Monthly Archives: November 2013

Learning to be consistent

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Here’s some great insights from Mike Biltonen (my darling husband), about his journey. 

There are times in life when things just aren’t right. Oh, sure you believe you have it all figured out, but it isn’t until that lightning bolt hits and you are shaken into a streaming light of reality that you realize how much you needed that something (or someone) to put you back on track. My lightning bolt struck about 14 years ago. It struck at a time while I was attempting to get my life back on track after a rather turbulent few years. That lightning bolt was my soul mate, guru, and soon to be wife, Debbie Lewis.

At the time, I met Debbie I was in the midst of transformational period in life. I had just moved back to New York and in attempt to get things right, I began practicing yoga, running, and paying attention to the spiritual side of myself. I didn’t realize how superficial the  things I was doing really were. In retrospect, I was doing each of these things in a very half-assed way.  I wasn’t really eating right. I was eating well, but not right. I wasn’t consistent with any of my practices whether it be jogging, yoga, or even work. I had stuck my toe in, but had refrained from diving in.

After I met Debbie, she began to teach me and lead me in the direction I needed to go. If Debbie is anything, she is consistent, so she taught me to be consistent. Although I was very much a conservationist, she taught me to be true and thorough, not superficial. She opened up the worlds of herbs and holistic medicine and helped me learn to heal myself when I was sick. She opened up new worlds and parallel universes to me in just about all aspects of my life.

On this point, I must be very clear, as it will probably end up having saved my life. I was not a particularly strong believer in western medicine, but neither was I a skeptic. Prior to meeting Debbie, whenever I was sick I would take the normal regimen of OTC drugs and cures, including antibiotics, to get better. What Debbie taught me straight out of the gate was that nature provides a better way. I guess I always knew that, but she showed me the way. In fact the first bad cold I ever had (after I met her), she cured with a potent tea of garlic, ginger, Tabasco, herbs and magic. As she described it, it scared the flu bug right out of me. But as we’ve since learned (but, as our ancestors knew all along), many of these ingredients have natural antibiotic and germ fighting properties. We just need to believe and practice and be consistent.

Since that time, nearly 14 years ago, I have sometimes fought against but always followed Debbie’s advice. And though I had been a long-time believer in the real and spiritual powers of Mother Earth, she opened up the doors and got me to lay in her arms without question of who was really in charge. Today, Debbie creates these incredible healing tinctures, salves, and teas for our family. I often question whether we should just abandon western medicine altogether given her powers. I know who’s in charge and I get to lie in her arms every night.

 

Sharing from a different perspective

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Mike and Debbie 2001Over a year and half ago, my sister-in-law encouraged me to start a blog. She felt I had a lot to share because most people were not aware of many things I took for granted. After publishing over 150 blogs, I guess she was right: I started the blog and continue to have a lot to share. I have really enjoyed sharing my thoughts with you. My goal for the blog was to be relevant, interesting and helpful. And I feel I have accomplished this for the most part. Although writing has never been easy for me, I decided it was important to be a consistent presence and so committed myself to publishing two blogs per week. It seemed reasonable and feels fantastic to have met this goal, though I have to admit some months have been more difficult than others. Over the past year, there have been times where my family has demanded my full attention, not allowing me to write. During these periods, I have tried to enlist other thoughtful individuals to write a blog or two. Thankfully, my husband Mike answered my call.

Some information I’ve shared, I learned from Mike. Before I met him, I no doubt loved eating and trying new foods, but never really thought much about where my food came from or how it was grown, let alone the ramifications these practices had on our earth. I am so grateful he opened up a whole new world to me. Mike’s perspective has been cultivated over the past 30 years as a fruit grower and farmer in Virginia, New York, Minnesota and California. Along the way, he has consistently focused on learning new and revolutionary ways of farming.  He is very thoughtful, innovative and passionate about growing delicious food, farming practices and food security. He has a great deal to share with you.

This winter during his slower season, I say slower season, because he is always working, he will share his thoughts and passions on my blog. Although, we share similar beliefs, he is approaching them from a different perspective – a grower’s perspective, as opposed to me – the consumer’s perspective. I will continue to blog but will share the stage with Mike for a while. This will give me the opportunity to refocus my attention on family matters and not struggle to meet my goal of blogging twice a week.

I hope you continue to enjoy my blog and share with me.