Recreational/Medicinal: Let's talk Cannabis!

It has been quite awhile since I thought about smoking a joint or even pondered the possible health benefits of cannabis.  Yet, here I am thinking about quite a trendy topic that is making the news left and right.  A recent trip to a local  Health and Wellness Expo rekindled my interest in finding more about the use of hemp for health and wellness purposes.  Not so long ago, if you referred to “cannabis” people thought only of the “recreational” use of marijuana: the leaves were dried and smoked.  However, now cannabis, which refers to both Marijuana and Hemp, covers a whole variety of methods of consumption including hemp oil, topical creams and other concentrates that are smoked, vaporized and orally ingested. Yet with all this talk about cannabis, and legal considerations pending, it’s good to find out a little more about the product and to understand the pros and cons.

My husband and I had some really interesting discussions with two women at the Wellness Expo who were there representing HempWorx: Cindy Walkus and Lisa Bach.  They were able to explain many of the misconceptions about their product and the fact that the CBD component found in their products is non-hallucinogenic.  Hempworx sells a variety of consumer products that promote the medicinal qualities of CBD with a range of health and wellness qualities including  regulating blood sugar, healthy skin, and supporting digestive functions to name a few. For more information on hemp and their products, you can check the web site at:www.HempWorx.com

First it is good to understand the basics: Cannabis comes in two forms: Hemp and Marijuana. Cannabis plants contain a class of compounds called cannabinoids. The two most abundant are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) THC is the element that provides the high and frequently includes negative side effects of paranoia and anxiety. CBD is an element that claims to have beneficial medicinal effects, without the marijuana high. The Nutrition Action Newsletter (published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest) reported about a panel from the National Academy of Medicine that concluded there are three established medical benefits of cannabis:

• ·       “We found conclusive evidence that cannabis can reduce nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy”

• ·       There is “substantial”evidence that cannabis modestly reduces self-reported involuntary muscle contractions in people with multiple sclerosis

• ·       There is “substantial” evidence that cannabis modestly reduces chronic pain. “It’s not as strong as a narcotic pain reliever as an opiate, so it’s not as effective, but it may be more usable long term”, Pionelli (a panel member)noted.

So the jury is still out on other conclusive benefits for cannabis. As with many medications, differing results vary from person to person. As with many natural products, the use of CBD has not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), but that doesn’t mean it can’t be very effective for some individuals. Endorsement by the FDA is not mandatory to be a good product, but nevertheless…it makes me a bit skeptical about the effectiveness of its medicinal properties.  Again, every person’s body chemistry is different.  What works for one individual, may not work for another.

King Crimson-in the Court of the Crimson King

Most people, when you discuss cannabis, think of marijuana and the recreational use of the drug, not the medicinal. When I was a high-school youth in the mid-70’s I tried marijuana for recreational purposes.  It was my experimental, “adventurous” phase.  I remember listening to Pink Floyd and King Crimson with friends…while high, of course.  “Oh, Dude…..totally, anybody remember King Crimson? Pretty awesome band.” 

In any case, my interest in using marijuana did not last. It may have been “fun” to experience the high, but I never really liked the feelings of paranoia and being out of touch with reality that went with it. That was the THC kicking in. (THC discussed in previous paragraph) I just decided it wasn’t for me. Yet, I do recall many years ago, a friend of our family was battling cancer and suffering the ill effects of chemotherapy. They knew that I could get some marijuana for them to help their friend.  Even back then, they knew that marijuana could help certain medical conditions. So moving forward, it is no wonder that so many people are starting to discover uses for this age old remedy. I would consider the use of Hemp for certain things; still weighing the options.

States are beginning to monitor and legislate both the use of hemp and marijuana.

It is hard to keep up with an updated count on all the legislative activity on this matter. Many have predicted that 2019 will continue to be a year of legislative reform throughout the country on both the recreational and medicinal use of cannabis. 

