UNE

ONE THOUSAND TREESFACILITATING WELLNESS

THROUGH CONNECTION, CREATIVITY, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

PUBLISHER & MANAGING EDITORLisa Browning

HEALTH & WELLBEING EDITORBetty Young

REGULAR COLUMNISTSCalifornia Dreaming -- Sherie Cunningham

Family Matters -- Wendy McDonnellSpirit Art Reflections -- Sheilagh Mercer

Volunteer Profile -- Jennifer AnnettWhat I Know -- Noah Nogueira

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSLisa Golem, Moragh Lippert, Alex MacEachern, Christine Mills, Kayleigh Radatus, Jessica Sgrignoli

ONE THOUSAND TREES59 Curzon Crescent Guelph ON N1K 0B2

Email: lisa@onethousandtrees.comOffice: 519-265-1212Cell: 519-362-5494Fax: 519-265-6712

One Thousand Trees is published monthly. Submissions for Feature Articles (based on the monthly theme) orRegular Departments are due on the 20th of the month prior to each publication. Full Production Schedule,including summary of monthly themes, can be found at

www.onethousandtrees.com/magazine.html

Please submit by email, either in the body of your message, or as a Word doc attachment, by the above-stateddeadlines. Please do not send PDFs. First-time writers for One Thousand Trees are asked to send a brief (two tothree sentence) bio, and a head shot in JPEG format.

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ONE THOUSAND TREESJUNE 2015

OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY

FEATURE ARTICLES:

INTERVIEW WITH: MICHAELA CRUZ, PEDDLE PLANTERS 1

SPOTLIGHT ON: DAVID HICKEY, FOR WHAT IT`S WORTH 2

DEPARTMENTS:

A SENSE OF COMMUNITY

-- Thoughts on the Theme 3

CREATIVITY & THE ARTS

-- Through the Lens, by Sandra Wilson 6

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

-- The Pachamama Alliance 5

FOOD & NUTRITION

-- Healthy Recipes from Around the World 6

GIVING BACK

-- Volunteer Profile, by Jennifer Annett 17-- Volunteering in Southwestern Ontario 17

HEALTH & WELLBEING

-- My Journey to Wellness (part one), by Lisa Browning 10-- Ten Lessons from Non-Violent Communication, by Jessica Sgrignoli 13-- With Open Eyes, by Betty Young 10

THE LIBRARY

-- The Story Behind the Story: Promises and Other Broken Things, by J.S. Eades 15-- Breaking Through, by Marion Reidel 16-- Finding a Community, by Bob Smith 19

REGULAR COLUMNISTS:

-- Family Matters: Parenting -- Privilege -- Power, by Wendy McDonnell 14

For What It’s Worth, p 2Peddle Planters, p 1

THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORSFranziska BoonThoughts on the Theme

Franziska is a Psychic Mediumcertified by internationally recognizedPsychic Medium, Lisa Williams. Sheis also a qualified PermacultureDesigner who values the subtle

influences of Biodynamics. An eternal hippy at heart,she married her Aussie backpacking hubby on stage at the1999 Woodstock Concert in Rome New York. Franziskais a Spiritual Healer, Spirit Artist, mother of three, nannyFranny of two and spruiker of sustainability &environmental awareness. For more information visitwww.franziskaboon.com.

J.S. EadesThe Story Behind the Story

J.S. Eades lives in Kitchener, Ontario,with her family. An avid traveler andscuba enthusiast, she can often befound under the warm waters of theCaribbean. She is currently working on

her second novel, tentatively entitled Against All Advice.A sequel to Promises and Other Broken Things is also inthe works. Follow her on Twitter: @JS_EadesTumblr: jseadesauthor.tumblr.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJSEades

Kate DillonThoughts on the Theme

Kate is an Early Childhood andBusiness Trainer in Adult Education inAustralia. She holds AdvancedDiplomas in Children’s Services,Business, Adult Education and a

Masters Degree in Education (Leadership &Management). With a chequered career and personal lifehistory she endeavours to enrich others’ lives with heraccumulation of experience and lifes’ lessons into herteaching and everyday interactions. She is a lover ofwriting empowering childrens’ books, organic gardening,food, hiking, with a passion for promoting others’potential and social justice.

Michaela CruzInterview: Pedal Planters

Michaela is the owner of PedalPlanters, where she is able to live outher love for plants and cycling. She iscurrently finishing up her under-graduate degree in plant science at the

University of Guelph. She hopes to one day go back toher homeland, the Philippines, and start her own farm.

Jennifer AnnettVolunteer Profile

Jennifer is a graduate of the HonoursBachelor of Outdoor Recreation, Parksand Tourism program at LakeheadUniversity (2001). By day she is aFacilitator of Community & VoluntarySector Investment with the United Way

of Cambridge and North Dumfries’ Volunteer Centre. Shehelps local agencies with volunteer recruitment,recognition, promotion and program funding. By night sheis a mother of two; she has a dog named Daisy, loves theoutdoors and has been a lifelong volunteer.

David HickeySpotlight: 4 What It’s Worth

Based in Mount Hope, Ontario, Davidperforms with Crystal Journey, usingover 20 quartz crystal singing bowls,Each one of the performances arecompletely improvised and unique. .

The intent of the performance is to create soothing,meditative and healing music. David and his wife Sheianhave just opened For What It’s Worth, A unique andintimate concert venue that will host relaxing and soothingmusic as well as a small retail space that carries meditationitems and more.

Keith MeyerThoughts on the Theme

Keith is a born communicator, aperson who has a strong moral andsocial compass and who is in hiselement, listening to and helping otherswho have been demoralised and

afflicted or aggrieved by the actions of others. This nodoubt comes in part from his own life’s experiences,dealing with depression and anxiety as well as hisnumerous roles and vast management experience in thebusiness world. Today he is a mentor and teacher to manywho don’t have the years of wisdom and hindsight to drawon that he has had.

Marion ReidelBreaking Through

Marion currently teaches Visual Artsand Writer’s Craft at an Ontariosecondary school. She is passionateabout her profession, but as sheapproaches the gift of retirement, she

is working towards developing her own creative writingskills. Marion is participating in Lisa Browning’s Artist’sWay group and is grateful for the support of others on thesearch for creativity.

Alex MacEachernThoughts on the Theme

Alex’s background was inspired by herupbringing on a farm and her love ofcooking. A master’s degree in Sociologyand a catering business followed,bridging her passion for organic foodand small farms. Alex is making the

most of her transition to the UK, having ventured down anew career path as a certified flower essence and reikipractitioner.

Wendy McDonnellFamily Matters

Wendy is a parenting coach, groupfacilitator and mother of four. She helpsparents lead from their values,communicate effectively and makeparenting easier while healing their ownchildhood pain. After hosting radio for

more than 4 years, she is a monthly columnist for OneThousand Trees. Along with being a working mom, you'llfind her spinning hula hoops, walking in the woods, orcurled up in bed reading a good book.

Photo Credit: Sarah McDonnell

Jessica SgrignoliTen Lessons from Non-ViolentCommunication

Jessica graduated from BrockUniversity with a Bachelor of Arts,majoring in Psychology with a focus inEastern Psychology. She currently hasa private practice in the field of Energy

Medicine and specializes in Yoga, Ayurvedic Body Work,Reiki and Therapeutic Touch. Jessica’s desire is to supportothers on their healing journey towards wholeness andbelieves unconditional self-care to be the key componentof living a happy and healthy life. Visit Jessica atwww.journeytowholeness.ca

Cathy Skiles-BrunnerThoughts on the Theme

Cathy is a life-long traveler on a pathto self-awareness, whose journey so farhas taken her on many roads. Her ownwords came to task when theUniverse declared that, after her 25year marriage suddenly ended in

divorce, she embark on a new journey on faith. Shequit her job, accepted a new relationship and moved1,600 miles to the Phoenix Arizona area. Her writing hasalways been a small glimpse inside her private world butserendipity has declared it now be shared.

Bob SmithFinding a Community

Like many writers, R.K. (Bob) Smithhas worked in widely different settings,accounting for diverse characters,settings, and story lines. He describeshis stories as ‘character-driven’, rather

than ‘plot-driven’. People face some kind of challengeand face it with creativity and integrity, often connectingwith others as part of the process. He has published novelsand short stories in online, newspaper, and moretraditional printed formats, as well as having writtenChristmas stories heard on radio.

Grant WaldmanThoughts on the Theme

Grant has resided in British Columbia,Canada for over a decade. He has beeninvolved with men’s work for nearly 18years. He initiated in the Mankind Project

(MKP) in the spring of 2006, and was previously on theboard for over 2 years as the Vancouver Islandrepresentative. Prior to the MKP, Grant was involved inmen’s groups in Indianapolis, Indiana, Toronto, and theSunshine Coast. Grant is the Executive Director andWellness Coach at West Coast Men’s Support Society, anorganization whose mission is: Helping men, families andcommunity to create full, healthier lives. Grant graduatedfrom York University in Toronto with degrees in History andBusiness. He is currently pursuing his MA in CounsellingPsychology at Yorkville University in Fredericton, NB.Grant is an accomplished and published singer-songwriterand a member of his local Folk Guild. Learn more at hiswebsite: www.waldocreative.com.

Govert van GinkelThoughts on the Theme

Govert is an expert in dealing with stress,open communication skills andstrengthening resilience in individualsand organizations. Presenting to hundredsof people each year, he is an international

speaker (Europe & North America) with a master’s degree inlaw, a masters degree in Neuro Linguistic Programming,trainer in Nonviolent Communication, the Alternatives toViolence Project (AVP), the Expert Center for RestorativeJustice in Education (ECHO) and facilitator for RestorativeCircles. He also is the chairman of the Mankind ProjectFoundation in The Netherlands. He is a humorous speakerwho delivers his message in an insightful and playful manner.He’ll show you how to access the hidden potential that is inall of us. Please visit his website http://www.govertvanginkel.nl/index_en.phpl.

Betty YoungWith Open Eyes

Betty has worked in the Natural HealthIndustry for 35 years. Her journeyincludes Certified AromatherapyPractitioner, Certified ColonHydrotherapist, Reiki Master,

Metamorphic Technique, Doula and Prenatal Training aswell as Nutritional Kinesiology. By far the greatestteachings have come from her 3 children. She lovesreading and learning about journeys and expression of thespirit, gardening and plant/nature wisdom.

