All posts by George Walters

George Walters is a Canadian columnist and author with more than forty years of writing experience. For over twenty years he has written a weekly column for Postmedia Network — Canada's largest newspaper chain — never missing a single week, publishing fifty-two stories a year. Combined with his work in Reader's Digest Community Voices, World News, Country Living, The Country Register, and farm and rural lifestyle magazines across Canada, he has published well over two thousand stories drawn from everyday life. He writes about farm work, fishing, old trucks, and the kind of people you only find in small towns — but just as likely he'll hand a voice to a weathered telephone pole, or turn his eye on something happening in the world today and tell you exactly what he thinks about it. No subject is off limits. If there's a story in it, George will find it. He has been called a philosopher of everyday life, a description that came up more than once during his television appearances over the years — and it's not hard to see why. His writing has a way of making the ordinary feel worth sitting with. He is the author of eleven books, including yearly short story collections and the Clay Moretti Files mystery series. Clay is a fifty-year-old private investigator who drives a 1967 Ford Galaxie, smokes cigars, and operates by a code the modern world gave up on a long time ago. The cases are present day. The man handling them is not. All titles are available in paperback and eBook on Amazon. Together, George and his wife Ruth have also created Elmer Finds His Way, the first in what he hopes will be a long series of children's books. Ruth did all the illustrations, as she has for every one of George's books — and beyond that she designed and painted the covers as well. Her work is woven into every page of everything he has published. A few words from readers: "I pulled up a kitchen chair and read your story three times." "You have a way of making a person homesick for a place they haven't been to." "Thank you for writing things that make old people and kids feel the same way at the same time." All my titles are available in paperback and eBook on Amazon.ca here.
Gardening

Genetically Modified Organisms Not A Good Thing, Let Me Tell Ya

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One thing that really bothers me and should bother you is what they are doing to our seeds and plants today.  This altering the seeds to what ever  one wants seems like a good thing on the surface but in reality it is a way for the Pharmaceutical companies to do what ever they want with our health.   Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what their up to.   My Opinion Only

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are the result of laboratory processes which artificially insert foreign genes into the DNA of food crops or animals. Those genes may come from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or even humans. Although banned by food manufacturers in Europe and elsewhere, the FDA does not require any safety evaluations. Most  Americans say they would not eat GMOs if labelled, but the U.S. does not require labelling. GMOs are not safe, but have been in the food supply since 1996 and are now present in the vast majority of processed foods in the US and Canada. My advice is not to eat any of it and refrain from buying GMO seeds or plants from your garden centre.

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

Health

Tips For Drinking Water

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For Folks that live in the city and don’t have goood well water here is what I suggest they should be doing for their drinking water as drinking plenty of good, clean water is important for a healthy body.
Bottled Water: Drink filtered tap water instead.

You can read the bottle label, but you still won’t know if the water is pure and natural, or just
processed, polluted, packaged tap water. EWG found 38 contaminants in 10 popular brands.

Tap Water: Learn what’s in it.
Tap water suppliers publish all their water quality tests. Bottled water companies don’t. Read
your annual tap water quality report.  Get it tested.)

Filtered Tap Water: Drink it, cook with it.
• Choose a filter certified to remove contaminants found in your water:
Effectiveness varies – read the fine print.
• Carbon filters (pitcher or tap-mounted) are affordable and reduce many common water contaminants, like lead
and byproducts of the disinfection process used to treat municipal tap water.
• Install a reverse osmosis filter if you can afford it, to remove contaminants that carbon filters can’t eliminate, like
arsenic and perchlorate (rocket fuel).
Filters: Change them.
Change your water filters on time. Old filters aren’t safe – they harbor bacteria and let contaminants through.

On the Go: Carry water in safe containers.
Hard plastic bottles (#7 plastic) can leach a harmful plastics chemical called bisphenol A (BPA) into water. Carry stain-
less steel or other BPA-free bottles. Don’t reuse bottled water bottles. The plastic can harbor bacteria
and break down to release plastics chemicals.
While Pregnant: Stay hydrated with safe water.
It’s especially important for women to drink plenty of water during pregnancy. Follow all the tips
above.
Infants: Use safe water for formula.
Use filtered tap water for your baby’s formula. If your water is not fluoridated, you can use a
carbon filter. If it is, use a reverse osmosis filter to remove the fluoride, because fluoridated water
can damage an infant’s developing teeth. If you choose bottled water for your infant, make sure it’s
fluoride-free.

Breathe Easy: Use a whole house water filter.
For extra protection, a whole house carbon filter will remove contaminants from steamy vapors you
and your family inhale while showering and washing dishes.

Now if none of these strike your fancy, find a nice home in the country with a good drilled well and move there.  Simple as that.  It’s all boils down too you and how important you think your health is worth.

