What's Up With That #6 Taboo

O.K., here's what I don't get.  Mr. Romney is proud to be of the Mormon faith.  He has been Mormon all his life, as is his family.  He'll say, and rightly so, it has shaped his life.  Yet, no one else is supposed to bring up the fact that he is a Mormon, and his beliefs might be built on his experiences as a practicing Mormon.

Why is this taboo?  What's up with that?

In my 58 years of life I can count on one hand the number of times I have missed church.  The only times I don't show up are if I am throwing up or something disgusting like that.  If I'm on vacation, I go to church.  Always have, even as a child.  I have been a member of the same denomination the whole 58 years.

I'm not saying this to sound saintly, but to make the point that it has shaped my life.  Everything I think, or do, how I spend my money, or where I volunteer are all based on my experiences of being a member of my denomination.

So I would think that Mr. Romney's outlook on life, his opinions, belief system, all that kind of thing, has been formed in the bowels of his religious upbringing; a religion that doesn't allow people of color or women to be in the church hierarchy or have positions of power.  Take a look at their website and check out the leaders.  The First President and all the twelve Apostles are the whitest looking bunch of middle aged to elderly males I have ever seen. An organization couldn't have more testosterone or be more vanilla.

My husband and I went to Nauvoo for a day trip a few years ago.  After touring some of the buildings and hearing how mean all the non-Mormons were to the Mormons ad nauseum, we went into the visitor's center for a talk by a Mormon tour guide.  A member of the audience asked why Mormons discriminated against women in the church. The spokesman said that Mormons respected women, and their purpose.  He then pointed out the window to a garden filled with statues of women in various poses; women praying, courting, teaching children, and one called "Fulfillment" that has a woman sewing a quilt.  Most of the statues had women with children.   He told us that women had their place and they should be content that their sole purpose in life was to marry for eternity, have lots of children and be fulfilled as a mother and wife.  He said that the fulfillment provided by such things was all a woman needed.

We slowly backed out of the building and left Nauvoo never to return.

If that is a person's belief and it makes them happy then good for them, it's a free country.  But, could being raised in a religion that teaches that kind of belief not affect your attitude on women?  Really?

The Mormon church also doesn't have people of color in any position of leadership in the church because the leaders have to trace their genealogy back to the apostles and according to the Mormons, the apostles were white guys.

I'm thinking while looking at the church leaders that some creative genealogy must have been involved.

Mr. Romney has not shared how these beliefs have helped to make him who he is today.  Why does everyone shy away from asking him?

If I could ask him questions, I'd ask him if he agreed with those particular dictates of Mormonism.  I'd ask him if he could separate his religious beliefs from his political life.

No one minded asking John Kennedy those kinds of questions.  When he ran for president he made a point of saying his Catholic beliefs would not affect how he governed.  That didn't stop people like Pastor Dunn from Grace Presbyterian from preaching to his congregation not to vote for a Catholic in the White House.  But now, it's frowned upon to mention the "M" word. 

I know I'll get some flak about this so if you want to comment and tell me it's a shallow post, go ahead, I don't agree with you.  Hey, I just want to know "What's Up With That"?

What's Up With That #5- Hipocrites

Four years ago at this time, I and everyone I knew were being bombed with crap from nut-case, fundamentalist Christians screaming that President Obama wasn't a Christian.   Day in and day out ad naseum, we were told that Christians shouldn't vote for him because he wasn't religious enough.

Where are they this time?  I've received nothing.

Might this be due to the fact that Mitt Romney is, dare I say it, a Mormon?  No one seems to mention the elephant in the room.  Fundamentalist Christians don't believe that Mormons are Christian, in fact, they consider and teach that they are a cult.

So, how can they throw their enthused support behind a Mormon?  I guess they hate Obama so much that they'll forgo their principals to get him out of office.

I'm surprised I'm not hearing the screech of, as the Dilbert comic strip once put it, "Paradigms shifting without a clutch."

Ouch, their little brains must be throbbing.

"What's Up With That # 4 More, Women Hateing Republicans

OK, I've not posted for a while, life getting in the way and all that.  When I did my last "What's Up With That?" rant about Republicans hating women,I thought that I was done with the subject.  I mean, I commented twice on the women hating antics of certain members of the Republican party, we get the idea, subject closed.

To my surprise, as the long, hot, dry, summer painfully wore on, more mind boggling comments were made by our conservative friends.  These comments were so blatantly sexist I could only pick my jaw up off of the floor, shake my head, and exclaim, "What's Up With That?"

As we all know by now, Todd Akin, the Republican nominee for senate in Missouri justified his argument against providing abortions for raped women by claiming that the body has a natural defense to getting pregnant in cases of “legitimate” rape. (As opposed to non-legitimate rape, what ever that is.  Wow, our bodies are very discerning.)

Of course the poo hit the fan after that thick headed comment.  The National Republican Party disavowed any connection to Mr. Akin, his comment or his views.  What else could they do?

That's all well and good, but then they nominated a Vice-Presidential candidate who not only made similar comments, but co-sponsored a bill with Rep. Akin to redefine rape as "forcible rape". (Once again, as opposed to non-forcible rape.)  I guess if you're not violently forced to have non-consensual sex it doesn't count.  So sorry to all the rape victims who were "roofied".  Too bad, you're out of luck!

With that in mind, can we really believe the Republican Party doesn't in their "heart of hearts" agree with Mr. Akin?
 
