a little red hen

Mother of dead soldier accusation...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Mary Kirkland, mother of the late Army Spc. Derrick Kirkland, on Sunday's "Up with Chris Hayes" devoted to Memorial Day.   Her shirt reads, "Mother Against War."  Her son committed suicide after being redeployed to Afghanistan though he had made a number of suicide attempts.  "Military killed my son."

Everything about this program was painful, uplifting, and educational.  It included Joe Biden's personal and heart-breaking words to Gold Star families.  The entire, 5 minute clip from Rachel Maddow show was posted on TGB.

Ron and I watch these MSNBC programs quasi-religiously. To keep up daily, it's Rachel Maddow.  For more depth--intelligent, literate  discourse among educated people of many colors--we watch Chris Hayes (recorded on DVR). All of the segments appear online if you do not have cable.

Usually discomforted by holidays, I had a new realization that three-day ones are especially difficult in retirement.  It is all I can do to keep track of days of the week, unmarked as they are by regular scheduling of that past life of work, the third day throws me off.

Babysat Friday night.  Elie, youngest
granddaughter, examines my earring.  We try to get photos of her cute face minus posing but she's too wise to our efforts.  

Friday was typical one of multiple climates in Portland. Over on the other coast Xtreme English, another cloud fancier, shot a great photo from a parking lot in D.C.  Mine is moment I'm about to jump into the car after dinner and pleasant stroll in the sun-- never seen pink poppies before--on Mississippi Avenue.  A gentrifiying neighborhood where, according to my daughter, people are thinner and more expensively dressed than Alberta Street, an earlier gentrifier.   Both areas were predominantly African American until a few years ago.

Reading Sunday New York Times a day late; it's Monday now.  Front page photo of Army officer in Afghanistan walking through pink poppy field while on patrol.     

 

Slow Knitting: ten months for a blue vest

If you really, really were my friend (my 7 year old granddaughter has learned bff* from her more sophisticated peers), you'd say in a very supportive way, 

"How wonderful that you spent less than a year to knit the vest you talked about on your blog last June."

You would be lying in a kind way to an old lady with a habit. It went with me to New York last September. One day I decided to look up the "errata" for the pattern on the Vogue Knitting site.  I had finished the back. Turned out there was an error in the directions in the very first row!

[What follows is geeky knitting talk.]  It was not something crucial, so I let it go.  Other things were:  how to follow the directions for the special style of the edging around the armholes.  Especially a challenge on the second armhole when, in true current pattern mode, "reverse what you did on previous side" appeared rather than written out instructions.  Even challenged Adrienne, my helper at Close Knit, who had the wit to decode it for me.

Much as I like this distinctive look, I doubt that it's something doable on my own another time.

Then it was too big to carry around.  I began to knit another, more colorful vest with better instructions. Got caught up in knit toys--too many little pieces.  I'm about to return to them.  

Realized I needed to add seed stitch gussets at each side for a better fit.  Finally the knitting was done. For the 5 buttonholes, I used five different vintage buttons in the same family.  Nope. Sewed up bottom buttonhole and removed three buttons.  Usually my style is to wear the front open.

Way too much angst for a vest--maybe for an elaborately figured Nordic sweater but not a one-color vest. Looked pretty good after blocking.  I've worn it often, works well for our uncertain spring weather.  I have noticed that the surface pills.  Still wish there were more choices in yarn of this weight and mostly cotton to use with #7 needles--even #8.

*best friend forever

EMILY'S LIST: Listen Up, please!

Like the day, I'm a bit overcast:  Eileen Brady, my candidate, has been defeated in her run for Mayor of Portland, Oregon.  She sent a "Thank you" to supporters:

...As I have said on  many occasions - Jobs save lives. Jobs save families. Jobs allow parents to send their children to school having had breakfast. And together we said that we can and must fully fund our school system, we can and must have both an accountable and respected police force and we can and must invest in all our communities including in East Portland.  

Two qualified Democratic women are now tied for same seat on City Council. Two other equally qualified Dem women ran against one another at the state level; one has won.

In 1972, a very small group of women--black and white--started the Women's Political Caucus in Baltimore.  We had no background in politics, no money.  We were knocked off by the very savvy, well-funded women of Montgomery County, Maryland--very close to that notorious Washington beltway.

As I sit back today from my current home in this different universe in the Pacific Northwest, how do I put it all together?  Looking at where we came from in the late 20th century and where things are for women now, my feelings are mixed.  I need to figure out how to direct my energy/my dollars in the few years left to me.

Emily's List receives a monthly contribution from me in its work to select pro-choice Dem women.  The other day you asked me for more to support Claire McCaskill's re-election in Missouri.  Sent a check right away.  But soon was disappointed to learn that she was uncertain on joining Obama's support for gay marriage.  I would not have sent that $25.

You need to tell me more about the Democratic women you promote. 

I endorsed Eileen Brady because this city needs a smart leader with an instinct for what is best for all Portlanders--women, children, men.  Endorsed her because her company, New Seasons, gives parttime workers health care and she has put considerable volunteer energy into that issue.

We have terrible racial problems here; I wish she had addressed these more fully.  We have a serously underfunded public school system--same for social services.  Would she have been well-advised to put the considerable money raised along with her personal resources into an effort with more likelihood of creating change?  To her credit, already strongly pro-choice, she immediately announced enthusiastic support for the President's on gay marriage.

Does your organization ever advise potential candidates about working together?  About what issues each must stand for as Democratic candidates for office?  These are hard times for women.  I want to be behind women candidates who get that my daughter, my granddaughters are entering uncertain times for women.  

Women running for office must recognize that we need an energy field that brings us together. We know about "every man for himself." What we need again is a women's movement for all of us, for a path that leads to lasting cultural change.

Eileen Brady, another woman Mayor for Portland?

If you read here regularly, it's pretty clear that my best fantasy would be a future with many, many more educated Democratic women in public office.  Not a surprise then that I was pleased when Eileen Brady, a newcomer to Oregon politics declared her run for Portland Mayor a year ago.

Today was the last day of the primary.  If you waited this long to do it--and many did just that--it was necessary  to deliver your ballot to one of the special mailboxes around town.  We waited till yesterday.  I still do not like voting by mail (unless one has a serious handicap or is out of town).  Something is lost in a democracy when we no longer stand in line with our neighbors, catch them between textings, hear their hopes and disappointments for the City's future.

Enthusiastic at the outset, I'm pleased to have had the chance to introduce Eileen at our retirement community early in her campaign.  Like many others, I've found electioneering on a national level wearing. I'm sure that has bled over into peoples' attitudes about local races.  It must be exhausting for the Portland mayoral candidates though they have been quite polite with one another.  Out of the 23 who ultimately entered the race (not a typo), there are two other Democrats, men, who are running close to Eileen. 

Over time I have spoken with her again, heard her improve in presenting her case at a campaign event halfway along. Talking her mother, Sue, who'd been very active in suburban Chicago community politics, was a reflection of my own influence on my daughter's trajectory. 

Is she the perfect candidate?  Do I agree with her about all-things- Portland?  Am I being an essentialist feminist (25 pages in this link) in supporting her?  No, no, and possibly.  At the moment the idea of a Democratic woman who successfully managed single motherhood early in her life, who has been a partner to her second spouse in running a large food business with excellent values, who has put much energy into non-profits dealing with the environment and health...this is a woman who can learn things from those of us who have supported her.  She could even be open to change.  

And this is not the end.  None of the three leading Democrats will get 50 percent so two of them face a runoff.  Then the final election in November.  If Eileen is not one of them, I hope she finds another avenue for her liberal politics and great energy. 

Let's Hear Our Big-Girl Voices: ERA NOW!

Looks kind of old-fashioned?  Did not come from Emily's List...did not come from Feminist Majority (source of the 17% button I wear daily).

Top of my inbox from Daily Kos: "91% of Americans agree on this." Could it be?  Feeling so marginalized in my opposition to America's wars, my opposition to the war on women--clearly I could not be part of 91% of the people on a really important issue.

Surprise:  that's how many say "Yes," to the outrageous question:

Do you think the Constitution should grant equal rights to men & women?

Who was the pundit recently asked why there is such disparity between what is happening in the House and Senate and what polls show Americans want?  

ERA sitting in House and Senate for a very, very long time.  How about signing this petition that could possibly (yes, we know it's been tried before)  move it along?

The ERA amendment has been waiting since 1923.  That's before I was born, before most of the old lady readers of a little red hen were born.  I has been re-introduced by courageous Congresspeople...read the whole story HERE.

Thanks to Kalli Joy Gray at Daily Kos for the email and to Chris Hayes at UP for showing this video of another wrong that could be righted by the ERA amendment.