|
|
Saturday, July 4th, 2009
| |
6:26 am - We go out walking after night-night, out in the moonlight ...
|
Here in Chicago we don't just have one fireworks display for the fourth of July. We have a month of illegal amateur fireworks displays starting in late June and extending till late July. Naturally last night was a busy one.
Joel had a gig and I was trying to get Paula to sleep so I could veg for a little bit before getting to bed early myself. As we read our bed-time story - Clifford's Puppy Days - Paula kept getting up to peek through her curtains, trying to see the fireworks we could hear so clearly and even smell. At one point she went to the front window, hoping to catch the show. I firmly steered her back to bed.
But this child was nowhere near sleepy, convinced that right outside was a fabulous fireworks display that we could just watch from the back yard. I gave in, grabbed the bug dope, and we headed to the lawn chairs in the back yard. However, due to the decentralized nature of our informal neighborhood fireworks program, we really couldn't see anything from the back yard. I put on a long-sleeved shirt, Paula her bathrobe (it was sweater weather!), and we took a walk.
We found a lot of other people out on their stoops and sidewalks, enjoying the totally unpredictable show. Most of the time we only heard ladyfingers and bottle rockets going off, but then, without warning, a series of great, colorful sparkles and flashes would light up the sky, followed by the BOOM of the exploding gunpowder.
"I can feel it in my back," Paula said. I hoped it wasn't too loud for her with her aids on.
I thought if we went to the park we might see ... something. Paula decided that we would spend the night at the playground. She pointed out a bench I could sleep on while she played all night. "I will wake you up in the morning and we'll go spend some time with Daddy." She climbed, slid and frolicked alone on the playground while I rested on my designated bench. She asked me to push her on the swings and for once I said yes.
"I want you to push me, but I don't want you to let me bump against your tummy because I don't want to hurt the baby," she said. She later praised me for my safety-minded technique of standing perpendicular to her trajectory. My words, not hers.
After a while I got tired and sat down in the swing next to hers. She dragged the toes of her flip-flops on the ground, got off her swing and came to sit on my lap. We held onto the chains and leaned back, swinging gently and looking through the trees at the dark sky and its stripes of faint clouds. I'm not yet so big in the belly that I couldn't handle that familiar and beloved weight just relaxing into me. One of my mind's voices whispered to me that I was tired and needed to cut this out and go home to bed. I hushed it.
But when we got off the swing and Paula moved to another bench where she said we could sleep, I introduced the idea that it's not really allowed to sleep in the park all night. She said we could build a little hiding place where no one would find us. "What about beds, blankets and pillows?" I asked her. Of course she didn't bat an eyelash: "We'll sleep on the grass and we'll (magically) get some blankets and pillows." Still, I moved in the direction of home.
We got there by playing a funny game of low-speed chase, in which we each insisted on being first. When Paula started lagging or asking to be carried, I jumped ahead saying, "I'm going to be first!" She grinned her most devilish grin and sped up, glancing back frequently to make sure I didn't overtake her. But as we got to our block, she took my hand and said, "We can both be first."
I told her how in Guatemala, people set off ladyfingers under the window early in the morning to celebrate birthdays. Of course families tend to be pretty big there, and people live close together, so in any neighborhood it's always someone's birthday. Ladyfingers set off under a corrugated tin roof is for me the sound of waking up early in Xela. Paula was fascinated and asked me if I was planning on doing this for her birthday. I changed the subject.
We came in the house, and she was ready to sleep. We said a healing prayer, since she has a sinus thing that makes her cough at night, and she gave me her hearing aids. I lay down next to her and she moved her head onto my shoulder, her arm thrown over my chest and her hand on my throat. She fell asleep quickly; I moved her onto her pile of cough-preventing propping-up pillows. And I went straight to bed.
|
|
(5 comments | comment on this)
|
| Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
| |
12:08 pm - Trial date for Baha’i leaders has been set
|
From Iran Press Watch
June 24th, 2009
According to information conveyed by the authorities in Evin prison to the family members of the seven Baha’is who have been imprisoned in Tehran, Iran, for over a year, their trial date has been set for 11 July 2009. This information has been provided to the family members only orally and, as information conveyed by officials concerning the judicial process has often proved unreliable, it is possible that the Iranian authorities may find some reason to change the trial date.
The seven were arrested in the spring of 2008 and have been held more than a year without formal charges or access to their attorneys. Official Iranian news reports have said the Baha’is will be accused of “espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.”
