Saddened

I'm so saddened and sickened by the recent high school shooting in Bailey, CO, about an hour and a half from where we live. I don't understand what possesses people to do these things.

After one girl was killed and other girls were reportedly sexually assaulted by the gunman, I can't help but think about the safety of my own daughter. We do everything we can as parents to keep our children safe, but ultimately, it's not always under our control. :( Such a scary thought.

Obviously a hostage situation in a school is an extreme case, but here are some tips on "What You Can Do to Protect Your Child" in other situations.

My heart goes out to the parents of all of the children involved, especially the girl who was killed.

Let's see how much money I can spend *cough, cough*

After my pseudo-complaining about the cost of hiring a midwife (or moreso that insurance won't cover the cost), I'm actually considering hiring a photographer as well to document my birth. Am I nuts or what?! (Uh, don't answer that. Seriously.)

The way I see it, having a baby - this baby - will happen once in my lifetime. And this may very well be the last baby that we have. (Maybe. Nothing is carved in stone yet.) I would love to take pictures of my own birth, but, as hard as I try, I can't be in two places at once. ;) I really, really want good pictures from this birth - not just snapshots, but a photojournalist-style documentation of the events as they unfold. So I've justified to myself the expense of hiring someone to take photos, even if it means dipping into savings.

Now I'm trying to find a photographer who has done birth photography in the past and that I would feel comfortable with being in labor in front of. I don't think this will be an easy task, especially considering we only have about 7 weeks left!

I thought about hiring a doula who specializes in photography, but since I'm having a homebirth and will have two midwives here to support me already, I can't really justify the expense of a doula too. Not to discount their value, because I think doulas are awesome and, if I was planning a hospital birth, I wouldn't hesitate for one second from hiring one! But since I'll be birthing in the comfort of my home, I figure the money would be better spent going to an actual photographer.

So that's what I've been up to - trying to find ways to spend the money we don't have.

Oh, and I went for acupuncture tonight and they decided I don't need to start on the Chinese herbs yet, because I'm apparently doing so well. Yay! :)

For all the aspiring photographers out there

This looks like fun. :)

Breastfeeding Outlook has launched two new photo contests to celebrate families!

Parents nationwide are invited to enter one or both of these contests:
-Everyday Families
-Breastfeeding

Multiple entries are welcome. Digital and print entries are welcome. Prizes will be awarded for:
-Best Picture
-Funniest Picture
-Best Breastfeeding Picture

In addition, each contest participant will receive $2 for each photo accepted by Breastfeeding Outlook (up to $50), and a prize of $100 will be awarded for "Most Pictures" to the participant with the most photos accepted.

All entries are due by November 15, 2006. Awards will be announced by December 31, 2006.

To view the photo contest flyer, click here.

I am going to do my best to submit some pictures, but I don't know how much time I will have between now and the middle of November! ;)

Latest happenings in baby world

There's not too terribly much to report on the baby boy front, but I thought I'd post a lil update anyway since I'm quickly approaching the end of this pregnancy. Where did it all go??

I'm 32 weeks and still feeling good, though getting a bit more uncomfortable because of my growing belly. Friends have told me my belly looks small for being due in two months, but it feels huge to me.

My midwife sent me for a liver panel (labwork) a few weeks ago to make sure my liver is functioning properly, since liver function is something that breaks down with HELLP syndrome. Everything checked out good with it. I think I'm going to do another one at 36 weeks.

Also in the preventative vein, I went for more acupuncture, but this time to the acupuncture college clinic in town, where they also prescribe Chinese herbs. The supervisor of the OB/GYN clinic used to be a midwife and is very knowledgable about treating pregnant women. I met with her on Wednesday and she definitely wants to see me start on the herbs soonish. She said they are going to taste just awful and make my house smell nasty (I have to cook them up every three days and drink some twice a day), but she thinks they are the best thing I can do (even better than acupuncture) right now. So I'm going back this week to get my first batch of herbs **gulp**, as well as more acupuncture. I'm sure I'll be reporting back. She also noted that my tongue was a little red, which in Chinese medicine means I have too much heat (though not in the traditional Western sense of heat). But it's not a good thing for a pregnant woman to have so she's hoping that will lessen with treatment. I don't really understand what it means myself other than my body might be working a bit harder than it needs to.

