Yesterday's Post. Again

I'm trying to streamline this process...the blogger app on the iPad doesn't let me hyperlink, and I can't comfortably type at the family computer, so this is a hodge-podge of iPad typing, computer editing, emailing various documents back and forth from me to me in order to transfer them to Google Docs (and various computers)...I'll catch up! (It probably doesn't help that I write these out in a moleskine journal first of ALL...!)

Here we go!

"Speak to the children of Israel and thou shalt say to them: 'see that thou keep my Sabbath: because it is a sign between me and thee in thy generations: that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctify you.'" Exodus 30:13

I was very young when I read the Little House on the Prairie series, and, being something of a tomboy, the activity and outdoor play depicted in Farmer Boy appealed to me a bit more than the sewing and baking (and churning!) described in the books featuring Laura and Mary. One aspect of the life of a Farmer Boy that did NOT at ALL appeal to me, though, was the description of the family observance of the Sabbath. Looooong church sessions, wherein the children had to keep absolutely still (child psychologists the world over cringe in horror), loooong silent meals eating cold food, as cooking, being considered "work", is not allowed. Loooooong hours sitting listening to Father read from the Bible (and I'm guessing not even the exciting parts with battles and Almighty smiting...), or a book of sermons, also staying silent and still...if not for the entertaining incident involving a sneaky sled run and a stray pig, I would probably have skipped that chapter altogether on my re-readings! Reflecting on the above passage in conjunction with the Farmer Boy Sabbath, I started to feel a bit guilty, that maybe we aren't being God-centric enough in our Sabbath. So I took myself to Google to review a few different takes on Sabbath observance. There is a certain blog I read regularly, written by a stay at home Orthodox Jewish wife, living in Israel. Her Sabbath also does not allow cooking or baking, but she spends her entire week preparing delicious treats and dishes for her family to enjoy while they take the Sabbath day to pray, worship, rest, disconnect from the world (literally: no phones or internet) and reconnect with each other. We ourselves don't really have a set "routine" for our Sunday. There is always Mass in the mornings, and the afternoons are spent playing with Teddy, either at home, the park or the beach, reading the (weeks worth of!) newspapers that have piled up, watching the occasional TV show or movie via the internet (we are always taking suggestions!) while Teddy naps, and often taking the time to cook a rather elaborate meal together.

What I read here heartened me. We are on the right track, it seems, although there is always more room for Jesus, no matter what.

"Our first priority is to worship God publicly by participating at holy Mass. Since the days of the Apostles, the Church community has gathered together on Sunday to attend Mass. The <Code of Canon Law> logically mandates, "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass" (No. 1247). This obligation makes perfect sense. Following St. Thomas Aquinas' thought, we have a moral obligation to give visible, public and regular worship to the God who created all things, including ourselves; who has blessed us in many ways; and who saved us from sin. Just as we attend to our material and physical concerns—such as getting proper sleep, food, exercise and hygiene—we must attend to the well-being of our souls through prayer and public worship...
...The second priority of the Sabbath is to take time for personal rest and for those that we love. In our fast-paced world, sometimes Sunday becomes "catch-up" day—of running to the store, doing laundry and the like. Granted, sometimes we have no choice in the matter. However, we should restructure our lives and strive to accomplish those tasks during the rest of the week. Then we can take good leisurely time for ourselves. All of us need time to read, think, meditate and talk with God in the quiet of our hearts."

Three days Late.

In an effort to get back here (and maybe back away from Facebook a little), I've started doing some scripture reading with a friend. The idea was to read every day, and post thoughts and reflections...every day. This is day three. Yeah. I've read every reading so far (well, not today's yet, but I will...and even update this post when I do!), but obviously this is my first post about it. To make up for my laxness, I will briefly review my thoughts on the last two readings.

The first day's reading was from Exodus, 22:16-24:18. Lots of rules and guidelines for living in there, but it was about halfway through that I was drawn to this: "Thou shalt not follow the multitude to do evil: neither shalt thou yield in judgement, to the opinion of the most part, to stray from the Truth." Exodus 23:2

This is so especially relevant in these times, at this moment. The attack on Christian conscience by the President and by the HHS Department, the recent bullying of the Susan G Komen Foundation by Planned Parenthood (over a paltry few hundreds of thousands of dollars), the cultural war that is being waged on the family...it can be so easy to just sit back and ignore what is happening...it is certainly easier than sticking ones neck out and speaking up in defense of religious freedom, against the travesty of abortion, for the integrity of the family. I spent the rest of Wednesday thinking about and praying for fortitude.

