SURVIVING CANCERLAND: Psychic Healing

Water Purification Systems:The Power of Clean Water on Health & Well-Being

2012-01-20T21:33:00.000-08:00

(Writtten for Ladies Going Green Online Magazine)

We can survive for weeks without food but not for long without water. Our bodies are made up of 60-70 percent water. But, is it healthy to drink?

Bottled water is expensive. Are water companies protecting us or taking our wallets for a ride, or are our municipal water works taking our health for granted?

A four-year scientific study recently made public by the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) had disturbing findings. It proved that bottled water sold in the United States is not always filtered and not necessarily cleaner or safer than most tap water. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72MCumz5lq4 So, why don’t we save our money and drink tap water?

An investigation by the Associated Press (AP) revealed a vast array of pharmaceuticals in municipal drinking water that included antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones. These drugs were found in the water supplies of at least 41 million Americans and in 24 major metropolitan areas - from Southern California to Northern New Jersey.

If tap water contains traces of prescription drugs and bottled water is no safer or cleaner than tap water, what choices are left to us. The answer may be in-house water purification systems.

Water purifications systems are as individual and numerous as the people who buy them. While battling breast cancer, I had water purification systems installed that purified all the water in my homes. If I didn’t want to drink it, I didn’t want to bathe in it either. My system of choice was RO- Reverse Osmosis—a professional filtration system with a 4 to 5 stage water purifier system with filter activated carbon pre-filters plus an ultraviolet light. Each stage removes certain types of contaminants, and all stages combined protected me from just about every contaminant.

Below are lists and links to water purification systems that are for home and commercial use.

• Culligan/Matrix - http://www.culliganmatrixsolutions.com/about_us/
High volume commercial and industrial multi stage water filter system

• RO- Reverse Osmosis- The AP(Associated Press) has mentioned reverse osmosis as a water filtration solution that removes virtually all pharmaceutical contaminants. The following RO systems have between 2 and 6 stages. https://www.google.com/#q=RO+water+filtration+systems&hl=en&prmd=imvns&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=lkIaT8DxJKiYiAKqhpyYCA&sqi=2&ved=0CJUBEK0E&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=c7ecc4ec716f4a33&biw=1259&bih=619

IONIZED & FILTERED WATER
Another step to water purification is known as ionized water www.ionlifeionizer.com
Water filtered through these systems is both pH (potential Hydrogen) neutral and ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential) positive. PH is the acid/alkaline balance. Water displaying pH numbers between 1-6 are acidic, 7 on the pH scale is neutral, while the numbers 8-or higher are alkaline. ORP refers to weather the water is an anti-oxidant displaying negative numbers or an oxidant displaying positive numbers on the ORP Scale. Below are two videos on Ionized water and systems.

• Jupiter Science Melody http://healthiswealthmaui.com/alkaline-water- melody.htm
• Kegen- http://www.costpluswater.com/catalog/articles.php?tPath=25

This video is of a comparative lab test on Ionized Purification systems http://youtu.be/UMZJxr2B-7M

You can install and maintain most filters yourself. A good water filter or complete filtration system may be the only solution to clean water for health and well-being.

Sources:
Saladin A&P

Googlehttps://www.google.com/#q=RO+water+filtration+systems&hl=en&prmd=imvns&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=lkIaT8DxJKiYiAKqhpyYCA&sqi=2&ved=0CJUBEK0E&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=c7ecc4ec716f4a33&biw=1259&bih=619

http://www.watercenter.com/

http://www.watercenter.com/#Water Testing

Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos penned SURVIVING CANCERLAND, is a phone counselor for the R.A. BLOCH Cancer Foundation,& Cancer Q&A columnist for Cape Women On Line Magazine, You can follower her @ website www.survivingcancerland.com, @ http://twitter.com/PsychicHealing, @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/SURVIVING-CANCERLAND-The-Psychic-Aspects-of-Healing/142803307934?ref=m

Going Green: A Key to Health

2012-01-20T17:35:00.000-08:00

(Written for Ladies Going Green Online Magazine)

“An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure.” This famous quote by Benjamin Franklin is the answer for just about anything. But, what is the key to prevention? A healthy body dispels disease.

We are spirit inhabiting body. How we feed our spirit is half the prevention. What we feed our body is the other half.

Most Supermarket foods have been altered. Prepared foods contain refined sugar, salt and fat. Anemic farm-raised seafood, meats full of growth hormones and antibiotics, and genetically altered grains have become the norm. We don’t need to be part of that norm.

It’s time to take a stand for health by ignoring altered and favor organic. When you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything, like the excuse, “organic costs more than conventional.” Illness is very expensive.

Going organic does not mean going broke. Some Supermarkets realized they were losing customers to Health Markets and began stocking certified organic produce, wild fish and antibiotic and hormone free meats.

Unfortunately, America the Beautiful has become Obese USA. Here is another key to prevention—Less is more.

Less food is healthier. “But I don’t want to be hungry all the time!” a friend said. The key is—a nutritionally balanced diet. Altered foods have been programmed to trick the body into eating more because it is nutritionally unsatisfied. A vicious eating circle ensues that financially benefits the mainstream food industry.

Here is another key that appeals to self-image, and can be used on teenagers eating a Big-Mac, “No matter how good that fattening-food tastes, it will never be as good as skinny-healthy feels.”
Here are some things I did to become healthy during my treatments:

• Juiced daily with organic fruits and vegetables
• Limited dairy intake and only consumed organic including eggs, cheese & milk
• Ate raw foods whenever possible.

What I used on my body during treatment was as important as what I put into it. Most antiperspirants contain aluminum. Some test results claim aluminum in antiperspirants is not a health risk while others disagree. I’d rather be safe than sorry. I chose aluminum-free and never regretted it. The products I’ve used and listed are available in most Health Stores. I am including contact information for anyone house-bound.

• Dr. Browns (Dr. Bronner) Magic vegan soaps www.drbronner.com
• Tate’s Natural Products- www.ourtatefamily.com (ph#) 404-561-5357
1. Natural Miracle Toothpaste
2. Natural Miracle Cream- great for removing make-up
3. Natural Conditioner Spray for dry hair & skin.

Tom’s of Maine- www.tomsofmaine.com
• gluten & alcohol free toothpaste & mouthwash

Aluminum Free Deoderants:
1. Avalon Organics- www.avalonorganics.com
2. Jason- aluminum & paraben free 1-877-Jason-01
3. Aubrey organics Inc- www.aubreyorganicsinc–comes in spray

Ladies, we have a responsibility not only to ourselves, but to those for whom we care and love. We are the universal care-givers. What we do in life will teach others about complete health— body and spirit. What they learn from us will serve them well into the future. Lead by example. That is the master key to a green healthy life for generations.

Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos penned SURVIVING CANCERLAND, is a phone counselor for the R.A. BLOCH Cancer Foundation,& Cancer Q&A columnist for Cape Women On Line Magazine, You can follower her @ website www.survivingcancerland.com, @ http://twitter.com/PsychicHealing, @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/SURVIVING-CANCERLAND-The-Psychic-Aspects-of-Healing/142803307934?ref=m

DEPRESSION: A Message From Self?

2012-01-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

Illness and depression go together like peanut and butter. During my severe bouts of depression during cancer treatment I had a choice. I could take pills to alleviate it, or I could face it and figure out what my body and psych were telling me. I always believed that depression was a symptom, not an illness. Alleviating the symptom would not cure the disorder. I saw my depression as something that would diminish if I faced and cured the cause. This is easier said than done. I considered suicide as a means of escape rather than facing my “ghosts.” However, deciding to see what lessons I could learn from my depression was the first step toward a cure.

Looking back on those difficult times I can now answer questions I avoided such as, “Why was I depressed? How did depression serve me and what did it teach me?” Our mind is incredibly powerful and will create (manifest) situations to serve and save us.

I came to the conclusion that depression and illness was a way of forcing me to slow down and “look within” at memories (old baggage), events (past and present cycles), people (relationships), and life styles (habits) that are not to my benefit. Without depression I may have continued accepting whatever I thought life was throwing at me—settling for less than I needed and/or deserved.

I learned that just because something is thrown at me doesn’t mean I have to catch it, hold, and keep it, including insults or negative relationships. I can choose to duck or move out of the way. And, if I do catch it, I can choose to drop it. Depression made me stop and reassess my life-choices. I came to the conclusion that how people treat me is their Karma, how I respond to them is mine. Not all relationships or situations should be avoided or dropped. And that is when I learned my most important lesson—the quickest way to change someone’s behavior is to change mine first. They must respond differently to the new behavior.

Illness and depression made me take time out for myself, taught me how to respect, honor, and put myself first, and to choose to change or walk away from bad habits, relationships and situations. I drew new boundaries with which I could live.

A friend once asked,“How can I just quit my job or walk away from my relationship if that is what is depressing or killing me.”

I answered her question with another question. “Are you worried about letting down your job and relationship or yourself? Will they survive tomorrow if you are not around? Will you thrive if they are gone? You cannot hold a gift if your hands are full. Put something down.”

Now whenever I feel overwhelmed I take a step back and reassess my life. One of the first things I do is “check my inner baggage,” –the useless stuff I accumulated. I’m often surprised that I am bogged down with baggage that is not mine. Now, I simply drop it. In the past I took on other people’s emotional baggage rather than respecingt their right to carry it. Old habits are hard to break. I’m still working on them.

As a care giver by nature I often thought that if I carried someone else’s troubles for them it would lighten their load. It doesn’t. It just makes mine heavier. That taught me a very difficult lesson—I cannot carry other people’s baggage or walk their path for them. I have to respect their life-lessons… to be learned by them… and my lesson was to respect and love them enough to let them learn those lessons, including mistakes. I will offer them my shoulder but not my back. Let me explain.

I learned that there is a big difference between being supportive and being a mule. A supportive person lends a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on. A mule carries the weight of the world on their back while refusing to focus on their own life—this is avoidance. It only takes another challenge to be the straw that breaks their back and sends them spiraling into depression.

Our mind is a beautiful thing. Experience has taught me that we manifest not only what we want but also what we need. Sometimes we need to slow down and reassess our lives. Depression served me in this capacity. I didn’t enjoy it and would not choose to go through it again. However, by facing depression rather than suppressing it, I learned from it, used it to change my life, and ultimately survived adversity and illness.

Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos is a two time breast cancer survivor, www.survivingcancerland.com, an agented author represented by Scovil, Galen & Ghosh Literary Agency and Steve Allen Media
She has penned the soon to be published book- SURVIVING CANCERLAND.Follow her @http://survivingcancerland.blogspot.com/ http://twitter.com/PsychicHealing http://www.facebook.com/pages/SURVIVING-CANCERLAND-The-Psychic-Aspects-of-Healing/142803307934?ref=m http://www.linkedin.com/myprofile?trk=hb_tab_pro

GUEST BLOG BY RADIO SHOW HOST JEAN VICTORIA

2011-12-23T17:15:00.000-08:00

http://everydayconnection.me/2011/12/22/reflections-kathleen-okeefe-kanavos/

Reflections – Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos
Posted on 22 December 2011 by Rick O'Shields

Sometimes life throws a challenge your way that literally stops you in your tracks and forces you to re-evaluate your sense of self and your purpose; sometimes the challenge ends up being the best thing that has ever happened to you.

What if that challenge happens to be cancer and what if the cancer you fought so hard to beat snuck back up on you and ravished your body just when you thought you had it beat? Well, if your name happens to be Kathleen O’Keefe then you grab the cancer by the scruff of the neck and give a good shake to bring it back to its senses and remind it that you are the last person on Earth it should be messing with. I’m not sure however, if that makes her extraordinary or if it just makes her yet another walking, talking example of what it means to embrace the will to survive that is ‘the human spirit’.

Lucky for us she also happens to be a talented writer and outside of the fact that I personally can’t wait to get my hands on that book once it comes out, her courage and her direct approach to ‘Surviving Cancerland’ left me with a unique opportunity to reflect on just how amazing humans truly are. Not that I am not already completely convinced that human beings can accomplish anything but it is always uplifting to run into other people who also believe the same thing; more so when they prove it to be true.

I have to wonder; does she realize how much of an inspiration her story and her work are? After speaking with her for almost 2hrs I think maybe it crosses her mind about as often as the possibility of the cancer coming back does, which is to say not too often. I know she wants to help others, and I am absolutely positive that the potential of her survival assisting and inspiring others who are afflicted to prevail is the driving force behind her work but I am equally positive she does not in any way consider herself to be a hero. I think she is but not so much because she made it through the hell that was her dive into disease but rather because of the grace with which she came back up to the surface for air, breathing life into those she met along the way.

It’s a bit of a scary tale, and if you linger too long on the ‘what went wrong’ aspects of her life you might just find yourself doubting the very system that is set up to care for our physical wellbeing. Kathleen, thankfully, is not the type of woman to let you do that so by the time you are done exploring the ins and outs of one of the world’s most deadliest diseases with her as your guide, you will believe that ANYTHING is possible; she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Life throws wrenches in our plans all the time, and it is heartening to know that there are people out there like Kathleen who snatch the wrench out of the air and use it as a tool to build a new life full of hope.

Jean Victoria Norloch
Radio Host- EVERYDAY CONNECTIONS

SAVING LIVES- ONE PERSON AT A TIME

2011-11-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

Dr. Melanie Barton- Host of Voice America THE DR. MELANIE SHOW- has started treatment. She collected information and educated herself on multiple myeloma BEFORE she met with specialists, and was able to self advocate a course of treatment that was right for her.

Myeloma occurs when cancerous plasma cells take up room in the bone marrow cavity and don't allow the bone marrow to produce anti-bodies to fight common illness like the cold virus. Multiple myeloma is the appearance of many of these cancerous areas in the bones.

Symptoms of Multiple Myeloma:

Some people with multiple myeloma have many symptoms while others may not have any. Some of the most common symptoms include:

Bone pain, especially in your back
Feeling very tired
A low grade fever
Weight loss
Infection
Pale complexion

The symptoms listed above may be symptoms of other medical problems, or just natural occurrences associated with, physical labor, stress or other life changes. The warning sign that all may not be well is persistence. Prolonged symptoms may be your body speaking to you. Listen and respond.

Talk to your health care provider about any questions you may have regarding your particular situation. Self advocate until you are heard and get an acceptable response from the medical community.

Approximately 60,000 people in the United States have multiple myeloma and more than 20,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Research has made wonderful progress in treating myeloma and multiple myeloma.

Dr. Melanie contacted me after our interview to say she had known something was wrong with her health for weeks before our program and sought medical advice, but the doctors kept sending her home with a clean bill of health. After our interview, she returned to the hospital and refused to take "Go home, you're healthy," as an answer and DEMANDED a different set of tests. She self-advocated and got the tests she needed to prove she knew her body. She was right, the doctors and first tests they had relied on were wrong.

Our hearts and prayers are with you Dr. Melanie and we wish you a quick recovery. Here is the link to the radio interview just days before she was diagnosed.

Dr. Melanie has given me her permission to share this story with everyone. It may be a way to save another life-one person at at time.

http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/56364/surviving-and-conquering-cancer/ See More
Surviving and Conquering Cancer | VoiceAmerica™
www.voiceamerica.com

Cancer patients often do not want to talk about their illness. Dr Rabbi Ed Weinsberg prostate cancer survivor and Kathleen O’Keefe two-time cancer survivor not only talk about it, but believe the patient must be educated and utilize his or her intuition. Listen to their stories...See More
Surviving and Conquering Cancer | VoiceAmerica™
www.voiceamerica.com
Cancer patients often do not want to talk about their illness. Dr Rabbi Ed Weinsberg prostate cancer survivor and Kathleen O’Keefe two-time cancer survivor not only talk about it, but believe the patient must be educated and utilize his or her intuition. Listen to their stories...

