Grand Cayman Hurricane Paloma Jesse Walker
November 9, 2008 | 9 Comments
Grand Cayman, Jesse Walker, Diana Walker
Diana Walker in Vancouver, BC, Canada — Here’s what I wrote on Friday, November 7, 2008..
—— I got a call from my son Jesse Walker in the Cayman Islands this morning – he had slipped on wet stairs while carrying boxes, preparing for Hurricane Paloma – and fell, landed on his head. Got a concussion and was convulsing.
Got knocked out – ambulance came – he refused to go to hospital. When he called me he sounded dazed – but he insisted that he was continuing to help everyone get ready for the hurricane – and a friend in the background said they were all making sure he did not fall asleep/pass out.
I was so worried.
But I’ve heard from him again an hour ago and he sounds more like himself.
Oh, us Moms always are Moms…. And he is so far away.
Then Jesse phoned me from the Grand Cayman (where he’s lived for 2 years) — 5 am on Saturday - they had all survived, in a complex - Treasure Island - no power, and raging wind and rain. Now he was back at his home, seeing some damage but not a lot. Then heading back to help clean up other damage on the island and at his place of work.
He says — “I guess that is the price you have to pay to live in Paradise, Mom…”
Whew…. Life is so precious, and each of us has to live our dreams, right?
Diana Walker, Cravings Coach
CEO, Diana’s Healthy Lifestyles
Denise Eckstadt - Video in Memory of our Mom
October 12, 2008 | 14 Comments
Thanks to Ahn van Mentz who produced this Video. (Ahn’s my niece, daughter of Goldie Denise Caldwell.
Thanks to Roselyn Phare (my sister) and Julie Dubyna (my niece, daughter of Roselyn and Keith Phare) who wrote Mom’s Story, which was read at Denise Eckstadt’s Memorial Service held in Salmon Arm on Saturday, October 4, 2008.
Denise was born June 5, 1919 in Johannesburg, South Africa, of British parents, and grew up in South Africa and later in England. She had two older brothers, Brian and Alan.
Her father, Sydney van Mentz, was the youngest volunteer for the Boer War in 1902 in South Africa. He came from Holland so he spoke Dutch and was an interpreter for the English Army (Dutch is similar to Africaans which is like an old fashioned Dutch). Later he fought in the First World War (1914-1918) and then became the Government Agent in Johannesburg.
Denise’s father died when she was only five years old. After his death, her Mother worked for an Import/Export Agent for Rolls Royce cars and traveled in Europe and America. Denise’s Mother spoke five different languages. Once Denise was introduced to Mr. Rolls by her Mother who said “This is my daughter, Denise.” Mr. Rolls said to Denise, “Are you de niece or de daughter?”
Traveling from Johannesburg, Denise attended boarding school in England from first grade on up. This was at the City of London Freemen’s School which still exists today. It was at boarding school that she learned to darn stockings and knit her first scarf. It was also required to take elocution lessons and attend the Anglican Church. When she was fifteen, she received a book called “A Gentleman of France” for good conduct and industry. She was also able to cultivate her love of writing, and entered the London Essay Competition in 1936. She won a book called “Silver Chief” by Jack O’Brien. Her teachers were like family. Her brother Brian was also at the boarding school, but the oldest brother, Alan, stayed in South Africa. Sometimes she would travel with her brother Brian to Paris where their mother had an apartment. Some vacations were spent at the seaside in Amsterdam.
Often she would tell us how she biked 60 miles from London to Brighton to visit family..This was a 3 speed, not 27 speed bikes like we have today
When Denise was fourteen, her mother died of cancer. Her Mother’s mother, Granny, was still alive and she looked after Denise. Granny was Jewish so they celebrated the Jewish holidays. After completing school, Denise trained at Guy’s Hospital. She was a nurse during the war and remembers wearing a hard hat because shrapnel came through the roof of the ward where she was on duty.
Denise’s brother Alan became a Major in the Army and her brother Brian was given the Distinguished Flying Cross by the King at Buckingham Palace in London, England.
