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Category Archives: mothers
Viva Ella Bradbury – our comrade and friend.
September 20, 2019 housing crisis, housing struggles, mothersElla BradburyFocus E15 Campaign
Our dear friend and comrade Ella Bradbury (known more widely as Ellie), died on Friday 6 September at the age of 29 in Mexico City. This deeply sad news is a great shock and immense loss to Focus E15 campaigners. We send our love and condolences to Ella's parents, her three brothers and to her wider family and friends, and welcome anyone at any point to our weekly Saturday street stall 12-2pm on Stratford Broadway to remember Ella together.
Ella first made contact with Focus E15 campaign in May 2015 when she was studying for her Masters in International Politics and Human Rights at City University in London. She was researching the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo from Buenos Aires in Argentina, a group of mothers that stood up to the 1976-1983 military dictatorship under which 30,000 people disappeared. These women refused to give up their fight to establish the truth about what had happened to their 'disappeared' children, who had been taken by force by the military and brutally murdered for being leftists. Ella was interested in exploring the links between the construction of motherhood, resistance and the fight against punitive governments by way of a comparative study between the group of mothers from Argentina and the Focus E15 mothers in London. After writing a warm and enthusiastic introduction about her research, Ella came along to meet the campaign at the street stall.
Ella's integrity was immediately apparent and she gained the trust of campaigners and began the task of undertaking first hand research through the use of informal interviews, participant observation and by regularly attending street stalls, actions and meetings. She ensured that those at the heart of her research were always treated with the utmost dignity and respect. Her final MA, for which she won the prize for the best dissertation on her course, was entitled Mothers that Misbehave: An anarchist approach to explore the significance of 'motherhood' in two social movements; the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo and the Focus E15 Mothers.
Ella's dissertation explores two different struggles, at different times, in different continents and she highlights some similarities, for example unpolitical actors turning into political actors, initial campaign demands that were neither contentious nor extreme but relate to basic human rights, the lack of appropriate response from those in authority, the regular presence on the streets, the growth and widening of the struggle, the fight against negative stereotypes about motherhood and women, and the growing understanding that a change of government or elected leaders of this current system may not provide solutions and can bring disappointment.
After she finished her research Ella took the principled decision to stay fighting with the campaign. Her commitment and passion led to her to being asked to join the campaign's organising body where she took a lead role in working with those at the forefront of the housing crisis, supporting mothers who had been sent out of London to Welwyn Garden City. She took part in several key actions against corruption in Newham council and stood against the racist media stereotyping of blaming migrants for the housing crisis. Ella also dedicated time to the less glamorous tasks of campaigning, recognising that submitting funding applications, answering emails, sorting out finance were also important to keeping a campaign going. Ella was centrally involved in fundraising which ensured the campaign could develop an office base in East London – and Sylvia's Corner is still going strong.
Ella used her warmth, friendliness and sense of fun to bond with children and young people. She recognised that if mothers were to be consistently involved with political work then childcare had to be seen as a political necessity. She pushed the idea of the campaign having an 'inclusivity fund' so that no one struggling due to a lack of money was turned away from campaigning.
Unbeknownst to herself, Ella Bradbury showed us all the meaning of the word comrade in a myriad of ways. She was disciplined, accountable, collective and reliable, and together we shared enthusiasm and fun in the serious struggle for a more just society. She always did what she said she would do, was always where she said she would be, attended meetings and actions, helped organise and educate, and Ella demonstrated to everyone the strength of her convictions which inspired others to emulate her.
Ella's determination and principled spirit will be called upon time and time again and will be with us in every significant struggle and fight for justice that lies ahead. We raise our voices to say – Long live Ella! Viva Ella! A true friend, comrade and warrior woman.
Below is a slide show of pictures of Ella, many of which show her involvement with the campaign and a personal note from our campaigner Jasmin.
A personal note from Jasmin to Ella
You fought the hard fight and gave everything you had whilst beaming with beauty and a smile so benevolent.
You cared with every bone in you body, every word word you spoke and breath you took.
You made me laugh, held me as I cried the love from your presence, made it all OK.
Your laugh was absolutely contagious!
Our laughs together sounded like the kinda noises you would expect to hear from a zoo -we would laugh to the point of wetting ourselves.
I loved dancing with you whether it be a nice bit of salsa or the regular cha cha slide.
Hearing you speak was so inspirational, your amazing ability to capture people's attention and show your compassionate ways and informing people with the utmost intelligence that you had.
Your fight against injustice was so powerful, it has left an impact forever and I promise you we will fucking go on!
You were a misbehaving rebellion, a fighter.
Ella you were and are so loved, more loved than you could ever see and since losing you my admiration only grows stronger. I've seen how many lives you have touched.
And how loved you are
You are an absolute hero
A comrade
You are Ella
I truly will
Stranded in Southend: expectant mother told by Newham Council that she hasn't been moved far enough away yet
July 26, 2019 #housingcrisis, class, E15 Occupation, families, Focus E15 Campaign, housing crisis, housing struggles, intentional homelessness, mothers, Newham council, personal story, public action, racism, single mothers, social cleansing, womenFocus E15 Campaign
'If anything happens to me, it's on Newham (council). I've told you my situation!'
A mother of two young children with a third on the way, shook the walls of Stratford Town Hall last Monday evening as she addressed the full Cabinet meeting of Newham Council and outlined her increasingly dangerous and unmanageable housing situation. She is due to give birth in little over a month.
Newham council left this expectant mother and her children stranded and isolated when they forced the family to move from temporary accommodation in Newham in Brimstone House to Southend on Sea by threatening her with 'intentional homelessness' if she did not accept an offer of accommodation out of London. She states:
''I cannot describe this as a choice, as a mother cannot choose to make their children 'intentionally homeless'. So I was forced to accept this offer and have been in Southend-on-Sea since July 2018."
She further explains that:
"The flat I am in is on the second floor and the building has no lift. I have to climb 30 stairs with my two young children, as well as my shopping and with my double buggy, in an advanced stage of pregnancy. I regularly injure myself because of this, and I fear that something worse could happen. I feel scared to leave my children in my flat (when I leave to go get my shopping & buggy from downstairs) as they are very young. This will become even more difficult after the birth of my 3rd child.
I have absolutely no support networks in Southend-on-Sea, and when I go into labour I worry that I have nobody who can stay at home with my young children. All my support networks are in Newham where I lived for 6 years.''
After trying to contact Newham Council and getting little response, she reached out to Focus E15 Campaign as an ex-resident of Brimstone House and joined forces with current Brimstone House residents who have just submitted a legal complaint to Newham Council about the awful living conditions in the hostel.
