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Today I made plans to wake up at 7am, just like yesterday and go to the gym to administer my exercise healing medicine.  That stuff works wonders, so I’m told.  Yesterday I didn’t get as much done as I would have liked – but yet I was encouraged by others last night (during our weekly, ladies’ ukulele music-making night)  that I’d accomplished a ton and I was being too hard on myself.  I’m not that easily convincable.  I did create an inspirational Collage for Phil Cheney (my sweetheart).  That was something.  See collage on left.

"Inspirational Positive Rememories"
“Inspirational Positive Rememories”

However, today ~ as beautiful as it is outside with the blowing cold rain and grey skies ~ I decided to sleep past my alarm and on into the morning.  Waking around 9, I made a tiny pot of coffee with cream and agave sauce (it’s delicious), brought in the clothes that were on the line getting rained on, and came back upstairs to my peaceful little room to start working for the day.  Couldn’t get my executive director on the phone, so now I am putting my thoughts into a journal for only a handful of people to explore.

Today will be different because today is not yesterday and it is still very far from tomorrow.  I was wondering this morning what would happen if it was raining all the time and the sun decided never to come out again.  It would be a miserable thing, I tell you, just miserable. I love rainy days, rain, and clouds, and wetness, yet as a human, my inner workings basque in the rays of the sun and they cheer me to the point of singing.  Just the other day I woke up and started singing because the yummy sunlight was pouring in thorough the morning windows and it warmed my soul (if you believe in that sort of thing).

Onward into today.. Coffee, a candle, and a new arrangement of folk art on my walls (check out the next photo.  That’s by Grace Kelly Laster, an amazing travelling artist who graces my walls with beautiful images of feminine,  avian, and celestial images).

Owl Lady Painting in my Room
Owl Lady Painting in my Room

I received this painting from Phil on my birthday unexpectedly, such a lovely surprise.  I’ve filled my world with art and creations from the spirit because it seems to enliven my own.  I enjoy creating art and being an artist.  Singing and playing instruments, playing music with other people, painting on a surface, and appreciating the art that is the nature all around me.  Art by the Universe.  Art of energy.  Art of the seasons.  Poetry of the wind and songs of the ocean.  The theater of the dancing fire within.

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So I just looked up what happened today in history and saw several things, but this one really caught my attention:

1. Dutch colonists killed Algonquins

I ask you, how is it that a website can say something such as “Dutch colonists killed Algonquins” and not give ANY explanation at all? http://www.historyorb.com/today ..here’s some more information I found out, albeit from wikipedia… jeez : 129 Dutch soldiers killed 120 Indians, including women and children in 1643.   While I as reading about this “Pavonia Massacre” I began to think of something else.  I was thinking about the conflict in Israel and Palestine, a tragic, imposed war between two groups of people – funded by outside sources set to gain something (resources, favors, contracts, etc) from this conflict.

At first I was saying to myself that I didn’t know why the massacre reminded me of this current conflict… but then I read it over again..

” Willem Kieft arrived in New Netherland in 1639 to take up his appointment as Director of New Netherland, with a directive to increase profits from the port at Pavonia. His solution was to attempt to exact tribute with claims that the money would buy them protection from rival groups… It was not uncommon among the native population to do so, but in this case his demands were ignored. At the time, the settlers in New Amsterdam were in intermittent conflict with their Raritan and Wappinger neighbors.[11] OnStaten Island, Dutch soldiers routed an encampment in retaliation for the theft of pigs, later discovered to have been stolen by other settlers. The death of a Dutch wheelwright, Claes Swits, at the hands of a Weckquaesgeek (Wappinger on the east side of the Hudson River) particularly angered many of the Dutch when the tribe would not turn over the murderer. At Acther Kol, in revenge for a theft, a Dutchman was shot with arrow while roofing a new house.[12] Kieft decided, against the advice of the council of Twelve Men, to punish the Indians by attacking Pavonia and Corlear’s Hook who had taken refuge among the Netherlanders (their presumed allies) when fleeing raiding Mahican from the north.[7] The initial strike which he ordered on February 25, 1643 and took place at Communipaw, was a massacre: 129 Dutch soldiers killed 120 Indians, including women and children”

Retaliation against a whole group of people for someone stealing a pig = retaliation against a whole group of people for firing a rocket, with TANKS AND MODERN WEAPONRY who are solely PROTECTING THEIR HOME FROM BEING INVADED.

My point is this: violence breeds violence, and colonialism: the extraction of goods, resources, and labor from one place to another who then OWNS the spoils and declares sovereign power over the colony, is one of the ULTIMATE forms of violence: against humanity and against this planet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonialism#Marxist_view_of_colonialism

rlmarts.com

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This is a beautiful drawing of me by Phil Cheney for my birthday week kickoff!!

Dynamic Art Gallerie

AKLinJacketandHatReDrawnThis is AK Lorraine’s Birthday Week. She is going to be 30 on Wednesday! I am kicking it off with a drawing I did of Her back in the Fall of 2010, when She was attending the SIT Institution up in Brattleboro, VT. It gets chilly up there, so You need a hat and a big coat before going out of doors into the Super Colorful Fall weather.

