Here is a photo of the start of the project.
I'll keep you posted!
6.22.2009
Summer Cleaning
This weekend, I felt a compelling urge to clean my garage. It's a TOTAL and UTTER mess, with years for paint, junk and random tools.
Here is a photo of the start of the project.
I'll keep you posted!
Here is a photo of the start of the project.
I'll keep you posted!
6.09.2009
5.24.2009
DeNile is a River....
DeNile is a river in Egypt.
I've much to share yet I don't know where to begin. How describe the last 2 months with a glimpse of the good, the bad and the ugly? I am not sure.
Picking up where I left off is a good way to describe some of my activity.
At the beginning of April, I started back up with yoga practice and training. I am finishing a teacher certification program that I started last year.
The day I was set to re-start the training was rough. Steve, told me that he would not watch the kids, and therefore, I could not finish the training.
Well, as you could imagine, this gave rise to an emotional outburst on my part,
where I shouted at the top of my lungs, he could not, would not do this to me. I yelled so much and so hard that my voice was hoarse 3 days after... It sucked. I threw a coffee cup on the floor. It shattered into pieces.
He changed his mind and I was able to move forward with the training. But the experience left me feeling quite powerless and vulnerable.
At the end of April, Steve informed me that he found our marriage less than what he hoped for and was moving out and looking to date. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I cried for days. And nights.
Now, don't get me wrong. I am at fault here too. The signs are all there that its obviously NOT working. And, that we both stopped working at the relationship.
Steve's found an apartment in Park City, which is 45 minutes away. I am stunned that he's moving so far away from his children. I am denial. I don't want my kids to live without their dad. And, if they can't live with their dad, does he need to live so far away? The lease starts on June 1st.
In the meantime, I am practicing a lot of yoga. The movement, I suppose, is keeping me sane. The movement is helping me cope with an endless stream of emotions.
I've much to share yet I don't know where to begin. How describe the last 2 months with a glimpse of the good, the bad and the ugly? I am not sure.
Picking up where I left off is a good way to describe some of my activity.
At the beginning of April, I started back up with yoga practice and training. I am finishing a teacher certification program that I started last year.
The day I was set to re-start the training was rough. Steve, told me that he would not watch the kids, and therefore, I could not finish the training.
Well, as you could imagine, this gave rise to an emotional outburst on my part,
where I shouted at the top of my lungs, he could not, would not do this to me. I yelled so much and so hard that my voice was hoarse 3 days after... It sucked. I threw a coffee cup on the floor. It shattered into pieces.
He changed his mind and I was able to move forward with the training. But the experience left me feeling quite powerless and vulnerable.
At the end of April, Steve informed me that he found our marriage less than what he hoped for and was moving out and looking to date. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I cried for days. And nights.
Now, don't get me wrong. I am at fault here too. The signs are all there that its obviously NOT working. And, that we both stopped working at the relationship.
Steve's found an apartment in Park City, which is 45 minutes away. I am stunned that he's moving so far away from his children. I am denial. I don't want my kids to live without their dad. And, if they can't live with their dad, does he need to live so far away? The lease starts on June 1st.
In the meantime, I am practicing a lot of yoga. The movement, I suppose, is keeping me sane. The movement is helping me cope with an endless stream of emotions.
5.15.2009
Subtle Changes
It's hard to know when subtle changes in your life become actual ways of life.
But sometimes, everything feels different, and you know things have changed.
But sometimes, everything feels different, and you know things have changed.
4.27.2009
Stand By Me
From the award-winning documentary, "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music", comes "songs around the world."
4.25.2009
Rain and Fire
It was a lovely evening. The rain was lightly falling from the sky and the temperature was crisp. The water reflected the lights shining from the homes on the block.
I stepped into my car and started driving to pick up my son from a birthday party. Something compelled me to take a road that I normally do not drive. 1300 South. As I turned left onto the street, lights from fire engines were flashing.
My heart skipped a beat as I approached the scene and smelled the fire. I couldn't drive to the building where the birthday party was being held. So, I parked the car and started walking towards the six fire trucks that were dousing out flames on a home. A firefighter manning the oxygen truck stopped me.
"Ma mm, you cannot walk here."
At that moment, I didn't care if the whole block was on fire. I needed to get to my son. I felt this overriding urge to find him and protect. I looked the firefighter straight in the eye and explained, "my son is at a birthday party on this street. I must get through."
The firefighter seemed to understand the look in my eyes, that I was not going to take NO for an answer, as he allowed me to pass through.
I passed the pedestrians watching the fire, and watched the smoke billow from the open windows of the home and the roof. I said a prayer for the family and their home, and hoped that they were all okay.
Although it was just a few minutes, it felt like a long time to get to building where my son was located.
I heard the kids giggling, running and squealing in delight of the party, completely oblivious to the scene outside.
Sometimes, it's so easy to get caught up in my daily activities. Time to do the laundry. Need to get the tasks done for work. Time for homework. Time to walk the dog. Do the dishes. Make the beds. Make dinner. Meetings and phone calls for work. The list goes on and on.
The fire reminded me to try to enjoy my life and the ones I love everyday.
“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”
I stepped into my car and started driving to pick up my son from a birthday party. Something compelled me to take a road that I normally do not drive. 1300 South. As I turned left onto the street, lights from fire engines were flashing.
My heart skipped a beat as I approached the scene and smelled the fire. I couldn't drive to the building where the birthday party was being held. So, I parked the car and started walking towards the six fire trucks that were dousing out flames on a home. A firefighter manning the oxygen truck stopped me.
"Ma mm, you cannot walk here."
At that moment, I didn't care if the whole block was on fire. I needed to get to my son. I felt this overriding urge to find him and protect. I looked the firefighter straight in the eye and explained, "my son is at a birthday party on this street. I must get through."
The firefighter seemed to understand the look in my eyes, that I was not going to take NO for an answer, as he allowed me to pass through.
I passed the pedestrians watching the fire, and watched the smoke billow from the open windows of the home and the roof. I said a prayer for the family and their home, and hoped that they were all okay.
Although it was just a few minutes, it felt like a long time to get to building where my son was located.
I heard the kids giggling, running and squealing in delight of the party, completely oblivious to the scene outside.
Sometimes, it's so easy to get caught up in my daily activities. Time to do the laundry. Need to get the tasks done for work. Time for homework. Time to walk the dog. Do the dishes. Make the beds. Make dinner. Meetings and phone calls for work. The list goes on and on.
The fire reminded me to try to enjoy my life and the ones I love everyday.
“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”
4.16.2009
Believe
I am feeling refreshed after spending a few days hiking in the desert rain with my children. As I sat in a café on the corner of Paradise Lane and Zion's Boulevard in Springdale Utah, I watched snowflakes gently fall through rays of sunshine next to the red rocks of Zion's National Park.
It was a fitting setting, and felt like a perfectly lovely moment.
Between the kids making a mess at the café while eating their meal as fast as humanly possible and the unexpected snow in the canyon, I felt at ease. It was a moment where I felt connected to the universe and to the goodness that surrounds us all.
It took us a bit of time getting down south to Zion's National Park.
You see, I had spent the last 4.5 months dreading the tax season, and I vowed that I would not leave town before I completed the taxes and faced my music.
Sure, my husband said he'd handle the taxes for me, but, he didn't have all of the receipts and reference numbers. It seemed best that I complete the task.
I had tried, unsuccessfully, to start a business, and I had so many different 1099's and W-2 forms that it made me a bit sick to my stomach to look back... reflect on my decisions... and wonder...
Would I owe the IRS?
What will the year look like financially on paper? Not as good as in the past?
And when can I put this baby to rest!
It turned out okay. I met an interesting person, the accountant, an Italian who likes Chicago but now lives in Salt Lake City. I too.. am an American of European descent living in this beautiful place.
The accountant was a gift from the universe, who repeatedly told me throughout the session, "You are okay... It's okay..." And... "Girl. You were all over the place!"
Phew... Sigh of relief... Letting it go...
Last night I came upon a couple of songs, What I Cannot Change, by Leanne Rimes, and an overnight Internet sensation, Susan Boyle.
After reflecting on the past few days, I have felt a sense of peace and beauty.
Corney, I know. But true. Perhaps, I am going to find, what I am looking for.
Or, perhaps not. I don't really know.
But look at Susan Boyle... You never know when things are going to turn around. Even in a bad dress and a strange haircut.... Even at 47. You too... can live your dreams.
Perhaps at 39 years old with a broken down heart and mind, I can find mine.
As Le Anne Rimes said, "Right away when I awake, I face the day, and pray to God I won’t make the same mistakes, All the rest is out of my hands, I will learn to let go what I cannot change, I will learn to forgive what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change, But I will change, yeah I will change
Whatever I, whenever I can."
Today... Today I saw simple beauty... and magnificent red rocks.
I experienced hope. On the corner of Zion's Boulevard and Paradise Lane...
It was a fitting setting, and felt like a perfectly lovely moment.
Between the kids making a mess at the café while eating their meal as fast as humanly possible and the unexpected snow in the canyon, I felt at ease. It was a moment where I felt connected to the universe and to the goodness that surrounds us all.
It took us a bit of time getting down south to Zion's National Park.
You see, I had spent the last 4.5 months dreading the tax season, and I vowed that I would not leave town before I completed the taxes and faced my music.
Sure, my husband said he'd handle the taxes for me, but, he didn't have all of the receipts and reference numbers. It seemed best that I complete the task.
I had tried, unsuccessfully, to start a business, and I had so many different 1099's and W-2 forms that it made me a bit sick to my stomach to look back... reflect on my decisions... and wonder...
Would I owe the IRS?
What will the year look like financially on paper? Not as good as in the past?
And when can I put this baby to rest!
It turned out okay. I met an interesting person, the accountant, an Italian who likes Chicago but now lives in Salt Lake City. I too.. am an American of European descent living in this beautiful place.
The accountant was a gift from the universe, who repeatedly told me throughout the session, "You are okay... It's okay..." And... "Girl. You were all over the place!"
Phew... Sigh of relief... Letting it go...
Last night I came upon a couple of songs, What I Cannot Change, by Leanne Rimes, and an overnight Internet sensation, Susan Boyle.
After reflecting on the past few days, I have felt a sense of peace and beauty.
Corney, I know. But true. Perhaps, I am going to find, what I am looking for.
Or, perhaps not. I don't really know.
But look at Susan Boyle... You never know when things are going to turn around. Even in a bad dress and a strange haircut.... Even at 47. You too... can live your dreams.
Perhaps at 39 years old with a broken down heart and mind, I can find mine.
As Le Anne Rimes said, "Right away when I awake, I face the day, and pray to God I won’t make the same mistakes, All the rest is out of my hands, I will learn to let go what I cannot change, I will learn to forgive what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change, But I will change, yeah I will change
Whatever I, whenever I can."
Today... Today I saw simple beauty... and magnificent red rocks.
I experienced hope. On the corner of Zion's Boulevard and Paradise Lane...
4.08.2009
3.27.2009
Poop Mountain
House training a puppy is challenging, because I really don't know what the $*&# I am doing. And I have the patience and attention span of a five year old.
Don't worry, I've picked up at least half a dozen puppy training books and have signed up for puppy obedience school, so I can better understand the nature of this cute little furball.
On some days, Max the puppy, seems to understand the whole, "I am a dog and go potty outside," concept.
On most occasions, Max thinks, "I am going to go poop right here right now.
On the carpet.
When no human is looking..."
One day, after cleaning up 9 different inside poop piles, I lost my patience. I became grumpy. Irritable. Tired.
As soon as Steve got home from work and I had fed the family, I took off and went out to get a massage.
He's a bundle of energy. And he makes me laugh. He loves to shred newspaper and chew on anything he can find to place into his mouth. Max the puppy is filling our home with love and mischief...
Don't worry, I've picked up at least half a dozen puppy training books and have signed up for puppy obedience school, so I can better understand the nature of this cute little furball.
On some days, Max the puppy, seems to understand the whole, "I am a dog and go potty outside," concept.
On most occasions, Max thinks, "I am going to go poop right here right now.
On the carpet.
When no human is looking..."
One day, after cleaning up 9 different inside poop piles, I lost my patience. I became grumpy. Irritable. Tired.
As soon as Steve got home from work and I had fed the family, I took off and went out to get a massage.
He's a bundle of energy. And he makes me laugh. He loves to shred newspaper and chew on anything he can find to place into his mouth. Max the puppy is filling our home with love and mischief...
3.21.2009
Dora the Explorer and Meghan McCain
I'm hitting the gym and the pavement to tone up for the summer.
I can't say how much better I feel on the days that I get my body out of bed before the crack of dawn and start moving. The birds are singing, the crisp dew glistens on the suburban lawns, my walking companion is delightfully sarcastic, and the temperature is beautiful.
At the gym, there are usually four different television programs to watch as I try to work off my thunder thighs on the stair master or treadmill.
While pounding through my mental demons and body toxins, I had the distinct pleasure of catching the VIEW with Megan Mc Cain and MSNBC's staged media debate about the "old" and "new" Dora.
Megan Mc Cain was blasted by conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham that she is too fat to have a political opinion.
Mattel released photos of the new Dora with a longer hair do and a dress. A headline from the Huffington Post read "Did Mattel turn Dora the Explorer into a Tramp?"
An article stated, “Dora the Explorer is a spunky, kind-hearted, bilingual kid who spends all of her time outdoors having adventures with her dearly loved friends. Until she grows up, that is. Nickelodeon and Mattel announced their new Dora Explorer Girls line yesterday, marketed to kids 5 and way over.
The new Dora, who will be revealed in the fall, lives in the big city and goes to middle school. She still solves mysteries but she's abandoned outdoor adventure for shopping, jewelry and fashion. She's also computer savvy; her new fans -- other tween girls -- will be able to plug into virtual Dora playtime on a new site.”
When Mattel and Nickelodeon released a silhouette of the new Dora earlier this month, the response was negative. Some parents don't like the idea of the little toddler Dora growing up, and some parent don't mind. Parents feared a glamorized version of the beloved tomboy with a bowl-cut hairdo.
As a parent of a children in the 7-12 year old range, I have to break it to you.
Children grow. Children read. They write. They even learn how to type and use a computer in elementary school.
Hopefully, these skills will help them compete for college placement and good jobs so they may live independtly away from their aging parents...
It was nice to have the toddler Dora and experience her adventures with an animated map and her cousin Diego. But my son and my daughter grew out of the program, Dora the Explorer, when they entered kindergarten.
There is a petition circulating, and they ask mattel to reconsider. "If the Dora we knew grew up, she wouldn't be a fashion icon or a shopaholic. She'd develop her map reading skills and imagine the places she could go. She'd capitalize on those problem-solving skills to design new ways to bring fresh water to communities in need around the world. Maybe she'd become a world-class runner or follow her love of animals and become a wildlife preservationist or biologist. We'll never know because the only way a girl can grow up in tween town, is to narrow that symphony of choices to one note. It's such a sell out of Dora, of all girls."
What do you think?
Is the new Dora too sexy?
Is Megan too fat to have a political opinion?
Should it matter?