These aren't the only idiotic comments being made by Republicans. These guys have friends who say things just as idiotic as they do! Republican Congressman Steve King  said and I quote, "I've never heard of a woman getting pregnant from statutory rape or incest". 

Really? What is wrong with these guys?  Is Mr. King endorsing statutory rape or incest?  I'm not sure the point he's trying to make.

In their rabid frenzy to stop abortion at all costs they are sacrificing women on the altar of their agenda.

They claim to love and respect women, but I don't see it. 

What's Up With That? #3

I really do believe that Republicans hate women. 

It sounds crazy, and I've given it a lot of thought, but the evidence is becoming pretty strong.  In any and all situations they take every one's side except women. 

They mess with reproductive rights attempting to send us back to the bad old days siding with male church hierarchy, they vote against the Reauthorization of the Violence against Women Act siding with God knows who (rapists and abusers?), and now they block the Paycheck Fairness Act.  What the heck is their problem?  Did a woman scare them as a child?  Do they have mommy issues?

Republicans filibustered Democrats’ effort to pass a bill that would have opened up far more avenues for women to sue businesses when they suspect pay discrimination.  The legislation, known as the Paycheck Fairness Act, would shift burdens of proof toward businesses to defend their pay decisions, and would give women the right to sue for compensatory and punitive damages. It would allow women to file a class-action suit and would make them specifically have to opt out of the class.

All I can say to that is "Whoo hoo"!  It's about time.

Democrats fell more than a half-dozen votes shy of the 60 needed to head off the filibuster, but said they’ll force the Republicans to vote on it again in the walk-up to this year’s election.

Like I've said before,  I remember when my mom found out in the 1970's that the man who held her managerial job previously, received a salary twice as large as hers. She confronted her boss and he said,” Why do you think we hired a woman? We can pay you less.” She went to the State’s Attorney for justice and was patronized, and informed, “that’s how life is”.

That whole frustrating ordeal was a real wake up call to the inequities in the male female dynamic in the world.  She wasn't a feminist before, but she started to turn that direction.

I've known many women since who have suffered financial discrimination in the workplace, which is why companies don't want you sharing the details of your salary with your co-workers.  They don't want you to know you're being screwed.

Who 's side are they taking against women? Those poor sad corporations and businesses. My theory is that if corporations and businesses did what's right in the first place, they wouldn't have to worry about law suits. And yes, it was said during the Republican Primary contests, "Corporations are people", but evidently not female people.

What's Up With That #2

Here's another "What's Up With That" moment.  I shake my head in wonder.

Who in the world could be against the Senate Bill S. 1925, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011 .  Simply put, it was a bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.  I mean really, who is FOR violence against women?

Apparently 31 Republican Senators are.

Here is the "Roll Call" of shame of the "Nays" from the April vote:

Barrasso (R-WY) Blunt (R-MO) Boozman (R-AR) Burr (R-NC) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Cornyn (R-TX) DeMint (R-SC) Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC)

Grassley (R-IA) Hatch (R-UT) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Johanns (R-NE) Johnson (R-WI) Kyl (R-AZ) Lee (R-UT) Lugar (R-IN) McConnell (R-KY) Moran (R-KS)

Paul (R-KY) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Rubio (R-FL) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Thune (R-SD) Toomey (R-PA) Wicker (R-MS)

Could the "Party of NO" be so out of control that they'd actually take a position of insensitivity to violence against women just because the original bill was signed into law by a Democratic President?

I had a friend who was wearing a tee shirt from the what used to be "Women's Strength" in Peoria.  The shirt said "You can't beat a woman".  She was at some event downtown and a complete stranger walked up to her and whispered in her ear, "You wanna make a bet?"  Then he leered and walked away. 

Until that type of climate for women is gone, bills such as S. 1925 are necessary.

What's Up With That #1 Addendum

Before we leave the subject of the wealthy versus the shrinking middle class, I need to say one more thing.

After the last blog was published, I read yet another editorial in the PJS about Fat Cat Unions destroying the economy.  You know, those wealthy teachers and road workers who suck so much money out of state budgets.

I know what they mean.  I see those evil teachers, after having to take classes and in most cases get their Masters to keep their jobs, getting so rich off our tax dollars that they almost quit their second job.  You know, the one they have to take to make the mortgage on their middle class home.

(If you want to see what happens to non-union people in the teaching profession, go to a food pantry some time and see the day care workers and teacher's aids standing in line because they get paid so little they can't make ends meet.)

I see those road workers, after spending 12 hours a day in the broiling heat or freezing cold, hopping in their  BMW's and going home to their mansions.  Or, maybe it's a Chevy truck and a house in the suburbs.

Unions gave us five day work weeks, paid vacations, benefits and much more.  Without them, those things will go away, for management as well as union workers.  If you find that hard to believe, Caterpillar is a prime example.

Every time they take something away from union workers, they take it away from management.  If union workers lose some vacation days, so does management.  Lose health benefits, so does management.  And so it goes.  If they no longer have to provide union benefits because their are no unions, soon no one will have them, and the gap between those at the top and those at the bottom will become a chasm.

I suppose that will work out alright.

The wealthy can live in their mansions on the hilltop,and the peasants and serfs can live below, looking up at the rich and serving their every need.

What's Up With That? #1

Have you ever just sat down and thought, “What’s up with that?’  I do it more and more as I get older.  The world is a mysterious place that never ceases to amaze and boggle my mind.  I know why the phrase “WTF” is prevalent in today’s social media, it seems apropos for many situations.

