My 24 hour fast..hour number 17

"Everyone has a doctor in him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food. But to eat when you are sick, is to feed your sickness."--Hippocrates, M.D., 460-377 B.C., Father of Western Medicine (http://www.fasting.com/solution.html)

So, I have decided to undertake a 24 hour lemon water, with honey fast, and I am almost at hour 17! It's a Spring cleaning of the body!

In 4 minutes, it will be both my hour 17 and noon, and Dr. Masaru Emoto, well known for showing the world that water is an entity unto itself, has asked the world to join together at noon and pray for the health and healing of the contaminated water in Japan, by saying the following:

“The water of Fukushima Nuclear Plant, we are sorry to make you suffer. Please forgive us. We thank you, and we love you.”

Please say it aloud or in your mind. Repeat it three times as you put your hands together in a prayer position.

Thank you very much from my heart

With love and gratitude

Masaru Emoto

Messenger of Water"

Please offer your sincere prayer"

I've just done my prayer for the water, and I know it will help with everyone praying too.

It's amazing how fasting is such a miracle healer, apparently, what happens is that your body starts to rid itself of any and all toxic substances and uses up what is already stored in you and, because it doesn't have to work hard digesting and processing (solid) food, this makes the scouring and cleaning out that much easier. Your blood, organs, spirit and emotions get cleansed. Even if you don't believe in, say, spirit, from everything I've read and from talking to people who have done hard-core fasting, your whole perspective changes.

Basically, it's giving your entire body a rest. All your organs, including the skin, don't have to work so hard to rid themselves of toxic waste. It amazes me that the intestines, both large and small are about 23 feet, combined!

Fasts are not only amazing for clearing out the blood, and rejuvenating the inner body, but they also help heal disorders including depression and insomnia.

It makes complete sense. Fasting has been used to purify the blood and clean the body totally for thousands of years. Animals fast, without being told they'll have better karma, they just know they'll feel better if they don't eat.

Ok, happy fasting to me:)
Speaking of good karma and animals, here, faithfully, is my dear petition calling for the rights and protections of animals to be included in the Canadian Constitution.The link I have included in the biggest of all of the 17 postings.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/put-animal-rights-into-the-constitution/

Lions and tigers and bears...Oh My!

So, a major tsunami, a giant earthquake and radioactive waste. Happy Spring, by the way.

The Japanese government, media and the world press have all been spin doctoring the truth about the situation surrounding the damaged nuclear plant. Nuclear energy is dangerous, no matter what spin governments and media try to put on the situation. The braver of the international media outlets have finally said publicly that the nuclear disaster at Fukushima nuclear plant is worse than Chernobyl, which is a terrifying thought. The word Chernobyl has now become synonymous with the horrors of nuclear disasters. That the Fukushima plant is worse than Chernobyl is a very scary testament to just how deadly nuclear energy is.

Chernobyl was caused not by the effects of a natural disaster, but, by something as simple as a power outage, which then led to many explosions, and eventually major leakage of radioactive waste.

What I find ironic is that a country that gave us the word tsunami, and introduced the word to the English language more than 100 years ago, is still so unprepared for these huge tidal waves of destruction. How can that be?

I have always loved these ancient Japanese paintings. I never used to know that these were artists’ renditions of full-on destruction, c/o a tsunami. I always wanted to get one of these waves as a tattoo, but, now that I now what it is, perhaps something more life affirming would be better.

Back to governments spin doctoring the truth. Here at home, 2 years ago, we had a nuclear power plant fuck up at a plant up north, called chalk River, which leaked 7,000 litres of radioactive waste into the Ottawa River. How does government deal with with the fallout? Fallout meaning having to answer to angry and scared people flipping out at the fact that that government said ‘Cool, dump that shit into the lake.’ Lie. That way they feel they can get off the hook for their greed, stupidity, incompetence and total disregard for the health and safety of everyone; both humans and animals.

