My Huge A-ha – Supporting Local

Two weeks ago we went out of our way to purchase a washing machine from a local small business and avoided a) using a credit card and b) using a box/big business store. We were so proud of ourselves!  

Yet, when it comes to buying organic foods and Seventh Generation Diapers we use our co-op or local grocery store because they are a bit less expensive.

April, I owe you a huge apology.  I have just realized that by choosing to join the regional  co-op I am taking away from your business!  For those of you who don’t know April, she owns and operates two local health food stores. She is an amazing person who does so much for our communities and families.  She is an advocate for our personal and global environments, and even more important to me, she is an awesome friend and fantastic mother to her son Matthew.

It seems like we should know better – especially since we are talking about someone who so aligns with our values.  April, I am happy to say that we caught ourselves and you will be seeing us in your store much more now!!!!

WE LOVE YOU APRIL – thank you for what you do!

The Authenticity Pledge

When Jeff and I were diving head first into the environmental issues impacting our local and global communities, we learned about the 100 Mile Diet and the Locavore Pledge.

As I researched, read, and discussed this approach with others, we uncovered something very important to us.  Sticking with the 100 Mile/Locavore concept eliminates some very important issues for us… what about organic?  

We have a colleague who is a local farmer and does a huge amount of business but he refuses to go organic.   Organic farming is essential to the preservation of our future, our daughter’s future.  Pesticides aren’t  just tainting our food and our bodies when we eat them.  They get in our air, they corrupt our ground water, we even learned that they lead to algae overgrowth in our lakes, ponds, and pools!

Ok, so where I am going with this.  Well, some people are taking advantage of the whole idea of organic.  Organic wasn’t just a system, it was a philosophy that supported the natural cycles and rhythms of our Earth.  Organic to me means – no pesticides,  no chemical fertilizers, not genetically modified (no GMOs), no supplementation or medication (antibiotics) of livestock, feeding livestock their most natural foods (i.e. cows don’t naturally eat corn as their primary food – grain fed cows is not natural, grass fed is).  

Going organic means companion planting to prevent pest infestation, rotating crops to allow nutrients to be brought back into the land.  Organic is more than just the certification stamp that different agencies put on foods.  Often, these foods aren’t truly organic… they only have to be ‘sort of’ organic and I use that term loosely as ‘sort of’ depends on what the agenda is and who is lining who’s pockets!

So, if you want to learn more about this, try reading the Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan.

In the mean time, the whole point of this post was to propose a new pledge:

Before anything else, consider choosing to do business with those who are authentic.  What do I mean by that?  Have you ever had a ‘hard sell’ from a telemarketer or salesperson that made you feel uncomfortable.  Stay away from those types of sales people.  Often I find there is buyer’s remorse when we aren’t comfortable with a purchase. 

Connect with people who are not only speaking their truth, but when you are making the decision whether or not to buy a product or service from them you feel good about it.   (It may be their truth but not yours….)    Follow your heart.  Remember your are not your mind, you just have one!  Don’t think too hard -  you will know in your heart if it’s the right choice for you.

If you choose Authentic first – then you can decide from there local/organic/fair trade, no animal testing, etc.    Hopefully they should all go hand-in-hand!

The care and feeding of our future

I have been thinking a lot about what has inspired me to start my Seedlings Child Care program.  Talking with Emma Hardie and other friends truly forced me into action but what led me to even consider it….nothing I came across was ‘real’ or authentic. 

The first person who cared for my daughter Emma outside of our home was so incredibly loving. I thought she would keep Emma some times for her own daughter.  I comprimised on some issues that were important to me, such as not using cloth diapers, or minimizing her exposure to internal (preservatives, colourings, additives) and external (chemicals, cleaners, candles, etc.) toxins. 

Emma would come home covered in markers that didn’t wash out of her clothes, so I began to wonder what kind of markers they truly were.  Then Emma began bullying and hitting us and other kids, so I began asking questions and learned that this woman’s boys were bullying Emma. 

So, not only was my daughter’s physical health and well-being compromised but now her personal/emotional.  All the love the woman could give was wonderful but if our daughter was being exposed to bullying and toxins, what else was going on. 

Then the woman shared that she was having a company come out and spray her lawn because it was covered in weeds.  That was the last straw for me, as I love our native plants and understand and appreciate the importance of all of these ‘weeds’ to our eco-system.  And to use pesticides – well, that doesn’t just kill the plants it kills our planet.  So, I pulled Emma from this care.

