Can You volunteer?

Fridays are days I look forward to. After the morning walk, (walking with a friend always) it's off to the Farmers Market in Enderby. Last Friday June 10th my friend Trina and I set up a tent and talked about Epilepsy, to anyone interested on that rainy day. (Virginia drove use down, it took three of use to get the tent up.) 

We are fed up with having seizures and feeling helpless never sure if we will make it through a day without having a siezure. 

We will be setting up at the market as often as we can, to continue to educate others about Epilepsy and raise funds for research, education and hospital beds. We are also looking for volunteers to help fund-raise with us, we are still organizing, but have some great ideas for the days leading up to "Purple Day March 26th 2017".

Some ideas;

A Walk For Epilepsy, with a costume contest.

A dance

If you are interested in helping, let me know, maybe you have some ideas.

What we need help with now is getting to and from the market with all our stuff(tent. chairs, table, info, us)

If you are not able to volunteer, stop by our table at the market and buy my Art greeting cards, 50% of the processed will go to Epilepsy, research and education. See you there! 

Lavender, calming in the garden

The small table loaded with info on epilepsy, my greeting cards, donation jar etc.

March 26th Purple Day for Epilepsy 2016

I had so many ideas as to what I wanted to do on March 26th. What I was able to do, was make a pair of purple tie dyed pants, and add cuffs and fabric covered buttons to my vintage coat, matching the coat to the pants. 

The drive from Enderby to Vancouver was not interesting and beautiful as it could be, due to motion sickness. At least I got the motion sickness over with right away. Driving to Vancouver was just the beginning of a trip that took, my sister, my daughter, my grandson and myself to Toronto, New York and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Steve loved the old phone box and the art inside.

Purple Day was the beginning of this trip, Yolanda wrapped Omar in a beautiful purple wrap and Steve tagged along, not much purple to be seen on him. I handed out epilepsy first aid cards, pencils, magnets and brochures about epilepsy, all along Commercial Drive. People asked questions and I was happy to answer to the best of my knowledge. Checked out the music shop and got to play some Ukulele's, and a banjo. The biggest excitement for the day was the run away electric scooter. We were walking up hill and there was a commotion at the top, a women was on this electric scooter yelling,in a French Canadian accent "Move out of the way, move out of the way, I can't stop!". People were  stepping aside, my thoughts were, how do you stop her and not get hurt, Yolanda grabbed the back of her seat I grabbed the handle bars and a man grabbed something else and we managed to stop her. I just held onto those bars with the wheels turned so it wouldn't get away again. Our hearts were just thumping and the woman's lips were purple. It was a good day we diverted a disaster and more people were aware of how to care for someone having a seizure. 

On Sunday we had a family dinner to celebrate Omar turning 6 months old.  It was a good weekend in Vancouver. 

Grandview Park off Commercial Drive in Vancouver. 

Grandview Park, many shades of purple, Of the brightly tie dyed tea shirt, Steve says "I would never wear such an in your face bold print.". I wanted to wear it since epilepsy is bold and in your face. 

Walking down the street can be dangerous if you have active seizures. Dress for safety, On my feet I have boots with low heels and lace up to protect the ankles from twisting and scrapping. In the last 6 months I have had my first two black eye's. My light weight glasses and the ground can do a big number on the eye's, black, bloody, bumps and stitches. When I am home alone or a seizure could be around the corner, I now wear my sports glasses. They are designed to protect the eye's from impact, during sports.
"If I had a chose of how I get black eye's, sprained ankles, torn ligaments, I would not choose epilepsy."

The Five of Us

Steve Fultz on guitar, Karen Durant, Jackie Rudsvick, Mimi Kim, Joyce Taguchi, at Mimi's Tearoom March 26, 2015.

April 10th "River Talk" www.enderbyrivertalk.com finally came out and this is the picture on page 13 that Jette Russell took. Thank you Jette what a great picture of the  five of us!

International Purple Day for Epilepsy

I would like to thank Cassidy Megan, founder of Purple day, for bringing us together. Without Purple day I might not have had the courage to put together the “Dessert and Entertainment” at Mimi’s Tearoom, in Enderby BC. We had four women vocalists, one a piano player, and my husband Steve on guitar. I emceed the event weaving information about Epilepsy between music interludes. We sang jazz tunes, spirituals, show tunes and opera. The tearoom has seating for fifty people and we were sold out; we could have sold another 20 tickets, but that would exceed the fire regulations. Next year we will be in a bigger venue.

Jackie sang and bravely told us about her mother who had epilepsy and how hard it was growing up with the bulling of her mom, being called a drunkard and more. She was so pleased to hear what we were doing to bring about awareness. They had nothing like this in the 80’s. We touch so many lives.

The event gave me strength. The audience was glowing with smiles; they enjoyed the music and the information. Some of the feedback was “What an amazing evening, all that talent in little Enderby.”  “You did well.” “What a fun night.”

I shared a bit of my story.

I have been living with Epilepsy for approximately 20 years and didn’t know it, until 2013 when I started having Tonic Clonic or Grand Mal seizures. The first  few seizures in the mid 90’s were more like visions, the most interesting was the night I went to bed and suddenly I was in outer space. My thoughts were “I’m not asleep how can I be dreaming, what is this and where am I?” It was amazing. Floating in space with me was a circle of hands; I could float down to the circle and feel secure and safe inside the circle or float away and watch it spinning around.

