Tonight's the Night the World Begins Again

Walking up Michigan Avenue, after ice skating with friends at Millennium Park in Chicago, on New Year's Eve, reveling in the lovely snow I hadn't seen in 2 years, surrounded by lights, memories and splendor was surreal. (photo credit)

I'd just taken a picture of the giant Christmas tree in front of the John Hancock building when a man stopped me. He asked if he could ask me a question then asked me not to be afraid. I assured him I wasn't and that he could. Instead of asking a question, he asked me to look at his hands and showed me that he was born without thumbs. He said, "It is hard being homeless." then asked me to help.

Back when I was a single mom in St. Louis, I had to make a rule that I would not to give money to people on the street. I realized I was taking money away from my young child and that I needed it to survive. Despite this long-held rule, I was reaching in my pockets. They were empty.

I knew I had money in my bag but what could the money I had there really do to help this man? I wondered, should I give him some change? Some ones? A $20? That seemed simultaneously excessive and insignificant. Then there was that voice saying I shouldn't open my bag up to a stranger on the street.

I said something lame about how I couldn't help everyone. I said I'd just have to wish him luck. He hung his head. I patted him on the shoulder and walked away. Changed. I haven't been able to stop thinking about him and feeling like I should have done something differently.

I see so much need in the world. I'm happy to be working to make a positive difference and am about to start my work as a CASA volunteer not just a case supervisor. There are so many kids who need.

I have been discouraged by injustice in Africa and the most recent uprising in Kenya.

But tonight, I am hopeful. Barack Obama won the Iowa Caucuses. I know he doesn't have all of the answers but I believe he wants to work towards making things better for everyone.

After writing about my feelings of hopefulness, I was lying awake with a Goo Goo Dolls song running through my head. It's called, Better Days and I wanted to share it with you.

I heard it on New Year's morning, while sitting in Einstein's bagels, taking refuge from the drastically colder temperatures outside and thinking about the man I'd met the night before.

I related to the sentiment, "I wish everyone was loved tonight."

Listen to it if you can.

Here are all the lyrics:

And you ask me what I want this year.
And I'll try to make this kind and clear.
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days.

'Cause I don't need boxes wrapped in strings.
And designer love and empty things.
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days.

So take these words.
And sing out loud.
'Cause everyone is forgiven now.
'Cause tonight's the night the world begins again.

I need someplace simple where we could live.
And something only you can give.
And that's faith and trust and peace while we're alive.

And the one poor child who saved this world.
And there's 10 million more who probably could.
If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them.

So take these words.
And sing out loud.
'Cause everyone is forgiven now.
'Cause tonight's the night the world begins again.

I wish everyone was loved tonight.
That some might stop this endless fight.
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days.

So take these words.
And sing out loud.
'Cause everyone is forgiven now.
'Cause tonight's the night the world begins again.

'Cause tonight's the night the world begins again.

Congratulations

Barack Obama wins Iowa Caucuses.









I am hopeful.














We are hopeful.

Help Restore Peace in Kenya

The past couple of days have been busy. It took me 11 hours to get home from Chicago on Tuesday. Yesterday, I was at a trial all day. On top of it, I've been battling a cold. But these challenges are nothing compared with what people in other parts of the world are facing. (photo credit)

Upon returning home, I was greatly disturbed by a headline saying that 50 people had been locked in a church and burned to death in Kenya. I was horrified but I was tired. I hoped it was an isolated incident.

Then, today, I read a message my cousin, Ariel shared with me. It moved me to write my representatives in congress. I want to pass the message along to you and encourage you to do the same.

Here's what my letter said:

Dear Speaker of the House Pelosi (San Francisco) & Congresswoman Woolsey (Marin County), I am deeply concerned by the reports of violence coming out of Kenya. Hearing about innocent people being locked inside buildings and burned to death is horrifying. That people are without access to necessary supplies and their lines of communication are down makes the situation even more perilous. Please take action to bring peace to this area and protect the people living there. Thanks for all you do.

Click here to write your representative.

Here is the message that prompted me to write:

Dear Friends, Family, and Associates, I am writing to request your assistance with an extremely challenging issue.... As some of you are aware my wife is from Kenya. Our family lives their now.. and are in grave danger... Within the the last 3 days there has erupted a huge campaign of violence, ethnic cleansing and tribal warfare from the alleged rigging of the presidential election leading to the re-election of Kibaki.

I will not relate the details as they are all readily available on the websites I include at the bottom of this email... but the basic reality is that the country is entering a state of warfare... Marshall law has been declared by the president... a curfew... riot police are out in streets throughout the country... if you are out past curfew you are beaten or shot... looting and rioting has decimated many of the shops in the town centers... many I and my family would frequent...leaving many without basic supplies to live. The President has shut off all the radio stations... all you hear is the eerie sound of static as you scan the airwaves... The television stations are only broadcasting un-interupted movies... no news.. no announcements... Everyone in Kenya uses pre-paid calling cards for cell phones.. and the president has ordered them to stop being sold... He has stopped all flow of information internally... We had to ask our mom not to call her friends and conserve what little credit she has.. we now have to call regularly to check on the situation... even the phone networks have been going down... He has shut the water supply off to Nairobi City (the largest and most developed city in east Africa)... There are frequent blackouts...

