Thursday, November 29, 2012

7 Year Wisdom

You know those night where you are ready to strangle your child?  Not because of anything serious but because they have honestly just been really annoying all night and not listening to the simplest instruction?  Well, I have a fix for you when you are having one of those night like I am tonight.....think of something that your child did to make your heart swoon for them with in the past week.  If you can't think of anything your child did that week to make your heart swoon.....then I can't help you.....sorry.

Tonight I am reminding myself of the three bits of wisdom my son expressed starting last Wednesday.

The first bit:
We were having Thanksgiving at my Dad's house last Wednesday evening.  It was a small occasion, just my dad, step mom, sister, brother in law, grandma and grandpa and of course, RP and I.  My dad caught my grandma off guard by telling her that she was going to say grace so my quick witted grandmother asked us each to name something we were grateful for so that we were all apart of grace.  She started with RP and he said, "I am thankful for our houses, our food and love."  He went first and that it how amazing of a thought this kid had!  I love that!  He is thankful for love!!  Instantly I felt like I have been doing something right.

The second bit:
On Friday RP and I went downtown for the tree lighting and ice skating.  We try to go every year because we both love being downtown and going to Fountain Square so much.  He is a fearless ice skater and I have become more confident too....I mean, he can't be better than me, I'm the Mom!  So anyway, we are waiting in line, a band is singing Christmas songs and then he looks at me and says, "You know that Christmas isn't really about getting presents?  It's about being with your family.  It's a nice to be able to see all your family together.  That is what it is really about....not presents."  This child is the most kind hearted kid in the world!!!!!  Again, felt like I am doing something right.

The third bit:
At some point in the last few weeks I purchase the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  RP has only seen bits and pieces of it so we watched it the other day.  It was Saturday morning that I put it on at mr's house but I had to run out and renew my plates for my car.  It was still on when I returned and it was around the time that Veronica (?) what a golden goose of her own and she wanted it to lay 100 golden eggs a day.  RP is sitting on that couch and he says, "These kids only think about them selves."  And then he gave kind of a laugh/snort.....almost as though he thought their behavior was ridiculous.

So tonight, while he has been not showing bits of wisdom, I have reflected upon the past week.  He is an amazing kid and he has those moments of enlightenment, it is hard when he is a regular 7 year old again.  But I feel better now, less stressed.  He is finally in bed and.....wait for it.......yes, I think he is asleep.  This kind of therapy works by golly! 

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The Sisters

These are my sisters.  We are cute little girls huh?  Please note that the intensity of how pale I am has always been so.

See how we are silly?





It is the time of year that everyone lists the things for which they are thankful.  My list is long.  I feel as though some are obvious, like I am thankful that my son is healthy and happy.  I am thankful that I have mr in my life and we are in a healthy and happy relationship.  I am thankful for those family members who are still in my life, and for those I had the opportunity of loving before they passed.  I am thankful for old friends, new friends.  I am thankful for my parents and my step parents and all the family that I have gained through my step parents.  I am thankful for a lot.  It is hard to not be thankful when I have family and friends who have never ceased to support me and my son.

Lauren's first Phish show on her bday a couple years ago


Today I am most thankful for my sisters.  They are both amazing.  I miss them both everyday.  I know I don't call either of them as much as I should, but I think about them daily.  When we are together, we are full of laughter......and sometimes tears.  I still get mad at them....like really mad, but I think it is such a strong feeling because of how much I love them.  I can't imagine a world without either of them.  They are beautiful, smart, artistic, crafty, funny, silly, inspirational women.  I am so proud of both of them.  I feel bad for people in this world who don't know them or who have never given knowing them a chance.  They are the people you want in your corner.  I love you both and I know that you both contribute to who I am in very different ways. 
This one used to be my favorite

Thank you for letting annoying the crap out of you Jen and still wanting to be my friend.....eventually.  Thank you for letting me tease you relentlessly Lauren and be able to laugh about it now.  Thank you both for playfully making fun of me for most of my life, I am able to laugh at my self which can relieve a lot of stress. 

