This is an appropriate name for the chemical-free bed and breakfast we stayed in on Prince Edward Island. Though the roses weren't in bloom the last three days of April, we truly felt like we were cradled in luxury. In fact, Aravinda and Jasmin, the fine hosts who run this establishment, often refer to it as the "Cradle on the Waves."
The home sits on the edge of the North River in Charlottetown, PEI. One morning we watched the fishermen raking for oysters as we ate our custom made breakfast of homemade yogurt, fresh date muffins and home-grown peppermint tea. The hosts are originally from India, and it was a delight to share in other ethnic breakfast foods as well.
Beyond the beautiful room and delicious food, we enjoyed stimulating conversation with two people who instantly became friends. Their understanding of chemical issues is prompted by a sincere concern for all people and the stewardship of the earth which we have all been given. Their multi-cultural perspective was enlightening and has inspired me to think about chemical issues from a broader view. There are things which I can do to change the world, even though I am only one person. Jasmin and Aravinda are such good examples of two people who practice what they believe. They are not chemically sensitive themselves, but they have a genuine concern for those who are and for the world as a whole. Though it is their goal to return to India in the next year, they will continue to run the B & B in the meantime. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
English Garden Bed and Breakfast
The wanderer has returned to Montana after two wonderful weeks of traveling on the eastern seaboard of the U.S. and Canada. I have to sing the praises of the places we stayed, starting with the English Garden Bed and Breakfast in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia (just across the river from Halifax). We found this scent-free B & B through an internet search. It's a beautiful large home in a residential neighborhood, close to the airport and very accessible to the sites of Halifax and the coastline. They really take scent-free seriously, as they provide lodging to patients of the Nova Scotia Enviornmental Health Centre (NSEHC), which is located nearby in Fall River.
It was much to our surprise that we discovered at breakfast the first morning that the proprietors of English Garden (the Hunt and Wells families) are LDS. They assured us that I would be safe at church, because the director of the NSEHC (Dr. Fox) is also LDS, a member of their ward and suffers from MCS himself.
I cannot say enough in praise of English Garden B & B. They have beautifully decorated rooms (see them at www.bbcanada.com/englishgarden ). Ours had a huge bathroom with a Jacuzzi soaking tub and a separate shower. A small refrigerator on the landing outside the room made it possible for us to have yogurt and cheese bedtime snacks. The ample breakfast was delicious and even included a gluten free muffin for me. The bed was so comfortable and the air so breathable that I woke up the first morning thinking that I was in my own home. And their nightly rates are the best you will find in the area. We paid less than $100/night for luxury worth much more.
This was just an amazing place to stay and a good start to our vacation. We felt truly spoiled.
It was much to our surprise that we discovered at breakfast the first morning that the proprietors of English Garden (the Hunt and Wells families) are LDS. They assured us that I would be safe at church, because the director of the NSEHC (Dr. Fox) is also LDS, a member of their ward and suffers from MCS himself.
I cannot say enough in praise of English Garden B & B. They have beautifully decorated rooms (see them at www.bbcanada.com/englishgarden ). Ours had a huge bathroom with a Jacuzzi soaking tub and a separate shower. A small refrigerator on the landing outside the room made it possible for us to have yogurt and cheese bedtime snacks. The ample breakfast was delicious and even included a gluten free muffin for me. The bed was so comfortable and the air so breathable that I woke up the first morning thinking that I was in my own home. And their nightly rates are the best you will find in the area. We paid less than $100/night for luxury worth much more.
This was just an amazing place to stay and a good start to our vacation. We felt truly spoiled.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Traveling in Nova Scotia, Part 1
I spent the last week in Nova Scotia with my husband as we celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary. It will take several posts to really talk about the experience as it relates to MCS, but suffice it to say that Nova Scotia is MCS friendly. We stayed in three different Bed and Breakfast inns, which were all scent-free, and everyone we spoke with understood, and was sympathetic, about MCS.
