New Post at LWOS
Aaaaaaaaaaaand here we go again!
The Lesson of Failure
This one was about an event that happened over 20 years ago. How weird, the little things that stick in your head…
Mama Mala
Over the last extremely stressful year, I’ve been exploring my personal spirituality a lot. There are no atheists in foxholes, the saying goes, and I kinda roll with that. Frankly, I almost have to believe that, because of some of the things that I’ve seen happen to other moms, and that have happened to me.
Almost a year ago, the marvelous Dana gave me a mala bracelet made of bodhi seeds. It’s fabulous and I love how it feels in my hands, but it’s too big to wear and the elastic gave up pretty rapidly. So Dana bought me another bracelet, and brought it to me right before Aurora’s birth. At first I thought it was just a nice pattern on the beads, but on closer reflection, discovered that the carvings are tiny Madonnas. 
As I’ve posted before, I’m not a Catholic. Not even close. I resent the idea that an institution thinks they can come between me and my personal relationship with the Divine. So la.
My aunt Marla, before she died, surrounded herself with latin images of the Madonna. I miss Marla hugely; I think we might have had a lot to talk about once we were both mothers. Sadly, she did not live to see my children. But I think of her all the time; when I see the film Dune, when I hear David Bowie, when I see Madonnas.
I refer to Mary a lot in my birth advocacy work. If you point out that Christ was born unassisted in a horse barn, suddenly modern home birthing looks pretty slick. And also classical. I’ve seen a lot of devout Christians do a 180 on their ideas about homebirth once this fact is mentioned. Mary is therefore my own personal patron of why homebirth works. When I see her, I think of women’s power in birthing.
To some degree, all mothers touch the Divine. You can’t be this much a part of the dance of birth, death, and everything in between and not be in touch with something bigger than yourself. Sometimes, it’s just because it’s all so overwhelming you have to have someone to hand it over to; the responsibility for it all is just too crushing otherwise. In that way, all mothers are to some degree the Madonna. I do recognize that some women reject that role entirely. But I also see women all around me who step up to the plate and embrace the sort of growth that motherhood can bestow upon you if you let it.
So on days where it’s too big, it’s too crazy, it’s too amazing, it’s too humbling, I wear my Mama Mala, I thumb through the beads, and I think of all the Madonnas I know.
Conscious Woman Online — Kudos for Me!
I am teaching a series over at Conscious Woman, “Conscious Woman Online“, to help encourage people who have good messages to offer to get online and start communicating with the Digital Natives who are already there.
Yesterday’s class was disappointingly small; only two registrants. Wah, right? Those two registrants were none other than Gloria Lemay, and Ina May Gaskin! WHOOT! I got to soapbox them both with my message; that women need to be able to find good information on birth *before* the Machine gets them. And apparently, I got my message across! WHOOT!!!! Check these review comments out!
I just had my mind expanded this morning by Laureen Hudson’s hour long online session on how to use the internet to get a message out. Laureen’s session “Creating an Online Presence,” gave me a wealth of information in a short time and impressed me with how many people are out there who completely rely on the internet for their information. I needed that, and maybe you do, too.
- Ina May Gaskin
I just hung up the phone from doing the hour long session with Laureen Hudson on “Creating an Online Presence”. Laureen’s know-how and expertise were enough to wake up even the birth oldtimers like me and Ina May to the many unused opportunities of the internet. Laureen’s engaging and easygoing teaching style made even those scary (to me) terms like “hypertext, streaming, wordpress, technorati, feedreader and trackback” start to make sense. Her passion is to reach the generation of young women who have not yet given birth BEFORE they fall into the black hole of aggressive obstetrics. I came away from the class today with lots of ways to improve my website and make it more modern, usable and interesting for readers. This class will run again this coming Friday (August 22) and I heartily recommend it.- Gloria Lemay
How incredibly spiffy is that?
I‘m teaching that class that they took one more time, and there are two more classes in the series, one on SEO and one on blogging, which I’m honestly more excited about than I was about the first two classes in the series. Hopefully I can drum up some more registrations… cause that means I’ve managed to convince more people to get out there and actually reach the folks who need the messages most.
Posing
Kestrel wanted me to take a picture of him and Aurora. He had been holding her for a while, and thought they looked cute. So I picked up the camera.
Clearly, Kestrel was far more interested in being photogenic than Aurora was.
Jason stepped in to try to get her to focus in the same spot, and maybe even get a smile out of her.
Kestrel even tried to help, to little photographic avail.
Finally everyone gave up.
The irrepressible Kestrel decided to entertain himself…
And got Aurora in on the act… providing a better photo op than all the others together.
WestJet Sucks
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/cbc/080807/science/vancouver_bc_breast_feeding_cover_up_west_jet
OTTAWA (CBC) - Another Vancouver woman has come forward to say she was harassed while breastfeeding in public. Vancouver teacher Erin Tarbuck told CBC News she was nursing her 11-month-old son on a recent WestJet flight as the plane was preparing for takeoff, when a flight attendant asked her to cover up.
Takeoff and descent can cause painful pressure in the tiny Eustachian tubes of children’s ears, so it’s common for mothers to nurse their babies, Tarbuck said, as swallowing helps ease the pain.
“[She] came up and said quietly, ‘You know, some men find the sight of a bare breast quite offensive. Can I offer you a blanket to cover up with?” Tarbuck said on Wednesday.
Tarbuck declined the offer of a blanket, but one was brought to her anyway. “I was pretty shocked,” said Tarbuck.
