Well, it's Sunday night. The latest possible moment the Weather.com guys say is safe to get what you need before Sandy hits (although from what I've seen, North Carolina is already taking a beating and it's really not supposed to hit here until tomorrow evening, but I digress). Do you have what you need? Do you think it will meet all the hype? As you know, I'm in western PA. We're right on the cusp of the track of Sandy. According to Weather.com, we're also in the "likely" area for power outages. I haven't lived here long enough to ascertain if I should really be worried or not, but erring on the side of caution, I bought some water and shelf stable foods, made sure we had batteries for our lantern and busted out our candle stash (and I must say, if the power does go out, our house is going to smell really nice!). I've also got a load of warm clothes in the wash with a couple of blankets to follow. We're as ready as we're going to be, I guess.
Do you remember back in 2003 when a power surge hit a New York power grid and caused that huge blackout across the Northeast? Yeah, my husband and I lived in Detroit at the time and my mother-in-law and brother-in-law were in town for the weekend. We were actually having an early dinner at the mall when everything went dark. We couldn't prepare for that blackout, but we somehow made it through. Lots of PB&Js. And I think we went 27 hours without power.
Being unprepared for no power is not something I want to do again. So when I hear it's "likely" we'll loose power, yes, I'm going to get a few things, especially now that we have kids. Even when my husband, raised from 6 weeks old in the Tidewater area of Virginia, says everyone is worrying over nothing, that it will fizzle, that nothing is going to happen, I would rather be one of those who goes to the store to stock up on things than get caught with nothing. I picked him and our son up from their soccer game yesterday, and my husband opens the trunk to find a 3 gallon pack of water and he looks at me with this look of "Um...what the heck is that for?" and I told him that I "pre-panicked" to beat the crowd. Go me.
Stay safe, stay warm and stay dry. I'll talk with you after the storm!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Reading, writing, math and....Pokemon?
Those who know my family, know our son is a huge fan of Pokemon. Trust me when I say, I was less than thrilled when his triplet cousins introduced him to Pokemon, and it didn't help that McDonald's was running their Pokemon promotion at the same time (and we were traveling quite a bit, which meant that he had opportunity to collect said promotion). Why was I so opposed to this fad (that seems to be a recurring fad since the early 1990s)? Honestly, I don't know, but for some reason it rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe I thought he was too young (5 1/2), maybe I didn't want it overshadowing the highly educational value (in my mind) of the dinosaurs he loved, studied, researched, and fascinated me with facts about. Whatever the reason, I was bummed as he became more and more excited about every card and action figure he collected. I'd like to point out that he would buy his cards with his own money from his allowance. Then along comes his father, who had played the Pokemon card game with his younger brother years ago, and teaches our son how to play the actual card game. This is where I began to have a change of heart about Pokemon.
As my husband taught our son the game, he encouraged him to add up his own "hit points", or damage, (done by 10s), and to use adding up and subtraction to determine how many more "hit points" his Pokemon could take before being "phased" (knocked out of the game). Huh. Pokemon requires the players to use math? As they were playing, we also encouraged our son to read his Pokemon cards to find out what moves his current character could do, or what abilities they had, etc. He also wanted to sound out the various names of the different characters (and let me tell you, quite a few are a mouthful!). Hmmm...reading too?
As he learned more about the Pokemon, he wanted to get books and more cards (enter Christmas, Easter and birthday presents, all other times, he buys them himself - hmm...more math! Saving and spending!) and even started writing his own Pokemon stories and making his own Pokemon cards (complete with made up names, abilities, hit points and character drawings). Writing!
Like he has done with his dinosaur facts, he has, seemingly without much effort, memorized facts, moves, character descriptions and types. Ask him any question and he will either have an answer or will find one. He is excited about meeting with other friends of his who are either already into Pokemon or just learning (and he will "train" them in Pokemon battle techniques) to trade cards, or just talk shop. Memory and socialization!
Yes, there is also a tv show. Again, when we found out they showed reruns on Boomerang and new episodes on Cartoon Network, I was ecstatic (#sarcasm). However, it is one of the most positive cartoon shows I have ever seen. They promote teamwork, positive attitude, hard work, dedication, persistence, perseverance and kindness toward others. Yes, it can be pretty predictable, but I'd rather he watch this cartoon than some of the other, um, junk (for lack of a nicer word) they put out there for kids. While we no longer have cable tv, he can still get his Pokemon cartoon fix through Netflix or Pokemon.com. It's a great reward for a job well done at school, or for just a break from our crazy, busy lives.
To recap, Pokemon has encouraged the following positive qualities, characteristics, values, skills:
Math, reading, writing, socialization, teamwork, positivity, perseverance, dedication, and kindness, just to name a few. Someone tell me what's wrong with any of those things?
While I LOVE the dinosaurs (he's still very much into them and continues to read and learn about them - yea!), I'm glad he's also enjoying Pokemon, for all the reasons listed above. So, if you're on the fence about your kiddo getting into Pokemon, I understand, I was there once. All it took to convert me was finding the educational value out of the fun he was having.
As my husband taught our son the game, he encouraged him to add up his own "hit points", or damage, (done by 10s), and to use adding up and subtraction to determine how many more "hit points" his Pokemon could take before being "phased" (knocked out of the game). Huh. Pokemon requires the players to use math? As they were playing, we also encouraged our son to read his Pokemon cards to find out what moves his current character could do, or what abilities they had, etc. He also wanted to sound out the various names of the different characters (and let me tell you, quite a few are a mouthful!). Hmmm...reading too?
As he learned more about the Pokemon, he wanted to get books and more cards (enter Christmas, Easter and birthday presents, all other times, he buys them himself - hmm...more math! Saving and spending!) and even started writing his own Pokemon stories and making his own Pokemon cards (complete with made up names, abilities, hit points and character drawings). Writing!
Like he has done with his dinosaur facts, he has, seemingly without much effort, memorized facts, moves, character descriptions and types. Ask him any question and he will either have an answer or will find one. He is excited about meeting with other friends of his who are either already into Pokemon or just learning (and he will "train" them in Pokemon battle techniques) to trade cards, or just talk shop. Memory and socialization!
Yes, there is also a tv show. Again, when we found out they showed reruns on Boomerang and new episodes on Cartoon Network, I was ecstatic (#sarcasm). However, it is one of the most positive cartoon shows I have ever seen. They promote teamwork, positive attitude, hard work, dedication, persistence, perseverance and kindness toward others. Yes, it can be pretty predictable, but I'd rather he watch this cartoon than some of the other, um, junk (for lack of a nicer word) they put out there for kids. While we no longer have cable tv, he can still get his Pokemon cartoon fix through Netflix or Pokemon.com. It's a great reward for a job well done at school, or for just a break from our crazy, busy lives.
To recap, Pokemon has encouraged the following positive qualities, characteristics, values, skills:
Math, reading, writing, socialization, teamwork, positivity, perseverance, dedication, and kindness, just to name a few. Someone tell me what's wrong with any of those things?
While I LOVE the dinosaurs (he's still very much into them and continues to read and learn about them - yea!), I'm glad he's also enjoying Pokemon, for all the reasons listed above. So, if you're on the fence about your kiddo getting into Pokemon, I understand, I was there once. All it took to convert me was finding the educational value out of the fun he was having.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
City Girl Goes Camping!
Yes! She can camp! Our son's cub scout council holds a family camp two times a year so the families can come and experience what the scouts do during the council's summer camps (tour the various play structures, buildings and the siblings can also shoot BBs, bow and arrow, and this year - slingshots!). Scout packs are also encouraged to camp over the weekend with the pack's families. Last year, our pack didn't camp and it was a good thing too because it was cold, wet and miserable. We went for the main event Saturday camp day, 2 month old daughter in Snugglie and all (we kept each other nice and toasty!), and still had fun, but camping would have been miserable. BUT, this year, the weather couldn't have been more perfect!
When we got there Saturday morning, it was 27 degrees. Okay, that's not the perfect weather part. Yes, it was freezing, but once we got moving, and the sun started doing it's job, it was pretty nice! First the mittens came off, then the hoods and hats, and finally, around 2:00, we were pretty much in long sleeves and sweatshirts, kids running around the campsite playing football and soccer. After a morning of "Down on the Farm" themed activities (petting farm animals, horse rides, bee hive, snake and dog training exhibits), the kids were ready to ready to go do some BB/archery/slingshot shooting. Our walk through the woods to get to the shooting range was beautiful. I don't know about where you live, but here in PA, the trees have been brilliant this fall! Bright oranges, canary yellows, fire reds and all the colors in those hue's ranges are represented as far as the eyes can see. After the much enjoyed shooting range and scavenger hunt, we enjoyed a traditional hot dog dinner, s'mores and camp songs at the campfire! Even after the sun went down, we were still in just jackets.
(Picture from our campsite, taken by one of the other moms)
I'm not sure how I thought the baby would sleep. I think I thought she might sleep well because it was just a schosh chilly (and I bundled her as best as I could), but I think the breeze blowing the tent covering, and the fact that she wasn't in her own bed, probably led to her not sleeping her best. But, she did do well and didn't wake anyone, but me, up with her occasional fussing. While I may have been sleep weary come morning, I was glad no one else heard her.
In the morning, the men made breakfast! All the dads hung out around the camp stoves, made coffee and cooked bacon, sausage, eggs, and potatoes and onions. It was delicious! More than I hoped or planned for - these guys know how to camp!
All in all, a fun and fantastic weekend! People were housed (tented?), organized and fed and there was only one hiccup: my darling husband left the hot dogs in the fridge at home and had to run to a local store for more. For someone who hasn't camped since she was in 5th grade, I'm pretty proud of my first camping excursion with our kids! A couple of families are already wanting to do a winter camping trip! I don't know if Little Miss would be up for that (or Mommy!), but we'll see. For now, I'll bask in the glow of this past weekend's enjoyable camping trip!
When we got there Saturday morning, it was 27 degrees. Okay, that's not the perfect weather part. Yes, it was freezing, but once we got moving, and the sun started doing it's job, it was pretty nice! First the mittens came off, then the hoods and hats, and finally, around 2:00, we were pretty much in long sleeves and sweatshirts, kids running around the campsite playing football and soccer. After a morning of "Down on the Farm" themed activities (petting farm animals, horse rides, bee hive, snake and dog training exhibits), the kids were ready to ready to go do some BB/archery/slingshot shooting. Our walk through the woods to get to the shooting range was beautiful. I don't know about where you live, but here in PA, the trees have been brilliant this fall! Bright oranges, canary yellows, fire reds and all the colors in those hue's ranges are represented as far as the eyes can see. After the much enjoyed shooting range and scavenger hunt, we enjoyed a traditional hot dog dinner, s'mores and camp songs at the campfire! Even after the sun went down, we were still in just jackets.
