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Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

We apologize for the delay with the reply to your questions. Most of the questions have been answered and will be translated to english shortly. The answers will be posted on the "Source of Life" forums and in the newsletter as soon as they become avaialble. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

"Source of Life Association"
www.SourceofLife.ca

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RUSSIA:

The Ecological Settlements of Siberia forum took place in the city of Novokuznetsk over 31 March - 1 April. Meeting of representatives of 20 Kin's settlements and initiative groups from the Siberian Federal District.

We will be running a permanent column on the Sinegorye ecosettlement. In it we will tell you about probably the largest ecosettlement in Southern Russia and about people who are implementing the ideas described in the Ringing Cedars of Russia book series.

Sinegorye Ecosettlement, Krasnodar Region

Dolmen

It is located 40 km from Krasnodar in the vicinity of the township of Ilsky (urban-type settlement with a population of 20,000 people). The following Cossack villages are located near Sinegorye: Azovskaya, Ubinskaya & Derbentskaya. The Kin's Domains are within 10-15 minutes' walk from Ilsky and 15-20 minutes' walk from Azvoskaya.

Sinegorye is located in the foothills of the Caucasus. To the south of the ecosettlement are the mountains and beyond them lies the Gelendzhik district. Tourist trails lead from Sinegorye to local attractions: waterfalls, rocks, dolmens and many lead ultimately to the Black Sea.

Family in a summer kitchen

Sinegorye is being created by members of the "Vedrussiya" not-for-profit horticultural partnership (Krasnodar). The settlement currently covers an area of approximately 470 hectares. Kin's Domains are located on sunny meadows, surrounded by forests with streams and waterfalls.

In spring of this year all members of Vedrussiya, ecosettlers, will establish orchards and forests, small vegetable patches and ponds in their Domains; some are starting to build houses.

So far there are approximately 200 families in Sinegorye.

Concurrently with settlement development, there have been launched projects enabling ecosettlers to have a stable income and be involved in the community, while showing a different approach to various aspects of our life.

Tourism

One of these projects is ecotourism. New routes are being developed, printed materials (brochures, booklets) detailing area's attractions and cultural and natural wealth are being published and an outlet has been opened in Krasnodar where information about spiritual & healthy tourism is distributed.

Another project is the bakery, which will produce flourless grain bread products from sprouted grain. The bakery is currently in the final stages of construction and interior and exterior renovation is in progress. The equipment has already been ordered and will be installed as soon as renovation work is finished, at which point the bakery will be officially opened.

We're also producing humus (worm growing technology). A greenhouse complex for all-year vegetable and herb cultivation is also being built using Russian technology. 1.5 hectares have been used to create an arboretum for coniferous and wild-growing trees, as well as various other plants. Many plants from the arboretum are now in their second year of being on the shelves of the region's stores.

Portraits of residents

A system of plowless farming without the use of pesticides or chemicals (soil regeneration by means of mulching) is being developed in co-operation with OOO Agrocomplex Solnechnyi. This has already led to an improvement in soil quality and the process of its natural regeneration is on its way. The first crop of ecologically-pure grain has been reaped and fed to cows, thus improving milk quality.

Portraits of residents

Several other projects are currently in their development stages, specifically: an experiment to create a unit, which could be used to produce biogas and other energy sources, a project to plant orchards in the ecosettlement, 10 hectares of land are being used to create a park zone and build a health center, design and assessment work for constructing an amphitheater (to host celebrations, bard festivals, plays, conferences and various seminars), a project is being developed for establishing a financial company and a Russian Federation land bank.

The Partnership has a clear structure. The management body is the Council. Council membership is assigned according to someone's willingness to do a job and be RESPONSIBLE for it. That is to say that Council members are responsible for specific areas of the Partnership‘s work (plans, projects, programs; the ecosettlement's internal development).

There are also internal rules (on acceptance, on the Council, on selecting land plots, on payments for land), which apply to all Partnership members. We have a website: www.vedrus.info and two newsletters: "News from the ecosettlement; our path and deeds" and "Ecosettlements in Kuban".

Portraits of residents

Vedrussiya Partnership, Krasnodar

Galina Radostnaya

Life Goes On ! A Summary of the Year

Planted Cedars

Last fall we planted more than six thousand seedlings of various fruit trees.

Every family planted its own wonderful orchard with love . In spring the first flowers will bloom on the little saplings. Not all trees will bear fruit this year but they will try to be beautiful and gratifying since they already feel the people who planted them , feel their care and love. The trees were often planted by children. Every family seeks to visit its Kin's Domain as often as possible and many plan to build and move to their newly - created piece of the Native Land in Spring of the coming year.

As well as orchards, small forests, alleys and hedges have been planted – the land is turning into a heavenly oasis!

Dmitri and Svetlana Skidanov

We have a young couple whose orchard was planted at their wedding ceremony: Dmitry and Svetlana Skidanov. Their Kin's Domain has a forest, a beautiful live hedge of firs, cedars, junipers and pines, as well as their orchard. They currently live in a small log house but it will soon be transformed into a banya (bath house). In summer Dima and Sveta grew watermelons, which they shared with every settler . The watermelons had unbelievable taste - I've never tried anything so sweet and juicy! They've also got peacocks, ornamental chickens, a cat and a dog. They're thinking about getting a horse next year.

