Dang she's a sweetie. Okay, I'll go clean up now. Unbelievably, Lazarus is still asleep. -- Oh, scratch that: "Doo-doo dah doh, Aah gah go oh..." Sounds like he's in a good mood.
Saturday, March 20, 2004
What a beautiful first day of spring. I haven't been outside yet, but the warm breezes through the open windows and doors are almost intoxicating. And it's unexpectedly peaceful here at the moment -- Lazarus is almost 2.5 hours into his nap, and Maggie has been dozing lightly for over an hour, which has given me time to shower, lunch, and get on the computer. I suppose I should sleep (up for good at 4:30 a.m. yesterday, 5:00 today), or clean the place up, or get the rest of the laundry off the line, but... nah, I'm doing what I need to do right now. And I wanted to post these pictures -- Maggie is opening her eyes so much now, and they don't seem as blurry or confused as they did a week ago. I love it when she looks intently in my eyes... and then farts and lets out a deep sigh....
Dang she's a sweetie. Okay, I'll go clean up now. Unbelievably, Lazarus is still asleep. -- Oh, scratch that: "Doo-doo dah doh, Aah gah go oh..." Sounds like he's in a good mood.
Dang she's a sweetie. Okay, I'll go clean up now. Unbelievably, Lazarus is still asleep. -- Oh, scratch that: "Doo-doo dah doh, Aah gah go oh..." Sounds like he's in a good mood.
Friday, March 19, 2004
Good morning
Maggie woke me up around 4:30 this morning, and I couldn't manage to get her back to sleep before Lazarus woke up at 6:00, so I might need two cups of coffee this morning. But now that everyone is fed, we're having a peaceful morning, listening to the Weavers and Doc Watson and enjoying the warming day. Maggie is having another "don't put me down morning" in the sling...
and Lazarus is running around playing with the grown-up toys -- he looks so serious when he picks up the phone, like he's calling his stockbroker or something (he's just listening to the dial tone -- I don't think he's managed to dial a real place yet):
We're going for another walk this afternoon with Christine and Jai, and this time I might see how Maggie does in the stroller with the snuggler support Mom got for her. Jai might object to riding separately, though -- he likes being with his buddy "La-la." It's so interesting to watch them learn how to play together and try to work out rudimentary social skills.
I hope this great weather holds up. Everyone says we're supposed to be in wind-tunnel mode by now, so we'll enjoy it while we can. I've already seen some trees (cherry? peach?) starting to bloom (though they won't likely fruit, if we get the usual mid-spring hard frost to knock them out), and people report that gardens in Socorro are already budding and blooming. We have lots of new birds, too. I'm hearing songs I haven't heard all winter, and even Lazarus notices all the activity -- he points up at the trees and says "eee-eeee," and gets excited when a small flock passes overhead. God do I love spring.
and Lazarus is running around playing with the grown-up toys -- he looks so serious when he picks up the phone, like he's calling his stockbroker or something (he's just listening to the dial tone -- I don't think he's managed to dial a real place yet):
We're going for another walk this afternoon with Christine and Jai, and this time I might see how Maggie does in the stroller with the snuggler support Mom got for her. Jai might object to riding separately, though -- he likes being with his buddy "La-la." It's so interesting to watch them learn how to play together and try to work out rudimentary social skills.
I hope this great weather holds up. Everyone says we're supposed to be in wind-tunnel mode by now, so we'll enjoy it while we can. I've already seen some trees (cherry? peach?) starting to bloom (though they won't likely fruit, if we get the usual mid-spring hard frost to knock them out), and people report that gardens in Socorro are already budding and blooming. We have lots of new birds, too. I'm hearing songs I haven't heard all winter, and even Lazarus notices all the activity -- he points up at the trees and says "eee-eeee," and gets excited when a small flock passes overhead. God do I love spring.
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
More pictures, at least
When naps coincide, I can either sleep or get stuff done around the house. When naps don't coincide, I play tag-team with the babies and try to stay sane. Things get kind of rough by late afternoon, but with the weather getting nicer, maybe that's the best time to go out for a stroll. Lazarus and Jai took a test run last week in the wonderful stroller my mom got for us -- now we can go all over the dirt roads and trails here, mama and babies and dogs and all. Maggie's too small for it now but will grow into it very soon (I can carry her in the sling till then)...
Maggie is growing fast -- she's not quite out of the newborn clothes yet but is definitely starting to fill out. And her head grew a half inch so the hats I've knit for her might fit sooner rather than later. Here she is after an afternoon snack the other day:
She's opening her eyes a lot now, so I'll try to get more pictures (gotta get some AAA batteries for the camera... it's very difficult getting out to the store now, but I guess I'll get the hang of it soon...)
