Government Issue vehicles

RantWoman is somewhat observing 12 days of Christmas with attention to various and sundry as who have showed up over the holidays, at least by phone, email...

Today is observation with attention to RantBrother lately in MT and indoors during subzero weather albeit under different circumstances than he told RantMom earlier in the month.

The bad news: whatever blessings in the realm of previous ways to live indoors RantBrother told RantMom about had dissolved by the time of RantBro's holiday call to RantWoman.

The good news: at least RantBrother had the sense to find a way in out of the cold.

The good news: RantBro is motivated to seek work.

The bad news: RantBro is interested in more mysterious law enforcement, the kind of job that comes with "a government issue 4x4 and a government issue .45.

Is this:

--redneck trashtalk that any red-blooded Monanan should just know to blow off?

--still yet more unrealistic 'bro thinking about employment

--yet another job possibility that we all get to be thankful has SCANT probability of actually turning into actual paychecks? Hallelujah! Praise Jesus. Amen!

--simply what RantBrother presence means today...?

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Faith Healing Pipe Organ Family Feast

RantWoman is seasoning items to write under the influence of pipe organ lingering after Christmas eve worship RantWoman had rich worship experiences and expects several deliveries.

Faith Healing, Radio Broadcasts on Christmas morning about the faith of non-Christians:
A self-identified pork-eating, alcohol-drinking, premarital sex having Muslim woman who grew up in the US spoke. She explained how her father came to grips with her intent to live with her boyfriend. Her father asked, "Does he believe in a force greater than himself? ... Does he believe in gravity?" Well, yes. Then the boyfriend was Muslim enough for her father.

Faith Healing irreverence, not particularly Christmas-themed except that the thought muddled to the surface during pre-holiday bustle., perhaps in connection with solstice-themed reflections on subsistence challenges after the solstice before spring produce begins to appear:
To everyone who thinks God is supposed to fit into 30-second soundbytes, RantWoman notes that 19th century Russian novelist Fedor Dostoevsky got paid by the cuarto. If he had kept it short, his family would have starved. RantWoman has no suggestions about how to handle that point in the age of expectations about soundbytes, in the age of Twitter, a medium RantWoman peculiarly actually adores.

Faith Healing, Grace: RantWoman's worship thoughts were more Luke Chapter 1, geneology of Christ including WOMEN, and C Wes Danilels "You can't out-scandalize God" http://gatheringinlight.com/2013/12/23/a-new-family-portrait-matthew-1/  than ministry in quaker worship from the book of John about men of good will / men with whom God is pleased.

Faith Healing, Nelson Mandela 1.
The fake sign language interpreter on stage at Nelson Mandela's funeral has inspired the Seattle Deaf and interpreter communities to address longstanding concern with a person who apparently has been misinterpreting the Seattle Men's Chorus for decades.
Here is RantWoman's contribution to the conversation, with multiple links to a blog by members of the deaf community.
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2013/12/letter-to-frank-stilwagner-of-flying.html
The short, boiled down version: hearing people think the "interpretation" is very artistic or some darn thing: Deaf people find the signing linguistically useless and people who train ASL interpreters find MUCH to object to. Holding the situation in the Light never hurts.

Faith Healing, Nelson Mandela 2:
On the bus on RantWoman's way to Christmas Worship, RantWoman and RantMom's cellphone conversation suddenly lurched from family dramas and Christmas stockings to Nelson Mandela. RantMom's box of Christmas decorations moved from MT include the historical Rant Children stockings custom sewn by RantMom. There is a stocking for each Rant child.

This year, RantMom's display expressed her fervent hope that all her children might be able to bear each other's presence. RantWoman knows several mothers who do not have that expectation. RantMom has been clearly told this is not necessarily a reasonable expectation right now; it's a moot point anyway since RantBrother is in MT, indoors at least.

RantWoman is not sure how the conversation got from stockings to Nelson Mandela, but it did. Somehow 26 years of principled study on Robben Island came up, as did the diplomacy spoken of by lots of African leaders. RantWoman got stuck on the stockings and things already restimulated from seemingly innocent words in the Christmas eve worship. At SOME point it might be reasonable to have some moments of Truth and Reconciliation, but RantWoman was definitely not called to try on the bus. RantWoman already, earlier in the fall had to tell RantMom that RantWoman thinks some outside help would be extremely helpful and on point for RantMom. Or, hypothetically, there is always the option of Quaker worship groups with someone else who maybe possibly might have certain life issues in common. Would RantWoman do that on purpose? Uhhhh...RantWoman would not mind if God got that done but would still want prayerful care of the situation if that occurred, but first RantWoman would have to drag RantMom to....

Faith Healing: extra guest
This year the RantFamily Christmas feast included a friend of Little Sister's family, another guy from Guatemala so Brother in Law had someone to talk to. Guy from Guatemala was being Christmas guest because his wife has gotten into some odd mindset involving faith healing and other challenging themes. RantWoman is sorry that faith healing gone overboard meant Guest could not have Christmas with his daughters but was delighted he was part of the Rant family feast!

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Fresh Pond Minute on Corporate Support of Individual Ministries

Blog as filing cabinet item, stored here for ease of finding again even if interesting discussion ensues elsewhere.

Fresh Pond Monthly Meeting Minute on Corporate Support of Individual Ministries

http://nefriend.neym.org/FreshPond-SupportingMinistries.html

In the comments stream further detail from New England Yearly Meeting
http://www.nyym.org/leadings/PYM.htm

You, dear readers, were hoping to get by without a trademarkRantWoman tirade????

Sorry!

Not that sorry.

Cope!

First gratitudes at least:
1. RantWoman is rabidly, madly deeply grateful that these items are available in forms accessible to RantWoman.

2. RantWoman's experience is that God is bountiful, sometimes more bountiful than Friends know what to do with. RantWoman wonders whether some people find the labor-intensive aspects of Quaker mutual support sort of draining sometimes.

3. RantWoman is very interested to know what practices Fresh Pond Monthly Meeting uses to ensure a good pool of people for clearness and support committees.

The rest of these comments need to be held in the Light so that SOMEHOW the message will fall where it needs to. Those of fragile, easily rattled sensibilities are invited to stop reading and hold things in the Light.

What if the number of well seasoned leadings is larger than the capacity of the topical committees?

What if RantWoman is seasoning Leadings on others' behalf: just because some or another Friend cannot  do... does not mean ... does not need to be done.

What if (RantWoman means to write a generalized Live on Planet Earth item for her transit and transportation and eldercare ramblings on her other blog and maybe possibily has in mind not only for instance people who came up in a discussion at a local transit commission but also some Weighty Friends in her own Meeting)?

Hold that thought in the Light, PLEASE

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Peculiar Gifts Lucia

RantWoman is peculiarly still in Thanksgivingukkah Be grateful Stand up and Say who you are even if... Mode. RantWoman may or may not get around to elaborating by blog. The exact formulation that keeps coming to RantWoman is more than incendiary enough for RantWoman but every corner of RantWoman's life, including the Rant WaitingBasket, is overloaded to bursting. If RantWoman somehow does not get around to lobbing ONE of her many curve balls, it might not be a total calamity.

