The Very Amazing Vision Board

by Karrin 
 

Making New Year’s Resolutions is in the past. Today, Vision Boarding is the latest rage. It's even featured in one of our favorite new shows, Happy Endings.

Vision Boards on Happy Endings! Image source

A Vision Board is a group of very specific pictures artistically arranged on a board. What is a Vision Board? Here are a few suggestions…

1. Vision Boarding can be done alone or with a group.

2. The proper environment and attitude is essential. The feeling should be light hearted and energetic. Vision boarding is not the time to clear emotional charge; it is a time to be inspired and grateful.

3. Make a plan for each Vision Board. Vision Boards can cover every area of one’s life or just one specific area (such as health, money, or relationships).

4. A clean, organized environment is important. Drinks, snacks, and great conversation makes for great Vision Boarding. Supplies such as poster paper, scissors, magazines, glue, and any special things to glue onto The Vision Board should be available.

5. Vision Boards can be big or small. They can have pictures, words, and artwork. A Vision Board is a powerful expression of one’s attitude, future visions, and top priorities. It is an exclamation of where one is going in life.

6. Look at the Vision Board as many times a day as possible. Share it with family and friends. The more one sees and appreciates the visions on one’s Vision Board the more they attract opportunities to take action and bring their visions to life.

7. It is wise to keep record of the journey from Vision Board to reality including the responsibilities and opportunities that arise. Having the courage to define ones vision, create a Vision Board, and see how the inner and outer worlds come together is worth the effort.

8. Vision Boarding is fun. If it’s not fun, you’re not doing it right. There is no wrong way to make a Vision Board. Everyone is unique. Each person is their own authority in designing their own Vision Board. Vision Boards can be saved and collected from year to year. Vision Boarding is a great way to bring in the New Year.

I Told My Kids I Ate All Their Halloween Candy

by Karrin

Late night show host Jimmy Kimmel asked parents to send in recordings of them telling their children that they ate of the Halloween candy. The montage has been floating around the Internet and, like anyone with a keen interest in children development and diet, I can't help but add my two cents.

The kids different degrees of addiction, their relationship to authority, as well as their primitive responses were insightful. Watching the kids cry was an example of sugar withdrawal in action. We are in deep denial as a culture in relationship to sugar and our attachment to it. 

The parents admitted to being "wrong" in eating all the candy and they offered nothing in return.  Most kids didn't see any hope in finding any resolution to their own parents deviant behavior - they didn't negotiate or suggest that their parents replace the candy.  They would rather take the blame and become enabling to their parents rather than stand up to authority and hold them accountable.  

Spoiler Alert: The final two boys were the smart ones.  The older boy kept his composure, his body posture was impeccable, hands behind his head, looking his mom right in the eye.  He actually tried to make his mom feel guilty. The little boy called it straight up, "You sneaky mom!"  I imagine these two would be reminding their mom that she ate all their Halloween candy every time they wanted a treat, for months or possibly even years to come.

Once again, kids are brilliant, they show us who we are, and help us get our priorities straight.

P.S. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when the kids found out their parents were just playing a practical joke on them!

Own Your Own Attitude

by Karrin

An attitude is a priceless gift; it's a gift you give yourself.  Learning to think for yourself and taking responsibility for your attitude is life's utmost priority.  If you can learn to own your own attitude you will never be alone.  You will express yourself with more freedom, have the wisdom to know who to share what with, and realize it’s up to you to be grateful.

Attitude is something that people nurture, like a clean room, or polished presentation.  It is something that one nurtures within oneself.  When people naturally loved themselves they feel grateful and express their love to others.  Since we fluctuate between different attitudes it’s important to nurture the attitudes we wish to become habitual. 

As we begin to own our own attitudes we become more responsible for our own feelings.  Learning to have a loving attitude towards ourselves, no matter our feelings in any given moment, is a lifelong task.  When we blame our feelings on outer circumstances or other people we come to a dead end.  If we are not responsible for our attitude, who is?  

