tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40391942948201044292024-03-07T15:02:24.007-08:00Creation Halteringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.comBlogger170125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-11720066421481824822011-03-06T22:48:00.000-08:002011-03-07T09:53:34.980-08:00Rhymes with orange<span style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse;font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13;" class="Apple-style-span" >The current political atmosphere in the United States is disturbing. A few years ago, before GW was re-elected, my DH and I considered diasporange. Diasporange is the act fleeing a political jurisdiction to avoid changing political climate.</span> <div><span style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse;font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13;" class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse;font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13;" class="Apple-style-span" >Canada seemed nice. But we had great friends and good jobs and couldn't quite imagine leaving. And we suffered through 4 more years of politics we didn't agree with. Then Obama was elected and the need to flee diminished. We had hope. For the record, I am still pleased with the things Obama has been able to accomplish. However, the pendulum has swung and and I am considering diasporange again.</span> <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse;font-size:13;" class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse;font-size:13;" class="Apple-style-span" >For example, this <a href="http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/02/miscarriage-death-penalty-georgia">legislation</a> in GA which could conceivably allow women who have miscarriages to be charged criminally. That would make me and most of the women I know potential criminals.<br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse;font-size:13;" class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse;font-size:13;" class="Apple-style-span" >Look at what is happening in Wisconsin. </span></span><span style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse;font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13;" class="Apple-style-span" >The Wisconsin democrat's flight from the Capitol was a prime example of quorange. </span><span style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse;font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13;" class="Apple-style-span" >Quorange being the act of fleeing a jurisdiction to avoid a legislative quorum. It is similar to diasporange. What are the next steps? Staying informed, not going crazy and plotting potential diasporange are certainly on the agenda.</span></div><div><div><span style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse;font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13;" class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></div></div></div></div>eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-40670864128672399732010-10-11T15:32:00.000-07:002010-10-11T15:35:36.564-07:00What?!? An actual post?Well, sort of. I actually posted <a href="http://tritrainblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/hood-to-coast-2010-breaking-barriers.html">here</a> on my <em><strong>other</strong></em> defunct blog. I think I was an early adopter to blogging and I fizzled out due to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Facebook</span>. That's <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">ok</span>. Check it out if you'd like to read what I have been up to (assuming of course I still have some readers here).eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-86498376544333026022009-09-10T13:59:00.000-07:002009-09-10T16:08:28.352-07:00Recipe - Tostones with SauceTostones Sauce<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />3 garlic cloves<br />~ 1 tsp salt<br />2 Tbsp olive oil<br />1 tsp white vinegar<br />8 oz. can of tomato sauce<br /><br />Directions:<br />In mortar and pestle, crush garlic and salt into a gooey paste. Add olive oil and white vinegar and stir. Add tomato sauce and stir until well mixed.<br /><br />Here is a nice little video on making the twice fried tostones: <a href="http://video.about.com/latinfood/Fried-Plantains.htm">http://video.about.com/latinfood/Fried-Plantains.htm</a>.<br />The sweet ones are called maduros and the recipe can be found here: <a href="http://icuban.com/food/platanos_maduros.html">http://icuban.com/food/platanos_maduros.html</a>.eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-6513070112177089622009-08-07T10:20:00.000-07:002009-08-07T10:27:39.760-07:00Decluttering and found moneyIt has come to me that decluttering may be a lifelong thing. I mean, I don't really want it to be...but I always seem to have piles of things to clean up. How do I keep the piles from existing in the first place? I still have no idea but I have managed to get better at going through stuff and getting rid of it.