Art | The Canary Report

Yellow Bird

Posted on Aug 27, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

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“Yellow bird in the mine, I gave you my word you’d be fine.”

A sad but hopeful music video that speaks volumes to us canaries. It’s a very lucky canary who has someone in their life to pick them up out of the mine, wash them off, and fill their heart with love. xoxo

Music video animation by Kristine Thune, to the song “Yellow Bird” by Bess Rogers from her album, Travel Back EP.

Thanks, Julia!

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Tags: Art, Video

Photo request for collage project

Posted on Jun 08, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Eva Caballé, MCS

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Call for photos for project entitled “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Uncovered.”

By contributor Eva Caballé, Spain.

Loli Vicente, a Spanish woman with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, whose photo has inspired the collage project “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Uncovered." ©2010 Loli Vicente. Photo used with permission.

Last month, Loli Vicente, a Spanish woman with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, shared an inspiring photo on Facebook. When I saw her picture (above), I had the idea to make a collage with pictures of people with MCS to post on NO FUN, because lately my blog is having a lot of visits (more than 3,000 the day that I was interviewed at national radio RNE or the day that MCS was featured on popular TV show in Spain) and many of the readers aren’t people with MCS. I thought that it would be a great opportunity to show to the society that there are a lot of people living with MCS and nobody will manage to silence us. I proposed this idea on Facebook and it was well received.

I have named the project “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Uncovered.” NO FUN, my window to the outside world, shows people with MCS from all around the world, so we can illustrate that there are a lot of people living with MCS.

If you suffer MCS and you want to join this project, you can send your photo (with your country and your name or pseudonym), before September 30, to this email account: fotos.sqm@hotmail.es (this account has been created exclusively for receiving the pictures and it will be closed once the project ends). The photos can be you with a mask or without a mask but where MCS can be identified. More than photographic quality, I’m looking for the visual impact of all the pictures together.

I hope you like the project and will join it!

NOTE: I’m open to sharing the collage with any other blog or website from all around the world that wants to post it.

Link to request of photos in Spanish.

P.S. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that, as some of you know, I have recently closed my personal Facebook account so that I can focus on my health. You can still stay in touch with me through my blog NO FUN and my two Facebook pages: for my blog and for my book.

Come visit me at NO FUN. English section here.

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Tags: Art, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Photography

MCS Awareness Month: Colorful fun with a serious message

Posted on May 11, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Susie Collins

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Canary Report member Sherrijax creates a bright canary image with a serious message.

And don’t you just love the border and cap design?

I’m going to use this photo to promote MCS awareness in the month of May.

I took this shot of my niece, who is also a canary, indicating how much she hates toxic chemicals— then via magic {photoshop} I enhanced the photo and turned a white cap into yellow, adding The Canary Report symbol.

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Tags: Art

Dreams That Kill

Posted on Apr 23, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Eva Caballé, Guest Bloggers, MCS, Media/Videos

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By guestblogger Eva Caballé, Spain.

(Click image for full view)

DREAMS THAT KILL

By Eva Caballé

Masses
Choke
Slowly

We are not allowed to stop dreaming. Dreams we have not chosen. Dreams that are sold to us as indispensable for our happiness. And we sleep carefree and dream. We dream and we buy to be able to sleep and to keep dreaming about more stuff. We sleep deeply warmed by the glow of the robotized masses, heads full of dreams that don’t allow rest.

Don’t even dare to stop having sweet empty dreams. Don’t even dare to stop breathing deeply and find yourself lost in the nightmare of other’s dreams, without being able to wake up; in a world that burns you and locks you into an illness that only allows you to dream that your nightmares disappear.

Tonight you will go to sleep satisfied, snuggled up to your soft-skinned, seductively perfumed life, where everything is inoffensive and perfect. Your dreams will, once more, banish me to the hidden side of the world, where light pierces and sound scorches the nerves, where dreams become a cruel poison that slowly kills me and drags me from nightmare to nightmare with no way out.

Your toxic dreams bury my existence under a stone slab made up of three words: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Your world of ideal dreams sentences me to live jailed.

Wake up from the heavy dream in which you are sinking us so that you and I can dream that we actually live, a real dream; so that no more will anyone see their dreams turned into the torture of a merciless illness.

~~~

Anexo de la revista Delirio nº6. Sueños, con la traducción al inglés del artículo “Sueños Que Matan” publicado previamente en castellano.

Aprovecho para felicitar a todos los que hacen posible Delirio, porque en los pocos días que tiene de vida este nuevo número ya se han sobrepasado las 10.000 visitas. ¡Felicidades!

Quiero dar las gracias a mis amigas Clara Valverde y Aída G. Corrales, por la traducción al inglés del artículo y la maquetación del anexo, respectivamente. ¡Sin ellas este anexo no habría sido posible!

~~~

Artículo original en español en PDF AQUÍ.

Artículo traducido al inglés en PDF AQUÍ.

Artículo traducido al alemán en PDF AQUÍ.

Podéis descargaros Delirio-Sueños AQUÍ.

~~~

Original post at NO FUN HERE.

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Tags: Art, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Preparing for MCS Awareness Month, May 2010: A Canary Caravan Carnival!

Posted on Apr 07, 2010 by Susie Collins in Guest Bloggers, MCS

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Gather at blogspot VardoForTwo on May 14-16 for a Canary Caravan Carnival to tell your story in prose, poetry, photos, any way you choose!

By guestblogger Mokihana Calizar.

A Gypsy wagon or vardo, ready for a Canary Caravan Carnival!

(Editor’s Note: This month, as we prepare for May 2010 MCS Awareness Month, The Canary Report is sponsoring the Yellow Hats and Feathers Campaign, where our members are creating clothing, hats, pins and myriad other symbols to wear in May, all with the hopes of sparking conversations with others about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. This blog post is the second in a series, where members of The Canary Report community share activities, events and ideas about how you can raise MCS awareness. Please welcome our second guestblogger on MCS awareness, Canary Report member Mokihana Calizar.)

May is MCS AWARENESS Month throughout the globe. Susie Collins and the community of canaries at The Canary Report have been chirping and organizing for months in preparation for MCS AWARENESS Month. For our regular readers, the journey of these two old dears as we learn to ID the realities of environmentally triggered illness is what weaves in and out of the stories, posts and links we put here at VardoForTwo. Over the while those who come to this blog place become witness to the multiple schemes of experiences a being has as the illness and the conditions affect who we have been; and the core of our humanness morphs, uncovers or becomes more and more who we are … new, different, unexpected, triumphant, shattered, debilitated, recreated. All or none of these might suit on any one day, at any one moment.

I write this on April 1st … APRIL FOOLS DAY. A perfect time to announce a sort of bloggers’ carnival. It would be fun and empowering to use that month of may to give voice to the very well and very resilient force of human power alive in the examples of women, men and children who live with MCS. I’m inspired by the wonderful Astrology Carnival that my cyberpals CJ Wright and Donna Cunningham concocted to celebrate National Astrology Day. No fool’n!

Here’s the idea …

Friday, May 14, Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16 are CANARY CARAVAN Days it’s a time to circle the wagons and come to tell our stories. We who live with the affects of Multiple Chemical Sensitivities are as similar and different as the shades of yellow, or the hues of the color blue; there are so many shades of yellow or blue (or green or purple) and what we know comes from who we are at the core. Posts by bloggers with links or related articles will appear on VardoForTwo on these three days. Written to inspire and offer space for the incredibly rich and creative expressions of our lives I hope to circle the wagons for a time of collective strength.

I will be chatting behind the scenes with my blogger friends who live and thrive with the realities of a life affected by MCS, hoping to enlist the help of two other bloggers who will also post CANARY CARAVAN stories on their blogs. Even as I write this to the page, all is not firmly in place so if you have ideas or thoughts please leave me comments or email me at ssvardo@gmail.com. This is a totally new project for me so please join in.

There may be categories of stories over the three days of CANARY CARAVAN. I’m thinking:
1) Poetry and Prose: Words and images poems, a photo essay or short story that reflect your life with MCS;
2) Tools and Practices: Stories about the medical, physical, emotional and spiritual supportive practices that aid and create foundations for an evolving life

What other categories would you like to see at the CANARY CARAVAN?

We have six weeks to put together some really fun and inspiring blogging that can educate, infuse and make a difference. If you’re interested or curious let me know in the comments or email.

Aloha,
Mokihana

~~~

Mokihana Calizar is a founding member of The Canary Report community. Born and raised in Hawaii, she now lives in a tiny vardo in Washington state and blogs at VardoForTwo.

This post was originally published at VardoForTwo, published here with permission of the author.

Photo credit

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Tags: Art, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Support

Never surrender, never give up!

Posted on Jan 11, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Franny Armstrong, MCS, Susie Collins

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Our very own Franny Armstrong, contributor at The Canary Report and author of steamy romance novels, is interviewed by Antonia Tiranth.

In the interview, Franny talks about what leads an author on the road to success when battling illness:

I have a chemical brain injury (called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or MCS) that causes my body to react violently to simple things like fragrances, body products, cleaning products, gas fumes and much more. Since leaving the safety of my chemical-free home wasn’t possible, I became addicted to the Internet and to reading, however this wasn’t always possible due to the “mushy-brain-fog” I suffered which made it difficult to concentrate.

