Bits and Pieces

1. Welcome, Baby Thomas!  It kills me that I am missing out on the sweetest new addition to our family.  I can't wait to see him.  And when I get to California, everyone else better watch out, because I claim "dibs" on holding him the entire time!

2. I am trying to make our lifestyle more natural, and one of the things I have been troubled by for quite a while is deodorant.  I tried the Tom's of Maine, and it didn't work, plus it was greasy.  I went back to my normal, grocery-store, toxin-filled brand, but I haven't been happy about it.  The other day I came across a recipe for homemade deodorant, and I happened to have the ingredients on hand, so I decided to give it a try.  What do you know.... It works!  So far.  Here it is:

6 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder

Mix the powder ingredients, then slowly incorporate the oil until you get the consistency you want.  (Or, if you're like me, you throw them all together, heat it in hot water when it doesn't mix well, realize it is too runny, put it in the freezer to firm up, and add a little more cornstarch. I didn't read the instructions...)

3. On Saturday Ryan competed in an all-day team adventure race.  They biked, ran, trekked, rafted, navigated, and completed other challenges.  It was so fun to watch.  His team got second place!  I'll post pics later.

Gotta get to work now...  Bye!

I got a job!!!

In other news, check out this awesome rescue by our good friend Erich a couple weeks ago:

Coast Guard does mountain pickup of two men and seven dogs.

Could I be any more proud in this moment???

I think not.

Click here for the news story of the day!

found words

“When someone having a great day says, ‘Trust God,’ to someone in pain, it sounds like a heartless accusation. It also robs the suffering believer of the opportunity to testify about God’s grace. It’s the comforter’s job to weep; it’s the hurting person’s job, when he or she is ready, to tell others about God’s sufficiency.  Too often it happens the other way around. Would-be comforters leave people weeping after ‘bearing witness’ to them that God is sufficient.”

-from The Infertility Companion


What do you think?  I came across that quote today and I thought it was very insightful.

Lately I have heard the words, "God is the giver of life, doctors don't know everything" when I have shared with someone the pain of infertility.  Of course I agree with the statement and I do indeed pray for a miracle.  But when offered in this context, the words do feel like an accusation: "No matter what the doctor says, if you have enough faith, God will reward you with a child."  And if I don't receive that miracle . . . I didn't have enough faith?  I chose science over God?  The person who did get pregnant had more faith than I did?  I know that no one intends for their words to sound like this, but it is really hard to hear well-meaning people brush aside all of the hard medical facts with a breezy, "Trust God." 

What I really need in those moments is acknowledgment of my grief, validation of my fears, and maybe a morbid joke about Ryan's killer sperm or our plan to buy a baby sometime soon.  I know it's hard to know what to say when times are tough.  It's ok, "I'm so sorry" is always a good place to start.


Family and friends:  This is not a passive-aggressive attempt to let you know how I feel.  I am not referring to anyone who reads this blog.  I love you all! 

Book Report

Since my last book post I have read:

Wicked by Gregory Maguire
I saw live musical stage show before reading the book, so I thought I knew what it would be like.  The book is much darker than the musical; at times a little long. 

Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
Another book that is a little long. 688 pages!  This is the fictional story of the wife of Captain Ahab from Moby Dick (which I have never read).  It has a great opening line: "Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last..."  I always judge a book by the first line; it always says so much about the quality of the entire book.  For my favorite first line, please take a look at Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham
At 656 pages this one is also no easy read.  But it didn't seem too long; actually I was disappointed when it ended.  This is one of the more thought-provoking books I have read lately; definitely my most highly recommended among those listed here.

Tisha by Robert Specht and Anne Purdy
My friend Dori lent me this book because it takes place in Alaska, and some of the places mentioned in the book were spots that we went through on our journey out here.  It is the true story of a pioneer schoolteacher in the harsh Alaska wilderness.  Not groundbreaking literature but a very interesting perspective on our country's wildest state.

Winterdance by Gary Paulsen
I gave this book to Ryan for Christmas because he likes true stories.  This is one man's quest to run the Iditarod dog sled race (which is going on now, by the way).  Written by and about the author of Hatchet.  It's a pretty easy read, adventurous and informative all at the same time.

I am currently reading . . . A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway.  I read this last year based on my brother Kevin's recommendation, and liked it so much that I bought it.  Hemingway is one of my favorite authors, and what better subject matter than the Lost Generation of 1920's Paris?  De-lightful.

So, what have you been reading lately?

Baking

Whenever I bake, I think of my sisters.  We used to bake together, when we were young.  Chocolate chip cookies, brownies from a box mix, Grandma's cinnamon jumbles, birthday cakes, endless Christmas cookies. 

I am a very particular cook, and it always makes me feel a little tense to be working in the kitchen with other people.  I start over-analyzing all of my kitchen skills, wondering if the other person will be noticing all the things I am doing wrong.  And, I am sometimes noticing all the things the other person does that I would do differently, but I feel awkward trying to figure out how to say, "Here, let me help you with that raw chicken on the cutting board with all those salad veggies."

But I am never more comfortable in the kitchen with others than when I am with my sisters.  We all learned how to cook from my Mom (and a few things from Dad, too) so we all have the same basic cooking rules.  We feel comfortable with helping each other, getting all up in each others' space, trusting each other to chop or saute or melt something so we don't have to keep one eye on them while doing our own thing.  (But maybe we still do because we are nosy like that.)

So even though I prefer to cook alone, when I bake I think of my sisters. 

Two funny things I saw on TV (and one unfunny comment)

1. Conan O'Brien shopping for guitars on Craigslist! HA-larious. (I don't usually watch Conan, but I chanced upon the show right as this segment came on. So priceless.)

2. An EXTREMELY famous person mispronounced the word "corpsman" a couple times at the National Prayer Breakfast today. CorPSman. Corpse-man. Ha ha ha, too funny. Maybe homeboy needs a phonetically spelled teleprompter for all those strange military words. Keep practicing, Mr. CiC! I know you'll catch on eventually.

3. Is anyone else disappointed by American Idol so far? SNOOZE fest! Shall I venture to say "I miss Paula"? What else could it be??? (Simon has been charming as his classic snarky self, I will give them that much.)

Minor Annoyances

1. Why do people get so excited about a huge tax return? All it means is that you let the government hold onto your money all year. It's not free money! It is your money that you earned. It would be much better if you had been able to sock that money away and at least make a little interest. Unfortunately, it's not easy to be so diligent. In the end, for some people, tax return money is like a little forced savings account. Now if only these people would stick that money into their credit card debt or invest it instead of "investing" in a new snowmachine . . .

2. Which brings me to my second point. "Invest" does not mean "spend a lot of money." It does not mean "spend a lot of money because I want my kids to be safer and I want to look cooler and I like designer bags." When you invest, you are putting resources into something with the anticipation of profitable return. You invest time in your kids because you believe it will make them better people for years to come. You invest money in the stock market, because you believe (hope) it will grow. You do not invest in a stroller or even a car. These items depreciate over time, and cars cost money to maintain. It is not an investment, it is a purchase. Nothing wrong with it, but call it what it is.

3. Everybody needs an i.Phone. What is this? Now I don't pay too much attention to expensive gadgets, so correct me if I'm wrong, but these things cost like a few hundred bucks, right? And the plan is like another hundred a month? For a phone. Sorry, I just don't get it.

(Admittedly, I wouldn't mind having one, although I do think they are a tad big.)

4. Designer handbags are a status symbol. Sorry, once again I just don't get it. Especially when the bag is basically one huge logo for the designer. Or too tiny or huge to be practical. Or just plain gaudy. For the record, I would love to splurge on a really nice bag. But if I ever do, it will not cost half my paycheck, and it will not be a sloppy, trendy mess.

5. Mac haters, Favre haters, Swimmer haters, and California haters. Enough said.

Finally, 2010.

I've never been so happy to welcome a new year into my life. I love you already, 2010! Not that 2010 has done anything for me yet, or even promised anything especially appealing. But 2009 . . . was that year tragically long or what? It was definitely my worst year ever (see past blog posts for that ill-fated history). I don't even want to get into 2009's disappointing record of family losses, personal sadness, celebrity deaths, political nightmares, lame pop culture, and general suckiness.

Admittedly 2009 was a good year in a couple of ways: my sister Christine got married to an awesome guy, Richard. Congrats, Tine and Richard! You are such a cute couple. Another cute new couple is my brother Kevin and his new wife Lupe. Kev and Lups, your adorability should be illegal. What else? My one true love Ryan became an official, graduated, qualified, pinned, US Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer. I am so proud of you, Ryan! He really worked hard for this, and lots of people contributed to his success. Thanks, everyone! I also look back at lots of new job opportunities for the people in my life, and that is not a blessing to be ignored in this job market.

So now that I've been fair: 2009, I am breaking up with you. Please get out of my life.

I have found someone else, and here is what I like about 2010:

1. My new year's resolution is going well: I decided to quit skipping breakfast.
2. My marriage with Ryan is stronger than ever.
3. We get to live in the same house, with all our stuff, all year.
4. We are getting our finances really organized.
5. Nothing horrible has happened yet. (And already 12 days in! WTG, 2010!)
6. I've let go of the pressure to be pregnant by 30. Yes, that clock is ticking, but 2010 is not my year and that is OK.
7. We have hope.