Another warm day here, 50 degrees so far and it isn't even 10am. If only there was sun it would truly be a wonderfully, glorious day! But hey, here it is mid-November, so all things considered, this is good.
Not much going on here in my little life. Today I'm babysitting, that's why I'm not home to speak with you. Okay, maybe not technically babysitting, I mean HSM's brood, the ones I'm hanging out with while she's taking care of business with her oldest, are 10, 12 and 15. She wasn't sure how long she'd be gone and, well, she was reluctant to leave her brood totally on their own for an indefinite period of time. Perfectly understandable.
Where is HSM and her oldest? At the local community college. He's enrolling for classes starting this January. How exciting, huh? Because he was homeschooled there are a few extra things to be done before he can begin classes so.....
I brought my bag of yarn with me this morning. I'm crocheting a scarf for my Uncle David for his upcoming birthday. I have numerous skeins of a nice, soft black and white yarn. I think the scarf will be pretty. I know, how chintzy, making a birthday present, but Uncle David is really hard to buy for. I mean, he has everything. Okay, he doesn't have a flat screen tv, and he wants one something fierce, but that's way out of my price bracket. If I get the scarf done in time then I'm going to crochet a matching hat, too.
Speaking of yarn, and I know you're enthralled with this subject (smile), for those of you who knit or crochet (YES! men knit and crochet, too!), you should check out www.smileys.com I'm pretty sure that's the site. They sell yarn at incredibly low low low prices and they throw in free shipping as long as your order totals at least $50.
The yarn I'm using for my uncle's scarf, the pretty black and white stuff, I bought at a garage sale. Don't you roll your eyes (smile)! The woman I bought it from had tons of yarn at incredibly low prices. She said she'd been knitting afghans and sweaters for her family the previous winter and she had bought her yarn online at Ebay. Once she finished her projects, well, she didn't want to even look at yarn for awhile so she was clearing out her stash. The black and white I bought from her at 6 skeins for $2.00? JoAnn Fabrics sells the same exact stuff for $5.99 a skein!
I was in Michaels a couple of days ago to look at their sale yarn. Oh my gosh, just about everything was on sale and my fingers loved all of it (smile). Going in a yarn store is so hard for me. Okay, it's not hard to walk in but it's almost impossible to walk out without spending a nice little chunk of change.
Tallulah sent me a book on felting---felting is knitting/crocheting an item in 100% wool yarn, then putting the finished item in hot soapy water to shrink it, thereby making it look like fabric not yarn. I want to make a tote bag/purse and felt it, but I didn't have any wool yarn. That's where Michaels came in. They had wool yarn on sale for 2 skeins for $7. Such a deal.
Well, I guess that's it for now. If I keep typing I'll never get any crocheting done.
You be good and be careful, take care, stay strong. Don't let the news on tv get you down.
hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
This + That
Geez Louise! I hadn't realized it'd been five days since I last wrote to you! Time flies, doesn't it (smile)? To tell you the truth, I honestly didn't think I was going to be able to write anything here today. Why? Well, first of all, the library computers are usually jammed up on Wednesday mornings unless you're one of the first so-many when they break the doors open at 9am, and, secondly, because the server at the main library is messing up this morning. Both of those helped to get me not only a parking spot, but also a computer. How so? Well, lots of folks, when they had a bit of trouble connecting online this morning, aborted and left. Me, I guess I'm too stubborn to just throw in the towel---plus, I wanted to talk with you!---I figured out a work around to get online. Okay, really it was the teenager at the machine next to me. Young folks are whizzes when it comes to this kind of stuff.
We've had some down right cold weather the last week or so. It went from mid-70's to where's my down coat? seemingly over night. There was even snow a couple of days, although nothing that needed to be shovelled. The ground isn't cold enough yet to sustain snow, thank goodness.
Are you familiar with Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim? Both men are/were authors. Goines is dead, murdered quite a few years ago in Highland Park, MI, a city right on the outskirts of Detroit. I don't know about Iceberg Slim, he may still be alive. Anyway, both men were the first of the ghetto/black experience authors who wrote about the underworld. I've read a number of books by both men and I've enjoyed them greatly. There's a biography of Donald Goines on the market today, Low Road by Eddie (geez, what's his last name? Allen maybe?) and it's a good read. There isn't all that much about Goines exactly, the author had some trouble finding people to give anecdotes about his life, but it's a great piece on the turbulent times of the 1950's thru to today in Detroit. It's recent history. I just returned it to the library on my way in this morning so it's here if you want it (smile).
Now here's something I've been meaning to speak on and keep forgetting about. Words. Hang with me here, please. Like when people, particularly those in power and on tv, say 'God bless America'. To me, and maybe it's just me but I don't think so, it's like they're orderring God, The Most High, to bless America. Not asking Him, orderring Him. Or when folks say 'God damn you'. Geez, do they really and truly want God to damn (send to hell for all eternity) whomever they're angry with? Words are powerful. I think it's something we all need to be aware of.