Sandra WilsonThrough the Lens

Sandra is a writer, educator, amateurphotographer and Director of theWilson Education Resource Centre.With a Bachelor of Arts in English andHistory much of her work includes

historic facts presented in fun and interesting ways.Although trained to take portraits at Sears Portrait Studio,Sandra prefers to capture nature with her camera. Herpassion is to help people learn, laugh and be inspired.Please visit Sandra at www.werconline.ca.

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FROM THE EDITORWhen I think about our global community, I can’t help but think about all the amazing connectionsI have made, through this magazine and the various publishing projects with which I have beeninvolved since I started One Thousand Trees in 2010.

I feel very strongly about the importance of sharing our stories and speaking our truth, not only forourselves, but for those who hear or read those stories.

A very powerful illustration of just how important, and empowering, that kind of sharing is happenedduring one of our Sharing Evenings, in which authors from the Sharing anthologies read excerptsfrom their stories, and answered questions from the audience.

Just before the evening was about to start, a man quietly slipped into the room, and sat by himself in the back row. Eyesdarting back and forth, he made no eye contact with anyone. From his slightly disshevelled appearance, and obviousdiscomfort, I sensed immediately that this was a man who had experienced a difficult life.

Throughout the readings from the first two authors, he watched and listened intently. When the second author finished, hespoke. He talked of seeing people gunned down, and other atrocities he had witnessed, yet with an eloquence that I haverarely witnessed. “After listening to your stories,” he said, “I feel hope, for the first time in my life.”

Tears filled my eyes, as they did many others in the room. The power and the positive, uplifting energy in that room waspalpable.

We never know how sharing our stories can connect us with another. and bring light to darkness, and hope where there wasonly hopelessness. This is why I do what I do.

Lisa

Two Opportunitiesto

Share Your Story ... Speak Your TruthMetamorphosis:

from the darkness of abuse tothe light of empowerment

Looking for brief submissions from girls or womenwho have experienced, or are experiencing,

emotional abuse, including bullying.All submissions will be strictly anonymous.

Sharing: our stories, our selves, our success:an anthology of

women’s empowerment storiesThere are only ten spots left.Reserve your space today!

For more information email lisa@onethousandtrees.com.

“Grace happens when we act withothers on behalf of our world.”

― Joanna Macy

AN INTERVIEW WITHMICHAELA CRUZ

I recently hired Michaela to dosome gardening work for me. I wasso thoroughly impressed, not onlywith the work she did, but with herresponsiveness, professionalism,and contagious positive attitude,that I wanted to feature her thismonth. Following is my interviewwith Michaela.

Tell us about your business. Whattypes of services do you offer?

My business is called Pedal Planters,which is an ecologically awaregardening and maintenance servicepowered by bicycle!

When did you start the business, andwhy?

I started the business last summerbecause I saw the opportunity to applyfor the Ontario Summer CompanyGrant for students. I think I've alwayshad the entrepreneurial drive and Ithought what the heck, I love plants, Ilove cycling and I also love getting toknow people so I went for it.

What training and/or experience doyou have in this field?

I'm currently finishing up myundergrad in plant science at theUniversity of Guelph. I've learned a lotfrom my mom as she has always beenan avid gardener ever since I canremember. She also ran a landscapingcompany with my father called Green

Kingdom when we were living in thePhilippines and she used to appoint meas her little helper. I've done quite a bitof self-teaching over the years and I'mconstantly on the lookout forgardening friends and/or mentors!

What do you enjoy most about yourwork?

I really love being outside andconstantly interacting with plants.There's something really fulfillingabout it. I also like feeling like I'vereally worked hard each day.

One of the really cool things aboutPedal Planters is that you traveleverywhere by bicycle. Do you findthat difficult, especially when youhave a lot of supplies to bring withyou?

Not so much actually! I haven't had todo too many large hauls and often mycustomers already have the supplies orthe tools to work on their garden.Although sometimes I have to work alittle harder to make sure plants get topeople's homes in good shape. The ridecan be a little bumpy.

What are your plans for the future?Will you continue to expand yourbusiness?

I would really like to keep focusing onsetting up food gardens for people. Ithink that a lot of people, andespecially in Guelph, are starting torealize the value of growing our own

food and my service could be useful tofamilies who don't have the extra time.I'm also in the process of addingpeople to the team. I'm trying toincrease the number of the PedalPeople aha.

Aside from business, what otheractivities are you involved in?

I'm currently gearing my studiestoward the field of ethnobotany andI'm also trying to actively learn organicfarming skills. I'm working towardshaving my own plant nursery one day!

I know you're not originally fromGuelph. What do you like mostabout living here?

Mhm! I'm originally from Toronto. Ireally like how the community valueslocal, small businesses like mine. I'vehad such a good response ever sincestarting the biz and I'm just so thankfulfor it. I also love that despite the factthe Guelph is quite small, every year Imeet more awesome people that makethe place seem smaller but bigger at thesame time.

If people would like to hire you,where can they contact you?

The best way would be emailing me atplantyourpedal@gmail.com or calling519 820 1092.

For any recent updates they can visitwww.pedalplanters.ca.

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4 WHAT IT’S WORTHby David, Sheian and Olivia

Hickey

Most stories begin with a dream andthis one is no different. After travellingon the road for 12 years with CrystalJourney and after performing over a1000 concerts in that span it seemedlike it was time for a break.

Being on the road is an amazingexperience but it also can be tiresome;driving long distances between shows,staying in creepy motels and having toeat very unhealthy food takes its toll.

It was in 2012 that I finally built astudio in my home to perform privateconcerts in. I met my wife at my veryfirst home show and that is where thisstory and dream begin.

We had a few more concerts after ourmeeting but it soon became apparentthat this was more our private spacethen a public one. The only thing wasthat the space was filled with beautifuland powerful crystals, mostly giantAmethyst Cathedrals. We also havesome really beautiful Quartz andSmokey Quartz pieces as well. Thiswas truly a crystal cave.

We wanted people to see theseamazing beings and needed a place todo that. The space did provide a safeand healing place to begin our journeyinto parenthood, almost every day Iplayed the Bowls and Gongs to Sheianwhile she relaxed and enjoyed feelingour baby respond to the music andcrystals.

As time passed we still continued toperform on the road but the urge tohave our own space to publiclyperform in and show that crystals keptpersisting. We looked at many spacesin Hamilton and found a few that wereally liked but something was just notright about each one; either it was thearea, the space itself or the rent was toohigh.

We stopped looking for a while but itwas Easter weekend that we went outto our favourite place for a Veganchocolate cupcake and that is when thedream began to become a reality.

There was a space for rent across thestreet from the café we were eating atand I saw a for lease sign in thewindow of a second floor building. Wewalked by and took down the numberand called the listing agent.

Upon first viewing it became crystalclear we had found our space. Thespace is a beautiful open concept witha loft, there was more than enoughroom to showcase the crystals andinstruments. Acoustics were a highpriority and the space provides that aswell. We wanted a room that peoplecould walk into and never want toleave. We feel that this is what “4 WhatIt’s Worth” provides.

You may be wondering where wecame up with the name. "For What It'sWorth" is a song written by StephenStills. It was performed by BuffaloSpringfield, recorded on December 5,1966. The song was inspired by anevent that took place during the earlystages of the psychedelic era in

November 1966, the year in whichBuffalo Springfield started playing asthe house band at the Whisky a Go Goon the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles.

According to the Los Angeles Times,annoyed residents and business ownersin the district had encouraged thepassage of strict (10:00 p.m.) curfewand loitering laws to reduce the trafficcongestion resulting from crowds ofyoung club patrons. This wassubsequently perceived by young,local rock and roll music fans as aninfringement on their civil rights, andon Saturday, November 12, 1966, flierswere distributed along the Stripinviting people to demonstrate laterthat day.

Stephen Stills pointed out that manypeople think "For What It's Worth" isabout the Kent State Shootings (1970),even though the song predates thatevent by over three years.[7] NeilYoung, Stills' bandmate in bothBuffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills,Nash & Young, would later write"Ohio", in response to the events atKent State. So as you can see this songhas a lot of history and meaning, it alsojust happens to be our favourite songfrom the 60’s. And just as side note asmentioned it was recorded on Dec 5th,1966, I was born on Dec 6th 1967.

As soon as we decided to search for aspace “4 What It’s Worth” was theOnly name that came to mind andheart. A name is everything whentrying to convey a message and “4What It’s Worth” is a place to feelwelcome, safe and rejuvenated. Wewant people to feel they will geteverything “4 What It’s Worth”

Now a little bit more about what thespace will provide... We will host avariety of acoustic concerts startingwith Crystal Journey on June 6th. Thisconcert will showcase Paiste Planetand Symphonic Gongs, Quartz CrystalBowls and Santoor’s from Iran. CrystalJourney will be the “House Band” so

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to speak, there will also be regularGong Baths and Middle Eastern nightswith just the Santoor’s. Other musicwill include Gary Diggins and hisarsenal of World Instruments, we willhost regular Kirtan nights with JohnWilliam Bauld and Shonna Brown.Other types of music includingBluegrass and World Music.

The space is very intimate with roomfor 30 people so you will be able to bepart of the performance not only as alistener but part of the music. You willbe surrounded by amazing crystals andposters from the 60’s, George Harrisonand The Grateful Dead, there are alsobeautiful Statues of Krishna, Buddhaand Ganesha, this is a tribute to Georgewho was very influenced by India andit’s music. ‘4 What It’s Worth” willalso host Yoga and workshopsincluding topics that will enhance yourlifestyle and wellbeing, includingbecoming Vegan and its importance onour environment. We want to offerpeople events that will empower andinspire them.

The retail part of the space will haveone of kind Crystals and Geodes,Tibetan Bowls and Bells, Tingsha’s,Crystal Bowls and Tapestries. We wantto provide items that carry a memoryof the experience while visiting “4What It’s Worth”

In closing I would like to invite you tocome and visit us at 215 Locke StSouth in Hamilton. You can visit ourFacebook page for updates on concertsand workshops. We look forward toseeing you.

THOUGHTS ON COMMUNITY

As the focus this month is Our GlobalCommunity, I thought it would be niceto get some feedback from those whohave written for One Thousand Trees,in one capacity or another, who liveoutside of Ontario. (Number) of thosewriters have answered three questions... Alex MacEachern, from London,England; Cathy Skiles-Brunner, fromTempe, Arizona; Franziska Boon, fromMelbourne, Victoria, Australia; Govertvan Ginkel, from Nieuwegein, theNetherlands; Grant Waldman, fromDuncan, British Columbia; KateDillon, from Wamberal, New SouthWales, Australia; and Keith Meyer,from Sydney, New South Wales,Australia.

What are your thoughts aboutcommunity, from a global stand-point?

Alex: With a big open heart and theease of technology, community andfamily know no bounds. Community isbeing redefined by miles and oceansbut the support structures that helpdefine community cannot be weakenedby the span of space.

Cathy: I believe that the worldcommunity no longer simply refers tothe local neighbourhood. It refers tosomething larger, to that which we allbelong, so with technology and theability to travel and be exposed to theentire world, we can share common-ality we can share thoughts, life andexperiences. We can know and relateto people we've never met, yet have aconnection through the written word.My experience with you is a greatexample of technology connecting us,but we took that opportunity to take itfurther. I am in tune and in some waymay have contributed to the lives ofwomen all over the world who haveheard (read) my story, and we belongto the community of women who'vespoken out, spoken up or simplyvoiced what was held deep inside.Being a part of the global communitybears the responsibility of accepting allthat comes with it...not just when it isconvenient or nice. We must embracewhat we know and use it to thebetterment of mankind. For as much aswe are allowed to enjoy being part ofthe world, we also have aresponsibility to see what may be badin the world as well. We cannot turn ablind eye to the issues and thechallenges that face our world. We areno longer allowed to say "it's not mybackyard" or " not my problem". We

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must remember that our actions affect,all not just some...even if it's onlyslightly.

Franziska: When I considercommunity from a global standpointI'm reminded of a clever modificationmade to a traffic sign by a localresident as you enter the town ofBelgrave in Victoria Australia. It's astunning part of the country with athriving alternative lifestyle commun-ity. The road traffic sign once said "onelane" however with the addition of twoletters it now proclaims "one PlaneT".This pretty much sums up the ideologyof global community, embracing all ofhumanity instead of a fragmentedsociety that endorses segregationthrough various beliefs systems andherd mentally. Wouldn't it beenlightening to see diversity celebratedthrough coming together via anappreciation of common ground likelove. It seems when we are faced withadversity we truly get to see humanityshine in being of serve to another intimes of need. This I know to be true,having been touched my horrific bushfires during Australia's summer season.

Govert: To me building community ina dis-connected world is of the utmostimportance. The lack of connectionand the feeling of belonging to acommunity builds potential for dis-ease and violence. We communicatemore electronically but less personally.We talk more but touch less. We aremore in our heads and less in ourhearts I think when we are not part ofcommunity. Being part of communitystimulates empathy and a care formutual understanding and respect.

Grant: I believe that every communityimpacts other communities bothpositively and negatively. I believethat as communities we need to focuson our local issues - it takes a village.

Kate: Globally, community is arelatively new concept I feel, theaccess people have these days to

others, to ideas, concepts & sharedmeaning is in infancy but yet I've seena real connectedness take place, apowerful collectiveness. My place inthis is purely what I chose it to be. Itwarms my heart to see globalcommunities support each other &reach out when injustice or tragedystrikes or better yet, for a commonlove, it can awaken & align the self &bring about openness of mind & heart,yet at the same time does it notenlighten the divide between us?

Keith: Community in today's contextto me can have so many differentmeanings as in; cultural, geographical,common interest, religious, edu-cational, medical just to name a few.

In your experience, how does OneThousand Trees contribute to anever-increasing sense of community?

Alex: One Thousand Trees has writersall over the world, sharing theirperspectives from a differentgeographic space and that helps us allto be bound a little tighter and be moreunderstanding.

Cathy: This in my opinion is a vehiclethat yet in one more way connects usall. Through the voices of its contri-butors it takes on the issues and theideas and the community of the worldand the readers. It opens our eyes andour hearts to issues, both good and bad.It is a forum that allows individuals toexplore their world around them, boththeir physical global community andtheir emotional global community,through expression of word and idea.The optimism and hopefulness of abetter life for each reader is universaland applied to their world as they seeit through their own interpretation.Think of it as a bridge from one worldto another...We can see that atheart...we are all pretty much travelingthe same road.....just at our own paces.

Franziska: I see One Thousand Treesas a vehicle, gathering and connecting

like-minded souls. Who are seeking oroffering wisdom for Mind, Body andSoul.

Govert: It stimulates a conversation onthis topic and can bring peopletogether.

Grant: By shedding light on veryimportant issues around men's andwomen's bio-psycho-social well being.

Kate: OTT creates the opportunity toSHARE; it’s a community in its ownright, providing a variety of topics &mindful ideas. It's open, which I whatI love about it; everyone is welcome tocontribute and share their knowledgeand thoughts.

Keith: In the context of "OneThousand Trees" as writers,contributors and authors we are boundin a community because of our spirit ofwillingness to share our feelings andexperiences for the wellbeing ofothers. The Internet and its tools allowsus access to this in an instant withanyone in any part of the world thuswidening and facilitating the ability tocommunicate through ever wideningcommunities.

What do you do to create your ownsense of community?

Alex: I reach out and I show up!

Cathy: I work to understand and learnabout the cultures that are differentthan mine. I often seek out those thatare different, so to understand. I pray...Ipray for understanding, for patienceand for insight. This is the same notonly for cultures but for issues that faceother places, hunger, war, peace, andall those things. I put myself in theirshoes as often as I can to hopefullyunderstand their struggles AND theirjoys!

Franziska: I've been involved withmany communities over the yearsincluding; organic food co-ops, play

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groups, fitness groups, psychicdevelopment circles, permaculture &biodynamics, school council andSpiritualism...... What I've observed isa common interest to unify people in awarm and welcoming atmosphere.Kind of like being part of a club thatfulfills a desire or need. Letting peopleknow what's on offer is important inweaving greater connections whilebeing mindful and respectful of oneanother. Like anything, effectivecommunication and clear boundariesare always important considerations.

Govert: I am a member of a number ofgroups, start groups, bring peopletogether, start the conversation to raiseawareness and stimulate compassion.

Grant: I reach out in my communityto various sub-groups: social, arts,recreation, health, etc. I have createdmany connections in my communityby showing up and supporting variouscauses.

Kate: Hmmm, this is tricky for mebecause I don't engage much with mylocal community ... yet on reflection Ithink I do. I seem to be fairly active inmy interactions with others in the waythat I connect with people, I do my bestto smile, be helpful and kind, myreactions when someone isn't behavingsocially positive seem to reflect myinner 'teacher' and I find myself nottaking a passive role but in some wayreminding others pull their socks up, itsounds very arrogant but I feel it'severyone's social duty to role model &remind others what it means to be alikeable human, I don't do it rightmyself at times, I've bruised my ownshins in this area but We have aresponsibility towards others to 'do noharm' and be considerate and aware ofothers. I seem to carry this 'value'across all areas of my life on thewhole; in my class, with my family, asI shop and when socialising. I like tothink that at least I've passed on thenotion of social responsibility & socialjustice to my students.

I came across the website of ThePachamama Alliance whileresearching organizations that areworking to make this world a betterplace. The following information wasreprinted from their website atwww.pachamama.org.

If you know of any such organization,I’d love to hear from you! Please emailme at lisa@onethousandtrees.com.

“I think the most important decisionwe make is whether we believe welive in a friendly or hostile universe.”

Albert Einstein

MissionTo empower indigenous people of theAmazon rainforest to preserve theirlands and culture and, using insightsgained from that work, to educate andinspire individuals everywhere to bringforth a thriving, just and sustainableworld.

VisionThe vision that informs thePachamama Alliance’s work is of aworld that works for everyone: anenvironmentally sustainable, spiri-tually fulfilling, socially just humanpresence on this planet—a New Dreamfor humanity.

PurposePachamama Alliance, empowered byour partnership with indigenouspeople, is dedicated to bringing forthan environmentally sustainable,spiritually fulfilling, socially justhuman presence on this planet.

Our unique contribution is to generateand engage people everywhere intransformational conversations andexperiences consistent with this pur-

pose. We weave together indigenousand modern worldviews such thathuman beings are in touch with theirdignity and are ennobled by themagnificence, mystery, and oppor-tunity of what is possible for humanityat this time.

We are here to inspire and galvanizethe human family to generate a criticalmass of conscious commitment to athriving, just and sustainable way oflife on Earth. This is a commitment totransforming human systems andstructures that separate us, and totransforming our relationships withourselves, with one another, and withthe natural world.

Underlying Assumptions

If present trends continue, theprobable future for life on Earthwill be defined by periods ofsubstantial social, environmental,and economic disruption, if notcomplete collapse.

Humanity already possessessufficient resources, technology,and know-how to reverse thesetrends. What is missing is thesense of urgency and the popularand political will to act.

Without concentrated human inter-vention, certain tipping points willbe reached that will make ourpresent trajectory irreversible.

Guiding Values and Principles

The universe is friendly and theevolutionary Force that put thestars in motion is still movingthrough all of us and is a dynamic,self-organizing process whosegrace and guidance we can trust.

Human beings are by naturecollaborative and cooperative andinnately desire the success of thehuman species and all life. Whenbarriers to our natural expressionare eliminated (i.e. resignation,myths of separation and scarcity),

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we cooperate for the common,long-term good.

Human beings are not separatefrom each other or Nature. We aretotally interrelated and our actionshave consequences to all. What wedo to others we do to ourselves.What we do to the Earth we do toourselves.

Indigenous people are the sourceof a worldview and cosmologythat can provide powerfulguidance and teachings forachieving our vision—a thriving,just and sustainable world.

One of the most effective ways toproduce results is to empowerother organizations throughskillful alliances, and a principle ofskillful alliances is that amazingthings can be accomplished whenpeople aren’t worrying aboutwho’s getting credit.

People’s actions are correlatedwith how they see the world—thestory they tell themselves aboutthe world. Transforming the waythat people see and relate to theworld and the possibilities they seefor the future is a powerful way toeffect social change.

Consciously and unconsciouslycreated systems of ongoingoppression and inequality exist inthe world. The outcomes generatedby those systems are directly inopposition to our vision of athriving, just and sustainableworld.

We are accountable to—and stand insolidarity with—those whose access tomaterial resources and free self-expression is limited by unjust systemsof power and privilege.

THROUGH THE LENSby Sandra Wilson

I look into the little square and focusthe image; I press the button and snapthe shot. The lens may be small but theimpact is big.

It sees the nest with the little blue eggssnuggled inside. It brings me joy in thediscovery and anticipation of theprogress yet to see.

