A Simple Thanksgiving Grace (or for any meal)
O Great Spirit, soul of all creatures great and small, we are thankful for this meal; it is the work of many people, and the sharing of other forms of life.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend, and don’t miss Bill Cohen’s Songs of Gratitude Concert, the best way to celebrate Buy Nothing Day!
Tuesday Nov 30 on Zoom at 7 pm… Future Humans! Be inspired by the legendary author of The Possible Human (and 35 other books) by watching a 1 hour podcast with Marianne Williamson on YouTube. Sign up to meetup.
Related to Future Humans… see Chuck’s latest blog post The Path to an Ecological Future for Humanity.
Two free screenings to watch SOON!
The Story of Plastic documentary film has won an Emmy Award, and you can watch it for FREE on YouTube through November.
The Story of Plastic tells the hidden story of plastic pollution, from production to incineration—as well as the heroes rising up to stop big plastic.
Deeply moving and laugh-out-loud funny, Mission: JOY is a documentary with unprecedented access to the unlikely friendship of two international icons who transcend religion: His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu. In their final joint mission, these self-described mischievous brothers give a master class in how to create joy in a world that was never easy for them. They offer neuroscience-backed wisdom to help each of us live with more joy, despite circumstances. Register and watch the trailer here.
“Just as you would not neglect seeds that you planted with hope that they will bear vegetables and fruits and flowers, so must you attend to nourish the garden of your becoming.”
~ Jean Houston
with world renowned author and wise woman elder Jean Houston.
Tuesday, November 30, 2021 at 7 pm via Zoom
First, watch the 1 hour podcast on YouTube. Be inspired by Marianne Williamson’s fascinating conversation with Jean Houston, author of dozens of books and a wise woman with deep insights about our human future.
Second, sign up to meetup on Zoom to discuss this important podcast with Simply Living. Zoom link will be sent after you sign up.
Not sure? More info on Jean Houston here:
More info on Marianne Williamson here:
Co-Creating the Eco-Future: Meetup & Discussion
Monday, December 6 at 7 pm EST on Zoom
Are YOU a cultural creative? Simple livers, renegades from the consumer society, green activists, arts and craft makers, yoga lovers, meditators – WE are the ones we have been waiting for! Join us for a meet and greet, a time to share what you are reading, watching, imagining, and doing to make the changes we need to get to an ecological culture. Let’s co-create a community that is inclusive, resilient, and way more fun than life in big box stores, traffic jams, and fast food. Contact: Chuck@simplyliving.org. Free to SL members. Register Donations appreciated.
Is there a path to an ecological future for humanity? See this recent blog here.
Localizing Our Communities!
Learn from examples around the world
and right here is Columbus and central Ohio
Tuesday, December 7 at 7 pm EST via Zoom
This gathering is based on the award-winning film, Economics of Happiness (EOH), developed by Helena Norberg-Hodge and her team at the International Society for an Ecological Culture (LocalFutures.org).
We will explore the many ways our communities benefit when localization is a priority. To learn more about the topic, check out this reading on the benefits of localization to understand how localization can serve as an antidote to the negative impacts of globalization. You can view short films that address this topic here. We will discuss how localization is happening in Columbus and central Ohio, and how it isn’t.
Chuck Lynd will start the discussion about a local coalition with a mission to Eat Local, Buy Local, Bank Local, Invest Local, and LIVE Local. Free to all SL members. Donations are appreciated. The zoom link will be sent to you after registering here.
Spirit and Money – Self paced.
A 7 Session Pre-Recorded Self-Study Course ONLY $59.00!
Learn more and Take the course at: https://ishpa.gumroad.com/l/tatVr
Your Money or Your Life/YMOYL a best-selling book and study course by Vicki Robin & Joe Dominguez – a 9 Step Program for personally Re-Tooling your conscious activity with money leading to transformation, fulfillment, and purpose.
Introduction to Solar PV – This is an online course.