Lazarus has had a great time playing at Jai's lately -- Christine said he pushes this little toy around and around the yard every time he's there, and she lent it to us so he can play with it here at home:
I love this shot just because it was one of our first warm spring-like days, and Lazarus got to play outside at Jai's all afternoon:
Lazarus rubs his near-naptime eyes, and Maggie stirs, so I guess it's another tag-team day.... Better go take care of those babes.
Maggie is growing fast -- she's not quite out of the newborn clothes yet but is definitely starting to fill out. And her head grew a half inch so the hats I've knit for her might fit sooner rather than later. Here she is after an afternoon snack the other day:
She's opening her eyes a lot now, so I'll try to get more pictures (gotta get some AAA batteries for the camera... it's very difficult getting out to the store now, but I guess I'll get the hang of it soon...)
Lazarus has had a great time playing at Jai's lately -- Christine said he pushes this little toy around and around the yard every time he's there, and she lent it to us so he can play with it here at home:
I love this shot just because it was one of our first warm spring-like days, and Lazarus got to play outside at Jai's all afternoon:
Lazarus rubs his near-naptime eyes, and Maggie stirs, so I guess it's another tag-team day.... Better go take care of those babes.
Monday, March 08, 2004
A Sunday kind of love
We've had the best Sundays since we moved in January. We putter around, Antonio does some laundry, and eventually we get in the car or Bronco and go somewhere scenic. A few weeks ago Antonio drove us through Bear Trap Canyon, a surprising oasis in the mountains just south of us, and since we were in the Bronco, which doesn't offer much style or comfort but has rock-solid 4-wheel-drive, the mud and snow were no problem. We scoped out some camping sites along the way, Lazarus oooohhed at all the big trees, and Lucy the dog tried to leap out every time she saw cattle or, deep into the canyon, the two elk who just watched us go by.
Yesterday we managed to get ourselves and two babes ready, get in the car, and drive to Pie Town for a late lunch and, yes, pie. It was my first time out of the house since I'd gotten home Wednesday night, and it was also the first truly warm, spring-like day in a few weeks. As we drove west across the Plains of St. Augustine and past the Very Large Array, the snow left on the higher edges of the plains looked almost like whitecaps on a distant ocean. Heading into and past Datil, we were back in hilly territory, with strange rock formations shaped less by the rare water than by the raw wind that's so bountiful here. At Pie Town, we ate at the Daily Pie Cafe -- which, aside from a gallery/land sales office and perhaps one or two other businesses, is the only act in town. Lazarus looked around and exclaimed at all the wonders he saw -- the old hats hanging above a window, the tuba suspended in front of another window, the big pile of wood next to the wood stove -- and I felt the same, just to be in another place for a while. Maggie just stared, then went to sleep. We finished (the coconut cream pie was divine), drove home, and I nursed Maggie while Antonio made a great roast and Lazarus tried very hard to stay underfoot.
Our Sundays make the week wonderful, Antonio said last night.
Here are the road-trippin' babes, with Lazarus giving the "ready to go" signal:
and here's a closeup of Maggie, dressed for her first outing in a sleeper and sweater that Christine lent us (I love dressing my baby in heirloom knits!):
Both babes are actually asleep. I should be, too. Tired, stubborn me.
Yesterday we managed to get ourselves and two babes ready, get in the car, and drive to Pie Town for a late lunch and, yes, pie. It was my first time out of the house since I'd gotten home Wednesday night, and it was also the first truly warm, spring-like day in a few weeks. As we drove west across the Plains of St. Augustine and past the Very Large Array, the snow left on the higher edges of the plains looked almost like whitecaps on a distant ocean. Heading into and past Datil, we were back in hilly territory, with strange rock formations shaped less by the rare water than by the raw wind that's so bountiful here. At Pie Town, we ate at the Daily Pie Cafe -- which, aside from a gallery/land sales office and perhaps one or two other businesses, is the only act in town. Lazarus looked around and exclaimed at all the wonders he saw -- the old hats hanging above a window, the tuba suspended in front of another window, the big pile of wood next to the wood stove -- and I felt the same, just to be in another place for a while. Maggie just stared, then went to sleep. We finished (the coconut cream pie was divine), drove home, and I nursed Maggie while Antonio made a great roast and Lazarus tried very hard to stay underfoot.
Our Sundays make the week wonderful, Antonio said last night.
Here are the road-trippin' babes, with Lazarus giving the "ready to go" signal:
and here's a closeup of Maggie, dressed for her first outing in a sleeper and sweater that Christine lent us (I love dressing my baby in heirloom knits!):
Both babes are actually asleep. I should be, too. Tired, stubborn me.
Saturday, March 06, 2004
With hope, good morning
Around 11:45 p.m. last Sunday night, as my husband drove fast and anxious down Highway 60 and I labored, we listened to the following on KUNM's "Spoken Word Hour" program. I'd read and heard this poem before, but it struck me as incredibly fortuitous that it would air just before the birth of my daughter. The words and the cadence of Maya Angelou's strong reading gave me such strength in the 12 hours of labor that followed, and that next morning, the final lines echoed in my ears as I held my beautiful Magdalene for the first time.
