tell your neighbors tell your friends – Page 3

Enough

Despite living on the very cusp of the middle class and constantly worrying that one slip will send us spinning into a void from which we won’t be able to return, Geoff and I enjoy a lot of privilege. We’re white, we’re straight, we’re cis gendered, and, though we live in an expensive area of the country, we live in a fairly safe area of the country. Gun ownership isn’t very high and health care is good here. It’s isn’t nearly as hard to get good mental health care here as it is elsewhere in the US.

And yet, after what happened in Orlando yesterday, I’m angry. I am angry that we live in a country that has wholly abdicated the promise of freedom upon which it was founded. We are no longer free from tyranny and fear, you and I.

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May the Fourth be With You and other things unrelated to Game of Thrones

We’ve been writing a lot about A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones lately, and that’s fabulous. You have been a super audience and excellent with the comments, reading, and sharing. But as today is May the Fourth and there are other cool things going on I’m going to pop in to add a post that, while awesome and geeky, has nothing to do with Game of Thrones. Not even a little.

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MIT Music: Concerts and a Job

Regular readers and anyone who’s perused my resume probably know that Geoff and I are happily employed at MIT. I am also involved in the arts here as a member of the Artists Beyond the Desk committee. It’s a great group and is regularly responsible for concerts of staff who are also musicians, writers, actors, etc. It allows us to showcase our artistic skills that are in addition to those we wield behind the desk.

There is an ABD concert coming up this week, an MIT Women’s Chorale concert on the horizon, as well as a music job opening you should know about. Read on for more details.

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Happy Earth Day, Have Some Flowers

On Wednesday on my way home from work I missed my bus. I didn’t actually see my bus so I can only assume that it was early as I was on time. This meant that I took the other bus that drops me off about 5 or 6 blocks from home. As it was a gorgeous day I had the opportunity to walk, pick up a (losing) lottery ticket, and take some photos of flowers along my way home.

While Spring always makes me a little sad, Spring flowers are my absolute favorite. I think it has something to do with the fact that Spring flowers come in a riot of colors, but SO many of them are purple. Purple is my favorite color, always has been. So, enjoy some photos of the spring flowers that are still out. It may have been in the upper 70’s yesterday and we may have had a wacky mild winter, but it’s Spring in New England.

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An Open Letter to the Pile of Human Excrement Who Tried to Kick my Dog at the Park Tonight

We have been going to the dog park for a long time. More than 8 years now, come to think of it. In the cold months our attendance has been sporadic over the years because 1) Thumbelina is a Florida Dog, and 2) Rerun was inherently lazy and didn’t like to run and play. However, with the addition of Dash to our family we’ve found ourselves going more often even though Thumbelina is 14 and largely past her running and playing at the park days.

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Indianapolis brewery owner is made of awesome

I can’t say I have ever been to Indianapolis. But I ever go, I am going to give the Black Acre Brewing Company some of my business, at least stop in for lunch or something. Why? Because the owner, Jordan Gleason, threw a sexist meathead out of his place and then posted a Facebook rant about how appalled he is by the way women in the service industry are treated and by sexism in general. And his post is going a bit viral as a result.

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TODAY! Heritage Craft Fair & Fundraiser

Happy Saturday!

Today Geoff and I will be taking part in the 43rd annual Heritage Craft Fair. This fair is a fundraiser for the Heritage Chorale.

The Facebook event is here. There is an entry fee as a part of the fundraiser, $4.00 general adults, $3.50 for seniors and free for children up to 12. All on one level with easy handicapped access.

We’re about to depart for Framingham. We’ll be there 10am-4pm today.

See you there!

~Kelly

Sweet Sadie, can she be your Lady?

Gentle readers, you need a cat. Specifically, you need this cat.

Hi! I'm Sadie. Can I be your lady? — Hi! I’m Sadie. Can I be your lady?

Sadie is 8 years young. She was recently orphaned when her human died unexpectedly two weeks ago. She’s currently living with the very kind daughter of her human, but that situation can’t last forever as that nice lady, Pam, has two cats already. Sadie would very much like to play with those kitties, but they’re not so much into her. So she’s staying in the bathroom and looking for a new home.

Sadie is healthy, up to date on her shots, and has all of her medical records. She’s a Chinchilla Persian, a total sweetheart, and would love a home with adults, other cats, and older kids. She’s located in Western MA but can be brought to the greater Boston area and is available for a meet and greet or for a foster arrangement if it’s the right fit.

Leave a comment here if you’re interested and please feel free to crosspost this info to other interested parties.

Thanks!

~Kelly

Feminism, The Body Politic, and Picking a President

Anybody following this interminable election cycle has probably seen the mud slinging, the by turns insane, hilarious, and terrifying GOP debates, and the charges back and forth in the Democratic camp of “Feminists vote for Hillary” or “You’re not a feminist if you Feel the Bern” etc.

As anyone who reads this blog regularly knows, neither of us is going to vote for anyone with an R after their name, especially in this current bunch of lunatics. There is no lesser of two evils here, there’s just psychopathy, sociopathy, delusions of grandeur, pathological lies, hate, and stupidity. And that’s just Trump.

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AIR, Empty Shoes, and Coming Out

I’ve been thinking for a very, very long time about writing this post. Years, actually. Part of it has been the courage of Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess, that’s allowed me to even think about doing it, part of it has been the necessity of living a life that is so controlled by this somewhat hidden part of myself, and part of it is that I feel more and more like I’m lying by not being open.

Truthfully, there’s still a huge stigma. I have lost at least one job because of it. I have family who flatly refused to believe me when I told them. Interestingly, it was an email I received from a friend at Harvard yesterday that made me realize that not only did I want to spread the word about the contents of her email, it was the perfect venue through which I could finally open up and come out of the mental illness closet.

My name is Kelly Hopkins and I am mentally ill. I have Major Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and PTSD.

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