this woman’s work

Look what I just found: Gold Star Families for Peace

We as families of soldiers who have died as a result of war (primarily, but not limited to the invasion/occupation of Iraq) are organizing to be a positive force in our world to bring our country’s sons and daughters home from Iraq, to minimize the “human cost” of this war, and to prevent other families from the pain we are feeling as the result of our losses. We are also hoping to be lifetime support for each other through our losses.

I just turned on the radio. There aren’t many details yet…

Thank you to Collier for making me aware of this.

Ariel Gore: Allison Crews Soul Sister Rebel Mom

I am fucking FURIOUS that Karl Rove still has a job.

Found over at The Republic of T.

If, as you live your life, you find yourself mentally composing blog entries about it, post this exact same sentence in your weblog.

I was adding some entries from 2001 (I used to hand-code my journal so when I moved to MT, I didn’t bring over all of my archives) and fortunately the Wayback Machine saved my July archives when I didn’t.

And that reminded me — Does anyone know whatever happened to Phoenix Amon? Just wondering and hoping she might google herself…

That’s how long I got before the baby’s hysterical screams sent Noah downstairs to get me. (I told Whitney, my sister, that I wouldn’t come up unless she sent Noah down because I trusted her to know whether or not Madison really needed me.) And then we had Whitney hang around awhile because I don’t want her to think that Whitney = Mommy leaving. Now she’s eating crackers having woken from her nap screaming as kind of an echo of the morning.

I think I need to give myself a break from thinking about this and just keep trying when my sister comes over. But right now it’s adding to my stress levels because I actually get less done (so far) since Madison is extra-clingy after. But today she did smile at Whitney and deign to allow Whitney to read her board books. I guess I have to keep reminding myself to be patient.

Madison is happy! I’m downstairs and hopefully will get to stay here! Hooray!

Women Doing It All is the book that Allison Pearson is writing with friend and fellow-mother Sharon Dizenhuz. They’ve got a thought-provoking, fun to answer questionnaire up on combining motherhood and work (or not combining it and how’s that going for you?) so head over and tell ‘em what you think.

Understanding what it takes to make it work can help all of us advise our daughters about how to “have it all” in the next generation, as well as help us have a more confident voice in insisting on more humane, sensitive regard for motherhood in our society and in the workplace. Please be as honest as possible, don’ be afraid to brag if you’ve got it all worked out. We’d love to know how you do it. And don’t be embarrassed about any “shortcomings”. Whatever you’ve done, we’ve almost certainly done worse! Please return the questionnaire with
your answers by the 30th of July and feel free to pass it on to female friends and colleagues.

Got this in my mail box today and wanted to be sure that her message got out past the comments:

This is Allison’s mom. I came here following her name on Google.

Thank you for the tone I hear here.

Her cause of death is unknown at this time. This information is straight from the coroner and her mother.

There is no avoidance of any truth…we are waiting for the truth.

I know in my heart it wasn’t suicide.

Accident..perhaps. Suicide, never. Never.

She would never leave Cade. Her son.

Kim Crews

And by the way, if you want to leave a message for Cade, you can do so here. If Allison inspired you in any way — whether you knew her personally or not — you can share it with her family.

I’ve been trying to figure out what I could say but I’m planning on leaving something, too.