On the Pulse of Morning
Maya Angelou
A Rock, A River, A Tree
Hosts to species long since departed,
Marked the mastodon.
The dinosaur, who left dry tokens
Of their sojourn here
On our planet floor,
Any broad alarm of their hastening doom
Is lost in the gloom of dust and ages.
But today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully,
Come, you may stand upon my
Back and face your distant destiny,
But seek no haven in my shadow
I will give you no hiding place down here.
You, created only a little lower than
The angels, have crouched too long in
The bruising darkness,
Have lain too long
Face down in ignorance
Your mouths spilling words
Armed for slaughter.
The Rock cries out to us today, you stand on me,
But do not hide your face.
Across the wall of the world,
A River sings a beautiful song,
It says, come rest here by my side.
Each of you a bordered country,
Delicate and strangely made proud,
Yet thrusting perpetually undersiege
Your armed struggles for profit
Have left collars of waste upon
My shore, currents of debris upon my breast.
Yet, today I call you to my riverside,
If you will study war no more. Come,
Clad in peace and I will sing the songs
The Creator gave to me when I and the
Tree and the Rock were one.
Before cynicism was a bloody sear across your
Brow and when you yet knew you still
Knew nothing.
The River sings and sings on.
There is a true yearning to respond to
The singing River and the wise Rock.
So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew
The African, the Native American, the Sioux,
The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek
The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheikh,
The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher,
The privileged, the homeless, the Teacher.
They all hear
The speaking of the Tree.
They hear the first and last of every Tree
Speak to humankind today. Come to me, here beside the River.
Plant yourself beside me, here beside the River.
Each of you, descendant of some passed
On traveller, has been paid for.
You, who gave me my first name, you
Pawnee, Apache, Seneca, you
Cherokee Nation, who rested with me, then
Forced on bloody feet, left me to the employment of
Other seekers--desperate for gain,
Starving for gold.
You, the Turk, the Arab, the Swede, the German, the Eskimo, the Scot,
You the Ashanti, the Yoruba, the Kru, bought
Sold, stolen, arriving on a nightmare
Praying for a dream.
Here, root yourselves beside me.
I am that Tree planted by the River,
Which will not be moved
I, the Rock, I the River, I the Tree
I am yours--your Passages have been paid
Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need
For this bright morning dawning for you.
History, despite its wrenching pain,
Cannot be unlived, but if faced
With courage, need not be lived again.
Lift up your eyes upon
This day breaking for you.
Give birth again
To the dream.
Women, children, men,
Take it into the palms of your hands.
Mold it into the shape of your most
Private need. Sculpt it into
The image of your most public self.
Lift up your hearts
Each new hour holds new chances
For new beginnings.
Do not be wedded forever
To fear, yoked eternally
To brutishness.
The horizon leans forward,
Offering you space to place new steps of change.
Here, on the pulse of this fine day
You may have the courage
To look up and out and upon me, the
Rock, the River, the Tree, your country.
No less to Midas than the mendicant.
No less to you now than the mastodon then.
Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister's eyes, and into
Your brother's face, your country
And say simply
Very simply
With hope
Good morning.
On the Pulse of Morning
Maya Angelou
A Rock, A River, A Tree
Hosts to species long since departed,
Marked the mastodon.
The dinosaur, who left dry tokens
Of their sojourn here
On our planet floor,
Any broad alarm of their hastening doom
Is lost in the gloom of dust and ages.
But today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully,
Come, you may stand upon my
Back and face your distant destiny,
But seek no haven in my shadow
I will give you no hiding place down here.
You, created only a little lower than
The angels, have crouched too long in
The bruising darkness,
Have lain too long
Face down in ignorance
Your mouths spilling words
Armed for slaughter.
The Rock cries out to us today, you stand on me,
But do not hide your face.
Across the wall of the world,
A River sings a beautiful song,
It says, come rest here by my side.
Each of you a bordered country,
Delicate and strangely made proud,
Yet thrusting perpetually undersiege
Your armed struggles for profit
Have left collars of waste upon
My shore, currents of debris upon my breast.
Yet, today I call you to my riverside,
If you will study war no more. Come,
Clad in peace and I will sing the songs
The Creator gave to me when I and the
Tree and the Rock were one.
Before cynicism was a bloody sear across your
Brow and when you yet knew you still
Knew nothing.
The River sings and sings on.
There is a true yearning to respond to
The singing River and the wise Rock.
So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew
The African, the Native American, the Sioux,
The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek
The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheikh,
The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher,
The privileged, the homeless, the Teacher.
They all hear
The speaking of the Tree.
They hear the first and last of every Tree
Speak to humankind today. Come to me, here beside the River.
Plant yourself beside me, here beside the River.
Each of you, descendant of some passed
On traveller, has been paid for.
You, who gave me my first name, you
Pawnee, Apache, Seneca, you
Cherokee Nation, who rested with me, then
Forced on bloody feet, left me to the employment of
Other seekers--desperate for gain,
Starving for gold.
You, the Turk, the Arab, the Swede, the German, the Eskimo, the Scot,
You the Ashanti, the Yoruba, the Kru, bought
Sold, stolen, arriving on a nightmare
Praying for a dream.
Here, root yourselves beside me.
I am that Tree planted by the River,
Which will not be moved
I, the Rock, I the River, I the Tree
I am yours--your Passages have been paid
Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need
For this bright morning dawning for you.
History, despite its wrenching pain,
Cannot be unlived, but if faced
With courage, need not be lived again.
Lift up your eyes upon
This day breaking for you.
Give birth again
To the dream.
Women, children, men,
Take it into the palms of your hands.
Mold it into the shape of your most
Private need. Sculpt it into
The image of your most public self.
Lift up your hearts
Each new hour holds new chances
For new beginnings.
Do not be wedded forever
To fear, yoked eternally
To brutishness.
The horizon leans forward,
Offering you space to place new steps of change.
Here, on the pulse of this fine day
You may have the courage
To look up and out and upon me, the
Rock, the River, the Tree, your country.
No less to Midas than the mendicant.
No less to you now than the mastodon then.
Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister's eyes, and into
Your brother's face, your country
And say simply
Very simply
With hope
Good morning.
Friday, March 05, 2004
Welcome baby!
Magdalene Ruth made her dramatic entry into the world on Monday, March 1, at 11:34 a.m. -- "natural" birth, no drugs, and a fast, slippery landing on mama's belly!
We stayed at the hospital till Wednesday, and right after we came home we got the brunt of a heavy late winter storm that knocked out our electricity for most of yesterday. Sorry for not updating sooner! More details later, but here are some pictures:
Magdalene on Tuesday, just one day old:
and on Wednesday, before we came home:
We stayed at the hospital till Wednesday, and right after we came home we got the brunt of a heavy late winter storm that knocked out our electricity for most of yesterday. Sorry for not updating sooner! More details later, but here are some pictures:
Magdalene on Tuesday, just one day old:
and on Wednesday, before we came home:
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Pictures!
Lazarus pulls his hat on now before we go out the door -- just like Papa:
Eating today -- gettin' better with the spoon:
You want ME to do your taxes???
And here's one of my favorites, from one year ago yesterday, when we traveled to a remote place in New Mexico for a break that has turned into a lifetime:
Eating today -- gettin' better with the spoon:
You want ME to do your taxes???
And here's one of my favorites, from one year ago yesterday, when we traveled to a remote place in New Mexico for a break that has turned into a lifetime:
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Pictures to follow, I promise...
Just found my camera and will take some pictures today.
But I had to post this -- step aside, al-Qaeda, you've met your match:
"The NEA [National Education Association, the nation's largest teacher's union] is a terrorist organization."
--Rod Paige, education secretary for G.W. Bush
Sign me up, baby.
But I had to post this -- step aside, al-Qaeda, you've met your match:
"The NEA [National Education Association, the nation's largest teacher's union] is a terrorist organization."
--Rod Paige, education secretary for G.W. Bush
Sign me up, baby.
Monday, February 16, 2004
Picture fest (with just a short rant)
I hope this trend of states resisting Bush's No Child Left Behind nonsense continues -- the only way to change something is to oppose it, actively. Give courage to others considering the same action.
As promised, the picture fest!
Mmmmm, hot dogs.....
What? You gotta problem wit' dat?
More outside playtime:
Look what grandma made for MEEEEEEEEE!!!
Whaddaya mean this one isn't for me? Who else could it be for?
As promised, the picture fest!
Mmmmm, hot dogs.....
What? You gotta problem wit' dat?
More outside playtime:
Look what grandma made for MEEEEEEEEE!!!
Whaddaya mean this one isn't for me? Who else could it be for?
Saturday, February 14, 2004
I looked down in the trash can. The trash can at the bottom I could see was filled with some cardboard packing material, including the kind of nylon-type straps and maybe some bubble packing. On top of that was a page or two of standard white, low-grade packing-type paper. And on top of that is this little, loosely thrown or tossed group of pages, standard 8 1/2--by-11-size pages and I guess what struck, what got my interest, was on the top page at the top of it was a handwritten entry in a standard form with the name "Bush," comma, "George W," comma, "On Lt." That was in pen ink entry. That intrigued me. It concerned me, looking back at it, I knew initially that it bothered me that was in the trash can. It struck me pretty hard initially. The total number of pages I've estimated were between 20 and 40 pages.
