No. Resist This Narrative That We Shouldnt Sit With Grief And Other Emotions If We Want To Make A Change.

No. Resist this narrative that we shouldn’t sit with grief and other emotions if we want to make a change. Resist this narrative. Mourning is part of organizing, if we want to do it in a way that doesn’t leave us burned out or suicidal. Listening to what our bodies tell us about our needs for rest and renewal, loving and taking care of ourselves and each other, allowing ourselves to collectively experience the weight of things that happen…that’s building radical community and future too.

“I wish it need not happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

I don’t think there’s any quote more suitable for today (9 November 2016)

The SPLC has released a wonderful guide to speaking up about bigotry.

The responses are direct, gentle, and very good.  It has sections for family, friends, coworkers, and self.

Please read it, please spread the link, please keep this link around as reference.  Everyone needs to see this.  It is very important that we arm ourselves that we may be better able to address the casual hateful speech many of us are likely to encounter.

One of the most effective tools at our disposal is protecting the area around us, and making sure that things like this said within earshot of us will not go unchallenged.

Do what you can, but also stay safe.

positive things…

CPSS back again, and what's your favorite thing to bake? what are you best at baking?? Are those different things??? I'm asking the hard hitting questions here

you continue to bring delight and joy into my inbox. uhh probably proudest of baking croissants. I make bad-ass croissants. They take 3 days. (They’re the ones in my profile pic.) On an everyday basis, probably best at baking bread, like artisan French-style crusty bread? I make it with sourdough culture, but the only bread I’m not that good at making with sourdough culture is sourdough itself. Irony! 

Oh oh oh, this one’s my favorite, but not that many people in my life enjoy it, so I don’t get to make it that often. I put golden raisins in it: https://flourishen.blogspot.com/2015/12/carrot-and-walnut-levain-bread.html

And now you know far more than you probably wanted to about my baking habits!!