Creature Bug

Tap tap tap

Once upon a time, I thought of writing every day. Multiple times a day I would process events, turn phrases, photograph events and then turn to the keyboard to make coherent the threads that wound tightly yet chaotically in my brain.

Over the past year, I've found myself slowly losing those words. Losing my desire to type, to articulate, to write, to sit down and reflect. I went to bed when my children went to bed, woke up when they did, and had no time in the middle for sitting at a computer except to do my freelance work. I thought of only getting through the day, getting the meals done, the laundry done, the papers graded, the daily chores.

And I thought of paint.

Painting the walls, painting the kitchen cabinets, painting the baseboards that lined the hallway. I painted trim around the doors, painted a linen closet. I'm slowly erasing the color of dark wood in our house. The cabinets are gray, the door trim and floor baseboards white. There still remains dark wood, but eventually--hopefully--the only dark wood form will be the piano, which I refuse to paint and would be horrified if someone suggested that I did.

I thought also of my sister.

She crossed the Atlantic to spend the month of August with us here on the Family Farm. I don't have enough words to explain how much I loved having her home. Love going grocery shopping with her, love going to Starbucks, to Portland, to the creek, to the living room floor for nighttime Grimm viewing. She's back in Glasgow now, with no plans to return home for a couple years. We text and send podcast-length voicemails to each other. I read her essays that she's writing for her PhD. I miss her.

I thought of two birthday parties. Sydney turned 8; Addie turned 2.

I thought of visitors and guests and parties that kept us entertained all summer long.

I thought of my classes again at school, but only at the very last possible minute because I knew once it started that it would fill an amount of my brain disproportionate to the six hours a week I actually spend teaching.

I thought of taking pictures, but not even with my trusty point-and-shoot.

Although I've been unplugged from my computer a great deal--days go by and it remains silent and dark--I've found that my iPhone allows me a small way to channel the teeny tiny amount of creativity that flickers inside. Instagramming--that newish and perhaps somewhat hipster-ish form of sharing photos--has been my creative medium of choice. I post a picture most days, and in fact have all the pictures streaming to the sidebar on the right.

Aside from that, I just didn't have the motivation to blog or be online. I didn't feel like reading books or blogs or newspapers, posted only a few updates on Facebook, pinned not even a half dozen items on Pinterest, only checked Twitter for tv spoiler alerts. After so many years of being online, I just got too tired to type.

I can't even say what so many others have said before--that they gave up blogging to connect more to their daily lives. Ironically, being offline actually keeps me less connected with life because I don't follow up with actual conversations or time spent reflecting on events of my life. When I disconnected from the online world, I didn't fill that space with other real-life connections. I filled it with sleep.

And I don't know what brings me back here tonight, back to this spot that I used to visit almost daily. I just had something extra left tonight, something I haven't had in months and months. And maybe it was my grandpa asking me yesterday if I've given up blogging, the third family member in as many months to ask when I was getting back at it. Made me remember that, in fact, some people in my family do rely on this space for news from my life.

I know I don't have time to craft the writing that I want to do, but I think I'll at least carve out small pockets to give short updates on what's happening here on the farm, in our house. It won't be exciting, and it may not even be particularly well written, but I love my family and I know this is one way I can connect with them.

So here we go, again.

W is for...

...our first President: General George Washington (and his dapper white wig).

What do you think, Addie-George? Feeling patriotic on this Presidents' Day?

W is also for wheelbarrow. Our first president was a farmer and a soldier. I wonder if his wheelbarrow was made in the USA? Probably in England. (Have you been to Mount Vernon? It's a fascinating place.)

General Washington's 279th birthday is tomorrow. Addie's twenty-third weekly birthday was yesterday. Celebrations all around!

The photoshoot prop: I remember when I was a kid, we made presidential wigs of some kind in school. Something to do with rolling paper around pencils? When I did a Google search, I discovered this craft of a powdered wig, which I attempted to make out of a paper bag and cotton balls. The trouble was that Addie's head was too small and the paper bag didn't sit very well.

I thought to myself: If only I had something that would hug the shape of her head. Something that has elastic and is soft and pliable?

Oh, that's right. Thanks to a trip to Costco yesterday, I have about 200 of them. They're called diapers.

So a few minutes with Elmer's glue, a diaper (luckily I had a generic white one lying around), a red ribbon, and 100 cotton balls and I was set. It's actually really cute in person. You know. For being a diaper covered in cotton balls.

The celebration of the day: Even though celebrating Presidents' Day isn't all that glamorous--I would be surprised if Hallmark had cards celebrating Presidents' Day--in light of all the global political upheaval, I felt like today is a great day to be thankful for a president who set a precedent of what our nation should expect in a leader. Not everyone agreed with his decision to rule only 8 years, but he was a wise man who knew when to give up power. With one exception (our benevolent dictator FDR who managed to be elected 4 times), our leaders remain in office no more than 8 years.

We may not like them, but we can vote them out. And even if our individual vote can't get them out, the 22nd amendment makes sure they leave after eight years. No fussing about it. No war. No protests. No gunfire in the streets. The outgoing president and the incoming president shake hands and that's that.

It's incredible.

So today I think of General Washington who stepped up and led our nation when it needed him.

And then amazingly he stepped down from the presidency because he thought it was the right thing to do.

After seeing the bloodshed other countries go through, and are currently going through, in order to get new political leaders, I'll never think of Presidents Day the same again.

Happy Presidents' Day. It's a pretty great day to be an American.

For more W pictures (including one with her favorite history teacher) and the rest of Addie's alphabet, click here.

Week 291: From Here to Haiti

Over the past several days, I've been checking in regularly with Twitter to see what news comes from Haiti. From there I find links to aerial photos of horrific devastation, read stories of children receiving medical treatment without anesthesia, am heartened by tweets of recovered family members. And, in the midst of all the heartbreak, so many tweets that praise God. These are people who were desperately poor to begin with, and now this. Yet their faith sustains them.

Last week, while I was driving back from school, I listened to NPR reporter Jason Beaubien give a first-hand account (1:00 minute into the program) of what was happening on the street around him. He told of a little girl lying on a makeshift stretcher, covered in bandages, alone and naked except for a tablecloth covering her. As the reporter talked, I heard his voice crack. He apologized and had to take a moment to gain his composure. Thousands of miles away, I cried in my car for that little girl whose need had suddenly become so personal to me. Even now, as I listened to the report again, I weep. (Transcript of program here)

This morning, one of our church leaders gave us updates on the missionaries the church supports in Haiti. All the adults have been accounted for, but the lives of the children whom the church sponsors are still unknown. The man spoke quietly, tears in his eyes. And we all wondered, What about the children?

It is the stories of the children that has made this Haiti disaster so heartbreaking for me. While I am always saddened by the stories that come from natural disasters, I can hardly bear to read the stories coming from Haiti. So many about children. So many about collapsed schools and orphanages. At risk of being constantly in tears, I've prevented myself from reading too many.

I can't go to Haiti. At this point, I'm not sure that sending supplies would be helpful. What I can do is pray and financially help those who are on the ground in Haiti.

And now, twenty-two comments later, our little fundraiser for Haiti has come to an end. For the amount, I decided to multiply the number of comments by the number of years I've been blogging (six), bringing the total to $132. I didn't have a number in mind when I asked for your comments, but I am convinced that $132 is just the right amount to give. From here to Haiti, we did it together.

I sent the amount to Partners in Health, and as soon as I get a receipt from them I'll post it here.

Thank you for participating, and may we all continue to keep Haiti in our prayers long after they cease to be headlining the news. ♥

Magic Trick

A few random things:

• Today in class I spoke about how "going to a party with strangers" was identified as the number one fear for 74% of the survey takers.
• Today is National Delurking Day.
• Partners in Health (which Tracy Kidder is involved with) just launched a new website called Stand With Haiti.

I throw all these things into my hat and pull out....

a fun little incentive.

Tada!

Friends and new friends alike, don't be a stranger to this party. Say "HELLO!" and for every comment on this post I'll give $1 to PIH. I'm donating to them anyway, but this makes it a little more meaningful for you. And me too. Let's make a difference together. ♥

PS: If you're new to commenting, you don't need to register with Typepad to leave a comment. Just a name is  fine.

*I'll keep the comments open on this post through Sunday.*

For the Love of Haiti (updated)

As we all know by now, yesterday the earth groaned and a small impoverished nation came undone.

In the past 24 hours I've spent time on Twitter, clicking links, reading tweets, retweeting, and following news organizations (like @nprnews and @MSF_USA). Occasionally I'll pop over to Facebook, but other than a few links, it's pretty quiet over there. I haven't watched much on TV because I don't want the girls to see any of the coverage, but perhaps tonight.

Though I'm sure many of you have favorite charitable organizations, here are some resources that have come across my path in the past few hours.

• If you're giving to a charity organization, it's always a good idea to check out their rating on Charity Navigator. Charity Navigator gives excellent information on which not-for-profits are using their money wisely, and cautions everyone against giving to unknown charities. Don't get scammed.
• Although the Red Cross is not one of my favorite organizations (I'm hopeful they're learning from their mistakes and improving), they have an easy fundraiser to participate in. Text "Haiti" to the number 90999 and a $10 donation will go to the Red Cross (charged to your cellphone bill). [Source]
• Famous Haitian musician Wyclef Jean also has a text-fundraiser through his charity Yele. Text "Yele" to 501501 and  $5 donation will go to Yele and their work in Haiti. [Source & Source]
• A few other trustworthy organizations that can use your donations: World Vision, Doctors Without Borders, and Partners in Health.
• If you act QUICKLY! The Pioneer Woman is giving away a mixer and will donate 10 cents for each entry. Contest ends sometime on Thursday, I think.

UPDATES:

• 1/14 UDPATE: Ree is giving away $500 donation cards as well as donating 10 cents for each entry received. Contest ends Friday at noon.
• A text-to-donate campaign for Canadians: The Salvation Army will donate $5 if you text "Haiti" to 45678. [Source]

My heart is so heavy for the huge loss of life Haiti has suffered. I just can't imagine it.

(I also can't imagine why a prominent televangelist would say such devastation is a result of Haiti's deal with the devil, but I know he neither speaks for me or my faith. That is a discussion I'll leave for another day.)

If you know of any other charitable organizations/fundraisers that are focusing their efforts on Haiti right now, please leave info in the comments. The more aware we can be of what we can do, the better we can all serve the people of Haiti. ♥

On Behalf of a Grateful Nation

A lot is written about our veterans, and deservedly so. I have nothing but gratitude for those who serve our country through their military service.

A lot is also written about The Greatest Generation. My grandparents were part of this generation. Both my grandpas fought in WWII. My maternal* grandpa (the one who lived next door) briefly fought in World War II, and then also in the Korean War (I've written about his brave combat service here). My grandma didn't fight in the war. She didn't work in a factory. She wouldn't have ever identified with Rosie the Riveter.

But she raised four kids. Often without my grandpa around.

 

I heard someone ask her once how she managed to raise those little kids by herself. How could she keep the house clean? Cook meals? Do laundry? Do everything by herself? How could she do it?

"Well," she said, "I just did it because that's what I had to do."

And that was that.

This Veterans Day, I remember not only my grandpa who served 20 years in the Army, but also my grandma, who raised a family while my grandpa served. She may not have earned a purple heart like my grandpa did, and she never climbed the ranks to achieve "Major" status, but her work was still vitally important. She loved the Army, even if that meant the Army made her job a little harder sometimes.

