Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Dear Blogger

Dear Blogger,

Can I just tell you how much fun I have had with you? You have helped me meet so many people, you have helped me connect with people when I needed them most. You let me showcase my crafting achievements, you let me brag as a new Mama. You were wonderful.

Normally when you break up, you use the "It's not you, it is me," line. Well, I can't do that. Because it is you. It isn't me. I have been silently agonizing over the hiccups and glitches for the past few months. You promised me that it would get better with time. Sadly, you failed to live up to your promise. I just can't deal with your crazy ways anymore.

I have to be strong, like my pal, Deece. She has shown me that I don't have to live like this anymore.

My forwarding address is: atreehuggerswife.wordpress.com Please tell anyone that may ask about us.

Goodbye.

Fondly,
Missy

Sunday, March 02, 2008

Family in Japan

Here are our family pictures from Japan. I realized while going through these that we aren't terribly adventurous in our picture taking. Get your mind out of the gutter, you perv! I am talking about fun, silly shots with BTH and different poses. Or at least making the peace sign like the Japanese people do when they get their picture taken. Will try harder next time!


Kiyomizu Temple



At a Temple near Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. We did go to Ueno Zoo in Tokyo and got to see the famous Panda, Ling Ling. Well, we saw Ling Ling's lovely backside...she wouldn't turn around to see us.


Yay! Snow! We saw a lot of snow. BTH wasn't too sure about it at first, but he really liked. Good thing since he is headed to Alaska in 4 months.


BTH was konked out at the Showa Daibutsu.


At the Hirosaki Lantern Festival.


Deer Park at Todai-ji Temple in Nara. These deer were ruthless if you were holding something edible. I was a sucker and bought the "Deer Cookies" (which totally smelled like the south end of a north facing dog) for 150 yen. I tried my best to get lots to the baby, but the others would actually bite at me to get at them. After about 2 bites to my touchas, I was done.


BTH loved his hat and mittens for the first few days...then I think that he got sick of being on the go and would cry when we put his hat on him.


At the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo.


At the park in Tokyo.


BTH got to wear the sweater that I knit for him! I was so excited that it fit him like a glove.


We rented a stroller from the hotel for one day. I love this picture. The other ones of this same shot he totally looks bored and ready to move on.


Peace

Friday, February 29, 2008

Part Coastie, Almost Alaskan

I found this article today and since we are a Coast Guard family moving to Alaska, it piqued my interest. If you want to read it in the original form, here is the site

Here is the text, unchanged by me:

You're likely aware that the notorious Exxon Valdez case is back in court yet again. Yesterday, the Most Profitable Company of All Time argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that it shouldn't have to pay $2.5 billion in damages to Alaskans harmed by the spill. (That was reduced from the original $5 billion, but Exxon argues it shouldn't have to pay any damages. Yes, really.)

It is, of course, morally repugnant almost beyond measure for the company to be fighting this still today. But my outrage and disgust aren't particularly interesting. What might be interesting is a fact you may not know about the Republican presidential candidate, John McCain.

Just four months after the Valdez spill, Sen. George Mitchell introduced S.686, a measure relating to oil spills and liability. Sen. Brock Adams then introduced an amendment (S.Amdt.669) requiring double hulls on all new tankers over 20,000 tons operating in U.S. waters. (Valdez was a single-hull tanker.)

Big Oil's Best Buddy Sen. John Breaux moved to table the amendment. When the vote was taken, the amendment was indeed tabled, by an extremely narrow 51-48 vote.

Guess who voted with Breaux and Big Oil? That's right: Straight Talkin', Special Interest Hatin', Enviro-Maverick John McCain!

Again: four months after the biggest environmental disaster in U.S. history, McCain voted against requiring double hulled tankers.

To this day, Exxon is the only oil company that doesn't use double-hulled tankers to ship oil in and out of Alaska.

**********

Such a shame. Why keep the same old same old in office? We can make a change. Support Obama '08.