The other thing, and this is something I've discussed with a number of folks, the word 'mulatto'. That's a word that we all learned about back in history class when we studied slavery. Because it's a word that was in our textbooks, and because it's a word that our teachers used, we came up thinking it was the proper word to describe a person who is of mixed race--part black and part white. But it's not. Mulatto is a slavery word. It's a word that the slave owners used to describe the racial make-up of their property. We have to find another word because that just isn't the word to use.
To be perfectly honest, a person of mixed racial heritage--part black, part white--in America, no matter the color of their skin, is a black person. Right? Don't most folks, whether they realize it or not, feel/believe that even one drop of black blood makes a person black? Despite the fact that Obama is the president-elect, I think that still holds true for most. I mean, who says Obama is a white man? Nobody. Yet his Mom was white.
Well, that's it for today. I still have some errands to run and then I need to get home so I can speak with you.
You be good and be careful, take care, stay strong and don't let the stuff on the news mess you up or make you fearful.
hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com
We've had some down right cold weather the last week or so. It went from mid-70's to where's my down coat? seemingly over night. There was even snow a couple of days, although nothing that needed to be shovelled. The ground isn't cold enough yet to sustain snow, thank goodness.
Are you familiar with Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim? Both men are/were authors. Goines is dead, murdered quite a few years ago in Highland Park, MI, a city right on the outskirts of Detroit. I don't know about Iceberg Slim, he may still be alive. Anyway, both men were the first of the ghetto/black experience authors who wrote about the underworld. I've read a number of books by both men and I've enjoyed them greatly. There's a biography of Donald Goines on the market today, Low Road by Eddie (geez, what's his last name? Allen maybe?) and it's a good read. There isn't all that much about Goines exactly, the author had some trouble finding people to give anecdotes about his life, but it's a great piece on the turbulent times of the 1950's thru to today in Detroit. It's recent history. I just returned it to the library on my way in this morning so it's here if you want it (smile).
Now here's something I've been meaning to speak on and keep forgetting about. Words. Hang with me here, please. Like when people, particularly those in power and on tv, say 'God bless America'. To me, and maybe it's just me but I don't think so, it's like they're orderring God, The Most High, to bless America. Not asking Him, orderring Him. Or when folks say 'God damn you'. Geez, do they really and truly want God to damn (send to hell for all eternity) whomever they're angry with? Words are powerful. I think it's something we all need to be aware of.
The other thing, and this is something I've discussed with a number of folks, the word 'mulatto'. That's a word that we all learned about back in history class when we studied slavery. Because it's a word that was in our textbooks, and because it's a word that our teachers used, we came up thinking it was the proper word to describe a person who is of mixed race--part black and part white. But it's not. Mulatto is a slavery word. It's a word that the slave owners used to describe the racial make-up of their property. We have to find another word because that just isn't the word to use.
To be perfectly honest, a person of mixed racial heritage--part black, part white--in America, no matter the color of their skin, is a black person. Right? Don't most folks, whether they realize it or not, feel/believe that even one drop of black blood makes a person black? Despite the fact that Obama is the president-elect, I think that still holds true for most. I mean, who says Obama is a white man? Nobody. Yet his Mom was white.
Well, that's it for today. I still have some errands to run and then I need to get home so I can speak with you.
You be good and be careful, take care, stay strong and don't let the stuff on the news mess you up or make you fearful.
hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com
Thursday, November 06, 2008
It Is A Beautiful Day!
Was I right or was I right? The sun came out and shone yesterday, the day after the election, didn't it (smile)?
My friend Tallulah, up in the wilds of the upper peninsula of Michigan, despite being in the largest town/city of the UP--Marquette--a university town, too--said yesterday when we talked that it was unreal up there the way people were acting. What were they doing? Well, they'd come up to each other with sincere and deep concern in their voices and ask 'how are you doing? are you okay?'. Sure, that sounds lovely doesn't it? I mean, how nice is that people have such concern for their fellow townspeoples well-being?
Thing is, their concerns were regarding the presidential election. For the most part, the Yoopers found it troubling and disconcerting and just downright almost apocalypse-like that Barrack Obama was the new president-elect.
When people asked Tallulah how she was doing she told them 'it's a beautiful day, isn't it!' with a big, bright, happy smile on her face.
Tallulah said election night when the results were coming in she spoke with her 17-year old next door neighbor girl who told her she didn't want Obama to win because he'd make abortion legal. Hmmm, abortion has been legal in the USA since Roe vs Wade, over thirty years ago, Tallulah told her. Well, it's not legal here in Michigan, the girl told her. Yes, it is, Tallulah told her, all over the USA it's legal. Well, not up here in the UP it isn't, she countered with. ?????