However, a worrying development is that following her speech at the cabinet meeting, she was contacted by a housing officer in Newham the next day, and told that 'she would have to be moved even further than Southend to find affordable housing'. This is threatening and abhorrent.
We call on the Mayor and the Council to immediately move this mother and her children back to Newham. She is asking for her right to be housed in her community for the long term benefit of her children. A pregnant mother should not be left to give birth alone or be cast out. She needs to be back in her community so that she can get the support she needs at this vulnerable time in her life just before she goes into labour. The issues of class, race and gender are present in this case and Newham have left her in a very precarious situation far away from all those she knows and trusts.
Focus E15 Campaign says:
Newham council bring this mother and her children back home to Newham!
Stop making women and children isolated, depressed and afraid.
Keep our communities together!
Social housing, not social cleansing!
Join us on the street stall this Saturday from 12-2pm outside Wilko's on the Broadway in Stratford, London E15.
Newham Council offers single mother slum housing or the street
February 20, 2019 #housingcrisis, families, Focus E15 Campaign, homelessness, housing crisis, housing struggles, mothers, private landlords, social cleansing, womenaction, homeless, housing, single mothersFocus E15 Campaign
Marsha, a brave single mother who has been living in temporary accommodation in Brimstone House for over a year with her 6 year old daughter, was yesterday contacted by Housing Options and told that she would be offered housing in Woolwich. She was informed in a threatening manner that this would be the last time she would be offered housing, and that she had to view and accept the property today.
Marsha managed to get some pictures when viewing the property. These speak for themselves.
The Agent who was showing the property agreed he would never house his family in this flat.
This is private accommodation offered by Newham Council. What a disgrace from a Council that prides itself on tackling slum private landlords.
Marsha has not only suffered Council threats in relation to her housing, but has been verbally threatened by social services in relation to her child being rehoused without her.
Journalist Kate Belgrave has documented Marsha's full story in more detail. Please read about this here:
Do Councils actually try to drive homeless mothers to breakdown so they can remove their kids?
https://www.katebelgrave.com/2019/02/do-councils-actually-try-to-drive-homeless-mothers-to-breakdown-so-they-can-remove-their-kids/
Focus E15 stands as one with Marsha and her daughter. We demand that Newham Council retracts this housing offer and rehouses Marsha in suitable, clean, long term, council accommodation in Newham .
We demand an end to vulnerable families being threatened and bullied into accepting accommodation that no Councillor would spend the night in.
We demand people are housed with dignity in one of the richest Countries in the world!
Ongoing housing injustice in Newham – house Rachel NOW!
February 11, 2019 evictions, families, homelessness, housing crisis, mothers, Newham council, personal story, private landlords, single mothers, social cleansing, womenFocus E15 Campaign
Three years ago, a homeless mother and her twin children, were placed by Newham Council in a privately rented house in East Ham. In August 2018, the owner sold the house and Racheal and her twins were told they would have to move out. Anxiously, they sought advice from East Ham housing office. What were they to do now?
Advice was not forthcoming despite the fact that the twins attend a local school in Stratford and Racheal is working in Newham. Racheal says has heard about people being shipped out of the borough for rehousing. She is scared that this will happen to her. The stress of losing everything, her home, her job, the children's schools and all her friends and connections has been making her ill.
In September last year Racheal received the official notice to quit and she has subsequently been sent a court eviction notice for Monday 18 February 2019.
Racheal went with this information to Bridge House homelessness unit to seek advice, but without an appointment they wouldn't even let her in the building to ask any questions to assess her options. She has no case worker. The only thing that Rachel was told is that she needs to pack up her stuff, put it all into storage (at her own expense) and on Monday 18 February she should present herself to Bridge House homelessness unit, as she and her children will indeed be homeless.
Leaving housing decision like this to the very last minute causes a huge amount of stress. It was the council that housed this family in the private rented sector and if this home is no longer available, it would seem logical that the council must rehouse this family as soon as possible and before 18 February. But, under the Localism Act, the council discharges its duty when placing people in the private rented sector. This means they won't help when such a placement goes wrong. A new homelessness application must be submitted.
However under the Homelessness Prevention Act the council should intervene. It is the humane thing to do! We must also stress that every local option for housing must be investigated before the family face social cleansing and potential destitution outside of London.
Racheal has found support for her case and she has not given up!She has an appointment at Bridge house for Friday 15 February.
We demand that Newham Council, Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz and cabinet member for housing John Gray, act swiftly to remedy this situation and house Racheal and her children in Newham with their support networks, family and community, school and job.
Picture from a banner by Andrew Cooper
Housing Justice in the new Newham!
June 27, 2018 courtroom solidarity, evictions, families, Focus E15 Campaign, gender, housing crisis, mothers, Newham council, personal storyintentional homelessnessFocus E15 Campaign
Over the last four years Focus E15 campaign has constantly raised the issue of intentional homelessness and highlighted the vicious policies of Newham Labour Council under Robin Wales, the previous Mayor, who presided over policies whereby if a homeless family refused to be sent out of London and refused what they called a suitable offer, then they had made themselves 'intentionally homeless' and the council could discharge their duty to house them.
This frightening process is what happened to Sara and her two young children, one in school in Newham and one preschool age. Sara has been working with Focus E15 campaign since December 2017 and has been determined to get housing justice. Sara has family, friends and support networks in Newham and has employment in Newham as well. Read the latest on this story by journalist Kate Belgrave who rightly asks, 'when will Labour Councils get stuck in'?
Since December 2017, there have been phone calls to Newham council about Sara's case, letters, protests, and visits to the housing office as well as challenges to the impending eviction that Sara and her children face and attempts at an appeal on the council's decision. Now there is a court case in Central London on Thursday 26 July to see if Sara even has the right to appeal.
Meanwhile since the beginning of May, Newham has a new Labour mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz and a relatively new Labour council. We ask the new mayor to support Sara and her children to be housed in Newham, for their long term health and well being.
We urge all supporters of Focus E15 campaign and campaigners for housing justice to join us at court to support Sara on Thursday 26 July. 10am at The County Court, Central London, R.C.J More Building, Royal Court, Strand, London WC2A 2LL
Thank you for your support and solidarity. Please share this post if you can.
For more background information on Sara's case, please have a look at the other blog pieces up on this site:
https://focuse15.org/2018/03/ 12/sara-made-intentionally- homeless-by-newham-council/
https://focuse15.org/2017/12/ 08/sara-and-her-children-must- stay-in-newham/
Sara and her children must stay in Newham!
December 8, 2017 class, eviction resistance, Focus E15 Campaign, gender, housing crisis, mothers, Newham council, private landlords, public action, social cleansing, street stall, womenRobin WalesFocus E15 Campaign
No eviction on Monday 11 December!