I can't say how much better I feel on the days that I get my body out of bed before the crack of dawn and start moving. The birds are singing, the crisp dew glistens on the suburban lawns, my walking companion is delightfully sarcastic, and the temperature is beautiful.
At the gym, there are usually four different television programs to watch as I try to work off my thunder thighs on the stair master or treadmill.
While pounding through my mental demons and body toxins, I had the distinct pleasure of catching the VIEW with Megan Mc Cain and MSNBC's staged media debate about the "old" and "new" Dora.
Megan Mc Cain was blasted by conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham that she is too fat to have a political opinion.
Mattel released photos of the new Dora with a longer hair do and a dress. A headline from the Huffington Post read "Did Mattel turn Dora the Explorer into a Tramp?"
An article stated, “Dora the Explorer is a spunky, kind-hearted, bilingual kid who spends all of her time outdoors having adventures with her dearly loved friends. Until she grows up, that is. Nickelodeon and Mattel announced their new Dora Explorer Girls line yesterday, marketed to kids 5 and way over.
The new Dora, who will be revealed in the fall, lives in the big city and goes to middle school. She still solves mysteries but she's abandoned outdoor adventure for shopping, jewelry and fashion. She's also computer savvy; her new fans -- other tween girls -- will be able to plug into virtual Dora playtime on a new site.”
When Mattel and Nickelodeon released a silhouette of the new Dora earlier this month, the response was negative. Some parents don't like the idea of the little toddler Dora growing up, and some parent don't mind. Parents feared a glamorized version of the beloved tomboy with a bowl-cut hairdo.
As a parent of a children in the 7-12 year old range, I have to break it to you.
Children grow. Children read. They write. They even learn how to type and use a computer in elementary school.
Hopefully, these skills will help them compete for college placement and good jobs so they may live independtly away from their aging parents...
It was nice to have the toddler Dora and experience her adventures with an animated map and her cousin Diego. But my son and my daughter grew out of the program, Dora the Explorer, when they entered kindergarten.
There is a petition circulating, and they ask mattel to reconsider. "If the Dora we knew grew up, she wouldn't be a fashion icon or a shopaholic. She'd develop her map reading skills and imagine the places she could go. She'd capitalize on those problem-solving skills to design new ways to bring fresh water to communities in need around the world. Maybe she'd become a world-class runner or follow her love of animals and become a wildlife preservationist or biologist. We'll never know because the only way a girl can grow up in tween town, is to narrow that symphony of choices to one note. It's such a sell out of Dora, of all girls."
What do you think?
Is the new Dora too sexy?
Is Megan too fat to have a political opinion?
Should it matter?
3.20.2009
When A Young Mother Dies - Natasha Richardson and Jane Goody
Why the untimely losses of Natasha Richardson and Jade Goody struck such a chord.
Susanna Schrobsdorff writes, "It sounds crazy now, but the urge to protect your child is hardwired and sometimes irrational. Indeed, for the first few years of their lives, it seems like our main occupation is to keep them from certain death. You scoop tiny chokeable bits of things out of their mouths; you grab them by the pants just before they fall off a chair, the stairs, the top of the slide; you stop them from prying old gum off the sidewalk.
And of course sometimes kids do fall, and there you are in the emergency room, freighted with guilt or panic or both. Most of the time, they are fine, and you get used to a certain level of parental worry. But there's another opposite and almost equally terrifying thought that we don't talk about as much: what if something happened to us before our kids were old enough to take care of themselves?"
read more | digg story
3.15.2009
A Day at the Parade
If I eat another girl scout cookie, I think I am going to puke! My daughter is a proud girl scout who is enthusiastically participating in their annual cookie sale. On Saturday, Savannah marched in her very first parade, the Salt Lake City St. Patrick's Day Parade. She walked the parade with the girl scout troop.
The St. Patrick's Day Parade of Salt Lake City is a seven-block festival of all that is green, and Irish. This cheerful caravan features bands, floats, parade cars, hippies, Irish dancers, and paraders of all sorts as they spread the spirit of green throughout Salt Lake City.
The Galloway Highlanders Pipes & Drums of Utah, from left, Scott Keachie, Tom Wilde, Paul Hermann, Robert Rowe and Brent Glines, make their way down Rio Grande Street in Salt Lake City during the St. Patrick's Day Parade Saturday. (Jim Urquhart/The Salt Lake Tribune)
Although I couldn't attend the parade, Steve and Wyatt enjoyed watching Savannah Joy in the St. Patrick's Day Parade! What kid doesn't like the chance to obtain copious amounts of candy? As Wyatt stated, watching the parade "was like Halloween without all the walking. They threw candy at us."
The St. Patrick's Day Parade of Salt Lake City is a seven-block festival of all that is green, and Irish. This cheerful caravan features bands, floats, parade cars, hippies, Irish dancers, and paraders of all sorts as they spread the spirit of green throughout Salt Lake City.
The Galloway Highlanders Pipes & Drums of Utah, from left, Scott Keachie, Tom Wilde, Paul Hermann, Robert Rowe and Brent Glines, make their way down Rio Grande Street in Salt Lake City during the St. Patrick's Day Parade Saturday. (Jim Urquhart/The Salt Lake Tribune)Although I couldn't attend the parade, Steve and Wyatt enjoyed watching Savannah Joy in the St. Patrick's Day Parade! What kid doesn't like the chance to obtain copious amounts of candy? As Wyatt stated, watching the parade "was like Halloween without all the walking. They threw candy at us."
3.08.2009
Our Newest Edition
My kids have been patiently awaiting for the arrival of spring because we promised that we'd look into adopting a puppy.
You see, I've been putting this off because I was mourning, and also thought it would be hard to house train a pup in the winter.
As March approached, Wyatt and Savannah made it clear that they were ready for a new puppy and that the spring flowers were starting to emerge in the front lawn.
AND a deal is a deal, and it was TIME to look for a puppy, as we had promised.
The search was brief.
We looked at the online classifieds, and within a week we found a puppy.
We found Max, a border collie puppy.
He is perfect, soft, furry, lovable, responsive and sweet.
And did I mention that he poops quite a bit in the house? He is 8 weeks old and not yet house trained.
Luckily puppies are so cute one barely notices the poop... We are working on this. Since I am new to this puppy parenting, I've no idea how long it might take to "house train" Max.
He is adorable.
Two words: "Puppy breathe. Nothing quite like it."
At least that's what my husband says.
Welcome, Max to our family.
You are just what the doctor ordered.
2.10.2009
Make Peace With Yourself
In January I travelled to Virginia for a World Summit 2009. The conference brought together nearly 200 world leaders representing more than 30 countries.
I wish I had some great photos to share with you, but I lost my camera on the way home. I blame it on not getting enough sleep because I was having a great time.
Did I mention that it was 10 degrees? It was the coldest temperature on record for the last 25 years at Virginia Beach....
As I was travelling home, on the cusp of the Inauguration, I asked the higher of presence of the universe, why was I placed here? Every person I met was well educated, most of the participants spoke at least 2 languages and travelled the world extensively.
I looked at myself, a girl from a depressed family from the Midwest, and felt... pretty damn LUCKY... and yet at the same time I felt out of place!
As I watched the east coast girls pass me by at the parties and meetings in their sling back stiletto heals, I felt like the geeky kid standing in the corner with her pants pulled up too high and her pocket protector protruding from her dress shirt. I worry that my membership is running out...Especially if I keep pulling my pants up so high...
Upon reflection, I wanted to write about this experience, not to brag, but to share something that I might have learned that weekend.
Some of the gleanings for me personally at the conference came from Marci Shmioff, who recently wrote Happy for No Reason.
Publisher's Weekly wrote the following about her book: "According to the World Health Organization, the year 2020 will see depression become second only to heart disease in terms of the global burden of illness, a sad state of affairs that motivational speaker Shimoff (co-author, Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul) believes can be changed by learning to cultivate "a happiness that’s beyond reasons and that’s here to stay."
"Inner happiness, she says, is within reach for anyone who can turn down the volume on their hectic lives and learn the 21 Happiness Habits that Shimoff has cultivated from 100 interviews with "deeply happy" people (including actress Goldie Hawn and author Elizabeth Gilbert). Emphasizing a holistic approach, Shimoff takes into account mind, heart, body and soul in seven chapters that cover three Happiness Habits each, as well as corresponding anecdotes that "define what it means to be Happy for No Reason." The personal stories of happy interviewees prove enlightening, and the princples they support are sound and commonsensical ("Focus on the solution," "Make peace with yourself," "Question your thoughts," "Practice forgiveness"), if not exactly groundbreaking. Exercises and quizzes give readers practical steps toward their goal, such as breathing exercises (Spring Forest Qigong) and writing assignments ("Write a letter to your Higher Power")."
Much of our time is spent thinking of negative affirmations, which weakens our body and spirit. Some days I feel better than others. Today I feel good.
My son and daughter are doing well and they are the light of my life. My husband and I are still married. What more can a girl ask for, really?
So back to the power of thinking positively!
I happened upon an article in the Oprah magazine on the way home from this last trip on making your own luck, with nothing other than, well thinking and feeling you are lucky!
"Call it coincidence, destiny, fate, kismet—in one moment, lives can collide and change forever. Yet chance encounters aren't necessarily accidental; in fact, you can make your own luck by opening yourself to the world. Ben Sherwood investigates the science behind a chance encounter. And, as proof, we offer up stirring examples of paths crossed and possibilities realized.... "
So, I think back to 2008, where I posted a picture of my very first passport, looking forward to a possible new adventure. I was granted such an adventure to Thailand, which leads me to believe that yes! Luck! It was my personal destiny to travel! Not a week has passed where I have not dreamt of my days in Thailand.
These are enchanted experiences for which I am grateful.
I wish I had some great photos to share with you, but I lost my camera on the way home. I blame it on not getting enough sleep because I was having a great time.
Did I mention that it was 10 degrees? It was the coldest temperature on record for the last 25 years at Virginia Beach....
As I was travelling home, on the cusp of the Inauguration, I asked the higher of presence of the universe, why was I placed here? Every person I met was well educated, most of the participants spoke at least 2 languages and travelled the world extensively.
I looked at myself, a girl from a depressed family from the Midwest, and felt... pretty damn LUCKY... and yet at the same time I felt out of place!
As I watched the east coast girls pass me by at the parties and meetings in their sling back stiletto heals, I felt like the geeky kid standing in the corner with her pants pulled up too high and her pocket protector protruding from her dress shirt. I worry that my membership is running out...Especially if I keep pulling my pants up so high...
Upon reflection, I wanted to write about this experience, not to brag, but to share something that I might have learned that weekend.
Some of the gleanings for me personally at the conference came from Marci Shmioff, who recently wrote Happy for No Reason.
Publisher's Weekly wrote the following about her book: "According to the World Health Organization, the year 2020 will see depression become second only to heart disease in terms of the global burden of illness, a sad state of affairs that motivational speaker Shimoff (co-author, Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul) believes can be changed by learning to cultivate "a happiness that’s beyond reasons and that’s here to stay."
"Inner happiness, she says, is within reach for anyone who can turn down the volume on their hectic lives and learn the 21 Happiness Habits that Shimoff has cultivated from 100 interviews with "deeply happy" people (including actress Goldie Hawn and author Elizabeth Gilbert). Emphasizing a holistic approach, Shimoff takes into account mind, heart, body and soul in seven chapters that cover three Happiness Habits each, as well as corresponding anecdotes that "define what it means to be Happy for No Reason." The personal stories of happy interviewees prove enlightening, and the princples they support are sound and commonsensical ("Focus on the solution," "Make peace with yourself," "Question your thoughts," "Practice forgiveness"), if not exactly groundbreaking. Exercises and quizzes give readers practical steps toward their goal, such as breathing exercises (Spring Forest Qigong) and writing assignments ("Write a letter to your Higher Power")."
Much of our time is spent thinking of negative affirmations, which weakens our body and spirit. Some days I feel better than others. Today I feel good.
My son and daughter are doing well and they are the light of my life. My husband and I are still married. What more can a girl ask for, really?
So back to the power of thinking positively!
I happened upon an article in the Oprah magazine on the way home from this last trip on making your own luck, with nothing other than, well thinking and feeling you are lucky!
"Call it coincidence, destiny, fate, kismet—in one moment, lives can collide and change forever. Yet chance encounters aren't necessarily accidental; in fact, you can make your own luck by opening yourself to the world. Ben Sherwood investigates the science behind a chance encounter. And, as proof, we offer up stirring examples of paths crossed and possibilities realized.... "
So, I think back to 2008, where I posted a picture of my very first passport, looking forward to a possible new adventure. I was granted such an adventure to Thailand, which leads me to believe that yes! Luck! It was my personal destiny to travel! Not a week has passed where I have not dreamt of my days in Thailand.
These are enchanted experiences for which I am grateful.
1.09.2009
A Fairy Tale Mom
It feels GREAT to be back on schedule with the kids.
The kids thrive on their school schedule for which I seem unable to provide when they are on break. We skied, sledded, swam, and bowled... But also on their winter break, we spent our days playing WII, arranging play dates, hanging out with their friends, and surfing the web.
Somehow, this makes me feel inferior to the "super mom."
You know the Moms who have set schedules, gourmet dinners served daily, size 0 waistlines, have scrap books for every month of their kids lives, run world record marathons... all while performing this mommy role with a great big smile.
Perhaps this is an idea of a fairy tale mom doesn't really exist.
It's just some crazy idea I've placed in my head.
If you are out there fairy tale mom, can you tell me please send me a few tips?
My gourmet meal is spaghetti with sauce from a jar, and my waistline disappeared with child birth. I feel like I look like an old maid who blends in well with the wood work of her house.
My kids have a good life. Me? I think I may need prozac. After lessons, preparing dinner, school work, feeding the animals, teaching manners and family values, and getting kids to bed at a decent hour, I am living proof of a frazzled mother. I crawl into bed from exhaustion with a book to read.
But hey, the good news is... I still read!
The kids thrive on their school schedule for which I seem unable to provide when they are on break. We skied, sledded, swam, and bowled... But also on their winter break, we spent our days playing WII, arranging play dates, hanging out with their friends, and surfing the web.
Somehow, this makes me feel inferior to the "super mom."
You know the Moms who have set schedules, gourmet dinners served daily, size 0 waistlines, have scrap books for every month of their kids lives, run world record marathons... all while performing this mommy role with a great big smile.
Perhaps this is an idea of a fairy tale mom doesn't really exist.
It's just some crazy idea I've placed in my head.
If you are out there fairy tale mom, can you tell me please send me a few tips?
My gourmet meal is spaghetti with sauce from a jar, and my waistline disappeared with child birth. I feel like I look like an old maid who blends in well with the wood work of her house.
My kids have a good life. Me? I think I may need prozac. After lessons, preparing dinner, school work, feeding the animals, teaching manners and family values, and getting kids to bed at a decent hour, I am living proof of a frazzled mother. I crawl into bed from exhaustion with a book to read.
But hey, the good news is... I still read!
1.05.2009
1.04.2009
the belly of a whale
Today I have a headache. Yesterday I had the same headache.
It is an ache that won't go away.
I keep hoping that if I be patient, it will pass.
The kids are playing a board game.
I am cooking brunch.
Sausage, eggs and toast.
