Memories and Musings
 Dinner tonight - wild morels and asparagus courtesy of my hunter-gatherer husband! Using local honey and tarragon, thyme and mint from my garden tonight.
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 Voluptuous lilacs from my yard - brought in before another round of cold, wetness - fill vases and spread their scent across my home.
 A 24 hour respite ... snow crystals slowly melt ... my sundry tensions, built up over this long, long winter, release and join the downstream flow... frozen barriers to my favorite mountain waterfalls, creeks, lakes and vistas continue to recede under the longer days of warm, brilliant skies ... I breathe in the spring and light and lightness... I smile and anticipate my sweet reunions with these high altitude havens which feed my soul
On this Spring Equinox, I walk while listening to Louise Erdrich’s “Plague of Doves,” in which she describes, and I experience, the snow giving way, unveiling the blond grasses and black branches under blue skies. I am grateful for the warmth and expansive views and promise of wildflowers.
Finally. A ski day. Powder. Cloud shadows dancing on the flats beyond the Palisades. Bits of sunshine and skiing in clouds making more powder.
A week and a half ago, I was asked to step in to teach a gallery professional practices course and run the university gallery for a friend and professor who is on leave. I had a shell of a syllabus, but needed more content. I reached out to my colleagues at Tfap At Rutgers (The Feminist Art Project), Northern California Women's Caucus for Art (NCWCA)and the staff at MSU Billings Art Department. My inbox was soon flooded with encouragement, and resources and articles and books and syllabi. During the same time frame, we installed Jennifer French's beautiful and haunting exhibition in the gallery and put on a successful opening reception. My student gallery assistants were/are so professional and smart and helpful and intuitive. This generosity of human spirit supported me as I navigated the last minute unknowns. In particular, I am grateful to Karen Gutfreund, Priscilla Otani, Patricia Vettel-Becker, Jodi Lightner, Keeara Rhoades, Rachel Epp Buller, Morgan Syring, Terri Porta, Angel Shandy. Mara Pierce, Mark Earnhardt, Rebecca Summers, Nancy Zastudil, Anne Swartz, Brenda Oelbaum, Valerie Garlick, and Elizabeth Bilyeu, Aaron Rosen, Patrick Williams and our Master of Flowers Paul Rudolph. These are the places where the world is so good.
My beautiful daughter-in-law's beautiful violin with her beautiful harpist friend Elizabeth Steiner
Vaughan Williams- Lark Ascending Arr. Violin + Harp Halloween on Clark Avenue is always uplifting and a reminder how our community can come together to share joy and wonder in a peaceful, if haunting, setting. We estimated 3100 children (and some adults) came up to us for their candy.Six or more of us outside at any one time dispensing the candy with a positive comment or question about costumes for each child - so easy to do. So many darling faces, cheerful "Trick or Treats" and "Happy Halloweens" and costumes. My favorites were a little fortune telling girl, her small table in front of her hanging from shoulder straps, complete with glowing crystal ball, tarot cards and a box into which to place the candy (which dropped down to a cleverly concealed bag underneath) and a little porcupine boy with foot long+ quills arching out of his back and dragging on the ground. Thank you again to Prunella for getting this going so many years ago as a confirmation of Halloween as a fun community event. And thank you to the other residents (who created intricate and beautiful tableaux along the street ... and provided thousands of pieces of candy. and some books! A sampling of moments from a most beautiful celebration: Collin Kriner and Emily Botel's wedding this last July. I am still in reverential respect & wonder ... the caliber of humans with which they have surrounded themselves, the genuine, open embrace of Emily's family, the joy of having Ann and Scott as partners in this week of love, the deep love and support from our family and friends, and enduring sense of hope. And the dancing! And, the friendly, professional people with whom we worked to pull this off in Carmel Valley.
Love, hugs, love, family, love, friends, and more love ... the glow continues from our Welcome Gathering "Tacos and Toasts" at Georis Gardens in Carmel Valley the night prior to the gorgeous wedding of our son Collin Kriner to our beautiful, talented, daughter-in-law Emily Botel last week.
