Groovy Kind of Love

Not so long ago, I had the opportunity to join a friend on a social site she frequents with her "gang".  I was invited to come on and play a few songs.  The few songs turned into a wonderful 3 hour playlist with many smiles and requests.  This was definitely a "first" in my books and it was absolutely uplifting to be able connect with viewers worldwide.  

One gentle-person was gracious enough to video record one of the songs sung during the 3 hr performance.  During this song, he enlightened us with a little jig in his best suit.

Very groovy indeed!!!!

  I have always loved weirdness (for I am a weirdo).  People who think "outside the box" and see a bigger picture.  One of my favorite photographers, Diane Arbus, offered the same view.  Real.  Lover-boy definitely proves this with strength and courage.  It takes a strong person to allow themselves the freedom to just FEEL and BE themselves, despite what others may or think.  I honor him for this and also I thank him for suggesting to write a blog post in regards to this video.   To love our neighbors as we love ourselves, unconditionally.

Cheers Lover-boy!

All About Love

Foreigner sings, "I Want To Know What Love Is" and the BeeGees ask, "How Deep Is Your Love?"

"Is This Love?", asks Whitesnake....Celine tells me that "Love Can Move Mountains" and the Judds say that "Love Can Build A Bridge". And, I know that "Love Hurts" but sometimes it is a good hurt. ....and they "Dig" it. So, do you all know what Love is?

I see all these songs about love and I understand the complexity of this word, the double meaning of it. Thank heavens the music industry's been giving us the hints for years yet, we as individuals do not see the "messages" clearly.

When has men forgot to ask for permission before stealing something that doesn't even belong to them in the first place? Yes, Love.... our defender, our warmth, our cars are all made up of Love, or with Love.

Holy (g)rail? The divider between countries. The rail lines, to transport the Love we dig.

We have come so far from the "beginning of the book" that we have forgotten about the beautiful gardens. Je me souviens.

So, with all honesty and clarity. God's Love IS the "mine-(h)er-all.....mineral... ALL is filled with Love. Ore (mineral) right? Or is Gold in French....just a minor looking for a heart of ore.....

Hope this gives Sudbury minors something to think about...if not, consult the Sudbury Rocks book. It's called the Bi bull.

Love,
Everest.- the meteor/mineral you stand upon, that keeps you warm, that sends the messages along the wire, that keeps you safe while you are behind the wheel. 

 Do you Love me?

New York, New York

A friend suggested that this would be a suiting song for the blog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pae6bNjltdA (to open up a new page, hold down CTRL and click on link)

I recently embarked on a journey to New York for a 2 day book signings that was being held in the New York area by an author/musician I have admired over the years .  It felt surreal being there and it also felt like I've been there before, despite the fact that it was my first time.

Along the flight, I conversed with two young Italian travellers who were staying close to where I had booked my hotel. We carpooled in my rental and we made our way over to New Jersey side. We ended up going for supper and they were super sweet and nice to cover my meal. Mucho gracias!

This was a very emotionally charged trip for me, as made my way around this large city over a 3 day period.  I had the opportunity to go on the Liberty Island tour.  Unfortunately, there were no more tours available to go all the way up to the viewing station but I did get the chance to view the base of her pedestal and the museum.  Entering, I was greeted by a wonderful man giving information and tours.  I had done some independent research back home on Liberty and made some interesting connections during my research. The tour leader probed me on my knowledge, and I ended up enlightening this wonderful man with some perspective from a Canadian.  Jokingly, and perhaps with some honesty, he asked me if I could take over the tour while he went to lunch with his work companion.  I helped a few couples with group photos and was again drawn into the history and models of what Bartholi had envisioned for Liberty and Freedom.

Thank you to the couple who took this photo below.

I bought a few small gifts, such as postcards and a pair of earrings made of Wrought Iron that were made out of the 2nd story rail overlooking the Registry room of Ellis Island.  Unfortunately, the tour didn't include a visit to Ellis Island due to Hurricane Sandy from the year prior.  It was still under renovations. 

One of the postcards that stood out to me was a cartoon depiction of the statue of Liberty with an ascending female, clothed in white, pink linen and has a grey linen draped over her arm.  "Résurrection de la Liberté." It made me think of an old French folklore song from my childhood, and it gave me a whole new way of looking at that song.  I bought two of these postcards and one of Ellis Island.

Another notable discovery I made (to be taken with a cup of humor) was the shape of Manhattan and the location of the 3 islands (Liberty/Ellis/Governor) in the bay... It looks like a giant....oh, should I say it?...Penis with 3 semen spots.  Funny what you can see with Google Map. 

