Yes. That is Yeeesssssss!!!
It was nearly 70 degrees today.
All during the wet cold months of late fall and winter Pacific North westerners bundle up in layers of sweaters and rain proof garments and vacate the streets as quickly as possible.
On my way to the light rail each wintry evening I passed a number of outdoor eating areas all tied down and abandoned for the rainy season. It was like walking through a twilight ghost town. The people you pass are shrouded in rain clothes, hats or hoodies and no one has a face. Only a few offer a muffled hello in response to yours.
Then the sun comes out and people blossom like the desert after a rain storm. Spots of color and skin, yes, SKIN appears. People wearing shorts and halter tops, even those who might look better with a little more covering unbutton and remove a layer or two or three for the sunshine. The outdoor cafe chairs and tables are completely filled within minutes with colorful people all alive for the first time since the rains began.
Really it is an overnight transformation (sometimes only a few hours).
On the way into work I passed a man sitting with his face toward the sun. "I am soaking up every last bit of rays" he said, "since it won't last long."
How true. It is only March and we still have the April showers for May flowers to go until the rainy season officially ends (the day after the Rose Festival concludes is the usual first day of sun.)
But for the moment I can't help but feel good along with all of the other creatures of the area. My sinuses are clear. The moss between my toes has been shed. My overcast headache has lifted and my spirits are up in the blue skies of promise.
The first taste of Spring in the northwest. Nothing like it.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Monday, March 28, 2016
To My Children, with love.
We talked over the holiday about the presidential campaign. I always appreciate what my sons and daughters have to say. I am proud that they are thinking about what goes on in the world and coming to their own conclusions. I also like it when I am challenged by the next generation because it gives me hope that society is continuing to evolve. We talked in particular this weekend about the candidates in the Democratic Party, about Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
Like the younger generation I am inspired by Senator Sanders. I have followed his career for some time because I sincerely believe the country needs to adopt more people nurturing policies like universal healthcare and affordable education. I look at other industrialized nations and see that they are able to take care of these needs for their people and I wish we could. I have always appreciated Sander's recognition of the growing divide between those who have everything and those who have nothing.
I realize that our nation has taken on the role of defense for more that just our own nation and that is not all bad, but it is costly. I also think that this nation "defends" the American way of life even when it is unhealthy or unsustainable, and I think you agree with this. I am hopeful that change is coming, that people are moving slowly in the direction of universal care ... most of the time... albeit very slowly. Mostly I am encouraged by how your generation is willing to live differently, try harder to be sustainable and open to inclusive community.
Like you I am very worried by the political conversation on the other side that has edged so far to the right; anti-immigrant, protectionist, and xenophobic.
I am writing this however in response to your statement regarding whether or not I would vote for Secretary Clinton just because she is a woman. The answer is no since I didn't vote for McCain and Palin just because Palin is a woman. I do have some sense. But when it comes to Clinton I feel differently.
As much as I like Senator Sanders something different happens when I look closely at Hillary Clinton.
She is not perfect. I wish she held some Sander's views more overtly. I don't really believe in dynasties. I didn't like it when we had two Bush presidents from the same family. (There are millions of people in this country and at the minimum there are dozens who have held public office including Governors and Senators who should have background to be President so why would I want the wife of a former president?) Nonetheless, when I look at Hillary Clinton I see a woman who has done all the right things to be president (with the exception of being married to a president -- although that seems to work pretty well in other countries!) If she was a man I think the commentary would be very different.
In my own life and work I have experienced how women who move to the top are supposed to accomplish things like all the men who have gone before them while remaining overtly female and how they are criticized if they do things differently. I have also lived through the women's movement when it became clear that only the women who became as aggressive as men were able to knock down the doors or raise the ceiling for the women who came after them -- even though the personal toll was very high since no one liked pushy women.
But, back to Hillary Clinton. She has experience of her own, she is smart, she has moved through the system and she is in a position to knock down the door and suddenly the rules change. It is not that people don't want a woman, they just don't want an insider. They want someone who will change things -- someone like Senator Sanders or (yikes) Donald Trump. But when I look at them I see two old white men. What's different about that?
When I look at Hillary Clinton I see someone like myself. A wife and mother, and also a highly educated woman who has broken through barriers because she has learned how to play the game as the men want to play --- and done so with as much integrity as she can just as many men have done.