Denise described how she came to Canada in an article called “A War Bride Story”
I was 26 when I met my Canadian soldier in Hyde Park, London, England. He asked if he could sit down. I said, “It’s a free country” and we started to talk. He was on leave and had no money to return to his barracks in the country. I offered to lend him the cash and gave him my address at the hospital residence.
I was surprised when several weeks later the Matron called, “Nurse van Mentz – there’s a military gentleman here to see you.” He had come to pay back the cash and gave me a present of chocolate bars and cigarettes. After we became engaged his officer had to check me out, so I travelled in the back of an army truck to the barracks. We were married in London, then he sailed home for discharge. I was booked to follow on the Aquitania with hundreds of other War Brides. We arrived in Halifax to hear of some girls already returning home!
In Medicine Hat, Alberta, the family met me at the station. It was awesome. To me it was an adventure with the world an oyster ready to be opened. But, by the second year, I felt that I would balk back to England if there had been a bridge across the ocean. We moved to a farm outside Prince George in B.C. We had “running water” but I did the running. I learned to bake bread and later, on seventy acres in Malakwa, traded a loaf of bread with my neighbors for a quart of mild. Blueberries were delicious there, but the mosquitoes horrible. I now joke that the family are still paying me for the cash I lent a stranger long ago and far away!
Diana was born in Medicine Hat, Alberta on what Grandma considered to only be good for a gopher farm. In 1949, the small family packed up their belongings into their Model T and moved to Prince George. Their second daughter, Roselyn, was born at home with no medical assistance on a chilly -27 degree winter’s day.
From there, they moved to Malakwa as Emil was employed at the Reiswig saw mill. In that small community, Denise made friends with all the local residents. Times were hard and groceries were charged at the local store. Diana started school and taught Roselyn all that she knew, so that by age 5 Roselyn decided she was ready to go to school as well and was accepted.
There was a small company of Seventh Day Adventisit believers in the area, and a neighbor, Mrs. Hickson invited Denise to bring the children along to Sabbath School and church. Denise had been listening to the Voice of Prophecy on the radio, and was convinced that these people lived according to the Bible and wanted to become part of the church. She was baptized in Vernon.
Two children were born in Malakwa. Her third child, Rhoda, was born in 1955, and Goldie Denise was born in 1958.
At this point, Denise decided it was time to get back into the work force. As the story goes, she bundled up six month old Goldie and took her along to the interview at the Shuswap Lake General Hospital. She told the head nurse that she had four kids and really needed a job. Happily, she was accepted and worked there as a nurse for many years. The family lived in a house on Lakeshore Road, which is now part of Willow Cove.
Her husband died in a tragic car accident in 1968, leaving her alone with four daughters. Times were tough, but with the help of God, Denise worked to support her daughters. She appreciated the support and friendship of the church family.
Their annual summer holiday was spent in a canvass tent at Camp Hope which is run and operated by the Seventh Day Adventist church. The family once travelled by train. She made lifelong friends during Camp Meeting and looked forward to the yearly time of spiritual refreshment and fellowship.
In 1969, she faced yet another hardship when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She took chemo and radiation treatments, and went on to live a further 39 years. She then retired from the hospital and began selling religious and health related books. She ended up doing more visiting then selling books! She was one of the few women involved in this type of church work, but she enjoyed it and managed to sell several sets of Uncle Aurthers Bed Time children’s bible story books and copies of The Desire of Ages.
In 1975, Denise attended an Eckstadt family reunion in Alberta and reconnected with her brother-in-law, Alex, who had also recently lost his wife. The two shared common bonds and were soon married. Alex moved to Salmon Arm, and they began their life together.
At that time, the only SDA church in the area was the one in Silver Creek. So in February 1971, Denise arranged to rent the Anglican Church in Salmon Arm so members could meet regularly. She had a vision of having an SDA church flourish in Salmon Arm. The members soon began building their own church, and the first worship service was held on Christmas Day, 1976. Denise always shared her friendship with God and spent countless hours volunteering for church and school.