 Yet, whenever we decide to be for or against the legalization of a product, it is best to have a full understanding of the differences in the product and the impact they make. If you don’t understand the difference between hemp and marijuana then things get a little hazy. (pun intended)

So Cannabis is a product that is certainly in the limelight and will remain in discussions for both recreational and medicinal purposes. So before you judge, or light up a joint, be an informed consumer. JES

The Third Wave

image from Feminist Disney, Tumblr.com

"You've come a long way Baby"...Remember that commercial for Virginia Slims? We don't want to smoke those fat cigarettes men smoke. In a twisted way, it was on the brink of being a feminist rally cry when the jingle was sung: "You've Come a Long Way Baby...to get where you've got to today." The commercials (circa 1967) even discussed women's suffrage and how far we've come. We even earned the right to die of lung cancer and heart disease. Golly, just great. Not sure why I lead with that...but it was a cultural oddity that came to the surface at the beginnings of a cultural Feminist revolution. Getting fancy, feminine cigarettes was just the tip of the iceberg.

As Feminists, we need to realize that to level the playing field, so-called "feminist issues" are not just about women, but affect both men and women. Men need to be involved as well because after all...the men we share our lives with have a vested interest in our well being and life style.

My interest in this was piqued by a recent news story about the state of Minnesota passing a plan to allow 6 weeks of paid paternity leave for all Minnesota state employees. This applies to the mother and/or father upon the birth or adoption of a child; maternity leave alone is a separate issue. I applaud the state of Minnesota for this progressive thinking: they have become only the fourth state in this country to provide such an employee benefit followed by California, New Jersey and Rhode Island. At this point, it only applies to Minnesota state employees, and some speculate that it may be quashed in the next legislative session. Time will tell, but I think it is a step in the right direction. It is difficult to sell everyone on that concept; from an employer's perspective and an economic standpoint...how does a company afford that? There are many unanswered questions, but I like to see societal support of both women and family rights. Some private companies like the Mayo Clinic and Target also offer the same employee benefit. That's encouraging.

Like Betty Friedan said "Men weren't really the enemy". The perception of feminism has definitely changed from when I studied Feminist Theory at the U. of I.  Many aspects of our lifestyles as women have gone from "theory" to reality, so many rights have been won but there are more steps to take.

In any case,  maternity leave policies have changed and evolved (in some ways...) from the time I gave birth. I remember when I took maternity leave, there was something about my leave that to this day still makes me cringe: calling a maternity leave a "part-time disability".  Perhaps some companies still call it that; the employee is able to get more time off when it is referred to as that. Perhaps it is just a matter of semantics, but words can have a powerful impact. It annoys me no end! A woman is bringing a new life into the world...NOT a suffering disability.  I will never forget that. But my leave had a whole different story....I never went back. That's a whole different blog for another day.

So I am a Baby Boomer and consider myself a part of "The Second Stage" of Feminism. Thank-you very much Betty Friedan...I've read that book cover to cover at least twice. The Generation X women, post baby boomers born after 1964, I understand are considered the "Third wave" feminists. It's a whole new ball game today with different struggles that women deal with both within the work force and on the home front.  Some women truly appreciate the strides that were made by the previous feminists, I like to think I do. Looking forward, it is encouraging to me to see changes like this in policy that truly help to equalize both sexes. It helps to look back, too so we can see how far we have come. Keep plugging away, but also count your blessings. #Minnesotapaternityleave #thirdwavefeminism  JES 

Is there anybody out there?

"Hey You! Out there in the cold. Getting lonely, getting old. Can you feel me?.....Don't help them to bury the light.  Don't give in without a fight."
                                                                         Pink Floyd, The Wall-1979

Strains of this classic Pink Floyd song have been going through my head as it seems so appropriate for my situation currently. I'm feeling lonely, old and in the dark...with respect to my writing anyway. I have been blogging for close to four years. I have certainly had my share of ups and downs and victories. Several of my articles have found publication beyond the boundaries of my blog. Which of course is a good thing. Yet, I am almost at the point of "throwing in the towel" and giving up. Although in the words of Pink Floyd: Don't give in without a fight.

So that is what I am here to do : fight and speak up for what I feel are injustices and things that can't possibly be just a "random series of events."  I do want to fight, I don't want to give up, so I am writing this particular blog to provide a confession of sorts, and a cleansing that....well... if nothing else it will clarify in my own mind events that happened in the wonderful world of blogging.  Besides, any good therapist will tell you it's not healthy to keep things bottled up inside.

