For most kids it's a dream come true. A free box of candy bars sent directly from a major candy company. Not so for our very own activist.


Since April, Rachel has been learning about fair trade products, especially chocolate. When discovering that she would need to do a public presentation in order to be able to show her rabbits at the county fair, she deliberated for quite awhile on what to choose for a topic. After watching another presentation on palm oil, she decided to focus on fair trade chocolate. She had helped me host a fair trade sale for the past two years at church and found the topic fascinating. So, she decided to combine her love of chocolate and her love for human justice, and educate 4Hers about fair trade chocolate. Her club presentation was amazing. She won an award at the County fair and earned a Special Merit Badge - the highest possible honor - at the State Fair. Upon learning that friends of ours were going to be hosting a fair trade sale at their church this year, she mentioned that she had done a fair trade report for 4H, and even showed our friend while she was at our house. One thing led to another, and Rachel ended up doing her presentation as part of a "Living Simply" seminar at the local Lutheran church. Events really rolled from there. Rachel and her friend were subsequently interviewed for an article in Yes! Magazine as well as the Snoqualmie Valley Record.

And then today, the UPS guy walked up our driveway and handed a box to Alex. Rachel looked at the label and wondered if the box was safe. No, really. This thing has gotten bigger then anyone ever imagined. And when you're playing with the big guys, you're playing with fire.



We opened it up to find a case of milk chocolate bars. And well, safe is really relative isn't it? I mean if you consider high fructose corn syrup, soy lecitin and PGPR safe, then we're good - at least on that end. Rachel's friend received a box too. They think it's a bribe to shut-up. I consider it a reminder to learn both sides. Sounds like a year long homeschool project to me.

Save the World by Eating Chocolate

"Imagine a world where kids go to school all day, come home, play, eat a nourishing meal, and go to sleep in a nice soft bed in a warm house. While this may be true for you and I, for 286,000 children on Africa's Ivory Coast, this picture is far from reality. Those children work from sun-up to sun-down, picking cacao beans so you and I can eat this..."

Those were the opening words of Rachel's 4 H public presentation tonight on chocolate. The fair trade vs. slave trade type. It was a smashing success. Her leader said it was the best presentation he'd seen in his 6 years in 4H. (This was her 1st presentation ever!)

Rachel talked about the history and manufactury of chocolate. She educated her audience about fair trade, as well as what is truly going on with 99% of the world's chocolate production - slave trade. She ended with an upbeat note about what consumers can do to help - eat lots of Fair Trade chocolate!

She worked so hard - researching, writing, practicing - she is amazing. Her hard work paid off, AND I am so excited to have an activist in the family!

"Lord, let my heart be broken by the things that break Your heart - that I may not forget to serve those who suffer."

That is the theme of the best book I have read this quarter.

"The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns

Stearns is the CEO of World Vision, and this book is the chronicle of his journey, to his position, but mostly to his views that things need to change. And it needs to start with US. His premise at the beginning is "God expects our lives to be characterized by these authentic signs of our own transformations: compassion, mercy, justice, and love - demonstrated tangibly." (p 57) He says "There is no "whole gospel" without compassion and justice shown to the poor. It's that simple." (p 60) And yet, we are failing. Everywhere you look, people are serving their jobs, material assets, and money before God. "For many people a career becomes the altar on which they sacrifice their lives." (p 93)

There are so many truths in this book, that I cannot provide an adequate review. So, I am going to highlight my favorite quotes, in hope that they inspire further reading.

"Why did God make me? To love, serve and obey Him. Very simple, yet extremely profound. If we all woke up every morning asking,"How can I love, serve and obey God today?" it might change everything - it might even change the world." (p 94)

"Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality." -2 Corinthians 8:13 (p 97)

"The growing gap between the richest and poorest people on earth is the greatest problem of our time" - President Jimmy Carter (p 98)

"The programs, tools, and technologies to virtually eliminate the most extreme kinds of poverty and suffering in our world are now available. This is truly good news for the poor - or is it? Not really, because we are not doing our part." (p 104)

"Imagine what would happen in your lives if there was no connection between how hard you worked and the results you got - because that is exactly the situation faced by more than one billion people who live on less than a dollar a day." For most of the poorest people in the world, their hard work doesn't matter. They are trapped within social, cultural, political and economic systems that do not reward their labor. They cannot escape the trap, and lose the one thing every person needs to thrive - hope. (p 119)

" These precious human beings created in God's image have been left behind and cast on the garbage dump of history by circumstances they cannot change. We must never say it is their fault. How dare we?" (p 120)

"The avearge income in America is $38,611 per person or about $105 per day, compared to almost half the people on earth who live on less than $2 a day" (p 121)

"If your job produces a decent income for you, do not spend it all on yourself. make some of it available to the poor and less fortunate, that they too, might live a decent life." (p 123 - modern day version of Lev 23:22)

"One of the highest and best ways of expressing our love for God is by demonstrating His love tangibly to those around us." (p 185)

These quotes seem to sum up the book for me. The end chapters discuss the hole - how people profess to be good, God-loving people and yet do nothing to help. Christianity has taken a beating with the perception that Christians are judgemental, hypocritical, old-fashioned, too involved with politics ( I have a GREAT one for this ) out of touch with reality, insenstive to others, boring, antihomosexual, not accepting of other faiths and confusing. (p 230)

The bottom line, is we need to walk the walk. So many people need help! It is our responsibility as affluent Americans and frankly - I think - more important than anything else in the world. Including all the modern views on schooling, money, consumerism, etc. (THIS to come in my review of my other favorite book this quarter!)

This book was definitely more "Christian" than a Catholic like me usually reads. We just aren't used to books with Bible quotes and such. :) But it was very positive, did not bash any religions and did not try to "save" me. A friend told me about it, and then decided to run a discussion group over 4 weeks. It was great to meet and discuss these important matters with like-minded people.

It has inspired me to do even more things like our fair trade fair, global awareness girl scout day and all my other myriad of causes. I also hope to get another JustFaith group going at church.

"A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

What have we been doing?

Too much to keep up with, that's for sure! So, I'll do this in one post instead of many.

So far, the highlight of this year for Alex has been the Washington State Page Program. From March 7 - 12, 2010, Alex was in Olympia, working as a House of Representatives Page. He was able to page for Representative Tim Probst from Vancouver, Washington. Representative Probst was an excellent fit for Alex, as they both are interested in the environment and education. Rep. Probst is also from Illinois and went to Notre Dame. Alex loved his week in Olympia. He is now hoping to participate in the Washington DC page program in a year or two.

Alex has also been part of the Music Works Northwest Jazz Combo this quarter. He is the piano player, and has had a lot of fun, while learning more about jazz.

And this very week, Alex is in a Lifeguard training class - every day from 9 to 5. He is learning about emergency rescue, CPR and lifeguarding skills. He hopes to work as a lifeguard somewhere this summer.

Rachel has been equally busy. Her favorite thing is theater. She has been attending a year long workshop at Studio East, and will soon debut as Puck, in "A Midsummer Night's Dream". AND, she just auditioned and earned the role of Cindy Lou Who in the upcoming run of "Seussical", also at Studio East. So exciting! (Tiring, too, as I will be driving to Kirkland 4 or 5 days a week! But it is all worth it.)

She is also singing with the Snoqualmie Valley Girls Choir - which she loves. It's a great group of girls and excellent vocal training.

Rachel is still doing Girl Scouts, and both her and my favorite part of this year has been Thinking Day. Normally Thinking Day in our Girl Scout service unit has been a huge fair, with many troops putting together display booths, crafts and food related to a country of their choosing. This year the service unit asked if I would run Thinking Day. I told them yes, but only if they changed the venue to match the real intent, which is to showcase the theme "Together We Can Change the World". The powers that be thought about it, and then decided to give it a shot. We enlisted our whole troop to help plan and prepare displays and such. At one point during the process we only had around 50 girls registered to attend (as opposed to 150 in previous years). I was feeling a little discouraged, and Rachel said "Mom, if only 50 attend and learn how to change the world, it's better than 150 attending just for crafts and food." And she was right! AND, we still ended up with more than 150 people attending and high accolades for the venue. Hopefully, with or without me, the "Change the World" theme will stick!

You Can't Be Catholic If...

I'll preface by saying overall we are really happy about Alex's week at page school. We were really lucky to find a host family, with whom he could live for a week. A large (6 kids), Catholic homeschooling family, that normally only takes girl pages but allowed Alex to bunk with their 15 year old son. Such a relief to send him somewhere safe.

But I was really sad when Alex came home and told me that his bunkmate told him he couldn't be Catholic if he favored the Democratic party. WHAT!!!!!

This makes me mad on so many levels. First of all it is a direct attestation to the perception that Christians are too involved in politics. Second, when did believing in peace / anti war, protecting the environment, and providing basic services to really, really unfortunate people become anti-Catholic. And what about the view that "as Catholics, we are not single issue voters" from "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship"?

I respect those people who have different views then I, but please don't teach your kid to tell my kid he can't be Catholic!

Isn't there room for ANY choices???

A Global Action Fair

On February 6, our Girl Scout troop hosted a global action fair for 150 girl scouts in the Snoqualmie Valley. The theme was based on the WAGGGS theme, “Together we can change our world.” Different booths were sponsored by attending troops and featured crafts, food and activities. Booths covered a wide variety of topics including poverty, hunger, endangered species and the education of girls in the Middle East. One troop created an entire coral reef, complete with 3-D plants and animals, to illustrate the loss of habitat in Jamaica. Another troop allowed attending girls to write take action letters to address the destruction of the Amazon rain forest.

