The Power of Cacao

 

THE PURE HEART OF CACAO

This morning, about a week after returning from a mesmerizing, fantastic Peace Tree LetLoveRule festival in Amsterdam, I find myself sitting at my outdoor desk, staring into a grove of tall, peaceful, coniferous trees.This is my favourite setting for creativity. It relaxes me, energizes me and helps me expose a story blended with fabulous flavours. This is a story with indigenous roots that have survived civilian atrocities, and will potentially evolve into a socio-economic success mission. The mastermind behind it is an incredible woman named Yacqueline Mijnssen aka Tjocklatluve.

Tjocklatluve [pronounced: tchoc-lat-love] was born in Colombia, the country with the highest quality and quantity of cacao in the world. She loves chocolate —hence, her pen name, nickname or handle for her special mission was born.

As a Embera Chami toddler in Colombia, Tjocklatluve was adopted by a couple in the Netherlands. Like most adoptees she remained curious about her Indigenous roots and her history. She held on to the hope of one day becoming a good steward of humanity and do something for struggling people in Colombia. Now, as a mature adult, she has found her niche, her passion, and has turned it into a viable humanitarian mission.

The Indigenous story in Colombia is much the same as most places in the world. Atrocious and disgusting. Back in the days before the Conquistadors and Spaniards invaded, cacao was a sacred commodity for Indigenous peoples. When the invaders took over, respect towards the original inhabitants faded and I think we can all realise the consequences. Cacao became exploited for greed, avarice and economic benefit. Indigenous people were almost eradicated, minimized and cast aside; but, the sacred value of cacao remained in their identity and their ceremonies, giving them hope and faith, and something to hold on to.

Fast forward to Yacqueline and her mission. She loves chocolate, quality chocolate. It energizes and inspires her but, most importantly, it connects her to her ancestors, her roots. She has now rooted herself into a determination to connect her Indigenous past, the circumstances of her past, the sanctity and viability of cacao, and its links to Indigenous history, to the reality of everyday life of single mothers in Colombia.

As is becoming true in many parts of the world, there is a movement in Colombia to foster reconciliation between Indigenous and less fortunate people, and the dominant population. They are warming up to the notion of training people to create and/or work in self-sufficient agro-forests. Cacao plantations, for example, are opening up to training locals to develop viable skills that will in turn help them move forward in life, become self-sufficient, with a sense of pride and confidence.

Yacqueline’s focus is the single mother demographic. In order for the plantation-reconciliation program to be effective for them, the mothers need to be able to get to and from the plantation or newly developed agro-forests. Specifically they need nearby housing. 

This is a massive undertaking, but Yacqueline’s spirit is strong and determined. She feels connected with her Indigenous grandmothers’ spirits and the ancestral love and respect they hold for the innate power, wisdom and teachings of the cacao plant. She is currently working on a website and creating a GoFundMe account. She is developing connections with learned people who can help guide her. 

Tjocklatluve strongly believes the spiritual and economic power of cacao will be the saving grace and salvation for marginalized mothers in Colombia. It will enable them to hold on to their children, provide for them and themselves, and hopefully stop the heartbreak and stresses that come with struggles, challenges and loss.

I commend Yacqueline and support her Tjocklatluve dream, efforts and determination to respect and honour her place of birth and her heritage, as well as the circumstances of her adoption and that of so many others. 

Change, social change, is always hard; but it takes one strong, determined, compassionate humanitarian, with a heart as pure as cacao, to make a wheel turn — with Yacqueline in the driver’s seat, and her ever-growing support group helping her with the hills and valleys ahead, there is no better leader.

One Love

 

No Conditions, Just Love

One of the many messages that came out of the wonderful Peace Tree Festival in Amsterdam in August 2025, was references to love. 

Ultimately when you think about it, love is powerful, energetic, sincere, and pure. It’s an internal energy source fueled by an inner self that respects, honours, appreciates, supports, cares for, embraces, encourages, challenges, and celebrates one’s whole being. 

Love works wonders for people and it works wonders for causes. When we get together and work in unison, with cooperation, collaboration, concentration, and connection, humanity has accomplished a great deal since the beginning of time. 

