Like everyone else, we're trying to cut back on gas. Our plan is pretty simple:
- Create a budget, in terms of total miles per week. We're aiming to stay under 100 miles per week (they will 'rollover', so we can save miles for a big trip to visit family). For us, that's around 5 gallons of gas per week, or $18.95 per week in last Sunday's gas prices.
- Remove the back seat. We're getting an extra mile per gallon that way. 18.4 to 19.3 mpg or so.
- Use cruise control when possible. We get about 1/3 extra mpg - so up to 19.6 mpg (highway). This is a minivan, btw.
Longer term, we'll probably try and cut back even more. However, we do need to take the occasional trip to pay homage to the relatives who have helped us so much during the past couple of years (and even before then).
Other ideas that may help us eventually lower our gas budget:
- Getting things delivered. Good ol' CSA's can handle most of our groceries, for example - thanks to the friend who reminded me about the Klesicks'! Who are delivering our produce today *squee*!
- Running all of our errands on one day. We need to get a bit more organized to pull this off well. Also, Sunday is a natural day for this since we need to drive to church anyways - but do we really want to be working on Sundays? I guess it depends on the nature of the errands. A library trip on Sundays would be great!
- When the overpass is completed, we will be walking distance from Silver Lake Park (1 mile). And yes, we know how long 1 mile is when walking with twins - that's how far it was to the affordable grocery store when we didn't have a car.
- Using the electric scooter for errands. Because carrying things in the bottom of a double stroller just isn't that much fun.
We're in an unusual place in that we are far less dependent on our car to begin with than the average family of four. So we don't feel the pinch of rising gas prices the way other people do - we just change the flow of our lives a little and move away from gas. We will probably lose some of that flexibility as our children get older (and, dare I hope, more numerous?), so I'm going to enjoy it while we have it!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
There must be 50 ways to help the planet
I found a link to a nice list of 50 Ways to Help the Planet while dinking around on the web, and thought it might be fun to go through them and see how many I'm doing and make to-do's (for months out - too busy right now) to change some of my habits. However, 50 is a bit much for one post, so I'm going to do 10 at a time until I get bored.
Here are today's 10:
1. CHANGE YOUR LIGHT
This one is about switching to CFC's instead of incandescent lighting. We've done this in the past, although since we've moved I don't think we've switched out all of our bulbs. We do have CFC's on hand to replace lights as they burn out. I actually already have a to-do to look into LED lights - supposedly longer-lasting, lower-energy than even CFC's, and without that stressful hint of mercury. Also more expensive up-frount, however. Since we have CFC's on hand an a related to-do, I'm marking this "In Progress".
2. TURN OFF COMPUTERS AT NIGHT
We could do better about this one. We often leave the laptop, as well as other electronics, on 24/7 when they aren't needed. I just created a to-do for this.
3. DON’T RINSE
This falls into my husband's area, as the dishes are solidly his responsibility. However, I created a to-do to ask him if he is rinsing, and recommend that he try seeing if we really need to with our new (to us) fancy dishwasher that came with our house. This saves time and money and is green - so definitely a habit worth changing, if our dishwasher can handle it (our old one couldn't).
4. DO NOT PRE-HEAT THE OVEN
They do mention the exception for baking. I generally already do this when I'm the one cooking. This is my husband's area more than mine, so I'll bring it up and let him decide - to-do created. We don't oven-cook that much, so it's not really a big deal for us anyways.
5. RECYCLE GLASS
We do this. Recycling is so ubiquitous here that I can't imagine anyone not doing this - especially when you don't even need to sort your glass from the rest of your recyclables in this area!
6. DIAPER WITH A CONSCIENCE
Use cloth or environmentally-concious disposables for this one. We used cloth for two months, but couldn't afford the nice diapers that change quickly. Taking two to four minutes longer for a diaper change is a big deal with twinfants, since one baby is usually crying the entire time that you are changing the other. We used cheap generic disposables for a while, but once we were able to afford Seventh Generation we gave them a try and haven't gone back - great quality! For our next child, I want to give Fuzzy Bunz a try - they look quick and easy. But we're so close to potty-training now that we can't really justify the investment until we know we'll have another baby to use it with.
7. HANG DRY
Also Bjorn's area. I don't think he'll be willing to do this, especially since we live in such a damp, wet part of the country (greater-Seattle area). I think I'll put this down as something to consider for summer, 2009. Honestly, I'd really like to talk to people who actually do this in the local area before I try it - especially since it means I need to take on the laundry.
8. GO VEGETARIAN ONCE A WEEK
We've already reduced out meat consumption some - enough to fulfill this item on the list - but I'd like to get to just preparing a meal with meat once a week (leftovers will probably last multiple meals). So I finally got around to creating a to-do for that. We also have a to-do in similar vein about looking into buying local, grass-fed beef from a CSA to reduce impact.
9. WASH IN COLD OR WARM
This is about not using the hot/hot for clothing. We already do this, using hot/hot about once a month for whites (if anyone remembers to wash them on the special setting), and otherwise wash using cold / cold or, for the very messy, warm / cold.
10. USE ONE LESS PAPER NAPKIN
This inspires three or four to-do's. First, get cloth napkins at home. Second, quit using paper towels (may need more cloth towels, or just easier access to the cloth diapers we use). Third, store a kit of re-usable napkins and silverware in the car for fast-food dining.
So there are 10 items analyzed for today. I may or may not go through another 10 later. I came up with seven new to-do items for our list out of these ten green ideas. Hopefully we can gradually make these small changes to live a greener (cheaper!) lifestyle - like good Christian stewards should!
Here are today's 10:
1. CHANGE YOUR LIGHT
This one is about switching to CFC's instead of incandescent lighting. We've done this in the past, although since we've moved I don't think we've switched out all of our bulbs. We do have CFC's on hand to replace lights as they burn out. I actually already have a to-do to look into LED lights - supposedly longer-lasting, lower-energy than even CFC's, and without that stressful hint of mercury. Also more expensive up-frount, however. Since we have CFC's on hand an a related to-do, I'm marking this "In Progress".
2. TURN OFF COMPUTERS AT NIGHT
We could do better about this one. We often leave the laptop, as well as other electronics, on 24/7 when they aren't needed. I just created a to-do for this.
3. DON’T RINSE
This falls into my husband's area, as the dishes are solidly his responsibility. However, I created a to-do to ask him if he is rinsing, and recommend that he try seeing if we really need to with our new (to us) fancy dishwasher that came with our house. This saves time and money and is green - so definitely a habit worth changing, if our dishwasher can handle it (our old one couldn't).
4. DO NOT PRE-HEAT THE OVEN
They do mention the exception for baking. I generally already do this when I'm the one cooking. This is my husband's area more than mine, so I'll bring it up and let him decide - to-do created. We don't oven-cook that much, so it's not really a big deal for us anyways.
5. RECYCLE GLASS
We do this. Recycling is so ubiquitous here that I can't imagine anyone not doing this - especially when you don't even need to sort your glass from the rest of your recyclables in this area!
6. DIAPER WITH A CONSCIENCE
Use cloth or environmentally-concious disposables for this one. We used cloth for two months, but couldn't afford the nice diapers that change quickly. Taking two to four minutes longer for a diaper change is a big deal with twinfants, since one baby is usually crying the entire time that you are changing the other. We used cheap generic disposables for a while, but once we were able to afford Seventh Generation we gave them a try and haven't gone back - great quality! For our next child, I want to give Fuzzy Bunz a try - they look quick and easy. But we're so close to potty-training now that we can't really justify the investment until we know we'll have another baby to use it with.
7. HANG DRY
Also Bjorn's area. I don't think he'll be willing to do this, especially since we live in such a damp, wet part of the country (greater-Seattle area). I think I'll put this down as something to consider for summer, 2009. Honestly, I'd really like to talk to people who actually do this in the local area before I try it - especially since it means I need to take on the laundry.
8. GO VEGETARIAN ONCE A WEEK
We've already reduced out meat consumption some - enough to fulfill this item on the list - but I'd like to get to just preparing a meal with meat once a week (leftovers will probably last multiple meals). So I finally got around to creating a to-do for that. We also have a to-do in similar vein about looking into buying local, grass-fed beef from a CSA to reduce impact.
9. WASH IN COLD OR WARM
This is about not using the hot/hot for clothing. We already do this, using hot/hot about once a month for whites (if anyone remembers to wash them on the special setting), and otherwise wash using cold / cold or, for the very messy, warm / cold.
