Gratitude in the Face of Destruction

                                  Janet eating her "radiation roll"....nori wrapped banana

                               My dear new friends, Chrisina and Dennis from Germany

Living here in the Kootenay's, British Columbia I have become very informed on the most significant current event that is changing history. Fukushima.

Old timers here, including this farm that I am living, were effected by Chernoybl. No planting was done do to the fall out for 2 years.

This is a country that was over 5,0000 miles from the Chernobyl fall out; but on the same latitude.

When I arrived here, just after the first earthquake in Japan, I was met by my new friends Dennis and Christina from Germany. They lived through Chernobyl. They witnessed not the close suffering of the people of the Ukraine but the next level of fall out, less than 1000 miles away. At first, like now, they were saying that there was no need for alarm. They rode bikes, played outdoors and did not change their activitys. Then they were told the bad news AFTER the fact: stay indoors, don't drink the milk, keep a dust free environment, etc. Christina witnessed many of her young friend's families develop different cancers.

Christina and I launched on a mission to educate ourselves in a town that is already educated on preventive measures, supplies and TRUE information on the hazards of the Petkau effect of radiation that everyone of this day and age of nuclear power should know.

Below are the links that I follow from very respected and trusted sources. All of these sites have the up to date knowledge of current events, TRUTH and ways to get into action. They have all been refered by nuclear experts during the lectures I have attended. I personally come from 25 years in the field of radiation as a Radiological Technologist and what I have been hearing sounds valid.

Dr. Helen Caldicott, MD:   She has devoted the last 35 years to an international campaign to educate the public about the medical hazards of the nuclear age and the necessary changes in human behaviour to stop environmental destruction.   Follow her on: facebook Dr Helen Caldicott, Md

www.nuclearfreeplanet.org for up to date current events

http://doctorapsley.com/RadiationTherapy.aspx

This artical is extremely informative for the lay person. The end of the article gives you diet and supplements to incorporate into your lifestyle to help off set some of the effects of radiation in our food, water and air.

All of the remedies he lists are recommended by many other sites and the local health food stores here in this town.

One additional remedy that he doesn't list is Rosemary. It's recommended to drink atleast 2-3 cups a day. Dry or fresh. Dry: 1 teaspoon per cup. 

Bottom line, get healthy!

Where does the gratitude come in?

Watching people rise and step into action...the only solution.  Watching people focus in on their health and taking responsibility for it.  People coming together to help Japan.  It's a changing world and I am gratiful to be part of the solution.   Fukushima and it's effects are not over yet.  Most of us live by a nuclear power plant.

Embracing a new lifestyle

Setting the Stage:  For many months now I have been observing new life styles.  Now I have stepped into the embrace of this new lifestyle.  I have been given such a rare opportunity of trust by the farm owner to run her herbal medicine business, care for her home, and start the spring planting rituals while she has been away on holiday for 4 months.  Her family is close by for questions and support. 
  The snow has melted and beautiful little green and multi-colored beings are popping up to say "OLA!, AY" to their luck star, the sun.  The Robins, Oregon Juncos and Chickadees are mating, frolicking and building their nests.  I haven't seen a bear yet.....but they're their!  Mica, the farm dog has been doing great work keeping them away and me safe. 
  I have never lived in such cold weather before; and I arrived at the end of winter!  I spent most of my time indoors stoking the wood stove and hibernating.  (a wheelbarrow of wood a day keeps me warm and aok!)
The photos I have included are from March. 
  The town of Nelson, British Columbia is a 30-40 minute drive.  Gas prices here are almost up to $7.00 a gallon.  I try to go to town at least 2, sometimes 3 days a week (15.00 round trip) for AA meetings.  I love this town and all the characters that inhabit it!
  Raw food preparation has become a great past time along with Rosetta Stone Spanish lessons (thank you Corey), knitting, reading from an amazing library here on the farm for every environmentalist/activist/farmers dream (I've been starting light with Barbara Kingsolver), and now a new commitment to my blog.  I have been afraid to write!  So, what do we do with fear?....action!!!
  I have a full life and I am loving it!  I am embracing the void.  I have no idea where I am going or where this all will lead....Trust allows me to live in the Now.
"Stand at the precipice,
 That existential darkness,
 And call into the void:
 It will surely answer."

Fare Thee Well,     
Janet


The creek I live on

 My friend the Bark Beetle

 Through the kitchen window

 The garden that awaits

 

Where in the heck is Janet?

January 2011




Many of you don’t have a clue where I have been. I know you have been thinking that I must have been eaten by a bear in the wilderness of British Columbia…..Not a chance I know antibear chants and they work!

I have been a sun worshipper/beach bum for the last 3 months in the state of Oaxaca Mexico. This is an absurd thing for me. Why? Because for the past 50 years I have lived near the coast in California and rarely, I mean rarely went to the beach, even less did I swim in the ocean. And, I have never been a bum…..so I will restate that I was on sabbatical! I lived under my US$1000/mo budget with a few fringe benefits like yoga.