<br /><br />In the past week, I have gone through 3 boxes of stuff. I made mountains of stuff to shred (which I have been doing little by little). This has given me some room on my shelves. I can actually see the back of some of the shelves! (Meaning they are not so piled with stuff that I can't see the back). I have a shelf for sewing stuff and a place for all my music books and equiptment. W even provided me with a hook for my borrowed bass guitar.<br /><br />Hey! Only 3 years and my office / music room is starting to look better. Sigh...<br /><br />I found a ton of mula in this decluttering. I found cash! I found gift certificates! I found old, old checks! It is crazy and I have already decided that I am changing the way I handle these type of things as they come into the house. My problem is that I often will leave a check in a card until I have the chance to write a thank you note. My mom pointed out that if I just keep some thank you notes by the mail slot, as soon as I get a check I can just dash off a quick thank you and put the check in my wallet. Voila! I am definitely trying it.<br /><br />Ok - that is all for now. I will post some photos of the chickens soon.eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-39500992812465095682009-06-08T10:32:00.000-07:002009-06-08T10:51:53.812-07:00Chickens<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OeY9KoCbSsbGMbVTeftcpuxYOnJ6MtplmWsqz3kTGC3smzt3XvCpCxWgEyeyueq7-R-f6X4XJf0HEIHxyMbJmh79AewnE6o25N8uNqilTlmKN_pgR7ErWo_IB90yB4MIngUeniDgLY0/s1600-h/DSCN6482.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OeY9KoCbSsbGMbVTeftcpuxYOnJ6MtplmWsqz3kTGC3smzt3XvCpCxWgEyeyueq7-R-f6X4XJf0HEIHxyMbJmh79AewnE6o25N8uNqilTlmKN_pgR7ErWo_IB90yB4MIngUeniDgLY0/s320/DSCN6482.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345015104788901858" /></a> Mariposa<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Qj8olqrL6fE85Qo6P96q_H9BFNChB4N5lM6KJ-pOAt6wqiXkDwdbSK4zEdINJ87y-xncp59SVwZ-UzIkGqhdlchwayx7tjlYc7ImVgo_7EsSCkJBzC3VTksx0GIaidtEIIvBtJyy2nc/s1600-h/DSCN6479.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Qj8olqrL6fE85Qo6P96q_H9BFNChB4N5lM6KJ-pOAt6wqiXkDwdbSK4zEdINJ87y-xncp59SVwZ-UzIkGqhdlchwayx7tjlYc7ImVgo_7EsSCkJBzC3VTksx0GIaidtEIIvBtJyy2nc/s320/DSCN6479.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345015022897000258" /></a> James (front) and Violetta (I think)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYd_Qlx-79n_3iOfeMFCBQDzjB9jrg9hE4JDfGHFotQO20FntSrExVOEuqy2HtDu6lFkdZ838I26lRvUNqHOTkwhQtJ96lpuzmVZkxprn6qewIP4SZKuecHNnA4ksaIyJlG6gKBKr_EI/s1600-h/DSCN6477.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYd_Qlx-79n_3iOfeMFCBQDzjB9jrg9hE4JDfGHFotQO20FntSrExVOEuqy2HtDu6lFkdZ838I26lRvUNqHOTkwhQtJ96lpuzmVZkxprn6qewIP4SZKuecHNnA4ksaIyJlG6gKBKr_EI/s320/DSCN6477.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345014919410590434" /></a> Hiro (front), James, Mariposa, Violetta.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We recently got some baby chicks which have astounded us with how fast they grow. W built a cool coop using some old cedar fencing from a friend (thanks D and D). Our chicks are all female despite the names!<br /><br />During our "chicken investigation" W found a cool blog where a photographer took a picture of his chicks every day for 8 weeks. The blog, <a href="http://3chixaday.blogspot.com/">3chicksaday</a>, is awesome. Check out the fantastic photos of Noodle Soup, Salad Sandwich and Pot Pie.(It is also finished - but he just started a new blog, The Occasional Chicken.)eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-64534202253564374552009-05-18T10:12:00.001-07:002009-05-18T10:13:29.280-07:00Nature Scavenger HuntI love the idea of taking the kids on a Nature Scavenger Hunt. Here are some ideas on how to make it a <a href="http://www.hometrainingtools.com/articles/nature-hunt-project.html?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=teaser&utm_campaign=D1#ideas">success</a>. Have you ever done one of these?eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-88182211874930417132009-03-05T07:46:00.000-08:002009-03-05T08:06:45.352-08:00Blue SkyWe received a "2008 Blue Sky" report from Pacific Power. If you haven't heard of it, <a href="http://www.pacificpower.net/Homepage/Homepage58962.html">Blue Sky</a> is our local program for supporting renewable energy. We pay a small premium to ensure that we support using <a href="http://www.green-e.org/">Green-e Energy certified renewable energy</a>. Below is text taken directly from a letter from Pacific Power.<br /><br />Our details:<br />"Our total 2008 Blue Sky purchase of 12,833 Kilowatt-hours of renewable energy avoided the release of 15,548 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions into the air. This represents environmental benefits equivalent to not driving 15,767 miles. I believe this cost us $100.00."