But isn’t it a shame, that what once was a world of fresh clean water provided by good old Mother Nature, now for most parts is unsafe to drink, thanks to humans messing things up.

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

Health

ASPARTAME & Its Ill Effects

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For many it seems that what ever our Powers That Be tells them they think it is gospel.  Well don’t be fooled.

‘If you are using ASPARTAME (Nutra Sweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc) and you suffer from these symptoms, spasms, shooting, pains, numbness in your legs, Cramps, Vertigo, Dizziness, Headaches, Tinnitus, Joint pain, Unexplainable depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss you probably have ASPARTAME poisoning!’  Hard to believe I am sure, but this in my eyes is one of the worst things you could be using. To prove what I have just said one has to just take a spoon full of ASPARTAME, pour it over an ant hill and see what happens.  First off the ants love it as it is sweet like humans.  They then take it back to their nests and in short week the whole nest dies.    Now if that doesn’t tell you something and you keep on eating it, well…………………I gotta’ say there is something wrong with you.

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

George's Writers Corner

One Of My Columns From The North Bay Nugget

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Thought I would share my last weeks Column, which comes out every Saturday in the North Bay Nugget.  Enjoy.

A Bit On Sports

Sports throughout my life wasn’t to high up on the list of priorities as for most parts we just never had time to watch them. As we were usually up before the sun and in bed at dusk. Later on in life in the 60s I did get into watching hockey a bit and have to say I enjoyed it a lot. The reason I enjoyed it so much was because there was only six teams, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadians, Chicago Black hawks, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings. With six teams it was easy for a feller to remember each and every player. My favourite team back then was the,  Chicago Black hawks but I did have an eye on the Boston Bruins too. If the Black hawks were out of the series, my second choice would be Boston. Not sure why I didn’t get into liking the Canadian teams that much for my home team, maybe it was because most of my hockey watching was looked at in Florida, as my wife and I usually went south for the winter. Seemed I could become part of the team back then, with just so many players, if one got hurt you hurt, if one played bad you felt bad, but no matter what happened in a game you never lost faith in your team.  Hull and Mikita, bar none were my most favourite players and when they were on the ice there was never a dull moment. Might say they kept folks on the edge of their seats. Did for me anyways. In Boston my favourite players were, Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield and I suppose the reason for that was because they were all former Black hawks and back then a fellow was loyal to the players he or she liked.

I watched almost every game back then and looked forward to them. I did manage to get to a couple games in Chicago over the years as my brother-in-law worked in a place that had the means of getting tickets for free. Sure had a good time let me tell ya.  Still can smell them hot dogs that they brought around to the spectators while the game was being played. The games were exciting back then, more so than today in my eyes and a fellow knew exactly at all times what was going on, as things were done with ease. Later on another sport got my attention which was golf. I never played much of it myself, maybe a few games here and there, but my boys liked it and to help them out I got them some lessons. Today they both are good golfers and enjoy what ever time they can on the course. For myself I enjoyed being out there with the boys but to make it a regular thing, well lets just say it wasn’t in me. I do watch one game a year though and never miss it. That game is the Masters in Augusta Georgia.

The Masters is one place that I have put on my wish list before I meet my creator and if the opportunity ever arises, my two sons and wife will be there.

Some players that I got to know and respect over the years was, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen, and not to forget, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Greg Norman and Nick Faldo. Later on and into today they were, Mike Weir, Chris DiMarco , Ben Crenshaw, Fred Couples, Nick Price, and David Duval. But my most favourite of them all, other than Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer would be, Phil Mickelson.

In 2004 Phil Mickelson won his first Masters and here in Canada there was no one more happy than I was. Then again in 2006 he put all his talents together and came up with another win, again we were right there with him throughout the whole four days. He is a great family man, along with that he enjoys what he does which is golf of course and each and every game he gives his all to his fans.

The Masters this year in 2010 was one of the best and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Just to name a few highlights, Mickelson made back-to-back birdies from the par-three 12th and went on to miss an eagle from only three feet at the par-five 13th.  ended the hole with a birdie. The other spectacular shot was when he made a 20-foot downhill putt at the par-three 12th, amazing. There was many more but after them two eagles both in a row, I knew as he probably did, his third green jacket wasn’t to far off.

Watching him hug his wife and children at the 18th hole was sure a sight to see. The gleam in his wife and daughters eyes and their smiles was enough to melt anyone s heart, yes it was a great game, a game that gave everyone such an emotional ride, one that will go down in the history books.

The Masters.

Finally, for those that have called, E-Mailed and sent letters asking about my third book. Well … ‘Moments In Time’ which is what it is called, is in the printers hands and should be done shortly. Soon as it comes available I will let you all know right here at the Nugget at the bottom of my column.

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]