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    • Jul

    30

    A Challenging Week

    Filed Under from the heart, life changes, local, new things, sadness | 16 Comments

    Today was not a good day - the assessment from the cardiologist about our 31 week ultrasound indicates that our little one likely has a congenital heart defect known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). It is very rare and serious. Without surgeries or a heart transplant, it is fatal within several days.

    In addition to this, one of my best friends is visiting from Tennessee. She flew out for my baby shower on Sunday, and was en route when she learned of the tragic events at her home congregation, Tennessee Valley UU Church. Fortunately, a UU fellowship nearby held a vigil Monday night that we were able to attend. You can read The Columbian newspaper article about that here.

    All in all, not the best few days of my life, but we’ll see what the morning holds, and the coming days, weeks, and months. In any case, the DH has been encouraging me to write more and publish things, so I’m going to make the effort, sincerely. Apologies to the commenters to my last post on ODD - I’ve been reflecting on everything written as the comments came in, and will respond soon.

    Popularity: 66% [?]

    May

    25

    The Birds

    Filed Under lil things, local, new things, small happinesses | 4 Comments

    Winter Wren, courtesy of Wake Robin Learning CenterAnd yet another new preoccupation - one as mysterious as my sudden appreciation for the color purple, and seahorses: I’ve become enamored of the bird songs enveloping my house during the daylight hours. The sounds aren’t new, but my love for them is. Some mornings I wake up and just lie still in the bed, growing more and more breathless as their songs increase. Throughout the day, I’ll pause - half disbelieving. It’s as though someone is piping bird calls directly into my house. I feel like a Who.

    I mention the birds to hubby, and my family across the street, but no one else seems to be thinking about them. Further investigation is needed, but through online research of photography and mp3 files, I believe that we are surrounded by warblers, brown creepers, robins, chickadees, wonderful winter wrens, a small number of blue jays, and a handful of hummingbirds. And possibly sparrows. Previously, they were to me, “chit chit” birds, “swee” birds,” “trilling,” and “weow whistling” birds.  If I even thought that far. I am keeping my ears open for a meadowlark, though I think I may have to venture to a nearby forest for that one.

    As both a city girl and a woman who operates almost entirely at the conscious level, I have no real notion of what all this “signifies,” if anything. I’ll continue to explore this interest … until its prominence in my mind wanes or leads to something more. It is really strange to think you know yourself, only to be possessed in this way.

     

    *photo of Winter Wren, from the Wake Robin Learning Center at NWNature.net.

     

     

     

    Popularity: 69% [?]

    Feb

    3

    Today’s Black Pride Moment

    Filed Under being creative, from the heart, lil things, local, small happinesses | 6 Comments

    What’s the most awesome thing about being Black? I could totally wear this hat.

    Woman's Kufi (Crown)
    Now, maybe I won’t get hired for a job while wearing it. But I’d probably get a lot of compliments at the health food store from envious not-Black Portlanders. It’s not so much the aesthetic (and I’m more of a caftan girl myself), it’s about having the guts.

    *Photo courtesy of Wilsdom African Designs, at Wilsdom.com.

    Popularity: 42% [?]

    Jan

    10

    Why Our Money Doesn’t Make Any Sense

    Filed Under capitalism, class, local, media, politics, questions | 2 Comments

    I recently learned where our money comes from. The fog is lifting. Observations of the way things work aren’t quite so puzzling anymore. For example, I now have some understanding of:

    I’m learning about economics as part of my participation in the The Real Wealth of Portland. One of the people involved, Alan, is a filmmaker who has been studying the Federal Reserve system for several years. Several months ago he told me about this 47 minute animated video (see below) by Paul Grignon, which gives a clear and concise overview of how money actually works in the world today. Most people - including very educated, intelligent, opinionated, and activist oriented people - have no idea. Do you?

    He’s working with others to start a community credit program here in Portland. After watching the video, I have to say it seems like one of the most rational things in the world to do. The “real wealth” is the resources of you and me - all of us! - not in the IOUs our banks hold. One of the questions the film had me asking myself was: if there were no money, what skills and services would I, Hafidha, be able to barter for the goods and services that I needed?

    What about you?

    *Note: The quote attributed to Woodrow Wilson at the end is not entirely accurate. While he did say some of the things in that quote, they were not necessarily all said in that order. The Legal Husband (LH) checked on that. I don’t think this detracts from the efficacy of the video’s overview of the monetary system.

    Popularity: 27% [?]

    Oct

    8

    Thinking About Food While Fasting

    Filed Under friends, inspiration, islam, local, new things, spiritual practice | 5 Comments

    Quote:

    O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint. ~Qur’an, Al Baqarah (2), verse 183

    When I received the Facebook invite to the Interfaith Fast for Peace, I accepted without hesitation. It’s been years since I’ve fasted for spiritual reasons, and this was a good reason to try it again.

    When I mentioned to the LH that I’d be fasting today, he hastily made it clear that he had no interest in doing this and he WOULD be eating. That kind of a response is very typical, in my experience. As a Muslim, people would say to me, “That’s AMAZING, but there’s no way I could do that. Just no way.” Although I hadn’t asked them to fast, they insisted that they were incapable of it. I knew this was untrue; I’d been fasting since elementary school, and if an active, growing 10 year old could do it, so could most adults.

    But it was very curious to watch people talk themselves out of the possibility.

    This morning, I woke up at 3:30, ate some lettuce wraps, pieces of baked potato, and a Medifast shake. Went back to sleep at 5:15, and awoke again at 9. Off to the chiropractor for another session with the Pro Adjuster machine, and back home to do laundry, cleaning, and poetry reading. I feel good: clear-headed, calm, and physically unencumbered. My habit is to eat breakfast within an hour of waking up, but I’m not hungry.

    Thirst might become a problem, as I can be fanatical about water consumption. But I know I won’t die, and that’s more than can be said for 16,000 children today.*

    On my way home from the chiropractor, the radio was tuned to KBOO.fm (90.7), an excellent community station. I happened to catch the last 15 minutes of the show, HealthWatch; the guest was Joel Salatin, of Polyface Farms, author of Everything I Want to Do is Illegal and Holy Cows and Hog Heaven. I really enjoyed listening to him. One issue the host brought up that I’d never thought of before was how most people are referring to produce only when they talk about “eating seasonally”. Salatin explained that there is a way to eat meat seasonally, too. For example, beef is a “warming” meat, so it makes sense to eat it in the colder months (barbecues in winter, perhaps?); and birds lay their eggs in the Spring, and chicken is a “cooling” meat. However, the biggest demand for poultry is the fall-winter period, when birds lay fewer eggs because of the decreasing amount of sunlight. It was all very interesting and I’d like to learn more.

    Of course, the crux of fasting is mindfulness. Although I participated in the Interfaith Fast out of a desire to be connected with others concerned about peace, it’s turned out that I’m reminded of how our identities are linked very closely to what we eat, and how we eat. Even a person who says they could never NOT eat for 14 hours, is basing that on a perception they have of themselves, not reality.

    Surprisingly, this experience has led me back to the path of seeing food choices and eating habits as actions with social consequences. Working on the Real Wealth of Portland project has inspired me to do things right now to create the world I want to live in. So today is the 8th, and I’ve decided to make the 8th of every month a day for fasting, and for learning about eating in a more sustainable way. And of course, to do something for peace, and to alleviate hunger. Today I donated to Oxfam, and I “discovered” (just call me Columbus!) a local farm that’s just a bike ride from my house. I’ll pick up my produce from there today instead of the supermarket. It feels like baby steps in a good direction.


    *This statistic is from Bread.org.

    Popularity: 33% [?]

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