Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from the M.O.B.!!

Keep 'em coming in folks!!!

{Thanks} giving means the Occupy Photo Launch!

Thanks to EVERYONE who participated!!!

Let's remember that we should be thankful EVERY day, even if some days it is a little harder to find something to be thankful about.

We all have something to be thankful for!!!


We here at M.O.B. hope that you all have given thanks in your own way not only on this celebrated holiday, but every day.

In an effort to keep this thought in mind, we are welcoming on-going submissions for this project....

Occupy Thanks


If you are thankful for ice cream after a bad day, let us know.
If you are thankful for the ability to grow a really rad mustache...
let us know!!

If you are thankful for a sunset...take a picture and let us know.

Comment below with your thanks in simple text.

Send in photos ANYTIME, like the ones above to myownbackyardcommunity@gmail.com

We will post as they are received or feel free to friend us at 
https://www.facebook.com/MOBcommunity
and post your photos to our wall.

We wish you a wonderful day with good food, good family, good friends, good health, good laughs, good conversation, good hugs, and good love.

Enjoy today, tomorrow, and each day to come.

Occupy Thanks


xo,
M.O.B.

Occupy Thanks Sneak Peak!!

Sneak Peak!!!!

Get your photos in by midnight!

...of you.

...of friends.

...of family.

...of pets.

Have fun, be creative, and most of all, give thanks!!!

Occupy Thanks!!!!

The Question

I had this great, improptu conversation with my 60 + year old neighbor this evening, one which made me feel very driven.  We were talking about the job market and how difficult it is for young people to find stability today.  He mentioned how he "grew" into a company as a young man, one that provided him with stability, education, and security.  I told him how I paid for my college (twice) and still work without benefits.  He said to me, "you know where it all went wrong?"  Of course, my own first reaction was a response about politics and corporations, to which he said "no, it's family.  People value things over family anymore." 
  I'm not naive enough to think that family dynamics aren't skewed and estranged these days but... "family" is a concept.  We all have family.  When I was in college, and I lived miles from home, I found "family" in the art department- working till wee hours to achieve a collective goal.  Now that I have my own "family" consisting of a husband, a step son who is miles away, three furry children and two handfuls of people who share common goals and values, I can say that it is them who give me purpose and strength.
   I hope that this Thanksgiving, everyone will take time for a family, old or new.  I believe in my heart of hearts that we are all family, able to be open, accepting and valuable to one another.  I love you MOB Family- Happy Thanksgiving!
-RAHBeck
PS- DON'T FORGET THE CAMERA- OCCUPY THANKS PHOTOS MAKE MUCH BETTER MEMORIES THAN THAT GAME OF MONOPOLY (well... play the monopoly too!)

Hey M.O.B.sters! Occupy Thanks update!

Hey everyone!  Casey here....

As the holiday is quickly approaching, some of you are having Turkey Day dinners early with friends, family, and/or co-workers...what a great opportunity to have some positive conversation about the things you are thankful for in YOUR life and find out what others are thankful for.

With all of the bad things that are happening in the world, we are trying to promote hope, love, and appreciation for the things we DO have.


We hope that you will be a part of this project!!  We would love for it to be an ongoing project all year long, that reaches out to people all over the world.

One person cannot make this successful so we need YOU to participate and spread the word!!!

Photos are coming in of moms, dads, babies, dogs, cats, young people, old people.....we want them all!!!

If everyone who sees this takes a photo of what they are thankful for and asks only ONE other person...think of what this could be! 

Be creative, don't be creative.  Just BE thankful and write it on a piece of paper, toilet paper, a napkin, your hand!!

Photos will be published on this blog on Thanksgiving and BEYOND!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday full of friends, family, good food, and happiness.


EMAIL SUBMISSIONS TO: MYOWNBACKYARDCOMMUNITY@GMAIL.COM


Cheers!
Casey

Occupy Thanks! A project for EVERYONE!!!

I am excited to say that I recently landed a gig that will financially help me with real life responsibilities but will ALSO allow me to reaaaaaallly put in some valuable time with M.O.B. and I am ready to go!

With the holidays approaching, what better way to kick off M.O.B. than with some event to make someones life a little happier?

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, what can you do to help or put a smile on someones face?

We are all familiar with the volunteers that serve at soup kitchens and places that provide meals but from experience, I know that it is necessary to reserve a volunteer spot way in advance.  Some places also require a training before serving and since it is so close...it will be difficult to do that.


Let's move on to something that YOU can do that is easy and free with a big impact!

-M.O.B. is looking for volunteers to ask people what they are thankful for.

ANYONE CAN PARTICIPATE !!!

{You can}

• do this on the streets
• at a restaurant
• at work
• at school
• over the Internet
• anywhere!!!