The trial is apparently scheduled to be held at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court. This is where American-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi was recently convicted of espionage and sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. She was eventually released, but only after an international outcry at the clear politicization of the case and manifestly unjust legal procedures.
“These seven individuals are facing completely false charges,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “They – along with the some 30 other Baha’is currently in prison in Iran – are innocent of any wrongdoing and are being held solely because of their religious beliefs.”
To read the article on the BWNS Web site, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/719
For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/
|
|
(1 comment | comment on this)
|
| Monday, June 22nd, 2009
| |
9:36 pm - It's safer than you think
|
What, Mom worry?
On a quiet morning a few weeks ago, as I hustled out to preschool with my almost-5-year-old, I realized that I'd left a lunchbox inside and had to run back into the kitchen. Ava was waiting patiently on the front porch. I ordered her into the house.
"Why?" she protested. She wanted to watch the birds skip across the front lawn.
"Because you have to be next to Mommy at all times." That was the easy answer. The real one was more complex: Because the world is a dangerous place? Because I don't know every person who walks down our suburban street? Because if I let you out of my sight for 15 seconds, something terrible could happen, and it would be all my fault?
Finally a reality check on the real dangers "out there." I did a similar story in grad school (remember the summer of Elizabeth Smart?), and calculated the odds of a given child in the U.S. being abducted by a stranger. In a country with 20 million children, any given child has a less than one in 33,000 chance of being abducted.
Although I admit I'm affected by the fearful chorus around me, I do let my 5-y.o. run far ahead of me and play in the back yard alone for short stints. I openly encourage her to be friendly to strangers, just not to get into their cars. I dream of the day a few years from now when I will say, "Have fun on your bike, honey! Just be home by dark."
|
|
(1 comment | comment on this)
|
| Sunday, June 21st, 2009
| |
10:54 am - Pictures of my chickens
|
Here's Bullwinkle, 24 weeks, close-up so you can see her comb and wattles.
Here she is in context. This is our new run that occupies the otherwise dead space between our garage and the neighbors' fence. They come out of the coop, down a wire-enclosed ramp, and into their run. Then back up to the coop to lay or brood or look guilty when caught, then back to the run to scratch around, get a drink and some feed.
And here's Rocky, also 24 weeks. Note the big difference in comb size.
 I'm happy to report that this morning when I went to check on her she already had more color in her comb. Yesterday it was still very yellow; I think the vitamins in her water are probably making a difference right away.
And here, for comparison, is Bullwinkle fighting for a cob of corn with Silver, one of my 1-yr-old Barred Rock hens. Rocky is about the same size, though I think her hips may not have spread as much.
 Looking at this picture I see Bullwinkle's comb is not as red as Silver's. This may be right developmentally, but I'm glad I've put them all on vitamins and vinegar in their water, just in case they need a boost.
x-posted to petchickens.
|
|
(3 comments | comment on this)
|
| Saturday, June 20th, 2009
| |
9:40 pm - Sick chick?
|
My two Rhode Island Reds, Rocky and Bullwinkle, are almost 24 weeks old. That means they are very close to maturity. Yay! Right? But while Bullwinkle has a nice big red comb and bright red wattles, and competes enthusiastically with the grown-up hens for corn on the cob and other treats I give them in the suet feeder, Rocky is ... well ... a little slow.
Rocky's comb is small and pale, her wattles equally so. And she is not sharp, even compared to the other chickens, who give new meaning to the phrase "bird brain." When there are treats out, she wanders over, then seems to just space out. She pecks the ground a little, maybe gets a taste of the cauliflower leaves or whatnot, then just seems to forget about it or anything else while her flockmates devour it.
I asked the LJ pet chickens list about the obvious delay in her development relative to her sister, and got this link for pale chick (or bird) syndrome.
Apparently this syndrome is associated with "stunting, abnormal feathering, pale comb, wattles and legs are seen. Higher early mortality, weak legs, CNS signs (tremors, incoordination) and passage of undigested food in faeces can also occur. Delayed and poor egg production peaks may occur in layers and breeders."
It may be contagious, may be viral. The treatment is antibiotics, vitamins, and vinegar in the water. I'm not much for antibiotics, not right off the bat anyway, so I'll be going the probiotic route, plus the vitamins and vinegar.