Later that day, I drove to Long Island for the 1st book signing. I passed by Jamaica and Hempstead and couldn't help but giggle at the connections to marijuana and hemp.  Then, I pondered about WHY the city of New York was called the Big Apple when there are no apple trees. So all I could come up with is seeds...but what kind?  Oddly enough, I do know where there is a big apple, if you travel to Western Canada to a city called Kelowna.  During the book signing, I gave the author a gift. A book I had put together that was a draft which contained illustrations, photos and odd facts that has been making me ponder about our connectivity for years. I interacted with others in line and they too shared their gifts for the author with me.  So many amazing people came out to this book signing and really grateful to have met them all.

On day two of the book signings, I stayed close to the location on Manhattan Island.  I parked my car across the street at underground paid parking and was greeted by a jovial man who was originally from Montreal and later moved to New York.  Going up to street level, I bought the author's book and sat down at a café, I opened the book and made my way through the pages for the first time over coffee  Then, BLAM! Another wave of emotion.  Only this time, it felt like a group of butterflies flying around me, representing Love, Understanding, Joy and crying giggles and more.  How is it possible that two books can mirror each other in such an intimate way? I have plenty of questions myself that I would love to discuss with the author as I am quite confident to say that He as well, probably has a query or two.  On a side note, I cordially invite you, yes you to Canada to discuss an open-minded collaboration of some sort.

I walked around Manhattan carrying my guitar, however, I didn't really feel like playing, just talking to people.  I also met a great guy who was a writer who enjoyed the color purple, another that was working on a TV series and another fellow musician with an interesting name. 

I also had the opportunity to go inside St Paul's church which is facing the memorial site of the twin towers. Once again, a flood of emotions filled me with sorrow as I saw with my own eyes all the memorial cards of those who tragically died.  I walked around the large block of the memorial site
praying in my heart while burning white sage. 

I made my way back towards the location of the book signing and joined other audience members in line.  I shared knowledge with a couple of Green Peace workers that took the streets to raise awareness on ecological issues our world is facing.  I shared information about companies such as such as Elementa, the Chaga mushroom with many great health benefits, eco vs. ego, and giving "Peas a Chance"...

Lots of Love, Hope, Joy to those who have touched my life in a special way during my visit to New York.  What a beautiful and spirit-filled city and I am grateful for being in your presence.

Back in the forest, retreating to painting art on an array of canvases.  I feel a jolt of inspiration including nature as the canvas. 

Have a wonderful day

The Day KISS Came To Town

Back in the summer of '09, I took a "Thelma and Louise" type trip across Canada and the USA with my friend and we ended up in Los Angeles for a couple of nights.  We spent a lot of time walking around, checking out the scene and taking photos.  I got a photo of my self standing over Kiss's Hollywood star. Photo below.

As I fast forward, I'd like to talk about what happened earlier this week.  KISS came to Sudbury on Tuesday July 23rd (the day after a full moon) and rocked our arena with Shinedown.  Earlier that day, I was tending to a friends garden when their cousin and his partner showed up.  They were pretty happy that Kiss made their way here and the wife also told me that she was Gene Simmons wife`s cousin from the east coast. She wished she could afford to go to the show but was unable to attend.

A few hours later, I drove to the arena with my guitar to try to raise some money for the Make Yourself Foundation and also to see all the Kiss fans in costume.  As I was walking through our memorial park after parking my car, I then realized I forgot my coffee . It was a chili night so I was going to need a warmup while I was entertaining the crowds outside the arena.  As I made my way back through the park with my coffee, I noticed a tall blond lady and a younger brunette walking with their cute little doggies and followed by security.  I knew this must have been Shannon Tweed.  Then, all of a sudden, her doggie comes running up to me and loving me up.  She came up to me and told me that her dog never did anything like this and it was like I was her dogs long lost mother, or something.

I kept conversation short with her because I understand how it must be to get bombarded every single day because of who you are, or what you do, or your status. It's amazing how I met her cousin eariler that day and then I end up running into Shannon, all because of my abandoned coffee I had to go get from my car.  Right door, awesome sauces.

I placed myself in front of some buses and played guitar for a few hours while I can hear the concert happening on the inside of the arena.  The lights from all the pyrotechnics were reflecting off the bus and I could only imagine how intense it was on the inside.

I met some interesting characters that evening.  There was this one man that came out of the arena with a vinyl and wanted me to sign his Kiss album; weird request but done.  I met a few roadies that were super cool.  "Fig" and "Shadi/Shati" (not sure of spelling). "Fig" asked me what was in my guitar (he was shaking my guitar) and I told him my "bottom dollar".  * I keep a dollar coin in my guitar sound hole, to remind me of my strength and courage to keep going. The dollar coin is also a reference to an Incubus song called Glass.

I ended up raising over $45 for the Make Yourself Foundation that night, which brings my total up to over $400 raised by playing guitar and singing on the streets.

