When I see the images and hear the stories about what is happening in Haiti, it reminds me of an Octavia Butler novel. Everything is so apocalyptic and horrible. I've limited my exposure to media because I think it's traumatizing to keep looking at pics of devastation. In my true Libra I have to find the balance.

I found an article about a Haitian family with our last name. I called my mom and asked her if she had anything to tell me. She said there are Jean-Gilles' in Ti Goave, in Jacmel in Gonaives. They owned a hotel that collapsed during the earthquake.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/17/haiti.jacmel.hotel/index.html?iref=allsearch



Here is Nicole Lee is president of TransAfrican Forum. She gives some historical context to Haiti. It's Quick Time or Windows Media Player.

http://tavissmileyradio.com/guests10/011510/NicoleLee.html

Haiti

Young film makers from Jacmel whose school was destroyed in the earthquake in Haiti went back to the school and found some video equipment and have been on the ground in Haiti sharing what they have seen.
http://www.cineinstitute.com/news/

http://vimeo.com/8779846


Latest News

Doctors Without Borders Cargo Plane With Full Hospital and Staff Blocked From Landing in Port-au-Prince
How many lives could they haves saved? How much relief could they have given? How many infections could they have prevented?

A quote I just heard this morning on Meet the Press. A US general being interviewed is asked, "How many US troops will it take to get Haiti secure?"
And this general had just said he has not witnessed any violence in Haiti. He was in the streets of Port au Prince yesterday and had good encounters with everyone.
Sigh. They are preparing for the impending violence. Air space is being used by the US military stalling the help further.
So sad.
Haiti needs food! There are still people trapped in the rubble.
3 million people need food. Some people are getting food and water. People are getting medical treatment.


Haitian Times Newspaper have sent reporters to Haiti! They landed in the Dominican Republic and made their way to Port au Prince.
http://www.bronxnewsnetwork.org/2010/01/help-local-reporters-in-haiti.html

Here is Garry Pierre-Pierre story his first night out with the people in the capital.
http://haitiantimes.com/bookmark/5577826/article-A%20Night%20on%20Rue%20Berne-Living%20on%20the%20Streets

Haiti Cherie

My beloved country, how we suffer! Natural disasters happen, but they are so incredibly devastating to Haiti for many reasons. They are so bad because of things that happened in Haiti a long time ago and things not so long ago.
It started when the Spanish came and eradicated an entire civilization of Tainos. Then Africans were kidnapped, enslaved and brought in to work the fields. Forests were demolished to make room for the bounty of crops that the "Jewel of the Antilles" produced and exported. Which led the way to the current deforestation in the country.

Haiti was the only nation whose FREEDOM was gained through a successful slave rebellion. It was the 1st post colonial black people led nation! Slaves that ended their enslavement! They created their own armies to defeat those that had chained them.
In 1825 the French demanded restitution for money loss due to the slaves taking their freedom. And they had to pay so that France would recognize them.
Then then there are the coups that destabilized the government, corrupt presidents who stole millions, brutal dictatorships, embargoes, the slaughtering of millions of pigs in the 70's and 80's that Haitians counted on for food or to trade. US gov't forced Haiti to kill all because of "African swine flu" and then they had to import American mid west pigs who were not resilient.
And then there are the hurricanes.

Forward to our current crisis in Port au Prince. So many people have lost their lives. Numbers as high as 200,000 dead.
All of my immediate family is accounted for. A lot of good friends who have family have heard both positive and bad news. Mostly positive.
In Haiti it seems these tragedies they come one after the other, not giving enough time to get even rebuilt before the next event.

What can our hands do? Yes, hands move concrete! Families and neighbors move mountain of debris off of the living.
And wait.

I remember when I lived in Haiti when I was a child. My family lives in Gonaives which is in the north. I haven't been there since I was a kid. I remember freedom and security. I was only four and could walk alone or with my friend who was also four, to my aunt's house down the block.
I remember fruit trees. I remember the coral colored interior walls of our house, now broken and battered by the waters of Hurricane Jeanne that hit in Sept. 2004 and then a quadruple hit in 2008 by hurricanes, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike.
http://www.wunderground.com/education/haiti.asp?MR=1

Port au Prince is devastated! I am watching and reading the coverage a lot. My husband tries to stop me or he tells me to lessen the amount of media I expose myself to. It makes sense. So, I've pulled back. I want to know. I need to know. There are still so many unaccounted for. The dead lay in the street. It's so much!

I had to stop and ask what can I do?