Unfortunately, perhaps due to greed, jealousy, envy, stubbornness, indoctrination, selfishness, and many other synonyms, our planet has deteriorated, humanity and the animal kingdom are progressively suffering, and love remains lost in the dust.

In this case, the case of moving the peace movement forward, it sounds like love would be  a viable energy source to establish a peaceful life for all of humanity, Nature, and our privileged planet, for generations to come. 

I know this idea sounds far fetched to a certain demographic, but “don’t knock it until you’ve tried it”! It is a harmless exercise, using human hands, human arms, human minds, hearts and spirit. Start small, and get the wave moving.

So, this movement to promote meaningful fresh starts such as using the newly planted  tree, literally and figuratively as a full metaphor of the goals and objectives of the founders and followers of the LetLoveRulePeace concept, is an initiative to get humanity to start small and get tuned into the reality of our deteriorating world. Sitting back does nothing.

We need humanity to open their eyes, mind and heart, and get involved in problem solving. Bitching and complaining does not work. Pointing fingers does not work. Being confrontational, arrogant and unwilling to see a bigger picture outside of a tiny pill box, does not work. Plant a seed, covet it, water it, help it grow. Or see a seed has been planted, covet it, water it, help it grow. Connect with it and protect it. Help move the wave forward.

Life moves forward best in fertile soil. Life moves forward best when well rooted and well nurtured. Life moves forward best when love is the dominate source of energy that moves things forward for the greater good of all.

On Facebook I receive a lot of cutesy sayings to inspire and help people going through tough times. They are seeds and free for all to nurture and sow. They are good food for thought and energize the readers to look in the mirror and see what is there. I applaud the movement behind those sayings because it is a great way to get people to think and to give the sayings legs. The hope is that those legs keep moving forward beyond “self” and extend to the bigger picture of the troubled (unpeaceful) lives and situations in our homes, communities, and entire world.

The answer, in the end of all the dogma, cute sayings and therapies, is LOVE. I was going to preface that strong word with “unconditional” but to me that would be an oxymoron. Actual love and actually loving someone or something can only be unconditional…there is only one actual LOVE and that is LOVE. First step to getting there is loving oneself, truly loving oneself; only then can you understand and feel love ; once you are there in heart, mind and spirit, you will feel calm, collected, respected, self confident and ready to love others — and apply love to all tasks, trials and tribulations.

It all starts with one, number one — YOU. One seed, one implanted root,  joining other seeds and other roots, and keeping the focus on love of self, of people, of Nature and of our planet Earth…yes it sounds impossible, but who would have thought a light bulb could ever be invented and universally accepted? It took one person, one seed, one root and now the entire world is connected. Let it also be so for peace.

Our World, Our Hands

 

Our World, Our Hands: the roots that bind us

Recently I returned home from two weeks of vacation in the Nederlands. The whole experience was totally enriching, enlightening and refreshing. “Why did it impact me so much more than any other time?”, is the question that hovered over me while sitting at the Schiphol Airport waiting for my flight home. I think it had a lot to do with the main reason I made the trip, and then all of the other things were bonuses that made the entire time away completely wonderful. 

While on the island of Aruba — a peaceful place I visit four times a year, I met a passionate, caring, peace loving, kind lady named Sofie. She’s originally from the Nederlands and left in search for something different, something more, something that better suited her essence of being a productive, helpful human on this planet Earth. She has made Aruba her chosen home.

She has also connected with alternative thinking about how the Earth was created, what our role is, what our relationship is with Nature and animals, the sun, moon, stars,  the air, the water and the land. Her passion, knowledge and determined commitment to this way of living, thinking and breathing it every single day, is truly amazing, impressive and intriguing. I totally respect and honour her.

So one day she told me about a Peace Festival she and a few likeminded people were organizing. I felt an invitation coming and I can still remember my brain saying YES before her words were articulated. Something in me instantly said “I would love to go!”

I immediately went on line to book my flights and hotel. I plotted out a plan for the days before the Festival and the days after. I researched whatever information I could find about the mission. My excitement grew and grew as I read more and more about the 21st Century peace movement, the significance of creating a Peace Tree ceremony, and the small, but significant peace-related events this collection of peace warriors had already accomplished in various parts of the world. 