Our Cadettes were instrumental in organizing the event from start to finish. They learned about WAGGGS and the Millenium Development Goals. They learned about the 2010 WAGGGS theme addressing hunger and poverty. Most importantly, they learned that when girls put their minds to something, they can make a difference.

AND, we are on the Web!

See Girl Scouts of Western Washington and World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

Help Haiti Now

Helping Haiti - New Video!

Things I try to keep in mind...

While shopping for holidays, I try to keep things like this in mind...


From CRS.org :

The season of Advent is upon us, and as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior, I ask you to read two incredible stories relayed by Catholic Relief Services staff that I must share with you.

First is from Father David Garcia, who often travels around the United States talking to Catholic grade-school children about our responsibility to those in need overseas. He told us of one fifth-grader who asked his parents not to give him any gifts last Christmas and donate that money to combat malaria instead. This boy had learned how malaria, which can easily be prevented, kills thousands of children each year in developing countries. His simple sacrifice helped save lives.

Father Garcia says, "That fifth-grader is smarter than most of us. He certainly is more compassionate and puts his faith into action more than most people. He is one bright sign of hope in an often darkened world. He lives out a spirit of thanks."

Read about one of CRS' malaria programs in Angola, where the disease is the country's number one killer, and how the distribution of nets and medicines is making a difference.

The second story comes from John Rivera of our communications department, who just returned from Haiti—one of the poorest nations on earth. There he met a little girl who proudly carried a High School Musical backpack, and John mentioned that his own daughter was a huge fan. The next thing John knew, the girl had emptied out her books and came rushing back to give the backpack to him to take home to his daughter.

Imagine, this little girl was willing to part with what was surely one of her few worldly possessions to give it to someone she would never meet. I am reminded of our generous donors, who reach out to help families overseas whom they will never know.

And the backpack? John, thinking quickly, gently declined the gift, explaining that his daughter already had a bookbag. Could he photograph the girl holding it to show his daughter instead? The girl agreed.

Children's hearts and instincts are so pure, and they often remind us that the act of giving can help us feel God's love working through us. As you embark on your holiday shopping, I hope you will be inspired by these children to give meaningful gifts from our Gift Catalog for those you love, and help bring joy to the world.

Wishing you a peaceful Advent,

Ken Hackett

President
Catholic Relief Services

Are You a Cultural Creative?

Here's a great website I found - Cultural Creatives.org


You are likely to be a Cultural Creative if you...

1. ...love Nature and are deeply concerned about its destruction

2. ...are strongly aware of the problems of the whole planet (global warming, destruction of rainforests, overpopulation, lack of ecological sustainability, exploitation of people in poorer countries) and want to see more action on them, such as limiting economic growth

3. ...would pay more taxes or pay more for consumer goods if you could know the money would go to clean up the environment and to stop global warming

4. ...place a great deal of importance on developing and maintaining your relationships

5. ...place a lot of value on helping other people and bringing out their unique gifts

6. ...do volunteering for one or more good causes

7. ...care intensely about both psychological and spiritual development

8. ...see spirituality or religion as important in your life, but are concerned about the role of the Religious Right in politics

9. ...want more equality for women at work, and more women leaders in business and politics

10. ...are concerned about violence and abuse of women and children around the world

11. ...want our politics and government spending to put more emphasis on children's education and well-being, on rebuilding our neighborhoods and communities, and on creating an ecologically sustainable future

12. ...are unhappy with both the Left and the Right in politics, and want a to find a new way that is not in the mushy middle

13. ...tend to be somewhat optimistic about our future, and distrust the cynical and pessimistic view that is given by the media

14. ...want to be involved in creating a new and better way of life in our country

15. ...are concerned about what the big corporations are doing in the name of making more profits: downsizing, creating environmental problems, and exploiting poorer countries

16. ...have your finances and spending under control, and are not concerned about overspending

17. ...dislike all the emphasis in modern culture on success and "making it," on getting and spending, on wealth and luxury goods

18. ...like people and places that are exotic and foreign, and like experiencing and learning about other ways of life.


If you agreed with 10 or more, you probably are a Cultural Creative. I think I checked off 16 or 17, so am I an extreme?!!! Probably.

I really like the FAQ section of the website,especially identifying with this:

"A new industry is appearing: Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, and it's $230 Billion in the U.S. this year, and $540 Billion worldwide. And the Cultural Creatives are their entire market.

