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Gratitude Day!

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This Thursday in the U.S., we celebrate “Thanksgiving,” which I like think of more as “Gratitude Day.” That’s my way of honoring the spirit of appreciation while moving away from the day’s unfortunate roots.

Ideally gratitude is something innate, practiced implicitly everyday and no need of “special days” as reminders.

WISHING YOU EVERY JOY

AND MUCH FOR WHICH TO BE GRATEFUL.

In Peace and with Love and Joy,
Jamie

In the spirit of kindness to the earth and to all its sentient creatures, I encourage you to reconsider your menu for Gratitude Day and go veggie  – if you do not already do so – or as nearly veggie as you are able.

The video below is of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau showing us how easy it is to transform our traditional fare into a menu of dishes that are still traditional but kind to the earth and all animals including the human animal (healthier and easier on our kidneys).

HERE’s a link that will bring up recipe videos that are both vegan and gluten-free if – like me – you are allergic to gluten. I admit, it’s not easy to be vegan when you can’t have wheat, gluten, soy, corn, or pine nuts and walnuts. For soy products, I just substitute other nondairy milks and creams, make homemade chickpea tofu or dice portobello mushrooms for something “meaty.”  Black beans are actually more nutritious than soy beans. For the nut allergy, I exchange the problem nuts for other nuts: pecans instead of walnuts, hazelnut pieces or slivered almonds instead of pine nuts.

Have a lovely week and enjoy your time cooking and baking and visiting with family and friends. 

Follow: On Twitter

Facebook Pages:

Jamie Dedes, Arts/Humanities

Keepting It Simple, Keeping It Kind

The Bardo Group, Beguine Again

If you want to join The BeZine, 100TPC 2016 discussion page, leave a message for me at my personal site – G Jamie Dedes – on Facebook. We’re about consciousness raising and sharing information, best practices and hope for peace, sustainability and social justice.  Our emphasis for 2016 is environment and environmental justice. And, of course, visit us at The BeZine anytime.  This month’s theme is: At-risk Youth.  Next month’s theme is: The Hero’s Journey. The December issue comes out on the 15th.

© 2015, illustration, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved

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old woman, sea

800px-Caribbean_Ocean_view_from_Bodden_Townshe’s as playful as spray
and as prayerful spume

in peace
and in turmoil
drumming the shore
persistent in her
giving and taking
free of any filters
as wild and dangerous
as any old woman
who says what she thinks

© 2015, poem, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved; photo, Caribbean Sea view from Bodden Town, Grand Caymen by Lhb1239 under GNU General License 

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oppressed by the sun

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the heat and humidity
the day oppressed by the sun
the night sky is overcrowded
the pitted moon superfluous

i’d rather be cool
a blue lotus, floating
on a shimmering pond
a soulful thing,
solitary by day, and
in the cool night
eyes relieved of
the unremitting sun

© 2015, poem and photograph, Jamie Dedes, All right reserved

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a man, a woman, a stick

(1921)

the stick stood in the corner of the kitchen
a constant threat; stoking, as it was meant to,
chronic intimidation

he had a man’s right to deliver his blows
to vent his anger and his self-contempt
to cause suffering for the insufferable

someone had to make it up to him,
his loss-of-face to race, creed and poverty

for her part, eve’s daughter was ripe,
shamed by her intrinsic sinfulness,
worn by her constant pregnancies

her femininity: tired and task-bound,
guilt flowing freely, as all-consuming as lava

[relief, only in death]

and the seventh child was born to die
and the man was demanding his bread

she wrapped the girl in swaddling cloth,
placed her gently by the stove, and
while the newborn made busy with dying,
the woman prepared him his meal
(2)_Cycle_of_abuse,_power_&_control_issues_in_domestic_abuse_situations

© 2015, poem, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved; illustration source is the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence, the photograph used here is by moggs oceanlane under CC BY 2.o license