HEALING JOURNEY FUNDRAISER FOR ONE OF OUR OWN

2011-11-11T15:30:00.000-08:00

Hi, I’m doing a fundraiser for one of Cape Cod’s own daughters, Parris Bauer. In January of 2011, Parris was diagnosed with recurrent breast cancer that had metastasized into stage 4 bone cancer. With no hope for healing from the medical community, Parris began alternative therapy that is going amazingly well, but it is very costly and isn’t covered by insurance. The good news is, she is beating the odds and amazing the medical doctors. Her latest PET SCAN shows a marked decrease in the areas of cancer, from 9 affected areas to only 2, which is great news. The challenge though is that she has to continue this alternative therapy for another 20 months at a huge cost to her.
Parris’s friends are having a fundraiser on Sunday, October, 2, 2011 at 2:00 pm with raffles, door-prizes, and a DJ for dancing music @
Alberto’s Restorante
360 Main Street
Hyannis, Ma
Tickets: $25.oo (additional donations would be greatly appreciated) For those who would like to donate but cannot attend, Parris has set up a fund to accept donations. Please send donations to:
Parris Bauer
c/o TD Bank, N.A.
1095 Route 28
South Yarmouth, Ma. 02664
account #-0864

Thanks,
Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos
www.survivingcancerland.com

CAPE WOMEN ONLINE MAGAZINE (CWO) CANCER Q&A

2011-11-11T13:17:00.001-08:00

CAPE WOMEN ONLINE MAGAZINE (CWO) CANCER Q&A

Hi Kathy,
I was just diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma in Situ. I meet with a team of
specialists on Thursday so I won't have any definite answers until
then...but, my OBGYN has said that I should expect lumpectomy and
radiation. I've heard about an internal radiation using seeds put thru
tubes into the cancerous area....it's only five days of treatment vs. five
to seven weeks and a lot less exposure to radiation than the external
type....do you know anything about it?
Cindy in Florida

Dear Cindy,
You sound like you have a wonderful attitude and are busy collecting information to make an acceptable game plan with your team of doctors. Yes, I have heard of “radiation seeds” and they have been used in prostate cancer for quite some time. It is only recently that they have been available for breast cancer treatment. Using radiation seeds is known as Internal Radiation or ("brachytherapy"). It is also referred to as partial-breast radiation. It involves placing small radioactive seeds into catheters inside your breast, where the tumor used to be. The radioactive seeds emit the proper treatment dose of energy to the tumor cavity as well as the surrounding tissue.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new technology for brachytherapy called balloon catheter radiation in 2002. For breast radiation, some methods use a balloon, and others use a device that expands like a balloon, once it is placed inside your breast. These methods of partial-breast radiation are gaining acceptance among oncologists, and may be an option for you. Treatment is given for 5 to 7 days, after which the catheter is removed. Because this method of radiation takes less time than external beam radiation, it is also called accelerated partial breast irradiation.
The goal of treatment with a balloon catheter device such as MammoSite or ClearPath is to radiate breast tissue in and around the tumor cavity in order to destroy any remaining cancer cells, while limiting irradiation to healthy tissues in your lungs, heart, skin, and fat. Balloon catheters are available as single-source (one catheter containing the radiation dose) and multiple-source models (several catheters containing the radiation doses).
I know this was quite a bit of information but I hope it helps answer your questions. Good luck and stay in touch. Cape Women Online and I care.Ask me anything.

Dear Kathy,
When I first rec'd my diagnosis, I freaked out. Now I’m so depressed that I don’t want to go out, see anyone or even talk to them on the phone. Is this normal and will I ever get over this depression. I will be starting treatment soon.
Linda in Tennessee

Dear Linda,
I am sorry you are undergoing such difficulty. What you are experiencing is the perfectly normal swing of emotions associated with any life crisis. Anytime someone receives shocking news the body goes into “fight or flight” mode. You often feel frantic one moment and lethargic the next. Once your psyche settles down, the pendulum of emotion stops its wild swings. You will find middle ground in your emotions. It just takes time and patience with your inner selves. Discuss your depression with your medical team. I was given the drug Atavan during my treatment to deal with anxiety attacks. However, I found that the side effects of extreme grogginess outweighed the positive effects of the drug. I found relief in deep meditation. There are many wonderful free mediation tapes on some online sites like Facebook, and available for purchase in bookstores. This may be a great reason to venture out of the house or if you are not ready to face the world, they can be ordered online. Remember, CWO and I care.Ask me anything.

Dear Kathy,
How long have you been cancer free? I hope your prognosis is good and
that you're currently doing well. I look forward to hearing from you.
Brenda in Bangor Maine

Dear Brenda,
Thank you for asking. I have been free of my first cancer for 12 years and my second cancer for 7. Like many women diagnosed with breast cancer, I am doing great! There are more survivors of cancer today than ever before in the history of medicine. I believe this is a result of two things: medicine has improved and people are integrating it with holistic and spiritual therapies. By addressing the mind, body spirit approach to healing we heal more than just the body. And that is one of the things that makes my prognosis so good.Ask me anything.

Dear Kathy,
I have just had a questionable mammogram. Three needle biopsys were taken and the pathologist said he is “leaning toward” lobular cancer. How can a pathology report “lean toward” something? Is it or isn’t it? I don’t have much confidence in my pathlogist. Did you have this problem and do you have any suggestions?
Chris in Ky

Dear Chris,
I think what I am hearing from your email is a disconnect and lack of confidence in your doctor. Yes, I did also have concerns with my medical team and immediately sought second opinions. Most insurance companies will cover second opinions and some even desire or require them. Any doctor worth having will not only be comfortable with a second opinion but may actually encourage it. I found that one of the most important things concerning any treatment is a trust and feeling of comradely with your medical team. Self-advocating is not easy. However, if you are not going to do it, who is? Good luck and let us know how everything goes. We care.Ask me anything.

Dear Kathy,
I have just been diagnosed with breast cancer and will need a mastectomy. I am alone, no family and no one to help me after my surgery. I have other health issues, too. I don’t think I can take care of myself alone. I need to be in a full care facility but my funds are very limited. The medical facility where my surgery and therapy will take place is more than an hour drive from my house. I don’t think I can get myself there alone. Do you have any suggestions?
Linda

Dear Linda,
I’m sorry you are facing these challenges. Facing cancer is hard enough. The answer to your questions may lie in the Hope Lodges. I don’t know what state you are in but they are located throughout the country. Here is some information on The American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodges. http://www5.cancer.org/docroot/subsite/hopelodge/locations.asp
Having to travel out of town for treatment can be difficult. Yet the American Cancer Society has a place where cancer patients and their families can find help and hope when home is far away - an American Cancer Society Hope Lodge.
Each Hope Lodge offers cancer patients and their families a free, temporary place to stay when their best hope for effective treatment may be in another city. Not having to worry about where to stay or how to pay for lodging allows Hope Lodge guests to focus on the most important thing: getting well.
And a Hope Lodge offers so much more than just free lodging. It provides a nurturing, home-like environment where patients and caregivers can retreat to private rooms or connect with others who are going through many of the same experiences.

Currently, there are 30 Hope Lodge locations throughout the United States. Accommodations and eligibility requirements may vary by location, and room availability is first come, first served. To find a Hope Lodge and to learn more about a specific facility, please visit that location's page, or call the American Cancer Society toll free anytime, day or night, at 1-800-ACS-2345
If there is not a Hope Lodge in your area, please call the American Cancer Society at1-800-ACS-2345 for more information. Also you can visit Joe's House for additional lodging resources or enter your zip code on www.cancer.org's Find Local Resources page and select the category Housing.
Good luck to you and know that we care. Ask me anything

ONE of OUR OWN

2011-09-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

Friends of Parris Bauer Benefit
For Her Healing Journey

Sunday, October 2, 2011 – 2pm
Alberto’s Ristorante
360 Main Street
Hyannis, MA
OR
Please send donations to:

Parris Bauer
c/o TD Bank, N.A.
1095 Route 28
South Yarmouth, Ma. 02664
account #0864

Tickets: $25 (any additional contribution will be greatly appreciated)
(Hors d’oeuvres – Live auction – Music-Raffle- Lots of great prizes!)
Tickets sold prior to the event @ MARJON & GINGIES &
The night of the event @ the door

ONE OF OUR OWN
In January of 2011, one of Cape Cod’s daughters, born and raised in Yarmouth, was diagnosed with recurrent breast cancer that had metastasized into stage 4 bone cancer. Parris Bauer had no hope for healing from the medical community. However, she refused to believe her oncologist when he said, "Your condition is terminal. We have no drugs or therapy to help you. Go home to Cape Cod and be close to your family."

Parris began researching alternative therapy and decided to start Dr. Max Gerson's Therapy in March 2011 http://www.gerson.org/ . It has been an amazing journey.
"It is the oldest and most effective alternative therapy. It has been defeating cancer and other chronic diseases for the last seventy years," Parris said during our phone interview.

She then explained the treatment’s concepts. "Their theory is that cancer is caused from toxicity and deficiency in the body. By flooding the body with 20 plus pounds of organic produce a day and de-toxing, over time, the body will be able to heal." Parris is dedicated to her therapy. She begins her rigorous treatments at 7:00 am and finishes at 7:00 pm--every day, seven days a week. Gerson Therapy is her form of alternative chemotherapy.

Parris is beginning to feel better and has seen remarkable results. Her bone pain has diminished and she is on the path to healing.
Unfortunately, this therapy is very costly and isn’t covered by insurance. The challenge is that she has to continue this alternative treatment for another 20 months at a huge cost to her.

"After being completely self-sufficient for my entire adult life, it is humbling to have to move home and depend on my family and friends for help. However, on a positive note, it is now my time to learn how to receive after being a care-giver all my life as a wife, mother, daughter, sibling, and a woman in general. When conventional medicine doesn't offer any hope it is a revelation to all to know there still is hope. The Gerson Therapy has documented case studies showing terminal cancer cases with complete recovery! " Parris concluded with conviction.

"I guess this proves that there is more than one way to skin a cancer."

Recent studies have shown that breast cancer incidence is 20% higher on Cape Cod than the rest of Massachusetts.

According to the World Health Organization, (WHO) one in three people will develop some sort of cancer in their lifetime. Each day 3,400 people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer, and another 1,500 die from the disease.

Losing several dear Cape Cod friends from cancer has led me to write this article to help “one of our own”… Cape resident Parris Bauer.

Parris is a well know pianist & composer. Her CD’s are sprinkled throughout the Cape in many well known gift shops and bookstores. You can learn more about her online @ www.parrismusic.com

Written by: Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos, contributor and cancer columnist for CWO
www.survivingcancerland.com
Nicola Burnell, Publisher
CapeWomenOnline magazine

7 Things I Learned at the New Life Expo

2011-05-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

San Francisco hosted the 2011 New Life Expo—current name of the Whole Life Expo popularized in the 1970s. Its function is to bring together like-minded people fascinated with the metaphysical world. Venders displayed health products while authors sold books.

Long tables arranged in a horseshoe acted as the bookstore. I took this pattern to be a lucky sign—books were still cherished. Consuming literature at lunchtime in the organic food court was a favorite pastime for attendees.

Participating as a guest speaker taught me seven important lessons as an author.

1. Speakers sell books. Gone are the days when solitary authors wrote while publishing houses marketed. Conventionally and self-published authors who were speakers sold more books than nonparticipating authors who only submitted books to the bookstore.

2. Bring your own equipment—come prepared—be organized, and flexible. Murphy’s Law always looks for opportunities to manifest. Even if the information sent by coordinators promises to “provide everything,” come prepared to have nothing.
Many speakers found that they had no audio or visual equipment, including extension cords. Fortunately, we brought back-up equipment. An exasperated keynote speaker turned to Peter and begged, “What would it take to borrow your equipment?”
Conventions are fast-paced. Speakers had fifteen minutes to set up equipment and forty-five minutes to present materials. Problem solving cut into presentation time. Plan for the worst, hope for the best, and you will be ready for Murphy’s Law.

3. Many keynote speakers were not paid. Some received compensation for their travel and hotel expenses. Top-Draw speakers, such as Greg Braden, author of Fractal Time, were hired. However, there are three important goals for all speakers:

• Develop name recognition in a celebrity driven arena. Speakers who had recognition commanded fees.

• Collect email and contact information from your audience. Teachers pass around lined paper to collect attendance. Before beginning your presentation, start a clipboard on both sides of the room for names and emails. I wrote PLEASE PRINT AND PASS ON at the top and the audience did the work.

• Tape your presentation with a live audience in a professional setting. Post it on your website for purchase. A video can be more cost effective to followers than a ticket, hotel and travel expenses. It can offset your costs, provide subject credibility, and advertise you as a keynote speaker at a National Convention.

4. Readers still cherish autographed books. Moreover, they will stand in long lines to get one. Although e-reader have many advantages, one disadvantage seemed clear. E-readers do not contain personally autographed books. Fans still travel to interface with authors and collect autographs. Authors who held book signings sold more copies. People still like to see and handle books, even if they choose to order them later as e-books. My husband spoke on Quantum Spirituality and sold all of his copies of POPE ANALISA ten minutes after his presentation—which brings me to the next lesson.

5.Don’t bring more books than you plan to sell. They are heavy and costly to transport. We checked Peter’s books as airline baggage. It was cheaper than paying shipping fees. Carrying your book under your arm is a conversation piece and a great way to network.

6. Network at every opportunity and always carry business cards. Stay at affordable hotels suggested by Expo online information. Power-Breakfasts are networking opportunities. After my breakfast was interrupted by a fire drill, I was invited to guest speak on dreams with another keynote speaker. While standing in the parking lot, I chatted and exchanged emails and business cards with Expo coordinators. Once we piled back into the building, we found more common ground—a cup of coffee.

7. Take a mobile GPS! Unless you are a native, you will need more than a map to drive the road systems of San Francisco. You may want to ignore the “No Left Turn” signs, but resistance is futile. A satellite-based navigation system consisting of a network of twenty-four orbiting satellites, eleven thousand nautical miles in space was barely enough to get us to our destination—a fresh crab dinner on the docks. San Francisco’s one-way streets and few left-hand turns made Boston’s hometown, horse-trail, Big-Dig streets feel like a walk in Central Park.

“I won’t make two right turns and then drive straight to go left in this town!” Peter yelled at the GPS. He continued to search for a legal left turn while it continued to repeat, “Recalculating. Recalculating.”

Eventually, Peter did the unthinkable! He made two right turns and then drove straight. “When in Rome…,” he muttered.

San Francisco had won.

Video Interview about dreams- life saving messages- I'm living proof

2011-04-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

Video Interview- Life-saving Dreams and Illness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2TNlMQIVzI

Writing SURVIVING RECURRENCE with a Bungee Cord

2011-03-12T14:54:00.000-08:00

I really slept late this morning. By late, I mean well past 12:00--noon. I was up well past 2:00am finishing two more chapters in my second book, SURVIVING RECURRENCE. (Many 2s and wells there. Synchronicity?)

Once I am "in the zone" it's difficult to break my concentration and stop typing. "Leave the rest for tomorrow," is not in my vocabulary. By mid-chapter, I am driven. Forget food and water, I'm content in my self-inflicted jail cell.

This driven feeling is more than work ethic or time restraint. It is emotionally based. I must pull painful memories out of hibernation, (often kicking and screaming,) from behind locked mental doors, convert them into word and sew them to page before they can snap back into the dark bowels of my mind like a bungee cord. It is much like reluctantly remembering a nightmare months after having had it--a struggle on many levels.

So why would I inflict such masochism on myself? How does that saying go? "Those who forget the past are destined to repeat it."

I used my notes from my first battle with breast cancer to help me live through stage 4 the second time. Those journals and memories, became my first book, SURVIVING CANCERLAND.

My story is unconventional, but not unique. Doctors are human. Scientific tests are only as accurate as the people who perform and read them. Life is not infallible.

My second book is more than halfway complete because I have my own style of cutting out my literary pattern and sewing it together with a running stitch that can be removed to make adjustments.

I write the beginning and ending of my book--then fill in the middle. By using this technique, I always know where I am and where I'm going with a story that is filled with impassioned twists and turns. It gives me a mental edge--no floundering around in the dark while retrieving dark memories. I never feel like I have wandered off the books path. Rather than holding one tread of the story's line in my mind, I have two. This extra balance anchors my writing so I can interject humor yet not wander away from the serious nature of the main theme.

I've found that writing a book is much like sewing a garment. Somewhere between the beginning and the end product, areas no longer fit. Some seams must be let out, others taken in, and extra material trimmed. But, I always save my scraps! They could be the collar of another adventure.

About the Author- Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos has penned SURVIVING CANCERLAND and is working on her second book, SURVIVING RECURRENCE. She is a phone counselor for the R.A. BLOCH Cancer Foundation, a mentor for WE CAN, a contributor to Cape Women On Line Magazine & c4women, blogs on cancer,medical, literary, and spiritual pages listed on her website, and volunteers for many organizations and online cancer groups. Follower her @ website www.survivingcancerland.com, @ http://twitter.com/PsychicHealing, @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/SURVIVING-CANCERLAND-The-Psychic-Aspects-of-Healing/142803307934?ref=m

Elizabeth Edwards- Please Take a Bow

2010-12-15T18:03:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth Edwards was laid to rest Tuesday, December 7, 2010 after a brave battle with breast cancer. However, some people are more focused on her scandalous marriage and messy divorce than her accomplishments as a mother and woman in the public eye. Bloggers speculate on whether Elizabeth will be remembered as a fighter or a victim.
Personally, I will remember her as one of my heroes. Even in the face of extreme adversity, Elizabeth Edwards always presented herself as a classy lady. She was aware of her cancer while her husband ran for office but reassured women all over the world that she would be fine, kept a smile on her face, cared for her family and put her husband’s career before her own needs. Those are the actions of a devoted mate—a winner.

