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Friday, May 09, 2008
Happy Mother's Day 2008
We are Women in Black.
We are mothers.
We taught our children not to harm.
We want our children
and our children's children
to live in a world
where people can work together
in understanding.
And we want mothers around the world
to have the opportunity
to raise their children
in peace and health.
That's not too much to ask, is it?
Please do one thing
to bring peace to our world
today.
Happy Mother's Day to all who have, at some point, nurtured another human being and made this world a better place.
Thank you.
(Photo stolen from Roger of KGNU radio. I hope he doesn't mind.)
Labels: Mother's Day, Women in Black
posted by Carol at 5:56 PM
2 comments
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Next Week
A week from today, at 3:00 mountain time, on independent radio station KGNU - 88.5 FM, 1390 AM - Women in Black vigiler, Betty Lynn, and I will be interviewed about our vigil, how it all began, what it's been like, and other assorted related topics.
Roger Wendell, of KGNU, happened upon us as we stood a couple of weeks ago and said that he found it interesting that we would be standing for peace in a predominantly conservative area. Funny, over the years, I've forgotten about the environment where we stand. This conservative area has become just a place where some people go by and connect with us and many people pass and choose not to look at us.
Anyway, for those of you who don't live in the KGNU listening area, I will post the recorded interview once it's available to me - just in case you want to hear the voice behind these words. Actually, if you scroll down to the bottom of this website, you can hear my voice on videos of television news stories aired before my first Camp Casey trip.
While preparing for our interview, I have gone through a lot of old blog posts of mine - especially ones with stories of noteworthy occurrences at our vigils. As I read those old posts, I noticed my blog used to be way more interesting than it is now. Has my balloon deflated? Has my drink lost its fizz? If so, where do I get me some more??? Do I really want more???
I've definitely changed since the birth of this website and I'm not the same person that started standing at our corner almost three years ago. My path to peace has not taken me where I thought it would. That's really all right. Very, very all right.
Roger Wendell, of KGNU, happened upon us as we stood a couple of weeks ago and said that he found it interesting that we would be standing for peace in a predominantly conservative area. Funny, over the years, I've forgotten about the environment where we stand. This conservative area has become just a place where some people go by and connect with us and many people pass and choose not to look at us.
Anyway, for those of you who don't live in the KGNU listening area, I will post the recorded interview once it's available to me - just in case you want to hear the voice behind these words. Actually, if you scroll down to the bottom of this website, you can hear my voice on videos of television news stories aired before my first Camp Casey trip.
While preparing for our interview, I have gone through a lot of old blog posts of mine - especially ones with stories of noteworthy occurrences at our vigils. As I read those old posts, I noticed my blog used to be way more interesting than it is now. Has my balloon deflated? Has my drink lost its fizz? If so, where do I get me some more??? Do I really want more???
I've definitely changed since the birth of this website and I'm not the same person that started standing at our corner almost three years ago. My path to peace has not taken me where I thought it would. That's really all right. Very, very all right.
Labels: KGNU, Women in Black
posted by Carol at 10:53 AM
7 comments
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Healing Waters and Birds
A week or so ago, when I wrote about being scattered since my surgery, when I wrote about feeling lost since the day they cut my shoulder, my friend, Judy, could hear how hard this has been. She emailed me with loving understanding and offered to drive me to the Indian Hot Springs if I'd like. Her words were balm to my frayed soul and her offer a remembrance of a way to heal. Thank you, Judy!
So yesterday Judy and I soaked in the mineral water caves of Indian Hot Springs, on the six-week anniversary of my surgery. Ahhhhhhh.....
Before I write about melting in the heat, I have to say that, while soaking I thought about the fact that the Ute and Arapaho used these waters without all of the stuff that has been built around it now. We killed or pushed them aside so that we could take the land and we "modernized" the springs by building structures for comfort. I wonder which people will be the next to take over ownership.