-- Retired Texas Air National Guard Officer Bill Burkett, speaking to Salon.com of an incident that occurred in Spring 1997
God bless and protect the whistle-blowers.
-- Retired Texas Air National Guard Officer Bill Burkett, speaking to Salon.com of an incident that occurred in Spring 1997
God bless and protect the whistle-blowers.
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
"Eighty percent of the nation's property -- land, stocks, bonds -- is now in the hands of 10 percent of the people: the 13,000 richest families have a net worth equivalent to the assets owned by the poorest 20 million people."
--Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose, "Bushwhacked"
I can't do much these days -- feeling breathless and tired -- but at least I have some good reading material thanks to a friend's bountiful library. Gotta read, rest, stay calm... I just have to make it to Friday -- 35 weeks -- and then I won't have to get transported up to Albuquerque (now 114 miles away) for the birth. I was fixated on birthing prematurely with Lazarus, too, so I keep telling myself to relax and stop obsessing over it.
It was sunny and close to 50 degrees out yesterday... and we finally managed to get outta the house! Lazarus was, to put it bluntly, a pain in my butt all morning (he's testing boundaries a lot these days and probably has figured out that I'm not terribly mobile), but a nap, lunch, and some time outside playing in the dirt and watching the dogs wrestle cheered him up a lot. Me too.
--Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose, "Bushwhacked"
I can't do much these days -- feeling breathless and tired -- but at least I have some good reading material thanks to a friend's bountiful library. Gotta read, rest, stay calm... I just have to make it to Friday -- 35 weeks -- and then I won't have to get transported up to Albuquerque (now 114 miles away) for the birth. I was fixated on birthing prematurely with Lazarus, too, so I keep telling myself to relax and stop obsessing over it.
It was sunny and close to 50 degrees out yesterday... and we finally managed to get outta the house! Lazarus was, to put it bluntly, a pain in my butt all morning (he's testing boundaries a lot these days and probably has figured out that I'm not terribly mobile), but a nap, lunch, and some time outside playing in the dirt and watching the dogs wrestle cheered him up a lot. Me too.
Thursday, January 29, 2004
Speaking of moving around a lot...
It's interesting to see this in graphic form -- the 31 states I've been in/passed through are in red:
create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide
States I've lived in:
Pennsylvania (was born there)
Delaware
Massachusetts
New Jersey
New Mexico (home sweet home again)
California
Colorado
Clearly I've been partial to the northeast (where I spent my childhood and part of my 20s) and the southwest (where I've lived for the past 10+ years) -- I've made most of my state "touchdowns" while criss-crossing the country from one to the other -- and haven't had occasion to visit the deep south or northern plains. Or Hawaii. *sigh* (I shouldn't sigh so heavily, since it's sunny and nearly 60 degrees here today...) Lazarus has already lived in three states and visited 11.
And now he's standing at the back door calling "boo-deeeee" (for "Lucy") because he's worried the dogs have taken off to Arizona, his would-be 12th state visited, without him:
create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide
States I've lived in:
Pennsylvania (was born there)
Delaware
Massachusetts
New Jersey
New Mexico (home sweet home again)
California
Colorado
Clearly I've been partial to the northeast (where I spent my childhood and part of my 20s) and the southwest (where I've lived for the past 10+ years) -- I've made most of my state "touchdowns" while criss-crossing the country from one to the other -- and haven't had occasion to visit the deep south or northern plains. Or Hawaii. *sigh* (I shouldn't sigh so heavily, since it's sunny and nearly 60 degrees here today...) Lazarus has already lived in three states and visited 11.
And now he's standing at the back door calling "boo-deeeee" (for "Lucy") because he's worried the dogs have taken off to Arizona, his would-be 12th state visited, without him:
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Walkin' man
We've been seeing a lot of this lately, especially since we moved (yes, again -- but phone no. and PO Box remain the same):
Lazarus just stands up and starts walking now... he can almost make it all the way from one end of the house to the other and doesn't have five goofy sets of up or down steps to negotiate. And he loves being in a warm place again -- the sun warms this place up in no time -- where he doesn't have to wear four layers of clothes.
So does mama.
Lazarus just stands up and starts walking now... he can almost make it all the way from one end of the house to the other and doesn't have five goofy sets of up or down steps to negotiate. And he loves being in a warm place again -- the sun warms this place up in no time -- where he doesn't have to wear four layers of clothes.
So does mama.
Thursday, December 25, 2003
Merry Christmas!
Lazarus doesn't quite know what Christmas is yet, but he sure woke up happy. After I changed and dressed him, he stood up on the bed and gave me a big hug. Definitely the best present I could possibly want.
