We are the insurgents...

Holy tomatoes

2011-09-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

Last week I was at one of our garden sites and we were busy harvesting hundreds of pounds of tomatoes when I saw my friend Timmy and this two friends walking by.
Timmy is homeless. Timmy has alcohol and girlfriend problems and goes back to both of those things even though they are slowly killing him inside. Sometimes he sobers up and doesn't talk to the girlfriend... then a few weeks later he is stumbling drunk around Franklinton with girlfriend. Sometimes he goes to sleep on the sidewalk under a bridge on Souder. Sometimes he can't even stand upright. I have been friends with Timmy for many years now and love him more and more every time I see him, despite the state he is in. I love Timmy more and more because more and more I am able to see what a wonderful man he is. He has an adorable voice with a little stutter and always talks like he is flattered or blushing or something. He always calls us girls "sissy". Which is what he calls his female homeless comrades, so I have always taken it as a compliment. "Sissy" this and "sissy" that which sounds funny but its how I know he loves and respects us. It's been a long long struggle for Timmy and I hope the streets don't swallow him before he can get off them and really live his life free from the oppression of alcohol and girlfriend.

He is always walking around Franklinton and walked past the garden with girlfriend and other friend, Billy on this day last week. I called out for him and the three of them walked up to the fence to stop and talk. They looked so rough and so ragged. Faces red and eyes bloodshot and tired. Dirty, over sized clothes, and broken backpacks. I stood on the other side lookin in pretty rough shape myself. The fence is about 5 foot high. We stood there talking about what they were doing and what we were doing and they were impressed with all the tomatoes we were harvesting. Then they asked if they could have some tomatoes. I found myself really surprised for some stupid reason and quickly ran to get them the most gorgeous tomatoes I could find in the pile.

I handed them over the fence, commenting on how it felt like prison sort of, behind the fence. I was wondering what they were going to do with the tomatoes, no utensils or plates or salads to add them to. They packed some in the backpack but then the three of them stood there and bit into each of their tomatoes like it was an apple. Juice and seeds leaking down the front of them, they were in tomato heaven. I just stood there watching them for a minute and wishing that scene was on film because there were no words to depict the scene. It was so holy and so damn beautiful to me. If those were the only three who ate the tomatoes we grew it would be worth it a hundred times over. Spreading the gospel of tomatoes has never felt so rewarding.

2011-07-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

we as a community are blogging here now.... blessedarethe.wordpress.com

check it out

Awesome day

2011-04-02T14:14:00.000-07:00

Today was wonderful.

Franklinton Gardens had a work crew of high schoolers come out today to volunteer. When I brought a group of them over to the garden at our house our neighbor kids naturally ended up in the garden with us trying to help. There was about 10 of them. I kept trying to find jobs for them to do, because they are so eager to help! They really only want to do jobs which include the use of tools somehow. I gave them three push mowers to start and they beautifully figured out that two at a time can do it if they each hold one side of the handle. Two by two they were holding onto the push mowers and cutting down grass as a team. “Look Ashley, we sharing this thing” (Awan).

After the grass was cut I gave them all shovels to help move some mulch and finally after all the work ran out they asked if they could just start digging holes. They were in the back yard where its just a bunch of dirt so I told them yes, it’d be helpful.

I love having them here even if they are just digging a hole in the dirt because they like to work and it occupies their time and makes them feel needed. They feel like they have been given a job and they need to complete it. They love learning about new tools and love being given the responsibility of using them.

A few weeks ago a kid who lives on our street, Vikeem (sp?) stopped by when I was outside building lettuce window boxes and he desperately wanted to help me drill in the screws. I was being anal and hesitant at first because I wanted them to be just right, but so did he, and so we worked together on that and built them perfectly. He’d never used a drill, said he has seen people use them and had always wanted to. I’m so honored that I got to be the one to teach him how to use a power drill. Thats cool. He said that maybe he could go into construction when hes older because he can drill and I told him he should.

Anyways, back to digging the holes. The kids kept finding things as they were digging (bricks, rocks, plastic, trash). When they found the brick they thought that maybe a house was under there and they could dig it up. Someone else thought that maybe there was treasure, or gold, so they kept digging. What a joy to overhear their conversations about what was under the ground.

Eventually we had to take the work crew back so I told the kids we had to go. But they wanted to come, and they wanted to carry all the tools so I brought them with me to walk the work crew back. They helped some more over at the farm house with a project Ryan (a friend of ours in the neighborhood) was working on. He was really really good with those kids. He was teaching them all kinds of things about garden beds and somehow even made it fun for the kids to shovel piles of mulch onto burlap sacks. He had a great way of engaging them while teaching them and kept calling shovels full of mulch “blobs.” Then started calling the kids blob-erators and they just ate it up. Then thwere asking questions thinking blob was a real garden word. I love seeing them smile and laugh at stuff like that. especially the ones who always try to act so tough. I was so proud of them. And Ryan too for being so great with them.

Then all 8 or 9 kids and I decided to walk up to the bike shop because they have been dying to see it. So we started that hike. Kids walk so darn slow. It was a nice walk. Nice to hear them interact with each other and I felt like one of them. I felt like a kid hanging out with my friends, roaming the streets. We went up to the bike shop, popped some bubble wrap, got a sense that we were bothering the boys working and decided to head home.

I loved being with them today. What great friends to have. What sweet little smiles to see and laughs to hear.

Responding to Violence

2011-03-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

It’s taken me a few days to reflect on this incident I encountered the other day. It’s also taken me a few days “repent” from the way I responded to it. I feel like it’s a good experience to share.

Greg and I were driving back from dropping off Heather just after getting our bee hives. We were in the Franklinton Gardens Truck which looks something like this…

Needless to say, we don’t blend in well with other cars. We turned a corner and saw a group of about 20 kids all gathered around two children fist fighting. We pulled the truck over and as we did noticed our kids (by ours I mean the lovely kids that live next door to us that have become apart of our family and we are very protective over). Not only that but we noticed adults, mothers, watching this fight take place on their sidewalk. Also noticed an 18-year-old (ish) male shoving the kid who was trying to walk away from the fight, back into the circle. Every time the child stepped out and tried to talk away, the guy would push him back in the circle and tell him to fight. It wasn’t just kids slapping each other, this was a violent fight.

Greg jumped out of the truck and walked into the circle immediately to break the kids up. I started gathering all our kids and the kids on our street into the truck. By gathering what I really mean is a was sternly yelling at them to get in the truck and get away from this. When Greg asked the man in the circle why he pushing the kid into fight he went off and started threatening him. As the kids were loading up in the truck the police showed up and the man facilitating the fight instructed everyone to split. As he was walking away and walked past me and the kids in the truck I just lost it. I was so extremely emotional and fearful of what just happened and I was so angry at that man. I confronted him asking him why he is doing this to children and why he is exposing children to this kind of violence and who knows what else I said in the heat of the moment. He came back at me with some nasty names and a threat and a “you don’t know me.”

We got the kids home safe. Had a talk about what just happened and the fact that when they get old enough and the police show up to something like that and they are standing there that they will get arrested for even just being there. We talked about just walking away from those things because there is nothing good there to be influenced by. Not sure they really cared what I said but I love those kids so damn much and want to protect them from everything bad in the world. I don’t want these kids to grow up and resort to violence every time something goes wrong. I want these kids to have good lives. I don’t want to see them in fights or even worse, shot. These are the same kids that have come over in the morning before school to have us tie their shoes and now we are dragging them out of fights.

I know they are exposed to it a lot. I know they see fights almost daily. Violence seeps out of the sidewalks down here. But I am glad that at least this once we were able to get them out of the situation and let them know how damaging these things can be. Someone there to say that this isn’t normal and this isn’t ok.

I regret confronting that man the way I did. It’s not his fault. He was right when he said I don’t know him. I don’t know where he has come from or what he has seen or what he has been exposed to. It’s not right that he was pushing kids into fight, I am not justifying that at all. But talk about a man growing up in a terrible situation that has resorted to him thinking this kind of thing is ok. It was just as violent of me to come at him like I did. Rather than try to engage with him and talk rationally. I am never rational in those types of situations and how can you be?

Rain down justice upon us Lord, that we might live in peace.

lexy

2011-03-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

I just ran out the door real quick to go borrow some powdered sugar from Patience’s house and our neighbor Alexis was outside. Alexis is 12. And we had the following conversation.

Lexy: “Hey Ashley”

Me: “Hey Lexy girl. Whats up?”

Lexy: “Guess what?”

Me: “What?”

Lexy: “I just saw a dog get killed.”

Me: “What?! Where?” Lexy points west. “How did it get killed?”

Lexy: “The po- lice shot it”

Me: “What? Why?”

Lexy: “I don’t they was arresting some man and the dog kept barking so they shot it 6 times in the throat”

In front of a 12 year old. Thanks for furthering the already present themes of death, violence, and murder in this neighborhood mr po-lice man. You are perpetuating a lie that so many people believe. You are just as much apart of the evil in this neighborhood. And people wonder why kids down here grow up not trusting cops.

Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy.

surviving winter

2011-02-08T08:37:00.000-08:00

Picture update!
Greg and I in vermont before Christmas!

Sippin skinny girl margs with kelly and the buddah

the view from my bedroom window. such a beautiful tree. it gives me hope

Heath!

the newly weds :)

Superbowl Sunday

2011-02-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

I came home from work today to a completely empty house... which is very unusual around these parts because when you live with 6 people there is bound to be someone around.

I heated up some leftover soup from the street church meal that our community makes and serves once a month (today was that day), got some water, buttered some bread, and sat. Alone. In the kitchen.

"I'm lonely" was my first thought... then I just absorbed the silence and thought "this is nice." Halfway through my bowl of soup I tuned on the Marie Antoinette soundtrack to keep me company, then felt guilty for not being able to sit in silence tonight.

While I do enjoy the occasional home alone times, living alone would make me a very sad and lonely lady. Especially in the winter when things feel sad as is.

Everyone is watching the super bowl, all the groceries stores have special displays, all the corporations have spent lots of money and time on the creation of clever commercials and I feel sickened over the thought that super bowl weekend is the one of the biggest human trafficking events in the U.S. Women (young women, minors) are being "shipped" down to Texas to meet the demand of all the men down there looking to purchase sex along with their football. Never mind that most of these men probably have children themselves, and are paying to have sex with another mans child. I hope that one day they will know the evil they have caused in seeking their own pleasure.

To my sisters being trafficked at this very minute, I am praying to our mother God for your rescue.

Grief

2010-12-05T19:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we buried our friend Junior.
I have been dreading a situation like this one ever since we entered into the lifestyle we have. Being this close to the suffering in this neighborhood makes one suffer a lot more. And now, our community is suffering a great loss. He was taken from us too early and too unexpectedly. My sweet memories of him have had me both crying and laughing the past few days. Junior was quite the character. We had a unique relationship with Junior that we don't have with our other homeless friends.

We were lucky to have seen him shortly before his death and remind him that we loved him. We will sorely miss you Junior, your loud ass voice and demanding demeanor. Your sweet smile and balding head. Your classic quotes: "bozo the clown, king of the morons!" "west by god Virgina". Your protection of us, your kids. Your protection of our front porch. Your singing. Your inappropriate remarks. Cleaning the wounds on your feet. You in Jonathan's bathrobe, six sizes too small. You talking to yourself in the garden. You running down the median with Kelly and I trying to see a fire down the street. Your crazy ass stories.

We are sorry for the times we had to turn you away. The times we were too busy or exhausted to take care of you. The times I avoided sitting next to you at church because I wanted to hear the message. All precious moments with you that were missed and I regret them. How I wouldn't love to have one more day with you. One more time to tell you how much we love you and how special you truly are.

We will visit you often in the garden at St Johns, and more importantly... we will keep telling your stories, as often as we can.

I had the honor of being able to read at Juniors funeral yesterday, to a church packed full of people that Junior has impacted over the years. I read "On Death" from the book The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. The end of that reading is beautiful and peaceful and is helping me cope.

