have decided to hold regular Town Hall meetings at various locations. These Town Halls will be to report on my work and RDN issues and to answer questions and to listen to concerns. As well, these meetings may also explore speci fic topics that are important to community.
For the fi rst Town Hall, I would like to return to the top issue that I heard when knocking on doors: roads. At all reasonable opportunities, I have communicated to RDN staff and other board members that road-related issues were the hot topic in Area A during the election. Although I have heard repeatedly that roads are the responsibility of the Province and are challenging issues to
address, I am convinced that there is a conversation to be had with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and others. I believe the changing nature of growing rural communities, particularly near village centres, require a willingness to address these challenges in a new way. At the least, I would like to continue this conversation and explore potential solutions. There is a woman in a red scooter that I see navigating Cedar Road — surely we can do better for others like her and for our kids walking to school.
Town Hall details will be announced when determined.
As always, I am available via phone or email. You can reach me at 250-2687359 or jessica.stanley@rdn.bc.ca.
CVRD Area H North Oyster/ Diamond
Area H Local Area Plan Open House and Ideas Fair - Listen up. Hear ye! Hear ye! Mark Friday, February 24, 2023, on your calendar. The CVRD is hosting a Local Area Plan Open House and Ideas Fair for Area H, from 4 to 8 p.m. There will be a presentation by Coralie Breen (CVRD) and Mark Holland (consultant) at 6 p.m. This is the chance to get the latest information and participate in person. I will be there the entire time. Rather than having a Town Hall this month, I plan to be there, to listen and to connect with anyone that would like to chat. We can plan for a director’s Town Hall in March.
The Local Area Plan is speci fic to our area. It aligns with the Official Community Plan (OCP) and provides direction (policies) on items such as community amenities, open spaces, heritage, community identity and character. The local area planning is in the initial planning phase, and the timing of completion is being developed.
The purpose of the Ideas Fair is to present the information from all the community circles that has been shared to date to help shape the OCP. The Ideas Fair includes six stations plus a presentation. Go to www.planyourcowichan.ca
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for more information.
How important is this? This will contribute to the future direction of development in the Diamond and North Oyster. Your input will in fluence the land use for future generations. All points of views are needed. The combined input outlines the hopes for our community.
The CVRD is sending out a postcard to all residents and ads will be in the TAKE 5 and Ladysmith Chronicle. But let’s not leave it to the CVRD and your Area Director. Spread the word between now and February 24. Speak with your neighbours, friends and local businesses. When the next generation looks back, let them see that we cared enough to show up.
Budget - Every year, I write about the budget. Budget deliberations were delayed this year due to local elections. And every year I’ve been a director, there has been signi ficant economic concerns: In 2021/22, it was the pandemic; in 2023, it is in flation and the cost of living. And, in the recent past, there has been extreme weather events, which costs us in lives and dollars. Then, there is the war in Ukraine, crazy fuel prizes and even crazier house prices. These events and factors weigh heavily on every household — and I am keenly aware of that with each budget decision.
I have heard concerns about the proposed 33 per cent increase in pay for electoral area directors. The argument is that the current pay (about $34,500) for what really amounts to a full-time job, 52 weeks a year, won’t attract anyone unless they have another source of income, such as a spouse that is working, a pension, or independent wealth. And, that the Board should reflect a diversity of people not just those with fi nancial support. What are your thoughts on this?
Yes, budget items are by no means easy decisions — and there are many rules set by legislation that limit flexibility. Every decision has a domino effect on one or more things, some obvious, some not so obvious. By the time this is published, many budget decisions will have been made, but please let me know your concerns. The draft budget will be presented virtually to Area H on February 9, 2023. The details will be on the CVRD website in the fi nance section.
Ben.Maartman@cvrd.bc.ca 250-5105930
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CVRD Area G Saltair/Gulf islands
It’s been a long time since I have had a new job, and stepping into the director’s role is exhilarating and humbling. I’m learning how to balance a growing company, a young family and my new role as an elected official. I apologize for missing the last submission to TAKE 5. I’ve implemented a volunteer communication team to help ensure I catch up on another submission. I’ve heard from several community members that this is a meaningful way I can communicate with you.