4. If they're so important how come I haven't seen them before?

a) Actually you have seen them: They're the huge populations who support all the new social movements from the Sixties right up to the present day: Civil rights, peace, environment, women's, jobs and social justice, gay lib, alternative health care, new spiritualities, new psychotherapies, etc.

c) The Cultural Creatives have been invisible to public view:
How can 50 million people be invisible?

1) The national media don't cover the things they care about, or distort them. So, if you form all your impressions from the mass media, you'll never guess that they're there, because the media are really intolerant of world views other than their own.
2) The Cultural Creatives don't talk about what they value in public or at work. In part this is because they draw their conclusions that their values aren't shared by very many people, and they don't want to be embarrassed, put down, or harm their career prospects.
3) Most Cultural Creatives got to where they are in life almost alone. You probably didn't arrive at the values you've got now with your whole high school graduating class."

AND this

" 6. Why have the social and consciousness movements made such a difference?
Or, I don't see how all those movements from the Sixties could make such a difference today - that stuff is forty years old, it's history.
Or, Why do you relate the Cultural Creatives to all those movements?

The reason why this makes such a difference is that all these movements have been doing something new in history. They have been trying to change our minds about what is important and how the world works.

There's a lot more to the movements than just the people on the ramparts, or just the obvious meditators on their cushions, there's also a huge culturally circle around those active people who are reframing how we see the world every day. You have to see what a whole movement is: there's the most active people at the center, but around them like a target, there's a huge population of less involved people who give the money, read the literature, keep track of what's happening, and really believe in it. There may be a few thousand activists, and hundreds of thousands giving money, but tens of millions who are changing their minds and their lives.

We have evidence that a typical CC cares intensely about, and is often involved in, half a dozen of these new social and consciousness movements, while the rest of the country care about none, or maybe one or two. When you're involved in several movements who do reframing, it changes your whole world view. That's where the Cultural Creatives came from. And that's where a lot of our new direction is coming from.

What's more, there's an enormous overlap of all the movements, and the Cultural Creatives are right at the center of all of it. They are the common constituency of all the movements.

It's exactly the opposite of what many pundits have claimed: it really isn't true that if you're dealing with your own personal growth you've dropped out of social life. Or if you're an activist, you don't have time for an inner life. In reality, the more people are involved in ecology issues the more they are involved in spirituality and personal growth on the one hand, and social justice issues on the other hand."

The Charlie Schulz Philosophy

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.

You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them.
Just read this straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4 Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series wi nners.


How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies..
Awards tarnish..
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.


Easier?
The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money...or the most awards.
They simply are the ones who care the most

Pass this on to those people who have either made a difference in your life,
or whom you keep close in your heart, like I did.
'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia !'

''Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!"

Kiva - Rosario

I just made two loans through KIVA. The best part is that the money came from previous loans that had been repaid. This is a great program.

Kiva - Rosario: "Rosario is 62 years old and is separated from her husband; she has 10 children of which only one lives in her home. Despite her advanced age, she works with great skill a machete and cuts the shrubs of her small farms of coffee and banana crops. Subsequently, she works very carefully, as she fertilizes each coffee plant by herself; this is her favorite crop because it allows her to get a good amount of money in harvest time.

To pick the fruit she calls on her children to help her collect the seeds, because she can’t do it all alone. Rosario likes to work in her small farms, since thanks to all of her effort and work her crops give her good results. With the profit she was able to look after her children’s wellbeing and are now men who work.

This is her second loan with MFP (Kiva’s field partner) and pledges to pay her quotas punctually since she would like to keep counting on this assistance. The money she needs will be used to buy chemical fertilizers for her coffee crops."

Kiva - Teodosio

Another KIVA loan. I like to find people in Peru, after seeing first hand the poverty.

Kiva - Teodosio:

"Teodosio, 64, is a hard-working man. He lives with his life partner, the mother of their four children, in his own house.

In spite of his advanced age, he works his coffee, banana, and bean fields with much agility and energy. Working at this activity is enjoyable for him. He uses his coarse hands to clear the bushes and weeds in order to keep his fields clean.

The crop that he likes the best is coffee. It is very profitable for him, especially from May to July. In this season he works with his wife, who helps him gather the coffee beans. They do this so that they can take one load of the largest quantity possible to the suppliers in the area.

He does not get as much income from beans and bananas as he does from coffee. But, they are very useful for covering the daily expenses the rest of the months. They cover the food and the childrens’ education.

This is his first loan with MFP. He is very motivated by the savings that he will be able to have. He promises to make his payments punctually. He will use the money that he is now asking for to by chemical fertilizers for his diverse crops."

Another Take on Fair

Giving Loving Gifts

Here's a great article on giving responsible gifts that do not cause harm to others - really two gifts in one.