We become a victim every time we blame our feelings on others, instead of taking responsibility for our range of emotions.  No matter how we feel, it’s okay.  If we own our own attitudes we can change them as we gather more information.  Owning our own attitude is the key to compassion, creativity, and co-creation.  

Own your own attitude, express how you feel.

On the Road and Under the Lights

Photo by Annie Conzemius 

by Shelsea

When you have been riding and riding, and riding and riding, tumbling wheels like tumble weeds through deserts, past agave fields, soaring up and down and across Mexico like it’s a dream, you must be careful not to lose yourself.

Sometimes, I have to remind myself that my life is not imaginary. That this is not some tiny model of Mexico that I am riding my hotwheel-sized little toy van across. In my little snow globe world, even Mexico is tiny and everyone I pass becomes the next door neighbor.

Last week, the Education team and I at Up With People did a youth forum for Tech De Monterrey in the city of Toluca, located just east of Mexico City. Tech de Monterrey is one of the most renouned universities in the country, and all of the high class citizens send their children there, and then brag about them over brunch. These students were a perfect match for us: they spoke English, they had international awareness (most of them had traveled at least to Europe if not many other places), and they could afford to travel with us if they wanted to.

The Youth Forum was a government simulation. The concept was that if all of the 19 countries we had represented were to become one country. The students took on the roles of political parties, citizens, and media, and we conducted a mock campaign to elect the next political party.

I was astounded by the comments made by the students. Some hot topics discussed included gay rights, abortion, prostitution, and the most popular topic, the environment. All of the students we heard from believed that gay people should be allowed to be married. Many of them thought that gay people should not be allowed to adopt because it could damage the child. Most of them believed that abortion should be legal in out hypothetical country.

I found it so fascinating to hear these young adults speaking so passionately about topics that are so controversial in such a Catholic community as in Mexico. I wondered what the generation before them would have thought about these topics. I wondered if they would have felt safe enough to share their opinions.

We conducted the forum two times in one day, reaching out to 600 participants. Both times, the environmental party won. The other competing parties were personal freedoms, economy, healthcare, and international relations. By the end of the forum, I felt refreshed, with a new awareness that things are changing. I am excited to see the potential of this generation come to fruition in the coming years. For a girl who has seen her fair share of destruction and poverty, her fair share of need in the world, it is so inspiring to see that shiny glimmer of hope that lies within the hands of today’s youth. 

Thank you Tech De Monterrey Metepec and Toluca for inspiring a girl who hopes to never become jaded and for reminding her of deep sense of humanity that rests in every pocket of our world.

7 Billion: It's all about sex

by Rosemari

Yesterday I went to National Geographic's headquarters in Washington, D.C. to attend "7 Billion People: Unleashing the Power of Women and Girls." In partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), National Geographic, the U.S. State Department, the International Women's Health Coalition, the Aspen Institute, and other organizations, the event consisted of a few diplomatic introductions followed by a lively panel, discussing how to address our rapidly growing global population, which is estimated to hit seven billion some time around Halloween.

Here's an amazing video that captures the challenges we face as we reach this benchmark.



The panel focused on the importance of women and girls equality and empowerment and access to health, education, and decision making.  Fundamental topics included prenatal care, safe child birth, the ability to be integrated into a community while menstruating, and family planning.  


I was thrilled to hear panelist Alexandra Garita, Program Officer at International Women’s Health Coalition, reframe the conversation. "The word that no one is mentioning is sex," Garita stated, advocating that investing in young people means educating them about comprehensive sex education, "young people need to know what that is."


We have a lot of work to do.  We need to shift the paradigm that "issues" regarding population, women, and girls as issues, instead, regarding sex, gender, and sexuality.  And I am so glad that Garita repeatedly brought comprehensive sex education to the center of this important conversation.


More information is available at 7 Billion Actions.

