Community members taking action against violence

Rid-All Foundation to host second “Toy Gun Buy Back Program” this Saturday, June 27th from Noon – 5 p.m.

Rid- All Farm — A section of Rid-All Farm, an urban farm in Cleveland, OH.

Cleveland, OH – Gun violence continues to plague our communities and the Rid-All Foundation will continue to raise awareness around this issue with a second “Toy Gun Buy Back Program” on Saturday, June 27, 2015 at the Rid-All Urban Farm, 8129 Otter Road (off East 82nd and Kinsman) from Noon – 5 p.m.

During this event, the Foundation will also unveil the sixth edition of its Brink City Comic Book, which is a special edition focused on the dangers of guns and gun violence. The comic books serve a two-fold purpose – educating youth on the effect that “woes” such as contaminated soil and food deserts have on our communities, and to give them an alternative perspective on how they can improve their health and support their community. The “Toy Gun Buy Back Program” is an opportunity to remove these “toys” from the streets while at the same time providing an alternative to “guns as toys” while offering parents information on more sustainable and productive activities for their children.

The buyback furthers Rid-All’s “Shoot Hoops Not Guns” program started a few years ago with the support of local stars such as retired Cavaliers point guard Austin Carr, and local caterer Tom Paige. “The goal of our programming is to raise awareness for parents who purchase guns for their children, and to put something else in their hands (rather than a toy gun) that is safe and sustainable,” said Damien Forshe, co-founder of the Rid-All Foundation.

As part of Saturday’s program, the first 100 parents who bring their child or children to turn in a toy gun (including pellet or replica guns) will receive a $25 Dave’s Gift Card and each child will receive a Rid-All comic book. The gift cards are limited to one per family. The afternoon will also include free hot dogs, music and a tour of the Rid-All farm. For more information on the Toy Gun Buy Back, please contact Rid-All at 216-990-8191.

About Rid-All – Our mission is to transform communities, starting with 3 acres in Cleveland’s Kinsman Neighborhood, known as the Forgotten Triangle. We’ve reclaimed the land for growing fruits and vegetables, farming fish, creating soil from food waste discarded by others and more. We’ve constructed two green houses, four hoop houses, a tepee and an edible trail to add to our fish farming. The Rid-All organization has also developed a keen interest in youth development and has implemented programs such as essay contests, science education programs for Cleveland Metropolitan School students and a summer Youth Farmer Leadership Program. Visit ridall.org for more information.

Happy Earth Day – have you been kind to Mother Earth?

These lamb are grazing just minutes from downtown Cleveland as part of an Urban Shepherds project.

Today we acknowledge Earth Day in an attempt to bring awareness to the many things that humans do to pollute and defame our land. I am a culprit, but I am working to be a better steward of our world. What are you doing?

The Urban Shepherds project is definitely working to do their part. To learn more about their work visit their website by clicking on the name. Even if they weren’t making the world a little better, they definitely bring joy to me! Each spring I anxiously look to my right each day as I come to work to see if the sheep have returned.

I don’t long to live on a farm or anything, I just really enjoy that little touch of country in the city and having the ability to watch them up close.

~Until we meet again!

Finding beauty in the mailbox – One postcard at a time!

WEB_Postcards-at-work — Adding beauty to my workplace. A few of the cards found a home on my cork board.

Have you ever looked around your world and wonder, “What happened to the beauty?” I know that I find myself asking that question more than I like to admit, so I try to seek out beauty. It can be found in a face, a building renovation, the sun, flowers, beautiful blue skies. You just have to stop and look for it.

Well every year for the past five years I have been fortunate enough to receive that beauty in my mailbox as part of the annual Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap. The Swap is organized by Kat Sloma, an accomplished artist, teacher and owner of The Kat Eye Studio.

Through her site and classes she has amassed a group of artists, wannabe artists (that would be me) and encouraged us to release our fears and inhibitions by sharing the beauty we create with the world! That’s true awesomeness!

The inaugural card this year suggested childhood whimsy and read, “Always remember the simplicity of a child – Smile!” This card is the work of Maggie_Gem as she is known on Flickr.com. Click on her name to see more! Thank you Maggie!

