Saturday morning walk, Women's marches, thoughts on actvism

Cricket and I took a nice walk yesterday.  The weather was beautiful.  Very warm & sunny, especially for mid-January.

Looking downhill from the Hobbit House to the property line.

Looking uphill from the property line to the Hobbit House.

The Hobbit House is difficult to see... If you look just left of this big rock, you can see the window opening.  When the leaves are on the trees, it's all but invisible.

Several of my spinning friends participated in the Women's March in Bellingham, WA yesterday.  All these ladies are strong advocates of women's rights.  All are professional women.  They all have raised an family while working.  We've known each other for years.  I love these ladies, and was marching right along with them in spirit.  I hope they felt me there.

 We've done so many projects together; yarn for knitters in Bosnia, donations to the Heifer Society, charity knitting, teaching kids.  And we did these projects because it felt right, not for any recognition.  That's exactly how I prefer it. Doing something because it's the right thing to do.  Paying it forward.

As I look back on my life, I realize that I've always been an activist.  Not a pushy, loud activist.  More a feed the hungry kind of activist.  Help those in need - 2 legged or 4. I've always tried to make sure the kids in my extended family had what they needed.  My winter knitting/crochet projects are an example.

In a way, I saw my time in the Navy as activism also.  Doing what needed to be done.  I guess that's why I got a Human Services degree once I was out of the Navy.  I'd always wanted to be a nurse.  I was on the waiting list in Washington.  But I got the degree I did before my name even came up on the nursing list.  I guess I wasn't meant to be a nurse.

Two people who have always inspired me are Mahatma Ghandi & the Dahli Lama.  They both saw their nations exploited, their countrymen (and women) abused.  And they both worked for change without resorting to violence.