It seems this Hive account@ecotrain Steem engine never runs out of Steem! Welcome back to the ecotrain magazine, where we bring together some truly brilliant posts from 15 truly brilliant people! This week we cover a wide range of topics including Reflections, Insights, Politics, Garlic Woes, Homesteading, Earth Rangers, Medicinal Cooking, Herb Magic, Earthship, Travel, and more! You never know what you are going to find here to please have a scroll and see what catches your eye!

Hive account@eco-alex

The Pay It Forward Community Support Initiative (CSI) WEEK 7

If you've been posting using the ecotrain tag and have very few rewards you will highly likely have received a ~$1.15+ upvote from the Hive account@ecotrain voting bot curtsey of the Community Support Initiative! I’m happy to say that I have found some really great posts from many of our community to support. That is what makes the Hive account@ecotrain voting bot great, I Pay It Forward every day from the rewards of the bot, this post, and donations...

So I would like to Congratulate all of you who are creating great posts and encourage you to keep going! My best advice to you all is to write because you enjoy writing and let it work for you, instead of it being like work! Writing to try to please others is very tiresome, and you can't keep that up for long! Writing to share something about your real authentic self is always more interesting for everyone and will bring more engagement. I’m sure that with some time, and , maybe a little help from the Hive account@ecotrain, you can find the people you are looking for!

The Hive account@ecotrain's Question of the Week Tie-up Post: If there is a God, why do so many bad things happen?

Oops! I feel like I may owe you an apology for this QOTW. The reason is not because of the topic, but the way I framed the question. With hindsight I realise that I might have been better off either splitting this question in two parts, with the first question being Does God exist. I didn't do that because I didn't really want to ask that question ;-). In a way I may as well have just asked the question "Why Do Bad Things Happen", rather than If God exists Why Do Bad Things Happen.. because many of our answers would have reached the same conclusions.

With that said, you all dealt with this very nicely, and I didnt spot any hate or much negativity at all.. That is testimony to the community we have here.. Even though we are from SUCH diverse religions, cultures and backgrounds.. we manage to share our feelings and thoughts with each other in a safe space. Well done everyone!

The Medicinal Cooking Collective Week 2 Guidelines: Cooking For The Liver & Gallbladder / Wood Element

Welcome to the second week of this medicinal cooking collective challenge! I'm very happy that so many of you have joined us for this challenge, there are so many amazing cooks out there, wow! If you missed the first week, we are cooking dishes based on the Five Elements' Theory of Chinese Cooking. In Chinese medicine and cooking, it’s believed that if you are weak or ill in certain parts of your body or organs, you should consume certain colours/elements of food to help you feel better and improve your health.

This week we are cooking with the Wood Element, which is good for the liver and the gallbladder. The colour associated with the liver and gallbladder is Green and the taste associated with it is Sour. It is also associated with the emotion of Rage. The dishes we make will be good for the liver and gallbladder and will reflect the attributes of the Wood Element.

Hive account@senorcoconut

Ladybugs, Mugwort and the Dream Herb: Magic and Medecine

So much Mugwort... We have to find something to do with it!

I'm finally learning about mugwort. All its medicinal uses and I've been told so many times about it helping with lucid dreams...

Again we have an abundance of the stuff just like the berries I found out we have, and so far, three different kinds, black raspberries, red raspberries and blackberries!

Black Raspberries Everywhere!!!!

What to do with so many raspberries?

So we have so many ideas but no real knowledge on how to deal with these berries!!!! They are Black Raspberries and they are delicious. When we first started to come to Dream Land (as our little 4 year old homie calls it), I had noticed these big patches of what looked to be berry bushes. I am now very happy we never cut them down for anything, these little berries are so good... but what are we going to do with this abundance??? Before spring started I had roughly cut a path through one of the larger patch of berries, so we could have access to more fruit. By now, this path has been well overgrown but I managed to find it again except there seemed to be many more new berry growth... and I can't bring myself to cutting any of it down, especially when I want to take in all 4 seasons before developing the property. It's a permaculture thing I heard a while back that stuck with me:

Hive account@vegan.niinja

Life isnt a straight line

Sometimes I am very lost. Right now I am. The more I follow my passion, the more I walk on the unknown ground and some days it feels like I am flying without seeing where to land. I don’t know where I am heading. But I can see the possibilities and that they are many. Sometimes I am losing the connection with my life around me. The relationships I have are in need of a new definition. I feel that I am longing for a new way to live. My inner thrive is toward a focused work routine and freedom from rules and expectations.

Relationship I think the moment we start to feel uncomfortable or irritated with someone, we have given it up on some level. When we rather spend time away from each other than with, we are looking for something else. To be totally honest, this period right now is one of the most challenging I have had so far. And somehow I feel like giving up certain relationships.

Healthy Food ideas!

My absolute favorite way to include more greens in my diet. I always add about 50% greens and 50% fruits to my green smoothies. An example of what you can include in your smoothie is: kale, spinach, mint, basil, avocado, celery, cucumber, kiwi, arugula, mango, banana, pineapple, apple, pear, plantbased milk, soaked nuts. Try out different combinations and find your favorite!