Most of these WTF moments cause me to rant and rave in the privacy of my own home.  But, my husband is getting tired of listening to me, and ultimately, what’s the fun of a one man audience?

So, I’m going to share some of my “What’s up with that?” thoughts one at a time, and see if writing them down helps the fog to clear.

The first phenomenon I would like to ponder is the recent trend of people (many of them middle class or lower) falling over themselves to be apologists for the rich.  God forbid anyone makes a suggestion that the rich aren’t paying their fair share, or corporate heads are overpaid, or are screwing (I couldn’t think of a more polite word) their employees.  Don’t even think of mentioning corporations who don’t pay taxes, or getting rid of tax breaks for the rich.  Katie bar the door!  You’d be smashed into smithereens by masses of people stampeding over top of each other to stick up for those “poor rich folks”! 

I read the editorial page, and am amazed at the letters defending the wealthy top percent.  God love ‘em, I didn’t realize they needed the help.  However, I do understand that if some of their tax breaks disappear they might be forced to keep their third vehicle a year longer, or maybe have to do some of their own lawn work.  My heart goes out to them.  Maybe Willie Nelson could organize a rich-aid concert.   

A friend told me that she didn’t think the rich should pay more taxes because they were “job makers”.  Really?  They were in hog heaven during the Bush administration and how’d that work out?  Just where were those jobs they made?  Can anyone say India and China?  They sure as heck weren’t here!

Meanwhile as the old depression era song says, “The rich get rich and the poor get poorer”.  The income gap is bigger than ever before, and the middle class is shrinking.   Union jobs, aka good jobs, are disappearing and budgets, state and federal, are being balanced on the backs of the middle and lower class, while the rich just skate along fat and happy.  Just look at Wisconsin.  Their shrewd governor was able to convince a majority of the state that their problems came from those awful teachers and road workers.   Of course he just winked at the wealthy, while giving them the old secret handshake.  I can hear the CEO's now, their little mouths salivating while they rub their soft white hands, “Let’s move to Wisconsin, we can pay the non-union workers a pittance, and make record profits for ourselves.   Whoo hoo!  “Can anyone say bank account in the Cayman Islands, and a winter home in the Bahamas?

So, next time you feel like being an apologist for the rich, just remember, the rich have no intention of being an apologist for you.

Mother's Day

The nation sets aside Sunday May 13^th as the day to honor those women who have loved, disciplined and worried about us our entire lives.  Those women who will always think of us, no matter what our age, as “kids”, and who, no matter how important we think we are, will wipe a spot off our face with spit and a hanky; our mothers. 

Where did Mother’s day come from?  Is it just a Hallmark holiday as some say?  Let’s see.

The earliest Mother's Day celebrations may have been the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods.

During the 1600's, on the fourth Sunday of Lent, England celebrated a day honoring the mothers of England called "Mothering Sunday".  

On that day the wealthy would give their servants the day off, and they and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers.  They usually brought along a special cake called a “Mothering Cake” to add a special touch to the festivities.

As Christianity spread throughout Europe, the celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church", commemorating the belief that the church gave them life.  Over time, the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration, and people began honoring their mothers as well as the church.

In the United States, Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) suggested the first Mother's Day in 1872 as a day dedicated to peace.  Every year, Ms. Howe would hold organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Massachusetts.

In 1907, a woman from Philadelphia, Ana Jarvis, began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day.  Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May, the anniversary of her mother's death. By the next year, churches in Philadelphia were also honoring mothers on that day.

Ms. Jarvis and her supporters started a letter writing campaign to ministers, businessmen, and politicians in their quest to establish a national Mother's Day.  They were amazingly successful.  By 1911, almost every state celebrated Mother's Day.  President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national holiday held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May, the anniversary of Ms. Jarvis’ Mothers death.

     In 1911, Joyce Hall and his brothers formed a wholesale postcard business that they named Hall Brothers, the forerunner of Hallmark.  They introduced the Pansy Card, the first Mother’s Day card in 1939, long after the establishment of Mother’s Day.  So, it seems that Mother’s Day is not a holiday created by Hallmark to sell more cards. 

I’d like to close with a few “Motherisms” that I’ve seen on the internet.

Mother taught me about logic….”Because I said so, that’s why!”

Mother taught me genetics…”You’re just like your father!”

Mother taught me about religion…”You better pray that will come out of the carpet!”

Mother taught me about my roots…”Shut that door.  Were you born in a barn?”

Mother taught me about anticipation….”Just wait until we

get home!”

Happy Mother’s Day!

   

   

WE’VE COME A LONG WAY BABY

Lately the newspapers and airwaves are full of comments about the new "War on Women".  In this case it's primarily concern about a  war on women's reproductive rights, but in the not too distant past, the war was raging about many aspects of women's lives.  That's the fear of many who remember the "bad old days",  that we're regressing little by little back into those unenlightened times.

I admit, unfortunately I'm old enough to have lived through some of that history.

I had the privilege of meeting Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem, and had three unpleasant encounters with an amazingly nasty, foul mouthed Phyllis Schlafly.

I marched for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in Peoria and Springfield, and lobbied the Illinois General Assembly, along with busloads of farm women bearing baskets of homemade bread to soften them up.  Then we watched in frustration as ratification failed.

Four decades ago, my male pastor informed me that women would never be allowed to enter the ministry.  If they wanted to serve God, they should teach in a parochial school.  For some unknown reason, it also took a male reproductive organ to light candles, serve on council, (unless you wanted to be the secretary), and pass an offering plate.  Now I have been blessed to have had a woman for my pastor.

