health care, more on sushi

HEALTH CARE
so the law that passed congress on healthcare was unpopular
all of one party and some of the other party opposed it
it was a political issue in the november elections
it was taken to the supreme court and ruled constitutional
it was deemed unamerican and would be the downfall of america
it was a tax and forced on americans
it was unamerican

however now years later if you are 65 and older and no matter your race
religion or political views or your health status you are on
it and are probably glad you have it
its accepted that that will be your health insurance as you get older

its called medicare

now fast forward several years
the affordable health care act or obamacare or now
we all get to have health insurance no matter what law
these same things are being said that were said years ago about
medicare

i predict if you fast forward years and as you your kids and your
grand kids look backward they and you will say
what was all the fuss about
we all are covered now
the health care system will be accepted as we now accept medicare

here is who should be happy that the health insurance law is going forward
almost all of you
remember over 50% of you are already on a single payer system ran by
the government
not many of you will be taxed for not having health insurance
very likely no one that reads this blog will be

if you are a female (which is over 50% of you) you should be happy
you are now not a preexisting condition
you can can get those preventative office visits that yall all have to go to
and now your birth control is covered
your rates wont go up because of your gender and that baby you are
having or will have  will have to be covered

if you have a child with a preexisting condition-that could be asthma
allergies  any surgery  any injury  any belly pain  headaches  add
aspergers  autism  seizures  frequent ear infections and numerous 
illnesses kids get-then previously your health insurance could be denied 
or coverage for these things could be denied
and your child could not get insurance

it happened to us
our son had some surgery and because of this when he was no longer
on our policy he was denied insurance from many companies and those
who did insure him refused to cover anything dealing with that part of the body
now he would not have had any problems getting insurance

if you have a preexisting condition and you are a adult
remember all of you if you have gone to a doctor have a preexisting condition
you may not be able to get coverage or can be dropped or if you get
coverage your premiums will be higher

i am able to hike 4 hours down into the grand canyon  hike 9 miles in the
hills of lost maples  work eight hours on a construction site  work here at 
the country n and have a normal blood pressure  a normal cholesterol 
and a normal bmi
but im uninsurable because of my diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment
thats likely due to alzheimers disease
if my wife were to lose her health insurance at work i could not get any
health coverage
now with this law in 2014 i would be able to get insurance

if you have a serious health problem have a premature newborn have
a long term bout with a terminal disease such as alzheimers  huntingtons
als  cancer  emphysema  heart failure etc you could easily go through all of
your annual or life time maximum that is placed on your coverage and you 
would be left with no insurance coverage for that illness
the new law prevents this from happening

if you have a son or daughter in college or just getting out of college or
just starting a new job or just getting out of the military they can now
get on your health insurance until they are 26 years old
then they will be able to buy an affordable policy on their own

much of the opposition to this health care law is about problems with
medicare  medicaid  increase drug costs  increase in health insurance premiums
folks those problem were here before this law
they will still be there after the law is in full swing and
if the law had been disallowed would still be there
that is a big smoke screen

also i have noticed that many of those who are opposed to this are not
really affected in any way
theyve got coverage-many are already on a government insurance
most are males
but their wives and their children benefit from the new law
none will probably ever pay the tax for not being covered

in summary
all this political rhetoric is really all a smoke screen to get rid of obama
we all know its true whether we are a republican  democrat or independent
and thats your right as an american citizen to try to oust a politician that
you dont like
i do the same thing when i vote
but not at the expense of so many americans

how could so many people benefit from a law and people be
opposed to it

when we all look back to this time sometime in the future
we all are going to wonder what the heck was the big fuss about
just like what happened with medicare

we will all be on the health insurance system in some way
and will all be glad we are
much like we are with medicare when we turn 65

thank you john roberts

MORE ON SUSHI
whoa those sushi lovers
they got in a uproar like those against the affordable health care act

but i will say that tammy and mary are right in the comments to my
blog yesterday on sushi
you can read it by going down the page to yesterdays blog

points well taken
be safe in what sushi you buy
but sorry i want my meat cooked well done with black crust
on the edges

the organicgreen doctor

no sushi, expensive gas

NO SUSHI

theres no sushi or raw oysters for me
i only eat raw vegetables or raw fruit

my wife she loves sushi and raw oysters
think she eats it just to make me sick
wont kiss her after she eats that stuff
unless she brushes her teeth and waits
24 hours

now after reading this news report
i know that i wont ever eat either one

here in the austin area a family wanted sushi
so they went to the grocery store and
bought some raw salmon to use in their sushi

as they were eating this sushi they noticed
small worms wiggling between their teeth
and on their tongues
i almost threw up reading about it