(Picture from our campsite, taken by one of the other moms)
I'm not sure how I thought the baby would sleep. I think I thought she might sleep well because it was just a schosh chilly (and I bundled her as best as I could), but I think the breeze blowing the tent covering, and the fact that she wasn't in her own bed, probably led to her not sleeping her best. But, she did do well and didn't wake anyone, but me, up with her occasional fussing. While I may have been sleep weary come morning, I was glad no one else heard her.
In the morning, the men made breakfast! All the dads hung out around the camp stoves, made coffee and cooked bacon, sausage, eggs, and potatoes and onions. It was delicious! More than I hoped or planned for - these guys know how to camp!
All in all, a fun and fantastic weekend! People were housed (tented?), organized and fed and there was only one hiccup: my darling husband left the hot dogs in the fridge at home and had to run to a local store for more. For someone who hasn't camped since she was in 5th grade, I'm pretty proud of my first camping excursion with our kids! A couple of families are already wanting to do a winter camping trip! I don't know if Little Miss would be up for that (or Mommy!), but we'll see. For now, I'll bask in the glow of this past weekend's enjoyable camping trip!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Fall is in the air...along with the smells of apple crisp!
There's a nip in the air and the leaves are starting to change colors! My favorite season is here! Time to break out the warmer jackets, sweaters and jeans. Put away the Crocs, break out the soccer cleats! It's time for planning apple and pumpkin picking trips, playing in leaf piles, crunching leaves and apples, starting to settle in for the colder months and baking all things apple. Notice a theme in that paragraph?
Years ago, when my husband and I lived in Detroit, we started the yearly tradition of apple and pumpkin picking. There have been a couple of years where, for one reason or another, we have not been able to actually pick our apples and pumpkins from the orchard or field. For example: last year, my husband was not feeling 100%, and we had a nursing 2 month old ("You can go apple picking with a nursing 2 month old!", you say? Read on). But, we have still gone to a stand or apple store to gather our bounty for the annual apple creations. This year, we're hoping to visit a place in OH that has both U-pick apples AND pumpkins (the closest ones in PA are about an hour and a half away! See where the nursing 2 month old bit could be a bit of an issue?). And oh boy and am I looking forward to the treats we'll make with those apples! Apple sauce! Apple fritters! Apple muffins! And my favorite: Apple crisp! Tender apples, warm and gooey, with a sweet, brown sugary crunch on top. Perfect right out of the oven for desert, or warmed in the microwave for breakfast. Can. Not. Be. Beat. I'd love to share the recipe with you, but I'm afraid I'd risk copyright infringement. You'll just have to take my word for it! :o)
We got this fantastic little book at an orchard we went to in Michigan (I don't remember the name of it, sorry!) that has our tried and true recipes that we use every year. Needless to say, it is well loved and our favorites are marked with sticky notes. Definitely a book to hand down. Here's the name of the cookbook: Apples! Apples! Apples! Cooking with Apples by M. Mosley, published and distributed by Hearts & Tummies Cookbook Co. (a division of Quixote Press). You may be able to find it at your local orchard!
Happy apple and pumpkin picking!
Years ago, when my husband and I lived in Detroit, we started the yearly tradition of apple and pumpkin picking. There have been a couple of years where, for one reason or another, we have not been able to actually pick our apples and pumpkins from the orchard or field. For example: last year, my husband was not feeling 100%, and we had a nursing 2 month old ("You can go apple picking with a nursing 2 month old!", you say? Read on). But, we have still gone to a stand or apple store to gather our bounty for the annual apple creations. This year, we're hoping to visit a place in OH that has both U-pick apples AND pumpkins (the closest ones in PA are about an hour and a half away! See where the nursing 2 month old bit could be a bit of an issue?). And oh boy and am I looking forward to the treats we'll make with those apples! Apple sauce! Apple fritters! Apple muffins! And my favorite: Apple crisp! Tender apples, warm and gooey, with a sweet, brown sugary crunch on top. Perfect right out of the oven for desert, or warmed in the microwave for breakfast. Can. Not. Be. Beat. I'd love to share the recipe with you, but I'm afraid I'd risk copyright infringement. You'll just have to take my word for it! :o)
We got this fantastic little book at an orchard we went to in Michigan (I don't remember the name of it, sorry!) that has our tried and true recipes that we use every year. Needless to say, it is well loved and our favorites are marked with sticky notes. Definitely a book to hand down. Here's the name of the cookbook: Apples! Apples! Apples! Cooking with Apples by M. Mosley, published and distributed by Hearts & Tummies Cookbook Co. (a division of Quixote Press). You may be able to find it at your local orchard!
Happy apple and pumpkin picking!
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Theatre Widow
Three to four times a school year, and sometimes 2 - 3 months a summer, I become what is known as a "Theatre Widow". What is a theatre widow (or widower, but for the sake of this blog, we'll use widow)? A theatre widow is a woman (or man, if it's widower) who is in a significant relationship with a person who is in the theatre business. "How does just that fact alone widow you?", you ask? When a show is close to premiering, cast, crew and production staff go into what is called "Tech Week(s)". This is where they hammer out all the final details of the performance: any changes to stage blocking, the lights are hung and focused, set pieces are completed (some are drying as the opening curtain rises), sound cues are checked and rehearsals go into overtime as everyone works to make sure all the components work together well. This takes hours. Theatre is not a 9 - 5 gig. So, during those time of tech hell, my husband is virtually invisible. We'll see him in the morning as we're getting ready and that's the last time the kids will see him before the following morning. I'm lucky if I see him before I go to bed! He's not here = I'm theatre widowed. As my background is also in theatre, I have experienced all facets of production and tech as well, so I know what to expect and what's going on, but it certainly doesn't make me miss him any less.
Currently, I am theatre widowed. And I'm going back to work, which means the baby has started day care. And (FINALLY) our son starts back to school on Monday, but I had to have someone watch him this week, so I had to take him there too. This mama has been busting her hump this week (and I will most of next week too), single-handedly, and all the stuff that needs to get done, mostly got done (finding our son's lost shin guard did not happen, much to husband's chagrin). Kids were fed, clothed, bathed, and entertained; dishes got done; and even some laundry made it through the washer AND dryer. However, the house is in somewhat of a disarray. I have never claimed to be the best Susie Homemaker, even when husband is home! I feel for the mamas who are single all the time. These times make me grateful for all the times I'm not widowed, but they also remind and empower me that I can do it. I may not be the perfect theatre widow/single mom, but I do the best I can, all in the name of entertainment.
So, next time you go to see a show: high school (don't forget all those teachers who take time away from their families to work with those kids!), college, community, regional, professional, whatever, think about those who have worked tirelessly to entertain you, and their families who have not seen them for any significant amount of time. Yes, it's a life choice, but so is any career. And my husband loves it. I get bragging rights: "Yes, my husband designed the show! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!" Enjoy the show!
Currently, I am theatre widowed. And I'm going back to work, which means the baby has started day care. And (FINALLY) our son starts back to school on Monday, but I had to have someone watch him this week, so I had to take him there too. This mama has been busting her hump this week (and I will most of next week too), single-handedly, and all the stuff that needs to get done, mostly got done (finding our son's lost shin guard did not happen, much to husband's chagrin). Kids were fed, clothed, bathed, and entertained; dishes got done; and even some laundry made it through the washer AND dryer. However, the house is in somewhat of a disarray. I have never claimed to be the best Susie Homemaker, even when husband is home! I feel for the mamas who are single all the time. These times make me grateful for all the times I'm not widowed, but they also remind and empower me that I can do it. I may not be the perfect theatre widow/single mom, but I do the best I can, all in the name of entertainment.
So, next time you go to see a show: high school (don't forget all those teachers who take time away from their families to work with those kids!), college, community, regional, professional, whatever, think about those who have worked tirelessly to entertain you, and their families who have not seen them for any significant amount of time. Yes, it's a life choice, but so is any career. And my husband loves it. I get bragging rights: "Yes, my husband designed the show! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!" Enjoy the show!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Bring on the crunchy leaves!
Ah, the end of another summer has come and the school is coming back. I can hear the college kids now. Seriously. I can. I can hear them walking and talking (loudly) at the top of the street. There's a frat house down the road. Woo-hoo!
Are your kids ready to go back to school? Mine is! I asked him why and he said he misses his friends. We were able to go and see his classroom, meet his teacher and he got to see who is in his class this year. It was fun and nice to have a point of reference with the classroom for when he comes home and tells me where he sits, where he goes for reading or math groups, where Suzie Q puked after drinking her milk too fast and then spinning, etc.
Now, are YOU ready for your kids to go back to school? I AM! I love my kids to pieces, and I know there are moms out there who are sad when their kids go back to school. Don't get me wrong, I'll be sad that summer is over and that he's getting on the bus again, but he thrives in the educational environment. I can push him here at home, but it's not the same. It's the structure and social atmosphere that school provides for him that he (and I) loves. I love hearing about his day - when I can get him to tell me about his day! Me: "What did you do at school to day?" Him: "Oh lots of stuff." Me: "Like?" Him: "I don't know!" Me: (continuing to pull the teeth) "Well, what special did you have? Who did you play with at recess? Did you have reading groups today?" Him: "Yeah." And Mommy goes to find a wall to beat her head against.
Our son finished his summer reading program we put together and he and his dad went to spend a day at the Little League World Series last Sunday! They both had a great time, and we'd like to go as a family in the future. Apparently, there are lots of campsites nearby and that's something else we've been wanting to do as well. He has already asked if we can do this same kind of program for next summer, and considering the success we had this summer, I am all for it! Let's see how we can up the ante!
I hope your summers have been relaxing, entertaining, and as long as you've needed. Time to lace up the new school shoes and get this next school year started!
Are your kids ready to go back to school? Mine is! I asked him why and he said he misses his friends. We were able to go and see his classroom, meet his teacher and he got to see who is in his class this year. It was fun and nice to have a point of reference with the classroom for when he comes home and tells me where he sits, where he goes for reading or math groups, where Suzie Q puked after drinking her milk too fast and then spinning, etc.
Now, are YOU ready for your kids to go back to school? I AM! I love my kids to pieces, and I know there are moms out there who are sad when their kids go back to school. Don't get me wrong, I'll be sad that summer is over and that he's getting on the bus again, but he thrives in the educational environment. I can push him here at home, but it's not the same. It's the structure and social atmosphere that school provides for him that he (and I) loves. I love hearing about his day - when I can get him to tell me about his day! Me: "What did you do at school to day?" Him: "Oh lots of stuff." Me: "Like?" Him: "I don't know!" Me: (continuing to pull the teeth) "Well, what special did you have? Who did you play with at recess? Did you have reading groups today?" Him: "Yeah." And Mommy goes to find a wall to beat her head against.
Our son finished his summer reading program we put together and he and his dad went to spend a day at the Little League World Series last Sunday! They both had a great time, and we'd like to go as a family in the future. Apparently, there are lots of campsites nearby and that's something else we've been wanting to do as well. He has already asked if we can do this same kind of program for next summer, and considering the success we had this summer, I am all for it! Let's see how we can up the ante!
I hope your summers have been relaxing, entertaining, and as long as you've needed. Time to lace up the new school shoes and get this next school year started!
Monday, July 16, 2012
'Cause you gotta have faith!
Faith. That's a very complicated word. When I was in high school, I was very involved in our church's youth group. Every year, the 8th graders who were going to be confirmed went on a confirmation retreat. My senior year, our youth minister asked me to be one of the presenters on the retreat and she gave me the topic of faith. I had been struggling to come to grips with my own faith, questioning everything I had been taught in my years of Catholic school education. My youth minister, smart woman that she is, knew this and I told her I didn't think I would be the right person to give this talk to impressionable eighth graders. She insisted I was the right person for the job.
So, I thought about what I should say and wrote it down. I picked a song that spoke to me on the topic, bought a candle from Bath & Body Works (Sun Ripened Raspberry) and gave instructions on how I wanted to make my entrance (I'm a dramatic person - I wanted to make an impressionable entrance!). I was in a back room, trying to throw together a poster for my talk and waiting for my turn, thinking about what I was going to say, when God smacked me on the head, a la Gibbs (NCIS reference) - I needed to speak from the heart, not the paper. I was going to wing it.
My youth minister came back and told me they were ready. I asked her to turn off the lights and to please turn on my song after I sat down. I walked out with my candle and lighter, sat down, lit the candle and the song began to play, Celine Dion's "Because You Loved me".
So, I thought about what I should say and wrote it down. I picked a song that spoke to me on the topic, bought a candle from Bath & Body Works (Sun Ripened Raspberry) and gave instructions on how I wanted to make my entrance (I'm a dramatic person - I wanted to make an impressionable entrance!). I was in a back room, trying to throw together a poster for my talk and waiting for my turn, thinking about what I was going to say, when God smacked me on the head, a la Gibbs (NCIS reference) - I needed to speak from the heart, not the paper. I was going to wing it.
My youth minister came back and told me they were ready. I asked her to turn off the lights and to please turn on my song after I sat down. I walked out with my candle and lighter, sat down, lit the candle and the song began to play, Celine Dion's "Because You Loved me".
I stared at the flame in my hand, listened to the words and when the line "I lost my faith, you gave it back to me" played, tears rolled down my cheeks. I was crying in front of a bunch of 8th graders. I heard not one snicker or giggle. When the song was over, the lights came up, and I began to speak, praying I would say what they needed to hear, and not scar any of them, or say the wrong thing and get into trouble. I like to think they got it.
Faith is believing in something. Nobody can tell you what to believe in. Faith is deeply personal. You have to discover it for yourself. I told those kids that I struggled with my faith and that it's not a one and done kind of thing, it is constantly evolving. I'm still evolving. My struggle comes with organized religion and what to teach our kids. I am what is commonly referred to as a "Recovering Catholic". I won't go into the whys of it all, but being taught that only the Catholic way is the right way just didn't sit right with me once I learned there were more faiths and beliefs than just Catholic.
My personal faith is in a higher being that I call God, but can go by many names: God, Goddess, Lord, Lady, Allah and the list goes on. And each higher being's name has significance to the person using it. My faith is not defined by any one religion's precepts or guidelines. Faith is a deeply personal concept and I wouldn't expect anyone to believe exactly what I believe. When it comes to faith or religion, I think it is dangerous not to think for oneself. To follow one religion's specific decrees without thinking about what they mean, in my opinion, is doing a disservice to oneself and the religion. For those who struggle with faith, I would encourage them to pray, meditate, think, whatever word you want to use for being introspective, and discover for themselves, with their higher being, what their own faith is. Not what some person told them to believe.
My personal faith is in a higher being that I call God, but can go by many names: God, Goddess, Lord, Lady, Allah and the list goes on. And each higher being's name has significance to the person using it. My faith is not defined by any one religion's precepts or guidelines. Faith is a deeply personal concept and I wouldn't expect anyone to believe exactly what I believe. When it comes to faith or religion, I think it is dangerous not to think for oneself. To follow one religion's specific decrees without thinking about what they mean, in my opinion, is doing a disservice to oneself and the religion. For those who struggle with faith, I would encourage them to pray, meditate, think, whatever word you want to use for being introspective, and discover for themselves, with their higher being, what their own faith is. Not what some person told them to believe.
By the way, I didn't get into trouble. And that youth minister: one of the greatest, and faith filled people you will ever meet. Period. :o)
Saturday, July 7, 2012
"Havin' a heat wave!
A tropical heat wave! With the temperature risin', it isn't surprisin', you certainly can, Can-can!" Never understood what having a heat wave had to do with doing the Can-can, but I can tell you I'M not going to be doing the Can-can in this heat!
I hope everyone is staying as cool as possible. If you have AC, count your blessings! If you're like us and don't have AC, I hope you have lots of fans, ice cream/Popsicles and access to a pool or sprinkler of sorts. Please make sure you are drinking plenty of water (yes, it counts if you use those drink powders like Crystal Light to flavor your water - it's still water)!
I've culled the internet and picked my friend's brains and I've gathered some keeping cool tips for you.
1) Keep your windows closed during the day and open them at night, if it's cooler outside than in the house.
2) Close the blinds during the day too, to keep the sun from heating up your house.
3) One site suggested turning off ceiling fans when you leave the room, as they cool off people, not rooms. My thought is that ceiling fans also help to circulate air, so if you have the doors to those rooms open, hopefully any cooler air around them will also be pulled into the room.
4) We do this in the evening, when it's cooler outside: open a window at either end of the room/area and put one fan in each window, one facing in and one facing out - one to pull in cooler air from outside, and one to pull it across the room.
5) Don't cook! Eat salads, sandwiches, cereal, take out, whatever you can to keep the stove/toaster/microwave off.
6) Turn off the lights - those buggers can give off quite a bit of heat!
7) Take a shower with your clothes on/put on a wet t-shirt/drape a wet towel around your shoulders - you get the idea.
8) Stay still - read a book, watch t.v., talk with friends, play a board game, write, etc.
Here are some tips that require a bit more time, forethought and dinero:
1) Strategically plant trees so their shade blocks the sun from entering the house.
2) Insulate your roof.
3) Install awnings over the windows.
What do you do to stay cool?
I hope everyone is staying as cool as possible. If you have AC, count your blessings! If you're like us and don't have AC, I hope you have lots of fans, ice cream/Popsicles and access to a pool or sprinkler of sorts. Please make sure you are drinking plenty of water (yes, it counts if you use those drink powders like Crystal Light to flavor your water - it's still water)!
I've culled the internet and picked my friend's brains and I've gathered some keeping cool tips for you.
1) Keep your windows closed during the day and open them at night, if it's cooler outside than in the house.
2) Close the blinds during the day too, to keep the sun from heating up your house.
3) One site suggested turning off ceiling fans when you leave the room, as they cool off people, not rooms. My thought is that ceiling fans also help to circulate air, so if you have the doors to those rooms open, hopefully any cooler air around them will also be pulled into the room.
4) We do this in the evening, when it's cooler outside: open a window at either end of the room/area and put one fan in each window, one facing in and one facing out - one to pull in cooler air from outside, and one to pull it across the room.
5) Don't cook! Eat salads, sandwiches, cereal, take out, whatever you can to keep the stove/toaster/microwave off.
6) Turn off the lights - those buggers can give off quite a bit of heat!
7) Take a shower with your clothes on/put on a wet t-shirt/drape a wet towel around your shoulders - you get the idea.
8) Stay still - read a book, watch t.v., talk with friends, play a board game, write, etc.
Here are some tips that require a bit more time, forethought and dinero:
1) Strategically plant trees so their shade blocks the sun from entering the house.
2) Insulate your roof.
3) Install awnings over the windows.
What do you do to stay cool?
Monday, June 25, 2012
Summer fun and reading!
Well, our summer is off to a great start (and I hope it keeps up!)! T-ball season has ended, and our little family of four had a fantastic time making some new friends and enjoying the weather. We were actually sad to see the season end we were all having so much fun! We have spent some time at the pool, when we had a few really warm days the past couple of weeks, and we're hoping to get in a couple more this week when it heats up again.
The kids and I headed to NoVa this past week when my mom surprised us with gas money for the trip! We had a great time! We were bummed we weren't able to visit my husband's family in Va. Beach or our friends in Lynchburg, but we enjoyed the time we had with my family and one of my friends from high school and her family. We were able to celebrate Father's Day with my dad and we celebrated my sister's birthday with a tour around a couple of wineries! If you are ever in the Warrenton area, I highly recommend taking the whole family to Pearmund Cellars - beautiful setting, lawn games for the whole family, fire pits, lots of space for picnicking and running the kids, and the wine is really good too! Here's a link to their website:
http://www.pearmundcellars.com/
This week finds our son participating in sports camp at a local church in the mornings, as well as VBS (Vacation Bible School) with a couple of friends from t-ball in the evenings. He's going to be a very busy, happy and tired little boy come Saturday! Yea! Next month he will start theatre camp, which my husband is also helping with.
On top of all this, we have started our own reading program, since I couldn't find one in the area (our local public library had an adult reading program, but no kids?! I'm not impressed with our local library; very disappointed!). So, here's the deal: our son needs to read 12 Mom approved chapter books (he's chosen to go with the Magic Tree House series) by the time the Little League World Series starts August 16. If he does read 12 chapter books by then, my husband will take him to the LLWS for a day and get a t-shirt. Any chapter books he reads past 12 earns him $1/book that he can spend however he likes while at the LLWS. He has two charts: one to track the chapters in the books and one to track the books.
The chapter tracking chart.
The book tracking chart.
Each chapter he reads earns him a sticker on The Line Up chart (we're working the baseball theme!). Every time he finishes a book, he adds a Pokemon character sticker (he loves Pokemon) to the baseball diamond, where each book is a position on the field (we needed to take some liberties with baseball positions to get to 12!). If he reads more than 12, then those characters will form the dugout and we'll be able to keep track of how much extra he gets for the day at the games. Since our son is a visual and tactile/kinesthetic learner, this is a great tool for him! I also created 3 individual month calendars so he can cross off each day that has past and can see how much time he has left to reach his goal, again in keeping with his particular learning styles. So far, he has read 2 books and is almost done with his 3rd. Considering all the things we've been doing so far this summer, I think he's off to a pretty good start!
We also added a challenge for him: reading in his head. Since he's been learning to read, he's been reading out loud, which is age and skill appropriate. We feel he has reached a point that he is good enough of a reader to start learning to read silently to himself. However, we also want to make sure he's really understanding what he's reading when he reads like this. So, since the chapters are relatively short in these books, when he has finished a chapter, we skim it to get the bulk of what happened (takes about a minute, if that) then ask him questions about what happened. If he struggles to answer our questions, we have him go back and read it again, sometimes out loud, to figure out what really happened in the story.
We are all excited about this reading challenge, and seeing our son reach his goal and go to the LLWS! I hope our little program has inspired you to create your own! The goal is to make summer reading fun, yet challenging and meaningful. Take your child's skill level, learning styles and interests into account, as well as how much time you think they will be able to devote to the program. Make the goal(s) realistic and attainable, and the reward something that will really stay with them as a great summer memory. Happy summer reading!
*Post publishing note: Thank you to a friend of mine in the area for sending me the link to the local public library's summer reading program. It appears they posted their program on their website a couple of days after I went looking for it! I think we'll stick with our program for this summer, since we've already started it!*
The kids and I headed to NoVa this past week when my mom surprised us with gas money for the trip! We had a great time! We were bummed we weren't able to visit my husband's family in Va. Beach or our friends in Lynchburg, but we enjoyed the time we had with my family and one of my friends from high school and her family. We were able to celebrate Father's Day with my dad and we celebrated my sister's birthday with a tour around a couple of wineries! If you are ever in the Warrenton area, I highly recommend taking the whole family to Pearmund Cellars - beautiful setting, lawn games for the whole family, fire pits, lots of space for picnicking and running the kids, and the wine is really good too! Here's a link to their website:
http://www.pearmundcellars.com/
This week finds our son participating in sports camp at a local church in the mornings, as well as VBS (Vacation Bible School) with a couple of friends from t-ball in the evenings. He's going to be a very busy, happy and tired little boy come Saturday! Yea! Next month he will start theatre camp, which my husband is also helping with.
On top of all this, we have started our own reading program, since I couldn't find one in the area (our local public library had an adult reading program, but no kids?! I'm not impressed with our local library; very disappointed!). So, here's the deal: our son needs to read 12 Mom approved chapter books (he's chosen to go with the Magic Tree House series) by the time the Little League World Series starts August 16. If he does read 12 chapter books by then, my husband will take him to the LLWS for a day and get a t-shirt. Any chapter books he reads past 12 earns him $1/book that he can spend however he likes while at the LLWS. He has two charts: one to track the chapters in the books and one to track the books.
Each chapter he reads earns him a sticker on The Line Up chart (we're working the baseball theme!). Every time he finishes a book, he adds a Pokemon character sticker (he loves Pokemon) to the baseball diamond, where each book is a position on the field (we needed to take some liberties with baseball positions to get to 12!). If he reads more than 12, then those characters will form the dugout and we'll be able to keep track of how much extra he gets for the day at the games. Since our son is a visual and tactile/kinesthetic learner, this is a great tool for him! I also created 3 individual month calendars so he can cross off each day that has past and can see how much time he has left to reach his goal, again in keeping with his particular learning styles. So far, he has read 2 books and is almost done with his 3rd. Considering all the things we've been doing so far this summer, I think he's off to a pretty good start!
We also added a challenge for him: reading in his head. Since he's been learning to read, he's been reading out loud, which is age and skill appropriate. We feel he has reached a point that he is good enough of a reader to start learning to read silently to himself. However, we also want to make sure he's really understanding what he's reading when he reads like this. So, since the chapters are relatively short in these books, when he has finished a chapter, we skim it to get the bulk of what happened (takes about a minute, if that) then ask him questions about what happened. If he struggles to answer our questions, we have him go back and read it again, sometimes out loud, to figure out what really happened in the story.
We are all excited about this reading challenge, and seeing our son reach his goal and go to the LLWS! I hope our little program has inspired you to create your own! The goal is to make summer reading fun, yet challenging and meaningful. Take your child's skill level, learning styles and interests into account, as well as how much time you think they will be able to devote to the program. Make the goal(s) realistic and attainable, and the reward something that will really stay with them as a great summer memory. Happy summer reading!
*Post publishing note: Thank you to a friend of mine in the area for sending me the link to the local public library's summer reading program. It appears they posted their program on their website a couple of days after I went looking for it! I think we'll stick with our program for this summer, since we've already started it!*
Monday, June 4, 2012
"Home" is...?
As kids, home was where our caregivers, bed and favorite toys were. As college students, home was where we went to during breaks (if we weren't going off into the big world). As adults, I think the word "home" has many different definitions.
In the past 12 years, I have lived in 7 different places: Alexandria, VA; Va. Beach, VA; Detroit, MI; South Bend, IN; Brevard, NC; Lynchburg, VA and now PA. Out of those 7 places, I can honestly say I could only call 4 of them "home". And that number doesn't include Portland, OR, which I also consider "home", even though the longest I've ever lived there was 3 weeks (in kindergarten!). What is it about those places that made them home to me? I've done a lot of thinking on this and here is what I have come to believe my definition of "home" is.
Home is:
Where your loved ones are.
Where you can be who you are, without fear of judgement.
Where you have community.
Where your social, emotional and basic human needs are met.
So, why did only 4 out of 7 (plus Portland) make the list? Because only 4 out of 7 (plus Portland) met all four criteria. I grew up in Alexandria, so that was my first definition of home. Virginia Beach, even though I only lived there for 9 months, had family (my husband's), we had close friends that formed our community, I could be "me" with those friends and family, and all my social, emotional and basic needs were met. Same with Detroit, South Bend and Portland. Even though Detroit and South Bend didn't have direct access to extended family, I had my husband (and our son was born in South Bend) and friends who became our family. That's not to say that the other 3 places didn't meet some of the criteria, but to be considered home, in my mind, ALL the points need to be met. I've been in PA less than a year, so the jury is still out, but right now, I can't call PA "home" just yet (the fracking is impeding on the basic human needs portion, so PA might be a lost cause, but we'll see) .
What's your definition of home? Leave a comment if you like!
In the past 12 years, I have lived in 7 different places: Alexandria, VA; Va. Beach, VA; Detroit, MI; South Bend, IN; Brevard, NC; Lynchburg, VA and now PA. Out of those 7 places, I can honestly say I could only call 4 of them "home". And that number doesn't include Portland, OR, which I also consider "home", even though the longest I've ever lived there was 3 weeks (in kindergarten!). What is it about those places that made them home to me? I've done a lot of thinking on this and here is what I have come to believe my definition of "home" is.
Home is:
Where your loved ones are.
Where you can be who you are, without fear of judgement.
Where you have community.
Where your social, emotional and basic human needs are met.
So, why did only 4 out of 7 (plus Portland) make the list? Because only 4 out of 7 (plus Portland) met all four criteria. I grew up in Alexandria, so that was my first definition of home. Virginia Beach, even though I only lived there for 9 months, had family (my husband's), we had close friends that formed our community, I could be "me" with those friends and family, and all my social, emotional and basic needs were met. Same with Detroit, South Bend and Portland. Even though Detroit and South Bend didn't have direct access to extended family, I had my husband (and our son was born in South Bend) and friends who became our family. That's not to say that the other 3 places didn't meet some of the criteria, but to be considered home, in my mind, ALL the points need to be met. I've been in PA less than a year, so the jury is still out, but right now, I can't call PA "home" just yet (the fracking is impeding on the basic human needs portion, so PA might be a lost cause, but we'll see) .
What's your definition of home? Leave a comment if you like!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Dot your "i"s and cross your "t"s: social politics
This is the 3rd time in about a week that I have sat down to write a new blog. Each time has been a different subject matter. So, what's my problem? Honestly, I'm trying to make sure I don't cross any finely drawn social boundary lines - a hazard of small town living in particular. *Digression: Let me tell you something that all new people to small town living quickly, or eventually (depending on how fast they assimilate) come to realize: social politics are huge! Everyone knows everyone and word gets out fast if someone really messes up or says the "wrong" thing. I find it very difficult to be me naturally, for fear I'll say something wrong or unacceptable to the norm of the area. It can be exhausting walking that high wire through the mind field. End of digression.* I know I probably shouldn't care what other people think, but I can't help it - I'm a people pleaser. I come from a long line of people pleasers: my mom, her mom and, for all I know, her mom. It must be hereditary. And I like the friends I'm making here.
Have you ever had someone in your life who, for some reason you cannot for the life of you figure out why, doesn't like or avoids you, even if they initially were friendly? Example: 3rd grade. A new girl, we'll call her Suzie, comes to school and I, being the friendly 8 year-old I was, introduce myself and try to make a new friend. She made my life hell from then on through high school. At one point, I even thought she would follow me to college (she was accepted to the small college I was going to). I never once said anything mean or rude to the child, but she made it her mission to tease and/or mock me every chance she got. She even "took" a friend of mine (who said she had to pretend not to be my friend in front of said girl - ouch). Our 8th grade year, there was another new girl, who I did become friends with. Suzie sucked her into her little spider web, wrapped her up in her silk, and hung her out to dry. Having been on the receiving end of Suzie's venom, I knew what the other girl was going through and I was glad she still considered me a friend. She has stayed a friend all these years and, though I haven't seen her in many years (she lives in another country now), I do miss hanging out with her. As for Suzie, she probably doesn't remember being cruel to me (I still don't know what I did to incur her wrath while no one else did) and I really try in my heart of hearts to forgive her, but it's a challenge.
Okay, so Suzie wasn't friendly in the beginning, but let's explore an ex-boyfriend, they're usually very nice in the beginning. Let's call him George (his name has been changed to protect...oh let's just say it's because I'm a nice person). George was my best friend from sophomore year in high school through my senior year (his freshman year in college). I kid you not, we called and talked to each other on the phone every single night for over a year straight. I went to his senior prom, I went to one of his college formals, we went to a wedding together out of state (separate rooms!). We were inseparable. He was my first love. I vehemently denied he was my boyfriend (I don't know why, so don't ask!), until we decided to "officially" date the summer between my senior year in high school and my freshman year in college. For some reason, the "official"-ness of it all kinda killed a little bit of what we had, so we "broke up", but remained friends. Things were fine until the first few weeks of college, then he didn't want to talk to me on the phone or even see me at holiday breaks. I asked him why he didn't want to talk to me. His answer: "We have nothing to talk about." I was crushed. What did I do? To this day, I still don't know. And a couple of years later, he has the nerve, at a homecoming game, to say when he sees me: "Hey Stranger!" All I could think of was my mother's voice saying: "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" (Yep, I told him that too). And I was thinking so many not so nice things, like: It's YOUR (insert appropriate curse word) fault we're "strangers"! Now, I kindly refer to him as "The Jerk". So "George", if you ever read this, what the hell did I do?!
We've moved a few times, and I've had a few people give me the cold shoulder after I initially thought a friendship was possible. I think on them, search my memory for something I might have said or done to offend, and I honestly cannot think of anything so heinous that would warrant a sudden cut off of communication. So, I ask anyone of those people from Detroit on (we'll call Suzie from grammar school a wash): Tell me, what did I do to warrant the social cold shoulder? If I offended you, or had a social misstep, I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention. Mea Culpa.
Excuse me, I need to go and find my people pleaser happy place.
Have you ever had someone in your life who, for some reason you cannot for the life of you figure out why, doesn't like or avoids you, even if they initially were friendly? Example: 3rd grade. A new girl, we'll call her Suzie, comes to school and I, being the friendly 8 year-old I was, introduce myself and try to make a new friend. She made my life hell from then on through high school. At one point, I even thought she would follow me to college (she was accepted to the small college I was going to). I never once said anything mean or rude to the child, but she made it her mission to tease and/or mock me every chance she got. She even "took" a friend of mine (who said she had to pretend not to be my friend in front of said girl - ouch). Our 8th grade year, there was another new girl, who I did become friends with. Suzie sucked her into her little spider web, wrapped her up in her silk, and hung her out to dry. Having been on the receiving end of Suzie's venom, I knew what the other girl was going through and I was glad she still considered me a friend. She has stayed a friend all these years and, though I haven't seen her in many years (she lives in another country now), I do miss hanging out with her. As for Suzie, she probably doesn't remember being cruel to me (I still don't know what I did to incur her wrath while no one else did) and I really try in my heart of hearts to forgive her, but it's a challenge.
Okay, so Suzie wasn't friendly in the beginning, but let's explore an ex-boyfriend, they're usually very nice in the beginning. Let's call him George (his name has been changed to protect...oh let's just say it's because I'm a nice person). George was my best friend from sophomore year in high school through my senior year (his freshman year in college). I kid you not, we called and talked to each other on the phone every single night for over a year straight. I went to his senior prom, I went to one of his college formals, we went to a wedding together out of state (separate rooms!). We were inseparable. He was my first love. I vehemently denied he was my boyfriend (I don't know why, so don't ask!), until we decided to "officially" date the summer between my senior year in high school and my freshman year in college. For some reason, the "official"-ness of it all kinda killed a little bit of what we had, so we "broke up", but remained friends. Things were fine until the first few weeks of college, then he didn't want to talk to me on the phone or even see me at holiday breaks. I asked him why he didn't want to talk to me. His answer: "We have nothing to talk about." I was crushed. What did I do? To this day, I still don't know. And a couple of years later, he has the nerve, at a homecoming game, to say when he sees me: "Hey Stranger!" All I could think of was my mother's voice saying: "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" (Yep, I told him that too). And I was thinking so many not so nice things, like: It's YOUR (insert appropriate curse word) fault we're "strangers"! Now, I kindly refer to him as "The Jerk". So "George", if you ever read this, what the hell did I do?!
We've moved a few times, and I've had a few people give me the cold shoulder after I initially thought a friendship was possible. I think on them, search my memory for something I might have said or done to offend, and I honestly cannot think of anything so heinous that would warrant a sudden cut off of communication. So, I ask anyone of those people from Detroit on (we'll call Suzie from grammar school a wash): Tell me, what did I do to warrant the social cold shoulder? If I offended you, or had a social misstep, I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention. Mea Culpa.
Excuse me, I need to go and find my people pleaser happy place.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Mothers!
Ah May...You are probably one of my favorite months. And not just because you're my birth month, but because you are the epitome of spring! You almost always guarantee warm weather, strawberries are ripe and ready to pick, you have the 3 day weekend at the end, pools open, the end of school is just around the corner and flowers are abundant. And Mother's Day. While I realize Mother's Day is a Hallmark holiday and every day our children are with us is a Mother's Day in it's own right (as long as I see my kiddos smile at me every day, I'm good to go!), it is nice to have the day's intentions acknowledged. Yes, even though we say "Oh I don't need anything! I have you guys!", secretly, we want to the handmade cards and gifts from school, the burnt toast in bed, and the dandelion bouquet from the garden.
Last year, our son made Mother's Day last a good month! The week leading up to it and a couple of weeks following, any time he found a flower at school, he would pick it and save it for when I came to pick him up. When I arrived he would present me with the buttercups or clovers and say "Happy Mother's Day Mommy!" My heart would melt and it would be Mother's Day all over again.
Years ago, before our son was born, many people told me that when I had kids, not to take any moment for granted. From the time our son was born, I have really tried not too. I try to make sure I treasure the moments, even those when, as a baby, he was screaming for no apparent reason; when he tests boundaries; when he asked why for the millionth time; or when he tries to negotiate his way out of or into something. I try to hug, kiss and snuggle him whenever he wants to because I know there might come a day when he doesn't want Mommy to touch him (perish the thought!). He knows it too, because he sometimes uses bedtime hugs and kisses to delay going to bed - it kills me to tell him no more! With our baby girl, I'm trying to do the same thing. When she wakes up in the middle of the night, I drag my reluctant butt out of bed and go to her, because for some reason, she needs me. How long will she need me like that? I also realize that boundaries do need to be set, and sometimes Mama needs to be firm and not (contrary to what her heart says) give in or be permissive, because we want our children to grow up to be self-sufficient adults who still love us because we set those boundaries and gave them guidelines. But I don't think an extra snuggle here or there is going to spoil any progress.
There are mothers who have lost their little ones this year who will not have their children to hug, kiss, snuggle, scold and teach this Mother's Day. They are still mothers, they are just mothers to angels. They carried a child for some amount of time, and that makes them a mother. Our first pregnancy made an angel, and I was heartbroken that first Mother's Day. I should have been holding a baby in my arms that day. But, God had other plans. Little did I know but at the time, I was pregnant with our son! Because I had to have a D&C with our first pregnancy, that first little life help to make a clean home for his/her little brother. Does that mean I forget that first pregnancy? Nope. Not a chance. That little one will always be with me.
So, this Mother's Day, whether your kids are big or small, snuggle them a little longer, play with them, cook with them, let them burn your toast and pick flowers out of your garden - they are the reason you celebrate this day!
Last year, our son made Mother's Day last a good month! The week leading up to it and a couple of weeks following, any time he found a flower at school, he would pick it and save it for when I came to pick him up. When I arrived he would present me with the buttercups or clovers and say "Happy Mother's Day Mommy!" My heart would melt and it would be Mother's Day all over again.
Years ago, before our son was born, many people told me that when I had kids, not to take any moment for granted. From the time our son was born, I have really tried not too. I try to make sure I treasure the moments, even those when, as a baby, he was screaming for no apparent reason; when he tests boundaries; when he asked why for the millionth time; or when he tries to negotiate his way out of or into something. I try to hug, kiss and snuggle him whenever he wants to because I know there might come a day when he doesn't want Mommy to touch him (perish the thought!). He knows it too, because he sometimes uses bedtime hugs and kisses to delay going to bed - it kills me to tell him no more! With our baby girl, I'm trying to do the same thing. When she wakes up in the middle of the night, I drag my reluctant butt out of bed and go to her, because for some reason, she needs me. How long will she need me like that? I also realize that boundaries do need to be set, and sometimes Mama needs to be firm and not (contrary to what her heart says) give in or be permissive, because we want our children to grow up to be self-sufficient adults who still love us because we set those boundaries and gave them guidelines. But I don't think an extra snuggle here or there is going to spoil any progress.
There are mothers who have lost their little ones this year who will not have their children to hug, kiss, snuggle, scold and teach this Mother's Day. They are still mothers, they are just mothers to angels. They carried a child for some amount of time, and that makes them a mother. Our first pregnancy made an angel, and I was heartbroken that first Mother's Day. I should have been holding a baby in my arms that day. But, God had other plans. Little did I know but at the time, I was pregnant with our son! Because I had to have a D&C with our first pregnancy, that first little life help to make a clean home for his/her little brother. Does that mean I forget that first pregnancy? Nope. Not a chance. That little one will always be with me.
So, this Mother's Day, whether your kids are big or small, snuggle them a little longer, play with them, cook with them, let them burn your toast and pick flowers out of your garden - they are the reason you celebrate this day!
Friday, April 27, 2012
To Move or Not to Move
If you lived where we live, with all this fracking stuff happening all around you, what would you do? Preemptive strike and get out before anything happens? Stick it out until something does happen? It's a crap shoot. I guess it depends on how much you like the area and how much you have invested in it. It is entirely possible that nothing will go wrong and that, aside from the obnoxiousness of all the trucks, ground shaking when the frack happens (even the drillers say the ground shakes. And why wouldn't it? They are BREAKING the rock below our feet!), noise from fans and influx of potentially very transient people, life will continue on in our quiet little hamlet without incident. But, with all those pitfalls just listed, plenty could go wrong and greatly affect our everyday lives, and THEN we would have to move. To what end? Will we be sick? God forbid (and I hate even putting it in writing, much less thinking it) something happen to the kids.
Crime will go up. My husband says: "But Beth, you lived in and just outside DC, in Virginia Beach, and IN Detroit. The potential crime that will come here will never rival what you've lived with, and yet you want to move BACK to Norther Virginia, where you KNOW the crime rate is higher". Yes, because that's where family is and I expect a certain amount of crime - a learning curve, if you will. But here, because of where it is and the type of community it is, there's an expectation of safety. The expectation that your neighbor is keeping an extra eye out for you. Does that mean that crime doesn't happen here? No (this whole fracking without unequivocal proof that nothing will happen thing is a crime, if you ask me). That we shouldn't continue to be as vigilant here as in Norther Virginia or Virginia Beach? No. Is there a false sense of security? Maybe. It's ingrained in me to be vigilant, especially of the kids. But, it is nice to know that there hasn't been (again, I hesitate to write this and jinx things) any gang related murders in the recent past. I don't even know if there's a crime log for this town. Where we just moved from, there was a website you could go on and find out the latest crime stats for a given street!
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I will gladly eat my words when the fracking goes on and nothing bad happens. Do I want to be here if/when something happens? Not really, but where ever we would go, there will be problems of some sort there too, hopefully nothing as life threatening or altering; no place is perfect. As of this moment, we're staying here. God help us.
Crime will go up. My husband says: "But Beth, you lived in and just outside DC, in Virginia Beach, and IN Detroit. The potential crime that will come here will never rival what you've lived with, and yet you want to move BACK to Norther Virginia, where you KNOW the crime rate is higher". Yes, because that's where family is and I expect a certain amount of crime - a learning curve, if you will. But here, because of where it is and the type of community it is, there's an expectation of safety. The expectation that your neighbor is keeping an extra eye out for you. Does that mean that crime doesn't happen here? No (this whole fracking without unequivocal proof that nothing will happen thing is a crime, if you ask me). That we shouldn't continue to be as vigilant here as in Norther Virginia or Virginia Beach? No. Is there a false sense of security? Maybe. It's ingrained in me to be vigilant, especially of the kids. But, it is nice to know that there hasn't been (again, I hesitate to write this and jinx things) any gang related murders in the recent past. I don't even know if there's a crime log for this town. Where we just moved from, there was a website you could go on and find out the latest crime stats for a given street!
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I will gladly eat my words when the fracking goes on and nothing bad happens. Do I want to be here if/when something happens? Not really, but where ever we would go, there will be problems of some sort there too, hopefully nothing as life threatening or altering; no place is perfect. As of this moment, we're staying here. God help us.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Frack This!
For those of you not familiar with horizontal hydraulic fracking, here's a more substantial "Fracking for Dummies" explanation than what the wiki dictionary might give you. Enjoy!
Let's start with a basic shallow vertical gas well.
This is a picture of what a typical vertical, shallow gas well looks like above ground:
http://www.newgeography.com/content/00342-gas-boom-ripples-through-pennsylvania-economy
http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2011/09/12/can-pennsylvanias-state-forests-survive-additional-marcellus-shale-drilling/
These, and similar looking ones, currently dot the countryside of our fair part of PA. Driving from my house to Walmart, there must be at least 15, probably more. There is one of these not a mile from my house. They do not appear to be intrusive and, if you didn't know what they were, you probably would think they were well water containers, or had something to do with watering the fields. Shallow gas wells tap the gas that is within about 3,000 feet from the surface (http://www.bairdpetro.com/shallow_gas.htm). Deeper gas wells, such as those that are needed to reach the Marcellus Shale here in PA, need to go down about a mile plus (http://www.earthworksaction.org/files/publications/OGAPMarcellusShaleReport-6-12-08.pdf?pubs/OGAPMarcellusShaleReport-6-12-08.pdf).
Many of the shallow wells have been around for decades, some even dating back to the 1920's. Many of the older ones have stopped producing and they SHOULD have been filled in; many are not. Many gas companies are holding the landowners to the original lease and will be horizontally drilling on their land (whether the land owners want them to or not), and may or may not be increasing land owner royalties from the original lease amounts - that's a whole other issue and not one that I am going to tackle. None of this is black and white, cut and dry. I am not an expert. I am a person very new to the whole concept of natural gas drilling and I am still trying to learn what I can and sort everything out. That being said, I want more people to know about gas drilling and the effects it can have on our environment and ourselves.
I am making an assumption when I say this: I am guessing that the shallow wells in this area are traditional vertical wells (straight down), possibly directional (drilled at a slant to access multiple pockets, frequently used in offshore drilling http://www.naturalgas.org/naturalgas/extraction_directional.asp). I assume this because it seems that modern horizontal fracking procedures are a relatively new procdure (horizontal drilling, not for gas, has been around since the 1890's). They simply didn't have the technology in the early half of the 20th century to create horizontal gas wells. Horizontal drilling allows for more access to more, previously unreachable with vertical drilling, resources with, presumably, less actual drill holes. Once the horizontal well has been drilled, high pressure shoots chemically altered water, called fracking brine, down the pipe to the horizontal area and the water shoots through holes in the pipe forcing the shale to fracture and release the gases within, simply put. The gas and the fracking brine are then pumped back out. The fracking brine is transferred to holding ponds to be taken by tankers to "treatment plants" or "injection wells" (the water is dumped down an old well and sealed in. The Marcellus Shale geology isn't conducive to receiving injection wells, so that method isn't used in this area. Brine sent treatment plants get "treated" (not really, there's no way all of those chemicals can be removed from the brine to give us our water back) and used as either road deicer or dumped back into waterways (http://www.marcellus-shale.us/drilling_wastewater.htm). Yum.
http://www.naturalgas.org/naturalgas/extraction_directional.asp
Remember what those shallow wells looked like? This is what is required to run a horizontal fracking well:
Well pad containing the well, and the numerous trucks to cart fracking equipment, chemicals and fluids, as well as the gas.
http://www.larsondesigngroup.com/2011/01/21/larson-design-group-develops-energy-group-to-meet-growing-trends/
Well pads with adjoining truck parking and containment ponds (for the fracking fluids containing "proprietary" fracking chemicals.
Both pictures from http://marcellus-wv.com/impacts/land-area
Lovely aren't they? Definitely not the unobtrusive shallow well containers, are they?
So, there you have it. Fracking in a nutshell. Take from this what you will. Do your own research, make your own opinions.
Next up: To move or not to move? That's the fracking question.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Our Childrens' Success
Watch this: http://youtu.be/NScs_qX2Okk
Sometimes, we forget. We get lost in the day to day: school, work, activities, fracking etc. One day, we are cradling our little ones in our arms, the next they are running excitedly to the school bus and then...well, I guess we'll find out!
When our son was born, I looked down at his little, sleeping face, held his tiny hand and wondered what he would be like. What would those hands do? Who would he look like? What would he be interested in? What kind of person would he be? He's not done growing and learning, but already he surprises me with how much he knows about dinosaurs, and math and reading and his imagination never ceases to amaze me. Like the mothers in the video, I watch him grow and learn and when he accomplishes something he has been working toward, the feeling of pride of being HIS mother brings tears to my eyes.
What those mothers in the video are experiencing is something every mother I know looks forward to experiencing. Maybe not on such a wordly scale (although it would be pretty cool to see my son in the Olympics or something along the same lines), but seeing their children succeed is central to being a parent. Whatever they do: a math test, a sport, getting along with friends, conquering a personal struggle - every little success counts. But, with every success, we have to let go of a little part of our attachment. We can share in their joy and celebrate their success, but those successes become part of who our children are as individuals. We have to let them grow. And that, is our job as parents. They will always be a part of us, because they are our children, biological, adopted or otherwise, but they need to become their own person.
Right now, my 8 month old daughter is sitting next to me in her big girl seat eating puffs. When she wants more, she leans forward towards me and slaps her hand on her tray. I'm trying to teach her the sign for "more". The first time she does it, we will celebrate her success, and she will continue to grow!
Sometimes, we forget. We get lost in the day to day: school, work, activities, fracking etc. One day, we are cradling our little ones in our arms, the next they are running excitedly to the school bus and then...well, I guess we'll find out!
When our son was born, I looked down at his little, sleeping face, held his tiny hand and wondered what he would be like. What would those hands do? Who would he look like? What would he be interested in? What kind of person would he be? He's not done growing and learning, but already he surprises me with how much he knows about dinosaurs, and math and reading and his imagination never ceases to amaze me. Like the mothers in the video, I watch him grow and learn and when he accomplishes something he has been working toward, the feeling of pride of being HIS mother brings tears to my eyes.
What those mothers in the video are experiencing is something every mother I know looks forward to experiencing. Maybe not on such a wordly scale (although it would be pretty cool to see my son in the Olympics or something along the same lines), but seeing their children succeed is central to being a parent. Whatever they do: a math test, a sport, getting along with friends, conquering a personal struggle - every little success counts. But, with every success, we have to let go of a little part of our attachment. We can share in their joy and celebrate their success, but those successes become part of who our children are as individuals. We have to let them grow. And that, is our job as parents. They will always be a part of us, because they are our children, biological, adopted or otherwise, but they need to become their own person.
Right now, my 8 month old daughter is sitting next to me in her big girl seat eating puffs. When she wants more, she leans forward towards me and slaps her hand on her tray. I'm trying to teach her the sign for "more". The first time she does it, we will celebrate her success, and she will continue to grow!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
It's been awhile!
I apologize for not writing for so long! My monitor died on me on Easter Sunday (although we're reviewing the autopsy - it may not have been an actual death) so my computer has been sidelined since then. Anyway, I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend. It was a bit colder than I would have like it to have been, but it was nice to spend time with my husband and the kiddos. I'm still waiting for a really nice afternoon to put the kids in their Easter outfits and take some pictures outside. I may be waiting for awhile - the next few warmer days are actually supposed to be rainy.
First up: an update. The school board voted to pursue a gas lease for school property. Granted, they have several "demands" that must be included in their lease or they won't do it (supposedly), but still, my heart broke. Especially since they asked the Superintendent to research gas drilling/fracking/etc. and get back to them with a recommendation and she did: she urged them not to pursue a lease. They voted 8 - 1 in favor of pursuing the lease. Why ask her to do all that work if you already knew what you were going to do?! I liked what one board member proposed: get a vote from the people of the district on what they would like the board to do. That was, of course, summarily shot down.
Moving on. I'm a member of a "birth club" board for both my kids, and on the one for my daughter, someone asked the question "Would your child be an only child and why?". Funny thing is, we thought for a little bit (read: a week or so) of having just our son. Here's the back story:
When we got married, DH always said he wanted a baseball team with relief players! I told him it wasn't going to happen. He said he would settle for 4, I told him MAYBE 3. We had ODS in 2006, and I wanted to give him a sibling not too long afterwards. We realized there was no way we could afford 2 in child care, so we would wait until ODS would be going to kindergarten. Around when ODS was 3 or 4 (after he was potty trained, which was a pain and I didnt want to go through it again), I began to think that maybe having just him would be great! He was becoming more independant and I was back at school getting my Master's and, since he would be going to public school, we could start saving some money and paying off things and maybe, just maybe, go on a real family vacation! Then, the bug bit me. Our son would be going to school in the fall, and I wanted him to have a sibling. HE wanted a sibling. So, our daughter is 5.5 years younger than her brother.