We flew into Halifax on Saturday afternoon, and the next day we attended church in a scent-free building. It was the first time I have attended the full three hours of church in many months. What a joy to be feel safe and really enjoy the worship services. As it turns out, there is a well-respected environmental illness clinic in Halifax, and the director is a member of the LDS Church. He suffers from MCS himself, and he has done a great deal to educate people in the area.
Needless to say, it was a wonderful trip. For ten days I felt like a normal person. It was hard to leave, and I'm not home yet. I took a little side trip to Virginia to see our youngest daughter. I am safe in her home too, so it's all good. The only problem I had today was with some people in the airport waiting for the plane to board. Fortunately, they were flying first class, and I was at the back of the plane.
We flew into Halifax on Saturday afternoon, and the next day we attended church in a scent-free building. It was the first time I have attended the full three hours of church in many months. What a joy to be feel safe and really enjoy the worship services. As it turns out, there is a well-respected environmental illness clinic in Halifax, and the director is a member of the LDS Church. He suffers from MCS himself, and he has done a great deal to educate people in the area.
Needless to say, it was a wonderful trip. For ten days I felt like a normal person. It was hard to leave, and I'm not home yet. I took a little side trip to Virginia to see our youngest daughter. I am safe in her home too, so it's all good. The only problem I had today was with some people in the airport waiting for the plane to board. Fortunately, they were flying first class, and I was at the back of the plane.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Traveling
Our much anticipated trip to Nova Scotia starts tomorrow. My husband writes back-of-the-book indexes for travel guides. Several months ago he was indexing a book on Eastern Canada, and it looked really interesting. As I looked further into the possibility of a vacation there, I discovered a world renowned clinic for environmental illness in Halifax, and businesses in the area that are very MCS-friendly.
We will be staying at three different Bed and Breakfast inns, all of which are fragrance-free and serve local organic foods for breakfast. In addition, they are all able to meet my dietary needs (gluten-free). I am told that the city of Halifax has a fragrance-free ordinance for public buildings also. One concern I had was the rental car, but when I spoke with the agent at the Halifax airport, she knew exactly what I was talking about and said she would make sure I got a smoke-free and chemical-free car. I hope everyone else we meet will be as accomodating.
I'll try to post once or twice during the trip if we come upon internet access. I'm not taking my laptop, since this is a vacation (our 35th wedding anniversary). I'm ready for it.
We will be staying at three different Bed and Breakfast inns, all of which are fragrance-free and serve local organic foods for breakfast. In addition, they are all able to meet my dietary needs (gluten-free). I am told that the city of Halifax has a fragrance-free ordinance for public buildings also. One concern I had was the rental car, but when I spoke with the agent at the Halifax airport, she knew exactly what I was talking about and said she would make sure I got a smoke-free and chemical-free car. I hope everyone else we meet will be as accomodating.
I'll try to post once or twice during the trip if we come upon internet access. I'm not taking my laptop, since this is a vacation (our 35th wedding anniversary). I'm ready for it.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Visitors
I haven't been to a church meeting in our building since the carpet and uphostery were replaced about six weeks ago. This last Sunday, several people at church asked my husband how I was doing. He was pretty direct with them and described the problem, not only with the new carpet, but with everyone's perfumes and other scented products. Some of the people he has spoken with recently have asked if they could come visit me in our home. This presents me with a real dilemma.
Like most people with MCS, I'm pretty protective of my home environment. My own children know they had better be scent-free if they come to visit, and I have requested the same of anyone else who has asked to come. A Relief Society sister stopped by unexpectedly a few weeks ago and asked if she could come in, assuring me that she wasn't wearing anything scented. We just stood in the entryway for about fifteen minutes, but by the time she left I was having a reaction, and even my husband (who has almost no sense of smell) could smell her. I'm sure she hadn't put on any perfume before she came by, but she uses scented products all the time, and the scent stays in a person's clothes and on the skin and hair.