To be honest, I was imagining this would be my own mini Woodstock! Yes me, that little girl from little North Bend, who had heard about Woodstock One and Woodstock Two, was now elevated to something so hugely beyond her norm. Inner me stood high, within me, upon her stool, with arms raised, as I did the very same thing. The excitement never ended and the Festival did not disappoint.

Approximately a hundred people participated as we gathered in an open area of SloterPark, a tiny forest and Nature Education Centre in East Amsterdam. 

The opening ceremony included a lot of familiar indigenous style traditions such as ridding the scene and participants of negativity and pushing evil away through a practice called smudging. It is like starting something with a clean slate, and getting the mind and heart to open up to a refreshed,  steadily beating rhythmic heart beat.

After about a half hour of introductions of keynote presenters, explanatory remarks, and a bit of drumming to get all of us excited and motivated to start the three day festival, we engaged in a preliminary tree planting ceremony in the children’s play area. This included a simple explanation about the importance of trees, the significance of the apple tree, and a lovely children’s story correlating the tree to Nature and people.

From there everyone readied themselves for a three kilometer drumming parade- style walk through green spaces and residential neighbourhoods, to a organic garden farm. This is where a young, yet tall majestic Sequoia tree, delivered from Germany, was anointed as the focal point of the event — the everlasting Peace Tree where people from all walks of life could come to reflect, contemplate, pray or just think about the unpeaceful behaviours in their own lives, in their communities, other communities and all over the world, in places they may never have been, but where people are suffering, animals are suffering, Nature is crying and things are getting worse and worse for our now struggling planet Earth.

There is a whole interesting symbolism about trees. When it comes to symbolism, it is important to have an open and creative mind. It’s a harmless exercise and somewhat different and difficult for hardcore Mainstreamers to get their head around. I get it.

But I love abstract thinking. Call it the power of the metaphor or thinking beyond the obvious or not wanting to go with the flow of doing things as they’ve always been done because that’s the way we were taught to live. My mind likes more.

A tree is more than just a grown up seedling nestled in with a bunch of other growing or grown up seedlings. They are firmly rooted in fertile ground, stand tall and determined to survive. They do indeed survive for a very long time. Through their rooting system and waving branches they communicate with each other, support each other and, at the same time,  benefit humanity and the animal world in many ways. 

For non secular thinking people, the Peace Tree initiative is like a church for people who don’t subscribe to traditional religious thought. It’s a place for reflection and a place to spread the hopes for peace in our own lives, the lives of others close by, next door, far away. It’s as simple as that. Whether you subscribe to it or not, it really is as simple as that.

My experience on Day One of this Festival named LetLoveRulePeace, was like crossing a bridge.  I had been perplexed, or confused, or disturbed by various forms of traditional religious ideology about the purpose of life and living. Intellectually it was very challenging 😥 to be a soldier of the pack. Something was missing.

I broke away long ago and felt a bit in spiritual limbo at a time in my life when every day was consumed by so much more. 

Once retired, I had more time to reflect on abstract things and reality, and I focused on how the planet Earth came to be a home-base for humans, animals and vegetation. 

As cohabitants, and in order to live a peaceful existence, a reciprocal effort to exist harmoniously makes total sense to me. How and why did that notion fall apart? I know the answer. What roles do the sun, moon and stars have? I know the answer. I have securely crossed the bridge to seeing life and living from a different perspective. I am at peace. I am comfortable.

From this entire Festival I learned that we need to take a step back. The Earth is falling apart. Humanity is losing. Nature is losing. From Acid Rain and climate change, to autocracies, atrocities, war, evil, domestic abuse, human trafficking, poverty, addictions, homelessness, fracking, greed, avarice, hatred and relentless anger, soon there will be nothing left for future generations, including Nature and animals, to enjoy a peaceful existence on this special planet Earth. 

We do all have a role to play. For some it would be a very different role to play. One simple step forward is in understanding and appreciating the definition of LOVE. 

You cannot accurately or actually understand love and the power of love until you love yourself and everything about you  honestly and truthfully;  only then can you love others and other things. 

Love, unconditional love — that’s the power or energy or ideology our world needs, and our Mother Nature and Mother Earth want and need LOVE rooted in all aspects of our being. 

Talking about creating peace in our world and on our planet seems simple. Getting it done will require universal efforts. Concerned people are now crawling again by promoting a Peace Tree initiative all over the world. From crawling we need to get people to learn how to walk again. That is what is at the root of it all.

People, governments and businesses need to learn how to walk better with each other, respect Nature and the role of our Sun, moon and stars — that’s what’s at the root of it all.

I am very glad I participated in the LetLoveRulePeace initiative. It was not scary. It was not cult-like. It was not indoctrination. It was pure. It was honest. It was somewhat Woodstock-ish (no pot, no alcohol) — and, I hope all of that will be the root/route/bridge to peace in our lives and in our world that binds us all going forward.

CHEESE PLEASE!

 

Kaasschaaf - the ultimate cheese slicer

Growing up in a Dutch family likely means the kitchen included a kaasschaaf. All my life I was believing it was a Dutch invention. But, just to be sure, I did a bit of research.

The tool was actually invented by a Norwegian in Lillehammer. Thor Bjørklund patented it in 1925 and it is most prevalent in Nordic and Dutch homes. It truly is the best cheese slicer ever!

During my most recent trip to the Netherlands, we visited a cheese market in the town of Houten. A happy Dutch trio waved us over to talk cheese. While they talked, my eyes scanned the display of several types of Dutch cheeses and stopped when they saw a selection of cheese slicers. I waved one of the guys over and asked:

“hoeveel kost een van deze?” (How much for one of these?)

He answered and went on to tell me about how it works, how to hold it, how to clean it, and how to store it. He showed me various types for harder cheeses and softer ones, a shredder version and a cheese curler. Such a proud businessman and Dutchie!

When my family came to Canada in 1957, my mom packed a kaasschaaf. It was a treasure she used almost every day of her life. After her life on earth ended, I think it became a staple in my sister’s home where it is used quite regularly, and it functions equally as well as it always did. Unbreakable and maybe not as sharp, but it works incredibly well for being nearly 90 years old.

I have owned knock-off versions with terminal lifespans,  but always wanted an authentic.  There I was in Houten, feeling educated and standing tall and proud in a cheese market, buying myself a brand new  kaasschaaf , an authentic kaasschaaf — I will covet it and smile from the heart each and every time I use it, as I carry on a legacy that began in Norway and continues to be, for me, a symbol of Dutchness! 🇳🇱 

SCREAMING YELLOW

 

FINDING YELLOW

On one of my vacation days I took a tram to a stop near VoldenPark in Amsterdam. I was meeting my brother and his wife at the park’s restaurant called The Groot Melkhouse. Of course I arrived early.

Always wanting to maximize the use of my time, I sat patiently on a black bench, in front of the entrance, along side the cycling and walking paths. I enjoy people watching, and there’s always something specific to notice.

This time I seemed to be watching bicycles of all types: single gear, multi gear, electric, eclectic, big, small, cargo, folding, tandem, retro, modern, fast or slow, being cycled alone, in pairs or groups. But, all delightfully quiet, enjoying the fresh air and nature during a leisurely ride, or getting to a store, appointment, a job, a visit or to get to a bus, tram or train. In Amsterdam there just is no better way to get around. 

I seemed to become fixated on the occasional  yellow bicycle. When a sea of bicycles dominate the colours black or grey, a bright, beautiful colour really catches the eye. 

Yellow is stimulating. I have always loved yellow. Bright. Cheery. Pleasant. Fresh. Friendly. Uplifting. I often hear my inner self say: “I love yellow!” And, on that occasion in VoldenPark, I also heard my whole self remind me that: “I love cycling too!” 💛 🚲 

Peace Tree Connects Us

PEACE COMES WHEN WE CONNECT

On Friday August 8, 2025 I was in Amsterdam to attend the first ever Peace Tree planting ceremony on the east side of this beautiful city in the country of my birth.

