Robo-calls amuse me

Well people, it seems that I got my wish after all. My Super Tuesday frustration (see entry from Feb. 10) that my vote wouldn't ultimately play any part in the selection of the Democratic nominee appears moot. Even though things seem to be favoring Obama, I still get to actually vote and feel like I'm making a statement. Hooray! I'm part of the process!

"Billary" have been in the Commonwealth in recent days, including a stop he made yesterday in my own town, and just by driving around town I would say there is definitely a more distinct presence of her signs than Obama's. I'm not sure if this is a true indication of how people will vote....but it appears from the polling I've seen that O isn't expecting to win this state. STILL...I get my two cents in, and that makes me happy.

The robo-calls have begun in earnest. We probably had a dozen today, including one from Bill himself asking that I vote for his wife. I hung up on him.

I just wonder how many people out there actually LISTEN to these calls and make a decision on who they will vote for based on an automated, recorded message?

Probably the same people who voted recently in WV who flat-out told national reporters that they didn't vote for Obama because a) he's a Muslim; and b) the two races just don't get along (I swear!).

In Memory of Effie

A woman who was part of my "village" as I was growing up has died. Her name was Effie Eyler, and she was one of those dozens of people who had an impact on me (and my brother and sisters) as I are growing up.

Effie was a Sunday School teacher at the church my family attended, and even though I can't remember any specific lesson she taught me, I do remember that I had fun in her class. She had a great laugh, and a positive attitude, and you always looked forward to going to any event she was going to be attending.

Effie was the person at church dinners and Vacation Bible School who gave you a hug and fussed over you like she hadn't seen you in years, instead of just the day before.

She was also the person who gave me a 10" iron skillet for a wedding present and told me that there were two successful ways to use a skillet like that...one was to fry fish; the other was to keep my husband in line. In addition, she gave me a fundraiser-type cookbook from an Oklahoma 4-H group that is quite literally falling apart now, but has some of the best recipes I've ever tried in it.

Effie and her husband Ralph were among the folks who often shared a meal of a fresh "mess" of fish with their friends, along with slaw, fried potatoes and cold iced tea. They were also part of the group of church "family" who came to our house for ice cream socials; and were present at many, many events in my young life.

Effie's not with us anymore, but here's to all the women who have her ability to make a positive impression on the children they meet in their lives.

shake, shake, shake

For the second time in a week I just felt an earthquake. Those of you who have lived in earthquake zones will think I'm crazy, but WOW it is freaky to feel that. I was at my desk and my chair started shaking. I could feel it coming up through the floor. The wind is blowing pretty hard today, but it has never blown hard enough to make the floor shake. USGS says it was a 4.2, and was centered about 120 miles north of us.

Having grown up in the rocky Ozark Mountains, I never experienced these. Tornadoes were our dangerous force of nature, but these earthquakes just blow my mind!

$300

I was working in Quicken tonight entering some receipts and decided after entering in a frightening receipt for puchasing gas for my car today (and I didn't even begin to fill up) to see how our gas expenses compared to this time last year.

For the first four months of 2008 (and April isn't over!) we've spent a whopping $1739 on fuel for our two vehicles.
For the first four months of 2007 we spent $1426.

For comparison sake I went back to 2002, the first full year we lived in our current house, which would make the distance we drive to town and work roughly the same. Taking into account I personally didn't make as many trips back and forth to take kids to school, etc. it is still a SHOCKING difference. In the first four months of that year we spent less than $300 on gas. I subtotalled our fuel expenses for the last 7 years by year, and you can see it creeping up year by year, until the last couple of years, when it began to shoot up really quickly.

Does the current administration understand that their cozy relationships with the oil companies, and their failure to be advocates of middle and poor Americans is making it almost impossible for the average lower-income (and many middle income) workers to even GET to work?

My contempt for them cannot be measured.

Ring the Bell

At T1 and T2's school, the ultimate honor for having made an achievement is to get to ring a large bell in the courtyard of the school. Today, T1 got to ring it. The accompanying "certificate" said:

"T1" (not her real name of course) has shown winning behavior by cleaning the playground. She picked up over 100 pieces of trash without being asked to so so. She gave her whole recess to this job.
Signed both by her teacher, and by the principal.

T1 shared this honor with one of her classmates, who also worked throughout recess to pick up trash.

I told her I was most proud that she took the time to get the playground clean of the things other people just throw on the ground.

Now this is the same child who can leave a trail of debris behind her at OUR house, but at least she's making her effort for the environment at school this week.

urban gardens

I'm sure my fine organic-guru-niece will have a comment about this topic. I heard on NPR this morning that because of high food prices many families are opting to grow their own produce this year. It is a new trend in the suburbs...the backyard veggie garden! It is also a reaction to more people wanting to eat organic-grown produce, and to try to buy foods grown in their local area.

Here's the negative twist to the story. Turns out that lots of HOA's are balking against backyard gardens. Seems they present a "threat" to the quality of the neighborhoods, and "bring property values down." I kid you not. A small patch of tomatoes, lettuce and beans makes people feel less affluent, apparently.

I don't live in a subdivision with an HOA. There are times where I think such an organization would come in handy in our particular subdivision, but overall I'm glad we don't have one. I wonder how many people living in such neighborhoods have actually ever SEEN a small vegetable garden. I can't think of anything I would personally rather see in our neighbor's backyard than a well-tended garden, with the colors of cabbages, stalks of corn, tomatoes (both red and green) and perhaps some sunflowers stuck in there for fun. How is that worse than looking at someone's hot tub, or bbq grill?

My standard for such a garden is my grandfather's. He had a perfect flat spot in his backyard to grow rows and rows of the best tomatoes I've ever eaten; watermelon, corn, and I don't remember what else. What a joy it was as a child to sit in a lawn chair near the garden and crack open a freshly picked watermelon and attempt to spit the seeds across his lawn. The sweetness of those melons cannot be described.

Here's another thought. Backyard gardens create conversation. How nice it would be to share gardening tips with your neighbors...exchange fresh beans for radishes, or just visit while you water or tend your garden.

People are hellbent on holing up in their McMansions, watching their big-screen tvs and don't know what they are missing. Eat your drab, overpriced lettuce from Honduras; and your cardboard-like tomatoes from Florida...you are really missing something.

women in comfortable shoes and colorful clothing

Yes, folks, it's quilter's week here in the western part of the Commonwealth. The show doesn't even officially begin until tomorrow night, but already there are hordes (herds? flocks? gaggles?) of brightly dressed women wearing sturdy, comfortable, but not stylish shoes walking around downtown, mouths agape at the possibilities of fat quarters* they can purchase!

Now that I've been very condescending about them, let me point out that these women (and men) do something I have no talent for...taking bits of fabric and sewing them together, sometimes with handstitching so tiny you need to be right next to it to see it, into a piece of art. It is amazing how someone can take a handful of mismatched (but color-coordinated) fabrics, and by snipping them into various shapes, then carefully patching those shapes together, often in quite intricate and complicated designs, they make something that their children, and grandchildren will cherish for generations. And those are just the traditional quilts. The quilters who make the "fabric art" pieces are just artists using a medium that most people think of as a means to keep warm. The "art" quilts use subtle variations in fabric color to create illusions of shadow, light and depth.

It's not too late! Pack your bags, come see the quilts!

*if you don't know what a fat quarter is, ask a quilter.

True Patriotism

From a church bulletin for Sunday, July 6, 1941, Armored Forces Replacement Training Center, Ft. Knox, Kentucky, morning worship.

[on the back of the bulletin*, in a box titled "true patriotism"]

Independence Day, or Fourth of July as it is more commonly called, recalls the principles of human liberty and reminds us that we must cherish and preserve our country's traditions of bravery, justice and equality, of which very true American is proud.
But what is meant by true patriotism? It means unfailing loyalty to our God and to our country. The greatest duty we owe our United States is to be worthy citizens.
Loyalty to our nation implies loyalty to God, because he who serves God faithfully, serves his country loyally. The true patriot thinks of the honor of his country and is always willing to do his duty to his native or adopted land. We are not patriotic when we are selfish, unkind and unwilling to do our duty to God and country.
America expects each one of its citizens to do his or her duty. It is more than merely standing and cheering when a band plays the "Star Spangled Banner" or the waving of the American flag. It is, in fact, obeying the laws of the land, being true, truthfully honest, kind, loving, pure, unselfish and trying to make our country in the eyes of both God and ourselves a better and more beautiful place in which to live.
Let us thank God today for giving to us this splendid opportunity of being truly patriotic. Let us pledge our wholehearted allegiance to God, to our country and to our flag. Let us keep our star-spangled banner waving in the air ... spotless - stainless - sinless - true.



