Community Building Archive

Whole Health Decisions

Posted on May 7, 2012.

I read such a great piece on health decisions last week. Amy Berman, diagnosed with a form of breast cancer that has a nasty survival rate talks about her choice of palliative care (to enhance the quality of time she has left) rather than aggressive treatment (that might give her more time but almost certainly [...]

Here’s To You, Kid

Posted on April 30, 2012.

When I read Maggie Lamond Simone’s post last week I startled the dog by snorting out loud. It was so spot on, the humbling realization that she’s become her own mother when it comes to mothering. I’ve had the self-same realization numerous times over the past few months. My girl is growing fast and at [...]

It’s not the Same as Books, But….

Posted on March 26, 2012.

Last week my friend Sharon came into town for a dentist appointment- she has a good one she can’t leave even though she’s moved a ferry ride away. Sharon has four kids under age ten, but she came alone and thus a little giddy. My kids were out of town, so off we went to [...]

Speak No Evil

Posted on March 12, 2012.

Update March 16: Utah bans the ban! (Insert cheer). But it may not be over yet…. The past week was a lively one in the US, what with Utah busy banning sex education and determining a difficult future for their youth. Nothing like laying the groundwork for glory. This despite research that says sex education [...]

Happy International Women’s Day!

Posted on March 8, 2012.

Happy International Women’s Day! Today we honour the work of generations who have made change to make our world what it is today. And today we celebrate the work we’re all doing to make things better for the women of tomorrow. There is still a lot to take on- gender violence, equal rights, cultural “norms” [...]

Tell It Like It Is About Mental Health

Posted on January 30, 2012.

If you follow You Should Know on Twitter or visit regularly here, you know I’m a fan of Jenny Lawson whose online persona is The Bloggess. One of the things I like about her writing is she’s a huge advocate for mental health awareness. Her recent admission that she wrangles with depression self-harm and was [...]

Media Watch helpful with Mannequins and Muffs

Posted on December 12, 2011.

My endless rant has so much fodder it’s disheartening. Regular reader and Twitter friends know that one of the things I post about is body image. It not only affects women and girls, but boys and men as well. It’s amazing how female forms (Note the S- there IS more than one) are presented, objectified, [...]

As it Gets Dark, Remember the Women- and Speak

Posted on December 5, 2011.

Twenty-two years ago I was living in Montreal as a university student, working two jobs to get through and loving my scrappy young life. As the light disappeared in the late afternoon of December 6, I heard on the radio (those days before the web) that there had been a shooting, and young women were [...]