Our daughter was a planned c-section, for many various reasons. While I was having the C (and was having a rougher time of it than with our son), hubby starts talking about #3! I think he was trying to make me laugh or something (which is really hard to do when you're numb from your chest down). Even our son is with him on having another one (funny - they say "Let's (= Let us) have another!", but who's REALLY having the baby?!). I swore I was done and happy with my 2 at that time. I mean, it makes sense: we have a boy, we have a girl; I was not a great pregnant person; delivery (C or other) terrifies me; it would be nice to eventually, sooner, pay off some bills and take a real vacation. So, why do I occasionally think I want a 3rd? I don't know, but I will consider adoption should the bug bite me again! :o)
First up: an update. The school board voted to pursue a gas lease for school property. Granted, they have several "demands" that must be included in their lease or they won't do it (supposedly), but still, my heart broke. Especially since they asked the Superintendent to research gas drilling/fracking/etc. and get back to them with a recommendation and she did: she urged them not to pursue a lease. They voted 8 - 1 in favor of pursuing the lease. Why ask her to do all that work if you already knew what you were going to do?! I liked what one board member proposed: get a vote from the people of the district on what they would like the board to do. That was, of course, summarily shot down.
Moving on. I'm a member of a "birth club" board for both my kids, and on the one for my daughter, someone asked the question "Would your child be an only child and why?". Funny thing is, we thought for a little bit (read: a week or so) of having just our son. Here's the back story:
When we got married, DH always said he wanted a baseball team with relief players! I told him it wasn't going to happen. He said he would settle for 4, I told him MAYBE 3. We had ODS in 2006, and I wanted to give him a sibling not too long afterwards. We realized there was no way we could afford 2 in child care, so we would wait until ODS would be going to kindergarten. Around when ODS was 3 or 4 (after he was potty trained, which was a pain and I didnt want to go through it again), I began to think that maybe having just him would be great! He was becoming more independant and I was back at school getting my Master's and, since he would be going to public school, we could start saving some money and paying off things and maybe, just maybe, go on a real family vacation! Then, the bug bit me. Our son would be going to school in the fall, and I wanted him to have a sibling. HE wanted a sibling. So, our daughter is 5.5 years younger than her brother.
Our daughter was a planned c-section, for many various reasons. While I was having the C (and was having a rougher time of it than with our son), hubby starts talking about #3! I think he was trying to make me laugh or something (which is really hard to do when you're numb from your chest down). Even our son is with him on having another one (funny - they say "Let's (= Let us) have another!", but who's REALLY having the baby?!). I swore I was done and happy with my 2 at that time. I mean, it makes sense: we have a boy, we have a girl; I was not a great pregnant person; delivery (C or other) terrifies me; it would be nice to eventually, sooner, pay off some bills and take a real vacation. So, why do I occasionally think I want a 3rd? I don't know, but I will consider adoption should the bug bite me again! :o)
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Reminiscing with my addiction
Hello. My name is Beth, and I am a Shutterfly addict. I don't remember exactly how I came to know Shutterfly: it may have been through Pampers Gifts to Grow and browsing through the reward options, or maybe someone introduced me to it, I don't remember. I had heard about it, but I don't think I had ever used it until my sister made our son a book for his 1st birthday. Then I remember really looking into the rewards on Pampers. Then I signed up for their emails and that was it. I created my own share site, I printed pictures to put into actual photo albums. I created books and used my Pampers points to order them. They even sent me codes for discounted prints, photo gifts, prints, books and codes for free books! FREE books (S&H not included)! I have made calendars, magnets, shopping bags, mugs and an ornament, most of those were gifts. I'm working on our daughter's first year book right now. I have their app on my phone - I can upload pics right from my phone to my folders or even my share site! It's a photo junky's crack and enabler all in one.
Where am I going with this?
I just read with our son the book I made of his preschool-Pre-K years - his three years with the same teacher at her in-home preschool. She was practically his second mother. He was 2 1/2 when he started with her. I saw three years of his life and education right in front of me, and our son was able to read along with me, thanks, in part, to her. Reading the last few pages, of his last few days with her this past summer, I almost teared up. It's hard not to tear up right now. He has grown so much and it was hard knowing that when he went to school this year, she wasn't going to be his teacher. I wasn't going to go and pick him up after work and be able to talk with her about his day: what he learned, what they played, funny stories of what he did or said. He was one of 6. Now he's one of 21. Don't get me wrong: his teacher this year is very nice, and when I see her, she will pass on an anecdote of our son, or say how he's doing, but I don't get the daily report, or the closer relationship like I had with his preschool teacher. I miss that.
I'm looking at his spring school picture on my desk. So much has happened this year. I guess I had better go and get started on his Shutterfly book for this year.
Where am I going with this?
I just read with our son the book I made of his preschool-Pre-K years - his three years with the same teacher at her in-home preschool. She was practically his second mother. He was 2 1/2 when he started with her. I saw three years of his life and education right in front of me, and our son was able to read along with me, thanks, in part, to her. Reading the last few pages, of his last few days with her this past summer, I almost teared up. It's hard not to tear up right now. He has grown so much and it was hard knowing that when he went to school this year, she wasn't going to be his teacher. I wasn't going to go and pick him up after work and be able to talk with her about his day: what he learned, what they played, funny stories of what he did or said. He was one of 6. Now he's one of 21. Don't get me wrong: his teacher this year is very nice, and when I see her, she will pass on an anecdote of our son, or say how he's doing, but I don't get the daily report, or the closer relationship like I had with his preschool teacher. I miss that.
I'm looking at his spring school picture on my desk. So much has happened this year. I guess I had better go and get started on his Shutterfly book for this year.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
*WARNING: If you are easily offended by fracking opinions, or feel you could not respectfully appreciate someone's opinion on the matter, please stop reading now!* Thank you! :o)
*The statements made is in post are MY thoughts and opinions. You are free to disagree, and I won't hold it against you. However, in the words of many mothers, if you don't have something nice, or positively constructive to say, I don't want to hear it.*
My head hurts. It's spinning. This year has been crazy, and apparently I was sorely mistaken if I thought things would ever reach "normal" around here. Let's recap, shall we?
Since July 2011 the following life changes have occured:
- We packed up our home in VA (while I was 9 mos pregnant).
- Husband and brother-in-law drove the truck up to our new home in PA while our son and I went to NoVa to stay with my mother, where our daughter would be born, one week later.
- Husband drives to NoVa to be there for the birth of our daughter, then goes back to PA a week later.
- Two weeks after daughter's birth, my mother, our children and I drive to PA.
- A week after arriving, husband starts his new job.
- A week and a half after arriving, our son starts kindergarten.
- 8 weeks after daughter's birth, we come to the realization that there is no acceptable child care here - I have a new career: stay-at-home mom!
- October 2011 - we learn about "fracking" and how it will be affecting this area.
- March 2012 - our school board votes in favor of looking at leasing school property (including the campus here in town where our son goes to school) to the gas companies for "fracking" purposes. Much concern, debate, speculation and somewhat restrained (depending on who you talk to) panic ensues.
I feel I need to make myself clear: fracking scares the bejeepers out of me. I don't like it, I don't condone it, I think there are too many hazardous "what ifs" that go with it. I don't know the future. If you can, without a shadow of a doubt, promise me that there will be no environmental or health repercussions from fracking, then go and get the damn gas. Until then, stop hurting the land and people. I am not a confrontational person. I don't care for politics. I don't consider myself a particularly religious person, but I do pray. Therefore, what I am about to say is pretty much out of character. If you have leased your land, that was your choice and I hope you seriously prayed about it and considered current and future implications fracking will have on your land and the land/people around you. I know people who have leased their land. Do I not associate myself with them? No! What kind of a friend would that be? But friends don't always have to agree. We can agree to disagree and just not bring it up when we're spending time with each other. In the end, if this all works out and no one or thing gets hurt, then I will gladly eat my speculative words. I don't want anything bad to happen to anyone. But, as my husband stated before we got pregnant, knowing he might need to find a job and we might end up having to move when I was due: we can't live our lives on "what ifs". I don't know if staying around to find out what could happen is something I'm willing to risk my children's, or mine and my husband's, health on. I guess only time will tell. I'll just keep on praying.
Oh, and for the record: I don't think any public school lands should be leased. It shouldn't even be an option. There is too much at stake and I don't think it is right for any one person, or group for that matter, to make potentially detrimental decisions about the health and welfare of another person's child/children in a public educational setting. Most people do not have the means or options to pull their children from public education and send them to a private school, or home school them if they do not like what is happening in the public school. If it could even remotely be potentially dangerous to children in a public setting, it should not even be considered.
My head hurts. It's spinning. This year has been crazy, and apparently I was sorely mistaken if I thought things would ever reach "normal" around here. Let's recap, shall we?
Since July 2011 the following life changes have occured:
- We packed up our home in VA (while I was 9 mos pregnant).
- Husband and brother-in-law drove the truck up to our new home in PA while our son and I went to NoVa to stay with my mother, where our daughter would be born, one week later.
- Husband drives to NoVa to be there for the birth of our daughter, then goes back to PA a week later.
- Two weeks after daughter's birth, my mother, our children and I drive to PA.
- A week after arriving, husband starts his new job.
- A week and a half after arriving, our son starts kindergarten.
- 8 weeks after daughter's birth, we come to the realization that there is no acceptable child care here - I have a new career: stay-at-home mom!
- October 2011 - we learn about "fracking" and how it will be affecting this area.
- March 2012 - our school board votes in favor of looking at leasing school property (including the campus here in town where our son goes to school) to the gas companies for "fracking" purposes. Much concern, debate, speculation and somewhat restrained (depending on who you talk to) panic ensues.
I feel I need to make myself clear: fracking scares the bejeepers out of me. I don't like it, I don't condone it, I think there are too many hazardous "what ifs" that go with it. I don't know the future. If you can, without a shadow of a doubt, promise me that there will be no environmental or health repercussions from fracking, then go and get the damn gas. Until then, stop hurting the land and people. I am not a confrontational person. I don't care for politics. I don't consider myself a particularly religious person, but I do pray. Therefore, what I am about to say is pretty much out of character. If you have leased your land, that was your choice and I hope you seriously prayed about it and considered current and future implications fracking will have on your land and the land/people around you. I know people who have leased their land. Do I not associate myself with them? No! What kind of a friend would that be? But friends don't always have to agree. We can agree to disagree and just not bring it up when we're spending time with each other. In the end, if this all works out and no one or thing gets hurt, then I will gladly eat my speculative words. I don't want anything bad to happen to anyone. But, as my husband stated before we got pregnant, knowing he might need to find a job and we might end up having to move when I was due: we can't live our lives on "what ifs". I don't know if staying around to find out what could happen is something I'm willing to risk my children's, or mine and my husband's, health on. I guess only time will tell. I'll just keep on praying.
