Today is CRAZY weather-wise. It's been raining like the flood is coming off and on all day. Then it'll heat up and be warm for 20 minutes. Then cold. Now, it's back to lashing rains - with thunder and flash lightning! Woo-hoo!

In the last 24 hours I have written just over 2000 words (actually took me 2 hours, plus an hour of revision) and mailed it off to my advisor. Neat. The essay is on Margaret Barker's ideas, which, if true in any way would totally throw conventional Christianity for a loop. Maybe I'll post my essay under a filter.

I also read, in the last 24 hours, a book about Taoist sexual practices that I found used. While I do not doubt there can be spiritual and physical benefits from various forms of Eastern sexual practices, a dude wrote the book and his tone plus the content (heavily centered on how fellatio has physically restorative and spiritual benefits) makes me think: yer a douchebag.

Adam leaves for the US tomorrow. He does the dishes. It dawned on me today that I now have to do the dishes too while he's gone. Ack! Come mid to late afternoons I am *wiped out* and just want to watch tv. I feel like the worst parent ever because I know B and I are going to watch copious amounts of cartoons, movies and whatnot. Ah well. I'm pregnant. So there.

In more 'awesome parenting and domesticity' we are having left over tuna casserole. Don't all rush over for dinner, now.

Watching Australia v Germany. The Aussies are outmatched. Sigh.

It's been a rough day. B is feverish and miserable. Hardly ate. Napped twice. Passed out at 6.45pm. He crawled into 'Bennett cama' (Bennett's bed) of his own choosing at noon and asked to watch cartoons there, so that's what we did. It was sweet. All the business items I'd planned to do will have to wait until after football. I can probably quote Kung Fu Panda line for line.

Poor little guy.

I started reading Barbara Kingsolver's 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' but I'm not feeling it. I think I've just read too much food writing: I'm the choir to her preaching, and I don't garden.

Leffe brown Belgian beer is really good. As are my mashed potatoes. I discovered the secret: butter FIRST, then milk.

I'm barely cognizant of what is going on in British politics. What I do know is thanks to Facebook updates. How sad is that?

Come 5.30pm I am downright knackered. I've got a brief second wind, but I suspect I've got only 20 minutes left.

Bennett is growing so fast. New words every few hours. And the hitting. Oh my lord, the hitting. It's mostly just me. I'll take it. At least he's not hitting other kids.

B loves to tells stories. He loves to tell the one about when he and I were at our favorite cafe and the owner's baby A--- knocked over a glass of water. It goes like this: 'A---. Knock. Aga.' (That's how he says agua, water in Spanish) Points to the floor. He also tells me the story of how one day he and Adam and I were in the cemetery. I left and he cried and was sad and ran around with Adam. Every single time we go through the cemetery he tells it (which is at least once every day). That story looks like this: I'm pushing him down the hill in the pushchair. At the same place every time, he waves good bye in front of him. 'Mama'. He looks at me. He makes his sad sound and sign and points to the field on our right. 'Papa.' If it weren't so cute and such a fascinating developmental leap, I'd be driven mad by the repetition.

I keep forgetting to make vegetables for dinner. It's been very meat and carb heavy around here.

I'm reading way too many things at once. Mentally I feel like I have too many loose ends. They're all non-fiction items. I'm super close to finishing one book. When I do, I'm starting a novel.

Ok. I'm fading. I give myself 10 more minutes before I turn into mush.

I've been asked my thoughts on the Arizona immigration law. It's impressive how well informed people are about US news. Of course, after living in the US my standards for informed people are pretty low. I have to say that I don't know much about it. snowcalla is basically my only source at this point! And the Daily Show. Hee. I figure the Economist will clue me in next week too. It's hard to get too worked up about it, even though I think it's a terrible law. But, of course, I do have some opinions!

Firstly, I'm wary of spouting off on Arizona. I think this law is a reaction to specific issues in the state. I have always been wary of people spouting off about Alaska and it's issues, including opening ANWR and wolf culling. Most people get all worked up, but don't really understand the complexities of the issues. (And do not get me started on the idea of 'untouched wilderness.') So I'm going to ignore Arizona, since I don't know anything about it.

Secondly, and I'm not defending the law, mind, but if the US as a whole won't deal with the issue of immigration, then I guess the citizens of Arizona have to take the lead. Even if Congress start debating this issue I can't see any real change occurring. It will be like health care - a start. But as we've seen, even though everyone will get health care, but it's still at the mercy of the insurance business and the medical-industrial complex. I see the same thing happening in immigration issues: band-aid beginnings. Unless the US is willing to pay the REAL COST of food corporate farms, producers, meat packers, restaurants, etc will continue to hire (and in many cases BUS IN) illegal immigrants to do the work that US citizens refuse to do for such low pay in such abysmal conditions. Are you willing to pick produce in the California sun for less than a dollar a boxful? Yeah, I didn't think so. And are you willing to pay $9 for strawberries? Or $11/lb for sustainably raised, ethically slaughtered, grass fed beef? No? Then chances are good you won't want to pay that much for feedlot fed, mechanically slaughtered meat when US citizens are working the cattle yard.

My liberal compatriots in the United States are all up in arms over this Arizona bill - and my conservative friends want stricter enforcement - but if they/we are serious about creating immigration reform then we've got to look at the much bigger and more uncomfortable picture.

I would like three things:
1. Any spring time recipes you have. I am beyond bored with my usual repetoire. Fruits, veggies, salads, fish - all those lighter things are calling to me. But I'll take anything awesome at this point.

