Susie's Blog

2010-12-14T20:17:00.001-05:00

I always stay signed in to Blogger!!!!

And I like to put pine nuts between my toes :-) makes me feel happy.

Henry's peanut in the lung story

2010-10-18T17:56:00.002-04:00

Cassidy Chat!

2010-04-26T17:54:00.004-04:00

gotnewsocks: ooh

too late now

i saw a crazy thing today!

i have to remember to blog aboutit!

but um

carrie and i were crossing a bridge

and a man was standing in the middle just yelling at the top of his lungs

and he had something in his hands

and carrie was like

lets get off the bridge now!

because she was remembering how like

in movies suicide bombers yell like ALLAH AKBAR! ALLAH AKBAR!

or whatever

and so we got off the bridge and just watched from a distance

and pretty soon like five guys had their arms around the yelling man

me: yes

gotnewsocks: and were helping him walk off the bridge

and they were like consoling him, we could tell

and when they got closer we saw the man's face was like

gray and he just looked so awful and clammy and dead

and we asked if everything was ok

me: oh man!

gotnewsocks: and the men like got some chairs and they all sat down and someone brought tea and they like talked it over

and then they explained to us that the man felt

"suffocated. like the weight of the world was putting pressure on him."

and so we think he was about to jump!

but AH you should have seen his face!

and like

I JUST LOVE THIS COUNTRY

the man was a college student from Yemen

and these five egyptian men

strangers

stopeed everything to sit down and have tea with this guy

me: yay!!!

gotnewsocks: to help him

and the other day i watched this video on the huffington post of a man dying on a new york sidewalk and no one stopped to help him

me: ack!

gotnewsocks: yeah

but ok

i have to go to sleep

me: SLEEP.

gotnewsocks: i really have to blog about all ths soon!

me: can I post this chat to my blog?

or send it to friends?

it's very cute

completely classic

gotnewsocks: sure!

me: yay!

blog?

gotnewsocks: the part about the man?

me: yes

gotnewsocks: yeah shre

*sure

me: yay!!!!!

thanks girl

SLEEP.

gotnewsocks: GOODNIGHT!

Early Saturday Morning

2010-04-24T06:56:00.003-04:00

It is early.

Like nearly 7am.

I got up to take the dogs out, and am now here with you, dear reader.

Jeff and Maggie are asleep beside me.

Jim is at my feet.

I love our new bed.

I love my life.

I have never been happier.

I hope you can say the same.

Spring has come to New England.

We have been here fourteen years.

Married fifteen years.

I miss Kermit and Rudy.

They seem so long ago.

I miss my Dad.

I am learning so much these days.

Every day is a new adventure.

I hope you can say the same.

MaMa...

2010-03-16T20:08:00.006-04:00

Okay Hi!

I came to the blog looking for photos. Didn't find the one I was looking for. (Matt on Sweet Thunder.) Did see all the writing I have, to date, posted. Was reminded of the specific request my own dear Mother made to me that I write again. Did decide to try harder and come aboard. Am here now.

Married 15 years this year. Want to throw ourselves a big party. You're invited!

Turning 40 this year. Want to throw myself a big party. You're invited!

Lots of travel on the docket this summer. Sort of stressful to contemplate sorting it all out. Also "plans" for the children and their summer adventures. Ack.

We have a new bed! It is a Tempurpedic bed, California King in size. We love it.

My nieces are doing quite well, thank you! Brooke is a new mom to baby Grayson! I need more pictures of this child. (hint.) Cassidy is really happy and satisfied over in Egypt; we really enjoy our visits together. Thank goodness for Skype. She owes me a Flip video or two. (hint.)

Life is very good right now. The quality index is high. I will now go and enjoy this good life of mine.

I hope to be back more often.

Good Night!

Tuesday night

2009-11-24T18:32:00.000-05:00

Waiting for Maggie to finish her chips.

TV blaring about a "geezer bandit"

Valentinos/Pizza Roma

After this to Blockbuster and Market Basket

Sent from my iPhone

Cairo on Flickr

2009-09-20T08:05:00.000-04:00

this is another good one, just searched for 'cairo' on flickr:

khan el-khalili bazaar

2009-09-20T07:57:00.002-04:00

I had a great talk with Cassidy yesterday. She went to this amazing marketplace in Cairo called the khan el-khalili bazaar and bought a guitar of some kind and an egyptian drum! These are not her pictures, but a slideshow of what search results returned at flickr for "khan el-khalili bazaar."

Note from our vacation plane ride in July

2009-09-10T17:42:00.001-04:00

S: How are you?

h: ok

S: You are a good kid. No trouble.

h: :)

S: I am so ready to get off this plane!

h: Same here.

S: Are you enjoying your book?

h: Doi!!!!!!

h: Lets keep talking like this

S: What do you want to talk about?

h: ?

S: you are the one who wanted to keep talking! So... KEEP TALKING! :-p

h: What does :-p mean?

S: I am sticking my tongue out at you.

h: Ohhhhh

S: Yesss.

h: I want a iphone

S: Who doesn't want an iPhone? They are so awesome. Your mom is the
coolest mom around because she has an iPhone.

h: Oh sure (roll of eyes)

S: LOL This is boring I want off the plane!!!! Aaarrafghgjhhhhhb!!!!

H: I @($&ing want of this plane!!!!!!!!!!

S: Agreed.

H: Are you even mad I wrote @($&.

S: Well

S: I understand why you wrote it!!!

H: Of couse

S: The end

Sent from my iPhone

How Cassidy is doing

2009-09-05T11:45:00.005-04:00

I have been in touch with Cassidy a few times and thought I would share some details with you, dear reader.

Number one is, Skype is awesome. If you haven't gotten on board yet and/or you have loved ones far away, you need to get off the rock and go with the flow.

Number two, it's been interesting to ponder the impact of technology and access to social tools like skype, chat, facebook, twitter and etc. Especially as it relates to families of students who're overseas like Cassidy. What is it that makes us presume that being able to connect instantly is bad for the student? This sort of thing.

Back in the day, if you were moving west with your new husband, very likely that was it for seeing your family of origin again. But now, you can be all the way over in Egypt visiting with your dear auntie on the computer! Kids these days (ahem), they've grown up expecting that instant access. I believe that, used properly, this sort of tool can help kids feel more confident about expanding their world.

Look at Cassidy. She's not avoiding life in Egypt by sitting with me for 10 minutes before she goes to bed and I've just come home from work. It is as much an intrusion on her daily life as a phone call; the tools are just smarter!

Having said that, I'm dying for her to supply me some visuals!!! We are sending her an extra Flip video we happen to have lying around, and she says she'll upload videos to youtube or whatever. As that happens, I will post them here.

She needs her own computer first, since her host family's computer is in her host mom's bedroom and she's just borrowing the use of it for now. There is an Apple store right down the street!

Anyway, she's doing great. Just great. It sounds as if she simply cannot believe her eyes about 9 times out of 10. There are tiny rusty boxy little cars everywhere, she talked about seeing a boy selling limes in the street, people watching a movie in an outdoor courtyard, selling food and vegetables from carts, guys strolling down the street playing drums, etc. She says she appears to be a pale oddity to most; has not laid eyes on any obvious seeming westerner. The country is more modern than you might expect; most speak some English, and all are warm and friendly towards her.

So! That's about it! I'm interested to see what's involved in sending my first care package to her, what with customs and assorted regulations about what you can ship to Egypt. ("No satanic materials.")

If you'd like her address to drop her a card or letter or something, please email me! I know she would LOVE to hear from you (whichever one of my handful of readers you are.)

Signed,

the proud auntie

found photobooth pics

2009-08-30T09:31:00.002-04:00

Fwd: HELLO, I LOVE YOU!

2009-08-30T09:21:00.003-04:00

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Cassidy C."
Date: August 30, 2009
Subject: HELLO, I LOVE YOU!

Hi, everyone!
I have arrived at my host family's house safely. This is just an email to let you know that I am here and how to reach me. Here is my address and phone number:

..
Dokki, Giza, Egypt

...

I don't know how to make international calls from the USA so you will have to figure it out. Call my cell phone any time day or night!!!!!!!!
Today I am feeling a little sick because I drank some of the tap water so I am probably going to stay at home for most of the day. At 6:30, Marina is taking me to dinner with her friends. They are Muslim and are breaking their Ramadan fast at that time. Ramadan in Egypt is amazing! Apparently 60% of Egypt's total consumed food is eaten during Ramadan. It is kind of like the days are backwards. They eat during the night and take naps during the day. Last night when I arrived here, Marina's friends came over to greet me. They told me that they volunteer at an orphanage every day and now I am going to join them! I shouldn't be on the computer very much because I should be spending time with my family so I will go now. I do feel very homesick sometimes and the only way I can fall asleep is by telling myself that I can go home whenever I want. I miss you all so much but I am having a great time! Oh, last night Shereen ordered chicken shawarma for me because she knew it was my favorite food. I felt really sick and so so so tired but I tried to eat it and smile but then I almost gagged on it and I had to tell her that I felt sick from the water and I needed to go to bed. I apologized for a really long time but both Shereen and Marina were like, "This is your home! You must feel comfortable to tell us how you feel!" This morning I was woken up by the Muslim call to prayer. I have pictures to show you, also, but that will have to wait.
I love you all so much!!!!
Love,
Cassidy

Cassidy made it to Egypt

2009-08-28T15:40:00.001-04:00

Hi, real quick -

Cassidy called Lanie and Lanie called me and now I'm writing to you.

Cassidy managed to sleep much of the way to Germany. The airport in Germany was super spiffy, apparently. The plane from Germany to Cairo was very fancy, with TVs for every seat!

As for Cairo, it is, apparently, 'ah-MAYYYYY-zing!!!'

Reports of lots of small boxy cars, folks in muslim garb and perfect weather. They had their first Egyptian meal and it was completely delicious. She and the others in her group are at a hostel in Cairo until tomorrow, when she'll meet her host mother and continue on with her journey!

Lanie said she sounded very strong, so. YAY!

That is all.

Short but sweet

2009-08-20T20:30:00.002-04:00

Item:

• Seattle was great fun.

• Serah's wedding was beautiful.

(more here)

• I finally set foot in Katie's house! Yay!

• The waterpark in Renton, WA is awesome.

• I love my family!

• Brooke and Greg are having a baby!
• Cassidy leaves on her Egyptian adventure next week!
• next week!
• with her permission I will post emails she sends us from Egypt.
• Maggie starts kindergarten next week, Henry starts fourth!