Olga and Aleksey's marriage

Olga and Aleksey Vlasikov, who got married last spring, built a small but beautiful house using hand-formed clay and straw bricks. Their son, Lyubomir, (conceived and born in the Domain) will be a year old in April. Many guests still don't believe it and go to see this wonder for themselves – the boy plays outside wearing only a shirt in December. And he's warm enough, his arms and legs are hot and he doesn't seem to feel any cold!

Songs, dances

During this last year five children were born in the settlement: four boys – two Miroslavs, Lyubomir, Lyubosvet and one girl – Lada. All the kids are amazingly calm, wise, self-reliant and healthy. They often stun adults with their intelligent gazes and actions.

For example, the parents of one of the Miroslavs understood he was indicating that he needed the toilet only three days after his birth. Needless to say, nappies aren't used. It's the same with pointless vaccinations and consumption of meat – these families have not eaten meat for a long time. The children are unique and parents can learn a lot from them.

And people are happy that in the coming year several other couples will be married too. The land will blossom further and the energy of love will be increased. And in happiness new forests and orchards will be created and new stars will glint in the sky.

At last real life is at hand! A life where water comes from springs, where air is clean and filled with the aroma of plants, where everything is alive and nature itself seeks to help man, and he, in turn, seeks to understand it, where there are no illusions, where dogmas have no power over man, and where children grow and think from the day of their birth.

Planting of the Pine Alley

Even if we haven't done that much this year:

  • repaired our communal house in Ilubinka, which now has a room of stunning beauty (used as a classroom for the kids), offices, a small hotel and a cozy modern kitchen;
  • planted an oak alley, an alley of southern pine, a birch forest and a cedar forest, and we will soon be planning a communal orchard on 10 hectares of land, which will also be used as a park for guests;
  • planted flowerbeds, deepened and enlarged the pond and began laying roads in the settlement;
  • started to keep bees and we already have honey products!;
  • planted many orchards and forests in the Domains and began to work on adjacent forests and clear springs;
  • our masters make flax Russian shirts and sarafans and woolen duvets;
  • held several events called "Meeting of halves" where many people found their other half and started a family. We also organized a conference in the Vozrozhdenie settlement, which was attended by more than 1,000 people;
  • opened a bakery and now eat healthy sprouted grain bread;
  • we're about to open our health center, right in the middle of Ilsky;
  • organized sale of cedar products to like-minded people from Abakan.

That isn't the end of our endeavors:

  • as early as February of next year an economic forum organized by the Union of Entrepreneurs and OJSC Rodovye Pomestia (Kin's Domains) will take place with all those interested in the economic development of their settlements attending;
  • designs of an ecotourism complex, to be built on our communal meadow in Ilubinka, are being prepared;
  • the Vedruss quality trademark is being prepared for registration.

And most importantly: families are gradually moving to a new life on their own land!

Fragarant fields of various plants

Vedrussiya Partnership, Krasnodar

CANADA

The city of Toronto has hosted a Spring folk festival. The festival was organized by the Sunrise folk song and dance ensemble and the Co-creation club of readers of the Ringing Cedars of Russia book series, written by Vladimir Megre.

Team play

The event began in a park with enjoyable team games, where everyone had to show their team play, organization and skill. After the games, children rolled down hills on sledges with such enthusiasm that adults joined them, quickly leaving little room for children themselves! Having worked up a sweat everyone proceeded into the hall where the main part of the festival took place.

I would particularly like to note the excellent organization of the festival, with smooth transitions from each stage to the next and all of them increasingly enjoyable: so much so that staff at the recreational center were very surprised to learn that the festival was not being organized by professionals.

Mighty strength competition

To get the ball rolling and create a friendly atmosphere a team competition was held, which included contests on agility, strength and the "What? Where? When?" quiz. It should be noted that these contests were very useful for youngsters and older people alike. Even small challenges revealed weaknesses in very confident people and made them think about their current lifestyles. It was great to learn that all the winners lead a healthy lifestyle, are committed vegetarians and reject the very notion that people can have vices.

This event was followed by a dance competition. The Sunrise ensemble opened it with a folk dance. It was sheer pleasure to watch young, healthy people with broad smiles and excited gazes performing sharp moves, which require quite some skill.

The team competition continued with each team performing a Slavic folk dance for the spectators to judge. The grateful spectators drowned the performers in their applause and the organizer had trouble selecting a winner.

Women of Co-creation

The one thing, which stood out for me, was a spectator who volunteered to participate in the competition. Her quick and beautiful movements made it obvious that she had learned folk dance in the past but what was most memorable was the way her eyes sparkled once she became involved and her honest and painful words after the concert: "We used to have all this: dance, song…where did it go? Now we've only got work. We've got no cultural life! There's no time to live!"

Nastya singing to the accordion

Next up was the song contest. The Sunrise ensemble again stood out, performing the Pryaha folk song. After the song the team ditty and song contest began. Halfway through the contest I woke up to the realization that I am standing with a grin from ear to ear on my delighted face. A seven - year - old girl Nastya was singing "Oi moroz, moroz" (trans.: "Oh chill, oh chill"), and such was her singing that you could hear a pin drop in the audience. Perhaps everyone was just looking at a girl with good vocal qualities? I don't know but I saw a young person with a pure soul, in whom the inextinguishable flame of ancient Kin wisdom, of which, perhaps, she was not, as yet, conscious, shone for all and touched them deeply. May God give you health and the strength to turn your flame into a fire. May God give purpose to your talent.

