How to use Silly to Cope with a Natural Disaster

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Today I flew in to Jedda Bradley’s facebook space for a chat.

It was bucket loads of fun – the full interview mentions reality tv, chocolate, guinea pigs, chainsaws, and Hamish and Andy.  

To read why visit  Jedda Bradley’s Artist Page.  Here is a short extract.

Chatting with Jedda

Ten BIG, medium and tiny Questions for June….who lived through the terrifying nail-biting cyclone Yasi that hit the Cassowary Coast of North Queensland and then she had to clean the s*** up. Really not fair! I mean, it’s bad enough going to a scary movie and having to remember to take my popcorn box and my coke container to the bin but this kind of clean up you can’t even get the hoover out and just let it suck everything up.

So June….

1) What implement is most effective in cleaning up after a cyclone?

If you have one, or can borrow one, a chainsaw!

2) What clothes are best for cleaning up after a cyclone? And if you had to create a brand of unique clothes just for cleaning up after a cyclone what would you call it?

Anything you’d paint your house in and don’t care about, because it can get messy and sweaty. Hat and protective gloves, and reasonable boots would be helpful.

I have no idea what I’d call a clothing brand that was made for cyclone clean ups. I do know I would like such a brand to be non-profit, designed by comedians, and given out by Council, Red Cross and charities.

It would be great to have a funny, inspirational and educational clean up tshirt with reminders on the back like ‘take care with power lines, drink plenty of fluid, don’t do too much, help a friend, be kind to the SES, etc’ and a space for people to write on the tshirt their own personal saying or slogan with a fabric pen.

I wonder what Hamish and Andy would call a clothing brand.

3) Who was with you during the cyclone? Did you get ring crunch because you had forgotten to take off your wedding ring and were holding David’s hand too tightly?

My hubby, our three kids, four pet guinea pigs, our lovable but crazy bird Peep (who took off to bring other birds to our house for shelter), and two pet quails.

For the entire interview visit  the delightful Jedda Bradley’s Artist Page

If you want to be eligible for a free ebook or free photo print visit Jedda’s facebook space and leave a comment just like Melissa has.

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We are at the half way point of the blog tour. I look forward to the next stop at Carol Campbell’s poetry blog.

Better get busy making sure the final launch activities are ready.  Thanks so much to everyone supporting the tour.

Blog Hop Begins – Recovering Joy after Cyclone Yasi

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photographer: Sheridan Perkins

A four year journey to create this ebook.  Finally it’s here.

Documenting Disaster Recovery for Beginners  ABC Open

“It’s powerful to document something you have been through with a community, like bush fire, cyclone, flood, storm, tsunami, but how can you write, video, photograph it in a way that is accessible to people who haven’t been through the event and sensitive to those who have lived it ?”

Karen Tyrrell on After Yasi Book Launch and Blog Tour

“As a survivor of bullying and mental illness and a resilience author, I was interested in how June and her community survived their ordeal with coping skills and resilience. So I interviewed June to find out…”

Tomorrow heading to Dimity’s blog.

Dim’s Write Stuff

*Please note if you leave comments on the participating blogs after the ABC Open one you have a chance to win a copy of the ebook, or a photographic print of an image from the ebook.  Thanks so much for your kind interest in this project.

After Yasi Blog Tour

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After Yasi: Finding the Smile Within is going on a virtual book tour, commonly known as blog tour, blog hop or virtual book tour.  A big thank you to all those listed.

Best comments for each blog will be given a PRIZE, either a free copy of the ebook or a choice of a signed print of one of the photographs from the book. Would absolutely love it if you retweet, reblog and share this post – and the blog hop posts, to all your friends.

The After Yasi Blog Tour includes visits to:

Jan 27   (Tuesday) http://open.abc.net.au  ABC Open  (guest blog, June Perkins, storytelling tips for covering the recovery from a natural disaster)

Jan 27   Karen Tyrrell http://www.karentyrrell.com/

Jan 28 (Wednesday)  Dimity Powell (interview) http://www.dimswritestuff.blogspot.com.au/

Jan 29 (Thursday) Charmaine Clancy (tips for writing about a natural disaster) http://charmaineclancy.com/

Jan 30 Jedda Bradley  – (interview)https://www.facebook.com/jeddabradleyartist

Jan 31 (Saturday) Carol Campbell  (review) http://writersdream9.wordpress.com

Jan 31 (Saturday) Gail Kavanagh  (review) http://gailkavanagh.com/blog/

Feb 1 (Sunday) Owen Allen (focus Dance) http://owen59.wordpress.com/

Feb 2 (Monday)  Ali Stegert (focus children and youth after a cyclone) http://ali-stegert.com/

Feb 3  (Tuesday) Melinda Irvine http://businessonblue.com.au/

Feb 3   Wrap up and thankyou blog from June https://pearlz.wordpress.com

You can find sample pages and more details of the ebook here: http://gumbootspearlz.pressbooks.com/

You are welcome to attend from wherever you are in the world -the online launch -February 3rd.

See the facebook page: The Launch Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/866286073402069/?pnref=story

*This schedule is still subject to  minor changes but I will post any changes closer to lift off. Apologies the visit to Michele’s blog has had to be postponed due to unforseen circumstances.

Hooray Ebook After Yasi Ready

afteryasiFINAL1Just letting you know the ebook of After Yasi is now available for $4.75 (Australian Dollars). Currency converter here http://www.xe.com/pca/input.php

(That’s about 2.56 pounds and $3.86 US dollars)

Full of interesting links to blogs, videos and photo sets on the recovery after yasi and a slightly adapted version of the coffee table book version (slightly fewer photographs in the ebook.)

Most of all this book is a celebration of the optimism of the Cassowary Coastal community and a reflection on the ways creativity in many forms played an important role in lifting people’s spirits.

https://authors-unlimited.org/book-member/after-yasi-finding-the-smile-within

Sample here: http://gumbootspearlz.pressbooks.com/

On February 3rd 2014 an online launch event will be happening. You can participate from wherever you are.

Feel free to join the event at the link here https://www.facebook.com/events/866286073402069/?pnref=story and follow what happens on that day.

A blog tour in the lead up to the launch will be announced soon.

Reviews can be found HERE

Dragonflies

 

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After Larry
Butterflies were everywhere
Tully hospital and
Home gardens were their home.

After Yasi
So many trees gone in Tully and everywhere
Uprooted, turned inside out
With their skeleton roots starkly exposed

But,
Flights of dragonflies everywhere
Clustering and descending
To adorn rocks by
Swimming pools in need of a clean

Skimming on the water
Approaching and fleeing
Varied in kaleidoscopic patterns
Attracted to handle of red net

My son is holding
Their wings – small but aerodynamically efficient
Lead me to imagine myself
One with them

But, yesterday
I saw a Cairns Bird Wing butterfly
Dancing in the garden
Remembered how plentiful they were in Feluga

They became the slip stream
To all that has been lost.

(c) June Perkins