Monthly Archives: March 2013

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Very Inspiring Blogger Award


Thank you, Dear Kitty, for being so kind as to nominate me for this award!

vib-trophy-blog-m

 

The rules of this award are:

Thank and link back to the blogger who has nominated you, then post the award logo to your blog, write a post on the nomination and nominate and link to 15 other very inspiring bloggers (as I was recently nominated for this award, I have cut my list to 5). Notify them; and tell 7 things about yourself.

About me:

  1. I would love to go to the Louvre
  2. I would love to go to the Eiffel Tower
  3. I would love to go to London
  4. I want to fly in a hot air balloon (with no surprises attached!)
  5. One of my favorite places is the Smithsonian Institute
  6. I have been to the exact spot where Stonewall Jackson’s arm was buried during the Civil War (it is now in a farmer’s corn field)
  7. I’m always freezing to death!

Nominations:

  1. Papizilla
  2. Juiseppi B
  3. Carol Carlisle
  4. HastyWords – A Source for living
  5. Professions for Peace
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A Passover Surprise (by guest blogger)


Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young (at heart) princess called the Idealistic Rebel. She loved to blog and she loved the Spring and she loved her family and the holidays of her beliefs, so when Spring came and Passover came with it, she promised her loyal friends in the Blogosphere a surprise, and took herself and her trusty sidekick,  far away to visit their family.

They celebrated Passover with their friends and loved ones, and had a lovely time!

The Idealistic Rebel went to sleep in a borrowed princess bed, way up at the top of the treehouse where her family lived, and slept well and long. Then, in the morning, a little sprite came up to the top of the treehouse and tempted the princess with a special breakfast of Fried Matzos. The trusty sidekick had warned against this concoction — “don’t let the exotic name fool you. It’s just fried drywall, that’s what it tastes like!” but the princess was, after all, both idealistic and a rebel and not one for taking advice, so she started to climb down the tree, using the carpeted path that others had used many times before.

And this is what happened to her:
BJ-Foot

And the moral of our story is:

Don’t promise your readers a surprise before you take a trip, or the Universe may surprise YOU with a trip!

Your Rebel will return as soon as possible to further enlighten, entertain and beautify your world.

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Passover reminds us that there are still miracles


Reflections

Reflections

God does still perform miracles. No matter what name you call God/Goddess, miracles happen often. We need to remember to look for them. Even little miracles are just that, miracles.

Whenever humans, Jewish or otherwise are faced with problems that appear insurmountable, we can remember the stories from history. The Jews being held as slaves in Egypt is a very important memory for all Jews. The slaves could not overcome the entire Egyptian country. They were not even able to visualize the concept of possible freedom. They were stuck between the Egyptians and the Red Sea. God had other plans.

God brought plagues and eventually death to the Pharoah and in the end, they had their freedom. All of this  happened a long time ago, but there are still miracles each day. The same God who brought freedom and a covenant with the Jews, continues to bring little miracles into our lives every day. Here, in 2013 we can still see miracles.  Pre-mature babies survive and thrive into adulthood.  Abused children grow into productive, loving adults.  Victims of stroke and heart attacks recover and live normal lives.  Flowers bloom.  Birds sing.  And life is a grand adventure we all get to experience.

” There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” —Albert Einstein

” No man can share in the Torah of Moses unless he believes that all our affairs and events, concerning the masses or the individual, are miracles.” —Nachmanides

“The true miracle is not walking on water or walking in air, but simply walking on this earth.” —Thich Nhat Hanh

” All change is a miracle to contemplate; but is is a miracle which is taking place every second.” —Henry David Thoreau

"Madagascar

Photo copyrighted by Barbara Mattio 2013

"Botanical

Photo copyrighted by Barbara Mattio 2013

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I Would Like to Introduce my Friend, Poet and Muscian Joan Papalia Eisert


Joannie_pic-purple

Joannie and I met back in the early 80’s and we became close friends. She was always ready for anything from a night performing to volleyball on the beach the next day. We would dance our feet off all night enjoying the music of the musicians who were friends and in some cases boyfriends.  Joannie’s light shone the most when she became ill and spent such a long time in hospital and rehab. She and her husband Paul moved home to be nearer her parents.She was struck down with a virus and paralyzed.  She has fought her way back to health and she is the bravest woman I know. She spends her time now helping people and writing poetry and singing. I asked her if I could introduce her to my readers and she graciously said yes. I hope all of you enjoy her work as much as I do.

