2023-03-07 - 4:11 p.m.

I am enjoying the most amazing muffin, with fresh raspberries and chocolate chips an oats and brown sugar, lovely caramelized flavor topped with toasted crunchy roasted oat ( like granola) with amazing texture. The crunch of the top , soft middle with burst of berry the chocolate.
I mean this is amazing, paired with a hot green chai tea.

My second artist date of the week.

The first was a literal art class I came upon at the library last night!

I ran my errands of picking up my car, and then stopped at the library intending to do some work for a bit before heading home. I saw the art class and was delighted to sit and play with paint for a while. It was very relaxing. A friend gave me a ride from work to get my car after I bike ( part way!) then took a lyft the rest of the way into work on account of the bus drivers on strike so that alternative transportation option not available.

I was proud to bike to work and honestly support their strike. Hell yeah we should not be reducing health care provided for employees on municipal contracts.

DO BETTER both contract negotiators and those in power and management...

with municipal planning.

Let's not roll back gains for employees after years of working toward progress of actual labor rights.

Labor rights should not be antithical to management concerns. That is the artificial dichotomy that owners cultivated as it is their interest of profits over people.

I feel like middle management are manipulated.

In any case I am really enjoying this moment in this coffee shop run by the cooperative living, hippyish counter culture religious group-

Its the Tweleve Tribes who some think a cult. Maybe they are; I would not know.
But all I know is they seem to be gentle and have a lifestyle similar to the Amish.

Unless proved to me and there is some evidence of their being destructive, I am happier honestly being a consumer of their goods here than many large corporations. I trust their choices in life are more ethical than many companies.

So I stopped here and am enjoying this lovely sunny afternoon after a good day of work. I feel like these people are genuine in their faith and their chosen Christian rooted in Judaism beliefs and lifestyle and they do no harm trying to thwart others but just enjoy their thing while welcoming visitors to try to learn what it is they find such faith in. My impressions of visits and speaking to them were that they are certainly different but value wise I felt more aligned with the bulk of their beliefs than many others to be honest. (except the part of sexuality). For me sexuality while an essential part of human nature is something different for each person so much so that I don't care much if aligned with folks views on that

as just choose whom to have relationships with based on aligned values regarding my expression of my own sexuality as a part of me and part of expression of love in a relationship

Heck sometimes only self-love
and I am fine with that

But I don't refuse to befriend or interact with others who don't see that part of life the SAME as me any more so than I discard friends who chose other views that are not the same in some respect with SOME part of life

As long as there is enough of VALUES overall in alignment. I don't only expect to have those in my life with EXACT match of values.

So I guess that is a challenge for some more so than others when it comes to issues of politics.

Primarily as I get it that there are situations where one CANNOT continue to befriend lest it be seen as endorsement.

I came across this letter however, and its response and to me I feel like WHITE WOMEN of the U.S. AND MEN should READ it and realized that this is the best example of how we can maintain some relationship and learn from each other even when there are differences.
Continued dialogue to learn from each other. I mean Audra lourd was UPSET and told it like it is but then in future conference there was actual interaction among these intellectual women.

https://feminismandreligion.com/2011/10/05/mary-dalys-letter-to-audre-lorde/

Maybe this is a bad example- but what I found interesting in addition to hearing Aurda Lourde's perspecive- was the response from Mary Daly and the suggestion to get together and discuss. It has been said that the two women did eventually meet at future interactive academic conferences. If we shut down conversations, how can we ever come to a point of respect and understanding ( with respect) the differences of each other?

I am going to read the article posted... truth told I found another article with both letters... but not on this device. I also may have picked an awful example as not sure how much they really talked to each other ( further research make it questionable they did maintain a kind of working correspondence! I don' want to look at my history to find the first article on the topic I found most interesting as- I found that when srolling on my phone. And I am not going to log on with the device I found it on.

I believe in respecting the spaces one enters. Sure it might be fun and exciting at times to be ...well .... doing something counter the culture of a space... I mean for your own fulfillment and fun and excitement

BUT To a point... not crossing a line of lack of respect for the beliefs and traditions of others when on THEIR spaces and yeah my phone will not be connected to the network of this very religious org!! HA

So yeah...

I had some *fun very personal texts with young lover not to be shared on an open network!! (This is an open network I am now typing on)HA HA

Be mindful when stopping at a coffee shop using either your phone or laptop peeps when you see open network with warning "others may see content" that there is no such thing as privacy.

YEAH

so keep your private stuff private...

HA (as I write and hint about those fun interactions.)

Self care is so marvelous so loving the fact I had some motivation and fun self care of even the fliration with that fun guy ( the ABSOLUTE non relationship guy! HA HA)
and am now sitting here enjoying this chai and muffin before going home to walk my dog and cook some dinner for the family.

Work is slower so far than expected this week but not minding that at all. Happy could go to bed early the past couple nights and hopefully can do so all week to be rested and ready for daylight savings transition.

Oh and now to also look at travel plans. I have to see options for Dad and fam visit
and am excited to make plans to see Buffalo guy. Sufficient time passed so I am not heartbroken with feelings of love and loss of the separation- when things get too emotional, and they get frustrating I have to pull back and not be intense with him. Need space

THEN can be so excited to see him AGAIN after time... need the breather since this is the non-commitment non long-term monogamy relationship. This works for me, and for us.

Getting excited to spend time with him again. Its time... so hope to connect and solidify those unexpected travel plans.

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