Elizabeth and I were diagnosed at the same time with the same type of breast cancer. That is where the similarities stop. While Elizabeth’s husband deserted and then embarrassed her with extramarital activities that resulted in a love-child, my husband quit work to stay home and care for me. This type of love and devotion is not unusual. I believe it is the same devotion Elizabeth would have displayed to any member of her family.
Two days before Elizabeth’s death, a close friend or mine was also laid to rest after succumbing to triple negative breast cancer. She too had lost a son and died in the home of her ex-husband from whom she had been divorced for years. Her needs became his focus. He cared for her in her last days and was her devoted friend to the bitter end. My point is: do not judge all men by Elizabeth’s ex-husband. There are wonderful, devoted mates, ex-husbands, and friends in this world. Unfortunately, Elizabeth Edwards did not marry one of them.

When someone is going through a life threatening illness, they must choose their battles. Elizabeth chose to concentrate on surviving and providing for her children in the face of her possible demise. She encouraged a positive relationship between her children and her ex-husband rather than driving a wedge between them. Their future was more important to her than her husband’s past. I don’t consider that the actions of a weak victim. I consider them the wise choices of a strong woman.
Elizabeth was a fighter who won the hearts of people as she bared her soul, and shared her insights as a single mother undergoing treatment during challenging times. And, she did it without publically whining or playing the blame game. I believe she realized that life was too short and precious to waste it on negative behavior—another sign of a winner.

Life is a bed of roses. Roses do have thorns. Elizabeth had her share of scratches.

I have always lived by the saying, “How someone treats me is their karma. How I respond is mine.” Despite insurmountable adversities that included the loss of a child, public humiliation, and TV interviews while battling a painful disease, Elizabeth Edwards always responded to personal questions like a lady.

Please, take a bow Elizabeth Edwards. In my book, you are a winner.

The Frankfurt Book Fair

2010-11-10T13:22:00.000-08:00

My guest article In online Writer's Digest
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/6+Things+I+Learned+At+The+Frankfurt+Book+Fair.aspx

SOCIAL SECURITY'S COMPASSIONATE ALLOWENCES INITIATIVE

2010-10-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

It is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Are you aware of Social Security’s COMPASSIONATE ALLOWENCES INITIATIVE?

There are few times in life when someone fighting advanced or recurrent breast cancer can get a break in life, but Early Social Security Compensation Eligibility may give patients that much needed breather.

As a mentor and recurrence breast cancer survivor who fought this disease for ten years, I believe that there is never a good time to be ill. This is especially true during times of financial and economic strife when the burden of medical bills can be overwhelming.

Add job insecurity or loss to the equation and you may be left with many questions and few answers about how to survive the financial burdens of illness. Fortunately, with the help of the many cancer groups with whom I associate, I may have found an answer to one of those questions—Early Social Security Compensation Eligibility.

I know this is now available to specific cancer patients. Are you one of them?

A woman whom I mentor called me to tell me she had applied over the phone for Early Social Security Compensation Eligibility. She used the information I had given her and that is now available in this article. A few weeks later when she checked her savings account, money from Social Security had been directly wired to the account. Many of her troubles were over.

“I don’t have to worry about my bills or returning to work when I am still too weak and unable to do my job. I can’t believe how easy this was,” she said. I was thrilled for her. Anything easy while dealing with breast cancer is a blessing.

According to the Social Security Administration, Social Security has implemented a Compassionate Allowances initiative to expedite the process of disabilities claims for medical conditions so severe enough to meet Social Security standards.

About half of the initial list of covered conditions are cancers: acute leukemia, CML (blast phase), stage 3 or 4 astrocytoma, pediatric brain, esophageal, gallbladder, gleoblastoma multiforme, breast, inflammatory breast, liver, mantle cell lymphoma, pancreatic, mesotheloma, salivary, and small cell (of the lung, colon, ovary, prostate, uterus) cancers. Also included are metastic, inoperable or recurrent cases of breast, adrenal, bladder, bone, head and neck, kidney, colon, nonsmall cell lung, ovarian, small intestine, stomach and ureter cancer.

Compassion Allowances is the second piece of the agency’s two-track, fast-track system for certain disability claims. Once Compassionate Allowances and the agency’s Quick Disability Determination process are combined and fully implemented cases for as many as 250, 000 people will be decided in an average of six to eight days.

During my battle with cancer, my husband quit work, stayed at home to care for me and we lived off of our savings while I went through treatment. Although the Compasionate Allowences Initiative Act was unavailable for me at that time, fortunately, it is now available to you.

If you are suffering from advanced or other cancers listed above, check to see if you are eligible for Early Social Security Compensation. This is not a hand-out. You earned it.

To read more about what is going on with Compassionate Allowances go to
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances/ and the Press Releases at
http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/pr/compassionate-allowances-1008-pr.htm or
Mark Lassiter, Press Officer press.office@ssa.gov 410-965-8904

About the Author- Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos has penned SURVIVING CANCERLAND She is a phone counselor for the R.A. BLOCH Cancer Foundation, a mentor for WE CAN, a women’s self help group on Cape Cod, a contributor to Cape Women On Line Magazine, Twitter’s ezine c4women and a volunteer for many cancer organizations and online cancer groups. She is currently working on her second book, SURVIVING RECURRENCE. You can follower her @ website www.survivingcancerland.com, @ http://twitter.com/PsychicHealing, @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/SURVIVING-CANCERLAND-The-Psychic-Aspects-of-Healing/142803307934?ref=m

6 Things I Learned At The Frankfurt Book Fair

2010-10-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

When I landed in Frankfurt, Germany, my birthplace as an Army-brat, the same dreary weather greeted me that I had left in Boston, MA. However, when I walked though the doors to the Frankfurt Book Fair,aka FBF, the overall feeling was “contagious excitement.” 7,539 exhibitors from 111 countries with 3,000 events and 100 publishing companies were busy assembling their booths. I compared it to the 2010 New York Book Exp America, (aka BEA) I had attended in June. According to the BEA website, it had hosted 21,919 people in attendance and over 29,000 industry professionals. The Frankfurt Book Fair looked ten times larger.

The Frankfurt Book Fair is described as the biggest book and media fair in the world. It consisted of multiple interconnected building filled with languages, flags, multilingual advertisements and the hustle and bustle of fast deals. Its enormity stole my breath.

I quickly discovered that most books published by conventional publishing houses had their own International Rights Agents working the deals. However, I was attending with my self-published husband who was looking to delve into the international market. Could this hurt his chances of getting published by a US company? I emailed my agent at the Scovil, Galen and Ghosh Literary Agency in New York, which has an International Rights Agent. He emailed me back with some interesting insights.

In general, selling the foreign rights to the book would not harm the possibility of selling it to a US publisher. In fact if it were to generate significant sales in one or more countries abroad it would enhance the possibilities of being acquired by a publisher in the US.

However, there is one drawback. Some publishers like to protect their "investment" by acquiring world rights to a book (and thereby sharing significantly in any revenue generated abroad). If that possibility were removed, it likely would lessen a US publisher’s level of interest.

My husband had been in contact with his International Rights Agent from International Rights Inc. in Austin, Texas, months before the FBF. While they scurried from meeting to meeting, I took in the sights, sounds and information.
By the end of the third day, I had learned 6 important things about the Frankfurt Book Fair, especially for self-published books.

1) Get an International Agent before you go to the FBF. It will be almost impossible to find one there. Most agents in attendance already had clients and had done the groundwork required to ensure success.

2)It is very important to have your International Agent do research and set up meetings months in advance of the Fair. With such a high level of network taking place, serendipitous meetings are not likely to happen.

3 Go with a clear purpose in mind and a game plan on how to implement it. The scope and pace of the meetings leaves less time for “chit-chat networking.” Venders are too busy to speak to anyone without an appointment.

4)Don’t take or send books. No one wants to carry them. Planes limit baggage sizes and weights. Have everything available in PDF files, put presentations on DVDs, print websites, and other pertinent information on post card sized handouts to present with personal business cards.

5)When addressing venders, speak in your native language. Most of them spoke English and had a translator present.

6)Network, network, network, quickly and efficiently. This Fair is BEA on steroids.

One of the differences between the BEA and FBF was that the booths were less about selling books and more about selling international rights. People were much more compartmentalized and unaware of attending Agents or Acquisition Editors.

Although Book Expo America and Frankfurt Book Fair share similarities, FBF’s difference is best described as; bigger park, faster rides. So, wear walking shoes and have fun.

TO ALL MY INTELLIGENT FRIENDS

2010-09-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

TO ALL MY INTELLIGENT FRIENDS:

I am sharing this only with my smart friends. I could not figure it out. My first thought was wrong and I had to look at the answer.

See if you can figure out what these seven words all have in common?

1. Banana
2. Dresser
3. Grammar
4. Potato
5. Revive
6. Uneven
7. Assess

Are you peeking or have you already given up?

Give it another try....
Look at each word carefully. You'll kick yourself when you discover the answer. This is so cool.....

No, it is not that they all have at least

2 double letters....

Let me know if you found the answer - I didn't!

Answer is below!

Answer:

In all of the words listed, if you take the first letter, place it at the end of the word, and then spell the word backwards, it will be the same word. Did you figure it out? No? Then send this to more people and stump them as well. Then, you'll feel better too.

I HAD TO LOOK TOO! DIDN'T HAVE THE PATIENCE TO THINK .

2010-09-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

My sister-n-law sent me this e-mail and it was so true and beautiful I'm sharing it with you. In these busy times, staying in touch can be difficult but not impossible, and emails can make it easier. so the next time someone forwards you an email, see it as a sign of friendship and pass on the love. Just delete all the names that were ever attached to keep everyone's mailbox clean.

HEAVEN OR HELL--AND HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?
A man and his dog were walking along a road.
The man was enjoying the scenery,
when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years.
He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road.

It looked like fine marble..

At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it, he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.

He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?'

"This is Heaven, Sir," the man answered.

"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.

"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."

The man gestured, and the gate began to open. "Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed.

There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book...

"Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?"

"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in."

"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.

"There should be a bowl by the pump," said the man.

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.

The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.

"This is Heaven," he answered.

"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said.

"The man down the road said that was Heaven, too."

"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's Hell."

"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"

"No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind."

Soooo. Now you see, sometimes, we wonder why friends keep forwarding stuff to us without writing a word. Maybe this will explain it.

When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch, guess what you do? You forward emails.

When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact, you forward jokes.

When you have something to say, but don't know what, and don't know how.... you forward stuff.

A 'forward' lets you know that you are still remembered, you are still important, you are still loved, you are still cared for.

So, next time if you get a 'forward', don't think that you've been sent just another forwarded joke, but that you've been thought of today and your friend on the other end of your computer wanted to send you a smile.

You are welcome at my water bowl anytime.

A HURRICANE PARTY FOR EARL ON OL' CAPE COD

2010-09-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

CNN News predicted that Earl’s eye would touch the edge of Nantucket and Cape Cod would begin to feel the effects by 8:00pm. My lawn furniture and potted herbs were safely stored in the garage. Now there was nothing left to do but wait and watch the local Cape Cod televised hurricane reports. The phone interrupted the latest forecast.

“Do you and Peter want to come over for a walk on the beach with us and watch Earl come in?” my friend June asked. My first reaction was to say, “Are you out of your mind?” But, then I thought about this opportunity of a lifetime— an incredible experience—a Cape Cod Style Hurricane Party. And, June had baked a Maine Wild Blueberry pie for the occasion.

I ran down to the basement, pulled my Aqua Socks from my scuba fins and grabbed two yellow hooded boating slickers. While we drove, I wondered if perhaps I should have taken the matching snorkel set in case we were blown into the ocean by the high wind. “Don’t be ramose,” I chided myself. “People have Hurricane Parties all the time and live to tell about them.”“Didn’t the news say this was a level 4 hurricane,” I asked my husband.

“Yeah, This is gonna be wicked pisser!” Peter answered. He was a native Bostonian. Nor’easters, the counter clockwise swirling Typhoons that Stephen King wrote about, didn’t even scare him.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun.” I whispered with less enthusiasm.

“Here are our travelers,” June giggled handing us drinks at the door for the short walk to the beach. “They’re virgin *Dark’n Stormys—perfect for the occasion.” Our drinks were non-alcoholic organic Ginger Beer—without the dark rum. We donned our slickers, pulled up our hoods, and tied them over the zippers for protection against the growing wind, then headed for the SUVs parked along Yellow Jacket Beach. Their lights shined toward the oncoming storm and reflected off the white caps. It was definitely a dark and stormy night. Then we turned and headed toward a different set of lights illuminating Red Jacket Beach. The air was hot and balmy. Despite wearing shorts, I began to perspire in my jacket.

Local Channel 5 news crews filmed the oncoming storm from their ocean view rooms. We raised our glasses in a salute. The crew waved back. Then they cut the lights and packed up their equipment to leave. “We’ll be on the news tonight,” June said. “Too bad we won’t recognize ourselves in all this garb.” The intermittent rain bouncing off our jackets sounded like tiny drum rolls and felt more like being spit on by the god Poseidon than pelted on by a storm.

We had to turn our backs to the wind to drink and speak. Facing it felt like sticking my head out of a car window traveling at sixty miles per hour. I couldn’t breathe. But, the swirling powder-fine white sand gave us no reprieve. It grated against my teeth whenever I smiled and felt like a swarm of mosquitoes against my legs. We continued our trek toward the far end of the beach. Another row of motorists watched the storm from the shelter of their cars while a group of tourists danced in the surf.

We sat on a bench and watched seagulls fly against the wind. “Why are those silly birds flying rather than hunkering down somewhere?” I said June. “Maybe they are wondering why we silly humans are sitting on this bench rather than hunkering down inside the Inn.” She answered. We drank to that. As the waves broke closer to the shoreline, my Dark’n Stormy had waves breaking on its surface—a sure sign that it was time to leave.

We headed for the Red Jacket Bar. The CNN crew entered for a late bite and told us about their injuries incurred while filming in Bosnia. “A mortar landed beside our truck and I needed 105 stitches. I don’t have full mobility in my arm yet, but, oh well. We’re heading back to NY, now. Not much of a storm to capture on film.”

“ Let’s go back to my place and have some pie,” June said. We all jumped up, zipped up and headed for home.

By the time we ate our pie, Earl had downgraded to a Tropical Storm and was heading out to sea toward Nova Scotia. Thank goodness my first hurricane party became the Hurricane That Didn’t Party on Ol’ Cape Cod. We celebrated with another piece of pie and a real *Dark’n Stormy.

*Dark 'n Stormy is the unofficial national drink of Bermuda. Gosling owns the trademark on the actual recipe:

2 oz Gosling's® Black Seal rum
4 oz ginger beer

Serve over ice with fresh lime.

GRILLED SALAD and FARMER'S MARKETS

2010-08-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

GRILLED ROMAINE SALAD
Summer and grilling go together like peanut and butter. Delicious foods grilled to perfection and served outdoors with loved ones are the beginning of treasured life-long memories. However, meeting everyone’s food requirements or restrictions can be tricky. However, my GRILLED ROMAINE SALAD can rise to the occasion. Freshness need not be synonymous with expensive at local Farmer’s Markets.
One of the things I look forward to while extending my summer by wintering in Rancho Mirage, California is the SWAP MEEET/FARMER’S MARKET held every weekend in the parking lot of the College Of The Desert on the corner of Monterey Avenue and Highway 111. The transformation begins at 5:00am as the lot blooms into a huge, colorful high-end Flea Market that includes an incredible Farmer’s Market. Local exotic, fresh, and dried fruits such as dates, baked breads, prepared foods like sweet corn tamales, and fresh vegetables are unloaded from the back of family and farm trucks and displayed on tented tables that shade them from the intense desert sun. Some venders accept credit cards but most prefer checks or cash. By 2:00 pm the tents begin to be disassembled and the market place once again becomes a parking lot.
I love salads. However, some of my friends have health issues such as Diverticulitis or inflammatory bowel disease that limits the consumption of raw vegetables or, as my good friend Petronelle says in her strong British accent, “anything with pips.” She describes pips as small seeds or nuts that can cause inflammation in the intestines. Digesting raw salad can also present challenges that cooked salad can alleviate.
My recipe for GRILLED SALAD is one that everyone can enjoy. It can be made “pip” free, prepared ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator or served hot from the grill. If a grill is not available it can be sautéed in a pan with the garlic. It’s quick, simple, healthy and delicious. Change it into a seasonal salad by adding grilled local fruit such as pears, apples or peaches. These can add color and pizzazz. The possibilities for this salad are endless.