Call that sequence Peculiar Gratitude #1. RantWoman appreciates energy sometimes even when it is too much.

Peculiar Gratitude #2. RantWoman has bedbugs to thank for NOT having RantBrother crashing on her couch and instead learning that RantBrother is in MT and living indoors in exchange for part-time work. The temptation to offer RantBrother time on RantWoman's couch and  prospect of needing to tell RantBrother "No" were what finally motivated RantWoman to speak to her management of the bedbug issue. Praise the Lord and take care of That of God in ME!

Peculiar Gratitude #3. The reading group still wandering through writings related to John Woolman talked at a recent session about "superfluities." RantWoman is kind of a Bad Friend in terms of attachment to sundry superfluities. However, bedbugs are one REALLY dynamic way to help chase superfluities such as phone bills from 2002 out the door. Sayonara superfluities, or some of them anyway!

Peculiar Gratitude #4 Irrepressible Nephew is also too happy to offer suggestions about bedbugs. Irrepressible Nephew and his mother suggest...COCKROACHES, something called Dubia cockroaches also fed to Irrepressible Nephew's many lizards.

http://www.nyworms.com/dubiacare.htm

http://bedbugger.com/2007/03/19/faq-is-there-an-insect-that-will-eat-bed-bugs/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bed_bug


Peculiar Gratitude #5 Supposedly, according to Little Sister and irrepressible Nephew, one does not even need cockroaches. Supposedly cockroach urine is enough to deter bedbugs from coming back. Supposedly. RantWoman is SO relieved. RantWoman was trying to imagine how to explain to her building management, "Look, these are PET cockroaches to protect against the bedbugs." Now all RantWoman has to do is come up with discrete ways to have cockroach urine present without inviting cockroaches....

Peculiar Gratitude: Lucia. RantWoma n started cataloguing these particular gratitudies on Lucia. Need we say more?

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Hanukkah Day 2 Worship Aids

Thanksgiving; RantMom
RantWoman apologizes. She remembers generalized gratitude during Thanksgiving Meeting for Worship; she does not remember gratitude as precisely wrought as some years. Or maybe RantWoman was also too busy being tender toward RantMom. RantMom is recovering from pneumonia. She is recovering slowly. Hold her in the Light.

RantWoman is grateful too so far to have resisted several rounds of temptation toward SERIOUS Bad Friend behavior during Meeting for Worship, and not just on Thanksgiving when RantMom could probably still elbow an ill-behaved RantWoman in the ribs if the occasion required it.

--RantWoman continues to have all sorts of issues with certain printed worship aids but so far RantWoman has managed to resist any thoughts of a braille marathon on the offending documents explaining her point of view. RantWoman is seasoning a rather different suggestion. Please hold in the Light RantWoman's seasoning of what to do with these thoughts.

--Remember that clip of Shout to the Lord sung to Led Zeppelin?
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2013/11/angry-birds-led-zeppelin-samson-delilah.html
SO FAR, RantWoman and probably other worshipers are grateful that urges to play the clip in Meeting for Worship have yielded to the prospect of utterly pathetic performance as squeaked out by one of RantWoman's new auditorily underpowered Android devices

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Hanukkah, Peculiar Gratitudes, Inner Blowtorch Day 1

RantWoman feels led to celebrate the historic convergence of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah with 8 days of Dark and Light, peculiar gratitudes, possibly tasteless observations, and questionable reflections all illumined in RantWoman's Inner Blowtorch. By the grace of God(dess?) perhaps RantWoman will even include some reflections on the actual history and story behind the celebration.

Or RantWoman will ask Adam Sandler:
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2013/11/thank-you-adam-sandler.html

Please, hold this all in Light and stay tuned

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Spooky, HIPAA Meets the Prayer Chain

RantWoman celebrates the season of Halloween and all Saints day and Samhain and numerous topics muddling back and forth between conscious and subconscious.




RantWoman has been jumping up and down intermittently with questions and reflections about what is desirable as far as shared understanding of confidentiality for members of pastoral care committees, members of care committees, RantWoman KNOWS this topic is complex. ONE problem is that when RantWoman has tried to speak and hear what others understand, RantWoman keeps hearing in response only "shut up" and "we don't have time." RantWoman is unclear whether that is all that is being said but is VERY clear that is what she is hearing.

Please hold that problem in the Light and feel free to stop here.



RantWoman is WAY overachieving about questions and concerns and means to start here with some elementary medical confidentiality. RantWoman needs readers' prayers in advance.



First RantWoman HOPES to convey that it IS possible to share meaningful information with more than enough cover phrases HOPEFULLY to convey the meaningful part without compromising confidentiality. In particular, the issue from RantWoman's perspective is either facts already known from a patient's relative or information from a public Meeting for Worship. Rantwoman is TRYING to hear a concern but is hyperventilating from her own life experience.



Second, RantWoman is going to find it REALLY difficult to have a sensible conversation about the topic if there cannot FIRST be room for RantWoman to ask Friends prayers specifically over one soap operaesque story and one long ago but still intermittently throbbing awful story from one of RantWoman's particularly frequent flyer spells of eye care.



Let's start with RantWoman's vast frequent flyer experiences.

The soap opera item: RantWoman spent the prep period for one of her hospital eye experiences listening to her doctor and the nurse from the hospital gossip about an office romance at the doctor's office. The office romance led to an unintended pregnancy and a wedding; RantWoman never quite knows what to do with the thought of medical practitioners experiencing unplanned pregnancy but found herself grateful for an update a few months later when opportunity finally presented itself to ask her own doctor how the situation turned out. RantWoman really did NOT need to know of the soap opera, but as long as she did....





Now the throbbing, RantWoman has trouble talking rationally about the item she means to season event. Warning: medical trauma details.



Once upon a time RantWoman had to have surgery for a detached retina. There are various ways to treat a detached retina. RantWoman wound up needing the most invasive wrap a band around the eyeball, fill the eyeball with a gas bubble and then keep one's head face down for a couple weeks while the gas bubble pastes the retina back where it belongs. The procedure is invasive; swelling can happen for LOTS of reasons.



(RantWoman is also aware that swelling can happen over issues not paid attention to because of not being appropriately documented in a medical chart or not acted on if it was there. RantWoman mentions this point because the possibility that it is on point. RantWoman also mentions this point with reference to a paper medical chart approximately the thickness of War and Peace. For better or worse, in spite of one "not appropriately documented" probability, RantWoman remains with the same medical group. One reason is that even as the office struggles with electronic medical records, RantWoman's current doctor gets out the entire three volumes of "War and Peace" a couple times / year and reviews some historical information available only in the paper chart. But RantWoman is getting ahead of herself and muddling time frames again.)



At the time of RantWoman's surgery one of the staff at RantWoman's eye care practice was the daughter of someone in RantMom's church in MT, someone who more than once transported RantMom when she herself was planning a trip to Seattle. RantMom was on the church prayer chain. RantWoman assumes that the other mother was too. As soon as RantMom heard that RantWoman needed surgery, there was probably a call to the prayer chain. Also afoot, a trip to Seattle with the Motoring Mothers due in Seattle the day after RantWoman's surgery, exactly at the hour that RantWoman expected to be at her one-day followup appointment.



