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I have been so busy this month that I forgot that the Nature Moms site and this blog turned one year old this month. It has been such a pleasure starting and running this site and I get many emails each month from site visitors letting me know how much they love it. I appreciate all the feedback.

I have tons of ideas and plans for the future. I am looking forward to a great year number two!

I recently found a hilarious video clip on Youtube about the true contents of the flu shot. The clip show how people do not know what it is in the secret serum they are injecting themselves with it. This is a must watch!

What is in a Flu Shot?



Just a last minute idea for those that stress over Thanksgiving.

The Thanksgiving Guide -Incuded is a complete menu with healthy recipes and nutritional infomration, a shopping list, and a planner. I have a copy of this guide and really covers everything from the menu to the centerpiece you put on the table. If you have a hard time planning or coming up with fresh ideas then you NEED this book.

 And one other thing. If you are bit worried about excess weight gain…this time of year is a big concern for many….then check out the Eat4Today blog for a little inspiration.

Well, this has been one rough year! But of course at this time of year we start to think about what we are thankful for. Initially it was a little hard to remember all the good things since I have had so many struggles this year, inlcuding a cancer diagnosis that sent me reeling. But even that bit of bad news has brought about some good things.

This week I came to the realization that life is to short and unpredictable to settle for anything less than what you want. There are so many things I want to do with my life but I always saved them for later. Well, what I was really doing was saving my life for later and this past June I spent many days in a hospital bed wondering if there would be a later for me. At that moment it made no sense to save anything for later. I am thankful now for that experience because it has made me see that when my chemo is over and my PET scan shows that I am cancer free I need to start doing the things I always wanted to do…no more saving for later. I am most thankful for that realization.

But of course I have way more than that to be thankful for. Here is my list.

I am thankful for:

My parents - They are my heroes and without them I would be lost.

My children - Who are healthy and happy and who have given me three reasons to fight this cancer.

My husband - Who has been my best friend since I was 16 years old. I love him as much today as I did back then.

My baby brother - Who has been the only one who didn’t obsess about my condition and worried more about what movies and activities he could take me to and get my mind off of things.

Deb and Joe in Ohio - Thanks for all your love and support.

My online friends -  who have helped me keep my business afloat while I struggled this year or who just provided words of encouragement and support. Friends like - Dawn Calgaro, Deb Hoppe, Beth, Leah, Carolyn, Erin, The former Goddesses (you know who you are), Carrie Lauth and many others.

The staff at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center - Great individuals like Dr. Halepota, Shannon, Cathy, Linda, Carol, and Charlene have helped me during a tough time. I especially thank Shannon who has listened to all my complaining and set me up for a wonderful treat…5 days of IV fluid infusions. I felt halfway normal this week!

Dr. Sammy - Your skilled hands saved my life. I will be forever grateful.

The Butterscotch Martini Girls - who help my mom to get away and take a breather from her role as caregiver to sickly old me from time to time.

John and Cookie - You are the best next door neighbors anyone could ask for. Thanks for taking care of everything while I am away. I can’t wait to come home this summer and see what you have done with the garden. I am sure it will be gorgeous!

Mom Masterminds - They have helped me grow my passive income and my business in general so that even when I am hospitalized the money keeps coming. Thanks ladies you are the best!

The ohio online forum - You help me stay connected to my home while I am away and argue about politics and environmental issues, which I love to do.

The New River School and Ms. Gahn - You have made my baby’s first year of school very special.

My Blog readers - Thanks for reading!

Well, I guess I better stop now. This post is getting long. If you have blogged about being thankful leave me a comment with a link! Thanks!

Lately I have been thinking I might just buy a Thanksgiving Feast from Wild Oats or Whole Foods. They do all the cooking and you get the benefit of eating organic and healthy foods. At about $130.00 to $180.00 depending on the size of the feast I thought this might be a good way to go. If you don’t want to cook but you want healthy food then this is a great plan.

But this week I stumbled upon some other great finds. Costco has a large selction of organic turkeys! I think a 12 pound bird was about $65.00. They also had some organic wine and a few other organic foods that would be good for Turkey Day, including organic Tapioca pudding for desert, or perhaps the Tapioca could be blended with some almond milk and sprinkled with Nutmeg to make healthy Egg Nog, courtesy of my new Vita Mix. If I could just find someone to do the cooking then I will be set.

I would love to hear about what other natural mommys will be doing to keep Turkey Day Healthy. Leave me a comment with your ideas and suggestions!

Yes, I know this headline sounds outrageous but it is true. Recently a Delta airlines flight attendant had a family removed from their flight prior to takeoff because the mother was breastfeeding her baby and declined to put an airplane blanket over top of the baby to “hide” what she was doing. The mother insists that she was being discreet, being seated in the second to last row, near the window, with her husband on the other side of her, and no part of her breast was exposed. It is worth mentioning that they were in the state of Vermont which protects the rights of breastfeeding moms to breastfeed in public.

I for one am outraged as I flew many times with breastfeeding babies and had no such issues. Airplanes are a haven for germs AND nurisng during takeoff and landing helps keep baby’s ears from hurting from the air pressure. Babies NEED to nurse on airplanes. I encourage everyone to write to Delta about this and let them know this is not right!

Here is more about what happened.

If you read this blog regularly then you know that I love the short videos called The Meatrix. Well they just released another one called the Meatrix II 1/2. In this movie Moopheus, Leo and Chickity learn firsthand about the problems with meat processing, including horrific worker injuries and manure in our food.

I also found another video this week that is promoting the upcoming release of Fast Food Nation the movie on November 17. It is called Backwards Hamburger and it traces the fast food you are eating in your car to the source. It is pretty graphic though so be warned. 

I can’t wait see the Fast Food Nation movie though! How about you?

As a part time resident in the state of Ohio I have been outraged by how close minded public officials there seem to be when it comes to raw milk. According to a recent article in Business Week, “They’re treating raw milk like heroin or crack,” says David Cox, a Columbus lawyer with the firm Lane, Alton & Horst who specializes in cases involving agriculture regulations. He now has six Ohio cases at various stages, and one common element in all, he says, is a sense of “vindictiveness” by the state’s Agriculture Dept. (ODA). “I think there’s competition among the directors of agriculture to see who can put raw milk out of business.”

I can get raw milk without problem in Arizona. This really saddens me.

Read the full artilce here.