I decided to provide links about donating, news, twitter updates and history. History is important. In the wake of the earthquake many bozos have stepped up and claimed they know why Haiti is the way it is. pat rbertson saying some pact with the devil was made. When it was the devil who had his boot on the neck of the people. But they rose up and took their place in history.

What I'm feeling is more than 420 characters. I gotta do this. For my own sanity, so I don't feel so helpless. It is the social networking sites like twitter and facebook getting information EVERYWHERE!

Here are some links-

A site where you can post names of people that are missing and where they live.
http://koneksyon.com/?CategoryID=2

This is Wyclef Jean's website. Please donate to Yele. They are on the ground in Port au Prince. Last night Wyclef said he spent the day with his wife picking up the dead off the street. He is on the front line of this mission to save lives. He is also calling on Haitians in the US to do something!
http://wyclefjean.wordpress.com/

An amazing and right on article by the great writer Farai Chideya called
"Haiti is cursed-by our ignorance."
http://www.faraichideya.com/haiti-is-cursed-by-our-ignorance/


Young Haitian film students who survived the earthquake are working on the streets to get images of the earthquakes aftermath! They are in Jacmel Haiti an area hard hit by the earthquake.
http://www.cineinstitute.com/news/


Folks who are giving information from Haiti-
On twitter- I've been following Richard Morse who is in Port-au-Prince and is trying his best to get out as much information as he can.
http://twitter.com/ramhaiti

This twitter page gives you blogs, pix, other tweeters all dealing with Haiti.
http://twitter.com/Haitifeed

Dr. Sanjay tweeting from Port au Prince. He is on the ground helping the injured and reporting what is going on.
http://twitter.com/sanjayguptaCNN


There is so much work to do.

Peace

Za's quote of the day

So I'm wiping her nose cause she has a cold. She gets upset. And I asked her what her problem was. She says, "I wanted to eat that snot."
Of course I gave her the schpeel about this we eat and things we don't eat.
Me, "When things come out of our bodies, it means our body doesn't want it. So we shouldn't eat snot because that's nasty."

Halloween

None of us have caught the flu. We were downing those fizzy vitamin c drinks and stinking up the house with our Garlic breaths.

Big girl is up and about. She is ready to go and trick or treat. We got the big bag of candy. She has a lot of energy, no fever since day two and she is eating everything. I want her to take it easy. It is a warmish night. I say OK you can trick or treat only on our block. I didn't want her walking around too much. We fashion some homemade costumes.
The three year is old is tired of it all quickly and not only refuses to go out to check out the trick or treaters, she yells at the ones who come to our door for candy.

H1NWHAT!

Day ?

She’s eating! She started this morning complaining about her belly. She was nauseous and sick. She smelled sick and her cough was croupy and seemed to hurt.

I was ready for her to be better. I already went to the health food store and got some elderberry, her favorite drinks, little clemitine oranges, staples for soups for when she was feeling better.

First she asked for some crackers and then soup, tea, some fruit. She wanted toast! Yes! She is on her way to healing. I am so relieved!

Swine Flu Diary

No fever! She’s sleeping a lot. When she wakes up she is not hungry. She doesn’t want to come downstairs and be with us she just wants to rest. When she finally wakes up she has to be coaxed to drink. She moans that her stomach hurts. Her head hurts.

She wakes up at 9:00 PM and is up. She has no appetite. D and I are working in the living room and dining room while she is laying on the couch. We give her a vitamin c lollypop which perks her up a tiny bit. I sit with her. I try to breathe. I try to take care of myself, so that I can take better care of her.
I regret watching the special on the swine flu! Kids in hospital, on oxygen.
My kid moaning.
I feel like something is trying to get me. My throat has that weird scratch before you get a cold. Fuck you flu! I felt run down but had to maintain. I have a scratchy throat. I think I’m dizzy.
Turns out I was just tired. I woke up fine the next day.

H1NWhat!!

She woke up complaining about her stomach and chest. She had slept in one of her little sister’s dress(don't know why) and thought the pressure was coming from having worn something too tight and it was compressing her chest.
I was about to leave for work and I went in her room to talk to her and see what was happening. She looked terrible. I touched her skin and immediately knew had a fever, she had pains, she was crying. Her head was hurting, her eyes, her whole body. Took her temp. 104 fever!
Offered her something to drink and she asked for ice water.