But now when she is in position to move forward... this is not what the nation wants.
How different from what we have always had would it be to have a woman as president? I don't know but I would really like the chance to find out.
President Obama could not provide all the change that he wanted. He was stopped at every point by those who simply did not want a Black President... especially one who was on the side of the middle class and the poor. What has changed however, is that there is now a model in the highest office of the land for every young black person. A good model too, since President Obama has not been riddled with scandal, always showing the nation a loving first couple and first family. He is articulate, educated and extremely thoughtful. Young people are the future and they need this good model - we all do.
When at last we have a woman president there will be a model in the highest office of the land for every young woman regardless of color. That is something my generation has never had -- nor any generation before us. I agree that it would be nice if Hillary was the perfect candidate... but has there ever been one? Are only women supposed to be perfect? I mean, isn't Bernie Sanders a little old... too old to be president for the next 4-8 years?
Maybe having a woman president shouldn't be so important to me.
But it is.
Like the younger generation I am inspired by Senator Sanders. I have followed his career for some time because I sincerely believe the country needs to adopt more people nurturing policies like universal healthcare and affordable education. I look at other industrialized nations and see that they are able to take care of these needs for their people and I wish we could. I have always appreciated Sander's recognition of the growing divide between those who have everything and those who have nothing.
I realize that our nation has taken on the role of defense for more that just our own nation and that is not all bad, but it is costly. I also think that this nation "defends" the American way of life even when it is unhealthy or unsustainable, and I think you agree with this. I am hopeful that change is coming, that people are moving slowly in the direction of universal care ... most of the time... albeit very slowly. Mostly I am encouraged by how your generation is willing to live differently, try harder to be sustainable and open to inclusive community.
Like you I am very worried by the political conversation on the other side that has edged so far to the right; anti-immigrant, protectionist, and xenophobic.
I am writing this however in response to your statement regarding whether or not I would vote for Secretary Clinton just because she is a woman. The answer is no since I didn't vote for McCain and Palin just because Palin is a woman. I do have some sense. But when it comes to Clinton I feel differently.
As much as I like Senator Sanders something different happens when I look closely at Hillary Clinton.
She is not perfect. I wish she held some Sander's views more overtly. I don't really believe in dynasties. I didn't like it when we had two Bush presidents from the same family. (There are millions of people in this country and at the minimum there are dozens who have held public office including Governors and Senators who should have background to be President so why would I want the wife of a former president?) Nonetheless, when I look at Hillary Clinton I see a woman who has done all the right things to be president (with the exception of being married to a president -- although that seems to work pretty well in other countries!) If she was a man I think the commentary would be very different.
In my own life and work I have experienced how women who move to the top are supposed to accomplish things like all the men who have gone before them while remaining overtly female and how they are criticized if they do things differently. I have also lived through the women's movement when it became clear that only the women who became as aggressive as men were able to knock down the doors or raise the ceiling for the women who came after them -- even though the personal toll was very high since no one liked pushy women.
But, back to Hillary Clinton. She has experience of her own, she is smart, she has moved through the system and she is in a position to knock down the door and suddenly the rules change. It is not that people don't want a woman, they just don't want an insider. They want someone who will change things -- someone like Senator Sanders or (yikes) Donald Trump. But when I look at them I see two old white men. What's different about that?
When I look at Hillary Clinton I see someone like myself. A wife and mother, and also a highly educated woman who has broken through barriers because she has learned how to play the game as the men want to play --- and done so with as much integrity as she can just as many men have done.
But now when she is in position to move forward... this is not what the nation wants.
How different from what we have always had would it be to have a woman as president? I don't know but I would really like the chance to find out.
President Obama could not provide all the change that he wanted. He was stopped at every point by those who simply did not want a Black President... especially one who was on the side of the middle class and the poor. What has changed however, is that there is now a model in the highest office of the land for every young black person. A good model too, since President Obama has not been riddled with scandal, always showing the nation a loving first couple and first family. He is articulate, educated and extremely thoughtful. Young people are the future and they need this good model - we all do.
When at last we have a woman president there will be a model in the highest office of the land for every young woman regardless of color. That is something my generation has never had -- nor any generation before us. I agree that it would be nice if Hillary was the perfect candidate... but has there ever been one? Are only women supposed to be perfect? I mean, isn't Bernie Sanders a little old... too old to be president for the next 4-8 years?
