NEDA Post 6: Another interesting diagram

Daily Affirmation

My willingness to use the tools determines the outcome of the job.

Research Project: Cloth Diapering

Because I am a nut about wasting resources, clogging up the environment with plastics, and trying to be as health conscious as possible, I haven't even considered anything but cloth diapers. In fact, I know I am prone to be judgemental about "plastic diapers" because I have done research that makes it seem like cloth diapering is just as easy, just as simple.

(I will put the word seem in italics, because really, I don't have any more experience with diapering than when I was in diapers - and I don't remember that, but I've been told it was cloth with safety pins for cost effective reasons, and with changing babies I've watched who wear disposable or prefold/pocket diapers. I know I don't have the same experience as you mamas with multiple children. I know. I might change my mind.)

Rather than just rehash all the info I've learned, I thought I could provide you with the VERY BEST explanations and resources, so maybe you'll reconsider your diapering choices or at least, not call me a hippie (like my sister does) for wanting to use cloth diapers.

• Here is a great "Yeah, but how do you actually DO this?" site. I found it just today. I especially care for the use of pictures and how the mother repeatedly states ways about how when washing"Notice how my hands don’t touch a single diaper..." and compares her effort and use of pocket diapers as generally the same as with disposable diapers. I really liked the five part tutorial - showing the basic set up of her cloth diapering, the washing procedure she uses, putting on and taking off the diapers, and going out and about with cloth diapers. Side note: this woman's website is chock full of advice on breastfeeding, mothering, and basic info about life with a baby. I appreciate the candor and quality of her writing.
  



• Here is a site that is a tutorial, as well as a shopping source. The Stork Warehouse seems to have pretty good basic information about the main types of cloth diapers, as well as accessories that, if you are like me, you might not have even considered. Such as wet-bags as diaper pail liners. The Get Started Page discuss the best way for you to go about buying the necessary supplies - depending if you are looking to save money, looking for most convenience, etc. Side note: also provides great info and resources for cloth "mama pads".

• The next site I visited was Diaperpin.com. It has lots of how-to and getting started advice, as well as product reviews. This is one way I will decide what brand/style to buy, as well as a nifty calculator tool to determine how much money I could save compared to plastic diapers.

• Then I went to this site, an everything about birth site, which has cloth diaper information, tutorials, and accessories. Side note: also has products for home births, such as umbilical cord clamps. Doulas and midwives probably would find this part more useful than I do!
  
  
• Thinking about trying cloth diapers... but don't want to plunk down all that money? Here's a program I learned about through BabyCheapsake.com. Its Jillian Drawers, a company with a fantastic website. You get a trial month of a variety of cloth diapers for $10~ AND you get to return all/any of what you don't want.

My conclusions:

I like All In One (AIO) style diapers the best because they seem the most user-friendly. The seem to be the ones you could send a kid to a daycare in and not cause a huge fuss.

Pocket diapers seem to be the best choice for at home use. I like Bumgenius and Happy Heiny's.

I am aware that the upfront cost of cloth diapering will be significant. However, I went shopping and saw how much a package of diapers is at the store... geez! What a quick way to burn through 20 bucks!

I wish there were a diaper laundering service available in my city. I called the laundry services around town and was actually laughed at! The woman on the other line said, "Lordy, girl! We haven't done that in five years! Shooo-eee."

I am realizing that lots of people don't know much about the alternatives to disposable diapers, and how user friendly they actually are!

I have heard conflicting stories about the "correct" detergent to use. I think we'll just play around with small size versions until we get the right mix.

I'll need a "wet bag" system - for on the go and for the diaper pail at home.

NEDA Week Post 5

No longer classified as just a mental illness or a physical iillness, it is apparent how anorexia can influence the entire body.

I think this picture would be even more interesting if it showed the world around the girl... the family she is withdrawn from, the work or schooling she is missing because of her inward battle, and the social networks that are lacking. It might be interesting as well to see the influeces others have on the disease's development.

Daily Affirmation

Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them.
-- Ann Landers

NEDA Week Post 4

This is one of the most interesting diagrams I've found to explain the connections between anorexia and bulimia. Please click on it to see more details. In case you'd like to have the reference, here is the link.

Notice the slow, long term progression on the left side. The right side has rather large milestones into recovery, noting how much it feels like progress is an uphill battle, and how easy it can be to "slide back" into destructive patterns.

I think someday when I have a little more emotional stamina and energy, I will post more about how this progression worked in my life.

What is Lent, Exactly? And Why Isn't it In the Bible?

Written by: Rev. Howard Fehr, from St. John's Lutheran, Eau Claire, WI

Children's Sermon: Meaning of Lent

Can anyone tell me where to find the word "Christmas" in the Bible? Probably not, because the word is nowhere to be found in that book.

Well, how about the word "Easter?" Surely that word is somewhere in Holy Scriptures. Try as you might, you won't find that word in the Bible either.

Now we are in the church season of Lent. Do you think "Lent" can be found in the Bible? Isn't that interesting, none of these three words can be found in God's word, because they are words which have been used in the Church to mark our days of celebration and our days of preparation for Easter, and they call came into use after the Bible was written.


The word "Lent" comes from an Old English word which simply means "long." And do you think you might know why we use this word to speak of our period of preparation for Easter? I'll tell you. If you notice, Lent always comes during that time of the year when the days are getting longer and we are seeing more and more sunshine. And that's what lent is supposed to do for us - to shed more and more light in our lives so that the darkness disappears.


Lent has 40 days, not counting Sundays (Sundays are always a mini-celebration of Easter, and very seldom do we let anything interfere with our celebration of Easter each week), but it hasn't always been 40 days. The Church has changed it so it will be the same length as the days Jesus spent in the wilderness where he fasted and was tempted by the devil at the beginning of his public ministry.

Case in Point: Differences Between Me and Him

Here's an example about how my husband and I are significantly different.

Tonight he's playing volleyball. He is a sub in a league that's already began. A competitive team and a competitive league.

I'd never feel comfortable joining an already established team. I'd feel so left out. I also don't feel comfortable playing volleyball. I can't always do that Bump-Set-Spike mentality. Sometimes I am just happy getting to the ball, and I forget to follow the play. I also don't like the pressure of being on a competitive league. I hate letting others down because of my own inadequacies.

I also don't like the unpleasant noises -squeaking shoes and ref whistles - that go along with volleyball.

But he does. He is all the above things. He rocks at volleyball, so maybe I'll go watch him play sometime.

NEDA Week Post #3: Disordered Eating vs. Normal Eating

I am writing this post for those of you whom have never had an eating disorder, but may have an unsatisfactory relationship with food and eating. Often times, we go through phases on our lives that lead to not normal eating patterns. This post will inform you about normal eating vs. disordered eating. Perhaps you'll be able to identify with these sentiments. If not, maybe you'll learn new terminology.