When I first started blogging I only had one blog: this one. Then when I realized the volume of material I was generating and the diversity of topics I decided to open another blog with WordPress: travelingamericablog.com As per the title, it is about travel in the USA. I have had so much fun writing all the features and I still kept up with BOTH blogs on a variety of topics, but I always funneled the travel features to the WordPress blog. My followers grew and grew and I believe the more features I wrote, I also grew as a writer. When the number of my followers exceeded 200, I decided to try my hand at advertising on my blog and perhaps I could earn a few coins for my efforts. That's where the "fun" begins. 

 When I made the decision to allow advertising on my blog, I had exactly 217 followers and  I had formatted the blog to make it very user friendly. I occasionally got comments, and I like to think folks used my site to get travel information if they were considering a specific location. After accepting advertising on my site, I went several weeks without posting anything....then as soon as I did post an article, my followers dropped from 217 to 20 within two days!!  How could 197 people decide within  a 2 day period that they didn't like my articles?! It almost didn't seems possible! I accredit it to people not liking the new advertising aspect of my blog. In any case, I had an extensive dialogue with the "chat" feature from the folks at WordPress, trying so VERY hard to see if we could figure out what happened. WordPress refused to accept the notion that my followers left because of the advertising, but what else could it be? Did 197 people suddenly think my writing was crap? Whatever the case, I ended up feeling dejected, frustrated and a failure in the blogging world.

I still don't know what happened but I sometimes feel as if nobody is out there....won't anybody at least say HI!?  It would be nice to know that I am just not banging on these keys and all my words are drifting into the "cloud" never to be seen again by mortal man. **SIGH**

Writing is an art...and all artists suffer for their art.  So here I am again. It never is good to keep all that anger bottled up inside. Look at all the paintings  with anger splashed on the canvas. Look at angry music throughout the decades. Writing is no different; as a writer it feels good to spill that anger out. So without sounding too crass...  **ck the World, I'm going to keep on writing till I die.  JES

Capturing a Memory of Warmth

Apple River Quilt Guild (from their Facebook page)

When the wind and snow are blowing, what a perfect time to be indoors with an indoor hobby.  Also a hobby that creates a practical item to use to keep that winter chill at bay: Quilting. I "dabble" in the wonderful craft of quilting, but my end products pale in comparison to some of the quilts I have seen at shows and also from friends & family that also quilt. Like just about any project or passion one decides to pursue....practice makes perfect. I am now starting work on my 5th quilt, and with each quilt I make; they do get better.  Five quilts is not many, as I said I only "dabble" but it is something fun that I enjoy.

After moving to Wisconsin, I became familiar with a quilting group in my area; the Apple River Quilt Guild.  I went to a show last fall and was blown away by the talent there. But instead of getting intimidated and discouraged by my lack of talent, it was truly an inspiration. The ladies there are so helpful to fellow quilters, and also folks just admiring the artwork; they are more than happy to discuss techniques and pointers. This is a quilt that is displayed on their Facebook page....so beautiful! I have had the opportunity to attend a few of their shows and they always are an inspiration! It's interesting to note that according to the Wall Street Journal, there are an estimated 21 million quilters in the U.S. So I have plenty of company in this "little hobby".

Quilts have a proud and honored heritage starting in Colonial America and earlier. Even before the Civil War, quilts were made by abolitionists to help raise funds and also raise awareness to abolish slavery. During war time, quilts were made to give warmth and comfort to soldiers.  In conjunction to assist the Underground Railroad, some believe that abolitionists hung quilts on the clothesline designating a safe house or directions for runaway slaves for passage to the north. An Iowa rest-stop has a building dedicated to explaining this use of quilts and there are ceramic tiles in the building that resemble quilt squares of that era. Check out my blog on this topic that includes the information about the Underground Railroad: Click on this link:   Iowa Roadways: Uncommon sight on a Common journey.

