WELCOME TO MY HEALTHY LIVING BLOG

Welcome to my ever-expanding blog site. I trust you are enjoying your day. I invite you to browse the site, read the articles and enjoy my photography. Your opinion counts, so please leave a comment at the end of the posts. If you enjoy reading these blogs, feel free to pass the link on to any friends you think would also enjoy it.

The purpose of this blog site is 3-fold: a place for sharing general information, a place to share about spiritual matters that will help move us toward a healthier inner life and a place where I can talk about my business and the products that can help us experience better health. Note: This section, though still on the blog for you to read, is no longer relevant to me as I am no longer in business since I retired in 2010

Thank you for dropping by. I trust you will consider your visit worthwhile. This site is a 'work in progress', sometimes changing by the minute, so come back soon to see what's new on MY HEALTHY LIVING BLOG.

God bless you today and every day. Remember, "A joyful heart is good medicine" (Proverbs 17:22-NASB). Blessings and health to you and yours.

Diane

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all photos on this blog taken by Diane Stephenson

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Susan Ross, Storyteller and Author

Susan Ross, former storyteller at Fanshawe Pioneer Village and London International Children's Festival is an author of books for children. Born in Toronto, Ontario she now lives in London with her husband Nathan and her menagerie of pets.

People used to tell Susan that she should write down her stories for her grandchildren (which she doesn't have yet). She spoke with David Carruthers, another children's author from London, about self-publishing. But then she laid her stories aside for some years. Finally she decided to "just do it". 

"It took me six months to find an artist who could do the illustrations the way I wanted," Susan told me. Then she found the perfect match in a graduate of BealArt here in London. Megan Stiver is currently at Sheridan College studying Illustration.

Susan's first book, "The Great Bellybutton Cover-Up" (ages 2-8), was published in 2008. She is currently producing one book per year. She published "The Kit Kat Caper" in 2009 and "'Say Please to the Honeybees" in 2010.

Look for her next book, a fairytale called "The Rose and the Lily" (ages 4-10) which will be available in 2011.

Check out Susan's new blog.    

THE TRAIN MAN

Long-time London resident Fred Zaza needed something to keep him occupied after he retired. So he built a workshop in his basement and started to make trains out of scrap materials. I spoke with Fred and his wife Donna at a small show a few weeks ago. Fred has made close to 100 trains since he began his hobby. He shows and sells them locally. Fred has taken part in the St. Thomas Model Railway Show and he made his largest model for the North American Railway Museum in St. Thomas. 

Fred says it takes him a couple of weeks to make one train engine. Discarded shredders from Office Depot provide some of the items he needs along with various car parts and anything else he can put to use for one of his creations. For one engine he used a small air purifier (see photo at bottom). Some even have working headlights.

Fred told me an interesting story about one show he did a while back. He had a number of trains on display when someone came along and started a conversation about the trains. Fred did not know then who he was speaking with. This man ended up purchasing all of the trains. When he asked who this man was he discovered it was the owner of  Farhi Holdings Corporation which owns much of downtown London. Founded in 1988 by Mr. Shmuel Farhi, Farhi Holdings Corporation currently owns and manages more than 4 million square feet of office, retail, industrial and residential space throughout Ontario. 

A few months later, Fred, curious as to what Mr. Farhi had wanted the trains for, went to his office in downtown London. There he discovered that the trains were simply sitting where they had been placed after Mr. Farhi purchased them. He didn't buy them for any particular purpose - simply to own them.  Just because he could.


Thursday, December 2, 2010

Traffic from Social Media

Check out the latest recording of the TalkShoe program on getting traffic from social media. Chuck Bartok hosts this interactive call with members of Beginners Marketing Class.  Join us live every Wednesday evening at 6:30 PST, 9:30 EST. Ask questions on the current topic, offer your suggestions, share your experiences in building your business. Timely topics every week.
Phone number: 1-724-444-7444
Call ID 13372#
Hope to "see" you on the next call.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Scouts Canada Hosts Annual Christmas Show

Yesterday I manned a table for David Carruthers in the gym at Spencer Hall, the Scouts Canada headquarters for London.
There were numerous vendors selling hand-crafted items from knitting to cards to jewelery to trains. There were wood products, home-made preserves and Christmas decorations as well as another children's author, Susan Ross, selling her picture books. (I will be highlighting Susan in another post.) For a $3.00 entrance fee you also received a lunch of sandwiches, veggies and sweets as well as tea and coffee.

It was great to meet and chat with other vendors and to speak with people as they stopped by David's table to browse. I was able to tell quite a few people about David's books and about his school and day care presentations. Of course I also sold some of his books to eager parents and grandparents.

CDs containing
all 17 of David's books.



David also has CDs on which all 17 of his stories are narrated.

Imaginative story about a boy
who wonders what it's like to
"hug an octopus","ride an octopus"
or "kiss a giraffe".





David's books are enthusiastically spoken of by all who have purchased them--children, teachers and parents all love them.













Rhyming picture book just for fun.
All about the letter "A"
to teach children
about the letter itself
and many words
beginning with it.
The purpose is to
enlarge their vocabulary
in a fun way.
A "Colour-Me" book
Along with David's books I also had some of my own children's books on display. These are books I published in 1988 but since I have been out of the craft show venue for so long they have been boxed up in my apartment. David was good enough to suggest I sell my books at his shows as well.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

One of the Biggest Book Opportunities Ever!

We are currently looking for affiliates to participate in one of the biggest book opportunities ever. Bigger than Harry Potter. Get In as an affiliate now...
Buy the novel for yourself and see what all the buzz is about.
Littluns and The Book Of Darkness

A DIFFERENT READING EXPERIENCE
Littluns’ hard cover, 411 page book
includes 63 full color illustrations.
Littluns is a book for the entire family

Imagine innocence of Light, the meek and good among us being unexpectedly consumed into a void of darkness.
Imagine a world gone wrong as darkness overwhelms the Light - offering little hope in a world gone wrong.
Imagine circumstances beyond your control from which your life will inexplicably never ever be the same.
Imagine  being stripped of your identity with no past, present, or future while wandering misplaced with a tortured disability and terrifying existence, within an empty space of nothingness.
What could you do - where would you go - how might you survive – can there be any hope in hopelessness?
Imagine being in such a dark place and how you might find ANY truth, peace, love, hope, joy, enlightenment, and your heart’s desire in the face of such adversity?
Author Mark Glamack

First and foremost, Never, Ever Give Up...
Beyond that can only be found in "Littluns."





 


Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The Candy Dragon Man

David reading book
"What sound does a giraffe make?".
Canadian Children's Author/Entertainer David Carruthers Reads to a Group of Children
Introducing David Carruthers, an author from London, to those who don't know him. David writes books for children and has published 17 books to date with several more in the works. "The Candy Dragon" is one of his books that the children really love.
I have been working with David for a few weeks booking school and day care presentations for him. He does magic tricks, basketball tricks, interactive story telling, an anti-bullying presentation, "The Cool Ghoul" one-man show, writing workshops etc. His main goal is to instill positive life skills in the children.
I Wanna Be Cool!
I attended one of his day care presentations towards the end of October, so I thought I would share some of the photos with you.  
As you can see, David involves the children in his story-telling. They have a great time with him.
The Cool Ghoul
 I'm hoping to check out part of his full-day presentations in the elementary schools as well. He has been in over 800 schools to date. 
Taken at a Gordie the Golfball Mini-Golf  Fundraiser
One of David's dreams is to give back to the community in greater measure than he has done so far. He is constantly looking ahead to greater things and is full of energy and optimism. He loves to do fundraisers, and one of his projects is to help the London Food Bank and, eventually, food banks across Canada.
                               