At my last midwife appointment on Thursday, everything was good. My blood pressure is remaining normal, I've not had any swelling (like I did big time with Ava), baby's heartbeat is good, he's still head down, etc. We scheduled my next appointment for 34 weeks and also tentatively scheduled my 36 week appointment which will be "the home visit" and take place at my house rather than my midwife's. It's a chance for my midwife and the midwife who will be assisting her at my birth (there are generally 2 midwives at every birth) to make sure they can find my house, talk more about what will be set up where in the house (like the birthing tub), what everyone's roles will be (Jody's and Carrie's - who will be here to help out with Ava), and just answer any questions we have about the birth. It's exciting and scary to think that it's coming up sooooooo soon!

In the meantime, I need to order my "birth kit" which contains a lot of the medical-type supplies needed for the birth and after, as well as get all of the rest of the supplies (towels, bowls, old sheets/plastic cover for the mattress, etc.) that we will need.

So that's where we currently stand. Unfortunately, we still owe the midwife over $1,000 and have to be paid up by 36 weeks, so we're trying to figure out where that money is going to come from. Eep. It's kind of hard to think that if we went the hospital-route, everything would be covered by insurance, but because we've chosen the homebirth-route, we have to pay over $2,000 out of pocket. BUT, BUT, BUT...I really feel like it will be soooooooo worth it to experience the kind of peaceful birth that I desire in our own familiar surroundings. And there's a good chance we can get the insurance company to reimburse us for some of the money after it's all said and done. We just can't hold our breath waiting for that.

The lil one continues to be an active lil guy, especially in the middle of the night when I'm trying to sleep. ;) Funny how that works.

Thanks for reading if you've made it this far. So much for being a "lil update." LOL ;) And thanks for all the continued support and positive pregnancy/homebirth vibes. :)

By the way, plaques like the one pictured above can be personalized and purchased here.

She's got the cutest li'l BabyLegs

You just knew I would have to take pics of Ava in her new "BabyLegs" from Urban Baby Runway didn't you? Apparently Ava knew as well, because as soon as I put them on her she said, "You need to take my picture, mama." LOL She's a photographer's daughter, that's for sure.

Anyway, besides being cute as can be, they are coming in very handy (er, leggy?) at keeping her legs warm during this whole potty learning thing. :) And they aren't just for girls either. There are some cute patterns for boys as well. I am pretty sure baby boy will be getting a pair or two this winter.

   

Don't forget "The Office"

The season premier is tonight! :)
And watch this for a Jim/Pam recap. It's sure to bring on the goosebumps.
Pam & Jim Moments

Updated at 10:42 p.m. to say it was a pretty good episode. :) I like where they left things with Pam, Roy and Jim. Should make for an interesting season.

The Biggest Bed in the World

This is rather timely considering my last post. My midwife mentioned at my last appointment that she had recently ordered this book - "The Biggest Bed in the World" - and today when we went for my 32 week visit, she had it in and let us take it home for Ava to borrow. :)

It's a super cute book about a co-sleeping family that keeps growing, and so does their need for a bigger bed. The daddy can't seem to get a good night's sleep with all the kids in the bed and ends up building the world's biggest bed so the whole family can have enough room. The problem with the world's biggest bed is it ends up also being the world's heaviest bed and breaks right out of the house, slides down a hill and lands in the ocean! Eventually, daddy makes bunk beds for all the kids so that he and mommy can have their bed to themselves again, but guess what! He misses all the kids and still can't sleep. So in the end, they all (even the pets) end up sharing a bed again and everyone is happy. :)

It's a book any co-sleeping family can relate to. Sometimes it's hard to find a way for everyone to get comfortable, especially with a foot in your face in the middle of the night, but when it comes down to it, most of us wouldn't trade it for anything. :)

Will post more about my appt. and how everything is going w/ me and baby boy later. The short of it is - all is still going well.

Potty, undies, bed - oh my!

This past weekend was a big one for Ava. We got her her own bed (off Craigslist) and her first big girl underwear! She hasn't really started wearing the undies yet, but, in typical girl fashion, had to try on each and every pair when we first got them home. ;) She has, however, continued to use the potty regularly (when having naked time), and (TMI) I've only had to change one poopy diaper in the past 10 days or so because all of the rest has gone into the potty! Yay!!!