No matter what the weather, girls had to wear dresses to school and church.  They also didn’t cut grass, take out the garbage, or have organized sports.  Those were boy things.  The only decent options presented to high school girls for non- homemaking careers were teaching and nursing.

A survey I conducted for one of my women’s studies classes at ISU back in the early seventies concurred with the prevailing attitudes that people wouldn’t use a woman lawyer, and would only go to a woman doctor for less serious ailments. 

Once, in high school, I was surprised to find myself in the non-college track English class.  My previous teacher, tracked me down, took me aside and told me I didn’t belong there, get out now.  I went to my advisor, only to have her tell me that it wasn’t necessary for a woman to go to college, that she could have a fulfilled life with a high school education.  Just find a man.  She advised me to take home economics.  I bugged them until they changed my class schedule, but it wasn’t easy.

At college, I once peeked at my records while my advisor was out of the room.  Imagine my surprise when I saw that when I told my high school advisor I wanted to try pre-law, he put in my records I wanted to be a legal secretary.  I had never taken a secretarial class in my life.  I have the utmost respect for secretaries, but that was not a skill set I had.

I remember when my mom found out that the man who held her managerial job previously, received a salary twice as large as hers. She confronted her boss and he said,” Why do you think we hired a woman? We can pay you less.” She went to the State’s Attorney for justice and was patronized and informed, “that’s how life is”.

I remember the “shot heard round the world” when Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in the tennis “battle of the sexes”.

I could reminisce for pages, but I don’t have enough room.  Suffice it to say, as they said back then, “we’ve come a long way baby.”

But, we’re not there yet.  Women are apathetic about their rights, not appreciating the hard won battles of the past.  If they’re not diligent, those rights could slip away.  They still receive an average of 80 cents to a man’s dollar in the workplace.  The glass ceiling is above their heads, only now in stealth form, and just the thought of a woman running for president brings all the sexists out of the woodwork.  Lawmakers seem more adamant about laws protecting the flag, or English, than laws protecting women, especially our poor sisters.

So, as the new "War on Women" heats up during this election year, let’s remember the old adage, “Those who ignore the mistakes of the past, are bound to repeat them in the future.”

      

Plastic Peeve

On the front page of the Peoria Journal Star today, a headline announced that legislation is being considered to do away with plastic shopping bags.

May I comment?

Whoo hoo!

Consider my pet peeve, the plastic shopping bag.  I hate them.

On a personal level, they’re a pain.  They fall over in the car, dumping groceries to roll around in the back, driving me nuts.  Baggers insist on putting just a couple items in each bag, leaving me with an army of the things to load and unload, and then I’m stuck with them.  They multiply at night when no one is looking, then jump out and attack whenever I try to walk past their storage area.

I’ve stared at what I thought was a cool bird for long periods of time before realizing that it was just a white or brown plastic bag stuck in a tree.  And, as dumb as that sounds, I was glad to learn that it’s a common mistake.  “Bird Watcher’s Digest” has had several articles about those blasted bags being the nemesis of bird watchers.

If you’ve ever paid attention as you drive the country roads in Central Illinois, there are plastic bags stuck in trees and bushes in unbelievable numbers.  Just look around, you’ll be amazed. Those ubiquitous plastic shopping bags are everywhere.  They are multiplying in the wild and we need thin the herd. 

On an environmental level, studies estimate that Americans alone use over use over 84 billion plastic bags annually.  Besides being unsightly roadside attractions, they take hundreds of years to break down as they flap from trees, clog storm drains, float in the breeze, fill the bellies, and kill animals that mistake them for food, and clutter landfills.  As they decompose, tiny toxic bits seep into the waterways and the earth, poisoning the planet for hundreds of years to come.

Plastic bags are made from oil, gas, and coal by-products, wasting resources and polluting the Earth by their production.

So, next time the bagger asks paper or plastic, get a jump on the legislators and say paper, or better yet say “No” bag.  Many stores now sell canvas reusable bags, or bring any canvas bag from home.  If you’re stuck with plastic bags, many stores, such as Krogers, have recycling bins inside their front doors.  Consider recycling instead of filling up your local landfill.

With lots of tiny steps in the right direction, we can get closer to the goal of getting rid of those darn bags, before the legislation wheels even start to churn.

Congress Wants Your Church to Spend $50,000?

Holy Moly -Congress Wants Your Church to Spend $50,000?

The lines at our local food pantries are long enough, but if the members of our illustrious House have their way, they could get a lot longer.

The House of Representatives just proposed to cut more than $169 billion from SNAP, formerly the food stamps program. Here's the best part, some representatives argued that feeding hungry people is really the "work of the churches".

These representatives are essentially saying that every church across America, big, small, and tiny, needs to come up with an extra $50,000 dedicated to feeding people, every year for the next 10 years,  to make up for these cuts. The Hartford Institute for Religion and Research estimates there are 335,000 religious congregations in the United States. If the proposals by the House of Representatives to cut SNAP by $133.5 billion and $36 billion are enacted, each congregation will have to spend approximately $50,000 to feed those who would see a reduction or loss of benefits.  And, that doesn't count the volunteer hours involved.

Really? How much volunteer time and money do these guys think we all have! They are so out of touch with everyday people that what they believe has no foothold in reality!