I've pulled Rocky out of the coop and isolated her in the tractor in the yard. In her demented state, she had to be forced into the shelter I provided for her, but she'll be safe and dry there at night as she convalesces on a diet of grass, yogurt, bananas and leftover pasta. And the others will be less likely to catch anything they haven't caught already.
Another possibility is that she could have a really bad mite infestation. None of the other chickens have signs of mites, but oh boy oh boy oh boy. If it's lice, mites or some other ectoparasite, I am not looking forward to the treating and the cleaning. I'm actually hoping she has this syndrome treated with vinegar rather than mites that I would then have to treat with pesticides (dude, not while I'm pregnant!), and repeat the great chicken de-lousing of 2008. I had been counting on the liberal application of diatomaceous earth in the coop and run to prevent ever needing to do that again.
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| |
4:11 pm - Can I go there now?
|
Really, really want to go to the Lotus Temple of India.
I looked around youtube and found this happy-making slideshow set to an old Hindi Baha'i song. I have no idea what it says, beyond recognizing the name Baha'u'llah. It just makes me smile to see pictures of the Indian Baha'is and hear one of their cultural expressions of faith.
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
| |
7:02 am - Messy house, funny blog!
|
|
| Thursday, June 11th, 2009
| |
12:40 pm - Heartbreaking and beautiful
|
A Gift from Evin Prison
June 5th, 2009
Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, six other former Baha’i leaders known as the Yaran, and some other Baha’is continue to languish in the notorious Evin prison of Tehran. While their bodies suffer incarceration and psychological torture, yet their indomitable spirits shine ever so brightly, thinking of their families, friends and millions of well-wishers around the globe.
Mrs. Kamalabadi’s younger daughter, Taraneh, had a birthday come up in March. Her mother thought about her birthday, but alas there was so little she could do for Taraneh from behind bars! Nevertheless, she was resourceful enough that she grew for her a small plant, – a reminder that life and love sprout for these souls even under the harsh conditions of prison – and gave that as a gift to Taraneh.
The attached pictures show the plant and the happy young lady. Next year, we pray, the family will be able to celebrate Taraneh’s birthday in their happy home, where the entire family will come together – far from dark memories of Evin.
Iran Press Watch is grateful to Mr. Iraj Kamalabadi (Fariba’s brother) for these photographs.
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| |
12:29 pm - Just one baby
|
Yep, it's one baby only and I'm simply popping out for my second pregnancy. I'm relieved, but also glad that I had the opportunity to accept I could have twins. I fear that whole thing less now, which is always a good thing.
Now to go relax with an episode of My Boys while Paula plays next door. **neighbor love**
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
| |
7:04 am - Interesting (and inspiring) times
|
Briefly:
My time at my aunt and uncle's home has left me with a number of lifelong impressions. My aunt's strength and her refusal to bow to fear or even defeat; her insistence that the memorial service would be a time of celebration, gratitude and sharing with the world the inspirational truth about my uncle as he lived his private life; her emotional and material generosity to all at a time of deep tragedy; all these speak of a person with a truly exceptional character. I am so honored to know her.
Reconnecting with my cousins was another great gift. I haven't been in touch with them for years, which would make sense if I didn't like them. But I love them. They are kind, open-hearted people who also rose above their own very understandable grief and anger to welcome family and friends into their circle. I'm so happy to be back in touch with them.
My time away from Paula turned out well for all of us. She and Joel bonded, and she has gained confidence about being away from me.
Today I go to the obstetrician to find out what the heck is going on in my belly. I'm measuring 25 cm (twice what I should be at 12 weeks), and feeling fetal movement. Either I'm way wrong about my dates, or it's multiples. I feel in my heart that it's nothing pathological; time will tell, of course.
|
|
(6 comments | comment on this)
|
| Monday, June 1st, 2009
| |
5:05 pm - Prayer for the departed
|
My religion, the Baha'i Faith, teaches that after physical death, the soul is released into the afterlife similar to an infant emerging from the womb. Whereas the child in the womb must develop in countless ways so it can thrive in this world, the extent to which we develop spiritually in this world sets up our capacities in the next. The soul's progress through the worlds of God, toward reunion with the Source of All is aided by our prayers and God's infinite mercy.
This is one of the prayers with which Baha'is encourage the souls of our loved ones who have passed on. I offer it to use for my uncle, if you are so moved.