I’ve now had the opportunity to connect with all my colleagues, board members and sta ff. While we all fall somewhere di fferent on the political spectrum, there’s a genuine desire to serve and fi nd a positive way forward. The Board is balanced, as we have experienced and wide-eyed directors, which creates a healthy synergy. We should accomplish a lot over the next four years.
For the last 90-plus days (at the time of this writing), I have been working diligently for Area G and am excited
to share this update with you. I wrote a detailed and lengthy update covering everything I’ve been up to since I was elected, which you can read on my website at www.jessemcclinton.com/ blog. These are some of the highlights:
Park Advisory Commission (PAC) and Advisory Planning Committee (APC): I’ve met with, interviewed and vetted dozens of residents to form PACs and APCs that are representative, diverse, hardworking and visionary. They will be appointed and revealed sometime in February.
Saltair Centennial Park Revitalization Plan: After lengthy discussions with the outgoing PAC, CVRD staff, reviewing past surveys and residents, I decided to approve a short-term loan to speed up the seven-year plan. In 2023, you can expect construction to start for new basketball courts, pickleball courts and tennis courts resurfacing.
Stormwater Management and Slope Stability Bylaw: I’ve met with CVRD staff to discuss bylaw 4427 and an area-wide stormwater management plan. Things are still in the works, and noth-
ing is before the Board, so I can’t say much about it, but the conversation was constructive, and I’m cautiously optimistic we’ll fi nd a positive way forward.
2023 Budgets: For most of January and February, we’ll be working through budgets. While the initial budget presentation by staff was a double-digit increase, most directors indicated that this is unacceptable, and we’ll work to get that down to a reasonable number. So that you know, regional recreation accounts for a nearly 5 per cent increase region-wide and slightly more in Area G.
Public Transit: At my request, BC Transit is including Area G in its regional feasibility study, which will take two to three years to complete. There is no cost associated, and I’ll be sure to share more information when the time comes. Inclusion comes with no strings or commitment required.
Ideas Fair: On February 10, CVRD staff will be coming to the Saltair Community Centre to seek input from you on our new Official Community Plan (OCP). I can’t stress enough how important it is that we have a good showing, as your input will shape our OCP, which will be used for the next 25-plus years to guide the direction of our community.
Cowichan Trail Parking Lot: The new North Watts parking lot and crosswalk construction are starting. The previous Board made this decision, but I’ve looked at the plans, and while there is some concern about tour bus parking spaces, the net gain for our community will be positive.
My CVRD cell is 250-252-6525, and my email is jesse.mcclinton@cvrd. bc.ca.
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Secrets to Healthy House Plants
BY JO CANNING MASTER GARDENER
Many successful outdoor gardeners struggle with indoor plants, which seems a little odd, as all plants have the same needs: correct light; adequate and properly timed watering; correct soil; and nutrients. So, where’s the problem? There are two keys in understanding the indoor environment, which are often misunderstood.
The fi rst is light, the limiting factor to growth. Incorrect light is the single biggest cause of indoor plant disease and death. Our houseplants may look great
with the furniture but end up in spots with light levels that are far too low to keep them healthy. You might be thinking, “The plant’s tag said ‘low light’!” Our eyes can trick us because plants need brighter light than humans as well as the full spectrum of light (sunlight). Lux refers to light intensity. Lumens measures the light range humans see. The higher the lumens, the brighter the source. But we see only the middle yellow ranges, unlike plants, which need light in the blue and red ranges. It is called photosynthetically active radiation or PAR.
There are many lux, PAR metres and apps for your phone. They are calibrated to a camera, which is keyed to the human eye, thereby under-valuing the blue and red ranges on the light spectrum. They are inaccurate by 25 to 50 per cent. Lux and even PAR metres also do not measure PAR accurately, as they are also weighted for human sight.
Changing lux to lumens to PAR is a complex series of calculations and unnecessary. Invest in a few grow lights, usually called “full spectrum” lights. They come in energy-saving LED bulbs and fluorescent tubes. If your specimen is artfully displayed in a room’s corner, it is easy to make a hanging full spectrum tube or spotlight (with a 10-hour timer) part of the décor. Full spectrum lights can also help SAD su fferers, those who get the blues over winter, aka seasonal affective disorder.