I feel confused.
At times, I struggle with everyday tasks and relations.
This overall feeling is affecting how I react to things.
Or in most cases, how I overreact to situations.
For instance, my kids have had playdates every day of this holiday break. It's been fun for the kids. The kids are independent and play well with their friends, so it doesn't take much management on my part to host their friends here... They play, I provide lunches or dinners, and I redirect to new activities when they need instruction.
And I clean up their messes.
Every few days I go down into their play area, the basement, aka Peter Pan's play house, and straighten up. I braved the playhouse last night.
It was a disaster. There were uneaten carrots strewn on the floor, toys everywhere...
The kids helped clean a bit but the brunt of the household work falls upon me.
I start to feel resentful. Which makes me scold my kids and my husband for being so messy and unhelpful, even though they are helpful some of the time.
Do you think I am overreacting? Do you ever feel this way? I'd like to blame it on PMS, but I am not PMSing. I sometimes feel great, and other times, I feel like I am living in the belly of a whale.
1.03.2009
12.26.2008
surreal
Wow.
Today, my children brought me breakfast in bed.
They served orange juice and a toaster waffle.
Wow.
We have settled into the day after a rigorous Christmas schedule, with parties and "playdates" with our friends and family.
It's been delightfully busy, and we now are enjoying crackling fires in the living room... accompanied by games of UNO, Sorry, and WhoooNu...
This year has been tough and wonderful, and I am looking forward to ringing in the New Year.
I look forward to starting anew.
So I’ve made new goals, and recycled old goals…
It seems I am recycling goals that I haven't made a dent in, actually. The 5 lbs I want to get rid of, organization of the house, etc., etc., etc.
It's a beautiful day here in Salt Lake City. The sun is shining and the snow is glistening.
I can complain about a lot of things.
But instead, I am headed outside to enjoy the sunshine....
Today, my children brought me breakfast in bed.
They served orange juice and a toaster waffle.
Wow.
We have settled into the day after a rigorous Christmas schedule, with parties and "playdates" with our friends and family.
It's been delightfully busy, and we now are enjoying crackling fires in the living room... accompanied by games of UNO, Sorry, and WhoooNu...
This year has been tough and wonderful, and I am looking forward to ringing in the New Year.
I look forward to starting anew.
So I’ve made new goals, and recycled old goals…
It seems I am recycling goals that I haven't made a dent in, actually. The 5 lbs I want to get rid of, organization of the house, etc., etc., etc.
It's a beautiful day here in Salt Lake City. The sun is shining and the snow is glistening.
I can complain about a lot of things.
But instead, I am headed outside to enjoy the sunshine....
12.17.2008
blog grade = n
In the early years of elementary school, kids receive grades of S for satisfactory or N for needing improvement.My blog grade? N!
I am feeling a little bi-polar. I am maintaining 2 substandard personal blogs.
No really. They are substandard.
Hee, hee, hee.
Anyhow, I've moved family photos to a private blog, as one of my kids has asked for privacy in their lives. I am cool with that.
So, this blog has sometimes gone dormant.
If you are still reading, thank you.
I don't have many clever or inspiring words to share with you. Know I find it comforting to know that you may be there reading on your computer screen.
I see that much of my life in the past 10 years has centered around my wonderful kids. Most of my stories are about neat things my children are creating and experiencing.
And now that they are older and starting to talk back to me, I realize I have entered a new stage of parenting, where I can tell the kids to do their homework, feed their pets, practice their instruments, turn off the tv and pour their own glass of water.
I can nag my kids about their tasks all while laying down horizontal on the couch reading my latest book.
Well...I can do this laying down 10% of the time.
It's taken me 9 years to find a job that allows me to work from home, only to find that I am not needed as much around the home!!!
Okay, they do need me, quite a bit.
Who else is going to keep up on the clutter?
Yep. I am now just a glorified housekeeper otherwise known as "Mom." Which gets me to thinking, I should assign the kids more chores so I can read more books.
Actually, I am really enjoying this stay at home mom gig, and wondering why I hadn't given it a whirl sooner.
My favorite time of day is 3:00 - 5:00.
I pick up the kids, we ride home, settle into snacks, homework and extracurricular activities. I like it when the home is quiet, where it's just me and the kids, doing our own thing in our happy little home. We prepare for Dad to come home, make dinner, set the table, talk about their day.
The time is just flying by with them.
My kids are growing up, and they are the joy of my life...
11.18.2008
home
I am back in Utah and getting back into the swing of things.
It took about a week to get over the jet lag. My mind is still processing all of the colorful experiences: the new sights, sounds, tastes and smells. The beautiful countryside and interesting people of Thailand.
On Friday, I picked up the ashes/remains of our beloved dog Sampson. It hasn't been easy, not having him here. Sampson and I were constant companions and he always brought a smile to my face.
The neighborhood embraced Sampson. He was constantly wandering off, to be found by kind neighbors. More often than naught, the neighbors asked if they might adopt him, or watch him while we were away.
He was just that kind of dog, a dog everyone loved.
As a family, we have taken turns shedding a tear or a bucket of tears for Sampson. Its been hard, but also lovely to remember him and the wonderful times we had together.
I remember him and the happy moments we shared, running together in the canyons, playing ball with the kids, petting his cute fur, or watching him run through the grass.
It took about a week to get over the jet lag. My mind is still processing all of the colorful experiences: the new sights, sounds, tastes and smells. The beautiful countryside and interesting people of Thailand.
On Friday, I picked up the ashes/remains of our beloved dog Sampson. It hasn't been easy, not having him here. Sampson and I were constant companions and he always brought a smile to my face.
The neighborhood embraced Sampson. He was constantly wandering off, to be found by kind neighbors. More often than naught, the neighbors asked if they might adopt him, or watch him while we were away.
He was just that kind of dog, a dog everyone loved.
As a family, we have taken turns shedding a tear or a bucket of tears for Sampson. Its been hard, but also lovely to remember him and the wonderful times we had together.
I remember him and the happy moments we shared, running together in the canyons, playing ball with the kids, petting his cute fur, or watching him run through the grass.
11.13.2008
a smile
”We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.”
- Mother Teresa of Calcutta
The Mae Sot, Thailand mission has come to a sweet end. We helped patients whose age ranged from babies to the elderly. Operation Smile screened approximately 190 patients and treated more than 110 patients – and the efforts will continue. Many patients are scheduled to return to the hospital for procedures that could not be completed during the mission.
Operation Smile transformed cleft palates and lips. In addition to this life altering surgery, Operation Smile provided other health care procedures including treatment of respiratory infections, dental extractions, skin graphs and life-changing procedures for burn victims.
Every volunteer was assigned a role during the mission. Some were posted in medical records, the pediatric ward, and others were posted in the OR.
My role was to help children and their parents... if they had parents, ease into their upcoming surgeries and procedures. Smiles, laughter, conversation, coloring books, board games and tender loving care helped the families make the transition to surgery.
I had the good fortune to see first hand the work of Operation Smile and meet some incredible volunteers on this mission. All of whom I am proud to now call friends. It’s an amazing network of physicians, nurses and, volunteers… who are trying to make the world a better place… one smile at a time.
11.06.2008
suburban housewife hits the road
After 30 hours of smooth flights and international connections, I arrived in Bangkok, Thailand.
"The Lonely Planet" describes Thailand as "an easy country to love: the pace of life is unhurried, the people are friendly and a smile goes a long way."
20 international volunteers travelled by bus to Mae Sot, Thailand. We drove a high and winding highway and met up with Thai volunteers at the hotel.
We arrived at Mae Sot General Hospital for the screening and surgery of patients with facial deformities, burns, and other issues.
The hospital was prepared for the Operation Smile mission. When we arrived, stations were set up, including: a waiting area, registration, medical records, dental examinations, medical evaluations and speech screenings.
Mae Sot is a melting pot of cultures! We met Burmese, Chinese, Karen, Indian and Thai patients. We screened 176 patients and provided 108 surgeries this week.
Some patients are refugees affected by the border skirmishes between Myanmar''s central government and the Karen and Kayah ethnic insurgencies. Seeking treatment are the children of Burmese men in their sarongs, Karen women in hill tribe dress and bearded Indo-Burmese men.
The universal language we share are our individual smiles.
It's interesting to watch the elections unfold and hear the international perspective. Liz, OF COURSE I voted for Obama! From what I've seen in the news, most countries are feeling euphoric about President Obama because he respresents someone that they can relate to... born in Kenya... raised by his mother... worked very hard to get where he is... A few countries seem unhappy, like China and India...
On a personal note, my eyes, ears and senses have been opened up to a whole new world. I've seen big bugs, tried savory soups, fresh fish and vegetables that I've never seen in my entire life.
On Tuesday, the election day, our beloved dog passed away. He died suddenly and quickly. We think it might have been a stroke. It is difficult to be away as Sampson was my constant companion and I am devastated that he is gone. It's also difficult not being there to comfort my kids and husband! I want to thank my family and friends for helping Steve out this week with the kids and supporting my family while I am away.
10.30.2008
An Adventure
I've mailed an absentee ballot casting my vote for the 2008 elections.
It will be interesting to watch the elections unfold from a far away land!
I hoped that I would be TRAVELLING IN 2008...
With a few mentors pushing me, I am happy to write that today I start my trek to my very first humanitarian mission to Mae Sot, Thailand. I am excited beyond words... I feel lucky and scared out of my pants to embark on a new adventure.
One traveler described Mae Sot as "a bustling little town on the border with Myanmar. Many people just come here for a flying visit to renew their Thai visa but it’s worth staying a couple days just to observe the unique mix of cultures. Thais, Burmese and Karen people mix with Indians, Chinese, foreign aid workers and missionaries."
Silly questions are racing through my mind.
Will I get lost in South Korea and miss my connecting flight?
Do I have all the right medicines to prevent illness?
What if I miss my fellow co-workers at the airport when I arrive in Bangkok?
I am excited about the trip.
The new cultures. The food. The people. The temples. The markets. The sights, the sounds and smells of a country new to me. The work of humanitarian work to simply help children in far off lands...
I was at an event yesterday where a speaker said, "Don't worry about the distance between your dreams and your reality. Just go for it.... It's safe to dream..."
I hope to find internet access so I may write to you about my journey...
In the meantime, happy trails!
10.28.2008
Premonition
Last night I woke from a strange dream filled with a premonition.
I tried to dull my senses and now I am trying to wake myself up with a strong pot of coffee that my husband prepared this morning.
Premonition is defined as the anticipation of an event without conscious reason.
My week has been filled with eerie premonitions.
It's hard to explain, other than, when I felt something may come to pass, it has.
Anyhow... I live in kiddie world and the movie Kung Fu Panda came to mind with the wise sayings of Oogway the Turtle...
The master turtle in the movie, Oogway, said, "you are too concerned with what was... and what will be..."
Oogway said,
Yesterday is history
Tomorrow is a mystery...
But today is a gift...
Next time I am nudged by the spirit world, I think that I will really WAKE UP, try to meditate and listen...
I tried to dull my senses and now I am trying to wake myself up with a strong pot of coffee that my husband prepared this morning.
Premonition is defined as the anticipation of an event without conscious reason.
My week has been filled with eerie premonitions.
It's hard to explain, other than, when I felt something may come to pass, it has.
Anyhow... I live in kiddie world and the movie Kung Fu Panda came to mind with the wise sayings of Oogway the Turtle...
The master turtle in the movie, Oogway, said, "you are too concerned with what was... and what will be..."
Oogway said,
Yesterday is history
Tomorrow is a mystery...
But today is a gift...
Next time I am nudged by the spirit world, I think that I will really WAKE UP, try to meditate and listen...
10.14.2008
wanderlust
I've been to the typical places of an American traveler. You know the type... Been to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean... I haven't spent 15 hours on a plane over a large body of water, which seems to be the prerequisite of an experienced international traveler...
Since I've been home bound with small children, I have grown an increasing desire to travel.
Yep. I've got the wanderlust... you know... an unreasonably strong impulse to explore the world.
Well, the kids are getting bigger and an opportunity has presented itself to travel internationally. And I am still pinching myself, wondering if it will all come together... I am travelling to see first hand a humanitarian medical mission.
Yesterday, I received my first round of shots and oral medications to take prior to the trip. And, I announced it to the chicklets that I may be going on a trip... For 2weeks....
Of course my son just shrugged it off and went on to his daily activities. My daughter cried and asked if I could just go for 1 week because I've never been away for 2 weeks. We are close. I am freaking out a little bit because I don't know how I will handle the trip, let alone be away from my loved ones for that long of a period... This adventure is WAY beyond my comfort zone...
At the same time, I am fully aware that being offered a 2 week trip to Thailand doesn't happen to a woman of my circumstance very often...
So Carpe Diem. I am seizing the day!
10.07.2008
Sticks and Stones
The other day my daughter came home and was inconsolably crying. A boy in her class was teasing her on a field trip.
The boy was saying, "boys go to college to gain more knowledge and girls go to Jupiter to get even stupider." The kid kept saying it over and over again...
My daughter asked him to stop saying this and continued to ask him to stop... but he wouldn't. So, she kicked him. Where it counts.
I've followed up with the teacher about the issues at hand here, and been sent home a worksheet that Anna completed at school discussing how to "deal with bullies..."
So last night when we settled in for the night and my daughter told me that a different boy threatened to kill her, I was very alarmed...
In this situation, she did not kick or fight back... I encouraged my daughter to talk directly to her teacher about the kids words today...
I am feeling beildered in how to help my daughter. I am wondering what to do next. Luckily, I found a pretty good POST (CLICK HERE TO SEE) on the subject, that offered some sound advice.
The boy was saying, "boys go to college to gain more knowledge and girls go to Jupiter to get even stupider." The kid kept saying it over and over again...
My daughter asked him to stop saying this and continued to ask him to stop... but he wouldn't. So, she kicked him. Where it counts.
I've followed up with the teacher about the issues at hand here, and been sent home a worksheet that Anna completed at school discussing how to "deal with bullies..."
So last night when we settled in for the night and my daughter told me that a different boy threatened to kill her, I was very alarmed...
In this situation, she did not kick or fight back... I encouraged my daughter to talk directly to her teacher about the kids words today...
I am feeling beildered in how to help my daughter. I am wondering what to do next. Luckily, I found a pretty good POST (CLICK HERE TO SEE) on the subject, that offered some sound advice.
10.06.2008
We Can Clip Coupons All Night
Hey girl
You know, our economy's in the toilet
But I'm still gonna treat you right
I said you can have whatever you like
I said you can have whatever you like
Yeah
Tater tots, Cold Duck on ice
And we can clip coupons all night
And baby you can have whatever you like
I said you can have whatever you like
Yeah
Take you out for dinner anywhere that you please
Like Burger King or Mickey D's
And baby you can have whatever you like
I said you can even have the large fries
Yeah
Baby, you should know I am really quite a sweet guy
When I buy you bathroom tissue, I always get the 2-ply
Want it, you can get it, my dear
I got my Costco membership card right here, yeah
You like Top Ramen? Need Top Ramen?
