Daisy O's Tiny Home

Ch Ch Ch Changes

2010-12-31T04:58:00.000-08:00

http:///daisyosafezonehome.blogspot.com

We moved this light ..

to here.

My blog is moving, too. Follow us to Daisy O's Safe Zone Home

Time for tu tuff!

Getting Cozy In Here

2010-12-26T23:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Festivus!!

2010-12-23T05:26:00.000-08:00

Watch Bill Maher’s Message to Oprah Winfrey

Happy Winter Solstice!!

2010-12-22T05:28:00.000-08:00

counter: before...

and after

Leroy is a super great guy

Leroy and Larry will be installing our propane

They ran lines to where the heater will go, inside the wall so we can get the knotty pine wall covering on

The lines come out of the wall under the counter, where lines will also run for our stovetop

DK measured everything out to accomodate our appliances

goats eye view

So I rounded up naughty goats,

and helped Bruce, the property owner, load up all our wood scraps, (added to collection in background) which he will find uses for-awesome!

We worked together to clean up the yard so the rental my brother was in, would be ready to rent

A fresh start, Bruce called it. We are grateful for his help.

Interior Walls Y'all

2010-12-20T08:55:00.000-08:00

The planning stage...

Is that moonshine?

Lucky to get dry weather to cut wood this time of year

1st wall creates separation between grand room and bath room

this shot taken from inside bath space

wall 2

Looks great DK!

the space framed by the window...

and this one DK is peeking through, will be left open for air flow

Meanwhile I have been working on insulation for the ceilings

Next: counter framing, and meeting with our friend Leroy about putting in our propane lines for heat and cooking

We are moving our home in about a month. My brother and his family moved off the property, so it's go time. We wish them health and happiness in their new home and a happy birthday to our nephew Dyllan.

Jenga, Jenga

2010-12-16T05:08:00.000-08:00

MCS Christmas, A little song by Anita Bretha Freshair, to the tune of Teddy Bear Picnic

2010-12-13T08:22:00.000-08:00

If you should borrow a book today
And you're chemically sensitive, too
Promptly quaruntine in a cellophane bag
It's really not safe for you

It's a matter of fact
Each book's been attacked
By second-hand scents
Hand creams and fragrance
You better ask for a Nook or an E-book for Christmas

Rain on a Metal Roof

2010-12-08T05:05:00.000-08:00

No Time Like The Present

2010-12-06T19:03:00.000-08:00

2010-11-28T22:01:00.000-08:00

2010-11-28T07:17:00.000-08:00

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2010-11-25T16:23:00.000-08:00

Brown kerfing to replace the white

Benjamin Moore Natura Interior Paint, Wenge

Deadbolt

Before Roof Flashing

1st peice...

We got one more installed, to finish this side...

then, the 1st snow of the season....

made for pretty pics but not good for roofing

We planned on starting the roofing install in the freezing cold, snow and all, but the roads weren't safe, out where we're building

So we walked downtown for pizza, coffee, and baking flour

Bald Eagle

Sweet tweet's feets

Ludwig

Henry

warm and cozy

Worth a five mile walk for flour, DK's bagettes

Stinkbomba Momma, another poem by Anita Freshair

2010-11-25T10:30:00.000-08:00

Her makeup's on
She's done her hair
Her clothes: thickly coated
In Snuggle bear
She's sprayed some per-fume
Here and there
She's a stinkbomba momma
Committing chemical warfare

A scented stick
Rubbed on her pits
A toxic cream on
Unsightly zits
She wears cologne
Dabbed on her wrists
But it's not the same one
Her jacket is
She freshens her shoes
With a quick Febreze spritz
She's a walking, stinking
Petrie dish
In a chemical stupor
Her red lead-covered lips
Smile mindlessly
In an unnatural bliss
She should be put on the no-fly list
She's a stinkbomba momma
She's a terrorist

Best Birthday Ever

2010-11-16T17:11:00.000-08:00

Autumn paints the landscape

Porch Roof Design

Me,waiting in the car at Lowes. Crazy unsafe for Canaries in there.The new laundry section is bad enough but pesticides line the entrances. DK uses the contractor entrance to avoid this.

Daylight savings, HA!

Benjamin Moore Aura exterior paint, Wenge

With the siding ALL done, porch roof complete, DK painted the outside of the door a dark coffee brown and set off for Seattle.

We've had this planned all year.

Crow with tags uses crosswalk

It was my first time wearing a respirator mask, and I love this thing.

We haven't done anything like this in awhile, because I get sick from exposures and really don't enjoy myself. With this thing, it was great! Picasso at the Seattle Art Museum with DK for my birthday. It was the best!

First storm of the season

2010-10-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

peekin out from...

under the tarp

we got quite a bit of siding prep done, considering

forced to stay home, I did some baking and DK finished this quilt for me

The sun is out today, so we're off!

Blessed in the Northwest

2010-10-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

A stretch of sunny...

10/15/10

(after work)

new facia design

We started getting a full 3 consecutive days off from our regualar jobs most weeks, to work on our house together... this week, Day 1 is

10/17/10

sized up and fit friezeboard

by noon...

I prepped up some siding

for DK to fit on the gables

Day 2

10/18/10

new design for staining rack, made from larger one

rain shelter for saw is made from other parts of our old larger rack to stain 20 ft. long siding

we'll complete 3 sides of siding today

we aren't the first to build modern tiny mobile homes, this bus is adapted to live in, and sits near a standard mobile home

people have wanted tiny homes, and mobile homes, for a myriad of reasons and the numbers are growing of people whose houses are shrinking

DK stains the ends of the siding, any notches that were cut out, and the new facia a distance away, to keep toxic fumes at bay

low vocs but still not totally safe for this canary until somewhat cured

so I prepare some nourishment from our daily supplies

Ah.. nice...on to the friezeboard installation...

in order to do the last side, we have to install the door

so we go for it

we special ordered it from Olympic Door, they were great

even on the sides...

screw above hinge, shim at hinge

Ta Da!

Day 3
10/19/10...

another dry day

smoke from a nearby yard fire fills the air

In order to have a sanctuary from this, I must endure it for now

I masked up and prepped siding for the front

DK worked on a door frame and plans for the porch roof

The Other Side

2010-10-12T18:11:00.000-07:00

10/10/10

Rain clouds made way for some sunny, crisp days. As we all say around here, the clouds"burned off" by around noon, as they often do.

We worked out the final details on all the peices we'll need

to make this side match the other side...

tomorrow.

10/11/10

Indigenous People's Day/ National Coming Out Day

10/12/10
Our neice, Jozey's birthday

Salamander hiding under the siding.

