New Words for Study

1. Cashtration (n. ) : The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2. Ignoranus : A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

3. Intaxicaton : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

4. Reintarnation : Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

5. Bozone ( n. ) : The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

6. Foreploy : Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

7. Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high

8. Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

9. Inoculatte : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10. Osteo****osis : A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit. )

11. Karmageddon : It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n. ) : The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13. Glibido : All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n. ) : The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n. ) : Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor ( n. ) : The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

Bob's Red Mill! Gluten Free Oats

Earlier this week I posted about Gluten Free recipes.  I'm trying this for my hubby, who is insisting that he's a non-grain kind of guy.  But I still feel the need for more than just veg and beef on the plate.  Plus dessert!  It's not a full meal without dessert, as my waistline attests...

I can't wait to try  Bob's Gluten Free Oats in my favorite Oatmeal Raisin cookie recipe. (The secret is to boil the raisins with baking soda and then use the water in the recipe. Thanks Great Gramma Sara.)

Regardless, Bob's is hosting a chance to win WIN a copy of Carol Fenster's book, 1000 Gluten Free Recipes.  She has an awesome site and a newsletter, too, but that's just a bonus for me. Yay!  Be sure to visit Bob's Red Mill and learn more about this giveaway and enter to win!

Weekly Report, Now GLUTEN FREE!

So. Life on the psuedo-farm is good.  I really really need to till my garden and put in the spinach, onions and lettuce that thrive in this cooler weather, but can't do that without the help of Hubbers and he's busy lately.

The baby chickens, all 14 of them, are getting feathers!  And big - we are supposed to be working on building a coop today but Hubbers is sleeping in.  I'm menu planning in the meantime.

Which brings me to the gist of this post!  Hubbers is doing the Eat Right for Your Type diet and has become essentially grain free.  So the cooking that I really like to do - the bad stuff like lasagna, spaghetti, pizza, bread-y things - is now verboten.  I made a gluten free pizza crust a few weeks ago from a Bob's Red Mill mix that everyone liked, but Bob's is a bit on the pricey side at times. 

To solve this problem I headed to the internets to find a homemade solution.  Here's what I came up with and am looking forward to trying!  Gluten-Free Pizza Crust on Recipe Zaar.  I have already invested in the more expensive brown rice flour, tapioca starch, xantham gum and so on, so most of what this recipe calls for is on hand. I'll post my results after dinner tonight...

Has eating gluten free and "right for my type" helped me lose weight?  Probably not, but eating more healthy is good for all of us in the long run.

Breast Cancer in Men?

I found this article today and I'm reposting it here for my fellow "men". My husband's aunt (mom's sister) died of breast cancer. No way I'm letting my man get away without checking his own second favorite mammary glands for signs.

When Rob Fechtner of Napa woke up one morning in 2006 to a sore spot on his chest and a strange indentation in his nipple, his first thought was that he'd pulled a muscle. Even his doctor told him it was probably nothing to worry about.

But the inverted nipple bothered him, and with a little online research he learned it was a symptom of breast cancer - in men as well as women. He pushed his doctor for a mammogram, and two days later he learned that he did, in fact, have breast cancer. He's since had a mastectomy and been treated with chemotherapy.

"Before I went on the Internet, I had no idea men could get breast cancer," said Fechtner, 51. "I should have known in the back of my mind that it was a possibility. We need to get the message out there to men."

Male breast cancer is rare - less than 1 percent of all breast cancer cases in the United States are in men, according to the American Cancer Society. But some men may be at greater risk than others of getting cancer - those who carry the breast cancer gene, for example, or who have been exposed to radiation in the chest. And because men aren't routinely screened for breast cancer, and aren't often encouraged to perform self-exams, their cancers are usually more advanced by the time they're diagnosed.

So while breast cancer is much more unusual in men than in women, it's also deadlier.

"Men present sometimes a little bit later, because they don't expect breast cancer," said Dr. Susan Kutner, chairwoman of Kaiser Permanente's Regional Breast Care Task Force. "They get a lump and they think it's from something they did. It's not part of their consciousness that it's something they're at risk for."

Signs may be missed

There are fewer than 2,000 new cases and 450 deaths from breast cancer in men each year, compared to more than 192,000 new cases and 40,000 deaths in women, says the American Cancer Society.

Symptoms of breast cancer in men and women can include dimpling or puckering of the skin on the breast; an inverted nipple, or other changes such as redness or scaling on the nipple; and nipple discharge.