Joan Papalia Eisert has a B.A. in English from Gannon University. Over the past thirty-six years she has had numerous poems published in small press magazines, newspaper articles, on the Internet, and in Daystar Productions. Two of her poems earned blue ribbons, and one was awarded the Editor’s Choice Award (Sulfur and Sawdust, Scars Publications). Joan’s poetry has also been used in English classes, prison ministry, and various outreach missions. Her first chapbook of poetry, Flat Days was published in 1996. She has read her work at several poetry venues including: Chautauqua Institution (Chautauqua, NY), Erie Book Store, Uncrowned Queens of Western New York’s poetry reading (Buffalo, NY), Mt. St. Benedict (Erie, PA), Maria House Projects’ Diocesan Lodge (West Spring Creek, PA), poetry reading venues in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, and Authors Books and Music (Warren, PA). Joan’s poetry will be published in the premier issue of Mending Reality, and she is currently working on her latest poetry collection, Fluency.
Joan taught a Poetry/Creative Writing class at the Maria House Projects’ Diocesan Lodge in West Spring Creek, PA for 10 years. The Maria House Projects provide homes for troubled men who are in need of community for healing. They include alcoholics, drug addicts, men deeply disturbed emotionally, and men suffering from the effects of homelessness and imprisonment. Joan uses creative writing to help the residents heal through artistic expression. She is publisher/editor of ten volumes of For Pete’s Sake, which are the class’ literary collections.
Joan is also an accomplished singer, performing professional since 1971 starting out as a soloist. She was taught voice by Mary Jane Gregan, and extraordinary vocalist herself, from Edinboro, PA. Joan is half of the duo, Fire and Ice (with her husband Paul), now in their 32nd year of performing together, and she sang in the band, Daystar, for seven years.

 
STAR-CROSSED

Poised
like an illegitimate mime
my hands pressing shakily
not quite flat
and frustrated
against the glass
I can see you

Bristled
in orbit
beyond deprivation
motioning to you
in stayed surrender
groping for the illusion
of reconciliation

I can only see You

Oh, my God
in the gasp of a miracle
I am with You

INTENSIVE CARE

Oh God   are You here
You are here?   You are here
This bed is mammoth
I am molding into the noise
vibrations   noise digesting me
noise   surrender   noise
euphoria   noise

You are here   You are here
I am flaccid in Your hands
the bed is You
Mauve billowy heartbreaking love
You love me    You love me
I am suspended   surrounded
permeated with the knowledge of You
the love of You
My pores emanate   Your love   Your mercy

No longer am I paralyzed
as I lay here paralyzed
Machines breathe for me  only my eyes can blink
but my soul is dancing   my spirit is rejoicing
with unimaginable unspeakable clarity
I become Your purpose   I become my life
I become my vision   I become my voice in silence
One nerve at a time   one tear at a time
one battle at a time   one victory at a time

Infinite wounds countless scars
complete prayer gracious mending
until I walk with You again for the first time
I will fall so many times choking on the sludge of despair
over and over again
But You saved me before
when I was maimed   starved in worthless oblivion to You

You gave me my beloveds
You gave me the finest silken thread
from which I clung in absolute atrophy
My thanks to You are beyond my realm incapable of tangibility
so I will spend the rest of my days
walking towards Your Light

WASHDAY

it’s hot
it’s hot
it’s monday on her head
again

her melting
dark chocolate baby
sits in the corner
of the folding table
his eyes
lit
with the shiniest duskiness
i’ve ever seen

his cry is thin
she scolds him
as if the warriors of the world
have come to claim
the territory between
her skin and her bones

a sister mother comes by
with a tiny red ball
“catch the ball
can’t you catch the ball?”

mmhmmm
mmm hmmm

catch the ball
can’t you catch the ball
WHAT WE CAN HAVE

If we go to the desert
in stillness, in emptiness
If we let the wind, the sand
the darkness
permeate our visceral souls
If we collapse in utter exhalation
to the hollowing breath of surrender
If we let ourselves be skinned
from the inside out
If we weep, moan, and wail
until the darkness is repulsed
by our heinous forgiveness
we can have peace

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Our founding president, Gloria Steinem, is turning 79 on March 25th and there are 79 reasons why YOU should celebrate with us! Sign Gloria’s Birthday card here:http://forwomen.org/79reasons

G

Gloria Steinem is my role model. She is a feminist and a woman who has given her life to women’ s issues and the problems we face each day in our lives. She was also the head of Ms. Magazine, which I read cover to cover every month. She has inspired and shared the work of changing the way society looks at women. Yes, it has been much worse, much worse.

