Brummet's Conscious Blog

World of Podcasting - Interview Author , entrepreneur and human rights advocate Elizabeth Gagnon is our featured guest today. Let me tell you a little about this woman: Elizabeth is a passionate advocate for mental health, abuse, grief, and peace for humanity. Through her events and initiatives, Elizabeth has raised thousands of dollars for organizations supporting women, victims of sexual abuse, bereaved families, and more. She has been recognized with numerous awards for her humanitarian work and commitment to making a difference in the world. Today, Elizabeth drops in  to share some of her experiences as a talk radio show host.  She invites our readers to visit her via: www.misslizsteaparties.com https://www.amazon.ca/stores/ author/B09VCPNRPP Q: I'm super excited to have you as a featured guest on our blog today, Liz. You and I have been networking for quite some time now... and I recall my guest spot on the Teatime With Miss Liz talk radio show last year with fondness. This

Today I'm continuing the discussion we've been having for the last couple months re: overcoming difficult stresses like moving, grief and depression.  This is the fifth installment in the Getting Out Of The Rut series.  Now that we have settled in to our home somewhat, I am able to set aside a short amount of time every morning just for myself.  Taking a cup of coffee, I take a seat on our front steps where the shade is deep due to the cascading branches above. Sipping from that cup I giggle at the girls antics (our dogs) and gaze in amusement at the chittering squirrel family rushing to and fro. The sprinkler going, of course, this early in the morning adds a certain charm to the scene.  Coffee done, I roll out the mat on the decks entry carpet and begin a series of stretches. Taking deep breaths I let go of the strain, I clean my lungs and listen to the soft peals of music. Then I start my day.  I have always found solace, comfort, a sense of solidarity when spending time in

"Nothing is given to man on earth  - struggle is built into the nature of life,  and conflict is possible  - the hero is the man who lets  no obstacle  prevent him  from pursuing the values  he has chosen."  ~ Andrew Bernstein  ~~~     Follow & Find Books:   on Amazon Visit:   Drum It With Brummet Blog Subscribe:   Brummet Media​ YouTube Channel​  ​ ~~~

https://cmiae.org/event/annual-researchers-forum-3/ " The Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology (CMI) hosts an annual event where we gather members of the scientific community, Indigenous community members and representatives, stewardship groups, and interested individuals to provide updates on ecological projects taking place in southeastern British Columbia – everything from field trials, new restoration projects and their associated community initiatives, to ecosystem monitoring, research, etc.  These updates cover a wide range of topics and species. This traveling event has an informal atmosphere where everyone is invited to attend, mix, and mingle! This year the event will take place in Creston, BC, and anything goes from the valley bottom to the mountain tops! We’ll host an afternoon of short presentations and posters followed by an evening social on Oct 8th, and a series of field trips on Oct 9th. " More Info: https://cmiae.org/event/annual-researchers-foru

The Recommended Resources series has been published on this blog since we transferred it from the Brummet's Muse biweekly newsletter that ran for 6 years or so, many years ago. When we closed it down, we decided that we just had to continue this series here on this blog and have been doing so now for nearly 2 decades. With this series, Dave and I have the pleasure of sharing some great resources which can include  - positive impact organizations and events - citizen science projects  - links to helpful articles, amazing resources & exciting interviews It would, of course, be fantastic if you see a way to connect with them, thank them for their work, network with them, share the sites or get involved in some way. ** Want to see a non-profit listed here? - Send us a  FaceBook   or  LinkedIn  message. Polar Bears International  study the habits, ecology and threats to the polar bears. This is the only conservation dedicated solely to wild polar bears. Info:  https://polarbearsinte

Compassionate Marketing  I was asked to take the time on our blog to explain the term Compassionate Marketing . This take on marketing focuses on growing the consumer's trust and loyalty to a particular brand or product based on the kindness, honesty, and how hard it works to help consumers by prioritizing education.  Companies that embrace Compassionate Marketing will also prioritize the health, addiction, domestic, financial issues re: people within their circles, and within their community - from employees to people they network with.  These companies work hard to reduce the cold, calculating paintbrush  stigma  that businesses are often painted by.  They show empathy for what people are going through, they focus on everyday experience rather than numbers and sales data.  Their purchasing habits will reflect this by ensuring the items are free-trade, ethically produced, sustainable and produced by a company that focuses on health and equality for their employees. This means tha

