Writer, historian, philosopher, environmentalist and lots more besides!
-
MEDICINAL CABBAGE by Veronica Smith
Apart from being one of the oldest known vegetables of Europe, Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) is also a medicinal plant! It was regarded as the “medicine of the poor” in days gone by, used by the Greeks and Romans and rediscovered by French “Natural” doctors in the 20th century. Old fashioned Green Cabbage has better medicinal…
-
A QUESTION OF TIME by Veronica Smith
Welcome to the Gregorian Calendar New Year, which is only one of many calendars, old and new, from around the world. For example, Jewish New Year took place several months ago, marking their year 5786. Chinese Lunar New Year will not happen for another month and a half. What you have just celebrated is commercial…
-
LESS HIGH-TECH, MORE LOW-TECH! By Veronica Smith
Unlike the 1960s Cold War, when the biggest threat was nuclear fall-out, the modern fear is centered around Cyber Attack. Let’s face it, society is overly dependent on high-tech. All utilities rely on “smart-tech” to read meters and to ration supplies. Banks want us to go cashless and do everything on-line, including paying utility bills.…
-
THE OTHER SIDE OF PET-KEEPING by Veronica Smith
I did some volunteering with animal rescue centres in the past. It gave me a chance to see the other side of keeping a pet, the side that happens when things go wrong between humans and animals. The majority of cases handled by rescue centres are abandoned animals. This is why their publicity campaigns often…
-
ON-LINE SELLING PLATFORMS: PROS AND CONS by Veronica Smith
Like most people, I live on a tight budget. It is often worth-while trying to source a good, reconditioned item rather than an expensive brand new version. Likewise, if I have something at home, which I no longer use but it is still in good condition, then why not earn a few bob by selling…
-
2013: YEAR OF THE GODDESS! By Veronica Smith
I can remember the public’s superstitious panic coming up to the year 2013. In fact, it turned out to be the best year of my life! I was in my fifties and about to meet my Soul Family at Dunderry Park, the Irish Centre for Shamanic Studies. It was not the first time that I…
-
The Walking Trails of Bagnoles-de-l’Orne by Veronica Smith
I am fortunate to live in the Spa town of Bagnoles-de-l’Orne in Normandie, north-west France. The town lies in the middle of the Forest of Andaine, which is perfect for walking trails and cycling. The town itself offers plenty of sporting activities. There is an outdoor swimming pool; tennis courts, which host national tennis tournaments;…
-
Different Shades of Vegetarianism by Veronica Smith
I have been Vegetarian for the past fifty years. While at boarding school in Connemara during the 1970s, I met a foreign student, who was vegetarian. It was a new idea for me because my family followed the traditional “meat and two veg” diet. While the other girls saved their tears for the censored-version of…