November 16, 2008
Pajamas Media: Phyllis Chesler just had a difficult hospital experience
Every Hospital Patient Has a Story: The Decline of Compassionate Care giving in American Hospitals.
"Assuming we, the people, actually manage to pay for health insurance for every American–how in God’s name will we also manage to pay for a quality of care giving that is professional, and above all, compassionate?"
Impossible!
Thanks for sharing, this is the very reason that many mothers are opting for home childbirth. Nightmares during the birth process can lead to post partum depression and very toxic babies from too many drugs.
Socializing the whole mess will just make it that much more dangerous for families.
Jenny Hatch
Please watch this video from a mother who experienced “typical western medical care” during his first birth and then gave birth alone at home during her second birth.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 5:26 AM
October 14, 2008
It's that time of year! Cold and Flu Season Natural remedies
Jenny’s Flu Soup:
2 onions
2 bulbs of garlic (about 20 cloves)
2 tablespoons sea salt
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup oatstraw tea (you may need to go to a health food store to get this)
2 tablespoons flax seed
¼ c Red Raspberry leaf tea
½ cup quinoa
1 cup brown lentils
½ cup sprouted brown lentils
2 potatoes
10 large carrots
1 tsp cumin
10 whole coriander seeds
Essential oils of Thyme and Oregano
Dried herbs of Thyme, Oregano, and Parsley
Directions for soup:
Cook onions, garlic, and olive oil in a pot. Add in chopped potatoes, carrots, and one Tablespoon of the sea salt. Let this cook for a few minutes, then add in the Quinoa, and sprouted lentils. (Sprouted lentils have the highest concentration of vitamin C of any food). To sprout lentils just cover a half cup of them with water over night. Drain in the morning and keep them wet until a ¼ inch tendril of sprout is detected. (This takes about 35 hours)
Fill a separate pot with two quarts of water to make soup stock. Add in the peels from the garlic, flaxseed, the oatstraw, raspberry leaf tea, and the peels from the carrots and potatoes. Bring the stock up to a hard boil for twenty minutes.
Cover the cup of brown lentils with water in a bowl. After soaking them for a few minutes, add the lentils and the water to the soup.
After the stock is finished boiling, strain the liquid into the soup pot. Recover the stock vegetables with another 2 quarts of water, and bring to a boil. Once again, strain the stock vegetables and add that liquid to the pot of soup. This ensures that the maximum amount of nutrients from the herbs will be included in the stock. This stock is chock full of essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.
Add in the ten whole Coriander seeds. Cover the pot and let simmer for three hours.
To finish the soup, add in the drops of Essential oils of Thyme and Oregano (one or two drops of each) – Therapeutic grade oils are best, and then toss in the dried herbs.
Here is a video I put together this morning to share the steps of making the soup, it took about 25 minutes to put the ingredients together, with about three hours simmer time.
You Tube Version
My Young Living Essential Oils Web Site It is a great time of year to put in a supply of Oregano and Thyme Essential Oils to use for family wellness. I use these oils (one or two drops each on the feet of my children) when they are threatening a cold or flu. I just massage the oil into the childs feet and then cover it with Olive Oil. This has an amazing effect on just about any seasonal illness that we are struggling with.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 4:37 AM
June 7, 2008
Fox News: Greta Van Susteren interviews Jenny McCarthy "On the Record" on her sons Autism
I thought this interview was the best one Jenny has done so far. Thanks Fox and Greta for taking the time to do such a great interview.
PS Who does not bother to be "fair and balanced" on this blog, and thus will NOT share the recent letter from the American Academy of Pediatrics on Autism and the Green our Vaccines Rally.
My blog Mission Statement is "Healthy Families Make A Healthy World". Vaccines are being used by Globalist Elitists to implement a Population Reduction Agenda in our society. Because of that fact, I do not, nor will I ever trust a Big Pharma Vaccine for me or my children and will go to jail rather than allow my little ones to be poisoned.
Here are three documentary movies that will help educate you about these statements of fact:
David Ayoub, M.D. goes through the relations of Mercury to Autism as well its connections to “National Security Study Memorandum 200”; for population control. Showing its shocking connections to today’s G.A.V.I. Are powerful forces really trying to help the poor people or could it be for another agenda; the sterilization of the poor?
This is an upsetting video, so brace yourself.
Endgame by Alex Jones
We Become Silent
These are my three favorite videos that expose the frauds of the Pharmaceutical Companies.
Take the time to give them a look. Then the Vaccine Story will make sense to you as a consumer of health care. These movies and the types of information they contain explain WHY I call the Medical Profession, and the Pharmaceutical companies that give them their marching orders, the Whore of Babylon as described in the Book of Revelations in the Bible.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 6:59 AM
March 29, 2008
Freebirth: A Message to Obstetricians from Jenny Hatch, "Physician Heal THYSELF!!"
This video is hosted on My Share Page at One True Media
In the past few months four obstetrics societies have made public statements about Unassisted Childbirth.
The Canadian Doctors (SOGC):
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)
The Australian and New Zealand Doctors:
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
The Royal College (RCOG) in the UK:
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG)
And in a recent article in the Denver Westword Newspaper (I was interviewed for this story)
A Spokesperson for ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) claimed freebirth was "dangerous".
Childbirth goes solo.
By Jared Jacang Maher
Published: May 10, 2007
"According to the guidelines of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the organization "strongly opposes" any birth not performed inside a hospital. A spokesman for the ACOG has a one-word assessment of freebirth: "dangerous."
I have just one message for these doctors, and it is this:
"The moral of the proverb is counsel to prove your trustworthiness with your own affairs before attempting to tell others what they should do."
Break out of the Matrix!
When the various obstetrics societies PROVE that they have the will to reform themselves internally by setting up standards of care that are more about the mother and the baby than they are about the doctor and staff at the hospital, then I will feel more open about listening to any edicts they have about my lifestyle.
Hey Doctors: why don't you set some goals....
1. No inductions before 41 weeks
2. 10% C-section rate
3. No elective C-sections
4. Full acceptance of Lay and Nurse Midwifery both in the home and at the hospital
5. A Complete and total acceptance of VBAC (Vaginal Birth after Cesarean)
6. A willingness to embrace proper prenatal nutrition as the foundation for a healthy pregnancy as outlined by the Brewer Pregnancy Diet
When society stops locking up our midwives for bogus reasons, embrace and promote natural mothering as the IDEAL for a new baby (Natural Childbirth, Attachment Parenting, and Long Term Ecological Breastfeeding), then I will believe you have found your soul as doctors.
Until then? Well, I am going to continue promoting freebirth and encouraging families to break away from your way of giving birth, because frankly, the way you do it stinks.
Lamaze International has a white paper on Elective cesarean Vs. Vaginal Birth (PDF)
American College of Nurse Midwives:
RISKS OF CESAREAN DELIVERY ARE UNDERREPORTED,
BENEFITS OVERSTATED
Media Briefing Highlights Concerns In Advance of NIH Conference
QUOTE:
"Only women themselves can tell us if they are actually demanding cesarean section surgery. With what we are learning from Childbirth Connection today, we now know that women VERY rarely schedule first cesareans by choice without a medical reason," says Susan Hodges, president of Citizens for Midwifery. "Only women can tell us what kind of informed consent process was provided to them. Citizens for Midwifery believes that women are not being given adequate and unbiased information about all the risks and benefits of cesarean sections. Research is needed to understand who and what are now influencing decisions to perform major abdominal surgery 'for no medical reason' despite substantial evidence that all cesareans increase harmful risks for mothers and babies."
Free yourself from the Matrix~!
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 2:35 PM
October 8, 2007
WND: 8 more deaths connected to HPV Vaccine - Go Merck Go!
Free Republic thread on this topic
In the fight against cervical cancer, Merck is overwhelmingly winning the war against cancer.
Eight girls who were injected with that nasty cocktail of chemicals NEVER have to worry about getting that form of CANCER.
Why?
Because they are DEAD!!!
Anyone checked recently to see how much money Merck has made off the pelvic goldmine around this current vaccine scam? I'm too lazy to go look it up....but I think we can safely guess it is in the hundreds of millions.
QUOTE:
"Judicial Watch said it obtained documents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under the Freedom of Information Act detailing the new 1,824 cases.
Those cases include as many as eight deaths related to the vaccine, on top of the three deaths reported earlier among 1,637 earlier reports of adverse effects."
It is hard for me to understand, but they are giving this junk to PREGNANT women:
...The flood of adverse reactions during 2007 reported to the FDA through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, included 347 serious reactions.
"Of the 77 women who received the vaccine while pregnant, 33 experienced side effects ranging from spontaneous abortion to fetal abnormities. Other serious side effects continue to be reported including, paralysis, Bells Palsy, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and seizures," Judicial Watch said.
And these numbers may not even include all the cases, Judicial Watch said. It filed a lawsuit this week against the FDA for failing to fully respond to its requests for information involving the vaccine.
Specifically Judicial Watch wanted access to correspondence between Merck and the FDA regarding the vaccine, communications between the FDA and GlaxoSmithKline, which is working on a similar vaccine, called Cervarix, and reports by consumers, health professionals and others regarding problems with the HPV vaccine.
When the organization's investigation into the HPV vaccine issue arose, and the first reports starting coming in, Fitton described it as "a catalog of horrors."
One earlier report, No. 275438-1, describes the reaction as coronary artery thrombosis, sudden cardiac death. "Given Gardasil vaccine dose #1 3/12/07. Collapsed and died on 3/26/07… Echocardiogram revealed very enlarged right ventricle, small left ventricle as well as large blood clots within both the right atrium & right ventricle."