The Indian Hot Springs is located in Idaho Springs, a short way into the mountains. There, waters flow out of the ground at 125 degrees. The caves were created by drilling into the rocky mountainside in the early 1900s. Walking into the stony womb, the hot, steamy air just about takes one's breath away. I don't know the temps inside that cave that drips with mountain sweat, but my body said that the waters - cooled down to 104 to 112 degrees at that point - were hotter than the air, so maybe the air temp was only in the 90's. There is no little window or vent to create some evaporation so EVERYTHING was wet - BEFORE even getting into the water! I haven't ever done a Native American sweat lodge, but I am guessing that the heat there is as breathtaking (literally) as it is in these caves - the difference being the 1000% humidity found in the cave.
Anyway, after steaming every muscle until it was soft, pliable clay, I could actually raise my arm to an almost normal point with no pain!
Later in the day, I spoke with a friend who had visited the Owl family earlier in the morning. She told me that she saw two of those little guys out on a limb by the nest. You know what that means??? Most likely, by this time next week, we will no longer have the privilege of watching this lovely family. The sons and/or daughters are getting ready to leave home. They will be hanging out in various places in the area for awhile, but the soon-to-be leafed out trees will offer them protection from being seen by the likes of me.
My friend discovered this owl nest a day or two before my surgery, so throughout the last 6 weeks of recovery, I have been able to witness the amazing experience of watching this family. It has been so healing!
I'm a little sad to think that I won't be seeing those little featherballs much more, but at the same time, I'm happy that they have grown so big and will soon fly.
It all just comes and goes, doesn't it?
So yesterday Judy and I soaked in the mineral water caves of Indian Hot Springs, on the six-week anniversary of my surgery. Ahhhhhhh.....
Before I write about melting in the heat, I have to say that, while soaking I thought about the fact that the Ute and Arapaho used these waters without all of the stuff that has been built around it now. We killed or pushed them aside so that we could take the land and we "modernized" the springs by building structures for comfort. I wonder which people will be the next to take over ownership.
The Indian Hot Springs is located in Idaho Springs, a short way into the mountains. There, waters flow out of the ground at 125 degrees. The caves were created by drilling into the rocky mountainside in the early 1900s. Walking into the stony womb, the hot, steamy air just about takes one's breath away. I don't know the temps inside that cave that drips with mountain sweat, but my body said that the waters - cooled down to 104 to 112 degrees at that point - were hotter than the air, so maybe the air temp was only in the 90's. There is no little window or vent to create some evaporation so EVERYTHING was wet - BEFORE even getting into the water! I haven't ever done a Native American sweat lodge, but I am guessing that the heat there is as breathtaking (literally) as it is in these caves - the difference being the 1000% humidity found in the cave.
Anyway, after steaming every muscle until it was soft, pliable clay, I could actually raise my arm to an almost normal point with no pain!
Later in the day, I spoke with a friend who had visited the Owl family earlier in the morning. She told me that she saw two of those little guys out on a limb by the nest. You know what that means??? Most likely, by this time next week, we will no longer have the privilege of watching this lovely family. The sons and/or daughters are getting ready to leave home. They will be hanging out in various places in the area for awhile, but the soon-to-be leafed out trees will offer them protection from being seen by the likes of me.
My friend discovered this owl nest a day or two before my surgery, so throughout the last 6 weeks of recovery, I have been able to witness the amazing experience of watching this family. It has been so healing!
I'm a little sad to think that I won't be seeing those little featherballs much more, but at the same time, I'm happy that they have grown so big and will soon fly.
It all just comes and goes, doesn't it?
Labels: friends, Indian Springs, owls
posted by Carol at 8:05 AM
2 comments
Sunday, May 04, 2008
For Nick
We went to visit the Owl and Hawk families tonight. They put on a great show.
Dad
Mom
Notice that there's a western tanager on a branch below mom. It was an amazing deep, deep orange (looks kind of red in this photo). It was also very noisy and we wondered if, at some point, mom was going to decide it would make a nice appetizer.
The kids
Kind of blurry, but we were losing light and didn't have a tripod. You can see all three babies here. After visiting the Hawk family, I walked back to the Owl nest just in time to see two of the babies munching on a little dinner. It didn't take them long to gulp it down and turn to watch me.
Our neighbor, Jonathan, came with us tonight and brought along his huge, powerful telescope. Through that scope I saw a baby owl so close up that I could see inside the little nostrils on his beak. And even though the hawk nest is really high, I could look right into the eye of a baby in the nest.
Miracles all of it. Truly miracles.
Dad
MomNotice that there's a western tanager on a branch below mom. It was an amazing deep, deep orange (looks kind of red in this photo). It was also very noisy and we wondered if, at some point, mom was going to decide it would make a nice appetizer.
The kidsKind of blurry, but we were losing light and didn't have a tripod. You can see all three babies here. After visiting the Hawk family, I walked back to the Owl nest just in time to see two of the babies munching on a little dinner. It didn't take them long to gulp it down and turn to watch me.
Our neighbor, Jonathan, came with us tonight and brought along his huge, powerful telescope. Through that scope I saw a baby owl so close up that I could see inside the little nostrils on his beak. And even though the hawk nest is really high, I could look right into the eye of a baby in the nest.
Miracles all of it. Truly miracles.
One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
posted by Carol at 9:47 PM
11 comments
Taking Life for Profits
Shell Makes Run on Water from the Denver Post:
How do we shift the paradigm?
Who's going to be using the oil that Shell is supposedly going to squeeze out of the earth if there is no water to give life to the animals and vegetables trying to live here?
In its quest to melt oil out of western Colorado's shale, Royal Dutch Shell has been buying up land and water rights in anticipation of what is likely to be a thirsty new industry. Some officials, however, worry that the demands of the oil-shale industry could drain every drop of the region's remaining water.
...Shell and other energy companies have amassed tens of thousands of acres of cropland, ranches and open space - including a state wildlife area - to gain water that would be needed to power the oil-shale process.
How do we shift the paradigm?
Who's going to be using the oil that Shell is supposedly going to squeeze out of the earth if there is no water to give life to the animals and vegetables trying to live here?
Labels: oil addiction, Raping the land, Shell
posted by Carol at 9:07 AM
4 comments
Saturday, May 03, 2008
We're All Guests
For a few days, the sweet and lovely smell permeates the air. So pungent, it can almost be tasted. I think that they're some kind of Hawthorne. Two of them have invited themselves to live in our yard.
"Like an overnight guest, you shall arise and depart in the morning. Why are you so attached to your household? It is all like flowers in the garden." Sri Guru Granth Sahib
"Like an overnight guest, you shall arise and depart in the morning. Why are you so attached to your household? It is all like flowers in the garden." Sri Guru Granth Sahib
Labels: impermanence, photography
posted by Carol at 7:40 PM
0 comments
Thursday, May 01, 2008
I'll Be Back
I have some keyboard cleaning to do.
Some computer keyboards harbour more harmful bacteria than a toilet seat, research has suggested.
Some computer keyboards harbour more harmful bacteria than a toilet seat, research has suggested.
Labels: keyboard germs
posted by Carol at 5:01 PM
8 comments
Today
May Day.
Big, fluffy snow is falling here. Very beautiful against the colors that have come out. Pink flowered trees, white flowered trees and all colors of flowers are at their peak right now. The snow adds magic to it all.
In Baghdad, it's about 93 degrees right now. I wonder what it's like to be an American soldier or an Iraqi civilian there today. Five years ago today, it was announced that our mission was accomplished. It's hard to wash out the bad taste that scene left in my mouth.
The temps in Kabul will reach 82 degrees today. Watching the snow outside my window, I wonder what's going on in that country so far away. We hear so little.
I Google "Afghanistan War" and find this:
At a NATO summit in early April, President Bush told the allies the United States would send many more troops to Afghanistan in 2009. He mentioned no numbers, but U.S. commanders say they need at least two more brigades, or 7,500 troops.
Oh.