[*found in a letter written by my father to my mother]

Is the Tooth Fairy male or female?

This is the question that has been running 'round our house this weekend. T2 lost his first tooth today...just "popped" out. Of course he had been wigging it for two weeks now...back and forth, and side to side. I planned ahead, and had purchased for him a pillow with a tiny pocket to put the tooth into, and so he is all set now for the Tooth Fairy.

Two points to this blog. One, why are all tooth pillows or boxes geared toward infants, with ducks, chicks, baby bunnies or whatever? And they are overwhelmingly "girlie" in style. Kids don't lose teeth when they are infants, they lose them when they are in kindergarten and first grade! I did manage to find a pillow with a monkey on it, and that suited T2 just fine, but someone needs to get in the business of making age-appropriate tooth fairy pillows.

Second...IS the tooth fairy male or female? T1 and T2 have been debating this all day. Are there two tooth fairies....one for each gender? Can our cat "get" the tooth fairy if we leave her loose in the house? What if you lose a tooth on Christmas Eve and the tooth fairy and Santa run into each other in your house? Then what?

All questions I have been asked today.

For the record...T2 will be getting a crisp $5 for his first tooth. I told him that I think there is only one tooth fairy, and he/she is equally inclined toward rewarding both boys and girls. And I said that Santa already is friends with the TF, and therefore, the whole Christmas Eve issue isn't a problem.

Oh, and the cat is confined to the garage tonight.

4000

That's all I can say...4000.

throwing that first stone and friendships

This is my review of the speech given by Barrack Obama yesterday. If you haven't heard, or read the speech, please take a moment to do so by going to http://my.barackobama.com/hisownwords.

I continue to hear in my local (decidedly right-wing) media, and from people I've been around in the last few days that this is the thing that will destroy Obama's campaign. I disagree...I think this was his finest moment so far, in a campaign filled with fine moments.

Two points. First of all, he explained his relationship with his pastor...a relationship most of us consider to be a very important part of our lives. The person who leads us in prayer each Sunday, and either inspires us, or reassures us, or fills us with hope, during both good and bad times, is often someone we consider family. In my own childhood the minister who baptised me and walked me through many difficult times in my life is still....YEARS later....as much a part of my extended family as my cousins, aunts and uncles. The minister at my church now says something from the pulpit each Sunday that challenges me to try to become a better person, and hopefully a better Christian. And he also says things that I'm sure some members of our congregation take issue with, but I consider him a friend, and depend on his wisdom to give me a better, more spiritual viewpoint than I sometimes have. I would defend his right to challenge our social problems in any way, if he felt like it was a calling to improve our lives as followers of Christ.

But, as Obama said, (I'm paraphrasing here) you can't dissassociate yourself from someone you consider family any more than you can your actual beloved family members...no matter what.

I had an uncle on my mother's side of the family who was a Reagan-lovin' Conservative with a capital "C", and he would get terribly exasperated with me whenever the subject of politics came up because I wasn't as in love with Ronnie and his crew as he was....BUT he always told me that I was his "favorite Democrat." And he was a lovely man, father and uncle.

I've heard members of our family (mostly on The Reenactor's side) say things about current events, and other cultures and races that are pretty offensive, but there are times where you just have to overlook the statement and love the person. And I think this is clearly what Obama has done. He said in strong terms that he did NOT agree with Rev. Wright's statements, yet his long-time relationship with him had shown him a side of the Reverened the rest of us have not seen on Faux News and YouTube. Why isn't anyone showing all the GOOD things the Reverend and his church have done rather than focusing on one sermon...clearly inspired by events in African American lives that we white folks can't begin to understand.

So my title of "throwing the first stone and friendships" is just that--we've ALL said stuff we wish we hadn't said. We've all heard our friends or family say things we wish they hadn't said. We've all been misunderstood by people with their own agenda or axe to grind. We shouldn't throw rocks at Rev. Wright for his comments unless we can say with certainty that we've never in our lives said anything controversial as well. But most of us aren't being filmed while we make these statements, and most of us aren't good friends with a presidential candidate. But that doesn't mean that the words we use aren't just as important...even if we are speaking just to one other person.

And we should be inspired by a presidential candidate who doesn't disown anyone who is important in his life just because that person is controversial. Friendships ARE important, and the mark of a good friend is one who is with you during good times, as well as bad.

We have all become so used to being labeled "unpatriotic" and virtually condemned if any of us dare say anything negative about the United States and its policies. The ribbon-car-magnet, "I Stand With The President" bumper-sticker crowd takes ANY statement like the Reverend's and turns it into a flag-waving event, rather than look at the REASONS he made the statement to begin with. Remember the Dixie Chicks harrassment five years ago? Well, Obama's speech was given on the five-year anniversary of the start of "shock and awe." There are those of us who have been deeply troubled by this war since that very first day, and yet we were shunned if we openly criticised it --especially at the beginning. Natalie Maines and her family received death threats...all in the name of patriotism. Now who is truly the more patriotic person...the one who makes a negative statement about the government, or the one who threatens to KILL the person who made that statement?

Yes, what Rev. Wright said was offensive to me....I don't believe that God should "damn" America...Shrub and his administration seem to be doing that work without God's help. I believe that God has blessed this country with so many good things that we DO need to question an administration that is more concerned with corporations than with individuals; we DO need to challenge our right to drop bombs on any country we want based on the flimsiest of evidence that they "might" hurt us. And we DO need to be angry that the future health and viability of our children and grandchildren is being destroyed by a president and vice president who are so in bed with the oil industry that they will publicly ridicule the idea of global warming rather than be concerned about how they can quickly change our country's environmental policies to try and stop this from happening. But, I would never question Rev. Wright to make that statement...even from his pulpit. Many other ministers from the more evangelical, traditionally white churches, have made equally offensive and "damning" statements during their sermons about the rights of homosexuals, the victims of hurricanes "deserving" their fate, and racially insulting statements about people of other nations and faiths.

If any of you have been watching "John Adams" on HBO you will appreciate all the more the content of Obama's speech this week. The Founders wrestled with so many of these very issues, and two hundred years later we are still wrestling with them. The very foundations of this country were built on our right and ability to question our government. It is what gives us liberty. It is what gives us freedom of speech.

And one final note...I heard this on the radio yesterday so I can't take credit for it...but does this put to rest once and for all the Faux News obsession that Obama is secretly a Muslim?

c'mon, you've done this to your cat too

Since the political posts I've done lately haven't generated much chatter, I'll fall back to "cat wearing a cowboy hat."

The grim smile

Is there a rulebook somewhere that says that when a well-known man (usually a politician) is caught doing the naughty with someone other than his wife (male, or female!) it is required that his wife stand beside him when he announces publicly that he's been a "bad, naughty boy"*?

I for one am sad that the poor wife is paraded in front of the cameras and forced to slap on that clearly artificial smile (or appropriately stern, and hurt grimace) just so we are all assured that she will "stand by her man." If ever there is a time the man should have to face those cameras alone--without the visible support of the very woman he most hurt--this is it.


________________________________
*Sen. Larry Craig criticising Bill Clinton in 1999. "I will tell you that the Senate certainly can bring about a censure reslution and it's a slap on the wrist. It's a, 'Bad boy, Bill Clinton. You're a naughty boy.' The American people already know that Bill Clinton is a bad boy, a naughty boy."

quote of the day

"Sen. Clinton is fighting hard. She's tenacious. I respect her for that. She is working hard to win the nomination. But I want everybody to be absolutely clear. I'm not running for vice president. I'm running for president of the United States of America.

"With all due respect. I won twice as many states as Sen. Clinton. I've won more of the popular vote than Sen. Clinton. I have more delegates than Sen. Clinton. So, I don't know how somebody who's in second place is offering vice presidency to the person who's in first place."

