snow snow and more snow

Friday we got hit by the biggest snow storm Salt Lake has seen in a while. We still had a good ground cover from the last storm and then got around two feet more. Fun times for Jared shoveling. Cold and nuisance aside, snow really is magical.

Perhaps I shall blog again

I decided tonight that after taking all of 2012 off, I think I may resurrect this blog in 2013. A lot had changed in the past year and a lot hasn't. Mostly I want a place to write and remember that will last. I feel sad that I haven't documented Miriam in the same way I did Asher. And also, did you know you can post from your phone? I am blogging from my bed right now! Here is the proof... Dark, grainy photos of me and my snuggle bug Asher.

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting–

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

--Mary Oliver, Dream Work

photo credit: http://www.panhala.net/archive/wild_geese.html

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Our holiday card that I did not mail. 

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. These are photos are from Christmas morning before church. Asher would not cooperate but I did get some cute pics of the older kids in their new church clothes. They are getting so big!

The most subversive, revolutionary act in this world is to speak the truth. This is especially so for women. Speaking one’s truth is an act of courage requiring a level of assertiveness that may or may not be in a woman’s possession. Patriarchal cultures have traditionally frowned upon assertiveness in women, training their daughters instead to exist for those around them rather than for themselves. The consequences of trained passiveness don’t need explanation; suffice it to say that such a practice harms women in body, mind and soul. - From "Assertiveness Training" on the blog Doves and Serpents

Read the rest here. 

You won't regret it.  

mormon feminist conference

Jared and I have gotten pretty involved in the liberal, progressive, whatever-you-want-to-call-it Mormon community the past year. We have met so many truly wonderful and inspiring people and made many dear friends. We are thrilled and honored that Margaret Toscano invited us to be on a panel at The Mormon Women's Forum Counterpoint Conference. 


The Mormon Women's Forum is a non-profit organization founded in 1988 that "encourages open and honest discussion among people with diverse opinions and promotes gender equity and social justice in the context of the worldwide Mormon community." The yearly conference explores issues related to Mormon feminism--something very important to me. That said, I am definitely intimidated to be on a panel! This isn't something I've ever done before. 


For those in Utah, I hope you'll consider coming. The keynote speaker is Eloise Bell, a retired BYU professor who is sure to be amazing! And the sessions are free! (Although donations are accepted.)



The Mormon Women’s Forum
Counterpoint Conference
October 8, 2011
Panorama East, Olpin Student Union
University of Utah

The Olpin Student Union is located on Central Campus Drive on the east side of campus; Panorama Room East is on the top floor, on the west side of the building. There is an adjacent parking lot, free on Saturday.

To encourage all to attend the conference, admittance is by donation. The lunch is $15 to cover costs.

9:00-10:30— “LGBT RIGHTS AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS: WORKING TOGETHER FOR EQUALITY”

Panelists:
Michael Ferguson, PhD candidate, Univ. of Utah, college of engineering–focus on neural imaging
Nadine Hansen, semi-retired attorney, grandmother of 7, feminist writer, and gay rights activist
Kendahl Millecam, stay-at-home parent, real food blogger, works w/ Phoenix Youth at Risk
Dominique Storni

10:45-12:15— “HIERARCHY, PRIESTHOOD, AND COMMUNITY: CAN WOMEN BE INCORPORATED INTO CHURCH LEADERSHIP?

Round Table Discussion:
Mary Ellen Robertson, director of outreach and symposia for Sunstone Education Foundation
Michael J. Stevens, professor of management & business admin., Weber State; Sunstone board
Paul Toscano, bankruptcy attorney, author of Sanctity of Dissent and Sacrament of Doubt
Margaret Toscano, feminist writer; assist. prof. of classics & comp. lit., Univ. of Utah

12:15-1:15– Lunch

1:30-2:30– Keynote Speaker & Recipient of the Mormon Women’s Forum 2011 Eve Award

ELOUISE BELL— Retired Professor of English, BYU; author of Only When I Laugh; one-woman show of Patty Bartlett Sessions; Grande Dame of Mormon Feminism. Talk: “Be the Freckle: A Crone’s View on Feminism and Change”

2:45-4:15– “MEN AND WOMEN: LEADERS AND SUSTAINERS? PARTNERS OR RIVALS?

Panelists:
Jared Anderson, teaches religion at Westminster, finishing dissertation at UNC-CH on NT Gospels
Katrina Barker Anderson, wife, mom, step-mom, photographer—birth & breastfeeding advocate
Alan Eastman, chemist with GreenFire Energy by day, and musician by night
Amy Parkin, works in academic publishing, blogs for the-Exponent.Com

4:30-6:00— “FEMINISM, THE CHURCH, AND ME: HOW FEMINISM HAS INFLUENCED MY IDENTITY AND RELATIONSHIP TO THE LDS CHURCH”

Panelists:
Ellen Decoo, Belgian native, BS in sociology from BYU, applying to grad school
Vickie Eastman, retired freelance executive recruiter, gospel doctrine teacher
Derek Staffanson, feminist Mormon housewives blogger, stay-at-home parent, graphic designer

Counterpoint Conference—Registration

The conference sessions are free and open to the public! Donations are greatly appreciated and are suggeststed at $5 per session. You may show up at the door without pre-registering, but lunches must be pre-ordered.

Lunches must be reserved by October 6, 2011; you may email or call to reserve your lunch: Margaret Toscano (801-581-4768; margaret.toscanoATutahDOTedu); Janice Allred (801-225-4967; alphaATxmissionDOTcom), or by posting to The Mormon Women’s Forum, P.O. Box 581454 Salt Lake City, UT 84158 (Return Service Requested)

unmotivated

Remember how we went to London this summer? I still haven't even glanced at the photos from the trip.  Two weeks ago we spent a week in southern Utah with my family. Went hiking at Zions and Bryce, two of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring places on Earth and I haven't looked at those photos either. I don't know what's wrong with me. I need to stop being so lazy.

more miriam

A couple more of the pics I took yesterday....

 And this one is for M, a color version of one I posted yesterday, to show off her blue eyes. :-)

14 months

 

At 14 months, Miriam...

is cuter than ever
can walk on her own but won't unless we are holding her hand
eats solid food every day, but still gets most of her calories from nursing
gives the most delicious hugs and kisses
adores her big brother Asher
sometimes hates her big brother Asher, like when he is sitting on Mommy's lap
loves music and dancing
loves putting on necklaces (see photos) and clothes and shoes
loves brushing her hair
loves footballs
sleeps with Mommy and Daddy
sings when she is tired
points her toes almost all the time (future dancer!)
has four teeth-- two top, two bottom
loves to go up and down stairs
can take off her velcro diapers
still loves Mommy best but will let some family members hold her for minutes at a time and likes hanging out with Daddy too.

She is looking way too grown up in these pictures.

daughters of mormonism

Several months ago I heard about a new podcast called Daughters of Mormonism. The podcast was created by a woman named Sybil who wanted to explore women's issues in the LDS Church. Sybil says "the hope of this podcast is to give voice to our experiences, our issues, our lives, as Daughters of Mormonism. In my view, any woman who has been a part of the Mormon culture or religion, whether she still participates or not, is part of this group I call the Daughters of Mormonism."

After listening to the first few episodes, I knew I wanted to be involved with this project. Sybil was looking for panelists to join group discussions, so I contacted her. She was in Utah at the time, so we were able to meet up and share our stories. In May, we did our first panel discussion on the Divine Feminine. There have been several other panels since then I haven't been able to participate in but we have many more in the works.

Sybil has also done an interview with the panelists to tell our individual stories. These amazing women each have a unique and interesting story to tell. Sybil and I chatted back in June and today my interview was posted. You can listen to it at Daughters of Mormonism or download it on iTunes. Check it out!