The festival was concluded with the Rodina Moya (My Motherland) song. Song sheets were distributed among spectators in advance so everyone was singing.

Of course, no festival would be complete without food: home-made pancakes, preserves, pies and tea. Everything tasted great! People talked and shared their impressions while I asked myself, so what about the Motherland? What about culture? - When all around globalization is going ahead at full speed and ethnic and cultural diversity is being destroyed. Cultures of many centuries' standing are vanishing to be replaced by the cult of sex, money and alcohol. People are assigned the role of puppets in this system, in which everyone must work, copulate and complete their moral degradation, with the process exacerbated by alcohol, cigarettes and other powerful drugs. One should try to fit into this system better… and yet they sing "These Russian expanses, this is my Motherland!".

Sunrise Ensamble - My Motherland

Members of the Co-creation readers club replied simply and calmly: every person has the will and the opportunity for self-determination and even in today's world it's still possible to make your life more-or-less free and full of purpose. To bring up children and pass on to them real values. They'll carry on their parents' work. We also know that there are like-minded people in many other countries and that they're also working in this direction – together we can achieve something significant, they said. They told me about wonderful ideas, about the fact that each family is allocated a plot of land no less than a hectare in size where it can create a Kin's Domain, purging its reliance on external factors and thus making it more stable. You hardly need to be a psychologist or sociologist to understand that in a family like that children will be healthier and more developed, while external shocks will not affect them much. They won't care much about currency speculation or growing food prices, they won't go hungry and scaring them will not be easy since they know what they're doing.

It occurred to me that if the whole country was made of families like this, strong and harmonious, thinking of the long-term and of their place in the country then the country itself would be not only strong, it would be the strongest and its citizens would likely be the happiest in the world.

Leonid Belov.

Toronto, Canada.

www.SourceofLife.ca/en/club/

BELARUS

Rosy Ecosettlement

Morning happiness

Dear Friends , It is difficult to find the words to describe the settlement, especially online. I don't want to turn this into a commercial either. Everyone is tired of commercials as it is. It's easier for someone who wants to create a Kin's Domain to travel to existing settlements and see for themselves, to feel, to breathe the air filled with the aroma of flower pollen and speak to the residents. Then every one of you will decide for himself where you want to live and create, together with your neighbors, a space of friendship and mutual understanding, a space of love.

My friends and I spent a long time deciding where we want to settle for centuries and we found a great place. It's the best place for us and, believe me, we don't want to advertise it at all. But since we need to say something about our settlement here I could say the following: Rosy ecosettlement is the first ecosettlement comprised of Kin's Domains in the Republic of Belarus . The settlement is located in the Volozhinsky region of the Minsk Oblast, 10km north of Invets in a beautiful area near the Nalibokskaya forest reserve.

Isloch river

There are springs and Isloch river runs nearby. The area has well-defined terrain and beautiful landscape while the plots have rich sabulous soil and a spectacular variety of grasses in the summer. The grass reaches up to one's waist and the array of animals accounts for half of the IUCN Red List. Here you can find the sky, stars, silence, larks in the field, cuckoos in the meadows, bird cherries overhanging the river, nightingales, fireflies shining like little stars in the twilight as you walk along the track, roe, hogs, elk, squirrels, hedgehogs, wisents, cracking frost, warm stoves, fox trails in the snow, the drip-drop of melting snow in the spring, sunlight shining through an icicle, snowdrops, berries, an ocean of mushrooms, the smell of needles, soft colors of the rising sun, the Moon's wisdom against the abyss of the night, dew drops, fragrant hay being cut, the sounds of a woodpecker, the smiles and hugs of friends, mosquitoes, the howling wind in a storm, the bright rainbow, cedar saplings, growing hazel leaves, the buzzing of bumblebees, a sea of dandelions, a khorovod of merry neighbors at celebrations and cornflowers in the rye. Simply put: our Native Land!!! The Land for our future children and for our future.

Some people already have homes while others are still building theirs. The criteria for being accepted into the settlement are very simple. Everything is built on friendly relationships of joy and hard work . If you like to work hard, then you're welcome but if you're a highly spiritual person seeking the meaning of life but unwilling to work, then you've come to the wrong place.

Young Cedars

Land is cultivated plowlessly without poisonous chemicals or fertilizer. It's better when you come to the land prepared, at least theoretically.

At present we have developed a general plan for the settlement which includes various things including: masters' area, a domestic yard, a store, a medical station, post office, school, club, a place for celebrations and khorovods, a communal lake, a mill, a building for guests, a sports center and more. As well as that, there are 32 plots with the opportunity to expand to 100-150 plots. There are still free plots.

Gifts of nature

Naturally, the most important component of the Rosy settlement is its residents, Rosichi. Wonderful people who love nature and the Earth. A great team of creators and co-creators.

Friends, it doesn't matter whether you choose a plot in our settlement or in another or even create your own settlement – the main thing is that you create and develop your own space of love. The main thing is that the attitudes of people living on this planet begin to change and that the whole planet blooms like a heavenly garden.

To find out more about Rosy and other eco-settlements please visit MOO Sotvorenie meetings or call 8-029-6-83-66-14 (cell) and ask for Aleksander (Russian language only).

May you have co - creation and happiness for all who see it.