—Sen. Barack Obama

the spin

I've actually had a couple of faithful readers (but not commentors....you can participate too!) say they were expecting me to have a post about recent primary results. My response has been that I've been too busy to post about the March 4 primary, but that doesn't mean I haven't been ruminating about it. My middle sister told me this afternoon after we waxed political on the phone that maybe I needed to stop listening to the news so much...take a break as it were. She's probably right. I find I can get really overwhelmed with all the diagnosing of each nuance of each candidate's every utterance. Does it mean she's being mean? Does it mean he's weak on defending himself? Does that flicker of an eye mean she is getting angry? What does the use of the word "reject" mean?

Good Lord.

The need for the talking heads to keep talking to fill air time has effectively brought our election process to a months-long festival of picking at every single fiber of a candidate's life with tweezers until there is no possible way a voter can make a decision based on the real issues.

I'm very disillusioned with the DNC, and with the leadership which seems hellbent on screwing up the best chance we have at a national election in a generation. I mean, has anyone really listened to anything Shrub has been saying lately? He is getting more, and more bizarre with each passing day. It is only the fact that we are distracted by all these primaries that we aren't paying attention to him anymore. Shrub and his cronies have screwed things up so badly that only the DNC could miss this opportunity to sweep not only the presidential campaign, but the house and senate as well.

The good news about the March 4 primaries is that the results pretty much make it certain that my primary vote in May might actually count toward something....a reality that I didn't think would happen earlier this year.

So I think I WILL take a break. I will find something else to think about for a while.

Maybe I'll go to Wally World and find inspiration for another round of columns blasting THEM!

how time flies

The Reenactor was at his alma mater the other day to help with a class, and while there went by to buy "green" from the guys who sell stuff on campus this time of year. If you don't know what green is, let me reassure you it is a thing you wear, not a thing you smoke. Nor is it something that has anything to do with an environmental issue. It has to do with Ireland and the patron saint of engineering. Anywhooo...he was telling me tonight that as he was "shopping" at the table full of green products he overheard the freshmen who were working the table discussing how they didn't realize what a big party this particular university has each year in March to celebrate the patron saint of engineering until they got on campus, and were so surprised by all the hoopla. The Reenactor jumped into the conversation and waxed historical about the first time he visited the campus and the "trees were full of snakes," "the grass looked like a bomb had gone off on it," and there were drunk people everywhere....celebrating, of course.

It then occurred to him that the reason these young men didn't know the "true" celebration that happened years ago is that the first time he was on campus for this event, they weren't even born yet. The event has toned down considerably in recent years, and isn't quite as colorful as it once was.

In other words, we have green sweatshirts in our closet older than these boys.

Yikes.

Everything's better...somewhere else

I'll start this post by apologizing to one of my friends who reads this blog and comments occasionally. She grew up in Texas, and although she thankfully escaped a few years ago and moved to The Commonwealth, and is now in warmer climes in Florida, the fact remains that she did grow up in Texas. So, forgive me for what I'm about to say.

I just read in the news that the state of Texas is the eighth largest contributor of carbon dioxide in the world. They are right behind Canada in how many metric tons (630 million to be exact in 2005--the year of this study) of CO2 they spew into the atmosphere. That's right. The entire country of Canada has nearly the same CO2 emissions as the state of Texas.

In the article I read about this there are multiple causes for this, namely the refineries and the beef industry. Here's an interesting tidbit from the article, the "production of just 1 kilogram of beef results in more CO2 emissions than going for a three-hour drive while leaving all the lights on at home."

In spite of this news, most people in Texas, deny that "man-made" global warming is real, and refuse to embrace any ideas to change their energy usage.

I've never been fond of Texas, even though all of my siblings have lived there at some point in their lives. None of them live there now, thankfully, and I can blast away. With the exception of my friend who is now in Florida the folks I've met from Texas are so arrogant about their state, and it's "virtues," that I can't tolerate their company. Texas gave us Shrub. Texas gave us Tom Delay. And now it turns out that Texas is destroying our planet.

Y'all should be real proud of yourselves.

eclipse

For those of you who had cloud cover tonight and didn't get to see it, the lunar eclipse was really beautiful. T1 had received a telescope from Santa, and that made it especially fun, in spite of the sub-zero temps on our deck.

This was taken with our Pentax SLR digital. Not bad for just using a long lens. I *think* the white dot in the lower left corner is Saturn. It appeared to the naked eye as a bright star in that area. If I'm wrong I'm sure one of you NASA wonks out there will let me know.

George and Abe

In honor of the two President's who gave us the day off today, and nary a word is mentioned about them on the major news networks websites this morning...I thought I would look up some quotes.

As I read through a list of G. Washington's quotes he sounds like a bit of a neo-con, but without the Rovian meanness. Now I'm inspired to go read more about him. I haven't read much about him since high school, and Lord knows that was tainted with myths and fables...cherry trees, anyone?

Here's a sampling:

Geo: Mankind, when left to themselves, are unfit for their own government.

Geo: Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.

Geo: I know [patriotism] exists, and I know it has done much in the present contest. But a great and lasting war can never be supported on this principle alone. It must be aided by a prospect of interest, or some reward.

Geo: "Guard against the postures of pretended patriotism."

Abe of course was a great, and often funny, speaker. If you need to see evidence of just how great his ability to communicate in just a few words the anguish of the Civil War, go read a copy of the Gettysburg Address. Here are some quotes from him...

Abe: "Common looking people are the best in the world: that is the reason the Lord makes so many of them."

Abe: "I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.

Abe: "A woman is the only thing I am afraid of that I know will not hurt me."

Abe: "Allow the president to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such a purpose - and you allow him to make war at pleasure."

Abe: "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

The Reenactor just came in and said this is his favorite Abe quote:

"In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be wrong."

My advice....buy Krispie Kreme stock

At dinner tonight the topic of "what would you do if you were President?" came up. T2's platform is based entirely on donuts. He said he would start an "international donut day" and would make sure that everyone has a donut on every major holiday...donuts on Valentine's Day, donuts on St. Patrick's Day, etc. The Reenactor asked him how he would pay for all these donuts, and without hesitation T2 said he would make them all himself.

How would the world be different if once a month everyone got a donut? To the skeptic, a starving person in Africa or India would eat it and not care that it was a sugary confection...it is food, dammit, and they are starving. Conversely, there are people in this country struggling to maintain and/or reduce their weight, and a donut would be an unwelcome temptation to their struggle. But to this particular six-year-old kid donuts are a round slice of heaven on Earth.

In general...if you can think of the joy you get from eating a really excellent donut...whether Krispy Kreme is your poison, or a local donut shop ("Red's" is our own) then you can understand why T2 made International Donut Day his priority. If we all had that happy commaradarie that comes from sharing a dozen with friends, wouldn't we all feel better? Wouldn't the world be friendlier if a coffee and donut break were enforced?

I guess my point is that donuts make a great peace offering. If you are angry at someone, take them a dozen. If you are wanting to get to know someone better, donuts make a great "welcome" presentation.

For the record, I like the chocolate iced.

Failure is Not An Option

So if you're a NASA groupie like we are you'll understand the title. The Reenactor bought model rockets for himself and the kids for Christmas because...well....he IS a geek. A ChemE Geek, not an Aerospace Geek, but a Geek nevertheless.

They carefully assembled the rockets (one for each of them) but it has been too windy, too cold, too icy or to damn wet to launch. We had to go to his parent's place in the Bootheel for the big flat stretch of land necessary for launching these things. Today turned out to be a good day to do it.

T2's rocket was fired first...it arc'd a good half-mile into a tree line, but was successfully retrieved. T1's rocket...mid-sized of the group didn't go as far, but still made an impressive showing. The Reenactor's rocket was a three-stage bright-orange ensemble (remember, geek). After firing we quickly lost sight of it. It headed east toward the Mississippi, which is about 15 miles away, and we pretty much assumed it was heading back to Kentucky. The Reenactor headed out on his dad's ATV to search the huge field just east of his parent's place—owned by a friend of theirs—and after multiple passes back and forth, he found it. The rocket was intact but the two stages were toast, and were found in other locations.

This photo is of the second firing of his rocket, with much less fire power assigned than the first attempt. It went straight up, and came almost straight back down into his Dad's horse pasture, which pretty much alarmed and pissed off his dad's quarter horse.