The two major tribes representing the presidential opponents are Kikuyu and Luo. My Wife and Family are Luo. Kikuyus are attacking and killing Luos en-masse throughout the country... and Luo are killing Kikuyu around the country... within the last day.. mass killings have begun.. In Lou towns Kikuyus have begun killing Luos.. locking Luo social clubs while people are inside and burning them down... over 50 Kikuyu women and children sought refuge in a church after their homes were burned and an angry mob of youth locked them in the church and set fire to it killing 35... those who escaped were met on the outside with the mob... beaten... and burned to death in a kitchen garden outside the church... decimation of neighborhoods, slums, and villages where supporters of either candidate are being burned to the ground.. with people inside.... This is only a small fraction of the injustices being committed....

Yet these atrocities are reminiscent of the beginnings of the Genocide which took place in Rwanda (The next Door neighbor to Kenya)... My Mother In Law in Kenya received word from a friend in government that Kibaki was about to be announced the winner off the election and that she should rush to the grocery store because it was about to get very bad... she sent my cousins to the store to buy what food she could afford... that night 3 local social spots where my family would regularly hang out were locked up and burnt down with people inside... Luckily my family was all at home anticipating the violence to come...They are locked in their small apartment.. 2 small bedrooms in a stone apartment structure. They have a small security gate before the front door which they have padlocked shut... My brother in law... lost track of his family when their neighborhood was attacked, people killed, and burnt to the ground... he ran around searching all night and luckily he was able to locate them... they rushed to my mother in laws home... He, His Wife, and Small children had to pass through streets littered with bodies... there are now over 14 people in this tiny apartment... they only have food for a couple more days... the stores are dangerous if impossible to get to... most stores have been shut or ransacked so there is no food anyway... what food is left is being sold at very high costs...

Gunshots are heard round the clock and throughout the night... I paint this picture to give an idea of the severity of the situation... I watch and feel helpless... Many who have watched Hotel Rwanda can remember that feeling of "What did we / could we have done to prevent this..." This is a similar situation... I am not sure of the best remedy for it.. but it is apparent that something needs to be done before the violence, civil unrest and massacres extend any further...

How can I sit by and watch another Rwanda or Somalia take place without so much as opening my mouth... and the fact that my family is directly involved impels me to act with determination. Things may get better on their own... maybe in a few days... a few weeks... a few months... but for each day it doesn't... lives are lost.. families shattered.. and we inch closer to genocide... how many times did people assume that it would probably work itself out in Rwanda or Somalia.... and thereby delay their own action... inaction enabled a spark to become a flame and a flame to become an inferno.

I am writing to my congress people in Los Angeles... imploring them to press the US govt. and the UN to intervene... The only way to ensure my family's safety is to ensure peace in Kenya...

Please take a moment to do something... write to your congress person or call them and urge them to address the issue of the unrest in Kenya with haste... Each day that passes people are dying and being ripped from their homes... only 250 people have been documented killed so far... thousands injured and over 70,000 made homeless in 3 days... This does not include those who are fleeing and are undocumented by the statistics.

I mentioned hotel Rwanda.. and the vivid picture it painted which brought us all a bit of shame... now picture your family in that hotel... being left to die as other countries get their own people out... this is more than a movie... My family is at serious risk... and I am praying for their safety.

Please take a moment and help be a part of bringing about peace... not only for my own families but for all of Kenya... And Above All Pray For Them...

Sincerely, Jon and Auntieclare

P.S. Please forward this to anyone you know and are willing to share it with....

Click here to write your representative.

SITES WITH INFO ABOUT THE SITUATION IN KENYA:
BBC Africa
Daily Nation
Guardian Unlimited
CNN World

Click here to write your representative.

Tomales Point Beach

After hiking past elk to Tomales Point, Cam suggested we check out nearby McClure's beach.

We arrived happy and full of enthusiasm.

The afternoon sun lit things up beauti-
fully.

The sea foam was im-
pressive. There were many rocks to climb on.

This beach is said to be on of the best beaches for tide pooling and there were pools but they seemed empty of noticeable sea creatures.

I found the patterns, made in the sand, by the water as it receded, fascinating.













It seemed more like the sand was growing upward, like a tree or bush, than that it was being pulled out to sea.



Sam was up for a little sand and water inter-
action.







Cam waited patiently.

I continued to poke along, taking my time, lagging behind.

When I got to the opening in the rocks, through which Cam and Sam has disappeared, Cam was on his way back through, coming for me.




The intensity of the wind increased dramatically through this opening.

I was glad I'd missed it but Cam said there was a peaceful, secluded beach on the other side.

So, I followed him back through the crevasse.





