We Are Friends

This post brought to you by Soccer Mom in Denial - posting every Monday on a different musical memory.

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It's a New Day! And how do I know?

Because on January 23rd President Obama (still get giddy when I say that) lifted the Global Gag Rule, aka the Mexico City Policy.

What is the Global Gag Rule? Here's the Wikipedia version.

Bottom line - with the swipe of a pen, the United States now supports a woman's right to choose, no matter where she lives on the planet. (for the most part, still have to work on the Hyde Amendment and individual US state issues...but still!).

Groups that perform abortions - NOT with taxpayer dollars - and that advocate for abortion rights - again, NOT with taxpayer dollars - were prohibited from receiving ANY funding from the US government.

While in the wilderness for 8 years, 2 American women formed an organization to replace the $34 million that the US government withheld from UNFPA - based on incorrect information that even the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, said was incorrect.

Oh, to see the light of day again...

Day 5 of President

Obama

For more Singular Saturdays go visit Jenn in Holland.

Peace

I found this over at A2EATWRITE

How appropriate for this day...

Your Word is "Peace"

You see life as precious, and you wish everyone was safe, happy, and taken care of. Social justice, human rights, and peace for all nations are all important to you. While you can't stop war, you try to be as calm and compassionate as possible in your everyday life. You promote harmony and cooperation. You're always willing to meet someone a little more than halfway.

What's Your Word?

This Land

This post brought to you by Soccer Mom in Denial - posting every Monday on a different musical memory.

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Like SMID, we were on the Mall yesterday facing the Lincoln Memorial. Tomorrow we'll be facing the other direction.

Despite some occasional hiccups - Josh Groban following a clip about Marian Anderson? - and some cold (all good practice for tomorrow) it was a fantastic concert. Granted we saw and heard much of it via the jumbotron - but to be in a giant crowd (400,000!) all so thrilled to be there and silent as a church mouse as we strained to hear Gene Robinson's prayer - was spectacular!

My favorite part. The one where we all sang the refrain together...

Divine Grace

This post brought to you by Soccer Mom in Denial - posting every Monday on a different musical memory.

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A couple of weeks ago, Christmas Day to be exact, I attended church services at the American Cathedral in Paris with my dad and sister. When I arrived, my sister was waiting outside for me, having arrived a little bit earlier with dad. She said she was very excited as they had been listening to the soloists rehearse and the female was really good. Great! I love me a good church service and particularly one with good music.

As we went through the multi-page program (it was one of those ones where they include all the readings and songs word for word), about a half hour into it, I'm reading along responding to the minister and sort of looking ahead.

"Holy Crap!" I whisper loudly to my family. Next up is the offertory music - sung by Denyce Graves (and some tenor...). Who is she? Only one of the greatest mezzo-sopranos in the world. An American treasure, born and raised in Washington, DC. The woman who sang the most stirring rendition of America, the Beautiful and the Lord's Prayer at the church service at the National Cathedral after 9-11 (W. of course totally not getting it). The woman whose signature role of Carmen I saw her perform - as a first anniversary gift from my husband. Sigh.

I cried.

After the service, my dad and I ran over to say hello - I was shaking. I told her Santa left an extra present under the tree for me this year. I'm such a dork.

Bollywood High

This post brought to you by Soccer Mom in Denial - posting every Monday on a different musical memory.

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During December/January there are a slew of movies out just in time for Oscar nominations. Makes for entertaining movie choices - even if some are hard to watch - and also entertaining soundtracks.

Go see Slumdog Millionaire. And fall in love with the movie as well as its music.

Resolutions

Every year I earnestly try to come up with a good New Year's resolution. Knowing that the odds of failure are pretty high with these things I try and come up with ones that are do-able (no, dieting and exercise don't count!) and that will have a meaningful impact on my life, and which are to a very large degree under my control (no, meeting Mr. Right is not under my control - or at least it wasn't).

The only resolution I can remember from past years was to iron my clothes more. I suppose the reason I remember it is because I actually did it. I looked neater and I had more clothing options. Then I discovered non-iron shirts and a wonderful cleaning woman and well... keeping that resolution hasn't been so tough.

I'm mulling over this year's options and have had a few suggestions from other people:

1. write more thank you's on paper - and mail them. how wonderful to get an email but even more wonderful to get a surprise in the mailbox on something pretty

2. read more, print less. isn't the point of email to reduce our paper consumption? a bit against resolution #1 but not so much

3. read more. would love to do this and have generally succeeded in the past - at least for the first few months. then I lose track. I couldn't tell you how much I read this past year and if it was more than the year before. quality is uneven too :)

I think I'm settling on a resolution - eat more superfoods. or eat them several times a week. In answer to a friend's question - that also means eating less of not-so-superfoods. Dieting that involves eating. Yep, that's my resolution this year.