By Virginia Eaton — I do not have cable or network television at home because my peace of mind cannot handle crisis media, which seems to be all that is offered these days. During the last few months, we have been inundated with horror, terror and sadness, as our world seemingly devolves into a post-apocalyptic zombie movie. There is a ...

We had a beautiful drive up to Curry Village in Yosemite National Park for the Annual Holiday Craft Bazaar.  Fresh snow trimmed the peaks above the valley and we could see wonderful reflections in the Merced River as we drove up.  We parked in the Curry Village parking lot, which was an ice sheet in much of the area so ...

FleaMarketGardening.org There’s no reason to stop decorating when you reach the back door. Continue right out into the garden! Many holiday decorations can transition easily into ‘gifts’ for the birds, as in decorated trees, or can act as focal points that add some color to a snowy or barren garden scene. It really makes decorating fun when it’s this simple! ...

By Virginia Eaton — An explosion in exercise classes has pushed participants to the edge of their fitness level — think CrossFit and boot camp-types of classes. While there’s much to be gained by sweating and grunting for an hour, the goal of sustainable, well rounded fitness requires skills that you often don’t get in these high energy classes. Boot ...

Sally and Raven headed to Fish Camp to check out the recent snow. We drove them. When we told the dogs it was ok to unload, they were off. They sure love the snow and so do I. We saw some great snow, beautiful reflections in the creek and got a good workout in our snowshoes. Where: Fish Camp, Sierra National Forest ...

By Virginia Eaton — Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a crippling inflammatory condition that affects both men and women, although women in their 30s-60s are most likely to contract the disease. RA is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks the sac surrounding the joints, making them inflamed, stiff, and painful. This inflammation, while centered on the joints, can also affect ...

The recent snowfall was inviting us to our first showshoe adventure of the year. Except for the many animal tracks we could see in the snow, we had the place to ourselves. Where: Tamarack Ridge SNO-PARK, Sierra National Forest Distance: 4.8 miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevational Range: 7,446′ to 7,728′ Date: November 12, 2015 Maps: High Sierra Ranger District Winter Recreation Guide, Dinky Creek ...

By Virginia Eaton — Let me introduce you to a food villain that’s been around for a while but may have escaped your attention. Its proper name is Advanced Glycation End-Product but we’ll use AGE for short. This substance creates inflammation in the body and can exacerbate autoimmune diseases such as lupus and arthritis as well as conditions such diabetes ...

We couldn’t wait to get up to Yosemite Valley right after the last storm. We needed to check out the fall colors, reflections in the Merced River, those waterfalls and snow covered trees on the rim.  Plus, you never know what special surprise will be in store for us on our adventures. Difficulty: Easy Elevational Range: 3,880′ to 4,960′ Date: November 4, 2015 ...

By Virginia Eaton — I recently received a social media message about gratitude — I was challenged to list the things for which I am grateful, not just once but for seven days in a row! My first response to these sorts of messages is to immediately delete; I am a grateful person, I always say thank you, I appreciate ...