From my African-American Studies teacher:

"Your paper is nothing short of remarkable, one of the very best in this class and worthy of publication in some format or another.Keep that in mind as you go forward in your education.It has been a pleasure to have you as a student and I have especially appreciated your comments on the civil rights issues confronting the GBLT community.I hope you have that adopted baby very, very soon!"

I don't actually think it was all that, really, but apparently it was good enough! Woo-hoo! Now if she would just grade my final, all would be well. :)

So my final is tomorrow morning. I am hoping and praying that I get the essay question about Marcus Garvey, the UNIA, and how they lay (laid?) the groundwork for the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense and the Black Power movement. I'm totally all over that question. I can handle the Haitian Revolution question -- all about Toussaint-L'Ouverture and his legend, and how his struggle, and the struggle of the Black residents of Haiti affected the US -- and I'd be fine with the sexism and racism question. Now, there's a question about our West/Gates book that I am utterly unprepared for...so I'm going to try to get a grip on that tonight. I've got most of the identification options down - stuff like Benjamin Banneker, Ida B.Wells Barnett, Mary McLeod Bethune, the Dred Scott Decision, Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Ed, Phillis Wheatley, David Walker's Appeal, Nat Turner-Denmark Vesey-Gabriel Prosser, Booker T. Washington and the Atlanta Exposition... all kinds of stuff.

If you're anything like me -- a white woman educated in State College PA who's never before studied African-American history -- then you don't know much about any of these subjects. I know that I didn't -- really, still don't. It's really been pissing me off, honestly, how little I've known about this history. I had some race and ethnicity courses in college, but even so, I know very, very little. I'm hoping that I have enough elective room to take another course along the way.

Meanwhile, I need to finish my final project - writing about the contributions of African-Americans to All Souls Unitarian Church in downtown Washington, DC, and the struggles the church and the denomination have had around race. But that's not due until next week, so I have a little time. Not much, but a little.

Wish me luck!

So the Turtlefaery and I have crossed another wee threshold on the way to adopting Froglet (the name we've given our future child). We did the last of the things that we needed to add to our gathered "outside" paperwork. The outside paperwork was stuff like FBI checks, drivers' records, pet registrations, our name change records, records of physicals, records of HIV and TB tests, references from friends, guardianship agreements, stuff like that. The stuff that we had to do on the "inside" was provide things like our recent tax forms and do a statement of our net worth. How much not-fun was that?! I mean, TF did it and I just looked it over and we talked about it. We're in much better shape than we once were, but still, it's hard to look so baldly at finances, I find. Something we're trying to get better at.

And THEN. And THEN we actually FEDEXED THE PACKET! The whole shootin' match. All gone. Sent to the agency. So now we're just waiting for Anna, our social worker, to schedule our interviews.

Woo-hoo!

In other news, it's Mailing Season, here at work, so I'm crazy busy. Sorry if I haven't been around much. It's good to have work, satisfying work, and busy work, no?

Something that I really loved about being with the CSJ sisters, despite the fact that Catholic Church drove me crazy, is how they integrated a mission of social justice into their spirituality. I was very nourished by that combination, and have missed it at 4QF. While 4QF is moving towards greater ecological awareness, it seems, the kinds of social justice issues that I'm most drawn to -- anti-racist work, for example -- are just not priorities there. Not that everything has to be a priority everywhere...it's just something I'm taking into account in my discernment.

So on Saturday, the Turtlefaery and I attended a social justice planning gathering at the UU church we've been attending. It was really wonderful, on the whole. In a cold room, with no microphone for the facilitator, but other than that, really really good. Creativity was valued. Brainstorming worked the way it's supposed to -- free-form with no judgments along the way. Small group work. Dyad work. Large group "reporting." It was like a breath of fresh air.

