Re Purple Day

Dear Friends and purple day supports,

I am writing on behalf of Maegan Cassidy, the founder of Purple Day International. A name change has been requested by the International Body responsible for epilepsy awareness as the name is cultural offensive in some countries. However it creates a huge up heavel for the purple day organisation in terms of re banding and marketing. As an organisation with no funding supported by individuals such as myself this is a cost and time commitment we can not resource without considerable lost time awareness needed to rebuild our profile. I am joining Casidy in asking you to contact your local member of the international Bureau of Epilepsy http://www.ibe-epilepsy.org/members-in-the-western-pacific-region/ and request the block a name change. Below is a copy of a letter I sent to me representative. You may adaptive to your circumstances.

Many thanks on behalf of Cassidy and myself

Debbie Chilton

My name is Debbie Chilton I have 45 years old and have participated in Purple Day for the last two years. I have notified a number of local disability support Agencies to the International Purple Day celebrations on March 26^th and thus raised awareness of the issues people with epilepsy face in the daily lives.

I know firsthand the discrimination and fear people with epilepsy face as I have suffered from epilepsy for 23 years. In 2012 I almost lost my life to the condition and was intimately for a period 3 months. Purple day has struggled to be established here in Australian and a name change world result in a significant time commitment of campaigners like myself to re establish the name. This time commitment is I believed better directed to public education and raising Purple Day’s Profile. We understand that ‘the colour purple’ is culturally offensive in some countries, however a name change would result in a serious upheaval in more countries, than countries which would benefit from a name change.

I am asking you to fight for us keeping the name Purple Day for March 26^th

Regards

Debbie Chilton

Ipswich Queensland Australia 

Purple Day - March 26th 

Creates Awareness of epilepsy

and the needs of those living with epilepsy in the community.

Around 50 million people around the world have 

some type of seizure disorder or experience seizure activity.

One of the messages of Purple Day is . . . 

"People with epilepsy are ordinary people 

who do everyday things..."

the condition should not create any barriers for

us living in the community and yet,

ensnarement, fear and isolation 

still accompany the condition.

My name is Debbie Chilton

"I have epilepsy but it does not have me!"

 

Join my online Art Auction on

March 26 th to raise awareness 

for those living with epilepsy. 

Dribbles of the week!

Surf’s Up!

This time

Two weeks ago

We were

Hit

By a wave

Wave of heat

WACKED

43.7

Towering over

Previously

Records

I have,

Just,

Resurfaced,

NOW

A wave

Stares

Me

In

Face.

37, 39, 40 plus

Its height continues

To build

Its direction

Unchanged

It’s coming our wave.

Surf

Is

Very

Dangerous

This

Year.

Look out! 

Dumped

Dumped!

Flatten by

A wall of heat.

Saw

It

C

O

M

I

N

G

But the impact,

Knocked flat on my back,

The heat

S

L

A

M

M

E

D

!

Into me,

Wipe out!

Word search

Searching for words

Somewhere in the recesses

Within my fatigue mind,

Words to colour tones

ordinary reflected

by the tone of my voice,

Instead a blank page 

sits demanding my attention

to represent my emotions,

Words to tell of pain,

disappointment and disillusion,

mixing with words to express love.

To tell the story of events,

celebrations, gatherings and

making of new friends.

Words to colour

the joy and wonder of discovery,

and words to convey tears . . .

To share the flow and

the rhythms of life

as the my story unfolds.

Words to express

laughter, jokes and kidding round,

told with awareness words can hurt.  

I have struggled to

complete my word search,

I’ll try again tomorrow.

‘The Hunt’

Positioned!

Too hard,

too soft,

not right.

This is the one!

New mattress arrives Wednesday!

   

Doodles of the week!

Purple Play

(not for sale)

Purple play is a composition in prep for a much larger work I am working on for "My Purple Day Art Auction, being held on line on 26th of March, 2014. For my overseas fans, bidding will occur for a 24 hour time period, Queensland, Australian so you'll need to see your world clocks accordingly. Terms & Conditions will apply. 

