Gifting from the Heart

It has been a really busy two weeks and I noticed I had not posted anything in about 10 days. Then I had a million thoughts running through my head about what I should say. You know they were all clever and witty, don't you? :)

First off, it has to be said: HOORAY FOR DONNY OSMOND!!! There will be nay-sayers out there who think one of the others should have won, but I am really happy to see him win this.

Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving has a bad place in the calendar. It gets overshadowed when you are young because of Halloween and then Christmas. It really takes some work to push the turkey day up to the forefront to get the recognition it deserves. Our Thanksgiving Day turned out beautifully. We have had bigger crowds before, but we have never had better food or better or more willing participants in the kitchen. I had the lists made and recipes handy and people just milled in and out making something and crossing it off the list. There was no fighting, no moaning or bitching, no one forgot the rolls, and every year someone in our family forgets the rolls and they burn. And guess what? As if remembering the bread wasn't enough, we also had a couple of hours of spare time in the middle where everything was ready to go in the oven but it wasn't quite time to put them in yet. So we all got to relax, watch some t.v. or take a quick nap, or a shower or whatever it was people did. My new rule regarding Thanksgiving: Everyone who was here this year, has to come back EVERY YEAR!! It was perfect. And I am so grateful and thankful for that.

One more thing before I get to the gifting portion of this post. My tea hoarding challenge update. Tomorrow is the 1st of December and that means for a full 11 months so far I have been working down my tea supply this year. The only new teas I have brought in are for Mr. Big Ed who is not participating in my challenge and herbal teas like chamomile that I consider to be medicinal. But everyday regular breakfast teas, green teas, etc. I am STILL winnowing down those tins. I am almost ready to crack open those hermetically sealed teas and re-label some of the saved tins to house the new teas. Can you believe I had this much tea in my pantry? I sure as hell can't!

What has my tea hoarding challenge taught me? Well, first off it has taught me restraint in the tea aisle, that's what. Secondly, tea companies might want to offer their teas in 2 sizes. Some of us may want to try 2 or 3 varieties, but buying a tin with 50 bags of each flavor is just crazy. And that is where I seem to have gone wrong, thinking I could try all kinds of new teas 50 at a time. And the third and most important lesson for me has been that I don't need to have all the teas, just a select few that I seem to gravitate to on a daily basis anyway. My sister and I always bring a tin of tea when we visit each other, so I know at some point during the year she will come and bring an interesting tea for us to try.

Gifting through the years has morphed from being so much fun when I was a kid to becoming a chore and a huge task to make sure everyone got something and no one was left off the list, then adding in the neighbors, the co-workers, the husband's secretary, the postman, the paperboy, the yard guy, etc., etc. I have kept my Christmas lists for the last 10 or more years and I have been noticing the changes. I used to think I had to buy the best, the latest, the most cool up-to-date crap out there for my kids and nieces and nephews. If I had the $$ I have spent on expensive, non-useful gifts over the years, I would have a ton of money, that is for sure. None of this is to say that I wish I hadn't gifted at all. That's not it. I just wish I had gifted from my heart and not been led by the commercialism of it all.

The gift of time, the gift of an experience is certainly more memorable than one of 20 new games for the Nintendo, game boy, X-box, Wii. Who remembers that Aunt LisaPie gave them Super Mario Bros back in 2000? No one, that's who. So, I am completely changing my strategy for gifting. In the last few years I have gone to gift cards from http://www.heifer.org/ or from http://www.kiva.org/ for birthday gifts, but I still felt I needed to get something tangible for Christmas.

This year, whatever the gift will be, it will be well-thought out and truly given from the heart. It may be a hand-made gift, it may the gift of time and an experience together, it may be a store-bought item that I know will really bring a smile. And it may be more gifts from Heifer or Kiva.

And if you are reading this and thinking of getting me a gift, please know that my favorite thing is spending time with you. It's a gift that always fits, it's never the wrong color, and we both can enjoy it equally and together!

Rant about the Jacksons

Sorry about this, but I have to rant, even if it is the season of being thankful and all that crap. So here goes:

What is up with the Most Dysfunctional Family in America? You know I am talking about the Jacksons. Yes, THOSE Jacksons. WTF, People!!! Your son/brother died and you can do nothing but find a way to turn that into $$$ and more fame and exposure for your own self?

It's just crass and tacky. That's what it is. Tacky. Capital T. Capital A. Capital C. Capital K. and a big fat Capital Y. T A C K Y.

I tried really hard to look online for a family photo of this clan to put on here 'cause what's a blog post without a photo? But omg! Every photo of these people just creeped me out. In every single one of them there is someone looking like a Pervy McPervert child molester. Gross. And it wasn't always Papa Joe, either. Just sayin'.

