How Long Must they Wait?

It's been two years since Katrina. People are still without homes. Without water. Without medical care. Without.

Private agencies, individuals, churches, even foreign governments have stepped up to the plate. But our government is doing... what?

Here's a video from Brave New Foundation. It left me speechless. Please watch it. Then call your Congresspeople.

Read This: "It's Not About The Hair"

Coming soon: my good friend Debra Jarvis's wonderful book, "It's Not About the Hair" which tells about her experience with breast cancer in the way only Debra can tell it. Which is to say: with love, tenderness, compassion, courage and wit.

Debra is an oncology chaplain at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, which gives her insight on many levels. Her courage fills me with awe, as does the special bond she has with her husband, which she shares in the book. She writes powerfully about her relationship with God and her experiences with prayer. She can make you laugh out loud, and just as quickly have you on the verge of tears.

I think any woman with breast cancer — whether she's just been diagnosed, is in mid-chemo, is considered a survivor or is now living with advanced disease — will benefit in some way from reading this book. As will their spouses, partners, parents, co-workers and friends.

You can read more about Debra, the book, her thoughts about life on her blog: It's Not About the Hair

The book comes out in September. You can pre-order it at Amazon today. Go do it. Scoot.

Taking the Bus

It was like a chain reaction. Link number one: Sixth grade son is in a school that for many reasons (and with no malice aforethought) turned out to be the wrong place for him. So he's transferring to another school in the fall. It's much closer to home. He'll be able to take the Metro. Or even walk, if he gets up early enough.

Link number two: The new school is one of our "international schools," which means that, among other things, the kids take three years of a world language. Pretty exciting. Link number three: instead of picking something simple — say, Spanish, which I speak — he wants to take Japanese. OK, fine, but he has to do some serious catch-up. Link number four: we locate a really good tutor. She teaches in the evenings at the Central Library. Um. Gee. Hmmm... Downtown Seattle at rush hour? Parking downtown before the meters free up at 6? And then it hit me: wait! Our neighborhood bus route drops us right in front of the Central Library.

So, no problem. We got bus passes, we checked the online schedule, found out what time to leave home to catch the bus, and it's been working fine. Even the return trip isn't so bad, and we have two options for getting out of downtown.

There's just this: the entire tutoring "event" takes nearly three hours. 45 minutes each way on the bus. And 90 minutes of intense tutoring. And that's if we don't miss the 7:10 return bus, which we usually do. So make it more like 3-1/2 hours. It's worth every minute—Yukie is that good—but it's hard not to think of the 45 minute bus trip as wasted time.

And yet, it's not wasted. My thirteen year old is one of those adolescents who still likes hanging with his mom. He's not embarrassed to be seen with me, and he's generally cheerful and loving. He's interested in everything that goes on around him, and somehow riding the bus has turned into a special time for the two of us. It's a blessing. I'm looking forward to next month when he starts taking two lessons a week!

Why I Drive

The time for gloating about the Biodieselmobile is past. Last week I put 100 miles on the thing in just under three days. Granted, some of those miles were because of two trips across the Lake (in horrific traffic, I might add) that I take infrequently but just happened to occur on the very same day! And my bus-riding son had a scheduling problem that required my (and the car's) attention. But it got me to thinking: what is it that makes me jump in the car, when we live in a walkable neighborhood with two great bus lines and one mediocre one within easy walking distance.

The answer is: time.

The bus doesn't go where I'm going when I need to get there. The bus takes too long. The bus has a bad connection with another bus that requires me to stand and wait. The return trip puts me back at the house later than I can reasonably get there. I get in the car because I want to GET THERE FASTER. I do not want to be inconvenienced.

Another part of the answer is: poor planning. As in "Ooops, I worked on this article for far too long and now I have to be across town in 10 minutes." Leap in the car, drive impatiently in bad traffic, heart pounding and stress level rising in direct proportion to how late I left the house to begin with.

When I was a suburban driver of a minivan (a bigger gas hog than I ever wanted to admit), I planned my errand days very carefully. I made a loop. I never back-tracked. I tried to do errands in a central place, found dry cleaner, grocery store, pharmacy and even coffee shop all where I could drive and park just once. No zig-zagging for me. I was proud of that.

Now I'm urban. Two grocery stores within walking distance. (Three, actually, but the third is kinda scuzzy and I don't like shopping there.) I have been known, recently, to send the kids to pick up bread, milk, salad items. They like it and (don't tell them) it's exercise.

It's the other stuff. Getting across town to pick up my orthotics. Going to the doctor (whose office is not really on a bus line, but it's close). Getting to the downtown library in time for my son's Japanese lesson. Going to the movies, church, choir, meetings, and so forth. It's just too dang convenient to jump in the car. And yet...

