Jane Goodall-A Contemporary Perspective from A Timeless Advocate!

The name Jane Goodall  usually triggers the memory. For myself, her name triggers years of rich, interesting photos and stories I observed and read as a child from my mother’s vast National Geographic collection. I used to dream of what it would be like to live her life. In my young mind, it seemed to be the ultimate way to live, in the wild with animals. This young woman was living a dream.

Jane Goodall is  a trailblazer respected by all who learn of her work. She taught us about our commonality with the natural world and its inabitants. She introduced us to the humanity of the animal kingdom and developed our compassion for chimpanzees and other animals through years of tireless work and patient study.

A lifetime of memories about Jane Goodall’s work came flooding forth in a breathless moment last week as I was walking through the 2009 Women’s Conference in Long Beach. There she was. The icon, the legend, petite and lithe, graceful and calm. She was being taped during an interview for the conference. A small croud of fans surrounded her, I among them. 

Feeling like a child, I waited for the moment, opened my journal, and quickly asked her if she could sign my journal so I could share this moment with my children and grandchildren. She quietly obliged, looking at me a little strangely as if she was thinking,  “What does this have to do with anything?” I thanked her and stepped back, making room for others as I could see this window of opportunity was brief.  Her ‘peeps’ were getting ready to hurry her off to another important affair.

I never know what to say to famous people I admire! In hindsight, I always have a better response; the one I replay in my mind over and over, as if I will ever have a second chance.  The funniest memory I have of this repetitive dilemma in my life is the moment when I met Stevie Wonder. The story that led to that both memorable and regretful occation is worth another posting at a later date. During that moment when I met him so many years ago, all I could say to him was, “I take your Stevie Wonder Special” or something to that effect. The Stevie Wonder Special was only known to me, however.* Stevie could not have known what I was talking about, but I was so nervous I didn’t know what else to say that would make me stand apart from the hundreds of others surrounding him.

To make up for that wasted opportunity with Stevie Wonder, I went back to my home of Grass Valley the next week after meeting him. I found a braille specialist and wrote Stevie a 3 page letter in braille, which I sent to him, to get all of those unspoken thoughts out of my system. It was something that benefitted me more, not him and a silly thing to do in retrospect. But I really wanted him to know how one lifelong fan had been touched by his work.

Not every famous person leaves me speechless, only those I hold a reverence for, like Jane Goodall! So, this time, instead of dithering about what I should write to her, I will do something different.

Jane’s acceptance speech at the 2009 Minerva Awards this year was the closing speech and well worth every single word. She brilliantly formulated a message that spontaneously included the other winners, her life, and our future as a human race. It was intimate, powerful, inspiring! As a member of Toastmasters International, I am aware of the elements of an exceptional speech.

Jane Goodall  is an incredible speaker, a revolutionary leader, a doer and advocate for the natural world. To honor her work and support her latest project Roots and Shoots, I encourage you to check out: http://www.rootsandshoots.org/ and invite others to do the same. As an inspired young person that literally changed the world’s view of the chimpanzee, Jane Goodall understands the power of youth, especially when it is combined with meaning and inspiration. She is effectively empowering this generation of youth to be an integral part of the solution. Jane Goodall is synonymous with “change agent”. She knows like so many other memorable leaders, that when we understand our mission on the planet, our work is never done; nor do we every tire of doing it!

You are also invited you to listen to the eloquence of Jane Goodall’s timeless message. She expresses something we will all benefit from hearing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QlAC5llsOg&feature=channel

Thank you Jane Goodall! I aspire to follow your inspirational leadership and willingness to break through barriers, educate the masses, and to be an effective part of the global solutions we need.

Christina Ivazes

aka Granny Pants

* Stevie Wonder Special: To be used for scratchy sore throats, laryngitis, voice loss, (many years ago I was watching Stevie being interviewed by Dick Cavett. Dick asked him how he kept his voice intact. This is what he said he used regularly:  red cayenne pepper, (about 1/8 tsp. powdered),  honey, and hot water. Drink as a tea. I have been using this for years with great success as well. It is very soothing and effective.

EXPLORE TODAY’S POPULAR MYTHS ABOUT CHILDREN!

 

 

 

"MYTHBUSTING TO THE RESCUE"

POPULAR MYTHS ARE AFFECTING THE LIVES OF OUR INFANTS, CHILDREN, AND TEENAGERS AND MANY OF US ARE NOT EVEN AWARE OF THE THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE SO SUBTLE.

 The new book, THE NEW PHYSICS OF CHILDHOOD: Replacing Modern Myths with Simple Strategies busts open these myths of modern child rearing.

“This book promises to expose, inspire, and possibly even shock adults into looking differently at all children and child rearing with a new set of eyes.”

We hear it every day on the news: childhood obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are on the rise, as well as cesarean births. Our children and teenagers are over-medicated and under-educated. It is obvious that all of these symptoms and challenges are connected and yet there is still a massive disconnect between the current parenting tools available and these escalating problems.

Without delay, modern child rearing practices are in need of a new, effective model. However, significant changes to the currently failed model of child rearing cannot begin until we get the root of the problem. THE NEW PHYSICS OF CHILDHOOD looks at the myths and the connections that have created these growing challenges in our global society.

As the author, I deconstruct today’s dangerous myths and replace them with practical wisdom and unique insights to help parents put their children and teenagers back on track and/or prevent problems from ocurring.

This book is not another parenting guide. It is a pragmatic philosophy focused on prevention. Though there are many parenting books with valuable information, most parents do not have the means or the time to purchase and read a book for every phase of childhood and neither do these books connect the whole child to the family, the community, larger society, and the environment like THE NEW PHYSICS OF CHILDHOOD.

This book gives all adults tools for supporting parents to make better decisions that affect the lives of children, because society is failing our parents, grandparents and other caregivers, who are also the victims of this mythology that is literally killing our children.

