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By kate, May 7, 2012 10:13 am

I am terrible with birthdays. Pretty much the only birthday I remember is my own (it is a season, after all). Now I remember Neil’s because I have had to put it on enough forms that it sticks out in my mind. It’s also Pearl Harbor day. This is the one feature of Facebook that I think is actually useful: the birthday reminders. It tells you when all of your “friends” have a birthday.

I got a reminder that my dear friend Briana would have celebrated her 30th birthday yesterday.

It’s likely that I would not have remembered, had she still been alive, and all she would have received from me would be a Facebook message. But, her birthday hit me, even more than the anniversary of her death. Perhaps because as a midwife she celebrated so many first births.

Briana midwife

Her midwife partner Cathy has started a project to honor her called The Briana Project to cherish her memory and spread her talents and ideas to women around the world. Please visit the site and donate if you can.

Cathy put our video we made of Breezer on the website so people could get a sense of her. It is one of the most precious things I’ve ever made. I am so glad we taped so much of her wisdom.

Briana’s Words, Briana’s Wisdom from Kate and Neil on Vimeo.

I am really missing her these days and this video is so nice to have to hear her voice and insights and laughter.

This is the last picture we took when I last saw Briana in Utah out for the filming of my documentary. I don’t know why we look like a couple of strangers sitting down on a couch together, but I love the look on Breezer’s face.

Utah Fall 2010

I also love this one at our Wild West party where she is giving Katy a noogie.

Briana's silly side comes out

And, she was always stunning… even in a silly hat.

Bri helping me celebrate my birthday

Briana

Happy birthday Briana. You are dearly loved and so, so sorely missed by so many. My heart feels heavy and a little bit emptier every time I realize, again, that you’re gone.

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By Neil, March 17, 2012 12:36 am

Jesse and I just got back to Nairobi after a few day traveling with my dad and his students to Nakuru and Kisumu. The trip was really fun but also included lots of driving.

Yesterday before leaving Kisumu we stopped at a small farm to see how they planted maize (corn). The farmer, a widow, was an amazing woman who worked ceaselessly to feed her family. It made me think of how easy my life is and how blessed I have been.

In direct contrast to visiting the farm our night in Nakuru was one of opulence as we stayed in the Lion Nakuru Lodge. This place was overpriced and overcomfortable. They even put hot water bottles into our bed while we ate dinner even though it was not cold in the least.

Now we are back in Nairobi staying with a dear friend from church. We are doing a little last-minute shopping and visiting and then will sadly be returning to the US and school (I am excited to see Kate again). The photo above is of Jesse holding Princess the baby of our friends Prince and Linda. The one bellow is of my favorite Kenyan foods, samosas. These are not like samosas from India that have a thick pastry crust, but are uniquely Kenyan with more of a springroll type crust.

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By kate, April 27, 2011 5:27 am

My dear friend Briana passed away on Saturday.

I feel privileged to have known Briana, and been able to record some of her powerful words about herself and her calling as a direct entry midwife. Neil and I made this film to honor the power of her words and wisdom.

Briana’s Words, Briana’s Wisdom from Kate and Neil on Vimeo.

I met Briana through another close friend while we were all mucking through undergrad at BYU. She was such an intriguing presence to me. While my friend Amy and I were prone to silliness, loud laughter and ostentatious hi-jinks in those our early 20s, Briana brought a somber and present maturity to our conversations. While we might have attempted to laugh through our sorrows, Briana processed everything in an amazing way and in such depth that I was drawn to her.

We called her Breezer.

When Amy went on to marry in 2005, Briana and I turned to each other more and more to lean on. As our friendship began to deepen, I of course, learned more and more about her passion: midwifery and birthing at home.

There are few people who devote the entirety of their lives to one cause in the natural and easy way that Briana did.   That devotion and what she accomplished in helping fight for women’s right and ability to birth at home are remarkable. When she talked of midwifery, she spoke of power, politics, love, empowerment and referred to her role as a midwife as a calling.

Briana had an amazing intuition for helping women.

