Making Noises

Click on the below link to access 60 minutes video on the traumatic conditions in Haiti.

Haiti Benefit Concert, January 20th, 7 pm

A couple of ways you can help:

Center Street Church in Calgary will be hosting a benefit concert to raise funds for the earthquake in Haiti. This coming Wednesday (January 20th) at 7:00 pm to Center Street’s main campus in Calgary, to hear artists Carolyn Arends, Steve Bell, Jon Bauer, Corey Doak, Kelsey Plowman and more! A freewill offering will be taken. All proceeds will go to Samaritan’s Purse to aid the relief for Haiti.

Furthermore, my friend Julie has just launched Blog Aid, http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2010/01/14/blog-aid/ and is reaching out to her friends in the food blogging community, to put together a cookbook,  with all proceeds going to Haiti.  Items of art are also being donated.

She has a website  http://blogaidforhaiti.blogspot.com where you will soon be able to order cookbooks and purchase food-related art items.  I’m thrilled to have been chosen to be part of a team of editors to help with this cookbook.

I found out yesterday I have to have cataract surgery–it’s good and bad news. I see the ophthalmologist next week. This is both good and bad news.  The good news: my crappy, crappy vision that I’ve had since birth will get waaayyyy better post-surgery.  The bad news: the surgery itself and my total squeamishness about anything to do with eyes.With the wait times in this Province, and cutbacks on the number of cataract surgeries, I’m told it could be 2 years before I get surgery. My mother in law had cataract surgery last year and they did the eyes about 6-8 mos. apart or so. I’m informed, however, that if one is still of working age, there is a possibility of “fast-tracking” the surgery — but my worry is that may not reduce the wait time significantly. The cataract in the R. eye  is quite advanced, and in both eyes my distance vision is quite affected, so of course I am concerned about how much my vision will be compromised by the continued growth of the cataracts.

I have known about these cataracts but my last appt. in Nov. 2007 they were not advanced enough to warrant an operation.  I’m alarmed at the rapid progression in just over two years.

Also according to the optometrist, there is the possibility that I will be referred to another specialist [a retinal specialist?] because of my myopia (nearsightedness), something in the eye is already stretched and fragile and the cataract surgery may be a little trickier b/c of that. The ophthalmologist will make that call when I see him.

GOOD TIMES I tell ya GOOD TIMES.

PS – Update January 21, 2009 – the opthalmologist saw me January 19.  There is a weak spot on my retina, so I will be seeing a retinal specialist before the cataract surgery.  If the retinal specialist deems it necessary, there may be a surgery to correct the weak spot.  I’m told this is similar surgery to a laser surgery. The opthalmologist has informed me that it will be 10-12 months for the cataract surgery.  It may be less.  The government hands down quotas to the cataract surgeons in April of each year and there may have been some changes.

My cookbook “Chronic in the Kitchen — When You’re in Too Much Pain to Cook Too Much” which contains over 100 recipes that are easy, tasty, and healthy has been pitched to a publisher, Whitecap Books.  An acquaintance of mine, Julie Van Rosendaal, helped me tremendously with the “pitch letter.”  Julie’s  a  cookbook author, chef, caterer,  blogger  www.dinnerwithjulie.com, writer, TV star and intrepid traffic reporter.  Whitecap’s published her cookbooks and Julie helped me with the pitch letter and gave me a contact at Whitecap to direct my inquiry to.

Here’s the “pitch”:

About Me

Allow me to introduce myself – I like to eat, cook and bake.  I’m also a person who happens to have a chronic pain condition.   I’m a former administrative assistant who now has a home based writing and web design business with my husband.

 

Previous publishing credits include acting as a reporter for a non-profit organization’s bi-weekly publication, and the publication of a short story in a local writer’s magazine.  I’ve been writing since I was in my teens and blogging since 2008.

About My Cookbook

I found that a lot of recipes – while tasty – had a lot of preparation and were quite time- and energy-consuming – to make. To help people in the kitchen who, like myself, cope with chronic pain, I’ve written, adapted, compiled and developed “Chronic In the Kitchen – When You’re in Too Much Pain to Cook Too Much,” which contains over 100 recipes.  Recipes that are easy, healthy, and time-saving, designed for those who suffer from extreme fatigue, pain and low energy.   Those who experience pain in their hands from repetitive strain injuries, arthritis or fibromyalgia will appreciate the small amount of preparation required. Most recipes take 30 minutes or less counter-to-table.

Granted, there are many cookbooks that have fast, easy to prepare recipes.  However, with my cookbook, I’ve tried to minimize the amount of processed foods used as it’s possible that, for some people, certain preservatives or additives can exacerbate chronic pain.     It’s also chock full of tips to help those with chronic pain be awap (as well as possible.)

Regarding photographs, while I have a high end point and shoot digital camera, I am not sure that it is up to the task of photographing the quality images required for a book.

Note, too, that I stand ready, willing and able to handle the promotion of this book via media appearances and other marketing as necessary to help this cookbook succeed!

About Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts longer than 6 months.

According to www.iasp-pain.org:

1 in 5 adults and 1 in 3 seniors suffers from chronic pain.  The prevalence of chronic pain increases with age.

Statistics from the Canadian Pain Coalition show that 13 – 30% of Canadians cope with chronic pain.

(Statistics included to show that there is a market for this cookbook.)

Let’s hope this pitch is a home run!

Note – if anyone would like purchase copies of this cookbook, please contact me at kathyatbignoise-enterprises.com.

Blu’s is one of the stores  I’ve always been intimidated by. Holt Renfrew is another.   I get what I call  “Reverse Pretty Woman Syndrome.”  You know the scene in the movie where the character Julia Roberts plays is going into these high end stores on Rodeo Drive and the sales people are shining her on because, based on the way her character looks, the sales people feel she’s not good enough, or rich enough, to shop there.  Until she enters one boutique where they treat her well, and she spends all of the money Richard Gere’s character gives her.  Afterwards, she returns to the boutique that snubbed her with her bags of purchases and asks the salesperson if she remembers not helping her yesterday.  After the salesperson responds in the affirmative, Julie Roberts’ character asks if she works on commission and the sales woman answers that she does.  Julia Roberts’ character waves the bags of clothes in her face and says “big mistake, huge.”

I have that in reverse–I feel I’m not good enough, or rich enough, to shop there.

The sales people likely don’t care.

Blu’s is having a up to 80% off sale  – starts tomorrow and runs until Sunday,  January 10, 2010.  I love a deal so maybe I’ll be able to over come my Reverse Pretty Woman Syndrome enough to go there!