 

Our food pantry at my church has been in existance since 1983. Many of the same volunteers have given countless hours for 30 years. Our hope and prayer is that the need goes down, not up! We really don't have the energy to do this forever! It is impossible (unless no one is working at a job at your church) to get a steady stream of volunteers and new faces (so that the regulars don't get burnt out), to work for free. Do any of these guys in the House, (and I say guys literally) ever volunteer on a regular basis? If they did, they wouldn't foist new responsibilities on the already over extended. 

 

Most of the churches of this nation do a yeomans job of honoring Matthew 25:31-46, by their comments, the House members are disrespecting that commitment.  Shame on them! 

Earth Day 2012

In case you missed it, or even if you didn’t, the nation celebrated “Earth Day 2012” on Sunday April 22nd. There were many local and national events on that day, and there are more to come through out the next couple of weeks.

I admit I’m old enough to remember the first “Earth Day” in 1970. Actually, a short story I wrote for an “Earth Day” writing contest sponsored by ISU around 1973 was the first time I received compensation for my writing. My story, titled “Unbalanced”, won first place in the fiction category, and I received a whopping $5.00.

In 1969, US Senator Gaylord Nelson, a Democrat from Wisconsin, came up with the idea of “Earth day”. He was concerned that across the country, evidence of environmental degradation was overwhelming, and everyone noticed except the political establishment. The environmental issue was not on the nation's political agenda. People were concerned, but the politicians weren’t. He thought that if he could tap into the concerns of the public, and direct the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause, he could generate demonstrations across the country that would force the issue onto the national political scene. At a conference in 1969, Senator Nelson announced that in the spring of 1970 there would be a national grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment. The result of his announcement was more than he could have imagined. Inquiries poured into his office from all across the country. When the first “Earth Day” was over, 20 million demonstrators and thousands of schools and local communities had participated.

I can remember some of the demonstrations on the ISU campus during the early 70s. The protests themselves were pretty exciting, but the added entertainment provided by the “streakers” made those events even more memorable. However, that’s another story.

Forty two years later, we’re not only still celebrating “Earth day”, but its message is as relevant as ever. We continue to consume or destroy our air, water, soil, forests, minerals, rivers, lakes, oceans, scenic beauty, wildlife habitats and bio-diversity. This is not a sustainable situation in the long term. We can stick our heads in the sand for a while, but eventually our bottoms are going to notice a problem. When it’s all gone, we’ll have nothing left except a wasteland.

Maybe, in honor of “Earth Day” you’d like to resolve to personally have less of a negative impact on the earth, but aren’t sure how to go about it. Here are some simple things you can do to begin the process of being a better environmental steward.
• Lower your thermostat. Buy a programmable thermostat.
• Reuse your water bottle. Reuse everything at least once, especially plastics, like disposable plates, silverware, and cups. Also baggies. • Start a compost pile in your back yard.
• Buy foods locally if you can. If it’s in season, buy it at farmer’s markets and produce stands.
• Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs.
• Recycle your newspapers, glass, and anything else you can. Things that we can recycle locally include; newspapers, glass bottles and jars, tin and aluminum containers, plastic, mixed waste paper (cardboard, phone books, magazines, junk mail, office paper, brown bags); and used motor oil. Also, electronics and appliances.
• Buy products that use recyclable materials whenever possible, or products made from recycled materials.
• Bring your own bags to the grocery store. Given a choice between plastic and paper, opt for paper. If you must use plastic grocery bags, recycle them for doggie poop bags or for small trashcan liners.
• Consider organic cleaning products like vinegar, borax, and baking soda.
• If you have a baby, try using cloth diapers.
• Consider buying a fuel-efficient car or a hybrid.
• Recycle your technology. Retro Tech in Peoria accepts your old electronics and appliances for recycling.
• Switch to fair trade or shade coffee. (Bird friendly)
• Plant trees.
• Reduce waste. Throw fewer things out. If you have clothes, furniture, household goods, toys etc. that you don’t want anymore, don’t drag them to the curb. Take them to one of the many places in town that accepts used items, such as “The Church Mouse” on Main St. in Peoria. This is a store full of pre-loved items run by the Lutheran Women of Greater Peoria, who use the profits to help non profit agencies, such as Lutheran Social Services.

So, on “Earth Day” and beyond, let’s remember the words of Chief Seattle, Chief of the Suquamish people. “This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”
Amen!

Take A Hike

If someone tells you to “go take a hike”, they’re actually giving you good advice.
Exercise and weight loss web sites recommend walking as the most overlooked and neglected form of exercise. People seem to prefer expensive aerobic classes, and lots of time in gyms.

Health experts suggest that walking is a great form of exercise because it’s free, requires no partner or expensive gadgets, and will burn nearly the same calories as jogging. It’s not hard on the body, there’s no set time to do it, and a good walk eases the tension in mind and body.

Along with many local parks, there are some amazing trails in the area, not only beautiful, but excellent wildlife habitats.

• The trails at Forest Park Nature Center on Forest Park Drive in Peoria Heights are wonderful. Deer, wild turkeys, and bird feeders loaded with every local bird imaginable, are just some of the added bonuses to walking these paths. Exercise and entertainment, what’s not to love? They are open daily from dawn to dusk, and are well marked with maps available listing distances. They are free, but donations are welcome. The Museum and Nature Store are open Mon. – Sat. 9AM to 5PM, Sunday, 1 to 5PM. There are potties, water, coffee, and tea in the trail head building.

• For a good walk, you can’t beat the Rock Island Trail. Beautiful, wild, full of flora and fauna, it’s another example of exercise, entertainment, and relaxation. There are several trail heads, but the closest is at Alta, where you can go towards Dunlap, or towards Peoria. Each way is a different habitat, and both are beautiful. There are potties and water at the Alta trailhead where a giant map shows you the route and distances.