Long freezeboard to top the siding.

Careful cutting so it snugs up to the soffit boxes and around windows. First with the jigsaw, then smoothed with a rasp and...

sweet fit!

Guess What?

Tigris, bro's kitty

Siding left to do:

front side and

freezeboard for the other side

gable end

(started prep)

facia for gable ends

But for now, home to the babies.

Into October

2010-10-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

Daisy O's tiny warehouse

Banana slug

member of the cricket choir

Ground Cherries from Peru

DKO

Daisy O

Over the Fender and Through the Woods

2010-10-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

Starting the Siding

2010-09-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

Since rain was in the forecast, we decided to work on siding.

(Click to enlarge)
This Pacific Treefrog...

was hiding inside one of the rungs...

of our cool new ladder.

Handmade jigs

The screws and caulking match perfectly in color, and don't distract from the beautiful cedar.

Making cuts for around the window

This is our rain cover for the saw. Siding is right next to it. It's a pain in the neck, literally, to work under these tarps, but allows us to move forward, no matter the weather.

A couple sunny days allowed us to uncover our tiny house, and work unencumbered by the rain or the restrictions of ropes and tarps. We're getting the hang of it, so to speak, and DK Doesn't Kompromise on anything, so it's looking great.

We'd expected more time to cover before the last rain. We ran out to the site after work that day, but couldn't beat the rain. Some water was trapped between the tarp and the underlayment, so I took this chance to swab it

all off.

Huckleberries

Yellow faced Bumblebees mating on Comfrey

Leopard Slug

Rufous Garden Slug

After installing the bug screen, DK filled a small area between the medex sheathing and fender with 100% silicone.

The fumes that emit while it dries, rusted the galvanized mesh, so he replaced it.

Capital Lake, Chichtwoot, place of the Black Bear
International Day of Peace

Here's to a small footprint!

Sun and Soffits

2010-09-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

DK Rocks Rolls of Rex on the Roof

2010-09-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

Bug screen

2010-09-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

DK installed bug screen since we always intend to park where bugs and critters and fresh air are plentiful. This will keep bees and such from easily finding refuge behind our siding.

From underneath

DK is the detail king

This is the last step to be siding ready.

The soffit boxes and facia will need to go on in order to install the roofing. The detail work is done on them and they just need stain on the bare surfaces and a dry day to install them.

We will get the roofing on before the siding since Autumn is near... and think sunny thoughts.

Working in Western Washington Weather

2010-09-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

We will have to work around raindrops from here on out.

Some of the furing strips were only screwed through sheathing, so we backed out the screws and added 2x4's to the interior to secure them in place. The siding attatches to the furing so we want it to be nice and secure when we're driving down the road.
(The furing sitting in the sill will curve around the wheel well DK is standing in front of, in picture below.)

Soffit peices finish curing inside. Spotty rain will make attatching all the soffit boxes tricky

There are always challenges, obstacles, and divine opportunities in life.

This is our roofing...all of it!

The color is called Musket. These are the ridgecap and flashing peices.

No more furing requires securing!

Coffee, Northwest staple.

Meangreen adhesive seal.

DK is applying special ecofoam, made to fill tinycracks around windows. Expands less than regular foam, so it won't damage windows.

The ecofoam for windows is applied with a gun that is cleaned with nasty solvent. The style of application worked well under soffits, too because of the length and manueverability of the nozzle.

We'll also use it our our sweet little 6 foot door

DK ordered a different underlayment than we originally planned on using for our roofing. It should arrive in a day or two. We didn't want to use an asphalt product so DK found an alternative called Rex Synfelt.

It's going to take some juggling, patience, and hard work. We had no idea how much would be required of us to do this. The best part is finding that we have what it takes!

Time flies...

2010-08-31T06:22:00.000-07:00

...since last July.

That's when we started building.

Thinking about what we've accomplished already, makes the rest seem possible.

(DK's shadow and I share some coffee)

(These 2 have conversations in chickenspeak)

He probably promised her my house and doesn't know it.

These are the final puzzle peices to our closed soffit boxes.

DK, using Ecofoam to seal.

This is how we hauled most of our lumber after the first big trailer load.

It's hard to wait, but easy to imagine, living in this tiny house...

with this guy. (That's a bunny playing guitar, by the way.)

You don't have to go to the battlefield to suffer the direct effects of weapons of war: Part One

2010-08-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

Through Michigan's mosquito abatement program, Malathion and Chlorpyrifos were fogged through my neighborhood, ages 3-8
I am now chemically sensitive and have suffered their effects my whole life

MALATHION

Malathion belongs to the organophosphate family of chemicals that were originally developed as nerve gas agents under the Nazi Third Reich. These agents are all toxic to the brain through similar mechanisms of damage, although some at lower exposures than others. This chemical class has been the cause of more toxic encephalopathy in the medical practice of Dr. Ziem than any other single chemical class. Exposure to organophosphates has been recognized as capable of inducing heightened sensitivity to chemicals for a quarter of a century and Malathion is the fourth most common pesticide reported to the US EPA as associated with the onset of chemical sensitivity. The first two most common agents are also organophosphates.³Malathion by products stored in the body inhibit prompt breakdown of malathion, increasing its toxicity.¹Permanent nerve damage can occur, with muscle, auditory and vestibular dysfunction, weakness and easy fatigability.Vestibular dysfunction can impair balance and gait. Chronic brain damage can result from organophosphate exposure.^,, Organophosphates can also impair function of the immune action of white blood cells, increasing recurrent infection rates of the upper and lower respiratory system,⁵and have other damaging immune effects. Malathion exposure is associated with damage to multiple body organs, especially the brain and nervous system. Demyelination (damage to nerve cell coating which impairs normal nerve function) of nerve cells can also occur. Chronic neuropathy with weakness and other abnormalities of arms, legs, balance, gait, etc. can also occur with organophosphate exposure. Prolonged persistent weakness, headaches, respiratory, gastrointestinal, visual and other systemic changes as well as other Malathion effects are substantially the same as for Chlorpyrifos, another oranophosphate. Organophosphates were first developed in Germany during World War II by the I.G. Farben Company, which developed them as nerve gas agents in warfare. Chlorpyrifos is closely related chemically to these chemical warfare agents developed under the Third Reich and are in the same chemical family.