 Above are just some of David's books. If you are interested in learning more about David, please visit his web site.                                             

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Lemon Madeleines With Raspberry Sauce & Whipped Cream - WAHM.com

Lemon Madeleines With Raspberry Sauce & Whipped Cream - WAHM.com
I haven't tried this yet, but it sounds delicious.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Molly is a Friend of Mine

MOLLY IS A FRIEND OF MINE
© Copyright 2010 by Diane Stephenson

Molly is a friend of mine. Actually, she is my roommate’s friend and came with the package. Molly is very fickle in her attentions and allegiance. More and more she demands my time. I think she has a built-in clock. Every morning at about the same time (too early) she waits for me to get up. Some days I don’t want to get up, but she is determined. She makes this characteristic little noise in her throat to announce her presence.
This morning I am determined she is not going to disturb me. I turn over on my side with my back to her. But that doesn’t discourage her. There she is, hanging over my shoulders, nose almost in my eye, hair tickling my face. Then it comes, with no warning: the sneeze, complete with spray, about an inch from my eye. Thank heaven my eyes are still closed.
The purring, louder and louder, vibrates into my ear. Next she climbs off my shoulder and plunks herself between the pillows beside my head, on top of the box of tissues. I can’t understand how she can fit herself in that small space. Molly is 10 pounds of long-haired tortoiseshell cat, and generally takes up a much larger space. The purring accelerates and Molly begins to knead the pillow.
After wiping my eye I turn over on my right side, but she doesn’t go away until she hears her original friend in the hall. She’s gone. But now I’m awake. I might as well get up. I grab a tissue and now I have fur up my nose. Great!
Oh, oh! She’s back again. Now she wants a proper cuddle, face to face, nose to nose, feet planted firmly on my neck, the sharp tips of her claws gently kneading into my skin. She butts her head against me indicating that she wants me to pet her head. She loves to have her eyes rubbed. One leg slowly stretches out, the paw rests on my cheek momentarily. It reminds me of a baby when it reaches its hand out to touch your face. Molly’s eyes look so affectionately into mine. How can I resist this soft bundle of love?
Suddenly she’s gone again. I’m left alone, still feeling the warmth of her body. Yes, Molly is a friend of mine.

Stand Up for the Champions

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Free Starter Kit Your Book is Your Hook

Thank You

Click on the link if you want to learn more about writing and publishing your work. Free Starter Kit "Your Book is Your Hook" with workshop recording.

Monday, October 4, 2010

GREAT NEW APPLICATION - AND FUN, TOO!

I just downloaded this great application. It's a virtual piano. I haven't got the knack of it yet, but I'll keep playing around with it and have fun while I'm doing it. It's on my new toolbar from ThumbVu - http://thumbvu.com/blog/?p=206


ButtonBeats.com
 


Check it out.



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Thursday, September 30, 2010

ON THE GO WOMEN - The Osteoporosis Campaign

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How much do you know about osteoporosis? Are you at risk? On the Go Women is a campaign which aims to encourage conversation between people with osteoporosis and their healthcare providers about the disease, the importance of compliance and the available treatment options that are most suitable for their health and lifestyle.

Since my mother suffered from osteoporosis, I am at a higher risk of developing it. But I have done some things that will reduce that risk. One thing is a healthy diet - a healthy lifestyle. Eating calcium-rich foods is a good place to start. I drink almond milk on a daily basis and sometimes snack on raw almonds. 15 almonds provide up to 40-50 mg of calcium. Besides, they are oh-so good! 

Sesame seeds are also a good addition to your diet. Before I discovered how delicious almond milk is, I drank soy milk and ate other soy products. I love yogurt, and the best one I have found is Astro Balkan Style. Half a cup contains 15% of the recommended daily allowance. Cereals, whole grains and leafy green vegetables are also a good source of calcium. I only eat whole grain breads - the more variety of grains in it the better. Steamed salmon fillet is on my menu at least once a week. Also add some blackstrap molasses, papaya and oranges to your meals or for a snack.

Fruit is a favorite part of my diet. I make smoothies with four or five kinds of fruit and add almond milk, carrot juice and yogurt. Add a good barley leaf powder to boost the nutrition. You can make it with your favorite fruits and add vegetable juices if desired. There are many ways to boost your calcium intake.

One thing I did many years ago was eliminate soda pop from my diet. I never did drink a lot of it, but when I discovered that the phosphorus in pop - all carbonated beverages - leeches the calcium out of the bones, I stopped drinking it. I would rather eliminate something from my diet than have what I take into my body eliminate calcium from my bones.
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Check out what your risk is for osteoporosis.

