bread and roses . . . again

Bread, molasses, and beans were the staple diet of most mill workers. "When we eat meat it seems like a holiday, especially for the children," testified one weaver before the March 1912 congressional investigation of the Lawrence strike.

. . .

Whatever its future, the I.W.W. has accomplished one tremendously big thing, a thing that sweeps away all twaddle over red flags and violence and sabotage, and that is the individual awakening of "illiterates" and "scum" to an original, personal conception of society and the realization of the dignity and rights of their part in it. They have learned more than class consciousness; they have learned consciousness of Self . . . .

This was a fitting interpretation of the spirit of the striking mill girls who carried picket signs which read:

WE WANT BBEAD AND ROSES TOO.

bread and roses . . .

The art of juggling

At different times in my existence I've been mostly passive or mostly phrenetic (okay, ok, the speller is telling me that is archaic and that should be spelling it frenetic - geez, archaic!) but this site has been been mostly my sorta lay-back be-myself spot - no pretensions..... no looking over my shoulder. I like the site. Lonely as it may sometimes be. I'm not completely back yet, but I intend to be here a little more - looking over some of the earlier posts, it is in the direction that I tend to be. I mostly tend, not so much trend. I just enjoyed, softly and without commotion, turning 68 years old and have decided not attend the 50th reunion of my high school graduation. I think I'd rather spend the funds available to visit my mother's kid sister in Oregon again! See you soon and maybe often.

I'll be right back . . .