Nature Table

Its part end of fall, part beginning of Advent.

Papi

Things I hide

My friendly neighbor and I were out for a brisk walk earlier and I told her about things I hide at stores. She thinks I should openly share them on here, maybe I could create a small army of people who hide the same things, ha ha! She also said I have issues...
If I'm in Target or a Borders or something I will hide Jenny McCarthy's book about having babies. Its got to be the most asinine baby book out there. Just the back cover is disturbing enough. I feel for her as a mom of an autistic son and I think she's doing a fantastic job of being real about autism and promoting natural healing..but her baby book is disparaging of all that is normal and natural & it sux.

I will hide "On Becoming Babywise". It has led to several infant deaths from failure to thrive because of its ridiculously BAD breastfeeding info. It goes behind really boring books so new moms can't find it.

If I'm in the dollar store and I happen upon a selection of douches, I hide the hell out of them. Nobody should ever douche, pelvic inflammatory disease is a nightmare that is caused by douching, its right on the label. Self cleaning body parts should be left alone, so those gnarly things get hidden too.

Does this sound like I have issues or what? I'm just trying to keep the world a safe place for babies and women! :)

Thanksgiving weekend. I'm the baby and I don't walk or talk, but I can climb into a silver bowl!





The best hostess in the world, My Mama. She makes the perfect Thanksgiving, so magical and homey. We usually have more family there, but it was just my parents, grandmother, brothers & my little family. Still, my mom & dad make it special, from starting with champagne and nuts to the coffee and pumpkin pie, or pecan or apple...



watching the weather change from warm to cold. I guess fall is finally over now.

I'm not the only one who thinks Japan sucks

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071119/ts_afp/japanwhaling
sorry, my links don't work, is time to cut & paste. But, the whaling ships are on their way to Antarctica by way of Australia & past New Zealand. They have turned off all of their tracking devices. A few different groups are on their way to intercede. I blame the impotent International Whaling Commission for allowing a loophole called "lethal research" What a bunch of idiots. In the book "the Empty Ocean", Japan makes it very clear that they are fine with killing every whale in the world and not leaving any in the ocean, b/c it benefits Japan economically.

I'm there...

Its been a trying week, lots of ups and downs. 2 more hectic days and then I can chill and look forward to Thanksgiving. For now, I'll picture myself here in the hot Key West sun.

Japan is not cool http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071116/ap_on_re_as/japan_hunting_humpbacks

I swear I think happy thoughts, but another negative post has to be made.

Japan put out an arrest warrant this week for this young actress from Heroes because she got in the water and went up to a boat that was killing dolphins. Japan swore that they don't hurt dolphins and that their fisheries are so economically important and they are pissed off that people bother them when they are working so hard fishing/wasting.

Then today they decide its time to go back out and kill whales again. I hate what Japan does. They go out and kill hundreds of whales for "scientific" reasons and then they sell the whale meat & make a huge profit. Whales are so amazing to me, so awe inspiring to see, the biggest creatures on the planet are also the most graceful. Japan is going to kill 900+ Minke whales & more than 50 humpbacks. And nobody can stop them, they just violate the protection orders. And when they go up against the International Whaling Commission they ask a bunch of poor & land locked nations to agree with then that whaling is awesome. This quote from the whaling chief, Mr Moronuki blows me away: "Killing whales allows marine biologists to study their internal organs. Ovaries provide vital clues to reproductive systems, earwax indicates age, and stomach contents reveal eating habits, he said. Uh, Mr.Wizard, the insides of whales have already been studied, and it only takes 1 whale, not 1000. And why do we need to kill whales and study them anyway? They are in their world & we are in ours. Just leave them alone.

Australia is awesome http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22741465-421,00.html

When I was 13 and I had nothing better to do, I spent my free time loving all things Australian. All of my favorite music was Aussie, especially INXS. I loved the landscape and the history, even though its filled with bad things, like ours. I got so I could tell accents apart. I went to the Embassy just to see it. I've never been down to the actual country, but I hope one day to get the nerve (& $$$) to go that far on a plane. Then today I read that they have banned routine circumcision of newborn boys in their hospitals. Yes! They are awesome. Lots of happy, whole little guys will be coming home there, with much less risk of MRSA too. Hopefully the US will soon be as enlightened as Australia (and Europe, South America, Asia, England, Canada...)

Giving birth with dolphins?

Now this is when you know somebody has way too much time on their hands, when they ponder birthing with dolphins. On a message board I go to sometimes a mom asked if anyone knew where she could give birth with dolphins. To me that sounds like something you might do in a dream, at night in your bed---not seek out in real life. Once I dreamed that I gave birth to twin girls in the ocean, they both swam up to the surface and we looked at each other & then I woke up. It was cool, but if I was a low risk mama I still wouldn't go out of way to be out in the ocean for birth. The water is rarely a great temp and the sun would be annoying. But it is real, there is a way, for those far out birthing chicks: http://www.planetpuna.com/Birth&Dolphins/index.htm

www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/500-not-made-in-china-50110507

The toy recalls are getting ridiculous. Luckily, my kids don't have many of these things, but its still hard to explain to a kid that he can't play with aqua dots because they are poison. (& turn into the date rape drug if a kid ingests one:O ) I'm happy some people are keeping lists of safe toys. If I could afford it I would just buy adorable Haba toys for the kids, but here's the list:

Out and about

I've been in a rut with the kids this week. Both of the older 2 had school conferences that could have been better & both are pretty intense and challenging in their own ways. Last night I was about to lose my mind. Being a stay at home mama is weird & sometimes hard because there are no real breaks, at least not in my world. I don't leave the baby, although I do plan on doing that soon, for a date with my husband or a breastfeeding meeting. The older 2 are in school, but preschool is just 3 mornings a week & the adorable Creature is my biggest challenge right now.

So... I wanted to escape by myself & hop on a plane to Miami & drive to Key West and lay down on a hammock with a margarita for a week. But... that's not going to happen, and I still have to come back & face the music.:)


Since Catholic school is off today we all went out in the rain to the Natural History museum. Not a huge undertaking, but it was really fun & helped me reconnect with the guys and appreciate my vocation. I am blessed to be able to be with them and I know that instead of running away from the kids it helps me to get closer to them. It was a short little trip to the city, but so worthwhile. Seeing them freely explore and get so excited about every little thing was wonderful.

From People.com, Billboard Shocker: Eagles Beat Britney!

Yes! My boys album is on top and I'm not surprised, I love the Eagles too much.

Biaxin, you're such a bitch

I have been taking an antibiotic called Biaxin for a recurring sinus infection and unfortunately it has to be for 3 weeks. It has the unbelivably horrible side effect of making me feel extremely hungry 24 hours a day. It honestly makes no difference what I eat, or how much. Its like a unique circle of hell because I don't even have enough food in my house that could end this endless hunger. I don't deal with hunger well, it makes me lazy, mad, mean & just unhappy. I love food, so normally I'm OK, but this might drive me completely insane in the next week and a half I have left with this nightmare. I dread seeing a scale after this drug is gone. Good thing I don't own one.

I need to be folding laundry but instead I came down to the computer and ate ice cream after my dinner of 2 helpings of roasted chicken with homemade (by my man) gravy. I looked up "causes of feeling hungry all the time" and this popped up on Yahoo answers, " If you are on any sort of medication, it could be affecting how hungry you feel. The antibiotic Biaxin makes me feel ravenously hungry the whole time I take it."

Yes! I'm not alone, its not in my head, I am truly starving & I hate life, but someone else felt the same way, yay! Never again, I need to finish this dose so I don't turn all resistant, but no more Biaxin!

OK. just shoot me. I was going to go to bed & then I looked up one more thing, the actual side effects of this hateful drug. I found "increased hunger" deep in the list, but look at all the fun stuff I can look forward to if I am lucky enough to get all the stuff listed before increased hunger, "confusion about identity, place, and time; cool pale skin; dark urine; depression; difficulty swallowing; dizziness; fainting; fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse; feeling of unreality; feeling that others are watching you or controlling your behavior; feeling that others can hear your thoughts; feeling, seeing, or hearing things that are not there; hives; increased hunger;"

Scary..

aaaachooo!




Probably the last enjoyable winery weather day before spring & we headed back to our new favorite vineyard. Except for the extremely annoying dogs, it was perfect.

Trick or Treating is awesome!

My morbid boys love this holiday so much and last night was great. Living in a townhouse means tons of houses and then time for adults to hang out while kids sort.