I was in the "Beloved Community" Group, and we talked about the integration of spirituality with social justice concerns, outreach into the community, and welcoming newcomers in a spirit of Radical Hospitality as big projects we wanted to work on. People signed up to convene groups on each of these topics, the meeting ended, and then we went to a concert by the Jubilee Singers. It was a concert of encouragement and thanksgiving for the work done by people in the social justice ministries, and just really nice.

There were people there working on ESL programming, education advocacy, affordable housing, anti-racist work, hospitality, global climate change...it was really amazing. The church just really has a commitment to supporting the work of people who have the energy and leadership skills to get things going. Very cool.

Then Saturday night, the TF took me in hand, we went to my office, and cleaned the craziness that it had been. I am sitting at a pristine desk, with a cleared workspace, where there is not one post-it stuck. It's quite amazing. We put stickies on the cabinets and drawers so that I would be able to find things. Just like a little kid's room! We spent four hours working on it, and it's just amazing. It's the kind of thing I just can't conceptualize to do well, if at all, so the TF's help was invaluable.

Sunday, we went back to church -- so much church this weekend! -- and saw beautiful authenticity and spiritual community in action. One of the ministers has been diagnosed with cancer -- good prognosis, but still scary -- and the parents of a friend of the senior minister were found murdered in their home on Saturday. So the senior minister, clearly distressed, talked about he had had one sermon in mind, but events of the past week meant that he'd had to change it. He read "Blackwater Woods," one of my favorite Mary Oliver poems, and talked about the importance of loving one another, caring for one another, and bringing people into our circle of compassion for the short time that we have together. There were many un-dry eyes in the house. The authenticity of his sharing with the congregation...the way the community came together around stuff....it was just beautiful, and yet another example of what I long for.

The TF has suggested that I make an appointment with one of the ministers -- I was going to meet with the one who's just been diagnosed, but she's having surgery very soon and won't be available. So I may call the membership minister and see if she's available. Just to talk about some stuff -- I'd like to get a sense, if she will help me to, of the struggles of this particular community. I know that every community has them, but ... 'nuff said about that, I suppose.

In other news, in the ongoing quest to Be a Grownup at Work, I spent some time with the Clinique and Estee Lauder counters yesterday. Also got some shoes for work that are more supportive and comfortable than the others I've had. I have joined the women in my family and at work in the Sisterhood of the Dansko. I'm hoping that we're basically done with this Wardrobe Upgrade - some more pants and socks and I should be there. I hope my supervisor is happy. She at least can't say that I haven't been responsive!

Okay, off to do some work. Have a lovely day!

       

I am feeling somewhat better about things to come... "Don't just do something. Stand there!" Sometimes the thing to do is to wait for clarity, and that is what I am doing.

Sometimes the thing to do is to offer to stand up and help fix something. Sometimes the thing to do is to wait and see. Sometimes the thing to do is to work around and behind the scenes of a difficult situation. Sometimes the thing to do is to speak truth to power... There are many options.

So today, I am listening to others, waiting out the storm of my own feelings and reactions, and attending to what is mine to do.

Meanwhile, I'm going to the Secret Service headquarters this morning to do a fundraising event. Very strange, my life is sometimes.

Hey there, folks.

I had an absolutely whirlwind weekend. First was the Four Quarters meeting on Saturday, which was just hellacious in every way, and which has left me truly struggling to discern what my place is in that community. My third degree necklaces, and the commitment therein, hung like a millstone around my neck in that meeting. I wanted nothing more than to abandon the process as a lost cause, but I felt keenly that I needed to stick it out and Listen as best I could. So I did my best, and I wonder whether it was good enough.

Then Sunday the Turtlefaery and I went to church at the UU place on the corner of 16th and Harvard. Totally awesome. Wonderful music, good and inspiring sermon, friendly people. It was great. we're going to a social justice gathering there on Saturday during the afternoon. I'm really looking forward to it. I also think I may join the choir there in January. Not now, since I have plans during their December gigs, but maybe in January.

