I just returned from a delightful stay in the fair and french speaking city of Montreal where I was visiting my even more fair and thoroughly delightful friends Natalie, Colleen and Alex.
I am very excited to know that Natalie has been doing some writing on her art blog Passenger Art along with her friend Reilley who I also had the pleasure of meeting. The two of them are queens of the conceptual. I always learn a lot and enjoy any art I see far better when I get a second look through Nat's eyes.
While in monts we visited many galleries and studios. I got to see Colleen's latest show which included pieces dyed with headbang hair. Need I say more about how awesome Collen's art is? Check out her site for more proof.
While there Nat and I got to accompany Colleen and assist her in some prep painting for Jessica Eaton and fellow artist. We stayed up late and painted cubes in her gorgeous downtown studio of chartreuse brick and wide eyed windows.
Another poem...the Ode to the Artichoke. Came a cross this long time ago.
Ode To The Artichoke
The artichoke
With a tender heart
Dressed up like a warrior,
Standing at attention, it built
A small helmet
Under its scales
It remained
Unshakeable,
By its side
The crazy vegetables
Uncurled
Their tendrills and leaf-crowns,
Throbbing bulbs,
In the sub-soil
The carrot
With its red mustaches
Was sleeping,
The grapevine
Hung out to dry its branches
Through which the wine will rise,
The cabbage
Dedicated itself
To trying on skirts,
The oregano
To perfuming the world,
And the sweet
Artichoke
There in the garden,
Dressed like a warrior,
Burnished
Like a proud
Pomegrante.
And one day
Side by side
In big wicker baskets
Walking through the market
To realize their dream
The artichoke army
In formation.
Never was it so military
Like on parade.
The men
In their white shirts
Among the vegetables
Were
The Marshals
Of the artichokes
Lines in close order
Command voices,
And the bang
Of a falling box.
But
Then
Maria
Comes
With her basket
She chooses
An artichoke,
She's not afraid of it.
She examines it, she observes it
Up against the light like it was an egg,
She buys it,
She mixes it up
In her handbag
With a pair of shoes
With a cabbage head and a
Bottle
Of vinegar
Until
She enters the kitchen
And submerges it in a pot.
Thus ends
In peace
This career
Of the armed vegetable
Which is called an artichoke,
Then
Scale by scale,
We strip off
The delicacy
And eat
The peaceful mush
Of its green heart.
Pablo Neruda
Still love it. And now it's providing design inspiration too! If you want to see what I've been thinking, check out my new pinterest page. I'm trying that out. http://pinterest.com/alicatbird/boards/
Last time I was in Vancouver we put my mum's ashes up at the Mountainview Cemetery. It was good to be there with my family and move a few inches in our slow acceptance of her passing. My lovely Aunt was there and she provided us with some beautiful words with which to remember my mum by when she read the following poem by Mary Oliver.
The Summer Day
- 1990
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean--
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down--
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
I just looked this poem up, and found some of her other works, equally moving and beautiful. If your spriti could use a little boost. Have a read.
This is a Tantric video, showing (without any nudity) the various positions that can be pleasurable for men and women and how to move between them smoothly. The couple teaching are a man/woman duo . Enjoy!
We are lucky inCanada that we have some pretty great standards when it comes to Sex Ed in our Schools. Unfortunately Teachers are not given ANY training in how to do sex ed, and since this is a touchy subject sex Ed often get's glossed over, or not taught at all. Fortunately though there are standards, and there is training (like the awesome training I am doing) which can help us deliver high quality, research based Body Science and Sex ed for all ages. Here is a link to a look in the what is happening in Ontario with regards to Sex ed, and what parents and students want. https://www.ophea.net/sites/default/files/pdfs/advocacy/ADV_SexEdReportFINAL_31MY13.pdf
Check out this great article about "Amma" a Guru in India who seems to have seized the heart and imagination of many Indians as well as people from all over the globe with her healing hugs. Another case for the importance of touch, and 4 hugs a day which also happens to be a pretty endearing children's song from Canadian Children's songstress Charlotte Diamond. Check out the jazzy 80's video, which was filmed in a retirement home. Pretty cute.
On another note, something I learned in my class was that the 2 groups of people who are the most touch deprived are
1) Seniors
2) Teenagers - is this second one surprising? Think about it, maybe this is part of why they sometimes launch themselves into unsafe situations, it feels good to be hugged and we need that positive connection. Hug a teen! But be sure to ask first :)
Oh and another thing to keep in mind, courtesy of the Portland Art Museum:
"The average length of a hug between two people is 3 seconds. Researchers have discovered something fantastic. When a hug lasts longer than 20 seconds, there is a therapeutic effect on the body and mind. The reason is that a sincere hug produces a hormone called "oxytocin", also known as the love hormone. This substance has many benefits in our physical and mental health. It helps us, among other things, the relax, feel safe and calm our fears and anxiety. This wonderful calming effect is offered free of charge every time we have a person in our arms. When we cradle a child, cherish a dog or cat, when we're dancing with our partner, or even just holding the shoulders of a friend."
