Friday March 30

Four of us about the beginning of the hour, six or so at the end. We talked about compassion and the role it plays in our lives. Less seriously, we wondered whether we might develop "umbrella wrist" during this long spell of rain. :)

Thursday March 29

Four vigil-ers at 5:00PM, to maybe 10 halfway through, and six of us at 6:00PM. And the rain poured down.

Wednesday March 28

Four of us at 5:00PM, then ten at the end of the hour. Intermittent heavy showers, but we talked about beekeeping and local theater. One person described her taking part in this afternoon's "flash mob give-a-book-away event". She gave To Kill a Mockingbird. What book would you give to another reader?

Tuesday March 27

Four, five, six of us at various times during the vigil. Wildly enthusiastic support from some driving by, others with thumbs down or fingers up. We talked some about Jesus' sayings about nonviolence and loving enemies.

Monday March 26

Four at the start of the hour, eight at the end. A motorcyclist offered us a peace sign in support. We talked about favorite contemporary films.

Sunday March 25

Five of us at 5:00PM, rain for the entire hour but still nine people at the end. We talked for a while about the systemic problems of horse racing, with danger to both horses and riders.

Saturday March 24

Five of us for most of the hour. We also had a cat, which snuck into the van carrying the signs and rode down to the vigil. We carefully kept it shut up from traffic. Depending on which of us you asked, the cat looked scared, uncertain, or comfortable. :) At the end of the vigil it rode back and jumped out of the van when it arrived.
A very angry passerby cursed in our faces. I wonder again, where does that pain and anger come from?

Friday, 23 March

My grandson (age 5) happily predicted that I would have a "bright vigil" today & we did.  The sun shone with Spring warmth and the wind was not too sharp.  The snow is mostly gone but the stories will linger.  Counting one early departure and one later arrival we had 7 for the hour.
A woman, walking, stopped and said "I agree, no war.  Our children are dying in the Middle East and Afghanistan.  There is much sorrow in families."  We spoke a bit more and she went on giving us thanks for being present with the message of Peace.
Many friendly waves and cheery smiles.
A few angry scowls and rude gestures and  harsh words.
A sweet child hand visible in a window waving with a sign for peace - so small a person we could not see but the top of a head.
A car full of young men cheering.
A man driving a white pick-up truck turned on the revolving yellow light atop his truck cab as he passed us.

Thursday March 22

Four or five of us for the hour. No snow, and the temperatures felt almost warm. A brief discussion of the film A Separation, set in Iran, about the pressures and stress of one family's life.

Wednesday March 21

A snowy day in front of the courthouse. Four umbrella-ed vigilers at the start, six of us (and two shivering dogs) at the end.

Tuesday March 20

Happy first day of spring. The spring equinox was gray and chilly and rainy during the hour, making an uncomfortable vigil. Some discussion of Rich Forer's talk at the library on Saturday. Three of us to start the hour, about eight at the end.

Monday March 19, 2012

The ninth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. We did nothing as a group, but a couple of vigil-ers had signs elsewhere in Corvallis to mark the day. We are grateful for their work.

Sunday March 18

Three to start the hour, seven people and three dogs at the end. It was cold, but at least we did not have rain. Across the street a man who has come several times to cuss at us limped by; we mostly ignored him -- how can one be with all the pain in the world?
One of us shared left-over St Patrick's Day cookies. :)

Saturday March 17

Saint Patrick's Day. Five or six of us for throughout the hour; most of us wear a bit of green. The same as last week, we talk about new jobs and about out-of-town friends.

Friday, 16 March

Blustery March weather.  Four for the balance of the hour with two friends coming for part of the time.  We speak of weather as the wind swings to the North and blowing spattering rain.  We speak of veterans and the centuries of deceit by government from Shay's Rebellion to the Bonus March and all the homeless veterans after VietNam and now.  On so many levels war is wrong.  Of late we've commented on the decrease in virulent hostility directed toward us - this hour many angry people cursed us.  One young man called us F'in Hippies and suggested we get jobs.  He was far too young to have that particular absurdity grounded in any experience - parroting an ignorant elder perhaps.  Seriously - that is "So 1970's".
His comment spurred a small discussion on the wisdom of a contemporary commune - for elders.

