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Showing posts from September, 2009

My Be A Voice Project: Work in Progress

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If you want to know what that picture above is about, then please read my last post here . I have never considered myself an artist. Even the stick people I draw look pathetic. However using words is a form of art for me. Those words convey emotions much like the strokes of a painter's brush. This piece is a work in progress. I am not sure if I am happy with it yet...the perfectionist in me at work. I did notice that when I sat down to create something, I was unable to convey the emotions of the pain when living in a domestic violent situation without also conveying the beauty of finding your way out. That must mean something ...deep in me...I must still have hope no matter how hard things are.... Anyway....there's my work in progress......all mine....

Broken Beautiful - Be A Voice Challenge

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Earlier this week I was doing what I usually do to waste time when I should be working and writing articles for deadline day. When the words don't find their way to my finger tips sometimes I need to divert my attention for a while and not try to force them out - so - that's what I was doing when I ran across an article about a woman, a survivor of domestic violence, who was using her gifts of survival along with her talent to reach out to others and bring awareness. When I opened up the page that contained the article immediately my eyes were drawn to the picture that accompanied the article....a picture that contained an image that struck me to the core - it was a painting of a beautiful butterfly - a colorful and full of life image however what got me was the slash marks that tore at - violence that may have tried to take away from it's beauty actually added to it. That image called to me and summed up so many emotions that I walk my life feeling every day. Needless to s

Monday morning growth - surviving

No matter how far I think I've come in my road to healing there are still days...moments in my life where the pains of the past surface. When something triggers those emotions and memories I will often find that I get inpatient with myself, angry at myself for allowing them to be felt. "You should be beyond this" Is the thought that will replay over and over in my head. Then the debate will begin - The inner turmoil - the whirlwind of emotions ...however there is beauty after a storm. Perhaps each time something triggers those emotions and memories I am discovering new aspects of me and it is yet another step up on my foundation of healing. This past week I had one of those moments... Something I think each of us need to keep in mind while we are on this path of healing and surviving is that no one can write our story but ourselves...meaning we all will have different recovery periods...different aspects to our healing and need to take comfort in that while I may not requ

The Rural Unseen

Three years ago I did an article for the paper on being homeless in Juneau County. Like now, when I wrote it, winter was on the verge of blowing in and jobs were scarce. Also, like then, the homeless in my rural county were the "unseen." In the larger metro area homeless are seen. They huddle in the alley and doorways - they gather at shelters and there is a visual reminder to others in their community that they exist along with them in their world. Being homeless in a rural area creates a different picture. The homeless are often hidden. They double....triple up in homes, or apartments spending a few nights at a time at one to venture on to another a few nights or weeks later. Deep in the woods or at isolated and forgotten farms and campgrounds they set up a make shift community. Out of sight....out of mind. I must admit that since I wrote that article and the time that had passed the further their plight was from my mind....until....... Until a few weeks ago when I receive

Dental HEADACHES!!!!

I am so very frustrated... Pissed off angry! I am just not sure where to point that anger at the moment. Justin, my 16 yr old, has some severe orthodontic needs... Extra teeth, bite out of alignment, and according to his doctor, this now can be considered a medical need and covered by insurance. We are on the Wisconsin Badger Care plan because of our financial situation....like many here in Wisconsin are. All summer his doctor office, and I have been calling around trying to find an orthodontist that will 1: accept our insurance and 2: is accepting new patients....call after call to no avail. Now let me take you back a few months when we were at the doctors office for his regular check-up. Justin, my eldest son, has always been incredibly self conscious about his appearance. This stems from years of being bullied in the public school system for his mild cerebral palsy that really only becomes obvious to others when doing physical activities like running, climbing and other forms of

Worth a thousand words

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Sunset - This is the sight I drove towards yesterday evening as I was returning from a full day out wandering my county and taking pictures of community events for the paper. I may complain about how little I make at my part time paper job, but there is one thing I can honestly say about it - it's days like yesterday...wandering about...talking with people...learning about future, past and present through their eyes..and then being trusted to share it all with others - it truly makes for a full life of living, rather than just existing..... Here is a glimpse into my day yesterday.... The day started with a trip over to the Labor Day Fly-In at the Mauston-New Lisbon Airport..an annual event that always gathers a crowd - A little airport nestled between corn fields comes alive with planes, an auto show, vendors and much more.. planes Kyle drooling over cars... Community coming together... Next on my list to cover was the 2nd Annual Potluck at Stewarts Chapel ..just outside of Maust