there were 23 people who ate the stuff
many of them got sick also

the salmon can also carry parasites and worms
who can only be killed by cooking it or freezing it
then you can eat the salmon with its dead worms

sure hope my wife she reads this blog today

EXPENSIVE GAS
here at the country n i have one acre that surrounds my house
that i keep mowed
when its dry like this i only have to mow it twice a year
once after all the wildflowers have bloomed and all
gone to seed
then
sometimes i mow in the late fall if we have had a lot of rain
didnt have to do that last year

so my riding lawnmower sits for months without being used

here is a tip from a gardening magazine newsletter i get each week
if you use use regular gas it has ethanol in it which will attract water over
time and you will get moisture in your tank
when it gets in the carburetor and fuel line it will overtime clog it up
you can prevent this by using the most expensive gas
the premium super unleaded gas which has no ethanol

so thats whats wrong with my lawnmower and weed eater and chainsaw

the oganicgreen doctor

its hot and dry

ITS HOT AND DRY

yesterday it got up to 109 degrees here
for central texas thats hot
at 900 last night you could still feel the heat
there was no breeze

i lived in the desert for several years and it
would commonly get over 100 degrees every day
but there was usually a breeze and it would cool off
at night
and the humidity was low
all this made that heat more tolerable

here in central texas 109 degrees is intolerable
our humidity is higher
and there is no breeze
the dogs are a panting and the chickens are too

at 400 am today the temperature is 90 degrees on
my front deck
that doesnt not bode well for a comfortable day outside

how did i ever grow up in a house without air conditioning
in this summer heat
must have been miserable all summer long

in the afternoon under my nice air conditioner which kept
my living room at a comfortable temperature of 78 degrees
i read  an article in this months texas monthly on the drought
past and future and on the water situation in texas

did you know there are huge amounts of water in east texas
that is not allowed to be taped for use in other areas
politics are involved
there is this fear that what will happen to east texas will be like
what happened in owens valley in california where los angeles
got the rights to all the water there and sucked it all out of
the river which is now dry

i think about water conservation a lot
as did those people who were in the droughts here in
the 30s and the 50s
we do waste a lot of water
watering our lawns and gardens to keep them green
why do we do this
showering bathing brushing teeth washing dishes washing clothes
with no concern for reusing some of this water or restricting the
amount used to do these things

some of you in your lifetime will see the restriction on all this
water use and the limit on growth because of the lack of water
much like what happened with the droughts of the past

we need to learn from the past
read the article or read it online
or listen to npr pbs/texas montly online
or the npr pbs show on it

this will affect you significantly in the future

we at the country n are ahead of the game as
we limit water use
grow only xeric plants
have no lawn grass
catch rainwater
generate some of our own electricity

but
this is what we all need to be doing

the organicgreen doctor

visit them

VISIT THEM
when some one is gravely ill with a debilitating disease such as cancer
huntingtons disease or alzheimers
its hard to go visit them
i found it hard to go visit my friend greg the last time i saw him
i wanted to remember him like he was
i also find it hard to visit my younger brother who has alzheimers
especially as he has gotten worse
i want to remember him as he was
and i am looking at a mirror every time i see him
its hard to do that visit
but i needed and need to do it
you need to do it also

you never know what difference although small sometimes
you can make in some ones life

here is a note from one of my friends gregs caregivers


I was one of Greg's caregivers for about 2 years. I can only hope I made the difference in his life that he made in mine. He, by far, is my favorite person to have had the opportunity to care for. Unfortunately, there are others that need care and I did not have the opportunity to attend his memorial. I heard it was wonderful.
Last year just before your last visit Greg suffered a great set-back. He all but stopped talking to us and showed very little attention to us. Mostly, he just listened to the radio or watched tv with little concern for them.
I was off the days of your visit, but as soon as I got back I noticed the difference. I asked him if he had missed me and he said "NO". Then he got the biggest grin! He not only was back 100% but a little more.
I was ready to move you next door. I have never seen such a good change in him. I give you all the credit for bringing him back and even making him a little better. I think you may have extended his life and for certain added quality of life during his last days. Thank you. You are an amazing friend and Greg loved you second to Susan.
Greg is walking beside you now and you need only to feel with your heart and he will be there for you.


make a difference in some ones life who is gravely ill
go visit them 
youll feel better that you did
and
you may make their days better


the organicgreen doctor

hurricane acoming, frackin, monitor

HURRICANE ACOMING

thats what we thought but now it looks like
its going away from us and hit the panhandle of florida
wish it had gone to the panhandle of texas
that meant it would pass over us

we need the rain and some relief from this hot weather
thats here now
of course its nowhere near what it was last year

so debby is not going to do austin after all

one of the ways we can get significant rain in the summer
here
we sure need extra rain as the ground at the country n is
bone dry and the lake that services the city of austin
is only 40% full

we usually hope for a gentle hurricane to hit the coast and
then gradually drift over us dropping the rain as it moves
over us

guess it wont happen this summer
will have to do water rationing for our garden now
and will limit watering only those things that can survive
anyway in this hot weather
okra malabar spinach etal ive mention here recently
and
will be getting ready for my fall garden
next month will start planting my fall tomatoes

FRACKIN

was listening to a debate over frackin the other night
thats where they force water into the bedrock way under
ground to crack it open to release gas
somehow that bothers me
besides the contaminated water they force under ground
frackin  breaks up the rock underneath us all
are we all eventually just going to fall down in a hole
one day

there were two earthquakes yesterday in texas
and there has been an increase in them in arkansas and missouri
it does make you wonder why

freakin frackin
just doesnt seem right does it

MONITOR
there is a monitor to the upper right of this blog that measures viewings
of this blog
today sometime it will reach 100,000
its a milestone for this blog

the organicgreen doctor

alzheimers quiz, he did it

ALZHEIMERS QUIZ
a recent study showed that the 21 question alzheimers quiz has
a very good diagnostic accuracy
its one you can fill out for a family member or friend and hand
it to their doctor
remember many times early on people can be having problems
that in a few minutes of a doctors office will not be recognized

dont be afraid to be aggressive and do this for their doctors
i like others feel the earlier you know theres a problem
the better

it takes 3 minutes to complete and is easy to interpret
you can probably do it on yourself
it will pick up most cases of mild cognitive impairment and
almost all cases of alzheimers disease

now days if you find a positive alzheimers quiz
you can do a neuropsychological test and
do screening labs and
do a beta amyloid pet scan (first available commercial one
is amyvid)
if the labs are neg and the neuropsych test is positive and
the amyvid scan shows there are significant amyloid deposits
then you or the patient probably have alzheimers disease

one thing ive told people who ask is dont be passive about all
of this with family members or friends
dont be afraid to hurt their feelings
get them evaluated
treatment available like aricept (donepezil) can slow things down
and
the social side of this terrible disease can be attacked early
there is a window of time between early diagnosis and full blown
disease that can be a time to be enjoyed by the patient and their
family
like someone with terminal cancer who is on chemo to slow the disease
down so that they can have more time with their family

dont be shy about getting evaluations done


HE DID IT
lebron and the heat did it
he finished with a flurry
a triple double
this may be one of several they win

right now there are only two players i would pay to
watch play
kevin durant and lebron james
yes he was the king in this series
they just need to crown him now

the organicgreen doctor

garden update

GARDEN UPDATE
as the longest day is past
and the dog days of summer will start today as
we start a run of 100+ degree temperature days
its reassessment and clean up time here at the country n

we have 10 acres with 9 acres of it being pasture land that
i have decided to let go back to nature a few years ago
i planted some native grasses and have selectively let cedars
hackberries and other trees grow back in them
i have also have planted some native trees such as oaks
and cedars to supplement as visual breaks and shade trees

since we had done this we have noticed a return of more animals
and birds and butterflies to the property
we also supply 3 watering troughs of water and two smaller
waterers for the animals to access

this year we had a showy display of different wildflowers
especially bluebonnets fire wheels and bee balms

the one acre in the middle of the property is where our
house sits and is fenced with a 7 ft fence to keep out
the deer

each spring i let the wildflowers grow until they go to seed
then i go in and mow them down and leave them on the ground
to provide seeds for birds and for next years crop of wildflowers

sometimes though like this year it can look like a jungle around
our house
real snake habitat
know my wife she worries about that a lot in the spring

now its mowing time
it takes me 2-3 days to mow weedeat and pick up
excessive clippings

this year i was given a new blade for my weedeater
dang wish i had used this before

its dry here 
its especially noticeable when i mowed and can actually see
the ground

the 1/2 inch of rain yesterday just barely moistened the dust layer

now to the garden
its decision time as my water for irrigation is getting low
i will have to decide which things to continue to water and which
to just pull up and call it over with until the fall

remember the fall is the best time to garden here in central texas

this year i planted a 4 x 12 ft bed i call my summer garden
it has things that will grow in the heat and things that will last
until winter time
okra  malabar spinach  pursalane  christmas lima beans
sweet 100 tomato  juliet tomato  bell pepper
sweet banana pepper  jalapeno pepper  two different basils
swiss chard  and arugula

i now will only water this bed and let the rest of the garden go
then this fall will plant another 4 x 12 bed with my fall garden

here is some of my tomato produce for the year
the canned jars are tomatoes
the varieties of tomatoes are celebrities  cherokee purple  lemon boy
sweet 100  juliet  roma  porter  an unlabelled heirloom
and brandywine

