If by a “liberal” they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a “liberal,” then I’m proud to say I’m a “liberal.”
President John F. Kennedy
BTW, we still dont have cable here at out house on PRESIDENT GEORGE Washington Street . Not a big bother except my friend Kim gets to see the probably one of the greatest speeches of all times when this country actually may elect some one other than an old white guy to lead us....speech up close with her 75,000 closest friends in DENVER and I won't even get to see it on the cable news highlight reels. oh bother!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
some more fodder....
here is an excerpt from something else I was reading...
I likey... a la Carrie Bradshaw...
....‘Ad creators are increasingly able to focus on children,’ write Rowe and Ruskin. The more I think about it, the more I’m tempted to write a letter of complaint to absentee parents. Parents need to raise their children themselves, and not shove the imparting of norms and values onto the babysitter, school or television. Those who leave it to ‘the culture’ to educate children about what we consider important, shouldn’t be surprised if that culture sends kids to the shopping mall. And those who consider earning money more important than raising children, shouldn’t become indignant if those children fill up the emptiness with spending money.
.....We also discovered what we called the ‘Ikea effect’. That became a family expression. We noticed that we always ended up in a bad mood after walking around a department store, no matter how happily we had started the excursion. Again and again, we went in full of expectation and excitement… only to leave a little while later in a combative mood. We analysed it and reached a conclusion: Ikea deludes you. So do all the other alluring department stores with their unrealistic promises: ‘Everything you always wanted is right here, and it will make you happy’. But even if I entered with money in my pocket and in a generous mood, that promise was never fulfilled. This is because what your heart’s desires cannot be bought, it’s as simple as that. Warmth, relaxation, pleasure, mutual understanding and fellowship are not things you can simply pay for and wrap up. So every actual purchase comes with a little disappointment. At first you might think that having yet another desirable object will fulfil that promise. But no, it doesn’t. Finally, disappointment creeps in and with it, irritation and friction.
When we recognised and labelled the Ikea effect, it lost its power over us. And with that the store – not coincidentally – lost a lot of its appeal.
I think a consciousness of abundance means that every time you want something you ask yourself if you really need it. And I mean ‘need’ in a broad sense. You may need it for your body or for your soul. An ice cream, for example, can be a very wise purchase. (I’ve even noticed that at times, ice cream can even heal children’s tummy aches.) But eating ice cream all day long won’t make a child happy. Girls around age seven sometimes also need a princess costume: a shiny satiny dress with so many frills and bows that I could never make one as nice. But constantly buying clothes won’t make you a princess. It is often a question of finding the middle ground.
I likey... a la Carrie Bradshaw...
....‘Ad creators are increasingly able to focus on children,’ write Rowe and Ruskin. The more I think about it, the more I’m tempted to write a letter of complaint to absentee parents. Parents need to raise their children themselves, and not shove the imparting of norms and values onto the babysitter, school or television. Those who leave it to ‘the culture’ to educate children about what we consider important, shouldn’t be surprised if that culture sends kids to the shopping mall. And those who consider earning money more important than raising children, shouldn’t become indignant if those children fill up the emptiness with spending money.
.....We also discovered what we called the ‘Ikea effect’. That became a family expression. We noticed that we always ended up in a bad mood after walking around a department store, no matter how happily we had started the excursion. Again and again, we went in full of expectation and excitement… only to leave a little while later in a combative mood. We analysed it and reached a conclusion: Ikea deludes you. So do all the other alluring department stores with their unrealistic promises: ‘Everything you always wanted is right here, and it will make you happy’. But even if I entered with money in my pocket and in a generous mood, that promise was never fulfilled. This is because what your heart’s desires cannot be bought, it’s as simple as that. Warmth, relaxation, pleasure, mutual understanding and fellowship are not things you can simply pay for and wrap up. So every actual purchase comes with a little disappointment. At first you might think that having yet another desirable object will fulfil that promise. But no, it doesn’t. Finally, disappointment creeps in and with it, irritation and friction.
When we recognised and labelled the Ikea effect, it lost its power over us. And with that the store – not coincidentally – lost a lot of its appeal.
I think a consciousness of abundance means that every time you want something you ask yourself if you really need it. And I mean ‘need’ in a broad sense. You may need it for your body or for your soul. An ice cream, for example, can be a very wise purchase. (I’ve even noticed that at times, ice cream can even heal children’s tummy aches.) But eating ice cream all day long won’t make a child happy. Girls around age seven sometimes also need a princess costume: a shiny satiny dress with so many frills and bows that I could never make one as nice. But constantly buying clothes won’t make you a princess. It is often a question of finding the middle ground.
loved this too and it was a good excuse to post a photo of Sissy
We don't need no supervision
Kids may find it harder to grow up if adults over-regulate their lives.Tim Gill January/February 2008 issue
There’s a widespread belief that children grow up faster today. In fact, though they may adopt adult cultures and attitudes, their daily lives are far more controlled and overseen than a couple of decades ago. Consider these UK statistics: In 1971, the average 7-year-old went to school on his own; by 1990, children had to wait until they were 10 before being given this “right.” The trend appears to be continuing. In a survey in 2007, nearly half of adults said children should not be allowed to go out with their friends unsupervised until the children were 14 years old.
Why have the horizons of childhood shrunk so much? While parents set the limits, their actions are just the beginning of the story. Many social and cultural trends—traffic growth, longer working hours, more fragment- ed communities, greater fear of crime and a pervasive climate of anxiety—all reinforce the logic of containment.
Perhaps parents’ greatest worry is the fear of child abduction or murder. These are among the rarest of crimes. In the UK, where I live, some five to seven children are killed by strangers every year. Of these, around two are in primary school. That is absolutely terrible for them and their families. Yet the figures are no higher than they were when I was a child 35 years ago. However, many believe the threat is serious and growing, a predictable result of emotive media coverage.
