It's ironic that the UN's Conference on Racism fell on Holocaust Remembrance Day...and that Ahmadinjad was allowed to speak.
The demonization of one side against the other has got to stop. There has to be a return to balance. An acknowledgement that the other has legitimate claims and we must cooperate and live in peace.
Duh.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Outside!
Spring Break!
We're getting ready to explore a nearby wilderness park and museum. It's a beautiful blue day, and instead of having an all-day Mario Kart Double Dash marathon, I'm getting the boys out to explore nature.
Who knows...maybe we'll see an emerging turtle, I mean, tortoise. (I'll never stop calling them all turtles.) Maybe we'll catch a fish. Maybe we'll just see a bunch of birds and play on the jungle gym. We'll be outside:)
Last night we experienced three hours without electricity. As the sunshine dimmed in the old farm house on the hill, candlelight gave it an entirely different feel. A glimpse into yesteryear. And before we ran out of water from the electric pump in the basement, the juice began to flow again. Sigh...I liked it while it lasted.
That reminds me of the candlemaking project that I've been putting off. It's time to make some wicks, get out the tall cans and start melting wax.
Later! Now we're heading outside!
We're getting ready to explore a nearby wilderness park and museum. It's a beautiful blue day, and instead of having an all-day Mario Kart Double Dash marathon, I'm getting the boys out to explore nature.
Who knows...maybe we'll see an emerging turtle, I mean, tortoise. (I'll never stop calling them all turtles.) Maybe we'll catch a fish. Maybe we'll just see a bunch of birds and play on the jungle gym. We'll be outside:)
Last night we experienced three hours without electricity. As the sunshine dimmed in the old farm house on the hill, candlelight gave it an entirely different feel. A glimpse into yesteryear. And before we ran out of water from the electric pump in the basement, the juice began to flow again. Sigh...I liked it while it lasted.
That reminds me of the candlemaking project that I've been putting off. It's time to make some wicks, get out the tall cans and start melting wax.
Later! Now we're heading outside!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Anticipation...
It's that time again...the time of anticipation. With snowy ghosts of winter receding, Spring is finally here. I'm leaning forward toward summer wondering where it will be.
Family is gathering in Michigan; the annual Fourth of July get-together is on! The boys will see their cousins. The dogs will get to play. Then on to...it's up in the air: Mountain Lakes Camp? Camp Kiwi? Camp Grandma/pa...it's all good.
The actualization of all this anticipation will be just fine. It always is; the older I get the more I realize that life is--like Einstein said--always moving, always changing. I just have to remember not to lock my knees so that I can just surf the wave. And always have a few suitcases lying about.
On a broader note I think it's most excellent that President Obama is visiting Turkey on his trip to Europe. Having traveled there in 1990, I was struck at what a diverse country Turkey is. Its democracy is still encircled by an overly powerful military. Still, it's a very interesting, dynamic land.
Learning some history, I was intrigued about the fall of Constantinople. Contrary to what I thought, it was western Chrisitians who sacked the city during one of the last crusades. Today, the Hagia Sofya still stands in Istanbul.
It's great that President Obama sees this as an opportunity once more to bridge a divide. Like the isthmus of the Bosphorus does for Turkey, and Europe and Asia collectively, Obama is doing what he promised; he's inviting everyone inside the circle, instead of leaving masses to an ever-widening gyre set to rip things apart.
A major earthquake struck in Italy today...how sad.
Family is gathering in Michigan; the annual Fourth of July get-together is on! The boys will see their cousins. The dogs will get to play. Then on to...it's up in the air: Mountain Lakes Camp? Camp Kiwi? Camp Grandma/pa...it's all good.
The actualization of all this anticipation will be just fine. It always is; the older I get the more I realize that life is--like Einstein said--always moving, always changing. I just have to remember not to lock my knees so that I can just surf the wave. And always have a few suitcases lying about.
