No, no they don't.
Showing posts with label Promoting the Cool Works of Others. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Promoting the Cool Works of Others. Show all posts
Friday, February 20, 2015
Violin
I could talk at length about it, but in the long run, does anyone need to hear me babble?
No, no they don't.
No, no they don't.
Sunday, February 01, 2015
In the wee small hours of the morning
It is 4:14 am and I am awake in my bed.
I woke up around 2:30 in that usual, middle-of-the-night grogginess, and suddenly I remembered I forgot to submit Bios for Nick and Nate, and those were due the 31st. (They are doing a play. Post to follow.)
I submitted the bios and then sent an email out to family members because tickets are on sale. I posted the link on Facebook. And then I realized there was a deadline for placing good luck messages in the program, so I went through all the emails ever and found the one pertaining to ads in the program. When I saw the deadline was February 12th I got so sad because I was picturing Nick and Nate looking for a good luck message from me or their dad, and finding nothing...
... then I realized it wasn't February 12th yet and I still had almost 2 weeks. My sense of time / date is totally skewed.
I printed that out. I swore to buy a HUGE ad for both boys.
While I was at it I looked up the rehearsal schedule going forward. I cancelled karate for everyone for February.
I was going to go back to sleep, but my brain is just not cooperating. Which is Why I'm here...
I woke up around 2:30 in that usual, middle-of-the-night grogginess, and suddenly I remembered I forgot to submit Bios for Nick and Nate, and those were due the 31st. (They are doing a play. Post to follow.)
I submitted the bios and then sent an email out to family members because tickets are on sale. I posted the link on Facebook. And then I realized there was a deadline for placing good luck messages in the program, so I went through all the emails ever and found the one pertaining to ads in the program. When I saw the deadline was February 12th I got so sad because I was picturing Nick and Nate looking for a good luck message from me or their dad, and finding nothing...
... then I realized it wasn't February 12th yet and I still had almost 2 weeks. My sense of time / date is totally skewed.
I printed that out. I swore to buy a HUGE ad for both boys.
While I was at it I looked up the rehearsal schedule going forward. I cancelled karate for everyone for February.
I was going to go back to sleep, but my brain is just not cooperating. Which is Why I'm here...
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
The Third Child And The World
When Andrew was still very small, one of my politically charged FaceBook friends (I have a few) posted a status, or an article, about how couples deciding to have a third child would do better to consider the effect that choice would have on the planet and the destruction of our environment.
I wish I could explain exactly how I felt when I read that. I was... angry. I remember that I wanted to type something, I wanted to say something, to type something, and I couldn't really do it because my hands were shaking and I could remember to keep breathing. It was a very emotional reaction. But I wanted to say something, something not really mean, but something that would show this person, the author of the article, and all of the people who thought this way, how amazingly hurt I was.
Hurt. I was hurt, and I was emotional, and I was angry. Because in my eyes, they were telling me the world was a better place without my child. MY child. My baby. A small human being I devoted my life to, and who I had hopes and dreams and expectations for. And to clarify, none of those hopes and dreams had anything to do with harming the planet.
Yesterday, this friend posted a link to the Thought Catalog's letter to Women Who Choose Not To Have Kids. I didn't bother to read it, honestly,but today he posted that he might do a show (he's a monologist) about population, the environment, and every person's choices about how many children they are going to have.
Again, my hackles went up, but I've had some years to sort through all of the emotions and all of my reactions, so I could better identify what it was, exactly, that I was feeling.
The truth is, even when I read the original article years ago, I knew it had its merits. He was right, he had a point, and the article... It was referring to the simply math of the situation. We have a planet with limited resources. Each person, simply by existing, uses up a number of these resources. More that two children increases the population, and uses up more of the resources, which have no time (or way) to replenish.
More than that, humans have become reckless about their belongings and their waste. We want everything to be disposable, and as soon as something is thrown out, it's out of mind. Given how the average American person disposes of items for convenience or status, the individual's footprint is growing larger and larger. As generations go on, each baby has more babies, and the population increases exponentially. Resources disappear even faster.
I realized this when Andy was an infant. My awareness of my impact on the environment was growing, and I had an infant in disposable diapers. Plastic sip-cups covered my home, and we had buckets full of plastic and electronic toys that were already broken and of no use to anyone. I made some personal choices and changes to my life to reduce our impact to the planet, choices about how often we used our car, how some of our purchases were packaged, how often we ate meat. I stopped buying things I didn't need, a decision that to this day causes people to think I'm stingy and cheap. These choices were sound choices, I believe, and responsible choices.
But none of that would make up for the fact that I brought into the world this extra person. My parents explained to us, when we were young, that each person born replaced an older person. I was born to 'replace' my mother, and my brother was born to 'replace' my father. Well then, we asked, what about our other three siblings? My parents simply pointed to my mother's unmarried sister and told us they made up for adults who had no children. Now, I knew this didn't add up or the population wouldn't be growing, but I still ticked people off when my kids were born. One for me, two for my husband, and three for... well, none of my four siblings had kids, so I should have been covered. I still felt a measure of guilt. Because, in my mind, what my parents had said was hooey, and the theory that more children meant more strain on the environment was sound.
But it isn't that simple, is it? Because we aren't talking about science, we're talking about people.
Yes, there are many women out there who do not have children. Many of these women actually make this choice not to have children, and I applaud them. There is no reason to have a child if you don't want a child. Please! It's too hard a job to go into reluctantly. And for the record, I feel I should step up here and say something about it always being WOMEN who are the odd ones for not wanting children. I know some men out there who also choose not to have children, but no one calls THEM strange. (Actually, that's no always true. Once I told my brother he was weird for not wanting kids, but I take it back now. Never say I don't admit it when I'm wrong.)
Um... where was I? Yes. Women (people) not wanting to have children. That is an OK choice. Just because I chose something different doesn't mean it's the only way. I can breastfeed and still approve of those who use formula. I can be an atheist and still tolerate those who pray. Just as long as they don't expect me to fess up to making a mistake or admit the error of my ways.
Having a child is a very charged issue. Many couples choose not to have children, but many other couples try very, very hard to have children of their own. They see doctors and have treatments and procedures and spend thousands of dollars on the off chance that they might have their own biological derivative. As baffling as this is to me, they do it, and they do it for a reason. Maybe this is the only way they can have a child. Maybe they can't adopt. Maybe they think they won't love a child if it isn't genetically related. Whatever the reason, it's theirs to have. I'm sure that anyone who has leapt through hoops and put forth such emotional investment would resent their child being described as a burden on the planet.
As would anyone who has lost a child.
We aren't logical with our children. We're emotional. We're primal.
What does this mean?
Well, it isn't just our kids. I mean, when you look at it, we're all burdens on our planet. Some more than others, depending on habits, environment, and how often we buy a new iphone. If we're going to survive, we're going to have to take a look at all of our habits, from how often we use disposable plates, to how often we upgrade our phones, to the reasons we want to have children.
Now, I know a number of families with multiple children. (Hello, I live in suburbia!). I know families with multiple children that would like to have more, some of them having more (the people down the street have 9. Nine. I go slightly crazy thinking about it.) The thing is, these families are wonderful families. The children are wonderful and brilliant and a joy. I believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and that includes each member of the family with nineteen children whose parents just keep on reproducing because that's apparently what God wants. (Maybe God does want that. Maybe God wants the Earth overpopulated? I wouldn't know, I'm not a believer.) Hey, hooray for them. I disagree, but I don't think we could morally put a limit on the number of children a family could have.
But in general, the middle of the sane, reproducing-age population should take a hard look at why they're doing what they're doing. I'm not saying not to go for it. Hey, I did. I had two boys. I wanted a girl. We didn't make a decision to try, we just... stopped trying not to. Now I have three boys. Part of me wanted to keep going. Part of me wanted to try for that girl, and honestly, I can't say that, under different circumstances, I wouldn't have tried a last time.
Because I love babies. I love kids. I've loved kids ever since I was a kid. I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I couldn't tell you what my house looked like or what my husband and I would do on the weekends, but I could tell you that I was going to be A MOTHER. I knew it when I was five. I knew it when I was seventeen and about to go off to college, and spent an hour at a diner staring at a baby wondering why I had to do all this other stuff when all I wanted was that squirmy thing over there. (As a side note, I was really not ready to have a baby at seventeen, and I'm very glad I went to college and went through my 20's first. I would have missed out on a lot of life, and I wouldn't be as good a parent as I am now.)
My point is, I could have more kids. I mean, in my heart, I feel as though I could parent a couple more kids. Not at the moment. At the moment I'm having a hard time remembering what day it is and getting myself in and out of bed. But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm just saying that, at some point in the future, I might possibly decide I could be a parent again. But knowing what I know, I would have to give serious thought to how that child came to be mine.
There are so many options out there, people. There are children out there aching for homes. There are children out there who need temporary homes. If you're trying to fill a gap, there are other options. Especially for that second or third child.
So... this post is very long and convoluted, and I feel I must apologize for that, to some extent. I could sum up: People have many emotions when it comes to babies. It is every person's right to decide if he or she wants to become a parent, and both choices are OK. It is every couples's choice as to how many children they would like to have. It is also our responsibility as humans living and caring for this planet to take into account how our actions and indeed how our very presence affect it. Part of this is re-thinking how we perceive having children and what it means to be a parent.
In the meantime, I refuse to feel guilty about what we have already. I will not regret my children, not for any reason. Asking me to do that would be unfair and evoke all the kinds of emotions that would prevent meaningful discussion. So I will cherish each one of them and teach them what I know. And part of that is to be willing to think about difficult things.
I wish I could explain exactly how I felt when I read that. I was... angry. I remember that I wanted to type something, I wanted to say something, to type something, and I couldn't really do it because my hands were shaking and I could remember to keep breathing. It was a very emotional reaction. But I wanted to say something, something not really mean, but something that would show this person, the author of the article, and all of the people who thought this way, how amazingly hurt I was.
Hurt. I was hurt, and I was emotional, and I was angry. Because in my eyes, they were telling me the world was a better place without my child. MY child. My baby. A small human being I devoted my life to, and who I had hopes and dreams and expectations for. And to clarify, none of those hopes and dreams had anything to do with harming the planet.
Yesterday, this friend posted a link to the Thought Catalog's letter to Women Who Choose Not To Have Kids. I didn't bother to read it, honestly,but today he posted that he might do a show (he's a monologist) about population, the environment, and every person's choices about how many children they are going to have.
Again, my hackles went up, but I've had some years to sort through all of the emotions and all of my reactions, so I could better identify what it was, exactly, that I was feeling.
The truth is, even when I read the original article years ago, I knew it had its merits. He was right, he had a point, and the article... It was referring to the simply math of the situation. We have a planet with limited resources. Each person, simply by existing, uses up a number of these resources. More that two children increases the population, and uses up more of the resources, which have no time (or way) to replenish.
More than that, humans have become reckless about their belongings and their waste. We want everything to be disposable, and as soon as something is thrown out, it's out of mind. Given how the average American person disposes of items for convenience or status, the individual's footprint is growing larger and larger. As generations go on, each baby has more babies, and the population increases exponentially. Resources disappear even faster.
I realized this when Andy was an infant. My awareness of my impact on the environment was growing, and I had an infant in disposable diapers. Plastic sip-cups covered my home, and we had buckets full of plastic and electronic toys that were already broken and of no use to anyone. I made some personal choices and changes to my life to reduce our impact to the planet, choices about how often we used our car, how some of our purchases were packaged, how often we ate meat. I stopped buying things I didn't need, a decision that to this day causes people to think I'm stingy and cheap. These choices were sound choices, I believe, and responsible choices.
But none of that would make up for the fact that I brought into the world this extra person. My parents explained to us, when we were young, that each person born replaced an older person. I was born to 'replace' my mother, and my brother was born to 'replace' my father. Well then, we asked, what about our other three siblings? My parents simply pointed to my mother's unmarried sister and told us they made up for adults who had no children. Now, I knew this didn't add up or the population wouldn't be growing, but I still ticked people off when my kids were born. One for me, two for my husband, and three for... well, none of my four siblings had kids, so I should have been covered. I still felt a measure of guilt. Because, in my mind, what my parents had said was hooey, and the theory that more children meant more strain on the environment was sound.
But it isn't that simple, is it? Because we aren't talking about science, we're talking about people.
Yes, there are many women out there who do not have children. Many of these women actually make this choice not to have children, and I applaud them. There is no reason to have a child if you don't want a child. Please! It's too hard a job to go into reluctantly. And for the record, I feel I should step up here and say something about it always being WOMEN who are the odd ones for not wanting children. I know some men out there who also choose not to have children, but no one calls THEM strange. (Actually, that's no always true. Once I told my brother he was weird for not wanting kids, but I take it back now. Never say I don't admit it when I'm wrong.)
Um... where was I? Yes. Women (people) not wanting to have children. That is an OK choice. Just because I chose something different doesn't mean it's the only way. I can breastfeed and still approve of those who use formula. I can be an atheist and still tolerate those who pray. Just as long as they don't expect me to fess up to making a mistake or admit the error of my ways.
Having a child is a very charged issue. Many couples choose not to have children, but many other couples try very, very hard to have children of their own. They see doctors and have treatments and procedures and spend thousands of dollars on the off chance that they might have their own biological derivative. As baffling as this is to me, they do it, and they do it for a reason. Maybe this is the only way they can have a child. Maybe they can't adopt. Maybe they think they won't love a child if it isn't genetically related. Whatever the reason, it's theirs to have. I'm sure that anyone who has leapt through hoops and put forth such emotional investment would resent their child being described as a burden on the planet.
As would anyone who has lost a child.
We aren't logical with our children. We're emotional. We're primal.
What does this mean?
Well, it isn't just our kids. I mean, when you look at it, we're all burdens on our planet. Some more than others, depending on habits, environment, and how often we buy a new iphone. If we're going to survive, we're going to have to take a look at all of our habits, from how often we use disposable plates, to how often we upgrade our phones, to the reasons we want to have children.
Now, I know a number of families with multiple children. (Hello, I live in suburbia!). I know families with multiple children that would like to have more, some of them having more (the people down the street have 9. Nine. I go slightly crazy thinking about it.) The thing is, these families are wonderful families. The children are wonderful and brilliant and a joy. I believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and that includes each member of the family with nineteen children whose parents just keep on reproducing because that's apparently what God wants. (Maybe God does want that. Maybe God wants the Earth overpopulated? I wouldn't know, I'm not a believer.) Hey, hooray for them. I disagree, but I don't think we could morally put a limit on the number of children a family could have.
But in general, the middle of the sane, reproducing-age population should take a hard look at why they're doing what they're doing. I'm not saying not to go for it. Hey, I did. I had two boys. I wanted a girl. We didn't make a decision to try, we just... stopped trying not to. Now I have three boys. Part of me wanted to keep going. Part of me wanted to try for that girl, and honestly, I can't say that, under different circumstances, I wouldn't have tried a last time.
Because I love babies. I love kids. I've loved kids ever since I was a kid. I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I couldn't tell you what my house looked like or what my husband and I would do on the weekends, but I could tell you that I was going to be A MOTHER. I knew it when I was five. I knew it when I was seventeen and about to go off to college, and spent an hour at a diner staring at a baby wondering why I had to do all this other stuff when all I wanted was that squirmy thing over there. (As a side note, I was really not ready to have a baby at seventeen, and I'm very glad I went to college and went through my 20's first. I would have missed out on a lot of life, and I wouldn't be as good a parent as I am now.)
My point is, I could have more kids. I mean, in my heart, I feel as though I could parent a couple more kids. Not at the moment. At the moment I'm having a hard time remembering what day it is and getting myself in and out of bed. But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm just saying that, at some point in the future, I might possibly decide I could be a parent again. But knowing what I know, I would have to give serious thought to how that child came to be mine.
There are so many options out there, people. There are children out there aching for homes. There are children out there who need temporary homes. If you're trying to fill a gap, there are other options. Especially for that second or third child.
So... this post is very long and convoluted, and I feel I must apologize for that, to some extent. I could sum up: People have many emotions when it comes to babies. It is every person's right to decide if he or she wants to become a parent, and both choices are OK. It is every couples's choice as to how many children they would like to have. It is also our responsibility as humans living and caring for this planet to take into account how our actions and indeed how our very presence affect it. Part of this is re-thinking how we perceive having children and what it means to be a parent.
In the meantime, I refuse to feel guilty about what we have already. I will not regret my children, not for any reason. Asking me to do that would be unfair and evoke all the kinds of emotions that would prevent meaningful discussion. So I will cherish each one of them and teach them what I know. And part of that is to be willing to think about difficult things.
Tuesday, December 03, 2013
Nate's Poetry
Nathan is working on a poetry unit in school.
This means that they're reading some different kinds of poetry, and also that he's writing some poems himself. He likes doing this a lot, and last night he informed me that when he grew up he was going to be a poet.
We had a short conversation about being a poet. I told him I thought he's be good at it, but that it was hard to make a living that way.
His response was to hand me three poems this morning for me to post. "And for every 'like' I get, you give me a dollar.
We haggled, and now I'm giving him a quarter for every comment left below. Remember, he's buying holiday gifts for some of you people. You might want to leave a couple of words.
Seriously, the last one is my favorite.
Christmas
Santa present
Red and red
Soon Santa's coming
So go to bed
Cookies
Roses are red,
Violets are blue
I know that cookies
Can be, too!
Rush Hour In The City
The trains are gone,
The busses are taken,
The cabs are, too.
Finally, there is a cab,
And I looked at my watch.
It was too bad.
I was late for work.
This means that they're reading some different kinds of poetry, and also that he's writing some poems himself. He likes doing this a lot, and last night he informed me that when he grew up he was going to be a poet.
We had a short conversation about being a poet. I told him I thought he's be good at it, but that it was hard to make a living that way.
His response was to hand me three poems this morning for me to post. "And for every 'like' I get, you give me a dollar.
We haggled, and now I'm giving him a quarter for every comment left below. Remember, he's buying holiday gifts for some of you people. You might want to leave a couple of words.
Seriously, the last one is my favorite.
Christmas
Santa present
Red and red
Soon Santa's coming
So go to bed
Cookies
Roses are red,
Violets are blue
I know that cookies
Can be, too!
Rush Hour In The City
The trains are gone,
The busses are taken,
The cabs are, too.
Finally, there is a cab,
And I looked at my watch.
It was too bad.
I was late for work.
Monday, July 29, 2013
If you're in New York...
I just came back from New York.
It was a quick trip - down Friday, back Monday. I'm wearing exhaustion on top of my fatigue. And unless you are one of a few people, you either cannot or have already experienced the Main Attraction, which is my crazy family. But I did want to share two things in particular that anyone, Anyone At All can experience should they so choose.
And they should choose. To experience these two things:
1 - Peter and the Starcatcher. Saw it. Loved it. I don't see a lot of theatre these days, so you can keep that in mind when I say it's different than anything I've seen in years. Decades. It's fun - I laughed. It's touching - I cried. The boys loved it, and it is perfectly suitable for adults. And I'm not at all biased by the talented guy I know in the show. Who is Amazing! And would be, even if I didn't know him. See what I'm saying? See how that works? Good. Now do yourself a favor and go see it. Soon.
2 - Spadium. It's a spa. It's a Korean spa. I don't know much about Spas in general, so I wasn't sure what that meant, but Linda, who was the arrangement maker in this excursion, forwarded me this article. I read it, but still wasn't sure what to expect because, you know, people exaggerate. They go to spas a lot and get used to things a certain way, and then don't adapt well? But this spa actually WAS three flights of stairs down a creepy hallway. It was spooky. And then we had to take off every inch of clothing. And then these ladies in black lace bras and panties (and I mean lace lace, not just regular not-see-through material with lace on the edges) rubbed our bodies with sandpaper mitts for an HOUR. I mean, every inch of my body. My armpits. My neck. I recently went to my GYN for a lady visit, but this stranger who spoke almost no english got much, much better acquainted with my body. Then we went into the sauna, and I had Linda check to make sure my back wasn't bleeding. And then we went back onto the table for a massage and facial. Which apparently included a salt rub. Which hurts on freshly scrubbed skin. Also, the table was so slick with oil I thought I was going to fall off. The only non-slippy part of me was my face, which was firmly planted into the towel on the edge of the bed. Every once and awhile the underwear lady would splash me with a bucket of warm water.
Overall, this was a strange experience. I want to say I liked it, but my skin is a little sore. And rug-burnish in places I don't usually experience rug burn. Like my neck. It IS an experience, though. So you should try it if you're into spa stuff. I might go once more, just to make sure how I feel.
It was a quick trip - down Friday, back Monday. I'm wearing exhaustion on top of my fatigue. And unless you are one of a few people, you either cannot or have already experienced the Main Attraction, which is my crazy family. But I did want to share two things in particular that anyone, Anyone At All can experience should they so choose.
And they should choose. To experience these two things:
1 - Peter and the Starcatcher. Saw it. Loved it. I don't see a lot of theatre these days, so you can keep that in mind when I say it's different than anything I've seen in years. Decades. It's fun - I laughed. It's touching - I cried. The boys loved it, and it is perfectly suitable for adults. And I'm not at all biased by the talented guy I know in the show. Who is Amazing! And would be, even if I didn't know him. See what I'm saying? See how that works? Good. Now do yourself a favor and go see it. Soon.
2 - Spadium. It's a spa. It's a Korean spa. I don't know much about Spas in general, so I wasn't sure what that meant, but Linda, who was the arrangement maker in this excursion, forwarded me this article. I read it, but still wasn't sure what to expect because, you know, people exaggerate. They go to spas a lot and get used to things a certain way, and then don't adapt well? But this spa actually WAS three flights of stairs down a creepy hallway. It was spooky. And then we had to take off every inch of clothing. And then these ladies in black lace bras and panties (and I mean lace lace, not just regular not-see-through material with lace on the edges) rubbed our bodies with sandpaper mitts for an HOUR. I mean, every inch of my body. My armpits. My neck. I recently went to my GYN for a lady visit, but this stranger who spoke almost no english got much, much better acquainted with my body. Then we went into the sauna, and I had Linda check to make sure my back wasn't bleeding. And then we went back onto the table for a massage and facial. Which apparently included a salt rub. Which hurts on freshly scrubbed skin. Also, the table was so slick with oil I thought I was going to fall off. The only non-slippy part of me was my face, which was firmly planted into the towel on the edge of the bed. Every once and awhile the underwear lady would splash me with a bucket of warm water.
Overall, this was a strange experience. I want to say I liked it, but my skin is a little sore. And rug-burnish in places I don't usually experience rug burn. Like my neck. It IS an experience, though. So you should try it if you're into spa stuff. I might go once more, just to make sure how I feel.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
This one time...
So, I found this cartoon on Facebook.
I know Facebook is terrible and horrible and takes advantage of it's users and sells all of your private information to companies for billions of dollars, but it's all worth it to find this cartoon (artwork by The Awkward Yeti, it said) and remember this.
This story involves a wonderful friend of mine, Betsy. Betsy was my roommate, and she put up with me and my antics for a whole year. Not including college.
This one time, I decided we should go to the grocery store and each get our own pie. That way, I reasoned, we wouldn't have to share, or even be bothered having to slice it up first. We could just... dive in.
So I dragged Betsy to Star Market and all but forced her to choose a pie. I chose one for myself. We had two pies. And then we went home, settled ourselves in front of the TV, and began to eat.
After awhile, Betsy spoke up. She said she'd had enough, and was feeling sick, and wouldn't eat any more. I looked over at her pie. There was a small circular hole in the center, but it was small. It was maybe the amount of pie one would eat in a single slice. It was so tiny.
I looked at my pie. The crater I had made in the center was much, much larger. But I wasn't done. I could still keep going. And I did. I ate and I ate, and then I got this feeling. It wasn't because I was eating too much. I don't think I felt sick. I think it was more like a voice in my head saying, "Kathleen. You should not eat a whole pie. That is gross and wrong."
So in the end I ended up putting away my pie before I was done, even though I could so totally have eaten the whole thing, just because I felt it was the right thing to do. I didn't go the distance. I gave up.
I may need to try again.
I know Facebook is terrible and horrible and takes advantage of it's users and sells all of your private information to companies for billions of dollars, but it's all worth it to find this cartoon (artwork by The Awkward Yeti, it said) and remember this.
This story involves a wonderful friend of mine, Betsy. Betsy was my roommate, and she put up with me and my antics for a whole year. Not including college.
This one time, I decided we should go to the grocery store and each get our own pie. That way, I reasoned, we wouldn't have to share, or even be bothered having to slice it up first. We could just... dive in.
So I dragged Betsy to Star Market and all but forced her to choose a pie. I chose one for myself. We had two pies. And then we went home, settled ourselves in front of the TV, and began to eat.
After awhile, Betsy spoke up. She said she'd had enough, and was feeling sick, and wouldn't eat any more. I looked over at her pie. There was a small circular hole in the center, but it was small. It was maybe the amount of pie one would eat in a single slice. It was so tiny.
I looked at my pie. The crater I had made in the center was much, much larger. But I wasn't done. I could still keep going. And I did. I ate and I ate, and then I got this feeling. It wasn't because I was eating too much. I don't think I felt sick. I think it was more like a voice in my head saying, "Kathleen. You should not eat a whole pie. That is gross and wrong."
So in the end I ended up putting away my pie before I was done, even though I could so totally have eaten the whole thing, just because I felt it was the right thing to do. I didn't go the distance. I gave up.
I may need to try again.
Monday, October 29, 2012
See A Show!
I'm going to New York in a couple of days.
I am going to New York to see Josh Cohen. Not that Josh Cohen, The Other Josh Cohen.
When I told Steve, he was confused. He was all, "Who's Josh Cohen?"
Most readers will already know that The Other Josh Cohen is a show. It's a musical. If you're in NY and you know my brother, you'll probably already have heard about it. But if you're in NY and you haven't heard about it, go see it! By all accounts it's fabulous! I'm pretty excited myself.
I am going to New York to see Josh Cohen. Not that Josh Cohen, The Other Josh Cohen.
When I told Steve, he was confused. He was all, "Who's Josh Cohen?"
Most readers will already know that The Other Josh Cohen is a show. It's a musical. If you're in NY and you know my brother, you'll probably already have heard about it. But if you're in NY and you haven't heard about it, go see it! By all accounts it's fabulous! I'm pretty excited myself.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Cupcakes
I don't know if I mentioned the cupcake store that opened up a few years ago. I'm sure I must have, because the place is such a fabulous cupcake dream in an Eloise-At-The-Plaza kind of way...
Anyway, the cupcake store happens to be located very near Andy's School. And the lady who owns the cupcake store - which is now so successful she has an additional kiosk at the mall and, if rumors prove to be true, is also opening up a third location - has a little girl who was in Nicholas's class at school. Two years in a row.
The cupcakes there are expensive, by NH standards. Over $3 for a cupcake seems extreme, when you aren't sure the kid's going to eat it. But it should be said that these are not your run of the mill cupcakes. They're fancy. They have fancy flavors. Children don't always appreciate them. And they look....
Well, they look like this:
These are the cupcakes I bought in celebration of the first day back to school. And NO, I did NOT eat a cupcake before taking the picture! I only bought five of them, so it looks that way.
Aren't they beautiful, though? Let's take a closer look.
Anyway, the cupcake store happens to be located very near Andy's School. And the lady who owns the cupcake store - which is now so successful she has an additional kiosk at the mall and, if rumors prove to be true, is also opening up a third location - has a little girl who was in Nicholas's class at school. Two years in a row.
The cupcakes there are expensive, by NH standards. Over $3 for a cupcake seems extreme, when you aren't sure the kid's going to eat it. But it should be said that these are not your run of the mill cupcakes. They're fancy. They have fancy flavors. Children don't always appreciate them. And they look....
Well, they look like this:
These are the cupcakes I bought in celebration of the first day back to school. And NO, I did NOT eat a cupcake before taking the picture! I only bought five of them, so it looks that way.
Aren't they beautiful, though? Let's take a closer look.
 |
| Fudge Sundae |
 |
| Chocolate Peanut Butter |
 |
| Vanilla Raspberry Swirl |
Monday, July 16, 2012
Dinner Time
I make dinner every single night.
OK, not every night. There are nights we order pizza, but not too many. And there are nights Steve makes dinner, or sometimes just grills some meat while I throw a side together.
But most nights, I make dinner.
And I stress over what to make. Yes, I want to be healthy and serve my children nutritious meals. But mostly I stress about what to make because I think if I have to make chicken or tacos one more time my head will explode. This is where the blogs to the readers left come in, particularly Greens and Chocolate (by someone I don't know) and What I Haven't Cooked Yet (someone I actually knew in college.)
Anyway, I have been combing through these sites and sometimes I can find something that I not only want to eat, but I can also make. And then I go ahead and make it. Sometimes I remember to buy all the ingredients. Not always. And most of the time the things I make are so yummy! Even Steve has liked almost everything I've made. (The cherry chutney, not so much.) The boys.... the boys usually don't touch it. Unless it's to stick a very small pasta swirl on a lower lip and the splutter uncontrollably and ask for more milk.
The other day I was planning on making an avocado and corn salad. I was prepared. But I realized about twenty minutes before showtime that all of my avocados were rotten. Grey and squishy and way way softer than they should have been.
So I improvised. I threw what I had together, which wasn't much. Sesame bagels. Cheddar cheese. Pasta sauce.
OK, not every night. There are nights we order pizza, but not too many. And there are nights Steve makes dinner, or sometimes just grills some meat while I throw a side together.
But most nights, I make dinner.
And I stress over what to make. Yes, I want to be healthy and serve my children nutritious meals. But mostly I stress about what to make because I think if I have to make chicken or tacos one more time my head will explode. This is where the blogs to the readers left come in, particularly Greens and Chocolate (by someone I don't know) and What I Haven't Cooked Yet (someone I actually knew in college.)
Anyway, I have been combing through these sites and sometimes I can find something that I not only want to eat, but I can also make. And then I go ahead and make it. Sometimes I remember to buy all the ingredients. Not always. And most of the time the things I make are so yummy! Even Steve has liked almost everything I've made. (The cherry chutney, not so much.) The boys.... the boys usually don't touch it. Unless it's to stick a very small pasta swirl on a lower lip and the splutter uncontrollably and ask for more milk.
The other day I was planning on making an avocado and corn salad. I was prepared. But I realized about twenty minutes before showtime that all of my avocados were rotten. Grey and squishy and way way softer than they should have been.
So I improvised. I threw what I had together, which wasn't much. Sesame bagels. Cheddar cheese. Pasta sauce.
Pizza Bagels.
And even though the bagels were stale and burned in the broiler, the boys wolfed them down and declared this the best dinner ever.
Shoot. It's just so discouraging.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Graduation Day
Oh, and they were so cute when they were all singing "Lean On Me' and "Walkin' on Sunshine!"
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Found A Food Blog
I just discovered Greens and Chocolate.
I haven't made anything from here yet. I'm not sure why I love this blog so much. I think it's the blog backgound pattern.
But, oh, the possibilities! I'm making veggie pasta and sausage for dinner tonight!
I haven't made anything from here yet. I'm not sure why I love this blog so much. I think it's the blog backgound pattern.
But, oh, the possibilities! I'm making veggie pasta and sausage for dinner tonight!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Earth Day
Today is Earth Day.
Today, just for one day, do something nice for the planet. Walk instead of ride. Stay away from plastic bottles. Recycle something you usually don't. Reuse something you usually don't. Try turning off your lights, your devices, your TV's. Read a book or take a walk.
Love the planet. It's the only one we've got.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Other People's Photos
Virginia is the Captain of the boat. You have to do everything she says. A the end of the trip she presented each of us with a number of gifts, including a personal photo album of our trip. I really like and admire her a lot.Another thing she does is borrow everyone's cameras at different points and download everyone's photographs. At the end of the trip she will place all of the photographs on a flash drive, so everyone ends up with 850 photographs of the vacation. Many people, such as Terry, refuse to do this because 850 photographs are too many to look at. She has a point. It makes selecting which photos to share or include in albums almost impossible. This is why each of these vacations posts have eleven images.
I was confused. I hadn't transfered the photos, yet I recognized this picture of me from behind... It took a moment, but it finally dawned on me that this was not a photograph of me. It was actually a photograph of Linda.
On the boat.
Linda didn't go on the boat this year, she went last year.
I was looking at last year's photographs.
Which were the last photographs added to Mom's iPhoto account.
Because she doesn't open it. Ever.
One of the best things about getting to have other people's photographs, though, is that sometimes, or most of the time, other people turn out to be better photographers than you do. Or than I do. Also, I now actually have photographs from a vacation I took and I am in some of the pictures!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
The Day Before Christmas
I forgot to post yesterday. The day just got away from me. But I do have a lot to say. A LOT!
First of all, we decorated a gingerbread house and a gingerbread train. These pre-fab things are more complicated than they look. I always have the worst time getting the things to actually stand up. I had to use a box inside the house and alphabet blocks for the trains. One got stuck in the train. You can kind of see it in the picture if you look. Also, this is the first year that, after constructing the frames, I let the boys decorate all by themselves. Thoughts?
This year I made the boys buy their own presents. Not the ones they GET, the ones they give. So you may be getting some... er... pretty odd things. They did most of their shopping at the Church Holiday Sale, where the Youth Group set up tables of donate items, sell them for very reasonable prices, and the proceeds go to something... heat relief or hunger or something. I donated a basket full of items. Half of these items my kids purchased back.Many of the gifts are already under the tree. These are gifts from my sister Emily and gifts the boys are giving. It reminds me of being a kid - days before Christmas it looks like Santa has already been here.
Finally, I heard a new holiday song yesterday. It's The 12 Days of Christmas. I KNOW! How awful. There are only 3 billion versions of this song. But this one is different. First off, it's The Boston Pops, and it's just so very different. I tried to find it on iTunes, but I couldn't. The version there was this boring John Williams one. This is a new one. It's really funny! Especially if you're a music lover. I had to go to the BSO site and download it, but maybe there's a different way to give it a listen.
Finally, I heard a new holiday song yesterday. It's The 12 Days of Christmas. I KNOW! How awful. There are only 3 billion versions of this song. But this one is different. First off, it's The Boston Pops, and it's just so very different. I tried to find it on iTunes, but I couldn't. The version there was this boring John Williams one. This is a new one. It's really funny! Especially if you're a music lover. I had to go to the BSO site and download it, but maybe there's a different way to give it a listen.I'll post tomorrow to give an official Merry Christmas, but just in case you won't check in.... Merry Christmas to All!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Crazy weekend
This weekend is jam packed with activities, and right now, at before 7am on Saturday morning, I am simply not sure how I am supposed to get it all done.
This morning at 9:30 the boys have karate classes back to back until 11am. After this we will join the karate class demonstration at the Town Harvest Festival at 2pm in the park. The demonstration will probably not last longer than 15 minutes, but the festival will go until 3pm.
Then Sunday we have church. I have to show up at 8:45 to practice some songs I am singing in a trio, but have not looked at at all since practice Wednesday night. choir is at 9am. Church is at 10. Youth choir rehearses at 11:15 until noon. Nick has a birthday party at 1pm in a town on the other side of our home.
At some point between now and then I must buy that girl a birthday present. I don't even know what first grade girls like.
I also have to make sure the boys have fitting winter jackets and snowpants and boots. Ugh.
And as I'm writing this the karate gis are in the dryer so they will be nice and clean for the demonstration. And I forgot to take them out of the washer last night.
My house is a mess of dust and flies. My kitchen table needs to be wiped down before I put anything on it at all. I'm tired of the work, already, and I'm bitter because this weekend is anything but relaxing. Bitter! Bitter I say! Which isn't attractive, and it just makes me more grumpy.
I'll get it all done. I just need to take deep breaths, resign myself to many cups of coffee, and be on the lookout for opportunities. Maybe we can go out to lunch near a store that sells girl toys. Maybe the Harvest Festival will be really fun! Maybe this will be the best weekend ever!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Photos Nick Took
Our last trip to the boat, Steve needed my help with something. Because my hands were full, as always, I quickly tried to find places to put the items I was holding. In the process, I handed Nick my camera, thinking he was old enough to take care of it, and that it would be less likely to end up in the water.
This is a photo of half a docked boat and Andrew's arm. He does indeed have a tattoo (Star Wars Star Trooper) and he is in fact holding a coffee. Steve's coffee, which I had placed in the ground. But apparently Andy felt he should get to hold something, also.
This is a lovely photograph of my rear end as I am tugging at an inflatable dingy. Thanks, Nick. How many people get to see what they look like from this angle? I will pay more attention next time I purchase pants.
When I took a loof at the photos, I realized he had been kind of busy documenting events.
This is a photo of half a docked boat and Andrew's arm. He does indeed have a tattoo (Star Wars Star Trooper) and he is in fact holding a coffee. Steve's coffee, which I had placed in the ground. But apparently Andy felt he should get to hold something, also.
This is a lovely photograph of my rear end as I am tugging at an inflatable dingy. Thanks, Nick. How many people get to see what they look like from this angle? I will pay more attention next time I purchase pants.Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Baby Bean
She isn't mine. But isn't she beautiful? Aren't her parents so lucky?Of course, in this photo she's worn out from having three boys poke at her. Nick was amazed and in love and talked about her for days. Nate was indifferent. Andy flat out told me he didn't like her once we got home. Apparently she isn't half as entertaining as the cats she lives with.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Credit Where Credit Is Due
I like to post about things my friends and family do. If I have a friend with a blog, I'll post about it, and add a link. So if anyone I know is in a show, puts out an album, writes a book... well, I usually post about it. As long as I know about it, and the friend or family member responsible has not asked me not to.
My brother has a podcast.
Why haven't I mentioned this before, you ask? Especially when I was Soooooo excited when my cousin's singing went online, and when other people do shows, sing songs, read.... you know. Well... I'll tell you. Just give me a moment...
See... until a few days ago, I hadn't listened to it.
I was nervous. Talk radio makes me nervous. I either find it so boring I fall into a coma as I'm driving the car, or I find it so offensive my head explodes. See, I am a liberal. At least I consider myself a liberal. And many talk radio programs are not liberal. They are decidedly the opposite. And these programs, the ones find the most offensive and irritating and life threatening, these are the programs my brother listens to. And agrees with. Against what I find is common sense and in many cases common decency. Although I do admit, everyone has the right to his or her own opinion, no matter how incorrect or self-serving, which explains most people who live in The Middle, I guess.
Anyway... I hate politics. Which is why I have avoided my own brother's program. Until recently, because, after all, he is My Brother! And even if I don't agree with everything he says, I am so proud of everything he does. So... I listened. Because I love him.
What I'm trying to say is this: you should give this podcast a listen, if you haven't already. Listen to The Specialists - available on iTunes. It's entertaining! I am a convert. Not politically, no... but to this program. These guys are funny and entertaining and this wasn't at all the kind of show I thought I was trying to avoid. I feel almost ridiculous for having put it off. Give it a try, I tell you. What have you got to loose? Go, people, Go!
My brother has a podcast.
Why haven't I mentioned this before, you ask? Especially when I was Soooooo excited when my cousin's singing went online, and when other people do shows, sing songs, read.... you know. Well... I'll tell you. Just give me a moment...
See... until a few days ago, I hadn't listened to it.
I was nervous. Talk radio makes me nervous. I either find it so boring I fall into a coma as I'm driving the car, or I find it so offensive my head explodes. See, I am a liberal. At least I consider myself a liberal. And many talk radio programs are not liberal. They are decidedly the opposite. And these programs, the ones find the most offensive and irritating and life threatening, these are the programs my brother listens to. And agrees with. Against what I find is common sense and in many cases common decency. Although I do admit, everyone has the right to his or her own opinion, no matter how incorrect or self-serving, which explains most people who live in The Middle, I guess.
Anyway... I hate politics. Which is why I have avoided my own brother's program. Until recently, because, after all, he is My Brother! And even if I don't agree with everything he says, I am so proud of everything he does. So... I listened. Because I love him.
What I'm trying to say is this: you should give this podcast a listen, if you haven't already. Listen to The Specialists - available on iTunes. It's entertaining! I am a convert. Not politically, no... but to this program. These guys are funny and entertaining and this wasn't at all the kind of show I thought I was trying to avoid. I feel almost ridiculous for having put it off. Give it a try, I tell you. What have you got to loose? Go, people, Go!
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
More R & R
OK, so you know the last post I blogged? Or Blog post I posted? Or.... I dunno, I've been doing this for years, but I still don't know the right terminology... Anyway.... MY LAST POST...
I posted Rachel and The Reindeerz singing Child of Winter. For those of you who didn't recognize her or have never met her, Rachel is my cousin, Rachel. And she obviously rocks.
AND, you can now actually PURCHASE Rachel and The Reindeerz on iTunes! How exciting is that? For me, I mean. And obviously also for Rachel, too.
My point is, everyone should go download this right now. It's less than a dollar, and the song is really good. It's a pop Christmas song, nostalgic and happy and you haven't heard it a billion times yet. But you can, if you buy it RIGHT NOW! So what are you waiting for?
Also, I should probably drink less coffee.
I posted Rachel and The Reindeerz singing Child of Winter. For those of you who didn't recognize her or have never met her, Rachel is my cousin, Rachel. And she obviously rocks.
AND, you can now actually PURCHASE Rachel and The Reindeerz on iTunes! How exciting is that? For me, I mean. And obviously also for Rachel, too.
My point is, everyone should go download this right now. It's less than a dollar, and the song is really good. It's a pop Christmas song, nostalgic and happy and you haven't heard it a billion times yet. But you can, if you buy it RIGHT NOW! So what are you waiting for?
Also, I should probably drink less coffee.
Monday, December 06, 2010
Reindeerz
If you are a member of my family and have not yet watched this video, then do it. The beautiful young lady singing should be very familiar to you.
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