So Tallulah went online and, sure enough, despite being legal all over the USA, there were no womens clinics/abortion clinics in the entire UP. Near as Tallulah could tell, the closest clinics were in Saginaw, MI and Grand Rapids, MI, both cities hundreds of miles away. Or, heading west, in Appleton, WI and Milwaukee, WI, again, hundreds of miles away.
So, Tallulah told her, you have a legal right to have an abortion in Michigan, even citizens of the upper peninsula have that legal right, you just have to have a good car, lots of gas money and the ability to be out of town for close to a week if you want to avail yourself of that right.
Around here, when I was out and about yesterday, and even today so far, people have been greeting each other--even strangers--with big smiles on their faces, touching hands and arms and saying 'we have a new president! isn't it wonderful!'.
And I have to agree with them. It is a wonderful thing. A perfectly wonderful thing.
Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.
hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com
My friend Tallulah, up in the wilds of the upper peninsula of Michigan, despite being in the largest town/city of the UP--Marquette--a university town, too--said yesterday when we talked that it was unreal up there the way people were acting. What were they doing? Well, they'd come up to each other with sincere and deep concern in their voices and ask 'how are you doing? are you okay?'. Sure, that sounds lovely doesn't it? I mean, how nice is that people have such concern for their fellow townspeoples well-being?
Thing is, their concerns were regarding the presidential election. For the most part, the Yoopers found it troubling and disconcerting and just downright almost apocalypse-like that Barrack Obama was the new president-elect.
When people asked Tallulah how she was doing she told them 'it's a beautiful day, isn't it!' with a big, bright, happy smile on her face.
Tallulah said election night when the results were coming in she spoke with her 17-year old next door neighbor girl who told her she didn't want Obama to win because he'd make abortion legal. Hmmm, abortion has been legal in the USA since Roe vs Wade, over thirty years ago, Tallulah told her. Well, it's not legal here in Michigan, the girl told her. Yes, it is, Tallulah told her, all over the USA it's legal. Well, not up here in the UP it isn't, she countered with. ?????
So Tallulah went online and, sure enough, despite being legal all over the USA, there were no womens clinics/abortion clinics in the entire UP. Near as Tallulah could tell, the closest clinics were in Saginaw, MI and Grand Rapids, MI, both cities hundreds of miles away. Or, heading west, in Appleton, WI and Milwaukee, WI, again, hundreds of miles away.
So, Tallulah told her, you have a legal right to have an abortion in Michigan, even citizens of the upper peninsula have that legal right, you just have to have a good car, lots of gas money and the ability to be out of town for close to a week if you want to avail yourself of that right.
Around here, when I was out and about yesterday, and even today so far, people have been greeting each other--even strangers--with big smiles on their faces, touching hands and arms and saying 'we have a new president! isn't it wonderful!'.
And I have to agree with them. It is a wonderful thing. A perfectly wonderful thing.
Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.
hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
The Sun Will Still Shine Tomorrow
"No matter who's elected president, daffodils will still bloom in the spring. Men and women will fall in love and, sadly, out of love. Inconsolable grief will still be inconsolable. A broken heart will nonetheless keep beating one hundred thousand times a day. No matter who's elected president, writers will still write. Painters will still paint. Three in the morning will still be three in the morning. The door in our psyche we don't want to walk through will still be just down the hall. No matter who's elected president, life will hand us the invisible thread that connects us all; love will hand us the needle."
Sy Safransky, editor and publisher of The Sun
www.TheSun.Org
Hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com
Sy Safransky, editor and publisher of The Sun
www.TheSun.Org
Hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com
Monday, November 03, 2008
I Just Want To Share
I hope it's as beautiful a day where you are as it is here. We had rain through the night and into the wee hours of the morning, thunder and lightening, too. But now, wow! It's getting warm, everything is clean and bright and fresh. A very good day!
I know I haven't said too much about the election lately. Some of you, and you know who you are (smile), are thankful because you were tired of it, But today, well, today I've got some final words on it.
From the get-go I wasn't keen on either of the candidates for president. Obama was a come-out-of-nowhere guy and McCain, well, McCain is just flat out Bush in an older version with a few new scarey twists of his own. My intent was to vote in this election, just not for the president. There are enough local items on the ballot here to keep me busy and civically minded.
But after monthes and monthes of pre-election drama I came to realize a few things. One, not voting for either Obama or McCain (even voting for a third party candidate) was, in essence, voting for McCain. Two, after watching the campaign stuff on tv (from debates to speeches to rallies, etc.) McCain and Palin are not who I want leading this country. I don't like anything about either one of them. Three, I realized what my Uncle David is always telling me is true--racism is alive and well in this country.
Because I am still hobbling asnd limping, I was entitled to an absentee ballot this year. If the expected voter turnout is as high as some/many/most think it will be, there is/was no way in the world I would be able to stand in line for an hour or two or ? in order to cast my vote.
I voted for Obama.
Who you vote for is your business. I chose to share my vote with you.
Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.
hugs, Tawny
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