 THIS BOOK IS FOR:

• Expectant parents
• Seasoned parents
• Caregivers
• Grandparents
• Focus groups (prison inmate re-entry programs, low-income parenting programs)
• Teachers and early childhood educators

 DISCOVER THE MYTHS & LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT:  http://TheNewPhysicsofChildhood.com

 See You There!

Granny Pants

H1N1 PREVENTIVE PROPOGANDA – PASS IT ON!

This is the last time I will mention H1N1 in this blogpost.

Getting your attention is what I wanted.        

flickr.com/photos/bottleleaf

           

Like all of the profiteers

I want YOU to absorb my suggestions

and reap their physiological benefits!

You can’t tell me your mouth isn’t watering for that juicy orange or lemon right now!

(No, I don’t own any shares in citrus crops.)

If your mouth is watering right now, you have just proven what I am about to share with you!

The propoganda that follows is from me to you and nothing in-between. It is from a grandmother and former stress management teacher that has studied, trained, and proved over and over that these strategies really do work to boost a person’s immune system. 

Some of this information may seem radical, but isn’t it even more radical to over-medicate entire populations? Overmedicating is a radical practice that has produced frequent deaths due to overdoses as well as the multitude of other pharmaceutical related ills we are facing in the U.S. today.

THE UNFORTUNATE FACTS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW:

• FEAR REDUCES IMMUNE RESISTANCE
• THE ACT OF BEING STRESSED ALSO REDUCES IMMUNE RESISTANCE BECAUSE BEING AFRAID AND/OR STRESSED-OUT NEGATIVELY EFFECTS EVERY SYSTEM AND CELL OF THE BODY
• CUMULATIVE NEGATIVE SUGGESTIONS USING MULTI-SENSORY MODALITIES SHAPE NEGATIVE PERSPECTIVES, ATTITUDES, AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES (like those from TV, Radio, Advertising)
• INGESTING A HIGH AMOUNT OF FOODS THAT ARE ACID PRODUCING INCREASES A BACTERIA, DISEASE FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT (SUGAR, CARBOHYDRATES, MEAT, ETC.) 
• LIMITING OPTIONS BY FOCUSING ON 1 SOLUTION ELIMINATES COMPETITION, THEREBY INCREASING PROFITS
• EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO BE IN CHARGE OF THEIR HEALTH IS NOT PROFITABLE FOR THE PHARMACEUTICAL OR MEDICAL INDUSTRIES

THE EMPOWERING FACTS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW:

• ELIMINATING NEGATIVE SUGGESTIONS FROM AN ENVIRONMENT AND REPLACING THEM WITH POSITIVE SUGGESTIONS CAN BOOST IMMUNE RESISTANCE, INCREASE OVERALL PHYSICAL HEALTH, AND FEELINGS OF WELL-BEING
• AEROBIC EXERCISE OXYGENATES CELLS. OXYGENATED CELLS ARE STRONGER AND MORE RESISTANT TO DISEASE, BACTERIA, AND VIRUSES    
  

  Boys on hill

• NATURAL LIGHT, SUNSHINE, FRESH AIR, AND EXERCISE MODULATE BRAIN ACTIVITY, REGULATE HORMONES, AND PRODUCE OTHER POSITIVE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESULTS  (Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey  http://www.amazon.com/Spark-Revolutionary-Science-Exercise-Brain/dp/0316113506
• EATING FOODS DAILY THAT INCREASE AN ALKALINE ENVIRONMENT DISCOURAGES THE GROWTH OF BACTERIA (THE HEALTHY FOODS: LEAFY GREEN VEGGIES, A LOT OF LEMON AND LIME, FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, FOODS RICH IN VITAMIN A, C, AND OMEGA 3)

• 

  leafy greens

• REST IS THE BEST MEDICINE!!!! WHEN OUTDOOR ACTIVITY, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY,  AND EXERCISE IS INCREASED, SLEEP PATTERNS WILL ALSO IMPROVE, THEREBY IMPROVING IMMUNE SYSTEM STRENGTH
• ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING! THIS IS WHY MAKING AN ASSESSMENT OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT IS CRUCIAL.  (Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Health-Complete-Revised-Updated/dp/0609806947)

SOME OTHER QUESTIONS AND THOUGHTS TO PONDER:

•  ARE YOU RECEIVING FEARFUL OR EMPOWERING MESSAGES THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY?
• ARE YOU SURROUNDED WITH UNHEALTHY OR HEALTHY EATING AND DRINKING CHOICES?
• WHAT MESSAGES ARE YOUR CHILDREN  RECEIVING EVERY DAY?
• HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY CORPORATIONS START ADVERTISING THEIR ALLERGY REMEDIES IN THE WINTER TIME OR COLD REMEDIES IN THE FALL?  DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE ROLE OF MEDIA AND ADVERTISING! THEY WOULD NOT SPEND BILLIONS EVERY YEAR ON SHAPING PERCEPTIONS IF IT WASN’T EFFECTIVE IN PRODUCING THE DESIRED RESULTS- INCREASED PROFITS! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disease_mongering
• WHEN YOU FEEL A LITTLE UNDER THE WEATHER, WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU DO?

