I have been neglecting my blogpage lately. Well, there's been a lot going on. I suddenly find myself part owner of an incredibly sweet new shop in Louisville, which sells beautiful things made by local artists.
While we were busy getting the shop ready to open (painting the walls gold mostly) lots of people (mostly men - we are 4 women) told us that we were very brave opening a shop in this climate. yeah, i guess it is warm and dry, but we didn't see why that made us brave ;) But seriously, we think it is the perfect kind of shop for these troubled economic times. People seem to agree, customers love the shop and love to know that their money doesn't support unethical practices, rather that they are supporting their community.
So, at the shop, I sell my other new venture - Chai Wallah Chai.... It is so delicious I can hardly believe it. It is not for the lazy, convenience-addicted among us. It is a dry blend of all organic, fair trade ingredients, and yes, you have to brew it up yourself. It is based on a traditional Indian Masala Chai recipe, and feedback thus far is goooooooood! It is chai for the chai lover for sure. Do I sound proud? I am!
I'm getting ready to take it to a really good coffee shop in Boulder who showed interest when I was first developing it.
Yay for doing what you want in life!
See random recommended sites for links to new websites!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
chai wallah and luminary
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
more reasons to love Michel Odent... he just puts it so well
Can Humanity Survive the Safe Cesarean?
Human beings react differently from other mammals to interference with the birth process. When delivery of non-human mammals is disturbed, the effects are immediate and easily detected. For example, when animals give birth by c-section or with an epidural, the general rule is that the mother is not interested in the baby. Among humans, on the other hand, we need extensive statistics to detect what are mere tendencies and risk factors. These are much more complex in our species: We speak and we create cultural milieux. In certain situations, particularly in the perinatal period, human behavior is less directly under the effects of the hormonal balance than the effects of the cultural milieu. For example, a human mother knows when she is pregnant and can anticipate maternal behavior, while other mammals must wait until the birth when they release a flow of love hormones to kindle their attachment to their newborns.
Today, we understand that to have a baby, a woman—like any other mammal—has been programmed to release a cocktail of love hormones. Today the number of women who actually "give birth" to babies and placentas thanks to this hormonal release is ever-decreasing. First, because many women give by birth by cesarean. Second, most of those who give birth vaginally receive pharmacological interventions. Unfortunately substitutes block the release of the natural hormones and do not create the same behavioural benefits. We have to wonder what will happen, in terms of civilization, if this trend continues in future generations. Can humanity survive the safe cesarean?
— Michel Odent
Excerpted from "The Future of Obstetric Technology," Midwifery Today, Issue 85
