I saw this news article and loved the way they had solved a problem sensitively and subtly.

http://www.rnw.nl/english/video/dutch-bridge-parts-waters

Well, the things are not 'that bad' yet and might not get that bad ever, but it feels like getting my survival 'cookbook' ready, just in case, and I share here whatever info one might need when it comes to survival.

Ususally, unlike all the important can't do without long list of stuff average person might feel he needs, when it comes to survival, there are only 4 things needed and sought after during tough times, in order of decreasing importance: drinkable water, food, staying warm when it is cold outside and 'disinfection'.

In 2 days, the EU will ban much of herbal medicine, pressing more of us to take pharmaceutical drugs that drive the profits of big Pharma.
The EU Directive erects high barriers to any herbal remedy that hasn't been on the market for 30 years -- including virtually all Chinese, Ayurvedic, and African traditional medicine. It's a draconian move that helps drug companies and ignores thousands of years of medical knowledge.

Are you ready for peak oil?
Many of us recognise that modern life as we know it is not sustainable and that something has to change. All it takes are a few people with heart felt conviction which can rapidly expand and change an entire society. Something is bubbling to the surface and opportunities to make a real change within our own local communities are beginning to flourish. The fast growing global movement is known as "Transition Towns"...

Holistic Approaches and Perspectives to S.A.D. and seasonal changes

Do you find yourself affected by the seasons and seasonal changes? I’ve wondered how we might work with and attune more to them? and how we might learn from them. To me it seems there’s both a validity and an invitation to work with these changes and the effects they may have…

Honouring Mother Earth

Why does it surprise us to hear of people living completely without money, off-grid or fully self-sufficient? Did people not live without money, without supermarkets and computers for thousands of years? Yet imagine banning cars now or closing all the supermarkets. People would likely not know what to do. Yet there are some who are still engaged in this way of living. A way I see with the potential to be more in-tune, harmonious and connected to the earth; not through the actions necessarily but through their inspiration, motivation and in attuning to the arising. We don't all have to go live in the trees.…

I was so sorry to hear about the cutting down of the Glastonbury Holy Thorn today.....http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/vandals-destroy-sacred-thorn-tree-2155627.html

Let's all pray for it to grow back...a symbol of spiritual growth and optimism:

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

Weeds have a bad reputation by many people! It's true there are some invasive species out there, yet I believe that they have many amazing virtues to offer each and every one of us. Andrew McFarlane from the BBC News Magazine explores the subject here:

They are the scourge of farmers and allotment holders the world over. But, as one naturalist pens a book in defence of weeds, should we see them in a new light?
Mention chickweed to my grandmother and her scowl - provoked by years of backache at the hands of her gardening nemesis - was instant.