“We’ve had 250 years of training for this. We know what to do.”
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Image: The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
United States
Resist: Dates + Ways
One of my aunts just sent this list of national protests on our family text. If you’re looking for ways to resist our current Administration, then maybe you can join in. Along with continuing to call your Representatives. I’ve called mine a couple of times recently.
The protests today already passed, but on February 28th, you could choose not to spend any money.
From March 7 – 14, many will choose not to buy from Amazon. And on March 14th, some will choose to strike and not work for 24 hours.
It’s up to each individual to decide how to resist, but all of us can be more intentional about where we choose to spend our money.
For me, it sometimes comes down to the “ick factor.” Do I feel “the ick” when I associate myself with this organization? Last month I finally quit Twitter for good. I could no longer deal with supporting that platform. Now I’m figuring out the rest. What about you?
A Cozy Quincy Day
Not much in the world has felt cozy lately. Tuning out all the news and noise for a bit is necessary. But cozy can be achieved. Even if only for a few hours.
Yesterday, I went to the library and took out a few books. I already had some, but another that I had on hold arrived. Then I noticed a few that were on display. Now I have quite a library haul with this big stack of books. It makes me so happy and reminds me of when I was a little kid taking out piles of books from the library.
The older I get, the more that I realize what makes me happy now are the same things that did when I was a child. We do grow up and change as adults. But I think that essentially we are that same soul that we were from the beginning. My soul loves books. Although having parents that were teachers helped too!
The library was packed with people yesterday. The parking lot was completely full and I was stuck in a traffic jam before I could leave it to look for additional parking. There were two events going on and some people were turned away from one because they were beyond capacity. Standing room only! I love to see it.
Even with the library crowds, everyone was in a good mood. It had a really nice community feeling. It was also where I met up with someone to sell them a bunch of plants. She was so happy to get her plants, which of course made me happy too. I love to spread the plant joy!
After leaving the library, I went to see fellow blogger and author of several children’s books, Candelaria Silva-Collins. She invited me to see her reading one of her books, Jump! Jump! Jump! Stacey, at a new Quincy bookstore, The Next Chapter Books and More. Since she was in the area and I hadn’t seen her for such a long time, it was a nice chance to catch up.
We chatted for a while and by the time I left, there were a lot of people in the store. It was such a good feeling seeing the people of Quincy enjoying all things books. It gave me a very warm feeling of community. Something that I don’t feel everyday, but that I’d like to feel more of. Even if only for a few hours.
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Now leaving the cozy feeling for a bit. Another book that I’m adding to my TBR list is On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder. It’s about how to resist fascism in America. He was interviewed by Rachel Maddow last month and spoke about what is happening with our current Administration. He said that they want to make us feel afraid and alone. I definitely think that a way to combat that feeling is through community. Libraries and bookstores are great places to start.
Recently Read: Mirrors in the Earth
This picture is from just a few weeks ago, and oh how things have changed! Now, most of the leaves are gone from the trees. A few leaves are still hanging on though.
A few months ago, I read an amazing book called Mirrors in the Earth, by Asia Suler. In that book, I learned that there is a word for this phenomenon called marcescence. What a beautiful sounding word!
As someone with many plants at home and who is always observing plants and trees in nature, I have often seen those few leaves, hanging on despite strong winds and wondered how they were still there. As I learned from the book and what I’ve seen in life, nature can be a funny thing.
Yes, sometimes comedic, but sometimes miraculous. Things that seem like they shouldn’t be, often are and continue to be. They persist and resist. Nature has the ability to heal itself. Not that all is well with Mother Earth.
As someone who often experiences eco-anxiety, because of climate change, I felt a great deal of relief and reassurance from reading her book. It’s the kind of book that I plan on reading again. Initially I borrowed it from the library, but I may buy it, so that I can refer to it over time.
Also, so that I can help support the author. She lives in North Carolina and her town suffered devastating losses after flooding from Hurricane Helene. For the past several years, I’ve purchased flower essences from her wonderful apothecary. Now it’s destroyed and under mud. It’s hard to comprehend this destruction.
But destruction also signifies birth. Every ending is another beginning. Sometimes “darkness is that of the womb and not the tomb,” as stated by Valarie Kaur. Some plants need the destruction of fire to flourish. Isn’t that amazing? When I first learned this many years ago, I was stunned.
Fires and floods have battered humanity since the beginning. But we’re still here. There are seasons for everything. A quote from Mirrors in the Earth, adds an additional perspective.
“Just like the hemlock perched between two boulders, we came into this world knowing how to live between a rock and a hard place, to straddle this gap between what is dying and what is being born. Open yourself to the bridge that you are, and we can all cross from one side of this torrent to another. This is not the end; it is the beginning. Who you are is the gift you were meant to bring to this Earth, and your presence here is exactly what is needed for this great rebirth.”
As we approach the second term of a presidency that so many of us do not want, it gives me some comfort to think that we are the people who are needed for this time.
Baby Boxes Coming to America?
Recently, I was watching a reaction video where American parents react to a video about baby boxes received by all expecting parents in Scotland. The boxes are amazing!
They include clothing, toys, books, swaddles, thermometers, a mattress, sheets and much more. The box itself can even be used as a bed for the baby if needed.
The baby box idea first started in Finland. It’s shocking that governments in so many other countries support new parents in ways that don’t happen here. Much of it is because we don’t have guaranteed health care in the United States, but that’s another post. More support needs to be given to parents, especially with the increasing assault on reproductive rights in this country. Again, another post.
I was so intrigued by this idea of baby boxes, that I was curious if there might be something like that here. Surprisingly, the answer is yes. The Biden-Harris Administration realizes that families need more support and recognized that other countries have some good ideas on how to do that.
“Today, basic newborn supplies like diapers can cost an average of $1,000 a year for each diapered child in a home In addition, nearly 1 in 8 women – regardless of age, income, or race – will suffer from some form of postpartum anxiety or depression, a number that is on the rise for women in America. Further, mental health conditions now comprise 23% of pregnancy-related deaths – more than any other single category.
In an effort to alleviate some of these stressors on new families, governments in at least 91 other countries and municipalities offer new families a “Baby Box” upon the birth of a child. In addition to offering much-needed physical goods, these baby boxes are designed to offer critical postpartum care information and to promote increased interactions between parents and their healthcare providers.”
In May 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a pilot program in collaboration with Baby2Baby, a nonprofit organization. The program provides Newborn Supply Kits to new mothers.
“The Newborn Supply Kits consist of more than 20 items including diapers and wipes, clothing, hygiene items, blankets and thermometers for newborns, and postpartum pads, lotion, cold packs, breastfeeding supplies, and carriers for new moms. HHS and Baby2Baby will first distribute 3,000 of the Newborn Supply Kits across Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico – three states experiencing deep levels of family poverty – via hospitals and community-based partner organizations. Any mother giving birth during pilot implementation at one of the partner sites will be eligible to receive a kit.”
The intent is for the program to expand with a focus on addressing the maternal health crisis. “We need bold solutions that recognize and respond to the unacceptable disparities in maternal health outcomes in this country,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “Through this new funding, health centers will be able to tailor their response to the needs of their patients and communities and take action to save lives.”
As we move further into 2024, more information will be available about how the program is doing and plans for expansion. This kind of help for new families is long overdue and I’m looking forward to learning more about it!