Thursday, December 11, 2003
On top of the world... (and what always comes after)
About two weeks ago, Laz and I took a road trip way, way up into the Magdalena mountains (in papa's truck, of course):
No updates since then because we've been sick. Really, really sick. Lazarus caught something at my doc's office just before Thanksgiving, and not two days after he was finally over it I caught something violently unpleasant from God knows where. I went to the hospital because I knew I was so dehydrated that I was in trouble, especially since dehydration can bring on premature labor. Sure enough, they kept me there, monitoring the baby (she's fine) and getting fluids back in me and giving me stuff to keep them from exiting right away. William took care of Lazarus for a day while Antonio kept me company. The day after I came home, Antonio got sick; the next day William got sick, and Lazarus didn't seem so happy, either. So I was back on my feet trying to take care of stuff, and I got sick again, too.
I think Lazarus and I might finally be getting over it. I think. Lazarus is pretty chipper and is exploring more than ever, including, yesterday, the usually-forbidden zone of my office (off limits only because it's so messy):
One bonus: the boy is now binky-free, since I decided to try to get rid of any and all harbors of infectious disease. (He also lost every last one of his binkies, and we got tired of scouring the house and cars desperately seeking just one to placate him to sleep.) He's still fighting it a bit at naptime and bedtime, but we're almost there.
No updates since then because we've been sick. Really, really sick. Lazarus caught something at my doc's office just before Thanksgiving, and not two days after he was finally over it I caught something violently unpleasant from God knows where. I went to the hospital because I knew I was so dehydrated that I was in trouble, especially since dehydration can bring on premature labor. Sure enough, they kept me there, monitoring the baby (she's fine) and getting fluids back in me and giving me stuff to keep them from exiting right away. William took care of Lazarus for a day while Antonio kept me company. The day after I came home, Antonio got sick; the next day William got sick, and Lazarus didn't seem so happy, either. So I was back on my feet trying to take care of stuff, and I got sick again, too.
I think Lazarus and I might finally be getting over it. I think. Lazarus is pretty chipper and is exploring more than ever, including, yesterday, the usually-forbidden zone of my office (off limits only because it's so messy):
One bonus: the boy is now binky-free, since I decided to try to get rid of any and all harbors of infectious disease. (He also lost every last one of his binkies, and we got tired of scouring the house and cars desperately seeking just one to placate him to sleep.) He's still fighting it a bit at naptime and bedtime, but we're almost there.
Saturday, November 22, 2003
A small-town house call
Mama, I love my hat. I'll even keep it on till Papa comes home from feeding the turkeys so we can be like buckaroo buddies.
When he's asking for Papa, Lazarus puts his hand on his head and says "Dhat?" because Antonio always has some kind of hat on, usually his beat-up black Stetson. Laz still doesn't seem to have any words, but he's definitely working on expressing himself.
In other news... 'tis the season to keep kids out of doctors' offices and hospitals, if at all possible. I knew Lazarus or I would catch something when I went in for a pregnancy checkup on Wednesday -- Antonio and his uncle had to go to Albuquerque, so I had to bring Laz with me, and I really regretted it when we entered the waiting room full of sneezing, coughing kids and grownups. Especially since my usual five-minute wait stretched to almost an hour thanks to, well, all those sick people.
Sure enough, Lazarus had a mild fever all day yesterday, and it jumped to 103 overnight, so of course we were a bit worried this morning when he still had a high fever and was also lethargic. What to do on a Saturday, when the only apparent option is an emergency room 30 miles away? Call a friend in for a house call, of course. Antonio asked Christine (Jai's mama) to come check Laz out -- she happens to be a physician's assistant, which is just about as good as a doctor for most stuff -- and she came over with her black bag and wonderful bedside manner. And some Children's Motrin which, for the moment at least, seems to be giving Lazarus some relief. Christine said lots of stuff is going around, including RSV, a respiratory infection that sometimes turns dangerous quickly. He might have an ear infection, but it's too early to tell, so we'll just watch him.
A house call -- how cool is that? Thanks, good neighbor.
Thursday, November 20, 2003
It's what's for dinner
Old Time Hunter's Venison Sausage Patties
from The Complete Venison Cookbook by Harold W. Webster, Jr.
2 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. mace
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
4 lbs. boneless venison, cut in 1-1/2" cubes
4 lbs. boneless pork butt or shoulder, cut in 1-1/2" cubes
Combine seasonings, sprinkle over meat in large bowl, and toss until well coated. Grind with a fine disc and shape into patties or stuff into sheep casings. Freeze in meal-size portions. [Notes: Double all seasonings for more intense flavor. Add bacon to meat mix if desired. Grind mixture twice for more consistent texture.]
