I no program. I bake.

WHAT FUN I've had in the past 2 days being domestic! I am feeling a LOT better, and LOVING being able to DO stuff! LOVING it! I still have queasy spells or whatever, if I get too hungry or every time I brush my teeth for example, but I'm not just living with nasty nauseau. So I will reiterate from a previous post, I am APPRECIATING WELLNESS! It is a beautiful thing, let me confirm, if anyone was wondering.

One weird thing before the fun reports. I checked my weight on the scale yesterday... still 110 lbs... so I've actually LOST like 2 or 3, cause I had gone up a couple before getting prego, but I look and feel fatter now... I dunno if it's water or what. But I was sure I was gonna be 120 again. Anyway, not intersting to anyone but me I suppose.

SO on the fun stuff!
#1 Yesterday morning I made almond milk from scratch. We've been buying it in tetrapacks at the grocery store, but all along I've been meaning to make my own, just never getting around to it. So I finally found my round tuit. Soaked the almonds 24 hrs, peeled them (unnecessary but makes the milk a beautiful pristine white if you do), blended and strained and Voila! A gorgeous, delicious, nutritious, homemade beverage, that I SO prefer to the store-bought one. I can give the ultra easy recipe to any interested parties. 1/2 cup almonds makes 2 1/2 cups milk, or more, I guess, depending on how thin you like your milk, but we are/were whole milk people. Anyway, I was so pleased with the outcome I was all tickled. (if you are interested, I can also email you a speech on "Why almond milk?")

#2 Then later that night I got even MORE tickled (like where I'm bouncing - I had been worried that I lost my bounce- and giggling like I'm 5 again... most of you have witnessed this performance at one point or another... I never really grew out of it) because I went and bought a pumpkin and carved it all by myself, for the first time ever! I don't think I ever carved a pumpkin except for maybe in a grade 1 school art project or something. So I designed it first on paper, drew it out, cut it, and was SO proud of it that, you guessed it, I was bouncing. It was a nice outcome, and it also vented some artistic inclinations that have been busting to get out for a while now. I wasn't sure what to do with them. This helped! They were temporarily appeased. And I must have done ok on it, cause Chris almost didn't believe that I did it myself. He walked in the door after seeing it and said, "So I guess you were downloading patterns off the internet?" Which, apparently one can do, but I still don't think that way. Parts of me live 'in the now' and other parts don't. I would never have thought of that. I just thought, Ooh! Get a paper and pencil and let's figure out how we will do it!!! Which is a good thing, planning, cause without it, I would have STARTED by cutting out a GREAT BIG circle for the face, then realizing, a little too late, that now I just have a big hole, and I can't carve a face out of that. So ya, measure (or design) twice, cut once. The old adage lives on.


#3 This morning, just after waking I was basically laying around, still way too sleepy to play very energetically with the very energetic Anna, but then an idea hit me. I want cinnamon rolls! So I jumped up, and went and made them! Yum! Interested in what gave me this sudden burst of energy, Anna inquired. I said, "Ta barruil agam!" Which means, I have an idea!
And she said, "What's a barruil?"
And I said, "an idea."
And she said, "Ooooh! WOwy! What is it????"

So then she followed me excitedly into the kitchen, and "helped" me make them, which mostly consisted of spilling things and complaining that she couldn't eat them yet, and we had fun, and then the best part: eating cinnamon rolls!

#4 This afternoon, until dark, I took Anna outside to play. We visited our garden, and I noticed, good grief, there is still a good bundle of stuff out there, that is NOT frozen to my amazement, and looking to come in the house and "get in my belly!" to coin a phrase. So I went and got my garden tools, even with the muddy conditions, and she ran around hitting the ground with one littel shovel while I used the curved forky looking thing (I'm still a city girl, ok, give me some time) to dig up the rest of our carrots, which for some reason, gives me such a thrill! Harvesting is just awesome. There is just something divine about planting seeds and later on going out and pulling up your carrots, which are, by the way, the best, sweetest, most flavourful carrots I've ever eaten (or juiced- oh baby!). Had I known before tonight that a person could wait THIS long to harvest carrots, I wouldn't have harvested them when I did. They were more than twice as big this time, and doing excellently well. If only I had known. Next year! I didn't realize that the regular air temperature being below freezing doesn't mean the GROUND is frozen, nor does it constitute "frost" officially. So there ya go.
There were even cucumbers waiting for someone to come bring them home. I was of course, more than obliging.

