Fall

It is truly my favorite time of the year.
Warm days, cool nights,
crisp smells & sounds.
crunchy leaves & vibrant reds and golds
hearty casseroles & homemade soups.
honey crisp apples & fresh pressed cider,
fruit crisps and cobblers & applesauce.
winter squash & brussel sprouts,
honey cakes & more

early mornings, chill in the air, the hot rich coffee tastes better than it does almost any other time of the year. Too soon it will be bitter cold and survival will mean layer after layer of warm clothing, and coffee will be a defense against the chill. But this morning, in a sweatshirt and still bare feet, the coffee is just about flavor and enjoyment.

Why do you blog?

i am trying to figure out why i blog.

I love to read blogs...and wander from blogroll to blogroll and see where I end up. I find that there are some I read daily...those that make a strong personal connection to some part of the multifaceted me, they are into peoples lives that allow me to know enough about them to care about them. I love to read the techie blogs, mostly gadgety stuff....wth the right amount of money, I could easily be an early adopter, and I figure if I can't buy it, I can at least read about it. Then there are the blogs that I read and something catches my attention so I blogroll it to watch it, and decide if it resonates with me. Finally there are the current events type blogs, I choose not to get to overtly “Political” even on my blog roll...my life, my point of view and my opinions are political enough (tho I have recently added a lesbian perspective on the news type blog).

i blog, sometimes just to make my opinions heard. I blog to make a record of what i think. i blog because i think something i say might resonate with someone else.

Sometimes something happens and i think “i should blog this” but i dont often do that because by the time i get to the computer to put it down, all the best phrases have vanished from my brain. Other times i sit in front of the screen and just see what comes out. Sometimes there is something specific i want to share or ask...other times i just let my brain ramble.

So why do you blog?

aaaaaa choo

sniffle, sneeze, cough.
i hate being sick.

i am going to crawl under my blankie and hide out until i feel better.

And the horrors grow

From a psychologist
First-hand reaction to Katrina refuges
by Anne Gervasi Monday, Sep. 12, 2005 at 9:23 PM

First-hand reaction to Katrina refuges

This speaks to all of it. The life altering mistakes, the media feeding frenzy, the lies, the dispair, the triumph of humanity over bureaucracy. I ached as I read it.
I hope this kind of thing is what people remember when its time to take the next step.

Land of the Brave, Home of the Free ...and other such misnomers

This whole situation with the hurricane that wiped out whole cities and towns is a travesty. That the storm happened is Mother Nature in her ultimate wisdom. Then there is the fact that the initial government agency response to the disaster was so botched as to be downright criminal. What transpired from then on was a series of unnatural disasters perpetuated on the people of this country, until.....the people took charge.

Not that all people did good things, in fact the chaos that was created when the help did not arrive was pretty disgusting...but almost expectable. When the societal structure breaks down, the veneer of civilization falls apart pretty quickly.

But it was the people, communities, individuals, organizations who moved quickly and efficiently with resolution, and the thousands of displaced people who waited it out, befriended the people around them, who just hung in there.

Public perception of the US government is at an all time low. They really screwed up with the response to this disaster. From the top down, it was one stupid response after the next.

Even now, weeks after the disaster itself, they are still making dumb moves and trying to cover up the mistakes.

World perception of the US is probably at an all time low as well. But there needs to be some separation done. The American people have done a phenomenal job of taking care of their own. Even the business sector (usually only focused on pushing their goods and making the next million dollars) came through with some pretty hefty support. But when the rest of the world paints all Americans with the same brush of ineptitude, thats just not right.

Just because I live here does NOT make me responsible for everything done in my name. If i were one of those people who did nothing to make things better then maybe the hat might fit a bit better, but i not only work for the change in this horrendous regime we call a government, but I am also one of the ones who dives in head first when there is a need. I have for many years been an activist (for clarification sake, i mean ACTIVE-ist). I do not accept George Bush as my representative. I did not vote for him, and actively campaigned against him.

Stop characterizing all Americans as the Bushites. Bureaucrats fit that picture, not people.


Classical Gas from the album “Phonograph Record” by Mason Williams

Carrot Cake

My sister makes this carrot cake that is simply to die for...chock full of goodies, like raisins, nuts, chocolate, pineapple, and...oh yes carrots. I ask her to make it for almost any occasion...she loves to cook, and so she always brings it.

This weekend was a carrot cake occasion....my 50.5 birthday party.

After a few crises in preparation, the day dawned with a thousand things yet to be done, and before noon it was 97 degrees (who'd have thought in September it would be so hot). But people pitched in and helped. I have the most awesome friends and my family comes thru in a pinch too.

It was a wildly eclectic crowd but they all meshed perfectly...amazingly. in spite of the fact of the heat. The food was great, the company was awesome, and I am completely exhausted. Our friends who came in from Philly want to do some sight seeing, so it will be a quiet day.

The bonus of the party is that even tho between the hectic and the heat I didn't eat much yesterday, I have lots of food to eat today....and better yet, I have carrot cake left.

WOOOOHOOOOO

I thought of about 5 different titles for this entry and none were better than what i used.

I got the job. I am the resource coordinator for the tornado recovery effort.

It is an 8 week position, independent contractor status, no benefits, but it is finally a chance to put my skills and passions where they can actually be utilized....for the betterment of others too.

Thank you all for you good thoughts, kind wishes and otherwise nice words.

Nine Year Old Boys

Some things just never change. We are housing a young man who has lots of responsibility for his 9 year old nephew. Today is the first day of school. An early morning pickup failed to include a lunch or other important things for an elementary school kid, and its amazing how old habits kick in. Now to remember what 9yo's with some challenges like to do besides talk and act dopey. Its too early in the morning for that kind of mental process....but we will handle it!
It's Raining from the album "Peter, Paul and Mommy" by Peter, Paul & Mary

Pride and Predjudice

I may be totally disgusted by the behavior of my government in this recent disaster in New Orleans, but I am more and more impressed by the majority of individuals.

My rants about the media have proven pretty true, the most sensational bits are the ones that are covered by mainstream media....but finally the stories of hope and perseverance and support are coming thru..

I am so proud to be a citizen, it will be the people helping people who allow us to survive and move on. the government seems to be more of a hinderance. i think this government....the shrub regime has embarrassed both the country and GW's credibility.
Mid-term elections look good for some positive change to happen.

An email list I am on did some heavy discussion about the disaster and the horrendous response to it by officials. The questions that inevitably came up were "why?" and "how is it possible?". The next debate was "is it racial or is it economic discrimination" I am really tired of these discussions RIGHT NOW by people who are good at talk, not so good at action. The task at hand is the safety of these people. There will be time later to argue the reasons.

It is very hard to have any perspectives other than Katrina, all conversations focus on it, all news focuses on it. But the world goes on. Japan is being hit by a massive monsoon, there are still wars going on and other atrocities. There are still celebrations and life affirming events going on too. Life goes on with or without us.

its a grand balancing act.....and we seem to be on the teeter-totter of life.
I Will Remember You by Sarah McLachlan

one down, one to go

well the job front is a bit less exciting.
the board of the non-profit i have been volunteering to prep for the audit has decided to hire someone permanent. for the position. I should have expected this...as nothing in my life ever really just falls into my lap like that....and i was honest with the treasurer in that this is not something i would choose to do for a career.
this week will tell if the other opportunity pans out....that is much more something i would like to do, altho it is short term as well. I have to get past the fact that I am not a townie and that i offended a couple of townies who thot they knew what they were doing and then bobbled it.
all in all it means that i have to start getting down to business in the job hunt. the Break (or not as it has been) is over! now the panic begins

Princess

Been watching this "reality" show called "american princess". its almost a comedy of errors. first of all, princess is an inherited title, and we have no title lines here in America. But thanks to Disney, every little girl grows up playing princess at least once. What is sad is that these young girls altho they have learned huge amounts, they are really so far out of their leagues. The perception of what a princess is and does is really so far from what the expectations are in reality.

I also find these competitive reality shows have a level of stress that is way beyond what is necessary in life.

No way would I want to be an American Princess. There are lots of jobs that fit my skill set better.

The big R or Hurry up and Wait

ok...the job search has begun. I was going to wait until after the holiday weekend was over and then begin the search. But there are a few things that change the focus just a bit.

First is the opportunity to continue in an LTE (limited term employment) position with the volunteer agency I have been working with for the last couple months. It would be doing everything from administrative assistant type things to data entry in the QuickBooks system, training the staff on QB, cleaning up the filing system. But, its a board decision and the board has some big things on its plate at the moment that will determine whether there is the money to do this.

Second is something that just came up. I wrote previously about working with the volunteer clean-up after the tornado. The friend who I came to help out just called me this noon. They are working out the details of a "resource coordinator" position. It too would be an LTE postion, focusing on transition coordination for the community...rebuilding kinds of things....was I interested if it came to be.

Once again i find myself in the hurry up and wait mode. I guess it goes with the job search as much as the big R (REJECTION) does, but they are the two parts of life i do least well with (not like anyone handles them well, but...)

Now if I had my d'ruthers I would much rather have the second of the two options. Its right up my alley. It uses all my skills and puts me in a place where people really need me. If I had my dream job at this moment it would be Volunteer Coordination. But I am ready for an income in any form. Insurance would be a bonus. I haven't had much "time off" in all of this, but with too much of that I would have gone a bit crazy.

Oh, a boost to my ego came from the most unlikely place. The woman from the Salvation Army that I coordinated with during the tornado clean-up suggested that she and my friend would have to battle for my talents and skills, but that she had my cell phone number too. Its always good to be wanted, and hopefully it will be able to translate into something tangible.


The Right Time from the album "Forgiven, Not Forgotten" by The Corrs

Technorati Tags: job

Mother Nature is a force to be reckoned with

I do not have a lot of words for the horrendous destruction in the Gulf states. I have no words for the loss of life, the loss of homes, the loss of peoples whole existence. I have no words for the chaos.

It will be years before these areas are habitable. For some it will not matter, they have nothing to rebuild, they have lost their families, their hopes, their whole realities.

There are so many conflicts within this. The absolute raw beauty of the natural response to the travesties we continue to commit against our earth daily. The horrifying loss of life. The fact that people had a choice to leave or stay, and many chose to stay. The realization that no matter how fast we would like to see help get to the stranded, the ill, the hurt, it takes time for the first responders to reach them. The thought that the richest nation in the world is responding like a third world nation in response to this catastrophe.

I wish once the initial horrors are broadcast, the media would focus on the positives. There are so many people helping people stories, so many picking up the pieces and moving on stories. I understand the media thinks it has a role in the investigative and showing the ugly bits, but right now people need to heal, they need to see the positive. What good does it do to show people angry and needy again and again, when the reality is that rescue can not come for everyone at once.

I am energized by the people who give, who struggle to survive and do, by the ones who not only take care of themselves but others. I am angered by the fact that there are way too many who are just abandoned because they dont have the resources, and i am disgusted by the media feeding frenzy. and I am in awe of what Mother Nature can do.