Residential Solar Installation and Design – Online.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SIMPLY LIVING’S
BE THE CHANGE COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Fri Nov 26th 7:00pm Buy Nothing Day Songs of Gratitude
For 8 years now, some musical friends and I have put on a Black Friday concert of songs that express gratitude for many of our blessings: friends, family, freedom, nature, art, music, laughter, our bodies, and our emotions. We’ve used the free event to declare: instead of joining the day-after-Thanksgiving buying frenzy, let’s be grateful — not for glitzy, high-tech things — but for the simple, intangible aspects of our lives that give us true joy. Heck, it’s almost as if the folks at Simply Living dreamed up this event. When Simply Living was created, one of the founding ideas was — if we stopped buying so much shiny plastic junk to keep up with the Joneses, we could all be less stressed and more happy, plus the environment would be cleaner. More here.
Mon Nov 29th 1:00pm – 2:00pm Register.
Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow and Energy Analyst at the Post Carbon Institute, joins Ed in a discussion about the urgent need to transition to not just a different energy regime but a different basis for human habitation on the planet. The conversation features Richard’s new book, Power: Limits and Prospects for Human Survival. Get details on our calendar here.
Join some of the biggest names in crypto for a special discussion about the impact the crypto community can achieve with its giving and how blockchain technology can help create more effective and disintermediated anti-poverty programming. Donations leading up to and during the event will go to people living in poverty through GiveDirectly, a nonprofit that lets donors send money directly to the world’s poorest households. About 90¢ of every dollar donated goes directly to people living in poverty, giving them the freedom to decide how to improve their own lives. The event is cosponsored by The Life You Can Save and GiveDirectly. Read the background on the presenters here.
I firmly believe that all human beings have access to extraordinary energies and powers. Judging from accounts of mystical experience, heightened creativity, or exceptional performance by athletes and artists, we harbor a greater life than we know.
~ Jean Houston
Get 10 gardeners in a room and you will get 11 opinions on how to groom and manage a garden. There are basic concepts that are backed by a gardener’s understanding of weather, soil, plants, and garden interactions between plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria. This ONLINE class with Debra Knapke will offer a science-based calendar — and what you can expect to be doing in the garden each of the 12 months of the year! Learn the tips and tricks acquired from decades of personal gardening practice and education from an eco-friendly life-long gardener. CLICK HERE to register for Garden Calendar
Last Classes and Workshops in 2021
12/4 DIY Raised Garden Bed Workshop
12/5 The Family Herbalist: Colds & Fever Care
12/5 DIY Holiday Cards Workshop
NEWS + RESOURCES
FOR LIVING LOCAL
Tree of the Month, Dec 2021 American Holly (Ilex opaca)
by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living
Holly has long been associated with the holiday seasons. In fact, the name “Holly” is derived from the word “holy” because of this association. Holly is primarily a southeastern tree, but its natural range does extend into the southernmost counties of Ohio.
Ilex opaca, or American Holly, is one of the many Ohio trees with alternately-arranged simple leaves. The dark green leaves are 3-4 inches long, smooth, and have distinct sharply-pointed tips. Even more distinctive is the fact that Holly leaves remain on the tree through winter. This trait makes it an evergreen, despite the fact that it is a broadleaf and not a conifer. Holly reaches a height of 50 to 60 feet in warmer climates, but is normally shrubby in Ohio. The bark is thin, smooth, and light gray, and not especially distinctive, but the pointed leaves are generally all you need for identification. The tree has small flowers with four creamy white petals in spring, and in fall and winter, bright red berries. But because Holly is dioecious, you will only find berries on female trees, and only if male trees are available to fertilize them. Holly is popular for landscaping, and according to the USDA’s Silvics of North America, Hardwoods, there are over 1,000 cultivars.
SEE the full blog post on the American Holly tree here.
Phone: +1 614 400 5779
See the full newsletter here.
On this page, you’ll find a collection of content and tools related to decolonizing Thanksgiving, and you’ll also find our guides to decolonization in general. We’ve also included a selection of resources and tools from tribes, educational institutions, and Native-led organizations to support continued engagement. BROWSE THE COLLECTION
OSU’s Environmental Professionals Network has also posted a video conversation with Dr. Michael Charles (an American Indian scientist from the Navajo Nation, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineer and Sustainability Expert at The Ohio State University) that offers some hope based on his experience at the conference with the Indigenous Environmental Network. View highlights or checkout the full length one-hour interview at this unique, EPN feature Building hope in a space and movement where change feels unlikely. Learn more here.
READ THE MEMO
Thom Hartmann proposes an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would reveal how shallow and rotten so much of our lawmaking and business activity is today: put every decision to this test — How will it affect the grandchildren of our children? Read the full article here. Thom includes fascinating historical references to new research that indicates sustainability principles are incorporated into indigenous cultures all over the world. He describes contributions of Native Americans to the design of the U.S. constitution, and the high regard that Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and others held for the Native leaders and their cultures.
Celebrate Buy Nothing Day To Consume Less All Year
Sustainability in Your Ear
Get a Greener Clean: Body Wash
Did you learn something new today?
Please Support Earth911 database updates so we can help others recycle!
Listen on your radio or online anytime!
CALENDARS!
LIVE LOCAL, BUILD COMMUNITY #SIMPLYLIVING
Good, Cheap, Fun
- FREE things to do Thanksgiving weekend with friends and family
- Columbus Christmas lights displays, and a Google map to find them!
- Christmas Tree Farms and Lots in Columbus
- Over 235 free or cheap events this weekend in Columbus!
- Holiday shopping at CCAD Art Fair & Marketplace
- Free Admission Days and Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
- Columbus Gift Guide: Teacher Gifts and other Small Gifts
- Your Guide to Christmas and Holiday Events in Columbus
- Celebrate Chanukah in Columbus with Menorah lightings and more
- Celebrations for Kwanzaa in Columbus
- Community Tree Lightings and Holiday Celebrations in Columbus
- Christmas in Downtown Columbus
Check out Wes Williams and the landscaping services he offers:
https://www.plantconnections.net/
COLUMBUS UNDERGROUND
Mega Weekend
Franklintennial, Hungry Turkey, Nightlife & More!
Here’s a rundown of fun things to do this weekend. Hope you are enjoying Thanksgiving. Support us for Small Business Saturday with some merchandise from the Columbus Coffee Festival/CU. Voting for CU’s Best of 2021 ends soon. Enjoy your weekend!
Nightlife
Zomboy plays The Bluestone.
Check out Blackberry Jamz at Bossy Grrls.
Restart gets going again at Two Truths.
Fever is back at AWOL with The Voids.
Enjoy Mothman at The Walrus. Sushi Roll plays Urban’s.
Food and Shopping Events
Learn to cook outside with Pie Irons.
Last weekend for The Gobbler pizza!
Groovy Plants Ranch celebrates Small Business Saturday in a big way.
Edwin Loy Home has special events on Saturday too.
Start getting your Christmas Trees at Saint Mary School or Secret Studio.
Saturday, attend the Franklintennial Kickoff Market & Showcase.
Get your entries in for the Gingerbread Competition at Franklin Park Conservatory.
Shop the Holiday Market in Olde Towne East.
ENJOY EXPLORING ART
Watch Elf and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation or Ghostbusters Afterlife at South Drive-In.
Holiday Hoopla continues.
The Huntington Holiday Train opens at the Main Library.
Not So Silent Night opens at ShadowboxLive.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO
THIS WEEDKEND?
Wildlights continues at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium.
Support the BabeFund. Have you been enjoying the CU Holiday Gift Guide?
Do the Columbus Hungry Turkey run. Take a look at High Line Car House.
Watch Ohio State take on Michigan. Enjoy Conservatory Aglow.
Dickens of a Christmas starts at Ohio Village.
Watch some Thanksgiving movies.
Rest and find inner peace during a sound bath at Danja Yoga.
Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend! A great community is an informed community. Want to help keep our news free for all and support our small, local company?
Your support helps Columbus Underground further our mission.
Fungi are the grand recyclers of the planet and the vanguard species in habitat restoration. ~ Paul Stamets
edited by Connie Hammond (pictured above).
Email cmhammond11@att.net to subscribe to her Community Calendar or share meeting info.
Friday, November 26, 2021, 7:00 – 8:30 PM. Fun, entertaining, and thoughtful: Bill Cohen’s Gratitude Concert Online. Friends. Freedom. Food. Music. Parents. Children. Pets. Laughter. Emotions. And dozens of other things. Despite the virus, racial injustice, and many other challenges, we all have so much to be thankful for. It’s the 8th year for this Thanksgiving-themed concert. Playing piano and guitar, he’ll sing songs written by, made famous by, or inspired by, a wide variety of folks — John Denver, Martin Luther King, the Weavers, Phil Ochs, Louis Armstrong, and Don McLean. Even Johnny Appleseed, Jiminy Cricket, and the “old ladies” on the TV show, “Golden Girls.” On several songs, Ann Fisher will add beautiful flute accompaniment, David Maywhoor will add percussion, and Joe Lambert and Joanne Blum will add soothing vocal harmonies. This year, for the second time, the program will be entirely online. Whether or not you’re a member of Facebook, you can see and hear the show by going to the Facebook page called “Bill Cohen Sings.” You can either search for that page online yourself, or you can click on this link, and hopefully that will connect you at the time of the concert. WWW.Facebook.com/BillCohenSings/live/. If you have a Facebook account already, just click this link. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT, YOU CAN STILL WATCH but you need to click 1 more thing! Once you click on this link (above) you will be asked to either log in or join. IGNORE THAT REQUEST! Instead, click anything else like Home, Events, Videos etc on the left-hand column and the notice to login or join will go away! Then, you can watch us live AT THE TIME OF THE CONCERT! This is a free concert, but if you appreciate the songs and the message, we’ll be welcoming donations for a non-profit charity, International Medical Alliance of Tennessee. That’s the group that Bill’s wife Randi goes with to the Dominican Republic every February. The all-volunteer group of doctors, nurses, and medical students provides free medical care to impoverished, disenfranchised Haitian workers who live and work just inside the D.R. border. Randi serves as the group’s interpreter, bridging the language gap between the Spanish-speaking patients and the English-speaking medical workers. During the show, you’ll be told how to donate electronically, or you can send a check to: IMA of Tennessee, 547 S. David Lane, Knoxville, TN 37922.
Friday, November 26, 2021, 5:00 – 5:30 PM. GrassRoot Ohio With Carolyn Harding. Our mission is to profile every-day people working on important issues and to connect them with other folks who want to help. Conversations with every-day people, working on important issues here in Columbus and all around Ohio Justice: environmental, social, racial, economic, w/ folks on the front lines. LISTEN TO 94.1 FM and stream US online at WGRN.com. You can find all GrassRoot Ohio podcasts/shows on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-42674753. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grassroot-ohio/id1522559085 and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAX2t1Z7_qae803BzDF4PtQ.
Friday, November 26, 2021, 7:00 – 8:30 PM. Fun, entertaining, and thoughtful: Bill Cohen’s Gratitude Concert Online. Friends. Freedom. Food. Music. Parents. Children. Pets. Laughter. Emotions. And dozens of other things. Despite the virus, racial injustice, and many other challenges, we all have so much to be thankful for. It’s the 8th year for this Thanksgiving-themed concert. Playing piano and guitar, he’ll sing songs written by, made famous by, or inspired by, a wide variety of folks — John Denver, Martin Luther King, the Weavers, Phil Ochs, Louis Armstrong, and Don McLean. Even Johnny Appleseed, Jiminy Cricket, and the “old ladies” on the TV show, “Golden Girls.” On several songs, Ann Fisher will add beautiful flute accompaniment, David Maywhoor will add percussion, and Joe Lambert and Joanne Blum will add soothing vocal harmonies. This year, for the second time, the program will be entirely online. Whether or not you’re a member of Facebook, you can see and hear the show by going to the Facebook page called “Bill Cohen Sings.” You can either search for that page online yourself, or you can click on this link, and hopefully that will connect you at the time of the concert. WWW.Facebook.com/BillCohenSings/live/. If you have a Facebook account already, just click this link. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT, YOU CAN STILL WATCH but you need to click 1 more thing! Once you click on this link (above) you will be asked to either log in or join. IGNORE THAT REQUEST! Instead, click anything else like Home, Events, Videos etc on the left-hand column and the notice to login or join will go away! Then, you can watch us live AT THE TIME OF THE CONCERT! This is a free concert, but if you appreciate the songs and the message, we’ll be welcoming donations for a non-profit charity, International Medical Alliance of Tennessee. That’s the group that Bill’s wife Randi goes with to the Dominican Republic every February. The all-volunteer group of doctors, nurses, and medical students provides free medical care to impoverished, disenfranchised Haitian workers who live and work just inside the D.R. border. Randi serves as the group’s interpreter, bridging the language gap between the Spanish-speaking patients and the English-speaking medical workers. During the show, you’ll be told how to donate electronically, or you can send a check to: IMA of Tennessee, 547 S. David Lane, Knoxville, TN 37922.
Sunday, November 28, 2021, 2:00 PM. GrassRoot Ohio With Carolyn Harding.Our mission is to profile every-day people working on important issues and to connect them with other folks who want to help. Conversations with every-day people, working on important issues here in Columbus and all around Ohio. Justice: environmental, social, racial, economic, w/ folks on the front lnes. LISTEN TO 94.1 FM and stream US online at WGRN.com. You can find all GrassRoot Ohio podcasts/shows on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-42674753. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grassroot-ohio/id1522559085 and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAX2t1Z7_qae803BzDF4PtQ.
Sunday, November 28, 2021, 1:00 PM. Defund Racism: A Palestinian Call for Solidarity. Join this joint webinar hosted by the Christian Peacemaker Teams, the Hebron Defense Committee and the Good Shepherd Collective as long-time human rights advocate Hisham Sharabati and legal researcher Bana Abu Zuluf discuss the impact of Israeli settler organizations and urgent Palestinian call to defund them. More information and registration here.
Tuesday, November 30, 2021, 12:00 PM. John Stuart Mill, Socialism, and the Open Society. The 2021-22 COMPAS Program on Markets and the Open Society hosts Dr. Helen McCabe for a conversation with CEHV Director Piers Turner about her new book, _John Stuart Mill, Socialist_. Dr. McCabe is a political theorist in the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham (UK). She is the author of leading articles on Mill’s socialism, feminism, philosophy of persuasion, and his authorial relationship with Harriet Taylor Mill. In _John Stuart Mill, Socialist_, McCabe argues that Mill’s commitment to a “qualified” socialism should inform our understanding of his long-term political project much more than is commonly accepted. Her research background includes the history of feminism and ‘ideal’ marriage, and she has worked on the meaning, experience, prevalence, causes, and consequences of forced and servile marriage, and how to end it. More information and
registration here.
Wednesday, December 1, 2021, 5:00 PM. OSU President & Provost’s Diversity Lecture & Cultural Arts Series. Presenting: Isabel Wilkerson. President Kristina M. Johnson and Provost Melissa L. Gilliam invite you to attend the twenty-third annual, fall semester, Diversity Lecture and Cultural Arts Series at The Ohio State University. Isabel Wilkerson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Humanities Medal, has become a leading figure in narrative nonfiction, an interpreter of the human condition, and an impassioned voice for demonstrating how history can help us understand ourselves, our country, and our current era of upheaval. Through her writing, Wilkerson brings the invisible and the marginalized into the light and into our hearts. Through her lectures, she explores with authority the need to reconcile America’s karmic inheritance and the origins of both our divisions and our shared commonality. This program offers the campus and the Columbus community opportunities to benefit from some of the most eminent scholars, artists, and professionals who discuss and exemplify inclusive excellence through diversity. Facebook. More information and registration here.
