Jonathan Safran Foer

I feel like I've known this guy for years, but the truth is, I've only recently gotten into his writing. I think I was put off after seeing Everything is Illuminated before reading it and was quite disappointed.


I think I'm going to start banning movies. They do no justice to the real thing.




I finally picked up his book Eating Animals. I would say I can't wait to finish it but I know it will stress me out a little more just like I did after reading Fast Food Nation and A Life Stripped Bare. But if we all have this understanding, things can and WILL change. So all I can do now is follow what I know and help others understand a little more on the way.

THE REAL DUMPSTER DIVING

So last August I was ask to film one of Pick a Pocket's projects in Ethiopia. Immediately I was honored and became so excited for the opportunity. Just a few days into planning, God gave me a vision of what the video would look like. I was astonished. It was beautiful. I quickly studied up on how to work my camera, how to shoot, and even got some tips from a few guys whose work I admire. They had actually just returned from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I had missed them by just weeks.

The outcome, and the best Christmas gift I could give to myself is my rendition of what God showed me. Of course, it's not exactly what I had originally envisioned, because, well, that was God's idea.

Hope you are moved :)

WHY I CAN'T STAND TO WASTE

Every year in America

we throw away 96 BILLION pounds of food.

That's 263 MILLION pounds a day.

11 MILLION pounds an hour.

3,000 pounds a second.

And yet, people in our own country are still going hungry.

A few years ago I was introduced to the idea of dumpster diving. And there was never a second I thought this concept to be absurd. I grew up in a country of abundance and as I became more aware of the world around me, I realized just how much we waste and how little others have. Dumpster diving is my chance to actually take action and not contribute to the waste that's all around me. Even if it does not directly feed someone (other than myself) on one hand, just think of how much space we could save in the landfill if we filtered through what could really be used/eaten and not have to purchase that exact same thing to pile on top of the millions of other things that could have been used. And on the other, just think of how our pockets would be a little fuller too where we could in turn give back MORE to those really in need. It's not that I think I can't afford to eat well, but God has already provided us with so much, why waste my money on something I can always get for free?

My best dumpster find to date was a few summers ago at Aldi. I found a perfectly good paper shredder. I used it for all the other waste that came to my mailbox that year I lived in Nashville. Next to my beloved paper shredder was a brand new kiddie pool in a box that looked like big foot had stepped on it. The box was pretty beat up, but inside contained a kids summer dream! And it kept my feet cool in that nasty Nashville humidity. Unfortunately they discovered our finding and started locking the dumpster gate.

The next summer my roommate and I ventured out to Trader Joe's (the best dumpster to date) and cashed in on dozens of bouquets of flowers. We loaded her trunk and headed to our neighborhood where we dispersed the flowers on all of our neighbors' cars. It was glorious. Our street looked as if a wedding or parade was coming to town. It was the night after Michael Jackdon passed away so Heather and I spread rose pedals on the ground in a big heart and sang an ode to good ole MJ.

My favorite part about the whole thing (for some reason, most people assume I am a vegetarian) is getting to explain that I am not a vegetarian, I'm a freegan. I love to think that I had coined this term, but it's been used by others for years.

Meet the Freegans from shieldsfilms.com on Vimeo.

Be encouraged, you can make a difference tonight! Check out Dive the Film to find more things you can do.

Dive! Trailer from Compeller on Vimeo.

I love to share my findings and figuring out new recipes with found objects, so the next potluck you invite me to, I can't promise the food was purchased by myself :)

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

I've not had much time to sit an write since I've been home. I've been fortunate enough to constantly be surrounded by wonderful friends and family. Actually, I've not even had one day alone since being here. And that it quite rare for little ole INFJ me. I'm currently putting the finishing touch on my final render for my newest video project. So maybe by tomorrow all 4 of you reading this can see it :)

For now, I hope you can take a moment to watch this video and really think about the things that you want vs. the things you need. And stand up for what you believe!