Have a healthy, calcium-rich week.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

A HAPPY ENDING

Marilyn (my roommate) came in the other day and asked me to check online to find out what to feed baby squirrels. A young girl in the townhouse complex next door had discovered two baby squirrels in the roadway and was afraid they would be killed. She put them in a box and delivered them to the green space behind our building thinking that would be a safe place. A couple of hours later one of my neighbours had her dog out and saw the squirrels.  That's when Marilyn came in. Once I discovered what to feed them, I went down to find one of the babies up a tree, and the other one a couple of feet up in another. That one seemed very weak and scared. I eventually picked it up.


Another neighbour arrived and that's when the 'action' really started. She had spent 25 years in wildlife rescue. She asked me to call a wildlife rescue centre in Mount Brydges, but unfortunately he was full. Back down I went. By that time Debbie had coaxed the other baby down from the tree. Actually, she just called it and it came and started following her. She  picked up some puppy formula and a couple of syringes at the pet store and tried to feed them. One ate well, the other seemed too weak to swallow, but with coaxing it finally began to eat. I supplied a box to put them in and they curled up and went to sleep - as you can see in the photo.

It was at this point that the little girl came back. And it was then that she told us that the mother had been with the babies right after she brought them to our property. If we had known that before, we would have left them alone, but as we saw no adult squirrels anywhere we naturally assumed the mother had been killed and left the babies. Now we had to figure out what to do with them. It was close to dusk. The night temperature would have been too cold for them. Also they were young enough that they needed feeding every couple of hours to keep them from dehydrating. Someone said, "Look up there - in the tree!"  There was a squirrel with another baby in her mouth. Evidently she was moving to a new nest. That day we had had a very heavy rainfall and high winds. Quite probably her nest had been partially destroyed, and maybe that's how the babies came to be in the road. The mother came back but wouldn't come down low enough to see the babies.

So Debbie took them in for the night and cared for them. Early next morning she took the box and left it where the mother would find it, then watched from a distance. It wasn't long before she found them and took them to the nest. We were all excited to know that mother and babies had been successfully and safely reunited. I love happy endings, don't you?

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Sunday, February 14, 2010

MORE ABOUT REISHI MUSHROOM AND HEALTHY COFFEE

 Welcome back to my blog. Here is my latest video on reishi mushroom and Healthy Coffee. Please take a minute to comment, to go to my web site or to e-mail me with questions or comments.

LET'S TALK ABOUT REISHI MUSHROOM - PART 2

Thanks for stopping by. Here is Part 2 of my video series on Reishi Mushroom and Healthy Coffee. Check out my web site. E-mail me with any questions or leave a comment on this post.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Sunday, January 3, 2010

BE THANKFUL FOR EVERY EXPERIENCE



What do you think of when you are asked what you are thankful for? If you're like most people you'll think of all the good things, positive experiences, wonderful surprises, special gifts, influential friends, love of family and friends, etc. And there's nothing wrong with being grateful for these things - you should be.

But have you ever thought about giving thanks for the "bad" things that have happened? What! Thanks for the bad stuff? Never! I'm just happy it's over and done with. After all, some of those things nearly ruined my life, my relationship with..., wiped out my income. How can I possibly give thanks for those things? Give thanks when I was falsely accused? Are you kidding? Give thanks when someone close died? I don't think so!

Well, I have learned that when bad things happen we have two choices. We can moan and groan, cry over spilt milk, throw in the towel, have a pity party, rage and wail. Or we can realize that everything in life can teach us something if we will allow it. We can use it as a stepping stone to something higher and better, to positive change. We can learn and move on.

Last year the company I was building with changed their marketing plan. I lost just about everything I had worked for. I then researched other companies and made a choice. I'm not saying it was a bad choice. It's a great company with a superb product. But my timing was off through no fault of my own. I signed up just a few days before my mother died. I lost all momentum and, try as I might, could not get that business off the ground. Nothing seemed to work.

My finances were fast fleeing in every direction in an attempt to pay debts, to just live. My mother had been with me for nearly five years and had been helping with the expenses of rent and groceries as well as other incidentals. With her death her income also stopped. I seemed to be between a rock and a hard place. How would I live? How could I be grateful for this?