• I recently turned 39.
• When Marcia was here we laughed and laughed down at the Legion.
• this blog slips my mind now a days
• I am for health care reform

Sent from my iPhone

2009-07-18T17:44:00.001-04:00

The kids and I are leaving for Seattle tomorrow! Jeff left this
afternoon. I am turning laundry and will be packing tonight! Can't
wait to see everybody!!

Sent from my iPhone

Sunday evening

2009-07-05T20:07:00.005-04:00

After all that rain, we have had a beautiful holiday weekend here in southern New Hampshire. I heard somewhere about how the mosquitoes for next week are going to be, like, four years worth of mosquitoes. (here's something on it.) And Henry has a wilderness workshop week of camp starting tomorrow! Gak. Luckily his cast comes off this Wednesday afternoon. I will have to set out some industrial strength bug sauce for the morning.

This camp sounds pretty awesome. It's called Wild Ways, I just discovered the guy's website. Check this out, it sounds fun:

Dan Mac heads various Primitive Skills and Wilderness Workshops for different age groups throughout the year. Specific Schedules and Descriptions of events will be posted soon. In general our ongoing areas of exploration include:

Primitive and Advanced Shelter Construction
Fire Starting and Fire Keeping techniques
Wilderness Water Acquisition and Purification
Primitive Navigation and Lost Proofing
Animal Tracks and Sign
Story Telling
Trekking, Hiking, Sauntering
Plant and Tree Identification (including techniques for procuring useful materials and avoiding dangerous ones)
Wood Craft
Self Defense
Camouflage
Stalking Games
Buck Skinning
Leather Craft
Making Cordage
Observation Techniques
Primal Community Cooperation (Positive Pack Mentality)
Individual Rites of Passage
Group Spirit Quests (Mythic Adventures)

Cool, right? I bet he will love it. Stinks that he has to ditch the last half of the day on Wednesday to get the cast off, but at least the cast is coming off!

In other news, we have our rats! Thomas Jefferson (Jeff), John Adams (Adam), and George Washington (Washington). They are pretty cute and certainly curious. I think I may take one out and hang out with him free from distraction tonight.

What I've observed about rats so far, particularly these rats: Curious. Working full time with their whiskers to check things out. Jim is curious and friendly in a very socially appropriate way, I think. Charlie could care less. Rats poop. I would like to see them learn to poop in the litter tray of rabbit food I've got for them, we'll hopefully get there one day.

Rats are fun to shop for. They love to eat and store away and sort through their treasures. I like the idea that whatever is good for humans is generally good for rats. (Except.) There is a large fan base for the pet rat, and their heart is good and true. People like to sew for their rats. Here is just one example:

here's a closeup of the bottom level:

Right? That's a fan of rats. Very interesting. I am anxious for my sister Marcia to come visit. Marcia has been known to sew up costumes for rubber chickens to wear on holidays, but is so repulsed by the idea of pet rats that I can hear her shudder and shiver when I tell her about them over the phone. I am curious to see if a) the rats melt her heart and b) if the idea of sewing for them is as inspiring to her as a rubber chicken hanging from a rope.

(the closest thing I could find to a rubber chicken wearing a costume. A 'rubber chicken costume', yes but no 'costume for rubber chicken')

Regardless, Marcia just celebrated a birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARCIA! And, I also promised her that I will totally respect her feelings about getting to know the rats. I intend to honor this request and will not make her do anything she doesn't want to do .

'cause that's how I roll.

WOOO all of a sudden the birds in our woods began to sing and sing and sing!

I am happy and excited to be leaving on our vacation soon! We are going to Seattle and also down to Oregon for Serah's wedding!

Mobile blogging, or iPhone Haiku

2009-06-14T16:48:00.001-04:00

I am sitting in my clean bedroom.

Jim and Charlie are doing that rolling around on the bed thing,
casually play fighting.

My dad wouldve loved Charlie. He really loves to play by being chased
and then chewing on my hand that I've been attacking him with.

He also loves to lay beside me and nap, which dogs loved to do with Dad.

My kids are hungry.

These may be short!

Sent from my iPhone

Tumbleweeds Graduation 2009

2009-06-14T15:47:00.003-04:00

Here is the long awaited video of Maggie's graduation...

Test of email to blogger

2009-06-13T15:30:00.001-04:00

Woof

Sent from my iPhone

Henry's Report on VENUS

2009-06-10T20:30:00.000-04:00

Venus

by
Henry K.
June 11, 2009

   Venus

My report is on Venus, the second planet from the Sun. Venus is named after the Goddess of Love and Beauty. Venus does not have any moons in its orbit, and has the same acid that's in car batteries in it's atmosphere (which is sulfuric acid).

The swirling clouds of Venus are so thick sunlight cannot go directly through them to reach the surface. The surface of Venus is rocky. The lava flow from erupting volcanoes make low plains.

Speaking of volcanoes and lava, the temperatures on Venus are hot enough to melt lead! A scorching 900 degrees Fahrenheit! That's hot! The atmosphere is so thick and dense that the 'greenhouse' effect makes it impossible for heat to escape. It can get in though!

Venus shines brightly in the East before sunrise, and in the West after sunset. We can see Venus easily because it is the closest planet to Earth (23.7 million miles). Also, the thick clouds I mentioned earlier reflect the sunlight, making it bright from Earth. By the way, Venus is pretty close to the Sun too (67.2 million miles) and in space distance, that's pretty close!

Venus is roughly the same size as Earth, and astronomers think it could have been born at the same time.

Venus' day is longer than it's year. One full rotation of the Earth takes 24 hours, or 1 day. It takes Venus 243 Earth days to rotate once. If 1 Earth day is equal to 24 hours, 1 Venus day is equal to 5,832 Earth hours!

One orbit around the Sun on Earth takes 365 Earth days, but one orbit around the Sun for Venus takes just 225 Earth days. Venus orbits around the Sun in the opposite direction of the other planets in the Solar System.

Venus cannot support any life. I think that it might've been able to have water, but then it all boiled away from the intense temperatures.

Space probes only last a couple of hours on Venus before melting away. If you were to land a manned mission on Venus and you walked out of the spacecraft, you would literally turn as flat as a pancake and look like a pancake in a pool of blood! No kidding!

The former Soviet union launched several spacecraft to either fly by or land on Venus in the 60's, 70's and 80's. That's around hippie time! There have been many probes sent to Venus and NASA's Magellan spacecraft has been orbiting Venus since 1990. Japan is preparing a Climate Orbiter that will be launched in 2010. Japan's "Climate-C" orbiter will carry five cameras and it's mission should last at least 2 years!

And that ends my report.

SOURCES
 
       "Guide to Space" by Peter Bond.
    DK PUBLISHING
   
    "The Martian Chronicals", blog by Ryan Anderson

http://martianchronicles.wordpress.com/2008/12/17/agu-day-2-venus/

"Mercury and Venus" by World Book's Solar System & Space Exploration Library.
WORLD BOOK, INC.

hk/slk

Milford Library

2009-06-09T18:28:00.003-04:00

I am sitting in the 'Quiet Study Area" at the Milford Library. Brought Henry here because he has a lot of homework due tomorrow, and figured this might be a good way to help him focus. Except for the rotating stand of science fiction and fantasy novels he keeps gazing at (who could resist a book called 'Robot City'?!), things are going well!

I figured I could talk to you, blog, while he does his business. When what is due tomorrow is finished, we'll work together on his book report for Venus. We'll publish it here, and it's due on Thursday, so check back later this week!

(that was last night. now it's tonight. I'll post it right now.)

blog!

2009-06-04T18:29:00.002-04:00

I miss you!

I will now take a few moments to bang out some recent life experiences: 7 things.

1. Henry is a trooper. If you haven't heard by now, he fractured his left arm, the bone above the elbow. he has to have a full arm cast, for the next six weeks. What a trooper. No complaining. I fear cast stink.

2. Maggie graduated preschool! I really need to buckle down and do some personal computing. There are a series of videos I got with our Flip and I just need to download something and restart and etc. and I keep putting it off. But they are adorable. You must see them.

3. Dave Matthews Band was completely awesome. We had sort of semi cruddy seats, the classic Fenway Pole, I'm told. But setting that aside, what a show. What a bunch of playing! Cassidy found this video of their cover of 'Dirty Water', which is another Fenway classic (I'm told).

4. Henry broke his arm the night of DMB. Thank goodness for text messaging. And thank goodness for Christine. All those Hauptmans are quality people.

5. Jeff and Lanie and Cassidy had a great time in Washington, D.C. Cassidy leaves in late August for Egypt, I can hardly believe it.

6. Work is crazy. Very busy.

7. I wish I wrote more. Will try harder.

Maggie's video blog

2009-05-21T21:15:00.002-04:00

Maggie's Screened Porch Obstacle Course

2009-05-09T12:51:00.002-04:00

Chicken Noodle Soup, the recipe!

2009-05-07T21:56:00.000-04:00

I love my Sister Crockpot.

I pull stuff from the freezer, toss it in while breakfast is being eaten, turn it to low, and out the door we go! Come home from the day and bam, done. Good smells, a dish and a spoon, some crackers on top, mmm. Hearty. Delicious. Satisfying. And there's extra! Spoon out the leftovers into a ziploc freezer bag and toss it in the freezer and you've got an even more delicious dinner some other night down the road. Just toss the frozen lump into the Sister, turn it to low, and out the door you go! You can't beat that.

Thank you, Sister Crockpot!

This is my favorite recipe. Henry love love loves this soup. Both he and I highly recommend a liberal serving of goldfish crackers and a tall glass of cold milk with this meal. And when you reheat it, don't be afraid to add water to soup it up.

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

You Will Need

1 package McCormick® Slow Cookers Chicken Noodle Soup Seasoning
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (I use frozen chicken tenderloins and either have giant pieces of tender chicken that melt in my mouth and cut with my soup spoon, or I fish some out and chop them up and add them back in.)
2 cups sliced carrots (I use frozen crinkle cut carrots. a delicious time saver.)
1 cup sliced celery (chop chop chop.)
1 cup chopped onion
5 cups water
1 cup uncooked medium egg noodles

PLACE chicken and vegetables in slow cooker.

MIX Seasoning and water until blended. Pour over chicken and vegetables. Cover.

COOK 8 hours on LOW. Stir in noodles. Cover. Cook 10 minutes longer on HIGH or until noodles are tender.

Makes 8 servings.

IMPORTANT: For best results, do not remove cover during cooking.

