I am in love.
Love.
Moves like Jagger
28 Sunday Aug 2011
Posted in media lizzy
Monthly Archives: August 2011
A confession, an expulsion and a hunger for justice
28 Sunday Aug 2011
Posted in africa, civil rights, conflict minerals, Congo, genocide, huffington post, HuffPo, media lizzy, rape, sudan
Many of my readers, friends and colleagues have asked about my affection for Africa, global health, Congo, Sudan and women’s equality in third world countries. Others were astonished with my decision to complete a 40 day hunger strike, nobody more than me. After much contemplation, I penned a piece explaining the genesis of my work for the Huffington Post.
An excerpt:
…My decision to undertake this effort was about more than sisterhood, it was an expulsion of pain. The genesis of my affection for Africa’s women and children is about gratitude for my freedom. But also the duty preserving freedom requires. At age 17, I was held against my will for six days and raped repeatedly by several young men. A strong survival instinct made it possible for me to remain calm, identify my location and convince one of my captors to give me access to a bathroom while the others were gone. I called my father and he rescued me. I never looked back. No police. No rape kit. I just wanted my life back. To be back in my parents’ loving and safe home. The hunger strike helped me forgive myself for whatever harm may have come from my silence. Our Sisters in Congo cannot pick up the phone and wait for rescue. No such safety net exists there.
Rape victims are a silent sisterhood. When you have been dehumanized by another being totally possessed by evil, the experience is unimaginable. Akin to witnessing an eclipse of good, where it disappears into darkness and you wait, hoping for salvation and redemption…
Please read it all HERE.
—Media Lizzy
Surviving Irene…
28 Sunday Aug 2011
Posted in media lizzy
Tags
faith, God, Hurricane, Irene, love, Sandbridge, Tidewater, Virginia Beach
As a Georgia girl I love the savage heat of Summer. Living in Virginia’s Tidewater region in Summer brings all the heat and humidity, and the occasional hurricane. At this time last evening, our little family was curled up with books and chatter as we sat beneath the light of a flickering oil lamp.
Today, we hit the streets to catch a glimpse of what Hurricane Irene left in her tracks. After 27 hours of steady rain and wind, this is what we found.
Most of the major roadways were dry. But secondary roads, like Elbow and Indian River Road had some flood waters that had not yet receded. With 900,000 people out of power in the wake of Irene, it was safe to assume there were downed power lines. We also learned from a radio report that tree limbs conduct electricity very well. Eeek. Obviously they would, but it’s not one of those facts you instantly recall.
Thankfully the Dominion Power crews we met today had the trees moved and power lines back where they belong. Nowhere was the work more evident than my beloved Sandbridge. Irene damaged several homes.
Expecting waves larger than those we found after Hurricane Earl’s departure last year…was a mistake. The waves, while perfect for body boarding and light surfing, were only a bit above average for our little slice of heaven.
Hurricane Irene did our beach one favor… it’s perfectly flat. A little deeper in places. And the sea grass that drove me to distraction? All gone. Only a few feet away, a home was destroyed. Irene devastated many communities, took lives in at least five states, and reminds us that Mother Nature is a creature unlike any other. Complex. Untamed.
There is nothing so wonderful as the feeling of awe, of witnessing the raw power of our Creator. Whether a hurricane’s path, the blessed bringing of a child into this world, the electricity between two people discovering or re-discovering love, the sweetness of a laugh, an act of kindness…this is the good stuff. Thank you and yes, Goodbye Irene.
—Media Lizzy
Back to School. On G. Gordon Liddy Show!
09 Tuesday Aug 2011
Posted in media lizzy
In a few weeks, all the kids will be back in school. But are they ready? With global travel becoming the norm, and anti-vaccine activism, every parent wonders if their children are more vulnerable.
On today’s G. Gordon Liddy Show, I will join the exquisite Cherylyn Harley LeBon to discuss the importance of vaccinations and public health.
Join us! Listen HERE for the Live show and Call 1-800-GG-LIDDY to ask questions and share your thoughts.
—Media Lizzy
Godspeed.
06 Saturday Aug 2011
Posted in afghanistan, afpak, gold star, media lizzy, mourning, NATO, navy, Navy SEALs, special forces
Tags
afghanistan, AfPak, DevGru, gold star, Navy SEALs, SEAL, Taliban, Team Six, terrorists, troops, UBL, war
A devastating loss of 38 lives in Afghanistan today. Taliban forces shot down a NATO Chinook helicopter with 17 Navy SEALs aboard, five SEAL support personnel, and eight other US Special Operators. The men are lost to us, the cause of freedom, and above all – to each other and their families. These are men from the now famous DevGru.
Warfare today is different than in ancient Greece but SEALs wear a trident, evoking Poseidon’s might and power. They protect and ensure freedom. The loss to our national security will surely be felt. It takes many years to train a Navy SEAL. Their linguistic skills, battlefield prowess, close-quarters strategy and infinitely focused and unparalleled minds – and hearts – are irreplaceable. They have faced evil and beaten it down, time and again.
They are loved. Their names will not be etched in stone, like Achilles or more appropriately, Hector. But their contributions to history are no less great. They defeated terrorists that clung to the mythos of evil, and brought justice. Every day.
May love surround their brothers, their families and lovers. Remember these heroes for their inherent sense of justice and their fearless devotion to duty, honor and freedom. Boots on, from The Mog to AfPak. Hooyah.
—Media Lizzy
Celebrating Tennyson…
05 Friday Aug 2011
Posted in desire, destiny, Girl HQ, literature, love
Saturday, August 6th marks 202 years since the birth of Alfred, Lord Tennyson. So many treasures in his writings. The Lady of Shalott? Bliss. Becket? Brilliance. His Morte d’Arthur’? Divine. Ulysses? A composition that transcends time and space, a leader’s cautionary tale, a warrior’s conscience, a man’s thoughts known only to self.
Among his writings, there is a balance between delicacy and fire. To honor his birthday tomorrow, I offer excerpts of my two most beloved writings he crafted.
From Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere:
As she fled fast thro’ sun and shade,
The happy winds upon her play’d,
Blowing the ringlet from the braid:
She look’d so lovely, as she sway’d
The rein with dainty finger-tips,
A man had given all other bliss,
And all his worldly worth for this,
To waste his whole heart in one kiss
Upon her perfect lips.
And Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal:
Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white;
Nor waves the cypress in the palace walk;
Nor winks the gold fin in the porphyry font:
The fire-fly wakens: waken thou with me.Now droops the milkwhite peacock like a ghost,
And like a ghost she glimmers on to me.Now lies the Earth all Danaë to the stars,
And all thy heart lies open unto me.Now slides the silent meteor on, and leaves
A shining furrow, as thy thoughts in me.Now folds the lily all her sweetness up,
And slips into the bosom of the lake:
So fold thyself, my dearest, thou, and slip
Into my bosom and be lost in me.
As communication develops and we embrace the simplicity and convenience of 140 character limits, our relationship with our history becomes ever more important. From Archaic literature where the prose of Herodotus or Ovid, to the beauty of Tennyson and the wantonness in D. H. Lawrence, there is a chance to marvel at humanity.
—Media Lizzy
Happy Monday! Chai Edition
01 Monday Aug 2011
Posted in Girl HQ, media lizzy
Tags
Happy Monday. From searing hot genmai cha to jasmine and masala chai, tea makes my world run smoothly. A few of my Tweeps have asked for my chai recipe, so below is the super-duper secret recipe.
First, you need tunes. Tea is brewed best with loud music, the vibrations make the spices happier. Or maybe it’s just me. Whatever. I highly recommend Puccini or Bizet, maybe some Marc Broussard or Keb Mo. Friends who visit our home know it as Girl HQ.
Tunes for today’s’ house blend:
Girl HQ Chai:
20 cardamom seeds in pods
15 cloves
2 Tablespoons fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 Tablespoons nutmeg
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon roasted chicory
1 teaspoon roasted carob
2 teaspoons dried ginger
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
Black tea:
Darjeeling or English breakfast, loose tea. Use to your caffeine-capacity.
1/2 cup to 1 cup of Demerara sugar
Milk or Half & Half to taste
Directions: Crush cardamom seeds, pepper and cloves. In a small bowl mix all spices together. This mixture can be stored for up to one year in a tea jar. To make the whole batch, boil 8 cups of water in a non-reactive pot, add spices and Black tea to taste. Strain, add to tea pot. Add Demerara sugar, stir until melted. In each serving, one part milk or half & half to three parts chai is perfect! For decaf chai, especially yummy with dessert, brew the spices without Black Tea.
Enjoy!
—Media Lizzy