Whatever the reasons, we now have a norm of parenting that equates being a good parent with being a controlling parent. We do not just ferry children everywhere, we also supervise nearly every move they make.
The over-regulation of children’s lives has a big downside. Many experiences children used to enjoy—boisterous physical play, street play, verbal jousting, even climbing trees—are now seen as deeply troubling. The parents who allow those activities are labelled irresponsible. But children need everyday challenges and adventures if they are to learn how to manage their own safety and sort out their problems for themselves. Today, many pre-adolescent children don’t get those opportunities. How will they develop the skills they need to deal with the wider world?
I don’t think parents are solely to blame. Most are well aware they should be preparing their offspring for life as autonomous adults. I speak as a parent myself. We do not need more experts telling us what to do. One thing I have found helpful is simply to share views with other parents, looking back on our own childhoods to remind ourselves of the value of tasting freedom. While we cannot recreate our childhoods, we can reject the culture of overprotection and come up with practical steps to give our children more responsibility. This could be walking to school once a week with an older child on the street, or trying to sort out minor spats for themselves or simply climbing trees in the park.
This is not a job parents can do by themselves. Parents, teachers, child-carers and providers of organized activities all need to accept that children do not need adults watching their every move. As a society, we need to move from a philosophy of protection to a philosophy of resilience. The role of adults in childhood is not just to protect, but to help children build their coping mechanisms and take on more responsibility for their everyday lives.
This will not be easy. I believe government leadership is needed to reverse this trend. Alongside new policies in schools and services, politicians should be making the creation of more child-friendly communities a high priority. By these I mean neighbourhoods that are safe, supportive, welcoming and tolerant as children gradually extend their lives beyond home and school.
Ultimately, this is a question of balance. Of course we need to protect children from serious threats, but we also need to give them the freedom to learn how to get to grips with the world for themselves.
Kids may find it harder to grow up if adults over-regulate their lives.Tim Gill January/February 2008 issue
There’s a widespread belief that children grow up faster today. In fact, though they may adopt adult cultures and attitudes, their daily lives are far more controlled and overseen than a couple of decades ago. Consider these UK statistics: In 1971, the average 7-year-old went to school on his own; by 1990, children had to wait until they were 10 before being given this “right.” The trend appears to be continuing. In a survey in 2007, nearly half of adults said children should not be allowed to go out with their friends unsupervised until the children were 14 years old.
Why have the horizons of childhood shrunk so much? While parents set the limits, their actions are just the beginning of the story. Many social and cultural trends—traffic growth, longer working hours, more fragment- ed communities, greater fear of crime and a pervasive climate of anxiety—all reinforce the logic of containment.
Perhaps parents’ greatest worry is the fear of child abduction or murder. These are among the rarest of crimes. In the UK, where I live, some five to seven children are killed by strangers every year. Of these, around two are in primary school. That is absolutely terrible for them and their families. Yet the figures are no higher than they were when I was a child 35 years ago. However, many believe the threat is serious and growing, a predictable result of emotive media coverage.
Whatever the reasons, we now have a norm of parenting that equates being a good parent with being a controlling parent. We do not just ferry children everywhere, we also supervise nearly every move they make.
The over-regulation of children’s lives has a big downside. Many experiences children used to enjoy—boisterous physical play, street play, verbal jousting, even climbing trees—are now seen as deeply troubling. The parents who allow those activities are labelled irresponsible. But children need everyday challenges and adventures if they are to learn how to manage their own safety and sort out their problems for themselves. Today, many pre-adolescent children don’t get those opportunities. How will they develop the skills they need to deal with the wider world?
I don’t think parents are solely to blame. Most are well aware they should be preparing their offspring for life as autonomous adults. I speak as a parent myself. We do not need more experts telling us what to do. One thing I have found helpful is simply to share views with other parents, looking back on our own childhoods to remind ourselves of the value of tasting freedom. While we cannot recreate our childhoods, we can reject the culture of overprotection and come up with practical steps to give our children more responsibility. This could be walking to school once a week with an older child on the street, or trying to sort out minor spats for themselves or simply climbing trees in the park.
This is not a job parents can do by themselves. Parents, teachers, child-carers and providers of organized activities all need to accept that children do not need adults watching their every move. As a society, we need to move from a philosophy of protection to a philosophy of resilience. The role of adults in childhood is not just to protect, but to help children build their coping mechanisms and take on more responsibility for their everyday lives.
This will not be easy. I believe government leadership is needed to reverse this trend. Alongside new policies in schools and services, politicians should be making the creation of more child-friendly communities a high priority. By these I mean neighbourhoods that are safe, supportive, welcoming and tolerant as children gradually extend their lives beyond home and school.
Ultimately, this is a question of balance. Of course we need to protect children from serious threats, but we also need to give them the freedom to learn how to get to grips with the world for themselves.
Tim Gill is the author of No Fear: Growing Up in a Risk Averse Society, which can be downloaded free from gulbenkian.org.uk. His website is rethinkingchildhood.com
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
MOVING SALE
AS the day of the BIG PACK is coming- I am going to post things on here that we are going to slim down in our home....
items that we are going to get rid of include but are not limited to:
Books
Cloth Diapers
A BRAND NEW Medula Pump in Style Back Pack Breast Pump
Numerous Childbirth Education Supplies
CDs (My husband has about 400)
DVDs (children's and adult)
If you know you are looking for something specific just email me- I may have it.
Francie@chris-wood.com
items that we are going to get rid of include but are not limited to:
Books
Cloth Diapers
A BRAND NEW Medula Pump in Style Back Pack Breast Pump
Numerous Childbirth Education Supplies
CDs (My husband has about 400)
DVDs (children's and adult)
If you know you are looking for something specific just email me- I may have it.
Francie@chris-wood.com
Sunday, May 11, 2008
WE are MOVING!!
SO everyone finally knows....So I can tell the rest of the world. The Chris and Francie Wood family is moving from Jacksonville FL. The way things look now 1/7th of the Chris and Francie Wood family will be living in NJ and working there. The other 6/7ths of the Chris and Francie Wood family will be living near family in MD. And while we will miss the help and silliness of the other 1/7th while he is at work during the week, we think it is best for the other 6/7ths of us to be surrounded by friends and family in a place we are comfortable and happy.
Oh by the way if you are wondering who the other 2/7ths are- NO WE ARE NOT PREGNANT. even though that was the rumor on our street on why we have a for sale sign in our yard that we needed a bigger house.
It is Andre' and Daisy, of course.
Both who will suffer severe trauma with this move b/c Andre' hates the car. It will be about 14 hour drive with the kids from here to MD. And Daisy will probably stop eating and be depressed b/c she won't be living full time with (her boyfriend I mean) Chris.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
So six months since I posted-
Things are good here- Weather in warming or should I say hotting...Sissy turned 1 March 23rd. We had her a birthday party while we were in MD for Easter and to see MAM MA and PAPPY's new cabin. The weather was great up home. I sure do miss it- I will post a few photos of every one here- The top one is the kids at Grandma's being silly, the second one at the Zoo for a preschool field trip with our friend Grace- She is a wonderful little girl. (her dad is an assistant coach for the Jags...but she has no clue really what that means :)) The third one is also at the Zoo for the field trip- it is Chandler and all his girlfriends :)
And the last one is of course Pappy and sweet Fiona. Poor girl, she really loves him- she has no clue yet either :)
I promise to be more forth coming with posts as I news may be changing-
By the way- I love me some Jason Castro on American Idol this year-
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Parent Job Description
my MIL sent me this a while ago and I have been meaning to post it- I think it relates to my posts about needing a day off....
POSITION : Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop
JOB DESCRIPTION : Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sportstournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.
RESPONSIBILITIES : The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.
POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION : None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, withoutcomplaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE : None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.
WAGES AND COMPENSATION : Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.
BENEFITS : While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth,unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.
** AND A FOOTNOTE "THERE IS NO RETIREMENT --EVER!!! **
POSITION : Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop
JOB DESCRIPTION : Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sportstournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.
RESPONSIBILITIES : The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.
POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION : None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, withoutcomplaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE : None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.
WAGES AND COMPENSATION : Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.
BENEFITS : While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth,unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.
** AND A FOOTNOTE "THERE IS NO RETIREMENT --EVER!!! **
I get asked this alot- So I thought I would post it here
IF you can only buy certain things Organic what would it be....
This is a post from GRIST....Subscribe....
Hi Umbra!
I just recently became a stay-at-home mom. Life is bliss, except for the one-income household we now have (my husband brings home the tofu-bacon). Now that we have very limited funds I cannot afford to buy all organic food. Sometimes organic food is nearly double the price of conventional food ... yikes! I looked around and could not find a great website for foods you need to buy organic. I know that some conventional foods are not so pesticide-laden as others, but I'm not sure which. Could you please tell me this: if you could buy only some organic food, what should it be?
Tammi Bailey, Colo.
Dearest Tammi,
Apologies for not explicitly providing this basic resource to dearest readers. I've mentioned the Environmental Working Group's produce shopping guide, but that doesn't help you search the Ask Umbra archives for "best organic foods." Sorry.
The EWG guide is designed to answer the "which food" question for fresh fruits and vegetables. EWG looked at USDA food consumption data and USDA and FDA pesticide residue tests, and developed a pesticide residue ranking from worst to best for 44 types of produce. If you have specific concerns, you may wish to read more about EWG's methodologies -- for example, common habits of peeling and washing are incorporated into the tests.
The 12 fruits and vegetables with the highest amount of pesticide residues are peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, pears, spinach, and potatoes. These are the ones to spend your money on. The 12 with the lowest residues are onions, avocado, frozen sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, and eggplant. When short of cash, go ahead on conventionally grown versions of these.
The shopping guide gets us started on produce, but how about the rest of our diet? Consumer Reports has an interesting series of articles about prioritizing among organic products. Their top priorities include the produce chosen by EWG. They also believe meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy should be an organic priority because of risks including mad cow and the antibiotics and hormones used in conventional animal husbandry. Their third top priority is baby food, for reasons of small bodies and potential concentrated residues in processed purees.
I agree with these personal health priorities, in part because they correlate with larger environmental concerns. A link between pesticide residue and pesticide application seems likely, and large-scale meat production benefits only the financial bottom line.
The rest of the Consumer Reports list is intriguing: They say if price is no object, go ahead and buy organic grains and processed foods. However, they argue, these foods lose many nutrients and "health value" during processing, hence do not offer enough added value in their organic form to always justify the price increase. To me, making that argument from a personal-health perspective does not exempt those who can afford to buy all organic from doing so based on environmental stewardship. CR also pooh-poohs organic seafood, because no U.S. certification exists, and organic cosmetic products, based in part on another report from EWG, because they apparently are often fraudulent. Egad.
The magazine does offer a series of tips on saving money while shopping organic, including comparison shopping, comparison shopping at the farmers' market, buying directly from livestock producers, and joining a Community Supported Agriculture program. OK -- wait -- it looks like I've never written about CSA, either. Could someone please send in a question for me to answer?