 {What you need}

• digital camera (camera phone! computer camera..etc..)
• chalkboard
• chalk

OR

• paper
• sharpie/marker/pen

 {How it works}

• approach people and ask them to participate.
• hand them a flyer with info about M.O.B. and this project (or find a print version here)
• have them sign a waiver for their photo to be added to this blog (or ask them if it is OK)
• ask them to write what they are thankful for on the board. (if you want to participate and are NOT local.. use a sharpie and paper!! we can e-mail you some info to tell participants!)
• tell them to smile/pose and hold up their sign.
• you snap a pic.
• e-mail it to myownbackyardcommunity@gmail.com.
• we will publish a post with the results and all of the wonderful thanks our community has!

-A meet up in {Austin} will be taking place this weekend. (e-mail for details)
-Supplies will be provided (except for phones or cameras - must have your own!)
-We will need people to help us make chalkboards and cut flyers! 


Let's make this great!!!

xo
Casey

P.S.  Peanut made one... animals and people welcome..

The Insatiable Urge to DO SOMETHING!

Hello MOB Community!  I want to take a moment to thank Casey Janowski for all of her support and hard work handling all of our web communication!  Anyhow, to the point...
It was three years ago that I found myself really yearning and wishing for a place where, as a visual artist, I could find like minded people, with diverse opinions to surround myself with.  Living in a transient, tourist community heavily operated by HOA's, corporate institutions, and citizens who are engrossed in "the beach life" has it's ups and downs.  The down side is that we sometimes are disillusioned by the scenery and we forget stay active and involved with what the world is becoming and what we can do to help it positively progress.  The up side is that I am surrounded with solutions, with people who want to make the world a better place, and with resources to make things happen!
  Short of starting a revolution (which is my natural, young spirited reaction to societal issues)  I decided to look at what has been keeping me still for so many years.  In this I found that my hesitance to make change was coming from a society that dictates to me HOW I am allowed to do so.  I found myself wanting to give but having little time while working and having less means than most organizations ask for as a minimum donation.  I was also tired of volunteering for the same old "hum drum" which consisted of rehashed charity events full of pasta dinners and hand outs with no FUN!  I was also so tired of reading about non profit egos, corruption, and lack of respect to fresh ideas.  So, I decided, like many philanthropists, that I was going to start something different... My Own Backyard is not MY dream but, EVERYONE'S dream.
  YOU CAN SAY I'M A DREAMER but...
   I believe that the only thing keeping our world from being self sustaining is COMMUNITY!  I realize that we are all VERY different, that we all have different priorities and agendas but, I also believe that NO ONE is ALONE in their desires or passions NOR in their time of need or struggles!  To me, a community means simply: a group of people who agree to disagree in order to make a place where we can all operate in a manner of respect and happiness.  In order to find this utopia, I first believe that these rules MUST be followed:
- Realization of what you want as an individual, what you need to be happy, and what you are willing to sacrifice to make that happen.
-Respect that not everyone has the same goals and the realization of what you will accept and won't
-Realization of your environment and knowing whether you are the odd ball out or THEY are
- CHOICE to remain in that environment and not expect the world to cater to you but, to accept your world and make it a strong place to live in!

I believe that we all have one thing in common:  a need to be loved and understood.  That said, we really aren't that different- are we?   Though "love" comes in a multitude of acceptable packages, we can all associate being loved when a neighbor says hello or lends a hand.

What is COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY to MY OWN BACKYARD?  A community becomes self sufficient when we all agree on our shortcomings, recognize what we can do to fix the problems, and work together in a modest way to move forward.  In order for the communities of the present to become more sustainable, we have to look beyond corporate gain, government dictation of what we are allowed to have, and develop ways that we, as a community can achieve success while allowing individuals to strive toward their ultimate goals.  This means simply:  maximizing our resources!
   There are so many opportunities in our current environment to make progress from untapped resources and, all the while, have a good time doing it!  Creative minds have brought our society into it's prime.  We are no longer limited by transportation or slow communication.  We have everything we need to be strong RIGHT IN OUR OWN BACKYARDS! 
    In many countries today, groups of people with little means to strive have developed businesses using their talents and artistic skills.  We are society of green friendly, recyclable objects.  A society of individuals with vast knowledge of many special interests.  We are a community of people who can make, and develop objects and events that have a mass appeal to the world. 
THE IS ALOT TO BE GAINED FROM A WHOLE LOT OF LITTLE...
   So, I developed a way that people could give just a little, that when combined, will make a whole lot of difference.  My Own Backyard is dedicated to lifting up each community's small sources of giving such as already operating non profits and organizations by acting as an extension of their already hectic fundraising missions.  By hosting projects like $1.20 or our online, artist collaborative sales, we are generating support for local organizations, creating a multitude of awarness, and engaging the community in unique activities.  It is our priority to promote and encourage local community to support small, local businesses such as local artists, musicians, performers, boutiques, builders, designers and other services. 
   It is my hope that someday every community will have a chapter of My Own Backyard (or something similar) that will become the center of community awarness and interaction!  I encourage everyone to get involved- ego free doing!  So, please contact us.  Tell us what you would like to see happen in your community, what you are doing, anything interesting that the world needs to know.
TOGETHER, WE ARE STRONG!   Stop. Think. Record. Pass Along.  Move Forward. Be Well - Rachel Harris-Beck