By Tamara Thompson In This Box Of Mine

1.    In This Box Of Mine 2017 Tamara Thompson

She is put inside a box, it's of the smouldering kind,

It's where no one can see her, or sees her bright smile.

She lived a long life, one of the lessons gone wild,

So she's put in a box, a cheery treasure to hide.

In this box, it smells of mould and rotted rust,

hidden away, where her sharpness turns to shards of golden dust.

She rocks the box, gently and slow, with a rhythmic flow,

It's too dark to notice if anyone even knows.

She is tucked away in a corner,

to the left, on the highest shelf-

No one wants to hear her, the truth may linger out.

The words that she speaks are thoughtful with a grand mind of design,

With such shuttered surprise,

she speaks, then is quickly despised.

Folded corners, it keeps her silence,

they are too easy to fold-

“A success story they say?”

Though it is an underdog that makes a score.

“How could this happen, this rags to riches story?

Who wants to hear it, it's not of our glory.”

The story of a happy ending, where a chariot awaits,

Her dreams are then mastered,

Being boxed in, she meets her fate.

"Here she comes, so press your hands up to your ears

the screeching bellows of laughter, her cheer-

-dismiss it!”

Her humour then turns to wild irresistible rumours,

Turn your back then,

pretend she is wicked,

though you have no idea how her dreams build.

Her attractive wit is a nasty burden for some,

Her narrative, how she uses her tongue-

In haste, they yell;

"Quickly, quickly turn your backs away,

She is speaking again, it's time again to hate.

Get out the box, I can not dispel her laughter,

her smiles too much, her chatter too happy,

She can be awful, I think much too sappy,

Can't you see?

She is living happily ever after!”

She sits then, in this box, ready for her prance,

She will wait for her turn, while she waits, she starts to dance!

Her quick wit,

her tongue,

her elegance,

Formed in a box, she is just too much for some.

Beating Bulimia, She Embraced a Better Way

With shame and embarrassment, Rodina Patrick a trained and certified yoga instructor hid bulimia from her family, the only person she divulged her darkest secret to was her best friend who never judged her. "Bulimia is an eating disorder in which a person has regular episodes of eating a very large amount of food (bingeing) during which the person feels a loss of control over eating. The person then uses different ways, such as vomiting or laxatives (purging), to prevent weight gain."   -U.S National Library of Medicine, and the MedlinePlus encyclopedia [Web Log Post] (2018, December 17th)  https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000341.htm

"I never knew when I was full, I felt fat and ugly all the time, I started starving myself when I was eleven years old, my period stopped when I was

almost thirteen. I became bulimic at that stage of my life, going through many episodes of starving myself and then overeating. I would head to the grocery aisles, pick up a package of cookies, then make myself throw it up."  Ridicule from others for her weight was heavy and strong, where the pain she felt was too difficult to manage. The days of her youth were filled with torment, tears and temptation, all she could master to release her humiliation was to binge on delicious food items and purge it out.

I met Rodina at a healing moon ceremony that I was kindly invited to in November 2018. I was more than excited to meet her and thrilled to attend her class.  Approaching the group, I noticed that Rodina enveloped a nature that embraced a heavenly tone, I could tell that this Yoga professional was highly attuned.  With calm and confidence she leads her class with eloquent ease and gracious style. Her groups hold a magnetic form, where she helps others gain peacefulness, guiding them to find a path towards mending turbulent suffering.

You would never know to meet her today that this strongly serene woman with an angelic voice has ever lived a life filled so emotionally rippled with anguish, so much that she contemplated ending her life as a teenager.  She knew she had to do something about her disorder that began at the age of eleven, for seven years she would suffer in silence.  She was twenty when she stumbled upon something that would halt her intensity and change her mind about committing this horrifying act.  She began listening to calming music, started to play music, learning musical instruments and developing her own sound, writing songs that were spiritual in nature, writing poems that would shed her heartache.  She was able to cut an album with her own CD, called Reflections of Venus, with song titles; Crawl Inside and The Seed.  Her voice and sound became her turning point. She met her passion for health and healing when in a department store coming across a DVD that read; "Yoga For Fat Burning."  Never looking back Rodina began practising yoga every day, she noticed an incredible difference in her mind, body and soul, where she says; "Yoga gave me control of my thoughts, that along with my music proved to be therapeutic, I spent that time reading books about healing methods and practising them. I became more and more attracted to yoga."  