It reads;
"For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?

Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance."

You are free Junior. Free from the cold, the pain, the suffering. Free from illness, from hunger, from rejection, from hurt. You have a home, a new body, perfect health, warmth, and love from a source that we are all so far from. You are singing and dancing with your creator. And you are probably sitting in a big chair, watching us, laughing, calling us bozo's.

I am grieving. We as a community are grieving, and I have always liked what Anne Lamott has to say about grief...

"All those years I fell for the great palace lie that grief should be gotten over as quickly as possible and as privately. But what I've discovered since is that the lifelong fear of grief keeps us in a barren, isolated place and that only grieving and heal grief; the passage of time will lessen the acuteness, but time alone, without the direct experience of grief, will not heal it."

"I'm pretty sure that it is only by experiencing that ocean of sadness in a naked and immediate way that we come to be healed- which is to say, that we come to experience life with a real sense of presence and spaciousness and peace."

Troop Franklinton

2010-10-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

Two of my best friends and I decided one day to start a girl scout troop in Franklinton.

We did the training and stuff and finally had our first meeting last night at St Johns.

Thirteen beautiful and broken girls showed up to meet their 3 beautiful and broken leaders...

we had to ask one girl to leave because she was crazier then any of us knew what to do with. very broken girl in probably a very broken situation.

one precious girl, when answering what girls scouts means to her said,

"we (girl scouts) are BRAVE."

it broke my heart.

later she asked what we are supposed to do if someone comes to girl scouts to beat us up?

we (troop leaders) shocked, looked around awkwardly and then explained that this was a safe place and people we were not going to come here to beat us up.

and another little girl asked what we are to do when people break in to get us.

that fucked me up. how the fuck do you answer 5 and 6 year olds asking these kind of questions.

this is no troop beverly hills...

Summer photo update...

2010-07-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors testing out our new couch before we can...

A quick escape out of fton to get out into the country and see the stars...

camping...

Girls weekend!

Fourth of July girls weekend...

My darling...

First harvest of our onion greens and our sour cherries!

Birthday post

2010-06-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

Today... I am 24.

We had a lovely cookout last night in our yard with our closest friends and it was everything I could have ever wanted.

We grilled up a bunch of veggie dogs, some marinated veggies, and corn. We made a bunch of dips and had margaritas. The weather was perfect and we had a really nice time chatting and sitting amongst our large garden.
Ahhh... friends and grills and summer weather.

I was awoken this morning with breakfast and coffee in bed by my sweet sweet boyfriend. He made up a little menu of everything in the kitchen that we could have and made check boxes for me to choose what I wanted to eat.

I chose toast and watermelon and we sat and drank coffee and chatted the morning away.

We took care of the chickens and worked in the garden a bit later on in the morning, tore out the bad lettuce and planted more peppers and tomatoes. We will have many many tomatoes and peppers, so we must learn to make salsa quick.

Then we went to peruse the arts festival in downtown Columbus and gawk at all the expensive art we will never own. It was nice. Its also nice knowing that we never HAVE to own that kind of shit.

Then we headed to the north market in search of some special watermelon. I am on a watermelon kick in case you couldn't tell. They didn't have it... but we got some more sweet corn and zucchini instead.

Once we got home we decided to "hit the f-in town" with Jy and Kelly. We had a late lunch at the Happy Greek in the short north then walked around there for awhile. We got chased by a nasty thunderstorm and we ran from the lightening. We found shelter in a coffee shop and read newspapers and played a competitive game of scrabble before heading home.

There is nothing better to do on a rainy day but lounge around so we did that for a bit before Greg and I took a little walk through the neighborhood and found a few sweet cherry trees and some mulberry trees to snack on.

All in all its been a lovely 24th birthday spent with those I love most.

We are now onto a glass of red wine and some harry potter...

How to build a community garden...

2010-05-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

... according to us Franklinton folk that is...

Step # 1... find an empty lot you won't get kicked out of. Consider guerrilla gardening if you don't have access to land you won't get kicked out of.

Step # 2... find a group of dedicated friends.

Step # 2 1/2... chain saw down dead trees in the yard.

Step # 3... get dirt and lots of compost.

Step # 4... get lots of wood. Be sure it is not pressure treated wood. You don't want treated lumber leeching toxins into your soil and your food.

Step # 5... get a drill and a bucket of 2 inch wood screws and build raised beds. Our beds were 4 feet by 8 feet but you can make them whatever size you choose. Consider being able to reach in the middle of the bed to plant/ weed/ harvest.

Step # 6... Lay beds. Space them out so you can work in between each one. We spaced ours about 2 feet apart.Step # 7... Lay a liner in the bottom if you haven't turned over the sod so weeds can't get through. It is probably optimal to turn over the sod and cover with straw/ cardboard for a week before. But as you can see, we layed a garden liner. Don't forget to poke holes so your water will drain!

Step 7 1/2... level beds

Step # 8... find some awesome neighborhoods kids who are eager to hang out and climb heaps of soil to help you fill wheel barrels.

Step # 9... Fill beds with said soil/ compost. And borrow your equipment from Keep Columbus Beautiful for free!

This picture below shows a good shot of empty beds... lined beds... and filled beds... and hard workers.

Step # 10... spread out soil evenly in beds... fill to at least one inch below top of bed. The soil will settle and soil level will drop quite a bit.

Step # 11... Top off beds with soil and you are ready to plant!

Our chicken journey...

2010-05-21T16:21:00.001-07:00

In mid April we got 10 chicks to raise up to egg laying hens!

It has been fun watching them grow and fun/ frustrating trying to build them a suitable and safe home in Franklinton.

This was them the week we got them. They lived inside for about 6 weeks under a heat lamp until they were old enough and it was warm enough for them to go outside. We spent that time building a coup outside and a protected run for them to run around in.

Here they are a little older and a little smarter and they are trying to see the world on the other side of their box.

More pictures to come of the coup and their new home outside...

Oysters and the South Pacific Ocean

2010-02-19T23:29:00.000-08:00

I made it to New Zealand!

It took 24 hours of long traveling, combined with some wine and ambien, but made it nonetheless.

I ate some fresh from the oyster farm oysters white sitting above the south pacific ocean.

Shocking!

How much more incredible could this be?

Snowed in 2010

2010-01-07T13:20:00.000-08:00

I love counting on yearly snow-ins.

Last year it was in March and we were stranded at the boys house in Franklinton. Now we are all living together here and stranded again. Funny how things evolve. This time last year we were dreaming of everything we are doing right now... and now we are dreaming of even greater things than this...

I am looking forward to a reflection a year from now to see how things have evolved.

I am sitting inside, cold, watching the rest of my housemates run around the median in snow gear playing winter tackle football and frisbee. Kelly, the only woman out there, is really holding her own.

I just watched her wildly fling herself into the snow... get half way up and then fling herself helplessly back into the snow. hahaha. Such freedom, such beauty.

The boys are out there ramming into each other and tossing one another into the snow.

Oh happy days.

What are we thinking of and dreaming of and working on these days?

Here is a quick list...

Coffee shop in Franklinton, for a place of community gathering, a place for artistic expression, a place to employ locals, a place to keep our homeless friends warm in the winter and serve them a hot cup of coffee.

Community garden move to the two plots of land on either side of our house for growing our own food and helping our neighbors grow their own food.

Bike shop grant, pretty self explanatory, for developing the already existing bike shop.

Food co op, to finally get a place that can sell decent food in this neighborhood.

Renters rights education for our neighbors to fight their slumlords.

Creatively trying to resist gentrification and the placement of a casino into the neighborhood.

Weekly services in our basement chapel, usually by candle light, observing advent and now Epiphany, in attempt to deepen our spirituality and continue in worship.

That sums it up for now... there are people to warm up and coffee to drink...

Peace and peace!

picture update...

2009-11-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

Our house...

Warehouse next to the bike shop

The start of our new house band called Bears Did This... stay tuned.

Hay ride with our st johns family...

Dance party with Junior in our kitchen...

Microloans... bringing global justice?

2009-10-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

I think so!

I made my first micro-loan today to a woman in Nigeria named Mabel who is trying to run a grocery store...
http://www.kiva.org/ if you are interested in more info about micro-financing etc.

It is basically providing a non interest loan to the poor who are attempting to start businesses in order to survive in undeveloped countries.

You can give as little as $25 and eventually (hopefully) the loan will be repaid by the entrepreneur at the success of their work. There is a risk that it won't be paid back in instances like natural disasters, health issues, crop failure etc. To me it seems like a risk that is worth taking for the sake of global justice!

City wants to register vacant residences

2009-10-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

Article from the Columbus Dispatch... I am going to check it out if anyone is interested last minute!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 3:15 AM

Columbus officials have crafted legislation that would require owners of vacant and abandoned houses to register them with the city and hire local property managers to inspect and maintain them.

The proposal is aimed at curbing the blight and damage that foreclosures and the economy have inflicted on many of the city's neighborhoods.

It targets out-of-town property owners who buy up cheap properties and sit on them in hopes of making a financial killing down the road.

A registry like this would track the owners so the city can hold them responsible, said Assistant City Attorney Jody Spurlock.

The proposal would require owners to carry liability insurance on vacant properties and provide their neighbors with emergency contact numbers.

And it would make them file "statements of intent," including how long they expect their properties to remain vacant and a plan to fix up, demolish or sell the property.

But there's been no discussion on how the city would implement the proposed changes, which will likely be tweaked, Spurlock said.

"We threw in everything but the kitchen sink, presuming a lot would come out in the end," she said.

Charleta B. Tavares, the Columbus City Council member who chairs the health, housing and human-services committee, will host a public hearing on the proposal at 5:30 p.m. today at City Hall, the first of at least two hearings.

"We looked at some of the best practices around the country and came up with what we felt were some of the best measures to combat the problem," said James Ragland, Tavares' aide.

Snowbirds who flee Columbus for weeks or months during the winter would not be required to register, Tavares said.

Columbus has more than 5,300 vacant homes, many of which attract arsonists, thieves, squatters and drug dealers. Many fall into disrepair and threaten neighborhood property values.

Columbus already has an ordinance that requires owners of vacant and abandoned properties to register with the city, but only if they fail to fix problems after the city cites them.

Another problem is that the city can't find the property owners.

"If what we have on the books didn't work, maybe we need to look at other measures," Tavares said.

Laura Swanson, the executive director of the Columbus Apartment Association, said she believes the proposal would require owners to register a single apartment that has been vacant for 30 days, even if it's the only vacancy among hundreds of units.

Donna Hicho, executive director of the Greater Linden Development Corp., said the city needs to track owners and make sure they keep properties in good shape.

"Anything we can do to regulate them and have more accountability can only benefit the neighborhood," she said.

Here we are...

2009-09-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

... full from a delicious dinner that Greg whipped up in a matter of minutes consisting of homemade egg noodles, eggplant parmesan, and tomatoes from our garden.

Sitting around listening to music... a beautiful thing this is. A good and beautiful thing without a doubt. Somehow it still feels hard, and a bit gray. The suffering that is constant all around us, all the time, feels heavy. We are trying to learn to have fun and enjoy life in the midst of all the heaviness. Time will help. Prayer and conservation probably will too.

I also think I have some of my own soul searching to do... some things to deal with... some feelings and emotions to sort though... and I need to choose my words carefully.

In other news, we have another person moving in this coming month. A guy from PA who is looking for an escape and, through some mutual friends, found us to put him up for a few months. This will bring our grand total to 8. We will surely keep each other warm this winter. I am really looking forward to providing some longer term hospitality to a brother in need.

On that note, off to enjoy silence... and search around my soul and my scattered mind a bit...

I'll leave you with some love from the Buddha...

"Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence."

From Kelly's blog...

2009-09-29T18:09:00.001-07:00

My thoughts exactly...

