CONTENTS 1/12/2021
Lots Of Feelings
Soup Brigade
Crisis Stabilization Center
Medical Consultant: On Masks
Winter Blooms
Windblown Trash
Radio Free Fl!p: Children Of Darkness
LOTS OF FEELINGS
I have a sense that everyone was upset by the events at the Capital on Wednesday, and the feelings are spilling over onto everything else. There’s a sense of urgency, and impatience with other situations and with each other. We don’t always make the best decisions when feelings are running high. I think connecting kindly with other people and with nature can help restore us to ourselves.
SOUP BRIGADE
Today’s Ingredients: At this point we have 8# carrots, 20# rice, 10# lentils, two 4# bags of pasta (Ziti, penne), three 5# sacks of shredded cheddar. There’s a big tub of curry paste. About 15# of onions. Six dozen eggs. Three jars of chicken soup base. About a pound and a half of white flour. And all that canned Chili!
Check with me on how this all works if it’s your first time, or first time in a while.
Sign up here to keep a steady flow of meals:
https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/nnmwke
CRISIS STABILIZATION CENTER
Adults struggling with mental illness and addiction have a new place to stabilize in Whatcom, replacing an older center. The old one held 13 and this one holds 32. The goal is to be able to avoid calling police when it’s possible to use appropriately trained professionals. The center is working on getting a state certification that allows for involuntary holds at the center for up to 12 hours.
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article248374770.html?ac_cid=DM361672&ac_bid=-899151658
MEDICAL CONSULTANT: ON MASKS
I now have a medical consultant! A local but anonymous MD has offered to double-check anything I post about medical issues. I’m just delighted. Here’s his comment on yesterday’s post. In the future I’ll be able to check before I post, which should avoid most back-and-forthing. I already sent him a question to double-check for tomorrow.
I am concerned with the accuracy of info on your blog about Covid prevention. Most of the info is good. However, your recent post re: N95 masks is not accurate. Fitting is very important and, for a poor N95 fit, surgical masks may be better than N95s because they are more flexible and therefore easier to fit well over a variety of face shapes. HOWEVER, AN N95 MASK IS NOT WORTHLESS FOR COVID PREVENTION. It’s just that their effectiveness goes down if air can move in and out of spaces that exist around the edges when they don’t fit well. AN N95 IS MUCH, MUCH BETTER THAN NOTHING, and, if it fits with only a bit of space around the edges, may be better than a surgical mask that fits poorly. It depends on the face of the individual. As we all know, our faces aren’t all shaped alike.
WINTER BLOOMS
Our witch hazel tree is in full, fragrant bloom! This is the week. And the first hellebore by the back gate is too. And the snowdrops are up. The star magnolias out by the street have their pussy-willow buds ready to pet (very gently) for the rest of winter until they burst into lovely white flowers in early spring. And yesterday I saw my first tiny magenta primrose out by the sidewalk. I love our winter garden! If you’d like a tour, I’d love to share. Please set up a time in advance though.
WINDBLOWN TRASH
For the last few months I have seen an abundance of trash and recycling blown in the wind. Please contain your recycling and garbage on those days you put it out so it doesn’t end up on someone else’s property. Thank you. ~ Margaret Hellyer, Keesling Street
RADIO FREE FL!P: CHILDREN OF DARKNESS
Richard & Mimi Fariña. “Now in the age of confusion I have need of your company.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i84J_VaJmo
Love/Fl!p 360-671-4511 2518 Cherry Street flip@columbianeighborhood.org
If you’re willing to share your phone and address with me, personally, I would love that, and would not share it further without your express permission.
If you want to ask me to post something, just email me. If it’s urgent, phone. If it’s a real emergency, call 911.