A couple of other good friends, who really understand the problem I have, came by to visit last week. It was wonderful to talk with them, and I didn't have a reaction, but I still worried that I might. I guess I feel threatened by anyone who comes into my home, even friends. So I still don't know what to say to this new request for a visit. It would be good to have some company, but is it worth the risk? I'm thinking about it.
Like most people with MCS, I'm pretty protective of my home environment. My own children know they had better be scent-free if they come to visit, and I have requested the same of anyone else who has asked to come. A Relief Society sister stopped by unexpectedly a few weeks ago and asked if she could come in, assuring me that she wasn't wearing anything scented. We just stood in the entryway for about fifteen minutes, but by the time she left I was having a reaction, and even my husband (who has almost no sense of smell) could smell her. I'm sure she hadn't put on any perfume before she came by, but she uses scented products all the time, and the scent stays in a person's clothes and on the skin and hair.
A couple of other good friends, who really understand the problem I have, came by to visit last week. It was wonderful to talk with them, and I didn't have a reaction, but I still worried that I might. I guess I feel threatened by anyone who comes into my home, even friends. So I still don't know what to say to this new request for a visit. It would be good to have some company, but is it worth the risk? I'm thinking about it.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Healthy Buildings
If you've been to downtown Salt Lake City lately, you know about the mammoth project being undertaken by the LDS Church to reconstruct the block between South Temple and First South Streets and Main and West Temple Streets. The new complex of buildings will be called City Creek Center and won't be completed until sometime in 2012.
An article published in the April 19, 2008 Deseret News states the following about City Creek Center:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' $1.5 billion downtown project is taking part in a pilot program of the U.S. Green Building Council that promotes environmentally responsible and sustainable development.
The Program applies a new standard of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design [LEED] rating system to neighborhood development, not just single buildings. Projects can be recognized for construction and design methods that place a high priority on good health, the natural environment and quality of community life.
The article goes on to say that three other Utah developments are also joining this new LEED program: the Marmalade development just west of the state Capitol, the Daybreak Village Center in South Jordan and the Newpark Town Center in Park City. In a previous article, the LDS Church announced that the new Church History Library (across from the Conference Center) will also seek LEED certification.
This is all good news. Indoor enviornmental air quality is a key factor in LEED certification. A building (or project) must have an acceptable plan for outdoor air introduction and exhaust systems, use of green cleaning products, equipment and pest management, and consideration of occupant comfort (i.e. lighting, heat and air conditioning and views). Ventilation and reduced particulates in the air also must be part of the master plan.
A building that meets LEED certification standards is difinitely going to be a healthier building for its occupants. Personally, I'm looking forward to doing research at the Church History Library and shopping at the City Creek Center, where I know that the building products used will not make me ill and toxic chemicals are not being used to clean, either inside or outside the buildings. It's good to see the LDS Church involved in this program, which will not only save money, but will improve lives.
For more information about the LEED program, go to http://www.usgbc.org or http://greenmormonarchitect.blogspot.com .
An article published in the April 19, 2008 Deseret News states the following about City Creek Center:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' $1.5 billion downtown project is taking part in a pilot program of the U.S. Green Building Council that promotes environmentally responsible and sustainable development.
The Program applies a new standard of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design [LEED] rating system to neighborhood development, not just single buildings. Projects can be recognized for construction and design methods that place a high priority on good health, the natural environment and quality of community life.
The article goes on to say that three other Utah developments are also joining this new LEED program: the Marmalade development just west of the state Capitol, the Daybreak Village Center in South Jordan and the Newpark Town Center in Park City. In a previous article, the LDS Church announced that the new Church History Library (across from the Conference Center) will also seek LEED certification.
This is all good news. Indoor enviornmental air quality is a key factor in LEED certification. A building (or project) must have an acceptable plan for outdoor air introduction and exhaust systems, use of green cleaning products, equipment and pest management, and consideration of occupant comfort (i.e. lighting, heat and air conditioning and views). Ventilation and reduced particulates in the air also must be part of the master plan.
