Body Shop Takeover?

Any of you read about L'Oreal proposing to take over Body Shop?? I did, several days ago and immediately fired an email off to the German and of course the main UK centrals. I won't bother to reprint the article re: L'Oreal /Body Shop - suffice it to say it was that 'L'Oreal is considering a proposal (of takeover) to Body Shop and not much more.

Here my email in English (same but in German sent to the central in Germany):

subject: Body Shop Betrayal?

I have just read about a possible take over of Body Shop by L’Oreal. If this happens I assure you many customers such as I will react negatively over this. Then, how can Body Shop compromise its principals and ethics? This would make your products unbelievable and taint the global image it has worked hard to achieve. Should this take over occur it signals to me the bitter aftertaste of a purely monetary interest (greed) by an already successful business. I, as adisappointed customer would react to this greed by shopping elsewhere as I supported Body Shop’s ideals and products. I would no longer recommend them with good conscience.

Patricia Conant, Spain www.epicureantable.com

and their answer:

Dear Ms ConantThank you for your query concerning the announcement by L'Oreal in relation to THE BODY SHOP. THE BODY SHOP Board issued a response, which is detailed below. Due to Stock Exchange rules we cannot provide any further comment:

'The Body Shop International PLC ("The Body Shop") Response to L'Oreal Statement

'The Board of THE BODY SHOP notes the announcement today by L'Oreal that it is evaluating a possible offer for the BODY SHOP. THE BODY SHOP has not received any proposal from L'Oreal. The Board remains confident about the future prospects for the Group and its ability to deliver significant value for its shareholders.'

Thank you for your enquiry.

Yours sincerely,
Rachel PaisleyUK Customer Relations Supervisor
The Body Shop International plcDDI: (44)01903 844554 Fax No: (44)01903 844383
E-mail:ukcustomer.relations@the-body-shop.com

So far, I breathe a sigh of relief.

Almond Panorama

Two days ago I drove up to the Santa Lucia chapel and enjoyed the pink view up there. This photo is a good example but the best view I could not take as the sun was in front of me. Good thing I did too. With the exception of the white plastic 'green houses' to the left, all the light areas, all the way to the right upper area are almond trees.

Yesterday it rained all day with heavy winds, so I could not take Mama for a ride to show her the pink wonder around us (she has never driven amongst the almond groves - either not motivated or not used to 'just doing something for the fun of it').

A few years ago the winds blew off most of the blossoms before they were pollinated and the almond industry suffered. Prices were really up. Hopefully the bees were able to do their thing early enough.

Have a pink day!

Thoughts: holistic vs. allopathic views on energy

The title sounds more complicated than where my thoughts are heading.

Didn't most of us learn in school the scientic 'discovery' that all things are made up of atoms that are in constant movement (energy)? And that the only difference between human skin, a mango or a table surface is the rate those atoms move? Albeit, a bit oversimplified, but wasn't that the jist of it?

Wow, weren't we impressed by *science* then! Today we also know that this was hardly a new scientific discovery, rather ancient knowledge as understood by Chinese or Ayurvedic medicine as well as other so-called 'primitive cultures' on most continents. Ah, but it took *science* to prove it under a microscope. Reductionist thinking.

So, why is it that those same kids, who grow up, enter medical school (where they learn that the human body is merely a kind of machine with replaceable parts - yes, I remember that) that the whole concept of human energy - with all its healing possibilities - is categorically scoffed at and dismissed as 'quackery' or these days endulgently called 'alternative medicine'.

Yet, same said medical body acknowledges that the mind (mind/thought=energy) can make us ill (just think long enough of something revolting and pay attention to how your stomach reacts) - however, the concept of learning to use the mind to heal is just not on the agenda. So yes, the mind can make us ill, but to get better we need pills for the symptoms and more pills to counteract the side affects.

I suspect the answer is that it is not *scientific* enough. Yet what about what we learned as kids?

Back to the drawing board.

Dry Brushing for Healthier, Silky Skin

This is another old article of mine that I have also added on my site here and also submitted to zinos.com as well.

My girlfriend Marlies in Tübingen introduced me to dry brushing - something she has done for years. She is a little older than I am and has the silkiest skin! Fine pored, smooth and she takes cold showers....brrrrr! Me, I end my showers with really cool water, but that is another post.

Ever noticed women 'over a certain age' (even younger ones, come to think of it) in summer with dry, lifeless, dull looking skin especially on the arms? You won't have that with this technique. And those fine bumps disappear, too. I am also told that those annoying skin tags are avoided/reduced because the skin is kept so clean they can't form. I like that!

Skin brushing is something I do most days...at least 4-5 days of the week since about a year now. I look forward to it because it really feels so good! Another advantage is that the skin care product (I use an aloe body lotion) really soaks in. I really like the idea of using shower gel only on the 'vital parts'.

Although the gel I use is also aloe based, there are some chemicals in it - so I like the idea of reducing significantly what I put on my body that may have chemicals. I only use shower gel all over and very sparingly only on the days I don't dry brush (forget, short of time...), but especially I value helping my skin get rid of 'toxic waste' a little quicker. Every little bit helps boost the defense system.

I really suggest a short handled natural bristle brush as a long handled one, unless it has a removable head, is cumbersome. Mine is a kind of sisel, I think.

