Building the Vardo THE FIRST DAYS

Hover over the images for descriptions of what you see.

NEW LINK to a LifeSaver and Safety Net

The Masked Avenger ... a fitting name for this writer and sister MCSer, this author and blogger is someone I discovered (and forgot about until yesterday) while living from the Subaru. Public libraries were a place of refuge for us when few public places were safe from smells from hell. And, even some libraries are either musty and moldy or too new with formaldyhde off-casing carpets etc. etc. STILL, PUBLIC LIBRARIES are one of this country's finest example of infrastructure and services that truly serve the masses.



This site is an excellent source of practical advice/direction/connections for those living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and Environmental Illness. The Masked Avenger has a sense of humor. Her recent post about "The Rotational Diet" is funny, while offering an option for dealing with the food sensitivities that often are at the base of one's ability to regularly detoxify the body from the environment which cannot be controlled; ie. someone else's choices.



She doesn't post often, but her archives are rich. Read her list of posts and click where you find an issue of importance or interest. Her resources and research are very useful, too. I highly recommend this blog, and obviously Google does too, since her site comes up first when you search "multiple chemical sensitivities blog."

Back at it

Aloha,

I'm back on the page. The four days of Ole were full of cleaning and clearing and reviewing what has already begun:

1. Since it's been raining and raining, little outside vardo work could be done so Pete (who always keeps a great construction site) gathered scraps, restacked the oak siding, and reinforced the ropes that hold tarps over the vardo.

2. On one of the four days when a bit of sunshine warmed things up, Pete rubbed in a second coat of beeswax finish to the two side walls.

3. He also caulked all the exterior open seams, around the corners, windows and the roof (using AFM SAFECOAT Caulk ... a low voc, water-based caulk; more tolerable for MCS tribe; it does have its limitation, but we have opted again on the side of 'less petroleum-based products')

Our goal with the caulk is two fold: keep the vardo as water tight as possible so the siding doesn't buckle; and, keep the outside smells like wood smoke from seeping into the vardo.

4. Yesterday we worked inside the apartment, cleaning up the rooms that store the tools, paperwork, powered milk-paints, and supplies. Even with the very minimal life we live stuff stacks up. So, on Ole Pau (the fourth night of the ole cycle) it felt good to touch everything we have, decide what to do with each, and put it where we can find it again.

5. Rest and Recoup. The exposure to the dryer sheets left me weakened. As I posted earlier those dryer sheets are lethal. My weekly visit to Chulan Chiang my NAET practitioner identified my PITUATARY GLAND (in the middle of my forehead) was over-burdened. We worked on clearing and reinforcing that part of the brain.

6. Behind the scenes connections: I have made connection with Rae Enslin and Jay Shafer both of these folk are inspirational and instrumental in our building VardoForTwo. Rae has linked us to her site, and Jay's blog now makes comments about our vardo. Thank you Rae and Jay.

KE ALA O KA MAHINA The Moon Calendar

Today is an Ole Day, a day of preparation, unproductive for fishing or planting.


According to the calendar today is:


OLE KU KAHI.





Pete and I have travelled with KE ALA O KA MAHINA The Hawaiian Moon Calendar throughout the year 2008. It was a gift from my son, Chris Kawika Brown. He and his ohana of Hawaiian cultural healers designed and developed this calendar.





"This circular calendar offers a Hawaiian perspective on the flow of time. Its design reflects the relationships among the spiritual, natural and human realms. In Hawaiian culture, the mahina (moon) is an embodiment of the goddess Hina. Our kupuna (ancestors) used the phases of the mahina as a guide to sustain life and maintain balance in the environment. Today, many people continue to rely on traditional Hawaiian knowledge as a guide for daily activities, including fishing and farming. HOW DO THE MOON CYCLES AFFECT YOU, YOUR FAMILY, AND YOUR ENVIRONMENT?"


-from the narrative found on KEA ALA O KA MAHINA 2008, developed by Hui Mauli Ola, Produced by Kamehameha Publishing





ANSWER: We have found that ole days are times to rest, "weed" the gardens of our life and clean up what has been started. Our experiences have shown that new projects, new decisions and major purchases are best left for another time, after we have rested and restored ourselves.





This OLE CYCLE is one of FOUR OLE DAYS. I will rest, restore and ask Hina to shine on us and the seeds planted here at VardoForTwo.



IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE HAWAIIAN MOON CALENDAR, click on this link ... i mua (go forward, seek it out!)


See you in four days, a hui hou, Mokihana

Dryer Sheets and Fabric Softeners Are Lethal

It's another rainy day in Seattle, but for a few minutes Pete and I stepped outside the Kitchenette hoping to get a little work done on the window trim. Sometimes, I forget that I have MCS and am thrown back --literally, by the smell of DRYER SHEETS. The exhaust outlet from our neighbors basement (where their laundry must be) is just on the other side of the hedge. VardoForTwo is within a couple feet of that hedge.


Dryer sheets are one of the most lethal of triggers for people with MCS and are not good for anyone. I quickly retreated inside to get my mask. I switched to a new one and fitted the washable outside piece with two charcoal filters for insurance, and put my eye goggles on before I went back out. I'd just begun mixing up a new batch of milk paint to test the color of the trim and decided to finish the mix before leaving Pete outside. It doesn't take more than a very few minutes to be over-saturated by the toxins.


As I write this piece I have a slight head-ache in my forehead and feel the hazy remnant of the 'brain fog' that is a symptom of an exposure like this. I use a nasal inhaler filled with Glutathione for episodes like this.(stopping to give myself a second dose of spray). The prescribed supplement helps to restore my brain cells after an exposure to the chemicals that make up a dryer sheet. I also use glutathione in a nebulizer to build my system's ability to respond to immune system and brain function break-down. To learn more about glutathione's potential healing affects for you please find an Environmental Physician who specializes in the care of folks with MCS. Between writing I took a nap with my portable c.d. player and my RELAXATION QIGONG tape. I played the "Four Route Relaxation" exercise I usually reserve for going to sleep at night. Today I decided to try clearing the spent qi that was affected by the smell of dryer sheets using that twenty-five minute exercise. It was very calming.



For the record, here's a list of chemicals found in a dryer sheet:

Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer

Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant

Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders

Limonene: Known carcinogen

A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage

Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list

Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders

Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic (this is the stuff used to embalm!)

Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders

Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

"The chemicals in fabric softeners are pungent and strong smelling -- so strong that they require the use of these heavy fragrances (think 50 times as much fragrance) just to cover up the smells. Furthermore, synthetic fabrics, which are the reason fabric softeners were created in the first place, do not smell good either when heated in a dryer or heated by our bodies ... hence the need for even more hefty fragrances. In other words, remove all the added fragrance that endears people to fabric softeners and -- like the cliché wolf in sheep's clothing -- the real smells of the chemical-laced fabric softener and the synthetic fabrics they were designed around may prompt people to shoot their laundry machines and be done with it."

- A excerpt from a post from GLOBAL HEALTH CENTER FORUM: http://www.ghchealth.com/forum/post-325.html

There are alternatives to using fabric softeners and dryer sheets

1. DON'T USE THEM.

2. Add 1/2 c. or more of baking soda to soften clothes and clean without laundry detergent.

3. Use an unscented and unmasked detergent. We use BIO-KLEEN Free and Clear laundry detergent.

4. Put a small amount of 'safe for you' unscented hair conditioner on a piece of cotton fabric that is already clear and safe, toss it into your dryer with your laundered clothing.

Do you have any other free and clear methods that work for you? Share them here. Thanks so much. Every dryer sheet and fabric softener left on the shelves is one less toxin in the air ... tell your retailer you'd like to see them stop stocking them.

Building a safe place means knowing what you're trying to protect yourself against. It's a daily reality for the MCS Tribe. Do your part to make toxins tougher to get at ... educate yourself and take action.

A hui hou, Mokihana

Dream Coming True

"I appreciate long walks ... Lincoln Park, Wa."

Photo Credit: Pete Little

It's the 1st of November and my birthday month. One of my longtime habits has been to reflect and inventory the progress of my journey round the sun. When the journey was as intense as has been described in SamandSally, survival was the major touchstone. The Old Gods did not dessert us, and have led us to White Center where we transform yet again. I know that the struggle we experienced were real and I know we are here today ... alive and growing.

One of my LIFESAVERS and SAFETY NETS is Akemi Gaines Akashi Record Reader and author of the blog Yes-to-me. Akemi's services are changing my life. I found a post on her blog today that is just the project that I need to add to VardoForTwo. It's an abundance attracting DreamMoneyProject that is based on the Law of Attraction among other spiritual believes. I have practiced this in smaller ways in years past but have very little memory of its affects ... so perhaps a LOT MORE PRACTICE, and an attitude of joy and play will make a difference. Akemi suggested I pray more, so I'm jumping in:

Here is the beginning of my Dream Coming True Project.

Step 1 Start with $100

(I'm putting a real $100 into my treasure chest)

Step 2 Once a week starting today I am spending my dream money on things that make my heart happy. These are creative things big and small, growing and abundant.

Each week the Dream Money multiples along with a "10 things for which I am Appreciative." This list is a conscious list of 'appreciation' which I learned to distinquish between a list of 'gratitude' after listening to a video of The Hicks on Jenny Mannion's Heroes of Healing Writing Project .

Step 3 Each week I make a "Dream Coming True" post my $ doubles.

This is a wonderful way to expand my story with abundance as we build VardoForTwo as a space and a place of hope, innovation and appreciation. Health and wealth are not separate worlds, and are in fact the same world or two facets of the same beautiful crystal. This is also a great way for me to practice the healing/changing old habits by focusing on growing a dream of worth and wealth.