I don't want to leave on a depressing note, so I will leave you with a pretty picture to look at by a great photographer Randy P. Martin



Oh, and if anyone knows of or is into video in the Nashville area and would not mind to have me as an apprentice, please contact me stephanie.eatherly[@]gmail.com

thanks,
and good day

Nashville Help-Portrait 2010

Thanks to amazingly compassion artist Jeremy Cowart and his wife Sharon, every year thousands of poor families have the priviledge of getting prefessional portraits taken, hair and make-up done, a warm meal, and free health screenings from local doctors. Help portrait was started a year ago and has turned into a huge international event with helpers in Germany, Canada, Mexico, the US, and probably more.

This year I got the priviledge to work along side of some of Nashville's most giving and talented photgraphers.


photo courtesy chris honiball All rights reserved

I originally went to take clothes to drop off at the donation site and to see how everything was organized. I'd heard of Help Portrait a few months ago and had wanted to help in a anyway I can. As my friends and I were leaving we asked if they needed any help. After getting fed and filled with Starbucks I started assisting one of the photographers. I ended up staying for 5 hours editing and printing photos of families, single moms, a few guys in rehab, and even Jeremy's own son and daughter. We shot, edited, and printed on the spot and could even provide the families with frames and a free shipping service! The entire experience was a chance of a life time and I'm so thankful for all those who organized these events.

I wish I had some behind the scenes shots, but I forgot my camera! Of course....



It happens every Saturday after Thanksgiving so look for us next year!

EVENTS!

It's not every day you get to meet people who have visited the garbage dumps around the world. A friend introduced me to a beautifully made film tonight


Go to WASTELAND WEBSITE to see if the film is showing near you.

I'll be showing some of my work at Timbre's annual Christmas show



This year it is DECEMBER 10 7:30pm at the ANCHOR
629 3rd ave South Nashville, TN 37210
$5

This year I will have tons of new hand-made ONE OF A KIND jewelry + photos from India, Ethiopia, and Prague. Oh, and the book :)





so mark your calendar. If you haven't heard Timbre play live, you are missing a little part of your soul. No lie. Come support local artists and pick up some handmade Christmas gifts. You won't regret it.

Back in the US - the land flowing with fried chicken and Football

I think there was entirely too much the happened in the past week to really be able to reflect on in one go. But I can try and start.

I shared a room with over 100 others in a church. 80 girls shared 1 bathroom and 2 toilets. It was surprisingly exciting and I didn't mind drinking cowboy coffee out of Nutella jars. I call it the outreach mocha. I had little time to pamper myself and no shower to bathe in, but it was a great experience and reminded me of Cornerstone - camping out for a week waking up next to dozens of other people who haven't showered in days.

We smelled great.

The design crew from MOTA blew me away. One of the students, Rene, had previously made a stop motion video and THIS WEBSITE. For the mini outreach, we decided to make postcards to raise awareness in the city about human trafficking and child labor. We all came up with our own designs in about a day and a half and scattered them throughout the city.



There were tons of stories from the week about the other students hanging with the homeless, serving the churches, loving the prostitutes, and even parading in the red light. Actually Kelsey and I got the honor to dance in that parade. At any other time I think I would have been extremely embarrassed from the situation. But my spirits were high and not even the rain could have made me depressed.

We marched through the second largest red light district in Europe being led by a guy in a conductor's hat, someone carrying a huge cross, another with a large salvation army flag, and a German guy singing into a small amp that a girl carried along side his guitar while the rest of our group filed behind us in twos singing along to German worship songs. We waved proudly to onlookers in bar windows and tried to get others to join in our marching. None complied, but Kels and I remained jubilant nevertheless. My dream came true of having a parade in a big city that night. And I'm pretty sure some lives were changed. Or - if anything - people got in some good laughs.

It was too hard to say goodbye to the group this time. Being away from Herrnhut really allowed me to appreciate Germany and what we are doing as a ministry a little more. Sometimes you get so stuck in the YWAM bubble in that small village. The only people I can communicate with have relatively the same understanding and outlook on life, but this is how we get stuck in the mundane. We aren't challenged.

But I've been challenged constantly since I stepped foot out of Germland. On one plane home I sat next to Kathrine. She just lost her mother a week ago. She was flying to Atlanta from Long Island to get away. She had such a pleasant and joyous spirit. She craved the spiritual and had compassion for the poor. She's worked as a dental hygienist for 30 years and is ready to retire. She wants to volunteer and help the poor in her area and as I shared what I did, it really encouraged and motivated her to research more into organizations and programs where she can become active. But what's more, she encouraged me that there really is hope for America, no matter how lost we are, that there are a handful of people who want to serve others.

Tonight at church, the worship went deep. I think it stirred up things in a lot of the people in the building. God spoke to me that His children are lost and do not know their Father. It broke my heart and I wept for those who have not fully given themselves to Him. They will never know the joy that I have experienced by finding my Father. I felt God's heart for them. My heart pounded for His sorrow and the sorrow I felt for those who have yet to seek His Glory - how they will never experience this . So many times when I am worshiping our great God I imagine the world as it is, but people laying down their selfish motives and turning to God. It's a beautiful thing. I will continue to pray for His Kingdom to come to Earth, and though I may never see that fully manifested, I can still see His Kingdom around me, and I hope just that little bit can be shared with those I encounter. And I hope that small encounter will change something in them.

I just finished making my coffee this morning as I sit in my friend's flat. I’m in Hamburg for the second time this year. It’s surreal to think about all that has been provided for me the past few weeks. I had a warm bed to sleep in last night, a nice shower this morning, and breakfast waiting for me when I woke up. International friends are the greatest thing to have when you are travelling around the world. Living as a nomad takes its tole on you after awhile. I've slept in 9 different locations the past two weeks. I'm getting good at this packing light thing. And especially good at packing the essentials: underwear, instant coffee, earplugs and a sleeping mask. It’s pretty much all you need for your next adventure to the unknown. But I'm honestly worn out to the core from this weekend. We hosted the big conference about poverty, human trafficking, and slavery which ended today – leaving my brain in the rafters after non-stop thinking about how I could actively combat these huge issues. The elephant is too big for me to eat, so I'm going to need a little help from my friends.

It's embarrassing to say that in the past 2 years that I've "lived" in Germany, I've not picked up one sentence auf Deutsch. I worked the information booth at the conference this weekend and just smiled nodded each time a new person approached me with their question in their native tongue - each time fighting my way through the words until their next pause to kindly proclaim, "Entschuldigen, kein Deutsch sprechen." Except, on the spot, I forget to speak even the simplest of phrases and seem to mumble "ehhh... English?" like a dummy.

To my relief - and a bit of a surprise - the associate pastor of the Spanish church came to chat. I could not understand any of his German and he spoke very little English, so we decided to have a pleasant conversation in Espanol after discovering our common interest. My new Domincan Republic friend and I discussed the president of DR and how his reign the past 8 years has treated him well. He explained to me the president had recently visited Obama to speak about our countries’ issues like human rights and other social topics. He also told me I must like to work alot. "Te gusta trabajo mucho, no?" I had not stopped making jewelry our entire conversation which I now regret, for I was not engaging entirely into mis nuevo Latino compadre and missed the opportunity to go further into our new found friendship.

More German questions came and he left me to my work.

It was so refreshing to hear a language I could actually understand and he spoke it so beautifully. I've always regretted not being able to take Spanish 3. In high school I ran out of time to take actual classes because I squeezed in so many study halls, yearbook classes, "student teaching", and any other class that would give me relief from writing papers or having actual homework; probably more of those than I legally should have had. But it helps to know all the important people in the school office, or to just have a brother who everyone loved years prior. I think I got away with way too much. Since I can remember I've had a knack for getting out of things I was supposed to have done. Even in 1st grade I can remember "forgetting" to do the back side of my phonics homework - but Mrs. Shelton repeatedly gave me second chances to turn it in for half credit.

