Light in the Darkness

It's been a long week.  

Also, it seems insane that just one week ago I was marching in DC.

It's been a hard week.  A sad and angry one.

And, it's been a perfectly lovely week, full of crazy weather and busy evenings and lovely times with friends. 

My life, forever being more than one thing.

I am struggling this week with the darkness that is being a sensitive and passionate and educated person  at the dawn of the new American regime.  Every day, more terrible news.  More rights being restricted, control  being exerted.  People in power saying terrible things, or staying silent in the face of gross injustice.   My friends and I watch in horror as we see his supporters celebrating.  It is just the beginning but I see the future of our country rolling out in front of my eyes, clear as if it already happened.  Because it did.  Many times.  

History repeats itself and lucky us, we're going to have front row seats.

While I wait for the show to start, I am sending emails and reading articles and making phone calls and educating myself on social justice.  I am renewing passports and setting up a saving plan.  I am trying to figure out how to fight. 

And, I am holding on to all the normal life I can.  The beauty of it, this life!

 Our freedom and privilege and comfort!  All that we take for granted! 

Here are some moments from this week.  

This is what we are fighting for. 

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A day in Cuyahoga Valley National Park (which is, I am proud to report, a member of the #altnps Resistance!)

Crazy warm weather found us playing tag and riding scooters and finding painted rocks in the fresh air at Brandywine Falls...

Jack found the first rock-- it came with instructions to re-hide it, which we did.  We have since joined the Facebook group, Northeast Ohio Rocks, and plan to do some rock painting and hiding as soon as the snow melts again....

Speed demon.

my guys...

Friends!  The intensity of the pretend play with these girls!  Today, they were three cats on an adventure...

Ivy's turn to find and hide one!

Heart-Heart is her current cat name.

So, this moment.  Jack was showing Naomi how to pull off these tiny seeds and scatter them into the wind.

Could I love them more???

Friday Night fun with the mamas!

We closed down two establishments, cause we're crazy like that.  Ethiopian food at Zoma, then a delightful quick drink at Cleveland Urban Winery. All less than a mile from my house.  Have I mentioned I love where I live??

Time with these ladies is good for my soul.

Date night and a party!  Gram took the kids for an overnight on Saturday and Nat and I got dinner out together and then a chance to go to a grownup birthday party with some college friends.  Can't beat that!   Plus, the party was at the Bottlehouse brewery-- less than a 1/2 mile from my house.
Yep, love where I live...

And my wonderful, beautiful friends.

 And snuggling new babies.

Happy Birthday, Dave!

 Speaking of Birthdays...

This stunning young lady is 26!  Not sure how that is possible, since she's *supposed* to be my BABY sister...!
We had a wonderful brunch with lots of snuggles from kids and spaniels.

 See?

If that couchful isn't worth fighting for, I don't know what is.

Oh- maybe the right for ALL people in America to have as much love and freedom and food and safety and laughter and joy as I was blessed with this week.  And the chance to live without the fear of losing those things.

That might be worth fighting for too.

In solidarity,
A.

March On

Our Resistance Art was put to use this weekend.

Every member of our little family-- and a good showing of our relatives, too-- participated in the Women's March on Saturday.  We were in Cleveland, in Seneca Falls, and in Washington DC.  We marched and chanted and held up our signs along with over 3 million others, voicing our dissent and our hopes for the future.

Because this is what democracy looks like.

Solidarity and diversity.  Inspiring numbers and joyful togetherness in the midst of a dark and despairing time.  In DC, there were too many marchers to actually march-- the route was full before it started.  So, we took to other streets instead.   Reports vary from 500,000 to 1.3 million; either way I can vouch for the fact that everywhere we went, all day, it was a sea of pink hats and protest signs and like-minded, passionate, kind people.  In Cleveland the sun shone on 15,000 marchers who listened to music and climbed on birds together afterwards.  In Seneca Falls, three generations of Morehouses walked alongside the spirits of the suffragettes.  

There were sister marches on every continent and in nearly every state.  And there was not one arrest made, no violent disruptions, just people coming together to raise their voices in support of other people.  There were so many diverse causes represented, we couldn't even get a consistent chant to take hold.  But the common thread was human decency.  Caring about other humans, and their liberties, be it in the guise of worker's rights, reproductive freedom, or standing with Standing Rock.  It was so amazing to be a part of something so much bigger than myself.  I am so proud of all of Us.