Maybe this is why I love salsa dancing class so much? I'm an oxytocin addict!
This pic is one I saw a few years back. It shows how one group of First Nations People set up their tipi's closer to the residential school in order to be closer to their children when they were taken away. The fight continues but I am astounded at how much so many First Nations People of Canada have endured.
Here is a link to a fabulous podcast from This American Life about Testosterone. It is VERY eye opening. There are stories from a man who lost his testosterone, a woman who transitioned to be a man and endured the resulting mind bending effects of testosterone, and a testosterone contest, to find out who has the most and least testosterone of all the staff at This American Life (men and women).
Hope you enjoy. And if are one of those people who don't know how podcasts work, it's basically just a radio show that you download for .99 cents or stream for free off the internet. They might change your life.
I am pleased to say that I have just ordered a mamamour doll. these are dolls which can give birth, and the resulting baby has a detachable umbilical cord and placenta! They also have snaps for the mouth so can breastfeed! If you want to see these dolls in action, click here for pictures, and maybe order your own amazing custom doll, click here.
Also someone mentioned vulva puppets today. They are also awesome!This is a video of a girl demonstrating the wonderous vulva puppet, this is the kind that I saw Kerri Isham use. The one in the video is pretty big, but there is also a "mini" version. Check them out here and purchase here.
I also found this other one, the vulvalicious pillow...which looks more anatomically correct to me but is also a whopping $360 US!!
Interested to hear your impressions.
In my search for an equally interesting penis puppet I also found this hilarious site which has combined the quirkiness with retro crochet and managed to raise money for cancer too! amazing. Those damn puppetry of the penis guys seem to have foiled my attempts at finding any kind of anatomical penis prop. Maybe someone else has a lead on this?
I have been impatiently awaiting the harvest season, and can officially say that it has started!
Doug and I have been collecting elderflower blossoms to make some kind of beverage with. When you have a brother who works at a U-Brew, the options are almost limitless. Two years ago we made a sparkling wine, and this year we are thinking maybe a liqueur. Thanks to Randy for sharing his recipe with us. He used this one, but said he added a little more sugar and kept it at a cooler temp.
Other things that are out right now are spruce buds, also used for making beverages (My brother made a prize winning Spruce tip beer last year).
In the garden we are eating greens, especially Kale, arugula, and lots of Rhubard, which is so delicious stewed up or in coffee cakes or crisps (AKA crumbles).
Turns out that Vaginas have a similar pH to Tomatoes....Tomatoes, a theme in my life. At any rate, check out this interesting article to find out more about how to understand and regulate your "tomato". In a nutshell, the author advises women to pee and/or flush with hot water after sex and avoid using soap directly on the vaginal area as it is self cleaning, and Meg Hickling describes it as "one of the cleanest parts of the body", if left to it's own devices. Sugar and carbs that feed undesirable bacteria can also be a problem. I would add that I have heard it can also be useful to work on the male partner's ecosystem by monitoring sugar/carb intake as they can be affecting and re-introducing unbalancing elements into the system of the woman. For both men and women, eating natural yogurt, garlic and cranberries to your diet can help too.
Every year as part of my work with Success By 6 I get to do outreach at the local fairs and events. Last year I had a great time doing face painting, but found that despite my best efforts there were often long lineups, and not much time for me to talk to parents.
This year, since it is also Success By 6's 10th birthday we are doing a birthday party theme.
the ladies from the Hat shop putting on a mad hatters tea party Edie is on the far right. It was odd that when I started google image searching I found this pic of my former colleagues...I guess the world of hats is a small one :)
I spent a good portion of my young adulthood working at a hat store, Edies Hats, (Now the granville island hat shop) where my amazing friend and honorary Auntie Edie taught me all kinds of things, in particular, lots of things about hats. Both of my brothers also worked there, and I think that all of us have a deep love of hats as a result.
Given this history it's not surprising that when I needed to come up with a craft, I decided on, PARTY HATS! At the Old Masset Health Fair I had a huge time making party hats with the kids. I mostly used old file folders from the school that were free for the taking, and in a range of interesting colours for the hats, and then got streamers, feathers, stickers, and markers to decorate with. Here are some links I used for inspiration.
Oh Happy day had some great ideas, and even a pretty good template. I needed to tweak it a bit, but not bad. Here is a link to a website with 18 great party hat ideas.
I forgot how much fun it is to wear hats and make crafts. Honestly probably 2 of my favourite things.
these ones are leather but inspired me to make paper crowns, which were a huge hit
As some of you may know, I have embarked on a new adventure in learning. I am currently training to become a certified sexual health educator through Opt's SHEC program.