RantWoman TOLD RantMom that she fully expected to be at her appointment and that the motoring mothers should just go to the other daughter's workplace. RantWoman assured RantMom that the other mother SHOULD know how to get to her daughter's workplace; RantWoman assumes she had been there many times.



RantMom INSISTED on stopping by RantWoman's apartment. RantWoman of course was not there. Then there was some further communications fiasco with Little Sister. Then daughter staffperson came to see RantWoman mid-appointment wanting to know where our mothers were.



Mid appointment meant that RantWoman was in the middle of some consent process needed to stick a needle in RantWoman's eye to drain fluid and reduce pressure. And somehow daughter staffperson also needed to reassure RantWoman that she had told her mother nothing! Of course not! It was the prayer chain. It had not even occurred to RantWoman to worry about the daughter sharing info inappropriately--UNTIL the daughter staffperson was fretting about it while RantWoman was trying to cope with the consent form and the probably should not happen need to stick a needle in the eye issue!



Somehow cellphone calls elicited the info that RantMom and the other Motoring Mother were using a payphone and a fast food place RantWoman would never have taken either of them to. FINALLY RantMom absorbed the point that she should just come to RantWoman's eye care provider.



Lately, literature Brain keeps telling RantWoman there are elements of this story in common with what RantWoman has come to see is probably a BIG "hold in the Light" issue from a recent series of conversations. Probably, but RantWoman does not apologize: she is completely incapable of working with the other conversation because she keeps tripping over her own needle in the eye issues before she can even TRY to talk rationally.



The other story: a while ago for a couple weeks a death / obituary / memorial announcement about a new attender's spouse ran in the weekly Bulletin at RantWoman's meeting. The announcement also evoked appreciative ministry in our second Meeting for worship from a medical provider who spoke in worship of getting to know the deceased over time. Ministering medical provider would not, from Meeting life, know the spouse but RantWoman does.



RantWoman has learned from the spouse the circumstances of the deceased passing. They involve the medical specialty and organization where the ministering medical provider works. IF RANTWOMAN HAD TO GUESS, RantWoman assumes that ministering medical provider knows the deceased through work though of course RantWoman would never ever expect the ministering medical provider to say as much.



RantWoman attended a memorial and met one of the deceased's children who also happens to be a medical provider. RantWoman was given the words to say: IF RantWoman had to guess.... expressed great admiration. The other medical provider thanked RantWoman for her words.

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One at a Time PLEASE

Dear Parents,

RantWoman LOVES your children, really she does. RantWoman loves having a community that includes kids, parents, crusty curmudgeons, and people with all kinds of life experiences that might not be obvious just sitting in Meeting for Worship.

RantWoman is Auntie, not a parent. RantWoman REALLY digs being Auntie, for one thing because she gets to Give the Kid Back. RantWoman considers it her holy duty to cheerlead parents doing the fulltime job. In other words, RantWoman means well! And sometimes RantWoman's good intentions work; sometimes they do not.

RantWoman also considers it the community's job to cheerlead parents and to nurture our children's growth and development. RantWoman sees no reason growth and development are incompatible with that glorious time at the end of worship when children come, meeting shortly closes, and thenthere are ANNOUNCEMENTS, love 'em or hate  'em. RantWoman personally really appreciates announcements--when she can hear them.

RantWoman has been trying to have a community conversation about the principle that one person talks at a time during announcements. RantWoman's Meeting includes a whole bunch of people who hear badly. The worship room is covered with sound muffling carpet all over the walls. RantWoman's Meeting is not any more blessed with people who find it easy to SPEAK UP than anywhere else. And RantWoman thinks there are lots and lots of people who will appreciate it if children and adults can learn to talk ONE AT A TIME. This does not have to be perfect and there is plenty of time for people to grow into this, but RantWoman has become clearer and clearer that this is reasonable.

The first time need to speak to this issue came to RantWoman there were MANY new families with LOTS of children in worship and RantWoman was more than willing to make allowance for "new" and very young children. Meeting for Worship featured the next in a series of "hold it in the Light" messages about a youth struggling with more teenage challenges than average. RantWoman does not remember what all came up during announcements except for an announcement of a death of another challenged youngish person who few people in the room knew. Announcements ran long and the many children were exuberant, vocal and understandably not on topic.

RantWoman found her stomach churning and had to sit with a whole bunch of personal issues before being clear to go home and do a customary RantWoman email. When RantWoman brought up her concern and the suggestion about talking one at a time, she received return email suggesting she just go worship somewhere else where there are no children. Fortunately for the future of quakerdom, there are no such options within RantWoman's one bus on First Days travel constraints. RantWoman has not heard back about any other ideas but RantWoman is PRETTY sure kids AND grownups can work this out.

If you would like to hold this topic in the Light, focus on growth in shared worship, and stop here, please feel free.




If you are game for another ride at the RantWoman spiritual amusement park, thank you and read on.
Warning: it's a spiritual amusement park. RantWoman reminds readers of her past as a Russian literature major and throbbing literature brain symbolism habits. Think parallelism between different scenes with common elements. Think long complex novels whose authors got paid by the cuarto. Think long complex novels where the characters are all referred to by multiple names. RantWoman has also dabbled in Latin American magical realism; one feature of that genre is that timelines are sometimes, to say the least not linear.

In other words, RantWoman pointedly does not guarantee easily digested nibbles. In fact, if people insist that God show up only in easily digested nibbles, Worse Auntie is likely to show up and foam at the mouth about who the heck are any of us to argue with God and why does anyone feel entitled to God as personal Butler, God perfectly sculpted in dainty easily digestible bites? Nor unfortunately can RantWoman guarantee there is anything to be fixed though Holding in the Light nearly always improves the experience.

RantWoman recently had a conversation with a Weighty Friend about a Famous Founding member of our Meeting. Famous Founding Member expected his children who came to Meeting to sit through worship from day one. Famous Founding Member claimed that this practice is why all of those children remained Quakers as adults. RantWoman notes this without further comment.

RantWoman is an oldest child. Especially with a young RantWoman, the RantParents did not necessarily have a great grasp on the concept of "age appropriate. RantWoman learned early that Mommy was a better person all week if she had a good experience at church, and RantWoman learned that the church service was usually a whole lot more interesting that whatever childcare options were available. RantDad as choir director usually could keep an eye on the Rant children from the front of the church 

RantWoman was also on the learn to sit still side of the sit still or get spanked when we get home norm of parental behavior expectations. RantWoman is not sure she is grateful to Little Sister for reminding her recently of this divide, but it does partly explain some of RantWoman's twitches around uncorralled children in worship: a stew of "someone is going to get spanked," "where ARE their parents?" "How come they get to run around and I don't?"

RantWoman reminds herself that she is a Quaker not a Presbyterian anymore and children are SUPPOSED to be allowed to breathe. Than RantDad shows up with his bad vision and unacknowledged frustration shrieking at young children who do the bobble around thing all young children do. RantWoman remembers being terrified about RantDad yelling; now unfortunately RantWoman can relate to the frustration but she considers it her holy duty to TRY to keep a handle on the shrieking.