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I began to think about a subject again this afternoon that I discussed this morning in the midst of a crisis that should, in the future, be easily avoided from insight provided by the past.  I think very similarly about Black History Month they way I feel about Valentine’s day (if you haven’t read the earlier post, here’s a quote from that day: “Valentines day is so ridiculous because we should be giving love in such an obscene way EVERY DAY!!”)  This is how I feel about Black History Month.  Why don’t we celebrate famous Black history month all year long? And WHY, my friend pointed out, is it peppered with a bunch of white dudes being commemorated, one of which (ahem.. Washington ((who’s birthday is celebrated today))) owned slaves?   I must say however, the benefit of having Black History Month is beneficial and enlightening to white people, who any other time, may not take the time to be curious about anything but things that concern them… like these facts:  Toni Morrison was born today.  She is the first Black woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.  Read The Song of Solomon, it’s a stunning book.  Also today in 1688, Quakers in Germantown, PA adopt the first antislavery resolution in the country.

But it shouldn’t be the federal requirement of a nation to get people to commemorate and appreciate the amazing works, unique history, and fallen heroes of a particular group of people – these things should be celebrated and honored all the time and with equal time and attention as everything else.  The fact that we need a Black History Month just goes to show that we’ve gotten only slightly further down the road towards equality.  (please see: http://www.dayinblackhistory.com/ )

I dedicate my blog today to all the rest of the months in the year that are left lonely without the presence of remembrance and beauty that ALL people embody and present to this world.  I also dedicate my blog today to all the slaves that George Washington owned and only after he was dead were they emancipated.  Sending out love to you, all of our ancestors, and current victims of hate, because you all have stared at a sunset such as this and been mystified at the possibility that some greater power is working to make things right, and if there isn’t such a power, our strength comes from the knowledge and satisfaction that we DO work against inequality and the oppressed will not be as such forever.

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“I awoke today and found the frost perched on the town.”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3EofN3Flag More than frost today Joni, SNOW is FALLING and I made sure the whole (nearby) neighborhood knew about it at 7:30 this Saturday morning.  Snow is so magical and beautiful, each snowflake actually IS a divine, unique thing…

Yesterday, watching an 8 year old and a 1.5 year old is a ton of fun.  I was sad to go home, but I had to get some work done, and that can’t happen with, “NiNi! What would you like to order from the Kevi Kitchen?!” coming in every 5 minutes. 🙂  There’s something about writing this journal that makes me feel really good and I haven’t been, up to this point, in the last couple of years, been able to sustain a journal or diary.. all the while killing myself with guilt that I didn’t have any follow through.

My inner voice is a mean one.  I talk to myself in a more stern, mean, impatient, and unaccepting way than I would talk to anyone (much less people I love!) and I’ve decided that this has to change.  I’m trying to make this change, understanding that it’s a process, not a destination.  Isn’t that the lesson of life anyway, to enjoy the process because there IS no destination or final resting point?  That’s not the way energy works.

Ponder this.

Along that vein, in this day in history in 1932, the 1st patent issued for a tree, went to James Markham for a peach tree.  That whole process is now being fought by another process.  I don’t believe in purity or pristine anything to do with human creation, divine creation or an original thought. Everything at this point has been touched or manipulated by human existence on this earth, and everything we’ve done or experienced up to this point leads us to the thoughts we come up with.  This leads me to 2 points: 1. nothing should be owned, personal ownership leads to greed…therefore I don’t believe in borders  and 2. Seeds and the natural world should not be patented or owned… the race to the top for money and material wealth is destroying this planet and us as a collective species – and THERE IS NO END POINT!  The process that I am finding joy in now, is the reclaiming of this mentality, the community, the rights of workers, the love of the planet and the genuine love of all beings.  I AM all beings, I am finding the courage to say so and act on it.  Happy February 16th, the first day of the rest of your life.  What are you FOR?

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I watched “Milk” last night and it was a tear-jerker.  What a beautiful movie, what an amazing person.  Harvey Milk.  Wow.  Read his hope speech.  It’s absolutely pertinent just as much now as it was then, http://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/milk-youve-got-to-have-hope-speech-text/

The sun came up again today and it poured in through the windows as the sun rose above trees from across the street.  I live in a rural area in North Carolina.  In the morning, the sweetest peacefulness of frost on the ground and the chilly, brisk air is enough to make me smile.  I had to wake up early to go babysit my two nephews.  We’ve been having a blast all morning.  Check out our awesome skills.

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Kevi is the oldest, he’s 8.  Joey is going to turn 2 in June.  Kevi started reading Moby Dick this morning (the kids’ illustrated version) and Joey drooled on his new book, “What Penguins Do”.  I love to give them books and see just how long their attention spans last.  Kevi got through one paragraph and Joey ran after a moose after 5 minutes.  Cute.

I’ll do a historical reflection in a blog later today.  Right now I have boys to look after.