GRILLED ROMAINE SALAD
Ingredience: serves 4 Preperation time: 7 minutes
2 heads of Romaine Lettuce, cleaned, dried, and cut length wise.
4 Tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp chopped garlic 1 small opinion cut into rings
½ cup Crumbled blue cheese
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp pine nuts
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1.) Brush cut Romaine lettuce on both sides with olive oil (or spray with cooking spray) and place flat side down on hot grill for 30 seconds on each side. Turn once.

2.) Add onions to grill and cook until desired consistency.

3.) While lettuce and onions are grilling sautéed garlic in remaining olive oil. (pine nuts can be added and toasted )

4.) Place grilled lettuce flat side up on plate, cover with cooked onions.
5.) Drizzle with garlic and oil, vinegar, and blue cheese. (and toasted pine nuts)
6.) Serve hot or cold.
If you enjoyed my article on food and travel read more and follow me @
Website/blog:@ http://survivingcancerland.blogspot.com/
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The Knots Prayer

2010-08-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

Someone sent this to me and it seemed really appropriate to share.

The Knots Prayer
Dear God:
Please untie the knots
that are in my mind,
my heart and my life.
Remove the have nots,
The can nots and the do nots
That I have in my mind.
Erase the will nots,
May nots,
Might nots that may find
a home in my heart.
Release me from the could nots,
Would nots and
Should nots that obstruct my life.
And most of all,
Dear God,
I ask that you remove from my mind,
My heart and my life all of the ‘am nots’
That I have allowed to hold me back,
Especially the thought
that I am not good enough.
Amen

THE BIG SECRET IS IN THE LITTLE "S"! http and https

2010-07-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

What is the big difference between http and https? The big secret is in the little "S" that means so much! This little computer tip could save you much grief.

Ordering products and doing business on line with credit has become a daily norm. We've all seen the URLs that come with many of the transactions, but how important are they and do they hold any secrets that we should know about? Yes, they do and the secret is all about "S" for security.

HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transport Protocol.
The S (big surprise)stands for "Secure". If you visit a website or webpage,
and look at the address in the web browser, it will likely begin with the
following: http://.

This means that the website is talking to your browser using the regular
'unsecure' language. In other words, it is possible for someone to
"eavesdrop" on your computer's conversation with the website. If you fill
out a form on the website, someone might see the information you send
to that site.

This is why you never ever enter your credit card number in a http website!
But if the web address begins with https:// that basically means your
computer is talking to the website in a secure code that no one can
eavesdrop on. So why is this is so important?

If a website ever asks you to enter your credit card information, you should
automatically look to see if the web address begins with https://. ; If it
doesn't, there's no way you should ever enter sensitive information like a
credit card number, PIN, Social Security #, etc.

So, the next time you do online business, look for the little "s" that has a big job. Knowing the difference may save you from grief by keeping your transactions secure.

THE DOCTORS

2010-07-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me this joke and whether or not I agree doesn't matter as much as the fact that it is darned funny. Doctors one-upping each other. Reality Medicine?

> > A Japanese doctor said, "Medicine in my country is so advanced that we took the kidney out of one man, put it in another, and have him looking for work in six weeks."
> >
> > A German doctor said, "That's nothing, we can take a lung out of one person, put it in another, and have him looking for work in four weeks."
> >
> > A British doctor said, "In my country, medicine is so advanced that we can take half of a heart out of one person, put it in another, and have them both looking for work in two weeks."
> >
> > A Chicago doctor, not to be outdone said, "You guys are way behind. We took a man with no brains out of Chicago , put him in the White House, and now half the country is looking for work."

MARKETING YOUR BOOK- A SUCCESSFUL PROPOSAL

2010-07-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

PART II “Fleshing out” the MARKETING PROPOSAL.

The object of the outline in Part I of the marketing proposal was to build a good foundation for Part II. The goal of Part II of the proposal is to expand on the outline by describing, adding names, details, and statistics. They should work together and complement each other. Think of Part I as the skeleton and Part II as the skin and organs. Agents and editors can glace at what is important to them in the outline in Part I and then find the details in the information below it in Part II. I have used samples from my proposal as an example.

The market for SURVIVING CANCERLAND: The Psychic Aspects of Healing is every person or family touched by this epidemic health crisis. It is particularly aimed at people just beginning their foray with treatment. A large secondary market for my book is the alternative medicine, metaphysical, spiritual, religious, and holistic communities. I have also found that health-care professionals—whether doctors, nurses, or technicians—are fascinated by this story even if they are personally skeptical. The book deals with the intuitive side of healing, a topic women in particular will readily understand. Book sale statistics state that 78 percent of all books sold worldwide are bought by women for themselves and as gifts for other women, especially health and self-help books. My book directly meets the requirements for high-volume sales.

Promotional Possibilities:
I am willing and able to take an aggressive position in helping to promote my book once it is published. SURVIVING CANCERLAND has international appeal because cancer strikes worldwide. There is a global need for a book such as mine. It is my intention to help the publisher reach this audience and tap into the international market through the Internet, cancer organizations, their libraries, newsletters, and self-help groups, many of whom I have listed in the PINK PAGES Appendix of my book. Many of these sources were made available to me through my work with cancer associations, patients, and caregivers.

Libraries affiliated with the foundations with whom I am connected are anxiously awaiting my book. In return for the gift of books to their Lending libraries, they have agreed to post the publication of SURVIVING CANCERLAND: The Psychic Aspects of Healing in their newsletters.

I have designing a professional web site with 720Media (www.720media.com). I have created a Profile, Business and Fan page on Facebook and have connected it to other Facebook members for optimum contact. I have active accounts on Twitter, I-Blog (add all your contacts). I contribute to three e-zines—Cape Women Online (www.capewomenonline), c4women (connectionsforwomen.com), and Intuitive Now by Colette Baron Reid of Hay House (www.colettebaronreid.com). The ezines, blog and twitter sites are connected to my website. I am setting up a video on YouTube. I am continually doing promotional work on SURVIVING CANCERLAND through the many cancer foundations and associations with which I am associated and their web sites as described and detailed below and by having a cross-section of the population read and write comment endorsements on SURVIVING CANCERLAND: The Psychic Aspects of Healing. This cross-section includes authors; doctors of modern, contemporary, holistic and integrated medicine; cancer survivors; professionals; caregivers; and “stay at home women.” The comments are included in this proposal, and additional comment endorsements that are still being processed are listed at the end of this section.

As a cancer mentor for WE CAN (www.wecancenter.org), a women’s self-help group, I have access to their newsletter WECAN and a yearly book fair that features female writers throughout the country. 2008’s featured writer was Ann Hood, The Knitting Circle, W.W Norton & Company, NY (2007). I have been invited to discuss my book on the writer’s panel. The concerns and questions I received from readers of my Q&A column and Health and Life Stories articles in CapeWomenOnline Magazine (www.capewomenonline) made me realize that we all share similar experiences when facing a disease of this magnitude. The magazine reaches women throughout the United States. I often refer to my book in the articles, which can be read on the Internet.

The Barnstable Patriot newspaper (www.barnstablepatriot.com ) did a feature article on me titled: SPIRITUAL HEALING ( kszmit@barnstablepatriot.com). To read the article on the Internet, Google Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos.
Jeanne Gardner of PROFILES and Dr. Mark Walcott of Lewis Bay Chiropractic, TV Host of Health Matters, have interviewed me on their shows.
WC TV in Wareham, Massachusetts has taped me on two of their show. We discussed my book and the importance of the spiritual world during cancer treatment. The DVDs are available for viewing.

I am now in the process of scheduling talk radio shows, inspirational talks, verbal presentations to hospital sponsored cancer groups, women’s groups, and book clubs on both the east, and west coast of the country.
(Below is an example of how to “flesh out” the marketing outline with facts and statistics. These are three of the 40 cancer institutions, foundations and secondary markets mentioned in my outline. In this example I show you how to describe the society/group and how it is connected to other groups in my proposal. This backs up my claim of viral Internet marketing.)

ACS The American Cancer Society (www.acs.com) is the leading voluntary health organization and largest non-government funder of cancer research and discovery. The ACS has more than 3,400 local offices and more than 2 million volunteers. They offer books that can be ordered online. ACS’s CURE Magazine and web site features articles and news that combine topics of hope, humanity, and science for those who have to deal with cancer on a daily basis. The American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute (www.nca.com) are frequent sources of referrals for the R.A BLOCH CANCER Foundation and share web site links with the Bloch Foundation, making their web sites available to me.

National Cancer Institute (www.nca.com) is part of NIH (www.nih.com) National Institute of Health. NCI has a publications locator for books available for purchase that deal with illness and healing.

Cancer News On the Net (www.cancernews.com) has an e-mail newsletter where subscribers can share their e-mail newsletter and logo. This site is linked to the R.A Bloch Cancer Foundation, and displays insightful quotes about hope from Richard Bloch, founder of the foundation.

Healthjourneys (www.healthjourneys.com) is a resource that offers a variety of public information including books to promote relaxation, wellness, and healing that is related specifically to cancer and the effects of chemotherapy and radiation. I often refer to my book when I blog on their site.
(The final part of the proposal is a short conclusion. My conclusion is meant to “wow” them yet be believable by remaining conservative in my numbers. I back everything up with facts and statistics.)

The number of members in the five largest contact groups add up to 59 million people. If I am able to reach only ten percent (a very conservative number) of those contacts, (5.9 million) and can sell my book to half of them, I have the potential of selling SURVIVING CANCERLAND to almost 3 million people in these groups alone.

About the Author- Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos is an agented author and has penned SURVIVING CANCERLAND: The Psychic Aspects of Healing. She is a phone counselor for the R.A. BLOCH Cancer Foundation, a mentor for WE CAN, a women’s self help group on Cape Cod, a contributor to many On Line Magazines, C4Women, Intuition Now by Colette Baron-Reid, and a volunteer for many cancer organizations and online cancer groups. She is currently working on her second book, SURVIVING RECURRENCE in CANCERLAND
A strong proposal platform will attract attention. Build it and they will come.

Follow me:
@ http://survivingcancerland.blogspot.com/
@ http://twitter.com/PsychCancerland
@ http://www.facebook.com/pages/SURVIVING-CANCERLAND-The-Psychic-Aspects-of-Healing/142803307934?ref=m

New Game on the Club Scene: Ice-A-Bro

2010-07-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

My husband I were witness to a new trend apparently sweeping the country's bar scene. No, we are not bar-flies. We just wanted a night out on the town to dance and dine and got introduced to "Ice-A-Bro"-- the newest game on the bar scene.

The local band was setting up as we dined on steamers and crab cakes at a local beach bar on the way to Chapin's Beach on Cape Cod. Unfortunately for the two girls sitting behind us, the band needed more room and confiscated their space. Fortunately for us, they accepted our offer to share our table and we were instantly rewarded with a first hand introduced to an Ice-A-Broing.

One of the two attractive blonds caught the eye of a bachelor who sauntered over to our table and presented her with what appeared to be a frosty beverage in a bottle. "How nice,"I thought. "Oh my God!" she yelled,followed by,"Do I have to?" Peter's forkful of crab cake sat suspended mid-air as we watched in disbelief at the scene rapidly unfolding before us.

Suddenly a circle of laughing strangers surrounded our tiny table. Peter and I stared at each other and then down at the blond who had dropped to one knee and was preparing to drink from the bottle. "Do it right!" someone from the crowd yelled as another guy took her free hand and placed it behind her head. As she chugged the brew the crowd clapped and yelled. When she climbed back up on her stool I meekly asked,"Excuse me, but what just happened?"

"She got Ice-A-Broed!" blond number two laughed. "If someone comes up and offers you a Smirnoff-Ice and you accept it, you have to chug it on one knee with your hand behind your head. But, if you want to see something really funny, watch that girl over there." She pointed to a short brunette in a flowered halter dress who held a Smirnoff Ice behind her back. As if on cue, a tall thin man sauntered over to her and repeated the process. She smiled and immediately whipped out her Smirnoff Ice and waved it at him. The crowd went wild as she laughed and he dejectedly covered his face with his hand. "She Ice-A-Broed him back,and now his has to chug both bottles while on one knee and his hand behind his head." I was impressed that he could stand after he dutifully chugged both bottles. I also noticed that the brunette had slipped back to the bar to purchase another Smirnoff Ice while the crowd was distracted by the side show. Smart girl!

"How did that taste?" I asked blond number one who was still wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. "It's really nasty. It's like a vodka spritzer. I need to go and buy one quick," she said and slid back off the stool. "Get me one, too!" Blond number two yelled after her.

"Why do you buy them if you don't want to drink them?" I asked.
"So, we don't have to!" she answered. "We hide them under the table."

"I'm not drinking that crap if someone Ice-A-Bros me!" Peter yelled for all to hear while still holding his fork in the air. "What a great gig for Smirnoff. They must have started this and are making a mint off of it! Imagine buying a drink you can't stand so you don't have to drink it." I was laughing so hard I almost fell off of my stool.

The band drowned out the laughter and cheers with Vanilla Ice's "Ice-Ice-Baby" but the Ice-A-Broing continued throughout the night. The moral of this story? If you are planning to visit 'Ol Cape Cod, come prepared! Stuff a Smirnoff Ice in you pants. Consider yourself warned.

YOUR PLATFORM: Build It & They Will Come!

2010-07-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

MARKETING YOUR BOOK-A SUCCESSFUL PROPOSAL

PART I: A DETAILED OUTLINE

Authors have asked me repeatedly, “What is the most important part of your Book Proposal?” My answer is always the same, “The marketing platform.”

One of the most difficult aspects of writing the Book Proposal is the Marketing Platform Outline. Blame it on “left-brain/right-brain differences.” Writing is artistic and therefore right brain oriented. Marketing is statistical left brain work. Few of us have “ambidextrous brains” and are proficient at using both sides equally well.

I have used some of my own outline and first person narrative nonfiction proposal from SURVIVING CANCERLAND: The Psychic Aspects of Healing as an example. However, fiction can be substituted and tweaked to fit. Print out my proposal and fill in the blanks with your own information. Study my examples and then replace them with your information.

The proposal outline is more important now than ever before in the publishing world because of the reduced help in marketing offered by publishers. The statistics and details contained in it will help get your book into the hands of an agent because the agent will see its marketing potential at a glance. That will give the agent confidence to take your book to the big publishing houses. Agents don’t like to get turned down, either. It effects their reputations. So help your agent help you. Work as a team.

Big publishing houses are not in the business to publish books. They are in the business to make money. Until the day that you become an author of Dan Brown’s caliber, you will be required to show the steps of how you plan to market and sell your book beyond what the publishing houses can or will do. Stating that you will use your social networking skills to promote your book will not suffice. You must prove it with names and numbers, facts and figures. One of the first steps in that sequence is to identify your audience which will later become your market.

Answering the question, “Who will want to read my book and why?” will identify your audience. The next question, “How and where can I find them?” will help discover how and where to market your book. Identify your audience, and then decide how to “reach out, and touch them.” Those are the important components of a successful marketing platform.

The Internet has made finding and touching audiences easier than ever before in recorded history. I’ve developed a preliminary marketing plan that leverages my social, and viral networking through online channels.

Today writer’s can have conversations with hundreds of thousands of worldwide followers instantly through the Internet. Writers are now active partners with publishers in conversations that market and promote their books. Viral networking is a marketing technique that uses pre-existing social networks to increase brand awareness, product sales, etc. Users accept ideas (become infected) and then share those ideas with others (thus infecting them.) Twitter lends itself to vital networking; tweets can be personalized for intended audiences.

Twitter is projected to have 40 billion users by 2010. It is a viral networking vehicle that can promote market and create a quantitative potential readership for my books that has quotable numbers to indicate a demand.

Let’s begin with the outline. This will be the foundation for your marketing platform.

An outline gives the reader quick information assessment. You want to make the editor’s job easy, and make yourself look knowledgeable, and professional. My college professors required an outline for every essay test question to make grading papers quick. The marketing outline accomplishes the same task for the agent and editor.

The Market for This Book

MARKETING OUTLINE

CORE MESSAGE

In one line write what you want to convey to the reader? (example: Awaken and

believe in your intuitive powers.)

2. AUDIENCE (Who is interested in your subject matter? Brain storm and list them

all primary and secondary markets.)

A. the primary market with statistics

B. groups related to group A (the secondary market with statistics)

C. groups related to group B

D. Research Institutes interested in those groups (with statistics)

3. MARKETING STRATEGY

A. Primary—Create Internet web site, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube video, blog sites, etc… as central platforms to:

1. Broadcast my message

2. Display testimonials

3. Receive feedback

4. Discuss current and real time issues

5. Allow for book ordering

6. Establish cross-links to marketing outreach sources described below

7. Use my web site to establish credibility and credentials

8. Use my Tweeter site to build awareness, followers and network

9. Use my Facebook site to build awareness, followers and network

9. Use my YouTube video to connect to international viewers

10. encourage book signing parties

B. Secondary—Creation of Awareness by utilizing existing outlets to network the

message through organization

(list all of the networks available on the Internet using Newsletters, web sites, Tweeter sites, I Blog, Facebook, online magazines, etc.

a) (name the newspapers and their readership numbers, etc.)

