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EnLightened News
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January 2013
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Greetings!
You are receiving this periodic newsletter because you signed up for Kim Sheridan's email list. Whether you are a new subscriber or long-time reader, we thank you for your interest.
I sincerely hope you will find the following information both enlightening and entertaining. This issue includes our standard features: a touching story of a cat's return to ease her companion's grief, in our After-death Communication Story; a discussion of the practice of declawing felines, in our Animal Action Alert; a recipe for raw, vegan candy bars, in the Recipe of the Month; and Part II of our Cancer article, in the Animal Health Feature. Please also see Kim's Note to find out what our busy lady is up to these days!
As always, I wish you all optimal health, the unconditional love of an animal, and good fortune.
Blessings,
Ashley
Assistant to Kim Sheridan
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Animal Action Alert:
KEEP THE CLAWS! by Ashley
There are many misconceptions surrounding the cruel practice of declawing. This procedure, in reality, is a serious surgery that is done for the convenience of American cat owners. In fact, declawing is outlawed in many European countries, being considered an inhumane mutilation. Declawing is certainly not a permanent trim -- it, literally, cuts much deeper than that. A cat's claws are so closely adhered to the bone that the the last joint of the digit must be removed for the declawing procedure -- the last bone of the claw is amputated. Once the wounds are stitched, or otherwise closed, the cat is left to do all the things a cat's existence requires on injured feet. Once the wounds do heal, walking is forever changed and has been likened to wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes. There are, of course, any number of health complications that can arise from this surgery. Among them are pain, infection, tissue death, lameness, nerve damage, bone spurs, and back pain. The cat is then left at the mercy of predators if he or she wanders too far from home, as cats have a tendency to do. Furthermore, some cats' personalities change following this procedure; they are more likely to bite with their ability to defend themselves gone, and are less likely to use a litter box, after associating the pain they experienced with the litter box while recovering. There are other ways to protect your furniture from cat scratches! It is ideal to train kittens to use scratching posts and boards and become accustomed to regular nail trims. Scratching objects should be varied in material and style. There are also soft plastic caps that can be glued to the claw to prevent damage from scratching. Other creative ways of protecting furniture are also encouraged. If you are considering welcoming a cat into your home, please take the necessary steps needed for them and your property to co-exist, and leave the unnecessary and barbaric procedure of declawing alone. If you have already had this procedure preformed, do not be hard on yourself. The absence of information and influences of societal norms are always a factor in our decision making. It is only upon learning the truth, that we are able to share that truth and make more informed choices going forward. Resources: There are any number of eco-friendly cat scratching posts and surfaces out there. A simple internet search will yield all the information you ever wanted. For more tips on how to control scratching, visit: www.CatScratching.comFor information on soft, plastic claw covers, visit: SoftPaws®One product that reportedly helps save your furniture, and even house plants, is: Sticky Paws
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Film Screening:
Good versus Evil
The first film produced by EnLighthouse Entertainment has completed its rounds on the film festival circuit, so it is now available for viewing online!
Find out how Detective Good makes history by bringing out the good in everyone, in the award-winning short film, Good versus Evil.
Good versus Evil is a "Crew of Two" Production:
Kim Sheridan is the writer, producer, director, director of photography, production designer, editor,
soundtrack composer, and an actor (multiple roles).
Jameth Sheridan is the camera operator, gaffer, grip, editor, tech guy, and an actor (Detective Good).
This lighthearted film was created as part of the 48-Hour Film Project, in which a short narrative film had to be written, filmed, and produced within 48 hours.
Please Enjoy!
View the FILM Good versus Evil
can be viewed on both
Vimeo and YouTube.
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Vegan Recipe
of the Month
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3 cups soaked and dehydrated almonds (preferably) or 2 cups regular raw almonds -- we highly recommend soaking (to remove the unhealthful enzyme inhibitors) and dehydrating (to re-crisp)*
1/2 cup dates (remove pits first!)
1/2 cup raisins
2 to 2-1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons cardamom (ground cardamom seeds)
Mix almonds, dates, and raisins in a food processor until well mixed. Almonds should be in small pieces at this point. Add spices and mix again. You may need to shake your food processor around to mix the spices. Form the dough into candy bars, and press additional almonds into the tops of the candy bars, if desired. These will harden if refrigerated or frozen, but this is not required. *Use plant-sourced digestive enzymes with all unsoaked nuts, seeds, and grains. This recipe is from: Uncooking with
Jameth & Kim
(While this raw food classic is currently unavailable, we are expecting the 15th edition to be available next month!)
