RESIST

I know this face is hard to resist...but that's not what this blog post is about.

It's about using your body, voice,

 

mind, talents and creativity to

(Photo credit: Organized resistance organized by Brad Newsham in Ocean Beach.)

Decide what is important to you and fight for it!

Peace, freedom, equality for ALL, the environment and animal extinction, 

health care for all, the choice to make a personal choice,

ETC!

My human mom attended a protest rally:

Here's an ironic tweet Mom found.

Can you believe people were paid to go to this event???

Political buttons come and go. 

What have you been willing to pin on?

Have you carried any protest signs?

It's pretty clever to tape one to a tennis racket!

Have you ever been filmed or interviewed by the press?

Did they report your opinions and behavior truthfully?

There were a lot of fed up people at the Not My President's Day protest. 

Too many issues to name.

A group of newspaper boys "seized the day" and protested for better work rights.

Mom went to a movie version of a musical made about their fight.

Newsies.

Check out this awesome dog that attended the protest.

Still reading?

Great!

Mom walked a few blocks over from the protest

in order to view some exhibits at the Newberry Library. 

Some of Hamilton's manuscripts and letters reveal how 

RESISTing 

has been an American tradition since the beginning of the nation. 

The history behind the musical Hamilton was especially interesting to Mom 

since she was blessed with FRONT ROW seats to the show this month 

for $10 a piece 

through the Broadway In Chicago daily lottery. 

She invited a friend she had met in December at the live lottery event.

They elbowed each other over and over again during the show 

as the actors danced and sang directly above them.

Now Mom wears earplugs while vacuuming singing loudly

along to the soundtrack of the show and checking lyrics in the show book.

"My Shot"

"Wait For It"

"Helpless"

"Just You Wait"

"History Has It's Eyes On You"

"Non-Stop"

"The Room Where It Happens"

"Burn"

and best of all

"Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)" 

See those seats to the left? That's where Mom and her friend sat!

Mom likes using Twitter to ENCOURAGE others.

It was super cool when the actors to Hamilton ❤️ed her posts. 

Across the hall she found another exhibit.

Helen Balfour Morrison's Photographing Freetown.

of African American life in Depression-era Kentucky. 

Beautiful and telling.

Time to open this month's media cabinet:

Mom listened to a classic book the other day 

and that night the section she read a related passage in 

Writing Down the Bones

by Natalie Goldberg.

Cooleeo.

The Amtrekker recommended Travels with Charley

so Mom looked for it on You Tube too.

Sadly the reader quit before finishing!

And she's got a lovely reading voice!

Ann Patchett's new book, "Commonwealth" 

is full of descriptive setting upon setting. 

 "What Next?" was recommended

to Mom by her mom so she got it from the online listening library. 

It's an adaptation of a graduation speech Patchett gave at her alma mater.

Lovely.

Descriptions of how settings in Patchett's book, "Bel Canto" are described in it. 

We pause here for another cultural moment...Chicago Theatre Week 

gave Mom the opportunity to purchase 

an 8th row seat 

to see "Norma" at the Lyric Opera 

for an amazing $42! (A $250+ value.) 

There was even a free lecture before the show! 

Fabulous!

(Mom's tweet even got ❤️ed by the lead soprano!)

The socks were purchased for Mom's dad. Fun, huh?

And...Men Are From Mars, Women are From Venus Live

was seen by Mom and one of my dog sitter's this month. 

Hilarious!

More recommendations:

It's Oscar time and although she isn't going to bet a million dollars on it, 

Mom's pretty sure La La Land* is going to win for Best Picture. 

Last year Mom won a DVD from the library for her winners guesses.

We'll see how she does this year:

I found out Mom and Dad went near a dog park recently. 

Grrrrrr.

They went and walked the entire 606. 

 And then ate at the Bourgeois Pig Café which has literary themed selections.

Mom had The Old Man and the Sea tuna sandwich.

 Check out the car - and the warm weather - in February.

(But there's no global warming...cough, cough. So ridiculous.)

Here's some nature pics from this month

(when it should be SNOWY).

And a slew of vintage finds from antique and thrifting:

Speaking of vintage...Mom's Kiddle toys from her childhood 

are on display at the local library right now! 

Here's another library Mom was in this month when she attended a Town Hall.

Keep on fighting for what you believe in - but remember, 

all will be well and don't let anyone rain on your parade!

Mom's good friend passed away recently.

The app she uses to pray for others

reminded her to lift up Rosie's loved ones.

I miss her.

Whenever Mom sees a Fed Ex truck she prays for someone. 

But why on earth is a dog eating a package their branding?

It's time to pause for some "peaces" of green.

This month's guest animals:

And some doggy pics.

Mom loves quirk and color, don't you?

And good munchies:

Mom doesn't cook but she did volunteer at Feed My Starving Children.

Supporting the arts is another way Mom helps keep the world beautiful.

And she is able to find artistic beauty anywhere!

Here's some confet-TEA:

DON'T FORGET TO KEEP PLAYING!

#NoBanNoWall

*I had a feeling Moonlight might scoop the win for Best Picture. 

But I sure didn't expect all that drama!

Ummmm, nope.

Here's the real winner!