Bersklet
Masha
Main plan of our settlement
Laying down a foundation for the house
Evening in Rosy
Honey Birch
Golden sunrize
Winter forest

Spring Folk Festival - "Maslenica" - 2005

Making a wish together
Fun in the snow
Concert of the Sun

Rosichi.

On 3 April 2007 MOO Sotvorenie will have its anniversary!

We're 5 years old!

Sotvorenie

Belarus

2005 - Round table: "Health. Nutrition."
IV Annual Belorussian Conference on Kin Domains
IV Annual Conference 2005 - Participants
V Annual Conference 2006 - Participants
V Annual Conference 2006 - Bards' Festival
Showing of Slavic style sewn clothes

www.sotvorenie.org

UKRAINE:

Together with Spring the Ukrainian Caravan of the Sun Bards "Rise, my Land! 2007" has started.

The Caravan will visit every part of Ukraine, spending 7 days in each. During the caravan there will be:

  • concerts in the regions;
  • press conferences;
  • communication with the media;
  • concerts in schools;
  • care homes;
  • residential care homes, and sun fares.

The Caravan has already visited Chernigov and Sumy .

The cities it will visit next are:

Date, city, and organizers:

April 2-8, 2007; Kharkov City;
tel: 066-9060094 m, alessias@mail.ru, Aleksey Chekanov;
tel: 067-6883334 m, Andrey.

April 9-15, 2007; Poltava;
tel: 095-5189511 m, Yuri;
Yarmarka organizer: 066-5190296 m, Nadezhda.

April 16-22, 2007; Lugansk;
tel: 067-8650812 m, Artem;
tel: 064-2556759 h, Natasha.

April 23-29, 2007; Donetsk;

April 30-May 6, 2007; Dnepropetrovsk;
tel: 056-7855820 m, azzz@ukr.net, Vladimir Ganzha;
tel: 056-7403861 h, 063-7438947 m, Natalia Savchuk.

May 7-13, 2007; Zaporozhe;
tel: 0612174464 h, 0505618429 m, bob_evg@mail.ru, Yevgeni Bobchenko.

May 14-20, 2007; Simferopol;
0656432997h., 0982863394m., mayk60@mail.ru, Alexnder Deyneka;
0502373350m., meryi_misral@list.ru Masha.
0506555982m., vl_mzh@kerch.net, Inna.

May 21-27, 2007; Kherson;
tel: 055-2444181 h; diametry@ukr.net, Anna;

May 28-June 3, 2007; Nikolaev;
tel: 0664392457 m, gerrus@mksat.ne, Oksana Gerasimenko;

June 4-10, 2007; Odessa;
tel: 0679384146 m; Vladimir;
rom_an_m@mail.ru, Roman.

June 11-17, 2007; Kirovograd;
tel: 0664641466 m, iwolga_kr@mail.ru, Vladimir Nosach;

June 18-24, 2007; Cherkasy;

June 25-July 8, 2007; Vinnytsia;
golubevi@ukr.net, Alla;

July 9-15, 2007; Khmelnytsky;
tel: 0972892279 m, aploschyn@mt.km, Alla Ploshinskaya;

July 16-22, 2007; Ternopol;
tel: 056-7855820 m, azzz@ukr.net, Vladimir Ganzha;
tel: 056-7403861 h, 063-7438947 m, Natalia Savchuk.

July 23-29, 2007; Chernovci;

July 30-August 5, 2007; Ivano-Frankovsk;
tel: 0956999937 m, pavlovalex2004@yandex.ru, Alexei Pavlov;

Aug. 6-12, 2007; Uzhhorod;
tel: 0953389988 m, gp@utel.net, Ludmila.

Aug. 13-19, 2007; Lvov;
0669624045 h., cher79@ukr.net, Anjela;

Aug. 20-26, 2007; Lutsk;
tel: 0504384200 h; bortnik@mail15.com, Anatolyi Bortnik;

Aug. 27-Sept. 2, 2007; Rovno;
tel: 0362690696 m, agat@rivne.com, Vladimir;

Sept. 3-9, 2007; Zhytomyr;
tel: 0974876980 m; info@icvserp.org, Irina;
rom_an_m@mail.ru, Roman.

Sept. 10-16, 2007; Kiev;
tel: 0508092264 m, info@icvserp.org, Roman Danilenko;
tel: 067-6883334 m, Andrey.

Sept. 17-23, 2007; Simferopol;
0656432997h., 0982863394m., mayk60@mail.ru, Alexnder Deyneka;
0502373350m., meryi_misral@list.ru Masha.
0506555982m., vl_mzh@kerch.net, Inna.

If you wish to join the caravan of love please inform us as soon as possible.

Do you have any news related to "Ringing Cedars"? Is there an event being organized in your area? Make an announcement in our next newsletter! Send us an e-mail to events@sourceoflife.ca

Please visit the forum at Source of Life Association and share your opinions on the books of Vladimir Megre. Discuss Anastasia's ideas about harmonic life, and how you use them for yourself. Share your impressions.

You can now discuss your ideas on the following topics:

Let's build a strong community together. Support each other with positive thoughts and create a real plan for making our dreams come true.

Visit the Forum.

Forum Talk

Posted by Laus in the topic [Part 3] Fact Book on Environment:

In a matter of month all CO2 that we just exhaled will be dispersed around the planet (Tim Flannery, The Weather Maker (Toronto: Harper Collins Publishers Inc., 2005) 60).