PRODUCT INGREDIENTS

SALT, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, HYDROLYZED CORN GLUTEN, SPICES (INCLUDING BLACK PEPPER, ROSEMARY, CELERY SEED, BAY LEAVES, AND THYME), MALTODEXTRIN, GUAR GUM, CALCIUM SILICATE (ADDED TO MAKE FREE FLOWING), CHICKEN FAT, VEGETABLE OIL (CANOLA, SUNFLOWER, AND SOYBEAN), CHICKEN BROTH, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, EXTRACTIVES OF TURMERIC, LACTOSE (MILK), AUTOLYZED YEAST, AND SOY LECITHIN.

Things I have been wanting to tell you

2009-04-26T07:19:00.003-04:00

OMG you guys, you should hear the birds. I am out on the porch at 7:20am, day two of a gorgeous warm weekend. This is the weekend it all kicked into high gear out here, that's for sure.

We have all been sick! We are all feeling much better, although this weekend Jeff has been taking it extra easy after feeling extra crummy these last couple days. Here's to your health!

Henry is leaving today to spend spring break at his Auntie's house in Maine! He is so happy to be going, so looking forward to it. We are going to miss him really terribly I fear!

I tell Maggie that she's going to see what it's like to be an only child for a week, and you can tell the very idea is intriguing enough to her that she's okay with what looks like it could be special treatment for her older brother. Jeff is planning to bring him up to Portland and meet Lanie for lunch and hand off. Thanks, family from Maine! Enjoy him, he's a great kid.

I have such a desire to tear up all the carpeting on my main floor. Jim is apparently in agreement, as he has begun to destroy a piece of the carpet in our music room/entry area. My sister Jocelyn apparently pulled up the carpets in her bedrooms, and was rewarded with beautiful hardwood floors. This would not be the case for us, we would have to put something else down.

We also really need a new roof, and landscaping, and the house needs to be stained or new siding or something. Oh, and the upstairs bathtub still has a big crack in it. Ack! Too stressful. I thought it would be fun to talk about it, but I was mistaken. Next topic.

I am learning a new skill! Jeff is teaching me Drupal, which is an open source web based content management system. It finally occurred to me, that's what we need at work. It's difficult to wrangle all this valuable knowledge and information, this, this 'content'. If only there was a way to ... to... 'manage' the content, a 'system'.... :- ) Anyway, Drupal is very interesting and easy to follow and a total own-self-do-y powerhouse for folks who want to build websites and organize, present and promote information and contents of all types! woot!

The birds out here in the trees are so totally busy! And the eves under the roof of our porch are ideal for safe cozy places to build a nest and start a family apparently. Lots of busy birds zipping back and forth from the trees to their nest right nearby. It would be interesting to record some of these bird calls and isolate them one by one, figuring out how many different kinds of birds there are out there right now.

The Goliath Bird Eating Spider

2009-04-23T08:05:00.002-04:00

Here is Henry's third grade Rainforest Animal report, which he is turning in today:

The Goliath Bird Eating Spider
by Henry K.
April 22, 2009

The Goliath Bird Eating Spider is the largest spider ever. It is 11 inches wide, 10 inches long. That's bigger than the piece of paper you're holding (if you're holding it)! This spider can weigh over 120 grams. Don't worry about finding a Goliath in your shoe because it wouldn't fit!

The Goliath was named by some dudes from the Victorian era who saw it eat a hummingbird and they brought back the story to the Western world. Gosh, imagine seeing something that big...something spidery.

Like all spiders, the Goliath is not an insect, it's an Arachnid. A big, black (or brown), hairy, creepy, fearsome looking Arachnid! They have thick strong legs. They are dark brown or black. Their fangs can be as big as this _________ (one inch long)! The Goliath has very poor eyesight and I'm pretty sure it uses it's sense of touch to know what's going on.

The Goliath lives in the Amazon Rainforest in countries like Brazil or Peru in South America. It lives on the forest floor and I think they climb to the understory. It is dark and rainy where they live. They live in burrows that they have either found or made.

Like other bird eating spiders, the Goliath (a carnivore) eats insects and small mammals by biting and paralyzing them. It makes a web barrier in case of interruptions while eating. Even though it's called a bird eating spider, it doesn't eat birds that much.

You just read about what the bird eater eats, now let's talk about what eats the bird eater! It is considered a delicacy in Venezuela. The ocelot is a predator to the Goliath. It digs it out of it's burrow and eats it.

Mrs. Hamilton, my teacher, has a tarantula named Buttercup. But I'm pretty sure she's not a Goliath, because Mrs. Ham would've said, "Don't do a report on Buttercup." Also she would know that Goliath spiders can make a loud hissing noise by rubbing the hairs on their legs together. I am glad Buttercup isn't a Goliath because if she was, she'd be very, very aggressive.

The Goliath bird eating spider defends itself by kicking hairs off it's back and those hairs can make your skin sore. If you breath in these hairs, you're toast (probably).

The Goliath's habitat is threatened by humans. They set fire to the brush and clear the land, and doing that destroys their burrows. You can help by adopting an acre of rain forest and say that no one can cut down trees or start any fires on that acre.

So if you can spare some money to save the rain forest, I'll buy you something nice! Maybe. Probably. Nah...

SOURCES

"Bird Eating Spiders" by Louise Martin.
Rourke Enterprises, Inc.

"Goliath Birdeater", Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath_birdeater

"Spiders''by Lionel Bender.
GLOUCESTER PRESS.

hk/slk

Now with TWICE the Maggie!

2009-04-09T19:11:00.002-04:00

Liza Santerre

2009-04-07T20:33:00.005-04:00

OH, where to begin.

My girlfriend Liza died last Friday. Only 48, isn't that rotten? Her husband Todd called me Saturday morning with the terrible news, and so my mind has been lizalizaliza.

I didn't cry about it all weekend, then on my way into work Monday, looking for a parking spot, it began to feel very real and sad. Monday night was uplifting because the wake they put together for her was like wading into a sea of her people.

Two of my friends from work went with me and we found ourselves laughing and crying and hugging Liza's brother, holding her baby nephew, trading stories with her family members - even meeting her mother! Looking into her brother's eyes was so powerful because they are Liza's eyes, you know? And her daughter and son were surrounded by thick crowds of caring friends, and her daughter wore a pink scarf and laughed and cried with her own circle. Oh, and the pictures!

There was a whole display of family photos and pictures from her whole life. VERY. TOUCHING. I grabbed a couple with my iPhone:

Look at those two pups! How sweet is that. Til death did they part.

Today, was her memorial service, which was short and sweet. Her dad was heart broken of course. Liza was not his first daughter to die too soon from cancer. He wept openly and spoke of his princess. A girlfriend of Liza's from way, way back got up and spoke very movingly. I got up, said a few words and recited a poem.

I told her dad that I would overhear her side of the phone call when he would call her each week, and how she would say into the phone, I love you too Dad. And that I knew a thing or two about good Dads and I would tell Liza how lucky she is to have her Dad around to talk to on the phone and that she knew it was true. He seemed to appreciate hearing that.

I read this poem, and folks seemed to like it. Another guy said sweet things quickly, and her husband Todd had some profoundly truthful and loving remarks about Liza that were so spot on. He was great, what a great guy.

After the service, me and three friends from work went over to have a couple of margaritas in Liza's name. That was really fun, and it felt good to laugh and toast to the old gal. Liza loved a good margarita.

And then I headed back towards home and stopped at their house for the friends and family thing. That was even more special. Everyone was so kind about my having spoken earlier, so welcoming and so at ease with each other in spite of the sadness of the facts. I felt comfortable and welcome. I especially enjoyed the private minutes with one of her sisters out in the driveway, and I was so happy to be able to take the first quilt Liza ever made, and will return it to them all finished. I will bring it in to work tomorrow and we will look it over and see what needs to be done. Her mom said she thinks it's just the binding. She sews, but she hates doing the binding. They were all really touched and happy to let me get it completed, it's a real honor. Luckily Kathy at work is going to help me out with it!

ANYWAY. I am exhausted. Like I said to my girlfriend Kristy, hug a sister! Liza was a surrogate sister to me, and I really loved her. One of the last messages she got to me was something on my Facebook page about how much I was going to love Dave Matthews in May. She loved her some DMB, and she had made me green with envy over her stories of concerts and live music she'd seen. So I'm glad she knew I get to go.

A real quick list of things that will make me think of Liza:

DMB
Margaritas
purple toenail polish
"Beyond Bizzah!"
the state of Maine
The Common Ground Fair
Jocelyn
Marcia
Dian

goodnight. peace, girl. r.i.p.

Recent pictures of the children

2009-04-05T09:06:00.003-04:00

Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-04-05T09:05:00.000-04:00

Quick and Delicious for Busy Moms on the Go!

This will be Chicken Noodle Soup. Frozen boneless chicken tenderloins, frozen crinkle cut carrots, 1/2 a yellow onion, several stalks of chopped up celery.

Then you pick up a thingie of McCormicks Chicken Noodle Soup mix (for Slow Cookers!) and mix that with 5 cups of water.

Pour that in, slip on the lid, set it to LOW and out the DOOR YOU GO!

When you get home from work, all you have to do is add some uncooked egg noodles and then go hang out or do other work for the next fifteen or whatever the second shift may entail for you that evening.

Serve this with goldfish crackers. And I like to use the tenderloins because they're a good size if you happen to have someone who wants at the protein without fishing through the soup (aka low carb).

Enjoy! I'll post an after, after!

8:02pm on Thursday evening

2009-04-02T20:02:00.002-04:00

Jeff has been out of the house nearly every night this week! Meetings and whatnot. We are missing the beat he lays down for the rest of us merry music makers.

Uh... Maggie has a birthday party for a little classmate of hers on Saturday morning, and do you think we are ready for that? No we are not. I need to get my butt in gear on that front! I hear the siren song of errands at lunch time!

Oh! Actually, no errands at lunch time. I am meeting someone here at the house for an appointment. hmm... Well, perhaps Jeff can grab something on HIS lunch hour...

I am getting very very excited for DMB! Listening to his music, reading up over at antsmarching.org and etc etc etc! It is looking like we will get a hotel room for the four of us in the city that Saturday night. OOO!!! can't wait! can't wait! Very much looking forward.

There are a couple funny stories on my mind right now that I would tell if only they were my stories to share... waa-haa..

The birdies of springtime are coming to town, peep-peeping in that classic way that I love. Still no discernable buds on the trees, but here and there you see daff's popping through the grit and sand. Hardly any, any snow left. Today I saw a guy working one of those rotating brushes on the end of a weed wacker, busting up the packed dirt and sand from the edges of his lawn. That's a Yankee harbinger, for serious.

Oh, and I am loving Barack and Michele as they rock the U.K. Such a gorgeous sexy couple. Rar!

Vomit

2009-03-31T20:03:00.004-04:00

that's sort of the word on my mind right now. ate too much, would like to....

ahem!

anyway!

