Joyce in the mts.

Community Organizers: another viewpoint

2008-09-04T10:59:00.008-05:00

I didn't watch the RNC circus last night... I sensed it would not be a good thing and that my stomach just was not going to take it well, so I opted for some mindless drivel, which was a good move. I managed to sleep well and I don't think I would have had I watched Gov. Palin speechify.

What I've read and surmised from online sources this morning... really scares me.

The quote from Dickens, A Christmas Carol, comes to mind: "Are there no workhouses; are there no prisons?". This was Scrooge's response to "community organizers" seeking donation for the poor.

Last night community organizers were equated with irresponsibility and radicalism by Gov. Palin in her speech.

Working for a faith-based nonprofit that offers (and people really know they can count on us to give them support with dignity) support and aid to individuals and families who are in tough ongoing or temporary financial situations, I consider myself to be a part of what was dismissed by Gov. Palin last night as irresponsible and radical. I worry that our sources of donations will fall not just because of having less disposable income to donate, but because of the truly irresponsible words that Gov. Palin used last night about the work that people like me, do.

I don't know that I am a community organizer per se, but as a parenting support worker I help women and families to connect with resources, as well as offer practical resources so that kids can have the basics and parents can feel just a little bit of relief, get some contact with peers and not feel so isolated or alienated by their circumstances, whether those circumstances are temporary or ongoing. I feel that this and the grant work I've done, as well as the outreach I've done have been devalued and blown off by the RNC.

And you know...I've been very poor; I've been homeless and pregnant (and married at the time). I've watched my husband struggle to make things work when no one would hire me, a pregnant woman. I've slept in condemned houses, dodging the police who would have arrested us had they caught us sleeping in those houses- it came close a couple times. I've been on food stamps. I've experienced gratefully receiving food baskets for the holidays for our family. I've received the government commodities. We've worked our way through these things to get to where we are now in our middle age and it didn't happen because of a miracle; it happened because folks in the community cared and helped us to get education, training, etc. It also happened because of the union my husband was a member of at the time. We had motivation, yes, but we didn't do it alone.

Those to whom the words and works of Jesus- y'know that community organizer who irritated the heck out of the "Republicans" of his time- were an irritant, also attacked him and feared the strength of his message: "Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me." And of course we know how that legend ended, with execution at the hands of those Jesus could have actually helped find their own power to take it back... they chose to free the thief instead of show compassion for the one who cared about them. Fools, but I guess it was only human nature, just as poor and low income folks keep voting for the Republicans.

Knowing that the RNC attacks the strengths of their enemies, I am not surprised by Palin's willingness and enthusiasm for being used to spread her/their mental unease with others' vulnerability, which they mistake for weakness. They've pulled up their idealogical drawbridge to preserve their white privilege and keep the reality of the experience of the drone classes at bay so that they won't trouble their beautiful minds. They've made clear that they use their women- who are only too willing to comply and submit- for personal gain. They see the rest of us as drones and if poverty overtakes us and we become ill and die, well, that is one less mouth to minimally nourish- all the more to keep in their pockets. They don't intend on ever allowing the drawbridge to stay down and for some of us to actually gain access- not even through hard work and education- anymore.

This really is the ACTUAL war on our culture now- it's clear (and I know for many it was clear all along) and it's blatant now. It's blatant class warfare now.

If these unethical, hypocritical people gain the White House again, I am truly frightened now about what they will do. I am not alone. I spoke to my nearly 80-year old mother this AM and her first words to me were about Sara Palin and John McCain. She is very angry, frightened and worried. She wrote a letter to the editor that she will send in probably tomorrow and she knows she may be harrassed and/or shunned because of it and she doesn't care. She's going for broke about this.

I guess I would say now, that I work motivated by my "radical" compassion for others. And I will hold my head up today and go to work, and offer my respectful service to those whose tenuous and difficult positions I am not so removed from that I don't remember walking in those shoes. And I will look up at the wall that is opposite my desk at work at the simple wooden carving of Jesus sitting at the table with hands open toward a couple of folks, offering them bread. I will remember that we are all here to feed one another in the community, however we can, by our gifts, talents, skills and other resources shared with open hands.

If this is supposedly a Christian country as so many like to profess, then the open-hearted, open-minded and open-handed spirit of Christ should be permeating all that we do. But these right-wing people want to promote Jesus as being in "WAR MODE" as I read in one of the now-scrubbed sermons from a church in Wasilla, AK. That outlook twists the point Jesus' life and twists his own words and deeds too, if one believes the Bible; if one is Bible-believing like Sara Palin professes.

I will not forget the intentions of McCain and Palin to spread that idealogical corruption to twist, devalue, dismiss and plant seeds of distrust of the role of "community organizer" and those who walk the walk of helping others. Y'know McCain probably doesn't even believe a word of it, but is willing to do ANYTHING to win.

Today I've had a radical awakening. I will be a community organizer for my candidate and continue that tradition of caring for my country, beginning in my own back yard. Which brings to mind: "Love your neighbor as yourself".

Bless Her Heart...

2007-05-29T10:06:00.000-05:00

So... Cindy Sheehan has given up.

I suspect that the anti-war movement for which she was a vociferous advocate, was a part of a process of grief. I have to, as a person who has processed grief myself more than once, wonder if her process is complete or nearing completion (though I know from losing my own only sibling, that for mothers- my own mother included- the pain and the loss never really completely processes).

The trouble is, that part of Mrs. Sheehan's personal process may have been to come to the truth, which is: that her son (bless him) served and died for nothing- for NOTHING legitimate, for nothing but GREED and that he along with my cousin Seth, and so many other precious members of our service, were caught up in this action of war for LIES. These service people are truly serving for nothing for there is little of our country left that is recognizable in terms of noble goals and inner light. I know that not everyone will see this as I do...your mileage may vary but, remember- there are many more today, who do see it this way, than even a year ago. I sometimes believe that even my own late father, a veteran of WW2 would see it my way if he was alive today.

The straw that may have broken the camel's back for Mrs. Sheehan (and many others of us at this point) is the investment of so much hope and energy of all kinds, in the Dems, thinking they'd change things. Instead we've all found that it appears to be merely the same deep rut different day, ultimately; the Dems didn't have the courage of the majority of Americans' conviction that: the war must end now, that there has been enough American blood spilled for greed and lies.

Aside from that, I seem to remember that she'd been having some health issues earlier in the year or late last year, so perhaps there are also physical, mental and emotional exhaustion issues that she needs to pay particular attention to, as her inner resources are becoming tapped out. It's a good time for taking time for herself and I wish her rest and wellness.

Personally, I find I am vascillating: between remembering that I knew clearly that even with an '06 Dem success, that truly it would likely only be a symbolic change perhaps with some minor inroads made, but that it'd be an extremely slow, difficult and a delicate process to change the direction of this country's careening path toward the ever-approaching cliff; that it'd be but a beginning movement, a step in the right direction back from the edge of the abyss. Yeah, I am vascillating between that realistic expectation and feeling outraged at the resistance of our Dem Congressional leaders to take more actual risks (instead of making "safe" votes that are nearly meaningless), to speak out more clearly (instead of triangulating), to take more clear actions (instead of backing off), to finally get some teeth and backbone. When I indulge that outraged feeling, I remember- I KNEW this would only be a very weak wobbly beginning step at best, to try to just begin to repair what's happened. Fact is, the Republicans spent decades setting themselves up- in all kinds of ways- to take advantage of any opportunities that came along, ready to pounce and to sink in their claws, not let go once latched and establish their strength- and they succeeded...while the Dems, even with just the paper thin majority they have, are still reactive instead of proactive- too little, too late, too safe- over and over again.

So who can blame Cindy Sheehan for feeling bereft of any wish to continue on with what must feel like a pointless effort? I sure as heck don't blame her a bit. Bucking the status quo takes a toll. Feeling a sense of betrayal by those in whom one has invested trust, faith and hope...takes a toll. She is a human being like every human being- even those who are Republicans- yes, even they will eventually draw a line between themselves and the actions of the Bush administration (because I know for myself that in my community most Republicans are good people and actually, when we talk, we find we are alot more close in beliefs than even they would want to admit to. I am glad we find common ground more often than not.)

I think of Mrs. Sheehan's son Casey, and I think of my cousin Seth Dvorin- another soldier lost in this war, and I just wonder what they'd be doing today if not for their joining up out of the wish to serve after the LIHOP (let it happen on purpose)/MIHOP (made it happen on purpose...and yes, I believe it was one or the other...or both, and I don't feel a bit of hesitation saying so) PNAC's golden opportunity that happened on 9/11/01, among other reasons. I think of the ones who served and did come home, totally changed in body, mind and spirit, gradually coming to the realization that they are screwed out of any kind of semblance of normal life (let alone the benefits, care and support they deserve as they try to reintegrate)... but for the life-changing experience of (this bogus) war.

Oh I could go on and on...but I won't- on second thought I have a couple more things to say, so thanks for bearing with me just a bit further:

And yes, I know that these soldiers signed up of their own free will and I've observed how easy it is for so many to dismiss and scoff sincere expressions of sympathy and support for those who've made that decision join up, for whatever reason. I am truly amazed by that attitude of, "They knew what they were signing up for...". Doesn't mean they were no less surprised to learn that their own country sold them down the pike, even if they do know.

And just so- I know that men and women sign up motivated by many reasons...promises from recruiters about money, career possibilities, training etc...and yes, for patriotism and the wish to protect this country at a time of fear and uncertainty. Some even find self-discipline and purpose in the structure of the military, while still others are successful in avoiding prosecution for foolish acts of youthful stupidity. And yes, there are those who harbor the ugly racist reasons-- like the urge to kill "ragheads". There are so many different reasons; probably as many reasons to join up as there are soldiers.

Even so...our soldiers trust that their CIC, and We, the People have their backs- that is, when they swore to uphold our Constitution from threats foreign and domestic, they thought they could clearly trust that:

1- They'd be deployed appropriately with a clear mission.

2- They'd the proper support of all kinds, including material, to carry out that mission.

I cannot stop feeling somehow partly, even if in a tiny way, responsible for the betrayal of these trusts.

As for "Support The Troops"...it's a phrase like all propaganda, that means nothing but sounds like something/everything important and makes everyone want to do to "fit" and identify with some nebulous, impotent, inaccurate ideal that is wrapped in the flag and in patriotism. The Congressional Dems (leaders and all) had an opportunity to do the right and the wise thing, but by their actions, they might as well just put yellow ribbon magnets on their foreheads or whatever, and proceed with the big nothing that they are accomplishing with added piety. Their recent indecisive nonaction in Congress regarding this war, have just about as much significance to the soldiers, their families- and to We, the People who put their fannies in their new jobs and cushy offices- as the influence of the passing of gas in a whirlwind. That's a whirlwind, we will all reap for allowing this betrayal of trusts, regardless of our party affiliation, our intentions, our phone calls and emails to our representatives, or our fervent faithful actions in protest of war or in support of peace, or our votes- there are consequences to all of this impotence- enough to go around to everyone!

I don't honestly know whether to be angry or to give up, myself, or to gawddam- pardon my language- fight on harder. Frankly, I'd rather die than let the war/fear-mongers think they've won, that we've finally shut up and acquiesced, and now they can rape the world as they wish.

So if average me is so tired and torn on so many levels that even I can't figure out what direction to take at this point, I don't find it hard at all to imagine that Cindy Sheehan is tired, and can do no more for now, than to stop in her tracks, sit down and take a look around to see where she is and what has happened in the last several years since her precious boy died, as compared to what she's done and been able to do in that same time... and try somehow to reconcile the emptiness in any gap she may perceive in the midst of it all.

It's called feeling sick at heart and there are alot of us out here, who share that feeling. This puts me in mind of the last verse and refrain of that old song, "The Great Mandala":

"We are free now, we can kill now,We can hate now, now we can end the world.
We're not guilty, he was crazy.
And it's been going on for ten thousand years!
Take your place on The Great Mandala
As it moves through your brief moment of time.
Win or lose now you must choose now
And if you lose you've only wasted your life."

...May we all find a new balance and a renewed path onward.

The Irresistible Winds of Change

2006-12-02T10:26:00.000-05:00

As I was out walking with my dogs this AM...it was SO windy...edging up on feeling just a little dangerous.But somehow it felt totally exhilarating and empowering to me, and I could tell that the dogs felt it also- they frisked and played and smelled the wind. I watched the trees bend (there's lots of metaphorical food for thought there, for sure) in the wind.