<br /><br />Blue Sky details:<br />"67,000 Blue Sky customers supported 490 million kilowatt-hours of Green-e Energy certified renewable energy. That is equal to the output of 107 wind turbines. "<br /><br />Do you support renewable energy?eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-76488864686902889672009-02-18T09:18:00.000-08:002009-02-18T09:28:23.510-08:00On a rollLast September I started taking bass guitar lessons. I have been taking them ever since (with a brief holiday related hiatus in December). My teacher is super fun and basically makes it what ever I want it to be. We have worked on technique, scales, jamming, and learning other people's songs. She definitely keeps things interesting. In November my homework was to go write a song. I basically went home, asked my daughter what to write about (mermaids) and wrote out the lyrics. Soon after I had a bass line and started to sing along with it. At Thanksgiving this year I made all our guests listen to it. :)<br /><br />Since then, I have been inspired to work on more songs. I completed another song (which I am still not perfectly happy with), and have started working on 3 more. Today on the way to work, I wrote some more lyrics and am eager to put them to music.<br /><br />I am not sure what is inspiring me. It could be longer days and more sun. It could be that I have started drinking honey ginseng tea again (seriously). It could be that I am <a href="http://tritrainblog.blogspot.com/">working out</a> way more than I have in a long time. Whatever it is, I am happy to have that inspiration right now.<br /><br />Maybe you'll get to hear one of my songs one day?eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-66032965506560806302009-02-05T09:24:00.000-08:002009-02-05T09:30:26.264-08:00Try a Tri(athlon)In an effort to help create a new habit and lifestyle, I am planning to participate in a novice triathlon. In support of this, I have started a new blog where I will be posting daily progress. You can check it out here: <a href="http://tritrainblog.blogspot.com/">Triathlete or Mathlete</a>.eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-6653164692279390412009-02-01T22:33:00.001-08:002009-02-01T22:44:45.889-08:005 Things I Am Grateful ForA few years ago I read a book which instructed the reader to write down 5 things a day that you are grateful for. I am totally blanking on the name of the book. Does anyone know? If so, leave it in the comments.<br /><br />Anyway, I feel like we are living in a time both scary and hopeful. In order to keep the scary at bay, I think it is important to acknowledge the things you are grateful for in your life. We can get very caught up in the "what if?" game and miss the beauty of our lives now.<br /><br />I am not saying to be Pollyanna and ignore the real issues in our lives. But sometimes you need to recognize the great stuff, too. So here is today's list:<br /><ol><li>My wonderful family (both my own and my extended).</li><li>My fantastic job.</li><li>My strong, active body.</li><li>Music, musicians, musical instruments, etc.</li><li>Snow (especially on Mt. Hood on a day when I am snowboarding).</li></ol><p>What things are you grateful for? How often do you remember them?</p>eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-22844249914028990772009-02-01T22:16:00.001-08:002009-02-01T22:33:16.825-08:00Cleaning Out The PantryW always tries to get me to cook from the pantry. I always respond that there is nothing in the pantry to eat. W challenged me to only purchase essentials from the grocery store but I kept saying we had nothing to eat. So this morning, I suggested we clean the pantry out and take an inventory.<br /><br />HOLY SMOKES! We have a lot of food in there!!!<br /><br />I filled an entire 8.5"x11" sheet of paper with the inventory. Then, we challenged each other to come up with 8 meals. The more things we used, the better. Here are our lists (which will also give you an idea of what is in our pantry):<br /><br />W's list:<br /><ol><li>Lentils, onions, tomato sauce and spices over rice.</li><li>Steak with veggies in green simmer sauce over brown rice. *</li><li>Scones with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">scrambled</span> eggs. *</li><li>Meat/rice loaf (like meatloaf but with rice). *</li><li>Salmon rolls w/sushi rice and seaweed. (We eat this a lot).</li><li>Tofu with veggies in green simmer sauce over rice.</li><li>Pasta with tomato sauce.</li><li>Lasagna w/tomato sauce and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">faux</span> cheese. **</li><li>Tacos w/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">refried</span> beans and / or burritos with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">scrambled</span> eggs and beans.</li></ol><p>My list:</p><ol><li>Pasta <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Puttanesca</span>. **</li><li>Rice and mung bean casserole. **</li><li>Cuban style black beans (from dried beans) and rice.</li><li><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Linguine</span> w/ pesto. *</li><li>Risotto with some frozen veggie.</li><li>Spring rolls (like the ones we get at our favorite Thai food restaurant) with water chestnuts. *</li><li>Three course meal: butternut squash soup, smoked oysters w/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">faux</span> cream cheese on crackers, pasta with mushroom & truffle pate.</li><li><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Miso</span> soup with rice, seaweed and tofu.</li></ol><p>Notes: Not everything on our lists is in the pantry but every meal on our lists uses at least one thing from the pantry. One star (*) was for using more than one thing in the pantry. Two stars (**) was for using a few things in the pantry and for creating something that sounded really good at that moment.</p><p>It was a really fun <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">exercise</span> and now we are challenged to eat out of the pantry. There is nothing wrong with having a pantry full of food unless you don't eat any of it because you don't know what is in there. That mystery is solved. For now.</p>eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-3911964580594331342009-01-21T14:38:00.000-08:002009-01-21T14:49:17.813-08:00Senge's Open Letter to President ObamaPeter Senge, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fifth-Discipline-Practice-Learning-Organization/dp/0385517254/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232577880&sr=8-1">The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization</a> and co-author (along with a friend of mine) of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Necessary-Revolution-individuals-organizations-sustainable/dp/038551901X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232578000&sr=8-1">The Necessary Revolution: How Individuals and Organizations are Working Together to Create a Sustainable World</a> wrote an <a href="http://blogs.solonline.org/users/psenge/weblog/f0968/A_Letter_to_Mr._Obama_from_China_.html#comments">open letter to President Obama</a>. I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Senge and being with him at various conferences. He is a delightful person and when you leave him you are filled with hope for the future (sound like anyone else in the news these days?). In this letter, he puts his enormous brain to work on the idea of the US collaborating with China. The letter is definitely worth reading.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fifth-Discipline-Practice-Learning-Organization/dp/0385517254/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232577880&sr=8-1"></a>eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-39343035827851507992009-01-16T11:53:00.000-08:002009-01-16T12:02:09.154-08:005-Minute Shower Check-InIn May 2008 I began a quest to a <a href="http://creationhalt.blogspot.com/2008/05/5-minute-showers.html">shorter</a> shower. In June I <a href="http://creationhalt.blogspot.com/2008/06/5-minute-shower-update.html">checked in</a> on my goal and was still doing well. I checked in again today and the result? I think my shower is at about 4 minutes. <br />Calculating the savings, based on my initial calculations, I am saving 75 gallons a week from my original 10 minute shower. Since I first posted, 35 weeks have gone by. That is a savings of 2,625 gallons of water. Not bad for a simple change.<br /><br />How are you doing?<br /><br /><a href="http://creationhalt.blogspot.com/2008/06/5-minute-shower-update.html"></a>eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-73915025333980558242009-01-09T08:21:00.001-08:002009-01-09T08:21:01.959-08:00G said when I amG said when I am a grown up and a dad I will make a purple house.eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-80904958266929306112009-01-07T13:46:00.001-08:002009-01-07T13:46:05.931-08:00I just figured out mobileI just figured out mobile blogging.eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-29610494126769359412009-01-07T13:39:00.001-08:002009-01-07T13:39:20.185-08:00If you can see this,If you can see this, I figured out mobile blogging.eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-19698760403029521712009-01-07T13:16:00.000-08:002009-01-07T13:18:36.635-08:00In a Perfect World...I would post more on this blog.<br />...I would figure out how to post from my phone.<br />...I wouldn't spend so much time on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Facebook</span> at night instead of creating some posts here.<br /><br />Over the holiday I had many thoughts for blog posts. Do I remember any of them? Just this one.<br /><br />Happy new year!eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-84320589962437569512008-12-16T15:21:00.000-08:002008-12-16T15:24:03.425-08:00JokesR (who is 5) said to me the other day while laughing hysterically, "Have you ever seen yourself sneeze and blow your remarkable teeth out?"<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />G (who is almost 3) said, "7, 8, 9, 11".<br />I said, "What about 10?"<br />He replied, "10 is in the bathroom," at which point he started a full belly laugh.<br /><br />They crack me up.eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-16765862069179722322008-12-01T08:36:00.000-08:002008-12-01T09:03:47.870-08:00Anniversary / Birthday - Take TwoMy blog turned two on November 27, 2008. I look back on my past year and see that...I blogged less this year than I did last year. Which is ok, really. My life has been very full and really, it wasn't <em>that</em> much less. I asked <a href="http://creationhalt.blogspot.com/2007/11/happy-birthday-creation-halt.html">last year</a> what my focus should be. And you know, I don't know that I really got more focused. But as I said before, that is ok. My husband thinks that Facebook may be the death of personal blogging. It is an interesting theory. If you are microblogging your status on Facebook or using Twitter, what need do you have to expand / expound?