In Honor of Chris Keith

Every day in the US, three women are killed by their husbands or boyfriends.

It seems like an improbable number. Like it could never happen to you, to somebody you know.

But it has.

Christine Keith, aka Adventures of a Thrifty Mama

Last week, the blogging community lost one of its own. Chris Keith blogged about healthy living, organic eating, homeschooling... the same thing that so many mommy bloggers do. And she was good at it. She had to be. Chris was supporting four kids on her own, on a subsistence income after separating from her abusive husband.

But one week ago, her estranged husband went to her house, and killed her. He killed her oldest son, Isaac. And then he killed himself. The three youngest children had gone to their grandparents' house for the night- fortunately out of harm's way.

Chris taught Zumba. She gardened. She went on her local news channel to talk about food stamps, and how to eat healthy meals with a minimal budget. She was a good person, and a good mother. And now she's gone.

Now she's one of three women who died at the hands of their husbands or boyfriends that day.

There are things you can do to help her and her children. Her church has taken up a memorial fund- you can donate there to help provide for her children- sons aged 4 and 8, and a six year old daughter.

Memorial Fund

They have not been allowed back in their home, a crime scene, and it may be a long time before they are. They have nothing but what they took to Grandma's house the night their mother and brother were taken from them.

And you can help even more than that. You can spread the word that domestic violence, as endemic as it is, should not and must not be tolerated. That there are places those who are suffering can go, that there are resources available to them. That there is help out there.

There's the National Domestic Violence Hotline, where trained expert advocates are available 24/7 to talk confidentially.

There's Safe Horizon, which helps connect victims to shelters.

There's the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, which provides access to information, and opportunities for training and education for those who want to work to end domestic violence, or intervene on behalf of somebody in their life.

Don't remain silent. Don't close your eyes to the suffering all around you. Don't make excuses, or insist it takes two to quarrel. Just listen, offer a hand, and stand strong.

And maybe, if we all shine a light on this issue, into the darkness of abuse, maybe today nobody has to die.

The Final Countdown

Sick DD says, "Please vote for my mommy."

Friends...

Dear friends...

This is probably the week that I'm going to be eliminated from Blogger Idol. You see, this week's assignment was to write about "a lesson you learned in high school."

Well, I only went to high school for fifteen months, and it was as non-traditional as high schools get. It didn't have a cafeteria, or a gym, and half my classes were taught by brilliant lunatics who handed over total control of the class.

So unless I get the most votes this week, it's pretty clear I'm going to be eliminated.

I need all of you to get your clicking fingers ready. Get your wifi enabled. Go hop around coffee shops with your smart phones.

I need your votes, people.



I need your votes more than ever before. Because this is the second to last week. If I make it through to next week, I'm in the finals. Then it's not just about the judges, and it's not just about the popular vote... then it's also down to the other contestants. The writers who have come to know me as a writer. And then it's over.

And I want to be in it, people. I want to be in it so bad it hurts.

What's more, you won't be hearing about the competition much from me tomorrow. I'm organizing a much more important blogging event. Yes, more important than this silly competition that I care so much about. But there WILL be a link over to the right side of the screen for you to click and vote for me tomorrow, if you can't vote for me now. Maybe vote for me both days! The poll is open until midnight on Thursday.



Thursday, tomorrow, one week after Chris's murder, I'm pulling together a day of action for the mommy blogosphere. To raise awareness to the realities of domestic violence, and to help raise funds to care for Chris' children, now that they've lost their mother and older brother.

There will be more about it later, I promise. But right now, I need you click over and vote for me.

Vote for me like crazy. Tell your friends. Ask your parents. Assign it to your students as homework. I don't care how you do it- just push me over the edge. Keep me in it.

Thank you so, so much.