Tip: The amount of useful light drops by 50 per cent for every 30 centimetres (12 in.) away from the source. This is why we keep grow lights 30 centimetres
or so above a plant. If you are unable to do this, increase the strength of the light source to compensate.
If your plant is a succulent or cactus, increase light levels through reflection with a mulch of white stones on top of the spoil or washed, broken oyster shells. Choose pieces with the inside mother of pearl still intact and turn that reflective surface upwards. Shells also leach useful minerals into the soil.
The second biggest challenge is keeping moisture levels correct with watering and humidity. Pay attention because plants have different watering needs. There can’t be a single watering strategy for all your plants. Investing about $15 on a moisture metre can ensure the plants’ soil moisture needs will match the species’ needs. Correct watering also helps ensure that the ugly white line, which shows that minerals have been washed out, won’t be around the edge of the pot anymore.
Correct humidity is equally important. Many plants are happy in our homes with 25 to 35 per cent humidity, but some are subtropical and tropical, so they need a relative humidity of 50 to 75 per cent. Studies at Penn State (https:// extension.psu.edu/garden-myths) show that misting the leaves is inadequate, as the humidity diffuses too quickly, usually within 15 minutes. The same holds true when using water covered stones under the pot in a shallow tray. A terrarium holds the humidity best: use a
Above: Light is critical to plant health. homesteadandchill.com
Left: A terrarium holds humidity. Photo: gardengatemagazine.com
28 take5.ca FEB2023
closed one for tropicals; and open ones for succulents. Grouping plants closely will increase humidity around them and even more so if a humidi fier is nearby.
Now that you understand the two keys to healthier indoor plants a bit better, you can nurture your indoor environment and add variety to your décor.
Certified Vancouver Island Master Gardeners are volunteers who provide education to the home gardener using current, science-based horticultural knowledge that exemplifies environmentally responsible practices and stewardship.
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Beat inflation — grow a garden
BY CAROLYN HERRIOT
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”
- Old Chinese proverb
It’s not too late to get creative about beating in flation, and there’s no better way to save money on skyrocketing grocery bills than to grow a kitchen garden or plant a food forest. And during February and March, there’s no better place to fi nd seeds than at your local Seedy Saturday or Sunday. (See www.seeds.ca for listings).
After two years of disruption due to the pandemic, the shows are back! From heritage fruit trees and fig trees to mushrooms and sprouts, everyone who has their hands in the soil will gather to showcase what they have to offer. At Seedy Saturdays and Sundays, you will fi nd all things horticultural and offerings of organically grown, open-pollinated seeds from local seed savers, fresh and adapted to your local climate. There are free talks and displays from non-profit organizations, and the shows are a great way to bump into your neighbours.
With climate chaos barrelling towards us, we can safeguard food security by growing food forests and kitchen gardens, but we need the seeds to do this. Thankfully over 20 years ago, we started Seedy Saturday (and Sunday) shows as grassroots events to educate people about the importance of preserving plant genetic diversity. Large transnational companies were actively buying out seed lists from smaller seed businesses and dropping many of the openpollinated varieties, replacing them with hybrids that have to be purchased every year.
These shop and swap shows, which bring local seed savers together in one place at the start of the gardening year,
have quickly grown to become mainstream gardening events. Right from the start, people resonated with the idea of protecting and holding seeds in the hands of the local community, and after 20 years, we are much further ahead in our awareness and readiness. Out of these shows, businesses have started, seed libraries have formed, school gardens have flourished and many projects to grow more food have been initiated. We are all collectively better off because of these shows, and I encourage you to attend the one in your neighbourhood.
Salt Spring Island Seedy Saturday, February 25, 2023 10:00am–3:00pm. Salt Spring Farmers’ Institute, 351 Rainbow Rd., Salt Spring Island. Nanaimo Seedy Sunday, March 5, 2023, 10:00am–3:00pm Beban Centennial Building, 2300 Bowen Rd., Nanaimo, Saltair Seedy Sunday, March 5, 2023 10:00am–2:00pm, Saltair Community Centre, 3850 South Oyster School Rd., Ladysmith. Cobble Hill Seedy Saturday, March 11, 2023, 10:00am–2:00pm, 3550 Watson Avenue, Cobble Hill. Duncan Seedy Sunday, March 19, 2023, 10:00am–2:00pm, Cowichan Tribes Si’em Lelum Gymnasium, 5574 River Rd., Duncan
In these stressful times, the benefits of growing gardens are endless. Would you like to get back into balance with the natural order of Nature? One answer is by working outdoors, using your body, enjoying the sunshine (and vitamin D!), just breathing and taking time to connect with the earth. I cannot describe the empowering feeling of sowing a tiny seed and watching the miracle of co-creation with Mother Nature. It’s magic that this speck of seed is so intelligent that it knows how to grow into the perfect plant, which comes out of the ground. It’s time that human beings reconnected with the intelligence of Nature: together we can repair the damage we are doing to the planet.
In February, it’s time to plan your future garden. In March, it’s time to prepare the soil to grow it in. We are experiencing uncertain growing conditions, and last year, I was still planting transplants out in June and they were not moving because it was too wet and cold! One way of getting around this is to grow your seeds out as transplants and transplant them into the ground when
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the weather and soil conditions are favourable. The increase flexibility gives a better chance of success, rather than wasting time over rotted seeds and no germination, as a lot of gardeners did in 2022.
If you are interested in learning more about growing a garden, check out the 2023 workshops offered by Deep Roots Farm in Yellow Point (www.deeprootsfarm.ca). We are offering handson workshops on the farm, with mentorship from people who know how to grow gorgeous food, herbs and flowers.
If you want to help with a community garden, join us at the Kiwi Cove Food bank garden from March to October, Tuesday and Thursdays, where we grow tonnes of food for the Ladysmith Food Bank. Call Bill Tilland to get added to the list of volunteers (250-924-5269).
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Tidy Spouse, Tidy Woodpile
If any of you women out there are looking for a tidy, organized spouse, take a walk out back and check out the candidate’s woodpile. I drove by one last month that was stacked so square, he must have used a laser.
My woodpiles, on the other hand, are freeform structures prone to falling over at inopportune times, say when my wife is walking by. She’ll shake her head in that peculiar way of hers to suggest my chances of winning “Husband of the Year” have further diminished.
Two weeks later, I drove by the guy’s square woodpile again. Let’s call him Woody. He’d redone his lawn, and somehow coaxed countless yards of topsoil to billiard table smoothness. Not a rock, not a twig, not a rake mark protruded, setting off the Outer Limits soundtrack in my brain. (Do-do do-do. Do-do do-do.) “There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We control the vertical. We control the horizontal. If
only we can reel in Woody.”
A person’s vehicle is another surefire indicator of tidiness. My engineer friend Bill’s car, despite being ten-years-old, is always spotlessly clean, and organized for any roadside calamity short of fullscale attack by Somali pirates. What the pirates are doing this far inland, you’ll have to ask them, but if their boat needs fixing after the attack, Bill will have the tool for it neatly stowed away, usually in the box it came in.
My car, on the other hand, looks like a showcase for the recycling industry: gum wrappers, toothpaste boxes, those irritating corrugated muffin wrappings (the ones I don’t eat by mistake), all piled to window level and lightly-seasoned by fir needles from the tree I park under.
There are tools under this sea of debris should the Somali pirates require assistance, but they’ll need a metal detector to locate them. But hey, if we ever go off-road and need to light a fire, I have the paper to start it. If I can only find those matches.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not messy to the point of being unhygienic. I’ll stop to pick a dead mouse off the floor, but maybe not the underwear he is nesting in. But in my defense, don’t forget that messy people are more likely to be geniuses. How else would I have thought about storing that dirty sock in the fridge where lower temperatures cause socks to release their aromas grudgingly.
Before you neat-and-orderly types march me off to the city dump to be tethered under the seagulls where I
belong, please be advised that being messy doesn’t mean you’re undesirable. Some famous people were notoriously messy, Sigmund Freud and Abraham Lincoln for example. True, their cleaning ladies committed suicide, but they would have died anyway.