I traveled by charter to bus to DC, an impromptu decision made in the weary post-election haze, and it worked out remarkably well.  My friends and I were so prepared-- first aid kits and bandanas and no contacts in case of tear gas... and we didn't need a bit of it.  The biggest hardship I had to endure was sleeping two nights in a bus seat.  It was an easy introduction to protest, indeed.  And a very small price to pay for a respite of intense joy.  I went ahead and let myself be really, really happy on Saturday.  I jumped in and loved every single minute of it.  (Except maybe that minute of really low blood sugar when we collapsed in front of that synagogue and didn't know what to do. But then we got coffee so it was OK).  I wanted to just stay forever in that city -- and by that I don't mean Washington.  I mean the city WE created, the place where every stranger was an immediate friend and we all moved and cheered as one.  The place where you could set a "sound wave" in motion by cheering madly, and know the group of marchers across the street would just join in. I do love me a nice, safe bubble, and on Saturday my bubble was half a million strong.  My Facebook feed was all March, all the time.  My text messages lit up with pictures of my sunlit, brave, marching children.   I had a terrific dinner and drinks with old college friends and ended the evening with riotous laughters over escalators and selfies on garage roofs with two amazing ladies.  The day took my breath away and totally wore me out and was awesome. 

We ate dinner at Busboys and Poets, a great spot which is a known liberal hangout all the time-- and even more so on Saturday.  The energy in the place!!!  And great poetry in the menu...!

The view from the top of the parking garage....

If this is activism, sign me up.

Yesterday, I rested.  Because sleeping on a bus is a young woman's game! Oy.

Today, still a little sleep deprived, I grappled with the backlash.  People calling the Marchers a bunch of whiners.  Entitled suburbanites having a girls day out.  Racists. Litterers.  Part of the problem. I felt guilty for a bit, for enjoying March Day so very much. For being a privileged white lady.  For not doing enough before and then complaining after.  I felt guilty for feeling elated.

But only for a little bit.  Because I am allowed to feel joy. And because I know that we, the Marchers, are far from perfect- but we are far from the problem, too.   We ARE on the side of love and the side of progress and the right side of history.  And I fully plan to take the joy I felt on Saturday and channel it into more action.  To show up whenever I can-- not just at the Marches where everyone does (in fact) look just like me.  But anywhere my presence, my one voice, can add strength to the cause. 

And I will keep signing petitions and making phone calls and standing up for humans any chance I get.  Because Saturday was historic and amazing and so much bigger than expected-- and it needs to be just the start of something even bigger, if we are to have any hope for change.

March on.

Snuggled In

We are keeping warm in the cold of January with friends, family time at home, and political resistance...

Fake Christmas Morning!   A cozy and happy gathering with many, many donuts.

 And cookies.

 And friends!

 And puppies!

 And presents! (the con counting machines were a bit of a bust... but we did win big-- we have the bowling ball again!  It's back in our garden.

 A highlight of the day:  the opportunity for guest to play along with the "solve that electrical wiring mystery" game!  Most of the men spent most of the afternoon in the basement and stairwell, finding the source of some random arcing sparks in the wiring.   Nothing but fun around here!

 Second Sunday Soup

 Back to the Jacob's house, where the group got to experience the Oculus VR system.  Jack and Ivy were ready to move in so they could play forever.

Protest Sign-Making

 So grateful for my friend who took me along to this marvelous event.  A wonderful local space  (a cooperative artists' printing press) hosted the event where a big group of local feminists gathered, mingled, drank wine and learned to make silkscreens, while producing thousands of signs,

 I loved it.  I wanted to stay there all night. May have to get a membership.

Ran into a friend from Hiram who's also going on the buses to the DC march!

 My signs. So proud of myself.  Have to choose one to frame and keep.  Apparently our decor is going to start shifting to "Resistance Art".  Who knew?  Embracing the unexpected this year.


Dinner with friends at the Perry house (aka "snuggle all the babies night")

An out of town guest drew us all to Chagrin falls where we enjoyed tacos and drinks and conversation-- and meeting 6 month old Penny...

 ... and 12-day old Ava!  Ivy was in heaven.

 My baby-loving girl.

I love these ladies.  And their babies!

Here is a glimpse into what happens in my house when Ivy and I leave for a girl's day.  He and daddy set up dueling laptops to play Agario on an online server.  What what that about unexpected?

Officially Jack's favorite spot.

 Bunny picture for fun.  One of Toasted Marshmallow's favorite spots.

 Ivy and I went with Becca to the Wedding Expo at the IX center on Saturday.  It seems that every year at this time I spend a lot of time at the IX center...  What to do in January in Cleveland besides wander around a huge warehouse space with terrible lighting, collecting swag?

Despite the headache I came home with, we had a great time.

 Ivy's favorite limo.  She also enjoyed the one with the poles to spin around...

 Good to get outdoors occasionally, though.  A wintry walk at Forest Hills.

 The kids enjoyed the play area-- and also the ice on the pond and the sticks they found to poke it with.  All those toys we buy these children... and it turns out all they really need is ice and a few sticks.