Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Thank You for Signing the Preamble - Now, Let's Get to Work!
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: The Dreyfuss Civics Initiative <info@thedreyfussinitiative.org>
Date: May 5, 2017 at 11:38:22 PM EDT
To: jredgrace@gmail.com
Subject: Thank You for Signing the Preamble - Now, Let's Get to Work!
Reply-To: info@thedreyfussinitiative.org
- Many members of Congress never studied in detail the Constitution and Bill of Rights during their K-12 education.
- Wouldn't it make sense to teach children HOW to run the country before it's their turn to take the reins?
We think so, too.Not Just an Introduction
The Preamble is more than just a segue into the Constitution. It's a mandate. A directive of what it means to be an American. Thank you for signing the Preamble in support of bringing Civics back to the classroom. Together we can help turn students into citizens.Take ActionProtecting American values is an active endeavor. Get involved in your community today!
- Become a guest speaker at local schools.
- Demand municipal government be accessible and transparent.
- Participate in online forums to share community information and ideas.
* The transcript is provided for information purposes only. Information provided is not to be re-used.
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Bird on a Wire
Like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
Like a worm on a hook
Like a knight from some old fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee
Like a knight from some old fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee
If I, if I have been unkind
I hope that you can just let it go by
If I, if I have been untrue
I hope you know it was never to you
I hope that you can just let it go by
If I, if I have been untrue
I hope you know it was never to you
Oh, like a baby, stillborn
Like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me
Like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me
But I swear by this song
And by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all up to thee
And by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all up to thee
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch
He said to me, "You must not ask for so much"
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door
She cried to me, "Hey, why not ask for more?"
He said to me, "You must not ask for so much"
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door
She cried to me, "Hey, why not ask for more?"
Sunday, March 5, 2017
A Time Such As This
This is the age in which we live.
The speed and complexity of the change is unprecedented and worldwide.
In the recorded history of man we have not seen climate shifts on this scale as well as mass animal deaths + extinctions, not to mention the technological advances of our own species - just in the last decade.
Recent News Clips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omAH6Co-FI0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTD13kIiZtM
Increasing hatred.
Persecution of speech and freedom of thought.
Just some highlights.
#Orwellian #crimethink #thoughtcrime #newspeak
#surveillance #EarthChanges #ExtremeWeather #AI #extinction #SignsInTheHeavens #galacticevents #MysteriousSounds #NaturalLaw #LHC #CERN #BirthPains #StandFast #HumanitarianCrisis #Wars #RumorsOfWars
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
He Knows The Way I Take
23 Then Job replied:
2 “Even today my complaint is bitter;
his hand[a] is heavy in spite of[b] my groaning.
3 If only I knew where to find him;
if only I could go to his dwelling!
4 I would state my case before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would find out what he would answer me,
and consider what he would say to me.
6 Would he vigorously oppose me?
No, he would not press charges against me.
7 There the upright can establish their innocence before him,
and there I would be delivered forever from my judge.
his hand[a] is heavy in spite of[b] my groaning.
3 If only I knew where to find him;
if only I could go to his dwelling!
4 I would state my case before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would find out what he would answer me,
and consider what he would say to me.
6 Would he vigorously oppose me?
No, he would not press charges against me.
7 There the upright can establish their innocence before him,
and there I would be delivered forever from my judge.
8 “But if I go to the east, he is not there;
if I go to the west, I do not find him.
9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;
when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.
10 But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
11 My feet have closely followed his steps;
I have kept to his way without turning aside.
12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips;
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.
if I go to the west, I do not find him.
9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;
when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.
10 But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
11 My feet have closely followed his steps;
I have kept to his way without turning aside.
12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips;
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.
13 “But he stands alone, and who can oppose him?
He does whatever he pleases.
14 He carries out his decree against me,
and many such plans he still has in store.
15 That is why I am terrified before him;
when I think of all this, I fear him.
16 God has made my heart faint;
the Almighty has terrified me.
17 Yet I am not silenced by the darkness,
by the thick darkness that covers my face.
He does whatever he pleases.
14 He carries out his decree against me,
and many such plans he still has in store.
15 That is why I am terrified before him;
when I think of all this, I fear him.
16 God has made my heart faint;
the Almighty has terrified me.
17 Yet I am not silenced by the darkness,
by the thick darkness that covers my face.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Friday, January 20, 2017
The Inaugural Address January 20, 2017
Voice of the people? This sure sounds like a pretty good start.
"Because today we are not merely transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to another – but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People.
For too long, a small group in our nation’s Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.
Washington flourished – but the people did not share in its wealth.
Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed.
The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.
Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation’s Capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.
That all changes – starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you.
It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America.