Sara is the mother of two children, forced to move out of where she was living when her second child was born, due to overcrowding. She was given emergency accommodation by Newham Labour council, in Brimstone House in Stratford. That was six months ago.
In the last two weeks, Newham council offered Sara and her children a property to consider in Birmingham…. She was scared and she was brave …. all her family, support networks, and her oldest child's education, is in Newham… so she said no. She explains to Focus E15 campaign that she is facing eviction from Brimstone House on Monday 11 December. Sara says that Newham council is:
'asking me to leave the property because I rejected what they call a suitable offer and they are discharging their duty of care to me. I have lived in this borough for 12 years and all my local connections are in Newham as my family is the only support system I have.'
Followers of Focus E15 campaign will see an irony here…. Brimstone House is what was formerly Focus E15 hostel for young people and where the Mother and Baby Unit was based and it was the young single mothers living there in 2013 who stood together to say no to Newham council who told them to pack their bags and move to Manchester, Hastings and yes… Birmingham. That is what launched the campaign against social cleansing and exposed Newham's rotten record of sending people out of borough and out of London.
Four years on, the council behaviour hasn't changed and we will stand with Sara and her children to prevent their social cleansing, to prevent their eviction and to demand that they be housed in Newham, in accommodation suitable for them as a family.
20 years ago, in 1997, Labour Mayor Robin Wales made his priorities clear when he was leader of the council and said:
'There are too many people, those currently living in Newham and those attracted from other London boroughs, who survive on low incomes or who present themselves as homeless. Whilst we will offer support and carry out our legislative duties, our aim will be to increase Newham's property values, and raise the income profile of all our residents'.
Within Newham Labour Council, 46 councillors own or control almost 100 properties and one has 19 properties with combined estimated value of over £4.5m and collective monthly rent of over £20,000. When the young mothers from Focus E15 hostel challenged Robin Wales in 2013, he had the arrogance to say: 'If you can't afford to live in Newham, you can't afford to live in Newham'. How can such people represent our interests?
Recent vital research by Debt Resistance UK has shown that Newham now has 12,000 homeless people, one in every 25 residents, the highest number in England. Newham also has the highest number of residents in temporary accommodation in London, and is among the councils moving the highest number of people out-of-borough and indeed out of London altogether.
Despite housing being a top priority for Newham residents, the council is spending significantly less money on housing than it is on debt repayments to banks for dodgy loans, known as Lender Option Borrower Option loans (LOBO). These are short-term, variable rate loans taken out by councils from the banks (when they should have secured safer fixed-rate 50-year loans from central government). Between 2001 and 2010, Newham took out £563m worth of loans from Barclays Bank and RBS. The teaser interest rates started low but continue to escalate and Newham is now paying back 7.5% interest on these loans. Interest repayments increased from £54m (2010) to £83m 2017. The upshot of this scandalous financial wrongdoing is that in 2015, Newham paid the equivalent of 70% of its council tax as debt servicing and in 2016/17, this has risen to 125% – the highest in England – meaning that more than all of what comes in as council tax payments, goes straight out to the banks.
Whilst cutting services to residents and pleading 'Tory austerity', Newham Labour council has sat on an ever-growing pot of money: 'usable reserves' increased from £77m in 2010 to £434m currently, a staggering rise of 560%.
If you sickened by any of this, come to our campaign stall and meeting on Saturday 9 December. Join us in our demand that Sara and her children must stay in Newham!
No more evictions! No social cleansing!
The campaign stall runs from 12-2pm on the Broadway in Stratford, outside Wilkos.
The campaign meeting is at Sylvia's Corner on Aldworth Road, Stratford, E15 4DN at 2.30pm
Working class women face court fees as evictions keep rising
June 5, 2017 #housingcrisis, courtroom solidarity, evictions, families, housing crisis, mothers, Newham council, News, private landlords, social cleansing, Trade Union activityFocus E15 Campaign
No time for your Housing issues, we have an election on…
This is what Labour MP for East Ham Stephen Timms said to Chantelle, when she visited him last week as a last resort in her struggle for decent long-term accommodation with her young son in Newham.
Three years ago, Chantelle and her two month old son, were placed by Newham Council, under the Bond Scheme, in private-rented accommodation. The flat has mice and cockroaches, damp, no loft insulation and intermittent problems with the boiler leaving Chantelle and her son with periods of no hot water or heating. Chantelle's son is in a local nursery and has a place in the school for September 2017.
Out of the blue, in January 2017, Chantelle received a Section 21 Notice of Possession (Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, is the legal eviction notice a landlord can give to a tenant to regain possession of a property at the end of an Assured Shorthold Tenancy). Frightened by the prospect of homelessness with her young son, Chantelle sought advice and Newham Council advised Chantelle to stay put, not to move out to stay with a family member as she would then be making herself intentionally homeless. She was advised to look for private accommodation in the two weeks that followed and when she was not successful, she was then advised by the housing office to go through with the eviction process and she was told she would not be liable for court fees.
However outrageously Chantelle has been ordered to pay court costs of £355 to the landlord for this eviction and bailiff's have been summoned to evict her, creating more stress and anxiety for Chantelle and her son.
Chantelle's case worker has said that once the bailiffs have come and Chantelle is on the streets she will be given emergency accommodation, but only out of London. The case worker said that unless a child is in their GCSE year, they are 'expendable' and will cope with being moved away from their family, friends and teachers.
Labour Mayor Robin Wales in his address to the Annual Council Meeting last month said that Newham 'has real Labour values that create for each of us the means to realise our true potential' and boasted that Newham has 'amongst the best services in London' and 'doing more than other boroughs to get rid of rogue landlords' and as housing reaches a crisis point, Newham is 'showing the way for others to follow'.
The reality is that social cleansing continues, with people like Chantelle being forced out of borough and out of London, tearing them away from their family and support networks, their children's schools and their jobs or job prospects. Meanwhile thousands of homes lie empty in the Newham, not least over 400 homes on the Carpenters Estate in Stratford.
Chantelle will be at STRATFORD MAGISTRATE COURT 389-397 High Street E15 4SB Tuesday 6 June at 2pm. She should not be financially penalised. Chantelle knows that her struggle is the struggle of thousands of people across London. Focus E15 campaign will be there to support her when she requests an extension to stay in her current property and for the court costs to be waived. The struggle goes on to ensure that Chantelle and her young son are not moved out of Newham.
Social housing! Not social cleansing!
