Ahhhhhh...music

"For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given..." The strains of Handel's Messiah fill my office/sewing room as I wrap gifts, make doll clothes for a granddaughter and finish up my year-end bookkeeping. Music has always been an integral part of my Christmas celebration, synonymous with the joy of shepherds "watching over their flocks by night" and my younger self leaning over a balcony railing to see the Nutcracker prince defeat the evil mouse king. There are many things lost with chronic illness, but music, whether on a frosty Christmas morning or in the middle of a painful summer night, has the power to calm the troubled heart and sooth the hungry soul.

My friend Celia with MCS knows firsthand the balm of music. No longer able to lead the music in her church congregation because of recently laid (glued down) carpet, her home is nevertheless filled with many a "joyful noise." Her son, now with a family of his own, plays the piano and her daughter Cati is a harpist. Cati gets no complaint from her mother when her regular evening job and additional church performances this time of year require her to put in longer hours of practice. Celia's younger daughter Carrie came to their family from Romania nine years ago, a five-year-old unable to speak English. Yet, within her was the musical heritage of her ancestors, the universal language through which she so beautifully expresses herself on her violin. At a recent "Christmas Around the World" church activity, Carrie, somewhat unsure of herself in other realms, was able to speak the thoughts and feelings that she finds more difficult to express with words. And when Cati and Carrie weave their music together in duets, Heaven is truly in that home.

Music has changed for me over the years. Like Celia, I once directed the music in church meetings and, for many years, sat at the organ. Throughout the year, but especially at Christmas time, my cello was part of a piano trio performing for church gatherings, wedding receptions and business parties. When arthritis, fibromyalgia and chemical sensitivities put an end to my performance days, I mourned the loss. However, the art of listening has replaced the hours of practice and more than filled the void. My ears have learned new rhythms and the subtle nuances of counterpoint in a Beethoven symphony inspire me to notice the details in other aspects of my life. And, despite my limitations, the piano in my living room does not sit idle all the time. My own daughter often sits down to play when she is here to visit, and these old hands of mine can still pound out a pretty fair rendition of "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Up on the Housetop" when five-year-old Morgan calls out, "Grandma, Grandma, play me some music!"

Another "Well, duh!" Moment

According to H. Josef Hebert and Dina Cappiello of the Associated Press, "The Obama administration took a major step Monday [Dec. 7] toward imposing the first federal limits on climate-changing pollution from cars, power plants and factories, declaring there was compelling scientific evidence that global warming from man made greenhouse gases endangers Americans' health." [emphasis added]

Really? What a surprise. The effects of pollution endanger our health? Who would have thought?

I read this statement in the Tuesday morning Helena Independent Record and all I could say was, "Well, duh!"

I know there's a lot of controversy (at least among non-scientists) about the efficacy and ramifications of global warming. As far as I'm concerned, they can argue until they're blue in the face. Whether or not they believe that global warming is taking place, or question whether or not it is man made, is not as important to me as the fact that pollution sickens and kills living things. I am interested in these other arguments only to the extent that the constant bickering prevents real progress in cleaning up the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil in which we grow our food.

My message to the powers that be (lawmakers and corporations) is simply, "Clean up your act by cleaning up the world." Get a clue, people.

Merry (Non-toxic & Eco-friendly) Holidays

As I sit at my desk in Helena, Montana, the scene outside my office window is right off of a Currier and Ives Christmas card. The prevalent color is white, from sky to trees to roofs to road and everything in between. A pile of wrapped gifts sits on the floor next to me, waiting for just a few more things to arrive in the mail before they are sent off to children and grandchildren next week.


Planning for, shopping for and creating gifts are a big part of my December celebration, but holiday shopping can be particularly problematic for people with chemical sensitivities. Though I'm a strong advocate of shopping locally, much of this years gifts have been purchased online. When I have ventured into a local store, it's been first thing in the morning on a week day, and many stores I avoid all together due to those evil scented pine cones that so many of them carry this time of year.


Needless to say, none of the gifts I've purchased this year have any scent. However, I have tried to go beyond just "unscented," looking for items that are useful, needed and as non-toxic as possible. I've not been 100% successful, and I'm certainly not pointing to myself as the best example, but here are some of the gifts I'm giving this year (without being too specific so as to maintain an element of surprise).


