They Call This News?

Look at this (really, you need to):

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=591496

I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

Who Am I Anyway?

Every time I read posts I've written from a while back, I don't even recognize myself! Who was that lady writing things about my life (quite precisely, as my memory would tell you). It's so odd...

But, I just had a lot of fun reading posts from when Littler was born and right before and looking at pictures of when she was a baby (because I couldn't remember how long she was when she was born, or even *gasp* what she looked like back then!). This is why we need to get our video camera fixed so we can watch the video of the birth...

Can You Hear the Wolf's Cry?

One night last summer when we were in Alaska, we were lying in bed asleep or falling asleep (depending on who we're talking about) and we heard some wolves howling some completely indeterminate (by me) distance away. As we were lying there, both Peter and I were entranced by the sound of it--it was such a poignant, deep, enthralling feeling to lie in bed and listen to a sound we'd never heard before and may never hear again, knowing that such a magnificent animal was close enough for us to hear but not see. To this day, when I think back on those moments, my heart still quickens and I still feel tingles in my body at the memory of it. It even brings tears to my eyes. I don't know why it has this effect. All I know is that now I yearn to hear it again. Something tells me that if I ever do, I will only be disappointed because the magic of that experience is not likely to be duplicated. This is a poem I wrote a few days ago after talking to Peter about this experience again. (I am not a poet by any stretch of the imagination, but this poem just kind of jumped into my head and I feel like it captures the way I feel about that night, so I thought I'd better put it in "my jernul". It's actually really embarrassing to me to have this here, but I'm putting it here anyway because this is where it belongs.) Here it is:

Can you hear the wolf’s cry?
Stretch. Turn. Listen.
There!
Do you hear it?
Feel the chilling music in your bones.
Let it take you back.
A time you don’t remember.
But somehow it’s familiar.
Feel the music of the pack.
In your chest. In your arms. In your fingertips.
Can you hear the wolf’s cry?

Taking the Plunge

Well, after living in our apartment for two years now with no washer and dryer, not to mention the year and half before that in our apartment in Tucson with no washer and dryer, we have decided to get a washer and dryer. The funny thing is that the main reason is not for the convenience of washing my clothes at home instead of carting 4 or 5 very heavy laundry bags to another building every 10 days or so in our bike trailer/stroller (although I have to admit that not having to do this does excite me possibly more than you can imagine). What got me started in this direction was thinking about the ways we save money (next post, possibly tonight). I realized that there was one major area in our lives where we have not only chosen the more expensive route, but also the less environmentally friendly route as well: disposable diapers! Now, if you believe the diaper companies' spin doctors [read: Proctor & Gamble], then you probably think that disposable vs. cloth diapers is an equally balanced bad for the environment situation. Not so! I think this page puts it pretty well: Diaper Dilemma (Part 2): The Environment

But, as I was saying, it was the cost of disposable diapers that got me on this track. I realized in one grand epiphany that we have already spent more money on diapers for our two kids than it would cost us to buy a washer and dryer and use cloth diapers. Mentioning this to Peter, along with the fact that this trend would continue without buying those things, was all I needed to have the go ahead on his part to spring for the duo. We, of course, looked at Craigslist first and managed to find a cheap Energy Star (required by Stanford Housing) washer and a normal dryer right here in our very own neighborhood! So, I bought them, just now. Being the nice person that I am, I'm letting her keep it until they move, so we'll pick it up when we get back from our trip to Utah (which we leave for in a little over a week, so, no skin off my back...).

The washer and dryer aren't so much what the plunge is all about though. It's the switch to cloth diapers. When I first came up with the idea this morning, I was a little intimidated. But with a little memory and internet searching, I found that there are really some easy, no hassle, non finger staining ways to do the whole cloth diaper thing, and now I'm actually pretty excited about it! Cloth diapers are so much cuter, for one thing! I mean, who wouldn't think this is cuter? It's probably not the one we'll be doing, but doesn't it look nice and easy?

And really, I am SUPER excited about having a washer and dryer in our apartment! Really really. Really.