So that is all my fun, maybe it doens't soudn that fun, but I was bouncing, what can I say. It's contagious. If you were here, you really might have bounced too, you can't guarantee you wouldn't! ;)



this is my punkin'! I only have a webcam so the quality is lame and unclear. He has eyebrows and a nose and there are stars all around him and across the sides. Oh well.

try try again??

ok stop laughing... it didn't work... I will get Chris to help me. Leave me to the fiddle and the bread making I guess. I'm lucky I can mostly type.

testing testing, 1, 2, 1, 2...

This post is just an experiment to see if my first attempt at d-i-y programming has worked. I tried to add a different comment program to my blog template (my brain was workin! Go ahead and laugh Ciaran, if you are there, and any other programmers out there.) so ANYBODY can comment without having a blogger account. Just click and comment! Here's hoping and praying it worked, and that somebody will comment! (kneels for quick prayer) Is anybody out there??? (btw, THANK YOU Katherine, for your faithful commenting! I know SOMEone is listening! It's not a TOTAL monologue) 3 comments in 3 months is a little lame. I will admit to having some "blog envy" of a friend of mine who averages 10 comments per post regardless of what she talks about. I realized, hmm... maybe it's her comment program. So I ganked it. Well, not gank really, cause it is free code, but anyway.

(for those of you who didn't attend my high school, 'gank' means to steal)
Another thing abotu attending my high school, somethign there was part of my blog name inspiration, which only Katherine will get. There was a poet's journal called the Poet's Voice. So I kinda ganked that too.
"Geez", you might say, "what a ganker..."
...sorry, I couldn't resist that one...

NEAR.... far..... NEAR..... far

SO I have a few questions about blogging that I don't have answers for, and I probably won't find these enigmatic solutions anytime soon, because I don't think there are easy answers for them.

I wonder whether this whole blog world and other online communication resources actually serve to bring people together or not, OVERALL. Yes, one can meet a lot of new people, and that is connecting. I know plenty of couples, successful legit ones, that were introduced in chat rooms etc. But for people who are alREADY friends... I dunno. Yes, I love being able to scan through and check a bunch of my friends blogs and be instantly kept abreast of their news/thoughts at my convenience and daily, if so desired. I could never PHONE or visit all these people every day, week, or every month even, nevermind time restrictions, I don't think ANY of them are even in this province. So yes, there is a vote for connection.

BUT, I have ALSO seen it, where I stop talking to some people because I am left with little curiosity about them after having gotten all the news from the blog, and we might go a long time without TALKing anymore. That would qualify as disconnection in my book, since I would hold person to person contact in higher regard (maybe wrongly, I dunno) than online faux-contact.

I wonder if people do less in-person visiting with the advent of these other resources. I know tv made a dent in that too, so as not to appear an imbalanced vilifier :P I know most families here sit at home, not communicating, not visiting among themselves or other households, just watching tv all night. Most older people are glued to the tv, and most young people are glued to the computer (look at me throwing stones while typing in a glass house)... and what has that impacted in our characters? How are we different people by not having to face each other in the eye? I would argue that deceit, and any other form of sin, is easier when you are not facing the person eye to eye. One feels a false sense of anonymity and boldness. I say false because NOTHING is hidden from God, including what you type or view on your computer when 'nobody' is looking at 3am. So I wonder if as a society of loner computer engagers, our feeling of secret freedoms is higher than it was pre-techno industry. Are these perceived liberties that we feel greater than if/when we were face to face with a real person, living a more REAL life, seeing the person's real response, a wince if you stab, laughter at your humour, tears at injury?

On an entirely different note!
There is a short 30 second video I'd like everyone to watch. It is from the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. I recommend it!

http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/home_films_evolution_v2.swf

graduated from a kidney bean

Heya,
ya, still pukey... I know it's not fun to read, that's why I'm not writing it more often.

BUT I set before thee a challenge! I dare you to go buy some Kefir, either at a health food store or check to see if your grocery chain has it in the health food section. I've read about it for ages, and finally broke down and got some and now I'm working on an addiction to it, as is Chris. He insists that he is making his own from now on, and that he might even give up coffee and take this everyday instead. It is super healthy, and if it is your first time... a little on the weird side... it is different, I won't lie to you, but even westerners can love it, as I have demonstrated in the previous sentence. It is basically like a yoghurt drink... but even way more healthy than yoghurt. Way more. So try it, even just once, cause I told you to. Your guts will thank you.
Here's hoping that whatever you find is a REAL Kefir, that still has the active cultures in it (a big part of WHY it is healthy). It is popular in Eastern Europe/Russia etc. where it is generally the first thing given to a weaned child. Kefir means "feel good" in Turkish.