Determined, she spent two years saving up for an accredited school for Yoga instructors at Georgian College, in Orillia, ON. She was losing weight, gaining a higher impression of her self-image, ready

to embark on a journey to health and wellness through spiritual development. She learned on her own through books and training about energy release methods, with chakra healing, protecting herself spiritually with crystals, she learned to ground herself with nature, using Reiki energy healing, meditation and essential oils.  

She teaches all of these methods online and in group-class sessions, called Healing Ceremony. Online is a six-week course teaching how to do a Ceremony from the comfort of home that includes a series of self-care practices, including Reiki, essential oils, a singing bowl meditation, other guided meditations with a burning and release ritual. She tells me; "Chakra and reiki healing is important because it balances the adrenal glands, blood sugar levels, solar plex, and thyroid glands."  She mentions;  "Although all of these therapies have been quite significant over the years, I knew I still had a lot of recovering to do." 

Rodina does not stop there, this spiritually divine soul has spent time learning how to release through past life regressions.  It is a fascinating way to uncover past lives and discover what may have occurred that could hinder positive growth. At first, it felt a bit funny to her, she learned that there was a greater purpose to use this therapy, by exploring her past lives, she found a source in letting go of burdens to have more understanding in the present. She is most gratified though when practising yoga with her three kids, helping them discover physical, spiritual and emotional wellness.

This is a woman who has seen the plights of pain, has felt the scars of suffering, a woman that was marked terribly by her troubles. Putting your faith in her as a healer and Yoga instructor is easy to do, as she emulates strength along with peace.  She is the essence of honour with a humbled voice, a true warrior, embracing an echo of victory, surviving many storms by beating her bulimic disorder and embracing a better way.

If you wanted to learn how to conquer fear, loss, pain and suffering, heighten your self-esteem, gain more physical strength, release turbulent emotions and incorporate self-care practices you can find all of Rodina's upcoming online and in group session on her Facebook Page called; "MotherLand Natural Health" with a links below;

https://www.facebook.com/MotherLandYogaMusicMeditate/



Event listing; https://www.facebook.com/events/1961596593922984/

More class information is at: https://members.motherlandnaturalhealth.com

Website: https://motherlandnaturalhealth.com

YouTube; feel free to subscribe- Motherland Natural Health

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Works Cited

“Bulimia: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000341.htm.

The Stage Is Set For America's Got Talent

 Michele Frustaci is Stayner, Ontario's, prided singing caterer.  Frustaci was Born in Calabria St. Andre Jonio, Italy.  His fondest childhood memories were when his family taught him to prepare meals, helping in the kitchen, to cook for family and friends. The young boy would start to sing, creating meals while singing songs from Pavarotti, Elvis, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra, to name a few.  He found his voice while mixing these genres and saw that many of his loved ones fell in love with his singing voice, applauding him as he cooked meals and belted out ballads. He found not only a passion for singing but also a talented voice.  For years he would mix the sounds of Jail House Rock with a Pavarotti tune, or Dean Martin with Sinatra.  He adored singing into his adult years, where he is always quite fathomed that people are so entertained by his voice. Presently, Michele from MMEA'S caters events where his customers cannot wait until it is showtime, the chef behind the hot stove, is most passionate when he comes out to entertain tables that are filled with happily fed guests.