I'm just impressed I actually got this photo!

owl

T1 was eating an apple the other day and moved some of the seeds around and decided it looked like an owl. Can you tell that cabin fever is setting in that I not only took a photo of it, but I'm posting it on my blog as well????????

ice, ice baby

scenes from the ice storm in the Commonwealth, Feb. 12, 2008

electile disfunction

I'm feeling entirely impotent in my ability to be part of the electoral process. I sit week by week watching the caucuses and primaries whiz by, voters in states all around me and all over the country deciding before I ever get a chance to vote who the nominees for the two major parties will be. The Commonwealth doesn't participate in this part of the process until May 20, which will no doubt by then be Ho-Hum Tuesday, rather than Super Duper Fat Tuesday, and will be deemed less important than whatever highjinks Brit is up to on that particular day.

When did the American voter become such a small part of this process? When did someone decided that people in Iowa and New Hampshire are more responsible voters than the rest of us, and they get to vote first?

I'm already steamed that my first choice has dropped out already because of lack of funds, which is due in part to the lack of coverage on the major networks. I don't want Chris Matthews and Wolf Blitzer to decide who the next president will be. Is this too much to ask?

snow day

T1 and T2 had their first official "snow day" today. We haven't had a snow "event" as the NWS gleefully refers to a snow storm these days, since they started school. A snow event always makes me think there should be music and hors d'ouvres. Anyway....we watched the school closing ticker on the local news, and while T2 had the appropriate reaction (Yay!..NO SCHOOL!) and immediately ran to his room to get out some toys; T1 exhibited typical first-child reaction. At first she teared up and cried...."I WANT to go to school." Then she questioned me repeatedly about whether it was "okay" for them to not go to school, and would anyone else be there. When I reassured her--over and over again--that NO ONE was at school today, she worried that maybe at some point people would go to school...like later in the morning...and she would not be there and get in trouble.

She is very concerned about all this, and the reprucussions of missing a day of school because of snow.

So, we went outside and used our sled on the wee hill at the front of our lawn. The mix of less than an inch of snow and wet grass made it perfect for sliding, and they had a great time.

Hot chocolate followed.

What I have learned from old men

I am in a class/group discussion at my church right now that is really an incredible experience. The idea is that you share with the other members of your group your own "spiritual biography." Today was the third week, and each week we've heard from a different person in our group. Two of the six people in this class are gentlemen who I am guestimating are in their 80s. Both seem to be in good health and very active, long-time members of the church. Before this class started I "knew" both of them in that I had greeted them at church services and potluck suppers, but other than that knew virtually nothing about them.

Last week we heard from one of the men, and today we heard the story of the other. I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to both of them tell their life stories, and their own quest to "find" God.

Here is what I have learned from them.

1) Age doesn't give you extra insights into your faith. Both men have expressed their lifelong struggle with doubts about their faith, and their relationshiop with God.
2) Lives of quiet greatness can be lives well lived. Both of these men are well educated, have had interesting careers, served in the armed forces and have raised families. Both are quite humble about what they have achieved in their lives, but just listening to them tell their stories is fascinating. I hate to be all Tom Brokaw here, but they are part of the reason it is called the "greatest generation."
3) Men of that age have such a respect for each other. Last week one of the men was talking about his late wife (he's a widower) and the other man, who has known him for years, smiled and said what a "peach" or (some cool Forties word like that) his wife had been. Watching these men talk to each other in front of the rest of us, you realize that the friendships forged over decades ascend to a whole different level than the ones we are accustomed to in our mobile society today.

I feel so honored to have heard their stories and been able to share my own thoughts with them. Here's the sad part...if it weren't for this class I can't imagine that I would have ever had a reason to have listened to them tell their stories, and learned so much about them. And I would have missed out on something really special.

cuttin' the cheese

Yes, I know that is a crude reference to bathroom humor, but here's what happened. Last night as I was slicing up some cheddar cheese to serve to a houseful of kids I was entertaining (along with their moms) I decided to use the handy-dandy new cheese knife sent to me for Christmas by my eldest sister. It was slicing beautifully, and I had just finished making a joke about the SNL Danny Akroyd spoof of Julia Child, where he/she cuts her hand and blood spurts everywhere. "I seem to have just cut the dickens out of my hand," or something like that. Moments later I realized that I had sliced not cheese, but my ring finger on my left hand. I was literally stunned for a moment, and my first thought was, "I wish I could redo that last 20 seconds." I honestly thought the top of the finger was lopped off, but after glancing at the knife...which did have blood on it, but no tissue or fingertips, I knew it was just a bad cut.

Fortunately, my friend E.G., who is a fine member of the medical community, was one of my guests, so I put her to work seeing exactly what I had done to myself. I had a nasty cut...it took off the end of my fingernail and went into the bed of the nail, but she assured me that stitches probably wouldn't work there, so a trip to the ER wasn't necessary, much to my relief.

The bad news was, The Reenactor had his fully stocked Fishing Tackle Box of Bandages and Other Emergency Supplies That I Kid Him About with him on a volunteer trip to NOLA, lest there be an emergency THERE. So, other than a handful of Dora the Explorer bandaids I was SOL for medical supplies. Not to worry, E.G.'s mom --who is a delightful woman -- drove into town to buy things at the nearest pharmacy. Finger was thickly guazed and swaddled, and our own dinner...which I had been getting ready to prepare...was now turned into a all-hands-on-deck cooking class with me waving my injured left hand in the air (to keep the circulation away from the injured finger) and trying to stir and give directions at the same time.

Food turned out great...no fingertips were reported in it...and after a trip to my own doc today for a tetanus shot and review of the injury, I'm wrapped again in fresh sterry strips (spelling?) and a half-inch of gauze all around.

Do you realize just how much you USE just one of your fingers, and how often it is a hindrance to have it wrapped in gauze? Doing dishes and typing are interesting.

Oh, and Big Sis...I do LOVE the cheese knife...but I will certainly be more careful next time.

The pursuit of happiness

What a strange thing for the Founders to have put in the Declaration of Independence. We want to pursue our happiness, dammit, and we don't need the King bossing us around!

I saw 20/20 last night on ABC, and the topic was happiness. How happy are we? How do we achieve happiness? Where is the happiest place on earth? Well, surprisingly, the happiest country on earth is Denmark. Turns out most people in Denmark rate themselves very high on a scale of "happiness" in surveys. I'm attaching some of the copy from last night's show to the end of this post, but two things caught my attention and those of you who know me well will understand why they did. The first is that even though Denmark has really high taxes, there is incredible health care coverage, and education programs. There are programs for social networking and transportation. Think about how your life would change if you didn't have to worry about paying for medical care, or having an illness that was going to bankrupt your family. Think about how you would feel if you knew that your school system had the same level of quality as the one across town.

Another aspect of this is that it tends to even out income. As they said on the program a doctor, an artist, and a garbage collector all even out in their incomes because of the combination of taxes, and the benefits they receive from the government. So, you can truly make a career choice based on life fulfillment rather than income. They interviewed the garbage collector, who is treated like a friend in the neighborhoods he works in. People come out to talk to him, and offer him coffee. When is the last time you offered coffee to your CWI collector? This man (in Denmark) said he chose his career because he only has to work five hours a day, and he can spend time with his kids, and coaching sports teams the rest of the time.

Two other points about the Danes to consider....they have more time to have friends. In fact hobby clubs, and having dinner with neighbors and friends is high on their priority list. And second, they aren't as interested in "things" as we are. They are not into purchasing stuff for their homes, and buying bling and flash cars like we are.

Now honestly, this sounds like a perfect discription of a socialist society, and perhaps there is something to be said for it. One caveat, there are only 5.5 million people in Denmark, and it does tend to be a homogenous society (I think that is the right word) so collectively they tend to agree on most things. It would be MUCH harder to have that sort of collective ideal in the US because we can't agree on much.

So, what I got from this is that happiness can be achieved...not from things, or status...but from time spent with family and friends, and from just taking time to pursue your interests...reading books, singing, watching birds, whatever.

****************************

Here is some of the text pulled from last night's script:


Danes do have one potential complaint: high taxes. The happiest people in the world pay some of the highest taxes in the world -- between 50 percent and 70 percent of their incomes. In exchange, the government covers all health care and education, and spends more on children and the elderly than any country in the world per capita. With just 5.5 million people, the system is efficient, and people feel "tryghed" -- the Danish word for "tucked in" -- like a snug child.

Those high taxes have another effect. Since a banker can end up taking home as much money as an artist, people don't chose careers based on income or status. "They have this thing called 'Jante-lov,' which essentially says, 'You're no better then anybody else,'" said Buettner. "A garbage man can live in a middle-class neighborhood and hold his head high."