• Another fun place to walk is the East Peoria Biking and Hiking trail. You can park at the Fondulac Administration Building and start your walk across the street on the trail. It’s paved, and pretty, with lots of wildlife and flowers. Several little bridges with gurgling streams flowing underneath are pleasant attractions. The Fondulac Administration Building has public restrooms and water.
Before you use walking as an exercise, there are a few tips to remember.
First, don’t eat solid food an hour before walking. Digesting takes a lot of energy away from the body.

You should avoid busy roads. Fresh air and green calming surroundings are more relaxing to the mind. Also, if you are taking more carbon dioxide than oxygen, you are harming your body.

Try to get in at least 30 minutes of walking everyday, and vary your routes so that you are not walking on flat ground.

Walking is not only good for your body, but good for your spirit.

Henry David Thoreau once said, "I come home to my solitary woodland walk as the homesick go home.”

The Ballad Of ANWR Drilling

Everyone agrees, the sticker shock at the gas pump has left us all a little dazed. I wince when I think that a single tank of gas costs more than my high school church camp. I saved up for that for months. It costs a fifth of my freshman semester tuition at ISU.

Intellectually I understand inflation and economic realities, but emotionally my eyes water.

All the conservative pundents have shared their solutions to our gas price blues, so I wasn’t surprised to hear them trot out their old chestnut of an answer to all our fuel problems. Everything will be better if only we would drill in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge.

I have to give them points for persistence.

Located in northeast Alaska, the Arctic Refuge is the biological heart of this untamed wilderness. It contains the greatest diversity of animal life of any conservation area in the circumpolar region. Often called the “American Serengeti” ANWR is the wildest place left in America. Numerous species depend on this fragile, unique ecosystem for survival.

As the Politicos babbled, I could hear the faint strains of banjo music in my head, and see all the happy oil executives standing around the “cement pond” talking about the “bubbling crude” and smiling about the prospect of even more record profits.

A song came to mind, of course accompanied by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs on their five string banjos. Please sing along to the tune of “The Ballad of Jed Clampett”, or otherwise known as the Beverly Hillbilly’s theme.

The Ballad Of ANWR Drilling

Come and listen to a story ‘bout a bunch of phonies,
rich oil men and their oilmen cronies.

With oil prices high, they resurrected their dream,
To drill the Artic refuge is the devious scheme.

Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.

Well, first thing they do is mention oil on the air,
Life will be better if we get it out of there.

The democrats don’t love ya if they won’t let us drill.
Who cares about the ecosystem that we’ll kill.

Caribou that is, snow geese, polar bears.

Of course drilling won’t get started for quite a few years,
And it won’t actually help us dry our present tears,

And when we get it going who’ll share the news,
ANWR’s only 5% of our total use.

Not much that is, drop in a bucket, fools gold.

..........................................

And every time pro-drilling advocates lose another round, they just smile in their mansions and say, “We’ll all be back now, y’hear”.

CONFORMING THRU THE AGES

DATELINE: BETHLEHEM 2000 YEARS AGO

City officials responded to a disturbance today on the outskirts of town at the stable of a popular inn. It seems that a local homeowner’s association became incensed at the non-traditional lighting used by the stable’s occupants. A well placed source in the association was quoted as saying, “It doesn’t matter if they were temporary tenants or not, they should know and obey the conditions. That huge bright star above the barn was garish, not to mention an unapproved light, and the strange glow in the windows was disturbing to the surrounding residents. We have strict lighting regulations in this community and we can’t afford to allow nonconformist attitudes to prevail. It will lower our property values.”
More on this story as it unfolds.

DATELINE; GERMANY, 506 YEARS AGO

A local homeowner’s association today accused a prominent theologian of violations of their covenant by decorating for an unapproved holiday. An anonymous tipster observed Martin Luther dragging a fir tree into his home and setting it up by his front window.
Hans Schmidt, the association manager, said, “There may have been more than one violation in Mr. Luther’s actions. Not only did he decorate his home inappropriately, but he put candles on the tree and displayed it in his window in defiance of the Uniformity of Windows restrictions. Mr. Luther came into the community and wanted to step outside the rules. That’s a detriment to everyone.”

DATELINE: 20TH CENTURY

The government of Communist China has banned all Christmas decorations from public areas and private homes. A government spokesperson announced the ban saying, “If people want to live in community as comrades they need to conform to the rules. Non-conformity is a detriment to everyone.”

DATELINE: 2006 USA

A family faced numerous fines today from their homeowner’s association for displaying Christmas decorations on the windowsills of their front windows. The seasonal display violated the restrictions in the associations rule book regarding consistency in the appearance of the neighborhood’s windows.
A spokesperson from the association declined to comment on the case due to impending litigation, but stated that the uniform appearance of the windows and window dressings in the community was important to enhance the property values and foster feelings of community and safety.

Ah, you can’t beat the warm and fuzzy feeling of conformity. It’s far better than that pursuit of happiness and freedom of expression nonsense.

The Reason For The Season

Thanksgiving is over, we’re still working on those leftovers, and the holidays have kicked into high gear. Of course, one might say they started before Halloween, and good old Santa slipped into the mall in early November, but now they’re here with a vengeance as shoppers line up at 3:00 AM to get bargains, and holiday commercials bombard us with their versions of the “Reason for the Season”.

