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2) Sent my postcards to Houston this morning, but not by mail because my post office said there is still no delivery to that zip code. This is a topic of discussion on QuiltArt, but you gotta go with the info you have, so I went FedEx instead. Turns out that the PO is delivering there - at least by the web site tonight. oh well.
So I think I'm postcard'ed out for this round. I like how they came out and I hope the viewers and the buyers at Houston enjoy them. More importantly I hope they help Virginia raise a ton of money for the American Cancer Society!
For those who are just arriving from QuiltArt here's all the postcards I'd posted photos of plus two more at the bottom:
It's been a busy week here - helped a friend get and set up a new computer, waited for my own to arrive, watched September go rushing by. Got some wonderful grey fabrics from hancocks, ordered some business cards, had some great pizza for dinner.
Suzette recommended a pen, so of course I had to check it out. Alright, I bought a package of two of them but they were really really cool. And I did some grocery shopping and the dishes. And tonight I made the postcard shown above, based on one of my photos of The Gates.
Tonight I was fortunate to hear Alice Sebold read a portion of the essay published in the NYTimes:
The truth is, none of us knows what the dead do. But on earth, where we remain, the living become the keepers of their memory. This is an awesome and overwhelming responsibility. And it is simple: we must not forget them.
She writes about the dead of Sept 11 and the victims of Katrina and its aftermath and more importantly, what we do with the knowledge of them and their deaths. What can we do with the loss of people we might never know anything about, only that they died?
Whatever it is that comes to you in three months, six months, a year or more, don't turn the page of your book and forget, don't stab the elevator button trying to hurry up the trip. Stop.
These tragedies, it's worth remembering, grant us an opportunity to understand what is perhaps our finest raw material: our humanity. The way we at our best treat one another. The way we listen to one another. The way we grieve.
Go read the whole because it's a keeper. Its simplicity and directness can help all of us.
Yeah I know - imagine tearing myself away from the mighty powerbook in order to actually sew. But I promised some postcards for an invitational auction at the show in Houston, so....
So above is the second one, and here's the first one - free floating.
I hope to spend the day doing normal things. Perhaps some canning of tomatoes. Perhaps a little vacuuming. Perhaps a walk down the nearby lane. I'll call the folks. I'll think about Sept. 11, 2001, the lives lost and the way it changed our lives, yes.
But I think I'll be spending a little time thinking about what's happening in this country and what can be done to effect change. Because there are some bad things happening and it's not at all clear what can be done. Unlike the days of Viet Nam, there are no significant protests about the war or the actions of our government. There seems to be no gathering force to bring about change.
If we cannot spend the day doing normal quiet things, the men who place no value on life, the ones we call terrorists, will have accomplished their goal. But if we do not take back our power as citizens I'm not sure what the future of our country can be.
Below I suggested you do what you can -- one of the things you can do is mention the ArtDoingGood on your website and the fundraiser for the Red Cross Katrina efforts that are going on there. It's a great way to support a huge effort and to enjoy some wonderful art as well.
and see the wonderful artwork that was donated by members of the QuiltArt mailing list. All proceeds benefit the American Red Cross for the Katrina efforts.
Many thanks to the instigator Laura Cater-Woods and the other workers, June Underwood, Cathy Arnett and Carol Myers. For some of us in this project, the work is mostly done (that would be me and June although more will be coming) and for others the work is only beginning (Cathy and Carol) -- but the Gulf disaster is overwhelming and ongoing.
Do what you can, in whatever way you can.
Written at:
9/07/2005 11:32:00 AM
OK, I don't even really know that this is 100% fact although I have some faith in macnn.com, where I found this:
FEMA relief services Windows-only Hurricane survivors using Mac and Linux computers have been unable to use Federal disaster relief claim services online, reports Macworld UK. The service, created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), only works with Windows and Internet Explorer 6. It is unclear if there is a reason the FEMA site blocks non-Internet Explorer browsers. Some Mac users have managed to gain access to the site using Opera -- which can identify itself as Internet Explorer 6 -- without problems. Ars Technica claims many relief workers have been forced to spend precious aid money on Windows OS licenses as they set up terminals to help hurricane victims initiate the claims process. The controversy is the latest in an ongoing struggle with FEMA, which has been criticized for not doing enough following the disaster
Yeah, that about sums it up for me. Total losers. We need to realize that WE'RE the ones in charge here and take back the power, and subsequently, the money.