Now that the weather is cooling off, I don't feel as good about her running around with a naked bottom AND legs (though that's the only way she seems to feel the urge to go to the bathroom so far). So I found these legwarmer-type things for kids called "Baby Legs" - which you can also buy from fellow blogger, Mama C-ta over at Urban Baby Runway. I ordered two pair for Ava and can't wait for them to get here. In addition to keeping her lil leggies warm, they are so darn cute! :)

So Sunday night was Ava's first in her new bed (which is positioned right next to my and Jody's bed). She slept in it about 5 hours before waking up upset and climbing into bed with us. Not a bad start. The next night it went even better. She woke up a couple times and wanted to touch me (my hair, my face, whatever she could reach), and one time had to "see baby brother" which just means touch my belly, and then went right back to sleep, staying the whole night in her bed. (Woot!) And last night, she didn't wake up at all! (Hooray!) I'm glad that the transition has been such an easy one. It's not that I minded cosleeping in the same bed as her, but we all (me, Jody and Ava) couldn't sleep together there comfortably, and with baby boy on the way, I just didn't see how that would work for us. So I feel like we have the best of both worlds now. Jody and I can sleep together comfortably. Ava is still in the same room with us and baby boy can sleep either in bed with us or in the cosleeper (which I think will just barely fit next to the bed on the other side). Wall to wall beds! (Snapped that pic of her while she still slept this morning.)

Seriously though, I wish some bed manufacturer would start making a "family bed" that's about 2 feet wider than a king. I am not sure how great sales would be, but I know a bunch of folks who would be interested. ;) I'm sure they could get an endorsement from Dr. Sears too and then they'd sell like hotcakes, no?

She's going to love me when she's older, huh? Pics of her in her new undies and sitting on the potty outside all in the same post. I'll throw in this cute headshot just for good measure. ;)

Most Women Unaware of Key Nutrient Needed for Babies’ Development During Pregnancy

Sorry for another article post today, but this information is definitely worth sharing, especially considering the number of pregnant women who read my blog. :) I hope to write a "real" entry again soon, but have just been busy (and tired) lately.

++++++++=================================

Most Women Unaware of Key Nutrient Needed for Babies’ Development During Pregnancy

Newswise — Most women are aware of only two of the “Big 3” nutrients considered essential during pregnancy and breastfeeding, according to a Kelton Research survey(1) sponsored by the Society for Women’s Health Research, a Washington, D.C.- based national advocacy organization. The majority of women surveyed know the importance of including folic acid and calcium with vitamin D in their diet, but half of them do not know about the need for DHA Omega-3, a critical nutrient for the development and health of a baby’s brain, heart and eyes.

A growing body of scientific evidence continues to demonstrate that DHA Omega-3 is an important building block of perinatal nutrition(2). Often overlooked by mothers and health care providers alike, it is possibly the most important nutrient expectant mothers don’t know about. If taken during pregnancy, it may help lower the risks of pre-term birth and even post-partum depression. DHA Omega-3 is also important for ongoing health throughout life.

What to Expect When They’re Expecting? Apparently Not DHA

The vast majority of America’s recent moms and moms-to-be say it is common medical knowledge that folic acid and calcium with vitamin D are two of the most important nutrients for pregnant women. Seventy-nine percent were able to identify leafy vegetables as a source of folic acid and 97 percent named dairy products as sources of calcium. However, more than two-thirds of women (68 percent) say their doctor has never told them anything about DHA, and more than seven out of ten (72 percent) have absolutely no idea how to get DHA into their diet.

The Big 3 for Baby and Me

“Folic acid, calcium with vitamin D and DHA Omega-3 — together, they make up the Big 3 essential nutrients that are important before, during and after pregnancy. Fortunately, by paying attention to what they eat, women can easily obtain these nutrients through a balanced diet, fortified foods and supplements,” said Phyllis Greenberger, M.S.W., president and CEO of the Society for Women’s Health Research.

In addition to eating a balance of foods during pregnancy and breastfeeding, women should include the following nutrients in their diets:

• Folic acid: 400 mcg/day to make healthy cells and prevent certain birth defects. The recommendation for folic acid can be met by consuming enriched cereals and grains, by taking a multivitamin, or folic acid supplements.

• Calcium with vitamin D: 1,000 mg of calcium with 200 IU of vitamin D per day for strong bones and teeth. Calcium is readily available in dairy products and fortified foods.