In summary, anyone giving diamonds, gold, chocolate, cell phones or small electronics should be aware that their gift of happiness might be causing tremendous suffering to someone else, depending upon where the raw materials originate. I myself would rather not have a gift, if it promotes violence, slavery and bloodshed. But I also appreciate gold, diamonds, and chocolate. (Not so much cell phones and electronics - unless it's a conflict-free netbook....). And luckily, the above article has information on how to make sure these items can be obtained conflict-free. It's good to be informed.

Shopping in Chicago. Or is it Seattle? Who Can Tell???

While shopping for Christmas in sweet home Chicagoland this year, I really started to think about how homogenous our country has become. And how it's not really such a great thing. If I had not experienced the 4 hour flight between Seattle and Chicago, and instead just somehow ended up back here without knowing it, walking in to one of the many Chicagoland malls would offer no clues as to where I was. The stores are all the same! Target in every town around here, Barnes and Noble, Starbucks... the stores are all the same! Even one of my favorite restaurants when we lived here - Maggiano's - has migrated to Seattle. One of the stores I like to visit in Seattle is Guitar Center. I thought that was a one of a kind store. No such thing - they have one here! Last month we went and ate at Bucca de Beppo in Seattle (after going to Guitar Center). It was an okay place - as far as Seattle Italian food goes (usually not the best) - but what do you know? There's one of those here too! I was able to get some winter boots at Carson's which is a Chicagoland chain - at least so far it hasn't been purchased or franchised afar. And it really started me thinking - would someone be able to avoid all Corporate-owned national chain stores for some set amount of time? Could that someone be me, for a year??? I told the kids I might try it and they freaked! Who was going to take them to use their Christmas giftcards????!!!!

So, now I need to set my rules. It's my thing after all, so I can do it however I want. I really want to try and avoid corporate stores that have nationalized. Independent franchises don't bother me as much, although they are still not as good as personally owned businesses. I hate Target anyway, so avoiding that place is okay. Ditto for Costco. Michael's and JoAnn's will be tough, but I'll be able to discover boutique yarn shops and also bead shops for Rachel. Bookstores will be challenging. I love Barnes and Noble and Borders, but don't like what they have done to independent booksellers (think "You've Got Mail" here). I really, really love Amazon. Pat's brother helped me rationalize this one by allowing for the fact that they have no brick and mortar stores and have not helped create so much homogeninity (is that even a word?) So, I'm still not sure though... Amazon has definitely damaged many small mom and pop shops but since I'm addicted to books, I might have to make an exception here. Food chains won't be a problem. After reading Fast Food Nation, I generally avoid those places anyway. I might miss Chipotle, but that's it. I really need to get back on my gluten-free health plan, so eating out should probably be avoided. Clothing.... Well, I don't buy a lot of clothes. But, they are usually from Target, Eddie Bauer, Ann Taylor Loft, Nordstrom, JC Penney's - all chains. I thought REI might be safe - but what do you know - they opened one in Oakbrook! Now they have to be out too! So, clothing will take a little more thought. It all sounds kind of challenging and fun though, doesn't it?

Hundred Dollar Holiday

(an excerpt I found on the website of the author of Deep Economy - this really makes sense and reflects a goal I am working towards as well)

