Zzzzzzz March 28, 2007

This makes me want to rethink my sleeping habits, we sleep with one top sheet and a light quilt and our tempurpedic pillows, the airing out of the bed and vacuuming the bed are things I want to implement as well as the lavender oil.

http://brocantehome.typepad.com/brocante_home/2005/07/_it_is_late_and.html
“1. First the mattress should be prepared. I vacuum it once a week to make sure it’s dust free, the spritz it with linen spray, and apply a quilted mattress protector.

2. On top of this I layer a sheepskin liner,(scrumptious), a feather filled mattress topper, then a cotton base sheet and a second heavier guage cotton sheet, and the bed is then ready to start layering on the top sheets etc.

3. We have six pillows: feather is my preference because I like a fluffy (occasionally spiky!) pillow. We have four housewife pillows and two square European ones for reading. All of the pillows have quilted pillow protectors, then white cotton pillowcases and then decorative pillowcases to suit. I usually go for two ruffled pillowcases and two plain ones and search for decorative square covers for the pillows at the front. A lavender sachet is slipped inside each pillow and all the pillows sprized with linen spray.

4. I then tuck a top sheet onto the bed, place the pillows on top and then because I can’t sleep without a duvet, the duvet goes on top of this.

5. The bed is finished off with a patchwork quilt and a crocheted blanket folded at the bottom of the bed, two bolster cushions and two decorative cushions.”

Chocolata March 27, 2007

How much do you LOOOOVE Chocolate, as ever this is sicko.

“Diabate and Traoré had left their village in Mali to go to Ivory Coast looking for enough money to afford a bicycle, but they were sold to a man who had paid 50,000 West African Francs (about £50) for the two boys and he wanted the money back—in labour. The boys from Sirkasso met about twenty others in the same predicament and learned that no one was ever paid. They slept in a rectangle-shaped mud hut that initially had windows but when some boys found they could escape during the night, the windows were sealed shut. Diabate and Traoré remember eating mostly bananas, though they would gobble up the cocoa beans, as others did, whenever they got the chance. Many months passed, and the boys forgot what the purpose had once been for this adventure. Life became a struggle to exist, then hardened to despair.

They gave up thinking of escape. They were under constant threat of beatings if they were caught trying to flee—and they had seen several boys treated savagely—they were actually spooked by a belief that they were under a spell. Read more in Carol Off’s book “Bitter Chocolate”.
There is plenty of fair trade chocolate, its really better, but now I feel bad, I bought a lot of chocolate for Judes birthday Peanut MM’s and easter chocolate from targat..
I will reconsider buying any chocolate as well as coffee from these places.

http://www.stopthetraffik.org/chocolatecampaign/

Lit’le Sister Rooms March 23, 2007

There is a room sitting empty in our house, its for little Hope and Salayish ( or Naomi we haven’t chosen the name yet), its BOY BOY blue, thats not going to work out for two little galls, it has medium honey bamboo floors and, so my thoughts are all over the board I like creamy colors, I like anthropologie / french/ asian/ indian/ bohemian style, the crib is minimal white cheapo Ikea, Hope’s big girl bed is creamy light light yellow, handmade with chunky legs its really cute, we have no bedding or curtains we have nothing besides the two beds, so I am a bit overwhelmed thinking about decorating this room I’m still working on the rest of this house and now I have to think about this, I had a crazy thought of light pink and colbalt blue, I hate themed bedrooms ( no offense)
white Grass wallpaper was another option with the chair rail and wainscoating painted at the bottom, I like
flour de loure wall paper as well. I need imput on this???

La Principessa March 21, 2007

Our Hope is Ono today!
She was a little drama queen on her birthday, I don’t think that had anything to do without napping all day and wearing a princess gown, she threw the cutest fit ever while she was chewing on her presents, I have some photos and it was really funny only on her birthday could she ever get away with behaving like that.
She was born at home one year ago into my arms after I bled like a mother, I lost 750cc of blood it was CRAZY! the crazy thing was I have bled like this 2 other times with Basil and Symeon, I begged my midwife after Basil to let me have another home-birth she decided it would be ok, and I did not bleed with Jude, we put the Iv in before the delivery and she gave me so much pitocin right after, with Hope there was no chance I started to bleed right after the placenta came out, my midwife in LA would not send over my records they were going to charge us like $200 , I think it would have helped my midwife here to know my history, I have complete faith in my midwife she held my uterus shut with her hand for 1/2 hr. while she was doing compressions on my stomach and giving me pit and, I think the worse part was her holding my uterus shut, I was asking her over and over when she could stop holding it and she just kept saying once I know for sure you will not be bleeding anymore, finally she let go and I was able to get up with help and use the bathroom I felt so nauseous and sick, it was my hardest birth physically, I had a triple bag of water and it was a 10 hour labour, why I bled is because I dilate so fast I went from being 3-cm for 9 hrs to fully dilating and giving birth in 1/2 hr. with Jude I had a 2 1/2 hour labour and I pushed twice.
I told her next time I want to be in the hospital, she said ” They would have given you a emergency hysterectomy” she has had 8 kids and she said she bleeds similarly on and off with her different births, this time I thought I may die, it took me a long time to want to hold Hope I felt like I felt too bad to hold her I didn’t want to hold her feeling as I did.
It is such a journey giving birth that was a traumatic delivery for me, I never want something like that to happen again it is so awful, the pregnancy was amazing the actual labour was good it was very long but good, I prayed so much over different prayers during labour, once I finally let go and prayed and prayed something happened and I dilated with the triple bag of water and all, she would not break my water until it had been four hours after giving me antibiotics for GBS, I was very mad at her I was like you better break my bag or show me how, I am in pain girl and its because of this bag of water I haven’t dilated at all for 9 hours and we have to wait 45 min before you can give me more antibiotics and break the bag, so I went in the bathroom and started praying and “trying” to relax 1o minutes passed and I felt myself dilate I was like get in here and check me I am dialed all the way, and I was! so we started pushing uphill this time because of my 3rd degree tear last time due to gravity(thanks Lori) we called my mom who was at the park 2 blks away to tell her to get the kids back so Basil could announce the sex, he has been looking forward to this for over nine months, and they are not coming I am like what the f**K, I only have a baby coming out like any second, so they walk in and I basically push Her out it was amazing, D and I start bawling when we discover that He is a She!
And then the mayhem commences, and all hell breaks loose.
But overall I lOOOOOOVE LOOOOVE my midwife and I would intrust my life with her again if the good Lord wills someday.
Beautiful Hope we all love You and treasure you today and everyday.

