My Life and Times

Happy Holidays?

2011-11-10T06:39:00.001-08:00

As a fan of both the Betsy Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace and the Mother Daughter Book Club series, I am beside myself with excitement that Heather Vogel Frederick's latest installment, Home for the Holidays (out now, in bookstores everywhere!) is about Betsy Tacy!

So I just had to giggle when I saw the cover of the latest Lands' End catalog when I pulled it out of my mailbox. It looks like they totally ripped off the jacket cover of Home for the Holidays!

Happy Holidays, everyone.

Rocking Out the Crusaders

2011-09-04T23:36:00.000-07:00

Friday night was Eaststide Catholic's opening football game; they opened at home. Before the game, there was a little festival with games and free food.

Pre-game rocking

My older daughter is taking Rock Band this semester, having done her time with Health during summer school. Drama II was full, so Rock Band it was.

The only girl, and the only non-instrumentalist, she has become the lead singer. On Friday night they were given the opportunity to play at half time of the football game. She needed to be there at 5:00pm to set up. Wanting to hear her, I went with her and waited around, acting a bit as her handler while she acted as junior roadie for "the guys," making her eat and keeping her well-supplied with water as they set up in front of the Athletic Pavilion.

Although they weren't supposed to play until half time, they sneaked in a song as a warmup about half an hour before the game. I was pleased to hear how good they were -- you never quite knows how good a group of high school students is going to be when they form a band, even one for credit.

Eastside Catholic football

After the introductions (eight assistant coaches??), the coin toss, the opening prayer and the National Anthem, the game started at 7:00pm. It was a beautiful day, and we were treated to a gorgeous sunset behind the trees as the first half dragged on and on, as EC kept scoring and stopping the clock. Finally at 8:30pm with the score at something like 56 - 20, the clock wound down to 0 and it was half time.

The Pep Band played "Born This Way" and was shortly followed by the plucky drill team (which, so cool, includes a member of the Options program, designed for special needs students) performed. Then it was time for the Rock Band.

As soon as they started, people stopped to listen, kids ran over and started dancing and whooping, and parents and alumni smiled benevolently as they walked past. Although they were told to play only one song, daughter decided if they went right into the 2nd song they could do a shortened version of it, and convinced the others to do it. And to their credit, they almost made it through that second song.

After they finished, she rushed over to me with a big hug, then was surrounded by squealing friends, excited about her performance. It was almost 9:00 by the time we left -- she was tired, but in a good way. There's nothing like singing in a band.

Here's a little sample of what had everyone excited, taken with an iPhone:

They're playing music while we're fighting...

2011-07-26T17:28:00.000-07:00

Twenty-ish years ago, I sat in a dark movie theater in a Minneapolis suburb and witnessed something I never thought I would see: the rebirth of the Disney animated musical without Walt. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken brought their magic to the Disney studios for The Little Mermaid, followed by Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin (with the added genius of lyrics by Tim Rice, who stepped in to help Alan Menken complete the score after Howard Ashman passed away.)

It is no secret that Howard Ashman's expertise carried far beyond his lyrics to story structure and a belief that the animated musical was the film home for the Broadway musical. He was right -- first Beauty and the Beast and, most recently, The Little Mermaid, have played on Broadway to great success. Unlike B&B and Mermaid, Disney has no plans to take Aladdin to Broadway, but instead (according to Disney Theatrical Productions), is responding to the demand by schools and theaters around the country for a stage musical version.

Disney's Aladdin The New Stage Musical is playing right now at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, to give it a tryout before it goes to MTI or distribution.

The 5th Avenue is an ornate, restored vaudeville theater that has sent to Broadway such shows as "Hairspray," "SHREK: The Musical," "The Wedding Singer," "Memphis," and, most recently, "Catch Me If You Can," among others, well-used to mounting new musicals.

I saw it Saturday night with my family. Disney is giving it the whole Broadway treatment from cast to production team. Casey Nicholoaw directed, Danny Troob did the excellent orchestrations. Glenn Kelly, whose wonderful musical arrangements made The Producers so memorable, did the delightful dance arrangements.

Until recently, the original songs were primarily known mainly only to Disney and Disney geeks (like me) who own Alan Menken's "The Music Behind the Magic" which contains demo tapes alongside final production recordings, to give a glimpse into the evolution of the animated musical. In bringing it to the stage, all but one of the original songs were used, along with those in the film. Additional songs were written by Alan Menken and lyricist Chad Beguelin, whose book manages to merge the two concepts into a cohesive story.

Not too long ago, we had seen a middle school production of "Aladdin Jr." that was the starting point for the full two-act version. Oh, what a difference a good book and a professional touch can make!

Gone is the awkward kid-in-a-bird costume Iago, replaced by an equally annoying little man (named Iago) as the foil for the thankfully untouched evil Jafar. Absent from both versions is Abu, Aladdin's annoying monkey friend. Gone, too, is the flying carpet as a character. Restored to the production are Aladdin's friends, Babkak, Omar and Kasim, who are also the storytellers. Jasmine is also given a trio of friends, making her isolation in the palace less creepy and more symbolic. The 4th wall is almost non-existent in this rendition of the story -- the storytellers sing directly to us, and, Hope-Crosby fashion, occasionally argue among themselves about how the story is being told. The script is packed with contemporary references, some too forced, and a few perhaps to topical (the Genie says, "Oprah may be gone, but I'm heere!"), but the audience immediately bought into it and loved it. After all, how many musicals have the audience scat singing, Cab Calloway-style, with one of the characters?

Overall, the production was delightful and entertaining. Of special note was the talented cast, comprised primarily of New York actors, with a few outstanding Seattle actors.

One of the main reasons we went to see it was because Jonathan Freeman, the voice of Jafar in the film, played Jafar. He was so good that I don't know if everyone in the audience realized just how amazing he was in the role. He and Don Darryl Rivera as Iago were perfectly in tune, chewing the scenery in a satisfying way that always managed to avoid becoming hammy. I think it is safe to say that with Jonathan Freeman, there would be no Aladdin on stage.
Adam Jacobs was a charming and appealing Aladdin, being constantly interesting in a part that has to share the stage with some pretty big characters. In his solo turn on "Proud of Your Boy" (a song mostly known for being sung by Clay Aitken), he commanded the stage and gave full justice to the song that was so important and autobiographical to Howard Ashman, while always telling the story. It is moments like those that remind us why we go to the theater.

Courtney Reed was deft, sassy and strong as Jasmine, although it just reinforces the reality that Aladdin is a man's show. She's a princess, but has only one costume change -- her wedding attire? Even when she dresses to annoy her suitors, she's wearing the same thing with a few accessories! She's a princess! Give her a costume change! She's the only woman in the show -- we won't get confused! In spite of the rampant mysogonism inherent to the story, she triumphs.

James Monroe Iglehart as the Genie was entertaining, charismatic, and every other word you can think of. He still had the impossible task of competing with Robin Williams, but took to heart the original concept of the Genie as the aforementioned Cab Calloway, and created enough of a difference that it didn't disappoint. He also made it clear that, without a good Genie, any production of Aladdin is going to fail.

As Babkak, Omar and Kasim, Brian Gonzales, Andrew Keenan-Bolger (my girls' favorite!) and Seattle actor Brandon O'Neill were absolutely marvelous. As both storytellers and Aladdin's best buddies, they are on stage almost the entire performance, and are high energy and entertaining without flagging.

Of special note among the Seattle actors was Nick DeSantis, who in addition to being a member of the ensemble played the role of the head guard, Razoul. All the ensemble was busy in multiple small roles, but every time I looked, practically, there he was in a different costume, dancing, acting and singing. He moved easily between each role, shifting his character to meet the moment.

What a pleasure to see a Broadway-level production. The play itself isn't perfect. If it were going to Broadway, there would be changes to the book, which could still use some work. Certainly extensive work was done on the original lyrics -- one insider says that the Disney people debated a long time over whether or not to change "it's barbaric, but, hey, it's home" (they didn't), and removed all references to Baghdad. (Get hold of a copy of The Music Behind the Magic and take a listen.) Still, it is a vast improvement over the rather weak book of "Aladdin, Jr." and if Disney changes its mind about mounting a Broadway production, it is almost there. Be certain of this -- once MTI makes it available for lease, productions of Aladdin will pop up all over.

Disney's Aladdin The New Stage Musical
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice
Book and Additional Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre through July 31, 2011

Band Member of the Year

2011-06-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

Last night was my younger daughter's final 5th grade band concert. I've known all along that she is a gifted flute player (and musically, in general), and that's been mentioned several times by music teachers. (Not to mention by my aunt when my daughter was 3 days old.)

But last night was especially gratifying. She was given one of four "Band Member of the Year" medals, singled out for her talent and dedication, working way beyond what is required and always challenging herself. That was evident last night when she played the Raider's March from the Indiana Jones movies.

I am very proud of her anyway; it was so gratifying to see her recognized for what I already know is true!

Here is video of Clara playing her piece.

Osama bin Laden is dead

2011-05-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight we were tantalized and a little traumatized by an announcement that President Obama was making a late-night announcement to the world. Just last night at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, he was poking fun at the obsession with whether or not he was born in the U.S. and slinging barbs with the best of them.

My first thought was he was resigning. But why? Then we thought it might be about Lybia, but that would be something to come from NATO. Suddenly Glenn said, "Bin Laden. They caught bin Laden. It has to be." For quite a while there was no leak, which is really worrying -- it is routine to announce, or leak, the reason for the president to speak. Whatever it was, the announcement was big. It had to be bin Laden.

Then, finally, word seeped out. Bin Laden was dead. When the president finally took to the podium, there was a ragged group of people outside the White House chanting, "USA! USA!" People were already treating it as fact. Information said he was hiding in plain site in a palace in Islamabad. President Obama told us: He was deep in hiding in Pakistan. Good information started coming in last August. Just last week he had given permission to capture or kill bin Laden, and just today he gave the order to go in. U.S. operatives found his hiding place and ended up killing him as they exchanged gunfire. They had his body in U.S. custody.

It is a little hard to absorb, the news that almost 10 years after 9/11 (and eight years to the day since George W. Bush's "Mission Accomplished" stunt), US Special Ops located and killed Osama bin Laden.

My sense of justice would have preferred to see him captured alive and tried in court after court for years, forcing him to answer for the slaughter of people for no other reason than because they lived a lifestyle he and his followers didn't like.

But tonight, he stands before a more powerful judge, and one Who will not allow him to turn away or hide behind a false interpretation of his faith. Tonight I imagine him hearing words like, "How can you do these things in My Name?" Will those he helped kill stand before him as he is judged? Will he be forced to watch a recount of each of them dying? Or will he stand alone, face to face, just him and God?

I take little satisfaction in the idea of him burning in Hell. But I do take satisfaction at the idea of seeing him weep with remorse as he realizes the pain and suffering and indignity he effected in false cause. It is perhaps not that different than what we will all face, in our turn. I expect God to be merciful. So, too, tonight, does Osama bin Laden.

The War on the Middle Class by the Middle Class

2011-03-11T22:53:00.000-08:00

The recent move by the Republicans in Wisconsin to eliminate collective bargaining by government-paid employees (something that has worked in that state for the past 100 years) has brought to light a remarkable reality.

Conservative, middle-class Americans are supporting policies designed to destroy the middle class.

Note the objections: Unions are the cause of the economic woes of the nation. They are the reason for outsourcing. The reason health care costs are so high. Their unreasonable demands for benefits suck the government dry.

And yet, who are these bloodsucking union members? Teachers, custodians, police officers, nurses, firefighters -- the very heart of the middle class. These are in large part people with whom we entrust our lives.

Teachers and nurses are required, even before starting their profession, to go through at least six years of schooling, most or all of which they need to pay for themselves. Police officers and firefighters are required to go through specialized training designed to eliminate all but the finest of the candidates. They all are dedicated to their work, and routinely go beyond what is required of them in order to do the best job possible. This is the very definition of the middle class.

These are not people with large pensions, stock options, expensive cars, and luxurious homes. These are not people for whom the salary is the bottom line. Those things belong to the upper-middle and upper class, people who negotiate health care, supplemental insurance, stock, moving expenses, vacation time, severence packages, and parking spaces on condition of hiring. They belong to the people who manage stock portfolios, purchase multiple homes as tax shelters, complain about how expensive it is to take a nanny on vacation, and write a check in full for a new car.

And yet, listen to the non-union members of the middle class, and you would think I was describing union members. Who is it who doesn't like the unions? In large part, it is the corporate money managers who look at the benefits portion of an employee's compensation and see it as an easy place to find more profit for the stock holders. It is the businesses who resent safety regulations they consider optional. It is the wealthy who resent giving up even a penny of their millions.

Before you continue to condemn the other half of the middle class, non-union middle class, check your sources. Who is it telling you that the unions are so bad? What is their vested interest?

Look at Wisconsin, and you will see big-oil behind that assault.

Think about it. The corporations & the wealthy must love watching the middle class destroy itself. Are you really that eager to do their dirty work?

On Being A 5th Grader

2011-03-09T21:57:00.000-08:00

Yes, it does sound like this will be a guest column by a 5th grader.

Instead, it's my own commentary on having a 5th grader in the house. Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Just tonight:

"Today Megan and I were working on something together. We heard someone going 'unngghh! Can't fart!' We turned and looked and it was Billy."

The other morning, there were tears about not wanting to wear glasses to school. It seems that there is a boy who teases her about wearing them. On this particular day, she was going with some classmates (not all) on a field trip. Why was she in tears? Because even though he wasn't going, some of his friends would be and "They will see me in my glasses and tell Evan!" It is a real issue -- this has been going on for some time, but this was the one day he wouldn't be there to see her wear them, and she was in tears.

We find ourselves telling her things like, "Boys are stupid." "Just tell someone who's mean, 'Knock it off,' like you do the dog." "No, you can't wear purple eyeshadow to school."

"I did a dog burp. It was kind of a silent one."

"No one has glasses and a retainer!"

"But everyone has an iPhone!"

Who knew it was so challenging being the big kids in school? I just don't remember 5th grade being this sensational. But, they tell me, things are different these days. (Yeah, right.) Kids are more aggressive. More this and that. But one thing's for sure: It gets worse.

And the best thing of all: Next year she'll be in middle school.

5th Grade Band

2011-02-17T11:21:00.000-08:00

Our younger daughter has started to play the flute. Last night the 5th grade Band (after only three months of meeting three times a week) played a concert to demonstrate what they have done so far. It is a band filled with trumpets, clarinets and trombones, and seven intrepid flutes.

Many of the kids took the opportunity to play a solo, duet or trio from their lessons, ranging from current songs to working ahead in the book. From the back of the book, here's our #2 playing "Ode To Joy" as a round:

Maisie Dobbs

2011-01-03T16:10:00.000-08:00

I got a copy of the novel, Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, for Christmas. I have only just started it, but I am already captivated. I am so excited by this book that I am going to participate in an online read-along run by Book Club Girl on her website.

The daughter of a struggling greengrocer, Maisie Dobbs is only 13 when she's sent to work in the house of the wealthy Lady Rowan Compton. A voracious reader who longs to learn, she is discovered late one night reading in the library. Fearing dismissal, Maisie is shocked when she discovers that her thirst for education is to be supported by Lady Rowan and a family friend, Dr. Maurice Blanche. But The Great War intervenes in Maisie's plans, and soon after commencement of her studies at Girton College, Cambridge, Maisie enlists for nursing service overseas.

Years later, in 1929, having apprenticed to the renowned Maurice Blanche, a man revered for his work with Scotland Yard, Maisie sets up her own business. Her first assignment, a seemingly tedious inquiry involving a case of suspected infidelity, takes her not only on the trail of a killer, but back to the war she had tried so hard to forget.

I am looking forward to this read-along. If you're interested, there is still time to get involved, because questions don't start until Jan. 14.

New Year's Day 2011

2011-01-01T17:04:00.000-08:00

Back in 1982, 2000 seemed a lifetime away, let alone 2011. I was young, good looking, single, and happy about all of it.

I mention 1982 because I just got the long-awaited DVD set of "Tales of the Gold Monkey," the best television series ever to be cancelled after one season because of politics. (The show business kind.) Back then, there were only the three major networks, and they controlled what we saw, and didn't see. If it had happened now, of course, it would have found new life on cable, and would have lasted seven years.

1982 was also the year I finally started feeling like a grownup. I turned 25, and I remember I stopped feeling like I was play-acting at being a grownup, or waiting for someone to accuse me of playing dress-up in my mother's clothes. It was the year I listened to an 18-year-old panicking because she didn't want to end up an old maid, a fate that would befall her unless she was married by 20, and laughing because she was so wrong. It was the year I decided that getting married was something you did because it made you a better person, not because it was the right thing, or the traditional thing, or the prudent thing to do. And it was the year I started to learn that being alone can be enormously gratifying.