the pumpkin is a sugar or minature pumpkin that we will cook and
can like winter squash
its part of the 3 sisters we planted-corn  beans  pumpkins

overall a good spring garden that
is coming to a end
its time to shut it down and compost whats left

the organicgreen doctor

summer soltice, chickener, lebron

SUMMER SOLSTICE
today is summer solstice
the first day of summer
the days start to get shorter starting today
thank goodness

we wish we were in santa barbara for their summer solstice celebration
they have every year
think mini mardi gras celebration
last year we were getting ready for our older sons wedding there
and got to go to the solstice parade

when we were touring the anasazi indian ruins we came upon
a anasazi calender laid out on the top of a hill
and one of the markers marked the summer solstice

the indians knew then about the solstice
our friend db has been to the site on summer solstice and has
verified that the marker is accurate with an archaeologist

lets celebrate summer solstice even if you cant be in santa
barbara today because
here come the dog days of summer in texas

CHICKENER
i am a chickener
if you are a chickener you know it
if you would like to be a chickener and live in central texas
i suggest you go to this talk on raising chickens by carol ann
from boggy creek farms this weekend at the natural gardener

here is a blog she wrote on the lecture
read it
she is a witty writer as well as an excellent organic gardener and
chickener

join the chickener movement

LEBRON
lebron jamess performance last night reminded me of michael jordans
performance that time when he was ill with high fever but still
had a fantastic game

near the end of the game lebron overcome with leg cramps went
back in the game and scored a three point shot that may have
helped seal the game for the heat

ive seen athletes with severe leg cramps
heck i get them all the time especially at night
as they are a side effect of the aricept (donepezil) that im on
i cant imagine playing basketball with one of those things
my leg feels like someone beat it with a baseball bat the
next day

he should have been drinking gatorade to stay hydrated
hope he recovers enough to play tomorrow night
as he desires this nba championship
maybe the naysayers will quit whining about him now

severe dehydration that causes muscle cramps has the possibility
to cause a rise in muscle enzymes from damaged muscles which
can overload the kidneys as they try to filter out those enzymes
the athlete can get kidney failure from this
the secret is to stay hydrated before and after games

bet he got ivs last night
good luck on recovery today

the organicgreen doctor

nap, lice, rebate

NAP
one of the benefits of retirement is a noon time nap
ive always taken one even when i was working on my
days off and on weekends
ive continued the tradition into retirement

today though i take a special nap called a lebron nap
a lebron nap is
a later in the day and a longer nap than usual so that i
can stay awake tonight to watch the miami heat and lebron
play in the fourth nba finals game

a lebron nap
a benefit of retirement

LICE
lice is now resistant to all of the otc stuff you get off the
shelf for lice
they kill some bugs but not all of them
they are resistant to the prescription stuff except for the
toxic one called malathion that you cant use on flies but
you can use on kids
doesnt seem right
it also can catch afire if you get near a flame or hair dryer
or cigarette when you use it

the dirt doctor an organic gardener has this recommendation
for lice that may work

wash the hair with tea tree shampoo and rinse with apple cider
vinegar
repeat if needed
he swears it works

REBATE
i have always been in favor of obamacare  the health care act
or the affordable health care act or whatever its called
if you wonder why just wait and see what happens to your health
insurance coverage and premiums if it gets repealed or determined
to be unconstitutional

(by the same people (the supreme court)
that ruled constitutional a law that allows those super pacs to support
which means control our elections)

this year many of you will be getting a rebate from your health insurance
company that is required by this law
if you live in texas the average rebate will be $194  in alaska its $305
and in pennsylvania its $243

if you get a rebate it means your insurance has been overcharging
you for premiums
im sure you have already figured that out

other things that could be lost would be
no limits on dollars covered for a life time
coverage for your kids until 26 especially those college graduates
that cant get a job
coverage for preventative care and for colonosocopy mammos etc
no preexisting conditions for kids
and others

hope i dont have to say i told you so

the organicgreen doctor

fathers day, nba playoffs

FATHERS DAY
nice fathers day
i get to chose what to do on that day
no running around going places
just staying home
doing what i like to do
watching sporting events on tv
first soccer on espn
thanks for the coverage espn
then golf
until tiger fell apart and they quit showing him messing up
then
nba finals game
more below

i also get to chose or get to suggest what i want
what do you get for a man that has everything
what did i ask for this year

a framing hammer

bet not many dads got one of these for fathers day
suckers heavy but should drive a nail with one whack
after working the habitat houses i learned i had the wrong
one for building a house
wish i had known that years ago

fathers day is for fathers to enjoy
and i did it my way

NBA PLAYOFFS
this may be one of the best nba playoff series in a while
there a lot of stars on the court during the game
they are all young and will be around for a few years
we will probably see these guys back again several times
over that time period

