March 30, 2021
Navruz coincides with the spring equinox (when the length of day and night is the same), which falls on March 20th or 21st. The celebrations often last for up to a week, and include food, dancing, music, family and community celebrations. Following the independence of the Central Asian republics after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Navruz was recognized throughout the region as a national public holiday, lasting several days in some countries. Each Central Asian country and region has its ...
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March 12, 2021
In her Live Online Experience, “Rescuing Art & Culture in the 21st Century,” which will take place on Sunday, March 27, 2021, Munira Akilova will open the doorway to the culture and history of Tajikistan as embodied in the traditional textile arts. Munira is the manager and designer for Armughon Handicrafts, one of the master artisans that we have been working with for over six years now.
Watch a video preview now.
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March 04, 2021
I wanted to tell you some of my own stories about how the pandemic has made me recognize previously invisible barriers and inequities that impact women. My own view of myself as a "post-feminist" woman has changed in this last year.
Many of you know that I'm a "recovering attorney." In the video, I share some of my own experiences as a woman attorney working at prestigious law firms. Only in retrospect can I see that real inequalities existed, even in this privileged arena. But they were jus...
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January 27, 2021
Did you know that poppies are a national symbol of Kyrgyzstan? With over 70 native varieties, Kyrgyzstan is as famous for its poppies as Holland is for its tulips. The red poppy is a national inspiration for all artists, writers, and filmmakers.
In the words of Zhanyl Sharshembieva of Seven Sisters, “In May, all the foothills and fields are strewn with blooming red poppies. . . . It is important to catch these fleeting days when poppies are blooming.”
It’s therefore ironic that one year in t...
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December 11, 2020
Yes, it's something of a struggle to "get in the holiday spirit" this year, when the daily Covid reports (and all the emotional and economic fallout from the pandemic) are so depressing. In my little video, I talk about some of the things that have finally started pulling me back from the brink this week.
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November 05, 2020
I woke up this morning, November 5, 2020, and the US 2020 presidential election results are still up in the air. The Covid-19 Pandemic is still raging across the globe, and at an all time high in the US. Social and racial injustice is still a reality here and around the world. There seems to be no end to the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Climate change is still accelerating. The coming "holiday season" looks bleak.
And however bad things look for us here in the United Stat...
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October 28, 2020
Are you feeling squashed by the stress of life today? The pandemic . . . the political polarization and upcoming election. . . kids at home trying to learn remotely, while you try to keep working . . . social injustice . . . the list goes on and on.
It wakes me up in the middle of the night sometimes. And I can go from happy to grouchy to enraged in a split second.
I find myself getting lost in mindless TV and funny dog and cat videos to escape. (My daughter and I trade our favorites, which ...
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October 19, 2020
I was thinking again this week about my travel grief.
I had planned a major European trip for the summer of 2020, a trip two years in the making that was going to be a treasure trove of exploration. My husband and I were going to take a small ship cruise from Copenhagen to circumnavigate Iceland, and slowly explore the island and its beautiful natural environment with local guides.
Then we were going to spend almost a week in Dublin, getting in touch with our Irish heritage. I couldn't wait ...
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October 12, 2020
My inbox and social media feeds are overflowing with ads from Amazon ("Prime Days"), Target ("Deal Days"), and Walmart ("Big Save") this week. Other big commerce companies are also flooding my advertising feeds, in hopes of jump-starting holiday shopping. And they all seem to be offering incredible "deals."
Sometimes, it just seems so much easier and convenient to hop onto their online site and grab one of those deals, especially if the shipping is free! Sadly, I've personally spent far more ...
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October 08, 2020
We lost an iconic figure when Ruth Bader Ginsburg died last month. It’s hard to believe it’s already been 3 weeks since her death on September 18th. The daily whipsaw of news since then has left us all dizzy and wondering how we'll manage without her.
At HoonArts, we just received our latest order of new RBG Christmas ornaments a few days ago. Looking at these little gems set me thinking about RBG's legacy.
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September 30, 2020
I took the photo you see above during my morning walk today. What captured my interest was the little patch of leaves that were starting to turn red. Living in the high desert of New Mexico, we don't see a lot of trees turning red--it's usually only yellow and occasionally orange. So when I see leaves turning red, it's like a small touch of magic.
But what really inspired me this morning was the sudden thought that the leaves beginning to change color was a symbol that life does indeed go on...
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