Step 4: I write a clear and positive statement of my dream spending, along with a list of things for which I am appreciative.

This week I spend my $100 dream money on: beautiful real silver earrings, hand-tooled by a wonderful artist from the Pacific Northwest.

This week my list of "10 things for which I am appreciative" are:

1. I appreciate our wonderful Soaring Heart natural bed.

2. I appreciate the warmth of the infrared heater in our kitchenette.

3. I appreciate Joel, our friend and owner of this house.

4. I appreciate Pete, my dear husband, dear friend.

5. I appreciate "Scout" my Subaru.

6. I appreciate the internet.

7. I appreciate hot showers.

8. I appreciate warm toast.

9. I appreciate great nights of sleep.

10. I appreciate long walks.

A hui hou, Mokihana

Vardo Inspiration and Respect for the Roma

( Ole Kukolu ... a preparation time Moon.

Photo credit: that's one of mine)

I don't kid myself that I'm any kind of expert, but neither am I as unaware of the culture as I've occasionally been accused. I have done my best to learn about the Romany people. I always attempt to make others understand that the they weren't a bunch of silly fortunetellers who happily lived the lives they did, dancing and thieving because it was in their nature. I don't believe this, and I don't pass this misconception along to others. My vardo website is just a photo album to show people a building that I created. I try to explain when I deviate from history, and why it was necessary, but I understand that I still can offend some simply by the fact that I attempt to recreate it. This is not my wish.

from A Letter to the Roma, Rae Enslin

I have long loved the look and feel of the Gypsy Vardo. The curved roof appealed to me instinctively and the mobility of a home tapped my wanderer's soul. The romantic affinity of the Vardo grew to plausible option with the changing realities of our life as we knew it. The story of Sam Tall and Sally Round tells that part of the story.

The resources/links that follow have inspired us in the building of VardoForTwo. As a special note to my MCS tribe, the materials and processes used in the building of the vardo and tiny homes are NOT NECESSARILY MCS-safe. We used the inspiration from these builders to craft our version of a safe home, the work of turning inspiration into real time mcs-sweat equity is the stuff of this blog.

Rae Enslin's Vardo Website

The quote that begins this post is a very important piece of our lives. My instinctive affinity to the vardo was a connection with the culture of the Roma, the culture that is much more than the romantic images most of us have. Rae Enslin and her vardo website opened up that world. I read her Letter to the Roma, and researched for myself the culture that is in so many ways like my Hawaiian culture. This letter reminded me to surround the building of our vardo with spheres of respect for all who have gone before, embued with awareness, humbled to be creating a home that has enduring history. Link to this site for a full page of vardo builders with pictures and stories that might tap your wanderer's soul.

FREEWHEELING HOMES by David Pearson A Real Goods Solar Living Book

We were still living in Hawai`i and visited the Pacific Northwest regularly. On one of those visits we took the ferry to Port Townsend, Wa and found this wonderful book. Its bright yellow cover called to me and we bought it. Strange, without being conscious of it (because we found the books years before ...) the cover picture is of Jay Shafer (see next link) driving his tiny home down the road. The entire book must have kindled a small though steady fire within. It was this book that became a source of further connections with tiny home lovers. You can find it new or used at http://www.amazon.com/

Tumbleweed Tiny Houses

Jay Shafer is the founder of Tumbleweed Tiny Houses. He's become a very visible and influential force for the creation of purposefully built tiny homes. I first learned of Tumbleweed in the Summer of 2007. I was living alone in Anacortes, Wa ... life was getting more and more unstable and yet I was sharing living space with a wonderful earth angel, Lizzie,who took me in, offered me friendship, respect, affordable arrangements and access to the internet. I offered my knowledge of Feng Shui, the teachings of Hawai`i as Makua o`o and read more than two dozen books in the span of two months. Those books would be the last books I read before sensitivity to inks, paper and whatever else goes into book-binding made holding books difficult.

By late summer of 2007 Pete and I were back together and were signed up for one of Jay Shafer's early build-your own tiny home workshops. Pete wasn't sure of the whole thing. But the entire road trip from Anacortes, Wa. to Bodega Bay, Ca and Jay's workshop lay the foundation for building VardoForTwo. Link to Jay Shafer's website for floor plans you can buy to build your tiny or not so tiny house. The site has a blog that includes others interested in tiny homes.

Jim Toplin

This master craftsman is one of the tiny house builders featured in the book FREEWHEELING HOMES. I tried connecting with him by email in the early stages of our journey but never did get through to him. Instead I did find his website, and drank up the exquisite detail of his masterfully built vardos and caravan. Although the materials and finishes he used are not conducive to the mcs-safe home Pete and I envisioned, Jim Toplin's attention to detail has influenced our process without doubt.