Hanging out with other Danes just may be their happiness secret. Ninety-two percent of Danes belong to some kind of social club, dancing, singing, even practicing laughing with other Danes. Get a few people together who enjoy model train building, for example, and the government will pay for it. In Denmark, even friendship is subsidized.

And Denmark is what is called a "post consumerist" society. People have nice things, but shopping and consuming is not a top priority. Even the advertising is often understated. Along with less emphasis on "stuff," and a strong social fabric, Danes also display an amazing level of trust in each other, and their government. A University of Cambridge happiness study found that both kinds of trust were higher in happier places.

results!

I am posting my official year-end results for my "stop shopping at WM" campaign. While I was not altogether successful, as faithful readers will know, I DID have a significant drop in the amount of money I spent there this year. I had several relapses through the year where my attitude was "it's convenient, and cheap, dammit." But the last couple of times I was in there, before Christmas, I was SO angry at how few people they had working the registers at the busiest time of the year, and the general malaise I felt just being in the building, that I have renewed resolve to keep out.

Here's my official tally:

Amount spent in 2006 at WM: $8587
Amount spent in 2007 at WM: $4669

That is still a depressing $389 per month average that I spent there, but the big picture is that I only spent roughly HALF of what I spent the year before!!! And in reviewing the last six years in Quicken, I consistently spent between $8000 and $9000 per year each of those years at WM.

Now with that said my grocery bill did increase by approx. $1000 from previous years. However, I do have some explanation. First, I bought a LOT more organic foods this year, which are more expensive. Organic milk alone is twice as expensive as regular milk. Also, I think groceries have just been higher this year because of increased fuel costs. And last, I had several "big grocery weeks" when we were buying food for large groups of people (beach, birthday party, etc.).

I looked up what WM's annual sales are and it was something like $346 billion so imagine the impact my $3900 had on them! Ha! Okay, so imagine if each family cut their WM spending by half and spent their dollars elsewhere. That might get their attention.

artsy cat dish

T1 and T2 had $20 burning a hole in their pockets this week....cash gifts from their great aunt Jo. We decided to use the money to go to a local pottery painting place, so they could get their art groove on. They each got to pick two pieces, and one of the pieces T1 picked was a pet food dish. She proceeded to give it a jungle theme for our decidely non-jungle cat. The cat is very impressed with her new dish, and has been guarding it fiercely every time I've seen her around it. She pushes it around with her paw, as if not satisfied with it's current location. She has actually laid down next to it with her paws around it as well.

2007 in the rearview mirror

Here's my top ten list of things that happened this year:

1) The Reenactor got a different job at his company. This means after nearly 12 years of marriage I don't have to look forward to him working shift hours on nearly every holiday weekend, being called in because something broke, then not coming home except to sleep for two weeks, and his general angst and unhappiness in his former job. He is now stictly an administrative office geek, and we all saw a difference in him immediately.

2) T2 started kindergarten. In spite of the fact that I still hate to have him and T1 gone from the house so much, it is a new day for me to have time during the day to get some things done.

3) Our vacation to Disney. Okay, I complained long and loud about it in earlier posts, and I still think the whole thing is vastly overrated, but the kids did have fun, and it was a joy as a parent to watch them experience it.

4) My trip to NOLA to help with Katrina relief. Even though it makes me angry to my core that so many people are still without adequate shelter and assistance repairing their homes three years after the fact, it was both educational and rewarding to work with such good people who are actually living there and living this nightmare on a day-to-day business. I was so honored to meet Rev. Vance and Fred from C of C. They have a special box of admiration all wrapped up under my tree.

5) Getting the bathroom (s) and kitchen remodeled. Even though our house has been been a complete mess for most of the year, we are getting it together and cleaned up now, and we are happy with the results. Now we're going to sell it!

6) Finding out that I really have good friends as I struggled through some mystery illness/condition for several months last spring. I still don't know exactly what happened to me, but I suspect it was a combination of a too-intense antibiotic mixed with some other meds I was taking at the time to relieve a severe ear infection; mixed up with the stress of The Reenactor's workload (at the time) and many other things. Whatever it was, it was a nightmare. My friends stood by me, and were so supportive. Thanks to you all.

7) Realizing I can say no. And that is my theme for 2008....saying "no."

8) Discovering even more wonderful state parks in So. Ill. Beautiful trails, close to home, all good!

9) My brother moving back to MO. I cried when he called to tell me, and now that we got to spend part of both Thanksgiving and Christmas at his excellent new home, I realized just how much I needed to have more family living in the Ozarks. Sisters, take a hint! We need to all live closer together!

10) T1, T2 and The Reenactor. I hit the jackpot with all of you.

3 gen

Happy birthday to my son, the finest boy I know. Happy birthday to me. I'm just turning 39, again. Happy birthday to Howard. Out there somewhere he's enjoying the best chocolate cake in heaven.

the phone call

I ask for your endulgence as I go in a very personal direction today. After my father died a couple of years ago a friend of mine--who had lost her mother the month before--told me that as I grieved I would go for weeks feeling fine, then I would get "zinged" out of nowhere and find myself crying about my parents. Now that both my parents are gone I do find that often I will have a Mom or Dad "zing" out of nowhere and it cuts to my core.

Last weekend I was visiting family in Missouri and had the opportunity to go to a party where there were many people from my hometown. Most of these people were several years older than me, but I remember them from church and school activities of my youth, and it was great fun to talk to them. At one point a woman I don't know or remember, when finding out my maiden name, said, "oh I had your Mother as my teacher in fourth grade." I immediately got "zinged" when she said that. My mother taught school in a one-room schoolhouse in a rural part of our county before I was born. It is very unusual for me to meet one of her former students. The woman continued, and told me that my mother was an "awesome" teacher. A while later I met a man I personally didn't know, but recognized his name. When he asked who I was and I told him who my parents were (in trying to figure out the hometown family tree) he said that my dad had been a regular customer at his tractor parts store for years. He said that my dad was one of the finest men he ever met, and that he (my dad) always treated him with nothing but courtesy and respect.

What those two people didn't know is that they gave me the best Christmas gift I got this year...a new memory of my parents.

Later, at my brother's cool new/old house, I got another "zing" just standing next to a piece of furniture that belonged to my parents, and now has pride-of-place in the dining room at The Edward's home. As long as I can remember this desk/hutch served sentry over family meals and gatherings in our childhood home. It held my mother's collection of cookbooks, and the cubbyholes in the desk were full of her notes to herself, and an odd assortment of snapshots. The drawers had a peculiar wood/musty/barn smell to them when pulled out that is seared in my memory. The first time I visited The Edward's house at Thanksgiving I pulled out one of those drawers just to smell it. Still smells that way.

That piece of furniture is once again standing over our family meals, and I find great comfort in that.

On the last night we were in MO I had this moment where I was thinking of what would happen if I dialed my parents' old phone number. It hasn't been in service for three and a half years. Would someone answer? What if someone answered and sounded like Mom? I thought about what it would be like to dial that number and hear my mother answer. For the record, I didn't dial the number...I'm not that far gone...but it was something I mulled over for a long time.

Then the day after Christmas I was listening to NPR, and Writer's Almanac was on. I haven't heard W.A. in a long time, mostly because it is on exactly when I'm taking the kids to school, and I'm ususally listening to XMKids on that drive. On Wednesday Garrison read a poem by Grace Paley called "I needed to talk to my sister..."

Here's the poem:




I needed to talk to my sister
talk to her on the telephone I mean
just as I used to every morning
in the evening too whenever the
grandchildren said a sentence that
clasped both our hearts

I called her phone rang four times
you can imagine my breath stopped then
there was a terrible telephonic noise
a voice said this number is no
longer in use how wonderful I
thought I can
call again they have not yet assigned
her number to another person despite
two years of absence due to death


(I copied this from the W.A. website...here is the copyright info:)
from Fidelity. © Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008. Reprinted with permission.

the Birds

We were overtaken Sat. by a herd of black birds. My guess is that there were thousands in this flock, and were probably heading through our area ahead of the big snow/ice storm that was north of us. It was a bit Hitchcock-esque watching them all land in the yards around us, virtually covering the ground with a mass of black, chirping, squawking movement.

Our cat was about to lose her mind watching them. She was running from window to window and twitching with energy to get out there and hunt.