In order for the federal government to seem in control in the face of their lies and incompetence, they added insult to injury and declared publicly that not only was there nothing to worry about, but in fact, there had been no leak at all! Below is a posting from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's website.

“No leak into the Ottawa River
Public not at risk due to leaks at NRU facility.” (CNSC website dated 2009)

Wow. To reiterate, Big Government’s strategy for saving face instead of admitting that nuclear power is, in the words of Greenpeace,“ dirty, dangerous, and expensive,”

(Greenpeace website, campaigns) is to boldly lie.

The greed-mongering Harper government thinks that the public can’t see the wool trying to be pulled tight over our eyes, but we can.

In November 2009, the Darlington nuclear Power plant, in Bowmanville, Ontario, sprang a leak due to human error, or more aptly, human stupidity, and as a result of the ‘error’, Lake Ontario was hit hard with 200,000 liters of radioactive waste. Government-paid scientists were, quickly trotted out to tell the public not to worry, that the levels of contaminants in the water were safe. How can any form of radioactive toxicity be considered “safe”?

Officials told the public that the contaminated water didn’t pose any harm to local residents.

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency says there are no safe levels of radioactive exposure. Greenpeace and one of Canada’s icons David Suzuki both support a gradual phasing out of nuclear energy.

Just last week, March 16^th, 2011, the CBC reported that “ Canada’s Ontario Power Generation has released radioactive water into Lake Ontario via a leak in the Pickering A nuclear generating station.” (planetsave.com)

Because of the leak, Lake Ontario has once again taken the fall and has been contaminated with “ tens of thousands of litres of radioactive water…” (planetsave.com)

Not only is our health and safety compromised each and every time there is a radioactive spill which gets hushed up by the government, but so too is the health and safety of all the other beings affected even more directly, by the land , water and the air we all breathe being contaminated with radioactive waste which we are told is “safe” by supposed experts.

Some of the long term effects of radioactive emissions which have been documented as early as 1909, relating to miners, can include cancers, especially thyroid, and children, and animals are most vulnerable, mutations in both humans and animals can occur.

So, as we watch Japan try to pull itself back together, we have to hope too that this comes as a painful wake up call to governments who choose nuclear energy over renewable, clean options.

To end on a positive note, my petition, urging the Canadian Government to include animal rights and protections is doing really well. Below is a link to my petition with the most signatures.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/put-animal-rights-into-the-constitution/

It'll be a month soon...without Nonna

It's been nearly a month without Nonna. It seems unreal.
Here's a poem for my Nonna:

For my Nonna (written march 4-5 2011)

Time has stopped

You’re now gone

I try, desperately, to hold on to all my memories of you

I’m scared I won’t remember things

Like the way you smelled of your flannel nightgown in the mornings with your slippered feet always too warm

The sun, that came streaming into the kitchen and your voice sounding crinkly with the sounds of sleep still in it

The pancakes you lovingly made for us so often in the sun drenched kitchen, Saturday mornings. And even as you became ill you insisted on making me pancakes, one last time

Your beautiful face; soft with wrinkles

Your memories ,which were so vivid, how an orange you ate while on vacation, tasted as sweet as honey, or how you first learned to make pasta for your family at age 5

I first learned to bake with you, I was also 5

Your forever earringed-ears

The way you made it all look so damn easy; cooking your incredible feats, which took you hours, and serving up dish after dish, everything so perfectly timed. We took it for granted

Having left your country and your mother

Christmas Eve, baccalá, you, Nonno and I enjoying that ancient dish

Your strong hands that refused to accept the painful reality of your arthritis

Easter and your delicious paloma

Your make-up free face

Your orderly, and meticulous routines

Your giant heart

Your numerous phonebooks

The olive oil and vinegar, the salt, the wine, the bread baskets with their napkins always folded inside in waiting anticipation-everything in the kitchen all having their own exact spots; everything had a home, and was loved

Your absolute reverence for the dead

Stories of your childhood -you at 6 hitting the local 16 year old Goliath right between the eyes with the steady aim of a practiced slingshot user