Women are more likely to notice symptoms, if only because they're usually more body-conscious than men, Kutner said. They see their doctors for regular gynecological visits, when they usually have breast exams, too, and they experience normal hormonal changes that may make them more sensitive to irregularities in their bodies.

By Erin Allday, Chronicle Staff Writer

A New Year, A Blue Moon

A blue moon refers to when there are 2 full moons in one calendar month. I recently read that it's rare, occurring 7 times every 19 years and from there comes the phrase, "once in a blue moon."

Even more amazing, tonight people living in the Far East will view a lunar eclipse! A blue moon eclipse happens once every 15-20 years - that's rare!

While browsing around Quilters Cache, I found this New Year's Wish poem. Enjoy!

May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!
May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.
May the problems you had forget your home address!

CPSIA One Year Stay

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09115.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 30, 2009 Release #09-115

CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

CPSC Grants One Year Stay of Testing and Certification Requirements for Certain Products

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted unanimously (2-0) to issue a one year stay of enforcement for certain testing and certification requirements for manufacturers and importers of regulated products, including products intended for children 12 years old and younger. These requirements are part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which added certification and testing requirements for all products subject to CPSC standards or bans.

Significant to makers of children’s products, the vote by the Commission provides limited relief from the testing and certification requirements which go into effect on February 10, 2009 for new total lead content limits (600 ppm), phthalates limits for certain products (1000 ppm), and mandatory toy standards, among other things. Manufacturers and importers – large and small – of children’s products will not need to test or certify to these new requirements, but will need to meet the lead and phthalates limits, mandatory toy standards and other requirements.

The decision by the Commission gives the staff more time to finalize four proposed rules which could relieve certain materials and products from lead testing and to issue more guidance on when testing is required and how it is to be conducted.

The stay will remain in effect until February 10, 2010, at which time a Commission vote will be taken to terminate the stay.

The stay does not apply to:

• Four requirements for third-party testing and certification of certain children’s products subject to:
  • The ban on lead in paint and other surface coatings effective for products made after December 21, 2008;
  • The standards for full-size and non full-size cribs and pacifiers effective for products made after January 20, 2009;
  • The ban on small parts effective for products made after February 15, 2009; and
  • The limits on lead content of metal components of children’s jewelry effective for products made after March 23, 2009.
• Certification requirements applicable to ATV’s manufactured after April 13, 2009.
• Pre-CPSIA testing and certification requirements, including for: automatic residential garage door openers, bike helmets, candles with metal core wicks, lawnmowers, lighters, mattresses, and swimming pool slides; and
• Pool drain cover requirements of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act.

The stay of enforcement provides some temporary, limited relief to the crafters, children’s garment manufacturers and toy makers who had been subject to the testing and certification required under the CPSIA. These businesses will not need to issue certificates based on testing of their products until additional decisions are issued by the Commission. However, all businesses, including, but not limited to, handmade toy and apparel makers, crafters and home-based small businesses, must still be sure that their products conform to all safety standards and similar requirements, including the lead and phthalates provisions of the CPSIA.

Handmade garment makers are cautioned to know whether the zippers, buttons and other fasteners they are using contain lead. Likewise, handmade toy manufacturers need to know whether their products, if using plastic or soft flexible vinyl, contain phthalates.

The stay of enforcement on testing and certification does not address thrift and second hand stores and small retailers because they are not required to test and certify products under the CPSIA. The products they sell, including those in inventory on February 10, 2009, must not contain more than 600 ppm lead in any accessible part. The Commission is aware that it is difficult to know whether a product meets the lead standard without testing and has issued guidance for these companies that can be found on our web site.

The Commission trusts that State Attorneys General will respect the Commission's judgment that it is necessary to stay certain testing and certification requirements and will focus their own enforcement efforts on other provisions of the law, e.g. the sale of recalled products.

Please visit the CPSC Web site at www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html for more information on all of the efforts being made to successfully implement the CPSIA.

Statements on this vote by Acting Chairman Nancy Nord and Commissioner Thomas H. Moore are in portable document format (PDF).

Cell Phone Newbie

We recently dropped land line phone service and went all cellular. It was a financial decision and seems to be working out quite well.

I love ring tones and being able to choose different ones makes me happy. Then came Thumbplay. I can download my favorite country songs as rings and that makes me ecstatic!! Yes, there is a monthly fee involved, but you can cancel at any time.

No, I'm not getting paid for this review. Yes, I didn't have much time to write it, hence the crapocity of the content. I'm a nerd and I love my new cell phone. Share my nerdiness!!

Not a Born Sling Lover

I'm pleased to say that my son has made it to the 2 week mark and I'm still alive, still (mostly) sane, and finally learning to use the sling better. BB is not a born sling lover. In fact, in order to get him to settle down in it today (pressing that I fold towels or NO showers!) I had to plop him in and walk around outside in the sunshine before he'd relax and sleep. At least it worked.

I'm also pleased to report that after a very sleepless Monday, BB slept a four hour stretch last night! While I was so happy to have that sleep, my poor breasts were a bit unhappy. Four hours at a stretch makes for engorgement. Yeeouch.

To make up for my lack of posting, here's a gratuitous kid shot:

Help with Co-Sleeping, Bed Sharing Survey

This post taken from information on the Great Co-Sleeping Survey Site.

There is a stigma that you all have had to unfairly deal with. At the very least you have had a mother-in-law, family member, friend or even husband, negatively comment on your sleeping arrangement with your child.

That was bad enough.

There is a bigger problem on the horizon however. That very special parenting choice that you had the instinct to make is now being considered “NEGLECT” by public health officials and may someday be illegal. There is something that YOU can do about it. The kind efforts and commitment to your child may have originally just been a personal experience. One you might have wanted, or needed to keep private. You may have been LUCKY enough to be able to tell everyone you wanted to about co-sleeping and bed-sharing’s wonderful effects on your child. Either way, that choice needs to become a part of something bigger now, and can no longer go unnoticed. Your co-sleeping experience, united with others, can change the public course of co-sleeping discrimination. Your choice needs to be counted!

Now is your chance to show the world that Safe co-sleeping and bed-sharing is safe. Click here to take our survey. This number will give solace and choice to women who respond to this very basic parenting instinct, like you have.

Interestingly enough, much of the organized negativity comes from crib manufacturers. They are probably scorned about your original choice not to use their product. Some people are saying that co-sleeping and bed-sharing causes SIDS. SIDS organizations are endorsing media that intends to confuse SIDS deaths with co-sleeping/bed-sharing.

Why are SIDS organizations expanding their mission statements to include “all infant deaths”? The purpose of a SIDS organization should be to support those who have been affected by SIDS. They should embrace the common factors found in properly diagnosed SIDS deaths, champion the scientific efforts to end SIDS, and tirelessly be working to put themselves out of business. They should stay away from co-sleeping where SIDS does not happen. Co-sleeping deaths are due to positional and accidental asphyxiation, not SIDS.

By answering this short survey you can help give respect and recognition to yourself and the many families who co-sleep safely. Click here to take our survey, and please visit the Co-Sleeping In The News section regularly for updates.

We believe that some parenting choices, like bed-sharing or co-sleeping, can mean big things to a lot of different people. One thing is guaranteed, your children will love you for it. Everyone else in your life will fall into one of two groups. One group will support and understand your choice, the other will scorn you. We are trying to prove that there are many people co-sleeping and bed-sharing safely, just like you. This survey and its results will provide relief for anyone who has ever felt “pressure”, or is currently under “scrutiny” from the second group.

The Great Co-sleeping Survey is simply a decision by US to include YOU as a monument to stand up to people who say that YOU DO NOT EXIST, or that you are a BAD PARENT. We believe that in a large number, and complied in an easy to understand format, it will mean something different.

In reference to people visiting this site antagonistically or who would label a good co-sleeping parent as neglectful, or say that safe co-sleeping and bed-sharing is not possible, WE ARE THE ORGANIZERS OF SOMETHING YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HIDE. The statistics gained here are from generations of women that are willing to tell you that you are WRONG.

So, in many ways now that the groundwork has been laid, YOU are “The Great Co-sleeping Survey”. And we thank you very much for that, as it is something that we truly believe in.

send emails, comments and questions to Support@Co-SleepingSurvey.com

"Our" Song - Oldest Girl

Fried Okra asks today in a very poignant post about when her awakening bond with the baby she carries occurred. Megan related her experiences to songs and asked about what song symbolized MY bond with my kids.

As far as I can remember, this happened with only one of my kids. I guess I just got too busy having more to take the time to relate our relationships to songs. But with Oldest Girl, it was this one that came out right after she was born. And now, 11 years later, it still makes me sniffle.

With Baby Bunting, it's like new awakening after every twist, roll, shuffle-step-kick that he does. Somehow it's like I forget, although I with my huge 32 week belly I don't know how I WOULD forget, but I do. Each and every movement he makes is a treasure trove for my heart. I take pleasure in his movements, even when they involve squishing my tiny bladder into near non-existence.

Is this from the loss of Michael? Maybe. Now, Michael just seems so far away, but I still find myself occasionally thinking of Bunting as Michael. I know that won't stay around after he's born, but it's a bit disconcerting, none-the-less. RooBoo prays for her lost baby brother every night, touchingly.

Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle, for your viewing pleasure... For the bond between me and my first baby.



What about you? What, if any, symbolizes YOUR bond?

I Lub My Wind...

(Originally written March 2001)

Yes, I do own an electric dryer, but I can hardly wait till the first time I get to hang my laundry out in the sun. This review is meant to show you the benefits of using your natural resources, as opposed to buying a dryer as your only means of drying laundry.

It's a typical day in Idaho today - windy. The rest of the world knows it as "March". You know, the whole "in like a lamb, out like a lion" stereotype. In Idaho, (which I'm convinced is some Indian word for "the wind never stops blowing") there seems to be barely a day without the wind blowing. However, you won't catch me complaining too much. That ever present wind does wonders for drying clothes!

I hung out my first load of laundry on the line today. It's the earliest I've done it since I started using that fantastic natural resource. As I hung out my freshly washed sheets and tried to stay away from the whipping corners, I realized how I missed this over the winter.

I've noticed that the sun and wind dry my clothes faster than throwing them in the dryer. The smell of outdoors is just driven right into every fiber of the clothing or sheets. There is nothing like climbing into bed and falling asleep with the smell of the outside surrounding you. The smell lingers in the linen closets and dresser drawers far into the winter.

Now, there is no reason that you can't hang your laundry outside during the winter, either. I promise, the wind still blows then, too. Unfortunately, I have yet to meet an Idaho winter where I can make it out my back door without landing in snow up to my knees at least. But, assuming that I could make it to the clothesline and back without getting lost or snowed on, I suppose it would be a viable option.

No, you can't hang laundry outside when it's raining. A drawback if you live somewhere wet, true. But, laundry can be hung out in almost every other kind of weather imaginable! Snow, no problem, if you don't mind frozen clothes. Sun and wind are the best. You can even hang laundry out right before a storm when the wind is picking up or at night! Talk about freeing up some time.

Let's talk money - a driving factor in many people's lives. Money is something that is always in short supply around here and NOT sending any more than I must to Rockey Mountain Power is always something to work towards. Not using the dryer in the summer is a great money saver, too. Like I said before, drying outside takes less time, which means you aren't waiting for the dryer to finish those towels and blue jeans so you can throw in your T-shirts and socks. I'm saving my money for running the dishwasher and using the computer! Not to mention that not running the dryer keeps the house cooler in the summer. And it looks like it's going to be a hot one!

Another money saving feature? Okay, how about bleach? A big bottle of regular bleach will run you between $2.50 and $5.00 depending on what kind strikes your fancy. Try hanging your clothes outside and get a natural, gentle bleach for your clothes. The sun is great at removing or lightening stains, taking out nasty smells and it's FREE!

I find that being outside also presses the clothing . Yep. No more running the iron for me! The clothes come out fairly wrinkle free and easy to fold. Since I hate folding sheets more than most anything except cleaning the bathroom, this is a super fantastic side effect! The king-sized sheets are no longer big and bulky and hard to manage. They are crisp, pressed, and held in place by clothespins till I'm ready to fold them up.

Stepping outside every now and again to collect or hang the clothes is a big booster for the morale. It helps me feel like, yes, someday the housework will be finished... and then I can start on the lawn. Seriously, it's nice to be able to leave the house for a few minutes and not worry about locking up, to get a few minutes of sun, and to relax and stretch a bit. Plus, it gets me away from the kids for a few precious seconds that even going to the bathroom lacks.

Now, there are a few things I don't hang out to dry, but it's personal preference. I don't like wearing stiff
undies and socks. Or using stiff towels. So, those loads go into the dryer, but everything else makes it's way outside. Even my baby's cloth diapers go outside on the line. You can always toss them in the dryer for five minutes or so with a damp washcloth to soften them if you think they are too stiff.

So, you ask, what do I need to get started? Well, first the obvious: clothes. We all wear 'em and they get dirty, so I guess you're set. You'll also need a clothesline stretched between two points a good distance apart. Mine are two metal "T" shapes set into a bit of concrete roughly 20 or so feet apart.

Get a good quality clothesline. I've got a plastic covered wire that works well. You can buy plain old cotton line or specialized clothesline. But get a good quality or you'll be replacing it sooner than you'd like. Of course, it's not expensive, but every little bit, right? The only not so great thing about the line I got is that it has to be tightened every so often as the line slackens a bit after use. But, one tightening at the beginning of the "outside laundry season" is all it usually takes. I bought my line in a big grocery/department/home improvement store in the same section as the irons, ironing boards, and clothespins.

And speaking of clothespins, it is very worth it to get the good quality clothespins, too. I bought some one year at the Dollar Store and I seriously regret it even now. Every time I opened one to put it over the line, it would snap in half and one piece would fly left, one right and the metal thing would go straight up. Oh well, another dog toy (she loves old clothespins!) Get the nice, all-weather ones - no I don't think that is what they are really called, but they are marked.

Outside storage for your pins. Some people use a cloth bag (mine broke off in the wind and flew into the neighbor's yard), some people use a cut out old bleach bottle (handy but haven't tried it, yet), and I use an old 5 gallon ice cream container. I don't have the lid any more, so the rain/snow/leaves do go into the container. To keep the pins from rusting and getting super dirty, I have punched some holes in the bottom of the container. The nice big handle goes right over my arm as I move down the line, pinning and unpinning, or it sits on the stairs, awaiting my return with no hope of tipping over. Some people have containers that slide along the line with you, but that never worked for me. I'm sure you can buy a special clothespin holder, but... why?

So, to recap, hanging laundry out to dry is a good thing for the following reasons:

1 - good smells linger in the laundry and closets
2 - the sun bleaches out stains and smells for FREE
3 - drying on the line presses out wrinkles and makes things easy to fold
4 - save a little money on running the dryer
5 - keep the house cooler in the summer
6 - take a little break from other work to step outside and enjoy the sun and beauty
7 - fun for kids to run in and around the sheets playing hide and seek

Try it! You might never go back to that loud, long running, hot dryer.





Images courtesy morguefile, jpkwitter, rollingroscoe, cohdra, and xandert.

Menu Plan Monday - 3rd Week of April

It's MONDAY again! Well, no. Actually it's Sunday afternoon and I'm meal planning for the week and posting now so I don't forget, get sidetracked, or just plain lazy.

The Dr started me on insulin for the Gestational Diabetes but I'm still eating on the "plan" (carb intake spread throughout the day for maximum absorption and paired with proteins to slow that absorption down) but also "shooting up" several times a day.

It's helping and the blood glucose numbers are looking so much better. And it doesn't hurt to inject unless the needle is getting old and tired, the silicon coating wearing off and making it more painful.

I'm still cooking some recipes out of the Lickety-Split Meals: For Health Conscious People on the Go! book because it simplifies the carb counting for me. Also, I like it! My step mom brought this book out one summer for a visit (with her, not just the book visiting) and we cooked out of it all week. Good stuff, dude.

Here's my menu for this week!

Leftovers
Chicken Artichoke Casserole
Crispy Chicken Dijon - pg 56
Almond Chicken Stir fry - pg 114
Chicken and Bean Enchilada - pg 86
Homemade Pizza
Nachos Supreme

Oatmeal Cookies - low sugar and suitable for the Gestational Diabetes! - pg 159

Organizing Junkie hosts MPM each week, so be sure to visit for more great menus!

Congratulations, Brother!

My baby brother had his first child last night. Well, no, that's not right. Beth had the baby, John just did what men do during delivery. I had to actually CALL to hear the news, since no one let me know. (so miffed!) I got a call from each of my parents when she went to the hospital in labor, but when the kid actually appears? Noooooooo - no call for Sara!

Regardless, Ella Mae was born at 12.31 am and weighed in at 6 lbs 11 oz and 19 1/2 inches long. During the pregnancy all I kept hearing was how long the baby was and they were afraid she'd be huge! Honestly, the length is normal and the weight is too. Beth also dealt with gestational diabetes but was able to manage with just diet. Unfortunately my brother is a type 2 diabetic (at just 29!) and maybe that helped Beth to eat better as well.
Regardless, Congratulations to my little brother!! And welcome to the world, Ella Mae. I wish you lived closer than So. California...

Empowerment then Down Low

I had my first Gestational Diabetes class yesterday and came home armed with a monitor and supplies, as well as lots to read and learn. I was elated to see my first reading right where it belonged! I felt so empowered. I could do it! I was going to beat this thing!

Since then, they have all been far too much out of tolerance. How is it that I can get a good blood sugar reading for lunch yesterday (115), eat the same thing for lunch today (to the T!) and get a horrible reading of 140?! The reading is supposed to be under 120 to be "good".

