Dear Motorcycle Gang, STFU

Dear Unmuffled Motorcycle Gang, I am a toddler's parent whose home is on one of the roads you like to ride. Dear Loud Motorcycle People, who are sharing the road with Ironpeople and vehicles from near & far, and wildlife and pedestrians and people with strollers, Dear LOUD, LARGE Mile-Long Motorcycle Gang that has not a muffler nor presumably an intact eardrum among you, please, Dear Gang-ers, *STFU*, you are waking my baby and I can't hear Miles Davis over your rumbly racket as you roar through our river valley. (The latter acronym taught to me by my 16-year-old niece and I think it's a good 'un.)

I simply object to the echoes of unmuffled motorcycle engines along my forested river valley. One such Gang woke my baby today, and I am very mad. My ears are still ringing where I would have liked to box your hog-riders' ears today. May that string of 50 unforgivably loud motorcyclists all run out of gas near a hungry tribe of bears, their credit rating plunge and the fleas of a thousand camels infest their armpits!

Sincerely,

MS

National Geographic 1925 - a set on Flickr

National Geographic 1925 - a set on Flickr

Here is a link to my Flickr set of a scan of a 50+ page article on Ethiopia (then Abyssinia) published in the June 1925 National Geographic, Vol. XLVII, No. 6. I did not ask the magazine for permission to post this and hope it is ok...

I am going to print this out and can hardly wait to read it. The original magazine is returning to its kind lender, Hilari's Mom.

A second Ethiopia article from National Geographic from June 1931 is coming soon.

Sustainable Nonprofits

PND - News - Report Identifies Characteristics of Sustainable Nonprofits

Ah, organizational LEADERSHIP, that elusive and shape-shifting thing. I became a fund-raiser with the aim of eventually running a not-for-profit of the cause of my choice. Now, at this twenty year mark in my career, I sometimes wonder if I have an obligation to step up to the leadership for which I prepared myself.

But then my toddler falls off his hobby horse or rams a rubber truck onto my toes, or needs a poopy diaper changed, or starts to pull a bookshelf over on himself, and I forget everything else but him now.

So now is probably not a good time for me to step up anywhere other than as Mama. Phew, because I don't really want to any more, after seeing how difficult the work is.

swapbot 5 atcs

somethingblue 5 atcs swapbot

This private swap is for a profile surprise. The swapper wishes she spoke French (Montreal maps), enjoys local items (birch bark), enjoy cupcakes cherries (Sharpie sketches) with Modpodge & school glue.