pointless preview

this really is a pointless post.
only to say that certain circumstances woke me from my daytime slumber and gave me a couple hours to kill.
i spent it getting an overpriced coffee downtown, and taking pictures of my beautiful city.
i have been wanting to do it for so long. i had a freaking blast.
here's a preview:

so much more to come....

Oh Noooooo! Part 3

First spring storms did this.
We cleaned it up, and wondered what to do next.
A storm last year had already taken a quarter of the tree.
We were down to about a third.
And after plenty of research, good advice, a father-in-law with know-how (and a little common sense) we realized the next part of the tree that we would lose would land:
a.) on the house
b.) on the next-door neighbor's brand new car
c.) on the power lines
None of these were acceptable options. So with a little bit of sadness, we said goodbye to our tree.
Owen gave a eulogy before he left for school.

Lauryn was a bit perturbed with the whole event.
Sometimes sadness comes out as anger/frustration.

Then the dad, and his dad, did the deed.



Now we're glad we hadn't cut down the sprouts that had begun to come up. It looked a little trashy to the neighbors, I'm sure, but now we have a new start for the next tree. (We may still decide to cut those down and start with a new tree. Not sure. Time will tell. We're still not finished with a painting project from 2 years ago. I doubt we'll make any hasty decisions on the tree planting.)

(By the way, this event preceded the Earth Day event by several days -- something feels very wrong about cutting down a tree -- ANYTIME... but especially around Earth Day/Arbor Day. Its frustrating, how the realities of real life/property ownership/neighborliness can get in the way of the best intentions.)

Earth Day

I had great hopes for a day of using as few of our precious natural resources as possible. Making a great lesson for our kids. Slashing my carbon footprint. Living like the pioneers. Being a great example to my kids.
Well......
I had planned to bike to school with Owen.
But I came home just late enough from work (overnight) that we were too rushed to try to attempt it. (The bike route to work includes crossing a very major intersection -- the reason we do not make a regular habit of bike riding. Drivers in my town are crazy enough -- add in rushing to work at 8 a.m., and the distinct unawareness of bikers {both bicycle and motorcycle} and it is not a safety risk I'm willing to take.)
Instead Owen ate his breakfast in the car on the way to school. Sigh. (I am embarrassed to admit how often this happens. Getting out of work 45 minutes before he has to be at school, doesn't help, though.)

I had to run to the store on my way home.... and I forgot my reusable bags. Sigh.
Well, you can't use plastic bags on Earth Day... that's just wrong. So I bought some new ones. Bright, Red, Shiny. Okay, not shiny. But Canvas.
Whoppee!

After sleep and school, we spent the afternoon and evening outside.
We prepared hobo suppers, so we wouldn't have to use electricity to make supper:

and put them in the fire pit out back:

The kids played heartily outdoors -- a brand new hole in the knee to prove the exuberance of the day:

A fantastic city was created in the sandbox: wizards, knights, construction workers and a few Bob the Builder characters were all invited. I listened to the storyline the children had created -- Owen had essentially made a video game scenario out of the sandbox city. A little dependent on the electronics? Maybe. But the creativity that went with the construction was encouraging.

I'm not sure how Earth-conscious it was -- but I pulled weeds, and cleared out a few more flower gardens of the winter debris.

Hey -- it makes my little section of the earth a little prettier, right?

And in the end... the hobo suppers were a flop. At 8:45 we finally took them inside to finish cooking on the stove. The kids were famished. They ate with vigor.

We did our best to stay away from things that required electricity/resources -- but by 10 p.m. we had to check on the results of the PA Primary. sigh. Maybe we should have kept the TV off.
I'm not sure exactly how environmentally-conscious our day was -- Earth Day ended up being more about appreciating the Earth... than saving it. But I'd like to think the effort we made that day, and everyday... is worth something.

Politics and Pretend

Tonight, as we were finishing supper Owen asked me this:

"Mom, are you a Democrat, a Republican or a Christian?"

Needless to say it prompted an hour-long discussion that jumped from The Revolutionary War to Hurricane Katrina to injustices (as he saw them) in his elementary school. He figured out he has 26 more years before he can run for President. It was a good talk.