It sees the flower awakening to thespring and stretching its petals wide. Itallows me to appreciate the little thingsin life, to cherish that moment.

It sees the fog sitting atop the water,water that once the sun breaks andclears the fog, mirrors the floatingfowl. It teaches me patience, to wait forthat perfect shot.

The capture of a child’s smile, thegentle touch of a groom or the embraceof a visitor from afar; the little lensrecords the moments of meaning andof memory. It reminds me to share inall the great moments of life.

The lens is small but it can bring lifeinto focus, it can show details and itcan capture moments. It can allow allof us to really see the world. It remindsme to slow down and to live in themoment. When I stop to snap the shotI have a chance to breathe, to relax, andto enjoy.

One little circle can capture so muchmore. It can capture life and death,grasp the past and inspire the future. It

gives me the opportunity to share thebeauty that I see in the world, a beautyothers may have forgotten exists.

The beauty of the morning, the bustleof midday and the quiet of the night aredisplayed in pictures, representativesof a world so much bigger than the eyecan see. The little lens opens the doorto a world where a picture can tell astory. And each story has a moment toshare.

It fills me with joy when I capture theperfect shot and gives me a thrill tooffer others a peek into the world thatI see through the lens.

HEALTHY RECIPESFROM AROUND THE WORLD

Amazing Charoset

Per 1/4 cup: 150 calories, 4.5 gramsfat, 41 grams carbohydrates, 2 gramsprotein

This dried fruit spread is one of thesymbolic foods eaten during PassoverSeder and used as a spread on matzah.Even if you don't celebrate Passover,you can still enjoy this sweet paste asa healthy topping on oatmeal or Greekyogurt. Though many different vari-ations of charoset exist, this blogger’slow-cal version brims with heart-healthy nuts and potassium-rich figs.

Ingredients:2 c. raisins1/2 c. pecans1/2 c. almonds4 oz. dates (about 7), pitted4 dried figs

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1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon1 c. unsweetened applesauce1-2 tbsp. sweet wine or fruit juice

Directions:Grind dry nuts in food processor,remove, and set aside. Put the nuts,raisins, dates, figs, and cinnamon intothe food processor a little at a time andadd the applesauce and wine/juice asyou grind to help keep it moving. Pulseuntil the mixture looks like a coarsepaste. Remove the charoset from theprocessor and place it in a sealedcontainer. Spread onto matzah andserve. Refrigerate any leftovers forlater use.

Vegan Asian Noodles

110 calories, 2.9 grams sugar, 5 gramsfat, 12.9 grams carbohydrates, 5grams protein

Although pancit, a Filipino rice noodledish, is typically made with shrimp andpork, this vegan version substitutesthose ingredients for tons of crunchy,good-for-you veggies. The result is ameal that’s healthy and hearty!

Ingredients:1 bag cellophane rice noodles (3.75oz.)1 pkg. firm tofu (frozen overnight,thawed, and drained)1 small onion, chopped1 medium carrot, sliced thin andlengthwise1 small bell pepper2 c. mung bean sprouts2/3 c. cabbage, diced3 cloves garlic, minced5 tsp. Dulse seaweed granules1.5 tsp. Edward & Sons Organic VeganWorcestershire Sauce1 tsp. chili powder

2 c. water4 tsp. teriyaki sauce3-4 tbsp. liquid aminos or tamari2 tsp. sesame oil1 cube vegan bouillon1 tbsp. grape seed oil or olive oilPepper

Directions:Slice veggies. Sauté onions and garlicin a little bit of oil (grape seed or oliveoil). When the onions are transparent,add carrots, cabbage, water,Worcestershire, liquid aminos, sesameoil, chili powder, teriyaki, and bouilloncube. Cook for a few minutes, then addtofu at medium-high heat. Addnoodles, Dulse granules, sprouts, andbell pepper. Stir and cook until themoisture has evaporated.

Makes 6 servings.

Egyptian Fava Bean Breakfast

621 calories, 23 grams sugar, 28grams fat, 76 grams carbohydrates, 22grams protein

Fava beans are a staple in the typicalEgyptian diet, and this breakfast ofchampions exploits their rich flavourand starchy texture. The beans are notonly scrumptious as part of a satisfyingbreakfast, they’re also packed withnutritional value in the form of protein,fibre, and iron!

Ingredients:1 1/4 c. dried fava beans, rinsed andsoaked in cold water for at least 12hours with 1 tbsp. baking soda (or justuse canned, rinsed beans)2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, preferablyorganic1 large onion, finely chopped1 large garlic clove, minced

1 large tomato, finely chopped1/2 tsp. fine sea salt, or to tastePepper, to taste1 small jalapeno pepper, sliced(remove seeds for less heat)Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

Directions:Drain the beans and rinse well; placein a pot and cover with fresh water.Bring to boil, then lower heat andsimmer until extremely soft. At thispoint, you should peel the waxy skinoff each bean if you like (not essential,but much better as the skins are quitechewy). Simply squeeze one tip ofeach bean until the bean pops out ofthe skin. Heat the olive oil in a largeskillet over medium heat and add theonion; cook for about 5 minutes, untilit begins to soften. Add the garlic andcook, stirring frequently, until onion issoft and just beginning to brown. Addabout half the beans to the skillet andmash with a wooden spoon or spatulato create a bean-onion mush. Add theremaining (whole) beans, tomato, andheat through. Season to taste with saltand pepper, and toss the jalapeno slicesover all just before serving. To serve,sprinkle the beans with fresh lemonjuice and drizzle with extra olive oil, ifdesired. Best served with flatbread.

Makes 2 large servings.

Mixed Berry Flaugnarde

175 calories, 3.4 grams sugar, 14.1grams fat, 6.8 grams carbohydrates, 5grams protein

We’ve yet to try a French dessert wedidn’t like, and thankfully, we’vefound one that won’t wreak havoc onyour diet. This light flaugnarde is lowin calories, carbs, and sugar, but the

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irresistible combination of juicy mixedberries with coconut milk and nutmegserves up one drool-worthy dessert.

Ingredients:4 large eggs1/2 c. coconut milk1/4 c. melted coconut oil1/4 c. almond flour1 tsp. vanilla extract1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg1 tbsp. coconut sugar1/4 tsp. kosher or sea salt1 1/2 c. mixed berries (blackberries,blueberries, sliced strawberries)

Directions:Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Generously grease a 9-in. pie or tartdish (butter, coconut oil, or non-hydrogenated palm oil shortening).Wash the berries and pat dry. Spreadevenly in the bottom of the pie dish; setaside. Combine the eggs, coconut milk,coconut oil, almond flour, vanilla,nutmeg, coconut sugar, and salt in thebowl of a food processor; blend orprocess until smooth (batter will bethin). Pour evenly over the berries.Bake for 45 minutes, or until goldenbrown and puffy, and set in the center.Cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Moroccan Fish

332 calories, 7.8 grams sugar, 6 gramsfat, 43 grams carbohydrates, 27.1grams protein

While many white fish recipes tend totaste unoriginal or bland, this renditioncalls for spices like cumin and groundcoriander, which inject the dish withexotic Moroccan-inspired flavour.Ripe chunks of mango and whole-

wheat couscous round it out and, as abonus, lend tons of wholesome fiber.

Ingredients:1 c. dried whole-wheat pearl couscous1 lb. fresh wild-caught white fishSalt and pepper1 tsp. ground cumin1/2 tsp. chili powder1/2 tsp. ground coriander1 1/2 tbsp. butter1 ripe, soft mango, peeled and diced1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped + extrafor garnish2 tsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:Cook couscous according to packagedirections. The “pearl” version usuallytakes about 8-10 minutes to cook. In asmall bowl combine the cumin, chilipowder, coriander, and a pinch of saltand pepper. Evenly rub the spicemixture on all sides of the fish and setaside (in the fridge if you’d like). Peel,core, and dice the mango. Chop thecilantro into small pieces. Put themango, cilantro, and lime juicetogether in a medium-sized bowl andset aside. Heat the butter in a largesauté pan over medium heat. Add theseasoned fish to the pan and cook onboth sides until it’s white all the waythrough. For thinner pieces this mightonly take a few minutes. Once thecouscous is done transfer it to the bowlwith the mango, cilantro, and lime.Add 1/4 tsp. salt and mix togetherthoroughly. Divide the couscousmixture evenly among plates. Top withpieces of fish and extra pieces ofcilantro. Serve warm with a salad orvegetable on the side and enjoy.

Makes 3-4 servings.

Peruvian Vegetable Soup

253 calories, 6.8 grams sugar, 4.1grams fat, 50.1 grams carbohydrates,6.1 grams protein

Filled with healthful herbs andveggies, this recipe was inspired by ablogger’s trip to Peru. Sure, it’s light incalories and fat, but don’t think that thetasty broth won’t fill you up! Thanksto a rich vegetable stock (one thatdoesn’t sacrifice flavour for calories),this offers a rich, simmering meal initself.

Ingredients:4 c. vegetable stock1 1/4 tsp. salt1 tbsp. white wine1/2 small acorn squash, peeled and cutinto bite-sized pieces2 small Yukon Gold potatoes, peeledand cut into 1/2 in. squares1 large carrot, peeled and cut intosticks about 1 in. long and 1/4 in. wide1 plum tomato, peeled and chopped(optional)2 tbsp. white rice3 tbsp. frozen peas2 tbsp. frozen corn1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano2 tsp. chopped parsley1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions:In a medium pot, bring the stock to aboil. Add the wine, salt, potatoes,carrots, tomato, and rice. Simmer,partly covered, for 25 minutes, untilthe vegetables are cooked and the riceis soft. Add the peas, corn, most of theherbs, and the lemon, and cook foranother 5 minutes. Add the rest of theherbs. Taste for salt, adding more asneeded, and serve.Makes 4 servings.

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Slow Cooker Thai Beef

For 1/2 c. stew: 285 calories, 7 gramssugar, 9.5 grams fat, 11.8 gramscarbohydrates, 38 grams protein

For a no-fuss way of enjoying tenderbeef stew with an infusion of Thaiflavors, try this slow cooker recipe.Just make sure to use a lean cut of beefsuch as flank steak, eye of round roast,or moose/bison roast. Alternatively,you can replace the beef with chickenbreast or lean pork for an equally tastydish.