Let me just briefly add other cash-saving ideas, including forming a buying club with friends to deal directly with a food distributor, buying large bulk amounts at stores that offer a discount for so doing (my local co-op gives a 10 percent discount on 25-pound bags of rice, for example), and buying fewer animal products.
This is a post from GRIST....Subscribe....
Hi Umbra!
I just recently became a stay-at-home mom. Life is bliss, except for the one-income household we now have (my husband brings home the tofu-bacon). Now that we have very limited funds I cannot afford to buy all organic food. Sometimes organic food is nearly double the price of conventional food ... yikes! I looked around and could not find a great website for foods you need to buy organic. I know that some conventional foods are not so pesticide-laden as others, but I'm not sure which. Could you please tell me this: if you could buy only some organic food, what should it be?
Tammi Bailey, Colo.
Dearest Tammi,
Apologies for not explicitly providing this basic resource to dearest readers. I've mentioned the Environmental Working Group's produce shopping guide, but that doesn't help you search the Ask Umbra archives for "best organic foods." Sorry.
The EWG guide is designed to answer the "which food" question for fresh fruits and vegetables. EWG looked at USDA food consumption data and USDA and FDA pesticide residue tests, and developed a pesticide residue ranking from worst to best for 44 types of produce. If you have specific concerns, you may wish to read more about EWG's methodologies -- for example, common habits of peeling and washing are incorporated into the tests.
The 12 fruits and vegetables with the highest amount of pesticide residues are peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, pears, spinach, and potatoes. These are the ones to spend your money on. The 12 with the lowest residues are onions, avocado, frozen sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, and eggplant. When short of cash, go ahead on conventionally grown versions of these.
The shopping guide gets us started on produce, but how about the rest of our diet? Consumer Reports has an interesting series of articles about prioritizing among organic products. Their top priorities include the produce chosen by EWG. They also believe meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy should be an organic priority because of risks including mad cow and the antibiotics and hormones used in conventional animal husbandry. Their third top priority is baby food, for reasons of small bodies and potential concentrated residues in processed purees.
I agree with these personal health priorities, in part because they correlate with larger environmental concerns. A link between pesticide residue and pesticide application seems likely, and large-scale meat production benefits only the financial bottom line.
The rest of the Consumer Reports list is intriguing: They say if price is no object, go ahead and buy organic grains and processed foods. However, they argue, these foods lose many nutrients and "health value" during processing, hence do not offer enough added value in their organic form to always justify the price increase. To me, making that argument from a personal-health perspective does not exempt those who can afford to buy all organic from doing so based on environmental stewardship. CR also pooh-poohs organic seafood, because no U.S. certification exists, and organic cosmetic products, based in part on another report from EWG, because they apparently are often fraudulent. Egad.
The magazine does offer a series of tips on saving money while shopping organic, including comparison shopping, comparison shopping at the farmers' market, buying directly from livestock producers, and joining a Community Supported Agriculture program. OK -- wait -- it looks like I've never written about CSA, either. Could someone please send in a question for me to answer?
Let me just briefly add other cash-saving ideas, including forming a buying club with friends to deal directly with a food distributor, buying large bulk amounts at stores that offer a discount for so doing (my local co-op gives a 10 percent discount on 25-pound bags of rice, for example), and buying fewer animal products.
Monday, October 01, 2007
fits and spurts
That is how my blog writing goes...
I have thought of some worthy blog items but have then thought too much about who I would offend by posting them...
I need a secret blog that no one reads. Oh that would be a diary and who wants one of those that isn't 6. I like to share probably share too much.
Things are good here. Still fighting with Kidney issues. The kids are great. Chandler and Gavin are still not sure of school. Chandler misses his old school and I think he can sense in a way so do I. Gavin has been very social and his behavior/manners are improving. But he is almost 3. Hard to believe my BABY is growing up. Fiona is well. She just tuned 6 months and has 1 tooth.
Chris is good too- Happy I think to know we aren't expecting anymore children. Still keeping my fingers crossed for a move to MD some time before the kids are too much older....
Blessings-
I have thought of some worthy blog items but have then thought too much about who I would offend by posting them...
I need a secret blog that no one reads. Oh that would be a diary and who wants one of those that isn't 6. I like to share probably share too much.
Things are good here. Still fighting with Kidney issues. The kids are great. Chandler and Gavin are still not sure of school. Chandler misses his old school and I think he can sense in a way so do I. Gavin has been very social and his behavior/manners are improving. But he is almost 3. Hard to believe my BABY is growing up. Fiona is well. She just tuned 6 months and has 1 tooth.
Chris is good too- Happy I think to know we aren't expecting anymore children. Still keeping my fingers crossed for a move to MD some time before the kids are too much older....
Blessings-
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Oh how I love Patagonia-
I would love to work retail again just work in one of their stores-
Here is a post off the Patagonia Blog- So true my friends so true-
http://www.thecleanestline.com/2007/08/organically-uns.html
Unsustainably Organic
I made a big mistake. It involves garlic.
Buying organic is good, right? I tend to think so, especially when my guilt-free organic garlic is now only $0.25 more expensive than its non-certified shelf-mates over at the local eco-chic shop n' strut. I'm a sucker for getting my values at a bargain, so I took a glance at the price, picked up a couple of fresh heads, and was on my way. But my stinking rose has a dark side, one I didn't take the time to notice 'til I got home . . .
Behold the unwitting, guileless garlic. So innocent. So fragrant. So well-travelled.
So I'm home now, and that's when I notice something peculiar about my garlic. Like Chairman Mao, the Ming Dynasty, microwave- and oven-safe table settings, and most things plastic or electronic, I see here that my organic garlic comes from China. There it is on the label (yes, my garlic is packaged - Strike Two!). Because I'm getting ready to sauté my garlic into a sauce made from fresh, locally grown tomatoes, it throws my mistake into bold relief.