Oh, and for the record: I don't think any public school lands should be leased. It shouldn't even be an option. There is too much at stake and I don't think it is right for any one person, or group for that matter, to make potentially detrimental decisions about the health and welfare of another person's child/children in a public educational setting. Most people do not have the means or options to pull their children from public education and send them to a private school, or home school them if they do not like what is happening in the public school. If it could even remotely be potentially dangerous to children in a public setting, it should not even be considered.
Friday, March 30, 2012
15 minutes? No problem!
As I've stated in a previous post, while living in the city, I was used to the conveniences of Walmart, Target and grocery stores being close by. Since moving here, I've become accustomed to driving 10 minutes to the grocery store, 20 - 25 min to the Walmart, and I almost never go to Target (much to MY chagrin, but much to my bank account's happiness) because it's in the next state over. 15 min to meet someone to pick something up? No problem. 20 minutes to get to the t-ball field? Sure! Time has taken on new meaning.
No longer can I walk into our grocery store and peruse the wine selection at my leisure. No, to get a bottle of wine, I must either to go a winery or find a "state store". Needless to say, I've not bought a bottle of wine since we moved in August. Not to say I haven't had wine since being here. I belong to a book club, so you KNOW there's going to be wine a-flowing there! Good times!
I've been searching for a dresser for our daughter, so I've been searching the Facebook garage sale pages and learning about some of the before unknown antique stores around here. I went with a friend of mine to a little shop she knew of in a neighboring city and this place was quite literally a hole in the wall in an industrial area. I don't know how she found it to begin with! Another friend suggested a couple of stores in a little town not far from here that I have yet to explore. Needless to say, I'm excited to explore, distance and time be darned (within reason)!
Since I've broached the topic, there's this fantastic antique store in Portland, OR called Monticello. I have gone to this store every trip since our son was a baby - there's always something new and they have this great book section and cafe. I can easily spend a couple of hours browsing there.
I've not always been a fan of antiquing, as it were. Those stores used to give me a major case of the heebie-jeebies with all their old, other people's things. The dust, the claustrophobic cacophony of "stuff" that was usually very unorganized - my head would spin and I would practically beg to get out of the store. That was until my husband needed to start doing prop shopping for his graduate work as a theatre designer. We lived in Detroit (yes, IN Detroit) and there was this fantastic place called the Eastern Market. If you're ever in Detroit on a Saturday, especially in nice weather, be sure to find your way there (even in this trying economy, I hope it still runs!). There are vendors outside, there are 3 huge buildings full of vendors and all this is surrounded by older buildings housing a butcher, a wine shop, greasy spoons and THE antique store. Room after room of mostly organized "stuff". It's a prop picker's dream. You never know what treasures you'll find hidden in an antique store. That's half the fun!
No longer can I walk into our grocery store and peruse the wine selection at my leisure. No, to get a bottle of wine, I must either to go a winery or find a "state store". Needless to say, I've not bought a bottle of wine since we moved in August. Not to say I haven't had wine since being here. I belong to a book club, so you KNOW there's going to be wine a-flowing there! Good times!
I've been searching for a dresser for our daughter, so I've been searching the Facebook garage sale pages and learning about some of the before unknown antique stores around here. I went with a friend of mine to a little shop she knew of in a neighboring city and this place was quite literally a hole in the wall in an industrial area. I don't know how she found it to begin with! Another friend suggested a couple of stores in a little town not far from here that I have yet to explore. Needless to say, I'm excited to explore, distance and time be darned (within reason)!
Since I've broached the topic, there's this fantastic antique store in Portland, OR called Monticello. I have gone to this store every trip since our son was a baby - there's always something new and they have this great book section and cafe. I can easily spend a couple of hours browsing there.
I've not always been a fan of antiquing, as it were. Those stores used to give me a major case of the heebie-jeebies with all their old, other people's things. The dust, the claustrophobic cacophony of "stuff" that was usually very unorganized - my head would spin and I would practically beg to get out of the store. That was until my husband needed to start doing prop shopping for his graduate work as a theatre designer. We lived in Detroit (yes, IN Detroit) and there was this fantastic place called the Eastern Market. If you're ever in Detroit on a Saturday, especially in nice weather, be sure to find your way there (even in this trying economy, I hope it still runs!). There are vendors outside, there are 3 huge buildings full of vendors and all this is surrounded by older buildings housing a butcher, a wine shop, greasy spoons and THE antique store. Room after room of mostly organized "stuff". It's a prop picker's dream. You never know what treasures you'll find hidden in an antique store. That's half the fun!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Fracking Mess
Many of you, if not all of you, have heard me talking about "fracking" and the effect it's having on our state, and now our very own neighborhood. If you don't know what fracking is, drop me a note and I'll tell you. The latest in the great debacle is our local school board is considering leasing school property for fracking purposes. Yes, this means that, even if they have a "non-surface" agreement (no drill pads can be placed on school property), a drill pad could be placed within mere yards/feet of our son's school (on a neighboring leased property). Doesn't that sound delightful? Wouldn't you like to study/play next to a massive drill pad, along with a containment pond, truck loads of fracking brine water, along with the thousands of tankers bringing the fracking materials and all the noise and chemicals they put off? Yes, fracking has come to our area and it's here. I get that - there's no getting around it. But just because "it's already here", does that mean that you have to put it right next to our kids' school?! Don't sign the lease(s) and that puts the closest possible pads about 1 - 1 1/2 miles away! Is that great? No. But, it's a whole heck of a lot better than right next to the slides! All this to the tune of $185,000 up front and 18% royalties. I'm sorry, our children's health is worth a hell of a lot more than that! One of the board members even has kids that go to our school! Sir: I know you love your children, but if you want to poison your kids - then do it on your land. You have no right to poison mine!
Parents around here are sick about this. It really feels like people are signing leases willy-nilly, without thinking about the effects it will take on our lands, air, water and ourselves. I know the economy sucks, believe me. Would I like $185,000? You bet. Would I risk our lives for it? No. I'm sorry.
Someone, who I know is anti-fracking, asked me this: You grew up in Northern Virginia and you want to move back there. The crime rate there was/is certainly higher than where we are and what it could potentially be here once the fracking people start coming in. The air pollution there warrants O-zone warning days. Why are you so bent out of shape about this? I'll tell you: 1) Here, I have an expectation of safety (I'm still vigilant, because that's my nature, but I've tried to relax a bit) and I like that expectation. And 2) because the chemicals are different, and the effects would be concentrated right over our little town and right next to our son's school. Tributaries aren't contaminated by fracking brine in NoVa. I can't tell you any more than that. It's a gut feeling thing. A protective mother thing. It's just something that, right now, I can't explain.
Parents around here are sick about this. It really feels like people are signing leases willy-nilly, without thinking about the effects it will take on our lands, air, water and ourselves. I know the economy sucks, believe me. Would I like $185,000? You bet. Would I risk our lives for it? No. I'm sorry.
Someone, who I know is anti-fracking, asked me this: You grew up in Northern Virginia and you want to move back there. The crime rate there was/is certainly higher than where we are and what it could potentially be here once the fracking people start coming in. The air pollution there warrants O-zone warning days. Why are you so bent out of shape about this? I'll tell you: 1) Here, I have an expectation of safety (I'm still vigilant, because that's my nature, but I've tried to relax a bit) and I like that expectation. And 2) because the chemicals are different, and the effects would be concentrated right over our little town and right next to our son's school. Tributaries aren't contaminated by fracking brine in NoVa. I can't tell you any more than that. It's a gut feeling thing. A protective mother thing. It's just something that, right now, I can't explain.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
The Benefits of Facebook Sale Pages
I have been on Facebook since 2007. However, it wasn't until I moved to this small town that these fantastic "garage sale" pages were out there! I'm now a member of 7 of them! It's like a garage sale all day, everyday - I highly recommend seeing if they exist in your area. I've sold several items through these pages, and I've gotten some great deals as well (I got my son a t-ball helmet for $5!). I also found out about this great kids and teens sale event, through these pages, that I was able to purchase two tables and sell whatever I wanted to sell - I made some good money today and met some great people. I can't wait to do it again!
Buying and selling through these pages has also helped me learn my way around the various towns, cities and counties in the area (everything is so far apart!). I'm starting to learn the major points of reference for the various places, so I'm starting to communicate like a local! :o) Still working on the road numbers though. Here, people (i.e. the locals) use the road's state number rather than the road name. For example: if a road is 204 and Beverly Road, the locals call it 204. I'm used to roads being called by their actual name, so this numbers thing is also something I'm learning about. I'll get it sooner or later.
Friday, March 23, 2012
First time for everything!
So, this is my first time blogging! Not sure what all I'll put on here, but probably will chronicle our lives as a new small town family. We moved here in August with our then 5 1/2 year old son and our 2 week old daughter. Our son started kindergarten a week and a half later. The closest Walmarts are 15 - 25 minutes away, Target is almost 40 minutes away (in another state), there are no fast food restaurants in our town (probably a good thing), and I am a stay-at-home mom for the very first time.
I've always worked. Why am I not working now? There's also no child care in town and the closest ones are far below acceptable par. I'm still searching though! I love our kids and I AM enjoying being home with our daughter and watching her change and learn every day, but I also miss the intellectual stimulation of daily adult interaction as well as the social aspects of working. I DO enjoy finding the mommy groups or hanging out with the other SAHMs of this town, but I would also enjoy bringing in a little more cash flow into the household (looking into some part-time work from home possibilities too!).
So, there you have it! I don't know how often I'll post, but I'll let you know when I do!
Beth
I've always worked. Why am I not working now? There's also no child care in town and the closest ones are far below acceptable par. I'm still searching though! I love our kids and I AM enjoying being home with our daughter and watching her change and learn every day, but I also miss the intellectual stimulation of daily adult interaction as well as the social aspects of working. I DO enjoy finding the mommy groups or hanging out with the other SAHMs of this town, but I would also enjoy bringing in a little more cash flow into the household (looking into some part-time work from home possibilities too!).
So, there you have it! I don't know how often I'll post, but I'll let you know when I do!
Beth
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