 It left such an impression I had to draw it. With Scottish-Irish as part of my ancestry I drew the circle of hands with Celtic knots. I silkscreened it to garments, put it on our wedding stationary. The circle of hands has become a symbol of the support system of family, friends and community that help me through my days.  Recently I had the circle of hands printed onto greeting cards, I have them for sale $4 each or three for $10.

For me Purple Day is not just about bringing awareness for Epilepsy, it is also about saying thank you to family, friends and community for their support, this difficult journey called epilepsy would be much harder without them. Your support and understanding helps me and others with epilepsy get through our days, thank you.

Mimi finished with Phantom of the Opera’s “Think of Me”; what a voice she has. Thank you to Mimi for your songs and piano work, her husband Jong and Mimi for the venue, the tea and yummy dessert’s, young Christian for donating cookies, Joyce for song, Steve for guitar, Jackie for song and the story of her mom, Donlea and Tom for greeting and taking the tickets at the doors.

If you think someone is having a seizure; stay calm, let the seizure take its course, speak calmly and protect them from dangers.

For more information check out www.epilepsymatters.com

Comments are welcome

Ideas Pop

Ideas  flit around my head, popping up unannounced, expecting me to do something about it. I take them in and roll them around my head, evaluate their necessity or if I need a ladder to get it done. In my life before epilepsy I could pounce on each idea with a reassurance that I would be able to do this.  At least in my mind I don't need a chaperon to take me there. The writing I love has been minimal, it's in there just give it time, it could come in abundance.  When the weeds are shouting, their love for the garden and the sun beckons  you into it's warmth, I will leave the confines of this house and roam the garden, taking in the pleasures of scent, color, taste and the intricate patterns of nature. Then again I might just sit down and read a book, which insights more ideas, and regrets that I push away. How much can I let go? 

On my trip to Trout Lake I collected rocks, this is a small 4" x 4" canvas, inspired by Sheila Peter's Facebook profile. I'm also reading her new book "Shafted" a mystery.

I Have been busy with new art projects, Enderby has been busy too, with some wonderful new art around town.

Another 4" x 4" canvas, reminiscent of Pete's boat "Constant Virtue" "Connie" for short. 

The Enderby downtown breeze way has had a major lift of color and whimsy, you must check it out. This is Todd McCormac  the artist hired by the Arts Council to do the make over of the breeze way. I love how the butterfly has fluttered softly through his head.

This is at the skate board park, if it says something it is beyond me but it looks great, well done!

The Girl Guides of Canada were happy to swamp Enderby this summer, more than doubling the population. Heather was hired to help the girls paint the building that houses the washrooms etc, Thank you Girl Guides for the amazing visit, if I could just inspire you to change your cookie receipt to no chemicals, GMO's and all organic.  

The birds didn't want to be outdone and left and artfully dropped "Yin and Yang".

I finally finished my Creature from a dream. I'm hoping that when I look at it next I don't see another touch up.

My latest 4" x 4" canvas, abstract "Heart Attack".

It is good to pause, step back from progress, do I go straight, do I meander left or right? Day dreaming is a good tool, and I love what it brings, even if it doesn't suit me. Let it in, let it out, stomp on it, embrace it, give it the juice it needs to unfold and give you what you need to live.

Works in progress, if the table isn't a mess, nothing it being created. Where does sewing fit on this table?

Tuesday, March 26, 2013 was Purple for Epilepsy Awareness Day. At nine years old Cassidy Megan founded the day five years ago. "I wanted to Have one day where everyone in the world could show support for people with epilepsy and teach people about epilepsy." Ten year old Cassidy shook hands with the Queen and last year Cassidy was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal.

I started off my day by walking the dogs, exercise, sunshine and dusty air.

With a basket of goodies I received from The Center For Epilepsy and Seizure Control in BC, I strolled down to the Tea at the "Country Coffee Shop" with possible support group participants. I walked into the Coffee shop and it was full, a table of four was set aside for us, lucky, by the time the last couple arrived another table became available for the six of us. We were noticeable allwearing purple, except for Kelly who was wearing red, in fact I noticed a lot of red. Anyone walking in wearing purple got a pencil, magnet, bracelet, bookmark, of their choosing. Three of us have epilepsy, one of us feels isolated by her epilepsy and was excited about having a support group in Enderby. After the tea I walked about the town and handed out my goodies, to eager takers, in doing so I met more people with epilepsy or who have family or friends and would also be interested in a support group.

March 26TH happened to fall on a Tuesday which is Toastmasters night, I took the position as Chair for the evening with the theme "Epilepsy". I invited the new support group and three were able to come to the meeting. Everyone had some tone of purple on, I was sure John in his fedora with squares of purple paper in his hat band would scare off the guests with his hand shake of a purple, balloon stuffed glove. For the break we had cookies and purple corn chips with purple, beet dip. Heather thought a purple dip was a good choice, if we spill, it wouldn't be as noticeable on our purple clothing, as John dropped a lump of dip from his chip, onto Heather's skirt.

I reached back into my past as I researched famous people with Epilepsy, Neil Young was one of my favorite singer song writers. I quenched my throat with water, and took a deep breath, out of my throat came "Helpless", helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless......the song felt suitable for the day, the feeling you may have at loosing your drivers license, waking in the street, not knowing where you are, with strangers yelling at you as if you are drunk, pain in all your body, confusion, doctors voices spinning in your head, pharmaceuticals, no climbing of ladders, no taking of bathes..........Helpless.

I'll get over it, who can be sad when they are wearing purple flowery Tom canvas shoes, every one wanted my shoes, at a size 3 girls they only fit me.

Love you all!