What's the big deal? To start, garlic's pretty easy to grow, even in our country's driest state. And how far is China from where I live here in Nevada? Let's ask Google maps: Hmm . . . First try, entering "Distance between Reno, NV and Nanchang, China" brings up: "ChristianRock.Net - The best Christian rock on the planet" I need to get more specific.
My garlic, it turns out, traveled along with all of its smelly friends in a no doubt incredibly confined space, approximately 6529 miles. That's 10508 kilometers. That's straight-line distance. Why Nanchang? I hear it's nice there this time of year.
But really, folks. Over 6,000 miles!? My garlic is better-traveled than most Americans. Considering this, it's quite a bargain.
So anybody want to guess the price paid for that garlic? For reference, let's plan a little trip to Nanchang. Why? Well, I hear it's nice there this time of year. And to pick our own darn garlic, dag nabbit. "Pick your own strawberry" patches are just the best first step to sipping summertime from a daiquiri glass, so why not pick our own vampire repellent? I'm ready to try a garlic daquiri, so I check YourFavoriteAnonymousOnlineTravelAgent for a one-way ticket (my garlic, after all, ain't going home). Again, any price guesses?
First, the flight: Air China's got me covered for $885. At $7.38 per mile, that's not a bad deal. Certainly cheaper than driving . . . an M1 tank. The garlic? Under $2, friends. $1.98 for two heads, to be exact. Am I alone in my problems with this math? Besides that, where'd my garlic come up with that kind of airfare?
So here's a friendly suggestion: It's summertime. There's a farmer's market somewhere and you probably don't live too far from it. Go buy your vegetables from someone who grew them. Shake the hand that pulled your sweet, beautiful food up from the earth.
And if you're looking for something to read, check these lovely new releases out:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver
The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan
Coming Home to Eat: The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods, by Gary Paul Nabhan
Got some other reading selections along a similar vein? Feel free to throw 'em out there in the comments section.
Happy eating. Happy reading
______________________________
Not to mention how much I love their clothing!
Here is a post off the Patagonia Blog- So true my friends so true-
http://www.thecleanestline.com/2007/08/organically-uns.html
Unsustainably Organic
I made a big mistake. It involves garlic.
Buying organic is good, right? I tend to think so, especially when my guilt-free organic garlic is now only $0.25 more expensive than its non-certified shelf-mates over at the local eco-chic shop n' strut. I'm a sucker for getting my values at a bargain, so I took a glance at the price, picked up a couple of fresh heads, and was on my way. But my stinking rose has a dark side, one I didn't take the time to notice 'til I got home . . .
Behold the unwitting, guileless garlic. So innocent. So fragrant. So well-travelled.
So I'm home now, and that's when I notice something peculiar about my garlic. Like Chairman Mao, the Ming Dynasty, microwave- and oven-safe table settings, and most things plastic or electronic, I see here that my organic garlic comes from China. There it is on the label (yes, my garlic is packaged - Strike Two!). Because I'm getting ready to sauté my garlic into a sauce made from fresh, locally grown tomatoes, it throws my mistake into bold relief.
What's the big deal? To start, garlic's pretty easy to grow, even in our country's driest state. And how far is China from where I live here in Nevada? Let's ask Google maps: Hmm . . . First try, entering "Distance between Reno, NV and Nanchang, China" brings up: "ChristianRock.Net - The best Christian rock on the planet" I need to get more specific.
My garlic, it turns out, traveled along with all of its smelly friends in a no doubt incredibly confined space, approximately 6529 miles. That's 10508 kilometers. That's straight-line distance. Why Nanchang? I hear it's nice there this time of year.
But really, folks. Over 6,000 miles!? My garlic is better-traveled than most Americans. Considering this, it's quite a bargain.
So anybody want to guess the price paid for that garlic? For reference, let's plan a little trip to Nanchang. Why? Well, I hear it's nice there this time of year. And to pick our own darn garlic, dag nabbit. "Pick your own strawberry" patches are just the best first step to sipping summertime from a daiquiri glass, so why not pick our own vampire repellent? I'm ready to try a garlic daquiri, so I check YourFavoriteAnonymousOnlineTravelAgent for a one-way ticket (my garlic, after all, ain't going home). Again, any price guesses?
First, the flight: Air China's got me covered for $885. At $7.38 per mile, that's not a bad deal. Certainly cheaper than driving . . . an M1 tank. The garlic? Under $2, friends. $1.98 for two heads, to be exact. Am I alone in my problems with this math? Besides that, where'd my garlic come up with that kind of airfare?
So here's a friendly suggestion: It's summertime. There's a farmer's market somewhere and you probably don't live too far from it. Go buy your vegetables from someone who grew them. Shake the hand that pulled your sweet, beautiful food up from the earth.
And if you're looking for something to read, check these lovely new releases out:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver
The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan
Coming Home to Eat: The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods, by Gary Paul Nabhan
Got some other reading selections along a similar vein? Feel free to throw 'em out there in the comments section.
Happy eating. Happy reading
______________________________
Not to mention how much I love their clothing!
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Oh my goodness- This guy is right on!
From the Boston Globe:The folly of 1 percent policy
By Eugene Declercq and Judy Norsigian August 6, 2007
THE PHRASE that comes to mind when you hear Dick Cheney is probably not "reshaping American childbirth." Yet Vice President Cheney's "One Percent Doctrine" -- the title of Ron Suskind's 2006 book on post 9/11 national security policy -- perfectly captures an approach to decision-making in American medicine that misallocates resources and undermines primary care. By focusing maximum resources on preventing an extremely rare but potentially disastrous outcome over necessary preventive care, this model has shaped healthcare decision-making in areas ranging from hysterectomies to coronary bypasses. One shift -- the rapidly rising caesarean rate -- exemplifies this problem.
Suskind reports that in debates over national security policy following 9/11, Cheney repeatedly invoked the principle that if there's even a 1 percent chance of a terrorist attack, we must prepare as if it were a certainty. This extreme position invariably gave Cheney the moral high ground in debates, where he could appear more willing to protect American interests than others with a broader focus. Of course, in winning the immediate argument, Cheney also ignored myriad longer-term complications involving problems not solved while the "emergency" is addressed.In healthcare, caesarean sections represent the most recent example of this doctrine, as births are increasingly treated as potential emergencies requiring expensive, high-tech interventions. The caesarean rate in the United States has increased from 20 percent in 1996 to a record high of more than 30 percent in 2005, trailing only Italy (37 percent) and South Korea (35 percent) among industrialized countries. Obstetricians are more skilled at performing caesareans than ever before and caesareans are safer than ever. But they are not without negative consequences. When they are performed as elective surgery on mothers with little or no medical risk, these harms outweigh the benefits.Yet caesareans are advocated as necessary to avert potential disasters that might occur.
At a 2006 meeting sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, one doctor captured the 1 percent (or in this case 1/30th of 1 percent) doctrine when he described rare conditions and noted the benefits of a 100 percent caesarean rate (you read that right) in avoiding these outcomes in 3 in 10,000 cases.Likewise, a 2006 position statement from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that "Labor and delivery is a physiologic process that most women experience without complications," but then goes on to emphasize the 1 percent doctrine: ". . . serious intrapartum complications may arise with little or no warning, even in low risk pregnancies." The statement and the doctor's claim are true, of course -- anything can occur -- but does that mean that society benefits when every birth is handled as a disaster (or worse yet a lawsuit) waiting to happen?No one wishes a health problem on any mother or child, but the "1 percent" advocates of higher caesarean section rates assert they care more about infant outcomes than those who oppose them. However, the consequences of universal caesarean sections on a largely healthy population are profound in both the short run (longer recovery, greater postpartum pain, higher maternal rehospitalization rates for surgical complications, higher costs) and long run (higher rates of subsequent stillbirths, greater risk of future uterine rupture, longer stays requiring more hospital space).
The 1 percent doctrine cares little about such consequences since its focus is on winning the current argument.Creating a crisis atmosphere is essential to the 1 percent doctrine and its ability to override all obstacles -- be they constitutional restrictions on national security measures or concerns about the United States ranking last among industrialized countries on infant mortality. Such an atmosphere encourages more centralized decision-making and stifles debate. The fact that most of these crises never occur and that countless resources are expended to prevent something that was unlikely to happen anyway is lost in the relief of the immediate positive outcome (a healthy baby or no terrorist attack). In the long run, however, we've wasted time and money, created new problems, and ignored systematically documented, if less emotional, evidence.
A version of the 1 percent doctrine has been invoked for decades in steering the US healthcare system away from an emphasis on preventive care for the whole population to an obsession with treating rare events. As a debating strategy, the 1 percent doctrine is extremely persuasive. As a policy guideline, it makes no sense in either politics or healthcare.
Eugene Declercq is a professor of maternal and child health at the Boston University School of Public Health. Judy Norsigian is executive director of Our Bodies Ourselves.
By Eugene Declercq and Judy Norsigian August 6, 2007
THE PHRASE that comes to mind when you hear Dick Cheney is probably not "reshaping American childbirth." Yet Vice President Cheney's "One Percent Doctrine" -- the title of Ron Suskind's 2006 book on post 9/11 national security policy -- perfectly captures an approach to decision-making in American medicine that misallocates resources and undermines primary care. By focusing maximum resources on preventing an extremely rare but potentially disastrous outcome over necessary preventive care, this model has shaped healthcare decision-making in areas ranging from hysterectomies to coronary bypasses. One shift -- the rapidly rising caesarean rate -- exemplifies this problem.
Suskind reports that in debates over national security policy following 9/11, Cheney repeatedly invoked the principle that if there's even a 1 percent chance of a terrorist attack, we must prepare as if it were a certainty. This extreme position invariably gave Cheney the moral high ground in debates, where he could appear more willing to protect American interests than others with a broader focus. Of course, in winning the immediate argument, Cheney also ignored myriad longer-term complications involving problems not solved while the "emergency" is addressed.In healthcare, caesarean sections represent the most recent example of this doctrine, as births are increasingly treated as potential emergencies requiring expensive, high-tech interventions. The caesarean rate in the United States has increased from 20 percent in 1996 to a record high of more than 30 percent in 2005, trailing only Italy (37 percent) and South Korea (35 percent) among industrialized countries. Obstetricians are more skilled at performing caesareans than ever before and caesareans are safer than ever. But they are not without negative consequences. When they are performed as elective surgery on mothers with little or no medical risk, these harms outweigh the benefits.Yet caesareans are advocated as necessary to avert potential disasters that might occur.