Cockroaches march to Theori Housing offices as shutters come down on residents
October 31, 2016 Focus E15 Campaign, housing crisis, mothers, overcrowding, personal story, Waltham ForestBoundary House, TheoriFocus E15 Campaign
On Friday 28 October, residents from Boundary House in Welwyn Garden City and residents of other Theori-run housing, supported by Focus E15 campaign, took their outrage and anger to Theori Housing Management offices in Leyton, Waltham Forest, east London to protest at appalling living conditions.
The demonstration highlights the unfolding tragedy of London's housing crisis and the fact that Labour-run Waltham Forest council continues to send vulnerable people out of the borough. Many single mothers and families with young children have been transported miles from their children's schools, jobs, families and friends to Boundary House in Welwyn Garden City. The council uses companies such as Theori to facilitate this process.
Boundary House was originally built for single nurses, but is now home to displaced families crammed into tiny inappropriate, mouldy rooms, with cockroaches and other infestations. The windows without child safety locks are a grave hazard for inquisitive toddlers and children are now miles from their schools. Assistant director of Housing, John Knight, who said that a degree of overcrowding was to be expected, recently concluded that Boundary House meets Waltham Forest council's required standards and is happy to continue the relationship with Theori. Meanwhile people suffer.
So who are Theori? Theori Housing Management Ltd describe themselves as specialists in the property sector with a portfolio in excess of £500m and growing. Theori is used by at least 21 London councils.They have the gall to say on their website that 'The team at Theori pride themselves on being specialists in the industry and therefore have an understanding of the factors that affect homeless families'. What an insult to the families displaced into Theori-run housing.The stress and isolation that comes from poor housing and social cleansing is causing a mental health crisis, with people forced into situations that are making them ill, as they are cut off from the support networks that keep them healthy.
When the protest began, Theori locked its doors and hastily brought down the shutters in fear of those coming to tell their stories and in contempt for the residents of their properties who have just had enough of living in such unsuitable accommodation.
Closing the shutters did not shut out the protest and a lively demonstration spread out on the streets outside the locked office. It was colourful, noisy and militant with games for children and speakers on the mic helping passers-by to understand the issues. Protesters dressed up as cockroaches to illustrate the grim conditions residents are forced into. Home made placards got the message clearly across – Theori puts children's lives at risk – horrible in Theori, horrible in practice and Waltham Forest and Theori benefit from residents' misery. One single mother, resident of Boundary House, told Focus E15 campaign that:
'We are fed up, our phone calls and email ignored, our questions not answered and always told by Theori to contact the council and by the council to contact Theori. In Boundary House, nothing has been done to make the windows safe for toddlers and young children.'
Protesters stuck pictures of poor housing conditions to the front of the office and constructed a makeshift house of horrors on the street. The action was supported by Haringey Housing group and the Revolutionary Communist group.
Stories of forced displacement by Boundary House residents ring alarm bell to the young mothers who lived in the Focus E15 hostel in the neighbouring borough of Newham and faced eviction themselves in 2013. The council told them they would be moved to Manchester, Birmingham or Hastings, into private-rented accommodation. The mothers of Focus E15 hostel stood together and said no to being sent away and the Focus E15 campaign began.
It is interesting to note that the day after the demonstration at Theori's offices, Boundary House residents woke to the presence of Theori housing officers knocking on their doors asking if there are any problems. As one resident told them, 'don't ask, you know the problems, just do something about them!'
Stand together!
Expose the councils and the housing management companies!
Decent homes for all!
Stop social cleansing!
Repopulate the empty houses and stop demolishing council blocks!
Come to the next Focus E15 Campaign meeting on Saturday 5 November 2.30pm Sylvia's Corner, 97 Aldworth Road, E15 4DN to hear more about Boundary House, Newham council and all the campaign news.
A tribute to Mary Finch
MT Holmes applies for 100K housing job at Newham Council
An open letter to Newham's MP Lyn Brown from a mother facing eviction
Plan developed by Carpenters residents hangs in the balance- will the estate be saved?
#housingcrisis Carpenters Estate class E15 Occupation event eviction resistance evictions families Focus E15 Campaign gender Grenfell fire homelessness housing crisis housing struggles labour london mothers Newham council News overcrowding personal story private landlords public action Robin Wales single mothers social cleansing street stall Uncategorized update women

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The feeling of gliding through the air with your own paraglider is always an unforgettable experience, but when the horizon offers such wonderful scenery as the Lake Maggiore Basin then it becomes a truly unique one.
Paragliders can launch themselves from Cimetta and experience wonderful flights over Lake Maggiore, the Bassa Vallemaggia and, in spring-time, longer flights northwards. Launching is very easy from this location and is an ideal place for instructors teaching beginners or for pilots who want to glide long distances of over 80 km.
Even if you are not a pilot, Cimetta could still be the ideal place for you to experience what it feels like to paraglide, and if you contact the Volo Libero Ticino association, you can safely try a tandem flight together with an expert pilot.


text:
Psilomma fuscicornis är en stekelart som beskrevs av Jean-Jacques Kieffer 1908. Psilomma fuscicornis ingår i släktet Psilomma, och familjen hyllhornsteklar. Arten är reproducerande i Sverige.

Källor

Hyllhornsteklar
fuscicornis

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Band's Visit Friday at the Embarcadero theater.
Definitely, Maybe Thursday at the Bay Area theaters.
Diary of the Dead Sequel Friday at Lumiere and Shattuck theaters.
Everything's Fine Friday at Roxie theater.
Jumper Thursday at Bay Area theaters.
The Spiderwick Chronicles Thursday at Bay Area theaters.
Step Up 2 the Streets Thursday at Bay Area theaters.
Tre Friday at 4 Star theater.


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text:
In the Limelight
The Living Newspaper Speaks
Scripted from front-page news, the Federal Theatre Project's Living Newspaper plays were part entertainment, part protest, and entirely educational.
From One-Third of a Nation
via LOC
By: Betsy Golden Kellem
As unprecedented as the COVID-19 pandemic seems, 2020 wasn't the first time American theater professionals found themselves in a difficult situation, without jobs or audiences due to Broadway closures. In the 1930s, when the Great Depression rather than a novel coronavirus pushed theater workers into dire straits, the government stepped in to provide a much-needed shot in the arm with the nation's first publicly funded arts program.
Operated between 1935–1939, during Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first presidential term, the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) was an effort by the government, within the larger context of New Deal social programs, to provide viable, salaried opportunities for out-of-work theater professionals. The Works Progress Administration selected Hallie Flanagan, a multi-talented author, playwright, director, and producer, to lead the program. Her stated mission was plain and ambitious: "The primary aim of the Federal Theatre Project," she wrote, "is the reemployment of theatre workers now on public relief rolls: actors, directors, playwrights, designers, vaudeville artists, stage technicians, and other workers in the theatre field. The far reaching purpose is the establishment of theatres so vital to community life that they will continue to function after the program of this Federal Project is completed."