Juan Torres, whom I first met at Camp Casey in 2005, has been working on a movie about his son who died rather mysteriously at Bagram AFB in Afghanistan. Read more here. Today I found out that a website has been created for the movie, which is titled Drugs and Death at Bagram. If you visit the site, scroll down to read the story behind the movie.
Juan Torres is one of the sweetest, most humble men that I met at Camp Casey (I've seen him there twice and then in D.C. - he is on a mission). I can only imagine the pain that was caused first by the death of his son and then as Juan dug deep into the cause of his son's death.
Big, fluffy snow is falling here. Very beautiful against the colors that have come out. Pink flowered trees, white flowered trees and all colors of flowers are at their peak right now. The snow adds magic to it all.
In Baghdad, it's about 93 degrees right now. I wonder what it's like to be an American soldier or an Iraqi civilian there today. Five years ago today, it was announced that our mission was accomplished. It's hard to wash out the bad taste that scene left in my mouth.
The temps in Kabul will reach 82 degrees today. Watching the snow outside my window, I wonder what's going on in that country so far away. We hear so little.
I Google "Afghanistan War" and find this:
At a NATO summit in early April, President Bush told the allies the United States would send many more troops to Afghanistan in 2009. He mentioned no numbers, but U.S. commanders say they need at least two more brigades, or 7,500 troops.
Oh.
Juan Torres, whom I first met at Camp Casey in 2005, has been working on a movie about his son who died rather mysteriously at Bagram AFB in Afghanistan. Read more here. Today I found out that a website has been created for the movie, which is titled Drugs and Death at Bagram. If you visit the site, scroll down to read the story behind the movie.
Juan Torres is one of the sweetest, most humble men that I met at Camp Casey (I've seen him there twice and then in D.C. - he is on a mission). I can only imagine the pain that was caused first by the death of his son and then as Juan dug deep into the cause of his son's death.
How many more todays will it take before we put an end to war?
Labels: Afghanistan, drugs and death at bagram, Iraq War, Juan Torres, photography
posted by Carol at 9:49 AM
3 comments
Monday, April 28, 2008
Scattered
I don't know who came back to live in this body after my surgery, but I don't think this is me. I have not felt like the same person that went into that surgery center on that day almost five weeks ago. It's very strange.
I think that the doctor took out my funny bone and my ability to focus. Happiness and concentration are distant memories.
And I have been having frustration with this arm that doesn't want to cooperate.
But, other than that, things are just dandy! Buddha still follows me everywhere. The owl babies are growing. The tulips are tulipping. And the peas are peaing. Hmmmm...
This past Saturday, we seriously considered canceling our Women in Black vigil. The wind early that morning was enough to blow us to Kansas, but it died down before vigil time. Then the SNOW began. But it's easier to stand in snow than it is to figure out how to weigh ourselves down against the gales.
As we stood that day, a man who works for a local radio station walked up to us. He was impressed with the fact that we stand in a very conservative area, so he wants to interview a couple of us on his radio show. That will happen on May 15th. I'll let you know more details as the time gets closer. Our interview will be recorded, so you will be able to hear it at some point. Very exciting!
Maybe I will find my old self before the interview.
Or maybe not!
I think that the doctor took out my funny bone and my ability to focus. Happiness and concentration are distant memories.
And I have been having frustration with this arm that doesn't want to cooperate.
But, other than that, things are just dandy! Buddha still follows me everywhere. The owl babies are growing. The tulips are tulipping. And the peas are peaing. Hmmmm...
This past Saturday, we seriously considered canceling our Women in Black vigil. The wind early that morning was enough to blow us to Kansas, but it died down before vigil time. Then the SNOW began. But it's easier to stand in snow than it is to figure out how to weigh ourselves down against the gales.
As we stood that day, a man who works for a local radio station walked up to us. He was impressed with the fact that we stand in a very conservative area, so he wants to interview a couple of us on his radio show. That will happen on May 15th. I'll let you know more details as the time gets closer. Our interview will be recorded, so you will be able to hear it at some point. Very exciting!