Ingredients:3.1 lb. sirloin beef tip roast1 c. lower-sugar teriyaki sauce1 c. rice vinegar or white wine vinegar1 tsp. crushed red pepper2 garlic cloves, minced2 tbsp. natural peanut butter (creamyor crunchy)For toppings:2 tbsp. green onions, chopped2 tsp. dry-roasted peanuts, chopped1/4 c. bean sprouts2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

Directions:Trim fat from beef (if needed). Placethe meat, teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar,garlic, and crushed pepper into theslow cooker. Cover and cook on lowfor 6-8 hours. Remove beef from slowcooker and shred. It should shred veryeasily. Add peanut butter to leftoverliquid in slow cooker; stir well withwhisk. Add beef back into the slowcooker and stir. Top each serving withgreen onions, chopped peanuts, beansprouts, and cilantro.

Makes 9 servings.

Spinach and Sausage Ravioli

53 calories, 2.8 grams fat, 2.8 gramscarbohydrates, 4.1 grams protein

This stuffed ravioli dish is a twist onthe classic Italian pasta; they’re madewith thin wonton skins instead of pastadough, so they’re lighter but just asyummy. While the recipe certainlyisn’t authentic Italian or Asian food,it’s a mouthwatering fusion of twototally different kinds of cuisine.

Ingredients:1 pkg. wonton wrappers1 1/2 c. ricotta cheese1/2 c. sautéed spinach, chopped1 Italian sausage, chopped andbrowned1 c. grated Parmesan1 large eggSalt and pepper, to taste1 small dish of water (for wetting theedges of the wonton skins)

Directions:In a large bowl, combine ricotta, egg,Parmesan, sautéed spinach, andbrowned sausage bits. Season with saltand ground pepper. Mix well. On abaking sheet, lay out several wholewonton skins. Spoon about 1 tsp.filling into the centre of each skin. Dipa finger into your water dish, then runit along the 4 edges of each wontonskin. Lay a second whole wontonwrapper over the first layer withfilling. Press down firmly to seal yourravioli shut, making sure to get rid ofall the air bubbles. To get rid of airbubbles, press the skins togetherstarting from the base of the filling,then work your way to the edges. Re-peat until all your filling/wrappers aregone. When all your ravioli areassembled, start boiling water in a

large pot. Drop ravioli 3-4 at a timeinto the boiling water. Let them cookfor about 2-3 minutes, then fish themout. Serve with a creamy sauce, orplain drizzled with olive oil/salt/pepper.

Makes about 2 dozen ravioli.

Thai Turkey Burgers

Without the bun: 252 calories, 3.54grams sugar, 8.97 grams fat, 7.04grams carbohydrates, 35.14 gramsprotein

If you’ve ever dined on Thai food,you’ll know that creamy peanut sauceis practically a required condiment andgoes well with so many of the cuisine’ssignature dishes. Whip up this savoryversion and slather it on lean turkeyburgers for a filling lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:1 lb. 99% fat-free lean ground turkeybreast1/2 c. carrot, shredded1/2 c. broccoli, finely chopped3 tbsp. cilantro, chopped1 green onion, sliced1/2 tsp. salt1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes4 bunsBaby spinach leavesFor the peanut sauce:3 tbsp. smooth peanut butter1 tbsp. rice vinegar1 tbsp. soy sauce1 tbsp. water1 clove garlic1 tsp. sesame oil1 tsp. chili garlic sauce1 tsp. honey1/4 tsp. ground ginger

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Directions:Create peanut sauce by combiningpeanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce,water, garlic, sesame oil, chili garlicsauce, honey, and ground ginger in afood processor or blender. Blend untilvery smooth. Reserve 2 tbsp. + 2 tsp.and set aside. Combine remainingpeanut sauce with turkey, carrots,broccoli, cilantro, green onion, salt,and red pepper flakes in a large bowl.Mix well and form into 4 patties. Heata large skillet over medium-high heatand spray with non-stick spray. Cookpatties for 3-4 minutes on one side,then spray the top with more non-stickspray. Flip and cook for 3-4 moreminutes or until burgers are no longerpink in the middle. Place a burger pattyon each bun and top with 2 tsp. of thereserved peanut sauce. Add babyspinach for crunch and serve.

Makes four burgers.

The above receipts were reprinted fromwww.shape.com

MY JOURNEY TO WELLNESS(PART ONE)

by Lisa Browning

And the day came when the risk toremain tight in a bud was more painfulthan the risk it took to blossom.

Anais Nin

Although I would prefer not to dwellon the difficult, debilitating aspects ofmy past relationship, it is necessary torelate to them now, as I begin,wholeheartedly, to walk down a newpath.

I had no idea, when I left therelationship, that I had become asbroken as I was. Little by little, “he”chipped away at my self-worth, soinsiduously that I was not aware that itwas happening, at least not to theextent that it was.

In the years I had been with him, Igained almost 30 pounds. In the yearsafter I left, I hid behind an invisibleshield of armour, not wanting to letanyone get too close. The fact that theexcess weight remained, and perhapseven increased, was a sign to me thateither I simply did not care aboutmyself, or that I did not want to beseen, at least not as a vibrant, self-assured woman.

Little by little, through the care andcompassion of friends, I reached theplace where I stand today, ready to healall the damage that relationship caused,both emotionally and physically.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude toMoragh Lippert, owner of GuidedHolistics, who is assisting me inrebalancing my body, and feeding bothbody and soul with goodness.

Our first session involved a review ofthe questionnaires I was asked tocomplete, regarding any health issues,and including a complete food diaryfor the previous week. I was prettyconfident about the food diary, as Ihave been eating heathfully for quitesome time ... or so I thought.

“I’d like you to go off sugar, dairy andwheat,” Moragh advised. I wasn’tsurprised about the sugar, and the ideaof giving it up did not present anyissues for me whatsoever, as I eat verylittle sweets. The dairy and wheat wereanother story. However, knowingMoragh as I do, I have complete faithin her ability as a holistic nutritionist,and her genuine concern for herpatients, and for finding a way forthem to be the best they can be.

One of the most valuable gifts I wasgiven that day was the gift of hope.When I left my relationshp, I wasseverely malnourished and dehydrated,and my lack of self-confidence did notallow me to believe that I could repairthe damage that had been done.Moragh changed all that.

In the next few issues, I will bereporting on my progress, and I amexcited about the journey ahead.

One of the most telling changes, sinceI started seeing Moragh (and asidefrom the 7 lb weight loss in the first tendays) was the fact that I got my haircut. I mean, really cut!

I know now that I have been hiding,and I know also that I am ready tocome out of hiding, and be fullypresent, in every way.

Stay tuned!

WITH OPEN EYESby Betty Smith

During a routine eye examination in2008 for my son Quinn, 11 years old atthe time, they found the nerves in hiseyes to be white and pale instead of theusual bright red. We were sent to aspecialist within 2 weeks where Quinnhad intense examination of his visionand abilities. He scored poorly on hisability to read letters and see clearly ordiscerning symbols. The light was sointense, he cried at times during theexam. They checked my eyes to see ifit was a possible commonality betweenus.

My eyes were fine. So the next stepwas to begin ruling out the possibilityof a tumor or cyst pressing on the opticnerve and starving it or cutting off thenerve transmission. We had a CATscan and an MRI immediately thatevening. All we knew at that point wasthat the rest of our appointments would

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be at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. Itwas a blur of details for us at that time.

We arrived as Sick Kids for his firstappointment within a few weeks. Wehad no idea what to expect. Sick KidsHospital in Downtown Toronto is anamazing facility. A short background...

It began with Elizabeth McMaster in1875 and in 140 years it grew from an11 room house in downtown Torontoto the $232 million research andtreatment care facility it is today. Theyoffer so much support for children andfamilies in all stages of illness, healingand difficulty. It blends the essence ofmagic, hope, despair, healing and lovein that building.

We were now visiting every 3 months,and often seeing 3 or more technicianseach day. All appointments for allpatients were at 9:30am. We all linedup and booked in as it was an on-callbasis, and we soon realized we neededto be patient and make the day of it.

After the first appointment, more eyetests, family history etc, I wasinformed that they suspected Quinnhad Leber Hereditary Optic Neuro-pathy, also known as genetic eye nerveatrophy. I was told this leads toirreversible spontaneous blindness atany time, any moment. They wantedto monitor him. There was no treat-ment. For 2 years we visited every 3months, new technicians, newmeasurements, no change.

As a mom I was committed towhatever was needed. As a mom inthe holistic health field, I wascommitted to NOT doing nothing. Asa mom, I also knew that our familysplitting up was particularly difficulton Quinn, and this was happening atthe time of his diagnosis. He carried alot of stress and worry, and I believedthere were other possibilities for hisvision issue. I believed there werethings Quinn was not ready to acceptor see. I also believed that the optic

nerve may have been affected by asevere case of chicken pox at age 5.

Nobody else in our family backgroundhad experienced spontaneous blind-ness...so the next step was genetictesting. In the meantime we moved,life settled down and Quinn had a shiftin his vision, there was improvementand we were now moved to a 6 monthschedule. Our results came back for thegenetic testing and we were both clearof the gene (it is carried and passed bythe mother). YES! Now we had adirection.

There were many valuable pieces Itook away with me from thisexperience. There was a specific day Iwas grateful for. Toronto is HOT in thesummer; if there was air conditioning,it did not feel like much. There were 2waiting rooms in the OpthalmologyClinic, always full at the beginning ofthe day, babies in strollers, babiescarried, toddlers running, most wereyoung and a few adolescents. It wasfull of people and many differentlanguages and cultures. The HospitalFor Sick Kids Opthalmology Clinicsees over 20,000 patients in a year ,and all under 18. In 2011, Torontoidentified over 230 different ethnicorigins in Toronto and over 140languages and dialects and over 30%of people living in Toronto speak alanguage other than French andEnglish. THAT is multiculturalism!

We had a particularly long day, it washot, people were coming and going,babies were crying. We had to wait fora technicians lunch break and we knewwe were going to be a few hours.Quinn was curled up in his chair withhis head on my lap. The waiting roomshave televisions, cartoons and news,and a play room, but it is not reallygeared towards 10 and up. As Iwatched the room buzz with people, Irealized, I was a minority, a white,single mom...well, today I was aminority, but if I was to think back, itwas similar each time we were there.

There were moms and babies, dads andtheir daughters, couples with theirtwins....and it was BUSY! Absolutechaos at times. I was listening to themany languages in that one room....andnobody was ever rude to each other. Idid not understand half of what wasbeing said around me, yet we allmanaged to squeeze by each other andsmile, or run after a child who washeaded out the hall. Communicationstill happened without words.

