Mary Travers, 1936-2009

I have long been a big Peter, Paul and Mary fan. Especially a Mary Travers fan. While they did get a little schmaltzy in the later years there (and always looked very, very earnest), whenever I listen to their early albums or watch them perform at some rally or another I totally fall in love with both their amazing harmonies and desire to see justice done.

While I know, of course, that there are still artists today who are involved politically. Also, not all musicians in the folk scene were political or lefties, but there is definitely part of me that really identifies with how folk musicians used music as their protest and in their activism. Mary Travers died last night as she suffered from leukemia, and I must admit that there were a few tears shed as I watched the footage of them on Democracy Now!, she was so beautiful and passionate. So, I'm going to leave you with a little video that hopefully you enjoy, and rather than hearing a song you've sung a million times in primary school with the hippy hold out teacher, you'll see a woman fighting for equality and justice.

I feel like I may have posted this video before...but it's hands down my favourite song of their's, enjoy!

xo

I will not.

A little something I have been working on for a friend. The text is taken from a quote by the amazing bell hooks, educational theorist, feminist and anti-racist /social activist. The full quote says, 'I will not have my life narrowed down. I will not bow down to somebody else's whim or to someone else's ignorance.'

Stitching these words over, and over was (at the risk of sounding extremely hippy) actually quite meditative and empowering. I love the defiance and certainty of the statement. I will not have my life narrowed down.

Happiness is...

A few things that are making me happy on this cold, rainy evening.

Purple flowers in old jars.

Bird stickers, for making magnets with.

Polka-dot and lilac tissue paper found at Urban Source.

Thank you so much for all the encouragement you have given me over this post. I was really honored to have some of you share you own experiences with me, and excited to see that there are others who are also passionate and outraged by the way Vancouver treats its most vulnerable. I am going to submit the post as either a letter to the editor (one of the larger newspapers) and also maybe as an article (smaller, probably more lefty newspaper). I also would like to continue to blog about what is going on in the DTES, and about other issues I think need to be spoken about. I love craft, design, baking and pretty things. I really do, and I will continue to write about that. However, I find that it is only one aspect of who I am. I completely respect the people who choose not to blog about things they perceive to be "negative", but I think if I did that I would feel like I was denying a whole part of my thinking and who I am. A blogger I really respect recently told me that blogging was her activism, I think that is so true.

So, you've been warned. Not only will you continue to find etsy treats, knitting/stitching/drawing wips (works in progress, come on), teacups and recounts of thrifting expeditions, but there may also be some posts on breastfeeding awareness and feminist rantings thrown in there too. For good measure, of course.