Today was still a bit overcast. I hope tomorrow to make it up to the castle for a photo of the pink blush in the landscape. Reggie and I drove through Cap-i-Corb where I picked up rosemary honey...and pink dominated the scenery!

Almond Trees in Bloom!

For some, February's only redeeming values may be Valentine's Day and it's fewer days but for us it means an explosion in pink - seemingly overnight.

Everywhere one looks and sometimes as far as the eye can see the almond trees are in bloom. Pale rosé almost white with magenta centers, pink to almost fuscia almond tree's are 'doing their spring thing'.

I love living where the year is marked by what's in blossom, what is in season...oh ja, and fiestas in between.

Here, nature pays no attention to calenders. Spring has long sprung, various clovers and even wild snap-dragons are showing their lovely faces and the almond trees in full glory are the loudest to say so.

Have a look at this link for many almond tree photos but also breathtaking sunsets/sunrises et al. They are from Mallorca, but any of the photos could be from here or nearby. Right, Donna? The rustic beauty of those photos are the answer to why I live and love it here.

http://webserv.chatsystems.com/~doswell/mallorca/images_03-04.html

The foto above is one I took last year. Today I wanted to drive up to the castle and take a photo of the scenery but it was a little overcast. It must be breathtaking. Yesterday when Reggie and I went to my osteopath in Calig, driving along the way was just one wonder after another. Seems as if the landscape is dusted with pink. This year is the most impressive.

I didn't know that almonds don't self pollinate. A spanish friend of mine told me that that is why there must be different almonds together in the same area. That explains the pale, almost white tree now and again amongst the pink (the pale ones produce the flatter, broader almonds) and that often beekeepers place hives amongst the orchards.

The beekeeper in Cap-i-Corb a mostly rural area just on the other side of town where I get my REAL unheated, hand-spun-out-of-the-comb honey, moves his bees around depending on time of year. In summer they get moved up to the mountains where they are busy with the rosemary et al. Besides, it is cooler for them, he says. Nice beekeeper. So we get three different types of honey from him, orange when the oranges here are going (wow, what a scent!) and soon the mil-flor or the mixed flower honey - but you and I both know it will be mostly almond flowers.

Does that honey taste like almonds? No. The blossoms smell faintly sweet and nothing at all to suggest almond. It is the nuts that have that famous scent and taste.

Ain't life grand?

---------------------------

Here's nutritional trivia:

30g (1/4 cup) provides:• 7 grams of protein• an excellent source of magnesium• an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin E• riboflavin• phosphorus and copper• no sodium• no cholesterol Almonds contain fat, but their fat is mostly unsaturated - including 60% monounsaturated fat, the “heart healthy” variety. (Have no idea where I got that info....found it amongst my notes.)

More on candles and aromatherapy candle nonsense

Well, having a cold does have its good side. I've not been out at all for a few days (sneezing my head off) and managed to start this blog AND write two articles. One is Illuminating Thoughts - Toxic Candles and the other is A Burning Question - Are aromatic candles safe? It was interesting researching for these articles and there is so much more info on the subjects than I have in the articles...so I have links within those.

Zinos.com will be publishing those articles soon (a day or so)...maybe front page...who knows. They like it when you submit purdy pitchers with the articles.

I am continually amazed at how an innocent common comodity can turn out to be so NOT good. There was a time in Frankfurt when I was burning LOTS of candles, but now I know where I got the 'sooty stuff' when I blew my nose. The real problem I am sure is in the exaggerated and continuous burning daily/nightly...which I did for a while...gee, was it 10 years ago?

Ja...and the whole aromatherapy rubbish....I don't mean the real stuff but what shows up on the shelves as such. I am always leary when a trend goes sooooo commercial. Makes me go the other way. Take a good thing and do it to death! And I have my opinions on the genuine side of aromatherapy. But that's another subject.

OK. I think I have the candle thing out of my system.

Paraffin candles dangerous

I came across this site which has information about the dangers of using common paraffin candles and why soya candles are a better choice. I must be out in the woods somewhere...I didn't know that there is such a thing as a soya candle. I appreciate the article for the warning, but I don't know if I want to support the soya industry - it is a big enough problematic industry as it is.

I think I will be purchasing more bee's wax candles. They are truly natural, unproblematic, burn cooler and longer too.

Problem is they don't come in pretty colours...like red for the candle sticks at Christmas. Most likely as it is with everything else...moderation is the key. A few coloured paraffin candles for the special occasion can't be all bad after all. But for the daily use, or when burning several at one time, I can see using bee's wax candles. I recently found bee's wax tee candles and they were worth the money. They did last much longer.

Years ago I recall someone insisting that one can go blind from the smoke of a snuffed paraffin candle (if you let it get into your eyes). I thought she was exaggerating. Now I wonder.

Hello Merri!

What do you think of my bright and shiny new - and first - blog? "Who wuddathunk" that I too would succumb to the mode and have a blog too? Well not me, but I did after all. Why? Hmm...good question. Actually, I had you in mind and your crossroads you mentioned you are at. This blog is a good way for you to just log on and jot your thoughts about your process or add comments to postings. I also hope in this way you will feel that you are not alone...that someone cares and supports you. Who knows who else may pass by and benefit as well, or add to the flow with their comments? Even if this blogging concept helps to be a positive distraction to the dreary routine and mind set of allopathic medicine - it can only be a good thing, no??