The first report of CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY associated with organophosphate exposure was in 1966, fairly soon after chlorpyrifos was introduced to the market. A review of 114 cases three years after exposure showed chemical sensitivity present in 22 or 19%. An additional 18 or 16% developed other persistent chronic health problems following exposure to organophosphate including seven with persistent headaches, six with visual disturbances, and five with increased nervousness. Because Tabershaw and Cooper, the authors of this study, were frequent consultants to industry and widely published, and this article appeared in the mostly widely read occupational journal of its day, industry should have been aware of this work (Tabershaw, I.R. and Cooper, W.C. "Sequelae of acute organic phosphate pesticide poisoning." Journal of Occupational Medicine 8:5-20, 1966).

Organophosphates interfere with the function of the nervous system by interfering with nerve transmitters, including muscarinic, nicotine, and brain nerve transmitters. Muscarinic nerve receptors, which are located in organs such as the heart, endocrine glands, blood vessels, and other smooth muscle organs have altered function resulting in symptoms such as wheezing, nausea, abdominal cramps, visual disturbance, and even vomiting.

Nicotinic nerve receptors are located in the nerves of skeletal muscles and the ganglia of the autonomic nervous system and interference with their function causes symptoms such as muscle twitching and cramping, fatigue, weakness, rapid or irregular heart rate, and changes in blood pressure. Delayed effects can occur as well following acute or repeated chronic exposures. These can involve the peripheral nerves resulting in impaired balance and increased weakness. The nerves controlling the intestinal and urinary tract can be interfered with causing reduced control of bladder and bowel function.

Neurotransmitters in the brain can also be affected by organophosphate compounds resulting in symptoms such as confusion, tremors, poor coordination, sleep disturbance, weakness, anxiety, impaired coordination, mood alterations, etc. Persistent neurobehavioral alterations in brain function can also result. There are also reports in the literature for both humans and animals of disturbances of porphyrin metabolism which can be persistent following exposure to organophosphates. Other changes with organophosphates includes increased susceptibility to infectious diseases, possibly because of disturbances of immune function, impaired liver function, loss of vigor and acceleration of the aging process as well as loss or decline in potency and libido. Both chlorpyrifos and diazinon have been associated with alterations in brain function in humans consistent with the general description for organophosphates above.

Patience

2010-08-24T04:30:00.000-07:00

Home, Sweet Home

2010-08-17T04:23:00.000-07:00

Thimbleberry

Seaside Angelica

Bull Thistle

Be back soon!

The Sun is King

2010-08-16T23:19:00.000-07:00

Building in temps nearing 100 F.

Bro's table saw, DK's custom soffits

We often smell smoke out here from neighbors and the property owner where we're building. Troublesome for me to be around, sinus and migraine pain are my main symptoms of the deeper problem: my body's having a tough time breaking all this down.

I was tucked inside the limited, but precious safety of our little house, when DK, high on the ladder, saw smoke in the property owners firepit. Normally, we'd just pack up for the day. But we knew he was out of town, so DK investigated. It seems the fire had been smoldering all night, from a fire the day before. The hot sun, and carelessly abandoned embers came together powerfully, but DK saved the day.

We question the neccessity of such fires and are dismayed by the lack of respect for it's power and gifts.

As always, I am forever grateful to my amazing husband.

Soffits are almost done. Siding's next...

WWJD: What WOOD Jill Do by Anita Bretha Freshair

2010-08-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

A pile of wood

Sits and waits

And Jill

She never hesitates

A campfire's all

She thinks about

Spring , winter and fall

And summer, no doubt

She lights up a fire

And the world disappears

She can't hear my cries

She won't feel my fears

I told her that it hurt my health

She said to "move away"

There's no way I can change her heart

And I'm nearing moving day

When you live in the city

You can't just burn some wood

But Jill thinks she's real pretty

So she thinks it's all good

It's really just sad

An apartment campfire

But along with a cocktail

It's her heart's true desire

I wore a mask to tell her

She was clouding up the air

She called me a freak

And she said she didn't care

Then she bowed her head in prayer

Even the devil would know it's a sin

Burning fires and spreading carcinigens

Jill would have a lot in common with him

May my heart and hers, both find compassion.

(Names were not changed to reveal identities)

Oly Water

2010-08-14T21:23:00.000-07:00

It may not look like much, but this place is a blessing beyond measure to us, and many, many others. It is a magical free-flowing artesian well. Glacial melt, in a pressurized space deep below the earth, flows out of this copper pipe constantly. Our well is a cherished and celebrated gift. It will be our sole source of water in our tiny house.

Moving right along...

2010-08-13T05:04:00.000-07:00

Soffits that fit

2010-08-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

Today DK stands for detail king. I am fortunate to have a husband who is patient and detail-oriented. Great qualities all the way around. And especially useful in building a tiny house for my special needs.

Since we used an unconventional formeldehyde-free sheathing (Medex), we decided to build closed soffit boxes.

DK has been thinking this through for awhile and today, he solidified his plan. Adding to the trickiness of closing up the soffits, we placed our tiny window pretty high to clear the mattress height inside.

So the soffit boxes will be fitted around the windows at each end of the house, with DK's deep kare.

Besides testing out our new camera :)

...I've been preparing our porch for assembly.

(Smiling with my eyes)

And Dyllan, Jozey and Lisa went blackberry picking.

Trim: update via upload

2010-07-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

All 9 windows are framed!

We screwed this first corner peice together before screwing it to the house, placed furing strips around the window frames and started installing more on studs. The furing allows for airflow behind the siding. It helps to insulate and keep moisture out. I treated all of our furing strips with a boric acid, vinegar, peroxide mix, to protect them from mold.

Almost siding-ready...

This is a rainbow cloud. DK and I have seen 3 in the last month. We had a string of 4 and 5 leaf clover finds too. Super sweet Mother Nature.

All the little details

2010-07-20T06:05:00.000-07:00

Silicone seal around window flashing.

Drip grooves accross bottoms of window frames, cut with table saw, then restained. Lucifer

Hairy Cat's Ear

Furing strips, stained facia boards and trim

Staining almost done...

Done!

We started putting on window frames with an extra strip of flashing accross the top. We had to screw in 2x4s under the windows on the inside tohave something super solid to secure the frames to, from the outside. We got all the bottoms on, and it's looking gorgeous, but our camera broke. It's 10 years old, so it's time to update. Were hoping to get a new camera soon, so we don't miss documenting any steps. And it's all about to come together!!

He's my hero

2010-06-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

I met DK 15 years ago. He has always had a connection to life that keeps him constantly creatively inspired. I don't think there's anything he can't do. Neither does he, I asked him.

It is wonderful to share time with someone with this quality.

A little over 10 years ago, he and his band learned a song by my favorite reggae artist, Lucky Dube.