Got a cupboard full of 'em, I'll keep 'em comin'
You want it, I got it, go get it, just heat it
Dump the flavor packet on it and eat it
Pork and beans and Minute Rice
And we can play cribbage all night
And baby you can have whatever you like
I said you can have whatever you like
Yeah
I can take you to the Laundromat downtown
And watch all the clothes go 'round and 'round
Or baby we can go wherever you like
I said we can go wherever you like
Yeah
Hottest shorty I know, if you had some lipo
You could be second runner-up Miss Ohio
Seven dollar bills rolled up inside my plastic billfold
Buy you a bagel even if it isn't day-old
And you never ever gotta wear your sister's old clothes
Long as I'm still assistant manager at Kinko's
Cut your hair with scissors and a soup bowl
You ain't gotta pay me, that's the way that I roll
My chick can have what she want
At Wal-Mart she can pick out anything she want
I know girl, you ain't never had a man like that
Who doesn't make you buy generic brand like that, yeah
You like my Hyundai? See my Hyundai?
I can take you to see your cousin Phil next Sunday
But that's kinda far and I'm not made of cash
Do you think you could chip in for gas?
Mac and cheese would be all right
But let's send out for pizza tonight
And you can order any toppings you like
I said you can even have the last slice
Yeah
Ran myself a cable from my neighbor next do'
Now I can get free HBO
And baby you can watch whatever you like
I said you can watch whatever you like
Yeah
And you can always ride the city bus
Got a stack of tokens just for us
Yo, my wallet's fat and full of ones
Yeah, it's all about the Washingtons, that's right
You want White Castle? Need White Castle?
Long as you got me it won't be no hassle
You want it, well get it, just don't be a hater
If I grab a bunch of napkins for later
Thrift store jeans, on sale half price
The underwear at Goodwill is nice
And baby you can have whatever you like
I said you can have whatever you like
Yeah
Baby I can give you anything you please
Even share my government cheese
And baby you can have as much as you like
I said you can go have as much as you like
Yeah
10.02.2008
9.30.2008
Perspective
"You have two arms and two legs...you have two eyes you can see with and two ears to hear the music. Be grateful for what you do have because there are people who would love to have your problems."-A Gypsy's Mum from Australia
Tonight I volunteered at the Salt Lake City Junior League's Women Helping Women project. Women Helping Women is a project in which Junior League volunteers collect, prepare, and distribute donated professional women's clothing. These clothes are donated to women entering the workforce and who are in transition towards self-sufficiency.
I went into the evening worrying about problems that most working Americans are facing this week. The demise of our individual retirement funds and a decrease in our home values.... Retirement and the American dream seem all that much farther away...
The volunteer shift changed my perspective. Perhaps my problems are inconsequential in the grand scheme of things...
The experience was kinda was a bit surreal.
Tonight we assisted women with small babies and children who have walked out of abusive relationships. We assisted women with disabilities who need to find jobs. Most of the women were overwhelmed and literally, the only clothing they had were the shoes on their feet and the shirts on their back...
Tonight I volunteered at the Salt Lake City Junior League's Women Helping Women project. Women Helping Women is a project in which Junior League volunteers collect, prepare, and distribute donated professional women's clothing. These clothes are donated to women entering the workforce and who are in transition towards self-sufficiency.
I went into the evening worrying about problems that most working Americans are facing this week. The demise of our individual retirement funds and a decrease in our home values.... Retirement and the American dream seem all that much farther away...
The volunteer shift changed my perspective. Perhaps my problems are inconsequential in the grand scheme of things...
The experience was kinda was a bit surreal.
Tonight we assisted women with small babies and children who have walked out of abusive relationships. We assisted women with disabilities who need to find jobs. Most of the women were overwhelmed and literally, the only clothing they had were the shoes on their feet and the shirts on their back...
9.25.2008
Men Are From Mars
So I called Steven at work today. This was our conversation.
Me
Hi Husband
Steve
Hi Sweetie
Me
What are you doing?
Steven
Counting cash....
Me
Counting cash! Do you have another job as a waiter or male hooker that you haven't told me about?
Steven
No, I pulled a little cash out from our account just in case the markets crash and we go on a BANKING HOLIDAY.
Me
A what?
Steven
A banking holiday, it happened during the great depression so the government could access the damage.
Me
You need to stop reading all this stuff...
Steven
I am simply taking some precautions. Just in case we need milk when and if a banking holiday occurs.
Me
You are from Mars
Steven
I didn't want to tell you because you'd worry.
Me
A banking holiday? Isn't this a banking crisis? How much money have you pulled?
Steve
Not much. Just enough for groceries and gas...
Me
What a strange name for a banking crisis. When and if I have a mental breakdown I am just going to explain it as a holiday at the beach...
Me
Hi Husband
Steve
Hi Sweetie
Me
What are you doing?
Steven
Counting cash....
Me
Counting cash! Do you have another job as a waiter or male hooker that you haven't told me about?
Steven
No, I pulled a little cash out from our account just in case the markets crash and we go on a BANKING HOLIDAY.
Me
A what?
Steven
A banking holiday, it happened during the great depression so the government could access the damage.
Me
You need to stop reading all this stuff...
Steven
I am simply taking some precautions. Just in case we need milk when and if a banking holiday occurs.
Me
You are from Mars
Steven
I didn't want to tell you because you'd worry.
Me
A banking holiday? Isn't this a banking crisis? How much money have you pulled?
Steve
Not much. Just enough for groceries and gas...
Me
What a strange name for a banking crisis. When and if I have a mental breakdown I am just going to explain it as a holiday at the beach...
9.24.2008
The Juggling Act
Alice Rossi helped found the National Organization for Women in the 1970s while raising her daughter Nina. Today, Rossi is dying of emphysema and Nina is a single mother. Nina Rossi says her mother's career left her feeling neglected, and today, the women struggle with their divided past.
The conversation was about the role of her career on her daughter's life, and it kinda well stuck with me.
I was a latch key kid in my junior high and high school years. And, often was responsible for the care of my younger sister.
I've worked part time or full time for the duration of my kids life. This year I've been home, cooking meals, making their beds and pushing the vacuum around the house.
I am working from home, but its a part time gig and I am able to work around my kid's schedule...It's silly as I have become a mom who works for pocket money.
When folks ask me what I'm doing, it's hard to explain because frankly, its not really valued as much as a high powered job as a doctor or attorney.
It's not easy trying to do it all, and I've always felt well, a bit guilty trying to juggle working and motherhood. And, this ongoing mommy vs work guilt has caused me to make some pretty crummy career choices over the past couple of years.
But recently, I've felt some peace with my current decision because, well it simply feels good to be around with my kids, hugging them when their hurt, helping with homework, giggling at their jokes and placing a square meal on the table at night.
I had a lunch meeting with someone who has become a mentor and friend. He asked me to keep pushing myself forward in my career because well... I don't why he believes in me.
Perhaps I am taking a small step back for a while. Enjoy the piece and tell me how you juggle it all. Or not.
read more | digg story
The conversation was about the role of her career on her daughter's life, and it kinda well stuck with me.
I was a latch key kid in my junior high and high school years. And, often was responsible for the care of my younger sister.
I've worked part time or full time for the duration of my kids life. This year I've been home, cooking meals, making their beds and pushing the vacuum around the house.
I am working from home, but its a part time gig and I am able to work around my kid's schedule...It's silly as I have become a mom who works for pocket money.
When folks ask me what I'm doing, it's hard to explain because frankly, its not really valued as much as a high powered job as a doctor or attorney.
It's not easy trying to do it all, and I've always felt well, a bit guilty trying to juggle working and motherhood. And, this ongoing mommy vs work guilt has caused me to make some pretty crummy career choices over the past couple of years.
But recently, I've felt some peace with my current decision because, well it simply feels good to be around with my kids, hugging them when their hurt, helping with homework, giggling at their jokes and placing a square meal on the table at night.
I had a lunch meeting with someone who has become a mentor and friend. He asked me to keep pushing myself forward in my career because well... I don't why he believes in me.
Perhaps I am taking a small step back for a while. Enjoy the piece and tell me how you juggle it all. Or not.
read more | digg story
9.18.2008
Speak Out on the Women's Vote
A group of women in Missouri hash out the 2008 women's vote in a brief conversation with NPR...Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has re-energized her party's ticket. The GOP is also hoping the Alaska governor will attract the all-important female vote, especially in battleground states like Missouri. A group of women in the Show Me state explain how they feel about this year's election.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
9.17.2008
Brave New World of Digital Intimacy
Ahhh the world of virtual relationships...
We have more than 1 computer in the house, yet the family seems to gravitate to the computer in the kitchen.
I have a computer for work in my office, and there are 2 other computers we could hook up for the kids. But, we continue to use the same computer in the kitchen...
I guess the machine is located close to the heart of the family and we seem to be able to talk to each other about our favorite online subjects and new found sites.
For instance, my husband, aka OZZIE, came home from work and said, "I found a new web site... justin.tv."
Okay so we are complete nerds. What can I say...
Our kids use sites like as webkinz and club penguin... Ozzie follows calculated risk and I gravitate towards blogs and facebook.
Here's an interesting read on the brave new world of digital intimacy...
read more | digg story
We have more than 1 computer in the house, yet the family seems to gravitate to the computer in the kitchen.
I have a computer for work in my office, and there are 2 other computers we could hook up for the kids. But, we continue to use the same computer in the kitchen...
I guess the machine is located close to the heart of the family and we seem to be able to talk to each other about our favorite online subjects and new found sites.
For instance, my husband, aka OZZIE, came home from work and said, "I found a new web site... justin.tv."
Okay so we are complete nerds. What can I say...
Our kids use sites like as webkinz and club penguin... Ozzie follows calculated risk and I gravitate towards blogs and facebook.
Here's an interesting read on the brave new world of digital intimacy...
read more | digg story
9.16.2008
RIP Lehman Brothers
Investors, nervous over the fates of A.I.G., Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers, sent the Dow Jones average down 4.4 percent or 504.48 points.
read more | digg story
9.14.2008
Reality Check
Behind the designer glasses and fashionable heels, here is a closer look at Palin.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
9.13.2008
A Private Blog...
I've started a family and friends blog for private viewers. It will contain pictures of our kids, family, and friends...
If you would like access to the private blog, please send me an email.
This blog will be up, and in all honesty I think it has virtually no substance or panache, but will continue to post paragraphs on recipes for marshmallow krisps and articles of personal interest from time to time.
Thanks!
If you would like access to the private blog, please send me an email.
This blog will be up, and in all honesty I think it has virtually no substance or panache, but will continue to post paragraphs on recipes for marshmallow krisps and articles of personal interest from time to time.
Thanks!
Roger Ebert on Sarah Palin: The American Idol candidate
September 11, 2008
BY ROGER EBERT Sun-Times Movie Critic
I think I might be able to explain some of Sarah Palin's appeal. She's the "American Idol" candidate. Consider. What defines an "American Idol" finalist? They're good-looking, work well on television, have a sunny personality, are fierce competitors, and so talented, why, they're darned near the real thing. There's a reason "American Idol" gets such high ratings. People identify with the contestants. They think, Hey, that could be me up there on that show!
My problem is, I don't want to be up there. I don't want a vice president who is darned near good enough. I want a vice president who is better, wiser, well-traveled, has met world leaders, who three months ago had an opinion on Iraq. Someone who doesn't repeat bald- faced lies about earmarks and the Bridge to Nowhere. Someone who doesn't appoint Alaskan politicians to "study" global warming, because, hello! It has been studied. The returns are convincing enough that John McCain and Barack Obama are darned near in agreement.
I would also want someone who didn't make a teeny little sneer when referring to "people who go to the Ivy League." When I was a teen I dreamed of going to Harvard, but my dad, an electrician, told me, "Boy, we don't have the money. Thank your lucky stars you were born in Urbana and can go to the University of Illinois right here in town." So I did, very happily. Although Palin gets laughs when she mentions the "elite" Ivy League, she sure did attend the heck out of college.
Five different schools in six years. What was that about?
And how can a politician her age have never have gone to Europe? My dad had died, my mom was working as a book-keeper and I had a job at the local newspaper when, at 19, I scraped together $240 for a charter flight to Europe. I had Arthur Frommer's $5 a Day under my arm, started in London, even rented a Vespa and drove in the traffic of Rome. A few years later, I was able to send my mom, along with the $15 a Day book.
You don't need to be a pointy-headed elitist to travel abroad. You need curiosity and a hunger to see the world. What kind of a person (who has the money) arrives at the age of 44 and has only been out of the country once, on an official tour to Iraq? Sarah Palin's travel record is that of a provincial, not someone who is equipped to deal with global issues.
But some people like that. She's never traveled to Europe, Asia, Africa, South America or Down Under? That makes her like them. She didn't go to Harvard? Good for her! There a lot of hockey moms who haven't seen London, but most of them would probably love to, if they had the dough. And they'd be proud if one of their kids won a scholarship to Harvard.
I trust the American people will see through Palin, and save the Republic in November. The most damning indictment against her is that she considered herself a good choice to be a heartbeat away. That shows bad judgment.
BY ROGER EBERT Sun-Times Movie Critic
I think I might be able to explain some of Sarah Palin's appeal. She's the "American Idol" candidate. Consider. What defines an "American Idol" finalist? They're good-looking, work well on television, have a sunny personality, are fierce competitors, and so talented, why, they're darned near the real thing. There's a reason "American Idol" gets such high ratings. People identify with the contestants. They think, Hey, that could be me up there on that show!
My problem is, I don't want to be up there. I don't want a vice president who is darned near good enough. I want a vice president who is better, wiser, well-traveled, has met world leaders, who three months ago had an opinion on Iraq. Someone who doesn't repeat bald- faced lies about earmarks and the Bridge to Nowhere. Someone who doesn't appoint Alaskan politicians to "study" global warming, because, hello! It has been studied. The returns are convincing enough that John McCain and Barack Obama are darned near in agreement.
I would also want someone who didn't make a teeny little sneer when referring to "people who go to the Ivy League." When I was a teen I dreamed of going to Harvard, but my dad, an electrician, told me, "Boy, we don't have the money. Thank your lucky stars you were born in Urbana and can go to the University of Illinois right here in town." So I did, very happily. Although Palin gets laughs when she mentions the "elite" Ivy League, she sure did attend the heck out of college.
Five different schools in six years. What was that about?
And how can a politician her age have never have gone to Europe? My dad had died, my mom was working as a book-keeper and I had a job at the local newspaper when, at 19, I scraped together $240 for a charter flight to Europe. I had Arthur Frommer's $5 a Day under my arm, started in London, even rented a Vespa and drove in the traffic of Rome. A few years later, I was able to send my mom, along with the $15 a Day book.
You don't need to be a pointy-headed elitist to travel abroad. You need curiosity and a hunger to see the world. What kind of a person (who has the money) arrives at the age of 44 and has only been out of the country once, on an official tour to Iraq? Sarah Palin's travel record is that of a provincial, not someone who is equipped to deal with global issues.
But some people like that. She's never traveled to Europe, Asia, Africa, South America or Down Under? That makes her like them. She didn't go to Harvard? Good for her! There a lot of hockey moms who haven't seen London, but most of them would probably love to, if they had the dough. And they'd be proud if one of their kids won a scholarship to Harvard.
