The End of AIDS: A Global Summer with President Clinton

This weekend we invite you to watch, "The End of AIDS: A Global Summit with President Clinton" on CNN. This television special is airing Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, April 30 at 8 p.m., 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) on CNN.

World Vision President Rich Stearns, President Bill Clinton and other leaders will share their perspective on how the world can bring an end to the AIDS pandemic. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Medical Correspondent, will moderate the televised discussion.

neil young's got a blog!

NEIL YOUNG - Living With War

the song living with war sounds like a worship tune - here's the lyrics:


I'm LIVING WITH WAR everyday

I'm LIVING WITH WAR in my heart everyday

I'm LIVING WITH WAR right now.....

And when the dawn breaks I see my fellow man ...

And on the flat-screen we kill and we're killed again...

and when the night falls, I pray for PEACE...

Try to remember PEACE (visualize)...

I join the multitudes...

I raise my hand in PEACE

I never bow to the laws of the thought police

I take a holy vow...

To never to kill again..

To never kill again...

I'm LIVING WITH WAR in my hear

I'm LIVING WITH WAR in my heart and my mind...

I'm LIVING WITH WAR right now...

Don't take no tidal wave...

Dont take no mass grave...

Don't take no smokin' gun....

To show how the west was won....

But when the curtain falls,

I pray for PEACE....

Try to remember PEACE (visualize).......

listen to the full album HERE

does your weblog own you?

37.5 %

My weblog owns 37.5 % of me.
Does your weblog own you?

via adam

copyright for artists information

great article on copyright rules for artists:

whipup.net

ht to ready made blog

Burnside Writers Collective

found this link at donald miller's website and think it looks fascinating. off to poke around it for awhile.

Burnside Writers Collective

donald miller podcast

donald miller of blue like jazz fame was at mars hill (michigan) and you can listen or download it here. i really enjoyed it. to those sensitive to 'father' imagery i would encourage you to be open to it, he navigates it pretty well.

one supper too many??

i can't stop looking at this image. it's un-nerving but somehow still very spiritual. i can't explain it.

the artist is marcos lopez from argentina and his talent is extraordinary. photo-artistry has become such an incredible medium since technology has given the ability to maniuplate reality so seemlessly. i just love the way it challenges my mind and preconceptions. how does it make you feel?

ht

dear mr. president - pink video

very moving live performance of pink singing dear mr. president:

HERE

what a day

okay, so my husband went to emergency with chest pains (that he informed me right beforehand he'd been having for 4 days...) - he's okay, it must have been because of the cold medicine or heart burn or something, but they ran all of the tests, did all of the bloodwork and his heart is good and strong. me on the otherhand am a weak puddle of mush right now.

on top of that i got a copy of the letter the pastor who was supposed to buy my father's home sent him and indicates that no, he is not a man of dishonor as my 'good friend and realtor' tried to make him out to be. it was actually her who has dropped this ball massively and left us in this situation. i have forwarded all the information to my step-father-in-law (a very good realtor in ontario) to get his advice on any recourse we have (short of sueing her - which right about now sounds like a REALLY GOOD IDEA)... being 1000 miles away i wish my hands could reach out and touch someone... ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

what a day... well - we're all safe (and healthy now...) and things could be a lot, lot worse, right?

thanks for listening, just had to get some of that out...

please pray for peace in nepal

just heard from missionaries in nepal and life is very hard right now. he said 'war is actually harder than we think' - and they are in the midst of it. food prices have skyrocketed, there is no gas for even the most basic of travel. they are stranded in their homes and unable to even meet together for worship. it is a very dangerous, scary time for them all. the people long for democracy and i know they would covet your prayers.

The Scroll » What the Lord Said to a Mega-Church Pastor

"Pastor Cho Yonggi oversees the largest congregation in church history (about 3/4 of a million). Years ago as he was looking for new leaders to oversee his house fellowships, the Lord confronted him with six questions.

1. From whom was I born? The answer: a woman.
2. On whose lap was I nurtured? The answer: a woman.
3. Who followed me throughout my ministry and helped to meet my needs? The answer: women.
4. Who stayed until the last minutes of my crucifixion? The answer: women.
5. Who came to anoint my body in the tomb? The answer: women.
6. Who were the first witnesses to my resurrection? The answer: Mary Magdalene, a woman.

These were the reasons Cho gave for how God showed him that women should also be allowed to lead the contemporary church. Very counter culturally, Cho allowed that to happen in his church in Korea and we see the results — the largest church in history."

