by Sarah | Nov 29, 2007 | Uncategorized
This is totally not kid-related and so should probably go over at Side Dishes…but I’m putting it here anyway.
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I woke up this morning to my phone ringing. It was my DH. This is normal. The girls and I sleep until 9:30ish around the time my DH calls. While I’m on the phone with him I hear a diesel engine outside. Several of my neighbors have diesels, and at least one of them ahs a friend that drives a bigrig…so out of curiosity I try to look outside to see what it is with little succeess. Whatever it is is right out of sight. I hang up with DH and head out to my living room.
Outside my window I see the neighbors Fire Vehicle (He drives one of the SUV’s he’s like a step down from the captain…he’s also a prick) – wouldn’t be out of norm, but his lights are flashing. No sirens. I move further into the room and see a plain white van. Further into the room and there’s the other Fire Dept SUV. FURTHER into the room and I see the source of the diesel engine…the Fire Dept. ambulance.
Now, if my neighbor wasn’t such a prick at this point I would walk away and just ask him later WTH was going on…but he’s not so I get super curious. I call DH and ask why they’d have a plain white van (no windows). I watch out the window. I suspect that the neighbor has died because she was elderly. There are no ‘crime scene’ people there that I can tell…but there is one guy in a black coat wandering around, putting laundry baskets of stuff in a nearby car.
Then the neighbors granddaughter comes out of the house. She goes there all the time to do her laundry. A few minutes later the granddaughters boyfriend comes out, too.
ANOTHER white van pulls up with really darkened windows…two men in suits get out – at which point I’m pretty sure the neighbor is deceased – one of them men spits in my yard…thanks so much :P.
It takes another full 5 minutes, but then a gurney is taken out of the newest arrival and into the house. One of the men pops out a few minutes with gloves on his hand…then the granddaughter appears again with food from the fridge (cleaning it out?). Another few minutes go by and the gurney is brought back out. Fully covered with a blanket. PUt in the back of the van. The Fire Dept vehicles pull away. The guy with the black coat has pulled his black SUV into the yard by now and reappears a few minutes later with a dog carrier containing Norma’s Min-Pin….
My neighbor passed away last night! I just saw her outside last week!! She was just blowing leaves by herself two weeks ago! Very strange. I didn’t know her well, but she was nice enough. And what an odd way to start my day…I feel very discombobulated now….
by Sarah | Nov 28, 2007 | Uncategorized
This was brought to my attention through blog browsing over at Michele’s Sparks & Butterflies…and I felt the need to pass it on!
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The all-mighty YouTube has become as ignorant as other sites, removing a video that the LMJ put up in honor of breastfeeding.
Incidences like this make breastfeeding seem obscene and disgusting. To a young mother like I once was, it makes the nature of feeding your child uncomfortable!! I, personally, breastfed my oldest and my middle child, but not my third. I don’t care either way if you did or not…I more care that we are made to feel vile for doing something so simple when, as others have pointed out, videos of starlets and not-so-starlets shaking their bits are left up as “enjoyment”. Why not give others the ability to decide if they want to watch a video that is no more vile (in fact, less so) than a stripper dancing for dollars.
Breastfeeding my first was uncomfortable for me in public. I hid in back rooms, nursed in a changing room, in a bathroom, threw blankets over him and lowered my eyes in shame. I knew it was natural and reveled in breastfeeding him at home…but in public I suddenly felt…like everyone was looking down at me.
Seven years later I was able to try again. This time without shame I whipped open for my beautiful little girl…in a restaurant, on a park bench, in the middle of the mall. I didn’t let myself feel the disdain seething from some people’s eyes…simply reveled in the love coming from my daughter’s. I breastfed her until I couldn’t any longer (due to medical issues)…and now regret giving it up when I did because I didnt HAVE to after all…I just had a stupid pediatrician. I did NOT breastfeed my last (for multiple reasons), but if it had…it would have been the same.
Breastfeeding should not be shameful. We should not be embarassed for taking care of our children. Whether we breast or bottle feed we shouldn’t allow STRONG mothers who make the CHOICE to breastfeed feel any less of a person, or a member of society for doing so.
Mother’s, step out of the bathroom stalls and changing rooms. Breastfeed your child without shame. And help the LMJ get their video on TO STAY!!
(the following suggestions copied from the LMJ website):
1. Email congressional reps (link to http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ – enter your zip, and it returns all three addresses/home pages for your location) and Parliament members (link to http://www.canada.gc.ca/directories/direct_e.html – enter your postal code, and it returns addresses/home pages of Parliament members) and ask them to tell YouTube/Google that removal of the video is socially and legally unacceptable.
2. Create a short video (not breastfeeding) that is tagged and titled “Message to YouTube” (feel free to include any other tags, including League of Maternal Justice, Breastfeeding, Health, etc). and tell them what you think about this. Tell them that breastfeeding is NOT obscene
*Updated: We’re going to reload our video (with new music) in the next few days. If you want, hold your Messages to YouTube and you can make them as replies to our Montage! (Thanks Jenn)
YouTube is calling for these videos and we’re more than happy to oblige. Make sure to send us your YouTube video link!
3. Write a post and include these same directions on your own blogs and send us the permalinks (or leave them in the comments).
4. Return to the LMJ call to action post (where permalinks will be linked up) and post/vote for others’ posts on bookmarking sites.
5. Submit our press release to online media outlets and social bookmarking sites (Reddit, Stumbleupon, etc.), get your message boards involved, send to your local reporters, or any national news contacts.
by Sarah | Nov 26, 2007 | Uncategorized
I wanted to apologize for my earlier post. It was my intention to never go off like that on here. I was hopping mad, though. I’m calmer now, but still will not post on the subjects again until I have had a couple of days.
Again, sorry for my tirade. It has been removed 😀
by Sarah | Nov 26, 2007 | Uncategorized
I have a guilty confession to make…
DH and I raced through the leftovers so fast we were left unsatisfied…so I’ve cooked ANOTHER Turkey breast (and some stuffing) today JUST for the ‘leftovers’!!!
*****
P.S. Tonight I continue the story of me!! Fewer pictures from now on, though…I promise 😛
by Sarah | Nov 24, 2007 | Uncategorized
Today I had a day off!! Well, a work days worth!!
I left at 9AM today and didn’t see my kiddos until about 2:30 in the afternoon. We spent the afternoon together out. We (sort of) got rid of the car (long story, for another day…and you will get it). And then came home and the girls crashed.
I got a WONDERFUL pedicure w/ a neck massage (brief, but wonderful), a great massaging chair and some wonderful scented oils of my own choice. My nails are all painted (something that has not occured for a LONG time) in a beautiful shiny burgundy color (It’s called ‘Wrapped in Rubies’)…and my feet feel sooo soft. My manicure was nice, but more for the humor of my manicurist than for the manicure itself…it wasn’t over the top and he didn’t even massage my hands (my fav part of a manicure)…BUT, he himself was hilarious!!
So, I got a nice little Mommies Day Out. Got to chat and relax with the girls, ahve a little lunch (that got cut short for my car appointment)…and it was sooo wonderful!!
Hooray for time off – even if we do talk about our kids during it!!!
by Sarah | Nov 23, 2007 | Uncategorized
In the next couple of days I’ll be posting a contest…I’m the giving spirit here today *G* I need to ‘officially’ decide on a prize and then I’ll post the contest!!
And yes…it will be Holiday Oriented…I’m really in the Christmas spirit this year!