For Sale - The Untold Reality

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Nights are cool, windows need to be closed and quilts help to keep the kids and I warm. Autumn is on it's way in. Days are getting shorter and pretty soon sunset will be happening at the same time as the boys and I sit down for dinner. We can breath a sigh of relief that the warm humid days of summer will be behind us, and we no longer need to worry about how hot and uncomfortable we will be while wondering if we will ever get that a/c repaired. Thankfully this past summer has been cooler than norm, someone was looking out for us. While we may be thankful that cooler days are coming, I am reminded this morning when I read articles and headlines of homes for sale under $50,000, that there are many people ...many parents and children out there dreading the snow and cold and life in winter ...while homeless. I found myself scanning a website with listings of these below market value homes, and wonder about the story behind each one. Who was the little girl that once called that pink r

The Hate

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We are a country filled with hate. Every time I turn on the news more and more stories with the message of hate is being spewed across the airwaves. Distrust for everything that should in fact be uniting us. It's the US vs Them generation now more than ever. Haves vs Have nots Religious vs Agnostics Urban vs Rural Big business vs Ma and Pa shops Right vs Left This is what war has done to us. This is the aftermath. It has left us weakened and worn. Poor and hungry. It doesn't matter if you were for the War or not...you've been affected...all of us, including myself. We are now terrorizing each other...demonizing our neighbors. Communication has turned to pointing fingers, while defending ourselves. Judgements...stereotyping Communities shattering while attempting to rebuild How long will it take us to heal?

Voices Out of the Box - JP Olson...and more

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A couple of weeks ago a friend, JP Olson , gave to me a copy of her new book, Voices Out of the Box (keys to setting them free from A-Z). The book marks the arrival to a life long dream for JP who has had a long and successful career as a recording artist, voice coach, and educator. A little background.......... How JP came to live in rural Juneau County - well, that's a WHOLE other story.... But I am thankful she did, and that I was assigned to interview her a couple of years ago for yet another accomplishment of hers, when she was nominated for a Dove Award , and when a compilation album a song of hers appeared on, was nominated for a Grammy. Well it was during that interview that I realized JP and I had a lot in common...both former city girls plopped down in the middle of farm land USA - We discovered through our conversation that we both had acquaintances (in Germany) in common. My cousin, Andrea, in Germany had dated a blues artist that was trying to make it big over there

Wisconsin Man Sexually Assaults 17 month old

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Yes, it's even hard for me to type out that headline - But remember this picture, because you are looking at a monster and had I not told you what you are about to read...you'd probably never believe it. I've been trying to take a mental break and not relaying some of the more disgusting and often all to common news stories on sexual assault and domestic violence - but this one...this is one of those I cannot shake. This week in a Wisconsin Rapids courtroom, twenty-five year old Jeremy Lund (pictured), plead guilty to sexual assault of a minor - a child....a baby....17 months old. He is facing a mandatory of 25 years in prison, and up to 70 years maximum. That baby - those parents...what are they facing? Evidently this all occurred when the parents left their child under the care of Lund while they went shopping....it was upon returning home two hours later, that the parents noticed their baby bleeding and bruised.... Lund was missing. Off the child went with the mothe

School Begins - Uh-Oh (another example of surviving Kyle)

Yesterday was the first day of school for most Wisconsin children, and one could tell that by just stopping into any local gas station around 7:45 a.m. - Parents were smiling, and laughter could be heard. I was one of those parents! I am no where near a morning person, and never really understood those who were...but yesterday...I had no problem waking up at 6 a.m. and getting my son off to school! We left early because my finances being what they are, I had to wait until the literal last minute in purchasing school supplies.... By 7:20 we were at Walgreens picking up what we could, and then heading off to dropping Kyle (Yes, dear sweet Kyle) to school - I was smiling the entire trip.... I get my house back.......... I get peace and quiet back so when I am trying to write articles on deadline day, there are no loud Earth shattering interruptions of..."MOM!!" I wanted to throw a party to celebrate surviving yet another summer of bored children, and all their friends hanging o

It Aired on WKOW 27 Madison

YAY!!! The Local Energy Excellence Fair was two weeks ago, but all the hard work has in fact paid off in so many ways.... Last night a segment about the fair was on Madison news, check it out! -- WKOW Channel 27 You can read about it, and see a video of the news clip