It's toot-toot-Tuesday, don't cry!

Tuesday is deadline day at the Sun, so if there's a day to cry, it would be today. At one of the last places where I was an editor, a magazine, on the first day I bet my fellow editor lunch over which of us would be the first to cry. And I lost! It was I who cried first! I was shocked. But the stress of the day can break you sometimes.

That's why it's good to go into D-Day in fighting shape: don't have too much, or any, writing to do that day. Don't try to plan lunch or meetings. Just rub your hands together, eat a good breakfast, and jam, baby, jam. It's worked for me so far.

I'm glad school is ending for summer. That means the beginning of summer interns for me -- which means a lot more features and assignments to give. I've got three interns starting in a week and look forward to their arrival.


I wish the weather would warm. It doesn't feel like summer. I know we have June gloom -- I was remembering swimming lessons when I was a wee girl, in Terra Linda, in the TL pool, and how gray and overcast it was on those mornings, and how cold the pool, or getting in and out, was. My mom used to buy us some kind of Planter's Peanut toffee bars -- can't remember their names, but they were packed with nuts and energy, and it was a novel treat to be given a candy bar after swimming.


It was the same when the girlies were small -- swimming lessons seemed to begin in chill weather, but by the time we got home, the sun came out and they could go and play. But getting the kids into the pool for a 9 a.m. lesson in foggy weather -- not easy. I think I bribed them with candy bars, too, come to think of it.

Chlorine eyes. Tan lines. The blue of the water. A whiff of bleach still takes me there.

in praise of June

I love June. School is out, the sun is out, everyone is happy...no, I'm kind of lying.

California in June -- Northern Cali, the East Bay in particular -- means FOG, overcast, bare patches of sun once in a while, and a cool wind. Not your typical bathing suit weather. My veggies won't grow -- too chilly. Not enough sunshine to make the tomatoes and squash grow wildly, as they should. It will happen by July, I'm sure -- but for now, everything in the garden, except the weeds, seem stunted and sickly.

But school is out -- temporarily. Out of 4 kids at home, three are going to summer school. They are not amused.

So is everyone happy? I guess that was a lie, too -- I would prefer more sun, and that the kids could enjoy summer without studying, but that's the breaks, chaps.

So, aside from my lies, June is wonderful and we're all happy as little lamb chops. But really? Always grateful. Always glad to be here on the planet. Always happy to have my family around me. No real complaints. A few bleats now and again, but nothing worth griping over for long. Life is good. And so are lamb chops.

By popular demand

Here is the editorial I just published in the Alameda Sun about the proposed curriculum. You be the judge.



The Alameda Sun supports the Alameda Unified School District's new curriculum that helps to explain the reality of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people living among their straight brothers and sisters here on the Island. The Alameda Sun does not support the "opt-out" as a means of sheltering the children from truth — a reality they very likely already know about.

We are not speaking of religious or political opinion here. While it is true that there are religious points of view involved — meaning, some people's viewpoints are threatened — the school district is not empowered to teach religion, and therefore must stick to the facts.

• Fact: One in 10 people is gay. If that's not you, it's your friends, neighbors or family.


• Fact: 77.9 percent of LGBT students hear remarks such as "faggot" or "dyke" frequently or often at school (similar studies have shown that the average high school student hears such epithets 25 times a day) from students, faculty or staff.


• Fact: 82.9 percent of LGBT students nationwide report that faculty or staff never or only sometimes intervened when they were present as such remarks were made.


• Fact: 64.3 percent of LGBT students feel unsafe in their school because of their sexual orientation.


• Fact: LGBT youth of color and female students face abuse often compounded by racism and sexism. Some 44.7 percent of LGBT students of color reported being verbally harassed because of both their sexual orientation and their race or ethnicity.


• Fact: Half of lesbian and bisexual young women reported being verbally and sexually harassed.


• LGBT students are three times as likely to drop out of high school as straight students because of ongoing harassment; these students miss about a third of classes because of ongoing bullying and intimidation, and these students are four times as likely as other students to attempt suicide.

How is any of this treatment to a tenth of the population acceptable? If you substitute "blue eyes" or "brown hair" or "short" instead of "LGBT," you'll see the problem. Whether you "believe" in homosexuality or not (and by now you should, since it's been proven as a part of the natural world far more than Bigfoot, crop circles or space aliens), statistics like the above tell one story.

The statistics tell that a defined group of individuals is being singled out, harassed, threatened, hurt, shamed and worse. The statistics above are facts. If one group is singled out, it is more than "just bullying" or "kids being kids." It is bigotry, and a hate crime as well.

The AUSD Board of Education should vote to introduce the LGBT curriculum, and avoid further damage to vulnerable kids and teens. If that doesn't sway you, read up on the lawsuit that the Vallejo school district just settled this week as an example of what can happen when a school doesn't take steps to adequately prevent harassment.

If you need anything more than that, try these familiar sayings: Love thy neighbor. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Love one another as I have loved you.

back in the saddle again

Yes, well-ish enough to resume the writing. Hi, peoples, and glad to be back. It was gorgeously hot while I was ill, and now that I'm feeling healthy again, or on my way to it, the June Gloom of Northern California summer has arrived, so it's blowing cold wind and fog outside. Brr. Just what the doctor didn't order.


Busy weeks, the next few -- D#3 is heading for graduation and all its attendant activities. D#2 is almost finished with her semester at CoA and planning ahead for her heavy summer semester. D#4 is getting used to her new school and looking for a job, and getting ready to turn 17. The Boy is almost finished with elementary school and is looking forward to becoming a tween, officially. Middle school, here he comes.


Mr Husband and I had a fabu time at the Jimmy Buffett concert in Concord the other night. Click here to see pix of all of us in the limo and at the concert, and closeups of Sir Jimmy himself, courtesy of the talented Sharlene Stephens. I think it's official -- I've become a Parrothead, like it or not.


The garden is growing slowly -- a lot of my seed-grown plants are just not thriving. They are still tiny sprouts when they should be large transplantable creatures by now. That's a disappointment. Also watching all the squashes do not much of anything. They should be starting to take over the universe by now, or soon. Oh well. Maybe June Gloom is what they needed. (ha ha)


I did some fun work for a London publisher a few weeks ago -- proofing their books to Americanize them vis a vis spelling, humor, slang, etc. It is absolutely true that we are two nations divided by a common language. And that humor is the hardest thing to translate. I have a short arts piece to work on for The Monthly and a revision of a longer financial piece I did in January that got held until June or July, same publication. Book sales are steady if slow, but everyone who reads it loves it.


I'm giving a reading at Books Inc in Alameda June 4, and it also includes a "speed dating with poets," that is, 5-minute slots wherein one can get one's poetry critiqued by a working poet. Sign up in advance -- contact Sue Levy at Books Inc. if you're interested: 510.522.2226

Oh, this week's Alameda Sun has a potent editorial that I wrote in support of the school district's LGBT anti-bullying curriculum. Click here to read it (it's short but pointed -- be careful!).


That's it for now. More to come after a Compacty weekend with kids, fog, garden, cats, the Oakland A's game with fireworks, a trip to Thrift Town, and lots more.

sickout

In other words, out sick this week. (koff koff)

Sorry bout that.

mayday, mayday

... or day after May Day (happy birthday to sister Carolyn, aka CJ).

I'm playing Compactor Fun at my house today even though it's raining and I can't hang out laundry. I had a bunch of herbs hanging to dry in the sun but they got rained on and now are perfuming my compost pile. How annoying and wasteful. I also have a bit of the creeping crud, cough, etc, that isn't enough to be terrible or go away. So inside I stay.

I've been refilling soap dispensers and lotion pumps from various other sources -- I have so many half-finished tubes and bottles of lotion that I have been squeezing them into one pump (a decorative one that matches some of my china). It doesn't really matter that they are different scents, I guess -- the purpose is to soften skin. So that's a reuse.

We had a roasted chicken earlier in the week,. and it's now becoming chicken soup for our dinner.

Recent online talk of T-shirt "yarn" sent me to the scrap bin/rag bag, where there were several perfectly cut-up-able T-shirts. Daughter #2 and I are cutting them into strips, and I will make a knitted bathroom rug. Then I notice the cutting hurts my wrist, so I will put this in the TV room and have family cut strips while they watch TV. Must keep idle hands busy!

We continue to sort through our clothes and hand them around to others in the house. I think I've mentioned before that we're mostly all the same size. When one of us gets tired of a shirt or jeans or belt or purse, it goes next to the giveaway pile -- then instantly gets snapped up by another. This happens over and over again. I was cutting up a pair of pj pants this morning for T-shirt yarn that were once Daughter #1's, then mine, then D #4, the D#2, then got cut into sleep-shorts (I have leg bits in the scrap bag. Someone is still sleeping in them and I think it is D#3). This process also works with the Boy, because super-small shirts are the rage for your emo-punk-rockr-teen -- so the Boy's tiny shirts fit D#4 perfectly. He loves her R&R T-shirts and may be seen in them. D#2 and the boyfriend of D#3 often switched jeans. Because skinny boy jeans are in for girls, and skinny girl jeans are in for the skinny emo guy.

See? Everybody wins.

This morning I offloaded a pretty item that was too small but hardly worn to D#3, and picked up 5 scarves from D#2 -- for tying up my ponytail, tying on purse, etc -- not woolen scarves. These are so pretty, and are probably right from Goodwill. Another good purchase, well used.

We watched the Kentucky Derby at 3, and everyone got to pick a horse or two. If our horse wins, we get $10. Mr Husband is a big fan of the Derby, since he used to work in gaming and racing. BTW, I will now share with you my sister Nancy's mnemonic for remembering the order of winners of horse races: Wear Plaid Shoes = win, place, show. I know -- it's genius. Stupid but effective. No charge, friends.

There ended up just four of us at home at the time of the race, so we each took 6 names and Mr Husband took one. I set 2 of mine aside, so that if they won, I would donate their money to the Food Bank. Otherwise, right into savings. But my best shot was Papa Clem, and he came in 4th. Daughter #2 and the Boy split win, place and show. Alas. It was fun to watch the winner, though. 50-1 odds! Major KD upset!

(LOL -- as I sit here typing, D#4 just passed the giveaway pile, picked up a sweater, looked at it, tucked it under her arm, and moseyed away. Free shopping!)

I then spent the next few hours sorting yarn from various sources, into boxes and baskets, odds and ends, sock yarn, acrylic, wool, etc, so it's easier to find when I want it. Ideas dancing in my head, only no time, no time...

OK, I think I've done enough damage for one evening. Everyone go about your business. There's nothing to see here.

Be There or Be Square (it's free)

If you are in the 'hood Friday night, I'm giving a free, short reading from Amaryllis: Collected Poems, in celebration of April's National Poetry Month. 7:30 p.m. at Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Ave., Alameda. (www.rhythmix.org). I'll also be talking to the high school art crowd about inspiring and supporting the young artist.

No, wait, don't run away. Poetry is good for you! It makes you smart and strong, just like a vitamin. Here, just listen...just kidding.

If you missed earlier opportunities to hear Juliapoetry, fresh from the source, here's your chance. It's free, and it's a short reading,and there will be no mimes, jugglers, singing children or animal acts. Come one, come all. I think they will have cookies, too.

PS: You can also buy the book there, if you missed the earlier red-tag sale. Sorry, the book's not free. But so worth it.