Her children grew up, got married, and began to have children of their own. Soon Denise was introducing herself as a proud grandparent. Her grandchildren include Jesse and Gabriel, Julie and Andrew, Sabrina and Ahn. She loved spending time with all her grandkids, taking them to feed the ducks, going for walks, and going to the beach.
Grandma always had an interest in healthy living which of course was encouraged by the church. She always attended the Breath Free Programs offering rides and support to those in the program who were trying to quit smoking. For exercise, Grandma joined a walking group called the Pink Panters who would wear beautiful pink scarves and walk and talk. Grandma writes “My theory is that we walk, we turn pink and then we pant.”
Our family thinks she had the first Health food store in Salmon Arm. She was selling vitamins and supplements from her home. However, Grandma was such a generous soul that she ended up giving away most of her products but made lots of friends.
Grandma was adventurous and loved to travel. She made a trip to New Orleans in 1985 to attend the General Conference. In 1991 she visited New Zealand for a period of six weeks. She always said she would have loved to have stayed six months. Also, she travelled to London, England in 1997 to visit relatives and to Jamaica with her friend Ruth. During the trip to Jamaica she gave away some of her clothing and one suitcase as she felt those people needed the items far more than she did!!
Family was so important to Grandma. She loved them and made sure each one knew that she was praying for them. She was always thinking of ways to spoil her grandchildren, as every good grandma should. She often took us to the waterslides and McDonalds, or had us come for a sleepover, or made us chocolate chip cookies (once she forgot the chocolate), or went on field trips and attended our school functions. Grandma lived with Diana, Jesse, and Gabe for 12 years, and enjoyed sharing in the excitement living in a house with teenage boys brings. Grandma often challenged Gabe to a game of scrabble – I don’t know if he ever beat her!
Grandma was probably best known for her generosity, helping out anyone who needed it. Many of you have had the pleasure of wrapping one of her scarves (or Grandma’s hug as she said) around you on a chilly day. Grandma always had a positive outlook on life. If you asked how she was, she would smile and say “Happy!” Grandma encouraged people by being a very faithful correspondent. Many people have received a cheery, newsy letter from her – it is thought that at one time she was corresponding with 200 people.
It is her cheerful and loving spirit that will live on in our memories as we look forward to seeing her again when our Loving Saviour comes to reunite all of us.
Click here for more: Thank you to each of you who shared your thoughts, prayers and memories
Diana Walker, Roselyn Phare, Goldie Denise Caldwell and Families
Denise Eckstadt - Our Mom is Asleep in the Lord
September 27, 2008 | 133 Comments
Denise Eckstadt - Our Mom - has passed on today. She is loved by so many. Mom touched the lives of everyone she met. She said “A stranger is a friend I haven’t met yet”.
You can also read more about Denise Eckstadt’s Birthday Party Mom turned 89 in June, and we are so fortunate to have so many happy memories.
Mom would knit her scarves - and give them away — she called them “Hugs from Grandma”.
Daughters Diana Walker, Roselyn Phare, and Goldie Denise Caldwell would appreciate you leaving your memories and expressions of love for our Mom, below. Thank you.
Simple Lifestyle Changes Lead To Weight Loss Success
September 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I know…we’re always bombarded in the media about “lifestyle changes” and almost every magazine in the grocery store has a “new” way to lose 10 pounds quickly.
Well, I had the privilege of interviewing Jennifer Marnell on my Cravings Coach Podcast this week and she is proof positive that you CAN lose weight with simple diet and exercise changes. This is not to say the process of losing weight is simple but if you make simple changes to your diet, you WILL notice changes to your body and you can build upon those habits.
Jennifer was living the life of an obese woman, weighing in at 300 pounds just 4 years ago. After some health concerns and embarassing moments, Jen decided to make some changes to save her health.
Fast forward 3 years later and she is maintaining her 180 pound weight loss!! Yes…180 pounds! I posted incredible Before and After pictures in my show notes and she also shares with us what she now eats to maintain this current weight.
If you would like additional health information and tips, I invite you to join my newsletter at http://www.diana2.com!
The Truth About Going Grainless
September 8, 2008 | 3 Comments
There is so much conflicting nutritional information from the “experts” about whether or not grains and carbs are good for you. Some say the high fiber grains will help fill your stomach for longer so you don’t snack as much and still others say grains and carbs can make you feel groggy or you can develop an intolerance to them.
This week on my Cravings Coach podcast I interviewed Vanessa Smith, a registered dietitian and life coach, to talk about her own experiences eating grains and also living without grains. She shares her food allergies, her health symptoms that made her feel like she was having an emotional breakdown, and the steps she took to get control of her health and her life.
Living without grains and processed carbs in your diet is up to you and you should carefully weigh how you feel when you eat them and how you feel when you don’t. Vanessa is certainly an inspiration and a testament that it IS possible to gain control of your life and your diet.
If you would like additional health information and tips, I invite you to join my newsletter at http://www.diana2.com!
Happy Birthday Diana Walker at 61
June 15, 2008 | 32 Comments
Well - I am 61 years “old”
I can’t believe it! Above is a photo of me with one of my sisters, Roselyn Phare, taken last week.
I’m amazed too! I feel and think AGELESS….. I feel maybe age 45 at the most, in biological years. I’ve worked hard, though, this is not coincidence!
Many of my friends are in their 30s and 40s. Many friends who are in their 50s or more are Sunriders and they look younger every year!
Thanks, Rob, when you said today: you’re not 61 Diana, get out!
I appreciated that! You have worked so much on yourself, and you are an inspiration, so it was great to hear that from you!!
I work very hard at staying healthy. I eat well and exercise, meditate/pray, walk, do yoga, swim, keep my stress levels down, keep a balance in my life, engage in businesses that uplift and help other people, earn honest and abundant money, spend time with family and friends.
For me, if I wasn’t eating the Sunrider Whole Foods daily, these other healthy habits would not be possible - I wouldn’t have the energy to exercise like I do, I would still be stressed and having hormonal and money problems, I would still be craving sugar and coffee, and so on.
I’m so happy to be 61, and HEALTHY and able to enjoy life. My whole purpose in life is helping others on the path to abundance in health and wealth.
“Health isn’t everything, but everything is nothing without health” is my favorite quote.
Diana Walker, CEO, Diana’s Healthy Lifestyles
Denise Eckstadt Healthy at 89 Years Old !
June 15, 2008 | 1 Comment
Diana Walker’s Mom, Denise Eckstadt, turned 89 years “young” last week.
The first photo is Mom Denise Eckstadt and her best friend Mildred King, who is 94 years old! They worked together at the Salmon Arm Hospital, Shuswap Lake General Hospital. They have known each other for 50 years! Mildred remembers when our Mom came to the hospital 50 years ago, before she worked at the hospital, when she gave birth to my sister Denny Caldwell… (Denny is 50, she looks 35, doesn’t she?)
We celebrated Mom’s 89th birthday with 60 people on Sunday, and then with 20 people on Thursday.
Mom is well-known in the town of Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada, where she has lived for over 50 years. She was a nurse for many years. She also was a prolific writer, writing a column for more than 10 years, for the local newspaper. The column was called “Grandma Writes” She is known as “Grandma” to many people. Also, she would knit beautiful scarves, and give them away and say — when you wear the scarf, remember this is a “Hug from Grandma”
The second photo is Diana Walker, my sister Roselyn Phare, my sister Denny Caldwell, with our Mom Denise Eckstadt seated in the front. We celebrated Mom’s birthday with 20 people on Thursday.
My Mom had cancer (that was almost 40 years ago) and she has had congestive heart failure (hospitalized 2 weeks in 2006). Mom also has glaucoma which has progressed to legal blindness in recent years.
Our Mom has is an incredibly positive attitude, and her mind and brain are very sharp. She also has been very health conscious since the late 1960s when she had cancer, and had to have her breast removed.
My Mom loves and eats daily the Sunrider Whole Foods that have been part of her nutrition every day since 1997. Sunrider products have been a part of our daily lives for everyone in our family, for the past 12 years.