Purple Day - Is International Epilepsy Awareness Day.  Purple Day is essentially to raise awareness of epilepsy and seizures disorders in the community. Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders and world wide it is estimated 50 million people suffer from the condition of which I am only one. Epilepsy can be a isolating disability or you may not even realize a friend or workmate has the condition.

We we think about the condition, we often picture someone having Tonic-Chronic Seizure (previously known as grand-mal.) However, over 60 different types of seizures disorders have now been identified.  The are some people who will experience a seizure, and unless you are well trained you may not even recognize it. An absence seizure, (previously known a petti-mal) may only last a few seconds with the person staring into blank space.

Other types of seizures include: tonic (stiffing), chronic (curling of ones limbs) myltonic and atonic. Seizure may be accompanied by sterking, vocalization or snorting. In the main epilepsy should not impair someone from living a full and active life.  While their are many treatments for the disorders available only about 50% of patients have the epilepsy fully control.

Sadly much misunderstanding about the disorder and what to do if someone is having a seizure in the community still exists.  Many times well meaning people has come to my assistance and applied traditional first-aid methods.  Medicine has advance enough to know you can't swallow or choke on your on tongue. Putting objects into the mouth of someone having a tonic-chronic seizure will only obstruct their airways. 

For up to date first-aid information visit Epilepsy Australia or Epilepsy Action Australia . Today most people with epilepsy wear medical jewelry or carry medical information in their wallets.  If you would like to know more about medical identity information I recommend Emergency ID Australia. If you are ever in any doubt as to how to assist some please call 000 (Only for Australia). The operator will provide instructions over the phone while an ambulance is dispatched.

My online Art Auction will raise funds for Epilepsy Action Australia. Epilepsy Action Australia provides a number of services to the community.  Including epilepsy nurses, education and training, and online support to patients.  Purple Day is not about raising money for anyone cause, if you feel you'd like to donnate money to assist people with epilepsy in the community then you could try a google search. 

My Purple Day Online Art Auction  will occur here and all interested bidders will need to register by March 25th 5 pm (Queensland Australian Time). Terms and conditions will apply and postage of artworks will be in addition to the price paid at Auction.  Payments for Art Work will be able to be made online through paypal and a secure online fundraising account will be established with Epilepsy Action Australia, for payments and donations.

A catalogue of artworks will be available on 1st March 2014 and can be ordered by   

email.  More information will be available closer to auction day. 

Some Dribbles From Month of Poetry

Watercolour Drawing/Painting

Blank Paper stares at me,

Demanding colour to be transformed,

Into a painting of beauty.

Roughly the sketch

Flows on to the blank page,

Adding watercolour on the edge.

Into the water I plunge my brush,

And with anticipation I add stokes

Dabbing water colours with my brush

Trying to contain excitement,

Careful, patience, watch colours stain,

‘Nice’ over my shoulder, I hear a comment. 

Splat the brush hits the page,

The water runs from my bush,

Seeing yellow dipping down my page . . .

Quick! Quick!

Hand me a tissue.

Dabbing at the run before it sticks.

`Quick wet the tissue more’, I shout,

Dabbing at the faint yellow line,

Until the yellow fades, I silence my shout,

Again my face begins to smile,

Carefully, slowly I work my brush,

Watching the watercolour work like dye,

Two hours of washing and little dabs

My sunset has transformed the page,

My watercolour painting is now up for grabs.

Debbie Chilton © Copyright 2014

Four little wheels

That  look,

Determination,

‘I will conquer you!’  

Skateboard!

Why? You’re just four little wheels

Four little wheels

For me to conquer

Poise , balance . . .

Now roll . . .

Errrh! Trying to balance.

Trying to balance. . .

How did you say this thing stops?

Yikkes!

You’re just four little wheels

four little wheels, I will conquer.

I will conquer.

So . . . I just jumped off!