It was all over after that. That's when I became the lucky one, and he became my partner. (And believe me, it was luck.) He's my hero because he is brave and courageous, and also kind and tender. He creates, rather than destroy. He is confident, curious, and hilarious. He has a strong sense of self and doesn't live by someone else's rules. He lifts others' up by honoring them as individuals. Even when I got sick, I have never doubted his love for me, but I decided I'd make him prove it by building me a house,

This is the trim for the windows. So much for the sunny weather in the forecast. The rain just keeps coming, so he stained the tim in the carport at our current home then we hauled it back out to my bro's.

He built this desk that will go into our little house later. We would have saved this project if we could make any progress on the actual house, but I really like having it. It's cedar and pine. We'll probably protect it with Safeseal later.

On days the forecast doesn't call for rain, we have taken the tarps down, trimmed the tips off the rafters and put up soffits.

I built these racks for staining the siding and letting it dry.

We allow it to dry awhile, then tuck it into a space under the tarp, where it tents out next to the little house. The stain is really pretty, and it only carries nasty fumes 'til it dries, which is quick. This is a big hurdle, so it feels good to get it started. DK thinks it will go pretty fast, and the Summer Solstice, just days away, offers great promise.

Inside MCS

2010-05-25T05:48:00.000-07:00

Click on this picture...unless you're scared...I'm more afraid of new asphalt and heavy traffic. This is the view out the front window of our current home. We've been working at getting out of here about a year and a half now. Safe housing is a major issue for canaries and attaining it almost always means better health, greater tolerance.

For us it has meant a huge but welcome change. Super-downsizing, building and preparing to move into a tiny house on wheels, especially while adapting our lives to living with MCS has been a lot of work. Avoiding toxic chemicals and keeping them out of our living space is quite a challenge, and staying patient and positive for ourselves and each other, of daily importance.

There's lots of foot traffic on our street, which gives the lively feel of community.

But someone with MCS must see the dangers that lurk. Our minds are trained to be observant this way, to live more healthfully; to survive.

So we automatically see toxic invisible blends of perfume trails as people walk by, like floating lab experiments.

We realize each house has a dryer vent operated by a misinformed public who thinks you have to poison yourself with a mystery liquid or fibrous synthetic waxy "dryer sheets" to smell "mountain fresh" and be acceptable to the rest of society.

Most have constant cozy fires inside and a dirty chimney chugging thick lingering smoke that creeps in the cracks of our old damp duplex.

As the landlords slop through the mud, they laugh outside our windows that don't really close, about "grandfathered in" conditions, like drainage too close to the dwelling and old windows. We struggle to keep this place liveable.

Cars spew exhaust continuously and sit still in peak hours.

Neighbors light barbecues and cigarettes out back.

Cars bearing yellow "magic trees" of vanilla-rama with the cellophane still half on (save some magic for later), idle, come, and go.

Febreze, Glade and Scentsy are the new "clean".

Clothes attain high-heat infused "rainforest " fragrance and all the apartments smell like Safeway because no one washes the contaminants off of their their groceries.

This is unthinkable for us now. Some will never consider this in their lifetime.

All of our groceries are put into glass jars or aluminum foil. The trip to the store is done weekly, right when they open so the store had all night to air out and there are few others there to contend with. I'm able to go myself this way, instead of sending DK, like I do for most things. Exposures are no picnic for him either, and I get to keep a little independence with all my new limitations.

Ludwig comes along and Henry stays home with DK.

The store I frequent keeps produce and laundry/cleaning products opposite sides of the store, a much appreciated move. Laundry stuff is the worst, but some stores send fragrance to your system through their "ventilation" units, to intoxicate you. They don't announce, "Attention shoppers, you will be stumbling around in a stupor, buying more, not noticing the scent because Americans are used to it", they say it with hydrocarbons and fragrance chemicals whose untested ingredients are "trade secrets".

We use salt with boiling water, vinegar with baking soda, african black soap and our secret weapon: powdered milk (Thanks, Harry!) to remove scents that we pick up on our clothing or to take fragrance and chemical out of new clothes. Otherwise soap nuts or black soap with a little Bob's aluminum free baking soda clean clothes just fine.

There are 2 women who seem to be the ones covering the cashiering when I go to grocery shop. They both know me, ' the masked lady with MCS and her sidekick, the weinerdog' (who gets a walk by the Sound before he waits in the car while I shop).
The cashiers both wear gloves to check my groceries, to guard from hand sanitizer and other personal products they may have used. They have a kindness and understanding for my situation that I am grateful for.
Going into public with a mask requires courage. I am stared and scoffed at. I've been called a terrorist, a pirate, a bandit, an Arab (in a derogatory tone), Zoro, a cowboy, a robber, an anarchist, 'so ugly I have to cover my face', a hypochondriac, oh, and crazy.
People turn away, look away, and run away. They almost never smile or say hi. I'm not trying to whine, but it can be very dehumanizing. It is a conscious, exhausting effort to try to rise above it.
Just yesterday, at our small neighborhood store, a very large man tried to intimidate me by staring me down and standing inches from my back as I waited in line with some ibuprofin, wearing a mask covering my nose and mouth and headscarf to cover my hair and neck. I guess he thought I had a bomb strapped to me under my pink tie-dye tee-shirt and that I was taking him and all these convenient snacks down with me in my reign of terror.

I could smell his Brut deoderant.

This little guy requires a lot of excersise.
This enormous graveyard is just a few houses away from our place. It has been a sanctuary in the neighborhood, for all 4 of us.

Ludwig loves to look for elusive squirrels and other animals' poo (annoying.)

Hank is more of a bird watcher and the cemetary sightings include pileated woodpeckers, flickers and hawks.

I always wear a mask when I go out, but sometimes, it hangs around my neck when we walk here and I can catch a breath of, well, something like fresh air.

Pretty, huh?

2010-05-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

Malathion, under a microscope.

The EPA set in place new restrictions on 3 organophosphate insecticides, to protect streams and rivers from contamination. The guidelines were put into place because experts say that the pesticides: Malathion, Chloripyrifos, and Diazanon, are disrupting the salmons' sense of smell, and threatening their existence.

I was exposed to all 3 for almost a decade through Michigan's mosquito abatement program. We had an open well, extensive food gardens and few restrictions on where or when I could go outside to play. If the mosquito truck drove through, we'd chase after it, a fresh layer of pesticide on the skin meant more play time. Funny, the mosquitoes kept biting me, apparently it doesn't work that way. It was intended that the poison cover areas where the lil critters breed.

They used more than 1 poison so that the bug wouldn't build a tolerance to the 1. I was only 3 years old when we moved to this neighborhood and I believe it is what caused my Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

People with MCS generally come from 4 groups:

-Industrial workers

Acute and chronic exposure to industrial chemicals

-Tight building occupants

Off-gassing from construction materials, office equipment/supplies, tobacco smoke, inadequate ventilation

-Contaminated communities-like Saginaw, Mi!

Toxic waste sites, pesticide spraying, ground water contamination, air contamination from nearby industry

-Individuals

Indoor air (domestic), consumer products, drugs, and pesticides

First used as nerve gas agent by US in WWII, organophosphates dissapate very slowly once introduced to the body. Malathion becomes 60 times more toxic above 77 degrees F. So once it enters the body, toxicity heightens, and Malaoxon forms. Binding irreversibly with cholinesterase, which is an enzyme produced in the liver that exists primarily in the pancreas and plasma,with small amounts in the blood and all body tissues and organs, the chemical interferes with the function of the nervous system. Neurosynaptic junctions (nerve firing) to muscles, glands, and other nerves, impairing all organs.

When the detoxification pathways of the body attempt to break it down, they are damaged, injured. This is chemical injury, resulting in MCS. My body is challenged when asked to break down the many chemicals I am exposed to daily.

They still spray my mom's neighborhood back in Michigan, and the US applies more than 60 million lbs. of organophosphates to over 60 million acres annually for agriculture.

The Home Stretch

2010-05-11T05:52:00.000-07:00

Eight and a half months since we started building. All things considered, that's probably not too bad. Other blogs lead me to believe a year is average. We're hoping to be done just ahead of that, but I've learned how the pressure of a goal date doesn't change the details that need tending to now.

DK has had his hand in each detail, and won't have it any other way. He's meticulous about details. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. Patience. That's the key.

I believe he inherited this trait from his Grandmother, Mary Ouye. He never got to meet her, but her spirit is alive in him nonetheless. He had her portrait tattooed on his side recently by an amazing artist here in Olympia: Brian Childs owner/tattooer at Spidermonkey Tattoo.

One of his Aunties-Charlotte (also in photo) is in town with her husband. DK is hoping to see her today, and I'll be there in spirit. A family BBQ is just not healthful for this hopeful canary-not right now.

So, the sunny forecast has changed to include rain and clouds, as it does often here. We've worked around it and done some indoor tasks, like sealing up minute cracks where boards meet, from the inside with Meangreen.

DK shortened the gable end eaves and we've cut all the window frames for the outside during breaks in the weather. We may bring the frame peices to our current dwelling and stain them under the cover of our carport.

Plans are coming together on working out soffit boxes, and staying water tight. We're also trying to envision our floorplan better. We bought plans for the Tarleton, but we're really switching it up by having a bathtub rather than a shower stall.

Another small yard sale is in the works. We've got to load our cds onto a harddrive and unload them, along with our large dryer and other miscellaneous stuff. I've been measuring everything, to try to imagine what will fit nicely into our space.

If it doesn't bring us joy, or have a very useful purpose, it's outta here.

Some keepsake type things will be photographed, kept digitally. Having less makes what's left feel like more. Hmmm.

We saw a deer at the beautiful place where we will move our house to upon completion. She was peace, what I wish to be, and she looked right at me. Trails indicate where they pass through. How exciting! We will keep this place natural for them.

There are human trails, too. Theirs include firepits, trash, dog poop and ...a deer carcass. We clean up on a regular basis and watched in sadness as the deer's discarded body decayed.

We believe it is good that we will be stewards, guardians of this place.

There is an owl in the area that we've heard on several occasions. Frogs and snails and blackberry vines underfoot neccessitate a slow gait. Stumps surrounded by 10 year old firs and cedars offer perfect seating areas throughout the 40 acres. Tall trees protect the creek, which is salmon habitat, and encircle the land, ensuring that there is always clean, fresh air. We are so lucky. This place will heal me. Maybe it has already begun.

Scented products are so prevalent, potent they are a public health hazard

2010-05-10T06:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day, Now take that perfume to the Hazo house and love yourself, your mother and mother Earth, read this:

THE OLYMPIAN | • Published May 10, 2010

For me, people used to be in two categories — smokers and nonsmokers.

Now people are divided into two other categories — scented and unscented.The first group could light up whenever and wherever — work, church, social gatherings, on public transportation, restaurants, even hospitals. The rest of us suffered in silence with sore throats, burning eyes, headaches, asthma, nausea. It took 40 years of excavating the truth from under corporate propaganda to reveal the health toll of secondhand (even thirdhand) exposure to tobacco smoke — cancers, asthma, dementia and more. Children, with still- developing bodies, were especially vulnerable.

The similarities to smoking are striking: same toxins and health effects, just a different delivery method.

These are addictive chemicals that damage the user’s sense of smell, increasing the need for more product to achieve the same effect. There’s no government regulation and another big lie that the public is not at risk from exposure to their dangerous products. Employers and businesses are too timid to establish scent policies, citing personal rights. Sound familiar?

Many say, “I don’t wear perfume.” But they use so many other scented products — soaps, lotions, powders, sprays, hair and laundry products — they are literally off-gassing toxic chemicals all the time, contaminating the air and making themselves and others ill. They leave a chemical residue on everything they handle, everywhere they sit. Males also overuse scent, cleverly labeled body spray.

Overpowering scents are now the rule, not the exception. As one cancer patient complained, “At least smokers put them out now and then. Scented people never stop smelling.”

Laundry scents are especially noxious. Wearers can be detected at 25 paces. Dryer vents perfume the outdoors, forcing neighbors with fragile health inside.

“But chemicals are everywhere,” some say. That’s a good reason to reduce exposure however we can.

It’s challenging to avoid synthetic chemicals in our air, food, water and buildings. Why saturate our clothes, bodies, homes and cars with them? Do we really need scented trash bags? Deodorizers (perfume) on motion detectors? Fragrance in gum?

To create consumer brand loyalty, manufacturers hide increasing amounts of chemicals under the undefined term “fragrance,” protected as a trade secret. Scent-pushing ads exploit our insecurities to convince us such products make us cleaner, fresher, more attractive. In truth, most say they don’t like other people’s fragrances.

Scented products now are so prevalent and potent, they are a public health hazard. The human body can tolerate only so many assaults before the immune system goes haywire, triggering cancers, autoimmune illnesses and other problems. The chemicals in cosmetics are known carcinogens, estrogen-mimickers, and neuro-toxins (nerve-killing), hence, their link to breast and other cancers, dementia, ADHD, learning disabilities, autism, birth defects and lung diseases (see safecosmetics.org).