Click on the photos to see them a bit larger, and you get a better idea of how many there were.

Peace on Earth

Last night at bedtime T1 asked me in a hushed, tearful tone if we were going to be bombed. "Do bombs happen here?" she asked.

It's one of those gut-clenching parenting moments, when you hover on the precipice of being honest, or being cheerfully dishonest. T1 is no fool, and she is very tuned in to things she sees or hears at school, or from friends, so I have to be careful in my approach to such a question.

I asked her why she was asking, and it turns out that while helping me find a "write a letter to Santa" website, she had briefly seen the CNN website, with a photo and headline of a car bombing in Algiers, and because she is really getting good at reading, was able to make out two words..."car" and "bomb."

I explained to her that the photo she saw was taken on the other side of the world, and not close to us, but my mind was thinking of the fact that somewhere in Algiers, or Iraq, or Isreal, a child just like T1 was asking her mother at bedtime why a car blew up outside her school today, or why her friend was killed when she went grocery shopping with her daddy.

T1 asked me why do people have wars. I was tempted to launch on a tirade against presidents who knowingly send our soldiers into a country where we have no real quarrel to start a war that never should have been started, but it was late, and I didn't want to keep the poor child up for hours while Mommy ranted.

This is a question that when you look at it from the simplicity of a child's perspective is something every person should ask. What good does it do? What possible good comes from bombs? It is so sad that 2000 years after Christ was born--bringing the message of peace and love to all of us--we are still keen to senselessly kill one another.

T1 asked if she or T2 would ever have to be soldiers. God help us all, I hope no mothers have to send their children to war by the time they are grown up.

I'm not alone!

My niece emailed to me a website link last night, from a commecial she had seen on her local television newscast. I am so thrilled to find out that there is an entire website devoted to the same angst over WM that I have shared with all of you in this blog for nearly a year. At first glance it appears to be chock full of information about WM's terrible employee compensation, dependence on manufacturing in China, and other just crappy ethical behavior, to KEEP THOSE PRICES LOW.

Here's the link:

http://wakeupwalmart.com

the Happiness of Bubble Lights

Since my Christmas lights are out of reach in the dark recesses of our storage shed, and I've got too many other commitments this year to spend much time trying to get them out, I went ahead and bought all new lights for our new Faux Christmas tree this year....first one ever for me. I've always been a purist when it comes to Christmas trees, and purchased "live" (actually "dead" since they had been cut down) but this year a friend turned me onto a deal I couldn't turn down...a $20 artificial tree at a surplus place here in my town. The tree actually looks remarkably good, and since I need a decent tree this year, with no wilting, browning of limbs, or whatever, I bought it.

So anyway...I went to a big box store (NOT WM!!!) to buy lights, and there, in the midst of all the lights were bubble lights. The good old "retro" lava-lamp bubble lights. My brother has had them on his tree for years, and I've always admired them. I was further convinced to buy them since they were on sale, and once I got home started stringing lights on my God-Knows-What-Sort-of-Manufacturing-Conditions-In-China tree. The regular lights all went up quickly, and looked...well...okay. Then I added in the bubble lights. T1 and T2 were immediately thrilled with them, as was I. In fact, I kept looking at them all night. Every time I walked through the room I looked at my bubble lights. Here's what I will say about them, they make me smile. They just are so happy looking.

So there. If you are having bad week, go out and buy bubble lights.

How depressing

I live in one of the top three most depressed states in the US. A recenty survey identified my Commonwealth as one of the top three, lagging only behind Utah. Turns out because there is a general lack of funding for mental health care here, so we are suffering from an abundance of untreated depressed people.

This doesn't surprise me.

The study went on to note that the states with the largest counts of people identifying themselves as "depressed" were also the least educated states.

I'm not knocking the idea that there are depressed people out there, I'm knocking the fact that as a society, particulary in the Commonwealth apparently, depression isn't recognized as a health issue and funded accordingly for lower income people.

On the bright side, we do have more smokers than most other states, as well as a higher level of obesity.

Pick me up a bucket of chicken and a pack of smokes on the way home, Buford, I'm feeling blue today.

whatever happened to blocks?

I just saw a story on the NYTimes website about the most popular toys for preschoolers this holiday seasons. Turns out laptops, MP3 music players, and digital cameras are the hottest toys this year ... for 3-5 year olds.

Get a GRIP, people! Preschoolers need blocks and cars they have to push to go "vroom" with, and dolls and pretend kitchens and puzzles, and bouncy balls they can throw and chase across the yard.

To paraphrase from the article, one of the hottest toys this year is an exercise bicycle connected to a video game. According to a toy industry analyst there's been a "huge jump" in the last year in toys that involve looking at a screen.

I saw the bike/video game thing in a catalog and thought it was the dumbest thing I ever saw.

I'm not speaking out of turn here...I have two children (T1 and T2) and I can report with great authority that they would probably have a brief fascination with that thing, and then it would gather dust.

On the other hand, T2 is still creating the most amazing structures with the basic wood block set his grandparents gave him for Christmas five years ago. He builds detailed courses for his Hot Wheels cars to travel on with wooden shims we got at the lumber store. T1 colors and draws with plain old Crayons, and makes toy critters out of rocks and things she finds in the yard, and castoff packaging from things we get shipped to us.

I found a box of marbles in my storage shed the other night that I had brought home from my parents' house several years ago. At the time T1 and T2 were too young to play with small marbles (choking hazard) but now they are old enough to not do that, so I got on the floor and taught them how to play. T2 is toting them around like a Major Prize Gift from the Gods now.

My sisters recently brought my kids the "Tiddlywinks" game. Again...how basic is THAT? And they LOVE it. Ditto with dominoes, Crazy Eight card games and the kid version of Monopoly.

I'm on my righteously indignant parenting soapbox right now, but puhlllleeeaaaase....don't ENCOURAGE your children to spend any more time in front of a TV/Video than they already do!!!!

Oh, and here's an idea...how about taking them out on REAL bikes for a ride?

12 step program

A good friend of mine informed me the other day that avoiding W.M. is sort of like being in a 12-step program. If you are trying to avoid it (like I claim to have been for nearly a year now) you have to find alternate ways of feeding your craving, especially in THIS town, when it offers the only reliable choice for groceries in a particular geographic area; you also have to confess when you've been bad and shopped there (I've been doing that a bit on this blog, but not enough) and you have to come to grips with who and what you are hurting when you shop there.

Even though she was gently teasing me at the time, it is true. It is too easy to fall back into the W.M. addiction, and I've defiitely fallen off the wagon of late. You would think that they planned it out or something. Market themselves specifically to me, even though I claim to hate the place. I do hate the place. I hate shopping there. I hate their smug corporate attitude. So why am I spending The Reenactor's hard-earned salary there? Even on the smallest purchase?

One word: convenience.

I find that I go there for weird multiples...I might have half an hour to shop for five items...trash bags, organic milk, DVD-Rs, a birthday gift for T2's friend, and ballet tights for T1. I need all of these items in the next 24 hours, and I have the choice of driving to four or five different stores....at least two of which would still be "big box" stores, of lumping all these errands into one location and being done with it.

So I'm guilty of shopping there. And I FEEL guilty. I feel bad that I'm supporting such an awful corporate culture. I feel angry that I don't have better choices for groceries and other items in the town I live in. I am disturbed that most of the items I buy there are made in a sweat shop on the other side of the world. I don't want to have such far-reaching consequences lumped on my hurried-up need for milk, toys, and trash bags.

I don't have an answer, I'm just venting. I am still going to make a choice to shop elsewhere as often as possible, and to avoid the big box stores as much as I reasonably can. I'm hoping that if there are enough of people out there like me doing at least a portion of their shopping elsewhere, that the big corporations will realize they ARE accountable to us to be responsible citizens. Maybe I'm dreaming....maybe I'm just fantasizing at this point....dreaming my dreamy dreams.

I can always hope, though.

China angst

I'm not the only one who really starting to get mad about this....(from MSNBC)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21825517/

of Chinese lights, and Indonesian colanders

Exactly WHAT do we manufacture in this country anymore? I have been making a lot of purchases in the last few days, mostly because we are in the throes of remodeling the kitchen and kids' bath, and as The Reenactor is like a man possessed about getting the job done, I'm all for making those runs to the big box stores for purchases as quickly as we need them. And I'm quickly realizing that I'm buying almost nothing made in this country.