<br /><br />I am still holding relatively steady with the ideas that I don't want to create a lot of stuff and I want to try to eliminate stuff from my life. I did paint 3 pictures this past year. Two were "laundry room art" (who says your laundry room has to be a boring place) for our laundry room. One was a sunflower that I painted for my friend's 40th birthday. I went to her house the other day and she has it hanging in her dining room. That made me happy.<br /><br />I have been creating more music which to me doesn't fall into the category of "stuff". More exciting news there to come at a later date.<br /><br />Thanks again for reading my blog. Do you know what my blog wants for its birthday / anniversary? For you to leave more comments please!<br /><br />Have a good year!<br /><br />P.S. Here are the blogs that I read on a regular basis (or at least as often as they post):<br /><br /><a class="link cursor" id="sub-tree-item-1-link" href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.101cookbooks.com%2F101cookbooks" closure_hashcode_="43">101 Cookbooks</a><br /><a class="link" id="sub-tree-item-2-link" href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fbite-my-cookie.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault" closure_hashcode_="44">bite my cookie</a><br /><a class="link" id="sub-tree-item-3-link" href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.daily-nonsense.com%2FBobPhotos%2F%3Ffeed%3Drss2" closure_hashcode_="45">Bob's Photo Blog</a><br /><a class="link" id="sub-tree-item-4-link" href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fcheaplikeme.wordpress.com%2Ffeed%2F" closure_hashcode_="46">Cheap Like Me</a><br /><a class="link" id="sub-tree-item-5-link" href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fcitymama.typepad.com%2Fcitymama%2Fatom.xml" closure_hashcode_="47">CityMama</a><br /><a class="link" id="sub-tree-item-6-link" href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dooce.com%2Fatom.xml" closure_hashcode_="48">dooce</a><br /><a class="link" id="sub-tree-item-7-link" href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fericmagnuson.com%2Frss.xml" closure_hashcode_="49">Eric Magnuson</a><br /><a class="link" id="sub-tree-item-8-link" href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Ffarmerscrub.blogspot.com%2Fatom.xml" closure_hashcode_="50">Farmer Scrub's blog</a><br /><a class="link" id="sub-tree-item-9-link" href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fgeneehrbar.com%2F%3Ffeed%3Drss2" closure_hashcode_="51">Gene Ehrbar's [TBD]</a><br /><a class="link" id="sub-tree-item-10-link" href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fgreenoptions.com%2Ftag%2Ffeed%2F" closure_hashcode_="52">Green Options</a><br /><a class="link" id="sub-tree-item-11-link" href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fikeahacker.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault" closure_hashcode_="53">ikea hacker (1)</a><br /><a class="link" id="sub-tree-item-12-link" href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fseeinggreen.org%2Ffeed%2F" closure_hashcode_="54">SeeingGreen (TM)</a><br /><a class="link" id="sub-tree-item-13-link" href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefavoriteaunt.com%2Ffeed%2F" closure_hashcode_="55">The Favorite Aunt</a><br /><a class="link" id="sub-tree-item-14-link" href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Funclutterer.com%2Ffeed%2F" closure_hashcode_="56">Unclutterer (1)</a><br /><a class="link" id="sub-tree-item-15-link" href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.liquididea.com%2Fatom.xml" closure_hashcode_="57">Will's Thoughtstream</a>eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-7572935591451473412008-11-27T21:32:00.000-08:002008-11-27T21:39:21.705-08:00GratitudeWhile on one hand, Thanksgiving is my favorite "food holiday" (followed closely by Halloween - yeah baby), on the other hand; it is also a day of gratitude. There are so many things to be thankful for. I am thankful for every member of my family (nuclear and extended). I am thankful for my friends, my cat, and my lovely house. I am thankful for my job which is challenging and interesting. I am thankful to live in a world where Obama will be the next president and the hope that brings. I am thankful that I didn't get booed out of my living room when I played the first song I ever wrote on my bass guitar for our guests. I am thankful to be alive.