tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:54:27 +0000"Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body". -- E. Stonehttp://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)Blogger336125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-7232281517488543956Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:26:00 +00002009-11-24T22:26:35.438-05:00It being Thanksgiving week, a lot of sympathy goes to the animals that die this week to feed us! Personally, I love eating meat; but that doesn't mean I am not appreciative of the turkey lives that are now snuffed for my big day of feasting. My mother-in-law showed me a cute picture of a turkey wearing a fake pig snout holding the sign "think pork".  All ye fellow meat-eaters:  let us be http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/8t3Wenl1Q-Y/turkey-says-think-pork.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/8t3Wenl1Q-Y" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/11/turkey-says-think-pork.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-5382798009384893516Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:13:00 +00002009-11-22T00:13:32.157-05:00A week after the passing of an elder, I am finally gathering my thoughts to reflect upon her life.  A life now spent, now quiet, now sown in the ether; scattered between the stars.  Ninety-nine years of living.  And to the end she expressed her humor and sarcasm, communicated her need to be loved by not letting go of my hand, and was accepting of her life and the new limits of her hospital bed.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/DfgYvn572Is/righteous-life.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/DfgYvn572Is" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/11/righteous-life.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-2798225524440607020Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:46:00 +00002009-11-19T21:46:20.280-05:00Alfred A. Montapert admonishes us, "Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress".  Today, it feels like he was preaching to the choir. Why can it be so hard to mother children?  It's like they don't want to be my friend.  I'm not going to turn this post into a total whine.  I'll just whine a little. I felt like I was in motion all day long http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/xD3ix19p9s8/rocking-horse-kind-of-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)3<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/xD3ix19p9s8" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/11/rocking-horse-kind-of-day.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-1915381522748048914Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:51:00 +00002009-11-17T15:51:32.077-05:00Poems flash through my thoughts now and again.  I was an English major, drawn to that field of study by 2 years of creative writing workshops.  I loved workshops; fellow students tearing out the heart of each others' essays and poems and handing them over, still beating, to the authors.  We were brutal.  But I always walked out of every class with a sentence and sometimes just a word I had used http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/dR-Fvj9qEb0/poem-from-my-head-today.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/dR-Fvj9qEb0" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/11/poem-from-my-head-today.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-3866527981365228788Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:18:00 +00002009-11-16T16:18:25.118-05:00Right now, CNN is running a special about 'everyday heroes' from around the world.  You can watch mini-vidoes about the 'top 10' change-makers, according to CNN.  And as if that weren't enough of a special, you then get to vote for the person you think is making the most difference. Here is the link: CNN Heroes I might vote, but personally just being able to watch the videos was cool enough.  http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/o9NzPtOVMjA/inspiration-to-give-back-just-look-at.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/o9NzPtOVMjA" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/11/inspiration-to-give-back-just-look-at.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-5992611378555126672Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:36:00 +00002009-11-16T13:38:00.620-05:00I made this really official-looking outline of my thoughts recently.  I go to bed weighing pros and cons, so I thought it was time to put this down in hardcopy format (and get it out of my brain!).  The outline is regarding our possible move from our current rural life to city living.  The said document is below.  Please share any thoughts or observations.  Any experiences you have would be http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/bFBCMV_v2Bo/decision-making-rural-vs-urban-life.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)6<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/bFBCMV_v2Bo" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/11/decision-making-rural-vs-urban-life.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-6551257321524398496Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:39:00 +00002009-11-16T10:39:51.667-05:005 women, including myself, gathered in my mother's kitchen yesterday to knead butter, rum, flour, sugar, fruit, and almonds into a solid dough to create German Stollen, a holiday bread.  The kneading took an amazing 2 hours of German arm power to make it look and feel like "a nuns belly". My Mom made this bread every winter of my life.  And it wasn't until yesterday that I fully understood the http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/9HbE4u2rF0g/shake-them-german-love-handles.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)3<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/9HbE4u2rF0g" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/11/shake-them-german-love-handles.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-3628918921449563485Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:56:00 +00002009-11-15T10:57:54.118-05:00 I pulled out the tissue paper last night (it somehow didn't get lost in the move) and made a few tissue-paper stars to get in the holiday spirit.  My mother, originally from Germany, would make these with us every Advent season.  Here is a decent website, explaining the simple process: Suite 101 Another craft we would do each year, once we were a little older: candle dipping. My Mom was a http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/sDGhl_ifaXs/thanks-to-mom-for-teaching-me-this.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/sDGhl_ifaXs" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanks-to-mom-for-teaching-me-this.