4. CONVERT MARKETING ACTIVITIES TO SALES

A. Use my web site as the primary medium to immerse the prospective buyer in the

book, then convince them of my credibility and the book’s worth

B. Prominently reference my web site in all articles for publications

C. Establish reciprocal web links with prominent related sites

D. Direct social networking outlets to my web site

(Refer to previous information that pertains to the proposal.)

The details for the Marketing Strategy are in the Promotional Possibilities section on page 13 of the book proposal.

I hope PART I of the proposal I developed with my agent will be helpful with you. I will post PART II in the next week.

BUSY MAY & MOTHER'S DAY

2010-07-10T15:04:00.000-07:00

May is a busy month for women. Health and celebration is in the air! Mother’s Day, May 9th, marks the start of National Women’s Health week, coordinated by the US Department Health and Human Resources Office on Women’s Health. It is also Colon Cancer Awareness month, which heralds in the month of June’s Cancer Awareness Month.
Colon cancer is especially concerning to me. My mother died of it four weeks before Mother’s Day, twelve years ago. My first Mother’s Day without her was a rude awakening. It would have been so easy for her to have had preventative colon cancer screenings. Today’s health education and the Internet brings so much helpful information to our fingertips. Colon cancer is one of the easiest cancers to detect and treat early by having a colonoscopy by the age of 45 and then once every five to seven years. It is also one of the deadliest cancers because it often displays no outward symptoms. My mother didn’t have a clue, until it was too late. Now, rather than celebrating Mother’s Day with her, I must endure it without her.
As natural caregivers, women are programmed to put their family, and often everything else, first and their own needs second. But who will put your family first if you are “gone” from lack of personal attention?
Take your health seriously, celebrate many more Mother’s Days with your family who needs, and love you. Early and preventative screening is an excellent way to empower your sense of well-being and thereby ensure greater health. Living a healthier longer life can benefit everyone, including your loved ones. Do it for them.
To find an event for National Women’s Health Week near you, visit: http://www.womenshealth.gov/whw/events/.

A BAND OF MOTHERS

2010-07-10T14:58:00.000-07:00

May 9th is Mother’s Day. Being raised as an Army Brat gave me insights into the inner sanction of female friendship that others may never have experienced, until now. With my father constantly off defending our country on foreign soil with his Band of Brothers, the wives who were left behind protected each other and became a Band Of Mothers. Age, rank, education and personal gain was secondary to mutual support. Even if you were childless, you became a part of that special group. Although my mother passed on more than 12 years ago, I find that I am not alone. Now, as a grown woman wading through the sea of Internet information, I am meeting a new Band of Mothers who have taken me under their wing to help me spread my story about surviving recurrent cancer.

We have all read articles or books on the positive aspects of the Internet’s social networking with its capability to spread information using viral networking. I want to tell you about another aspect of the Internet—It’s ability to connect with strangers in far-away-places allowing friendships to grow despite the limitations of daily life, time and distance. In an age of Internet overload, these friendships are priceless and may be a key to success on many levels. Differences between the groups are secondary to their main purpose, mutual support.
Large Internet groups reach wide ranges and numbers of readers. Groups with blog sites such as the spiritually minded Jason’s Network http://jasonsnetwork.com/PsychicHealing/,combined with writer specific sites like Scribblerati http://liakeyes.ning.com/main/index/addContent?xg_source=msg_wel_network and WRITER’S DIGEST COMMUNITY http://writersdigest.ning.com/profile/KathleenOKeefeKanavos http://writersdigest.ning.com/ allows writers to post their work with like-minded readers.

Articles shared with e-magazines such as Colette Baron Reid’s Intuitive Now http://www.colettebaronreid.com/intuitivenow , CapeWomenOnlineMagazine http://www.capewomenonline.com/, and ConnectionsForWomen http://c4women.ning.com are instrumental in circulating content on a grander scale.
However, single friends are as important as large groups because they reach individual hearts that set viral networking in motion on a different scale—re-tweeting on Twitter and sharing websites distributes information exponentially.
Radio host Hailey Wiseman http://www.haileywiseman.com/blessings-for-your-soul spread my story over the airwaves, while fellow author Pamela Ferris-Olson blogged and wrote articles about me and invited me to join her “Tribe” of women who promote each other’s work http://www.livingintheheartland.com/.
I have not experienced emotional support of this magnitude since I was a little girl, surrounded by my Band of Mothers, as we celebrated Mother’s Day in our backyards. The feeling is the same. It was impossible to be afraid or to feel alone when surrounded by so much support.

However, my latest internet friend, Catherine Anne Clark, has gone beyond my wildest dreams by promoting my story as a Woman of Action in A Celebration Of Women.

http://www.acelebrationofwomen.ca/?p=6512

If you are a woman reading this article Happy Mother’s Day and welcome to the Internet’s Band of Mothers by joining me on FaceBook, http://www.facebook.com/people/Kathleen-Okeefe-Kanavos/1345885644 LinkedIn- http://www.linkedin.com/myprofile?trk=hb_tab_pro and Twitter @ http://twitter.com/PsychicHealing and my website @www.survivingcancerlande.com

Living in the Heartland

2010-06-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

Living in the Heartland

REMEMBER WHEN...

2010-06-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

Remember when we did not have the luxury of automatic washing machines that spun clothes dry, clothes driers that removed wrinkles to decrease ironing and dishwashers that dried dishes spotless and had garbage disposals in them so that rinsing was unnecessary? For that matter, remember when Mom was the dishwasher and you were the spotless drier?

Our winterized home on Cape Cod had been reopened before our arrival by the same plumber who had drained it. We had been reassured in California by phone that "all was well." The cleaning girls had come and gone and the house was spotless. I called my friends and planned an opening lobster dinner party outside on the porch overlooking Barnstable Harbor. The night before the party my husband and I arrived home at midnight after a long flight with three cranky cats and multiple suitcases. The dishwasher was not working.

"Oh, the Mieli dishwasher is the very best. Top of the line," the appliance repairman said the next morning. I watched him push buttons and talk to a service operator for Meile over the phone while I drank my coffee. "However, they do not like the cold or to be shut down." "Since when does an appliance have likes and dislikes?" I responded. "This one is so advanced that it can practically fix itself." "So why doesn't it?" He ignored my question and went on for ten more minutes explaining the wonders of new electronics and their memory chips and tiny computer boards. Then concluded with, "Well, it needs a special tool to get the motor going. This is a very sensitive machine. The tool will have to be ordered and I'll call you when it comes in which will probably be in two weeks." This super-duper, top of the line machine was ruining my lobster dinner and my week. It was too late to cancel. The lobsters were ordered. The party must go on!

And it did. The views were glorious, the food awesome and the wine washed away memories of the broken dishwasher and the amount of work to come after the party. But when it was time to load the dishwasher I had to confess that I would be doing them by hand. "Get another bottle of wine," Jenny yelled. "We're doing these by hand just like the good 'ol days." And the production line reactivated memories of yester-year and washing dishes as a family. We laughed, sang, dried and finished two bottles of wine.

That evening on FaceBook I wrote about the post-party-dishwashing-line, and asked if anyone had ever encountered this "Miele magic tool." Many friends with Meile appliances expounded on its advanced technology but no one had heard of this tool. Then, I started receiving comments about how my hand washing experience had jogged memories of evenings around the kitchen sink. FaceBook friends remembered how Mom had washed while Sister dried, Brother put away, and Dad watched. As I read their memories, I felt grounded by the past. Had technology, created to save time, inadvertently been used to the detriment of the family unit? These comments on my FaceBook page were the birth of an idea that still grows today. The "Remember When.." post. For the next two weeks I posted You Tube videos of songs from the past like the Beatles and Rolling Stones and added, "Remember When this came out? What were you doing?" These songs touched off strong feelings of nostalgia. My stomach tightened as I smelled the gardenias from a deceased friend's wedding during the song "Hey Jude". "Angie" by the Stones brought back memories of popcorn and laughter from my College dorm room. The memories reminded me of how important the past is when facing a future that appears controlled by much that is unseen...wireless networks and nanobites.

Two weeks later the repairman was failing in his attempt to perform magic on my dishwasher with his nifty tool when he suddenly yelled, " I found the problem. Hear that?" He shook the machine, reached into a small container beside the catch pan and held the culprit up for inspection. "Well, look at that!" he declared with glee.

"Are you telling me an olive pit brought this 'incredibly advanced piece of machinery' to its knees and me to the sink to wash dishes? So, you didn't really need that magic tool and I didn't need to wait two weeks for my dishwasher?"

"No 'mam." was all he said.

I frowned as I turned the tiny dark pit over in my had. It looked non the worse for wear. I couldn't say the same for the dishwasher. Something so small that had been around before the birth of Jesus had brought technology to its knees and confounded those men and their magic tools. A smile crossed my face as I headed for my computer. My FaceBook friends would get a kick out of this. "Remember When we had to scrape the dishes before we washed them and then later, before we put them in those old clunky dishwashers?...

Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos is the author of SURVIVING CANCERLAND www.survivingcncerland.com
Follow her on Twitter and FB from her web page.

DR. DEATH or ANGEL OF MERCY?

2010-04-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

HBO Films
Cordially invites you and a guest to join
Barry Levinson, Al Pacino, Susan Sarandon,
Danny Huston, Brenda Vaccaro and John Goodman
At the New York Premiere of
AL PACINO
YOU DON’T KNOW JACK
THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF JACK KEVORKIAN
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
7:00pm Screening
The Ziegfeld Theatre
141 West 54th Street

I was visiting my family in Manhattan when the invitation came. Death and dying had been a frequent theme in my “Stitch &Bitch” radiation group. When you have been diagnosed with stage four breast cancer it is often the theme of your nightmares, too. I really didn’t know Jack, only what I had read or heard from news sources. I decided to attend the premier and learn about Jack, aka Dr. Kevorkian, aka Dr. Death.
The theatre was filled with anticipation. When Dr. Kevorkian was introduced by the president of HBO productions and stood to face the barrage of clapping I realized that Dr. Death was a tiny man, hardly someone to fear. The larger than life physician was frail from age and years of incarceration.

During the film, I was amazed as actor Al Pachino transformed into Dr. Kevorkian’s shuffling, stooped over persona as he lived the doctor’s life goal, “to release people from undue suffering and embrace death.” To his patients, Dr. Death was The Angel of Mercy –A doctor who listened to his terminal patients and respected their individual and human right to die with dignity before their suffering reached a level that was inhumane. This idea is still important today because at some point we are all going to die. That is the rule of life. I accepted this fact after my cancer diagnosis. What I would not accept was the idea of undue suffering until my final moment. Many of my friends in therapy wouldn’t either. Some of them knew that their treatment was designed to give them time, not a cure. They chose to use that time to look for a quicker way out, before it was beyond their control. The fear of suffering is closely followed by the fear of a botched suicide. The question, “Does anyone know of a way to commit suicide that really works and is not bloody or messy?” was asked more than once in our close-knit group. Unfortunately, death and dying by one’s own hand is still a messy ordeal. Although Hollywood has perfected suicide, the human psyche has not. Desperation breeds misery. Where was Dr. Death when we needed him?—In jail!

The movie showed that Dr. Kevorkian didn’t chose his patients lightly, and he turned down more 97 percent of them—his patients chose him. He did extensive video interviews and was selective in deciding whom to deliver from the grip of undue suffering and place gently into the hands of waiting death.

I’ve heard arguments against suicide because people can have miracles healings. The blind might see again and believe me, I believe in miracles! I am a walking miracle. But for certain patients, Dr. Kevorkian was their miracle.
It is not the hospitals or doctors who are to blame for undue suffering. They are bound by policy that is governed and limited by law. The problem is not in the medical field but in the law. If a doctor has his license revoked, how many other needy patients is he not able to help. This is a medical catch 22 that must be addressed. Disconnecting someone from life support and allowing them to die “naturally” from starvation is not humane. We don’t even do that to our pets. We humanely put them “to sleep.” Do humans deserve less? Did Dr. Death do less?

As Elizabeth Kubler-Ross wrote in 1969 in her book, On Death and Dying, “When a patient is severely ill, he is often treated like a person with no rights to an opinion.” Unfortunately, in 2010, I found that this is still often the case.
In the new age of Enlightment with holistic and integrative medicine are we still in the Dark Ages concerning death and dying? Watch You don’t Know Jack, April 24th on HBO and decide for yourself—Dr. Death or Angle of Mercy?

For pictures on the new Al Pacino movie “You Don’t Know Jack,” go to
http://www.patrickmcmullen.com/site/event_detail.aspx?eid=32751&page=1&pgSize=16&sortdir=DESC

About the Author: Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos penned SURVIVINGCANCERLAND
www.survivingcancerland.com
Resources: THE NEW YORK POST, Friday, April 16th, 2010, pg 30

DEPRESSION

2010-04-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

My Article DEPRESSION: A Message From Self in Cape Women Online Magazine
http://capewomenonline.com/Issue_Spring2010/Spring2010Articles/Depression.html

AGENT

2010-04-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

A great first piece of an ongoing series about getting an agent by editor Chuck Sambuchino of WRITER’S DIGEST that features my article. www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog

MY CHOICES FOR THE SUGAR DOLL BLOGGER AWARD AARRREEE...!

2010-04-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

As a shared recipient of the FABULOUS SUGAR DALL BLOGGER AWARD I was required to share ten unusual things about myself http://liakeyes.ning.com/profiles/blogs/sharing-the-sign-of-a-true?commentId=3667139%3AComment%3A9660&xg_source=msg_com_blogpost and choose five other awardees. Those awardees must then share ten things about themselves and chose five more awardees.

I have made my decision concerning my choices for the Fabulous Sugar Doll Blogger awardees. Please forgive me. I tried but could not choose just five. I chose an even six—three Guys and three Dolls. http://rachnachhabria.blogspot.com/2010/04/fabulous-sugar-doll-blogger-award.html & http://liakeyes.ning.com/profiles/blogs/sharing-the-sign-of-a-true

Choosing was harder than I thought but for a very different reason than I had originally imagined— I had more than five awardees. Choices, choices! My fear had been that I would not know five people for this award. I’m pleased to say that I could have easily chosen ten or twenty. Networking on the Internet has made me rich in friendships. I thank the Universe for placing these wonderful people in my life and Lia Keys and Rachna Chhabria for creating and sharing this award. If Lia Keyes had not developed the award, she would have been first on my list. Here are my six choices:

Jackie Paulson http://c4women.ning.com/profile/JackiePaulson a friend on C4Women (Connections for women.)

Genny Esterline http://c4women.ning.com/profile/GennyEsterline- one of my first friends on Connections for Women.

Richard D. Nielson http://liakeyes.ning.com/profile/RichardDNielsen a friend on Scribblerati who writes about life…just like me.

Jason McElholne- http://jasonsnetwork.com/administrator/ founder of Jason Network and a fantastic person who will go that extra mile for others.

Pamela Ferris-Olson- http://www.livingintheheartland.com a great friend and writer who met me on FaceBook, took me under her wing and shared my message on her many sites.

Peter Canova- http://www.popeannalisa.com/ wonderful man who is deeply in touch with his “inner female” and author of the ground-breaking book POPE ANNALISA.

SHARING: The Sign of a True Friend

2010-04-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

Sharing something sweet is the sign of a true friend and I feel privileged to be Rachna Chhabria’s. She shared her Fabulous Sugar Doll Blogger Award with me. http://rachnachhabria.blogspot.com/2010/04/fabulous-sugar-doll-blogger-award.html This award is given by British Fantasy Writer Lia Keys, founder of Scribblerati, http://liakeyes.ning.com/profiles/blogs/about-scribblerati and ScribeChat on Twitter http://liakeyes.ning.com/opensocial/ningapps/show?appUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fos.ning.com%2Fningapps%2Ftwittertracker%2Fgadget.xml%3Fning-app-status%3Dnetwork&owner=timequest&readded=1

Although Rachna Chhabria and I became instant friends and blog followers on Scribblerati, I only knew her by her bio and her writing. I got such a kick out of reading the list of Ten Unique Things About Rachna. We shared similarities, such as reading and writing multiple books simultaneously. Imagine my surprise when I realized that I was now required, as a shared recipient, to write my own list. This took some soul searching because it can’t be just any ol’ list. It must be unique. Okay, Rachna, I’m up for the challenge. Here goes….