BASIC IMMUNE SYSTEM STRENGTHENING & PREVENTION STARTS WITH:

• GET PLENTY OF RESTFUL SLEEP
• REDUCE NEGATIVE MESSAGES IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT; REPLACE THEM WITH POSITIVE SOURCES LIKE HAPPY PEOPLE, MUSIC, NATURE, AESTHETIC BEAUTY, JOYFUL, REWARDING EXPERIENCES, ETC!
• PRACTICE STRESS REDUCTION TECHNIQUES http://www.amazon.com/Relaxation-Reduction-Workbook-Harbinger-Self-Help/dp/1572245492/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255288645&sr=8-1
• ENSURE YOU ARE GETTING ADEQUATE EXERCISE, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, FRESH AIR, AND NATURAL LIGHT EVERYDAY,RAIN OR SHINE, WARM OR COLD!  SUNSHINE IS PREFERRABLE FOR VIT. D (WHICH HAS ALSO BEEN LINKED TO IMMUNE SYSTEMS) 
  

  The Healing, Preventive Powers of Fresh Air & Sunshine

• ELIMINATE FEARFUL, NEGATIVE  THOUGHTS ABOUT YOUR LIFE, ESPECIALLY ABOUT GETTING ILL. REPLACE THEM WITH POSITIVE THOUGHTS AND LANGUAGE ABOUT “BEING HEALTHY”, ” STAYING HEALTHY”  (Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra- http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Health-Complete-Revised-Updated/dp/0609806947 )
• EAT HEALTHY, FRESH FOODS AND STOP OVER-CONSUMPTION OF UNHEALTHY FOODS. (AN EXTRA PREVENTIVE IS ALSO REDUCING OR ELIMINATING THE USE OF MICROWAVE OVENS THAT MAY BE DESTROYING THE NECESSARY NUTRIENTS AND COMPOUNDS THE BODY NEEDS FOR ADEQUATE IMMUNO-RESPONSE.)

All of this seems so basic, yet so many of us go through our days without giving ourselves these basic preventions. Then we end up worn-down and worn-out, making us prey to whatever bacteria is around.

 Whether a person or a parent decides to take a flu shot or an immunization, these preventives to increase overall health are still important to keep the body strong and better prepared for an injection. 

LASTLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY:

THE STRONGEST IMMUNE SYSTEM BOOST THAT CAN BE TAKEN AT ANY TIME (IN-BETWEEN MEALS):

Immune Boost "Mother-In-Law Remedy"

THIS AFFORDABLE REMEDY I CALL MY “MOTHER-IN-LAW REMEDY” CAME FROM MY MOTHER-IN-LAW. IT FOLLOWS THE PRINCIPAL OF CREATING AN ALKALINE ENVIRONMENT SO STRONG THAT BACTERIA OR DISEASE HAS NO CHANCE TO SURVIVE. (CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, LEMONS ARE ALKALINE, NOT ACIDIC WHEN THEY ENTER THE BODY.)

DRINK A BIG GLASS 2 TIMES A DAY IF YOU NEED AN EXTRA BOOST OF PROTECTION, PREVENTION, OR DURING AN ILLNESS. IT REALLY WORKS TO PREVENT ILLNESS AND INCREASE RECOVERY.  Yes! IT TASTES TERRIBLE AND SHOULD BE FOLLOWED WITH A PLAIN GLASS OF WATER. (UNFORTUNATELY, I DON’T KNOW HOW A PERSON WOULD GET THEIR CHILDREN TO DRINK THIS, SO PERHAPS A LOT OF LEMON WATER IS BETTER; JUST TAKE CARE TO BRUSH TEETH AFTERWARDS OR USE A STRAW TO PROTECT TEETH ENAMEL WHEN DRINKING THE REMEDY OR A LOT OF LEMON JUICE.)

GRANNY PANTS’  MOTHER-IN-LAW REMEDY:

• 1/2 A MEDIUM ONION (PEELED)
• 3 CLOVES OF GARLIC (PEELED)
• 3 LIMES OR 2 LEMONS (UNPEELED-IF NOT ORGANIC, SCRUB GOOD BEFOREHAND)
• WATER
• 1 TBSP. HONEY (OPTIONAL)

PUT ALL INGREDIENTS IN A POWERFUL BLENDER, FILL WITH 2/3 WATER. BLEND UNTIL DRINKABLE. CHUG AT ROOM TEMPERATURE WITH NOSE PLUGGED!!!  CHASE WITH A GLASS OF WATER.

*DO NOT DRINK THIS ON A FULL STOMACH OR JUST BEFORE EATING. IT IS TOO STRONG FOR THAT. UPON WAKING AND JUST BEFORE BEDTIME IS BEST.

THE THING I LOVE ABOUT THIS IMMUNE BOOSTING REMEDY IS THAT IT IS ABSOLUTELY AFFORDABLE FOR ALMOST EVERYONE AND INCLUDES COMMON FOODS THAT HAVE A LONG SHELF LIFE.

GOOD LUCK!  KEEP STRONG! DON’T LET MEDIA HYSTERIA LOWER YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM! TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH!

If you have found this information useful, please PASS IT ON! This is the kind of PROPOGANDA we need to spread around!   PROPOGANDA that supports prevention with the best of intentions!

(This information on Preventive Health is from Chapter 7 in my upcoming book, THE NEW PHYSICS OF CHILDHOOD: Replacing Modern Myths with Simple Strategies. Pre-orders are being taken now @: http://TheNewPhysicsofChildhood.com a project of Chamelea Productions © 2009

Please sign-up for my RSS feed on this blog so you can be notified when book is ready for purchase!

TO YOUR HEALTH!!!

GRANNY PANTS

KEN BURNS’ BEST IDEA

Yes! I am one of those reignited Americans.

After watching Ken Burns’ deeply resonating and extremely patriotic documentary on the history of America’s National Parks, “America’s Best Idea”, I have renewed passion for our National Treasures. Through tears and laughter and constant gratitude, I watched this indepth historical journey. I reflected on my own experiences with our National Parks and imagined those to come. As a child I grew up with memories of a very few, yet significant family camping trips. My grandparents were more equipped than us to do such a thing; their old family movies include reels and reels of family camping and fishing trips on lakes and campgrounds along the Pacific Coast. When I became a mother, I exposed my own children to the beautiful Colorado Rocky naturescapes and the Pacific Coastal wonders as much as I could. An innate feeling that nature is healing and necessary has always been a part of me. Perhaps my early park experiences helped to shape this idea.