Do nothing with climate change and it will cost 5 – 12% of world GDP, to deal with it is only 1%. $1 to $4.4 is generated from investment in renewable energy that's grown from 6.5 billion in 1995 to 38 billion (www.robtv.com).

Global warming occurs twice as fast in Northern countries than in Southern ones.

Wal-Mart is using solar panels to generate electricity for it stores.

The way the ants protect caterpillar that develops sugar from plants that ants eat is probably more secure than Special Forces protect us (http://video.nationalgeographic.com).

Fire ants survive by merging colonies so the biggest dominates and protects the turf and even participate in kidnapping of queens and ants from other colonies and somehow decide on which queen is more appropriate for them and behead the second queen (http://video.nationalgeographic.com).

Grizzly Bear can run at 30 miles per hour (http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/)

Because baboons are afraid of crocodiles they dig their own hole near the pond to drink from it. (http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/)

Frogs can eat not just flies but snakes, scorpions, bats, fish and almost anything that passes through them and even each other! (http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/)

Polar Bear is the biggest bear weighting on average 300 – 600 kg (660-1320 lb), they eat mostly seals, but will eat anything it can kill: birds, rodents, shellfish, crabs, reindeer or even beluga whales. Grizzly bears reach weights of 180 – 680 kg (400–1,500 lb) and eat mostly fish; North American black bear weights between 40 – 180 kg (90 – 400 lb) and eats mostly grass, plants and fruits; male Panda can weigh up to 115 kg (253 pounds) but females are generally smaller than males, and weigh up to 100 kg (220 pounds). Their diet is almost exclusively bamboo however they will eat meat, fish, and eggs when available.

The oldest living thing on our planet is a bristle pine growing more than 3000 meters up in the White Mountains of California. It is more than 4600 year old! (Tim Flannery, The Weather Maker (Toronto: Harper Collins Publishers Inc., 2005) 56).

Bats are flying at a speed of 45 miles per hour and constitute quarter of all mammals, and only few of them actually drink blood (http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/)

Join the discussion of this topic.

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed on this forum are personal opinions of individuals creating the posts. We are not liable for any information posted on the forum.

Right - writer Vladimir Nikolaevich Megre
Center - Supreme Mufti Talgat Tadzhuddin
Right - Chief Rabbi of city Ufa Dan Krichevski

I love these books, I read them and draw a lot from them. I feel that by reading these books, people strengthen in their faith in God, not just generally in belief. A believer is a whole, meaning – there is something. Here is a pole standing, here is the sky, the Earth, but faith in God requires feeding every day. But for this, not only the eyes must be open; the heart must be open and that's most important. But the heart can not believe for no particular reason. This is why the heart is given - to love and Megre's books greatly help people love God. He brings this truth to people through Anastasia's words. There maybe some points at issue for theologians; someone may call it a hypothesis, but faith in God and, moreover, love to God is something that takes time to gain. But once you have it, it has no limits. And man becomes happy already in this world. And the books of Vladimir Megre help us with this.

Supreme Mufti of Russia Talgat Tadzhuddin

Thinking Small:

How we Downsized from an Annual
Income of $42,000 to $6,500

And lived to tell about it!

By L. Kevin & Donna Philippe-Johnson

Kevin and Donna

As a middle class American, it's been difficult for me to understand how we are supposed to make a living when there are so many things working against us. How can we go on day after day with the rising cost of food, fuel, utilities, car insurance, taxes and health care, while dealing with the insecurity of unemployment? In the past, whenever I considered these things, I felt a hopeless sense of impending doom in the pit of my stomach. There is so much talk about how to solve these issues, but nothing ever seems to stop the downward spiral of struggle and stress that millions of folks are experiencing.

Like many working people, my life went along fine during the 80's. I had a good paying job ($42,000 a year) and though I didn't enjoy the kind of work I was doing as an industrial draftsman, receiving a steady paycheck every week kept me going without much complaint. But then came the Gulf War in the 90's and after that point I faced nine lay-offs over the span of 10 years. By the time September 11 happened, I hadn't been able to maintain steady employment in the petrochemical industry for over a decade. I would work about 3 or 4 months, then back again to the unemployment line.

It was at this point that I realized something was wrong. The life strategy I had grown up to believe in was no longer working and there didn't seem to be any answers. Obviously, no one was going to get me out of this, so I decided I needed to take matters into my own hands and figure out a way to redefine my basic approach to living.

Lucky for me, I have an adventurous wife. She was on the same page with me and was willing to make some drastic changes in our lifestyle. As a committed team, we decided to figure out another way to survive despite these uncertain, hard economic times. Since we didn't have a lot of money and because it was getting harder to find steady employment, we decided to rethink our basic values in order to create a life for ourselves where we could be independent and free of needing a career or a full-time job.

And for us, that meant first and foremost, moving to the country. If we were going to be poor, we thought, at least it would be better to be poor in the country. That way we could grow our own food and reduce our expenses. Eventually we discovered there were others who felt the same way we did. Today there is a small, but growing movement in this country towards a lifestyle we call " Voluntary Creative Simplicity ".