Maybe having a woman president shouldn't be so important to me.
But it is.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Menu for change
Six years ago my husband and I traveled to Washington D.C. by train. At the time we were both vegetarians. Neither of us ate any gluten either although my husband is the one who gets really sick pretty quickly when he consumes gluten. Eating in the Dining Car on Amtrak was very difficult. None of the waiters knew much about gluten intolerance and they were not interested in learning. We were told repeatedly that we had to order from the menu "as is" since the food was pre-packaged and no one was willing or able to take meat off the plate let alone offer something else, like a veggie burger in its place. It was not only difficult to eat, it was also kind of embarrassing since the waiters were prone to raising their voices and making us feel pretty bad. A couple of times were told to go "buy food from the snack bar" which, if you have ever ridden on the train, you will know is far more gluten and vegetarian unfriendly than the dining car menu.
Nonetheless we love traveling by train so we always take food with us in case there is nothing on the menu we can eat. Now, six years later, we are both vegan as well as gluten free and we were quite aware when planning for our recent trip that it could be difficult to order food that we could eat on the train. I called the special services line ahead of time and was told that we could pre-order vegan food although there would be no way to know if the food would be gluten free or not. That was a pretty big issue for us since we do know that many vegan foods are packed with noodles or wheat or other gluten filled products and vomiting on the train from gluten consumption would be rather unpleasant.
I was assured by the Amtrak special services person that no one should make us feel bad and that it seemed perfectly reasonable to her that we would ask for the main entree without the meat. So we decided to take our chances on the regular menu and take food with us as well. Much to our delight the regular menu offered several items that were labeled 'certified vegan' and which came with no foods that would have gluten in them. There was also an option for soy milk on the menu. So we had vegan Pad Thai with Rice Noodles several times. We ordered potatoes and grits - without the eggs and bacon -- for breakfast and had Gardein black bean veggie burgers without the buns for lunch after I looked up the brand name online and could see that they were gluten free.
The waiters in the dining car were cheerful and helpful. For our last dinner on the train we had the steak, baked potato, and veggies - without the steak and with a Gardein burger in exchange. After one meal the waiter remarked that "you two are so healthy you have the right to scold other diners for the next 20 minutes." We laughed and felt at ease in the dining car which was a very pleasant change from six years ago. We were also aware of several other diners who chose vegan, vegetarian or simple foods.
Sometimes it seems that change will never happen but when we look back through our own lives we can see where change is happening rather rapidly considering how long it took humans to evolve into carnivorous creatures unable to pass up meat or dairy even when it clearly is "not doing a body good."
Nonetheless we love traveling by train so we always take food with us in case there is nothing on the menu we can eat. Now, six years later, we are both vegan as well as gluten free and we were quite aware when planning for our recent trip that it could be difficult to order food that we could eat on the train. I called the special services line ahead of time and was told that we could pre-order vegan food although there would be no way to know if the food would be gluten free or not. That was a pretty big issue for us since we do know that many vegan foods are packed with noodles or wheat or other gluten filled products and vomiting on the train from gluten consumption would be rather unpleasant.
I was assured by the Amtrak special services person that no one should make us feel bad and that it seemed perfectly reasonable to her that we would ask for the main entree without the meat. So we decided to take our chances on the regular menu and take food with us as well. Much to our delight the regular menu offered several items that were labeled 'certified vegan' and which came with no foods that would have gluten in them. There was also an option for soy milk on the menu. So we had vegan Pad Thai with Rice Noodles several times. We ordered potatoes and grits - without the eggs and bacon -- for breakfast and had Gardein black bean veggie burgers without the buns for lunch after I looked up the brand name online and could see that they were gluten free.
The waiters in the dining car were cheerful and helpful. For our last dinner on the train we had the steak, baked potato, and veggies - without the steak and with a Gardein burger in exchange. After one meal the waiter remarked that "you two are so healthy you have the right to scold other diners for the next 20 minutes." We laughed and felt at ease in the dining car which was a very pleasant change from six years ago. We were also aware of several other diners who chose vegan, vegetarian or simple foods.
Sometimes it seems that change will never happen but when we look back through our own lives we can see where change is happening rather rapidly considering how long it took humans to evolve into carnivorous creatures unable to pass up meat or dairy even when it clearly is "not doing a body good."
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Into the Wild
I am just back from ten days of travel by train to New York.
In Albany, NY, I met up with several other Climate Ambassadors connected with the Catholic Climate Covenant. We were asked to participate in a Climate Summit at Paul Smith College which is located in the Adirondacks near Lake Placid.
It was my first time in New York and no, I did not travel "into the big city." (That will have to happen some other time.) This time it was a trip into a gorgeous area that has played host twice to the winter Olympics but which this year does not have enough snow to attract the cross country skiers who usually play a major role in the area's economy. We stopped at the Olympic Center Friday morning on the way to the college. The cross country parking lot was empty.
There was however, a skeleton competition in progress. Skeleton? What's that? A very very fast head first sledding event down a very very slick and icy track. I had never heard of it before so if you haven't don't feel ignorant. The lodge at the site featured antique bobsleds along with information regarding the sports of skeleton, bobsledding and the luge. Apparently the skeleton competitors can reach speeds over 130 miles an hour all while going down hill head first. (For the fun of it we tried to take pictures as the sleds whizzed by but there was no luck among any of us in getting more than a small tip of a sled coming or going.)
After leaving the Olympic site we traveled by van up to Lake Placid where we stopped to get a bite to eat before taking some time to stretch our legs. We walked around Lake Mirror... or better we walked on the Lake. It was my first time 'walking on water' and it made me feel a little uneasy even though there were many people on the Lake including several teams of youngsters involved in ice hockey practice. (see Pictures below) Clearly the people of the region identify with outdoor activities and the beauty of the region. They are also very concerned about the effect that the changing climate is having on their way of life.
On Saturday evening, March 5, the Climate Ambassadors had been asked to give a presentation at Paul Smith College regarding our work integrating science and faith with the topic of climate change. The crowd that gathered was large and diverse. There were elders as well as young students from area high schools. Some of the people came from faith backgrounds but many did not. The opportunity to dialogue regarding ways that we could all work together to care for Creation was exciting. People stayed for an hour longer that we had anticipated in order to ask questions, share stories and encourage one another.
I will write more in the coming days. I am exhausted now and need to transition from travel to the work day ahead.
In Albany, NY, I met up with several other Climate Ambassadors connected with the Catholic Climate Covenant. We were asked to participate in a Climate Summit at Paul Smith College which is located in the Adirondacks near Lake Placid.
It was my first time in New York and no, I did not travel "into the big city." (That will have to happen some other time.) This time it was a trip into a gorgeous area that has played host twice to the winter Olympics but which this year does not have enough snow to attract the cross country skiers who usually play a major role in the area's economy. We stopped at the Olympic Center Friday morning on the way to the college. The cross country parking lot was empty.
There was however, a skeleton competition in progress. Skeleton? What's that? A very very fast head first sledding event down a very very slick and icy track. I had never heard of it before so if you haven't don't feel ignorant. The lodge at the site featured antique bobsleds along with information regarding the sports of skeleton, bobsledding and the luge. Apparently the skeleton competitors can reach speeds over 130 miles an hour all while going down hill head first. (For the fun of it we tried to take pictures as the sleds whizzed by but there was no luck among any of us in getting more than a small tip of a sled coming or going.)
After leaving the Olympic site we traveled by van up to Lake Placid where we stopped to get a bite to eat before taking some time to stretch our legs. We walked around Lake Mirror... or better we walked on the Lake. It was my first time 'walking on water' and it made me feel a little uneasy even though there were many people on the Lake including several teams of youngsters involved in ice hockey practice. (see Pictures below) Clearly the people of the region identify with outdoor activities and the beauty of the region. They are also very concerned about the effect that the changing climate is having on their way of life.
On Saturday evening, March 5, the Climate Ambassadors had been asked to give a presentation at Paul Smith College regarding our work integrating science and faith with the topic of climate change. The crowd that gathered was large and diverse. There were elders as well as young students from area high schools. Some of the people came from faith backgrounds but many did not. The opportunity to dialogue regarding ways that we could all work together to care for Creation was exciting. People stayed for an hour longer that we had anticipated in order to ask questions, share stories and encourage one another.
I will write more in the coming days. I am exhausted now and need to transition from travel to the work day ahead.
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