Canada in The Great War: Passchendaele, The Movie

I went to see the Canadian film, Passchendaele,
tonight. It's a terrific movie, and touching, in many
ways. It brings home the terrible conditions under
which World War I was fought, and the sacrifices made
by soldiers, as well as the nurses and doctors who
attended to the wounded.

It was Canadian troops who were finally able to take
Passchendaele and the high ground. However, this
was done at the cost of almost 16,000 casualities
over a three month period.

From what I've read, the German forces feared
Canadian soldiers to such an extent, that they named
them, "Storm Troopers".

If you want to read about the battle, go to this link:
Canada In The Great War

As I said earlier, this film touched me deeply, and
increased my awareness of the dreadful folly, waste,
hopelessness, and evil, criminal nature, of war.

I'll return soon, with a regular nature post. I simply
had to write about Passchendaele, after seeing the
movie.

I rate the movie as a 9 out of 10. Excellent!

All the best,
Laurie

Autumn Social and Old Growth Forest Walk Photo

Hi,

Well the Autumn Social went off very well. We
had an enjoyable visit to the old forest area,
and later, to Minamkeak Lake. The group then
returned to my place, to enjoy and feast on a
variety of foods, including homemade soups and
pies!

Here is a photo of the event.



All the best,
Laurie

Autumn Social & Old Growth Forest Walk

Hi Everyone,

Here's a Special Event Notice!

Date: 12 October 2008
Time: Afternoon - 12:30 following - we'll walk at about 1:30
Bring: Food Contribution
Location: 352 Mines Road # 2, Hebbs Cross, Lunenburg
County, Nova Scotia
Contact me: event@naturalhealingtalk.com

Join me for a walk to the Old Forest area on the property
that has been in my family since about 1898. We'll walk to
the old forest, where you can spend time looking about or
meditating or examining the trees, or sketching, searching
for medicinal plants, or following your inspiration.

Later, we'll return and share food with good conversation!
We can even have fire in my ceremonially dedicated fire
pit -- perhaps steep both black spruce tea and labrador
tea in pots above the open fire!

Contact me for directions!

All the best,
Laurie

p.s. Oh yes, parking is limited, so carpool, if you can.

p.p.s Will someone please bring a pie? I have a sweet
tooth;)

The Mystery of Medicine

The term "medicine" as used in this article, refers
to the word in its broadest sense, meaning those
things that both relieve and heal illness and dis-ease,
and maintain or restore balance to our lives.

I use the word, "mystery," because to some extent,
both medicine and the world are mysterious and full
of surprises.

Consider the "placebo effect," for instance. I've always
considered the placebo effect as good medicine in
its own right, because it demonstrates the deep
connection and inter-relationship between mind and
body, or, if you like, between consciousness and
matter at a cellular level.

Then, of course, there are many systems of faith
healing, and energy healing -- the latter includes
reiki, tai chi, and acupuncture. Those systems are all
remarkable and illustrate to some extent, this "mystery"
called medicine.

I think we should respect and learn from all systems of
medicine, both traditional and modern. For instance,
the modern allopathic system of medicine is amazing
in situations where emergency intervention is required.
The technical advances of modern medicine are
astounding, as are many of its powerful, disease
intervention drugs. However, it is an expensive system
to maintain, and can be very intrusive to mind and body.

We can learn much from traditional medicine systems.
For instance, shamanism offers valuable insight into
mind, consciousness, the physical body, and how
they react to ceremony and ritual. As well, we can
learn a great deal from shamans who wish to share
their knowledge about the use of plants and trees as
medicines.

We must never close our minds to learning about
the mysteries of life and of medicine. For instance,
what fascinates you the most about life? What are
the things that bring joy into your life, and give you a
sense of well-being and contentment? Those things
are your personal medicine -- they keep you well,
and you don't have to get a prescription for them.
This is part of your personal medicine power.

Down the road, I plan to write a special report about
personal medicine power.

Good medicine always,
Laurie

P.S. This article appeared in the 15 June 2008 issue
of my Natural Healing Talk Newsletter. If you're
interested, you can Subscribe at the Website.

A New Beginning

Hi Everyone,

Well, this post marks the beginning of a new effort
to post regularly to The Nature Writer's Digs. I've
been in a real slump with my blogging efforts,
generally, and look forward to posting with renewed
enthusiasm!

I plan to tie this blog closer to my Natural Healing
Talk website and newsletter. I'll be posting some
items from the newsletter, including the occasional
article. I'll also keep you posted on what I'm doing
in the natural healing, wellness, self-growth, and
spiritual fields.

In other news, I plan to hold my 3rd annual "Plant
Walk for a Pie" event, on Sunday, October 12th.
The event will take place at my residence, here on
Mines Road # 2, Hebbs Cross, Nova Scotia. I'll post
further updates in my newsletter and on this blog.
It'll be a fun day!

All the best, for this time,
Laurie

Mother's Passing

Well, my mother passed away on Thursday morning,
August 14th, at the ripe old age of 93. She had been
gradually declining for some time prior to her
passing. She ate little and her fluid intake had
dropped significantly.

We suspected that the end was near, but we also
wondered whether dehydration was the main cause
of her condition. As a last resort, we sent her to the
hospital for fluids, which did seem to revive her,
but she suddenly passed away the following morning.

I went walking in the moonlight late last night. I spent
much of the walk thinking about my mother, and, how,
in some respects, she is closer to me than ever.

For instance, yesterday afternoon, I sat outside on
the grassy field, when suddenly I felt a warmth on the
back of my head and neck. At the same moment, I
suddenly thought of my mother, and felt very close
to her presence. It was as thought she was offering
support and a comforting solace.

I also had the impression that she was revelling in
her new found freedom, and had returned home to
move freely about the property where she had lived
for so many years of her life.

It was a beautiful experience, indeed!

At some point next week, I intend to visit the
Leipsigaek Gold Fields, to camp and to roam about
for a spell. I'll do it to honour my mother and as a
vision quest of sorts.

Until next time, may the Great Spirit Bless all of you.

Laurie