a little red hen

Joe Vithayathil & Happy Cup Coffee meet on Fox News

It is late afternoon, Wednesday, February One, in my world.  Many happenings in the past two days.  To begin:  a little red hen got a new outfit.

To make the changes, I used the re-design service at TypePad, thanks Melanie. The next blogging year (#6 begins in March) features fixed width margins, an enlarged hen and chicks, part of the loaf of bread hen has made--with no help from the neighborhood cat, dog, pig.  And so much more RED.  With a serious line failure in my building, I had no way to make an "announcement."  Thanks to the universe, Ellen of Cinderellen's Corner happened by, noticed, liked it.  Approval from Cape Cod, excellent.

We awakened too early yesterday.  That was Tuesday.  Why, we wondered, then remembered it was a BIG day for our liquid of choice,  HAPPY CUP COFFEE.  Joe V. from the local Fox TV News was coming to visit at the roaster.  An early morning guy, Joe Vithayathil did six segments of  "Joe on the Go."  We were impressed with his 5 a.m. energy and enthusiam.  Listen to one segment HERE and watch the roaster spin.

KABUM is the name of the Ugandan coffee beans he's holding.   Last month the company came to Happy Cup because they wanted to make the connection with another organization like theirs, one working to improve the lives of  the less fortunate in the world.  There's an impressive story at the Kabum website:  sending the majority of profits back to the individual grower, who gets bonuses for a quality product and micro-loans to buy their own land and  equipment.

 After asking about the art, music, theatre programs for people with disabilities at  Full Life, the twelve year old organization behind Happy Cup,  Joe V. stayed to meet several clients as they assembled the new Happy Cup Valentine Gift box (now with Portland's own Moonstruck chocolate).  The name of the client who packs the coffee is stamped on each bag. 

Flash TV and a radio program  are other activities women and men enjoy at Full Life.   There's an impressive Drum Circle led by one of those talented musicians attracted from elsewhere to Portland's lively creative life.  Clients and staff enjoyed Joe V's  interest and look forward to a return visit to see more of all that goes on at Full Life

 

Chinese New Year greetings: John Fu & Warren Buffett

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This morning's email brought a dramatic, red, Chinese New Year greeting from John Fu in Copenhagen.  He was a college student when we met in Xian, China eleven years ago.  Determined to get his next degree in the English-speaking world (he was a proficient translator in 2000),  he got his MBA in Denmark where he now lives and works as a business consultant.  We had hilarious experiences with Chinese government officials he helped me to interview in Xian.  I wanted to know how they were dealing with garbage issues. Did they have a problem?  Mayo, as they say in Chinese.

As we sat in a cab on our way to Xian officialdom,  John asked what was in my backpack.  Unzipping the green bag, I pulled out the world's smallest kitchen composter and a red knit worm to explain my kitchen composting mission.  "Oh, so this is your religion," was his insightful reply.*

Dedicated capitalist that he is, John will surely be delighted to be headlined with Warren Buffett performing at a charity fund-raiser.  If you can read Mandarin, let me know how the translation works.  When I went to YouTube for the embed code, I found such ugly, racist comments!  Opened another window on why the U.S. is in deep stuff politically and socially.  Of course, you already knew everything about that from at weeks of the Republican side-show that dominates every TV news program. 

But I digress.  Busha Full of Grace raised my consciousness about the Year of the Dragon.  Currently this spunky, knitting Grandma is nanny to a Chinese family. To expand her knowledge of the celebration, her search led to the ten important facts she posted.   "No sitting in a bedroom" knocked me out;  Number 10, "Songbirds are Good," was more expected.

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*To honor my "religion," John Fu had a chop mark made  with "compost"  in Mandarin.    For "This Dirt Museum: The Ladies' Room," my 2001 installation, I  enlarged the image,  added the word in Spanish. It had a prominent spot in the show and still hangs in our apartment.  Shown here with a few of the 150 red worm interpretations I knit for the exhibition.  [You too can have a chop; order here.]

Though amused by the idea that my intense practice of transforming  kitchen green waste into a useful, earth-enhancing amendment might be considered highly spiritual, perhaps a "religion," John's response has grown on me.

When we moved to our retirement community, a woman in the mail room invited me to join the Green Team.  What a vintage designation my NYC self thought.  Not that at all I discovered.

 We now live in Portland, Oregon, sustainability-intense city where you never forget your reusable grocery bag.  [See latest "Portlandia" episode.]  Once again we kitchen compost.  I am very involved in encouraging neighbors to do likewise.  No longer do red wigglers in our living room transform the stuff, but the intention is the same.

 

Happy Cup, bread, politics: Little red hen's peripatetic days

Rye breads recently made where I neglected to label recipe source.  They were very good.  One on right is 1968 New York Times Sourdough via Craig Claiborne.

And what better to go with a slice of homemade bread than my newest political button.  Yes, 17% is the stunning percentage of women in Congress.  A special election in the quirky district where we live is about to (fingers crossed) give Democrat Suzanne Bonamici a seat in the House of Representatives.  She will replace an unsuitable man I wrote about at length HERE.

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MOM MARKETING,  is a pro bono effort on behalf of HAPPY CUP ; it is my very own "start-up" for 2012.  Timmy Straw, composer and musician, who works at the other wonderful Portland bookstore, Daedalus, in the Northwest, was the first person I tried the idea on.

She listened to my pitch (we are already acquainted).

Three years ago our daughter Rachel (at right) had the idea to open a coffee shop to provide more jobs and more social outlets for her clients with disabilities.  Full Life Coffee Shop quickly attracted other programs who bring their clients on outings to socialize--and drink coffee.

In late 2011, through a circumstance that could only occur in Portland, Rachel had an opportunity to develop a coffee roast.  Happy Cup joined the lively java scene overtaking  America (end of pitch).

Tee-shirt and  mug have been added.  Of course, proud parents tell the Happy Cup story, distribute this small, informative brochure.

As part of  Mom Marketing I give the listener  a sample package of coffee.  Next month:  Happy Cup debuts at Whole Foods in Portland.

 

 

Condom Amulets Startle Knitters!

Knitters, concerned and good-natured women with a sense of the humor, contributed to an the idea I had pre-Portland, when I lived in New York.  When I finish this post, I'll contact them with the surprisng proof it worked: use provocative knitting  to raise awareness about HIV.  Like this one, The Princetonian, the first of my college amulet series.**

Knit a Condom Amulet,  the title I'd been using for a little paper zine give-away, became my second blog -- 7 amulets by 5 knitters.  It was beautifully designed by a woman in New Jersey I only knew online and the phone.

The debut post featured my friend Annette's hand adorned with Lisa Daehlin's copper wire Condom Amulet Bracelet.  It appeared Decemer One, 2007, to highlight that year's    World AIDS Day. 

 

The image at left is a screen shot of the statisitics for the blog that I check once in a while to see if it still has visitors all these years later.  After the initial outing, viewership has been low.  Once a very kinky crowd, definitely not fiber folks, were entranced by some of the content.

A couple of the amulets ---Man Thong, Bra & Breast Pouch (pink one here by Lisa Daehlin) -- are especially so.  Comments on the blog are closed; simply out there hoping to be discovered.

October 13, 2011, was the all-time big bump of  2,356 visitors, October 14 another 564, October 15, 223, the next day, 296.  And another 192 for the finale.  Five days, close to 3,000 hits on a blog that usually has 20-30 daily visitors!  Turns out this time it was by our target  group--knitters.  These were from Knitting Paradise^SM - Knitting and Crochet Forum whose membership is in the thousands.  [We also started a group on  Ravelry, an even larger online knit and crochet community.]

It began with "Deb," an active Forum member.  She linked to our site and noted, "No, I'm not kidding. Hey, someone might want one of these!"  And then the deluge.

Culturally the Forum knitters appear different from those on Ravelry but, without a rigorous study, who knows?   Judging from their photos, they are generally older women than most on Ravelry.  Many were shocked:  should this even be happening?  Some, amused.  Others thought it just might be a way to "...begin talking with my granddaughter..."  That's it, ladies!  Referring to Michelle Edwards' beaded amulets from corn silk yarn, one poster was ambivalent:

  first amulet is very pretty & COULD be used for something else...but someone might recognize it from this site. LOL   

I plan to  join Knitting Paradise (could use some extra magic with current projects on the needles) to thank "Deb" for introducing our site to her fiber friends.  Forum member "Jenna" the Ball Band Condom Amulet (Kay Gardiner design)  would be just the thing for people she knew,  "Christmas gifts  for single girlfriends,  holds at least three condoms."