Another report noted that the woman was vaccinated and "died of a blood clot 8 hours after getting the Gardasil vaccine."
Officials with the Abstinence Clearinghouse noted in a position paper that groups including the Texas Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, and the American Academy of Environmental Medicine have come out publicly against mandatory vaccination.
"The reasoning of these medical associations is clear. They are not opposed to medical progress, and certainly support all efforts to combat life-threatening diseases. The problem, as these organizations see it, lies in the fact that the drug only went through three and a half years of testing, leaving the medical community somewhat in the dark as to what serious adverse effects might result in the long term," the group said.
"Along with the potential of serious adverse effects is the question of efficacy. There is evidence that after approximately four years, the vaccine's potency significantly declines. The long-term value of the vaccine has yet to be determined; if it wears off within six years, will girls and women need to repeat the battery of injections they originally received?" the organization wondered.
Michigan was the first state to introduce a plan to require the vaccine to be given to young girls, but the proposal failed. Ohio also considered a failed plan in 2006.
Then in 2007, after Merck's aggressive lobbying campaign and contributions to Women in Government, lawmakers in at least 39 states and the District of Columbia worked on sponsoring such plans."
Oh, the wheels of government just roll with the grease from Big Pharma!!!
How many young innocent girls will get squashed as that freight train rolls along???
We are at eight....and counting.....
Go Merck GO!!!
With one of the biggest, most expensive, rollouts in history....this guardasil could easily be called GIRLSweKILL.
Hey Politicians....does anybody give a rodents behind that innocent young women are being murdered by yet another bogus pharmaceutical product that they moved heaven and earth to FORCE us parents to give to our children???
The FREE market means that consumers are FREE to purchase those products and services they believe will help and heal children, not kill or permanently maim them with government nannies waiting in the wings to bully them into it.
Hey Merck, take you dope and shove it where the sun don't shine.
Vaccines are very much tied to Eugenics. Alex Jones movie Endgame has a complete overview of the agendas and goals of those who are pushing these toxins on our children. Here is a You Tube Clip from his movie.
And here is the complete movie:
If you would like more information about Eugenics, go surf around the You Tube cache of videos devoted to this subject. It is absolutely nauseating.
Here are two more videos:
The Nazi Doctors & American Eugenetics Part 2
Jenny Hatch
Anti Depressants Kill Too!
In 2002, Fox National News reported Douglas Kennedy exposed the link between
psychiatric drugs and school shootings.
In September 2005, following confirmation that Red Lake Indian Reservation
school shooter, Jeff Weise, was under the influence of the antidepressant
Prozac, the National Foundation of Women Legislators, together with American
Indian tribal leaders, called for a Congressional investigation into the
correlation between psychiatric drug use and school massacres. Congress has yet to investigate the role of psychiatric drugs relating to school shootings despite international drug regulators warning these drugs
can cause mania, psychosis, hallucinations, suicide and homicidal ideation.
At least eight of the recent school shooters were under the influence of such drugs, and according to media reports, investigators working on the Virginia Tech school shootings, Cho Seung-Hui may also have been taking
drugs for "depression."
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 7:37 AM
October 3, 2007
Doctor Shortage: The Next Pandemic
I still strongly believe that when the next big health crunch hits the Law of the Jungle will kick in rather quickly. As "survival of the fittest" realities begin to rev up in our society I believe it will be every family for themselves. Prudent and thoughtful parents would do well to learn as much about natural healing, and prepare to take care of their own children should a time of overwhelming sickness prevail.
This recent article at the New Media Journal has an excellent critique of the doctor shortage and how the market is reponding to this crisis.
"It is the opinion of George Howley, the 1999 director of Casper, Area Economic Development Alliance, that the reason for such resistance to Ross University, based in the Caribbean, establishing a campus in Wyoming was because "doctors are opposed to the potential competition, not to the supposed risk of lower-quality care." He further explained the reasoning was "to protect the income to the doctors."
This short sightedness on the part of medical professionals may increase the chance that during a pandemic when huge numbers of people may be down with deadly illness, few people will be available to care for the sick.
Because the medicos have been pathologizing normal parts of the human experience, like pregnancy, and have invested so much time and money convincing mothers that they and their babes are a disaster waiting to happen, too much of so called "healing" is just more drugs and more surgery for things that would be better left alone.
I believe our society would be much better served if the healers would adopt the "every mother a midwife" model of health care, and then worked to partner with individuals and families in educating them in the practical matters that will crop up if we have a major outbreak of disease.
Our family has taken these efforts to wean from doctors to a place where we feel confident that should a major pandemic happen, we will be able to confidently care for each other for weeks or even months without any help from anyone. And should I be expecting a baby during that time of survival and sickness, we would be able to deliver the child and then take care of it without any professional help.
Every couple has the potential to learn the skills of self sufficiency, and society would be well served if doctors could catch this vision and then take on the task of promoting it as the model of living that will ensure the best outcome for mothers and children no matter what the future brings.
Don't see that happening any time soon, but I'll keep writing about it as the ideal.
PS Free Republic chat about the article
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 4:11 AM
September 8, 2007
Blogging Break
Apostle M. Russell Nelson spoke about New Media and encouraged graduating students to write a blog to "contribute to a national conversation about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
Expecting Benjamin in 2002.
I did five liver cleanses during my pregnancy with Ben. I KNOW it helped me during the birth. After almost dying during my fourth birth from a hemorrhage that took me down to a crit of 4.7, I had no excessive bleeding after Bens home birth and the cleanses helped tremendously in that regard. A clean and fully functioning liver is the key to a healthy pregnancy, a large healthy placenta, and a safe and satisfying home birth.
I'm going to take a blogging break during the month of September to finish my 4th book, Liver Cleansing during the Childbearing Season.
I have been working on this book off and on (mostly off) for eleven years, and feel that now is the time to finally put it together.
It will be available as an E-book on my web site: The Natural Family Company
Quotes originated from The Brewer Pregnancy Hotline, Book by Gail Krebs
QUOTES:
"The liver is the master gland of metabolism and cellular nutrition. All food substances absorbed from the stomach and intestines pass directly into the liver where they are changed in various ways to provide all the cells of the body with food materials for growth, repair, and energy. Special enzymes and proteins, such as the albumin discussed previously, are continually formed and released into the bloodstream.
During pregnancy there is an increased need for proteins. Growth and development of the baby, growth of the uterus, growth of the placenta, expansion of blood volume, and storage of protein for use in later breastfeeding – all of these demand increased liver metabolism. A good diet throughout pregnancy provides the liver with the needed food substances to fulfill its round-the-clock task of meeting stepped-up nutritional demands.
A second function the liver performs at higher levels in pregnancy is neutralizing and excreting harmful poisons which originate in the lower bowel. Termed its detoxication function, it has led to the liver being termed “the watchdog of the abdomen.” All blood draining the stomach and intestinal tract goes first into the liver, where it is filtered before passing into the general circulation. The liver then excretes all toxic substances in the bile and urine.
Female hormones produced in large quantities by the placenta are also detoxified and excreted by the liver. Towards the end of pregnancy, the amount of hormones produced daily is several hundred times greater than the amount contained in a birth control pill. If the mother is malnourished, the liver may fall behind in its task of clearing these hormones and other toxins from the body. They then accumulate in the liver and body tissues and begin to impair the liver’s ability to function. The poorly nourished woman’s liver cannot meet these extreme demands for detoxification.
Furthermore, research confirms that stressed livers of poorly nourished pregnant women also have low resistance to liver infections. These liver disorders can further damage the liver’s ability to carry on its metabolic functions. A pregnant woman who develops a liver infection is at greater risk because of the extra stress pregnancy imposes on this organ. When liver damage is significant in pregnancy, it is termed severe MRLP, or HELLP Syndrome, and includes a reduced ability to synthesize blood proteins and platelets. The liver may develop fatty infiltrations and may rupture. These liver conditions are a leading cause of maternal deaths in third world nations and the developed world alike. The well-nourished mother’s liver can work at peak efficiency throughout pregnancy in detoxication, thus protecting herself and her baby from needless infection, severe MRLP/HELLP and other life-threatening disorders.”
".....The outdated idea that the placenta can somehow extract nutrients from the mother, which are not in her circulation is a threat to sound pregnancy nutrition. In a sense, the baby is in competition with all the tissues of the mother’s body, which also require continual nourishment from her bloodstream. If the mother fails to take in all essential nutrients in large enough proportions to sustain the increased demands of pregnancy, her baby will not magically receive what it needs for optimal growth. The baby does not have top priority for nutrients. In fact, there are numerous reliable studies that show the opposite.
Aaron Lechtig and his collaborators have reported that even moderate maternal malnutrition interferes with the process of placental cell proliferation, resulting in abnormally small placentas. When the size of the placenta is reduced, the surface area available for nutrient transfer is correspondingly reduced. Many researchers now conclude that small, thin, underdeveloped placentas are associated with small, thin underdeveloped babies. Very simply, a small placenta cannot transfer as many nutrients to the growing baby as a larger one. So, the baby does not weigh as much as it should at birth, even it if is born at term.
During the last eight weeks of pregnancy, if the mother’s diet is adequate, the baby gains an ounce a day. Brain development occurs at the most rapid rate ever. The baby requires more oxygen and nutrients of all types—including proteins, vitamins, minerals, and calories—than earlier in pregnancy. If the mother is told she has gained enough weight already or that her blood pressure is elevated somewhat and put on a low-calorie, low salt diet at this crucial time, or put on drugs that diminish her appetite by making her sleepy or disoriented, the baby will be denied the nutrients needed to accomplish normal development. A restrictive diet, or drug therapy that results in a reduction in the mother’s nutrient intake, cause the mother’s blood volume to shrink, reducing the amount of blood flowing through the placenta. The baby can suffer intrauterine growth retardation from this reduction of placental blood flow. When less blood passes through the placenta, fewer nutrients pass to the baby during any given period of time."
