Can’t help but feel it creepin’ in – that sun and warmth after a long, muffled Winter. Bask, darlings. Bask.
Everyone Deserves What I Have
You’ve seen this image, right? It is a logo designed by the Human Rights Campaign, and signifies my support of marriage, and marital rights, equality for all adult couples.
I just need to be clear on where I stand. I’m not looking to offend any one out there, and I do not automatically equate opposition to same sex marriage with hate. But I’ve realized as I get older that it doesn’t generally pay to keep mum on a subject one feels passionately about, especially when it affects the lives of so many dear friends and relatives.
One thing at the outset: It’s way more complicated than this. Couples are not just gay or straight. Some people don’t want to commit for life, but should maybe have some benefits and recognition anyway. Some people want more than one spouse… Can’t see that one getting taken on in the mainstream any time soon, but it is another facet of the larger argument (unlike marrying one’s dog). The point is, the concept of marriage and its rights goes beyond two people, of the same or opposite sex, tying the knot and saying it’ll be for life.
Filed under Current Events, Of Family and Children
The Weekend of the Gross (but satisfied) Americans
Our weekends have been a bit crazy as of late, and the husband – thankfully – suggested that we make an effort to hang out as a family this Saturday and Sunday.
There was lots of sleep, quality time and entertainment for everyone. It was nothing short of spectacular.
Just one complaint do I have about this most excellent of weekends: Too much indulgent eating. Normally, I would have no problem with a couple days of dairy, sweets and not enough roughage. But I’m still trying to recover from the birthday/Saint Patrick’s weekend… my body wasn’t ready for round two.
I won’t go into graphic detail, but the picture up there is a good representation. My husband loves making cakes, and apparently felt that Iris’ birthday cake (which we only just finished a few days ago) hadn’t been enough. The Red Lobster bag contains a sinful quantity of Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Let’s just say that few things are more exciting to pescetarians on a budget than a full gift card and a menu with more than two options.
We certainly didn’t go as crazy as we could have. I made sure to weasel some apple and greenery onto our plates, and even did a little yoga yesterday. But today I’m determined to stick to that detox diet. Determined I tell you!
Happy Monday, loves.
Filed under AutoBio
Freelance Spring
Well, it’s Spring… or so they tell us. A year ago right now it was in the high 80s and I was teaching my newborn to like Roxette. Today, I’m wearing a scarf in the house and she’s napping in a hat with ear flaps. Oh well.
Still we soldier on. After the magnanimous festivities of last weekend – which was all about Iris’ first birthday and Saint Patrick’s Day, and lasted until Wednesday – I’m ready for a regular workday, a detox diet and a weekend where all I have to do is put away onsies and steam a sweet potato.
Filed under I'm a Professional
Eggucation
Once, I wrote about eggs and why they rock. Eggs are probably the main reason I could never be vegan.
Yesterday, a friend posted this article about egg labeling and pasture raised eggs on my Facebook wall. Because I’m a bit short on time, I’m using these links as a cheaty post, but I’m sincere in my passion about sharing this info with you.
This rating scale is linked to in the article, but here it is again, just for emphasis. We are big fans of eggs we get at the farmers’ market, though my favorite eggs come from the farm of the father of the aforementioned friend.
Have an eggy Wednesday!
Filed under Health
Relaxing the Nerd
I’ve never denied that I’m a huge nerd. There’s just no point.
For reasons that are varied and debatable, nerds such as myself find great satisfaction in cultural items that contain myth and magic, and it is preferable that these things be wrapped in a package that offers elements of the epic and obscurely historical.
Case in point: Tolkien stories, and the movies inspired by them. This past Saturday, we finally saw The Hobbit. While I have great respect for an author (especially one who didn’t take himself too seriously), and appreciate the purist view regarding its ideal of preservation, I just have to say that I freaking love the Peter Jackson interpretations, and I don’t care if that makes me uncool. And yes, I’ve read the books.
Filed under About a Freak
Processing: For Ideas, not Food
I’m thinking about my diet. Aspects of simply wanting to eat cleanly, now that I have a good handle on limiting animal products and upping roughage, are still swirling after my fleshy quandary last week.
Can I just say, for the record, that I am maddened and saddened by what I see in people’s carts in the checkout line? Let me be clear: I fully understand the need to observe a budget. I also do not think that people are stupid just because their cart is loaded with soda, cheese crackers, colorful cereals and canned vegetables.
Filed under Health
Let the March Begin!
I do believe that from now on, March will officially be the most festive month of my year.
Saint Patrick’s Day was always a big deal in my family. My mother is about 98% Dutch, but when she married an Irishman in 1978, she saw the opportunity for a new party tradition. There are countless pictures of me in my earliest years, sporting green ribbons and sweaters and hoisting cups of green soda.
I love those memories. They laid the foundation for a deeply rooted love of my Irish heritage. The celebrations evolved over the years, but one way or another, Saint Pat’s was commemorated as only a pack of Euro-mut American Protestants could mark an ancient Saint’s Day.
Filed under Seasonal
Quandries of the Flesh
If you search “fish and chicken” in Google images, you get a surprising number of chicken-fish, fish-in-chicken, chicken-in-fish images that range from the oddly realistic to the freakish graphic novel variety. Oh, what a wild world, this realm we call the Internet.
So, here’s the thing. My family is pescetarian. You can read about the beginning of, and reasons for, that lifestyle choice here, if you wish. Long story short, I stopped eating all animal flesh in the Summer of 2010, and reincorporated seafood about a year later. My husband has been pescetarian since the Summer of 2011. We typically eat lots of beans, a moderate amount of eggs and seafood once or twice a week. I eat very little dairy, keeping it mainly to plain Greek yogurt for breakfast.
Filed under Health
The Kind of Work I Love
Because I am a work at home mom, my freelance writing career might not be as vibrant as others’. My time for networking, seeking new clients and hanging out at local events where there might be needy editors and publishers is very much limited.
Still, every now and then I get to work for a new client, and sometimes, it’s even a really good one. This week I did a project for a client who is not only reasonable and trustworthy, but local and nice to talk to.
Even better, he offered me the sort of work that I truly enjoy – a sizable, thoughtful document that needed editing. Jobs like this involve organization, writing, rewriting and thinking on both detailed and big picture levels. Gigs of this type remind just how much of a textuality nerd I am.
Filed under I'm a Professional