On a broader note I think it's most excellent that President Obama is visiting Turkey on his trip to Europe. Having traveled there in 1990, I was struck at what a diverse country Turkey is. Its democracy is still encircled by an overly powerful military. Still, it's a very interesting, dynamic land.
Learning some history, I was intrigued about the fall of Constantinople. Contrary to what I thought, it was western Chrisitians who sacked the city during one of the last crusades. Today, the Hagia Sofya still stands in Istanbul.
It's great that President Obama sees this as an opportunity once more to bridge a divide. Like the isthmus of the Bosphorus does for Turkey, and Europe and Asia collectively, Obama is doing what he promised; he's inviting everyone inside the circle, instead of leaving masses to an ever-widening gyre set to rip things apart.
A major earthquake struck in Italy today...how sad.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Why Wait?
When the world is going in the wrong direction, why listen to those who say women's rights should not be paramount.
This is what's wrong in the world today. Women are being treated as objects, as things to control or ignore. Why should we accept this? Where is our leadership? Where is our international league or enforcement group ensuring human rights for all?
I never bought that argument to wait 'til the other problems are solved and then work on equal rights. That's crazy. It's time to speak the truth. Women are leaders everywhere. We should not allow ourselves to be erased, used or abused. C'mon, people!
This is what's wrong in the world today. Women are being treated as objects, as things to control or ignore. Why should we accept this? Where is our leadership? Where is our international league or enforcement group ensuring human rights for all?
I never bought that argument to wait 'til the other problems are solved and then work on equal rights. That's crazy. It's time to speak the truth. Women are leaders everywhere. We should not allow ourselves to be erased, used or abused. C'mon, people!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Time of Year
I heard my seven year old inform tonight that we are BOTH...Jewish and Christian. I said, "oh? who told you that?" And he replied well, your family's Jewish and Dad's is Catholic, so we're both. And I said, "We're Jewish; your dad gave up religion." His dad chimed in, "I'm agnostic."
The combination of sharing my husband's family's holidays (grandmother likes to hide Easter eggs and have us over for dinner) and a suburban school with a smattering of Jews, my kid now tells me we're "both." Why does this statement bother me? The subtlety isn't lost on him, I'm sure. He's the only Jew in his class, and because he can relate to a shared experience with his classmates..."I can't wait 'til Easter..." he doesn't even think to say "and Passover!"
Whom am I fooling? I didn't marry a Jew. My kids are going to be affected by their environment. I can continue to take them to religious school and try and inculcate a love of their ancient heritage, but there will always be a pull of the mainstream culture--the secular, sugarized, messiah-cult that is normative in suburban America.
What to do?
Tolerating people instead of acknowledging and embracing them for their distinctiveness smacks of condescension. But does inculcating a broader view of inclusiveness naively set up my kids to assimilate, no questions asked?
Of course, as they grow, maybe they'll bother to understand the complex yet simple idea of humanistic Judaism and ask LOTS of questions. One can hope.
The combination of sharing my husband's family's holidays (grandmother likes to hide Easter eggs and have us over for dinner) and a suburban school with a smattering of Jews, my kid now tells me we're "both." Why does this statement bother me? The subtlety isn't lost on him, I'm sure. He's the only Jew in his class, and because he can relate to a shared experience with his classmates..."I can't wait 'til Easter..." he doesn't even think to say "and Passover!"
Whom am I fooling? I didn't marry a Jew. My kids are going to be affected by their environment. I can continue to take them to religious school and try and inculcate a love of their ancient heritage, but there will always be a pull of the mainstream culture--the secular, sugarized, messiah-cult that is normative in suburban America.
What to do?
Tolerating people instead of acknowledging and embracing them for their distinctiveness smacks of condescension. But does inculcating a broader view of inclusiveness naively set up my kids to assimilate, no questions asked?
Of course, as they grow, maybe they'll bother to understand the complex yet simple idea of humanistic Judaism and ask LOTS of questions. One can hope.
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