O my God! O my God! Verily, thy servant, humble before the majesty of Thy divine supremacy, lowly at the door of Thy oneness, hath believed in Thee and in Thy verses, hath testified to Thy word, hath been enkindled with the fire of Thy love, hath been immersed in the depths of the ocean of Thy knowledge, hath been attracted by Thy breezes, hath relied upon Thee, hath turned his face to Thee, hath offered his supplications to Thee, and hath been assured of Thy pardon and forgiveness. He hath abandoned this mortal life and hath flown to the kingdom of immortality, yearning for the favor of meeting Thee.
O Lord, glorify his station, shelter him under the pavilion of Thy supreme mercy, cause him to enter Thy glorious paradise, and perpetuate his existence in Thine exalted rose garden, that he may plunge into the sea of light in the world of mysteries.
Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Powerful, the Forgiver and the Bestower.
--‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Thank you, everyone, for your kind words, thoughts and prayers for this man who lived his live in service to others, performing untold acts of public and private kindness, and ultimately giving his life for his belief that women are qualified to run our own lives.
|
|
(2 comments | comment on this)
|
| |
5:26 am - Unspeakably sad.
|
George Tiller was my uncle.
I didn't tell many people because I didn't want it to become an issue. I have friends who are strongly against abortion rights; my ability to be friends with people I don't totally agree with is one of my most prized qualities. There was no reason to get into arguments over something neither of us was going to budge on.
But I'm out now. I'm angry and sad about what happened; my uncle was such a good, caring doctor, and a kind, generous man. It's bizarre to me that his attackers over the years have always claimed the moral high ground. Paula keeps asking me, "Why did someone shoot your uncle?" All I can tell her is that he had a heart full of hate, period. Christ and His transforming Message had nothing to do with it.
When I was 12 I heard someone say they had a brother who had been murdered by stabbing. I tried to imagine what that could feel like, to lose someone you love so violently and so suddenly. Now I know. It's like your life is inside a box and somebody picks up and shakes the box. What has happened feels so wrong.
This morning I'll leave for Atlanta. My parents will pick me up at the airport and we'll drive to Wichita. I've stocked my suitcase and purse with healthy snacks for me and the voracious fetus. I have a feeling I'm going to be enjoying a lot of meals at Waffle House in the next few days.
Paula is asleep in my bed. Last night I told her I would be gone for a week without her and she just bawled. We've never been apart for longer than overnight. I told her over and over, "I know you will be okay." Finally I made her say it, and we prayed together, singing, "Armed with the power of Thy name nothing can ever hurt me, and with Thy love in my heart, all the world's afflictions can in no wise alarm me."
Around 4:30 this morning the combination of lightning and kicking from Paula woke me. I went outside to make sure the chicken feed was dry, then came to the computer to put some pictures on a flash drive to take with me.
I'll take the bus to the airport after Joel and Paula leave for work and school. I have my funeral outfit and a new sundress, my prayer book, a book on women in Baha'i history, and my copy of the New Yorker. I must not forget to pack shoes to wear to the funeral.
I'm going back to bed with Paula now, to get in a few more snuggles before my trip. I know she'll be okay, and I know I'm doing what I need to do. But all of this saying goodbye ... I just hate it.
current mood:  sad
|
|
(7 comments | comment on this)
|
| Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
| |
5:35 am
|
|
| Thursday, May 14th, 2009
| |
10:25 am - Iranian Baha'i leaders may face new accusation on anniversary of imprisonment
|
NEW YORK, 12 May - The seven Baha'i leaders currently imprisoned in
Iran are facing the anniversary of their arrest this Thursday, along with
new and extremely grave accusations, after spending a year in jail without
formal charges or access to their lawyer, Shirin Ebadi.
"Despite their obvious innocence and the call by many for their immediate
release, these seven men and women have been in legal limbo for a year now,
against all international human rights standards," said Bani Dugal, the
principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United
Nations.
"Moreover, their families have recently been told of a possible new charge -
'the spreading of corruption on earth,' which goes by the term 'Mofsede
fel-Arz' in Persian and carries the threat of death under the penal code of
the Islamic Republic of Iran," said Ms. Dugal.
Full story
I must say that anyone who thinks we can't do anything from here need only look at the case of imprisoned journalist Roxana Saberi, who the Iranian judiciary treated with great leniency after a tremendous international uproar over her detention and trial. Please reach out to your representatives and contacts in the news media to encourage them to treat the imprisoned Baha'i leaders with as much concern as they have extended to Ms. Saberi.
