Really?

Look out, world. I'm "displeased".

"Hello...Jalen, is it?"

"Yes, hi"

"You've been dealing with this "condition" for a year and a half? hmmm... interesting. Have you had allergy testing before?"

"Yes, a year ago I had blood testing done through a naturopath"

"Oh. Well, I don't care what a naturopath found - do you KNOW of any allergies you have?"

"No... not for sure"

"Alright, let's do some tests then."

(Prick test, right arm foods, left arm contact allergens - 10 minutes of "reaction time")

"According to your reaction, it appears that you're quite severally allergic to dust mites"

"Oh. Is that why my arm is so swollen?"

"Yes. This allergy could be aggravating your skin quite a bit without you knowing it..."

Great. Wonderful.

First of all, naturopathic medicine (if that's what you'd call it - www.eczemanaturalhealing.com) has literally been THE ONLY thing that has had a lasting positive impact on my health (obviously also through God's help and healing), and although it's slow as the dickens (and some days I want to give up) it's effective for long term.

Secondly, my apartment is carpeted wall to wall to wall except in the kitchen and bathrooms... so, thanks so much for suggesting that I not have carpet - super helpful. Also, I don't think covers for my duvet, mattress and pillows are covered under my medical plan, so I'm not going to be able to run down to the store and purchase those anytime this semester, but thanks.

Basically, thank you for making me aware of an enemy that I actually cannot fight right now... except for more frequent dusting and vacuuming.

Pfff. I'm just frustrated. Why does no one respect natural healing? Medical plans don't cover pillow covers or probiotics or enzymes, or ANYTHING that helps me, but they DO cover steroids and cortisone creams and other garbage that has actually caused SO much damage in (and ON) my body. It's dumb. Really stupid.

I had to get that off my chest. I'm not saying that allopathic medicine is bad, I'm just saying that there should be a certain amount of cooperation and respect between the different methods of healing... I'm tired of being made to feel stupid by doctors. I've been dealing with this for a year and a half now and I know a few things about my body that they don't. I have a vested interest in my well-being, and I can't just tell myself "good luck" and send me out the door with a prescription.

Okay. I'm done. Sorry for losing my cool a little bit, but seriously.

my darling autumn.

I love fall. I really LOVE it. It gives me the warm fuzzies inside just THINKING about it!

Here are some thing I will always associate with fall:

- cozy clothes

- stunning colours

- crisp air

- pumpkins

- apple cider

- coffee dates

- gingerbread

- apple crisp

- my mom's "fall display"

- boots

- halloween (I love dressing up, carving pumpkins, having parties... even the smell of the candles inside the pumpkins!)

- family get togethers

- thanksgiving

- jazz music (specifically the Harry Connick Jr. "when harry met sally" album)

I love, love, love it. Unfortunately I'm not able to enjoy some of the usual highlights of fall because of my stupid skin, but hopefully that will all change soon! (I would LOVE to have a latte and a ginger-molasses cookie right now!)

My wonderful Aunt Terri sent me this fall collage a few days ago, and I just had to share it!

It is well.

Hey guys.

The past couple of weeks have been a little nutty.

Some of you may already know that Lyle (my wonderful stepdad) has been in the hospital for awhile now. He was diagnosed with epidural spinal abscesses. Basically, he had something comparable to tumours along the base of his spine that were causing him a lot of pain and threatened to cause neurological damage or paralysis if not treated immediately. On Thursday night they decided to do emergency surgery to try to reduce the risk of paralysis. The surgery went well, although they were unable to remove the abscesses, they could release some of the pressure around his spine. He's still at Royal Columbian Hospital, and they're now attempting to take care of the rest of the "problem" with antibiotics and other medications.

Thank you to those of you who were praying for our family - we can't tell you how much we've appreciated it! Lyle has really felt God's comfort through this whole ordeal (I think he's been calmer than mom and us four kids!) and we're obviously also VERY relieved that he still has full function of his limbs (and his mind!).

Lots of love.

Toms Shoes

This movement is rad.

Toms shoes is a company which was developed for the purpose of distributing one pair of shoes to a child in a third-world country for every single pair of shoes that they sell.

What an awesome idea.

http://www.tomsshoes.ca/content.asp?tid=529

check it out.

Personally, I love this pair:

I just need to have a little recovery time from my "all natural supplement" med purchases and school tuition and then these bad boys will be making an appearance on my feet! haha

Autumn

I wrote this poem in the end of August 2009, and it seems fitting to share it once again...

My eager friend has left his subtle fingerprints across a day that is not his own.
A scent, one smell - a memory. "Back so soon?"
But no. Just a hint, in jest, before retreating - almost undetected - into the August midday.
A shade, a hue, has caught my eye - a leaf anxiously embracing my dear friend's splendor.
A deliciously majestic auburn, shaming it's neighbors in appearance.
But this poor, beautiful leaf will be the first to fall... a leader for the myriads to follow.
"You're too early, dear friend", and I know he agrees as the wind catches my hair.
"A couple more weeks, then?"...and I know he's gone again.
But soon, as time dances away another season, he'll return.
With ferver and passion he'll paint his canvas in rich golds, intermingling reds, oranges and browns - a stunning work of art.
But his welcome is never as warm as the world which he creates around us.
A sigh, at first;
a mourning time over the loss of another sweet season who left us much too young.
In this sad state we sit, as my friend labours, unappreciated, to remake the world around us.
He knows his time will come...
And then, before it even seems he was here at all, he will be the one dearly missed.
I've missed you, my old friend. Welcome back.

on with the show!

As you may or may not know, I spent these past two weeks running "Shine Performing Arts" day camps! My mom and I were out to lunch (literally and figuratively) one day back in March or early April and we were discussing the possibility of me running my own musical theatre classes... and that's how Shine Performing Arts was formed! My friend Jon Campbell from Kuztek solutions created the website (http://www.shineperformingarts.com/), I printed flyers out and posted them around town and I ran ads in the Abbotsford newspaper. Slowly but surely, parents began to sign their kids up!


So, August 9th-13th I had nine children between the ages of 6 and 8 learning about singing, acting and dancing down in the Youth Center of Immanuel Fellowship Baptist church! Monday through Friday, 9am - 2:30pm, I was "Miss Jay". At the end of the week we invited the parents to come and watch us "perform" what we had learned. One of the moms video taped the kids performing - http://www.youtube.com/user/celinasart#p/a/u/1/m_HOCsJmyTQ


Sorry about the whining kid... believe me, it was much more annoying in person! haha


Then, the 16th-20th I had six 10 - 12 year olds (and one random 7 year old little sister who asked to join in half way through the week!). This camp was more drama based - we played lots of theatre games, learning about improv, blocking, vocal techniques, etc. Really fun! Below are some pics of them from the last two days.

I had a tonne of fun with these kids. Many of the parents from both groups were wondering whether I would be running once-a-week classes in the fall, which I was hoping to do! So, all in all, it was a great two weeks, and I look forward to many more camps to come!

songs that equal "summer"

So, here are some songs that will FOREVER make me think of summertime...

Phil Vassar - Six Pack Summer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYpdFYWNSC4

Nikka Costa - Everybody's Got Their Something
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyeoW4ifNik

Rufus Wainwright - Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5CLmflrwIA

Brandtson - Earthquakes and Sharks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTIUDsb2XGs

Chris Brown - Forever
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sMKX22BHeE