Peace Frog
the Doors

“There’s blood in the streets, it’s up to my ankles
She came
There’s blood on the streets, it’s up to my knee
She came
Blood on the streets in the town of Chicago
She came
Blood on the rise, it’s following me
Think about the break of day
She came and then she drove away
Sunlight in her hair
She came
Blood in the streets runs a river of sadness
She came
Blood in the streets it’s up to my thigh
She came
Yeah the river runs down the legs of the city
She came
The women are crying red rivers of weepin’
She came into town and then she drove away
Sunlight in her hair
Indians scattered on dawns highway bleeding
Ghosts crowd the young child’s fragile eggshell mind
Blood in the streets in the town of New Haven
Blood stains the roofs and the palm trees of Venice
Blood in my love in the terrible summer
Bloody red sun of phantastic l.a.
Blood streams her brain as they chop off her fingers
Blood will be born in the birth of a nation
Blood is the rose of mysterious union
There’s blood in the streets, it’s up to my ankles
Blood in the streets, it’s up to my knee
Blood in the streets in the town of Chicago
Blood on the rise, it’s following me”

from the Wacky Mailbox:

“On December 28th, a federal court issued an order preventing Oregon from implementing its new domestic partnership law until at least Feb. 1. The court’s decision was in response to a lawsuit brought by an out-of-state right wing interest group. This unnecessary delay has put hundreds of caring, committed couples in harm’s way. It’s up to us to ensure that Oregonians understand what’s at stake. Join Basic Rights Oregon at the Rally to Defend Equality on January 30.

Gay or straight – it’s time to stand up and be counted.

Support Oregon families by joining us at Wednesday’s Rally to Defend Equality. Bring your friends and family with you! (more…)

(From Word-A-Day — Wordsmith Anu Garg, thank you for the daily dose.)

lucent (LOO-suhnt) adjective

1. Luminous; shining.

2. Translucent; clear.

[From Latin lucent, from lucere (to shine). Other words derived from the same root are elucidate, lucid, and translucent.]

My political ally J just sent along this note:

Excerpt from “Letter from Birmingham Jail”:

“In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action.”

Let us honor Dr. King’s memory by staying the course.

(And the story I referred to here came from The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. )

Just got back from doc and good news is… Mom came over and I didn’t have to take 3 kids with me! Daughter, son, and son’s lil friend, who is playing with us today. He adds a balance and kindness to our house that is often lacking. He is peacekeeper and little sweetheart. For example, he showed up with brownies for the kids, and his own lunch, which he had packed himself. Then he fed himself lunch when he got hungry. Also, he eats whatever I feed him. And he says, “Excuse me…” when he needs something. Our household is a more low-key place when he is here. His mother would like me to interject here, “I don’t think she’s talking about my kid, cuz that’s not the story at our house. So I don’t know whose kid she’s talking about.”

I’m grateful for friends.

And family. I am grateful for my mom, who is RETIRED and apparently has no desire to take on a part-time job. “I want to hang out with my grandkids,” sez she. Yay, just a big ol’ yay!!!

More good news! I don’t have pneumonia! Just bronchitis! Woot!!! Thank you amoxocillin you are my friend. Add a “grateful” for modern medicine.

Happy Thanksgiving, you all. I am grateful for you. And for not having pneumonia. Also, I’m grateful for my husband, our families, our friends and community (online and off) and the way the sun is shining.

And I’m grateful for NAWACOTID because, om, zen.

Farewell — off to lie on couch and wait ’til antibiotics kick in.

We started packing up our house and paring down after Hurricane Katrina. Because you just never know when a hurricane is going to tear through, even in placid Portland, Ore.

Naw, it was because my girlfriend R, an old friend of my sister’s and mine, lost her house in New Orleans and almost everything in it. She, her husband and her kids were okay, and sometimes, that’s enough. But they lost all their stuff, see? No stuff! So I packed up roughly half of my house and sent it to them. I had too much stuff, anyway.

R’s sister, C, wrote Diary from Louisiana entries about their experiences for my blog, so their friends would have a place to find them and know what was going on in their world. You’ll find the posts here, here, here, here, here, here, here and also here.

Me at the post office, mailing another three boxes: “You got a rate for ‘We’re in Deep Shit, Louisiana, please help’?”
Post office guy: “Nope. I wish we did.”
Me: “Gimme book rate.”

I mailed them towels, dishes, toys, toothpaste, toiletries, videos, books, sheets. Basically anything that would fit into a box, didn’t weigh too much, and that I could tape shut and not have the box break open. My sister and our friends mailed them some stuff, too, and some people kicked in a little money.

That is what you call “love in a box,” my friend.

They shared it all out, then they sent us a King Cake for Mardi Gras, and a thank you note. A thank you note! This undid me. I love Southern girls. They are thoughtful, even in the time of a crisis. I have not heard from them in awhile and I miss them. They are nice girls, you’d like them.

So what I’m saying is, how can I have so much junk to pack? We are anti-junk here. We’re not compulsive shoppers, we share the love, we don’t have any excessive habits. I am a little intimidated by how much we have to pack — dishes, towels, plastic dohickeys, toys, clothes, books…

Hockey God, on packing: “I’m not opposed to throwing it all in boxes and just taking it to the new place. I’ve done it before.”

That was just what I needed to hear. So if I’m not blogging much? It’s cuz I’m packing.

(from an e-mail I just received. WM)

N.A.A.C.P. Portland Branch 1120 Responds to Racist Concert Organized by Hammerskin Nation

PORTLAND, OR – October 5, 2007 – Since opening our doors in 1914, the Portland NAACP Branch 1120 has steadfastly fought to win and protect the civil rights of African Americans and people of color. (more…)

Have you heard about Walk + Bike to School Day? Yeah, I was wishing I hadn’t at about 6 a.m. this morning. I had volunteered to get up early (not much earlier, mind you) and leave a bit early (half an hour) to be a “station person” and meet up with whatever kids wanted to join us to (get this) walk to school.

What a concept. (more…)

I started my blog two and a half years ago, on Valentine’s Day. Because I’m sweet like candy. Here’s my first post. I shared my daughter’s song (“…ask yourself/why is my mommy/so wacky/why is my mommy so wacky?”)and my parenting mantra (“All the credit, none of the guilt” – I suggest you adopt this one right away, it’s a winner.) I also promised to keep it anonymous. To protect the guilty and the innocent. (more…)

FYI if you are in Portland — just received this press release. It’s late notice, I know, but if you’d like to help in any other ways, there is a website address and phone number below.

Peace, always.

WM

“INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE.”
— DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING IN “A LETTER FROM A BIRMINGHAM JAIL”

As thousands of men and women descend on Jena, Louisiana on Thursday to press for justice on behalf of six high school boys, we can make a difference here in Portland. The Prospective Gents Club, a local youth program, is challenging you to not only talk about it, they want you to BE about it and join them for Portland’s

“A CANDLE IN THE DARK” VIGIL AND PEACE WALK FOR THE JENA 6
Thursday, September 20, 2007 at 7 – 8:30 p.m.
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church – 5828 NE 8th Avenue

Please wear all black and bring a candle (or tiki torch). Donations will be accepted for the Defense Fund.

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO WWW.COLOROFCHANGE.ORG / CALL 503.294.4108