...when I was younger, and had no car (and no driver's license), I rode the bus all the time. I carried a book. Later on, I carried a tape player (today it would be an iPod) and listened to music. I lived slower.

Living slower - is that such a bad thing?

Change that bulb!

Here's something almost anybody can do. Change a lightbult - or two - or ten - from incandescent, which spends most of its energy as heat, to compact fluorescent, which spends most of its energy as light.

No, they don't flicker... or take five minutes to warm up... and yes, they give out lots of light to read, work, and play by. Trust me. My husband used to take them OUT of the lamps I put them in. At the beginning of this month, we got some bulbs and changed everything we could.

I'd like to know if anyone knows where to get bulbs that work in recessed lighting "cans." I'm checking out some web sites and will report back. In the meantime, you can use the energy savings calculator at One Billion Bulbs and see how much good you're doing when you change just one bulb. Or two. Or ten. Or...

Mother's Day for Peace

Reminder: Mother's Day is this coming Sunday.
Suggestion: Don't send flowers, candy, silly trinkets that will gather dust. Instead, give a gift in your mom's honor - a gift that might just move us closer to peace. Here's a video that takes us back to the original meaning and purpose of Mother's Day. Take a couple of minutes, please, to watch it.

Voting with my feet

We're lucky to live in a very walk-able neighborhood, which is also just gorgeous to look at right now. Everything's blooming. Our street in particular looks like an extravagantly decorated cake.

Last week our much-awaited neighborhood grocery store opened. We've been watching the construction since we moved here about 8 months ago. Now we have fresh produce, a great deli counter, and most of what we need to throw dinner together (which is all I do, in the cooking department) 7 minutes away. It's really hard to justify driving anywhere else, except maybe for paper goods.

Yesterday my son and I were on the way home with our dinner ingredients and I realized: these people are running a grocery store without a parking lot, on a street where there is NO PARKING. And the place has been doing steady, enthusiastic business since the minute they unlocked the door. It makes me feel good about my neighbors all over again.

How far did your breakfast travel?

There's much discussion these days about the 3,000-mile salad. How much fuel was used, and how many greenhouse gases were generated, to get our food from point A, where it was grown, to point B, where we sat down and ate it?

In the steady stream of articles, blogs, and books by and about eating locally and in season, one stands out. I'm reading and enjoying "Plenty" by Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon, who also published "The 100-mile diet."

James and Alisa live in an apartment in Vancouver, BC, and I've found their year of eating locally (described in "Plenty") to be a fascinating journey in research, cooking, spiritual and relationship growth.

This morning I used Google maps to find out what falls within MY 100-mile circle. I started making my own map, saving my discoveries as I go. I'm ok on fruits and vegetables, thanks to the many berry farms, apple orchards, and small organic vegetable farms in the surrounding area. We have great farmers' markets (in fact, within walking distance, or an bus ride, I have one on Wednesday, one on Saturday, and one on Sunday, each in a different neighborhood, not to mention the great-grandmama of them all: the Pike Place Market.

And there are several dairies within my 100 miles, so cheese, milk and yogurt are not a problem. A couple of them are well-known for standing their ground and refusing to feed hormones to their cows. So we'll know what we're drinking.

It gets touchier in the grain department. Wheat might be an issue (it was a big issue for Alisa and James), and requires deeper research. What about corn? beans? soybeans for my soymilk? And forget coffee. (oh no!) What about tea? Who knows. There are packagers of tea in the northwest but I have no idea where their tea comes from in the first place.

Draw your own circle on a map and see what you find! You can use Google maps and create your own map, pinpointing and saving the farms, orchards, markets, dairies, you find. Or get a paper map, a compass & pencil and draw a circle the old fashioned way. Then start exploring.

By the way, Alisa and James are on a book tour. I highly recommend meeting them and reading their book.

FREE HUGS!

No Impact Man shared this video this morning and I want to pass it on. It's worth watching and worth sharing!

Read more about the amazing Free Hugs movement -- and watch some pretty amazing videos -- at Free Hugs.

(music in the video is by Sick Puppies - album out April3)

3308 and counting...

As of today there have been 3308 U.S. military fatalities in Iraq, a number confirmed by the Department of Defense. It's been hard to get my head around that number. Then someone helped me.

On Saturday afternoon, we were on our usual stroll with the Very Large Dog, when we came upon this sight:



This display was installed at Green Lake Park by a non-partisan group called Arlington Northwest Memorial. There's a marker for every service-person who has died to date, with their name, age, and in many cases, how they were killed. It is enough to stop you in your tracks. It certainly stopped me. People were wandering respectfully in and out of the "cemetery" which went on around a sweeping curve, literally as far as our eyes could see.


I just pray that we won't see an even bigger display next year...

