kbarnes 
This flu season has been terrible. Practically everyone I know, myself included, has been down with something, whether it’s a cold, some kind of viral infection or the flu itself. This year’s shots are worthless I’m not going to jump into the flu vaccine controversy, although I can say I do not get flu shots. … Read more
It’s winter, it’s rainy, snowy, cold and pretty dreary. Who really feels like going outside? What better time to immerse yourself in a new television series, a good movie, or endless and mindless repeats of the news? There’s lots of good research that confirms that the more hours you spend in front of a television, … Read more
Happy 2018! Here’s my “bah humbug” beginning to the new year and my take on New Year’s resolutions that are most often broken before the champagne bottles are carried to recycling (you do recycle, don’t you?). I think New Year’s resolutions are a source of stress and most often set you up for failure. If … Read more
If you think organic vegetables and berries should be wholesome, pure and grown in rich black earth, you wouldn’t be alone. But the US Department of Agriculture just destroyed that myth yesterday by allowing hydroponically grown vegetables to be certified organic. Hydroponic vegetables and berries have inexplicably slid under the organic regulations for several years. … Read more
This article by Kathleen appeared in Natural Awakwenings Magazine in October of 2016. She’s down with a sore throat and laryngitis this week and taking a bit of her own medicine. These soothers aren’t just for kids. The household is settling for the night when the 5-year-old cries out, “My throat hurts!” “There’s no need … Read more
Kathleen’s article on the dangers of birth control pills was originally published in Natural Awakenings Magazine. For more than 50 years, women have loved the freedom that birth control pills offer. What’s not to love? Take a little pill every day and (pretty much) rest assured that an unplanned pregnancy won’t happen. Well, it turns … Read more
There was a time when iodine was considered a “cure all,” but we’ve forgotten all about it and as a result, rates of cancer are skyrocketing, obesity is epidemic and our energy levels have plunged. Before the widespread use of synthetic drugs, iodine was recommended for everything from healing wounds and disease, destroying bacteria and … Read more
This is based on one of Kathleen’s articles published in Natural Awakenings magazine. Most of us complain of lack of energy on occasion and some of us experience it on a daily basis. The good news: There are natural ways to boost your energy without resorting to endless cups of coffee. Low energy can have … Read more
I’ve written many times about the dangers of sugar and I know I’m probably preaching to the choir with many of you. However a new animal study from the University of Utah is truly frightening: It shows that female mice that consumed the equivalent of a human drinking three cans of soft drinks a day … Read more
It’s been an unexpectedly long and challenging summer with our two granddaughters, ages 11 and 13. I understand that modern kids and modern parents live and grow up in an entirely different way than we did, but I think there still just might be something to learn from doing things the old-fashioned way. I was … Read more