Making wine with you

The last time, 2 years ago now, that you and I decided to make pizzelle, we laughed a lot. We spent over 3 hours baking , and kept laughing at how much batter we made and how long it was taking. They came out well

Your favourite nook in the kitchen, where you liked to read

Lunchtime, mid-week you, Nonno and I, and both of you would vie for my attention to tell me stories. It was my favourite thing in the world sitting with you both, eating and listening to your long ago rememberings

Your hugs, and as you got ill I could feel your hugs became tighter. I felt helpless

Your incredible bargaining skills -which I have proudly inherited

Your deep sensitivity

Your insomnia, and the way you were more concerned about me getting more sleep when I stayed over, then you. You knew I inherited your insomnia too

The way, even though it’s been many years since Pucci’s death, you still hurt

Always knowing, somehow, when I was sad. You could always see my pain.

You never missed one birthday of mine, not even this last birthday, even while you were in the hospital for over 2 months. You were upset because you had no card or cake to give me that day. A week or so later, I got your card, which I treasure

Your beautiful garden sustained you. Even with your aneurysm, painful back and hands, and a walker, you found ways to slip outside and touch the earth!

Your will, determination, sharp tongue and your spirit

Your poetry,

Your volunteerism. You did so much for so many people

You were my protector. I felt so safe with you, so loved

There are so many memories I want to remember out loud, forever, so that I don’t forget

Now you’re gone, and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.

This poem doesn’t feel finished, but, maybe it never will

Easter’s coming and I don’t want to celebrate, you’re not here, and Nonno cries for you every night

International Women's Day

Happy International Women's Day!

Celebrating 100 years of recognizing women's worth!


The 3 waves of feminism have seen a great deal of changes; namely women being granted the vote, recognizing, in law, that women are not "chattle" belonging to their fathers, then transferred to their husbands; and , it should be said here, that though the laws have, for the most part, recognized women as people, many women who get married in 'traditional' ( read: overtly patriarchal) ceremonies, still want to be treated as property and asked to be 'given away' by their fathers. For many, claiming their worth is terrifying.

However, today is a great achievement. 100 years of not giving up, shutting up or giving in!

Here's a great quote from Nellie McClung, one of Canada's preeminent suffragettes I love this:

"Never retreat; never explain; never apologize. Get the job done and let them howl. "
McClung, an amazing trailblazer in Canada's first wave of feminism, was part of a group we can call the ferocious five, comprised of herself plus Emily Murphy, Irene Parlby, Louise McKinney, and Henrietta Edwards. Together, they challenged the Canadian Constitution, in the 'persons case'. The issue they were challenging was the government's sexist language and opinion, which said that women were not persons, only men.
"Canada's constitution, then the British North America Act, stated that one must be a "person" to serve in the Senate, but in 1928 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that when the BNA Act was written in 1867, the term "person" was not meant to include women, but only men. The women appealed the decision to the Judicial Committee of the British Privy Council, then the highest court for Canadian constitutional interpretation. In October 1929 the Judicial Committee ruled that Canadian women were, in fact, persons and could be appointed to the Senate. " (http://www.mta.ca/about_canada/study_guide/famous_women/nellie_mcclung.html)

This type of misogyny is still true today, where people use terms like "man-made" or "man-kind", language that I have challenged my whole life, and will continue to do so

Remembering Nonna

photo:May, 2009

Today is 3 weeks to the day of my Nonna’s passing. It’s extremely difficult to sit with such a loss. My sadness is overwhelming.

I've passed 6,000!

Some positive news is that my petition-s to have animal rights included in Canada’s Constitution(I have re-posted it 17 times! ) has finally amassed 6,000 signatures! (6,024 to be exact). Here are 2 of the 17 links. The first is the newest, the second is one of the first.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/rights-for-all-animals/

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/put-animal-rights-into-the-constitution/

I have 4,000 more to go to reach my goal before I will send all the signatures via snail mail to our P.M, whether it’s Harpie or not.