Day two: Exodus 25:1-28:43 Matt left on business yesterday, and I was despairing of ever getting our home in some semblance of order. Teddy's room was still a disaster from where we just dumped all the Christmas loot "to sort later", but instead of "later" happening, it just turned into a dumping ground for any and everything we didn't feel like doing "now", like folding laundry, unpacking suitcases from weekend trips, bringing the donation boxes to Goodwill...poor Teddy. He didn't use his room much anyway, but one evening he went in there and declared, "Dis woom is a MESS. Tan yew hep me, Maw-mee?!" So it was with some renewal of vigor and inspiration that I stumbled over the following verse, tucked amongst cubit measures and acacia wood for the Ark of the Covenant, the tabernacle, and cloth dye for the temple veils and garments: "And they will make a sanctuary, and I will dwell in the midst of them." Exodus 25:8

WELL. Talk about a come to Jesus moment. This home sure wasn't no sanctuary. How could I expect anything other than chaos and disorder if I'm not making a sanctuary for God? I spent the entire morning organizing and sorting. Teddy's room is now a delightful space for play and rest. Our kitchen flows with functionality. The family computer space is cleared of papers and junk mail, all ready for bill paying, record keeping and watching movies. My desk is organized and all set up for daily reading and posting. Everything is in its place, including Jesus in our lives. When Matt comes home, we will agree on where to put our "sanctuary" for prayer time. I am so hopeful for our future in this transition home, now that I've been led to see it as a space to welcome to Jesus.

Day Five, Honey!

So, I never took a before picture. Oh, well. It's Day Five of the Crunchy Betty Honey Challenge, and each day is a little...different. I broke out VERY badly in my "problem area" on Day Three, but a few swipes of tea tree oil on a cotton ball, and a LONG session with a "honey mask" and today I think the blemishes are a LOT smaller and "deeper" (if you know what I mean) than they were when I started. I am hopeful and encouraged!

The stickiness is definitely something to get used to, and there has been a time or two when I realize I wasn't as thorough with the rinsing in one area of my face or another (the "overhang" of my lower lip above my chin is an elusive spot!), but these are minor problems that don't cause me any lasting hesitation.

I took Teddy to the Farmer's Market this morning, where he had his first encounter with a harmonica.

I was hoping that my honey people would have squeezy bottles for me to take in my luggage as we travel this week, but, alas. I had seen a honey stand on the side of the road on our way to the market, and had observed squeezy bottles on the table there, so I stopped to check 'em out. Turns out the squeezy bottles were for giving samples. Le sigh. I sampled the honey, though (all raw and "local", meaning that the man's hives range from a town about two hours drive due south all the way along the coast to a town about twenty minutes due west of us), LOVED it all, but bought only one jar (a two pounder!) of white sage honey for twenty bucks. THAT honey will be for eating. It tastes delicious like buttah. If I had bought some for face washing, I probably would have gone with the Wild Mountain Flower version, since he said that was the one you would pick if you have allergies. Maybe the wider array of honey-producing plants has something to do with it? He said that it also had "more pollen" in it, which is probably a big booster of allergen-fighting properties...I don't know. I've only read a couple of books; I'm no expert. (It's a little...weird...that I can't get any google returns for this guy's honey biznez...hoping it wasn't a bad idea to write a check...). ANYWAY. So, now I have the unenviable task of funneling some honey from my OTHER great big jar o' honey into a wee little airplane-safe squeeze bottle, so as to continue this experiment on the opposite side of the country.

Oh, well, at least the mess I'll make will be edible. :)

The Great Honey Challenge

It's day one! I started two weeks of face washing with raw local honey this morning, and I think I like it. The honey was so sticky that at first I was thinking to myself, "what the heck am I doing...I am never going to get this off my face!!" But I have to say that I was SO surprised at how quickly and easily the honey came off with just a few splashes of warm water. And, as the link suggests, I even left the honey on for a few minutes, enjoying the "tightness" that does imitate a facial masque. I had a focus group this morning, so I did put on makeup. That means I'll have to pick up my Oil Cleanse routine tonight, but something tells me that perhaps I should eschew makeup whenever possible for the next two weeks, if I want optimal results (read: if I want my chin-zits to scram. Which I do). So! Day one down, and I'm not running for the hills. (Nor am I still trying frantically to remove solidified honey from my face.) I consider that success!

