“Parking for Women with One-Footed Dogs Over the Age of Six” Only”

“Parking for Women with One-Footed Dogs Over the Age of Six” Only”

It started out simply enough. I needed some coke, chips and pop tarts, the three basic food groups, and there it was; a new sign in the parking lot. The sign read Parking for Women with Infants Only. It was the first spot right in the front by the door. I laughed and promptly pulled into it.  Now don’t get me wrong. I heartily agree with the parking up front for the physically handicapped. I think it makes things a bit easier for them and shows kindness, but this new sign strikes on a nerve.

This country deifies motherhood in a way that I find borders on just plain silliness. Human beings, for all we disdain the comparison, are in fact nothing more than animals. We’re the top of the food chain, yes, but still, we are animals; mammals to be more precise. The fact is that the drive for sexual fulfillment, the drive to strive to reproduce, is one that is built into the fiber of our beings. It’s nature. It’s not something we have taught ourselves to desire for the good of the human race, or the betterment of all mankind. It’s inborn. The knowledge of how to achieve this feat, is also inborn. I do believe we have elevated it to more of an artform, which I’m thankful for, but even someone totally untaught will figure out the way to perform the act of procreation. It’s like the natural seeking of a baby for something to suck on. It’s inborn.

Somewhere along the line, the act of procreation has become something that is akin to the sort of miracles that lead to cannonization.  The fact of the matter is . . . you can be passed out drunk, in the back of a pick-up truck, and wake up the next day pregnant. You can be a teenager with your boyfriend fumbling in the dark when you’re parents aren’t home and come out of the exploration pregnant. You can be as rich as Rockefeller or as poor as the proverbial churchmouse and become pregnant through the exact same basic procedure. It’s not a miracle; its the law of nature in action. Did you know that there are women who have lain in a coma and medical science have enabled them to maintain their pregnancy and deliver the baby when it was time? Seems to me the effort there was all on the doctor’s part.

Are there those who cannot become pregnant? Yes, but we aren’t discussing the aberrations of nature that lead to those conditions. The fact remains that every animal in the animal kingdom, from the majestic lions to the lowest cockroach, and even the unseen cells of any organism, have the innate ability to reproduce. So why do human beings elevate it to something that should be viewed in the same light as the resurrection of the Christ?

I know some of you by now are gasping; shocked and appalled by this heresy. That reaction rather proves my point.  It’s not enough that women, for all we pride ourselves on how far we’ve come in our evolution as women, are the first ones to deride and demean any woman who actually makes the decision to choose not to have children. It’s not enough that those who choose not to reproduce are looked at with pity and sympathy without even finding out if its a state that was chosen. Now, we have to go to the supermarket, and have it further shoved in our faces that somehow, through an act of primal nature driven desires, these women are better or more special than we are.These women, who choose a lifestyle without having consulted us for our opinion on it, have decided they outrank us and rate a parking space for no other reason than that they did indeed choose that particular lifestyle.

I’ve made choices on my lifestyle as well. I choose, for instance, to own a dog instead of a cat. I choose to drive a wagon instead of a van. I choose to have long hair instead of short. What of all the other lifestyle choices that others make? Let’s take this a bit further, for if we are going to give special treatment to a woman simply because she allowed nature to have its course, then let’s give special treatment to everyone based on the same flimsy reasoning.

What about the fathers who have infants? What about grandmothers who have infant grandchildren with them? How about the women with dogs spot, or the men with cuddly kittens spot? Maybe we should consider the truly oppressed. What about the fathers who are babysitting their five children and have no idea what they are doing parking spot? Or how about the women who don’t have children but have huge purses to wrangle with parking spot? The choice to not have a toddler to haul in and out of a car does not make those who have chosen that of less value, or importance, than the woman who chose to have one.

Do I park in those spots? Yes. And when some inevitable arrogant, spoiled woman who didn’t want to tote her offspring 10 more feet demands to know where my infant is, I smile proudly, and reply, “In my trunk, but don’t worry there are airholes” and continue on about my day, a warm feeling in my stomach that I have stood up for my non-breeding sisters in just one small way.

Problems with mails at the moment

Heya all!

Just want to let you know that I’m having some mail issues right now. Working on getting them resolved asap, but in case you notice any “bounced” back emails from me, ignore them and don’t delete me from your lists, please!! I have no unsubbed from anyone, but the bouncing back is my email prog.

