Gardening Pitfalls

Aaaccck!! I have the MOST wicked case of Poison Ivy that I have ever suffered. All over my arms, ankles and back of my knees. I just want to peel my skin off. I do so well not to scratch and then my hand brushes the area, which leads to a tiny scratch and before I know it, I can't control myself. It just feels too good to not scratch.

In the mean time, Im trying to teach Big E not to throw his toys. Im trying to start early with learning how to take care of our things. The problem lays in the fact that whenever I have him sit in his chair as a 5min time out, he laughs at me and shakes his head saying "no, no! No, no!" That seriously makes me want to throw my hands in the air and say "forget it!" Maybe I need to try something else. But what if I do that right as he begins to get the point? sigh....

Comments

Evidently I had something turned off or switched off that wouldn't let people make comments. I believe I have remedied the situation! Comment away....

The First American

I have just finished The First American- The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin by H.W.Brands. I have been reading it now bit by bit over the past nine months or so. I have loved learning about this man. From his family history to his scientific/philosophical/political interests. Now that I have reached the end I am moved to tears by how hopeful and tireless B.F. was in creating what he felt was a better world for us it inhabitants. Do such people like him exist today? Self-taught, genius men and women who are by no means perfect, but still inspirational to their fellow human beings? Those that serve tirelessly for the greater good of humankind?

Am I idealizing this man Franklin? Yes, I just finished the book and am coming off its killer last line. With all the apathy in the world today, its good to read about a group of people that wanted to change the world for the better.

If anyone has any other inspirational reads, let me know. I would love to have any suggestions.

First Fruits

My Roses are blooming! I actually learned how to prune the rose bushes that I inherited when purchasing our first home, and I have already twice as many blooms as last year. This gardening thing is amazing! Outside of pruning a couple of things and sticking some rose food under a couple of plants I've mostly been crossing my fingers and knocking on wood. I usually kill any type of houseplant, but maybe staying outside is best as nature has a way of taking care of itself. I look forward to seeing if any other roses blooms happen the way my uncle said they would if I cut them in a certain spot. I know, not overly interesting,but they are gorgeous. I had my second bud open the day that my girlfriend had her baby, it opened very quickly so I cut it and brought it to her in the hospital. A doctor on the elevator asked if it was from my garden and commented on how good it smelled. I thought maybe he was trying to hit on me, but then I realized that some people are really into this gardening thing. Here's to the next batch!

Notification of Next of Kin

The recent tragedy in Iraq in which two soldiers were kidnapped by insurgents ended horrifically. What caught my attention though was that reporters violated a common rite of allowing the notification of the next of kin by reporting that the bodies of said soldiers had been found before military personnel were able to deliver the news to family. I cannot even imagine the families horror to discover that all hope was lost before any military personnel even got to the door. As it was an Iraqi official that reported the discovery to the media, Shouldn't the media wait and verify that next of kin have been notified? Would it be appropriate to fine the media for jumping the gun? Yes, journalists have the right to the info, especially in the US with regards to the freedom of press, but isn't there some sort of human code of conduct that was breached in this instance?

Hope for Rwanda

It's a very long story, but our church is partnered with six other across the USA to make a difference in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. This includes Rwanda, Burundi, D.R.of Congo amoung others. In my links sections you will see a link to World Relief and will be specifically directed to their work in Rwanda. A team from our church took a trip last September and artist Alain Picard did a series of which he has turned into prints. All proceeds go to help the work of World Relief in the Great Lakes Region. www.picardstudio.com/collections.html and http://rwanda.wr.org/
Definitely check out Alain's site, the pieces are truly beautiful.

In response to Kohana's blog

My Dear Kohana,

Big guy D just fell asleep in his lunch, time for a lazy summer day nap. I have on my to-do list " Call K back" So while Im distracted from the exciting life I lead pushing the boundaries in laundry technique I find your blog and there is a post written to ME! I miss you so much! How is it that our girlfriends are off getting PhD's, traveling in Holland and adventuring in China while we throw up and try to stay cool in the hot summer sun? We all have our different paths, I guess... but wouldn't it sound better if I were doing laundry in Istanbul right now? Or the Greek Isles. My brother in-law just got back from his honeymoon in Cinga Terra, Italy. The laundry HAS to be better there, Im SURE of it!

Anyhow,onto the task at hand. You are a woman of impeccable taste and style. Your home is like a wardrobe. Each space its own outfit. Therefore, your family room sounds stunning! Sleek, elegant, yet functional and comfortable. You and I love new things and creating a palette that allows for a splash of something different from time to time is great. As we do up here near NYC. Wear lots of black and let the bling shine (I dont have any bling but you know what I mean, accessories) With your honey wood tones, variations of warm-greys (vs. blue/cool greys) will make a great monochromatic palette. That will set off any artwork/photos, kid's toys, "cushions" (as you european types say) and accessories that you want to show off. ( The kid's toy thing is inevitable ) Use textiles to create any additional pattern and color. That could be a simple 54"sq throw out of a fanstatic sari or fabric that you find. Maybe a small round side table with a fabric skirt. A throw rug also can bring in some additional pattern and color. I just got a cool catalog in the mail called Flor. Its modular carpet squares that you mix and match to create an area rug. Florcatalog.com. I believe the mother company is Interface which was a company that I LOVED when working at Anderson. The tiles are 20"x 20" aprox. and most are blocks of color with variations in texture. Home Decorators Collection also has rugs. www.homedecorators.com ( They really have some scary stuff, but there is a diverse selection when it comes to rugs)

Anyhow, my only thought is that with grey walls, a variation of grey window panels, and black and white photos, my instinct is to get some stunning color on the wall somehow. i.e. something at eyelevel. Floorlamp? a tall plant? Color photos, Viv's artwork? Your artwork? Reframe b/w photos in different colors? Im just brainstorming here. Whether through photographs or even an accent color wall. At my brothers place in NYC, the couple that lives downstairs from him, painted their walls two subtle shades of grey. Think about that possibility to. Though the room is small, it might be interesting to have opposite walls ( the short walls & the long walls ) painted differently. Do you have a mirror over the couch? ( the wall adjacent to the kitchen) That would also capture natural sunlight from the front of the house and create a window effect. It would visually push the wall back, making the room feel slightly larger than it is.

My strongest suggestion, as always, is to trust your instinct. If it doesnt make you smile, don't do it.

The baby boom has started to explode here. #2 of Nine expected was born last week. Im busy planning showers and trying to figure out how I can get anyone a gift without breaking the bank!
Hubby is assuming that I am already pregnant though we haven't yet tried. Maybe he thinks its a virus you can catch or some sort of osmosis type thing. Its understandable with all the women around here. Seriously, you can't turn around at a party without bumping into someones belly! LOL!

Let me know about Eden and especially about your Sprout! I can't wait to hear the news!

I miss you! Have a cup of tea for me!

Peace!
caro.d

Green Things

Well, I did it! I worked two days straight in the yard and now Im just a little closer to being a responsible homeowner! My girlfriend Adina came at the beginning of April and while she was here she helped me beyond words in getting the FALL clean up done! So with that under the belt my husband and I have been so inspired to keep on keeping on with the yard work. Plants are blooming and green things are getting bigger. Yesterday and today especially we were able to take down two trees and a mysterious "bush" that was threatening to take over our side yard. Unfortunately whats left is a side yard of dirt. Getting grass to grow might be next springs project, who knows! But I have "fed" my rodos, my azaleas (Im new at plants so please forgive me for spelling mistakes ) , and roses, the lawn is mowed and edged. Next is planting and mulching. We shall see. Im so excited to actually have dirt under my nails, its been quite a while and I feel like Im coming out of a dark winter in so many ways.

Been a while...

Yikes! Its been a while since I was here last. Since my last post, I have turned 30, helped put together a global weekend for church ( we had this gentleman from Egypt come, he was terrific) , went off to visit family in California, had a girlfriend visit me for a while and then my husband, son and I went to Florida for 10 days. whew! Life is full, life is good.

I have poured a lot of myself out in the last few months and definitely got recharged over the past week. Just sat on the beach for 10days straight. Didnt go anywhere but from the sand to bed and from the bed to sand. Gorgeous location. Nice tan, got my haircut for the first time in 2years and coloured for the first time ever.

Lots of things have been on my mind lately...like social responsibility, how my last shopping trip to Target helped support sweatshops in Jordan, I dont eat well, ( I had two people on Sunday ask if I was pregnant again... uh oh! ) how I would love to be a real writer, if only I knew how... the list could go on. It sounds like a lot of negative things looking back at it but really I feel good! Im happy, I am at peace, I think I finally have the clarity to actually consider some of the above topics. Nothing all at once, just a little bit at a time.

Bleeding Hearts

I've just been surfing around and found some links to some old friends of mine...Looking back has made my heart hurt and now I am faced with the realization that I don't really know any of these people anymore. Who have they become? Its been a good 14 years or so... You try to imagine what it would be like if you had taken a different road and all it does is make you weepy and wish you could write poetry... I realize that its not a possibility and thankfully the thought that "im a totally different person now and so are they" comes to mind and I realize that we might not ever have become friends if in different cirumstances. That brings relief. I wish them all well. May God bless them in their lives and with their loved ones and God save me from my arrogance.

