I have so much to say this week but I can’t find the words. I am sad but more than anything, I am mad! I don’t want this, what we are living in right now to be a reflection of MY generation and MY life! I don’t want this to be the future for MY daughters.
There is so much wrong that I don’t even know where to start. Because I cannot formulate a thought without swearing and being emotional, I have found through social media, people that have said what I’m feeling. Today, I am using their words to express my feelings about what is happening in our world right now.
Denzican Grimes tweeted,
“When Brock Turner raped a girl who passed out, the judge gave him 6 months because he didn’t want to “ruin his life.” Lindsey Graham still wants to confirm Kavanaugh and doesn’t want to ruin his life.
And people still think there’s no such thing as rape culture.”
The Feminist Next-Door tweeted,
“Brock Turners grow up to be Brett Kavanaughs who make the rules for Brock Turners.”
Anya Dr. Strangely Literal tweeted,
“When a woman says, “This man raped me a long time ago,” we say, “But that was in the past.” When a girl says, “This boy raped me last night,” we say, “But we can’t wreck his future!” And there she stands, suspended between his past and his future, with no value of her own.”
Danielle Muscato posed a question to her followers,
“Ladies, what would you do if all men had a 9pm curfew?”
This thread was heartbreaking. Women said they would be able to jog, sleep with their windows open, go grocery shopping, sit on the beach and so many other things men take for granted. This was Randall Stephens answer,
“I’m a white guy who regularly visits other countries by himself, walking city streets after midnight while listening to music on my headphones while not speaking the language. Never even occurred to me that this was a gender privilege.”
Jackson Katz, a prominent social researcher, describes an exercise he is done with his audiences,
“I draw a line down the middle of a chalkboard, sketching a male symbol on one side and a female symbol on the other. Then I ask just the men: What steps do you guys take, on a daily basis, to prevent yourselves from being sexually assaulted? At first there is a kind of awkward silence as the men try to figure out if they’ve been asked a trick question. The silence gives way to a smattering of nervous laughter. Occasionally, a young a guy will raise his hand and say, ‘I stay out of prison.’ This is typically followed by another moment of laughter, before someone finally raises his hand and soberly states, ‘Nothing. I don’t think about it.’
Then I ask the women the same question. What steps do you take on a daily basis to prevent yourselves from being sexually assaulted? Women throughout the audience immediately start raising their hands. As the men sit in stunned silence, the women recount safety precautions they take as part of their daily routine.”
These were some of the answers…
It’s true. It’s sad but it’s true. I have started teaching my daughters about most of these. My daughters aren’t even allowed to cross the street by themselves yet but I have taught them how to protect themselves from men.
My favourite article that I have read… And I have read a lot this past weekend, I read because knowledge is power and because I am trying so very hard to understand what people are thinking right now. This was written for Vox by Elizabeth Love, a first-year student at Columbia University,
“Teens who are listening to this national conversation are terrified.
Girls my age are watching, reading, and hearing these conversations. And it’s making us scared. I have one friend who told me that the worst part is the clear disregard for women’s safety at the highest levels of the government. Another is terrified to give a man like that so much power, assuming the allegations are true.
Most of all, we’re each scared that the national conversation around Kavanaugh gives entitled young men today the green light to be abusive without worrying that it could affect their future ambitions. We don’t understand how, in the midst of the #MeToo movement, people could be so dismissive of such serious accusations. We feel like we’re sliding backward.
…the moment we start to excuse the teenage actions of our nation’s leaders, we put young girls at risk. We tell them that the traumas they experience don’t “count,” and that if they speak up, they’ll be dismissed. And we tell teen boys that entitlement to women’s bodies is inherent and normal.”
We talk a little bit about this on our podcast this week but mostly we talk about Ninja’s vasectomy! Check out episode 86: Hands Off My Precious HERE!
Fall is here. This week I made a incredibly tasty and delicious Fall Chowder! This chowder is full of nutrition, flavor, and comfort! The kids even asked to take it in their lunches the next day! It was super easy to make and we will definitely be putting this into our autumn/winter rotation!
Fall Chowder
Adapted from: Thriving Home 
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, pressed
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups potatoes, diced
2 cups carrots, sliced
2 cups milk
2 cups corn
½ teaspoon pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Cook bacon over medium to medium-high heat, until just crisp. Remove bacon and put on a plate that’s covered with paper towel. Pour out some of the grease leaving about a tablespoon.
Add onions and garlic to the pot and cook over medium heat until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
Stir in chicken broth, bacon, potatoes, and carrots. Put a lid on and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Stir in milk, corn, and pepper and heat until simmering.
Take the pot off the heat. Slowly add cheese to soup, stirring constantly until cheese is melted.
Taste and season with salt and pepper, as desired.
Mom’s birthday 💛.