• DHA Omega-3: 300 mg/day for a healthy pregnancy and ongoing health. DHA is found in cold-water oily fish, such as mackerel, herring and salmon. However, pregnant women and women considering pregnancy should not eat certain types of fish because of contaminants which have been shown to harm an unborn infant's nervous system, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. An algal-based source of DHA has been added as an ingredient to some eggs, soymilk, nutrition bars and other foods, providing a safe and healthy alternative. Women should check nutrition labels and ask their grocers and health care providers what foods contain algal-based sources of DHA. Algal-based DHA is also available as a supplement.

Other Survey Findings:

• Wishful thinking: If they could choose to add DHA to a food, more than a third (39 percent) chose cereal or cereal bars, followed by milk (36 percent), orange juice (34 percent) and pasta (25 percent). A hopeful 19 percent wished that DHA could be added to chocolate.

• Eating more, but enjoying it less: Forty-two percent eat more food than usual during pregnancy, and 33 percent are unable to eat foods they normally like.

• The fish factor: Just 17 percent of women are aware that fish is a source of DHA. When informed that pregnant women are advised to minimize or avoid fish because it may contain mercury, 88 percent of respondents said they would be interested in purchasing a product that would help them get DHA without having to eat fish.

• Less educated are at a disadvantage: Awareness of DHA is higher (42 percent) among women who have college degrees, but dips to just 34 percent with those who have a high school diploma or less.

• A little knowledge goes a long way: Once advised of DHA’s benefits — including how it helps brain, heart and eye development in infants and lowers the risk of pre-term birth and the baby blues — more than nine out of ten say they would include DHA in their diet while pregnant (92 percent).

To learn more about what foods to eat and what foods to avoid before, during and after pregnancy, please visit http://www.womenshealthresearch.org.

About the Society for Women’s Health Research
The Society for Women’s Health Research is the nation’s only nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the health of all women through research, education and advocacy. Founded in 1990, the Society brought to national attention the need for the appropriate inclusion of women in major medical research studies and the need for more information about conditions affecting women disproportionately, predominately, or differently than men. The Society advocates increased funding for research on women’s health; encourages the study of sex differences that may affect the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease; promotes the inclusion of women in medical research studies; and informs women, providers, policy makers and media about contemporary women’s health issues. Visit the Society’s Web site at www.womenshealthresearch.org for more information.

The Society’s public and media outreach on the “Big 3” nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy is supported by funding from Martek Biosciences Corporation, which develops, manufactures and sells products from microalgae. For more information, visit www.martek.com.

(1) The public opinion survey on nutrients women need before, during and after pregnancy was conducted Aug. 23-31, 2006, by Kelton Research of Los Angeles, Calif., on behalf of the Society for Women’s Health Research via telephone among a national representative sample of 500 women, 18 years of age or older, who have one or more children age 3 and under, are pregnant, or are nursing. The margin of error for the survey is +/-4.4 percentage points.

(2) Jensen CL, et al. Effect of Maternal Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Supplementation on Neuropsychological and Visual Status of Former Breast-fed Infants at Five Years of Age (abstr.). Pediatric Research, 2004. 49:181A.

Never a recall on breastmilk

Huge Recall Of Similac Baby Formula

I know not everyone can breastfeed, but the fact that breastmilk will never be recalled is just another reason why I feel good about my choice to do so. That's one less thing this mama (who's already lost too many brain cells) has to worry about. ;)

Looooong week

What a long, long, LONG week.

Jody has been out of town (working at the "Googleplex" in CA) all week - left at 4 a.m. Monday morning and won't be home until tonight. In the past this hasn't been too much of an issue. Sure, I'd prefer he's at home with us, but I've managed without him OK. This week, however, I think due to the fact that I'm getting towards the end of my pregnancy and am more tired, it was really hard being a single parent.

Caring for a toddler, coupled with the fact that I'm trying to work on a newsletter for our API group and prepare for an upcoming photoshoot for a 1-year-old, has been very draining. On Wednesday, I finally accepted that I just can't do everything. So the dishes were getting washed every other day, the basket of clean clothes sat for 3 days before being folded and put away, and Ava and I didn't pick up any of her toys Wednesday night. I think that deciding that world wasn't going to end if I didn't do everything I wanted to helped me relax a bit on Thursday, not get so overwhelmed and have a much less tiresome day.

