Monday, February 18, 2008

Some things I've learned

Well...Over the years, In spite of the fact that I try really hard to be smart on my own, there are some things I've learned, in spite of myself:
1. Children will learn from what you do, not what you say.If you go to church, they'll think that's the thing to do.
2. Babies will get sick when you least have the time, or the money to go the doctor.
3. Dogs will eat anything.ANYTHING!
4. Emergencies will expand to fit your emergency savings.
5. Your friends and family will be just enough to help you through the rough times. But most friends suck. Stick with God. He's cool, and He's there ALL the time.
6. All those hymns you learned in sunday school will be just what you need to help you up on days you couldn't get up otherwise.
7. God is GREAT!
8. I'd rather have Jesus, than anything... (that's a hymn...)
9. A husband is a gift from God.
10. So are children, and friends...

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Winter Marches On

Up here, in the land of the 8 to 10 inch snowfall on a really depressingly regular basis, we are plodding along through winter, as best we can. The new puppy has taught us that black labs don't like snow, and will pee on the porch in an attempt to avoid the deep drifts in the back yard. Our Malamute has taught us that old dogs dislike new puppies but love deep snowdrifts, and will bury themselves in them, given the chance. The current baby I sit for has taught us that Influenza type A this year, is very contagious, and comes on fast. (So far we've avoided it in our family! ) Owning a house has taught us that old pipes break on regular basis, leading to savings account deprevation.
On the other hand, we thank God for the cash available to fix those leaky faucets, for cute if hyperactive little puppies, for old furry huuuge dogs, and for the opportunity to hold those sick babies and offer them comfort.
Now that we've been back from our Washington trip for awhile, and have had the chance to make up for missing our dd's 13th birthday by being snowed into DC (our airport at home was closed because of the snow in Chicago;DC was a beautiful balmy 65 to 70 degrees while we were there), we've had the chance to settle back into our routines a bit more, but like every other day, unexpected things will happen.
I've been obsessively blog-hopping lately, a wonderful sort of treasure hunt that started with a search for a new apron pattern, and lead to the discovery that there are whole bunches of women with small children out there, who sew their own clothes and dress their children in what I can only assume is some sort of hippie-retro-live off the land-cool style, and who make their living by sewing little stuffed doll creatures on Ebay.
I started looking for the apron pattern because our new puppy ate my vintage cotton apron that I bought at the flea market last year. That's right, he ate it. Fortunately, it was a thin cotton, worn thinner by years of wear. So on that note, I'd like to offer this partial list of things the new puppy has eaten since we brought him home:
1. DS's headphone/mic combo for his xbox.
2. An entire 2 lb. tub of butter. (Resulting in an every-2-minutes trip outdoors for something like 4 hours that evening. )
3. An entire 5 lb. box of clementines
4. the apron
5. DD's barbie's shoes. Several of them. No barbie feet were harmed, however.
6. Many, many socks
7. Several pepsi bottle caps, plus the rings
8. The antique baseboards in the upstairs hallway-approximately a 4 inch square
9. A corner of the linoleum square in the downstairs bath.
10. part of the downstairs bathroom door.
11. small clothes that were glued to the "laundry room" sign on the laundry room door.
I'm sure that he's eaten more than these few things, but the point is, what in the world are puppy stomachs lined with?
Anyway, happy rest of winter!

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Back From Washington

We went to Washington, D.C. last week, my dh and I, with his union, to lobby members of congress for help for a little more attention to the plight of the middle class.
We had fun, and I learned alot. Like, how well-spoken my dh can be when he's passionate about something. And how the other members of his union care about what happens to you. But mostly, I learned that certain political parties, who shall remain nameless here, just don't really give a crap about the middle class. And some from the other party do care.
But aside from that, we really did have fun. We went to the National Archives, and got to see the Declaration of Independance and the Bill of Rights. The Constitution was behind a large screen while it's case was being repaired. My dh asked the guard if the prez was back there erasing the parts he didn't like, but the guard only laughed in response, so we still don't know. I was a little sad to see how much the Declaration and Bill of Rights have faded since I last saw them, in the eighth grade. They can hardly be seen now, just a few words are still visible. Fortunately, with a nod to Ben Franklin, the truths set down in writing there are "written upon every man's heart". If you have a heart, of course.
Democracy , even a limping old decrepit democracy in need of a triple-shot of double-caffeine espresso, is a wonderful thing. We listened to Congressmen speak, visited with their aides, saw the great documents of our nation, and just generally got to participate in the running of said Democracy. Of course, everyone can do this. Vote, call or email your reps in congress, run for local office-just do something to make your voice heard.
And on a side note, bring walking shoes. And bandages. Or lots of cab fare. But if you opt for cab fare, don't go during a cab strike.