Nice Lauren :)











I will miss you at Thanksgiving Lauren.  Happy Birthday tomorrow, I am so glad you are safe and okay.
This one is my new favorite...I love us!
This one was my favorite for a while too


Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Inaugural Green BEAN Experience



Yesterday it finally came!!!  No, not the election, well yes the election, but my first Green BEAN Delivery!!!  What is Green BEAN Delivery you ask?  Well, let me tell you.

Green BEAN Delivery is a home delivery produce company.  They are dedicated to using local vendors and most of the vendors on their list are organic farmers.  You go to their site, sign up, and about week later you can pick the produce and/or grocery items you want and BAM!  They show up on your door step on your designated delivery day!

I opted for the small produce bin plus grocery items for my first delivery.  The site will make recommendations as to the size of the produce that will fit you and your family needs.  Since it is just RP at home, the small worked great.  I chose the one with extra grocery items for primarily one reason.  One of the local vendors that Green BEAN Delivery works with is Fabulous Ferments in Northside.  I am familiar with their sauerkraut from their booth at Findlay Market, but it wasn't until I was working in Clifton at the JJ that I was introduced to their Kombucha.  Oh my god, it's my fav!  Especially the Purple Party Time Carrot (or something like that).  They also have Beet Kvass, which sound kinda nasty at first, but you crave more after you drink some!  Anyway, I haven't had Fab Ferment's Kombucha since I have stopped working in Clifton (Whole Foods in Mason doesn't carry it *LAME!*), so I was super excited to see that Green BEAN Delivery sells their products.  Although they don't have all the flavors of Kombucha, it doesn't matter to me! 

So, I chose the small bin plus groceries.  They have a minimum order of $35 and my total was $35.90 (because of the Kombucha).  All of the items, with exception of the green beans, were organic but the beans are from Ohio.  Starting on Thursdays, I am able to modify my bin for the Tuesday delivery.  There is so much to choose from or you can just get what ever they throw in there and have it be a surprise.  Of course I modified mine.  They had potatoes originally in my bin, but we are not really potato kind of eating folks, so I switched those out for some green beans, mushrooms and a kiwi.  All together, I received 21 separate items (aka 4 Fuji apples I am counting as 4 items not 1).  I have not conducted a huge comparison to what I spend at Kroger's weekly, but just a brief look at the last receipt it had....I had 18 produce items (not including frozen) and spent roughly $1.35 per item.  In my bin I had 21 items and spent roughly $1.33 (excluding the Kombucha).  So they are close, except I never buy organic at Kroger because it is so much more per lbs.  So really, this week, I have spent less on my produce purchase.

I had one of my apples today and it was delicious.  The bananas were not yet ripe, nor the pears.  The broccoli was beautifully green, the carrots fresh and orange, the mushroom were loose packed in a brown paper bag, there was two squashes that looked like acorn (although they were called something else), a big bag of green beans......hmm....I can't remember what else was in there now!  Oh yea, oranges!






RP was so excited about the bin already being on our step when we got home from work/school.  He insisted on bringing it into the house alone.  We then had a discussion about how it was like when the tooth fairy comes except it has nothing to do with teeth, pillows or money.  You know how a conversation with a 7 year old goes....you start in one place and end up in a completely different place.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

My night with the Pres

So here we are at the end of another election.  There are only hours left now before the votes are all counted and we find out if President Barack Obama will continue forward or if his inertia will be halted by the Romney and Right wall.  I am glad that it is almost over.  This election has been especially tolling.  I once was surrounded by people who, although would not always agree with me, we were at least looking to a future in the same direction.  That is not the case in my life any longer.