Blogger Debut: Shelsea

by Shelsea

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shelsea Ochoa and for the past two years I have been traveling around the world, doing hundreds of hours of community service, staying with over 100 host families, and performing a show for tens of thousands of people. 

Today I am in Boulder, CO, to educate students and work with refugees, in a few months I will be in Mexico cleaning slums, teaching kids, and eating quesadillas for breakfast with my host family. Come fall, I will be in Manila, the Philippines, trying to order food from a cart in broken Tagalog. What I do is called Up With People.

Source

Up With People is a global education program that brings the world together through service and music. We take 100 international young people on a tour around the world, stay with host families, do community service, and perform a show that supports the service work we do. We also educate our participants on global citizenship, communication, and leadership. I am the Education Manager for Up With People.

As the world spins around me, a 24-year-old San Diego girl, I have gone through ups and downs, hopelessness and triumph, and as all of my security blankets fall away, I find myself at the core of who I really am. In a world of constant change, the only thing that is constant in my life has been me. And now, my dear friends and readers, it’s you, too.

Transporting the cast

More often than not, my life is not as glamorous as it seems. I spend a lot of time moving the cast of 100 people from one location to another (a group of 100 people can be slower than molasses), organizing who will go on what community service crew, in rehearsal for our show, and lots and lots of time on buses. Still, I appreciate the uniqueness of the Up With People experience, and I am learning so much every day. Through Notes from the Ombligo, I hope to keep the outside world up-to-date and to share tiny morsels of wisdom that I picked up on the road and under the lights.

Who is Jo Calderone?

Photo Souce

by Alisha

I'm sure you've heard of Lady Gaga, you know, that crazy lady who's always wearing a poker face and calling people on the telephone? The real question is, have you heard of Jo Calderone? My guess is probably not... 


At the 2011 Video Music Awards (VMA's), Lady Gaga put on more than just her poker face, she performed a different gender. It's not uncommon these days for celebs to have alter egos, Beyonce is also known as Sasha Fierce, and you might refer to Katy Perry as Kathy Beth Terry. They're widely accepted because these women are still playing by the social norms of femininity, but Gaga's no longer doing that. 


Lady Gaga is known for breaking boundaries, she's previously dressed in raw meat, as well as an outfit inspired by condoms. What's different about this one, is that it is NOT obscure. This time, she's a Drag King (here's a link to a great book about Drag Kings if you want more info on the subject).

People perform gender differently all the time. By giving her approval to things outside the norm that people will actually do, (because lets be honest, no one will show up to school in an egg-like-coffin contraption) it gives power to minorities, and the American culture is afraid of that. In a society upheld by patriarchal values, anything attainable and outside norm is "degrading" (just ask Fox News!). So let's hear it for Jo Calderone for stepping up for something he believes in, because while he may be "performing" for just one night, there are thousands in the LGBT community who do it for a lifetime...

Should we really always guess C?!?

by Alisha

The school semester is starting and with that comes the use of brain cells many of us have put into hibernation over the summer. As we enter into new classrooms it makes me wonder what type of new thinking will be encouraged.  It seems that students are constantly taught to the test; thinking critically is not often encouraged. We're not taught to ask questions, but instead memorize text books or powerpoints and fill in the appropriate bubble... remember: if you don't know, always guess C!

So what's the benefits of thinking critically and why is it so important? Check out the video above and you'll find out why, but here are a few key points. 

1. It's the key to intellectual independence
2. It helps us solve complex problems:  If we only think of problems as black and white, then we will never find the proper answer. As stated in the video, "if we think in false dichotomies, we draw false conclusion.s" 
3. It helps us to move away from mystification and rash conclusions
4. We widen our knowledge bank 
5. It allows you to accept personal responsibility for your own knowledge 

So my challenge for you is to start changing ignorance to knowledge. Think critically, ask questions, use your brains cells, have engaging conversations, and love life! 

