80/20

My brother in-law called last night. I believe the timing was just what I needed. He shared a story with me...

The girls' room has been a disaster for a long time now. Every attempt we have made to get them to put their toys away, clean their room, make their beds, and put way their clothes has failed. We have bribed; we have rewarded; we have threatened; and yet still, we have failed. Finally (mother and father) decided the girls may choose 20% of what is currently in their room to keep in their room. The rest is getting boxed up. That's right. 80% of their clothes, toys, shoes, games, stuffed animals, dresses, and even underwear were boxed up and placed in the attic. The rule was made that if they could handle a simplified version of their room, slowly they could earn back some of their belongings. [And their room was bare bones of what it was before!] After the screaming and the fits, one of the girls came downstairs and said, "you know daddy, I kind of like my room now".

Pondering this story I can't help but think about how cluttered our lives can become. I can't count the number of times I have felt overwhelmed with my life and looked for ways to be rescued. Can you imagine if we were to box up of 80% of our time, our issues, our concerns, and our "freedoms" how great that 20% could become?? My brother in-law, being faced with great challenges over the past several years, suggested that perhaps trials are the Lord's way of sweeping out the 80% that bogs us down, teaching us what is truly important, and helping us to take care of the simplest 20%...and if we can manage, He just might bless us with the other 80.

yes- that SMELL?!

Having been pregnant three times, there are certain ummm...alterations my body has made.

1. I can wet my pants with a sneeze or two jumps on a trampoline (try me!)


2. My boobs sag like my grandma's (only hers were double EE's, mine are just double)


3. My gag reflex has been forever altered.

For example, if you cook fish in this house, if you cook eggs in this house, or if you cook fish AND eggs in this house, I will gag. If I change a really horrible diaper, chances are, I will gag. If there is something rotting in the backseat or in the garage or in the fridge, guess what? I will gag.



So do not be surprised if the smell of rotting cabbage (otherwise known as sauerkraut) being heated over the stove makes me GAG. It's not your cooking that is making me gag; it's your choice of ingredients.



And if I have to plunge the clogged toilet and scoop shit out by hand in order to get the thing to flush, do not be surprised if I run to the sink and gag and vomit. Even if it is only 5 minutes after the last time I gagged due to the rotting vegetables simmering in my kitchen...I am not saying your cooking is the equivalent of scooping SHIT OUT OF THE TOILET.



You made that connection all on your own, and I can't be blamed for the physiological changes my body has endured by carrying your children. I'm just sayin...we all have to make sacrifices.

Get with the times, or GET AWAY from the times?

Social networking has hit an all time high with the rising popularity of Facebook. [sounds like a CNN lead-in, right?] Well I tripped over my pajama bottoms and fell deep into the FB abyss months ago ((ok, ok-- years ago)) and have never really come out, except maybe a time or two to rival the curiosity I had been fighting.

It's true, FB became my "new blog" over the past couple of years. I started with a few friends, a few acquaintances. The numbers rose, I felt quite popular, and it wasn't long before I accepted "friends" that I had never met before. Now as a blogger, I was used to this. It didn't bother me that I had a wall full of people that knew nothing about me other than what I slapped in that 240 character space I called my own.

However the more people I accepted as "friends," the more conservative I found myself. And I did not like it! The more I relied on FB, the less I cared about my blog. I began to miss my freedom of expression. I missed venting without offending my family or the people I knew, or family who knew the people I knew but didn't know me or see me on a regular basis. (Not that my blog wasn't offensive in some ways...certainly it was!) But I was thinking last night, "I can be offensive if I wanna be because, well, it's my own personal corner of the world wide web and I'm not forcing anyone to read what I have to say. Besides, it's not like blogger has a graffiti wall or something!"

And that's when it hit me.

My Facebook page has become a grafitti wall!

It all makes perfect sense now. Because I am part of this FB network, I am subjecting all of my "friends" to the links I have posted and the words I have written. I can virtual slap someone across the face, I can virtual hug someone who is sad, and I can get into a virtual argument with the people I consider to be my "friends". The downfall? It's all public. [And my friends are your friends and your friends have friends that are friends with my friends and then they want to be friends with me so they can express their unwarranted opinions which offend my friends and suddenly we're all defriending each other and starting over.]

I think it's time for me to nurture my creativity once again (read: vent and bitch and gripe and moan without fear of repercussion). I have joined NaBloPoMo for this year in an attempt to keep my spirits motivated and my head clear. Wish me luck!

Interesting

I have no idea where my love of blogging has gone...probably down the drain along with some of those "priceless" friendships. I'm sitting here in the loft of my (new) old house wondering how in the HELL I ended up here?? I hesitate to look through my blogroll because it stirs up old memories, some good and some bad, but ALWAYS some regret. I don't like that I've lost touch with old acquaintances, HATE it that I've lost touch with old friends. My blog has become a graveyard and I think I need a fresh start. My life has changed. My friends have changed. My "need" for blogging has evolved into something completely different. I haven't fully decided if I want to delete this blog altogether and start a new one somewhere else? [Because, truthfully, it is still MY history--still very much a part of ME. So why would I want to throw it all away?] Then again, it's not me...not any more. And I deserve a breath of fresh air, not one filled with regret and constant reminders of past failures. [And sometimes, it just feels GOOD to take out the trash, ya know??]

If you want to find me- email me littlemissblogspot at yahoo dot com

If you have sent messages to littlemissblogspot (at yahoo) in the past and never heard back, I'm sorry. It's so filled with SPAM that I couldn't possibly pull my head out of my ass to sift through it all. My inbox will be deleted (another fresh start), and the new one will be listed soon.

That is all for now. Best wishes. Namaste. Alvederzane. (and all that flowery jazz).
Maybe I'll stick around. Maybe not.

Posting again- purely for selfish reasons!

Surfing the internet (fighting insomnia and losing) I came across this blog that could have come from my own notebook...if only I were as creative and fun to read that is-

C-Jane, Friday the 13th (Mean Mom)

I must say the secretaries at my children's school are truly AMAZING. I have stories, lots of stories but don't want to take away from this great post. Maybe another sleepless night, but not tonight.

Let's just leave it at this...I feel her pain having to walk into the office with all the children in tow and sheepishly signing the tardy slips! ROFLMAO (and I hate acronyms)!

I love to shop!

Big surprise, eh?

This year I received gift cards from my family as well as for N8. We have had so much fun shopping for ourselves (without the guilt)--it's been amazing!

So what if I know what's under the tree? I picked it out myself and had a blast doing it!

YouTube makes me HAPPY

I don't know what it is about YouTube but it seriously makes me so happy. Maybe the sleep deprivation and stress levels are finally taking its toll on my psyche...but I've been laughing my ass off for the past 1/2 hour (taking a nice break between medical terminology and the third stage of labor)-- humor me, just laugh. OK?

Are you kidding me?

According to this new article Baby, you're home... in the NY Times the National Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology convinced the American Medical Association to join the coalition against home births and in June of this year the AMA made an official statement "condemning home births".

Now I understand the medical community makes a ton of money off everyday, naturally occurring events. However when a naturally occurring event (take POOPING for example) gets hindered in some way, medical attention can help get things moving again (think: stool softener or laxative). If there is a serious condition and the intestines suddenly stop working properly or become perforated in some freak accident, then medical attention is available to help you get your shit together (pun intended, thank you very much). Now why on earth would I feel the need to go to a doctor's office if I suddenly have the urge to poop? Will I feel comfortable going into a sterile environment with monitors and bright lights to allow my body to function properly in front of 4 strangers? Or do you think I'd like to remain within the comforts of my own home?

Until 50 years ago, maternity wards in hospitals were very scarce. Women were giving birth the same way women have been bringing children into this world for the past TWO THOUSAND YEARS. Primitive societies (or those without access to modern medical technology) have much lower mortality rates in mothers and newborns. WHY do you think this is true?

According to the CDC the "leading cause of infant mortality is congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities with a rate of 20.2 percent. Disorders related to short gestation and low birth weight was the second leading cause of death for all infants at 16.4 percent of all deaths. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the third leading cause of infant death. Its incidence decreased by about 9 percent, which it has been doing since 1988. The fourth leading cause of death comes under the heading of newborn affected by maternal complications of pregnancy. This rate actually increased from 2001 to 2002 from 37.2 per 100,000 live births to 42.9 per 100,000 in 2002."

Congenital malformations and genetics- will they still exist in a hospital birth? YES. Disorders related to short gestation and subsequent low birth rates- will they still exist in hospital births? YES. And guess what else? If a woman goes into preterm labor then she is sent to the hospital for medical intervention!! SIDS- does this still exist with hospital births? YES. Can it be prevented? NO. Maternal complications of pregnancy? Guess what? Prenatal care and continuous followups maintain the same level of preventative care and awareness that would exist in an obstetrician's office.

So what EXACTLY are you saying about giving birth at home? Genetics? Premature labor? SIDS? Prenatal Complications? But what EXACTLY are you saying about BIRTH?

that's what I thought.

You know how difficult it's been trying to take away womens rights to abortion? Just wait until you see the opposition that will be shoved down your throat when you try taking away womens rights to give birth!!!! You will see less prenatal care because women don't want to risk the state finding out they are pregnant and requiring them to go to the hospital. You will see more babies born on the side of the road or across state borders to avoid your restrictions. You will see mother and infant mortality rates increase dramatically...all in the name of "safety".

Now take your ball and go home- you're no longer invited to play.

School started last week...

that's it.
that's all i have to say.

I started my program for Midwifery and have been SO INCREDIBLY BUSY ever since. I have been out of school way too long for this crap. Seriously it's kickin my ass.

My vote- November 4th 2008

First- TRY THIS and then continue reading...

Either way this election will meet historic levels; either a black man will be President or a woman will be Vice President and both are truly remarkable events in our history! I feel every American will be able to tell their children "you can be anything you want to be when you grow up, even President of the United States" and truly mean it! Now, having stated my warm fuzzies...here are the rest of my thoughts:

"Families making more than $250,000 will pay either the same or lower tax rates than they paid in the 1990s. Obama will ask the wealthiest 2% of families to give back a portion of the tax cuts they have received over the past eight years to ensure we are restoring fairness and returning to fiscal responsibility. But no family will pay higher tax rates than they would have paid in the 1990s." 7.5 million working mothers will benefit from Obama's tax plan, 7 million seniors won't even be taxed, 10 million homeowners will get a mortgage tax credit, and he will work to close those loopholes that have Republicans worried. Only the top 2% of households would see an increase, and even then it would only be an increase of 3%- living in the middle class, working in the middle class, and raising my children in the middle class- I'm in favor of tax reliefs for the majority and against the wealthiest of Americans getting all the tax breaks.


I guess I am turning into a Liberal- definitely good to know!


Lowering taxes for the wealthy is a Republican thing. They have been getting tax breaks while the rest of the economy is suffering and it's not fair. Shouldn't the MAJORITY reap some of the benefits? Republicans seem to believe you just have to "work harder" to get out of poverty and break the cycle. Well guess what? They are blind and have never been in a situation like that- it's not as simple as that. It's nice to be among the privileged in our country. My mother was on welfare and I still had my needs met. I was able to attend a good college because I had the opportunity to think only about MYSELF and MY future. Many never get that chance. Many can't afford to go to college and NOT be supporting their brothers and sisters. I could go on and on. But yes, I am a Liberal.


I believe in equal rights for women. I believe in equal rights for gays and lesbians. I believe in the redistribution of wealth. If I suddenly make over $250K in one year, guess what? by all means, the government can take their fair share because I have been blessed enough to make a decent income. I am willing to share that wealth because it truly benefits us all. One way or another, we will be spending our money on the poor and underprivileged; either through welfare, education tax credits, medicaid/medicare, orphaned children, or prisons. Either way I am willing to share my money for the greater good of this nation and I trust our President to do it. I don't however have that much trust in the American people- given what they have shown over the past two years in preparing for this election!


And one more thing- I don't want my taxes continuing to fight a useless war; one that can't be "won". I'm ready for my friends' husbands to return home and start focusing on OUR COUNTRY. Indeed I am a Liberal.


And I studied anthropology for 5 years. I learned tolerance. I learned acceptance. I learned we don't live in an Utopian society. I learned that in a true democracy all members of the society have equal access to power (right now those who have the money have all the access) and that all members enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties (right now those freedoms and liberties are not available to ALL AMERICANS). So many people have this belief that unrealistic ideals can be achieved through capitalism, commercialism, and exploitation (often of intangible goods like "happiness" or at the expense of those living below the poverty level). My mom was on welfare while we were living in Oklahoma. I grew up on food stamps. And we consider ourselves BLESSED that a government program was available to help. My dad left. My mom started working two jobs. I was a latch key kid. My brother got a job to help my mom pay the bills. DO YOU THINK WE DESERVED THAT?! and we were one of the lucky ones.


So YES- I will allow the government to take my money and distribute it to the places they deem worthy and necessary. And while I disagree with the war, if my President chooses to continue spending trillions of dollars and thousands of American lives in the name of "democracy" in a foreign country that has not been changed in over 2,000 years then I will allow it because he is our President. I still believe in our government. And I choose to support a candidate who has the greatest chance of changing corrupt government and shifting the focus back to Americans.


And while I'm at it...here are my thoughts on Prop 8:


I feel marriage should be sanctioned by religious affiliations and that the government should STAY OUT OF IT completely. We should all be entered into a "domestic partnership" with our mates as far as the law is concerned; however that is not the case as the government MAKES it their business to spell it out for us. And since the government makes it their business, they have an obligation to be fair and to give equal access to all members of society and to allow ALL members universally recognized freedoms and liberties as well as equal protections and sanctions (which are currently not available to ALL AMERICANS).


People are being discriminated for the type of lifestyle they choose to live. It wasn't that long ago that interracial (sp?) marriages were illegal and highly denounced publicly at best. Our country is founded upon "liberty and justice for all". Does "separate but equal" racial laws not ring a bell? 1,138 rights are given to heterosexual married couples, same sex domestic partnerships leave out a GREAT DEAL of those rights and must be (and have been) fought for one bill at a time. Bottom line, Prop 8 writes discrimination against one group of people into our US Constitution and regardless of my religious beliefs, that is still wrong.


**wow that feels good to get all my thoughts out "on paper"! I realize people feel just as strongly in the opposite direction, and by all means, I support your decision. However my own conscience tells me to vote for Barack Obama and that is exactly what I will do! (and you better do the same for the candidate you deem most qualified to handle the position!)


GET OUT AND VOTE!


**and if my mumbling was too boring- check out what Crazy Beautiful has to say regarding the issue (don't worry, it's a short post!)