kevin durant is so much fun to watch
so smooth so athletic
and a true professional athlete on and off the court
last game all he said of his last shot was should have made it
no whining about a foul

then lebron james is a freakish athlete
he totally controls the game
this may be the heats year to win
i hope so
hope lebron gets his championship so those writers will
quit trashing him so much

sure hope they go to seven games in this series so there will be
more basketball to watch
will miss it after this series is over then

as we hit the dead spot between the nba playoffs and football
starting

the organicgreen doctor

organicgreendoctor: two articles

organicgreendoctor: two articles: TWO ARTICLES here are two articles on alzheimers disease the first one was written by dr michael weiner one of the lead investigators fo...

two articles

TWO ARTICLES
here are two articles on alzheimers disease

the first one was written by dr michael weiner one of the lead investigators
for the adni (alzheimers disease neuroimaging) study that im in

he like me is also a subject in the adni study
he is in the normal control group
he like me wanted to be part of a research study on alzhiemers
and wanted to go through the same studies as the subjects of the
adni study
unlike me he passed his neuropsychological exan and has remained in
the normal control group
i had problems with the short term memory portion and was placed in the
early mild cognitive impairment group
yes he gets the blood drawn the spinal tap the mris the pet scans
and does those dam neuropsych exams

here is the link to the article for the huffington post he wrote recently

alzheimers disease needs facebook, volunteers

near the beginning of the article
click on the sentence

so what can the general public do

to see the video that my wife she and i did for the alzheimers research center

refer someone you know who has problems to enter the research studies
references are given in the article where you can join a study


the other article is longer
its titled

how do you live knowing you may have an alzheimers gene

its an article from the ny times
it is a long article but worth reading
it struck a nerve with me
since some of this may be happening to me

my mother father younger brother first cousin maybe two grandmothers
and several aunts and uncles and great grandfather had or may have
had alzheimers disease

i have the apoe 4 genotype for alzheimers disease
if you have the apoe 2 gene you have some protection against getting
the disease
if you have the apoe 3 gene you may get a mild form of the disease
if you have the single apoe 4 gene you have an increased chance of
getting the disease
if you have the double apoe 4 gene like i have then you have a much
more increased chance of getting the disease

(luckily i guess with the double apoe 4 gene its not 100% guaranteed youll
get alzheimers but the odds are you will but with the gene discussed in the
article if you have the gene they have youll get the disease you just dont know when)

read this article
it will make you think about your life and ours

the organicgreen doctor

grand canyon

GRAND CANYON
we just checked off another item from our bucket list
the grand canyon
one of the seven wonders of the world
after seeing this i agree

i research and plan all our trips since im retired
i went to multiple websites and blogs to read about the
grand canyon

like a lot of situations in life i wish i knew then what i know now

heres what i recommend if you are a regular person interested in
seeing the grand canyon and not some gungho hiker or if you are
in poor health

how to get there
i40 from williams az up hwy to grand canyon
can catch a train from williams az
most people dont fly in but you can

where to stay
there are several lodges to stay in the park
they are crowded and booked up
there are some cabins available but are booked
there is an rv park and camping
you got it they are booked up frequently

we chose to stay a few miles from the park at tusayan
at one of the several hotel/motels there
found it very convenient to get back and forth
probably took 10 minute to get to the parking lot
at the visitor center

what to do
go to visitor center and get your paper guide
watch the 20 minute video there
walk to mather point to see your first view of the canyon

watch for ranger programs

use the bus system to go to each of the view points
west its called the red line bus
go to each point and enjoy each view

we did take some walks along the rim between these view points
this trip took us about 4 hours

do the rim walk that took us about 1 1/2 hours and has lots
of good views of the canyon

you have to drive to the desert view and climb the tower
the site and view are beautiful
this is a must see viewing

if you are in good health do one of two walks down into the
canyon
we did the kabob trail down 1 hour and 2 hours back up
we took our time coming back up the trail to rest
enjoy the view and to take pictures
going down you are more focused on not falling over the edge
of the trail