Hive account@stortebeker

The Most Annoying Part of the Build: Satisfying the MAN

Now, one may reason these alterations are just adjustments to deal with the local conditions. And yes, it's true that the climate is cooler, darker, and … actually a lot wetter, than where Earthships were developed. For this reason I can see why they pay such a big attention to keeping moisture out. As a result, we have to wrap the entire building in ten mil poly, starting right under the walls. This plastic sheet is going to extend up behind the entire tire-wall, glued together with at least two continuous beads (seen in the photo), as well as under the floor slab. Sure, this adds an extra step to the building process, and the tires do slide around on it when being pounded, but in the end it's not too hard to get used to it. On the upside, we don't have to pour a concrete footing under the tire-wall, as it was the case at the build of another friend of mine in Colorado, also required by her local code.

Update on the Construction

It is now July 10, roughly two months after I arrived on the Doighouse property, and I can proudly say, we have completed the second course of tires!

Ride With Me – Magical Lasqueti Tour

One of the things I didn't want to miss out during my time here is visiting Lasqueti Island. It is not far, in fact, it's the island right in front of me when I look out from our beach front over the Straight of Georgia. Granted, Denman and Hornby Islands aren't much furter either, but there is something about Lasqueti Island that sets it apart from the rest: it is not connected to the electric grid and has only a walk-on ferry. Consequently the only cars you will find belong to locals, and all the houses have some type of alternative energy system. Already very interesting…

Some other stories I heard, however, had to do with the social seclusion of the Lasquetians. Being so separate in terms of utility services, the people of the island also tend to be more distant socially. "Visiting the island without knowing someone is considered trespassing," I remember being mentioned. In any case, off-grid living, no cars (at least not from outside), and a tightly knit community already sounded exciting enough to go and check it out, no matter what anyone considers.

Hive account@rainbowrachel

Ceremonial Cacao; my love, my passion: What you should know about this amazing medicine, and my personal recipe

Hello, hello beautiful Steemian!

Another thing that always makes my days a little bit brighter, is CHOCOLATE! But not just any chocolate… Ceremonial Cacao.

Ceremonial cacao is not like your average cup of hot chocolate. No, no, no….Ceremonial Cacao is MEDICINE. A medicine that helps to open up your heart space, energize you, and boost your mood….it just happens to also be delicious!

Hive account@celestialcow

Iron-chef round 06: Medicinal Sushi

This week's Iron-chef challenge was to elevate the classic sushi dish.
Well this week I'm somewhere a bit different to my home in Spain. I've arrived in Kuala Lumpur on route to Indonesia. I was quite run down before I left Spain, I was working all hours to be able to afford my plane ticket and that meant I'd ended up working in air-conditioned cooperate office, where the aircon filter hadn't been cleaned and there was some nasty bug flying around. Normally I don't get sick but once I start to get run down and not enough sleep, I get vulnerable.

I hate air-conditioners and confined spaces, cooperate work is definitely not for me in the long run. I did managed to fight off most of the bug but it then it came back whilst travelling.

As I don't use western medicine unless absolutely necessary and prefer to heal myself with healing foods, I've mainly been gorging on all these lovely tropical fruits I don't buy when I'm back home. They are keeping me hydrated and happy considering the circumstances.

Hive account@artemislives

Can't You Just Change The Bottle? Packaging Puzzle #1

"We really can't continue to retail your product in that plastic bottle. Our priorities have changed and we are moving to zero waste." Passionate people can sometimes lose perspective of the complex factors and timelines which drive packaging and manufacturing choices. Sigh.

This week, we began the roll out of our new insect repellent bottle here in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We have moved from THIS (our highly popular, best-selling package of the last 8 years):

Hive account@wombloom

Pick a card from the amazing set of 'Innerwise medicine cards'.

Hello to you,

Today I woud like to share a healing system with you that has benefitted me a lot.
It is called 'The Innerwise healing system'
After some explanation of the system you get to pick a card!
So stay hooked if you would like some healing in your life today.

Hive account@thelaundrylady

Food Forest Update (July) - Garden Journal Showcasing Photos from My Food Forest

This is an update on our food forest for July, 2018. We finally received several inches of rain. The rains came fast and heavy, which means all that water didn't absorb into the soil, but I am not complaining. We will take any amount of rain we can get. There have been so many days in a row that we had rain cells all around us. We even got excited a few times because the rain was so close, but most of the time storm cells broke up before they reached us and re-developed again after they passed us. It's such a bummer to have rain so close. The reason being, until you have grown some food and seen what rain, and especially thunderstorm rain does to your crops, you would never believe it. When a yellow squash or cucumber can double or triple in size in less than a 24 hour period after a good thunderstorm, you know it really is something in the air. But I guess it's back to hand watering for now.

Our food forest has been producing abundantly. We have harvested all the garlic, blueberries, peaches & potatoes. They have either been processed and put in storage / freezer or in our bellies.

Blue Around The Homestead - Grow Your Own Food and be Less Dependent on Greedy Corporations. Take Back Power from Big AG

It's time for another weekly Homestead Photography Contest. The theme this week is Blue Around The Homestead. When I think of blue on the homestead, what comes to mind is blueberry. I did my first update on my blueberries almost a month ago. You can read my post Tips for Growing Blueberries Successfully if you are interested in growing your own blueberries.

Rabbiteyes Blueberry We planted four Rabbiteyes blueberry bushes when we first started gardening 6 years ago. We added two or three more blueberry bushes each year after that. We now have 16 blueberry bushes in our food forest. In previous years, we only put up bird netting for four of our oldest blueberry bushes. Some of the younger bushes were still establishing the roots and not yet producing. The bushes that were three to five years old were producing, but we used them to feed the birds who are my food forest natural pest managers. Got to feed those managers or they will find better paying job somewhere else.

Hive account@solarsupermama

Hibiscus Tea

We are getting ready to move, and I am in that stage of purging things we don't need, so today's post will be short! It has been a hot, sweaty, dusty, and disgusting day. We will just say the bottom of the toy box is a gross place.

That makes it a perfect day for Hibiscus Tea! The first time I had it was when I came down from my vision quest. It was the first thing they gave us after 4 days of no food or water. It is incredibly nourishing but also so light.

It is very high in vitamin C. It also lowers blood pressure and blood sugar and has been known to help with cramps, depression, and more. These things are everywhere here!! It's wonderful to have an abundance of something so healthy and delicious. To top it all off, it's absurdly easy. A couple caveats - it can affect your estrogen balance, and I have read to avoid it if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. It also has laxative properties, so, you know. Don't overdo it.

Small Change, Big Difference: Thrift Store Treasure Hunting

I feel like I haven't done anything from this series in a long time, so I decided it was about time for a good Eco post! This series is all about simple things we can do to make a big difference and have a positive impact on our planet. This one is really ridiculously easy!

Going to a thrift store is like going on a treasure hunt! I have found some really amazing things! I think my greatest prize was a full length wool coat from probably the 60s with a fur trimmed hood. I would never buy anything new with fur, but I'm alright if it comes from the thrift store. I paid $3 for that coat. It was in the bins where you pay by the pound. There are incredible deals to be found, and you never know what you'll get! Not just clothes either! Furniture, kitchen stuff, etc. I have filled many a house with thrift store treasure for cheap. All things in perfectly good shape!

Hive account@zen-art

"Meditation HOW and WHY" - part 12: Chakra meditation

This time, I will do a post about chakra meditation, the way I do it. You can find something similar almost anywhere where people are working with their chakras and meditating too. Keep in mind that this will not be a post about chakras (maybe I will do a post about them in the future or a series of them). We will focus on meditating with them, not explaining them.

Hive account@nainaztengra

Different Aspects of Human Behavior

First of all let me tell you, I am inspired to write this post after reading these 2 post of @chireerocks post Quote Series #187 - READ THE POST FOR ✌️SHORT MESSAGE✌️ and @dana-edwards post Reciprocity and how to treat foreigners.

In a few days I will complete a year on Steemit and it's been one heck of a journey, I have seen the extreme highs and some lows too. Let me tell you why I write this......
When I was at highs everyone appreciated my content and I had loads of comments on my each blog bragging and praising my content, the higher earnings, more visibility and more praises for you, it was all a number game.
Now when the reverse happened all those praises faded away. Not only that many also started advising me, that my English is not very good, my presentation style is not very appealing, I do not make videos and all. Some of it yes I felt I needed improvement and I welcomed the feedback wholeheartedly.......

But overall if I see I have not changed a bit. I write on similar topics with the similar language which I used to before, I never made videos then and I am not doing it now, I have not been very conscious about decorating my post. So why should I change now? Just because you have changed your opinion. Well I am enjoying my journey on Steemit and my life, so I do it my way.

Hive account@holisticmom

Festivals, Music as Passive Activism And A Hint Of Pay-It-Forward

It's been a busy few weeks for our family. We've had many changes in our lives of late and much negativity thrown at us. (But hey change = growth right? and that's for another post.) So it came as a blessing in disguise when my good friend and soul sister asked my friend and I to join her band for a gig at a festival.

Making music to raise awareness about world issues. I've talked in a few other posts about how the island where I live has many environmental issues that it is slowly addressing. Mostly owed to my friend who has brought her wisdom from The Cook Islands, who are also fighting environmental issues. We had all been working on the environmental exhibition and in the past, have had many a gathering where we sit around a fire, with good food and some instruments and happily sing a collection of songs.

Each year the island holds a folk festival with visitors coming from the UK and various places in Europe. My friend usually performs in another band, however the lead singer decided to take a year off for personal reasons. So carrying on the legacy, she sought to recruit a few new members and added four beautiful songs that she had written to the set. The aim of these was to raise awareness about environmental issues.