Category: Seen, Heard, Said

I meant to post this last week when we were all buried in snow. I was most definitely not enjoying myself the way this dog is, but it made me smile anyway. Thanks to Lee LeFever for the twitter link!

Partners In Crime: Sibling SuperPowers Unite! – PBS Supersisters blog
A great story of how two kids worked to pool together their resources to make a large purchase. What I particularly love about the story is the way each kid used his or her strengths to make it work so no kid was left behind. Bryan and I have been discussing the issue of allowances – when and how and if we should give our kids money. This definitely got me thinking about possibilities in a new direction.

I would also be interested to hear your thoughts on allowances in the comments.

Recession Hits Holiday Giving – KUOW.org
“As an At-Home mom I sometimes feel powerless in my ability to contribute to the financial welfare of the family, but I discovered I was wrong.”
I heard this story early in the morning one day last week while holed up in my office before the kids woke up. It wasn’t a particularly earth shattering story, but the above quote caught my attention so I went back and listened to it again once it was posted online.

I’ve had conversations with other stay at home moms where an insecurity was expressed (or implied) at not contributing financially to the household. Sometimes it’s in the context of anxiety over financial hardship, sometimes in the context of not wanting to ask for things like a night out alone to regroup or to pursue a hobby.

I appreciated this woman’s perspective – that even though she doesn’t bring in the money, she found value in her frugal management of it, and saw this as a significant contribution to the household.

Two-faced – Beautiful Sorta
I liked this idea of making up only half your face and leaving the other half bare, then taking a picture. Alison would love to get your picture for posting on her new blog.

It’s Been a Long Time – one-change.com
In my writing I’ve been exploring our family dynamic – how we make decisions of how to spend our time, things we do together, things we do apart, etc. Mollie’s post resonated with me in this regard, in making intentional decisions together as a couple and moving in the same direction. During past seasons, Bryan and I have moved in separate directions doing separate things, but the more we find our way around each other, the more we realize our family is most at peace when we move together to do the same things. If this isn’t making any sense, I apologize. I predict a full blog post on the subject very soon.

The Thankfulness Tree – PBS Supersisters
I realize Thanksgiving is over, but it’s never to late to pay tribute to all the blessings we have to be thankful for. This is a great craft project that’s fun to do as a family. I think we may attempt a version of it for Christmas this year.

Storyville Coffee – marketing with humor
I love this tongue-in-cheek marketing video from a local coffee roaster, lambasting “Big Coffee,” “Big Sugar,” and “Big Cream.” Click on “The Truth” in the sidebar to watch the video.

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers retrieving
After Scout died I wandered around on YouTube looking at videos of Chessies, and found this awesome one of a Chessie retrieving. Check out how fast he is! Scout was a great retriever, too, but after she blew her ACL a couple years ago we couldn’t run her hard like this.

Grandparents stay in touch via webcams – Seattle Times
Interesting article on staying close to distant relatives via webcam calls. Two years ago when Bryan was traveling to San Jose regularly, we did video calls every night for dinner, and we now do video calls with almost everyone in our family, This lifestyle is so ingrained in my three year old son, when I hand him a regular telephone he holds it toward something he wants to show the caller, expecting that she’ll be able to see it. Also? The other day he shut down a game he was playing on my iPhone, placed it in the docking station, turned on some music, and adjusted the volume. It’s a changing world, and I hope my kids can keep up.

Jack Black defines an Octagon – Sesame Street
We watched Kung Fu Panda again this weekend, so this hilarious video fed my Jack Black obsession. EIGHT GLORIOUS SIDES, AND EIGHT STUNNING ANGLES! So funny I was blinded by the sheer power of its awesomeness.

Renton Film Frenzy
Big things are happening down here in the South End – Renton Haz Creative Skillz! Last month we saw a bunch of film crews running around our neighborhood for the first annual Renton Film Frenzy, in which film makers have two days to write, make, and produce a four minute film. It’s pretty awesome, and I was excited to see some students participating. I dabbled in film making when I was in high school, and even made a short film for my Cinema Class’ final project. I’ll post that someday when when I figure out how to get it off VHS. If you follow the above link, you can watch all eleven entries. I think my favorite is Loaf’s Labors Lost.

Superhero Digest – Thomas’s Occurrences
Thomas has a blog, too, and he’s way more into it than Ruthie is. Whenever I ask Ruthie if she wants to write on her blog, she gives a very vehement, “NO!” Alrightythen. Thomas, on the other hand, quite frequently will say to Bryan, “I WANT TO WHITE ON MY BWOG!” A three year old’s blog is very cute. All he wants to do is post pictures of superheroes, so that’s about what it is right now – a catalog of superhero pictures. But hey, it’s a pretty accurate representation of what he thinks about, so there you go.

Moms in Twittersphere abandon Motrin
Wow. The outrage over this ad is unbearable. yeah, it’s a little patronizing, but does it really deserve this much energy? The big buzz online these days is the power of the “mommy bloggers” – marketers are beginning to capitalize on their internet pull. What I would really love to see mommy bloggers rally around is not happy hour play dates or hurt feelings, but our poor educational system, or human trafficking, or the need for mentoring programs. How about we use all that marketing power we have to change the world? (Yes, I am dramatic sometimes).

The View From Mars Hill – Crosscut.com
Bryan found this great article on Mars Hill Church on a local website. Much of what’s published about Mars Hill is inflammatory or dismissive, but this is a rare, deeper look into the community.

The Aviatrix – Fly Away Films
Totally random – this film short was on YouTube’s home page the other day when I opened up the site to do a search. It looked interesting, so I watched it. And wow. Beautifully written, beautifully filmed. I love the internet and it’s ability to support and promote artists.

Grace Based Parenting – Practical Theology for Women
Wendy Alsup reviews this book by Tim Kimmel. Here is an excerpt of her thoughts:

In the first chapters of the book, I had to put the book down and repent, because Kimmel nailed me with his assessment of how many Christians parent—primarily out of fear. I realized that I was more afraid of Satan and the world getting their hands on my boys than I was confident in God’s faithfulness to finish the good work He has begun in them (Phil. 1:6). I had to repent. Then I had to decide if I was going to align my parenting philosophy with my theology. Did I believe God had a good plan for my children? Did I believe that I can trust God with their little hearts and lives?

Kimmel made another important point that challenged me on how I thought about parenting. I wanted to protect my children from outside influences that I feared would cause them to stray. However, my doctrine teaches me that the greatest sinful influence on my children is their own depravity. It’s the sin within them rather than the sin without that most affects them and which I need to parent them through. As Kimmel says on p. 24, “Raising your children in a spiritual cocoon won’t help because Satan operates INSIDE it. He appeals to your child’s heart.”

Bumps, bruise, and uncanny inoculations – Zugito
Bryan wrote a great post reflecting on the challenging week we had navigating Ruthie through a conflict at school. I’ve thought a lot, lately, about how to blog about such things now that Ruthie is getting older. I have her privacy to consider, now, as she’s making friends and becoming more independent. I think Bryan’s post hits the right tone.

Where in the hell is Matt? – Matt Harding
I love digital art – video blogging, photo blogging, digital scrapbooking etc. The internet gives the ability for anyone to create and publish works of art, and this one is definitely worth seeing. If you click through to the Youtube page, you can click on ‘watch in high definition’ just below the video for a better picture.

Also, be sure to watch Matt’s Ignite presentation at Gnomedex on the making of this video. He makes a really interesting point about collaboration – that creating a video of himself (as he did in his first two projects) was not nearly as much fun as creating a video with other people. I think I have a new blog crush.

White Girl Guilt
Pasta Queen tells a story about a strange encounter in an unfamiliar neighborhood, and wonders if it means she is racist. I related to her inner struggle, which I’ve expressed here, and here, plus in another essay yet to be published. Here is an excerpt:

“I was standing on an unfamiliar porch, holding a stuffed animal from a Maurice Sendak children’s book, when I saw a man smoking a substance I wasn’t entirely sure was legal walk around the corner half a block away. He was black, so the fear I suddenly felt made me feel like a racist white girl. Sure, I was in a questionably safe part of town and, sure, his manner of dress and body language would have provoked suspicion even if he was white, but he wasn’t white. He was black, and when I’m scared of black men I feel racist even if my fear is justified.”

Planet Money
Between the election and the economic crisis, I’ve been in information overload. It’s very overwhelming. Bryan told me about NPR’s Planet Money podcast, so I started listening to it several times a week while the kids nap. What I like the most about it, is how the hosts break down everything for the most ignorant listener. For instance, he once interrupted a Harvard economist and asked him to explain “for the listeners at home” what the word “dividend” meant. That’s my kind of show.

Here are a couple that have been particularly helpful –
Breakdown of each candidate’s economic policies (podcast), and Was the Money Ever There? (blog post).

The Mentoring Project
Author and speaker, Don Miller, recently launched The Mentoring Project, aimed at helping churches establish mentoring programs within their communities. His video lists some pretty staggering facts about fatherless children as well as mentored children. Don himself was raised without a father, so this project is very personal for him. A donation of just $5/month will support a mentor, which I think is a brilliant business model. Who can’t afford $5/month? Not many people. You should check it out.

On Being Good Enough – The Word Cellar
“I’m really not that good, am I? Isn’t that the question we all ask? Isn’t that the little voice whispering in our ears all the time? Nudging us right before we fall asleep, when we try something new, when we share our heart’s passion with others?”

Compromising with your kids – Organizing Junkie
“If she can keep the stuff in her room off the floor in some kind of orderly fashion (not just piled 10 feet high on her desk) then she can keep it, otherwise it has to go. Meaning I will remove it from her room and give it away. I’m nice like that :)”

This is basically what I do, but it’s nice to have some validation that I shouldn’t feel guilty about it.

Online Daily Bible Reading Plan
I found this RSS link through Writing and Living. I think I still prefer to hold the actual Bible in my hand when I’m reading it, but I figured somebody out there might appreciate the ability to read the Bible along with all their other feeds. You can choose from many reading different plans there.

Ben Folds in concert

Once again, I’m finding other ways to fulfill my need for eclectic musical presentation and excellent songwriting in the absence of a new Sufjan Stevens album (this summer it was Andrew Bird that that filled in the gap). I’m not sure what the Cat Woman is all about, and clearly the interviewer in the beginning has a grudge against Ben, but the pianos and the smoke and the choral style is stunning.

Sometimes Love Refuses – PaperNapkin
I love love love this post. I, too, have a tentative son, particularly when it comes to approaching or responding to strangers. When he’s nervous, Thomas pokes his tongue out and plays with his hands nervously in front of his chest. It’s very cute. Now. Not so sure about when he’s interviewing for a job.

The Golden Rule – Practical Theology for Women
This was a very convicting essay on how to love those you are in conflict with.
An excerpt: “In particular, I’ve been meditating for some time about Biblical love in conflict. The Golden Rule gives me an interesting perspective to consider. When in conflict, if I want to fulfill the law–loving my neighbor as myself–then a great summary question to ask myself is “how would I want to be treated if I were the other person?” Most of the time in conflict, we are so self-righteous and self-absorbed, the last thing we consider is how we would want to be treated in a similar situation.”

Immigration Flow Chart – www.reason.com (via Scott Berkun)
Related to links I posted last week regarding immigration raids. The chart is very interesting and enlightening regarding what and how long it takes to legally immigrate. Scott says, “this will either anger you, or make you happy.”

How to Pick a President – Scott Berkun
A great essay suggesting mistakes we make when voting, ways to decode political coverage, and attributes to look for in a leader. RecognitionScene and my brother will both poke their eyes out when they read this: I am still undecided (gasp!).

The Recipe Rule – The Clutter Diet Blog
I hate it when outside sources confirm what Bryan is ALWAYS telling me.

Let them not have cake! – PastaQueen
The PastaQueen decides she is Anti-Cake In the Work Place, and goes on a well-justified rant.
Excerpt: “While I take responsibility for what goes in my mouth, this is like trying to take responsibility for my driving while skidding down icy roads. It’s hard for the health-conscious to get any traction.”

The Mom Song
This was sent to me by a friend, and it made me laugh.

Lunch with Big Mama
“I’ve met quite a few other people through blogging over the years, and our lunch today reminded me that my experience has been that people’s real-life personalities tend to be very much like the personalities you perceive from their blogs. I am always pleasantly surprised to realize just how, well, real people are on their blogs after getting to know them offline. And perhaps that’s why so many of us enjoy reading blogs so much: because you tend to get honest glimpses into the lives of regular people, a little touch of much-needed human connection in our increasingly isolated world.”

Roo the Day
Ruthie is not always into blogging, though I’m not sure it’s that she’s not into blogging as much as she’s not into doing anything I happen to suggest might be fun to do right at that moment. When I say something like, “Hey, let’s go write about that on your blog!” She gives a firm, “NO!” Which is fine – perhaps she didn’t inherit the TMI gene. But when I read her the comments? And the things people say to her? Let’s just say she’s motivated by her fans. So I’m learning to let go of my expectations that she be as into it as I am, and try to enjoy the moments she gives me. So check out her latest posts.

Immigration raid aftermath
Immigration raids shake california schools
Immigration raid leaves mark on iowa town
It’s easy to dismiss one story like this, especially when you’re a recovering Political Apathetic like me. BUt when you listen to several stories in a row your perspective changes a little. You start to wonder if your government is disrupting a delicately balanced ecosystem and creating a whole host of new problems by attempting to solve one.

Half a town wiped out. Businesses in danger of failing. Children robbed of their parents. Schools disrupted. Really? Is the government prepared to sweep into these towns and “raid” them with social welfare programs designed to support all the orphans? All the schools? Do these businesses qualify for government bailout assistance? I’m appalled.

open tape – online mixtapes
It was like The Day The Music Died when Muxtape was shut down by the RIAA. I had three mixes in the queue at the time, and no way to share them on my blog. Bryan told me about Open Tape, which looks and plays exactly like Muxtape, yet vehemently denies being associated with them. Hmmm…. For sure, I’m not complaining, just smirking along with them! As soon as I get a free moment (!!!) I plan to get another mix posted.

Commercials from around the globe – Schmutzie’s Milkmoney
My favorite is the speaker commercial with the bunny and the bear.

Customized Silhouette tshirts – by Inhabitots
My friend Amy Letinsky sent me this link, and it looks like a fun crafty project.

Randy Stewart’s Flickr photostream
Whenever I am around Randy Stewart’s camera, beautiful things happen.

Mommy Come Lately – Yoga soothes worst symptoms of menopause.
You know you’re staring down your 37th birthday when stories about menopause perk your interest. I love yoga, and I hate my hormones, so this was worth reading. For whatever it’s worth, that is.

Meal Planner by Future Girl
Because I have a brain that doesn’t always like to kick into gear, I keep a copy on my fridge of what I’ve planned to make for dinner all week. I started doing this because there were many times I would buy a bunch of cilantro for a certain dish, only to find that bunch of cilantro reduced to a pile of green slime a week later. When I try to remember why I bought the cilantro in the first place, I slap my forhead as I recall that one evening when I couldn’t for the life of me think of what to make for dinner, when all along I’d planned to make Lime and Cilantro chicken tacos. So, if one is going to be geeky-organized, one might as well have a super cute menu planning chart to make it more fun.

Backpack stations from Organizing Junkie
You may recall how I revamped my entryway a couple months ago to be more efficient for shoe and coat storage. Now that Ruthie is starting school (ack!) I’m trying to figure out how to add in a spot for her backpack and a place to dump all the paperwork she brings home. I got caught in a loop of organizing blogs the other day, and came across this post with lots of great ideas.

Mind Mapping for the overwhelmed mom from Organizing Queen
Once again, something Bryan’s been telling me for years that I’m now taking notice of because a chick brought it to my attention. Bryan uses a mind map program for taking notes and such, but it always gave me a headache to look at it, because my brain doesn’t work visually like that for note taking. But when it comes to organizing a physical space? The mind mapping idea seemed to click a little better. I may give it a try.

Half of Me – blog to book.
I started a new book this week by BlogHer blogger, Jennette Fulda, called Half-Assed: a weight-loss memoir. I met Jennette in San Francisco at the BlogHer conference when I attended the session, Blog to Book.

Jennette documents how she lost nearly half her weight – close to 200 pounds – through diet and exercise. I’m only into chapter three, but already I enjoy it so much. The style of her writing is raw, honest, and with familiarity – much like a blogger writes. Also, within the first chapter, A History of Fatness, she takes full responsibility for her obese condition without blaming family genes, emotional trauma, or anything else.

Sadly, I didn’t have a strange disorder to be documented in medical textbooks. I was never sexually abused and driven to build a fat suit of armor for protection. My mother never once nagged me about my weight or put me on a diet, saving me thousands of dollars on therapy. This was great and all, but it left me without any good fall guys. If you’re fat, you definitely need a scapegoat or a glandular problem.

I’m enjoying her book, and have added her blog, Half of Me, to my reader. Incidentally, when I asked her about the process of collecting and organizing her blog archives to prepare for the book, she said she read through her archives three times. THREE TIMES. I had suspected something like this would be the case, but it’s a little daunting to have it spoken into reality.

I’d better get crackin, I mean, reading.