White Privilege March 12, 2007

What can I say, I am ashamed for myself and our country, I am saddened for my child and future children, and I want to fight for freedom of life and living normally for everyone.
How to do this, do not tolerate even for a moment a second any any racist talking from anyone stranger or “friend”, someone yesterday said something under the white privilage mindset, and D set them straight he said ” do you know I am adopting a child who is black (a person of color)” the person was talking about not wanting to ride the subway in NY city because of the black homeless people, D was pretty peeved with this guy, thats just crazy crazy talk, my dad was mugged in NY like 3o something years ago by a guy someone he was mugged it happens from all sorts of people, I have almost been mugged in Italy it happens, D was pick-pocketed in Barcelona, it happens.
I would like to live in a area where we are a minority.
I felt like that a little in Sayulita Mexico and being in Europe for 2 months, it was really hard, one because we were American and two because we had sooo many children, now I can not imagine being treated like that on a daily basis, I saw how badly the African people were treated in Italy, and I know first hand how they are treated second class in Paris,
we stayed for 3 weeks in a primarily Muslim area with many people from Africa,when we took the metro we were the only white people, I actually think people of color are treated better in the US than in France and Italy, but then again how could I ever really know.
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Napsack

by Peggy McIntosh

“I decided to try to work on myself at least by identifying some of the daily effects of white privilege in my life. I have chosen those conditions that I think in my case attach somewhat more to skin-color privilege than to class, religion, ethnic status, or geographic location, though of course all these other factors are intricately intertwined. As far as I can tell, my African American coworkers, friends, and acquaintances with whom I come into daily or frequent contact in this particular time, place and line of work cannot count on most of these conditions.

1. I can, if I wish, arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.

2. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area that I can afford and in which I would want to live.

3. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.

4. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.

5. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.

6. When I am told about our national heritage or about “civilization”, I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.

7. I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race.

8. If I want to, I can be pretty sure of finding a publisher for this piece on white privilege.

9. I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race represented, into a supermarket and find the staple foods that fit with my cultural traditions, into a hairdresser’s shop and find someone who can deal with my hair.

10. Whether I use checks, credit cards, or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.

11. I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not like them.

12. I can swear, or dress in second-hand clothes or not answer letters without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race.

13. I can speak in public to a powerful male group without putting my race on trial.

14. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.

15. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.

16. I can remain oblivious of the language and customs of persons of color, who constitute the worlds’ majority, without feeling in my culture any penalty for such oblivion.

17. I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider.

18. I can be sure that if I ask to talk to “the person in charge” I will be facing a person of my race.

19. If a traffic cop pulls me over, or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven’t been singled out because of my race.

20. I can easily buy posters, postcards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children’s magazines featuring people of my race.

21. I can go home from most meetings or organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in rather than isolated, out of place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance, or feared.

22. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having coworkers on the job suspect that I got it because of race.

23. I can choose public accommodations without fearing that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.

24. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help my race will not work against me.

25. If my day, week, or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it has racial overtones.

26. I can chose blemish cover or bandages in “flesh” color that more or less matches my skin.”

What is a lady March 5, 2007

Dressing and behaving like a lady, Is really hard to do in this society, I have always preferred Dresses and skirts
when I wear pants I don’t feel like a lady at all, so many of the clothes nowadays are very lady like Anthropologie, banana republic and Old navy all have lady like clothes, trying to find them on a budget is hard.
I want my girls to be ladies inside and out, most of the women in my family are not very feminine, one of my aunts is and my sister , and thats about it.
Its not important to me that those around me dress like women, But I think it is fun to go out with girlfriends that look pretty and feminine, I want all my girls to behave like women and talk about things that are appropriate for their being feminine, this sounds so funny to read, but really I am in truth for real, after reading the “Red Tent” there is this feminity that is portrayed and is so desirable, there is so much work still to be done in myself to make me more feminine for my husband and daughters to see.