Yep, that's me

You Are Snow White!

Pure and trusting. You are a gentle soul who can get along with just about anyone. Everyone you meet instantly falls in love with you. How can they resist? You have a pure, lovable nature that's irresistable. Just don't trust everyone who comes across your path.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

MEME

Okay, I know you're just dying to know all of this info. (It beats coming back to the same post over and over right?)

45 Things About Me

Do you like blue cheese? Eh...kinda. Not by itself.

Do you own a gun? I'll let you find out when you try to break into my house...

What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? Don't go to Sonic. We rarely eat out and it's not on the top of my list of places to visit when there are so many great ethnic and other non-chain places to visit!

Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Yes.

What do you think of hot dogs? I tried no to like them. It didn't work. I like them despite myself (but only heated and in a warm bun with onions and mustard)

Favorite Christmas movie? It’s a Wonderful Life

What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Juice. I can't drink water in the morning unless I've exercised.

Can you do push ups? Not the "real" kind. I've always had poor upper body strength.

What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? my engagement ring

Favorite hobby? reading, sewing, music playing, dancing and wishing I were a dancer

Do you have A.D.D.? nope

What’s one trait you hate about yourself? too critical

Middle name? Kaye

Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: I have a headache, I want to dance, Wow Peter sure likes the mandolin I got him for Father's Day!

Name 3 things you bought yesterday? Nothing. We only ride our bikes to the store, so I shop much less frequently now.

Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Water, apple juice, grape juice

Current worry? That this headache is really a migraine creeping up on me.

Current hate right now? Um...don't have one? Nothing comes to mind...

Favorite place to be? anywhere where my favorite friends and family are

How did you bring in the New Year? Fondue with parents-in-law, and YUMMY apple cider (the real thing!)

Where would you like to go? Europe

Do you own slippers? Yes, but it's hard to walk up and down stairs in them so I don't wear them very often--only if I'm reeeeeeally chilled.

What song makes you happy? Michael Buble Feeling Good

What year would you go back in time to? I have no desire to go back in time. That's too freaky.

Can you whistle? Yes.

Favorite color? straight green (I recently realized this to be true)

Would you be a pirate? No. That's too edgy for me.

What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever is in my head, IF I'm in the right mood (the kind where I also want to dance)

Favorite girl’s name. Elise

Favorite boy’s name? Elias

What’s in your pocket right now? A piece of paper

Last thing that made you laugh? The enrichment play/musical I went to tonight. Good stuff.

Last thing that made you cry? I don't know. I don't cry very often these days. My life is too blissful.

Worst injury you’ve ever had? Getting hit in the head with a soccer ball during a game and getting stitches (right by my eye) I know, that's not even very bad.

Do you love where you live? YES! It's the best! Everyone should move here!

How many TVs do you have in your house? One.

How many dogs do you have? None.

What is your favorite book(s)? It depends on my mood. Passage; Animal, Vegetable Miracle; To Kill a Mockingbird; lots of others

What is your favorite candy? Um... Snickers?

Favorite Sports Team(s)? You know, I recently discovered that I don't really care for watching sports anymore. I'd much rather PLAY them.

Your favorite meal? Pizza (sad but true), or, a really yummy carne asada burrito, or a chicken shawerma wrap

What were you doing 12 AM last night? Sleeping for the last few minutes before having to wake up and feed the baby

What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? I wonder how long I can keep sleeping before I reeeeally need to get out of bed?

Do you have any odd habits? Sure. Every once in a while I snort like a pig.

How many siblings do you have? 276...er...um... 13 I think

THE END

Another Good Song

Okay, I discovered another great song that I love, despite myself.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bd2B6SjMh_w

What do you think? (honestly--even if you hate it) This song came out in 2006. That surprised me.

A Day of Celebration!