Next come RantWoman's bus nerves. RantWoman has written extensively of the vast realms of rich spiritual experience and spiritual challenge available aboard the average public transportation system. Today's topic is children, small people who need to stay connected to the big people they get on the bus with while everyone quickly and safely gets stowed, small people who sometimes speak better English than the big people they get on the bus with, all kinds of situations where it helps if everyone pays attention to safety and courtesy.

But RantWoman, someone will say, it's Meeting for Worship, not the bus. Um, RantWoman's bus nerves have a single standard of Truth. They cannot tell the difference between the bus and Meeting for Worship. Sometimes on the bus that is a GOOD thing.

But RantWoman that's YOUR mental health issue. Can't you just go talk to your counselor (times 2 with a theme and variations motif)?


WARNING: TRIGGER ALERT for additional trauma!
Very Funny. RantWoman has a new mental health provider. About the second time RantWoman had an appointment with new mental health provider, there was ...ta-da...massive disruption in bus service all over the city for several hours because one of the humble public servants who drives buses got shot in the face by, please excuse RantWoman speaking plainly and HOLD THE GUY IN THE LIGHT --posthumously because of police action, an idiot with a gun who could not pay his bus fare.

RantWoman of course was affected by the massive schedule disruptions but had no idea initially what bus route was affected.

RantWoman managed an alternative routing that at least got RantWoman to her appointment but got her there very late. Not late enough to cancel, but late enough to exchange info: new mental health professional rides the route affected by the shooting all the time. RantWoman rides that route sometimes too. And when RantWoman's bus nerves want to flare into hypervigilance mode, RantWoman needs only to think about shooter on a bus at rush hour on a bus with lots of family destinations on the route.

Maybe other people can bear with RantWoman and her multiple time sequences and all the joy and tragedy and scarieness and love sitting in worship and can join RantWoman in holding THE BUS in the Light too.

And maybe we all get to count our blessings that Meeting for Worship usually is not as scary as the bus.

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Brother Blessings; NOT firearms

RantWoman has been trying to practice gratitude.




WARNING: RantWoman has been trying to practice gratitude around topics that absolutely are NOT FUN.





As far as absolutely gorgeous red and orange leaves this year, it's easy. The absolutely exquisite leaf palatte is getting mixed up in way too much fog and real actually existing fog, not just the peculiarities of RantWoman's vision, but practicing gratitude about leaves is a piece of cake.



By way of further gratitudes, RantWoman spent 15 minutes one morning this week trying to figure out why there was no connecting to the internet. It took RantWoman all that time to figure out that The Queen of Spades had somehow disconnected the cable between modem and wall. RantWoman is grateful not only to have solved the mystery but also that The Queen of Spades seems to have cut back on her tech support efforts.



But RantWoman is a VERY Bad Friend sometimes. For instance, RantBrother appears to have come to town for good. His common sense seems not to have arrived, but RantWoman is celebrating his absolutely amazing capacity to enlighten her. RantBrother is just top of the line, on par with the best of the best entertainment aboard Metro when it comes to little known facts of demography, sociology, history, political economy, and RantFamily tree.



RantWoman deeply appreciates learning of alleged cousins RantWoman had no idea existed, RantWoman is amused that these alleged cousins all seem to have either worked in law enforcement or been involved in cocaine dealing, and RantWoman devoutly hopes not both.



RantWoman has been tending to matters of gun violence and I 594 proposals to require universal backgroun checks for gun purchases. RantWoman has been reflecting on moments where she HOPES universal background checks would prevent tragedy: a friend who managed to buy the gun he shot himself with despite multiple hospitalizations the previous year for suicidality.



RantWoman's gratitude in this area in the realm of RantBrother: among many allegedly on target facts RantBrother keeps asserting about himself that he has passed the next of whatever test he needs to be able to carry a gun for some mysterious law enforcement purposes. RantWoman thinks that whatever mysterious law enforcement connections are about to hire RantBrother have already been stringing him along for years; RantWoman is grateful they do not appear any more forthcoming on the paid work front than they have been for multiple decades.



Plus RantWoman finds herself deeply grateful that RantBrother has trouble coming up with bus fare because that means he also is probably unlikely on his own to come up with money for any kind of firearms. But RantBrother is one of hundreds, maybe thousands of people with mental illness filling conversations with chatter about firearms, so RantWoman enthusiastically recommends signing the I 594 Universal Background Checks for gun purchases petition anyway!

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Queer Syncroblog: We're Here, We're Queer. Some of us Even got Marriage licenses.

Big Thank yous to Peterson Toscano and his post about http://petersontoscano.wordpress.com/2013/09/30/eunuch-inclusive-esther-queer-theology-101/  for calling out this year's Queer Theology Synchroblog http://www.queertheology.com/synchroblog2013  .


RantWoman unabashedly notes the following points:

--RantWoman is running behind; her post will be dated October 2. It will be experiential theology, which is to say also full of conflictive thoughts, moments from practice as defined by the recent life of her Quaker Meeting, and exclamations of "See, See!"

--The Synchroblog link includes links to a number of other posts. Except for Peterson's post, the rest of the synchroblog links are presently on RantWoman's Mean to read list. RantWoman would enjoy hearing that others have read some of the other posts and what spoke to any readers.

In the realm of "See, See," RantWoman gives you:

--Vocal ministry from Meeting for Worship awhile ago by a Weighty Friend long married, for the second time, under the care of Meeting to another Weighty Friend of the same gender. Vocal ministry was about an organization of professional counselors including visible figures who are LGBT or just Q but who completely omitted mention of Queer relationships from discussion of some important topic where it would have been entirely appropriate explicitly to include such relationships. See, See, unfortunately STILL, nothing can be taken for granted.

--Two women from RantWoman's Meeting were among the first ever to ask their Meeting for marriage under the care of Meeting. That was almost 30 years ago. Over time views of and practices about marriage have evolved. There have been periods of great contentiousness. There have been periods when RantWoman's Meeting was not marrying anyone or when couples refused to interact with the issue of marriage licenses insolidarity with same-gender couples who did not have the option. There have been couples with marriage licenses whose actual relationships can be summarized as "It's complicated."

Most recently WA voters approved full legal marriage equality and a few months later the Supreme Court ruled the federal Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional the same week and partly under the same reasoning that it struck down key parts of the Voting Rights Act.

--The State of the Meeting report, written by a lovely heterosexual couple married under care of RantWoman's Meeting. The State of the Meeting report as first drafted contained nary a word about WA voters historic approval of Referendum 74, providing full legal marriage equality for same-gender couples. One excuse offered, by a member of a same-gender couple, for the whole Meeting countenancing ommission of this moment of history is that no one from RantWoman's Meeting was very active in this year's pro-Referendum campaign. Our Monthly Meeting helped ensure that our Yearly Meeting has been on record for 15 years calling for full legal marriage equality. The Friends Committee for WA Public Policy, which some of us ARE active in, endorsed the Referendum 74 campaign. But why mention the rest of WA catching up with us in our State of the Meeting?


Another, possibly more understandable reason for delayed rejoicing: the Friend in question still faced barriers to appreciation of this newly won right because of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, another wall which as since fallen.

--At least four couples connected in some way to RantWoman's Meeting who have taken advantage of newly won rights to full marriage equality for same-gender couples, scheduled a celebration, gotten a license, and gotten fully legally hitched. The RantWoman approach to theology yncroblog would be to say a special blessing upon all these weddings.

