Desert Messenger

February 17, 2021 www.DesertMessenger.com 21 Read Desert MESSENGER ONLINE @ DesertMessengerOnline.com Lyla Hopper joins long list of authors wintering in Quartzsite READER'S OASIS BOOKS 690 E. Main - Quartzsite (one block east of Family Dollar) By Dustie Preston Lyla Hopper published her fi rst novel, Matagorda Breeze, in De- cember of 2020. I hope there will be many more novels to come. Al- though she describes herself as a nomad, Lyla, her husband Steven and their dog Henry are spending the winter season in Quartzsite. I'm glad to have her family for neigh- bors not only because they are great neighbors but also because I may have missed this book and future books written by her if she wasn't here in Quartzsite. She signed my book, "Fair winds to you, always" and dedicated it, "To all the sail- ors…" The novel is an engaging short read set 200 years in the future. This is not structured like any post- apocalyptic novel I have read. It is a story of adversity and triumph as well as love and kindness. Humankind has run out of easily extracted oil, coal and natural gas. They begin to damage the earth to get every last bit of it. This part is true already. We are fracturing the earth to feed our energy greedy civilization. She sets the date of the "Cataclysm" in 2022, only a little over a year from now. There was a disastrous earthquake caused by man's relentless pursuit of energy and from that day fracking stopped and soon no new wells for gas or oil were being drilled. In the after- math of the disaster supplies could no longer be cheaply transported to the cities of the world and there was massive death and upheaval. I hope she writes a book about the events right after the "day" but this book is set 200 years after that. The hero, Ruby Turner, is the only woman working in one in- dustry which has evolved to fi ll the void left by the demise of fossil fuel based transport: sailing ships. With intelligence and kindness and pure spunk she has made a name for her- self in the company and she is given her own ship. It's the worst ship the company has but that doesn't stop Ruby from having adventures and mishaps which will keep you read- ing to the last page. I asked Lyla about her motivation for writing the book. She said, "It's complicated." Like Lyla herself, Matagorda Breeze is complex in a number of different ways. "I enjoy stories about empowered women using empathy as well as skill and cleverness to achieve success in a 'man's world'." Indeed, Lyla her- self lives such a story, with an over thirty year career in software devel- opment, a fi eld still dominated by men. Lyla also takes a different look at post-apocalyptic fi ction. "There are a lot of really good stories out there. They're fun to read, in many cases, but so many cover the immediate af- termath of the fall of civilization as we know it, the struggle to survive in the 'new' world. We as humans have adapted and changed and grown more than any other higher species on this planet, so I wanted to take a look at how things would be after that immediate shock is over, when we do the thing that we as people do best—adapt." When I asked what her next book would be about, she wasn't entirely certain. "I've got a couple of ideas for stories set in the same post-oil world as Matagorda Breeze, of course, and a number of folks are encouraging me in that direction, but I've got a fl uffy little romance story brewing in my head, and I'm working on a cookbook for tiny-kitchen life, as well, as cooking is my other guilty pleasure." I'm looking forward to whatever work this complicated woman pro- duces in the future. The mighty bee pollen from our little friends the bees!! Those little guys know what they are doing as bee pollen contains almost all the nutrients the body needs to thrive. It's so healthy for us, the German Federal Board of Health has offi - cially recognized it as a medicine!!! It's great for natural allergy relief. It contains detoxifying properties. Bee pollen is responsible for the many health benefi ts of raw honey. It's rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, fatty acids, enzymes, cartenoids & bio-fl avanoids. It's anti bacterial, anti fungal & anti viral. This pol- len can help strengthens capillaries, reduces infl ammation, contains an- tioxidants, stimulates the immune system & can help to lower choles- terol. It contains more protein than any other animal source. Bee pollen contains about 250 substances in- cluding amino acids, lipids, macro & micro nutrients. It's composed of: 30% digestible carbs 26% sugars (mainly fructose & glu- cose) 23% proteins which includes 10% of the essential amino acids 5% lipids, including essential fatty acids 2% phenolic compounds 1.6% minerals which include: cal- cium, phosphorus, magnesium, so- dium, potassium, iron, copper, zinc, maganese, silicon & selenium .6% water soluble vitamins & acids .1% fat soluble vitamins HerbMama - Bee Pollen... Powerful stuff! Bee pollen can also help protect against liver toxicity, relieve meno- pausal symptoms, relieve stress, promotes healing especially in burns & it contains anti microbial properties. Get your bee pollen from reputa- ble sources, free from pesticides & chemicals. Mix it in yogurt, cottage cheese, cereal & baked goods. Add it to smoothies, fruit & veggie juices. If you add it to warm water & let soak 2-3 hours, they crack & release their nutritional value. If you are allergic to bees, honey, etc. don't ingest it. Avoid if preg- nant or on blood thinners. Disclaimer: This is not meant to treat, cure, heal or diagnose any type of illness or disease as it is for informational purposes only. For more information, contact Herbmama at 580-490-1770 or go to www.herbs-4-health.com. Be sure to 'like' us on FB!

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