Earth Day and Everyday, Love Your Mother!

One
by Mary Oliver

The mosquito is so small
it takes almost nothing to ruin it.
Each leaf, the same.
And the black ant, hurrying.
So many lives, so many fortunes!
Every morning, I walk softly and with forward glances
down to the ponds and through the pinewoods.
Mushrooms, even, have but a brief hour
before the slug creeps to the feast,
before the pine needles hustle down
under the bundles of harsh, beneficent rain.
How many, how many, how many
make up a world!
And then I think of that old idea: the singular
and the eternal.
One cup, in which everything is swirled
back to the color of the sea and sky.
Imagine it!
A shining cup, surely!
In the moment in which there is no wind
over your shoulder,
you stare down into it,
and there you are,
your own darling face, your own eyes.
And then the wind, not thinking of you, just passes by,
touching the ant, the mosquito, the leaf,
and you know what else!
How blue is the sea, how blue is the sky,
how blue and tiny and redeemable everything is, even you,
even your eyes, even your imagination.

Peace Tree

My latest design sort of brings together Earth Day and Mother's Day (which are both right around the corner) and a favorite quote of mine. It is available on this lovely eco shopping bag (pictured), T-shirts for both Mamas and Papas, and some little onesies for the little ones.

Hope you enjoy this original design!

In Praise of Neti

I had only heard of a Neti pot until I experienced a couple of weeks of horrible ear and sinus pressure and my lovely naturopath advised me to get one. After my first try, and it was a bit tricky this first time around, I immediately felt relief and I was hooked. The basic premise is to fill this tiny vessel with warm salt water and carefully pour it into one nostril and out the other. I'll admit that the image is not all that attractive, but the results are really amazing and by my second try I found the process to be really easy.

The history of the Neti Pot, Jala Neti or Jal Neti, which means "cleansing with water" in Sanskrit, is a long one. It is an ancient Ayurvedic technique and one of the six cleansing processes of Yoga. It is said to not only cleanse the sinuses of dirt and pollutants, but it also relieves the problematic symptoms of sinus infections and seasonal allergies. Jal Neti also provides instantaneous results, unlike most medications that are generally accompanied by horrible side effects as well. According to the ancient practice of Ayurvedic medicine, it is also believed to soothe or cool the brain and therefore provide relief from headaches, mental stress and depression, along with aiding in meditation.

How have I made it so long without this wonderful little pot?

Mysteries, Yes

Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous
to be understood.

How grass can be nourishing in the
mouths of the lambs.
How rivers and stones are forever
in allegiance with gravity
while we ourselves dream of rising.
How two hands touch and the bonds
will never be broken.
How people come, from delight or the
scars of damage,
to the comfort of a poem.

Let me keep my distance, always, from those
who think they have the answers.

Let me keep company always with those who say
"Look!" and laugh in astonishment,
and bow their heads.

~ Mary Oliver ~

World Autism Awareness Day

photo credit Terry O'Neill from The Autism File


Today is the second annual World Autism Awareness Day. It seems that the Autism rate continues to climb and as it does controversy continues to surround this disorder. Can you believe we still do not have an actual population report on how many children have been diagnosed with Autism to date? In 2007 the CDC released a study of prevalence based on children in 14 states. It was determined, in that study, that 1 in 150 children have ASD (Autism spectrum disorder) and that boys are affected 4 times as often as girls. Many claim that the 14 states studied do not portray an accurate window on the US as a whole. States with higher rates of ASD, such as California, were not included in the numbers reported. Even the CDC notes that "...the prevalence estimates should not be generalized to every community in the United States. Although accurate for the areas we studied, rates may be higher or lower in other areas."

It seems that we are beginning to unlock some of the mystery surrounding Autism with early intervention, and new styles of treatment are becoming recognized for their positive outcomes. Unfortunately, most children on the Autistic Spectrum do not have access to this care, and are less likely to receive treatment than other special needs children. A bill has been introduced to require insurance companies to cover treatment for children diagnosed with ASD. Check out Autism Votes for more information on the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009 and how to contact your representatives. Children with ASD deserve treatment and care as much as those with any other childhood illness or disorder.

As a mama of a boy under the age of 2, the fear of this mysterious disorder is always in the back of my mind. I am always weighing what I think is best and worrying about the things I can not control like toxins, pollutants, and those IV antibiotics they made my son take when he was less than 24 hours old. My heart goes out to the amazing, strong mothers of the children diagnosed with ASD. They are the ones who will get this figured out. They are the ones who will fight for their babies until we can get some answers. We have them to thank for the bits and pieces of information that have so far come to light. I wish them all of the best in their fight.
Polly Tommey is one of these mothers. She founded the UK charity The Autism Trust and is editor-in-chief of The Autism File magazine. Today the trust lauched a campaign to coincide with World Autism Day and the Autism File magazine cover has started a global response from mothers of children with ASD.

For more information than could be given in this post, visit autismspeaks.org and generationrescue.org