" Tonight at femma we wrote letters to legislators regarding domestic violence as a pre-existing condition for health insurance coverage and baked chocolate-chip cookies. Even while passionate letters were handwritten, a funk hung about the group, not unlike the funk that has been plaguing us the past few weeks.

It is hard to live in this neighborhood. When the boys lived here and we drove in from Cville almost nightly, I didn’t notice it. There’s something about the hopelessness that permeates every street corner interaction or handful of broken glass littering the street. Though the neighborhood was the first settled of our state, the trees are young and small. Everything is decayed and nothing is colorful except for neon signs and pawn shop windows– and even those are covered with “the Franklinton film.” That’s what I call the dull and filmy coat hanging over everything from Mount Carmel to the Hilltop. Cigarette smoke, city pollution, oil and dirt rubbed off of last months clothes, and spilled Cobra. This morning biking to street church, Ashley heard a man yelling violently at his wife (an obscenely regular occurence on front porches and streets) and she yelled, “I HATE THIS PLACE!”

It’s just that ills are not kept behind walls in Franklinton. Everything is so overwhelmingly not behind walls that it is, in fact, strewn all over the overgrown lawn. It is this explicitness that makes for a difficult transition. Or, at least, a sudden and undiluted one.

We do have new neighbors to our left, which we have been waiting for. It is a family of six, and the three boys play football in our front median. They are a delightful family– we have already gotten to share some tomatoes and yard tools with them. So far we have seen them communicate very lovingly and respectfully to each other, which is a relief.

It is nice to finally see our homeless friends in passing throughout the week instead of at one designated time, and indeed helps the area feel like home. I would feel more threatened by random passersby if they didn’t smile familiarly and call us “sissy.”

I paint a bleak picture. It’s what I see but not what I hope for."

New house... new fun...

2009-08-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

The woman in the middle is our rev

The St Johns crew came over to do a house a blessing for our new place. Those Episcopals... they have prayers for every occasion, including moving into a new house. They have really been behind the seven of us through our transition to the west side and our attempts to bring justice where we desire to see it. They are all ages and all personalities but all incredible justice seekers and freedom fighters (and they like to go out and get a beer afterward). There is much to learn from this group of people. It is nice to have a community in the bigger sense of the word to support us like this.

Did I mention that the six of us just became the seven of us? We had another brother move in with us... and his name is Jonathan too. We decided to stop accepting Jonathan's to be our friends because now we have three of them living in this house. So our family of seven is getting comfy in our new home.

Thoughts on community... and sharing

2009-08-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

The move is complete (thankfully). We fit the six of us into our first communal house in, of all places, the bottoms of Columbus. The house is incredible. Our house sits on three lots and we have a few vegetables growing right now but the potential garden (farm) that I see every time I get home is something to really believe in. We have so much room in the yard to farm, and yesterday we finally started getting serious with our overgrown weeds that are consuming our yard. We put on our gardening boots, gloves, and music (which, in case you were wondering is Dead Prez and Mos Def), made some slammin iced tea with nectarines in it, cranked up the jams, gathered some friends, and got to work. The yard is definitely a place of peace, life, growth, death, Resurrection, and joy. The inside is even more wonderful... we have crazy colored walls, bikes hanging all over them, and a collection of not one but six peoples belongings. We have a lovely little chapel in the basement with stone walls and a stone bench all the way around it. We have some Jesus and Mother Mary candles in front of this delicate little confessional alter next to our wailing wall, a place of solitude and power.

I feel as though there is a large misunderstanding about the choice of neighborhood, or the choice of living in community… but here is one small example of why it makes sense to me…

Sunday night, Kelly and I took our free bread we get from street church, hopped on our bikes and went to the T.G.'s house which is about seven blocks, we chatted with them, scored some sweet corn growing in their garden, and were on our way. Then we went up to the Kauffman's house, dropped off our bread to them, peeped in on the chickens, and went home with our corn to cook dinner with our 4 other housemates. We made a delicious stuffed zucchini, all with vegetables that are growing in season, and in our gardens, sat around the table and got to share our meal with others living in the community, Heather, Rachel, and Jon. Then the boys took off for some "guys time", and us girls stuck around and watched some slam poetry that was inspiring, as usual. Sharing in this manner helps me to believe that we could face anything in this world and get through it together by sharing what we have and depending on each other. What beauty in this community.

Then on Wednesday night, Kelly and I were out near our house getting some dinner when we were approached by a younger guy asking for a ride if we were heading west. The furthest west we were going was only about three blocks, but decided to talk to the kid anyways. He was traveling from Virginia to Utah to visit his family and decided to hitchhike the entire way. He had made it this far and got dropped off in the bottoms. He was looking to camp in the area and we strongly advised him not to. He was exhausted, needed a shower, and somewhere comfortable to sleep. After some discussion with the others in the house, the boys went back to get him and bring him in for the night. Paul, the traveler, was able to stay with us, shower, and eat with us because this is something we believe in. We believe in hospitality even if it inconveniences us. We believe in taking care of people and the freedom to do so because we have shared resources and shared space which really does make things safer. We take good care of each other so we can then take care of others. It is beautiful how these situations can arise simply from where you plant yourself.

It is nice having people coming in and out all the time, it is nice having visitors and people to feed and people to share meals with, it is nice to show people around who have heard about what is going on and are interested in community and taking care of their neighbors, it is nice having new neighbors knock on our door and ask if they can cut our grass to make some money when they don't have other forms of work, it is nice waking up to 5 other people and being able to laugh and enjoy each others company in the morning. Much to learn, much to experience, and so very much to do.

Back to the garden with our iced tea and dead prez, and in his words...

"Ain't nobody in the hood got hope in this fucked up system and that's why we don't vote"

Odd note to end on, I realize, but that lyric has been on my mind.

Hope.

Yellow Springs adventure...

2009-06-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Patience and I decided to take a last minute day trip down to Yellow Springs to do some hiking at John Bryan State Park. The car ride down was just as fun as the rest of the day... we jammed out to a variety of things... including Phantom of the Opera which Patience put me to shame at.

We packed a picnic, a camera, some sun screen, and some reading material and set off on a five hour hike into the woods. No one was around which made it feel like a real adventure. We admired the sights, jumped in the water, climbed some rocks, and talked to mother nature (and naturally) she talked back.

We found a spot at the top of the gorge, over looking the water, with a blue heron wading below us catching herself some fish that seemed very fitting for some slam poetry. We pulled out our "Daughters of Wisdom" book ( a gift from Ben) and our Thich Nhat Hahn, climbed up the wooden overlook and read to the blue heron, each other, and all of nature.
It was hugely liberating and incredibly empowering and I think I even saw the blue heron throw up her freedom fist.

Our picnic ended up getting smushed, but we enjoyed the PB & J sandwiches anyways... along with five hours of conversation. If you are looking for an escape and a day of peace... take to the woods!

We came home and slept and eventually ended up in the flooding streets of Franklinton, without power, in the pouring rain. It was liberating to be out there and feeling the rain come down that hard. It was cleansing. Then we finally made one of our dreams come true... we grabbed a bottle of shampoo from the house, and washed our hair in the rain. That, my friends, is true.

Community

2009-06-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

Aboriginal activists group, Queensland, 1970's:

If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.

West side wiffle ball...

2009-06-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

An impromptu game of wiffle ball came upon us last Tuesday which started what I think will be a weekly event...

Our rain brother friend Jonathan called the game together so we congregated on Martin and headed over to Dodge Park for the big game. We had an awesome turn out and a lot of fun.

This weeks wiffle ball Tuesday consisted of playing ultimate frisbee in the West Park median... next week will be kick ball.

Nothing like a good old game of wiffle ball in the ghetto...

It's a west side time...

2009-05-16T07:44:00.001-07:00

This is an exciting time for our community...

Brian and Heather T.G. just closed on their yellow west side house yesterday... and it was a holy moment. Kelly, Jonny, Jed, Hannah, Greg, Brian, Heather and I all gathered at the new house last night... taped up the kitchen for painting purposes and worked side by side til it was done. Then, in the empty house, we opened a bottle of champagne and had a toast... to Brian and Heather and their new home, to the kingdom in the bottoms, to jed and hannah and their plans to move with us, to our new community house on west park, to kelly's birthday, and to each other... to our little family.

It was a powerful time to say the least. More than anything, this is so exciting because our dreams are coming true... and we are doing it together...

More to come...

...with the grace of a woman and not the grief of a child.

2009-04-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

Life is flying by. I say and think this a lot but I wish I could just pause time right now so I have a chance to really absorb and enjoy all the life happening around me. Things feel alive, and surreal, and so damn lovely. Having freedom and love and the ability to do what I want, when I want it has never felt so good. It is certainly a time to cherish.

Women's night at St Johns with the church ladies was a holy time. There was lots of laughter, lots of dancing, lots and lots of tears, lots of empowerment, lots of celebrating womanhood, lots of freedom and healing experienced. It was a righteous time. I am definitely thankful to be apart of that group.

The sun is shining, it is 83 degrees out... and the grass in the front yard is calling my name.

be peace. and freedom.

Hoppy Easter

2009-04-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

I (thankfully) had Friday off. A good way to start the Easter weekend. Even better, Marvelyn came to town to visit Patience which meant we got to all hang out Friday afternoon, eat together and have a quick dance party before I headed home to hang with the family. Saturday was spent sewing chair covers and dress shopping for Heather's wedding. I think we are all glad to say that all the dresses are found and we are done with that part of the planning. Now we have 155 chair covers to make...

Saturday night was refreshing with some PBR and pizza at Houndogs with Marvelyn, Patience, Nate, Blake, Jon, Jy, and Kelly. It is good to laugh with them. It is very healing to laugh with them. We headed over to the Tawd and Sharon's for a serious dance party that lasted quite a few hours. Time flies by when you dance that hard. Mostly we jammed to 80's music which couldn't get any better when your friends have the dance moves that mine do. Every single one of them. Thankfully Rachel and Kyle were there and carried our team with their endless dance energy. At one point, Kelly, Marv, Patience, and I started some very authentic tribal moves which somehow swept everyone else off the dance floor. We decided to tone it down and realized quickly that the dance floor was meant to be shared.

It was a hopeful night. Dancing in a circle with your friends, laughing, chanting to the west side, celebrating life through dancing... life is sweet. That was the thought on my mind all night. Life is very sweet. And very good to me. I am very lucky to have the people that I do. I would want it no other way.

He is risen indeed!

Happy Sabbaths.

A day for the ducks... and the best day of our lives...

2009-04-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

Too bad today isn't as beautiful as yesterday. Yesterday was sunny with a high of 75 (for real)... and we enjoyed every minute of the day. As expected, we spent a lot of time on the front porch. Had a quick little picnic with our neighbor Matt (who we love). We put our faces in the sun, turned on some jams, and ate our leftovers from the dinner party we had with our neighbors the night before.

Then I took the lotus out for a special ride up to Goodale Park to meet Jason and Shannon and we had another picnic in the grass. We got to share nurse stories and laugh and roll around in the grass. It was good to catch up with those boys. They are two of the finest nurses I know.

I reconvened with Kelly in the afternoon and we biked up to have some margs and chips/salsa before the economics discussion. Jy joined to help us finish the margs, then we met up with Heather, Brian, and Greg for a lecture open to the public on the economic state of our country which was kind of interesting, kind of over my head. Lesson learned: keep everything local (banking especially).

After the lecture, we all met up with Patience and Jonny and visited the dube. It is a wonderful thing having that many people you care about sitting at the same table.

Today we woke up early and met Jy at the new house. The demolition work has been started and the house is stripped to the bare minimum. We got to walk through and hear about all the pending renovations. It is perfect. The overwhelming feelings of peace and joy and hope were profound. Our dreams are coming true!

Unsolicited advice to adolescent girls with pink hair...

2009-03-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

The latest slam poetry we just can't get enough of...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCErQ4bviIY

Slam it!

2009-03-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to speak when I'm spoken to... I'm going to speak when I choose.