I introduced her to my sister in law Laura. After meeting Breezer she decided to choose a home birth, even though (or perhaps due to the fact) she herself is a PA, and has worked in labor and delivery at a hospital. As a result of this joyous union, June Ransom was born at home, on our orange couch with Breezer there to catch her.

I trusted her with my family.

So many trusted her with the very beginning of their families.

When I connected her to my friend Ashley this past summer, she became Ashley’s midwife and I began to document them both for a film project for my Feminist Jurisprudence class. These past few months, we have visited, talked endlessly on the phone and really been able to connect as intellectual Mormon women.

Breezer,

I know that you wanted to start studying graphic design, and move to San Franscico or DC or Texas. I know that you wanted to find a man to love, and be witness to the birth of your own babies.

We talked endlessly into the night of summer trips to Costa Rica, and our future street where we would be neighbors and friends forever into adulthood.

I am so, so sad that you are gone.

I want to see your art, be your neighbor, and have you catch my babies.

I want to talk to you just one more time to tell you what an irreplaceable friend you are.

Namaste. I bow to you,

Kate

Many thanks for those who contributed to the film:

Sonya Cotton for her song Hilltop Hymn.
Missy Lambert for her poem. Please read Missy’s beautiful poem about Breezer.
Alisha Stamper for her photographs.
Carolee Beckham for her photographs.

A memorial service for Briana will be held Wednesday in Salt Lake. The service is scheduled for 7 p.m. at 951 E. 100 South, our old chapel.

Comments (5)

By kate, April 25, 2011 11:18 am

June was born happy and healthy at home thanks to her mom’s midwife, Briana Blackwelder.

I think all of the babies Breezer helped bring in to the world are living tributes to her work.

Comments (4)

By kate, February 11, 2011 8:22 am

Ah, the roaring twenties. We were such funny freaks in 2006. I think I’ve posted this invite before, but my friends Themla reminded me of it on her blog.

For this party I was mad at Neil so I dressed as, “there are many fish in the sea.”

Comments (16)

By kate, November 30, 2010 10:48 pm

In lieu of writing a 30 pg. legal paper for my Feminist Jurisprudence class, I am making a documentary film.

No, I do not know how to make a documentary film. But, I am learning. And, I now am now amazed and floored by every documentary I have ever seen, because I understand what an extreme amount of work went into the projects.

For my project I am making a mini-documentary where I interview four women I know about reproductive issues and how they have affected their lives. I am interviewing:

• Donna: My mother who gave up a baby for adoption at age 15 in 1972.
• Anne: My sister who was surrendered to another family and later found my mother after receiving her original birth certificate when she turned 18. She is now a single mother.
• Ashley: My best friend who is currently single and pregnant and has decided against abortion. She is torn between keeping the baby and surrendering her baby.
• Briana: Another dear friend who is a direct entry (home birth) midwife by profession and is Ashley’s midwife.

The purpose of the film is to record women’s stories from their own mouths, and to help illustrate themes and to go about “exploring common experiences and patterns that emerge from shared telling of life events,” this way, “[w]hat were experienced as personal hurts individually suffered reveal themselves as a collective experience of oppression.” Leslie Bender, A Lawyer’s Primer on Feminist Theory and Tort. 1988.

I hope I can adequately edit the film to do justice to these amazing narratives.

This clip is a bit of the unedited (unprocessed sound, without music etc.) footage. Even in its unadulterated form, it is beautiful.

If any blogsters out there are interested in helping with the project & have access to an HD capable camera in Utah, we are in desperate need of more b roll footage of Ashley & Briana for the film. So, let me know if you know of anyone who would be up to the challenge! Who wouldn’t want to follow these amazing women around with a camera?!??

Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom from Neil Ransom on Vimeo.

Comments (7)

By kate, November 1, 2010 3:02 pm

Weird communist/ labor slogan re-make pie graphic. Check.

Larger than life sized pie poster. Check.

As you can see, the pie party was a pretty darned great way to celebrate 3 decades of existence. If you can believe it, we didn’t really take many photos… but we also forgot to put candles in a pie & sing Happy Birthday, so many things were forgotten.

We did not, however, forget to take a picture of the ultimate champion pie-maker:

Jane Prince. Who made a PIE COSTUME. Genius. Genius.
You can’t see it in this shot, but she also made a pie-tin underneath by cutting large turkey-pans. Again, genius.

