Martin's Christmas Message he magical, mystical William Blake said, "The cistern contains, but the fountain overflows." We have a fountain of love to offer you this holiday season. We send you love from all at Speakwell. Whatever your religious views, or lack of them, we can make this a season where we color all our dealings with love. The Dalai Lama has said, "My religion is kindness". Jean Vanier, whose life has been devoted to the creation of L'arche Communities where people are admitted because of their disabilities and needs, not their religious affiliation, said, "To love somebody is to spend time with them so as to reveal to them their true beauty." One of the greatest gifts we can give at Christmas is our time. Time for our parents, time for our children and grandchildren, time to provide a break for a single mum or dad, so they can attend to their own needs, time for a lonely friend or acquaintance, time for the underprivileged. And just in case you forget, time for yourself to acknowledge your own uniqueness and beauty. We send love from all who work with Speakwell, past and present, for Speakwell is like the Hotel California, "you can check out, but you can never leave". Love comes from Guy in Arizona, from Dino about to be married in Australia, from Trina working on diabetes research in Victoria and her partner, Ben, on his path to becoming Dr. Ben. Love comes from Simon, busy creating a book and planning even bigger events than his 'Bike4MPS' which raised over a quarter of a million dollars this summer to study the disease he transcends on a daily basis. Love from Bev who is the voice of calm, reason and kindness you hear whenever you call the Speakwell office. Love from Lara who is now Dr. Lara and dedicated to teaching educators how to be well, rather than how to merely manage their stress and sickness. Love from Ron who designs and contributes to our web site and newsletter which is now winning awards for its presentation. The stereotype of the computer expert is that they can't communicate with people, but we work with three caring men who can and do. So, love comes not only from Ron, but Luke and Greg. Lastly, love from Nancy and Martin. We've been married just over a year and it's getting better all the time. We try hard to walk the wellness talk always remembering you must become the change you wish to see in others.   It's never too late for the magic It's never too late for romance Step out on the floor There's always something more It's never too late for the dance For the music is more than the music And you're dancing in a partnership with life Breath blends with breath It could scare you to death Till the band plays it's never too late. Wishing you all a magical and loving holiday season that overflows into the coming years. Martin Collis           by Nancy Wardle A great side dish which can be made the day before.   5 cups of good quality frozen green peas 1 beef bouillon cube - crumbled 1 package of Boursin cheese (herb or pepper)   Cook peas in boiling water until just done (don't overcook). Rinse in ice cold water and drain until dry. Put 1/2 of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until just a few small bits of peas remain. Repeat with second half of ingredients. Mix both batches together. Serve at room temperature or warm slightly.   t Speakwell we are always looking for things which will help keep us active. Pedometers have been a big success in stimulating us to do at least 10,000 steps a day. But we needed a piece of equipment to complement all our walking and jogging and promote ongoing strength, flexibility and balance. The answer was under our noses, or more accurately, under our behinds, as we often sit on fitness balls while keyboarding, researching and speaking on the phone. This piece of equipment goes by a number of names: exercise ball, fitness ball, stability ball and Swiss ball and is a user friendly, very versatile device that can be used for a complete, full body stretch, strength and stability work-out. You will find them in all the top gyms, fitness clubs and spas and the majority of personal trainers use a fitness ball in some of their work with clients. They are great for core strengthening and can provide the same sort of stumulus as a Pilates work-out. I believe in them so much that I've purchased a quantity of balls from a local manufacturer and will make them available to 'Well' readers at a very, very, good price. I did a lot of product research and have come up with a high quality fitness ball with built in puncture protection. Most people will want to get the 65 cm ball, but if you are very tall (6'1" or over), go for the 75 cm ball and if you are below 5'3", we have 55 cm balls. Our silver balls make great gifts and with Christmas coming why not give the gift of fitness to your friends and family? Have a look in our WellMart section. Our silver balls are also included as part of our 'Well in a Box' special Christmas and New Year's offer. sung by the King's Singers Click the album cover to play the complete mp3 file of our seasonal song for you: "You are the New Day". "... when the King's Singers take the stage, they also take the musicality to new levels." Jonathan Minkoff   Well in a Box On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me 5 silver balls 4 "Well, Well, Well's" 3 pedometers 2 "Beaten Tracks" and a "Calm Down" CD We're not quite as generous as the above, but our 'Well in a Box' contains one silver ball, one pedometer and Nancy Wardle's best-selling 'Calm Down' CD (and a bonus fridge magnet). I sometimes talk about the 5 S's of fitness and health. Namely: Stamina = cardiovascular fitness Strength = muscle tone and endurance Suppleness = joint mobility and flexibility Stability = balance Serenity = Ability to use our breath to access the relaxation response We've put together a special Christmas offer to help you access the 5 S's of fitness