Maybe I will find my old self before the interview.
Or maybe not!
Labels: Becoming Famous, Radio Interview, Women in Black
posted by Carol at 4:24 PM
2 comments
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Love
Then
I lived in Arkansas for two years when I was in my early twenties. At one point, the cutest black and white hound dog came into my life. He was about six months old and had HUGE paws and the most juicy jowls of any dog I'd met. I named him Jethro, because, well, he WAS a Jethro. I wish that I had one of my old photos of him scanned so that I could post it here.
Jethro and I were best buds. He could read my thoughts, so verbal communication was not necessary.
We had no fence and Jethro would hang out inside or our "around" the house. He never went far. But he must have done some neighborly visiting, because we accumulated a fine collection of socks, boots and dolls that he brought home from somewhere...
This sweet, sweet hound was a fine gentleman and took good care of the women in the neighborhood. The neighbor who lived behind us told us that when she left our house to go home, Jethro would walk her to her fence, then turn around and go back home. Another neighbor - an elderly woman - told us that when she walked to the grocery store down the street, Jethro would walk her there, wait for her, and walk her home.
Jethro left us for the big doggy heaven over 20 years ago.
God, I loved that dog (I write with tears running down my cheeks).
Now
This is Buddha.
He's waiting for my friend and me, because he won't go anywhere if either Mr. CarolForPeace or I lag behind.
I lived in Arkansas for two years when I was in my early twenties. At one point, the cutest black and white hound dog came into my life. He was about six months old and had HUGE paws and the most juicy jowls of any dog I'd met. I named him Jethro, because, well, he WAS a Jethro. I wish that I had one of my old photos of him scanned so that I could post it here.
Jethro and I were best buds. He could read my thoughts, so verbal communication was not necessary.
We had no fence and Jethro would hang out inside or our "around" the house. He never went far. But he must have done some neighborly visiting, because we accumulated a fine collection of socks, boots and dolls that he brought home from somewhere...
This sweet, sweet hound was a fine gentleman and took good care of the women in the neighborhood. The neighbor who lived behind us told us that when she left our house to go home, Jethro would walk her to her fence, then turn around and go back home. Another neighbor - an elderly woman - told us that when she walked to the grocery store down the street, Jethro would walk her there, wait for her, and walk her home.
Jethro left us for the big doggy heaven over 20 years ago.
God, I loved that dog (I write with tears running down my cheeks).
Now
This is Buddha.He's waiting for my friend and me, because he won't go anywhere if either Mr. CarolForPeace or I lag behind.
Buddha has been in our family for eleven years. When we went looking for him, I knew that we would either find a Gandhi or a Buddha. As we arrived at the shelter, a sweet black puppy with a spotted white chest was so excited to see us that we had to check him out. The woman at the shelter brought him out of his little cage and he sat down, leaning back against her and crossing his paws over his belly. The woman, without knowing my ideas for a name, said "Oh, look at the little Buddha!"
So, of course, we brought him home where he belonged and named him Buddha. He IS a Buddha after all.
Now this elder wise dog reads my thoughts so no verbal communication is necessary. He is my hiking buddy. He is my shadow, following me EVERYWHERE I go. He will do anything to please me. He teaches me to let go of things and to be in the moment. He is deep in my heart. Every morning, he sits right in front of me with a very serious look and expects his neck massage, which I very willingly give him for as long as he wants.
God, I love this dog (I write with tears running down my cheeks.)
So, of course, we brought him home where he belonged and named him Buddha. He IS a Buddha after all.
Now this elder wise dog reads my thoughts so no verbal communication is necessary. He is my hiking buddy. He is my shadow, following me EVERYWHERE I go. He will do anything to please me. He teaches me to let go of things and to be in the moment. He is deep in my heart. Every morning, he sits right in front of me with a very serious look and expects his neck massage, which I very willingly give him for as long as he wants.
God, I love this dog (I write with tears running down my cheeks.)
posted by Carol at 8:03 AM
17 comments