A Few Notes Before I'm Gone For Two Weeks - Some Do-Gooding

I will be going out of town for a couple of weeks for training for my new job (I would insert a lot of bragging about the new job here but I don't want people at my old job to slit their wrists in complete jealousy so I'll leave it out). I thought I would share a few things with you that I think are good, important or otherwise tickle my fancy.

First of all.
There is a site that my husband visits every day. He has visited it every day since he discovered it on the web a bajillion years ago. It originally was just THE HUNGER SITE but over time it has added, support for BREAST CANCER, CHILD HEALTH, LITERACY, RAIN FOREST and ANIMAL RESCUE. We've supported them for free for years and we actually bought a goat once from the HUNGER SITE. Well, we donated goats in my Aunt's name, as a thank you for something wonderful she did for us. (She's a pretty wonderful Aunt, is my Aunt Suz). We figured she has a lot of STUFF and giving a gift like that was unusual but said that we loved and appreciated her. Which we do. You should go there. You should click on them daily. It will take you five minutes. And it will do good.

Second of all.
Our friend Mike's Orthodox Church is having a fundraiser. I'm not a religious person. At all. But I have to say that first of all, Mike is possibly the only person who was Christian as a part of WHO HE IS that didn't get on my last fucking nerve. This is probably because he is educated and not full of hocus pocus, which I like. And I figure, if you are going to support a fundraiser for a church, you should support one for the ORIGINAL Christian Church. So. If you are inclined, help out a good guy and his church. What is the worst thing that could happen? A church full of nice people gets some stuff they need.

Third of all.
You should read Smithsonian magazine. I know you don't read it. But you should. It's like that great history teacher you once had. The one who taught you things with such passion and such fascination about the subject - that to this DAY you remember the details of the FALSE DONATION OF CONSTANTINE. But you can't remember your own voice mail phone number. We subscribed to it a while back and never read it. It looked interested and we put them away to read "later". Later came when we moved. Oh my GOD.
What we have missed.
I have read Lewis and Clark's Letters. I have read about Frank Diggs and his unbelievable collection of photos of Jazz Musicians like Earl Hines. I have read about teacher Jane Elliot and the furor an experiment over racism caused. I have read about how the Roman army was CRUSHED at Kalkriese in detail, and the great archaeological finds at the site.

Do yourself a favor.

Get a copy of Smithsonian magazine.

It is exhilarating.