10. USE ONE LESS PAPER NAPKIN
This inspires three or four to-do's. First, get cloth napkins at home. Second, quit using paper towels (may need more cloth towels, or just easier access to the cloth diapers we use). Third, store a kit of re-usable napkins and silverware in the car for fast-food dining.
So there are 10 items analyzed for today. I may or may not go through another 10 later. I came up with seven new to-do items for our list out of these ten green ideas. Hopefully we can gradually make these small changes to live a greener (cheaper!) lifestyle - like good Christian stewards should!
Friday, April 25, 2008
I'm loving my life right now!
Pardon the rambling nature of this post. This is really a diary entry, more than anything. I want to remember these thoughts when I am old, grey, and wearing purple (or going barefoot ;-)
Life has been good the last two weeks. I mean, really, really good. A lot of the work and pushing I've been doing . . . well, pretty much since leaving my parents' house . . . is starting to bear fruit.
First, work is finally becoming everything I hoped it would be. The first six months were rotten, mostly because I wasn't doing anything related to the job I was hired for. Now I'm working with ASP.NET, C#, a little SQL - this is the stuff I was made for. Oh, and I'm picking up new skills left and right. Last week I learned the basics of CSS. This week I figured out some basic AJAX using ASP.NET.
I'm always surprised by how easy new skills like these are for me to learn. Mainly because there are so many things I'm naturally bad at, and it wasn't until fairly late in my childhood that I finally learned that there were things (other than reading) that I was naturally good at. Mind you, I'm not complaining - I learned a lot of life skills by "not being good at anything." God has His plans.
On the "real life" front - home and family - there have been even more changes. The move to our own house last month was a dream come true. Our house is beautiful - everything we need and most of what we want! If I say more than that, I will be blogging for an hour, telling you how much I love this house and its grounds. We need to do a little more work than when we were renting, but it is labor that feels very meaningful.
Of course, moving is a disruption, even when you are moving somewhere wonderful. The hardest thing has been figuring out the tricks for commuting from so far away. We only have one car. We bought it just after we bought the house, a gas-guzzling minivan that we hope to drive very little. So driving alone to work is (a) not good for the environment and (b) leaves my husband home with the kids and no car - and no parks in walking distance until they finish the construction at the nearby freeway overpass. Bussing in (a) requires me to travel 5 miles to get to a bus stop that will get me to work in under an hour (30 minutes if I hit the right bus!) or (b) takes a full two hours one-way.
We ended up getting me an electric eGO scooter from Craig's List for my birthday, and it seems to be working to get me over those five miles. Plus it's fun :-) Sadly, the batteries are three years old and need to be replaced - right now, they are dying after just 10 miles, right on our driveway! If they deteriorate any more, I won't be able to use my scooter. The new batteries were pricey, but are in the mail now.
The girls are so much fun at this age. I really have no idea yet where that "terrible two's" thing comes from. I've been warned that the three-year-old stage is actually where it gets rough. But every day is a new story right now. Last Sunday we took them to grandma's, and went down a steep hill on the way there. Lenora first says, "Down hill!" repeatedly. Iliana chimes in with, "Careful, car!" and then Lenora switches to saying, "Don't fall down, car!" They seemed only mildly concerned - just giving a little advice. I don't know if they were talking to our car, or the cars around us. It was a great little glimpse into how their minds work.
We have a social life, too! We were asorbed into a group of families that meets to pray the Rosary every Wednesday - and to do so much more, as well! We're actually having friends over for dinner this Friday - they had us over last Saturday - and tomorrow I'm going to a baby shower. Next weekend we may be helping someone move and will bring dinner to a family who just adopted a new baby, so they have a little more time with their new family member. I think my husband is a little overwhelmed, but for me it's . . . well, another dream come true!
I've always wanted a group of friends I admire, and who I actually have something to give. These people make friendship so easy and light-weight. I usually am scared that trying to do something will seem, oh, I don't know - patronizing? Overly intimate? Somehow, doing something nice often seems to have so many invisible rules attached to it, and it stifles sincere giving. That's not true with these people. They accept joyfully and gratefully, and give as easily too! After the one-or-two children only, dress-your-kids-hip atmosphere that permeated Seattle, it's like getting a glimpse into something deep and real, but also bright and fresh. This may seem an extreme similee, but it's like a glimpse of Heaven.
