The Results Of Saeed's Hard Work

Now that the academic year is finished Saeed is happily back in the yard. It's amazing how the place is starting to shape up after relentless attention from my yard boy :-) He loves to be outside close to nature, digging around getting his hands dirty, and he wears his bloody scratches from the rose bushes like a badge of honor.

Today's pictures will show a few of the flowering bushes he's planted. I'm ashamed to say I don't know any of the names of these bushes (well maybe one) but I make up for it in appreciating the beauty of the blooms in all their glory.

This was in March after a rain (things look bright green.)
This is that same bush!

It's limbs are heavy with blossoms.

This bee was one of many who took advantage of the pollen.

Look at the bush left of center in March.

Same bush (different angle) in full bloom.

I particularly love the contrast of the pink flowers against the green foliage of the surrounding trees.

These lovely flowers are planted near the ditch drain pipe that goes under our driveway.

Could cement and gravel be made any more beautiful?

This bush is streaming its blossoms out from under the willow tree.

Same blossoms close up.

Most of our azaleas are shades of pink but this one is a flaming scarlet.

This bush's blossoms are so different: gentle, singular, and soft white.

I'll keep you up to date at the summer progresses. Probably the bursting blossoms of spring are finished, but our miniature roses bloom throughout the warm months. I'll save those for another post!

Oprah's Vegan Adventure

Excitement in the online world of vegetarians and vegans has increased a bit this week. World famous Oprah Winfrey was affected by comments made in a book by Kathy Freston regarding what she calls "conscious eating." In her blog Oprah says:

"Conscious eater. That struck a nerve. I had recently come to the conclusion that after spending weeks reading and rereading A New Earth and being on line with Eckhart Tolle that bringing a higher level of awareness to my eating was the solution I'd been avoiding. My idea of a conscious eater, however, was not quite the same as Kathy's. I thought it meant not allowing yourself to eat emotionally and filling the void of anxiety with food, as I've struggled with for years. I thought it meant taking your time, making healthy choices and chewing slowly—being conscious of every bite and not scarfing down a meal and then thinking about the next one. That is one level of consciousness. But what she talks about in her book is a higher level. She speaks of "spiritual integrity." How can you say you're trying to spiritually evolve, without even a thought about what happens to the animals whose lives are sacrificed in the name of gluttony? So this 21-day cleanse gives me a chance to think about it differently and see what my attachments are to certain kinds of foods—and what I'm willing to do to change."

Every vegetarian e-newsletter I received has mentioned it. I'm not sure what they're expecting to happen, but I suppose Oprah has promoted many a cause, pushing it into the limelight at least. As a "conscious eater" myself I can't deny that it would make me very happy to know that a few more people are choosing a veggie lifestyle for whatever reason. The average vegetarian saves the lives of 95 animals per year. I see that as 95 fewer miserable lives and miserable deaths.

Kathy Freston is new to me. She has written several books and calls herself a "Conscious Living Therapist." She's making the rounds on daytime TV interview shows. Here's the book Oprah read that lead to her 21 day experiment. I plan to check in on her blog periodically. I wish her well!

The Feminist Press

I would like to introduce those of you who have never heard of The Feminist Press to this wonderful non-profit organization that publishes literary and educational works by and about women. It is the oldest continuing feminist publisher in the world, seeking to provide a source for "lost" women writers. Initially the focus was on American writers, then American writers of color, now international writers who are still far less likely to be translated than male writers. There are several on going projects: a four-volume series that documents women's writing in Africa, and the science project celebrating the achievements of women scientists while frankly analyzing obstacles in their career paths.
An example of someone who's work is represented in The Feminist Press is Shahrnush Parispur, an Iranian-born author who began writing at age 16. She has lived most of her life in Iran but has spent time in France. Several times she's been jailed because of her writings and most if not all of her books are banned in Iran. Currently she lives in the U.S. where one of her books, "Women Without Men", is being made into a movie.

Founded in an activist spirit, The Feminist Press is currently undertaking initiatives that will bring its books and educational resources to underserved populations. It continues to expand "to respond to women's silences wherever they are found." The women in my family and friendship circle are strong women, women who feel that making a difference is important. For this reason I think you would really enjoy searching through the books published by The Feminist Press and encourage you to investigate.

It's Cyrus' Fault

Well, really it's Shirin's fault for planning the birth of her first child for after final exams in May. It's our wedding anniversary today but our plans to go to Asheville to celebrate got changed by the arrival of this little one! I guess Asheville will still be there next month too.

He's too cute to blame for anything more than a dirty diaper.

Aw heck, they look too happy to blame them either!

Shirin's First Son

Obi doesn't quite understand what all the fuss is about. He was Shirin's first son. Like Cyrus he's cute. He wears mittens. He cries and nags sometimes. He hangs out in his crib. He's just about had enough of this favoritism. He wants a webcast on YouTube too. He'll just hang out in his crib until these humans come to their senses.

My New Grandson

Anyone who knows me knows where I've been and why, and probably already had this picture emailed to them. I just wanted to formally welcome Cyrus to the blog and encourage anyone who wants more info about his entry into this world to go to his parents' blog by clicking here.

The little elf himself!

Free Veggie Burger!

If that looks good to you then we are in agreement! If you go to the veg cooking website you will find information about "Johnny Rockets" restaurants and how to get a free veggie burger during World Vegetarian Week (May 19-25.) Of course there isn't a Johnny Rockets within 150 miles of our house, but for those of you who live in Georgia, Illinois, or California you can use their restaurant locator to find the nearest one. Sigh..... I guess I'll go fix myself a veggie burger.

"Vegetarian Mother Gives Birth To Baby Fruits And Vegetables"

The title of this post would be a great headline for The Star or The National Enquirer. (Sorry - I'm just having a little fun! Babies make me silly!) I'm happy to say that Shirin just put up some pictures of Cyrus on her blog from her ultrasound today and the 3-D shots do a good job of letting you see what a cute, chubby baby he is! I think sometimes people worry when a pregnant mom is a vegetarian but Shirin has been very conscientious about her nutritional intake. I'm happy to say that Cyrus will not likely look like any of the produce below. :-)

(sorry - I don't know the source of these items)

Shahbanu And Her Favorite Toy

The star of this show is Banu. The best way to "read" this post is to scroll down at a steady rate and watch the frames as they run together to form a movie. These are but a few of the pictures I took of her while she played with her favorite puffy ball. You will see that as much as she loves to play with it there are a few things that can distract her from her game: an itch that needs scratching, a dirty spot that needs licking, a bird outside the window that needs to be stared at intensely, but she comes back to it and plays till she wears herself out. Enjoy.