Under Flanagan's guidance, the FTP produced and performed classical theater as well as experimental productions in a network of regional venues across the nation, expanding access to theater for everyday Americans at a time when entertainment was welcome and needed. A majority of the shows were presented either free of charge or for token admission, the purpose of the program being to employ people rather than to generate ticket income.
FTP productions ran the gamut. The program staged Moliere, Ibsen, Shaw, and Shakespeare, sure, but they also presented circus and vaudeville shows; programmed multicultural productions based on Cuban, Spanish, German, and Yiddish content; and formed seventeen "Negro Units" dedicated to advancing Black theater. The programming was both progressive and experimental—in addition to original works, NTP theatres presented a swing version of Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado as well as a Harlem production of the so-called "Voodoo Macbeth," an adaptation by Orson Welles that engaged an all-Black cast to perform Shakespeare's play in a fictional Caribbean setting modeled on Haiti. (In addition to the theatrical work, the FTP also employed photographers to document the productions, meaning that we have access today to thousands of behind-the-scenes images.)
Part drama, part protest, part educational endeavors, these plays brought Depression-era social, political, and economic concerns to life.
So-called Living Newspaper plays were among the most popular of the NTP offerings. Scripted from the front pages, these productions employed an honest-to-goodness editorial staff to scour the news and turn current events into dramatic entertainment, typically interpreted through a progressive lens. Part drama, part protest, part educational endeavors, these plays brought Depression-era social, political, and economic concerns to life, turning social activism into pro-government reality drama. Productions often featured flashy technologies like motion pictures, live stunts, or lantern slides, with an omniscient narrator guiding an "everyman" character through the perils and benefits of modern life, like Christmas ghosts dragging Ebenezer Scrooge through the consequences of his life choices.
Even critics admitted that, while the political messaging could be heavy-handed, the productions were exciting. "The Living Newspaper method is, of course, earnest, partisan, bitter and given to a Left Wing point of view," wrote critic Richard Watts, "but it is almost invariably forceful, striking and remarkably skillful."
From a booklet for One-Third of a Nation via LOC
The Living Newspaper performances struck a chord with a nation suffering from a collapsed banking system, a 25% unemployment rate, and critical housing shortages. Characters in Power acted out Edison's invention of the light bulb and argued the benefit of government-sponsored energy utilities like the Tennessee Valley Authority for struggling Americans. (As one lyric praised, "The Government employs us / Short hours and certain pay / Oh things are up and comin' / God bless the T.V.A.") One Third of a Nation, which took its title from President Roosevelt's lament in his second inaugural address ("I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad, ill-nourished"), delved into the American housing crisis. The play began with a live, four-story tenement fire onstage before touring Angus K. Buttonkooper, a character who leaps to the stage from the audience, through a system of crooked landlords, slum development, and economic inequality. The Living Newspaper play Spirochete, in an effort to break the longstanding silence around syphilis infection, described the history of the illness and urged for widespread public and prenatal testing.
These plays were wildly popular—more than 200,000 people saw One Third of a Nation in New York alone—and they were often adapted to suit the specific political and social conditions of the city or region in which they were being staged. Not every audience was given a full voice, however. Though Living Newspaper plays about anti-Black racism were proposed and scripted (scholar Paul Nadler identifies three), none made it past draft form to production, perhaps because these performances were supposed to be presented as nonfiction, and, "in the case of race, at least, the Federal Theatre organization appears to have felt safer performing with its shield raised high."
The program was defunded in the summer of 1939, after a series of hearings by the House Un-American Activities Committee questioned the program's possible Communist leanings (and asked, on the record, if Christopher Marlowe was a Communist). As the first government-funded arts program in the United States, though, the legacy of the FTP is a positive one: Flanagan, writing for the American Magazine of Art in 1936, pointed out that her program was employing more than twelve thousand people, from actors to ticket-takers, and was working on 153 stages in 28 states, to tremendous public demand.
New DealtheaterAfrican American ReviewJournal of American StudiesNew York HistoryOAH Magazine of HistoryShakespeare QuarterlyThe American Magazine of Art
A User's Guide to the Federal Theater Project
By: Frank Sheridan and Linda Leslie
OAH Magazine of History, Vol. 11, No. 2, Labor History (Winter 1997), pp. 50–52
Oxford University Press on behalf of Organization of American Historians
Shakespeare, Orson Welles, And the "Voodoo" Macbeth
By: Susan McCloskey
Shakespeare Quarterly, Vol. 36, No. 4 (Winter 1985), pp. 406–416
The Federal Theatre's Living Newspapers: New York's Docudramas of the Thirties
By: John E. Vacha
New York History, Vol. 67, No. 1 (JANUARY 1986), pp. 66–88
Liberty Censored: Black Living Newspapers of the Federal Theatre Project
By: Paul Nadler
African American Review, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Winter 1995), pp. 615–622
Gender and the Dies Committee Hearings on the Federal Theatre Project
By: Kate Dossett
Journal of American Studies, Vol. 47, No. 4, Special Issue The "Un-American" (November 2013), pp. 993–1017
Cambridge University Press on behalf of the British Association for American Studies
A Theatre for the People
By: Hallie Flanigan
The American Magazine of Art, Vol. 29, No. 8 (August 1936), pp. 494–503
Your ticket to entertainment history, from the vaudeville stage to the circus, magic shows to the television studio. Bring popcorn.
Oklahoma! Changed Musical Theater Forever. Or Did It?
Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical was revolutionary in the way it "integrated" music, dance, and dialogue. Or was that language just a marketing ploy?


Cartoon train or locomotive. Cartoon illustration of cute colorful steam engine locomotive or train.
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An image of a coal engine locomotive train.


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text:
President prorogues Parliament with effect from Sunday (12)
13 Dec, 2021 | 6:33 am
Written by Zulfick Farzan 13 Dec, 2021	| 6:33 am
COLOMBO (News 1st): President Gotabaya Rajapaksa via an extraordinary gazette has decided to prorogue Parliament with effect from midnight on Sunday (12). According to the extraordinary gazette the next parliamentary session will commence on 18th January 2022.
A prorogation which is a temporary recess of Parliament, should not extend to a period of more than two months, However, such date for summoning Parliament may be advanced by another Presidential Proclamation provided it is summoned for a date not less than three days from the date of such fresh proclamation.
When Parliament is prorogued, the Proclamation should notify the date for the commencement of the new Session of Parliament under Paragraph (3) of Article 70 of the Constitution.


Welcome to my video section "Records"
On this page I will capture moments and share it with you.