I plan to conduct my 40th liver and gall bladder cleanse this weekend. Cleaning out these internal organs has been one of the most intense experiences of my life, but I trust that the time invested in these efforts will give me a strong foundation of health for the rest of my life.
Much more information is available at Cure Zone.
I hope all of my readers have a great september, and remember....September is National Preparedness Month!
And if you are new to the Natural Family Blog, I am a strong Romney supporter. Labor Day kicked off the true presidential election season. Take a few minutes to check out Mitt Romneys site. I believe he is our best option for a strong, powerful leader.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 8:30 AM
August 1, 2007
New Pill makes menstruation optional....unbelievable
This trend to cause infertility in women is really sick. Go Here to read.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 5:47 PM
June 26, 2007
Huge weight gains reported by patients on prescription drugs
Huge weight gains reported by patients on prescription drugs
"Thousands of people who take prescription medicines for everyday conditions are gaining large amounts of weight as an unexpected side effect, scientists have warned.
Researchers, who found that some patients were putting on up to 22lbs in a year, say that the drugs may even be contributing to the nation's rocketing obesity epidemic."
I gained 50 pounds and completely lost my overall health the year I was court ordered to eat the dope of the medical profession. I was given Haldol, Stelazine, Lithium, Prozac, and later in the year thyroxine for my dysfunctional thyroid gland during my year of chemicals.
This chemical cocktail overwhelmed my liver and kidneys and was stored in various and sundry places in my body. Interestingly enough, the year after I came off all of the meds, I gained an additional fifty pounds, so that I was 100 pounds overweight during the time my body tried to de-tox. I have learned that this fat and water storage is the bodies attempt to pull the chemicals away from the heart and brain to keep them safe while they are slowly released from the cells.
My weight has always been 30 pounds more than normal in the intervening 17 years, and at some points I have been back up to that 100 pounds overweight place while my body dealt with various detox situations.
For those of you who believe our obesity epidemic in America is tied to overeating, I would suggest that we have a couple generations of people who have been under nourished and over dosed with medicines.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 7:07 PM
WND: Untreatable TB threat 'apocalyptic scenario'
Untreatable TB threat 'apocalyptic scenario'
QUOTE:
"It was in March 2006 when researchers reported their encounter with the extensively resistant TB strains. Within a few months, a cluster of "virtually untreatable" XDR-TB cases was reported in South Africa, aggravated by a high prevalence of HIV.
"All but one of the 53 patients died in an average of 25 days after samples were taken for drug resistance tests," the agency said. Then Speaker's case, "focused attention on the need to address the TB epidemic as an immediate international priority."
"A highly important element of the plan is a steady supply of quality drugs to treat MDR-TB and XDR-TB in underserved countries," said Dr. Marcos Espinale, executive secretary of the Stop TB Partnership. "The Partnership's Global Drug Facility is ensuring supply of these drugs to a growing number of countries, after our Green Light Committee has verified that applicant countries meet its technical standards and will use the drugs correctly."
MDR-TB is defined as being resistant to main first-line drugs such as isoniazid and rifampicin. More than 400,000 such cases are reported each year, and it emerges generally when it is spread from one person to another, or the drugs used to battle ordinary TB are mismanaged, allowing a resistance to develop, officials said."
And Barbara Simpson had some good insights on this topic as well:
TB or not TB? That is the question
"If anyone contracts TB because Speaker ignored those travel warnings, there could be some interesting lawsuits. Willfully exposing people to infectious diseases is not something juries look kindly on; there's precedent for such responsibility.
Interestingly, Speaker, who's been described as looking, acting and feeling healthy, said he made the trip home because he feared dying in Italy.
Hm
mmm.
Another "hmmmm" – is that Speaker and his father practice law together, and they tape-recorded their first conversations with doctors concerning his infection.
Ah, lawyers – always thinking!
Another "hmmmm" – Speaker's father-in-law has been a TB researcher at the CDC for 32 years.
And "hmmmm" again: The mayor of the Greek Island of Santorini, Angelos Rousso, told the AP, "There was no wedding." The couple didn't have the necessary papers, stayed a few days and left.
Now, Speaker is under quarantine at a medical facility in Denver for treatment and possible surgery.
Meanwhile, U.S. medical and government officials scramble to determine how and why this happened.
I wonder whether U.S. officials in Homeland Security, Congress and the CDC are so concerned only because the governments and health departments across Europe and North America, including Italy, France, Greece, the Czech Republic and Canada – as well as the World Health Organization, are involved.
The scenario does make the U.S. look inept, especially since we're supposed to have procedures to deal with potential pandemics. After all, we're inundated with dire predictions of influenza and bird flu, to say nothing of the real potential for terrorist use of viruses, bacteria and other biologicals and chemicals.
We've been told safeguards are in place. Now we know they don't work.
That's no surprise. If we can't get elected officials to pay serious attention to illegal aliens crossing our southern border by the millions and the infectious diseases they bring into our country, why should we believe government could deal with contamination from international travelers, or, indeed, the potential of terrorist contamination of our population?
Why indeed?"
I really like Ms. Simpsons columns. She is a realist when it comes to terrorism and these diseases that pose such a threat.
One of the main reasons that I have felt so comfortable learning childbirth self sufficiency is that I am absolutely convinced at some point the birth machine will not be available to help me while I give birth. They never seem to consider this possibility as they spew their rhetoric about danger and irresponsibility. They think that because societal infrstructures have been so stable for the past fifty years, that we can count on them indefinitely to provide us with the so-called necessary services for life.
Doctors, what if the power, water, and food supplies are not functioning for a week? A Month? Three Months? What if your fancy shmancy machines are left desolate and disfunctional because you have no electricity? What if the oil production halts for one reason or another, or a series of natural disasters or diseases prevent us from coming to you for help when our children are ready to be born?
Doesn't it make sense for parents to know as much as possible about home birth and breastfeeding, just in case any or all of those scenarios play out and we are unable to drive to the hospital for a birth?
Just a little food for thought.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 6:21 PM
May 22, 2007
Unassisted Childbirth and Thieves Essential Oils Blend are the answer for plagues of any kind!
I have been taking a blogging break for the month of May, just too busy, but a headline announcing plague at the denver zoo caught my eye yesterday and I thought I would repost an entry I did in September about the Thieves Blend of Essential Oils. It is below:
Here are a couple of highlights from the past few weeks.
Paul and I were part of the Denver WestWord Article on Unassisted Childbirth last week. Here is the link.
Laura Shanley has a round up of the various Unassisted Childbirth Media Stories from the past few weeks on her blog. Go Here.
And Here are the Links to all of the Freebirth articles: (This outpouring of Media Interest in UC Birth has been extremely gratifying to those of us who have been promoting it for many years!)
The Independent 3-20-07 (UK) - Oh, baby!
Guardian 5-9-07 (UK) - Going it alone
Marie Claire 5-10-07 (UK) - The women having 'extreme births'
Globe and Mail (Canada) - 5-15-07 - DIY delivery
Channel 2 News (Alaska) - 5-15-07 - Great Expectations This video clip contains the UC Birth of Twins at home alone, one was a footling breech.
Reuters - 5-22-07 (UK - London)- Freebirthers dismiss fear and bring babies home
The Age - 5-27-07(Australia) - No doctor, no midwife — women go it alone
Same family, different story from Australia - A 'relaxed, beautiful' entry for Carter
And here are the links to the various online versions of the many UC Birth articles that have been written in the past month: Bornfree web site.
And here is a quick overview of some headlines for parents, so many different voices and opinions. Mothers and Fathers really need to just follow their hearts and not listen to all of the fear mongering about babies.
Having large families is an "eco crime"
Vegans sentenced for starving their baby
Stay-at-home mother's work worth $138,095 a year
Navelgazing Midwife - Oh, The Homebirth Debate Blog - Insights into the psyche of the fraud named Amy Tuteur MD (Pseudonym for a couple PR guys from Eli Lilly out to destroy and shut down the debate around home birth with statistics!!!). Go Here
Marsden Wagner's new book Born in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed to Put Women and Children First - Go Here
Unassisted Childbirth forum at Mothering - Go Here
Here are a couple of links used in the various debates that I engaged in at Salon and the NHS Blog Doctors comment sections.
The website of the Pre and Peri Natal Psychologists - Go Here
A Declaration of the Rights of Childbearing Women
Monty Python Birth Sketch: And people wonder why we don't want to have a hospital birth?
I have also participated in two online chats at blogs where Unassisted Childbirth was being discussed. Go Here and Here.
Here is a link to a synopsis of my comments at Salon: Go Here
And my Comments at the NHS Doctors Blog starts with this one: Go Here
I posted quite a few entries on that blog, so keep scrolling down for the rest of my comments.
I tend to let myself go when debating with medical people, they are just so full of themselves.
The chats are filled with lots of rage against those of us who birth alone, but I want to take the chance to testify right here on this entry, that I believe bubonic plague is very much tied to unassisted childbirth.
If the hospitals are overun with patients hacking and dying from plague and/or any other disease (certain forms of staph infection only exist in hospitals!), it is the last place in the world a healthy woman should be giving birth to a healthy child. Preparing for a quiet home birth is the best investment a healthy mom can make to insure the safe arrival of her child, despite what those individuals with MDs after their names have say about it. And they have plenty to say, I've been talking to some of them all week!