I immediately called the doctor. The docs office phone was busy, busy and finally I was put on hold and then a nurse picked up. She said all the symptoms sound about right, it’s the flu. She won’t say the word! She said a lot of folks coming in with those same symptoms. "DON'T come in!" Give motrin and tyn. repeatedly. Only c0me in if she has breathing issues.
"Breathing issues?"
"Yes, she is struggling for breath or turning blue!"
Only then should we go in.

That was it? Where was the test?
"The doctor could call you if you have more concerns."
"Yes, please."

She ate when the motrn kicked in. She had four hours of feeling good and as that motrn effect wore off she was back to feeling awful.
Doctor called 7 hours later. She casually said my daughter had H1N1. Doc said go ahead and give her another dose of pain reliever. We gave it to her and she was up and talking. I'm not big with meds. The kids respond to a good diet and thoughtful assessment of what is missing or should added. Like vits or cod liver oil. Always with the garlic in the food.

We gave her garlic and ginger to chew. But it was amazing difference when she had relief from the fever and body aches. She was eating And drinking, watching television. Even playing with her sister. She rested.

Toddler turns three

She has been singing things and saying things to the beat of "Hey Jude" by the Beatles.

Zazu asked me what does "post haste" mean? She asked me what cumbersome was.

I asked where she learned that word and she didn't want to tell me.

She's got questions about everything. I have to stay on my toes because I am constantly being asked what the meaning of words are.

She's eating carrots and fruit now. She is still sort of picky but will eat a lot more natural stuff now then when she was a baby.

She has been saying sentences to the beat of Hey Jude by the beatles.

Zazu asked me what does "post haste" mean?

I asked where she learned that word and she didn't want to tell me.

She's got questions about everything. I have to stay on my toes because I am constantly being asked what the meaning of words are.

She's eating carrots and fruit now. She is still sort of picky but will eat a lot more natural stuff now then when she was a baby.

Now to get her stop peeing on herself and hitting her sister.

A President who can read!!



Looking cool as can be.

Water Play

Z at the sink having a grand time!


My daughter spent almost an hour standing on a chair at the kitchen sink, "washing dishes" She was so happy just pouring the water out from different cups. I threw in a water bottle and a sieve. I put in clean plastic bowls. She was happy, singing and content for a long time. While she did that I stayed close and cooked. I cleaned up too. She had a large bowl and pitcher that held the water. The chair is great but you do need to supervise them carefully. A step stool works good too. But the chair allowed her access to the faucet. I let her turn on the faucet and watch the water pour into the bowls. I spoke to her about saving water and not letting it just run. After telling her about conservation she followed me around the next few days telling me, "don't let the water run!" whenever I was doing dishes or brushing my teeth.

I saw a friend of mine do this when my daughter went to her house. She put some rags or towels on the floor. She had some large bowls and cups with water. My daughter poured the water from cups into the bowl. She sat down and had a great time. Again, she had to be monitored as to avoid a flood but otherwise she was great.

I think preparing the area with adequate rags and towels is most important and a large enough bowl. She had cups, small floating toys, spoons to mix.
A good tip: save old yogurt containers, spice containers with the the big and little holes. These are great water play accessories too.

Bath Time is great. Most kids like to be in the tub splashing and pretending swim. Once in a while let the kid play in the tub even if it's three in the afternoon. In the tub cups and bottles are great tub accessories. My daughter and I pretend that we are whales swimming in the ocean!



Outside Water play



Of course a little kids inflated pool is nice. Adults can sit in one of these too and cool down from the summer heat.

Those spinning sprayers are great. Games can be made about jumping over or going under the spray.

Letting them spray the hose and water the yard is so much fun. My daughter likes to fill a little watering can and go about the yard watering the different plants.

Go to a real pool. There are pools at gyms, at the Y, at some parks. Try to get to a pool this summer, the kids will love you for it.

Water parks are great. I'm not a big fan of amusement parks and long lines but there was a point in my life where I was and I loved it. That long slide straight into a cold pool has to be the best. I have lots of family and friends who have gone to water theme parks and they had complete blasts.

The Beach!

A small pond or stream. Contemplate a puddle. Kids LOVE puddles. Maybe it is the feeling of another world. Or it's a nice pool of water to splash in.

Go out in the rain. Bring umbrellas and take a walk! You are not made out of sugar though you are so sweet. You will not melt in the rain. I've seen a blind woman get on the bus with her toddler and seeing eye dog. A little rain can't keep you down or keep you stuck inside.



Water! Bountiful. We are made mostly of water.
All humans lived as merbabies growing within their moms before breathing air we breathed fluid.

Finished Novel

This is the shelf where my books will be!
I finished a kids chapter book!

I've had this idea for three years now. My daughter and I had been talking about this story and acting out the story!

I've been querying like a mad woman....oh the world of publishing...so interesting and not at all intimate and cozy. more cold and despondent. anywhoo. so this agent said YES we want to read the whole book. uh uh I did not have a whole book. I had a bunch of ideas typed up, i had like four chapter done. I decided to finish the book. It took five days and hardly any sleep. my husband went out of town that week end. I kissed him bye and went back to work. I had both kids and household and somehow I pulled it off!

I had to jump back three times and KISS myself that is how proud I am that I did it.
I am now working on the second book. I am hoping this could be a series. It would be great to have more mulitcultural books out there. My daughter is an AVID reader and I would love if in the next few years my books get published. She is already reading my stuff and telling me what she thinks and giving ideas.

10 Reasons why Winnie the Pooh needs antidepressants

1. OK his name is doodoo

2. He is an emotional eater

3. He runs out of honey and has to steal it from the bees

4. The bees promptly attack him and christopher robin

5. A great wind comes and blooooows piglet away

6. The wind knocks down owls house

7. Eeyore. Dude cheer up you live in the 100 acre woods

8. Eeyore the jerk goes to find owl a new house only to find piglets house and says it is owl's. No one corrects him and piglet just cries and accepts that his lovely house was now owl's house just cause Eeyore said so. Fuck Eeyore he is not your landlord. Piglet moves in with Winnie the Pooh

9. Pooh goes to visit Rabbit who tries to act like he's not home. But Pooh is the wiser and goes to his house and eats all Rabbits honey. All of it. And then gets stuck in Rabbits front door. Rabbit has to look at Poohs butt for days. And has to clean up the poopoo.

10. A great rain floods the woods washing piglet away. He has to be rescued by Pooh.

And i didn't even get into Rabbits hatred of Tigger and his evil plan to desert bouncy Tigger in some strange woods because Tigger bounced him one too many times.

Don't Bite Your sister

Our youngest daughter is two and a half. She has an amazing mind and sometimes says things that are way beyond her years.
Yesterday she was cuddled up ready for her nap. She wanted me to lay down next to her but I wanted to get my coffee. We had just brushed our teeth a few moments before. She said, "Come on mom get in the bed!"
I said, "Hold on let me get my coffee."
She said, "You just brushed your teeth you can't drink coffee now come on."
Really kid.

She is a cool child. Very smart, funny, energetic, enthusiastic. She loves books and make believe. She is loving and likes to give kisses. Great hugger that kid.

There are times though when it all breaks loose. I will say no to something that was demanded and whoosh she turns into a screaming, crying, stomping, kicking fiery ball of toddler angst. She has cleared a table in one swoosh. Bowls, food, cups, juice all on the floor.
"You will clean up this mess and then sit in time out." Very serious face.

The tantrums range in intensity and time. Sometimes you can get her to calm down by talking to her. Once during a tantrum she instantly stopped and said, "Mommy that painting is in the shape of a diamond."
I said, "Yes dear it is." I tried to mask my amazement at how quickly she switched. Her cries sound so sad, so plaintive.
The legs kick. Often she will emit a high whining sound. And only sometimes tears. It's always loud.


The N word

She does not like to hear the word no. The word no immediately causes the legs to start stomping and the tears to fly out of her eyes to create a puddle that she will ultimately smear all over the living room floor o

Big sister was building a myriad of block towers that she refused to have knocked down. Toddler whose very genetic make up calls for her to knock them things down can't control self and knocks them all down as big sister wails for her not to knock them down.
"Hahaha." Toddler laughs at demolishing her sisters building. Finally big sister builds a massive tower on an unreachable spot on the dining room table. She tells little sister, "Do not knock it down. Little sister screams and as she is being held back she bites her big sister. No biting. No biting. you do not bite your sister. Now say you are sorry. You better say you are sorry.
-Sorry big sister.
-Now you have to sit in time out.
-I have to sit in time out.

With big sister I never had to tell her not to bite anyone. She just didn't do it. Why does this child bite her big sister? Why will she scream as if in the worse pain when she has to do a simple thing.

Pay

I wonder how much parents who stay at home with their children would make if we got paid?
Maybe there would be incentives if your kid was not a jerk-tax break!
You would get a weekly paycheck and you would get so much OT! There would be insurance for stay at home parents.

Poem #1

Frosted Daffodils


Sweet baby seeds
Crocus
And beginning grass
Coming out in all this cold
You don’t even have a coat
Just light petals
Curling opening buds
Taffeta leaves
Urging towards the bright sun
No sun today
Just gray thick clouds
And cold winds that shake the trees
And make whistling music through the house
A fire breasted robin scuttles on a red painted roof
Ying Yang weather
Yesterday we had thunder and sunshine
In the same sky
Warm and humid day
We found shelter in a crowded back porch
Watched the dark, screen blow in the high wind
The girls played a golf, racket ball hybrid
One half of our yard was being drenched and the other
sunny

Article I found

The Wrap News
http://www.thewrap.com
Lionsgate Acquires 'For Colored Girls'
Studio gets worldwide rights to film version of the award-winning play

March 20, 2009, New York City.
By Wrap Staff

Lionsgate announced today that it has acquired worldwide rights to a planned screen version of the award-winning play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf."


The studio acquired worldwide rights to the 1975 stage play by Ntozake Shange, and the adapted screenplay written by Nzingha Stewart, who will direct the film. No cast has been set.


According to the studio, "the acquisition reflects Lionsgate’s leadership role in producing and distributing a diverse roster of motion pictures about black characters," in particular the Tyler Perry franchise.

Copyright Mirlande Jean-Gilles

Back in the game

It's only 4 in the morn. took a nap earlier this evening while i was trying to put the little one to bed. About to go back to bed.
I am a night owl tried and true. I come from a long line of night owls.
I am a night owl with early bird responsibilities.









Amazing Alvin Ailey Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eKHLBMZU6w&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu9dQcefHSc&feature=related



My Writing Life: I am obsessing over my query letter. Read and reread. I have to just send it out. I have two agents in mind. There are so many what ifs but I gotta do this.

Writing a query is nothing like writing fiction.

In the manuscript Papo has lost it and the main character has to confront this hard kinda mean grandmother about her grandfather.


Spring has Sprung: It's been cloudy and rainy the last few days.

While I was getting the mail met a neighbor who is writing childrens books. Wants to meet and talk the writing life.

Visual Arts: I made a new line of cards. Will post soon.


Kids Korner: Z was rockin' the toilet training now she's kinda regressed a little. She's still only in two diapers a day and when she wakes up from her nap she does not want to keep the diaper on.

Late night in the country ass city. There is a nice fog and it's warm for December. Today I went out alone. It's strange sometimes because usually I'm in a constant state of mommy awareness when I'm out with the kids so to be out alone and only have my one self to be responsible for is strange and yet mildly familiar.

My writing world: It's getting lusher. I have a few notebooks that I carry around. I keep notes on the novel and write little journal type things in them. I have not been journaling as much as I used to. I used to be on it two to three pages of brain drain. Now, half a page to one page of interesting, good things, budgets, to do lists. I'm trying to get to the point that whenever my kids say something smart or funny I have the paper and pen right there ready.

I heard Toni Morrison on NPR today as I did the breakfast dishes. She spoke about a lot of stuff but what stuck with me was the idea of complicated characters. I look at the histories as I reread my current manuscript and do this literary sankofa and go back to my old edits and piece this book together because I've created real histories for my characters and they are not cardboard at all. Which is exciting because your characters then have depth. You empathize with them. You might see aspects of yourself. I've been editing forever but as I find out things like it took J Diaz eleven years to finish his last book I feel like OK I can do this.

I'm working on writing the latest synopsis. I realize some of the things in the summary are not directly talked about but are eluded to in the actual novel.
Get the whole description of the story in one page. I have something down for this new version. It's kinda fun.


On the bus: Today on the bus an ahole talked loudly to his friends about how he steals from certain stores that are not expecting him to steal. He said if they don't have what he wants by the door he is not taking it. "If I have to take an escalator, the steps or an elevator I ain't stealing it cause I'm gonna get caught." I openly stared. He didn't seem at all ashamed or regretful. He was also an older man in his late fifties maybe.

An annoying man sitting in front of a couple "is that man your father?"
"No he's my husband." she said. "No way, That guy is old." said the high drunk man
"No way!" everything the woman said he said "uh uh. nope. you are too young."
i heard her say she had children who were a certain age. I heard her say she was in her thirties. She was really explaining things to this person, eventually they got up and sat in the back of the bus. The same man started yelling "hey man reading the newspaper....hey man wearing glasses....dude with the vest.....hey sir." The man was smart and feigned interest in his paper.