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John gave me a card this morning (yep, it's somebody's birthday). It's a UNICEF card, and it's beautiful. The back of the card has a mission statement piece from UNICEF that ends with "...where every child is free... simply to be a child." Amen.
And, on that note, this child is certainly free to be a child. If you have time (it's short), watch this 3 year old talking through her version of Star Wars, Episode IV:
Good Evening, All!
It IS a good evening - even though I'm just reading now that the Chinese program headquarters of Heifer International (one of my most favorite charities in the world - the one I'd give up a lot to work for!) - are in the city of Chengdu in Sichuan Province, which is the city 50 miles from the epicenter of this past week's unbelievably devastating earthquake. Heifer is working hard at restoring communication with their China programs offices, and to begin assessing the damage to their programs.
I'm struck by the fact that their work in China will now be more vital than ever, with potentially thousands of people who might now need their assistance - and didn't before. I'm also struck by the fact that I can't even fathom "thousands of people," or surviving an earthquake like China saw this week.
If you are in a position to do so, perhaps consider a little donation to Heifer to help with their work in China? Food Gatherers can, of course, help locally - where there are (unfortunately) more than a few people who could use our support.
The cyclone in Myanmar/Burma... The earthquake in China... The tornadoes in our own country - in a polluted town that will likely not even be rebuilt... And even the challenges locally that we can hardly afford to address!
Life sure is good here in our new home in Ann Arbor. What in the world did I do to deserve this life of luxury, this job of challenge and fun, these cats of questionable behavior, and this husband of incredibly beautiful love?
Be well in this world, Friends - and be taking care of yourselves in these moments of challenge to our world.
Hello and Happy Nearly-Next Year, Everyone!
First a quick note especially for those of you who were with us at the DIA (Detroit Institute of Art) yesterday to see me drooling over the $209 bag I successfully talked myself out of buying: The manufacturer was English Retreads, and the company just gets cooler! This is a company (an artist, really - Heather English is her name) making amazingly beautiful handbags, totes, and a few accessories out of recycled inner tubes! Actually talking myself out of buying a $209 bag wasn't difficult, but I was smitten. So... John helped me remember the name of the website, and I'm still smitten. So much so
that I just ordered a different bag from the same company (but off of Ebags.com for slightly less $$)! The pic is the "Coupe" bag that I just ordered!
We had a great (and exhausting!) day at the DIA yesterday with John's family! The DIA might be mildly disappointed to know that my favorite experience of the day was walking into the "great hall" of the museum that was hung with thousands (at least - I can't imagine how many there really were) of tiny mirrored discs on nylon string. The effect was breathtaking - sparkly, shimmery circles all the way to the ceiling - a little like being under water and in space at the same time.
Tonight is New Year's Eve, of course - and I'm going to be working my first NYEve show at the club. Some of you will appreciate that part of the job tonight (for someone - hopefully several of my brave and experienced volunteers!) will be corking about 6 dozen bottles of champagne. The rest of you will appreciate knowing that I am TERRIFIED of champagne corks! I'm also thrilled with the fact that there's a winter storm watch for tonight with 5-8 inches of snow predicted. Whee... driving home after midnight on New Year's Eve in the snow AND with merrymakers on the road?!?
All will be fine and I will be careful, but I sure won't be overly calm.
And so I end this year filled with gratitude and happiness. Work is exactly where I should be (even on a stressful day), and Home is even more exactly where I should be. Family are ever-present in our lives, music is ever-engaging, and Scrabble is ever-challenging. To my Husband: I love you!
In the new year I aim for perhaps a move of our home into Ann Arbor, a LOT of collaging that has been neglected these last several months, continued growth and focus at work, and better sleep!
Happiest end of this year to You, Friends. I'll see you in the New Year, we'll elect a new president (!), we'll have plenty of good times (regardless of the new president's identity), and I'll continue to report on the silly and sometimes pointless points of my life here. Be Well and Be Taking Care of Each Other!
Hello All! I'm pretty sure I forgot to share this bit of news here. If you didn't know already, you should know that Food Gatherers (the agency John works for!) has been ranked by Charity Navigator as the Top Rated Food Bank in the entire COUNTRY! I already know they're remarkable people doing remarkable work - but the rest of the world should know too! If you're stumped on any holiday giving this year, consider a donation to Food Gatherers. (You can do it right through their website!)
Hello, Friends!
At the risk of sharing something fascinating that you might not really want to see... here you go! I've discovered the following website after hearing an interview this past Friday on NPR, and I suspect a number of my friends and family might appreciate knowing about it. The NPR clip I heard was specifically about chemical ingredients (troublesome ingredients, in particular) in commercial cosmetic products.
The expert in the show referenced the Environmental Working Group website, and I've been very impressed with what I've found there so far. The site is enormous - it will take some time to unearth everything they offer, but here's a snapshot:
You will find the Cosmetics Database with a listing of over 25,000 products and a simple analysis of their ingredients (for instance, "this product contains ingredients known to cause or raise cancer risks"). I have (honestly) already pitched my existing skin-care line and replaced it with something they say is better! Here's one feature I appreciate: when you search for a specific product, they rank exactly where the product falls in relation to other similar products in the database. If you think immediately you'd be interested in checking out something better for you, you can go to the beginning of the list and see what's listed as the "best."
You will also find information on other toxins in our environment, and where/how you might encounter them; farm subsidies and where/how much they are in your communities; a chemical index with references to the latest research info on zillions (my term - not theirs) of chemicals in the products we use and our natural environment; links and information to contact legislators directly regarding issues that are up for debate and that you'd like to voice opinions on; a large list of items of interest specifically to parents; subcategories on energy policy, water subsidies, natural resources, and the like.
Again, this is the sort of information that might prove more uncomfortable than informative on some subjects, but I am thrilled with the discovery and wanted to pass it along. (For the record, so far I have found everything in the cosmetics database from actual makeup to skin care products, deodorant, shampoos, and others - it's awesome, and a little bit disturbing - but things I would rather know than not know, you know?)
I guess I'll say "enjoy" - and I'll continue to try to pass along info I think might be of interest to my readers! Be Well and Be Taking Care of You!
Today is "Peace Day" in Mozambique.
(Shouldn't every day be Peace Day, Everywhere?)
Peace, Dear Friends!
Hello Friends! Here it is... a little proof that I can actually grow things. I've been experimenting with container gardening this year (as we are still in the land of Renters, no garden-in-the-ground at our house). The pouring rain and fresh smelling earth today got me more interested in what's actually working out there.
Here is a little bit of evidence. We have a young green pepper, a young yellow 
pepper, and an out-of-control pot of Sweet Dani Basil and Purple Basil. Wooohooo!
Here also is our favorite porch ornament. Scooter Bob (as we call him) came to live with us as a wedding gift. He's losing his stuffing a 
little bit, and we have inflated his status and legend in the household with our overactive imaginations, but in all he's still Scooter Bob. Scooter Bob doesn't have much to do with growing, admittedly, but he's a fixture among the green things.
Happy Growth and Peace to You, Friends!
Hi Friends! I feel like it's been a while, but I'm still here. So far this has been a long week with a significant sore back issue for me. I'm working on mending...
I had a lunch experience today that really kind of made the rest of my day: I stopped at a Subway restaurant near my new office to get a sandwich and take it back to work. Of course I happened to stop during peak lunch time, when this restaurant is usually completely efficient and "together." Not today, exactly. They had a rather difficult customer in line while I got there who was impeding their process a little bit. The line was long, but I was hungry so I stayed while many others were stomping out.
This restaurant has two entrances, and two guys came in the other door a split second after I came in. The line was a little out of control and they stayed off to the side instead of pushing through to get in line behind me. I knew they had come in just after me, but they were some kind of service guys - I guessed that they might have a schedule to stick on, and not a lot of time for lunch.
When (at least 15 minutes later) we all finally got up to the order point, one guy said to me "Go ahead, you were here before us." I told them to go first - I wasn't on a strict schedule. They thanked me and went ahead. When I got to the register just after they left, the cashier said "You're all set."
"Huh?" I said very articulately. He said "I think you let two guys cut in front of you? They paid for your lunch."
They were out of the parking lot before I could even wave a "thank you." So Thank You, Whoever You Are!
Peace, Friends!
Hello, Everyone!
I'm just in from Grillin' - what a fun day! If you're in our area and have an interest, please consider joining us next June (The second Sunday) for this great event! My folks and I had a great evening - great food, great people, great music, and great (maybe a little too great) donations to Food Gatherers through the silent auction.
Did I mention they have this really cute guy there too? He's taken (by me), but it's worth coming just to see my husband hard at work!
Mom, Bernie, and I will definitely be there next year too. Much fun!
Be Well, All. Happy New Week to You!
Good evening, Friends!
I'm sharing some quick but exciting news about Food Gatherers tonight! If you aren't already familiar with Charity Navigator, check them out when you have a chance. Charity Navigator is an independent charity evaluator that focuses primarily on the financial health of organizations. It's a great tool for informed giving if you hope your donation dollars will be put to the best use.
One tool they offer to help you investigate giving options are Top Ten Lists. Food Gatherers has been listed on the 10 Slam-Dunk Charities list - and not just on the list, but they are #2 (of ALL the charities C.N. tracks, something like 5,000+)!! To quote Navigator's intro to the list, "These 10 charities are not only tops in terms of fiscal health, but also for respecting the rights of donors."
Yay, Food Gatherers - Congratulations! (And yay to my very own Gatherer, John!) It's tax return season - maybe consider a donation to Food Gatherers? You can donate right on their web site or find information about donating by mail, by phone, or in person!
Peace, Friends!
When I first saw images and reporting on this short film, I had a vague memory of learning about the original "doll tests" conducted during the 1930s by Dr. Kenneth Clark. These were the tests "that helped persuade the Supreme Court to strike down segregation in its Brown v. Board of Education decision."
A Girl Like Me is a short film by Kiri Davis, a 16 year old high school student in NYC who recreated some of the doll tests and filmed the results. Her film also includes young African American women talking about beauty standards, body images, and how the standards they see in the world affect them.
I found myself saddened by the film and I can still hardly believe that Kiri's doll tests showed essentially the same results that Dr. Clark found in the '30s, but I am hopeful and grateful that there are these intelligent, articulate young women in the world who are thinking about these things and pushing us to think about them too.
You can watch the film on the Media That Matters Film Festival page. There is also a great bio for Kiri Davis there. You will find many related stories and reports on NPR also. Please watch this film - it is only 7 minutes long! It is heart breaking, but it needs to be seen.
Peace to you, Friends. Be Well and Be Taking Care.
I'd like to share a little more complete information than I have before about Food Gatherers. (Which is, of course, the Ann Arbor/Washtenaw County agency where John works.)
"Food Gatherers exists to alleviate hunger and address its causes in our community by: reducing food waste through the rescue and distribution of perishable and non-perishable food, coordinating with other hunger relief providers, educating the public about hunger, and developing new food resources."
This is an agency (a small agency in staff - only about 15 paid staff, but volunteers numbering in the many hundreds) made up of great people (see above!) doing wonderful and necessary work. There is a lot of work to be done - Food Gatherers distributed around 3 million pounds of food last year. Consider taking a look at their website from the link above. You can find pdf files of their newsletter, and also information about making a donation.
Did you know that Food Gatherers was founded by Zingerman's, and that it is the first program of its kind (a food rescue organization) to be founded by a for-profit business? It is now an independent 501(c)3 not-for-profit agency.
If you are so inclined, consider adding Grillin' (their major annual fund raising event) to your calendar on Sunday, June 10th of this year. I'll be there - and John will be working! It's a wonderful fun day with great food, great music, a great art auction, and great people.
(An interesting and pointless fact: for all the hundreds of times I've looked at the Food Gatherers logo, today is the first time I noticed that it's not capitalized!)
Peace, Friends. Be staying warm and feeling good!
Greetings, Friends! I trust that the holidays are treating you all well and with great care. I've just been reading a bit tonight about the White Earth Land Recovery Project, and thought I'd share a bit of information. John and I were planning to travel to Minnesota (sort of like my ancestral home - a place of many connections for me, and a welcoming place for both John and I!) this weekend, but the weather didn't cooperate with us. This project is based in Callaway, MN, and I think it's worth a look if you're willing to take a few minutes to poke around on their website. I was inspired to look because I knew it was a MN program, and we can't be there this weekend and I was looking forward to the trip!
I purchased a "Native Harvest" wild rice packet from Georgette's Grounds and Gifts (the coffee/gift shop operated by my department at Sunshine Inc. of NW Ohio). I haven't used it yet, but I find it hard to imagine any wild rice product or recipe that I wouldn't love! (I am, after all, a Minnesotan by ancestry) You can visit the White Earth Land Recovery Project at their website to learn the most about their work, but I will share their stated mission here too:
"The mission of the White Earth Land Recovery Project is to facilitate recovery of the original land base of the White Earth Indian Reservation, while preserving and restoring traditional practices of sound land stewardship, language fluency, community development, and strengthening our spiritual and cultural heritage."
In searching their website this evening, I've been impressed by the variety of products the White Earth Land Project offers. You will find baskets, crafts, jewelry, ornaments, and an incredible selection of food items. (The Wild Rice page alone made my mouth water!) I realize we have just passed through a majority of the gift-giving occasions in our typical year, but consider this project if you have gift giving occasions outside of these winter holidays!
I promise to use the wild rice that I have from White Earth and report back here. In the meantime, tomorrow I'll be making a soup with "Toni's Ten Bean Soup Mix" from the Women's Bean Project website. I'll report back on that one also - but I have no qualms. So far, we have tried the Six Bean Soup Mix and the Old Fashioned Chili Mix, as well as the Green Chili and Southwest salsa mixes. Every mix has had great success - especially the soup and chili mixes! (I also made the cornbread sold by the Women's Bean Project with the chili - it was a terrific combination!)
In this season of celebration, family, and winter weather (sort of, at least) - I hope you all are well and happy and in good company. Please be taking care of each other, and perhaps doing what you can for those who might not have people to take care of them.
Peace, Dear Friends, and Happy New Year! (Or at least very close to New Year!)
Hi Friends! As we enter (or careen through?) this season of giving, I find myself thinking many things: "Oh my god, I haven't actually shopped for any gifts!" and "Geeze, I really don't need any more things" and "Oh, I'd really love to give ______ a gift of _____" and approximately a million other thoughts on gifts and giving. I'd like to share a few ideas here for places, people, and organizations who could really use our support while we are searching for the perfect gifts. If you're thinking of any "alternative" gift giving, or just looking for something new - maybe consider some of these places?
Also, if you are in the Toledo area, consider a donation to Sunshine Inc. of NW Ohio. You can visit us (I work for Sunshine) at www.sunshineincnwo.com You can also consider sponsoring a resident at Sunshine's Children's Home for Christmas, helping to provide a wonderful Christmas celebration and gifts for a resident or a living area of the home. If you are looking for more traditional gifts to give, consider visiting a couple of websites. (I know you'd all like to avoid the mall now, wouldn't you?!?)
Happiest of this season of giving to you all, Friends. I hope we are all well and happy and staying warm inside and out. Peace to All!
Hello friends! I thought I'd share some information about an organization I'm just learning about and developing a lot of respect for.
Last weekend we tried a bean soup mix I bought at Georgette's (Sunshine's coffee and gift shop in Maumee). The Six Bean Organic Soup Mix came from the Women's Bean Project in Denver, Colorado. The soup was outstanding - a mix of adzuki beans, green split peas, yellow split peas, black beans, small red beans, navy beans, and spices to which I added a plethora of vegetables. We made it in the slow cooker with great results. You might be thinking "Alright, a soup mix. So what?" Like I said, the soup was outstanding. But then I got curious about the project and checked out their website. Most of what follows is text from their "what we do" page on the website, and the link is at end.
"For 16 years the Women's Bean Project has helped women break the cycle of poverty and unemployment. We teach workplace competencies for entry-level jobs through employment and by teaching job readiness and life skills in our gourmet food production business."
The Women's Bean Project commits to:
"The women enrolled in the bean project have histories of poverty and unemployment; most do not have a high school diploma or GED. Many are single mothers and have been on public assistance. Many have recovered from histories of incarceration or substance abuse."
The instruction card insert on the soup I made also shared the following statement from one of the Bean Program's participants, Pam: "My past is full of regret and mistakes. I have been held back by alcoholism, drug abuse, depression and a criminal history. My self-esteem has taken a severe beating over the years and I have a fear of rejection. I appreciate the Bean Project for giving me a chance to get and stay well. The Bean Project is teaching me how to set and achieve goals, and to realize that I do, indeed, have potential and that I'm not a failure. I truly like the support I have received in overcoming my fears and [am grateful] for the chance to learn new skills. For once, it appears that someone is more interested in my future than my past and I am grateful for that."
Please consider visiting the Women's Bean Project website at www.womensbeanproject.com and/or visiting Georgette's Grounds and Gifts on Conant Street in Maumee, OH to see the products we sell there. 
At Georgette's you will find 2 different soup mixes and some salsa/vegetable dip spice mixes. On the Bean Project website you will find many more soup mixes, bread mixes, jelly beans, cookie mixes, salsa mixes, fajita marinades, bean dips, spice rubs, and iced teas. The website also has a great selection of gift baskets with nice samplings of their products. We are currently awaiting the arrival of several other products I ordered after the successful soup test - I'll post reviews after we try a few more products!
I can hardly think of a better source for positive-impact, meaningful, useful, and delicious consumable gifts this holiday season! If you know of any other projects you'd like to help spread the word about, feel free to comment here or email me and I'll help talk things up. You all know I'm good at talking!
Coming Soon on this very blog - information about Georgette's commerce website! This is the primary job site that I manage for Sunshine Supported Employment. We are almost fully ready to receive and process orders for the holidays. I will share info as soon as we're ready to ship out goodies to you and yours!
Peace, Friends. Be Well and Be Taking Care!