Yesterday, July 25th, I donated $100 to the Make Yourself Foundation.org through a website called urgencynetwork.com to increase my chances to have the opportunity to surf with Brandon Boyd and also to help some of the causes that are dear to them and also to me.  About an hour after donating for the cause, I had coffee with a friend and noticed he was wearing a pair of shorts with the number 23. If you know Incubus`s music, the 23 would make sense, and if not, time to start listening to this band that`s been around for 20 years....Incredible, in one word.

I would like to thank Kiss for gracing us with their presence on their 40th anniversary tour, as well as the kindness and generosity of all the Kiss fans and the super cool people I met that day.  Shannon, your dog is super cute and lovable and intensely soft and maybe,just maybe,  I am your dogs` long lost mother...Who knows...   :)

Love and Light,
Andrea

The Path of Life

I wanted to share a beautiful experience I had with a friend last night.  Together, we went up to a local highpoint in our city that has many raised monuments, and also has a great view of both the stars and the cityscape; the grotto.  We walked along, inside the path of life labyrinth, making our way to the centre, surrounding ourselves with white light and good intent, followed by the resonate sounds of a singing bowl.  We reached the middle and sat and watched the dancing northern lights for hours as they stretched from the Big Dipper to the Altair.  It has been many years since I've personally seen the Aurora Borealis dance as it did last night.  We also took note at how the patterns of the Aurora resembled an angel with wings.  Just above Cassiopeia, (W shaped constellation),  a shooting star graced us with it's presence.

I would say that this has been one of the most beautiful, inspiring nights I've had in a long time.

A Recent Letter of Concern

I wanted to share with you all a letter I recently wrote to Minister Peter Kent in regards to a Rare Earth mining project up in the Temiscaming/Kipewa area.  Shortly after writing this letter, Ramsey Lake in Sudbury has been made aware of being polluted and that they are trying to find the "source" of pollution.  (Please read an article release on May 13th, 2013 CBC Story- Ramsey Lake . I feel it is time for us to really wake up and smell the honesty.  If people keep a demand on mining, that essentially creates many types of pollution, how are we going to survive?  My biggest question is WHY isn't mining capped, like forestry, fish and trapping, as well as hunting?  Have we forgot about how impacts work when excessive raping of minerals?  This isn't only happening here, but all over the world.  Please take time to read the letter to better understand the severity.  Initially, I received a letter from MiningWatch and in response, contacted the links they provided below on their site, to send out my concerns.  I have also contacted the UN, and a few other organizations including the World Public Union.  This is an ever growing concern, and understand that my hometown is surrounded by mines, but we are all effected to some degree.  How important is quality of life, over quantity of mineral? I feel this is a loaded question we should not be taking for granted or lightly.

With no further ado, here is my letter to Minister Kent:

Written and emailed on May 8th, 2013 with no response back yet...

Dear Minister Kent,

I am concerned about the proposed Kipewa Rare Earths Project in the territory of Wolf Lake and Eagle Village Algonquin First Nations.

I am a resident of Sudbury, Ontario and also a graduate in forestry, fish and wildlife management.  I have studied ecology and have done numerous water assessment inventories.

This project has the potential for significant adverse effects to the water, fish and wildlife and human uses of the area and must be reviewed in the most rigorous and participatory way possible.

Allow me to paint you a picture of Sudbury, and then, I will elaborate on each category that will be effected by the opening of this site proposed in the territory of Wolf Lake and Eagle Village.

Sudbury is the nickle capital of the world.  And, as glamorous as it may seem for our economy, we also have to look at the impact it has left around Sudbury.  I have enclosed a link to the satellite view of the tailing ponds.  Furthermore, Sudbury has one of the highest cancer rates in the world due to air pollution and possibly from dangerous chemicals seeping into our drinking water.

Click on link: http://goo.gl/maps/WL4sr

The emerald and light blue colored lakes are the tailing ponds that surround Sudbury from generations of mining, and over the years, from early smelting processes, it has left our Mother Earth blackened, resembling a moon-type landscape.  Furthermore, lest we not forget how watersheds work.  The water runs eventually into the Great Lakes, which also serves as drinking water to the surrounding communities.  Not only that, the United States also need clean drinking water.

As I mentioned, I am a resident of Sudbury and I have seen how glorious the economy has left an impact in Sudbury.  I have also suffered with generations of alcoholism due to our men making bigger paychecks and spending big paychecks and having to suffer working long hours for the production of the company.  In industries, I have lived through the pain of watching my generations suffer from this illness and quite possibly from a late great grandfather being killed in the mines in '38, that has left a negative ripple effect on my family ever since.  So now, not only is this an environmental issue, it is also an issue with social standards and ways of living.