T-shirt Quilt pattern

So that 5th quilt that I spoke of is a "t-shirt" quilt for my son. He provided several of his old favorite t-shirts that he wanted to have "memorialized" in quilt form. I did learn, luckily before I got started, that t-shirts have to be stabilized with interfacing to they won't stretch and you can more easily work with the fabric. 

My husband, always the Engineer.... formulated a layout on the computer for the quilt. He used Microsoft Excel and graphed it  creating a handy-dandy chart to help us figure out "what goes where." Here's a picture of the final layout.  Its a very cool design, albeit kind of intimidating, but we have a good start on it.  As you can see it's a joint endeavor, so it will be a gift to our son from both Mom & Dad. My husband said he may even assist with sewing and assembly work. Truly a family heirloom. Wish us luck and when it's done, I will post a photo here. (but not until after my son sees it, don't want to spoil the surprise of how the end result looks...hoping it will be awesome!)

So we have all the fabric and other materials purchased for constructing the quilt, but every time I go to a quilt (and or craft) store I just can't help but Oooo and Ahhh at all the pretty colors, patterns and wonderful possibilities floating inside my head. Made me really laugh when I saw this meme...I bet every quilter in the world can relate to this! Happy stitching! JES

New Year's Resolutions? Keep on Writing...

Like most folks this time of year, I reflect back on what has transpired in the last year and also look forward to the promise of new and wonderful things ahead. I have thought about what I have achieved with my writing and what I hope to pursue in the coming year. I originally wrote this awhile ago, but am encouraged that some of my perceptions about the life of a free lance writer have actually "evolved" into perhaps a more realistic view. I've had a few articles published, completed my first book and had many ups and downs. Yet I have resolved to just keep plugging....

I am a Writer because I write, not to be defined by a paycheck. I have been published several times, but the “steady paycheck” for my efforts has yet to transpire.  I write about this today, because I know I have to come to grips with this myself, because I am the one that is most affected by attitudes of others and also my own introspective attitudes.  Attitudes that can be hurtful to me and undermine my inspiration.  Attitudes that can demean and feel condescending to me…if I let them.  So in writing about this issue that I am grappling with in my life, I am hoping it will help me come to terms with this.

 “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
― Confucius
 

I am loving what I do, but do not receive a regular paycheck: one of the risks you take as a freelance writer.  I love my life as a writer, so far so good.

Prior to beginning my life as a writer, I had been receiving a paycheck since I was 16 years old. Through the years the size of the checks have gone up and down, which is not surprising at all considering the variety of jobs I have held.  I never really thought about it too much, because I have always had a check, big or small, they have always been there.  When my husband took the plunge and decided to retire, and I knew we would be OK (financially stable) so I could pursue my passion of writing. This being said, it is not required of me to have an income, but I have yet to adjust to the fact that I don’t have one. Then here begins the Feminist argument that women should be self-sufficient in the economic realm. Through the years the value and true monetary figure of what has traditionally been described as “women’s work”, raising children and efficiently operating a household, has never been actually determined.  Which is not surprising because it is extremely difficult to put an exact monetary value on something that is an intangible concept.  In discussing this type of work, a woman is not producing a tangible, marketable product.  I know in my heart that women have made great strides in having the value of their work appreciated by society as a whole and not just other women with the same struggles. 

In the book “The Second Stage”, by Betty Friedan (a brilliant woman in my opinion!) she discusses the second stage of the feminist movement which seeks to end the polarization of feminism and the family, and also between men and women.  Published in 1981, when I was still in college and an aspiring journalist, her words really spoke to me, and really created a stir in both feminist and relationship circles. Even though it was written quite some time ago, the validity of it still rings true.  Some ideas she presented have evolved into every day, commonly accepted practices. Sadly, some of the tired, old attitudes still exist.  I have to review my own attitudes and find what works for me and also the people that I love.

So I come full circle with this discussion, trying once again to affirm that my value as a human being is not determined by the size of my paycheck or for that matter, if there is any paycheck at all! Especially as a woman, the people I love and take care of , the meals I share with them, the flowers I tend, the journals I create....all these things provide value and beauty in my world, and the world I share with those I love. That is better than any paycheck I could receive. Betty would be proud of me...and Maya too!