How can we make a difference if we're afraid to try and start?

by Alisha 

When I think of the important things in life, education is definitely on my top 10 list (other items include family, friends, eating amazing food, wonderful art, a good latte + book combo, and kittens to name a few). Someone recently told me that "choosing education is the safe option, there's no courage in that," I was highly offended. With constant budget cuts looming around every corner (check out the California State University budget cuts here), and the fear of future debts looming in my mind, I feel like education is anything but safe right now. As I look forward to my last year of undergrad, which includes grad school applications and taking the GRE on Monday, I’m constantly asking myself why I take education so seriously. 

For me, someone may be able to take away my job, my house, or my car, but no one can remove the knowledge that I possess. Education, traditional or otherwise, is often the basis for empowerment of both students and teachers. It's about taking risks and challenging yourself emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually. This allows you to expand your knowledge bank so you can better understand yourself and others. Education is a practice of liberation and freedom (for more on this theory check out Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire).

One of my favorite education/feminist theorist, bell hooks states, “I think that part of what we connected to was a concern… with not just the academic work we were doing in the classroom, but how that academic works affects us beyond the classroom” (Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom, p. 134) . As I reflect on my academic career, it's becoming more and more apparent that my studies are consistently interlaced with my "real world" life. Experience allows me to retain knowledge in a more thorough way than reading out of a book. My most effective teachers have been those who have made connections between personal and classroom experiences, not to mention what I’ve learned outside of the traditional classroom setting. 

So, my question is why is school so darn expensive? Why am I forced to be afraid of continuing my education because of the debt and lack of job security in my future? As Congress works on this new budget deal, what are they doing to screw over our students? Check out this article on Fosters Daily for more info.  

I always hear that this next generation is the only hope for our future, but how can we make a difference if we're afraid to try and start?

Following the long legacy of old, white men...

by Rosemari

Photo by Geoffry Berliner

This morning, the Library of Congress announced the appointment of Philip Levine as the Poet Laureate in a press release issued here. If I had the opportunity to write it, it might start out like this: 

"Following the long legacy of old, white men, yet another old, white man has been appointed as the Poet Laureate by The Library of Congress." 

Since 1937, only 14 Poet Laureates have been women. A mere two African Americans have held the post, with no apparent representation from Latinos or Asian Americans. I am aware that diversity takes on many shapes and sizes. I am sure that Levine, as a son of Russian Jewish immigrants from Detroit, he has an interesting perspective.

Still, it's hard to imagine that the United States lacks qualified poets from groups other than this demographic of old, white men, whose their unique perspective and art would further enrich our national culture.

Why Do We Worry?

by Karrin

If we didn’t worry we wouldn’t be alive.  Worry is the necessary beginning of self-awareness.  However, without the tools to process it, it can lead to disease in the form of accidents, illness, behavior and learning problems and anxiety disorders.  Understanding the link between our future worries and our past memories while making a conscious effort to see things in a balanced way is a fundamental key to all personal growth and healing. 

Revisiting the past in order to gain insights as to how to handle the future helps us dissolve our worries. The ability to perceive the future and the past is a remarkable human trait.  The things we worry about in the future can always be linked to a past memory.  Every specific worry reminds us of a past experience.

  

A worry is just a problem without a plan.  In the present moment whatever we are worried about is only an idea.  It is a future projection based on anxiety and panic.  Seeing how we handled the past can help us become aware of how capable we are of handling our current situation. As we dissolve our worries we dissolve our past issues.  When the future and the past are at ease our body relaxes. We become more present, poised, and clear minded.  

Worry, if handled correctly, can lead us to a plan of action.  When worry is transformed it can lead to a balanced viewpoint and gratitude replaces worry and fear.

Appreciating the past automatically gives us more confidence to face the future. The desire to appreciate the past is the key to resolving the fears of our worried minds. Appreciating the past does not make it better or worse.  Appreciation encompasses every emotion and feeling we have in a balanced way. The past is not more negative than positive and the future will also bring a balance of pain and pleasure. The art of appreciation and seeing the balance is a practice. 