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Contact Us
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EnLighthouse, Inc.
1835A S. Centre City Pkwy #181
Escondido, California 92025
760-796-7949
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Kim's Note
Hello everyone! I sincerely hope 2013 is going well so far for all of you! I'm still mired in this gargantuan move across state lines, but progress is happening! After three long caravans with in-vehicle ponds filled with just pond water (dry runs, or "wet runs" as we called them), followed by three long caravans with in-vehicle ponds filled with rescued koi and goldfish, the entire Fish Refuge has now been safely and successfully relocated! (More details on this amazing adventure coming eventually, when time permits.) Relocating the Rat Refuge was far easier by comparison! Now, I'm still involved in the rest of the relocation (ourselves and our businesses), which has been a multi-step, ongoing process filled with many adventures, trials, and learning experiences.
When traveling, and when looking for new buildings (homes and businesses alike), so many things need to be factored in nowadays when it comes to maintaining our health and that of our loved ones, human and animal alike. It's not enough just to request a non-smoking motel/hotel room anymore; nowadays, Jameth (my husband) and I are known to walk the halls of motels with our EMF and radiofrequency meters to make sure the room we stay in won't "microwave" us excessively as we sleep. We do the same with prospective office/warehouse buildings and residences -- usually attracting more than a little bit of attention with our strange-looking meters that make strange sounds when picking up dangerous levels of electromagnetic radiation, wi-fi, or cell phone waves. We weren't always so conscious of this, but an experience quite some years back really opened our eyes...
About ten years ago, the beloved rats under my care at the Rat Refuge were enjoying the same healthful diet and lifestyle as always. However, something strange began occurring: One by one, many of them began developing very strange cancers. We did our best to treat them, but we were perplexed as to why this was suddenly occurring. We began considering everything it could possibly be, but it just didn't make sense, as nothing had changed, so far as we could tell. Then, when investigating further, we realized that one new factor had been recently added to the equation: We had installed wi-fi (wireless Internet) in our home, and the main hub was located in the bedroom closet located between our bedroom and the Rat Room. It was literally right on the other side of the wall from where the rats lived on one side, and where we slept on the other. So Jameth purchased multiple meters to test what this was actually emitting, and the results were sobering, to say the least. Having wi-fi in your home, school, or workplace is basically like having a cell tower there, right next to you, emitting its harmful rays 24/7.
As soon as we made the connection, we realized that the convenience of wi-fi is just not worth the risk to our health and even survival -- or that of our loved ones. Children and animals tend to be even more sensitive -- or at least it can affect them faster -- though it affects us ALL. So, we immediately got rid of the wi-fi and went back to having wires all over our house -- small price to pay for preventing any further cancers! We do the same with our office buildings and warehouses, and we encourage others to do so as well. The same goes for cell phones and even any cordless phones -- they are silent killers. Do I still have a cell phone? Yes -- but it no longer lives on my hip. I now use an Internet-based land line for phone calls at home and at work, and I only use the cell phone in the car when absolutely necessary. When I do use it, I put it on speakerphone and hold it as far away from my body as possible -- and I prefer texting, as that only emits harmful rays when actually sending and receiving, rather than during an entire conversation.
Is it possible to avoid wi-fi entirely nowadays? Probably not -- unless perhaps you live in a certain remote country in Europe that actually banned it when studies showed what it really does to our health. But it's not likely to be banned entirely in a world where cigarettes are still legal. So, the best we can do is make ourselves more aware, and limit our exposure to it as much as possible. Get rid of that cordless phone; get rid of that wi-fi Internet connection; get our homes and workplaces rewired the old fashioned way; and leave the cell phone in the car, or at least turn it off when not in use (it constantly sends intermittent signals back and forth even when we're not actually on the phone). When looking for a place to live or work or attend school, keep an eye out for cell towers (as well as high tension wires, which are also harmful). Find out where wi-fi emitters are located, and make sure your bed (and your loved ones' beds or habitats) are as far away from them as possible. Look into shielding devices that can help protect us, at least to a degree, when exposure is unavoidable.