In the past, when I've heard from an knit amulet enthusiast, the knitter wants   to find out if their creations could be sent to me:

"I work for the AIDS Resource Group in Evansville, IN and love your idea... inspired by  patterns and made a few amulets for the "environmentally concious" condom user out of "plarn" (plastic bags made into yarn). Is there an address that I could send them to?" 

My response is that we hoped the person's own circle would provide ideal recipients, that the primary idea behind our project was more personal:  gift someone close to you--like "Deb" and "Jenna."  You know, the personal is always political, as we used to say back in the day.

** College series includes:  Oberlin, Columbia & Oregon State Universities, send in yours for posting here.

UPDATE...On December One, 2011, an email arrived with a reminder.  Here's a poster you might copy to your own blog and a plea you can sign from The Feminist Majority.

Ask President Obama and Congress to fight AIDS with science and medicine, not ideology. Condoms must not be an afterthought.  Click on the link below to sign.

Ask US Leaders to Stop Abstinence Only Programs

 

Occupy when Old: Would You?

 Pepper-sprayed by Seattle police on Wednesday Dorli Rainey is an activist who has supported liberal causes in the Seattle area for decades. A photo showing Rainey being cared for by fellow activists in the immediate aftermath of the police incident appeared on news websites around the world.  

This long interview by Keith Olberman is inspirational.  She speaks of the chance to educate people with her on the bus as she went home--amd disappearance of "free media."   Raw Story quotes her message:

"Well free speech does have its limits as I found out as the cops shoved their bicycles into the crowd and simultaneously pepper sprayed the so captured protesters. If it had not been for my Hero (Iraq Vet Caleb) I would have been down on the ground and trampled. This is what democracy looks like. It certainly left an impression on the people who rode the No. 1 bus home with me. In the women’s movement there were signs which said: ‘Screw us and we multiply.’”

Two people over eighty, non-violent obeservers, have been roughed up in northwest Occupy actions.  In Portland, Oregon, Jack Monegon decided to go by the downtown parks while he waited for his wife to finish shopping.  Police were clearing the encampment Sunday morning.  As the Oregonian reports:

A longtime registered Republican, he said he wanted to show his support with the movement and also be a silent observer in the event of police brutality.  Instead, he ended up sandwiched in the crowd as police starting pushing them out of the square. People behind him shouted, "Resist, resist."

  Roughed up and  arrested (!) while trying to explain to police that he was not part of the demonstrating group, he was lifted onto a bus with those around him.  He guessed their average age was 28, all introduced themselves, chatted.  Jack used the opportunity to lecture fellow passengers on the importance of staying peaceful to get heard.

Though roughed-up, processed by police, he stated:

"If it were the same thing again, I'd probably do exactly the same thing."

As Dorli Rainey says, "You have to take a step outside your comfort zone."  A Little Red Hen repeats from recent post, Occupy AARP:  What would that look like?

 

 

Man Knits Hats Unstoppably

Who would have thought he would become unstoppable?  Ron Bloom, retired guy (just put that on his card), knits far more than I, his leader into the craft.  It's awesome.

Though every now and then he's been talked into branching out into other knitting, he is really comfortable with his "button hats."  He likes to give them away to people he meets and is always puzzled by women in cold climates who go hatless.

Two of them were just sent to "Warm Hats, Warm Hearts," a new fiber energy begun after the east coast's Hurricane Irene which may be one the costliest catastropes in the country's history much of its costs not covered by insurance.    Our family in Tarytown, New York, had only partial electricity for several days.  Could run a space heater but had to walk up to their sixth floor apartment.  We're told that Roxie saw it as an adventure.

Warm Hats, Warm Hearts probably came my way while browsing the amazing Ravelry site.  (If you're a knitter and want to see what others are doing, find a pattern for the yarn you bought--or vice versa--easy to join at the link.)

India, a knitter in Vermont, explained the needs in this message:

Although my town was spared the worst, many towns throughout the state suffered devastating flooding. My husband’s brother, sister, and mother narrowly escaped the rising waters of the Mad River, which inundated their home and their village, soaking everything in its path, taking out roads and bridges, and leaving behind inches of muck and piles of debris.

My family was lucky. Many of their things, including their clothing, are salvageable. But many others are not so fortunate. Though it is still quite warm here, we all know that soon the weather will turn much colder, and people will reach for that favorite sweater or scarf, only to remember that it’s gone.

I’m collecting donations of handknit hats, scarves, mittens, sweaters, socks, blankets, baby items, and knitted toys, items for anyone from babies through adults, to distribute to flood survivors in Vermont and upstate New York.

If you are not on Ravelry, contact India Tresselt, at warmhearts2@gmail.com. An update:

Pretty much everything I receive from now on will go to the Upper Valley Haven in White River Junction, which serves about 1000 families per month, many of whom live in towns devastated by the flooding.

On a personal note, my family in Moretown is recovering and rebuilding. After nearly two months with us, my mother-in-law was able to return to her home a couple of weeks ago, and my sister- and brother-in-law are determined to have their side of the family home ready for Thanksgiving. It will be a very meaningful holiday for my entire family.

I want you all to know how much your kindness means to the people of Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire.  I wish each of you a happy Thanksgiving!

So far I have distributed nearly 100 hats, 50 scarves, 30 pairs of mittens, 2 shawls, 4 stoles, and assorted neckwarmers, cowls, and headbands, as well as some children’s sweaters, plus baby items. The current collection deadline is January 15, 2012.

Women's voices Occupy...Now & Then

The WOMEN OCCUPY site has several images of occupying women, plus videos.  This is one is 12 minutes, worth the visit with Roseanne.

 

Some of the high points:  Roseanne again announces her candidacy for President and repeats her strong (what did we expect) position on bringing back the guillotine.  She advocates a return to farming-- organic farming in particular which she has "put my money into"-- and opposition to Monsanto GM activity.

"Stop all that lefty factioning stuff," is one of her asides --though some of us have not forgotten how that was some of the impetus behind the emergence of the second wave of the women's movement.  Some of us also are impatient when we note that more women have not pushed to the front of Occupy groups.  As Susan Saradon reminds everyone in another video at WOMEN OCCUPY,

"I don't think the powerful have ever given up power unless it's been wrenched from them."

Melissa Bell, Washington Post writer, suggests that the "horizontal heirarchy" practiced by the Occupies, "...will teach us about a new way to debate, sprawling and messy, but also more inclusive."  Speaking of inclusivity, Melissa, neglected to include the absence of women of color in OWS.  If you can tolerate the ad-heavy site, several of them appear HERE in a video.  One points out that being part of the 99% is where they have always known they are.

The Root blog adds:

 They came from New Jersey, Harlem, the Bronx and as far away as Seattle. The small, but diverse group of black women we met at Occupy Wall Street this weekend included students, a member of the Board of Ed, community organizers and church elders. Ranging in age from 19 to 62 years old, they gathered in New York's Zuccotti Park ... to lend their voices to the demand for social and economic change.

Continuing my Google search for the presence of women at Occupy, happened on this "nostalgia" piece from St. Louis, Missouri.  In January of 1939, more than 70 women demonstrated at City Hall--a sampling of 1,100 women, most of them widows or mothers whose husbands had deserted them.  They were protesting that this meagre WPA benefits of $42/month benefit had been were cut off in an economy measure by the state.    All they would have to sustain them, if there were two children, would be a $30/monthly welfare payment.

When the photo is enlarged, it seems one black woman is at the right end on the line.  Surprise to me.  St. Louis, one of the many places my mobile family inhabited, was/is a segregated city more southern than midwestern.

Uncharacteristically, the women were both black and white.  Two dozen of them had first spent the night in front of the state welfare office-- keeping a fire in a wash tub--then moved inside St. Louis' City Hall two days later.  They vowed to the aldermen they would stay till their demands were met. 

According to the article, "City Hall watchmen took a hard line, refusing to pass along a food basket. In the cramped gallery, demonstrators couldn't sleep. They prayed and sang 'Silent Night.'

"Black demonstrators taught the whites traditional spirituals."  After three days, the police moved in on the remaining 30 demonstrators.  None were arrested.  Sit-ins as protest were common in the Depression but one that was only women was unusual.  The article ends, "As WPA layoffs continued, their story drifted away."

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Can an invigorated women's movement begin to emerge from Occupy Wall Street?  What would need to happen for women in the U.S. to understand that all of us are  marginalized by patriarchy, that we only imagine equality until we are represented fully by our true numbers--not by the exceptional women who are allowed to speak for us.  This is the unfinished work of  the second wave.  Marianna noted at Hattie's Web:

"We won where we took it on, really confronted the injustices. But we did not fight hard enough for our right to be women, not men."

 

 

 

 

Green Frieda & her pumpkin chicken

Yes, the political news last night (Tuesday) was better for "our side."  Ohio turned back effort to destroy public employee unions, Mississippi decided only persons are persons, and the woman candidate I voted for in a special election here made it.

But I'm longing for a little lightness amidst the dark that haunts the edges of our body poilitic.  Chickens, I need chickens.

Checking on lovely blogs that speak to my longing for a more countrified setting (the one I know would leave me restless within a week but holds a certain fascination of myself in search of hens' eggs every morning) I check my list of "Exceptional blogs."

Ah, Green Frieda.  Today she has stunning photos of tomato bugs.  But I move quickly toward her "CHICKENS" category.  Behold my reward:  pumpkin as chicken.  Brilliant!

Wouldn't hens be a perfect representation for the new Occupy Patriarchy energy?  Been my impression that OWS resembles the old 1960s left:  white men up front, women in  background. Slight woman-energy at Occupy Portland reflects the everyday city.  Entire movement could use the lightness of hens,  various shapes/colors as graphic representation.  Organize around eggs.

 

 

 

 

OCCUPY AARP: what would that look like?

Chicago appears to have the message.  Can we take it further? 

 

This inspirational action came to my attention via a Time Goes By post.  In the style of Rachel Maddow's "Debunktion Junction," she jumps on a conservative columnist in the Washington Post serving up misinformation about the demise of Social Security.  More interest to me was a comment from Gaea Yudron that led me to this video and report on on Huffington Post:

More than 1,000 senior citizens and their supporters marched from Chicago's Federal Plaza to the intersection of Jackson and Clark Street Monday morning to protest proposed cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and Housing and Urban Development (HUD). At the intersection, more than 40 protesters, 15 of them seniors affiliated with the Jane Addams Senior Caucus, stood or sat in the street, arms linked, blocking traffic.

TGB posting this video might empower other Elderbloggers to think about similar actions, or connect in greater numbers with a local Occupy group. Nothing so far in Portland, Oregon.

Pink Martini...Storm Large...Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer on stage for Occupy Portland

Occupy Portland, Pink Martini & friends, Pioneer Ct. Sq.Oct. 28, 2011 from Peter Parks on Vimeo.

Sorry to miss this concert this afternoon.  Thanks to the Last Marx, a Vimeo arrived in tonight's email.  But, as the occupation continues, the city seems to be getting restless as the Oregonian reported earlier:

...tensions have risen as Occupy Portland has planned a Saturday march to the Oregon Convention Center then to Jamison Square. Protesters have been told not to bring tents but to be prepared to spend the night. Thursday, [Mayor] Adams, who is on a trade mission to Asia, said the city would not allow camping in any other park.

UPDATE:  Oregon congressman Peter Defazio was also there.  Notable group of progressives from here now in Congress.  Emily's list gives full endorsement to Suzanne Bonamici, one of eight (!) Dems running in special election where I live, District One.

 

AND ON THE OTHER POLITICAL FRONT IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Working to make-it-happen are these progressive Democratic candidates marching into John Boehner's Congressional office with 35,000 petitions that declare, "We stand with the 99%."

Video provided by Progressive Change Committee...you might be tempted to send them a couple of dollars.