Meanwhile RantWoman herself is:

--challenged in the area of respecting pronoun gender preference and appreciating changes in voice for someone in her circles now taking hormones. RantWoman wishes this person the best. RantWoman suspects her own challenges about the transitions implied: RantWoman does not get just to take hormones to make her body do things it cannot do right now and RantWoman has given herself permission to be a LITTLE crabby about the issue.



--dawdling about the question of getting dis-married from Ferrener Husband. There are plenty of reasons to dissolve the "it's complicated" legalities; RantWoman still cannot put her fingers on why she is not clear to do so but is quite clear to bless the weddings of people who have recently gone and had weddings!

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Awash. Living Water

RantWoman has been awash in the Living Water.


Living Water round 1: OR Coast, Newport OR. A timeshare right on the water.

Part A: RAIN SQUALLS. Exuberant racket from seagulls sea lions, seals slurping up waste from a nearby fish processing plant. Memorial benches along the boardwalk commemorating sailors lost at sea. Some years there were people listed from multiple vessels. Probably stormy years.

Part B. Deepoe Bay. Waves crashing against walls of waterworn igneous formations, leaving tidal pools behind as the waves return to the sea. A view of Boiler Bay. Not called that because the water looks like it's in a boiler, though it does. Boiler Bay because a ship called the Boiler sank there.

Part C: No Tsunami Option vacation with #disasterprep included:

http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-no-tsunami-option.html
RantWoman tried to walk up the tsunami evacuation hill. It would be a tough haul for RantWoman, never mind about RantMom. Go walk the boardwalk and listen to sea lions barking. They are loud and smelly and close, an improvement over an excursion possibility: cold and dark and smelly after an overpriced elevator trip down to some sea lion caves. Anyway, bank on the "no tsunami" option.

What means "we seek an earth restored" here?

Living Water, Round 2: 500-year floods down mountain valleys in CO. 22" of rain in a day or two; more water than usually falls for a whole year. Lots of roads along mountain valleys just GONE. RantWoman is peculiarly fascinated when Acts of God make human efforts crumble. The good news is RantBrother kadeit through a couple days of work doing flood cleanup before his body rebelled. Now he is back to looking after his own fashion for other work. The rest of family are poking at psychic cleanup options after his last visit.

Living Water: Quarterly Meeting.
Call down the fire of your justice; Call down the rain of your love. Ummm, wildfires burning miles to the south at the beginning of the month are by now a non-event. We still need rain, even in Friday traffic out of town or over the pass.

Plenary Bible Passage about a Samaritan woman and a Jew sharing water at the well. A big deal that they are drinking together even though the woman misses out on the Living Water because she does not know who Jesus is. Interesting approach to brand appreciation.
Plenary Promo: Friendly Water
http://www.friendlywaterfortheworld.com/
If RantWoman were going to go all intercultural on the #disasterprep efforts, she MIGHT want something like this in her home disaster resources.

Worship Sharing queries include no floods or tears; messages came about both, with riffs on brothers / parenting / loss / living / growing / mourning / hoping.

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Howling About Dimishments Aunts and Uncles Division

On howling about Diminishments, relatives edition.


RantWoman is still aglow with the family warmth surrounding RantMom, 3 pairs of aunts and uncles, and RantWoman herself after a LOVELY excursion to the Oregon Coast. The glow endures even after numerous rain squalls, chattering sea gulls, rambunctious and smelly sea lions, lots of views of waves crashing ashore, other such seaside attractions.

The Howling about Diminishments part: EVERYONE, EVERYONE there was struggling with various physical frustrations, listed here with the Retired RantRelations' former professions.

RantWoman and RantMom were both counting our blessings to be there. The last time RantMom and her siblings tried to gather on the OR coast, they wound up at the last minute diverting to MT to help RantMom ease into the routine of treatment for her second cancer. RantWoman could not even help. Instead RantWoman got surgery for a second detached retina, a gas bubble in her eye and some no-fly orders.

This time RantWoman and RantMom got to get there and back primarily on public transit. RantMom especially found it a challenge to scramble in and out of one of the available vehicles but was otherwise comparatively spry for this visit.

But the maladies rundown:

Aunt Schoolteacher: now blind in one eye and struggling about things visual because of glaucoma. Not necessarily easy to chat much with RantWoman but seems to have some good social support.
Uncle Schoolteacher: painful to stand very long because of back and knee issues as well as neuropathy in feet lingering after long ago cancer treatment.

Aunt Office Manager: numbness in hands, in theory because of carpal tunnel issues.Needed to borrow RantWoman's fingers to open a bottle of laundry detergent.
Uncle Bus Driver: approximately deaf as a post. Wears hearing aids unevenly. Stand facing him to talk and he lipreads with enthusiasm. Do not expect him to interact with anything said to his side or from behind.

Aunt Travel Agent: on blood thinners and eschewing green vegetables after harrowing medical events in summer that turned out to be lots of small blood clots in lungs.
Uncle Beer Boiler Tender: walks a couple miles every day to keep serious heart issues under control.

Multiple people needed to put in their teeth in the morning before trying to say much.


The family has a tradition of trying to do a whole jigsaw puzzle over their time together. This means everyone is invited to participate. Some of the everyones ONLY do puzzles at reunions; some only look on and silently cheerlead. This year's puzzle got put back into the box in bigger chunks than it came out of the box. Save it for next time.

RantWoman sat through a conversation about dementia and personality changes and spent a certain amount of time thinking / trying not to think about present day RantMom.

There was mention of various teenage and preteen grandchildren. They did not seem to be missed.

And still RantWoman came back aglow.

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Show your work: seasoning Oversight

RantWoman is trying to get herself centered for a busy week. RantWoman is not clear that opining about what to call Oversight committee should be on the critical path to Monday morning centering. RantWoman suspects she has enough to say for several blog posts; this contribution is an effort to triage one issue RantWoman needs help about. If you have opinions, links, text excerpts to contribute to this discussion, please leave a comment!

First, this issue has been vexing folks for awhile. Fixing the terminology should in no way be equated with dealing with sundry thoughts about privilege, manifestations of privilege, whether we ARE actually called to eradicate every whiff of privilege OR just to recognize when we have a whole darn lot to be grateful for... In any case, fixing the terminology CAN wait for reasonable seasoning.

Next, Dude, PLEASE show your work.

RantWoman's blog roll has presented her with two blog posts referring to discussion by NPYM Faith and Practice Committee about what to call the committee sometimes called Oversight or Ministry and Oversight. North Pacific Yearly Meeting is in the throes of its approximately once / generation effort to update Faith and Practice and Faith and Practice committee is struggling about how to refer to said committee. Coincidentally the question of renaming said committee is alive in the life of both Friend Blogger's and RantWoman's monthly Meetings.
http://worldgame.blogspot.com/2013/09/quoting-from-facebook.html
http://worldgame.blogspot.com/2013/09/version-control.html

The first blog post refers to a conversation on Facebook. RantWoman would be ever so grateful to know which Facebook group the discussion is taking place in. RantWoman would not in the least mind a few excerpts of the discussion to which Blogging Friend is reacting.

RantWoman specifically further takes issue with  Blogging Friend's view that the question of what to call the committee sometimes called Oversight is not important or is unreasonable to talk about. Blogging Friend refers to conversation in his own Meeting so RantWoman is happy to see whether that conversation addresses the unexamined privilege reflected in Blogging Friend's views.

The committee currently called Oversight in RantWoman's Meeting is the committee seasoning what to present to Business Meeting.  RantWoman wants that committee to consider points related to discussion in other Meetings and to the work of Faith and Practice committee about this very topic. In the process Gmail autofill added someone to the to list who weighed in forcefully about issues of unexamined privilege.

RantWoman has emailed the clerk of Faith and Practice committee and is confident that Faith and Practice committee is attentive to the importance of what this committee gets called. Faith and Practice committee has a meeting coming up and RantWoman is confident attention will be paid to concerns even though RantWoman does not unite with Faith and Practice Committee's desire to refer to this committee as "Pastoral Care." RantWoman promises to hold forth about what to call the committee and why or why not in a separate post.
RantWoman concurs with a point made in the first blog post: unless Faith and Practice committee discerns resounding unity about what to call said committee, RantWoman thinks it is Faith and Practice committee's job to articulate something about the range of views and ongoing discernment in individual Meetings / worship groups and then to suggest some descriptive shorthand for said committee while referring to functions usually performed by that committee. Again, based on email with the clerk of Faith and Practice committee, RantWoman thinks the new draft includes paragraphs speaking to this.
The second blog post suggests, to RantWoman's ears that the final Faith and Practice would benefit from including some history in its work. Um, how on earth is history supposed to be reflected if a blog does not provide comments and there is no way quickly to track back to conversation on Facebook?

RantWoman is aware that the NPYM website contains drafts revisions of many sections of Faith and Practice. RantWoman feels no need to go quote individual passages just now. However when discussing texts, it makes RantWoman's screen reader addled brain really happy if the chunks of text under discussion get mentioned in blog posts along with links to the whole document.

RantWoman is not sure that having conversations about this topic across multiple different media streams and modes of communications will lead to either great Light or simplicity, but RantWoman is called to aimfor both, preferably from multiple directions, with or without hyperlinks.

Word!

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Morning pages mid afternoon

RantWoman recollects Hurricane Katrina anniversaries, global climate change, and sundry world concerns while praying fervently along with radio updates that good sense holds as far as Syria and international supervision of chemical weapons.


By way of digression / distraction / reflection on what does or does not change, an interesting web based history snapshot via RantWoman's #NatlPrep tweet stream from the Presidential recordings program about Lyndon Johnson and Hurrican Betsy:

http://whitehousetapes.net/exhibit/lbj-and-response-hurricane-betsy

Presidents are required to show up at disasters and sound sympathetic; RantWoman always appreciates historians who can pull at all the other threads of motive and decision in such moments.

Warning, if you need one thought at a time, feel free to stop and to come back or not as led to read further.

RantWoman finds herself peculiarly grateful to have the time to reflect on Lyndon Johnson and digressive #disaster responses or the shadows of climate change in modern hurricane realities or the life-upending effects of earthquakes rather than, for instance to endure a barrage of breathless war-themed broadcasts.

Here, RantWoman does not even apologize to all her readers who wish she would do one thing at a time gosh dang it and have only simple messages and ... and... RantWoman IS trying to keep a handle on giant leaps but lately has been gratified to notice that other people have gotten that SOME things on RantWoman's mind are IMPORTANT. RantWoman is also grateful to get that RantWoman sometimes just trips over giant leap observations that take a lot longer for other people to come to. RantWoman has not necessarily gotten any more patient about this, but maybe appreciating the phenomenon is a good place to start.

In the rest of life, RantWoman is observing National Disaster Preparedness Month, seeing what kind of time commitment she can compress into meaningful daily messages. Besides #npm2013 #natlprep #disaster #preparedness #accessibility, be insistently but hopefully appropriately present in conversations goals, RantWoman has undertaken this effort just for the soul-purifying exercise of doing at least one blog post a day but TRYING not to singe her Meeting around RantWoman's Inner Blowtorch. Hold that effort in the Light.

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Condolences; Thunderous Braille

Worse Auntie offers condolences of the sort needed a few months after death when the grieving are sometimes assumed to have returned to normal. These condolences occured in the context of Worse Auntie doing something, getting eldered, and offering one of her trademark "You're darn right and here's my side." responses. One of these millenia RantWoman / Worse Auntie MAY yet evolve into a more consistently presentable human being. Or the worship angel woven into our community's worship experiences MIGHT become more precisely verbal and less persistently vexed by throbbing non-verbal resonances.



Dear Friend seated near RantWoman during the same Meeting for Worship after which RantWoman was called to elder....
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2013/06/ministry-not-ministry.html


Thank you for bearing with thunderously loud braille Sunday in Meeting for Worship. I think I am supposed to be contrite; I am not and I do not even apologize but I do promise to TRY to keep some kind of grip on the behavior. As I said,

1. I got a new stylus that I really like. It works! So it is loud. Sigh.

2. I WAS scrawling tasteless comments wildly inappropriate in their raw form but which did in fact make it through RantWoman's spiritual taffy pull to a blog post.,
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2013/07/free-nelson-mandela-free-nelson-mandela.html

3. The theme of suicide turned out in undercurrents to touch even more people than RantWoman had initially noted. That theme needs continual holding in the Light.

4. Considering all the people around with hearing loss, Worse Auntie SEASONING a desire to tell anyone who complains that they should be glad they have enough hearing to be bothered--AND glad if that's the worst problem of their day. But you were sitting right next to me and RantWOman thinks it's good that neither of us so far has yet clobbered our hearing, for instance with loud music.

But seriously, It took me all meeting to get most of the way to a message about how we never stop loving someone even long after they died. I don't know how things are going for you about (your recent loss) but if that death is weighing too heavily, please feel free to stop.

Now the simple possibly more than you want to know request: my condolences on your loss. Please hold me in the Light about losses in the same month: RantDad, a friend who died in a comical fizzle of nearby fireworks, and another friend, all different years, someone killed in an awful bicycle vs dump truck death from 4 years ago, the mother of someone who suddenly spoke very differently about her after her death than while she was alive...

And when I Am Not Interested in Your Thought Processes Friend opens his mouth, I sometimes find myself less confident that God is speaking than that Friend himself is; I was definitely having that problem in principle about his ministry; I am aware that might be MY problem. Sigh.

And how does thunderously loud braille help? I am right handed. I slate left-handed. I still have to think about contractions and freaky braille contraction orthography rules. AND expending all that physical and psychic energy is ONE way to keep a handle on all the definitely not appropriate for Meeting for Worship language sloshing around in my head. If being in Meeting for Worship really helps but I cannot be there without... sometimes I just need to do that.

Anyway, if you have made it this far, thank you for reading and consider yourself still held in the Light about your recent loss.

(RantWoman)

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Give us this day our daily...

RantWoman is THRILLED that the search engine of her choice yielded these two wonderful resources when RantWoman fet it Joan Broadfield's name:


Center on Conscience and War
http://www.centeronconscience.org/

RantWoman is terribly happy to realize this site exists because it encompasses acronyms RantWoman had lost track of and because what the heck kind of Quaker is it who cannot provide current resources about conscientious objection!

And from the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting pastoral care resources, an interview about recognizing white privilege.

http://www.pym.org/pastoral-care-support/2013/05/recognizing-white-privilege-an-interview-with-joan-broadfield/

RantWoman finds herself delighted about several points in the delivery of this item:

--Paying attention to issues of privilege is considered pastoral Care!

--Recognizing White privilege is treated on par with helping people with other challenges remain connected with the Meeting community.

So what's not to like????

Look, okay, most readers are going to be happy to stop here, with positive, uplifting, centered, inspiring items like the two above.

RantWoman herself would be delighted to stop here.

But...

Give us our daily "I didn't tell you about my day" opportunity to have a full-blown, froth at the mouth, lose all perspective on almost everything accessibility tirade!

RantWoman whipped out her search engine to get to the two items above because she had one encounter too many with Yahoo brand non-accessibility through Quaker.Quaker trying to read an item there by Joan Broadfield called something like Silent or Waiting.

RantWoman did her customary click on the link off her blogroll. Enough of the article flashed before RantWoman's eyes that RantWoman can tell it indeed is there and then RantWoman's browser did one of it's standard "this is too weird and I will phone home to the computer brand mothership but not take you where you want to go" messages.

RantWoman's computer does this nearly all the time when she tries to read things on Quaker.quaker, especially when JAWS, RantWoman's main screen reader is running. RantWoman has tried quaker.quaker with other combinations of operating system and software version. NOTHING works except sometimes turning off the screen reader. RantWoman is glad that is an option for her, in VERY limited increments.

RantWoman wishes she had the slightest desire to troubleshoot accessibility but she does not. In fact RantWoman has so much experience with people complaining about yahoo and very unevenly implemented accessibility that she is fine with just going straight to scorn and recommendation of other platforms.

RantWoman would, though, be undyingly grateful if anyone involved with quaker.quaker wanted to take up the issues of yahoo accessibility with someone from yahoo. RantWoman does not mind complaining herself, but RantWoman is likely to get around to this months down the line. But all the accessibility issues make it a big pain for RantWoman to interact with a big part of her community. Website accessibility issues mean the precious Yahoo brand around RantWoman primarily gets associated with negative experiences. And RantWoman really does not need any more practice feeling blessed to have so much to complain about!

Word!

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Editors: wish to thank, wish to elder

RantWoman reminds her readers of previous commentary about one would-be editor in her vicinity.
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2013/04/edited.html

Were RantWoman to elder this Friend, she is grateful to trip over this item which does the job MUCH more nicely that RantWoman has found words to do:
http://www.lambswar.com/beyond-my-experience/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LambsWar+%28The+Lamb%27s+War%29


RantWoman's inner editor insists RantWoman omit a blog link for a particularly vivid shut-up message. RantWoman notes that one issue would be use of the phrase "season yourself." Another issue would be the former title attached to the erstwhile editor. A third issue: said Friend has the specific accessibility-related   job the Friend has because of a lot of blind people agitating and making people think outside their boxes! This does not guarantee the Friend is required instantly to know how to deal with every insufferable blind person who comes along, but it does make RantWoman feel entitled to ask the Friend to try.  In any case, RantWoman requests her readers hold in the Light the existence of such shut-up messages along with a tangle of other stresses of community. Now back to Editors!

RantWoman is thrilled, thrilled to report that recently she has had two different extremely positive experiences with editors, editors who were enthusiastic about RantWoman's initial offerings, editors whose suggestions made lots of sense or who could handle RantWoman needing to undo some of the proposed changes and tweak them herself.

In the first case, the WA Council for the Blind newsletter, the editor wanted RantWoman to interact about 6 more times with the article than RantWoman planned to. The editor let slip "usually we do not work this hard with articles, but yours is so GOOD." Did RantWoman mention that flattery will get you EVERYWHERE?

RantWoman notes that the newsletter does not overflow with visual interest. It's a newsletter by and mainly for blind people. RantWoman's article appears under her own name but it is a ways down the page under a heading something like Stars from Yesterday, Stars for today, Stars for tomorrow.

The WCB newsletter.
http://www.wcbinfo.org/newsline_june2013.html


Then there is Quaker print:
In the July August 2013 Western Friend. Sorry, though, looks like you either get to pay to get the electronic copy or find a print copy.
http://westernfriend.org/

Digression, of course having nothing to do with Disability: Understand RantWoman is naturally thrifty and not disposed to having paper clutter up her apartment. RantWoman's Meeting has a LOVELY library. All else being equal, RantWoman would read her Quaker publications at her Meeting's library. Except of course that RantWoman as a practical matter CANNOT read the print editions and is not charmed by the thought of paying for an electronic subscription so that RantWoman can read with one of her forms of electronic reading.

Remind RantWoman to bring up with Quaker publications some sort of library distribution option for the electronic version. OR offer a discount for electronic only versions. Look, RantWoman GETS that the more full-price subscriptions a publication can spread costs over, the better as far as staff and editing and other desirable standards. And RantWoman needs ways to share resources. And RantWoman is not clear of a path through this, which of course is why RantWoman gets to labor some more with Friends,. SIGH.

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Submission--on deadline

RantWoman is submitting the following item for her monthly newsletter. RantWoman notes that the deadline for her Meeting's monthly newsletter is the 20th of the month for the next month. RantWoman notes this with an eye toward Friends wanting to publicize events and activities on schedules that work both for the electronically au courant and for Freinds whose Weighy one frequently wants in the conversaion even when those Friends never go near that electronic stuff.


*******
First, the VERY boiled down version of what RantWoman will submit along with a couple comments about what might be cut if, as RantWoman suspects, this is still too long for our monthly newsletter:


Thank you to UFM’s Spiritual Enrichment fund for money to attend NPYM’s Annual Session.


I love Annual Sesssion. I get credit just for showing up. Friends from small Meetings and Worship Groups in MT, ID, OR, WA feel a spiritual liftjust to be among large numbers of Friends and all I have to do is show up!

At Annual Session Interest Groups provide time for education and discussion about specific topics. I went to a fun one about “The Quaker Language Barrier.” Friends shared all kinds of words used among Friends and talked some about the questions they raise. Among the words Friends mentioned: clerk, seasoning, programmed and unprogrammed. Friends comments wandered quickly to broader communications themes: how does Spirit move across different approaches to electronic communication? How do Friends of different generations feel Divine presence in the midst of challenges of travel and distance? The best part of that discussion for me was hearing that other Meetings are having some of the same conversations I am a part of.

Another rich experience: I served as a worship group leader for the daily small group meetings where Friends meet to reflect on the Annual Session theme, a common set of readings and queries, and events as they unfold at Annual Session. Being a group leader is fairly new for me. I was especially grateful for the email reflections other worship group leaders offered over a couple weeks. I was grateful for the content of the reflections. I was grateful the worship group leaders were willing to have the discussion by email and I was glad other leaders took time as it fit into their schedules to share their thoughts.

I got to meet Mary Klein, the new editor of Western Friend. I also got to thank her very much for help editing my recent article about the White Privilege Conference which may be found in the UFM library or online here as a link on http://westernfriend.org  

Finally, a note about my dorm: My very favorite thing about the suite I shared was that the shower had ferocious, wonderful, wake me up and remind me how glad I am to be alive and living in a first world country water pressure.

To read more about my evolving reflections Friends are invited to visit my blog at http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/search/label/NPYM%202013

  ******* The WAY too long version, minus some tweaks as RantWoman was boiling down     Thank you to UFM’s Spiritual Enrichment fund for money to attend NPYM’s Annual Session. When I request money from UFM’s spiritual enrichment fund to attend an event I always hold two queries no matter what else might come too:

What do I take with me? What of my own spiritual compost heap, what concerns for the community are on my heart, what needs weeding, what needs tending?

What do I bring back? What experiences do I need to share? What new Light has come to me? What do I carry from renewing new ties or from stretching to make new ones? What am I especially grateful for?

Friends interested in what Friends in Residence Becca and Paul Molally Renk brought on the theme “Not by my Strength Alone” can hear for ourselves at an upcoming Adult Education session.

Here are a few personal reflections.

At Annual Session Interest Groups provide time for education and discussion about specific topics. I went to a fun one about “The Quaker Language Barrier.” Friends shared all kinds of words used among Friends and talked some about the questions they raise. Among the words Friends mentioned: clerk, seasoning, programmed and unprogrammed. Friends comments wandered quickly to broader communications themes: how do different Friends view electronic communication? How do Friends of different generations view challenges of travel and distance. The best part of that discussion for me was hearing that other Meetings are having some of the same conversations I am a part of.

Another part of the experience I really valued: I served as a worship group leader for the daily small group meetings where Friends meet to reflect on the Annual Session theme, a common set of readings and queries, and events as they unfold at Annual Session. Being a group leader is fairly new for me. I was especially grateful for the email reflections other worship group leaders offered over a couple weeks. I was grateful for the content of the reflections. I was grateful the worship group leaders were willing to have the discussion by email and I was glad other leaders took time as it fit into their schedules to share their thoughts.

I got to meet Mary Klein, the new editor of Western Friend. I also got to thank her very much for help editing my recent article about the White Privilege Conference which may be found in the UFM library or online here as a link on http://westernfriend.org

Finally, a note about my dorm: I shared a suite with 3 other women. My very favorite thing about our suite was that the shower had ferocious, wonderful, wake me up and remind me how glad I am to be alive and living in a first world country water pressure. Others found the water pressure a bit much and I am sorry for that but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I am still digesting this year’s experiences. To read more about my thoughts Friends are invited to visit my blog at http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/search/label/NPYM%202013

Warning: it’s a blog. My personal model of blogging falls somewhere between historical Quaker journal and permanent clearness committee. Historical Quaker journals in their raw state make a good case for the existence of editors. Enough said?

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Protect and Survive

RantWoman thanks her public radio infostreams for calling to mind to strands of thinking from RantWoman's past: Protect and Survive, the British government's civil defense initiatives related to the possibility of nuclear attack, and Protest and Survive, a slogan adopted by many nonviolent activists in the US during the 1980's. Protest and Survive gets its own post. Protect and Survive: a sampling of web links for Friends' amusement. And PLEASE be amused. There is much of seriousness to contemplate; a healthy sense of the absurd is also a gift, especially since history has marched forward with a whole new tangle of issues.

A wonderful archive of materials: http://www.atomica.co.uk/

Some graphics for the sake of nostalgia

Hiding out from fallout under a bridge, from this archive:
http://www.missourah.com/2009/12/28/protect-and-survive-disturbing-british-nuclear-survival-videos-1980s/

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Free Nelson Mandela?

Free Nelson Mandela

Free Nelson Mandela

Free Nelson Mandela

RantWoman notes that Nelson Mandela is set to turn 95 next week. Regular Mandela medical bulletins are reminding RantWoman of Mandela's 26 years on Robben island, of the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, of other sorded details of South Africa today. RantWoman does not think all of that is why the message above was echoing in RantWoman's head during Meeting for worship recently after several Friends who attended WPC13 facilitated a discussion in Adult Education about themes from the White Privilege Conference.

RantWoman approached the session certain that she had lots more on her mind than might comfortably emerge during a one-hour session; even so, RantWoman felt Friends' efforts were well held, well led.

Before we get back to Mandela, perhaps the most concise takeaways from this Adult Education Session:

Friends spoke of all sorts of intersections:
  --family connections to the deportation of the Japanese during WWII
  --an interracial same-sex relationship
  --a Hispanic family in a community on Long Island
  --whether the conference encompassed mainly white-black issues or whether hispanics', muslims', Asians' experiences were reflected
   --A sense that problems for one generation look very different to other generations who have grown up in different environments.
  --Recognition by others besides RantWoman that our country is becoming increasingly multiethnic and multicultural. Instead of a White Privilege Conference at some point what might be needed is more of a White People Adjustment Conference.

RantWoman WISHES the session had gotten to:
   --more about what is equity and how issues look to different people
   --more about the call out / call into dialogue spiritual center / how to sweat with our different personal challenges dynamics of the conference.
   --More about "I didn't tell you about my day," micro aggressions, and macro effects of micro annoyances.

Even without the "would be nice to get to" issues above, RantWoman came away from that session with thoughts about two whole months more of topics that Adult Ed might invite people to speak to. RantWoman gets to take that up with Adult Religious Education.

But back to "Free Nelson Mandela." RantWoman was in college and graduate school during the era when it was fashionable for young caring students everywhere to demand that their institutions divest from firms doing business in South Africa. RantWoman thinks advocating for the cause was valuable on many grounds, and RantWoman understands why one might call people out: a friend of RantWoman's once remarked that one reason white liberals from the US love to talk about South Africa is that at least people there are bigger racists than in the US.

RantWoman has similar opinions about the sudden renewed impetus to rename our Unmentionable / Oops Well committee. RantWoman WANTS to honor the faithfulness of the person who raised the issue. RantWoman thinks the idea is kind of a nice "Thank you for coming to town" gesture in honor of the White Privilege Conference. AND...

RantWoman  thinks the exact proposal is badly seasoned. RantWoman thinks the badly seasoned proposal has now come to Business Meeting twice and the Unmentionable / Oops Well committee has gotten clear feedback from more people than just RantWoman that more work is needed.

RantWoman began with a simple information request about historical usage. RantWoman has NO interest in some internet vote of how many Meetings use which of several alternatives proposed. RantWoman is interested in an articualte sense of WHY different variants have been chosen. What canst thou say, indeed? Harrumph!

RantWoman further repeats her point about hopes that renaming the Unmentionable committee and dealing with one small associated cleanup in our meeting's bylaws is not all our Meeting needs to do to think about privilege.

But why "Free Nelson Mandela. RantWoman will certainly be among those celebrating Mandela's life and mourning his passing whenever it occurs. But his work continues near and far. RantWoman hopes that her Meeting will not be in such a hurry to be loudly visible allergic to a few words to forget the Spirit behind the point of thinking about a change and what all we might need to include..Even worse, RantWoman does not apologize for going all Word Nerd on the situation, trusting that there is Light to be had during the quest for a new committee name..

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