And let’s not forget the world’s most famous messy person, the patron saint of slobs, Albert Einstein. If you thought his hair was messy, check out his desk on Google. It looks like every wastepaper basket within a half-mile radius had been dumped on it. Even my wife had to admit it was messier than my car. But hey, did the guy have a twinkle in his eye or what?
Rather than chastise us messy types, you should feel sorry for us. You see, my father was a slob. It’s not my fault the family gene pool was used as a garbage can before water and chlorine were added.
If Freud could push the junk aside on his desk and find my dossier, he would say my messiness was a learned response. And then, after gently prodding me with a rusty broad sword, he would ferret out the exact formative incident which pushed me over to the dark and messy side. Or, as Freud liked to put it, where all the muffin wrappers are stored.
I was ten-years-old and in my father’s domain, our small basement, where I stumbled over a box of junk. While stemming the bleeding I thought, “What a bloody mess.” And then I voyaged to some place a male Horrocks had never gone before: “I think I’ll clean it up.”
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So I did. I was just finishing when my father walked in looking for a nut and bolt. He then proceeded to dump a large canister of assorted nuts, bolts and screws on the floor, quickly found what he was looking for, then left without cleaning it up. “Ah ha!” I said at the time. “So that’s how it’s done.” Whether the same thing happened to Einstein or not, I’m uncertain.
But now a warning to all you women searching for a tidy spouse. Be careful what you wish for. Imagine being dispatched to Woody’s woodpile for firewood. You’d be afraid to touch it. Or worse, imagine one of the kids in Woody’s neighbourhood whose soccer ball accidently rolls on Woody’s lawn. Being a small dumb kid is a big help, someone who doesn’t recognize that anyone caught walking on Woody’s lawn mysteriously disappears.
For the males out there looking for a tidy mate, an even worse fate awaits you. What if you were married to the Queen of Neatness, Martha Stewart, who uses a protractor to fan her magazines? One mistake in that house and it’s off to the guillotine behind the barn where your severed head will be placed under a freshly planted rhododendron, the whole operation supervised by a cackling Martha who hops on her broom and zooms over to Woody’s house for a working lunch and seminar on magazine fanning. Should the magazines be fanned at the classic 33-degree-angle, or be opened to 35 degrees for a more contemporary look?
But I have a match for Martha. This belongs in the truth-isstranger-than-fiction file. I know a guy who is so neat, when he goes on vacation, he Saran Wraps every drawer of his chest of drawers. Underwear, socks, sweaters all get the treatment. Whether he Saran Wraps his wife or not is a police matter, but I figure there’s at least a 50/50 chance.
Final words go to our patron saint Einstein, who, one day, even though they hadn’t met, decided to put the skewer into Martha. “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind,” he said, “What’s the sign of an empty desk?”
Wine of the Month
BY GORD JOHNSON
Cono Sur. Spanish for “Southern Cone”, the somewhat triangular-shaped bottom half of South America. And an all-tooeasy play on words as well, especially when it applies to wine.
Cono Sur, as a wine company, was founded in 1993 by the largest of all Chilean wine producers, Concha Y Toro. Cono Sur by itself is the third largest exporter of bottled Chilean wines.
I cannot think of any other wine producer in the world that has such a solid reputation for consistently over-delivering on price-value. (other than perhaps Concha Y Toro?)
Six price-tiers are produced, the entry-level price tier being the ubiquitous “Bicicleta” line. They run at $13-14 pre-tax, but are frequently on sale. Textbook varietal wines.
Cono Sur began their “Pinot Noir Project” in 1999, and I’ve never been disappointed, at any price tier. The Cono Sur Bicicleta Pinot Noir is often on sale for $11, and although pale in colour it really delivers on character and drinkability in most vintages. Salud!
Pick up a copy of Delbert’s Slightly Corked for some great reading. $20 at the Mahle House, and the TAKE 5 office. What a deal! Slightlycorkedandmore.wordpress.com
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FOR SALE
FISH FISH FISH. Buy direct from the guy who caught it! High-quality salmon, lingcod, rock fi sh. All fi sh blast frozen at sea. Satisfaction guaranteed! Jim at oceandancer.wallace@gmail. com 250-245-5957/250-739-1123.