**********

Thanks everyone for your awesome comments and emails regarding my last post. I am not digging this grieving business at all, and I think that I have hit only the tip of the iceberg. Wouldn't you know that yesterday as I was having an irrational meltdown and put myself in time out by going outside to hang up laundry, "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor came on the radio (one of Mom's songs) and DH turned the radio up so I would be sure to hear it outside. Some people call it goosebumps, but I call it chicken skin. All I know is that I was rocking it.

I will play catch up this weekend and post our family pictures from Japan. Pinky swear.

Peace.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Happy Birthday

Dear Mom
Happy birthday. Today is your 51st birthday, can you believe it? I can't. In my mind, you will always be 40, that is how I remember you. You were so happy and vibrant at that time, it is hard to believe that you are gone.

Today I made Swedish pancakes with lingonberries for breakfast for us. Just like you used to make. I even used the Jenny's cookbook from the Jenny Lind Society that was your favorite. I was going to make a cake but couldn't decide between a fresh carrot cake with raisins, grated carrots and cream cheese frosting or a fresh coconut cake. I wonder which you would prefer.

I think about you every single day. Some days are better than others, but there are some days where it feels like my heart is breaking, I miss you so much. I still hear songs on the radio that send me reeling and make me stop in my tracks. Everyone kept telling me that things get better with time, but I can't see how. I think that they were trying to be nice, bless them.

This summer, it will be 32 years since you had to make the most life changing decision of your life. You were young and pregnant and you decided to be a single mother. I can't even imagine the stress that you went through raising me at different times in your life as a single parent. I am so thankful that you made the decision to keep me. I needed you and I think that you needed me.

There are times lately when I think of things and try to remember things and can't. Then I think to myself, "Oh, I will just ask Mom, she will remember." Then I realize that I can never ask you things again. I alone am the keeper of our memories. It is up to me to pass down the funny stories and experiences that we had. Such a huge responsibility. It all started with me trying to remember our neighbor's last name when we lived in Glenview 15 years ago, now I have come to this massive revelation that it is all on me.

I miss you, Mom. I hope that you are at peace. And I hope that you know that I love you. Please hang around us, we need an angel and I hope that you can see your little Connor baby. He is so adorable. I talk to him all the time about you.

Your daughter, Missy

Monday, February 25, 2008

Looking for photos?

I started writing the post on Feb 20 and finished it today. Scroll down to the Wed. Feb 20 post for lots of photos.

Peace

Friday, February 22, 2008

Want to buy me a present?

Or any other Obama loving, knitting person in your life? Well, go here:

http://www.mamaespot.com/eshop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=246

and clickity-click on this lovely sock yarn. Hurry there are only 3 skiens available. She is giving over half of the sale price to Obama's campaign. Rock on!

Maybe I will knit you a pair of socks from it, you never know. Oh, and one skien should make a normal sized pair of socks. I know that you were wondering.

Peace.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Back from vacay

Yep, we are back. Actually we have been back for a couple of days. We went to Japan for 16 days. It was great, but it is good to be home. I am working on the most picture intensive post that I have ever done. A little darling is learning about Japan in school, so I want to give her lots of info. We took almost 400 pictures with the digital camera alone. I don't know how many rolls of film DH shot.

Anyway, on to some serious stuff...

Wisconsin, I LOVE you!!! Let's keep the Obama train rolling, okay? Now, if I can ask for an early birthday present (it would only be 5 days early)...Texas & Ohio, you have to come through for us. We need you to finish her off.

Do you knit, crochet or cross stitch? And love Obama? Well, lookie here for a chart of the logo: (linky thing isn't working, sorry) http://justjenean.blogspot.com/2008/01/obama-afghan-chart.html. This is from my Ravelry group, but can be used for cross stitch as well. Would look so sweet over one made into a bookmark.

Here is another pattern http://knitcircus.typepad.com/knitcircus/2008/02/yes-we-can.html, this one is a "Yes We Can" hat. I love it!

And I wouldn't be a very good Obama supporter if I didn't share this letter http://www.well.com/~dkline/Why%20Obama.pdf with you all. Courtesy of Posie http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/. This embodies exactly how I feel. Although I wasn't even born in the 1960's, I identify with how he put his feelings and thoughts down on paper. Well written indeed.



Until next time.

Peace.