I felt so grateful for these winds of change- they clearly illustrated the irresistible force that drives everything and every being onward through Change. I realized that if we remained in the limbo between seasons, it would be bad. So this sweeping, swooping wind bringing on the next season fully, complete with racing clouds streaking across the sky and flurry snows carried lightly upon the wind is really clearing away the old and bringing in the new energies of this season of Life.

Didn't someone say that the only constant is change?

I realized that I had the choice to be scared of this wind- which was strong and had a strong voice as it moved through the treetops. But instead I chose to connect with that strength and strong voice.

I chose to think about how it must look from above- the trees must look sort of like the fur on a giant wolf- a sort of tawny mixed color what with the white bark of the birches (my favorite), the medium color tone of the harder woods, and then the darker bark and look of the evergreen firs, pines and spruces. That mix reminds me of my beloved departed wolfmix, Manitou, whose fur was so beautiful.I imagine the winds as fingers of the Four Directions, brushing through the big wolf's fur, bending the hairs down some, as they pass through.

Then I bent down and ran my own fingers through the fur of my surviving vivacious and spry though rather elder female wolfmix, Sassafras whose fur is mostly white with some tan parts.Oh I can't tell you how good I feel this morning. I don't know why, but I do.

Wait!... Maybe I do know why- because "As Above, So Below"! Because with the November elections, the sweeping winds of change came through carrying the strengthened voice of the conviction of We, the People. I am a realist and know that at best, the newly-elected House and Senate Reps will only be able to BEGIN the process of change that we all envision. I also know that this change is as irresistible as the changing of the seasons, as irresistible as process of the rising of the Sun, its movement across the sky and its setting. I know that it is as irresistible as the Moon moving through all her phases.

Nothing lasts forever! Everything that has had a beginning also has an ending...and there is something else beyond, to come.

I truly know that there is a new season that's arriving on these strong winds of change today. It's a new season moving across the land on many levels, and moving through me too, I think. What it brings, I don't know, but I'm happy it's here.

Blessed Be...

Grandma called it Decoration Day

2006-05-29T12:21:00.000-05:00

My mother used to talk about when she was a little girl, that there was a very old family cemetary on the farm where she lived, that belonged to the family that lived there before hers. At this time of year, Mom and her siblings would go to the very old cemetary and cut the grass and put flowers on all the graves. They felt so good about doing this and members of that previous family would come back and thank them, and tell them how much it meant for them to care for the graves that way. I imagine her and her sisters weaving wreaths of spring wildflowers and gathering bouqets to put in canning jars on each and every grave, sweeping off the stones and when done, feeling it was a meaningful act and job well done.

I remember when I was a little girl, taking my father's mother to the cemetary we went to yesterday. It was a big deal, and usually was just a part of the day, complete with picnic and sometimes including an extended family gathering.

Since I have grown up and married- and even more now that my children have grown in the years passing in that familiar blur that is life- it falls to me and my husband now, to make sure my mother gets to the cemetary to decorate the graves. As I get older it is also (and perhaps just as importantly) so that I, too, can have my private moments and mental conversations with long passed loved ones and the ancestors.

The other day we took my Mom to that cemetery by the Old Friends' Meetinghouse over in the next county. We rode through the rolling green hills and smelled all those rich agricultural smells including the good smell of dirt, the pungence of sheep, cows and horses; and the scent of lilacs on the air.

Story has it that the Society of Friends were meeting one day in that simple white clapboard building among the huge pinetrees; a place that I have always loved, that is so full of peace. The native people who had supposedly been raiding heard the voices inside, suddenly came in, saw the people, felt the peace, put their weapons down and joined in. That's what the historic marker says. I imagine it as if I was there, and I am not surprised if the story is true, because there is a true feeling of peace that permeates the place.

So we planted flowers on my grandparents and my father, and my great uncle: I put pansies on Grandma because she had a HUGE flowerbed of pansies when I was just a wee girl. I also put some sweet allysum around the pansies. She was a farm wife, suffered loss of a baby girl among the half dozen children she birthed, kept a clean and beautiful homestead and could drive horses and wagon as well as any man. She was from Vermont and worked in a boardinghouse when she met my grandfather. I think of a youthful picture of her, with upswept hair and turned up nose, and I see parts of my face there and in turn I see some of Grandma's features in my daughter's face.

We put geraniums on the great-grands. Great-Grandpa was so tall and Great-Grandma was so petite in a very old picture I have of them taken outside in the flower garden. I have marveled at them, their faces showing the hard work they had done for a lifetime. Beautiful bright red geraniums for them.

I bought some verbena, some in red, some in white and some in a purply blue color, to put on my dad who was in WW2...who like the guys in Iraq today, did what he was told- including some stuff that haunted him throughout the rest of his life- stuff that screwed him up and stuff that "leaked out" on my mom, my sister and I.

I put beautiful marigolds with sunset colors and a pansy in similar colors on my grandfather, a very severe Quaker (or so I remember from Dad's stories), whom I never knew. My great Uncle Dave who couldn't deal with how his days unfolded- perhaps because of chronic ill health; i don't know for sure- took his own life and I always put flowers on his grave to acknowledge his pain and to lift his spirit...some fragrant verbena with the lovely smell and some sweet allysum, to remind him of the sweetness of life.

It is always wonderful to get to the cemetary and see that someone has been there ahead of us, planting geraniums or whatever flowers they chose. We add our plantings to theirs to create an expanded picture- depicting our honor, and love and gratitude for these generations who laid the foundation for our lives with their own. We decorate the graves to show our remembrances of our beloved deceased.

I always feel so good in that peaceful place by the Quaker Meeting House and it feels so good to decorate the graves. As we drive away, I wish I could stay longer, and I am also hungry for lunch during which we reminisce about those who have gone on before... and I remember fondly how my Grandma Addie used to call it Decoration Day.

Sustenance Means Alot of Things...

2006-04-06T08:27:00.000-05:00

Well, tonight I will be attending a meeting of women interested in midwifery with my friends/sisters, Mary M. and Lisa C., ...this will be such a wonderful opportunity for me, since I trust that I can make it to midwifery training myself and need to keep my motivation up.

I am going to be 48 this fall. I am not afraid of being too old to do this. I've been tired of feeling isolated for so many years, now, and last year a blessing came to me: the courage to reach out to Lisa and Mary in the work they began together forming Adirondack Council for Birthing Women (http://www.adkbirths.com/ ) . It was every bit of courage I had to reach out to them, but I had to. They filled me in on a conference that was coming to the area last year, and I went- it was my return to the field of Birth.

A year has passed since I met Mary and Lisa at that local conference titled, "Promoting Normal Birth", sponsored by Greater Adirondack Perinatal Network (GAPNet). They are both doulas and childbirth educators, and launching toward their midwifery education/training very soon. I am relatively new to Doula work, but am trained in both birth doula and postpartum doula work, anticipating certification through CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professionals Association, http://www.cappa.net/ ) for Postpartum doula work, in early '07- Am trusting I can complete the work toward birth doula certification later that year or maybe early the next. I have been trained by Penny Simkin, doula trainer for DONA International ( http://www.dona.org ) also...as a birth doula, but have not had the opportunity to practice that yet, but trust I can do so later this summer, for the first time- nothing solidly planned, just a hunch. This summer I will be refreshing in a DONA International- approved birth doula training held locally, and conducted by another dynamic leader in the field of doula work, Debra Pascali-Bonaro http://www.adkbirths.com/classes.html#7 - if you are interested, inquire as recommended at the link.

So after a whole year, working with Mary and Lisa, it feels like an anniversary of sorts. They have believed in me, valued my skills and gifts and talents. They invited me to work with them and now, I am one of them- with presence on the website for the organization they founded together as co-directors : ( http://www.adkbirths.com/about.html )

Since that time I have had my first postpartum doula client, which was a thrill... and currently actively seeking another few for spring, summer and fall. I took winter off this year to complete more reading and writing required to complete the postpartum training which I am doing over a distance. I wish I had been able to afford travel to and attendance at an in-person postpartum doula training, because it would have been much quicker and maybe easier, but I will have done alot more work in the long run and I am fine with that. It feels right to me. I have invested alot of resources of all kinds in it. It's worth it.

So tonight we (Mary, Lisa and I) will go to this meeting- a group of women to the south of us, attended the Midwifery Today Conference last month and brought back lots of info!!! I am so psyched!!! This is sustenance!!!

(The following is my rant and in no way is meant to reflect or speak for either Mary, Lisa, nor represent Adirondack Council for Birthing Women)

For me (a very active political person), birth is political- mothering is political- HIGH POLITICS, in fact! If we birth in peace and raise peaceful people all over this world, there will be peace.

The power to birth is something no one can control...yet (and I am sorry if I offend by saying so...) there seem to be folks who seem to want to control it: where it happens, who is there when it happens, what happens to the baby afterwards- even in situations where nothing goes wrong. Now don't get me wrong- I CERTAINLY want there to be resources: places, ways and means- for the utmost modern medical technology to come to bear when absolutely necessary- heck that is what it is for, right?! Oh yes! I want that to be available for sure- it's only right and fair for all to have those resources available... BUT... they don't have to be manditory for every single woman!

I had two of my three children at home. That's right! And you know...it's not that I was just lucky...it was that I took charge (with my husband) of my pregnancy, my labor and my birth experiences. I realized there are NO GUARANTEES- that negative outcomes happen in hospitals all the time!

So... I did research, I didn't just trust my caregiver because she knew more than I...I looked into things before I did 'em or before I took her advice, or before I ingested substances meant to support optimum health for both myself and my baby. I questioned everything, because I wanted to have the best chance of success. I think women like me should have the option and access to care and attendants who don't have to practice underground! Home birth will never be completely eliminated and those who attend homebirths will never be stopped- there will be another waiting in line to take over, even if someone is stopped from practicing homebirth attendance.

Again...I do think that women who don't want homebirth, or need and want more structured care, should have that option- but it doesn't have to be the norm for everyone! Women are capable of determining where/how they will birth and with whom in attendance. Some things like the assumption of location of birthing, are just wrong- automatic, routine episiotomy is wrong, pseudo-support of comfort measures while undermining empowerment by encouraging and tempting with epidurals or other analgesics is just wrong. The very high C-section rate in this country is just wrong. The primary roles that the businesses and industries of birthing: Medical technology corporations, Pharmaceutical corporations and the insurance industry- have come to play in the process of birthing is just wrong. Offering and in doing so, in essence marketing free artificial substance for infant feeding to women at such a vulnerable time as just before their milk comes in, in the setting of a hospital where they may feel least powerful and able to resist, often undermining the sincere wish to breastfeed, is wrong.

Women's bodies, by and large are built to birth and feed the baby they've grown. With patience, and with the benefits of good childbirth education, and the service of a doula (long-known statistically to have great benefits and to support empowered and positive outcomes, and a role that's been around since women have been birthing), most women can birth normally, without needing "rescue" by some medical intervention. Most women can also breastfeed their newborns with support and knowledge.

Neither should women, who do choose to birth out of a hospital, be given a hard time if they must transport to a medical facility. Often these women feel punished by the attitudes of staff and doctors- why not just treat these women with respect and get on with compassionate women-centered, baby-friendly care? Anyone?

Let's work to that end...let's support and sustain our power of birthing and of breastfeeding with evidence-based education and care! Let's stand together as activists for the Peace and Power of Women!

Neighbor Ladies: Gifts of Care from the Community of Wise Women

2006-03-29T09:13:00.000-05:00

A fellow doula and friend of mine and I were reflecting just the other day about the things that influence us, and begin to mold us into the people we are, doing the work we do. Her family just celebrated the birthday of their oldest child, the birth of whom, my friend mused, was a beginning on her path to becoming a childbirth educator and a birth doula, leading ultimately to her decision to continue her path toward midwifery education within the next year.

As I reread the story below, written at the beginning of this winter, I realize that the seeds of who I am and the path I am currently walking and the goals I am walking toward today, indeed were planted long ago. Beginning with the hospital birth of my oldest child:

After reading "Spiritual Midwifery" I wished could have a homebirth at that time, yet being locked in with an OB/GYN and not knowing how to extricate myself, I just went with that hospital birth experience. It was a birth typical of that time (late '70's) and place (the south), and I learned alot. I also vowed that next time, if at all possible, I would birth at home.

A couple years later in another time and place and pregnant with my daughter I had my first homebirth experience- a good and safe experience. This led my husband and I to pick up our young family and move close to a midwife with whom I experienced an ultimately ill-timed and very brief apprenticeship, the experience of which whetted my appetite for further steps on that path one day, but not at that time.

