December 7th soup supper

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Katharine

1 Dec email from the steering committee:

Just a reminder that the Grannies soup supper will be on Tuesday, December 7th to please RSVP by Saturday, December 4th  , (if you have not already done so) to let us know if you plan to attend.

We will gather at the Unitarian Universalist Church from 4:30 to 6:30. The address is 2355 Oakdale Road, Coralville.  Several grannies have offered to give rides to those who need or want one.  Please let the SC committee by responding to this  email (100Granniesiowacity@gmail.com)  by Monday, Dec 6th   or call Deb Schoelerman at 319-594-2373.

The Steering Committee will make a pot of vegetable soup.  If you would like to bring a vegetable to add to the soup, feel free – but don’t feel obligated.  The SC will also provide bread and beverages for all.  No need to bring your own dishes – the church has plenty.

We want all who choose to come to feel safe.  If you feel safer bringing your own food, do that.  Wear your mask if you feel safer.  There is a lot of room to spread out at UUS and it will be easy to maintain space between us.  The round tables are 5 feet in diameter and there are 4 or 5 chairs at each table.

We look forward to seeing you!
The Steering Committee

 

18 Nov email from the steering committee:

December 7th soup supper

Hello Grannies, 

The annual Grannie Stone Soup Supper will be Tuesday, December 7th at 5:00 p.m.  The SC is hoping to have the soup supper in person –  we think it would be great to see each other.  Most of us are probably vaccinated and this would be a relatively safe group activity.  At the last meeting we said we would get feedback from the membership.  Please reply to this email to let us know if you would come to the soup supper in person (and bring your own food) and where you would like to meet. 

  1. Would you attend the soup supper in person this year? 
  2. Where would you like to meet? Trinity or Unitarian Universalist?

 

Please let us know by Wednesday, December 1st.  Respond to this email with a yes or no – and if yes, your preference of location.

Thank you from the Steering Committee. 

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Celebrate World Vegan Month by dining out at vegan-friendly restaurants in Iowa City area – from Iowa City Press-Citizen

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Katharine

Click for article

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Think Globally, Act Locally.

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Katharine

“Think Globally, Act Locally.” An op ed in the Press-Citizen – November 5, 2021 by Miriam Kashia and others.

We have heard this phrase for years, but when it comes to global climate change, acting locally may be our best way forward. The United Nations International Panel on Climate Change has issued a Code Red for humankind on climate change.

This existential threat has been called a climate crisis, a climate emergency and many other things but it really doesn’t matter what it’s called. It’s time to stop talking about climate change and actually do something about it. Everybody talks about the extreme weather and the climate, but who is going to do something about it?

The United Nations is holding its latest climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland, from Oct. 31-Nov. 12. This climate summit is called COP26, which stands for the 26th Conference of the Parties and will be attended by the countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change — a treaty that came into force in 1994.

The entire international community of nations has been setting goals for greenhouse gas reductions since then, but the concentration of carbon dioxide has risen well above the 350 parts per million that is considered a safe level for Earth. The current CO2 concentration is approximately 413 ppm, according to NOAA.

Working globally doesn’t seem to be producing the desired results we need to reach our stated goals. We can only hope that the world’s leading contributors of greenhouse gasses can somehow show the leadership needed to address the urgent crisis.

The United States has often expressed the desire to lead the world on climate solutions but hasn’t been able to muster the political will necessary to actually provide that leadership. With a political system that is often sold to the highest bidder, we can’t seem to stop burning fossil fuels even though we can build wind farms and solar arrays at breakneck speed.

President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Plan has plenty of climate-related plans but they may be removed to appease a senator from a coal-mining state who makes his millions from the coal industry. Again, we have to remember that the U.S. has the best political system that money can buy.

This opinion piece was written by Mike Carberry and Tom Carsner, Iowa City Sierra Club; Mike Wyrick, Cedar Rapids Sierra Club; Jason Snell and Scott Roland, Sunrise Movement Cedar Rapids; Ayla Boylen, Climate Strike/Fridays for Future Cedar Rapids; Miriam Kashia, 100 Grannies for a Sustainable Future Iowa City.

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Our October film series was a success

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Katharine

If you missed the series, the descriptions & links are below:”Just Eat It”
A 74-minute documentary film about food waste and food rescue
https://foodwastemovie.com/

“WASTED! The Story of Food Waste”
Aims to change the way people buy, cook, recycle, and eat food. Through the eyes of chef-heroes like Anthony Bourdain, Dan Barber, Mario Batali, Massimo Bottura, and Danny Bowien, audiences will see how the world’s most influential chefs make the most of every kind of food, transforming what most people consider scraps into incredible dishes that create a more secure food system.
https://www.oneearthfilmfest.org/films-az-2018/wasted-the-story-of-food-waste

“Our Planet, One Planet”
It’s simple. Sir David Attenborough explains how humans can take charge of our future and save our planet.
https://www.ourplanet.com/en/video/how-to-save-our-planet/

“The Plastic Problem”
By 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans. PBS NewsHour takes a closer look at this now ubiquitous material, how it’s impacting the world and ways we can break our plastic addiction.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/series/the-plastic-problem

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100 Grannies – What We Do

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Charlene Lange

You can view our latest presentation in PDF format [View PDF] or you can see the slides below as images. Click any slide for a larger gallery slideshow view.

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Miriam at the grocery store

Posted on March 13, 2021 by Katharine

Letter to the editor: Kindness, generosity, kinship and love are alive and well
Posted on Mar 5, 2021, in Little Village
By Miriam Kashia, North Liberty
If you are paying attention to the news, you’re undoubtedly getting a major daily
dose of crisis, dishonesty, corruption, conspiracy, illness, death, conflict and on
and on and on. This is a tough time to be living on planet Earth, whether you
have skin, scales, horns, fur, feathers or leaves. Things are not going well.
This is a different kind of story, and it’s uplifting, fun, delightful and TRUE!
Several weeks ago as I was standing in the checkout line at my grocery store (6’
back and wearing my mask), I observed that the woman in front of me was
digging through her purse to try to come up with enough money to pay for her
groceries. So I pulled a $5 bill from my wallet and handed it to the clerk to make
up the difference. My new “friend” was very appreciative, and I felt uplifted about
having helped her. The opportunity to commit a “random act of kindness” is a
moment of opening one’s heart to another. And it feels so good.
I was next in line, and after the cashier rang up my groceries — about $20 worth
— a young woman directly behind me who had witnessed the interaction, pulled
out some cash from her wallet and handed it to the cashier and announced that
she was paying for my groceries. Though I indicated she needn’t do that, she
insisted and we both enjoyed the beauty of the moment. It was such a surprise
and such a sweet moment for all three of us: the cashier, me, and my young
benefactor. I have enjoyed telling that story many times, because it is a
wonderful example of a “random act of kindness,” and how “what goes round,
comes round.”
Fast-forward a couple of weeks:
I am in the same grocery store, again waiting in line (6’ back wearing my mask).
There are about 15 items in my cart. A stranger walked up to get in line behind
me. All she had was a small container of cherry tomatoes. I indicated that she
should step in front of me since she only had one item. I invited her several
times before she acquiesced and took my place in the checkout line. As there
were a couple of people in front of us with grocery carts filled high, we had a few
minutes to chat.
I told her about the incident related above, as I love telling it because it is such a
wonderful example of shared generosity and kindness. Then my “new friend”
paid for her tomatoes and headed for the exit as I was starting to check out. The
cashier indicated to me that the tomato lady had emptied all her money from her
wallet and there was $12.51 left after paying for her tomatoes. She had asked
him to apply it to my bill.
I looked at her as she was about to leave the store, and she looked at me and
we both burst out laughing. It was a moment of sheer delight. It was a “random
act of kindness,” and generosity, but it was far more. In that moment, there was
a mutual recognition of our shared humanity and connection. It reminds me that
there is so much good in the world and so many ways we can bless one
another.
The most heartfelt part of this story for me is that we were four women with
various skin colors who shared a “magical moment ” of possibility in our broken
world.
So to my beautiful grocery store neighbors, thank you! And know that I will be passing the love on.

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Would you rather have a lawn..

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Charlene Lange

Would you rather have a lawn that looks like a golf course or a park?

It’s a joy to be outdoors in the spring! Seasonal changes add interest to our walks in the neighborhood …. UNTIL we get to that acrid odor of lawn spray. We take care not to step on THAT yard to avoid tracking toxic chemicals into our home. Thankfully, in Iowa City, our public turf grass is free from harmful effects of urban pesticide. Back in 2016 Iowa City banned pesticides in parks and trails. Soon after, Iowa City Community Schools followed suit and now Johnson County, too. And the reason is because research shows evidence of harm from pesticide exposure in so many ways – to health, water quality, pets, pollinators, and biodiversity.

We are blessed to live in a neighborhood where very few yards are sprayed. Our neighbors get it. Natural lawn care is simple and it saves money. Here’s what you do: Just omit pesticides and herbicides, and mow high (at least 3 inches). And neighbors get this part, too: our lawns are just as aesthetically pleasing as treated lawns, while providing some great benefits. If you are interested in reconsidering the way you care for your lawn, go here for more information and science-driven evidence: https://goodneighboriowa.org/ -Linda Rice and Gary Lawrenson, Iowa City

https://iowacitypresscitizen-ia.newsmemory.com/?selDate=20210303&editionStart=Iowa+City+Press+Citizen&goTo=A07

also in Little Village March 1, 2021

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WorldWaterDay is 22 Mar 2021

Posted on March 3, 2021 by Katharine

#WorldWaterDay is Monday, March 22, and the 2021 theme is “Valuing Water.”. In honor of the theme, the City of Iowa City will highlight a different topic and “call to action” every Wednesday in March, and we invite the community to learn and celebrate with us! Here is the “Water Wednesday” lineup: 🔵March 3: Use water wisely. 🔵March 10: Appreciate water treatment and wastewater treatment plants. 🔵March 17: Do not litter. 🔵March 24: Be a wise consumer. 🔵March 31: Celebrate water’s importance in our lives.

from Jane Wilch, Iowa City Recycling Coordinator  jane-wilch@iowa-city.org

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Time to cut loose from Big Ag’s factory farm

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Charlene Lange

published Iowa City Press Citizen 2-24-21

Time to cut loose from Big Ag’s factory farm stranglehold

Despite powerful evidence and years of opposition from many citizens, numerous county boards, small nonprofits and leading environmental groups, “factory farms” continue to proliferate across the state. Calling these operations “farms” is a misnomer.  “Industrial Animal Factories” is more accurate. They are destroying our rural communities, displacing traditional family farms, defiling our land, air and water, and putting us all at risk. Iowa’s landscape is riddled with more than 13,000 of these installations with rows of long, narrow sheds containing thousands of abused animals packed in together in toxic, cruel conditions. And they just keep coming.

Just a few of the many reasons to support a moratorium:

  • Widespread noxious, harmful odors.
  • Drastic reduction in nearby property values.
  • Harmful health impacts — breathing problems (especially in children and the elderly), risk of antibiotic-resistant infections, depression and more.
  • Poisoning of wells and groundwater.
  • Potential hotbed for the emergence of another devastating pandemic.
  • Manure spills and runoff contributed to over 750 polluted waterways.

This movement is NOT anti-farmer. Rather, it seeks to support traditional, independent farmers who care for their land and our environment, reflecting values of responsibility, respect and regeneration. The unsustainable factory farm model is quite the opposite, placing corporate profits above all else. As Iowans, we must find our way back from this destructive, polluting precipice and lend our voices to demand a moratorium on new or expanded factory farms.

— Miriam Kashia, North Liberty

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2021 Barbara Schlachter Memorial March Lectures

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Katharine

100 Grannies Barbara Schlachter Memorial March Lecture Series

Register online:
http://apm.activecommunities.com/iowacityseniorcenter/Activity_Search/16101
or call the senior center:  319-356-5220
========================================================
March 8: Climate Change and the Paris  Agreement – Jerry Schnoor;

March 15: Facts behind factory farms – Miriam Kashia, Sandy Alper, and Mackenzie Aime, Iowa Food and Water Watch

March 22: Focus on eliminating single use plastic – Becky Ross

March 29th: Solving Sustainability Challenges Through Equity – Stratis Giannakouros, Dir. of the U of IA Human Center Sustainability and Environment

Lectures are from 6:30 to 8:00 (with time for Q&A) – you need to register for the lecture, but you do not need to be a member of the senior Center.

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