Speaking of prepration, I was asked to do the Food Basics booth at our Church Preparedness Fair last saturday! It was really fun and I was thrilled to be a part of it.
A little video:
My dear friend Esther baked twenty loaves of bread for the booth. All but one and a half loaves were chowed down by the people who attended. We teach a bread class for young moms to learn how to make this amazing bread which only costs 25 cents a loaf to make from scratch.
I also recorded this version of Be Still My Soul a few sundays ago:
Here is a link to the plague article at Reuters:
I'll start blogging again when Allison and I get back from New York. Too busy right now with rehearsals for our Faure Requiem performance next week with Colorado Repertory Singers. Michelle is graduating and we have a boatload of activities to attend around her commencement from high school. She has decided to accept the scholarship from her Dads alma mater, so each moment we get to share with her until she leaves home is very precious. I'll start blogging again when and if things slow down.
Thieves blog entry:
With Cold and Flu season just around the corner, I am really excited about this new line of products from Young Living. I have been a Young Living Essential Oils Enthusiast for ten years, and have actively worked a business on and off (mostly off) for some years now. I absolutely love these new products. My favorites are the toothpaste, lozenges, and the oil blend.
Recently I started cleaning everything with the Thieves household soap - it does it all - toilets, hardwood floors, etc... Here is a run down of all of the products. A great place to start would be to order the Thieves Kit, which contains a variety of products from the Thieves line.
All are available on my Young Living Web Site
Thieves Kit - Code # 3173
How to use:
Thieves® Essential Oil Blend: For dietary, aromatic, or topical use. When using as a supplement, dilute one drop in 4 fl. oz. of liquid such as goat's or rice milk. Diffuse for short periods of time (1/2 hour or less) in the work or home environment. Possible skin sensitivity. If pregnant or under a doctor's care, consult your physician. Always dilute before applying to the skin or taking internally. Keep out of reach of children.
Thieves® Hard Lozenges: Dissolve one lozenge in mouth, as needed. Swallowing lozenges whole may cause choking. Keep out of reach of children and do not expose to excessive heat or direct sunlight.
Thieves® Spray: Spray on any surfaces that you feel need to be cleansed, such as kitchen and bathroom counters. Not for use on infants or on sensitive areas of the body.
Thieves® Bar Soap: Use as any regular bar soap. For external use only. Store in a cool, dry place. Keep out of direct sunlight and away from ultraviolet radiation sources.
Thieves® Dentarome Ultra Toothpaste: Brush teeth and gums thoroughly morning and night.
Thieves® Fresh Essence Plus Mouthwash: Rinse mouth with one tablespoon or capful of Fresh Essence Plus Mouthwash for 30 - 60 seconds or as needed.
The Thieves Products are also available individually for purchase:
Thieves Hard Lozenges - Code # 3282
Thieves® Hard Lozenges are a soothing, therapeutic blend of 7 natural essential oils and will refresh you mouth and breath. Lightly sweetened with stevioside and the low-gylcemic sugar maltitol, these lozenges deliver the power of Thieves®, the university-tested essential oil blend, along with the flavor of natural peppermint and lemon essential oils. For fresher breath and relief, try these lozenges.
Thieves Fresh Essence Mouthwash - Code # 3683
Thieves® Fresh Essence Plus Mouthwash contains a special formulation of essential oils that gives you incredibly fresh breath. The unique liposome technology (using soy-derived lecithin) binds the essential oils to the mucous membrane inside the mouth for longer-lasting effects on teeth and gums.
Thieves Essential Oil - Code # 3423
Thieves® was created based on research about four thieves in France who protected themselves with cloves, rosemary, and other aromatics while robbing plague victims. The proprietary Thieves® oil blend was university tested and found to be highly effective in supporting the immune system and good health.
Thieves® oil blend is an integral ingredient in Thieves® Household Cleaner, Thieves® Spray, Thieves® Wipes, Thieves® Lozenges, Thieves® Dentarome Plus and Thieves® Dentarome Ultra toothpastes, and Thieves® Fresh Essence Plus Mouthwash.
Thieves Cleansing Soap - Code # 3679
Thieves® Cleansing Soap is fragrant with the rich aroma of naturally antiseptic Thieves® essential oil blend. Moisturizing plant oils and botanical extracts help promote healthy, smooth skin. A natural soap for sensitive skin. How to use: Use as any regular bar soap. For external use only. Store in a cool, dry place. Keep out of direct sunlight and away from ultraviolet radiation sources.
Ingredients: Saponified Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, and Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil; Vegetable Glycerin; Syzygium Aromaticum Flower Bud Oil; Lycium Barbarum Seed Oil, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Meal, Simmondsia shinensis (jojoba) Seed Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cinnamomum Verum Bark Oil, Eucalyptus Radiata Leaf Oil, Rosemarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract. 100% pure therapeutic-grade essential oil Organically grown in accordance with the California Organic Foods Act of 1990.
Thieves Spray - Code # 3265
The Thieves® Spray is ideal for use on door handles, toilet seats, and any surface that needs cleaning. The small one ounce bottle is also the perfect size for any kind of traveling. How to use: Spray on any surfaces that you feel need to be cleansed, such as kitchen and bathroom counters. Not for use on infants or on sensitive areas of the body.
Ingredients: Pure grain alcohol, deionized water, Thieves® essential oil blend, fractionated coconut oil and soy lecithin. 100% pure therapeutic-grade essential oil.
Thieves Wipes - Code # 3756
Tired of using dirty sponges you have used a hundred times, only to spread the dirt around on the surfaces in your home? Try our Thieves® Wipes! They are ideal for use on door handles, toilet seats, and any surface that needs cleaning. Simply use and throw away. How to use: Wipe on any surfaces that you feel need to be cleansed, such as kitchen and bathroom counters. Not for use on infants or on sensitive areas of the body.
Ingredients: Pure grain alcohol, deionized water, Thieves® essential oil blend, fractionated coconut oil and soy lecithin. 100% pure therapeutic-grade essential oil.
Dentarome Plus Toothpaste! Code # 3738
Thieves® Dentarome Plus Toothpaste contains well-proven ingredients-thymol and eucalyptol-found in clove and thyme essential oils, along with gentle, odor-absorbing baking soda. Also contains the powerful oil blend of Thieves®, which was the subject of research published in the Jornal of Essential Oil Research. Dentarom Plus is usually preferred by adults. How to use: Brush teeth and gums thoroughly morning and night.
Ingredients: Baking soda, deionized water, vegetable glycerine, xanthan gum, ionic trace minerals, thymol, eugenol, steviocide (Stevia rebaudiana), the essential oils of wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), peppermint (Mentha piperita), and the blend of Thieves [clove (Syzygium aromaticum), lemon (Citrus limon), cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata), and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)]. 100% pure therapeutic-grade essential oil.
Dentarome Ultra Toothpaste - Code # 3744
New Thieves® Dentarome Ultra Toothpaste is an advanced formula of all-natural ingredients that gently clean your teeth and freshen your breath while harnessing the powerful action of pure, therapeutic-grade Thieves® essential oil for fresh breath. How to use: Brush teeth and gums thoroughly morning and night.
Ingredients: Calcium carbonate, essential oil concentrate containing peppermint essential oil, Thieves® essential oil blend (a powerful blend of clove, cinammon bark, lemon, Eucalyptus radiata, and rosemary, zinc oxide, deionized water with papain, xylitol, vegetable glycerine, essential oil base (thymol from Thymus vulgaris), Eucalyptus globulus, and methyl salycilate from wintergreen, xanthum gum, zinc citrate, and stevioside. 100% pure therapeutic-grade essential oil.
All You Ever Wanted To Know About THIEVES HOUSEHOLD CLEANER
Ordering Information: All are available on my Young Living Web Site
Thieves Household Cleaner - Code 3743, 14.4 oz.
Wholesale/Distributor: $21.50
Preferred Customer/Autoship: $24.89
Retail Customer: $28.29
Dilution Proportions for Thieves Cleaner - NOTE: one capful cleaner = ½ tablespoon
Light degreasing (1:60)
1 capful cleaner : 3.75 cups water
1 bottle makes 30 quarts of light degreaser (.32/quart)
Med. degreasing (1:30)
1 capful cleaner : a little less than 2 cups water
1 bottle makes 15 quarts of medium degreaser (.64/quart)
Heavy degreasing (1:15)
1 capful cleaner : a little less than 1 cup water
1 bottle makes 71/2 quarts of heaver degreaser (1.27/quart)
Pots & Pans (1:100) ½ capful cleaner : 3+ cups water
1 bottles makes 50 quarts of dishwashing liquid (.19/quart)
Hand Cleaner (1:1) ½ cup cleaner : ½ cup water
1 bottle makes 1 quart of hand cleaner ($19/quart)
Floors ( 1:100) 1 capful cleaner : 6.25 cups water
1 bottle makes 50 quarts of floor cleaner (.19/quart)
Walls ( 1:30) 1 capful cleaner: a little less than 2 cups water
Fabrics, Carpet spotting, etc. (1:40)
1 capful cleaner : 2 cups water
Carpet (1:100) 1 capful cleaner : 6.25 cups water
Glass ( 1:320) -1 capful cleaner: 5 quarts water
All are available on my Young Living Web Site
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 6:32 AM
April 12, 2007
Mercury, Autism and the Global Vaccine Agenda: Link to a presentation by David Ayoub MD
www.robodoonproductions.com
1 hr 31 min 16 sec - Aug 15, 2006
www.radioliberty.com
David Ayoub, M.D. goes through the relations of Mercury to Autism as well its connections to “National Security Study Memorandum 200”; for ... all » population control. Showing its shocking connections to today’s G.A.V.I. Are powerful forces really trying to help the poor people or could it be for another agenda; the sterilization of the poor? This is an upsetting video, so brace yourself.
