Aging with Attitude Workshop

PLACE: REDMAN STUDIO

1022 Santa Barbara Street

San Diego, CA

DATE & TIME: Saturday, Nov 8, 2008, 10-4 PM

FEE:  sliding scale $55-75

Led by Helen Redman, MFA: An internationally exhibited artist, feminist, teacher and grandmother who focuses on the heightened creativity and spiritual growth that comes with age.

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Our creativity is a great gift of empowerment, a way to constantly refresh ourselves and replenish our ideas. As I age, I notice changes in my creative process, my concentration, energy and health, and even the concept of myself as an artist.

Last March I was invited to participate in an exhibition, titled Aging with Attitude at the University of Michigan, featuring art that pushes our horizons about what it means to age. The exhibit was part of Blueprint for Aging, a community collaborative whose goal is to increase aging awareness, education, empowerment and advocacy. http://www.blueprintforaging.org

Jill Kind, Director of the Blueprint for Aging, says, “As a culture, we tend to think about aging in negative or sentimental ways. That’s way too narrow, limiting and boring..."

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I love the title Aging with Attitude and, with permission, I am making it the subject of one of my workshops. We are asked to explore, celebrate, and complicate aging by our individual and collective responses to it. I am inviting you to do the same at my San Diego Studio.

You have the option of bringing materials with which you are familiar and enjoy using or choosing from the abundance of art media available at the studio. You can work with two or three dimensional materials, fabrics, paints, pastels, mixed media -- anything goes.

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This art encounter will take place in my Point Loma studio in a setting that is nourishing to the senses. No previous art or writing skills are needed but they are also very welcome, as we will utilize our different talents including our senses of humor and play. At all the sessions, people of various ages (26-86 so far) and backgrounds create work that is expressive, insightful and healing. We are blooming creatively, sharing perspectives, having fun and growing older together "art-rageously!"

Please forward this invitation to anyone you feel would be interested in participating.

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TO REGISTER:

First reserve a place by e-mailing redcrone@aol.com or calling 619-226-4644. Limited spaces are available and will be filled in the order of response.

To officially register, via postal mail please send a check payable to Helen Redman, 1022 Santa Barbara Street, San Diego, CA  92107.  Include your name, address, phone and e-mail.  Further information and directions will be e-mailed to you. The workshop fee is a sliding scale of $55-75.

THANKS

Helen Redman

1022 Santa Barbara St.

San Diego, CA 92107

Phone: (619) 226-4644

E-mail: redcrone@aol.com

URL:  http://www.birthingthecrone.com

09.10 - Berlin, Columbiahalle - Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar
10.10 - Köln, E-Werk - Bodies Of Water
11.10 - London, Forum - Get Well Soon / Bodies of Water
12.10 - Brüssel, AB - Get Well Soon
14.10 - Paris, La Cigale - Get Well Soon
15.10 - Amsterdam, Paradiso - Get Well Soon
16.10 - München, Muffathalle - n/a
17.10 - Zürich, Volkshaus - n/a
18.10 - Mailand, Rolling Stone - Moltheni
19.10 - Frankfurt, Mouseonturm - Bodies of Water
21.10 - Wien, Gasometer - Lambchop
22.10 - Dresden - Alter Schlachthof - Garda
23.10 - Hamburg, Fabrik - Bodies Of Water
24.10 - Kopenhagen, Vega - Our Broken Garden
25.10 - Stockholm, Nalen - Barr
26.10 - Oslo, Rockefeller - Al DeLoner

DUBLIN, October 6 (Compass Direct News) – Militant Islamists in the southern island of Mindanao have stepped up their attacks on majority-Christian villages following the failure of a peace agreement that would have enlarged an existing Muslim autonomous region there.

With Muslim commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the southern Philippines yesterday saying ongoing support from the international community was necessary to prevent a full-scale war breaking out in Mindanao, both Muslim and Christian residents in the disputed territories were fearful of what the future might hold.

“The problem is that many people living in these areas don’t want to be part of a Muslim autonomous region,” a source in Mindanao who preferred to remain anonymous told Compass.

“The closer you get to these zones, the more nervous people are,” he said. “The town of Kolambugan, where most of the fighting took place in mid-August, became a virtual ghost town for a while. It had a population of 25,000. But people are slowly returning to their homes.”

A Christian family from the area said many people were afraid to sleep at night because they kept hearing reports that they would be attacked at midnight.

“When MILF forces attack Christian villages, Muslim neighbors are afraid that Christians will retaliate against them, even though they have nothing to do with the violence,” the source added. “This has happened in the past.”

He also explained that some moderate Muslims are drawn to support the MILF because the rebels claim the Christians have stolen their ancestral homelands. Communities in Mindanao often struggle with extreme poverty.

“If MILF is successful in gaining control over these lands, the people assume that their economic situation will improve,” he said. “So although they want the fighting to stop, they sympathize with the MILF.”