1.)I was born in Frankfurt, Germany to an American military family. At age five I had to go before a judge to give up my dual citizenship and declare my American citizenship. After saying the Pledge of Allegiance, the judge asked me if I could show in any other way how much I wanted to be an American citizen. So I tap-danced to God Bless America.

2.)I was a first grader in Berlin, Germany the day the Berlin Wall went up. I watched it come down on TV while living in the United States.

3.)I am fourth generation Psychic. At the age of two I could see and hear ghosts.

4.)I love to scuba dive with sharks. I have never had a shark be aggressive toward me.

5.)I love to scuba dive with wild dolphin. It is like having dogs play under water with you—Big time play time! One dolphin handed me a piece of seaweed as a flower by using its tail like a hand.

6.)I never planned to be a writer. But like a kitten, my career chose me and I love it dearly.

7.)My doctors missed twice what my dreams and meditations were telling me—that I had cancer. My dreams proved to be right and my doctors wrong. I’m alive because I listened to myself.

8.)My synchronicity number is 1111. I notice it on clocks all the time. My favorite color is green.

9.)I raised a wild baby blackbird on my Siamese cat’s food. I have pictures of Fe-licks grooming Winky the bird. Winky still lives as a free bird in our backyard.

10.)My husband and I went for a boat ride and almost sank…we forgot to install the plug.

Namaste!

View this blog on the following sites:
http://jasonsnetwork.com/PsychicHealing/
http://writersdigest.ning.com/profile/KathleenOKeefeKanavos
http://survivingcancerland.blogspot.com/
http://c4women.ning.com

2010-03-10T20:16:00.000-08:00

DEPRESSION: A Message From Self?
Cancer and depression go together like peanut and butter. During my severe bouts of depression during cancer treatment I had a choice. I could take pills to alleviate it, or I could face it and figure out what my body and psych were telling me. I always believed that depression was a symptom, not an illness. Alleviating the symptom would not cure the disorder. I saw my depression as something that would diminish if I faced and cured the cause. This is easier said than done. I considered suicide as a means of escape rather than facing my “ghosts.” However, deciding to see what lessons I could learn from my depression was the first step toward a cure.

Looking back on those difficult times I can now answer questions I avoided such as, “Why was I depressed? How did depression serve me and what did it teach me?” Our mind is incredibly powerful and will create (manifest) situations to serve and save us.

I came to the conclusion that depression and illness was a way of forcing me to slow down and “look within” at memories (old baggage), events (past and present cycles), people (relationships), and life styles (habits) that are not to my benefit. Without depression I may have continued accepting whatever I thought life was throwing at me—settling for less than I needed and/or deserved.

I learned that just because something is thrown at me doesn’t mean I have to catch it, hold, and keep it, including insults or negative relationships. I can choose to duck or move out of the way. And, if I do catch it, I can choose to drop it. Depression made me stop and reassess my life-choices. I came to the conclusion that how people treat me is their Karma, how I respond to them is mine. Not all relationships or situations should be avoided or dropped. And that is when I learned my most important lesson—the quickest way to change someone’s behavior is to change mine first. They must respond differently to the new behavior.

Illness and depression made me take time out for myself, taught me how to respect, honor, and put myself first, and to choose to change or walk away from bad habits, relationships and situations. I drew new boundaries with which I could live.

A friend once asked,“How can I just quit my job or walk away from my relationship if that is what is depressing or killing me.”

I answered her question with another question. “Are you worried about letting down your job and relationship or yourself? Will they survive tomorrow if you are not around? Will you thrive if they are gone? You cannot hold a gift if your hands are full. Put something down.”

Now whenever I feel overwhelmed I take a step back and reassess my life. One of the first things I do is “check my inner baggage,” –the useless stuff I accumulated. I’m often surprised that I am bogged down with baggage that is not mine. Now, I simply drop it. In the past I took on other people’s emotional baggage rather than respecingt their right to carry it. Old habits are hard to break. I’m still working on them.

As a care giver by nature I often thought that if I carried someone else’s troubles for them it would lighten their load. It doesn’t. It just makes mine heavier. That taught me a very difficult lesson—I cannot carry other people’s baggage or walk their path for them. I have to respect their life-lessons… to be learned by them… and my lesson was to respect and love them enough to let them learn those lessons, including mistakes. I will offer them my shoulder but not my back. Let me explain.

I learned that there is a big difference between being supportive and being a mule. A supportive person lends a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on. A mule carries the weight of the world on their back while refusing to focus on their own life—this is avoidance. It only takes another challenge to be the straw that breaks their back and sends them spiraling into depression.

Our mind is a beautiful thing. Experience has taught me that we manifest not only what we want but also what we need. Sometimes we need to slow down and reassess our lives. Depression served me in this capacity. I didn’t enjoy it and would not choose to go through it again. However, by facing depression rather than suppressing it, I learned from it, used it to change my life, and ultimately survived adversity and illness.

THE BLACK LEATHER BOOT

2010-02-12T10:30:00.000-08:00

Big snow storms have arrived. Memories of our tiny sandals are stored away. Nature has repainted life from the fiery palette of fall to hues of winter’s blues. It's time for serious clothing. It's time for the timeless black leather boot!

One of the staples in a woman’s shoe collection is the classic black leather boot—so versatile and sexy it can be worn in formal and casual activities. One word of caution when investing in a pair of boots; don’t sacrifice fit or quality for cost. Comfortable, well made boots can last a life-time if treated with proper care such as a quick cleaning with leather conditioner after trudging though snow or slush.

There are many different styles of black leather boots from which to choose. Locating that perfect pair is both daunting and fun. Defining personal needs can be the first step in finding the perfect pair. It can also eliminate “buyer’s remorse” that often follows random emotional purchases.

Black Boots can be as individual in style, shapes, sizes and versatility as the person wearing them. Some boots zip up, others lace, while a third group can be pulled on for a snug fit. This year's popular ankle boot—great looks great with anything from jeans to pencil skirts and the patent leather boot—perfect for slushy or rainy days. However, given all the choices in stores and online, I think a classic knee-high black leather boot is like wearing the timeless “little black dress.” Wear them together and look attractive, confident and "HOT" throughout the cold seasons.
Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos www.survivingcancerland.com @PsychicHealing on twitter.

2010-02-11T23:11:00.000-08:00

LISTEN TO YOUR HEART

Women have big hearts and are generally the universal care givers. Yet, they are also the last people to listen to or take care of their hearts. They follow their hearts in matters of love but not matters of life. If someone they love complained of chest and arm pain, or shortness of breath, it is the care giver who would run for the phone. However, when a woman has jaw pain, we rationalize it as having too many “balls in the air” as we juggle our lives, family, friends, pets, dinner, laundry… . So, we sit for ten minutes, a long time in our busy schedule, and take it easy until the symptoms ease or pass.

Few women realize that jaw pain is a symptom of heart attack. If a busy family life can make you clench your fist and teeth, surely that is the culprit of the jaw pain, not a heart attack. Think again! Our body is speaking to us.

As women, our bodies have been speaking to us from the beginning of womankind. Our bodies tell up when we are ovulating, menstruating, pregnant and when a family member is in trouble. This information comes to us through dreams, intuitions and symptoms. This is the spirit of our being. We must listen to ourselves- our inner voices- our intuitions and symptoms. Listen to your heart and follow your female instincts. Take care of your spirit and it will take care of you.
www.survivingcancerland.com

SURVIVING CANCERLAND: Psychic Healing

2010-02-01T13:42:00.000-08:00

SURVIVING CANCERLAND: Psychic Healing

LAW OF ATTRACTION IN RELATIONSHIPS

2010-02-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

LAW OF ATTRACTION IN RELATIONSHIPS

When I was 26, living in Fort Myers, Florida, and thought I would never find the right person to spend the rest of my life with, I had this little chat with God.

“Look,” I said to God, after rejecting another date. “If there is someone you want me to be with for the rest of my life please “bring him on” and if I am to stay single for the rest of my life that is fine too, but please don’t send me anymore losers. I’m almost thirty years old. I don’t have time for these weirdoes anymore. What must I do to find the love of my life?”

A week later, on Sadie Hawkins Day, I met Peter in a grungy bar. A friend was having second thoughts about her impending divorce and asked me to meet her for a drink and a chat. Attempting to have a private conversation was difficult as the chairs around our table quickly filled with men who offered us drinks, dances, and their screws. Yes, their screws! At the door women were given bolts and men were given screws for the Sadie Hawkins Day Party that has been held the first Saturday in November since 1938. Sadie Hawkin, the homely unwed daughter of the Mayor of Cartoonist Al Capp’s Lil Abner pursued the top eligible bachelors in a “run for your life” foot race. The ultimate prize was matrimony for the spinsters. And here I was…at the party for the spinsters.

But, the goal at this party was not to run men down but rather to find your partner by getting “screwed.” I threw my bolt away after a Neanderthal’s almost fit. Just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, in walked handsome Peter, my future husband and love of my life. I was instantly drawn to this gorgeous Greek with sun streaked hair and the most beautiful soft brown eyes I’d ever seen. I fell in love with the “windows to Peter’s soul.” We spent the next three years together until the day my in-laws gave us a society wedding at Copley Plaza in Boston. My father-in- law always said, “Kathy ran from Peter just fast enough to catch him.” If Peter was my Li’l Abner, then I was his Daisy Mae. With Peter by my side, I felt God had answered my prayers. “Ask and ye shall receive.” had worked.

15 years later my Li’l Abner stood by his Daisy Mae. I was diagnosed with breast cancer twice that was missed by the medical community both times but not by my female intuition. We fought this disease together for ten year that included treatment , operations, and soul searching.

When your health is challenged your relationships are challenged. The closer the relationship the greater the challenge because deep emotions result in deep cracks. Crisis causes relationships to either grow stronger or fall apart… but they never stay the same.

The way I see it, relationships are like bricks in archways; two or more entities fused together to become one. When an earthquake like illness and economic changes shakes those bonds to their foundation, cracks form. If the cracks are ignored, perhaps from denial, they grow larger until they completely split. However, if the cracks are scrutinized with soul searching and repaired with love and respect, the attachment can become so strong that when everything else is reduced to rubble, the archway survives. My illness registered a 5.0 magnitude on the Richter scale of Existence and although my life had tumbled down around my ears, my 27 year marriage is still standing.I had my moments of doubt but I always reflectd on why I made the marriage choice I made, and the doubts are put into perspective. When I remember how I met and why I married my husband, I realize that a prayer was answered--a desire had manifested-- and my Law of Attraction is still in play.

ONE LIGHT BULB AT A TIME

2010-01-21T12:01:00.000-08:00

ONE LIGHT BULB AT A TIME

Dear Readers,

Save your wallet and our economy. I received this comment and email from my sister-in-law, a 25 year breast cancer survivor and my hero. Read it, share your thoughts and pass it on.
Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos
*****

Very interesting e-mail. I do always try to buy “Made in America” because it has always been important to me; my mother brought me up that way! She was a small-town woman who always said, “God, Family, Country” and I have always tried to follow her philosophy when possible. It especially bugs my husband when we see items marked “Made in Vietnam”. He said those people were trying to kill him in the 70’s and now they want him to buy something that they’ve made!! Like Japan and Germany after WWII. I know, I know, if they make it better we should buy it, right? Build up their economy at the cost of our own? I don’t think so. Hershey’s, how I loved you!! Anyway, that’s my own philosophy and I don’t try to push it on anyone else (except perhaps my children, but that’s a mother’s duty, isn’t it?) I think this is interesting and just want to share it with you. Check the labels and thanks for listening!

Charlayne

*****

ONE LIGHT BULB AT A TIME

A physics teacher in high school, once told the
students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't
slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought
in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American ….

Good idea .... one light bulb at a time . . . .

Check this out. I can verify this because I was in Lowe's the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose
attachments. They were all made in China . The next day I was in Ace
Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there. They were made in USA . Start looking ….

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects
someone else - even their job.

My grandson likes Hershey's candy. I noticed, though, that it is marked
made in Mexico now…. I do not buy it any more.

My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico ... now
I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything.

This past weekend I was at Kroger. I needed 60 W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off-brand labeled, "Everyday Value." I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats -they were the same except for the price….

The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the
thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA in a company in Cleveland, Ohio.

So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here….

So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets.....yep, you guessed it,
Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada . The Everyday Value
brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I did laundry yesterday
and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for
everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the
job you save may be your own or your neighbors!

If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying
from overseas companies!

(We should have awakened a decade ago.)

Let's get with the program....help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the USA.

I Passed this on ........ will you???????

An American Consumer

2010-01-19T18:06:00.000-08:00

2010- WHITE TIGER/RED HEART
On February 14th—St. Valentine’s Day—The East will meet the West. The mystical White Tiger will face Cupid’s arrow. As we celebrate the mythical Roman god’s day of love, and Christianities St. Valentine, China will celebrate the New Year. Ancient Eastern mysticism will converge with Western modernism on the day that symbolizes affection. St. Valentine’s Day/Chinese New Year will celebration different cultures and embrace ideals of ancient sorcery and modern realism. 2010 will be a year of combined dualities that will result in a time in history that will be stronger than the sum of its individual parts.

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2010 is the year of the WHITE TIGER—“gyeong” means white and “in” means tiger. The White Metal Tiger of 2010 is the ruler of the Fall season and governor of the metal elements. According to Chinese mythology there are five tigers that hold the balance of the cosmic forces in place and prevent chaos from collapsing into the universe. The year 2010 and the Chinese white tiger have strong numerical and symbolic synchronicities. In numerology, the year 2010 is 20+10=30=3+0=3. Three is the universal number for heaven, earth and waster. It is also the human body, soul and spirit. The month of the tiger is the third month of the year—March. And the tiger occupies the third position on the Chinese zodiac. The time of the tiger is from 3:00am to 4:59am—the Hour of Souls—a special time when the dying often chooses to free themselves from their physical bodies. The tiger is not only the emblem of protection for the living; it is the protector of the dead.

How does all this equate to what is in store for us in the year 2010? Through sheer will power, 2010 will create balance that will diminish chaos. Tigers go where angels fear to tread. The year 2010 will be the year of the protected free spirits. The elements of the tiger will herald in strength, power and wealth—Tsaishen Key.
When the sun sets in the West, love will have united East and West and conquered all. The message is clear: religions, mysticisms and technology will be united and produce offspring capable of living in many worlds by transcending time and space. One of the biggest changes in life on earth will be technological innovations that will align ancient spiritual “truths and scientific” facts. 2010, year of the White Tiger, will be an interesting year, indeed.

SOURCES:
http://pages.infinite.net/garrick/chinese/tiger.html
http://wwwchinesezodiac,comtiger.php
http://english.donga.com/service.php3?bicode=040000&biid
http://joongangdaily.joins.com.article
http://www.ofesite.com/spirit/numerology/path9.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupid
http://ww23.rr.com/index.php?origURL=http://wwwchinesezodiac,comtiger.php/

RESOLUTIONS

2009-12-26T10:32:00.000-08:00

“Kathy, what is your New Year’s resolution?” a girl friend asked me over lunch. “Mine is to give up cigarettes and sugar” she continued, while shaking a packet of sugar substitute into her coffee.
“Not to give anything up and to put myself first,” I answered. “Then I will refocus on implementing the difference between want and need in my life.”
My friend stopped stirring her coffee, peered over her sunglasses at me, and asked, “What do you mean by that?”
The concept of “care-giver first” and the difference between want and need were clearly alien to her. I had learned about both of these ideas during radiation therapy ten years ago while battling breast cancer twice. I still see the side effects of emotional emptiness and burn-out in the women around me who are not aware of these self care concepts--so vital to life.
Women are the main care-givers, but many women give unconsciously and unconditionally until there is nothing left to give. Consequently, their emotional well runs dry. Lately, I am seeing an alarming pattern in my friends during these uncertain economic times. Part of the problem is not distinguishing between wants and needs. Families have many wants, and the care-givers try to meet these wants as though they are needs; a terrible burden to carry. Women are getting burned out from giving so much of themselves to those who want more than is available. Often, when there is nothing left to give to those who truly need help, including themselves, the result is medication, and psychotherapy to fill the void, and dull the feeling of failure in their lives.
Today is the dawning of a new day in a new year. My first New Year resolution will be to allow myself to love and embrace myself, and always put myself first. I will give myself permission to be number one in my life. How can I possibly share with others if I am empty? It is reassuring to be emotionally filled, loved and appreciated by others, but I need to be able to fill myself first with all of those signs of affection, even if no one else can give them to me. I want to be embraced by others but I need to love myself first.
When I was going through chemotherapy, my psychotherapist armed me with a powerful mantra to help me through the uncertainty of treatment. “You are number one. No one and nothing is more important than you.” She was right. Ten years later, as a cancer hotline phone counselor and mentor, that mantra is still important to me. If charity begins at home, and home is where the heart is, an empty heart cannot give anything to anyone else.
The importance of this mantra was even more evident during my Stitch-n-Bitch (as we liked to call ourselves) radiation therapy group. It broke my heart to see women who had been the sole care-giver to their family suddenly discarded when their circumstances shifted, and they needed to be taken care of by their significant others. These women said they felt that without the love and devotion of their family, they were nothing.
Their chances for a full recovery were challenged by their depression and feelings of emotional emptiness. Our little group spent many hours discussing wants versus needs. We want others to love us, but we need to love ourselves. We want a beautiful house, but we need a roof over our head. We want to eat in fancy restaurants, but we need nutritious food on our plate. The list of wants versus needs is endless. Realizing the difference between them, however, may be the first step in not becoming emotionally, physically and financially bankrupt.
Putting that concept into practice will help us, as care-givers, to become aware of our limitations. I realize that I have been lax in practicing what my little group preached ten years ago. So, my second New Year’s resolution will be to put want versus need back into daily practice. When I see something enticing, I will ask myself, “Do I really need that, or do I just want it?”
In 2010, I will focus on inner balance by being kind and forgiving to myself first, and then to others. I will seek out and join a community “sister-hood of women” who can be my support system. Their strength will keep me from feeling alone during times of despair and their resources will help me meet the needs of my family and friends.
When my body is fatigued, I will rest. When my soul is tired, I will meditate and give thanks for having all that I need. I will surround myself with the things I love; my husband, positive friends, pets, plants, music and fragrant candles while taking a warm bubble bath. Enjoying my favorite things will make my soul soar.
Like the Chinese yin and yang, which are seemingly opposing forces bound together, intertwined, and interdependent in the natural world, we are complex creatures comprised of body and soul. These two diabolically different parts must be in balance as a duality for complete health of body and mind. Like yin and yang, male and female, body and soul are a dynamic equilibrium. If one disappears, the other must disappear as well, leaving emptiness.
Too many of us have lost a part of ourselves and are experiencing this emptiness. We can look in both directions, but tend to focus on the past and judge ourselves by events that cannot be changed. It is time to face forward into the future of a balanced and strong New Year comprised of yin and yang. We can learn from our past to build a positive future. The good news is that a sisterhood of women is only a phone call or tweet away to help you refill yourself with the love you deserve and NEED.
Balance yourself. Take care of your soul and it will take care of you . . . then you can take care of others.

