Purple Progenitors

"We inhabit the blue planet, but our knowledge of life underneath the blue surfaces of the ocean remains surprisingly limited. In reality, investigations of marine life have just begun, and it is only now, when we can utilize custom-built research ships and the finest modern technology, that we can learn how ecosystems in the oceans are structured and function."

Living fossils found along the undersea mountain chain that divides the Atlantic ocean lengthwise:

Purple Progenitor

"One of three new species of enteropneust acorn worm discovered during the mid-Atlantic survey, the creature has no eyes, no obvious sense organs, and no brain. "This is about as primitive as you can go," team member Monty Priede said. But, he added, "they've got a head end and a tail end—the basic body plan of vertebrates." Such living fossils 'represent the first mobile animals.' "

Interesting, don't you think?
More on the MAR-ECO website.

Roots In A Tree

'You do not need to be loved, not at the cost of yourself. Of all the people you will know in a lifetime, you are the only one you will never leave or lose.'

I've been exploring my family of origin, going back to my roots in hopes of reconcilling some of the issues that are holding me back at this very point in my life. Anxiety, depression, anger, fear and recurrent relationship problems are often a result of unresolved issues from the past. This is not a new concept, but it certainly feels new when you explore it from a very personal angle. When you face it head on and demand to yourself that you make an attempt to resolve it, rather than pushing it aside and ignoring it as you have done thus far. It is easy to remain in that 'safe place' of delusion and denial. But I'm tired of being there, being stuck and in a constant haze.

I can definitely say I've grown immensely over the past few years, especially having 'left the family' and branched out on my own...moving to another province altogether and having to rely mostly on myself to meet my own needs. I still struggle with getting my needs met, or should I say meeting them. I'm not the most reliable person to myself. I'm further along from where I've come from, but not as far as I'd like to go. Obviously this is an ongoing endeavor. A lifetime of exploring, growing and discovery of the self. This should never cease.


I read this quote recently and it's kind of stuck with me: "Emotions are energies in motion. If they are not expressed, the energy is repressed. As energy, it has to go somewhere. Without our emotions we can't know where we are with our basic needs. Without our basic needs we cannot live as functional human beings. To deny our emotions is to deny the ground and vital energy of our life."

These repressed energies are a dark blanket of death on our souls. They eat away at our very heart, killing us slowly. You can try to ignore them, but they won't go away. The only solution is to fill their place with something brighter. Let the light in. And I'm not talking God here, though if that's what works for you by all means.

Healthy families allow for the expression of emotion. Dysfunctional families squash them. We develop survival behaviors in response to stressors - which can be in the form of an addiction (alcoholism, drug addictions, violence, abuse, rage, work addictions, etc) or things such as a divorce or death in the family. Each member of the family adapts to or attempts to control the stressor. The fight or flight scenario. Survival (denial, dissociation, repression, withdrawal, anger, reactions, reenacting behaviors or acting out, etc) often becomes the norm. And these patterns continue throughout life. Back then they were protective, now they are destructive.

Our families have a huge impact on who we become. However, we are constantly becoming and we don't have to be stuck in the same damaging cycles. We can change.

There is a ton of good information out there, some of which is very interesting...on the family system as a whole, what we learn as children and carry into our adult years, and of course the power of the mind.

Cement Kissed

In the beginning, there were broken bones, cracked skulls, visits to ER and trips to the morgue. There were splintered wrists, smashed up knees, collapsed temporals and well, brains all over the cement.

Then... God created the helmet, the knee pads, the wrist guards and the elbow pads. All of this was done on the first day after.

Daily, we thank Him for his ingenuity as we take off in a mad dash, colliding into bodies at unbelievable speed. We catapult through the air not knowing which way is up or which is down, crash landing into the unforgiving cement. Our breath escapes in a whoosh and our eyes are thrown back into the cavernous pockets of our heads. A shock escapes the lips of observers as we lie there on the ground, stunned & speechless for a moment and gather our wits. But we don't give up. We get up.

Roller Derby. This ain't no game for pussies.

That which does not kill me makes me stronger ~ Nietzsche

I AM. Canadian. EH!

Happy HST Day! A big shout-out to Gordon Campbell & the gov't for making our Canada Day extra memorable. Today marks the first day of our new tax: H.S.T. (Harmonized Sales Tax). Not that this is entirely new, as we've been anticipating this for months. Apparently 700,000 signatures on the 'No HST' petition means nothing to our leaders.

From this day forward, we British Columbians can look forward to paying a nice 12% tax on a whole new whack of things: restaurant bills, dry cleaning, electricity, heating, internet, home service calls by electricians, plumbers, carpenters, landscaping, lawn care, private snow removal, hotel rooms, taxis, campsites, domestic air, rail, boat and bus travel, magazines, home renos, car sales, gas, real estate commissions, massage therapy, vitamins, golfing, gym fees, sports lessons, live theatre tickets, hockey rink & hall rental fees, fitness training, haircuts, manicures, funeral services, legal fees, cigarettes, hunting/fishing licenses, investment portfolios. Yes, pretty much everything. Because we don't pay enough taxes already.

The good news? Starbucks is now offering FREE wi-fi! Maybe they feel badly about the HST hike on their lattes.

The even better news? Alcohol is going down.

And dammit, it is a day to be celebrated nonetheless!!!! Canada, our home and native land.

Cheers!