After my children were grown, I made it a point to visit some of the National Parks I had never been able to visit before. The first time to Yosemite was an absolute epiphany.

The Breathtaking Yosemite Valley

I had traveled the world prior and frequently met other international travelers that asked me about Yosemite. Apologetically, I confessed I had never been.  One year, at the last minute on an unexpected free weekend, I decided to find out what all of the fuss was about. I also decided not to buy into Yosemite’s 6-month reservation calendar because my life could not accomodate long range plans like this. And as was my nature (a quality I hope to never lose), I just packed up a sleeping bag, some food, a flashlight, my journal, a knife and headed for the Yosemite Valley.

Half Dome

When I first entered the park, after gasping at the spectacular views, I found myself at the base of Half Dome, observing a mountain climber, along with about 50 other tourists. At this moment, still without a campsite for the night, I met a woman from New Zealand who was then living in Sedona. She, like me had also left for her Yosemite adventure without reservations. We buddied up and found a campsite right at dusk. This woman had come all the way to Yosemite to see a bear! She told me she had dreamt of coming to Yosemite to see a bear her entire life. I told her not to wish for that because it could mean trouble, though secretly, like all Yosemite or Yellowstone tourists, I wished to see a bear too!

 

Young Bear Yosemite- from Flickr Photo stream: StartAgain

While we were preparing the site for our dinner in the pitch black of the full-to-capacity campground, I suddenly heard this woman talking to someone. When I looked up, I saw her running through the campground with her flashlight after a young, adolescent sized black bear! As she ran after it, she was calling out for it to come to her like someone would call a dog. The bear must of thought this woman was as crazy as she was and it most assuredly escaped her madness with success. After he got away, we laughed at the story that we both knew would become a part of our individual Yosemite history. My other memories of Yosemite during that first visit were more introspective than the drama of a bear sighting so I will not recount them. There are just some things to keep to yourself. This Spring, I introduced the magic of Yosemite to my husband as well. It is a thrill to relive your own first time as you watch the eyes of a person seeing the Yosemite Valley for their first time. Yosemite was a birthday present with timeless value.

 

Tranquility

Most recently this past week, for the first time in years, I went camping at a small lake near Lake Tahoe with my daughter and my grandson. We camped for the better part of five days right next to the tranquil lakefront where we fished from our raft. We hiked to the top of a mountain where we saw a bald eagle protecting it’s young in a treetop nest; we roasted marshmallows; we gazed at the magnificent Milky Way Galaxy in awe of how miniscule our moments really are on this planet in the scheme of the life of the universe; we listened to nothing, to the stillness, to the birds and the chipmunks playing chase with our dog. We reveled in the gifts that nature offers us without asking anything in return, other than to protect it. We did this without cell phones or internet and we survived! Yes, after watching Ken Burns’ fabulous documentary following this most recent camping trip, I have a renewed commitment to ensure I do not deprive myself of these gifts of scenery and solitude I am so blessed to have-like every other American! Our state and national parks are ours only because of the tireless dedication of the many individuals that fought to preserve them during the last century. They fought to protect and maintain their beauty for us to enjoy.

Each park has it’s heroes and most importantly, the President of the era, who also understood the need to protect our National Treasures. I feel newly blessed to be able to live in the United States and to have the freedom to visit these glorious monuments of nature whenever I choose. I promise to always do my best to explore another park I haven’t seen, and to continue to share these parks with others who haven’t experienced the euphoria they offer.

We owe it to our children and grandchildren to share these blessings, whether we enjoyed them as children or not. In a down economy, or during a period of unemployment, what better gift to give our families than the peace, tranquility, and awesome magnificence that transcends momentary challenges. What better, economical gifts are there than those gifts that our natural world offers to us. Create your own stories, share these parks with your own children, Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. No matter what is going on in the planet, we still have our National Parks! Thank you Ken Burns for reminding us how absolutely blessed we all are as Americans, how reverent we owe ourselves to be for these gifts, and how those with persistence and vision beyond the moment have given us these timeless legacies. I wish every single American could watch this documentary from beginning to end. It is some of our most important national history to be learned and preserved. http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/

THANK YOU KEN BURNS! THIS DOCUMENTARY ON THE HISTORY OF OUR NATIONAL PARKS WAS YOUR BEST IDEA!

Most Gratefully,

Granny Pants

ANOTHER OXYMORONIC MOMENT-CALLING ALL GENIUSES!

Life is filled with oxymorons. This is the latest observation on a few of those in my life:

Wireless, Cordless Technology-There's Something Wrong With This Picture

I was so excited to get to my house in Mexico, knowing that I now had ‘wireless’ internet. I had also brought a ‘cordless’ phone to use during my trip. When I first walked in the front door and saw a small pile of wires attached to the box that housed my ‘wireless’ set-up; I was thrilled at the thought of being connected. The wires didn’t seem extraordinary at the time. Later the next day when I attached the cordless phone, I was just as excited. Now, I could make calls while lying in my hammock! What could be better? And, I could use the internet to communicate with the world from my little bungalow on the Mexican Riviera-I was still debating whether THIS was a good idea or not!

The next morning, I attempted to put my work station in order.  This view of my wireless, cordless state-of-the-art life is what I found. It had a spooky resemblance to the absolute chaotic piles of wires and technology my husband had in every corner of our house where technology lie. Those piles of tangled wireddrive me out of my wits, especially if I can see them. Now, I was also a guilty offender.

Help! Pre coffee let my patience short. I attempted to fix this mess again later-post caffeine-with no success.

Resigning to live this oxymoronic life until my other pending business was finished, I took a pic to capture the moment.

To this day, I still do not remember whether or not I actually untangled those wires for my house guests before I left? (I hope so!) I didn’t want to deal with this challenge during my precious time. I didn’t want this tangled challenge to ruin my euphoric moment of global connectivity either. (Maybe this is how my husband always felt.)

