Mulching The Cat

Imp tests the new mulch and find is restful.

We mulched all our gardens in preparation for the July 14 White Center Jubilee Days Garden Walk and the July 20 Village Green Tour of Gardens in White Center.
While we invested in professionaly-made bark mulch for the rain garden and the patio walk garden that are the main attractions, for everything else we used home-made mulch. Pruned branches and other excess foliage were swiftly converted to effective, all-natural, locally sourced mulch with the aid of an electric wood chipper (and since we ran it during the day, it drew power from our roofs photovoltaic cells - how cool is that?)
We then relaxed, had a beer and pondered how mulch feeds the soil, conserves water and looks good. But we still had something to learn this day.
I'd harvested the rhubarb from one of our half-cask beds before mulching it. We haven't decided what we'll plant next, but the choice was made for us by one of our cats.
Imp (Impromptu Underfoot McCord) jumped into the bed, lay down and proclaimed it hers. Who knew you could mulch a cat?

Paul Sorey is our Neighbor

The back of our property touches on two properties, and I don't interact much with those who live there. However last year I wondered if I could do something about some laurels that had grown to a very inconvenient height - over 40 feet tall, and shading our back yard.

There really was no alternative except to go talk to the neighbor. I would pitch it as something that would be mutually beneficial - it would let more light into his backyard as well.

It turned out he was a really reasonable guy. He agreed that it'd be nice to bring down most of the stuff, and even volunteered his son to do the work. 

I noticed a lot of metal art stuff around, and asked what he did. It turns out he's an actual professional artist by the name of Paul Sorey. If you get around the Seattle area, you'll have seen it. 

Check out his website at http://paulsorey.com - there's some really neat stuff there. 

AND - he's a very reasonable guy!

Bee Jogging Around the Passion Flower Racetrack

Bee jogging in the passionflower on the right

We have a passionflower in the raised bed out front. I hear that down south it grows so fast that it's an annoyance, but her in Seattle they seem to be easy to control. And the flowers sure are pretty! The colors are intense and the shapes are freakily fun, which is kind of Seattle brand (the Space Needle is the best example but there's a lot of the same around.
I just saw a bee working the pollen by jogging around under the propeller blades. It was pretty cute!

Senator @MarcoRubio - do I #NeedYourPermission to drink a beer? ‎#NYP

I'm a guy but I figure if government is going to make all those decisions for women, why should I be burdened with having to make choices too?
I read that a bunch of right-thinking women were conceding that Republican politicians simply had the right and the power to make the important decisions for them, like where they could get health care and what they should do with their bodies. So they started the #NeedYourPermission movement to ask for permission about everything else:

"If these legislators, Lt. Gov., and Gov want to control our bodies, lets try to give them all the decisions for one day. We will call/tweet/email/FB (or all four) every time we need to make a choice. Up do or hair down? Toast or cereal? The tollway or the freeway to work? Brown bag or buy lunch? What should we eat for lunch? And so on. Try to work in the word choice, too." I said at the beginning. "Choices are hard because I'm a woman! Can the governor tell me if I should have soup or salad?" It became a day of catharsis and object lessons. Some legislators engaged, only to quit when questioned too closely. Some ignored us. But we all banded together, and now we will continue that fight all month. With the help of UniteWomen.org, who have joined us in our efforts, this event is now national in scale - check out some of the other states, if you can, and see if you can help. You can also work on the national campaign to ask Marco Rubio for his permission. Lets inundate their phones and inboxes with choices. It won't actually accomplish a change, but it would probably make us feel better, and it might annoy their staff for a MONTH. If you are male, feel free to call on behalf of any feeble woman you know. Please join us in calling and/or emailing the governor, lt. governor, and at least one rep and senator, preferably from your district (unless your district is just awesome)."

Now all across the nation, women are asking their politicians for permission, freeing them from the hard work of deciding for themselves.
Men: don't we have equal rights?
Shouldn't politicians be making those choices for us too?
I am never quite sure whether I want a malty beer or one that's heavy in hops. Either choice is good - so why not let a politician decide for me?
The Need Your Permission - Marco Rubio event is July 8, so I've scheduled this post to publish them. Please Senator - tell me what to do!!!!