I have never really felt like an outsider of thought when I am around other women.  All the women in my life, friends and family, have been very liberal in their thoughts.  Since I started my new job in the Spring, I have found my self surrounded by wonderful women but close to none of them share my same liberal attitude.  It is perplexing to me.  I have tried to understand where they have all come from to reach their political stances today.  Two of them used to own small business, so I can kinda get where their roots are, but the other ladies, I just scratch my head.  One of them has shared stories of her struggle as a woman in business and being a hippy in the 70's and struggling as a young working mom when that was not the norm, but she is so far on the right, that her back ground confuses me.  Another is very well education and down to earth that I can hear the teasing jokes about the right come from her, but she only has those jokes against the left.  I could go on about each woman that I work shoulder to shoulder with, but that isn't my point.  I am happy and enjoy working there almost everyday, but the days when politics are brought into the conversation are days that I feel like I am suffocating.  Being an outsider in political thought in a small office, and voicing that opposition is not a wise decision.  I am silencing my self and it is miserable.  (But I was also taught you don't talk about politics, money or religious at work)  The moments that I have spoken out sets a very uncomfortable mood and low talking from then on out.  Is it because I spoke against the status quo of the location?  Or has it absolutely nothing to do with anything I have presented?  I have no idea, but the feeling of tension chokes me.

When I leave that space on those rough political days, I want to vent about it.  I want an audience of commiseration.  I want to go off on a political rant and bad mouth that republican and bad mouth another and be ridiculous, sarcastic and over dramatic about what I have encountered during the day.  That is my stress release....slander.  I don't have that outlet available to me like I had daily in college and even at JJ.  It is an outlet that I took for granted.  I have a boyfriend who loves me and respects me and does not agree with me politically.  What I want to be a rant and commiseration from him turns into a respectful discussion on politics that I simply don't want to have.  It winds me up tighter and tighter because I have already dealt with that all day at work  And then I tend to shut down.

So I have been stressed out about this election more than any election previously.  The outcome of the next few hours is very scary to me.  I shudder to think of what the country will look like if the President is not re-elected.  But my purpose is not to preach or share all of those fears here. 

Sunday at 2:30 in the afternoon, RP and I took our position in line to see President Obama give one of his final speeches at one of his final rallies held at UC.  We stood in line.  Then RP found some kids to play with.  Then I started talking to the people (mostly women) around me in line.  There were two older women in front of me.  Both recalled rallies they had attended for Jimmy Carter.  I would say one was about my parents' age and the other a bit older.  In front of those two ladies were three UC students.  All three of them were voting for the first time today.  They all had such an energy about the rally and the importance of voting.  Behind me was an older white guy who eventually had his wife/girlfriend (?) show up to join him.  He had a really dry sense of humor and would have cracked a joke about 5 minutes before you realized what he had said.  Behind them were two 40ish black women and behind them, an entire black family.....and then a whole bunch more people.  We all talked, we commiserated, we laughed, we poked fun, we yelled at the Romney supporters that would drive by yelling at us, we all progressed through the line hoping that we would make it into the building.  When we passed the protesters of the rally from the right, we were shocked at how racist and mean their comments were.  We shared stories of our experiences together.  I got the relief from my election tension that I needed about two months ago and it was great.  I could have stayed in line for another 4 fours with those people around me talking about our ideals and how we want to move forward.  But all good things must come to an end and for the lucky ones, the end was getting to hear Stevie Wonder sing and Obama speak.

The vibe of the arena was amazing.  It was positive and up lifting.  There were families, college students, union workers, business people, mothers, fathers, older generations, white, black, Indian, Asian....it was a cross section of the American public all sitting in one giant room with the same purpose.  We all were looking in the same direction.  I am still getting goosebumps reflecting on the feeling and atmosphere of that room.  It was intense.  I am poorly describing it here.  I have never had such an experience before in my life and it was nothing less than amazing.  And then President Obama spoke.  I can only say that it was powerful.  There were two Romney hecklers in the crowd that were so disruptive, they were asked to leave.   I don't know why someone would wait so long in line just to be disrespectful and then get kicked out....I mean seriously, what's the point.

I know the picture I have posted is not the best and I had intended to post a few more, but they don't my memory justice.  My phone had died and apparently you can not zoom so well on an iPad for pictures.  I will never forget going on Sunday.  It is an experience the RP and I will share together forever.  No matter what side of the aisle he falls on when he is an adult and voting, he will always have the memory of the time his mom took him to see the President.