But the Skateboard!

Just rolled on . . .

Dam!  Four little wheels conquered me.

Debbie Chilton © Copyright 2014

Waiting . . .

Waiting, trying

Trying so hard to be patient,

Waiting trying to patient.

Thinking if I could

If I could change my own tire,

I would not be waiting.

Waiting and

Waiting trying to be patient,

Should I ring again?

Keep waiting . . .

Be patient . . .

Keep clam and wait!

Debbie Chilton © Copyright 2014

Making chicken curry

‘What’s for din-din Deb?’

‘Chicken curry!’

“Chicken curry! Again,

‘You always want chicken curry.

New support worker came today,

I wanted chicken curry all the same,

Jen said, ‘how you make curry?

Com’on Deb name your game.’

No worries Miss Jen,

My famous chicken curry is. . .

One you make when in a hurry.

Let me tell you and you’ll be a wiz!

Take on barbecue chook and pull to bits,

One hot fry pan chop onion ‘n’ garlic add a lot,

Sweat down, a little bit and ½ tub yoghurt,

Now stir the curry power in until I say stop.

Bye wiz the looking and smelling swell,

Add that old dead chook now,

The a few handfuls of baby spinach as well,

Wack it on a bed of rice and we’ll hit the town.

Debbie Chilton © Copyright 2014

Summer’s blessing

Blush pink!

Frangipani

Summer’s flowers bliss,

Fragrance floats through,

My open kitchen window, 

To sweeten a hot summer’s day

As the afternoon breeze,

Whisper through my kitchen,

At the end of a long, long summer’s day.

 Debbie Chilton © Copyright 2014

Latest Dribble

Rest

Rest . . .

But

Rest . . .

But

Rest you must!

Look doc it’s like this.

It’s so dam hot,

I am trying to sleep,

But there all this sweat,

I’m up and down,

Changing my cloths,

My water bottle,

Doesn’t come with hose,

My two wheelchairs are broke,
My energy is spent just meeting my needs.

Look Deb! You need to rest!

No more buts, whens or maybes,

Rest I say!

Rest!

And more rest . . ,

So go home take pandol,

And Rest!

So Mop crew I off to rest for a few days.

‘Books’

Pages that hold,

Secrets

Egyptians

Temptation

Marriage

Advice

Prediction

Sin

Mysteries

Truth

Judges

Honesty

Rewards

Stories

Greeks

Lies

Suspense

Love

Death

Warnings

Wisdom

Revelations

Hate

lost

Kings

Good will

Lust

Passion

Forgiveness

Proverbs

Jews

Murder

hope

Servants

Power

Deception

Rules

Judgements

Commands

Romans

Redemption

Books we love to read,

One book  ─  contains all of this,

A love story,

 from cover to cover,

The story of one man

─ who laid down his life,

The bring redemption to the world,

With the promise of everlasting life.

This book is called the Bible

You should try reading some time.

The world of books

Books

Books we love,

Books we hate,

Books we love to hate,

And books we learn to love.

Books which shape our lives,

Books that help us grow,

Books that teach,

Books that build us up,

And books that inspire us.

Books filled with story tales,

Books of  kings, princes and toads,

Books of fair maddens, Queens and lost slippers,

Books filled with music of mice and men,

And books with their hidden treasures.

Books that will make you laugh,

Books the will hold a smile to last,

Books  that will bring you to tears

Books that will make you brooded with anger,

And books that make you feel everything in between.

Books that rob the soul at night,

Books that set their traps,

Books that lure you in with deception,

Books that are based on nothing but lies,

And the books that promise false hope.

All is held in the books we read,

The books we allow to shape our lives,

The books that are bad and the good,

Even those which weren’t worth reading,

Are the books that make us who we are!

Debbie Chilton © Copyright 2014

Month of Poetry Day 5

Stuck at home

Feeling glum ‘stuck at home!’

Itchy eyes

Swollen face

My head aches!

Feeling frustrated ‘stuck at home!’