Then, while Lauryn had a bath, we had a tea party, (Her name was "Poo-lah" and my name was "Ooo-lah") and we talked about how she liked going to "college" (preschool), how I liked my work (she offered to come and help me), and sang many songs about many made-up things.

From politics to pretend in a matter of minutes.

I love it.

Hippies, images and me

This is a response from Strangeite's blog, which was a response to Stephanie's blog, which was a response to an earlier Stephanie blog about hair. (P.S. I know Strangeite. I don't know Stephanie, even though she lives a lot closer to me than Strangeite. Funny how this blog world has people connecting from all over the -- technically, world, but I don't blog with anyone internationally so I'll say -- country. Which all comes back to a blog that AnnaMarie wrote. Everything comes full circle.)

So -- hippies. What are they, and what do they mean to you? Is it all appearances? Is it way of life? Probably both. The above blog links have some very interesting commentary on the questions -- I won't try to re-state it. But it got me thinking -- I have many times in my life been called a hippie. Why? Was it based on my way of life? Or my image? Likely people saw, from the outside, the appearance, and made the label. But deep down, as much as I've tried to live, what I consider, hippie-ideals, I'm not sure I've ever really considered myself a good hippie. I'd maybe consider myself more of a "Granola" ... but more on that later.

Can one be considered a hippie by default? i.e. I am the "hippiest" person that a lot of people know, so I, by default, get called a hippie. Let me explain. I literally work in a business surrounded by "square-headed, 80's helmet-hair channelling wanna-be teevee news anchors” -- (a wonderful description provided by Stephanie) -- I work in local TV news. I work among women, and men, who style their hair 2-3 times a day. Who have mirrors and curling irons at their desks. Who put on makeup before and during the news. I work among professional business suits, perfect Windsor knot ties, expensive loafers, 2 inch heels and professional dry-cleaning. The on-air personalities get free (expensive!) haircuts, in return for a little at the end of the show that says "hairstyles provided by:..." (And, just for the record, because its one of the many questions I am asked about my profession -- Yes, they do their own hair and makeup every day -- we do NOT have a professional who comes in to perform these tasks -- we're not network, people.) Image, you might say, is very important to my business. You might even go so far as to say image is more important that substance -- and yes, that is true in some cases, but I have to give many of the people I work with, credit for being very smart, hard-working individuals.

Most of these things are so foreign to me. I have never worn much makeup. (I just recently, in the last few years, finally threw out the first piece of makeup I ever owned -- blush, that my mom bought for me in 8th grade. I hadn't used it (obviously, ew gross) in years, but somehow it had stayed in my very small makeup drawer the entire time. THAT gives you an idea of how often I wear makeup -- and how often I look in that drawer.) My hair is usually pulled back in a ponytail, free of nearly all styling products. Not too long ago, I cut off 13 inches of my hair -- I had let it grow so long because, well, it was just easier that way. My daily "uniform" is jeans, and a shirt, Birkenstocks, clogs or running shoes. I own one pair of 2 inch heels. I bought them as a sophomore in high school, to go to prom. They still fit. They are still in very good shape. That tells you how often I have worn them in the last 14 years.

But I'm not exactly running around with "flower power" painted across my belly, dandelions in my hair, or a hand-stitched, patched oversize skirt. (Of which I have several variations, which I do enjoy. They just don't seem to get much wear anymore.) So why am I the newsroom hippie?

The truth is -- in my newsroom, (and I'd venture to say any newsroom) the job distinctions are obvious. The on-air personalities made up and perfect looking. And the rest of us (for the most part) are nearly style-less. Its what you get after years of working with the incredibly style-conscious. You become the antithesis of style. We do the writing, the editing, the photography, the details (and wear old jeans and T shirts) -- and make the on-air people look good, smart, put together, in their expensive suits and fancy haircuts. (Please let me reiterate that most of the people I work with ARE smart and hard working, and wonderful people. But the reality is -- a lot goes on behind the scenes to allow the viewer to see the news in an illusion of perfection. {And don't get me started on the status of local/network news, "perfection" or not... that's a whole 'nother blog.})

So, in this newsroom of mine -- I am considered the hippie. Why? Because I'm the most hippie that anyone has ever seen, or at least the most they see on a regular basis. The birkenstocks. The occasional tie-die shirt. The anti-bush bumper sticker. The bike riding to work. The anti-war person. The one who hates Wal-Mart. The one who comes in with a soy smoothie to the morning news meeting. The one who pitches stories about war protests, fair trade businesses and environmentally conscious practices. I get it. They see me as hippie -- because many of them consider themselves, without apology, yuppies.