and health. Fitness Ball = Strength, suppleness, stability Pedometer = Stamina "Calm Down" CD = Serenity (stress resiliency) Each package will include a bonus of our new fridge magnet "Nothing tastes as good as slim feels" The fitness ball and pedometer will help provide a work-out, while the "Calm Down" CD will provide a 'work-in'. In Canadian dollars, if purchased in a store, these would have a retail value of $90.00. From December 1st to January 15th, you can buy the 3 pack for $60.00 plus postage. (The pricing in US dollars is $40.00 for the package). Each of these items can, of course, be purchased individually. "Give the gift of Wellness"   "Brief analysis of the holiday season" Thanks to Marcel Schurman Company Bipolar Santa and Santa the Early Years Thanks to Recycled Paper Greetings I once found a poem called 'The Hyphen' on the Internet about the hyphen, which separates the dates of birth and death on a typical tombstone. I liked the concept and re-wrote the poem for a presentation when I was unable to access the original. The Hyphen (Through the eyes of Martin Collis) I read of a man who was asked to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on the tombstone, the beginning and the end. The first and the last days are markers in time. But what do those days really mean? What matters is not the birth or the death But the hyphen which lies in between. For the hyphen is time you spend on this earth. Just a hyphen to show what a life's really worth. And it isn't a house; it isn't a car, And it isn't a 53 Gibson guitar. It's not a position; it's not a possession Or membership in a prestigious profession. It's not in the labels on your clothes or your shoes Or the places you've been or seen on a cruise. We're human beings, not human doings Who pursue money and fame and keep on pursuing The words on the tombstones are kindness, and love, Family, friendship and laughter. These are the things that continue to ring When your body has reached the hereafter. Chose wisely and well when selecting the goals That you chose to base your life on. To miss the joy is to miss it all And a terrible waste of a hyphen. painting : The Phoenix : artist unknown   Never eat more than you can lift Miss Piggy   Calories consumed between Christmas and New Year Are calories that don't really count, Because the calories that come between New Year and Christmas Are about 50 times the amount   Martin Collis   We have seen the human race capture all its dreams except peace Robinson Jeffers What if hokey pokey really is what it's all about? Unknown Love is an exploding cigar we willingly smoke Linda Barry I'm not a victim of love; I'm a volunteer Christine Lavin The words I'd most like to hear my friends say as I lie in my coffin: "He's moving" Unknown     There is no question that Martha needs a holiday, but this may not be it... Dec. 1: Blanch carcass from Thanksgiving turkey. Spray paint gold, turn upside down and use as a sleigh to hold Christmas subpoenas. Dec. 2:Take parts from old blender and toaster and de-glue scotchtape roll to build answering machine. Have Mormon Tabernacle Choir record outgoing message, "Martha has moved; address unknown." Dec. 3: Using candlewick and hand-gilded miniature pine cones, fashion cat-o'-nine-tails. Flog financial advisor. Dec. 4: Repaint Sistine Chapel ceiling in ecru, with mocha trim. Make something frilly and delightful for holiday court appearances. Dec. 5: Pick up discarded eyeglasses from Sally Ann. Grind new lenses from pop bottle bottoms. Kick the cat square on the bottom to test focus. Dec. 6: Fax family christmas newsletter to Pulitzer prize committee for consideration. Dec. 7: Debug Microsoft Windows. Dec. 8: Hollow out the PC, paint orange, save for Halloween...buy Macintosh. Dec. 10: Align carpets to adjust for curvature of the earth. Dec. 11: Lay Fabergé egg. Dec. 12: Take dog apart. Disinfect. Reassemble. Dec. 13: Collect dentures. They make excellent pastry cutters, particularly for decorative pie crusts. Dec. 14: Install plumbing in gingerbread house. Re-cut gingerbread men for political correctness. Gather cuttings and put aside for that special fantasy. Dec. 15: Replace air in mini-van tires with Glade "Holiday Scents" in case tires are shot out at mall. Dec. 17: Child-proof the Christmas tree with garland of razor-wire. Dec. 19: Re-open laboratory and make progress on cure for Tiny Tim. Dec. 20: Dip sheep and cows in egg whites and roll in confectioner's sugar to add a festive sparkle to the pasture. Dec. 21: Drain city reservoir; refill with mulled cider, orange slices and cinnamon sticks. Dec. 22: Float votive candles in toilet tank. Leave home-made burn ointment in easy reach. Dec. 23: Prepare massive amounts of white flour paste, helicopter over entire neighbourhood pouring paste liberally to create white christmas. Garnish with light, sparkly frosting. Dec. 24: Do my annual good deed. Be seen engaging in last-minute christmas shopping, thus making many people feel less inadequate than they really are. Dec. 25: Bear son. Swaddle. Lay in colour-coordinated manger scented with homemade potpourri. Dec. 26: Organize spice jars according to chemical composition. Decorate vial of marijuana to blend in with spice jars. Dec. 27: Build snowman in exact likeness of god, with a jaunty blond wig as the finishing touch. Dec. 31: New Years Eve! Give staff their resolutions. Call a friend in each time zone of the world as the clock strikes midnight in that country. Jan. 1: Attempt pancake breakfast without the medication.     