(on the way back up we actually saw a teenager
hikexting-texting while hiking-down a steep narrow trail that
a mistake would result in a fall hundreds of feet down a cliff)

this is a must do (doing the trail not hikexting)
if you come to the grand canyon
we chose to do a ranger walk going down since we
got some historical talks on the way down
dont do this walk without adequate water and snacks

at the end of the hike down and out of the trial
this is how my wife she felt about it

if you know my wife she you know what word she is
signing and saying

see a sunrise (sun comes up at 5++am) or see a sunset
most viewpoints are good
this is another must do

the bus system is easy to use
red go west
orange go east
blue connects the two

there is spring water available at multiple sites
they do not sell bottled water
bring your own refillable water bottle
we should all be doing this anyway everywhere

the place is clean
we saw no trash
they recycle

the park has used a lot of stimulus money to do much needed
upkeep on the trails and some of the historical sites
they hired a lot of college students to do the work

this park is one example of our tax dollars being put to good use

it was interesting that there are a lot of foreign languages
spoken here
a few japanese and a lot of europeans

my wife she and i regret we never came to this site before
but maybe we would not have enjoyed it as much then
as we did this time
sorry kiddos

oh the other thing bring a camera and take ton of pictures
we did

on our way back to texas we stopped at
meteor crater lake


no thats not a picture of the moon but where a meteor hit
in arizona years years years ago
if you are a jeff bridges fan this is where they filmed starman
and its where the astronauts practiced before they walked on
the moon

then we went to the painted desert and the petrified forest
two places i had always wanted to go to




4 thumbs up visit

the organicgreen doctor

organicgreendoctor: the ruins

organicgreendoctor: the ruins: THE RUINS today we got to tour old ruins with our own knowledgeable tour guide db (the 20+ year old friend who owns the ranch where we st...

the ruins

THE RUINS
today we got to tour old ruins with our own knowledgeable
tour guide db (the 20+ year old friend who owns the ranch
where we stayed)

he not only knew a lot about the ruins and their history but he
also had the respect for them that people need to have when
they visit these historical sites

most of these sites were a few miles from the ranch
we were able to access them by truck and hiking
we spent several hours looking at these sites
jack and the ogd looking at the cave houses



















these anaszi indians (ancestoral pueblo people)
lived along the canyons of this area
with some dwellings in the cliffs
sometimes in the mid 1000s they disappeared
where did they go
some think drought drove them away
maybe invading nomadic indians
they are not sure
some think they are the ancestors of the pueblo indians

at the end of the day after visitng these ruins and listening to db
we have a good grasp of the history of these indians and a
respect for their society

thanks db

we topped it off with a tour of a nearby museum that had intact
pottery and other findings from years of collections
the museum tour was much more meaningful after doing
the canyon tour with db

on the day we were leaving there was a cattle drive where a neighbor
was moving his cattle to another grazing area and had to come
through the ranch
felt like we were back in time watching the cowboys herd those
cattle down the road

(notice how blue the sky is there)

db plans to build a house in one of the caves above
his ranch house

a nearby neighbor has built his own house in the cave on his ranch
its the ultimate green house
solar panels
well insulated by rock on all sides except the front which is
south facing-gets solar warming in the winter
an almost constant temperature is present from the cave effect
the water source is from a well that is only 30+ feet deep

yep the ultimate green house
those anasazi indians taught us something didnt they

the organicgreen doctor

the ranch

THE RANCH
i am ready to move to southern utah
we arrived yesterday to the ranch in this beautiful
canyon in southern utah
it took a drive to get here from albuquerque new mexico
but its a beautiful drive

my wife she and i always loved the desert and enjoyed
the drive up to southern colorado across to southern utah

from a small town we drove down a 10 mile dirt road road
that dropped down from 7000+ feet to 5000+ feet
my wife she was gripping the little handle thats above
the door you know that oh s*&@ handle that you have
to grab sometimes when you let your teenager drive

we dropped down into this beautiful canyon
think palo dura canyon if you have ever been  there
in the panhandle near amarillo texas

heres a picture above the ranch

the owner manager is a 20 year old who was a film major in college
who has taken on the task of reestablishing this ranch
to raise various grapes to sell to different vineyards along
with raising apple peaches these delicious cherries and apricots
he also has an organic garden

it has been a massive undertaking
for someone who knew nothing about all this
he with some help built a cabin for workers that
come through each spring summer and fall to work here
on a volunteer basis
they are called wwofers
world wide organic farmers
the workers here right now are from canada md nj  calif
and other places including one from austin texas
all young eager workers and many are college students
we enjoyed sitting and talking with these young people
for the 3 days we were there
maybe all kids should do something like this before
they go out into the world to school or to work

think i want to be a wwoffer one day to work here
maybe when he puts in his rainwater system

the ranch is organic and runs off solar electricity
it is totally off the grid
there are plans for a rainwater collection system also
my kind of place

the animals that roam around here are black bear deer
occasional elk mountain lions
but are kept at bay by fencing and two dogs

also surrounding this area is ruins from pre pueblo indians
that suddenly disappeared in the 1300s

later today we will travel to see some of these ruins
and to see more of the area

it will be hard to leave here as we
proceed on to grand canyon

the very happy organic green doctor

the ceremony, utah ranch

THE CEREMONY
thats what i want
the ceremony like my friend greg had for his
final ceremony
it was more a celebration of his life
there were family and friends there from everywhere

