Transform Your Health Today!

Preface

8 and business correspond.

My three main initiatives are: food wellness, health and safety. As a vice-principal, I apply those initiatives for the students in an equitable manner.

In the writing of this book from life’s events, those initiatives needed to be directed towards me. Only then, will I have the energy to give more to the students.

Lesson 350: Death of Dove/Peace

During my visit with my brother and sister-in-law, was the first report of Trump’s shooting in Butler Pennsylvania. Before I left their residence, there was a dead dove in the front yard. I let my brother pick it up with a glove on and dispose of it. My sister-in-law asked what it meant. I was cautious and said I did not know.

For Croatians, my father’s side of the family, when a Croatian dies, part of their spirit becomes a dove.

Dove represents peace and the United Nations. Death to either of these?

Certainly, attacking a presidential nominee is an attack on peaceful democratic elections.

Not to delve deeply into QANON, the Q movement did say, enjoy the show, as it was predicted that Trump would return as president. Meanwhile, peace has died is my theory.

Lesson 352: Time and the Bible Verse

God gives us darkness

in the sky

And replaces it

With the purity of

snow

Balance

In August of 2024, I stumbled upon YouTuber Joe Kirby who said, when you look at the clock during a night’s sleep, you are to look up the matching bible verse.

So, I started doing so. At the end of Book 7, was the verse 3:08 as it refers to spirit being like the wind. And birds fly in the wind.

In life, I have gone from a free spirit writing books to Spirit Carries Me to the Holy Spirit as from God and the words of the bible.

December 2024 marks many changes in time and weather. Yes, I saw popular winter birds up here in Moose Factory, Ontario, Canada like the pine siskin, purple finch, and pine grosbeak on November 30th and December 1st in different combinations eating seeds from the birch tree in the front yard. Yes, quite the spectacle to see them together hungrily devouring the seeds. While at the same time, the downy woodpecker (more about the woodpecker later in another lesson) was absent.

There were also sightings of birds uncommon to this time of year: a flock of geese; a robin on December 22nd; a crow on December 27th. According to nature, climate is changing and confusing the birds.

As from my first The Birds Way, the crows always know. Why bother migrating when they can stay here through what will generally be a mild weather.

At the time of this writing at the end of December 2024, we are experiencing record setting temperatures and a thaw period. In one day, we have had a snow melt and grass reappearing. In fact, today, it rained. Yes, we do have winter thaws, it is usually in January in northern Ontario. There is open water in James and Hudson Bay which is highly unusual.

I have certainly taken upon a renewed interest in the bible and bible verses. I have read the Old and New Testament before but never thought of myself as a Christian. I have attended schools that had Christian values and teachings. I have taught in Catholic schools and wonder if I am in the wrong school now. My interests on YouTube have leaned this month to religious teachings and preachers. I rented the Passion of Christ and watched it on Christmas Day.

It is time in my life to embrace Christian teaching and Chrisitan lessons contained in the one book that I have ignored far too much?

Lesson 354: Food Wellness

If I had to pick only one of my school initiatives, then it would be providing food to the students.

I spend a great deal of time: ordering, receiving, storing, and distributing food. As a school leader, I have set up all of my initiatives this year as a collaboration so many people can help in each step of the food process for the students’ foundational need.

1) Nutrition Bins

Last year it was the snack program through funds and approved distributors of the Red Cross. Bins of food went out to each classroom in the morning for hungry students to get a bite to eat.

Many staff members commented that it was not enough. I kept records of office visits and the number reason for coming to the office was for food. Thus, I knew that I had to provide more. A staff member suggested a hot breakfast committee.

2) Hot Breakfast Committee

In late June 2024, I ordered three folding tables. A space in the center of the school would house those tables to form The Central Café. Three tables with eight students at each table for a total of 24 hungry students each morning.

I thought that I would request community organizations to sponsor and prepare food each week. From the school board, I was informed about a non-designated amount of money from which I could order food from. I sought a different provider than the two for the Red Cross so as not to confuse things.

Monday: hot porridge;

Tuesday: scrambled eggs, hashbrowns and toast with jam;

Wednesday: Bannock with jam;

Thursday: cold cereal and toast with jam;

Friday: pancakes.

Kokum’s Kitchen or Grandmother’s Kitchen was the place where the hot breakfasts would be made. Two staff members were a kokum. They both could make Bannock and pancakes. After Thanksgiving 2024, we provided a daily hot breakfast for at least 24 students with 75 being the highest number of students served in a morning.

Above: Kokum Frances to the left, Kokum Bernice in the center, and EA Stuart preparing the first batch of pancakes.

Left photo: Hot breakfast served on the new Central Café tables. A modest start.

The hot breakfast became the year of pancake mix. It took a total of four months before I was able to purchase pancake mix. It was easy to buy syrup for pancakes. Thankfully too, we received a donation of pancake mix, and they cooked part of their donation.

With the introduction of a hot breakfast, the number of students visiting the office for food was very much reduced.

Depending upon the amount of food in the snack bins, it affected the number of office visitors.

In November 2024, Financial Officer Kevin and I completed an application to update the Kokum’s Kitchen ranges and to purchase cooking supplies. The application was approved and thus our available cooking surfaces increased as well.

3) Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program (NFVP)

January 2025 was the restart of the fresh fruit and vegetable program from the Porcupine Health Unit now the Northeastern Public Health, a weekly fruit and vegetable was provided for free to support nutrition.

4) Nancy’s Garden

From Nancy’s Garden, some food would be grown on school property.

Photo above: There are three garden boxes forming Nancy’s Garden. Aurora pictured, and I prepped the gardens for spring 2025.

5) Medicinal Garden

One of the two garden boxes in front of the school is a medicinal garden: blueberry plants with sage seeds planted.

Additional food will be grown in the greenhouse. Which is a long story of its own.

6) Collett’s School Greenhouse

The school was gifted a greenhouse from the Mennonite Central Committee in Timmins, Ontario, Canada along with seeds, gloves, jiffy pots and soil.

The greenhouse sat in an airport hanger for a year and a half before it was transported to the island. It sat in our school’s garage for another year and a half.