Michele Frustaci Owner
of MMEA'S The Singing Caterer
Call (705) 428-2525
https://www.facebook.com/MMEAcatering/

MMEA'S Catering offers an incredible service of entertainment and authentic Italian Cuisine, though Michele Frustaci and his wife Fiona, have more to look forward to starting in December of 2018 where they will be flying off to Tampa Florida. Michele will be auditioning for America's Got Talent, singing for the most world renown judges, one of the heaviest among them is, of course, Siman Cowell. Michele remembers dreaming vividly of singing on stage. He knows getting a spot for auditioning is a difficult venture, sending in a demo and getting a call to audition was a dream come true. The stage will be waiting for Michele Frustaci, as he practices singing to prepare for his dream moment.  America's Got Talent will air in 2019. We are all so proud of Michele for following what is deep within his heart. I listen to Michele as I visit his place of work, driving up to it once, I hear what I think is a CD, playing possibly Pavarotti, then to see Michele singing the songs that he sang as a young boy.  He tells me when he sings, he feels like he is back home, with all of his loved ones, as they clap and sing along with Michele. He will be taking this memory and his voice to the biggest talent show audition in the world. Good Luck to Michele Frustaci.

The Proverbial Tree In Forest Stuff Part 2

Wow, an answer to a long-awaited mystery! When my Dad would ask me, it felt like an impossible question to an impossible unsearchable answer. This beautiful tree, that just happened to fall one day.
Well, what did it do? Did it fall? Who made it fall? Why did it fall? Someone must have heard something? someone must have seen it somewhere? What did it look like? Was it really in a forest? It may still even be standing and hadn't fallen at all?

Simple question?  The answer though, we have been throughout time become very intrigued.  We don't know because we weren't there.  As I sat in my chair of many chairs, during my time at Brock U, for the next 1.75 years; it was really just all downhill from there.

Pondering; as I sometimes do, always do, in the most irritatingly pondering ways. About that same old' tree in the forest stuff.  I started thinking about people I know, people I love, people I care about;

my family, my friends, my network of great believers. I became curiously driven.


"If Someone Is Hurting, Does anybody see it?"
"If Someone Is Physically Sick, does anybody hear it?"
"If Someone is Happy, does anyone realize it"?
"If someone still Cares, does anybody know?

"If Someone is Tolerant, does anyone feel it?"
"If someone dislikes Someone, does anyone care?"
"If someone has a Mental Illness, does anybody see it?"
"If someone is Scared, does anybody see it?"
"If someone Likes someone does anybody know?"

"If someone Hides, does anybody care?"
"If someone is a Friend, does anybody see it?"
"If someone is Jealous does anybody feel it?"

"If someone is a victim of abuse and bullying, does anybody hear, see, care, know, feel or believe it?"

The Proverbial Tree In Forest Stuff: PART 1

"A Tree, somewhere"
PHOTO BY: Tamara Thompson 

The long admired paradigm about the proverbial "Tree In The Forrest" has many answers; yes, no, maybe, or even; "Who knows, who cares, or I don't even care". The answer being intrigued by our many cultures and life spans, it had always provoked a way of thinking; through theory. Had this, theory been so unimportant through time, it may have been tossed and dismissed as something silly, much unlike a tree, though it survived.  Though that is also a paradigm in itself, is it just silly nonsense to provoke a thought?

A thought pattern or process, to wonder, maybe start to even dream, to ask questions? Perhaps to begin to start to think and use our own minds?  This one tree In the forest that fell though we may not

The Green Earth
Photo By: Tamara Thompson

have known. Though that tree theory sure did make a lot of noise, at least it opens up a dialogue of communication, which I've heard somewhere maybe key.

This whole tree thing, does have many elements and a bit of surprise to many who on the onset, first maybe as young, learning of this said tree that fell that day in the Forest, and then to ask, does anybody hear it? Travelling for two hours, off to Brock University years back, I stumbled upon the correct answer at my first hack at my first lecture.  Years of theorizing, the nature of the metaphor, came to a wondering hault.

The question was asked then again, by a professor, me as a dumbfounded University scardy cat, sitting in the row and isles listening to our professor, which we did hear him loud and clear as we sat in our acoustic,  rising auditorium, that was a definite.  As I really didn't know, the answer to this kinda-caramilk and a chocolate binding question was then unfolded, as "I Don't Know" ....

