Hauling in the Wood
(Jan 1991)

Celebrate…..celebrate….for life is so very great! Hope you enjoy reading this first anniversary edition of ISSUES.

I remember ever so clearly getting the first copy of ISSUES to the printers. It was like giving birth to my first-born 20 years ago, almost to the day. The memories of the long hard push late into the night are still vivid and each time ISSUES goes to print, I wait anxiously for the first copy and I say my thank you’s to the universe for giving me this opportunity to meet so many wonderful and dedicated people who are helping to shift the consciousness of the world.

This month’s cover is your chance to meet great grandpa. Vincent Kost was my mother’s grandfather, a kind compassionate and helpful soul who decided to move from the isolated Arctic life of a trapper to “God’s country”, as my parents so often called the beautiful mountains of northern B.C.. To us kids, grandpa seemed to love picking potatoes out of the rock bed we called a garden; cutting wild hay in the meadows always appeared to be a treat rather than a chore and hauling wood with the horses seemed so easy.

Carrying that wood into the house seemed a full-time job for us kids but the winters were long and cold and we knew where our heat came from. The golden rule was every time you went to the outhouse you brought in an armload of wood. If you forgot you were asked to bring in two loads so our memory could be improved.

One thing hauling wood did teach us was the fine art of co-operation: many hands made the work go quicker, besides, if the woodbox didn’t get filled, Grandpa couldn’t light the fires in the morning and the chill wouldn’t get taken off. Today, as the thermometer drops, I remember the ice cold floors and outside toilet of my childhood home and I thank God for central plumbing and heating.

As our environmental awareness increases, we as a society must take an active role in deciding just what we are willing to sacrifice for our convenience. Tough choices have to be made and only when most people become concerned citizens will our planet survive to be inherited by our children. Laurel Burnham and I have been chosen as members of the executive of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee for the Okanagan region. We are trying to decide where the emphasis on raising awareness should be placed in the Okanagan. Do you wish to get involved? Give me a call.

One easy way to help just a little is to recycle your glass and paper. Also, why not buy recycled paper goods. Yes, you must pay a little more for recycled products, but in the long run, prices will drop with increased demand and we will all save money – not to mention the environment.

Please show your support for the advertisers in ISSUES. Many thanks to Jack Wells of Eaglefoot Recycling in Nelson and Moreen Reed, an astrologer in Kamloops for taking the time to start the networking.

ISSUES is starting to grow. If you would like ISSUES delivered to your door every second month, just fill in the coupon and mail it in. You can also pick up ISSUES free at your local health food stores.