'ar n-aistear - our journey

the miramichi is the irish canadian capital and is filled with local lore and tradition. they have an amazing irish festival in july and because liam's heritage is 100% irish we've long had a fascination and love for all things celtic. in the lobby at the hotel was this piece of celtic artwork. i fell in love with the image, story and legend. what a beautiful piece of history and tradition. i wish the images had come out better, but i couldn't get the pool room reflection off the glass. i thought you might enjoy it too.

off on a mini holiday

liam has a mini-conference and the board said it would be okay if we tagged along, so we're pulling pink & buck out of school for a couple of days and heading to miramachi. it would be even better if it was peak season, but we know we'll be returning as kouchibouguac national park has lovely sand beaches and the warmest salt water north of Virginia.

we also have access to the indoor pool and our kids are just ecstatic to be both missing school, travelling and swimming - what could be better??

hope you all have a lovely week!

I meme

thank you sarah louise for tagging me as i have tons of other things i should be doing, but would rather blog...

I AM: finding my way
I WANT: to exercise more
I WISH: i had better skin
I HATE: mean people
I LOVE: family
I MISS: my dad
I FEAR: going crazy
I HEAR: my wind chimes
I WONDER: why god didn't make things clearer
I REGRET: not finding my voice sooner
I AM NOT: going to break my abstinence today
I DANCE: when no one is looking
I SING: hymns really loud from memory
I CRY: when i find redemption stories
I AM NOT ALWAYS: confident
I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: a home for my family
I WRITE: about where i'm at as honestly as i can
I CONFUSE: liam's emotions with my own
I NEED: to find a spiritual director
I SHOULD: be writing the two emails i am avoiding
I START: a lot of things i rarely finish
I FINISH: more than i used to
I TAG: neritia, renee, stephanie, anj, tammy jo, deb, hope

the second journey

my mind is exploding with this new thought, i have to blog it here:

"Of course we must be careful to make the distinction," said Claire briskly, "between the mid-life crisis and the Second Journey. The Second Journey usually beings in mid-life and is a time of profound spiritual growth; it's characterized by the desire to let go of youth and move on to explore the rewards and challenges of middle age. The mid-life crisis, on the other hand, is characterized by the desire to cling to a lost youth, the refusal to move on to the next stage of life, and an arrested spiritual development. The symptoms include not just the well-known tendency to have a love affair with someone much younger, but the clinging to a symbol of youth - a sports car, perhaps or some other much-loved significant object which should have been set aside long ago..."

Susan Howatch, The Wonder Worker, 1997, pg. 331

i have NEVER heard of 'the second journey' before - i LOVE this concept, it's so much more life giving and honoring to this "new" stage liam and i find ourselves in. i kept waiting for the 'crisis' (my mother died at 43, so i wasn't able to watch her life in this stage as she was very sick by the age i am now) to happen. holding my breath as it were. to know that it's not inevitable, that we can choose profound spiritual growth and the 'rewards and challenges of middle age' with grace and dignity - i LOVE this!

okay, i know i've gone on and on - but you really need to read this book series - it's like years of therapy wrapped into the most compelling story line (start at the first glittering images - all of the stories are interconnected, and you'll grow to love each character - if you start in the middle it won't build like it should) i'll stop now...

Mission Accomplished - Oil Reaches $70 A Barrel... | The Huffington Post

Oil Reaches $70 A Barrel... | The Huffington Post

a better milk jug

okay, dairy companies, milk producers, chain stores - take note - this is brilliant! why isn't all milk packaged this way?



daylesford organic in selfridges, england

ht to cool hunting

mary's reflection

beautiful meditation for today:

Good in Parts: "I can’t pretend it didn’t hurt to be rejected like that. We’d gone a long way to see him…It’s not easy when your son becomes somehow public property. He seemed to have time for anyone who came along, if they asked him for help.
Yes, I was proud of his growing reputation as a teacher and a healer…but I wanted some of his time myself. Mothers are entitled, aren’t they. Work life balance?? He could have done with a bit of that….but he seemed to be driven by a calling that was beyond anything I could fathom. He understood what the angel had been getting at, I’m sure of that now.
And somehow, what’s happening today is part of it…..
A sword will pierce my heart….oh yes….I can feel it, sure enough.
He could have got out of it, I know he could."