I had the privilege of time to contemplate the direction of my life and my intentions deeper. I had the time to face many fears with constructive analysis and prayer. Many of my insights have been rich and deep. Having had the opportunity to live in another culture has brought me more patience and humor of life. I thought I was flexible with life but here it is really put to the test!

Oaxaca is one of the poorest states of Mexico. Although I spent most of my time in an undiscovered resort town (by Americans), just outside of town is 3rd world. I have learned to adjust my needs vs my wants more accurately. Here is a list of things I have learned:

*I have a 10x10 sq foot storage unit and based on my new priorities I don’t need any of it.

*The many uses of an empty yogurt container

*How adaptable I am

*Kindness and helpfulness is a natural response among all

*Ocean waves can heal anything

*Using a flush toilet is privilege

*I can let go of a cell phone….and like it!

*There is an emerging culture that is with out borders of equanimity, peace and harmony…and it’s larger than I thought

*I can live with adrenalin as a by product of legitimate fear

My most exciting news is I found a very small community in the mountains here to become part of. They live off the power grid, have a small herbal medicine hospital, birthing room and help spiritually lost people mainly from drug and alcohol abuse. They are seeking someone to create and maintain a food garden. They have asked me to take this project on! I will be returning to BC to the farm where I was wwoofing and learn as much as I can until September and then load a small 4 wheel drive pick up and head south. I didn’t expect this! I don’t know why….this has been my intention all along. I just thought Mexico would be a place to beat the weather, deep relaxation and contemplation since there’s no farming to be done in the snow.

“When you want something the whole universe conspires to fulfill your desire.”

I am winding my time down on Dianne's farm as I prepare to leave next week. This has been an amazing adventure, culture shock, and wake up call. I have grown soooo much spiritually, emotionally and physically. In 7 short weeks I have witnessed and participated in a farm that IS becoming the change they want to see in the world: sustainable lifestyle, forest farming and permaculture being practiced and taught. Dianne and her family are a fast growing population all through world as they gear up to the 100 mile diet and post carbon world.
I hope I can write more often as I process what I have learned to pass on. My culture shocked brain could only absorb so much as literally everything is new to me!



My first lesson has been living in a permaculture environment:  Permaculture is a design system based on ethics and principles which can be used to establish, design, manage and improve all efforts made by individuals, households and communities towards a sustainable future. How that  shows up here is we recycle almost everything.  We took the trash to the dump yesterday and for a family of 5 of us we filled one tall kitchen trash bag (cornstarch plastic) for one month!!!  There is a no new plastic rule so when you buy at the market you take your own containers and refill using the bulk bins.  We don't buy anything that's not in a 100 mile circumfrence from here.
Her organic garden grows most of the food for the year.  We have been collecting seed for next year (Heritage), canning and freezing for winter.  She barters some of her food and medicinal herbs for local organic turkey and beef.  She does buy grains and dairy.  Her garden is grown in permaculture, forest farm style.  Forest farming is an agroforestry practice characterized by the four "I's"- Intentional, Integrated, Intensive and Interactive management of an existing forested ecosystem wherein forest health is of paramount concern. It is neither forestry nor farming in the traditional sense. Forest farm management principles constitute an ecological approach to forest management through efforts to find a balance between conservation of native biodiversity and wildlife habitat within the forest.  We wild craft into the forest for many medicinal plants and roots also.
If any of you have questions please email me!
 
Fare thee Well,
Janet

more Kokanee Lake

If you plan to spend the night at one of the many lakes high in the alpine regions you must wrap your car up from the porcupines.  The come out at night and eat your brake lining and tires!!!  There is plenty of chicken wire and stakes laying around for that purpose.

Lola had it made.....she is really fitting in....everyone loves her here.  The only issue is she can't come in the house because Dianne is allergic to cats and dogs.  She has to sleep in my car at night.  It's fine right now with the weather and I'm sleeping with her in the car at night.  When the weather turns.....?????  
The last photo is Bonnie Jean...what a sweetheart!  I dropped her off at an ashram across the lake a few days ago.  She might be back to wwoof in a few weeks.

Kokanee Lake

Kokanee Lake is a 3 hour up hill climb into alpine.
I think this was one of the more strenuous and most beautiful hikes I have ever been on.  This is my new back yard!
The kids (22 year olds) back packed in to the glacier and spent a couple of nights. I didn't want to intrude on their new love affair that started here on the farm!  I'm glad I didn't go because a storm moved in and Mark was hit by lighting!!!  He was ok.

Party night

This is Dianne playing her Dolcimer.  It was the last night the Quebecqua's were with us.  The fresh baked apple pie/cake was gifted to Dianne that night.  The idea came to make every night  some ones birthday to initiate a celebration!  I was awarded the first pie!  It was accidental...Mark thought he heard Isabelle say that it was my birthday. What she really said was,  wouldn't it be fun IF it were Janet's birthday!  What a surprise it was when I came home from a meeting and was given a cake!  It was so much fun because I got to pick an age I would like to be....I picked my current age...54....I love being me.  Isn't that a gift!