Many, many years after my grandpa retired from the Army, my grandma had one last role in supporting my grandpa's military service.

 

The Army that had made her responsibilities so much more difficult those 20 years my grandpa was in the service gave her one final task, one that was perhaps the hardest of all.

 

She took the flag, held it tightly, and listened to the soldier solemnly thank her "on behalf of a grateful nation and the United States Army" for her husband's faithful service.

I'll never forget seeing my grandpa's flag-covered casket, or watching the young soldier present the tightly wrapped American flag to my grandma, or hearing the gun-salute crack through the cold February air.

Forever I'll remember the sacrifice my grandpa made.

Forever I'll remember my grandma's sacrifice as well.

For both I am profoundly grateful.

______________________________________________________

*Corrected from an earlier version that read "paternal grandpa"

I called Dr. Paul Offit and asked him about H1N1

Last Wednesday I called Dr. Paul Offit. I called him at his office, and then we set up a time for me to call him at home later that night (night for him, afternoon for me). And so I did.

It was surreal.

The whole thing happened because I off-handedly mentioned to David Wescott--the super nice PR guy who coordinated the whole GSK tour thing--that I really enjoyed Dr. Offit's books. He said he could arrange a phone call. I was like, "REALLY? REALLY?!" because I forget that people who network with other people have connections with People, and I don't have connections with anybody known for anything...except with my brother (and a lot of good that'll do me because I still can't get you his sold-out Inglorious Basterds poster).

I wasn't completely sure if David would remember our conversation, but he did. Because he's a star.

With the important digits in hand, I called Dr. Offit (he who invented a vaccine, is a major proponent of vaccines, and writes copiously about vaccines), and I asked him some questions about vaccines and H1N1. He was really nice, clearly passionate about the topic at hand, and even though that night he had to write an editorial for the New York Times (this one...essentially saying much of what I'm about to write here), I never felt like he was trying to hurry me up. Points to him.

While I was able to ask him questions about vaccines in general, I did want to get his perspective on the H1N1 vaccine. After all, according to an AP poll, one third of parents are not going to give their child the H1N1 vaccine. Aside from those who don't vaccinate their children because they perceive a link with autism (though even the most recent research shows there is no convincing link), there still remains a fair amount of people who are unsure about the H1N1 vaccine.

I can understand the concern. Who wants to give their child what appears to be an untested vaccine?

Here's what I got from Dr. Offit:

• Even though the H1N1 vaccine is new this year, it was produced the same way the annual flu shot is done. There's no mystery to its contents. In fact, the H1N1 vaccine would be in the general flu vaccine except that it came onto the scene too late to put them together. Timing forced doctors to make two shot.
• It's been tested just like the annual flu shot. (This seems to be a major sticking point with some people--the idea that it hasn't been sufficiently tested. If you think the flu shot is safe, the H1N1 shot is safe. If you don't buy into the flu shot thing in general, well then...this won't convince you.)
• Even though Dr. Kent Holtorf went on Fox News with concerns about the H1N1 shot containing adjuvants, this is not true. There are no adjuvants in the US's version of the H1N1 vaccine. Dr. Offit specifically mentioned this news clip as highly misleading and misinformed.
• In 1976, there was a swine flu vaccine that ended up being blamed for causing Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Gina Kolata's book Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic contains an excellent chapter that articulates how the vaccine probably did not cause GBS, but that doctors were led to believe it could and therefore were looking for causal links. The CDC also gives some helpful information about this story. In Dr. Offit's opinion, the vaccine of 1976 did not cause GBS. At any rate, the swine flu of 1976 is not at all similar to the swine flu of today.

• Final words from Dr. Offit: "If you think it's bad now, wait until December or January. It'll be awful. It's remarkable that we got the flu shot ready in time, and now there will be so many who don't use it."

I'm no expert on the subject, but I feel better knowing I have spoken to someone who is.

I know it's hard to know what to believe. On Tuesday, I heard a report on NPR about the necessity to get the H1N1 vaccine. Then today I heard a report on NPR about Germany deciding not to give the H1N1 vaccine to healthy children. They argue that healthy people do not need the H1N1 vaccine. Also? Medical experts claiming the swine flu is really no big deal.

It's possible if I got the swine flu I wouldn't be hospitalized. It's possible if my kids got the swine flu they wouldn't be hospitalized. Or, it's possible they could end up in the hospital like Isabella Ragan. It's not really a gamble I want to take. Of course, at this point, it's a moot point. H1N1 vaccines aren't available in our area, and we don't have health insurance yet to go track one down.

Regardless of your decision to vax or not vax, you should be aware that H1N1 is highly contagious and not as easy to recover from as the regular flu. I've had students miss two weeks of classes due to the swine flu. Just because the government is encouraging you to get the vaccine isn't a good reason to not get one, although Rush Limbaugh would beg to differ that point. (That Slate article is a good one, btw. I snickered at the last paragraph.)

Check out the CDC's fact page for info, and make your decision an informed on.

What do you think? What's been your experience with H1N1?

My Field Trip to GlaxoSmithKline

Awhile back I read an article that attempted to explain why elementary school kids are often ridiculously fascinated with dinosaurs. Kids who can't remember to hang up their coats have this odd ability to memorize all sorts of facts about dinosaurs, becoming walking encyclopedias about the eating habits of the stegosaurus.

I'm not really that interested in dinosaurs, except the ones in Jane Yolen's books and Edwina the dinosaur who didn't know she was extinct. Otherwise...dinosaurs. Meh.

However, I get the whole obsessed-with-a-topic thing. Take me for instance. I enjoy reading about diseases and vaccines. I find it really fascinating. The history. The politics. The drama. I like it.

So when I got an invite to go out and tour the GlaxoSmithKline vaccine facility in Marieta, Pennsylvania, I was (first) amazed that I would get an invite considering I am not a high-profile blogger and (second) thrilled to pieces. Add into the invite that GSK was paying for the entire trip (airfare, hotel, food), and it was like winning the lottery. Minus actual money in my pocket, of course.

I'll write more about getting to hang out with my fellow bloggers who toured with me, but let me focus right now on the GSK facility.

The facility looked like a high school. Really. Lovely landscape. Some pretty trees. Brick exterior. For legal reasons (their lawyers were quite nervous about us coming in the first place) we couldn't take pictures, but I've scavengered some photos off the Internet just so you get the idea.

We got to spend about four hours at the facility, and got to hear from several people who were involved in the research, managing, education, and production of vaccines. The first couple hours were filled with some passionate presentations--presentations really providing a different look at how I might have perceived a big pharmaceutical company. I was alternately giddy with joy when someone mentioned Maurice Hilleman ("I read about him!" I squealed in my most unprofessional geeky voice) and moved to tears when one of the doctors talked about how vaccines are a "miracle." Say what you will about vaccines, but they have certainly done a great deal for humanity.

We got to ask some questions, some of which they had answers for, some they didn't. We had been told there were some restrictions on what they could say--no specific products mentioned, no personal medical advice--and so it's hard to not come off as evasive when you can't answer specifically. As it turned out, all the questions I didn't get answers to, I was able to ask a different medical professional today in a phone interview. More on that another day.

After the presentations we got to tour the facility which I think was just FDA certified in August. Although the place isn't necessarily geared for the general public (in fact, they've never before had a general public touring group) they have inspiring posters on the wall, and even a hallway painted in bright yellows and greens. I asked a guy about it--why the posters and happy paint? were they expecting lots of touring groups--and he said that it was simply to create a positive working environment. I can appreciate that.

We saw the gear the medical team uses when they're working in the aseptic area--the place where test tubes are filled with vaccine material. For obviously reasons (we couldn't strip down and put on specialized gear), we weren't allowed in the dirt/germ/hazardous material-free room, but we heard about it. And when someone asked if that room was ever really 100% clean of contaminants, our guide answered with a resounding "Yes."

 

Eventually we ended up in the room where vaccines are inspected and packaged, but not before we all had to suit up in gowns, booties, goggles, and hair nets (we all wished we had our camera at that point!). In a room near the production line, we got to see employees manually inspecting each vial at their personalized work station. In order to combat muscle and eye fatigue, the employees have specialized chairs and yoga blocks for comfort. Every 20 minutes they have to get up and move around a little bit, stretching their muscles. Very cool that GSK pays attention to that kind of thing.

We got to see a massive machine (affectionately called "the diva") packaging vaccines into boxes and witnessed all the safety precautions taken along the way. Certain colors for certain vaccines (they already have a plan for when they run out of colors...I asked). All their packaging is environmentally friendly. Cameras all along the machine insure that everything is labeled correctly. I saw a box missing an expiration date, and when it passed by the special camera, the box was bumped from the line. Safety in action. Of course, there are individuals all along the entire process, so even though the machine was fully automated, humans still have a critical role.

What I will always remember is what happened while we watched the Hib vaccine being packaged. One of the doctors who was on the team that created the vaccine was walking along with our group. He evidently hadn't seen his vaccine being packaged before, because when he saw it, right in front of his eyes, boxes and boxes of the vaccine that he helped create, he got a little emotional. "That's my vaccine," he said. Can you imagine? Seeing your work being prepared to be sent all over the country, saving children from a potentially fatal disease? I couldn't help but get a little choked up myself.

They told us about how they had been working hard to meet the vaccine shortage that is going around. Talked to us about how they would pull huge numbers of vaccines if a particular lot had problems (which they haven't had to do). Clearly communicated their passion for vaccines and patients' lives.

As if the facility itself wasn't impressive enough, I was really impressed by GSK in general. Specifically, many of the presentations and part of the tour were done by women...Impressive, strong, intelligent women. A couple of the bloggers asked GSK if the women leaders were brought out specifically to impress us, but, no. They really do have women in high ranking roles. Although this particular facility doesn't have on-site daycare, they do provide flexible scheduling for moms. In fact, the woman who was giving us part of the tour had to hand the tour over to someone else right at the end in order to go pick up her son. She returned as we finished our tour, and we all waved at her kid.

Yeah. I was very impressed.

The whole experience was really amazing. GSK didn't ask us to write about or tweet any part of our experience, but I am anyways because I think they did a good job. I'm not saying I'm all in favor of Big Pharma, but when it comes to vaccines and when it comes to their facility in Marietta? Well done.

More to come about meeting the other bloggers and eating some really good Cuban food in Philly.

For more accounts of our trip, check out The Feminist Breeder, Uppercase Woman, and Sarah and the Goon Squad. Oh, and the very funny Michael who writes the GSK Blog (and managed to impress us all with a Kierkegaard reference) also has a nice write-up.

Australia Brush Fire Relief

Although it doesn't get a lot of press here in the States, many of you are probably aware of the terrible brush fires that have devastated parts of Australia.

Some statistics as of March 4 (courtesy this link):

• Over 400,000 hectares (988,400 acres) burnt across the state
• 210 lives lost
• 2029 properties destroyed
• 78 townships affected
• Four fires still burning - the Kilmore-Murrindindi north complex, the Kilmore-Murrindindi south complex, the Bunyip Ridge and Wilsons Promontory fires.
• 2000 firefighters still out in force
• Five relief centers operating

My brother (a well-known poster artist), along with his friend Mitch, wanted to do something to help out and came up with this (click image for larger version):

 

It's the Australia Brush Fire Relief version of his classic 2005 poster "Welcome Home." This version features a new color scheme, including four glow in the dark inks (for a total of 5 colors).  It's a 16" x 24" screenprint, and is easily one of Tyler's most sought-after images ever.  Half of all profits will be donated directly to the Australian Red Cross' Brushfire Appeal Fund. The poster sale ends on Wednesday, March 18th at 12pm CST.