ht

no maundy

liam and i have been struggling with this lenten/easter season. for so many years this season is a time of desperation, grieving and sadness. our church of origin LOVED to dwell on jesus' death. almost to the point of bloody obsession. (and i mean that in the real red blood, not the english swear word here). the loss of focus on either jesus' life or even his resurrection caused such imbalance and distortion. it is our suspicion that much of the mental illness and depression so many of our loved ones dealt with was caused by this morbid theology.

please don't get me wrong. i feel that jesus' death was a necessity and the ultimate act of love - but to forget his life, his words (the sermon on the mount especially) and the joy of the resurrection to focus continually on the death is just sick and wrong.

so this year we both felt horribly guilty for not feeling sad and maudlin. almost to the point of being tempted to engineer it to feel more spiritual or connected to the church as a whole. it's just not there. so yesterday instead of feeling sad and blue we beach combed and flew kites together - we celebrated instead of feeling guilty or forcing ourselves to be sad. i think god understands.

new light bulb invented

cool beans!

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Natural light 'to reinvent bulbs'

sister joan on meet the press easter sunday

fyi:

Program Note: Erie Benedictine Sr. Joan Chittister has accepted an invitation to be a panel member on the special Easter Sunday edition of NBC’s “Meet the Press” public affairs television program. The program will air Sunday, April 16 at 10 a.m. (eastern time). The “Meet the Press” Web site, www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608, carries a video and written transcript of each program soon after airing.

UPDATE: just got done watching the netcast - sister joan was incredible!! it's really worth the watch, just be warned joel osteen was also involved, so take your antacid. is that guy made of plastic?

watch here

UPDATE 2:

some quotes from sister joan's "faith in america" participation, via rachel sklar @ huffpo:

Sister Joan picks up on this in my favorite passage of the discussion, which I will excerpt in part here:

I talk about society now being at a crossover moment in time bigger than anything we've seen since the 16th or the 13th century... we have a new globalism... which means we have to look at, newly, what pluralism really means again. We have to choose now with whether or not we want religion, that is this thing that binds us together, that is somehow or other genetically wired in us, that, that Aristotle talks about, that all the churches talk about. Or do we want denominationalism. What church, what religion do we want? Do we want the religion of the Crusades and the Inquisition and the witch burnings and segregation and slavery and the oppression of women and Puritanism that led to Prohibition, that didn't last because it was somebody's creed imposed on everybody else's creed? Or do we want the religion of the peace movement that Jesus talked about, and the, the labor movement and the civil rights movement?

My notes here say "I love Sister Joan."

and

Case in point: Sister Joan's excellent linkage of the budget to our underlying national "religion":

If we're looking for, for, for a moral standard, we have to do something about looking at the national budget. Your national budget is theology walking. If we're really a pro-life country and not a pro-birth country, we, we won't be taking from all the life bodies in order to feed a war body.

look what i made!

here's the jewellery i made for pink's birthday:

 
 
 

there are matching button earrings too, but all of the pictures show her face, so you'll have to imagine them! :) 

not ready to make nice

i woke up to an email from anj this morning. she had a link to the dixie chicks new video called 'not ready to make nice'. it's one of the most moving images i've ever seen. please be prepared, if you have had any abuse in your life it will raise up deep emotions within you. the ink stains are the deepest metaphor i've seen for the damage predators do to our lives.

but it's not all desperate - it's empowering and liberating too. here's the lyrics to the song:

Not Ready to Make Nice, Dixie Chicks

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

I’m through with doubt
There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it
I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

Natalie Maines

Dixie Chicks new album releases May 23, 2006

you can find the video here:
dixie chicks

press release for their new album 'taking the long way' here

genuine simplicity

live in such genuine simplicity that who you are is who you seem to be.

calvin miller

blogging family tree meme

okay, i'm doing a meme - and you're ALL TAGGED! writing about jen this morning reminded me of my adventure into blog-land, finding this new world of people who actually think like i do - it was like breathing fresh air for the first time!

jen and renee were the two women who inspired me and gave me the courage to actually do it myself. i want to say thank you to them today! thank you jen lemen! thank you renee altson! it is because of you that i am a member of the blogosphere.

i just realized that one of the male species was integral in this process too - mike todd - you rock. i think mike's was one of the first blogs i ever read. thank you mike, i'm so glad you're waving and not drowning!!

who inspired you? note them on your blog and say THANK YOU!! if you notify me i'm going to try to put together a 'family tree' of bloggers.

this just in - jen lemen has an article ONLINE!!

one of the women who inspired me to blog is jen lemen (the other is renee). for those of you new to the blogosphere, i am so sorry. take a moment to grieve silently because you don't know what you missed. but here today i have the honor of directing you to an online article (although i don't see her name anywhere near it) for you to read. go, now, really. you'll remember just how much you missed her! and for those of you who don't know what you missed, i tell her often that i'd read her grocery list... ya, she's that good. love you jen!