There were 6 rows of 15 chairs, usuallyfilled with adults as the kids were inthe play area or their strollers, plusdiaper bags, coats, purses...and yet Inever saw anyone lose their temperwith their children or each other, neveran altercation in the 3 years we werevisiting. I sat in peace watching thiscrowd, and wondered why? With allthe different cultures, and all thepressure, the waiting and the worryabout our children, the obviousfinancial issues as we each had to taketime off work to be there, the chaos.With all the different languages,nobody was complaining or criticizingeach other, no pushing or glaring....andI realized, we were not focused on ourrace...or ourselves...we were there forour kids, as parents, grandparents,caregivers, family, community. Thatwas our common denominator....ourlove for our children. That is Global.

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TEN LESSONS FROM NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION

by Jessica Sgrignoli

This past weekend, I had the mostfortunate opportunity to take part in aone day workshop on non-violentcommunication (NVC) as created byrecently deceased, Marshall Rosenberg(1934- 2015). NVC is sometimesreferred to as Compassionate Com-munication or Empathic Communi-cation. NVC is a communicationprocess that helps people to exchangethe information necessary to resolveconflicts and differences peacefully.NVC aims to find a way for all presentto get what really matters to themwithout the use of guilt, humiliation,shame, blame, coercion, or threats. Itis also useful tool for connecting withothers, and living in a way that isconscious, present, and attuned to thegenuine, living needs of oneself andothers.

I have been following Marshall’s workof NVC over the past few years, takingworkshops and practicing in smallgroups and one-on-one. To date, I haveyet to discover a more effectivecommunication process that buildssuch an awareness and understandingof self and other; not to mention its usein peacefully resolving seemingly unrectifiable differences.

When I was first introduced to NVC, Iwas taught a simple method for clear,empathic communication, consistingof 4 steps - observation, feelings,needs, requests. At first, speaking in“I” terms and using the 4 step formulaas outlined, seems a bit awkward andcontrived, like most times whenlearning a new language skill.However, with time, the practice ofspeaking with non-violence comeswith less awkwardness, when there isa genuine effort to listen and get toknow the other person’s needs andfeelings. An example of how topractice non-violent communicationmight sound like this: “When you

(observation), I feel (feeling) becauseI’m needing (need).” A request mightsound something like this: “Areyou/we able to…?” Or, the requestmight be what’s referred to in NVC as,a connection request. A connectionrequest goes something like this:“How does this feel for you..,?” or,“how does what I just said feel foryou..?

Another facet of NVC is that it offerssupport for how to respond/givefeedback when listening to someoneelse speak, in order to more fullyunderstand what that person is reallysaying. For example, “What I’mhearing you say is..., or, what it soundslike to me you are feeling/needing is...,is this accurate?” Often times, weautomatically want to jump in and fixthe problem or offer advice. Mosttimes people just want to be heard, andhave the opportunity to express toanother human being how they arefeeling without being given advice.According to author, David B. Wolf,each and every one of us has theanswers we need to problem solve onown. What is helpful for coming tosuch realizations is effective feedbackthat comes from empathic listening.(Relationships that Work: The Powerof Conscious Living)

What is amazing about all of this, isthat this formula for communication isjust a guideline. Speaking withfacilitators this past weekend, Idiscovered that even after years ofteaching NVC, facilitators stillobserved times when it felt awkwardto speak in these terms, and how othersexperienced the same phenomenon.My initial motive for attending thisworkshop was to take this opportunityto drill this formula into my head sothat I could get over my fear ofsounding awkward, so words andintention could flow naturally. I reallybelieve in this work! I guess this is theperfectionist side of me coming out!But instead, I received somethingmuch more valuable this time around.

Here are 10 valuable lessons I learnedthis weekend that I will carry with me.

1) The most important part of thiswork is where my heart is at anygiven moment! If we are able toinquire, and provide feedback, thisis empathy, rather than givingadvice from our own experience.And the great part is, I can do thiswith any kind of words!

2) Level ground benefits both of us.

3) See the humanness in all! Allhumans share the same needs,whether we see this person as anadversary or friend.

4) It is more important to make anempathic connection than to getmy way! Because if I look closer,I see that it is more about beingheard in regards to needs andfeeling, rather than problemsolving right away. This goes formy needs and feelings as well asfor the other. When the means, inthis case, connection/empathy ismade, the end (getting my way)changes and I see that maybe it’snot actually about the tangible endbut maybe there is somethingdeeper, underlying, that’s in theprocess of being revealed.

5) Process is more important thanoutcome.

6) Empathy before Education. It isfar more effective to listen toanother with empathy rather thantrying to school them on what yousee happening or what they shoulddo about it.

7) Empathy Inquires, SympathyAssumes.

8) Be Transparent.

9) When I am most in need ofsupport, I am the least able toask for it. The practice of NVC is

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so effective because it provides aclear language for truth speaking.It provides the platform forexpression of feelings andcommunication of needs. Themore I practise asking for what Ineed, the more likely I will be toask for it when I need it most!

10) “Words are windows or walls,they sentence us or set us free.”-–Ruth Bebermeyer

PARENTING -- PRIVILEGE --POWER

by Wendy McDonnell

Parents who are raising sociallyresponsible and emotionally intelligentchildren are keenly aware of theirprivilege. They use this particularprivilege called “parent” to do theirbest to live a good life and help theirchildren to do the same. Every daythey advocate for those who have lessprivilege – their children. As they opentheir hearts and feel more compassionfor children, they may find themselvesopening up and caring more deeplyand widely for all those who aredeemed less worthy in the world. Inturn, they inspire hope for a worldwhere all our needs matter.

Privilege and power depend on yourperspective. Most of us have or willexperience power and powerlessness atsome point in our lives. As globalcitizens with access to worldly issues,we know that some people feelpowerless most of their lives simplybecause they are seen as less worthy ofrespect. When we are seen as little, weare less privileged. When we are seenas older, we are less privileged. Whenwe are seen as poorer, less educated,less skilled, disabled, injured, or sick,we are less privileged. When we areseen as youthful, capable, talented, andan important member of our familyand community, we are privileged.Being seen for our valued social rolesis critical. More and more people arefinding ways to include all people inour communities regardless of age,gender, or abilities.

Parents are privileged too. Simplybeing an adult, they have morefunctional power than children. Whenchildren speak, few listen. Parentsmake money, buy houses, cook food,drive cars, and vote. Parents are biggerand stronger. Parents are scary whenthey are angry.

Parents are naturally in a position ofpower as soon as they have children.Without caregivers, children would notthrive. Children follow parents like allother mammals do. Children seethemselves as “like” their parents. Thepromise of meeting basic needs liketouch, shelter, food, love, and living agood life (however hurtful at timesdespite good intentions) keep childrenseeking their parents’ approval. Simplyby living their lives, parents show theirchildren what it’s like to love and livein this world.

Privilege and power are how parentsprovide for their children. It is alsohow we show up in our local andglobal communities. With better accessto resources, parents do for theirchildren what children cannot do forthemselves yet. Good use of power

means that children trust in theirparents’ ability to care for them. That’show they learn to trust in the world.

However, anytime we belittle children,use sarcasm, or use power over themwe are using adult privilege in a waythat diminishes us all. Have you evercaught yourself saying things aboutyour kids that you don’t think kidsshould say about you? Often times wedon’t even notice that we’re doing it.For example, your daughter senses youare not pleased but doesn’t understandsarcasm and why she’s being referredto as a “drama queen”. My childrenhave called me out on similarbehaviour. Thankfully they feel safe tostand up for respect and kindness sothat I can apologize and amend mybehaviour and attitude.

If you want to inspire hope for a worldwhere all our needs matter and useyour privilege and power for good,what might you do if you heardsomeone, including yourself, speakabout another human being in ademeaning way? If we want ourchildren to treat others with kindness,especially those who are less fortunatethen it is up to us to use our power toshow them how. Children will meetmany adults over the years but becauseof a parent’s position in a child’s life,their behaviour is heavily influencedby how parents behave. We may needto call on our children in our later yearswhen we looking for that kind ofsupport.

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Family Matters

My heart goes out to you if you live ahard life without easy access to thephysical and social supports you need.I hope you find peace and the care youneed to meet all your needs includingbuilding strong relationships and asupportive social network.

Here are some final questions toponder regarding parenting, privilegeand power.

How do you use your privilege topromote good for all?

Even during challenging times, how doyou focus on your child's abilities andways in which s/he contributes to youand others in the world?

Who most supports you and yourfamily? Who do you call your family,friends and neighbours? How do youmake and keep friends?

Do you have a strong social network?If so, how to you nurture that? If not,how might you use your talents andskills to connect with others in yourcommunity?

How do you stay positive and hopeful?What do you most enjoy? What’s getsyou up each day?

PROMISES AND OTHERBROKEN THINGS

by J.S. Eades

Back around the late fall of 2011, Istumbled across a website that would,over the next two years, become averitable haven for me. I soon foundmyself in the habit of reading amateurfiction there as often as I could steal afew minutes in front of the computer.Not very much later, I paused in myreading and thought to myself, hey, Icould do this—I could write some ofmy better ideas out into short stories,too! I remembered a little nugget of anidea I’d had and, without giving myselftime to talk myself out of it, I opened afresh Word document and startedtyping. It wasn’t even all thatdifficult—the words just kind ofspilled out of me. 7,600 of them laterand it was finished. In hindsight, thatlittle story really wasn’t very good, asall first stories after a long period ofnot writing tend not to be, but it was astart, and it made me feel good aboutmyself, like I’d accomplishedsomething…I don’t know…real, Iguess.

Fast forward to a year and severalmore short stories under my belt later,and an idea for a full-fledged novelwhich had been buzzing around in mybrain for months finally demanded mysole attention. I began roughing out astory plan for what would later becomePromises and Other Broken Things.

It was, in its essence, a love story. Butmy goal right from the start was that Iwanted to write something differentfrom your typical formulaic paperbackromance, something I understood

some readers would probably find a bitcontroversial. I wanted to write a storyabout an affair—yes, aboutinfidelity—which wouldn’t turn off thereader. In fact, I planned to write it insuch a way as to make it sounderstandable that my reader wouldnot only sympathize, but grow to carestrongly about the fate of my maincharacters. This was not an easy task.I had friends, fellow writer friendseven, tell me they’d never evenconsider reading a story aboutcheating. I was a little daunted, but Iplowed ahead anyway, choosing towrite in dual first person point of viewso my reader would feel right insidethe minds of both protagonists. Myhope was that this style of narrativewould help them know and understandhow each character really felt abouttheir situations, and why they made thechoices they did.