Much too soon and too far away, my father died suddenly and I considered the timing of my pursuit. Many factors came into play, among them the heartfelt need to be nearer to my newly-widowed mother, and a deep urge to be fully present to raise my children and foster my marriage.

Once settled after our subsequent move back east and up to these mountains, I became pregnant once more but without easy access to a midwife. As prenatal care (as well as postpartum care), had been a goodly portion of my intense and brief apprenticeship experience, my husband and I teamed up to support my prenatal health. At about my 7th month we found a someone to come help us with the birthing.

She was present for just the last couple of hours, when I really needed her presence to ground me. I appreciated her presence again, as the baby crowned and was born. Then after establishing the perfection of my newborn son (who will soon be 21 years old) as well as my good health and condition, she left us to to bask in our newly expanded family.

This is the background to the story below, which expresses my deep respect both for my beloved Neighbor Ladies, and for all Neighbor Ladies who assist women, their partners and families through pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum experience:

I have been lucky enough to have received the care of the neighborhood Wise Women, to whom I lovingly refer as my "Neighbor Ladies". I gave birth to my youngest son in a tiny Adirondack community on the shores of my beloved Hudson River.

The majority of women there were elder women, with one exception- one woman, just a bit older than me, who is still my best friend.

My impending homebirth set the more elder neighbor ladies a-twitter with excitement and reminiscences of childbearing days gone by. One dear lady spoke of giving birth on the kitchen table attended at home by a doctor some decades in the past. I giggled along with another elder lady as she spoke warmly and fondly about having abundant breast milk.

My choice to give birth naturally at home was very interesting to my best friend and neighbor who had given birth surgically to her only child, a girl somewhat older than my children . This was the first time in my life that such a close friend lived right across the road from me (with her husband and their daughter). That was a special time and that friendship is still special to me.

The closer the time came to the birth, the more excitement was felt. Finally one day while taking my usual walk with my children, the first contractions drew my attention. One lady saw me stop and struggle with herding my children to my house. She came out to help me.

I still remember the feeling of relief and appreciation for my neighbors. My friend checked occasionally through binoculars (as we had discussed) from across the road to see when the midwife's car was gone. After calling to make sure all was well, she and her daughter (who stayed home from school that day) briefly visited to bring useful gifts, supportive of my choice to use cloth diapers. We all shared happy tears.

My friend had never seen a newborn baby immediately after birth because at the time of her daughter's birth, she was under general anesthesia and didn't wake up for a while from it. I was especially happy to share that small thing- seeing a newborn immediately after birth- with her and her daughter. It's a special aspect of our friendship bond.

Later that birth day, the elder neighbor-ladies, each in their turn, came by- knocking softly, bearing gifts of love and care: One lady who stopped by to see and make sure all was well, brought a lovely baby quilt in soft flannel. I cried because it was something made with her very own hands, every stitch contained care. She downplayed her gift, saying it only took her few minutes to "throw" together so it was no big deal, but she wanted to bring something. Her humility made that soft quilt all the more valuable and special in my heart.

Another brought us dinner- comfort food: enough homemade macaroni and cheese to provide dinner and also lunch the next day, so that we could all rest and just be together as a newly- grown family. Yet another neighbor lady brought her extra special homemade cookies for my other children, so they would feel special too. They brought us care, support and sustenance in many forms.

My best friend, M., still lives in that community with her husband, while I moved a few miles down the road. M.'s daughter, S. has made her a grandmother three times over, and I have felt so happy to see it all unfold.

More than two decades have passed since the birth of my son at home. Dear H. and L. are now passed away, while sweet D. is in a nursing home now. Today I am led by the inspiration and example of these Wise Women, my dear Neighbor Ladies as I, in my turn, extend care, support and knowledge along with skill and heart, to the women & families with whom I work.

So what the heck is a doula? We help people: women, their partners and families, by providing a knowledgeable, compassionate and supportive presence in pregnancy, labor and birth and beyond. We provide physical, informational, and emotional support. We try to help folks preserve their own dignity and autonomy while they navigating provider and hospital protocols and procedures. We also advocate for truly informed choice. Statistics show that doulas can help shorten labors by helping women to avoid emotional stresses, by encouraging and advocating for movement and changing of positions, and by encouraging comfort measures to be utilized to lessen the need for pain medications, often avoiding their use altogether.

I am a member of CAPPA, Childbirth and Postpartum Professionals Association and of Adirondack Council for Birthing Women ( http://www.adkbirths.com/ ) . I have also received training from DONA International. I currently work as a postpartum doula and anticipate certification in early '07, and I welcome inquiries for my services. Contact me here: http://www.adkbirths.com/contact.html

See Adirondack Council for Birthing Women's website for a fabulous doula training opportunity this July in the Adirondacks http://www.adkbirths.com/classes.html#7 with one of the most experienced and well-known doulas and doula trainers:

Debra Pascali- Bonaro http://www.midwiferytoday.com/friends/motherlove/

Register early! See you there!

My 76 year old Mother will stand with me against the war tomorrow!

2006-03-17T12:07:00.000-05:00

I am so proud and looking SO forward to standing with her at a protest on the third anniversary of the Iraq Invasion. Of course my husband will be there too...it's a local thing.

I am very sad that there IS a third anniversary of this war...makes my heart very heavy indeed. We'll stand together in memory of Seth Dvorin, our relative, who died in Iraq two years ago last month.

It's going to be cold tomorrow morning, so I warned Mom she should wear her long johns maybe, so she's not cold. She is fully aware that there will likely be those who feel compelled to insult and challenge us, but, she feels that if the anti-abortion folks can stand with their gross signs and call that murder, then she can stand against the war, which IS murder. (She recently challenged those abortion protestors about their stances on the war- she was in a mood that day)

She went to a mall yesterday and got in a big conversation with a clerk in a bookstore about Bush being SO bad for this country...very interesting. The bookstore clerk vowed to help her own nephews avoid a draft, should it ever come that in this country and my mom said that she would help make sure that her grandchildren- my kids- would avoid it too.

Wow.

I know, I know everybody feels certain that there can be NO draft ever again- but that is not the point of what I am telling you!

Point is, that my mother has become an activist!! I am SO proud of her!

...and I thought, that even though we may feel outrage-weary, that there is a whole other wave of anger building... in our senior citizens...and we can use their energy- ironic ain't it?

Summer Solstice Thoughts 2005

2005-06-22T12:31:00.000-05:00

My late Father-in-law , Van, (may he rest well) was a teacher and scientist (Chem Prof Emeritus when he retired). He would come and stay at the cabin he built on the River each Summer.

He used to make me SO mad!!! Here we are in the North Country where it is SUCH a long Winter, and as soon as there was any difference in minutes of daylight AFTER the Summer Solstice he would announce how many less minutes of light there were, reminding me that we were heading back toward the other Solstice.

I would do a slow boil. His obsession with precision about this really irritated me. (this was many years ago...) Well, now of course each Summer Solstice since he passed, I WISH I could hear him say it again- but of course, except for the memory of it in my heart, I can't. Ironic.

However, that memory reminds me that there is profoundly special power and magic and energy in each and every season, each and every Full and New Moon, each and every day. There's something to be honored and cherished even as the virile Sun King begins to mature and age, and move toward his inevitable demise. Even the Longest Night to come, has something for us to discover and cherish and carry with us to the next Longest Night, and we build, deepen and strengthen our understanding so that throughout the turning of the Wheel, we begin to anticipate each movement of the Turning.

Our celebrations, ceremonies and rituals invite us to joyfully anticipate and participate along with Nature at each next place on The Wheel of the Year in turn, and help us begin to appreciate the wealth of magic and special energy available to us in every season and day. When our anticipation of each cycle of Sun's rise and set elicits excitement, joy and celebration...well, that just means we grew to realize that every day is holy and full of potential and that it is worth making each day a celebration.

As we get older, we even value finding the magic and joy in each hour and moment. Like the Sun King joyfully and knowingly walking toward his own death on the Longest Night, we can choose to shine in the face of approaching Darkness, because we KNOW the darkness can only last just so long, and has to inevitably relinquish its' hold to the Light.

Happy Summer To All,... and Van, I miss you! I am still discovering the ways in which you continue to be a great teacher in my life! Blessed Be!

It Just IS!

2005-04-08T09:15:00.000-05:00

I was just out on my land with my Darius dog. We had just crested thetop of a hill, at the back of the "Big Loop" path where we walk daily,and Darius, my dog, stopped dead in his tracks.

I looked where he was looking and I heard movement and then there wasa four-legged. Not a deer, and more like Darius' medium size. I thinkit was a mama fox. She saw us and turned and I saw her beautiful tailand then...she turned again and I didn't see the tail- I think she was scared and her tail was 'tween her legs...Sorry, Mama Fox. I think maybe she has a den of kits and she could have been trying to lead us away from her den up further toward the back line of the land.

We didn't follow, but continued down the slope of that path to the bottom where it turns to the left and heads back out to the field. As I rounded the turn, I was hit full-on in the face by the brilliant light of the Sun shining down through the open space between the trees lining the path where the snowmelt-moistened layers of leaves (from Autumns Past) on the ground were reflecting this brilliance and making the path appear to be paved with sparkling jewels.

My eyes welled up, maybe in part, because of the bright sun shining in my eyes, yes, but also because it sure looked to me, like the Path to some Heavenly, Divine Paradise. It looked so Holy. I felt such Peace.

I realized that this planet is STILL Paradise. This thought made me wonder if the negative patterns in which humans are stuck: the tragedy, the war, the seeming endless parade of blatant hypocrisies, the thoughtless wanton rape of our environment for profit, the wasteful and pointless loss of lives, the false righteousness, ALL of it- was maybe just a shadow Reality in which we've gotten deeply and almost irretrievably mired.

It was hard to reconcile the horror and even some rage I have been feeling about politics and war and plundering the environment, devaluation of children and women and all life... to this VERY strong, VERY opposite and very, VERY beautiful Reality through which I was seeing, walking and in which I am living. So rather than wrestle with it, I just accepted that it simply IS and let go. I am not denying that things are bad and worse, but I am not going to deny, either, that there's still beauty and peace to be experienced. I choose to humbly and gratefully experience it.

I really love the wonderful way that all life moves and lives out there on the land. I love that I feel so strongly a part of it, and the planet and all Her Life. I love that I can totally trust the seasons (for now, I am still optimistic about Earth's healing ability) as, in turn, they unfold and invite me to feast my soul on the sustenance oftheir truths.

And I realized that there is already Peace on Earth, if I want to seeit and be it. It just IS.

Vernal Pools; April Fools!

2005-04-01T08:32:00.000-05:00

Well, I made my first potato salad of the season...As I said, in my last entry, it is REALLY Spring here in the mountains- and I keep awaiting Winter’s last clutching and clawing effort as it fades, but so far, nothing. I’ll take it!

I've just been so excited watching Spring unfold here. Out on my land, the garden is losing its’ blanket of snow a bit at a time. I keep wondering how my herbs wintered over under the straw I “insulated” them with for extra protection.

Our vernal pools (the seasonal pooling of melt-off from higher up on the land) are formed and forming, depending on how far back or close-in they are. Last year I put my fingers down into the water where you could see the holes from whence the water “burbled” up through. That is some very cold, pure water- cold enough to make my fingers hurt, but even so, it’s so pure and newly melted, that it felt so special and sacred to me.

There is something very spiritual about water for me- all the forms it can take depending on heat and cold; the way it will go around and tumble over obstacles, wearing them away.
I think of Niagara Falls, and the POWER of the water there.

I have stood purposefully just where that water drops from that upper riverbed. The pure POWER of that moment just before the water falls, is mind-boggling to me and so very humbling. I highly recommend a trip there if one has never been and stand JUST where the water is about to fall. Now THAT’S TRUE POWER. In fact, it puts all human machinations and attempts at power in very CLEAR perspective!

Water is an amazing thing. It is used in a variety of religious ceremonies of purification and dedication. This new Spring melt-off water in the vernal pools is very special and powerful in its’ own way, to me, just as the River (nearby Hudson River, where it is small and beautiful) is Sacred and Healing Sanctuary for me.

You'll laugh at this:
Just after dusk last night, when it was getting quite dark (it was also heavily cloudy since rain was coming, so darker than usual at that time of the evening), I was walking my Darius dog. I can walk him in pitch black darkness and he'll never lead me to any danger, so I completely trust him. Well, we came around the back end of the “Big Loop" -this is routine route that we walk several times a day for years, so we have pretty much memorized the way it goes- even in the darkness. I knew that there was a vernal pool forming there earlier in the day, but nothing I had to heavily "navigate" or try to avoid yet- it was tiny and still under some crust of snow and ice.

So we get to where that dip in the path is, where the pool was going to form and I step forward in the darkness. I feel cold water seeping into my boots and hear, *sploosh*. As I take the automatic next step forward thinking it was a step OUT of the small puddle of earlier in the day- to my surprise after the day's melt, I stepped into even deeper water.

A very deep (up to my knees) and wide pool had formed since I had last been there in the late afternoon- it was a just few hours later now.

I had been doing my verbal devotions...my prayerwork that I always do while walking. I only stopped my devotions to say, "Well, THAT's interesting!" and I laughed at myself...I mean, what a silly thing to say, right? But I was really surprised that I didn't feel angry or panicked, or upset in the least.

I thought I could see through the darkness, where snow piled up on the left side of the path and pool, so I aimed my step there, thinking it was solid ground and I could go around the pool in a step or so and guess what? That step only found that the pool got deeper... and so also wider!!!! I couldn't help but regard the whole deal with a smile...I mean...somehow it was funny to me. I giggled at what this whole scene would look like if I was watching it from another point of view.

I felt like I had received a BIG April Fool’s prank from Mother Nature, Herself! Maybe that is why I kept giggling and smiling throughout the whole thing- oddly didn’t feel anger about the frigid water in which my toes were squooshing about as I walked. I did at one point wonder if my toes would freeze, but it had nearly reached 60 degrees yesterday, so I reasoned that I would likely not have frozen toes. That was just a couple seconds’ worth of thought.

So I just continued on with my verbal devotions, included this event in the counting of my blessings- hey why not?! I took big slogging steps through the water- very cold pure, newly-birthed water from high up on our land- and with filled boots, smooshy socks and my sense of humor: figured that there was a message in it about getting my feet wet in the practical postpartum doula work ahead of me, about which I had been slightly hesitant and wondering just how to begin...couldn't miss that if I tried!

Darius and I squooshed our way back to the house. He wasn't so happy about his feet getting wet and cold either, but his feet are fuzzy to cope with such, as he is a sled dog- I call them his "snowshoes". Anyhow...that's my story.

I love the word, "vernal". I knew a lovely human being named Verna...she was like a mother to me, when I really needed one after my sister died. If you are out there somewhere, Verna...I think of you often with Love.

At my house, we consider such as potato salad to be Spring and Summer faire, but you know...in midwinter sometimes JUST to defy Winter...I will haul off and make some potato salad!

My potato salad has:

potatoes of course
eggs (I always save one out to cut in thin slices and arrange into a flower shape on top for garnish)
carrots shredded (lots)
gr. pepper (some)
One of my sons really dislikes onion, so I chop it up and make it an option for everyone to sprinkle over or not, as they choose. This time I chopped scallions since I LOVE the green part.
Mayo-olive oil-italian dressing (for the herbs in it) mixed together (trying to dilute the mayo with some olive oil every time and jazz it up with herbs- am growing oregano in my kitchen window. My indoor thyme died- it's finicky and I have a patch that I transplanted from a friends lawn, years ago, outside. I will dig more up and bring it in when it comes up again. Up here, thyme grows wild on alot of folks' lawns, and I mean covering their lawns. When they mow...it smells like heaven!)
Oh yeah I did put celery in also!
We didn't have pickles at the time so I didn't put those in, but would have.

I like to call it Kitchen Sink Potato Salad, because whatever I find in the fridge that seems right and strikes my fancy, I put in- most anything/everything but the Kitchen Sink!

Today is rainy-looking again. Well April showers bring May flowers. (You know what Mayflowers bring- dang Puritans! *wink*)

Spring Forth!

2005-03-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

Spring has sprung!

Yes, I believe it is actually Spring- even up here in the mountains! As our late, dear friend, Charles (a hermit-type fellow, who lived alone in the woods up here for many years before moving to town in his last years) used to ask, “How can you tell?!

Well, Charles, if you are reading from wherever you are (he was a VORACIOUS reader, so I suspect he actually might be reading this from Beyond), you can tell that it’s Spring here by the mud, and the song, “Oak-ah-LEE!” of the red-winged blackbirds.

And you can tell by the smell of line-dried laundry, especially the sheets! Oh yes, we took that chance- making sure the clothespins were securely holding things onto the line, so there would be minimal risk of falling in mud. And the risk paid off…wonderful-smelling, wind and sun-dried laundry!!!

Well, let me take this moment to point out an opportunity I just received a heads-up about via email, from True Majority. You can sign up to participate in a “Write-in” which is different from a “Sit-in”. It will be an online event and you find more about it here:

http://www.peacenotpoverty.org/

The event information is time-sensitive, so if you want to sign up to participate, do so immediately. But go to the above link and check it out to get the full picture of what is going on with that.

It makes reference to the speech made by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at Riverside Church, to which I have referred before:

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/058.html

It is certainly worth the read again, I have read it repeatedly and find that I learn something of value every single time I read it. It’s long, but worth the time.

On the Equinox, my husband and I attended a "Bring the Troops Home NOW!" Rally and March, which commemorated the second anniversary of the Iraq War (two years too long, if you ask me!) and it was a great experience. There were a couple hundred participants in a predominantly Republican part of upstate NY.

There was ONE counter-demonstrator. Every time he heard something counter to his ideas, he yelled, “USA! USA!” or “Thank the Troops! Thank the Troops!” I can only surmise that this was the equivalent of plugging one’s ears with fingers and singing “LALALALALA!” to avoid being faced with the facts, like a child. And he also yelled, “Thank you W!”

All I could think of was my distant cousin, who lost his life while deployed in Iraq; a very young guy (my own oldest kid’s age), who was married a week before his deployment and never really got to experience married life or children, and I also think of his mother and her loss…but you have heard all this before, so I won’t bore you. As a mother and someone who LOVES children and has devoted a good deal of my time and energy to caring for children (mine and in the community via school and Head Start), I also thought of all the traumatized children in Iraq, who’ve been orphaned, and the mothers whose children have been killed. (Whom shall we thank for all that?)

On another note:

I was out on the land this morning and I did my usual prayers, and then
I just couldn't help myself and burst into songs. Of course, I ended
up with Amazing Grace (a great song that contains a lot very nice thoughts- “When we have lived ten thousand years, bright shining as the Sun…” a GREAT thought!), thinking of teachers and friends and loved ones who have gone on Beyond, and all the great folks with whom I have had the chance to meet and talk, and also with whom I have had the pleasure of sitting and sharing.

It was a very good experience. It felt very good.

I guess it's Spring inside me too. Must be that seeing the ground
truly beginning to significantly thaw, and seeing the places where
Life is being exposed- underneath trees where the snowmelt is
uncovering tiny green plants like partridge berry which returns to Life
each year, triggers this Spring time thaw in my soul too.

There is fertile ground in my mind to grow crops for good in my world.
Just as when the sun comes up and I again awake from sleep, alive and
breathing, I know that opportunity is renewed, regardless of the day
before and where I got caught up in drama. It doesn't matter because
this is a new day unfolding; just as this is a new season stepping
forward.

So just as I am grateful watching the former seasons roll along, I am
grateful for this one too. With each passing year of my Life I see
more and more ways in which All Truth Is In Nature, to be true.

It's such a comfort, knowing that everything has a beginning, and that
everything has its' time, and then that everything has an end. It helps
me to know, that even what unthinkable, unspeakable things are
happening in our world daily and even yearly, that even those things too
must come to an end… which means, another new beginning, full of opportunities.
Spring forth! Do your will!

From Dead Wood, New Life!

2005-02-08T13:45:00.000-05:00

I have had some writer's block going on along with a stomach bug. It has been frustrating as so many things have come to pass:

Both Condoleeza Rice and Alberto Gonzales have been approved for their respective positions. The good news has been how many reps voted in opposition to these appointments. Their votes didn't amount to enough to prevent the approval of these folks for their appointments, but the record shows a considerable Voice of concern and opposition spoke out.

More good news: Barbara Boxer has done her best to serve the People. My most hearty thanks to her for risking taking an unpopular, but just and necessary role in the process, and in speaking Truth to Power. I admit I am somewhat envious of those whom Sen. Boxer represents, while Sen. Clinton continues to dismay and perplex me. But maybe there's some strategy in Sen. Clinton's actions to which I am not privy...or maybe the strategy is advantageous to her own gain, with little to do with serving the People. Again, I am perplexed.

It's been a year:
My heart goes out to Sue Neiderer and Richard Dvorin, parents of Seth Dvorin, a young soldier killed by IED about a year ago in Iraq. I didn't discover my relationship with Seth, a distant cousin of mine, till his death came to light in my extended family. I finally made contact with Seth's mother by phone a while ago. She is a no-nonsense, courageous woman, whom I admire and support in her efforts to bring to light the plight of our STILL inadequately-protected and under-equipped troops in Iraq to prevent more death and loss. One always hopes and trusts that there is some purpose that can emerge from such tragedy.

I take a special joy (though I cry every time) in Sue Neiderer's acts of Speaking Truth to Power. She was arrested at a Bush campaign event for challenging Laura Bush's praise of her husband's leadership in the War. I have read a large number of the interviews Sue has given and gotten a much more complete picture of what danger and frustrations Seth was facing upon his return to Iraq after coming home on leave. He was angry with the lack of necessary equipment and took his commitment to bringing all those under his guidance, home safely. And that is what Sue Neiderer spoke of at the protest of the Inauguration aired on C-SPAN2 (thank heavens for the CSPAN channels): Bring The Troops Home Safely Now!

As the first anniversary of Seth's death passed I wanted to acknowledge him, and his commitment to bringing our troops home safely, so I echo that thought and implore our representatives to Speak out for a speedy return of our troops to avoid more unnecessary losses. Considering an article I read last week said that our troops' vehicles were still not armored, nor did our troops yet have the IED trigger-jamming equipment necessary to avoid deaths like Seth's, I feel it is important to continue to give voice to this shame- that the Pentagon, with it's HUGE budget, still won't provide proper equipment. Here it is a year after Seth's death, and our troops are still unnecessarily vulnerable, risking life in harm's way without proper support.

This is so very troubling. Good thing that Nature is merciful and the weather has been so warm and sunny as to distract from the more troubling aspects of our National and International picture, though these things are never far from my thoughts. Up here in the mountains it's been Spring-like weather of late. Temps have gone up the 40's and even the 50's. The sun has been strong and warm.

My husband and I have visited our beloved River more often than usual at this time of year. The healing vibes of Her waters restore some peace. The cheerful birdsongs I have heard have lifted heavy thoughts. My gratitude for this warm stretch and the break from winter's usual harshness is deeply felt.

Today, I have felt quite a bit better after a day or two under the weather with the aforementioned stomach bug. I took great pleasure in walking with one of our four-legged companions today out on the land. It was drizzly, and still rather spring-like. You could see the moisture hanging close to the ground.

I was struck by a sight as I entered the area I call "The Grove" which is ...well...a grove...of balsam firs, which smell heavenly. It is carpeted with partridge berries and mosses, as well as being home to "Indian Pipes" which are wonderful-looking and aptly named.

It is sort of a contemplative space, and I walk through there with the dogs pretty regularly unless there is too much snow. It is surrounded by some remaining tangle of down wood from when the land was logged several years ago, before we acquired it.

Just where the path enters The Grove, I spotted some exposed remaining down wood. It was small and dead-looking wood, out of which a sapling had sprouted and had an alive, green look to it. It simply struck me, in the moment of noticing it, how Nature will always have her way; that Life will always come from that which dies and nourishes it, but that it actually does take death to release nourishment.

This put me in mind of both the continuing message through his mother, of Seth Dvorin that it is imperative to bring home the troops safely ASAP, and also the message that with the rise of Howard Dean as leader of the Democratic Party, Life may still be found, sprouting green and new, from what appears to be old, dead and rotten wood. May that dead wood of the DNC-past, our once-strong party, be revived by strength of hidden, forgotten roots reaching down even more deeply into all truly nourishing and nurturing Democratic ideals: Free Speech, Equal Rights for All, Healthcare, Shelter, Help for the Needy, Protection of Our Children, Women's Right to Choose, Education, True Social Security.

I may be a cock-eyed optimist, but I believe that we can again with Howard Dean's dynamic and solid leadership breathe life back into the Democratic Party and offer true opposition to the creeping fascism seen daily taking root via the White House. Let's Take Back OUR country to promote and protect Democracy For America- as a song says, "...not just for some, but for everyone!".

Then perhaps we can once more, take our place among nations with which we once enjoyed mutual respect and good will.

Tell It On The Mountain! Tell YOUR Senators to VOTE NO on Rice & Gonzalez!

2005-01-25T17:20:00.000-05:00

URGENT!

Doesn't matter if they are Republicans...let 'em know YOU ARE WATCHING! They represent YOU...so tell 'em to VOTE NO on Rice and Gonzalez!

Go here to find the contact info for your Senators:

http://www.senate.gov/ and click on the red "Senators"
button on the left.

Thank you SO very much!

A Week To Remember

2005-01-18T13:35:00.000-05:00

This is a potent week, with below zero temperatures here in the mts., and deep cold around other parts of the country. The very cold temperature really demands my attention in every moment that I am walking out on the land. Even the dogs find long walks not as much fun even though they wear “fur coats”.

It’s a week to pay close attention to the fire, as we do our best to keep the house warm enough to avoid freezing pipes, and other discomforts that can come about. So my awareness is keenly focused on the fire and on keeping our water, liquid.

This week is also potent considering the significant events contained therein: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday and the Inauguration.

As imperfect and human as he was, Dr. King embodied true leadership and genius. Recently, my husband found a speech given by Dr. King, on April 4, 1967, at Riverside Church in NYC. Its title was: “Beyond Vietnam: Breaking the Silence”. Dr. King spoke at that time to a gathering of the group, Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam. This group had made a statement previously, containing the following words: “A time comes when silence is betrayal.”

When he considered those words, Dr. King says he was in agreement with the sentiment. He had found that the time had indeed come for him to break the silence if he was to keep his integrity intact.

Here is the speech: http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/058.html Go to the link and read it. It is very long, but there is NOTHING in this speech, long as it is, that does NOT apply to our current misadventure in Iraq. I have to ask myself today after spending the day yesterday contemplating Dr. King’s words and ideas, if we have perhaps reached this same “fulcrum” moment again, this time regarding the Iraq war.

Mr. Bush wants us to accept that the moment of accountability has passed and that his so-called "election victory" proves it; that the American people have ratified the war and policies contained therein. But I won't give up my right to ask the hard questions of myself and I encourage others to reject these easy answers Mr. Bush would like us to accept. Look within for your own answers, as Dr. King did.

"A time comes when silence is betrayal."

Is this the moment when we MUST take responsibility for what we know? Could it be true that this is the moment when we have to admit that we know enough to know better than to remain silent- in the face of all the obfuscation, ever-changing reasoning, outright lies, and half-truths promoted by the media on behalf of the administration and accepted by fellow citizens as good (?) reasons to lay waste a country full of communities like our own; communities made up of elders like our own grandparents, families like our own, children like our own?

Has the time finally come to reject silence and its' insidious, implicit acceptance of America’s National Might reducing Iraq to so much rubble, swept away by EQUAL tyranny to any committed by Saddam Hussein, and stamped with the prideful: “Made in the USA” label? Lest righteousness overtake honesty, we must admit: Americans, some of whom serve the current administration, installed Saddam Hussein, a petty dictator. See: http://www.subliminalnews.com/archives/000019.php

My husband found a stream of the aforementioned and above-linked lesser-known King speech last night online at an alternative radio station website. I was grateful to hear the recording of Dr. King delivering this speech. I hope you will take some time today or whenever you have the chance, to read it at the link I provided. Feel free to take breaks to really allow the words to percolate and infuse your day and being with their meaning.

Thanks for reading this and the speech. I have actually posted the link here before (see “Down by the Riverside”), but find that this speech becomes more and more relevant, the deeper this administration takes the US into the abyss of war, possibly without end, for profit. Yes, there IS a time, when silence becomes betrayal and (I add) complicity.

Ironically, Mr. Bush made a speech praising Dr. King and his work. See here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/01/20050117-2.html
Yes, Mr. Bush spoke well of Dr. King, and spoke with conviction about Civil Rights, and yet claimed his recent so-called election victory having disenfranchised hundreds of thousands of Americans- many of color- AGAIN!

Empty words, Mr. Bush.

Let’s remember too, that the cost of the upcoming Inaugural “doings” could have fed many, sheltered many who are homeless, cold and hungry this winter, here in the most wealthy country on Earth.

For shame, Mr. Bush.

“A time comes when silence is betrayal.”

Whom does the silence betray? American troops and their families, our children, and ourselves.

May we each find the true and courageous leader within ourselves and (continue to) speak out at every opportunity, because from where I sit, it doesn't look as though we have much more to lose...except our integrity, the future, and any chance for peace on the planet.

SNOW DAY!!!

2005-01-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

I can remember so clearly the feeling of excitement and anticipation as a winter storm approached that might make a big enough mess, to close down school when I was a kid. Our bus route covered a lot of miles daily, in my elementary school days, traveling old back roads used by stagecoaches and wagons in days of yore, which were quite treacherous in winter. Then when I was in high school, the bus also traveled the relatively new highway, to get to our new high school a few towns over.

In the days when my sister and I were both in school- me in the local elementary school and she at the old high school- we would wake up to listen to the school closings on the radio, in rapt silence awaiting the name of our school district. Only one station carried school closings in those days. Today I can find school closings in the online version of our local newspaper and TV station websites.

Upon hearing our school district named among the closed schools, my sister and I would “toast” one another with a chocolate chip cookie each (our mom baked cookies every week), celebrating our lucky snow day. When I had my own children, I cheered right along with them, if there was a snow day also!

So here we were, Wednesday night, anticipating some “weather”, a term used at any time of year, referring to something other than calm, clear skies in whatever season. In winter, of course, this term means some form of precipitation, and the attendant road conditions.

So preparations got under way before the weather came: more wood was brought inside, to make sure if extreme weather came there would be less need to go out into it, and the snow blower was tested to make sure it was in working order should we need to actually use it to get our driveway cleared. Then we went to bed, hoping for that phone call early the next morning signifying our good luck: a snow day called!

My husband is an educator at a regional vo-tech/alternative high school, and commutes around 40 miles one way, daily to his job. So even if the weather close by to our home is bad, the high school where he works may not close, and he will still have to make the messy drive to work. BUT if the significant school systems nearby to his job close, then the facility itself will close!

We held that good thought! This would be the very first snow day if they did close. There had been at least one day when school was postponed a couple of hours to give highway crews time to clear things up a bit and make the drive more safe, but so far, no snow days.

Our sons, who are ski technicians at the local ski center, already had the next day off per their work schedule, so they were rooting for their dad to have the day off too, of course- doesn’t everyone love a day off? A scheduled day off is wonderful, but an unscheduled day off is like finding hidden treasure!

Yesterday, 6 AM: Brrring! The phone rang with the message that indeed my husband’s school was closed. In this case, our nearby local schools were not closed, but those in the area of my husband’s work were! Yee Haw!

You might think we went back to sleep to luxuriate and savor the newly declared day off, snuggle down and enjoy this newly won free day. Not so!

We arose, and did all the usual stuff, because our dogs, being creatures of habit, still expected their walks and so on. But our assertion of freedom was that we did everything more slowly, in as relaxed a manner as we chose- because we COULD!

We took our time drinking coffee and hanging out. We took a couple extra minutes walking dogs to check out the snow, let the beasts roll around in it if they wanted to. We both noticed that though it was time for the sun to rise, and the sky to lighten up, it was actually not getting too much lighter. We just took extra time to be present in this extra day of freedom.

We sure made good use of the day too, taking advantage of it to go to town and do a couple loads of laundry. Yes, in this day and age, we still do not have our own personal washer and dryer at home and do our laundry in the local Laundromat. The couple who run the place are old friends, so we always have time to “swap howdies” with them. They are good folks.

We stopped in at the hardware store to pick up some necessities and saw the owner’s new pup- a very sweet Lab who already knows how to “sit”- what a good girl! We went to the supermarket, and laid in supplies, choosing to make a big turkey dinner, knowing that using the oven would heat up the house too.

When we got home, we hung out a bit and then took long luxurious naps. It was really nice to just sprawl out, and snooze. When we were both awake again, we put the turkey in to cook, and while it cooked, we took a walk out on the land.

It was still snowing, and there had been some icy patches to be aware and careful about when walking dogs out there over the last week or so. We chose to take walking sticks with us, to give us both the capability of being “tripods” if we needed to be, to help us be safer.

I was sad that I could not see the distant mountains across the valley, as the falling snows obliterated their existence like a veil draped over, but I still knew those mountains were there. Today will be a different story, as it is sunny and clearing. I imagine that today’s view will appear to have had powdered sugar sprinkled over it.

We observed the newly down trees that have fallen this winter, as we took a path not usually on the daily dog-walking itinerary. We took the path that goes back beyond the usual routes, back to where larger hardwood trees live and the larger softwoods often fall down, twisting and breaking off partway up their trunks. I don’t know what makes them fall…age, the wind, or what. I suspect a combination of things come to bear upon them.

We saw lots of woodpecker drilled tree parts. And the beech leaves, which stay on their branches, might as well be amplifiers; they “speak” quite loudly and tend to “overstate” whatever is going on: the wind’s rustling or the impact of the precipitation as it hits them. They do make one take note of what is happening though, calling us to pay attention.

One thing we saw which has been of note this year, is the water that continues to run throughout this winter. We have not seen this in other years, except come spring, when the melt-off forms seasonal brooks, babbling away, clear and clean, and cold as you can ever imagine.

There, underneath the snow in a few places, is running water, which has not, to our awareness, run in winter before. But then, we have not had such a mild winter in years either. Christmas was not exactly white, but not exactly brown either- depending on where you were around here.

It is an El Nino year, so that is something to consider in our musings, as well as the extremes that are elicited by global warming (as perceived by the reality-based community, of which I am a proud member).

So with our yummy turkey dinner, and subsequent baking of chocolate chip cookies by my younger son, we closed out our first snow day of the season with as much zeal and savoring of the freedom and opportunity it provided, as any snow day we experienced as children growing up. Today we awakened to Friday (TG’dessIF: Thank Goddess it’s Friday!) having enjoyed yesterday as a bonus “free day”!

Early this morning I saw in the semi-darkness just before the sun peeked over the mts, the very last crescent smidgeon of the moon- very beautiful. It was exposed as the clouds were clearing away.

The New Moon is Monday January 10, according to my calendar; a very auspicious time to “plant seeds” for goals you might like to see progressing or even fully manifested by the Full Moon (which is the 25th of this month). A former teacher used to encourage us to plan/plant goals at the New Moon. Try it! You never know!

I wish you a “snow day”, a bonus day, for some fun, to catch up with sleep, and of which to take advantage to it’s fullest to experience your world and all it offers!

Letting Go Of 2004

2004-12-31T13:48:00.000-05:00

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,And days of auld lang syne?
And days of auld lang syne, my dear,And days of auld lang syne.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,And days of auld lang syne?
-Robert Burns

The last year has been full: I cherish our friends old and new- online and in real life- and family too. I am so grateful. And Nature has been generous in sharing her beauty. The seasons have made their procession, and they continue, into the New Year.

I admit that I find release of 2004 difficult, even though I know that everything that has a beginning also has an end. I would LIKE to invest in gladness to be rid of the old year so I can welcome 2005, with all its’ potential.

Even though I know everything has its’ time, I still have some tough moments releasing this year and welcoming the next. All that has been witnessed over the last year, and the emotions about those events are tough:

In 2004 we witnessed continuing war that has no apparent end even though “Mission Accomplished” was declared. I lost a distant relative in the Iraq war, nearly a year ago. We are related through my grandmother. His name was Seth, and his mom and dad loved him as much as any parents love their children. When Seth died, I received the information through the family “grapevine”. His death hit me hard because my own son is the same age. I did not even know that Seth existed till he was gone since our connection is distant through my grandmother and his great-grandfather.

You can read about Seth here:
http://www.retrogrouch.net/MT/archives/000369.html

Yes, Seth and all soldiers involved, signed on for their duty, but they signed on trusting their honor would be upheld by care taken in making sure there was ACTUAL cause to make war. OK…’nuff said about that.

Then there is the so-called “election”. What is left to say about that? There are plans under way for protest: http://www.nogw.com/protests.html

In addition to the tragedies of war and of voter disenfranchisement, we have a HUGE tragedy in the aftermath of the recent earthquakes that triggered tsunamis, leaving more than a hundred thousand people dead, and vulnerable to disease.

Yet, even with the scientific evidence, do we understand that the planet is the only one we’ve got; that global warming does not create only warming of climate, but causes extremes of all kinds? Can we ever accept that humanity in its’ curiosity and brilliant creativity, took discovery and invention and resources and contributed directly to the cause of the extremes we see unfolding? A wise woman I know, has adapted “All for One and One for All”, to express the truth of interdependence of all Life with one another and with this beautiful, spinning blue-green jewel planet, upon whose very flesh we are sustained.

There are ways to contribute to helping survivors to get assistance as basic as clean water, food and shelter, and every bit helps and makes a difference for someone. From the Red Cross website:

“You can help those affected by this crisis and countless others around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance, and other support to those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the International Response Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.

Also Doctors Without Borders is helping, so check them out and see if there’s a way to help ‘em out: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

Please help…every little bit helps.

Perhaps giving and helping are the best actions to take, in order to let go of 2004, the pains and the joys alike, so that we can move on to 2005 ready to meet the challenges ahead- by giving of our resources when and where they can do the most good today, whether that is in our own neighborhood or further out into the world-at-large. One for ALL and All for ONE! Maybe our best help for embodying the change we wish to see in this world, is hanging at the ends of our own arms…our own two hands, reaching out, touching, helping, extending.

Now there have been joys…yes, giving and receiving are both joyous. The holidays have been a great opportunity for experiencing both. The baking, the cooking, and the gathering together, gifting, sharing have all been wonderful so the theme continues…giving is the way home.

There is a time for everything and so at this time, I share these words from another wise woman, from whom I have learned a lot- from her writing, titled “Moving On”, Alloday says:

“…We are not meant to settle in,
content with our accumulations.
We are meant to keep moving on…
Thinking, doing, loving, helping,
healing, inspiring, sharing,
dreaming, relaxing, learning,
singing, dancing, creating…
for thus do we progress.”

Taking this all to heart, I wish you real ease as you release 2004, to grasp gently and with strength the new year, ripe and full of potential and opportunity to act from the heart of “All for One and One for All”, extend a hand, progress and find the way… to move on.

Happy New Year!

Longest Night; Shortest Day

2004-12-17T13:37:00.000-05:00

Very soon, we will be welcoming back the Sun! It will soon be the longest night and shortest day of the year, known as the Winter Solstice. There is some good stuff here about traditions and history with regard to the Solstice:

http://www.candlegrove.com/home.html

The Winter Solstice is another stop on the Wheel of the Year as it turns, celebration of which, assists me in my own endurance of this dark time, because I know that it leads me to Imbolc-Candlemas-Brigit’s Day at about the same time as Groundhog Day in February, further leading to the Vernal or Spring Equinox-Ostara in March, when the hours of light are pretty much equal to the hours of darkness. Though it’s still wintry and often is the snowiest time hereabouts, I value that day of equal light and dark (equinox) as a harbinger of things to come. In other words, these celebrations along the way help me remember that the wheel continues to turn onward, time moves forward, just as it has since humans have been observing its’ progress season to season.

Another thing that I value about the Solstice is that it has helped me to embrace darkness too. Most folks only want to associate with Light. We tend to celebrate the Light a lot at this time of year in all the holidays. But I have come to value Winter’s darkness as a time of rest, a time of gestation, of gathering potential, making plans, and of pulling the covers up and cozying up underneath, just as the land and all its’ life is under the blanket of snow. Bears and others have denned up. All the power and energy of plants and trees goes dormant and down into the roots. All appears silent, and even dead.

The pines, spruces and firs remain dressed in green, the color of the Undeniable Life that continues its’ relentless heartbeat even though it’s dark; even though it’s freezing. Even though the rhythm of that heartbeat is muffled under the snow- life continues.

I love to walk out on the land on a full Moonlit night, and see the beauty of that cold, and darkened world. With full Moon shining, the trees cast magical shadows upon the snow. I imagine the night critters going about their business by the light of the Moon. I often see the tiny mole and mouse tracks and hope they got where they were going without becoming a tasty morsel.

Lately in daytime, the mountains look sugarcoated (like pfefferneuse cookies) and yummy across the valley. The blue of the sky is so bright against the white of the snow. I love how nearly blindingly sparkly and jewel-like the snow appears in the Sun’s brilliance, for which I am grateful each and every day that it shines. Today though, looking across there, I can’t even see the mountains, almost as if they have magically disappeared, though I know it’s just the veil of cloudiness and snowiness that makes their presence nearly vanish.

At this upcoming Solstice I invite you to enjoy a celebration you can hear on the radio. Paul Winter, a wonderful musician and his fellows, The Paul Winter Consort, has for the last 24 years been giving a Solstice Celebration at NYC’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine. NPR has been carrying this celebration for the last 15 years.

You can find the NPR station to tune into to hear the Solstice Celebration here:

http://www.livingmusic.com/solstice/broadcast.html

The various stations carrying it, are broadcasting it at different times between December 17th and 21st, so be sure to make note of the time for your neck of the woods.
Here’s another link so you can listen:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4225815

And I will be tuning in also, so it’ll be all of us together! Light some candles, pour yourself some “wassail”, follow the above links and enjoy! (I got turned on to Paul Winter’s music back over a decade ago, when I was browsing in a now-defunct junk shop, and the lady who ran it was playing a tape of Paul Winter’s music and I fell in love with it. I offered her money for the tape and she sold it to me and I wore it out!)

And finally, here is my Solstice Song that I wrote in 2002…I wish I could sing it for you. It has a very lilting Irish tune and I think it comes from my past…from an Irish-themed melody of a hymn from the United Methodist Hymnal, lo, those many years ago when I was a child.

Solstice Song

Make in me a River of Love through my soul:
Dear Holy Mother Earth make me more whole.
Then let me remember to open my mind to
Give away Lovingness; Let my thoughts be kind.

Oh make in me a River of Light through my mind:
Banishing ignorance; Poverty bind.
Be Generosity work through my hands.
Let all who falter find their second chance.

Oh make in me a River of Peace through my Voice:
Mother Of All Things let Peace be my choice.
Send me your Vision. Make every word Wise.
Let me see Everything with Compassionate eyes.

Make in me a River of Silence that flows
Help me forgive and release all my woes
Help me to clear all angers, all sadness and strife.
Let me walk grateful steps all the days of my Life.

‘Tis the Season! Feed the Light!

2004-12-09T11:54:00.000-05:00

I just realized that all the holidays I know in December, celebrate Light. There’s something ironic about how during this month of winter-short days and lengthening nights, we celebrate a lot about and with Light- or maybe it is not ironic at all. Very likely, these shortened days are a very good reason that Light is celebrated at this time. That seems very logical and simple.

There’s Chanukah’s eight days of celebrating a miracle of Light, there’s the Solstice that celebrates and welcomes the Sun as it embarks upon its’ return journey to lengthening our days, and therefore our Light. And then of course, within the Christmas story, a Star, (it is speculated that it was actually a conjunction of planets) leads the Magi- Star of Wonder, Star of Night, Star with Royal Beauty Bright- again, Light plays a big part.

We just put lights on our Tree, probably because we too, feel the urge for and to celebrate Light.

My husband just LOVES this season and Christmas, and always has. In more recent years Yule/Solstice resonates with his own Celtic heritage more, so receives his attention also, and because I celebrate Chanukah, his interest in that, has also strengthened over time. As happens each year at this time, he is now sporting his usual Santa-style chapeau complimenting his graying beard and hair. Every year his beard and hair are more and more the proper color.

I see though that he is actually playing a role more like the Holly or Oak King, or Father Christmas than what we know as commercial Santa, but it is fun to see the looks of wonder and hear the greetings he receives from children, and to observe how adults have come to expect his embodiment of the Santa-type persona, and how they become more open and friendly when they encounter him.

We celebrate all three December holidays with which we are familiar, as well as Candlemas which is right about the time of Groundhog Day in February, and the Vernal Equinox in March, all of which help us here in the mountains where winter is long, to feel encouraged and reassured- today, just as they did the Ancestors, that the days will indeed again lengthen and warm to the time of the Summer Solstice when life is so much easier. Winter can seem to go on forever here, even with celebration and outdoor fun.

Speaking for myself, I still love Christmas; its’ story of a humble beginnings along with the music and art it has inspired over the centuries. What I value most about Christmas is the magical envisioning/mandate for Peace on Earth, with which I resonate down to my soul. There is a lot of value there for me, worth honoring when the secular commercialism and consumerism layer is peeled away.

My Mother, a Jew who raised us Christian so we could avoid the anti-Semitism she suffered, made sure however, that my sister and I knew the Chanukah story and that we were exposed to as many other aspects of our Jewish heritage as possible. I always felt more aware, as a Christian when I practiced Christianity, because of the added depth and breadth of her perspective. My late sister, taught Sunday school at our church and some folks removed their children from her class, in fact, BECAUSE she taught that Jesus was a Jew, which we know he was. (I know and honor that there are folks out there for whom Jesus’ existence is not necessarily a fact. I am speaking from what I was taught when I was growing up, within the faith I was taught in the church where I attended.)

I have been humbly celebrating Chanukah for years and years now, and am still seeking and learning and integrating more and more about it with each year’s celebration. I do this for myself, to honor my mother and to honor my ancestors. I am not simply picking and choosing when I am Jewish or when I am not. This celebration is simply a real and deeply rooted part of my life now, and after years of inclusion; I trust that the Divine knows my heart and therefore my intent.

Tuesday night I lit the first Chanukah candle on the Menorah, reciting the prayers of Thanksgiving for strength, support and sustenance through the centuries to the present. I struggle through the phonetic Hebrew, but also say the prayers using translations I have found over the years. I hope to strengthen my recital and understanding of the prayers so that years from now, I may say them properly and wholly, and well. For now, I am okay with doing my best, sincerely.

We made brisket and latkes, and then my husband made Sufganiot, which are homemade jelly donuts. Yum. And we continue to light the Menorah and celebrate each night till the entire holiday is complete in process and in heart.

Most folks are aware of the general story of Chanukah. They are aware of how against all odds, the Maccabees’ strength prevailed and even though their temple was desecrated, they managed to reclaim it and found one vessel of sacred, sanctified oil with which to light the temple Menorah again and rededicate the Temple, and by doing so, illuminated their faith and trust in the Divine. And most folks know that the vessel only contained enough oil for one day, while it miraculously lasted eight days.

What touched me deeply on the first night of Chanukah this year was a strong message, which tells anyone who wants to listen, to Resist Oppression; to Defy forced values that are against our very Core and Inner Knowing. I also learned from one source, and I don’t know how accurate it is, that the name “Maccabee” means something like, “strong like a hammer” (puts my pagan self in mind of Thor).

So what I received on a very deep level, was we must be strong like a hammer in our Resistance and Defiance whenever we are faced with Oppression, as many of us may feel that our country is going in a wrong and dangerous and yes, oppressive direction. Now more than ever, Chanukah carries potent and relevant meaning for me.

But here’s the kicker. As I was typing this, I received Inspiration that there was only one vessel of sacred fuel to sustain the Light of Reclamation and Rededication of the Temple. I suddenly realized that I am one vessel and I contain the fuel to faithfully sustain the Light of Rededication and Reclamation also- of my country, and of myself as an American who loves my America’s Spirit of Freedom and Right and Justice for ALL.

Right now, it may feel like there is only enough fuel within us, each a mere single vessel, for only one day’s light. Now we must go within, and find the way to move beyond that limitation of thought, and trust that we can find a wellspring of Maccabeean strength within, because we must through Resistance and Defiance, fuel the Light for as long as it takes to Reclaim and Rededicate the future for generations to come.

Gifts and Treasures

2004-12-02T12:12:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of the holidays, allow me to share with you some unique folks, and some unique ideas for holiday gifts.

Yesterday we received the first official holiday card of the season! Seemed appropriate now that there is a bit of snow on the ground. The card was from a former teacher, Linda Runyon of Wild Foods Company. Linda is a treasure.

http://www.wildfoodcompany.com/pages/948403/index.htm

It made me smile to see her distinctive handwriting again! The card had a peace dove on it with the words, “Peace on Earth”. Speaking of Peace on Earth, check this out in reference to Linda:

http://library.wustl.edu/~listmgr/devel-l/Oct1996/0184.html

Here are some of Linda’s creations for sale. Please support her. She’s a GREAT person and wonderful teacher with SO much information and wisdom to share! See the links below and believe me when I say…her books are comprehensive and her wild cards, a deck of cards that help ID wild plants, is a great gift for kids and adults alike.

http://www.vegetarianbaby.com/books/crabgrass.shtml

http://www.vegetarianbaby.com/products/wildcards.shtml

I met Linda probably more than a decade and a half ago, and where else, but in a natural foods store?! I had heard about her, and was thrilled to meet her in person and find out that she is “just folks”, like me!

Linda has spent many years living in the woods, homesteading, raising her children, gathering wild food and information, learning, and then teaching others about safely and wisely incorporating wild plant food sources into a healthy diet. Yes, these are just WEEDS…but many weeds are actually herbs that can offer some help medicinally, while others are sources of important nutrients and delicious to boot.

I spent some great times doing what would be called work/study with Linda over a few years. She used to live about 10 miles or so as the crow flies, away from me in a neighboring hamlet. Linda taught weekly classes on wild plant identification by conducting “weed walks”, and still probably does so. She also taught about processing and cooking with wild plant foods.

I remember after beginning to take her classes that I couldn’t go down a road anywhere without recognizing plants and just clicking them off on a mental checklist. Being pretty dirt poor at the time, I took the learning very seriously and practiced incorporating such as red clover blossoms and other plants into tossed salads, and other dishes both because they are pretty and appealing, and also because they are full of good nutrition. For me, as a mom of 3 kids, any good way to enhance nutrition, and get more bang for the buck out of a meal, was worth my time to learn.

But there was more to my time with Linda. We got to be friends, and my kids just loved to go see her. Well…okay, they LOVED the rose tea pops with a single drop of honey and a rose petal in them. They love the pine tea pops too. Those pops were yummy and cool for a hot day. But really, my kids remember Linda with much respect and warmth, and still talk about those pops today, years and years later.

One memory from my work with Linda Runyon, is the time that I reverted to hunter/gatherer woman:

It was a warm day in July, mid-day to early afternoon. It was the day of the week, when Linda processed roots that she had harvested. As her work/student, I was helping her process them this time. I think they were evening primrose roots, if I remember correctly.

I was cleaning them to be strung up together to dry fully. Linda stored her harvest by drying some and freezing some to be used later in cooking simple nutritious meals including other whole foods like tofu, brown rice and so on, to create a varied and adequate and possibly superior diet.

There I squatted in the sun before a bucket of river water, scrubbing dirt from roots with the sounds of summer bugs buzzing and the river lapping and slapping the rocks along its’ shore, within earshot, just across the road from her place. The heat felt good, the sounds were nearly mesmerizing.

There was no traffic, and suddenly it got very quiet in my head. I think I entered an altered state, because suddenly, the here/now time/space faded and I felt and found myself in another more ancient mind and time and space. It was as if, the spiraling of time forward had suddenly caught some kind of backspin with all the sensory inputs of what I was doing.

I felt plugged into some source of information that dwarfed all others. I can only describe it as an intuitive feeling that more of my DNA was suddenly activating and I was connected to some really ancient knowing place DEEP within myself.

I could feel it happening on even a cellular level, I would say. It really blew my mind and it made me cry. It was like recognizing a part of myself that was so basic, that it was connected to everything. No mind-altering drugs involved either!

There was no doubt in my mind that by learning, and practicing such things that bring one closer to nature as this art of foraging and gathering, anyone could be in touch with that ancient mind and feel connected in the unbroken line back to the First Ones and in so doing, could find themselves even more whole. This was a major event for me and it gave an added depth and dimension to my work with Linda.

I have met some wonderful people through Linda’s classes. I even have albums that Linda gave me, full of pictures of folks and groups both more locally and across the country, whom she has taught. The one, who comes to mind immediately, is a guy who has become a good and long-time family friend. I met him when he was about the age that my oldest son is now, early-to-mid twenties or so, at that time.

This fellow is very intelligent, and is a kind and good person. He’s nearly a neighbor, lives a bit more than about halfway up a nearby mountain across the valley from us in a small cabin, which has transformed and refined over the years.

Back then as today, he hunted and processed game, grew and processed his homegrown veggies some when the critters didn’t get them, and supplemented his diet with wild plant foods.

A few times a year my husband and I hike up the mountain to visit him. He’s not exactly a hermit, though there are times when visiting is hard. A couple winters back, we even snow shoed up the mountain to see him. That adventure is another story. We do see him out and about from time to time also, sometimes at the post office picking up mail, or at the supermarket getting supplies.

I admire his general know-how. He’s very well read, and has boxes and piles of books. A master at recycling, he can find lots of uses for stuff many folks just toss away.

It’s really comforting to know that he is there, living his way, and living a good life.

I have met such a variety of people through my participation in Linda’s work when she lived locally: there were Reiki Masters digging on plant vibes, Survivalists who didn’t like people (but that’s another story), Back-to-the-land types, Healthy living enthusiasts, Vegetarians, Single parents, and more.

Then there’s another really neat fellow, we knew initially through Linda, and met in person later on visiting with another teacher. He’s a very ordinary and normal looking person, with many talents. Among those talents, he can open his mouth, appearing about to say a thing and instead, the sound of a Canadian goose’s loud “honk-honk” comes out and VERY authentic-sounding, I must say! It’s truly something to behold. He’s now retired, but worked for a long time as a teacher in the prison system. I can remember first hearing that sound come out of his mouth- a very funny, jaw-dropping moment!

So this blog entry is my tribute to Linda Runyon, and all the gifts she gave so generously to me and to my family whether things, understandings, knowledge, tools, or people. Her friendship and gifts are still shiny treasures to us. Take a look at her creations as linked, and please support her work and wisdom.

May her kindness and generosity come back to her thousand-fold.

Denning up

2004-11-20T17:27:00.000-05:00

While today, the temperature climbed up to the 50-degree mark, less than a couple weeks back or so, it snowed hereabouts! So we know, just as those cute wee chickadees with their snappy black caps, the deer, squirrels and other critters know, full-on winter is on the move toward us quickly.

All the signs are there. Days are shortening, leaves are mostly gone, certain birds such as robins are no longer around, and like the geese, have flown to warmer climes. There have been more than a couple actual freezes, flurries and big winds. It may have hit 50 degrees today, but tonight 25 degrees is predicted. It’s coming.

In human terms, we have shut water off to the outdoor hoses, re-winterized the house, and finished off essential tasks on “the list” that had been put off all summer so we could play. I have covered the tender young rosebushes by Manitou’s grave (see “Sanctuary” in the archive to read a bit about Manitou, a special 4-legged) grave and my herbs in the garden. We’ve pruned what trees and shrubs needed it. All our firewood is here and most is stacked.

It’s all second nature to us after all these years. Just like it is all second nature to the critters.

As winter approaches, some thoughts come along. Next week Thanksgiving will be celebrated here in the U.S. The full moon is the day after that and I’ve been considering the thoughts I wanted to foster and offer up for amplification during the coming fullness of the moon:

Like me, I am sure many feel concern for a number of things going on in the world right now. Some may have issues that are pressing within, or in their own home; some may have community concerns, while others may see the bigger pictures and feel deeply concerned about our country and world.

The only way I have ever found effective, to begin to find the antidote and solution to such concerns, is to take stock of what resources I have with which to work. The only way I have come up with, to do that inventory accurately, begins with counting my blessings. I usually find a lot of resources that it has taken my whole life till that moment to develop, and then there is the wisdom of timing for effectiveness. It’s truly amazing when in times of stress how long-stored help will come from within.

For instance, within a day or two of the election, the shock had finally begun to draw away like clouds do after a storm, from around my head and heart. One of my dogs and I were out walking, and I was just trying to wrap my mind around things. I looked up and found that we were standing where, because the trees had lost their leaves, I could look over across the valley to see neighboring mountains. The clouds, just like my thoughts, were moving quickly across the sky and I watched their shadows pass over the land in patches of light and dark. What I saw took my breath away. I actually remember gasping an in-breath.
And then it came to my mind in a burst:

“This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!”

With that I will state that I was not always a Pagan and as with anything: experiences over time, lessons learned, hardships, joy- the valuable stuff stays with you, either consciously or unconsciously, to be referred to one day. This bit from within the United Methodist Liturgy in which I participated till after I was married, popped into my head after the passing of at least another quarter century since then. What impeccable timing!

I felt touched by a deeply loving Compassion, and suddenly felt more connected to Strength and Power within myself; as if a weight had been lifted. You just never know from whence good answers, relief, or solutions may come. I felt I could move forward unimpeded. It felt unusual to me, to feel better so quickly; almost “not right”, but then, who am I argue?

With that let me add that as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I am counting my blessings and I do have so many. I plan to work with my gratitude, writing it down on paper, and then burning it on the upcoming full moon to begin the process of transformation from gratitude to action in the world, because as I look at the future, sadly I see folks in need falling through the weakening social safety net. Imperfect as that safety net is now, it is likely to be further weakened by those in power now. I see it will be up to ordinary people to care and act from that caring.

I am taking this upcoming holiday and the full moon’s pull on me, to form ideas about how to move forward, and plan for actions. So far I know this much: We will be less consumption-oriented for the Solstice/Yule/Christmas holiday. I have figured out some homemade gifts, and am moving forward gathering supplies to work with. Gifts that are bought will be simple.

This choice to exercise less consumption over the holidays is an act of Resistance to those who value “ownership” and view the needy as weak and the rich as the chosen blessed. I will not support the coming Social Darwinism. I will not participate in a Dickensian future of poor houses, and debtors’ prisons, indentured servitude or child labor. I will instead, take stock of my life and myself and choose to recognize my resources and the ways in which they can be utilized.

We can ALL make a plan (perhaps around the Thanksgiving feast table) to start reaching out to make a difference starting with the holiday season. Keeping neighborhood eyes open for signs of need while honoring dignity can support elderly neighbors who live alone. Adopting a grandparent in a nursing home can open hearts and minds and create joy especially if kids are also involved. Buying a bag of groceries for someone in need to leave anonymously after knocking on the door, can work out. Bringing pet food and supplies to animal shelters helps. Volunteering at a soup kitchen or your local Head Start Center, homeless shelter, or animal shelter can be rewarding.

If resources are such that monetary donations can be made, then doing so for such programs as CARE in memory of Margaret Hassan is another thought. Donating to crisis pregnancy organizations or to Planned Parenthood could make a difference. Donating clothing for winter months: still-functional boots, hats, mittens, coats, and other clothing can even save lives. Donating to the local food pantry is also important. These things take our resources and gratitude and transform them into right action in the world.

In preparing to den up for the coming winter, knowing what the resources are and making sure those resources are adequate and safe-guarded is mighty important for ourselves and our families, and our communities too. With the coming harshness of winter and of the times, the solutions to holes in the safety net may entail the counting of blessings, the guidance of gratitude and recognition of resources, and how those things may come to bear in our families, our communities and our world is high Art that we can practice, and a practice that will make our denning up more inclusive and perfect.

(I want to acknowledge that this blog entry contains some inspiration from friends who shared some ideas about acts of kindness that any individual or family can do. Without them, this blog entry would not have come together so completely. Thanks guys!...Joyce)

Sanctuary

2004-11-17T16:57:00.000-05:00

It’s hunting season here in the mountains. The remaining deer have found shelter for the long haul farther back in the woods; hopefully a few will winter on my land.

For a while though, they were wandering around on my property and may still be, from time to time. My land is posted against trespass for purpose of hunting, etc., because not only do I LOVE my deer, and turkeys and other critters who live out there on the back 25, but I love my own safety and that of my dogs, when we walk out there, too.

I like to think of my land on some level, as Sanctuary. Even though I know it is just as likely that they wander from my land onto my neighbors’ lands and then it’s just a question of when hunters find them, I still get some kind of satisfaction in knowing they are NOT getting shot on my land. In fact, if I hear shots that sound pretty close to my lines I have been known to go out there near to my property lines and yell pretty loudly about making sure they are not on my land with a gun.

Not that I don’t see or recognize that guns are useful. I DO. I own a gun, in fact, and am a pretty fair shot. I do not hunt- but I know I could if I had to. I just like the fact that unlike many folks around these parts, hunting season is time to watch the deer and turkeys and partridges, and other critters passing through.

I know inevitably some are killed. In fact it was shocking to find that though a deer could live to be a ripe, old age, most live just a couple years. Even more shocking was hearing living beings- deer- referred to as product by our state’s department of environmental conservation’s educators when speaking to a group of kids on a field trip I chaperoned years ago.

A living being, thought of as a product just throws me. But then…I am ALWAYS putting myself in another position, someone else’s shoes, on the receiving end of whatever, just to consider and speculate what it must be like.

There is nothing more wonderful than to be walking one of my dogs and meeting up with a deer. I remember a beloved and much mourned dog- actually a wolf- malamute mix, whom we adopted through a rescue organization, in his middle age. He weighed in at well over 100 pounds. Manitou was very wolf-like in his manner and appearance and he was affectionate, wonderfully and lovingly protective, and beautiful, as well as earning our love and respect.

