Exquisitely and erotically written, Sally O'Reilly will pull you in from page one unleashing the powerful ploys of Aemilia, Shakespeare's dark lady.  If you have any lust for Shakespeare's era, this read is a must!

A TALE OF SORCERY AND PASSION IN SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY LONDON—WHERE WITCHES HAUNT WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND HIS DARK LADY, THE PLAYWRIGHT'S MUSE AND ONE TRUE LOVE

The daughter of a Venetian musician, Aemilia Bassano came of age in Queen Elizabeth’s royal court. The Queen’s favorite, she develops a love of poetry and learning, maturing into a young woman known not only for her beauty but also her sharp mind and quick tongue. Aemilia becomes the mistress of Lord Hunsdon, but her position is precarious. Then she crosses paths with an impetuous playwright named William Shakespeare and begins an impassioned but ill-fated affair.

A decade later, the Queen is dead, and Aemilia Bassano is now Aemilia Lanyer, fallen from favor and married to a fool. Like the rest of London, she fears the plague. And when her young son Henry takes ill, Aemilia resolves to do anything to save him, even if it means seeking help from her estranged lover, Will—or worse, making a pact with the Devil himself.

In rich, vivid detail, Sally O’Reilly breathes life into England’s first female poet, a mysterious woman nearly forgotten by history. Full of passion and devilish schemes, Dark Aemilia is a tale worthy of the Bard. - amazon.com

When we use these chemicals to clean our home, they linger in the air and we breathe them in. Researchers in the U.S. identified 133 unique volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from a small sample of consumer products, including six cleaning products. Each product tested emitted between one and eight chemicals classified as toxic or hazardous under U.S. federal laws

Chemicals in cleaning products can also enter our bodies by absorption through the skin or through ingestion of household dust and chemical residues left on dishes and cutlery. And when cleaning products are flushed down the drain, they can have a serious impact on aquatic ecosystems.

You're probably familiar with the hazard symbols that appear on some cleaning products, along with words like "poison", "corrosive" or "irritant."  Nonetheless, we ignore them taking pride in a scrubbed fresh home. Who knows what such pollutants are doing to our overall well-being?  Here are some more tested cleaning alternatives.

Vinegar
Vinegar is a solution of acetic acid that cuts through grease, deodorizes, and disinfects.  White vinegar is the best type to use around your home since it doesn't have a strong smell.  Plus, you can purchase it by the gallon for cheaper than most household cleaners.  Mix equal amounts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle as a general cleaner.  It is great on tiles and kitchen counter tops for removing mildew.  For a fresh fragrance add a few drops of essential oils like lemon or orange.  For difficult stains, use warm water; cover the stain and leave on for ten minutes before wiping off.  White vinegar also makes an excellent window cleaner that will put most products to shame.  Use a half a cup in a quart of warm water.  Spray onto the window and remove with crumpled newspaper.  

Vinegar also removes lime deposits.  To clean a shower head, simply remove it and soak in undiluted vinegar.  To remove limescale from your kettle, fill it up with vinegar, and leave it overnight.  Pour liquid out the next day and be sure to rinse it out before using.  To descale taps, soak a few paper towels in white vinegar.  Wrap them around the taps and cover them with plastic bags held in place with elastic bands. Leave on for a few hours before rinsing.  Buff with a dry cloth.

Ketchup
Try using ketchup to clean copper and brass.  Simple lather, leave on for a few minutes,rinse, and wipe clean with a dry cloth.

Air Freshener
Don't use toxic air fresheners!  Make your own.  Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and add 20 drops of your favorite essential oil of choice.  Try lemongrass, geranium, or peppermint.  Shake well before spraying.  Be sure to keep vinegar away from you eyes. 

Natural Disinfectant
Tea Tree oil is an excellent disinfectant and fungicide.  For general cleaning mix two tsp. of tea tree oil with two cups of water.  Spray on surfaces as needed and wipe. This will also remove mold and mildew. Simply spray on, leave for a few minutes then rinse with warm soapy water.  To keep shower curtains mildew-free and to remove strong mildew smells from fabrics, add a few drops of tea tree oil to your usual washing powder or liquid.

Bleach Substitute
Borax, a natural mineral salt containing boron, can be used as a gentler alternative to bleach.  To remove stains on white cotton or linen, apply directly, then rinse.  Soak colored fabrics in a weak solution of borax.  Simply add one tab. to one pint of water.  Soak for 15 min.  If you need an all purpose household cleaner and disinfectant, mix one tsp. of borax with two tab. of white vinegar and two pints of hot water. Spray on surfaces and wipe. 

Chemical sensitivity is a common trigger in fibromyalgia flare-ups.  In a study from World Wildlife Fund with 47 volunteers 54 man-made chemicals were detected in the individual volunteers' bodies.  Many of these same chemicals are still found in household cleaning products and are identified as harmful. Some researchers have a strong inkling that these same chemicals may play a huge roll in the symptoms of fibromyalgia.  So don't take chances, opt for eco-friendly cleaners based on natural ingredients.  You can also try some of the recipes below.

Soda Solution
Bicarbonate of soda is cheap and very versatile.  Mixed with water, it forms an alkaline solution that helps dissolve dirt and grease.  It also neutralizes smells.

• Use baking soda on carpets to remove stains.
• To remove odors from carpets, sprinkle with baking soda, leave on 15 minutes then vacuum off.
• To clean smelly drains, sprinkle one cupful of baking soda into it.  Pour one cup of white vinegar down.  The result will degrease and deodorize.  
• Sprinkle on a damp cloth and use as a mild abrasive to remove marks from plastic, porcelain, glass, tiles, and stainless steel surfaces without scratching.
• Fill a small container with baking soda and leave in the fridge to absorb odors.  Stir it now again and replace every three months.
• For your dishwasher add one cup of baking soda and run it through one cycle, empty, to clean.
• For tough stains mix with water to make a paste.  Apply and leave on for a few minutes.  Then rinse off.  Even silverware and jewelry will emerge bright and new-like.

Lemon Fresh
Lemons contain citric acid which helps make them great natural cleaners. They contain bleaching, antiseptic, antibacterial, and degreasing properties.

• Use half a lemon to clean the bath and washbasin.  Rubbing it around tap handles will remove limescale and leave them sparkling.  Don't forget to buff afterwards!
• To clean copper and brass, dip half a lemon into salt and rub.  Rinse well quickly to prevent discoloration.  
• Lemon is also a natural bleach. If you need to brighten clothing or bed linen, soak them in a bucket of water in which you added to juice of one lemon.  Leave overnight and wash as normal.
• Lemon also deodorizes.  To clean you microwave and remove food smells, place a couple of lemon slices into a microwaveable bowl containing water.  Microwave a couple of minutes then wipe using a cloth.

Natural Polish
Olive oil is a great natural substitute for commercial furniture polish.  Simply mix one cup of ordinary olive oil with the juice of one lemon.  Pour into a spray bottle and shake.  Spray on wooden surfaces and rub gently.  The lemon juice cuts through the dirt, while the olive oil shines and protects the wood.  Use a dry cloth to remove excess.  Use sparingly as excess amounts of it could leave surfaces feeling sticky.  Olive oil is also good for removing fingerprints on stainless steel surfaces.  Simply sprinkle a bit on a cloth and rub.  

Sara' Gruen's keen insight to the elderly weaves an explicit tail of life in the circus during the 1930's from an aging man's perspective.  She's never been privy to circus history previously, but a few month's of research make her an expert in this subject area.

Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.

Jacob was there because his luck had run out—orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive "ship of fools." It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act—in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival. 

Surprising, poignant, and funny, Water for Elephants is that rare novel with a story so engrossing, one is reluctant to put it down; with characters so engaging, they continue to live long after the last page has been turned; with a world built of wonder, a world so real, one starts to breathe its air. -amazon.com

"Leaky gut syndrome" is said to have symptoms that include joint aches and pains, anxiety, disorientation, bloating, gas, cramps, and food sensitivities. But it's something of a medical mystery.

“From an MD’s standpoint, it’s a very gray area,” says gastroenterologist Donald Kirby, MD, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the Cleveland Clinic. “Physicians don’t know enough about the gut, which is our biggest immune system organ.”

“We don’t know a lot but we know that it exists,” says Linda A. Lee, MD, a gastroenterologist and director of the Johns Hopkins Integrative Medicine and Digestive Center. “In the absence of evidence, we don’t know what it means or what therapies can directly address it.”

A possible cause of leaky gut is increased intestinal permeability or intestinal hyperpermeability.
That could happen when tight junctions in the gut, which control what passes through the lining of the small intestine, don't work properly. That could let substances leak into the bloodstream.

People with celiac disease and Crohn’s disease experience this. “Molecules can get across in some cases, such as Crohn’s, but we don’t know all the causes,” Lee says. Whether hyperpermeability is more of a contributing factor or a consequence is unclear.

Facts that are little known

• A study in 2008 found a relationship between alterations of the intestinal microbiota (i.e. “gut flora”) and fibromyalgia.
• Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles found that 100% (42/42) of fibromyalgia patients they studied had small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). This is astounding. 
• A study of 40 patients with fibromyalgia, 28 (70%) had intestinal permeability (i.e. leaky gut). Importantly, 12 of the 28 patients with leaky gut had no gut symptoms. I believe this is one reason the gut is often overlooked as a potential underlying cause of fibromyalgia.

How to repair your gut

• Avoid foods, medications (e.g. antibiotics), and chemicals (e.g. BPA) that irritate the gut.
• Eat plenty of fermentable fibers (starches like sweet potato, yam, yucca, etc.).
• Eat fermented foods like kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kim chi, etc..
• Consume bone broth and glycine-rich foods (e.g. tougher cuts of meat like beef shanks, oxtail, brisket, and chuck roast).
• Consider taking a probiotic 
• Treat any intestinal pathogens (such as parasites) that may be present.
• Manage your stress (with mediation, mindfulness practice, biofeedback
• Get at least 7–8 hours of sleep each night.

Most of these diseases have an underlying "unknown" cause. But, when treated with diet and a few supplements, their symptoms can be miraculously managed.  The Fibromyalgia Phase I and Phase II diets deal specifically with limiting carbohydrates and processed foods.  These lifestyle changes challenge you to incorporate a whole foods approach therefore, limiting the common flare-ups of the illness.  "The Plan" as we like to call it here can give you a whole new perspective on life!

Diseases and problems of systemic yeast infections can be found in various forms. That is due to the many different fungi that you can possibly get from foods, the environment, and the overgrowth of candida. These fungi release over 100 known mycotoxins (poisons) into the body. These mycotoxins can affect different parts of the body in seemingly unrelated ways. One person may get adult acne, the next arthritis, and another person fibromyalgia.

Systemic yeast infections are usually commonly caused by candida albicans or candida tropicalis from intestinal overgrowth. But, other common fungi can cause or mimic the same symptoms of these diseases and conditions.  Airborne fungal spores such as asperigillus that is very common in rural and urban communities can also be the culprit. People are exposed in their workplaces and their homes to enormous numbers of these airborne fungi that do cause many respiratory infections and common allergies every year.

Systemic yeast infection and fungal disease do not suffer from a shortage of scientific knowledge, but strangely, the twentieth century has very little knowledge of them. In the Bible, under Leviticus 14 in verses 34 and 35, the talk of fungus and fungi causing disease is nothing new.

Clinical Mycology, by C. C. Kibbler, published in 1995, is a compilation of research reports from 18 prominent physicians from universities such as Duke, Stanford, Texas, and others. In it they clearly state the dangers of systemic yeast infection, candida, other fungi, and their related diseases. Chapters include Bone and Joint, Cardiovascular System, Dermatology, Central Nervous System, Gastrointestinal Tract, Ear, Nose and Throat, Respiratory System, and even Ophthalmology. Why isn't every doctor in the country aware of the risks of yeast and fungus as a cause of many modern diseases?

Some of the diseases a systemic yeast infection can cause are:

• arthritis
• gout
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• fibromyalgia
• high cholesterol
• crohns disease
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• asthma
• allergies
• acid reflux
• psoriasis
• eczema
• roscea
• hives
• acne
• dandruff
• depression

Most of these diseases have an underlying "unknown" cause. But, when treated with diet and a few supplements, their symptoms can be miraculously managed.  The Fibromyalgia Phase I and Phase II diets deal specifically with limiting carbohydrates and processed foods.  These lifestyle changes challenge you to incorporate a whole foods approach therefore, limiting the common flare-ups of the illness.  "The Plan" as we like to call it here can give you a whole new perspective on life!

Did you know raw foods heal because they keep the body's acid/alkaline levels balanced? An acidic body is riddled with the harmful effects of bad foods, ongoing stress and pollution. Raw foods make the body more alkaline.

There are two basic reasons why raw food heals. One is the live enzymes. Our body has all the metabolic enzymes that keep us young and you'll find digestive enzymes in raw real foods. When we kill the natural digestive enzymes with cooking, our metabolic enzymes that are healing us and keeping our body healthful have to stop what they're doing and work on digestion.

Most fibromyalgia sufferers are prone to "sweet cravings" when feeling down.  At times, these may seem uncontrollable as your body strives to regain its composure after an extremely stressful day or sickness. Make these delights instead and store them in your freezer when such an episode rears its ugly face.  Then just rest and let the body repair.  

1  1/2 cups raw walnuts
3/4 cup raisins
2 tab. unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tab. honey
Pinch of salt

Place walnuts in food processor and process until finely chopped.  Add raisins allow to finely chop.  Add coconut and honey and let processor whirl until a ball begins to develop.  So easy!  Shape into one inch balls and roll in coconut.  Store in freezer for up to 4 months.  Good in the refrigerator for one week. Yum and satisfying!