I have a call into the Wellness Center to see what the answer might be. Of course, my educator told me yesterday, based on my blood readings from the 3 hour Glucose Tolerance Test that I would most likely be taking insulin to combat this problem since diet alone would probably not fix the problem. We decided to monitor my blood sugars for a week and then see what to do. She told me that it would probably take a good week for me to learn the dietary method, but I've been zealous, dang it!

I felt so awesome yesterday after lunch. I had done it! Now, I feel kinda low. It's a betrayal by my body. So say a prayer for my mental and physical health. Heavens knows that I need it right now.



According to the Wellness Center, hormones are probably to blame for my readings. Stress, previous day activity levels, and so on can ALSO mess with levels. Come to think of it, I am feeling more hormonally unstable today than yesterday. I may cry now...

Convicting. Ouch.

I love Memories of a Catholic Wife and Mother. She pointed me to an article from In the Heart of My Home that I find so very convicting, especially lately.

I'm feeling the nesting urge. It seems like clutter is EVERYWHERE and no matter what I do it just keeps building up! Our house is small for 6 people and there is no storage space. Yes, we have 2 outside sheds, but Hubbers keeps the large one full of his "stuff" and I'm afraid to use any of that space. The small one houses my lawn and gardening stuff, an old crib (we co-sleep but may use it when he's older) and the boxes of Christmas stuff/tree.

As Elizabeth points out in her article, I need to look at the private areas of my life and make them as clean as the public parts. Granted, my public house areas aren't as clean as I'd like, but the space behind my closed bedroom door is just icky.

Clutter makes me restless and saps my energy at the same time. There's a Don Aslett cleaning center here and I've access to some of his books about clutter but just can't get myself motivated! Perhaps as the nesting urge grows stronger I'll be able to conquer some of my mess. And banish the excuses (as soon as the school year ends, all the stuff that belongs there can go live there) that always pop up.

Pack rat-ery breeds in both our families. I see it emerging in my children already! Getting them to clean their rooms is nigh on impossible. The best thing is to threaten them with the large black garbage bag of thrift store [death] donation. That provokes just enough cleaning to keep the middle and some edges of the floor clean.

I know it's way past the new year, but here's my resolution before the arrival of sweetie pie #5: de-junk, de-clutter, feel better about my house! I don't mind having people over, I just need to worry about what Hubbers sees when he comes home from work. 'Cause, you know, I love him best.

Looking Out My Front Door

Here's the view from my front door (which screeches in PAIN each time I open it!) on Boxing Day night.


It snowed on us heavily all day Monday and some again Wednesday. I haven't left the house since last Saturday and am praising God for the snow! I hope this helps our drought conditions.

Christmas Dinner, Anyone?

Second Sunday of Advent

Romans 15:5-7

May the God of endurance and encouragement
grant you to think in harmony with one another,
in keeping with Christ Jesus,
that with one accord you may with one voice
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In my own parish, there is a lot of trying to be harmonious among the Anglo and Hispanic communities. We have a lot of Hispanic migrants here. A bilingual mass is presented to us quite often, the Hispanic feasts and culture are incorporated into our SE Idaho church, there are several Spanish only masses.

In truth, I have a problem with this. I speak English and attend (or want to attend) the English only masses. To arrive at church and find more Spanish than English in a supposed bilingual mass is disappointing. Much of the Liturgy is said in Spanish only, leaving me floundering along in the wake.

I agree, there is a hardness in my heart over this. So when the above portion of scripture was presented today, I felt compelled to think. No one likes to admit a prejudice. So in the spirit of the coming Christ child, I will pray this week for the loosening of the hard spots in my heart for things that I guess I just don't understand.

What will you pray for?

Moms for Modesty

Thank you, Rocks in My Dryer, for this update:

Just in case you haven't heard, the Moms for Modesty site has a new location. Unfortunately, all the original "signatures" (there were around 1,500) could not be transferred. If you signed it before, please re-visit it and sign again.

And if it's your first time to hear of it, please consider registering your agreement by simply leaving a comment over there. You don't have to be a mom of a daughter, or even a mom, to have a voice on this.

Fall Back!

November 4th marks the first year that standard time will take effect on the first Sunday in November instead of the last Sunday in October. While many people may use the extra hour to watch TV, surf the Internet, stay out late, or catch up on chores, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) advises everyone to use the extra hour to pay off sleep debt.

-- Medical News Today

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