Not only is this a cool print (and hey! it glows in the dark!), but the profits go toward a really great cause. Click here if you're interested in purchase info.

Random Act of Violence

If you live locally, you might have heard last night's news story about hypodermic needles being attached to business doors and pay phones. One of the victims of the "prank" (?!) was Jason's dad. Early yesterday morning, when he was opening up the door to his coffee shop, he discovered--the painful way--that someone had attached a needle to the door handle. He checked the other doors in the adjacent businesses, but they were clear. Turns out, that the one door he didn't check--on the backside of the building complex--had a needle on the door handle too, and so the manager of that business was also pricked by a needle. Down the road someone else was pricked by a needle taped to the handle of a pay phone at the library.

Jason's dad is fine, and at the moment it appears there is no health concern. But still. It's more than a little alarming to have this happen.

If you want to read about it, here's the link the news story.

If you want to see the news coverage that aired last night--Jason's dad is interviewed--here's the link to that.

Year in Review

I thought about cramming 2008 into 30 seconds, but brevity never was my strong suit. So, I bring you 2008 in 2 minutes and 30 seconds. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed making it. I cry every time I watch it, which is to be expected I suppose. (The song was chosen not for its lyrics, but for its popularity in our house.)

2008 in Review from creature bug on Vimeo.

We built a backyard, went to Pasadena, went to the East Coast, enjoyed our backyard, went to the aquarium, put our house up for sale, sold our house, said goodbye to Rebekah the World's Best Nanny, moved into an apartment, moved out of that apartment, moved into a new apartment, finalized house plans, perfected our commute along I-5, became property owners once again, welcomed a new member into our extended family, and at 7:51 this morning Jason, Sydney, my grandma and I are flying to Orlando where we will spend the week at Disney World.

It's been quite a year.

Stressful at times--many times--but so often with the hope of the joys 2009 will bring us: a new house, new jobs, closer to family, a certain someone who gets to be a flowergirl in June and a kindergartner in September. Wow.

So much of what many of you have shared this year has resonated with me. Oh, you make me laugh. And you make me cry. And sometimes, the stories I read change the way I see life. Here are some of the stories--from blogs and from newspapers--that have caught the deepest parts of my heart this year.

• Logan and Jack--whose lives are nothing short of miraculous.
• Matt Logelin, who tragically lost his wife the day after his daughter was born. For seven months I have been reading his blog, and it always reminds of how life doesn't always turn out the way we hope.
• Longtime blog friend London Southern Belle had a successful IVF treatment, and she is now expecting twins. Such joy!
• Such sorrow comes in the form of reading of Emilie's passing. She wrote shortly before she died; and then her husband wrote on Christmas Eve. I only knew her from her blog, but I wept at the loss for her husband and two little boys.
• Closer to home: a graduate from the college where I teach was killed in a helicopter crash last summer, along with eight other men. Another graduate was seriously injured in this month's bank bombing. Tragic reminders that small schools are not immune to great sorrows.
• I don't suspect I will soon forget the thrill of seeing Michael Phelps win eight gold medals at the Olympics, but the Oregonian got it right when it named last spring's memorable softball game between Western Oregon and Central Washington as the best sports story of the year. It happened months ago, and I still get all weepy with joy when I read about it.

And in the midst of such sorrows and joys there is just the regular day to day living that happens every day. Reading other people's life experiences teaches me to be thankful, to be humble, to trust God. I am sure that 2009 will teach me many of the same lessons, and it will also be one amazing year.

Happy New Year to you all. Thanks for being part of my 2008, and here's to 2009.

BTW, I'm kicking off the New Year at the happiest place on earth. I think it's a good sign, you know, dreams coming true and all that.

Five Kernels of Corn

"And cultivate thankfulness." (Colossians 3:15, The Message)

One of the first phrases that I teach my girls to say is "Thank you." It starts out forced: "Say 'Thank You.'" It moves to being prompted: "What do you say?" And now quite often--although certainly not always--it's habit. Jules even completes our part by saying, "Thankyouwelcome," one long word of politeness.

No one told me this was a good or bad idea, it was just seemed like the thing to do. Obviously, not everyone agrees with this parenting technique (because what parenting technique is universally agreed upon?). I was in a parenting group one time and some parents chafed at the idea of forcing their kids to say thank you. They modeled it for their kids, definitely. But they wanted the expression of thankfulness to be genuine, not prompted or forced. If they aren't thankful, they said, they shouldn't fake it.

Being genuine is certainly ideal, but not very often is a small child genuinely thankful for the cup of water you give her. My experience tells me that most good habits start out forced.

Brush your teeth.

Don't push. Don't hit. Don't bite others.

Say thank you.

I've heard it argued that Thanksgiving Day is artificially pumped with thankfulness, forcing us to be thankful when we'd rather not. I like it, though. I like that there's a day set aside for thankfulness because it's all too easy to get in a pattern of accepting the blessings without acknowledging them; or worse, forgetting the blessings altogether. I think President Abraham Lincoln knew what he was doing when he set aside a day for Thanksgiving. The nation was at war, his executive cabinet fought with each other all the time, and he was a man prone to deep and dark depression.

And yet.

He knew.

Cultivating thankfulness is important.

Especially when we don't want to. When it's hard. When our nation struggles, when our lives our in turmoil, when the future is uncertain.

Even on those days that I'm more grumpy than genuine, I've made an effort this year to mentally take stock and thank God for all the things that happen each day for which I am thankful. It was one of the habits that got me through the months of September and October when my world was chaotic and stressful.

So this year, as I continue our tradition of the Five Kernels of Corn, my heart is already in the habit, even if forming that habit wasn't always easy or fun. 

• I am thankful for my job, where I get to teach a fun subject, encounter amazing people, and see the power of words constantly played out.
• I am thankful for my husband who has been more patient with me than I deserved.
• I am thankful for my faith in God and the power of prayer that sustained me through my darkest hours and provided for me in times of need.
• I am thankful for Sydney and Julianne, who daily test the limits of my kindness but never the limits of my love.
• I am thankful for the milestone in my education; even if in the grand scheme of things it's not life-changing, I am very thankful to have completed it.

These are the five kernels I'm planting this year, and no doubt next year will bring a new crop of thankfulness, cultivated from another year of sunshine and rain. And you? Any kernels of corn you'd like to cultivate? I never tire of hearing what other people are grateful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Political Parties...and not the kind with balloons

This past week alone I've had a discussion with my brother and s-i-l about the election, listened to some interesting stories on NPR about the election, even dissected part of the rhetoric from last night's debate (ala this Slate article) in my class today. Couple that with 29% of you asking for some deep thoughts from me, I thought I'd share a little bit of the political discourse rumbling through my mind. Of course, I'm not sharing everything because after I wrote an honest, forthcoming post and read it to Jason, he said, "Are you sure about this? You don't do well with mean people." So. You'll have to settle for a shorter, less revealing post. That's how this sensitive, thin-skinned momma rolls.

I have purposefully stayed out of the political discussion because my views don't fit neatly into any political party. I am pro-life, pro-gun control, pro-environment. I don't believe the words "under God" should be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance, or that Roe v. Wade should be overturned. I don't think that minimum wage should be a living wage, or that Oregon's classrooms should be English language-only. Embryonic stem-cell research isn't a gray area for me; capital punishment is. I am a registered Republican, although of the things that define me, it is far down on the list. I am, generally speaking, a conservative.

Continuing the Debate on Vaccines

Up until the past couple years, I rarely read non-fiction. It wasn't that I didn't like it, it was just not on my reading radar. But in the last year, my reading list has had a lot of medical non-fiction that I highly recommend: 28 Stories of AIDS in Africa, The American Plague, Better, and as of this past weekend, Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure by Dr. Paul A. Offit. I admit, I'm hooked on medical science books even though I have no desire whatsoever to be directly involved in the medical field.

Last year, I read (and reviewed) Dr. Offit's book on vaccines, and so I was quite interested in reading his follow-up book. I've already given my opinion about vaccines, so I won't rehash that here. However, the book isn't so much a parade for vaccines as it a defense of them. It largely grapples with the question: do vaccines cause autism?

It's a big question, an important question, one which parents all over the world are struggling with. The media is quick to publish studies that demonstrate the dangers of vaccines; politicians like John Kerry, Dave Weldon, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Joe Lieberman have condemned vaccines; even Oprah has jumped on the vaccines-cause-autism bandwagon. Who are parents to believe?

Offit traces of the history of the vaccine debate, beginning with the first study that linked MMR vaccines with autism.

• When it was proved without a doubt that MMR vaccines did notcause autism, mercury (thimerosal) was blamed for autism.
• When thimerosal was removed from vaccines, the rates of autism actually increased, rather than decreased. Evidently, thimerosal was not be blamed.
• After decades of research, no link has been found that ties vaccines with autism.

While Offit is clearly on the side of "vaccines do not cause autism," his book looks at the research that was given to the contrary. He spends pages highlighting the opposing research, even devoting whole chapters ("Lighting the Fuse," "Mercury Rising" ) to the story that vaccines cause autism. Each time, however, Offit provides damning evidence to the contrary. No respected medical establishment believes that vaccines cause autism.

Among many circles, that answer is not a popular opinion. Some go so far as to accuse these establishments of a mass-conspiracy, and that the government is simply unwilling to pull vaccines from the market because of the pharmaceutical company's lobbying. Offit admits that vaccines aren't perfect, but the FDA and CDC have been quick to act when an immunization poses a threat.

For example: "In 1998, the FDA licensed a rotavirus vaccines, and the CDC recommend it for all infants.... Studies showed rotavirus vaccines caused intussusception in about one of every 10,000 babies who got it....Within months of the vaccine's release, the CDC had discovered the problem and withdrew its recommendation--a testament to CDC diligence and post-licensure surveillance." If there was any link at all between vaccines and autism, the CDC would have caught it by now and would have acted accordingly.

More than just providing research, Offit provides the drama that surrounds vaccines. The court cases, the conspiracy theories, the death threats, the high profile individuals, the risky treatments for autistic children--all are part of the controversy. And unfortunately, an entire cottage industry of litigation lawyers, advocacy groups, and unethical doctors have taken advantage of parents who are looking for a cause for autism.

Even more unfortunate is that this industry sees autistic children as poisoned and damaged. From Kathleen Seidel, founder of Neurodiversity.com (an autism resource web site): "I get really angry at those who work parents up into a nasty emotional state. I just think it's destructive to be led down this path of endless recriminations that goes with being encouraged to think that kids are autistic because they're damaged."

In an age when we are all trying to do the best for our children, when we aren't entirely sure who to believe, I found the book and all the statistical evidence that it provides as a great reassurance that vaccines do not cause autism. Furthermore, rather than spending money and resources fighting against vaccines, we should be focusing on what does cause autism and how we can support those who are affected by it.

And as a perfect stroke of good timing, yesterday one of my students showed this heartwarming video about Jason McElwain, an autistic student.

