Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Reimagining the bedroom
Jared saw a cartoon recently where a couple was "reimagining" their bathroom. The shower ended up on the ceiling. The toilet was on the wall. The sink was upside down.... Well, I am in the midst of reimagining the bedroom. For real. This is because Anne sleeps in our bed right now. And she is also a very good crawler. And she can crawl over the barriers we have set up around her during nap time. So to keep her from killing herself, we took the bed frame and the box spring out from under the mattress. The mattress is now directly on the floor, which means that she only has six inches to fall if she is so inclined. The bed frame folds up, and I'm going to stow it in a closet or under the couch or something. There were two storage bins under the bed, and I think I'll stack them under the laundry basket, because you know, blue plastic is a nice touch in any bedroom decor. And then there's what to do with the box spring. I unhung the pineapple drawing from over the head of the bed and unmounted our two shadow boxes which were serving as nightstands. And in their place is the box spring, standing on end, acting as a headboard. The side the cats ripped open is to the wall, so they can't climb around inside it. The other side is facing the room. That's right. Seven feet of off-white taking up precious wall space. So I had this brilliant idea to use it as a felt board. But then I discovered felt won't stick to it. I may get a piece of cloth or a large piece of felt to create a picture background, and then we can felt board on the front. Changeable art! The other fun thing about this is that Feathers is a climber. Around 8 am yesterday morning, she walked straight up the front of the box spring and lounged around on the top end for quite some time. Anne woke up and giggled at the kitty looking down from ceiling level. So there's the whole jungle gym aspect. Misplaced pineapples and nightstand shadowboxes are looking for a new home in the bedroom as well. Having fun!
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Friendship.
Certain members of the family are napping right now, and Feathers and I are sharing a walnut snack...
It has been a bonanza week for this individual who has mostly long-distance friendships. I got a call from a friend in Alabama. I got a call from a friend in D.C. I got an email from a friend in Germany. I got a call from a friend in Minnesota. I got a call from a friend in Ohio. I chatted online a bit with a friend from New Jersey. And I got a call from a friend in Kentucky. Incidentally, every one of these ladies I mentioned I met while we were living in Cleveland.
And I got a call from my brother and sister-in-law this afternoon, and we're going to have dinner together tonight! A little local relational action. :-)
Also this week, Anne got a box of little shoes from a woman at our Huntsville church whose daughter had outgrown them. Cute stuff!
On a completely different note, I've found that people who have tattoos enjoy talking about them. They put a lot of thought into them, and when and why they chose them are important parts of who they are. Next time you're looking to start a conversation with a stranger and notice a tattoo, ask to hear the story. Chances are good your new friend would love to tell you about their tattoo and will throw in some of their life story, too. I sat with a lady at church today who has nineteen tattoos, and I enjoyed hearing her stories about them after the service.
It has been a bonanza week for this individual who has mostly long-distance friendships. I got a call from a friend in Alabama. I got a call from a friend in D.C. I got an email from a friend in Germany. I got a call from a friend in Minnesota. I got a call from a friend in Ohio. I chatted online a bit with a friend from New Jersey. And I got a call from a friend in Kentucky. Incidentally, every one of these ladies I mentioned I met while we were living in Cleveland.
And I got a call from my brother and sister-in-law this afternoon, and we're going to have dinner together tonight! A little local relational action. :-)
Also this week, Anne got a box of little shoes from a woman at our Huntsville church whose daughter had outgrown them. Cute stuff!
On a completely different note, I've found that people who have tattoos enjoy talking about them. They put a lot of thought into them, and when and why they chose them are important parts of who they are. Next time you're looking to start a conversation with a stranger and notice a tattoo, ask to hear the story. Chances are good your new friend would love to tell you about their tattoo and will throw in some of their life story, too. I sat with a lady at church today who has nineteen tattoos, and I enjoyed hearing her stories about them after the service.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Friday ramblings
Baby was back to sleeping five-plus hours stretches last night, so I was up and cheerful earlier than usual this morning. She's still asleep. Cutting her four top teeth this week made her a bit cranky for a while.
Back to my knitting hobby after a year's hiatus. After my fourth attempt and the use of youtube tutorials, I made Anne a pair of thumbless mittens in a toddler size so she can still wear them next winter. I'm about to start on a new metronome case for Jared. Also, if I get super ambitious, I might knit Anne a Christmas dress. I found a free pattern for a really cute one... I'm pretty sure I'll need a lot of youtube tutorials to figure it out.
My latest and greatest musical plan is to take some Suzuki piano training. It won't be hard to make the audition video since I've played the required music before. Will be harder to find a book 1 class which is remotely convenient to take.... That might not happen this coming summer.
November 17th we (Jared and our co-teacher and I) are having two joint studio recitals. Working on getting students distributed and orders made. That's one of the parts of being your own secretary. Also, this coming week is my last week covering for maternity leave way up north. I'll miss the kids, and I've enjoyed the group classes (a whole group class of just book 4 students???? A first for me!) But the first week of November I'll be covering some of our co-teacher's lessons when she is gone for a few days. That will be fun. It's mostly kids I already know from group class, and we'll be working on their recital pieces. And also, two of my students who had been doing very little practicing (literally like 20 mins. a week) have bumped it up to more like 200 minutes a week thanks to my handy-dandy little practice chart I passed out. Why did I not do this sooner???? It's not like I haven't found this to be the case in the past! (Yes, I did have an article published recommending passing out practice charts. Take your own advice, lady!) Anyway, expect some super-Jedi progress.
It's not super foggy today, which is unusual this week. By super foggy, we're talking, you can't see that there is a traffic light until you're right up to it. It's been very interesting and very localized. Like on Tuesday, it was shockingly foggy at home. When I drove down the hill it was only very foggy. When I got downtown it was brilliantly sunny. And when I got to where I was teaching I could see the fog sitting just to the north and west of us.
Also, for the first time in my life, I found a dentist I like. If anyone is looking for a dentist, I can make a recommendation to you. Even if you're from out of town, but occasionally visit Seattle, I'd tell you to go to this guy! I learned that Seattle is considered the best city in the world for dental care. In my consultation appointment, I learned more about teeth than I had learned in my entire previous life. And I was treated like an actual human being and a partner in my personal tooth care and was not talked down to or chastised. And unfortunately I'm going to have to have all the rest of my fillings done in Alabama replaced, since they actually were sub-par (by which we mean that either they weren't properly bonded or the batch of filling material was contaminated or both). Apparently this is not uncommon for fillings done in the South. Hooray. Their badness is not a result of my lack of care of them as the previous dentist I visited in Kent intimated.
And lastly before I stop rambling, I'll mention that one of my violin buddies in Huntsville has decided to memorize the Sermon on the Mount, and I'm going to join her. She's working on a timeline for the project this weekend. I think this project will take a while.
Ok, I should go take a shower before baby wakes up and then do some housecleaning before my cat-allergic student arrives for her lesson in two hours.
Back to my knitting hobby after a year's hiatus. After my fourth attempt and the use of youtube tutorials, I made Anne a pair of thumbless mittens in a toddler size so she can still wear them next winter. I'm about to start on a new metronome case for Jared. Also, if I get super ambitious, I might knit Anne a Christmas dress. I found a free pattern for a really cute one... I'm pretty sure I'll need a lot of youtube tutorials to figure it out.
My latest and greatest musical plan is to take some Suzuki piano training. It won't be hard to make the audition video since I've played the required music before. Will be harder to find a book 1 class which is remotely convenient to take.... That might not happen this coming summer.
November 17th we (Jared and our co-teacher and I) are having two joint studio recitals. Working on getting students distributed and orders made. That's one of the parts of being your own secretary. Also, this coming week is my last week covering for maternity leave way up north. I'll miss the kids, and I've enjoyed the group classes (a whole group class of just book 4 students???? A first for me!) But the first week of November I'll be covering some of our co-teacher's lessons when she is gone for a few days. That will be fun. It's mostly kids I already know from group class, and we'll be working on their recital pieces. And also, two of my students who had been doing very little practicing (literally like 20 mins. a week) have bumped it up to more like 200 minutes a week thanks to my handy-dandy little practice chart I passed out. Why did I not do this sooner???? It's not like I haven't found this to be the case in the past! (Yes, I did have an article published recommending passing out practice charts. Take your own advice, lady!) Anyway, expect some super-Jedi progress.
It's not super foggy today, which is unusual this week. By super foggy, we're talking, you can't see that there is a traffic light until you're right up to it. It's been very interesting and very localized. Like on Tuesday, it was shockingly foggy at home. When I drove down the hill it was only very foggy. When I got downtown it was brilliantly sunny. And when I got to where I was teaching I could see the fog sitting just to the north and west of us.
Also, for the first time in my life, I found a dentist I like. If anyone is looking for a dentist, I can make a recommendation to you. Even if you're from out of town, but occasionally visit Seattle, I'd tell you to go to this guy! I learned that Seattle is considered the best city in the world for dental care. In my consultation appointment, I learned more about teeth than I had learned in my entire previous life. And I was treated like an actual human being and a partner in my personal tooth care and was not talked down to or chastised. And unfortunately I'm going to have to have all the rest of my fillings done in Alabama replaced, since they actually were sub-par (by which we mean that either they weren't properly bonded or the batch of filling material was contaminated or both). Apparently this is not uncommon for fillings done in the South. Hooray. Their badness is not a result of my lack of care of them as the previous dentist I visited in Kent intimated.
And lastly before I stop rambling, I'll mention that one of my violin buddies in Huntsville has decided to memorize the Sermon on the Mount, and I'm going to join her. She's working on a timeline for the project this weekend. I think this project will take a while.
Ok, I should go take a shower before baby wakes up and then do some housecleaning before my cat-allergic student arrives for her lesson in two hours.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Paved with good intentions
I suppose this is a follow up to my thoughts about running, and it's been percolating in my head for days? weeks? now and is getting longer and longer. Hopefully something sensical will come of it. Perhaps it should be titled "Spiritual Lessons Learned from Running".
When we ran the half in Birmingham, one of the people out cheering us on held up a sign, which said: 1 COR 9:24-27 . After I got home, I looked it up and Jared and I memorized it. It says:
It's amazing how much more I get from scripture that I memorize than what I only read. Jared and I have gotten away from our scripture memory project, but we've at least gotten back to reviewing our list. (Plug: If you've never done any regular scripture memorizing before, I highly recommend it. It has been a real blessing to me personally.)
A book I read a couple of years ago which I keep coming back to is called Bullet Proof: The Making of an Invincible Mind, written by Chuck Holton. Chapter ten is called "A Spirit of Self-Discipline". Here are two bits I highlighted:
When we ran the half in Birmingham, one of the people out cheering us on held up a sign, which said: 1 COR 9:24-27 . After I got home, I looked it up and Jared and I memorized it. It says:
Do you know that in a race all the runners compete but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things. They do it to win a perishable wreath, but we, an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it so that after having proclaimed to others I myself should not be disqualified.
It's amazing how much more I get from scripture that I memorize than what I only read. Jared and I have gotten away from our scripture memory project, but we've at least gotten back to reviewing our list. (Plug: If you've never done any regular scripture memorizing before, I highly recommend it. It has been a real blessing to me personally.)
A book I read a couple of years ago which I keep coming back to is called Bullet Proof: The Making of an Invincible Mind, written by Chuck Holton. Chapter ten is called "A Spirit of Self-Discipline". Here are two bits I highlighted:
Self-discipline is the act of choosing the difficult right over the comfortable wrong. It is the practice of controlling one's will. Recognizing the bent of human nature to follow the path of least resistance, the self-disciplined individual chooses the neglected path of the hard road. A disciplined person knows that discomfort is the stimulus for all growth. Self-discipline, then, isn't just about learning to accept discomfort, but choosing it for the sake of personal growth.
*****
Unfortunately, real self-discipline is one of our society's rarest qualities. To put it bluntly, the world - particularly our Western world with its many comforts and luxuries - is full of wimps and pansies. To the extent that any believer can develop the habit of consistently making the hard choices, he or she will stand head and shoulders above the crowd.
Think about it. Whenever you are faced with a difficult decision, isn't the more difficult choice usually the right one? So when we make a habit of choosing the more difficult path in the small things, it makes us better prepared to do so in the things that really matter. Self-discipline is like mental muscle, and it has to be exercised if it's going to grow.
William James penned the following in the last half of the nineteenth century. Though somewhat arcane in its language, this selection from his book Habit contains a real nugget of wisdom on the subject of self-discipline.
"Keep the faculty of effort alive in you by a little gratuitous exercise every day. That is, be systematically ascetic or heroic in little unneccessary points, do every day or two something for no other reason that that you would rather not do it, so that what when the hour of dire need draws nigh, it may find you not unnerved and untrained to stand the test. Asceticism of this sort is like the insurance which a man pays on his house and goods. The tax does him no good at the time, and possibly may never bring him a return. But if the fire does come, his having paid it will be his salvation from ruin. So with the man who has daily inured himself to habits of concentrated attention, energetic volition, and self denial in unnecessary things. He will stand like a tower when everything rocks around him, and when his softer fellow mortals are winnowed like chaff in the blast."
This is why training for a race is valuable to me. I actually would get decent exercise without it. But it's good training for me in doing hard things. Training I personally need.
It's also a good reminder for me about doing my daily worship time. Reading the Bible. Meditating on memory verses. Praying. For the same people. Over and over again. Sometimes it's a real drag in the sense that it might be boring, and I don't wanna. But I have to keep reminding myself that I can't give up before the race is over.
I've been thinking about my character a lot lately. Sometimes I get into these little jags where I think about what a good person I am. Like how I'm not like these people who _____________ (fill in the blank of the week.) Basically, that's a lot of baloney. Being a mom now, I spend several thoughts on what sort of character I'd like my child to have, and frankly, I see how I'm lacking. And if I'm lacking, how can I expect more of her? I want to grow Christ's character in me. A character which is one of working for the highest good of everyone else. Which loves even when the cost is great. Which is oriented toward truth. Which takes ownership of the mind, the desires, the will. Which always seeks for God's glory.
My life is full of unfinished projects. As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I, like Paul, want to be tough on myself so that I can finish the race well. So I'm trying to do hard things on purpose.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Half Fennel
It has been a busy few days. Busy.
Thursday. It's my easy day, because all I have is a Skype lesson and group class. So I also took Annie to her six month doctor's appointment. And the post office. And I did how many loads of laundry? And went to the grocery store. And practiced. And ran. And rehearsed for our Monday gig. And did the Skype lesson and the group class. So it all added up. The doctor asked if Anne could sit up on her own, and I said no. But I came home and tried it, and she can, it turns out. Also, we started her on some rice cereal on Thursday. She wasn't too sure about it, but Friday she decided she really liked it and wanted to help with the spoon, too.
Friday. Jared and I rehearsed in the morning, then he went out to Ellensburg to a teacher workshop. I cleaned before my student came who is allergic to cats. Also folded many loads of laundry. And practiced. And cleaned the kitchen (which was several days behind.) And Jared's parents arrived. In all I taught five lessons, and they visited with Anne while I was teaching, which was a great help. Also, they brought dinner and did some cooking for Saturday's afternoon meal, too. Jared got home around 8:00, and we had dinner, all five of us together. Anne was pretty excited from having her grandparents in town, and it was a little hard for her to go to sleep. Jared and I had to giggle a number of times as she lay in bed trying out every possible dinosaur noise she could make to keep from drifting off. I didn't know how creative a six-month-old could be!
Saturday. Jared had some duties during the church service, and Anne slept for about half of her Sabbath school class. But she woke up when they handed out jingle bells and maracas to the kids. Then she participated in the rest of the class. Her favorite parts are the song about taking turns when riding (and they get to ride on a rocking horse), the song about bubbles (when they bring out the bubble machine), and the song about stars (and they bring out little twinkle star wands). After we got home from church, Anne and her grandparents hung around while Jared and I had to make an almost-two-hour round trip up to pick up our race packets. Then we had a nice dunch/linner together, and Jared's folks left to go back to Oregon. The other three of us went on a walk before it got too dark, and then Jared and I practiced and rehearsed.
Sunday. Jeffrey and Linda arrived shortly after 6:00 am and took over on the babysitting duties, which involved two hours of napping, which I'm sure was a blessing to all. Jared and I drove up to run our half marathon, the course of which was around Lake Union. You know the houseboat from Sleepless in Seattle? That's the lake we ran around. Cheesy movie, but now I want to see it again, since I've been on the ground in that particular location. Folks, there's no way around it. Running a half marathon is hard. The training is hard, and the running is hard. This one I think felt a wee bit easier than the one we did in Alabama for two reasons: This one was flatter, and this time we trained up to twelve miles rather than ten. So in the end we finished about 2 1/2 minutes faster than the Birmingham race, and that even included the five minutes I had to stand in line for a port-a-potty mid-race this time. After we got home, we were both supremely fried. I took a nap with Anne, but I was still fried the rest of the day. But I practiced and we rehearsed. And Anne and I skyped with my folks. And I also sat around and read a new cookbook Jared's parents brought us.
Monday. Gave Anne a bath. Did tons of laundry. Cleaned, since 1) we'd trashed the place over the weekend, and 2) we had a student coming who was allergic to cats. Practiced. I taught 2:00-4:30. Jared was gone to his public school stuff in the morning/early afternoon, then he taught at home 3:30-6:30. We crashed through some dinner and rehearsal, and got to our gig by about 8:00. Classical Revolution Seattle! I'd say that was my first professional performance in about a year-and-a-half. Considering playing for church and at nursing homes and group class as non-professional. We played the Cirri Duo No. 3 - he's a cheesy Italian Classical composer. We played the Gideon Klein Duo - he was deported and died in a death camp during the Holocaust, and this work was found, unfinished, in a suitcase in 1992. And we played Mark O'Connor and Edgar Meyer's arrangement of Limerock. We got to hear the group before us, and I wish we could have stayed longer, but little girl needed to go to bed in the worst way.
Fennel. The Greek word for it is marathon. So the ancient city was named for the plant. And then the race was named for the city. And now I'm debating my future with running. Do I train for another race and try to improve my time? Do I train for a different length of race? Do I just run for fun now? Do I give up running, having accomplished my goal? Do I put running away and then pick it up to train for another race?
Along similar lines, I should be finished with my 100 consecutive days of practice tomorrow, Lord willing. And I'm thinking I might try to go for 365, since I've never done that. Not positive yet.
Thursday. It's my easy day, because all I have is a Skype lesson and group class. So I also took Annie to her six month doctor's appointment. And the post office. And I did how many loads of laundry? And went to the grocery store. And practiced. And ran. And rehearsed for our Monday gig. And did the Skype lesson and the group class. So it all added up. The doctor asked if Anne could sit up on her own, and I said no. But I came home and tried it, and she can, it turns out. Also, we started her on some rice cereal on Thursday. She wasn't too sure about it, but Friday she decided she really liked it and wanted to help with the spoon, too.
Friday. Jared and I rehearsed in the morning, then he went out to Ellensburg to a teacher workshop. I cleaned before my student came who is allergic to cats. Also folded many loads of laundry. And practiced. And cleaned the kitchen (which was several days behind.) And Jared's parents arrived. In all I taught five lessons, and they visited with Anne while I was teaching, which was a great help. Also, they brought dinner and did some cooking for Saturday's afternoon meal, too. Jared got home around 8:00, and we had dinner, all five of us together. Anne was pretty excited from having her grandparents in town, and it was a little hard for her to go to sleep. Jared and I had to giggle a number of times as she lay in bed trying out every possible dinosaur noise she could make to keep from drifting off. I didn't know how creative a six-month-old could be!
Saturday. Jared had some duties during the church service, and Anne slept for about half of her Sabbath school class. But she woke up when they handed out jingle bells and maracas to the kids. Then she participated in the rest of the class. Her favorite parts are the song about taking turns when riding (and they get to ride on a rocking horse), the song about bubbles (when they bring out the bubble machine), and the song about stars (and they bring out little twinkle star wands). After we got home from church, Anne and her grandparents hung around while Jared and I had to make an almost-two-hour round trip up to pick up our race packets. Then we had a nice dunch/linner together, and Jared's folks left to go back to Oregon. The other three of us went on a walk before it got too dark, and then Jared and I practiced and rehearsed.
Sunday. Jeffrey and Linda arrived shortly after 6:00 am and took over on the babysitting duties, which involved two hours of napping, which I'm sure was a blessing to all. Jared and I drove up to run our half marathon, the course of which was around Lake Union. You know the houseboat from Sleepless in Seattle? That's the lake we ran around. Cheesy movie, but now I want to see it again, since I've been on the ground in that particular location. Folks, there's no way around it. Running a half marathon is hard. The training is hard, and the running is hard. This one I think felt a wee bit easier than the one we did in Alabama for two reasons: This one was flatter, and this time we trained up to twelve miles rather than ten. So in the end we finished about 2 1/2 minutes faster than the Birmingham race, and that even included the five minutes I had to stand in line for a port-a-potty mid-race this time. After we got home, we were both supremely fried. I took a nap with Anne, but I was still fried the rest of the day. But I practiced and we rehearsed. And Anne and I skyped with my folks. And I also sat around and read a new cookbook Jared's parents brought us.
Monday. Gave Anne a bath. Did tons of laundry. Cleaned, since 1) we'd trashed the place over the weekend, and 2) we had a student coming who was allergic to cats. Practiced. I taught 2:00-4:30. Jared was gone to his public school stuff in the morning/early afternoon, then he taught at home 3:30-6:30. We crashed through some dinner and rehearsal, and got to our gig by about 8:00. Classical Revolution Seattle! I'd say that was my first professional performance in about a year-and-a-half. Considering playing for church and at nursing homes and group class as non-professional. We played the Cirri Duo No. 3 - he's a cheesy Italian Classical composer. We played the Gideon Klein Duo - he was deported and died in a death camp during the Holocaust, and this work was found, unfinished, in a suitcase in 1992. And we played Mark O'Connor and Edgar Meyer's arrangement of Limerock. We got to hear the group before us, and I wish we could have stayed longer, but little girl needed to go to bed in the worst way.
Fennel. The Greek word for it is marathon. So the ancient city was named for the plant. And then the race was named for the city. And now I'm debating my future with running. Do I train for another race and try to improve my time? Do I train for a different length of race? Do I just run for fun now? Do I give up running, having accomplished my goal? Do I put running away and then pick it up to train for another race?
Along similar lines, I should be finished with my 100 consecutive days of practice tomorrow, Lord willing. And I'm thinking I might try to go for 365, since I've never done that. Not positive yet.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Practice bow
In case you missed my status updates the other day:
Baby had a very musical day yesterday, which included watching her dad teach a cello lesson, participating in a Dalcroze presentation for piano teachers, listening to her dad practice, and attending choir practice with her aunt and uncle. The kid has an unusual life, I know.
A piece from the NY Times blog about empathy I read this morning:
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/05/rich-people-just-care-less/
It is looking at the more global implications, but it explains to me why I've felt put off by some doctors who won't really listen to me, and some administrators who didn't seem to care about how their policies were affecting teachers working for them. Also important, because I may want to become more aware of whether I'm really paying attention to people who are somehow "lesser" than me - in particular I'm thinking of homeless people on the street and people who hold what I consider to be simple-minded views.
I've been thinking about how to be more empathetic and help my child develop empathy after a friend recently said something about how her son was extremely empathetic just like his father. It's a good trait to have.
Anne has spent a good amount of time today following Nutmeg around the living room talking, grinning, giggling, and smacking her hands on the ground. Nutmeg has spent a good amount of time today staying *just* out of reach.
Also, Anne is wielding her practice bow, and Nutmeg thinks it might possibly be a cat toy... and has once or twice wondered what was poking her in the behind.Practice bow - an old, defunct fractional-size violin bow Daddy gave her so she wouldn't play with his cello bow
Baby had a very musical day yesterday, which included watching her dad teach a cello lesson, participating in a Dalcroze presentation for piano teachers, listening to her dad practice, and attending choir practice with her aunt and uncle. The kid has an unusual life, I know.
******
A piece from the NY Times blog about empathy I read this morning:
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/05/rich-people-just-care-less/
It is looking at the more global implications, but it explains to me why I've felt put off by some doctors who won't really listen to me, and some administrators who didn't seem to care about how their policies were affecting teachers working for them. Also important, because I may want to become more aware of whether I'm really paying attention to people who are somehow "lesser" than me - in particular I'm thinking of homeless people on the street and people who hold what I consider to be simple-minded views.
I've been thinking about how to be more empathetic and help my child develop empathy after a friend recently said something about how her son was extremely empathetic just like his father. It's a good trait to have.
Friday, October 4, 2013
The latest tricks
It's been a busy week for my girl, who is going to be six months on Monday. Can't believe it.
Her army crawl improves by the day. My student who saw her doing it on Wednesday described it as slithering. As of last night, she was slithering about six feet in one direction, rolling, and slithering five feet in another direction. We'll see what today brings.
Coupled with that is her new hobby of picking up lint and other unsavory things out of the carpet and putting them in her mouth. This also includes picking at the part of the sofa the cats have shredded and putting the stuffing in her mouth. Let's just say that all good sofas come to an end and I advertised on freecycle last night to find a non-shreddable futon. On Wednesday while Jared was teaching a lesson she picked up a tiny little piece of broken plastic which Jared couldn't get out because it went too far in, but the mom who was there has special training and so turned her upside down and whacked until the thing came out. Now Jared knows what to do, too. Don't think we're not keeping the floors clean. We vacuum several times a week. Anyway... not a good hobby.
Last night after group class I was helping her balance while she was standing and she started clapping her hands for the first time. Not a lot of sound, because she was working with rounded fingers, but she's getting pretty coordinated.
Her new addition to the peekaboo repertoire is that if I put the blanket over my own head and say, "Where's Mommy?" she'll pull it off me.
Yesterday I had her in the stroller and we were at the mailbox. After I got the mail, I bent over to put it in the bottom basket of the stroller and she started laughing uproariously. Don't know what was funny about that, but for the rest of the day, any time she was elevated (stroller, changing pad) and I bent over she went into conniptions.
Her army crawl improves by the day. My student who saw her doing it on Wednesday described it as slithering. As of last night, she was slithering about six feet in one direction, rolling, and slithering five feet in another direction. We'll see what today brings.
Coupled with that is her new hobby of picking up lint and other unsavory things out of the carpet and putting them in her mouth. This also includes picking at the part of the sofa the cats have shredded and putting the stuffing in her mouth. Let's just say that all good sofas come to an end and I advertised on freecycle last night to find a non-shreddable futon. On Wednesday while Jared was teaching a lesson she picked up a tiny little piece of broken plastic which Jared couldn't get out because it went too far in, but the mom who was there has special training and so turned her upside down and whacked until the thing came out. Now Jared knows what to do, too. Don't think we're not keeping the floors clean. We vacuum several times a week. Anyway... not a good hobby.
Last night after group class I was helping her balance while she was standing and she started clapping her hands for the first time. Not a lot of sound, because she was working with rounded fingers, but she's getting pretty coordinated.
Her new addition to the peekaboo repertoire is that if I put the blanket over my own head and say, "Where's Mommy?" she'll pull it off me.
Yesterday I had her in the stroller and we were at the mailbox. After I got the mail, I bent over to put it in the bottom basket of the stroller and she started laughing uproariously. Don't know what was funny about that, but for the rest of the day, any time she was elevated (stroller, changing pad) and I bent over she went into conniptions.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Syrian Crisis
If you are worried about the Syrian refugees, here are two highly rated agencies you can give to which are working on the ground right now to help.
ADRA
World Vision
ADRA
World Vision
SuperMom
There was only one thing I was worried about in being off facebook for the week - missing the news of my friend's new baby. But another friend emailed me with the happy news this morning, so I'm good to go now.
The other day (or should I say, the other night), I was imagining what sort of mom I want Annie to have. The list of attributes got very long. Here's a shot at transcribing some of them:
The other day (or should I say, the other night), I was imagining what sort of mom I want Annie to have. The list of attributes got very long. Here's a shot at transcribing some of them:
- Calm and peaceful in difficult circumstances
- Ready for adventure
- Sense of humor in fun moments and in tough ones
- Patient with her
- Kind to difficult people as well as friendly ones
- Generous with everyone
- Curious about people and about the world around
- Lover of books
- Untiring in prayer
- Someone who teaches her practical skills: cooking, cleaning, laundry, cat care, home financial management, tax preparation...
- Someone who encourages her to pursue her unique gifts and interests
- A person who enjoys nature and the simple things in life
- Someone who, day by day, points her toward the Kingdom
- One who is careful to use words to build others up rather than tearing them down
- Openness and honesty about personal faults, mistakes, and sins
- Openly dependent on God and his righteousness, rather than being self-righteous
- Supportive and open to discussion, rather than judgmental
...So, wish me luck on finding such a mom. ;-)
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Evidence based medicine
While I've been off facebook this week I've had some time to research some health topics of interest to my family. And I've been thinking about how in the last ten years I've become a sort of health nut. Pause right there. Some definitions are in order.
"Sort of" - Well, I do love a deep dish, stuffed crust, extra cheesy pizza, followed by a decadent, dark chocolate brownie (size extra large), followed by sitting on my rear on the couch watching a flickering screen while snacking on goldfish crackers and peanut M&M's. ...Although I don't like how I feel after indulging in such an exercise.
"Health nut" - I like feeling well and energetic. And I've ended up doing quite a bit of reading and other types of media intake on the topic for practical reasons.
Our typical Western medicine is very good at helping people in crisis situations. I will now list, in no particular order, conditions that people I know have found themselves in where our Western medicine has been a Godsend: near-fatal car accident, snake bite, gunshot wound, twin to twin transfusion syndrome, broken arm, acute bacterial infection...
However, there is less across-the-board success when it comes to another class of ailments that people I know have experienced: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurological problems, autoimmune disorders, thyroid problems, fertility issues, allergies, backache, ADHD, autism, and cancer. When people end up with these problems, some of today's best evidence-based medicine hasn't made it into traditional medical schools yet. I have a lot of faith in science to discover useful solutions to these problems, and there has been a lot of exciting research along these lines, but if you go to your typical MD you're likely not going to get the latest and best evidence-based medicine for these particular issues. You might have to fight to see a doctor who actually thinks you can be healed and who has read the most recent research on your issue. (Speaking from experience here.)
So without further ado, here's a list of some sources I've loved which give you some info on that second set of topics if you, like me, want to be better informed about your health.
The China Study
Cornell University nutrition researcher T. Colin Campbell takes an in-depth look at the chemical and mechanical causes of some common ailments in the developed world: diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disorders, among others, and he does it in a way that laymen like me can understand. Then he presents the latest research on diet and its role in preventing and healing these diseases. He looks at the work of several notable doctors who have used diet as an important part of their therapy in healing people of these diseases. He also looks how special interest groups shape public policy in the US and why some of this well-documented research is largely unknown to the general public, including the graduates of good medical schools.
Forks Over Knives: The Extended Interviews
This is a great documentary if you don't have time to read the whole China Study. I'd recommend the extended interview version, because it has more information, and let's face it, it's still only an hour and a half out of your life. The makers speak with a number of doctors, researchers, and public policy people who know more about diet and its relation to health than your average Joe.
Pain Free
Author Pete Egoscue is an expert in the workings of the musculoskeltal system. He spends the first part of the book explaining how the body is optimally designed to function in an athletic and everyday sense, and explains that pain and discomfort is the body's way of saying something is wrong. He shows how in our society we suffer from a lack of motion. We do a lot of sitting, and when we do move, we tend to move, and particularly exercise, in very motion-repetitive ways like jogging or walking or biking. He then goes on to explain how our bodies get imbalanced from the wrong exercise or insufficient exercise, and then the chapters that follow present "E-cize" menus for helping you restore the balance needed to rid various parts of the body of musculoskeletal pain. He also gives tidbits about how these methods have saved the careers of professional athletes who had become practically handicapped. If you sprain your ankle, get tendonitis, or have backache, a gimpy knee, a sore shoulder, or fallen arches, this book is for you. He also runs some clinics around the country where the specialists have lots more E-cizes to draw upon.
Take Charge of Your Fertility
It's a book for women by Toni Wechsler. An odd caveat - I admit, I actually haven't read it. But I have read a lot of other books and sources on the topic, and almost every one of them references this book as *the* source to go to for more information. And I intend to read it at some point. The book is specifically written to women who are actively trying to either achieve or avoid pregnancy, although I imagine it would be of interest to other women in the twelve-to-fifty age bracket to whom that doesn't apply. Because, unless I am badly mistaken, it gives detailed and helpful information about how women's bodies are supposed to work and information about how to deal with problems when things aren't working properly. My guess is that there's a lot of day-to-day useful info in there that your typical OB/GYN isn't intimately familiar with.
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
Ok, so this only applies to women who are pregnant... And it does come from a particular ideological background, but if you have a low risk pregnancy and you want some statistics on the helpfulness or harmfulness of various common pregnancy, birth, and newborn interventions, this book has a lot of good stuff. It also explains how the midwifery model of care for low risk pregnancies holds up better under scientific scrutiny than the typical obstetrical model.
Ok. That's my go-to list. Are there any great resources you know of which document for the layperson important evidence-based health info that I should know about?
"Sort of" - Well, I do love a deep dish, stuffed crust, extra cheesy pizza, followed by a decadent, dark chocolate brownie (size extra large), followed by sitting on my rear on the couch watching a flickering screen while snacking on goldfish crackers and peanut M&M's. ...Although I don't like how I feel after indulging in such an exercise.
"Health nut" - I like feeling well and energetic. And I've ended up doing quite a bit of reading and other types of media intake on the topic for practical reasons.
Our typical Western medicine is very good at helping people in crisis situations. I will now list, in no particular order, conditions that people I know have found themselves in where our Western medicine has been a Godsend: near-fatal car accident, snake bite, gunshot wound, twin to twin transfusion syndrome, broken arm, acute bacterial infection...
However, there is less across-the-board success when it comes to another class of ailments that people I know have experienced: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurological problems, autoimmune disorders, thyroid problems, fertility issues, allergies, backache, ADHD, autism, and cancer. When people end up with these problems, some of today's best evidence-based medicine hasn't made it into traditional medical schools yet. I have a lot of faith in science to discover useful solutions to these problems, and there has been a lot of exciting research along these lines, but if you go to your typical MD you're likely not going to get the latest and best evidence-based medicine for these particular issues. You might have to fight to see a doctor who actually thinks you can be healed and who has read the most recent research on your issue. (Speaking from experience here.)
So without further ado, here's a list of some sources I've loved which give you some info on that second set of topics if you, like me, want to be better informed about your health.
The China Study
Cornell University nutrition researcher T. Colin Campbell takes an in-depth look at the chemical and mechanical causes of some common ailments in the developed world: diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disorders, among others, and he does it in a way that laymen like me can understand. Then he presents the latest research on diet and its role in preventing and healing these diseases. He looks at the work of several notable doctors who have used diet as an important part of their therapy in healing people of these diseases. He also looks how special interest groups shape public policy in the US and why some of this well-documented research is largely unknown to the general public, including the graduates of good medical schools.
Forks Over Knives: The Extended Interviews
This is a great documentary if you don't have time to read the whole China Study. I'd recommend the extended interview version, because it has more information, and let's face it, it's still only an hour and a half out of your life. The makers speak with a number of doctors, researchers, and public policy people who know more about diet and its relation to health than your average Joe.
Pain Free
Author Pete Egoscue is an expert in the workings of the musculoskeltal system. He spends the first part of the book explaining how the body is optimally designed to function in an athletic and everyday sense, and explains that pain and discomfort is the body's way of saying something is wrong. He shows how in our society we suffer from a lack of motion. We do a lot of sitting, and when we do move, we tend to move, and particularly exercise, in very motion-repetitive ways like jogging or walking or biking. He then goes on to explain how our bodies get imbalanced from the wrong exercise or insufficient exercise, and then the chapters that follow present "E-cize" menus for helping you restore the balance needed to rid various parts of the body of musculoskeletal pain. He also gives tidbits about how these methods have saved the careers of professional athletes who had become practically handicapped. If you sprain your ankle, get tendonitis, or have backache, a gimpy knee, a sore shoulder, or fallen arches, this book is for you. He also runs some clinics around the country where the specialists have lots more E-cizes to draw upon.
Take Charge of Your Fertility
It's a book for women by Toni Wechsler. An odd caveat - I admit, I actually haven't read it. But I have read a lot of other books and sources on the topic, and almost every one of them references this book as *the* source to go to for more information. And I intend to read it at some point. The book is specifically written to women who are actively trying to either achieve or avoid pregnancy, although I imagine it would be of interest to other women in the twelve-to-fifty age bracket to whom that doesn't apply. Because, unless I am badly mistaken, it gives detailed and helpful information about how women's bodies are supposed to work and information about how to deal with problems when things aren't working properly. My guess is that there's a lot of day-to-day useful info in there that your typical OB/GYN isn't intimately familiar with.
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
Ok, so this only applies to women who are pregnant... And it does come from a particular ideological background, but if you have a low risk pregnancy and you want some statistics on the helpfulness or harmfulness of various common pregnancy, birth, and newborn interventions, this book has a lot of good stuff. It also explains how the midwifery model of care for low risk pregnancies holds up better under scientific scrutiny than the typical obstetrical model.
Ok. That's my go-to list. Are there any great resources you know of which document for the layperson important evidence-based health info that I should know about?
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Outside sources
Here are some words that struck me when I was doing some reading Sunday morning:
Also, I got ahold of the article I wanted in the New Yorker, because, hallelujah, it was free online! So you can read it, too. It's about the leader of Iran's Quds Force, which is their combination Special Forces and CIA. I actually don't know that much about the Middle East, and I imagine that some individuals I know who have served in the armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan know lots about the Quds Force already, but you can learn a few things here:
He who upholds the unnumbered worlds throughout immensity, at the same time cares for the wants of the little brown sparrow that sings its humble song without fear. When men go forth to their daily toil, as when they engage in prayer; when they lie down at night, and when they rise in the morning; when the rich man feasts in his palace, or when the poor man gathers his children about the scanty board, each is tenderly watched by the heavenly Father. No tears are shed that God does not notice. There is no smile he does not mark.
Italics were mine. God gives encouragement just when I need it. It's from a chapter called "The Knowledge of God".
If we would but fully believe this, all undue anxieties would be dismissed. Our lives would not be so filled with disappointment as now; for everything, whether great or small, would be left in the hands of God, who is not perplexed by the multiplicity of cares, or overwhelmed by their weight. We should then enjoy a rest of soul to which many have long been strangers.
Also, I got ahold of the article I wanted in the New Yorker, because, hallelujah, it was free online! So you can read it, too. It's about the leader of Iran's Quds Force, which is their combination Special Forces and CIA. I actually don't know that much about the Middle East, and I imagine that some individuals I know who have served in the armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan know lots about the Quds Force already, but you can learn a few things here:
And, if you are fascinated by places you'll likely never visit and also want to be thankful for the freedoms you do have, read this short article about North Korea:
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