If any of the mothers or fathers of these families reads that last paragraph, they will laugh - because there is also so much familial chaos. These are real people, with real problems and worries. But that's what makes them so great - they are so REAL. They worry about their families, their friends, their homes, holiness, work, rest, finances, helping others, and finding time to relax. They don't worry so much about their friends' fashion sense, for example, or the relative sizes of everyone's paychecks. They don't worry about why that family only has two kids (we're Catholic - bigger is better for families, so sayeth our culture of Life ;-) - nor do they act shocked by a family of eight. They recognize the very diversity our culture so eagerly pays lip service to. They try to remove planks from their own eyes before motes from the eyes of others.
I'm sure I'll have frustrations and awkward moments with these people from time to time. But for now, I'm enjoying a freedom to be who I want that I haven't felt since I started college.
This is the life I daydreamed about as a late teen - so close to my imagination, it is unbelievable. Where things are different, they are generally better.
God, I don't deserve this. But I am learning almost as much from these blessings as I learned from periods of relative hardship, so - thank you, Abba. For all the things You have taught me.
What lessons do You have planned for me next, Lord? I am waiting with joy!
But first, back to work . . .
Life has been good the last two weeks. I mean, really, really good. A lot of the work and pushing I've been doing . . . well, pretty much since leaving my parents' house . . . is starting to bear fruit.
First, work is finally becoming everything I hoped it would be. The first six months were rotten, mostly because I wasn't doing anything related to the job I was hired for. Now I'm working with ASP.NET, C#, a little SQL - this is the stuff I was made for. Oh, and I'm picking up new skills left and right. Last week I learned the basics of CSS. This week I figured out some basic AJAX using ASP.NET.
I'm always surprised by how easy new skills like these are for me to learn. Mainly because there are so many things I'm naturally bad at, and it wasn't until fairly late in my childhood that I finally learned that there were things (other than reading) that I was naturally good at. Mind you, I'm not complaining - I learned a lot of life skills by "not being good at anything." God has His plans.
On the "real life" front - home and family - there have been even more changes. The move to our own house last month was a dream come true. Our house is beautiful - everything we need and most of what we want! If I say more than that, I will be blogging for an hour, telling you how much I love this house and its grounds. We need to do a little more work than when we were renting, but it is labor that feels very meaningful.
Of course, moving is a disruption, even when you are moving somewhere wonderful. The hardest thing has been figuring out the tricks for commuting from so far away. We only have one car. We bought it just after we bought the house, a gas-guzzling minivan that we hope to drive very little. So driving alone to work is (a) not good for the environment and (b) leaves my husband home with the kids and no car - and no parks in walking distance until they finish the construction at the nearby freeway overpass. Bussing in (a) requires me to travel 5 miles to get to a bus stop that will get me to work in under an hour (30 minutes if I hit the right bus!) or (b) takes a full two hours one-way.
We ended up getting me an electric eGO scooter from Craig's List for my birthday, and it seems to be working to get me over those five miles. Plus it's fun :-) Sadly, the batteries are three years old and need to be replaced - right now, they are dying after just 10 miles, right on our driveway! If they deteriorate any more, I won't be able to use my scooter. The new batteries were pricey, but are in the mail now.
The girls are so much fun at this age. I really have no idea yet where that "terrible two's" thing comes from. I've been warned that the three-year-old stage is actually where it gets rough. But every day is a new story right now. Last Sunday we took them to grandma's, and went down a steep hill on the way there. Lenora first says, "Down hill!" repeatedly. Iliana chimes in with, "Careful, car!" and then Lenora switches to saying, "Don't fall down, car!" They seemed only mildly concerned - just giving a little advice. I don't know if they were talking to our car, or the cars around us. It was a great little glimpse into how their minds work.
We have a social life, too! We were asorbed into a group of families that meets to pray the Rosary every Wednesday - and to do so much more, as well! We're actually having friends over for dinner this Friday - they had us over last Saturday - and tomorrow I'm going to a baby shower. Next weekend we may be helping someone move and will bring dinner to a family who just adopted a new baby, so they have a little more time with their new family member. I think my husband is a little overwhelmed, but for me it's . . . well, another dream come true!
