Seven years ago this month, I began a blog within which I could discuss natural, organic, and chemical-free products for menstruation, camping, food consumption, and so forth. The blog was called The Resistant Naturalist Explains... (https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/5093550461309435712?tab=wj). The term "resistant naturalist" refers to my lack of desire to become a naturalist in some ways. Don't get me wrong, I've always been interested in keeping our environment safe. But

Lighthouse in southern New Jersey. For much of my life, I have considered myself not a pacifist. My reason was because pacifism as I understood it meant that I could not defend myself or someone else if attacked. I am not about to just let someone harm me without fighting back. At some point in the last several years, I decided I was a paciphile. Don't look in the dictionary, it's a word I made up. But what is a paciphile? Breaking down the word, pac has Latin origins and mea

Several mornings ago, I went through my wake-up routine: I put on some workout clothes and completed some gentle yoga, prayer and meditation. My prayer incorporates a list of people who have asked me to pray for them, as well as people I have chosen to add because I was aware of challenges they have been experiencing. Most mornings, I just light my candles, recite the names, and speak my prayer: May the sick recover from illness and the deceased move easily toward their peace