It's 2011 now, and my life is completely different than I would have predicted (if I'd thought about it) back in 1982. But where I am now is informed by the choices I made then. And I'm very glad about it.

So, here's hoping that 2011 will be a good year, bringing challenges within our coping abilities, and joys beyond our dreams.

Of Floods and Blizzards

2010-12-12T22:43:00.000-08:00

Minneapolis has been shut down by a 20-inch snowfall that collapsed the roof of the Metrodome and forced the Vikings-Giants game to be moved to Monday night in Detroit. (watch the roof collapse from inside the Metrodome here)

Mid-North Indiana was hit by a slightly less dramatic snowstorm, delaying my nephews and niece's school start by two hours tomorrow.

Meanwhile, we are in the midst of flooding here in the Pacific Northwest. After cold, snow & ice during Thanksgiving week that closed schools, temperatures warmed up into the balmy 50s, and the rain started pouring last night. Ramps to highways were flooded, streets in Seattle temporarily closed, rivers are over floodstage and rising, and mudslides (trees included!) are everywhere. (see photos of flooding here)

The big question now of course is: Will there be school tomorrow? I'm sure school officials are hoping the water starts receding quickly, and with just a couple of detours they can have school. Not to mention all the parents who want to not have to worry about arranging day care for their children while they are expected to head off to work. Most of the districts around us will have school as usual. But ours, and at least another, will be watching road reports very carefully tonight.

Snowpocalypse or Merely a Winter Storm?

2010-11-24T00:23:00.000-08:00

It's being called a "Snowpocalypse" in Washington state. The snow and cold temperatures that moved in Monday brought 3-12 inches of snow and sub-freezing temperatures that Tuesday night plunged into the low teens, very cold for Washington at any time of the year.

But really, we've seen this before, even if drivers and city & county snow removal people are shocked and unable to deal with it. It was one 20-hr period of snow that produced about half a foot of snow or less in most parts of the county. We had that two years ago, but instead of once, it seemed to happen daily for a couple of weeks. Temperatures have stayed below freezing, and gotten very cold. We had that last year, for a week.

As of Tuesday night, the highways are in pretty good shape, and the secondary roads are starting to get cleared. But even where they haven't been, people in snow tires seem to get along pretty well. Obvously it helped that people pretty much stayed off the roads today unless they had to get out. Wednesday it will start to warm up and by the end of the week temperatures even overnight will be above freezing. And rain will be back.

Eventually, folks around here will stop claiming that "it never gets cold" and "when it snows it's just a couple of inches and it melts right away."

Sure it was a significant storm for us. But a Snowpocoalypse? Hardly. Just a friendly welcome to a La Nina winter.

Of Snow and Puppies

2010-11-21T23:09:00.000-08:00

Yes, it finally snowed.

A mere dusting? Perhaps. Quick melting? Of course. But the snow fell often enough to get the kids outside and the snow gear soaking wet from the wet grass.

Oh. And one of our neighbor's dogs had puppies. 11 of them.

11!!

Apparently they are planning on selling them for $800 apiece. (Good luck with that.)

Interesting story. The dog belongs to the son of our neighbors. He and his wife, who just had a baby last summer, are living with the 'rents for now while they save money to buy a house. But that's not the interesting part.

Before they moved in, one of the conditions was supposed to be that they have their female puppy spayed. Looks like that didn't happen, and they're breeding the dog instead. I do know that as long as they live there, the puppies will have a good environment; it's a household of pets all of which are loved and cared for.

But 11? As my husband remarked, "Can you imagine 11 puppies peeing and pooping?"

One thing is for certain: We aren't taking one of them. For now, one dog is plenty!

But the snow is beautiful.

Snow

2010-11-17T23:14:00.000-08:00

It's snowing in the pass. I know, because the smell of snow is in the air.

This statement often conjurs up the scene from "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" when the kidnapped girls scream and start an avalanche.

But tonight, La Nina has moved in, and it is snowing in Snoqualmie Pass, causing periodic road closures. This is news, because through the pass is how people get from Seattle to Spokane.

But more importantly, snow is in the forecast for us here in the lowlands for the weekend. Last winter snow was almost non-existent. But this year, since September, dire forecasts have come our way: "Harsh winter! La Nina! Batten down the hatches!" However, things have been quieter than normal. Average rainfall, a nice stretch of 60s in mid-October, and no flooding (yet).

So not only is there the usual excitement and anticipation for snow (boots & snow clothes are selling like hotcakes!), but a little tinge of dread is behind it all: Will we get piles of snow? Will Seattle shut down for the two weeks surround Christmas like it did two years ago? Where did I put my warm gloves?

Only time will tell. But for now, my 11-year-old is excited at the prospect that it will snow on her birthday.

Talkin' Faith or Methinks the Lady Protests Too Much

2010-11-07T00:46:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of days on Twitter I have engaged in a rather amusing exchange with a very earnest (seemingly humorless) atheist who insists that one can only believe one way.

For the record, I'm a Christian with a strong sense of social justice and religious tolerance. I may think you are wrong in what you believe, but accept that you believe it.

Now, I enjoy a stimulating exchange of ideas with someone with whom I disagree. However, I do consider it unproductive to be told what I should believe and ridiculed when I have a different take on it.

I know Christians like that -- well-meaning, earnest people who are so committed to their idea of what a Christian should be that they get flustered and bombastic in an attempt to cling rigidly to it. You will find people like that in all belief systems.

But I find atheists particularly negative. And I don't understand why. Is it because in their vehement denial of God, they are hiding a yearning for answers? My experience is that the more defensive someone becomes, the more uncertain of their convictions they will eventually prove to be.

At no time did I try to persuade her to change her mind, or disrespect her belief that there is no God. I disagree with her, obviously, but I will not tells someone flat out they are wrong. The basis of our discussion was my contention with her interpretation of a line in scripture. In an intelligent discussion, we can acknowledge that our understanding of something was incorrect, while still maintaining our core beliefs.

It seemed almost as if her whole lack of faith in God was a house of cards: If she admitted she was wrong about one thing, it would all fall around her. That should not be the case. Any faith, or even a lack of faith, should withstand scrutiny.

She accused me of being afraid of atheism, when in fact she displayed more fear of something that didn't agree with her. Every time I started to challenge her to prove their is no G-d, a viewpoint she was trying to persuade me to, she would put the burden of proving God's existence to her.

I find it fascinating that someone would have to work so hard to debunk God's existence, when it takes me so little to prove it.

Faith is a personal, spiritual experience, as different as we are as individuals. Why we should have to conform to one idea tells me that there are scared people, searching for a greater meaning in life. I know that there are Christians who, like the dwarfs in C.S. Lewis's novel The Last Battle who, in the midst of the light and beauty of Aslan's Country, insist that they are in a dark dimly lit, dirty stable. No matter what the people surrounding them say or offer to them, they insist that they are in that place. In the same way, her mind was so closed to any kind of epxlanation that it was an exercise in futility to talk to her.

In spite of that, I talked back. You never know when a seed will be planted. And while I am fairly certain mine fell on cement, there is always a crack.

2010-11-04T00:18:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was on baby duty with my teenage daughter in our church's nursery during one of the services. An adorable 2-year-old girl was there playing with us, and memories of being a new mother flooded back to me as I started to answer my daughter's questions about taking care of babies. It got me to thinking about what kind of advice I would want to give a new parent. Here are a few of my essential tips:

1. Use a "doula." Whether you hire a doula or enlist the help of a capable friend or family member, get help for at least the first week or two. Having someone on hand to keep you and your husband fed, keep your house clean, look after the baby while you sleep, and politely suggest visitors leave when you are tired is an enormous help. Check your health insurance coverage -- many plans provide a doula for the first few days.

2. Trust your instinct. You will have a lot of plans and ideas, and get a lot of advice (like this!) from experienced parents, about how to care for your baby. But be ready to do what's best for baby. You will hear countless stories from parents that start out, "We planned to____ but...." One baby will sleep best in a crib, while another tucked in with parents. One baby may fall asleep being rocked, another may find it stimulating. Don't worry about what you think you are supposed to be doing: the right thing is what works.

What do I do now?

3. Stick with breastfeeding. The first few days of breastfeeding can be a challenge. Baby needs to learn how to eat, and that sometimes takes some trial and error. But it is well worth it. Nighttime feedings are faster, hungry baby eats immediately, and there's no clean-up. Breastfeeding helps the uterus contract more quickly, and it burns a lot of calories, helping you regain your pre-pregnancy figure more rapidly. (I actually looked better!) The best tool: a breastfeeding pillow to put your baby at the right height and spare your arms.

4. Always keep a diaper bag packed and in the car. Include two complete changes of clothing, a hat, burp cloths, diapers, baby wipes, a blanket, a change of shirt for you, two plastic bags for wet clothing and dirty diapers, changing pad, antiseptic wipes for cleanup, plus items for feeding. This works for years, transitioning into a toy/change of clothes bag for your toddler/preschooler.

5. Hold your baby. Babies should be held as much as possible for the first month or two. This is a great job for Grandma, especially if she is visiting but not your choice for doula, as well as Dad and other family. A sling or a carrier such as a Baby Bjorn are great for freeing up your arms and letting baby still feel close. But just sitting and holding your baby can be relaxing and comforting for both of you.

6. Develop a support system. Get to know your baby's doctor and especially the nurses. Often they know more than the doctors. Your ob & nurse can be a great resource as well -- mine had a nursing specialist on staff who not only gave me breastfeeding advice, but advice about the baby's health. Go on line to commisserate with other new mothers. Find your "go-to" person who seems to have all the answers. Mine was my sister-in-law who was a La Leche leader and mother of two. Find a mothers' group in your community (churches are a great place to start) to get together with other new mothers once a week. If you can't find one, start one.

7. Cloth diapers: your best friend. Not the pre-folded, the unfolded ones. They are great for so many things: as burp cloths, an emergency cloth to lay on a dirty surface if you have to put down your baby, and as an emergency breast pad. Later on, they make fantastic, lint-free dust cloths.

8. One acronym: DVR. If you do not already have TiVo or another recording device, invest in one. You will never miss an episode of your favorite tv shows, and you can watch them at your convenience. For a new mother, this can mean at 3 a.m. when you are nursing, or up with a wide-awake baby. (It happens)

9. Use a video baby monitor. There are many baby monitors on the market, but you will quickly find that just hearing the baby is not enough. You will find yourself more relaxed and productive if you can occasionally glance at a picture of your sleeping baby, because you will know what those noises are. Every parent goes through the stage of leaning close to make sure the baby is still breathing. Being able to watch from another room helps you break free.

10. Read to your baby. I know it sounds awkward, but it is fun, and great for your baby. Start with simple, small board books with photographs, especially animals, in them. I used to read to my daughters when they were lying on the changing table after they were clean and dressed.

Make no mistake, caring for a newborn takes a lot of stamina, patience, and work. But it is worth every second.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Lysol® Wee Wisdom blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

It's That Time of Year...

2010-10-09T00:08:00.000-07:00

It's Nutcracker time again.

For the 5th year, we dedicate our December to the entertainment of others.

This year is a little different. #2 is in a role that is triple cast, instead of double cast, so she has less performances. In addition, they have reduced the number of performances overall. As a result, there are actually a couple of free weekends (except, of course, for being on call), and we may be able to plan something.

#2 is also in the same role as #1 was a few years ago. They are both thrilled at the idea. There are few things sweeter than seeing your children interact with love, affection and humor. Their excitement and pride over this was something to behold, something for a parent to cherish.

Rehearsals (only once or twice a week for an hour) have begun, but all too soon performances will be in full swing, the Christmas decorations will be up, and velvet-clad little girls will sit, rapt, watching my little girl.

First Day of School (redux)

2010-08-31T22:40:00.000-07:00

School started today, this time for my younger child. While I fully expect that tomorrow I will be cajoling and coaxing kids out of bed, this morning, it was no problem.

It also poured rain all day today. In one way that was good, since new clothes always seem to be fall clothes, and it is rarely cool on the first day of school. But rain on the first day of school means juggling raincoats and umbrellas and damp feet and damp backpacks.

This is the last year of elementary school for us. We are so fortunate to have a wonderful elementary school. I am already feeling nostalgic for it. This is a school where people who attended it as children are now sending their children there, who have the same teachers they had. It is a community (one we only borrow for school, since we live 8 miles away) that supports the school -- residents who haven't had a child in elementary school in decades will attend the concerts and the spaghetti dinner and the ice cream social.

The middle school, an excellent school, is in the same community, and receives some of the same support, but doesn't have as many of those social opportunities. The kids are older, so they aren't as interested in having parents look at their work hanging on a wall. They have moved on to other, more esoteric, things for which they seek praise and approval. I will give it, but I will miss seeing the 1 page reports with a half page drawing. So school is on again. My older one is already into the routine, for, of high school, and it won't be long before my younger one is, too. And all too quickly we will be attending the little 5th grade "graduation" ceremony, and elementary school will be a memory.

White Christmas

2010-08-26T23:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's the little things in life that give us the most satisfaction.

My 14-yr-old started high school yesterday, my husband won a 10-day rally to the Arctic Circle, and my nephews both had great performances in their opening high school varsity football game.

But what is really making me happy is knowing that "White Christmas" will be released on Blu-Ray in November.

Shot in VistaVision, small screen has never really done the film justice. Laserdisk and DVD come pretty close -- I cried the first time I saw it on laserdisk, because it was the first time I saw it full ratio instead of pan and scan, and I realized there were extras dancing their hearts out I'd never seen before.

But blu-ray, high def and multi-channel sound (the original was released in mono...) will give us the experience the film makers probably dreamed of but never thought they'd quite capture.

So pop some popcorn, makes some hot cocoa, put out a platter of liverwurst sandwiches, and pull out those ski sweaters. I can't wait.

The End of an Era

2010-06-21T00:11:00.000-07:00

On Monday night, my elder "graduated" from 8th grade.

Her middle school has a tradition of a recognition ceremony conducted somewhat like a graduation, in the gymnasium. There are student speakers, a speech by the principal, the choir sings, and each student is called by name and given a certificate of completion, along with any other honors they have earned. At the end, there is a tradition of showing a DVD with photos of all the 8th graders.

It was another cool night (but no rain until later!), which isn't a bad thing for graduations. Certainly it was plenty warm in the gym (also a kind of a graduation tradition). The class, for the most part, dressed up -- Several of the boys were in sport coats, many in ties. The girls all wore dresses, and the overall effect was nice, although some of them looked inappropriate for a night club. And many pairs of high heeled shoes were off the feet by the end. Ours wore character dance shoes, and was perfectly comfortable.

The middle school is named for the first chief of an American Indian tribe, and each year one of his descendents attends and gives a small present to the 8th graders. This year, instead, the school was presented with a framed ceremonial (canoe) paddle in their honor. It will hang in the school in lasting tribute to the class.

After the ceremony, a dance party was held in the Commons -- they entered on a red carpet, with papparazzi snapping their photos as they went in. No word on whether or not they were working cameras.

It was a bittersweet evening. You see, our elder is attending a private high school. While a few students from her middle school will be there, for the most part they will not. And I will not see some of the parents I have come to admire and value any more. I was sad to say goodbye, and had to explain that it isn't the academics but the distance (it's a 1 1/2 hr school bus ride to the high school -- the private school is 10 minutes from our house). Well, there is also the smaller class sizes and higher number of students focused on going to college. But mostly, it's the distance.

It's amazing to think that 14 years ago we were new parents in a constant state of panic, wondering what kind of person she would turn out to be. Now we know. And we couldn't be prouder.

Is it Finally Summer?

2010-06-12T22:24:00.000-07:00

It was sunny and in the upper 70s today.

Okay, so it's June, you say, and that's pretty normal. Sure it is, except that it's been rainy and 50s for the past two weeks.

But finally, summer appears to be ready to arrive. The forecast even predicts that the next five days will be rainless. But we'll see.

And here is the newly named boat

2010-05-27T23:25:00.000-07:00

Kungalooosh!

2010-05-16T23:52:00.000-07:00

Today we renamed our boat.

When we bought it last fall, she came with the name Misty. Now, Misty is a fine name for a leisure boat, but we didn't think it reflected us. So we set about to find a name.

After bandying names around, soliciting suggestions from the kids, and even listening to other people's idea, we finally hit on the perfect party boat name: Kungaloosh! The greeting exchanged at the now-defunct Adventurers' Club in Walt Disney World. We met there 17 years ago, and decided naming the boat in its honor would be the perfect tribute.