(Also note the sweater-dress purchased on my birthday with a kind gift from Patty Ransom. Combining my two favorite things: sweaters & dresses. Neil gets credit for this one, since he found it at H & M and flung it at me saying, “You’ll definitely like this number.” Right again, Bodelia. Right again.)

Jane pretty much looked exactly like this delicious cherry number made from my grandma’s recipe:

Here’s a shot of Neil (what a champ) Ransom crankin’ out the pies beforehand. (and using a Nalgene as a rolling pin.)

Thanks to this birthday & awesome parents, I am now the proud owner of a beautiful turquoise necklace & a Wonder Woman bracelet. Bet you can guess which present came from which parent

We also attended the Jon Stewart “Sanity” rally. Let me just say, it was anything but sane. Mostly it was just mobbed with a bunch of people carrying random, ironic (emphasis on the random) signs.

Pics were taken on a film camera (Neil’s new craze), so you’ll have to wait for those.

But… we did get to go see Amy Goodman speak afterward. And. It. Was. A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

All in all… fantastic birthday & excellent weekend.

Comments (6)

By kate, August 10, 2010 9:50 am

First off, Neil grew a mustache for the event and then dyed it with mascara to make it more visible.

Epic.

This group had the most epic Linda Ronstadt/ Mylie Cyrus/ Lady Gaga dance party e v e r!

Neil made amazing food, including, but not limited to, caramel apples with toppings.

And, thanks to my dad, all of these epic photos happened (the old timey photo booth was epic):

Happy trails to you, until we meet again!

Comments (4)

By kate, July 5, 2010 8:48 pm

Last weekend I got to go to Oregon for a mini-reunion with all the gals I grew up with. I would like to say that we did more than dress-up 24 hours a day for most of my childhood, but that would be a lie.

A significant portion of high school was spent dressing up like the Spice Girls. One night we found out we had a snow day the next day and had a 24-hour Spice Girls Bonanza.

Behold:

Here is the very same crew 12 YEARS later:

Not many people can say that they are still friends with their 5th grade friendgroup at thirty! (yes, I am wearing a Spice Girls t-shirt) I think we haven’t changed a bit. It is so fun to see what everyone is doing now that we’re old.

The highlight of the weekend was watching the Spice Girls music videos we made back in the day. You should be sad I have sworn not to put copies up on the internet, because they are PRICELESS!

Here are some shots with our new(er) friends from Iraq rafting on Sat. in Utah.

We floated the Provo River to celebrate our freedom.

We also met our new-est friends this week. They are from from Dubai. (no, I did not photoshop their faces, the face-garb is part of their everyday outfits)

Make new friends, but keep the old… one is silver & the other’s gold!

Comments (5)

By kate, February 17, 2010 3:29 pm

1. He is so creative. Today he took a sketch pad into the bathroom with him to jot down some of his latest ideas!
2. He is so kind. He suggested instead of taking our next trip, we try and get down to Haiti to do some volunteer work.
3. He is a hard worker. He slaves away every day selling computers to rich people so that we can have food and a place to live.
4. He is supportive. He helps me achieve all of my goals (& even some goals that I don’t want… like finishing all of my homework!)
5. He’s a charmer. Even though some people find him shy at first, everyone always warms up to him right away & he can strike up a conversation with anyone. He often ends up chatting with random people & reports back all of the amazing things he’s learned from them to me.
6. He’s got good taste. Women, food, films… you name it, Neil loves the best in life.
7. He’s patient. He is really good at teaching people skills slowly so that they can learn for themselves how to do things. He always has patience with me (except when I am procrastinating my work by doing things on the internet!!!)
8. He thinks of others. Neil is always coming up with ideas of things we can do for others. He loves to make cards for people or call them just to keep in touch.
9. He is funny. Neil always knows how to tell great jokes and stories & since he’s not one of those people always starved for attention and talking (who me? no!) his punchlines are always that much punch-ier!
10. He loves me! Neil always puts me first whether it is making my eggs first in the morning or moving 3 times in one year to help me follow my career path… he is always looking out for me.