This is your day. This is your celebration.
And this, the United States of America, is your country.
What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.
January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again."
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Set List: Celebrating 1975
#TonightsBirthdayDinnerMusic
Celebrating '75
Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blue - YouTube
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
An Essay of Place
All photos taken by JLR Grace 2010-2014
The Vineyard.
“How I wish that somewhere there existed an island for those who are wise and of good will.” Albert Einstein
In the year 1835, not far from where the ferry came in on the tide to bring souls to the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Jeremiah Pease selected a “venerable grove of oaks” to be a place of worship and revival. This spot would be the roots that would grow to become Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association. In August of 1836 the first Love Feast was held, and the following year more than 2000 people were coming to attend the tent revivals and camp meetings held in this special place . Known today for its affluent summer residents and the plentiful number of prominent Presidential Democrats who vacation there (from Kennedys to Clintons to Obamas) this island is instead rooted in a rich history of common people - many seeking a deep spiritual experience on its sandy shores.
I moved to Martha’s Vineyard in July of 2011 and I found it to be beyond what I imagined. When you can smell the sea on the air and see the light of the sky reflected back on itself, mystery of mysteries how there seems to be a song that rolls in on the waves. I have lived most of my life on the shores of the "Inland sea", and Lake Ontario is one Great Lake, I am no stranger to glorious sunsets and the beauty and peace that comes with residing by water. I was however, unprepared for the grandeur and majesty that is the Vineyard in the midst of the Atlantic. Six miles out to sea and surrounded by only the steel blue waves, the night sky patterned with innumerable stars - a place that transports you back in time to when the tales told in the heavens and the lights from above guided our way.
Working and living Up Island, in the small operational fishing village of Menemsha, I found myself removed from Edgartown and its Yacht Clubs and men in Pink sweaters with Nantucket Red pants, those affluent summer residents. Instead, I lived where once the sunset in an orange fire into the deep water, all you could hear was the song of the bell on the buoy, keeping time with the moon and her tides. In the morning and as the day dawned in the wee hours before, the cries of the fisherman, in their weathered carharts and stained hoodies, could be heard echoing through the Harbor along Squid Row. Setting lines, getting gear in order to head out for the days catch, which could include Bluefish, Albacore Tuna, Striper Bass - caught that day and then served that night, at the oldest restaurant on island -Home Port, where I managed the dining room. It would sometimes take 3 or 4 men to carry in a 300 pound fish, scales gleaming and glistening silver flashing in the sun from the boat on the dock to the back of the pick up truck, through the parking lot and onto the Chef’s table. A team of guys breaking the beast of the sea down, from tip to tail, all parts used and served to the masses who would wait for an hour or more for a table, to be read the daily specials of the ever changing chalkboards created by yours truly and my young effervescent hostess. The floor would be dangerously slick with butter as Lobstah after Lobstah went out to the tables, guests dining on crispy fresh fried fish, whole belly clams, seared scallops and the best yet - selections from the raw bar; Katama Bay Oysters or little necks, plucked hours before from the water and shucked before your very eyes.
My move to the Vineyard was a whim, a friend lived there - a seasonal job opened up, she knew the owner, she recommended me for the position. My children were both over 15, and my family thought they could survive without me for the summer in New York, so off I went on what would become an incredible learning experience and the adventure of a lifetime. It would end up becoming our home. Giving up the only place we had ever known, for an existence only attainable by air or sea. My oldest son joined me after about a month, then his brother a month later (both going right to work in the island’s Hell’s kitchen's). Meeting extraordinary people from all corners of the globe, was one of the most educational and emotional experiences of my life. The world came to this place, and many became family. My husband, Nate, had put in his notice at work by the fall, we had found a place to rent (that was not a Windmill, where we all had been staying for the summer, pictures below) he had secured employment on island, and was blessed to end up doing some incredible high end finish carpentry work. Nate was able to learn so much about traditional American craftsmanship while we lived on island, it was like living history at the edge of the world in more ways than one.
When I began researching the local history of the Vineyard and discovered that the town of Oak Bluffs with it’s colorful, quirky, unique gingerbread cottages, had been founded when thousands had journeyed to the island for those summer camp meetings - steeped in revival and a passion to worship God, I was struck by just how many stories a place can hold. The tales that could be told by that “venerable grove of oaks” as well as the rolling rock walls placed by early settlers, and the trails through forests by a people far more ancient than that. The Vineyard is home to the Wampanoag Indian tribe, the only Native American people to retain their original ancestral land in this country, as well as holding the claim to fame of being the very tribe that hosted that first Thanksgiving all those years ago over on the coast in Plymouth. The purple marbled Wampum that is still made into fashionable jewelry today, is dug and ground from quahog shells just as it was hundreds of years ago, the tourists clamor for it - and the trade is good for the people (see my one and only piece in photo below, it reminds me of a Supermoon).