(May he rest well. He passed away a few years ago and we miss him very much. I have planted roses on his grave each year since his passing.)

One day he and I were walking in wee hours of morning, and we met a good-sized buck, with a very impressive “rack” of antlers- very like Herne in his Presence. Manitou, my four-legged companion on that walk, stood at attention, tail and ears as far up as they could go, and as still as could be. The buck was correspondingly impressive, standing there with rack up, still as could be.

Deer and Manitou looked at one another for a long time.

Meanwhile, very slowly, so as not to spoil the moment, I got a really good hold on the leash, and stood by ready to restrain Manitou, just in case. I was able to appreciate that moment of mutual regard. It was what I would call, “time out of time”. No sounds, no movement, no cars going by on the nearby road, no birds breaking the silence of the moment. I felt like I was in the presence of divinity.

And then, just as suddenly as we met that big and beautiful buck, he was gone, leaving Manitou to strain a bit against the leash, and me but ultimately remembering his domesticity and that I was alpha over him.

I could not have had that moment without keeping Manitou restrained from the hunt/chase. I can’t hope to enjoy and feel awe like that if I am not extending the ideal of sanctuary to all creatures on my land. I can’t simultaneously threaten the critters and expect them to keep coming around and even to stay and raise their young, if I am not willing to uphold their safety.

One more story:

My husband was doing some work out there on the land when suddenly; a critter came running along a game trail into our field and toward him. At first, my husband thought it was a dog, a golden lab in fact. But the closer came to him, the more he could see it was no dog. Finally he saw it was a half-grown deer who still had spots, continuing to run right past him. My husband just stood still when he realized it was a deer, and watched as the poor thing ran past, mouth agape panting, with a look of fear. Later when he was telling about this experience, my husband said he could have reached right out and touched the poor thing since it was within an arm’s length of him when it ran by him.

We figured a neighbor’s dog had perhaps chased the deer or perhaps it was some other predator or source of threat. Regardless it was getting far away, where it could feel safe, heading to the back acres of my land.

I trust that if something were threatening me or mine, that someone would open sanctuary and give refuge. Manitou found refuge in our home and our hearts, through a rescue organization. He found safety within my “pack” from a threatening situation posed by a dangerous human in his life. The deer find some bit of sanctuary on my land, short-lived as that safety may be, considering they do wander to others’ lands.

It all puts me in mind of the Underground Railroad helping “funnel” folks to safety during the years of slavery, and of those who sought sanctuary in Canada so as to avoid the “meat grinder” of Vietnam. A draft is, in my opinion, also involuntary servitude (not to detract from the heinousness of forcibly kidnapping and transporting humans from their homeland to be forced workers and breeding them as if they are animals).

Which puts me in mind of the war in Iraq and how it is worsening daily, the death and wounding of body, mind and spirit, of our sons and daughters, parents, siblings and other loved ones who are serving in harm’s way.

A draft is slavery in that it essentially forces people to kill or be killed no matter their free will. Some call it the price of freedom. But the real price of freedom is to rise up and assert what is right. Involuntary servitude is a price too high for any to pay.

Right now, there is what folks are calling, a “back door” draft. This calls to duty those who are no longer active duty and may in fact be ill, infirm or aging beyond reasonable expectation of their fitness to be soldiers even if technically in reserve, against their will. And these are often grandparents and/or folks in middle-age, being called into harm’s way in a pre-emptive war based on lies and scant evidence that changes at whim to fit the direction in which PR winds are blowing.

Yes, volunteer forces signed up for their service regardless of why: the college funding, the lack of employment opportunities- but no matter why or what they signed or swore to in their induction, it was likely NOT to protect or further the lining of the deep corporate pockets belonging to Bush campaign contributors. They swore to defend our constitution, under command of the CIC (Great Spirit and Holy Mother help them) from threats foreign and domestic. (I am going out on a limb here, and saying that I consider that the Bush administration is showing daily by it’s actions …actions speak louder than words in my opinion- that they well may be a domestic threat to our Constitution.)

I watched as Rep. Charles Rangel’s (D-NY) bill about the draft (which was meant as a wake-up call to those of power, privilege and with resources to make sure their children avoid a draft) was voted down. But I tell you, that in my opinion and observation, with regard to any future draft in any form, methinks those now in control of all the branches of our government, doth protest too much and way too sanctimoniously for my taste. I find that those folks may tend to project upon others what may actually be their own tendencies and actions.

Today I am trusting that somehow, there will be Sanctuary for those who will refuse involuntary servitude to carry on this unjust and unprovoked war for profit and lies, that is as well as those wars to come in the war without end agenda. I know that treaties were signed rendering borders closed to escape from the madness, but I have faith and I trust that, as always, good people of conscience will find the way to help. Good people always find the way, no matter what.

It’s hunting season here in the mountains, and even the deer know there is safety and sanctuary somewhere out here.

Night Lights

2004-11-09T17:07:00.000-05:00

Sunday night the huge vault of sky, over our open field, was on fire with the Aurora Borealis. I had noticed while walking one of my dogs mid-evening or so, that the sky to the North was very bright. The evening wore on and having climbed up a mountain road (and I use the term, “road", loosely) to visit with an old friend of ours, I was SO ready to go to sleep that night. So I hit the pillow, read for a bit till my eyes just wanted to close. All that fresh air made falling asleep pretty immedia-…zzzzzzzzzzz! (You get the picture).

Felt so good to sleep…till the phone rang. I HATE when that happens. My first thought: Who died?! Can’t help it, I have older relatives, and it’s a real possibility. My heart pounds when that happens and the adrenaline rush makes it tough to get back to a relaxed state.

We have an understanding with our local family that if anyone sees northern lights; they MUST call, since otherwise we all might miss out. So per that agreement, my sister-in-law called saying that there was something to see in the sky.

My husband and youngest son and I went out on our land, where there’s a HUGE vault of sky. The Milky Way was pouring across the sky as the clouds were blowing. It was windy, and there were even some shooting stars- I counted four of them, in a short time.

The Aurora Borealis itself was spectacular! As clouds began to blow away, the energized light flashed and washed across more and more of the sky, little by little, like shimmering draperies billowing and active. The clouds were spectacular also as they moved off toward the South, lit up and changing shape, opening “windows” through which to see the lightshow directly, with stars inserted for extra effect.

At one point when the clouds were revealing about half the vault of sky we could see, they formed the shape of a HUGE bird with shimmering wings fully opened and extended, reminding us of the Thunderbird; and then changing again to appear as a giant, fierce and protective angel (we sure could use one). I thought, well you don’t see things like this everyday.

And at the center of our sky, was that tiny cluster, known as the Seven Sisters, AKA: the Pleiades. The Aurora was shooting strands of light toward the Pleiades, and while watching it intently, I felt as if it touched a deep place within me and drew me up along with the light toward the stars. I have counted many more than seven sisters in that constellation and I love to test myself to see how many I can honestly count. Clear winter nights when the stars twinkle are ideal for my counting game.

My husband pointed out that the great hunter, Orion, had not yet made it over the shoulder of the horizon to walk on his path across the sky. We stood a long time, eyes to the sky, and jaw to the ground in amazement. I had to lean on my garden fencepost in order to keep my balance because I had been looking up so long. My neck was ready for rest when we finally and reluctantly headed back inside. Even on the way back to the house, we stopped and watched as the bright flashes and shimmers took over the sky, intensifying.

It is nice to know that while humans enjoy their feeling of power and control in many everyday matters large and national and global, or small and mundane, that Nature keeps showing us the beauty of her mystery; that mystery truly exists. Even with all the science, and explanation- standing there, staring with awe into the vault of shimmering and fiery sky, I felt suddenly connected to the Ancient Ones and their humility and awe. Living in a way that invited them to harmonize with their world, Nature was their constant context, mystery simply a fact of life. It made them far richer than any corporate shareholder or CEO, or world leader.

Down By the Riverside

2004-11-06T16:28:00.000-05:00

Just got back from the River. Didn't dare put my feet in. I just knew it was squeal-worthy cold. Call me crazy! Tomorrow I might try to get my whole self into the water, one last time.

The urge to get in today and squeal and let the very cold water shock me and smooth my vibes, was VERY strong, but I resisted- for today. My husband and I sat on the rocks, warmed by the sun. The waters just flowed around us and by us and even just that close, sitting by it, I felt the River soothe me. Strong energy.

Breezy today, but a nice blue sky and lots of sunshine. Brisk, typical late Autumn day.

Went out to the nearest mall today. The vibe was so edgy, or maybe that was me. The holiday season is being pushed bigtime. The stores are bulging with people and goods. Why can't I find some winter-worthy shoes/boots? My old ones finally leak, so the search is on, without success so far.

Being a parent, I notice parents and children. We went one of those dollar-stores, which are fun to browse through. There was a daddy walking with his little girl, and pushing his toddler in a stroller.

The wee girl called, "Daddy...." and he would reply, "What?", and she would answer, "I love you!" This repeated a time or two, and then the dad began calling her the same way, and she replied, "What?", and he answered, "I love you!" each time...and they went back and forth. You could hear them as they moved through the store.

My husband and I looked at one another and giggled. It felt good to know there was joy happening.

There's alot of anger and pain in the world today. I am thinking of the people trying to get out of Fallujah, but perhaps most of them have found shelter elsewhere. I am thinking about anyone who've lost loved ones in the war. I am thinking of anyone who was hoping for a change in direction for our country.

And I am thinking of a little-known, lengthy and important speech given by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Riverside Church (NYC?- not sure). I think it's just fascinating how if you replaced all the names of people, places and dates of this speech with Iraq, and other pertinent names and such, you would see our nation's current path is not new.

I have to pray that the 20/20 hindsight that Dr. King provides in this speech, will reveal to us some clue to what may come in the next four years, so that we may begin to perceive and plan accordingly how to approach the tasks and challenges ahead.

Check it:http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/058.html

...I'm gonna lay down my burden,down by the riverside,Down by the riverside, down by the riversideI'm gonna lay down my burden,down by the riverside...

Walking Against the Wind

2004-11-05T21:20:00.000-05:00

Up here in the mts., the hours of light are shortening while dark hours lengthen. Recently we started the fire, which will likely not go out till May or so. As I write this, dusk is silhouetting the trees against the last bit of light in the West.

The winds so typical of the changing seasons hereabouts, especially the changes from Winter to Spring and from Autumn to Winter are wildly blowing. Earlier today they blew SNOW, to my surprise. My husband reminds me, "It IS November, y'know..."- I never seem to be ready for it when it happens.

From time to time throughout today the snow ebbed and flowed from flurry to steady, to sideways blowin'...and eventually faded out this afternoon. As the sunset silhouetted the pines, branches dancing in the wind, dark violet-gray clouds blew across the sky from the West.

I am usually afraid to walk in the woods in winds like these and try to keep my walks with my two dogs short both in time and distance. But today I felt the wind's power and I felt its' invitation to accept that power within. In the night, the winds' voice usually frightens me, but last night I slept well.

This morning, as I walked to the post office, I was glad for the hat I wisely threw on as I walked out the door. I actually wished I had put on an extra top layer, but was glad for my cozy new fleece jacket.

The wind was blowing at my back. I didn't much think about it. It was strong and I suppose if I had been thinking about it, noticing more, I might have felt supported by it.

But on the way back home...

I thought about what it meant to be walking against the wind as I did so. I felt challenged. Snow was blowing in my eyes and made seeing where I was going kinda tough, but my hat helped. I had to put out more effort to make my steps move forward...it was surprising.

I was surprised by the elections too. I felt maybe the winds were at our backs. And then...those winds changed directions. No longer at our backs, they challenge our movement forward.

And so the winds of change blow and the wheel of the years will turn. Season to season, year to year, to the end of this president's last term.

Now...we're walking against the wind.

Like the trees and any other plant that endures the daily challenges of the elements in Nature, our core will be strengthened structurally. We'll toughen and become more flexible and supple. We'll learn like the trees, when to hold on and when to let go. We'll collect, process, utilize and activate. We'll be deeply-rooted and grow together, connecting roots, strengthing and supporting one another, and creating community all at once.

And when the wheel of years comes around to that time of strong winds, indicating change, we will let go of dead wood. We will prevail against the winds, but let them cleanse the land of stagnation and rot. That day, the winds will also carry the seeds of the future, to settle down upon the lands. That future will be born of this time, this challenge.

One day the wind will change direction once more when it has been at others' backs, supporting them and their movment forward with strength. It will be the time in their cycle, to embrace what it is like to walk against the winds.