A little angelic comfort

Things have been a bit stressful for me, indeed many of us, lately with some financial and health worries and I have been blessed with some healing synchronicity. I discovered author Joan Wester Anderson on Facebook, thanks to her page there being connected with that of Fr. John Dear, former executive director of national Fellowship of Reconciliation. Joan's angel and miracle stories have been a resource for me and my family through the years. It is good to reconnect and see she has some new stuff out. She's even on Twitter and I will have to find and connect with her there. Twitter offers a lot and I'm enjoying the informational and friendship connections.

Find more on Joan here, I've pasted her short YouTube meditation at Quick Takes, and find me on Twitter as PeaceHugs. Let's be comforted knowing that angels and miracles do touch us, perhaps not in big ways very often, but still in all sorts of beautiful and healing ways. In Rogers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song there is an eye-opening song, "A Hundred Million Miracles". Let's go forth today and everyday a little more aware of them. It does our souls well.

Political and peace action work can drain us if we don't maintain our spiritual connection. In my life I have learned that the more angels and miracles I acknowledge and affirm with thanks, the more they multiply. Read Joan Wester Anderson's books for inspiration. I recommend starting with Where Angels Walk, a family favorite.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

To Read: Legacy of Secrecy

Mark, Lamar, Joe Friendly

Thanks to daughter Kat reminding me of my tentative evening plans, I made a mad dash down to McNally Jackson Books at 52 Prince Street in NYC to hear author Lamar Waldron discuss his book Legacy of Secrecy: The Long Shadow of the JFK Assassination and now have some 771 more pages to read, not including photos, documents, notes and index. (Add that to the pile! :-) I have heard Lamar speak several times on Thom Hartmann's radio show so I knew that despite his protestations to the contrary the man can talk, oh can he talk. His subject dealt with the Mafia's assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy: obviously very riveting. He made his points and the book provides the documentation. When will history openly acknowledge it? Time will tell. 

I also want to thank author and NYU professor Mark Crispin Miller [featured at various times in this blog and on my bookshelf] for playing a part in getting Lamar to speak. Despite the stormy NYC weather, there was a decent turnout and I had some interesting conversations with folks, both pre and post talk. Guy Ventresca was kind enough to take a picture of me and Lamar [and I had never heard that Ike had his own cover-up of a snafu in a pre-D-Day dry run -- hmmmm]. More pix of the book talk on Flickr -- my Christmas pix may get there yet, non Facebook friends! (And I wonder just how much of the book Thom wrote to justify his "with Thom Hartmann" cover credit.)

Peace hugs,

Kate Anne

Kate Anne and Lamar

Vote and Pray

I've been posting the quick takes on Quick TAKES and Tasty Tidbits, facing life on Facebook, working for corporate America, focusing on peace and migrating to my new computer. Life is busy and good. And today is hopeful. Following my friend Michele Maglione's lead, I documented my vote for Barack Obama on Row E, the Working Family Party's line. (This is important as it shows a progressive vote. Read David Sirota's The Uprising on this.)



I went into Gustavino's yesterday to make calls for the Obama-Biden Campaign for Change. Then I rushed home and made calls for True Majority's special election action project. I spoke with Mary Gervargis of Studio City who had not received her absentee ballot and was bereft. She's hispanic and they are for 2-1 for Obama. What happened? Her cousin in Valencia didn't get hers either. So after calling an election protection line last night and learning she could vote provisionally if she got to the polls, I made some more calls this morning to the California Democratic Party who promised to be in touch to help. Let's hope so! I tried. The more votes for Obama-Biden the better chance for them to have the positive progressive impact our world needs so desperately.

Now I'm off to Gustavino's to see if there is anything more they want me to do. Hey, it's just a short walk and a bus ride and another short walk. I'm taking my copy of Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now to read on the way. (The last time I had it with me on the subway, the person next to me tapped me and showed me HER copy. We were both reading the same chapter!! We had a lovely chat) I remember my great grandmother's epitaph -- "She hath done what she could" -- and I go forth to do whatever else I can. Please, God. Breathe. Trust. Believe. Hope. Act. Thank you. Amen.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

This BRAVE Nation and Political Action

I've just subscribed to the podcast of This BRAVE Nation, thanks to the ACLU's Anthony Romero's suggestion. It is a video podcast which my aging computer managed the download but I am seriously looking into buying a new Mac so that I can do my peace and justice work without waiting forever for the bouncing fruit mint (used to be a soccer ball in my older Mac) because I just don't have the memory or hard drive space to efficiently do what needs to be done. That said, I thank God I can work around the slowness.

Speaking of working, we also have to work on getting Barack Obama elected. I was over at convention delegate Brent O'Leary's place last Friday to discuss the 2008 Democratic platform and working for Barack. (See first quicky camera photo at QuickTAKES with more to follow on Flickr.com, which currently is featuring my photos from the Wednesday evening DFNYC fundraiser. Dan Jacoby, Brent, and I were there enjoying Jim Dean's and Mark Green's speeches as well as lively political discussion with a number of politicos.) Meanwhile, the Corporate Media is fraudulently aiding and abetting the McCain candidacy by doctoring a Katie Couric interview of McCain after he seriously muffed a question. See the Media Matters report.


Kate Anne and AAR's president Mark Green

BUT all of this follows the Corporate Media pretty much failing to report Friday's Pre-Impeachment Hearings in the House Judiciary Committee. For a blow by blow blog-writeup, check out David Swanson's AfterDowningStreet blog -- and watch Vingent Bugliosi's testimony on YouTube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=GDAFozFn4kUF. I'm reading his book, The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder -- available at your local bookstore, on Amazon.com and BN.com and at the NYC Library. (And for a "For Fun" read, I just finished True Believer by Nicholas Sparks. Hey it is the summertime and I need to de-stress.)

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne


DFA's Jim Dean and activist Brent O'Leary

June is busting out all over!

Just as I am missing my son Audient's blog -- it has gone on hiatus -- as I can't easily catch up with what he's up to, I realize that I've been so busy that I have in essence been on hiatus too. Okay, you may know that you can check out my Quick TAKES and Tasty Tidbits blog for current little facts, snippets, recipes, and pictures, as well as my Flickr.com photo page(s). But I've been quiet with my online peace hugging. High time to give a quick run down of life since the Shad Fest. Here goes.

Last week I saw John Cussack's excellent satire War, Inc. (see it!). Linda Rousseau invited me to join some of her friends in seeing the Iraq based play, Betrayed, which focuses on the plight of Iraqis hired by the US. Saturday, I did computer research and played in the evening with Joan by going out to dinner at Bliss Bistro and then sharing the fun chick flick, Sex and the City right here in Sunnyside at Centre rather than in Manhattan for half again as much. Sunday I blogged with my Sam Seder friends on the occasion of his last (for now?) Air America Radio show. Then on Monday I went to Red Sky on 29th Street to see Sam interviewing author David Sirota live. David autographed my copy of The Uprising but I am kicking myself for not having Sam autograph it too, though I did shake his hand and get pictures. It was a good night as I also got to meet two delightful Sederistas Kat-in-Manhattan and Lucille.

Then there were some June birthdays. I took Sam Oast out to Pescatore on Tuesday (as I had my hair appointment with incomparable Anca on Wednesday) and joined Sue Bovet, Joanell Meringolo, and Sue Larkin in feting Lillian Heckler on the occasion of her 90th birthday. Pictures from both events will be posted soon. (Coming up are the long distance birthdays of Aunt Betty Murphy, Cousin Patrick Coyne, and Geneva friend Carol Robertson -- stocking up on cards and stamps!)

I got home last night to divide up the CSA share of organic food which Jean Ann picked up from the Sunnyside CSA we joined together: our first pick-up so heavy on the greens! But we're trying to live healthy and locally.

Next week is the Songs FOR peace meeting and the Children of Abraham Peace Walk in Brooklyn. And I have to find time to do some housework. Yes, I need to find a little personal peace by tidying up the environs. Need help from FlyLady! Meanwhile, I am reading David Sirota's great new book, The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington. You should, too, as he writes as good as he looks (see picture below :-).

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne


Kate Anne and author David Sirota