It's funny because I actually had these crazy notions that I'd be able to get so much done while Jody was out of the house for a week. I even had an idea that I'd do some painting in the livingroom or bedroom or cut down a bunch of branches in the front yard! ROFLMAO. I'm lucky if I can do a load of laundry and wash the dishes. Seriously, what was I thinking? I really just needed to listen to my body and take it easy instead of trying to be Super-mom.

My sister has been over to watch Ava a couple times and that has been a help (thank you, Carrie), but it just doesn't replace having two parents.

My hat is off (way off) to all the single parents out there. :) Give yourselves a pat on the back.

And Jody, I really appreciate all that you do to help out with housework and taking care of Ava. We can't wait to have you home again (and not just to do the dishes). ;)

=================================================

In other news, Ava and I attended our local API chapter meeting this week where we had a wonderful speaker talk about "raising our children using the philosophies of Love and Logic, REAL Parenting, Parent as Coach (Diana Haskins), Non-Violent Communication (Marshall Rosenberg), How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk (Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish), Happiest Toddler on the Block (Harvey Karp), and Parenting from the Inside Out (Dan Siegel and Mary Hartzell)." She has taught Love and Logic classes for the past 10 years and, a couple years ago, "developed REAL Parenting - classes that focus primarily on how parents can develop and maintain their relationship with their children, teaching specific, concrete skills that can be used to connect and stay connected with their children. The primary themes of REAL Parenting classes are respect and empathy."

I hope to write a bit (at a later time) about some of the information I gleaned from the talk and handouts she had available. It's pretty interesting stuff and will be useful in raising our lil punkin, er punkins. :)

Mortality

My friend's father was hit by a car on his way to get a newspaper in Indiana Wednesday morning. He suffered multiple injuries and passed away this (Thursday) morning. :(

Thankfully, my friend was able to fly out from CO yesterday evening with her 4-month-old daughter (her almost 2-year-old son and husband stayed behind while he finished up some work) and I so hope she was able to talk to him/say goodbye before he died.

This whole mortality thing is hitting me pretty hard. We think that our parents will be around forever, and when something so sudden and unexpected happens, it certainly can rock our core. It also makes me think about my own mortality and who would take care of my child(ren) in the event that something happened to me and Jody. I know we should have a living will (or something like that), but we have yet to take care of it. Another item for the "things to do" list.

Don't forget to share your love with your family and friends, and give them an extra hug today if you can.

Reflecting on my girl

With the birth of baby boy just 10 weeks (or so) away, I've been thinking about Ava a lot lately, specifically how fast she seems to be growing up. So I thought I'd take some time to reflect on my girl and where she's at in this journey called life (and print it out for her baby book too).

Ava is 26 months old (2 years and 2 months for those of you mathematically-challenged) and fiercely independent. She loves to do or try to do things on her own, but has learned to ask for help when she needs it instead of just getting frustrated (though that still happens on occasion too). ;)

Her vocabulary is amazing. Some of the noteworthy things she's been saying lately are:
--"What you saying, mama/dada?" - when she doesn't hear or understand what we're telling her.
--"Why?" - Said for the first time a few days ago. I'm hoping I won't hear that one again for a little while longer since I know it will soon become a favorite word. ;)
--"I love you, mommy/dada/baby brother." (Said unsolicited) - Melts my heart every time.
--"I need _______." Insert pretty much anything in here, from "...to eat," "...chocolate" - she's her mother's daughter, "...to watch my favorite songs" - referring to the Laurie Berkner music DVD grandma bought her, "...to go outside," etc. The girl has "needs," not just wants. ;)
--She sometimes calls us *her* mama or *her* dada, like "What are you eating, my dada?" "What are you doing, my mama?"
--"I missed you, mommy/dada." - After she's been away from us for a little while. Sometimes she says it to me after she's napped even. So sweet. :)
--"Dangit." - Her favorite expletive at present. Hey, it could be worse, right? ;)
--She's started using pronouns (he, she, me, you, her, him) on a regular basis.
--She also knows "Mommy's name is Amy." "Daddy is Jody." and "Mommy is a woman." "Daddy is a man." "Ava is a little girl."
--And she says some pretty cute things. Like the other day when we were driving around and she saw a doggy out of the car window, she said, "Get in my arms, doggy. I want to hold you." :)
--She's also pretty wise. First, some background info: Whenever Ava gets particularly frustrated, we've encouraged her to go hit a pillow rather than throw toys, hit, etc. So the other night Jody was trying to do something and expressed some frustration and she said, "What happened, my dada?" And I told her that daddy was frustrated. And she said, "You need to go hit the pillow." Dada went and hit the pillow and felt much better. :)

We seem to be in the initial stages of potty learning. She woke up with a dry diaper two weekends ago so I encouraged her to sit on the potty. She sat on it until a little pee came out, then stood up excitedly and stopped peeing, saying "Yay, Ava!" So after we made a big deal out of that (and I was quite sure her bladder was still full), I asked if she wanted to try sitting on the potty again, which she did and promptly filled up with the remaining pee. Again, we praised her a lot. Since then she's also pooped (on about 10 separate occasions) and peed several other times on the potty. After the first poop, she praised herself by saying "Yay Ava," and then asked me "What happened to my butt?" Hehe. So I explained that the poop came out, etc. Anyway, I'm hoping to give her more opportunities to sit on the potty (i.e. let her run around with a naked butt during the day) and if it happens and she stays interested, great! We'll continue to praise her like crazy. :) If not, we'll try again when she's ready. I admit the idea of having her out of diapers by the time baby brother comes is wonderful, but I'm not going to push her if she's not ready. So far though, whenever she's having naked time, she knows when she has to go potty and runs over and goes all on her own!

She's definitely a caretaker and loves her many babies (all of whom she lovingly calls "Baby Trajan" after our friend's baby of the same name). She can be very attentive to our needs, and always asks "What happened, mama/dada?" when she knows something is bothering us. She has also started rubbing my back lately when it is sore, then asks, "Is it all better now?" :)

She has a great imagination and it's such fun just to observe her playing. She has even pretended a clothes hanger was a mommy and the pants part of it that hung on it was the baby.

Ava loves to read - both on her own, flipping through the pages alone or having someone read to her. She will often pull out all of her books in a particular room and sit on the floor with them surrounding her as she "reads." She's always asking daddy for "one more book" at bedtime.

Waking up beside Ava in the morning is a wonderful way to start my day. She rolls over, puts her arm around my neck and says "Hi, mommy. I love you." Then we generally cuddle, give hugs and kisses, and talk for 10-15 minutes before getting up to start our day. I'm going to miss that special time with her in a few more months (although, who knows, maybe it will still work out like that). We are in the process of trying to find an inexpensive twin bed to put next to ours so that Ava can sleep there and we can have room for baby brother in the big bed. We had a lead on a great one last weekend, but the lady sold it out from under us. **grumble, grumble**

My nursing relationship with Ava continues. It has it's ups and downs (as you can imagine nursing while pregnant), but so far the positives have outweighed the negatives. I will write more about nursing while pregnant (the good and the bad) another time. I'm thankful I've been able to give Ava this gift of mama's milk for this long (even though my milk dried up earlier in my pregnancy). I know she and I have both received tremendous benefits from it.

The picture above was taken at Aunt Carrie's house a couple weeks ago after Ava discovered Aunt Carrie's dress-up garb. LOL

Sept. 11, 1906

In addition to today marking the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States, it is also the anniversary of another very significant (though perhaps lesser known) day in the history of the world. Sept. 11, 2006, marks 100 years to the day that Mahatma Gandhi launched the modern nonviolent resistance movement, called “satyagraha.”

"Basic Principles

Satyagraha can take different forms in different situations -- indeed, many nonviolent practitioners believe, with Gandhi, that there is no situation, however extreme, in which it cannot work. There are certain basic principles, or enabling conditions, that most activists and scholars agree make up the core of Satyagraha:

* Means determine ends: we can never use destructive means like violence to bring about constructive ends like democracy and peace.

* Evil is the enemy, not the person committing it. In Christian terms, 'hate the sin, but not the sinner.' The clearest sign that 'truth power' is at work is when your opponent ends up becoming your ally, even your friend. Indeed, activists often discover that the more they can bring themselves to accept the person opposing them, the more effectively they can reach common ground.

* Our actions have far more consequence than the immediate, visible results. In fact, it is perfectly possible that our efforts may 'fail' to deliver the immediate result we want but succeed in doing more than we may have dreamed of."

Learn more here and/or here.

"The events that began September 11th, 2001, present us with a choice and a challenge: to respond with more destruction and hate, or to resolve to take our inspiration from that same date in 1906, when a different weapon to fight for good was conceived, and turned history in a new direction."

On this day, I wish you all PEACE.

Food for thought

This thought-provoking article about the state of the food system, Slow Food Nation, is definitely worth a read. In it, "...experts discuss the politics of food, and how it may be poisoning our bodies and our planet."

By now it is generally conceded that the food we eat could actually be making us sick, but we still haven't acknowledged the full consequences -- environmental, political, cultural, social and ethical -- of our national diet.

If you are concerned with your health, the health of your family (especially with regard to school cafeteria food), the environment or animal rights, I urge you to take some time to read and seriously consider this article. It's an eye-opener.

Just not feeling it

I'm just not feeling the desire to blog the past few days. Not sure why exactly (could be things going on in my personal life, could be I'm feeling more introverted these days, could be cuz I've been busy nesting, or it could be a combo of things), but I'm sure it will pass.
Anyway, I just wanted to pop on briefly to say "I ain't writin' today." :oP

Groovy Granola Bars!! (recipe)

A friend gave me this recipe that she found on the 'net for granola bars. I made them today and they are awesome! Ava likes them, I like them, Jody likes them. :) They are delicious! I have a feeling I'll be making them often (especially now that I have a bunch of buckwheat and rice flour in my fridge.) ;)

Granola Bars sans Allergies

*Egg Substitute:

1 Rounded Tbsp of Flax Seed Meal (or grind flax seeds in food proc.)

scant 1/3 c Boiling Water

Dry Ingredients:

2 ½ C. Rolled Oats

¼ C. Flax Seeds

¼ C. Buckwheat Flour

¼ C. Rice Flour (white or brown)

½ C. Oat Flour (can grind rolled oats in food processor if you can not find in stores)

2 T. Wheat Germ

1 t. Ground Cinnamon

¼ t. Ground Nutmeg (optional)

¼ t. Ground Ginger (optional)

¼ t. Ground Cloves (optional)

¼ t. Salt

Wet Ingredients:

¼ C. + 2 T. honey

½ C. Agave nectar (you can use white refined sugar in the same amount)

½ C. Canola, vegetable or light olive oil

2 T. Blackstrap molasses

1 T. Vanilla

*1 egg (or use egg substitute at the beginning of the recipe)

Optional: May add ¾ C. of dried fruit and/or ¼ - ½ C. nuts if not allergic.
(I used ½ C. of dried cranberries and ½ C. of chopped almonds.)

Instructions:

- Preheat oven to 350F/175C.

- Thoroughly grease either 3 bread pans or one 9"x13" large cake pan (I use glass, you may need to adjust temperature up a little if you use metal).

- Prepare Egg Substitute: Boil water. Place flaxseed meal in pyrex measuring cup, and add boiling water until the mixture measures 1/3 c. Whip with fork or small whisk and set aside. (Can sub one egg if not allergic.)

- In a *large* bowl (this stuff can be messy), mix together the dry ingredients.

- Add wet ingredients and egg substitute (or egg). Mix thoroughly with wooden spoon, fork or hands.

- Divide into three bread pans or place in one large cake pan, and press the bar mixture as flat as possible with rubber spatula or oiled hands.

- Bake 25 minutes for bread pans or 35 minutes for large cake pan (should start to look lightly browned on edges). Cool for 5-10 minutes and cut into 12-14 bars before they are totally cooled to room temperature.

Fall is here

It's Sept. 2 (how did it get to be September already???) and I think fall has officially arrived to CO (though the aspen have not changed color yet). It's currently 54 degrees and cloudy, with an expected high of 71 (though I'm not seeing how we'll reach it).

We plan to go to a neighboring city's "hometown fair" today for a bit, then have dinner over at my sister's house tonight. Tomorrow, Carrie is going to watch Ava so Jody and I can go to a movie (Little Miss Sunshine). I can't even remember the last movie we saw in the theater, though after looking at ticket prices today ($9 each!), I don't imagine we'd go very often even if we had someone to watch Ava. Sheesh, that's expensive.

Sometime during the weekend I need to finish proofing my photo session from last weekend and get that ready to present to my client. I also want to do some more kids' clothes organizing. Time to bring out the fall stuff and see what still fits this year.

So, all in all, a rather relaxing weekend planned.

My cold is doing a bit better each day, and although Jody's caught it too, he's not doing bad either. I appreciate the get well wishes. :)

For those of you who have a three-day (Labor Day) weekend, enjoy! :)

P.S. I didn't take the picture, but it's a peak that's visible from our house.