This is going to be quick, because I have to haul the kids to bed and then maybe go to bed myself. Feeling very thirsty right now...

uh... Nothing much, just checking in. Let's see... hmm.. OH! Maggie had the last two of the shots she'll need, and tomorrow she is registered for Kindergarten! Can you believe that? How time flies.

Today we played 21 questions. I picked a person. Maggie worked her way through a series of questions until she was stuck. "So list out what you already know from the questions you asked..."

"okay... well... It's a person, with brown skin, who lives in a house...it has a vagina..."

"What are you if you have a vagina?" I asked.

"A girl!" she said. then, "Oh!!!! I know I know I know!!! Michelle Obama!"

"yep." I said. we laughed.

There is lots of talk about the graduation ceremony that takes place apparently... I've heard about Irish step dancing, I've witnessed painstaking sign language choreography, there is the Pledge of Allegiance, recited "Nice and proud" as Maggie says, clasping her hands behind her back. It sounds unbearably cute. She wants me to wear the dress I wore at The Vagina Monologues.

I think if you are within traveling distance of my us, you ought to consider coming along to see it in person. We'll video it and put it out on the internet of course, I'm just saying if you can be here in person, I think you'll be glad you were... Hit me up on my Facebook if you want me to let you know when the graduation is, it just might melt that stone cold heart of yours...

Stuff from Ann

2009-03-29T13:03:00.002-04:00

My mom is all settled in at her new apartment! I am so happy for her! It sounds like the other ladies in the building were super welcoming, and she is off on a new adventure. You can read all about it here at her blog, Stuff from Ann.

My mom has been keeping a blog for a couple years now, right mom? it's good stuff, and she offers an interesting perspective on life. Check it out!

Yay Mom!

Memorial Blog Clouds

2009-03-26T17:34:00.009-04:00

oh boy.

I spent some time yesterday going over my dad's blog, having wanted to re-read a poem I'd posted there some time ago. *gulp* got all choked up, but in a good way.

I heartily recommend a memorial blog when somebody great dies. It is a good way to put something out there in the world that is a little cloud of memory and photos and stories - like a time machine you can hop back and revisit... A very visceral experience if you happened to know the guy.

And if you didn't know him, well, my dad was pretty awesome. And we really loved him.

And we took good care of him. And it happens, losing people you care about. There's no way around it.

But, I'll tell you.

It's nice to be able to take a second between projects at work and spend a few minutes reading about that special time for our family when we helped Dad do his work.

Things that I am Thankful for (mom)
A Personal Heaven (dian)
Pool Halls in Heaven BEWARE! (steve)
Nurse Fritz (me)

2009-03-26T08:30:00.000-04:00

In order to get Maggie registered for kindergarten, she needs to have a physical, with shots!

Her appointment is tomorrow. Jeff is going to take her. I called him up and confessed my anxiety about her getting a shot in the thigh, and how I'll never forget the look on Henry's face when it happened to him.

He'd been so brave and trusting, letting me and his dad talk in front of him about the possibility of a shot, but never speaking about it himself. And then when the nurse jabbed him in the thigh, it was like you could see a piece of his childhood being snatched from him! He aged!

I couldn't bear to live through that with Maggie, was getting stomach aches from the very idea! Me nervousing alongside her would not help matters!

"So you'd like to put that on me." He said.

"Yes."

"Okay."

phew!

Tuesday evening

2009-03-24T18:53:00.005-04:00

OMG you guys, I'm finally going to see Dave Matthews!

With Willie Nelson!

At Fenway!

woot woot woot. Do you see me standing over there, next to me? That is because I am beside myself with anticipation! It's going to be me and Jeff and Lanie and Cassidy!!! My new girlfriend Sharon (VFF- vagina friends forever!) and a friend of hers bought the two seats next to us and we are going going gone!

Saturday, May 30. Jeff and Cassidy and Lanie will have just returned from a college sight seeing trip down to Washington D.C.. I need to find a situation for both kids to sleep overnight. There's plenty of time...plenty of time.

My coworker Donna hooked me up with the tickets, onaccounta she's a Red Sox season ticket holder type of person. Donna - I will never mock your devotion to the Red Sox again! You keep rocking the jersey and the hoodie and the jersey hoodie and the little baseball shaped earings and you fly that pennant - go get 'em girl!

Oh my goodness, I remember the first Dave Matthews song I ever heard. 'What Would You Say'. Whitefish, Montana. Jeff and I had arrived at a party and I heard it playing good and loud on the stereo. I was like, damn! Who is THAT?

But I didn't really get to know him until we started hanging out with a group of other young families and one of the guys loves him and would play him good and loud off their back deck. Pouring the 'ritas and rocking out to 'Dancing Nancies' or 'Tripping Billies', telling tales of top notch concerts and other related good times. That's when I knew I had to see this guy for myself.

And Jocelyn, you can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I'm right when I say that it was ME who turned YOU on to Dave. And yet it was YOU and BROOKE who got to see him in concert first! And you lucky gals saw him at the Gorge in George:

And they called me during my favorite part of "When the World Ends" and sent me a sticker in the mail for my van (which I promptly lost -sorry gals!). So I was there in spirit.

Now it's my turn!

Cassidy sings with her oo-koo-lay-lay

2009-03-08T13:33:00.002-04:00

Maggie and Nora and NightNight

2009-03-08T09:58:00.002-04:00

Your Weekly Address

2009-03-08T09:44:00.000-04:00

March 7, 2009

Shame!

2009-03-07T14:58:00.005-05:00

(At not posting in so long.)

That's all I have to say about that.

So much has transpired since I last wrote! Our daughter is now 5 years old. (Five.) Jeff and the kids went and had a great week visiting Grammi and Papa in Arizona. During this time, I went to Seattle for five fun filled days. And last night was the first of two performances of a local production of "The Vagina Monologues" that I am in!

My trip to Seattle was so great, I can't begin to tell you. As soon as I landed, Dian and Jocelyn picked me up:

And we sped off to the casino. I lost, but had a great time. I was just happy to be tagging along, bringing up the rear:

At one point I was up about five dollars, but promptly lost it. Marcia and Dian stayed overnight at Jocelyn's, and Marcia made us a delicious breakfast:

And then there was a little bit of beautifying going on, sorry girls:

And then several of us went to the thrift store, where I found a great fleece for $5. Yay!

And I got to see my mom's new apartment!!!!! The pictures of her new place are on my other camera, and I need to find the cord for transferring the pics over. But trust me when I tell you that Mom's new place is such an immense improvement over her current location, I couldn't get over it. There's a park, a river nearby, a wonderfully warm and welcoming lobby and common area. I am very, very happy for her.

Her actual apartment is pretty small, but perfectly acceptable. I think of it like a cabin on a cruise ship, or a giant apartment in Tokyo. You know? If you were living in Manhattan, for example, her new place would be huge. Ship shape.

We all had a great time while I was there. Delicious food, Guitar Hero, laughing, reality magazines, shopping with Brooke, more laughing. And I even got to meet the latest member of the family, baby Layla:

Layla belongs to my nephew Scott and his wife Leanna. And I met my brother Steve's new gal pal, and got to get to know Leanna better - it was terrific! There was a big snow storm the day before I flew home, and the long term parking situation I used even dug my van out of the snow for me! I had a wonderful time. Just love my family to pieces!!!!

This week has been so busy. The kind of busy where you come home for lunch because that's the best chance to finally run the vacuum before family arrives for the weekend. And making Henry stay up late to finish his homework because I absolutely had to run out and try to find something suitable to wear for the performance this weekend. I'm not complaining, as I sit here enjoying a relaxing Saturday with my family (including the gals from Maine!) I am inclined to stop here, and go laugh with Lanie about whatever. Because I can either write about life, or live life.

AND I WANT TO LIVE!!!!!!

"I want something to eat WHILE I wait for something to eat."

2009-02-15T18:24:00.004-05:00

That's a direct quote from Maggie. She wants something to eat. Then she wants something to eat while she's waiting for something to eat. She doesn't know what she wants (except that whatever we have/suggest is immediately rejected), but she's hungry. She wants something to eat. Well, then, she wants something to eat while she's waiting for something to eat. She doesn't know what she wants (except that whatever we have/suggest is immediately rejected), but she's hungry.

It goes on in this fashion. Highly tiresome.

Big plans in the slow cooker department! The crock pot liners I bought came last week, and they are terrific. The 'Fix it and Forget it!' Slow Cooker recipe book came, too and I went food shopping after reviewing the book and taking notes!

I'd rather review the recipes, get a feel for some crock pot staples (cream of XYZ, carrots, potatoes, celery, stew meat - you get the idea) and then pick up what I am reminded of when I'm at the grocery. It was in this fashion that I can now tell you with some certainty that we will have meatloaf Monday, chicken Wednesday and probably beef stew on Friday. Leftovers on Tuesday and Thursday.

Henry is slinking around sighing heavily because he's so bored and he can't believe Dad shut off the TV, etc. Tell it to the judge!

Tuesday Morning

2009-02-10T09:21:00.007-05:00

My extremities are frozen! The bottom of my feet, the tips of my fingers, ugh! From sitting so still, I bet.

Here are some updates.

Charlie the dog is settling in just wonderfully here. I wish he was trained up on the invisible fence, because he really likes to dart out and take off. This makes it important to guard the top of the driveway any time he's outside (although that doesn't always work). I gave him a haircut this weekend, and he has been wearing a little hoodie I got for him at Target. He is one of those dogs who really seems to prefer wearing a little something to trap his heat. Here he is relaxing with Jim:

Jim: Jim is a gorgeous beast. So much bigger and heavier than Charlie, I'm always surprised. But he's a good boy in perfect health.

Henry: Home sick again today. :-( He's such an agreeable sweetheart. I love how he responds with, "Right!" when I need to give him a correction or reminder. Here he is from this weekend:

Maggie: Maggie is Maggie! Her health is good and she is very excited to celebrate her birthday in Arizona with Grammi and Papa!!!! Can you believe she will be 5 years old this year? Here is a recent picture of Maggie:
Maggie and her BFF Riley.

Okedoke, I will try and get here more often blah blah blah. Curse you and your seductive ways, Facebook!

25 Random Things about me

2009-01-31T20:37:00.000-05:00

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about yourself. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the upper right corner of the app) then click publish.)

1. I was present at my father's vasectomy!

2. I have been pregnant a total of five times, and have two children.

3. When Mo gets here, I will leave for tonight's rehearsal of The Vagina Monologues, which is a production we are putting on here in Wilton. Town Hall Theater!

4. Occasionally, I make sloppy mistakes.

From Feb 2008: Last night, Jeff ran out of gas. And it was my fault! I'd been driving around on E for awhile, then put the van in to be serviced. (Didn't put gas in the car before the appointment, because why tie up my money in gas when I wouldn't even be able to drive the van for a whole day nearly! Jeesh! Obviously!)
http://slk-susiesblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/youre-not-only-one-making-sloppy.html

5. I drink water at home all the time. I leave half filled glasses all over the kitchen. I feel and find for the most chilled glass. (an indicator of freshness.) I don't know why I can't keep the same glass, or dispense the glass each time. Some days I do manage to stick with the same glass, finish every drop, keep it at the ready on the countertop. Right now I count 7 different glasses that are half full with not fresh water!

6. I am stuck on #6!

7. Often, I am not the best example.

8. Women are fantastic. I love vaginas!

9. Two things I got from my dad: dogs and politics.

10. I need more clothes for work.

11. Places I have lived: Seattle, Washington (various)
Cannon Beach, Oregon (a few months)
Kalispell, Montana (good times!)
Seattle, Washington
Troy, New Hampshire (big jump!)
Hollis, New Hampshire
Wilton, New Hampshire (ahh...)

12. Jeff and I moved nearly 9 times before settling in Wilton. That's a lot of packing and unpacking!

13. I stayed home for the first 7 and 3 years of my kid's lives. Very grateful to have been able to make that happen. Very content with the current situation.

14. Henry and I marched in the 2007 Milford Labor Day parade for Barack Obama, and I shook his hand! read more here: http://slk-susiesblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/labor-day-parade.html

15. I fancy myself a straight talking sharp shooting wise woman.

16. My dog Kermit was an angel straight from heaven. I am willing to try, and I concede that it's possible to find that love again, with another dog, but there will never be another Kermit. He was an angel straight from heaven.

17. I was raised in a wonderful family, and I love them all very much.

18. I married into a wonderful family, and I love them all very much.

19. I have three magazine subscriptions, and next year I will cut it back to two. Right now I get "The New Yorker", "Newsweek" and "Time". I love the first two, and will not renew the third. Mainly because three magazines is a lot to get through each week.

20. I read in The New Yorker today that one million seconds equals just under 12 days. One billion seconds, however, equals 32 years!

21. I have a blog that I've kept since October 2006. I have had 9,789 visits to my blog and I average 28 visitors a day! Since I've gotten on to Facebook however, I have cut way back on my blogging. It has been a great way to keep track and share observations, and is a different sort of beast from updating fb. I need to do better. http://slk-susiesblog.blogspot.com/

22. Three books I recommend are:

* Getting the Love you Want, by Harville Hendrix

Divided into three sections, the book covers "The Unconscious Marriage," which details a marriage in which the remaining desires and behavior of childhood interfere with the current relationship; "The Conscious Marriage," which shows a marriage that fulfils those childhood needs in a positive manner; and a 10-week "course in relationship therapy, " which gives detailed exercises for you and your partner to follow in order to learn how to "replace confrontation and criticism ... with a healing process of mutual growth and support." The text is occasionally dry and technical; however, the information provided is valuable, the case studies are interesting, and the exercises are revealing and helpful. By utilizing his program, Hendrix hopes you too will be able to solve your marital difficulties without the expense of a therapist.
Get it used for a penny!: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0805087001/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

* There is Nothing Wrong With You: Going Beyond Self Hate, by Cheri Huber

This book reveals the origin of self-hate, how self-hate works, how to identify it, and how to go beyond it. It provides examples of some of the forms self-hate takes, including taking blame but not credit, holding grudges, and trying to be perfect, and explores the many facets of self-hate, including its role in addiction, the battering cycle, and the illusion of control. After addressing these factors, it illustrates how a meditation practice can be developed and practiced in efforts to free oneself from self-hating beliefs. http://www.amazon.com/There-Nothing-Wrong-You-Self-Hate/dp/0971030901/ref=pd_sim_b_1

* Time Out for Parents: A Guide for Compassionate Parenting, by Cheri Huber

Ms. Huber writes: "Instead of punishing our children by sending them into isolation, let's offer ourselves time-out to discover our own needs, our own true selves. Then we will have everything we need to give our children what they need. Taking care of ourselves is a great kindness. When we are willing to provide ourselves what we need, we are much more willing to provide others what they need. Parenting from self-neglect and deprivation has little chance of succeeding."

23. Jeff and I will have been married 15 (Wonderful!) years in 2010, and it would be so great to return to Hawaii to celebrate. 15 years is a long time!

24. Turning my frown upside down begins and ends with Dave Matthews Band. I really, really, REALLY. want to see him in concert some day. I simply must!

25. I am going to Seattle for a long weekend at the end of February and am looking forward to hanging out and laughing with my family. Yay!

The tutti-frutti jelly bean that lived under my scalp.

2009-01-29T18:04:00.001-05:00

From George Washington to Barack Obama

2009-01-29T08:57:00.002-05:00

THEBARACKOBAMAPARTY!!!

2009-01-25T07:22:00.006-05:00

(That's what Maggie called it.)

Well. VERY good times. Not crazy, no ka-boobery. Lots of fun photos and a lot of clever art to look at, so let's get started!

First of all, I would like to point out, we are all getting old. Kids included. For kids we had, I think, 2 fourth graders, three third graders, 1 1st grader, two pre- kindergartners, two three year olds, and 1 18 month old. (did I get that right?) OH! And one docile, joking, enjoyable teenager (15).

But we had the Wii. And we had a craft station that will take me about two seconds to clean up once I get going here. April could not tear herself away from the craft area, I kid you not!

They got a little crazy here and there - turns out I get unnerved by lots of racing through the living room and hallway - who knew?! Overall, however. Very, very well behaved kids who had a great time also. Oh! And I even kicked Bob's butt at Uno for a few games - ye-haw!

That's Maggie taking notes about our decorating for the party.

Here we have some good old fashioned chowing down at a pot-luck. Jersey Jack's Back!

Maggie and her BFF Riley coloring it up. This was, I think, the first party we've had where Maggie's pals were there, too. It really made it special for her, although everyone played with everyone and had good times.
Riley, Maggie and Anna watching the Powerpuff girls dvd on my macbook in the sewing/cozy/coat room.

The craft area. I gathered all my magazines (Newsweek, Time and a couple of Peoples) and tossed out scissors and glue and got some GREAT art out of it. That's April there, next to her daughter Jamie.

This one's called "Art by April".

Keelyn made this one, isn't it a riot? "I gotta go...Where's the rest room??"

Jack banged this one out. "Yo alright, white girl!...I love you B"

"Wierd Ohs!!...Over there, sweety" by Keelyn

Anyway, thanks for coming everybody! Real good times, I'm glad you could make it.

Onward, Mr. President!

Thursday evening

2009-01-22T20:09:00.007-05:00

Oh blog. Where does the time go? I am either stressed out, or lazy, or both.

First off, President Obama. How wonderful was Tuesday? I Tivo'd the whole thing with my boys (and Rachel!) over at MSNBC, plus CNN for backup, and came home to watch the actual oath and speech bit on TV live. Then later that night I boop-booped through my recordings, relishing the boo's and laughing at Dick Cheney as he was whisked stage left as the Former Occupant headed out onto the inaugural platform to a chorus of boos. Good stuff.

Cassidy found this picture, I just love it:

Look at that gorgeousness. Love it.

And his girls were so beautiful and polite and gracious and full of humanity and there for their dad. I love how they make him smile.

This one I found, as well as a few others in this post, over at Boston.com. Lots of very cool photos of the big day. This is apparently a satellite photo taken around 11:19am of the area:

This one sort of blows my mind:

Cassidy's BFF Woolie was actually there, at the inauguration -- she even has a picture of herself posing ironically with the Jonas Brothers! (top that!) I will seek permission and maybe even post this pic if allowed. I am hoping that Woolie jots it all down, because I would love to hear all about it.

I am also hoping my old friend who works in D.C. will be sharing his observations about the day as well! (hint hint.)

Garrison Keillor was there, too! He caught a flight and then road the subway in:

I rode with a group of black women who had left Portsmouth, Va., at 1 a.m. to be sure to be there on time. They were heavily bundled and so excited they could hardly speak. And then when the conductor called out "Union Station, Washington," one of them looked at the others and she burst into tears. And they all cried. I would have, too, if they'd looked at me.

I also loved this bit from his essay...

It was more than Democrats feeling their oats or African-Americans celebrating the unimaginable, more than revulsion at the gang of bullheads who held power for too long. It was a huge gasp of pleasure at a new America emerging, a country we all tried to believe in, a nation that is curious and venturesome, more openhearted and public-spirited.

All kinds of people, the slim and sleek, the XXXLs, the heavily insulated, the carefree. We moved through ranks of souvenir sellers—whatever else he may accomplish, Obama has been a boon to the pin and T-shirt trade—and in our slow trek toward the Capitol, one felt the enormity of the day for the black people around us. I wouldn't try to express, I simply was grateful to be among it. Old ladies with sore feet hauled themselves along.

The crowd down below the podium had their opinions. There was a profound silence when Laura Bush was announced and walked out. People watched the big screen and when Michelle Obama appeared, there was a roar, and when the Current Occupant and Dick Cheney came out of the Capitol, a low and heartfelt rumble of booing. Dignified booing.

The band tootled on and there were shouts of "O-ba-ma" and also "Yes we can" (and also "Down in front") and then he came out and the place went up. That was the first big moment. The second was when he took the oath and said, "so help me, God" and the cannons boomed and you got a big lump in your throat. And the third was afterward.

But the great moment came later, as the mob flowed slowly across the grounds.

The crowd stopped and stared, a little stunned at the reality of it.

They saw it on a screen in front of the Capitol and it was actually happening on the other side. The Bushes went up the stairs, turned, waved and disappeared into the cabin of the Marine helicopter, and people started to cheer in earnest. It was the most genuine, spontaneous, universal moment of the day. It was like watching the ice go out on the river.

Good stuff.

I'll try to write more blog, but it isn't easy these days. I'm distracted by smaller screens, enjoying the glib one liners of Facebook and busy enough as it is. But I know it's important to be here, I know you show up, I won't give up.

Lastly, Charlie the dog is settling in nicely. Here is a little love photo I took of him on Monday.

"A Smarter Stimulus"

2009-01-22T10:01:00.003-05:00

I read a really interesting article in the New Yorker last night about President Obama's (!) plan to reduce withholding payments as a form of economic stimulus...

The Financial Page
A Smarter Stimulus
by James Surowiecki

Cutting taxes is usually a surefire political winner. Yet Barack Obama’s plan to include more than a hundred billion dollars in individual tax rebates in his stimulus package has earned him criticism from both ends of the political spectrum. Critics in his own party think the rebate, which Obama wants to distribute by reducing people’s withholding payments, will be too small to make a difference—the equivalent of an extra forty dollars or so a month. Naysayers from the right maintain that, because the tax rebate is a onetime event rather than a permanent reduction in tax rates, it will have only a negligible effect. Skeptics on both sides worry that most people will save the rebate rather than spend it.

One explanation for why rebates don’t have a bigger impact is that they don’t affect what Milton Friedman called people’s “permanent income.” Friedman argued that people’s spending is determined by what they think their income will be over time: they change their spending habits only if they think they’re going to be permanently wealthier or poorer.

If they think of it as wealth, they’re more likely to save it, and if they think of it as income they’re more likely to spend it. That’s because many people tend to base their spending not on their long-term earning potential or on their assets but on what they think of as their current income, an amount best defined by what’s in their regular paycheck. When that number goes up, so does people’s spending. In Thaler’s words, “People tend to consume from income and leave perceived ‘wealth’ alone.”

So what does this mean for making a rebate work? If you want people to spend the money, you don’t want to give them one big check, because that makes it more likely that they’ll think of it as an increase in their wealth and save it. Instead, you want to give them small amounts over time. And you want the rebate to show up as an increase in people’s take-home pay, because an increase in steady income is more likely to translate into an increase in spending. What can accomplish both of these goals? Reducing people’s withholding payments.

Maggie just now

2009-01-15T21:23:00.002-05:00

PEACE QUOTE

2009-01-14T08:32:00.000-05:00

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.

- Eleanor Roosevelt

I am testing

2009-01-10T15:13:00.000-05:00

Mobile Blogging from here.

This is me testing the ability to post to my blog from my new iPhone. Not too hard!

Drinks will be served "On the Baracks!"

2009-01-09T22:37:00.002-05:00

PK on the street

2009-01-09T22:21:00.006-05:00

Patrick is an old friend of ours, from way back. He lives in (and comes from) Duvall, Washington. We had heard that back there is FUBAR. He forwarded me this picture:

This picture is of a bridge over 124th Street. If you come down Novelty Hill road from Redmond then this is the road/bridge you'd cross to get to Hwy 203. Northbound 203 goes to Duvall then Monroe. Southbound goes to Carnation and onto Fall City then I-90.

Jeff asked him:

Hey Pat, is DU-vall reconnected to civilization yet? How long before you start fighting your neighbors over the dwindling food supplies?

And he said:

I tell you Gilligan there's no way off the island!: Right now all the roads are cut off. Monroe road should open up by tomorrow. We hope the Woodinville-Duvall rd is open by Monday. Road to Carnation and Fall City should be open later today...

Then sent us these:

Yowzer! Stay dry PK!

His name is Charlie.

2009-01-05T18:44:00.011-05:00

What a sweet little peanut this guy is! Right now he's cuddled up next me, his cool little nose huffing against the back of my hand. Can't quite get close enough. Love it!

Charlie appears to be about 6 years old, although our vet will be checking him out next week. I'll be interested to hear what she says. There's no real background story to him, he's a true shelter dog. I tell myself he was some old lady's lap dog and when she passed, her next of kin took him to a shelter on their way to work.

The lady who fostered him was right on the money in her description. Very cuddly, a real love. Loves kids and other dogs, but also very slow to warm. Luckily I'm the one he loves the most!

He and Jim are going to get along fine. Jim is like a gorgeous thoroughbred of a dog just under a year old. He's very playful and curious and interested in playing with Charlie. But he seems to get that Charlie isn't interested yet. I think they'll do fine together.

Witness this very boring video. You can see that Jim is friendly and not aggressive and very open to sharing what he's got with Charlie:

Cute, right? Welcome, Charlie.

No name yet...

2009-01-03T17:40:00.002-05:00

But check out the cute little dog we adopted today.... sweet, right?! Fits inside my jacket!

Names?

Maggie has a message for Serah

2009-01-02T20:57:00.004-05:00

Wednesday Afternoon

2008-12-31T14:05:00.005-05:00

Hello!

It is totally snowing here you guys... Jeff has put his family chili recipe into the crock-pot, and it smells delicious.

Look at this cute picture of Maggie.

Oh let's see... hmm... where to start...I got my new issue of "The New Yorker" for this week finally! I have already read a fascinating article about mashgihim (kosher inspectors) in China. Which led me to this funny photo:

I've been thinking a lot about Vicky Pollard and Jeri Blank. Which led me to this:

and this:

And now my feet are cold and the dog is whining and I will now bid you farewell. And happy new year!

oo - one more!

Maggie opens a gift from Santa

2008-12-27T08:23:00.004-05:00

Jeff's Ice Storm video

2008-12-22T14:19:00.003-05:00

We have power, and it snowed.

2008-12-20T07:14:00.004-05:00

Two things about this video:

1. everything is flipped. bizarro. alternate universe? my porch is to the right out the door, not the left for starters...

2. I didn't hold the macbook high enough to capture jim, but that's okay. no big deal.

3. I will perhaps (perhaps.) film a reveal later, after all the tidying. stay tuned!

WE'VE GOT POWER!!!!

2008-12-19T11:07:00.005-05:00

Wednesday Evening

2008-12-17T20:24:00.004-05:00

Well I am certainly more comfortable, more 'at home' here in my sub-let. I am over at my friend Brian's apartment while he is out at a meeting. The kids (Henry and Lily) are watching a movie and Maggie is playing quietly in a nice hot bath. And I'm here with you.

Oh blog, I wish I had better news to report. 6 days later, still no power. It has been a memorable week. It's strange to come home to a totally dark house each night. We've eaten out for dinner (or paid to eat dinner each night), done laundry at Bob's, taken a shower someplace different each time, been kept toasty and warm by the wood stove, learned how to load the wood stove, bought a cord of wood, lugged gallons of water and charged anything that with batteries at any place I could get either, the list goes on and on.

Observations:

Jim. You can tell he's confused. He's in his crate during the day, so the house is dark by the time he comes out for the evening. This is fooling with his habits in many ways, I am sure. Is not fully comprehending.

Maggie. It's funny how kids are. She still reaches for the faucet to rinse her toothbrush, still stands up on tippy toes to try for the light when going in to the bathroom, pines for 'something cold! something not from the pantry!'

cutting it short, more later -

Pictures from the Ice Storm

2008-12-16T14:18:00.005-05:00

Here are some pictures I took from the ice storm... p.s. still no power. And Henry's out of school until January 5!

irksome!

This is the field across the road from us. Notice how the netting our neighbor uses to keep deer out of her garden has ice all over it.

A close up of the grass in our front yard.

My van.

Front yard.

Trike.

Feedback about my cysts

2008-12-16T11:41:00.003-05:00

Here is some first hand testimony I just received from a friend:

You will also be excited to know I recently had a cyst drained, after it got infected over the summer. It went from a little bump the circumference of a nickel, or less, to a giant ugly painful red-purple chicken-egg-sized horror in the course of two weeks. It coincided with July 4 weekend, and I had to see two doctors, the second one twice after he cancelled the first appointment, which is why it took so long and got so horrible. Having it drained SUCKED, stinky and painful. I didn't have it removed at the time because you have to drain first, then remove later (that's if it is infected like mine; if no infection, you can just remove); but now the doc says it's too small to
remove (good job draining it!) so we have to wait til it grows again. It has not noticeably grown in the past five months. It's right on my neck, which apparently is a very sensitive place for surgery. I've had that thing since high school, with no problems until YIKES. So yeah, I encourage you to have yours removed before they go haywire.

Further:

They just get infected after a while, could take months, could take decades, like mine took about 20 years. I don't know how much you know about cysts: they form when a hair follicle duct gets blocked, and a little hard wall forms under the skin, keeping things in that should normally be exuded through the duct. But it's okay until it gets infected, which causes a buildup of pus (that's the stinky part) and blood. At least, that's my understanding. So they drain it, and take out as much of the cyst wall as
they can. Sometimes if they get all of the wall, it never comes back. With mine, they got a lot of it but not all of it, so it's still there, but it is teeny tiny now. It was painful when it was infected, especially when trying to sleep, and having it drained hurts even though they numb the local area because they're taking a scalpel to you! Giant sharp rotating knives, man!!! But after enduring two weeks of increasing pain, it was a huge relief once the draining was done. The surgeon offered to preserve the pieces in a jar for me; I said no thank you.

Original post:

In an effort to rid myself of bumps on my head, I am considering having two
removed in early January. They're sebaceous cysts, don't panic. In an attempt to research just what I'm in for in having them removed, I googled it and found some crazy stuff, yo! Check this out. This is a person who had cysts on their head, but let them go a bit longer than I intend to!

If you want to be really freaked out, go here and look at that (NotSafeForWork). Apparently to remove it, the doctor has to rub and massage and squeeze out the interior of the cyst!

Me, Mom and Dad and Andy Gibb

2008-12-16T08:47:00.003-05:00

PEACE QUOTE

2008-12-16T08:44:00.001-05:00

Listen,
says ambition,
nervously shifting her weight from one boot to another -
why don't you get going?
For there I am, in the mossy shadows, under the trees.
And to tell the truth I don't want to let go of the wrists of idleness,
I don't want to sell my life for money,
I don't even want to come in out of the rain.

- Mary Oliver

More outages possible in ice-ravaged Northeast

2008-12-14T08:57:00.002-05:00

Just read this story online about the storm, thought this was classic Yankee:

Retired auctioneer Ed Stevens, 88, came to the same shelter Saturday after rejecting several suggestions that he do so earlier.
"I told them, 'No way!' I guess I'm too damned independent," he said.
After two days of reading the newspaper in a cold house, he gave in.
"I guess if it's between here and freezing to death in my own house, I'll take here," he said.

More outages possible in ice-ravaged Northeast (AP)

Freeze!

2008-12-13T17:27:00.002-05:00

Oh blog! I write to you from a hotel in Lexington, Mass. We have TV, but we have no working remote for it. We have WiFi, but we have no Jeff with us to enjoy it. I don't know how the pioneers did it with no power in their shanty, having to climb out of bed to change channels, reading newspapers. p'shaw!

We lost power around 10pm on Thurday night. Friday, no work. no school. It was crazy, crazy crazy ice covered gorgeousness. I took pictures, but robbed my camera to put the AA batteries to better use (or so I thought) powering a (useless) little radio I found. I'll post 'em later, you can bet on it.

Driving around today felt apocoloyptic. Like a crazy wonderland gone all wrong. Huge trees snapped in half, leaning against wires. Wires on the ground to drive over. Just crazy. Pictures forthcoming.

We have this room tonight and tomorrow, but Jeff and Jim aren't here. Jeff had been waiting for a call from Matt about keeping pipes from freezing and was going to head down here after us. But it turns out the best way to keep pipes from freezing is not to simply drain them and meet your family at a hotel for a hot shower and dinner. Easier to simply keep the fire going in the woodstove. So he's staying put.

We were already nearly here when we got the call that he and Jim would not be forthcoming. I'm not sure if we'll stay another night or come home tomorrow to be with Jeff. They (you know, those guys) are saying we may not have power in our town until mid week! Anyway, Henry is feeling crappy. I think it's because he's not eaten anything in a long time and had nearly zero water while sitting in front of the wood stove the last two days straight. Dehydration.

I am not sure what this means for my job, as the company is located in the same town. I am irritated with the whole situation.

Silver lining #1. I started reading (aloud) "The Long Winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder. They had a winter that lasted from October all the way to May! We have been enjoying this book and intend to finish it, I'm sure.

Silver lining #2. The Flynns loaned me their shower today. Thanks Flynns!

Silver lining #3. tbd

Okay we are off in search of dinner and evenings entertainment. Bye for now!

Thursday evening

2008-12-11T19:59:00.005-05:00

There was no school today, and I stayed home with the children. Not that I have actually stepped foot outside beyond heading to the mailbox, but there is, apparently, a terrible ice storm. The kids could have definitely gone to school, in hindsight.

We are expecting schools to be closed tomorrow as well, because the real meat of the storm is coming overnight I guess. I will make every attempt to make it in to work. I've been having head aches at work lately. Also I'm caught up in one area that had been nagging at me, and about to shift gears towards another project and that can be a challenge. I bet tomorrow will be quiet.

What else is going on. Today I gave the dog Jim a bath. He was dirty, he was smelly. It was time.

In an effort to drive traffic to this blog, I will be updating my Facebook status with the fact that I have updated this blog.

In an effort to rid myself of bumps on my head, I am considering having two removed in early January. They're sebaceous cysts, don't panic. In an attempt to research just what I'm in for in having them removed, I googled it and found some crazy stuff, yo!

Check this out. This is a person who had cysts on their head, but let them go a bit longer than I intend to!

If you want to be really freaked out, go here and look at that (NSFW).

Apparently to remove it, the doctor has to rub and massage and squeeze out the interior of the cyst! Check this out:

Hey now!

Maggie and Jeff

2008-12-08T20:12:00.003-05:00

These pictures are from when Jeff took Maggie to see the Nutcracker Ballet a couple weeks back...

A sweet video from Thanksgiving I wanted to post

2008-12-07T22:04:00.002-05:00

Our Christmas Tree, 2008

2008-12-07T21:43:00.002-05:00

Little Britain

2008-12-07T21:12:00.002-05:00

I have been catching bits of this show, laughing and laughing at it. This is probably my favorite skit:

But this one is classic, too:

Jocelyn asked for a Christmas song

2008-12-07T15:23:00.003-05:00

I am fired up, and ready to go.

2008-12-06T09:23:00.002-05:00

President-elect Barack Obama

I find this man so reassuring. I have a subscription to My Weekly Address from the President Elect and have been listening and staring deeply into his eyes and feeling better and getting ideas and wondering about life in America post 1.20.09.

Change is on the way, that is for damn sure.

December 5, 2008

This week President-elect Barack Obama addresses the job loss that our nation continues to endure and offers solutions to the challenges we face. For more information, visit http://change.gov.

The third part of his plan is what brought me to you, blog.

Third, my economic recovery plan will launch the most sweeping effort to modernize and upgrade school buildings that this country has ever seen. We will repair broken schools, make them energy-efficient, and put new computers in our classrooms. Because to help our children compete in a 21st century economy, we need to send them to 21st century schools.

The public elementary school in our town is in dire need of repair, and a group of dedicated people are working hard to secure funding for the remodel. This may be just the ticket!

Also what he said about 'use it or lose it'. I'd heard something on NPR about how that policy with the money - - to inject it in the economy pronto to arrest this downward spiral, is an important piece to ponder.

And this bit:

As we renew our schools and highways, we’ll also renew our information superhighway. It is unacceptable that the United States ranks 15th in the world in broadband adoption. Here, in the country that invented the internet, every child should have the chance to get online, and they’ll get that chance when I’m President – because that’s how we’ll strengthen America’s competitiveness in the world.

It sort of startled me to hear this. Normally you hear about how parents are supposed to be afraid and wary of letting their child go "online". You know? But he's right. I wonder if a line or two about "now now, with parental involvement and safety controls we can keep our children safe from the ills of etc." lays on the cutting room floor of that speech. Very bold to just leave it at 'every child should have the chance to get online'...

also:

In addition to connecting our libraries and schools to the internet, we must also ensure that our hospitals are connected to each other through the internet. That is why the economic recovery plan I’m proposing will help modernize our health care system – and that won’t just save jobs, it will save lives. We will make sure that every doctor’s office and hospital in this country is using cutting edge technology and electronic medical records so that we can cut red tape, prevent medical mistakes, and help save billions of dollars each year.

Ain't that the truth?!!? I'd love to be a fly on the wall at the different meetings he's had with the folks at Google and whatnot. The IT area of the health industry is probably a very interesting piece of the whale to chew on, professionally speaking. All that data, all that work-flow and procedure and humanity.

DOT COM!

Maggie on the computer, La...

2008-12-03T20:37:00.002-05:00

While Henry does Homework...

2008-12-01T19:00:00.006-05:00

I will write in my blog.

I am thinking of going to see a movie tonight, "Rachel Getting Married." I have heard good things about this movie, and I believe I will enjoy it. Plus-which, it plays at my local theater.

Yesterday I Skyped with family! What fun, what fun. So cool to look into eyes and participate in the easy flow of conversation between a few people who are able to laugh and slap knees and interject. Very much fun, yes!

Henry is struggling. He just announced that he has 16 more math problems. The next problem he has is 84 - 59. This worksheet focuses on borrowing from the tens column. He is really dragging. Poor guy! "Four more pages to go!" Just gave him the pep talk about eating a whale one bite at a time. He's a good guy, he'll get it done.

Maggie, on the other hand, is probably sick with the strep that Henry had last week! And I wonder if I, too, might not be heading down the sick road. I believe that I will be staying home with Maggie tomorrow, sorry to say.

We all had a fine time in Maine for Thanksgiving, how was your holiday? Can you believe it is Christmas time already? And soon will be 1.20.09! I heard part of a story on NPR this morning about the folks who organize the inauguration in D.C. and how it will probably (certainly) be a record breaking attendance. I mean, who wouldn't want to watch him take the oath? I would go if I could.

Oh, son. I'm going to take a quick video and show you just what I'm seeing here...

And now I must leave. Goodnight Blog!

Thanksgiving Pictures

2008-11-29T11:01:00.002-05:00

Nora's Art

2008-11-29T09:58:00.003-05:00

Tiger

Self Portrait

Baby Minnie

Maggie and Nora enjoy Photobooth

2008-11-29T09:30:00.003-05:00

PEACE QUOTE

2008-11-21T08:22:00.001-05:00

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature.

- Helen Keller

Little Orphan Maggie

2008-11-17T07:33:00.004-05:00

Sweet pretty video

2008-11-14T08:11:00.007-05:00

PEACE QUOTE

2008-11-07T08:19:00.000-05:00

Some people said that it couldn't be done
But they with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't" but they would be some
Who wouldn't say "no" till they tried.

So they buckled right in with a trace of a grin
On their face; if they worried, they hid it.

They started to sing as they tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and they did it.

- author unknown

Pics from this month

2008-11-05T14:35:00.001-05:00

These pictures are from this month.

President Barack Obama

2008-11-05T08:39:00.002-05:00

whoooooooooooooooooooo!

Did you see the part just after they called the election for him on the tv, where stevie wonder's song 'signed sealed delivered I'm yours' began to blast out and wash over the crowd? that was so fantastic. I've been saying here at work, the last time we saw a crowd of black folks jumping up and down on the tv, they were outside the superdome, shouting 'help! help! help!'. It was so incredible to watch and feel and know and observe everything it means! and to think of those two girls and that quality woman Michelle moving in to the White House -- imagine how fantastic that First Family portrait will look!

OMG blog, it is just fantastic. I look forward to his smile, his example, his choices, his call to action, whatever it is, I am on board. Love it.

Guess who I just voted for!

2008-11-04T10:15:00.001-05:00

Maggie listens on headphones

2008-11-03T09:26:00.003-05:00

The skinny guy's time has come.

2008-10-29T09:25:00.002-04:00

Obama looks more and more steadfast as the moment nears. The country longs for a president who can talk and think at the same time. We've been locked up with the Current Occupant for way too long, and the thought of replacing him with the Angry Old Man of the Desert and Whoopee the Ice Queen is miserable in the extreme.

- Garrison Keillor in the Chicago Tribune

Photos from Curtis Farm Pumpkin Party

2008-10-28T13:28:00.003-04:00

Here are some pictures from this weekend, including pictures of the kids and their Halloween costumes for this year...

Overheard

2008-10-23T08:30:00.000-04:00

What do you think these people were talking about?

"It might save you from going under the knife..."

"Yeah..."

"Which I've had to suffer through two winters now..."

"yeah.."

Economy? Health?

David Sedaris on Undecided Voters

2008-10-23T08:27:00.002-04:00

I don’t know that it was always this way, but, for as long as I can remember, just as we move into the final weeks of the Presidential campaign the focus shifts to the undecided voters. “Who are they?” the news anchors ask. “And how might they determine the outcome of this election?”

Then you’ll see this man or woman— someone, I always think, who looks very happy to be on TV. “Well, Charlie,” they say, “I’ve gone back and forth on the issues and whatnot, but I just can’t seem to make up my mind!” Some insist that there’s very little difference between candidate A and candidate B. Others claim that they’re with A on defense and health care but are leaning toward B when it comes to the economy.

I look at these people and can’t quite believe that they exist. Are they professional actors? I wonder. Or are they simply laymen who want a lot of attention?

To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. “Can I interest you in the chicken?” she asks. “Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?”

To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked.

Shouts & Murmurs: Undecided: Humor: The New Yorker

Jeff and Maggie at soccer practice

2008-10-13T08:42:00.000-04:00

Photos from the weekend

2008-10-13T08:39:00.002-04:00

Garrison Keillor

2008-10-10T09:36:00.001-04:00

Your broker kept saying, "Stay with the portfolio, don't jump ship," and you felt a strong urge to dump the stocks and get into the money market where at least you're not going to lose your shirt, but you didn't do it and didn't do it, and now you're holding a big bag of brown bananas. Me, too. But at least I know enough not to believe desperate people who are talking trash. Anybody who got whacked and still thinks McCain-Palin is going to lead us out of the swamp and not into a war with Iran is beyond persuasion in the English language. They'll need to lose their homes and be out on the street in a cold hard rain before they connect the dots.

read the whole thing: Worst of times

PEACE QUOTE

2008-10-10T08:36:00.002-04:00

THE SYMPTOMS OF INNER PEACE

by Saskia Davis

Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner peace. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to inner peace and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.

Some signs and symptoms of inner peace:

* A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than
on fears based on past experiences.

* An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

* A loss of interest in judging other people.

* A loss of interest in judging self.

* A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

* A loss of interest in conflict.

* A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.)

* Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

* Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.

* Frequent attacks of smiling.

* An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make
them happen.

* An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as an uncontrollable urge to extend it.

WARNING:
If you have some or all of the above symptoms, please be advised that your condition of inner peace may be so far advanced as to not be curable. If you are exposed to anyone exhibiting any of these symptoms, remain exposed only at your own risk.

PEACE Quotes are offered by:
Living Compassion
transforming lives, ending suffering

Maggie has another song for you!

2008-10-08T13:18:00.002-04:00

(I've heard these videos are popular)

Maggie singing

2008-10-06T08:13:00.002-04:00

Full Transcript of Obamas Remarks

2008-10-02T15:25:00.006-04:00

October 1, 2008
Obama takes the floor:

Thank you very much, Madam President. And thank you to the distinguished Senator from Connecticut, not only for yielding time, but also for the extraordinarily hard work that he's put in over the last several days, and in fact, over a week. And I want to thank his counterparts on the other side,including Senator Gregg, for their hard work.

Now, the fact that we're even here voting on a plan to rescue our economy from the greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street, and some in Washington, is an outrage. It's an outrage to every American who works hard, pays their taxes, and is doing their best every day to make a better life for themselves and their families. And understandably, people are frustrated. They're angry that Wall Street's mistakes have put their tax dollars at risk. And they should be. I'm frustrated and angry, too. But while there's plenty of blame to go around, and many in Washington and Wall Street who deserve it, all of us -- all of us -- have a responsibility to solve this crisis because it affects the financial well-being of every single American. There will be time to punish those who set this fire, but now's not the time to argue about how it got set or did the neighbor sleep in his bed or leave the stove on. Right now we want to put out that fire. And now's the time for us to come together and do that.

When the House of Representatives failed to act on Monday, we saw the single largest decline in the stock market in two decades. Over $1 trillion of wealth was lost by the time the markets closed. And it wasn't just the wealth a few CEOs or Wall Street executives. The 401(k)s and retirement accounts of millions became smaller. The state pension funds of teachers and government employees lost billions upon billions of dollars. Hard-working Americans who invested their nest egg to watch it grow saw it diminish and in some cases disappear. And while that decline was devastating, the consequences of the credit crisis that caused it will be even worse if we do not act now.

We're in a very dangerous situation where financial institutions across this country are afraid to lend money. And if all that meant was the failure of a few banks in New York, that would be one thing. But that's not what it means. What it means is, if we don't act, it will be harder for Americans to get a mortgage for their home or loans they need to buy a car or send their children to college. What it means is that businesses won't be able to get the loans they need to open a new factory or make payroll for their workers. And if they can't make payroll on Friday, then workers are laid off on Monday. And if workers are laid off on Monday, then they can't pay their bills or pay back their loans to somebody else. And it will go on and on and on, rippling through the entire economy.

Potentially we could see thousands of businesses close, millions of jobs could
be lost, and a long and painful recession could follow. In other words, this is
not just a Wall Street crisis, it's an American crisis. And it's the American
economy that needs this rescue plan. understand completely why people
would be skeptical when this president asks for a blank check to solve this
problem. I was too, as was Senator Dodd, and a whole bunch of us here. That's
why over a week ago, I demanded that this plan include some specific proposals
to protect taxpayers. Protections that the administration eventually agreed to,
and thanks to the hard work of Senator Dodd and Republican counterparts like Senator Gregg, we here in the Senate have agreed to and now hopefully the House will agree to as well.

Let me just go over those principles. Number one, I said we needed an independent board to provide oversight and accountability for how and where this money is spent at every step of the way.

Number two, I said that we cannot help banks on Wall Street without helping the millions of innocent homeowners who are struggling to stay in their homes. They deserve a plan too.

Number three, I said that I would not allow this plan to become a welfare program for Wall Street executives whose greed and irresponsibility got us into this mess.

And finally, I said that if American taxpayers are financing this solution, then they have to be treated like investors. They should get every penny of their tax dollars back once the economy recovers.

Now, this last part is important because it's been the most misunderstood and poorly communicated part of this plan. This is not a plan to just hand over $700 billion of taxpayer money to a few banks. If this is managed correctly -- and that's an important "if" -- we will hopefully get most or all of our money back and possibly even turn a profit on the government's intervention. Every penny of which will go directly back to the American people.

And if we fall short, we will levee a fee on financial institutions so that they can repay for the losses that they caused. Now, let's acknowledge, even with all these taxpayer protections, this plan is not perfect. Democrats and Republicans in congress have legitimate concerns about it. Some of my closest colleagues, people I have the greatest respect for, still have problems with it and may choose to vote against this bill, and I think that we can respectfully disagree. I understand their
frustrations. I also know that many Americans share their concerns. But it's clear that from my perspective, this is what we need to do right now. To prevent the possibility of a crisis turning into a catastrophe. It is conceivable, it's possible that if we did nothing, everything would turn out okay. It's -- there's a possibility that that's true. And there's no doubt that there may be other plans out there that, had we had two or three or six months to develop, might be even more refined and might serve our purposes better. But we don't have that kind of time. And we can't afford to take a risk that the economy of the United States of America and as a consequence the worldwide economy, could be plunged into a very, very deep hole. So to Democrats and Republicans who've opposed this plan, I say, step up to the plate, let's do what's right for the country at this time, because the time to act is now.

I know many Americans are wondering what happens next in passing this -- what happens next. And passing this bill can't be the end of our work to strengthen the economy, it must be the beginning. Because one thing I think all of us who may end up supporting this bill understand is that even if we get this in place, we could still have enormous problems and probably will have big problems in the economy over the next several months and potentially longer. Because the fact is, is that we have seen some mismanagement of the fundamentals of the economy for a very long time, and we are not going to dig ourselves out of that hole immediately. This this is not the end. This is the beginning. As soon as we pass this rescue plan, we need to move aggressively with the same sense of urgency to help families on Main Street who are struggling to pay their bills and keep their jobs. They've been in crisis a lot longer than Wall Street has. I said it before and I say it again, we need to pass an economic stimulus package that will help ordinary Americans cope with rising food and gas prices, that can save 1 million jobs rebuilding our schools and roads and help infrastructure, and help cities and states avoid budget cuts and tax increases.

A plan that would extend expiring unemployment benefits for those Americans who've lost their jobs and cannot find new ones. That's the right thing to do at a time when consumer confidence is down and we are in great danger of slipping into a big recession.

We also must do more in this rescue package in order to help homeowners stay in their homes. I will continue to advocate bankruptcy reforms. I know my colleague from Illinois, Dick Durbin, has been a strong champion of this, as have many.

It is the right thing to do to change our bankruptcy laws so that people have a better chance of staying in their homes and we're not seeing communities devastated all across the country. We should encourage Treasury to study the option of buying individual mortgages like we did successfully in the 1930's. And finally, while we all hope that this rescue package succeeds, we should be prepared to take more vigorous actions in the months ahead to rebuild capital, if it's necessary. Just as families are planning for their future and tough times, Washington's going to have to do the same. Runaway spending and record deficits are not how families run their budgets. It can't be how Washington handles people's tax dollars. So we're going to have to return to the fiscal responsibility we have we had in the 1990s. And the next White House and the next Congress is going to have to work together to make sure that we go through our budget, we get rid of programs that don't work, that we make the ones that do work better and cost less. With less money flowing into the
Treasury, some useful programs or policies might need to be delayed. Some might
need to be stretched out over a longer period of time, but there are certain
investments in our future that we cannot know precisely because our economy is
in turmoil.

Mr. President, I've exceeded the time a little bit. I would like unanimous consent for a couple more minutes. thank you. There are certain investments in our future that we can't delay precisely because the economy's in turmoil. We can't wait to help Americans keep up with rising costs and shrinking paychecks and we're going to do that by making sure that we are giving our workers a middle-class tax cut. We can't wait to relieve the burden of crushing health care costs. We can't wait to create millions of new jobs by rebuilding our roads and our bridges and investing in broadband lines in rural communities and fixing our electricity grid so we can get renewable energy to population centers that need them. We need to develop an energy policy that prevents us from sending $700 billion a year to tyrants and dictators for their oil. We can't wait to education the next generation of Americans with the skills and knowledge they need to compete with any workers anywhere in the world. These are the priorities we can't -- cannot delay.

Now, let me just close by saying this. I do not think this is going to be easy. It's not going to come without costs. We are all going to need to sacrifice. We're all going to need to pull our weight. Because now, more than ever, we are all in this together. That's part of what this crisis has taught us, that at the end of the day, there's no real separation between Wall Street and Main Street. There's only the road we're traveling on as Americans. And we will rise or fall on that journey as one
nation and as one people. I know that many Americans are feeling anxiety right now about their jobs, about their homes, about their life savings. But I also know this. That we can steer ourselves out of this crisis. We always have. During the great financial crisis of the last century, in his first fireside chat, F.D.R. told his fellow Americans that, "There is an element in the readjustment of our financial system more important than currency, more important than gold and that is the confidence of the people themselves. Confidence and courage are the essentials of success in carrying out our plan. Let us unite in banishing fear. Today we cannot fail. We cannot fail -- not now, not tomorrow, not next year.

This is a nation that's faced down war and depression, great challenges and great threats. And at each and every moment, we have risen up to meet these challenges. Not as Democrats, not as Republicans but as Americans with resolve and with confidence. With that fundamental belief that here in America, our destiny is not written for us, it's written by us. That's who we are and that's the country I know we can be right now.

I want to thank again the extraordinary leadership of Chairman Dodd and the Banking Committee as well as Chairman Baucus and Majority Leader Reid. They have worked tirelessly. I want to thank the leadership in the House of Representatives. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation, understanding that this will not solve all our problems. It is a necessary but not sufficient step to make sure that this economy once again works on behalf of all Americans in their pursuit of the American dream. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.