When you have a couple of hours to yourself, take the time to review this movie.
UPDATE:
Given the brewing scandal at the world bank around Wolfowitz's girlfriend, and the fact that they are meeting this week in America, perhaps it is time for them to acknowledge the roll they have played in the Vaccine scandals.
WAPO via Austin Bay:
"His acknowledgment, though cryptic, was a major new development in an unfolding scandal at the global lending institution, which seeks to help the world’s poorest countries. With annual meetings of the the bank and the International Monetary Fund convening in Washington this week, the World Bank’s executive board is discussing Wolfowitz’s future."
After watching Dr. Ayoub talk about the world bank and how they are "helping" the poorest nations on the earth, I have to question just about everything the world bank does and stands for.
Wolfowitz should be fired and the world bank exposed for the frauds around the vaccine controversys.
UPDATE:
More on the World Bank Situation:
From Huff Po Writer Steve Clemons
"One other tidbit about Wolfowitz that I have confirmed is less dramatic than securing his girlfriend a nearly $200,000 salary -- but still quite fascinating.
I now know from a second source -- as my first would only discuss this matter firmly off the record -- that Wolfowitz and Kevin Kellems had dinner at the Aquarelle Restaurant at the Watergate Hotel last year with a very prominent member of Washington's journalistic community.
The journalist in question had not met Wolfowitz previously and Kellems played a "relationship-brokering" role. What is interesting about this particular meeting -- as far as I understand the details of it -- is that the journalist in question, who I cannot name but can attest for his solid reputation as a serious writer, assumed that the topic of discussion at dinner would be Wolfowitz's global economic development agenda, his view of how to make the World Bank relevant to 21st century security and economic challenges, and so on.
Instead, Wolfowitz -- as recently as one year ago -- was still manically obsessed with the connection between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda. Wolfowitz reportedly brought with him to dinner an enormous binder of materials, articles, essays, reports, intelligence, etc. -- arguing that the connection between Hussein and bin Laden's operation was real and robust.
I can't report on the journalist's reaction to the dinner -- other than to say he was "surprised."
If Wolfowitz has been spending time hiring people like Robin Cleveland and Kevin Kellems -- as well as pushing the career of his girl friend "illegally" -- and obsessing about validating his bad decisions in the build-up to the Iraq War, then he has not been attentive to his real and fundamental responsibilites at the World Bank.
If all the rumors about his resignation tomorrow are untrue, Paul Wolfowitz should make them true as soon as possible."
My long time readers know that I am a Neo-Con and completely supported and continue to support the invasion of Iraq and the taking down of Sadaam Hussein. I also understand why Mr. Wolfowitz would want to validate and justify his actions and promotion of the War in Iraq.
What I would like to know is how much money Vaccine manufacturers had tied to this decision to yell and scream about Weapons of Mass Destruction the past six years. Don't get me wrong, I know those weapons are real and are a big threat. What I question is how much the Government has been influenced by Big Pharma to push it in the Media to soften up the populace into welcoming the idea that Vaccines are the answer to all of those threats?
I believe we all need to watch this very closely, and understand that our soldiers are being used as Gunea Pigs by being shot up with all the vaccines for WMD (Anthrax etc) The fact that our soldiers who have refused vaccines go to prison tells me how powerful the drug lobby has been in relation to these major decisions around weapons of mass destruction.
I am all for American Imperialism if it means freeing nations from despotic rule. But if American Imperialism boils down to hype to make more money for pharmaceutical companies, then I believe it is time for those particular frauds to be exposed!
Perhaps this World Band scandal will help open up the records and we can understand just exactly who has profited from the war in this sicko fashion.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 4:39 PM
April 6, 2007
Oprah Winfreys Autism Show April 5th, 2007 - Vaccines MENTIONED!!!
UPDATE:
More on the World Bank Situation:
From Huff Po Writer Steve Clemons
"One other tidbit about Wolfowitz that I have confirmed is less dramatic than securing his girlfriend a nearly $200,000 salary -- but still quite fascinating.
I now know from a second source -- as my first would only discuss this matter firmly off the record -- that Wolfowitz and Kevin Kellems had dinner at the Aquarelle Restaurant at the Watergate Hotel last year with a very prominent member of Washington's journalistic community.
The journalist in question had not met Wolfowitz previously and Kellems played a "relationship-brokering" role. What is interesting about this particular meeting -- as far as I understand the details of it -- is that the journalist in question, who I cannot name but can attest for his solid reputation as a serious writer, assumed that the topic of discussion at dinner would be Wolfowitz's global economic development agenda, his view of how to make the World Bank relevant to 21st century security and economic challenges, and so on.
Instead, Wolfowitz -- as recently as one year ago -- was still manically obsessed with the connection between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda. Wolfowitz reportedly brought with him to dinner an enormous binder of materials, articles, essays, reports, intelligence, etc. -- arguing that the connection between Hussein and bin Laden's operation was real and robust.
I can't report on the journalist's reaction to the dinner -- other than to say he was "surprised."
If Wolfowitz has been spending time hiring people like Robin Cleveland and Kevin Kellems -- as well as pushing the career of his girl friend "illegally" -- and obsessing about validating his bad decisions in the build-up to the Iraq War, then he has not been attentive to his real and fundamental responsibilites at the World Bank.
If all the rumors about his resignation tomorrow are untrue, Paul Wolfowitz should make them true as soon as possible."
My long time readers know that I am a Neo-Con and completely supported and continue to support the invasion of Iraq and the taking down of Sadaam Hussein. I also understand why Mr. Wolfowitz would want to validate and justify his actions and promotion of the War in Iraq.
What I would like to know is how much money Vaccine manufacturers had tied to this decision to yell and scream about Weapons of Mass Destruction the past six years. Don't get me wrong, I know those weapons are real and are a big threat. What I question is how much the Government has been influenced by Big Pharma to push it in the Media to soften up the populace into welcoming the idea that Vaccines are the answer to all of those threats?
I believe we all need to watch this very closely, and understand that our soldiers are being used as Gunea Pigs by being shot up with all the vaccines for WMD (Anthrax etc) The fact that our soldiers who have refused vaccines go to prison tells me how powerful the drug lobby has been in relation to these major decisions around weapons of mass destruction.
I am all for American Imperialism if it means freeing nations from despotic rule. But if American Imperialism boils down to hype to make more money for pharmaceutical companies, then I believe it is time for those particular frauds to be exposed!
Perhaps this World Band scandal will help open up the records and we can understand just exactly who has profited from the war in this sicko fashion.
UPDATE:
Given the brewing scandal at the world bank around Wolfowitz's girlfriend, and the fact that they are meeting this week in America, perhaps it is time for them to acknowledge the roll they have played in the Vaccine scandals.
WAPO via Austin Bay:
"His acknowledgment, though cryptic, was a major new development in an unfolding scandal at the global lending institution, which seeks to help the world’s poorest countries. With annual meetings of the the bank and the International Monetary Fund convening in Washington this week, the World Bank’s executive board is discussing Wolfowitz’s future."
After watching Dr. Ayoub talk about the world bank and how they are "helping" the poorest nations on the earth, I have to question just about everything the world bank does and stands for.
Wolfowitz should be fired and the world bank exposed for the frauds around the vaccine controversys.
UPDATE:
www.robodoonproductions.com
1 hr 31 min 16 sec - Aug 15, 2006
www.radioliberty.com
David Ayoub, M.D. goes through the relations of Mercury to Autism as well its connections to “National Security Study Memorandum 200”; for ... all » population control. Showing its shocking connections to today’s G.A.V.I. Are powerful forces really trying to help the poor people or could it be for another agenda; the sterilization of the poor? This is an upsetting video, so brace yourself.
When you have a couple of hours to yourself, take the time to review this movie.
UPDATE:
Many parents are praying right now that Oprahs Autism show will open up the floodgates and allow true debate on the number of vaccines and how they are impacting our children negatively to come out more fully in our national debate on childrens health.
Here is a link to a health overview that I typed up a couple months ago. It includes my suggestions for possible environmental triggers that could cause autism. When a child has all of these triggers, at the same time that he is being systematically doused with toxins from Vaccines and Dental amalgams (more mercury), it is no wonder that many of these children show signs of mercury toxicity.
UPDATE:
The mommy chat rooms and Bloggers on the web are all talking about Oprahs show....
This video is a much better quality than my amatuerish atempt, I found the descriptive information on this video to be very good.
"Oprah brings up the vaccine issue - DR says NO it's been refuted, then Oprah lets one of the moms have her say ... LOVE IT!
THANK YOU OPRAH!
Katie (THE MOM) was told by the producers before the show was filmed that if she mentioned vaccines she would be off the show.
While taping, the pediatrician made the misstatement about vaccines and autism (that whole "no connection" reassuring bullshit), and, during break, Katie appealed directly to Oprah to let her respond, as you saw on the show.
However, Oprah's response to Katie about "opening the can of worms" and the audience's applause after what she said was actually based on a much longer exchange, all of which was edited out of the final cut of the show.
After the part you heard Katie say, Katie went on to say that the preservatives in the vaccines made her son sick and that the combination vaccines and the vaccine schedule were grossly unsafe.