I trust the American people will see through Palin, and save the Republic in November. The most damning indictment against her is that she considered herself a good choice to be a heartbeat away. That shows bad judgment.
New Lipstick
It's official: I am an independent.
For the past 20 years, I've always voted for the democratic ticket... I am a Midwesterner who was raised with liberal values.
In my life time, I'd like to see universal health care in the United States..., less dependency on oil, and I am pro-choice through and through.
This political season has shaken me up a bit. Not only have I been watching from the sidelines through the media, I personally met Bill Clinton last November and worked on a democratic campaign in Salt Lake City for a few months...
As I watched Sarah Palin's acceptance speech with my husband and my lovely kids, I turned to him and said, "I think Mc Cain's got it in the bag."
On an intellectual level, I really hope I'm wrong.
As a working mom holding on to the American dream, I am shocked at my own instincts to put Sarah Palins political beliefs aside, because believe me she is no supporter of the women's movement or pro-choice values... yet entertain the thoughts that perhaps I will vote for her and the republican party, simply because they embraced a working mother living the American dream.
I am appalled at Palin's pro-life stance and shocked at the lack of depth on the real issues at hand: the war, the economy, education and health care.... She was being interviewed on NPR the other day and the reporter had to explain to her the Bush doctorine to see if she had an educated opinion on the subject... Palin's reaction of not knowing her party's own doctorine was hilarious, scary and shocking all at the same time.
But look at me.
I am a liberal woman who thinks and worries too much... And if Sarah Palin can get under my skin, to just ponder for a moment and to actually consider voting for her, what is the average American woman thinking of her in a moments glance?
They probably think she has great taste in shoes.
Here's an article from last week's Time Magazine. A front-row view of Sarah Palin's campaign debut reveals why her grip on women voters is likely to last.
read more | digg story
For the past 20 years, I've always voted for the democratic ticket... I am a Midwesterner who was raised with liberal values.
In my life time, I'd like to see universal health care in the United States..., less dependency on oil, and I am pro-choice through and through.
This political season has shaken me up a bit. Not only have I been watching from the sidelines through the media, I personally met Bill Clinton last November and worked on a democratic campaign in Salt Lake City for a few months...
As I watched Sarah Palin's acceptance speech with my husband and my lovely kids, I turned to him and said, "I think Mc Cain's got it in the bag."
On an intellectual level, I really hope I'm wrong.
As a working mom holding on to the American dream, I am shocked at my own instincts to put Sarah Palins political beliefs aside, because believe me she is no supporter of the women's movement or pro-choice values... yet entertain the thoughts that perhaps I will vote for her and the republican party, simply because they embraced a working mother living the American dream.
I am appalled at Palin's pro-life stance and shocked at the lack of depth on the real issues at hand: the war, the economy, education and health care.... She was being interviewed on NPR the other day and the reporter had to explain to her the Bush doctorine to see if she had an educated opinion on the subject... Palin's reaction of not knowing her party's own doctorine was hilarious, scary and shocking all at the same time.
But look at me.
I am a liberal woman who thinks and worries too much... And if Sarah Palin can get under my skin, to just ponder for a moment and to actually consider voting for her, what is the average American woman thinking of her in a moments glance?
They probably think she has great taste in shoes.
Here's an article from last week's Time Magazine. A front-row view of Sarah Palin's campaign debut reveals why her grip on women voters is likely to last.
read more | digg story
9.03.2008
Refuge
Since I am working part time and the kids are back to school, I have more moments to myself, to wander within my internal place of refuge.
Sure, I have plenty of household chores I could attend to... But why clean when you can read a great book! I have been spending much time reading, and it has become a place of inner peace, curiosity and wonderment.
If you have any books you love or have enjoyed, please do send along the titles?
Sure, I have plenty of household chores I could attend to... But why clean when you can read a great book! I have been spending much time reading, and it has become a place of inner peace, curiosity and wonderment.
If you have any books you love or have enjoyed, please do send along the titles?
Feel the Excitement
Will Sarah Palin snag the Hillary Clinton vote from Obama?
Are you feeling the excitement of the Sarah Palin factor?
Is she your new heroine? Here is a clip of her speech...
8.29.2008
Wanted: A Kidney
Got hope?
Someone wanted to see the Obama's DNC speech and offered to give someone, ANYONE, a kidney in exchange for tickets for himself and his girlfriend.
I asked my Dad if he watched Obama's speech and he said that he "didn't have time for that public relations horseshit!"
Someone wanted to see the Obama's DNC speech and offered to give someone, ANYONE, a kidney in exchange for tickets for himself and his girlfriend.
I asked my Dad if he watched Obama's speech and he said that he "didn't have time for that public relations horseshit!"
8.28.2008
Political Junkie
Last night, I insisted that my kids sit down and watch to Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention. Between their baths, pajama time and silly time, they ran in and out of the room and if nothing else, realized, Barack Obama has kids too. Okay, that's how they related to the experience.
I hope you spent some time last night listening and watching the historic moment in the history of the United States of America: Barack Obama accepting the nomination for the presidency of the United States.
So there I was in my living room... along with the rest of the couch potato, tv watching cynics, who are skeptical and perhaps have given up hope... watching the speech, and it happened.
I was swept up in the excitement of the arena, where 75,000 people engaged in one of the most spirited political rallies in the history of our great nation, and thought perhaps, yes we can get this country headed on a new track.
Here is an excerpt of what I heard, which resonated with me!
If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it’s best to stop hoping, and settle for what you already know.
I get it. I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don’t fit the typical pedigree, and I haven’t spent my career in the halls of Washington.
But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don’t understand is that this election has never been about me. It’s been about you.
For eighteen long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said enough to the politics of the past. You understand that in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result. You have shown what history teaches us – that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn’t come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Change happens because the American people demand it – because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time.
America, this is one of those moments.
I believe that as hard as it will be, the change we need is coming. Because I’ve seen it. Because I’ve lived it. I’ve seen it in Illinois, when we provided health care to more children and moved more families from welfare to work. I’ve seen it in Washington, when we worked across party lines to open up government and hold lobbyists more accountable, to give better care for our veterans and keep nuclear weapons out of terrorist hands.
And I’ve seen it in this campaign. In the young people who voted for the first time, and in those who got involved again after a very long time. In the Republicans who never thought they’d pick up a Democratic ballot, but did. I’ve seen it in the workers who would rather cut their hours back a day than see their friends lose their jobs, in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb, in the good neighbors who take a stranger in when a hurricane strikes and the floodwaters rise.
This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that’s not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that’s not what keeps the world coming to our shores.
Instead, it is that American spirit – that American promise – that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.
That promise is our greatest inheritance. It’s a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours – a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.
And it is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln’s Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.
The men and women who gathered there could’ve heard many things. They could’ve heard words of anger and discord. They could’ve been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.
But what the people heard instead – people of every creed and color, from every walk of life – is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.
“We cannot walk alone,” the preacher cried. “And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”
America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise – that American promise – and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.
I hope you spent some time last night listening and watching the historic moment in the history of the United States of America: Barack Obama accepting the nomination for the presidency of the United States.
So there I was in my living room... along with the rest of the couch potato, tv watching cynics, who are skeptical and perhaps have given up hope... watching the speech, and it happened.
I was swept up in the excitement of the arena, where 75,000 people engaged in one of the most spirited political rallies in the history of our great nation, and thought perhaps, yes we can get this country headed on a new track.
Here is an excerpt of what I heard, which resonated with me!
If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it’s best to stop hoping, and settle for what you already know.
I get it. I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don’t fit the typical pedigree, and I haven’t spent my career in the halls of Washington.
But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don’t understand is that this election has never been about me. It’s been about you.
For eighteen long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said enough to the politics of the past. You understand that in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result. You have shown what history teaches us – that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn’t come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Change happens because the American people demand it – because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time.
America, this is one of those moments.
I believe that as hard as it will be, the change we need is coming. Because I’ve seen it. Because I’ve lived it. I’ve seen it in Illinois, when we provided health care to more children and moved more families from welfare to work. I’ve seen it in Washington, when we worked across party lines to open up government and hold lobbyists more accountable, to give better care for our veterans and keep nuclear weapons out of terrorist hands.
And I’ve seen it in this campaign. In the young people who voted for the first time, and in those who got involved again after a very long time. In the Republicans who never thought they’d pick up a Democratic ballot, but did. I’ve seen it in the workers who would rather cut their hours back a day than see their friends lose their jobs, in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb, in the good neighbors who take a stranger in when a hurricane strikes and the floodwaters rise.
This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that’s not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that’s not what keeps the world coming to our shores.
Instead, it is that American spirit – that American promise – that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.
That promise is our greatest inheritance. It’s a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours – a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.
And it is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln’s Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.
The men and women who gathered there could’ve heard many things. They could’ve heard words of anger and discord. They could’ve been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.
But what the people heard instead – people of every creed and color, from every walk of life – is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.
“We cannot walk alone,” the preacher cried. “And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”
America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise – that American promise – and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.
8.26.2008
Gentle Rain Drops
I confess. I am a slacker mom!
On the eve of my children's first day of the school year, I went out to with some of my girlfriends to enjoy the music of Bonnie Rait, the redheaded blues woman known for her soulful singing. Bonnie Rait is by far, one of my all time favorite artists, and she rocked the night away at Red Butte Garden.
It was a stunning night at the garden where we enjoyed cool summer breezes, an incredible sunset coupled by light rain drops gently falling from the sky.
Thanks to a special you know who for organizing the evening!
8.18.2008
Tubing Fun!
If you are ever near Lava Hot Springs, I suggest stopping and staying a night or two.
As we drove into town, which is literally, 2 blocks in length, there was a large banner advertising bingo on Friday nights.
This town knows how to party!
We rented tubes to float the river, which was an absolute blast. The river had a couple of rapids fast enough to get your heart pumping but slow enough for a 6 and 8 year old to manage. Well, we did have a kid overboard which was a rush and luckily he's a great swimmer.
The hot pools were quite relaxing after a day on the river.
Overall, it was an excellent weekend diversion!
As we drove into town, which is literally, 2 blocks in length, there was a large banner advertising bingo on Friday nights.
This town knows how to party!
We rented tubes to float the river, which was an absolute blast. The river had a couple of rapids fast enough to get your heart pumping but slow enough for a 6 and 8 year old to manage. Well, we did have a kid overboard which was a rush and luckily he's a great swimmer.
The hot pools were quite relaxing after a day on the river.
Overall, it was an excellent weekend diversion!
8.15.2008
Lava Hot Springs
We're off on a weekend adventure to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho!
Lava Hot Springs is a city in Bannock County, Idaho, United States. Located in the mountainous valley of the Portneuf River the old route of the Oregon Trail and California Trail, the city has become popular resort location, noted for its numerous hot springs amenable to bathing.
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 521 people, 232 households, and 125 families residing in the city.
Big city! Here we come!
8.11.2008
8.08.2008
Jigidy Jig
Home Again Home Again, Jigidy Jig...
I am back from the meetings in Virginia.
There's not much to report about the trip.
I've been helping the group since February but this was a chance to see the place in the flesh. I met some interesting people who travel the world to help children with facial deformities.
As Forest Gump said, "My momma always said, life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. You have to do the best with what God gave you."
This is a new adventure for which I am grateful.
I enjoy travelling and it's refreshing to come home and talk my husband's ear off, sift through the mail, snuggle the kids, and wash the laundry.
Did I include washing laundry?
I must be outta my mind!
8.03.2008
Flying Solo
I am off to Norfolk, Virginia for meetings!
I am excited and nervous all at the same time. Wish me luck!
7.31.2008
The Sweet Life of the Foothills
Last night, I attended a concert with friends at Red Butte Garden!
Performing was the fabulous Los Lobos and Los Lonely Boys.
Los Lonely Boys are a unique and gutsy trio that remain true to "Texican" music. They are widely known for their fusion of electric blues, Latin beats and Texas roots.
Hitting the road with Los Lonely Boys this summer are the legendary two-time Grammy winning artists, Los Lobos. For over thirty years, Los Lobos have synthesized every form of modern roots music into their sound while remaining true to the traditional music that brought them together.
And, here's a little reminder of the great performance from Los Lonely Boys....
Thanks to a special you know who for the ticket!
Performing was the fabulous Los Lobos and Los Lonely Boys.
Los Lonely Boys are a unique and gutsy trio that remain true to "Texican" music. They are widely known for their fusion of electric blues, Latin beats and Texas roots.
Hitting the road with Los Lonely Boys this summer are the legendary two-time Grammy winning artists, Los Lobos. For over thirty years, Los Lobos have synthesized every form of modern roots music into their sound while remaining true to the traditional music that brought them together.
And, here's a little reminder of the great performance from Los Lonely Boys....
Thanks to a special you know who for the ticket!
7.29.2008
The Inn is Full
As you may know living in our humble little house are a A LOT of pets.
We have seven pets... to be exact.
The first pet to join the family was Sampson the dog.
Sampson is a gentle giant who is known in the neighborhood as the "great escape artist." We don't have a back yard fence and he wanders.
I know... its bad.
He's made a lot of friends in the neighborhood. At least a handful of households have asked to adopt him.
Then, there are the rabbits. Katie and Jack.
Katie and Jack share a cage.
If you know anything about rabbits, you know sharing a cage is an educational experience for the kids to learn about the birds and the bees.
Let's leave it at that.
The birds, Snuggler and Squirtle are named after Pokemon characters. They are very low maintenance and have finally started to warm up to us.
But we must guard the birds from the sixth pet!
#6 is Peanut the cat. AKA... Peanut the serial killer. Let's see, was it just yesterday that Peanut left a dead dragon fly on the porch?
And finally, Lizzy, the gecko. Lizzy likes crickets and doesn't mind the kids taking her out for a walk.
My daughter wants another dog. BADLY.
Call me crazy, but I am pretty sure that the inn has NO ROOM for another pet.
What do you think?
I tell her that we can not get another dog, because we have plenty of furry friends to love and care for... Both kids help with feeding the animals. However, she and her brother should help picking up pet poop to learn about responsibility in pet care. Finally, we'd really need a fence for a puppy. And a fence would cost money...
This line of reasoning doesn't stop her from asking for a puppy, preferably a husky, at least five times a day.
She wakes up and asks for a fence so we can get a puppy.
She'll see a dog being walked and ask for a puppy.
Before she falls asleep, the last thing she mentions is how much she wants another puppy.
I try to explain to her why we can't get a puppy with all of the above reasons, but it hasn't stopped her from continuing to ask for a PUPPY.
And so she says, "what about when a pet dies?"
UGH!
The roof is leaking and we have to get it repaired before winter hits, therefore postponing a purchase of a fence. And therefore, we cannot get a puppy.
I've explained all of this to her. Countless times. But she keeps asking.
And asking...
And asking...
Gotta run!
Sampson just peed on the carpet...
Let's just forget about puppies and just move on to PONIES!
Shh... Don't mention this thought to my daughter.
We have seven pets... to be exact.
The first pet to join the family was Sampson the dog.
Sampson is a gentle giant who is known in the neighborhood as the "great escape artist." We don't have a back yard fence and he wanders.
I know... its bad.
He's made a lot of friends in the neighborhood. At least a handful of households have asked to adopt him.