I don’t want to sound like a female version of Andy Rooney, but I hate the commercials that try to make us believe that what ever it is they’re promoting is the answer to everyone’s happiness during this special time of year.

One commercial that makes my hackles rise every time I see it is the Illinois State Lottery Holiday Instant Ticket promotion. Mixed among the beautiful traditional seasonal images is the message that the holidays are all about giving and receiving lottery tickets. They actually say, “This is what it’s all about.” Then they tell us to, “Give the gift you hope they return.” Ick!

That annoys me on several levels.

They’re subliminally telling us that the sole reason for Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, take your pick, is about getting gifts by giving gifts. And coincidently, while we’re showing our love of family and friends by hoping they give us stuff, we can immerse ourselves in the spiritual experience of gambling with lottery tickets.

The “Box” store commercials try to convince us that the holidays are all about spending our money with them. Drop a load of cash at their store and our celebrations will be perfect.

There’s a band called “The Yoopers” from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the manic commercials from all the big “Box” stores reminds me of a song on one of their Christmas CDs. They sing, “We celebrate the Savior’s birth by spending all our dough.” Can everyone say, “Amen”?

Then there are the car commercials. Yeah, everyone I know gets cars for Christmas.
One has a choir singing “Hark How the Bells” using only the word Duh. I guess the point of that is that their vehicle is the obvious Christmas gifting choice.

Another luxury automotive brand suggests that you hurry down to your nearest dealer so that you can have the car decked out with bows in time for the holidays. That, of course, is the key to happiness this season.

Am I the only one that finds that a little pretentious?

I think I’ll try to find other reasons besides lottery tickets, cars, and loads of box store stuff as my answer to happiness his holiday season. I’ll start by pondering the real “Reason of the Season”. How about you?

'Twas The day After Halloween

TWAS THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN


Twas the day after Halloween, when all through the town, not a pilgrim was stirring, none could be found.

The stockings were hung in the stores with care, in hopes that the public, their money would share.

Christmas decorations in greens and reds, caused visions of dancing dollars in corporate heads.

No Thanksgiving figures with cute pilgrim caps, but Carols blared at the shoppers, from Bach to Rap.

Cherry pickers labored at 6o degrees, to place giant snowflakes to swing in the breeze.

To the service window, I went to complain, as they looked at me with clear disdain.

The glow of the wreath upon the wall, made the manager’s nose look like a red ball.

I opened my mouth the scene to protest, “Where’s the pumpkins, turkeys, fall leaves, and the rest?”

“The cornucopias with gourds all aglow, and Native Americans with arrow and bow?”

“The grateful hands, folded in prayer, reminding us to thank Him for all of His care.”

“The cornstalks, and hay bales and tables a-groan, I think this is crazy, am I alone?”

The manager patted me upon my head, then lifted his arms, his fingers all spread.

“All this,” he cried, “gets folks in the mood, to spend their money on more than food.”

“As profits go, Thanksgiving’s a bust, unless it’s combined with commercialized lust.”

“The “Season of Peace” needs a jump start, to persuade the shoppers with their money to part.”

“Our fourth quarter profits depend on this scene, without drawn-out holidays, our year would look lean.”

He then winked his eye, and twisted his head. His maniacal laugh filled me with dread.

The carols grew louder, the Santas all danced, the reindeer and snowmen swirled as they pranced.

The red and green packages bounced in fake snow, the evergreens sparkled, their lights a bright glow.

And laying his finger aside of his cheek, out of the cubicle the manager streaked.

Through the store, he ran, this way and that, and I heard him exclaim as he put on his hat, “Happy Spending to all, so our profit’s not flat!”

Biking and Life

We just returned from “Up North”. The fall scenery, a kaleidoscope of colors, was awe-inspiring. The lakes in their many moods, the glorious sunrises and romantic sunsets, the eye popping shades of foliage from the magnificent trees to brush, wildflowers, and vines, the rock formations, and raging waterfalls; all combined together to imprint their beauty into our memories.

My husband and I enjoy biking, so took our bikes with us to take advantage of the fantastic bike trail system they have between the small towns where we stay.
We can leave our cabin on Big St. Germaine Lake by bike, and ride to the towns of St. Germaine, Sayner, or Boulder Junction. We can go to Crystal Lake for a picnic, Cathedral Point on Trout Lake, or many other stops on lovely lakes along the way.

If we want to load our bikes onto the car and drive, every town in that part of the Northwoods has a bike trail. The intent is to connect all the communities in the area by trail eventually, and they are well on their way.

Refreshingly different from our part of the world, is that “Up North” the municipalities, businesses, and homeowners support the trails and encourage them to pass through their area. There never seems to be brouhaha about trails going through citizen’s yards, or businesses not wanting the trail in front of their establishment.
Areas vie for the chance to have the trail in their towns. They have fundraisers to help with the trail expense, and they get government grants. A winery in Three Lakes sells a wine that if you purchase it, a certain amount of each purchase goes to build the local section of the trail. We road that trail this year and it was well worth it.

No one ever tried to keep the Bearskin Trail in Minocqua as a railroad track.

Alternatively, the businesses use the trails to their advantage, selling the outdoor enthusiasts food, drink, ice cream, and supplies along the way. They rent out equipment, sell gas, and tempt the trail users to visit the shops in their towns. It’s a win, win situation for them, and Central Illinois could learn a lot from their attitude.

The trail between our cabin and Sayner is very hilly. I strain to pedal up the hill, and then fly down the other side, wind hitting my face and whistling through my helmet. Sometimes I get enough momentum that my speed gets me half way up through the next rise.