About one in seven people, including me, have developed multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS), a condition in which even minor exposures to chemicals in common household and personal products provoke strong physiological reactions.

“Sensitivity” is a misnomer. I’m sensitive to the sound of a child crying, but it doesn’t give me a headache, sore throat, nausea, dizziness, muscle aches, persistent rashes, cloudy thinking, exhaustion or an asthma attack. Nor does it make me avoid public places, social gatherings, health care facilities and travel.

People with MCS are like the canaries lowered into the coal mines — the first to succumb to poisonous fumes, warning others to steer clear.

Moderately sensitive people (one in four) worry they are heading to MCS. Probably so, if they continue to have chronic, low-grade exposures to chemicals.

But there’s a choice. For every scented product, there’s a fragrance free one, often cheaper and just as effective.

In his later years, my dad apologized for smoking near me during my childhood. “We didn’t realize back then how dangerous it was for others,” he lamented. I didn’t tell him he should have passed on his aftershave, too.

My father didn’t know any better. Now you do. Go fragrance free — if not for yourself, or people like me, then for the children.

Evonne Hedgepeth, Ph.D., a health educator and writer, founded NW Canaries, an e-mail networking group for people with multiple chemical sensitivity. She can be reached at evonne@lifespaneducation.com.

MAY is MCS Awareness Month

2010-05-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

Like many canaries, when I go out into the world I wear a mask. Mine consist of a peice of carbon felt inside a bandana or sometimes a longer scarf, worn over my nose and mouth. Sometimes a canary can tell someone is curious about his/her mask. Unable to linger in contaminated places, I ordered this card to help raise awareness.

DK clued me in when I told him my idea. He told me to do a google search for free business cards. I ordered 250 of these for about $5 shipping.

"It's sacred because it's always been here"

2010-04-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

Cedar. That's how a First Nation healer named Mary described cedar to me. She uses cedar swags in a cleansing ceremony that I was fortunate to have once taken part in at Wa He Lut school, founded by Native American elder, Maiselle Bridges. Mary visits yearly from Canada, to perform the ceremony at the school, located at historic Frank's Landing on the Nisqually River. Carved into canoes and story poles, weaved into hats and baskets, and fashioned into clothing, cedar has had countless uses and is greatly cherished in the Northwest.

Our siding is cedar. Some with MCS react to it. My eyes are sensitive to the dust, but it's not something I react to otherwise. We are grateful for this magnificent little forrest that will wrap our tiny home in welcoming warmth.

We are protecting it with Velvit oil. DK combed the worldwideweb and found this stuff with low vocs and great reviews. We've tested it and there doesn't seem to be a detectable scent or reaction about a week after application.

And lots of sunny weather in the forecast!

Make Haste to a Safeplace by Anita Breatha Freshair

2010-04-27T04:34:00.000-07:00

Where oh where
Are you fresh air?
My star-crossed lover
My biological mother

My long lost twin
Where have you been?
I've been searching forever
We should be together

I'm in deep despair
I long for fresh air
The other day I swear
You were right there

Then gone just as quick
And my stomach felt sick
My head doesn't pound
When you stick around

Chased off by the snuggle bear
My neighbors are unaware
It seems every day
They scare you away

I went out to find you
I thought, what will I do?
I can't live without
I breathe in, I breathe out

Wait a minute what's this?
And my cheek felt a kiss
Fresh air, sweet and tender
To you, I surrender

Restless muscles cry
A tear in my eye
Fresh air's warm embrace
A sleepy smile on my face

Here's where I'll stay
I'll walk here each day
Please always be there
My ghostly fresh air

Happy Earth Day

2010-04-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day. We had lunch where we will soon park our tiny home. We are in love with this land.

We saw 3 Eagles seemingly still in the sky, wings spread so wide, circling, with the bluest backdrop.

A red tailed Hawk drew our eyes up when he flew over us, making darkness, in a sunny spot. He was having lunch soon, too. It looked like a shrew.

The water is running in the creek and there are furry caterpillars and wild strawberry blossoms everywhere.

The air is so fresh. So soothingly fresh.

We received our cedar siding today and flaws and all, it's so lovely.

Our source of water, Oly's artesian well, was blessed by Dr Masaru Emoto yesterday.

There are many blessings I haven't named.

I am truly grateful.

Thank you Mother Earth.

Future Looks Bright

2010-04-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

7 awning windows: 20"x30"

2 loft windows:13"x18"

Sizing up frames

Tigris watches over

and clued us in to this li'l guy

I loved playing with these as a kid

We can't wait to get out into nature

None of us can:)

Visitors

2010-04-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

We do not have any visitors. No one is uncontaminated. I have placed 'Do Not Disturb' signs on my doors, with the explanation of an occupant with MCS. When my husband and I return home, we remove contaminated clothing and shower.

I was thinking about what it would take for someone to visit my home or if I was even to meet them outdoors somewhere, what requests I would have to make to make it not an unhealthy experience for me. It seems I am always compromised in some way but it's difficult to imagine a scenario in which I wouldn't be.
A person who wants to be an active presence in a Canary's life really needs to be educated and willing to do things differently. Even if, on the day of the visit, they:
-showered using only an organic soap (like allafia african black soap) or plain old baking soda on the body and hair
-decontaminated their clothing by washing it in baking soda or milk
(probably more than once since the laundry products on the market are designed to have scents that really cling)
-didn't use any products like scented deoderant, hair gel, lotion or make-up
if their home, yard, car, or anyplace they stop on the way over are contaminated, they will be, too.

So if you want a tour of my tiny house, it'll be the blog version. It is designed to be a safeplace.

I am beyond grateful for my husband, who I just can't scare off, thank goodness.
I wonder if anyone else will be willing or able to have an uncontaminating, healthy visit with me. Usually excluding, (or contaminating) me seem suitable solutions to most. But people who come in contact with my husband lack the awareness that his scent (transferred from them) affects me.

I still work. It's really difficult and I don't feel like I ever detoxify. The time I am not at work, I am not willing to be exposed to toxic contaminants that will make me sicker, short, mid, and long term.

I still feel sad by this but don't have much hope anyone can accomodate me, so I am trying to accept that, for now.