At a 2006 meeting sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, one doctor captured the 1 percent (or in this case 1/30th of 1 percent) doctrine when he described rare conditions and noted the benefits of a 100 percent caesarean rate (you read that right) in avoiding these outcomes in 3 in 10,000 cases.Likewise, a 2006 position statement from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that "Labor and delivery is a physiologic process that most women experience without complications," but then goes on to emphasize the 1 percent doctrine: ". . . serious intrapartum complications may arise with little or no warning, even in low risk pregnancies." The statement and the doctor's claim are true, of course -- anything can occur -- but does that mean that society benefits when every birth is handled as a disaster (or worse yet a lawsuit) waiting to happen?No one wishes a health problem on any mother or child, but the "1 percent" advocates of higher caesarean section rates assert they care more about infant outcomes than those who oppose them. However, the consequences of universal caesarean sections on a largely healthy population are profound in both the short run (longer recovery, greater postpartum pain, higher maternal rehospitalization rates for surgical complications, higher costs) and long run (higher rates of subsequent stillbirths, greater risk of future uterine rupture, longer stays requiring more hospital space).
The 1 percent doctrine cares little about such consequences since its focus is on winning the current argument.Creating a crisis atmosphere is essential to the 1 percent doctrine and its ability to override all obstacles -- be they constitutional restrictions on national security measures or concerns about the United States ranking last among industrialized countries on infant mortality. Such an atmosphere encourages more centralized decision-making and stifles debate. The fact that most of these crises never occur and that countless resources are expended to prevent something that was unlikely to happen anyway is lost in the relief of the immediate positive outcome (a healthy baby or no terrorist attack). In the long run, however, we've wasted time and money, created new problems, and ignored systematically documented, if less emotional, evidence.
A version of the 1 percent doctrine has been invoked for decades in steering the US healthcare system away from an emphasis on preventive care for the whole population to an obsession with treating rare events. As a debating strategy, the 1 percent doctrine is extremely persuasive. As a policy guideline, it makes no sense in either politics or healthcare.
Eugene Declercq is a professor of maternal and child health at the Boston University School of Public Health. Judy Norsigian is executive director of Our Bodies Ourselves.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
So I have kidney stone again...
8 mm to be exact- They are going to try and remove on Friday. Sorry I have MIA for a while. I will keep you posted. If you pray please do so now- I hate Drs., procedures and hospitals- ALL which I am getting ready to hang out with-
Blessings-
Blessings-
Saturday, July 21, 2007
The Islands are calling me...
I feel the need for a slow day by the beach, with a fruity drink, and an island breeze. Jimmy Buffett was recently in TIME magazine and he started me itching...I haven't seen a Jimmy show in about 5 years- I used to make both shows every summer up in DC but Jacksonville FL isn't a big tour destination for Mr. Buffett or many other artists either but that is another post...(see wanting to move :))
I am not even opposed to taking my children- I want them to learn to love the beach, the sun and the surf as much as I do-
I know you all are thinking hey lady don't you live in FL but FL and the islands are completely different. And living here isn't much like island life at all-- I would give all this up and move to waitress tables and live in a small shack on the beach in some small island if I could...
I am not even opposed to taking my children- I want them to learn to love the beach, the sun and the surf as much as I do-
I know you all are thinking hey lady don't you live in FL but FL and the islands are completely different. And living here isn't much like island life at all-- I would give all this up and move to waitress tables and live in a small shack on the beach in some small island if I could...
Thursday, July 12, 2007
I bet Voldermort shops at WALMART
HARRY POTTER TAKES ON WALDEMART
OCA's "Breaking the Chains" campaign has dedicated itself to reminding consumers of how Wal-Mart destroys local independent businesses, exploits workers, and undermines organic food and farming. This week, we are happy to share with you a humorous video that will appeal to all ages.. In a few weeks, the seventh and final installment of the Harry Potter book series will be released, and Wal-Mart stands to sell millions of copies. But in order to drive customers into their stores, Wal-Mart is selling the books dirt cheap -- 50% below the suggested retail price. This typical Wal-Mart move to destroy its competition will likely have a devastating effect on already struggling independent book stores across the country. Watch this humorous web video and don't forget to boycott Wal-Mart and the chains. http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5987.cfm
OCA's "Breaking the Chains" campaign has dedicated itself to reminding consumers of how Wal-Mart destroys local independent businesses, exploits workers, and undermines organic food and farming. This week, we are happy to share with you a humorous video that will appeal to all ages.. In a few weeks, the seventh and final installment of the Harry Potter book series will be released, and Wal-Mart stands to sell millions of copies. But in order to drive customers into their stores, Wal-Mart is selling the books dirt cheap -- 50% below the suggested retail price. This typical Wal-Mart move to destroy its competition will likely have a devastating effect on already struggling independent book stores across the country. Watch this humorous web video and don't forget to boycott Wal-Mart and the chains. http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5987.cfm
Solar Powered Ronald McDonald House
Ronald Mc Donald House has gotten some bad press lately for not allowing mother's to breast feeding in the common area- But I couldn't let this article go by with out sharing it with you- I wonder if they have ever thought about Solar Powering a Mc Donald's.... This post is from GreenerBuildings.com
Construction Begins on First Solar-Powered Ronald McDonald House
AUSTIN, TEXAS, June 29, 2007 -- The installation of a solar array began Thursday on what will become the country's first solar-powered Ronald McDonald House. Green Mountain Energy Co. plans to fund and install the 10.8 kilowatt (kW) solar panels that will power up to half of the house's 30 rooms used to accommodate the families of ill or injured children being treated in Austin area hospitals. "We are proud to be the first Ronald McDonald House in the United States to incorporate photovoltaic solar panels into our design and to set the standard for innovative ways to incorporate cleaner, renewable technologies," said Kent Burress, executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas. The solar array will help offset more than 30,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually, or the equivalent of driving some 33,000 miles, according to Green Mountain Energy Co. The company teamed with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas for the project, to be located adjacent to the Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas. It will be funded by Green Mountain Energy's Big Texas Sun Club, which allows customers to support solar energy installations with a $5 supplement to their energy bills. The Ronald McDonald House represents Green Mountain's 10th related solar installation. Construction of the Ronald McDonald house began in November 2006. It will open in November with an educational kiosk explaining how its 54 photovoltaic panels work. The Ronald McDonald House will be one of two buildings in Austin designated as a LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Platinum building.