Once I finished the first draft, insteadof the immense feeling ofaccomplishment and joy you mightexpect, I was mostly just numb. Thestory had been an emotional roller-coaster to write, and the very idea ofhaving to go back and do re-writesand—gasp!—let others read it was notjust overwhelming, but downrightterrifying. I’d poured my heart andsoul into this huge chunk of fiction,perhaps not blood, but certainly sweatand tears, and I was well aware it wasa subject matter some would find off-putting. But I did it anyway; I suckedit up and let a few writer friends readit, took their advice seriously, andbegan to edit.

Another ten months went by. Threeeditors’ feedback, many friends’opinions, and countless revisions later,and at last it was complete. I had a title.I had a front cover. I had a novel I wasproud of.

And best of all, I succeeded, at least insome small part, in what I set out to do.I have had several readers tell me howdeeply my story has affected them, and

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how much they loved and ached formy characters. Not a small numberhave also begged me to write a sequel,eager to discover how these characters’stories will end.

So, that is the next big project aheadfor me—to figure out the answer tothat question, not only as a thank-youto those who have taken the time toread my story and share with me theirfeelings, but also because I need to seemy beloved characters through to theend of their journey.

For more information about J.S.Eades or her novel, Promises and

Other Broken Things, including thefirst chapter, please visit:http://www.jseades.com

BREAKING THROUGHby Marion Reidel

Brenda chewed the end of herpaintbrush as she stared at the blankcanvas. It was a Zen activity,meditative, and she’d been at it for twodays. Her mind buzzed with whitenoise, like a television with no cablesignal. She spat out a paint chip and setthe brush down next to her palette witha sigh.

It had been three dreary days sinceBrenda arrived at her family’s cottage.She’d taken her vacation days in Mayknowing that the place would not only

be empty of family members, but theneighbours would also be absent.Brenda had spent the first day doingthe “season opening” chores. Shefreshened bed linens, swept floors, setout the patio furniture, anything toavoid the true task.

Brenda craved isolation. Needed to beaway from the demands of work andhome to indulge her inner artist child,who seemed to be playing hide-and-seek.

The picture window behind Brenda’sleft shoulder shed midday light on thebarren canvas. The illuminationintensified the vast emptiness of thesurface until it seemed to shriek indefiance. As she tucked stray hairsbehind her right ear and beganfidgeting with her earring, sheimagined that her husband would be onthe golf course by now. She envied thefresh air and exercise. She decided topaint a landscape.

Brenda reached for the tube ofChromium Green and squeezed adollop onto her palette next theUltramarine she had already set out.She dipped a brush into fresh waterand activated the paint, then roughedin a horizon, shoreline and stand ofevergreens. She’d made a start… itwas going to be easy from here shetold herself. She confidently mappedout cloud formations and water texturewith a wash of blue.

Something was wrong. The trees weredisproportionate, the composition offbalance, the blue too intense. Herstomach rumbled. Brenda wanderedacross the room and made a cup ofBlueberry tea. She put two shortbreadcookies on a plate and brought thesnack back to her painting table. Thenshe assessed the canvas and decided itwas completely wrong.

After a tentative sip of steaming tea,Brenda shoved a whole cookie in hermouth and grabbed a 2” brush. She

slopped water onto her palette andmashed the blue and green pigmentstogether. She slathered the aquamixture across the canvas, obliteratingthe offensive tree line. The result wasa streaky blue texture that gave theimpression of being under water. Itmade her feel like she was drowning.

Brenda wondered what made her thinkshe could paint. Sure, she had beensuccessful at Art College, but that wasyears ago. She had been a completelydifferent person then. During hercollege days Brenda was afraid ofnothing. She leapt at the chance to takerisks, was confident that she wasadored and her mind overflowed withideas and images. Being a wife andmother seemed to have drained hercreative instincts. Daily decisionsinvolved practical matters such asdinner menus and bank balances,rather than aesthetic ones.

Brenda squeezed the bridge of hernose, then removed the elastic andgathered her hair into a fresh ponytail.Tightening the elastic caused her tostraighten her spine and sit taller.Using both hands she rubbed the backof her neck as she stretched andassessed the banal blue painting.

The colour was wrong. She didn’t wantblue. Blue was despondent; she soughtenergy. With renewed enthusiasmBrenda squeezed Cadmium Red,Bright Orange, and Primary Yellowonto her palette. Fire colours. Thecolours of passion, and life. She pickedup a brush, then set it aside in favourof a knife. Brenda scraped up a slug ofvibrant red-orange and applied asmooth layer over the suffocatingwater… but it still was not right.

Brenda tossed the palette knife ontothe table and stood so abruptly that herchair toppled and the easel threatenedto collapse. She grabbed the secondcookie and shoved it into her mouth,then began pacing the room. Hermother’s judgmental voice hijacked

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Brenda’s mind, driving away whatlittle self-confidence she had mustered.Taking long, deliberate breaths Brendastruggled to banish her underminingparent. As it said in The Artist’s Waybook she was reading, “Negativebeliefs are just that: beliefs, not facts.”

On her seventh circuit Brenda noticedthe stereo and froze. A smile creptacross her face as she reached into theCD collection and grabbed one of herson’s favourites. She had to giveherself permission to be a beginner,so… she would take a new approach.The tray of the player slid open and sheinserted “Master of Puppets.” Brendapressed play and turned up the volumeas Metallica assaulted through theroom.

Brenda righted her chair and draggedit aside. She let the sound direct herhand as she applied thick chunks ofpaint to the canvas in bold, slashingstrokes. Holding the palette knife likea weapon, Brenda attacked the surface,now standing as she worked, at onepoint applying the paint directly fromthe tube to the canvas. After an hour offrantic effort, Brenda had smears of redpigment on her face and in her hair.She stood back to evaluate her workand… it was fabulous

That evening, Brenda made herselflinguini with rich Alfredo sauce andpoured a glass of chilled Pinot Grigio.She lounged on the couch and admiredthe canvas perched on her easel,backlit by the setting sun. Her sensesseemed to be working in overdrive.She became aware nuances in themusic, now switched to Diana Krall,that had previously eluded her. Thetaste and texture of the wine intriguedher and the colours dancing across hercanvas seemed to be laughing withdelight. She felt like she’d completeda workout, finished a great novel andfallen in love. She whispered heraffirmation, “Creativity lives withinme.”

FOCUS ON VOLUNTEERING

Literacy volunteers improve lifeand employment skills

Did you know 1-in-3 people inCambridge and North Dumfriesstruggle with basic literacy? Every daywe use basic literacy skills for work,learning and life. Skills such asreading, writing, numeracy, oralcommunications, document andcomputer use are needed in nearlyevery occupation and throughout dailylife. They provide the foundation forlearning and enable people to cope insociety and adapt to change. Improvingliteracy helps move people frompoverty to possibility in life.

The Literacy Group is a non-profitorganization that provides adults 19and older free help with literacy andessential skills upgrading to improvebasic reading, writing, math, computerand workforce skills. Outstandingvolunteer tutors like Al Wilson provideone-to-one training on a weekly basismaking it possible to help residentsstruggling with literacy.

Al says, “I volunteer with The LiteracyGroup because I have a very strongrespect for those who admit the needand commit to doing the hard work ittakes to improve their situation. I get a

great deal of personal satisfaction outof their successes and the part I mayhave played in helping them achievetheir aims. I do it because I enjoy it,know it is important and want to do mypart in ensuring this essentialcommunity service continues.”

You can support literacy by becominga volunteer tutor like Al, or in manyother ways including volunteering atthe local library, as a Big Brother orBig Sister in a local school, helpingnewcomers through YMCA ImmigrantServices or participating in fundraisingand awareness events in support ofliteracy such as Rodding for ReadingCar & Motorcycle Show atSouthworks Outlet Mall on Sat. June27th, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm.

To learn more about volunteeropportunities in Cambridge and

North Dumfries visitwww.uwcambridge.on.ca/volunteer-

centre.php, then click“Search the Online Database”

or call 519-621-1030.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIESIN GUELPH

County of Wellington’s GreenLegacy Programme requires TreeCare Volunteers to help plant treestoday for a healthier tomorrow! TheTree Care Volunteer will work withvarious groups and individuals, fromstudents to seniors. Tasks can include:propagation, transplanting, wateringand maintenance of trees and nurseryequipment. Volunteers will be asked todo some heavy lifting and commit toone season. Students are welcome to

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apply. For more information contactAlison Morrison at 519-546-4788 oremail alisonm@wellington.ca.

Eden Mills Writers’ Festival requiresa Volunteer Coordinator. The volunteerin this position is responsible forvolunteer recruitment, engagement,orientation and recognition. A key roleis matching the skills, experience andexpectations of volunteers to availablepositions. It also includes interviewingapplicants, and providing supportduring the festival. For moreinformation, contact Helene Duguayby phone at 519-856-0038 or emailmanager@edenmillswritersfestival.ca.

Chalmers Community ServicesCentre requires Community FoodDrive Helpers. Volunteers will de-liverfood donation bags between May 30thand June 5th. Donations will be pickedup, weighed and put away on Saturday,June 6th. This is an ideal opportunityfor couples or groups, students andindi-viduals. In total 20 volunteers areneeded to help fill the food shelves.For more information, contact SarahDermer at 519-822-8778 or emailvolunteer@chalmerscentre.ca.

Scouts Canada, Wellington Arearequires Venturer Advisers to supportthe Venturer Company in planningtheir programs and activities. Leaderswill also interact with youth andparents/guardians, recruit newmembers and adhere to the standardsof Scouts Canada’s mission andprinciples. This is a wonderfulopportunity to enjoy the outdoors,while learning new skills, makingfriends and getting experience workingas part of a team. For moreinformation, contact Kelsey Taylor byphone at 519-803-9053 or by email atkelsey.taylor@scouts.ca.

