2nd Annual UVM Diversity Symposium

Geo and I attended the second annual Diversity Symposium at UVM Davis Center ~ Serving and Learning from our New Neighbors in a Multicultural Environment.

Keynoter L. Michelle LeBaron from the University of British Columbia quoted poet David Whyte's The House of Belonging for the audience to consider transitioning from one home to another. The change is unsettling. In a new situation, "one good word is bread for thousands," and disperses fear in an unfamiliar environment. How "spacious" and "permeable" is our home? How is space made for everyone to belong? What could be the "good word" to help new people to feel welcomed?

A panel of one immigrant and three refugees told their stories of trying to "fit in," or find belonging in a new community. The biggest challenge to making connections, they agreed, is language. Another is just figuring out the system and where to go for assistance they need. They also agreed that it is valuable to them that they are able to preserve their own culture and traditions.

What I noted was the immigrant's comment that there are many services to assist refugees, but not for immigrants. If the refugee makes connections to the community through various agencies, the immigrant makes connections through a job.

Also thought-provoking, "We love diversity unless it means giving something up."
When we do make "space" for everyone to belong, change is going to occur for ourselves as well as the for the newcomer who had left a home behind. Everyone gives up the familiar (or "home" as one knows it), and everyone can be enriched by the resulting multiculturalism.

The break-out sessions continued discussions on how connections can be made.

One other comment impressed me: to encourage inclusion, "let's not celebrate diversity, let's hire diversity." I'm wondering, is this an expression of affirmative action? Any comments?

NOFA VT 29th Annual Winter Conference

Geo and I attended the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont Winter Conference. Actually, we are really small town suburbanites (or as our neighbor says, "Front yard suburb, back yard rural"). Farmers we are not, but we are members to support organic farms, to learn sustainability practices, and to interact with some really neat counter-cultural farming people. There were about 1200 of us meeting at UVM.

Keynote speaker Shannon Hayes outlined differences between an organic agricultural lifestyle and the mainstream consumer culture. She called the two "parallel universes." One is ecologically sustainable, in harmony with the life-death-life cycle, and the other is focussed on acquiring corporate wealth without regard for renewal of resources. One is nurturing, appreciates sacrifice, and promotes renewal, while the other consumes and lives in dread of scarcity. One sees a pork chop and thinks "whole pig," and the other sees a pork chop individually wrapped and thinks "endless supply."

The corporate culture sees the household as a unit of consumption; monetary wealth is the measure of success. The organic agricultural family experiences the household as a unit of production; success is determined by how much money you don't need to spend. Home for one is a refuge; for the other, it's a starting point from which "life ripples out."

According to Hayes, ever since the industrial revolution and through the women's liberation movement, people have lost basic skills needed to sustain themselves. Therefore they need to earn more money to buy more goods and services. The corporate culture benefits. The environment and social justice are compromised for the sake of more wealth. Crossing the path from one "parallel universe" to the other is a transformational process.

This was just the keynote ~ the workshops were just as informative and thought-provoking.

It was good to see Senator Sanders and Governor Shumlin there to support the organic farm movement. According to Senator Sanders, Vermonters have a profound role, no less than revolutionary, in leading the way for our food future. Cheers for family farms and for sustainability.

Hint to My Valentine

Dark chocolate. Dark, dark bittersweet chocolate.
No truffles.

An Early Sighting

Looking out the window this morning, I spotted this lone robin. Where did it come from? It's blustery out there! With this hardy robin in the tree, can Spring be far behind? 



Super Bowl XLV

The best about Super Bowl XLV:

~ The Pack are the Champs ! (You can take the girl out of Wisconsin, but you can't take Wisconsin out of the girl.)

~ Little Darth Vader  (What was that car in the commercial...?)  DV is frustrated, but perseveres, and the power becomes evident. Joy !

~ The technological wonder of a brilliant light display half-time. Unfortunately, the technology somewhat overpowered the performers. (Black Eyed Peas, unplugged, it was not.)  Reminiscent of Beijing Olympics, this worked.

Go, Pack, go !  Go, Little Darth Vader !

Another slice

Another pic from Food Photography class. I like the translucent quality in this one.

My Day and Harry Bliss

This morning I did the laundry and ironed while keeping an eye on CNN for news about Egypt.

I spent the afternoon at an investment club educational meeting learning a little more about forecasting sales, earnings and PEs. (This was actually very interesting!)

Later Geo and I enjoyed a delightful dinner at Daily Planet ~ scallops for him and pork for me (it's usually the other way around ~ he loves pork, I love scallops).

Then we were off to an artist reception for Harry Bliss, a New Yorker cartoonist and children's book illustrator. (I've been aware of him since daughter Addie met with him for a school project years ago.) It was a treat to see his work and to hear him speak about it. He describes his cartooning as social commentary with fresh ideas to be shared with thousands.

Soooo, when I got home I found his website and subscribed to "a cartoon a day" delivered to my email inbox. (I'm looking forward to checking tomorrow's email!)