Piggy Paint "Natural as Mud" non-toxic nail polish & remover, for the five-year-old granddaughter who just has to have her toenails painted.


Glass mixing & storage bowls for a new homeowner (she's already received them--just couldn't wait).


Organic cotton pajamas for the little ones.


Natural nuts in interesting bottles I've gathered, for the neighbors.


Organic free-trade chocolate, for the chocoholics in the family.


Cotton towels.


Several hand-crocheted hats, scarves and a pink sweater.


Doll clothes made from leftover cotton scraps.


Olive oil lamps (from Lehmans )


Homemade certificates for childcare services. (I got the templates from Microsoft online.)


Pottery from a local studio.


A sewing kit and embroidery kit (for two grandchildren) made up of several things from my own sewing basket.


Items purchased from the Great Old Broads for Wilderness fall auction.


And last, but definitely not least, books.

Books are a problem, because most of them really aren't non-toxic or very eco-friendly. However, I just can't NOT give books. So I compromise (somewhat). Several books I'm giving this year were purchased used, and most of the new ones are paper bound. [Unless they're hand-bound, hardbound books take more natural resources to produce and use more glue (nasty-nasty) than paper bound.] And all of the books are ones that I believe will be kept and treasured for years, not just looked at and left to gather dust.


Though I'm pretty much finished with shopping for this year, I'd love to have more ideas to add to my file for next year.


Happy gifting!

Accepting MCS and other Chronic Illness

Carefully folded into each of the almost-100 cards sitting on my desk and waiting to be mailed is our annual family Christmas letter. It's no secret that I like to write, and what could be better than writing about my own family? This year I've also mentioned the success we've had in working toward fragrance-free church buildings. MCS is so much a part of my life it makes sense to mention it in this letter. However, I did hesitate, because bringing up the subject will likely solicit the response of some well-meaning friend or family member who has heard of some miracle cure for all my ills. I understand the love and concern that comes with these recommendations, but I still don't appreciate them.

Those who know me know that I am no fan of medical doctors, and I am always open to new ideas for improved health and well-being. However, I will be forever indebted to the doctor who, eleven years ago, gave an honest reply to my question, "When will I be completely better?" Looking me directly in the eyes, but with a note of sadness in his voice, he explained that I would never be "completely better," that I had incurred permanent damage to organs and body systems (particularly my adrenal glands). Anyone with chronic illness knows the sobering feelings and thoughts that were mine that day and in the days to come. Yet, there came a time, not long afterwards, that I decided to accept what I couldn't change and work on what I could. That was a turning point for me.

Some make the accusation that accepting illness is giving up hope, but I would contend that it is quite to the contrary. By focusing on the things I can change (like diet, exercise and daily schedule) and accepting the things I cannot, I open myself up to hope for a life that can be full and sustaining, albeit different from the norm. By appreciating the things I do have (like supporting family members, a safe home and productive work I can do at my own pace) and putting aside what I have lost, I can move forward and enjoy my new life one day at a time.
There is a wonderful article on The Canary Report today about "The false promise of miracle cures for MCS," including ten characteristics of false cures for any illness. I wholeheartedly agree with the authors that such "cures" are a waste of our precious time and energy. I prefer to use what little residual energy I have on education and activism to lower the amount of chemicals in the environment and make the world, even if it's just my little corner of it, safer for everyone.

Macy's

I received a phone call yesterday from a person in the circulation department of our local newspaper, informing me that the Macy's advertising insert for Thanksgiving Day would be scented. She had already spoken with our paper carrier and they had tried to figure out a way to get a paper to us sans Macy's insert. However, there was some concern that they would either forget or the other papers would contaminate ours, so we decided to just cancel our paper delivery for that day.

Believe it or not, I used to shop at Macy's occasionally (holding my breath as I ran past the cosmetic counter). They have some great sales. However, I quit going in there and had my name removed from their mailing list some time ago, after receiving a scented ad in the mail. Now I can say that I am really done with Macy's, and I sent them an email to that effect. I also gave them a few statistics about the prevalence of chemical sensitivity in the general population (an estimated 1 in 16) and the danger to the asthmatic population that perfumes and other scented products present.