Here are a few ways to help:

1.       Pay attention to the things you are worried about.  

2.       Define your worries in terms of emotions.  All future fear is linked to an unresolved past emotion.  

3.       Stop the idea that you worry too much or that you are not worried at all.  Everybody worries.  Everybody worries according to their nature.  

4.       Learning new skills and strategies to cope with your worries helps them transform.

5.       Judging oneself for the way one worries is just another thing to worry about.

Each time we worry we have an opportunity to become self-aware.  When we wisely respond to our worries we become more mature and introspective.  Worry is not a dead end, it is an invitation to see the past and respond to the future in a whole new way. Worry can be a valuable catalyst to living in the present.

What About the Good Stuff? On Art and Social Change

Guest blog by Ashley

In my work against sexual violence, I am commonly referred to as a “prevention evangelist.” While I embrace the term, I kind of wish people would instead call me a “promotion evangelist.” Doing statewide training and technical assistance on the prevention of sexual violence certainly requires that I be an enthusiastic advocate for all things prevention. But what about promotion? As some fellow prevention evangelists have pointed out, we’re so good at articulating and addressing what we are against, but what about the things we are for?

This is where art and pop culture, particularly music, comes in. I can’t tell you how many times I get requests for songs and media that highlight all the harmful norms and conditions that support sexual violence. And they aren’t hard to find.

Pick out any mainstream hip hop or rap lyrics you’ll find an example within less than a minute. Search YouTube for Lil’ Wayne’s latest video. Finding the bad stuff is easy. But what about the good stuff? In our quest to create a peaceful and just world, we point the spotlight towards the violent and the unjust. And we do it in a limited and predictable way that has serious ramifications – demonizing entire genres of music that not only have deep social and political histories, but that have also been co opted by mainstream, White, male business leaders (check out Byron Hurt’s Beyond Beats and Rhymes).

But what about the good stuff?

As organizations like Arte Sana know, art is a powerful, positive tool for social change. If you love or even just like various forms of art just a little, you know that it reaches people in ways that PowerPoint presentations never will. Art is a living medium through which we can promote the healthy beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors we need for strong, vibrant communities.

Folks who work for peace and justice are missing out if we only focus on the ways in which art can do harm. It’s so much more than that.

Some time ago, I asked fans of the band The Material for stories about the impact of their music on theses individuals’ lives. I received story after story about how the band’s music helped fans make it through parental divorces, unhealthy relationships, and even prevented suicide attempts. And that’s one band. Think about all the music that is out there.

Bands like Vedera have written entire albums about relationships that highlight both the good and the bad and promote love and respect. Artists like Deizel P and Dead Prez use their music for social justice. Organizations like Artists United for Social Justice, Music Saves Lives, and Air Traffic Control engage musicians in social change work. Groups like Revibe provide critical analyses of both the good and the bad within art and culture, with a focus on building strong, vibrant and healthy movements.

Social change is about more than simply eliminating the bad stuff. What kind of society and communities would be left if we just extracted all that is harmful? Instead, we must also look at what we put into society and our communities. How are we modeling and promoting the healthy norms we want people to identify with
and spread?

I don’t need to show you research to convince you that people look to art and pop culture to find out what’s cool. Instead of simply trying to convince folks that the unhealthy stuff they see in art isn’t cool, let’s show them what is.

Ashley Maier is the Prevention Program Coordinator at the Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force and Co-Editor of Connect the Dots. Find out more about her work at www.oregonsatf.org and www.connectthedotsmovement.com.

The Joy of Saying No

by Karrin

Learning to say “no” isn’t easy but it’s impossible to have a sense of purpose or identify unless until we do. Learning to say no can be a matter of life or death. The UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women) produced this PSA with Nicole Kidman as part of the Say NO to Violence Against Women campaign. 