And, yes, maybe I am a hippie. (I had a 20 minute conversation this morning, with a couple of people on the health and nutritional aspects of Taoism, and what it means for our modern life. Very Hippie-ish.) But take me out of the hairspray and mirror world, and put me back in, say, my college Alma mater -- and I become a tame version of a generally socially-conscious person. I wouldn't be called a hippie. I wouldn't be called a granola. I would be called, well, a Mennonite. Or put in me in the middle of a war protest, and I might just look like a yuppie.

So isn't it all about your perspective? When I compare myself to my co-workers who jet off for a holiday in Hawaii, or Paris... with their new homes with theatre rooms, Mercedes, or $300+ suits -- YES, without a doubt, I am a hippie. But when I think about the hippie/granola ideals -- I think I fail far too often. I drive across town for something I didn't need. I threw away that tin can because the recycle bin was full. I crank up the heat to 74, and the AC to 68 -- because I don't like being uncomfortable. I skipped the last anti-war protest in town, because I was tired and didn't feel like going to it. I haven't been involved in an organized peace group since college (even though there is a good one, just a couple miles down the street). And I often don't buy organic or freely-traded items because its just too expensive or too inconvenient. And yes, I find myself sometimes shopping at Wal-Mart for some of those convenience items you just don't find everywhere. (Head held in shame here.)

These days I'm much more soccer mom than hippie. (Although to the soccer moms who sit with their QT cappuccinos, yelling plays and coaching advice from their lawn chairs, I'm sure I'm seen as the outsider there too. I still don't understand what "offsides" means.) My old hippie self (if I had one then), much more active in my high school and college years, would probably be ashamed of my un-hippieness now.

So, who am I, and, what is a hippie, and do I fall into that category? I guess it depends on who you ask. I'm open for your answer, if you care to give it. But in the end I am me. And I'm cool with that. Whatever the label is.

Cleaning up the "Oh Nooooo!"

Once it finally stopped raining, we could do this:
(By the way, it was preceded by this.)



Little hands helped... and bigger, but still small hands... learned about power tools.
I'm afraid our one and only tree may have to go bye-bye. The next time we lose a large branch, it may be on our house, our car (or our neighbor's car), or our children (heaven forbid).
Somebody talk me out of it -- and give me another option -- please!

Asserting his independence

Owen has informed me he wants to start growing his hair out.

He says its because he wants to grow side burns.

I am excited about this -- the independence, the self-made decisions, a son finding his style, finding himself, being excited to pick life, instead of letting it just happen. ...
But one part of me is scared to death -- a son growing up, getting older, becoming less trusting of his I'm-sure-she's-always-right mother, pre-adolescent years, teen years, fights over curfew, rules, grounding, going off to college...
S T O P.
No. I'm just going to be excited that my boy is growing up and finding himself. This really is an exciting time. Its just a little scary for the mom who has a hard time believing that 10 years ago he was barely forming in my belly.

Songs and sleepy time

I've been trying to publish the original version of this song for about an hour ... but for some reason won't upload. Sigh.

This is the encore presentation of Lauryn's song about the recent weather -- performed as a bedtime serenade for big brother.

I love bed time.
books in Lauryn's bed
some read by mom
some read by brother
and when daddy doesn't have to work, some read by daddy


Lauryn's night isn't complete until she's crawled up to Owen's bunk bed, given him a kiss (and sometimes one of her prized "stuffties" (stuffed animals) that the big brother takes graciously).

Cuddling on the bed
"sleeping" together.. "just for a little bit, mommy"
requests for one more drink, one more snack, one more book, one more hug, one more kiss
the love is always strong when the eyes can barely stand another moment open, but the spirit is begging to stay up.. just a little ... bit.... longer...