all talking about greg and his ties and his science fiction and
his laugh and his hugs and his smile and his good nature and
his being a good doctor

it was a rememberence of greg like greg was

the ceremony had a christian prayer a jewish prayer and a
reading from a buddhist writing
there were protestants there catholics there jewish there budhist there
and agnostics there
the prayers or readings for the ceremony could easily be interchanged
between religions
there does seem to be some common ground in all those

then there were readings from different people about greg
i was asked to read my blog about him
tried to read it but couldnt finish it so
one of gregs and his wifes friend read it
she read it so well with just the inflections i would have used
and she caught the essence of my blog
which was the essence of gregs final ceremony

he was kind a gentle intelligent loving person
and will be missed

hope i can be sent off when my time comes with a ceremony
and gathering of friends like this

well miss you my friend

UTAH RANCH
we are on one of our bucket list trips this summer
one of several we are doing this summer and early fall

we are in albuquerque on our way to a ranch in utah
that is ran and owned by a friend of my daughterinlaw
well hes more like her little brother

the ranch is right down my alley
it is completely off the grid
its a total solar powered ranch
they store the electricity in large batteries
cant wait to see and tour this one

they raise different grapes in their organic vineyards and are working
towards having their own winery

they also raise organic vegetables in their large garden
they have a large number of fruit and nut trees that they
harvest and sell

they use some volunteer workers from europe and the us who
work there for 4+ weeks
like an internship
(wonder if im too old to do an internship there
know that would be fun and could add that to my
habitat for humanity volunteering)

they also have a beautiful area to explore and have areas of
old indian canyon sites to explore
they generally limit access to friends
we feel lucky to have this opportunity
we have toured the mesa verde area in southwest colorado
so we look forward to this part of the trip

we will post pictures and stories of the ranch and the
surrounding areas on my next blog

so have my safari hat sunscreen yes judy i have my walking stick
you gave me my hiking boots my camera and am ready to explore and
enjoy

the organicgreen doctor

michael repost

MICHAEL REPOST
last year when we did one of the local walk to end alzheimers
michael a former patient of mine
raised money himself for the walk and
gave me some things he made for me

here is the blog
i always get teary eyed when i read it

THANKS MICHAEL
this is a story about michael
hes a special person
hes 7 years old
he was my patient in the clinic where i worked
i was the only doctor he had ever had

he raised $390 and donated it to the walk to end alzheimers
he made small pillows and sold them to whoever would listen to his
story and buy them from him
he would stand outside stores with a box of them to sell
this is how he raised money this year
it wasnt his first time to do this

his grandmother works at a home that takes care of people with
early alzheimers
he told his grandmother he wanted her to hold a place in the home
for me

below are some pictures of michaels letter to me,
the pillow he gave me,
the sign he made for his wagon and
a picture of michael pulling his younger brother and sister in his
wagon with his signs on the side
at a walk to end alzheirmers that my wife she and i did this
weekend

i will admit i got teary eyed when i read the letter and when he gave
me the pillow

yes folks there is hope for the future
its you michael

again michael thank you very much
you made my year worth it

the pillow

the letter
dear dr nash.
this year i made pillows to rais mony for the memory walk
i made this pillow special for you
i miss you
love, michael

the sign he placed on the side of his wagon
i am walking for dr nash he was my my first dr

michael pulling the wagon with his sister and brother
with his sign on it

the organicgreendoctor :)

abbie repost

ABBIE REPOST
below is a blog that i did recently on a patient of mine
that seems to have struck the hearts of a lot of readers
it was read by more people in a day then any other post
of mine except of course the last day thanks blog

here is abbie

ABBIE
this blog of more than 500 blogs  ive written
is one of my best stories i think that ive written about
its also one that has made me cry several times as i wrote it

abbie is a special person
she is a 11 year old 5th grade dynamo
if i could choose a daughter or granddaughter
i would want abbie to be her

watch this video
then go below and read abbies story
youll be inspired
i know i always was and still am

abbie was my patient for several years before i retired
i always enjoyed seeing her
she was such a normal kiddo
she was smart smiley bright happy obviously intelligent
healthy and
seemed well liked by her friends and her siblings
she i will admit was one of my favorite kids to see even though
i rarely saw her because she was so healthy

abbie has been the typically active kid
playing multiple sports such as soccer swimming tball track and field
and dance
she regularly bicycles and swims
well she does what all other kids her age do

her favorite sport though has been competitive cheerleading
and tumbling
in fact she is working on a full twisting layout

this video above is one where she is practicing her flips
you know the ones they do at the ball games that make me
dizzy just watching them do it
what sense of balance and athletic ability they have to have