Canary song

2010-04-20T05:10:00.000-07:00

Sad Songs (Not by Elton John) by Anita Breatha Freshair

2010-04-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

A Canary's song is sweet

Usually it's true

Her rolling chirps and tweets

So nice to listen to

But Karen sings a sad song

While in her cage she sits

"I can't stay here for long

This place is just the pits"

Crowded out by toxic scents

In a toxic neighboorhood

She must move to the country

Where the air is fresh and good

Karen's song's more sad these days

She'd like to tell you why

It's tough to maintain her chirpy ways

She doesn't want to cry

But one by one

She lost each one

Who once had said

They care

It hurts a lot

Hope's all she's got

They'll stop

Wearing what they wear

Would they ask her to walk

On her broken bird leg?

Or stick sweets

In her diabetic beak?

Would they force her to cheep

With laryngitis?

Give bird blood when she's

Already weak?

She's invisibly ill

So she let's out a shrill

'Cause it seems like

No one can see

Would you care if it was

Your daughter or son?

Would you care

If you were like she?

She awaits her new home
It won't be too long
She'll keep having hope
She'll sing a new song

Cut This Out (new letter to the editor for local paper)

2010-04-13T05:41:00.000-07:00

A

Do you have an "obsession" with perfume? Do you swoon when people say "ooh-you smell good"? Ever wonder what's in that label-less liquid? Well 95% of the chemicals in colognes come from petroleum, so the only one properly packaged is "poison".
Here's a list that can be cut out and taped to the side of the bottle:
-benzyl acetate-causes pancreatic cancer, systemic disturbance, eye and respiratory irritation
-ethanol-causes fatigue, eye and respiratory irritation, and loss of muscle control
-limonene-causes cancer, eye irritation
-linalool-narcotic, causes respiratory disturbances, contributes to reduced motor activity, depression
-toulene-reproductive toxin, causes headaches
There is a segment of the population who have equisite reaction to chemicals. Due to previous chemical injury, the detoxification systems in these people's bodies have been damaged, inhibiting the body's ability to break down chemicals and making them more susceptible to their affects. Exposure causes painful, debilitating reactions that can be life-threatening for those most affected by what is called Multiple Chemical Sensitity (MCS).
May is MCS awareness month in Washington and around the world. It is an opportunity to learn the truth about scented products and chemicals and join the movement toward a healthier way of life.

Back on Track

2010-04-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

TRACKS !

Where Wolf? by Anita Bretha Freshair

2010-03-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

It's too toxic a world
For the birds and the squirrels
For the bees and the weeds
For the boys and the girls

In your day, there's no way
To know what your exposed to
But it's quite safe to say-
Many things you're not s'posed to

So anyone, any place
Can be chemically injured
Causing chemical sensitivites
That cannot be cured

This was the fate of Karen Canary
As a chick, she got sick
The toxic world
Makes her weary

There's more to her story,
Much more but here's some:
She never thought
"Someday my prince will come"

Independendent, yes
But also a cynic
...treatment after doctor
after hospital after clinic...

She was a canary
Not a free flying dove
She was trying to live
Not looking for love

But there's something funny
When you're doing that living
There are days when it's sunny
There is love to be giving

A wolf has keen senses
He's loyal and strong
He's fearless, protective
His bonds are lifelong

So when Canary met Wolf
He was a Goddess-send
She had someone to care for
And on whom to depend

He keeps up his guard
It's no easy task
He sniffs out trouble
While she wears a mask

"Where Wolf?" she'd ponder
"Will we find some fresh air?"

"In a wheeled home you can wander
We'll find some, somewhere"

So they built a small home
with fenders of chrome
All their meals are on wheels
And they found room to roam

A place that's safehaven
For the weeds and the bees
Safe for birds and for wolves
For frogs, flowers and trees

People of the River of the Blowing Grasses

2010-03-16T05:48:00.000-07:00

The rate at which we built the first part of our little house was just not sustainable. We've slowed down because of weather, my health, frequent bonfires on the property where we are building, and other obstacles. It's a challenge to figure it all out, and do it ourselves, but we know we'll be glad we did. We are gaining momentum, much better prepared to move forward. I often feel frustrated and am trying to be more grateful, remembering that things happen when the time is right.

There have also been projects in our otherwise neglected regular life. DK, is an artist and aspiring music producer. He had the unique opportunity to record ancient songs of the Nisqually Canoe Family. It was the first recording they'd ever done and was an indescribable experience for me. DK may work with them on more projects, including a cd that will be a learning tool, so that the songs may live in many, for years to come. This is truly an honor and will be fit into our schedule.

Allen Frazer is responsible for making this happen. He has always been open to answering my many queries. He explained to me that these songs are gifts, worth far more than money. He said they are not just sung for people, but for the rivers, the animals.

In loving memory, a fitting quote from a brave and peaceful warrior who died 7 years ago today:
They are us. We are them. - Rachel Corrie

Side-Stepping

2010-03-09T05:30:00.000-08:00

This whole thing has been quite the learning experience. We're doing something we've never done and we're not going by the book.

After sealing up our tiny home in housewrap, and tightening it up in a tarp, we found soft green moss growing on our medex. I think this was partly because a lot of dust from cutting the medex was left on surfaces, partly because the tarp was too tight in this wet weather, and partly because it it taking longer than we thought.

So, we pulled off the housewrap and found a recipe to use to kill any possible spores and prevent future mold growth of any kind. It's a mixture of vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, water and boric acid. We are in the midst of treating all surfaces, inside and out.

We've also started fresh with a new tarp, tented out with plenty of airflow.

Time to spring forward...

DU weapons cause depleted health: IVAW speaks out ( main article previously published in Works In Progress)

2010-03-04T04:56:00.000-08:00

Today, BBC reported 2-3 babies are born daily in Fallujah with birth defects.

Yesterday they reported the US is having a hard time figuring out what to do with their nuclear waste.

More nuclear power means more nuclear waste means more DU weapons means more babies with horrific birth defects, and people with illness.

I was exposed to DU.

I want justice.

In the 1991 invasion of Iraq, the US went in with weapons made from radioactive material called depleted uranium (DU). Internationally recognized scientists say DU, or so-called “depleted” uranium, has caused, and continues to cause a wide range of health problems in areas where these weapons are manufactured, tested and used in warfare.

Two years ago, five members of Iraq Veterans Against the War–Olympia Chapter took truth on tour. They spoke about their own boots on the ground experiences and circumstances surrounding the current occupation of Iraq. The subject of radioactive weaponry, still in use, was a major talking point.

Thom Cassidy was in Iraq from 2003–05. He told audiences of concerned citizens, “In the first Gulf War the level of radiation was 300 times what is considered normal. In this invasion we used even more DU bullets. The effects are horrible.” Indeed, US strategic command admits to using over 2000 tons of DU in this invasion. The effects in Iraq since the first invasion continue to worsen. There are five times more leukemia sufferers, a tenfold increase in cancer, and a 600 percent increase in children born with devastating defects, if alive at all. Compounded by sanctions, DU weaponry has truly caused millions of deaths.