I/you can come up with!
I truly think Marilyn Monroe's qoute "A smile is the best makeup a girl could wear" is word, but I anyway like to add a little bit of 'glam' (sortaa).
This routine is something I would do before a ride or run, today it was a run I was getting ready for.
3. Bronzer (I use one from mac atm.) Gives my face some shape and color.
4. Adding color to my brows. I always do this, looks nice under the helmet!
5. Mascara. Either normal or waterproof depends on the weather and workout!
6. UH! And I forgot to mention that I always use a lip balm before I leave to treat my lips good before hours outside and to make them shine!
But if I want to treat myself good, I go get my eyelashes colored in black, then I don't have to bother about it for like a month!
Enjoy some good moments of my ride - and hopefully get inspired to get out there and do the same!
... Please let the video load for a while ! I'm working on the prob..


8. During the year in which a Borg has assimilated a unit, the Borg player does not have to capture an additional supply center in the usual way to support his newly assimilated new unit. Instead, for the build phase of that year, the Borg player's supply centers can support an extra unit for each unit assimilated. This supply bonus applies only during the build phase of the year during which the assimilations took place and not to succeeding years. Thus a Borg player who assimilates two enemy units in the year 2304 and controls enough supply centers to support five units can actually support seven units in the build phase of 2304. If he has not captured additional supply centers by the winter of 2305, however, he would have to disband two units in that season.
2. If the Federation controls less than 8 supply centers, then the Enterprise can only be used one season (either Spring or Fall) within each year and not in a unit staying in or moving to a supply center province that turn. Once the Federation controls 8 supply centers, the Enterprise unit can be used in supply center provinces, but still may only be used one season out of the year. Upon the Federation capturing 13 supply centers, the Federation player can designate a unit as being the Enterprise in both the Spring and Fall seasons of the same year. Subject to the above restrictions, the Federation player is free to name any of his units as being the Enterprise, and can freely change which unit is the Enterprise, even between the Spring and Fall of the same year when he controls 13 or more supply centers.
3. Because of its recognition and protection of the rights of independent worlds, neutrals desire to join the Federation much more than the other Empires. Any province which starts the game containing a neutral supply center makes a diplomatic decision to join the Federation after any Fall turn in which it is adjacent to a Federation unit that could legally move there next turn and it is not garrisoned by another power. Thus fleets next to an inland province the fleet could not enter do not influence that province nor do fleets that could not get to the province because they are on the wrong coast. Example: a Federation fleet in St. Petersburg (south coast) does not influence Norway, but a Federation fleet in St. Pete (north coast) would gain Norway for the Federation if it was in St. Pete (nc) at the end of a Fall turn and there was no enemy unit occupying Norway. It does not matter if such a province is still neutral or is currently owned by another player; it still becomes a Federation supply center exactly as if it had been occupied by the Federation. There is no limit to the number of supply centers one unit can gain for the Federation this way. One fleet in the Mid-Atlantic could gain both Portugal and Spain for the Federation in a single turn. Of course, the Federation can still occupy neutral supply centers in the normal way.
2. The Dominion player may chose at the beginning of any movement phase to replace the original owning player's orders of an infiltrated unit with his own. The Dominion player does this by writing a capital "D" in parenthesis after the unit's designation on his movement orders for that season (example: F Klingon (D) North Sea moves London). This order supersedes the original owner's orders and the unit follows the Dominion's orders for that season exactly as if the player who owns that unit had submitted them.
8. At the start of the game, the GM will randomly pick one unit which has been infiltrated by the Dominion during the transport to the planet and so is infiltrated at the start of the game. The Dominion player will be informed of the location of this unit when the game starts. This information is kept secret from all the other players, as any Dominion infiltration would be. The unit chosen for the Dominion's first in-game infiltration following the Spring 2301 turn can not be from the same civilization as this pregame infiltration. If the random unit that is infiltrated at the start of the game turns out to be a hidden Cardassian unit, the Dominion player is not informed of its position in Spring 2301 (since it doesn't have one until the movement orders are in), so he can not give it orders in the first turn. He is told at the beginning of the game he has infiltrated a Cardassian unit in an unknown location and told which unit it is after the first Spring move is concluded.
12. Once every game, the Dominion player may "find" a wormhole offering instantaneous access to a distant part of the board. He does this by ordering one of his units to move to a space on the board to which it is not adjacent. The unit is considered to have found a permanent wormhole linking these two nonadjacent spaces and successfully makes the move. For the rest of this game, movement between these two spaces is allowed in either direction by all the players. A fleet can not establish a wormhole to a noncoastal land province nor can an army establish a wormhole to a body of water. The wormhole can not start or end in a province containing a home supply center of one of the seven major civilizations, but it can start or end in a province which contains a supply center that started the game neutral, even if that supply center is currently controlled by a major race.
13. Units traverse the wormhole by starting on the province containing one end of the wormhole and ordering a movement to the other end. Example: A Por – Swe if the worm hole exists between Portugal and Sweden. A unit can also order support to the space on the other side of the wormhole just as if it was adjacent to that space. Units moving through the wormhole can receive support from units adjacent to its exit province, but not from those adjacent to its entrance province. An army can not move or support through the wormhole if its exit space is water nor can a fleet move or support through the wormhole if its exit space is noncoastal land. A unit sitting on one end of the wormhole will stand-off and bounce back any unit trying to get through from the other side unless the attacking unit has support for its movement (or is a 1½ strength Klingon unit). Of course the blocking unit can be supported in remaining in place. The guiding principle for wormhole movement and supports is that the two linked provinces are treated as if they are adjacent provinces.
6. To allow non-Romulan units to check if there is a Romulan presence in an adjacent province or body of water, players may order a unit to "scan" one adjacent space to which that unit could legally move. For purposes of detecting cloaked Romulan units, this has the same effect as a support order into that space and any Romulan units in or supporting into that space are revealed. The scanning order has no other effect and a unit ordered to scan can do no other activity that turn. A scanning order is cut when the scanning unit is attacked, just as a support order is. Any attack upon the scanning unit, whether successful or not, causes the unit to not scan and instead act as if it was ordered to hold.
8. If a non-Romulan player orders a dislodged unit to retreat into a space that appears vacant but is actually occupied by a cloaked Romulan ship, the retreating unit is destroyed in ambush and the location of the Romulan unit is of necessity revealed to all since the players will know only the presence of a cloaked Romulan unit could account for the non-Romulan's destruction. The Romulan player does not have a choice to not destroy this unit retreating to his space. The only way he can prevent this is by informing the other player of the existence of his unit so the player will not retreat there. If two or more non-Romulan units retreat to the same space, they are considered to destroy each other and the Romulan units presence is not revealed to any players, including the ones that controlled the retreating units.