A day for the bums...

2009-03-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

We finally got Greg back from New Orleans last night and we had a reunion at the Monster House to watch Blake, Nate, and Jon's show... which was incredible. Well done boys. There we decided that everyone who had nothing to do on Monday (today) would join forces and do nothing together.

Half of the group doesn't have jobs at all... the other half either a) called off or b) didn't have to work today. This left me, Kelly, Blake, Greg, Nate, Jon, Jonny, and Rachel free to be bums together all day.

After a quick episode of south park with Greg, we met up with Kelly, hit the North Market, and then met the rest of the bunch at Goodale Park for a picnic. The food collection, mostly made up of food left over in our fridges that were about to be thrown out, turned out to be a splendid selection.

We ate and talked and laughed and got photographed by the newspaper. We listened to music and played frisbee and scoop ball. We laid in the grass with our faces in the sun. We climbed trees. We enjoyed our community and each others presence. We missed Jy and Patience. We decided that we should all have sick days more often.

After a few hours had passed we decided we should move on. Kelly, Greg, Jonny, and I headed back to Martin and eventually met up with Jy, made some pizza and mashed potatos... had a trip to the "convienent" store... and enjoyed the sun setting on the front porch.

I wish everyday would be a bum day. I think we would all live longer and happier because of it.

I find myself, yet again, deeply loving community and deeply loving life.

Young hearts, be free!

2009-03-20T12:22:00.001-07:00

We woke up early at the Martin House to see our brother Patrick off on his crazy journey. He is walking from Columbus to NYC as an act of peace and repentance and to stand against the war. His letter to the community...

hello fellow peacemakers,

recently i have been wrestling with how i--as a military veteran who has bent his sword into a plowshare--might publically speak against the u.s.-led wars in iraq and afghanistan and advocate for peace. in the process, i came across some material for the “yes we can” campaign. this is an intense four-month national campaign by an organization called united for peace & justice (www.unitedforpeace.org). the campaign--which marks the sixth anniversary of the iraq war (march 19th) and is centered on martin luther king, jr's speech "beyond vietnam"--calls for both an end to the wars in iraq and afghanistan and the redistribution of military funds for housing, healthcare, education, jobs, and environmental stewardship initiatives. the campaign culminates, in part, on april 4th with a national peace march in new york city. at that time hundreds of thousands will convene at the heart of that city's financial district in order to call for peace and the reinvestment of funds into the nation's communities.

after some reflection, i not only feel compelled to participate in the march on april 4^th, but also to walk to the event as an extended witness for peace. on this journey i will walk approximately 550 miles over a fifteen-day period, relying solely on the hospitality of others along the way. i will arrive in the new york city area on april 3rd, with the journey coming to its climax the following day with the peace march itself.

while this walk, in and of itself, will not bring peace in iraq, afghanistan, or any other violent part of the world, i believe that God can use small, foolish acts such as this in order to highlight the ugly realities of violence and awaken people's imagination to the transformative power of love.

karen and the kids plan on accompanying me by car for the first couple days of the walk. they will then return home until it is time to meet up with me in new york city for the march. i would love to have others from the community join me as well--whether along the way or for the march. please join us on sunday, 3:00pm in order to conspire further.

peace,

patrick

We joined at 6 this morning... 11 of us from the community... j meier read some scripture of the disciples going out like this which was encouraging to hear... we all took (emotional) turns to anoint his head with oil and say a blessing over him. Then we laid hands on him and prayed for his journey and together sang a hymn and set out to watch him walk off.

Pray for Patrick, his feet, his soul, and for hospitality for him.

On and on and on...

2009-03-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

I am enjoying the last half of the sabbath on my front porch with Kelly... surrounded by my beautiful green plants and the basil seeds I just started. We just scored a great new vintage table from our neighbors trash and it makes a great addition to our porch. We are sipping some cheap wine and eating some delicious dip we got from kelly's mom. Most of all we are enjoying conversation, the sunshine, each others company, and the neighborhood cats.

The morning was spent at my future home in the bottoms... worshipping with our homeless friends, biking around the neighborhood, touring people in the bike shop, sitting on the front porch of martin, and hanging out with our future neighbors. Life is very full... and very meaningful... and very joyful.

Yesterday reminded me of the gift and the fullness of community of friendships. I spent most the night at the bike shop with Greg and Jy. They were hard at work and in between my tasks I was dancing to the hip hop (Lauryn Hill and Nas) playing in the background and riding the shop bike (the destroyer) around the rain barrels til I got dizzy. Then we went to see a folk concert at a bar on high street and got to dance with and enjoy patience, jy, blake, jon, and nate while doing so. What else do you need in life than a community that offers love and peace and support and fun and affirmation and everything else we need to get by in this world?

Wendi Weekend

2009-03-02T10:32:00.000-08:00

Thursday and Friday of this week consisted of us six faithful friends finishing out the 340 minute movie/ documentary called Country Boys about the struggle of young people in Appalachia. It took us three nights total to watch the whole thing. The first night, earlier in the week, the six of us piled onto the the pull out couch in the living room, shared some chocolate milk, guacamole, and laffy taffy, and got involved in the lives of Chris and Cody (the country boys themselves).

Thursday we continued the journey into the lives of these two boys... and Friday after our meeting about the new house on West Park and a celebratory dinner at the tip top, we (tearfully) wrapped it up and ended our relationships with Chris and Cody.

Saturday was a significant and memorable day to say the least. Kelly's sister-friend Wendi was in town from NY and came to stay for the night. We potlucked here with Greg, Jy, and Jonny, and had tacos courtesy of the Clintonville Community co-op. Despite the cold weather, we bundled up, got out our bikes, and hit the city to show Wendi around. We showed her (parts) of Franklinton... and naturally took her to our favorite place, Tip Top. We enjoyed some PBR, good conversation, sweet potato fries, laughter, and love before we headed back to the boys.

We got back and played on the new homemade key-tar as well as dueled with harmonicas in attempts to play Billy Joel's "Piano Man". I was not very good at it, but desperately want to be. We lost a few to sleep shortly after but Greg and I decided to hit up Blake, Nate, and Jon's house warming party... and good thing we did because Patience was drowning without us. We danced around like there was no tomorrow, and the boys even put on Love is a Battlefield to honor our presence. We danced late into the night and I realized I will never be sick of dancing around and looking a fool when music is on because it is so freeing and so joyful.

Dancing might be one of the most soulful things I can do. Dancing with the people you care about most makes it even better. It's spiritual.

I'll leave you with the precious words of Tolstoy in the latest of his essays I am immersed in...

On Anarchy,
" To use violence is impossible; it would only cause reaction. To join the ranks of the Government is also impossible- one would only become its instrument. One course therefore remains- to fight the government by means of thought, speech, actions, life, neither yielding to government nor joining its ranks and thereby increasing its power.

This alone is needed, will certainly be successful. And this is the will of God, the reaching of Christ."

Whew.

Picture update...

2009-02-24T11:20:00.000-08:00

Last week, mama Jan invited Kelly and I up to her house to have a cooking day. A few months ago we had attempted to make a broc ched soup and it failed. Not miserably, but it failed. It was her recipe we followed, so in attempts to make us better at life, she decided to teach us how to make it. This time was a much better success. The soup turned out perfect. We also got to make some amazing scones, laugh, and talk about love, the past, marriage, and the bondage of women in certain roles and how to handle it. It was a hopeful day.

Group shot of team cook.

Also last week, I had the day off, and my comrade Kelly sort of had the day off... so we spent the day having a luncheon, making patches (our new hobby), cooking dinner, dancing and wine drinking with Patience, and then dumpstering with the boys and Daria...

Here is our lunch, our stencil book, and our sewing machine.

A closer look at our lunch...

Our first two patches... we are very very proud of them.

Making dinner and enjoying sisterhood (which seems like a constant thing around here, thankfully)

Here is our PA love, Patience Lovermore. She is in the process of moving in. And sometimes sleeps in the bed with kelly and i. ha!

Midst of the dance party. Note Kelly reppin our new patch. Note me reppin that awesome vest. Note Patience and her broadway pose.

Daria

2009-02-17T08:05:00.000-08:00

Our beautiful russian comrade and soulful friend Daria ventured with us to the dumpsters last night. The reason I call her my comrade and soulful friend is because I have never heard her address us or introduce us any other way.

That is just the start of her. I learn so much from this women its incredible. Her genuine intrest in peoples thoughts and opinions on things. Her way of communicating. Her laughter. Her honestly. Her incredible gift of hospitality. Her love for the over 500 library books in her apt. Her love for books period. Her russian accent. Her auora of peace. Her radiance of peace.

Being around her, I instantly become more peaceful. She is a refreshing soul to be around. She was a great addition to the dumpster team that consisted of kelly, jonny, greg, and I.

I am itching for summer and all the feelings of freedom that come with it.

Hurry up summer.

Patience and Kelly

2009-02-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

I got to spend some much needed time with two of the most powerful and strong women I will ever know. We had a "girls night," which does not look at all as some may think "girls night" should look.

Yes, we watched a movie, ate some ice cream and chips and salsa, and talked about boys... but that was just the start.

We turned off the lights, lit eight candles, huddled on the couch together under blankets, and read aloud by candle light. We read excerpts from the vagina monologues, which I am now convinced you could only read aloud with people you are more than comfortable with. We also read an essay from a book Kelly and I got from the library by Gloria Steinem, who was one of the most influential feminist activist and authors of all time (in my opinion that is). It was a spiritual and mighty thing to behold with those girls, and a night I will never let slip from my memory. To be reminded of the gift of womanhood and what a powerful force that can be is something not done often enough. We ended the night, or at that point, the early morning, by blowing out all eight candles to different things, to Rachel in hopes she would join us next time, to our grandmothers, to Gloria Steinem and her work, to us three and being women... eight things were not enough. Mostly it was to the love and non judgement of women everywhere, oppressed women and free women, happy women and miserable women, confident women and self conscious women, to every woman, knowing each is powerful and beautiful in her own way.

More than a feminist, were humanist... and I try to remind myself of that every time I am around another human being. Unite.

Brilliant Banksy

2009-02-06T08:43:00.001-08:00

old friends... new friends... and stranger friends...

2009-02-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

I took a journey (along with Kelly, Jonny, Jy, Seth, and Dexter) to a new bar downtown that shall remain nameless. Jpo invited us to come meet up with her, carl, alan, and some other friends downtown to share some drinks. We combined crews, and added a little bit of Kyle, and a little bit of Patience (two of our awesome new friends) and had a hell of a time.

We danced a bit... didn't get judged as much as we thought... mingled a lot... met lots of new friends... and combined lots of old friends.

I think one of my favorite things is having lots of different friends all together in one room and watching them all get along, learn about each other, interact with each other, exchange numbers with each other, and laugh together. It actually might be my favorite thing to do. Everyone looked like they had known each other for years and everyone had a good time and it was just a very successful night.

One that should happen way more often...

"the truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off"...

2009-02-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

I am making a vow today to stop losing my stuff.

Its a chronic problem, really. Car keys, debit cards, house key, drivers license... the list goes on. Those are just the important things.

Advice from my family has been "get your shit together" or "take better care of your stuff"

So today, my friends, I am going to "get my shit together" and stop losing stuff.

Help.

Ramblings...

2009-02-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

My soul is sort of crying out for a break. It's sick and tired of being sick, and being tired. I am longing for more peace, more truth, more love, and more freedom... which inevitably come with seeking... and waiting... and complete and utter silence. I have been estranged from meeting my creator in stillness... in quietness...

I find hope in my spirituality in strange and beautiful ways... none compare though to entering into that almighty presence and silently sitting.

Snowed in oh nine...

2009-01-28T07:20:00.000-08:00

Snow has struck the city of Columbus in a fierce way... and Kelly, Patience and I are snowed in at the boys house. Everyone has work/school off except for JY. We are waking up to Iron and Wine right now... captain crunch with berries for breakfast... movies and lounging all day... ahhh, snow days.

We attempted to make some vegan cookies last night as a start to our snowed in time... unfortunately, they didn't turn out as we hoped... so we drank some Killians instead.

Time to take a trip in the snow!

Brilliant

2009-01-24T08:41:00.000-08:00

Thoughts on private property

2009-01-24T08:35:00.000-08:00

I do not believe in the concept of private property... (usually)

and I definitely do not believe in the concept of not sharing.

awesome.

2009-01-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

Nice job Connor...

2009-01-11T16:19:00.000-08:00

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1tzgw_be-when-the-president-talks-to-god_music

When the president talks to GodAre the conversations brief or long?
Does he ask to rape our women’s rights
And send poor farm kids off to die?
Does God suggest an oil hike
When the president talks to God?

When the president talks to God
Are the consonants all hard or soft?
Is he resolute all down the line?
Is every issue black or white
?Does what God say ever change his mind
When the president talks to God?

When the president talks to God
Does he fake that drawl or merely nod?
Agree which convicts should be killed?
Where prisons should be built and filled?
Which voter fraud must be concealed
When the president talks to God?

When the president talks to God
I wonder which one plays the better cop
We should find some jobs. the ghetto's broke
No, they're lazy, George, I say we don't
Just give 'em more liquor stores and dirty coke
That's what God recommends

When the president talks to God
Do they drink near beer and go play golf
While they pick which countries to invade
Which Muslim souls still can be saved?
I guess god just calls a spade a spade
When the president talks to God

When the president talks to God
Does he ever think that maybe he's not?
That that voice is just inside his head
When he kneels next to the presidential bed
Does he ever smell his own bullshit
When the president talks to God?
I doubt it
I doubt it

Thoughts on taking sides from Thich Nhat Hanh...

2009-01-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

"If we take one side, we can't fulfill our task of reconciliation in order to being about peace.

Are there people who can be in touch with both Israelis and Palestinians, Pakistanis and Indians, black and white? Without them, the situation gets worse. There must be people who can get in touch with both sides, understanding the suffering of each, and telling each side about the other. We need people who can help bring meditation and reconciliation to nations in conflict. Can Americans be more than Americans? Can we be people who understand deeply the suffering of both sides? Can we being the message of reconciliation?"

something to think about...

So this is the new year... again...

2009-01-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely ringing in of the new year over at the boys with lots of really great company. The boys, Kelly and I, jy's sister, Kelly's cousin, Heather and Brain T.G., Jed and Hannah H.D., Patience and John and then Aaron, Ben, and Kristin.

We danced a lot... drank a lot... laughed a lot... danced some more... had a cheers to the new year, new us.

The girls and I have put a list of new years resolutions on the fridge... things like try more recipes, make dill rice, plant basil/ garlic, love people better, fuck body image concerns, drink more water, laugh more. Those kind of resolutions are fun... and attainable.

If you are looking to take a stand against the violence in Gaza here is how...

January 2-5, 2009

Protests against attacks on Gaza

Friday, January 2, 2009, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Protest Israel's Massacre of Gazans. Ohio Statehouse (Broad St. & High St., Downtown Columbus). For more information contact : Wendy Ake @ 614-595-8650 or wendy.ake@gmail.com. Parking available at meters on streets surrounding Statehouse and parking garage underneath Statehouse Building. Statehouse Parking garage can be accessed from 3rd Street or State Street.
>br? January 2, 2009, 2:30 PM. Cleveland Ohio Protest. Contact Khaled Alabaddi for more info 216-374-7625.

Friday, January 2, 2009, 6:00 PM. Women in Black Vigil. End the vicious cycle of violence!! Bridge on Lane Ave. (West of High St.) Silent vigil (no speakers). Please bring candles and wear some black in mourning for victims of violence. Everyone welcome. For carpooling or more information, contact Connie – 614-531-4146.

Sunday, January 4, 2009, 5:00 PM. End Military Occupations Sunday Night Action. Location: 15th and N. High Street.

Monday, January 5, 2009, 4:30 PM. State of Ohio Public Action at Statehouse. begin gathering infront of it by 4:30pm by 5pm everyone should be there. This Public Action is for the entire state of Ohio and will be HUGE, so spread the word!!! For more information, contact cjp.at.osu@gmail.com6:00-7:00 PM. This vigil is dedicated to protesting the recent escalation of violent attacks on the Gaza Strip that have left nearly 300 people dead in a massacre carried out using U.S. taxpayer-funded weapons. More than 700 people, including women and children, have been injured in the attacks. Everyone is welcome – please wear some black. Bring a sign promoting the power of non-violence (or we will provide one) or expressing solidarity with the people of Gaza.

"promoting the power of non violence and expressing solidarity with the people of Gaza"

Doesn't get much better than that...

Pray for peace... act for peace

2008-12-29T13:11:00.000-08:00

Along with being sick and tired of Christmas... I have been sick and tired of churches for awhile now.

Yesterday, the Columbus Mennonite church though really helped to snap me back into a more loving and peaceful mindset when it comes to churches. The last church service I went to, at a church I won't name, we heard about the mysteries of santa and the mystery of Christmas... keeping Jesus at the center of Christmas. Typical sermon, unfortunately, for this time of year. Hearing that message just added to my current annoyance of the american church who ignores the problems of the city and the world around them.

Well then yesterday... I heard the best message from the alter that I have ever heard in any church anywhere. They spoke of the mass slaughter in Gaza... the women telling of the hellish acts was in tears over it, confessing to the body that she has had violent thoughts towards those doing the slaughtering, tearfully asking us to pray the lords prayer with her, then had us meet her in the lobby to sign a petition begging for this mass murder to be stopped. They also spoke of the Matthew 25 way of meeting Jesus. A man spoke of meeting Jesus last week through a little boy with his shoes on the wrong feet from the west side of the city. Then again meeting Jesus through a little girl overseas affected with AIDS.

It really got me thinking... and comparing the last two messages I heard from two very different churches. I was sick to my stomach at the thought that a majority of churches in this country are speaking of the mysteries of santa from the pulpit and a minority of churches are speaking of the shit that really matters.

What matters is that there is unrest and violence all around us. Hundreds losing their lives in a mass slaughter in Gaza. Children being murdered by our government in Iraq. Innocent men being accused of being terrorists and in result being tortured to the point of insanity or even worse, death. My own friends in this very city sleeping outside in the freezing cold, being ignored by most of the city.

What doesn't matter is the mystery of santa... the mystery of Christmas... or building your church bigger.

Harsh, maybe. But seriously? Stop ignoring the horror of this world going on all around us. If you go to church every week and don't hear about what issues are currently ruining the city or the world you live in and what you can be doing to make a difference beyond writing a check then you should ask yourself what you are doing.

These two hands can only do so much.
"This is a disaster.... where the fuck are the rescue workers?"

Goodbye Christmas... at last

2008-12-29T12:56:00.000-08:00

Kelly and I cleaned the apt today like mad women... in doing so we ripped down all the christmas decorations and it feels good to be back to normal.

Dad was in the hosptial over Christmas this year... so it was not a special christmas by any means and I am just glad it is all over. The Young and Reitz families were very good to me this year and I felt welcomed and loved like they were my own family. I even got a bottle of Baileys from kellys mom, along with a bunch of other presents from that family. It was lovely.

This year I was most thankful for unconventional family... something Jesus figured out long ago that I am just discovering... (one of the many things).

What a Christmas

2008-12-25T19:16:00.000-08:00

Right now I feel like there is so much turbulence and hostility and violence and anger in my life... in my heart... and in my mind. It is really disheartening and terribly disturbing.

It feels really foreign and not feeling peace can be really ugly.

I wonder if, the more I let PEACE rule and reign in my heart, in my body, in my mind and in my spirit... I will react differently.

The more I let peace rule me the less I will react and the less I will fight and the less I will anger when I'm feeling hurt.

Feeling anger is an ugly ugly thing. But like my dear friend Thich says... acknowledge your anger. Let it know that you know it is there... that you see it... that you feel it. And let it know that you are going to take good care of it and nurture it. I wonder what made that man angry and even more how he thought to be so gentle to his anger. Gentleness is definitely not on my mind when I'm mad.

Maybe that is the problem. Maybe it should be.

Peace meditation, here I come.

In the words of my sister,

"Merry fucking Christmas"

Ten-i-see

2008-12-21T13:29:00.000-08:00

Lets back track... yet again...

Steph and I took an emergency trip down to Knoxville TN to visit Lisa during a time in need. We decided to go on Thursday night and Friday morning we rented a car and hit the road. We had a lovely 6 hour drive together... to talk, to sing, to cry, to laugh, to enjoy being in each others presence.

We took Buddah with us... rubbed his belly... prayed to Jesus for a safe trip and for a place to stay and we were off with only the plan to go take care of Lisa. It was a good time to meditate on mysterious things like life and death and suffering and grieving. Still none of which I understand fully. Maybe we are not supossed to fully understand things like that. Things that are not of this world. Spiritual and super natural things. Maybe that is how God keeps us close, by not revealing to us everything we want to know. Maybe not. Just a lot of things were thought about. Thinking about friendship, love, community, and solidarity. When one of us suffer... we all should suffer if we are truly connected in a deep with with each other. The presence of friends in tough times is irreplaceable. Even if all you do is sit and stare at the floor. It does more help than we know.

We made it to Lisa. We got to sit with her and hold her and hug her and cry with her and remember with her and it was a holy and beautiful thing.

Time was ticking and we still didn't know where we were sleeping. I had emailed a few churches in the area the night before and asked for some family hospitality and as expected, got no responses. It's pretty shitty that you can't even count on parts of the body of Christ to put you up for a few nights when in need but you can definately count on couchsurfing.com. We ended up couch surfing with a wonderful girl and her two roommates. We hit the town of Knoxville and got a bite to eat and some drinks at a lovely place called Urban Bar. We met some interesting friends, and hung out with our cool server Travis. We continued to walk around and even found a cereal bar!

We had a good night sleeping with our new stranger friends and really enjoyed the rest of our time in TN. I captured one shot of buddah and Yuengling... i'll leave you with that...

"live your life"

2008-12-09T17:53:00.000-08:00

Lets back track...

Two weekends ago I took a road trip out to Minneapolis with Heather T.G., Brian G., Kelly, and Emily. The girls and I were invited to go out there with the T.G.'s beacuase Heather had to speak in the MLA conference so they hooked her up in the Marriott downtown Minneapolis.
We headed out Thursday night after work and drove 12 hours through the night and arrived promptly at 6 am or something crazy. Luckily the hotel let us check in a bit early because we were about to sleep in the lobby. Heather went to work and we all crashed for a few hours. When we woke up we went in search of some lunch which led us to walk out to the ghetto and eat at a mexican place which was good at the time, and regretted later. I am not sure what we did the rest of the day except for some exploring and some sleeping and some laughing.
Kelly and I headed out about midnight for some midnight ice cream and after searching a few blocks in each direction we were only able to find some creepy men at a bar which we left and O' Dons.

O' Dons was the start of the rest of the adventures of the trip. Odons is an Irish Pub, they had a live scottish band playing and we met a lovely couple named Will and Erica who shared their table with us, made us eat some of their fries, bought us some irish cider beer, and most importantly... taught us how to do an irish dance. They made us feel like celebrities and even had the band announcing we were visiting from Ohio. We danced the night away and even taught them some Ohio dancing. Which really looks like nothing else than freedom on a dance floor. We made some fellow bike friends and included them in on our dance circle. At the end of it... I was so pleased decided to go out for some late night ice cream.

On Saturday we decided to hunt for some mom and pop pizza and we ended up finding the best pizza in the mid west. The place was run by two amazing mob looking men and was just down right yummy. The day continued from there. We ran into a protest of at least 1000 people protesting for equal rights so we put on our loud voices and our femi fists and joined them. We marched all over downtown... chanting and clapping and it was a holy and powerful thing.
We met some people who recommended seeing a band later that night at a place called the Uptown Bar. We had it on our list to hit up the C C Club so decided to do both. CC Club was an old little hole in the wall and the home of some serious socialist shit back in the 60's. We headed to the Uptown Bar after and were amazed at the bands that played. Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapells were the highlight for us. Check them out.

We had a few drinks and danced back to the hotel for our final night in Minneapolis. Our cab driver was a lovely man from Africa and he was here working for his two children and I accidently gave him all the money I had on me and told him to take care of his children. Then we got out of the cab and I got laughed at for it. He needed it more than I did though... I'm sure of it.

The 12 hour car ride back was really nothing to write about... so at that... i'm off.

Meditations from Thich...

2008-11-30T05:58:00.000-08:00

"In a time of anger or despair, even if we feel overwhelmed, our love is still there. Our capacity to communicate, to forgive, to be compassionate is still there. You have to believe this. We are more than our anger, we are more than our suffering. We must recognize that we do have within us the capacity to love, to understand, to be compassionate, always."

Foot-y pajamas and the greatest friends in the world...

2008-11-08T18:10:00.000-08:00

The three day a week work schedule is exhausting but very sutiable for a spontaneous life style.

Thursday night after work... and after our community time... we rode our bikes up to a hotel downtown for our own version of a hotel party. Greg's job had a conference there and although he lives here... they gave him a room anyway. Luckily my friends love to share so we all got to enjoy a fancy hotel overlooking beautiful Columbus with three vacant full size beds and a fridge of beer (provided by us).

We took a mini vacation on Thursday, and like any good vacation in a hotel, we went exploring. Not only did we go exploring... but we went in our socks... just like we all did as kids. We hit every floor and even found some secret passage ways, other peoples half eaten room service, and the ice machine (a personal favorite).

We got to jump on the beds, have a dance party, fight each other with pillows, and rock out with Greg's co worker and his guitar, all lay in one bed to talk laugh and snuggle, and eat free cookies. It was the best vacation i'd ever been on.

Kelly and I closed up shop the next morning and rode back in the rain. She treated me to some breakfast at Tim's and we sat inside talking of sisterhood (real and adopted sisters) and the freedom and acceptance of that kind of relationship. We talked of the value of our friendships with our moms... which can be deeper than any other human relationship... it left me feeling like we have so little time to enjoy the family we have.

Only your sisters can see you drunk, dancing in your underwear and a t shirt in a foreign country to the sound of your own awful voice to an equally awful song and not change the way they look or feel about you. THAT is sisterhood.

Friday was pretty productive... and we had a special treat for dinner with Kelly's family and pizza! I love spending time with other families especially when they remind me of my own. We then met up with the boys and headed to the monster house for Blake's show, met some new friends, saw some old and wonderful friends (kyle and paul!)

Now it is saturday night and i am laying on the couch watching center stage alone in my foot-y one piece pajamas that kelly and i picked up today. I am starting to wonder if i am becoming an old lady because I don't feel like doing anything on Saturday nights... but I am in footy pj's so probably not.

We are the insurgents...

2008-11-02T14:45:00.000-08:00

"We are building up a new world
Do not sit idly by
Do not remain neutral
Do not rely on this broadcast alone
We are only as strong as our signal
There is a war going on for your mind
If you are thinking you are winning
Resistance is victory
Defeat is impossible
Your weapons are already in hand
Reach within you and find the means by which to gain your freedom
Fight with tools
Your fate and that of everyone you know depends on it"

Goblins, gremlins, and cows on bikes...

2008-11-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

Halloween was... in one word... fun!

I picked Jy up from work and we went searching for a costume for him... and of course had success at VOA.

We went back to the boys place to find Greg getting into costume as an old man... and that he was. We cooked up some lovely spinach, tomato, and feta pasta, passed out candy to all the little Franklinton trick or treaters, and watched the Halloween episode of The Simpsons.

Jy went off to party and Greg and I headed to Clintonville to make some pumpkin cookies and get 80's Emily ready for fun. (Pictures coming soon...)
So 80's Emily, Old man Greg, and Ashley Cow jumped on our bikes and headed for the short north. We got lots of MOO's on the way and saw all the awesome costumes in the short north. We hit up a bar and then went to Greg's co workers house to hang out.

Shortly after emily and I decided to hit up another friends party... and what a party it was. I am not sure there has ever been a greater or longer dance party than last nights. Dancing with Pologamist wife Melissa, grandma Brad, ghetto bumble bee JPo, and all the other random people was pretty incredible. The "dance table" and the back porch ledges/benches served as great stages for our moves.

Pictures are to come... I can't stop laughing.

Emily and I had a chilly and unsable bike ride home from 12th... baked some more pumpkin cookies... made some necessary 2am phone calls to our lovely roommate in Chicago... and maybe a lot of other people. Emily and I went to bed in my bed as we are still uneasy about sleeping alone... and luckily Carl came over and fell asleep in our bathroom. haha.

o what a night...

in other news, Aubi is coming today to visit Steph and I!!!!!!

photo op

2008-10-31T08:30:00.001-07:00

I took myself out on a date yesterday... to go see Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. You can laugh, but I wanted to see the movie that was filmed right in this picture below which is right where we were! It brought back some lovely memories.

Some laughter about the election...

2008-10-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxlwYP0HNdc&feature=related

I can't wait for the election to be done with. I'm sick of the poisonous propaganda... this video however, is charming.

Universal Restoration

2008-10-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

Community time tonight proved to be healing, once again. We talked about universal restoration and what it looks like, whether it is a sudden thing or a gradual thing... how it can affect us now... if we can, by doing good, help to bring restoration now. Good stuff.

The girls and I had a little scare last night that left us not wanting to sleep in our house. So the first thing we did was call Greg and I shared with him our need for males in the house and almost without hesitation the three boys were on our front porch, sleeping bags in hands, ready to slumber with us.

That right there my friends, is family. We got some ice cream, curled up on the couch together, popped in Blank Check, remembered that it was better when we were kids, felt safe together, and just enjoyed being in each others presence.

Community

2008-10-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

The community I am apart of is just one of a kind... and I am reminded of that daily.

Thursday at our gathering was deeply encouraging and the conversation was so organic that it left me thanking the Lord for bringing these sweet sweet people into my life.

Then today again, enjoying the sabbath with them. Being at street church with them, feeding hungry bellys with them, building relations with the street population of Columbus. And whats more... visiting the new freedom garden for the last time this season ... doing our laundry... riding our bikes to whole foods, then to the community market... making dinner thanks to gregs new debit card... laughing... dancing... and just being in their presence. It's refresing... and life saving really.

We have been documenting our lives via a polaroid camera and putting the pictures up on our living room wall in a tetris shape design but pictures hardly do these times justice... I sometimes just wish I could pause time and really soak up these moments... really soak up these people I'm around... its something I just don't know how to value more than I already do. Time is moving too quick. Way
way
too
quick.

dolla grilled cheese and lots ID's...

2008-10-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

Monday served to be very enjoyable... not to mention a blast from the past.

We went to Bodega for Monday night dolla dolla grilled cheese, as usual, this time the company was a little bit different... and really great.

Em, Kelly, Jonny, Alan, JoeK, MattH, MattL, Jpo, Brad and Melissa, etc. It was so much fun that we decided the party should be continuted with pumpkin carving and front porch conversation. So Kelly and I picked up some pumpkins from the clintonville community market... (which is awesome) and headed back to the house to meet Robby, Andrew S, and Josh Scott to carve these awesome pumpkins. It was a huge success and the rewards are sitting on our front porch right now...

The beauty of being with old friends... breathing in the crisp fall air... and loving life is no small thing...

more wise thoughts from thich...

2008-10-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

"wherever we are, any time, we have the capacity to enjoy the sunshine, the presence of each other, even the sensation of our breathing."

The presence of each other is a mighty thing. I'm here at Stauf's with Kelly and Em on the way. The sun is shining, the temperature outside is perfect, the pumpkin chai is delicious, the company is genuine, the world is busy, the Lord woke me up today, The Great Lake Swimmers are playing in my ears, and i feel peace... what not to smile about?

"if in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work."

the world is falling apart but i feel an ounce of hope... (thank you)

The ragamuffin lifestyle...

2008-10-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend was quality. Since I don't have a camera anymore, I'm attempting to document more in writing so that I have something to remember these beautiful times with beautiful people that make me so thankful for the life I have.

Friday after work I had 8 of my nurse friends over to the new place for a fall dip party. We had some spiced rum apple cider which is better cold if you ever have the option. My lovely roommate Kelly hosted this little get together with me and dealt wonderfully with all the nurse talk. Everyone brought a different dip to share and it was a huge success. Everyone brought something different and it was all so good! We hung out for a bit then headed off to a haunted house. I got chased by the chain saw man which left me running out of the haunted house and through the parking lot. I don't think haunted houses are for me...

After the haunted house, Steph and I went back to my place and had an unplanned dance party with Kelly, Em, and Becky to an artist we wish not to relase to the general public. It is a total femi-fisting song which leaves you feeling proud to be a woman and shouting "girl power". It might have been one of the best dance parties I have ever experienced.

Saturday, bright and early, was Pumpkin Fest Bike Trip 08! Due to illness, bacheolor parties, and lovedrug concerts it ended up just being Greg, Jy, Josh, and I. We biked down to circleville to experience the famous pumpkin show and had a ton of fun. We ate lots of festival food and pumpking flavored everything, saw some good bands, ran into good friends, and spent some time with Jy's family. We finally headed back... it took over two hours due to tiredness, wind, and sore legs. It felt good to be done with that bike ride.

We went back to my house and enjoyed some leftover dip with Kelly, dropped josh off, and greg jy and i hit up oreillys to watch the Red Sox game. Then met up with Nicky G et all and I realized how much I miss him being around.

Now it's the sabbath and I had a great morning with Kelly doing dishes, making lunch together, and talking about life. It will never get old. Now I'm at my parents and should be spending time with them... so on that note... live free or die.

Heavy times...

2008-10-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

"Life is both dreadful and wonderful."

Thich Nhat Hanh

That is exactly the way I feel after today. Greg, Jy, and I went to the Columbus Mennonite Church tonight to hear an Iraqi veteran and an American veteran speak about the current state of the war, their opinions, and the truth that we are never told about Iraq.

It's not only dreadful that we have the government that we do... but even more dreadful is the fact that our media isn't even truthful about the events that are occuring.

It was good to be with the boys and good to be made aware, even if in a minimal way.

We came home and fixed some dinner and watched the final presidential debate, and once again all I could do was turn my palms to the sky and ask our Father for an intervention. Some peace. Some truth. Anything, really. The debate was pretty digusting to say the least and I am ready for some freedom from all the lies that are being drilled into our heads.

Then we watched the 11pm news... 10 murders in Columbus in 10 days they said...

once again, palms up,
Father? Please? Quickly?

Dreadful... a lot. Wonderful... a lot.

What is truly wonderful is the feeling of safety from having two of your dearest friends at your side... all of us feeling the pain of our seperation from truth and peace... realizing our need to pray, pray, pray for this world.

wickywicky wilderness 08!

2008-09-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

Life has been crazy busy and crazy fun and I am just now finding the time to sit down and try to remember all the adventures I have been on since Labor Day...

My friends and I decided to take a very last minute camping trip on Labor Day down to Hocking Hills... the car ride with Emily, Jy, and Greg might have been the highlight of the trip. Greg is learning how to drive in the city of Columbus (I can't imagine Boston is much different), and it's an adventure in itself. We took a couple of wrong turns, drove up a one way street with four lanes of oncoming traffic, cruised up on sidewalks, and I am sure hit a few people before we made it down to hocking.

We arrived after dark to our hike in campsite... armed with beer, burgers, hotdogs, spicy mustard, cinnamon rolls, and our 10 person mash style tent. It was beautiful. Except we didn't know what our site number was, couldn't check in becuase it was closed, and didn't have cell phone service to communicate with Jonny and Kelly on their way. Who knows how we managed but we did. The girls started on the tent... the boys worked on the fire... and in no time we were up and running. When Kelly and Jonny finally found us we were really ready to party. We cooked up some dinner and enjoyed the peace, community, stillness, and beauty of the hocking hills.

We fit snugly into our ten man tent and even managed to play a few rounds of steam roller. The morning was a good one... we cooked out and ate some more hotdogs and hamburgers for breakfast (yuck). Eventually we set out to do some hiking in the old mans cave...

We managed to lose emily to the old man which turned into an adventure inside an adventure. we hit up some awesome soft serve ice cream on the way out of hocking and made it back to columbus a happy group of people! While we were down in hocking we did some dreaming out loud together... somehow the dreaming out loud led us to deciding to start a week long experiment of living in the same quarters. haha. so that we did. Kel, Em, and I packed out belongings for one week... and set out.

3 boys... 3 girls...

2008-09-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

joining forces for a week long slumber in Franklinton Ohio, conquering the streets one dance party at a time...

Interested? I bet you are. The Labor Day camping trip I took with my community family inspired a week long experiment that we are in the midst of.

I'll leave it at that until I can collect my thoughts and pictures because I need to get in the shower so I can enjoy Houndogs with my new roommates...

It's Buckeye time...

2008-09-01T18:57:00.001-07:00

... and that means fun!

I'm going to start a revolution from my bed...

2008-09-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

I have recently been thinking how great it would be if I could pause at age 23 and stay there for the rest of my life.

Life has been so fun and so enjoyable this summer. It has been adventure after adventure this summer with my friends and I can't get over how fun I think life is.

We've been learning what it means to live out the gospel in out own ways and together. We may have a different way of doing it, we may have different defintions of community, church, and communion... but that is why life has been so enjoyable. Living out the gospel with your friends and with the least of these has me so thankful that my life is what it is. I am so thankful that my life includes the people it does...

Friday night we went down to Shakesphere in the park... emily and I rode our bikes down... picked up some wine at the local Kroger... and met up with Jonny, Jonathan, Kelly, Greg and the others for the play. We didn't get very far before a storm hit, really bad, so we took cover under a tree. We played around for a bit... attempting to build shelter. We lost a few members here and there and before I knew it, Kelly, Jonny, Jonathan and I were playing in the pouring rain. We had a dance party... a cartwheel contest... we ran... we spun... we got up on the stage and performed... and felt extreme joy in laughter.

We finally decided to take shelter in a nearby building where we considered spending the night at...

Once the storms settled down we decided to head back... thankfully the boys rode emily and i's bikes back to f-ton.

The only logical thing to do after a night like that was to head back to the boys and have a dance party... wet... and that we did. It may have been one of the best dance parties of all times. We eventaully all ended up on the floor (after our circle/ hand holding dance) where we then laid for a hour or two talking.

The safeness of love, acceptance, laughter, and fun in these friendships is refreshing. It's great to have friends who can be weird with you...

Triathlete in completion...

2008-09-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

The much awaited triathlon finally arrived... and I did it! It was extremely hard... but I am thankful for the wonderful team that I had to do it with...

Us swimmers just before the race...My partner in crime... and my strength the entire day

My wonderful team of friends! It was 90 degrees by the time we started the 14 mile bike... which made it pretty miserable but we finsished it and that was the goal!

I took a week off... but now its back on for more training for our tri in October!

woot woot.

Triathletesforlife.

Reminders...

2008-08-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

I remembered last Wednesday night why I love my life so much at times...

Hearing the honest and passionate words of my homeless friends brings laughter to my soul and tears from the love I have for them...

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only 'forgotten' son..."

"I took myself to the hospital because I couldn't breathe and they incubated (meaning intubated) me!"

"Dear God, I pray that you all in this circle survive forever."

They say these prayers/ words with such sincerity, confidence, and love and I am reminded to give thanks that this has become part of my life... and an even bigger part of my prayers.

Some nights are really heavy and others are light and our laughter brings freedom and while both are good feelings in one sense or another, the nights of laughter provoking freedom and equality are spiritual cleansing for me.

Laughter, true and genuine laughter, shows no differences. When you get to laugh with people it doesn't matter if you are homeless, dirty, and belligerent sitting on railroad tracks or if you rich, oppressive, and clinging to your life. Laughter knocks down all predisposed identities and puts everyone on the same level.

Laughter put me sitting on railroad tracks in the dark... homeless, dirty, and belligerent ... loving life, God, and my brothers... and experiencing fullness like I never have before. There was not another thought in my mind except for being perfectly content and perfectly purposeful.

A stunningly holy moment...

From my dear friend Kelly...

2008-08-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

Last Monday I had a "Monday" and I was blessed to have spent that night with my beautiful Jezreel friends and Kelly put into perfect words how the night went...

Mondays
August 12, 2008, 9:02 am
As long as there exist depressing Mondays, here’s to hoping there always also exists spontaneous after-parties (in pursuit of sanity and laughter) with cheap wine, baked-zucchini with Parmesan, debates on absolute truth, Jane Austen action figures, and interviews with wives on behalf of the women terrified of marriage (facetiously considering polygamy…)

Cheap wine, laughter, truth, and awesome friends ARE all you need to turn a Monday right around...

more summer fun...

2008-07-24T15:31:00.000-07:00

Kesia and I at the Clippers game for Mike's birthday!

Mohican camping trip 2008... in the mud.

Half of my triathlon team... the northern T.I.T.'s (triathletes in training)
\ Julie and Caleb got married!

By beloved bike... from my beloved Laura and Adam

No Planet... No Party

2008-07-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

Life has been fun lately... different. Yet fun.

I started my new job as a Critical Care Nurse for Ohio Health this past Monday and that has been an adventure. It is going to make me really smart and really awesome and I am excited for that. Lot's of work to do before I can start saving lives... just when I thought the learning was done... its back.

I guess that is one of the many good things about being a nurse... you never stop learning. There is always more to learn and more to learn and more to learn...

This is going to be so good.

I am also training for a triathlon on August 24th with seven really fun friends... we started a blog about our journey... http://tittriathletesintraining.blogspot.com/

Check it out and leave us some encouragement!

2008-07-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

Summer 08!

2008-05-22T20:44:00.000-07:00

Best advice all week...

2008-05-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

It's hurts to be strong.

Thanks l.a.y.

It is finished!

2008-05-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

The good news is...

is that I GRADUATED college!!!!!

It's so strange to say that...

"If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." (1 Cor 13:3)

Without love... we got nothing.

Freedom

2008-05-05T21:08:00.001-07:00

Your bitterness is binding you...

And it is leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

Let
it
go.

Life...

2008-04-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

... is so so rich.

i often feel like the wealthiest person alive...

He has set eternity in the hearts of EVERY man...

2008-04-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever I feel like I can say that I truly know what Jesus meant when he said he came to give life, and give it to the fullest.

I've been experiencing nothing but the fullness that Jesus intends for our lives to have. It's challenging though because it has come in a strange way.

I am finding fullness in realizing that my "church" is not the same place that I worship on Sundays. I have found fullness and contentment in my church being with the 20 people that meet in a Kent apt and wrestle through life together. I have found fullness in my church also being with the 5 other people in Columbus who desire to see social justice and "new Jerusalem." Those five others who desire to see the kingdom come to Columbus are are going to invest their lives with me to see it happen. That is church... and not where I thought I would find church. I can finally feel joy about the fact that I go to a church building and as a place of worship and get to make the church come alive with the people I'm around.

It is great to see and feel the body of Christ come alive. I have not seen or felt that in quite some time... and maybe I never really did.

I feel fullness from realizing that your church should be a place and a people affected by you just as equally as you are affected by them. If you can leave your church and it does not make an impact on the body or if you can leave and people won't realize it... that's a problem. A church should be affected by your presence/absence just as your family is.

I truly believe that it was the way church was intended to be...

When you have 2000 pew sitters gather on a Sunday morning... how do you know who came in the doors looking for help? How do you know who came in hungry or broken looking for help? How does a church that big know the needs of the people gathered? People come and go undetected and that is an honest tragedy.

Yet somehow I am finding fullness in that. I am finding fullness in the hearts of my friends who are being touched by the spirit. I am finding fullness in things that I never thought I could.

Fullness in simplicity.
Fullness in rest.
This fullness is coming in abundance... (thank you!!)

I can breathe easier because I know I'm not alone.. and I know I don't ever have to be alone.

We were not created to live lonely and completely independent lives...

We just were not.

It's okay to lean...

SFC

2008-04-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

Lexington and New Monasticism was a life changing time this weekend...

Lots of things to pray about... lots more things to change...

The kingdom is coming to Columbus! Halleluiah!

Here we come...

2008-03-31T19:09:00.001-07:00

Ahhhh... Greece... it's keeping me going...

I am trying to enjoy the ending of this season without wishing it away. I am trying to enjoy the 4 hours straight spent in the library. I really am. This is still my season for the time being and my mind is so focused on the next one...

I have an interview with the OSU med center on the 11th! Which is great news! Then off to Kentucky for the weekend with some awesome people to learn about true community. Should be a good time.

a time for peace... and a time for war...

love.

You can call me Lenaaaaaaaaaaa

2008-03-20T16:06:00.001-07:00

May 26th... I'm going to Greece!

10 days in the greek islands!

booked it today!

wooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once you think your in... your out

2008-03-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

My dad, via text, just offered me $50 and dinner at my favorite pub in Gahanna if I didn't go to graduation...

Grandpa is offering a similar deal if not more...

I'm no stupid lady... I'm all over that deal.

Life is so much better when you are in your underwear...

2008-03-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

The new Sia cd is quite possibly the best thing since sliced bread. It moves in me... and I love when music can do that. Other than the very patient and gentle hands of God, it's the only other thing holding me together and keeping me joyous.

This March snow surprise is terrible. It wouldn't be except for the fact that I had two tickets to see Wicked in Cleveland last night and a hotel room in PlayHouseSquare that I was not able to use. I couldn't even get my car out of the parking spot. All of it was non refundable of course. It was originally my parents who were supposed to see the play and stay in Cleveland for the night but my mom got stranded in Chicago and they switched everything over to my name.

Talk about a bummer. I seriously considered walking. Or sledding there. It didn't happen. What a waste of money.

Spring break = 1 week
Graduation = 2 months

there is that.

Your kingdom come...

2008-02-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot recently about the holy moments we get to encounter... and how it's like heaven on earth. Heaven on earth is such a beautiful thought in itself. It's crazy to think that we play a part in bringing heaven to earth.

On the other hand... hell on earth is a reality too. Recently at NIU... but more than that... in our own hearts and in our own lives. We are also capable of sometimes hellish things and when I think about us being capable of bring hell to earth... it makes me quiver. I don't want to do that... but I know at times, I do.

My heart needs some major healing... laughter and music have been helping with that this week...

it's going to have to get deeper than that...

"We struggle in our connection with the earth, in our connections with each other, and with being connected with ourselves. But it wasn't always like this. We were born into a world, into a condition, of disconnection. Things were created to be a certain way, and they're not that way, and we feel in in every fiber of our being." Rob Bell

I feel it in every fiber of my being...

Thank you Anne...

2008-02-15T20:11:00.000-08:00

"But the way I see things, God loves you the same whether you're being elegant or not. It feels much better when you are, but even when you can't fake it, God still listens to your prayers."

"Auden was right when he wrote, "I know nothing, except what everyone knows- if there when grace dances, I should dance."

I'm dancing...

"It's just a phase"

2008-02-15T19:58:00.001-08:00

Today... I have never been more thankful for friends... and for grace/mercy.

A spirit of thankfulness can be so refreshing sometimes...

And solid friends can be even more refreshing...