While the conflict is primarily political, religion plays a significant role. As a member of the Moro Youth League stated in an Aug. 5 national television interview in the Philippines, “As a Muslim, in order to live in a righteous way, you need to be living under sharia [Islamic] law and with an Islamic government. We believe we have the right to fight for this.”

Other Youth League members on the program agreed that sharia was a primary objective of autonomy, and that Islam was the only “real path of doing anything in this world.”

Violence Erupts

Some 2,000 MILF supporters yesterday held a protest march in Marawi city, Lanao del Sur, appealing to the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference to compel the Philippine government to revive the aborted peace agreement that would have enlarged the existing Muslim autonomous region in the south.

Breakaway MILF commanders on Aug. 18 attacked several majority-Christian villages after the Supreme Court prevented the Aug. 5 signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD). The agreement potentially would have given the MILF power to establish an Islamic state governed by sharia law.

Christian leaders in Mindanao appealed to the Supreme Court when they realized that if they voted against inclusion in the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE), their majority-Christian villages would become small islands in the midst of MILF-administered territory. As a result, they feared, they would be forced to move elsewhere.

Incensed by the 11th-hour stalling of the agreement, three MILF commanders on their own initiative led attacks against towns in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte provinces on Aug. 18, burning homes, seizing livestock and killing at least 37 people. Another 44,000 residents immediately fled the area.

When some Christian residents armed themselves in defense, Secretary of Interior Ronaldo Puno warned that anyone carrying weapons would be disarmed.

The MILF has only 11,000 active fighting men, according to local estimates. But by Aug. 20, the National Disaster Coordinating Council had reported a total of 159,000 people displaced by the rebel attacks.

The Philippine army quickly retaliated, sweeping villages in an attempt to seize the rebel commanders.

After two weeks of violent clashes, the Philippine government officially abandoned the MOA-AD. Spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would seek a new agreement based on consultation with legislators and local politicians rather than negotiations with the MILF.

Furthermore, the government would concentrate on the “disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation” of MILF cadres, Fajardo said.

In response, MILF leaders rejected any renegotiation of the peace deal with Arroyo’s administration.

Overcoming Prejudice

An opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Aug. 7 stated that the MOA-AD would only reinforce prejudices between Christian and Muslim communities.

Under the agreement, WSJ claimed, the government would further divide Mindanao into Muslim and Christian enclaves, increasing the likelihood of territorial disputes. Separating Muslims from the rest of Philippine society, it stated, would encourage a vision already held by MILF to help create a pan-Islamic state covering several countries in the region, including Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

Finally, the WSJ said, less Philippine control of Mindanao would “invite even more terrorist activity in an area that already has strong ties to al Qaeda.”

While there are proven terrorist leanings in groups such as the MILF and the Abu Sayyaf, not all area Muslims approve of or engage in such activities.

Camilo Montesa, a key figure in peace negotiations, in his blog on Aug. 30 described an encounter with a young man who believed that Muslim residents would readily seize property from Christians once the BJE were formed.

Others told Montesa that, “Muslims were scouting and marking the big houses of Christians in Cotabato and staking a claim over them in anticipation of the signing of the peace agreement.”

“The hearts and minds of the people are the battlefields, and not some hill or base camp,” Montesa concluded. “There is a limit to what arms and war can produce ... It is unfortunate that we are so divided as a people at this point in our national life.”

Reclaiming ‘Ancestral Domains’

As Islamic identity strengthened in the Middle East after World War II – and as many Philippine Muslims traveled to study in Middle Eastern countries – certain sectors of the Bangsamoro population became committed to reclaiming “ancestral domains.”

Their claims dated back to the rule of the Sultanate of Sulu, which existed prior to Spanish colonial rule in the 1500s, and the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1935. When the last sultan died in 1936, the fledgling Philippine government refused to recognize his heir, effectively eradicating the traditional Bangsamoro power base.

When the Philippines became a republic in 1946, its constitution allowed for the establishment of an autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao. Initially the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) fought alone for this autonomous territory; in 1977, however, MNLF member Hashim Salamat – who had studied in Saudi Arabia – and his followers seceded from the movement and founded the rival MILF.

The Philippine government signed an agreement with the MNLF in January 1987, and territories were added to the resulting Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) through a series of plebiscites or referendums in 1989, 2001, 2002 and 2006.

MILF commanders later laid claim to a further 712 villages outside the ARMM.

Negotiations between the government and the MILF began in earnest in June 2001. Both parties were to formally sign the resulting MOA-AD on Aug. 5, a deal which could have led to the creation of the separate Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, or fully-functioning state, replacing the ARMM by 2010.

When details of the agreement were leaked to the press, however, Christian politicians in regions of Mindanao affected by the agreement appealed to the Supreme Court, which in turn issued a temporary restraining order on the signing of the agreement on Aug. 4.

Report from Compass Direct News

First - there's the woman I call my daughter-in-law, even though she and my son aren't married.  I have to admit that I resented this person's "intrusion" into my son's life 12 years ago...and I didn't hesitate to make that fact known to her.  (I can be a serious bitch, in case you hadn't guessed that.) 