Then, through a series of serendipitous events, I found myself reclaiming the piercings I had abandoned when I went to the convent. A reclamation of my right to my body, my sexuality, and the spiritual power of ordeal. The experience is also helping me to work through the pain and confusion that have been left in the wake of the meeting.

Meanwhile, the TF and I continue with the adoption process. Check out our adoption blog at froglet.typepad.com. It's all aobut our experience, our beliefs, and our hopes with respect to adoption. I think it's neat.

take care
Q

I woke up this morning so tired that I actually considered calling off. I mean, I wouldn't really "call off sleepy," but I thought about it. Damn, Gina.

So the ACLU is bringing a suit about Proposition 8. We'll see what it does. I'm not feeling particularly optimistic about it -- not that I know anything about this kind of thing, but the arguments seem kind of fluffy to me, and according to the ED of Equality Maryland, they've been tried before, and failed.

As for the Lawrence v. Texas overthrow of sodomy laws, well that's quite different from marriage equality. It is, granted, a step on the way, but I hardly think it means that the Supremes are on the side of equality. Perhaps over the course of the next four to eight years we may get a Supreme Court that could reasonably hear a case, but not nowadays. (By the way, if I'm not making any sense, I blame my extreme sleepiness!)

DC is all aflutter now. People planning to leave town, people coming to town, people discussing what the "attitude" of the White House is going to be... it's fun.
People deciding whether to apply for jobs on the Hill. I wouldn't be surprised if we lost some staff to the Hill -- it's an exciting time!

Tomorrow, after I go to a law firm Toy Drive kick-off event, we leave to see the Snooties! Cannot WAIT. It's going to be great. Of course, tonight, we have a ton of cleaning, shopping, and other errands to do. I may die. Probably won't die, but feel like it, maybe. :)

Have a good day!
Q

Lost my post -- trying again --

CA, FL, AR, and AZ all passed anti-gay measures in this election, including ones forbidding adoption by same-sex couples.

I am really sad this morning, even as I am delighted for the Presidential election.

Qira

I'm sure there will be even more press about this than there already has been, but my polling place was INSANE. The line was longer than anyone near me remembered it ever being -- just as the primary line was the longest primary line anyone remembered. There were twice as many polling machines in the place as they've had previously.

The line was about four or five blocks by the time the polls opened. We got there just about 6:30, and we were a block away from the doors, which opened at 7. There were clearly people camped out outside the doors that had been there for hours on their camp chairs. I got kind of nauseated once we were inside -- it was really warm, and I'd had no food or water, just meds (blech) -- but we made it into the place and cast our votes. Woo-to-the-hoo!

By far, the biggest group of people in our line was Black people. They do make up the bulk of our town, but the proportion was quite stunning, I have to say. It was pretty awesome.

And to all my Obama-supporting friends in Virginia and Pennsylvania -- go, team! I'm sure your states are going to show blue, and are going to be part of the McCain campaign's early death knell. And everyone who's working the polls as an electoral official or as election protection, THANK YOU!

See you tomorrow!

sorry that I've been so absent of late. Work, mostly, has been keeping me from here. Oh, and that Other Site. :)

The Turtlefaery and I have started another blog, which I'm totally excited about. If you're interested, message me and I'll tell you more about it. (Did I already put this here? I can't remember!)

Today is Samhain - considered by many Pagans to be the highest holy day of the year. It's the night when you show up to ceremony - even if you're dead! :) I'm wearing black all over, makeup, and glitter in my hair. Festive, yet in keeping with the spirit of the holiday. Have my work-appropriate pentacle on -- people think it's some kind of Masonic thing, because the star is wrapped around a tree and moon in a Celtic knotwork fashion, so unless you know what you're looking at, you don't know what you're looking at.

Tonight, there will be trick-or-treating, and then root veggies, greens, pork, and mulled pomegranate punch, followed by ritual. Tomorrow is brunch with new friends, and then more Samhain celebration that evening. Sunday is All Souls (on All Souls' day!) and then possibly brunch with Turtlefaery's sister. A busy weekend all the way around!