Before beginning the program I needed to complete a pre requisite, the Comfort, Attitudes and Values Evaluation CAVE (formerly the Sexual Attitudes Reassessment -SAR) weekend, which I would highly recommend to anyone. This was a very liberating experience and there were many people after the weekend who said "this is the best thing I have ever done for myself".
I haven't posted on this blog for a while, but thought that since I am in school again, it would once again be a great place to share some of what I'm learning since I find myself talking about it a lot, and having access to a lot of great new info I didn't before. So stay tuned!
To start off here are a few links worth checking out:
Kerri Isham. Kerri is the one who got me into all this. She is a terrific educator from Nanaimo who we brought to Haida Gwaii last year to teach body science and abuse prevention, and who did such a great job that the school board brought her back within 6 months. Despite her success she realized that Our budgets would not allow us to do this every year, and so encouraged me to take the training she had done so that I will be able to offer similar workshops. She has a great website with tons of amazing resources.
Scarleteen: a great website geared to teens and 20 somethings. This site is run by a very dedicated woman who happens to be the author of one my textbooks for the course. She tends to be a little wordy, but is very passionate and goes into great detail.
I also want to plug the sex sense line, which you have no doubt seen ads for if you ever use public transit in the lower mainland. if you call 1-800-SEX SENSE you will be connected with nurses and trained professionals whom you can ask anything. They can tell you where the nearest clinic is, and answer all kinds of questions that might stump others. They are open from 9am-9pm monday to friday.
Laci Green. This 20 year old from Berkley is the embodiment of Sec positivity. She is the best friend you wish you had had in University. She is one of my new heroes. She is funny, dynamic, whip smart and very loveable.
Meg Hickling is a Public Health Nurse who revolutionized sex ed in BC and whose impact has been felt all across Canada. She used to come and teach on Haida Gwaii until she retired. Her books are amazing, and give terrific language parents can use to speak to their kids (of all ages) about sex.
Alright, It's time for bed. There will be more soon, but check these out and let me know what you think.
Doug has been working on putting together a plan for a cabin. Now he's letting me in on it, since in all likelihood, I will be living there :)
Today we started building it out of cut up cereal boxes. I am getting excited. Here is a link to one little cabin I like the looks of. Here is another great website with tons of great cabins to keep your mind churning http://freecabinporn.com/ and for mobile cabins, here is a link for a local woman on Hornby island who is building beautiful custom caravans http://www.hornbyislandcaravans.com/
I went to the Van Dusen Gardens today and after a lovely walk around in the brilliant sunshine, spent a few minutes in the gift shop and saw some great stuff by Charley Haper. I liked the geometric shapes he uses in his animals, and also the colour and composition. Check out his stuff on his website.
I was this years coordinator for the All Islands Art Show, a yearly event put on by the Haida Gwaii Arts council. Got me on the front page of the observer, and kept me very busy for a couple of weeks, and somewhat busy for many more. There are still some events brewing in association with this, but the main push is done. The opening was great and I can hang a picture like a hot damn now. Thanks to all my friends who helped make it happen. Jessie M, Ben D (thanks for the drill!), Jaime Allen, Amy Clarkson, and my lovely fiancee, Douglas Black. Shout outs to all those who offered hugs and support when I needed them, and even a hot bowl of clam chowder. Community rules.
My friend just told me about Homeshop suggesting this is the kind of thing I could do. I love this! Check the site, click the links figure it out. Amazing.
Last summer my cousin went to Burning Man. He had a great time and when he showed me his pictures, I could see why. Here is a video, some of which was shot in the "camp" where my cuz was staying, makes me feel warm and fuzzy, maybe it's partly due to the fact that they are in a desert and I am in sub zero rainforest. I don't know what I thought burning man was, but never before had I wanted to be part of it. My cousin showed me that, for all the drugs, nudity and techno music, there is equal parts art, diversity and in a way that seems harder and harder to find, culture. In short I have started thinking about it and in doing so, realized how much homework there is to be done in order to attend. I am doing some homework. This is a good place to start.
Isabella Rosellini's latest films, the spawn of her first series "Green Porno" are amazing! Called "Seduce Me" They are short films about the mating rituals of animals/fish/birds etc all done with artistry and hilarity. They are also locally relevant. There are deer, salmon, ducks, snakes and even bedbugs! check it out.
It's been a while since I've added anything. This is partly because I haven't had the internet, and partly because it's summer. However, now there is something to get excited about. Hula Hooping. Beyonce does it, and now, thanks to a friend I am doing it. Bobbi Lee Chatelaine has started a free hula-hooping class in Queen Charlotte City. The class meets Wednesday evenings on the lawn of the Living and Learning School. She has made a selection of beautiful hoops to share with those who show up.