Today is a big day for me! Today is the day...drumroll please............. I have officially met/gone lower than Peter's weight! Woohoo!! That was goal number two (which incidentally, only happens to be three pounds lower than goal number 1). Goal number three is about 5 pounds away. This is a slow process for me (though steady, thank goodness), so it will probably be a few months, but, that goal was my original bottom goal. I've now changed my official goal to ten pounds below that, but regardless, I'm pretty happy with the way things are right now! I'm within the healthy weight for my height, and I haven't been there since I was 19 or so. Yippee!! What should I get to celebrate? I was originally going to get some pants, but I'm thinking a dress might be best... (I'm thinking going out to eat might not be the most fitting celebration...)

A Few More Great Dinners!

Monday night:

Rotini pasta with chopped agretti, cilantro, olive oil, spices and some cheddar cheese grated on top, with a side of spigariello lightly sauteed in olive oil. Mmmmmmm...

Tuesday night:

Frittata with turnip greens, cilantro, and cheddar, eaten with homemade 1/2 whole wheat biscuits.

Wednesday night:

Soup! Chicken breast boiled in water and shredded, about 1/2 cup rice, 1/2 a purple cabbage, 3 baby turnips, 5 baby carrots (real ones, not the little shaved things from the store), 2 leeks, all chopped and simmered with the water and chicken after the chicken was cooked and the rice was mostly cooked. Can't forget the spices! Salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic. Topped off with about 12 ounces of 2% evaporated milk. Most of the veggies became creamy, with just a few soft chunks to accompany the shredded chicken. This was really yummy! And to accompany the soup, we had some homemade 1/2 whole wheat apple strudel muffins. Yum yum!

I think we're starting to get better at knowing how to use our veggies...

A Must Read

If you are a regular reader of my blog, PLEASE read this article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/magazine/20wwln-lede-t.html?pagewanted=1

Please read the whole thing!

I challenge everyone who reads this to act on it. And let me know how it's going!

Michael Buble

Just in case any of you have not yet discovered Michael Buble and will appreciate knowing about him (although I always seem to be the last person to know about things...), here is yet another song that I LOVE, and want to dance to like crazy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PDXjJQfTsU

Isn't his voice just awesome??

Barbara Kingsolver = My Heroine

Okay, so, per my post below, I'm writing a post about 'how Barbara Kingsolver is my new heroine', and I'm combining it with 'our new wine crate garden'. The previous post about our dinner can be read as on offshoot of this post as well.

Have you read the book Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver? If you haven't, you should. That book has literally inspired me to change the way I live my life in regards to food and food making and food buying habits. She has the perfect blend of wry humor and wit and intelligence and plain old FACTS, and vignettes of different facets of her experiment for her family of four to eat only local food for an entire year. While reading that book, I wanted to dig my fingers into the soil and plant and harvest things, and I wanted to cook and eat and can lots of fruits and vegetables, and I wanted to own chickens, and make cheese, and stop eating animals that not only spent their lives crammed together, but who also had lower levels of important vitamins and other nutrients, and whose eggs had higher levels of the bad kind of cholesterol than their pasture fed cage free counterparts. (Make no mistake, I have no intention of ever becoming vegetarian voluntarily.)

Long before I was finished reading the book, Peter and I had decided it would be extraordinarily clever of us to find some wooden wine crates for free from a wine or liquor store to use as square foot gardening boxes. So we did. And you know what? It really was extraordinarily clever of us! It's working like a charm! We have no dirt of our own, and no sunlight in our back patio, pretty much ever, so, on our front porch we currently have 7 wooden wine crates filled with little growing plants, with plans to find 5 or 6 more. In these boxes, we have squash, peas, spinach, lima beans, and lettuce, accompanied by a couple of potted strawberry plants.

A little over a week ago, we were notified that a garden plot was waiting for us that we had been on a waiting list for. So for the last week we've been going over to our garden weeding, turning the soil, transplanting the thinned out plants from our wine crates (it's worth a try, right?) and some other plants, and finally, today, planting new seeds! We transplanted a potted tomato plant and strawberry plant, and several squash plants. And today we planted: green onions, yellow onions, serrano peppers, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, corn, zucchini, cantaloupe, honeydew and one other kind of melon, spinach, and basil!

