Red Tent Sisters

I also loved this post. Your photos and writing a...

2009-10-06T21:29:42.009-04:00

I also loved this post. Your photos and writing are very beautiful and evocative ... peaceful. Serene.

greaaat one keep it up

2009-10-02T12:58:21.430-04:00

greaaat one
keep it up

Amy, Thank-you for sharing how the ideas from the ...

2009-09-28T11:28:13.374-04:00

Amy,
Thank-you for sharing how the ideas from the booked helped with understanding Mattea and her needs. Although often exhausting, parenting is magical when we can connect with our children.

I have also seen this movie. I find that watching...

2009-09-26T04:01:04.214-04:00

I have also seen this movie. I find that watching movies like this both make me feel incredibly angry and incredibly helpless ... with the end result that I leave the viewing feeling re-committed to environmental activism and re-engergized.

Cool reflection. I like your paragraph about simu...

2009-09-22T21:30:55.422-04:00

Cool reflection. I like your paragraph about simultaneously knowing and holding two "truths" - fear and love. I think so much of being able to competently and optimistically deal with life begins with cultivating a capacity to simultaneously hold two, often opposing, truths.

wonderful post. brought back memories of my own li...

2009-08-19T18:32:55.581-04:00

wonderful post. brought back memories of my own little girl doing her bum-bum dance or vulva dance, fit for a goddess, and the poem I wrote about it - capture those moments, they are priceless. Once your daughter is 17 (like mine), you'll be looking through your writing to find moments like these.....blessed rainbows.
be well
jenn/musemother
ps thanks for your comments on my post today

Amyyy, Beeeeutiful! You have gone FAR with that f...

2009-07-16T21:56:12.800-04:00

Amyyy,

Beeeeutiful! You have gone FAR with that first parargraph, what a beautful idea to link it to some info on abdominal massage.... You're one smart Red Tent Sister.

And the story about the picture she drew takes my breath away! It IS you!

I LOVE reading your work up here.

Big huge warm...
Chris

Gorgeous! Mattea is such a sparkly little goddess ...

2009-07-15T10:57:41.260-04:00

Gorgeous! Mattea is such a sparkly little goddess girl.

What a lovely piece of writing. The introductory ...

2009-07-15T08:27:48.523-04:00

What a lovely piece of writing. The introductory paragraph is magic :) Your writing coach also sounds like magic! I think I could probably spend the rest of my life finishing the sentence Chris gave you " I don't want to forget this ... " I continue to be blessed with my own rainbows and I love love love remembering them. I don't want to be stuck in the past but sometimes it brings me such great joy to remember a moment, a person, a shaft of sunlight playing on some trees ....

Ps. Was intrigued by your reference to Goddess Girl Camp so I checked out the link. Very cool to know that these things are available for young people/girls!

Thanks for the clear information about HPV and als...

2009-07-11T21:09:08.592-04:00

Thanks for the clear information about HPV and also for the thoughtful and thought-provoking comments.

I especially enjoyed the critique of the gender imbalance in how HPV is being dealt with. It drives me crazy sometimes that people can't see how the subtle decisions that are made about men/boys' and women/girls' bodies can have a profound impact on the way we view people, bodies and sexuality.

HPV is definitely a tricky issue and although I have my own Left'ist inspired opinions I don't envy the Canadian policy makers who much make the final decision about the vaccine!

I can't believe I'm only responding to your reply ...

2009-06-30T10:16:54.405-04:00

I can't believe I'm only responding to your reply at this late date but alas that is the case! Thanks Amy for your educated response to my incensed critique of the advertisement.

Here's my updated comments ....

Taking your response into account, I still have issues with the advertisement. The advertisement fails to affectively communicate that all women of childbearing age [who would continue and not terminate a pregnancy should they intentionally or unintentionally get pregnant] should be taking a multi-vitamin with folic acid.

A problem with the ad is that, visually, the image of the mother and baby is effective at grabbing the attention of women who have decided to stop using contraceptives [represented by the pill pack] and are trying to get pregnant.

However, the advertisement is problematic because it fails to educate and get the attention of the rest of the "childbearing age females" who could probably use the education more than woman who are trying to get pregnant, who are hopefully educating themselves about how to have a healthy pregnancy. Furthermore, in the process of advertising the product the company manages to reinforce the medicalization of women's bodies.

To be fair, a company's main goal is often to make money and in this case grabbing the attention of women who are trying to get pregnant is probably going to make the company more money than educating women who aren't intentionally pursuing pregnancy!

Cheers.

Beautiful post and photo. In an LGBTQ family you f...

2009-06-25T02:42:16.989-04:00

Beautiful post and photo. In an LGBTQ family you face a lot of obstacles, but family moments like the one pictured here show why it's all worth it, and why equality is worth the fight. Pride, to me, is about overcoming all that's thrown at us as LGBTQ individuals and the importance of coming together as individuals -- whether we're talking about as a family or a community at large. Pride is the spirit that brings all of us together.

I have a keeper and I love that when I'm going awa...

2009-06-24T02:32:34.166-04:00

I have a keeper and I love that when I'm going away I can throw one little thing into my suitcase and be prepared for my period instead of worrying about including or buying a box of tampons/pads.

YAY for menstrual cups!

[Although that said I have surprised myself in the last 6 months with my growing attachment to Luna-pads and panties! I never thought I'd go back to pads but I'm finding, depending on my plans for the day/night, that reusable pads/panties are a great option.]

Beautiful writing and a beautiful story to tell re...

2009-06-20T05:53:29.736-04:00

Beautiful writing and a beautiful story to tell resulted in a post that is a delight to read. I absolutely loved it!

You should be proud to have raised a daughter like your little one. It must be so charming/gratifying/hilarious [depending on the occasion] to hear her spout words of acceptance that right now we can only dream we'll hear from many adults.

Lastly ... Canada, O'Canada ... the saying is so true: "you often don't know what you have until you don't have it anymore". Can't wait to visit home [Ontario, Canada] after spending the last 17 months in South Korea [on the whole, a conservative and homophobic society]. There are many wonderful things about S. Korea but tolerance/acceptance of difference is not yet one of them [although many people in the younger generation are working on it!].

FAMILY PRIDE!! I am very proud to be starting our...

2009-06-19T14:04:56.372-04:00

FAMILY PRIDE!! I am very proud to be starting our family with my wife Natalee. Next week is our 3 year wedding anniversary, Toronto Pride, and our first attempt at conceiving our child. Thank you everyone so much for putting so much positive energy out there. I feel supported, accepted, grateful, and strong. xox, Libbie

Amy, this is one of the most beautiful stories I h...

2009-06-18T16:25:58.316-04:00

Amy, this is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. Thank you to you, and Anya, Tara, Jacob, Mattea, and baby Caleb for sharing your experience with all of us. I am deeply touched. Happy Pride!

Oh Wow! how beautiful! Pride for me is reading a...

2009-06-17T10:31:34.723-04:00

Oh Wow! how beautiful! Pride for me is reading a story like this and knowing in my heart that it is so meant to be. :)

Thanks for your lovely coment Jenn. There's a sto...

2009-06-16T18:48:51.605-04:00

Thanks for your lovely coment Jenn.

There's a store in Montreal called Joy Toyz (http://joytoyz.com) that I've heard is good but I'm afraid I haven't made it there myself.

Hopefully Red Tent Sisters will be able to open more locations down the road. I'd love an excuse to spend more time in Montreal!

Warm wishes,

Kim

it gives me hope to read this blog, to read about ...

2009-06-16T17:52:11.258-04:00

it gives me hope to read this blog, to read about all the good work you are doing. Is there something like this in Montreal? I've heard of Elle Corazon, but have never been there.
thanks
jenn

Grin. SO glad to see this piece out in the world! ...

2009-06-16T01:34:18.074-04:00

Grin. SO glad to see this piece out in the world! Beautiful photo and beatiful story.

I agree with Chris. Amy, you are a wonderful writ...

2009-05-22T08:26:52.173-04:00

I agree with Chris. Amy, you are a wonderful writer.

By the way, you held a book club at your store (after a full days work I'm guessing), came home, made yourself dinner, went for a walk, had an amazing conversation with your wee babe and then had the energy to write this amazing post?! You are in inspiration!

BTW, can Red Tent come to Brooklin?

Ah ah ah. Sooooo beautiful.

2009-05-20T23:45:22.820-04:00

Ah ah ah.
Sooooo beautiful.

Amy, I was GLUED to this. I want everyone to read...

2009-05-20T23:44:24.956-04:00

Amy,

I was GLUED to this. I want everyone to read it! You are a magic, magic Mom and I am happy that I get to know you and read your writing.

Inspired,
Chris

Thank-you Amy. I can fully relate and your writin...

2009-05-01T20:01:00.000-04:00

Thank-you Amy. I can fully relate and your writing brought tears to my eyes. I will think of you this weekend as I try to catch up on my families out of control laundry. Maybe I'll even hang a few loads. I haven't done that since last summer.

Haha, you would laugh if you could see what a hard...

2009-04-30T16:07:00.000-04:00

Haha, you would laugh if you could see what a hard time I'm having figuring out how to comment on this item! I might be a half-decent writer, but moving my words out into the world isn't my strong point.

BUT I wanted to say: Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I love the delicate simplicity of this photo and this piece of writing. They have that same quality of soft, loving attention.

I was hanging laundry on the weekend too, smiling and petting local cats and playing guitar in the sun and talking to neighbors. It was a perfect afternoon.

You totally captured it. Thank you!