1. A Klingon unit moving alone attacks with a strength of one-and-a-half units. A one-half unit advantage is enough to win a battle so one Klingon unit can always dislodge one unsupported enemy unit. Klingons do not cooperate well with others, even other Klingons, as shown by their frequent civil wars and strong emphasis on individual honor and achievement, so this bonus is lost if the attack is made in cooperation with other supporting units. A Klingon unit attacking with the support of one other unit attacks with the normal strength of two, etc, whether the supporting units are Klingon or not.
1. At his choice, the Ferengi player can order his units to be trade units rather than military units. He does this in submitting his movement orders by writing an "M" for military or a "T" for trader after each unit's designation to signify its status. Example: F Spain (T) move Portugal. A Ferengi unit can not change status in the retreat or build phases. In these phases they always keep the status given them in the preceding movement order.
2. The Cardassian player does not have to place his units in the starting positions given by the rule book at the beginning of the game. Instead he gets to place them in any 3 provinces of his choosing within his home country (4 provinces if his home country is Russia). In addition, as a special rule applying only to this starting placement of his units, the effectiveness of his intelligence service (the Obsidian Order) allows the Cardassian player to place these units undetected by the other players. The Cardassian player sets their location on his first turn movement orders, on which he writes both the starting locations and movement orders for his units. The Cardassian is allowed to conduct first turn diplomacy before deciding where to put them and does not have to make a decision about their location until he submits his final movement orders for the first turn. The other players do not see the starting locations he has chosen until the public posting of the first turn orders/results so they will not know his choices until after submitting their first turn orders also. Cardassian units placed on the board during build phases are always visible.
4. The Cardassian player may chose to voluntarily retreat (i.e. move in the retreat phase) any units which were ordered to hold in the previous movement phase. All usual retreat rules apply: no moves to occupied spaces or spaces in which a stand-off occurred, units which move to spaces other retreating spaces also move to are destroyed, and a unit which retreats to a space occupied by a cloaked Romulan unit is destroyed in ambush. The Cardassian player may also choose to voluntarily retreat such units off the board (perhaps for rebuilding in a coming Winter turn). Cardassian units which were ordered to move, support, or convoy can not voluntarily retreat, only units ordered to hold have this option. All Cardassian units retreat as usual when dislodged.
1. The first turn of the game is considered to be Spring 2301. Otherwise, all time elements (number of seasons, order of phases within a turn, etc.) are the same as in regular Diplomacy.
2. To simulate the emptiness of space and the economic strain of supplying forces across it, starting in the build phase of the year 2302, each race must devote one supply center to providing the necessities for its civilian population on the planet and that supply center is not available to support a unit. In other words, starting in the build phase at the end of the second year, a power is only entitled to a number of units one less than the number of supply centers it controls. This rule does not apply to the Ferengi. For the build phase of the first year, each power is considered to have stockpiled supplies for the war which allow it to support as many units as it has supply centers. A race with 5 supply centers during the Winter of 2301 can build to get up to 5 units to use in 2302, but if it still controls only 5 supply centers at the end of that year, it must disband, if necessary, to get down to 4 units, subject to other effects, such as Borg assimilations.
3. Players reduced to one supply center will in most cases have no units but are not considered eliminated until they are reduced to no centers. The Dominion player can still infiltrate other players' forces as along as he controls one supply center, even if he has no units on the board. Once a player is eliminated (no supply centers controlled), he does not affect the game anymore. The Dominion player can not infiltrate and the Borg does not affect the supply situation of other races. The only exception to this is that the Borg keeps any supply advantages gained from eliminated players for the year in which he is entitled to them. The Borg player is still eliminated when he controls no supply centers, even if he has units still on the board. Any such units are removed immediately upon completion of the Fall turn in which he is eliminated..
4. Before any game starts, each of the seven players will have to be assigned or pick both the Star Trek civilization they will represent and the home country on the map that will be that civilization's base on the planet. These home countries are the seven standard countries normally used in Diplomacy and all rules regarding starting positions and building units only in a player's home country supply centers apply (except for the Cardassian player). A Romulan player assigned Italy then will, in effect, be playing Italy but with the special Romulan advantages. Any method for assigning races and countries agreed upon by the players may be used, but as a default, the GM may use a variant of the semi-standard procedure for regular Diplomacy of preference lists. The GM can have each player list the Star Trek civilizations in order of preference and at the same time randomly assign each player a number from 1 to 7. As usual, unique first choices are automatically given while ties are decided in favor of the player with the lowest randomly decided number. Players still without a civilization move on to their second choice and the same procedure is followed, and so on until every player has his race. Then, after each player is informed of the outcome and knows his Star Trek civilization, they each list a preference order for home country to play with that civilization. Again unique choices are given automatically, while ties this time are decided in favor of the player with the higher random number.
"What is the greater morality - open honesty or a deception which may save our lives?" Anan 7, Leader of the High Council of Eminiar VII (Star Trek Episode: A Taste of Armageddon).


Thousands of children in Saskatchewan have Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) but don't have a formal program that helps them live with the chronic condition.
University of Saskatchewan researchers are working to change that by developing the first CHD intervention program in Canada specifically designed for children.
So four years ago, Tomczak and Marta Erlandson, also an assistant professor in kinesiology, along with colleagues in the College of Medicine and the Department of Psychology at the University of Regina (U of R), launched a week-long summer camp called Children's Healthy Heart Camp in Saskatchewan (CHAMPS) to help kids with CHD manage day-to-day life with a chronic condition.
With more than 3,200 kids in Saskatchewan living with CHD—an abnormality in development or function of the heart that occurs during fetal development or acquired during childhood—there was no shortage of demand for the camp.
Corey Tomczak, assistant professor in the College of Kinesiology.
Erlandson said so many children with CHD just assume they can't be physically active, and that inactivity contributes to increased obesity and increased risk factors beyond CHD, which all contribute to a prolonged strain on the health-care system.
During the week, kids and their parents take part in different sessions covering physical activity, nutritional health, cardio health, growth and development, and psychological health, with the opportunity to talk with doctors, child psychologists and Huskies student-athletes.
"Once they leave the camp, they have no infrastructure in place to support chronic disease management outside of their regular cardiologist visits," Tomczak said.
Knowing that any significant behavioural change requires more substantive programming, Erlandson and Tomczak secured $50,000 in funding from the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) to pilot a longer-term program, one that is expected to run for about four months this fall.
The extended program will bolster all aspects of the week-long camp, but will also feature targeted sessions aimed at improving physical activity, arterial function, cardiopulmonary fitness, body composition, bone health and psychological functioning.