FARM FRESH
EMPRESS ACRES LITTLE FARM STORE. Pasture-raised pork: sides on-sale at $4.90/ lb, comfort food boxes, specialty sausages, bacon, ind. cuts, eggs, vegetables & more; open 7 days/wk; 2974 Haslam Rd.; www.empressacres.ca. Email marlene@ empressacres.ca; for pork sides & boxes, call or text Simon 604-578-0646.
ACTIVITIES
DUPLICATE BRIDGE. Join us at the Cedar Heritage Centre, 1644 Macmillan Rd., Cedar; Tuesdays at 12:45pm. Cost $5 per session. Everyone welcome — come alone or with a partner. Info 250-390-3773.
CRAFT FAIR. Every Sunday Carol’s Artisans: wood turned pens, quilting, woodworking, amazing sewing and knitting, interchangeable jewelry, hats, pottery, preserves, jams and MORE; 13467 Cedar Rd.; 10am–3pm; New vendors welcome; contact at petespenandmore@shaw.ca.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
TAI CHI for mental & physical health. Beginner class Monday mornings. Ongoing class every Wednesday morning. For class time and location and more information, visit www.taichinanaimo. org or call Sara 250-245-1466.
HEALTH CARE ASSISTANT with over 20 years’ exp.; care aid, palliative care, home help, run errands, drive to appointments, gardening and cleaning. Text or message for Jan 250-701-2909.
BUSINESS
I CAN EDIT. Copy editing, proofreading, structural editing and more. Fiction or nonfiction, web content and eBook prep. For more information, editican@gmail.com.
HOME & YARD
KB HANDYMAN AND YARD WORKS. Minor carpentry work, decks, fences, power washing, tree pruning, yard clean up, lawn fertilizing, mowing. Seniors discount. Contact Karl kbhandymanandyardworks@ gmail.com or 250-714-2738.
HEART LAKE ROOFING for all your roofing repairs; 250-668-9195.
ALL ACRES, providing all aspects of tree work. Pruning, falling, hedging, dangerous tree removal. Fully insured. Professional work at reasonable rates. Call 250-246-1265.
MAKE IT NICE qualified, experienced, gardening and small fruit tree pruning. Available for private, residential gardens. Please call 250-754-9346.
CONCRETE RESULTS. Foundations, retaining walls, patios, driveways, walks and stairs. Full forming and finishing. 40 years’ exp.. Email Gord concreteresults@live.com
TAKE 5 ADS work! 250-245-7015.
PAINTER. Certified Journeyman. Clean, efficient, respectful, punctual, responsible. 20+ years’ experience. WCB coverage. Enhance your enjoyment of the home you love. Call Howard 250-245-2751.
DARRELL ESSAR RENOVATIONS. Over 35 years’ experience, certified journeyman carpenter. For free estimate, call Darrell 250-714-3823.
ISLAND PRUNING. Professional tree care from large scale orchards to budding new trees. I can meet any pruning need. Shrubs, vines and ornamental. Large & small clean ups. Call Darcy Belcourt 250-323-1260.
PLUMBING SERVICES. Journeyman Red Seal Plumber with over 30 years’ experience for repairs, leaks, installations or renovations. Free estimates and reasonable rates. Call Joe (leave a message) or text 250-246-5883.
TAKE 5 WORKS! ads@take5.ca
PETS
PROFESSIONAL PET CARE SERVICE, “Leash ’em & walk ’em” with Marlena. I have Animal First Aid, CPR and criminal record check. My service for all pet includes dog walking, home care visits, overnight in your home and much more. As my love is yours! Call 250-246-9368.
THE PET NANNY is back. I have cared for animals for the last 7 years. I offer overnight care at your home or daily home visits for pets or home security. Email sburchard@hotmail.ca or phone 250-9248809.
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Love ... Unconditionally
“
All you need is love.”
- John Lennon, July 1967
For a long, long time, since I was a wee bairn, I’ve linked February with Valentine’s Day. You know the book of cards you gave out (and received) from classmates, in an envelope that had its own fake stamp, or your own SWAK on the back. Later, it was fancier cards, chocolates, flowers. I was lucky. I got all three, and the flowers were always in a pot so they lived on and on ... if I remembered to water them.
I don’t recall any stat holiday in this month until about a decade ago. Now PEI has Islander Day, Manitoba has Louis Reil Day, Nova Scotia has Heritage Day. In BC, it’s Family Day. But a day officially, speci fically set aside and honouring love — no, nyet, nein, nada.
Of course, to start my February TAKE 5 blathering, I consulted Ms. Google’s knowledge base on Valentine’s Day. Apparently, it’s been around for 1,527 years and was initially about a couple of Christian martyrs. Pretty sure it’s always been about human love. So, I’m going to shake it up a bit; put my own twist to this day of love by cranking it up a notch — unconditional love. When I hear those two words, I immediately think of dogs and cats.
Now I don’t want to bore y’all with yet another animal story, but hey, I live on a farm and after spending a quarter of a century feline-free and half a century (that’s right, my fi rst 50 years) without a dog, I defi nitely need to have my say about the incredible importance of nonhumans.
What follows is a true story. It happened to me way back when I was a fairly new RN at the Ottawa General Hospital. To this day, I tear up every time I relay this story to anyone.
FEB2023
I worked on one of the surgical units, dealing with nephrology issues — anything kidney-related. I was part of the kidney transplant team, peritoneal dialysis creation/home teaching and basically all things human plumbing. We had a young woman who lived alone with her large dog companion. She was very sick and had been on our unit for several days. A neighbour was taking care of her dog. She had been quite despondent over not seeing her beloved canine, and although her hemodialysis appointment wasn’t until the following day, her blood pressure was literally through the roof and our collective alarm bells were going off.
Her nephrologist came in after hours to set up an emergency dialysis treatment. That specialized unit was already closed, but he quickly secured the trained staff and I rushed her down to the unit. There she was, in a huge La-Z-Boy chair, honking-big “cycler” machines all around her, unable to sti fle her sobs. The doc swore us all to secrecy.
All of a sudden, outside the big bay windows came her neighbour with big Buddy, his tail just awagging when he saw her. She let out a squeal, the doors opened and Buddy was escorted in and by her side in moments. Now this was the most amazing and totally educational moment for me. I watched the continuous vital signs machine. Her pulse immediately slowed, and her blood pressure, just like magic, started to go down, down, down. But it wasn’t magic at all. It was Buddy. I think that dog saved her life.
I was flabbergasted. Still am. My respect for animals increased exponentially overnight.
When we came out to the Island and I joined the NRGH team, I did a stint on the “awaiting placement” unit. There was a dog with proper hospital picture ID tags that used to come onto the unit every
week and do his “rounds.” Better than any medicine or happy drug we could have dispensed! He breathed that spark of life, that calm in the face of despair, as he would gently put his front paws on the bed and feel the caress of a person in need of solace, of comfort, of unconditional love.
It’s not just dogs that have this gift. Cats, horses, rabbits and, I’m told, even rats (sheesh!) have healing powers. Interacting with animals, playing, petting, just hanging out together decreases your body’s cortisone level, cholesterol and triglyceride levels — that lowers your blood pressure. They also prompt the body into releasing prolactin, oxytocin and serotonin, hormones associated with stress reduction and relaxation.
It would be a few years before we had our own bevy of animals. At one point here on Thistledown Farm, there were seven collies, two cats, three sheep and two horses (and a partridge in a pear tree!). And to say that some of them helped me and continue to heal me through my most traumatic times ... well, it would be a total understatement.
What a gift these creatures are. And although I can’t give them a card or flowers or defi nitely not chocolate on Valentine’s Day, I plan to be extra caring to each and every one of them. Give them extra lov’in because, well, they all deserve it.
Jackie never tires of writing about the animals in her life, oftentimes remembering the wise words of that famous author Anonymous — “My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am” — as she continues to farm that 20acre organic slice of paradise in Cedar.
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Unconditional love - the furry type. Photo submitted.
- Editor
BY MARY ELLEN KONYER, NANAIMO CURLING CLUB