Thursday, 15 March

A surprise visit from our Tucson friend - he arrived in his daughter's car with a box of tasty bakery cookies.  One day he'd told me as we enjoyed another's gift of fresh cookies that he was a cookie monster - so, farewell cookies for us.  it was great to have an official  send off with cheery waves and an attempt at a group photo.  Five of us humans & one peaceable dog bid him safe travels.
Talk about the pains of war; the harm to all involved.  I ask if we have a sign about Rachel Corrie's murder - tomorrow is the anniversary.

Wednesday, 14 November

Rain - Rain.  Several regulars are out of town. Still we eventually have 7 for the hour.

Tuesday March 13

Half a dozen of us for much of the hour. Our friend from Tucson visited for the last time this trip; Thursday he returns to Arizona. He left with us a timely sign "DON'T ATTACK IRAN".

Monday, 12 March 2012

A week until the 9th anniversary of the launch of the second war on Iraq.  We've no commemorative plans.
this question arose during the vigil
Rain.  5 umbrellas - beneath one our recently returned traveler tells of visiting family and yoga class and hikes and long hours on airplanes.  Mid-hour cookies arrive and and our number rises to 6.
I am haunted by the endless suffering caused by the violence of the United States government and the willy-nilly people who allow it.  In the news: an American in Afghanistan murders 16 sleeping people.  I hear on the street that Hillary Clinton says that is not "us"; but of course it is because we trained that man to kill; to see an "enemy" not another human.  Less prominently in the news:  Israel is attacking Gaza since Friday night - bombs/missiles/rockets - explosives that kill innocent people.  Our tax dollars at work.  Before the vigil I spoke with a parent about budget cuts and the effect in her children's classrooms - we can't afford education but we can sure afford the tools of war.

Saturday March 10

Four or five of us early in the hour, nine at the end. We talked about families and new jobs.

Friday March 9

Eight of us for much of the hour, with a couple of occasional participants, including an appealing mid-size dog with a bandaged leg. We talked about the renewed fighting around the Gaza Strip.

Thursday March 8

Four or five at the beginning, then nine of us at the end. We talked about Elliott Woods, a photographer and journalist who documents the war in Afghanistan. His website is http://assignmentafghanistan.org/ .

Wednesday March 7

Three or four to start the hour, about nine at the end. Daylight Savings Time starts next weekend, and we wondered when time changes happen in other lands. A passerby joined us for the last couple of minutes -- we welcome company any time.

Tuesday March 6

Four at 5:00PM, eight or so at 6:00. Dry but very cold.

Monday, 5 March

Seven for the hour with three others for part of it.  Our Tucson friend is a regular when he is in our town.  He says he is in Congresswoman Gifford's district and had no good words for the opposition's big money campaign against her in the last election.  Cookies came with their baker and smiles were shared as we bit into chocolate and buttery goodness.    What if we sent cookies like this out into the world instead of violence?  Seems like we'd make fewer enemies.

Saturday March 3

Four folks at 5:00, but only one sign. Because we are a peace vigil, we did not fight over who would hold the sign -- and the rest of the signs came only a couple of minutes later. Eight people at the end of the hour.

Friday March 2

Three to start the hour, five of us at 6:00PM. We displayed prominently a colorful "OUT OF IRAN" placard, prompting a cross-street argument because the United States is not at war with Iran. We think that we are advocating "preemptive peace".

Thursday February 30

Or March 1? :) Two people at 5:00PM, five of us at the end of the hour. A friend from Tucson who visits Corvallis each year joined us; he will be here for two weeks. It is a welcome connection to elsewhere.

Wednesday February 29

Five to seven of us during the hour. Chilly, but not as windy and wet as on Tuesday. One vigil supporter, though she does not join us, occasionally drops off baked treats, and today was one of our lucky days. :)