Joe Hatcher, who was in Iraq from Feb. 2004 until Mar. 2005 with the 4th Cavalry Brigade, talked about the invasion of Basra, a city with a population of 2.5 million. “I got a call from Bravo team, who was on the other side of town” Hatcher explained. “They said ‘Stop firing, the DU bullets are coming through at us!’”

When DU explodes, it disperses into microscopic dust that can be breathed in. It can remain airborne or settle on soil and equipment. It contaminates the entire environment, food and water supply.

Hatcher describes further exposure to DU: “Before I went home on my last tour of duty, I was assigned to clean the trucks that we had used. As they were, they wouldn’t pass environmental standards to come into Germany, because of the radiation they were around. I tell this to folks here in America, and often times they’ll freak out, but back there it was just normal, just another assignment.”

According to the Royal Society (Britain’s pre eminent science organization), DU’s behavior in the body is identical to uranium. It has been known for decades that uranium targets DNA. Through private testing, five soldiers have found they suffered extensive genetic damage.

While US officials maintain inhaling small amounts is not dangerous, Dr. Rosalle Bertell, foremost in the field of radiation, says the opposite is true. Sparse distribution heightens the probability of free radicals reaching and reacting to the cell wall. The resulting health effects include respiratory damage, urinary tract damage, reproductive problems, brain lesions, depleted immune systems and cancers of the organs and skin. Many of these ailments begin with symptoms like extreme fatigue, brain dysfunction, a cough, or pain. Soldiers are often misdiagnosed or scantily compensated for what officials call undiagnosed illness.

The US spent $52 million on DU weapons in one month. Officials say it’s used in weapons for its penetrability and because it’s cheap. IVAW has joined scientists and activists across the globe in raising awareness of the true human cost of DU weapon use.

Little by Little...

2010-02-24T18:57:00.000-08:00

I cut most of the insulation while D K read David Sedaris essays to me-hilarious!! Now it's in a spare room at our current place waiting to be pieced back in like a ridiculous jigsaw puzzle. But it's indoor work so we got it done while it rained.

Ludwig is showing off our cypress bathtub. It's 4 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 3 feet tall. It will go in the back left corner.

Custom wiring...

by Jim. He is a man of many talents and he has a heart of gold.

He and his rig may haul us to our first playground.

Only weeks left of winter..

We welcome spring.

It won't be long now...

Miss Mazy Understood by Anita Bretha Freshair

2010-02-14T08:07:00.000-08:00

I know a girl named Mazy
Miss Mazy Understood
One girl called her crazy
But she misunderstood

I can't really say why
But that girl couldn't see
Mazy lived her life
With Chemical Sensitivity

The girl said Mazy thought
She's more important than others
But Mazy was always taught
We are all sisters and brothers

To live is to care
About all others living
To help and to share
Have hearts that are giving

It seems a bit twisted
To think perfume's a right
The "rights" that girl misted
Turned Mazy in fright

If she thinks it's okay
To wear perfumes and scents
Why not mist Raid
It's an equal offense

Calling Mazy an ingrate
And also a fake
This girl's words seem harsh
And too much to take

Miss Understood, she just
Wants fresh air
And maybe for a few
More people to care...
Less people who judge
More people aware

Miss Mazy Understood, she'd studied,
She knew her stuff
Avoiding chemicals is key
But that was going to be tough

It affects every part
Of Mazy's day
But her sweetheart
Helps her find her way

He loves the forrest
He's perfect for Mazy
She found an angel
And he found a daisy

Living with illness
Can be really scary
He's a wolf, he's protecting
His little canary

He gave his heart
Unconditionally
Now they're building a house
A safe place to be

The road might be rough
But their house has wheels
Mr. Understood
He cares how she feels

So when others have
Silly things to say
Letting ignorance and emotions
Get in the way

They take a deep breath
In air that seems clean
And go on with their life
Fulfilling their dreams

DU: International Crime in Progress

2010-02-08T07:11:00.000-08:00

Exposures to Depleted Uranium (DU) and DU dust continue to pose health problems for US troops, their spouses and offspring. The people of Afghanistan and Iraq are undeniably suffering it's effects with illnesses comparable to Hibakusha, or "those affected by radiation" after the US dropped nuclear bombs on Japan.
How can we stand by while US soldiers are ordered to use weaponry that will contaminate their own environment? DU explodes into dust that can be breathed/ingested. These particles are radioactive, chemically toxic, cannot be cleaned up, and cause chronic and life-threatening illness. Even before exploded, boxes of DU, used as seats, have caused rectal cancer. With over half of Gulf War Vets on permanant disability and a 10-fold increase of cancer in Iraq, why do we remain blind to a problem that has existed for over 20 years?
Nuclear scientist, Dr. Rosalie Bertel, has done extensive studies that shed light on DU's toxic effects on the brain, causing aggressiveness and other behavioral problems.
Major Doug Rokke, US Army veteran, with a PhD in health physics and forensic science, was exposed to DU and continues to study, speak and work toward an end to it's use.
As does Dr. Loren Moret, geoscientist and whistleblower at Livermore Nuclear Lab, currently studying the effects of DU in Afghanistan and Iraq through private funding.
Dr. Asaf Durakovic, chief of Nuclear medicine at a veteran's hospital in 1991, was terminated for researching the effects of radiation exposure. With hope that adherence to the international bans on DU use were imminent, upon his death in 2004 a US soldier donated his body to Dr. Durakovic as evidence of DU effects.

Not Karen by Anita Bretha Freshair

2009-12-30T21:05:00.000-08:00

Most folk jot about the day
No thought what scents
Might waft their way
And not a care
What scents they spray
Or what scents are made of, anyway.

Not Karen, though
She always knows
What's in your hair
And on your clothes
A scarf to cover
Her mouth and nose
She's chemical free
From head to toes

Karen has MCS, you see
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
She told her dad, who still lit a smoke
Not carin' it literally made her choke
Then migraine, sinus, throat and chest pain,
And detoxing it out brings pain back again
Her dad makes her sick
It's really quite sad
But if he wants to be toxic
She can't have a dad

Her sisters love to wear per-fume,
Burn insence, and candles-not smart
Not carin' or wantin' to be told what to do
Karen's sisters are breaking her heart

She's Karen Canary, sick and afraid
Of what other people are wearin'
Most folk will just jot about their day
But those folk are not Karen.