Everyone's favorite pediatrician then jumped in and said that if the schedule were changed there would epidemics. Katie responded by saying there already is an epidemic and that our kids are not disposable so the CDC can perpetuate irrational fears of the measles and the flu.
I think this highlights a number of things:
- The censorship most media outlets give to this issue is very high. My personal opinion is that this is due entirely to the power of pharma advertising and to the fact that the media outlets hear directly from pharma in advance of these shows and get warned. The fact that the daughter of NBC's FORMER CEO must be deeply troubling for pharma because this is going to be one very tough person to shut up.
- Oprah over-ruled the directive Katie was given because she is Oprah and appears to have strong moral fiber. If Don Imus is a 10, I give Oprah a 5, which makes her second-best for national personalities dealing honestly about our kids, although it is almost incomprehensible to me that this is Oprah's first show on autism.
- The lame doctor saying "if the schedule were changed there would be epidemics" has no idea what she is talking about. It is unbelievable that it is NEVER reported that in the mid-1980s there were 10 vaccines on the schedule and today its 36. We were not having massive epidemics in the 1980s and the schedule has more than tripled due to money and recklessness, with no monitoring system that could ever catch a delayed-onset condition like autism.
- Katie is a true warrior for her son and all of our kids. She said so much more than America got to hear. (FORWARDED - WRITTEN BY JB)"
Medical school students were also chatting about Oprahs show and the larger issue of how to deal with parents who do not want to vaccinate:
Original Post:
Oprah Winfrey made me cry yesterday when I watched her show on Autism.
Autism Speaks Web Site - Be Informed
Autism Speaks web site search string for vaccines.
Here are three video clips from the show with my commentary.
Natural Family Blog Posts on Vaccines and Autism - Go Here And Here And Here
And this is the first of many commentaries of her show:
Thank You Oprah, for giving the Autism Community a lift
THANK YOU OPRAH!!!
My mother told me that as a baby I had one of the worst immediate reactions to my vaccines of all of her eight children. I have had to wonder over the years if there was any direct relation to my own asthma, deadly food allergies, skin rashes, and immune deficiency problems. I have worked tirelessly cleansing my body at the core level for many years, and while some success has happened, I still struggle with certain chronic conditions.
Early in our marriage I was training to become a Bradley Childbirth Teacher and read Robert Mendelsohns book, How to raise a healthy child in spite of your doctor as part of the curriculum for teachers. What an eye opening book for a new mom to read! That book and materials like it armed me for the vaccine battles that were to define my life for the next ten years. The battles were mostly with my husband, but also with a variety of family members, neighbors, friends at church, strangers, and especially members of the medical community as we interfaced with them during our first three births, and in a variety of situations over the years. The most frightening situations were always around Emergency Room visits. Whenever they asked the inevitable "is she/he up to date on her/his shots?" I would always look the nurse right in the eye and say "we are philisophically opposed to vaccines". Fortunately no one ever used this as an excuse to call social services, but we do live in Colorado, which has some of the lowest rates of vaccination in the country, and a very educated populace and healthy alternative healing communities who are supportive of our lifestyle choices.
We never had any trouble enrolling our kids in school, and have experienced a few raised eyebrows around camping and sport situations, but never have been excluded from an event for not vaccinating.
This has not been the case for all families however. Some have had children taken by social services for not vaccinating, and recently I heard a story of a young mom who wanted to selectively vaccinate, but who was told that if she did that, she would have to find another pediatric practice to work with. The bullying and strong arm tactics of some health professionals is really sickening, when parents are just trying to keep toxic chemicals out of their childrens bodies.
Again, I have to applaud Oprah for opening that can, what a great step forward in helping to expose this whole fraud.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 6:34 PM
March 22, 2007
The 2nd International Husband/Wife Homebirth Conference: Susan Baig
Susan Fierro Baig was one of our speakers at the 2nd International Husband/Wife Homebirth Conference
Susan is the mother of six children, four born at home, and she is one of my dearest friends.
Here is a picture of Susan with her husband Robert.
And go here for the streaming video of her talk from the conference.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 8:49 PM
March 13, 2007
Meridian Magazine: Coping with Depression and Other Ailments
Coping with Depression and Other Ailments
It's like walking through molasses
"It was difficult to understand everything. What was depression, anyway? Whether or not to take medication was a hard decision. The doctor assured us that the medications were safe, non-addictive, and were not “uppers” or tranquilizers.
Insertion comment by Jenny Hatch - This is a bald faced lie, anti-depressants and completely addictive and getting off of them is one of the most difficult things most people will take on in their lives-
I was worried that taking medication was just putting a bandage on the problem and not getting to the root of it. Nevertheless, not being able to function, I finally agreed to try medication.
Yet still not understanding, I insisted on the lowest dosage possible. The doctor held back a smile and said, “Elaine, they are not handing out medals. You take whatever dosage is right for your body.”
Well, I thought, I want a medal! He was not LDS so I couldn't explain to him that I had grown up listening to stories of pioneers crossing the plains. I believed that I was supposed to “pull myself up by my bootstraps,” just like the courageous pioneers had done through their trials. Relying on medication seemed to be the easy way out."
This is a huge problem in the LDS Community. So many members are strung out on anti-depressants. I can understand Ann Blake Tracys frustration with the deceptions that have occursed by the medical people as they have been taken for a very long ride by the makers of these drugs. Some of them are speaking out and fighting back.
I get very frustrated watching my various friends who I know are taking these drugs. The most diabolical side to them however is the many children who are being given them. A dear friend just had her son diagnosed with diabetes this past week. The poor child has been taking psychiatric meds for quite a long time. If she had known that his pancreas was going to be ravaged by them, would she have given them to him every day??? This mother is one of the best, most devoted homeschooling moms I know. She has sacrificed everything for her little boy. Yet parents are not being told the facts of what the drugs will do short term and long term to their childrens bodies and minds.
I have shared my story of how I got off prozac in 1990 and what I did to prevent depression in my book A Mothers Journey, my story of healing after Post Partum Psychosis.
Until the LDS people get out from under the thumb of the doctors and the pharmaceutical companies that give them their marching orders, we will never achieve the sort of health and spirituality we all desire. The blackest time in my life was the year I spent doped up on psychiatric meds. I felt very little of anything, and when my moods were blunted with the drugs, it felt like all connectivity with heaven was also severed.
Jenny Hatch in depression.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 5:17 AM
March 9, 2007
Birthsong: Maya I Johansen: Homebirth & Unassisted Birth
"It is often said that women who give birth at home are selfish, and do not care for the well-being of their little ones. This is so far from the truth. Hospitals are in many instances dangerous for healthy babies. Hospitals are a place for the sick, and germs and bacteria are often transfered to the newborn.
Drugs given to the mother cross the placenta, and cause distress in the baby, and the health risk increases with each hospital procedure that is performed, not to mention psychological trauma from painful medical procedures. Babies born at home are usually more alert and ready to interact and bond.
Their minds are still open as they have been handled gently and lovingly. Often babies who have experienced a great deal of trauma will literally withdraw into themselves.(6) Mothers who have given birth at home are in an optimal state to greet their babies because of the natural "high" from endorphins and the hormone oxytocin.
These hormones are an important part of producing nurturing feelings. I believe this is an important part of forming the loving mother child relationship, and it helps a women get off to the right start in nursing and caring for her little one.(7) Sadly, this is overlooked by the medical profession. Doctors and nurses whisk babies away from their mothers when they need their mothers the most, and at a time when they are most alert and ready to interact."
This article is an excellent introduction to Unassisted Childbirth, contains many links, and even has a quote from an online article by Shel Franco that mentions my fourth birth story!
I highly recomend pregnant women taking the time to read this article and surf around to the various sites, books, and videos mentioned.
Birth Testimony by Amanda Terfansky Counter speaking at the 2nd International Husband/Wife Home Birth Conference
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 8:18 AM
March 8, 2007
SSRi Stories: Recently Updated
I get email updates from the Coalition for Drug Awarness and they sent a link to their comprehensive anti-depressant web site because it was recently updated.
Here is the link:
It is a collection of 1500 stories, with more being added all the time.
I'm waiting for the Media to start informing the public that Brittany Spears has experienced a full blown Post Partum Psychosis and is now on her chemical cocktail that is going to make "everything all better". "Brittany will be able to stay mentally stable as long as she stays on her Lithium like a good little girl and promises never to have any more children."
As if anything she has just experienced is caused by that little child entering her life!!!
Quiet Living and gentle birth are the answers for mentally ill mothers....not more drugs, more surgery, more hospitalizations, and turning away from healthy family life.
Celebrities need to understand that they must play by the rules when post partum just like everyone else. Attention to sleep, napping, good nutrition, massage, and quiet living PREVENT post partum depression and psychosis. Specific nutrients like calcium and magnesium plus all the B-complex nourish the brain when life overwhelms, and help the mother to sleep.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 10:24 AM
March 2, 2007
Cold remedies put children at risk, group says
Cold remedies put children at risk, group says
Which group?
Oh Yeah, a leading group of Pediatricians tired of watching the little tykes keel over or drop into psychosis from cold medicine.
I wonder what the media and FDA response would be if Vitamin C was causing children to have heart and liver failure? Or if echinacea and goldenseal was dropping the little ones like flies.
Here is my flu natural remedies blog post: GO Here.
We made it through cold and flu season with no major illness. Just a bit of dizzyness and a few days home from school when various children were exhausted from the incredible pace they all keep.
I believe all cold rememdies marketed to children should be banned as the toxic swirling mass of deadly chemicals that they are.
Some of the text of the article, with highlights:
The petitioners asked the FDA to tell the public that over-the-counter cough and cold remedies are ineffective and potentially dangerous for young children.
The petitioners also urged the agency to tell drugmakers that continued marketing these products for infants and young children is not supported by scientific evidence and could lead to enforcement action.
Among those joining Sharfstein in the petition were Dr. Janet Serwint, professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Steven J. Czinn, chairman of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine; and Dr. Michael Shannon, professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
"These are very senior pediatricians," Sharfstein said. "That kind of expertise is not something the FDA gets petitions from every day."
Last fall, Sharfstein wrote the FDA to express his concern about the FDA's regulation of over-the-counter cold remedies to children. He got a letter of thanks, but "nothing since then," he said.
He then launched a review of FDA regulation of the products, and found that the agency has never conducted a thorough review of the scientific evidence of the drugs' safety and effectiveness in children.
It "doesn't make sense," Sharfstein said. "And we were able to get some really impressive people to agree."
Coughs and colds are frequent in young children, and parents often turn to remedies that combine cough suppressants, expectorants, decongestants and antihistamines. In 1990, sales of these products totaled nearly $2 billion.
Repeated studies have found the preparations are generally harmless but no more effective in children than placebos.
The FDA has not restricted marketing to young children on the grounds that the drugs are "generally recognized as safe and effective." But a growing body of evidence in recent years has suggested that they are not.
Last year the American College of Chest Physicians released clinical practice guidelines advising caregivers not to recommend cough suppressants and other over-the-counter medications for young children because of their ineffectiveness and the increased risk of complications and death.
Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 1,519 children younger than 2 were treated in emergency rooms in 2004 and 2005 for overdoses and other complications related to cough and cold medications. Three infants less than 6 months old died.
"Because of the risks for toxicity, absence of dosing recommendations, and limited published evidence of effectiveness of these medications in children aged [less than] 2 years, parents and other caregivers should not administer cough and cold medications to children in this age group without first consulting a health care provider," the report concluded.
In some children, unintentional overdoses have caused heart rhythm changes, cardiopulmonary arrest, hallucinations, psychoses, hypertension and seizures, according to research cited in the petition.
The medications' lack of efficacy means "there is no justification to tolerate a real risk of severe side effects," the petitioners argue.
Dr. Steven J. Czinn, chair of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, was one of the petition's signers. He said parents concerned about their kids' cough and cold symptoms should have them examined by a physician to be sure the illness is viral, without serious complications.
"As long as the child is generally healthy, the best thing to do is let the virus run its course, and generally they'll get better as quick or quicker than when they take these medicines," Czinn said.
If a child has significant respiratory distress, or wheezing, he said, "there are medications that are effective. But routine coughs, colds, sniffles and runny nose -- they're very uncomfortable for the child, and for parents -- but generally speaking these [over-the-counter] medications are not going to deal with that discomfort."
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 9:23 PM
February 21, 2007
Tiny Baby to Leave Florida Hospital
This image is being blasted across the Media as the fullness of American Technology and Medical Innovation. I believe it is an image that should be pounded into the minds of parents everywhere as the absolute failure of the Medical Profession and American Society to teach and educate new mothers with the facts of prenatal nutrition.
What a sad and pathetic way to enter the world....
Tiny Baby to Leave Florida Hospital
"MIAMI (AP) --
A premature baby that doctors say spent less time in the womb than any other surviving infant is to be released from a Florida hospital Tuesday. Amillia Sonja Taylor was just 9 1/2 inches long and weighed less than 10 ounces when she was born Oct. 24. She was delivered 21 weeks and six days after conception. Full-term births come after 37 to 40 weeks.
"We weren't too optimistic," Dr. William Smalling said Monday. "But she proved us all wrong."
Neonatologists who cared for Amillia say she is the first baby known to survive after a gestation period of fewer than 23 weeks. A database run by the University of Iowa's Department of Pediatrics lists seven babies born at 23 weeks between 1994 and 2003.
Amillia has experienced respiratory problems, a very mild brain hemorrhage and some digestive problems, but none of the health concerns are expected to pose long-term problems, her doctors said.
"We can deal with lungs and things like that but, of course, the brain is the most important," Dr. Paul Fassbach said Monday. "But her prognosis is excellent."
Amillia has been in an incubator since birth and has been receiving oxygen. She will continue getting a small amount of oxygen, and her breathing will be monitored once she leaves Baptist Children's Hospital. She now is between 25 and 26 inches long and weighs 4 1/2 pounds.
"She's going to be in a normal crib, she's going to have normal feedings, she's taking all her feedings from a bottle," Smalling said.
Amillia is the first child for Eddie and Sonja Taylor of Homestead. She was conceived by in vitro fertilization, which made it possible to pinpoint her exact time in the womb, and was delivered by Caesarean section."
No one ever talks about the costs of all this abomination, not to mention the long term consequences for this child from her months of torture in the NICU.
I'm looking forward to the day when the woman in America who has the healthiest full term and most beautiful baby is heralded for her amazing contribution to our society. Instead what is blasted from sea to shining sea is the wonder of this little person being kept alive for months outside of the womb..
And I have no doubt in my mind that C-section was performed because Momma had toxemia, a completely preventable malnutrition state for the mother marked by protein deficiency and dehydration.
WATER, SALT, PROTEIN, WATER, SALT, PROTEIN, WATER, SALT, PROTEIN, come on... say it out loud. "WATER, SALT, PROTEIN, WATER, SALT, PROTEIN....these are the keys to healthy pregnancy."
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 8:59 PM
Meridian Magazine: Pornography, if it quacks like a duck...
Vickey Pahnke-Taylor: Pornography, if it quacks like a duck...
"We are being warned of the dangers of pornography as its pollution infests ever-growing numbers of people, but few regard it as a threat — at least until it creates havoc for them. With not enough fingers pointed in their direction, the pornography industry is making a bundle as it helps kill off morals and decay the fabric of good emotional and spiritual health.
Pornography is making a loud, quacking noise. Compiled evidence — lots of it — shows the devastating effects of this addiction on so many people. First-hand or second-hand, people are being affected, debilitated — even destroyed — by it.
The peddlers of pornography would have us believe that no harm is done- just as some peddlers of tobacco did for so many years. Data indicate a different picture:
Psychologist Edward Donnerstein, at the University of Wisconsin, conducted a study that found that even brief exposure to violent forms of pornography can lead to anti-social attitudes and behavior. Other studies back his up.
Exposure to pornography may diminish a person's capacity for true intimacy. Researchers have found that those exposed to nonviolent pornography indicated a diminished satisfaction with their partner's physical appearance, affection, and physical intimacy.
Nationwide studies show that where the circulation rates of pornography are up, so are the rape rates. Although rape is not usually a sexual act, but an act of violence, there is some correlation here.
Approximately 70 percent of the pornographic magazines sold end up in the hands of minors (The Pornography Plague , Kerby Anderson). Those minors cannot all be someone else's children. Do we know what our children are experiencing — and accepting as a norm? What kind of marriages will they be able to create once their norms have shifted away from proper spiritual principles?
When viewing of pornography becomes habitual, there is a correlative increase in doubts about the value of marriage."
A More Excellent Hope — A Conference Geared toward Overcoming Pornography Addiction
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 6:56 PM
February 19, 2007
Pornography and the Family
Yesterday we had a powerful lesson in Relief Society Meeting about Pornography.
I was introduced to this new manual and 12 step recovery program put together by the LDS church in 2005. Go Here.
We had Ward Conference, which is a three hour series of meetings that include the Sacrament, Sunday School, and a combined Relief Society and Priesthood class which was taught by our Stake President and Stake Relief Society President. These leaders serve over 2,000 members in the Boulder Colorado Stake.
The difficult topic they chose to address was Porn Addiction and the increasing problem that it is becoming in the church. I really appreciated the way that they did not hesitate to lay out the problem as well as share some insights as to how we as parents could help our children and ourselves stay clean from this plague.
Our Stake Relief Society President shared quotes from individuals, some she knew and some whom she had read about...tragic quotes about how they wished they had made better choices, how they would give anything to have back a loving spouse or custody of children lost. She claimed that 40% of internet porn users were women and that this number was increasing. She also claimed that it was far easier to prevent a pornography addiction than it was to cure one.
Then our Stake President Spoke and he shared how once a month he meets with the Bishops in our stake and each bishop has shared stories of those addicted in their congregations who are struggling. He believes the problem is much more wide spread than what the leaders hear about because of the shame factor involved in confessing this particular sin. He also said that the church at the highest levels was deeply concerned about this issue and it was right up at the top of the agenda in terms of importance and focus.
He shared the 12 step program which had the Atonement of Jesus Christ woven completely through it and claimed that although it was not a perfect cure, it had helped some people when most secular programs are unable to claim cure for the problem of porn addiction.
He made a line of demarcation and tied it to Joseph in Egypt who was tempted by Potifers wife. That line is that if you are surfing the web and you accidentally view some porn and then you flee from it the way that Joseph ran so fast he left his coat in Potifers wifes hands, then in the Lord's eyes you are not to blame...only be more careful about the web sites you go to and the surfing topics you search for.
But he said, if you are actively out searching for porn and looking at it, even if it is only the so called soft porn, you have a serious spiritual problem that needs to immediately be addressed and dealt with.
As he was talking I was praying fervently. I was begging the Lord to show me how to protect our children from this plague. During the class I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to openly talk to the children about it, ask them if any of them had seen any porn on the internet and how they responded to it.
