In no order of importance:

- “The Family Guy”

- alarm clocks

What are yours?

This morning Ethan asked me about this holiday, the 4th of July; why do we celebrate it? Why the fireworks, the party? I confess: I have done an extremely poor job of teaching my almost-4-year old the basics of government, lol. (I’m fairly disinterested in the topic myself). As we walked, I pointed out the American Flag and reminded him about Obama (who he always recognizes on TV or t-shirts and declares: THAT’S THE PRESIDENT! YOU VOTED FOR HIM!). I tried to tell him how on July 4th we celebrate the fact that no one owns our country, that we are free. That part was a tad over his head. It struck me that I should have been focusing his learning on this these past few weeks, but alas, it fell between the cracks. Good thing there’s a July 4th next year

Freedom, however, is something he gets. Independence? Oh yes.

So I’ve been reflecting today on the concept of freedom, how it effects me in my marriage and my relationship with my children.

In my marriage, we are learning that we have the freedom to make choices and have feelings, to share what’s truly on our minds, and to be different individuals whilst loving and respecting those differences we bring to the table. We have the freedom to make mistakes and make amends.

With Ethan, we are learning that although he is 3 foot nothin’, he is still a person who deserves love and respect, to be listened to, to be given a safe and secure home. He has the freedom to make choices and have feelings too, and to display them — to make mistakes, and make amends. I recently add to my sidebar the slogan “Free Range Kid” because I want to remind myself (at least as often as I come to my own blog, lol) that my child is a gift from God, a small person entrusted to me to guide and facilitate, not to control and mold. He is free. I am free to love him, I am free to respond with gentleness and understanding, I am free to be excited about who is uniquely is. You might think these things are fairly automatic for a parent, but not always. Children have the capacity to wear you MIGHTY THIN, and the daily process can get you stuck in survival rather than enjoyment. So this is certainly a learning process for me, and for Chris.

In other news, I’ve had a busy week, esp with “field trips” and outings. We spent a total of seven hours at Jamison water park this week, and Ethan is now sporting a nice tan line above his crack Yesterday Chris was off for holiday, so the homeschooling group got together for a family-wide potluck/picnic– which was great. Looks like this week we’ll be doing a Berry U-Pick farm perhaps. In a few weeks we are visiting the water plant. It’s been such a blessing to meet the families preschool homeschooling around here. One of them even has an Azure Standard drop near us, so we get to add 15 lb Peanut Butter and 1 gallon of raw honey to the drop this week, a sweet deal. Also, we are bartering our kefir grains for her handmade natural soaps. Another mom is planning a day when us moms can get together to watch Bollywood films. God, I love this city.

We’ve been blessed a lot this week. From expert financial advice, a free clunker laptop for Chris to begin looking for his own freelance administrative work, and an infant carseat we can borrow. I snagged 5 handmade cloth diapers from Craigslist so we are finally back to cloth. Oh, and our roomies are having a rough go this last end of the pregnancy- they’ll be trying to naturally induce via acupuncture this week because of a liver problem that could be effecting the baby, so hold on to your hats folks- we could have the 8th Kenton House addition here VERY SOON! YEEK!

So, our lofty Independence Day plans to go to the fabulous church house party/grill-out were dampened by a lack of transportation, but all is well. We stayed in: Verity slept a bunch, Ethan made flags, I sewed and worked. We went out in the yard for the afternoon and enjoyed the beautiful, healing summer rays. We ate watermelon and Newman’s Oreos while Chris and I shared a cold Reisling. The boys did boy thing with fireworks while I continued a knitting project. Sweet times…

Curtains for Ethan (future Verity) room. Trying to overhaul this room to be a tad more manageable (toy rotation, etc) and less gender specific (away with the blue dragon rug and in with the multi-gendered patchwork curtains!) Sewing curtains for Ethan’s room has been a looooong time coming, so I’m happy to have this behind me, lol.