Bibles for Missions Thrift Shop,Guelph requires volunteers to fillvarious positions within theirorganization. Artwork DonationsVolunteers are needed to sort, price and

hang art work. Hardware SorterVolunteers are needed to sort, price,and stock and purge hardware shelves.Toy Department Volunteers are neededto assist with sorting incoming toydonations, pricing toys and displayingtoys in the store area. Opportunitiescan be short or long term. For moreinformation, contact Nellie vanDonkersgoed by email atnellie@biblesformissionsguelph.ca orby phone at 519-821-2498.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIESIN KITCHENER-WATERLOO

Canadian Blood Services is searchingfor outgoing, motivated individuals tosupport Canadian Blood Servicesinitiatives, participate in local events,promote com-munity awareness ofblood donation and assist with donorrecruitment. This is a great opportunityfor youth to gain valuable leadership,teamwork and communication skills.Bring a friend and volunteer together!For more information contact AndreaDavies at andrea.davies@blood.ca or1-866-537-7700 x5867.

Make a difference in a child's life! KWHabilitation has volunteer oppor-tunities with our Early Learning, ChildCare and Family Resources program.Volunteers provide support to a childor small group of children in child careprograms in Waterloo Region. EarlyLearning Enrichment volunteers helpchildren build skills in all areas ofdevelopment. Volunteers gain hands onexperience working with children withdevelopmental and mental healthconcerns. For more information, pleasecontact Selena at 519-744-6307 ext.1205 or volunteer@kwhab.ca. Visit usat www.kwhab.ca.

Planned Parenthood WaterlooRegion needs mature, sensitive peopleas Customer Service Representatives.You will be the first point of contact in

person or on the phone with clients andothers who visit or call our office. Ifyou can create a welcomingenvironment and are detail oriented,we would love to meet you. We needyour support daily between 9am and4pm in 2-4hr shift. Please con-tactdirector@ppwr.on.ca or call 519-743-9360 for details.

Spend time with some new friends thissummer! Hang out for a few hours,swapping stories with seniors andstrolling in the sun. Pass the rollers andthe compliments in the hair salon orthe coffee and cookies in the cafe! Playballoon badminton, do no-bake bakingand mess with clay. To find out how tojoin our Volunteer Team at ParkwoodMennonite Home, contact Laura byphone at 519-885-4810 ext 335 orlgorman@parkwoodmh.com.

oneROOF Youth Services is seekingvolunteers for our drop-in centre. Weservice youth be-tween the ages of 12and 25 who are at risk or experiencinghomelessness. Volunteers engage in re-lationship building, supportivelistening, and help young peopleaccess the resources they need to stayalive, to stay in school, to find housing,and to find work. Volunteers must besupportive, assertive, motivated, eagerto learn, patient, and have a sincereconcern for the well-being of youngpeople. One shift (5-6 hours) per weekfor a minimum of 8 months is required.If interested, please contact Jess atvolcoordinator@oneroof.org or 519-742-2788 ext. 211.

Community Support Connections --Meals on Wheels and More isseeking driver escorts to transportseniors and/or adults with disabilitiesto medical appointments, grocery storeand community dining sites.Volunteers are also needed to deliverhot and nutritious meals during thenoon hour. Whether you are retired orhave a few hours to give, being avolunteer driver is a rewardingexperience. You will make an

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incredible difference in the lives ofseniors and adults with disabilities, bykeeping them active and engaged inthe community. You let us know whenyou're available, and we'll scheduleyour rides during those times. Mileagereimbursement available. If you havethe "drive" to help others, please call519-772-8787. In KW, ask for Ann atx205, and in In Cambridge, ask forMichael at x253.

FINDING A COMMUNITYby Bob Smith

Global Community Loranne thought,thinking of the catch-phrase she hadheard over and over at the meeting.I'm not part of any community, unlessyou count the women at the shelter.That was a group she wanted to leavebehind, not that she was unsympatheticand hadn't walked the same path.However, she was ready to saygoodbye to the company of timid,fearful victims who were frequentlyboiling with repressed anger. Shemight have been similar once, but shewanted to quit that community.

She checked the Spicy CoconutChicken Casserole, a Thai dish she hadnever made before, and decided it wastime to add bell pepper slices andgreen beans on top of the chickenmixture. Then she reached for a lemonto cut wedges to put on the side of thefinished product. She eagerly antici-pated the explosion of odour thatalways accompanied cutting into thefirm yellow fruit, knowing it wouldremind her of the lemon-scented herbaltea she loved. Now that she had movedfrom the emergency shelter to her ownapartment at Brookwood, a second-stage housing project, cooking - longthe only creative outlet she had beenallowed to pursue - was again possible.Back in Toronto, when the lawyer'sletter informing her Uncle Willis hadleft her $10,000 arrived, she hadn'thesitated, leaving the house with

nothing but the clothes on her back andthe $87.35 she had managed to squirrelaway over the past fourteen years. Shehad kept it hidden in an old stain-remover tin under the laundrydetergent, somewhere she knew Evanwould never accidently look. Shewalked eleven blocks to a bus stop,turning corners frequently, not wantingto take the chance that Evan might seeher out of the house if he came homeout of the blue. He occasionally didthat, always expecting her to beentertaining a lover, which of coursewas ridiculous.

She took a bus to Sudbury, choosingthe place because she and Evan hadnever talked about Northern Ontarioand an article in yesterday's TorontoStar said a survey had revealed itsinhabitants were the happiest inCanada.

The phone book in the Sudbury BusTerminal said the YWCA ran GenevraHouse and offered free transportation,which was good because she had littlemoney left. When she told her story toDenise, the easy-to-talk-to intakeworker, Denise reassured her Evanwouldn't be able to track her there, andeven if he did, security was excellentand the police were on speed-dial. Inthe morning, after a surprisingly soundsleep, her first in many years withoutbeing woken by demands for sex,Denise called her into the office.

"We have a sympathetic lawyer," shesaid. "She can advise you how to getthe money without leaving a trail, andwhat your options are for dumping thejerk." Loranne had several substan-tially more profane names for Evan shehad never spoken aloud.

Loranne explained to the lawyer how,as the only child, she had cared for anailing, negative, complaining motherby herself, how friends and otherfamily members distanced themselves.She knew they didn't want to be askedto help. She assumed this inheritance

was guilt money for having beendeserted, but was more than willing toaccept it. Some of her relatives hadcome to the funeral but let the smooth-talking attendant Evan squire herthrough the preparations andceremony. Loranne was content, notwanting them to sense that what shefelt was relief, not grief.

Evan's attention continued over thenext several days, turning into a whirl-wind courtship and marriage. Therewas no one to counsel caution. WhenEvan said four days after the weddingthat he had found a better job inToronto, a step up that he didn't wantto miss, moving seemed sensible.Only afterwards, when she had nofamily, no friends, and knew no onedid he become abusive and let hiscontrolling nature show.

Getting Uncle Willis' money proved tobe surprisingly easy. The lawyerexplained that she had an unofficialpartnership with a similar-mindedlawyer in North Bay, over 100kilometres away, who would get themoney and pass it on in untraceablecash. Loranne had to go to North Bayto sign papers, but Denise drove her. IfEvan ever did manage to track themoney, the trail would end in NorthBay, not Sudbury.

When Loranne left the emergencyshelter for Brookdale, Denise gave hera list of organizations.

"You have to develop a fullercommunity; you can't hide in yourapartment. I've seen signs of changeover the several weeks you've beenhere or we wouldn't be sending youoff. This is a list of organizationswhich are low-key, never in the news,made up of people who you would findsupportive but not nosy. Gettinginvolved in any of these would let youstart moving forward."

Loranne chose something called 'WaterFor Life', an organization which raised

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money to send a few volunteers tosome third-world country once a yearto drill a well for a needy village. Thebi-monthly meetings were held in achurch basement she could reach bybus. Before the meeting started, shelistened to one woman who obviouslyowned a restaurant grumble about thedifficulty of finding reliable staff.Maybe that's something I could doLoranne thought, aware Uncle Willis'money wouldn't last forever. Thoughthe others knew each other well, shewas made very welcome. As Denisepromised, they were kind andreassuring but asked few questions,

other than those designed to help themidentify what she could contribute totheir efforts.

Their fundraising had never producedhuge sums, which they didn't wantanyway as mega-projects would bebeyond the time and energy they werewilling to commit. For this year, theywere planning a dinner at the churchwith an international theme. Otherswere offering dishes like Kung PaoPork, Jamaican Curried Goat, andGlazed Japanese Salmon. BecauseLoranne had said cooking was afavoured pastime as part of her

introduction, they asked for somethingexotic. She didn't want to ex-perimentfor a fund-raiser, so she was trying theThai Casserole on herself first.

Being part of a group effort, even ifthere were no close personalconnections yet, felt gratifying, as wellas promising. Smells great she thought,wishing for the first time in ages shehad someone to share it with. Whoknows? Maybe this time next year,there will be. She pictured an olderwoman from the meeting, one who hadseemed particularly non-threatening.

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In the heat of the summer, join us for authentic Mexican food andmusic as we raise funds to publish 2 books -- a children's book, TheStellar Queen of Oaxaca, and a poetry book, Gringa Haikus. Thesepieces are based on Heather Embree's travels to Mexico. There willalso be a silent auction for Mexican-themed items. You will get a pre-reading of both books and an opportunity to talk with Heather and herillustrator, Mayra Baquedano Zenteno. It promises to be a culturally-rich evening!

Sunday, August 16, 7-10pmSeñor Chipotle, 500 Willow Road, Guelph

For more information email heather@blossomingheart.ca.

NEXT MONTH ....IN ONE THOUSAND TREES

Our focus for July is Self-Expression.

We are healed of a sufferingonly by expressing it to the full.

Marcel Proust

Do you have an inspiring story you’dlike to share?

If you know of any community wellnessevents taking place in July, pleasecomplete and send me the EventListing form found on the magazinepage of my website.

Articles are always welcome for any ofour “regular” departments ...

A Sense of CommunityCreativity and the Arts

Environmental AwarenessFood and Nutrition

Giving BackHealth and Wellbeing

The Library

Deadline for submissions is June20.

As always, I look forward to hearingfrom you with any feedback or articleideas!

lisa@onethousandtrees.com

The Grand River flows300 kilometres throughsouthwestern Ontariofrom the highlands of

Dufferin County to PortMaitland on Lake Erie.

The Grand RiverConservation Authority

manages water andother natural resources

on behalf of 39municipalities andclose to one million

residents.

One Thousand Trees’target market is defined

by the borders of theGrand River Watershed.

Department Editorsare responsible for

promoting practitioners,events and volunteeropportunities in thecities of Brantford,

Cambridge, Guelph,Kitchener, and Waterloo.

Visit the Grand RiverConservation Authorityat www.grandriver.ca.