For 7 years now a group of about 20 local Tucson artists have hosted an after-Thanksgiving holiday fiesta to celebrate the season and promote their varied artworks. Their postcard says the art for sale will be gourds, masks, jewelry, woodturning, drums, murals, herbal soaps, pottery & ceramics, photography, weaving, batiks, metal art, more.

Join them on Saturday & Sunday, Nov. 26 & 27, 10 to 4 p.m. both days
at 4802 W. Paseo de las Colinas in the Tucson Mts.

Info: 520-465-7298. Just follow the “javelina” signs on the roads — 2.1 miles west along El Camino del Cerro/Ruthrauff (west of the I-10 & Silverbell), then south on Paseo de los Rancheros, then east on Paseo de las Colinas.

Artists participating: Noreen Dziat, Lydia Dillon-Sutton, Hilary, Jennifer Greig, Lithic Visions, Silly Goose Glassworks, Len Hughes, Southwest Native Scents, Pottery by Brenda Arwood & Glennda Neff, Becky Quayle Craig, The Joy of Wood, Dante, T. Stone, Old Window Art, Sue-Jackson Photoraphy, Desert Drums, Partners in Fiber Art, Molly Phoenix Glassworks, Liz Caris Tile Murals.

Enjoy the art fiesta! Brings friends & join them for shopping & refreshments.

I’ve read two fictional accounts of totalitarian societies this fall– British George Orwell’s “1984″ and Russian Yevgeny Zamyatin’s “We”– both frightenng stories about a one Party-ruled government that decides to forcibly brain-alter their citizens, to prevent dissent and crush imagination. Let us hope we never ever have to live under such governments.

Click here for my review of “1984″.

Here we are at 2011, the 21st Century — healing ourselves after that horrific mass murder of six of our citizens on January 8, 2011 — and praying for the healing of the wounded of that day, including CD 8 Congresswoman Gabrielle Gffords. It has been a tough year for Tucson, but we are slowly healing and moving forward. Stay tuned for Beyond: Commemorate Celebrate Commit events on/about Saturday January 7, 2012 to reflect on what happened that fateful day when Jared Lee Loughner took a gun into his hands and went to that Safeway shopping center. Gabby has undergone a terrible brain injury and continues to inspire us by her determination to get well & return to her job.

On Monday my husband and I attended the 16th Annual Inter-religious Thanksgiving prayer service at the First Christian Church, 740 E. Speedway Blvd. There were Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Baha’i, and Zoroastrian selections, music, prayers, & reflections, sharing similiar messages of faith, unity & gratitude. The last program selection was “Let There be Peace on Earth (and let it begin with me)”.

So since it is Thanksgiving 2011, let us also reflect upon what we are thankful for, in our city and elsewhere. Reflect upon what is good and positive about your life, and be grateful for the turkey meal you may be eating tonight.

Sabino Teen Age Republicans collect food for local Food Bank

When the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona said their shelves were bare, the STARs (Sabino Teen Age Republicans) felt they needed to step up and assist the less fortunate in our community. President of the STARs, Amanda Oien, said “We are so blessed to have food everyday to eat, I can’t imagine being without food at this time of year”

The Stars started collecting the canned goods 2 weeks ago, in each of the eight Math Classes at Sabino, the STARs will also host a pizza lunch for the class that collected the most canned goods.

The STARs will be donating approx. 1171 lbs* of food to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, on Wednesday, November 23, at 4:30pm at the Community Food Bank at 3003 S. Country Club Rd. Tucson, AZ. 85713

If you would like further information about this event please contact Lori Oien at 520-749-3472 or 520-603-3006, email at oienjmo@msn.com. Lori is their adviser and previously ran for the Ward 2 Council seat in 2007.

My husband and I donate $ and food throughout the year to the Community Food Bank, where I used to volunteer for 5 years helping to put together food boxes. Please help if you can, as Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Website: www.communityfoodbank.com, 520-622-0525.

*11/24/11 update: total collected: 2232 lbs.of food.