At the same time I was diagnosed with MCS, I was also told I had BiPolar II Disorder. Though the doctor assured me I wasn’t “nuts,” I was devastated, feeling like I’d just been given a death sentence since neither of the two illnesses had a cure. For years I could barely speak a sentence or remember a simple word. “I want tea,” though only three words, was difficult to say. I also slept up to twenty hours a day!

After losing so much time, I decided to do something with my life because I refused to allow illness to beat me! My motto became, “NEVER SURRENDER! NEVER GIVE UP!” and believe me, it worked. To date I have become a published author [with] my first book SMALL PACKAGES–A CHRISTMAS STORY released from Red Rose Publishing in December and what a feeling that was! I’d finally climbed past the limits of illness and accomplished what I’d never thought possible until now.

Author’s Demise comes out in March. Brava, Franny!

Link

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Tags: Art, Fragrance, Healthy Living, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Work

What is the value of a name?

Posted on Jan 04, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Guest Bloggers, MCS

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Poem by guest blogger Amy Pratt.

What is the value of a name?

~1~

Just ask any survivor
with numbers tattooed on their arm
what it means to have their name remembered.

This entry is dedicated to Judy C. Miner,
one of the few who has bothered
to remember my name all these years
and who is still willing to at least make eye contact
and speak with me.

I am so tired of being a ghost in a community where I once belonged.

I had no idea I could lose more
than my health and my job of nine years.
I am unable to work,
labeled as “a liability.”

I have cognitive issues
and often rely on pre-written scripts.
Ironically,
I cannot read or write on a consistent and reliable basis.

I used to be a Library Technician for a community college.

Education you never lose,
but the ability to use it,
that’s a different story.

Acknowledgement is a basic need
for support and understanding.

“In order to communicate with
and show respect to others,
a name is a basic need.”

[...]

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Tags: Art, Featured Post, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Photography, Support

Canary in a coal mine made it to the tree

Posted on Dec 27, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Susie Collins

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Photo by Connie Rae.

Thanks, Connie!

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Tags: Art, Home, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Photography

Franny Armstrong’s new e-book featured in local paper

Posted on Dec 17, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Franny Armstrong, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

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Northumberland News reports on Canary Report contributor Franny Armstrong’s new e-book Small Packages.

Author Franny Armstrong hopes to bring some Christmas cheer to her readers with her new novel Small Packages.

The story, about a woman who becomes a recluse after the death of her husband, was an easy one for Ms. Armstrong to write. The author, who suffers from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Disorder (MCS) rarely leaves the house for fear of encountering fragrances and other chemicals, which cause severe reactions.

“Writing has been so healing for me because I have focus and drive now where I never had before,” she explained.

To read an excerpt from ‘Small Packages: A Christmas Story’, visit www.paranovelgirls.com. Complete e-books can be purchased for $3.99 online at www.redrosepublishing.com

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Tags: Art, Books, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Video: The Naked Truth About Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Posted on Dec 14, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

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The Canary Report produces a video where fifteen women bare all to tell the naked truth about life with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

This video contains nudity, strong language and a bunch of women telling the absolute Truth about living with MCS. Viewer discretion and an open mind is advised.

These images are also available as a 2010 calendar:

Link to Version 1 The Naked Truth About Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

And Version 2 The Naked Truth About Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Seeking Our Nature.

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Tags: Art, Environmental Illness, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Photography, Support, Video

Puzzles for cognitive health

Posted on Dec 06, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

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Doing puzzles can improve your cognitive skills and even stave off some diseases.

We all know how Multiple Chemical Sensitivity can interfere with our cognitive abilities, especially during an exposure to toxic chemicals or phytotoxins such as toxic mold. In this TED Talk, famed puzzle designer Scott Kim takes us inside the puzzle-maker’s frame of mind. Sampling his career’s work, he introduces us to a few of the most popular types, and shares the fascinations that inspired some of his best.

Kim says electronic and online games are moving away from violent themes and trending toward games for a healthy lifestyle. He sees three distinct trends emerging: casual games, mental fitness, and social media. Kim talks about his website Shuffle Brain, which includes a game called Photograb that reminds me of those games I played as I kid where you had to find things like ladders, cats, and irons hidden in the picture– I loved those games! Photograb mixes puzzles with social photo-sharing, where you play your friends’ photos to sharpen your visual skills. It’s a very clever blend of puzzles and social networking.

Puzzles like this are an excellent way for those with MCS to exercise our brains: Use it or lose it, peeps!

Here is Scott Kim’s TED talk: