This Spoke to Me

It was the poem for tonight on NPR's The Writers Almanac:

Piano
by Patrick Phillips

Touched by your goodness, I am like
that grand piano we found one night on Willoughby
that someone had smashed and somehow
heaved through an open window.

And you might think by this I mean I'm broken
or abandoned, or unloved. Truth is, I don't
know exactly what I am, any more
than the wreckage in the alley knows
it's a piano, filling with trash and yellow leaves.

Maybe I'm all that's left of what I was.
But touching me, I know, you are the good
breeze blowing across its rusted strings.

What would you call that feeling when the wood,
even with its cracked harp, starts to sing?


"Piano" by Patrick Phillips, from Boy. © The University of Georgia Press, 2008.

Love and Power

Now a lot of us are preachers, and all of us have our moral convictions and concerns, and so often have problems with power. There is nothing wrong with power if power is used correctly. You see, what happened is that some of our philosophers got off base. And one of the great problems of history is that the concepts of love and power have usually been constrasted as opposites—polar opposites—so that love is identified with a resignation of power, and power with a denial of love.

It was this misinterpretation that caused Nietzsche, who was a philosopher of the will to power, to reject the Christian concept of love. It was this same misinterpretation which induced Christian theologians to reject the Nietzschean philosophy of the will to power in the name of the Christian idea of love. Now, we've got to get this thing right. What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.

From The Southern Christian Leadership Conference Presidential Address
By Reverand Martin Luther King, Jr., 16 August 1967

(GOBAMA!)

Remember This?

I do! But where from? Mr. Rodgers?

How to Talk to New Parents

Thank You, Michelle!

Thank you, Michelle, for reminding us what this country has the potential to be. Thank you for holding out hope that the American Dream lives on and is attainable if you are willing to work for your part of it. Thank you for being that voice of hope that change is possible, that we can work to change the status quo and transform America into what we know our country should be.

The problems you talked about tonight are MY problems. *I* could not find a job after the birth of my daughter. *I* am struggling to know where we will be able to afford housing while living on one income. *I* am worried that if my husband changes jobs we will be without health care coverage. *I* am worried how I will afford an excellent education for my daughter, starting with pre-school.

But your mere presence on that stage tonight gives me HOPE. That a woman of color can give the opening speech to the DNC lifts my spirits and reminds me that CHANGE IS POSSIBLE because it has happened before. It was not that long ago that you, a woman and a person of color, would have been the last person to stand on that stage. It renews my faith in America that you delivered this opening address during the week in which we remember the hard won right to vote for women and Rev. Dr. King's "I Have a Dream." Your mere presence on that stage tonight is VICTORY! Thank You, Suffragists! Thank You, Dr. King! Thank You, Michelle Obama!

All my prayers go with your husband that he may win for us, for me and my family, the opportunity for CHANGE!

Another Cool Music Video for the LOs

I Like Elephants!

Two posts in one day is almost unheard of for me, but I just found this on youtube and I am so taken by it that I had to share. I recommend watching it in full screen. The animation actually holds up really well.

We Have Graduated...

to TABLE FOOD! Yes that's right folks, Baby ate a whole piece of TOAST for breakfast. No more strained plums and oatmeal for her! Gimme sump 'um I can sink all four uh my teef into!

Are You Ever Sick of Yourself?

Lately I have grown tired of my own repeated failings and the judgemental thoughts that enter my head which are neither helpful for edifying to me nor the situations about which I am having them. I have become increasingly aware of my own self-righteousness and the feelings of noble suffering with which I prop up my raging but broken ego. I am sick of myself. Sick of wrestling the same demons. I want to be like the dead man who has neither judgement for his brother nor need for the praise of others.

Baby Turns ONE!

So she is almost one. We had a little party for her, ladybug themed. She wore this little outfit. Here she is after going down the slide for the first time with Nana. happy Birthday, Baby!

Musings of a Motherless Child: A Prayer of St. Nicholas of Zhicha#links

Musings of a Motherless Child: A Prayer of St. Nicholas of Zhicha#links

Wash Pod ...aka Plastic Trash Can or Paint Bucket

When I first saw this on the Right Start website, I thought the mom was washing the baby in a small plastic trash can you use in the bathroom.

Upon closer examination, it appears that this is indeed the equivalent of a small platic trash can that you are supposed to spend $25 to use because your own plastic trash can is clearly not suitable for washing your baby.
You need theirs! You can read all about it here: http://www.rightstart.com/global/store/product~item~7239.html

A Place I'd Like to Go

Check out the website for this coffeehouse/ playgroup called JavaMama near San Diego. Talk about a great marketing plan: they have an indoor play area and on-site "supervisors" watching the kids play. (No, you can't just drop off your child and leave... ) But it costs $2.50 for the first child and each add'l is $1.00 for 2 hours of monitored/ supervised play while mom (or dad) reads a book nearby in the cafe. Now, if their coffee is any good, I would actually consdier making the 2 hour drive from OC to go see this place! Anyone wanna carpool?

www.javamama.com

A Happy Hamper