A Woman's List

a type of journal

2011-03-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

I think I could use some reason to write. I need to keep a record, not of the personal stuff so much. Just the stuff I think of some times. Maybe if I make myself write here I will keep track of myself. It's hard to do that, keep track of yourself. Oft times I hear something on the radio or read something that I just have such passionate feelings about I feel I must share it with the world, yet I don't. Maybe now I will. Now I just need to hear or read something write about. It shall happen soon. Things happen all the time all over the world.

HOW RUDE!

2009-04-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

Today I took my two little boys to Home Depot to waste some time while our car was being serviced. After shopping we were standing outside getting lemonade and a bagel. My youngest (16 months) was in his stroller and my oldest (almost 4 yrs) was sitting on top. Two men walked out of the store and were passing by to get in line and as they passed they started talking to my children, as some people do ('hi', 'how are you', 'what's your name' etc.). But then one of the men said something that I couldn't believe. He says to my kids 'Are you gonna be little gangsters when you grow up? I bet you are, you two are going to be troublemakers'. I was absolutely flabbergasted. How dare some random stranger suggest my children are bad and going to be in gangs! It's not like my children were dressed in gang colors or some designer clothing that is associated with gangs. They were dressed in a Polo shirt, a Harry Potter shirt, and jeans. I wanted so much to scream at this man, tell him how completely out of place and rude his comments were. But I was just too stunned. The worst thing is, this man may have had no idea what he was saying. He was a white, middle-aged man getting stuff to do a construction job. But then again that's rather judgemental of me -he may have known very well exactly what he was saying, but I'd like to think he didn't. I wanted to ask this man why he would suppose my children would be troublemakers? For at the time they were being extremely well behaved. I wanted to inform this person that his comments were not only rude, but hurtful and that a lot of people's children do grow up and join gangs despite all the encouragement and good intentions of the parents. That this is hurtful because I have a family member who did grow up to participate in gang activity, despite the love and encouragement of his family. That it is hurtful because I know children in my son's preschool class who do wear gang colors and flash gang signs in class pictures. That it is hurtful because I worry every day about what will become of my children. if I am raising them right? if they will be well-adjusted, loving people who contribute to society? Who the hell is this man to judge my children? What would he think if I judged his?

My Dad's Canadian!

2009-04-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

I was on the computer reading the news last week and came across this headline stating 'you may be Canadian and not know it'. I thought that sounded intriguing so I clicked on the article. Turns out that with all the new immigration and passport laws between the US and Canada they want to make things easier on people (well it's good one government in the world does). As I understand it from reading the article and watching the commercial Waking Up Canadian if you are a first generation born in America and one or more of your parents was born in Canada you are now considered a Canadian and may apply for proof of Canadian citizenship.
My Grandpa Hawkin immigrated with his sister to Washington state from Quebec. On my dad's birth certificate under father's place of birth it states 'Canada'. My father was then born many years later in the US. I called up my father the other day and informed him that he is Canadian. He replied, 'yeah, I'm French-Canadian' and I explained the new law to him. 'Wow' came the voice on the other end of the phone, 'don't they have good health coverage? I'll have to look into that'.

You can watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDeDQpIQFD0

sick, sick, sick

2009-04-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

I hate being sick. First one person in the house gets it, then we all get it. the runny nose, the endless tissues, the pounding head, the shivers, the hot flashes. When will it come to an end? What's even worse -i was supposed to go out of town this weekend to see my cousin's concert. i'm putting off telling her i can't go because there's still that little ray of hope that i'll miraculously get better in the next two days. nothing good about being sick, can't even put off all the chores because my family needs laundry and they're all sick too. this sucks!

If they can do it, why can't we?

2009-03-26T16:48:00.001-07:00

Was listening to NPR this morning and they were asking people from other countries how the economy has hit them. A guy from Brazil called and said they are doing rather well for now. There the cars run on sugarcane ethanol and the trucks on natural gas -they pay $1 for the ethanol and $.50 for the natural gas. If they can do it, why can't we? I guess we could if it weren't for all the oil companies and big-business types running Washington. If they really wanted to we could do it.

too true

2009-03-26T16:39:00.000-07:00

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Alaska any more"

I think they should have added Bush as the Wizard (seeing how he was really a humbug)

Little Known Facts

2009-03-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

Did you know this is Woman's -History Month? I did not. I just read it. But I thought it would be a good opportunity to put out some facts related to women.

The number one killer of women in America is heart disease.

The windshield wiper was invented by Mary Anderson in 1903.

80% of the 50 million people around the world who are affected by violent conflicts, civil wars, disasters, and displacement are women and children.

The dishwasher was invented by Josephine Cochrane in 1886.

The two highest IQ’s ever recorded (on a standard test) both belong to women.

Australia, New Zealand and the US are among a handful of governments that do not require women to be paid some form of maternity leave. In countries as diverse as Russia, Colombia, Laos and Morocco, the government foots the entire bill for three to six months of maternity leave.

Scotchgaurd was invented by Patsy Sherman in 1955.

In 2007 the world’s richest self-made woman was Ms Zhang Yin, a Chinese paper recycling entrepreneur.

The modern curling iron was invented by Jessie T. Pope in 1946. (Bet Meg wished it had been earlier)

Seventy percent of women would rather have chocolate than sex.

Liquid paper was invented by Bette Nesmith Graham in 1956.

By age 55, 95% of all U.S. women have married.

the jobhunt

2009-03-11T22:36:00.000-07:00

Hunching over, eyes peer through the binoculars of cyberspace hunting for that rare and elusive job. It hides well, camouflaged in the foliage which is the business world. Darting here and there, never staying in place for too long. You may see it and think, 'aha, that is for me' but once you get your application together with a great cover letter, alas it has vanished from the forest of job postings. You sit poised listening for the call of the job -a ring of the telephone, the chime of a new e-message. But they trick you! The job has quickly flown to another branch leaving you with only a response of 'thanks for applying'

buffy-a-thons

2009-03-07T18:26:00.001-08:00

I finally finished watching all 7 seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Yeah me! I own the first three seasons, a friend of mine owns the fourth season and I painstakingly found the fifth, sixth and seventh seasons online. Took forever with a lot of buffy-a-thons but I finally did it. In the middle of the series I went off to college and believe it or not, had no tv access so I was unable to watch my favorite tv show. So I was able to figure out what happened to my beloved characters in Sunny Dale. I especially liked the musical episode and can't get the songs out of my head. have to find the soundtrack.

2009-02-14T18:07:00.000-08:00

So I was just reading on momlogic and there was a post about staying at home having an affordable valentine's dinner with your honey. I'm thinking, great i'd love that. i look at the recipe and then i think again. this is not affordable for me. here are the ingredients:

½ lb swordfish cut into eight bite-sized chunks
8 sea scallops
12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 thin slices pancetta, cut in half
1 lb fresh angel hair pasta
1 bunch fresh asparagus tips
¾ cup pitted klamata olives
¼ cup jarred sun-dried tomatoes in oil
¼ cup olive oil
4-6 cloves finely chopped garlic
Juice from half a lemon
Fresh chopped herbs (whatever you have on hand)
Sea salt and pepper
Toasted pine nuts for garnish
Olive oil for grill pan

Sounds great, right? but by the time you buy all the ingredients ~especially the fish and the pancetta etc. it will be less expensive for me to go out to an inexpensive restaurant (ie. z-pies -pies start around $6) not to mention the fact that I need a babysitter. you'd think they would have thought of that on a site called momlogic. so i guess we will be going out to a nice, quiet, inexpensive dinner. YEAH!!! Thank you Lord for grandparents that are willing to babysit.

This is a frequent problem i have with the rest of the world, especially as of late. I hear about things that people say are affordable, and yes I admit it would probably be less expensive to prepare the dish at home than order it at a restaurant, but they really aren't affordable to the normal family who doesn't make much.
But i'm glad my husband and i will splurge and go out to dinner to celebrate our love for each other. although it's silly to choose just one or two days out of the year to celebrate a loving relationship. but maybe the point is that we take the time to remember.

rant for npr

2009-02-09T20:15:00.000-08:00

so, i'm an NPRer. i barely ever listen to music on the radio anymore. and no, i did not watch the grammys. i don't know of any music out there on the radio worth giving an award to, or worth listening to really. anyhow, i love listening to npr but i do find at times npr is elitist. by that i mean they think everyone is green and has money. they refer to people's 401k's, their equity in their mortgage, their compost piles, their eco-friendly cars etc, etc.
today as i was making grilled cheese for my two little boys and listening as usual to my local npr station they had a segment about an article (i believe in the NY Times) about how the government wants to cap the salaries of ceo's to $500,000 a year. now the guy who wrote the article is talking about how these ceo's couldn't possibly be able to live on this meager amount of money and sustain their lives. of course that would be impossible with all the balls they are expected to attend (at least 3 a year) and they must buy new gowns for each ball, (only couture fashion here) and they have to have a personal trainer, personal chef and nutritionist to fit into these high priced gowns. of course with all they do they must have a nanny for their children (they couldn't possibly take the time to raise their own kids) probably more than one, because one nanny couldn't take each child to all the many extra curricular activities each child participates in. and of course these children must attend the best private schools and have the hottest clothes and gadgets while attending these schools. when these ceo's come home to their nice houses or penthouse apartments they look at their bills and pay each and every one, being sure to put aside money for their 401k, retirement, children's college funds, savings and of course money for that vacation they've been planning.
Oh if only these people lived in my world. i rent a small, over-priced house. my oldest son goes to a good state-preschool on the other side of town. while i am very lucky -my husband and i have decided for the moment i can stay at home with my youngest child. i get to raise my own children, the best job in the world, and i believe one of the most fulfilling. (if i did work my whole paycheck would be spent on childcare expenses.) i have no 401k, no retirement, no college funds, no savings, and no vacation fund. i'm not careless, i can't afford it. all my money goes to my bills. and we aren't extravagant. we don't have cable, or blockbuster. we don't have cell phones ( i know - we may be the only people on earth who don't). we have basic Internet because we need it for work. we don't go out to eat except the occasional fast food meal when we are rushing to an appointment or are out of food. we don't have the latest fashions. our guilty pleasure -books. every couple of months we get a good coupon from borders and buy some books, usually for our kids.
if a family of four can live on under $30,000 a year i think a ceo and his or her family could learn to live off of $500,000. move out of the cities, out of the expensive homes or penthouses. put your kids in public schools. get rid of your nannies. i'm sure you'll get by. i do.
now i'm not a socialist, and i'm not tring to complain about my life. my husband works very hard to provide for us. but don't complain to me about your meager salaries.

a trip to the city

2009-02-07T18:17:00.001-08:00

Packed the fam in the car and drove to the city today. Had big expectations, as the last time I went I really enjoyed myself. But now I remember, that was without the kids. Did some business stuff and then went to walk around and have fun. Not too bad, but seems so different. A lot of shops are gone. This great sheet music store that I was really looking forward to is gone. Sad! :(
My oldest was not so well behaved, complained the whole time. Saw a restaurant we went to last time, but can't take the kids into. But got lots of exercise and ate lunch at Baja Fresh -delicious and not too pricey! Unfortunately capped off with a parking ticket :~< Had a quiet ride home, as the kids were sleeping. Next time want to go to some antique stores and leave the kids at home. A bright spot: saw a cool sign at a constuction site. looked like pop art. told my sig. fig. we I would hang it up in the dining room. would love to create a piece like it. wish i had had a camera , would have loved a pic.

2009-01-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

I'm not doing the best with my resolutions so far. My husband brought me a caramelo bar last night (my favorite). What was I supposed to do? say "no thank you my darling I'm not going to eat my favorite candy bar you thoughtfully brought to me". Of course not! But I did play with my youngest son this morning and this afternoon I read while eating my healthy sandwich (pork with tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce on whole wheat bread with hummus) delicious! That was one of my other resolutions -reading more and watching less tv/movies. Won't be too hard when the new tv transition goes into effect next month. we don't have cable and haven't looked into the box thing. don't know if i will either.
I also want to find a hobby. what is a good hobby? I've tried sewing, I get bored and abandon the project. i tended roses in the spring and summer, but in the winter there's nothing to tend. I guess this is a new hobby, this blogging thing. But I need something else to keep my hands busy. I thought about starting a business too, but I don't have some great idea in this crap economy that will do well. Anyhow I must think of something so I don't go nuts.

A New Year

2009-01-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

I accomplished a lot this year. Some big things: I moved. I got married. I lost a ton of weight (that I'm hoping to keep off, somehow). I reconnected with my father. I got my son into preschool.

And some smaller, yet still very significant things: I baked really good cheesecake (eggnog with caramel-rum sauce YUM!). Spent time with my in-laws. I started keeping my kitchen free of dirty dishes. I made Christmas gifts. I had more sex.

Now for some 2009 New Year's Resolutions:

Keep off weight and try to lose more via -eating healthier, and exercising (this is a really hard one). Spend time each day really enjoying playing with my children. Have more sex and connect with my husband more. blog. keep my house clean. keep my sink free of dishes. keep up on my laundry. de-junk my belongings. read more. get my bike fixed so I can ride it. find a good hobby.

Good luck to me and to anyone else attempting this archaic form of torture.

exploring the neighboorhood

2008-10-21T19:59:00.001-07:00

i thought i'd give this blogging thing a try again. i love the things others post, so why not?

today we explored our neighborhood. we walked to the closest park i could find. it was a bit of a walk but well worth it due to the great exercise involved. (no need to do jane fonda or tai bo tonight, just sit ups) on the way i took note of the many people out and about. there were kids riding their bikes, people jogging, people watering or gardening. it felt good to be in a neighborhood where people feel safe to be outside and interact with others. many people said hello. i was even able to help a woman take a tree out of her suburban, (i know it sounds odd) and she told me a little about the area and local schools. i was delighted that my son was able to play with her children as we talked and he was well behaved (no embarrassing moments had). at the park we saw the local soccer team finishing up. they even let my oldest kick the ball around before heading out. another mom with an 18 month old was on the play structure and my youngest (10 months) was following him up the steps and along the bridge, everywhere he could get to. this mom as well was very nice and talked to me about the milestones of our young children. this is the type of life i dreamed of for my children, i think most parents do. walking to the park, playing with other kids, feeling good about your neighborhood.

change

2008-05-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

i love big changes -usually. things like moving. but even small changes are good. like moving the furniture around. i crave change. it's like a brand new start to life. sometimes change is a bit overwhelming, but taking it one step at a time -change makes me feel good.

wedding business

2008-03-29T00:56:00.000-07:00

so i'm trying to plan a wedding. i have come to the conclusion that if you want to make money, add wedding to the description and you can charge 3x's as much and have tons of customers. if i ever come up with a business (hopefully one day), i will add wedding to the description and make more money.

I hate computer crap

2008-03-15T00:03:00.000-07:00

so, i must admit i hate computers. they never seem to work right for me. they loose things, delete things, break (and you can't really fix them). maybe more specifically i hate the internet. i can never find anything on it. it's dangerous. and when you press 'enter' you can't really go back. things are printed and you can't take it back. i posted something on a person's page and realized i put something in there that shouldn't have been, i pressed back and corrected it. well i never realized it already printed and now it's printed twice. can't do anything about it -and so now i seem like a stalker. SUCKS BIG TIME! the internet and computers can be very helpful, can make work easier. but it can also open up your life to really bad things. people get addicted to the internet very easily, things posted on the internet (like porn) but also just looking at the internet in general, looking at u-tube, e-mail (that's me), internet cites on topics their really interested in. i get very frusterated when i can't find things on the internet that should be easy to find, but instead i get pages and pages of random links to cites that don't really have anything to do with what i want. why am i even doing this? who knows. guess just to rant and rave!

How odd is this

2008-03-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

Ok Hil,

I never ever in a million years would even think of doing this. But I like reading your thoughts and it's kinda like writing letters, but not as tedious. So I'll try it but I'm not promissing anything. This might very well be the only thing I write. Pretty much I like my response blogs and want to keep ahold of them without putting them in my e-mail. This seems the appropriate place. I'm too busy to think of anything else to write, or should be too busy. I might stop this and just type out a journal...it would probably be more appropriate. I don't think I have anything to write that would be of interest to anyone else anyhow.

About me: I am a college graduate, mother of two, fiancee and well, that about covers it. I love to read, sometimes write if I have anything worth writing, and I'm a movie junkie. (Would people respond if I wrote about movies? That sounds fun.) And I love to cook, even though I currently don't have an oven, and I don't know if I'm any good, I still like it.