<br /><br />What are you thankful for?eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-40801906529987634022008-11-05T11:15:00.000-08:002008-11-05T11:33:41.271-08:00Closing the Political Gap<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ok</span>. The election is over. People are ecstatic. People are inconsolable. Everyone has an opinion. <br /><br />This election was interesting for many reasons and here are two. One, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_turnout">voter turnout</a> was the <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081105/ap_on_el_pr/voter_turnout">highest in 44 years</a>. Two, we elected an African-American president. Here are some <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4A42U620081105">quotes</a> from world leaders about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Obama's</span> win.<br /><br />But, now what? Politics is divisive. People pick a side and they are passionate about that side. How do we now close the gap that we created? How can we find a way to be <em><strong>one United States?</strong></em><br /><br />I am not asking rhetorical questions here. I really want to know what you are thinking. How can we come together? Share your thoughts on how to cross political boundaries and work together to create a country using hope. I look forward to reading them. And I will share my ideas as well in the coming weeks.eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-2734135017768423042008-11-04T07:16:00.000-08:002008-11-04T07:39:58.942-08:00Exercise your right to VOTE!!!I know the lines are long. I know they make it difficult. But it is your right to vote and you should exercise that right.<br /><br />I don't even care who you vote for (well, maybe a tiny bit). The important thing is that you make your choices known.<br /><br />VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!<br /><br />Need more encouragement? Go here and read the quotes about how long people would be willing to wait in line to vote: <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/4/9502/47563/225/651666">http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/4/9502/47563/225/651666</a>eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-82602197887138766532008-10-28T11:58:00.000-07:002008-10-28T12:03:04.614-07:00Sushi TrainYesterday we took the family to Sushiland which is a sushi place with a conveyor belt which the kids call the "sushi train". It was a mad frenzy of plates flying as the kids jockeyed for position to get their favorites. We finally had to physically move G away from the conveyor belt since he kept picking things he wouldn't even try.<br /><br />Winner of the "best sushi eater" of the evening? A surprising L ate 8 tobbiko sushi pieces. What is tobbiko you ask? Flying fish roe. My son, who won't eat anything except pasta and toast, gustily devoured 8 tobbiko sushi pieces. Amazing. Guess we will be going there again...eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-15471028029869880072008-10-23T14:36:00.000-07:002008-10-23T14:47:49.317-07:00Good intentionsBack in June I made a <a href="http://creationhalt.blogspot.com/2008/06/made-box-bag-appointment.html">weekly appointment with myself</a> to keep working on clutter. I figured that if I spent 30 minutes a week on going through boxes, I would get through everything by October. Sigh. Here we are in October and while I know that I have made progress*, I have not made it through everything. Maybe I would have gotten farther along if my whole world hadn't imploded**.<br /><br />Today I moved some book cases into my office which got a whole bunch of stuff off the floor. All well and good except I still need to go through most of it. But at least it looks pretty!<br /><br />* Both yesterday and today I got rid of a entire car trunks full of stuff (consignment, Goodwill, plastics recycling, etc.). That is <em>two entire car trunks full of stuff</em>! <em>Gone</em>!<br /><br />** New job, search for new nanny, new nanny, travel, speaking on multiple panels, planning events at work. Whew!eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039194294820104429.post-49687762127464488202008-10-15T11:31:00.000-07:002008-10-15T21:40:47.924-07:00Poverty: Blog Action DayLast year I wrote a <a href="http://creationhalt.blogspot.com/2007/10/blog-action-day-2007.html">post</a> for <a href="http://blogactionday.org/home">Blog Action Day</a> about the environment. This year the topic is poverty. Imagine you could help someone who was poverty stricken to build a life where money was a rule instead of an exception. Well, guess what? You can! You can loan as little as $25 to finance an entrepreneur. <a href="http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=home">Kiva.org</a> makes it easy to do person-to-person loans. You get to see a photo of the person (or people) you are making a loan to as well as what he or she is planning to do with the money. And this is not charity - you are not giving people money. You are giving them a monetary loan. That is right, a loan. And the majority of loans are paid back.<br /><br />I just <a href="http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=69512">made</a> a loan. How about you go and make one, too? If you do, let me know in the comments!<br /><br /><script src="http://blogactionday.org/js/7a2083dedd1f0473174c9659db3c0a8af913e3f4"></script>eringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813826166811084664noreply@blogger.com0