This short video clip is a clear example of people demonstrating how to say no to one of the most important issues in the world today.  If you are not used to saying no in a confident manner watch this video and see how it's done.

Saying “no” is just as valuable a skill as saying “yes.”  Being authentic is much more important than people pleasing.  It can feel empowering to say “no.”  If people do not value saying “no” it is only because they feel out of control with their own habits.  When people feel out of control they want to say “yes” to others in order to feel good.  

It takes courage to say “no” just like it takes wisdom to know what to say “yes” to. The value of saying “no” brings balance and purpose to life and gives us the freedom to express our highest potential. Life is full of choices for those who learn to say “yes” and “no” with confidence.

Dr. Charlotte DavisKasl in her book Women, Sex, and Addiction notes that "the strongest foundation for a primary relationship is self- knowledge and a commitment to following one’s inner truths.  The ideal relationship is one in which two people care for each other as they follow their separate callings."

Relationships in which people always say “yes” do not last.  The art of saying “no” is beautiful.  People can say “no thanks,” “thanks for asking,” “no, thank you,” “not for me, thanks,” and other phrases in a sing-song voice that is just as uplifting as saying yes.  Saying “no” can be poignant and elegant. 

Learning to say “no” to others allows others to say “no” to us.  When we know others can say “no” we know that when they say “yes” they do so out of choice or wholeheartedly and not out of guilt or obligation.  

Abroad and Back Again

a guest blog post by Julia

I am a study abroad advisor at a state university and I help prepare students who are planning to study abroad. However, students are generally preparing for their own independent adventure and don’t necessarily want advice about what I think they will feel while abroad and when they
return home.

When I moved to Seville, Spain to study abroad my junior year, I knew I was going to a country where I didn’t speak the language, didn’t know the history, and had no idea what it would look or feel like. I knew I was going to have to be ready for change and adjustment.

Breaking from the norm of my Midwestern Catholic college, I shared a room with a non-religious, vegetarian, feminist from Southern California (who now is one of my very best friends, Notes from the Ombligo editor Rosemari) in the apartment of a Spanish family.

Living and speaking with our “family,” professors, and friends from the US and Spain also made me look at life, politics, education, and language from another perspective. I had moments (and sometimes weeks) of doubt, tiredness, and frustration, along with great successes and feelings of accomplishment. It made me evaluate who I was, where I was willing to flex, and what I could and couldn’t give up.

The bigger shock came when I returned to the US university. Even though my study abroad advisor was drowning me in emails about international opportunities and re-entry workshops, I thought I was fine. Truth be told, I was going through classic readjustment. I wanted to speak Spanish and act like I was still in Spain. I made comparisons constantly. I was starting to despise and separate from the university community at my home school.

How did I handle such a difficult adjustment back to the US? I planned how I could go abroad again, and I stayed involved in an international community in Ohio. This led to another six months in Spain, teaching a year and a half in Mexico, pursuing a MA in Spanish, and choosing a career in international education. I was changed forever by going through the ups and downs that we warn our students about.

I am grateful for those sobbing moments on a rooftop in Mexico, the unsuccessful bus rides into town in Spain, and even the nostalgia for sangria I had when I returned. It has given me confidence. I have now traveled alone to South America for work. I’ve been able to adjust to living in different cultures in my own country - like a small town in Kansas and a community college in the inner city. It has shaped me and has given me the motivation to push myself out of my comfort zone and dare to be a different than the average bear.

This is why I am excited to send students from different backgrounds out into the world. Each person can benefit from living life a different way, seeing the world from a new perspective, and explaining their experience to someone from another culture.

Jay Smooth On Donald Trump, And Not Feeding The Trolls

by Rosemari


Today we got two blogs from my favorite vlogger, Jay Smooth, who always seems to say what I wish I was thinking.