We were so very touched by those who chose to join us - connections from near and far, older and more recent - and by the tender and humorous words spoken about Collin and Emily. I often told Collin, as he left the house when younger, "have fun and make good decisions." He made very good decisions in his friends, who warmed my heart with their affection, loyalty and attentiveness to all of us, and, especially, his choice of Emily as his wife. And Emily's friends were equally warm. They brought together a deeply happy gathering of people to celebrate them. And, our hearts were overwhelmed with the open embrace from Ann and Scott and their family members. We learned a new and lovely word machatonim, which is so much more than "in-laws" - a lifelong connection made through this wedding. Thank you to Rob Weber for these photos! And to Ann and Scott for the perfect wedding. Ed Kemmick offered me this column in his Last Best News online newspaper ... an occasional series of conversations with Billings-area leaders who are committed to creating a vibrant community for all. What a fascinating and hope-inducing group of people.
Claudia Stephens Sitting down with Claudia Stephens, the strategic planning specialist for Ag Worker Health & Services, I feel, immediately, her earnest attention. Listening and being heard were some of the themes of our conversation, as were neighborhoods and the influence of mothers Fitzgerald Clark Contemplative, modest and a self-described introvert … Fitzgerald “Jerry” Clark talked with me about courage, the power of our youth, embracing change and looking at our own frailties. Gwen Kircher Gwen Kircher’s life experiences have given her much to share. Our conversation flowed quickly, from being good neighbors to policy making, to history, race and class. All of these topics appertain to her roles as the current chair of the Montana Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and a past member of the Billings Human Relations Commission. Marci McLean I caught Marci McLean briefly at home between travels as executive director of Western Native Voice, which promotes Native education, advocacy, leadership and community engagement. Our conversation wandered through our connections to family, the land, the power of words and forgiveness. Tyson Middle Tyson Middle is inspired by art and trains, by the young people he mentors and by his 3-year-old son, Jaxon, who joined us for this conversation.Tyson and his mother co-own Underground Culture Krew, where he sells high-end spray paints to crafters, painters and graffiti artists. He grew up in Billings and Greybull, Wyoming, developed his work ethic on his family’s farm, and earned a psychology degree from MSU Billings. Patrick Scott-Wilson Patrick Scott-Wilson is currently passionate about three things: how stories told through theater create culture, discovering how to be an ally to those facing injustice, and how these support each other. He started Sacrifice Cliff Theatre with his husband, Shad Scott-Wilson, six years ago. They are currently assessing what it means to be a theater company in Billings in the 21st century. Abena Lane Abena Lane’s full birth name translates as “pure strength warrior.” This quality is woven into her military service, her faith and the way she talks about representations of black culture, reaching out a hand and Montana Interfaith Network, a group of spiritual leaders that stands up against violence and injustice. Sonia Davis Sonia Davis is a co-founder of Billings SURJ, a chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice, and the Senior High School speech and debate coach. She spoke compassionately with me about white people addressing injustice, and about mutual respect, standing up for each other and the wisdom of youth. Taylor Tellez As a master’s of education student at MSU Billings, Taylor Tellez’s main message is to be unapologetically yourself. He and I talked about identities and labels and the growing number of circles in Billings that support such discussions. Mehmet "Mo' Casey Having lived his whole life in Baghdad, Iraq, Mehmet “Mo” Casey’s path to leaving the deteriorating conditions there came through a Fulbright scholarship to teach Arabic at Rocky Mountain College. He is currently an international admission and advising specialist at MSU Billings and had much to share about the journey of assimilating into a new culture.  SxSW!
