Hi

I know it's March, but it seems more like the middle of January! I'm so looking forward to spring. Having been born and raised in the Fraser Valley, I can't remember such a long and cold winter.
The crocuses in my garden are already blooming...it looked odd to see the flowers peaking out from the snow this week.
It is nice to see the longer days, and I know that it will feel like spring very soon.

Smoking Everyone these days is aware of the health risks from smoking. Did you know that heart disease is the number one cause of death among smokers? Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, 200 of these being poison, and 65 are carcinogenic (cancer causing). Aside from the effects of smoking on your body internally, it has other harmful effects as well. Second hand smoke causes lung cancer, & cardio vascular disease in non smoking adults. It increases the risks for children to develop asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia & ear infections. The good news is that it’s never too late to stop smoking. If you stop by middle age, before the development of disease, you have a good chance of avoiding most of the increased risk of death due to smoking. Benefits of Quitting Reduce the risk of: - heart disease, some cancers, COPD(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)etc. -Impotence, fertility problems, eye problems, gum disease & tooth loss, osteoporosis. -72 hrs. after quitting, there are noticeable improvements in breathing & energy. -After 1 month, the appearance of your skin improves. -After 3-9 months, lung function increases by up to 10%, thus causing more improvements in energy. -After 1 year the risk of heart attack falls about 50%. -After 10 years the risk of lung cancer falls about 50%. -After 15 years , heart attack risk falls to about the same as a non smoker. The cosmetic effects of quitting smoking : -No longer smell of stale smoke -Food tastes better -Increased self esteem And, last but not least, you can save a lot of money!