The years we’ve grown a garden, I have never enjoyed eating food so much. It’s warm, ripe, and safe. The deer like it too.

Yes. Once you’ve had cancer, that kind of straightens your head out about organic. 9I also no longer have my feet x-rayed when I buy shoes.)

Because food is labeled organic doesn’t always mean it is organic, same with so-called organic cosmetics. These days it is best to do some homework (got to love the internet!) before purchasing anything that is doubtful. www.GoVeg.com is one of many websites that gives many reasons to eat vegetarian and to be careful about assuming foods are organic. Also, since having skin cancer, I refuse to use any lotion, soap or cosmetic with hidden chemicals. It is amazing how many products use “organic” as a label to rein customers in, when, in fact, they are loaded with harmful chemicals. Dr. Bronner’s (I have loved their peppermint soap since I was in college) has a great website that speaks commonsense about organic products. I believe it is worth the (sometimes) extra money it costs to get the best, chemical-free products for oneself. I don’t have cable, or a fancy cellphone contract or a lot of the other extras many folks think are absolutely, positively necessary—so I can afford to pay a little more for healthy products that may not be found in department stores under trendy labels. I am not one of those people who lecture friends about not eating red meat. That is a personal decision. But I believe it should be a well-informed decision.

I haven’t eaten red meat for about 30 years. yes. to free range chicken (although I have a hard time visualizing them running around up hill and dale) and fish—never farmed. But as I get older, I’m thinking more and more, that if it takes twenty years to be harmed, ie. get cancer, I should go back those yummy steaks I remember from my childhood. What are the odds I’ll live long enough to get something bad—remember, I don’t have a political viewpoint on this.