Paul Offit will donate all royalties from sales of this book to autism research.  Parent Bloggers Network provided me with my copy of this book.

In Mind

This quote from Better, one of my favorite books from this past summer, has been rolling around in my head since last June.

"The hardest question for anyone who takes responsibility for what he or she does is, What if I turn out to be average?...I could tell myself, Someone's got to be average. If the bell curve is a fact, then so is the reality that most doctors are going to be average. There is no shame in being one of them, right?

"Except, of course, there is. What is troubling is not just being average but settling for it. Everyone knows that averageness is, for most of us, our fate. And in certain matters--looks, money, tennis--we would do well to accept this. But in your surgeon, your child's pediatrician, your police department, your local high school? When the stakes are our lives and lives of our children, we want no one to settle for average." (italics mine)

Worth pondering.

*

I have a political post in the works, and as part of my research, I have a little question for you (also, if you haven't voted in the presidential poll, do that too):

(poll)

A step of faith

   

A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.
--John Steinbeck

(Photograph from last summer's trip to Boston--specifically, Beacon Hill.)

Reviewing 'Maybe Baby'

One of the joys of the blog community is getting to experience (in a way) the amazing moments in someone's life. Last week I was daily checking my Google Reader to see how my favorite ex-patriot living in London was doing. Talk about amazing moments; for me, there is nothing more amazing than the moments of trying to become a parent.

If you ever click on those Tiny Reads I have linked on the left sidebar, you may have noticed me sharing posts written by London Southern Belle. (I just moved up her two latest posts in my feed-sharer so you can easily see what she's been writing about.) I won't share her whole story, but the highlight of last week is that she had two little embryos tucked inside her and, oh how I'm hoping those little babies are thriving and growing.

I've been reading Amanda's blog for years, and wanting to understand her story and other's like hers is one of the reasons why I agreed to review a book (for Parent Bloggers Network) about infertility. I don't have any personal experience with infertility; however, I have friends who have experienced great difficulty getting on a path that led to a baby in the arms. Sometimes the path is fertility drugs; sometimes it's IVF; sometimes it's adoption. Whatever path it is, I know it was walked with great sacrifice.

  I didn't know what to expect when I picked up Maybe Baby: An Infertile Love Story, by Matthew M. F. Miller. Before reading the book, I hadn't read or even heard of his blog, although I follow it now. The book was a unique reading experience for me not only because I haven't read a book about infertility, but I haven't read a parenting/love story book written from the guy's perspective. In fact, it was precisely because there is a lack of men writing about this topic that inspired Matt to start his blog.

As for the story, it is told with wit and grace and frustration and heartache. But realIy, it's filled with honesty and humor. And not just a little bit of honesty and humor. A LOT of honesty and humor. There were times when even I squirmed a little bit over his frankness, but I reminded myself that it's good for me to understand that the process of getting pregnant is not always a simple one. As for humor, who would have thought that talking about infertility could be humorous? But Matt easily finds the tone and uses it with great care and effect. After all, those awkward moments in the doctor's office...let's just say it made me thankful to be a woman.

The story begins with Matt and his wife Constance thinking about when to start their family. They are waiting, saving up money, getting everything in order. Then they make the decision to start trying for a baby. They try and they try, and while they are certainly having fun trying, they aren't getting the positive sign on the pregnancy tests. So they turn to doctors, drugs, and diet. This process was the most eye-opening for me, and though the book could certainly serve as a guide for "how to increase your chances of getting pregnant," Matt doesn't let the narrative get too technical. The story is infused with his own fears and questions, and provides a point of view that (I think) isn't often explored.

I walked away from reading the book with a greater sensitivity and awareness to the fertility struggles that 6.1 million Americans face. Honestly, it had never crossed my mind that asking a married couple "Do you have kids?" would be an inappropriate question, and I'm still not sure that it's inappropriate to ask in every context, but I'll certainly be more thoughtful in the future. Though I try to be careful about what questions I ask others, there is room for improvement. Most definitely. More than providing lessons in etiquette and instruction, however, Maybe Baby is a testament of what true love can withstand, enduring all the bumps in the road while the one bump in particular eludes them. That should be an encouragement to anyone.

And how does the book end? The book doesn't exactly end on a triumphant note, which is why I promptly looked up Matt's blog to see how he and Constance are doing. I will say there has been some IVF triumph, but there has also been some heartache (which Matt managed to still find some humor in). While their story isn't as near to my heart as Amanda's, I'm still cheering them on that after the next several months they'll have a baby.

Not a maybe.

The Blue Soldier

[Originally posted July 4, 2005. As I re-read through this post, I was struck by two things. First, of the similarities between Sydney--photographed below at 13 months old--and Julianne (yes, indeed, they are sisters). Second, that I'm sure I never would have imagined the last few paragraphs would still be applicable four years after I had written it.]

***   

In doing the genealogy for Jason's family, my mom found a real treasure: original letters Jason's Great-great-great grandfather wrote to his wife during the Civil War. While there are undoubtedly more letters existing, my mom was able to locate over a hundred.

In the field near Strasburg, VA, On May 10, 1864, Josiah writes:

Dear Parny,

I wrote to you but two days ago but I thought I would write again seeing I had a chance and will write often as long as the letters can go through. We left Winchester yesterday morning and camped here last night in a very nice place. We stay here today to build a bridge across Cedar Creek which the rebs burned. It is said there is to be a very heavy force here soon and then we are going to make everything leave this valley. I think we will go right to Stannton. It is said we will have 200 pieces of artillery and 60 or 70 thousand men. I think it is on to Richmond this time. I do hope that all will work together which I think they are doing now, if the thing is done right Richmond is ours before two months longer.

Now Parney you must keep up courage for if Richmond is taken the war is nearly over and it will certainly be taken before the fourth of July. For my part I would like to celebrate that memorial day in the capitol of the confederacy and if I live and keep my health I think I will.

When you write let me know whether you got the box I sent you.  Give me the news generally. I don't know how I will stand traveling. I came nearer giving out yesterday than I ever did before and we came but thirteen miles. It was very warm and dusty. This is a splendid country. There is plenty of pasture for the horses and also for the drove of cattle which we drive along to eat. I pity the 'critters' that is unlucky enough to be right fate in this country. We just pick them up as we go.

I can't think of any more at this time. Kiss the children for me. Give my respects to all.

Josiah

Sadly, Josiah didn't get to celebrate the Fourth of July in Richmond, and in fact the war didn't end until the following year. Five days after Josiah wrote this letter he was taken prisoner and sent to Andersonville Prison. He became deathly ill, and when paroled he made it as far as Washington DC before dying in a hospital there. The above letter was the last letter his wife received from him. Josiah left behind two young sons. The nurse who was with Josiah at the end wrote: "His last words were tell my wife that all is well with me and that I should like to be buried beside my little boy that died three years ago. ... Thank God he was out of rebel hands and died in our own lines and is buried under the stars and stripes."

Should Jason and I ever have a son, we have decided to name him Josiah -- after his four times great-grandfather who fought so bravely for a just cause.

And here, 140 years later, we are a nation once again at war. A war that I struggle to support, but I nevertheless support all our dear soldiers, the men and women who are fighting far from home. Men and women who push their individual beliefs aside in order to serve their country. Men and women I pray for daily that they might be delivered home safely to their families. And for those who perish in this war, I hope that they can be brought home in order that they too might be buried under the stars and stripes.

Despite all the short-comings of our nation, it is still the finest country in the world. May I never take it for granted. May we always be grateful for the freedom we have been given. May my daughter live to see her country in a time of peace.

Happy birthday, America -- the land of the free, and the home of the brave.

Stamps, Tiny Reads, TVs, and Energetic Cranberries

A few random items...

: stamps :

Postage stamps are going up in price on Monday, so you should do as I did and stock up on those terribly un-pretty Forever Stamps (seriously. would it kill them to put a flower on the Forever Stamps? the Liberty Bell is so not great). If you get them now, they're *only* 41 cents a piece. Starting Monday, they'll cost you 42 cents. Consider this your friendly PSA reminder.

: tiny reads :

I've added a new link feature to my left sidebar. Under the Tiny Reads heading, I've "shared" different blog posts from my Google Reader that have caught my attention, for one reason or another. I'll be updating it daily.

: tv :

We are now the proud owners of two TV converter boxes. In case you haven't heard, if you are one of the few dozen people who doesn't have cable and instead uses an antenna/rabbit ears to get your tv signal, then you'll have to get a converter box so that you can still get free tv after the signal changes to digital next February. We received converter coupons in the mail a few weeks ago--thanks to a reminder from Sophie (who, sadly, is no longer posting)--and each coupon is worth $40 off a converter box. Walmart sells the boxes for $49.95, but the south Commercial store was out when I checked last week. Fred Meyer sells the boxes for $49.98, and so I got ours there. Twenty dollars for the privilege of free tv. Yippee.

As it turns out, we may not even need the converter boxes if we sell our house before next February. Our new house will probably have to have cable, although I am totally willing to have an antenna on our house if it means we'll get free tv.

: cranberries :

And finally, here's a review for a drink I've been trying out this week...

Last week I got a sample of Ocean Spray's Cranergy juice in the mail, courtesy of Mom Central. Being someone who loves cranberry juice, I quickly drank the whole thing. It tastes a lot like...hmm...cranberry juice! With a healthy, green tea kick. Then I went to Winco and got some more. Then I went to Fred Meyer, saw they were having a sale on jugs instead of the more expensive personal-sized, and got even more. This could be trouble.

Even though I am perpetually tired all the time, I stay away from those energy drinks because I'm deathly afraid of them. I am certain I would drink one and drop dead from a heart attack within minutes. As someone who has no caffeine addiction at all, consuming that much caffeine in one sitting would totally screw me up. However, I am acutely aware that some amount of caffeine--preferrably something natural from a tea source--might actually help me feel better. Or at least, feel capable of folding laundry. So, after reading the label for the Cranergy juice, it evidently gets its caffeine naturally from green tea. And it has a whole host of B vitamins, which I think are supposed to give you energy.

Since it's juice-ish (23% juice isn't exactly Juicy Juice), since it has vitamins, and since green tea extract is a natural source of caffeine, then I've been drinking it every day with breakfast. It does have Splenda, although the juice doesn't taste crazy-sweet like some things do that have been sweetened with Splenda. Even Jason, who hates cranberry juice, has said it's not too bad (especially the cranberry-raspberry version), although if he starts drinking it then that means less for me, so...I don't know how I feel about that.

The thing is, I actually feel more energized after drinking it, but maybe it's just a pyschological trick I'm playing on myself. I feel like it should energized me, so then it does. But trick or not, I'm all for it. Probably someone who depends on energy drinks and/or multiple cups of coffee wouldn't notice a difference. Nevertheless, for me it's definitely better than drinking soda, it has cranberries in it, and even though I wouldn't let my girls drink it (no caffeine for them,natural or not, thank you. they have plenty of energy), I'm all for something that helps me stay just a little more focused on something other than dreaming of a nap.

Jason thinks I should exercise more often, but for as much as I do like to exercise, so often I'm too tired to even think about doing it. Anybody have any other suggestions for fighting fatigue? B vitamins? Multi-vitamins? Iron supplements? Less sugar? More sugar?

Please say "eat five dozen marshmallows" because I could totally do that.

(c) Creature Bug 2008. All rights reserved.