My 4 year old music lover (updated)

Last night, as I was putting Lauryn to bed, I asked her what music she would like to listen to:

L:"The dark one, mommy."
"Which one is that, 'the dark one'?"
L: "You know, the Dark Side of the Moon one."

Tonight she asked for Thriller (just the song, not the whole album, on repeat.)

Interesting tastes, huh?
(Update: Moments after posting this blog, she showed up, sheepy in hand: "I can't go to sleep, the song keeps stopping, and I want you to sleep with me a little while." So we laid in bed, listened to Thriller, and she finally went to sleep.)

Oh NOOOOOooooo!

Monday night we did this:


Tuesday morning, after covering severe spring storms all night at work, I came home from work to find this:



This comes on top of another large branch that broke off last year -- now our ONLY tree looks, well, lop-sided to say the least:

Lauryn did like that the tree branches were now on her level -- so she could pick all of the "flowers."

Oh, and by the way -- the 60+ mile per hour winds that tore down two large branches, somehow did not pull down the recently placed birdhouse -- hung by a flimsy rope. Hmmmm.

Sigh.

An excuse to go out

Chipotle gave a portion of its Monday evening sales to Greensburg -- via Kansas State University.
Architecture students are creating green "cubes" -- portable demonstrations on how to meet basic needs, such as clean water, in an environmentally friendly matter. As you know, the town was wiped out by an EF 5 Tornado nearly one year ago, and is attempting to rebuild entirely green. Just the thought of an entirely (or nearly so) green town, smack dab in the middle (sort of) of Kansas gives me chills.
So we ate tacos and burritos for a greener Greensburg. Yeah, we could have sent a check, but c'mon, eating out is kinda fun.

Lauryn was entirely predictable: she scraped off the chicken and ate her taco with only cheese and lettuce.

She was then thoroughly excited to find out that she likes tomatoes! ("Mom, I like them now! Yum!") She picked all of them out of the salsa to put on her chips.

Owen, equally predictable: he ate with the vigor of a 9 year old -- shoveling every last bite (minus the lettuce) into his mouth, as if it could be his final meal, a final chance to fill his growing tummy.

"Mom, why are restaurants always so cold?"

Disaster on the way home: falling down while climbing in to the van -- despite no scratch, no cut, no blood, the only solution was a band-aid (+ a few minutes, Gaston's Jazz Cafe on the radio, and some quick brotherly distractions.)

And Owen's still cold: "Mom, when is it going to start to feel like Spring? I'm freezing. Please turn on the heater."

While watching KU beat NC...

While the charcoal got ready for a serious BBQ...

The kids enjoyed the new futon ("wow, a bed we can play on!")
It has been covered with video games, card games, stuffed animals and toys ever since it arrived at our home.

Lauryn proved her left-handedness has made her somewhat ambidextrous:

Then she surprised us all with this display:

And after the following photo: "mommy I want to go wash it all off now."

We had an odd combo of food (cleaning out the fridge) to eat while watching the KU game with a friend...

Salad, chicken, steak, ham steak, baked beans, baked potatoes, corn casserole, garlic bread...

Yum. I love when my plate overflows. Screw healthy eating for one night. This was good!

And then we were all too stuffed to eat the peach/cherry cobbler.
Nope. Not too stuffed. We ate it anyway. Our tummies ached, but we sure enjoyed it!

Urrggh. Cleanup. I eventually got enough gumption to clean up the kitchen before falling into bed.
It was a good night.

Now we wait for tonight's big game.. and hope KU can clench a 4th national title! Whoo-hoo! Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
(P.S. I have to post the recipe for the cobbler because everyone should have this super-simple recipe:
3-minute Cobbler (because that's how long it takes to prepare it!)
Combine everything in baking dish:
1/2 C. melted butter/margarine
1C. flour
1C. sugar
2 t. baking powder
3/4 C. milk
1.4 t. salt
Mix well.
Dump can of fruit pie filling, or fresh fruit (peaches, cherries, apples, etc. ) on top but don't stir in.
Bake 350 for 1 hour.
It is super yummy and super easy -- serve with some ice cream... and yummmm!)