Welcome!
Thanks for stopping by. Condofire is my scrap book of interests. You’ll find things I love, like Recipes (lots of Asian and Gluten -Free) Conversations with My Mother which is a series of conversations I had with my quite funny mom over a period of three years until she passed away in 2010.
I’m also an avid reader and write reviews when I have time. Alison McGhee is a writer who curates beautiful poems which I also post here so you’ll find those under Book Reviews. Random Musing is about other interests…writing, life, funny things , as well as my love and advocacy for animals.
In my spare time I am the Director for Advocacy for a Canadian elephant advocacy group called Elephanatics. You’ll find information about our initiatives on this site and here as well.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Tessa
Contact: punkdawgz@gmail.com
Condofire 
Tessa, I’m sorry to inform you that I own the trademarked phrase, “The 10 Best Questions.” Please cease using this phrase in your blog. Please reply so I know you got this message.
Many thanks in advance.
Dede
Thank is a dumb phrase to trademark
*That
(I mean, its not original….. I dont get why you trademarked it)
I would use it anyways… the phrase is all over the net, by multiple sources and was use before it (if it) was registered… probably before Dr. Dede Bonner was born… which was a long time ago.
I thought the whole thing was pretty crazy myself!!
Trademark search did not come up with this phrase…
Hello Tess:
Long time everything…I hope you are well. I was just catching up on old friends, and you know how much I enjoy your conversations with your mother…bless her!
Anyway I saw your 100 books in one year quest and you are to be commended, and I am routing for you to succeed.
I started the year saying instead of buying a new book, I would read every book in my apartment that I have not read. I have 4 bookcases full. How is it going? Not well, I have not bought a new book, but I am spending a lot of time in my local library, and taking out books there. I have had many enjoyable reads so far, but not from my own bookshelf. Oh well at less I am reading.
Jen
what’s your email darling?
I can’t access my ubc email anymore 😦
Ann
Hi T-Bone. I like your site. 🙂
Hey!
I have just started an elemination (aka I’m gonna starve) diet today. I can’t have gluten, dairy, sugar etc.etc. Stumbled across your site & will try three recipes from it. Thanks so much . . .
Hey Trudy,
That’s awesome. You’ll feel so great that you won’t mind the starvation:) Actually you don’t have to starve on this kind of diet. Once you adjust you’ll find a world of things to eat, they’ll just be different things that your body will actually like. Also, things get added in gradually and you’ll be grateful for those small additions.
Good to hear you got yourself a man at Ebay, how convenient. I love your conversations with your mother, she was very funny and straightforward (; Those Germans are bastards. I know that. I was married to one. But they make great cars. Wooowwweeee.) It was a stroke of genius to record your talks. I’m gonna read them all.
Hi Tess,
I decided to google “no dairy no gluten no sugar and I feel great,” and whaddya know, the gods brought me to your blog. 🙂 It took me to a post from back in 2009 where you were working with a naturopath (I think) and said you were no longer eating these things, including drinking alcohol. I’ve been practicing something like this diet for the past few months, and I feel much better and my boyfriend doesn’t feel the urge to run away from me anymore for fear I will bite off his head. But seriously, I was wondering if you are still practicing this diet, if you’ve made any “tweaks” to things you can/can’t eat now, and any advice? What re your thoughts on the Paleo or GAPS diet, if you know about them? A little background on me: I think I might have always been gluten sensitive and it caught up to me a few years ago. Either that, or overuse of antibiotics caused a bacterial imbalance. I blog a bit too, so feel free to check out my page. I’m still working on the overall theme of it, but hope you like it.Hope to hear from you soon.
Vanessa Hill
Gluten Free Chickadee
Hi Vanessa, Like you I always had some problems with my stomach (dairy and gluten) but then it got worse and like you I became a monster to live with! I did the full anti candida, no sugar, no dairy, no alcohol, no wheat and no caffeine or alcohol diet for about 8 months. I felt better instantly and from that time on I made some livable adjustments- I started to eat a little sugar, a cup of coffee a day, and drink alcohol (on weekends) again. I really try to watch my sugar in take. Also, I find i can eat goat cheese which I do have a few times a week – and I can eat kamut wheat which means it wasn’t really the gluten as much as a protein or something else that was getting in my way. So the answer is I follow this diet. I’m not familiar with the other diets you mentioned. I really need something that works for me. I also don’t eat meat so my diet is simple but still really delicious. I hope this is helpful. Please let me know I’m happy to chat about this. I suffered terribly for years with feeling terribly and running to bathrooms all over the place!
Thanks for being here~
BTW You should try to avoid maltodextrin and Carrageenan at all costs. Both of these toxic additives really do a number on my tummy!
If you have any Native American ancestors, all chemicals/toxins affect you.
Hi there, thx so much for this. There is something that i can’t put my finger on that really affects me. I stay away from all processed food (some of which I love:) because it kills my stomach. My father is half Indonesian and he suffered from all kinds of stomach ailments too. Thanks for the heads up! Tess
Can anyone tell me who the organisers of Global March for Elephants and Rhinos are.. as in the main world organisers? Would love to contact them
Have you tried the main site Howie?