If anyone else has an interest in writing to Macy's, they can be reached at the following addresses (not found on their website):

email: customerservice@macys.com

phone: 1-800-289-6229

snail mail: Macy's Customer Service
PO Box 8215
Mason, OH 45040

Their corporate offices are located at:
685 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Enjoy the turkey, but skip the newspaper ads.

Signs (an update)

Some time ago I mentioned in a post that we had been given permission to put up permanent signs in our church buildings. Well, happy day! The signs are up!

On each entry (glass door) to every building (a total of twenty doors in five buildings) are posted the following words:

Welcome

Our goal is to provide a fragrance-free environment

for everyone. In love and respect for others, please

refrain from using scented products on days you

come to Church.

"Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it

unto one of the least of these...ye have done it unto

me." [Matthew 25:40]

These door signs are made of vinyl lettering attached directly to the glass.

In addition, the larger four buildings have interior signs at the doors to the back of the chapel areas. These signs read as follows:

To enable those who are chemically sensitive to attend church, the overflow area of the chapel has been designated as a fragrance-free zone. If you are wearing a scented product of any kind, please be sure to sit in another part of the chapel.

The outside door signs (vinyl lettering) were purchased locally from a vinyl sign business. The interior signs were ordered and sent to us from LDS Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were made to match the other interior signs in specific buildings, and they look official. The goal is to have all of our buildings entirely fragrance-free, but we don't want to turn anyone away. Thus the wording of the interior signs.


I have been asked what we had to do to get these signs. The first step was to get the local church leaders (stake presidency and bishops, the lay clergy) on board. Then we needed the okay of the Facilities Management (FM) people (Church employees) , who were not initially in favor of permanent signs. It was only after I wrote a letter to the FM office in Salt Lake City, outlining the need for these signs and the support of local leaders, that we received permission to put them up. If you have local leaders who are willing to have signs in your buildings, I would recommend having these leaders contact your regional FM director or your regional DTA (Director of Temporal Affairs). Please feel free to site the Helena Montana Stake as an example of how this has been done. My husband (who is a member of our stake presidency) and I would be happy to give anyone more detailed information about the ongoing goal of the Helena Montana Stake to make all our buildings fragrance free. We can be reached by email at wheelpub (at) mt (dot) net.

Home Again

Well, it's done. My house has been torn apart and put back together again, and I can finally say that overall, it was a successful project. The main objective was to rid the house of the mold in the walls and the sub-flooring. This was accomplished, and my worst fear (that I wouldn't be able to live in the house once it was done) has NOT been realized.

That doesn't mean it's been an easy month and a half. Like all projects, it took a little longer than anticipated. I am fortunate to have a daughter and her husband (and two adorable grandsons) who tolerated me sleeping on their couch for several weeks. They kept me busy and distracted me when construction frustrations reached a breaking point, which was often. And thank goodness for a phone that made it possible for me to be in constant contact with the project manager and my husband Randl (who was trying to live and work in the house through it all).

So here are some of the things we learned in the process (listed in no particular order):
--When you're the one paying the bills, you get to call the shots (regardless of what the "expert" builders think).
--A contractor is only as good as his sub-contractors.
--There are MANY chemically safe or safer building products available. You just have to go looking for them.
--Sub-contractors don't like to go looking for building materials or use materials with which they are unfamiliar.
--Don't assume someone understands your point of view. Explain, explain, explain!
--The best project manager in the U.S. (possibly in the world) is right here in Helena, Montana. His name is Mark.
--Painters march to the beat of their own drummers (and they're in a different parade than mine).
--Ceramic tile is relatively inexpensive but very practical, not to mention beautiful (especially when installed well).
--Glass tile is VERY expensive, but one little row of it can turn an otherwise blah room into a private spa (well, almost).
--A second shower in the house is a good thing.
--Covering the bathroom window with only a half-curtain lets the sunshine in and, combined with yellow walls, cheers the soul, even on a cold Montana morning.

There was still some odor from the building products when I came home, so we ran the air purifier and the three new fans around the clock for a week or so. But all I can smell today is the pumpkin from our garden cooking in the steamers on the stove. As soon as I get my new hall closet doors up, the whole project will really be finished. It's time to move on.