Weeks later we ran across another family who had a daughter Emma’s age and another who was a couple of years older.  Great – no more bullying and maybe some softer, gentler, nurturing care.  They also used some solar panels, had their own chickens for eggs, and seemed real.  All was going fantastic until we saw the mother physically handle her daughter in a way that didn’t align with our parenting styles. A week later I showed up to pick up Emma and find that she is in front of the TV with no one around but the other toddler watching a horror movie on Scream TV.  UGH!!!!  There goes the spiritual/emotional support I was hoping she was getting. 

I was beyond hopeless and refused to take Emma anywhere.  She stayed home with me for almost two months and I ran across a woman who did child care and also raised beef without hormones and antibiotics.  Talking with her I was sure she got it.  She was so passionate about the cows, how they were raised, and that we ‘are what we eat’ I was thrilled!!!! 

Jeff, Emma and I went to visit and were distressed to find a home filled with Glade plug-ins, candles, chemical based cleaners, processed foods, children drinking non-organic cows milk, and children who seemed miserable and detached! 

I was so confused.  How can you be passionate about raising chickens, saving energy, raising cows yet not seem to carry that passion into raising children?  You can give your cows 90 acres of pesticide free grass and raise them without hormones or antibiotics but you vaccinate your child or take them to the doctors for a round of antibiotics for every little ear ache???  

Parents, we have a whole responsibility to our children – body, mind, spirit – these are special kids. They are sensitive to everything that is not natural.  Their future is dependent upon us all working together to remove the non-natural elements from their lives… not just chemical and physical but the emotional and spiritual.  Forcing education, religion, and societal shoulds down their throats is just as bad for them as giving them bleach to drink in their drinking water (yes, that is what chlorinated water is!!!!) 

Giving them ‘self mastery’ experiences and teaching them about faith, love, hope and compassion — those are gifts that will last forever.  Teach them material things don’t create happiness they just create pollution of our hearts, minds, bodies, souls and planet. 

OUR CHILDREN ARE AMAZING — please don’t ruin them with the things of this world.  They are the world they don’t need anything but your sincere focused love and care and nourishment of their bodies, minds and souls.

My Dad used to be proud of me…

My Dad used to be proud of me.  I had a high-paying corporate job for Sylvan Learning Systems.  He would tell everyone about what I did and where I was travelling to next.  I would meet him and my Mom on Sunday’s for church and brunch.  We would go to some of the most wonderful restaurants on the waterfront in Annapolis, DC, or Baltimore.  And, we often would meet at Macy’s to see what we could find.  We spent hours shopping and buying using my Dad’s coupons he got in the mail from being a preferred shopper.

My Dad used to be proud of me. I was an honours student, an all-star athlete, and could handle myself with grace and a smile in any political or social situation.

Here I am about to turn 39 and my Dad is no longer proud of me, but I am living the life of my dreams.  My husband and I live on two acres overlooking the most beautiful view I have ever seen.  The full moon is a golden colour just setting over the snow covered cedars and lake in the distance.  The sun is rising on the other end of the house painting the snow drifts in florescent watercolours.  I am going to make some eggs for breakfast courtesy of our 13 laying hens.  My two year old daughter and husband are cuddled on the couch so Mommy can type something that she was just inspired about (this).  And, although our financial situation is not overly desirable, we are living our truth…. and my Dad is no longer proud of me.

He called me a new age greenie.  I was really hurt when I learned that a few months ago.  But now I hold that ‘title’ with pride. 

I am proud of me.

Be proud of you. It’s your reflection looking back in the mirror.

With love!
Colleen

Donations for Rob and Cole

Hi everyone, Rob and Cole could really use some financial assistance. They still have their mortgage and Rob isn’t moving around well (broken pelvis, cracked ribs, punctured lung and punctured spleen) as well as a broken heart. I’m thinking if we all sent whatever we could – $5 or $50 to his attention that could make such a huge difference and reinforce our love and support of Emma, Cole and Rob. Contact me via phone 905.342.2302 or via this site and I’ll forward Emma’s Dad’s mailing address since Rob is not at home still. If you can send a few dollars even every few weeks and let’s keep the support going as long as we can! Thank you all – with love and appreciation, Colleen

Letters to Cole

Hi Everyone,

I am working on a web site for Emma’s son Cole: www.LettersToCole.com  Thanks for your letters and comments.  Unless you share otherwise, I will make all comments public.  Thank you for your love, compassion, and choice to turn such a tragedy into something powerful and enduring.  I have heard from many who are so moved and inspired by everyone’s comments and letters.  Even Emma’s Dad called yesterday and expressed how moving all of the support has been through Facebook, these web sites and emails he has received.

With love and appreciation, Colleen

Emma’s Memorial and update

Hi everyone,
Here is the information on Emma’s memorial…
Monday 5-9 pm – visitation at Chapel Hill Ridge Funeral Home
http://www.chapelridgefh.com/english/about3.htm
Tuesday 3:30 is the memorial at the same location.