These hoops are specially designed for adults, so even though those run of the mill light plastic kids hoops could never hold my attention, these do. This is hooping for grown ups, it's actually reminiscent of belly dancing. Along with being a larger and slightly heavier type of tubing, they are also colourful, sparkly and even glow in the dark. Beauty and functionality, who could ask for more?
Bobbi-Lee’s first class focused on making hoops, then at the second meeting of the class on August 24th Bobbi Lee wowed participants, teaching the group the basics of hula-hooping as well as a series of simple beginner tricks to keep the repertoire fresh and interesting.
Bobbi Lee’s interest in hooping started when she went to her first lesson in Alberta and discovered her mentor. Inspired, she returned to Ontario and immediately started making her own hoops and teaching lessons in Peterborough. She had hoped to continue teaching hooping when she moved to Haida Gwaii and now, two years later, the interest is there and the timing is right.
Bobbi Lee plans to keep up with her free classes throughout the Fall, offering a fun way to keep fit and have fun on Wednesday nights from 5pm-7pm at the Living and Learning School, 220 Bay street, just down the road from the library rain or shine. When the weather gets bad she may relocate to the Queen Charlotte Secondary gym if people are interested. She is also selling custom made hoops for $25 each for those who want to practice at home.I got one, it's purple and yellow and white and glow in the dark and I love it!
Well not really, but nice to be mentioned in our friend Masa's video blog from radx .ca
Masa has been building a cabin on North beach and documenting his adventures weekly on his video blog. He is a really interesting guy and the blog is an intruing lens into the Haida Gwaii world.
I have just started doing some research into the Native American Church. An artist here on island is doing some beautiful bead work, including bracelets, baskets, earrings, and fans that are based in this tradition, which I know little about. So far I am having no luck finding anything from the library about it, but have found a couple of wikipedia articles, one on the NAC and one about "hair drops" which are basically beaded buffalo tails!!!
When I was a child Vancouver had a Book Bus. It was wonderful. I came in the evening once a week or so and allowed me and my brothers to be proactive about literacy. The librarian paid attention to our interests and would bring us books that suited them.
I have been doing a little research about the existence of such busses and am relieved to see that in some places they still exist!
Places like Peace River North A.K.A. District 60, which also has a great website listing all the different projects they are offering. and District 59 has one too, as does district 69. Coquitlam has a beautiful one. All this makes me wonder if Haida Gwaii would have a WOW bus of it's own. Why not?
Not only that, now I am seeing pictures of really fashionable busses! Cool ones like the award winning sweedish beauty pictured above. At the very top is an image of a revamped airstream called "projet mobilivre" from montreal, which specializes in zines, I have actually been on it once when it visited Vancouver. I was thinking cutesy 0-5 kid friendly, but hey, cool buses could work too. Depends on the budget/librarian I suppose. The point is to get books into the hands of kids, and to get kids into books. Though creating an appealing environment seems like a no-brainer. This space can also offer puppet shows, reading circles, and perhaps just a safe place for kids in rural areas to come and hang out with books? Could be good.
Did you know that chia, in addition to it's ability to give fur to ceramic animals is also a wonderful food!?
On a whim, we ordered 5 lbs of it, and then needed to figure out how to cook with it.
Our biggest success thus far is chia pudding. Chia seeds have tons of fiber, calcium, omega 3's, they are 20% protein, and also have lots of essential minerals. This recipe is also vegan and raw, great for those hard to please potluck throwers.
2 ripe bananas mashed 1 can coconut milk 6 Tablespoons chia seeds sprinkle of salt sprinkle of cinnamon drizzle of maple syrup shredded coconut adds nice texture if you have it.
blend together with whizzer, blender, food processor or patient fork, leave for a little while to allow the chia seeds to acclimatize (they start to resemble tiny tapioca). I find it tastes best when left over night. decorate with banana slices if you have them. Delicious and nutritious. You can also watch the you tube video that inspired my new favorite food.
Also, just in case you need to see that chia pet video again, here it is. Here is a link to info about chia and 10 recipes (though I haven't tried them yet).
This summer I will be helping to run Ben Davidson's Art gallery in Skidegate. Needless to say, I am a little nervous. I have a lot to learn. Just spoke with my good friend Niall McClelland who is turning into a bit of an Art star out Toronto way, and he mentioned a great art show he saw recently at the AGO entitled Inuit modern which juxtaposes the work of Inuit artist Annie Pootoogook who does contemporary pencil crayon drawings of daily life with that of Shary Boyle, who has done work in porcelain, after training for years with dedicated grandmas, and who also paints, draws etc etc etc. Eeenteresting! Inuit Art seems to be really going places. Check out this site.
