Words I needed to hear.

". . . I realized that spending all your energy on things you have to do makes your life disappear . . ."

Thank you, Lene.  We've never met, but I deeply appreciate your Celebratory post.

Lately, the "have to's" in life have required more hours than I have in me.  I've been depressed, exhausted, weak and a lousy  mom.  Here's to spending my life on things that bring me to life, and sharing them with my children.

Happy Thanksgiving, all.

Refining the Plea for Tolerance

Thank you, everyone, for your responses to my last post.  I especially appreciate Dave's comment.

Dave said:

So when women were refused the vote - they should have just accepted the rule of law and just shut up? Black people should have been happy with slavery because the law demanded it? Repression leads to protest ... bigotry to outrage ... that TOO is part of the democratic process.

I agree with you that it's a good thing women have the vote, and human rights don't hang on the color of skin.  (Understatement reigns supreme. ;o)  I'm not one to champion the tyrranical nature of democracy in the least.  If memory serves, it was Benjamin Franklin who said "Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what to have for dinner."  Tyrrany of the majority it is, and that's why America began as a republic.

(Btw . . . did I miss something? I don't remember championing bigotry or prejudice . . . if someone would point out how I managed to do that, I'd be happy to edit and revise, as that wasn't my goal.)

I completely agree with Dave's closing comment: protest and outrage have been, and continue to be, a part of the democratic process. They are a normal and often healthy human response to events in the world. I completely accept that as true. I don't accept that vandalism or violence against peaceful people is a necessary part of democracy.

I endeavored to say that I wish the vandalism, intimidation, and hateful screaming by protesters would stop. Those in opposition to Prop 8 have destroyed property, shouted epithets and picked fights with those whom they believed to have supported Prop 8.  I'm sure there have been some of the Prop 8 supporters, as well, who have been less than peaceful . . . but I have yet to hear about more than one . . . and he was covered in spittle with a damaged truck before he finally gave one of the male spitters a bloody nose.  The current legal climate does a good job of keeping them in check (which is a good end to that means, imho).

My cry is simply for decency . . . for respect . . . and for rational behavior. Destruction and anger only leads to more of the same. Peaceful protest is excellent--it raises awareness, and opens the doors for education and dialogue. A number of the protests surrounding the outcome of the Prop 8 vote (those I've seen video and heard accounts of) are a far cry from that.

Add to that the unsettling thought that protests and rallies in history which have used anger and mob politics to fuel their cause have been linked to miserably failed political/economic systems, (USSR, anyone?), and this situation surely gives one pause.

All of the fighting and conflict over this makes one wonder whether or not government should have anything to do with marriage at all.

Common Sense Holidays

This is some of the best common sense about the holiday season that I've ever read.  It's from the Managing Your Life blog, written by Rebecca herself:

"One thing I've found with Christmas, birthdays or any holiday, is that while the build-up is tremendously exciting, it also puts super duper pressure on one day. In that sense, it's always going to be a bit of a let-down when the day is over. I used to save every little purchase, whether gifts or fun food for Christmas day; in an attempt to make it as magically wonderful as possible. There is really no amount of anything that can take away the fact that the day will end; you will not be able to play with all the games received or eat all the food prepared... Cutting back and spreading the cheer to more than just one day has helped me and my family be more fully excited about the entire season."

We've been discussing, Vern and I, this kind of thing, and trying to figure out how to spread the holidays out over as many days as possible.  Rebecca just said it so clearly, I had to share.  (Not much clear thinking is going on in my head right now . . . sick kids, little & late sleep, and a losing laundry battle are taking their toll. lol)

G'night . . . 

November 16: International Day for Tolerance

Can't we all just be nice to each other?  Please?

With all of the craziness that has been sparked over the result of Prop 8 in California, I've been wishing harder than ever that we could all just be respectful.

In this country, we still have the opportunity to vote.  Once those votes are tallied, law is made.  If there are people that don't like the result, it is then their opportunity to bring their own proposition to the people at the next election, or bring it to the court.

If I went and pasted signs in support of Prop 8 on the homes of gay and lesbian couples I know, (with whom I'm on good terms, btw), odds are I could be put in prison, fined, or both.  In our current political climate, that's considered a hate crime.  The Prop 8 opposers have done just that . . . only their posters were on the house of my God.  And since Christians (and other religious sects supporting the Prop 8 definition of marriage) are not protected classes, odds are no such charges will be brought against the demonstrators.

Deomonstrating in large, angry crowds on Sundays outside of the buildings where members of my church gather does nothing to change the result of the voting on Prop 8.  It's intimidating to church members who are gathering peacefully as Christians are instructed to do.  Demonstrations such as those are no more than retribution and intimidation . . . and that's not supposed to be a part of our political process.  

And if singling out one church from the multitude of churches who actively supported Prop 8 isn't discrimination, I don't know what is.

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

Closing note:  I welcome respectful questions and statements in response to this post.  Dissenting views are welcome, provided they are not laced with profanity, vulgarity, or hate.  No disagreement was ever settled with any of those.  Thank you.

This will have to suffice.

In the place of a real blog post, I give you:

My Autumn Test Results

You are a energetic, warm, optimistic person. You approach everything with a lot of enthusiasm. When you are happiest, you are calm. You appreciate tradition and family. You enjoy feeling cozy. You tend to be afraid of change. You are never ready for things to be different. You find abundance to be the most comforting thing in the world. You love shopping and having nice things. Your ideal day is active and full. You like to keep busy with your favorite things, and you appreciate a routine. You tend to live in the moment. You enjoy whatever is going on, and you don't obsess over the past or future.

The Autumn Test

For once, one of these things is pretty much spot-on.  Fun. :o)

I'm up this late due to a little boy who broke out in hives today, hopefully due to the mild virus he had earlier this week.  Vern and I even had a date planned (with a baby-sitter, good friends to eat with, and everything!).  However, I just couldn't leave the Anderman, looking so uncomfortable and with big, red hives all over him.  They've mostly gone, now; just a few are left on his extremeties, and on the back of his neck.  Hopefully by morning he'll be good as new.

I have a feeling I won't be, though.

I've been up until at least 11pm every night this week so far, and I'm feeling it.  This is the latest I've been up, but now that my little guy is asleep and breathing easily, with most of the concerning hyper-allergic reaction dissipated, I think I can go sleep, too.

I hope all is well in blogland.  I've been reading, but not commenting much as we've had company and the Anderman's aforementioned illness.  I'm desperately hoping for some nap time tomorrow . . . we'll see how it goes.  The baby's teething, so he's not sleeping for long stretches, either.

Ah, the joys of motherhood. ;o)

Have a wonderful Sabbath, everyone!

Introducing "Tuesday Tips!" at the Passionate Mind.

As if I already didn't have enough to do, I thought I'd come up with yet another day-related theme for the blog.

Tuesday Tips!

Each Tuesday, I'll regale you with a "how-I-do-things" kind of tip, and I'd love it if you'd leave one of yours in the comments.  Sort of like a modern "Hints from Heloise".

And so, without further ado, I give you this week's installment of . . . 

Tuesday Tips!

In my house, we use good ol' fashioned, handmade, bar soap for hands.

Have you ever seen a soap dish after even one small child has used the bar soap in it?

Exactly.

So, at my house, we have a protocol for bar soap usage.  While it may seem a little extreme, if you've ever had to be the one responsible for cleaning the bathroom, you'll understand completely.

How to Wash One's Hands Without Making a Mess

(This is the version I use when I help 3yo Lil'MissL wash her hands.)

1. Turn on the water.
   
2. Wet one hand.
   
3. Pick up the soap with your other, still dry, hand.
   
4. Rub some soap off onto the wet hand.
   
5. Put the soap back in its place, damp side up.
   
6. Wet your dry hand.
   
7. Make bubbles.
   
8. Scrub.
9. Rinse
10. Dry
    

--Humbly subimtted in the hope that someone, some day, will no longer be enslaved to the rigorous toil of de-sliming a soap dish. ;o)

Music Mondays, Ressurrected

Today we have a number from Ryan Shupe & the Rubber Band's latest album, Last Man Standing.  You can listen to the album version through the band's Jukebox at Shupe.net, or here's a live version I really love: 

(Hopefully you won't have the same buffering trouble I did today.   I think it's time to reinstall XP.)

This one always makes me misty-eyed, for not only am I a complete sucker for a good retrospectiv, and have been to a lot of the places and experienced a few of the things Ryan Shupe sings about, but I'm blessed enough to get to feel this way about a man who feels the same way about me.

All I Need

I’ve been to New York City Central Park 

Then headed out to upstate Lake Champlain 

Crossed up to Montreal and heard a band playing mandolins 

While we were standing in the rain

I’ve seen castle walls and waterfalls 

And bridges spanning over Venetian waterways

Backpack summer drifting through the mountains 

Filled with European hostel stays

but all I need is you, here, falling in my arms 

and me, there, subject to your charms 

and I don’t know if I have ever felt this way before 

all I need is you 

I’ve sailed out in the San Francisco Bay 

And I’ve seen fireworks light up the night 

I’ve eaten dinner with good friends 

Authentic Mexican patio dining in the moonlight 

I’ve spent days skiing sunny powdered peaks 

And hiking up to zions where the angels land 

I’ve dropped off cliffs into the crystal blue 

And I’ve set up tents on golden sand 

but all I need is you, here, falling in my arms 

and me, there, subject to your charms 

and I don’t know if I have ever felt this way before 

all I need is you 

I’ve been all over the rocky mountains 

Splashed in England’s Hyde Park fountains 

Seen Denali rising up at three A.M.

Watched the wind blow through the redwood forest 

Heard the tabernacle chorus 

Singing songs like angels do in heaven 

but all I need is you, here, falling in my arms 

and me, there, subject to your charms 

and I don’t know if I have ever felt this way before 

all I need is you