Detox.

Part of what we're into around here is what many would call "crunchy" living. I just call it "doing my best to be healthy, natural and not too materialistic". This is kind of a struggle for me: in my insecurity and weakness, wanting to get along with everyone and to have them all like me (working on that; it has lead to some pretty toxic situations, and hasn't been good for me OR for my little family. It's a big project of mine!), I end up going along with too much and getting sucked into materialistic and consumeristic mindsets (brand awareness, replacing perfectly good and functional items with whatever is "better", falling into marketing traps, especially in terms of toiletries, cosmetics and, weirdly, kitchenware...) and then I wonder why it's "never enough". EX. HAUST. ING.

Enter Crunchy Betty. This woman has been such an inspiration as I try to clean up my exterior AND interior (emotions and perceptions) act. She researches ingredients, exposes harmful or shady products, and has these amazing recipes for making your OWN toiletries, using healthy food (that you can also eat...it's two birds and one healthy, delicious, skin clearing stone!). She writes about Throwing Away Your Sad Magnet. Her call to take the "It's Not Just Business" pledge keeps me aware of what I'm putting in my shopping basket, onto my skin, into my body and what I'm letting into my life and my mind.


And now, I'm taking her Crunchy Betty Honey Challenge. (Link will be live on Monday July 18.)

 I've never really had BAD skin, but I also never really had GREAT skin, either. And what with some sun damage, a pregnancy and now a busy toddler, my not-so-great-skin is starting to look pretty blah. I started the oil cleansing method a couple of months ago, and the results were mixed. On the one hand, my unblemished skin was clearer than I could remember it being. On the other, the blemishes were VERY blemishy. Maybe it's my skin just detoxing, but that isn't supposed to last this long, according to what I've read via google. So I think this "wash your face with honey for two weeks" idea sounds pretty good!

 Of course, cleaning up my act does not end with my face or hair or emotions or perceptions. There's a pretty intense spiritual detox going on, as well. That's another post for another day. :) For now, let's get honey-cleansing!

Regularly Scheduled Broadcast

Okay, so, HI. Yeah. There are no "fashion" posts, and no exciting accounts of our (wonderful!) time in portland and Dallas and Colorado (yes, we have been BUSY in the long pause in posting). Why? Not because I don't want to chronicle these days with my single son and happy husband, and not because I don't want to share those stories, but because the laptop, it died. ANd now I type this standing up at the living room entertainment center, which is why we got me a laptop in the first place, but when it died not FIVE days post purchase, I got all nervous and paranoid about Big Purchases of Unreliable Electronics, and, well, here we are. Standing up and typing, into a large screen too close to my face and rounded shoulders. My posture, it suffers.

Also. I looked in a mirror at some point and kind of really didn't like what I saw (I do love me, I'll have you know; just not so crazy about how the packaging is sort of starting to look a little more soft and bubble wrap-y than, well, ever. So, while I probably should (and most likely will) start taking pictures of it and posting it here for the posterity of my posterior (oh, my gosh, I am so sorry about that), I think I should definitely get another Zumba class or two under my belt (HA!) before that. Just for the mental boost.

Anyway. That's where I've been while I've not been here. I still feel very strongly about lots of things, like natural living and natural birth and natural parenting and and and...stay tuned.

I'm Kind of a Mess

This comes as a surprise to no one, of course, but today I'm focusing on just a single area of my messy disorganized life: Le Wardrobe. I love color and texture (and natural fibers!) and unique pieces, and while this all makes for one riotous spree through the thrift stores (FAVORITE. way to shop. EVAH), it doesn't exactly lend itself to an organized closet with a cohesive "theme" (and the ability to make many outfits out of few pieces). Also, there is this weird thing that I do where I don't wear any of my fun clothes, EVER, because...I don't really know why I don't get all fun colorful with my costumes on a daily basis. Lord knows, having only one kid, and a relatively easygoing one at that, I have ample time for creating outfits and maintaining the resulting laundry/upkeep. I have caught myself, on occasion, thinking "What if I want to wear that SOMEWHERE, LATER, and it's in the laundry?" Which is a extremely ridiculous reason to not wear ONE outfit out of an entire closet full of them, especially since, see above re: never wearing any of the fun things EVER. I am vast, and contain multitudes. And they all disagree with each other.

ANYWAY. Enter Louise. Louise came into my life last May, while I was visiting Portland for my nephew's Baptism (and, no doubt, wearing something boring. See above), and I will never ever forget it, because I saw her at Mass, where I was futilely hushing my then 18 month old son in the back of the church. The choir processed up to Communion first (so they could then sing for the rest of us while we received), and in the parade of billowing robes and solemn faces, I caught a flash of marvelousness on someone's feet. These shoes are unforgettable, even if you don't then acquaint yourself with their remarkable wearer, who is pretty amazing even in the least marvelous shoes (although I think she leaves the wearing of unmarvelous shoes to me. See above). I've been following her postings and feeling some rumblings of inspiration. And I think I'm ready (ALMOST) to follow her lead, and start getting all dolled up to go to the dry cleaners (or whatever it is that I do with my day...)! And because I am nothing if not adventurous (/stupid) I've decided to start with our two-week interstate tour of special occasions: a Dallas graduation and then another Portland jaunt, to celebrate wedded bliss.

THIS should be INTERESTING. :D

So Much To Say

...and no way to say it! Part of the timing of the Endless Yattering launch pivoted on the acquisition of Mama's new laptop. And we bought a netbook, and I was blissfully loading pictures onto it, and downloading skype (hello, seesters!) and customizing all the little settings that make the generic portable computing device one's own, when it happened: the little fudger started malfunctioning. And in a REALLY irritating way. I *could* work with it, but I feel that at almost thirty I am beyond the days of standing on one leg and using only my pinky fingers in order to make a technological gadget work. So to speak. If I can't use it regularly, I don't want it, is my motto.

So I have lots to say, and lots I want to share, but I can't, because I am sharing THIS while standing up at our entertainments center, which is pretty much the most uncomfortable and UN-CREATIVE way to express oneself through type EVER. So, until we acquire an actual Lap. Top. Computer. that won't start doing things like open random webpages while I'm in Word, posting will be sporadic. And it's OK that I am more sad about that than you. :P

A Snippet

The sentiments expressed herein can be summed up in a single facial expression, and it's the one that is often given me the first time that I mention that I am Catholic, Pro-Life, Pro-Natural Birth, Pro-Breastfeeding, or any combination of the above.

Because I'm a Pansy Princess

OK, no, really, am I being ridiculous, here? Yesterday at the UPS store, Teddy was sitting on his bum on the floor at my feet, quietly playing with his shoes (?) while I sent off all the Mother's Day gifts, plus a couple more packages (it was taking a while, and he was being VERY manageable, for which I am grateful, since it was naptime...) A woman came to stand in line behind the person behind me, and walked up to Teddy, telling me how cute he was, and started running her fingers through his hair. Luckily, blessedly, THANKFULLY, this did not set him off, as it could have, since he was so tired (last errand of the morning, I was really pushing to get it done), but it still really bugged me. I was polite to her and thanked her for the compliments, had Teddy thank her, too and finally was able to leave.

I was thinking about it off and on later, and I realized why I was bugged, and there are a couple reasons.

First, one never hears of someone just going up to people and starting to touch them unsolicited unless the touched person is a) pregnant, or b) a baby or a toddler. In the first case it is flat out rude, and not only because the area being touched is usually the stomach. (Why anyone would ever think that any woman wants to be touched on  her stomach by a complete stranger, whether she's pregnant or not, is totally beyond me, but anyway.) (Note: this never actually happened to me. A stranger did ask me if she could touch my stomach, and I couldn't help it: I looked at her like she had three heads before saying, "Uhhhhh, no?") In the second case, well, maybe it isn't "rude" (in my opinion, it is), but it is certainly a bad idea. The baby could have stranger wariness, and the last thing any mom needs is someone setting her baby off in public. Maybe the toddler is being taught to not allow people he doesn't know to touch him, and he could start shouting "Bad touch Mommy!" or something. (Or maybe, as in this case, Mommy is reminded to start teaching her toddler to not allow strangers to touch him. After yesterday, I'm considering training him to bite....no, not really...!)

Also, not to be all "our children our are speshul friends for us to nurture and protect their widdle feelings" about it, but, it really does seem to me that it's kind of disrespectful to run your fingers through a strange child's hair when you wouldn't (I assume she wouldn't, anyway) do the same to a strange adult..

What do you think? What would you have done or said?

Also, a portrait of a boy and his hair: