I don’t have that wonderful cookbook. I did once but gave it away. Pretty sure Denslow has them, though!

SW

Recently I saw a longish cartoon (in the RiverfrontTimes) of people doing various weird things “in order to promote awareness of …(fill in the blank with some disease, social problem, or impending catastrophe)…

Some of you may remember or been present for an impromptu naked tuna dash at the last Midwest Wimmins Festival.

“WTF was that about?” you might ask. “To promote awareness of the oppressions and exploitations inflicted on tunafishes by those who would capture, kill, can, and eat them?”

“No!” we say. “Nay, not that.”

“Well, then,” you might say. “Was it done to draw attention to the plight of the poor dolphins, caught in the nets cast for the tasty tuna?”

“Good point!” we say. “But no, not that.”

“Perhaps the naked tuna snatcher was pointing parallels between the naked truth and the voiceless plight all of the silenced sea creatures?”

“Nay!” we, the Caucus for Due Process at Midwest Wimmins Festival now sing out jovially. “Even more farfetched and abstract than that!”

And SUDDENLY! Out of the mist hovering over the dock, a form takes shape. It’s a canoe, paddled by a beautiful, if vaguely outlined, womoon. She ties her canoe to the dock and steps up onto the dock, the waves gently rocking it. She is the Spirit of Midwest Wimmins Festival, come to clarify.

“She acted on my prodding,” intones SoMW. “As did the initiating instigators.” She smiles. “Process is at the core of community.”

“Oh bah,” mutter some. “Girls just wanna have fu-hun.”

SoMWF stretches her arms out. “A diverse egalitarian participatory community of freewimmin: ‘ok,’ I say. A festival for wimmin from city and country – a hands-on laboratory where we can eat, dance, talk, sing, swim, kiss – whatever else sounds like a good idea at the time. “Count me in,” I say and said then. “I’ll show up for that.”

So I was there as these wimmin held their meetings and talked and laughed and got mad and cried and talked some more and worked on The Issues – questions about how we wanted it to be, how we could figure out to agree to live together for two weeks and continue to feel free and happy and hang out or do stuff and generally have a gratifying great wonderful festival for everywomon who wants to be a part of it.

And times change. Blessed be. Hallelujah and ojala. Our preferences and necessities change. Seems like it’s time to talk again.”

The vibrant Spirit of Midwest Wimmins Festival bends to her boat, as the bright rainbow colors of each grow paler, fuzzier, and more transparent with each step that she takes.

“You know you might want to take a look at The Political Palate: A Feminist Vegetarian Cookbook, by The Bloodroot Collective,” she turns and calls before fading and floating away. “Susan Wiseheart’s probably got a copy.”

Ok, so that was what she said. And here’s a quote of what somebody else said: “We worship nouns (things in and of themselves) and snub verbs (process).” Seemed relevant that it just popped up in what I was reading.

And here’s what I say. I’m glad to be part of a community where a womoon can run naked into the foodline and run off with a food offering and not get locked up.

Or did she just luck out?

Also some idle speculation: is it possible that we are reflecting/carrying out some of the Big Turmoils/Dramas/Struggles of the larger food body politic?

Looking forward to whatcha have to say.

Sincerely,

Dolphin

Correspondent,

Caucus for Due Process at the Midwest Wimmins Festival

Oh, where else will I be to keep me away…? Offon the tour with Marideth Sisco and her band Blackberry Winter.

Laterz, Spidr

I like to rhyme and now’s the time

to get serioust about Midwest. (poetic license….ha)

OK, so a few wimmin have signed up for a user name to post on this site. Let us know what you’re thinking. And remember the ride share page, which is private between members only, so anyone needing or offering a ride can share personal information.

Here’s a list of things I  have found useful to bring over the years……what are the things you like to bring?

hangers, lamp or string lights, bath mat, shower shoes, tapestries or sheets to hang off bunks for a little privacy, paper, tape, and markers to make signs for your cabin, what else? Share your thoughts…..sign up for a site user name to be able to post.

Thanks everyone and hope to see you in May!

Jori

LuHarlan Email dogsdayinn36@aol.com Phone 573 348 0720 Message Hello, I have a dog boarding business about 3 miles from the State Park. Some of your gals have boarding with me during the festival….dogsdayinnllc.com is the website if I can be of any service to any of your group this year that need a place for their dogs.. ” Family “owned …. I hope to get down there for a visit this year. Thanks! Lu ]]> http://www.midwestfestival.com/pet-boarding-near-festival/feed/ 0 http://www.midwestfestival.com/hello-world/ http://www.midwestfestival.com/hello-world/#comments Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:38:26 +0000 Jori http://joricostello.com/mwfsite/?p=1 The Midwest Festival site has been redone so join in the fun! Once you sign up for a log in and password, you can post your own messages to the site including ride share information (which will not show to those without log ins for security purposes.) So  on the bottom right side bar under “user stuff”, select “get a user name” for a word press log in and password and start your festival experience early.

Note: if you select register from the top menu bar, you can then register to attend festival in May. Seeya there!