This all started with a bonfire last week. We were burning the cartons from the kitchen cabinets we had installed the weekend before (those WERE made in the U.S.), and we decided to pitch in the remaining two broken cabinets from the old kitchen that had been hillbilly-ing up our front porch. As these burned quite nicely we decided that since the vanity in the kids' bathroom was broken as well, and we had been intending to replace it anyway, we went in, unhooked it from the wall and plumbing (I'm using the Royal "we" here....I didn't do any of that...the Reenactor did) and by golly, that went in the fire too. After that we realized we had pretty much commited ourselves to remodeling the bathroom at this point.

So anyway....back to manufacturing. In the last 48 hours I have purchased a ready-to-install vanity, lights, flooring, and various other products needed to get this done. I also made a side trip to a housewares store to buy some drawer organizers for my new cabinet drawers. The cool bamboo (renewable resource!) wood drawer divider I bought was made in Indonesia, as was the new colander I bought. I didn't search through every bin at the home improvement store, but I can pretty much guarantee that none of the lights I looked at were made in the US. I saw "made in China" on every box I picked up. Same thing for the other fixtures we've purchased.

Here's the thing.... I would actually BUY American-made products if they were available, and if the price difference wasn't grosssly unreasonable. It is the same choice I make when I seek out organic products. The more I have available to me, the more I will purchase.

Oh and now we have a toilet on our front porch. It adds to the overall ambiance of the place, I must say. And if any of you come to visit be aware that you might be greeted by a gap-toothed kid with no shoes on playing a banjo. And that would be T1.

and furthermore

Just to give you an idea of their editorial integrity, a week ago they published an opinion piece that mocked evolutionary biology.

As long as they can make a buck

I make it a point to not purchase my local newspaper. This is because it is poorly written, poorly edited, and pretty much a joke in the local community--especially for those of us who have lived somewhere else and realize what an asset a decent newspaper can be to a community. On top of this, the very wealthy family who own not only the local newspaper, but the local television station as well (and maybe a radio station or two?) are decidedly "right" in their politics. The newspaper is something of a print version of "Faux" News--pretty much unfair and unbalanced. I see no reason to give these people a dime.

Nevertheless, I do "read" their online version occasionally. You have to pay them to read the full stories...they have a paid online subscription, which I don't pay. Mostly I just a glance at the headlines to see if there is something of stunning importance locally I need to know. The irony here is that if there were, this newspaper probably wouldn't carry it, or would get the facts wrong.

One day a couple of months ago I did buy a newstand copy out of boredom while I was waiting for T1 and T2 at school. That particular day the editorial "opinion" was that global warming was a vast conspiracy made up by thousands of scientists and Al Gore, and that they (the editors) chose to believe the one "NASA" scientist* who says it is not only all a bunch of hoopla, but if we try to fight it we could actually make things worse. Kid ya not. I could literally feel the veins in my brain starting to snap and fizzle reading this editorial.

So in the last couple of days in my early morning checking of my online papers (I check three or four different newspapers online each morning) I noticed that the banner advertisement at the top of the local paper's website is a "fight global warming..learn how" ad. What the? Huh? I thought that was all a bunch of made up stuff? It is a legit ad...sponsored by the AdCouncil and the Environmental Defense Fund. So the message here is that even though your editors don't "believe" in global warming, they'll take money from an advertiser who is trying to prevent it?

I have a word for them, and it sort of rhymes with "mustard."

* The "NASA" scientist quoted in their editorial has ties to the oil industry. I guess they didn't bother to google him before they got all lathered up about how informed his opinion was.

For Ashley

In keeping a Fillmer-esque theme of photographing squash, and in homage to my organic-squash-lovin' farmer niece, 'shley, I am attaching a photo I took of the inside of T2's pumpkin, moments before turning it into a jack-o-lantern. I was particularly taken with the architectural aspects of the fibers.

I'll get off this nature-photography thing soon!

fern

We took T1, T2 and some friends to a state park in So. Ill. on Saturday for T1's birthday hike and party. It was a beautiful place, and I took lots of photos. This one looked totally different once I downloaded it onto my computer and looked at it in a "big" format, rather than just on the screen on the back of the camera. I would like to hear title suggestions for it. Fillmers...get those creative thoughts going!

bike parts and formal wear

Seen in mid-town NOLA...a corner bike parts, grocery store, and formal wear shop.

blue tarps

Hey campers, since I have a few moments before bed I thought I would post a quick blog from our work trip to NOLA.

For those of you who haven't been here since the Big K hit 2 years ago, I could TOTALLY go on a rant about those responsible for what HAS NOT been done here. It is stunning what is not happening. If you talk to locals, and we have done so a lot, virtually assistance has come to help people rebuild their homes and lives from non-profit organizations.

The beauracracy and paperwork, and corruption here is unbelievable...just ask anyone who still has a blue tarp sheltering them from the elements...and there are thousands of them out there.

And I don't really need to tell all of you this, but I will anyway, the blue tarps are NOT on the houses in the neighborhoods with brick entries, and 3000-4000-sq. foot houses.

On the flip side, the locals will also tell you that it IS coming back, and that though it is hard to believe in some of the areas we've driven through, but things look much better to them than they did two years ago.

The phrase that keeps going through my head as we drive to job sites....

"you're doin' a heckuva job, brownie."

Nuf said.

The Mouse

This is the symbol you see on nearly every ride at WDW...it clearly says to me "SIT and have fun. Stand up and you fall off screaming in opposite directions."



Hey there campers, we have returned from our vacation to the deep South, and specifically to WDW. I know most of you know the angst I have had over going in recent months. In my opinion prior to the trip there were too many insider "rules" that you had to know to prevent any fun from actually happening. It has been something I have been both surprised by, and loathe to listen to, in waiting rooms and coffee groups in this area that if someone brings up the subject of their next spring or fall break, it instantly becomes Disney-mania and that is the discussion for hours on end afterwards. It is something of a cult around here to spend not just one, but EVERY family vacation visiting Orlando, and the tricks, tips, rules, and insider knowledge traded in these conversations is unbelievable.

With that said, here were the two best pieces of advice we got prior to going, and they both came from our friend Jackie, who has been to WDW a few times, and has a sensible approach to visiting there. The first was to actually drive our car to the WDW parking lot and pay for parking, rather than wait for the "free" shuttle buses most the hotels in the area offer. We had no trouble getting there on any of the three days we were there, and as the whole trip from our hotel to the lot was about 10 minutes, it was well worth not hassling with even more tourists on the buses.

Tip no. 2, was to hydrate ourselves and T1 and T2. To that end The Reenactor took his backpack with the self contained water bladder thingie in it, and we drank cold water all day from it. Just remembering to keep drinking as we were waiting in lines made for us all being happier.

Here are my observations from the trip, now that you know some of my background about going.

Pros:

--The place really is beautiful. Having worked in a theme park myself, and knowing how much effort is put into "theming" a place like that, I think they truly do an exceptional job of creating a "set" for the entertainment going on around you.

--The signs in front of the rides are really informative about what age level will enjoy the ride. There was only one ride we took T1 and T2 on that they didn't want to repeat, and it was truly a bit scary for them....the signs had given us plenty of warning.

--In-park food and beverage prices were way more reasonable than I anticipated, and I was REALLY surprised at how much fresh fruit and vegetarian fare was offered.

--In spite of my original grumpiness about ticket prices I do feel that we got our money's worth each day. Just the shows and 3D movies alone are worth the admission price. The "electric" parade and fireworks show in the evening are an extra bonus that you don't get in a lot of similar venues.

--The kids had a good time...and ultimately that was what it was all about. For the record, they probably would have had an equally good time at any major theme park we took them to, as the rides and shows all in one place was a new experience for them.

The cons:

--the other tourists....the ones with the glassy-eyed gleam in their eyes who you knew were the "frequent flyers" to this place. They take it wayyyyyy too seriously.

--the darn autograph books. Apparently you purchase an autograph book (conveniently sold there on site) and haul your four-year-old child all over the place trying to get the characters to sign them ....this means the princesses, Goofy, Tigger, etc. all need to sign your kids' book with their big stuffed paws while you take pictures of "precious" looking on lovingly. This pretty much effectively holds up the line for the rest of us just wanting to snap a photo of our kid mugging with Mickey.

