January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Happy 2015 Everyone!
I hope you'll like my photo post, it's taking forever to get it together and it kinda ruined our New Year's Eve... (my husband is pretty upset at me... Sigh).
I hope 2015 will be an even better year than we're anticipating! More thoughts about the New Year upcoming!
I hope 2015 will be an even better year than we're anticipating! More thoughts about the New Year upcoming!
Looking Forward to 2015
2015 is a very promising year and the most important event is that in July-August we'll have an amazing family trip in three parts:
1) some days in Texas with joint celebration of the cousins' birthdays & the opportunity to get together with hundreds of friends during the "General Conference" of our church);
2) 20 day trip to the "Holy Land" with many family members;
3) 14 day trip in Europe with my parents.
K will also be submitting his tenure package and hopefully everything will be ok. He will also apply for a big NSF grant again -- his last opportunity to do so!
I will be applying for the 3 year position, but I'm not looking forward to that and I'm freaking out inside a little because if I don't get it, our family's income will be 36K less and I don't know what we're going to do! :-(
Our sons will finish 5th & 7th grades and start 6th & 8th and I know they are going to be busier.
Oh, and in December, K's whole family will get together again and we're planning to go skiing in New Hampshire and... I don't know... maybe go to Florida? (that will be a crazy thing to do!). We will also need to take another family photo, since the family is now complete with the arrival of the 8th grandson last July.
Frankly, I am almost looking forward the most to July 2016 when we're supposed to go to Brazil. I can't believe there's still a full year and a half to go before I can go back there! :-(
1) some days in Texas with joint celebration of the cousins' birthdays & the opportunity to get together with hundreds of friends during the "General Conference" of our church);
2) 20 day trip to the "Holy Land" with many family members;
3) 14 day trip in Europe with my parents.
K will also be submitting his tenure package and hopefully everything will be ok. He will also apply for a big NSF grant again -- his last opportunity to do so!
I will be applying for the 3 year position, but I'm not looking forward to that and I'm freaking out inside a little because if I don't get it, our family's income will be 36K less and I don't know what we're going to do! :-(
Our sons will finish 5th & 7th grades and start 6th & 8th and I know they are going to be busier.
Oh, and in December, K's whole family will get together again and we're planning to go skiing in New Hampshire and... I don't know... maybe go to Florida? (that will be a crazy thing to do!). We will also need to take another family photo, since the family is now complete with the arrival of the 8th grandson last July.
Frankly, I am almost looking forward the most to July 2016 when we're supposed to go to Brazil. I can't believe there's still a full year and a half to go before I can go back there! :-(
The 2014 Photo Post is Taking Forever!
And I'm worried that I still need to write 4 posts, to I have to write this "throwaway one" ;-)
I wanted to be playing games with my family, but here I am, pursuing this silly project. It's fun, though... looking through all the photos of the year and trying to pick the best each month.
Kelvin isn't playing with dad & younger brother either because he's fiddling with the computer, obviously!
OK, back to the photos!
Oh, and we were able to talk to our families in Brazil, my mom called and K's mom called on skype and we talked to her and to K4, the brother who will be missing our half-family reunion next week. K3 is in Texas and K2 is there in Brazil too, in the same amazing beach where we were last year.
I wanted to be playing games with my family, but here I am, pursuing this silly project. It's fun, though... looking through all the photos of the year and trying to pick the best each month.
Kelvin isn't playing with dad & younger brother either because he's fiddling with the computer, obviously!
OK, back to the photos!
Oh, and we were able to talk to our families in Brazil, my mom called and K's mom called on skype and we talked to her and to K4, the brother who will be missing our half-family reunion next week. K3 is in Texas and K2 is there in Brazil too, in the same amazing beach where we were last year.
2014 - Year in Review 4 - Highlights
- Spending New Year's in an amazing beach in Brazil with both our families (although New Year's Eve wasn't that great for me personally... sigh...).
- Trip to Florida to spend birthday with dear friend.
- Birth of last nephew & visit from them & K's parents, aunt & cousins
- Finally seeing the balloons in Montreal after last year's disappointment!! (neither of which I blogged!)
- Being able to carpool with a friend in my mega-commute a few times late this year.
- Seeing my friends and my cousins in FL in the past week.
2014 - Year in Review 3 - Lowlights
- Some moments on New Year's Eve in Brazil (I was really upset that K was busy playing a game -- Catan -- and didn't go to see the fireworks with me, in addition to some other situations).
- The disaster and shame of Brazil's loss in the World Cup. :-(
- Work contract nightmare for me in the Fall.
- K's grandmother getting sick and being hospitalized for weeks (until now) and how upset my FIL was/is.
- Holidays with no family.
Kelvin's Latest Obsession
I started this post weeks ago, but I'll finish now!!
Since I need to write three posts a day until Dec. 31st I asked my son Kelvin for advice and he said I should write a post about him, so there you go, iKelvin! ;-)
Just as I write this post (on 12/31) he's at work at his current obsession: he wants to build a computer. Since he doesn't have the 800 dollars he needs we convinced him to upgrade our current desktop and he has agreed (for now), so he's looking into that right now.
Kelvin lives for these obsessions of his, sometimes they are model trains, or getting an ipad, or buying a new game console, and for a few weeks he has a "one track mind" talking about it constantly.
The reason he wants to build a new computer is to be able to record his game playing and post it on YouTube (on the Wii since we don't have the WiiU yet, nor do we want him to buy it).
OK, I'll write more about that later. I still have six more posts to write!
Since I need to write three posts a day until Dec. 31st I asked my son Kelvin for advice and he said I should write a post about him, so there you go, iKelvin! ;-)
Just as I write this post (on 12/31) he's at work at his current obsession: he wants to build a computer. Since he doesn't have the 800 dollars he needs we convinced him to upgrade our current desktop and he has agreed (for now), so he's looking into that right now.
Kelvin lives for these obsessions of his, sometimes they are model trains, or getting an ipad, or buying a new game console, and for a few weeks he has a "one track mind" talking about it constantly.
The reason he wants to build a new computer is to be able to record his game playing and post it on YouTube (on the Wii since we don't have the WiiU yet, nor do we want him to buy it).
OK, I'll write more about that later. I still have six more posts to write!
20th Anniversary Celebration - Post 3 (the Spa)
Post 1, Post 2
The highlight of our anniversary celebration was spending several hours at the spa. We couldn't afford any treatments or massages, but we were able to use the saunas and other water & relaxation facilities for a day and that was pretty lovely!
The only downside was that the indoor facilities were for men and women, so we weren't together, so we did plan to spend a good 45 minutes reading (K read a book & I read "fancy" magazines, Vogue & Travel) and sipping tea in the co-ed lounge. Here are some photos of that lovely room I took on our last morning there:
We were sitting on these two chairs:
I hope we'll get to do this again in the future. The only other downside (in addition to being separated in the saunas) was that the "spa music"began to get on our nerves! ;-)
I think this will be the last anniversary post because I don't want to give much more identifying information!
The highlight of our anniversary celebration was spending several hours at the spa. We couldn't afford any treatments or massages, but we were able to use the saunas and other water & relaxation facilities for a day and that was pretty lovely!
The only downside was that the indoor facilities were for men and women, so we weren't together, so we did plan to spend a good 45 minutes reading (K read a book & I read "fancy" magazines, Vogue & Travel) and sipping tea in the co-ed lounge. Here are some photos of that lovely room I took on our last morning there:
I think this will be the last anniversary post because I don't want to give much more identifying information!
2014 Year in Review 2 - The Busiest Year Yet?
As this year ends K & I despair at the thought that there aren't enough minutes in the day to do all we need to do. :-( We truly don't know how we'll manage next year. K thinks that the only solution is to have a very strict schedule and "time budget" (and my therapist wholeheartedly agree). Let's see if we can manage to do that.
In addition, this was certainly the busiest year ever for our boys so far, particularly for Kelvin! In 6th grade he started playing in the bell choir and had practice two afternoons a week, but now in 7th grade he is also in robotics, so he spends 4 days a week in school from 8:15 am to 5 pm -- poor guy! Then on Mondays and Thursdays he has 1h30 of soccer practice after that (for 9-10 weeks in the Fall and late springs) and piano lessons on Wednesdays! His younger brother only lacks the two afternoons in bell choir because he's in another robotics team and also has soccer, but next year he'll probably be in the bell choir as well... sigh...
We were busy even in the summer (K always works summers doing research in the lab anyway) after I started the translation project and we were also busy with guests.
I did have a WAY BETTER Fall semester than the two previous years (when I was teaching at U#2 5 days a week) because I had Fridays off, but I was still horribly busy, especially because I had a "disaster class" at U#1 that stressed me out big time.
I hope 2015 won't be so horribly busy, but I doubt it!
In addition, this was certainly the busiest year ever for our boys so far, particularly for Kelvin! In 6th grade he started playing in the bell choir and had practice two afternoons a week, but now in 7th grade he is also in robotics, so he spends 4 days a week in school from 8:15 am to 5 pm -- poor guy! Then on Mondays and Thursdays he has 1h30 of soccer practice after that (for 9-10 weeks in the Fall and late springs) and piano lessons on Wednesdays! His younger brother only lacks the two afternoons in bell choir because he's in another robotics team and also has soccer, but next year he'll probably be in the bell choir as well... sigh...
We were busy even in the summer (K always works summers doing research in the lab anyway) after I started the translation project and we were also busy with guests.
I did have a WAY BETTER Fall semester than the two previous years (when I was teaching at U#2 5 days a week) because I had Fridays off, but I was still horribly busy, especially because I had a "disaster class" at U#1 that stressed me out big time.
I hope 2015 won't be so horribly busy, but I doubt it!