I've always wanted a group of friends I admire, and who I actually have something to give. These people make friendship so easy and light-weight. I usually am scared that trying to do something will seem, oh, I don't know - patronizing? Overly intimate? Somehow, doing something nice often seems to have so many invisible rules attached to it, and it stifles sincere giving. That's not true with these people. They accept joyfully and gratefully, and give as easily too! After the one-or-two children only, dress-your-kids-hip atmosphere that permeated Seattle, it's like getting a glimpse into something deep and real, but also bright and fresh. This may seem an extreme similee, but it's like a glimpse of Heaven.
If any of the mothers or fathers of these families reads that last paragraph, they will laugh - because there is also so much familial chaos. These are real people, with real problems and worries. But that's what makes them so great - they are so REAL. They worry about their families, their friends, their homes, holiness, work, rest, finances, helping others, and finding time to relax. They don't worry so much about their friends' fashion sense, for example, or the relative sizes of everyone's paychecks. They don't worry about why that family only has two kids (we're Catholic - bigger is better for families, so sayeth our culture of Life ;-) - nor do they act shocked by a family of eight. They recognize the very diversity our culture so eagerly pays lip service to. They try to remove planks from their own eyes before motes from the eyes of others.
I'm sure I'll have frustrations and awkward moments with these people from time to time. But for now, I'm enjoying a freedom to be who I want that I haven't felt since I started college.
This is the life I daydreamed about as a late teen - so close to my imagination, it is unbelievable. Where things are different, they are generally better.
God, I don't deserve this. But I am learning almost as much from these blessings as I learned from periods of relative hardship, so - thank you, Abba. For all the things You have taught me.
What lessons do You have planned for me next, Lord? I am waiting with joy!
But first, back to work . . .
Monday, April 7, 2008
Thoughts on expanding Dave Ramsey's "Free Cars for Life" plan
Dave Ramsey's website has a neat video on getting "free cars" for life after six years of paying no more than you would pay anyways for the payment on a new car. Sadly, I can no longer find the video - so no link.
Basically, instead of buying that shiney new car you want, you buy something much cheaper for second hand with the cash you already have on hand. You may need to save a couple of months to get this cash. You drive that car for 11 months, and for those eleven months you put the amount of money you would have spent on the new car's payment into a money market account. Then you sell the old car for about what you paid for it, since old cars do not appreciate very fast, and use the money you saved to buy a better used vehicle. You drive that used vehicle for about five years, and continue banking the amount you would be spending on the payment for a new vehicle into the money market account. By the end of the sixth year, you should have enough money in the account that you can buy a new car, and the remainder of the money in the account will earn enough interest over the next six years or so (I don't remember) to cover the cost of another car.
The idea isn't perfect - if the market does bad for six years, you won't have your car money. On average, it should work out, though.
I like this idea. We don't care about nice cars in our family, since we know we could do without a car if we had to. However, we love our computers and tech equipment. We really want to get fresh equipment, but once we "stock up" we could try doing this with computers, LCDs, printers, etc. Honestly, this idea could work with anything you could do with less of for a while. Save the difference somewhere where it gains interest, live "like a refugee" for a while, then draw from the earnings to live like a king.
Basically, instead of buying that shiney new car you want, you buy something much cheaper for second hand with the cash you already have on hand. You may need to save a couple of months to get this cash. You drive that car for 11 months, and for those eleven months you put the amount of money you would have spent on the new car's payment into a money market account. Then you sell the old car for about what you paid for it, since old cars do not appreciate very fast, and use the money you saved to buy a better used vehicle. You drive that used vehicle for about five years, and continue banking the amount you would be spending on the payment for a new vehicle into the money market account. By the end of the sixth year, you should have enough money in the account that you can buy a new car, and the remainder of the money in the account will earn enough interest over the next six years or so (I don't remember) to cover the cost of another car.
The idea isn't perfect - if the market does bad for six years, you won't have your car money. On average, it should work out, though.
I like this idea. We don't care about nice cars in our family, since we know we could do without a car if we had to. However, we love our computers and tech equipment. We really want to get fresh equipment, but once we "stock up" we could try doing this with computers, LCDs, printers, etc. Honestly, this idea could work with anything you could do with less of for a while. Save the difference somewhere where it gains interest, live "like a refugee" for a while, then draw from the earnings to live like a king.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
MomsRising slogan
Right now MomsRising is having a slogan contest. I entered :-)
I think MomsRising is a great group, trying to do something very tough and very important. They are working to break down all the arguments in the media that have divided mothers lately and make progress on motherhood's common ground. There are a lot of suggestions, including some I like and some I don't (and one I hate).