Thanks!

Jeanie

Old friends and books

English: Open book icon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I often think to myself, “I really need to get busy keeping up with my Goodreads page.” I never seem to get around to it, but I do think about it. I don’t read as much as I used to, though I can’t stand to be without a book in waiting. Even as a child, I was reading far above my age/grade in school and there was never a lack of books at home. I remember my mom reading to me often and making up voices to go with the characters. She loved to read as well. I learned to love reading from her.

Looking at my friend’s lists and they are so long and varied! My list would be full of recipe books, books about dehydrating food and storing it, gardening methods, a number of how-to books, books on knitting, crocheting and lately, woodburning. (which I’m learning). I’m reading to learn a lot more than I used to do. But there are still my favorites…mostly in the Fantasy/Sci-fi genre. But then I wondered how my reading list would look to someone else.

I read a lot of books over and over again. Yes, I admit it. I’m a seriel reader. lol. I like trying new authors, and have found some I really enjoy, but I always fall back on my favs when I need a lift, a smile, a little courage or just a warm welcoming feel. It probably sounds odd, but after having read them for so long, I feel like they are part of the family…well, the family in my head. <grins>

We moved a LOT when we were first married. One year we had 11 addresses in that year alone.  It was hard because I’m very much a home body. I don’t really care for travelling. I’m not an intrepid explorer or brave adventurer. I’m more of a bunny jammies wearing,  bread baking, stew eating homegirl. My books always came with me though and when I was feeling particularly lonesome or upset about our wanderings, I could always pull out my favorite authors and cuddle up with old friends.

I knew Lessa and F’lar would make things alright and a lovely dragon would choose me and keep me company. I longed to walk the Harper Hall and take all the music classes they’d let me in and I’d get to hear Robinton sing again. I rode like the wind on the back of my very own Companion and would learn to be braver and more adventurous as I went about on my missions for the kingdom. I’d gaze in wonder at the beauty of Imladris, aka Rivendell, listen to the elvish singing by moonlight and be enchanted by Gandalf’s fireworks. More recently I’ve wished I could play quidditch, wave my wand and clean my kitchen and get from here to there in the flash of an eye. Yes, I loved reading about the exploits of old friends I knew, liked, missed and wanted to be like.

Now I’m getting to know new folks in books I’m discovering. I have to admit that it seems to be harder to find books that really capture my heart as well as my head. Books where you really care about what happens to the characters and mourn with them, laugh with them, roll your eyes at things they do and, in general, just get to know them. There are a couple, though, and when I get around to updating my goodreads, I’ll tell you all about them.

Until then, I’ll visit with old friends, find new ones, and keep learning all the wierd and quirky things I love to learn.

How do you feel when you read? Do you read for fun? to learn? to escape?

Fickle is as Fickle does

Those who come here often will notice I’ve changed the blog look….again. I know. I’m fickle. Actually, its more that I can’t seem to find one that I really like enough to stick with it. We’ll try this one a bit and see how it goes.

Starting off with something pretty. These are the flowers my sweetie brought home for me on Mother’s Day…from our doggies.   I love them and they look gorgeous on top of the wood stove. The lilies have the entire house smelling wonderful. He’s wonderful!

Next we have a dutch bench that I found last summer. It needed a new home and some TLC and now that its getting nice out, its a good time to start on it.

Here’s how it looked when I got it. There’s no seat, the wood needs some tlc and it needs a little tightening up here and there. Nothing drastic, though. Certainly nothing that cannot be easily fixed.

The other picture is the bench seat that I upholstered today. It’s a crappy-ish picture and really doesn’t show off how pretty the material is, but I’m really happy with how it came out. I’ll do the work next on the bench, then attach the seat to it and it’ll be ready for sale.

I also got new knitting needles and crochet hooks in the mail today. yay!  The first are 6 inch bamboo dpns from 0 -9 in size.  The second are bamboo crochet hooks sizes 3-10mm. I find that the bamboo really is easier in my hands because its warmer. I really didn’t think it would matter that much, but the more I do the more I notice it, specially in the winter.  Talk to you all again soon!