I now love this woman so much...and am thrilled that she is my son's partner.  She's exactly what he needs for balance and support.  She's a terrific mother to my granddaughter.  And she is one of the brightest people I've ever met.  She has this enviable ability to go to the heart of a matter with few words and incredible insight.  One small example:  I recently told her that I was trying to read Joyce Carol Oates and was finding it somewhat difficult.  Her response?... "She talks too much."  Absolutely spot on!

She faces challenges with stoic "spunk"; accepts her truth without whining; says what needs saying in her gentle manner; and loves my son unconditionally.  She has brought so much truth and grace into my life.  I have learned to love her deeply.

Then there's my housemate.  This is a woman who has had many obstacles to overcome.  She never stops working on those issues.  She is a loyal and true friend; a dedicated professional; and a caretaker extrordinaire.  Her family is so fortunate to have her in their lives!  And I am lucky to have her in mine.  She decided, seven years ago, to become a friend to me...a formidable task in itself...and has been one of the most incredible sources of support and caring that I've ever known.

And then there's Mary.  I can't begin to tell you how hard I've been on Mary in the past.  She came into my life as the director of my department in a social service organization.  And I resented the ease with which she was able to get the job...her status and salary.  But this woman, over time, became one of my best friends - and, as I got to know her, one of the biggest influences on my personal and professional growth.  She taught me about beauty...how to surround myself with "things" that fed my spirit.  I've watched her support family and friends who were facing serious illness and death...and learned about what it means to be a true friend, no matter the cost.  She is the person who will visit you in the hospital every day; who will meet whatever of your needs she can; and who will grieve your passing without concern for her own well-being.  (This is huge for me...I have tended to pull away from people when I knew I was losing them, so as to lessen my own pain.  But - my Mary will hang in there to the ugly, bitter end...no matter how her heart is being shattered.)

There are so many more.  I can't begin to list them all.  How fortunate I am to have these people around me; to receive the gift of their love and friendship.  I want to share them with all of you.

Here's to friends and family members that are among some of life's best offerings!  No matter how ugly and painful your path...if you are blessed with people like Morag, Melanie, and Mary...and so many others - you are truly blessed!

I offer humble thanks to these three women...to all the others who add richness, growth, and warmth to my life, and hope that you, too, have such amazing people in your worlds.

Peace to you!

While our friend is transitioning from full-time ministry, we are on the verge of our own transition.  On October 17th I'll be ending my employment with Taylor University and beginning full-time ministry.  I'll be splitting my week - serving SAT-7 remotely and meeting with ministry partners.  This is a step that is being realized because the Lord's work in His people - that is, you.  He has promised and He is delivering.

My time at Taylor was another example of His provision.  He met our needs as a family.  He provided a place filled with His people where I could heal and come to know Him more.  So, we are very grateful to the Father. It will be hard to walk out the door in two weeks.   But, our response now is to simply follow and serve.  We will do so with a renewed sense of excitement for what He will do through us.  He is calling us to serve a people who are seeking a solution for sin, chaos and destruction.  We will bring the message of peace, hope and love that is evident in our actions and lives and in His word.  This is the realization of the promise that Jeremiah 29 provides.

If you are supporting us financially, in prayer and with encouragement, thank you!  Please continue to pray for the people of the Middle East and n. Africa.  We very humbly ask that you please continue to pray, encourage and support our family.  If you know of a church or family that would be interested in hearing more about this ministry, please help us connect.  We still need to find additional ministry partners.  We know God will provide but we know He uses His people too.

I am truly blessed to know so many wonderful people - some of whom I only just met on the weekend at a two day healing workshop I attended (conveniently this came up last Monday as if I was being given what I needed at the right time by the universe). At the time I booked into the workshop I didn't know the end of the affair was so imminent. I would have been lost and adrift without it. It was not normally something I would have attended but I felt drawn to do it when it suddenly was presented to me a week ago.

I've started the clearing out process. Deleting his phone numbers and texts from my mobile phone, deleting his birth data from my astrological program. I can't quite bring myself to delete his email address or emails though. That was our main form of communication when we weren't together. I will print out all his emails (I still have every one) and put them, along with his poetry and all the writings I have done about him, in a box which I'll put away somewhere. I can't afford to accidentally stumble across something that reminds me of him. I know I have to let him go and stop thinking about him and writing about him. It is time, finally to release and move on. I'm wondering whether to delete the category I have for him on here.

Why is it so hard even when you know it is for the best?

Rules:
1.Wait to be tagged by a youtuber=D
2.Choose 10 of your fave t- shirts to express yourself
3.Make a video response
4.Tag 10 other people
5.Post your video!
6.Let me know when you uploaded your video already so I can list your channel in the description box

Here are the 10 people I tagged:

directorei
regisor94
annspade
melodyelize
retardedmango
blasianFMA
pinayrules
johneepixels7
juliusmariano
gentosmentos