Have a strategy to stay grounded. You probably already know what works for you: taking three deep breaths, looking at a tree, saying a prayer… Whatever helps you stay calm, do it throughout election day, and especially if trouble starts to brew. Know your role. If you're part of a poll watching group: Speak to [...]
A prop from an EQAT action pressuring PNC For those of you who have been around here awhile, you may have noticed that I skipped the July issue of this newsletter. That wasn’t so much a conscious choice as the result of burying my mind in the book I’m working on, while having [...]
“Strategy is so hard,” said a young activist leader I met with recently. She then listed several challenges she thought should be considered when coming up with a campaign strategy, including what her group might be willing to try. It struck me that she was starting with potential limitations instead of where she wanted to [...]
It’s been a challenging time for those who value compassion and inclusion. If you're distraught, I understand. On Facebook, I've seen people name coping mechanisms, including: exercise, mac and cheese, time on the beach, therapy, and protest. I suspect others are coping by staying off Facebook altogether, maybe turning to community or prayer. I think all of those [...]
I once heard of a study that compared how people from the United States and people from Japan remembered two key events of World War II: the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the bombing of Hiroshima. Not surprisingly, the two groups remembered history differently. The Americans studied knew much more about Pearl Harbor and felt [...]
I haven’t posted in nearly two months, partly because I’m still in the waiting and trusting phase that I wrote about last post. Here’s a little update. We thought our short sale deal was approved, and so we started packing. We got approved for a mortgage and told our kids to pack their books and [...]
Google image from my grandfather's birthplace in IrelandFor years my husband and I felt that we’d like a bigger house and garden, but we pushed those feelings aside in the name of simplicity and loyalty to our neighbors, whom we love. But this spring several things happened that shifted our assumptions. First, our neighbors had [...]
Tomorrow will be the sixth Mother’s Day that involves visiting my mother’s grave, rather than cooking for her. It comes at a time when I’ve been thinking about my ancestors, her family in particular, and boy have I got some questions. I had always wanted to learn more about my roots, so when a little [...]
I tried to post a long comment in response to Liz's comment on my last blog post as well as her spouse Jeanne's blog post that referenced it, but putting several links in a comment did not go well, so I'll just make this a new post. I agree with what I understand to be Jeanne [...]
I’ve been posting less frequently, as faithful readers may have noticed. It’s connected to my last post about clearing space, which I’m still trying to do. The papers are finally graded, and though there are always little things that need doing, I’m trying to make inner nurture the priority this month, if not this season. [...]