Feel free to read my blog where I go into detail about how I grew up living with alcoholism.  You can find this blog here: http://findinghathor.blogspot.ca



I would love to discuss each and every impactual category of this proposed Kipewa Rare Earth Project.

1. WATER
- Water runs through watersheds, and eventually into our oceans, first making their way through small rivers, creeks, lakes.  Imagine being a fish and having to live in a chemical bathtub.  Imagine how this water will be effected in a few decades and even in 50 years from now.  Imagine your children or family drinking this water.  Plants also need water, as well as our wildlife.  There are many species that depend and live near waterways that will be effected.

2. WILDLIFE
- Deforestation to enable transportation will decrease the potential for species to hunt in their boundaries and also destroy natural habitat.  Imagine a hot summer day and a fire breaks loose due to the opening of a new road.  Imagine the impact it would have on the surrounding wildlife.  Imagine now that you are one of those animals that live in trauma due to the fact that your house has been destroyed because a new road was established for Rare Earth mining.  Wildlife depend on water, on forest for survival.

3. HUMAN USES
- Opening new roads will enable hunters to travel into areas that were once not open to the public which can result in rubbish dumping, air pollution from motor vehicles, not to mention the risk of forest fires.

These are only a small few examples of what may occur from opening this site.  I fear for all of us, and the state of our beautiful land which is not ours by right, but Mother Earth.  I feel that we have lost a respect for our Mother Earth and I have seen the impacts and footprints left over years and years of mining.  This is my cry out for help, from Mother Earth.

The review must also be consistent with Canadian law on the duty to consult and acccomodate and Canada's international obligations under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

To meet these commitments Canada must accept in good faith the Algonquin First Nations offer to harmonize their review process with Canada in a joint review panel.

I fully endorse and recommend that the First Nations call for a joint review panel for the Kipewa Project.

Sincerely,

Andrea G.

If you wish to contact him with your requests or concerns, please email him at kentp@parl.gc.ca and also follow Mining Watch at www.miningwatch.ca.  Get informed, that is our right.



Now, with all this said, I also speak on behalf of you, and I and everyone we know and care about.  A Cleveland/Ohio based company is building a Ferrochrome smelter fascility just 20 kms north of Sudbury in a small town called Capreol.  (View article here: Ferrochrome Smelter for Capreol )

We get most of our fresh water from Lake Wanapitei which is just east of Capreol and north of Sudbury.  This water eventually makes its way into the Great Lakes.  So once again, this is about you and I and everyone we know that lives here or near.  If this bologna doesn't stop, when will it?

My honest, true thoughts for us all to ponder upon.  Truth is hard to swallow, but it's time to open our eyes and be realistic and weigh out the importance of demand vs. quality of LIFE.  How can we as individuals make a difference?  How can we reduce our metal waste? These are just some important questions we need to start asking as individuals, especially those who have stocks in mining industries.  We in the end are all crooks, and culprits however, we can stop and appreciate what we currently have in our lives instead of demanding for more.

Thank you for listening and reading the concerns, and I hope that you are courageous enough to respond and to comment.

Love and Light,
Andrea G.

 

Happiest of Earth Days

What a gloriously awesome day.

After a few hours on the job, I decided to head downtown to play some guitar for Earth Day.. Rewinding now to over 10 years ago, on  Earth Day, I played guitar at a book store to help raise money. This was a televised event.  Ten years ago, I was much more shy behind my guitar, but I still went ahead with courage and played three songs, two of which were from my favorite band of awesome guys.  Today, now moving forward, I revisited the downtown core and played two songs on the streets for my favorite band. On Twitter, a group of fans organized a genre of "fest" to celebrate this band, so it was nice to raise money for their foundation as well as sing a few of their songs openly with a much louder voice than 10 years ago..

Here's a photo of a gentle man I met. He was also celebrating Earth Day.  *Note the sign on his bike and my tshirt.

Afterwards, heading home, I met another man by the nickname of Soupy.. I helped him walk to the Samaritan Centre for a warm meal.  What would normally take me 5 minutes to walk, because of my baby giraffe legs (hahah) took an awesome hour of enlightening conversations along the way, through memorial park, past the "frolicking seals" and stones set in the ground reading off RESPECT at the beginning of the trail and the last one being FRIENDSHIP...  

We talked a lot of life, taking one step at a time, and how to enjoy the sweetness of the lemons in life. 

We hope to bump into each other again.  Of course, got a few funny compliments about my booty. Needless to say, I had some red gum on my jeans from sitting down with Soupy for a midway break.  hahha.  Not the first time I've encountered an embarrassing moment I can laugh out loud about later and for years to come! 

Love and Light and once again, Happy Earth Day

Andrea