Hundred Dollar Holiday

The Case For a More Joyful Christmas

By Bill McKibben

Introduction: Who Stole Christmas?
I've been called my share of names, but the only one that ever really stung was "grinch." The year that a few friends and I started the Hundred Dollar Holiday program through our rural Methodist churches, several business-page columnists in the local papers leveled the G-word—we were dour do-gooders, they said, bent on taking the joy out of Christmas. And, frankly, their charges sounded plausible enough. After all, we were asking our families, our friends, and our church brethren to try and limit the amount of money they spend on the holiday to a hundred dollars—to celebrate the holiday with a seventh or an eighth of the normal American materialism. There's no question that would mean fewer "Pop guns! And bicycles! Roller skates! Drums! Checkerboards! Tricycles! Popcorn! And plums!" Not to mention Playstations, Camcorders, Five Irons, and various Obsessions. Perhaps my heart was two sizes too small.
So it was with some trepidation that I carefully reread my daughter's well-worn copy of the Seuss classic, neatly shelved with Green Eggs and Ham, Horton Hears a Who, and all the other secular parables. There on the cover was the Grinch himself, red eyes gleaming malevolently as he plotted the sack of Whoville. He hated the noise of the kids with their toys, and he hated the feast of rare Who-roast-beast, and most of all he hated the singing. "Why, for fifty-three years I've put up with it now! I MUST stop this Christmas from coming!...But HOW?" Simple enough, of course. All he had to do was loot the town of its packages, tinsel, trees, food, even the logs in the fireplace. Even the crumbs for the mice disappeared back up the chimney.
But of course it didn't work. That Christmas morning, listening from his aerie for the wailing from Whoville below, the Grinch heard instead the sound of singing. Christmas had come. "It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!" After puzzling three hours till his puzzler was sore, the Grinch was forced to conclude that Christmas came from no store.
And so I breathed a sigh of real relief. Not only was I not a grinch trying to wreck the meaning of Christmas, it was abundantly clear who the grinches of our culture really are: those relentless commercial forces who have spent more than a century trying to convince us that Christmas does come from a store, or a catalogue, or a virtual mall on the Internet. Every day, but especially in the fall, they try their hardest to turn each Cindy Lou Who into a proper American consumer—try their best to make sure her Christmas revolves around Sony or Sega, Barbie or Elmo.
But Dr. Seuss's message went deeper for me. You see, when we'd begun thinking about Hundred Dollar Holidays, it was mostly out of concern for the environment or for poor people. Think of all that wrapping paper, we said, all those batteries, all that plastic. Think of all those needy people who could be helped if we donated our money to them instead. Think of all those families who went deep into debt trying to have a "proper" Christmas.
All those issues are important, and I've spent much of my life writing about and working on them. But the more we progressed on our little campaign, traveling around our region having evening meetings at small rural churches like the one I attend, the more we came to understand why people were responding—indeed, why we had responded to the idea. It wasn't because we wanted a simpler Christmas at all. It was because we wanted a more joyous Christmas. We were feeling cheated—as if the season didn't bring with it the happiness we wanted. We were Christians, and we felt that the story of the birth of this small baby who would become our Savior, a story that should be full of giddy joy, could hardly break through to our hearts amid all the rush and fuss of the season. And many of our friends, Christian or not, felt that too much of the chance for family togetherness was being robbed by the pressures of Christmas busyness and the tensions of gift-giving.
Christmas had become something to endure at least as much as it had become something to enjoy—something to dread at least as much as something to look forward to. Instead of an island of peace amid a busy life, it was an island of bustle. The people we were talking to wanted so much more out of Christmas: more music, more companionship, more contemplation, more time outdoors, more love. And they realized that to get it, they needed less of some other things: not so many gifts, not so many obligatory parties, not so much hustle.
Once, after an evening program filled with carol-singing and kids' stories and general proselytizing for the idea of simpler Christmases, one woman said to me: "Thank you for giving me permission to celebrate Christmas the way I've always wanted to." What she meant, I decided, was that the message from the pulpit allowed her to stand up to the pressures of the advertisers, of the glossy magazines with their endless decorating tips—to stand up to the voice that had been planted in the back of her head that told her what Christmas should be. What she meant, too, was that by giving her a target—a hundred dollar Christmas—our small campaign had provided her with an anchor to hold her fast amid the gale of holiday commercialism. There's nothing magic about a hundred dollars; truth be told, I chose the name because it sounded good with "holiday." And obviously big families may decide to spend more at Christmas, and small ones may be happier spending less. But the hundred dollar goal seems to work well as a kind of check, a way of saying that your commitment to a better Christmas goes beyond merely complaining or telling yourself that this year it will be different.
None of this means that changing your Christmas patterns will be simple. It may cause tensions with other members of your extended family, or with kids who have grown up thinking of Christmas morning as a lootfest. It may take you years to build down to a Hundred Dollar Holiday, years of talking and writing to your near and dear. In an obsessively commercial society, it will always seem a little odd to many.
But it will be worth it. I am writing this in April, and already I am looking forward to Christmas, secure in the knowledge that it really will be a time of calm and happiness, a season to linger in and not to "get through." A time to celebrate the birth of a Savior. This book offers plenty of practical ideas for new ways of celebrating. But it's as much a why—to book as a how—to book—it's my stab at a way to think about Christmas in our place and time. Christmas, this burst of light at the darkest season of the year, is too precious to surrender to the various grinches; it's time to build Whovilles in our families, our communities, and our nation.

Another Mother for Peace

Another Mother for Peace is a non-profit, non-partisan association dedicated to eliminating the use of war as a means of solving disputes among nations, people and ideologies.

A friend gave me this card for my birthday. I wondered where it came from, and found that it is the logo for Another Mother for Peace (AMP). This not-for-profit organization was formed during the Vietnam War and revived due to events taking place currently. The website has a lot of important insights. Included are: 1) war is obsolete - that civilized methods must be creatively sought and implemented to resolve international differences; and 2) citizens must be encouraged to support legislation aimed at dismantling the war machinery and war mentality so pervasive in Washington. My favorite part is the Pax Materna or motherhood pact - which states, "No mother is an enemy to another mother." AMP's Pax Materna is "a permanent, irrevocable condition of amnesty and understanding among mothers of the world." Despite differences in ideology, politics, religion, and other values, most mothers agree that they do not want to see their sons and daughters at war. When the kids and I went to see the Dalai Lama speak this past summer, he said that if the world wants to see an end to wars, then women should be the leaders. Sounds like even he would agree with AMP philosophy!

