Calm down, Kate. Breathe! But I am a trifle angry at the lack of fairness. It is amazing that Dennis Kucinich has done so well, given the absurd press treatment he has been given -- or rather lack of treatment, getting only 1% of the candidate coverage. Even his spot on Brian Lehrer's show on WNYC this Friday.... I had to click on the date above the days description which gave NO MENTION of his seventeen minute segment to find it!! Right now if you paste http://wnyc.org/shows/bl/episodes/02272004 into your browser, you will be taken to the correct page to click and hear Dennis. He did get ten delegates for coming in second in Hawaii and he's been third in a couple of places -- Maine and Washington. In mentioning the Hawaii results CNN said that Kerry came in first and Edwards came in third -- but NO MENTION of who came in second. Outrageous.

Well, today, I am off to CBS to join other Kucitizens to be a presence at the debate then I'm going to help delegate candidate Constance Chang leaflet in nearby Astoria. I'm taking my walkperson so I can also listen to CBS radio. (Please God, help Dennis effectively get the message out -- thank you, AMEN.)

Wearing peace and political buttons, I sometimes find myself in interesting conversations and Ash Wednesday was one of those days. I was at the Fed Ex drop off point on a personal mission on behalf of my boss when Julie noticed Dennis Kucinich's smiling face on my purse strap. She told me that she is actually for anyone but Bush, because he has stolen her husband from her and her two children. "A weekend warrior", Ralph's been in Iraq for over a year and is now supposed to be home finally in June -- but there is talk that it may extend to August. Julie's youngest barely recognized her father when he returned for a brief two week visit in November. How damaging! I gave Julie info on the March 20th peace demo as well as stickers on it, Thomas's website and the yellow "Bush lies" sticker, which especially is appropriate. Two of the service people who recently were killed were stationed at the same place as Ralph so she lives daily with the reality of that message. I told her about FOR and our work and promised to pray for Ralph and her. (Dear God, bless them, and bring Ralph safely home soon to Julie and his kids, please, thank you -- Amen.)

And another Ralph is running for president, now too -- I wouldn't mind his running if he knew when to pack it in for the good of all. I know my Green Party friends would disagree, but he should/could have stepped down in October of 2000 and asked his supporters to vote for Gore and the world would have been delivered from Dubya Bush. The Green Party didn't even get their 5% so we all lost -- well Halliburton didn't lose, but of course Gore didn't either really. (Please God, don't let history repeat itself. Amen.)

Got to join with some of my friends in supporting Dennis Kucinich via a fundraiser Sunday at the Synod Hall of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Learned that Thomas Gallagher, delegate candidate for DJK in Brooklyn, will have a website up soon -- notobush.com. Joel Landy sang some great songs. Sheilah Hill danced improvisationally as Lady Liberty. And Ruth Klein was selling some great peace buttons, some of which I've added to my collection (and I wanted more because they SHOULD be purchased and worn -- good conversation starters!).

Today, at Thomas's suggestion, I watched the Kucinich ad that concerns electability -- do watch it at (paste this) http://www.kucinich.us/video/index.php#tvads -- entitled The Only One. Really good -- and I watched some of his Ohio pieces on jobs and how NAFTA has impacted Ohio. It really concerns me how Kerry is still so supportive of NAFTA. WQIDC's Marc Leavitt says it could and should be corrected. But like Dennis I tend to believe the reason "they" wanted NAFTA was to get cheap labor for US businesses -- not to share the wealth of the world. We've got to stop being so selfish with money and resources. (God know we are the biggest consumer per capita of energy.) If we are to have the peace in the world that we all say we want, we have to learn to be good citizens -- of the WORLD. (Please God, help us see the light to true peace -- Amen.)

And Ralph Nader running? To put it mildly, I am not happy -- but then I am not happy with John Kerry. While the AOL Time presidential match poll showed Kerry pretty high on my list, I fear he gives lip service and will cave in to the heavy donors of his campaign. Still, he's better than Bush. And sorry, Ralph, I don't believe you that you'll mostly get people who would have voted for Bush or not voted at all. I don't think YOU believe you. Furthermore, I suspect the Bush campaign is doing a celebratory circle dance about your candidacy. But it is about the message and your message needs heard, just like that of Dennis John Kucinich. How do we wake up America? By concentrating on the issues and how Bush's policies have not benefitted the rank and file. Let's all start talking about it, and getting our friends out to vote in the primary and in November. Wearing my political hat, I pray for peace and for politics and for good people to wake up -- please, God -- Amen. (God, I sound like Rev. Billy -- who was also there on Sunday -- from the Church of Stop Shopping Now.)

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Catching up on some email -- backlog from my January trip, I found this flash presentation which uses Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Riverside Church speech to inspire people to join the March 20th march. Wow -- hope others send it around, http://www.bushflash.com/mlk.html [Copy it into your browser and enjoy.]