--TOO MANY STROLLERS. Seriously, these things really screw up crowd control. I have no problem with someone bringing in a simple single-wide umbrella stroller for their two-or-three year old, but the park offers stroller rental, and they offer these big, wide double strollers, that all too often are lugging around kids as old, or older than T1 and T2. Hey, if your normally healthy kid can't walk around this park at age 7 or 8, maybe they shouldn't be here. There were many times were we got hung in a slow moving line of traffic behind a dozen of these things being pushed around by equally weary parents, and it was a nightmare to try to get ahead of them.

So..with all that said I'll eagerly wait your comments.

Ta.

mouse ears

We're off to WDW this week. Camper discussions to return soon. Do you think I'll be consumed with conspicuous consumerism?

Don't read this!

For all you campers who don't regularly listen to NPR (are any of you out there?) it is National Banned Books Week! Did you realize that oftentimes the only person standing between your choice to read some of the great classics of all time, and some local moral authority who thinks there might be a bad word or idea in that classic, is your librarian? That's right! The sweet ladies at the public library in your town are (for the most part) stalwart defenders of your Right to Read. Just think how your literary education would be different if the yahoos had their way and you didn't get to read "Tom Sawyer," "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "Slaughterhouse Five" and "Lord of the Flies." Did you know that our beloved Shel Silverstein has a book in the top 100 banned books of all time? "A Light in the Attic" comes in at No. 51! Did you know the "Where's Waldo?" books and Harry Potter series are both in the list? Two of my favorite children's books authors--Mem Fox and Maurice Sendak--both have books listed in the top 100.

From the American Library Association's website, a lovely quote, under the heading of the First Amendment information:

“Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime . . . .” — Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, dissenting Ginzberg v. United States, 383 U.S. 463 (1966)

Go read a banned book, and hug your librarian!

To the Reenactor

My husband, The Reenactor, turns 40 today. He's out of town on a business trip, so in his absence I will discuss him on my blog.

We met when we were both photographers for a university that shall go unnamed, because we don't like the new name of it! I was working for the PR dept, he was working for the yearbook. We often were at the same place at the same time, waiting in bored patience for the grip-n-grin to occur so we could get our shot, and leave. We suffered through speeches, presentations, and really awful football games just to get enough usuable frames (pre-digital camera, folks!) to work with, and I soon found myself looking forward to his company at these occasions. The rest, they say, is history, and 16 years later (12 of those in wedded bliss) I still look forward to his company.

I'm proud of him for what he has done professionally...making chemicals we can all keep cool with...and with how seriously he takes his role in it. I'm proud that he has been given a whole new responsiblity at work, and that everyone who has worked with him recognizes that he is perfect for his new job...making sure that the process of making the chemicals is done as safely as possible.

I'm proud that he has taken his grandmother's pickle recipe and made it his own...taking something that was already good, and making it way better.

I'm proud that he probably knows more Civil War history than the average person, and in spite of the fact that all those CW books take up a lot of shelf space in our house, that he has actually read all of them, not just once, but multiple times.

He's not one to challenge at trivial pursuit...he has more obscure knowledge tucked away than the average person, and knows more strange facts than I'll ever know.

Anyway...here's to The Reenactor in a new decade. Much love from your bride!

sorry to be bore-ing!!!

It has been difficult for me to find inspiration for blog posting these last few days. I keep wanting to rant about how disgusted I am with the president and his hell-bent plans for keeping our young men and women in harms' way just so he can prove he's right, or at least he's the decider, or whatever. I am so unbelieveably frustrated with it all that I simply can't focus my thoughts into something coherent and understandable, and for what it's worth, I'm pretty much preachin' to the choir with you Campers, arent' I? No Rovians lurking out there are there?

So I'll latch onto something more fun...one of my new favorite televsion shows is "Living with Ed." No, it isn't about my brother (sorry Ed!). It is about the actor Ed Begley, Jr., and his wife, and their "green" lifestyle. It is on HGTV and is both funny and incredibly informative about ways the average household can limit their use of electricty, fossil fuels, water, etc. I said, average household...but really this season he has visited celebrity friends who have seriously gone green...some of them almost entirely or entirely getting "off the grid" --which is apparently the goal of folks like Ed. Some of these people have fabulous houses (estates really) that are powered almost exclusively by solar or wind power. In fact, Larry Hagman (yes, J.R. from Dallas) sells back some of the power his personal system generates to the power company, and I think I understood that he donates some of his power as well to low-income families. He said he went from having a $37,000 electric bill one year, to a $13 the next, after he installed his solar panels. Incredible. Of course the panels were plenty expensive, so folks like The Reenactor and I can't rush out to buy them, but it is impressive that this amount of power is possible from a unit like this. And it's CLEAN, folks!!!

On a smaller scale, they have installed numerous gadgets in their own home which I am really interested in...one is a switch that allows you to turn off all unnecessary power in your house when you aren't home....all the things that are on "standby" waiting for you to use them, and sucking electricty while they wait. You can be very specific about which outlets you want to include in this, and the energy savings was something like 25% per month.

Anyway...if you get a chance to watch it it really is good fun, and educational.

Cards vs. Cubs tomorrow...I've never seen the Cubbies before!

We'll lose, of course, but at this point, does it really matter?

I promise I didn't photoshop this....

Shley be 30

Cheers to my niece 'shley who is turning 30!

I was looking for a photo I have somewhere here in the house of her as an adorable five-year-old, but can't find it at the moment.

She is still adorable, and in recent years has educated me in the ways of organic and sustainable farming; shared political angst with me via email; and has gone on travels and adventures that I will have to live vicariously through.

But my favorite 'shley memory is that we shared a trip to Philmont together 14 years ago (yes, girl, 14!). I had a great time in her company there, and have many, many great memories of singing Billy Joel and Simon and Garfunkel songs while we hiked, dodging really fierce lightning storms, and eating really terrible food, and the last morning we were on the trail, sitting on the Tooth and watching the sun rise over New Mexico.

30 is a dawdle, Shley. I hope you find grand new ways to hike your path in this world. I will raise a pint of Fat Tire in your honor tonight.

Love ya,
Auntie K

Cat in repose

I tried to convince the cat that she wasn't being very ladylike in her posture last night, but she didn't listen.

How my kid spends time at school

Thing 1 came home the other day and announced in a very worried tone to me that her class had watched "Sponge Bob" at school that afternoon. I immediately understood WHY they had watched television — it is hell hot outside and too dangerous for the kids to have recess — but I was concerned about the choice of viewing material. Our kids don't watch Sponge Bob...it just isn't in our list of "approved" television. So all of you campers out there who are fans of the show, I'm not railing against that particular program, it just isn't one I personally choose for my kids to watch.

I spoke to Thing 1's teacher about it that evening at an open house, and she seemed mystified at my concern. I pointed out that at the same time period there are some great shows on PBS like Reading Rainbow and Between the Lions...surely more appropriate for kids to watch in an academic setting. A friend of mine observed later that the school library also has videos and DVDs of the excellent Scholastic books-on-video series....which are GREAT. Again, more appropriate for school, no?

Here's the irony of the whole situation....I guarantee that I am by leaps and bounds the most "liberal" parent in Thing 1's classroom, yet I'm the one questioning the fact that they are watching commercially-sponsored, non-academic television in lieu of something that they could actually learn something positive from. In fact, and this is REALLY ironic given the bad rap the label "liberal" has these days, is that I find myself very "conservative" on the ways that my children are exposed to different influences.

And, the next day, the kids didn't watch Sponge Bob...but they did watch another Nick show...one geared toward 'tweens. Again...this isn't complicated....just put in something more appropriate for six-year-olds.

red, or white?

What is the etiquette for a Rove Resignation party? Does one serve white wine or red? A keg? Or is that too tacky?

He says he wants to spend more time with his family. Clearly he needs to, because I wasn't even aware that he was married, much less that he has a teenage son. Maybe if he spent more time with his own family he would be less inclined to do harm to so many other families.

Not that I'm bitter, or anything.

shrine is gone

The Shrine To Little Garden Bears and Gnomes ("Gnomenclature," as my niece named it) is gone. Sadly it appears that the residents of the home where it was located have moved on to greener, and more shrine-friendly environs.

what? no hooping?

We're back from the beach, Campers. I see no new chit chat so I'll give you an image to ruminate over. Seen in Charleston, SC.