The Goat with Jen A, Allison, and Jen M... a long and understanding-ful chat with Aubrey... a freedom talk with LLC... and wonderful Caribou chats with Kel Kim and Lisa really softened my heart today. All in one day... all those beautiful people who I love and who love me. That feels really really good. And really really needed.

Thank you for the imperfect love of people Lord!

2008-02-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

Here and now, the only part of eternity that we get to touch is each other...

good call sis.

This does not match up...

2008-01-31T19:50:00.000-08:00

Governor: State to cut jobs, close mental hospitals
By Julie Carr Smyth/AP Statehouse Correspondent
POSTED: 11:57 a.m. EST, Jan 31, 2008
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The state will eliminate up to 2,700 jobs, close two mental hospitals and limit other spending in an effort to reduce a projected budget deficit, Gov. Ted Strickland announced Thursday.
Strickland also issued a series of directives to limit travel, new contracts, equipment purchases and other spending categories in the face of a predicted a budget shortfall of between $733 million and $1.9 billion by June 2009, depending on how the economy fares.
A minimum of 1,500 jobs will be lost, Strickland said. The hospitals to be shuttered are in Dayton in western Ohio and Cambridge in eastern Ohio.
Strickland said the state also plans to get $73 million from an expansion of the lottery, including some new games.
The changes will account for the lower deficit amount, at minimum, Strickland said.
If the situation worsens, he would consider using money from the rainy day fund, which is set aside for budget emergencies.
He said he will protect tax reforms that started in 2005, as well as the homestead tax exemption for seniors, the tuition freeze at state colleges and universities, and the expansion of children's health care that were in the budget plan that began in July.

Funding will help ex-inmates stay clean
Grant tries to end cycle of addiction and crime
By Colette M. Jenkins Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Thursday, Jan 31, 2008
Beginning next week, nearly $14 million in federal grant money will be available to help released prisoners with addictions navigate the road to re-entry in Summit, Stark and Cuyahoga counties.
That was the message Wednesday from Angela L. Cornelius, director of the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, to about 100 representatives from faith- and community-based organizations that provide substance-abuse treatment and support services in the three targeted counties.
Cornelius spoke during a forum at the Interval Brotherhood Home to launch Ohio's Access to Recovery grant, which is officially called ''Choice for Recovery.''
The initiative is expected to benefit about 6,200 adult ex-offenders over the next three years by helping them break the cycleof addiction and crime. Summit, Stark and Cuyahoga counties were targeted, because they receive the highest number of returning offenders.
''The rate of recidivism and relapse are directly tied to the lack of support these individuals receive when they return to their communities,'' Cornelius said. ''This initiative gives access and choice to people who need these services to become re-engaged in life and become productive members of Ohio's communities. It gives hope and direction for a successful recovery journey.''
Access to Recovery is a three-year program funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
It is a presidential initiative that provides vouchers to clients for substance-abuse clinical treatment and recovery support services.
Access to Recovery projects are funded in 17 other states, five tribal organizations and the District of Columbia.
First vouchers Monday
In Ohio, the first vouchers will be given Monday to ex-offenders, who have gone through an assessment process. The vouchers are to be taken to benefit coordinators, which are agencies in each county that give the voucher holder, or client, a list of appropriate providers. The client can then make a choice of provider from the list. A Web-based voucher payment system will monitor the operations and effectiveness of the Choice for Recovery program.
The coordinating agency in Cuyahoga County has not been named. In Stark County, Treatment Accountability for Safer Communities (TASC) Inc. is the benefit coordinator. Oriana House in Akron is the coordinator for Summit County.
Barriers to success
''In addition to dealing with addictions, it is clear that when those who are incarcerated are released, they face barriers like child care, transportation, housing and employment,'' said Chris Richardson, program manager at Oriana House. ''We need as many agencies in the county as possible to come on board to provide the resources that ex-offenders need to get on the right path. If we can connect them with the resources that are needed, we will reduce the rate of recidivism and see fewer repeat offenders.''
The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services is accepting applications from potential providers. Grant money can be used for treatment services, as well as recovery support services, including education, short-term housing, marriage and family counseling and life-skills training.
''These vouchers offer some positive options to people who have been incarcerated as a result of their addictions or because of problems related to their addictions,'' said the Rev. Sam Ciccolini, executive director at Interval Brotherhood Home. ''What this really means is people who get caught up in the vicious cycle of addiction and being sent to prison will now be given options to get help and get into treatment.''
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.

Good idea... lets cut funding and close mental institutions and give more money to sex offenders in prision to stay clean. That way we can have more mentally unstable people on the streets while making sure the ex-prisioners stay drug free. The brilliance of this concept is almost too much bear.

Don't get me wrong, I think its great that they are trying to keep ex prisioners drug free... and I would not object pouring money into keeping those people clean if they weren't putting people on the street in this fashion.

I understand they are not taking money from the mentally insane and giving it to prisioners directly... but it seems like thats what is going on.

I'm going to write a little letter to Mr. Strickland I think...

(and yes, i'm becoming my dad)

Desperately asking for peace...

2008-01-29T12:05:00.000-08:00

I feel like most of my prayers/ thoughts have been about peace...

Peace here...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/world/africa/30kenya.html?ref=world

Peace here...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/world/middleeast/30baghdad.html?ref=world

and peace in my own heart of disaster...

"Blessed is the peacemaker"
... much easier said than done...

We just need to do our part...

2008-01-21T09:25:00.000-08:00

"She said that the world sometimes feels like the waiting room of the emergency ward and that we who are more or less OK for now need to take the tenderest care of the more wounded people in the waiting room, until the healer comes."
-Anne Lamott

The imperfect love of people...

2008-01-08T20:23:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to think of a good word to describe tonight... and I am at a loss.

Tonight was real... and raw... and so so refreshing.

I got to sit around with some other twenty something ordinary radicals whose hearts are all sold out for Jesus... and for wanting to see change in the body.

Each one of them has a voice, a dream, a passion, and a vision and we are coming together to combine them and make things happen. It was refreshing to see people do more than just the talking... but in our very first meeting to plan the actions that need to be taken.

I am amazed that God has been doing things in all of us before we even knew that we would all be together. I am excited to see what amazing things God will do through these passions and willing hearts, hands, and feet.

And the idea of community with these people when I move back is an answered prayer. It's nice to be on the same page with others... it's nice to be in a room with people who get you.

"There are cracks, cracks, in everything... that's how the light gets in."

1 John 2:8
"Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, becuase the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining through."

1 John 1:5
"God is light; in him there is no darkness at all."

The darkness is passing... and I feel like I just found a little more light shining through... a little light that I can be apart of (thank You, thank You, thank You).

Freinds and good times...

2008-01-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

Friends are such a beatiful thing.

And I have been able to see so many of them the past few days.

Our annual cookie delivery was a hit... once again... we got to see some Kelly and some Ryder and some Emily and some Kim. There is nothing like green sugar cookies cut out like christmas trees!

I got together with some of the Nehemiah alums (Abby, Adam, Peter, and Suzi) and we got to share life over some soup and salad at Applebees. It is so wonderful to be with them. Any one of them for any amount of time. It is always refreshing.

New Year's eve was a blast. I worked all night at a kids overnight at the athletic club. Sleep was not important to anyone that night... but that is what happens when you put 30 kids in one room.

Then i got a wonderful visit in with THE jake beemer at hound dogs before he went back to become famous in florida.

I got to spend the day at the hospital yesterday on the ICU unit playing nurse. It made me really excited for the next season of life! Then I got to spend some much overdue time at the great house with joe and in the process saw all kids of people like tj and jeremy and matt and jim and ryan and everyone else who strays in and out of that awesome house.

Today was wonderful having some chinese lunch with kim and caitlin and planning kent trips. they are so nice to be with. then i got to go see some old time friends and erin's new baby!

This is more for my pleasure than any of yours. I needed to get down all the great things and great people that i have been able to see recently.

That's all for now. I'm leaving in a week and didn't get to do half of what i wanted to do while i was here...

I'm going to go work on that list right now.

Thank You...

2008-01-03T13:14:00.000-08:00

listen
with the night falling we are saying thank you
we are stopping on the bridge to bow from the railings
we are running out of the glass rooms
with our mouths full of food to look at the sky
and say thank you
we are standing by the water looking out
in different directions

back from a series of hospitals back from a mugging
after funerals we are saying thank you
after the news of the dead
whether or not we knew them we are saying thank you
in a culture up to its chin in shame
living in the stench it has chosen we are saying thank you

over telephones we are saying thank you
in doorways and in the backs of cars and in elevators
remembering wars and the police at the back door
and the beatings in the stairs we are saying thank you

in the banks that use us we are saying thank you
with the crooks in office with the rich and fashionable
unchanged we go on saying thank you thank you

with the aminlas dying around us
out lost feelings we are saying thank you
with the forests falling faster than the minutes
of our lives we are saying thank you
with the words going out like cells of a brain
with the cities growing over us like the earth
we are saying thank you faster and faster
with nobody listening we are saying thank you
we are saying thank you and waving
dark though it is

-w.s. merwin

It seems it's been disappointment after disappointment recently... but then I sense this quiet reminder that it's apart of the world we live in and i need not worry becasue I am not in control of my life or the lives of others. I try so hard to be... and I'm ready to give it up.

You are all I need... help me understand that.

2008-01-03T12:58:00.000-08:00

Come free us,
King Jesus...

And another one...

2008-01-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

Timmy too.

Pray for sweet sweet Timmy. For he too is trying to get things under control. Praise God for his life... and his smile... which pierces me.

Friday Under The Stars...

2007-12-21T18:00:00.000-08:00

If you don't like to read long blog entries... I encourage you to read on... this is some good stuff.

Never before tonight have I realized the truth of the verse in Isaiah that says the word of the Lord never returns void. Never before have I felt the importance of the intricate details and how God ordains it ALL.

Spending time with my homeless friends is the biggest blessing to my life. Now I know that we make an impact. I know that. By my standards, it was a little one. Never did I know the love that we poured out and the encouraging words that spilled from our hearts would go such a long way. He has proved once again that his words will not return void.

I ran into a good friend of mine tonight downtown, Taz is what they call him and I will use that name here. I didn't really recognize him at first and asked my friend Mary if I was right in thinking that was him. She thought so too... so I ran over to him with excitement flowing out of my eyes. Last time I saw Taz he was planning on catching a train and peacing out of Columbus. It was SUCH a surprise to see him back.

I yelled out his name as I walked up to him and without skipping a beat he threw open his arms for an embrace and yelled "I'm sober!" I didn't want to let go of his embrace because there was so much running through my head... I even thought I just wanted to cry. He will tell you himself... he was a drunk... constantly... but even so, he was awesome. He went on to tell me how he spent some time in rehab and has been clean for nearly 2 months. I don't know if this message can even convey the greatness of this unexpected blessing. It can't.... words can't... just know that I didn't expect this one bit... and its so beautiful.

He's in a sober house getting taken care of and encouraged by the other men in this ministry... and even working on getting his very best friends off the streets and to where he is now. What a witness. I couldn't help but watch him all night long amazed that this was the same creature I had known a few months ago. He has found a new God... and a new way... and he will tell anyone and everyone about it. He is a respected man... and a lover of people. He always has been... but now it seems to take on a whole new meaning. A new life is exactly what God promises... and a new life is exactly what God gives us. I am so so excited to see the wonderful things that will come from this.

Please please pray for the daily fight against my brother, Taz's, addiction. Please pray that he will stand strong today... and tomorrow pray the same thing. One day at time. He will give us what we need for today only... and for that I am so thankful.

Tonight was a night full of miracles... a night full of holy moments... they happen more than we realize... but God took of my blinders tonight.

He is providing and working without my knowledge... and before I even know what for.

From the start of my involvement with this ministry I have felt two kingdoms colliding in a grueling way. Any time there is that kind of collision there is bound to be conflict. But tonight I can proudly say that there was victory!

I am wealthy...

Hallelujah... I've learned again what it means to be rich!