LIPSTICK

2009-12-07T13:42:00.000-08:00

LIPSTICK INFORMATION:
Lipstick, like perfume, is the epitome of femininity, sensuality, and sexuality. Women search endlessly for the perfect hue of rose or “vamp” to match their skin or emotional tones. But could your perfect color be a silent killer? Take the test and find out!

Anyone doing Christmas shopping or who wears lipstick should read this article and use the “Lead Test” on their lipstick. I took the “Lead Lipstick Test” by using my gold wedding band. I guess it could be said that “I was saved by love.”

Out of my 7 lipsticks, three failed…they contained lead.!

With all the information on lead and cancer, you would thing that lead in lipstick would still be illegal. Well, I guess the proof is in the “Lead Lipstick Test.”

For legal reasons, I won’t tell you which ones did or did not fail my test. I will let you take the test and see for yourself.

The test works! Use it!
Then, pass this information on to someone you love and want to keep healthy. A close friend sent it to me.

Something to consider
Next time you go shopping for
Lipstick......

This comes from someone who works in the breast cancer unit at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto ..

From: Dr. Nahid Neman

If there is a female you care anything about, share this with her. I did!!!!!
I am also sharing this with the males on my e-mail list, because they need to tell the females THEY care about as well!
Recently a lipstick brand called 'Red Earth' decreased their prices from
$67 to $9.90.
It contained lead.
Lead is a chemical which causes cancer.
The lipstick brands that contain lead are:
CHRISTIAN DIOR
LANCÔME
CLINIQUE
Y.S.L
ESTEE LAUDER
SHISEIDO
RED EARTH (Lip Gloss)
CHANEL (Lip Conditioner)
MARKET AMERICA-MOTNES LIPSTICK.

The higher the lead content, the greater the chance of causing cancer.

After doing a test on lipsticks, it was found that the Y.S.L. Lipstick contained the most amount of lead.

Watch out for those lipsticks which are supposed to stay longer.
If your lipstick stays longer, it is because of the higher content of lead.
Here is the test you can do yourself:
1. Put some lipstick on your hand.
2. Use a Gold ring to scratch on the lipstick.
3. If the lipstick colour changes to black,
4. Then you know the lipstick contains lead.
Please send this information to all your girlfriends, wives and female family members. This information is being circulated at
Walter Reed Army Medical Centre
Dioxin Carcinogens cause cancer,
Especially breast cancer

TEACHER

2009-11-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

ONE OF THE BEST STORIES I'VE EVER HEARD!

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big 'F' at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... he is a joy to be around..'

His second grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.'

His third grade teacher wrote, 'His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest, and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken.'

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is withdrawn and do esn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class.'

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume.. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, 'Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to.'

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her 'teacher's pets..'

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck w ith it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honours. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer.... The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, 'Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.'

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back.. She said, 'Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you.'

(For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)

Warm someone's heart today. . . pass this along. I love this story so very much, I cry every time I read it. Just try to make a difference in someone's life today? tomorrow? just 'do it'.

Random acts of kindness, I think they call it!

'Believe in Angels, then return the favor

SHARK

2009-11-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

This is an article I entered into a contest for Writer’s Digest. It is based on a true story. The goal is to take the sentence provided and use it to write a 500 word article.

Your boat rocks back and forth, and you peer over the edge, catching a glimpse of something you thought was gone forever.

The boat rocked back and forth, and I peered over the edge, catching a glimpse of something I thought was gone forever in Pleasant Bay. The 20 foot Great White Shark glided past my 10 foot Boston Whaler. I sank onto the floor, and squinted into the setting sun, searching for the TV crews that had been perched high on the sand dunes. The lifeguard station was empty. Everyone was gone. The news crews would not have their story as it headed for the shoreline.
The fisherman had not cried “wolf.”
Cape Cod flocked to the spot of the “Jaws” sighting and for two days kept vigilance until dusk. News crews in white vans scanned the opening to the ocean with binoculars while helicopters patrolled the bay. Where were they now? Had they grown impatient for a glimpse of the legend?
My beating heart caused ripples in the puddle of sea water, a result of a faulty bilge pump. Could that shark sense my heat through the resonating water? I’d heard about Great White attacks. They stick their heads out of the water and ogle fishermen before capsizing the boat with a flick of their tail or a bite through the hull. Maybe it wanted to be sure the meal was worth the work. Would I be worth the work?
Someone on the beach must have seen that fin. My ears strained to hear the alarm. Instead, I heard laughter, talk from a Boat’s loud speaker, and splashing. The tourists and locals must have taken the absence of the news crews and lifeguards as a sign that the scare was over.
A Seal Watcher boat trolled past me in search of the elusive whiskered face. I lifted my head, mustered all the intestinal fortitude I could, and croaked, “Shark!” just as the passengers in the overloaded boat yelled, “There’s one!” Cameras clicked as people leaned over the side for their picture of a lifetime.
“Yes, there’s a really big one a few feet off the stern,” The intercom boomed. “I guess everyone here heard about the Jaws scare we’ve had these past days,” he continued with a hint of glee in his voice. “Well, since the sand bar was broken by the nor’easter last month, the seaward homes are not the only things in danger of being swallowed up.” The children laughed at the guide’s wit. “That cute little fellow right there is Jaws favorite food and…”
If water were glass, you could have head a shattering crash as a seal flew into the air and was snapped in half by the shark that disappeared into the bloody water. The sound of the huge after -splash filled with seal entrails diminished the screams of terror.
It wasn’t the news crew that got the coveted shot. The picture of the severed seal in the jaws of the breaching Great White was sent to Boston News via cell phone, by 12 year old Johnny who might be thankful he lives in Idaho.

Author Bio: Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos www.survivingcancerland.com Twitter@ PshchicHealing is an agented author (Scovil, Galen & Ghosh) of SURVIVING CANCERLAND: the Psychic Aspects of Healing. Kathy writes for a number of ezines and blog sites that can be viewed on her web page.

MAGDALENE

2009-11-21T16:24:00.000-08:00

WHAT MARY MAGDALENE MEANS
FOR HUMANITY
________________________________________
________________________________________

MARY RESURFACES
A number of books have come out in the past decade about Mary Magdalene or in which Mary plays a prominent role. In fact, compared to the underground obscurity to which she was relegated for two thousand years, you could say that the atmosphere has suddenly become charged with “Magdalene particles.” There are reasons Mary has resurfaced. The discovery of new gospels has shed light on Mary and her relationship to Jesus’ other disciples. But beyond this, the universe seems to have cast Magdalene on the crest of a wave destined to sweep the globe in our lifetime—the rise of the feminine force.
THE RISE OF THE FEMININE
Let’s be clear on this. The rise of the feminine principle does not mean the feminist movement, women’s liberation, or the fact that we’ve seen the first American female presidential candidate. We’re not speaking of the prominence of women in the workplace or the fight for equal compensation. These things are indications of an energy wave sweeping the world, what we might call the superficial manifestations of something deeper. We’re speaking about the feminine half of a force that resides in all of us, men and women. We could just as well say that the yin is rising to balance the yang, the negative is rising to balance the positive, or the cat is rising to balance the dog. It’s about polar forces coming to balance.
The necessity for internal balancing of these forces was predicted by Jesus and a group of early Christians, called Gnostics, two thousand years ago. They spoke of the male and female aspects of God and explained how and why the feminine came to be dominated by the masculine in the material world. Part of the knowledge or gnosis Jesus revealed elucidated the fact that the entire world of appearances operates off of a yin-yang energy polarity that is best described as masculine and feminine in nature. This is also echoed in esoteric Judaism, which claimed that spirits are androgynous in heaven (the Pleroma) but when they incarnated into materiality, they were “split” into masculine and feminine.

THE TWO MUST BECOME ONE
The masculine force was characterized by expansive, logical, rational, linear thinking that was more aggressive in relation to its environment. It was left brain oriented, verbal, unimaginative, and mind centered. The feminine aspect was characterized by receptive, intuitive, feeling-based, elliptical thinking that was more nurturing in relation to its environment. It was right brain oriented, non-verbal, creative, and heart centered.
But hold on boys, don’t get depressed. This isn’t saying that women have a corner on inspiration, imagination, and the artistic pursuits. It doesn’t work that way. Each sex, each person has degrees of both sets of characteristics present within himself or herself. Nevertheless, the fact remains that as men and women, we remain substantially divided in our outlook and approach to life along these fault lines. The different outlooks between the sexes are readily observable in animals. Here is a simple human test: for any of you that have ever attended holistic events—and we’re talking about the big ones with thousands of people— you will notice that the attendees are 90-95% female. The subject matter of these meetings has to do with healing, psychic abilities, creative visualization, development of intuition, and other right brain domiciled activities. And we’re talking about weekend events, so the non-working, bored housewife excuse doesn’t cut it.
Jesus, in the Gnostic gospels, always proclaimed the “two must become one.” What he meant was that we must rebalance ourselves as human beings. An indicator of high intelligence is when a person integrates his or her right and left brains into an operating symmetry. Logic and science by themselves are not roads to true spiritual enlightenment because enlightenment is not an intellectual exercise. It is an experience that must be felt by the feminine faculties of intuitive imagination, and once internalized as a subjective experience, it can then be integrated into the logical, intellectual mind as a fact.
TOWARD A NEW CONSCIOUSNESS OF BEING
It’s not within the scope of this discussion to explain how the world came to be so male dominated. That could be the topic of a whole other website. Suffice it to say that it has been a male-dominated world for a long time and in the field of religion, no less so. Even in the synoptic gospels, we can see Jesus’ radical orientation toward women, shocking for his time and culture. Jesus railed against the priesthood and the legalistic, dogmatic nature of Judaism, all left-brained, male fostered phenomena. He said the kingdom of heaven was within, and how do you find what is within you? By meditation, contemplation, and prayer, and it’s been proven that these are right brain states when truly achieved because they involve the intuitive and imaginative faculties. True prayers, at least the ones that get answered, come from the heart, not the mind. The mind can’t pray or meditate, it can only think about praying and meditating.

We may be in the early stages of the feminine resurrection, a phase in the evolution of people becoming superior, wholly integrated human beings using all the sleeping faculties available to them. A human being with feminine intuitive abilities using the male-directed thought to harness power of the interior spiritual/psychic world will become prevalent some day. The majority of people will discover the underlying unity of life and the interconnectedness of our minds and souls. War, poverty, and suffering will take a blow when that day comes. When we finally see our underlying connectedness, it will be harder to hurt others for we will truly experience the words of Matthew: “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
SO WHO WAS MARY MAGDALENE?
The Da Vinci Code portrays Mary Magdalene as the Holy Grail, the receptacle of Jesus’ children or bloodline. By contrast, in my books, Mary is also revealed as the Holy Grail, though she is the receptacle of something far more universal and important: the gnosis or hidden teachings of the Christ. With due respect to Dan Brown, a possible Jesus/Magdalene bloodline has no practical importance to humanity. If Jesus had children, that does not alter his being the fleshly vehicle of the Christ spirit, nor does it really affect any material aspect of the Christian story. All it does is allow Church critics to say, hah! Gotcha! You got a fact wrong. Okay, big deal. It also may serve to humanize Jesus more, but nobody ever said he wasn’t human. And if he were not a real person but an allegorical story, then it’s a moot point anyway.

Magdalene and the risen Christ
Let’s be honest about one fact. There are so many gaps in the historical Jesus and Magdalene that we can never say for certain what the actual facts of their lives were. All we can do is piece together what documents we have and use our own intuition and critical judgment to extract what is universal and spiritually significant. We do not claim that our version of the Magdalene story is the “truth” in a historic or factual sense. We do feel that there is an archetypical significance attached to the figures of Magdalene and the Christ and that is the truth we try to extract in our books. The historical accuracy game is circular when it comes to the Bible. Biblical stories may never be proved or disproved, but they have tremendous value for those who seek to decipher their wisdom and secrets, for they are signposts to universal spiritual truths. To paraphrase a very astute statement from the novel, The Secret Magdalene — that the story is true is not what is important; what is important is the truth in the story.
That is the spirit in which I, and ancient writers of the once lost Gnostic gospels, revive the story of Mary Magdalene. Good evidence exists that women were prominent leaders of the early Church and Magdalene was probably foremost among them. The Gnostic gospels certainly portray her in that way, and many Gnostics believed her to be the full spiritual counterpart of the Christ, Jesus’ foremost disciple, and a living archetype for the intuitive human. Some even held her to be an incarnation of the Holy Spirit herself. Several of the male disciples, notably Peter, were shown as being antagonistic toward her. She continually demonstrated the ability to grasp the esoteric message Jesus taught orally and privately while Peter and many of the men struggled to understand.

THE EXILE OF MAGDALENE AND THE FEMALE CHURCH

Emperor Constantine receives the first (mandated) Christian creed from the all-male cast of bishops
The outer or public version of Christianity became one of the religions competing to be the state favorite of the Roman Empire. It was a highly patriarchal world back then. Having so many female leaders and a femininely oriented message was an embarrassment. It’s highly probable that women were gradually pushed aside to the point where the Emperor Constantine selected Christianity as the favored state religion with a creed defined by exclusively male bishops.
It’s quite suspicious that one of the women always by Jesus’ side and the first to see the risen Christ was relegated to such a shadowy role in the Bible. Some very cogent theses exist that state the beloved disciple was really Magdalene and the Gospel of John was originally the Gospel of Magdalene. This would represent a pattern of editing women out of the Church and the scriptures as outer Christianity evolved and eventually married the Roman Empire, adopting its hierarchical and patriarchal character.

But the other main branch of early Christianity, the mystical Gnostics, retained traditions and gospels that exalted the place of women and the role of Magdalene until they were exterminated and their works burned by the orthodox state Church. This completed the suppression of Jesus’ attempt in the ancient world to revive feminine wisdom in Western spirituality. But a true spiritual force can only be suppressed, not eliminated, because it is a truth that springs from the innermost recesses of the soul. The Gnostic/feminine wisdom kept resurfacing in differing forms (see the Gnosticism section of the popeannalisa.com website).
The real story here is the evolution of humanity toward a new consciousness of being, and the next step in that evolution is, in the words of Jesus, that “the two must become one.” Anyone can notice how women are increasingly entering into the mainstream of everyday life. What you may not have noticed is the strong movement in literature, psychology, the arts, and religion to resurrect and recover the lost feminine spiritual legacy, the Goddess, some call it, not to supplant the male force, but to merge with it and transform us in ways we can only now imagine.