what makes this video and abbie doing all this amazing is that
abbie was born without her lower  left arm


now knowing this go back up and rewatch this video ok


when your kids whine i cant do it have them watch this video
and tell them abbies story

as my wife she says
wow
thats amazing

and when i saw abbie i saw abbie
i like most people that really know her dont even notice she is
missing her lower arm as
her personality and smiley face and intelligence masks that

if you know her then you know what i mean

what an inspiration to us all
and especially to kids
who may need some motivation

when she was a baby she learned to crawl
when she was four she locked herself in her room and
came out four hours later with tied shoes

she struggled with the monkey bars and you guessed it
she figured out how to go from bar to bar without falling
but it was painful to watch her fight to do it
but she finally did it

she paints her own fingernails and yes she changed her siblings
diapers when they were younger and that cute ponytail she wears
she puts her hair in it herself

when she was in the 3rd grade she wanted to attend a 3rd-5th grade
basketball camp-she had never played before

at award day on the last day mom attended and was shocked as
abbie won
1st place in the one on one tournament against 5th graders
1st in layups
1st in freethrows and
of course she won the ms hustle award

that tells a lot about who she is

thats also when her mom realized that abbie was special and could do
anything she wants to do
that she can

then
3 years ago abbie asked for a prosthetic arm
she went to shriners and was fitted with one at several visits
she wore it to school but on the way in she took it off and put
it in her backpack never to put it on again
she realized that it changed who she was and interfered with how
she does things
she probably wont ever wear one
(its now used to pull pranks on people)

she doesnt give much thought that she is different
in preschool kids would always wanted to know what happened
to her arm
she does sometimes tire of the questions from people
but doesnt really feel any different from other people

she has lots of friends
teasing has never been a problem for her

when asked who her hero was
its her best friend g
her best friend since she was 2
g will do all those things abbie wants to do

abbie is an entrepreneur
she has sold lemonade walked dogs swept porches and even
did a backyard restaurant for kids only last summer

she is an all a student
she is in the quest program
she has been first and second runner up in the school spelling bee
she is on the destination imagination team
where they have to do creative problem-solving
something abbie has always done

she wants to be rich and famous
she has this drive that will get her there
its inside her little heart

no doubt that will happen

she wants to attend the university of texas
and of course be a cheerleader there

they dont know whats coming their way

so
abbie is a special kid
maddam president abbie
dr abbie
counselor abbie
judge abbie.........

she has no limit to her future
some lucky guy will find her one day

abbie i miss seeing you
you were a joy to see each time i saw you
even if it was with your siblings office visit
you are an inspiration
we wish you the best for the future

you are our hope for the future

the organicgreen doctor

last day-thanks repost

LAST DAY-THANKS REPOST
this was the hardest blog ive ever written
it was written the day after i was told my diagnosis
and knew i could not continue practicing medicine

and the one that i received the most response to

here is

LAST DAY-THANKS 
this my last day to work as a physician
always considered myself lucky to have been able to
do in life what i wanted to do since i was a middle schooler

in high school i was able to work in a local hospital in the
summer on weekends and during holidays
our family was poor so not only did i get financial benefit from
working but i also was exposed to a lot in the hospital setting
it made me know that i wanted to be a family physician

during college i worked as a emergency room technician
on weekends, weeknights, and holidays
this also gave me financial support but also exposed me to
different doctors and different emergency situations

i was accepted to medical school but never wavered on what
kind of doctor i wanted to be
a family physician

i was accepted to a family practice residency
after completing my residency i owed the federal government
three years to work at an approved federal underserved area

i was able to create with some help a site in  the small
town near where i grew up       i  worked there for three years
although tramatic at times it was a learning experience that i
carried through out my career

after fulfilling my three year obligation and after sustaining a
large financial hit from my involvement with the local clinic
i was recritued to the area where i am working now
thanks to my medical school friend for helping me out in
my time of need

i have worked for 25 years as a family physician
i always wanted to be one

now it is time i have to quit not because i want to but
because a genetic health problem has risen its nasty head
and because of this will have to discontinue what i like to do

i do not ever dread going to work every day
feel like i have now just gotten good at what i do

realize that patients dont necessarily need all of the new
medications we have, the new tests we can do or need
the newest treatments available

they do better if you just listen to them, pat them on the
shoulder, be kind to them and be their advocate when
they need it

i have honed my skills in taking care of kids over my career so
that many of the kids have felt comfortable seeing me and look
forward to seeing me to get a sticker or sucker, hear my
duck voice, or have me joke with them
that part i will miss a lot

thanks to all my patients in the past for allowing me to fulfill
my dream of being a family physician
i hope i have done you a good job

thanks to my wife she for putting up with me during
my quest for my career
know she found hers

love yall
the organicgreen doctor