I think we can all agree that our world is in a mess, a huge human-made mess. From wars to lawlessness, Acid Rain to climate change, pollution, avarice, greed, selfishness, autocracies, atrocities, to homelessness, human trafficking, domestic violence — these are but a few examples. The sadness, harm, anger, anxiety and hopelessness continue to grow as our planet slowly withers away towards oblivion AND human populations dwindle. 

An amazing group of conscientious believers in an awakening of all people, organized this well attended peace tree planting ceremony. It is a real Sequoia tree, a tree that stands tall and proud, with strong roots embedded into the earth. Its long, far reaching seeded branches metaphorically welcome and encourage all to stand up, be aware, be alert, become earth nurturers, with feet embedded onto the fertile earth. The participation and commitment become the metaphor of the power of the tree and each person personifies the power of the seeds that they sow in the name of a new peaceful beginning to life and living.

I do know some mainstream thinking people cannot get their heads around connecting human reality with Nature. With a little effort to realise the planet was formed by a magical or mysterious process that enabled humans, plants and animals to exist here with each other and because of each other, the ability to save our planet for many more future generations to enjoy is within our hands.

So what does any of this have to do with peace? To me peace isn’t just limited to ending the war or the heinous human mentality to problem solving. 

Evidently war is an atrocity I need not explain. The war to end all wars failed for many reasons including avarice and greed, selfishness, jealousy, envy, hatred, disrespect, and disconnection. By “disconnection” I mean refusing to remember the Earth is for humans, plants and animals to coexist, not only within their unique identities but with each identity together connected as one peaceful grouping on planet Earth. 

War has clearly done more to increase worldly problems than to decrease them. Heinous crimes are no different. We need to stop moving forward along the same path.

So this brings me back to the international Peace Tree initiative. In a way, for me as a lifelong mainstreamer,  August 8, 2025 has been like a “born again” awakening. 

A new tree is ready to grow anew. The goal is to get new trees planted as Peace Trees all over the world in the hopes that their symbolic power will positively impact our Earth enabling many more generations to exist here in peace as was originally intended.

I kind of got my first feeling about the mysterious power of the tree world, for example, whenever I would walk or cycle within forests, stop, stand still and listen. Then I would meditate, talk out my anger, disappointments, challenges, and accomplishments, and feel feedback for as long as I stood there or sat there, and beyond. It was magical forest therapy and I kept it to myself.

In my many years of living near, and interacting with, indigenous people and attending indigenous events, it took me a very long time to agree that there really is something real about a human connection with Nature but, also, with animals. All pet owners will agree. 

Indigenous people take it to a similar level with their firm beliefs in actual communication with animals in the wildlife kingdom. Initially that concept was very hard to understand for this white woman. But, I gave that a try once when I was noticing a community of bald eagles often hovering over my house in Maple Ridge. I would often stop what I was doing to welcome them with my arms raised. If I had something heavy on my mind I would release it, kind of throw it upwards, and felt some kind of guidance come back. It was weird but effective. I have never shared that with anyone until now.

Why now? Well this Peace Tree initiative included a fabulous story from an elder about the power of the Eagle. It confirmed my personal experience. Now I am ready to tell the world: peace comes when we connect. 

To extend that concept of connectivity to more down to earth unpeaceful examples, consider the life of a spouse subjected to a life of misery due to domestic violence. Their existence is by no means peaceful; but, when we connect with them, offer them counselling, housing, food, career planning etc, we help to bring peace to their lives. That is the power of connectivity.

Similarly, when we bring injured animals to a veterinarian or wildlife sanctuary, we connect with the injured animal world to bring peace to their existence on this Earth. That is the power of connectivity. 

We impact Nature in our actions and deeds. Nature impacts us. We impact animals and animals impact us. Through peaceful connectivity, we learn to get along. That is the power of connectivity.

So back to the symbol of the tree as an altar or gathering place, a restorer of growth and courage, with its roots holding it steady and firmly in the ground and its top growing high up into SkyWorld, its branches reaching out and swaying, spreading seeds and standing alongside other trees, all animals and all people, in unity — one mind, one heart, one spirit: that is the true power of connectivity.

We can emerge from the errors of our ways. Be they homebased human mishaps, mistakes, misunderstandings, or within communities, governments and nations, fresh starts are the answer.

At the root of it all, together, when connected, we can grow anew.