"Part of this program will include sessions for parents so that they can learn about talking with their kids about the condition and managing emotions," said Tomczak, adding that clinical psychologists from the U of R will run those sessions.


Life with my boys have made me so much more aware.
Aware of attitude. How important it is. How poor some people's is and how that ruins everything, not only for themselves but for the people around them. And some people's attitude is just- electric, contagious, bold in its imperfection. They make you want to be more and do more and feel more. They remind me I AM STRONG. We are made strong and fierce and for this exact purpose we are living right now.
Aware of struggle. It's made me aware that everyone has not just one, but some. Most people didn't have a perfect upbringing with perfect parents. Most people don't have the life they created, back when they still drew with crayons. Most people struggle with money and relationships and intrapersonal demons and work and obligations versus soul food. Some with addiction, depression, disease, abuse, and so many painful circumstance. Most people feel guilty and anxious and sad over life's circumstances. And some people have huge, Can I ever get over this? kind of struggle. And the only thing that helps is not their circumstances getting better. No, that can't always be the case for so many, because life isn't a sweet little movie. It's not even time that makes it better. Time can't take away the pain from losing a spouse or a parent or a child. Time shouldn't take it away because that pain also defines love. Important things that are no longer with us ache- and it should- because that what love is. A pledge that says, Without you I am not ok. But you learn to live with this pain. Walk around with it. Wake up and breath out and in anyway because you have to. Learn to act ok and sometimes even feel ok. Time may not make the pain better, but it may make you better at learning to live with it's sharpness in your pocket. The common thread to those who live successfully with pain seems to be a possession of attitude, honesty, humor, Grace and love. This gorgeous concoction of all of that- no skimping on the ingredients- the good stuff. The Whole Foods of attributes.
Aware of people who believe in big things. I am drawn to them. Their light powers me like solar panels. Some of them work with my boys. They think about my boys at night and on the weekend and send me texts that say something like, "I saw this at Target and I know Greyson would love it." Or, "I have an idea on how we can keep Parker more aware of his safety and surroundings on outings". I admire people who work with the beautiful souls with Special Needs.
Greyson's awesome school aids at school, aka- his Teachers. They love my little nose picker and that makes me happy and lucky all at once.
If I didn't know what I know now, I would have NEVER thought about working in Special Needs. I would have assumed I didn't have anything to give, or that it would be too hard or not really rewarding. I was talking with a couple of Grey's amazing aids at school today. One told me that she calls the students her "babies I didn't give birth to" and I get it. I love that.
Aware of Passion. The thing about passion is it can't be hidden or faked. It's like falling in love- you think about it all the time. It feels like some kind of drug. That's how I feel about working with my boys. I couldn't sleep the other night- I was so excited about making some teaching tools for them. I had to stop myself from getting up and laminating in the middle of the night. Passion doesn't leave you alone. It taps on your shoulder and tells you things that scare you at first. That's how I feel about writing. It took me a long time to own it. I loved it, but I felt too stupid to tell people that. What if I sucked? What if you laughed at me? But I am realizing that you must do your passion for you, and never for approval. Because if your passion is writing or painting or whatever- it is beautiful because of the love you pour into it. No one else gets to tell you it isn't beautiful or worth it. Passion should feel a little like you are teetering on the edge of something scary. That's how you know it's worth it.
Aware of People who believe in big things and DO SOMETHING. Oh man, this one is SO inspiring and so intimidating. Just today I was thinking- HOW CAN I CHANGE the WORLD? Like BIG?! I tried to THINK of a way, when usually that kind of bigness finds you and can't be forced.
So then I just prayed to God- God, if I come across the big thing I am supposed to do- will you make it REAL obvious please? I can be pretty dense. You know that already though, because you made me that way. So, make sure I know it when I see it please- and then I'll do it. Amen.
I love to read tragic stories in which someone uses their pain and ends up making the world better off for it. People who refuse to accept status quo, yet also refuse to complain and do nothing. People who write laws and lobby congress and start their own business or write a book or make an abrupt career change- that is the good stuff life is made up of.
Aware of just how much I have to be thankful for. I have the best job in the world. It doesn't pay crap, but I can leave my house in practically my pajamas most days. And I can eat candy if I want. And on Thursdays I sometimes get to take a nap. I have resources galore to help my boys. Some in my very own brain, some in other- smarter than me people's brains.
Grateful that so much therapy looks like play.
And SO SO grateful for Team Greyson + Parker. These awesome souls work with my boys 5 days a week doing Behavior Therapy- ABA. They get excited when it finally CLICKS after a hard lesson with my boys. They bring passion and energy to the table. They are making a huge difference in SO many lives. They are also getting hit and kicked and sometimes bitten and yelled at- And they show up again the next day to do it all over again. It's pretty remarkable to witness the impact they have made on the past 4 years of our lives.
I love my house- it has grape vines out front and citrus fruit out back. I can't get over how happy that makes me. I have a husband that travels and works hard so I can stay at home with my boys. I have two dogs I am crazy about. (Well, one I tolerate and one I am crazy about, but shhh- don't repeat that). I don't have cancer, I can walk and talk and hear and drive and best of all- LAUGH.
Laugh like today- when I notice a cabinet open and a Parker missing.
Most importantly, I can feel and I can share how I feel. Because when I keep it inside, it physically hurts. Please, don't keep it inside. You don't have to write a bunch of flowery crap to get it out if that isn't your thing. Just share your feelings, with a good friend, with God, with me (lifewithgreyson@gmail.com). I'm always here.
Some of these lessons humble me. Some scare me. Some inspire me. Most importantly, they make me FEEL all the FEELS, and that is so much of what life is about. They make me want to DO. They make me want to write my own epic tale. They also make me think about how I want to be loved. Exactly the way I am, no but ifs.
I want to be loved as is, no returns allowed or even wanted.
I practice loving my boys that way, complete in all their glory. And wishing someone was different, feels like a big but if. I no longer think, "If only they would talk one day." Now I realize I don't need them to talk. I just need them to communicate.
Communication looks like so many things. It may be using a communication device. It can be eye contact and arms wrapped around my neck hugs.
Communication is this little hop that means, I'm excited and happy, all swirled into one.
It's when Parker pulls me to the swing and places me behind it, and opens up my hands so I can push him and then smiles this HUGENORMOUS smile because I got it (and didn't try to make him say a word at this moment because sometimes I just need to let him communicate his way. It's crazy how kids that can't talk learn how to use their body and the world to tell you what they want. I'll be damned if it isn't GORGEOUS.
My boys have made me so much more aware, and I just wanted to share that gift of awareness with you. There's plenty to go around.