This video critiques the problems of the news cycle in a way that makes me want to yell "squirrel," a la Jon Stewart in the Daily Show last September (see minute 3:30). His other one is posted here.

Jay Smooth's vlog often touches on racial/cultural/artistic/political issues. How to Tell People They Sound Racist, is my favorite piece. I've used it in trainings on racial disparities and his voice often comes to mind when confronting issues of race and other prejudices.

Artificial Food Isn't Really Food

by Karrin

Food has become a hidden drug. People used to farm their own food and seldom even ate sugar. Today people eat pounds of artificial chemicals each year which have been added to the food supply for the economic gain of industry. The majority of additives are the result of left over chemicals for sale. Most chemicals added to food have nothing to do with nutrition or the human body. The book The Poisons in Your Food outlines the history of food additives which began back in the 1940s. The majority of food additives are simply toxic chemicals that add bulk to prepackaged food acting as drugs which turn the body into a polluted landfill.

In eating disorder clinics, people who eat the most artificial foods have detoxification symptoms like that of a person on hard street drugs. Too much junk food causes digestive problems, head aches and mood disorders. Our culture has been brainwashed into thinking a little bit of poison in our food is okay. The problem is that many food additives make people have unreasonable cravings. Many artificial chemicals are stimulants that make people high followed by a crash and burn. When food becomes addictive it is no longer food.

People can’t resist the sudden burst of energy that they associate with junk food. The promise of junk food is so powerful it can be used to control people’s behavior. Unless people become educated about the dangers to eating artificial ingredients the food industry will be happy to keep providing them in larger and larger quantities. To learn more about artificial food verses whole foods check out the book If It’s Not Food Don’t Eat It by Kelly Hayford.



Coming off of artificial foods is not pain free. Recognizing the symptoms of detoxification and withdrawal can be seen as a good sign. Eating whole foods may feel artificial if one isn’t used to it. Food habits can change one bite at a time. Learning to read and care about food labels can be a fun hobby. Food is meant to be nourishing.

What we eat is not just a personal issue. The food choices we make have a huge ripple effect. Eating in harmony with the bodies needs is one of the most fundamental gifts of life we can give to ourselves and pass onto our children. Switching from artificial ingredients to wholesome foods results in physical vitality, emotional stability and mental clarity for the individual and is a great example for others. The better we take care of ourselves the better we can help take care of others and the world around us.

Summertime Funtime - Five Tips for Summer Planning

by Karrin

Summer is here and it's time to have fun. Every summer we are bombarded by the media with fantastical images of happy people on incredible vacations. The fantasy of summer is sunshine without sunburns, sand without a mess, and beautiful happy people ready to have fun. The truth is summer is amazing and beautiful if you plan for it to be that way.

When life feels like a rollercoaster people can’t wait for vacation. When an upcoming vacation becomes an excuse to work, diet, or spend money excessively the vacation may cause more stress than rejuvenation. Those that plan their summer schedule in advance end up being more moderate and actually have more fun. Planning in advance, when done in a sensible manner, helps us be realistic and prioritize our summer fun. Other people are more likely to fit into our summer plans when they know what the plans are.

The most important part of planning is the mood you are in while you make your plans - relationships are built one memory at a time. Here are five tips for summer planning:

1. Having an enthusiastic attitude is essential. 
2. Details are important in planning. 
3. Taking a realistic look at the time and money is relevant. 
4. Making time for everything takes time. 
5. When thinking of the possibilities think big.

Planning in advance doesn’t mean the weather will always cooperate or there will be no spontaneity. Planning actually enhances our ability to be flexible and adaptive. Taking the time to examine the different areas of our life and determine our priorities is insightful. A fulfilling summer might not only include play and relaxation, it may also include work, organization and new projects. When we take a moment to think about the specific people and experiences we’d love to have this summer, we begin to realize our role in making things happen. Summer is full of possibilities and dreams come true for everyone. What is your plan for the summer?