But Spanish was different. Ever since I can remember I've had this crazy fascination with travel and an extreme sense of wanderlust. I think my Spanish class fulfilled a bit of that wander. That's why I loved Spanish so much. It was the only subject that really got me outside the realm of my small town. For me, high school was such a struggle because I was so bored and not fulfilled. That fulfillment came from seeing the world - meeting other people. I can't imagine sitting still now and I'm 25. I'm so blessed to be free. To be single. I can do what I want to do. Go where I want to go. Be who I want to be. And best of all, there is no end because God provides for it all. I cannot ever imagine stopping now even as tired as I am. All I can think about are the travel possibilities this winter. Philly in December, California in January, India in Feburary. I'm excited to go home for a few weeks and rest, but after that, I'm free again baby!

Last night was such a blessing. It has been one of the first evenings I could sit alone, check email, send out files, and just plain rest without 100 other people around. Literally. I realized tonight how much being around people just stresses me out. When there is conversation happening I want to be a part of it, so all the talking grabs my attention and then sucks the energy right out of me. And then nothing is accomplished because I've actually not said anything all day. All of my energy left me through my brain. It's sounds weird (and a little gross) but it's the only way I can describe it.

Thank you Jesus for my warm bed
and coffee
and toast
and sleeping in
and loyal friends
and peace
and quiet
and being alone
and collecting my thoughts, a least for a few minutes


Maybe one day I'll stop.
But not now, please.

Elimination Art Collective: coming soon :)

I can't sleep.

I got Tennessee on my mind.

It's just past 4 in the morning and I cant help but stare at Orion's belt gleaming through my window. It shines so bright over the German hillside and all I can think about is just how many others are looking at the exact same constellation, at this exact same moment. probably thousands. perhaps millions. I don't know the likelyhood of the latter, but it sounds feasable.

I went on a mini tour this weekend with one of my favorite new artists, Sarah Brendel. She could be a star if she wanted to. It's not that her music is too new, but for some reason I'm just discovering her.

After meeting her at a show in Dresden Friday she invited me on tour with her to Berlin for the weekend. How could I resist? I even played a show with her. Oh, and I tell you I was on tv? No big deal.



I had a delightful time with her and the guys. We scopped out all the hip local spots in Berlin, drank Italian espresso at a pizza bistro, talked about Hannover and Hamburg over mojitos in a bar with a live dj, shot film, and coveted all the fixed gear bikes in town. I'm such a hipster, I know.

After 2 years in Germany, this was my first time to really see Berlin. I even (possibly) saw some real live Bansky.

Thursday I'm off to Hamburg for a conference about Human Trafficking and then a week with the design students somewhere in the city. Details are yet to be confirmed, but all we need for action is a projector and a warm place to sleep. Their last assigment was to make stop motion videos about trafficking and I'm challenging them to show their final projects in downtown Hamburg projected onto a wall or screen outside. It's going to be cold, but I'm really excited to see the reactions.

There are about 7-8,000 women working in prostitution in Hamburg. About 70% are migrant workers and many trafficked in thanks to its convenient harbor. I hope to spark some conversation and avoid as much cold as possible. I just pray I make it on to my plane next Saturday without too many germs or court costs. Germany requires too many permits.

you never realize how much you love something until it is gone

These girls captured my heart.



Sfelg (second from the right) could honestly be my long-lost Ethiopian sister. Even though she speaks very little English, you would never realize it since she seems to communicate all too easily through laughter and silliness. We each talked in our Julia Child voice all the way back home that day with the scents of Kosche (trash) in the air and sights of donkeys and tracks trash passing by.




This is Menna. Another great friend I made. She's only 20 but puts all of her time and energy into these girls. Everyday she is at the house teaching the girls or serving them injera. Oh, injera. How I miss the.


Germany is cold. I'm missing my Africa sun :(