Step it Up! Rallying everywhere

If you are concerned about global warming - climate change - climate crisis - Saturday is a day you can make your voice heard. Check out the Seattle-area website for Step It Up! Seattle". For those of you not in the Emerald City area, you can find a rally or event in your area by clicking here Step It Up!

I've been reading about what different groups are planning, and my favorite event so far is in NYC, where people dressed in blue (for water) are going to stand in a line marking where the water level will be if the ice caps continue to melt... There's a map. It's not a pretty sight.

Show up!

Meet No Impact Man!

Here I've been feeling so smug about how we're driving a biodiesel car and have a tankless hot water tank... And then a friend told me to check out this blog: No Impact Man and I did and I love it.

Here's how he describes himself on the blog:
"No Impact Man: a guilty liberal finally snaps, swears off plastic, goes organic, becomes a bicycle nut, turns off his power, composts his poop, and while living in NYC, generally turns into a tree-hugging lunatic who tires to save the polar bears and the rest of the planet from environmental catastrophe while dragging his baby daughter and Prada-wearing, Four Seasons-loving wife along for the ride."

I'm not sure about composting your own poop... but today I read a post from a few days back about how he and his family carry cloth napkins with them everywhere - so they don't use paper towels in restrooms, and they don't use paper napkins in restaurants. I'm still trying to get my family to use cloth napkins and swear off paper towels in the kitchen! (I've been trying to figure out why, in a city that frenetically recycles practically everything, and even provides a yard waste/food scraps container, our household is still making so much garbage... and a lot of what I see is crumpled paper towels... hmmm....)

Go visit No Impact Man. You may just find one more small thing you can do to become GREENER.

Almost tax day. Do you know where your dollars are?

Our friends at the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) have a new flier called "Where do our income tax dollars go?" The answer is clear: not where I want my dollars to be going.

Here are some numbers from the flier:
41 cents of every dollar I pay goes to pay for the war, obligations from past wars, (including veterans programs) and interest on the military portions of the national debt.
19 cents goes for health programs, including Medicaid and parts of Medicare
12 cents goes to help the poor in the US, through food programs, housing assistance, income supports and energy assistance
10 cents goes for interest on the non-military portion of the national debt
5 cents goes to promote community and economic development
5 cents goes for education, job training, employment and social service
4 cents goes to run the government, including law enforcement, homeland security and benefits for government employees
3 cents goes for science, energy and environmental programs
1 cent goes for humanitarian aid and international cooperation.

Is this how you want your dollar to be divided up? Personally, I'm concerned about that big, fat 41 cents at the top of the list. (It would be semi-palatable if most of it were spent on veterans' medical care -- but judging from recent news stories about the treatment the Iraq War vets are receiving, I'd say it's not.)

Perhaps you feel the same way. If you do, you can download a pdf of the flier here

Make copies. Pass them out at school. Give them to your friends. Send one to your congressman or woman -- and tell them this is not how you'd like them to be spending your money.

(Source: Friends Committee on National Legislation, 245 Second Street, Washington DC 20002)

We're Greener!

Here at Chez Byrd, we got tired of weeping and gnashing our teeth and wailing, "Oh, what can we do? The ice caps are melting! What can we do?" So bit by bit, we're trying to make a difference in our little corner. The latest New Thing is that we have chosen to pay a little bit extra to our electric company to join the "Green Up!" program.

For a mere 12 bucks a month, we are now purchasing 100% of our household electrical power from renewable energy sources, one of which is the Stateline Wind Project. We think there's enough wind to go around, if we can just harness it, and you can probably do that without fighting any wars. I even think those stately silver wind turbines are beautiful in their own way.

Click and visit the Stateline Wind Project to learn about their other renewable energy projects and see some cool photos of the windmills.

For the cynical among us, it's good to note that part of our monthly $12 goes to the renewable energy (which includes construction of programs that are in the development stages), and part of it goes to local demonstration projects. Which is fine with me. The more people learn about the alternatives that already exist, the more people will be willing to chip in — which is so much more productive (and less painful) than all the teeth-gnashing that's going on.

Iraq Veterans Memorial Launch

I'm proud to share in today's launch of the Iraq Veterans Memorial, conceived and produced by the Brave New foundation. Here is their statement about the Memorial:

"This memorial was conceived as a place to honor the service members who lost their lives over the past four years during the Iraq War. By watching the videos, you will have the opportunity to learn about these heroes from those who knew them best -- their family, friends, and fellow servicemembers. Each man and woman represented in the memorial had attributes and qualities that made them unique, but they all have one thing in common - they were truly loved and are deeply missed. Sincerely,
Jim Miller and the team at Brave New Foundation"

Along with 500 other bloggers, I ask you to take a moment now, click the arrow below, and watch these videos.

Are the Democrats coming through?

Can it be true? The Dems have a plan to withdraw the troops... not nearly soon enough, but at least it's a plan. I'm vaguely encouraged and need to learn more. Read about it at CNN.com.