We decided to start over, to shake loose from all the things holding us down. We got rid of all the stuff we didn't need and worked on paying off debt. Then canceling our credit cards and using cash, we followed an efficient financial plan that taught how to track every penny. By doing this we were eventually able to save a little bit of money. (See the book entitled, Your Money or Your Life, by Joe Dominguez & Vicki Robin).

Also, we wanted to be strong and healthy to do the work required for this basic lifestyle so we changed our eating habits. We broke away from the standard American fast food, pre-packaged supermarket diet in favor of organically grown whole grains, raw fruits and vegetables, fermented dairy, nuts, seeds and sprouts and eliminated all junk foods and prescription drugs. We started exercising regularly by walking, practicing yoga, and gardening. Since we no longer wanted to pay health insurance premiums, we decided to start a special savings account ($1000) just for emergency first-aid treatment. And of course we got rid of the cell phone, cable television and Internet bills and greatly minimized our use of air conditioning. The beginning of the path to the simple life was a process of elimination in every aspect of our lives.

Eventually we found 2 ? acres of land, 35 miles out of the city. Inspired by our new vision, one summer we said goodbye to the city, permanently moved out to our new place and set up a dome tent to live in. We happily lived in our tent that summer while clearing the land and constructing a rustic 10' by 12' room with a sleeping loft. We did this on a "pay-as-you-go" plan, hauling all the materials in the back of our old pick-up truck. Never having built anything before, we worked hard and gained the skill of building our own shelter.

As the tiny out-building took shape, next came the installation of an underground cistern for collecting rainwater, and finally, the construction of our 3-room (500 square foot) cabin. Since we had to borrow $9,000 to purchase the property, I continued to take whatever jobs I could find (from drafting, clerk work, courier, dishwasher, bakery assistant, etc.) while Donna stayed busy working on our organic garden, planting fruit trees and composting. She enjoys learning about native plants and healing herbs that she can grow.

Over the next few years, while working towards our goals of self-reliance and independence, we became stronger, healthier and more confident in our ability to rely on our own skills. It was quite an empowering experience. We learned how to build things, grow our own food, take responsibility for our own health, and best of all, we learned how to laugh and have fun again. The simple joys and true pleasures of fresh, home-grown food, watching everything grow and prosper in harmony, working with our own hands and spending quality time together replaced all of the costly false values that had occupied our time before.

Gradually we paid off the land, finished the cabin and succeeded in minimizing our basic utility costs. We began to notice that our expenses were decreasing as the quality of our life was increasing. As long as we stayed home and didn't travel to a steady job we really didn't need very much money. The lifestyle of voluntary creative simplicity was resulting in compounding efficiency and improvement in every area of our lives. Soon, we saw the proof of the inefficiency of working a full time job. After figuring in the work-related expenses of one job, I realized that my take home pay was only $3.00 an hour! At that point I was convinced that it was far more cost effective to stay home, grow our own food, split our own firewood and bake our own bread than it was to travel to a job day after day. Yet we still needed some form of income.

Though we had reduced the amount we needed to around $540.00 a month (way below the poverty level in America), we still had to find a way to generate that income without relying on full-time employment. Once we had succeeded in drastically reducing the amount of money we needed, I knew it would be easy to earn this income by working odd jobs such as building rustic furniture, playing guitar for tips, simple carpentry, part-time drafting, office work, plumbing, etc. However, there was one thing I really loved to do…bake handmade whole-grain sourdough bread in an outdoor wood-fired clay oven!

I had always shared my bread with friends and family, but it never really occurred to me to do it as a way to earn extra money. We soon discovered that there was no authentic, handmade sourdough bread being produced in our area, and little by little, people began asking if they could trade or buy from us. Within a year we had enough bread customers to generate the supplemental income needed to meet our modest expenses. And now there is even more demand and a waiting list of neighbors and friends who want our bread regularly. They know our bread is special because the organic wheat is freshly hand milled, the loaves are lovingly made entirely by hand and baked in our outdoor clay oven. (See our article, A Homemade Clay Oven and Naturally Fermented Sourdough Bread, in the July/August 2005 issue of Countryside .)

We want to let others know there is a wide open market for this kind of specialty bread, even in very small towns like ours, because so many people, for various reasons, are unable or unwilling to make it for themselves. In fact, there is such a demand for this unique artisan bread that many people are perfectly willing to pay us $4.50 a loaf! Anyone who wants to earn a little extra cash, say $50 - $100 a week or more, should consider learning this valuable skill, then educating and sharing in their local community. We continuously hand out educational material about the health benefits of sourdough bread, offer informative presentations in our local community and give out free bread samples.

Our system of distribution is arranged like a "bread co-op". There are regular customers who buy a batch of 6 loaves at a time, which we deliver fresh to them once a month. An added bonus of learning this skill is the inexpensive, incredibly delicious, wholesome bread that we make for ourselves, which helps reduce our food bill. This is just an example of how a valuable skill such as this can be financially supportive when you are living and thinking small.

While the key to the lifestyle of voluntary simplicity, is "thinking small", many people still believe the opposite is true – "bigger is better". For example, people often tell us we should invest in a commercial bakery and produce more sourdough bread. But in order to expand and make a career out of baking and selling bread, we would have to go into debt to purchase commercial mixers, freezers and large ovens, work longer hours and face the mountain of bureaucratic permits, codes, fees and restrictions. As a result, the simple, authentic handmade artisan bread that our customers love would have to be sacrificed in favor of expanding volume and making more money. Everybody loses but the bankers and the bureaucrats. We would fall right back in the same old trap, getting into debt and sacrificing our freedom and quality of life for a job. This is an example of compounding inefficiency.

The downfall of many people who would like to break the bonds of stress and financial enslavement to the system is their tendency to think too big. But we must realize that this has been programmed into us by the industrial society and loan institutions, all attempting to excite and feed our insatiable desires. Friends, it takes a lot of mindful awareness to break free of all these traps. It also requires an ability to improvise and adapt towards an alternative model. The lifestyle of Voluntary Simplicity is one option and the resulting benefits are transformational.

The point I'm making is this: many of us can no longer think in terms of having a lifetime career anymore. For whatever reason, things are changing in this country. Outsourcing and cheaper labor costs in other countries will continue to eliminate jobs in the United States. And though the opportunity still exists to work, we must understand that it may be only temporary. While continuing to work at a job or career one should be wise and set up a plan to survive without steady employment for certain periods of time if necessary.

This could mean storing some supplies, purchasing a piece of property where a small shelter, tent or tee pee can be erected if necessary, or getting out of the city and into the country where one can provide food for themselves. My old Grandpa used to say, "all the troubles in this country began when people stopped growing their own food." And he was right. The younglings of this modern age don't even know what real food is, much less how to grow or prepare it! This has to change. (That's another reason we promote sourdough bread baking. It is time to start a "slow-food" movement).

Thinking small is one of the most intelligent and powerful things one can do. Consciously reducing one's life down to the simple basics is the secret to happiness. And it is so easy. What is the solution? This is our advice, especially to young people:

"Don't get in debt, don't think in terms of a career (work at a job for one reason only, to get paid so you can buy a place to land and grow some food), live in a small shelter, unload unnecessary stuff, reduce monthly expenses, extract yourself from the enslavement of modern technological materialism, stay healthy by exercising, eat a simple, wholesome diet, develop some practical skills, practice your art or trade and serve your local community. Teach your children to value true pleasures. Real wealth is perishable: food, health, trees, flowers, herbs, healthy soil, clean water, fresh air, friends and art. Learn to value and appreciate these above all else."

Of course we realize that everyone has to creatively work out their own unique plan according to their particular circumstances, especially if there are children to raise. (We have six grown children.) But with "small thinking", so many opportunities open up and the more one can release, the more freedom there is to experience with each passing year.

If someone would have suggested to us ten years ago that there was a way for the two of us to live on much less, build our own little hut, buy our freedom, give up steady employment, work fewer hours, become happy, healthy, debt free, self-reliant, and live fearlessly without health insurance, I would have told them they were crazy. This has been an incredible, radical journey for us, but now we know from first hand experience that with vision, patience, self-discipline and courage, it is possible to create such a reality.

Creative voluntary simplicity expands faster than inflation. For those who can do it, instead of thinking too big and chasing after more money to find happiness and security, the answer can truly be summed up in the words of the Greek philosopher, Diogenes : "True freedom is in the minimum of needs."

http://earthstar.newlibertyvillage.com/

These articles come directly from researchers and are passed on to everybody. The company assumes no liability for any content in these articles.

For more great articles go to http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org/infoE.php#articles

This is a photo from a painting made by an artist A.B. Saenko "Anastasia's Great-Grandmother". The painting is created using fingertips and is described for the first time by Vladimir Megre in the second book "The Ringing Cedars of Russia" first chapter "Alien or Man".

Author of the photo A.G. Kalganov.

Co-author V.T. Larionova.

Fat compounds make up 60 percent of brain cells!

Fat compounds make up 60 per cent of brain cells, and this is much higher concentration than in any other part of the body. The irony is in the fact that people practically know nothing about it and they are constantly seeking to eliminate as much fat from their diet as possible. However, it is vital to have enough fats in the menu for the brain so that it could develop and stay in good shape.

There are two essential fatty acids – Alpha-linolenic acid called Omega-3, and Linoleic acid called Omega-6. They are called indispensable or vital because human body uses them to synthesize all other fats it requires. It is this essential fat, Alpha-linolenic acid, which our body requires most of all, that is the least used and rarest in our diet. The deficit of essential fatty acids becomes one of the main reasons causing chronic degenerative diseases, such as cancer, heart diseases, hypertension and insulin. Besides, lack of those essential fatty acids is characterized by considerable degradation of brainwork. Apparently we take up lots of various fats with our food but those are all wrong types of fats, hydrogenated fats and fats of animal origin (excluding the products we can eat raw in small quantities: eggs, milk and dairy products)*.

Partially hydrogenated fats and oils, as well as the ones of animal and vegetable origin, contain toxic fats, which provide detrimental effect on human brain. The molecules of fat are acquiring hydrogen during the process of hydrogenation, which changes their structure and makes those fats dangerous for health and normal mental performance. When hydrogenated fat gets into the walls of cells, it prevents nutritive materials from being absorbed into the cell. It results in accumulation of toxins and cells do not get valuable nutrition. Hydrogenated fat is also called saturated because molecule chains are saturated with atoms of hydrogen. Due to its resistance to rancidification, it is widely used for manufacturing of margarine and cooking oils that are added to dough for shortening, various dressings and mayonnaises for salads and vegetables. Most nutritionists recommend avoiding hydrogenated fats and using only natural unprocessed fresh vegetable oils processed from nuts, various seeds, kernels and pits.

Taking into account that fat is the building material for brain cells, it makes sense to use any natural vegetable oils and avoid such fats and oils, the structure of which has been changed by hydrogenation, heating or sunlight. However, the fact that fats are natural and unprocessed does not mean yet they are actually good for you.

There are three types of natural oils: saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. According to some research, saturated fats increase the level of cholesterol causing cancer, cardiovascular and other serious diseases. Saturated fats are easy to recognize as they become solid and opaque in the cold. Fats of animal origin are saturated. They look like solid white fibers in a piece of meat and are easily identified.

Polyunsaturated fats, which are used in many dressings for salads, remain transparent and liquid even if kept in a refrigerator. However, they have their own dangerous characteristics, which are not that widely known. These fats are subject to oxidation especially when heated or left in the open air. We definitely do not want oxidized fats in our body because they create free radicals killing the cells of our nervous system and other vital organs, which, in its turn, leads to decreasing mental abilities, acceleration of ageing process oncological diseases. If polyunsaturated oils and fats have some rancid smell, do not eat them. Unfortunately for most deep fried dishes, like French fries, they are using rancid oil that has cancerogenic properties. Just think about it. They are using the same oil time and again, sometimes keeping it open in the air for days. Monounsaturated fats are standing between saturated and polyunsaturated fats. The examples of monounsaturated fats are cedar nuts oil, linseed and canola oil.

Linolenic acid or Omaga-3 ensures there is enough energy that helps transmission of impulses carrying signals from between the cells. When we speed up transmission of signals, it helps us think better, keep information in our memory and retrieve it when needed. This substance is also required for embryos in the womb. In their experiments with animals, scientists discovered that if mothers lacked essential acid Omega-3, their cubs had irreversible damage of learning ability. This fatty acid is necessary for healthy retina, synaptic work and to overcome stress.

Cedar nuts, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, wheat germs, soybeans, canola, nuts and oils from those products are the best sources of unsaturated oils. They should be kept in a refrigerator and should be used only fresh because the fats, containing linolenic acid, are destroyed when heated, exposed to light or oxygen of the air.

Be healthy!

V. V. Rodin

M.D., Medicine

*It is forbidden in North America and some other countries to sell natural "raw" (unpasteurized) milk and products manufactured from such milk. To increase milk yield, hormone injections for cows are used. Egg production on large farms is also a sensitive issue remaining open.

(Editor's note)

These articles come directly from researchers and are passed on to everybody. The company assumes no liability for any content in these articles.

For more great articles go to http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org/infoE.php#articles

I gave my 30 year old son a bottle of cedar nut oil a few weeks ago and instructed him how to use it to enhance his overall health (mainly by taking a little off a spoon or drizzling it over bread). He came down with a terrible sinus infection which made one side of his face swell terribly. I treated it with antibiotics and the swelling and pain went away but only for about a week (I am a nurse practitioner).

He then called me again to say that his teeth were hurting. He agreed to call me the next day after work to let me know how he was doing. He called the next day to say he had such very bad pain in his face the night before that it hurt when he went to bed until about 1:30 a.m. He had to get up and think what to do about it. He stated he went downstairs and decided to rub some cedar nut oil onto his gums and face where the sinus infection and pain were hurting him. What he stated next was amazing. He said that his pain went away IMMEDIATELY after rubbing the cedar nut oil onto his face and gums. He also took some orally off a teaspoon.

I agree with Anastasia and believe the cedar nut oil definitely has healing properties!

Carolyn R. Walker, MSN, ARNP
Family Nurse Practitioner
Prevention & Healing of Iowa
6901 Hickman Road
Urbandale , IA 50322
515-727-4141
www.preventioniowa.com

These articles come directly from customers and are passed on to everybody. The company assumes no liability for any content in these reviews.

Spring Promotional Discounts!

Use this great oppotunity to increase your vitamin intake with these great spring promotions:

Worldwide:

Cedar Nut Oil

Special promotional discount for everybody! Currently we are offering you a great promotional discount "Buy 3 get 1 free!" of "Siberian Cedar Nut Oil" 100g. packaging! This oil is obtained by the cold-pressure method, using manual wooden oil-presses. It is a 100% natural product with strong healing powers. In the old Russian folk medicine healers consider that Siberian cedar nut oil eliminates a chronic weakness syndrome, increases overall strength of an organism, physical and brain activities. This oil is perfect for use in spring as the body requires more vitamins and nutrients then usual. Click here to go to our online store.

Cedar Nuts 100g

Enjoy this special discount on "Siberian Cedar Nuts 100g". Right now order any quantity and receive a generous 25% discount. Cedar nuts (the seeds of the cedar tree) take two years to mature, during which time the tree accumulates a huge volume of positive cosmic energy. Crops of nuts are harvested manually by people lovingly devoted to this task, working in a pleasant environment without undue haste to create unique products full of positive energy reflecting the infinite powers of Nature. Click here to go to our online store.


EUROPE ONLY!

Cedar Pillow

In Europe Only! Receive a 20% discount on Cedar Pillows. Enjoy a full benefit of a normal sleep and comfort. Cedar pillow under the brand name "The Ringing Cedars of Russia" has a distinct cedar nut smell, possesses antiseptic qualities, and is of a medium softness.
Click here to go to our online store.

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