Brandon Michael Austin On May 20th, a car, truck and bike show and steak fry will take place in Wakefield, RI. Vehicle shows are not exactly a rarity in Rhode Island, as many of them take place all over the state each and every year. Some frequent them, others avoid them, and some simply go to one and think they have seen them all. No matter how you feel about them, this is an event you shouldn't miss. This show is unlike most, because the story behind it is as beautiful as the cars themselves. Less than 3 years ago, on July 16th of 2014, a truly extraordinary individual was tragically taken from this world. 13  year old Brandon Michael Austin of South Kingstown was as caring and passionate as a boy could be. He was a lover of animals, a good friend to many, and a bringer [...]

Horsing around can make teenagers less stressed out, new research has revealed.  A study found that children who spend time with horses or riding have lower levels of stress hormones, according to measurements taken from their saliva.  Researchers looked at 130 teenagers taking part in an after school horsemanship course that lasted 12 weeks. Teenagers who spend time with horses have lower levels of stress hormones in their bodies.  They spent 90 minutes a week learning about horses: how to care for, groom, handle, and ride the animals. Each teenager gave six samples of saliva over a two day period before and after the 12 week program.Researchers analysed the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the samples. The results, published in the American Psychological Association's Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin, revealed that children who spent time with horses had ‘significantly’ lower stress levels than a control group.  Dr Patricia Pendry, from Washington [...]

Our Culinary Lavender Buds At first, the concept of using culinary lavender in your cooking may seem strange and daunting. If you never have cooked or made a recipe with edible flowers before, you may think the concept bizarre, or simply have no clue where and how to use it. Fear not. Adding lavender to your cooking is both healthy and simple. Lavender  gives off a calming energy that has been used to relieve stress for thousands of years. This makes it the perfect ingredient for any food or drink you want to help relax you. But that isn't the limit of where it can be used. It's great taste makes a fantastic addition to any dish, and we encourage you to experiment. The addition of lavender will help any culinary creation succeed. We here at Beachwood have done some experimenting of our own using our Beachwood Culinary [...]

On the days when it seems like nothing’s going right. On the days when the city outside my window is vastly louder than all other days. On the days when I feel trapped by the brick, smoke, and blaring horns. On these days I think, “maybe this is the wrong place for me… Maybe I’m not meant to be here. Maybe I made a big mistake” On those days when the uphill battle feels too hard. The days in which I forget why I’m doing what I’m doing. …Because on these days I’m too stuck in the doing of it. On those days I feel like I’m not good enough. I’m not strong enough. I’m not smart enough. I’m not resilient enough. I’m not enough. Those days I think, “Maybe I shouldn’t have picked this battle. Maybe this is just too much, too fast, too soon. Maybe I’m not ready.” [...]

My time with horses has been a transformational experience. Horses know when we are comfortable and they know when we are anxious and scared. What they don't understand is when we act differently than we feel. When we send those mixed signals it's called incongruence. Incongruence also describes the wall we put up when we meet someone new and aren't sure we trust them, but we let them in just a little bit. We send mixed signals for many reasons. Sometimes it's because we don't feel safe, because we discount our own feelings, because we want to feel differently than we do, or because we want to please someone else. Anyone who's been badly burned and struggles with trust can behave incongruently. Horses read incongruous energy loud and clear. Energy is not something you can see or hear or taste, but you definitely feel it. It occupies the space between. [...]