It's hard to comprehend that something invisible can be so harmful, but the proof is in countless studies as well as personal experiences such as our own during that mysterious outbreak of cancer at the Rat Refuge. I realize it's hard to let go of the convenience that wi-fi offers, but there's nothing convenient about dealing with cancer. Some say ignorance is bliss, and they prefer the happiness of simply not knowing. My personal experience has taught me otherwise. I'm happy to say that, once we got rid of the wi-fi, the strange cancers stopped affecting our beloved little ones. As they say, ignorance is bliss -- but knowledge will set us free!
For information on Kim's latest endeavors, please visit www.KimSheridan.com
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Poppy's Presence
by Katrina E. of Sussex, UK
I lost my beloved Poppy just over a week ago, a few months before her 20th birthday. I became her guardian when she was six weeks old; we were very bonded. She was the most beautiful cat -- everybody said so -- and she was always happy to be admired. She was generally a quiet, gentle girl, and a little shy with strangers. Her wide green eyes were full of wisdom, and she won over everyone who saw her. As a sensitive soul, she was always concerned if my partner or I, or indeed anyone who came to the house, was upset. She would try to comfort them. She was small in stature, though her light grey and white fur was so luxuriant that she appeared bigger. Her tail was especially beautiful -- it was a plume of light grey with dark grey stripes. Her little face was framed in white, like a lion's mane, and to kiss the top of her smooth grey head meant breathing in her gorgeous Poppy scent. She kept her beauty throughout her life, although in the last few months or so when chronic kidney failure meant she was no longer able to groom herself, her fur grew thin and lifeless; she looked like a shadow of her former self. She was still beautiful to my partner, Rachel, and I. Poppy has always been a very talkative cat and she would come up to bed and climb up on our chests and talk away; her little 'mow' was very distinctive and every time we replied in a similar way she would answer -- she could keep this conversation up for a long time! Poppy always had the freedom of the house and garden and chose never to go much beyond those boundaries in her nearly twenty years. I was always relieved that she limited herself in this way because my aim was always to protect her and keep her safe.
As Poppy became aged and her health began to fail, she would frequently jump into the bath and ask for water from the tap. She became gradually weaker so we had to put footstools next to her favorite places to help her jump up. One day she grew noticeably weaker and I knew the end was not far away. On the third day, I had to face the inevitable and I made an appointment for the vet to come the following afternoon, but during the night we heard Poppy eating and drinking, she jumped up on the bed and was purring loudly, she was clearly telling us she was not ready to go yet! I called the vet and he showed me how to put subcutaneous fluids into her from a drip bag. Following this, Poppy had another three weeks of good quality life, she enjoyed attention and cuddles, and I knew she was still happy.
One night I came home and her back legs had given way so she could no longer walk. I wrapped her in a blanket and she spent the night under the radiator on the floor beside our bed, and we wondered if she would survive until morning. I spent some hours lying beside her, until she went to sleep -- she would not stay on our bed and insisted on being on the floor. In the morning, I put the light on, and she was still alive, but very weak. I promised her she would not have to suffer much longer, and assured her she could go whenever she was ready -- that I would not leave her side. I took her downstairs and cuddled her for a while, then put her in the blanket on her sofa in the window, in the living room, where she had always spent so much time, so she could be in a familiar place. The vet could not come immediately and I would not take her in for the procedure. I just hoped I was making the right decision for her. Our vet Lachlan had known Poppy for a little while and seemed to have a special connection with her. I knew he would be there as soon as he could. I hoped she would slip away peacefully with me supporting her through the transition, and this is what happened. I sat with her, sang to her, talked to her, and told her how much I loved her. Half an hour before Lachlan arrived, she breathed deeply a couple of times, then I knew she was gone; I cuddled her body until he came to take her.
I have missed her terribly, and I just wanted to know she was okay wherever she is now. I could not believe that such a beautiful spirit could just be extinguished.