I have to tell you, the satisfaction I feel from seeing little plants poke out of the ground from tiny seeds we planted and watered is pretty profound. I am profoundly satisfied with my gardens! And hopefully, if we have thumbs anywhere near the color green, we'll be eating our own organically homegrown vegetables in our meals, right around the time our Two Small Farms first 9 week period is over.

Now we can sit back and wait for the fruits of our labor, and while we're waiting, we'll munch on a little bit of that homemade cheese.

Ahhhhhh.

Our Dinner Tonight

So, recently we signed up for a CSA called Two Small Farms, which delivers fresh veggies to a pickup site nearby (closer than our easy walking distance library). It is a big box of veggies. So big, that in order not to waste any (and to benefit the budget), we are splitting the box with some friends of ours. We've had a fun time incorporating vegetables (some that we've never even heard of before) into our meals in semi-creative ways. Some of the things we've had since we got our first box a week and a half ago are:

*(Potato) & cardoon gratin
*(Potato), carrot, parsnip soup
*Spinach/(tomato) pizza
*Arugula/(tomato) pizza
*Mushroom/radish green/Wensleydale cheese omelette

and the one that takes the cake so far is tonight's dinner:

*salad greens (none of it was lettuce...) with grated radish, grated carrot, boiled eggs, sliced lunchmeats, Wensleydale cheese, (tomato), (black beans), and HOMEMADE mozzarella cheese. Yum! This was served with a side of applesauce.

The fruits/veggies/veggie-like things in parentheses did not come from Two Small Farms.

There were other things we got that were incorporated in smaller ways, like celery for ants on a log, etc.

Using all the vegetables is a challenge and is definitely changing the way we eat for the better. For one thing, it's hard to see yourself spending money on something that goes to waste, so we feel like we HAVE to use it all. We already wasted some mustard greens that we didn't know how to use (because they are spicy and bitter and needed more thought beforehand), but we aim to do a better job in the future. Now we need to find a way to use our agretti and our fennel, preferably before Friday, when we get the next box!

Being a Mom

Being a mom is really really REEEAAAALLY hard work. Being a mom is how you really learn what unconditional love is--especially being a mom of a two year old (I don't know how I'm going to survive the teen years...). Being a mom is working full time and being underappreciated, yet somehow continuing on hour after hour after hour, day after day after day. Being a mom is stopping writing a blog so you can bring up Monk-e-mail on the computer for your two year old.

Love this song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYBLjEaDFDE

Worst Blogger on the Web?

I realize that I am probably one of the most inconsistent bloggers on the web, but if you check my blog, please don't stop! I actually like having the four or five people who visit me somewhat regularly. And, after my most recent blog drought, I think I'm going to try to post at least once a week...

I made a pillowcase dress for Little a few weeks ago, and I even took really cute pictures of it. The the pictures got loaded onto the laptop, and since then I've been too lazy to go and retrieve them, which is why you haven't seen it yet.

And, really, I have lots of things I should be blogging about, such as:

*my adventures in no recipe baking
*my adventures in weight loss
*DANCING!
*bike riding
*how Barbara Kingsolver is my new heroine
*why I want everyone to recycle
*our new wine crate garden

Aren't those topics just tantalizing?

Check this out!

My Etsy shop, Frills and Frolic!

I also want to make some bags/purses, and maybe some little girl dresses, and some headbands to list there. Maybe one of each of those, at first, to see if anyone wants to buy them. But, it's so fun to be crafty!

Couples Meme

Couples

How long have you been together? Married: 3 years, Dating & Married: 8 1/2 years, Friends: 11 years

How long did you date? 5 years (or 3 if you take out the mission years)

How old is he? 1.25 years younger than me.

Who eats more? It depends on the meal, the food, the day, and who has eaten more recently.

Who said "I love you" first? He did.

Who is taller? He is, by an inch or so.

Who is smarter? Neither of us is humble enough to admit that the other might be smarter, but he knows much more trivia (more facts)...

Who does the laundry? Both, usually together.