"Every Time We Gain A Right, We Throw A Party" - the Wedding of Marcia and Wendy

Left to Right: Atty, Marcia, Wendy, Friends & Family!

Our friends Marcia and Wendy, across the street, got married Sunday, July 7, 2013. It was a beautiful sunny day backyard party, featuring friends throughout our neighborhood plus their family, coworkers and classmates (both from college and from birthing class).
Their boy Atticus had his first birthday around this time; enjoying the offered food is an important part of sanctifying the ritual, so I took a big slice of wedding cake and of birthday cake, just to be helpful.
Marcia gave a short speech thanking us all for coming. They had been married before, in another state, and then when Washington legalized civil unions, they got one of those too. Now that marriage equality is here, they held this ceremony so they're fully married in every way.
"Every time we get more rights, we have a party," she said.
Isn't that a good plan?

4freeCLE: The Free CLE Newsletter! July 7, 2013

4freeCLE: The Free CLE Newsletter! July 7, 2013 In This Issue Webcasts This Week Webcasts 7/15-7/21 Webcasts 7/22-7/28 Webcasts 7/29+ In California In Massachusetts In Minnesota In New York In Ohio On-Demand Past 4freeCLE Issues   Litigating The Right To Peace with Attorney Roberto Zamora   This 1.5 credit AV CLE features Attorney Roberto Zamora who, as a law student in 2003, sued his government for violating the right to peace enshrined in Costa Rica's constitution ... and won! As a result, the President of that nation was compelled to rescind participation in war-making. How Zamora succeeded and further efforts to implement peace under law in a variety of legal venues is the subject of this lecture, recorded at Seattle University School of Law in June of 2013. More information, including the video and resource links.   Top 3 Bundles of Free On-Demand MCLE for Washington Attorneys & Others Webcasts This Week Webcasts Bring CLE To You! Earn CLE from the convenience of your office! July 9: Best Practices in Patent Illustration. By Legal Advantage (LA). July 9: Ethical Considerations in Non-Client Communications.Also presented in-person (Albany, NY). By Tully Rinckey. July 9: Introduction to Legal Research on Fastcase. By Fastcase.  July 9: Remedies for Victims of Human Trafficking.The newly reauthorized Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPRA) is the cornerstone of federal anti-trafficking law. By Practising Law Institute (PLI). July 10: FTC Identity Theft/Consumer Protection Webinar. Identity theft and consumer protection resources to help your clients. By  U.S. Department of Justice Access to Justice Initiative. July 11: Best Practices in Prior Art Searching in Electrical Engineering. By LA. July 11: Advanced Tips for Enhanced Legal Research on Fastcase. By Fastcase. Webcasts July 15 - July 21 Register now and put them on your calendar! July 16: Best Practices in Prior Art Searching Life Sciences. By LA.  July 18/Web: Human Factors in Product Liability Cases. With Human factors expert William Nelson. By TASA.  July 18: Sodium Reduction: The Efforts, Challenges and Successes of Policies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the U.S.. By American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics. Webcasts July 22 - July 28 Register now and put them on your calendar! July 23: Walkway Accident Investigations.With David Doddridge, Certified Walkway Auditor Safety Specialist. By TASA.  July 24: Introduction to Boolean (Keyword) Search. By Fastcase. July 25: Best Practices: Prior Art Search. Manage patent prosecution matters and searches more effectively and efficiently. By LA. July 26: Representing the Pro Bono Client: Consumer Law Basics 2013. Also presented in-person (San Francisco). Learn the basics of consumer law so that you can competently represent a client in need and learn new advocacy skills. By PLI. Webcasts July 29 and Later Register now and put them on your calendar! July 29: Best Practices in Prior Art Searching in Mechanical Engineering. By LA.  July 30: Military Disability Benefits & the Non-Military Spouse: How to Prepare & Protect Your Client. Also presented in-person in Albany, NY. By Tully Rinckey. July 30: Roofing Accident Investigations. With construction safety expert Daniel Paine. By TASA.  