She later complained to WestJet’s head office and received a written response. “The rep defended what the flight attendant had done. She said we have to make our customers feel comfortable,” said Tarbuck.
WestJet couldn’t be reached for comment on Wednesday.
So my pal Krista, who is Canadian, sent them this…
Dear WestJet staff, I would appreciate you forwarding this message as I cannot locate a direct email for anyone, and my comments are too long to fit in the web comment form. Thank you so much!
Dear Sean Durfy, CEO,
I was so happy today to read your reply to the recent criticism of your treating breastfeeding women as second-class citizens. In an email to those questioning this behaviour your company representative stated “If a guest is engaged in an activity that makes others uncomfortable, or has the potential to make others uncomfortable, flight attendants have a responsibility to engage the guest in an effort to find a solution.” I was very relieved to hear this, as I frequently fly WestJet with my family and I have been made uncomfortable numerous times by other guests. You may want to stock up on more blankets.
First, fat people, are frankly, quite offensive to me and they make me feel very uncomfortable. Especially when they are eating, that smacking and slurping is really disturbing. I heartily support a WestJet policy that would assist me in feeilng comfortable by handing out a blanket along with their pretzel snack, so they can eat in comfort underneath a nice soft blanket, and I can be spared the sight of their wobbling jowls. Of course, I could look away, but for such a disgusting act, clearly more protection (for me) is needed.
Second, thin young girls. Need I say more? I’m a woman of a certain age and truthfully I can think of nothing that makes me more uncomfortable than some young whelp wearing a mini-skirt and a low-cut blouse. Probably two blankets would be in order, just to make sure their feet are covered as well, as I find pedicures have the potential to make me uncomfortable. (I love how inclusive and wide-reaching your statement above is!) And don’t get me started on how immodest exposed ankles are, I mean, can’t we all just follow a few simple rules of modesty that will keep everyone happy? What’s the big deal?
Third (and last, you’ll be happy to hear) I appreciate your support in covering with a blanket any couple that might be holding hands on the plane. Gay, straight, cover them all! I just don’t want to have to see THAT kind of behaviour on an airplane for pete’s sake. Disgusting.
I look forward to your support for my comfort on my next WestJet flight. I’m glad to hear you are not just considering one group of people’s comfort level and instead will fairly support ALL of our comfort, with your customers myriad definitions of politeness, modesty and appropriate behaviour, regardless of what Canadian law actually supports.
warmly,
Krista Cornish Scott
proud WestJet customer
Aurora Smiles
This is the song that plays in my head when Aurora smiles. So I thought I’d share the moment with you.
Jackie Wilson said
It was "reet-petite"
Kinda love you got
Knock me off my feet
Let it all hang out
Oh, let it all hang out.
And you know
I’m so wired-up
Don’t need no coffee in my cup
Let it all hang out
Let it all hang out.
Watch this:
Ding-a-ling-a-ling
Ding-a-ling-a-ling-ding
Ding-a-ling-a-ling
Ding-a-ling-a-ling-ding
Do-da-do-da
I’m in heaven, i’m in heaven
I’m in heaven, when you smile
When you smile, when you smile
When you smile.
Milk and Love 2 — Tikva
Yesterday, I received an email forward simultaneously from both of my favorite Jessicas in the world. They were pointing me towards a woman who had a bunch of frozen milk to donate to some worthy baby, and they both thought of Halima.
I pounced, and immediately sent the woman, Gal, an email asking for the milk on Halima’s behalf. And then went and read her blog, Growing Inside. For a while. And then I sat and held Aurora and cried (I’m actually crying again just typing this out now).
Gal’s baby girl, Tikva, passed away at 8 weeks old. That’s how old Aurora will be on Friday. And Gal has been pumping all 8 weeks, not knowing if she was going to be able to feed Tikva or not, and wanting to keep her supply going. So there are now three huge ice chests of milk for Halima, and Willa, another baby whose mother cannot nurse her for medical reasons. They are Tikva’s milk sisters, as Aurora is Halima’s.
Women are so strong, so tough. They go through so much just to keep the species going. I am struck by the fact that these little girls are all of different ethnicities and religions. At some place in the world, the men of each of their heritages are trying to kill each other. And here in the Bay Area, women, mothers are coming together in a heartbeat to nurture our young in the best way we possibly can, and take joy in the connections we can make.
Hope, apparently, and love, come through breastmilk.
Help Zac! Buy Shirts!
I don’t normally flog merchandise, but Zac Sunderland’s family has t-shirts for sale on his site, to help raise money for his effort. So… make with the clicky and buy a few! Surely you know a bunch of homeschoolers who could use a new wardrobe item? What better than this?
http://www.qbaroo.com/zacsunderland/main.cfm?categoryoid=1
Aurora — Dolphin Dreaming
Aurora's Dolphin Dreaming
Miss Aurora down for the afternoon nap. Who knows what babies dream of? We can only guess.
Happily Homeschooling in CA
The decision came out yesterday from the Cailfornia Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Three with regard to the In re Rachel L. case.
Yes, Virginia, you can homeschool in this state.
All the relevant info can be found on CHN’s website.
Now everyone can quit freaking out and we can file our paperwork this October, right on schedule. Oh gosh, now this means I have to come up with a good name for our school. Suggestions welcome!
Conscious Woman of the Month — Manjula Pradeep
http://consciouswoman.org/2008/08/04/conscious-woman-of-the-month-august-2008/
Want to have your blood pressure raised? Want to realize yet again how incredibly lucky you are to have been born as you were? Read this month’s Conscious Woman article, about Dalit activist Manjula Pradeep.