Antonio and I made this sausage this afternoon, using the venison scraps left over from the deer he shot and butchered last weekend. It came out good. We also made a hot Italian sausage that also came out wonderful. We had to use purchased pork for both (it adds moisture and fat to the sausage, since venison is so lean), but in a few weeks we'll be using home-grown. Now that I've gotten past the "oh, it's so gory" stage (and realized we won't have to buy any meat all winter), I realize how much better it is to eat meat that I know is clean, healthy, and humanely raised. Venison in particular is much leaner than beef yet has as much or more protein per ounce, and of course it doesn't have all the hormones and pesticides and other chemicals that pervade today's commercial beef supply. And it actually isn't gamey if it's shot "quietly" (not chased and hunted down), properly field dressed and butchered, and well wrapped for freezing.
In case you were wondering.
from The Complete Venison Cookbook by Harold W. Webster, Jr.
2 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. mace
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
4 lbs. boneless venison, cut in 1-1/2" cubes
4 lbs. boneless pork butt or shoulder, cut in 1-1/2" cubes
Combine seasonings, sprinkle over meat in large bowl, and toss until well coated. Grind with a fine disc and shape into patties or stuff into sheep casings. Freeze in meal-size portions. [Notes: Double all seasonings for more intense flavor. Add bacon to meat mix if desired. Grind mixture twice for more consistent texture.]
Antonio and I made this sausage this afternoon, using the venison scraps left over from the deer he shot and butchered last weekend. It came out good. We also made a hot Italian sausage that also came out wonderful. We had to use purchased pork for both (it adds moisture and fat to the sausage, since venison is so lean), but in a few weeks we'll be using home-grown. Now that I've gotten past the "oh, it's so gory" stage (and realized we won't have to buy any meat all winter), I realize how much better it is to eat meat that I know is clean, healthy, and humanely raised. Venison in particular is much leaner than beef yet has as much or more protein per ounce, and of course it doesn't have all the hormones and pesticides and other chemicals that pervade today's commercial beef supply. And it actually isn't gamey if it's shot "quietly" (not chased and hunted down), properly field dressed and butchered, and well wrapped for freezing.
In case you were wondering.
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
A nice afternoon outing
Speaking of beautiful public lands worth saving for our children's children...
... we went for a drive yesterday afternoon and watched Ladron peak ("Thieves' Mountain") become golden red as the sun set over the rolling rangeland. Lazarus and I were both having a rough afternoon, and Lucy the dog seemed restless, so I got us all in the car...
... and took off on a dirt road headed north out of town, to nowhere in particular. The road actually does end up in Riley, a (near-) ghost town even further out in the middle of nowhere than we are, and I've heard it eventually winds its way to more major roads that lead back to civilization, but that's a long enough haul that I could drive for quite a while and not see a hint of that. I let Lucy out of the car and let her run for a while, and Lazarus pointed at the mountains and trees and intently explained (in his special banguage) how much they mean to him...
... and we all felt much better when we got home.
If you haven't yet done so, please let your senators know (see entry below for link) that you don't support the wretched energy bill they'll soon be voting on.
... we went for a drive yesterday afternoon and watched Ladron peak ("Thieves' Mountain") become golden red as the sun set over the rolling rangeland. Lazarus and I were both having a rough afternoon, and Lucy the dog seemed restless, so I got us all in the car...
... and took off on a dirt road headed north out of town, to nowhere in particular. The road actually does end up in Riley, a (near-) ghost town even further out in the middle of nowhere than we are, and I've heard it eventually winds its way to more major roads that lead back to civilization, but that's a long enough haul that I could drive for quite a while and not see a hint of that. I let Lucy out of the car and let her run for a while, and Lazarus pointed at the mountains and trees and intently explained (in his special banguage) how much they mean to him...
... and we all felt much better when we got home.
If you haven't yet done so, please let your senators know (see entry below for link) that you don't support the wretched energy bill they'll soon be voting on.
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
from the National Resources Defense Council:
Urgent: Tell your senators to reject the dangerous energy bill!
****UPDATE, 21 Nov.: WE SPOKE OUT, AND IT WORKED!!!! For now, at least, the Senate has rejected Bush's energy bill.****
After nearly three months of secret negotiations that shut out Democratic participation and public scrutiny, the Republican leaders of the energy conference committee released the final version of the energy bill this past Saturday. Despite the absence of Arctic Refuge drilling provisions, this is NOT an acceptable energy bill: it would hand billions of dollars to the polluting oil, gas, coal and nuclear industries while exempting them from environmental laws that protect drinking water, clean air and public lands.
Among the most damaging provisions in the final bill is a liability waiver for producers of the toxic gasoline additive MTBE. The waiver would shield producers from being held responsible for the cost of cleaning up drinking water contaminated with MTBE, even though the industry knew the chemical would pollute groundwater. The few positive parts of the bill, such as tax incentives for wind and solar power, are vastly overshadowed by policies that would undermine environmental protections, add billions to the national debt and do nothing to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
The electricity section of the bill would open all public lands, including national parks, to the construction of electricity transmission lines, while other provisions would establish oil and gas development as the dominant use of federal public lands at the expense of water quality, property rights of ranchers and farmers, wilderness, wildlife and cultural, historical and recreational values. The bill would even exempt the oil, gas and coal industries from key components of the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act.
The House of Representatives approved the bill Tuesday afternoon, so our last remaining chance of stopping the bill is a filibuster in the Senate, where a vote is expected as early as Thursday.
What to do:
Send a message right now, urging your senators to vote to filibuster the energy bill.
I don't have much to add, except that if I start to see drilling and other development activities on the amazing wild lands that surround me now, I will lose my marbles and get friendly with monkey wrenches.
Urgent: Tell your senators to reject the dangerous energy bill!
****UPDATE, 21 Nov.: WE SPOKE OUT, AND IT WORKED!!!! For now, at least, the Senate has rejected Bush's energy bill.****
After nearly three months of secret negotiations that shut out Democratic participation and public scrutiny, the Republican leaders of the energy conference committee released the final version of the energy bill this past Saturday. Despite the absence of Arctic Refuge drilling provisions, this is NOT an acceptable energy bill: it would hand billions of dollars to the polluting oil, gas, coal and nuclear industries while exempting them from environmental laws that protect drinking water, clean air and public lands.
Among the most damaging provisions in the final bill is a liability waiver for producers of the toxic gasoline additive MTBE. The waiver would shield producers from being held responsible for the cost of cleaning up drinking water contaminated with MTBE, even though the industry knew the chemical would pollute groundwater. The few positive parts of the bill, such as tax incentives for wind and solar power, are vastly overshadowed by policies that would undermine environmental protections, add billions to the national debt and do nothing to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
The electricity section of the bill would open all public lands, including national parks, to the construction of electricity transmission lines, while other provisions would establish oil and gas development as the dominant use of federal public lands at the expense of water quality, property rights of ranchers and farmers, wilderness, wildlife and cultural, historical and recreational values. The bill would even exempt the oil, gas and coal industries from key components of the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act.
The House of Representatives approved the bill Tuesday afternoon, so our last remaining chance of stopping the bill is a filibuster in the Senate, where a vote is expected as early as Thursday.
What to do:
Send a message right now, urging your senators to vote to filibuster the energy bill.
I don't have much to add, except that if I start to see drilling and other development activities on the amazing wild lands that surround me now, I will lose my marbles and get friendly with monkey wrenches.
Saturday, November 15, 2003
Senate democrats actually managed to stayed awake for their all-nighter
This good news kind of surprised me... which reveals how little faith I have lately in our democracy.
I hope senate democrats stay awake long enough to deal with the new energy bill that republicans (only, no dems allowed at this water fountain) have come up with. Among other things, the bill heaps generous tax breaks on energy companies (no surprise there; that trough just keeps getting bigger), shields makers of MTBE (a gasoline additive that is contaminating water supplies) from product liability lawsuits, and fails to mandate improvements in auto fuel economy.
The bill does not, however, advance "one of Bush's top energy goals": opening Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil development. Republicans didn't want to risk having the whole bill scuttled over that issue... this time. No doubt it will come up again, but at least the people's message got through this time.
In other news, we had a cold, rainy week here, but surprisingly, once the clouds lifted, the mountains were still clear of snow. I guess the storm kind of got wrung out on its way through L.A.:
Sheesh. First firestorms, now torrential hailstorms, and on Monday Ah-nold takes over as governor. You know what's next... it IS California, after all. I can almost feel those tectonic plates shuddering from here.
Okay, I haven't taken any new pictures of Lazarus lately, but I'll get some when we venture out into the sunshine this afternoon and post them, just for Mom. Promise.
I hope senate democrats stay awake long enough to deal with the new energy bill that republicans (only, no dems allowed at this water fountain) have come up with. Among other things, the bill heaps generous tax breaks on energy companies (no surprise there; that trough just keeps getting bigger), shields makers of MTBE (a gasoline additive that is contaminating water supplies) from product liability lawsuits, and fails to mandate improvements in auto fuel economy.
The bill does not, however, advance "one of Bush's top energy goals": opening Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil development. Republicans didn't want to risk having the whole bill scuttled over that issue... this time. No doubt it will come up again, but at least the people's message got through this time.
In other news, we had a cold, rainy week here, but surprisingly, once the clouds lifted, the mountains were still clear of snow. I guess the storm kind of got wrung out on its way through L.A.:
Sheesh. First firestorms, now torrential hailstorms, and on Monday Ah-nold takes over as governor. You know what's next... it IS California, after all. I can almost feel those tectonic plates shuddering from here.
Okay, I haven't taken any new pictures of Lazarus lately, but I'll get some when we venture out into the sunshine this afternoon and post them, just for Mom. Promise.
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