I've started attending an 8 week lecture series called 'Great Decisions" facilitated by LWV produced by the Foreign Policy Association.  It covers global migration, the Middle East,  nationalism in Europe, and other stuff.  It really is like learning a new language.  It is eye opening, humbling, terrifying and empowering.

Know this:  I picture smart, 'uber-intellectual' women attending this sort of learning opportunity.  And yet, here I find myself; more informed than most, completely clueless about a lot of shit, extremely interested and - here's the kicker - 20 years younger than the median age of the other lecture participants.  Oh boy!

Anyway, the topics discussed last week ranged from Nationalism vs Populism (terms I always have to check their definitions to remind myself the differences) vs Immigration.  And how all this pertains to Whiteness.  And Money.  And Diversity.  And Hope.

Not all that long ago people in the US hated the Irish and/or the Italians who had immigrated here for a better life.  Those immigrants were given the shit work, the shit places to live and scraps to eat.  But as the original immigrants' children grew, became more educated then had their own children, they contributed more and more to society.  Their cultures assimilated/melted into the fabric of our country.  

I've said this before - I'm distressed by the migration coming to our southern border.  Not because there is a hoard of  'bad hombre's' on our doorstep.  But because I cannot fathom what is so fucking bad that would cause a mother to walk 2,000 miles with young children.   It is A Human Crisis.

It's also a world wide problem stemming from shitty wars and global policies.

Which brings me to a comment one of my fellow lecture participants said, it had a specific point but struck me on a broad level.  WHAT CAN I ABIDE?

It is easy to distain and dismiss 'Different' (immigrants, people of any color other than white, people getting government assistance, LGBQT, Republicans or Democrats, Liberal vs Conservatives, etc).  It is easier to see "them" as Less Than because it makes "us" feel More Than.   It is a crisis of essential Moral Values.  WE are the problem.

So I ask myself, 'What can I Abide?'  How much intolerance can I tolerate?  And, most importantly, when I encounter intolerance, what am I going to do?  I really wish I had a succinct, eloquent answer.  I do not.  For now, I am going to continue to educate myself;  listen to all opinions and perspectives; recognize daily intolerances; until I finally find my voice for tolerance. 

Let's talk Health & Exercise for a hot sec.  February is get my ass back in shape month.  I literally have nothing to do this month so I might as well get to the gym, eat better and drink less.  Plus the Polar Vortex is over so there's no danger in going for an outdoor walk.

Be mindful my Friends!

Hey so I received the 'Witnessing Whiteness - The Need to Talk about Race and How to Do It' book.  I'm a couple chapters in.  This is going to be a bit of a slog.  The writer, Shelly Tochluk, is kinda boring.  She makes good points in her story telling but they are slow in coming.  Between Shelly's long winding stories and my minuscule attention span, I'm never going to get through the next 7 chapters.  White privilege is an issue I'm committed to become more 'awoken to' but holy shit Shelly, tighten up your stories!  New strategy:  Skim not Study.

Do what you can My Friends!

I am bothered today.  
I know why.  
It will evolve to a more comfortable emotion eventually.  
It has before.  We are older now.  It is time to grow up.  
There is no compromise for us.  
But there will be common ground.  
My heart breaks.  
I reinforce it with Steel Magnolias.

Ecological Refugees.  This term has stuck in my head from the Climate Reality Program I attended yesterday.  Ecological Refugees are people who are displaced by the result of climate change.  

Fires: it used to be that there were 100 acre fires every few years.  Now there are a few 100 acre fires every year - displacing hundreds of families.   Floods:  hurricanes and rising sea levels are having devastating effects on our coastal areas, much of which remains un-livable.  Rising temperatures:  it recently reached 165 degrees in Iran.  (That is NOT a typo!)  Crop failures:  a coffee fungus in Guatemala causes poor farmers to be poorer and more desperate (think US southern border migration here).  Failed wheat crops due to drought:  Syrians to migrate to the Russian border looking for food and refuge which sparks a war.  This shit is real.  

Climate experts say the the changes we are experiencing are the effects of the Earth warming 1 degree.  They say we have 12 years before the Earth warms to the critical 2 degrees.  What sort of world are we giving with our children and grandchildren?

It's time to act.

Work with your community to committing to 100% renewable energy.  The city of Cincinnati Ohio has made such a commitment with a target year of 2030.  Stop eating meat (or at least reduce it to once or twice a month).  It takes 6.7 pounds of grain and 53 pounds of water to produce ONE quarter pound of beef!   Eat vegetarian one day a week (or every day!).  Reduce your water consumption.  Unplug unused electronics: even off, they draw energy.  Drive a hybrid or electric car.  Have one no-drive day a week.  Carpool, take public transportation, ride your bike.  Most importantly:  talk to your friends about climate change.  Become involved.

Be part of the solution my Friends!

Wedding Soup with White Bean Balls & Spinach
from 'Thug Kitchen - Eat Like You Give A Fuck' Cookbook

This recipe would be easy to adjust to vegan and/or gluten free.       It calls for Kale but since I didn't have any and don't like it that much, I used Spinach - which I obviously should have chopped up but - what the heck!  It's a bit messy but it's amazingly tasty!  

Hope the High Schooler likes it! ...


​PS  Lifted weights twice this week.  Now getting out of a chair requires a really good reason - and strong mental fortitude. 

The rules of etiquette no longer require us to be polite (to creepy strangers).  Unfortunately, it is a hard habit to break.

Went for a walk with a couple Neighbor-Friends on an amazingly balmy Ohio January day.  We walked the bike n hike path through the quarry.  It is isolated so, while I will bike there, I rarely walk that section alone.  My Friends & I enjoyed a beautiful, brisk 6 mile walk and a wide variety of conversation topics.  Super Duper!

Until ... the bike-rider rode past for the second time, stopped and proceeded to tell us everything about his life.  Blondie, an avid biker and as sweet as the day is long, complimented him on his restored, really pretty 1977 Schwinn commenting that she used to have a 1978 Schwinn and, because she's polite as fuck, further commented that she would love to have one again.  Well, this prompts Schwinney to ramble on about his passion for restoring old bikes AND how he also writes romance novels - set in Europe where the man, progressively, respects the woman, of course.  He then insists we take his contact info so we can contact him whenever we want to upgrade (?) to a vintage Schwinn.  His name is David.  I took his info and passed it along to my companions.  (More on how that turned out in a bit.)

David rolls off down the path - finally!  He had stopped us twice in our tracks to tell us more shit about himself and his amazing bike in his soft (we all agreed: kinda creepy) voice.  We were just getting back into solving the world's problems when we see, coming toward us, a familiar figure on a bike but this time with a DOG running on a leash next to him!  Again he stops so we politely also stop.  We politely compliment his really pretty dog whom I mentally offered condolences to for having such an icky human.  David Master of All & Apparently Nothing tells us he also trains horses and recently got into training dogs.  Someone had given him 'Teddy Bear' who he tried to train to work with Alzheimer's patients but didn't work out very well.  My question was:  "Someone just gave you a dog?"   He literally didn't have a dog 5 minutes ago!  What the hell?  Ick.

We parted ways a third time and discussed how our Creep Radar was at a 10 immediately upon meeting David.  Which brings me to the question:  "Why the fuck did we give him so much of our time?"  We are not required to talk to strangers - especially in isolated areas.  It would have been disconcerting had we each been walking alone.  It made me worry about my daughter when she hikes alone - though, (smile!) she's a fucking badass like her momma - but still, I worry.  (Make smart, safe choices.)

So here's the thing:  I listen to a podcast called "My Favorite Murder"  https://www.myfavoritemurder.com  It's a comedy podcast in which the two hilarious women tell stories about murders.  It's not a funny subject but they make me laugh every week.  They also say the word Fuck a lot - which I fucking love.  One of the things I've learned from this show is:  Fuck Politeness.  Politeness can get you killed.  If you have a bad feeling, listen to it.  If someone is making you feel uncomfortable it is not your job to make them feel better or to leave them with a good impression of you.  Tell your daughters, tell your sons, tell your friends;  If you are in a situation that makes you uncomfortable or you feel unsafe:  Fuck Politeness and get the fuck outa there!

One more thing:  Facebook reads your contact list. Creepy David came up on my feed as someone I might want to be friends with on FB.  I have to admit, he has a great profile picture but No.  Delete!  Attorney Friend  suggested FB also can access  texts and email.  Not sure if that is true but Holy Shit if it is!  OMG!  That means I'm addicted to my scary stalker.  Fortunately for me and unfortunately for FB, I'm boring as fuck!

Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered My Friends (and check out My Favorite Murder podcast!)