If you haven't voted yet (and even if you have) check out this newsletter - Fall 2008.

And finally - the complete Pax Materna-

THE PAX MATERNA
I JOIN WITH MY SISTERS IN EVERY LAND
IN THE PAX MATERNA —
A PERMANENT DECLARATION OF PEACE
THAT TRANSCENDS OUR IDEALOGICAL DIFFERENCES
IN THE NUCLEAR SHADOW, WAR IS OBSOLETE.
I WILL NO LONGER SUFFER IT IN SILENCE
NOR SUSTAIN IT BY COMPLICITY.
THEY SHALL NOT SEND MY SON
TO FIGHT ANOTHER MOTHER’S SON.
FOR NOW, FOREVER, THERE IS NO MOTHER
WHO IS ENEMY TO ANOTHER MOTHER.

KIVA - Loans that change lives

KIVA is a really interesting Micro-Loan program that I stumbled upon while perusing other, random blogs. It's great to have discovered another way to help Peruvians, albeit from afar. I've made 2 loans totalling $125.00 so far. I recently received my first repayment of $17.00!!! Until I request the cash back, KIVA keeps the repaid money in a funding account, allowing me to fund another loan if I so choose. I could explain all the details myself, but it is better if you go to their website and read about it, if interested. KIVA.org

Here are the 2 women that I've made loans to:

Bautista Lupaca Guevara





Doña Bautista is 34 years old, she studied until fifth grade, secondary, is married and has 2 sons, 14 and 11 years old, and lives in the community of Machacmarca.
She is a member of "Banco Comunidad Ciudad Nueva", District of Pilcuyo, Province of Collao D Puno. Since she was single she liked to work with business, back then she used to take garments to the town of Tacna, but in 2003 she started selling groceries at the market in Pilcuyo on Thursdays and at the same time selling clothes which she distributes in bulk in the town of Arequipa.
With this loan of S/.2.500 "Nuevos Soles" to be repaid in 4 payments she will purchase the following: 3 dozen footwear, each dozen costs S/.300.00 "Nuevos Soles", 3 dozen jeans, each dozen costs S/.260.00 "Nuevos Soles" and with S/.500.00 "Nuevos Soles" she will buy children's clothing. With the loan she both increases her stock and earnings.
It is her vision that her sons become professionals and set up a grocery store in the District of Pilcuyo.

About the Entrepreneur
Name: Bautista Lupaca Guevara
Location: Pilcuyo - Collao, Puno, Peru
Primary Activity: Clothing Sales
Total Loan Requested: $850.00 My Loan: $25.00
Repayment Term: 4 months
Loan Use: Purchase garments and footwear to improve business.


Fortunata Aliaga De Miranda




Fortunata is 59 years old and lives with her 59 year-old husband Hernando, who is a driver, and also with her daughter Mariela, who is 20 years old and studies at the college level in the city of Juliaca. For the past three years, Fortunata has run a grocery store that she opened in her home. She has put a lot of affection and effort into the business in order to make it bear fruit and generate good income. Fortunata’s family has always supported her, and when her husband is not working he stays and helps her with the store, as does her daughter when she returns from her studies in the city. Fortunata likes her business since she has put so much effort into it.
Fortunata hopes that her daughter will get ahead and be a successful professional, so that she can work and survive in the city and not have to stay in the country like Fortunata. With the money from her loan, Fortunata will purchase supplies in order to grow her small store.

About the Entrepreneur
Name: Fortunata Aliaga De Miranda
Location: Juliaca, Peru
Primary Activity: Grocery Store
Total Loan Requested: $675.00 My loan: $100.00
Repayment Term: 6 months
Loan Use: To purchase products to sell in her small grocery store

Manners and Volunteerism

After 2 1/2 weeks of watching the kids eat with their elbows on the table, return to the buffet while chewing food from round 1, and forget to push in their chairs when leaving the table (Pat is FAMOUS for this too!), I decided that they need an expert besides me to help them refine their table manners.

Searching for Seattle area etiquette classes for the kids I came upon a good website - Mannerofthemonth.com

The owner teaches classes but also has on-line lessons. She had a whole section on Manners and Volunteering. I really like the quotes - and have outlined them in bold. But here's the whole excerpt:


"Never before has man had such a great capacity to control his own environment, to end hunger, poverty and disease, to banish illiteracy and human misery. We have the power to make the best generation of mankind in the history of the world.” — President John F. Kennedy

Manners and volunteerism go hand in hand—both are about putting others first. When we use our manners as we volunteer, we are able to gracefully accomplish many tasks. Not only will we will feel better about our work, but we feel better about the way we have done it.

Tips for the Mannerly Volunteer

1. “Yes, I will do it.”
For many of us, serving our community is just one of the many tasks we juggle in an ever-growing list of to-dos. We must be realistic with our time commitments and know our limitations. Just as we would not take on five part-time jobs, we should not take on numerous volunteer positions. When we are tempted to over commit ourselves, we must ask ourselves this question: Am I volunteering to make myself feel good or for the good of the organization?

We should never have an attitude that we are “just volunteering.” When we commit to a volunteer position, others are counting on us to fulfill our role with integrity, quality, and hard work. Our work as a volunteer is one of the most important responsibilities we can undertake, and our efforts will affect the lives of those we serve and the organization. There isn’t a greater act of humanity than one human being helping another!

“We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.” —Winston Churchill

2. Think before saying, “Yes, I will do it!”
Take time to research organizations that you believe in and activities that you will enjoy. Take on jobs that will challenge you and play to your strengths. When you give because you believe in a cause, it is easier to participate with greater commitment, and organizations and individuals will gain more from your work. When we work from the heart, our work will often inspire others to join the cause.

“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” — Mother Theresa

3. Follow through after saying, “Yes, I will do it!”
Do what you say you are going to do. One of the greatest character traits is being someone that others can depend on. If you agree to a meeting, be on time. If you sign up for a task, complete it. Be mentally and physically present. If you are working with a committee, use good communication: ask for help, share ideas, listen to the contributions of others. Volunteer work done well not only positively impacts the organization or person you are working with but also allows you to feel proud of the work you have done! Remember that quality is often better than quantity.

“No man can become rich without himself enriching others.” — Andrew Carnegie

4. “I thought I could do it.”
When you do commit to a task, it is always best to follow through and see it to the end. However, no matter how carefully we plan, at times we do become overcommitted or circumstances in our life change. Many times, over commitment makes us feel guilty. Rather than working through the situation, we see it as all or nothing; it seems easier to quit than to work out a solution.

When you feel overwhelmed, ask for help or admit to not being able to do it all. Remember that when you quit without creating a solution or smooth transition, the work doesn’t just go away because you have. Just walking away nonverbally communicates that you don’t care how the decision to leave might affect another person or the organization. Your departure will create extra stress and time for the individuals who have to pick up where you left off, even though they are probably equally busy with their personal schedules.

“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

5. “He/she said he/she would do it!”
Demonstrate grace to those you work with. Unless we have fantastic personal commitment restraint, most of us have found ourselves in the situation where we cannot do what we said we could. When a volunteer leaves a task undone, don’t tear down their reputation or complain about the quality of work when we think we could do it better. Instead come alongside your fellow volunteer, ask what you can do to help, and encourage them along the way.

Why I like "Ecotopia"

Based upon my last post, it has hit me that this little blog could actually be a forum for a variety of my highly evolved opinions (or dare I say reflections) on some critical (to me) matters. Good thing I have turned off the "comments section" of this blog as I am sure I would get comments for offending.

So, why do I like the book Ecotopia? Well, first some background. Ecotopia was published in 1975 and is considered the world's first dramatic portrait of an ecologically sustainable society. I discovered the book in 2005, when the 30th Anniversary Issue was published. It is not a fantastically well-written book and I could definitely do without the "1970's free-love" dissertations. But, I like the book because the ideas presented 30 years ago are exactly what we need today for so many of the issues the United States currently faces. (An excellent book discussing the current situation is Deep Economy, another one of my recommendations).

The premise is that Washington, Oregon and Northern California secede from the United States, close their borders and become a self-contained country, economy and government. Instead of " living speeded-up, stressed-out, consumption-driven lives," Ecotopians learn how to live sustainably. They work fewer hours at jobs that are personally fulfilling; send their kids to schools that value nature, the outdoors, "real" learning and being a kid; and take the time to know their neighbors for who they are, not for what they have. Life is simpler. There's not so much pressure to get stuff, and more and more of it. People actually have time to read, work on hobbies, relax and think. And there's no criticism for not running 24/7. It makes me want to move to Montana and build a cabin off the grid. Well, sort of.... Maybe as a vacation home.... And therein lies the problem. We affluenza-afflicted Americans, myself included, are so addicted to stuff and comfort and being busy that it is really hard to change.

For now, the best I can do is try to make small changes. Make sure the kids know what is important even as they enjoy their electronic toys. Demonstrate by example - community service & ecological responsibility. Purchase and consume only what we need. Be aware of WHAT we are purchasing and where it comes from. Support local CSA's. The list goes on and on. I think our family is doing somewhat okay, but we can certainly do alot better.

I'll end with a plug for "The Story of Stuff", a video that APD brought to my attention - watch it following this link. The Story of Stuff

Interesting aside - if you are intrigued by this post you might like this article by Ernest Callenbach the author of Ecotopia