Another trip to the LDS Cannery this past weekend

For those who don’t know, the LDS Cannery is the storage house of the Mormon Church. They have them all over the country. You don’t have to be Mormon to go and buy bulk food stuffs. The prices are unbelievably good, the folks are always really nice and its a fun shopping trip. We went this past weekend and added to our little supply of foodstuffs.

We got 75 lbs. of flour, 50 lbs of red wheat berries, 50 lbs of white wheat berries, 25 lbs of dry milk, 25 lbs of white beans, (we eat a lot of bean soups and such and below this I’ll tell you a funny story about beans. lol), 25 lbs of mashed potato flakes, 25 lbs of oatmeal, 12.5 lbs of hot cocoa (25 lb bag but I split it with a friend), 25 lbs of rice.

We’re doing what we can, when we can, and I’m not making myself hysterical over it. You do what you can and anything you do is better than doing nothing. I’m learning this as I go and trying to be a non-panic prepper. Honestly, some things you see on the internet are, I swear, meant to make you a freaked out, hysterical panicked person. bah!

Course, I’m still packaging. lol. They were out of mylar bags and oxygen absorbers, but I paid for them and when they come in I’ll get them. I’ve had good luck getting 5 gallon buckets from the Price Chopper bakery and a lot of the things are being put in to those with bigger oxygen bags. Then, just in case, I wrap a bit of duct tape around the lid in case it didn’t seal quite all the way.

I also found the pressure canner I wanted to get. I know a lot of you get the really big one, but I don’t do as much canning and wanted the smaller one. I bought the 16 quart presto pressure canner. It’s plenty big enough for my canning needs, and more than enough space for anything else I want to make in it, like roasts or stew. It does the 5, 10, or 15 lbs of pressure, so I’m very happy with it.

After looking at a lot of different models, I’ve also picked out the grain mill that I want. It’s the Wonder Junior Deluxe Grain Mill.  It does everything that I want a grain mill to do, or may ever want it to do and it’s in the price range that I’m able to handle. I’m really excited about it. I won’t be able to get it for a few weeks yet, but I keep watching the video of it and enjoying my choice vicariously. lol.

I also did some ordering from Augason Farms. They also sell bulk food items, but different kinds of stuff. I like that they also sell everyday sized cans of stuff so that you can try it before you invest in a #10 can. We found some soups called Bear Creek. They’re dried/freeze-dried soups, stews, etc that are good for camping, backpacking, or even bug-out bags. We found them on sale and decided to try a couple. I was shocked at how good they were, especially since the “meat” wasn’t really meat but that tvp stuff. Even my sweety liked them, which is really saying something. So… since we liked those we decided to try more of this vegetarian “meat” tvp stuff. So we bought, from Augason Farms, a small can of beef flavored, bacon bits and chicken flavored tvp. We also ordered some powdered cheese, a small seed vault (very small, but it’s a start),  5lbs of red kidney beans (they were on sale and I love them), butter powder, and something called honey powder that sounded just too yummy not to try. I’ll let you know how they all taste as I try them.

I bought some plants for my garden (yes, flowers <grins>) to replace the ones that I know will have to be sacrificed to un-grass my poor garden. Sad, but necessary. I bought most of my seeds and am planning a mostly vertical garden this year. I just have to finish buying all the stuff to make towers and teepees. I’ll keep you all posted on that. I’m not started with it all yet because we’re still getting freezing and below freezing weather here at night. We don’t generally plant up here till May anyway.

I’m going to start putting up recipes again since they seem to be so popular on my site. Hope you all enjoy them!

What I made and what God made

So first, what I made. These are called Friendship Bags. Along with them you get a little card attached explaining the bag’s contents to you. This is what it says.

Lifesaver – to remind you of the many times others need your help and you need theirs.
Cottonball – cushioned support of friends for the rough roads ahead
Rubberband – a reminder to stay flexible
Candy Kiss – we all need kisses and hugs
Paper Clip – to help hold it all together
Candle – a reminder to let your light shine
Marble – to help keep you rolling or in case you lose one!
Sweet and Sour Candy – to remind you to accept and appreciate the differences in others
Happy Face – smiling not only increases your face value, it’s contagious
Band-Aid – for healing hurt feelings; yours or someone else’s
Eraser – to remind you that every day you can start over with a clean slate

And here is what they look like. Terrible picture, I know, but you get the idea.

Now for what God made… a beautiful sunset which lit up our trees in orange glory!   Enjoy these and see you again soon!