To See the Game

I still have the rest of the story to tell about the girls and their nighttime miseries (or rather, maybe it's my nighttime miseries? and they're not that miserable? either way...), but when I sat down to write about it I got all grumpy and fussy and decided I didn't want to write about it right then.

So.

It'll wait.

Until then--and maybe the girls will miraculously fix their sleeping issues while I avoid writing about it--I'm writing about something else.

Did I mention that Sydney got bifocals? The ones that I had been thinking maybe she didn't need? The ones that cost $200 because we already got her a new pair last summer and so our vision insurance (which I am thankful we have in the first place) didn't cover a new pair?

Ah, well, she did. In fact, you've already seen her with them.

If you look closely, you can see the bifocal line on the lens. And actually, these are the first pair she got. The pair that were supposed to be purple, but whoever decided to label these glasses "purple" clearly wasn't familiar with a toddler's perception of purple. These weren't purple; they were indigo. And indigo to a 3 year-old looks like black. So she hated them and refused to wear them, and is only wearing them in this picture because I bribed her with candy.

Then we took them back and got red ones. Which Syd still isn't fond of, but only because they're bifocals and make the world all funky looking.

"There are steps all over! I walk to the step, but it moves!" and she stumbles around for a few minutes until she gets her bearings and then forgets she has them on until she sees her other non-bifocal pair and demands to wear those instead.

We've set up a deal with Syd about wearing her bifocals: she has to wear them when she's reading, and she has to wear them when we're playing games. I wish she'd wear them when we're eating (because that's a close-range activity so her left eye crosses inward), but no deal.

The upside is that she's at least wearing them sometimes; the downside is that I have no excuse to not play games with her.

We play Memory with her Dora cards, and I regularly lose because I have about five million things I have to remember, let alone remember where the card is with Dora wearing a backpack.

We play some other nifty games that she received as gifts.

And lately, we've been playing Rapelli, from the Discovery Store.

All the parts are constructed with bamboo, so it's eco-friendly. (Bamboo is cool! Jason and I were even thinking of getting bamboo flooring in the new house except I don't think it comes in wide planks, which we want.) It's constructed well enough that if Jules happens to grab a piece we don't have to worry about her breaking it (although, the parts are small enough that little babies shouldn't be playing with it). When Parent Bloggers Network was looking for reviewers, I immediately thought of Sydney and working with her close-vision skills. This seemed like a great game to have her practice getting small parts into small holes, and it seemed engaging enough that she would consider it worth playing even if she had to wear her bifocals.

Well, folks. We have a winner.

Sydney plays this game almost every day, and she'll even play around with it even when we're not playing the game with her. The object of the game is to pull the little bamboo caterpillars out of the "tree." You go about doing that by rolling the dice and seeing how many links you can pull the caterpillar out (or, conversely, have to push the caterpillar back in, an aspect of the game we don't follow). The official rules are a bit vague on some of the details of playing the game, but that didn't bother us since we just make up our own rules to fit what we're doing and Sydney's age. For instance, I think maybe you're supposed to collect a certain color to win? And perhaps can use strategy to keep others from getting their caterpillars out? Obviously, though, we're not working on strategy. We're just trying to get as many of those little caterpillars out as we can.

Playing it the way we do, there is no strategy at all involved. It's all just random luck based on the dice. But that's okay because then when Sydney wins we don't have to feel badly that we were just crushed in a caterpillar game by a 3-year-old.

It's also a great game to help Sydney work on vision exercises. She has to look at small parts, manipulate smallish pieces, and coordinate all those things together. She never feels like it's a chore to play the game (and since the game only take about 15-minutes to play, it doesn't feel like a chore to us either), and right now that's key to getting her transitioned into wearing her bifocals more often.

And really, even though I rarely enjoy playing dice games (is it me, or do dice games take forever to play?!), I think this one is a great fit for Sydney and what we're working on, and that makes it worth it for me.

The game is available at the Discovery Store for $29.95, and considering the excellent construction of the game, the environmental friendliness of the parts, and the overall engaging aspects for kids, I'd say that's a reasonable price. More reviews of this game can be found here.

(c) Creature Bug 2008. All rights reserved.

A Clean Toilet Goes a Long Ways

A book review brought to you by Parent Bloggers Network...

Shortly before Sydney was born, some of my former students threw a baby shower for me. They were all poor college students, and the party was where a few of them were living in a not-quite-fabulous apartment in Corvallis. Despite being college students and despite not having lots of money, I distinctly remember the yummy food, the good conversation, and A CLEAN BATHROOM. Honestly, if I had gone into labor I think I could have delivered in that bathroom, although I will say that the lighting wasn't great and the color of the tile wasn't exactly flattering. But hey, there was a pre-nursing student in the midst, so I would have been okay.

Clearly, these were students not raised by wolves.

Their ability to clean a bathroom and host a party notwithstanding, as young adults they would certainly enjoy reading Were You Raised By Wolves? Clues to the Mysteries of Adulthood, by Christie Mellor. I personally enjoyed reading it, and I am moderately clued in to adulthood. Kinda. At least, I'm responsible for small people, so that has to count for something. AND, AND! I save money, which was an entire chapter in the book.

Humorously written in a tone more like a funny older sister than a distantly polite Emily Post, Were You Raised by Wolves captures many of the elements we sometimes assume young people should know, but don't. Even I learned quite a few nifty tricks. As a sidenote that's not completely random, but is still a little bit, I have to tell you that today I received a Thank You card from one of my students who took my class this semester. Not only is it refreshing to see a young adult writing a thank you card for a class she took (for a grade!), but I was tickled pink because I love getting cards. Makes my day.

The book covers important topics--like being polite--as well as helpful cooking tips and amazing uses for baking soda (which inspired me to scrub my kitchen sink until it sparkled), good manners and good fashion, being a good-houseguest and being a polite individual, and creating your own holiday traditions as well as creating a sound budget. And for those who can't be bothered with important things like reading, Mellor fills her book with clever illustrations:

• how to shake hands: firm, look her in the eyes
• how to make a bed properly: ooh! I knew this one! pattern-side down on the top sheet so you can fold it over and make it look just like a Pottery Barn bed
• how to make Christmas ornaments: Q-TIPS! Cereal Boxes!
• how to sew on a button (while we're talking about using metal instruments, how about this nifty tip: "Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your hem and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress." Cool.)

Since the book was just hanging out in our living room, Rebekah the World's Best Nanny took a look-see through it and promptly declared it hilarious and clever. She is actually one of those college students who will make a remarkably responsible adult (since she's already a remarkably responsible adult), yet she still learned things from the book. We're hoping that her other place of employment (twig downtown) will carry the book for sale.

In the interest of full disclosure (and knowing the world views of many of my readers), I'll mention the fact there is one element of language in the book which is written in the context of "don't say this." I'm not mentioning it because I happen to be someone who belongs to--as the book puts it--a "certain fundamentalist religious sect," but because I'd want you to be comfortable with that fact before buying the book for your soon-to-graduate niece. That's all I have to say about that.

That so many of my former high school students are now finishing up college, plus I teach college students, and my brother is graduating from BSU in a few weeks with a graduate degree in kinesiology means that I should be giving this book to more than half the people I know. That's a lot of books. But since I'm following Ms. Mellor's advice on the importance of saving money so that we can build a house, I'll just buy copies for my brother and my favorite students, and give the rest of those fabulous new adults thoughtful cards and a high-five.

The book concludes with the perfect word of encouragement:

"Be a kind and thoughtful person. Don't forget to drink water and wear a hat in the sun, but don't always come inside when it's raining. Splash in a few puddles and enjoy the showers, so you'll appreciate the sunshine that much more." --Christie Mellor

I may have to borrow that quote for those cards I'll be sending out.

*****

(c) Creature Bug 2008. All rights reserved.

Earth Hour Tonight: 8pm - 9pm

From the official site:

On March 29, 2008 at 8 p.m., join millions of people around the world in making a statement about climate change by turning off your lights for Earth Hour, an event created by the World Wildlife Fund.

....We invite everyone throughout North America and around the world to turn off the lights for an hour starting at 8 p.m. (your own local time)–whether at home or at work, with friends and family or solo, in a big city or a small town.

If you haven't already heard of this, it's a bit last minute on the notice, I know, but hey! you can always do it tomorrow. Every light counts.

Clean Green

A few months ago I read an article in some parenting magazine (take your pick of the half dozen I collect at random locations) about the dangers of cleaning solvents on countertops. Or rather, the danger it poses for kids...not actually for countertops. While of course I'm not washing the girls' hands off with bleach or anything, I hadn't ever really thought about cleaners getting on their hands just from touching the countertops. I do try to be careful. Since I started showering with Jules, I stopped spraying the shower with cleaner after we're done because I don't want her to breathe the fumes (even though it's really put a wrinkle in my cleaning routine). Sometimes I can't even get my mind around all the cautionary tales given to parents about poisons, and pesticides, and cleanicides, and electricides and whoknowswhatcides. What's worse? The cleaner or the germs?

So, I stopped using those handy dandy Clorox wipes to clean the kitchen and started using regular soap and water. I doubt it's as effective, but it can't be all bad. Sure, there are "Green" cleaning products out there that are safe for kids but bad for germs. The thing is, I'm pretty skeptical about cleaners that call themselves "Green." To me, if you can eat it (baking soda, vinegar) it's green. If you can't eat it, then I don't know.

Nevertheless, I found myself at the store one day looking at the shelves of All Natural cleaning products. Sydney and I had a good discussion about the merits of All Natural products.

Me: Should I get this new cleaning product?
Syd: I want the pink bottle.
Me: The pink bottle has poison in it. It'll melt the polar ice caps...or hurt the salmon...or something.
Syd: ...
Me: What do you think?
Syd: I like the pink one.

Yep. We're deep thinkers around here. In the end, I didn't get anything.

The one I had thought about getting--Clorox GreenWorks--seemed like it might be okay. It wasn't more expensive than the other cleaners, and it listed all the ingredients in the product, which a lot of other cleaners don't since it's not required. Somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind, I recalled hearing that GreenWorks was safer around children than other cleaners. And according to the GreenWorks website, it's better for the environment too.

For reasons that might have involved a screaming baby in the grocery cart, I didn't end up purchasing GreenWorks that day I saw it at the store, but then I managed to score myself a free bottle of the Natural All-Purpose Cleaner (and the Natural Glass and Surface Cleaner) through Mom Central so I could try it out and see how it works.

As far as how it works? Well, it works just fine. It cleans up nicely, has a sweet little lemony fragrance, and the glass cleaner doesn't leave any streaks. It didn't leave any residue on the countertops, a common problem I have with some cleaning products. I've been using it in the kitchen and bathroom all week and don't have any complaints.

As far as it being natural and eco-friendly? It got an endorsement from Sierra Club, and is recognized by the EPA for its safer chemistry. That's cool. However, as this San Francisco Chronicle article (that I found thanks to The Not Quite Crunchy Parent) makes an interesting point:

...some other activist groups raised questions about Clorox's overall environmental commitment - given that its Green Works products remain outnumbered by its conventional cleaners.

"We'd like to see them incorporate these practices into all their products," said Erin Thompson, campaign organizer for Women's Voices for the Earth, a Montana-based group that advocates for fewer chemicals in cleaning products. "Why sell one set of products that have hazardous ingredients and others that don't?"