I have had the privilege of meeting her and talking with her. So I am wishing Ms. Steinem a wonderful birthday and may you have many, many more. Those of us who were on the battle lines with you appreciate what you helped us to do! May it be the best of years.

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People are not Owned here in the USA or in any Country


Stats on Forcible Rape

Stats on Forcible Rape

Shameless Hussy

“yesterday i had a wild thot. hearing james brown on the radio singing sit it loud: i‘m black and i‘m proud. Ithot, wonder how it would feet to say, say it loud, i‘m female and proud. it was obviously too silly , think how embassassed i would be if a neighbor came to the door. what if john came home and i was making the bed yelling I AM FEMALE AND I’M PROUD? i‘d never hear the end of it. i started saying it and nearly choked on the words. choulnt get them out . realized it was a lie. i aint proud. didnt havea thing to do with it. took pot luck and came out a broad. kept trying to say it. after a few tries, i could. it wasnt very loud. it was probly the quietest sound in the room. me patting pillow into place on the bed and muttering, i‘m female and i‘m proud. then i got a little hostilce and said it loud, i‘m female and proud and thot about it and wanted to feel it and said it loud k’m female and proud and after the record was over i yelled it a couple of times and it felt okay. and i hanent done it since but maybe i will again.”
—-excetpt from Alta
A revolution has started, there’s no doubt about it. And what will happen if the masculine world order, built on language and the supremacy of men continues to be shaken by women everywhere? Women are going to continue to shake and challenge the misogyny in society.

Protesting who owns a woman's body

Protesting who owns a woman’s body

Can we not envision a world in which both men and women honor the body, refusing to separate it from spirit? Can we see a world that cherishes the earthly as holy? Can we envision a world where caring for and nurturing the earth and each other becomes more important than domination and conquering? Can we see in our mind’s eye a world where all human beings are considered part of the ceative matrix?

Men ought to think about how it would feel if a sister, mother, aunt or nana was raped. Would it be hillarious to them?

Men ought to think about how it would feel if a sister, mother, aunt or nana was raped. Would it be hillarious to them?

I don’t feel men are the enemy. I have seven grandsons and love each of them dearly. The problem is that Patriarchy is killing the best in both genders of our society.You can smell the decay of society and war everywhere. The only history recorded is men’s history. We have made some progress but certainly not enough.

Women can never give up the search for themselves and their truth. Our truth is our herstory but it is more of an oral tradition that a written one. Women have only been able to be published under their given names for a couple of decades now. I have read that anonymous was a woman and it makes complete sense to me.

The United States of Shame

The United States of Shame

Real men don't rape

Real men don’t rape

Men often ask what women want. This is a huge subject but I will say here that we want a safer world to bring up our children and grandchildren. We want a healthy planet that will sustain us and future generations. We want to be accepted as equal and independent people despite our gender. We want a saner world. A world where young people go off and commit mass shootings doesn’t happen. We want a world where every woman is safe from abuse and rape. We don’t want to be the brunt of sexual innuendoes and jokes.

No more Rape Culture

No more Rape Culture

Raise the kind of man who will respect and treat a woman as an equal.

Raise the kind of man who will respect and treat a woman as an equal.

Advice

“My hazard wouldn’t be yours, not ever,
But every doom, like a hazelnut, comes down
To its own worm. So I am rocking here
Like any granny with her apron over her head
Saying, lordy me. It’s my trouble.
There’s nothing to be learned this way.
If I heard a girl crying help
I would go to save her;
But you hardly ever hear those words.
Dear children, you must try to say
Something when you are in need.
Don’t confuse hunger with greed;
And don’t wait until you are dead.”
—-Ruth Stone

We must stop revictimizing the victim

We must stop revictimizing the victim

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This is a very well written blog concerning what is happening in our society and schools. I hope you will read it.

Neliza Drew

Trigger warning: Proceed with caution.

The verdict is in for the two Steubenville teens that CNN seems to feel sorry for. Twitter is a mixture of rape apologists and people angry at said apologists. Facebook is probably still all cat pictures or shamrocks and Pinterest, I’m sure, is still largely flowers, baking, and projects even Martha Stewart wouldn’t try. At any rate, here are my two cents:
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I’ve spent the past seven years listening to teen girls tell me or tell each other about being raped, molested, or assaulted. It’s so often a gateway to their criminal or drug activity. I’ve also heard too many times about their stripping, hooking, drug use, and older “boyfriends” who are sometimes encouraged to “date” them by their own mothers. This is not technically part of my job description. It falls into that category of being there for the students and trying to find out…

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