FlyLady.com

I was briefly mentioning to a friend that I was trying to get a handle on meal planning as I am trying to stay within a certain budget for food each month. She said "Oh check out FlyLady.com". So I did. Pretty interesting!
After working for eight years, it's really be wierd to be home all day even though I've now got a 13month old running (literally) around. I still haven't gotten a hold on a schedule for myself though I've got the critter on one. I keep thinking that it should be pretty easy as I used to manage projects that were of a fairly large scope. I couldn't figure out how often I should do stuff or sometimes even how. I would call my mom and ask her how often she would do something or talk to my mother in-law. But their advice, though helpful was still not as directive as I would like. This FlyLady thing actually emails me with a list of things to do each day! LOL! So far, so good and I figure that once I get through the cycle, I can fly solo. Its a silly issue to have, but no one actually teaches you how to LIVE your life. You go to school for years to be able to get a job but then you come home and there's all this stuff to do! How often are you supposed to clean the bathroom or change the sheets, etc. You do it, but am I doing it as often as you should? Is there a rule about this? So, I figure I'll try out the FlyLady thing and see how it goes. It seems like it would actually be good for any Beta that is living on their own for the first time as well as the "typical" SAHM/WAHM.

Cruci'fixin's

I just read an article on CNN.com regarding "uproar" over the supposed upcoming Will and Grace episode that Britney Spears is to guest star. Previous news statements have said that she would portray a conservative Christian and would co-host Jack's talk show due to his network being bought out by a Christian network. She was also supposedly going to be a host of a food show called "Cruci'fixin's". NBC now states that in fact the episode hasn't been written and that "erroneous" info was included in the press releases.

What I have to chuckle about is that WE as Christians have TOTALLY asked for this. Having lived in Nashville, TN in the heart of the Christian "ghetto" mentality, I think we deserve to be portrayed that way. Come on, when was that last time you walked into a Lifeway or some such "christian bookstore" and didn't see some goofy product that we are such suckers to buy. I.e. "Testa-Mints". Its enough to make you spew. The fact that society at large has picked up on the fact that we create dumb products like that shouldn't be surprising.

If you want to change how society portrays the faith, than stop consuming products that SAY you are follower of Christ and start SHOWING you are a follower of Christ by actually doing what HE said to do. Not what some "christian" organization says for you to do or think. Make it real.

Peace

Death on Message Boards

So there is this message board that I always check out. I love it because its a group of people that are very dear to my heart and who inspire me. The few times that I have tried to engage (not just be a consumer) have not met my expectations. Sometimes it feels like visiting a ghost town due to the lack of activity. I just checked it out again, and my name is everywhere because no one has posted anything new after me. I must be death to message boards! I have posted before in response to something and the conversation stopped, that or went around me totally. Then I thought, "well maybe I just need to post something that is interesting to me and see what happens" Ive never gotten a response! LOL! Ive promised myself not to post again until someone else does! I didn't think I had THAT much more time on my hands, but maybe its time for new interests!

I think the lurking danger of blogs vs. a board like the one above is that we can end up isolating ourselves as individuals from the people with whom we actually want to engage with. If someone other than myself is reading this, at this point I really don't know who you are! Its easier to have a conversation with ones self than with having to try and articulate ones thoughts and feelings so that others can share in that. We have become a society of typing peepers! I watch tv or read online about other peoples lives and then write about my own, but when do I open that up to actually engage with another person? Its a creepy thing really. One doesn't have to leave ones home if they didn't HAVE to. PeaPod will deliver your groceries, you can download music,movies,tv shows, Amazon can get you anything you need, then there's EHarmony and whatever chat rooms to find you a spouse. But ones house gets stale, you need to get outside and play! Stop playing those video games! Take a walk! Go rub your face in the snow! Learn to read body language. My hope is that that is the reason the board is inactive. Everyone is actually seeing one another and having these conversations in a bar somewhere or sitting around drinking coffee. (im out of state which is why I wouldn't know this) That gives me hope, maybe its not that everyone is blogging by themselves, but that we are talking, hugging and arguing about all these things in person. Not behind our mirrors, to ourselves.

I should go, I need to go shovel the driveway....

Second Try

Ok, so I've been filling out my profile and checking out others. It scared the crap out of me. First because of some of the similarities in choices and then at the thought of being lumped in with all these other people. Is that inevitable? I must be unique in some way other then the slight difference in genetics.

My First

So, i wanted to check out this "blogger" thing and got roped into creating one. As I look around at others, I've become more and more depressed. Im not eloquent, or articulate and feel like no one could possibly be interested. Luckily when I thought of doing this, I wasn't thinking of you. Im more like needing my own "trash" basket for my own desktop. Unload, unwrap and put down. Maybe this is what it means to lay it all down. I've always had trouble with that. I figured that if I lay it down, I'll forget the things that made me react or feel. so wish me luck. Perhaps some order will come out of it after all...