The only one of this whole group who seems to be just quietly working away at raising kids is the mom. But we see what a fab-u-lous job she did the first go-round. Would YOU trust her (or any of them for that matter) to raise 3 vulnerable children? I am sorry to say that I just don't see any great options there.

All done ranting about the Tacky Jackson family now. Just as soon as I say Shame on each and every single one of them for always looking for a spotlight in any situation. Sometimes it is best to hide your light under the bushel.

Thankfulness and Gratitude

One of my facebook friends posted a suggestion that we each put one thing we are grateful for each day until Thanksgiving. I thought this was a fabulous idea and have been doing so. I kinda wish I had thought of this myself and had started even earlier! It's interesting to see the things that others list that they are grateful for.

Let's be honest here, we have so much more than 90% of the rest of the world. If we aren't thinking about it and being thankful every day we are undeserving triflin' asses, aren't we?

We could start right at the top and be grateful for:

1. Being fortunate enough to be Americans and the lucky few on earth who have more freedom and opportunities than everyone else.

2. Clean potable water. Enough said.

3. Food. And wonderful choices of anything grown anywhere in the world available to us anytime. So what if it's not strawberry season, it is somewhere and they are willing to ship them to us. For a price.

4. Infrastructure that allows us to have electricity, gas, sewage, garbage pickup at the flip of a switch. Turn off some of that stuff and see how far outside the box you have to think to come up with an alternative.

5. Public Libraries. This is a wonderful resource that many other countries don't have. Some of my happiest memories from childhood are in libraries.

Okay, I don't want to get all preachy, I just wanted to share some reasons for thankfulness and gratitude this season. Feel free to share your top 5 list here as well!

Television Update 34656906095!!

I really had other stuff I wanted to blog about, but so much has happened in t.v. land that I *have* to cover it before my 50 year old brain forgets! So, let's get straight to it, shall we?

Tool Academy - Season finale and the winner is . . . . . (drum roll) T-Shaw the Dancing Tool and his long-suffering girlfriend Nicole. Maybe with the $100 K she can buy some waterproof mascara? I can't wait for the reunion show to see which of these couples are still together!

DWTS - Praise the Lord that little Aaron Carter is gone. Bless his heart, he was really trying. But he came across as kinda creepy in a stalkerish-I-need-this-so-much-I-may-go-postal-if-I-get-voted-out kind way. Kelly Osbourne better get her act together or she will be going home this week. I can't believe how much I am rooting for Donny Osmond! He is really putting his heart and soul in to this and trying as hard as he can. AND he is competing against people half his age. That has to count as far as effort goes. So I hope he wins.

SEX ADDICTION - Dr. Drew's new Celebrity Rehab show is with lame-ass celeb-wanna be's that I have never heard of except the one model/actress that was in the drug rehab last season. Now, you would think that show involving celebrities and sexual addiction would be all gossipy, interesting and actually FUN to watch, wouldn't you? You would be wrong. This show is a total snooze-fest. Boring. Dull. And did I mention Boring?

BREAKING BAD - This is one of the grittiest, coolest shows out there. How this one slips under the radar and most people don't know about I will never understand. Awesome.

SONS OF ANARCHY - Katy Sagal is such an asset to this show, they should double her pay. What a character she plays! I really love her. And her son, the guy who looks like Kurt Cobain, well he is just nice to watch.

THE LEAGUE - omg!!!! This is the funniest shit on t.v. right now! I have never laughed out loud watching t.v. as much as I do watching this. Freaking Hilarious! It's on FX right after It's Always Sunny. Check it out, you will just bust a gut. I promise.

SURVIVOR - Evil Russell!! Can you believe this guy? Where do they find these people? It's like a showdown with Evil Russell leading one side and Laura on the other team. She seems pretty evil too, doesn't she? And that Shambo! OMG! She just cracks me up!

TAR - Which couple do you like most? I am torn between the Globetrotters and the father/son duo. And I think it's because they work well as teams. You don't see all the fighting and bickering you do on the others. Those brothers, Sam and Dan? Lordy, lordy! What maroons! I really thought they might come to blows last week during the hay challenge.

Okay, that's all I've got right now. Comments? Suggestions? Lemme know!

Doula Training complete

The fall Doula Training was held this past Thursday, Friday, Sat. and Sunday (today) till noon. We had 18 participants and loads of local Doulas facilitating, helping, cooking, and just being as useful as possible. Our local group of Doulas is such a wonderful source of love, support, information, help and nurturing that it is unbelievable. This is not only for our clients, but for each other. We truly do nurture, lift up, and empower all the women in our lives. It is such a blessing to be associated with all these women.

I think one of the main reasons why this is such a cohesive group is because of our founder and director. The tone of a group is always set by its head, don't you think? She has been quietly and tirelessly working to build this group for more than 10 years and thousands of families have been served in that time. She never misses an opportunity to encourage each and every one of us and to tell us how much she cares about us.

Many of the 18 participants and now prospective-Doulas live in other areas and won't be joining our group. I really hope that they will find something similar in their hometowns to help them on their journey of serving women. For the others that are here locally, I will be looking forward to seeing them at upcoming meetings, in the office and assisting at the next training that has already been scheduled for April, 2010.

Being a Doula is truly a labor of love and I am so glad I found my way to this path at this particular stage of my life. I can't imagine anything I would rather be doing. Isn't it amazing when you find a calling and then find a way to be compensated for doing what you would do for free? It just makes it that much more satisfying and rewarding to know that your services are of value.

What things do you do or what things would you do if you could do anything you want without regard of the money? It's sad that we get stuck in a rut of spending 60 - 80 hours a week doing something we hate, in a place we hate, and away from our families just so we can pay the bills. There isn't much time left for doing things that nourish your soul, is there?

Recently I was thinking that if we were growing as much of our food as we could with the small piece of land that we have available to us, we could cut way back on working outside the home. Work just enough to pay for the electricity and utilities that we need. What else do we need? We all have way too much "stuff" so we don't need to keep buying more, do we? Food and utilities made the top of my list of consumables. Most everything else is not really a necessity, but rather a desire or a luxury.

Anyhoo, I think since I have found something I love doing that fills me up emotionally, and spiritually, but not necessarily financially. What I am doing now is finding ways to make the financial *needs* match the income rather than the other way round. Does that make sense? It makes sense to me in my head, I am just never sure that I express myself clearly outside my head!!

I hope you are doing good works that help you to be fulfilled and if you aren't able to do that right now I hope that you have other things that make up the difference for you.

T.V. Updates, yet again!

These updates are going to be hit or miss due to my dvr cable box becoming "Hal-like" and developing a mind of it's own. Sometimes it records things and sometimes not. It is very weird. And not in a good way. It must be time to go take this box in and get a newer, younger, less independent dvr cable box!

So here is what I do recall:

DWTS - Poor Michael Irvin! He was just getting good. He had just gotten his groove on, his happy feet on, his dancing shoes on, his rhythm going and what happens? He gets ousted by that little Aaron Carter. Speaking of Aaron Carter, I am MORE than a little creeped out by him and his bulging forehead vein. Not to mention, did you see his face when they said he was in the bottom 3? If looks could kill, that whole venue would have gone up in a ball of fire. Not in the least bit sane and healthy if you ask me. Something is just not right there is all I'm saying.

Oh, and I know it's probably not going to happen, but I really, really, REALLY want Donny Osmond to win. I love him! I love that he is 51 or 52 or whatever he is and he is twice the age of all these other people and he is still doing so well. Sorry, I just get tired of the 20-something people on these shows immediately picking off the older ones and treating them like they have no value. Go Donny!! Team Mormon!!

Biggest Loser - Praise the Lord!!!! It's been about 6 weeks in coming, but Tracey has FINALLY left the building. I didn't like her, I never liked her, and nothing she could do was going to make up for all the mean-spirited shit she pulled earlier in the game. Buh-bye Tracey!

I really like most of the other contestants left. I loved the D.C. stuff they did. I really loved them picking things in the White House garden and making salad there. Nice! Everyone should be encouraged to eat as close to the source as possible. Good job, Biggest Loser People!

Breaking Bad - This is a AMC series that we have picked up and o. m. g. people! No wonder Brian Cranston (dad from Malcolm in the middle) has won the Emmy twice in a row for his portrayal of Mr. White. This is a great show and it seriously pushes the boundaries.

TOOL ACADEMY - Lawsy, lawsy. I tell you these tools and their tool-ettes. My jaw dropped when Stew (Hillbilly Tool) and his girlfriend went to the therapy room and there were their parents. He has nice, normal parents! I was kind of assuming since he seems like an illiterate hick and doesn't work and mooches off Amanda's parents that he either A. had no family, or B. was raised by hillbilly wolves. But no! He has chosen to be white trash rather than raised in it. What a complete tool he is! And her too, for choosing him. Good riddance to them.

Survivor - So the merge will happen tomorrow, according to the previews. Why is CBS giving away everything that happens before the show? They have done this all season long! Schmucks. Let's see if the other tribe members will catch on to Evil Russell and his shenanigans.

Amazing Race - Wasn't it about time for those poker-playing, whining girls to go? Yes, it was! Ericka and Brian need to go next. Last week I really felt sorry for the little virgin girl whose boyfriend was yelling at her and trying to shove her down a 30 story high water slide. What a dick. She needs to lose him. And quick. I really like the pink-haired guy and his dad. They are so cute to watch!

Ok, that's it for now. Let me hear from you on what you are watching and who you like on these shows.