I, like Dorothy, have learned in my life, that there is no place like home. That you can go searching for yourself all the way to OZ and back, but you really needn't look further than your own backyard. I have also learned that home is where the heart is - where you hang your hat - where you are surrounded by those you love. Many of those I loved then and now, are far from me, some in actual miles, some near- but unreachable-separated by the distance of illness and decay, some unreachable and gone from this time. It is because of the fleetingness of place and home that we, therefore, must hold those we love in our heart - no matter where we physically find ourselves. I have always felt myself a stranger in a strange land, whether in the small lakeside village where I grew up surrounded by friends and family who had known me my whole life, or as I found myself, on a tiny island surrounded by strangers - proud New England Patriot Yankees, to be exact. I must admit, despite living in one of the top vacation destinations in the US - I had an ever present longing to return "home". Although, it was not so much the shores of Lake Ontario that beckoned me to return, but again, the sense of that strange land which called me back. This call could be heard most clearly however, through the bell on the buoy out there in the lapping waves themselves - there it came from a distant time, and the voices became many and long. John F. Kennedy, a sailor on the Atlantic waters I was blessed to call home for a while, once said;
“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came.” (Brainyquote, n.d.)
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| [ Source: https://goo.gl/images/tNkFq6 ] |
My years on the Vineyard afforded me the interesting opportunity of solace and solitude, soul searching and seeking by the sea. While the summer season had me working 70 hours a week to meet the demands of the 120,000 tourists there to do business, the winter found me among the few 20,000 hearty souls who stayed to weather the bitter and harsh cold. I spent this time, bundled in front of a fire or at the Chilmark library - not only researching local history, but exploring my own. I became a bit obsessed with tracing my genealogy and discovering my own roots, looking for that strange land that seemed to call to me through the eons. The Vineyard for me, was a place of personal discovery, where the winds blow fierce off the Atlantic -especially in the bleak and brutal winter months. A shore where you must learn to stand solid and firm -in the face of whatever may come in on the tide. As with the many who came during the Victorian era across the water for tent revivals, looking for a spiritual awakening, I surely found mine among the venerable oaks, the green pastures filled with sheep, the red clay cliffs, all with the velvety night sky hung above… even the Zodiac gracious enough to include me in its extraordinary tale.
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| Wampum Bracelet by Wampanoag Tribe 2016 |
References
MVCMA.ORG. (n.d.). History - Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association. Retrieved from http://www.mvcma.org/history.html
Perl, S., & Schwartz, M. (2014). Writing true: The art and craft of creative nonfiction (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.
Brainyquote http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johnfkenn151955.html
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Sunday, October 2, 2016
Forgive as you would be forgiven.
Erev Yom Kippur October 11, 2016 ~ Yom Kippur October 12, 2016
As this time approaches please consider, here's the deal for the holiday,
Not so easy right?
THEY were WRONG! I am HURT! I am offended! WHERE is the JUSTICE?!
It flies in the face of our very nature to love those who hate us, to forgive the unforgivable - but it is indeed what we are asked to do.
When I struggle with this, which I do - as by nature I am one unforgiving bitch, I think of Christ on the cross..."Father forgive them they know not what they do".
Talk about a guy who had every right to be pissed off and claim injustice.
When I think "THEY don't deserve forgiveness", I remember neither do we...
more specifically me, I do not deserve forgiveness.
You see, I am a thief - a murderer - a sinner, guilty of many transgressions in both thought and deed.... and I know that my time is coming soon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsNsc5znPGw
This man, who we know according to the historical record lived (there is more evidence that testifies to His life than that of Julius Caesar), this man endured unjust suffering -
for you, for me, for all who would call upon His name.
Consider Him. May you forgive and be forgiven.
Today I say to you, L'shanah Tovah! Happy Rosh Hashanah!
Shanah Tovah Umetukah... a good and sweet year!
"On Rosh Hashanah it is written… On Yom Kippur it is sealed.
May it be written and may it be sealed that you have a new year that brings fulfillment and happiness, peace and prosperity -
all of life’s very best things.
Have a Happy, Healthy New Year!”
As is tradition, in the year to come I offer a prayer for my children;
that they may live upstanding lives dedicated to acts of loving kindness, charity and study:
May God make you like Ephraim and Menasheh.
May God Bless you and guard you.
May the light of God shine upon you, and may God be gracious to you.
May the presence of God be with you and give you peace.
In the matchless name of Christ the King, Yeshua Hamashiach -
a boy from Bethlehem, a roughneck carpenter from Nazareth, Jesus Christ our Lord.
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