Written by Marilyn Houser Hamm Every year at Christmas time my sister and I would hear again the story of my parents’ experience: waking  up to a home-made gift covered with a serviette at the breakfast table, and beside it the treasure of roasted  peanuts, candy, and the one orange they would know all year. I often reflect on that one orange as I purchase my next bagfull/box at the grocery store – at any time of  year.  I have come to reflect on foods that I did not grow up with that now are staples in produce counters:  avocadoes; mangoes; melons out of season; pears in winter; kiwi. These choices are simply “there” and  some usually find their way into my grocery cart.   All this is now “normal.” And all of these foods have to travel from their countries of origin to southern  Manitoba.  Whether air travel, large steamers crossing the oceans, or semi-trucks traveling thousands of  miles to reach us -  all of these mod...

  Written by Marilyn Houser Hamm Internet service has rapidly become discussed as “a right.”  Those who do not have this service are indeed disadvantaged - particularly in less-populated, low-income, or developing countries. Internet service is, indeed, increasing rapidly across the globe, and right here in southern Manitoba.  For that we are very grateful - as we carry on in this “new normal” of increasing usage, instant information, and communication. Surviving the Covid pandemic has meant many precious hours with family and friends on both Zoom and FaceTime - and we are grateful.  The vast array of streaming options provide ever-increasing availability and accessibility of great movies and entertainment which have become staples for many. I vaguely remember life before my IPhone. Or our IMac,  There are just two of us in our household at the present time, but our household runs two desktop computers, a laptop computer, two iPhones, with four other usable phon...

Inconspicuous Consumption: Seeking Simple Ways Part 2 By Marilyn Houser Hamm One of the great gifts that I have given my mother over the years is the book, Haley’s Cleaning Hints/ A COMPILATION , by Graham and Rosemary Haley.  My mother and her infamously wise sisters were a trio of knowledge magnets when it came to smart cooking, kitchen, or household hints.  Between the book and their shared knowledge, I’ve learned that many basic household staples can effectively clean some common problems. What can you do with the simple basic household staples of baking soda, vinegar, and salt?  Add ammonia, toothpaste, water softener, hairspray, and the treasure trove of cleaning ability is incredible. Baby oil and club soda are also great to have on hand. For example, interior fridge deposits? Make a solution of 3 Tbsp. baking soda in 4 c. warm water. Harder stains/deposits? Apply a thick paste of water and baking soda, let sit for 1-2 hours, and rinse off with a 1-part vinegar to...

Part 1 of 6 By Marilyn Houser Hamm I don’t think of myself as a senior.  It seems like yesterday - or not that long ago- that I came to Manitoba as a young bride to begin life in the European style village of Neubergthal that reminded me so much of my Swiss grandfather’s home outside Basil, Switzerland.  I had been persuaded that we could live with my husband’s parents in their large house happily for the first while – that’s another story. What I do remember vividly is thinking that I had gone back two generations in time. With no water lines coming through the village, and, that first winter, no indoor plumbing, I was in shock.  My mother-in-law’s tiny spinner washer pulled out into the room for laundry day, proceeded to move its way through all gradations of laundry - all hung outside to dry - yes, all - and then brought inside in the winter months to be hung by trails of clothesline interwoven across the ceiling of the upstairs hallway. My mother-in-law was also a hom...

  By David Suzuki  The Indigenous “Land Back” movement isn’t new, but it’s gaining increasing public attention and support.  In this time of facing uncomfortable truths about past and ongoing harms inflicted on Indigenous Peoples and others,  it’s important to understand the history of colonial oppression, and the roots and goals of Land Back and what it  means.   It’s not just about land. In the first of three short Land Back videos (about 12 minutes each) — “ Past ,” “ Present ”  and “ Future ” — Ojibwe journalist Jesse Wente says, “It’s about self-determination for our Peoples here that should  include some access to the territories and resources in a more equitable fashion, and for us to have control over how  that actually looks.”  Throughout Canada’s history, Indigenous Peoples have been forced from the lands that sustained them for millennia  to ever-diminishing “reservations” so colonizers could exploit “resources....

  By Jack Heppner Finally, after living with Covid restrictions for so long, we have arrived at the summer picnic season! We  all look forward to times of “dining out” with family and friends, especially since that option is only  available here in Southern Manitoba for a few months every year.  My concern is that such events have too often become “plastic picnics.” I have an image clearly etched on  my mind that leaves me with a feeling that something has gone wrong with our picnics.  Two or three families have just finished a picnic in the park – perhaps a family gathering or simply  friends getting together. The feast is over and now the picnic tables are piled high with garbage, mostly  some form of plastic, styrofoam or paper. Cups, plates, cutlery, food containers, bags, wrappers, pop and  water bottles and everything else you need for a modern picnic!  But this is only the beginning of the unfolding tragedy. Now you see a couple o...

  We all rely on energy to heat our homes and care for our basic needs; especially through the winter. And since it  feels as though winter is fully upon us, what better time to consider our home energy use? Without getting too deep  into the politics, it’s good to be aware how big this conversation really is. As it reads in the book Building a Better  World in Your Backyard, “Nearly all war is rooted in energy. Most pollution is rooted in energy. Energy has a huge  impact on carbon footprint.” We don’t all need to have the same concern for our carbon footprint to take energy use  seriously – it’s a global, political issue.  In order to be happy, we all need to be warm, clothed and fed, and I believe that the vast majority of us want that  for our neighbours around the world. At the very least, perhaps we still hold remnants of our Mennonite forebearers frugality that might help pique our interest in home energy usage. In our cold climate, about ...