Oh, I do love a good dining room table...a place where friends and family can gather and be physically and spiritually connected by holding hands and joining hearts. A moment or two of silence, a pause, a bit of gratitude, an awareness of all that is. Yes please.

A place to play cards, cut out a pattern, to do a puzzle, finish homework (golly, that was a long time ago), make Valentines, chop vegetables, make paper dolls and plan menus. All of that and more.

Lately I have a growing respect for the dining room table as a place to grow health. Of course, what we do in our kitchens is an important part of that too. But the time we take to sit and eat, and chat, or look out the window is important too. The slowing down, the intentional choices we make about what we put on our plates and an appreciation of that nourishment can all play a part in our health too.

I do try to donate blood as often as I can. Sometimes my iron level prevents me from donating. It frustrates me. I feel like my best intentions are thwarted. I feel like I am wasting the time of the folks at the blood drive. So I've done some research and asked around.

Here are some tips that have worked for me.

• stop drinking black tea about two weeks before the donation date (it interferes with the absorption of iron, who knew?).
• amp up consumption of dark, leafy greens, and eat them with citrus fruit or a squeeze of citrus juice  if you can.
• check out other iron rich foods at the Red Cross website here.
• drink plenty of water the day before and the day of your donation.

Today I smashed the iron numbers game and because I am a woman of height, I was able to donate double red cells for the first time ever.  To read about this type of donation look here. Was I a bit nervous, apprehensive, unsure when invited to make this kind of donation? Yup. But then I looked at my tattoo, took a deep breath and said, "Absolutely yes".  Each and every time I stretch out on a Red Cross cot I send a big dose of love and light out to Erin Elizabeth Potts, whose legacy continues to ripple out far and wide in this world.

Oh, how I wish Erin and her dear family could join us at our dining room table...the place where so many good things happen. Instead, we will light a candle in her memory tonight, as the snow swirls around our home here in the Green Mountains.