A Wondering Life
Photo By Tamara Thompson

The Proverbial Tree In Forest stuff: Part 2, To Be Continued....

Overcompensating Junkie

I use to think that I was just a giving, nurturing person. That was what I told myself anyway; "I just love to give, I'm a giver, oh I am here to give to you, what do you need, what do you want" With that overcompensating in all my interactions with bosses and coworkers and within my family. I came to understand, the reason I go above and beyond is much more about my feelings of having a mental illness -Bipolar.

With this perspective, it allowed me to feel "good" about my relationships with co-workers, family, and friends. I felt that if I gave my time, my resources, any material gifts, at a peaking constant level, I believed then that these gestures would somehow make me feel included, accepted and valued. Having a mental illness, I realise that the giver in me goes much deeper than just wanting to be accepted and valued. Recently, I was shocked to learn the true reason that my relationships tend to suffer so gravely, how opening my eyes to the conclusion that I am actually, an overcompensating junkie.

At work, I would show up early and stay late. Early would mean two hours early and late would mean two hours late, getting the day started with all my ruffled feathers, believing that I need to do more, be more, function better, produce more, see more clients, make more. All because with me I carried a large and long secret of having a mood disorder.  In a work setting, I would make sure that I would be more

pleasant, make sure that my smile was bigger, my hello's and good mornings would always be cheery, I would show up with brownies and refreshing drinks on a hot day, I would utter sorry every time someone looked my way.  Sitting at my desk, I would answer the phone first, I would even clean and organise the workspace including bathrooms, lunchrooms, collect coworker's garbage. As I went about my day satisfied with my performance, telling myself that I am such a wonderful giving person, this thought would help me feel better about the doormat that I was to become. Hiding my illness with tricks of giving and overcompensating became my way of handling a poorly functioning tool, though I handled my illness well, my relationships I did not.

Overcompensating has been a pattern of mine since I turned 21, finding myself in the hospital, leaving with a diagnosis of "mentally ill".  That was when I decided to turn on the giving charm, I reinvented myself, I said yes often, I lost my ability to think for myself, I started to care what everyone thought of me and would act in a way that I thought was expected of me.  Lying to myself thinking that the magic solution I needed to survive was to give away everything.  I told this lie often.

I could only keep up to these pursuits for so long before I would crash and burn.  Over time in any of

these relationships, I became irritated and annoyed with the pattern of my making. At work: "Oh I have to clean the bathroom again I see, well that is enough of this, being used like this".  Not realising that no one was even asked to clean the bathroom, finding out after six months on the job that we actually have nightly cleaners that do this.  What a sheepish embarrassment on my part.  Still, these patterns have crossed through, in and around, sitting hazily in every corner of my life.

I was giving my way to the top, just to feel as though I mattered.  Becoming a disgruntled employee who gives it all away, shutting the door, confused not understanding why?  Meanwhile, showing up two hours early certainly makes a great employee, but not a long lasting one.  The pace I was keeping, overwhelmed with the demands that I put only on myself. I would walk away from these

relationships, these jobs, the places I lived, towns and cities. I would, to start fresh somewhere else, hoping it will all be different this time. Not ever realising that I created these unhealthy dynamics.  For so long it puzzled me as to why I always felt used, allowing myself to be used.
Overcompensating became a self-sabotaging pattern that I created.  Waking up in a hospital bed at the age of 21, leaving that bed with my bags and Bipolar would create this.

Knowing this has been a rescue! Today I am able to have and maintain many wonderful and encouraging relationships.  They have been created out of care and nurturing instead of compromising them with my poor charm methods of giving.  Knowing that I am valued just for showing up, not having to do backflips to keep a friend, a job or important family member. Not needing to show

my worth has been an incredible and glorious understanding in having loving, positive, wonderful, gratifying and satisfying relationships.  That I am sure will be long lasting, as long as I don't volunteer to clean anyone's bathroom inappropriately, I am sure these relationships will outlast my ways of overcompensating.