Disordered eating vs. eating disorder... two similar words, very different connotations. I have experienced both, and still struggle with "normal eating patterns". So many of our food beliefs and food attitudes are just not-normal, or at best, not healthy.

Disordered eating is defined as "a wide range of abnormal eating. This includes the behaviours seen in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, chronic restrained eating, compulsive eating and habitual dieting. It includes irregular, chaotic eating patterns. Often physical hunger and satiety (fullness) are ignored. Source: NEDIC Fact Sheet

Here is another way to explain disordered eating. Source

• Dysfunctional (disordered) eating is chaotic (dieting, fasting, bingeing, skipping meals),
  or it can mean overeating or under eating much more or less than the body wants or
  needs. Irregular meals, irregular portions of food. Its like skipping breakfast and lunch, and then eating a whole bag of Doritos.
  • The disordered eater eats less for nourishment, and more for purposes of reshaping the
  body, for thinness, or to relieve anxiety and stress. Food is seen as the enemy, not as the source of nutrition. Eating might mean changing body shape.
  • Often eating causes distress. Afterward, instead of feeling better, the disordered eater
  may feel guilty, ashamed, uncomfortably full, or unsatisfied and fearful of bingeing. This emotional responses are not normal responses to the physical act of eating food.
  • When food is restricted, thoughts of food, eating, hunger and weight often dominate
  waking hours. Its like when you deprive yourself of something, its the only thing you can think about. Or, if you are trying to lose, you are only thinking of your body shape, not the real life that is going on around you.
  • Because food is unsatisfying and may be limited, the dysfunctional eater often feels
  tired, irritable, unable to concentrate, and increasingly self-absorbed. Without proper nutrition, it is normal to expect reactions to be abnormal. I turn inward, rather than being social.
  

For me, I know I am experiencing disordered eating when I am worried about what food will be served at parties, and if that determines my presence or absence at a party. It is also manifested when I forget about the friend or date I am having while eating at a restaurant and only worry about the menu choices and mull over the other choices I "should have" picked. If I get upset because I didn't get to have a certain food type or product for a meal or snack, that is disordered eating. Attaching emotion and preoccupation with food and eating are disordered eating patterns.

Disordered eating leads me to feel fearful, guilty, and unavailable to interact fully in my own life.

Disordered eating usually leads me to a full ED relapse. Studies show that disordered eating is often the trigger for developing an ED, or at least for encouraging the perceived normalcy of ED.

Disordered eating has negative effects on overall health - emotional, social and physical. It may cause the individual to feel tired and depressed, decrease mental functioning and concentration, and can lead to malnutrition with risk to bone health, physical growth and brain development.

Now let's look at Normal Eating. What is normal eating?

• The basic purpose or function of eating is to satisfy hunger and nourish the body. Normal eating fulfills this purpose, and thus enhances our feelings of well-being. Afterward we feel good. At times we eat for pleasure,to satisfy appetite and for social reasons, trusting that that’s okay, too. Worry and negative emotions are not associated with normal eating.
• Normal eating promotes one’s natural weight, weight stability, and helps prevent both eating and weight problems. It nourishes wellness, health and the growth and development of children. Normal eating does not cause weight gain. This was a major turning point for me in my recovery!
• Normal eating furthers clear thinking, the ability to concentrate, mood stability, and healthy relationships. Thoughts of food and weight take up only a small part of the day. Normal eating lets me be me, and allows me the mental energy to participate in others' lives.
• Normal eating – at meals – means food choices likely provide balance, variety and moderation, the principles of good nutrition. It means all foods can fit. There are no “bad” or feared foods. Food becomes a source of nutrition only, and is de-stigmatized.

I read this interesting study on the Washington Post from April 2008. The article summarizes a study confirming the widespread disordered eating phenomenon. It seems that American women in particular are afflicted by abnormal thoughts and behaviors concerning food. 75% of these women could fit the description of disordered eaters! When I think back to my friendships with women in college, I find it hard to remember even one girl who had a normal relationship with food - who followed her own innate sense of hunger and responded by eating normal portions of food on a regular basis.

I would like to close by recommending a few books on this topic that I've found helpful.

Koening, K. 2005. The Rules of "Normal" Eating: A Commonsense Approach for Dieters, Overeaters, Undereaters, Emotional Eaters, and Everyone in Between!

Koening, K. 2007. The Food and Feelings Workbook: A Full Course Meal on Emotional Health

Trioble, E. and Resch, E. 1996, Intuitive Eating: A Recovery Book For The Chronic Dieter; Rediscover The Pleasures Of Eating And Rebuild Your Body Image

NEDA week post 2

I know, I could do way better along the lines of an effective post. But I have been online for awhile tonight buying an airline ticket (more on this later).

Because someone might ask: What is NEDA Week? What is the goal? What can I do to learn more? I will post the following document, the mission statement and the philosophy, from National Eating Disorders Association.

NEDAwareness Week 2009 Key Messages

The goal of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is to attract public and media attention to the seriousness of eating disorders and the pressures, attitudes and behaviors which contribute to them.

...Until Eating Disorders are History.
This year the National Eating Disorders Association made a decision that it is time to stress that eating disorders can seriously impair a persons health, and ultimately be life threatening illnesses. That is why we are stressing that we must get these important messages out to the public, until such time that eating disorders are history. It is our hope that every coordinator this year will stress that 1) eating disorders are serious illnesses, not lifestyle choices; 2) we need to ensure that insurance covers appropriate treatment for these illnesses as necessary; 3) that more efforts must be made to educate the medical, educational and work communities to help with education and prevention ; and, that increased funding for research is essential to find better treatments and cures. On behalf of the individuals and families we intend to strive for these changes, until eating disorders really are a thing of the past, just history.

Be comfortable in your genes
Like eye color and skin color, our body size is largely determined by genetics. While eating and exercise certainly play a role in the size and shape of one’s body and overall level of health, the importance of genetics is often overlooked. Because body type and shape are strongly influenced by your genes, they are not something that can be drastically changed, much like your eye color or height. However, too often individuals struggle against their natural, genetically determined size just to fit into that pair of “skinny jeans” in the back of their closet. Fighting your natural size and shape can lead to unhealthy dieting practices, poor body image and decreased self-esteem. While you can adopt a healthy lifestyle and aim to be fit for your particular body type, you cannot change your genes. We want individuals to feel comfortable in their genes and to wear comfortable jeans.

Eating disorders are illnesses, not choices

Eating disorders are complex conditions that arise from a combination of long-standing behavioral, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, biological and social factors. While eating disorders may begin with preoccupations with food and weight, they are about much more than food. Everyday, researchers are discovering more about the influence of genetics on eating disorders and finding that while environmental factors may pull the trigger, genetics loads the gun. In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Approximately 25 million more are struggling with binge eating disorder. Because of the secrecy and shame associated with eating disorders, it is very likely that many more.

Help is Available, and Recovery is Possible.

While eating disorders are serious, potentially life-threatening illnesses, there is help available and recovery really is possible. Although it can be a long journey to wellness, the benefits are for a lifetime to enjoy. It is also important for those affected to remember that they are not alone in their struggle; others have gone before them and are now living healthy fulfilling lives. And, with family and friends to support them with the knowledge that this is an illness, not a behavior, they can find their way. The national organizations: Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) and National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) have information and referrals available via their website or and helplines:

NEDA http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

NEDA Helpline: 800 931-2237

Challenge for today: Recognize that eating disorders are illnesses - mental illnesses, physical illnesses, and emotional illnesses. They are not decisions someone has made, not exactly. Someone has an eating disorder because they are predisposed by their family history - both genetics and environmental influences. Let's focus on supporting and encouraging those with eating disorder tendencies rather than blaming them for a bad choice, or refusing to help someone who makes bad choices.

Prego Update

Here I am - 19 weeks pregnant. Basically half way finished! The climb up the hill to the midpoint of pregnancy hasn't been an easy one. Its been filled with worry, exhaustion, and perhaps above all else - BARF.

Yep, still experiencing morning sickness. And now, it is almost entirely in the morning. Sure... sometimes a 3:30 pm wave of nausea hits and I can't ride it successfully. And then there is the nausea that comes right before bed time.

Good things though... For the last week and a half, I've had an appetite. Sometimes, a STRONG appetite that, left unquenched, results in a negative barfing experience. I wanted PIZZA two nights in a row last week. It was sooooo good. Its been awhile since I've been able to enjoy a food!

Another good thing is that I am finding myself off the couch more than on it. I did three loads of laundry, start to finish. I also have emptied the dishwasher on a pretty regular basis - a feat that was impossible just a month ago! It is so nice not to fall asleep on the couch at 8:30 pm!

Thanks to all who ask about me and who remember me in their prayers. If I am one of those unlucky women who are sick everyday for 40 weeks... I'll be needing more encouragement and prayer!

DA

You've achieved success in your field when you don't know whether what you're doing is work or play.
-- Warren Beatty


I can't wait for this day-- when my daily career feels like recess!

Happy NEDAW 2009.

Because of my history of eating disorders and disordered eating, I fully support this cause - the National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Each day, I will post something that I've found useful or that I feel others will find of use.

Today's ch allege: visit the National Eating Disorders Association's website, linked here to learn basic terms and information on a variety of eating disorders.

Going Red...

I'm ready to bring back the red... the hair color I've avoided for a full year. Spending a full year as brunette has been fun, but I think its time for a change! Next weekend I'll get a trim and a color, using this photo as a guide. Currently, my hair is two or three inches shorter than this photo, and its most similar to chocolate peanut butter brown, though I haven't used any hair coloring products since August 2008.

The above photo was taken in September 2006 at the wedding of our dear friends, John and Ann. What a great looking man I've got sitting next to me! He even escorted me down the aisle!

UPDATE: Natural hair color... hm. That's a tough one. Yes, I'd say that the hair color above is pretty close to my natural color. All the hair coloring products I use are pretty close to my natural hair color, too. I always go for carmels, light golden browns, etc. And the warmth of red always shines through!

Brand Loyalty

What are the brands that you just can't do without? The brands which have no comparable generic product?

Here's my list:

1. Totino's Pizza Rolls
2. Heinz Ketchup
3. LOVE stamps (or the prettiest stamp available)
4. Hidden Valley Ranch
5. Girl Scouts Thin Mints
6. Until very recently, VS bras. They just don't have an up-to-snuff pregnancy bra.
7. Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Diet Coke.
8. Bounce dryer sheets
9. Mr Clean Magic Eraser
10. Google
11. Acuvue contacts
12. Bic mechanical pencils
13. Quick Trip
14. Windex Vinegar or Lime Action Cleaner
15. Garnier Nutrisse Hair Color
16. Goody Ouchless hair ties
17. Chapstick brand balm - the natural kind, or the moisture blue kind
18. Hershey's chocolate syrup
19. Kroger store brand multi-grain waffles
20. iPod/iTunes

For many things - health and beauty products, produce, household items - I am totally cool with trying a new fragrance, brand, or variety. Usually, the sale or special features are what sell me on an item. For the items listed above... I'd pass up a clearance on sub-par items because I know they'd just not "do it" for me.

Cloth Diapering vs. Disposibles... which is the best of two evils?

Many people join in the disagreement. Here's a summary of the position statements of both "sides" of the argument.

Cloth diapers use lots and lots of water. Heating the water for a "hot wash cycle" uses lots of energy, which increases the carbon footprint. Cloth diapering laundry services use laundry soap, which can pollute water systems.

Disposable diapers have a production factor - factories emitting chemicals, lots of energy used in the production process, and the eco-impact of shipping disposables from factories to local retailers influences the overall carbon footprint of disposable diapers. Disposable diapers use chemicals and absorbent gels that must be mass-produced and are not naturally occurring materials, as compared to organic cotton, fleece, hemp, or bamboo fibers.

I decided to research this as well. I typed in "impact of disposable diapers on environment" and "impact of cloth diapers on environment" to a search query.

Here's a few snippets from the research I found, along with the sources and links.

Source 1 It is estimated that roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills annually. It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone.

Although some disposables are said to be biodegradable; in order for these diapers to decompose, they must be exposed to air (oxygen) and sun. Since this is highly unlikely, it can take several hundred years for the decomposition of disposables to take place, with some of the plastic material never decomposing. The untreated waste placed in landfills by dirty disposable diapers is also a possible danger to contaminating ground water.

Pro-disposable advocates say that cleaning cloth diapers uses more energy and contributes to the load on sanitary sewer systems and potential water pollution. This view really makes no sense if you think about it. The amount of water used per week to wash cloth diapers at home is about the same amount consumed by an adult flushing the toilet four or five times daily for a week. Also, the greater amount of water and energy being used by diaper service companies to wash large amounts of cloth diapers multiple times; the per diaper impact on energy and water supplies is actually less than home washing.

Finally, when flushing solids from a cloth diaper down the toilet and washing the diapers in a washing machine, the contaminated, dirty water from both toilet and washing machine go into the sewer systems where they are properly treated at wastewater plants. This treated wastewater is much more environmentally friendly than dumping untreated soiled disposable diapers into a landfill.
Source: The New Parents Guide

Source 2: When both types of diapers were studied, the *whole* lifecycle of the product was scrutinized - materials, chemicals and energy consumed during production, usage and disposal. The environmental impact categories the diapers were assessed against were climate change, ozone depletion, human toxicity, acidification, fresh-water aquatic toxicity, terrestrial toxicity, photochemical oxidant formation and eutrophication. The resulting report was over 200 pages and can be viewed here (PDF)

To give you some idea of the environmental impact of both reusable cloth and disposable diapers on non-renewable resource depletion and global warming, the study states that over the 2.5 years a child would be in diapers; it would equate to driving a car up to 2200 miles.

Disposable nappies are made from petroleum byproducts and tree products such as fluff pulp. Cloth diapers are usually made from cotton - a pesticide, herbicide, synthetic fertilizer and water intensive crop.

So this presents quite a few opportunities to lessen impact by: lowering washing temperatures, use earth friendly washing detergents effective in cold water, stock up on diapers and wash only when you have a full load, refrain from using additional wash enhancers, air dry diapers, offset your electricity use with green tags, or switch your electricity supply to a green provider, reroute washing machine water runoff into your garden or install a greywater recycling system, don't iron diapers

The other point to note is the diapers in the study were made of cotton, and I assume not organic cotton. The growing of cotton constitutes approximately 25% of the world's insecticide and more than 10% of the pesticide usage. Cotton is the fourth most heavily synthetically fertilized crop globally. The cotton industry has also been responsible for massive environmental disasters such as the destruction of the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan and Kazahkstan.There are alternatives to "normal" cotton - organic cotton. Better still is hemp. Hemp fabric is said to be three times stronger than cotton, more durable and has a better ability to absorb moisture. I haven't seen 100% hemp diapers around, but you can certainly buy organic cotton/hemp blends - usually around 45% hemp and 55% organic cotton.

In summary, while you can't make disposable nappies "greener", you can certainly have less of an impact on the environment with reusable cloth nappies through careful purchase decisions and proper usage. Source: Green Living Tips

Source 3:"Using reusables and washing them at 90 degrees Celsius [194 degrees Fahrenheit] with detergents in a half load with tumble drying can be overall more damaging in terms of the carbon footprint than using disposables," he explained.Doing so constantly would boost the carbon footprint of washable cloth diapers to a whopping 990 kg of carbon-dioxide equivalents, nearly twice that of the bag-and-toss kind.

In order to come in under the line set by disposable diapers, cloth-friendly parents might have to sacrifice some convenience — and possibly some hygiene."It's better for the environment to wash at 60 degrees [140 degrees F], full load using an energy-efficient washing machine and drying outside on the line," Mulla says.But the lower wash temperature may not kill the millions of fecal bacteria lurking in the soiled fabric, though Mulla insists it's safe. And drying outdoors simply isn't possible year-round in most of North America.Little brothers or sisters also might not like the report's third recommendation — that well-used cloth diapers be passed down from older to younger infants.

So it's at best a draw between disposables and reusables when it comes to global warming. What about more immediate concerns?

"Both the disposable and reusable diaper options create solid waste and wastewater that must be treated and/or disposed," explains Jeremy O'Brien, director of applied research at the Solid Waste Association of North America. "More solid waste is created with the disposal option, while more wastewater is generated with the reusable option."

Penn noted that more than 95 percent of parents in the United States and Western Europe go for disposable diapers, and added that P&G had spent the past 5 years drastically reducing energy and water use, as well as manufacturing waste and carbon-dioxide emissions.Source: Fox News - How Green Are Disposable Diapers?

Source 4:Cloth diaper-wearing children go through about 6,000 diaper changes. If thrown into a landfill, cotton diapers decompose within six months. Since disposable diapers are discarded after a single use, usage of disposable diapers increases the burden on landfill sites, and increased environmental awareness has led to a growth in campaigns for parents to use reusable alternatives such as cloth or hybrid diapers. An estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year in the US, resulting in a possible 3.4 million tons of used diapers adding to landfills each year.[13]

The environmental impact of cloth as compared to disposable diapers has been studied several times. In one cradle-to-grave study sponsored by the National Association of Diaper Services (NADS) and conducted by Carl Lehrburger
and colleagues, results found that disposable diapers produce seven times more
solid waste when discarded and three times more waste in the manufacturing
process. In addition, effluents from the plastic, pulp, and paper industries are far more hazardous than those from the cotton-growing and -manufacturing processes. Single-use diapers consume less water than reusables laundered at home, but more than those sent to a commercial diaper service.

According to industry data from Franklin Associates and the American Petroleum Institute, 3.5 billion gallons of oil are used to produce the 18 million throwaway diapers that end up in landfills each year. Washing cloth diapers at home uses 50 to 70 gallons of water every three days, which is roughly equivalent to flushing the toilet five times a day, unless the user has a high-efficiency washing machine. An average diaper service puts its diapers through an average of 13 water changes, but uses less water and energy per diaper than one laundry load at home.[14]

Other studies have indicated that reusable diapers are more damaging to the environment [15]. The United Kingdom based Women's Environmental Network has claimed that all such studies promoted there were directly funded or commissioned by disposable diaper companies. In one instance in July 1991, such companies withdrew their claims amid pressure from the press upon the release of analysis done by The Landbank Consultancy, an independent environmental agency. The Landbank Report of January 1991 concluded that, compared to cloth diapers, throwaway diapers use 20 times more raw materials, three times more energy, twice as much water, and generate 60 times more waste.

In October 2008, "An updated lifecycle assessment study for disposable and reusable nappies" by the UK Environment Agency and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs stated that reusable diapers can cause significantly less (up to 40 per cent) or significantly more damage to the environment than disposable ones, depending mostly on how parents wash and dry them. The "baseline scenario" showed that the difference in green-house emissions was insignificant (in fact, disposables even scored lightly better). However, much better results (emission cuts of up to 40 per cent) could be achieved by using reusable diapers more rationally. "The report shows that, in contrast to the use of disposable nappies, it is consumers’
behaviour after purchase that determines most of the impacts from reusable nappies. Cloth nappy users can reduce their environmental impacts by:Line drying outside whenever possible. Tumble drying as little as possible. When replacing appliances, choosing more energy efficient appliances (A+ rated machines [according to the EU environmental rating] are preferred). Not washing above 60°C [140°F]. Washing fuller loads. Reusing nappies on other children."[16]

There are variations in the care of cloth diapers that can account for different measures of environmental impact. For example, using a cloth diaper laundering service involves additional pollution from the vehicle that picks up and drops off deliveries. Some people who launder cloth diapers at home wash each load twice, considering the first wash a "prewash", and thus doubling the energy and water usage from laundering. Cloth diapers are most commonly made of cotton, which is generally considered an environmentally wasteful crop to grow. "Conventional cotton is one of the most chemically-dependent crops, sucking up 10% of all agricultural chemicals and 25% of insecticides on 3% of our arable land; that's more than any other crop per unit."[17] This effect can be mitigated by using other materials, such as bamboo and hemp.

Another factor in reusable cloth diaper impact is the ability to re-use the diapers for subsequent children, sale of used diapers through diaperswappers.com[1], craigslist[2] or other online communities, donation of used diapers through recycling groups such as freecycle[3] or to charities such as miraclediapers.org [4]. Many reusable diaper users take advantage of these resources and may even join communities like livejournal's clothdiapering[5] in order to find ways to make their diaper-washing routine more efficient or get feedback about different types of reusable diapers. These factors can alleviate the environmental and financial impact from manufacture, sale and use of brand-new reusable diapers. Source: Wikipedia, Diapers

Source 5: The disposables industry and the cloth advocates have battled for decades over which diaper is greener. The Real Diaper Association, an advocacy group founded in 2004, estimates that 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year in the U.S. (according to the EPA, that translates into more than 3.4 million tons of waste dumped into landfills) and that producing those diapers also consumes huge amounts of petroleum, chlorine, wood pulp and water. Team Pampers argues that the water and energy required to launder cloth diapers cancel out those costs. Source: TIME, Diapers Go Green.

There are so many other sites, so many other arguments for and against cloth diapering. SO MANY. Here are some other ones:

1. Increased scrotal temperature in single-use diaper may lead to male infertility. Source:Partsch, Aukamp, and Sippell. "Scrotal temperature is increased in disposable plastic lined nappies." Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel. May 2000
2. Disposable diapers linked to asthma .Source: Mothering, Issue 98, www.mothering.com
3. Dioxin, a by-product of the paper-bleaching process, may exist in single-use diapers. Dioxin in various forms has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, and skin diseases. Source: EPA, "Integrated Risk Assessment for Dioxins and Furans from Chlorine Bleaching in Pulp and Paper Mills."
4. Disposable diapers make up the third largest source of solid waste in landfills, after newspapers and food and beverage containers. Source:EPA, "Positive Steps towards Waste Reduction," June 1989
5. Diaper rash.According to the Journal of Pediatrics, 54 % of one-month old babies using disposable diapers had rashes, 16 % having severe rashes. A study done by a disposable diapers manufacturing company shows that the incidence of diaper rash increased from 7.1% to 61% with the increased use of throwaway disposable diapers. Source: Journal of Pediatrics.

So, what did all this research teach me? I suppose I learned how to respond to people who say that cloth diapering is just as bad as disposables. It also reaffirmed my choice for using cloth diapers.

Up Next: Product Review Guides, sources for purchasing cloth diapers, FAQ, etc.

Daily Affirmation

A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge.
-- Thomas Carlyle

Online Shopping for... Pizza?

Yep, I tried it. I have been craving pizza - mostly melty pizza cheese - and even though I had some of most perfect pizza last night at Shakespeare's... I was still hungry for more tonight!

I ordered online at Papa John's. And though my neighborhood is 2 miles out of the delivery range, they brought it out! Whoohooo!

PS -In order for me to enjoy my pizza, I need a generous amount of mushrooms, cheese, and one or all of the following, in sparse: tomato, onion, beef. I also want the cheese to be slightly browned. Oooo, and if artichokes or banana peppers are a choice, add those too!

Addiction: Thin Mint Cookies

Normally door-to-door salespeople or fundraising kids make me want to lock my door and pretend I am unavailable. Sorry, I just don't need the carpet cleaning/lawn service/different Internet provider/restaurant coupon book/yearbook ad sponsorship. Sorry!

But when I see a girl scout making her rounds or outside of a shopping center, I go out of my way to make sure I am approached and offered a chance to support there organization (my need for cookies).

I love, love, love, LOVE Thin Mint cookies. They are just so delicious! Straight out of the box, or, if I can tolerate the waiting game, cold from the freezer. Yummmmmm... Usually, I buy more than one box. I allow for immediate consumption of the first sleeve of cookies, which lasts about a day or two days. Then I ration out the next sleeve. Just four per day. Make it last! Additional boxes are put in the freezer. I try to actually hide them from myself. Once I found a box in mid-July. It was like waking up and realizing it was Christmas morning!

I'm Really Lucky...

I am really lucky because both my husband and I have stable, full time employment. While I might not always like my work hours or work conditions, I have a reliable paycheck my work is important to others.

My baby is 4 and a half months old (kind of... or should I say he's negative four and a half months old?). When things were so dark for me, I really didn't believe I'd get pregnant and stay pregnant. Now it seems as if we will get to have this baby, this time.

I am lucky to have someone to talk to almost anytime I need to talk. I have friends that I can email with, text to, or call up. Yes, it sucks that many of my besties aren't living anywhere near me, so I can't grab lunch with them. But I know I can have a phone-date with most of them! How sad it would be for me not to have a support system like this.

My health is getting better. Sure, I still puke a lot in the morning (frequency, not volume. EW), but usually I feel very well in the afternoons. I am having more good days than bad ones. Hurray for this!

I can usually express how I feel about things. I think being able to communicate, being literate and well read, as well as having the words to describe emotions and thoughts are critical skills.

Valentine's Goodies

I really like Valentine's Day. Historically, I've had WAY more Single Girl Valentine experiences than In Love Girl Valentine's experiences. In fact, I've only had a boyfriend/husband 7 times for this holiday.



My mom always bought us a nice card, chocolates, and a CD/DVD. She'd put them on our breakfast table or in our bathroom for us to find in the morning. It was really nice.



In elementary school, we had classroom parties. I loved making the Valentine cards for others. I actually didn't do home made ones... just the cartoon ones from the store. But I still liked filling them out! I think I felt a little like I was doing something important.



I like the Valentine's Day decorations most stores have, too. Lovely place settings, pretty candles, sweet wreaths. How fantastic would it be to have a birthday in February? Well, if you are female and like lacy, pink and red, and LOVE theme decorations. (Which I do.)



For Valentine's Day this year, my husband made me heart shaped pancakes for breakfast and put lovely pink tulips on my bedside table. He also planned for our dinner at a fancy Chinese restaurant, and had I felt well enough, gone to see a movie he wouldn't have otherwise selected. Instead, we watched one of my favorite movies/books of all time Pride and Prejudice. (I like both versions!). Another special thing he did was get me an entire box of Fun Dip Valentines. The kind you are supposed to give out to your friends, if, say, you are a little kid. On each Valentine, he wrote a cute name for me on the TO: line (Honey, Good Lookin, Babe, My Dearest) and then FROM: Dan. I thought it was so great! I screamed and jumped up and down a little.

Oh yeah... next week we are going to the Ryan Adams concert here in town! How's that for a great date Valentine gift??

I wish there were more days devoted to appreciating those you love. Like, one per month!

Ah!!!

Life - work, being sick/pregnant, wifehood - its taking its toll on me. SO SO SO SO BUSY.

Sorry, faithful, happy readers for not providing you with anything super neat to read. Our internet is down at home, and I have just been living "chicken with its head cut off" type of a week!

I keep thinking of my two mantras:
1) Breathe. Breathe.
2) Just do the best I can.

Hope things are great and relaxed in your part of the world!

Daily Affirmation

Loving myself unconditionally brings healing and an abundance of love into my life.

DA

The more I love, the more that love is returned to me.

Daily Affirmation

Sometimes it feels really hard to be me, but it's easier than being someone else.

Baby's Gender Annoucement

Though we had planned to be surprised to learn the gender of our child at delivery, the temptation of finding out at 15 weeks, about 5 weeks sooner than is typical for most pregnancies, proved to be too tempting!

Baby H is now known as Baby Boy H!

101 Reasons Why I Love My Husband

101 Reasons Why I Love My Husband

1. He is quick to give a warm, quick smile.

2. He can reach things up on high shelves with little or no effort.

3. He puts effort into finding "The Perfect Valentine Card".

4. He uses nicknames for me, but rarely uses them for other people.

5. I respect his logical, considerate opinion.

6. Other people respect his opinions, too.

7. He struggled to earn good grades in engineering classes, proof that dedication and study skills matter to him.

8. He is loyal to his family.

9. He is proud of my accomplishments.

10. He can think of a way to solve any problem with only a few tools, like McGuyver (he twice fixed bikini tops using only a key ring and a joke).

11. He is responsible.

12. He loves to hold my hand.

13. He reminds me that he loves me.

14. He was as eager to fall in love with me as I was with him.

15. He doesn't complain about my lack of cleaning motivation.

16. He cleans the kitchen really, really well.

17. He has good communication skills.

18. He asks me to clarify if he doesn't understand.

19. He doesn't care about car stereos, cell phones, gaming systems, or other nerdy technogeek stuff.

20. He can kiss gently and firmly at the same time.

21. Our first kiss was magical.

22. He went to MU, too. So we have a lot of co-memories.

23. He let me pick the music, menu, color palette, and venue of our wedding.

24. He prefers different music than I, but is willing to change the radio station if I ask.

25. He thinks demolition derbies are incredible, but doesn't pout if I refuse to go.

26. He works hard for his paycheck and expects others to do the same.

27. He is responsible and generous with money.

28. The corners of his eyes crinkle up with he smiles, or when he squints.

29. He researches Haid family history and gets excited when he learns new family stories.

30. He is polite to older people.

31. He has his own political opinions, but he doesn't push them on others.

32. He makes the most delicious pork steaks I've ever tasted.

33. He is willing to admit a mistake.

34. He is usually the most attractive person in the room. Which makes me feel lucky!

35. He hasn't ever cheated on a girlfriend, and I think he'd rather cut off his arm than be unfaithful to me.

36. I can trust him to make good decisions.

37. He told me I never have to mow the lawn. And he mows the lawn really well.

38. One time he made a list like this for me, when we'd only been dating 6 months.

39. He used to make hand made cards with private jokes and lovely sentiments for me.

40. He saves the notes I write him, ticket stubs, and other sentimental souvenirs from our relationship.

41. He encourages his mother.

42. He is kind to my mother and our grandparents.

43. He began a new hobby last year and has done a lot of research to be successful in it.

44. He has really great curly hair, the kind of supermodels, but doesn't want to bother with hair product, so he keeps it short.

45. He drives an old truck and lets me drive our newer Jeep.

46. He takes care of the maintenance of our cars so that I am always safe.

47. He doesn't eat peanut butter around me because he knows the smell makes me sick.

48. He proposed in a crowd of people during a significant song to our relationship.

49. He lived so frugally to save money for my awesome engagement ring.

50. He designed my wedding ring.

51. He buys me little gifts because he knows that my love language.

52. During this pregnancy, he has assumed all the household responsibilities so I have the chance to rest and be healthy.

53. He doesn't complain about much of anything. He always sees the bright side.

54. He is taller than me. Even with high heels, its a perfect height difference.

55. He loves vacation, too.

56. He doesn't enjoy the same movies as I do, but offers to go to them with me instead of us both seeing the movie we'd like independently.

57. He gets the car really clean before vacation, but is okay when there is sand in it on the way back.

58. He is funny with my girlfriends.

59. He knows when I want a surprise, and when I'd prefer something routine, like how I want tulips for Valentine's Day because the roses are overpriced and under-pretty.

60. He doesn't brag about his accomplishments, but if they are really impressive, he'll probably give you a recap of the softball game or target practice.

61. He is a genuinely friendly person - he makes great first impressions on those he meets.

62. He respects family traditions.

63. He makes breakfast for us both on the weekends.

64. We have a lot of common ground, shared but separate high school experiences.

65. He has a perfect smile, perfect teeth.

66. His handwriting is neat, but masculine.

67. He is willing to try new things -foods, environmental "green" ideas, experiences.

68. He believes the same basic truths about the Gospel as me.

69. He cried at our wedding because he was so happy.

70. He waits patiently for me as I get ready.

71. He is good at getting me to calm down and make positive choices.

72. We spent two years getting to know each other completely before we got married.

73. Our nearly four years of marriage have been peaceful and happy, largely due to his sacrifices and communication skills.

74. He doesn't make me feel like a child when I lose things, like iPods or keys. He just finds them for me or gets a new one.

75. He appreciates the time and attention to detail when I prepare food for us.

76. He is my best friend.

77. No matter what, I know he will listen and love me the same.

78. He has an iron-trap of a memory.

79. He is a good role model for me - he cares less about physical appearance and more about having a good time.

80. His gifts to me are always very thoughtful and cute. And he usually asks me first what I want, so I never get last-minute, poor gifts.

81. He appreciates nature.

82. He makes me feel safe in tornado weather.

83. He is supportive of my friendships.

84. He will be a good role model for our son.

85. He can brighten my saddest days by sharing the pain or reminding me of the positive.

86. He is a curious learner.

87. He is aware of rules and responsibilities for all situations - gun ownership, softball, hunting.

88. He would sacrifice to make sure I had luxuries.

89. He is a competitor, but doesn't compete with me or force me to compete.

90. He goes to all the OB appointments because he really wants to see our child develop.

91. He says sweet things to me before bed.

92. He looks so good in a tuxedo.

93. He looks so good in the sunshine.

94. He is content with life and tells me how happy he is.

95. He is very clever with jokes and math problems.

96. He lets me make my own choices, but does listen when I have ideas for his choices.

97. He respects his body by not smoking, rarely drinking, and never using drugs.

98. He smells so good after he's taken a shower.

99. He sings the same five or six songs in the shower.

100. Christmas and summer are his favorite times of year, and both really serve as great descriptions of his personality.

101. I never have to worry about if my future will be good. If I have him, I know I will be happy on the adventures we share.

The above sentiments are on my Valentine's Day card to him. Its also a special gift for him to have it published online... not something that he'd ever do himself. But I am so proud of him and I want to share with all how I feel about my true love.

How I Learn to Cook...

How I learn to cook these days comes from websites like this. Yes, yes, I use search engines as my primary means of culinary research! My other favorite is Recipezaar and KraftFoods.

Historically, though, I've gained a lot of insight about the kitchen from watching my parents cook, seeing my aunt prepare pies at Douglas Company, and reading cookbooks. I have two new cookbooks from Christmas that I haven't had time to study, and I look forward to trying those!

But for now, I am off to bake potatoes in the oven, per the recipe and advice on http://howtobakeapotato.com/. Maybe one day I'll start doing step by step photo recipes of my own, so I can contribute the the online community that has helped me become the cook I am today!

DA

There may be trouble ahead,

But while there's moonlight and music and love and romance,

Let's face the music and dance.
-- Irving Berlin

Good Things

I think its about time for me to write a list of good things. I have felt the drain of feeling physically unwell and super-tired, but I am SO DONE with complaining/venting/agonizing over. I am just going to be matter-of-fact about it. Being pregnant is not agreeing with me. I am always getting sick, feeling like I am going to get sick, or have just gotten sick five minutes ago. Its just how it is. Over. Move on!



So here are some good things that I've done or have had done for me lately:



1) I had the foresight to schedule a day off on February 12, and to ask for support from my husband. I knew I'd feel so uneasy and sad on this day, and I am proud of myself for taking care of my needs and asking others to help. Its not easy!!



2) We bought a photo album for the baby. Its blue suede and has a ridiculous giant silver baby carriage on the front. Cheese-o rama. But, it is pretty upscale and it will help to organize the dozens of ultra sound photos we have gotten and will continue to get. I am going to officially beginning the memory-collecting process for this baby!

3) New favorite bra brand... its called Olga and I found them at Kohl's last weekend. These have done wonders for my new, no-longer 34 Bs. I had no idea that I could change so quickly. All my lovely, VS fun to wear funderwear has been put into storage and I've got these "serious, heavy duty" bras. I officially feel like an adult woman now! No frivolous lacies or extra enhancements necessary! Seriously. I'd read so much about the need to get good, supportive bras during early, mid, and late pregnancy. I was at a loss for exactly what counted. FYI: Nothing at Target counts. VERY few things at VS count.

4) Heart shaped pancakes! My husband prepared them for me for breakfast. Its just the type of thing that he would do for me. And I am just the type of person who would be slightly disappointed with oval shaped pancakes on Valentine's Day!

5) Looking forward to a vacation! I'll get to spend some time with BBF Ann and her fun and funny husband John in late March. Though I haven't bought the plane ticket yet, I am especially excited for flying. I think I would even take extra layovers/plane switches just because I think riding in planes is so much fun!

6) Car pooling. Husband's new job is RIGHT on the way to my school. I simply take one exit from the highway, let him off, and am on my way. Literally 60 seconds off normal driving schedule. This means we get to spend time together talking in the car before and after our work days. This is an especially nice thing to do! On Wednesday when I was uber hungry, we even ate an early Buckingham's BBQ dinner together at a park. At 4:15pm. Yes, I am aware that it seems senior citizen-eque. But so does our breakfast date at Cracker Barrel on Thursday!

7) The excitement of announcing our baby's gender to family members. Yep, it was going to be a surprise, but sometimes, I just can't stand to wait. So we know. They know. I'll let you know very soon!

8) LOST is back on! For you other losties, here's a great website that I check periodically for other fan theories! It helps connect the dots between Eloise Hawking and Widmore, Faraday... good stuff!

DA

To love abundantly is to live abundantly, and to love forever is to live forever.
-- Henry Drummond

Daily Affirmation

Better to light a candle than curse the darkness.
-- Peter Benenson

Happy Birthday, Ava.

Today would be the first anniversary of our daughter's birth. Except she wasn't born.

I imagine we'd prepare a special breakfast for her - probably chocolate chip pancakes - and let her open a gift. Then this weekend we'd host a family party with lots of purple, balloons, and Valentine theme decorations. We'd feel old when we looked at photos over the year because of how much change had occurred.

But now...its a strange place to be in... to think about what my life would be like with a one year old child, especially that I am pregnant with a different baby right now. If Ava were born, there would be only a slight chance I'd be pregnant right now. And I probably wouldn't have had a miscarriage this summer if I'd just had a young infant. These what if scenarios are especially uncomfortable and make me just feel... weird.

I took a personal day so I could just have quiet time to myself and time alone with my husband. We didn't do much to celebrate/mourn, but we did agree to spend the day together, only doing errands together, and only participating in things we wanted to do. It was nice to have hugs whenever I needed one. Hugs on demand!

Here are a few photos which are memories from Summer 2007.

EARLY VALENTINE

For God so loVed the world,
That He GAve
His on Ly
BegottEn
SoN
That whosoever
Believeth In Him
Should Not perish,
But have Everlasting life."

John 3:16


My mom sent this forward to me this morning, and though I usually don't read them, I think this forwarded email is nice. So I am sharing it with you!

Wednesday Night Traditions.

We have a little Wednesday night ritual in our house. It began almost three years ago, when we first discovered LOST and our recipe for French Bread Pizza.

We do our night chores, create a pizza together, and then settle in for an evening of suspense and fun... LOST viewing. Usually we discuss our theories and predictions after the show.

Very few things have gotten in the way of this tradition. Once, husband played in a softball game on LOST finale night, and that really messed with our week. I even decided to forgo a women's Bible study in which I wanted to participate because it fell on every single Wednesday of the entire season. I don't attend meetings on Wednesdays. We don't take phone calls during our show. We have sometimes had a co-LOST viewing party with our neighbors, but only very rarely.

Here's our little "secret" recipe for our favorite meal.

Ingredients: Bread that comes with garlic butter spread on it, in foil ready to bake. Ragu Traditional or Kroger Pizza Parlor Style Pizza Sauce. Bag of Pizza Cheese/Mozzarella cheese. Fresh mushrooms. Pepperoni.

Method: Scrape almost all of the garlic butter off the bread... but make sure when you are scraping it that all the bread gets a fine layer over the top. Spread about half of the pizza sauce on both halves... any more and its just "too much!". Put pepperonis on husband's half. Cover both halves with a thick layer of cheese. Now add mushrooms, nice and thick, over the top of both pizzas. Bake in 375 oven for about 25 minutes, or until the cheese begins to turn brown.

Yummmmm. Pizza's being prepared right now... only 1 hour until we eat!!!!!

Daily Affirmation

That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.
-- Abraham Lincoln

DWTS New Cast!!

I am pumped up for the March 9th start of DWTS.

Here's a list of who is participating this year and my thoughts...

• Jewel I hope she sings the song "...break the yolk and make a smiley face, kinda like it in my brand new place, wipe the spots off of the mirror, put the cap back on, never fool with towels on the floor any more 'cause".


• Jewel's husband, Ty, who is a rodeo cowboy. I think he'll be sporting chaps with fringe and glitter before too long!


• David Alan Grier - I have no strong opinions. I don't think he'll be as naturally talented as last season's Maurice, but he does have a crowd pleasing smile! And when that other comic Adam Corrolla was on the show, it was fun.


• Steve W, Apple co-creator - He just doesn't look like a dancer. I hope he's not paired with one of my fav. girls - Juilianne H, Cheryl Burke, or Edyta. He'll be out FAST.


• Lil Kim. I'm not a fan of hers. So I really don't have an opinion.


• Chuck Wicks - I've never heard of him. But looking at his photos online, he will be the season's cutie for sure! And he's with Julianne! That is a great match. I bet they sing a country duet together. Maybe they'll win!


• The Naked Neighbor fom SATC movie - Admit it, didn't you hit rewind to see him and his when you first got the DVD? No? Well, maybe you were one of the gaspers or screechers in the movie theater making so much noise! I hope he's put with Cheryl. That will be steamy


• Steve-o. Ew. I hope he's not with Edyta. Or Katerina. They deserve "normaler".


• A football hall of famer named Lawrence. No opinion, really. I bet he'll go to the final six or so, the voters usually do that.


• Belinda Carlisle. Didn't know her name or face, but then I found she sang the song "We got the beat, we got the beat we got the beat.... yeeeeaaaaaaaaaaah, we got the BEAT!". She's got to be better than Susan Lucci last season!


• Denise Richards - I think she's a mix between Brooke and Kim Kardinshan... older cutie mom plus reality star. I think she'll make it to Top 4 at least.


• Shawn Johnson- I hope she's with Derrick! That will be fun to watch. Or if she is paried wtih the tallest guy out there... Tony? That will be more fun! I think she'll be extremely talented and well suited to this, if she can act mature enough for ballroom and those sexy dances!


• Nancy O'Dell - Eh... I'm not into gossip hosts doing these shows. No thanks!

• 

Confession: Another TV Event I'm Ignoring. Subtitle: My Thoughts About Economic and Life Choice Bail Out Plans

Last week it was the Super Bowl.

This week its the Presidential Address. I am not totally interested in listening to President Obama speak about the economy and how much our country needs an economic stimulus package. I'm just not buying it.

If my neighbor had two cars, and I had a friend who had no cars, it would be illegal for me to go demand and take the extra car from neighbor 1 to help neighbor 2. I couldn't just call up the mayor of our city and demand that this transfer of ownership occur. I feel like this what is happening with our bailout philosophy.

I know it seems hard core, but I think that some businesses flourish and others fail. And when business leaders make bad choices about what their consumers need/want, or poor financial decisions, I think there should be a natural consequence of failure. Pick yourself back up, start again. Or maybe sell out to a competitor and use that money to start another business. Either way, that business owner has learned important lessons and I think can be more successful in the future.

To some extent, this is a belief I hold about raising children and school systems. Life should be full of obstacles to enhance learning experiences. I want my kids to be creative problem solvers. I want my students to have to work for knowledge, to puzzle over inconsistencies in data or theories, and explore the world to form their own conclusions. (I've found this is extremely difficult to do for students, as well as for teachers. Its so much easier to "give" notes and test basic information. My kids are so resistant to active learning. I think that they'd prefer not to struggle, but to just eke out an easy path in the world. I think the Bail Out plans are along the same line of reasoning)

Just Another Manic Monday...

But I guess it feels more like Sunday for me.

I went to work this morning to set up things for a sub. In order to be ultra-organized and have the students be productive on a day I am out (actually advance in the content), it takes me roughly 2 hours to prepare. If you aren't a teacher, know this: it takes a lot of work to be gone for a sick day!

During that time period, I barfed. A few times. Once the principal came in to check on me. During the barf. How embarrassing!! Random students popped in all first period, increasing the amount of time I had to be at school. Its nice to see happy faces in the morning, but I couldn't get them to leave. I told them my breath was toxic. Most didn't buy it and replied "Pregnancy isn't contagious!". Ah, at least the paid attention during the lessons about communicative disease!

I am not sure if I have some sort of stomach virus, the achy respiratory flu, or am just feeling very sick. Yesterday I barely moved and ate very little. Its about time for me to nap.

I hope to put a few things away in my bedroom so the room doesn't stress my husby out any more. I am trying to do very loving things for him this week, it being Valentimes and all.

Oh... here's something else interesting that happened as I was at the pharmacy (its actually called a Medical Pharmacy. That seems like a redundant phrase, no?) refilling Zofran. Some one asked me for money or food. Usually downtown, the homeless people are drunk and offensive. This person looked sad. I didn't have any pocket change or even Saltines (yes, they go everywhere with me these days), but I did come back after I'd bought a sandwich for my own lunch with some food for him. People in Columbia seem very reluctant to give beggars anything, and I always feel socially sanctioned for giving booze or drug money. I think I should start carrying around little snacks to give people who are brave enough to ask for a hand out. How "down on my luck" would I have to be to actually beg? That seems pretty brave to me!

Daily Affirmation

The time is always right to do what is right.
-- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

What I learned in Church this Sunday...

Sad news. I wasn't able to go to church because of vomiting and nausea issues. I had thought that I had a reprieve and was finished... after all, this is 16 weeks! Sadly, I woke up feeling sick and the first time I moved I had to make a dash for the bathroom sink. So, in short, didn't make it to church service this morning.

However, I have the opportunity to listen to the message online or to download it. Here is our church website: Grace Bible Church, and though its not too snazzy and probably not the most user friendly, it is the first church I've attended that has a website!! And new this year: POD CASTING! So, I have the opportunity to listen at my leisure. That is cool! The site also has links to Pastor Mike's "Legacy Series", which is a topical lecture series about what do those who call themselves Christians believe, using the Bible as the ultimate authority for leading their lives. It is a good "what I should know but maybe don't know how to say it properly or have scriptural references for that" lesson.

The sermon's subtitle today was "Christ is a substitute for everything, but nothing is a substitute for Christ. - H.A. Ironsides". It is the fourth (fifth?) in a series of lessons about the birth of the Church, and how we as parts of the body of Christ can further reach out to others.

Saturday Delight

I love Saturdays. LOVE Saturdays. Today I had the pleasure to sleep past our alarm clock, enjoy an hour phone conversation with a dear (and fun) friend, go for a chiropractic adjustment, get a free donut from the only local donut store in Columbia, shop some mean sales at Kohl's, browse the natural foods store, and eat Mac n Cheese at McAllister's.

Now I can take a nap, leisurely clean up my bedroom, and then go for an afternoon outing with husband (once he wakes up from his Saturday nap!).

Saturdays really are a welcome balm that soothes my spirit.