Final 2010 Available Appointments

How the garden ended up looking at the end of the Summer...

We had tons of Zucchini, Yellow Squash, jalapeño peppers, and green tomatoes. 

And exactly seven euphoria inducing strawberries.

Planning next years!

Am I sitting too close?

kitten cuddles dog's tail

A great way to get massage while on vacation

Instead of going to a Spa for massage on your next vacation (or stay-cation!) and chancing a hit-or-miss, but still expensive, massage, why not hire a tried-and-true local therapist to come to your vacation home and work on you and your friends? Since there is no spa or resort overhead to pay, you are likely to get as good or a better treatment, for longer, for sometimes HALF the price. Most vacation homes have great decks or private spaces for massage, and most have hot tubs and great showers for relaxing in before and after. It is also pure decadence to stumble from the massage treatment table to your comfy chair or bed! No driving or even fumbling around with getting dressed, just throw on your robe and lounge!

5/25 New York Times article on Sleep Apnea study reprint

Throat Exercises Can Relieve Sleep Apnea

By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

THE FACTS

For people suffering from sleep apnea, specialized breathing machines are the standard treatment.

The machines use a method called continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, which keeps the airway open and relieves potentially dangerous pauses in breathing during the night. But the machines are expensive, and some people complain that the mask and headgear cause uncomfortable side effects, like congestion.

One free and fairly simple alternative may be exercises that strengthen the throat. While they aren’t as established or as well studied as breathing machines, some research suggests they may reduce the severity of sleep apnea by building up muscles around the airway, making them less likely to collapse at night.

In a study published last year in The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, scientists recruited a group of people with obstructive sleep apnea and split them into two groups. One was trained to do breathing exercises daily, while the other did 30 minutes of throat exercises, including swallowing and chewing motions, placing the tip of the tongue against the front of the palate and sliding it back, and pronouncing certain vowels quickly and continuously.

After three months, subjects who did the throat exercises snored less, slept better and reduced the severity of their condition by 39 percent. They also showed reductions in neck circumference, a known risk factor for apnea. The control group showed almost no improvement.

Other randomized studies have found similar effects. One even showed that playing instruments that strengthen the airways, like the didgeridoo, can ease sleep apnea.

THE BOTTOM LINE

For people with sleep apnea, throat exercises may be a cheap and useful therapy.

Plan for new courtyard entrance to Evan's massage practice

My good friend Ruth was kind enough to draw up some ideas for my front yard.

I started already by moving some raised beds from my backyard, to the sunniest part of my front yard, and they are in the future hardscape patio 'zone'.

Only hundreds more hours work to go!