Glands now swollen

Nasal passages to match
My face throbs!

Feeling blue ‘stuck at home!’

My chin has puffed,

My lower neck too,

Neck up, Oh the pain!

Time to leave ‘stuck at home!’

Sore throat,

Pressure ear drums,

Let face it I’m just sore!

Lunch soon, ‘stuck at home!’

Scratchy throat,

My marshy food,

Causes less pain anyway!  

Not happy being ‘stuck at home!’ 

Day 4

'Images by the water hole'

Untitled

Thirsty roots seek

the cool waters

of the water hole

to sustain life. . .

Tree Dance

Branches reach

Leaves dance

Roots tiptoe

To water’s edge

Branches sway

Leaves rustle

Roots creep

Dancing on water edge     

Swaying branches

Rustling leaves

Creeping roots

Provide breeze

Stretched branches

Covering of leaves

Shading roots

Shriving below

Movement 

Trunk’s hidden face

Branches dangling arms

Leaves fingers dance

Roots feet march

Toes creeping to waters edge. 

Day # 3 The great divide

The great divide

You write me images

 Of fragile snowflakes,

Surfing the changing winds,

As they layer the ground.

You paint me pictures,

Of ice roads,

And driveways piles of snow,

You whisk me up on alpine snow.  

Posting your ice images,

On your computer screen,

That becomes the great divide between,

You and me  ─ south of the equator.

I sit here under the Southern sun,

Dripping with sweat as I tap the keys,

I see snowflakes as instant water,

As they float into our great divide. . .

The heat is descending,

Mixing with moisture,

Becoming humid turning to steam,

As the mercury continues to rise. . .

Here across in southern quarters,

The air begins to dry,

As the gusts blow,

A little too close to the ground,

The sweat continues to drip,

Down my face, around my neck,

Sliding down the spine on my back,

As the mercury continues to rise. . .

Sending your snowflakes,

Across the computer divide,

To wet the dry air,

That brings distress to so many.

Sizzling in the summer sun,

The earth dries, hardens and cracks,

Force of hot, dry winds build,

As the mercury continues to rise. . .

The winds lower closer to ground,

As the dry earth begins to cracks,

The dust meets the wind in air,

Here across the divide pray for rain.

Wishing you send me snow

Across the divide between you and me,

To wet the air and settle the dust,

As the mercury continues to rise. . .

Though the moist all but gone,

My sweat continues to pour,

As airs dries and the ground cracks more,

Send us rain without lightening please!

Dust flies and winds roar,

Light no fires today,

We need no smoke to mix with dust,

As the mercury continues to rise. . .

No ambers! No sparks!

Not even lighting we need today!

If only snowflakes could drift the divide,

We have no fear bush fires would arrive!

Debbie Chilton © Copyright 2014

Day two of MoP

Marvels of Shakespeare and Dickens

I often think of Shakespeare,  

And Charles Dickens too,

Writing by the candlelight,

Through the silence of the night,

The scribbles of their handwriting,

Words soon turned to lines,

The lines that lined those page,

Are the pages I loved even as I age.

I marble at their patience,

As they turned the page,

The hours and hours of rewrites,

No computer to make mistakes come right.

No automatic counters to indicate the page,

No go to button to take you back and forwards again.

No delete button to hit when Dickens made mistakes,

My mind boggles at the days their rewrites had to take.  

No spell or grammar checkers,

As they wrote their pages,

The small errors waited for proof reads,

Not the constant edits that suit me to a tee.

There was no backspace, insert or delete,

Only rewrite after rewrite,

Until the manuscripts became complete,

Yes I marvel at the Shakespeare and his many feats,

Writing without a keyboard,

Seems unimaginable to me,

Not mention all the library trips,

I once took to research bit by bit.  

As I sit here I can only marble,

At the patience a manuscript once took.

As the hit each key producing during January,

Writing daily poems, through this month of poetry.

Debbie Chilton © Copyright 2014