CAN SOMEONE ACTUALLY INVENT THIS THING WE CALL WIRELESS, CORDLESS TECHNOLOGY THAT ACTUALLY REMOVES THE WIRES AND CORDS FROM OUR LIFE ONCE AND FOR ALL?

Every time I travel, I am loaded down with wires and cords for my cell phone, camera, laptop, etc.. If I ever get to my destination and I don’t have one of those essential wires; well, you know what happens. I am stuck and stunted in my ability to function.

IT IS TIME FOR SOME REAL VISIONARY ENGINEERING HERE! If we can actually invent authentic wireless, cordless tools, we will also save a heap of environmental waste and cost.

JUST AN IDEA!

Granny Pants

Twitter: Value or Vanity?

Why do I Twitter?

This is the question each Twitter user will eventually ask when they come to the crossroads of either adopting or dropping Twitter as a way of life. We all know the following: The ‘new toy’ syndrome is short lived if the function does not bring value or satisfaction. Early adopters will try just about anything if they can see value and potential, while at the same time popular culture will try just about everything because everyone else is doing it. Both will drop a new ‘trend’ just ask quickly as they adopt it if there is no lasting value.

I think I fit into the former category. However, because I am not a ‘techie’ I study new trends before I adopt a new habit, so perhaps I fit into a middle category. Regardless, I took my time to step into the world of Twitter.

The thought of another social networking site filled with boring narratives about mundane activity did not stimulate or inspire me. Who cares what we are doing from moment to moment? For me, these endless vacant narratives are the epitomy of narcissism and an endless pit of wasted time.

I didn’t need time wasters. I needed value before I would become a ‘user’. I also wanted to make sure I would be providing value to others. I wanted to make sure I would actually have something to say if people followed me and that I was not just taking up cyberspace or just another notch on a member’s Twitter tree.

Initially, when I entered the Twitter world, I was seduced by the ‘recommended’ list of people to follow, but this list proved to be boring and unrelated to who I am-regardless of the lure of  ‘celebrity Twitter potential’. Celebrity does not impress me unless there is philanthropic or inspirational value to the twitters of the celebrity, little of which was occurring in the celebrity twitters I explored.

After a seemingly futile first attempt at finding value in Twitter, I realized I could discover on a daily basis what the people I was interested in were doing, thinking, acting on, and recommending.

The doors of Twitter opened. Following the thoughts of the creative minds and innovative leaders of our time was the song that spoke to me. Now I am an official Twitter user. Perhaps what is evolving for middle of the road users like myself is a new level of social networking that moves from narcissism and the mundane to an ability to reach others of like mind with a more efficient model. This is what I have found social networking to offer. I admit that I am a late bloomer like many of my same-age peers because now, I find myself excited about the potential of this phenomenon called social networking. The evolution of this discovery came in waves and has gone something like this:

My politically active spirit wanted to know what our new mayor of Sacramento, Kevin Johnson was up to every day! What is he really doing to improve our city’s image, economy, and quality of life? What is Gavin Newsom really up to in his race to Governor? Is his platform consistent with his SF mayorship? What is Jerry Brown doing with his time as California’s Attorney General? Is he focused on the governorship, or is he doing his job? What is the real future of the GOP up to, meaning Meghan McCain? Even though I am a Democrat, I believe Meghan McCain is the only current hope for the Republican party to gain the moderate Republican and youth vote. She exhibits common sense and hasn’t jumped on the irrational and hateful bandwagon that has recently hijacked the GOP.

Twitter gives me answers to these political questions on a daily basis.

And for a creative spirit that loves to be inspired, I follow ‘Etsy’ and other fun sites that update me on the latest creative inventions in DIY ideas.

Social networking entrepreneurs inform me on current trends and beneficial tech. functions that have the potential to enhance my business. Yes, Twitter has become a marketplace in many respects. The difference is that we choose who we market to and who markets to us. There is mutual agreement.

The eternal hunger to have an input system of media checks and balances sent me in search of ‘my’ reliable media sources on Twitter like DemocracyNow.org, Tavis Smiley, Treehugger (recognized by a Webby nomination in 2009), and whitehouse.gov (for the entire uncut, unfiltered version of our President’s speeches). Through Twitter I receive regular updates about newsworthy events that may never make it to mainstream television or popular internet media! The sites I have chosen to follow save me time; their ‘tweets’ dial in what I really want to know about: the behind the scenes events and activities of our time.

Then, there are those who are living a like-minded reality to mine. Many environmentally and socially conscious people and organizations have worthy businesses, blogs, and products that offer solutions for children, families, and global culture. By following these people on Twitter, I consider myself a helpful catalyst for their success while I continue to inform myself through their perspectives and industry progress. ( http://twitter.com/CWAE , http://twitter.com/askthedoula , http://canadian-natural-mama.blogspot.com/ ,  http://twitter.com/greenOD ,  http://twitter.com/Unnecesarean  are a few of my faves. ) Though as with everything, I found out through trial and error that there is a filtering process to following anyone if you want to prevent corporate driven information!  I learned to block people who were just interested in marketing to me or increasing their follower base. I learned to use key words and my own filtering methods to find like-minded users.

Today, Twitter has become a way for me to create my own media site in real time that is faster and richer than Facebook.  I receive the news and ideas on innovation that I want to hear, not what a corporation wants to feed me. I decide who I trust to give me information.

Twitter has given me more control over the media and information I am exposed to by my own design and I like it!

I spend less time on fruitless, mindless browsing as a result. I am more productive and more informed about what I care about, but I had to figure out how to actually make Twitter reflect my values before this value showed up!

OKAY, this does sound like a Twitter Promo, doesn’t it? I guess it’s just my way of saying Hooray! What could have been a fleeting trend has actually turned out to be a useful tool. This post will probably not change the minds of any current tweeters or savvy social networkers, but perhaps it will give the sceptics a different view of Twitter possibilities. For those who continue to use Twitter as a platform for the mundane,  C’est la vie!