A gem from Maggie_Gem, "Always remember the simplicity of a child - Smile!" — A gem from Maggie_Gem, “Always remember the simplicity of a child – Smile!”

Breezing in from California wine country was this beautiful landscape card created by Jasmine. Transplanted from New York, Jasmine takes photos of landscapes to “help me appreciate my new home.” To follow her adventures on the left coast pop over to Instagram @jasmine_sk. Thanks for the beautiful photo Jasmine and enjoy your adventures in Cali.

California wine country landscapes by jasmine_ck. Follow her on Instagram.

I’m an avid reader so I was pleased to see that Kathryn V. White shared her book cover as her entry into the 2015 LYA Swap! To learn more about Kathryn and Rumble Tumble Joy, visit her site here. Thank you Kathryn, I look forward to reading your work.

When the sunsets on a perfect night the view is calming and vibrant depending on how you capture it. Many hues of red, orange and yellow are present with tinges of blue. Chelsea captured the beauty of this nightly treasure in the photo below, and I thank her for its beauty as well as her quote, “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” To see more of her work follow her on Instagram – @chelsasaurus or her website here.

An aquatic beauty greeted me as I received my final participant postcard from sheiladelgado.com. I loved her quote from Brenda Ueland, “Imagination needs moodlng – long, inefficient, happy, idling, dawdling and puttering.” I can really relate to that concept when attempting to create! Visit Sheila’s site for more wonderful art.

From the curator of this wonderful event came the beauty below. The textures and hues make me feel warm all over – what about you?

I hope you have enjoyed the art I received and I encourage you to visit these ladies and bask in even more awesomeness and beauty. Thanks for stopping by.

~Until we meet again

Sweet Magnolia Blossom – liberating my art!

The 2015 Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap

Today is the final day of the 2015 Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap and Blog Hop. I’m late posting and didn’t want the day to get away without at least acknowledging this small piece of awesomeness in the world.

Kat Sloma of The Kat Eye Studio is the curator of this project that brings a little bit of sunshine into mailboxes across the globe each year. If this is your first introduction to the Swap I encourage you to check out the details here.

Thanks to the Swap and Kat I now look at my photography as art, and albeit a slow process I am becoming more comfortable in that skin. Art is truly subjective and as creators of such we must become the first subject to appreciate the work we do.

The photo above is of my 2015 Postcard, and I can say that I truly love this print! Congratulations to Kat and more than 200 artists who participated this year!

Be sure to visit the link above to take in the beauty and creativity associated with this year’s Swap, and stop back to see some of the art found in my mailbox this year.

Celebrating Black History and finding your own history

So it’s February 2015 and throughout my Facebook feed there are many mentions of famous and not so famous men and women who have contributed to the greatness of these United States. People like Langston Hughes, one of my favorite writers of all time and Nina Simone. I love reading about these people and those that I am less familiar with, I just hate the fact that we don’t really pay attention to their accomplishments until February.

The most astonishing discovery I had this month had nothing to do with my Facebook feed, instead I was working on a project for my paternal family reunion when I came across the document pictured below about my maternal grandfather.

Headstone request — Request for a headstone for Frank Walker Goolsby, my maternal grandfather.

What makes this document so fascinating and causes me to stick my chest out with pride is the space for Medals. Can you see that? My grandfather was awarded a Purple Heart! Now how cool is that? I think it is pretty darned awesome.

Upon further research I found this Wikipedia notation on the criteria to receive a Purple Heart:

The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after April 5, 1917, has been wounded or killed. Specific examples of services which warrant the Purple Heart include any action against an enemy of the United States; any action with an opposing armed force of a foreign country in which the Armed Forces of the United States are or have been engaged; while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party; as a result of an act of any such enemy of opposing armed forces; or as the result of an act of any hostile foreign force.

Now this document lists his grade as “cook”, so not only did he work to keep our soldiers fed during this tumultuous time, but at some point he was involved in combat and carried the wounds for the rest of his life.

This is the best Black History month “present” I have ever received. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but the fond memories my Mom had of him linger in my heart and have grown stronger with this knowledge.

Now I can’t wait to find out more about him, because there are still a lot of questions.

Until next time ~