Art Speaks In Stayner, Ontario

In history, in society, in books, in towns, found in rare antiques, on Television, in movies, Yes; On the Internet- but of course; at your corner store, around your finger, hanging from your ear, in your hair, wrapped around you, at libraries, worn on your shoe, worn on your laces, on your dinner plate, worn on your coat, choreographed by, graphics by, illustrations by,  hung on the wall, listened to, danced to,

in heritage buildings, crafted by, performed by, written by, in museums, in galleries, at the hair salon, sung by. So this Artsy stuff, what is it all about?

I would say, from the above short list that art is found everywhere.  Art is life! Where somehow it is reflected by the many artists who create it.  Artists are a pool of people who are individuals with a whole bunch of character!  Artists are bread on reason, hope, thoughtfulness and vision.  Then it is contemplated while in creation. A hope for beauty in today and tomorrow, mirrored by the past.  Giving the artist and our society a glimpse of what a beautiful world that we can create.  For a long time, it gave me personally a reason to live.  It is seen as a reflection or image, a portrayal, of a thought or an idea.  

Then somehow, with these traits of character as an artist, they begin to recognise themselves and

others and the world that is then truly blessed all around.  With a mistaken brush stroke. a piece of broken stained glass, a step to the right instead of left, art then takes form and the mistake -looks better actually!  A mistaken cross stitch that looks actually kinda cute and coolish. Only to the artist,

these imperfections are gruelly seen.  The heart is open, ready to engage; maybe-hopefully?  The courage, this courage is braved forward, and forward and forward again to a point where the artist has no hesitation but forward motion, in a collective pool form.  Where somehow with this fierce artists

soul, one artist meets another artist and another and another.  This is where culture is born, and without these souls, this collection of thoughtful individuals, who believe enough to care, creates a culture where once it could not be seen.   One thing I know for sure about art, as somehow favourably, I am no expert.  Artists, love and care and even nurture each other, with every step, every brush stroke, every colour and with any and all mediums.  I would believe to say more than any other part of society out there, there should always be art.  

"The journey is followed by the artists who create if nothing else but beauty, wonder and intrigue. With a mindful motion, at times hand in hand, at other times, side by side, even others only to be seen, merely -though felt no differently". Tamara Thompson

How could one be born without the other, how could one get along without the other?  Where gossip is truly futile in its attempts to mock, where there is really no valid competition as it is not a category that artists relish in. Artists love to be amongst beauty, the stirring soul of the artist is ignited through

beauty, call it nature.  Art and the artists are a brave bunch, seeing themselves in that beauty, takes years of skilful practice in many forms and possible attempts.  That with which, is created becomes -more so, felt most times. thought about immeasurably; an intrigue then perplexes many.  

With so much of a gregarious nature, the artist is found and the artists live each day presenting to the world a unique part of existence, reputable from within.  To say, or believe that artists ride against each other is brash in any form.  I will say that in the trueness of art, there is no battle, not for attention or glory, there is no such reason to be that.  The artist creates magnificently from the core having a great desire to express.  The only message forth then is of thoughtfulness.  As such the bonds grow in the closeness of art and culture.  The growing artists are supported, by each other- time after time, piece after piece, year after year and step after step.  It is then most times, rocketed forward into the far and fine future.  

For me just a lowly writer, art is built on the thoughtful nature of practice, preparing, building, creating, clapping, standing, honouring, handshaking, trembling, bowing, quivering, laughing,

knowing, loving and teaming, starting, beginning again, though not stopping.  Confused with what art is as a collective?  "It is seen in a community, which then can be built for the better, if by art and artists alone". -Tamara Thompson.  With that, art is not and sometimes never perfect, there are no fierce judgments by the artist to the artist, the artist does not gain by having compelling gossip within or shared in between, with art, there is no unfair play, the artist holds many and a lot of truths, with the honesty of the presentation, art is seen; first it is born.

To think anything less of an artist or their medium that is always creative is not much of a hot topic... To have taste in any art form is then, the reality of any individual, and the only question is "DOES THIS SUIT YOUR TASTE"? Knowing that a community can be built high if only by the esteemed artist.