a slice of pie

Pie. I love pie. Here in San Francisco, where I am visiting, there are so many places where I can get some good pie! My favorite is strawberry-rhubarb, but a nice cherry pie is good, and pumpkin is quite satisfying too. Now I know this blog is not about me. It's about making a difference in the world, so what does pie have to do with that?

Happiness is one of the greatest things we can experience, and different things make different people happy. Pie is one of the things that makes me happy. Do feel free to tell us about some of the things that make you happy. I remember an old time television program where the maid was always giving slices of pie, or sometimes fresh homemade cookies, to people. It made them happy. I had some wonderful neighbors once who did the same thing. There would be a knock at my door, and one of them would be standing there with something delicious for me to eat. My mom's landlady did it with bread. She was always baking bread, and there would always be an extra loaf for Mom. If you haven't tasted fresh hot bread, straight out of the oven, you are missing out.

Do you bake? Think about sharing with someone. Bring cookies in to school or to work. How about that deliveryperson who is always doing extra things for you? A slice of pie (or even a whole pie), can be quite a reward. You get the idea.  You can easily make someone's day with very little effort.  A slice of pie might not change the world all by itself, but what a delicious way to start! 

Baby it's cold outside

Although winter doesn't officially come to the US until next month, the temperatures have already dipped in a number of places. Here in Arizona where I live, it's been down in the 30s every night this week, and we even had a significant snowfall already. Now is a good time to remember your farm animals or pets and to especially remember the homeless who are outside all the time.

Nice clean warm socks, sturdy shoes, and warm blankets to cover yourself, and of course a good sturdy overcoat are all so very helpful to those in need. A Texas organization called Project Warm Us can use donations and volunteers. Find out more at http://www.projectwarm.us/ A Nashville based organization called Soles4Souls distributes shoes to needy people and, I'm told is also now distributing coats. Their website is https://soles4souls.org/ There are churches and other organizations in communities across the country that do collections and give these things to the needy. Check around where you live, and if you don't find anything, consider beginning a program of your own. The thanks you get back will warm your hearts!

When I lived in San Francisco, we had an annual memorial for people who died outside on the street. Many of those died because of the cold. Most of those deaths could have been prevented. Let's step up and do something.

Keeping Bonnie Franklin alive

These days we can regularly see her talent on reruns of One Day At A Time, and videos from Applause are available HERE. Bonnie Franklin was a brilliant talent with a zest for life. A few years ago, when she passed away, I wrote about her here and what a giver she was. Death didn't put an end to that.

 

Bonnie Franklin lives on in so many ways: the performances I just mentioned and also in a splendid charity she founded a few years before her death, that brings theatre to schoolchildren in Los Angeles. It's called Bonnie Franklin’s Classic and Contemporary American Plays, and I hope you will take a few minutes to check it out.

Now in their 15th season, this incredible idea continues to be a reality thanks to wonderful volunteers and generous donors. One of the reasons I am bringing this up, is because we all can help. One of her old tv co-stars has begun an online fundraiser and donations of any size will help. Click HERE to go to that fundraiser and donate or just get more information. You can also visit the organizations homepage at http://bfccap.org/

The National Endowment for the Arts, Pico Playhouse, The Broad Stage, the Friends of Bonnie Franklin's CCAP, and wonderful individuals like you are all helping to keep Bonnie Franklin alive. Such a wonderful program. Do share it with others, too!

Red

There's a pretty incredible book on the shelves, that is aimed at children, but which I think we all can relate to. On a quick read through, you just might think it is about gender identification, but not necessarily. It's about finding our true selves, and that can mean a number of different things. The book is called Red, and it is written and illustrated by Michael Hall.

Book reviews here these days? Not usually, but this is too good to ignore. I hear this author is pretty good each time out, so I am going to check out his other books too including It's an Orange Aardvark! and My Heart is Like A Zoo. I'm not saying Michael Hall is changing the world, but there certainly are many ways to do that, and children's books is as good a place as any!

The basic story in Red, I must confess is a pretty simple and straight-forward one, but it brought tears to my eyes. I can highly recommend it!

National Latino AIDS Awareness Day

Today is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, chosen to be October 15th back in 2003 because this is the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month. My Hispanic sisters and brothers are certainly impacted by AIDS (we ALL are), and so it is important to reach out and make sure that the message is being received.

Material in English and Spanish is being sent out into communities with large Latino populations and there is a blitz on social media. You even find bloggers like me saying something. Of course I say something a lot. AIDS awareness is something very important to me every single day, and I would again encourage all of my friends to help spread the word.

Two years ago, the rate of HIV diagnosis among Latinos was nearly three times that of caucasians. According to the Centers for Disease Control, "An estimated 220,000 US Latinos are living with HIV, and 15% of Hispanics infected with the virus do not know." It is so important to get the word out!

There is an official website foe National Latino AIDS Awareness Day: http://www.nlaad.org/ - check it out. There are numerous resources there. Help spread the word. Also, get tested and urge others to also. Seek treatment when necessary. We can do this!

It keeps happening

I was awakened today with the distressing news of another campus shooting, this one much closer to home. In the wee hours this morning, at Northern Arizona University’s Flagstaff campus, a gun left one person dead and three others hospitalized after a student opened fire on the others. We don't have a lot of information yet, but I can already hear the water cooler conversations and the chat on social media. When are we going to do something about this?

When indeed. It keeps happening. It isn't just some never-in-your-lifetime event. The Columbine High School massacre‎, Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting‎, the Stockton schoolyard shooting, the shooting at Virginia Tech, the Umpqua Community College shootings which we just wrote about, and the list goes on and on. After each shooting there is sadness, there is outrage, there is deeply divided discussion about what to do, but in the end, no real changes are made, and tragically there are more shootings.

I don't have the answer. I really don't. I do know that we need to do something. This mass shootings on school campuses don't occur in other countries, so why here in the US? What are we doing wrong? Can we agree to come together and put an end to this loss of life? It keeps happening because we are doing anything about it, and while I don't have all the answers, I am absolutely certain that there is enough wisdom in our country to make a difference. I am sure we can end this. We just need to come together and do it.

She is NOT a costume

Those distasteful Caitlin Jenner costumes began appearing several months ago. That sort of thing happens every year. Some people don't even realize they are being offensive, but they are. She is NOT a costume. (I've actually seen a couple of different costumes and they are both offensive.  They make fun of her, rather that celebrate her). The same thing is true when you put on that China doll outfight or dress in blackface. Native American costumes are offensive as well.  If you are mocking a person or a race or a culture, it isn't a good thing. That should be obvious.

There are tons of wonderful dress up ideas that are fun and send a positive message. Dress as the old standbys - ghost, witch, cowboy, fireman. Dress as your favorite performer, but choose someone that has similar characteristics so that you are giving a tribute, instead of making fun of them. Masks can be helpful.

There is never a good time to wear blackface or yellowface. Doing a zombie of a recently deceased person is in poor taste. Dressing nicely as that person is a much better idea.

I can already anticipate that some of you will think I have gone in the wrong direction on this one. Usually I give suggestions for positive things to do, instead of urging you NOT to do something. Am I being way too sensitive? It’s not a political event or a formal gathering at work. It's only Halloween. Indeed. But is there really any time when you should NOT be sensitive to others? Is being rude and offensive ever good? I don't think so. Oh and don't even get me started on those misogynistic costumes.

 

There's still plenty of time to plan a fun outfit.  What I'm suggesting is that you take a few minutes to think about others and how your look will effect them.  Halloween is supposed to be fun.  Let's keep it that way!