A few of Nancy's Favorite Things: The Gift of the Magi O'Henry Journey of the Magi T.S. Eliot A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year For a journey, and such a long journey: The ways deep and the weather sharp, The very dead of winter. And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory, Lying down in the melting snow. There were times when we regretted The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces, And the silken girls bringing sherbet. Then the camel men cursing and grumbling And running away, and wanting their liquor and women, And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters, And the cities dirty and the towns unfriendly And the villages dirty and charging high prices: A hard time we had of it. At the end we preferred to travel all night, Sleeping in snatches, With the voices singing in our ears, saying That this was all folly. Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley, Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation; With a running stream and a water mill beating the darkness, And three trees on the low sky, And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow. Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel, Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver, And feet kicking the empty wineskins. But there was no information, and so we continued And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory. All this was a long time ago, I remember, And I would do it again, but set down This set down This: were we led all that way for Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly, We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death, But had thought they were different; this Birth was Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death. We returned to our places, these Kingdoms, But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation, With an alien people clutching their gods. I should be glad of another death. Plus two from Martin: Christians and the Pagans Dar Williams I'm a great promoter of singer/songwriter Dar Williams who has yet to make a bad CD. Here are the lyrics from her song about Solstice/Christmas from the CD, 'Mortal City'. THE CHRISTIANS AND THE PAGANS Words and music by Dar Williams Click here for an mp3 play of the full song. Amber called her uncle, said "We're up here for the holiday, Jane and I were having solstice, now we need a place to stay." And her Christ-loving uncle watched his wife hang Mary on a tree, He watched his son hang candy canes all made with red dye number three. He told his niece, "It's Christmas Eve, I know our life is not your style," She said, "Christmas is like Solstice, and we miss you and it's been awhile," So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table, Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able, And just before the meal was served, hands were held and prayers were said, Sending hope for peace on earth to all their gods and, Goddesses. The food was great, the tree plugged in, the meal had gone without a hitch, Till Timmy turned to Amber and said, "Is it true that you're a witch?" His mom jumped up and said, "The pies are burning," and she hit the kitchen, And it was Jane who spoke, she said, "It's true, your cousin's not a Christian," "But we love trees, we love the snow, the friends we have, the world we share, And you find magic from your God, and we find magic everywhere." So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table, Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able, And where does magic come from, I think magic's in the learning, Cause now when Christians sit with Pagans only pumpkin pies are burning. When Amber tried to do the dishes, her aunt said, "Really, no, don't bother." Amber's uncle saw how Amber looked like Tim and like her father. He thought about his brother, how they hadn't spoken in a year, He thought he'd call him up and say, "It's Christmas and your daughter's here." He thought of fathers, sons and brothers saw his own son tug his sleeve, saying, "Can I be a Pagan?" Dad said, "We'll discuss it when they leave," So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table, Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able, Lighting trees in darkness, learning new ways from the old, and, Making sense of history and drawing warmth out of the cold. Politically Correct Holiday Greeting This is a favorite from last years Christmas 'Well'. Sent to us by Lindsey Grover Best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral winter solstice holiday, practised within the most joyous traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, and with respect for the religious persuasions of others, or their choice not to practise a religion at all. And A fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the generally accepted calendar year 2002, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to our society have helped make Canada great, without regard to the race, creed, colour, religious, or sexual preference of the wishes. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others. And one from Bev: The 1951 version of Charles Dickens 'A Christmas Carol' with Alastair Sim   It's reassuring to know that Speakwell brings a little cheer into people's lives, not just at Christmas, but year round. ECEBC Kootenay Conference Oct 18 and 19/2002 "Wonderful presentation. Helped me to remember that I have to take care of myself if I am going to be able to give all the children I care for the best of me. Thank you Dr. Collis" "Uplifting. Definitely inspired a personal 'shift'! Thank you." "Just to let you know I'm a mother with 5 kids of my own. I came to this conference completely depleted and really depressed. Last night I phoned my husband and told him how refreshed I've become, my outlook has totally changed and I've become something new! Your songs really moved me and made me cry -- I've really missed a lot of living but my perspective has changed. Thank you for the joy you bring, I'll never forget this time in Cranbrook." "I was moved, touched and delightfully entertained." "Best workshop I have ever been to. Can apply information to business life as well as personal life. I feel very inspired and positive."   Copyright © 2002 PH3 Services Corp. All rights reserved.