Well, I could see many ways in which I could be thankful, especially since I was thankful to the Lord, not to any other human, not to society, not to those who caused the bad stuff, for what happened. And in giving thanks to God, we receive His blessings. I can thank Him because He holds my life in His own hands and won't allow anything to happen that I can't handle. And He allows it so that His purpose for my life can be fulfilled.

I'm thankful that everything "bad" that happened last year spurred me on to something better. I was unwilling to quit, to be discouraged, to despair. I chose to walk on those things and allow them, like an elevator, to take me higher. And so I can say, "Thanks" for every one of those circumstances. Thanks for my mother's death? That's taking it a little too far, don't you think? Well, she was 97, had lost much of her hearing and her eyesight was getting worse. She was falling from time to time and when I wasn't able to be at home I worried that she might fall when I was out. She was sleeping longer and longer every day, and I would tiptoe into her bedroom every morning just to see if she was still breathing. So, as much as her sudden death a few days after a fall stunned me and changed so many things in my life, I can thank the Lord that she died in hospital and not at home. I can give thanks that she isn't in pain any more, that she isn't left out of conversations because she couldn't hear. And so on.

I'm thankful that my other businesses didn't work out because I would never have taken advantage of the opportunity I am now with that has brought more positive response in a shorter time than all my other businesses put together. I would have missed the health benefits of the product that I have been experiencing. Yes, I can be thankful for failure. As long as you don't live in an attitude of failure, every failure can bring you closer to the success you have been aiming at. Every failed attempt will be one less you have to experience before you are truly living your dream.

So yes, I'm thankful for all the good things in 2009: my family, my wonderful friends, my church, the love and support I get from my pastor and his wife, gifts I have received (especially the unexpected ones), my relationship with Jesus. But I'm also grateful for every "negative" experience. Always remember, a double negative makes a positive.

Be thankful for every experience.

Re-blog from Daily Journal for Success - 30 days of blogging - http://dailyjournalforsuccess.ning.com/profiles/blogs/be-grateful-for-every

Friday, January 1, 2010

TA-DA!


I'm re-posting my blog from BetterNetworker here for those who have not heard yet. I just wanted to announce, first of all, my new business - Healthy Coffee. But my main announcement is that, in less than two weeks with the company, I find myself in the list of Founding Members in Canada! The response to this business and the products has been overwhelming. I have been in a number of network marketing businesses in the past but have never seen anything like this. I'm really excited and believe the momentum that I started with just a week before Christmas 2009 is going to explode in 2010.
I am not what you would call a coffee-holic. In fact I'm anything but. Until I tasted Healthy Coffee, especially the Blend (with non-dairy creamer and cane sugar), I normally drank only one coffee a week. Yes, you read that right! One per week! Now I drink two cups of Healthy Coffee - or sometimes Chai Milk Tea or the Energy Drink - every single day! And I'm loving it! I already feel the difference in my body.
Healthy Coffee products are relatively caffeine-free (0.3% in contrast to the 8.6% to over 13% in other decaf coffees) and all contain reishi mushroom and ginseng, adaptogens that help keep your energy flowing without the caffeine energy burst or crash. I had spent months fighting a battle with fatigue before I began to drink these products. Now I have energy when I need it for as long as I need it. And the pain level from arthritis and fibromyalgia was increasing in spite of taking supplements that were supposed to help alleviate the symptoms. In just a few days the pain had decreased significantly even after a long day on my feet on cement floors - and in the cold.
Below is a picture taken at the market where I share my product and business opportunity every Tuesday. If you live anywhere near Aylmer Ontario Canada I'd like to invite you to stop by and say, "Hi!" I'll even give you a sample of the product to try for yourself.
So, all of you coffee and/or tea drinkers who are reading this post, and any of you who love energy drinks, please check out my web site to see not only what we have but the new products coming this year. It's getting 'gooder and gooder'.
For anyone interested in joining my team, there are still positions in the Founders Club open in Canada and  in the US, so now is the time to get on board before the 300 positions in each country are filled. We also have offices in seven other countries and are building in 23 in total. The company goal is to be in 100 countries within 10 years. Join me and grow a team with me and with Healthy Coffee International. Make 2010 the best year ever. Remember, coffee is only second to oil for global revenue. Let's work towards earning our share in that revenue.
I wish you success and prosperity in 2010. Happy New Year!
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