I repeat the scenario, strain, and difficulty, and then joyous release as the biking gets much easier.

After riding fifteen miles one gorgeous afternoon, I started to think the whole biking experience was analogous to the ups and downs of life. We hit those mountains in life, we huff and puff, straining to get over the hump. Then when the situation peaks, and we fly, life is easy and going great. Suddenly another prominence looms ahead. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, we have enough momentum to carry us up the hill, other times we struggle, but the important thing to remember is, eventually we all make it to the top and experience the joyous descent.

Enjoy this beautiful season, and here’s wishing you more coasting and less tough pedaling in the days to come.

In Memoriam of Labor Day

Ah, Labor Day, the last hurrah of the summer season. As a child, I remember thinking of it as the last weekend of freedom, so I would throw myself into playing non-stop until Monday night. We usually camped, so I would come home sore and sun burnt, but happy.

Now, my husband is the choir director at our church, and we usually have the “start of the season” choir party at our house over Labor Day weekend. Getting the yard and everything ready, I still get sore and sun burnt, just not by playing.

My husband and I heard a news story on the radio about the Labor Day parade in downtown Peoria. He commented that soon the holiday would be a moot point, unless they celebrate it overseas. It made me wonder about the original reasons for Labor Day.

125 years ago, the Central Labor Union in New York City celebrated a workingman’s holiday. The next year, in 1884, they selected the first Monday in September as the holiday, and urged organizations in other cities to follow their example. By 1895, many industrial centers in our nation celebrated the Labor Day holiday.

In June of 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September a legal holiday dedicated as a “tribute to the American Worker”. The first proposal of the holiday suggested that celebration include street parades to exhibit to the public “the strength and spirit de corps of the trade and labor organizations”, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families.

“Ay”, as Hamlet said, “There lies the rub”.

It seems somewhat ironic to celebrate the American Worker, when they seem to be an endangered species as “outsourcing” becomes the word of the day for most corporations.

In full disclosure I must admit, I’m not neutral on this subject, my husband’s job was outsourced to India. Unfortunately, that’s no longer unusual.

A friend, who works as a temp at a major corporation, told us that her employer was bought out by a Chinese company. The help desks in many companies are no longer the next floor up, but are on the other side of the world. Order from a catalogue and most likely the person on the other end of the phone is not in this country. Same with tech support, and the person who tells you his name is Brad, but you suspect it’s a little more exotic than that.

Companies, lured by the siren call of more profits, abandon their American workers to build factories in every foreign country that promises an abundance of workers willing to work for slave wages. Ironically enough, the “Big Box” stores sell these cheap and sometimes dangerously defective foreign products back to the American Worker at low prices, thus completing the vicious circle.

The unions that started Labor Day have lost a lot of their clout as companies threaten to move to another country whenever negotiations don’t go their way, leaving their employees to get new jobs that are more secure. Sadly, these jobs include phrases like, “Do you want fries with that?”, and “Welcome to (insert the Big Box store of your choosing)”.

And so it goes. My fear is that someday the true reason for Labor Day will someday go the way of the Dodo bird, along with the American Worker.

Natural Sanity

If life is pressing in on you, and you feel the need for a mini-vacation, then a walk or ride down the Rock Island Trail is the ticket. Either direction, from Alta, towards Dunlap, or towards Peoria, where the trail abruptly stops at Pioneer Parkway in North Peoria where the new section will soon continue, is wild and beautiful.

Sunlight filters around gently fluttering leaves to make dappled kinetic art on the pathway. Wildflowers abound, serving as magnets to myriads of butterflies. These floating flowers of every imaginable color glide quietly by, infusing a sense of peace.

Birds are everywhere, filling the air with exuberant song. Indigo Buntings flash by, their tiny iridescent blue bodies reflecting the mottled sunlight like sparks of flame in the shrubbery. The ubiquitous Robins conduct their daily lives with their usual good cheer as they regularly cross your path. Woodpeckers, cardinals, ducks, swallows, wrens, and catbirds, are just a few of the birds commonly seen along the trail. During migration times, the greenway explodes with warblers and other migrants of every ilk, stopping by for a respite on their long journeys.

The scenery is diverse along the trail, encompassing everything from forests and ravines, to farm fields and meadows of wildflowers. There are streams, and babbling brooks with schools of tiny fish darting among the rocks. There are bridges to cross, and even a cool and dark tunnel to explore.

Development, however, marches on, and encroaches on the wildness of the trail. Subdivisions are popping up like mushrooms along the corridor, greedily pushing against the greenway both sides, squishing it into a tiny ribbon of nature.
Fortunately, they can’t erase it, and so the trail remains a slash of sanity through the artificial living space that is suburbia.

I know insidious sprawl will continue unchecked. My husband and I moved to the country to enjoy nature, and the peace and quiet of rural living. Picturesque farm fields, wildlife, and old barns were the backdrops to the gorgeous sunsets we could view from our front windows. Now, a subdivision, earth berms, and a maintenance shed for a golf course block the sunsets. The wildlife we enjoyed when we first moved here has mostly disappeared. The glow from a plethora of yard and house lights, vapor lights, security lights, and landscaping lights has wiped out any enjoyment of the night sky.

Since the old cliché, “You can’t stop progress” is unfortunately true; I guess the best you can hope for is to continue to find nature as God intended it, enjoy it, and protect it as best you can, as long as possible. It’s the best therapy in the world.