A building that meets LEED certification standards is difinitely going to be a healthier building for its occupants. Personally, I'm looking forward to doing research at the Church History Library and shopping at the City Creek Center, where I know that the building products used will not make me ill and toxic chemicals are not being used to clean, either inside or outside the buildings. It's good to see the LDS Church involved in this program, which will not only save money, but will improve lives.
For more information about the LEED program, go to http://www.usgbc.org or http://greenmormonarchitect.blogspot.com .
Monday, April 21, 2008
Those Pesky Dryer Sheets
Tomorrow is Earth Day. We go to great lengths to keep our homes healthy and safe for us. It only makes sense to extend that care to the rest of our environment--the earth we live on. My dream is for a chemical-free environment outside of my home as well as inside of it.
Last Sunday evening was unusually warm and I decided to take a short walk outside, something I hadn't done for months. It turned out to be not such a good idea, since apparently many people do their laundry on Sundays. Several houses I walked by were spewing forth scented dryer exhaust, a result of those fabric softener sheets the manufacturers say we MUST use.
Even after I started having trouble with scented products, I continued to use the dryer sheets, but in the "unscented" form. A good friend gave me some information about the chemicals that go into the manufacture of even these kind, and that was enough to convince me to cease and desist. However, one of the unfortunate side effects of not using them was that my laundry seemed to come out of the dryer more wrinkled. This problem was greatly magnified last year when we bought a large capacity (albeit energy efficient) dryer, which seemed to toss the clothes around in one big lump. But I found a solution, and it doesn't involve any chemicals.
A few months ago I had to go into our new Bed, Bath and Beyond store (not a store I would normally go into, for obvious reasons). I just went to the front counter to buy a wedding gift card, and there on the counter display were these funny looking blue balls with little spines all over them--"Dryer Balls". The display said they would take the place of dryer softener sheets, with no added chemicals, and turn out laundry with less wrinkles and static cling. For only $9.99 for a set of two, I decided it was worth the try.
I've been using these funny little balls for several months now, and I really like them. They keep the clothes separated as they bounce around in the dryer, and they don't make a lot of noise (like the tennis balls we put in the dryer with our down coats). I think they would be even more effective if I used four of them, since my dryer is so large, but I haven't felt like going back to the store to get them. For now, this is good enough.
Last Sunday evening was unusually warm and I decided to take a short walk outside, something I hadn't done for months. It turned out to be not such a good idea, since apparently many people do their laundry on Sundays. Several houses I walked by were spewing forth scented dryer exhaust, a result of those fabric softener sheets the manufacturers say we MUST use.
Even after I started having trouble with scented products, I continued to use the dryer sheets, but in the "unscented" form. A good friend gave me some information about the chemicals that go into the manufacture of even these kind, and that was enough to convince me to cease and desist. However, one of the unfortunate side effects of not using them was that my laundry seemed to come out of the dryer more wrinkled. This problem was greatly magnified last year when we bought a large capacity (albeit energy efficient) dryer, which seemed to toss the clothes around in one big lump. But I found a solution, and it doesn't involve any chemicals.
A few months ago I had to go into our new Bed, Bath and Beyond store (not a store I would normally go into, for obvious reasons). I just went to the front counter to buy a wedding gift card, and there on the counter display were these funny looking blue balls with little spines all over them--"Dryer Balls". The display said they would take the place of dryer softener sheets, with no added chemicals, and turn out laundry with less wrinkles and static cling. For only $9.99 for a set of two, I decided it was worth the try.
I've been using these funny little balls for several months now, and I really like them. They keep the clothes separated as they bounce around in the dryer, and they don't make a lot of noise (like the tennis balls we put in the dryer with our down coats). I think they would be even more effective if I used four of them, since my dryer is so large, but I haven't felt like going back to the store to get them. For now, this is good enough.
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