Remember those itty bitty carrot sprouts? Our garden is really taking off!

Tomatoes… coming soon?!

Verity is so beautiful. And she sure loves to sleep outside!

Wine and watermelon, anyone?

No, I’m not practicing voodoo on an unlucky lion out there who double-crossed me. This is my latest knit project- a jungle animal baby mobile for my nephew Logan, due sooooon! (And yes, I am very aware that these little animals are so ugly their cute. What can I say? They are imperfect because they are handmade, right?)

Ethan’s tribute to our backyard 4th of July party

Chris and Ethan in a watermelon eating contest!

And lastly – 4th of July is not complete until you light something up while in your watermelon soaked t-shirt

HAPPY FREEDOM DAY, EVERY ONE!!!

My mother-in-law recently shared with me this artilce by Peggy Noonan called There’s No Pill For This Kind of Depression. She believes it sums up the feeling of people her age with regards to our current economic state in America and asked me to reflect on the article a bit and speak for my generation on whether or not this article resonates with us as well.

After some thought, I rambled a bit (you know me!) and then decided to share with you all as well since it’s already in the forefront of my mind.

While I can’t speak for all 20-somethings, I think I’ve got a handle on how many, or even most, folks my age are “adjusting” to the crash of Wall Street, of varying degrees I’m sure. I’d love to hear your thoughts too — all ages welcome to chime in!

I think that what people my age are feeling is almost the opposite of what people your age are feeling.

This part of the article struck me: “We are worried, he said, ‘about a way of life, about the loss of upward trajectory.’” You see, we had not yet the opportunity to grasp at the “upward trajectory” you had. We didn’t have jobs for 25 years, savings accounts and investments. We were used to being “poor”, and had little desire for a bigger home, or even to own a home at all. We didn’t have much to lose: no wills or life insurance or car payments or mortgages- most people in their twenties don’t even know what exactly is the difference between a CD or a Roth IRA, lol. They never had enough money to utilize America’s prosperous years anyway!

Most of the people I know had already assumed that the values of the last 10-20 years of American prosperity were overrated and on their way out. It didn’t take the economic decline to tell us this. We could see our older generations clinging to their American Dream and we weren’t sure we wanted that.

This is in many ways what I have been studying for several years – this postmodern, millennial generation that tends towards a kind of intangible life where meaning and mystical experiences replace the security of their trust fund. For example, young Christians didn’t want large mega churches void of religious symbolism, or as some coin them “seeker friendly”- but the older generations really, really thought these “campus-model” churches were THE answer for attracting youth. After all, they had grown accustom to affluence and wanted ever more of it – why wouldn’t we follow suit?

Instead, we flocked to small, intimate places of worship where we sensed something sacred – and there were major growths towards religions which are known for simplistic living, such as Buddhism and monastic communities. This all PRIOR to the “great crash”. The great crash, then, had less effect on us. Basically, all it means is that it’s harder to find jobs, and those of us with credit card debt are learning a hard lesson, that’s for sure. But we still have hopes for America, ideals that span beyond being the strongest empire of the West. (We are secretly HAPPY that the foundation of affluence has been shaken. Now you’re all in the same boat as us! LOL)

Another example: I keep seeing on the news this feature story that the older generations are wondering how to keep up the “green” trend as cost of such products don’t fit the paychecks of the economic recession. We keep hearing reports that families of, say, 35-55 year old adults who are eating more fast food and cheap, mass-produced ingredients. But I look around and those of us in our 20’s are doing just the opposite. And we aren’t buying Seventh Generation All-Purpose Cleaner and eco-diapers either – we’re doing what our grandparents did and returning to traditional, gentle cleaners like baking soda, or simple, healthy meals from local sources, or cloth diapers. We don’t want to buy cheaper shoes or cook wear that we’ll have to replace each year, we’d rather buy wooden toys or USA made high quality shoes, or cast iron skillets – things that we can rely on for 25 years! We’re apt to learn to sew up the holes in our socks rather than perpetuate our previously wasteful attitude about possessions. Again, the economic “crash” of Wall-street is far removed from us- if anything it only proved our thoughts of scaling BACK were right on!

The depression, if any, that we suffer is very short term. It’s easier to let go of that (false) vision of unending prosperity when you haven’t had it — or have only had it for a short time. Most folks in their 20’s, young families like mine, can come away rather unscathed- and not the least bit surprised!

And we don’t want Obama to come in and take us back the Clinton era. (God, that would be awful!) We want to work on the long-haul, deeper issues of America and create a country that is balanced and sustainable for the long run – so our children can grow up in a place where people care about each other and the land flourishes, where people are idealistic and educated at the same time, so they can lead the nation into a future that doesn’t look like the 30’s — but doesn’t look like the 90’s either!

We got back in town late Thursday night (or early Friday morning, to be precise!). We’ve since been trying to recuperate, get adjusted, get unpacked, get some work done, make some major decisions, and get ready for a regular week tomorrow. I woke up this morning to a white snow laden back yard view out of my kitchen window (it’s about 35-40 degrees but a little snow). I laughed to myself at how every one, and I do mean every one, we spoke with in Florida asked us if it’s cold in Portland (and complained about how cold it was there, in the 50’s and 60’s with not a cloud in the sky).

It’s good to be back. It’s a bit like visiting another planet, or at least, another life. Some things were harder for me than I expected, being in the places where Hubby and I first met and dated… the dreams I had for us then and how differently things have turned out. I spent the majority of my time on Marco Island trying to soak up time with family I haven’t seen in almost 2 years, where we did lots of field trips to Florida wildlife reserves and the beach. We ate tons of food, laughed a lot, and every one played a hearty, loud game of Apples to Apples while I sat in a tub with a tummy ache, lol. By the time we got to Naples mid-trip I kinda “crashed”, so I spent most of my time zoned out, knitting or painting or otherwise in my own world observing what was happening around me. We slept in a lot and rested, got to see a lot of family members (Hubby’s side) that we haven’t seen in a long time, including Hubby’s grandma who flew up from Puerto Rico and his aunt who flew in from NYC. We had an “Obama Inauguration Party” that grew in size spontaneously which was also a lot of fun.

I got to see dear friends Steph/Tim and Karina/Kubby, which was so much fun. Steph/Tim decked out their place in LOST paraphernalia for the premiere last Wednesday (which rocked my world, btw), and many new memories were created by the “colorful” older couple who invited themselves over and talked during the commercials about the UFO’s they have seen. No, I’m not kidding.

Lil’ E was 99% angelic for the entire trip, even on the long ride back when he slept through our landing in (who knows where?) where we didn’t switch planes, so it was perfect. (He has not, however, been angelic since our return, so it’s been a long few days!) I got lots of knitting done while there, esp once Steph demonstrated what I was doing wrong when switching from knit to purl so I could do the ribbing on a hat pattern. I finished a wool bib and two wool “pixie” hats. I started on booties but after I did the first one I could tell they were much too small for a normal sized baby so I’m looking for a new pattern!

Well, I guess that’s the update for now. It could take me a while to get back in the swing of things with so much I am processing right now, but at least I’ve spit some of it out before it gets lost in the far reaches of my memory. I’ve got a work day ahead of me and hopefully finish the unpacking, readjusting process along with it.

P.S. No funky kitty smells while we were gone so, thus far, Paz gets to stick around now, that he has been de-maled .

Check it out

Despite the ugly remarks I read on facebook this morning from a few conservative christians who, unfortunately, refuse to recognize the kingdom of God is alive and strong regardless of their disappointment in a democratic president elect- I am smiling this morning.

I want to be careful here. I know not every one was hoping for an Obama presidency. Some were downright praying that things would specifically go the other way- (I picture God chuckling a bit at all those well-intentioned prayers! Oh me, oh my.) I hope that those who didn’t favor Obama will be able to move passed their disappointment and join the rest of American’s in hoping for a better future, in supporting and praying for the safety and guidance of our newly elected officials, from the sheriffs to the president. (Hold him to his promise for change – join the petition here!)

As my bff reminds me, and as Derek Webb sings, there will never be a Savior on capital hill. Neither Obama nor McCain rode white horses during this election, (thank goodness!). It is God who has the whole world in His hands, and while those facebookers I spoke of might be filled with dread and fear, I am filled with hope and peace that the message of Christ – the real gospel of good news to the oppressed, to the minorities, to the wealthy and greedy, to those clinging to a religion that has been decaying under the diminishing (if not long gone) modern era and the so called “religious right” of domineering agendas, to the countries around the world who have grown to despise us under the current presidency, – that true message of the Bible, of love, justice, peace and giving will thrive and flourish under the new one.

Will mistakes be made? Most certainly – no matter who was elected last night. But we have the chance now to begin to correct some of the policies that have damaged us in the past. My prayer now is for this country to move forward under new leadership. Today is a new day.

Now I’m going to finish a cup of “holiday blend” coffee and get to work, which will top off my happy morning so superbly that my toes feel as though they might sing jingle bells!

Oh- I forgot to mention – I am going away this weekend on a Women’s Beach Retreat with other Evergreen (church) ladies! I am doing breakfast on Sat. morning, bringing my french press and grinder, my book for book club (Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe), some chick flicks and board games! Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. Props to you Florida voters! You’ve amazed me!

Watch the states close – live!

P.S. http://www.sojo.net/blog/godspolitics/?p=3283
This is exactly how I feel as a christian when I hear/read from conservative Christians that somehow voting for Obama is less Christian than voting for McCain. I’ve been reading “The Left Hand of God” this month, which is a wonderful book on politics and faith in America, and Jim Wallis echos much of the inspired insights from this book in this letter (linked above), which is a response to an ugly fear tactic James Dobson recently launched from Focus on the Family.
As I am watching the states close, it still seems things could go either way tonight. But what is so surprising to me is the Christian conversations I have been a part of in the past month and how deeply those who claim to vote based on faith based issues have implied that other Christ-followers who are voting for Obama do not value life.
Very well said, Jim.

Sittin’ here scouring the ballot descriptions, trying to figure out how to vote beyond the presidency, lol. I love Momsrising.org and highly recommend getting involved if you’re a mom voter! Head over there to register- its not too late!

1. What day is it again? (No way, Wednesday?! October is almost over?! What the hell?!)

2. What can I come up with for dinner? (*meanders in kitchen, perched in front of open fridge*)

3. Who just ate those 3 servings of breakfast? (me? nooooo….)

4. Why is there no money in my bank account?! (*doesn’t even try to answer this to oneself, just moves on*)

5. Why did I move to Portland?! (*misses family something terrible, but remembers how dreadful Florida is and how beautiful Portland is and tries to see the glass as half full*)

6. Where did I put my cell phone? (*then decides, who really cares, I never answer it anyway*)

7. Who in their right mind would vote for McCain?! (*then remembers I know several people who will and that it is not a rhetorical question… which makes it a bit more mean so I try to get it out of my head*)

8. Why did I give up driving, again?! (*oh yeah, I save hundreds each month, get lots of exercise and fresh air, don’t pollute mother earth with gas, and enjoy extended amounts of family time via foot or pedal. So the few times per month that having no car is a royal pain in the arse and I curse the day we sold it are worth it.*)

9. Where did the day go?! It’s time to sleep ALREADY? (the pain in my upper shoulders aggressively reminds me it was spent hunched over my laptop in fervent work.)

10. Why is there never enough money for all the food I want to eat?! (puzzling this one right now. I came up with, “because I’m a broke pregnant glutton who can’t appreciate those in third world countries who live on grains and beans and dirty water” )

What questions do you ask yourself a lot?