Friday Feature: FactCheck.org

A while back, I think around 2004 or so, I discovered a website called FactCheck.org.  For a long time, like most people, I would listen to multiple different arguements before digging in to try to sort out was factual and what was... well ... we'll give people the benefit of the doubt and say not completely true. Along came FactCheck.org whose Mission Statement begins:

We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.

I will say, FactCheck.org is not the place for information if you want someone to support your opinion 100% of the time. It is simply impossible not to, at some point, cringe as a candidate, position, or commercial you thought to be true is proven to have said/presented/done something that is not factual or is misleading. Sad, but true, and yet, now that I am in DC with a little time on my hands, I am more actively engaged in politics and policy than I have been since...well, probably college, and I appreciate their work all the more. Plus, anyone who knows me well knows I like a good discussion, and I like my discussions to be full of information. 

All this to say-- Friday Feature-- Factcheck.org. Check them out!

Love is the Point

I found this video through a blog called Rethinking Youth Ministry. The song is controversial and includes a couple of words that probably could have been left out (namely sh*t and d*mn), but the message is clear--  what REALLY matters?  Loving ALL people or spewing a full range of hate at people because of  differences. If you look through the comments on the song (this version and others on youtube), you will see people concerned more with the use of the word sh*t than the fact that people are dieing or being treated like ... well sh*t ... because they are different. This applies not only to sexuality, but to the way in which some people treat other people. The comments are full of judgement and, well, hate.

For Christians, we are commanded by Jesus to love God and one another.

All of this to get to my real point. When Mr. Webb asks, 

Tell me, brother, what matters more to you?
Tell me, sister, what matters more to you? 

I have to wonder-- based on what I see in the world around me-- what does matter?  Do I care more about people living like me or loving all people? Do I care more about helping those in need or fulfilling my selfish desires? Do I care more about loving God or loving my earthly possessions? Do I care more about poeple's lifestyles or people dieing?

I wish in all cases I could say I have cared more about loving, but I know I am prey to fault as well and do not always make the right choices. 

As for the lyrics--

'Cause we can talk and debate until we're blue in the face
About the language and tradition that he's comin' to save
Meanwhile we sit just like we don't give a shit
About 50,000 people who are dyin' today

I think that pretty much says it all. All of the debate in the world does not matter if we do not love one another and reach out to those in need.

Friday Feature: Domestic Abuse Invervention Programs-- The Duluth Model

Heidi won my birthday contest, and as a part of that, I am featuring her organization/charity of choice this Friday. Yes, I am still donating $100, and as I learned yesterday, I can do that online.  The donation will go to the Domestic Abuse Invervention Program (DVIP) in Duluth, Minnesota. 


DVIP is the organization that founded the nationally and internationally recognized Duluth Model. In summary,

"The Duluth Model provides a method for communities to coordinate their responses to domestic violence through an inter-agency approach that brings the justice and human service interventions together with the primary goal of protecting victims from ongoing abuse."

 DVIP also provides training and resources to help those in the community to implement The Duluth Model when dealing with domestic violence.

Take a few minutes to look at their website and learn more about the work they do in combating and protecting all whom are impacted by domestic violence.

Friday Feature: Giving as a way of life

When I set out to have a birthday contest, I thought that it would be fun to give someone a gift for my birthday. Giving of myself is important to me, and what better way to celebrate my birth than to give to others?   While much of what I have to say is not unique, after all each of the four participants hit on at least one of these themes, the truth remains the same-- Giving is a way of life.

For me, giving has become a way of life. I was not always this way, but more and more, I enjoy giving of myself in many ways-- time, energy, money, writing, listening, friendship, parenting, and as a wife to name a few.  There are many reasons why I give of myself. Some are religious. Some are deeply personal. Most of all? I believe that something small makes a big difference, and I want to be that something small. I want to be the change I want to see in the world, and I use that quote quite often in my life. At home. At work. At play. 

Personally, I have been incredibly blessed in my life. I am more than provided for, and yes, much of that is the fruit of my own labor, but it is also the result of people sacrificing and giving to me.  I live a relatively easy life. I am not living in poverty. There is food on my table, air conditioning and heat in my own, a roof over my head, and money left over for "necessities" that are really "things" that make my life easier and I could do without. Not only that, but I have a loving husband who would never beat me, is not an alcoholic, and is a great father.

Because of these blessings in my life, I feel compelled to give back to others. I cannot be the change, if I am unwilling to leave my comfort zone, if I am unwilling to extend my hand, my heart, my mind, and my resources, to the many in need.

There are an infinite number of ways one can give of oneself and an infinite number of causes and people that are in need of what I (and everyone) have to offer! When we give of ourselves, we learn about ourselves. We find a meaning that is deeper than our personal satisfaction.  We give, but we get it back ten-fold or more. 

Truth be told? Giving is not the easy way, especially in a country and a culture that tends to center on "I" and material goods. It is easy to collect a treasure (or treasures) during our lifetime. It is a lot harder to allocate that treasure while we are alive. 

So, on my birthday, I urge each and every reader to extend their hand, shovel, heart, mind, and more to help those among us in need. Let's all open our hearts and minds to the challenges of others.

Before I get to the contest, I will leave you with a quote from Heidi's entry that particularly touched me.

If I can use the education I've gained, the knowledge I've learned as a Social Work professional, the compassion I have as a human being to somehow improve someone's life for just a few minutes in one day, then I think I gave them something which cannot be quantified. Many people give money to a cause in which they feel great passion. Nay, as a social worker I have no money. So I give myself. 

OK-- two quotes.

I give of myself. It's the most valuable, precious, and genuine asset I own.

***************

Now for the contest. For simplicity, I assigned the numbers in the order of comments on the contest post--

1. Alicia

2. Del

3. Heidi

4. Carrie

The winner is Heidi!!!  Name your charity/cause, Heidi, and I will make the donation in your name/honor AND next Friday, I will feature the work of the organization!

:)

Happy Birthday to me!

It's My Birthday, and I'll Give if I Wanna!

Yes. It is my birthday week. While normally I would not announce this, I have decided my birthday is cause enough for a contest!

How is this possible? And WHY?

Well, giving is very important to me-- giving time and/or money to others. So-- for my birthday (it's Friday, btw), I am going to write about giving, and I am sponsoring a contest. All you need to do is write a post (leave a comment/link so I know where to find it!) about what giving means to you. Any type of giving.

The prize? Well, I will make a $100 donation in your name to the charity/cause of your choice. Sorry, but your wardrobe budget is not going to count as a cause!

All I ask is that you please be honest!

On Thursday at 10p.m. Central time zone I will draw winners using a random number generator.

So-- 1 post could equal $100 for your cause.

Why DC? Why now?

Back in "Yo Mo! Where have you been?" I mentioned that I would be applying for a temporary (developmental) position in Washington D.C. Well, th

e good news is that I was selected and will be heading out there in early July. The bad news is that I have been selected and will be heading to D.C. in early July.

How can this possibly be good and bad all at once?

Obviously, I am an active attachment parenting (AP) type. My husband travels a lot, but when he is home, he is also in the AP genre. Leaving our son for three months is heart wrenching. I love his smile and view of every day life. Three more months without my husband is hard. He is my better half. However, I also know that I am not truly leaving them for three months.

How can that be?

Kevin and The Boy will be in D.C. for portions of the time-- as much of a portion as Kevin can muster with his necessary workouts. The temporary promotion (not to mention per diem) will cover the cost of their tickets back and forth several times.

Why D.C.? Why now?

Yes, as I said in the "Yo Mo!" post, I am making some changes in my position and career path based on the career progression and variety I think best makes use of my talents and skills. Do not misunderstand me. I love what I do. I enjoy my job and am content where I am, but the moves (D.C. and switching positions when I return) will allow me flexability in the future.

So-- why D.C. specifically?

Many don't know, but I was origionally scheduled to take a 30-60 day assignment in Dallas for the summer. Circumstances beyond my control delayed that assignment from starting as scheduled, and just as I found out, my Division Chief asked if I would be interested in the D.C. assignment. When the announcement first came out, I sent it to Kevin to gather his thoughts but dismissed it, because I did not think we could commit to the six months the assignment would require. However, the Division Chief told me that I did not have to stay that long, so after talking with Kevin, I applied.

Truth be told, I did not believe I would be selected. I am under qualified. I suppose, that is why it is a developmental assignment-- so I can develop, right? I still think that I was selected because no one else applied. (I'm going to ask when I get there.) We struggle to fill the spots in D.C. No one appears to want to move there, though I am not opposed to moving there permanently... so far. We will have to see how the three months goes before I say one way or the other.
So-- why D.C.? Why now? Because the stars aligned. I am admittedly nervous about leaving The Boy and Kevin for so long. After all, it is usually Kevin leaving, not me! However, this opportunity is great, and I believe there is a purpose in it for me beyond professional development. I am drawn to this assignment, and it is drawn to me.

A lot of words to describe a complex personal situation... a lot, but probably not enough. Thanks for reading my blubbering. :) The reward? A reminder of how great D.C. was to me and my family last summer!

Friday Feature: Marshall Beer

I know this week has focused on food, but I also enjoy a good beer when consuming food or hanging out on my deck during the summer evening.  In Tulsa, we have a micro-brewery-- Marshall Brewing Company -- that bottles beers.  Atlas India Pale Ale and Sundown Wheat are my favorites, and Kevin is also a fan of the Sundown Wheat. Not only is Marshall bottled, but it is served in and around Tulsa, so when we dine out, we can enjoy a high quality local beer!

Community Supported Agriculture and More

In the late winter of 2008, I read on a green blog (Nature Moms) I frequent about community supported agriculture (CSA) and thought, “HEY! Why are we NOT doing that? Certainly there is a CSA we can join?!?”  I searched through a website called Local Harvest and found a CSA that I thought would work wonderfully for my family, so I sent an email with my fingers crossed that there would be space available. Lucky us! There was and my love affair with a local CSA began. The locals among you might be wonder who? We use Emily and Mike’s Three Springs Farm.

Is anyone wondering how a CSA works?  I have found that there are several different types. In all, you pay the farmer a certain amount up front, and then it is different for various types. For some, you receive a “basket” (box, bag, whatever) of food each week (or twice a week). You might not know or want everything, but each basket is the same and produce is split among the members. In some cases, you can order different sizes or buy more shares to cover the size of your family. 

In the case of Three Springs Farm, we pay in a certain amount in the late winter. We get to chose from three different sizes/amounts. Because we eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, we tend to pay the higher of the amounts (around $300 if I remember correctly). Then we go to the Cherry Street (Saturdays) or Brookside (Wednesdays) Farmer’s Markets and pick out exactly what we want. If I want 20 watermelons (ha ha), I can have 20 watermelons. If I want five bags of spinach, I get five bags of spinach. Well, as long as there are bags on the table. Three Springs Farm overwintered some lettuce and spinach this past year, so we were able to start “collecting” on our share in March!

On the other hand, if you have time to go out to a local farm, you can “pick your own” fruits and sometimes vegetables. This is especially popular near Tulsa for berries and peaches. If picking and farmer’s market are not your thing, co-ops exist where you can go pick up your bag or box of produce for the week. In some cases, they deliver directly to you. Some co-ops are a collection of local farmers, while some bring items in through a distributor, so if you want local, be sure to ask!

Do you participate in CSA? Do you look at where your produce is coming from when you purchase it in a store?

Going Local: Farmer’s Market

One of my favorite parts of each weekend is heading out to the Cherry Street Farmer’s Market. It is just a few miles from my house, farmer’s come to me (essentially), and I get my pick of farm fresh eggs, sour cream, cheese, breads, vegetables, and fruits (just to name a few things!).  Our Saturday morning ritual is so engrained in our lives that The Boy, at two and a half, knows we go to the farmer’s market to get “begetables” and a pastry. He helps us to pick out food, and when he wants to try something that I have no idea how to prepare, I buy it, and we experiment as a family.

As with Natrual Farms, one of my favorite parts of the farmer’s market is getting to know the vendors, asking them questions, and being able to know how they raise their product, their purpose in farming, and even how to prepare items. As a result, I find that I gravitate towards vendors who are rather like minded in the food department. Knowing how they farm and treat my food is important to me!

There are quite a few farmer’s markets in the Tulsa area and around the state of Oklahoma. I usually go to the two below. Well, I go Saturday. My husband goes Wednesday when I am at work.

Cherry Street (15th and Peoria) Saturdays 7-12

Brookside (41st and Peoria) Wednesdays 8-12

Do you use a farmer’s market to find your produce?

Go Local!

Tasha at Tasha Does Tulsa informed me (and others) that this week is Local Food week in Oklahoma! I had no idea! In my ideal world, I would eat nothing but local organic food. When it comes down to it though, I will usually choose a local item from a farmer I have come to know over an organic item from half a world away. Why? The big picture-- overall environmental impact-- the process involved with organic certification (long story for another post) and taste.  In honor of local food week, I will spend the rest of the week sharing some of my favorite local food options, as well as some favorite links and other options for those wanting to find a local option. 

Without further adieu, let's get rolling!

While my family does not consume a lot of meat, we do like a good steak and do eat chicken. I also like to throw a good party. (We had one last Saturday where we served beef and chicken tacos.)  In Tulsa, we have several excellent resources for meat purchases. My favorite is Natural Farms located at 4th and Utica. They also have a south Tulsa store.

Natural Farms offers a co-op bag of meat  available weekly, as well as a store to drop in and shop.  They raise their own beef, and when I shop there, they are alway willing to offer suggestions, answer questions, and take the time to help me select the right cut of meat.  They also sell eggs, jams, and a variety of local products, as well as some others.  They are able to maintain reasonable prices by processing the meat themselves. 

Have you visited Natural Farms? Is there a local butcher in your town that you frequent? Are you going local?