SustainLane | Honoring Your Spiritual Life: A Beginner’s Guide

UPDATE: they loved both of her articles - and you will too!

SustainLane | Spring Rituals to Honor the Soul

so pat, what did god have to say about this??

$2M In Debt, Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition Losing Its Base... | The Huffington Post

screaming along side you

i've been spending a lot of time with susan howatch lately and i'm finishing up the seventh book in the starbridge novels, absolute truths. her insight into the human psyche and ministry is astounding to me, especially for a lawyer!

this last book is woven so intricately together it amazes me. i have wanted to blog bits throughout the whole series, but pass them by and keep reading. this one passage, especially during lent has not left me alone.

a little back history, the bishop and the son of his spiritual director are deep in conversation. it is an unsual pairing as the son is a homosexual actor who has always felt judged by the bishop, but they find themselves both in a time of need grieving the end of meaningful relationships and errors in judgement. i have no idea if this will translate to someone who hasn't read the book or series, but just in case i want to post it here:

"After Lyle died I hit the scotch,"

"Did you Charles? Did you really? But how hard did you hit it?"

"Hard enough to be hung-over."

"How wonderfully reassuring! But of course you then pulled yourself together and behaved like a paragon."

"Not quite."

"Honestly? In that case perhaps I can feel a little less disgusted with myself. I didn't behave like a paragon at all when I finally emerged from Banbury."

"Difficult to get back to normal?"

"Crucifying. I was so bloody lonely that I was even tempted to head for a red-light district. I'm sorry, I know how sorid that sounds --"

"No need to apologise."

"Anyway, in the end I resisted the red light and jumped into bed with an old friend instead. I'm sure you must find it quite incomprehensible that I should have done such a thing --"

"Not at all."

"-- and I wish to hell now that I'd abstained, but because it turned out to be a damn fool thing to do and there's bound to be an unpleasant scene waiting for me later. God, isn't life bloody sometimes!"

"Yes."

"Are you just saying that to be nice to me?"

"No."

"Thank God. Lord, this is a damned odd conversation to be having with a bishop! Excuse me while i jut pinch myself to make sure I"m not dreaming --"

"It's no dream. Good to meet someone else who's gone through hell lately."

"Isn't it wonderful.? It makes all the difference to know there's someone else screaming alongside you -- and that's the point of the Incarnation, I can see that so clearly now. God came into the world and screamed alongside us...."

Susan Howatch, Absolute Truths, 1994, pg. 307

screaming alongside us. that reduced me to a puddle of tears. what a beautiful way to look at the incarnation. hope it lifts you too.

blog roll updates

i have finally gotten around to begin the update on my sidebar and wondered if i've missed anyone on my blogroll. i know how it feels to be missing on someone's blogroll that i read and respect, so if i have missed you please let me know. i'd like to correct that asap!

just leave a comment and i'll fix it, oh, and please don't be offended, as you can see from my music and books i haven't updated my sidebar in AGES, shame on me!!

sleep overs, spa nights and 10 years old...

pink is having a sleep over tonight - and i agreed to be her 'spa servant' as her friend called me...

facials, pedicures, manicures... and tomorrow flat ironing hair and make up... sigh.

i'm trying to busy myself until stewart little 2 is over and i can go to bed!

i'm not ready for 10.

i had a boy, A REAL BOY knock on my door this afternoon and ask if pink was home and could come out to play! he was a real boy - not a playmate of my son (2 years younger) a REAL BOY. ..

i hadn't heard anything about him until about 20 minutes before he knocked on the door. pink was playing outside and he and one of her girlfriends came by and they played in the yard for a bit before she came in. i guess he came back because he enjoyed himself. A REAL BOY...

i can navigate the next part (i think) but this setting guidelines and being intentional RIGHT FROM THE START is just too much too fast. 10 is really 10 in our lives - we have raised our kids to be the ages they really are, not 10 going on 15. i know that pink will respect herself and us in whatever guidelines we determine together, but OH I WASN'T READY FOR THIS TODAY!!

it's like one of those 'life comes at you fast' commercials - wow... 10 years ago i never dreamed i'd be here. what a ride!

friday five - tagged by tj

tagged by tammy jo

name five experiences of the performing arts that have touched or tickled you.

i haven't been to many live performances, so most of my memories have been me on stage in skits of goofy proportions...

1. my favorite time of personally being on stage i blogged about here: five golden rings

2. middle school was a time of a lot of 'talent shows' and since i couldn't sing or play an instrument i was in A LOT of skits. the caveman dating game in 7th grade makes me groan just thinking about it... we also had 9 of us stacked in a square on stage doing a group 'hustle' in our bell-bottoms and platforms!! (hey it was 1978!)

3. i did get to see Crazy for You in Toronto at one time about 13 years ago with mickey rooney.

4. taking my daughter to her first play - high school cinderella w/ mcnair wilson in tow! ha! what a horrible rendition, but my daughter fell in love with live theatre!

5. once in bible college we were promoting the christmas banquet during chapel - and one of my best friends decided to be santa and dance around to 'santa's (papa's) got a brand new bag' - 3 of us where her elves - and she made us costumes, short bright green mini dresses and matching elf hats - we looked HOT - danced all over the stage and we offended my favorite old professor and he walked out of chapel in protest. talk about trying to keep the show going when it should really just screech to a halt... oh well, at least we looked good! ha!

So what's your top five?

I TAG:

1. Erin

2. Stephanie

3. Anj

4. Renee

5. Hope

hugo strikes again: The Scroll » Manhood, Male Weakness, and New Creations

The Scroll » Manhood, Male Weakness, and New Creations

haloscan comments not working???

i'm not sure what is wrong, but i can't get my haloscan comments to work...

use blogger comments until then please! thanks!

must see tv

take seven minutes of your time to watch this:

David E. Kelley, James Spader, and The Writers of "Boston Legal", Wings of Justice Honorees

ht

patron saint of the internet

Disert Paths: Isidore of Seville, Pray with Us

Because his writings compiled knowledge of all kinds, Isidore has been nominated as the patron saint of the Internet. According to the Vatican Observation Service for Internet,

The saint who wrote the well-known 'Etymologies' (a type of dictionary), gave his work a structure akin to that of the database. He began a system of thought known today as "flashes;" it is very modern, notwithstanding the fact it was discovered in the sixth century. Saint Isidore accomplished his work with great coherence: it is complete and its features are complementary in themselves.

New Blog Alert - The Scroll

christians for biblical equality is blogging - great stuff!

The Scroll

random thoughts power blog

too many different things to really write about, i'll try to just get it out:

1. went today to work with glass artist (i'm going to call her 'dee') to make pink's 10 year birthday present - made daisy earrings, matching little barrettes and a matching pendant with transparent aqua glass and beautiful milliflori glass of daisies to be forged in/on whatever the real term is - they are BEAUTIFUL! and i really hope they are a treasure for her. i really wanted to get her something memorable as she is turning 10 on the 10th and growing up that was called our 'golden birthday' and my mom made a big deal when i turned 13 on the 13th - and you know where we have been financially, so buying a REAL piece of jewellery was out of the question - and so i got to MAKE REAL jewellery - and it's going to be even WAY better! i'm so psyched! can't wait to see it out of the kiln tomorrow!!

2. dee and i have put together a proposal for our town to start a local market. when our only income was going to be from our own little hands we needed an outlet to sell in the summer - and so we brainstormed the idea of the market. we pitched it via email to the town this morning and we'll be meeting with the mayor next wednesday to do our presentation! YIKES & YIPEE!

3. i also had sent out a family update bulk email to notify family and friends of the big stuff that's happening, one being our current landlord and future professor at the university - he and his wife will be moving up here from texas in june - they informed us of how thrilled they were for us and that they decided since they were going to update the furnace to natural gas when they arrived we didn't have to re-fill the oil tank before we left - probably about an $800 gift - god is so good, and they are SO generous! what a blessing!

4. liam's last day of cooking at the university is today - he has been such a trooper doing this to keep us from drowning. it's been a hard job as the kitchen just isn't made for someone his size. he's done an amazing job and the students and staff have been overjoyed with his abilities and menu. i just want to say publicly how much i love him and appreciate his willingness to do whatever it took to get through the past 3 months.

5. pink's project for the heritage fair was chosen to go to the 'regional level' and she did such an amazing job on it - the only 4th grader using technology and she really impressed the judges with her knowledge and presentation. one of the judges stopped her mid-sentence to call over another judge who happened to be on the town council because she needed to hear what pink had to say. she chose to do her project on how litter affects natural landscapes, making them 'un-natural' landscapes - and remarked that the park we cleaned didn't even have any garbage cans so even if people didn't want to litter there was no place to put their trash.

she jumped into my arms when she got home yesterday with the joy of telling me she was picked for the next level. this has done more for her confidence than anything else has ever done. what a joy!

6. liam begins his new job tomorrow and is so excited to map out what this is going to look like. he has been given a lot of discretion to create a program that really meets the needs of the community he'll be working with, it's really a blank slate and he can work within a large framework. it will be so great to see him flourish in this kind of an environment. the last two positions he held had very determined controllers at the helm who kept him on a pretty tight leash. i think he'll just fly here. too bad those churches never got to experience what he could have done if given enough slack. i tried to explain it to leadership - that they can either be the anchor on the boat, or the guy holding the kite string. the anchor only has so much distance - the kite string can be given slack and pulled in if necessary - much more freedom and opportunity to fly - i can't wait to see where he takes this.

well, i'm off to pick up pink from science club - hope you are all having a great day!

fascinating concept

A stupid man's report of what a clever man says can never be accurate,
because he unconsciously translates what he hears
into something he can understand.

Bertrand Russell

happy 123456!

This Wednesday,
at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 am & 1:00 pm
the TIME and DATE will be

123456!

( 01:02:03 04/05/06 )

ht to mcnair wilson

sunday in eastport maine

 
 
  

Hugo Schwyzer: Some very long thoughts on fantasy and masturbation

great post - highly recommend

Hugo Schwyzer: Some very long thoughts on fantasy and masturbation

Take Action: Speed Debt Cancellation for Poorest Countries

Urge World Bank to Remove Deadly Delays to Debt Cancellation Today!

Take Action: Speed Debt Cancellation for Poorest Countries

UPDATE: IT WORKED!! ha ha! isn't that amazing!!

i received this email this week:

Congratulations! We are happy to report that your letters to the World Bank made a difference! On Tuesday, March 28, instead of implementing a plan where impoverished countries would have to wait until July 2007 to see 100 percent debt cancellation, World Bank leaders opted for a plan that would cut the waiting time to only three months.

Your email messages to World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz and U.S. Executive Director Robert Holland made a critical difference! On March 29, 2006 Jubilee USA Network reported that tens of thousands of phone calls and email messages to World Bank President Wolfowitz, a letter from several prominent members of the U.S. Congress and support from governments and civil society across the globe led to this important reversal.

The debt agreement finalized Tuesday, March 28 will cancel 100% of debts owed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and African Development Bank in 2006 for 17 resource poor countries.

details, finally!

sorry, you have all been so faithful in your encouragement, erin reminded me that i'm torturing you all by not posting... my apologies.

liam had an interview 2 weeks ago for a 'real' position. we didn't put a lot of stock in it because of the last one, i guess we didn't want to get our hopes crushed again. and we were on the path to becoming self-supporting artists, so we weren't pining away like before. but he got the phone call, negotiated the package and accepted the job!

liam is now the 'executive director of community living' for our county. it's a provincially funded program and it's going to be great for him (for us) as he is so well suited for it. it's a very self directed position and he is responsible for the social activities for those in our county who are in need of mental health support. i described it like a cruise director of sorts. he plans field trips and outings, sets up life skills classes and coffee bars. kind of creating safe places for them and basically becomes their friend and advocate.

the position pays well, provides him with a cell phone, lap top and the ability to do all of the really amazing things in the area. and if i want i can volunteer and go along. the space between our ears and shoulders has lowered by at least three inches!

we also have our next 'home' worked out (it's directly across from the glass artist who is apprenticing me!) and the house back in pennsylvania closes this friday. yippee! it's been a great week here!

we headed to 'the big city' yesterday and took the kids to see 'ice age 2' and had a late night dinner at the epitome of canadian dining - swiss chalet!

again, thank you all for your prayers and support through this - we would have NEVER made it through without you!

sister joan alert for pittsburgers!

dang, i would have really liked to hear her:

Pittsburgh: On April 7th, Sister Joan Chittister will be speaking at Calvary Episcopal Church (315 Shady Avenue) at 7:00 PM.