Monday, July 13, 2009

Check out Matisyahu's new single on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as7Y-mCiFaM

Lyrics:
sometimes I lay
under the moon
and thank God I'm breathing
then I pray
don't take me soon
cause i'm here for a reason
sometimes in my tears I drown
but I never let it get me down
so when negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around
because
all my live I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
for the people to say
that we dont wanna fight no more
they'll be no more wars
and our children will play
one day
it's not about
win or lose
because we all lose
when they feed on the souls of the innocent
blood drenched pavement
keep on moving though the waters stay raging
in this maze you can lose your way (your way)
it might drive you crazy but dont let it faze you no way (no way)
sometimes in my tears I drown
but I never let it get me down
so my negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around
becauseall my live I've been waiting for
I've been praying forfor the people to say
that we dont wanna fight no more
they'll be no more warsand our children will play
one day
one day this all will change
treat people the same
stop with the violence
down the the hate
one day we'll all be free
and proud to beunder the same sun
singing songs of freedom like
one day
all my live I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
for the people to say
that we don't wanna fight no more
they'll be no more wars
and our children will play
one day

There is a lot of discussion in the new monasticism and emergent movements about pacifism. Most of it is theoretical and about our ideals. Maybe we should be focusing instead on what we do every day to promote peace. While not all of us will agree on whether or not Jesus called us all to lay down our swords, we should agree that eschatalogically God's goal is peace. If we are to be guided by living as if his kingdom has already come, what are we doing today to move toward a world without hate and violence?

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

A real Baby

it is easy in all of the preparations going on in these last weeks of my pregnancy to focus on getting a place ready, having the registries ready by the time everyone receives their invitations to showers, finishing birth classes, etc. It is a little like what they say about people planning for a wedding instead of a marriage. At least with my marriage I already had RJ around we shared our lives nearly to the same extent as we would after the wedding, and my mom planned most of it for me as I had to work so much. At that point really all I wanted was to lay down beside him every night.

This is so different. While I have all of these preparations that have to be made, I have never had a real live baby, my own baby, in my home for 24 hours before. I have been excited, yes, but nothing compared the thought that in 7.5 weeks I will hold my very own live baby in my arms. This thought takes my breath away. I have said to RJ playfully how cool it will be to meet this new person that is made up of both of us together, but it is to easy to say things and not think about what they really mean.

As I sit here with little feet rubbing against the inside of my belly every few minutes, adjusting in a space that is more crowded every day, I realize that in such a short time I will get to watch these feet move in the soft lighting of our family's beautifully prepared room, and reach out and touch the soft baby toes with my fingers. I can pick up this baby, and see his or her unique face and press it close to mine for butterfly kisses.

In my chair at work, my feet are swelling hanging down, and the familiar crick comes in my back. I have to be careful to eat regular snakcs or I feel sick, and if I get hot too it is so miserable. I can understand the woman who my midwife said just got tired of being pregnant. Who in their right mind would choose this over a baby? But I have to wait a little longer. Baby's lungs need a little more time, and there are no diapers on my shelf yet. Together Baby, Daddy, and I will be patient. We will stick it out these last few weeks, until we all get to meet eachother, and be a real new family.

Monday, July 6, 2009

I just really need to whine right now

I don't get off work for 2 hours. Even if we could afford for me to leave early I don't have a car. for the last hour I have been nauseated. I have a headache. I keep having hot flashes. My feet are swollen a lot. I feel constantly like I am about to cry, or maybe throw up. I just want some dinner and to go to bed. Do I really have to stay here doing nothing for 2 more hours!?!?

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Meal System

My family and close friends have heard about 6 times "I finally set up a meal plan that I think we can actually use." I had almost given up, since one plan after another seemed perfect, and then failed to meet our needs. However, preparing for the impact a baby will have on our budget and schedule motivated me to try once again. Each time I am more prepared because I have found more resources, and am equipped with the knowledge of what made the past attempts fail. So, we'll see if this on sticks.

Here are a few pointers I have gleaned along the path of failure, which hopefully leads to success.

1. You can't hold yourself to other people's standards of frugality and nutrition. One family eats bean and soup cassaroles nearly every day to get their budget down to like 2.50 per meal. Another family eats only seasonal local vegetables, with no meat at all. Slow food people recommend buying only whole chickens. None of these things work for me. I could give you all of the excuses, but most of you understand because you have your own. You have to find the balance of all of these things that is best for you.

2. I think that it is insane to make a full time job of scouring sales ads, clipping coupons, and writing a spiral notebook full of notes on whohas the cheapest average price on green beans,and what that price is. I have a favorite grocery store. They are cheaper on somethings and more on others. I go there because they are friendly, it is a smaller chain (I hate walmart), and they have good produce. I also like to go to a local market that has both flowers and vegetables when the bulk of what I need is fresh. I don't care if several things on my list are cheaper at another store, I am not going grocery shopping at 2 stores.

3. I tried to be a cassarole girl, because it seemed like that is what everyone else frugal is doing. This is what I learned:
a.It's not that I don't like them, but I don't love them-the leftovers will probably rot.
b.They require a lot of specialized ingredients, like soups. These are either cheap, but processed and filled with preservatives, or something I would spend hours and hours making and canning myself. No thank you.
c.They make a large amount of food, but the leftovers can only be one thing. A meal with several components can be re-arranged to make several meals.
d.It is really cheap and easy to broil meat that was on sale and throw some frozen vegetables in the microwave with olive oil and a little salt.

4. Build in easy nights. If I don't plan to eat pizza once every two weeks or so, we will do it anyway. We will buy a pizza because I am tired, and the house is hot, and I just don't care any more. If it is not planned, I probably have something defrosted that will go bad, I will feel guilty, and we won't have healthy easy sides on hand to go with it. So just plan on it.

5. Eating out is not absolutely more expensive. We can buy a Hot'n'Ready Pizza, or a whole fried or bbq chicken for 5 dollars, and eat it with fresh fruit or salad at home. To me that is an excellent price for feeding two or three people. Also, sharing is terrific. If you count the cost of one meal/person at a restaurant, of course it is expensive, but if you realize that the chicken parmesan that is 10.95 at your local Italian restaurant will feed two people twice, and includes salad, bread, and wait-staff it's not bad. My parents get fajitas for two and a plate of three enchiladas to fee themselves, my husband and I, and my little sister at a great mexican food restaurant down the street from my house. If we get water it is less than $20 to feed the 5 of us till we are stuffed. They always have meat left over that they send home with me for a salad at lunch the next day.

I may post more later if I figure out how to link to PDFs of my meal plan and menus.