Busy, Busy Weekend

Beginning at the top, L-R: Our Common Home book cover, Wonder Woman Pop keychain, Wonder Woman cape hanging at the comic store, March for Truth art, Carnival, Pentecost, Gishwhes Tea Party art, green flower for my hair, Pride flag. (c)2017

Some weeks go by with nothing to do or that rare week that has one or two things every day just to keep the week moving along and easy to handle. Then there was this past week.
On Wednesday, I was invited to a Ramadan dinner, a community dinner to break the daily fast that Muslims globally follow. This dinner is one that the Islamic Center holds every year. It was wonderful, and I was glad to have gone. I’m already looking forward to next year.

On Thursday, I had a church meeting but that was cancelled, so at the last minute, we decided to pick up my daughter’s friend and go to the evening showing of Wonder Woman. I’m not sure if Thursday counts as opening night or pre-openng night. The movie was amazing, and for a moment I considered going to see it again this weekend. Yes, it was that good. It was also a school night, but it’s Wonder Woman! We’ve been waiting a long time for this one.

On Friday, I started to read (for the second time) Our Common Home: Visual meditations of Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato Si’ by Michael O’Neill McGrath, the catalyst being the Trump Administration’s short-sightedness on the welfare of our shared planet Earth. I am reading it slowly, and I am planning on using some of Brother Mickey‘s artwork as inspiration for my own tonight. Friday night was also the school’s rec night for my daughter. It was an introduction to the middle school rec nights that they have throughout the year. Then her friend slept over in anticipation of Saturday.

Saturday began with Dunkin’ Donuts for breakfast – a day late and a donut short for National Donut Day, and then we were off to our local comic store to celebrate Wonder Woman Day. Free comics, tiaras, and bracelets, pins, and key chains! Fun, fun, fun. After that my son had a birthday party that turned into a sleepover. We brought him home for a shower and a change of clothes. He and my husband went to buy him a bicycle that he’s been promised before the sale ended.

In the meantime, we took the girls out to lunch, then to a local carnival. They dropped me off at church where I was reminded it was Pentecost, something I will reflect further on later in the week. The Holy Spirit is something that I have felt my whole life without knowing exactly what it was that was guiding me. While I was at church, the girls decided on another sleepover at the friend’s house. I went home and drew some art for the March for Truth that I attended virtually continuing with the Wonder Woman theme by using her lasso of truth.

My husband and I began to catch up on Sense 8, only to find out that it wasn’t renewed for a third season. I’ve already joined the online movement to try and bring it back. It is just so much and so wonderfully well done. I can’t help but feel attached to the sensates.

We are currently at our local coffee shop – Starbucks. I’m wearing a green flower in my hair ane a matching Gishwhes shirt for the International Gishwhes Tea Party taking place around the world at this exact moment.

It is also Pride month, and I spent much of last night drawing and coloring a pride flag, mostly for my own amusement, but also to share.

So much done, and this weekend isn’t even over yet. We still need to get the kids back from their respective sleepovers, watch two more episodes of Sense8, decide on dinner, and then prepare for the return of Fear the Walking Dead.

Tomorrow seems just as busy as I renew my driver’s license and get my glasses adjusted. I’ve been getting headaches and they’re barely a week old. I’m definitely seeing better, but I’m not sure constant headaches are worth the benefit. I also plan to get my international driving permit for our trip to Ireland.

I’m not sure if I have time to catch my breath.

While I do, what are some of the ways you cope with the busyness of your lives? If you comment with yours, I’ll include them in tomorrow’s post of some of my hints and tips to get through our days.

Wonder Woman is All That, And More

A few thoughts on Wonder Woman, non-spoilery.

Post-Election Reflection – FBI, DOJ, WH

Whatever you think of Rachel Maddow’s opinions and politics, put those aside and find tape of last night’s show (May 9th, 2017). Rachel Maddow makes no apologies for her very strong feelings or her liberal, progressive beliefs. However, she is one of the brilliant minds in politics today. She’s smart, honest, and educates and explains hard to understand politics with details that often get overlooked or ignored by partisan pundits. She is much more than that.

Her educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in public policy. She attended Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship and earned her doctorate in political science.

To not take her seriously or dismiss her as partisan would be at your own peril.

Domestic Violence Should Not Be Politics as Usual

Sunday will be the sixth anniversary of my friend’s death. She was murdered by her ex while simply living her own life, washing a tea kettle out when he came up behind her and ended her life. For all of us who are touched by domestic violence and abuse, we ask if there was something we could have done, something we should have been aware of. I participated in my own share of victim blaming until I saw the larger picture of having your finances and only home tied up with someone who is threatening.

I think we all like to believe the best of people, and if we’re wrong, we just pick up and walk away. Everyone has friends they can rely on, but how true is that really? Can a mom, the mom who seems to have all the problems, is never on time, offering flimsy excuses with the two kids, both in diapers – can she crash on your sofa or spare room indefinitely? Are you friends with her domestic partner? Who will you believe?

Domestic violence can happen to anyone, and it takes on a variety of forms. Some, though not many, don’t realize they’re abusive; it’s the way they were raised, and they think it’s “normal” to slap your wife and kids or grab her or slam doors and drink a little too much. Others seem like the perfect couple, family, etc, and no one knows what’s going on inside someone else’s home?

For B, my friend, when she had nowhere to live, she arranged to live in her house. Her house, that she paid for, contributed to the down payment of, was responsible on the deed for, but also on the property where her ex lived. I thought that was crazy. However, what else could she do?

He threatened her, but people say things they don’t mean all the time.

Why didn’t she call the police? Well, she did, several times. In fact, the police paid a visit to their house the night before she was murdered. They didn’t believe there was a problem; not a real one. Don’t set him off, though.

I didn’t understand.

Now, in Congress, in the House of Representatives yesterday, a bill was passed that will now go on to the Senate to be voted on. If it passes the Senate, I have no doubt that President Trump will sign it. He signs whatever he’s told to.

This new bill, that might become a law, which by the way also exempts members of Congress from its new rules and changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as well as affecting private insurance and employer insurance along with Medicaid and Medicare, defines pre-existing conditions in horrific ways and will affect someone you know.

They say that pre-exisiting conditions will be covered, but that depends on the state you’re in, and legal access to health care doesn’t mean that everyone will have it or be able to afford it.

For example, four of the pre-existing conditions mentioned specifically are: domestic violence, sexual assault, c-section, and post-partum depression. What do these four things have in common? In addition to being completely and arbitrarily unpredictable and randomly occuring, they also only happen to women. The first two – domestic violence and sexual assault – are perpetuated by men onto women, but as is the case in many instances, women pay the brunt of the violence against them.

This is one of the most blatant and disgusting and obvious moments of victim-blaming.

They’re looking at getting rid of well visits and preventative care, maternity leave, and pre-natal care as well.

I’m appalled.

In today’s Congress, had my friend survived her gunshot to the head she would be blamed for it as a victim of domestic violence. It would be considered a pre-existing condition and not covered under the Republican’s repeal and regress health care plan.

They’ve had eight years to come up with something, and they’ve failed. However, they continue to punish women for their failure.

Do not let this Republican controlled Congress and White House continue to abuse women and their families.

If you or someone you know are in danger or in a domestic abuse relationship or situation, contact the The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. They can help you and find resources for you wherever you are.

If you or someone you know are an LGBT+ youth and in an abusive situation, contact The Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386. They can put you in touch with someone who can help you.

You are not alone.

The Future is Female

In honor of the March for Science, held today across the country, a little word art. There are two women’s names that I’ve listed with only a last initial. Those are two women scientists I know in my personal life. They are an inspiration to me in more ways than one, and certainly more than just scientifically.

We all have those girls and women in our lives.

Who are yours?

March for Science – Information

Official Website
Why we March
March in DC

Start: Washington D.C., North of Washington Monument, Constitution Avenue NW between 15th and 17th street.

8:00am: Grounds open.

9:00am: Teach-ins start.

10:00am: Main stage rally program begins.

2:00pm: March begins!

The Route – The march will form on the Washington Monument Grounds and proceed over the following route: starting at 15th and Constitution Avenue NW and proceed east on Constitution Avenue NW to 3rd Street NW, south on 3rd Street NW into Union Square where the group will disperse.

Satellite Marches – Find one in your area!

March for Science – An Introduction

Tomorrow is the March for Science. As these important issues come up, I’m trying not to be political, but what we call political actually affects a number of people’s real lives. From crime to health care, immigration to women’s equality and civil rights for all, these are basic things that many of us deal with on a daily basis. I know people are tired of hearing about privilege, but if you’re not affected by these issues and simply see them as politics as usual, then more than likely you are in a privileged group.

That doesn’t mean that you are rich or have no troubles of your own; it is simply that from your perspective you can’t understand “the big deal” or why some of us are so vocal. You may or may not take your rights for granted, but for some of us who live the day to day of having our civil rights violated, it has been very frustrating.

Whether or not you believe that our global climate is changing or whether or not you feel that it is a man-made problem, it is eveyrone’s responsibility to maintain adequate living conditions for everyone here now, and everyone to come.

This simply means taking care of our environment.

Conserve water.

Turn off the lights when you leave the room.

Adjust your thermostat.

Pick up litter.

In listing them, these should not be controversial. In fact, many of these should be common sense.

When a new White House Administration comes in, their priorities take precedence. They focus on what they feel is important. Looking back decades, we can see that. Even President George W. Bush, whose policies didn’t believe in climate change still did his part to protect the environment without compromising his capitalist values.

When the Trump Administration came in, on the very first day, they eliminated web pages from the official White House website. Ignoring what we would deem controversial like the justice department, immigration, LGBT+, and ethics policies, they also shuttered anything about climate and environmental protections as well as national parks, and food and drug safety. This included established and agreed upon science.

You can’t change facts.

You can disagree with them; you can have a differing viewpoint in how to address them, but facts are facts.

Our children need to know how to read and analyze data critically, objectively, and sadly, we are all being lied to when less than knowledgeable people are in charge of the various departments.

Tomorrow, as we have been doing since January on a variety of topics, we stand up for science.

We must broaden our minds, and think critically, and problem solve, and communicate with the best minds. We should encourage science education and questioning.

Science. Not silence.

This is the first of a series of posts for the March for Science and science resources. Please add your own suggestions in the comments. Now more than ever, we need to be here for each other and for our planet. We have one chance to get it right.

Stand up and be counted.

Election Reflection – Self-Care

Here are a few links to help you be politically active but also take care of yourself. If you have any links or self care suggestions, please add them in the comments. We are here for each other; now more than ever.

How to Avoid Being Psychologically Destroyed by Your Newsfeed

How to Call your Reps when you have Social Anxiety

How to Get Out of the Cycle of Outrage in a Trump World

How to Stay Outraged without Losing Your Mind

Self-Care Ideas for a Trump Presidency

Watching Janelle Monae’s Women’s March Speech is your Self Care Homework for the Day

What to do when you’re so Overwhelmed by the Trump Presidency

Two of my Own:

Let’s Make a Coping Skills Toolbox

Make a Self-Care Thing

And this helpful graphic: