You must watch this:



And if you are brave, do watch others. GOOD is doing amazing work, and all with a little research and spectacular design and information passing.

To see what I mean, watch this.



Think about how much information you just got without a single word being spoken.

And one more with no words:

after a morning

of waking up to helicopters buzzing about, reporting a shooting close by - it was nice to have my butt slapped on the way to work by a cute motorcyclist. sometimes when the happening of the world are too much, happenings such as these bring life a bit more joy & laughter. with that, i leave you this poem i was asked to read last night at jazz vespers.

moment vanishing

Now, in the quietude of evening, the dove comes.

It does not flash its feathers, does notmake a sound,

but feeds on what the finches leave behind.

How little it needs.A few hard seeds. A drop of water.

It is late summer. It is always

late summer here. The air is hot and dry.

Brown leaves lie like hands in the yard.

There is no place to turn. No place to stop.

We are hurried along, pushed farther into our lives.

Moments are vanishing all over the earth

as bombs explode, the victim is hooded,

great populations scatter on endless dust roads.

It is too much. We avert our eyes.

We wait like children for the coming of the dove.

And if I were allowed a question,

one question, of the evening dove

who asks for nothing, whose pleasure

is a few small seeds, whose heart I covet,

I would ask, O what will I become?

- Elizabeth Spires

lately i have been wondering this specific question, what will i become. what choices will i make, what words will i speak, what neighborhood will i live in, what love will i make that will become part of the mold that makes up this life i am honored to life. moments are vanishing too quickly & i am in such desperate need of my morning dove.

for the first time in close to a year we spent some time in borders. slowly the feelings related to consumption continue to find a healthy (my hope) niche within my daily life and choices.

today though, to my surprise, a new magazine caught my eye & later captured my heart. i encourage you to take a look and enjoy.

this edition presents (and is) to be one that i needed to engage with. silence.

hope each of you are well.

2 years.

The Rent Party was a huge success!
5 musical sets, mojitos, food & drink, conversation, photography, art & fun!

85 people attended and we raised over $1,700!

money is still coming in--if we raise $2,300 we'll have three months rent!

Sarah provided images for our show, which will all be for sale in various sizes, framed or unframed, during August and at a exhibit closing party at the end of August--with a portion of the proceeds to go to Wicker Park Grace.

we walked away with this one home at the end of the night & are so glad that we did!

for picture of our evening please treat yourself and click here, you'll be glad you did.

p.s. there are great photos here too. way to be jhonathan!

Rent Party: A Skiffle of Sorts

Since my church is not about guilt and obligation, we're trying to figure out new ways to funds our operations than, you know, passing the offering plate. So, we're having a rent party.

July 12th (this saturday!) at 8:00pm
at 1741 N. Western Ave.

In the tradition of those who have laid the path before us, Wicker Park Grace will be holding a Rent Party: A Skiffle of Sorts

Door Fee: $15 (free food and drink!)

Historically, to pay rising rents in neighborhoods that were filing up with people moving north in the Great Migration, folks would ask a few musician friends to play in the living rooms of their apartments, asked a few other friends to make some food and mixed up a little gin in the bathtub.

Charging admission at the door generated cash to pay the rent and a party whose celebratory energy burst from the intimate setting for all comers. Rent parties were a quintessential example of communities of people joining together to work towards mutual benefit.

Wicker Park Grace will carry on this historical tradition on July 12th with an evening of music & art, food & drink, conversation & dance.

Performing will be:

Rob Clearfield & At This Point We Don't Have the Luxury of Silence

Dave Spaulding with The Moves

Ira Gamerman w/ songs from the band, Even So

Michael Mc Bride

Kate Harlson

If you can't come, you can still contribute to the effort here.