Last night at 2:30am an extraordinary thing happened. I heard my partner's voice calling my name, "Kat, Kat," and I realized she was still asleep so she could not have called. I woke up, or so I thought, and saw a pale red glow on my pillow from the digital display on the clock. I knew something was going to happen, and then I felt a thump at the end of the bed, by my feet. I knew it was Poppy. She ran up my legs, along the length of my body just like she used to do. She felt quick and heavy like when she was younger, not slow and old as in her latter years. She settled on the pillow by my head and sat there looking at me. I communicated to her without speaking, "Poppy, you've come back!" She did not respond, and I wondered if I could touch her or if she would just disappear if I tried. I put out my hand (though I do not think I actually physically moved, as this was probably happening in another dimension), and I touched her -- she was solid and real and I could stroke her! She let me stroke her chest and examine the fur there, which I was amazed to find was now gleaming white, soft, thick, and luxurious, as it had been when she was younger. I leaned over to kiss the top of her head and breathed in her familiar Poppy smell. She allowed me to do this but she did not respond much and seemed to need to maintain an emotional distance, as if she was telling me that she had just come to tell me she was okay but she could not stay. Then she disappeared and I opened my eyes. At that point, I realized that I thought my eyes were open but they had not been; I had been seeing all of this as if through my eyelids. I was suddenly wide awake and felt tears of joy and peace, because I knew Poppy was happy and content where she was now, but she was still able to see me and communicate with me if she wanted to. I lay awake for two hours not quite able to believe what had happened, but knowing it had. I have never before had an experience like it. In the morning I was left with certainty that I had not imagined this encounter. I had really seen and touched Poppy in the night, and she had seen me too.
To view this story, and an additional photo, on the EnLightened News website, please CLICK HERE. |
To Read more stories from Kim's book,
order here:
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Animal Health Feature: Cancer, Part II
Sourced from Kim's Q&A on Rat Health, but edited and added to by Ashley. To read Part I of this article, CLICK HERE.
If an animal has been diagnosed with cancer, keeping them comfortable is of the utmost importance. Surgery is a necessary evil in some cases, but we do not recommend chemotherapy or radiation therapy if at all possible. Changing the diet, appropriate supplementation, and alternative treatments are much more life supporting than the poisoning that occurs when introducing chemicals and radiation into the body.
Rather than drugs such as cortisone, for anti-inflammatory effects, we highly recommend using turmeric -- as it is a natural anti-inflammatory and has anti-cancer properties.* Alternative treatments such as acupuncture, acupressure, Reiki, and other energy work modalities can be very useful for maintaining an animal's comfort and supporting their healing.
Homeopathic treatments are also highly recommended.* There are different formulas available for various cancers, and other heath conditions, that have had marked results. One example is Thuja -- from an evergreen coniferous tree -- which has shown effectiveness treating some types of cancer and tumors, both internally and externally.* A good homeopath is also a valuable resource for you and your animal companion!
There are helpful supplements for fighting cancer. Two of these are IP6 and Cantron* -- the latter can be used both internally and topically. A web search should lead you to these products.
If you are now sharing your life with an animal who has cancer, I wish you strength and the support you need, medically and emotionally. Animal hospice organizations and holistic health practitioners can be very useful in pointing you towards resources that will not only help you as a caretaker, but can also help you as a person who is dealing with very difficult circumstances. Enjoy the time you have together -- as we all should each day -- and know that when the time comes to say "goodbye," it is not truly a goodbye. You could more aptly say:
Enjoy the miraculous journey your transition will allow you to take, and I look forward to our beautiful spirit reunion in the future. I thank you for our time together in the physical and know you will be just as present in spirit. I've done my best to love and care for you, and I know you understand that. I will be okay because the unconditional love you have shown me has helped me grow strong.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Find out more about animal companion health and feeding your companion a vegan diet on our Compassion Circle website... Stay tuned for additional vegan companion animal resources in next month's newsletter! [PLEASE NOTE: Compassion Circle is looking forward to introducing an organic, vegan food for animal companions in 2013!] |
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Final Thought
In closing, may your cats, dogs, fish, rats, squirrels, rabbits, birds, reptiles, etc. be long-lived and healthy, and may your tax burden be light. In keeping with this socioeconomic humor, please see the below Rustle the Leaf comic for a chuckle (and groan).
Be well,
Ashley
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Rustle the Leaf
Featuring Rooty the Acorn Sprout
& Dandy the Dandelion Seed
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Thank you to Rustle the Leaf Comics!
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