The ones I like:
- Unite mothers
- Focus on common ground only
- Focus on the main issue and not a pet issue
- Sound good to the ear
- Are simple
- Are clearly calling for action
The ones I don't like:
- Express one side of a debate that moms are split on (MomsRising is trying to avoid this)
- Only represent working moms, probably the most easily targeted parts of the MomsRising audience - we need to target those who aren't as easily involved. We need SAHMs to say where they stand.
- Are too domistic-y and might put off working moms, who are probably the majority of the MomsRising audience (although I did like, "Good Bread, and Good Moms . . . Rise Up!" - I'd rather err on this side, especially if there will be more than one slogan used)
- Are too wordy
- Don't explain what MomsRising is
- Focus on one problem, when MomsRising is addressing many problems and policies.
- Aren't clearly political (often of the "Moms Rock" form - we need to do good, not feel good)
The one I hate is a pro-choice message. Errr (buzzer sound), wrong, MomsRising is not pro-choice.
In fact, I think the greatest issue MomsRising faces is in avoiding the following stereotypes:
- Partisan, Democratic (they try to be non-partisan, but many of the solutions are changes to federal laws - hence, best led by Democrats)
- Working-moms only (MomsRising wants to represent all moms, but the workplace is the place where moms are most clearly discriminated against - fair solutions for SAHMs are harder to recognize)
- Pro-abortion rights (I really think MomsRising as an organization wants to avoid this issue, but there is tension from the membership with the desire to follow feminism)
MomsRising is feminist in that it represents a group of women. However, this isn't the anti-man, all-moms-must-work feminism that so many women hate. This is political feminism, seeking through political action to give women realistic options. This group is ACKNOWLEDGING that women are NOT the same as men. We have different values. We have different goals. Whether this is cultural or biological doesn't matter. Feminism doesn't have a right to dismiss the views of women who come from a different culture than "approved" feminists as being lesser. If you believe all women are equal to men, you can't follow it up by saying that some women are more equal than others.
MomsRising is NOT feminism itself; it does not claim to represent ALL women. It is a branch of feminism. A natural result of women being empowered is that groups of women with something in common - like motherhood - can now seek to have their needs met through political processes. Without including all other women. If only the female pro-choice groups would do the same, instead of co-opting the "feminist" title and dragging it through the mud. But I digress.
I also took the time to create my own idea. My suggestion?
"When politics divide
MOTHERS UNITE!"
I think MomsRising is a great group, trying to do something very tough and very important. They are working to break down all the arguments in the media that have divided mothers lately and make progress on motherhood's common ground. There are a lot of suggestions, including some I like and some I don't (and one I hate).
The ones I like:
- Unite mothers
- Focus on common ground only
- Focus on the main issue and not a pet issue
- Sound good to the ear
- Are simple
- Are clearly calling for action
The ones I don't like:
- Express one side of a debate that moms are split on (MomsRising is trying to avoid this)
- Only represent working moms, probably the most easily targeted parts of the MomsRising audience - we need to target those who aren't as easily involved. We need SAHMs to say where they stand.
- Are too domistic-y and might put off working moms, who are probably the majority of the MomsRising audience (although I did like, "Good Bread, and Good Moms . . . Rise Up!" - I'd rather err on this side, especially if there will be more than one slogan used)
- Are too wordy
- Don't explain what MomsRising is
- Focus on one problem, when MomsRising is addressing many problems and policies.
- Aren't clearly political (often of the "Moms Rock" form - we need to do good, not feel good)
The one I hate is a pro-choice message. Errr (buzzer sound), wrong, MomsRising is not pro-choice.
In fact, I think the greatest issue MomsRising faces is in avoiding the following stereotypes:
- Partisan, Democratic (they try to be non-partisan, but many of the solutions are changes to federal laws - hence, best led by Democrats)
- Working-moms only (MomsRising wants to represent all moms, but the workplace is the place where moms are most clearly discriminated against - fair solutions for SAHMs are harder to recognize)
- Pro-abortion rights (I really think MomsRising as an organization wants to avoid this issue, but there is tension from the membership with the desire to follow feminism)
MomsRising is feminist in that it represents a group of women. However, this isn't the anti-man, all-moms-must-work feminism that so many women hate. This is political feminism, seeking through political action to give women realistic options. This group is ACKNOWLEDGING that women are NOT the same as men. We have different values. We have different goals. Whether this is cultural or biological doesn't matter. Feminism doesn't have a right to dismiss the views of women who come from a different culture than "approved" feminists as being lesser. If you believe all women are equal to men, you can't follow it up by saying that some women are more equal than others.
MomsRising is NOT feminism itself; it does not claim to represent ALL women. It is a branch of feminism. A natural result of women being empowered is that groups of women with something in common - like motherhood - can now seek to have their needs met through political processes. Without including all other women. If only the female pro-choice groups would do the same, instead of co-opting the "feminist" title and dragging it through the mud. But I digress.
I also took the time to create my own idea. My suggestion?
"When politics divide
MOTHERS UNITE!"
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Happy celebration month to us!
April is a fun month in our family. Although Easter's presence is sporadic, we can count on three birthdays (or four, depending on if you count days or persons born) and a wedding aniversary. Yesterday was the twins' second birthday. Today is our third wedding anniversary. The 12th is my 25th birthday. And the 30th is my husband's 30th.
Unfortunately, the move was so exhausting that we probably won't celebrate most of these holidays very much. This has been par for the course since we married. As newlyweds, we were tired from the wedding. The next year, we were new parents. And last year, everyone was getting sick and we were juggling two incomes (and I was hating it).
We've started to celebrate our anniversary twice a year, two smaller celebrations, with the larger celebration happening at our six-month anniversary on October 2nd. Often we'll buy something we were going to buy anyways, and call it a joint birthday gift. Hrm . . . we've been wanting an LCD monitor . . . I think I know what we're getting this year. I'll see if that works for Bjorn.
The girls had a wonderful party last Saturday (we're still eating leftover cake and sandwich meat) with 11 other kids of various ages. It was a ton of fun, very informal. The only stressful thing was realizing that Costco didn't open until 9:30 AM on Saturday, when we set the party for 10AM and ordered the food for 8:30 AM . . . oops. Having the house full of kids was wonderful, and I want to do it again many more times.
Forgot to mention: For our anniversary this night, Bjorn cooked salmon burgers, and stir-fried peppers, asparagus, and artichoke hearts in garlic and olive oil. Mmmm. I did help a little :-) We enjoy cooking, but haven't had time even for rudimentary cooking lately. He just finished, so I'm going to dish up - and then we'll watch Stargate together until bedtime.
Nothin' fancy, but I honestly would rather this than a sit-down meal. I like entertainment with my food, and restaurants with shows are too pricey.
Unfortunately, the move was so exhausting that we probably won't celebrate most of these holidays very much. This has been par for the course since we married. As newlyweds, we were tired from the wedding. The next year, we were new parents. And last year, everyone was getting sick and we were juggling two incomes (and I was hating it).
We've started to celebrate our anniversary twice a year, two smaller celebrations, with the larger celebration happening at our six-month anniversary on October 2nd. Often we'll buy something we were going to buy anyways, and call it a joint birthday gift. Hrm . . . we've been wanting an LCD monitor . . . I think I know what we're getting this year. I'll see if that works for Bjorn.
The girls had a wonderful party last Saturday (we're still eating leftover cake and sandwich meat) with 11 other kids of various ages. It was a ton of fun, very informal. The only stressful thing was realizing that Costco didn't open until 9:30 AM on Saturday, when we set the party for 10AM and ordered the food for 8:30 AM . . . oops. Having the house full of kids was wonderful, and I want to do it again many more times.
Forgot to mention: For our anniversary this night, Bjorn cooked salmon burgers, and stir-fried peppers, asparagus, and artichoke hearts in garlic and olive oil. Mmmm. I did help a little :-) We enjoy cooking, but haven't had time even for rudimentary cooking lately. He just finished, so I'm going to dish up - and then we'll watch Stargate together until bedtime.
Nothin' fancy, but I honestly would rather this than a sit-down meal. I like entertainment with my food, and restaurants with shows are too pricey.
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