in other words
Small Town, Big World: Look!
By Britt Bensen Steele
Look! Look again.
At first glance, you might
think you saw a monkey. Look
again.
My husband and I had the
opportunity to spend quite a bit
of time in Indonesia a few years
back. One of the most impressive
things we noticed was how close
the natives were to nature.
One morning, we were
sitting on our veranda (really our
living room, since most of
our rental house was outdoors)
and we caught a glimpse of
something rustling in a nearby
coconut tree. Rustling in the
trees is pretty common, as the
tropical location makes for a lot
of animals living off the bounty of
the papaya, mango, avocado and
coconut trees.
But this time was
different. This time the rustling
we were hearing was a neighbor man
of ours scavenging through the jungle,
barefoot.
We had learned he was looking
for food, something to add to his morning
prayer table, or firewood. The fronds of
the coconut tree rustled, then three thuds,
“Thud! Thud! Thud!” as coconuts hit the
ground some 30 feet below. And then
february5
2015
to our delight, we saw the man
scurry down the tree and luckily
we had our camera ready.
The “monkey” in this picture?
That’s the neighbor man. And the
“tail” you see? That is his machete.
He uses this to cut the coconuts
from the tree. And he scales
his way up and down the tree
completely barefoot. Amazing!
(According to the locals, in many
parts of Southeast Asia men have
been replaced in this work by
trained monkeys.)
So, next time you enjoy the
increasingly popular coconut oil,
coconut milk, or shredded coconut
in your morning breakfast, maybe
you’ll smile, and get curious
about how it came to land on your
table... maybe it was picked by a
man like this one, or maybe it was
a monkey.
Here’s a simple recipe inspired
by the staple foods of Bali. It’s
a great deviation from oatmeal, and
it is scrumptious! It can be taken for
breakfast, an after school snack, or a
healthy dessert.
9
Coconut Rice Porridge
Prepare rice of your choice
(white or brown, as indicated on the
package) 10 minutes before rice is
finished, add a ripe, chopped banana to
the rice and complete cooking.
That’s it: You’re ready to serve:
Just top it with slightly toasted coconut
(Bob’s Red Mill is my favorite as it is
unsulphured and unsweetened, and it
comes in large or small flakes), milk of
your choice (rice, unsweetened almond,
or coconut milk) and a natural sweetener
(honey, real maple syrup, or, you guessed
it: coconut sugar!)
Britt Bensen Steele, BS, MPH lives just
outside Vernonia with her husband,
Larry and their farm critters, where
she offers community yoga classes
and related events at their home and
YogaFarm. Before moving to Vernonia,
Britt worked as a health care consultant,
taught public health at the college level
and conducted hospital research and
development. Stories presented here
weave her life in Vernonia with her
various oversees travel, teaching, and
study. To learn more about Britt, visit
BrittBSteele.com
Creature Comforts: Dental Care Interested in Vernonia Theater?
By Michal Smith
February is pet dental health
awareness month. So, when was the
last time you checked your pet’s pearly
whites, or took them to the vet for a
dental exam?
Many pet owners may not
realize just how crucial pet oral care is.
According to the American Veterinary
Medical Association (AVMA), 80% of
dogs and 70% of cats show signs of oral
disease by the age of three.
They also report that more pets
are getting the care they need based on pet
insurance claims filed each year. In 2013,
nationwide policyholders filed more than
$10.2 million in claims for dental care.
While preventative dental care
can stave off dangerous disease, research
indicates that when it comes to our fuzzy
friends, dental care is still not a priority.
The AVMA reports the organs
most often affected by oral diseases
are the lungs, heart, kidneys and liver,
and even the nervous system. Signs of
Dental Disease are: bad breath; loose or
discolored teeth or teeth covered in tartar;
your pet is not comfortable with being
touched within the mouth area; drooling
or dropping food from the mouth;
bleeding from the mouth; loss of appetite
or loss of weight; vomiting whole pieces
of food after eating.
Our pet’s dental health is just as
important as our own; if your pet shows
any of these signs, consider scheduling
an appointment with your vet as soon as
possible. As the pet owners, we can brush
up on our four-legged friends’ oral care by
following three simple steps: Take your
pet to get a dental exam. Your pet should
have a routine vet exam, including a
careful exam of his teeth and gums, at least
once a year. Start an at-home regimen.
Ask your vet to suggest nutritional
supplements, chews or additives to be
done on a regular schedule as well as a
teeth brushing schedule with specially
formulated toothpaste. Check your pets
food for additives also designed to help
remove plaque and tarter from your pet’s
teeth. Schedule dental cleanings. Take
your pet for regular dental checkups.
Creatures carries a variety of
dental chews, pet toothpastes, dental
sprays, water additives, and more to
get you well on your way to seeing a
healthier smile on your pet! Open Mon-
Fri 10-6; Sat 10-5; Sun noon-4. 503-429-
PETS (7387).
Absolute MARBLE
QUALITY FABRICATION & INSTALLATION
MARBLE
GRANITE
TRAVERTINE
FREE ESTIMATES
Kitchen Countertops
Fireplace & Furniture
Tubs & Vanities
CCB#204480
Phone 503-429-2617
AbsoluteMarble@frontier.com
Vernonia
Community appeals to you, send Kinnell
Theater is contemplating another Steward a note at mtskys@frontier.
production sometime in 2015. com or call 503-819-0143.
We’re curious if there are
Vernonians interested in on-stage
as well as backstage roles. Are you
an actress, actor, singer, or dancer?
Would you like to co-direct, pull the
curtain, or operate the lights? Paint
sets or collect props? Adults and
children are welcome. A play will
be selected based on community
response. If theater in Vernonia
ADDICTION RECOVERY PROGRAM
We invite you with all our empathy and love
to join us in a glorious life of freedom and
safety, encircled in the arms of Jesus Christ,
our Redeemer. We know by our own
experience that you can break free from the
chains of addiction. No matter how lost and
hopeless you may feel, you are a child of a
loving Heavenly Father. This program will
help you come unto Christ and allow him to
change you. As you apply Gospel principles,
you will draw on the power of the atone-
ment and the Lord will free you from
bondage.
“A new heart... will I give you, and a
new spirit will I put within you: and
I will take away the stony heart out
of your flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).
Join us Thursday nights at 7:00 PM
at the LDS chapel
1350 East Knott Street in Vernonia
503-330-260
The program is free to everyone 18 and older