Rob has been put back in the hospital – somehow they missed the multiple cracked ribs, punctured lung and spleen?!?!?

Emma Hardie Story – Please Read….

With the pressures of the holiday season, the lay-offs taking place, and the economic concerns, it seems we all have been getting caught up in ‘stuff’ and have forgotten about how to live.
 

I know of one person who truly knew how to live and until yesterday (December 17, 2008), she did that with grace and beauty. Her name was Emma Hardie (she was known as Auntie Em to us) and she died tragically on the 401 (highway minutes from her home in Ontario, Canada). The newspaper reported the ‘facts’ (and you can view photos – very graphic and the story here ), however, the life of Emma Hardie is an inspiration to our community and a reminder to hold our families near and dear this Christmas.

  

The Emma I knew was a relatively new mom, like many of us in our circle. She was learning the delicate balance of continuing with her dreams of teaching, being a student, being a ‘stay at home Mom’, and connecting with other like-minded people in this community, as she was a recent Toronto ‘transplant’ who wanted clean air, a safe place to raise her son Cole, and to live more simply and naturally. Emma was incredibly aware of the world around her and didn’t just talk about what she was going to do, she did it. Her thesis was focusing on disabilities in adults, her classes were about wellness and balance, and she volunteered her time at a nearby organic farm, and with Mom’s like me by teaching parent & tot yoga at my house every week. All of the Mom’s were so thankful for the time to unwind and connect while the little ones played nearby. In fact, they often joined in, as you can see here
   

Her husband Rob is an amazing man who commutes to Toronto a few days a week and stays with his family overnight on Friday’s so he can work back-to-back shifts and be home more during the week. He works at a well-known French restaurant and is also a chef. They had been looking at saving up enough to buy the Wedge restaurant in Port Hope and converting the loft upstairs to a yoga studio so he could manage and cook at the restaurant while she could teach yoga and wellness classes and be around for Cole.

We have admired Rob since we met him as he has put his family first and was always there for them no matter what. In fact, he left work over the weekend in the middle of a shift to be there for Emma as she had quite the challenging events. On Saturday night Emma was in a car accident in the Peterborough area after being T-boned by a gentleman who passed out during a Parkinson’s episode. Thankfully the driver and the two toddlers in the back were relatively unscathed, however it was quite the scare as Emma was pinned and couldn’t see her son (or get to him) while encased in an air bag. She wasn’t even supposed to be here, however, she had to come home from an intensive weekend at school as her son Cole had the stomach flu and she wanted to make sure he was ok and provide him with breast milk to keep him hydrated and nourished.

Emma shared with me Monday after coming over to teach the yoga class that she just had to slow down and be there for her family and that she will figure out the rest of the stuff in life later. It just seems so wrong that she will never have that chance now. Even more tragic is that a beautiful baby boy will only have a scar on his head to remind him of the last day he saw his Mom.

I know that it’s easy to forget what’s important during the holidays and with all the crap going on in the world. Things kind of fall into perspective, though, when tragedy hits.

Rob is on Facebook – Robert Bonathan (Toronto) — if you get a chance, perhaps add him to your friend’s list and send him and Cole some healing light and love. They are both still very battered physically and I can’t even imagine how wounded they are emotionally and spiritually.

I wish you and yours a safe and blessed Christmas.

Co-Create Our Reality

I really do feel though, that the days of seeing Creation and Manifestation as about “me” are now over, and that “we” is now the determinant of creative energy. The “secret” is not about what I can manifest for myself, but what we can create together. After all, that is the whole purpose of this thing called a “Planet”, that billions of souls can come together and co-create a Reality in which every living being is a part of the “show”. And that brings me also to the sadness and struggle that we are seeing at this time. People out there in the “Old Reality” are struggling for survival and a way into the New. I know it is fashionable to say that they are creating their own reality and experiences and it is ok to let them get on with it. I don’t feel that way any more. We are all here together and we are all creating all these experiences together. We cannot separate ourselves out and say “I choose not to be in that reality”. We Are. We chose to Be. And maybe we chose to be so that we could be of help. Maybe we can be of help in many different ways. Maybe just being part of the Joyous Happening of Creation and Existence is enough to lift the Spirit and Souls of those who are lost in the “plot” of suffering and lack that has dominated the drama of our Planet for so long.

excerpted from Celia Fenn – http://starchildglobal.com/earthlogdecember2008.html

Allow your actions to represent your intentions

I was working out to my brother, Sean O’Malley (aka the CardioCoach)’s Volume 8 this morning and something he said during Challenge 2 really hit me hard…

Allow your actions to represent your intentions.

Stay tuned for my intentions and the actions I will take to support them.

Thank you bro for the inspiration!