Who does the dishes? I do about 75-90% of them.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Currently, him.

Who pays the bills? Me, all the way. He has no idea how much money we have.

Who mows the lawn? I'm not sure we'll ever have a lawn. We're not really lawn people. But if we had one, it would be him.

Who cooks dinner? We both do. If he gets home past 5 or so, then I do it by myself, otherwise we share the responsibility. I'm sure that will change after grad school...

Who is more stubborn? Me, all the way. No contest.

Who kissed who first? Both. It was a total failure.

Who asked who out? Neither, it just kinda happened.

Who proposed? Neither--the conversation in which we decided to date determined that we would also marry. Not really the usual way to go about things, and I don't recommend it, but it ended up working out for us.

Who is more sensitive? Outwardly, he is, because I come from an emotionally retarded family (sorry family, if you read this, but I know you agree...)

Who has more friends? He does, because of all those mission companions

Who has more siblings? Me! I have 13 (6 adopted)! He has a piddly 5.

A Meme

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Not that I know of...
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? I don't remember...probably from a movie, since I'm lame like that, but I always try to hide it...
3.DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Some versions of it, sometimes. My most commonly used one is pretty messy, since I'm always hurrying as I write
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? turkey breast or roast beef
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? yep, two little girls
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? If I were ever able to get myself to open up and talk, I think I would be
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? I used to A LOT, but I'm not sure if I still do. I'll have to ask someone.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yep
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Depends on the circumstances. It feels risky, so, maybe not.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Um...I like lots of them, depending on my mood and the day. Life, Cheerios, Rice Crispies, granola, Chex, etc etc
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes. I'm not sure how I measure up now, because I used to be a lot stronger. I'm actually pretty prideful about it.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? vanilla or fudge marble
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? their teeth
15. RED OR PINK? pink (pale)
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? my emotional retardation
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? all of my family--my sisters and sisters-in-law in particular
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? sure, if anyone actually reads it
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? no shoes, light brownish tan fine corduroy pants
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Cheesecake (Yum!)
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The only sounds I hear are all related to the computer
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? probably some pale color, like a pale pink or a pale yellow
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Peter with Uno (Shaklee) deodorant, riparian habitat (cottonwoods lining a stream), gasoline, tennis balls, new shoes, rubber cement, GOOD food
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My friend Brittney
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? It wasn't technically sent to me... but I like the person whose blog it was on who asked me to do it :o)
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? basketball, swimming, gymnastics, ice skating
27. HAIR COLOR? brown
28. EYE COLOR? hazelly bluish gray
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? sometimes, esp. when I go swimming (so, not much recently)
30. FAVORITE FOOD? too many to write them down. It depends on my mood.
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? I LOVE happy endings and I HATE scary movies!
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Munich (with our Clearplay)
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? green
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Spring.
35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs.
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? ice cream or something citrus-y, or both, like lime sherbet
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? probably nobody
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Katie (no internet right now)
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? The Bread Baker's Apprentice, Sauces, Collapse, Howard's End, Parenting With Love and Logic, Freakonomics, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Glimpses into the Life and Heart of Marjorie Pay Hinckley--I kid you not. Soon to start Dandelion Wine.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? no mousepad
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Did not watch TV
42. FAVORITE SOUND? My kids laughing, a creek nearby, birds chirping, THUNDER and rain
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Either the southern tip of Florida, or Prudhoe Bay, AK (I'm pretty sure Prudhoe Bay, Alaska)
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Not really.
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Greenville, TX
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? friends, family
48. WHAT TIME IS IT NOW? 8:49pm

Martie's 30 Day Challenge, Feb 1

To see what I'm talking about, read this.

My points for yesterday are pretty abysmal. They will be even worse today though...

personal challenge number: 20
rooms completed: 2 of 6
today's extra focus goal accomplished? yes. Way more items than 40! (I counted 1 point for every fork and spoon...)
focus area for tomorrow: none--it's Peter's birthday and I'm taking the day off

I intend to really get rolling starting on Monday.