Tree Hugging

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spring treeWe have an amazing old Black Walnut Tree in our backyard that must be at least 300 years old. It is so massive that it fills your entire field of vision even from 100 feet away. Herbalists have been using Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) for thousands of years for its antifungal, antiparasitic, antibacterial and antiviral properties; in addition, it is a tasty, nutritious treat and beautiful dye. Honestly, I have never been compelled to work with it; I have only been called to hug it and revere it.

happy hugI am long time tree hugger, in fact on several income tax returns I have written, “Tree Hugger” for my occupation. On February 1, 2016, the state of affairs of our world were just too much for me to handle and feelings of hopelessness were creeping in when all of sudden I was compelled to hug our majestic Black Walnut tree. It was pure bliss. It hugged me back, giving me the feeling of a Grandmother comforting and assuring their little one. I continued to hug it each day, using it as a transmitter to broadcast peace, love and hopes of healing to the world. Some days I hugged it more than once. If someone was having a particularly difficult time, at a time I would normally be inclined to simply give them a hug, I would bring them out to hug the tree with me. Hugging a tree seemed more powerful than my hugs.

deep hugWhen you hug a tree ~ really hug the tree, breathe it in, become the hug, you are actually hugging the entire earth and all of its occupants. The tree’s roots go deep into the soil connecting with all life on earth and the branches reach high into the air assisting you to reach everyone and everything; it is very powerful when you allow the connection to seep into your being.

There were a few days, when I realized that I may have not hugged the tree that day. So I went out to give it a goodnight hug. Even on crazy cold days like 2/13/16 when it was 1.9°F and felt like -25°F. I decided to fill the bird feeders and go hug my tree. And folks, it didn’t seem that cold as the tree shielded me from the wind. If the sun was shining, I could feel the warmth on my back even though it was below freezing.

In February, I went to Florida to visit my folks and took daily walks to find a tree to hug. Some days I imagined my hugs going deep into the tree’s roots, through the soil and reaching my Black Walnut at home. They say after 21 days of repeating a task it becomes a habit. I really love this habit.

When I phoned Mike & Mathew to tell them my Father passed away in April, Mathew’s immediate reaction was to go out and hug our tree. Mathew told me that he knew my Mom and I needed a lot of love and support, so he was sending it all to us in Florida via our tree. Funny, I didn’t share this with anyone but when my Dad was nearing his last breath, I would hug our tree in NY and imagine my love moving through its roots to the trees I hugged around his home embracing my parents during this very difficult time. With my daily hugs, the earth seems smaller and more connected with all the life on our planet.

Have you hugged a tree? If not, I really recommend it.warm hug

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

I miss the old ozone layer

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I miss the old ozone layer. I love being outdoors but find that more than 10 minutes of direct sunlight is too much. I am always looking for a shady place. When we moved to California in 2008, I thought the oppressive sun was just from the nonstop sunny skies. But now it’s 2016 and we are living in Western New York, where I find the sunshine as oppressive as ever. The other day it was beautiful, 75° and sunny, though it seemed much hotter in the direct sunlight, perhaps 85° or more. When I finally found shade under a tree, the temperature dropped so significantly that I needed a sweater. That is simply crazy. This was not the story ten years ago. I believe it must be related to the ozone layer.

Now what is the ozone layer and what happened to it? Ozone is a gas made up of three oxygen atoms (O3). The ozone layer is a belt of naturally occurring ozone gas that sits 9.3 to 18.6 miles above Earth and serves as a shield from the harmful ultraviolet B radiation emitted by the sun. Ninety percent of the ozone in the atmosphere sits in the stratosphere. In the lower atmosphere, the troposphere, near the Earth’s surface, ozone is created by chemical reactions between air pollutants from vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, and other emissions. At ground level, high concentrations of ozone are toxic to people and plants. The ozone layer is deteriorating due to the release of pollution containing the chemicals chlorine and bromine. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, one atom of chlorine can destroy more than a hundred thousand ozone molecules. The deterioration allows large amounts of ultraviolet B rays to reach Earth, which can cause skin cancer, weaken immune systems and cataracts in humans and harm animals as well and makes it feel so oppressive when standing in direct sunlight.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), chemicals found mainly in spray aerosols heavily used by industrialized nations for much of the past 50 years, are the primary culprits to blame for ozone layer breakdown. When CFCs reach the upper atmosphere, they are exposed to ultraviolet rays that cause them to break down into substances that includes chlorine. The chlorine reacts with the oxygen atoms in ozone and rips apart the ozone molecule. About 90 percent of CFCs currently in the atmosphere were emitted by industrialized countries in the Northern Hemisphere, including the United States and Europe. These countries banned CFCs by 1996, and the amount of chlorine in the atmosphere is falling now. But scientists estimate it will take another 50 years for chlorine levels to return to their natural levels.

Can the ozone layer be repaired? Yes, ozone is created and destroyed daily. At one point, we were destroying it faster than it could be replaced – thus holes were created. After doing some googling to check my facts I found that now, it is thought that the holes are being repaired but trapping the warm air – as a result global warming and erratic weather patterns. So, do I miss the ozone layer of the past, yes I do.