Slightly Depressed
New Year Eves were generally nostalgic days for me back when I was a tween/teen, then they became kind of Blah & OK, but today I'm slightly depressed.
This morning we found out about unexpected/unintended expenses from our trip and I kept feeling down because we came back from a quick trip to meet with friends & family to be all by ourselves in the cold after being in warm Florida. Then I found out my cousin felt sick after eating some food I cooked, so I'm not very happy right now. :-(
All is well, we have a nice cozy house and a happy family, but it's just kind of sad to be all by ourselves for a major holiday like this. Even if it's just an "arbitrary" kind of celebration, the end of an year and the beginning of another one. OK, more later. These posts are lame too & I feel bad, but I'm stubborn, so I'll carry on.
This morning we found out about unexpected/unintended expenses from our trip and I kept feeling down because we came back from a quick trip to meet with friends & family to be all by ourselves in the cold after being in warm Florida. Then I found out my cousin felt sick after eating some food I cooked, so I'm not very happy right now. :-(
All is well, we have a nice cozy house and a happy family, but it's just kind of sad to be all by ourselves for a major holiday like this. Even if it's just an "arbitrary" kind of celebration, the end of an year and the beginning of another one. OK, more later. These posts are lame too & I feel bad, but I'm stubborn, so I'll carry on.
2014 - Year in Review 1 - Firsts!
"Firsts" of 2014 (edited on Jan 3, 2015):
This year was my/our first...
... conference "blogger meet-up" with M!
... Thanksgiving without brother-in-law K3 & family in 11 years.
... series of major holidays all by ourselves: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve. (I'm kinda of sad/depressed about this one!).
... time doing therapy and being diagnosed with ADHD.
... time polishing my toenails bright colors (I still need to upload a photo of the coral ones, and in my year in photos there's one of the Brazilian flags & national colors -- scroll down to June). ;-)
... time away from Kelvin for almost a week when he went on his bell choir trip.
I'm sure there's more, but I have to go cook and will try to come edit later (last 2 items added on 1/3).
This year was my/our first...
... conference "blogger meet-up" with M!
... Thanksgiving without brother-in-law K3 & family in 11 years.
... series of major holidays all by ourselves: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve. (I'm kinda of sad/depressed about this one!).
... time doing therapy and being diagnosed with ADHD.
... time polishing my toenails bright colors (I still need to upload a photo of the coral ones, and in my year in photos there's one of the Brazilian flags & national colors -- scroll down to June). ;-)
... time away from Kelvin for almost a week when he went on his bell choir trip.
I'm sure there's more, but I have to go cook and will try to come edit later (last 2 items added on 1/3).
11 more posts to go till the end of the day!!
:-)
I really want to get to 214 posts, so I will keep blogging throughout the day, and in the last post I'll do a round-up of the good, more meaningful posts (not this one!) as a summary, 'cause I suppose people won't really read all of these posts... ;-)
I really want to get to 214 posts, so I will keep blogging throughout the day, and in the last post I'll do a round-up of the good, more meaningful posts (not this one!) as a summary, 'cause I suppose people won't really read all of these posts... ;-)
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
That was all the sea we got to see in FL :-(
We ALWAYS go to the beach when we come to Florida with our family.
We go any time of the year: August (2006), November (Thanksgiving Day 2010 - link later), December-January (2008, 2011), July (2014).
We go even if only for a few hours....
Even if only by parking the packed car by the sea and digging our swimsuits out of the suitcases as we did on Christmas Eve in 2011 before heading to our family's rental house in Orlando.
Back in July we got to go twice!
It's a treat that we really enjoy, since we live hundreds of miles from the ocean. However, this was a quick trip focused on spending time with loved ones we don't see very often and, in some cases, hadn't seen in years!
So this was all the ocean we got to see, from the 7th floor of a Daytona Beach resort. We didn't even get to step on the sand. :-(
Oh well... That's ok. People are more important than enjoying a beach!
Driving Back Home
I wish we could stay longer, but K wanted to go back home ASAP because we simply have way too much to do there.
In addition, I think we just stayed at the most expensive hotel we ever paid for -- 163 per night, for two nights (we have stayed at fancy places like the Hyatt in Cambridge, MA in the past, but it was paid by K's employer, or at expensive hotels for conference going). The Orlando area is extremely crowded right now, so prices are inflated, obviously.
Thankfully it was a great hotel -- one of the reasons why we decided to pay the steep rate -- everything else was really iffy and bad and not even that cheap (70, 90).
Sorry for the boring post! We have over 12 hours on the road ahead of us. I'll probably blog some on the way.
P.S. I went to bed at 3 am after talking to my cousin for nearly two hours. So worth it!
In addition, I think we just stayed at the most expensive hotel we ever paid for -- 163 per night, for two nights (we have stayed at fancy places like the Hyatt in Cambridge, MA in the past, but it was paid by K's employer, or at expensive hotels for conference going). The Orlando area is extremely crowded right now, so prices are inflated, obviously.
Thankfully it was a great hotel -- one of the reasons why we decided to pay the steep rate -- everything else was really iffy and bad and not even that cheap (70, 90).
Sorry for the boring post! We have over 12 hours on the road ahead of us. I'll probably blog some on the way.
P.S. I went to bed at 3 am after talking to my cousin for nearly two hours. So worth it!
"We don't understand your jokes!"
Or Feeling Hurt by Being Expatriate Parents
It's very hard to be an expatriate person and even harder to have an expatriate, bi(or multi)-lingual family. Last night, that reality hit us full in the face when K & I were being goofy in our hotel and our youngest son (10) blurted out the very honest, but almost cruel:
"We don't understand your jokes!"
:-(
Of course there's a bit of a generation gap problem here and cultural differences related to age, but I know that especially in the case of the younger son, there is also a linguistic gap -- his Portuguese is not as good as that of his brother's.
I wish they could be more fluent, understand all the jokes, all the words, but I know that will always be an unattainable dream. OK, not radically so (because we expect that our sons will spend at least one year in Brazil going to school), but still... I think we experience more than the usual parent/child gap because of our choice to come live in another country. :-(
I feel that's not fair! :-(
Of course we laughed and laughed about it, and there's also the case that this particular son resisted much more being labeled as "Brazilian" and he has internalized English much more -- he was younger when he learned it. He's still a bit ambivalent about his double nationality and his identity as Brazilian and/or American. Sigh...
We just need to learn to deal with these things as they come along and handle them as best as we can!
It's very hard to be an expatriate person and even harder to have an expatriate, bi(or multi)-lingual family. Last night, that reality hit us full in the face when K & I were being goofy in our hotel and our youngest son (10) blurted out the very honest, but almost cruel:
"We don't understand your jokes!"
:-(
Of course there's a bit of a generation gap problem here and cultural differences related to age, but I know that especially in the case of the younger son, there is also a linguistic gap -- his Portuguese is not as good as that of his brother's.
I wish they could be more fluent, understand all the jokes, all the words, but I know that will always be an unattainable dream. OK, not radically so (because we expect that our sons will spend at least one year in Brazil going to school), but still... I think we experience more than the usual parent/child gap because of our choice to come live in another country. :-(
I feel that's not fair! :-(
Of course we laughed and laughed about it, and there's also the case that this particular son resisted much more being labeled as "Brazilian" and he has internalized English much more -- he was younger when he learned it. He's still a bit ambivalent about his double nationality and his identity as Brazilian and/or American. Sigh...
We just need to learn to deal with these things as they come along and handle them as best as we can!
Every 10 Years, Christmas Eve "Alone" -- 1994, 2004, 2014
* Alone here means without extended family ;-)
(I hope to edit this post later to include some photos. It was supposed to have been posted on Christmas Day)
I have no idea what Christmas 2024 will bring, my sons will be 20 & 22 and I most certainly want to spend Christmas with them, I wonder about the rest of the family, though. Will my parents still be around and healthy? Will we be with my in-laws?
K was joking that we need to be by ourselves to follow tradition and that it should be a good thing.
"We'll be in Fiji," he joked, "you and I, wouldn't that be nice?"
"Well, we will be celebrating our 30th anniversary, but no, I don't want to spend Christmas away from our sons!"
And then the boys began to talk about how old they will be that year, etc.
I don't like to think that far into the future, it's kind of scary! But looking back is fascinating andlast night on Dec. 23rd K and I realized that ever since we became a couple, we've had Christmas "alone" precisely at 10 year intervals: in 1994 in a hotel room in our honeymoon; in 2004, our first Christmas as a family of four, by ourselves in a new city; and this year, alone again, just the four of us.
Needless to say, we're not used to that at all, but it felt very "right" and truly there was no place we'd rather be but home enjoying each other's company!
postcript
It helps that we traveled on the 25th and saw very dear friends and family for six very intense day! More on that hopefully soon.
(I hope to edit this post later to include some photos. It was supposed to have been posted on Christmas Day)
I have no idea what Christmas 2024 will bring, my sons will be 20 & 22 and I most certainly want to spend Christmas with them, I wonder about the rest of the family, though. Will my parents still be around and healthy? Will we be with my in-laws?
K was joking that we need to be by ourselves to follow tradition and that it should be a good thing.
"We'll be in Fiji," he joked, "you and I, wouldn't that be nice?"
"Well, we will be celebrating our 30th anniversary, but no, I don't want to spend Christmas away from our sons!"
And then the boys began to talk about how old they will be that year, etc.
I don't like to think that far into the future, it's kind of scary! But looking back is fascinating and
Needless to say, we're not used to that at all, but it felt very "right" and truly there was no place we'd rather be but home enjoying each other's company!
postcript
It helps that we traveled on the 25th and saw very dear friends and family for six very intense day! More on that hopefully soon.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Pain-full vs. Pain-less
Written on the middle of the night (3 am?) the night before our trip, 12/24
I'm still awake now not only because I needed to get a number of things done and know I can sleep in the car as we drive down to Florida tomorrow, but also because I've been dreading to go to bed every night because it's only at night that my back pain becomes unbearable.
This has been going on for a week and a half now and it's definitely not a good thing. I wish I had gone to a chiropractor, but I was traveling last week and we travel again tomorrow, so that's not going to happen!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I had began to worry about my pain on Christmas Eve because I felt that some parts of my back felt "electric" at times (like the nerves weren't happy) and because from Saturday to Sunday I had spent the night with a hot pack on my back, my skin was also itchy and bothering me.
Fortunately, during the trip and the first two nights I felt hardly any pain, but I continued to sleep half sitting, leaning on piles of pillows. (and I did take a painkiller on the first night). Last night, however, was the very first night in which I decided to try to lie down on my side as I usually do to go to sleep instead of sitting up and... I didn't feel any pain! I think my back has mostly healed. YAY!
Now I need to become more proactive and dutifully do my lower back stretching exercises every day!
I'm still awake now not only because I needed to get a number of things done and know I can sleep in the car as we drive down to Florida tomorrow, but also because I've been dreading to go to bed every night because it's only at night that my back pain becomes unbearable.
This has been going on for a week and a half now and it's definitely not a good thing. I wish I had gone to a chiropractor, but I was traveling last week and we travel again tomorrow, so that's not going to happen!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I had began to worry about my pain on Christmas Eve because I felt that some parts of my back felt "electric" at times (like the nerves weren't happy) and because from Saturday to Sunday I had spent the night with a hot pack on my back, my skin was also itchy and bothering me.
Fortunately, during the trip and the first two nights I felt hardly any pain, but I continued to sleep half sitting, leaning on piles of pillows. (and I did take a painkiller on the first night). Last night, however, was the very first night in which I decided to try to lie down on my side as I usually do to go to sleep instead of sitting up and... I didn't feel any pain! I think my back has mostly healed. YAY!
Now I need to become more proactive and dutifully do my lower back stretching exercises every day!
Digging into the Drafts Folder
I don't think I'll be able to write 19 posts in four days, but I will sure try! So I will begin by digging into my drafts folder to see if there's anything I can "rescue" from there!
I'm tired, but comfy in a nice hotel near the Orlando airport. Unfortunately we can't stand staying in bad hotels anymore, we're getting used to comfort (very American style, right? Blah...). It was awesome to see my cousins and I think I will cook for them tomorrow because they're staying in an apartment!
OK, on to look into my drafts!
I'm tired, but comfy in a nice hotel near the Orlando airport. Unfortunately we can't stand staying in bad hotels anymore, we're getting used to comfort (very American style, right? Blah...). It was awesome to see my cousins and I think I will cook for them tomorrow because they're staying in an apartment!
OK, on to look into my drafts!
Wa Wa What?
We had no idea they had WaWa in Orlando, Florida! We thought it was a Pennsylvania thing and were really surprised to see one here in Osceola county, almost in Kissimmee.
What else will surprise us in this visit to this area were not overly fond of? ;-)
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Bokeh and Other Crazy Light Experiments with a Christmas Tree!
A few days ago I decided I was going to try to take some "bokeh" photos with the Xmas tree. I can't believe I've had the DSLR camera for nearly three years sand haven't set out to do that yet! :-(
In the end, I just played with the camera for a bit and took some random (no settings adjusted) bokeh like the ones that follow (I have no idea how my very first one came out b&w and pretty good):
This was taken by my husband:
He took over and not only figured out how to take some nice shots, but also had a lot of fun playing with the lights.This is the original view of the Christmas tree, surrounded by blue & white LED lights around the window.
And these are two of the bokeh versions:
And then he began to move the camera around with fascinating results!
The most intriguing thing is how the LED lights become dotted sometimes!
And soft and straight at other times (this is one of my absolute favorites!!):
Then dotted again:
Cool, huh?
He's the "real" photographer, I don't know anything, really. ;-)
In the end, I just played with the camera for a bit and took some random (no settings adjusted) bokeh like the ones that follow (I have no idea how my very first one came out b&w and pretty good):
Friday, December 26, 2014
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Florida!!!
We're in sunny Florida! I can't wait to arrive at our friends' house and get out of the car to feel the balmy temperatures!
Tomorrow it looks like it will rain where we're going, but with temperatures reaching the 80s over the weekend, I'm not complaining about some rain!
Florida in the winter time is the best! :-)
I'm Raising Amazing Sons (for real! ;-)
They just said they didn't want to eat a cookie and continued to eat baby carrots instead during our trip (and I routinely have to throw out -- months later! -- their candy stashes that come from school on Valentine's Day or other holidays), but that's not what I want to share. (And I need to add that they can devour huge amounts of ice-cream even though they don't care for most other desserts and most kinds of candy).
That's all awesome, but last week they blew me away and made me realize that they're learning most of our thrifty ways just by our interactions regarding money since they were little.
I was having a conversation with them about our upcoming trip to Florida on our way to the dentist and I explained to them that maybe, if they wanted, we could go to one park, such as Busch Gardens (to go on roller coasters) and they immediately replied in unison:
"No, we don't want to go, we want to save that money!"
"I won't go," said emphatically my ten year old, "I don't want to go!"
And his older brother again said we shouldn't spend all that money and save it instead!
Of course right now Kelvin has a clear agenda: he wants to buy a new computer (which he wants to build himself), so he can be a Youtuber and do "Let's Play" videos and other things. (He just looked over my shoulder and helped me edit this part -- he loves reading about himself on my blog! And also making sure I get things right! ;-)
In any case, I was beyond thrilled when I heard their reaction. They are keenly aware of the value of money and they know how much it costs to go to one of those parks! We did take them to Magic Kingdom back in December 2011 and they enjoyed it (even though they have never seen any Disney movie and didn't even know who most characters walking around the park were! ;-), but they know that money is always tight for our family and they think it could have a better use.
Not bad for 10 & 12 year olds, right? I love my awesome boys!
Besides, they are amazing travelers (trained for long distance travel since newborns!) who can handle 10-11 hours in the car doing only gas/bathroom stops!
Merry Christmas!
In Brazil Christmas is "done" by now -- everyone celebrates on the 24th, many opening the presents at midnight (some earlier) or going to midnight mass.
So it's interesting to go through my facebook feed and see captions of photos from Brazil (also Argentina & Chile) saying that "Christmas 2014 was nice" and photos of my American friends saying that "Christmas is almost here." Clashing cultures, clashing worlds, I'll always inhabit both, always divided.
Our Christmas was pretty quiet (I'm writing another post about it in a few minutes, I hope) and low-key. We had a relatively good number of presents, considering that it was only the four of us I did nearly all of the shopping and K only bought three things for me at the last minute.
We spent the day getting ready to travel early tomorrow. Getting the house cleaned, taking the house key to the lady who will come get food for the cats, packing our bags and the presents to take to our friends and family there.
I cooked a simple meal of veggie stroganoff, rice, green beans and salad and we ate it around 7 pm after talking to some family members in Brazil.
Before opening presents we spent a LONG time taking photos to match those of ten years ago (really silly stuff documented in "worst photo" books and websites) and then we opened them and didn't have time to enjoy them because we needed to get ready to travel. :-(
BTW, starting in 2002 when Kelvin was a 9 month old we opened presents in the morning for several Christmases here with K's family (whenever it was at our house and at K2 & family), but in Brazil we always do it in the evening and we did that this year because of the trip.
I hope all my blog friends who celebrate Christmas had/will have a lovely time with your family and friends!
So it's interesting to go through my facebook feed and see captions of photos from Brazil (also Argentina & Chile) saying that "Christmas 2014 was nice" and photos of my American friends saying that "Christmas is almost here." Clashing cultures, clashing worlds, I'll always inhabit both, always divided.
Our Christmas was pretty quiet (I'm writing another post about it in a few minutes, I hope) and low-key. We had a relatively good number of presents, considering that it was only the four of us I did nearly all of the shopping and K only bought three things for me at the last minute.
We spent the day getting ready to travel early tomorrow. Getting the house cleaned, taking the house key to the lady who will come get food for the cats, packing our bags and the presents to take to our friends and family there.
I cooked a simple meal of veggie stroganoff, rice, green beans and salad and we ate it around 7 pm after talking to some family members in Brazil.
Before opening presents we spent a LONG time taking photos to match those of ten years ago (really silly stuff documented in "worst photo" books and websites) and then we opened them and didn't have time to enjoy them because we needed to get ready to travel. :-(
BTW, starting in 2002 when Kelvin was a 9 month old we opened presents in the morning for several Christmases here with K's family (whenever it was at our house and at K2 & family), but in Brazil we always do it in the evening and we did that this year because of the trip.
I hope all my blog friends who celebrate Christmas had/will have a lovely time with your family and friends!
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
What's for dinner? Yummy naan pizza!
Tonight we had a relaxed and early dinner, the boys and I.
Naan pizza made with store bought naan bread:
With shredded mozzarella (from Costco), Italian Pomi pizza sauce mixed with minced onions with olive oil & salt (Adobo), topped by chopped Brazilian hearts of palm, artichoke hearts and pimento green olives. With a sprinkling of Brazilian dried oregano (the only one I use).
Heart of Palm from Brazil:
The baked pizza (baked on a pizza stone):
In the end, it's pretty rewarding to make some progress...
... on the translation project. I shouldn't be so upset about working and having (to) work. I should be thankful.
It's so hard to get started, however, with so many distractions, so many fun things to do at home. Sigh... And also because there are so many other important things to do. More sighing...
In any case, I was supposed to go to town to do some shopping for food for tomorrow and a few last minute things, but I'm working a bit and I'm surprised it's not that bad. ;-)
I still want to go to town, but maybe I should work a bit longer. I do have to bake some "naan bread pizzas" to my boys soon, I know they'll be hungry in no time!
It's so hard to get started, however, with so many distractions, so many fun things to do at home. Sigh... And also because there are so many other important things to do. More sighing...
In any case, I was supposed to go to town to do some shopping for food for tomorrow and a few last minute things, but I'm working a bit and I'm surprised it's not that bad. ;-)
I still want to go to town, but maybe I should work a bit longer. I do have to bake some "naan bread pizzas" to my boys soon, I know they'll be hungry in no time!
Monday, December 22, 2014
27
I don't know if I'll make it. Maybe I will...
but I need to write 27 more posts to achieve my goal of 214 posts in 2014.
Wish me luck!! (I mean, I'd love to do it, but I don't exactly have time!! ;-)
but I need to write 27 more posts to achieve my goal of 214 posts in 2014.
Wish me luck!! (I mean, I'd love to do it, but I don't exactly have time!! ;-)
Quick List of What I'd Rather Be Doing
(than working on this translation)
I would love to be...
... watching fun movies with my family or with my husband;
... playing games with K and the boys in the living room floor, next to the Christmas tree;
... reading the many good books I've bought in the past years and haven't had time to read;
... baking a cake or cookies (nah, we're not really the cookie baking kind!) or something yummy;
... backing up all the 2 years worth of photos that are hostage to iPhoto in my Macbook Pro (I really need to do that soon! For peace of mind!!)
... sitting in the living room listening to Christmas music and looking at our tree;
... shopping for a few more things (like a Christmas tablecloth for our table -- why don't I order it online? NAH, too late, probably more expensive than at Ross or TJMaxx)
... pretty much ANYTHING except for organizing the garage (hahahaha!) which is something that NEEDS to be done, but it's so cold in there! And I dread the idea of doing it... Sigh...
I would love to be...
... watching fun movies with my family or with my husband;
... playing games with K and the boys in the living room floor, next to the Christmas tree;
... reading the many good books I've bought in the past years and haven't had time to read;
... baking a cake or cookies (nah, we're not really the cookie baking kind!) or something yummy;
... backing up all the 2 years worth of photos that are hostage to iPhoto in my Macbook Pro (I really need to do that soon! For peace of mind!!)
... sitting in the living room listening to Christmas music and looking at our tree;
... shopping for a few more things (like a Christmas tablecloth for our table -- why don't I order it online? NAH, too late, probably more expensive than at Ross or TJMaxx)
... pretty much ANYTHING except for organizing the garage (hahahaha!) which is something that NEEDS to be done, but it's so cold in there! And I dread the idea of doing it... Sigh...
The Holiday/Vacation Spoiler or maybe Destroyer
Forgive me... sad rant ahead, feel free to skip entirely.
I hope to resume regularly scheduled programming shortly! If I can! :-(
Yesterday the boys and I woke up at 10 am (we'd arrived home at 1 am) and I milled around all day and didn't do much. Most certainly not the translation.
Today, I was a bit more productive, I put away all the clothes and stuff at the foot of my bed. Cleaned up some the old exams, papers and books in the office floor. Cleaned the dining room getting it ready for a crafts project that I did NOT start. Sigh...
And after tons of procrastination -- which included over an hour fiddling with the 'year in review' thingy on evil facebook (I ended up emailing myself a bunch of photos from both of my computers to make the thingy more inclusive of this year's best moments, since I do not post a lot on facebook, only during the world cup) -- I began working on the translation an hour ago.
And I resent this project/job/mercenary pursuit mightily. I basically hate it! And I know I won't be done for a couple more months, probably!
It is precisely what I knew it would be -- a holiday spoiler. A vacation killer.
BLAH. But we need the money. Desperately so (it's precisely what we owe in our credit card since we bought the car).
So I'll carry on. resentful and upset, but carry on I will. While my husband continues working on his infinite to do list:grant application review, meetings with collaborators, recommendation letters to countless students [only a few done], grade reviews and emailing students, trying to work on publishing (that will never end, sigh...), etc, etc.
And did I mention that we need to do tons of things around the house to have it in moderate shape for guests in January? Oh, and the guests come during the first week of work for us?
Sigh...
I hope the 5-6 days in Florida will be good to us. The only rest during the holidays. TOO BAD we need to drive 11-14 hours to enjoy them!
Sorry for the whiny post. Like I said, I will try to work so I can write more fun stuff later.
P.S. my husband was away all day on campus and I screamed at the boys all day long trying to get them off the computer or ipads to eat, to help me, to just not be there. And now they're going to play a board game or two. But I can't do that. Obviously.
I hope to resume regularly scheduled programming shortly! If I can! :-(
Yesterday the boys and I woke up at 10 am (we'd arrived home at 1 am) and I milled around all day and didn't do much. Most certainly not the translation.
Today, I was a bit more productive, I put away all the clothes and stuff at the foot of my bed. Cleaned up some the old exams, papers and books in the office floor. Cleaned the dining room getting it ready for a crafts project that I did NOT start. Sigh...
And after tons of procrastination -- which included over an hour fiddling with the 'year in review' thingy on evil facebook (I ended up emailing myself a bunch of photos from both of my computers to make the thingy more inclusive of this year's best moments, since I do not post a lot on facebook, only during the world cup) -- I began working on the translation an hour ago.
And I resent this project/job/mercenary pursuit mightily. I basically hate it! And I know I won't be done for a couple more months, probably!
It is precisely what I knew it would be -- a holiday spoiler. A vacation killer.
BLAH. But we need the money. Desperately so (it's precisely what we owe in our credit card since we bought the car).
So I'll carry on. resentful and upset, but carry on I will. While my husband continues working on his infinite to do list:
And did I mention that we need to do tons of things around the house to have it in moderate shape for guests in January? Oh, and the guests come during the first week of work for us?
Sigh...
I hope the 5-6 days in Florida will be good to us. The only rest during the holidays. TOO BAD we need to drive 11-14 hours to enjoy them!
Sorry for the whiny post. Like I said, I will try to work so I can write more fun stuff later.
P.S. my husband was away all day on campus and I screamed at the boys all day long trying to get them off the computer or ipads to eat, to help me, to just not be there. And now they're going to play a board game or two. But I can't do that. Obviously.
Friday, December 19, 2014
20th Anniversary Celebration - Post 2 (the return)
It was splendid! And I want to say more about it, so I'm continuing with the series of posts concept.
We got back to find a feverish son with a slightly upset stomach and another troublesome situation (now resolved) I'll share later, but we're on the road again to visit my aunt & uncle and we're almost there.
So this won't really be the post to tell you more about our outing just yet! ;-)
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
20th Anniversary Celebration Post 1
We wanted to have dropped the the boys off at school and then leave, but they had a dentist appointment scheduled six months ago that was too difficult to re-schedule. :-(
So I took them lunchbag school, took them to the dentist and back to school (they're staying at the house of the lady who does the after school care). Then we packed and are on our way now, way later than we wanted, but all is good. I'm thankful we're going to have these two nights away!
As my therapist said yesterday (and my younger son's teacher today), we've earned it! 20 years is no small feat! ;-) and I'm happy for that!
Interstellar -- pretty Interesting! :-)
(pun intended)
So we saw Interstellar yesterday in an IMAX theater (that's why we had to drive an hour there and back) because K really wanted to see it.
I had read nothing about it before going, so it was fascinating and at the same time utterly frustrating to go into a movie not having the least idea of what it is about -- except for the title and the name of some actors.
It's not at all my kind of movie, so I was underwhelmed at times (especially with the storytelling in the beginning), but the images of space are stunning! The sound in the theater felt way too loud a lot of the time, but the contrast between the loudness of the action and the silence of space is AMAZING.
The organ (and orchestral) music was masterfully done, I must say, and while the plot seems weak and full of holes in the beginning, later on it becomes complex and full of layers, so much so that we so many unanswered questions that we had to spend quite a bit of time online reading about the plot twists and possibilities. (I do think it was less complex than Inception, also by Christopher Nolan and which I totally loved).
I think it was worth seeing it in IMAX -- the first feature film I've seen in IMAX! I did see all of the original IMAX documentaries in the Air & Space Museum back in 1993 and then over the years (e.g. Everest, Louis & Clark) and this summer all of the IMAX features currently playing in the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Here is the first trailer:
And the third:
So we saw Interstellar yesterday in an IMAX theater (that's why we had to drive an hour there and back) because K really wanted to see it.
I had read nothing about it before going, so it was fascinating and at the same time utterly frustrating to go into a movie not having the least idea of what it is about -- except for the title and the name of some actors.
It's not at all my kind of movie, so I was underwhelmed at times (especially with the storytelling in the beginning), but the images of space are stunning! The sound in the theater felt way too loud a lot of the time, but the contrast between the loudness of the action and the silence of space is AMAZING.
The organ (and orchestral) music was masterfully done, I must say, and while the plot seems weak and full of holes in the beginning, later on it becomes complex and full of layers, so much so that we so many unanswered questions that we had to spend quite a bit of time online reading about the plot twists and possibilities. (I do think it was less complex than Inception, also by Christopher Nolan and which I totally loved).
I think it was worth seeing it in IMAX -- the first feature film I've seen in IMAX! I did see all of the original IMAX documentaries in the Air & Space Museum back in 1993 and then over the years (e.g. Everest, Louis & Clark) and this summer all of the IMAX features currently playing in the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Here is the first trailer:
And the third:
I am DONE!!
Done grading and submitting grades, what a great feeling!
Now I can properly enjoy our 20th anniversary celebration that also started today. More about that later!
And, interestingly enough, even before I was completely done, my therapist told me this afternoon that I looked the most relaxed he'd ever seen me since I started seeing him last June! I wasn't surprised, given how relaxing my day had been up to that point (I'd been driven by K for 2 hours to see a movie).
Of course, I still need to work on the translation (I think I haven't actually blogged about this much, have, I?), but I'm not stressed out about it in the least (which maybe I should be).
All right... now if only the lower right side of my back could stop hurting!! I hope it will soon.
Going to bed now!
Now I can properly enjoy our 20th anniversary celebration that also started today. More about that later!
And, interestingly enough, even before I was completely done, my therapist told me this afternoon that I looked the most relaxed he'd ever seen me since I started seeing him last June! I wasn't surprised, given how relaxing my day had been up to that point (I'd been driven by K for 2 hours to see a movie).
Of course, I still need to work on the translation (I think I haven't actually blogged about this much, have, I?), but I'm not stressed out about it in the least (which maybe I should be).
All right... now if only the lower right side of my back could stop hurting!! I hope it will soon.
Going to bed now!
Monday, December 15, 2014
All it took for Pinterest to begin bombarding my inbox with emails today was...
... a private message/pin sent by a friend, and a couple of things I pinned as a result.
And now there are several emails from them in my inbox. One of them actually about something I'm fascinated with: terrariums and air plants.
Sigh...
The internet is scary & crazy & fun all at the same time!
And the grading hasn't started yet. GRRRR... (I did cook dinner, so that's a good thing, my family is thankful).
And now there are several emails from them in my inbox. One of them actually about something I'm fascinated with: terrariums and air plants.
Sigh...
The internet is scary & crazy & fun all at the same time!
And the grading hasn't started yet. GRRRR... (I did cook dinner, so that's a good thing, my family is thankful).
Helping & Laughing or What we remember about our students
In the end, I helped him, since I was just sitting here, not doing much. Too bad that now he's done and I still have ALL my finals from U#2 to grade! :-(
Here is the pile of exams (there were two of those!) whose student names and grades I read to K so he would input the data into the computer:
In any case, it was hilarious! I'd read a name and he would say, "Oh, that guy isn't doing well" or "That student has really improved throughout the semester" or "S/he won't pass!" "S/he is a really good student!" "He's got great handwriting -- can you see how neat it is?"
In many cases it was an ethnic comment: "Oh, that's a Korean guy." "That's a Chinese-American girl, and that's not her actual name, it's ....". "This guy is African, can't remember the country" (he said that one twice).
Or comments about their major, sport or other association: "This one is from engineering" or "That's the chemistry girl" and "that guy is from chemistry too." "She's the dance major I told you about, I don't know if she will pass." "That's the guy who plays a sport [couldn't remember which one]." "S/he is from the armed services and was worried about her scholarship."
Or about their physical traits: "He's got very nice blue eyes." "She has red hair, and these big glasses.""He's a little clumsy."
The funniest were completely random and K couldn't help but laugh every time I read a name and he remembered the random facts: "That guy broke his foot." "That one hit a deer with his car and couldn't come to several classes" (and then I'd ask "Did he break his foot?" "No! That was the other one!" and we'd laugh and laugh). And "He would always joke in class! When Friday came he would celebrate 'It's the last day of the week, YAY!'" "He sat with the Chinese-American girl." "That was the guy who played trombone in class once." "Ah, that guy came to every single office hours in the new building and he enjoyed it!" "That was the guy who complained about the grading and made me change the parameters." And so on and so forth!
At the end K was laughing and saying "I've got something to say about every single one, right?" Except for one or two about which he said "He disappeared in the middle of the semester and came so few times to class that I can't even remember what he looks like/anything about him."
Yeah, it was fun! I will try to come back and blog about this one student of mine that blew my mind when he wrote a composition about his house. But that's for another time!
Teaching is fun sometimes!
Here is the pile of exams (there were two of those!) whose student names and grades I read to K so he would input the data into the computer:
In many cases it was an ethnic comment: "Oh, that's a Korean guy." "That's a Chinese-American girl, and that's not her actual name, it's ....". "This guy is African, can't remember the country" (he said that one twice).
Or comments about their major, sport or other association: "This one is from engineering" or "That's the chemistry girl" and "that guy is from chemistry too." "She's the dance major I told you about, I don't know if she will pass." "That's the guy who plays a sport [couldn't remember which one]." "S/he is from the armed services and was worried about her scholarship."
Or about their physical traits: "He's got very nice blue eyes." "She has red hair, and these big glasses.""He's a little clumsy."
The funniest were completely random and K couldn't help but laugh every time I read a name and he remembered the random facts: "That guy broke his foot." "That one hit a deer with his car and couldn't come to several classes" (and then I'd ask "Did he break his foot?" "No! That was the other one!" and we'd laugh and laugh). And "He would always joke in class! When Friday came he would celebrate 'It's the last day of the week, YAY!'" "He sat with the Chinese-American girl." "That was the guy who played trombone in class once." "Ah, that guy came to every single office hours in the new building and he enjoyed it!" "That was the guy who complained about the grading and made me change the parameters." And so on and so forth!
At the end K was laughing and saying "I've got something to say about every single one, right?" Except for one or two about which he said "He disappeared in the middle of the semester and came so few times to class that I can't even remember what he looks like/anything about him."
Yeah, it was fun! I will try to come back and blog about this one student of mine that blew my mind when he wrote a composition about his house. But that's for another time!
Teaching is fun sometimes!
One University Down, Another One to Go!
I have submitted the grades for U#1, on time this semester! Last semester I was so embarrassed to have to hand-deliver my grades to the registrar because I'd missed the deadlines, so this time I paid close attention to the deadline.
I don't know if my husband will make it on time, though! :-) He decided not to stay up very late last night and went to bed around midnight, so now he's still adding up his students' final exam grades and he still needs to put them online and calculate the final grade.
I can't really help him because I have my own pile of grading to tackle: all the final exam grading for U#2 which I obviously haven't started yet. Sigh...
All right, I shouldn't be blogging, I should just be grading! It's fun to take a break, though.
I don't know if my husband will make it on time, though! :-) He decided not to stay up very late last night and went to bed around midnight, so now he's still adding up his students' final exam grades and he still needs to put them online and calculate the final grade.
I can't really help him because I have my own pile of grading to tackle: all the final exam grading for U#2 which I obviously haven't started yet. Sigh...
All right, I shouldn't be blogging, I should just be grading! It's fun to take a break, though.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
All Over But the Grading!!!
Ah... The grading! :-(
My last exam was last night, from 7-10 pm :-( good thing I have a very dear friend who actually came with me so I didn't have to drive those 152 miles there and back by myself! Thank you so much, J!!
I shouldn't complain about the grading, but it is a bit annoying! Especially because of the timing. But I'll blog about that later. Now I should go grade! Or, maybe, cook lunch/dinner?
Thursday, December 11, 2014
The Tree!!
Well, I finally caught the decorating bug not too long after the bare tree went up & stayed bare for over 24h!
Here it is, last night:
And now with the super-fun topper I'd bought two years ago and completely forgotten about!
Tuesday, December 09, 2014
Trying to work on the translation! And mail Christmas cards...
MS Word keeps crashing and I keep losing 10 minutes of work here, 7 minutes there and it's extremely frustrating! I'm trying to save the document as often as I can, but sometimes it crashes before I've saved.
Sigh...
And then I had to take a few hours of break to finish addressing our Christmas cards' envelopes and Istill need to go just went to the post office to mail them.
Sigh...
I don't really like to go to the post office and mail things. That's the main reason why I can't/could never sell anything online -- having to mail a package would just kill me. I don't know why I hate it so much.
Every year I have been able to send a pile of Christmas cards to Brazil in person by my mother-in-law, but this year she didn't come for Thanksgiving (since K3 & family are not in the U.S. anymore, she always stayed at their house), so I couldn't do it. There are always extended family members going, but they live in the D.C. area and I neglected to mail all the cards to my husband's cousin in Michigan earlier (they're flying to Brazil on Thursday). So instead of uncertainly mailing them to Michigan express ($19), I spent 5 dollars more and mailed them directly to my mom in Brazil.
I kind of with I could afford to mail each Brazilian friends' card directly to them, but at U$1.50 a pop that would add up quickly. :-(
As I mailed all those cards all I could think was "I wish these cards could help 'save' the U.S. Postal Service!" I really do hope they can find a way to come back because I cherish getting mail and the work they do. Maybe if I sent more mail it would help them...
OK, I need go to back to the translation, with me luck!
Sigh...
And then I had to take a few hours of break to finish addressing our Christmas cards' envelopes and I
Sigh...
I don't really like to go to the post office and mail things. That's the main reason why I can't/could never sell anything online -- having to mail a package would just kill me. I don't know why I hate it so much.
Every year I have been able to send a pile of Christmas cards to Brazil in person by my mother-in-law, but this year she didn't come for Thanksgiving (since K3 & family are not in the U.S. anymore, she always stayed at their house), so I couldn't do it. There are always extended family members going, but they live in the D.C. area and I neglected to mail all the cards to my husband's cousin in Michigan earlier (they're flying to Brazil on Thursday). So instead of uncertainly mailing them to Michigan express ($19), I spent 5 dollars more and mailed them directly to my mom in Brazil.
I kind of with I could afford to mail each Brazilian friends' card directly to them, but at U$1.50 a pop that would add up quickly. :-(
As I mailed all those cards all I could think was "I wish these cards could help 'save' the U.S. Postal Service!" I really do hope they can find a way to come back because I cherish getting mail and the work they do. Maybe if I sent more mail it would help them...
OK, I need go to back to the translation, with me luck!
Monday, December 08, 2014
I don't feel like decorating at all! What's wrong with me?
This year, I don't feel like decorating for the holidays at all!
Problem is -- we got a humongous tree yesterday afternoon (more about it later, I hope, I need to leave soon), so now I have to. And I'm feeling a bit more motivated than I did when I started this post two days ago.
I've always loved putting up some Christmas decorations and a tree, so it felt kind of "wrong" not to want to do it. I guess it's just a result of being worried about too many other things!
I'll post photos of the tree, though, as I have in previous years. In fact, in previous years I TAKE photos intended for the blog and end up not posting it. So, if I find the time, you'll have a deluge of photos this December as I try to write up to my goal of 214 posts. ;-)
Problem is -- we got a humongous tree yesterday afternoon (more about it later, I hope, I need to leave soon), so now I have to. And I'm feeling a bit more motivated than I did when I started this post two days ago.
I've always loved putting up some Christmas decorations and a tree, so it felt kind of "wrong" not to want to do it. I guess it's just a result of being worried about too many other things!
I'll post photos of the tree, though, as I have in previous years. In fact, in previous years I TAKE photos intended for the blog and end up not posting it. So, if I find the time, you'll have a deluge of photos this December as I try to write up to my goal of 214 posts. ;-)
Sunday, December 07, 2014
The More the Merrier!! Family's Coming!
A much expected visit has already been scheduled for the second week/end of January since March, when "K2" -- my brother-in-law -- and his family moved to Egypt. You may recall that we lived only a couple of hours from them for ten years and got together frequently. My youngest son and their eldest are only 4 months apart, so our children were very close and enjoyed the relative proximity of the cousins. So we've been looking forward to that precious week in January for months now -- too bad it will coincide with the boys' second week back in school and our first week of work! It will be CRAZY!! :-(
The great news is that last night we found out that "K3" and his family will be able to visit in January as well! This morning he bought their tickets to coincide with K2's family's visit!! YAY!! K3 and his wife* were blessed with the only girl in the family,** in addition to an older son who shares my birthday and the last three letters of my name. ;-)
I can't wait for January and, most importantly, I really, really need to finish the translation so I can fully enjoy their visit. I feel much better about it after I worked on it some on Friday and realized that it won't be that hard! I also received encouraging emails from the technical writer of the company who hired me, so I think I can at least imagine (if not quite see) the light at the end of the tunnel!
OK, so I should stop blogging and get to work, right? And I'll do that after I hang some clothes to dry (in the cold, but sunny and windy day) and do another load of laundry!
* This is my adventurous SIL, who is incomparably more hard-core than me! ;-) [I wrote that because for whatever reason I thought she'd be in an adventurous trip with her friend and wouldn't join us].
** My in-laws have 4 sons, 7 grandsons & 1 grand-daughter!
** My in-laws have 4 sons, 7 grandsons & 1 grand-daughter!
Friday, December 05, 2014
ADHD: Medicate or Not Medicate?
What Now? Asked an excellent question in a comment to my previous post, it's worth copying here:
... The truth is that I don't really know the answer! :-(
I don't like to take medications in general to begin with. I was a very sick kid (with asthma, several bouts of pneumonia before I had my tonsils out at 4 years old), but my mom really tried hard to not only seek "regular" medical care for me (which she relentlessly did). but also to go the natural route.
I had a juice fast at 6.5 years old, followed by a 100% raw/ no grain diet for two weeks and that did WONDERS on my allergies. Unfortunately we didn't stick to a vegan diet (only ovo-lacto) after that, or I'd have been basically cured of asthma and allergies, but I went vegan when I was 18 and was very strict for about 10 years. I went back to eating dairy once in a while after I got pregnant and had the boys -- and I blame THAT for their asthma too. Good thing it's mild. Now we're vegan most of the time.
(I also had two unmedicated births and didn't even take painkillers afterwards. I don't like doctors, surgeries and the like and I'm delighted that I'm so healthy -- thankfully!)
So... I'm VERY big on natural treatment and prevention, BUT, I should say I'm not really taking any of the supplements recommended to people with ADHD (fish oil, Omega 3, 6, DHA, etc) and that I don't really believe the non-scientifically supported claim that going gluten-free helps ADHD. I'm also pretty scared of medication that would make me addicted, change me and the way I am/react, etc. I feel that I don't know if I can really trust this medication, its side effects. etc.
Another problem is that diagnosis of ADHD was pretty rough (uncertain because my perception that I have it is 100% clear, but other people's responses to the questionnaires not so much), so I'm still dealing with that, and trying to convince myself and my husband that it's a real condition, that maybe I could/should seek medication.
So, yeah, it's super hard and I don't exactly know what to do!
Thank you so much for the comment/question, What Now? It heartens me to know that there are some friends out there still reading. I know Spanish Prof takes medication once in a while, I should talk to her more...
This is a comment/question coming entirely from ignorance: Do you not want to take ADHD medication because it has side effects you don't want? Would there be benefits of such medication for your life in general? It sounds like you'd consider medication for a "real job" but not for your current work, but it also sounds like your current work is making you pretty miserable because of the ADHD. I'm not pushing medication, just wondering!and...
... The truth is that I don't really know the answer! :-(
I don't like to take medications in general to begin with. I was a very sick kid (with asthma, several bouts of pneumonia before I had my tonsils out at 4 years old), but my mom really tried hard to not only seek "regular" medical care for me (which she relentlessly did). but also to go the natural route.
I had a juice fast at 6.5 years old, followed by a 100% raw/ no grain diet for two weeks and that did WONDERS on my allergies. Unfortunately we didn't stick to a vegan diet (only ovo-lacto) after that, or I'd have been basically cured of asthma and allergies, but I went vegan when I was 18 and was very strict for about 10 years. I went back to eating dairy once in a while after I got pregnant and had the boys -- and I blame THAT for their asthma too. Good thing it's mild. Now we're vegan most of the time.
(I also had two unmedicated births and didn't even take painkillers afterwards. I don't like doctors, surgeries and the like and I'm delighted that I'm so healthy -- thankfully!)
So... I'm VERY big on natural treatment and prevention, BUT, I should say I'm not really taking any of the supplements recommended to people with ADHD (fish oil, Omega 3, 6, DHA, etc) and that I don't really believe the non-scientifically supported claim that going gluten-free helps ADHD. I'm also pretty scared of medication that would make me addicted, change me and the way I am/react, etc. I feel that I don't know if I can really trust this medication, its side effects. etc.
Another problem is that diagnosis of ADHD was pretty rough (uncertain because my perception that I have it is 100% clear, but other people's responses to the questionnaires not so much), so I'm still dealing with that, and trying to convince myself and my husband that it's a real condition, that maybe I could/should seek medication.
So, yeah, it's super hard and I don't exactly know what to do!
Thank you so much for the comment/question, What Now? It heartens me to know that there are some friends out there still reading. I know Spanish Prof takes medication once in a while, I should talk to her more...
Working Through the Holidays
You know... I'm not sure I can write 44 posts in the coming days because I desperately need to work like crazy all through the holidays. I still don't know HOW -- because there are finals and grading and our children's Christmas program and our 20th wedding anniversary (we want to go to a beautiful hotel for a couple of days) and, of course Christmas and family to go visit in Florida.
HOWEVER, I need to translate hundreds of pages of a super highly technical manual. Because I need the thousands of dollars they will pay me after I'm done. :-(
Mercenary freelance work like this is hard and nearly impossible for ADHD me. :-( Seriously. I needed medication to be able to do this, but I don't think I'll go that route just yet (only for a "real" job which I won't ever have, most probably).
Anyway. Please wish me luck, please urge me on to go and work. "Think about the money!!!" you should be screaming at me -- please do!
Because I just can't get motivated, even with the money. I'm just a lazy creature, it seems. I know I should blame it on the ADD, but sometimes I can't. It's easier to think that I'm just a bad person. And my poor son feels the same way -- I don't know how to help him and how to help myself (sadly, therapy isn't helping me at all. I'm not very good at following suggestions, or even "orders" from anyone).
What a horribly written post, but I'll put it out there anyway. I'm sure that's part of the reason why nobody reads this old blog anyway -- horrible writing, too much talking from an annoying ADHD brain. Sigh... I know those who are still around don't feel that way, but it's hard not to think like that.
OK, I'm just trying to get myself motivated to work. I will come back later and let you know how it went. Maybe it will help. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayer. You don't know how hard it is for me to try to work on something that is so boring and tiresome. :-(
P.S. And the worst thought is that I'm so tired, I work so hard, I deserve to have a break and to have holidays, but I just CANNOT because I was hired to this job, I'm many months behind schedule (for many reasons, the main one being my incapacity of just getting down to working on this) and I need to do it to help my family financially. Thankfully my husband says he will help -- but he is also busy and should be writing academic papers, not doing this. Sigh...
BTW. the last day of teaching was yesterday, but I can't even sleep in, I need to work.
HOWEVER, I need to translate hundreds of pages of a super highly technical manual. Because I need the thousands of dollars they will pay me after I'm done. :-(
Mercenary freelance work like this is hard and nearly impossible for ADHD me. :-( Seriously. I needed medication to be able to do this, but I don't think I'll go that route just yet (only for a "real" job which I won't ever have, most probably).
Anyway. Please wish me luck, please urge me on to go and work. "Think about the money!!!" you should be screaming at me -- please do!
Because I just can't get motivated, even with the money. I'm just a lazy creature, it seems. I know I should blame it on the ADD, but sometimes I can't. It's easier to think that I'm just a bad person. And my poor son feels the same way -- I don't know how to help him and how to help myself (sadly, therapy isn't helping me at all. I'm not very good at following suggestions, or even "orders" from anyone).
What a horribly written post, but I'll put it out there anyway. I'm sure that's part of the reason why nobody reads this old blog anyway -- horrible writing, too much talking from an annoying ADHD brain. Sigh... I know those who are still around don't feel that way, but it's hard not to think like that.
OK, I'm just trying to get myself motivated to work. I will come back later and let you know how it went. Maybe it will help. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayer. You don't know how hard it is for me to try to work on something that is so boring and tiresome. :-(
P.S. And the worst thought is that I'm so tired, I work so hard, I deserve to have a break and to have holidays, but I just CANNOT because I was hired to this job, I'm many months behind schedule (for many reasons, the main one being my incapacity of just getting down to working on this) and I need to do it to help my family financially. Thankfully my husband says he will help -- but he is also busy and should be writing academic papers, not doing this. Sigh...
BTW. the last day of teaching was yesterday, but I can't even sleep in, I need to work.
Wednesday, December 03, 2014
Last Days!
I can't believe we're at the last days of classes! And if by any chance next semester I'm no longer teaching at university number one, today would be my very last day of teaching in two schools!! That would be so awesome!
To be able to teach only at one University!
We'll see!
So tomorrow will be my last day at University #2. Ok, so let me start what could potentially be my last drive of teaching in two (technically 3!) universities on the same day!
Monday, December 01, 2014
46 Posts in December
I really want to reach my goal of 214 posts in 2014, so there are 46 posts to do. If you thought it might have been a lot to write 30 posts in November, what do you think about that?
The bad or maybe the good thing is that I'm pretty sure I will have no shortage of things to say, even if it's mostly "me talking to myself!" ;-)
Sigh...
Having too many things to say at all times is a heavy burden, let me tell you! That's why blogging is so therapeutic for me.
OK, gotta go finish cooking now. We always have a very late "European" dinner-time these days (around 8 pm).
The bad or maybe the good thing is that I'm pretty sure I will have no shortage of things to say, even if it's mostly "me talking to myself!" ;-)
Sigh...
Having too many things to say at all times is a heavy burden, let me tell you! That's why blogging is so therapeutic for me.
OK, gotta go finish cooking now. We always have a very late "European" dinner-time these days (around 8 pm).
Sunday, November 30, 2014
An Accidental Discovery
I had been keeping a secret from my sons for all these years! Once in a long while, after they'd gone to bed, I'd make myself some instant "ramen-style" noodles (we call them "Miojo" in Brazil). This was one of my few guilty pleasures, since I am aware that these noodles are very bad for one's health and can be considered a "junk food" because they are deep-fried and the seasoning packet has lots of MSG in addition to too much sodium. I ate it very sparingly and I knew I would not want to feed that to my boys!
I did it on the sly because I knew that once my sons tried it, they would absolutely LOVE it and I was 100% right! Last Friday we met some Korean friends at the ski station and because they had to leave early, I told them that their son (my son Kelvin's good friend) could stay and that we'd drive him home later. At around 1 pm I stopped and texted Kelvin to say that we should have a snack and he informed me that he was already eating inside with his friend. When I got there, he was finishing off this bowl:
and of course he absolutely loved it (even because he really really likes spicy foods). My youngest got to try a bite and he liked it, in spite of the fact that he thought it was a bit too spicy.
My husband gets mad at me for these things, but I immediately confessed to the boys that I loved instant noodles too, but that I thought they weren't very healthy so that's why I had never served it to them and that was that.
Today during dinner Kelvin turned to me and said: "Mom, could you please allow us to have those noodles once every two months or something?" (thankfully my boys are pretty health-conscious! ;-) and of course I had to say yes. Apparently they sell those noodles at Costco, so I guess I'll buy a package and let them eat it sparingly.
In fact, after he asked me that, I reached into the pantry, dug around so I could find and show them this:
which is the noodle I ate every couple of months. We had just finished eating a pretty liquid kale soup and coincidentally, my husband had just asked why there wasn't any pasta in it. Since the boys are going to have that soup for lunch tomorrow I decided to add the noodles to the leftover soup for them to try it. At least it will be mixed with healthy potatoes and kale! ;-)
Yeah, so the secret is out and now I won't be able to indulge in my "guilty pleasure" without sharing it with the boys. Oh well... On the other hand, now we have one more very easy food to eat during trips.
P.S. the boys have eaten instant noodles before, but they were healthier versions such as this rice noodles one from Trader Joe's (or the miso one):
NOTE: I hope it's not a problem to use images of these products taken from the internet. I think that products are like "book covers" which can be legitimately reproduced for reviews or commentary without any copy-right violations. Am I wrong? Worst case scenario, I'll photograph the items myself later and replace the photos!
I did it on the sly because I knew that once my sons tried it, they would absolutely LOVE it and I was 100% right! Last Friday we met some Korean friends at the ski station and because they had to leave early, I told them that their son (my son Kelvin's good friend) could stay and that we'd drive him home later. At around 1 pm I stopped and texted Kelvin to say that we should have a snack and he informed me that he was already eating inside with his friend. When I got there, he was finishing off this bowl:
My husband gets mad at me for these things, but I immediately confessed to the boys that I loved instant noodles too, but that I thought they weren't very healthy so that's why I had never served it to them and that was that.
Today during dinner Kelvin turned to me and said: "Mom, could you please allow us to have those noodles once every two months or something?" (thankfully my boys are pretty health-conscious! ;-) and of course I had to say yes. Apparently they sell those noodles at Costco, so I guess I'll buy a package and let them eat it sparingly.
In fact, after he asked me that, I reached into the pantry, dug around so I could find and show them this:
Yeah, so the secret is out and now I won't be able to indulge in my "guilty pleasure" without sharing it with the boys. Oh well... On the other hand, now we have one more very easy food to eat during trips.
P.S. the boys have eaten instant noodles before, but they were healthier versions such as this rice noodles one from Trader Joe's (or the miso one):
Saturday, November 29, 2014
the double parties quick post
OK, I want to legitimately post before midnight today, so this will have to be a few sentences long at the most!
Tonight we hit two birthday parties simultaneously -- the boys went to their friend's and we went to another's. Then I picked them up and we all stayed at the second party until past 11 pm because they were learning to play Settlers of Catan from my hubby and son.
Let me publish before midnight!
Tonight we hit two birthday parties simultaneously -- the boys went to their friend's and we went to another's. Then I picked them up and we all stayed at the second party until past 11 pm because they were learning to play Settlers of Catan from my hubby and son.
Let me publish before midnight!
Friday, November 28, 2014
Opening Day Skiing (me)/ Snowboarding (them)
This year we bought a 7-time ski pass through the elementary school and the boys insisted we use it on the very first day! It was fun, I must say! I hate falling & make sure I never fall (which makes for very tense skiing), but I fell twice and was perfectly ok with it -- big "victory" for me!
Oh. And I went on half of a Blue slope for the very first time ever! (and I did NOT fall!) I went only once because the adrenaline surge was a bit too much. ;-) here are the boys snowboarding:
P.S. My husband snowboarded too, but he didn't dare going on the blue. My 10 year old went multiple times (alone), but he had some big falls. Brave kid!
Thursday, November 27, 2014
I couldn't resist! (& Thanksgiving leftovers are the best!)
Old habits die hard… I couldn't resist, and I went to the stores... (Sigh...) I only left my house at 8 PM, so I avoided the worst crowds, but parking was still pretty bad! And I mostly shopped for things I knew I needed or a few fun Christmas presents.
I hope you had a wonderful celebration with family and friends!
I know I shouldn't be eating at midnight, but Thanksgiving leftovers are the best! Take a look!
P.S. This was our very first Thanksgiving in 14 years with traditional Thanksgiving foods only! I like that! More about it later!
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Snow Day!/ Cooking for Thanksgiving
We had a pretty productive snow day. I mean, my husband especially, but all of us too. K gave us all to-do lists while he worked with different things: he cleaned his bedside table, emptied his closet completely and then organized everything when putting it back, and he cleaned our bathroom.
The boys did various chores such as cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, cleaning their room and then they all went outside to go sledding in the back of the house. Of course K also cleaned the driveway.
I cleaned my bedside table too and organized my old journals and books in the bedroom shelf. I also took many photos of the snow (and posted some to facebook!) and of my journals -- so I can share them here! ;-)
I did read and answer emails and I cooked spaghetti for our late lunch, but most importantly, I worked some on the translation I need to do. I don't think I've mentioned it here before, but this freelance job is the bane of my existence right now! ;-(
This evening, after the boys went to bed, K & I headed to the kitchen where we got started with several dishes for tomorrow, particularly the pumpkin and squash pies that needed quite a lot of peeling and chopping veggies.
We'll have a small Thanksgiving with only two friends and their kids and another friend coming, but I hope it will be great!
Happy Thanksgiving!
The boys did various chores such as cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, cleaning their room and then they all went outside to go sledding in the back of the house. Of course K also cleaned the driveway.
I cleaned my bedside table too and organized my old journals and books in the bedroom shelf. I also took many photos of the snow (and posted some to facebook!) and of my journals -- so I can share them here! ;-)
I did read and answer emails and I cooked spaghetti for our late lunch, but most importantly, I worked some on the translation I need to do. I don't think I've mentioned it here before, but this freelance job is the bane of my existence right now! ;-(
This evening, after the boys went to bed, K & I headed to the kitchen where we got started with several dishes for tomorrow, particularly the pumpkin and squash pies that needed quite a lot of peeling and chopping veggies.
We'll have a small Thanksgiving with only two friends and their kids and another friend coming, but I hope it will be great!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Monday, November 24, 2014
Ferguson, White Privilege & My Sons
(from original post) I was going to title this post "White Privilege" but I thought it might be too aggressive... (I don't know exactly why, but I'll go with my gut feeling for now). I decided to add it to the title and also to provide a link to this MUST READ summary essay from 1990: "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" by Peggy McIntosh. I knew of this article from Dawn, who linked to it a long time ago, but I had half-forgotten about it.
What can I say regarding the fact that the Grand Jury in Ferguson, MO decided not to indict the policeman who killed Michael Brown, except to lament that racial inequalities and injustices in this country are too blatant and overwhelming to be ignored? I was very upset with the acquittal of the murderer of Trayvon Martin as well.
What can I say but to acknowledge my white privilege?
I am very thankful that my experiences as an immigrant, an outsider, a foreigner have meant so much to my African-American friends over the years (particularly my friend Sharron in Massachusetts) that they confided in me and felt that I understood them because I knew the feeling of "otherness" first hand. But still, I have an undeniable privilege because of the lighter color of my skin.
This shouldn't be the case, but it is. This is the country and the world we live in and I feel outraged by it. And saddened and sorry. I'm trying my best to instill a passion against these injustices in my sons who are "the cream of the crop" in terms of privilege -- white boys, someday white men, American born.
First, I strive to have them identify themselves as wholly Brazilian (in spite of their birthplace) and therefore different. I know that however little, a sense of displacement and otherness will be extremely beneficial to them. I tell them they're Brazilian, I speak Portuguese with them loudly in public and at their school (and yes, I have had annoying older people around complain under their breath and say something to the effect that "this is America"), I wish I could take them to Brazil every year, but that's not possible.
Second, I tell them the stories of Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin in a simple, non-sensational language (since they don't watch or read the news) and their indignation and outrage ("Why mom? Why were they killed?") is part of their learning experience. And I talk to them about their African-American, Hispanic and darker-skinned classmates and explain that unfortunately people probably won't treat them the same as they grow up.
I am immensely thankful that in the four years we've lived here our church and our school have experienced an incredible "diversifying" wave, because my first thought when entering the church back in June 2010 was "this place is so overwhelmingly white!" :-( Now each of my sons has several African-American classmates when originally they had one (in K's case) and none (in L's case) back in 2010 in addition to several Hispanic and some Asian (Korean).
I'm sure that what I'm doing is far from what could be done (like most things in parenting!), but I hope I'm planting "seeds" in my boys' hearts so they can grow up to actively fight against racial inequalities while recognizing their immense white privilege. I can only hope I'm moving in the right direction.
What can I say regarding the fact that the Grand Jury in Ferguson, MO decided not to indict the policeman who killed Michael Brown, except to lament that racial inequalities and injustices in this country are too blatant and overwhelming to be ignored? I was very upset with the acquittal of the murderer of Trayvon Martin as well.
What can I say but to acknowledge my white privilege?
I am very thankful that my experiences as an immigrant, an outsider, a foreigner have meant so much to my African-American friends over the years (particularly my friend Sharron in Massachusetts) that they confided in me and felt that I understood them because I knew the feeling of "otherness" first hand. But still, I have an undeniable privilege because of the lighter color of my skin.
This shouldn't be the case, but it is. This is the country and the world we live in and I feel outraged by it. And saddened and sorry. I'm trying my best to instill a passion against these injustices in my sons who are "the cream of the crop" in terms of privilege -- white boys, someday white men, American born.
First, I strive to have them identify themselves as wholly Brazilian (in spite of their birthplace) and therefore different. I know that however little, a sense of displacement and otherness will be extremely beneficial to them. I tell them they're Brazilian, I speak Portuguese with them loudly in public and at their school (and yes, I have had annoying older people around complain under their breath and say something to the effect that "this is America"), I wish I could take them to Brazil every year, but that's not possible.
Second, I tell them the stories of Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin in a simple, non-sensational language (since they don't watch or read the news) and their indignation and outrage ("Why mom? Why were they killed?") is part of their learning experience. And I talk to them about their African-American, Hispanic and darker-skinned classmates and explain that unfortunately people probably won't treat them the same as they grow up.
I am immensely thankful that in the four years we've lived here our church and our school have experienced an incredible "diversifying" wave, because my first thought when entering the church back in June 2010 was "this place is so overwhelmingly white!" :-( Now each of my sons has several African-American classmates when originally they had one (in K's case) and none (in L's case) back in 2010 in addition to several Hispanic and some Asian (Korean).
I'm sure that what I'm doing is far from what could be done (like most things in parenting!), but I hope I'm planting "seeds" in my boys' hearts so they can grow up to actively fight against racial inequalities while recognizing their immense white privilege. I can only hope I'm moving in the right direction.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Ten Years of Blogging -- and I forgot to post on my Blog Anniversary! :-(
I wrote my first blog post here 10 years and 9 days ago and I can hardly believe that all this time has passed!
I had a baby back then and a toddler and now they are 10 and 12 (nearly 13). I hadn't finished my PhD yet and we had just moved from MA to PA and into our second house. I didn't know that we would have a third house (and much heartbreak with it) and now a fourth house in yet another state.
2007-2010 were tough years, it's a relief that things got better since then. I still wonder what else life has in stores for the next few years. One thing is certain: I will still be here to share my life with whoever still wants to be around and read my words! I should post a pretty photo, but I'll do that later.
Blogging is still pretty important in my life and I hope it will continue to be for a long time.
I had a baby back then and a toddler and now they are 10 and 12 (nearly 13). I hadn't finished my PhD yet and we had just moved from MA to PA and into our second house. I didn't know that we would have a third house (and much heartbreak with it) and now a fourth house in yet another state.
2007-2010 were tough years, it's a relief that things got better since then. I still wonder what else life has in stores for the next few years. One thing is certain: I will still be here to share my life with whoever still wants to be around and read my words! I should post a pretty photo, but I'll do that later.
Blogging is still pretty important in my life and I hope it will continue to be for a long time.
A Bunch of Links...
... most are a few weeks or over a month old, but I've had these tabs open in my browser for that long, so I want to save them somewhere.
"Rehearsing for Death" -- A moving reflection of a teacher in TWP about having to practice lockdowns and death scenarios with her students. A sad, but real consequence of the Sandy Hook shooting.
"The Case of the Vanishing Woman," an interview with Ayelet Waldman (at cafe.com). I didn't really know it, but I'm sure it's true, the invisibility is starting for me too at 40, and by 50, I'll be fully invisible. :-(
"The $9 Billion Witness." A RS article about Alayne Fleishmann, "JPMorgan's Worst Nightmare." I was struck by the people in the the comment section who were defending JP Morgan's reputation as a company. Sigh...
Wondering if I'm a Highly Sensitive Person (HufPo, I don't like them very much, but the article struck a cord). I scored 16 in this test (good semi-academic site) and above 14 you're considered highly sensitive, so maybe I am.
My pre-teens already have some acne. I am wondering what to do and whether it's too early to use acne products such as "Proactiv." In an internet board a parent said the Proactive doesn't really work and that the prescription "Epiduo" was better. I don't know if it is or whether their pediatrician would prescribe such a thing. I'm almost ordering the first one to see if it helps prevent the small outbreaks they're having.
After we watched The Great Gatsby last week my husband remarked that it was just like Citizen Kane and I thought that was a great comparison! A blogger wrote an interesting post about Gatsby and Kane and their lack of love & emptiness here.
Well, that's it for now! I wish I'd written that yesterday, but it didn't work out! ;-)
"Rehearsing for Death" -- A moving reflection of a teacher in TWP about having to practice lockdowns and death scenarios with her students. A sad, but real consequence of the Sandy Hook shooting.
"The Case of the Vanishing Woman," an interview with Ayelet Waldman (at cafe.com). I didn't really know it, but I'm sure it's true, the invisibility is starting for me too at 40, and by 50, I'll be fully invisible. :-(
"The $9 Billion Witness." A RS article about Alayne Fleishmann, "JPMorgan's Worst Nightmare." I was struck by the people in the the comment section who were defending JP Morgan's reputation as a company. Sigh...
Wondering if I'm a Highly Sensitive Person (HufPo, I don't like them very much, but the article struck a cord). I scored 16 in this test (good semi-academic site) and above 14 you're considered highly sensitive, so maybe I am.
My pre-teens already have some acne. I am wondering what to do and whether it's too early to use acne products such as "Proactiv." In an internet board a parent said the Proactive doesn't really work and that the prescription "Epiduo" was better. I don't know if it is or whether their pediatrician would prescribe such a thing. I'm almost ordering the first one to see if it helps prevent the small outbreaks they're having.
After we watched The Great Gatsby last week my husband remarked that it was just like Citizen Kane and I thought that was a great comparison! A blogger wrote an interesting post about Gatsby and Kane and their lack of love & emptiness here.
Well, that's it for now! I wish I'd written that yesterday, but it didn't work out! ;-)
Missed Day
It was bound to happen, I didn't post yesterday...
I was busy last night. First, cooking cranberry sauce from scratch for 200-300 people (the kids' school has a senior citizen Thanksgiving Banquet tomorrow), then watching a movie with my husband (Lincoln).
So, yeah, sorry for missing a day! I'll blog more later.
I was busy last night. First, cooking cranberry sauce from scratch for 200-300 people (the kids' school has a senior citizen Thanksgiving Banquet tomorrow), then watching a movie with my husband (Lincoln).
So, yeah, sorry for missing a day! I'll blog more later.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Can't...
...fail NaBloPoMo, so here's a quick post to say I'm tired, and freezing, and going to bed, and that it was a beautiful day to go do community service & help clean this church lady's leaves from her yard with the 7th & 8th graders!
Here's a photo (not my son, BTW! ;-):
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