"Grief never ends... But it changes.  It's a passage,  not a place to stay.  Grief is not a sign of weakness.  Nor a lack of faith...  It is the price of love."  ~Author Unknown So what CAN one do for those in the throes of grief? Harvard Health , among several other grief resources that I researched, recommends encouraging the person feeling the immense weight of grief to  talk about their loved one, how they met, what the loved about them and the funny things that person did.  It is our job to support them by being ready to listen for perhaps years, as they are going to want to relive and retell their stories keeping the memories fresh and loving the person even through they have passed on. Refrain from asking frustrating questions like " How are you? " when you know the answer is they are in terrible pain.  Don't : Try to fix them because this makes them feel like they are "less-than", diminished, or judged.  Share your own grief experience beca

How helpless we feel when someone passes, and leaves loved ones behind. How useless words seem. We don't want to bother them in their time of grief, yet we feel compelled to do something - anything - to ease the grief we feel on their behalf. To feel like we have done something, at least, but what - what matters most at this time? A time when people may just want to be left alone... The day I am writing this blog post I am looking at the future loss of 2 very good friends who will not be with us much longer... a year, 6 months, or less - who knows. So I am thinking of them, my own impending grief at their loss, the grief their family members are already feeling before anyone actually passes on.  My own grief from before jogs to the surface, and fears of losing those I treasure is too much... I'm hurting and the person who passed recently - the one that triggered this post and the feelings I'm having today - is not even all that close to me.  Margaret called saying: "I&

Today's post is a sad one...but also a celebration of Tony Brummet (Anthony Julius Brummet: March 31, 1931 - June 8, 2024) - Dave's paternal uncle (his father's brother) - who passed recently.  Uncle Tony was a Canadian educator and politician serving in the provincial cabinet as Minister of Lands, Parks & Housing, also holding positions as Minister of Environment, and Minisiter of Education . He passed gracefully in his home at the age of 93. Today, I'm taking the liberty to share a portion of this memorial biography, (author unknown), of a man who led a very long and interesting life: Tony was born on March 31, 1931 in Mendham, Saskatchewan. The family moved to northern Alberta when Tony was a year old and then onto British Columbia when Tony was ten years old, settling in Rutland. In addition to his elementary school studies, Tony held jobs including working in his father’s blacksmith shop, tending raspberry acres, maintaining a ditch irrigation system, and rais

The  Recommended Resources  series has been published on this blog since we transferred it from the  Brummet's Muse  biweekly newsletter that ran for 6 years or so, many years ago. When we closed it down, we decided that we just had to continue this series here on this blog and have been doing so now for nearly 2 decades. With this series, Dave and I have the pleasure of sharing some great resources which can include  - positive impact organizations and events - citizen science projects  - links to helpful articles, amazing resources & exciting interviews It would, of course, be fantastic if you see a way to connect with them, thank them for their work, network with them, share the sites or get involved in some way. ** Want to see a non-profit listed here? - Send us a  FaceBook   or  LinkedIn  message. Plastics For Change offers the world a sustainable way to view plastic waste. By utilizing fair trade supply chains they create jobs, while reducing both pollution and poverty. W

Depression, grief, anger, frustration, insomnia, physical pain... it adds up and we can easily fall into negative habits that keep us in a rut that is super hard to get out of. Today we continue the conversation of taking small, very small steps toward positive change. So we started the first week by getting up just 10 minutes early, and spending that time with ourselves. Then we decided to dress a little nicer, or wear something goofy until we needed to change for work or messy chores. Next we started the positive habit of drinking water at specific times of the day. Today we'll start taking our daily multi-vitamin.  Most of us are deficient in one vitamin or mineral or other and don't even know it. Long term deficiency can lead to minor, annoying issues like itching skin, restless legs, or unsettled tummies. But over time these can grow into big, and even major health and behavioural issues.  Taking a daily vitamin can help balance the body throughout the day, ensuring that y

Today we carry on the conversation of using very small, simple changes that lead to creating positive habits, which will lift you out of the rut, the depression, the grief that you are currently experiencing.  So you are getting up just a little bit earlier than usual, spending time with yourself for those few minutes and giving yourself a lift by wearing something nicer, more cheerful, or goofy. You might guess the next tip... Drink a glass of water when you wake up, another about 1/2 hour before consuming a meal, and again drink another glass of water about an hour before bed time. Water is fantastic flushing mechanism, taking poisons and toxins out of the body, improving the condition of our skin. But it is also a carrier - it helps carry nutrients to other areas of the body.  Drinking water at those specific times will improve our health, help us reduce weight gain and have a more focused mind.  ~~~     Follow & Find Books:   on Amazon Visit:   Drum It With Brummet Blog Subscri