So at supper last night I brought it up very casually but also directly, sharing what had been taught in the class, and also sharing some stories of healing that had been used as examples of healing from this plague.
First I asked our four older children who had accidentally seen porn on the internet. Every hand was raised.
"Was it accidental?" Yes, and mom, it was so gross, ewwww, yuck.
I told them the difference between soft and hard core porn and said that according to the Stake President it did not make any difference, if you were looking at porn, you had a serious problem that needed to be taken to the Bishop.
The I told them that every week at Family Council we were going to have an accounting for the whole family. And anyone who accidentally viewed some porn would be asked to share that fact. I told them the reason for this was to help them be accountable and get used to talking openly about pornography viewing so that if it ever did move past the accidental to the intentional phase, they could quickly identify that it had become a problem before it turned into a full blown addiction.
I told them about a man who had struggled with porn addiction from the time he was eight years old, who had been excommunicated from the church twice for various sins he had committed tied to Porn, and at the age of 58 had finally overcome a lifetime of pain, shame, and sorrow tied to his sin. This man had witnessed to the fact that it was so much easier to PREVENT a pornography addiction than it was to heal it. And he wanted his story shared with anyone possible, especially parents, to help them teach their children of the plague and how to prevent it in their own families.
This class was a sobering reminder to Paul and I of the challenges that face us as parents trying to help our children avoid the pitfalls of life. I hope and pray the weekly accountability will help the children to openly shun and avoid this addiction like the plague it is.
Family Council is what we do on sunday nights to help us organize our schedule and deal with various issues that crop up. Some have joked that it is the only family fight that starts and ends with a prayer, but we have decided that it will be a good time for a weekly reminder to our children of how much we want to help them prevent this problem in their own lives. My heart aches at even having to talk about this topic with these tender hearted little ones, but President Williams said that the average age of seeing porn for the first time is eleven and it is usually by accident while surfing the web. All four of our older children, including our ten year old son, said they had in fact seen one thing or another, and that was a surprise to me, because except for Allison mentioning it one time, they had never mentioned it to me.
I'm grateful for the chance to bluntly discuss this topic with them, and for wise spiritual leaders who are also open about the problem and want to help prevent tragedies in family life.
More Here at Meridian Magazine
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 4:31 PM
February 16, 2007
Life Circles
Woke early this morning, Ben was ill, I gave him a bath and a quick essential oils massage on his back to help ease his symptoms, itchy skin, congested. While he was in the bath I asked him what he ate at the basketball game last night..."any candy?" "No, Mom, all I had were some Cheetos." Not much better, but at least he wasn't sugar saturated.
Allison had her last Basketball Game last night. Spring sports start next week, soccer and track, and she wants to do both. I was hoping we would have a little break, but with new practices next week, plus the regional BB tourney, it will be the most busy week of all.
Ah Life, it just gets busier and busier, no let up in site. More Complicated and more fun.
I found this old picture in an album a couple weeks ago and decided to scan it and then put it here on my blog. Allison was ten days old, and I had just experienced the realities of a cesarean section. One of those baptism by fire moments in my life. I remember feeling betrayed by all of my childbirth ideals.
Yet isn't that life? We have some sort of a picture in our minds of how we think life should go, and then reality smacks and it is so far from the ideal that we had hoped and dreamed about, we could not possibly imagine how things could get worse, and then sometimes it does get worse, not always, but sometimes it does and we look up to heaven and wonder, "God, do you have some sort of wicked sense of humor, is this funny to you?" Or the question Ashers wife keeps asking (yes, almost finished the book...it is riveting) - "Asher, is there a plan? Tell me there is a plan" when trying to reconcile her parents and extended family being murdered during the haulocaust.
I was first introduced to the music of Les Miserables during the summer of 1987. Our music director Matt sang Bring Him Home for the cast of the summer stock I was participating in. And I cried. No, I wept. Stirrings. Again, the deeps of my being stirring. As soon as I had the cash, I bought the London Casette. Then early in our marriage I purchased the Broadway Cassette and was surprised to find out it was even better. We Americans are so conditioned to believe anything from Europe is better than that produced right here in the good ol US of A.
The early years of our marriage defined by Les Mis. Saw the musical three times with traveling casts: Detroit, Cincinnati, Salt Lake City. Singing the songs with guitar, piano, performing, performing, performing. Where is that score? Lost the music, oh well, we can get it off the internet....but never do. Last christmas Paul was asked to sing Bring him Home at the Christmas Party. Sure I can do it, sung it a hundred times. I thought he sang it wonderfully, even though I know he only rehearsed a couple times.
That music swells the memories. Good, bad, ugly.....beautiful. It's funny putting stuff up on You Tube, some of the comments on my vids show that people expect perfection, it is all they hear on the radio, perhaps not understanding how difficult it is to nail a performance live. They don't understand that what they hear on the radio is perhaps something that had been recorded dozens of times looking for perfection. Yet when Amatuers like hubby and I sing and share...perfection is expected and if not delivered well, tsk tsk, you are not quite good enough for me....lowly charlatan.
I've never claimed or pretended to be anything than what I am, an amatuer singer who loves music. I missed rehearsal last week for Colorado Rep...too busy with basketball, so I did not know they were holding auditions for Les Mis last night. We are singing a choral medley of the show, 32 pages of it. My friend Patricia called yesterday afternoon and said she was going to try for the soprano solos and did I want to come along. I told her no, I did not plan to audition, my asthma has been really bad and I just didn't think I had the air power to sing it right. She told me I was welcome to come along with her anyway, and so I did. "perhaps you will change your mind", she said as we ended the call.
I had not even looked at the score to see what solos were involved. And I have not sung anything from Les Mis for years. Five minutes before she showed up, I opened up the piano and plunked out the first line of I dreamed a dream, then grabbed the leash for my dog and ran outside to walk him before she showed up to take us to rehearsal. As I walked the dog, I sang full voice the first verse of I dreamed a dream....And it all came crashing back into my mind. The emotion of that song, the lost love, betrayal and depression. "when hope was high and life worth living"...."but there are dreams that cannot be"...
So often in my life I have had moments....long moments, years, weeks, days when hope was gone. When all that was being presented to me was destruction and depression. The words that came from professional lips....devastating to my heart. "you probably shouldn't have any more children"...."you are too fat to be a part of our troop"...."you just aren't good enough"...."No, this illnes is permanent"....."You can't have a vaginal birth after a C-section, you or the baby could die!!!"....and on and on and on.....
Where was MY ideal life? Under that proverbial rock, hidden from view? God, is there a plan? Is all of this mental torture really necessary?
As I walked the dog I sang Fantines words...."I dreamed a dream"
"There was a time when men were kind, when their voices were soft and their words inviting.
There was a time when love was blind and the world was a song, and the song was exciting.
There was a time.
Then it all went wrong.
I dreamed a dream in time gone by.
When hope was high and life worth living.
I dreamed that love would never die,
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.
But the tigers come at night."
with their voices soft as thunder.
As they tear your hope apart,
as they turn your dream to shame...."
Do ALL women feels these same feelings? Do all women have their hopes crushed by one thing or another in life? Do ALL people have their dreams turned to dust while they plod along trying to find out what life is for?
I look at my life and the blessings overwhelm. Once in a while I will meet a new friend who knows nothing about our family and the message that is conveyed to me is that our family is perfect and does not have the problems and issues that other people deal with. When this belief is expressed to me I sometimes attempt to look the person in the eye and nod and accept her assessment of things, but a couple of times I have found myself busting out laughing at the irony of it all, "no, not laughing at YOU, not dismissing YOU...you just don't know anything about it, that's all".
If you think you have met a perfect family, you just don't know them well enough. This does not mean that we all have to air our dirty laundry on a realty show, so that others can see the various foibles and traumas we have experienced. But the question does come to mind, "if we are all struggling with life and the various trials and temptations that life affords, what is it all about?" Why all of this struggle? Why all of this pain? Gut wrenching, lung collapsing, fever inducing pain?
After five minutes of walking the dog, I decided to audition. As we drove to the church where rep singers rehearse, I decided to belt it instead of try to sound pretty. It is not a pretty song. It is that gut wrenching, lung collapsing, fever inducing pain song. It is a song about a woman who becomes a prostitute to save her child. It is about mother love and women love and the depths that a soul will go to try to make her life work.
So yes, I sang it ugly, I sang it powerful and raw, and figured if the director wanted it that way he would have me do it. Sure, everyone else sang it pretty, choral music is pretty and melodic, and QUIET!!! And I sang it loud. When I finished he said "well we just heard the broadway version of that"...nothing else. Somtime I'll record a version of it and shove it up on YOU TUBE, so others can hear my rawness. Is it possible to sing a song like that without the hoplessness it contains spilling out, even when the singer trys to sing it pretty?
I don't know. I just know how I had to sing it the way I did. Don't really care if I get to sing it at our concerts. (Ok that's a lie) I have not worked with this director long enough to know what he wants, and that is good because it frees me to sing how I like without caving to the pressure to attempt to sing how he would have it. The long timers in the group all sang it choral style, so perhaps that is what will win the prize of the solo. Solos are a prize, they give visibility and kudos and praise and challenge. I love to perform. My heart thrills with each second of connection with a live audience. The overwhelm of adrenaline, the crash of applause, the absolute thrill of touching someone else to the depths of their being....true emotion, true weeping.....I love every bit and piece of it.
We have some women in our world, Amanda Marcotte comes to mind just because she has been in the middle of the current blogger storm, who have used some derogatory language to describe certain aspects of mothering. The Conservative Blogs have been particularly vicious to her. Out of curiousity I went to her site to surf around and see what sh