So today we re-named her. Now, renaming is complicated. There are several speeches and much tossing about champagne to make sure things are done right. First, we relegated the name "Misty" back to Neptune's depths. We wrote the name in water soluble ink on a piece of metal and tossed it in the water, then toasted Neptune and poured some champagne in the water. Then we toasted the boat, and poured more champagne in the water. Finally, we saluted the four winds and tossed -- you guessed it -- champagne into the water. And finally we were done, and were able to uncover the new name. Ironically, we will never see it, because it's on the back of the boat, and we will never be behind it.

So now we can finally take the Kungaloosh! out, properly named, and ready to party.

Enter a World of Pure Imagination

2010-05-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my kids were in "Willy Wonka Jr" at my older daughter's middle school. Older daughter played Veruca Salt, the one who gets dropped down the chute, and elementary aged daughter was one of the two squirrels.

#1 was fabulous -- in a pretty strong cast of middle school kids she was head and shoulders above all but a couple of other actors. When the other kids were trying to remember not to block out other actors, or to stay in character, she was discussing her character's motivation. Meanwhile, my squirrel was making lists of bits to try out, and planning with the other squirrel (another cast member's younger sister) which bits they would do which night.

But see for yourself.

A Banner Day!

2010-03-21T23:14:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy tweeting that it's been days since I posted to my blog. But today cannot be confined to 140 characters, or to an entry on Facebook.

This afternoon, in spite of missing Robbie Hummel, Purdue advanced to the Sweet 16. This really shouldn't be too much of a surprise, since Purdue was seeded higher than both opponents. But yet, sports wiseacres who decided that Purdue was all Robbie Hummel, called them underdogs. Neither win was a walk in the park, but then, anyone who goes to the Big Dance should be a tough opponent. Besides, no one else is like Duke, who always gets to play close to home, and gets the easy early games. No, Purdue won against worthy opponents who just weren't as good. It is the right place for the team that ranked #4 through most of the season, and won its first 16 games.

Then, tonight, in an historic vote, the House passed a health care bill that President Obama will sign into law tomorrow. Immediately Americans will no longer be held hostage by the insurance companies. It is not right that in a time when people are making hard decisions about how to spend their incomes, and defer seeking medical care because of cost and an inability to pay, that insurance companies are posting big profits while denying claims for people who pay them for the coverage.

There is a hue and cry from the right, but it all boils down to power. The right wants the power, and will resist anything that they can't control. Personally, I'm sick of politics. Good health should not be a political decision. Doctors should not have insurance clerks telling them which tests they can or cannot run. Americans should not have to see a doctor based, not on who will give them the best care, but on who their insurance company will pay. No realistic alternative has been offered. The bill that passed is full of ideas from both Republicans and Democrats. Republicans even took to opposing traditional Republican ideas, just to oppose the bill.

Tonight is a huge victory, something that should have been done years ago. Just ask people how long they've had to negotiate with insurance companies, and you get the idea.

100 years ago, Teddy Roosevelt first introduced the idea of health care reform. 40 years ago, Ted Kennedy started fighting for it. Tonight, in spite of opposition that was primarily based in special interest influence, Teddy and Ted are smiling down in satisfaction.

End of the Week

2010-03-05T22:50:00.000-08:00

Another week has past (another month since I posted last!) and I am glad the weekend's here.

This week was Dr. Seuss's birthday. And the first week of Willy Wonka rehearsals. And the week we were notified that #1 child has been accepted to private high school of our choice.

I finally weeded my cookbooks down to half the previous number, and got rid of a stack of miscellaneous items that I've been meaning to get to for two years.

This is the week we finalized our spring break trip to Oahu which will be followed by a weekend visit from my dad and stepmother, and Dad's inseparable companion, his dog. Al will need a lifejacket for the boat.

The weekend holds a rally and Girl Scout cookie sales.

And I'm sleeping in.

tweet tweet

2010-02-19T23:17:00.000-08:00

To the horror of my 13-year-old, I am following Justin Bieber on Twitter. I don't make a habit of following preteen pop stars. Or listening to their music. Or even keeping up on who they are. But he followed me and I thought, what the heck.

So far it's been kind of amusing. As far as I can tell, he does his own tweeting (e.g.: Dwight from The Office! OMG!), and I even went and watched the music video of his new song, "Baby" with Ludicris, the rapper. The song itself is pretty unremarkable and unsensational, and has a catchy little tune. The video is cute, with teens bowling and a couple of pretty girls who look a lot like the kids I see at my daughter's school. Back in the '80s, I would have looked for it on VH1, and would have bought his new album. Now, apparently, preteens are downloading it (or asking to) on iTunes.

So I think I will keep following him for a while, even if he is a Canadian. At least until his voice changes.

Valentine's Day and the theater

2010-02-14T23:35:00.001-08:00

Today was Valentine's Day, and tonight my spouse and I had a lovely dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant, where for an hour we enjoyed each other's company without the distraction of our fabulous children.

But first, this afternoon my daughters and I went to see "She Loves Me" at the Second Story Repertory theater in Redmond.

What a wonderful valentine of a musical! My older one commented it was the perfect musical to see on Valentine's Day, intentional of course. SSR is in a shopping mall, and a small theater that seats 200. When you sit in the front row, you feel like you are at a private performance. There are seats on three sides, the stage on the floor (play goers have to walk across it to get to their seats), with no need for mics, and very little makeup. I expect the actors are careful not to spit when they talk, or sweat when they dance.

The play itself is from the Hungarian play, "Parfumerie" from which sprung three American films: "The Shop Around the Corner" starring Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan, "In the Good Old Summertime," a musical with Judy Garland and Van Johnson, and most recently "You've Got Mail" with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Sometime in between the last two, "She Loves Me" appeared on the Broadway stage and stayed long enough to earn a Tony. Each version is somewhat different. "She Loves Me" sticks close to the original story.

Of course, as is always true at SSR, the acting and singing was outstanding. Jon Lutyens, who does everything from Shakespeare to contemporary to musicals in Seattle theaters, was a faceted, Tom Hanks-ish (without being Tom Hanks-like) leading man, and Anne Kennedy was a strong, funny, unsentimental leading lady, who even in her wallowing in misery was defiant. The supporting cast was, to a person, outstanding. I love the live theater.

The family consensus? Everyone loved it. Older daughter wants to see it again, with her own money. I'd say that's a definate approval.

So that's how I spent my Valentine's Day. Perhaps it is not cliche or typical, but the only thing I would have wished for today was to have my spouse along to complete the family unit and enjoy it with us. But someone had to stay home with the dog.

Spineless Democrats and free-for-all corporate campaign spending

2010-01-21T23:19:00.000-08:00

A Republican won the seat that Ted Kennedy held for many years. What does this tell us? 1. People in Massachusetts like a good-looking senator, 2. People in Massachssetts don't like someone who seems to be clueless, 3. Unlike the rest of the country, people in Massachusetts don't think that their senate seat is a national one, 4. People in Massachusetts already have a robust, consumer-oriented health care system and don't seem to think it matters who represents them in the Senate.

Harsh? Maybe. But the Democrats seemed to think that all they had to do was offer a candidate and they were done. Why Rahm Emmanuel wasn't personally overseeing who ran Coakley's campaign is beyond me. She is obviously a smart, hard-working woman; she just didn't know how to campaign to replace the most likeable man in the Senate.

And let's face it. The Democrats need to grow up and get a little backbone. It is not like the election of Scott Brown tipped the majority in the Senate to 51-49. The Democrats still have 59 votes. Change the rules of the Senate, and go ahead and pass legislation. Waiting for the Republicans to cooperate, after they have stated time and again that they have no intention to, is naive and gives them the power. Democrats have the majority: Use it.

Barack Obama cannot single-handedly solve all the problems facing this country. He needs a little help from House and Senate Democrats who are willing to put principal over their own re-election.

However, that is probably not going to happen. Now that the Supreme Court has somewhat inexplicably ruled that corporations, including foreign ones, can contribute without restriction to campains, we will see anyone who wants to be elected pander even more than they already do to their big-money donors.

Happy New Year.

This Week

2010-01-07T21:35:00.001-08:00

With the week almost over, I thought I'd put together some fragments about the week.

"Man vs. Wild" is back on. It is always fun to see Bear Grylls (yes, it's his real name) doing insanely dangerous and stupid things. Not to mention the fun of making snarky comments about being alone...except for that camera crew!

My new guilty pleasure is watching "Tabatha's Salon Makeover." It never ceases to amaze me how many people manage to open a salon without needing a business plan.

There is a new initiative to encourage everyone, but especially women, to get eight hours of sleep a night. Now just try convincing my offspring!

Quote of the week: "If Congress made it rain cookies, the headline would read: DEMOCRATS LEAVE MILLIONS MILKLESS -- Jon Stewart on The Daily Show

Our #2 child got a perfect score on a math paper and had it added to the permanent outstanding work wall in the classroom.

More people than you would expect lack common sense. The subject has arisen no less than six times in the past three days, in very different contexts. To quote C.S. Lewis, what do they teach in schools these days?

"Ugly Betty" started up again this week, and "How I Met Your Mother:, "The Big Bang Theory, "Chuck" and "Project Runway" start next week. Also next week, Robert Wagner appears on "NCIS" as DiNozzo's father. I'm glad we're back into new episodes.

I have a Reading Buddy. She's in 5th grade, and a riot. I don't think I'm helping her improve her reading skills, but it sure is fun to spend a half an hour a week with her.

Supper tonight: Sausage rolls and lamingtons. Australian comfort food! My husband was interviewed by another Australian while he was at "the pie shop" picking them up. No one makes lamingtons like Angus.

And, finally, it's a blustery day and night, with the wind howling around the house. I'm glad we have a generator!

Happy 2010

2009-12-31T23:14:00.000-08:00

There's a little less than an hour left of 2009 on the west coast. Friends and family have already rung in the new year on the east coast and in the Midwest, and some of them are most likely already in bed asleep. The aughts are almost over. (as in '09)

Ten years ago tonight, my daughters were 3 1/2 yrs. and 1 1/2 months old. We celebrated by watching the ball drop in Times Square on the New York ABC channel, 9:00pm our time, then put them to bed and had a quiet evening. In those days I was getting sleep where I can get it.

Tonight there was Beatles Rock Band, Facebook conversations, instant messaging, and a Doctor Who marathon that became a "The Nanny" marathon.

There is no question that, while not as euphoric as last year's New Year's Eve celebration was, with the lingering euphoria of Barack Obama's victory and anticipation of his inauguration, tonight's celebration is hopeful and joyful.

The past year under President Obama's leadership we have been able to relax a bit, to feel a little more secure in the state of the country and the world. In spite of multiple crises, we have been led by a man who deeply cares about the welfare and future of the country and its citizens, and has the intellect to deal with the stumbling blocks, with an optimistic eye.

President Obama reflects that American optimism in his New Year's address. (see it here)

I am looking forward to the next decade, with the same optimism for the future that my grandfather looked at the approach of 1910, and the same optimism with which I greeted 2000, for a bright future for my children.

Happy New Year.

It's Almost Christmas

2009-12-21T20:56:00.001-08:00

"It's almost Christmas..."

I'll bet there's a bad holiday-themed pop love song out there that starts with those words. And I'll bet it's been used in one of the many sappy Christmas movies that flood Lifetime, Hallmark Channel and ABCFamily this time of year.

I have a confession. I love watching those movies. And I'm determined to write one. Although it will probably be a parody amalgamation, it will still be full of all the corny things that make us keep tuning into them year after year.

So take a look at that picture, there. Okay.

What comes to mind?

Whatever it is, that is what those holiday movies are all about. Just replace the actors with Dean Cain or one of your favorite TV actresses, and you've got it.

Happy Holidays.

The First Snow

2009-12-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday evening.

The children are in their rooms creating, dreaming, and anticipating. My other half is playing an online interactive computer game, which for some reason doesn't turn him into a total geek. He and #1 got back a while ago with our Christmas tree, which is now in its stand in the living room "falling" before the lights are added. He did plug in the

I just let the dog in from outside, his fur wet from falling snow.

It's finally snowing.

After a week of sub-freezing and at times frigid temperatures and clear skies, we are getting snow. It's fine, wet, barely sticking, but it's snow.

It's the first snowfall of the season. Last year at this time the kids had already missed five days of school for flooding, vandalism and snow. For the first time in three years, there have been no school closings. While November and December snows are typically rare, the past couple of years have raised expectations.

This snow won't last long. It's going to start raining tomorrow.

But, for now, it's snowing.

Pearl Harbor Day

2009-12-07T19:03:00.000-08:00

Growing up, I heard first-hand accounts from parents, grandparents, relatives and their contemporaries about how they heard about the bombing at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on a December 7, 1941. My parents were kids; my grandparents, who remembered WWI, carefully navigating their way out of the Great Depression that devastated a generation. My mother-in-law remembers because it meant the Americans would soon be there to help defend Australia against the Japanese. (See the recent film "Australia.")

Everyone remembered most clearly the speech by President Roosevelt "...a day that shall live in infamy..."

But will it?

I thought about that today. And I wondered: Were there significant dates in past centuries on which later generations listened to stories about where people were during previous wars? Perhaps about Lexington and Concord, or the burning of Atlanta? Perhaps, to those eye witnesses, those events were as infamous as Pearl Harbor.

The existence of mass media will keep events like the sinking of the Lusitania, or Pearl Harbor or 9/11 vivid in the memory of history. But I just wonder what it was like to sit and listen to those events recounted.

Thanksgiving Eve

2009-11-25T23:39:00.000-08:00

It is almost Thanksgiving again, which in our house has come to mean two things: parent-teacher conferences and Nutcracker.

As usual we are blessed with capable, intelligent children whose teachers are full of praise. We saw a lot of A's at the middle school, and lots of 3's and 4's at the elementary school, both of which are populated with talented teachers and effective staff. It makes the conference time a little mundane, but always, always in a good way.

With parent-teacher conferences come short school days as well, so I still get up at 6:00am even though they're home by noon.

This morning in a rare occurance my middle schooler missed the bus. As we were driving through the lovely rural landscape, we were treated to a breathtaking sunrise with pink and lavender clouds, blue skies, and amazing clarity in spite of patches of fog. Over and over one of us would exclaim, "If only I had a camera!" The golden orange leaf on the back of the forest green SUV in front of us. The everchanging shadows and colors in the sky. The etheral fog patches shrouding cottages on the side of the road. We were treated to a morning of sunshine before the rain moved in again.

Today was what is becoming an annual event, the marathon Nutcracker dress rehearsal. The majority of the children's cast is double cast, so they run the show twice, in full dress, for each cast. In between the parents are responsible for the children, so there is a lot of time spent at the Seattle Center. Today included a best friends lunch and a lot of giggling. I am told. I was home and managed to get my shopping done for tomorrow.

And so I have many things to be thankful for this year. For talented, healthy children. For amazing landscape and weather in the mountain foothills. For no flooding or snow/ice storms (yet). For the flexibility to be there for my children with a minimum of fuss. For giving us a good year in spite of the recession.

Tomorrow we will celebrate by wearing pajamas and eating chicken. Tonight, we are winding down, ready to count our blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving

Good Things

2009-11-06T17:47:00.000-08:00

Good things of late:

Harper Collins reissued the six "high school" books in the Betsy Tacy series, in a set of three, two books to a volume. They use the wonderful Vera Neville artwork, and are fine quality all around. Can't go wrong with books loved by people as varied as Bette Midler, Meg Cabot, Nancy Carlson and me.

I am listening to the absolutely fabulous cast album of "White Christmas The Musical." In addition to the songs used in the original film (which itself is actually a remake of "Holiday Inn"), it includes such fabulous Irving Berlin classics as "I Love A Piano" and "Let Yourself Go." We saw it a few years ago in San Francisco where this production originated, and loved it. What other modern musical uses a 40-piece orchestra these days?

It's early November, and the trees are changing colors and losing their leaves. The other day I was driving through a windy patch, and leaves swirled and danced like in a Disney movie.

Last spring I stumbled across a patch Girl Scouts can earn, The Coat of Many Colors patch, based on Dolly Parton's song. This fall my daughter's troop is collecting coats to donate to a local organization to earn the patch, and people are donating like crazy. I am excited to see something so useful be so successful.

Twitter.

A nonsequiter

2009-10-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes something happens that catches me by surprise and causes me to exclaim out loud.

Yesterday was a cold, rainy day. At times the rain was so heavy that it was almost impossible to see the road when driving. Flood watch centers opened to monitor flood levels of the local rivers, and last night we had a rare thunderstorm. It was cool overnight, in the '40s, and this morning the chill in the air was pronounced with the lingering dampness.

I was driving my 4th grader to school this morning when I saw patches of snow along the side of the road. For a split second I thought nothing of it, then I exclaimed out loud. A few yards from the first one, another one, and then another. They all looked like the last, sad remnants of a snowy winter, those last stubborn, icy patches.

But this is November, and the snow levels were barely low enough to provide a dusting in the passes, much less near sea level. As I drove on, no more snow patches were evident, and I waited to catch sight of Mount Si, a small mountain not part of a range that looms over the Snoqualmie Valley. Even Mount Si (file image right) had no snow on it.

Where did that snow come from? I can only assume that a truck of some sort came out of one of the passes with snow on it, and lost it along that little stretch of highway. Or the snow fairy came and left it there to surprise people on their morning commute.

However it got there, it was a nonsequiter.

What a Week!

2009-10-18T21:47:00.000-07:00

I have been busily sewing costumes for my children for the past three weeks, for a costume party last night.

Next time, I need two months' notice.

One went as the Meta Knight from the Kirby Nintendo game; the other as Princess Peach from Mario. I made the most complicated costume dress in the history of patterns, plus a cape with several panels and a standup collar, and a karate-type tunic. Of course all there patterns had to be altered. It's a good thing I can kind of do that.

The party itself was fun, as always. This year the host family dressed as characters from Alice In Wonderland, with the toddler as Alice instead of the blonde 10-year-old who, along with her 12-year-old brother, was a Joker without the cards.

We went as a Ghostbuster and a ghost (me). I wore the Martha Stewart yards of tulle "Glamorous Ghost" costume, except I put on scary makeup (I made my 9-year-old cry) and almost won the Scariest Costume contest. Unfortunately I tied with a 12-year-old and the 10-year-olds gave it to him so he "wouldn't have a temper tantrum." I didn't have one, so it was probably a good choice.

My older one did, though, because the Meta Knight costume was awesome and should have won for either best costume or most original. Instead, one person won three of the six categories...

In spite of that, the food and the company were great, and we even saw a little of "Rocky Horror Picture Show."
In past years they have run it through the whole party, but now there are so many toddlers that "Casper, The Friendly Ghost" ran for the first three hours of the party. Yes, the original series, not the movie. It is fun to see how priorities change when there is a baby in the mix.

Also this weekend, Purdue beat Ohio State!! #8 ranked Ohio State! and the Vikings won! A good weekend for football.

Nutcracker rehearsals are back on again, and once again wreaking havoc (although we don't mind!) with our schedule. It is such a great experience for the kids, and fun that #2 is in the same role as #1 was at the same level.

So it was quite a week. Now I just have to clean up the remains of the sewing tornado in the dining room so we can be civilized again.

Progress

2009-10-13T23:08:00.001-07:00

The last health care bill has made it out of committee today. Thank you, Sen. Olympia Snowe, for being willing to publicly support the idea, even if the details aren't all you would prefer.

Lots of work ahead, of course, for the different bills to all compromise and become one. And there will be hell to pay if we end up with the "co-ops" instead of a public option. But overall it is very encouraging. I am cautiously beginning to hope that we might actually achieve meaningful health care reform this year.

And not a moment too soon. Every day the Congress negotiates, debates, postpones, it delays the day when a bill will take effect. Any bill will take a few years to completely take effect, so the sooner we get started, the better.

Get to work, you people in Congress!

Supreme Court Week on C-SPAN

2009-10-10T23:57:00.000-07:00

For the next week C-SPAN has programming that illuminates the Supreme Court of the United States and how it works.

Included are interviews with all nine justices, including Sonia Sotomayor. If there is any question as to why President Obama nominated her to the court, watch the interview she did with C-SPAN.

Sewing Costumes

2009-09-29T22:10:00.000-07:00

This year we were going to go, as a family, as the Ghostbusters and a ghost or two to the annual costume party where prizes are given. It is very competitive, very subjective, and this year there is supposed to be a family costume theme prize.

Unfortunately everyone wants to be something different. So although we will still have a Ghostbuster, we will have instead Meta Knight and Princess Peach.

Which brings me to the sewing part. The Meta Knight is an original design based on a video game character, and no one sells a Princess Peach costume. So on Saturday we spent two hours at the fabric superstore finding patterns that can be adapted and fabric.

When I said, "Now we need to buy notions," there was an exclamation of surprise and dismay. I wasn't about to go back and buy all the thread and odds and ends needed, so we did the hard work of finding the trims that will make the costumes look like they should.

Of course I have already been back to the fabric store for additional things. And I discovered the greatest invention yet: fabric glue stick. I can't way to try it out, and see if I can save myself a couple of hours.

The kids are supposed to help me, too; we'll see how that plays out. I hope they do; I am sure they will be better than I am at some of the construction work.

We will see how it goes! And we will go to the party as an assortment of pop culture figures.

Health Care Reform (again)

2009-09-26T22:51:00.000-07:00

Have an hour and a half? I can make it worth your while. Watch the "town hall" meeting Joe Biden, along with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, conducted at a senior center in Maryland. He clearly and powerfully outlines not only the need for health care reform, but just what will and will not happen.

Joe Biden's comment, "Mom, it's hokum. It's a bunch of malarky," regarding the so-called "death panels" has been widely quoted. But he said a couple of other things I like even better.

He talked about his Senate history of defending Medicare, and he posed the question: Why would he, and the other people who worked so hard to defend and preserve Medicare, suddenly try to get rid of it? As he said, "It just doesn't make sense."

Biden also pointed out that the same people who are claiming now to be trying to save Medicare while making dire predictions about government interference and benefits reductions, are the same ones who have opposed Medicare, and were some of the same who voted for the law that will take effect in 2010 that will reduce Medicare benefits paid to doctors by 27%. If nothing is done to change that law.

The reality of this is, as I have said before, that the health insurance companies are the ones who will benefit if things stay the way they are. The companies make enormous profits each year, including subsidy payments from the government (Medicare Advantage, anyone?), and right now are unregulated and in control of who gets what kind of coverage, and what we pay. There is no reason, based on recent history, to expect that they will not continue to raise premiums, exclude people for coverage, and pay their executives million dollar bonuses.

The reform package being considered by the Congress does not go nearly as far as it could in reforming a system crippled by greed and no accountability on the part of the insurance companies. However, there at least are some regulations, a guarantee of coverage for everyone, and an attempt to bring down costs. It includes a government option that will provide coverage for people who can't afford private insurance, and will make it competitive with the insurance companies.

The opponents can pontificate and bluster all they want to. But no matter what argument they make, their interest lies not in helping the people, but in preserving the profits of the insurance companies. And that sends us the message that the profits of business are more important than the individual.

So I want to say to the opponents of reform: Show me your criteria for deciding who gets coverage and who doesn't. Because without reform that is what is happening. And any kind of bill without a guarantee of coverage for every American means they have decided that there are Americans who don't deserve to be able to afford their health care. I just want to know who those Americans are.

Broadway Buzz | Patrick Swayze, Who Went from Broadway to Film Stardom, Dead at 57 | Broadway.com

2009-09-14T19:32:00.001-07:00

Broadway Buzz | Patrick Swayze, Who Went from Broadway to Film Stardom, Dead at 57 | Broadway.com

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Friday Night

2009-09-04T21:21:00.001-07:00

It's Friday evening, and the kids are occupied with Mario on the Wii, the dog has taken over the bed, and outside it is raining.

Today we registered the boat with the state, and paid the user tax (like a sales tax on an out-of-state purchase when you don't pay sales tax in that state) so we could get the title and registration, along with the required stickers.

College football season starts tomorrow; Purdue plays Toledo and will hopefully win the game. Although no one is expecting Purdue to burst out in the first year under Coach Hope, there is always a possibility that they will have a great season -- Purdue went to a bowl game following a dismal year in their first year under Coach Tiller; Minnesota went to a bowl game their first year under Coach Holtz. Precedent!

The Betsy-Tacy high school books are being reissued, and I'm very excited! Each book contains two volumes, and the covers are using the original Vera Neville artwork. (See the covers and read what the editor in charge has to say about them on her blog.) They were my favorite books growing up, and I reread them often, even more than the Little House books and the Louisa Mae Alcott books. I readily confess that, as an adult, I have continued to reread them. Maud Hart Lovelace's fine writing and attention to historic accuracy, along with her focus on family dynamics, gives the books an authenticity that lasts.

I read the books to my own girls when they were small, and they went on to read them on their own. (When my older daughter realized she could read independently, it was Betsy-Tacy she chose to tackle, rereading the first chapter for two weeks until she could read it smoothly.) These days I often hear one or the other of them say, "That is just like what happened to Betsy!" or "Didn't (fill in here) happen in one of the Betsy Tacy books, Mom?" In October I will be buying the new editions. As often as we reread them, we can never have too many copies.

The kids have gone up to bed, and it is quiet in the kitchen except for the soft patter of rain outside and the tick of the clock over the doorway. Another Friday night draws to a close.

The Gonzales Cantata

2009-09-03T16:09:00.001-07:00

Someone has rewritten the 2007 Roberto Gonzales testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee as a cantata. Check it out here.

Teddy Again

2009-08-28T23:17:00.001-07:00

I watched the thousands of people stream past Ted Kennedy's coffin, and the memorial service tonight.

Things I have learned, both profound and mundane:

Ted Kennedy was almost mystical in his ability to know the right thing to say or do, and at showing up when he was needed.

John Kerry had hip surgery.

John Culver, former senator from Iowa, could be a standup comedian.

Orrin Hatch can be sweet and goofy.

Vicki Kennedy rocks.

Joe Biden owes his political career to Ted Kennedy.

Ted Kennedy loved to sing, especially show tunes.

It is endlessly absorbing watching people file past and pay tribute to a great American.

No matter how often one participates in funeral arrangements, there is always confusion about the transportation.

"When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" sounds best in an Irish accent.

Dogs love to watch Brian Stokes Mitchell sing, too.

Tween-aged boys will always mug for a camera.

Health care is going to pass.

Only a barking dog can silence Joe Biden.

There are still a few senators who actually think that the Senate is a place to do the business of the American people and not to further political ambitions.

You can never spend too much time doing things for others.

The governor of Massachusetts grew up on in Chicago.

Doris Kearns Goodwin was a good friend of Teddy's.

I am sure there are many more things to learn. But the one biggest lesson in all of this is: No matter how rich, prominent, notable, etc., people are, at the end of the day they are still just members of a family.

Kennedy Remembered (2) - George's Bottom Line

2009-08-26T17:17:00.001-07:00

Kennedy Remembered (2) - George's Bottom Line

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Farewell, Senator

2009-08-25T23:31:00.000-07:00

The news just broke a little while ago that the great senator from the commonwealth of Massachusetts, Edward "Ted" Kennedy, passed away from the brain tumor he had been so fiercely fighting.

At this moment in history, it is sad to see the great Lion of the Senate sail away on his journey to be reunited with his friends and loved ones, just on the eve of real health care reform.

Over the last year I have missed his passionate, dignified speeches from the floor of the Senate as he championed cause after cause for the average American. And I will continue to miss his rhetoric. He was able to gracefully and powerfully speak to any issue and make it seem solveable and noble. Often it seemed that he was a greater champion for the middle class than those politicians sent from the middle class to the Senate.

A brain tumor is not a pretty way to die. The effect it has on the person's ability to communicate, the decline it causes and the sadness felt by his loved ones is poignant. My mother died of a brain tumor, a result of her breast cancer. I know that tonight Teddy's family is feeling relief that he is once again whole, relief that their burden is lifted, profound sadness that he is gone completely from their lives on this earth, and an awareness of the gaping hole left in their lives. But I also hope that they feel the joy of his moving to a new life free of pain and sorrow, where he can once again see his brothers, and embrace his mother, and receive the reward God has for him for his dedication to the idea that God's people feed, clothe and care for one another.

Ted Kennedy will continue to be sorely missed. But I think that those he has inspired will step up to take on his mantle of service, and achieve all the dreams he strove for in his many years in the Senate.

But for now, we'll shed some tears.

Shuttle Launches In August

2009-08-24T22:04:00.001-07:00

Discovery is due to launch in about half an hour.

If it stops raining, and the lightning stays away.

If you have been to Florida, you know that if it's August there will be lightning. One year we sat on the runway for an hour, ten yards from the jetway, because there was lightning on the tarmac at the Orlando airport, and the guys who wave in the plane couldn't do their job.

The last shuttle launch was scrubbed a few times (after being delayed several days for a mechanical issue) because of lightning in central Florida.

I hope Discovery launches tonight. But if it doesn't, I'll be watching them resuit and try it on the next launch date. And the one after that, if necessary.

To the Tetons and Back

2009-08-20T23:07:00.001-07:00

Last week we drove to the Tetons for a "destination wedding" of friends of ours, Beth and Barney.

Avid mountain climbers, they decided that, since so many people would have to travel regardless of where they held their wedding, they would get married in a place special to them that they could share with their friends and family. (Run on, sure; but true.)

We stayed at the beautiful Spring Creek Ranch, a resort of a series of individual villas containing two to four spaces each, with one of the top five rated destination spas in the U.S. The view of the Tetons is spectacular.

We drove for two days, stopping for the night in Boise, and arriving on Friday in time to attend the rehearsal dinner. About the time the wedding rehearsal itself was scheduled (we weren't at it), the skies opened up with torrential rain and hail. It cleared up in time for the outdoor barbecue that evening, where we had prime rib and made s'mores.

Saturday was the wedding day. In the morning we spent a little time in Jackson, Wyoming before dressing and getting our shuttle van to the wedding, on the property of the Snake River Ranch near Teton Village. They chose to have the wedding in a field surrounded by groves of trees; the reception in an open field with the Tetons as a backdrop.

The wedding coordinator provided white umbrellas for the guests, which were used frequently before the wedding began as showers and sun alternated. Then, as the wedding began, the showers began in earnest. The groomsmen and the groom and officiant (the groom's cousin) shared umbrellas; the bridesmaids came down the aisle, shepherding flower girls with baskets of rose petals, carrying umbrellas. The sun came out, and the bride started down the "aisle" with her parents. Halfway up the rain began again to fall through the sunshine, and the umbrellas popped up again like so many mushrooms. The rain continued for the first five minutes of the ceremony; the sun stayed out, the rain stopped, the umbrellas came down, and there wasn't rain again until after sundown when everyone was safely ensconced in the reception tent.

This wedding could easily have been very high-end; the bride and groom could easily have afforded an elaborate wedding. Instead it was understated, with great food, the wedding party doing some of the decorating, and a parting gift of English gingerbread cookies, a British tradition.

It was cold at night; the forecast predicted snow in the slightly higher elevations. We didn't see it, but there were warm baths and a fire in the fireplace when we returned from the reception

We spent one day enjoying Teton National Park, and boated (briefly) on Lake Washington. The drive home was uneventful, but interesting. We stopped at Craters of the Moon National Monument for a couple of hours, and enjoyed driving highways instead of interstate. We drove through lovely little towns, and only encountered a car or two an hour. We stayed in the same room in Boise, and finished our trip the last day in time to pick up our dog, so we could return home all together.

It's been a week since the wedding, the newlyweds are on their honeymoon, and we are back to our daily lives.

But the Tetons still loom large in our memories, and mention of them elicits oohs and appreciative comments from family and friends. And those few days of crisp, cold mornings, and frosty nights made me eager for autumn to fall.

Both Clintons Are Influential

2009-08-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

Recently with the release of the two journalists from North Korea, America's perception of President Clinton's influence has risen, and inevitably there has been a desire in the press to pit him against his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. There has been talk that she has kept a low profile, and perhaps will not distinguish herself in the role.

But of course the answer to this speculation is simple. She is working hard to try to restore the reputation the oldest and historially most prestigious cabinet position.

Hillary Clinton has been working tirelessly to try to get the department under her charge back into fighting shape. She has also been meeting with foreign governments and participating as a member of the president's national security team. The woman has not been idle.

Central to her strategy both within her department and in her foreign polity strategy, Secretary Clinton evokes "smart power." '>Watch the video to listen to her explain why it is so important, and what it all means.

Do don't make the mistake of underestimating our Secretary of State. She might not be in a position to do flashy things like broker hostage releases in person, but she is wielding her unique influence both at home and abroad.

Has It Been 15 Years Already?

2009-08-08T22:58:00.000-07:00

15 years ago this week we were on our honeymoon in Walt Disney World, about to settle into married life in northern Virginia.

On Thursday we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary, and, even though we are both grayer and stouter, and living near Seattle, it doesn't seem nearly that long.

For our 10th anniversary, we renewed our vows in Walt Disney World (it worked out better for us than it did for Jon & Kate), with our daughters as flower girls.

This year we wanted to do something special for a special year, but we have vowed never to go to Florida in August again. This time, we wanted to do something just the two of us.

On Friday night we checked into the Salish Lodge and Spa, a world-reknowned hotel located at the top of Snoqualmie Falls, which has provided hydroelectric power to parts of the Seattle area for over a century. We had the Snoqualmie Suite, which, overlooking the falls and the plant, has the best view in the resort.

When we entered our room, there were red rose petals scattered on the bed, and two bottles of champagne cooling on the table. In addition to a bottle of champagne from the Lodge, a friend sent us a bottle and congratulations.

We had dined on steak and salmon in the dining room, and shopped a little in the gift shop. We arrived too late to take advantage of the spa (including two hot soaking pools available to all hotel guests), but we enjoyed a lovely wood-burning fire in the fireplace in our bedroom as we sipped champagne and enjoyed the quiet serenity.

In the morning we had a four-course country breakfast that left us stuffed. We soaked in the hot pools, which left us completely relaxed. We were disappointed when the time to pack and check out came so quickly, but we were left with the memory of a peaceful, special time together.

Hillary Clinton Laughs Off Bolton Criticism (VIDEO)

2009-08-08T22:45:00.001-07:00

Hillary Clinton Laughs Off Bolton Criticism (VIDEO)

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The Health Care Debate

2009-08-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

The health insurance industry has needed reform for over 30 years. (I have commented on this before.)

The bottom line: This country is disgraceful. Milliions of citizens are without means to pay for health care, and our government caters to the wealthy insurance companies.

Do I sound like a socialist? Perhaps.

But, instead, I ask the question: Who in this country does not deserve to receive medical treatment?

Right now, the opponents of health care reform are essentially sending us the message that the profits of the health insurance companies are more important than the ability of the citizens to get basic care. They will couch it in different language, such as suspicion about cost, pending doom to life as we know it if the insurance companies are put out of business by a cheaper, government-sponsored plan, a nefarious plot by the government (ie them) to erode our health care and force us into a bureaucratic nightmare of socialized medicine.

Of course, most of us, who have health insurance, are mired in a bureaucratic nightmare of private health insurance companies, limiting our access to care, dictating our costs, dictating what procedures we can have. But for some reason, this is good.

It is a bunch of malarky. The real truth is: The only ones who stand to lose by this are the insurance companies. And even then, they only lose if they refuse to change the way they do business.

Health insurance is not a sacred cow. It is simply an industry that arose when an opportunity to make a profit presented itself.

Is it really necessary for a company to make a profit while the physicians, patients, and other health care professionals pay for it?

I say no. Health insurance is not a necessity. Affordable, accessible health care is.

We're Having a Heat Wave

2009-07-28T23:35:00.000-07:00

We're having a heat wave...a tropical heat wave...the temperature's rising....

Western Washington is in the middle of a heat wave with atypical tropic-like humidity. Temperatures today were in the 90s, and tomorrow it is expected to be 101 in the city. So hot, in fact, that the think it will even be over 100 at SeaTac Airport, home of the official temperature, where there's always a prevailing cooling breeze.

This is a first for Seattle, topping 100 degrees. Ever. Never before, at least not in the official records. It will also be the hottest heat wave. The last one, lasting 18 days, had high temperatures ranging between 78 - 85. Tomorrow is going to beat that.

We have air conditioning. When we moved here, "everybody" said, "Oh, we don't need air conditioning, it is never hot long enough." We put it in anyway. And now, it is so hot it can't keep up.

But even though it's struggling, we are still cooler inside than outside...

Soon enough will come another strong marine push, and things will cool off enough to make it comfortable again.

But for now, we are happy we had it installed.

It's too darned hot..it's too darned hot...

Health Care Reform

2009-07-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

As the debate rages on about health care reform (which really seems more like insurance reform at this point), I wonder what is taking so long. We have needed this for decades.

Thirty years ago, when I was just starting out in the working world, I had to find a job with insurance benefits because no starting jobs paid enough to cover out-of-pocket health care costs, much less individual health insurance. Not long after that, the Reagan recession hit, and there were hiring and salary (and benefits) freezes, and it was considered insane to leave a job for one without benefits.

By the time the economy recovered, the cost of individual health care had risen to the point where many companies that had offered it were discontinuing the service, passing it on to remaining companies. And then we were saying that costs had to be brought under control, or pretty soon no one would be able to afford it.

So here we are. Health care costs have skyrocketed, health insurance companies control which doctors their insureds see and which procedures they will pay for while making huge profits, and we have a Congress that's wringing its hands, worried about their campaign financing.

The time to reform, including a public option, is now. Not down the road, not when it's politically expedient. There is NO EXCUSE for millions of people unable to get basic medical attention because they are unable to pay for it. There will always be naysayers, people afraid of changing the status quo. But we reach a point where the status quo becomes more dangerous than change. This is one of those points.

So stop yapping about this might happen and that might happen and oh we shouldn't do this and that. Find a way for everyone to have equal access to health care. End of story.

Songs Get Stuck In My Head

2009-07-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

I am whistling (and I rarely whistle) "I Enjoy Being A Girl" from Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Flower Drum Song."

I hate that song. Or, rather, I hate the lyrics. I do enjoy the melody (hence my whistling).

The song has been stuck in my head all day. I believe it's because a friend's son is in a summer production of "South Pacific," and my head has been bouncing around all things Rodgers & Hammerstein.

My thoughts are a bit like the Microsoft Bing ads (disclaimer: this is not an endorsement nor commentary on Bing), where one person asks a question and another person sets off in a ramble of websearch-style "related" subjects. Say one thing, and in a space of about a minute I will be talking about a subject that I have related, leaving other people confused, and, at times, a little frightened.

It's especially true with songs. And once my mind settles on a song, it will play over and over in my mind, sometimes for days. I will find myself singing it, humming it, whistling, or analyzing lyrics. This is fine if it's a song I like, but when I find myself doing it with a song I dislike, it drives me batty.

And "I Enjoy Being A Girl" drives me batty: "I'm strictly a female female..." yech. Even though I understand the character, yech.

Years ago, when I was first starting out on my own, I lived in a women's residence in downtown Minneapolis. It had a large, comfortable lounge on the 2nd floor where there was usually a piano along with the stuffed chairs and a good view of the parades from the large plate-glass window. There was also a large, cement-floored basement/rec room, with a ping pong table, vending machines and a console television where the women could also gather.

But one weekend a year, the basement was off limits. The piano was moved by elevator to the basement, the furniture pushed aside, the stairway blocked off to residents, and the producers of the ampitheater musical in Medora, North Dakota, would hold auditions for the summer's production.

And the communal areas of the residence would be filled with the sounds of singing, piano, and dancing. Over and over we would hear "I Enjoy Being The Girl." I got so I knew the first verse intimately. I could have stepped in and auditioned with it, I knoew it so well. (I would never use that song, though; I'd pick something that hadn't been sung fifty times already.)

So now "I Enjoy Being A Girl" reminds me of when I was young and poor, regretting that I couldn't afford to quit my job for the summer and go sing and dance in Medora.

The show still runs. And, I suppose, young women still audition with Rodgers & Hammerstein. Or maybe the old standards sit gathering dust while the new wannabes sing songs from "Hairspray" and "Legally Blonde."

In Mourning for Walter Cronkite

2009-07-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

The news of Walter Cronkite's death, if not unexpected, is still a blow. Much more than the untimely deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, this death deeply grieves me.

From the time I can remember, every evening the voice of Walter Cronkite floated through our living room as my parents watched "The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite." He was the one who described the events following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He was the one who told us about the conflict in Vietnam, and he was the lone voice who opined that the conflict was lost. His was the voice I heard in the late evenings on election nights when I was already in bed and my parents were waiting for election results. For kids, he was the narrator of the "You Were There' series, teaching us about great moments in history. Perhaps most significantly, he was the voice of the space program. So iconic that NASA had him narrate "The Dream Is Alive," their IMAX film about the shuttle program.

When Walter Cronkite spoke, we trusted him. He set the bar high, demanding excellence in broadcasting, integrity in journalism, and insisting on the truth. Edward R. Murrow set that standard before him, but Walter Cronkite figured out how to balance the truth with compelling presentation, to get people to listen and learn. Even in retirement, we listened to, and trusted, Walter Cronkite. If you doubt that, read what other television journalists say in this excellent blog entry in the New York Times.

While Farrah and Michael's deaths have shaken Generation X, forcing them to face the prospect of being adults, Walter Cronkite's death affects us Boomers differently. His does not define the death of our youth, but rather, defines the passing of an era of truth-telling in news. And not the hasty, let me say it first truth, but the kind of truth that can stand up to rigorous challenge, because it was fully investigated.

So tonight I grieve the loss of a symbol of integrity and truth. Rest well, Walter Cronkite. I'm sure that your place in heaven is a favored one.

Sotomayor: Day 2

2009-07-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

Day 1 of Judge Sonia Sotomayor's hearing before the Senate Judiciary Hearing was all opening statements, most notable for Al Franken's first committee appearance as a senator.

Today, Day 2, started the first round of questioning. (Round 1 finishes tomorrow.)

If there is any question that Judge Sotomayor is well-suited to the Supreme Court, one only need watch her first day answering questions from the committee. Whether a "friendly" or a "hostile" question, she answered all with gravity, care, and respect. I was especially struck by how respectful she was throughout Sen. Lindsey Graham's frustrated questioning, often interrupting her before she barely began answering as he tried to corner her into saying something imprudent, or to prod her into showing the temper he insisted was pointed out by so many who had been in her courtroom. At one point, she even inadvertently paraphrased Sarah Palin when she explained that she didn't bother to use labels in reference to her judicial philosophy. (Not that I'm comparing her to Sarah Palin! She would leave the almost former governor a babbling mess if they were to ever debate.)

What she displayed was a thorough understanding of how the law functions, and repeatedly demonstrated why she was such an outstanding choice for the Supreme Court. She definately proved that she is smarter than anyone on that committee.

As she patiently and kindly corrected senator after senator about the particulars of cases she has heard, and displayed a thorough understanding of the rulings by the Court, I could imagine her easily holding her own with the other justices, kindly correcting them as to the decisions they referenced if they recalled them incorrectly. She certainly seems like someone who will make sure that the courts under her supervision will be well managed, the unglamorous part of being a Supreme Court justice.

I say hurrah for Sonia Sotomayor! While it is outstanding that she is a woman, and great that she is latina, if she were an old, crusty white guy, she would be the perfect pick. I can't wait to read her opinions when the Court reconvenes in the fall!

My Weakness: Elimination Musical Comedy Casting Reality Shows

2009-07-12T23:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, kind of an awkward title.

But tonight as I sat watching the 2006 elimination show, "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?" with Andrew Lloyd Webber on a throne and a dozen actresses who have long since gone on to other things, and became obsessed with watching the final episodes, I realized: I watch these shows.

Of course I watch "Dancing With The Stars" and "Project Runway" (doesn't everyone?), but I generally avoid the rest of them. But then I got to thinking: I watched "Grease: You're The One That I Want" in the same format as the abovementioned show, when they were casting the latest production of "Grease!" for Broadway. (BTW they ended up with the wrong Danny, and the production itself was really glossy and artificial.)

I watched "Step It Up And Dance." (They got it right that time.)

And then I suffered through the series on MTV that cast the new Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde." (She is no longer in it.) (Oh. They cast the wrong person there, too.)

And I even watched the lame Nick Lachey-hosted (need I say more?) show on which they cast someone to sing the over-the-credits song at the end of "High School Musical 3." Of course, there was Kenny Ortega once or twice, which made it more tolerable. But the judges -- ech!

So I realized -- if someone is casting a musical, I'm there watching, desperately hoping that the judges actually know what they are doing.

So when the next one comes along, and the wrong person inevitably wins, I'll be watching, picking the right one.

the 5th of July

2009-07-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

What did you do on the 4th of July?

It's was a beautiful day, if you like hot. The temperature hit 90, warm enough to heat up the ice-cold mountain water in the wading pool.

The dog had a half an hour in the wading pool, with water up to his chest. He found out that when he walked across the pool he would get a treat. He ate a lot of treats yesterday.

Under the "My Husband Can Do Anything" category, mine worked on building the garden shed. The kit comes with cedar shingles in strips, which makes shingling infinitely faster. It looks charming nestled in the woods. His dad, who was a master carpenter, would be proud of him.

A lot of time has been spent playing the "Ghostbusters" game for Wii, and using WiiFit.

Last evening we watched "1776" on TCM, even though we have it on DVD. But DVD doesn't have Robert Osbourne. Watching it reminds us that, in politics, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

In explicably the headline all day on Huffington Post was Sarah Palin's resignation announcement. Wouldn't she be the headliner on FOX News instead?

My favorite quote of the day was a tweet from Robb Corddry: "I'm working today. Guess who else worked on the 4th of July? The Founding Fathers!"

Meanwhile, the White House held a picnic for members of the military and their family that finished with the fireworks over The Mall, and all of it was livestreamed on the White House website.

On the 4th we celebrate our independence, and remind ourselves of what a miracle our free society is. Then on the 5th we go back to living our lives, thankfully without the pop, boom and crack of fireworks. But there lingers a spirit of cameraderie, as people rememisce about how they spent their day.

Happy 5th of July, everybody.

TMI

2009-07-01T23:48:00.000-07:00

So Mark Sanford has been going on and on about his relationship with his South American mistress.

It was bad enough that he decided he had to say that it was not just sex, but love, as if that's going to justify it. ("Oh, well, if he loves her, then heck. What does his wife have to be upset about?" Oh, wait. What were those marriage vows again?)

But then he has to go on and on and on and on about it. It's as if once the bottle was uncorked the flow just won't stop.

Does he really think we want to know about it? He can talk all he wants, but the fact remains that he broke one of the Ten Commandments, plus did something that pretty much everyone outside of the Playboy Mansion (and maybe inside) thinks is morally wrong.

And now he won't shut up about it! Won't someone please put a cork in him?

Hurrah for Al Franken!

2009-06-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today came the happy news that the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Al Franken is the winner of the 2008 Senate race in Minnesota, and should be certified. Governor Pawlenty signed the certificate, so all that is left to do is for Al to be sworn in when the Senate reconvenes. After six months, the Senate will finally have a full 100 senators, and the Democrats will have 58 senators -- with the two independents who generally vote with the Democrats, that will give them the 60 vote supermajority the Senate is currently requiring for passage of legislation, and without any Republicans.

I am thrilled that Al Franken will be in the Senate. It almost makes me want to move back to Minnesota. Al may not be liked or trusted by everyone, but he is a Paul Wellstone disciple. And Paul Wellstone believed in two things: grassroots organization to win, and being honest and respectful to his constituents. Paul Wellstone had the respect of Minnesotans because of that dedication. He always put the good of the state before the good of the party, and that's how it should be.

Al Franken will take that kind of sensibility into his office, and I think he will represent Minnesotans well.

Now I just hope, as many Democrats do, that the Democrats will stop being so milquetoast and will aggressively institute President Obama's agenda. To continue to do things the same way they've been done for years is foolish. The 2008 election sent what should be a clear message that the average American, outside the Beltway, wants things done differently. President Obama wants to create a leaner, more efficient government. The Republicans don't like it, because they are the ones who should have done that and didn't. They are in recovery, protective mode, and not thinking about what is best for the country and for the people. That has to be the Democrats' job now. the Republicans will complain about not having their say, but the reality is: the minority has never had unlimited ability to control the Congress, and that is one thing that shouldn't change.

So, hurrah for Al Franken! Now let's see some real change.

So Many Passings....

2009-06-28T23:13:00.000-07:00

This has been an unexpectedly busy few days for celebrity deaths.

First we were told of the death of the premiere 2nd banana, Ed McMahon. As Johnny Carson's sidekick, he made it seem easy. He knew when to be quiet, when to chuckle, when to laugh, when to comment, and always how to make Johnny look good. It isn't easy for a funny man to play 2nd fiddle, but that is just what he did, and brilliantly.

At the same time, news came that the beloved, great newsman, Walter Cronkite, was gravely ill. We braced for the death of one of the icons of my generation, the Voice of Space, but it never came.

Instead we were saddened by the news of the death of Farrah Fawcett, who battled cancer to determinedly and graciously. She was an icon that transcended generations, making the Boomers want to be or be with her, and inspiring the following generation as one of Charlie's Angels. She could act, too; although Cheryl Ladd was a good Angel, it was never the same after Farrah left. She went on to prove it was no fluke on Broadway and in TV movies: "The Burning Bed" was one of those films that legitimized television films.

But then her death was overshadowed by the unexpected death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Although he led a somewhat bizarre personal life, one thing no one will argue is that he was a brilliant musical performer. He single-handedly transformed pop, which is a feat in itself. The "Thriller" video transformed music videos forever. His first album as an adult, after being a megastar as a child, exploded onto the musical scene, proving that the transition can make people forget you ever were a child. His success paved the way not only for other black singers, but for blacks in almost every field, arguably including Barack Obama.

Just as we started to get used to the idea that MJ was gone, today we heard of the sudden death of pitchman Billy Mays, and television pioneer and early-year superstar, Gale Storm.

The death of a cultural icon is always unsettling. While we watch our loved ones grow older, or ill, and reluctantly accept death as a part of the life cycle, celebrities through film and photos seem to stay the same. We want, maybe even need, them to stay the same. So when they die, we aren't really prepared for it. This week has reminded us that life is fleeting. And, more importantly, maybe we shouldn't rely so heavily on icons for consistency: after all, they're just humans, too.

So, be at peace, Ed, Farrah, Michael, Billy and Gale.

Damp Dog

2009-06-20T17:05:00.001-07:00

Really, it's just what it sounds like.

Collin found something to roll in last week, something smelly and disgusting. He had been bathed and deshedded at the groomer the week before.

So today at the off-leash dog park, he had a bath at the do-it-yourself dog washing station. It's a bit like a car wash, with everything on a timer. (No conveyer belt.) Now he is shiny and clean, but smells like damp dog.

Go Away and Come Back When You Want to Help America

2009-06-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

I have had it with the self-righteous indignation of the Republican minority over health care reform, and the weak whining of the Democrats in Congress.

I am fed up with hearing, "We don't want the government getting between the patient and the doctor, with a bureaucrat determining care, and telling you you can't see your family physician."

And that is different than right now how? Right now doctors look at insurance first before determining treatment. And even when they make their best decision, an insurance company will still deny payment of a claim because they don't think the doctor made the right decision. Which is exactly what the Republicans claim will happen if there is a public option for health coverage.

I have to find a doctor who is a "member" of my insurance company's plan in order to receive coverage; if I choose to see a doctor outside the system, or, God forbid, out of state, it is a crap shoot whether or not I will be reimbursed. More than one year we have paid out of pocket expenses for our children's care after a certain point a wellness check with mandatory booster shots has put us over the "limit" the insurance company set for the amount they will pay annually for a child's doctor visits. And we still are required to pay our co-pay. And we have what is considered a good health plan.

Congress is not concerned with the well being of the health care industry, they are concerned with the well being of the health insurance industry. It is ludicrous that we function within a payment system that measures its success on how much profit it makes. So it doesn't matter that 60 percent of bankruptcies are a result of health care bills; it matters that the CEOs and executives of health insurance companies continue to make millions of dollars a year. And where does that money come from? From the premiums paid by those people who filed for bankruptcy.

The Republicans sanctimoniously speak against a public health insurance option as being anti-free market. What a bunch of hypocrites! Their health insurance, which they have for life even after leaving the Congress, is public health insurance!

In light of this opposition to government health care, I have a proposal. Completely eliminate any government health care, and let the members of Congress use COBRA or purchase private health insurance. Let them get those denial letters for payment of a prostate exam, or be told which specialist to see or what kind of treatment they can receive for cancer. Let them make a choice between sending their children to college or providing them with health care. Then when they stand before their peers and speak out against a public health insurance option, they will not be hypocrites.

I am sick of this. The Democrats need to stop worrying about looking like bullies just because FOX News says they are. And the Republicans need to just go away until they are ready to face the fact that the American people elected a Democratic majority and the president they did because they wanted a change from the way things have been done for the past 25 years.

And through all of this, they have yet to present an alternate plan that will allow anyone in the country to get medical care without worrying about whether or not they can afford to pay the bills. And forget that tax credit; a tax credit doesn't help when you are facing a 100,000 hospital bill and you make $19,000 a year.

It is time to stop debating. We are hearing the same debate, the same arguments, we have heard since the beginning of the 20th century, especially for the last 20 years. We are long past due to provide basic health care to anyone in the country. We are America: when we do something right, we do it better than any other country. Congress needs to stop worrying about where they're going to get their campaign donations, and restore the dignity of the American people, by making sure everyone can get medical care without having to fight for it.

Another reason I like Obama

2009-06-11T23:17:00.000-07:00

Today the president spoke at a town hall-style rally touting health care reform in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The story about his writing a note to excuse a 10-year-old girl from class has been all over the news. Of course that's great copy, and the stories brought the moment to my attention.

But later when I watched the interchange, it reminded me of why I like him so much.

We all know that her father jokingly mentioned her absence of school, and that he was surprised when the president took him seriously. We also know that he did write the note. But this is why I like him so much: When he was finished with it, he folded it and walked off the stage to hand it to her. She scurried up to get it in that great fluid run that children have, but he met her halfway.

Another president would have joked about writing it, written it afterwards, or in the least have had a lackey run it to her. Not Barack. Maybe it's because he's a professor.

So maybe it's time we had a teacher in the White House.

Whatever it is, that moment separated it from a stunt and made it a natural action. Way to go, Barack. I can't wait to hear what the naysayers say about it.

Has Everyone Forgotten The Great War?

2009-06-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

Growing up I used to sit and listen to my grandfather tell stories from his navy days during WWI. He was only enlisted for a short time but he had a lot of stories. When I rode with him to "caddy" when he golfed at Fort Snelling Golf Course in Minneapolis, he would sing (and I would learn) WWI songs: "It's A Long Way To Tipperary", "Smile, Smile, Smile! (Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag)", "Over There", and "How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm? (After They've Seen Paree?)" to name a few.

Lately, however, the litanies of wars in which Americans served seems to be missing WWI. It misses some other wars too, such as the Spanish-American War, but World War I is different. It was the first World war. It was the first modern weapon war, the first to use chemical weapon. Just into my 50s, I'm not that old, but old enough to have a grandfather who told stories of both world wars, and from an adult perspective. He was in college when he enlisted for WWI, and a father who had successfully supported a family through the Great Depression when WWII rolled around.

So it saddens me that all too often WWI is relegated to minor skirmish status. The Australians still celebrate Anzac Day, and they were only involved in the war because they are part of the British Empire. What we celebrate now as Veterans' Day in November was originally Armistice Day when the treaty to end the war was signed. But how many people know that? Not many, I imagine.

Someday, thirty years from now, will WWII become a footnote? Will people stop going to Normandy because it was all so long ago, last century?

We mustn't forget WWI. After all, WWII is #2 because of #1. It was a time when Americans felt compelled to pitch in and help their allies without hesitation, when the U.S. still was the strong nation that had the luxury of being the guys who had their backs.

We remember the Revolution, the Civil War, WWII. Let's not forget WWI.

Thirteen years ago (part II)

2009-06-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

Thirteen years ago at this time I was sitting in the nursery, rocking my baby. We had just brought her home a few hours before, and the cat was still getting used to having a baby in the house. My aunt was arriving in a day or two, but for now it was just the three of us.

I was in the rocker that my husband found and bought for me. Unhappy with the quality of the rockers in the pricey baby store where we loved to shop (where we were introduced to Britax car seats, and where we bought a fabulous stroller and the high chair that converted to a seat on the floor), he searched around Eugene for a better rocker. Finally he discovered, in a furniture store near the Springfield line, a rocker hand made in North Carolina, with ball bearings that give the smoothest rock ever.

So I sat in that baby's room, crooning lullabies, and trying to to let the gentle glide of the rocker lull me to sleep. I confess that more than once I found myself almost dropping the baby as I nodded off.

Eventually we discovered that the movement of the bassinette woke her up when we put her down, and i gave up and kept her in bed with us, a mesh rail to prevent her rolling out. She never came close.

But thirteen years ago tonight, I was blissfully ignorant of all those adjustments, and I just knew that I had a pretty perfect baby.

Thirteen years ago...

2009-06-02T21:17:00.000-07:00

Thirteen years ago at this time I was sitting on a big red chair with a heating pad under me, watching "Hello, Dolly!" and trying to ignore back labor.

I had already been on the phone twice with the helpful nurses in the Birth Center at PeaceHealth Hospital in Eugene, who kept telling me to take Tylenol, use a heating pad, take showers, walk, keep eating lightly ("Have a bologna sandwich!" one of them told me), and don't go in until I had to. I was also on the phone more than once with my sister-in-law, who kept telling me to not go to the hospital until I had to.

So I tried to ignore the painful cramping, as I contemplated the reality that back labor isn't in the back at all, but a lot lower.

Thirteen years ago on this day I was packing my bag with the rose pink sweater, hat and bootie set that "Nana" (my mother-in-law) crocheted (along with three other sets, two sweaters and a dress) after she learned the baby was going to be a girl.

Thirteen years ago everyone was exclaiming about how unusual the 90 degree days we had been having were at the end of May and early June, and how big the full moon was.

Thirteen years ago I was about to enter a sleepness night the culminated in a 5am trip to the hospital where they didn't send me home.

And thirteen years ago, my life was about to change forever.

Honoring My War Heroes

2009-05-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

Growing up, Memorial Day meant two things: The first grilled hamburgers of the summer, and the Indianapolis 500. It also meant that on television would be coverage of the president placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery in Virginia, and his speech, but that was just background; something the adults watched.

As an adult, though, I have come to understand and honor the service and sacrifice of men and women in the military. Although on Memorial Day flowers are laid on the graves of all loved ones who have died, it is really to honor the people in the service who served and died.

And so I want to honor the people in my family who served in the Armed Forces. How fortunate for us that none of them died in battle.

1. Sigvald Lillehaugen, my grandfather

Growing up we heard stories about my grandfather's time in the Navy during WWI. From him I learned the words to "Pack Up Your Troubles," "It's a Long Way to Tipperary," "Over There," and snippets of other WWI songs. A first-generation Norwegian-American who grew up on a North Dakota farm, he was a student at Concordia Lutheran College, Moorhead, Minn., when he and a buddy hopped a train to Minneapolis and enlisted at Fort Snelling. After basic training he was made a communications officer, or "radio man," as he called himself. I still have a photo I found of him standing on board ship, radio in hand. He served only a year before he was discharged on hardship when his father died and he had to go home and take care of his mother. Although he never quite said it, I could tell he was disappointed that he never got to serve in combat. He was proud to be a Navy man, and always had a bet on the Army-Navy football game played for years on Thanksgiving Day. He died just short of his 92nd birthday.

At the reviewal the evening before his funeral, two members of the American Legion arrived to present a flag. They laid it across the casket, then quietly saluted him. It was a glorious moment that filled me with pride.

2. Floyd Nordland, my dad

Dad was 16 when he graduated from high school, and WWII had just ended. Smart and ambitious, he wanted to go to college, so he enlisted in the Army. He served his two years in the Phillipines, where, he used to tell us, he spent his time playing basketball and baseball when he wasn't on duty as a file clerk. When he returned home, he went to college, where he lettered in baseball, and became a coach and Biology teacher. By the time he retired, he was a college professor. He doesn't talk about his two years in the service much, because he served between wars. However, he stands as proudly as anyone when the Army's song is played in concert, and he always cares about the outcome of the Army-Navy game.

3. Fred Thomson Sr., my uncle

Uncle Fred served as a Marine in Korea, something he never seemed to talk about -- certainly I didn't know that about him until I was an adult. However, he had the dignity and strength of character that distinguishes men who served as Marines. He was a funeral director, first joining his father and uncle in the family business, then later on taking over. He conducted business with compassion and caring and a quiet faith that permeated everything he did. When he died from cancer, he was honored as a Marine and a hero. He was one of those men, though, who if he had never put on a military uniform, would still have been a hero.

4. Manvel Lillehaugen, a cousin

Manvel was a dreamer and a writer, a history professor who was respected and loved by his students at Minot State. My grandfather was his "Uncle Sig." Drafted in WWII, he served in Europe, including as part of the forces who freed France. A man who at first seemed the last person who would "make it" in the Army, he served with distinction, and went on to write memoirs that included stories of his time in the service and the war. When he died suddenly, his unpublished memoirs were found among his things, and his brothers and sisters posthumously published them along with other short works.

5. John Nordland, my uncle

Uncle John was one of my dad's brothers. He served in WWII in the Rangers, and was one of those guys who scaled the cliffs on D-Day. He rarely talked about his time in the Rangers, but he had his medals displayed in his modest home. He met his wife, Claire, a Cicilian-American, in New York while he was stationed there, married her, and brought her back to Minnesota. He worked as a carpenter, eventually disabled from war wounds, and spent many years in and out of VA hospitals. My dad would quietly tell us, "Your uncle was a real hero."

6. William Wallace, my father-in-law

I never met my father-in-law; like my mother, he died shortly before my husband and I met. In fact, losing a parent so recently was one of the commonalities we found. Bill served in the New Zealand Army during WWII. We have his medals, and in Australia my husband used to pull them out and wear them on Anzac Day. Although he would like to honor his father in the same way here, it is "against the rules" for anyone other than the decorated U.S. soldier to wear medals awarded in service. Bill went on to marry and move to Australia, where he worked as a master carpenter, beloved and respected by everyone who knew him. In the dangerous war in the Pacific, when Australia was in real danger from the Japanese, he helped keep Australia free.

7. James Moore, husband of my daughter's 1st grade teacher
James is a young Marine who recently married my daughter's 1st grade teacher. When my daughter was in 1st grade, however, they were still newly dating. He served (last I heard) 3 tours in Iraq, one of which was while my daughter was in 1st grade. He and his buddies not only were pen pals with her class, but with another 1st grade class in the elementary school as well. In fact, he said that if his platoon buddies wouldn't write, he would write to all the kids himself. (Fortunately he had help.) To those children, and the children in Mrs. Moore's other classes who wrote to him, James is a hero. He is now stationed in Virginia where they are starting their married life.

So this year, as I watch the president lay the wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, I will be honoring these men, as well as the men and women who are serving both at home and abroad.

The Final Shuttle Run

2009-05-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis comes back to Earth on Friday after freshening up the Hubble telescope. And when that crew lands, it will be the end of the Shuttle Program.

While the shuttles flew a lot longer than originally planned, it will still be a bittersweet moment when it touches down. And even more so, because it feels like the end of a chapter in my life.

I am a child of the Space Age. I was five in 1962, and I remember watching every Mercury, Gemini and Apollo launch. If it took place during school, we watched, or listened on the radio, in the classroom.

In my home town of West Lafayette, I was able to get out of school on the day when Neil Armstrong made the first speech he made after walking on the moon to an audience at Purdue University. I sat far, far back in bleachers, and you could hear a pin drop as he quietly spoke of his experience.

I remember when the Apollo program finished. It was disappointing that the final two moon missions were cancelled. But there was SkyLab and the promise of a space station ahead. And plans to build a re-usable ship, which eventually became the shuttle program.

But now feels different. Plans of returning to the moon, and continuing on to Mars, are constantly spoken of. The past two presidents have pledged to support a return to the moon, but NASA's budget gets cut. I feel like I may not live to see man return to the moon, when we originally thought that men would be on their way to Mars by now. New modes of space transportation are "in the works," but they seem more conceptual than anything.

We need to continue with space exploration. How sad it will be if I am prophetic, and my generation dies out before man again enters space in a U.S. craft. Surely we are more of a leader than that.

Self Editing

2009-05-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

"Happy talk
Keep talking happy talk..."
-Oscar Hammerstein, "Happy Talk" from South Pacific

"You've got to accentuate the positive,
Eliminate the negative..."
-Johnny Mercer, "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive"

My life, like everyone's is full of a variety of events and emotions, positive and negative. Yet, when I sit down to blog, or write in my journal, I edit myself, recording the positive and remaining silent on the negative. Even when I write about the negative, it is in a positive way.

Why is that? Self-preservation, perhaps. I keep thinking that someday someone else will be reading my journal, or today or tomorrow someone will be reading my blog, and I want to look good. Goodness knows I don't want to embarrass myself!

Or maybe it's the Norwegian-American stoicism that taught me to ignore the bad and concentrate on the good. In a way, that is also self-preservation, but it is also a sense of a greater good.

For instance. My older brother is in the hospital right now. He was rushed there unable to breathe, with sky-high blood pressure and fluid on his lungs. Heart attack is ruled out but they continue to test. However, I don't feel like writing about being worried about him. Instead I want to write about how he is under the care of a friend of his who saw his name on the admittance list and stepped in and took over his care. And how thankful I am that he is in good hands, and I am confident he will recover and be better than he was before he took ill when he comes out.

I don't consider myself inspirational -- I leave that to other people who truly are gifted with being an inspiration. Instead, I think there is enough bad stuff in the world, and we all know about it. After all, conflict and struggle make a better story than competence and good work. But we need more of that.

While I am an idealist, I am not naive. In fact, in my life, I am very good at finding the the "no"s in a situation. But when I write, I don't want to make it about the negatives, I want to make it about the positives.

And so I self-edit.

Please Agwe, Don't Flood My Garden...

2009-05-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

Other than a performance tomorrow before the school, my older daughter is finished with her run of "Once On This Island" (Junior version) in the role of Agwe, goddess of Water. Even with the limitations of a stage in a commons of a middle school with minimal wingspace and no fly space, they do a pretty good job. Here are some photos of Agwe in action:

And Agwe's box, designed and executed by herself (see her standing on it above):

Crafting as a non-crafter

2009-05-03T22:22:00.000-07:00

I consider myself a non-crafter, because it doesn't come easily to me. Face it: others always make things look better than I can. Fortunately, as busy people do more crafting, there are more and more pre-made things to just put together and create a beautiful craft with little or no talent.

Set decorating is a lot like crafting, which is why I usually leave it to others to do, and concentrate on costumes and makeup in the backstage realm. So it was with an inner groan that I learned that my older daughter "gets" to decorate her box for the musical, "Once On This Island Jr." She is Agwe, god(dess) of Water. Each of the four gods has a cube they stand on that elevates them upstage behind the action, as they observe everything that happens. The cube is painted black, and they are supposed to decorate it with things that represent their character.

I had a couple of ideas, and the costumer gave us some leftover shells and plastic sea plant stuff that she had used on the Agwe costume. I thought and thought about it, devising my vision, only to find out that my daughter knew exactly what she wanted to do.

So armed with shells, seaweed and a glue gun, we are creating what will be an interesting, cohesive art piece on the front of her box. Because, unlike me, she has an ease of artistic vision and execution. Fortunately, I can use a glue gun, and can quickly buy into someone else's vision. (I'm also a great editor.) Luckily I have also learned efficiency in crafting, because I am helping her. And we'll have one hour to do it.

May Day

2009-05-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

With Obama in office, May Day is no longer a disaster signal, but once again a beautiful spring tradition.

My younger daughter's 3rd grade class went for a walk around the neighborhood by their elementary school, handing out flowers and greeting people. The daffodils are finished blooming, and the azaleas and other flowering bushes are beginning to brighten the yard.

Yesterday I put up two hanging plants -- fuscia and red geraniums respectively, and I was inspired to fill the cedar planter on the back deck with geraniums, pansies, and other colorful flowers.

As I bought those red geraniums, I thought about my grandparents, who always had red geraniums in planters on either side of their front stoop in their house in South Minneapolis. Putting in geraniums every spring makes me feel like I am carrying on my grandfather's gardening legacy. He taught me so many things about gardening and yard work.

Many times I would talk to him while he used a hoe to edge the sidewalks, keeping the grass from growing over it, and pulling weeds from the cracks.

"Edging is just a small thing," he would say, "but it will mean a lot to your neighbors. Keeping your front yard neat-looking improves the neighborhood, and is a sign of respect for your neighbors." "If you weed a little bit every day, then you never have to spend a lot of time weeding." "Pull the dead blooms off a flowering plant and they will bloom again." "Petunia flowers are done when they come off easily." "Always plant petunias on the edge of your tomato bed and it will keep away the rabbits." "Corn should be knee high by the fourth of July." "Always water in the evenings."

And he always managed to weed without getting his hands dirty. Perhaps it was all those years of farming experience in North Dakota when he was growing up, or just years of experience tending his own garden. But I'd end up with hands black with the rich earth, and he'd quickly brush his hands and look like he'd just sat down to dinner.

Spring also brought baseball season. Every year on Opening Day, Grandpa would call me, whether the Twins were home or away for the first series of the season. The first opening day after he died, I called my grandmother and said, "Grandpa always called me on Opening Day."

"I know," she said, "He always said, 'I have to call Ann.'"

The smell of warm earth and geraniums and the sound of the crowd and the crack of the bat bring such strong memories of being with my grandfather at their Minneapolis home that sometimes the memory seems more real than the present. I can almost hear Herb Carneal saying, "O and two. Here's the pitch..."

I am still a Twins fan, but these days I more closely follow the Mariners. And I have an edger instead of a hoe, and a driveway that is almost as long as the block my grandfather lived on. But when spring comes I am out there planting my geraniums and half waiting for the phone to ring one more time.

Flu nervousness

2009-04-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

I remember when the swine flu hit for the first time, in the early 1970s during the Ford Administration (or, according to Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn, during the Carter Administration because it's directly linked to the Democrats!).

I was nervous then, largely because it was a new strain and there was no previous experience treating it. Generally, we all panicked, especially since we lived in the fantasy that animal diseases didn't affect humans.

So the swine flu is back again. This time I'm just as nervous as I was the first time. But why? Other than having two children, which changes perspective.

It is somewhat of a Pavlovian response -- hear swine flu and panic. But do we really need to panic? Of course not. Worldwide health organizations and health professionals are aware and actively tryin to prevent its spread. Of course we all wish it would just go away completely, but flus generally circulate and then go away later.

So just stay vigilant. Wash your hands often and avoid putting things into your mouth with your hands unless they've been washed.

And above all, don't panic!

Obama To The Rescue

2009-04-28T20:47:00.001-07:00

This afternoon President Obama visited the FBI in DC and spoke to an enthusiastic crowd gathered outside. (No word on how many of the surrounding roofs were lined with security.)

Shortly after he began his speech, he stopped and said, "Did someone just faint? Right there (points) I think someone just fainted. Is there -- is there an EMT somewhere? (pauses) Okay, give him some room, give him some room. This used to happen a lot on the campaign trail. And most of the time, all they need is a little water and some air. People would be gathered outside like this, waiting, and then I'd start talking and talk too long, and people would start dropping left and right."

Then he continued his speech. One can only assume that he had to stifle the urge to rush down and help.

No word on what happened with the fainter, but I assume that he was in good hands.

Those wacky Republicans

2009-04-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

Why, Mr. Dickinson, I'm surprised at you! You should know that rebellion is always legal in the first person -- such as "our" rebellion. It is only in the third person -- "their" rebellion -- that it is illegal.

-Benjamin Franklin, "1776"

Isn't it interesting that, in politics, the rules change overnight, as soon as a party is out of power?

Take, for example, the current hubbub over the release of memos detailing the "enhanced interrogation methods" (ie torture) used during the Bush Administration in an attempt to get information about al-Qaeda.

While in office, and (as we now know) as one of the people who approved the methods, Dick Cheney firmly stated over and over again that the information should not be released, that it would jeopardize national security, blah blah blah.

However, now that the memos (which contained a lot of information known publicly already, one of the reasons for releasing them) have been made public, the Republicans, led by Cheney and Karl Rove, are suddenly demanding that even more memos be made public. This from a man who had a man-sized safe in his office.

What changed? Simple! They are no longer in power, and they don't like how the new administration is doing business. Thank goodness Cheney and Rove are not in public office -- they can bluster and condemn all they want to, but they have less power right now than Rush Limbaugh.

I wonder -- in this new zeal for freedom of information, will the former vice president and Mr. Rove eagerly appear in front of a Congressional Committee to talk about what they know about the war in Iraq?

Books don't know everything

2009-04-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

One of the suggestions for parents of a daughter on the occasion of her first menstrual period is to celebrate. Have a cake, heap on the praise, perhaps write a note of congratulations. So many daughters have been touched by such thoughtful gestures!

When our older daughter started, she was excited, prepared, a little freaked, but things went smoothly. She declined a celebration. But I was so impressed (although not surprised) by how ably she handled it, I wrote her a note of congratulations and pride, using thoughtful, affirming language, in part to communicate I recognize that she is growing into adulthood. I even pulled out my special note cards made from hand made paper, and beaded. I left it in her room for her to find.

Later in the evening, she looked at me in puzzlement. "Why did you leave me a card about my period?" she asked. "I already knew what to do."

So...who was it who approved that torture and then destroyed memos?

2009-04-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

"I don't consider him to be a particularly reliable source of information."
--Hillary Clinton on Dick Cheney

2009-04-20T22:23:00.000-07:00

"[the governor of Texas says] Texas may secede. Oklahoma had better start working on its border fence." --Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report April 20, 2009

Notes from an engagement party

2009-04-18T23:46:00.001-07:00

We went to an engagement party tonight. In attendance were two CEOs, a publishing executive, two physicians, a bunch of corporate types, and at least two stereotypical Seattle couples, along with some regular joes and a bit of family. The party was in a home in the U District of Seattle, where all the houses are very close together on awkward hills, but with nice views of Lake Washington.

Pizza and Sangria are an odd choice for an engagement party.

Always make sure your carpets are clean for a party.

Obama is doing a fine job, and is a genius for choosing Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State.

Madeline Albright looked the same 25 years ago as she does now.

There is nothing better than freshly baked Scottish shortbread.

Catching up on the news at a company where you used to work is like catching up on a soap opera after not having watched it in a while.

Obama is a genius for being able to position his agenda for health care, education and tax reform in the framework of solving the financial crisis.

Some people can actually be boring.

People who work in competitive companies can find a surprising amount to talk about without spilling secrets.

There is a reason there used to be those special luncheon plates with the space for a cup.

The table in the linoleum-floored dining room lowers through the floor and blank floor moves into its place, creating a dance floor. One person observed, "I've seen it on a cruise ship, but never on dry land before." Unfortunately, we were not given a demonstration or told how it works.

It is possible to go through a whole evening without mentioning the dog. Or showing photos.

Everyone at the party was a stand-at-the-back-of-the-room type, a phenomenon discovered when everyone gathered for story time and toasts.

Seattle is dumpy.

There is such thing as being too dressed up.

It is a mystery why strong, intelligent, confident, independent women can be clingy and fawny with a man.

Heated seats and steering wheels are not needed in Seattle but people have them anyway.

It is possible to have an interesting conversation with someone without knowing where they work.

There was a sunken square in the corner measuring about 4ft x 4ft lined with a patchwork quilt and with a marled red plastic ball in it, but no one knew what it was for.

Thank Goodness for Susan Boyle!

2009-04-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't heard of or heard Susan Boyle, she is a Scottish singer who blew people away on "Britain's Got Talent" recently. I heard about her when I was listening to the Ron Reagan radio show (yes, that Ron Reagan) and he mentioned singer who "sings like an angel."

Later I saw a link to her appearance posted on The Huffington Post, and decided to watch.

While I wouldn't exactly say she sounds like an angel -- my singer's ear detected moments that could benefit from training -- she has a glorious voice, a confidence that gives her the air of a professional/ringer, and the knack for making a song her own when she sings it. (Watch and listen to her appearance here. Really. Watch it.) "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables" is not exactly an easy song to sing, but she handled it with the ease of a mature singer.

Did I mention she's 47? Her age has been made much of, almost as if it's impossible for anyone to sing well over the age of 30. Of course, musicians know this is nonsense -- singers whose voices are shot by 40 do so because they abused their voices, or never learned to sing properly and damage the vocal chords. But for most singers, there is still plenty of voice left for years to come.

What has struck me has been the reaction. Not that people are so enamored of her singing, since it is well-deserved, but by how surprised the audience and even the judges were when they looked at a woman who looked like a stand-in for Hyacinth Bucket on "Keeping Up Appearances" and assumed she would be a trainwreck.

Yesterday I read a commentary by a woman who says we women are moved by Susan Boyle's singing because she represents the ability to achieve a dream for women in their 40s and older, as well as for women who are not beauties. She could be right. But maybe we are moved simply because a great song was sung by a gifted singer. Shouldn't that be enough?

So brava to Susan Boyle. For a few moments we are able to relax and appreciate the gloriousness of humanity, without worrying about the economy or education funding or TARP money or teabagging. Let's hope she can parlay this into her dream of becoming a professional singer. If Simon Cowell has any brains at all, he'll do everything he can to help her succeed.

Amusing, no?

2009-04-16T23:17:00.001-07:00

Today First Lady Michelle Obama spoke at the Department of Homeland Security as she continues her "thank you" visits to each of the agencies. Included in Homeland Security is the Secret Service.

So what as amusing? When she stepped down to the crowd to shake hands, she had Secret Service behind her. You would think that at the DHS, of all places, they wouldn't need to follow her...

POTUS on Easter Sunday

2009-04-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

The answer to the big question, "Where will the Obamas worship on Easter?" was answered when they went to St. John's Church in DC this morning.

The press, of course, followed, and apparently only writers were allowed inside the church, with the rest of the press corps remaining outside.

The Huffington Post has quite a bit of Washington Post reporter Christina Bellantoni'sreport about the morning. The service was filled with great music and discreetly rubbernecking parishoners, as well as little girls in Easter dresses going through metal detectors.

She also commented: "We also could not see if they placed money in the offertory dish as it went by. No one from press pew contributed."

Heh.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Arizona

2009-04-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

It's an adventure to book a vacation during Spring Break six days beforehand. But with serindipity and cashable airline miles, we went to Scottsdale, Arizona and spent four days (five nights) at the Fairmont Scottsdale Resort.

The kids just wanted to swim, and at a resort with three pools (four if you count the pool at the Willow Stream Spa) that was no problem. We had a room in one of the casitas, which have a small pool, allowing casita dwellers to avoid the walk to the main pools if they wish. Given that there is a slide pool, we were not always at the casita pool.

One day I had a morning at the spa. The spa at the Fairmont Scottsdale is a top-rated spa, and it really shows. I had (have) a cold virus that started the day before we left, so I had an aromatherapy facial that left my sinuses clear and my body relaxed. I followed it with a pedicure, then had lunch before leaving. I was pleased to get a small discount on my treatments through our membership in the Fairmont President's Club. Then I lucked out when my facialist (apparently) mistakenly extended me a 20% discount on my purchase of facial products. (I bought one. I'm always looking for a good exfollient.) The spa is quite large -- separate men's and women's spas, a shared fitness room, pool, and lounge area that includes juices, teas, muffins and fruit. In the women's spa was a hot/cold pool (with waterfall), steamroom, suiss shower, and an inhaling room, scented with eucalyptus and menthol -- perfect for my sinuses. While I did not take the time to use everything, I enjoyed running around in nothing but a plush robe for half a day. I can easily understand why someone would spend all their time at that spa while on vacation.

We also had the opportunity to visit friends in Fountain Hills, where we had the best gelato. Ever. The woman who runs it spent a year apprenticing in Italy with a gelato maker. I had Tiramisu and Chocolate Hazlenut flavors, and it was amazing. We also had a wonderful visit with them. Plus we saw the famous fountain. Fountain Hills, in spite of being one of the most conservative cities anywhere (someone kept covering the naked bottom of a cupid statue with a napkin because they thought it was inappropriate), it is a city known for its artists, and there is fabulous art there, everywhere you look.

While I was there I felt as if I was continuing the family tradition. Although no one stayed at the Fairmont, for years my great-Uncle Henry, the Norwegian bachelor farmer (ref. Garrison Keillor) drove from North Dakota to Scottsdale before the first snow hit, and didn't return until time for spring's work. For several years my grandparents (Henry was my grandmother's brother) drove to Scottsdale for a month or two.

While we were there, I could certainly understand why people winter in Arizona. If most of the days are less than 80, but the nights are never below the 40s or 50s, it's ideal. (Especially if you golf.)

Will return? Maybe not right away -- we are still very much beach people. But some cold winter, when the kids are away at college, and we are feeling grumpy about the rain, we might find ourselves exploring the sites of Arizona.

When You're A Jet You Stay A Jet

2009-03-22T23:02:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we spent a couple of hours at the ballet. We saw the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Broadway Festival, featuring Broadway and Broadway-inspired ballets.

The main attraction was the final piece, the "West Side Story Suite" choreographed by Jerome Robbins from his Broadway choreography and to Leonard Bernstein's amazing music. But the rest of the program was equally intriguing: Balanchine's "Slaughter On Tenth Avenue" from Rodgers & Hart's 1930's musical "On Your Toes"; a ballet by Christopher Wheeldon to "Carousel Waltz" from Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Carousel"; and the Broadway choreographer/director Susan Stroman's "TAKE FIVE...More Or Less" commissioned by PNB and premiered last year.

Seeing "West Side Story" danced by ballet dancers was exciting, and interesting to see them step out of their comfort zone to do some singing and dialogue. The best, by far, was Carla Korbes as Anita, who was the only one who sounded and acted like someone who had stepped off a musical stage to perform, and really acted like a star. (Professional musical comedy singers filled in at other times, and provided entertainment in the lobby at intermission.) Equally as exciting to watch was Jeff Stanton as Riff. In the suite, Tony and Maria become secondary characters for a large part -- Riff and Bernardo take center stage.

Stroman's piece was witty, sophisticated and charming, enough to capture even my crabby-from-hunger 12-year-old. It started with the premise that artists, even when they "take five" never really take a break from their art, because it is always within them. This will be a ballet that other companies will start to perform. Hopefully not before it becomes a PNB signature piece.

But the big revelation was "Slaughter On Tenth Avenue." Choreographed as a performance ballet within a show, it is also tied in with the (albeit flimsy) plot of the show in a way that was never done before in the theater. Balanchine was hired to give the ballet legitimacy, but went far beyond into wonderful jazz ballet in a way that is in no way reminiscent of his standard ballet choreography. Gene Kelly choreographed and danced (with Vera Ellen) a clever, more modern excerpt of the ballet for "Words and Music," the Lorenz Hart star-studded biographical film.

When he pulled the ballet from the musical in 1967 to add it to the NYC Ballet repertoire, Balanchine created all new choreography; perhaps he took some inspiration from Gene Kelly? Regardless (or, irregardless as my old boss used to like to say), it was an exciting piece of ballet that was unanimously the favorite of the family. It was the ideal example of why live performance will never be replaced: nothing engages the audience like live theater, especially when it takes place amidst the audience.

The big star of the day was, without a doubt, Jeffrey Stanton. Known to many of us casual ballet goers as Patricia Barker's favorite partner, we haven't seen much of him in the past year because of injury, even leading to speculation that he was quietly retired or on his way somewhere else. But as the Hoofer in "Slaughter" and "Riff" in "West Side Story," he was the focal point whenever he was on stage, demonstrating every bit of experience, stage savvy and talent.

Not enough good can be said about the orchestra, either. A collection of music that would make a great symphony program, the ballet orchestra outdid itself as it played Rodgers, Brubeck and Bernstein with equal deft.

Purdue Boilermakers Dance Into Round Two

2009-03-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

On Thursday Purdue beat Northern Iowa (although not as handily as I had hoped) to advance in the NCAA Tournament. Woo hoo! Go Boilers!

On Saturday afternoon, they will face off against the Washington Huskies. I've been hearing about that team all year here in the Pacific Northwest, and there's no question that they are talented, tough and well-coached. They will also have the added advantage of virtually being the home team, playing as they are in Portland. It will be one of the best games in the tournament, rivaling even the finals. But I am an optimist! Purdue is a team that came from the middle of the pack to win the Big Ten championship. They are on a roll, winning games away from their home court.

The Purdue Boilermakers are a fun team to watch, and loaded with talent. Although there are several great players, my favorite player has become sophomore Robbie Hummel. 'Though it's no surprise that Matt Painter's team is tough, there is something about Hummmel's enthusiasm and intensity that I find immensely enjoyable to watch. And he always seems to be in just the right place to get things going.

Whether or not Purdue moves on after Saturday's game remains to be seen. Optimist that I am, I have them reaching the finals, in spite of having to face the UConn Huskies if they beat the Washington Huskies. Anything can happen in the Big Dance.

AIG: I Wanna Be a Producer

2009-03-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

Like a lot of people, I have been angered by the audacity of the whole AIG bonuses-for-failed executives thing. I have also been just plain annoyed that financial institutions, that, up until the 1990s, were on the conservative side of dealing with money, would end up needing to be given massive loans.

But I have finally figured out why AIG is in so much trouble. What it boils down to is that they were slicing apart mortgages and reselling the pieces, ending up with something like 300% ownership. But when they had to be paid...

Now, this is probably a simplification of what happened, but suddenly one night a light buplb went off. This is exactly what Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom did in "The Producers" by Mel Brooks! They sold over a hundred percent of their show, and when it was a hit, they were suddenly in trouble for selling more than they could pay.

So you could say that what those well-heeled executives did that almost brought down AIG was a legal form of what sent Bialystock and Bloom to jail.

Or, maybe Leo and Max should never have gone to jail in the first place.

March Madness (Go Boilers!)

2009-03-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

The Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team is in the Big Dance with a 5th seed in the West. They will be playing in Portland, Ore., and if they win their first game they will face the Washington Huskies, a team I've been familiar with this year due to their coverage in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

But I have a beef with the NCAA. Why is there a "West" bracket being played on the east coast? And why does a team like Purdue or Wisconsin have to play two time zones away, but Duke and North Carolina both get to play in North Carolina? Shouldn't the divisions labeled things like "Midwest" and "South" be for teams from those geographical areas?

While I realize that they try not to have a cluster of the top seeded teams play each other in the first rounds because they are in the same division or geographic area, it seems that they should either place every team away from a home court advantage, or go back to keeping everyone home and tough it out.

Think about it, NCAA. If you tried that kind of unequal division in a preschool class, you'd be in time out.

Ardis Pauline Lillehaugen Nordland

2009-03-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday would have been my mother's 80th birthday. She died at age 64, one week after Easter 1992 at 10:43am while people in churches in Minnesota, Indiana and Wisconsin were praying for her.

My mother was an amazing person. Everyone liked her, and wanted her to be their best friend. She would walk into a party, and within ten minutes have met everyone and livened things up just by being there. She set the example for what a feminist should be: strong, capable, an advocate for human rights, and always striving to better herself.

I spent a lot of time thinking about her yesterday. And with them came a whole host of "would haves."

We would have, either last weekend or this weekend, had a big birthday bash for her. I can still recall my grandfather's 80th birthday party, and my grandmother. Both were big parties, with a lot of family and friends in attendance, good food, a krinsekake and a lot of talking. My mother's party probably would have been in Minneapolis, with the host of friends who still live in Minneapolis, relatives from the surrounding states, and surprise guests.

My children would have the best grandmother in the world (and the ones that they do know set the bar pretty high, believe me), and I would have had the joy to see her love and nurture them. Her one regret in dying, she confided in a friend, was that she would never hold her grandchildren. My brothers and I both feel that absence, too.

She would have criticized Clinton through his presidency (she didn't like him -- she preferred a more liberal Democrat), but would have loved seeing Obama sworn in. And she would be so pleased seeing Hillary Clinton re-open relations with China.

She would have come and stayed with me when I had my babies, and would have been a willing babysitter when we wanted to go on a vacation without them.

Most of all, I would have had another 16 years of wonderful friendship.

Friday Night Musings

2009-03-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

The newly released Blu-Ray (restored) edition of Walt Disney's "Pinocchio" is stunning. They are making much of the improved sound (and it does sound great), but the brilliance is in the richness of the art of animation. It captured the attention of both my children (12 and 9) and they watched, rapt, throughout the film. (That is not something that happens with most modern animated films.)

My new favorite reality show person is Patti Stanger, the matchmaker on Millionaire Matchmaker. Few things are more fun than watching her browbeat 40 something men who only want to date 20 somethings. I remember being 26 and thinking 40 was old -- can you imagine what women in youth-obsessed LA think?

Why are people who run dancewear stores so often snobby?

Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State is like a junior president. She is an international rock star, listens attentively, and seems to remember everything. As much as I would have liked to have seen her as president or even vice president, I think she is at her best heading up U.S. diplomacy. She manages to be credible, contemporary, statesmanlike, tough and personable all at the same time. President Obama could not have chosen better.

Michelle Obama rocks.

Every morning, parents saddle up for another day of cat herding.

Jon Stewart deserves a Pulitzer for his interview with Jim Cramer on the Daily Show last night. (see the unedited version here) His demand for responsible reporting should echo throughout the visual and on line media. With the demise of the daily newspaper, and print media in general, responsible journalism is in grave danger of dying with them.

The Pacific Northwest Ballet is doing a Broadway Festival this month. The program contains one "ooh" after another: West Side Story Suite (Robbins), The Carousel Waltz (Wheeldon, new choreography), Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (Balanchine), Take Five More or Less (Stroman), and more. Peter Boal is an innovative artistic director with one foot planted in tradition while reaching out and searching for innovation and evolution in ballet. Swans still die, but the company constantly shows why ballet dancers are the best athletes.

Ah the Angst of the Theater

2009-02-28T22:41:00.000-08:00

My older daughter's middle school is putting on the musical, "Once On This Island" this year. Auditions were today, including for a little girl to be the young version of the lead, so my younger daughter auditioned as well.

"Wouldn't it be great if we were both cast as big and little Ti Moune?" I heard frequently during the past week. And they do look a lot alike. They were not the only sister team to audition, either; the girl who #1 perceives as her main competition auditioned, and so did her little sister, who looks a lot like her.

Part of the audition was the opening dance. The little girls and boys learned it with the middle schoolers who have been working on it all week. Quite a task for them, but they all really stepped it up and learned it. When it came time for the little Ti Mounes to dance (as a group) separately, the choreographer stood on a table to be level with the stage so they had someone to follow. #1 stood down to the side and did the dance through. #2 watched her the entire time. It was, for me, the best moment of the day, to see their teamwork. (In general, #1 was by far the best dancer. Those ballet lessons really paid off!)

The cast list was scheduled to be posted at 4pm this afternoon, after the auditions ended. Time crept between 4:00 and 5:00 as we waited for the simultaneous email to appear, so we didn't have to drive over and see it in person.

At 5:01 it appeared, and I am so glad we didn't drive over to see the list, because the excess of emotions was, well, excessive. #1 was cast as Agwe, one of the gods, a part she auditioned for, but she was just angry that her nemesis, er, the other girl (who is just fine!) was cast instead. #2 was devastated that she wasn't cast. Eventually #1 decided that she was going to steal the show in her role, and accpeted it, but not before a lot of thrats to quit the cast. #2 was still fussing about it hours later in her bath.

Such angst and drama! It is, without a doubt, one of the worst experiences, to come close and not get cast in the role you want. But spare me the hysterics...

Another Great Day in Denver

2009-02-17T21:46:00.000-08:00

I confess that I have been nervous about HR 1, the Recovery and Reinvestment Act. With the stubborn opposition of the Republicans (some of it ideological but mostly an unwillingness to be accountable) I worried that, even after the bill passed both the House and the Senate, something would go wrong: They lost the bill between Capitol Hill and the White House! John Boehner's dog ate it! They flew to Denver and left it in DC! While the president was speaking, a streaker ran through and took it!

It was with great relief that I watched President Obama sign it today. Even though we know that things will not get better for a while, and that it may not even affect the economy of my state, thanks to all the things that were taken out, it will do something to stop the madness.

My dad and I were talking about today's speech. In it the president referred to using power grids from the 19th and 20th centuries to transfer 21st century power. While the grids don't go quite back to Edison, as he said in his speech, it highlights the difference between this president and previous presidents. Instead of being intimidated by technology, my dad commented, Obama embraces it and wants to use it to our advantage.

Six months ago we were buoyed by hope in Denver, and hope was there again today. If significant legislation can become law in the first month of a new presidency, think what can happen when there is time.

Most of all, there is hope that, perhaps, the stranglehold of a minority is finally loosed from this country, and we can find our way back to prosperity.

Hurrah Recovery Passed

2009-02-14T21:55:00.001-08:00

Yesterday the House and Senate passed the Recovery bill, and President Obama will sign it on Monday.

All kinds of dire comments have been made about it not being enough, it costing too much, not enough tax cuts...and the Republicans, who support it, didn't vote for it because they're more interested in winning elections than in doing what might help the country.

While there probably isn't enough spending in the bill, at least something will get done. And no doubt this is just the beginning. There is a lot of time to make up, after years of inaction. But at least with this in place, the president can turn his attention, at least for now, to foreign policy (where Secretary Clinton is ably restoring the standing of the United States in the world), especially Iraq and Afghanistan.

I Don't Want the NeoCons in Charge Any More

2009-02-06T23:17:00.000-08:00

For the past eight years, well, really 12, the neocons have been running things. They wasted millions of taxpayer dollars to go after a sitting president, and, for the first time in history, a First Lady, for something that was irrelevant to the administration since it happened fifteen years previous, and ultimately proved to be nothing. (Oh, how it must gall them to see Hillary Clinton running the State Department!)

They vigorously supported deregulation, revived the trickle down economics that caused the recession in the 1980s, spawned a president who was the embodiment of the Peter Principle, dismissed as unimportant millions of dollars that disappeared during a war that did nothing to combat terror but everything to suck up billions of our dollars and destabilize a region to enable terrorism, proudly supported the exportation of thousands of formerly American jobs, promoted the erosion of the Constitution, cheered a two bit mayor turned governor with a trail of questionable and unethical actions as the savior of the movement, and loudly suppported giving billions of taxpayer dollars with no tracking of how it is used to bolster an industry that thinks that it is important to give hefty bonuses to executives who orchestrated the industry's failure.

And yet they were surprised when they lost the election. And now they are sanctimoniously blaming the current economic crisis on the evil liberals. They are outraged at the idea of the American people knowing how their money is spent. They are offended at the idea that the government should put money into education and health care. They are indignant that the wealthiest Americans be expected to pay higher taxes.

They cling to the myth that Americans are right of center, with center being moderately conservative instead of truly center. No wonder they were surprised when they lost the election.

Here's a clue: Trickle down economics, with tax breaks to the wealthy, didn't work in the 1980s. I can personally vouch for the fact that nothing trickled down to me. In my modest clerical job, my salary was frozen, a department of eight busy people was reduced to six and we were expected to get the same amount of work done in a day (I still have dreams about that period), and my rent increased by 50%. The tax cut resulted in a check for $27 and a reduction in a refund the following year. (I was earning in a low enough tax bracket that I actually received a modest refund.)

Don't tell me that tax cuts work. All they do is allow wealthy people to keep more money. They do nothing to restore jobs, pay medical bills, prevent mortgage foreclosures, allow middle class America to afford health care, or get people spending again. The wealthy just do not spend in a way to keep the economy moving. You will not see them frequenting small business. And you sure won't see them shopping at WalMart or Target or Macys'.

I want the neocons shoved aside. I want to end the piecemeal approach to fixing the economy, and see something comprehensive that will actually have a chance to work.

So take a hike, neocons. Shut up already about socialism and overspending. Go play your "Mine" games in a corner, and give the grownups a chance to fix this mess you made.

We Thought It Would Never Happen

2009-01-25T11:29:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, Barack Obama took the oath of office to become the 44th president of the United States. (Later he retook it, after he and Roberts both messed it up, and neither one had the brains to say, "Let's start over.")

But there was a small part of me that kept thinking, even after Election Day, even after the Electoral College met, even after the House counted and ratified the Electoral College vote (or do they certify?), that perhaps Barack Obama would never actually become president and the Bush administration. In fact, even after the oath was taken, the speech given, the luncheon attended and the parade ran its route, there was still that feeling of suspicion that something was going to again delay Barack being able to get to work and sort things out.

How glad I am that I was wrong, and he did walk into the Oval Office on Wednesday morning, take off his suit coat and get to work.

President Obama is already the target of criticism, but that is how it should be. We cannot afford to live in a society that pays obeisence to the president.

We should be respectful to the office (e.g. booing President Bush at the Inaugural was tacky -- wrong time and place), but the man is just the man. There is a reason the president is referred to as "Mr." and that reason goes back to George Washington. He recognized that for the Republic to work, the president needed to be not a king but a man from the people. The requirements for the office are only age and citizenship; there are no requirements for education, other political experience, or social standing.

So we should cut Barack some slack -- after all, how many new heads of any organization can move in with no learning curve? -- but not too much.

After all, we asked him to be there. And it has really happened.

Night Snow

2009-01-24T23:49:00.000-08:00

It is snowing tonight

like the inside of a snowglobe

Silver shimmers that leave a blanket of white that sparkles

like in a Disney movie

in the soft light that spills out from the kitchen

The sweet and spicy fragrance from my steaming cup of tea beckons

As I sip my tea and watch the snow fall

I am wrapped in a warmth that is part tactile and part ethereal

connecting me with countless happy moments watching other snowfalls

But the comfort of my bed beckons me

Children

2009-01-08T22:38:00.000-08:00

As it did to many people this past week, the death of John Travolta and Kelly Preston's son Jett deeeply affected me. And, typical of a parent, it caused me to think about my own children and how essential and wonderful they are in my life.

I found myself praying: not only for the Travolta family and friends as they grieve and celebrate Jett's life, but for my own children, to bless them and help me remember to appreciate them.

In the midst of all this, my younger daughter slipped into our room one night at the end filled with verbal wrestling. She silently left a small note on the foot of the bed, scurrying off before we could unnecessarily remind her that it was past her bedtime and she should stay in bed. (It was folded, and she had written in pencil on all three sides, with arrows directing me to the next page.)

The note made me glad I hadn't said anything. It also gave me another example of how unconditional God is in his gifts and love. Read it for yourself, and you'll see why (I couldn't find an arrow symbol, so I used text in italics; the rest of the text is hers):

Dear Mommy,

I love you!

I thank you for giving birth to my big sister

and I. You (open) with an arrow

give us food.

You married a great man.

You let us

have a dog.

You give us toys to play

with. I love

you and you

love me. But... flip with an arrow

I LOVE YOU MORE, MOMMY!

(I think so)

There it was. The evidence of God's unconditional love reflected in that of a child. Just what I needed, and I hadn't even asked for it. Kind of like a parent.