Let me know how it turns out for you.

It's getting colder, and we have been building fires on most days. A fire (in a fireplace or stove) in one's living room is just so cozy. I love it. I still wish it wasn't cold though. I never have time to get summer out of my system while I'm here. Oh well.

Baby is a not quite a kumquat. Just an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce. A kumquat that apparently likes its space!!! Gracious. I wouldn't want to share a bed with it later in life, I bet it'll be a space hog! No, I'm kidding. Actually, I just read that already my uterus has doubled in size. So, I guess it is routine, but goodness. A lot of room for a small visitor. I guess I can't begrudge'em. He will be beyond cramped soon enough! hehehe.

I hope for more interesting posts in the future, but if you have kids, you know how engrossing a period this can be.

Fun and Games?

Hey, sorry, been a while. I was waiting until I had something more interesting and pleasant to say than, "Man, I wanna puke.." which has been about all I have had to say for the last while. So I was sparing you. Aren't I generous? :P what a lady, I know, I know...

Kids amaze me. They have this passion for play which is not often found elsewhere. Adults in general are more lackadaisical about most things, no? I was changing Anna this morning, and immediately when I was done, she LEPT up and RAN out to continue her play like a shot. MAN! Don't make me miss a SECOND! There's serious playing time out there, I can't miss any!!!

What drives you that way? What makes YOU jump up, and RUN out of desire for something? Is there anything? What is it, if anything, and what does is say about you? Would you like to do that sometimes but are afraid to show that much enthusiasm? Why?

Another issue has been simmering with me, but I haven't the time or initiative to really research it, so it won't be more than a big rant, but hey. For a really informed argument about stuff you'll have to read Joy Eidse's blog.

It is the total mis-appropriation of funds globally. I was looking at movie and tv industries, which I see as largely useless industries (I welcome your input/challenge on that comment) and the TREMENDOUS amount of money expended in them, and for what? So people can make money.... off of what??? People wasting time? People entertaining themselves? Entertainment, that I would argue, that is by and large (if not almost completely), detrimental to the viewer. Look at the term AMUSEMENT . Does that not mean to NOT think? (A-muse)

The average blockbuster movie costs something around $100 million, but upwards to $200 million (Titanic). What about all these reality shows? I heard about one the other day where as a surprise they flew EVERYONE on the show to Paris for a day or something retarded, so, this includes filmcrews, lighting, whatever mess goes along with all the contestants. Now you think the airlines gave them a break on price for doing some on the fly? (no pun intended) Ya right. So there was a good many thousands there, in one episode... but the Amazing Race does that every episode. I am just incensed and utterly dumbfounded at what I perceive to be a total lack of conscience on the part of these people. How many hungry would that feed? How many sick might it restore, how many homeless could have a home, how many impoverished could have their debts paid? We are so rich, we are numb with self-satisfaction. It is repulsive to me. I can hardly watch a new movie or such now without getting maddened to myself, thinking, how could this money have better been spent? One mustn't have ever KNOWN hunger, to turn such a blind eye to it, when one has the means to end another's suffering. What if people would pool these insane resources which are obviously OUT there, or Titanic would never have happened, and what if these people had more altruistic hearts... what might happen in the world? Remember, as you read, the power and beauty of a need fulfilled, the impact on a person's life. One doesn't even need to go to Africa to find truly needy ones. I know people very close to me who often lack sufficient grocery money.

A question I heard: What do you not realize you've got until it's gone? Your health.
I would add, most blessings westerners enjoy, especially as children.

One a similar note, we were watching Beauty and the Beast the other night with Anna, (yes, movies still happen in my world, go ahead, laugh at me) and one of the opening lines made me laugh. "Although the prince had every luxury he desired, he was cold, selfish" etc...
I would re-write the text, "BECAUSE the prince had every luxury he desired, he was cold and selfish.." Just an idea. I laughed at the popular imbedded-though daily-proven-untrue view of money buying happiness/goodness etc. You might condemn that notion at first glance, but if you examine yourself further, you might be surprised at this insidious principle lurking in your heart somewhere, unbeknownst to you. I know I still find it sometimes, it creeps up, rears its ugly head, to my repulsion, and I must face my own Department of Corrections. :)

Some thoughts this morning.
Hope you all are well, enjoying autumn, whatever it looks like, wherever you are.