There are so many factors involved in being vibrantly healthy. Genetics, environment, exercise, nutrition, attitude. We know that Mom’s mother had stomach cancer and died in her 30s. Her mother’s mother (our great-great-grandmother) had bowel cancer and died young. We as a family all do our best to eat healthy, get lots of exercise, drink lots of water, keep positive, and all the other good things that are important for a healthy lifestyle.
We want our Mom with us for many, many years to come! And we are grateful every day for the blessings we have in our life.
Happy 89th Birthday, Mom!
Diana Walker, CEO, Diana’s Healthy Lifestyles
2008 Hawaii Sunrider Leadership Conference
February 14, 2008 | 9 Comments
How exciting - I have been working towards this wonderful Sunrider Conference in Hawaii and fulfilling all the qualifications. It was exciting to hear from Sunrider Canada that I qualified for this all-expense-paid trip for North American leaders, to be held in Honolulu, Hawaii. There will be approximately 400 of us, and we have an incredible itinerary of exciting sights to see and memories to create. The Chens (founders of Sunrider) certainly know how to reward us, above and beyond anything I have ever experienced before.
I used to live in Honolulu for 3 years in the 1970s, when I worked for and studied under Dr. Paul Bragg That was an exciting time in my life.
Here’s a photo of me (Diana Walker), when I lived in Hawaii, and Dr. Paul Bragg was 95 and I was 28. He was an incredible mentor, and that was the start of my knowledge of nutrition and healthy lifestyles.
Here are just some of the highlights on the itinerary of our upcoming trip to Hawaii:
* Polynesian Cultural Center
* Luau - Private Party, dinner and show
* Pearl Harbor Tour
* Sunset Dinner Cruise
* Banquet, Dinner and Dance
How incredible this will be! I’ll be sure to take lots of photos. I am so grateful for having all my dreams come true, to the Chens and Sunrider, and for the privilege to be able to go back to Hawaii and share the adventure with family and friends.
It’s been over 30 years since I lived there, and it truly was one of the most wonderful adventures of my life, and I expect this trip to be equally as wonderful.
Diana Walker, Cravings Coach
CEO, Diana’s Healthy Lifestyles
Sunrider Independent Distributor and Group Business Leader
Certified TeleClass Leader
In Loving Memory of Rhoda Eckstadt, our sister
February 14, 2008 | 19 Comments
”
You know how life is - full of change and full of surprises. Our sister Rhoda Eckstadt lived from May 28, 1955 to February 17, 1997. She was 21 when she died in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Rhoda was a loving, caring and talented young lady. I always remember how positive she was and how she always thought of others before herself. She was also very talented in singing and playing guitar. She is remembered daily by myself, my sisters Roselyn Phare and Denise (Denny) Caldwell, and by our mother Denise Eckstadt.
The reason this is on my mind right now is that when Sunrider Canada told me that I had met the qualifications to attend the wonderful all-expense-paid trip for North American Sunrider Leaders to Honolulu, Hawaii - I looked at the date.
The date of the first day of the Sunrider Leadership Conference in Honolulu, is set for February 17th - which also marks exactly 31 years since my sister’s death. I was living in Hawaii at the time, and Rhoda was visiting me.
At first, I was sad. Then, with the help of friends and sisters, we realized that this can be turned into a time of celebration of Rhoda’s life, and a time of healing for us. We will go on Wednesday to the area of Waikiki Beach (Ft. de Russy) where her ashes were spread all those years ago.
We love you and remember you, Rhoda.
Sister Denny (Denise Caldwell), Mom Denise Eckstadt, sister Roselyn Phare, sister Diana Walker
Please be sure and leave comments (see Comments link above).
Diana Walker, Sunrider Distributor
January 5, 2008 | 4 Comments
I am so excited - I was invited to speak at the Sunrider Canada Headquarters recently. I have been a Sunrider Distributor for over 11 years
The possibilities for health and wealth are so unlimted with Sunrider that I wake up every day, wanting to learn something new, and wanting to share with others.
Here is a photo of me speaking at the Sunrider Canada Headquarters recently:
Diana Walker, Sunrider Distributor, Sunrider Group Business Leader
Speaking at the Sunrider Canada Headquarters November 2007