Oh, and

Is there such a thing as Late-Onset Dyslexia?

I just tried to write 'influence' and it came out 'inclufe--' (then I realized what I had typed and tried again).

Hey you girls

Um, babies.

I'm so so so busy at work right now but fuck, there's this magnet pulling me in. This is Thunderpie's  wife's photostream, and damn, but they've got a beautiful baby girl. I want to eat her. Her curls make me want babies RIGHT NOW. My womb has totally chilled out in the last several months but those curls and that face and TICK TOCK TICK TOCK.

Praise God and all things holy

I think peaches are proof that there is a higher power, and that [pronoun] loves us. Seriously.

Suck it, 97 degrees.

(This is an unknowing guest post from my mom)

(Because I haven't really been able to reflect on this enough to write about it.)

Saludos Amigas quien fueron a El Salvador en el año pasado y conocieron a Alicia de Garcia, (greeting Friends who went to El Salvador last year and who met Alicia de Garcia)

I am afraid that I have very sad news to relay to you all. I know that you met and were deeply touched by Alicia, the director of COMADRES, last summer. Her strength of spirit and generous nature seem to have known no bounds, and her steadfast commitment to non-violence has been an inspiration to many. 

In the late spring Alicia, as well as Patricia, the co-director of COMADRES, both were diagnosed with uterine cancer. It seems that many women who experienced brutal and repeated rape while being held and tortured by the military during the civil war have contracted this form of cancer. Maybe it is spread by sexual contact, the way that some forms of cervical cancer are. 

The cancer and the treatments were very hard on Alicia, and she suffered greatly during her fight against this disease. In early August her body was unable to keep fighting and she died. Many people are grieving her passing, but Patricia says that we can't understand the ways of God, and now Alicia is with Him and with Monseigneur Romero.  I heard of her death while I was traveling out west with my family, and spoke to Patricia on the day of Alicia's funeral. I'm sorry I haven't written to you about this sooner.  

I had been in touch with the women of COMADRES over the summer and talked to Alicia a few weeks before her death. She told me that it was a delight to have met you all, that you were a strong group of jovenes. She was happy that more people had learned of their struggles during the civil war, and hoped that you would not forget.

And so I pass on this thought that motivates me and I hope will motivate you all as well. Whenever there is war, atrocities are committed, people are tortured and murdered. The victims and the perpetrators suffer, as well as family members and neighbors. Communities and whole societies are affected. Our government has GOT to stop perpetrating war. We who have heard Alicia's story know the consequences of war. We cannot be silent on this topic. 

The last thing I feel called to write is that this summer I sent money down to Blanca, Alicia's daughter, who was caring for both Alicia and Patricia. (I haven't talked to Pati for a couple weeks and don't know how she is doing right now, but her condition was still grave when we last spoke). They are unable to cover the medical bills and are struggling with even keeping up with rent and food costs. If any of you would like to send a contribution to help cover Alicia's bills, and Patricia's ongoing health care costs, I will wire it down to Blanca's bank. 

Please hold Patricia and Alicia's family in the Light.

--
Ruby Steigerwald

Raleigh-dog

Yesterday was the day I designated for Raleigh's birthday (although in reality I suspect he may be an October baby, like me -- give or take a month). To celebrate I played frisbee with him when I got home (he loves the beat up Donkey disc I stole -- sorry, boys -- at Layout) and then Elise and I biked over to Petco. I got him a new tag (he managed to lose his off his collar when I was out of town?) as well as:

• A rubber squeaky lizard with a tongue that pokes out when you squeeze it.
• A stuffingless plush squirrel. So yes, there will be bitz of fuzzy squirrel skin all over within 15 minutes of when I give it to him, but there won't be huge clumps of fluffy squirrel innards that he could choke on and that drift about as I try to clean them up.
• I also got him a toy that will last longer than 30 minutes -- a rubber tennis ball that squishes when he chomps on it but will, I think, hold up better than an actual tennis ball.
• Oh yeah, and an assortment of treats from their bulk treat section.

I came home and fed him treat after treat (I planned ahead and only gave him half dinner) and then I gave him the lizard and he was immediately THE HAPPIEST DOG ALIVE. Then he chewed a hole in its belly so that it no longer squeaks and he went down to only being one of the top 10 happiest dogs alive. All in all, I would say, a success. Pictures of Raleigh and his new best friend forthcoming some time after I move. That's a story for another day, I'll just say that I feel alternately totally panicked about packing up all my belongings TONIGHT, and really excited about having gin & tonic dance parties in the living room with my soon-to-be housemates (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, ask Ariella or Ella about the wild and crazy Saturday nights we used to have).

the perfect, clever, punny headline for this post

Consider this my "Extra! Extra!" of the past couple of weeks. To, um, all my loyal readers.

News item: Got a facebook message from a woman who has done with with the Comadres. We learned that Alicia and Patricia were both maybe terminally ill. A little unclear.

News item: Will my baby nephew ever come?

News item: Hey so you know how you struggled seflessly for the human rights of your people for over 2 decades in some of the worst conditions imaginable including periods of captura and all the bells and whistles electricity water wood hoods powder metal cells horror that go with the captura of a "subversive"? You know how maybe you thought that the physical invasion of your body would be over with the Acuerdos de Paz and the years that followed and the election of a member of the FMLN party to national office? Hey, guess what? 18 years after the war officially ends, those years are going to catch up with you in the form of a disease that calls for treatments that can aptly be compared to torture. Thanks for all your work!

News item: Actually it turns out the cruel treatments may be doing what they're supposed to, although they will continue for several months and the future remains unclear. An emergency trip to El Salvador is not in the works at the moment.

News item: I'm an auntie!

News item: Oh hey there, PMS. Here to make sure I feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster right now? Awesome. Glad you've got my back.

[/bitchandmoan]

Upcoming news: Wildwood 2010 - more beach-related Ultimate and debauchery than you can shake a stick at, coming up in 5 days!


Upcoming news: 2 1/2 weeks in the mountains with my immediate family. Will it be idyllic bliss? Will it be a camp horror? I suspect some of both... but mostly I'm rooting for this.

orange, periwinkle, and FUCHSIA

This whole garden thing started when I ordered a set of "easter bulbs" for super cheap. It said you could plant them up through May, which is around when I finally stopped fighting with the ivy taking over the yard enought o be able to plant them, and though they were kind of shriveled and TINY I planted them in the ground. Well, and then I got a packet of wildflower seeds and one of cosmos, and now I have a small jungle in my yard.

See those little dots of fuchsia in there? Those are the only ones from the bulb mix that did well (possibly because the cosmos devoured all the sunlight) and they're just today starting to bloom!

Aren't they just the sweetest?