Construction Begins on First Solar-Powered Ronald McDonald House
AUSTIN, TEXAS, June 29, 2007 -- The installation of a solar array began Thursday on what will become the country's first solar-powered Ronald McDonald House. Green Mountain Energy Co. plans to fund and install the 10.8 kilowatt (kW) solar panels that will power up to half of the house's 30 rooms used to accommodate the families of ill or injured children being treated in Austin area hospitals. "We are proud to be the first Ronald McDonald House in the United States to incorporate photovoltaic solar panels into our design and to set the standard for innovative ways to incorporate cleaner, renewable technologies," said Kent Burress, executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas. The solar array will help offset more than 30,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually, or the equivalent of driving some 33,000 miles, according to Green Mountain Energy Co. The company teamed with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas for the project, to be located adjacent to the Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas. It will be funded by Green Mountain Energy's Big Texas Sun Club, which allows customers to support solar energy installations with a $5 supplement to their energy bills. The Ronald McDonald House represents Green Mountain's 10th related solar installation. Construction of the Ronald McDonald house began in November 2006. It will open in November with an educational kiosk explaining how its 54 photovoltaic panels work. The Ronald McDonald House will be one of two buildings in Austin designated as a LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Platinum building.
I like my SPICES together--
You have got to be kidding- Please don't go to the concert! This post came from the daily GRIST! read and weep on behalf of the environment :(
Tell Us What You Flaunt, What You Really Really Flaunt
Spice Girls reunion tour will be -- gasp -- carbon-intensive We've been looking for an excuse to mention the Spice Girls reunion since it was announced two weeks ago, and we've finally got one. It seems that -- brace yourself -- the group's world tour will not be eco-friendly. In fact, each Girl will get a private Lear jet for the 11-show tour, which starts in December and covers ground from Los Angeles to Madrid to Buenos Aires. According to Alex Lambie, who runs a London-based website that helps consumers compare energy options, the combined flights will churn out nearly 10,500 tons of carbon dioxide. "It's everyone's responsibility to limit the damage we're doing to our planet," he says. "But clearly, some celebrities feel they don't count." An Australian paper sniped, "Clearly, Girl Power does not come in green." And one disillusioned fan said, "When you have concerts like Live Earth encouraging us all to be green, you get the Spice Girls pulling a stunt like this. Just who do they think they are?" Um, they're PoshSportyScaryBabyGinger. Zigazig ah!
straight to the source: The Times of India, 12 Jul 2007
straight to the source: The Daily Telegraph, 12 Jul 2007
straight to the source: BBC News, 28 Jun 2007
Tell Us What You Flaunt, What You Really Really Flaunt
Spice Girls reunion tour will be -- gasp -- carbon-intensive We've been looking for an excuse to mention the Spice Girls reunion since it was announced two weeks ago, and we've finally got one. It seems that -- brace yourself -- the group's world tour will not be eco-friendly. In fact, each Girl will get a private Lear jet for the 11-show tour, which starts in December and covers ground from Los Angeles to Madrid to Buenos Aires. According to Alex Lambie, who runs a London-based website that helps consumers compare energy options, the combined flights will churn out nearly 10,500 tons of carbon dioxide. "It's everyone's responsibility to limit the damage we're doing to our planet," he says. "But clearly, some celebrities feel they don't count." An Australian paper sniped, "Clearly, Girl Power does not come in green." And one disillusioned fan said, "When you have concerts like Live Earth encouraging us all to be green, you get the Spice Girls pulling a stunt like this. Just who do they think they are?" Um, they're PoshSportyScaryBabyGinger. Zigazig ah!
straight to the source: The Times of India, 12 Jul 2007
straight to the source: The Daily Telegraph, 12 Jul 2007
straight to the source: BBC News, 28 Jun 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
passion...what are you passionate about?
I don't care what it is that makes you hot!
Just please be passionate about something-
Everyone needs a little fire in their lives....
Let it be protecting the environment,
the rights of the land, the flowers that grow,
the owls in the trees or the birds and the bees
Maybe you are passionate about children,
born or unborn
homeless or abused
but just do something,
call, write or give someone a ring
Make your voice be heard!
Maybe it is your family or your wife
Passion just needs to be apart of every one's life....
Let some thing move you!
Just please be passionate about something-
Everyone needs a little fire in their lives....
Let it be protecting the environment,
the rights of the land, the flowers that grow,
the owls in the trees or the birds and the bees
Maybe you are passionate about children,
born or unborn
homeless or abused
but just do something,
call, write or give someone a ring
Make your voice be heard!
Maybe it is your family or your wife
Passion just needs to be apart of every one's life....
Let some thing move you!
Monday, July 09, 2007
i like me some einstein....
Einstein said that imagination is more important than knowledge- So I wonder if he didn't really know any of the stuff he talked about I wonder if he just imagined it all and we believed him...
Has anyone read that new biography out on him? The author was on Jon Stewart Show which Fiona and I watch almost every night. But I don't remember the authors name- I may have to add it to my list of things to read...Boy is that list growing...I like non-fiction. Mostly been reading stuff about Waldorf Education, Anthrosophy, Steiner, and parenting-
What is on your night stand?
Has anyone read that new biography out on him? The author was on Jon Stewart Show which Fiona and I watch almost every night. But I don't remember the authors name- I may have to add it to my list of things to read...Boy is that list growing...I like non-fiction. Mostly been reading stuff about Waldorf Education, Anthrosophy, Steiner, and parenting-
What is on your night stand?
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