He was right.

It reminded me of the beach from Alex Garland's book. Not that it was similar in many ways, just in the idea that it was a secret beach.

I followed Sam up the rock.










And joined him on his throne.










Cam looked happy and handsome.

What a lovely backdrop.

After awhile, we bent our heads to the wind and returned to the main beach.







Cam showed us a spot where fresh water was running down into the sea.

He pointed out how the birds liked drinking the fresh water on the beach.








The climb back up to the parking area was steep but not as strenuous as it could have been.




We had fun capturing the light and the setting sun.







Happy with all we'd seen, we were ready to return home.

Tomales Point Elk Hike

After our stop at the Earthquake Trail, we drove, for the first time to the Tomales Bay point on Point Reyes.












One of the first things we came upon were clusters of these interesting trees.





Sam wanted to climb around on some that had fallen long ago.

Still fearless.



And handsome.
















Around the bend, Sam and I spied this large hole.

We wondered what type of creature made it.


It was a gorgeous day.

Just a bit chilly but not too windy.

The sun really made things nice.

Because we were on a peninsula, the ocean was on one side.







And the bay was on the other.










We stopped to have a snack and rest a bit. Up on the ridge, we noticed a herd of elk.

As we were sitting there, some people who were coming back from the point told us about another herd ahead.

After some more hiking, we branched off from the trail to explore this little area.




Sam discovered a colony of rolly pollies living under a small rock on this big rock.



You can see Tomales point off in the distance, behind Sam.














It was a nice spot to take pictures.














































Even though we hadn't seen the second elk herd, we decided we'd better turn around. We still had to hike all the way back.

Then, we nearly stumbled upon them.

Because of the slight downward slope of the land, we hadn't even seen them, basking in the sun, on a on our way out.

It was great that Cam thought to bring the binoculars.







The does are elegant and graceful but the bucks (or bulls?) are quite im-
pressive.




What a beautiful, enjoyable day.

Earthquake Trail - Another perspective

After Thanksgiving but before Christmas, Sam, Cam and I headed out to explore the Tomales Bay point on Point Reyes.

Either our stomachs are getting stronger or our driving is getting better on the windy roads that lead out to the peninsula.

But around the Bear Valley Visitor Center, I was feeling a bit woozy and asked Cam if I could drive for awhile.

He said sure but suggested we also stop to stretch our legs a bit. There is a cool Earth-
quake Trail at the visitor's center.

Sam and I walked it when we were in California in 2001 but hadn't been back since.

Cam wrote about the Maddux family's hike and showed this picture (and others) already.

Before we left the trail, I asked them to come back to the fence so I could document how the fence row became two fences from a different angle.

The earth really did move on that day.

Two films about the adolescent experience

In the litany of movies we've watched recently, I realized I left out one. The movie Thirteen came up on one of my cases at work last month. I hadn't seen it and it seemed like I should.

So, knowing Sam was going to be gone, I moved it to the top of our Blockbuster queue. I'd heard it was a very adult movie and Cam said he wasn't sure I wanted to watch it. I said I wasn't sure I wanted to either but that I was going to watch it anyway.

After the movie, we discussed how the most shocking part was that the kids' behavior wasn't all that shocking (maybe because it was an exaggerated situation?)

While we hope Sam doesn't get wrapped-up in those activities, we know they (although likely not to the extent they were portrayed in the movie) are part of life for many kids today.

Both of us are happy to be involved in supporting and encouraging young people.

Then, yesterday, we saw Juno.

While it also dealt with an extremely serious situation, it did so with laughter, warmth and intelligence.

It was touching, moving, sweet and endearing.

We enjoyed it very much, bought the soundtrack on itunes last night and will be rooting for it during the upcoming awards shows.

What do you remember about your adolescent experience?

Christmas Dinners

After spending some time connecting with family and friends online and over the phone, Cam & I headed out for a Christmas adventure.

The Sushi place we'd planned to go to for lunch was only open for dinner but the Thai place across the street was open.

We hadn't been there before so we decided to try it out.

I had the baby coconut drink with slices of coconut in it.


The server asked if we wanted to start out with some fish cakes.

We said, "Why not?"

They were a bit ugly but the pretty, spicy sauce dressed them up a bit and they were tasty enough.






Cam ordered Phad Thai with prawns.

He was happy with it.














I had salmon with veggies and green curry.

The heart-shaped serving of rice was a nice touch.

After lunch, we went to the theatre in Mill Valley to see Juno.






Then, that evening, we enjoyed the vegetarian cassolee Cam made for dinner.

It was warm and nurturing.

Thanks for taking such good care of us, Cam.

We hadn't done a lot of shopping since we were on an eating out kick.

After dinner, Cam noticed we didn't have a dessert.

We did have chocolate chips.

I said I could make cookies but thought that Sam might like making them with me when he got home.

Cam decided to have some with peanut butter on a graham cracker.

I melted some and dipped nuts in it. It worked.

Happy Holidays.