Nevertheless, a step in the right direction is still a good step. Maybe I'm not cynical enough to be skeptical about Big Businesses...selling Green products...at Walmart. I'm just happy that there's a natural (or at least, more natural than the other stuff) cleaning product that I can buy at the store.

Tips for cleaning Green:

• National Geographic's Green Guide indicating top cleaning products to avoid (hint: get plant-based cleaners)
• Women's Voices for the Earth has a report of household hazards.
• Bay Area Pollution Prevention Guide has a brochure indicating Safe Cleaning Practices.
• check out my friend Erin's post about natural cleaning products.

At any rate, I think it's important to think about the stuff we clean with. So, there's my speech about that.

ON A TOTALLY UNRELATED NOTE, it's March and you know what that means? NCAA tournament time! I'll be hosting my traditional bracket, so be ready.

*****

(c) Creature Bug 2008. All rights reserved.

Observe

Tonight I feel a bit worn down and tired. I think it's because of the frantic cleaning I did this morning, a child's birthday party at Chuck E Cheese this afternoon (hello overwhelming experience!), church this evening, and then more frantic cleaning after the girls went to bed. It could be any of that, all of that, or it might just be the exhaustion from an emotional church service.

It was a wonderful service, albeit a bit different than what we're normally used to since this is our first time attending our church's Saturday evening service. For the most part, we are strictly 11 am Sunday service attenders because it allows for us to spend our mornings together, enjoying breakfast, without rushing around. I've had friends say they don't like 11 am service because then they feel like church "takes up their whole day," a sentiment that makes me chuckle. Ah, we Americans do like our church services short and convenient.

But, enough about church services. I didn't get on here tonight to write about that. Not exactly anyway. Only that one of the things I noticed about the service tonight was that--like every other church service I've attended on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday--there was no mention of Lent. This isn't unusual, nor did it bother me at all, considering the church denominations I've been part of (Foursquare, Baptist, Calvary Chapel, respectively for each decade of my life). Most mainline evangelical Protestants aren't big on the Lent thing, probably because it seems like a very Catholic experience, and as this Slate article pointed out, John Calvin (a big name in Protestant churches) thought that Lent was a "superstitious observance," maybe because there's no scriptural mandate for observing it.

I'd never even heard of Lent until three years ago when I read about it on someone's blog (which I'd link except she's no longer blogging). She only mentioned it in passing--writing about cleaning out her cupboards of certain foods--but the idea took root in my mind. It was already a couple days into Lent, but I decided to give up chocolate that year.

I gave up chocolate again the next year, and then last year I gave up chocolate and candy. Even though traditionally there are other food restrictions regarding Lent, I don't follow those because they aren't meaningful (or sacrificial considering our one-income budget prevents us from eating much meat anyway). I wanted to give up something that I enjoy. And even though I read somewhere that giving up chocolate was "trivial" it was far from it for me. I eat chocolate every. single. day. Sometimes it's only a handful of chocolate chips, sometimes it's a cup of hot chocolate. It's one of the small daily pleasures I indulge in.

This year, however, I've been thinking a lot more about Lent and what I wanted to fast from. I keep asking myself, "What should I give up that distracts me from my faith and my family?"

As I pondered, I did some online research.

• I bought a devotional book called Small Surrenders that looks promising, and I'm considering going through Purpose Driven Life as well since it follows the 40-days pattern, and Lent is close to 40 days (with the Sundays it becomes 46 days).
• I came across this post from Internet Monk that provides lots of resources.
• Last year I utilized the Creighton website Praying Lent, and they have it running again for 2008.
• Sydney and I will be going through her Family Countdown to Easter book again.

Just like I wrote last year, there's nothing extra spiritual about me practicing Lent. I do it because it makes Easter seem more meaningful, and because I have found that deliberately fasting from something brings focus to my faith. Not only that, but this year I really want to focus praying for those who I know have serious needs, including Jack, Darian, Logan, Amanda.

I decided this week what I'm giving up for Lent, and it's not going to be easy. I've struggled a bit with my decision, but tonight at church I realized that it's not about what I'm giving up, but what I'll be receiving: grace, forgiveness, and joy. God may call me to give up something, but He's always ready to fill the void with something even better. Amen.

And so Wednesday, Lent begins.

*****

(c) 2008 Creature Bug. All rights reserved.

Scraped

Want a story about treachery, thievery, and blackmail? A story fraught with danger and deceit?

Yeah, well. That story ain't here. But I can tell you the story of how I discovered other people making money off my bloggy stuff. It's not super exciting, but it'll have to do for the weekend's entertainment.

So, last week when I was checking up on my Technorati profile I happened to glance through the page that lists sites that have linked to little ole' Creature Bug. I recognized all the sites as belonging to people I know except four. I checked out those four pages and discovered that while they did, in fact, have me linked as the source to the post they were duplicating on their site, the post was surrounded by Google Ads and the whole thing smacked of "making money off my work." I normally love other bloggers linking back to me, but this was not along those lines at all.

I know in my last post I said something about plagiarism, but what these sites did wasn't exactly plagiarism (which is when you take someone's work and call it your own). What happened to Jenny at Absolutely Bananas was plagiarism. (Read her whole awful ordeal here.) This was more along the lines of copyright infringement. It's a form of scraping, and in my case the issue might happen like this:

• I have a post called "Pictures from Camden" (two of the sites chose this post)
• The "link site" takes this post and puts it on their blog (with a courtesy link back to me)
• Someone goes to Google and searches for "pictures from camden" and up pop a dozen places to choose from, including mine and the link site's.
• Someone goes to the link site, sees my post and then maybe ends up here afterall.

No, big deal really. Except in the part where someone goes to the link site instead of coming here. That additional step means that someone else might be making money off my posts. They also might have objectionable content on their site that I wouldn't like to be associated with. If it sounds confusing, this post at Blogging Basics 101 explains it much better than I could.

I have now started a folder in my Favorites Center called Thievery, where I am collecting helpful links in my effort to protect my content, as well as the links to the sites that scraped my content.

• Whois Source helped me look up the owners of the domains that were illegally linking me. I obtained email addresses for three of the four sites through Whois.
• I searched for copies of my webpage using Copyscape (came up clean)
• I found a helpful article on what to do when someone copies material from my blog.

Unfortunately, Typepad doesn't offer a "permanent signature line" feature where I wouldn't have to type in the copyright info at the bottom of every post, so that I will do manually. Including the copyright info at the bottom of each post is really only effective against individuals who might take your entire RSS feed and refeed it into their mirror site. Hopefully Typepad will start providing this feature because I know I'll forget to include that copyright info on my posts.

So. That's the ordeal. I wasn't going to do anything about it until I read the post at Absolutely Bananas, and then I decided to at least try some of the tactics she suggests. The end result is that I emailed three of the four, and two of the sites have taken down the post (yay!). One site continues to have my Pictures of Camden post up, even though I emailed AND commented on the post. The fourth site I don't really have any way of contacting. A bogus email address is on their Whois records, and the site itself has no email or comment capabilities. To top it all off, the ISP for the site is in Russia. Call me a product of the eighties, but I have little faith that me emailing an ISP in Russia will motivate them to get a site to remove my link. I'm not pursuing it. But you're welcome to try if you like--here's the page. (I don't see any ads, so I don't think they'll generate any revenue from you clicking through. I can't quite figure out what the point of the site is.)

I kind of feel like I ought to be more irritated than I am, but I'm not. For one thing, I knew when I signed up for this kind of writing that there was always going to be the possibility of someone taking my work. For me, it goes with the territory. Certainly, I'm not going to take thievery lying down...I'll add my watermark on photos and my copyright link at the bottom of posts. I'll email and badger and do sleuth work every once in awhile (like Googling certain phrases from my posts to see if they pop up anywhere they shouldn't).

However, it's quite possible that someone out there has taken a photo of mine, resubmitted it as their own, and is making money and/or a great story out of it. I know bloggers that have had this happen to them, and some of them even stopped blogging because of it. Very understandable since there's a strong "creepy" factor to people taking bits and pieces of your life.

For me, though, I'm just going to keep plugging along. For one thing, if I'm always worried about my content then it would take all the fun out of hanging out here. Even though it irritates me that these sites took something from me, they aren't really taking anything from my life. I'm still the one living it. For another thing, my list of fears is a mile long anyway and I just can't add any blog related items to that list. It'd drive me crazy and make me lose sleep. Meh. I prefer sanity, and we all know how much I love my sleep.

Speaking of which...I forgot. I've been up since 4 this morning. Maybe I should go to sleep.

Final suggestions for foiling potential thieves:

• watermark your photos
• add a copyright signature to the end of every post (or you could just do that "partial post" thing where only part of your post shows up in a reader, but I hate that. I know some of you swear by it, but my secret confession is that sometimes I don't end up reading the post if you don't have the whole thing displayed).
• sign your blog up on Technorati so you can see who is linking to you
• Remember: you can't live in fear because that means they win (see, I'm also a product of the 21st century)

Also remember, don't steal. It's not nice. The end. And have a great weekend, plagiarism free!

*****

(c) 2008 by Creature Bug. All rights reserved.

Heart

Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart.  ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

My heart is full.

Helping Others

This week my students finished up their final presentations in which they had to deliver a persuasive speech (using the handy dandy Monroe's Motivated Sequence) urging their listeners to take action on some issue. Even though I love listening to almost all of the speeches they deliver over the course of the semester (except the group speech, which is painfully long and unexciting), their final speech is one my favorites. This is when students get to shine, when they get to put a whole semester's worth of knowledge to use and convince their classmates to do something. While not all the students all passionate about their topics, many choose issues that they really care about. They speak about suicide prevention, exercise, the environment, and music education. They speak about the Voice of the Martyrs, Global Expeditions, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Save the Children, and Operation Christmas Child.

As one of the students said, "You can't choose every charity; you can't fix every problem; you can't donate all your money and time. But you can do something. You can make a difference." I am sad to see these two groups of students leave me...they have been good classes.

And they have reminded me to share some of my favorite organizations and links that are doing their best to make a difference in the world. For me, my passion is global hunger. This is a topic I have been reading and praying about for many months, and even though I am just one person who cannot solve the major ills of the world, I am still one person. I can make a difference.

• Free Rice: I shared this link before, as have others all over the Internet. This is a fun and easy way for you to help make a difference in fighting global hunger. Even Jason's students work on Free Rice during their spare time in class. As you learn new words, Free Rice takes their ad revenue and donates money to the UN's World Food Programme, which in turn gives rice to those in need. Make Free Rice a habit, and FYI: there are 29,000 grains of rice in a one-pound bag.
• Food for the Hungry: works in 26 developing countries, providing disaster and emergency relief. They have a powerful interactive story in which you can experience what it is like to make life-and-death decisions in order to survive.
• ECHO: their mission is to "network with community leaders in developing countries to seek hunger solutions for families growing food under difficult solutions." Based in Ft. Myers, Florida, ECHO is one organization I know for certain is making a difference because I had the opportunity to visit the ECHO farm in 2004 when my sister was working there. The work they are doing is amazing. Consider using their Christmas Catalog to give a gift that sustains life.
• Heifer International: give a sustainable gift to a family that will help sustain them. Maybe a flock of chicks. Or a goat. One year for Christmas we gave my grandma the gift of choosing which livestock she'd like to send to a needy family. For someone who has everything, it was definitely more rewarding than a basket of lotion from Bath & Body Works.
• Global Giving: connects you to pre-screened grassroots causes and helps you donate directly to those groups. Want to provide education for AIDS orphans in India? How about supporting a girls' soccer team in Rwanda? Or giving American students access to music education? Global Giving will hook you up! 
• Bread for the World: an excellent resource in identifying what you can do to help fight social injustices as well as the global food crisis. They even have suggestions for things you can do right from your home.
• The Hunger Site: similar to FreeRice in that ad revenue goes to fight world hunger.
• End Hunger Fast: a wonderful resource (developed by Heather, one of my favorite bloggers) that gives excellent ideas on what you can do to end hunger.
• Compassion International: a child sponsorship program that strives to provide food, education, and social opportunities for impoverished children. When Sydney was born we knew that we wanted to sponsor a child, but waited until she was three years old so that we could find a child who was about the same age. We are now the proud sponsors of Gertrude from Tanzania.

And speaking of Compassion Int'l, I want to thank those of you who Commented for a Cause! Thank you Amy, Anachronism, Jen, Kim, Simona, Paige, Becca, Ally, Karen, Gretchen, Kristan, Kimberly, Danielle, Rachelle, Goslyn, Alida, Jess, Becca Banana, Megan, Rach and Liv, Kim, Andrea, Aleece, Leanne, Erin, Margaret, Lee Anderson, Kimberly, Leslie, Inkling, Suzanne, CCAP, Nancy, Katy Lewis, Amy, Molly, Stout, Katrina, Donnelle, Devon, Bananas, Sarah, Heather, Ariadne, Diana, Dad, Jeri, Alison, Kari, Lynette, and Sophie. What a blessing.

Of course, there are innumerable organizations that are making a difference in this world, but these are some of the ones that I hold near and dear to my heart. Nearly all the organizations are four-star charities according to Charity Navigator (an online resource that determines a charity's effectiveness and fiscal responsibility), so that's good to know.

I know this post has a lot of links and maybe you don't have time to look through them all, but I really encourage you to see what some of these organizations are doing. You never know what change you are capable of accomplishing unless you try. We can make a difference.

How about you? What issues speak to your heart?

From the classroom

For the past several days Jason has been teaching his students about the environment, ways to recycle, some of the research regarding global warming, etc. Since it is directed at junior high students, it's not highly indepth, but students of that age are old enough to learn how to take care of our planet and understand the value of recycling and our limited natural resources.

Yesterday, he came home from school feeling a bit down because he has had a few students come in and tell him some negative comments they have heard from their parents regarding this environment unit. Comments like, "I hope he's teaching you the other side of the issue," and "What on earth are they teaching you at that school?! Nothing." Additionally, parents are upset that Jason showed some clips from An Inconvenient Truth, presumably because the film features Al Gore and so that *must* make the whole thing a bunch of hogwash.

Okay, so maybe some people don't believe in global warming. Whatever. But to think that teaching students about recycling and limited natural resources is a bad idea? Right. Don't recycle. Litter everywhere. Use as much paper as you possibly can. Leave your lights on all the time and the water too. Good idea.

It's a good thing I don't have a teaching position where I interact with parents anymore. Because even though I've matured in some areas, I'm not sure if I could keep myself from saying unprofessional things toward them. All I can say: some people are ridiculous.

For our Troops

Our church runs a program called Love Boxes for Our Troops, and so I picked up the names of two soldiers, and this week filled each box with snacks and magazines. Sydney even colored a Thanksgiving picture and said, "This is for the soldiers," so I tucked it away in the boxes.

Sometimes I feel pretty helpless to do anything about this war that we are in, but I can fill a box with candy and beef jerky, I can write a thank-you note, I can remember to pray. That's something. To those who have served and are serving our country: Thank You.

I wrote this post for Veteran's Day last year, and it is still what's on my mind today.

*****

During the Korean War, my grandpa served as a captain of the Third Combat Engineer Battalion. Towards the end of the war, in 1951, he was attempting to hold off the main body of an enemy division from crossing a road until reinforcements could arrive. But as enemy strength built up, part of his company began fleeing down the road in retreat. As my grandpa chased after his frightened troops, a bullet passed through both of his legs, leaving him bleeding in the trenches and fully exposed to the enemy.

To the shouts of "Man down!" echoing all around him, medical aids rushed to his side and tried to get him out of there.

But he refused.

He insisted that he hold position and stay with his men and fight until he was assured that the troops would hold. He would rather have died serving his country than leave his men unprotected.

After he was certain that the line would hold, he obtained a vehicle with another officer and they drove after the frightened troops who were fleeing to the mountains. When he was able to cut them off, he propped himself up against the truck and ordered his men to return back to enemy lines and fight. With the use of his legs lost, he returned to battle in the vehicle and remained there until reinforcements arrived.

My grandpa survived that war, just as he had survived World War II. He survived long enough to chase his grandchildren and great-grandchild around, and when he died the day before my 29th birthday it was a great loss indeed. Not just to his family and friends, but also to his country. The war that he fought in might be considered the Forgotten War, but certainly his service and valor continue to be remembered by many.

I remember also the other men and women who have served or are serving in the armed forces. I remember that though I may debate the rationality of today's war in the middle east, I cannot deny the reality of the danger our soldiers face.

Today I remember. Today I say thank you. Today I hope is a day that brings our soldiers that much closer to returning home.

(Thank you to my little brother Jacob for doing most of the write-up of my grandpa's story. I was so proud of you when you read it at his funeral.)

(Illustration at top of the post courtesy of Cameron Cardow via Slate.com)

Comment for a Cause

Because I occasionally check my sitemeter, I happen to know that NaBloPoMo is bringing a few visitors to my crazy little blog home.  And, I suspect, people who regularly stop by here might be stopping by a bit more frequently since they are guaranteed to find a new post every day. Not very often do I post every day. In fact, I try to make a habit of only doing it in November because I actually have a rule against posting every day. (It's a funny little rule, that requires a lengthy explanation which I might have to write about someday.)

All that being said, I figured since I'm going to the trouble of writing every day it would be lovely to have just a better idea of who all happens to stop by for a little read here at Creature Bug. So, perhaps you could do me a huge favor: leave a comment.

Not just any comment, and not just because I like comments (which I do as most bloggers do. They're such a happy little part of my life and I really wish I could comment more frequently on other people's blogs because it's a nice thing to do). I'd like to provide you with an incentive to comment, and I should note that this is an idea I got from Glory Laine.

By commenting on this post, not only do I learn a little something about you, but for every comment I receive I will donate $1 to Compassion International, a child sponsorship program that takes care of children in third-world countries. Just recently Jason and I have decided to "adopt" a child through Compassion International, specifically a little girl who lives in Sub-Saharan Africa. Because Jason taught health for a few years, and also currently teaches world cultures, he has a particular sensitivity to children who live in areas affected by AIDS/HIV. Did you know that 63% of people infected with HIV live in Sub-Saharan Africa? It's devastatingly tragic.

What should you write in your comment? Whatever you like, but maybe you could tell me what you ate today, or what book you last read, or movie you've most enjoyed--these are all activities that children all over the world did not do today and hopefully can remind us that even the Corn Chex cereal I had for dinner tonight was a better meal than some people had.

Whether you've been around here for a long time, or are just clicking through; whether you have a blog or not; whether you know me or not--I encourage you to comment for a cause. (PS: No registering with Typepad is required.) And then go check out Compassion International and consider sponsoring a child. November is a good month to remember the blessings we have and find opportunities to share those blessings with others.

**I will keep this post open until the end of the month or until I get 150 comments--whichever comes first.**

Extraordinary

A colleague of mine emailed me the above video clip. He wrote: "May we see our students as having great potential regardless of how they appear on the surface and help them pursue the dreams God has given them."

I cannot be reminded often enough that ordinary people always have extraordinary dreams.

PS: (I realize that my UK friends will have already seen this video, but I just saw it for the first time last week.) This gentleman, Paul Potts, went on to win the competition. A true testimony of a resilient dreamer who didn't give up.

Similarities

It wasn't until I was reading through blogs tonight that I remembered the significance of the day. I had thought about it this weekend, but it completely slipped my mind as I went about the day baking cookies for my students (they gave their first speeches today), making jello dessert (Jason's favorite), getting Sydney's glasses fixed (Jules broke them last week), and calling the insurance company (they don't cover the damaged pipes).

The only similarities between then and now:

• Six years ago: I was teaching. Today: I was teaching.
• Six years ago: I felt sick to my stomach all day long. Today: Even though I felt good all morning, the afternoon knocked me out with the stomach flu. I even had to dismiss my students early because I nearly fainted. I couldn't manage to drive all the way home without having to pull the car over and find a bag. Ugh.

Even though having the flu is horrid, I realized tonight that there could be worse things. Being sick to my stomach is better than being sick at heart. Perspective is a good thing.

Follow up

Yesterday I was able to mentally skirt around thinking about the VTU tragedy too much. Today, as I drove onto campus to teach class, I got a little more emotional. I cannot imagine something like this happening at my school. I cannot imagine losing an entire classroom of students to a senseless act of violence. After a quick assessment of the somber mood in my classroom, I purposely changed my lesson plan to be more on the fun side. Who ever heard of a speech class marching around the classroom reciting introductions? I say, whatever works.

Collegiate news travels fast on account of email, and my inbox has been filling up with many stories related to yesterday's events. One of the emails came from a colleague of mine (Dr. Wright, for you WB alum) whose granddaughter is student at VTU. She would have been in the building where the shooting occurred, except that her classes didn't start until 10 am. From the email: "[Our granddaughter] wrote today that one of her girl friends with whom she attends a Bible study was one of the victims. Also, she is majoring in German as well as International Relations and her German professor was the first professor to be killed. She thought the world of him and so is very traumatized." Her parents are flying out to be with her tomorrow.

I have stayed away from watching the news and stayed away from reading the news. I'm already feeling the emotional effects without making it worse. However, today I was listening to some of the reports on NPR while I drove home from school. They were talking about the life of Professor Liviu Librescu, 76, who died while blocking the door from the shooter while students were able to escape through the window. Dr. Librescu was born in Romania and is a survivor of the Holocaust. He died on Holocaust Remembrance Day. His son was thinking of dropping his Romanian last name in order to make it easier for people to pronounce. He has now decided to keep it.

I won't write any more about this, mostly for my own sake. But please keep the VTU family and students in your prayers, as well as the education communities across the nation. It will be a difficult week for all of us.

Not the greatest bedtime story

Today is a sad day in Jackson County, Oregon.

Today the public libraries closed.

I heard the story on NPR yesterday, and it actually made me cry. The idea of not having a public library...I just can't imagine it. Especially in Jackson County, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, one of the most amazing cultural events in the world. Technically there's one library left since Southern Oregon University's library is remaining open, and it's evidently quite beautiful. But the federal funding that helped Jackson County keep its public libraries open is tied up in the Iraq spending bill that President Bush is planning to veto, and so there's no money left to keep open the 15 branches. Who knows when they'll reopen. Maybe May. Maybe later.

Even though university libraries are important, they lack one critical area: the children's section. We are lucky to have quite a nice children's section at our library. There's a play area, and puzzles, and pillows, and fish, and all sorts of nice librarians who smile and raise their eyebrows a lot when they talk to you. But, oh! the best thing about our library is the storytime. We love it.

Every Tuesday night we get the girls' in their pajamas and drive over to the library for Family Bedtime Storytime. For thirty minutes we listen to all sorts of wonderful stories and sing exciting songs. Sydney can now sing all the way through the opening song, "Shake My Sillies Out," and even has gotten bold enough to "wiggle her waggles away" in front of all the other kids. For the most part, Jason and I sit and relax while listening to the stories, drinking our Dutch Brother coffees (what a treat! I get a coffee every Tuesday!), and clap and laugh along with the kids.

Last week we heard about bunnies and pigs and chickens. We heard Little Bunny Foo Foo and Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready For Bed?, both entertaining. The big hit of the night, however, was The Most Wonderful Egg in the World, which the librarian told with chicken props. I have discovered even more wonderful stories through story time, like our new favorite Llama Llama Red Pajama. The librarian storyteller is wonderful. I love how she interjects her own version into the story a little bit so that the kids understand the pictures better. I love how she opens her eyes wide at the exciting parts. I love how she asks the kids questions as they read through it. And I love that Sydney feels comfortable enough around her to be able to go up and get the hand stamp that all the kids get at the end of story time.

Even though we read a lot to Sydney (she gets at least 30 minutes every night with Jason before bed, and more than twice that from me throughout the day), I think it's important that she gets to go to the library for storytime. The most important thing you can do for your child's developing mind is to read to them, and second to that is having other people read to them. As Strickland Gillilan wrote in "The Reading Mother,"

You may have tangible wealth untold:
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be --
I had a mother who read to me.

I grew up with my dad reading us stories, and my mom taking us to the library. I loved reading, and I loved the library. When I went on to teach I was lucky enough to work at a school who had an amazing librarian. So amazing that when she left I only ended up staying at that school one more year. English teachers need good librarians or their jobs become substantially more difficult.

I'm thankful that Sydney gets to go to the library every Tuesday and listen to stories and check out books and say hi to the fishies (which she does faithfully every week). I wish all kids -- everywhere -- were as lucky as she is. But to have the libraries in my own state close down? It's just so sad it makes me want to drive the four hours down there and read to those kids myself.

Somebody needs to.

Observance

Jason knows me well enough to know what I like. For Valentine's Day he got me chocolate. But not just chocolate. Black and white mousse torte from the Konditerai, my favorite dessert restaurant here in town.

And not just a slice, my chocolate loving friends. Oh no. He got me an entire cake--fourteen inches in diameter.

Never mind that one slice probably has about a million fat grams, let alone a whole cake. It was yummy, "was" being the operative word there. Got the cake Wednesday evening, gone by Saturday night. When it comes to eating dessert, we don't mess around. Of course, since Jason is training for a marathon he's already burned off all the calories, whereas I have embraced the calories. Or rather, my waist has embraced them with the greatest of affections. Yee haw.

It was just as well that we finished it, since Lent starts on Wednesday, and I'm giving up chocolate again this year. I was doing some research online today regarding observing Lent, and Jason astutely pointed out, "You're not Catholic."

Indeed, I am very much an Evangelical. Grew up half pentecostal, half Conservative Baptist (how's that for an interesting blend?), went to a Baptist college, and spent this morning at a Calvary Chapel church where we have attended the last ten years. There's very little liturgy in my background, although I can appreciate faiths that have strong liturgical aspects.

And I certainly appreciate the tradition of Lent that the Catholic church has passed down. The act of giving up something, the reminder of a greater sacrifice, the focus on preparing for Easter. Most evangelicals don't practice Lent, because of historical reasons, and for other theological reasons. However, I think there's a lot of value--and not just religious value--in spending several weeks reflecting on life, on faith, on sacrifice.

I'm really excited about observing Lent this year, even though I'm not doing the full observance of fasting and no-meat-Fridays (we hardly ever eat meat anyway). However, in my own way I'm participating, and I found an excellent online resource to help guide me through the next seven weeks. I convinced Jason to observe Lent this year too, plus Sydney and I will be going through the Family Countdown to Easter ("Momma! It has stickers! STICKERS!") since she's old enough to do some of the activities and understand some of the ideas about Easter.

Obviously, me observing Lent doesn't make me a better person than someone who doesn't observe it. I'm not doing it to gain points with God; I'm not doing it out of a sense of obligation; I'm not doing it to impress other people. I'm doing it because I want to, because my life needs this right now. Maybe next year we won't observe Lent, but this year...

...well, eat some chocolate for me. Better yet, eat some black and white mousse torte. It's so good.

Free Hugs

"Be kind, for every one you meet is fighting a battle." --John Watson

Even if you're like me, and you rarely click on outside links, I encourage you to watch this Free Hugs video. I watched it this morning (thanks Ally Bean for the link!) and it made my day.

It made me stop and think about the power of the small deeds: an email, a comment, a phone call, a letter, a smile, a kind word, a hug. It inspired me to think, "What else can I do to encourage others in the midst of their battles?"

Let us never underestimate the good that we can do in a world that needs hope.

Remembering to say Thanks

During the Korean War, my grandpa served as a captain of the Third Combat Engineer Battalion. Towards the end of the war, in 1951, he was attempting to hold off the main body of an enemy division from crossing a road until reinforcements could arrive. But as enemy strength built up, part of his company began fleeing down the road in retreat. As my grandpa chased after his frightened troops, a bullet passed through both of his legs, leaving him bleeding in the trenches and fully exposed to the enemy.

To the shouts of "Man down!" echoing all around him, medical aids rushed to his side and tried to get him out of there.

But he refused.

He insisted that he hold position and stay with his men and fight until he was assured that the troops would hold. He would rather have died serving his country than leave his men unprotected.

After he was certain that the line would hold, he obtained a vehicle with another officer and they drove after the frightened troops who were fleeing to the mountains. When he was able to cut them off, he propped himself up against the truck and ordered his men to return back to enemy lines and fight. With the use of his legs lost, he returned to battle in the vehicle and remained there until reinforcements arrived.

My grandpa survived that war, just as he had survived World War II. He survived long enough to chase his grandchildren and great-grandchild around, and when he died the day before my 29th birthday it was a great loss indeed. Not just to his family and friends, but also to his country. The war that he fought in might be considered the Forgotten War, but certainly his service and valor continue to be remembered by many.

I remember also the other men and women who have served or are serving in the armed forces. I remember that though I may debate the rationality of today's war in the middle east, I cannot deny the reality of the danger our soldiers face.

Today I remember. Today I say thank you. Today I hope is a day that brings our soldiers that much closer to returning home.

(Thank you to my little brother Jacob for doing most of the write-up of my grandpa's story. I was so proud of you when you read it at his funeral.)

(Illustration at top of the post courtesy of Cameron Cardow via Slate.com)

The end is near

No, not this end (which produced an audible gasp from me).

Or this end.

Or even this.

I'm talking about the end of non-stop phone calls (I got one at 8 AM this morning!). The end of my mail box being stuffed full of fliers. The end of mud-slinging TV ads.

That's right. It's the end of another election. Whew!

In Oregon we mail in our ballots, so technically I could have voted weeks ago and all this frantic last minute campaigning wouldn't have any effect on me. But of course I didn't vote until today, and unless I get over to the county elections office by 8 PM tonight I still won't have voted. As soon as Jason gets home, though, we're going to drop off our ballots. And then we'll be finished. All done. Another gubernatorial election year come and gone (Jason's favorite thing about this year is being able to say "gubernatorial" all the time).

There were a few issues/people I felt strongly about, but for the most part I don't care how things turn out. I had planned on reading up on all the issues with Jason, but then ran out of time. So I admit I just looked at Jason's ballot and voted how he voted. Yeah. Score one for the feminist movement.

And tomorrow, let the political pundits begin speculation. And let the clean-up crew start recycling all those fliers. Whatever it is, just don't call me about it.

A Rush of Idiocy

Sometimes the only real news that I get during the day is in the early morning hours when the alarm goes off and I get to listen to the reports on NPR for a few moments before Sydney starts discussing what cereal she wants for breakfast. (Is it nerdy to wake up to NPR? Maybe.) It's usually difficult for me to really process what's being said, but I take it in and let it simmer on the brain for awhile.

Such is the case of this week's story involving Rush Limbaugh.

The summary:

Rush Limbaugh accused actor Michael J. Fox, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, of "exaggerating the effects of the disease" in a recent campaign advertisement for Missouri Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill. Limbaugh added that "this is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting, one of the two."

Most of the time, I pay little attention to anything Limbaugh says because I think he's an idiot (which is not to say that people who listen to him are idiots, only that I don't get the appeal). It's not just my politics that make me feel this way. I'm a Republican (although, as my brother-in-law says, "A very disappointing one"). And, like Limbaugh, I also don't support stem-cell research, which is what Michael J. Fox is encouraging voters to support in this ad. But generally speaking, most of what Limbaugh has to say is pure nonsense and why bother myself with someone like that?

This time, however, his rumblings hit a nerve with me. Not only did I think about all it week, but I was so moved after watching Fox's interview with Katie Couric (thanks for the link, Diane!) I feel compelled to write something. Even though I might disagree with the ethics of embryonic stem-cell research, I fully understand why people are pushing for its approval. Limbaugh, in calling Fox's reality "entertainment," seems to have little respect for a man imploring people to support research that might find a cure to the disease that is killing him.

Earlier this year--after a series of hospitalizing falls--Jason's grandma was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. She is on medication now, which has seemed to help quite a bit. My own grandma--the one that Sydney loves to a million bits and pieces--doesn't have Parkinson's but has symptoms that make it seem like she does. There aren't any medications she can take, and so for the last few decades she has had to endure the tremors. I am not naive nor ignorant to the possible benefits of stem-cell research, but for various reasons (mostly religious) I choose not to support it.

When Michael J. Fox went on the air, displaying symptoms of Parkinson's, Limbaugh was brazen enough to call the symptoms an exaggeration and a disguise of reality. I wonder exactly how many people Limbaugh has encountered with Parkinson's to know what reality is?

The reality is Fox and other sufferers of Parkinson's endure a daily onslaught of tremors and shakes. The reality is there is no cure for Parkinson's disease. The reality is medications only help mask their symptoms, making them appear "normal" when in truth they aren't.

The other reality is that people should not check their compassion at the door when they decide whether or not to support stem-cell research. I applaud Michael J. Fox for putting a very public face on Parkinson's disease, just as I applauded Christopher Reeve for staying in the public despite his disability. It doesn't change my mind about opposing stem-cell research, but as Slate columnist William Saletan writes:

"If you worry about the embryos, you had bloody well better look into the eyes of the people dying of these diseases. You had better ask yourself whether slowing research that might save them is an acceptable price for your principles."

Both Fox and Reeves help remind us that our principles and our humanity should be intertwined, and we need to clearly weigh the consequences of voting for or against anything that involves ethical issues.

Unfortunately for us, Limbaugh only reminds us how prejudice and heartless some people really are. And what a sad reminder that is.

Capitalism and Education

Did anybody see 20/20 on Friday night? It was about the state of American public education, and what a sad state we are in. The basic premises: money isn't the solution for public education, unions are not serving the students, and the education system ought to be capitalistic rather than socialistic.

That John Stossel...he is one smart guy.

If you're interested in my unedited take on the whole thing, then click the link below. If you'd rather skip past the rant, then wait until Monday when all things parenting surface again.