I know bad things will happen - very bad things - to the Iraqis who have worked with the U.S. And we managed to destroy the fabric that holds the country together - even basic services for daily living, like electricity and water, which we seem unable to restore. But I want the troops home. No more legless, armless 20-year olds. No more closed head injuries that change young people's lives forever.

Coming Soon: Iraq Veterans Memorial Video

This is a preview - an announcement - and a request.

The fourth anniversary of the start of the Iraq conflict is March 19th. Four years. Over 3,200 U.S. servicemen and women dead. Thousands more wounded. Uncounted Iraqi civilians killed and injured as well.

Here's a way to remember and honor all those U.S. servicemen and women who have been killed in Iraq. Take a moment and watch the preview (just click on the arrow to view the YouTube video preview):



On March 17, people all over the world will simultaneously upload the Iraq Veterans Memorial video to their web sites and blogs. If you're a vet, or loved a vet who was killed, visit Iraq Veterans Memorial to find out how to share your story.

Be well.

"Stand Up Against the Surge" - Molly Ivins

Oh, no.

Molly Ivins died yesterday. Her column "Stand Up Against the Surge" was my catalyst for re-starting this blog, and for the political protest I am making in my own small way.

Here's the column: "Stand Up Against the Surge" by Molly Ivins.

If you don't have time for the whole column, just read this. Molly wrote:

"We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders. And every single day, every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war. Raise hell. Think of something to make the ridiculous look ridiculous. Make our troops know we're for them and trying to get them out of there. Hit the streets to protest Bush's proposed surge. If you can, go to the peace march in Washington on January 27. We need people in the streets, banging pots and pans and demanding, 'Stop it, now!'"

OK, now. In honor of Molly, get up and walk away from your computer. Buy a yard sign. Start a petition. Call Congress. Do something, anything, to show that you believe the war is wrong.

Molly Ivins, you were a heckuva writer. And an inspiration to us all. Rest in peace.

Join the Virtual March today

It's time to stand up and be counted. We have to let Congress know we are opposed to escalation of any kind in Iraq.

And here's one way you and I and everyone we know can do our part: join the Virtual March at MoveOn.org today. Here's the link: VIRTUAL MARCH Calling your Senator's office is not as scary as it might seem. In fact, it is our right — our privilege — our duty to keep the democratic process rolling. In my case, it took me just a few minutes to call both Senator Murray and Senator Cantwell's offices. Both phones were answered almost immediately and I was able to leave my message. It doesn't have to be a long message, although the staffers are prepared to answer questions if you have them.

MoveOn.org provides the phone numbers. They've made it so simple. And once you've made the call, there's a link to click on the MoveOn.org web page, to share your results. They're counting calls and you can scroll over their map and see how many people have actually made phone calls in your Congressional District. Add yourself to the number. Do it now.

Diplomacy. Not.

The other day I said I was going to call my Congress-people daily about the Iraq war. I realized later — of course — that calling every single day would be a good way to be labelled a "flake" and have people pay no attention to me at all. New plan: I'm following legislation as closely as I can, and calling when I have specific questions.

Today, I called Senator Maria Cantwell. Her staffer was very polite, and said that Sen. Cantwell is opposed to the President's plan for escalation (good news), and that she is looking toward a diplomatic solution. I asked for more details about the "diplomatic solution" but the office is making no formal statements at this time. Also no comments on the various Iraq-related bills being proposed by other senators.

A statement on Sen. Cantwell's web site says:

"The president’s statement tonight hangs our Iraq policy moving forward on 20,000 troops to stabilize Baghdad. Our strategy must be to significantly change the course by holding Iraqis to sooner timetables on taking security control, passing an oil law, and making the other political compromises necessary to ease disagreements among Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.” (posted on January 10th, 2007).

I don't undestand how we will ever "do diplomacy" in a country that neither likes nor respects us. It's as though we took a baseball bat to a hornet's nest, and now we want the hornets to sit still and quit being so angry. (Way too simple, but you get my point.)

The thing is: while we're doing all this talking, people are dying. Even more people are returning home maimed — whether their homes are in Baghdad or Boston.

Last week, Danny Westneat, one our local columnists, wrote about some protesters who have finally given up their protest, due to lack of participation. Read it here It was heart-wrenching to read. The kids and I have actually saluted that ever-dwindling group of protesters while walking the Very Large Dog. Now they're gone. What does that say?

If there are so many of us who care about the war — ending it, that is — that we actually succeeded in overturning the balance of power in Congress, why have things seemingly come to a standstill? What should we be doing? Any ideas out there?

(Gratitude... oh, gosh. It's hard today. But: it's not snowing. It's not raining. And I think some crocuses are coming up in my front yard.)