Wednesday, December 1, 2021, 7:00 PM. The Rise and Fall of World Hegemonies, with Alfred McCoy.Empires rise and empires fall. With the benefit of hindsight this is easy to see. It’s far more difficult to identify the trends of history when you’re living through it. This is the subject of To Govern the Globe, by Alfred McCoy. We’re privileged to be joined by the author to discuss his new book. Alfred McCoy is a history professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of several books including Torture and Impunity: The U.S. Doctrine of Coercive Interrogation and In the Shadows of the American Century: The Rise and Decline of US Global Power. His newest book, To Govern the Globe: World Orders and Catastrophic Change, was released on November 16th, 2021. Primarily focused on the Philippines, where his work has won a Philippine National Book Award, McCoy’s academic interests include US foreign policy, colonial empires in Southeast Asia, and CIA covert operations. He has received the Wilbur Cross Medal from the Yale Graduate School Alumni Association and the Hilldale Award for Arts & Humanities from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. To Govern the Globe focuses on the rise and fall of empires and world orders from the 1300s to the present, as well as offering predictions on what may happen next. To listen to him answer questions about this book and his other work, sign up here for a zoom webinar at 7 pm on Wednesday December 1st. Massachusetts Peace Action Webinar. Register here.
Thursday, December 2, 2021, 4:00 PM. Lebanon: Economic Crisis, Political Gridlock – with Rania Khalek. On October 17, 2019, the people of Lebanon took to the streets to fight for their basic human rights. The normalized daily life of the average Lebanese family includes limited electricity, crumbling healthcare, and a nonexistent future for an entire generation of children. The devaluation of the Lebanese pound has caused many to make the choice of whether to buy milk or to pay for electricity. The mobilization of youth demanding basic rights with no foreign political intervention had led corrupt political parties to make the excuse of how embassies are funding the revolution. This sparked a violent response from the corrupt government and ruling political parties. Join journalist and political activist Rania Khalek to discuss how corruption and greed have led to the deterioration of Lebanon. Moderated by Norhan Alshihabi (Legislative Intern of Massachusetts Peace Action). Register here.
Thursday, December 2, 2021, 7:00 – 8:00 PM. Morgan Harper Campaign Updates. Join Our Revolution Central Ohio as we hear the latest from Morgan Harper on her campaign to becoming our U.S. Senator! Morgan will be telling us the latest on supporting local GOTV efforts, campaign updates, and volunteer opportunities. All RSVPs will receive an email from the host on the day of the event with a link to join the zoom meeting. We are honored Morgan is keeping Our Rev Central Ohio in the loop. We will have the inside track on how our volunteers can help her win and continue the political revolution. Register here.
Thursday, December 2, 12:00 – 1:00 PM. Author Talk: Innocent Until Proven Muslim. Dr. Maha Hilal‘s forthcoming book, Innocent Until Proven Muslim is a guide and an urgent response to Islamophobia after two decades of the War on Terror. Please join Hilal–who was the inaugural Michael Ratner Middle East Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies–in conversation with Khury Petersen-Smith–the current Ratner Fellow at IPS–about Islamophobia, and solidarity against both the domestic and overseas aspects of the War on Terror. Dr. Maha Hilal is a researcher and writer on institutionalized Islamophobia and author of the forthcoming book Innocent Until Proven Muslim: Islamophobia, the War on Terror, and the Muslim Experience Since 9/11. Her writings have appeared in Vox, Al Jazeera, Middle East Eye, Newsweek, Business Insider, and Truthout. She is also Co-Director of Justice for Muslims Collective where she focuses on political consciousness and narrative shifting programming. Dr. Hilal earned her doctorate in May 2014 from the Department of Justice, Law and Society at American University in Washington, D.C. The title of her dissertation is “Too damn Muslim to be trusted: The War on Terror and the Muslim American response.” Register here.
MORE LOCAL CALENDARS
Columbus Free Press Activists Calendar Editor Bob Roehm
WCBE Arts & Life Calendar
A warning, a call to protect the future, and a prayer for love and decency…
Listen to Thom’s curated audio clips from Eisenhower’s final speech here. Wise words (4 minutes) from Ike before the transition to the JFK administration.
We are now at a point where we must educate our children in what no one knew yesterday, and prepare our schools for what no one knows yet. ~ Margaret Mead
BE THE CHANGE: BROWSE OUR COMMUNITY CALENDAR