Good luck in finding your own social networking value. If you are curious, you can check out who I follow on Twitter (which interestingly, are very different from my Facebook friends) @ http://twitter.com/GrannyPants. Some of those I follow have very informative twitters, others are merely a connection to maintain, but most importantly, all are by choice!

Christina Ivazes

a.k.a. Granny Pants

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated and have not been paid or rewarded by any entity of Twitter in any way. I also reserve the right to use Twitter as a platform for the mundane if I so choose.

IS IT REAL OR IS IT JUST ME?

What I Envisioned Years Ago With No Way to Make it Happen is Real Today!

Muggy Palo Alto Summer days

The cacophony of birds

Mix with unusual occurrences of mosquitos and beetles

Swarming in my bathroom at night.

 

Like messengers sent

Lest I forget.

These birds and bugs

Warm my heart

Sparking sweet memories of

sticky Julys in La Manzanilla.

 

How I longed to be there

But how?

Determined to get back to where I belong

After a long absence

I made the commitment

I found a way.

 

Renewed purpose

Replace nostalgia and longing

Once again

I would be heading home.

 

Like the annual reunions in Same Time Next Year

Romance

Joy

Giddiness

Sustain me

Through two last tough weeks at work.

 

I make my trek

Stepping off the plane in Manzanillo

Heat and humidity

Welcome me back!

 

After a year and a half

And eighteen hours of travel

I finally enter my house

La Casa Sagrada del Jaguar

I crash happy

I crash hard.

 

It doesn’t take long for

That familiar

Morning after feeling

To hit me like a brick the next day.

 

Awesome burdens

Expenses

Future repairs

Every where I looked.

 

Patio falling apart

Hammocks destroyed

Nowhere to lie to

Enjoy this luscious yard

Mattress ruined

How will I pay for all of this?

Am I living an illusion?

I escape these questions

With  a nap.

 

Breeze becomes wind

Cooling clouds return

Along with mosquitos

And beetles

And frogs

And birds

And towering

Flowering tamarindo trees

And a plethora of butterflies

Drinking from the blossoms of the

Huele de la Novia bush

I planted 8 years ago

Now it stands  12 ft. high

With a carpet of petals below.

 

I write

And write

And write

Tedious changes of my book revision

Bring fatigue with every page.

 

I walk outside

Smelling

Seeing

Hearing

My favorite things.

 

Nightime hits

Windows open

Intoxicating fragrance

Fill yard and house.

 

In this dizziness

I dream of Persian courtyards

Long ago.

 

Everywhere I look

(beyond my rotting patio)

Is beauty

The grace of nature.

 

Next day

Evening comes

Swollen dark clouds

Like milk filled breasts

Tease the soil.

 

After much anticipation

They release

Offering wet for all who thirst

I celebrate with

Every bird

Beetle

Palm tree

Petal

And person.

 

How glorious

Water can be

When we thirst

For so long.

 

Is it real or is it just me?

For now

I am not looking at

Things to be done

I am not worried about

How to do all of this

Or

How to pay for all of this.

 

I enjoy cool rain

Sounds of happy birds

Lusciousness

And this place

I call

Home!

 

Fresh

Clean

Thick air

Green

Wherever I look.

 

This is real

I am in love

And I think it’s for life!

MICHAEL JACKSON-YOU ARE A MIGHTY BRIGHT LIGHT!

This Is The View Of Michael I Had Next To My Bed As A Tween.

Can’t stop crying

Why is this affecting me so?

Why do you mean so much to me

Though I never knew you personally?

A loyal fan

For the past 40 years

As a child, you introduced me to music for the first time through ‘ABC’ & ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’

When I became single, you inspired me to free myself through dance with ‘Rock With Me’

With ‘Thriller’, you showed me the power of the genius to keep creating

With ‘Beat it’, you exemplified the cathartic release of anger through expression.

In ‘We Are the World’, you showed me the power and responsibility of celebrity to serve others

In your work with children, you shared my love and reverence for the precious responsibility we have caring for children across the globe.

I remember going to see you in concert in Denver, Colorado

Seeing you sing, ‘I’ll Be There’

Was one if the highlights of my life

I cried then too

Though they were tears of joy.

I feel and believe that now

You are hovering above the planet

With loving angels

Seeing it shine and vibrate with your love

Your gifts

Your music

Affirming above all

Why you came to us

You Beautiful Being!

The highest powers there are

Have already forgiven you for any and every

Thing you ever did that may have been incorrect, inappropriate, or inconceivable

As we all will be equally forgiven someday too!

God’s Love seeks only Purity

And because of this

I honor your Pure Soul, Michael

Your Bright Light

The Bright Light of your Spirit

That will live forever

In every song of yours we play

In every video of yours we watch

In every photo of you we see

Thank you Michael Jackson

WE LOVE YOU!

You have given us so much!

YOU HAVE MADE A CHANGE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSqo17o2a1w

Are You A Mentor But Don’t Know It?

We may not realize it, but for those who have little support in their lives, the little things we do to teach someone about life and their personal potential can have a monumental impact on their future and the future of those they impact. Mentoring is not only imparting wisdom to someone who needs it, it is recognizing and validating the potential of the individual, especially when they may not see it in themselves. A few weeks ago I was reminded of how powerful a mentor can be. Since then, I have been reflecting on the people in my life who did little things that changed the course of what could have been:

• Professor Sheldon Harmatz, high school Science teacher. He always gave me a hard time for missing most of my early morning Science classes for two semesters. Complaining they were too early, I signed up for his late morning Environmental Science class the third semester. Always on time, I became a model student. He reinforced my participation by inviting me to discuss topics over lunch now and then, always professional in every way.  Mr. Harmatz gave me a reason to want to go to school. Years later when I returned to Sunnyvale with my three little girls, I looked him up. He had just had his first baby and was SO thrilled to invite us into his home whereas he played the birth video of his first child while we all ate pizza. Sheldon Harmatz was the only teacher during my spotty primary and secondary education who showed me I was worth the effort. He was the only adult in my childhood who spoke out about the necessity for me to be a responsible participant in my education.  Mr. Harmatz also fostered the lasting passion for environmental responsibility I have carried into every aspect of my life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDQyoUZB9us&feature=channel_page 

 

• La Leche League International provided me with mentors that lasted for years as I also learned to mentor other mothers. Being a young mother from a difficult childhood, I needed someone to show me a better way to raise my children, a healthier way to bring up my three daughters. The members of La Leche League did this and more. I learned how to handle the challenges of mothering through loving guidance, which to this day, I believe saved me and my children. They showed me how to do it right, even though there were still many imperfect moments of mothering. I had a new model to aspire to other than my own past conditioning. What I received from LLLI (www.llli.org)  I also went on to share with my own daughters who are now mothers themselves. This healthy foundation became the philosophy for my work with children throughout my entire life.

 

• Judy Green and Robert Schellenberger introduced me to the exciting potential of biofeedback and non-traditional counseling methods during my first year of college work study. I studied and worked under Judy Green, daughter of Elmer and Alyce Green—the pioneers of biofeedback—while working at Aims Biofeedback Lab in Greeley, Colorado. This synchronistic experience enhanced the important pieces of a program I would later create and implement during my teaching career. Judy’s husband, Professor Schellenberger insisted we learn actual counseling techniques as freshmen, which we did. Today, my family members still benefit from the Gestalt techniques in dream interpretation I learned in that first year of college.

 

• Jose Montoya—what a rebel! I remember how impressive it was to find out that his book of poetry was actually banned from the CSUS library in the 70’s, the very same university this Poet Laureate was teaching at when I took his class,  Art and The Child. Jose introduced me to Rudolfo Anaya, Caesar Chavez, and active Chicano role models like himself working to improve the lives of immigrants and their children in the U.S. During class, Jose taught us to understand what it was like to be a creative being in a learning environment. Comprehending the purity and necessity of the creative process, I recalled the events from childhood that had stifled much of my own creativity. I promised to help encourage this in all of my future students, a promise I still strive to carry out today.  Compassionate activism for the Latino struggle in the U.S. has also become one of my torches thanks to Jose Montoya.

 

• Doctor Ennis McDaniel gave me the confidence and guidance to become a biofeedback intern and stress management teacher. His phenomenal skills crafted my training, allowing me to find my own style and ability to empower others in their self-awareness and healing. His mentoring gave me the confidence to design innovative biofeedback and relaxation techniques which I utilized to help hundreds of at-risk students. Though Ennis is no longer with us, memories of his wise and gentle spirit continue on.

 

• Dan Retuta taught me hypnotherapy, intuitive healing, and that healing ourselves was primary before we could be authentic when helping others. His warm guidance, support of my personal process, and complete professionalism gave me a new level of self-worth. I went on to extend this wisdom to my classes where I used these techniques to help students find their own self-worth and inner peace.

 

• Maria del Rosario Casanova al Caraz is one of the most poignant mentors in my life. She is the grandmother of my goddaughter Alondra in Manzanillo, Colima-Mexico. The mother of ten children, today Rosario is 74. Not only does she make the spiritual trek, walking on foot and camping for 7 days every year to make the pilgrimage up to Il Talpa, she is the most gentle, humble, loving, maternal person I have ever met. The nuances of motherhood and grandmotherhood she has displayed in the twenty something years I have known her are so numerous, gracious, and profound, I will not list them here, save this one. I always feel warmth when I remember they way she showed me how to wash beans. Yes, beans! For about 3-5 minutes, she gently caressed the beans while swishing them in a bowl of fresh water from the pila. This, she said, takes away the gas. No need to boil or soak overnight. The love and care she put into washing those beans for those few minutes was one of the most tender and memorable gestures towards providing nourishment for a family, proving that what we think while we work for our loved ones effects the outcome. Her children and grandchildren have the utmost endearing respect and love for Rosario. I don’t believe I will ever reach her grace and humility, but through her actions and most importantly, her non-reactions, I understand how simple flowing acts of love make life much more harmonius for all mankind.

 

• Earle J. Conway, former principal of Sierra Mountain High School in Grass Valley, California gave me permission to introduce my programs to his students. His confidence and trust in me—like a supportive parent—allowed me to flourish in my teaching career at this school for over five years. I was given space and the freedom to create a variety of innovative programs for the school’s at-risk students. These programs offered refuge and coping skills, but could not have been possible without Earle’s continual support. At times, those in charge are so threatened by changes that they look past solutions. Earle was a leader who saw the potential in every staff member and gave them the freedom to find what worked best, which brought out the best in everyone, staff and students alike.

 

• Finally, though there are so many more mentors in my life—like my aunt, my uncle, and my grandmother, I will end this train of thought with one of the most spectacular non-family mentors I was blessed to have known: Robert B. Choate, Jr. whom I knew as Bob. The most interesting thing about Bob is though he died May 3rd of this year at 84 years old and since I last saw him about 1 1/2 years ago, his mentoring continues. We first met in Nevada City. I was running a community meeting to boost support for a skatepark project I had been working on for about five years at that time. Captivated by the cause, Bob stepped in to become a part of our BOD, bringing much needed political savvy to the project. Knowing the power of the media and feeling impressed by my dedication to this youth driven project, Bob went on to nominate me for a Daily Point of Light Award, which I did receive on September 17, 1998. Bob’s national clout (I am only just realizing from the wealth of history in his obituaries this past month) gave us the boost we needed to finally bring our project to completion. (I am now studying how to approach a future campaign of mine from the blueprint of his successful campaign against the junk food industry in the 70’s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_B._Choate,_Jr. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/us/13choate.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=robert%20choate&st=cse. Who would have known that an outcast fifteen year-old sitting on that park bench at Fair Oaks Park in Sunnyvale, cutting classes with no hope, no goals, no support for a future, would receive a national award of distinction by a major player like this someday! Bob’s recognition was the ultimate message of what I was capable of and what I had yet to do. Though a book could be written on what Bob taught me in the few years we interacted, there is a particular statement he made to me one day that has inspired me to think bigger regarding the potential I had to help others. He told me, ”Christina, you are just a big fish in a small pond”. That statement set me free! It became the impetus to think of my life’s work beyond the borders of Nevada County.

 

Every one of us has our own mentors, and I have used actual names to recognize the positive impact of my own. The little things we do, the things we say to remind others of their worth and their potential do matter. Words can be as inspiring to the human spirit as they can be inhibiting. To all of the people who are mentors and may not know it, thank you, because what you say and do has unforeseen impacts! You shape our lives, our direction, our self-concepts. Mentoring is the gift that really does keep on giving, like the ripples from a pebble in a pond that often continue further than we realize.  This is also a reminder for us to choose our words carefully, because you just never know!

The Secret Garden-Revisited

Every Garden is a Blessing!

As Spring approached this year, I discovered myself devouring the colorful front yard gardens of downtown Palo Alto with a hunger I haven’t felt for some time. Every week, the longing for my own garden in Sacramento grew, the deep desire to compost, grow vegetables and plant more flowers. This seasonal hunger to garden has been with me for as long as I can remember, but more voracious than ever this Spring.

While strolling by well-established gardens—each filled with surprises—my own deep need for roots was awakened again; a need for a place where I know I will enjoy the fruits of my labor year after year, without the typical uprooting I have experienced throughout my life. Though no matter how much I myself have moved, nothing will stop me from enjoying the gardens of others.

Daily meanderings took me to a creek with a green strip of psuedo forest on one side and lovely, open, bountiful gardens on the other. One day I marveled at a huge black crow chasing a white cat into the bush, laughing at how comical nature can be.

Each weekend when I returned to Sacramento, I was curious though as to why people in my own Sacramento neighborhoods didn’t have gardens like these. Why did I feel such an affinity for the Palo Alto gardens? Why was I one of the few growing flowers in my own community?

Then came the evening while reading Virginia Woolf’s, The Common Reader, when a familiar title flashed by in one of her essays: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Like a knee-jerk reflex, a familiar magical flutter filled me as I recalled the tattered, dingy, green bound book with its gold-embossed title; the book I had read so, so long ago. Warm inside like always when remembering this story, I savored the feelings it brought me.

Sunny Spring days continued and Palo Alto’s gardens proliferated with boundless colors, intensifying my hunger, yet also the gratitude for this blessed environment I found myself in—this particular year. During an unlikely detour one afternoon, I passed a home surrounded not by welcome, but by mystery. Its high fence was covered with overgrown roses and bushes meant to keep curiousity like mine at bay. I peeked where tiny openings allowed, catching a view that was followed by a flash, this was a ‘Secret Garden’!

Once again, my mind wandered back to explore the past. There was an answer for me somewhere in this story, The Secret Garden. It had deeply effected my view and appreciation of nature as a child, an appreciation and a hunger that have stuck with me throughout my life; a hunger that hits me every Spring and everywhere there are reminders.

I had to understand how this came about. I would re-read the book, hopefully solving the mystery of my serious need for nature.

Reflecting to a few years back, I remembered buying my eleven year-old niece a set of classic books, books which she gobbled up in a few weeks—much like I did at her age. I remembered the envy and pleasure I felt when she told me she had finished, The Secret Garden. I knew she now had something magical that would stay with her forever. I wished I could have shared the enchantment of this story with my grandaughters too, but they were in a different world by then; I had missed my window of opportunity—before the obsessions of boys, friends, text messaging, and social networking sites.

So, giving myself permission to be a curious child again, off I steered towards Bell’s Books on Emerson Ave. in Palo Alto; one of the last holdouts in fine new and used books after 65 years! The co-owner who I usually talked to would understand my feelings about this story. When I entered and found her free, we shared thoughts of the book, her detailed memories being more vivid than my own. I could not remember when I had read it, but it must have been somewhere between nine and ten years old before my own obsession with mysteries started—about forty years ago!

As I perused the volumes of children’s classics, the familiar binding from my past was not to be found so I chose an inexpensive paperback version to get me started, one I could pass on to others. I couldn’t wait to begin; I opened the book and started reading it as I walked down the street, looking forward to my break so I could indulge myself completely.

While I began reading this classic book from my childhood I devised a theory about the difference between the downtown Palo Alto gardens and others. Since Stanford University is close and downtown Palo Alto is filled with Stanford faculty, who are of course educated in the classics, perhaps these homeowners were creating their own gardens in reminiscence of the magic they felt after reading The Secret Garden.

The Secret Garden DID answer the questions to my passion for nature. But I had not predicted that it would answer so many questions about who I am today.

How fortunate I was to have read this as a child, to understand how nature works, how receptive she is to us as humans, and how vital she is to our well-being, no matter our age. I bought a hardback copy for my six year-old grandson so he and my daughter could enjoy it as well. I didn’t want to miss another opportunity to share this vital message with my offspring.

Although it never dwindled, I am filled with renewed reverence for the wonderous feelings and hunger for all of nature, even as they come with a bittersweet accent this late Spring. Upon my return to Sacramento last week, I found out we are losing our home to the bank and once again, I will uproot myself to God knows where, still longing for my own romantic secret garden someday.  Until then, I will be enjoying the gorgeous gardens of others, always hungry, always searching, yet always grateful every time I hear the song of a bird or see the blossom of a flower. Nothing can take away the magic that nature has given me in my life, not even the bank!