the end of the sick days.

I have been on sick days/ sick since F-R-I-D-A-Y !!! And this week has been a write off so far. I'm SO BEHIND in so much stuff (though my knitting and glee watching is coming along nicely). I have about 8lbs of apples left to juice and freeze and then I am DONE my canning! DONE I tell you. I did 20lbs of cherries, 30lbs of peaches, 20lbs of organic nectarines, 10lbs of blueberries, and about 20lbs of apples when I'm done. Add in there two jams, spicy pickled green beans, and real cucumber pickles and I'm finished. I did only a 1/4 of what I really wanted to do so am sad about that, but whatever. I didn't really make it a priority this year.

This week is going to be full of work and then my 30th bday celebrations on Saturday. I had hopes of making all these things like a pinata and flower headbands. Maybe I'll still make a garland and my bday cake, lots of food to cook. I'm super looking forward to it. XO

let's make this last forever!

summer has totally cooled off. the kitchen has been a mess for days. skipping derby tomorrow night to catch up. skated outside today. i'm tired. scraped my shin on the concrete. took a little longer to get up. i need a mental reprieve.

The past few days...

 

Today two friends and I stages a mini FREE PUSSY RIOT protest for 25 minutes on the side of the road on the busiest street in town (at the busiest time). It felt awesome to just get out there and be there and making the banners and my shirt was really inspiring. Tonight my sister's band was in town and we went and it was wonderful. I left early because Seth was ready for bed, but so worth it. Tomorrow's my sister's bday and we're having an early Breakfast Birthday Feast. Looking forward to it. It was hot today. Summer's enjoying it's stay. Looking forward to it. XO

THIS SHIT IS OFFENSIVE

FREE PUSSY RIOT

I have been a feminist and a riot grrrl my entire life of adolescent to adult consciousness. every decision I make, every bit of food I put in my body, the way I choose to raise my child, and what culture I consume (and how I think about it) is guided by my feminist politics, experience, and worldview. In the coming out years where I wasn't sure what kind of feminist I was, and watching my feminism in a land of other feminisms, I was sure (and still am) that I am a feminist of a radical kind. You want equality? Then, well, Women get to dominate over men and seriously oppress them for centuries. Everything that happens around me goes through my systemic-focused radical feminist lens. But I just fucking get by within the system and it's exhausting and heart breaking.

Anyway, the trial of Pussy Riot has moved feminists all around the world to stand up against the global patriarchal fuck against women's bodies and minds. And today they were sentenced to two years in prison for a peaceful punk protest in a church. And they had incredibly beautiful and inspiring closing statements.

We are absolutely against and feel compelled to act against the measures of force used to regulate society, harsh mechanisms to control our citizens’ behaviour. We are against the passivity which is forced upon the majority of the population, and the complete domination by executive power over judicial and legal processes. We are also honestly angered by the low level of political culture. ~Nadya Tolokonnikova

Education, the beginning of the formation of the individual in society, effectively ignores the particular nature of each personality, there is no approach based on the individual, there is no study of philosophy, nor the basic principles of contemporary art culture. These subjects exist formally, but they are taught using the Soviet model, and as a result we have ‘the average citizen’ not interested in thinking in philosophical terms, favouring gender discrimination, their civil rights brushed into a far corner. Today’s educational institutes teach people to live ‘on automatic’ from an early age, without ever asking the vital questions, they develop in them cruelty and a hatred of alternative ways of thinking. From the earliest age their liberties are forgotten. ~Maria Alyokhina

On the other, we have won, because the case against us is fabricated and the state is not able to hide the repressive nature of the judicial process. Russia once again does not appear in the eyes of the world as Vladimir Putin wishes to portray it in his daily international meetings. All the steps he promised to take towards a legal state were clearly never taken. And his announcements that our trial would be objective are just another deception, practised on the country and the world community. ~Ekaterina Samutsevich

Thank you PUSSY RIOT for reminding me.

 

self portrait thursday

had a good time skating in UKE tonight. about to go get pizzas and salad and watch TV or something (probably old episodes of the OC, i need a break from catching up on glee). I have the next four days off and they're FULL of awesomeness. looking forward to it. PS my hair is SO LONG.

PUSSY RIOT

Change.org|Create a Petition

rather than explain it, read this op ed from the NY TIMES.

Today has been an AWESOME day. Exhausting. Hot. But I ended the day soul searching and watching the sun go down while knitting and playing with the kid.

well, today was amazing

i was out of the house for almost 12 hours today, with seth, on a down island adventure. we went to catch up with brie to hang out for a few hours and take her to YYJ. ended up going swimming at bright angel park and i crossed a suspension bridge, twice. EEEPS! then after we dropped b off, sethie and i hustled down to folk west to meet my sister for dinner (and run happily into jaron who i haven't seen in a good decade). last night i stayed up late canning beans and cherries, but this night, i'm going to bed. road weary and pooped. XO

dancehall

here's a picture of the tattoo i got whilst at rollercon. so something happened while at rollercon that i was not expecting. especially because i went to teach my classes, be part of RC, and to have fun. and i did all of those things. but what also happened was that i was surrounded by 5000 of my tribe (i hate that word) and being around derby summer camp and casual conversations with incredibly inspiring, strong, and beautiful people (men and women) and seeing roller derby at it's best (while still fun) reminded me why i'm doing this and why i want to keep going and where i want to go with it. i didn't realize i was having such a subconscious crisis with roller derby (it's been up and down, that's for sure) but i also remember(ed) that it's something i have to do for myself (since i've previously only done derby for other people) and if i want to climb that derby ladder and PLAY FOR A WFTDA TRAVEL TEAM OR TEAM CANADA i have to do things to get there. i haven't made any commitments or plans (formally), but have started working out more and watching my health better (i even bought more protein powder!) I've started skating with two other leagues and am looking at 3-4 on skates practices a week for August and will settle into 2-3 in September. Working out most every other day. it feels good. looking forward to it sticking.

so, then, what happens if in a year i get lots of skate time and i'm ready to try and get on a house team in a bigger league? it has to be a canadian league so, do i relocate to a major city and try to get on a house team, do that for a year and try to get on a travel team? what would having my kid and a full time working husband look like if we lived in a far flung canadian city (Van/Tor/Mtl) and i was traveling to play games. cross that road when i get to it? yep!

Task #15: Knit Stewart's Totoro Hat

I've been promising Stewart this hat for a few years, happy to have it done and done. Also my real true first stranded project. HURRAH!!

Yesterday a small group of us went to Parksville to "intern" my grandma's ashes in a "niche"? Seth was a toddler filled handful. It was nice to wind down this part of grieving, I think for my family and me. It's been almost 2 years.

I have my 30 before 31 list ready to go and have a few things on it that I'm going to do FOR sure probably before my bday so I will cross them off !! YES.

going all the way this time

Being at rollercon meant seeing my derby heroes and also see some new skaters that i've heard the names of, but never really got to watch skate. The world of roller derby amazes me because of all the beautiful, strong, honest, genuine ladies.

 

Hands down Demanda Riot is my new love who falls right in with ReAnimateHer and Beretta Lynch.

Rollercon was great for the learnings and some take aways I have are quite summed up in this nice post from someone else. ahaha.

Here's a list of shit I learned:

• Skate backwards and push your fellow blockers where you need them
• Use your whole body to hit and make contact all the time. Touch two people with your body not just your hands
• Backwards wall at the front
• Goal: play defensively when you need to and be offensive to break up defensive walls to make holes for yr jammer. Stay together. Find yr zen. Reduce the chaos.
• Play with the men for mental and physical endurance