In-Person CLEs State-by-State Each of these programs can earn you credit, at no cost, in the state in which it is held. In addition, these programs often can earn you credit in other states. If the organizer has not applied for credit in your state, check with the credit-granting authority in your state.   California July 7/San Francisco: Introduction to Family Law Training. By Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF).  July 9/San Diego, CA: E-Filing And E-Service in San Diego Superior Court. By San Diego Law Library.  July 12-14/San Diego: Taking the Court to Stand Down. By American Bar Association and National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. July 17/San Francisco: Introduction to Family Law Training. By BASF. July 17/San Francisco: Marriage In America: Life After Windsor and Perry. By BASF. July 17/Mountain View: On a Whinge and a Prayer - an Expedition Across the AIA Frontier. By Dechert.  July 23/San Francisco: Housing Negotiation Project Training. By BASF. July 23/San Francisco: Introduction to Landlord Tenant Training. By BASF.  July 24/San Francisco: Child Custody Training. By BASF.  July 26/San Francisco: Representing the Pro Bono Client: Consumer Law Basics 2013. Also webcast. By Practising Law Institute.  Massachusetts July 10/Boston: VLP Training - Family Law 101. By Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP). July 23/Boston: Intro to Guardianship of Adults. VLP.  Minnesota July 9/Apple Valley: Going from No Idea to Not Guilty: An Intro to Criminal Law. By Dakota County Law Library. July 9/Minneapolis: Searching Westlaw.com. By Hennepin County Law Library. July 18/Hastings: Contracts for Deed: The Essentials Plus Some Current Developments. By Dakota County Law Library.  July 18/Chaska: Uncovering Five Myths That Support Racism. By Carver County Law Library. July 24/Minneapolis: New Volunteer Orientation. By Volunteer Lawyers Network. July 24/Stillwater: Health Care Reform Update: Latest Information on State Laws and Regulatory Actions. By Washington County Law Library.  New York July 9/Albany: Ethical Considerations in Non-Client Communications. Also webcast. By Tully Rinckey (TR). July 10/NYC: Jury Selection. By Dechert. July 15/NYC: Annual Capital Defense Training Program. By New York City Bar.  July 17/NYC: Taxation of Business Development Companies. By Dechert. July 23/NYC: Opening Statements. By Dechert.  July 30: Military Disability Benefits & the Non-Military Spouse: How to Prepare & Protect Your Client. Also webcast. By Tully Rinckey. Ohio July 10/Cuyahoga Falls, July 17/Independence,1July 18/Strongsville, July 24/Mentor, July 31/Westlake: FHA Mortgage Lending Rules. By Continuing Education Service (CES). August 7/Cuyahoga Falls: Available Mortgages in 2013. By CES. Oregon July 11/Portland: Freedom to Marry in Oregon: Post-Windsor & Perry. Please RSVP by Monday, July 8th. By American Constitution Society. Washington July 9/Seattle: Seeking Justice - The Impact of Prosecutorial Discretion in Juvenile Court and Beyond. By King County Prosecutor. July 11/Seattle: Collaborative Resolution of Will Contests: Understanding the law and strategies for resolution. Free for members of the KCBA Collaborative Law Section. August 8/Seattle: Probate Conflicts Regarding Inventory, PR Duties and Real Estate Issues. Free for members of the KCBA Collaborative Law Section. On-Demand CLE Learn Any Time& Any Where! Learn what you need to know from the comfort of your home or office!  Ethics: Alternative Fee Arrangements & Pro Bono Service. Allocation and risk and the attendant ethical conflicts that can arise under several knds of AFA; plus: the need for and ethical duty of pro bono service. By Lexvid.  Prenuptual Agreements. Case law update and the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act. By Attorney Eddie Stephens.  Find more on-demand programs at 4freeCLE's List of On-Demand CLE. And feel free to share this list with a friend! About 4freeCLE 4freeCLE is delivered weekly free of charge! Share this email with your friends and colleagues: it's free to them too! If this was forwarded to you, get your own subscription for free by signing up now!  If you are providing free CLE, contact the editor to be listed in this newsletter. There's no charge!