Yes, I am a Republican

How to get a couple of Boomers to choke on the gourmet sandwiches I just served them? In response to a dispariging remark about Sarah Palin say "Well, I'm a republican. And I LOVE her!"

I could see them struggle. A gen X-er working at The Green Gourmet a Republican?

Then came the quiz. "Do you believe in Global Warming?"
(btw I didn't know it has to be an act of faith. . .)
"Climate change is real, and I'm committted to doing our best for the environment."

"What about Iraq."
"I'm not thrilled about it. But I'm more concerned about abortion, frankly."

It stayed quite civil. I fell back on my "Aren't we glad we are allowed to be either Democrat or Republican without being persecuted. It's so great to live in a pluralistic country where we can have opposing views and still know that we are all American doing our best to help the country. Google Crunchy Con and you'll see what I'm about"

That stops them in their "Inclusiveness at all costs unless you're pro-life" tracks.

But I REALLY am excited about Sarah Palin. I've been a McCain fan since his first run--Sarah just ads fuel to my fire. . .Also-this plank of the Republican party:

Maintaining The Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life

Faithful to the first guarantee of the Declaration of Independence, we assert the inherent dignity and sanctity of all human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children. We oppose using public revenues to promote or perform abortion and will not fund organizations which advocate it. We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity and dignity of innocent human life.

We have made progress. The Supreme Court had upheld prohibitions against the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion, the Born Alive Infants Protection Act has become law, and states are now permitted to extend health care coverage to children before birth. We invite all persons of good will, whether across the political aisle or within our party, to work together to reduce the incidence of abortion; to protect girls from exploitation and statutory rape through a parental notification requirement; and to oppose sex selection abortions. We all have a moral obligation to assist, not to penalize, women struggling with the challenges of an unplanned pregnancy. We salute those who provide them alternatives, including crisis pregnancy centers, and we take pride in the tremendous increase in adoptions that has followed Republican legislative initiatives.

I think it's very well worded. And I hardly ever get to ask a pro-choice person--Since we no longer have a social stigma against single mother-hood, where is the necessity for abortion? It's not like you'll be shamed for being pregnant--or even giving a baby up for adoption. If anything women today would have encouragement for those choices--so the fear of illegal abortions is not well founded.

As I said to the Boomer customers today: The environment begins with our bodies. Respecting the environment means respecting all life.

If you havn't seen it yet--watch Mad World/Obama on youtube. How inhuman can we become?

Facebook

Anyone on Facebook? If you are find me!! It's so sad to read "Allison, you now have 2 friends."

Really?

Only 2?

Awww. Cmon.

Virtual world is so deceptive!

Leisurely Work

Getting up, showering, putting on attractive clothes, a bit of make-up, and blow drying your hair before going outside to sand and paint your new cabinets is REALLY FUN!! Feminine, powerful, creative.

Stem Cells

Although not in the news recently, the question of embryonic stem cell research will likely come up with the general election.

Here is a clear and concise article written by one of the foremost researchers in the field. . .he's also an Oregon Friend. That's a new class of Allison friend--THE OREGON FRIEND CLASS. Kinda like the Aegis Destroyer Class--but different.

Anyway, enjoy the article!

Update

We are distracted by putting in a new kitchen. Washing dishes in the bathtub somehow make blogging about the day the Van died less than appealing. Don't ask why--remember--I'm not logical in the same way that Aslan is not tame!

BUT I will get to it!

Also, thanks for the format comment Libby--I didn't like it either, but needed a nudge to change the template again!

Of Berries and Thorns

This morning I made cornmeal blackberry cobbler (yes, that is an original recipe). This necessitated being out at 6:30 am to pick the berries. It's that time of late summer when the berries are plump, juicy, sunshine full, and falling effortlessly into you palm.

The down side of this is that 3 perfect berries fall into the thorny abyss for every berry you pluck. What about when you score a PERFECT berry, only to find a wasp sipping away at it! Ouch! Let's not even mention the thorns!!
What IS the greater life lesson in these sad and frustrating berry-picking truths?

Well--you know me. I'm a die-hard optimist. I love making lemons into lemonade. Easier still is berries into cobbler!

While savouring my yummy creation I thought of one possible lesson to take from the berries: To decide is tragic. Not to decide is pathetic. Or: choosing one berry means loosing 3. But better to have one, than none!

How sad it would be to sit and watch the blackberries go to wasps and rot, all for lack of courage to endure the pain of the picking. Give me thorns in my fingers, scratches on my arms, and the feel of fresh berries popping in my mouth!

Thoughts on Happiness

I think we all have periodic bouts of philisophical evaluation of our lives. Times of healthy introspection when we try to take a step back and ask "Who am I?" "What are my goals?" "What do I really want?" "What makes me happy?"

I'm not really having one of those times, but a young woman whom I love is. . .so in a frustrated effort to answer her questions for her (which I know I can't--because it's something we all have to do alone) I have been having my own musings. . .

It is one of the great paradoxes, and tragedys, of existance that we are all profoundly alone, but inherently social. We need eachother, but there is always a space between us. We can't read eachothers minds. In the context of the most intimate relationships we do thoughtlessly hurt eachother. But the flip side is the intense joy, laughter, trust, and happiness we bring eachother in family and community.

The chicken/egg question is do others make me happy, or am I happy and so have happy realtionships. I'm guessing this is one of those "both,and" questions. Guessing, because I havn't spent a lot of time pondering it.

One major simplification in my life is that I have a well defined "Higher Power" (to use AA terminology that I have learned from friends). The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. Creator, Redeemer, Sacntifier. These are who I lean on in hard times. This is where I find the source of my Love, my Hope, and the Faoth I need to get out of bed every day a move on into the enigma of life and relationships. When I'm feeling off, out of balance, or overly stressed, a second of reflection usually brings to light that I have neglected the prayer, meditation, and recollection of eternity that keeps me grounded. My personal care includes exercise, recreational time alone, and daily meditation and prayer.

But I know from experience that this does not protect me from suffering. Nor from making major mistakes. But my faith effects how I face my suffering, what I can do with it during and after.

I have a vivid memory, from when I was 12 or 13, of one of my Mom's boyfriends trying to disabuse me of my belief in magic. To the point that I was crying. (I won't get into what I think of this as an adult looking back and wondering what this guy was thinking!) Well--he failed. Because I know that magic still exists! The magic that makes John and I love eachother more now that 13+ years ago when we married. The magic that tells me to pray randomly for a distant cousin, only to find out months later that she really needed my prayers at that time. The magic of every single baby needing love and care. The magic of stopping to say our Noon Angelus, and feeling God's grace flowing all around us and re-enlivening our family. There are invisable forces all around us. God's Love wills us to know that we are loved. And in knowing that we can love back fearlessly.

4 Year Old Language

I love 4 year olds! Thaddeus is beginning to really listen to how we all put words together. "What does 'dream come true' mean?" "What does 'by the way' mean?"

In our family, playing with words and phrases is practically a contact sport--thanks to John mostly. Usually my brain is working so slowly you can hear the gears grinding. This moring I was witness to this conversation:

Thalia: Is the swimming test at camp really hard Mary Catherine? [first day of sailing camp.]
MC: oh, it's not hard. You just swim out and back.
TH: Cause sometimes I have a hard time keeping my head up.
John: That's really not the important part. Getting past the sharks is the real test.
MC: DAAAAD! Thalia I have NEVER seen a SINGLE shark in Round Pond!
John: Yup. They travel in herds.

Meanwhile I'm grinding away at "sharks?", while the rest of them laugh away! Thaddeus was as lost as I was.

A Couple of Good Excuses

For not continuing my ramble down memory lane with the trip back home:

--We are not living at home this weekend, but at friends' who are away, so John can get the oak down, sanded, and finished. . .say a prayer for that hard working man who can't get to the end of the day without having either a thumb or a toe that has succumbed to THE HAMMER!

--I have just finished the seoncd day of my three day work week here. (click on the "greegourmet" link at the top of the page) It is owned by friends, and I'm loving it. The job serves 2 purposes:

-- It brings in a little extra $ before my CNA Class begins (still don't know if I'm accepted. . .)
-- it gets all of use used to the new "mom-out-of-the-house-for-3-days-in-a-row" schedule that we will have for 10 weeks during the class.

Two things I have learned about myself thse past 16 hours of payed labor:

--I'm mighty good at chatting-up friendly strangers and being generally welcoming and helpful.
--I can handle myself very well in a kitchen. Preparing ahead, multi-tasking, and creative cooking are all things that have become second nature as a professional homeschooling Mamma. Who knew thay would become marketable skills?!

Another thing--being at a deli/market all day is NOT as tiring as taking care of my sweet babies. . .huh? But the pay (at the market) is not NEARLY as good! Eternally speaking, that is.

Clueless

John kindly pointed out that the stock photo barf bag below is actually a joke about some computer system called UNIX. Huh. Who Knew? Really I just wanted a barf bag.

We Interrupt the Regularly Scheduled Program. . .

to bring you. . .

YE OLDE BRISTOl DAYS!!




Thaddeus and the girls at the start of the 1 mile "fun run". The girls are in the center of the frame, one behind the other. (John Henry was at a sleep over.)


Thaddeus came in second for his age group (0-4, tough competition!), and so got to pick out this prize. He is very happy with it!

Here I am at the end of my running debut. Though I have a competitive spirit ( no one passed me, and I reeled in 11 other runners), I can't be accused of being speedy. . .my time was 59:16. But I know I have a 9 minute mile in me trying to escape before I turn 40! (only 4 years. . .not that I'm counting).

Day of Suffering

It's really best that I have no photos of Thursday June 19th. Let's just say I never did get to digest my dinner from the night before. I put a brave face on it and we set out from The Dalles. But by 1 pm I had had enough. Really--I'd rather give birth than travel that stomach-bug-in-a-van-with-5-kids road again (which would possibly bring me to the same scenario with 6 kids. . .but I don't claim to be logical).

We found a hotel room south of Spokane. John took the 4 elder out to lunch, then swimming in the pool ouside our door. I lay on the bed moaning, then slowly recovering. Thalia became ill that evening. We went to bed wondering "WHO WILL BE NEXT TO FALL?!"

Tune in tomorrow. . .

Finally!

It was Wednesday June 18th. There was a Uhaul to pick-up and pack. But we begin our look back at 2 am. That was when Arveragus sat up in bed and puked all over me. Nice! Then again at 3. Then an east coaster called at 5. . .I had no more sleep. With help from friends we got on the road at 6:30 PM. Did I forget to mention Thaddeus joining the throw-up party? He only puked 2 times, then slept a lot--which was merciful.

We drove up The Gorge, and stopped at Multnomah Falls--very lovely. We were careful to never have to put the van and trailer in reverse--as that is a bit harry!

I DID cry crossing the Willamette--thinking of what could have been if things had gone better with the school. I was also processing the trip out west, which I have a certain amount of PTSD over. John's presence on the trip east was appreciated EVERY SINGLE MOMENT by this here woman!

We didn't even cross the boarder that first day. Had dinner in Hood River, and slept in The Dalles.

Ups and Downs

I never thought I'd find myself procrastinating on blogging! But real life is busy and a bit stressful right now. We are in a serious money crunch--which is good, and we will come out better more disciplined people I'm sure. . .in the mean time I'm brainstorming about what I can sell on ebay!

The camera has yet to be uploaded, or downloaded, I never know which. . .

I just began missing everyone in Oregon. . .maybe because in Oregon I had a working home. . .or in Oregon we had income (which isn't fair since we still have 2 paychecks comming from Ecce), or in Oregon I didn't have to spend $10 in gas to get anywhere--but I also really miss the new friends that I wish I could spend more time with and get to know better. Thaddeus thinks you are all moving to Maine soon--you don't want to disappoint him do you? You know how he can carry on.

I could mention the liturgy that I am missing on Sunday--but I'll stay charitable. . .John taped this onto my sea salt canister today. hahaha! Gotta love a husband who can laugh in the face of stress!