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Monday, April 27th, 2009
| |
1:22 pm - Fourth Charge added against Imprisoned Baha’i Leaders
|
April 27, 2009
Iran Press Watch has learned through reliable sources close to the seven (7) imprisoned Baha’i leaders (formerly known as Yaran) that the families of the incarcerated Baha’is were allowed to meet with them today, Monday, April 27, 2009.
In this meeting, the imprisoned Baha’is reported that last week they were interrogated by the judiciary official in charge of the preparation of the case against them. A new charge has been added to the previous three (3) charges against them, namely: Aiding, teaching and propagating the Baha’i religion in Iran.
This charge is equivalent to “mufsed fel-arz” [corrupt on earth], which historically has carried harsh penalties, including the death penalty.
One of the Baha’i leaders, Mr. Khanjani, however expressed his joy over this new charge as it makes it clear that the Baha’is are imprisoned because of their religious belief.
The family members have reported to Iran Press Watch that all seven imprisoned Baha’is appeared in good health and spirit.
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Thursday, March 26th, 2009
| |
9:28 am
|
From Hearing Aid Action:
SB68 is a bill to mandate insurance coverage for hearing aids for people for ALL ages! [Twelve] other states have insurance coverage but it is only for ages 0-18. Let our State of Illinois to become the first state to have mandated insurance coverage for hearing aids of all makes for ALL AGES!
So if you live in Illinois, please support this bill by contacting your state senator. If you're like me and didn't know your state senator from a bag of elbows, go to www.civicfootprint.org and type in your address to find out who to contact. Thanks!
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Monday, March 23rd, 2009
| |
8:26 am - Egyptian court removes barriers to ID documents for Baha'is
|
GENEVA (16 March 2009) - A court in Egypt today removed any grounds for preventing Baha'is from receiving proper official identity documents, clearing the way for an end to years of deprivation for Egyptian Baha'is - and opening the door to a new level of respect for religious privacy in Egypt.
...
For nearly five years, since the government began introducing a computerized identity card system that locked out all religious classifications except Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, Baha'is have been unable to get documents essential to day-to-day life. Among other things, they have been blocked from obtaining education, financial services, and even health care in
government hospitals.
Full story
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Friday, March 13th, 2009
| |
1:29 pm - Message for Christiane Amanpour: On Genocide
|
|
| Thursday, March 12th, 2009
| |
8:42 am - How I'm procrastinating when I should do my taxes:
|
Soul Pancake
What, you ask, is Soul Pancake? In its own words:
We want to make discussions about Spirituality, Creativity, and Philosophy cool again. Were they ever cool? I have no idea. But it seems like a good idea. We want to engage the user to “Chew on Life’s Big Questions”™. (I was kidding about the ™ symbol; you can use that phrase however you want. Even to sell frozen taquitos.) Where do you go on the Interwebs if you want an irreverent, fun, and profound take on God and Art and the Soul and Faith and Beauty? Fox.com? Maybe. But maybe also here at SoulPancake.com.
We provide some rockin’ content (interviews, blogs, challenges, contests, features, and more), but it’s really all about having YOU - the SoulPancake community - bring this site to life. Say what’s on your mind. Be real. Talk about WHY WE’RE HERE. And if I say something that offends you, let me have it.
Just remember: Life is a rich, weird, difficult experience. So join us as we go on the spiritual and artistic journey that is SoulPancake.
current mood: awake
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Friday, March 6th, 2009
| |
1:42 pm - A letter from the Baha'i Intl. Community to the Prosecutor General of Iran
|
Your Honor,
Your recent announcement regarding the administrative affairs of the Bahá’ís of Iran has brought to the arena of public debate issues which not only affect the safety and livelihood of the members of that community but also have profound implications for the future of every citizen of that esteemed nation. The steps that have been taken to formulate the response of the Iranian Bahá’í community to your announcement have surely been communicated to you. The Yaran and the Khademin, the small groups that have been attending to the spiritual and social needs of the several hundred thousand Bahá’ís of Iran, the former at the national level and the latter at the local, have expressed their willingness to bring to a close their collective functioning. This decision has been made for no other reason than to demonstrate yet again the goodwill that the Bahá’ís have consistently shown to the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the past thirty years.
Full text
|
|
(comment on this)
|
|
|
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
julietma's journal
grateful