Congrats to my son Collin Kriner (film editor) and Director/Writer Nijla Mu'min's team for being selected to premiere this sweet film at SxSW and winning the Narrative Feature Award. Jinn Director/Screenwriter: Nijla Mu’min Summer is a 17-year old carefree black girl, whose world is turned upside down when her mother, a popular meteorologist named Jade Jennings, abruptly converts to Islam and becomes a different person, prompting Summer to reevaluate her identity. Cast: Zoe Renee, Simone Missick, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Hisham Tawfiq, Kelly Jenrette, Dorian Missick, Ashlei Foushee, Maya Morales, Damien D. Smith (World Premiere) Watch it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jinn-Zoe-Renee/dp/B07KLMD4HH IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6641528/ Other Awards & Recognition:SXSW Winner- Special Jury Recognition Award for Writing.American Black Film Festival-ABFF: Best Screenplay Award. NBC Spotlight Actor Award-Zoe Renee.Blackstar Film Festival- Best Narrative Film & Audience Award- Narrative FeatureRoxbury Film Festival- Best Narrative Feature - DramaBronzelens Film Festival- Best Feature & Best of the FestivalIndie Memphis Film Festival- Best Screenplay AwardBarbados Independent Film Festival - Best Narrative FeatureShadow & Act Rising “Creator” AwardMPAC- Hollywood Bureau Media Award for Courage and Conscience 2019Black Reel Award- Best Independent Film 2018Official Selection- BFI London Film Festival 2018 (International Premiere)  Received a strong dosage of community, faith, hope, action at MLK Interfaith Service today hosted by Not In Our Town at Wayman Chapel.
Powerful speakers: Susan Barnes doing an adaptation of “A Prayer for America at the end of 2017” SavannahSinquah, Adverse Childhood Experiences Researcher Barbara Marsh singing Mahala Jackson’s “Elijah Rock” Jerry Clark (Baha’i Faith) Abena Lane talking about the weariness of shouldering the conversations and actions and yet still moving forward Reno Charette ‘s “I Combat Hate” essay Pastor Simon Dalondric Bergen Dave Christianson and the Waymon Choir leading us in “Down by the riverside/don’t want to study war no more”, “we shall overcome” and “ this little light of mine”
"New World Coming"
I was reminded of young hope recently when I heard this song after decades. I played this on my guitar with the church youth group, when the group focused on social justice, helping our neighbors, and before changes in the congregation's focus "encouraged" me to look at other ways to be an advocate, an ally, inclusive, and open-hearted. I don't recall if I learned to play this song during a summer at the Appalachia Service Project, assisting people in rebuilding their homes, or if Amy Ettinger Burkett's mother taught us this in our group guitar classes. But I do remember the sweet chord progressions. Either way, I am surprised at how much it is moving me, at this juncture of social and climate unrest. And yes, that blouse was part of an atypical bold clothing statement phase. I also owned U.S. flag bellbottom pants, which I wore, of course, with red/white/blue love beads.There might have been a peace sign necklace in the ensemble. . . Nina Simone's version is the more soulful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIxfRsD560w Mama Cass' the more upbeat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfQsngNoV7I "New World Coming" There's a New World Coming And it's just around the bend There's a new world coming This one's coming to an end There's a new voice calling You can hear it if you try And it's growing stronger With each day that passes by There's a brand new morning Rising clear and sweet and free There's a new day dawning That belongs to you and me Yes a new world's coming The one we've had visions of Coming in peace, coming in joy, coming in love Why did women march?
A sampling of answers: ~ equal pay/economic justice ~ worker rights ~ reproductive health care/reproductive rights ~ religious freedom ~ to love whom we choose ~ LGBTQIA rights ~ to end domestic violence ~ racial justice ~ criminal justice reform ~ education ~ housing ~ clean food & water ~ accountability for police brutality ~ anti-descrimination policies ~ rejection of mass-deportation ~ climate change/climate justice ~ sensible gun control ~ environmental justice ~ respect/diversity/tolerance ~ to honor the brave women who fought to give us the vote, legal standing/separate from husbands, birth control . .. ~ SOLIDARITY with those who are victims, who do not have access, who, despite their best efforts, struggle for basic human rights and those who seek a kind and just world. ~ and ? |
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