When the qualities of love, mercy, intuition, and acting from the heart seep in to become a more common part of our lives, we move closer to the divine. The activation of these right brain faculties will allow us to follow the path of the sages, to perceive as God perceives, to act in a manner that will flow from the recognition of our unity with all things. One day, these perceptions will be open to all, not just a few sages, and they will be real experiences, not just intellectual propositions of the mind.
Mary Magdalene will become a major focal point in this grand movement of our evolution. It’s in the air. It may well be written in the heavens.

AUTHOR BIO-- Peter Canova

At the age of twenty-three, I first realized my abilities to do
intuitive medical readings, remote viewing, psycho kinesis, and
other “psychic” phenomena. This led me to a conviction that all of
humanity, and all life, is interconnected at an unseen level. As I
traveled four different continents for my work, a variety of
spiritual figures entered my life unsolicited thereby reaffirming
this belief.

I combined my love of writing with my spiritual background and my travels to produce a fictional work entitled The First Souls Trilogy, written while I was caring for my wife, who was battling breast cancer. It concerns the first fall of spirit into material existence as told through the lives of characters whose incarnations appear over different epochs of history. Pope Annalisa, the first book, tells of an African nun who becomes the first female pope in a near future world headed for self-destruction. The trilogy deals with the origin, destiny, and purpose of humanity, the suppressed role of the feminine in spiritual history, and spirit transcending religion.

Website: popeannalisa.com
Twitter: popeannalisa
Pope Annalisa Videos on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSxB8r3sYBM

MEMORIES

2009-11-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

Memories can last a life time, especially when they include food. My Holiday and week-end mornings always started with a family breakfast. I remember how quickly Mom prepared this one, often using leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. It was always a favorite! Now, as the Mommy in my family, I’m passing on the tradition.

Veggi Frittata
This meal is great for three reasons: 1. It can be eaten anytime of the day and is delicious in the evening. 2. ANY LEFT OVERS can be used in the egg base. 3. It is quick and healthy.)
Prep time 5-10 minutes Clean up 2 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
8 oz Egg Beaters Cheese and Chives 15 oz potato diced, fresh or canned, drained
10 oz Sargento reduced fat 4 cheese mix 6 oz mushrooms, canned, drained
8 oz spinach, fresh or canned, drained 15 oz asparagus, fresh or canned, drained

DIRECTIONS:
1. Spray metal handled frying pan with non-stick cooking spray and heat broiler.
2. Place all ingredients in pan and cook 1 minute
3. Place pan under broiler (if non-metal handle keep handle out of oven) and allow egg to cook, rise and brown for 4 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Soldiers

2009-11-21T15:11:00.001-08:00

It is the Holiday season and some of our countries most precious assets, our injured soldiers, are lying in hospital beds. Think of the difference we can make in someone's life who has given us so much, with one card.
When doing your Christmas cards this year, take one card and send it to this address. If we pass this on and everyone sends one card, think of how many cards these wonderful, special people who have sacrificed so much will get. When you are making out your Christmas card list this year, please include the following:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington , D.C. 20307-5001

If you approve, please pass it on.
A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20307-5001

Dear Soldier,

You don’t know me, but I know you. You are one of my Heroes. You put your life on the line for me and almost paid the ultimate price. During this nation’s time of Thanksgiving, I am sending you this letter of gratitude.

When I hang my head for grace, you will be in my prayers. When I raise my glass in cheer, you will be in my heart, and when I give thanks for all I have, including the freedom to write this, you will be in my thoughts.

A Grateful American,
Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos
katkan@comcast.net
Twitter PsychicHealing
www.survivingcancerland.com

MAMMOGRAMS

2009-11-18T14:27:00.000-08:00

(632 wds)

New Ruling on Mammograms a Blessing in Disguise?

Women throughout the country are justified in their angst concerning the New Mammogram Guideline Recommendations from the “Government Task Force.” This recommendation breaks with the American Cancer Societies’ long-standing position regarding early detection, and sound like a step backward in health care. It is a fact that detecting cancer early can mean the difference between life and death. If mammograms are discontinued before the age of 50, how will early screening for breast cancer continue? What about arguments concerning false negatives and the panel’s advice that women shouldn’t be taught to do or use breast self examinations? Don’t despair. There are solutions to these challenges.

Now, more than ever before in breast cancer history, it’s important for women to listen to their bodies concerning health. It’s time to discover our inner-voices and self-advocate for the tests we need in order to survive. Medical tests we relied on for early detection may be a thing of the past. Our doctor’s hands may be tied by Hospital Policies that are cutting back on medical costs. We must depend on ourselves because we cannot depend on others to put our interests first and policies second. Education through word-of-mouth and the internet can be an invaluable tool. Four years ago a friend told me about the use of sonograms for breast cancer detection.

According to researchers at the University of Washington and Harvard Medical School, during a 10 year period, 1 out of 3 women had mammograms and breast exams which yielded images of breast cancer when none was actually present—false positives. Conversely, false negatives are common (up to 15%) with mammograms, especially in younger women who have dense breast tissue. However, the fear of a false negative is nothing compared to the panic attack associated with a missed positive. I can attest to this from personal experience. At ages 44 and 49, both of my breast cancers were missed on mammograms—missed positives—but found by self examination, and confirmed by MRIs. Our first line of detection should always be ourselves with self examinations, especially as our healthcare system continues to undergo changes. And, rather than systematically relying on mammograms for early detection, we should be looking at more reliable options such as Breast Sonograms.

The Power Color Doppler Ultrasound technology has been used as an alternative to Prostate Biopsy for years. One of the benefits of the Power Doppler Ultrasound is that it can be used as a mammogram alternative to monitor breast health and obtain clear, accurate breast cancer images. It can provide early and accurate images of most highly malignant breast cancers, resulting in life-saving early detection, diagnosis, and intervention.

According to the American Journal of Radiology, sonography detects four times as many cancers as physical examinations and twice as many cancers as mammography. Other advantages are that they can be repeated to closely monitor areas of concern during treatment. Additional benefits of Breast Sonograms are:
• completely painless, safe, and non-invasive
• no harmful radiation used during the procedure
• inexpensive when compared with the costs of a mammogram or biopsy
• requires no post-procedure medical care or recovery time.

If I’ve learned one thing these past years it is that you seldom get anywhere waiting for someone else to take action for you. Hoping someone else makes the right decision for you is a half plan missing a vital component and your biggest resource—You! Be a squeaky wheel until you are acknowledged, don’t take no for an answer, don’t settle for less, and don’t be dismissed. I am not beholden to medical or insurance associations. I don’t have a Ph.D. after my name, but I do have 10 years of cancer experience behind it. Help others by passing the word.

About the Author- Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos www.survivingcancerland.com is an agented author and has penned SURVIVING CANCERLAND: The Psychic Aspects of Healing. She is a phone counselor for the R.A. BLOCH Cancer Foundation, a mentor for WE CAN, a contributor to Cape Women Online Magazine, Twitter’s C4Women, Colette Baron-Reid’s Intuition Now, Examiner.com National, blogs http://kathleenokeefekanavos.blogspot.com ,tweets http://twitter.com/PsychCancerland and is a volunteer for many cancer organizations and online cancer groups. She is currently working on her second book, SURVIVING RECURRENCE in CANCERLAND

2009-10-25T09:07:00.001-07:00

DINING WITH THE DEAD
We understand the concept of death as spirit leaving the body. But, what about the idea of spirits returning for dinner?
Our love for the deceased is shown by talking to them in their burial place, lighting candles for them in places of worship, and displaying their pictures. On the anniversary of their passing we have moments of silence, song, and food where we live, work, and pray. So, is setting a place for the dead at our dinner table going too far? Those who practice the Dumb Supper on All Hollow’s Eve don’t think so.
The Dumb Supper is a reverent event that discourages conversation of any kind. Dumb Supper literally means quiet meal—mum’s the word. It takes place on Samhain, which is All Hallow’s Eve or Halloween. This practice, celebrated worldwide, is one of the largest gatherings at the Festival of the Dead in Salem, MA.
After the family meal is cooked, the table is set with an empty place setting filled with food. This extra setting is for all the family ancestors to come and enjoy a meal with the living family members. Photographs of the deceased are often placed on the table.
Dinner begins with a prayer and a welcoming of the ancestors, and continues with quietude for the remainder of the meal. Appliances and cell phones are turned off because it is believed that silence is helpful for the dead to be among the living.
No one leaves the table until everyone has finished eating. The silence is broken when everyone thanks the ancestors for dining with them.
After the meal is over, the ancestor’s food is fed to the family pets, spread over the earth, or taken to the cemetery where it is left on their grave sites. It is believed that the dead ate of the essence of the meal and thereby shared in the celebration of life.
One of the largest gatherings for the Festival of the Dead’s Dumb Supper is held in the Grand Ballroom of the Historic Hawthorne Hotel in Salem; a haunted site featured on the SciFi Channel’s show Ghost Hunters.
Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos www.survivingcancerland.com and @PsychicHealing twitter

Boots

2009-10-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

THE BLACK LEATHER BOOT
Cooler weather has arrived. Our sandals are stored away. Nature has repainted life from a fiery palette that will cool to hues of winter’s blues. What can replace a classic sandal? The timeless black leather boot!
One of the staples in a woman’s shoe collection is the black leather boot—so versatile and sexy it can be worn in formal and casual activities. One word of caution when investing in a pair of boots; don’t sacrifice fit or quality for cost. Comfortable, well made boots can last a life-time if treated with proper care.
There are many different styles of black leather boots from which to choose. Locating that perfect pair is both daunting and fun. Defining personal needs can be the first step in finding the perfect pair. It can also eliminate “buyer’s remorse” that often follows random emotional purchases.
Black Boots can be as individual in style, shapes, sizes and versatility as the person wearing them. Some boots zip up, others lace, while a third group can be pulled on for a snug fit. There is the ankle boot—great with anything from jeans to pencil skirts, and the patent leather boot—perfect for rainy days. However, given all the choices in stores and online, I think a classic knee-high black leather boot is like wearing the timeless “little black dress” on your feet. Wear them together and look attractive and confident throughout the holiday seasons.
Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos www.survivingcancerland.com @PsychicHealing on twitter.

Lunch

2009-10-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

From SURVIVING CANCERLAND: The Psychic Aspects of Healing
(www.survivingcancerland.com)
QUICKIE (15 MINUTES OR LESS) COOKING FOR LIFE
(This is for everyone with time restraints.)
“Quickie” includes clean up. This recipe was taken from the cookbook section of my book. Over the next two days, I will post meals—breakfast, lunch and dinner—with the nutritional and calorie information for a time challenged family. Enjoy!

Lunch can be an overlooked meal, especially when medical appointments take precedence in our lives. Everything else must be re-prioritized including family, home and work. Cooking and nutrition can get pushed to the end of the line.
After all we’ve endured, financially, medically, and emotionally, including a cranky belly; we need a belly pleaser meal that meets our needs and time restrictions.
I dedicate this recipe to all those hard working people, often raising their families alone while undergoing health treatments, and who put their children’s needs first. Not only do they bring home the bacon, they cook it, too.
Throw this lunch recipe together at breakfast time and it will be ready when you are hungry at lunch. It is a childhood favorite that adults love, too.
This recipe was taken from the cookbook section of my book, SURVIVING CANCERLAND. Over the next three days, I will post meals—breakfast, lunch and dinner—with the nutritional and calorie information for a time challenged family. Enjoy!

LUNCH= Barbecued Pulled Chicken Sandwiches 312 calories 36.1g protein
On Whole Grain Sesame Seed Bun

Prep time= 2 min. Clean up= 2 min.
INGREDIENTS: serves 3
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen 1 cup barbecue sauce
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced into rings ½ teaspoon mustard
½ cup low sodium vegetable or chicken broth ¼ teaspoon “jar spices”
¼ teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
DIRECTIONS:
Put all ingredients into Slow Cooker on high for 3-4 hours. Cook until chicken is fork tender and shred.
Serve on whole grain Sesame Wheat Burger Buns.

Bun Nutrition Facts=Serving size= 1 roll (67g) Calories=220; Total Fat=6g; Cholesterol 35mg; Sodium= 290; Dietary Fiber= 2g; Sugars= 4g; Protein= 6g.
Barbecued Pulled Chicken Sandwiches=Calories serving=312; Total Fat=2.0; Cholesterol 147mg; Sodium 794; Total Carbohydrates 36.9g; Dietary Fiber 2.4g; Sugars 27.1g; Protein 36.1g.

Good Points=Low in Saturated Fats.
Bad Points= High in Cholesterol, Sodium (use low sodium sauce) and Sugar (use low
sugar sauce).
Bun Nutrition Facts=Serving size= 1 roll (67g) Calories=220; Total Fat=6g; Cholesterol 35mg; Sodium= 290; Dietary Fiber= 2g; Sugars= 4g; Protein= 6g.

Quickies

2009-10-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

Calling all Mr. Moms, Moms, and Bachelors! Read UP-

From SURVIVING CANCERLAND: The Psychic Aspects of Healing
QUICKIE (15 MINUTES OR LESS) COOKING FOR LIFE
“Quickie” includes clean up.

Over the next three days, I will post meals—breakfast, lunch and dinner—with the nutritional and calorie information for a time challenged family. Enjoy!

The cooler weather is upon us. A hot breakfast on a cold morning is a delight that no longer needs to be a week-end treat.
When jobs and medical appointments take precedence in our lives, everything else must be re-prioritized including family, home and work. Cooking and nutrition can get pushed to the end of the line. After all we’ve endured medically, emotionally, and financially, including a cranky belly; we need a belly pleaser meal that also meets our treatment needs and/or time restrictions.
I dedicate this recipe to all those hard working cancer patients, often raising their families alone while undergoing treatment and who put their children’s needs first. Not only do they bring home the bacon, they cook it, too!
Throw this breakfast recipe together the night before and pop it in the oven first thing in the morning. By the time your children are washed and dressed, breakfast will be ready. Pull it out of the oven and serve. They will go to school with a hot meal in their tummies and you will face the day with a warm feeling in your heart. Any leftovers can be covered in the same dish, refrigerated, and reheated for another meal.

BREAKFAST=Simple Breakfast Casserole
596 calories 34.2g protein

Prepared the night before. Pop into the oven in the morning. Prep time= 10 min.
Clean up= 3 min.
INGREDIENTS: serves 5
6 eggs 1cup 2% milk
½ tsp pepper ½ tsp mustard
4 oz cheddar cheese 1 bag frozen hash brown potatoes
1 4oz (small) can of mushrooms
8 oz bacon (can also use turkey, chicken or non-meat sausage)

DIRECTIONS:
Cook bacon and drain on paper towel.
Line 8x8 dish with frozen hash-browns.
Sprinkle cooked bacon over hash-browns and add drained mushrooms.
Top with grated cheese.
Dab on mustard.
Refrigerate overnight (or not).
Cook at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.
NUTRITIONAL FACTS
Breakfast Casserole= serving size =239.8g; Calories =596; Total Fat=40.4; Sugars=5.6g; Cholesterol=312mg; Total Carbohydrates 22.6g; Dietary Fiber=0.9g; Protein=34.2g.

Good Points=High in Selenium, Calcium (33%), and in Vitamin. A(12%).
Bad Points= High in Fat and Cholesterol (use egg substitute).

Vampires

2009-09-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

Defense Against the Dark Hearts
by Lori Hoeck on May 28, 2009

17 Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos August 30, 2009 at 12:48 pm
What a great article to help people recognize between emotional vampires (as I call them in my book SURVIVING CANCERLAND: The Psychic Aspects of Healing), temporarily dysfunctional friends and true friends. If we cannot tell who is who it is more difficult to make intelligent choices about people with whom we asociate. All friends start as associates, then the association grows into a more substantial relationship. Sometimes learning what you don’t want in relationships is as important as knowing what you do want.

We know who is good for us and who is not. Our body tells us with symptoms. Sometimes we simply don’t believe ourselves. It is time to stop ignoring what we know and make healthy choices.

We all know we should not eat bad food. It is not good for us. Yet, we stay with bad “friends.” Friends are food for our soul.

Your article helps people choose good “soul food.” Thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights.

Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos
Twitter- PsychicHealing and PsychCancerland

2009-09-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

The Fall issue of Cape Women Online Magazine is on the Internet.

www.capewomenonline.com

I've written an article on how I got my agent and the Q&A Health section on cancer.

We may like to think that much of what we do in life is all our own doing but the truth is, it's often a collaboration of events and people. No man, or woman, is an Island unto themselves. That is the underlying message of my article in CWO--Getting an Agent.

Decisions about where we go for our cancer treatment can be difficult. Do we stay close to home where we have less than great feeling about the treatment center or do we travel miles away to a place that gives us mental, and emotional comfort, and hope? Those are the topics in the Q&A section of CWO.