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-5078714258627722415Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:58:00 +00002009-11-13T14:58:15.994-05:00My plate, as they say, is full. I have heat again, after another call to the heating man. I have a full pantry, after running low on food for a few days. I have a peaceful moment to write this, with only the click-clack of the heaters for noise. I was feeling sorry for myself the other day because I couldn't buy a new swimsuit.  Lo-and-behold, I went to the local free-exchange shop and found a http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/ToM51kLhJug/living-with-full-plate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)3<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/ToM51kLhJug" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/11/living-with-full-plate.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-495855030468845027Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:47:00 +00002009-11-11T08:47:20.354-05:00 "Long after they are laid to rest - when the fighting has finished, and our nation has endured; when today's servicemen and women are veterans, and their children have grown - it will be said of this generation that they believed under the most trying of tests; that they persevered not just when it was easy, but when it was hard; and that they paid the price and bore the burden to secure this http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/6CowoAB7NQg/veterans-day-november-10th-2009.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/6CowoAB7NQg" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/11/veterans-day-november-10th-2009.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-2857634437095416948Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:29:00 +00002009-11-10T22:33:34.642-05:00The phrase "over my dead body" is too much for this exercise.  Instead, how about, "over this pint of chocolate beer" because in all honesty, that is the place this thought originated.  Plus, I'm new to this. Hubby and I got a Get Out of Jail Early card tonight from boring college course and made  bee-line for local pub.   I hadn't seen him for about 2 days, so naturally my inclination was to http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/sww00N0-3KI/over-chocolate-beer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/sww00N0-3KI" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/11/over-chocolate-beer.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-2070647215746436756Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:18:00 +00002009-11-10T10:43:21.178-05:00"In any aspect of life to have principles can aid in the simplification of complex scenarios. All too often, principles can be easily mislaid when the detail of a situation becomes consuming. Such micromanagement, whilst in itself not problematic, in the absence of principles becomes extremely confusing; the outcome commonly being paralysis by analysis" - Matt Wallden ND, DOI stumbled upon the http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/G3y5qVyUfRU/paralysis-by-analysis.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/G3y5qVyUfRU" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/11/paralysis-by-analysis.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-4861399324421592363Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:31:00 +00002009-11-05T22:48:09.735-05:00I like the word flat much better than apartment. Why oh WHY do we say "ay-paaart-mint". So, flat living. That's what we're doing nowadays. Used to live in a 3-bedroom house with 2 bathrooms and a dirt basement. Now we pay rent (whoo hoo!) and utilities! I do like that word: utilities. Kinda like flat; it gets to the point.Things about flat living that intrigue me:1. I can hear my neighbor http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/WUxZz6oqKKs/flat-living.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)3<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/WUxZz6oqKKs" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/11/flat-living.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-4938936643833802998Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +00002009-11-04T20:30:16.151-05:00I would be OK with yelling at my kids if it entailed some purpose, such as keeping them safe: "WATCH OUT FOR THE CAR!". Or if it meant I was applauding some success: "GOOD JOB!"Unfortunately, most of the yelling I do is of the tempest-in-a-teapot type: "STOP CHOKING ME AND NO YOU CAN'T HAVE COOKIES BEFORE BED AND STOP HITTING YOUR SISTER! OWWW!" The end-of-the-day type of yelling when I just http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/x2TeLX_WmUU/why-all-yelling.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)5<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/x2TeLX_WmUU" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/11/why-all-yelling.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-4464927017687228307Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:42:00 +00002009-10-28T20:09:35.874-04:00From 2:30 - 5:30 today I was standing in my husbands Crocs in our tiny kitchen, cutting, scooping, squishing, picking, and sundry other kitchen-like actions. I was also bouncing between the kids, setting them up with the pencil sharpener, monitoring proper play-dough usage, helping to string beads, and letting them draw all over the windows with 'window crayons'.During the kitchen part, http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/JAsLv2xMY78/separating-pumpkin-seeds-and-other.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/JAsLv2xMY78" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/10/separating-pumpkin-seeds-and-other.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-700875864816642054Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:05:00 +00002009-10-26T20:34:18.924-04:00A trip into town is never dull with my LittleFish. Even though the library was closed (see pic below) we came up with a plan B. Rode a lion, saw some art, did some shopping, and enjoyed a lunch out.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/DIREBEEiBm0/girl-and-me.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/DIREBEEiBm0" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/10/girl-and-me.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-7021296249516917955Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:55:00 +00002009-10-22T00:12:41.179-04:00I used to never get angry... and then I had kids. Yeah, ya know what I mean?I'm not saying that having kids gave me a reason to be angry -- no way. I love my kids and they are my light. I have discovered though that having children uses all of my resources so completely that I no longer have that old energy to keep that tight lid on my anger. Now I think I lost the lid and once I feel that http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/leHBymE3H6w/im-gonna-downward-dog-heck-outta-my.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/leHBymE3H6w" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/10/im-gonna-downward-dog-heck-outta-my.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-3323647418662918441Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +00002009-10-09T13:13:31.363-04:00I'm no Julia Child's, but I sure can read a recipe!It's been around 2 months since we've moved away from 3 meals a day cooked for us and into a life of providing sup for ourselves (if you're new around here, that doesn't mean I used to have servants and now live among common people. We used to live in a therapeutic community where part of our lifestyle included eating meals as a community).The http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/QfD00Lc5x7g/im-no-julia-childs-but-i-sure-can-read.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)5<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/QfD00Lc5x7g" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/10/im-no-julia-childs-but-i-sure-can-read.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-6798577262861710304Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:34:00 +00002009-10-07T21:41:02.327-04:00Chocolate, tea, and TV are good remedies for the short term -- remedies for the daily stresses of life. For the small moments when trying to uplift the mood.But I'm coming around in my Cycle of Motivation again and looking for some panacea more lasting. The last time around it was running. And I burned off a lot of calories and stressful days with that past-time. But it's heading into winter http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/iis3gL7DYzY/panacea.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/iis3gL7DYzY" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/10/panacea.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-3206056706141761965Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:08:00 +00002009-10-03T17:13:05.606-04:00I really hope I can post a sunny blog post someday soon. But right now, I have Strep A and am miserable. Two weeks ago I was laid out flat with some other virus too. This is what happens I suppose when one does too much. Moving, starting new jobs, starting new school... Ugh. These past 2 days I have spent flat on my back in bed which, honestly (between the retching and pain) has not been allhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/HB3XESIopIc/quarantine.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/HB3XESIopIc" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/10/quarantine.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-5566962693384736904Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:07:00 +00002009-09-26T09:26:56.525-04:00A week or so later, my struggling brain and intellect has taken the next logical step that might occur after acceptance: letting go. Last week came the realization that, essentially, living in the future all the time is untenable. And so the first step is to snip that thread. Ok, so I think I did that. In practical terms, this means that I admitted that I have no clue as to what sort of http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/cad9Kl-T1Fg/warning-letting-go-has-side-effects.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/cad9Kl-T1Fg" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/09/warning-letting-go-has-side-effects.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-6027503412837723446Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:58:00 +00002009-09-16T20:15:48.194-04:00The only way to really learn about acceptance is to do it. There has come this moment in which the reality of where I stand is more apparent than the dream of where I imagine myself to be standing. And I am left with the choice: accept it now or decide to live a life pulled back and forth between reality and dream. And live that life until the lesson confronts me again. Because it will. As http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/DrflI2bwGeA/learning-about-acceptance.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)5<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/DrflI2bwGeA" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/09/learning-about-acceptance.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-2563029596292641428Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:12:00 +00002009-09-16T13:24:35.279-04:00I have a stockbroker. Yes, weird, I know. As a rule I have no money or assets and am a poor student and working Mom. But about 10 years ago a generous aunt and uncle gifted me around $10,ooo worth of stocks in a now-suffering very huge insurance company that has since been brought to it's knees. Good thing I sold half when times were good.Being the lamb in this story, I called my broker todayhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/pPM6pvaMEkI/reverse-split-what.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/pPM6pvaMEkI" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/09/reverse-split-what.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-5943578708766853014Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:23:00 +00002009-09-14T20:29:41.235-04:00The back of our new apartment.The front of our new apartment.BigFish -- first day of early-K. Forgot to rotate pic, sorry!LittleFish "smiling" for the camera.Hubby and I -- one of the last beach days.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/SC7E68FVuQU/observations.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/SC7E68FVuQU" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/09/observations.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216553829364093221.post-5921115021803312246Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:24:00 +00002009-09-11T18:33:09.488-04:00This is the first full week during which I have had to cook for my little family. Since we left our last place of employment and residence, we no longer get to go to the dining hall 3 times a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No more looking at the clock 5 minutes before mealtimes and only then thinking of food. The week was littered with experiments gone awry: undercooked potatoes, http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~3/RL1BwNdAJv4/humble-pie.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mummy Dearest)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/uiyP/~4/RL1BwNdAJv4" height="1" width="1"/>http://lifeinavalon.blogspot.com/2009/09/humble-pie.html