A New Anthem: Keep D.C. Wal-Mart Free

by Rosemari


The Respect D.C. Campaign seeks to keep Wal-Mart out of the District of Columbia.  I pass the yard signs through out my neighborhood of Pleasant Plains and often wonder if it's people who will get to decide what happens in their/our community. 

Photo Source

In the meantime, Monday, June 20, 2011 the U.S. Supreme Court decided to throw out the largest sexual discriminationlawsuit in American history — a nationwide class action lawsuit brought against Wal-Mart on behalf of 1.5 million female employees. 

When I checked out the song below, forwarded from social-justice-oriented photographer Roshan Ghirmire, I got goosebumps.  This song reminds me of Friday afternoons, walking to the beat of whatever Listen Vision Recording Studios happens to be spinning on their porch. To me, this song is the voice of the community. It tells the community's story. It's art as activism. And it gives me hope.  

And, on a side note, where else can you find Strom Thurmond and Trent Lott in a hip hop song?

Dear Daddy, I love you!

In honor of Father's Day, Notes from the Ombligo is highlighting the special relationship that fathers bring to our lives. This post is from the perspective of a young child.

by Karrin

Dear Daddy,

Happy Fathers Day

You are the coolest Dad on the top of the highest mountain. You are like a home run with bases loaded, a touch down on Super Bowl Sunday and Santa Claus all rolled into one. You are my Super Hero. Thanks for playing at the park, lifting me up to see and watching over me.

Dad, you make me feel like an All Star Kid. I feel like a Champion in your eyes. I can climb way up and swing up even higher when you push me. When I am on your shoulders I am on top of the world. You bring me my blanket and my drink. I love you.

Thank you for reading me books and showing me how to write my name. You can do so much. I want to do what you do. I want to eat what you eat and drink what you drink. You are better than all the purple dinosaurs in the world. You give the best pony rides on the block.

I’m the luckiest kid I know because you’re my Daddy. You hit the nail on the head when you had me. It was a hole in one. Happy Fathers Day to you. You are my Dad and I am your kid. I look up to you. You keep your eye on me, hustle up when I am hurt, and go the extra mile for me. Thanks for holding my hand when we cross the street and buckling me into my car seat. Thanks for waiting for me and letting me come with you.

You are a world class Dad.

Happy Fathers Day!

Dear Dad

In honor of Father's Day, Notes from the Ombligo is highlighting the special relationship that fathers bring to our lives.

by Karrin

Dear Dad,

It’s your day. I hope it’s the best Father’s Day ever. When I think of you I am so grateful that you helped bring me into this world. Thank you for being the person you are, you literally mean the world the world to me. As a child you were a great mystery and powerful influence.

The older I get the more I come to realize how special you are. I see the world through your eyes a little bit more each time I think of you. You have taught me more than you know in ways that cannot be imagined.

When I was young I had no idea how the lessons you exposed me to would multiply in meaning. I continue to learn from you, your presence in my life is deep and powerful. I take you wherever I go, I think about you often. You are a part of me. We haven’t always understood each other but in many ways we are one in the same.

Thank you equally for all that you have done and for all that you have not done. You have shown me that we all have our own life to live. I am able to think for myself and make my own decisions. I am so grateful that you are my Dad. I find myself acting in ways that remind me of you and I feel connected. Life wouldn’t be the same without you. I love you, Dad.

Have a great Father’s Day.

It's Getting Real in the Whole Foods Parking Lot

by Rosemari

This video should definitely get it's own post on the Stuff White People blog.  It eerily hits too close to home because:

1. I have brewed my own kombucha (and recently complained when Guava Goddess was out of stock at my local Whole Foods);
2. I make quiona more than rice; and,
3. I texted a picture of the Humboldt Fog cheese to my brother, who just graduated from Humboldt State, last week.

When I question, "Am I really that predictable?" after watching this video, the answer is, irrefutably, yes.