Then, there are the rabbits. Katie and Jack.
Katie and Jack share a cage.
If you know anything about rabbits, you know sharing a cage is an educational experience for the kids to learn about the birds and the bees.
Let's leave it at that.
The birds, Snuggler and Squirtle are named after Pokemon characters. They are very low maintenance and have finally started to warm up to us.
But we must guard the birds from the sixth pet!
#6 is Peanut the cat. AKA... Peanut the serial killer. Let's see, was it just yesterday that Peanut left a dead dragon fly on the porch?
And finally, Lizzy, the gecko. Lizzy likes crickets and doesn't mind the kids taking her out for a walk.
My daughter wants another dog. BADLY.
Call me crazy, but I am pretty sure that the inn has NO ROOM for another pet.
What do you think?
I tell her that we can not get another dog, because we have plenty of furry friends to love and care for... Both kids help with feeding the animals. However, she and her brother should help picking up pet poop to learn about responsibility in pet care. Finally, we'd really need a fence for a puppy. And a fence would cost money...
This line of reasoning doesn't stop her from asking for a puppy, preferably a husky, at least five times a day.
She wakes up and asks for a fence so we can get a puppy.
She'll see a dog being walked and ask for a puppy.
Before she falls asleep, the last thing she mentions is how much she wants another puppy.
I try to explain to her why we can't get a puppy with all of the above reasons, but it hasn't stopped her from continuing to ask for a PUPPY.
And so she says, "what about when a pet dies?"
UGH!
The roof is leaking and we have to get it repaired before winter hits, therefore postponing a purchase of a fence. And therefore, we cannot get a puppy.
I've explained all of this to her. Countless times. But she keeps asking.
And asking...
And asking...
Gotta run!
Sampson just peed on the carpet...
Let's just forget about puppies and just move on to PONIES!
Shh... Don't mention this thought to my daughter.
7.28.2008
A Memory
I've been in Utah for more than half of my life.
I moved here to attend college and never left.
I married a guy with the spirit of the rivers and the mountain air running through his veins.
Once in a while, I miss the place of my origin, Chicago.
The mountains are stunning. And don't get me wrong I have a very good life.
When asked what I miss, it's hard to put my finger on an answer. Perhaps its the landmarks, the culture, the diversity, the food, the people.
I miss the spirit of the city and the Midwestern way of life.
Growing up in the midwest still runs through my veins...
I moved here to attend college and never left.
I married a guy with the spirit of the rivers and the mountain air running through his veins.
Once in a while, I miss the place of my origin, Chicago.
The mountains are stunning. And don't get me wrong I have a very good life.
When asked what I miss, it's hard to put my finger on an answer. Perhaps its the landmarks, the culture, the diversity, the food, the people.
I miss the spirit of the city and the Midwestern way of life.
Growing up in the midwest still runs through my veins...
7.26.2008
A Tornado Hit
I've picked up the office equipment for the organization for which I am now officially employed.
I kid you not.
I have enough office equipment to run an office for 3 people out of the basement.
There are 3 large filing cabinets, 10 boxes of files, 3 computers, a very large printer, a fax machine and a shredder.
It's an absolute mess! Since there is already enough personal crap to sink the titanic stored in the basement, it looks like a tornado hit.
This mess is causing me to panic, because I grew up in a house that looked like a tornado took up PERMANENT RESIDENCE in the shack.
The solution seemed easy in theory.
Today it just made sense to get rid of some old furniture and clothing.
Where on earth did all of this stuff come from?
We hauled an entire truck load to the salvation army, and there is still more to go.
It feels pretty sweet to get rid of the stuff weighing the house down...
I kid you not.
I have enough office equipment to run an office for 3 people out of the basement.
There are 3 large filing cabinets, 10 boxes of files, 3 computers, a very large printer, a fax machine and a shredder.
It's an absolute mess! Since there is already enough personal crap to sink the titanic stored in the basement, it looks like a tornado hit.
This mess is causing me to panic, because I grew up in a house that looked like a tornado took up PERMANENT RESIDENCE in the shack.
The solution seemed easy in theory.
Today it just made sense to get rid of some old furniture and clothing.
Where on earth did all of this stuff come from?
We hauled an entire truck load to the salvation army, and there is still more to go.
It feels pretty sweet to get rid of the stuff weighing the house down...
7.19.2008
7.14.2008
Assurance
The summer surf boy does not want to cut his hair.
What do you think? Should I let him grow it out?
Doesn't he look big?
He just keeps growing. Today we realized that he has outgrown all of his shoes! I didn't know what quite to place on his feet for summer camp. He settled for sandals that are just a tad too tight.
Anna had a complete meltdown after her sleepover on Sunday afternoon. She came home, cried a bit, and asked for a glass of milk and her comfy blanket. She laid down on the couch and continued to cry. It seems the only thing that could be of comfort to her was a little time spent with her mom, brother and dad.
Oh, and a good night sleep helped too!
7.13.2008
Realization
Yesterday I ran some typical Saturday errands to the post office and the grocery store. My son and daughter were off on playdates. Their play dates lasted hours...
And when my son returned home, I asked him, "did ya miss me?"
And he replied, "nope."
Wow! The thought crossed my mind, they don't need me as much these days.
My 6 year old daughter had a sleepover last night. The playdate went swimmingly, and they are still playing this morning.
I've entered a new era of parenting of the 6 and 8 year old, who need comforting once and a while, three meals, daily instructions, reminder of family values, a proper education and the occasional snuggle.
But for the most part, they are evolving into self reliant children.
And when my son returned home, I asked him, "did ya miss me?"
And he replied, "nope."
Wow! The thought crossed my mind, they don't need me as much these days.
My 6 year old daughter had a sleepover last night. The playdate went swimmingly, and they are still playing this morning.
I've entered a new era of parenting of the 6 and 8 year old, who need comforting once and a while, three meals, daily instructions, reminder of family values, a proper education and the occasional snuggle.
But for the most part, they are evolving into self reliant children.
7.11.2008
Pinch Me
Once a working girl, always a working girl!!!
I started working from home for this international charity based on the east coast.
I've been doing contract work with the organization since February.
And, now I am officially managing their efforts in Utah.
I am working half time in a schedule that can be worked around my family life.
I am working from home.
In my pajamas and slippers.
Pinch me.
This may be too good to be true.
I started working from home for this international charity based on the east coast.
I've been doing contract work with the organization since February.
And, now I am officially managing their efforts in Utah.
I am working half time in a schedule that can be worked around my family life.
I am working from home.
In my pajamas and slippers.
Pinch me.
This may be too good to be true.
7.09.2008
A Magical Frozen Indulgence
Steve and I happened to be driving down 1100 east on our "date night" and noticed this quaint little shop offering magical frozen indulgences.
Feeling hot and craving something sweet, we stopped to sample the gelato.
Dolcetti Gelato is owned by Elizabeth and Mark England, who learned the craft from Italian artisans, then brought the cool treats to the local Utah community. The products are handmade from natural ingredients, locally grown, hand-selected fruits and berries in season, and fresh milk from family dairies.
Free from heavy creams, Dolcetti provides delicate and exotic flavors. We tried coconut and blood orange sorbetto and we were thoroughly delighted! The texture was smooth, and the natural flavors were scrumptious.
Traditional ice creams add air for volume, gelato's extreme density gives intense flavor and a smooth, creamy texture with 1/3 the fat. Their sorbettos are dairy free with no fat.
If you live in Salt Lake, it's a summer excursion you won't want to miss. Dolcetti Gelato is located on 1751 South and 1100 East in the Sugarhouse area.
Feeling hot and craving something sweet, we stopped to sample the gelato.
Dolcetti Gelato is owned by Elizabeth and Mark England, who learned the craft from Italian artisans, then brought the cool treats to the local Utah community. The products are handmade from natural ingredients, locally grown, hand-selected fruits and berries in season, and fresh milk from family dairies.
Free from heavy creams, Dolcetti provides delicate and exotic flavors. We tried coconut and blood orange sorbetto and we were thoroughly delighted! The texture was smooth, and the natural flavors were scrumptious.
Traditional ice creams add air for volume, gelato's extreme density gives intense flavor and a smooth, creamy texture with 1/3 the fat. Their sorbettos are dairy free with no fat.
If you live in Salt Lake, it's a summer excursion you won't want to miss. Dolcetti Gelato is located on 1751 South and 1100 East in the Sugarhouse area.
7.08.2008
Sardines in a Tin Can
Not feeling up to cooking one evening, Granny, Steve and I headed out with the 2 kids for dinner.
Being a proud mother, I insisted they comb their hair, wash their faces and even change into clean clothes.
Let me remind you. The chicklets like to play in the mud.
Often.
A change of clothes was imperative.
We drove to the nearest watering hole, which was packed with people like sardines in a tin can. The waiter sat us at a table designed for 4.
Since we had 5 in our party, we crammed our 2 spunky children together in a space designed for 1 small person. Cramming 2 hungry kids into a small space at a crowded restaurant really was a BIG MISTAKE.
About 5 minutes after sitting, the kids were playing an arm pulling game that was accompanied by some song they learned on the school playground.
So, naturally I am nervous.
Will they spill their drinks with this movement?
They seem too active for this experience...
Finally, the drinks arrived. When the "shirley temple" was given to my son, somehow, he thought it would be fun to FISH the cherries out of the soda with his BARE HANDS.
I found myself feeling a tad bit embarrassed by this action because my first born child is 8 years old, and he KNOWS BETTER. I remind him to use a utensil to fish his cherries out the glass.
This caused the kids to LAUGH their little hearts out.
The laughing, I admit, was kinda cute.
By now, the kids realize they have found a way to push their Mom's buttons. And, this causes my kids to take this behavior to a whole new level, with vigorous arm pulling and more singing.
And, of course people are now beginning to TAKE NOTICE of these spunky children.
Actually, at this point I think they might be monkeys who are disguised as children.
About this time, the food arrives. The kids decide their meal requires a copious amount of ketchup, and also they decide they are big enough to pour the ketchup all by themselves.
My 6 year old daughter slathers the ketchup all over her hamburger with a knife which causes her to get the ketchup all over her hands.
She has a napkin on her lap.
But why use a napkin when you can wipe your hands on your PRETTY PINK SHIRT!?!
Now I am short with my words, and snap at my 6 year old daughter to USE THE NAPKIN.
Which causes the monkeys to laugh and laugh.
They are officially banned from restaurants.
For life.
I know June Cleaver was just a mere fictional character on a television show from the 50s.... But somehow, what crossed my mind in the heat of the moment was...if June Cleaver was their mother, this NEVER would have happened!
Being a proud mother, I insisted they comb their hair, wash their faces and even change into clean clothes.
Let me remind you. The chicklets like to play in the mud.
Often.
A change of clothes was imperative.
We drove to the nearest watering hole, which was packed with people like sardines in a tin can. The waiter sat us at a table designed for 4.
Since we had 5 in our party, we crammed our 2 spunky children together in a space designed for 1 small person. Cramming 2 hungry kids into a small space at a crowded restaurant really was a BIG MISTAKE.
About 5 minutes after sitting, the kids were playing an arm pulling game that was accompanied by some song they learned on the school playground.
So, naturally I am nervous.
Will they spill their drinks with this movement?
They seem too active for this experience...
Finally, the drinks arrived. When the "shirley temple" was given to my son, somehow, he thought it would be fun to FISH the cherries out of the soda with his BARE HANDS.
I found myself feeling a tad bit embarrassed by this action because my first born child is 8 years old, and he KNOWS BETTER. I remind him to use a utensil to fish his cherries out the glass.
This caused the kids to LAUGH their little hearts out.
The laughing, I admit, was kinda cute.
By now, the kids realize they have found a way to push their Mom's buttons. And, this causes my kids to take this behavior to a whole new level, with vigorous arm pulling and more singing.
And, of course people are now beginning to TAKE NOTICE of these spunky children.
Actually, at this point I think they might be monkeys who are disguised as children.
About this time, the food arrives. The kids decide their meal requires a copious amount of ketchup, and also they decide they are big enough to pour the ketchup all by themselves.
My 6 year old daughter slathers the ketchup all over her hamburger with a knife which causes her to get the ketchup all over her hands.
She has a napkin on her lap.
But why use a napkin when you can wipe your hands on your PRETTY PINK SHIRT!?!
Now I am short with my words, and snap at my 6 year old daughter to USE THE NAPKIN.
Which causes the monkeys to laugh and laugh.
They are officially banned from restaurants.
For life.
I know June Cleaver was just a mere fictional character on a television show from the 50s.... But somehow, what crossed my mind in the heat of the moment was...if June Cleaver was their mother, this NEVER would have happened!
7.06.2008
Antelope Island
This Saturday we spent time with the chicklets one on one... Sometimes, all of the "family together" time causes the chicklets to bicker. They can pester each other about random things, like which show to watch on television, and who's turn it is to sit on Momma's lap. It seemed like they needed a little one on one time with a parental unit.
Steve took Wyatt to run Saturday errands. I packed the car and headed to Antelope Island with Anna.
"Rich in scenic beauty and natural features, Antelope Island is the perfect place to view the Great Salt Lake and experience the vast solitude of the Great Basin.
The largest of the Great Salt Lake's 10 islands, Antelope Island is part of the Utah State Park System. Visitors can reach the park by boat or via a causeway reopened in 1992 after being submerged for a decade by record-high lake levels.
Recreational opportunities abound. White sand beaches beckon to sunbathers and picnickers. Hiking trails attract those looking for new and unique experiences. A sailboat marina lends a maritime atmosphere to island activities. Bicyclers enjoy the experience of riding out on the causeway in the invigorating salt air to explore the island. Campers come to watch beautiful sunrises and sunsets in seclusion found only minutes away from their urban homes.
From the mainland, its 28,022 acres appear barren and deserted. But Antelope Island is home to a variety of flora and fauna native to the Great Basin region. This is a great place to view wildlife.
The island was without its namesake antelope for many years, but they were reintroduced in 1993 and can now be seen in many areas of the park. Deer, bobcats, coyotes, many varieties of birds and waterfowl also call the island home. But most famous are Antelope Island's American Bison, introduced to the island in 1893 and now numbering some 600 animals. The world-renowned herd is managed by the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation and visitors are welcome at the island's buffalo corral and management facilities. During the annual bison roundup each November, visitors can get a close-up look at the bison and the techniques used on a working buffalo ranch." - Discover Utah
Steve took Wyatt to run Saturday errands. I packed the car and headed to Antelope Island with Anna.
"Rich in scenic beauty and natural features, Antelope Island is the perfect place to view the Great Salt Lake and experience the vast solitude of the Great Basin.
The largest of the Great Salt Lake's 10 islands, Antelope Island is part of the Utah State Park System. Visitors can reach the park by boat or via a causeway reopened in 1992 after being submerged for a decade by record-high lake levels.
Recreational opportunities abound. White sand beaches beckon to sunbathers and picnickers. Hiking trails attract those looking for new and unique experiences. A sailboat marina lends a maritime atmosphere to island activities. Bicyclers enjoy the experience of riding out on the causeway in the invigorating salt air to explore the island. Campers come to watch beautiful sunrises and sunsets in seclusion found only minutes away from their urban homes.
From the mainland, its 28,022 acres appear barren and deserted. But Antelope Island is home to a variety of flora and fauna native to the Great Basin region. This is a great place to view wildlife.
The island was without its namesake antelope for many years, but they were reintroduced in 1993 and can now be seen in many areas of the park. Deer, bobcats, coyotes, many varieties of birds and waterfowl also call the island home. But most famous are Antelope Island's American Bison, introduced to the island in 1893 and now numbering some 600 animals. The world-renowned herd is managed by the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation and visitors are welcome at the island's buffalo corral and management facilities. During the annual bison roundup each November, visitors can get a close-up look at the bison and the techniques used on a working buffalo ranch." - Discover Utah
7.04.2008
Candied Walnut Gorgonzola Salad
"A yummy, easy salad with candied walnuts, cranberries, Gorgonzola cheese, mixed greens, and a raspberry vinaigrette. It's always a big hit and is requested by my friends and family constantly!" - All Recipes
I used this recipe for a barbecue last night and it was delicious. The hostess of the party asked for the recipe. Since I have extra ingredients, I will be making it again tonight for 4th of July dinner.
Serves 4
1/2 cup walnut halves
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 tablespoon raspberry vinaigrette
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Place walnuts and sugar in a skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves into a light brown liquid and coats the walnuts. Remove walnuts from skillet, and spread them out on a sheet of aluminum foil to cool.
Place in a large salad bowl the mixed greens, cranberries, cheese, vinaigrette, vinegar, and olive oil. Toss gently; add candied walnuts, and toss again.
7.03.2008
Hovering
The temperature in Salt Lake City today is over 100 degrees.
The kids are enjoying their day at camp, so I am free to write.
I've been enjoying my time off to hang with Steve, the kids and our furry friends.
It has been recommended by several wise souls that I take LOTS of time to reconnect with Steve and find my way in the world.
A job offer came to me this week. I am debating whether to take it. It's 24 hours a week working from home... sounds reasonable.
For the first time in my life, I am taking a break from work.
It's kind of weird. And relaxing.
It's nice to have time to fuss over the home, the garden, and the family. And, it seems like the kids benefit from my presence at home.
But, let's face it. I've always been a working girl.
So, I am hovering, like an airplane in the sky... looking for a promising landing and a new direction to present itself.
6.26.2008
A Dip in the River
My neighbor takes the kids on little adventures. Here they've discovered a rope swing near the river.
When they returned, they were happy, muddy and completely soaked.
A perfect summer day!
When they returned, they were happy, muddy and completely soaked.
A perfect summer day!
6.25.2008
Nautical Nonesense
Steve and I are ordering cable television.
Our kids have been BEGGING us for access to Cartoon Network and Nickolodeon.
Since we've held out on cable for so long, they have placed it in their heads as a form of entertainment NIRVANA.
Yes, this is the summer where they too, will now have access to SpongeBob SquarePants, every single day.
Do you know how much leverage this is going to give us in disciplining the little ones?!
Here are some examples...
Don't want to brush your teeth?
No Spongebob!
Pestering your sibling?
No Spongebob!
Didn't finish your reading?
NO SPONGEBOB!
Cable television never sounded so appealing.
SpongeBob SquarePants! Here we come...
6.22.2008
Crock Pot Stew
1 large onion, quartered and cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 large carrots cut into 1-inch slices
1 cup celery
3 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tomatoes
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper or seasoned pepper mix salt to taste
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch cubes
Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker or Crock Pot; stir well.
Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours, until chicken is done and vegetables are tender; stir in peas the last 30 minutes.
Serves 6 to 8.
6.21.2008
Summer Dip
As I sit watching my kids swimming at the local watering hole, my thoughts wandered to my former life of working NON-STOP with people in ugly and overpriced suits.
And I thought, I AM NOT MISSING that scene!
I read this article, I Choose My Choice! about this topic... Here is a glimpse...
"What are our fallen M.B.A. sisters doing? One Harvard-grad-turned-stay-at-home-mom, on the subject of her days: I dance and sing and play the guitar and listen to NPR. I write letters to my family, my congressional representatives, and to newspaper editors. My kids and I play tag and catch, we paint, we explore, we climb trees and plant gardens together. We bike instead of using the car. We read, we talk, we laugh. Life is good. I never dust.
Is the mass media to blame (again!) for pushing women out of the workplace? Not so much. On our zeitgeist-setting TV shows, it’s only the housewives who are desperate. Work is fun! The Manhattan working gals of Sex and the City, whose days revolve chiefly around dishing over cocktails, are essentially ’50s suburban housewives, trophy wives of (in this case) glamorous if emotionally distant New York jobs—skyscraper-housed entities with good addresses and doormen that handsomely fund their lifestyles while requiring that they show up to service them only infrequently, in bustiers and heels. I want a vague job like the one Charlotte has, in the art gallery she never goes to; or the lawyer job Miranda has (charcoal suits and plenty o’ time for lunch with the gals); or Samantha’s PR gig, throwing SoHo loft parties and giving blow jobs to freakishly endowed men (actually, that’s the one job I don’t want); I want to spend my days like “writer” Carrie, lolling in bed in her underwear, smoking and occasionally updating her quasi-bohemian equivalent of a My Space page.
In real life, female journalists (particularly sex columnists) have frightening stalkers, dour editors who begin phone conversations with “This is not your best,” and paychecks so thin they trigger not just an amusing episode in which some Jimmy Choos must be returned but years of fluorescent-lit subway rides to a part-time job teaching ESL at some community college on Long Island. In an ugly if typical turn, one’s column is suddenly moved from the Manhattan section to the North Jersey “auto buy” section because of the arrival of a younger, hotter writer. In real life, workmen would unceremoniously peel Carrie’s ad off the side of the bus and replace it with an ad touting the peppy new relationship blog of Miley Cyrus.
An assault on the flaccid, pastel-hued Real Simple values of today’s overeducated, underperforming homebound women, Linda Hirshman’s marvelously cranky Get to Work … And Get a Life, Before It’s Too Late drew an Internet hailstorm. (Those stay-at-home mothers—like AARP members, they’ve got time to type.) Short, biting, funny, and deliciously quotable (Hirshman is like an old-guard feminist Huckabee), Get to Work is a great value in terms of making the most of your limited reading hours. (Susan Faludi’s Stiffed ran 672 pages; my galley of Get was a slim 94.)
read more | digg story
And I thought, I AM NOT MISSING that scene!
I read this article, I Choose My Choice! about this topic... Here is a glimpse...
"What are our fallen M.B.A. sisters doing? One Harvard-grad-turned-stay-at-home-mom, on the subject of her days: I dance and sing and play the guitar and listen to NPR. I write letters to my family, my congressional representatives, and to newspaper editors. My kids and I play tag and catch, we paint, we explore, we climb trees and plant gardens together. We bike instead of using the car. We read, we talk, we laugh. Life is good. I never dust.
Is the mass media to blame (again!) for pushing women out of the workplace? Not so much. On our zeitgeist-setting TV shows, it’s only the housewives who are desperate. Work is fun! The Manhattan working gals of Sex and the City, whose days revolve chiefly around dishing over cocktails, are essentially ’50s suburban housewives, trophy wives of (in this case) glamorous if emotionally distant New York jobs—skyscraper-housed entities with good addresses and doormen that handsomely fund their lifestyles while requiring that they show up to service them only infrequently, in bustiers and heels. I want a vague job like the one Charlotte has, in the art gallery she never goes to; or the lawyer job Miranda has (charcoal suits and plenty o’ time for lunch with the gals); or Samantha’s PR gig, throwing SoHo loft parties and giving blow jobs to freakishly endowed men (actually, that’s the one job I don’t want); I want to spend my days like “writer” Carrie, lolling in bed in her underwear, smoking and occasionally updating her quasi-bohemian equivalent of a My Space page.
In real life, female journalists (particularly sex columnists) have frightening stalkers, dour editors who begin phone conversations with “This is not your best,” and paychecks so thin they trigger not just an amusing episode in which some Jimmy Choos must be returned but years of fluorescent-lit subway rides to a part-time job teaching ESL at some community college on Long Island. In an ugly if typical turn, one’s column is suddenly moved from the Manhattan section to the North Jersey “auto buy” section because of the arrival of a younger, hotter writer. In real life, workmen would unceremoniously peel Carrie’s ad off the side of the bus and replace it with an ad touting the peppy new relationship blog of Miley Cyrus.
An assault on the flaccid, pastel-hued Real Simple values of today’s overeducated, underperforming homebound women, Linda Hirshman’s marvelously cranky Get to Work … And Get a Life, Before It’s Too Late drew an Internet hailstorm. (Those stay-at-home mothers—like AARP members, they’ve got time to type.) Short, biting, funny, and deliciously quotable (Hirshman is like an old-guard feminist Huckabee), Get to Work is a great value in terms of making the most of your limited reading hours. (Susan Faludi’s Stiffed ran 672 pages; my galley of Get was a slim 94.)
read more | digg story
6.15.2008
Home Sweet Home
We're back home from our vacation in California.
We've been home for 18 hours and the kids are already saying:
"Momma, I'm bored!"
A fond memory of our vacation was an evening we spent frolicking on the beach as the sun was setting.
We've been home for 18 hours and the kids are already saying:
"Momma, I'm bored!"
A fond memory of our vacation was an evening we spent frolicking on the beach as the sun was setting.
6.10.2008
Police Blotter
Pismo Beach, California
A female vomiting in the bathroom at Alex’s Bar-be-cue requested medical assistance. Her friend wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol that was making her friend sick or something else. Survey says…
A drunk male and female had reportedly gone over the cliffs at Topaz and Indio Fire and ambulance responded to a report of a broken leg. The man was turned over to a sober driver who took him to the hospital. A mere 28 minutes later, marijuana was found at the same location. Does the cliff driver have the munchies?
A half size, male mannequin wearing a SOCAL shirt and shorts was stolen from Ashtie’s Beach shack.
Someone reported possible marijuana usage in a room at the Kon Tiki Inn.
A male subject strolled into AM/PM Mart and ran out with an 18 pack of Bud failing to pay for the swill. WUUUUUZ UP.
A male caller returned home to the 400 block of Foothill to find a female on the front porch of what was thought to be her residence screaming and banging on the door. The woman, believed to be drunk, had also vomited all over the porch. Later the woman was heard screaming again and was discovered to be stuck halfway through the doggie door of her home. She made it into the house.
Two underage boys and two underage girls were reportedly drinking near the Price House. They were turned over to their parents. The doggie door drunk should serve as a prime example of the dangers of drinking.
Source: The Coast News, June 5 – 11, 2008
A female vomiting in the bathroom at Alex’s Bar-be-cue requested medical assistance. Her friend wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol that was making her friend sick or something else. Survey says…
A drunk male and female had reportedly gone over the cliffs at Topaz and Indio Fire and ambulance responded to a report of a broken leg. The man was turned over to a sober driver who took him to the hospital. A mere 28 minutes later, marijuana was found at the same location. Does the cliff driver have the munchies?
A half size, male mannequin wearing a SOCAL shirt and shorts was stolen from Ashtie’s Beach shack.
Someone reported possible marijuana usage in a room at the Kon Tiki Inn.
A male subject strolled into AM/PM Mart and ran out with an 18 pack of Bud failing to pay for the swill. WUUUUUZ UP.
A male caller returned home to the 400 block of Foothill to find a female on the front porch of what was thought to be her residence screaming and banging on the door. The woman, believed to be drunk, had also vomited all over the porch. Later the woman was heard screaming again and was discovered to be stuck halfway through the doggie door of her home. She made it into the house.
Two underage boys and two underage girls were reportedly drinking near the Price House. They were turned over to their parents. The doggie door drunk should serve as a prime example of the dangers of drinking.
Source: The Coast News, June 5 – 11, 2008
6.09.2008
An All-American Amusement Park
Seeing as the chicklets are now tall enough to ride amusement park rides, our first stop on vacation was Disneyland.
We had sooo much fun!
Here they are sitting in the "tea pot" ride, which was just the right speed for the good ol' parental unit to snap a shot.
However, their favorite ride was SPLASH MOUNTAIN, which includes a 50 feet drop! And, it scared the living daylights out of me...
Ikes.
My kids are thrill seekers.
I am still holding fast of my personal goal to visit Europe and Paris, France.
Someday.
In the meantime, I was curious of what the French thought of Euro Disney and found this quote...
"…a horror made of cardboard, plastic and appalling colours, a construction of hardened chewing gum and idiotic folklore taken straight out of comic books written for obese Americans..."
Ha, ha, ha!
Bahhh Humbug!
I understand it is now one of the more popular and profitable vacationing sites in France... I think I will stick to small cafes, museums and rolling countryside when I do visit France...
If you are interested in learning more about the "European Disney Controversy" visit Wikipedia
We had sooo much fun!
Here they are sitting in the "tea pot" ride, which was just the right speed for the good ol' parental unit to snap a shot.
However, their favorite ride was SPLASH MOUNTAIN, which includes a 50 feet drop! And, it scared the living daylights out of me...
Ikes.
My kids are thrill seekers.
I am still holding fast of my personal goal to visit Europe and Paris, France.
Someday.
In the meantime, I was curious of what the French thought of Euro Disney and found this quote...
"…a horror made of cardboard, plastic and appalling colours, a construction of hardened chewing gum and idiotic folklore taken straight out of comic books written for obese Americans..."
Ha, ha, ha!
Bahhh Humbug!
I understand it is now one of the more popular and profitable vacationing sites in France... I think I will stick to small cafes, museums and rolling countryside when I do visit France...
If you are interested in learning more about the "European Disney Controversy" visit Wikipedia
6.08.2008
Dream
Priscilla Ahn - Dream
I was a little girl alone in my little world who dreamed of a little home for me.
I played pretend between the trees,
and fed my houseguests bark and leaves,
and laughed in my pretty bed of green.
I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest swing.
I had a dream.
Long walks in the dark through woods grown behind the park,
I asked God who I'm supposed to be.
The stars smiled down on me, God answered in silent reverie.
I said a prayer and fell asleep.
I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest tree.
I had a dream.
Now I'm old and feeling grey.
I don't know what's left to say about this life
I'm willing to leave.
I lived it full and I lived it well, there's many tales I've lived to tell.
I'm ready now, I'm ready now,
I'm ready now to fly from the highest wing.
I had a dream
I was a little girl alone in my little world who dreamed of a little home for me.
I played pretend between the trees,
and fed my houseguests bark and leaves,
and laughed in my pretty bed of green.
I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest swing.
I had a dream.
Long walks in the dark through woods grown behind the park,
I asked God who I'm supposed to be.
The stars smiled down on me, God answered in silent reverie.
I said a prayer and fell asleep.
I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest tree.
I had a dream.
Now I'm old and feeling grey.
I don't know what's left to say about this life
I'm willing to leave.
I lived it full and I lived it well, there's many tales I've lived to tell.
I'm ready now, I'm ready now,
I'm ready now to fly from the highest wing.
I had a dream
6.05.2008
Schools Out!
Today is the last day of school for the kids.
During my children's life, I've ALWAYS worked outside of the home.
Currently I am working FROM my home office.
This will be the first summer that I will actually be present in the HOME.
I feel excited and LUCKY to have this time with the fireflies...
And, I feel a little bit nervous about this new endeavor.
How on earth am I going to organize all of this time!?!
I've been chatting it up with other parents, asking HOW other stay at home folks organize summer break for their kids.
Camps, lessons, and vacations are the standard answers.
Some parents interject that they self medicate to cope with... SUMMER BREAK.
Okay...
Encouraging tips!
Shocking insider information!
Nonetheless, I planned some activities...
The first planned activity is a VACATION!
We're packing the bags and getting ready for our week long trip to California!
First stop: Disneyland!
Second stop: A drive up the California coast!
The kids, of course, are so excited they can't stand still, eat or sleep.
Wish us luck! Our plane departs Friday morning...
And, if you have any summer tips, PLEASE, pass them along!
During my children's life, I've ALWAYS worked outside of the home.
Currently I am working FROM my home office.
This will be the first summer that I will actually be present in the HOME.
I feel excited and LUCKY to have this time with the fireflies...
And, I feel a little bit nervous about this new endeavor.
How on earth am I going to organize all of this time!?!
I've been chatting it up with other parents, asking HOW other stay at home folks organize summer break for their kids.
Camps, lessons, and vacations are the standard answers.
Some parents interject that they self medicate to cope with... SUMMER BREAK.
Okay...
Encouraging tips!
Shocking insider information!
Nonetheless, I planned some activities...
The first planned activity is a VACATION!
We're packing the bags and getting ready for our week long trip to California!
First stop: Disneyland!
Second stop: A drive up the California coast!
The kids, of course, are so excited they can't stand still, eat or sleep.
Wish us luck! Our plane departs Friday morning...
And, if you have any summer tips, PLEASE, pass them along!
6.04.2008
Chicken Artichoke Medley
1/2 package farfale (bow tie) noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups broccoli flowerets
1-1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup red bell pepper strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound of chicken strips
1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts, undrained, quartered
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cook bow ties as package directs; drain.
While pasta is cooking, heat large skillet; add 1 tablespoon oil.
Add broccoli, mushrooms, red pepper and garlic.
Saute over medium high heat until crisp-tender.
Remove from skillet.
Add chicken and remaining oil; saute until cooked and tender.
Add artichokes, and cooked vegetables.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat.
Simmer for 1 more minute.
Serve over prepare pasta.
Sprinkle with cheese.
6.01.2008
5.28.2008
peanut the cat vs. the magpie
I think our cat Peanut has found a bird that he cannot defeat.
An annoying bird has decided to make our garden its home this summer...
The magpie.
The magpie squawks all day, announcing his presence as he flies from tree to tree.
The magpie is by far the most annoying creature in the yard. It wakes us up with its unpleasant SQUAWKS...
Our cat, Peanut, is not pleased that the magpie is here. Peanut is known in the neighborhood for his serial killing and hunting skills.
The magpie spends its time diving and swooping down towards Peanut. At times, the magpie event pecks at Peanut's back.
Peanut does not take to this kindly, and charges back at the magpie.
The magpie flies away, leaving Peanut to scurry up the highest tree branches trying to catch the bird.
Who knows how this will end...
We have the summer to watch... the match between peanut the cat vs. the magpie
An annoying bird has decided to make our garden its home this summer...
The magpie.
The magpie squawks all day, announcing his presence as he flies from tree to tree.
The magpie is by far the most annoying creature in the yard. It wakes us up with its unpleasant SQUAWKS...
Our cat, Peanut, is not pleased that the magpie is here. Peanut is known in the neighborhood for his serial killing and hunting skills.
The magpie spends its time diving and swooping down towards Peanut. At times, the magpie event pecks at Peanut's back.
Peanut does not take to this kindly, and charges back at the magpie.
The magpie flies away, leaving Peanut to scurry up the highest tree branches trying to catch the bird.
Who knows how this will end...
We have the summer to watch... the match between peanut the cat vs. the magpie
5.26.2008
And the Answer is....
I've LOST my voice and am experiencing a good ol' case of STREP THROAT.
My apologies to Diane at coexist for misreading the original tag... where she requested some thoughts on my favorite book...
I've been thinking about my favorite books, as there are SOOOO many great books that I've read and its been hard to narrow it down to just one book.
But the book, that keeps coming back to mind, is Their Eyes Were Watching God . Here is the opening sentence from the book:
"Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board."
"Of Hurston's fiction, Their Eyes Were Watching God is arguably the best-known and perhaps the most controversial. The novel follows the fortunes of Janie Crawford, a woman living in the black town of Eaton, Florida. Hurston sets up her characters and her locale in the first chapter, which, along with the last, acts as a framing device for the story of Janie's life.
The citizens of Eaton are inclined to judge is Janie Crawford, who has married three men and been tried for the murder of one of them. Janie feels no compulsion to justify herself to the town, but she does explain herself to her friend, Phoeby, with the implicit understanding that Phoeby can "tell 'em what Ah say if you wants to. Dat's just de same as me 'cause mah tongue is in mah friend's mouf."
Hurston's use of dialect enraged other African American writers such as Wright, who accused her of pandering to white readers by giving them the black stereotypes they expected. Decades later, however, outrage has been replaced by admiration for her depictions of black life, and especially the lives of black women. In Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston breathes humanity into both her men and women, and allows them to speak in their own voices." --Alix Wilber --
It takes a while to get accustomed to the dialect, as it is written in a speech pattern stereotypical to the African American culture of the time. But once you get used to the dialect, its hard not to get involved with this amazing love story.
Another quote:
"It's uh known fact, Pheoby, you got to go there tuh know there... Two things everybodys got tuh do fuh themselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin fuh themselves. (Chapter 20)
It has been over 10 years since I originally read the book, and at the time it helped me THINK about some aspects of life: love, strength, belonging, freedom, identity and perseverance. The author beautifully writes about theses things through the main character, Janie Crawford, using her steadfast original voice and confidence.
A final quote from the book:
"They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure up their puny might against His. They seemed to be staring in the dark, but their eyes were watching God." (Chapter 18)
Thanks for the thought provoking tag, Diane!
My apologies to Diane at coexist for misreading the original tag... where she requested some thoughts on my favorite book...
I've been thinking about my favorite books, as there are SOOOO many great books that I've read and its been hard to narrow it down to just one book.
But the book, that keeps coming back to mind, is Their Eyes Were Watching God . Here is the opening sentence from the book:
"Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board."
"Of Hurston's fiction, Their Eyes Were Watching God is arguably the best-known and perhaps the most controversial. The novel follows the fortunes of Janie Crawford, a woman living in the black town of Eaton, Florida. Hurston sets up her characters and her locale in the first chapter, which, along with the last, acts as a framing device for the story of Janie's life.
The citizens of Eaton are inclined to judge is Janie Crawford, who has married three men and been tried for the murder of one of them. Janie feels no compulsion to justify herself to the town, but she does explain herself to her friend, Phoeby, with the implicit understanding that Phoeby can "tell 'em what Ah say if you wants to. Dat's just de same as me 'cause mah tongue is in mah friend's mouf."
Hurston's use of dialect enraged other African American writers such as Wright, who accused her of pandering to white readers by giving them the black stereotypes they expected. Decades later, however, outrage has been replaced by admiration for her depictions of black life, and especially the lives of black women. In Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston breathes humanity into both her men and women, and allows them to speak in their own voices." --Alix Wilber --
It takes a while to get accustomed to the dialect, as it is written in a speech pattern stereotypical to the African American culture of the time. But once you get used to the dialect, its hard not to get involved with this amazing love story.
Another quote:
"It's uh known fact, Pheoby, you got to go there tuh know there... Two things everybodys got tuh do fuh themselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin fuh themselves. (Chapter 20)
It has been over 10 years since I originally read the book, and at the time it helped me THINK about some aspects of life: love, strength, belonging, freedom, identity and perseverance. The author beautifully writes about theses things through the main character, Janie Crawford, using her steadfast original voice and confidence.
A final quote from the book:
"They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure up their puny might against His. They seemed to be staring in the dark, but their eyes were watching God." (Chapter 18)
Thanks for the thought provoking tag, Diane!
5.24.2008
A Village
Eze, by Jean Philippe Richard
It's a rainy weekend here in Salt Lake. It's rained all week yet the sun managed to shine on a few days...
On Saturday, Grandpa, Giovanna and Vincent stopped over one afternoon for a few hours of playing, weeding and planting. And we enjoyed a barbecue lunch of hamburgers and baked beans.
On Sunday, we hosted our family for a dinner of spaghetti with marinara sauce accompanied by a fresh salad.
As the leaves are vigorously shining green, and the flowers are blooming, the neighbors are stepping out of their doors and into their gardens.
And I am reminded what a pretty great village we live in.
I've been spending the afternoons resting and contemplating life and my current circumstances.
And my kids are RUNNING WILD with their active bodies and hopeful imaginations in the great outdoors.
Luckily, my neighbors and friends are also enjoying life with my highly spirited children.
The neighbor east of our home hangs out in the garden with Wyatt and Anna. And they've enjoyed a few spirited rounds of the board game "sorry."
The neighbors west of our home picked up a game of water balloons that lasted a few hours as I went grocery shopping and visited with Steven.
Today, Steven's best friend took the kids over to his home for a day of play with his children of similar age.
And, the family up the street hosted my children a few rainy afternoons as I ran errands.
One neighbor, who has an autistic son and therefore life is unique to her ALREADY, recently opened her home to her sister who was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer. Her home is small, and they converted their son's play area into a bedroom for her sister. Her sister is experiencing painful and extensive surgeries to her back and undergoing chemotherapy to rid her body of the disease.
Our neighbor remains hopeful and not taking this new challenge sitting down. She looks at life with humor and is an inspiration to us all.
And, one of my best friends basement was recently flooded.
As I reflect on the lives of my neighbors and friends, it puts it in perspective that things in each of our lives are glorious and crummy all at the same time... yet quite manageable.
Okay, okay, I'd be lying if I didn't say that I am COMPLETELY shell shocked and grieving the end of my career as I have known it.
But I look at current job openings in my field, and my body says, HALT. STOP. I just can't find the drive to fundraise any longer. I am realizing that I don't feel much like working in the field I've been in, and I am trying to say, okay, HERE I AM.
I am determined to will find the hope, faith, grace and dignity to start anew. Yet, I think it may take a bit of time to figure it out...
In the meantime, I call myself a homemaker.
And my village, is not going away. My friends, husband, family, therapist, fellow yoga enthusiasts, and neighbors are here with me...
I am lucky to be apart of this village. And I can't imagine life without...
5.21.2008
Picnic!
Wyatt celebrated First Communion this past weekend. To enjoy the coming of summer and to celebrate his special day, we had a picnic in the back yard with friends and family.
Anna
Giovanna and Kristin
Kristin
Steven
Anna, Lisa and Safia
The gang at the picnic
Anna
Giovanna and Kristin
Kristin
Steven
Anna, Lisa and Safia
The gang at the picnic
5.20.2008
Sparkle
From being over-utizilized on the campaign to being under-utilized working from home on freelance projects, I am feeling a bit schizophrenic!
So, I spent the day preparing dinner and baking a cake.
Now, it's on to laundry and homework with the kids.
What can I say.
The home is going to shine!
So, I spent the day preparing dinner and baking a cake.
Now, it's on to laundry and homework with the kids.
What can I say.
The home is going to shine!
5.15.2008
Who Let the Dogs Out?
Anna, and Wyatt visited a friends home, and discovered a new way into the house.
Luckily, their dog did not mind!
Luckily, their dog did not mind!
scrutinize
scru-ti-nize, vb:
To examine closely and minutely. scrutinize, scan, inspect, examine look over carefully and usually critically. Scan implies a surveying from point to point often suggesting a detail; Inspect implies scrutinizing for errors or cursory overall observation; Examine suggests a scrutiny in order to determine the nature, condition or quality of a thing.
So now I have to find something called a job to keep food on the table and the roof over our heads. Okay, I've got some savings but really I'd rather keep it in a savings account.
Several freelance projects are coming to a close. One project might turn into a permanent position, but I am not holding my breathe.
Because I am unsure of my future, I've been hitting the pavement and have been out on interviews.
I am not feeling up to the examination.
On the interviews, my hope is the prospective employer sees a seasoned professional who knows her stuff. In addition to the interviews, my references are being called.
These are their questions...
Would she be good in a "jump into it" situation?
What was she like to work with?
Does she work well with a team?
People person?
Some of the questions remind me of the beginning of this movie...
I am like the Erin Brocovich before she found her niche...
Ha, Ha, Ha!
5.12.2008
5.10.2008
Cherries
I was tagged by COEXIST to write about my favorite quote.
Here is Coexist's favorite quote The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck. And she writes... "Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult - once we truly understand and accept it - then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters."
I have many favorite quotes! For this post, I narrowed it to five common quotes:
#5
"Many hands make light work."
Today, my father, 6 roudy kids, and Steven, helped create a larger flower garden in my front yard. The work would have taken me days to complete. Together, we finished the work in 3 hours.
#4
"Some days cherries, some days, the pits." It's kind of the pits that I have struggled a bit in the past 6 months... These pits, I know, will simply make the cherries that more sweet. Today, in the garden I was enjoying a bit of life's sweet cherries...
#3
"The only constant is change."
My dear friend, Giovanna is moving from Salt Lake City. She is one of my best friends. I am happy that she is moving back east and she will be near her family. It's a big change for me to have her gone. But on the positive side, I now have an excuse to visit NEW YORK CITY!
#2
"Normal is a cycle on a washing machine...."
Emmy Lou Harris
Ain't that the truth...
#1
Since everything is none other
than exactly as it is
one may well just break out in laughter
Long Chen Pa
Here are the rules:
Answer the question:
Offer one quote that resonates with you. Tag five people whose response is of genuine interest to you and inform him or her that they have been tagged. Cheers!
I am tagging the following sites: House of Jules, Analog in Digital, TajWanders, One Man Travel, and The Second Half.
5.09.2008
Surreal
This week has been utterly strange.
I organized a successful event with one of my clients. I left the political campaign. I don't regret working for a political campaign. I regret putting aside family to work on the campaign.
Speaking of family, I asked my husband that we try and work things out. I realize that working things out may take A LOT of marriage counseling.
On Wednesday, I felt a peaceful presence in my home. I don't really have the words to describe the presence, other than some kind of spirit looking out for me.
In that moment, I felt a sense of love in my home and in the world. It was simple and surreal. Perhaps this was just a precious moment where I saw the beauty that exists in each and everyone of us.
I organized a successful event with one of my clients. I left the political campaign. I don't regret working for a political campaign. I regret putting aside family to work on the campaign.
Speaking of family, I asked my husband that we try and work things out. I realize that working things out may take A LOT of marriage counseling.
On Wednesday, I felt a peaceful presence in my home. I don't really have the words to describe the presence, other than some kind of spirit looking out for me.
In that moment, I felt a sense of love in my home and in the world. It was simple and surreal. Perhaps this was just a precious moment where I saw the beauty that exists in each and everyone of us.
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