He is a remarkable talent, so I am sharing his website here. Enjoy!

www.harrybliss.com

 

Patrick Leahy - United States Senator for Vermont: Release

Patrick Leahy - United States Senator for Vermont: Release

A statement from our Vermont Senator on the arrests and assaults of journalists in Egypt ~ I thought this was very much worth sharing.

Major Snow Day

A major snow day today, although it looks like other parts of the country got hit a lot harder than we did.

Spent much of the day watching events unfold in Egypt. I wanted to get up-to-the-minute reports, so I decided to open a twitter account.

Before posting on twitter, I wanted to upload a photo. My few attempts were unsuccessful until I went to a photo optimizing website. Once I located a user-friendly site, it seemed like it was just seconds when my photo was ready to post. Technology absolutely amazes me.

I linked my blog to twitter. AND, I already have one follower: daughter Adriene. She's so far, yet so near...

Food Photography Class

     With Geo's encouragement, I took a food photography class. It certainly surpassed my expectations.

     The instructor was also a chef. He gave us basic photo-shoot tips. Then, while he prepared the food, we began snapping away.  I took about 200 pix with my Panasonic Lumix.

     The number one pointer he gave us was to get the light right, even before considering the food. Then try to take a picture from an angle that would show the food in a way that would not usually be seen.

     Someone asked, "How do you know if you have a good picture?" The instructor said, "If people ask questions about your photo, then you know you have a good one."

    For some reason, the three I've chosen to post are among my favorites. What do you think?

Flexibility

After New Year's, daughter Addie scheduled an evening flight from Burlington to Denver with a stopover in NYC. We packed up her luggage and I dropped her off at the airport well in advance of flight time.

No sooner did I arrive back home than we got a phone call from Addie. She said something about the lights being out on the runway in NY and her flight was CANCELLED. So I jumped back into the car and drove back to the airport to pick her up. Other flights with her connection to CO were pretty well booked. The best they could do for her was a 6AM flight from here the following day.

Sooo, 4AM we were up and ready for the drive back to the airport. Instead of NY, her stopover was to be in Boston with the next available flight from there to Denver after 7PM.

Waiting all day in Boston, I probably would've hunkered down with a gigantic cup of coffee and a good book. Not Addie. She wisely checked her luggage and got transportation into Boston to see the sights. First on her what-I-want-to-see list was the Boston Museum of Science. As opportunity would have it, she happened upon a Snowflake Bentley exhibit. (Vermonters know "Snowflake Bentley," with a local museum in Jericho.) Nice for her to see, especially since she is teaching Snow and Science sessions in Keystone. Addie also paid a visit to the MIT Museum in Cambridge.

A boring day of travel became an extended day of vacation in Boston. I'd repeat the old adage, "when given lemons, make lemonade," but maybe "when it snows, make a snowman" may be more appropriate for this season. (Groan, groan...)

The airline upgraded her to a stretch seat. Another unexpected perk.

Happy to hear she had safe travels.

First Night 2011



It was the 28th annual First Night celebration of the arts in Burlington, Vermont.

I wore black, diamond earrings, and hiking boots. (Okay, this is Vermont...) Weather was really mild. The streets were wet and a little slushy. 

Attending First Night has become a tradition for us. There's a choice of over 70 events, most lasting about 40 minutes, giving time to find one's way to the next venue for the next performance. 

Geo and Adriene arrived on time for the one-and-only performance of The Blue Gardenias. I parked the car and made it there during "Mood Indigo." Then it was on to  the glitz and glam of "Lyric First Night Cabaret" with their, well, powerfully lyric entertainment, singing Broadway showtunes. After this, Geo, Adriene and I split up in different directions.

I headed to the Flynn Space where there was standing room only to hear the hip renditions of The Flynn Jazz Combo, a talented young group led by none other than Tom Cleary. My fav group of the eve, however, was the Ellen Powell Jazz trio. We must remember to catch her at Leunig's Thursday nites when she performs on bass guitar with various accompanying jazz pianists (including Tom Cleary).

Geo met up with me for The Queen City Hot Club where "standing room only" became "grab a seat and sit on the floor." Being there early paid off with front row seats where we could not only hear the music, but we could see every note as fingers of the musicians danced over the strings of the instruments. Their style of music, "gypsy jazz," originated in the '30s and embraces American and European standards. I was happy to recognize the melody of "oh, how we danced on the night we were wed." (I haven't heard that one in a very, very long time.)

As promised, George treated me to Beef Stew at one of the church dinner locations. A hearty break with a lemon bars for dessert. Adriene met us there where she gathered energy to party the rest of the night long.

Before heading home, Geo and I took in one more event: folk singer/songwriter Aya Inoue. Very sweet voice. Still recovering from our Christmas colds, we called it an early evening.

I was sorry to miss Gregory Douglass, especially when I read that he has toured with They Might Be Giants, one of Sean's favorite groups. Also, Sambatucada, an Afro-Brazilian percussion group. Hopefully we'll catch up with them for 2012.

Sean and Jenna, wherever you'll be next year, we hope you'll join us for First Night 2012.