With all the nastiness of so-called Christians in San Francisco where gay couples are finally being allowed to legally commit to each other, I am heartened to read an article by Rev. Richard Deats of the Fellowship of Reconciliation and editor of the Fellowship Magazine. It doesn't specifically relate to marriage, but it relates to human rights and the parallels between gay rights and racial and women's rights. I have bookmarked his website on my links page, but you can copy and paste the article into your browser:
http://deatspeace.tripod.com/christians.html

As the sister of a gay brother, I know what he went through and his first "marriage" lasted longer than those of his two straight siblings. His straight sister could march in a gay pride parade in Ohio yet he couldn't be really out because of his employment at a Catholic college. Strange world where we would allow men to kill each other but not love each other.

I am also heartened that a San Francisco judge refused to halt the gay marriages because he couldn't see where they were causing irreparable harm to heterosexually married couples. My God isn't a bigot, sorry about yours. No, let's take that further, read Richard's article, truly beautifully and sensitively put. For peace there must be acceptance. I can't see any God condemning people for being whom God created and for entering into committed relationships. Oh, God, please help us learn to truly love one another and accept our differences. Richard is a minister and a Man of a greater God than the limited one the bigotted naysayers of San Francisco believe in. I am proud to know him. Let us go forth in peace to love and change the world, it can and must be done. Together, we can, with an awesome, loving and accepting God's help.

"For it isn't enough to talk about peace,
one must believe in it. And it isn't
enough to believe in it, one must work
at it." -- Eleanor Roosevelt

Today I remembered to ask myself "The Question" [God, what would you have me do today?] and then I started various Saturday chores in an attempt to create peace from chaos. Seeing so much to be done in the world that is my home as well as the world at large that is the planet Earth, it is difficult to stay focused. "Keep your eye on the prize" goes the song and for me personally, that means peace. It isn't easy, Eleanor: working at it. But I accept the challenge to create peace in the various levels of my life and with God's help I am succeeding.

Today, my eye is on my home -- cleaning and decluttering -- and on the creation of some webmail to plan strategy and share peace and justice thoughts with my activist friends. But I also chose to work at it by joining some of my friends on 46th Bliss Street and Queens Blvd to hand out peace leaflets for the upcoming March 20th The World Still Says No to War march (see united forpeace.org, a link for which is on my links page). There are some outside chores to do, too, but today is more local. Tomorrow, however, is more global.

Sunday, if all goes well, will begin with 8 AM Mass and then off to Manhattan and a benefit showing of "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised -- Inside the Chavez Coup in Venezuela", an award winning documentary film by two Irish journalists who happened to be filming inside the palace on the day of the coup. (10:30 at the Walter Reade Theatre at Lincoln Center Plaza, fyi -- see Peace Action NY's site www.panys.org for info, but the tickets are $35 and there are two good speakers) Then at 4 pm is an Art Auction/Happening benefitting Dennis Kucinich for President which will take place at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine -- that's $20 -- not a cheap day, but good causes which contribute to peace. Busy, busy, busy -- but I breathe and relax and trust that I am on target in my work for peace, justice and nonviolence.

Now, I'm off to feed my neighbor's compost pile worms and a quick visit to the dry cleaners, then more housework and some more email as well as some phone calls. (God, help me do the things you have given me to do -- thank you, AMEN.)

Dr. Wayne Dyer talks about how different people wake up. Some say, "Good God -- morning!" and others say, "Good morning, God!" I find that my days go better when I choose the latter, and then further ask myself, "God, what would you have me do today?" My to-do list overfloweth and God knows I need insight and assistance to make good choices. I cannot do it all, nor should I. But how does one discern? What really needs to be done? My personal peace demands that I get these questions answered in better fashion. With God's help, I will -- but I have to remember to ASK. Today I remember to ask -- please God, help me do the the things that you would have me do today -- guide me, tell me what -- I trust and thank you. AMEN.

Maybe you think that I am getting too prayerful, but this I know: If we must be the peace the world seeks, we really do need the help of a Higher Power by whatever name you choose to give it. Emerson's Cosmic One. The Mystical Body of Christ. The Islamic Allah. Luke Skywalker's Force. Yes. May the Force be with you -- and with me -- today and always! Love, blessings, and peace hugs to one and all.

Last night I joined with some of my All Saints' Sunnyside friends in saying goodbye to our dear friend and pillar of our Anglican/Episcoplian church, Adele Walsh. What a beautiful, spirited, contributive, spunky woman she was. Her spirit surely lives on, after her 95 years of earthly existence have ended. She touched us and we have grown. Thank you, God, for Adele and for her example. Peace, Adele, adieu.

It is all connected, just as we are all connected, peace in our lives, in our world at all levels -- personal, familial, economical, spiritual, political. We must be the peace that we seek. To echo Gandhi, we must be the change we wish to see in the world. We must live and be that peace the world so desperately needs.

Today I venture forth into a wider world on the web to share peace with you even as I clarify my own thoughts. It continues my journey, my sacred contract. Together, with God's help, we can and will change the world. We must. Let us be positive -- FOR peace. May my life and yours bless this world -- Amen.