2. I was given some dried chipotle peppers today. I took one sniff of them and decided to make mole sauce. But I've never done it before. Do you know how? Please guide me.

3. I want to start to garden. I've never done it before. I think starting with a tub of herbs would be wise. Help!

Thank you. I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

*Keypikian? Keypikite? Keypiker? I think I like the first choice.

Weather: It's wet and grey here. But the birds are chirping happily. It's neither cold nor warm.

Dinner tonight: roast chicken, carrots, and potatoes with garlicky salad

Currently reading: a collection of essays called Archaeologies of Consciousness: Essays in Experimental Prehistory by a guy known only as Gyrus. It's neat stuff.

It's a full moon tonight. I don't think we'll be able to see it.

I'm feeling just better enough to get up off the floor/couch/bed, but not well enough to actually do anything. Can you tell? I figure I'll finally get around to a few things I've been meaning to post all week.

Breastfeeding Matters by Maureen Minchin review: ( Read more... )

( My refried bean recipe )

( Excellent inexpensive bath scrub )

I feel like I've been bitching a lot lately. Bennett is a handful at bedtimes and Adam and I aren't on the same page. Of course, I'm wishy-washy about I want at bedtime too, which makes things worse. We're poor. We have colds. I'm waffling on my research ideas. I'm bored with the paper I'm (not) writing. My hair is just ok.

We all know what that means: it's time for some gratitude.

I am grateful for:
*flexible schedules
*great neighborhood boys
*Adam - in spite of my wanting to throttle him every now and again, he makes my flexible, scholarly life possible by paying our bills and being an amazing father. He makes me laugh and in general, is the greatest partner. It doesn't hurt that we make cute offspring together.
*Bennett makes me happy beyond anything I have known
*the weather - we have some. Every day is just a little different from the one before. Wind, rain, snow, sun, warmth, chill, hail, slush. All, some or none. It's beautiful every time I leave the house
*I get to read and ponder theology, religion and spirituality all day long
*I don't have to look at my hair! Neither do I have to brush it or wash it more than once a week
*I've lost weight. I'm guessing I'm easily back at pre-pregnancy weight. Although my shape is not, I fit into things and can see my collarbones again
*my peaceful life
*a new sweater

Lastly, tonight's dinner menu: (grass fed, local) stir fried beef with red quinoa, broccoli and baby rainbow chard, with ginger, tamari and lime! And wine.

syzygy.

Inspired by keypike
Today Adam is generally irritable and I seem to be triggering it. I seem to do this regularly. Bennett is napping. I read for 4 hours straight today. I finished this, read this for fun, read about 100 more pages from this, and some other stuff.

Then I tried to look for good quality blankets in this town and couldn't find any. But a friend is going to loan us a nice wool blanket. I'm tired of freezing all night long and spending a fortune on heating the bedroom all night long when it doesn't do much good. Grumble grumble. The weather can't decide if it wants to snow properly or not.

For dinner tonight I am making mac n cheese, but we're going to add some jalepenos and see what happens.

I'm not doing too well on this no tea or coffee Lenten thingy.

Things what are on my mind lately:

Bennett. We are definitely entering into uncharted territory here. Teething? Just hitting the 'terrible twos*'? After two good nights of sleep he was up from 3-5am, generally unhappy. He's cried a TON this morning already and if he sees me all he wants to do is nurse. He's really into repetition. We read the same 6 books over and over and he points out the same things over and over. But his attention span is wavering. He'll pick out a book and then halfway through go and grab another. It is intense these days.

Theology. Always theology. I had a whole post in mind last night, but I've lost it. Finding uninterrupted writing time at home while an idea is fresh in my head is nearly impossible. Thankfully B is sucked into a basketball game with Adam right now.

Food. We have been so poor lately that I've gotten very good at stretching meals and cooking healthy on the ultra-cheap. It's been great! Loads of veggies and grains. One chicken can last for 5 meals! But wow, have we been craving cheese and meat. I just ate a grilled cheese, bacon and spinach sandwich, with mayonnaise. Hell to the yeah. But it's not just fat I'm craving. I'm also craving tea and wine. I've given up tea, coffee and wine in my house for 'Lent'. Not when I'm at other people's places because tea is such a part of the social fabric here. And it's not just alcohol I miss, I miss California wine. In fact, I was laying in bed in the wee hours of the morning thinking about specific wines from specific vineyards that I miss.

Tomorrow though I'll get my food and wine fix. We are going to our friends' house (the people who own Town Hall Cafe). He is making ribs. I'm making my own refried beans and 7 layer dip. Hopefully they'll bring some of the stuffed peppers they sell in their deli - they are AMAZING and go beautifully with wine. We're going to watch the Super Bowl. Yes, a day late. Adam is hoping to download the game - with commercials! He (not Adam) is very into sports and She has no idea what the Super Bowl is all about. Should be really fun.

My body. I am missing exercise something fierce. I keep thinking about how fit I was before I had Bennett. Even while I was pregnant. I biked three miles to work every day (so I guess that's 6 miles total) up until I was 4 months pregnant. I was doing intense yoga up until the week B was born. I don't expect to get back to that level of fitness for the next pregnancy. I'd love to lose the stomach flab, but I'm pretty resigned to it. Short of giving up cheese and working out every day, neither thing interests me in the least, I don't think it's going to budge. I am back into my old jeans, but my body is different. Up until I had a baby I looked much younger than I am. Last week another mother assumed I was 24 or so. But the tired eyes, the growing grey streak, the stomach flab.... yeah, I'm not 24 anymore. And this stomach flab is what built Bennett. The flab isn't my favorite thing and I hate how it folds over my pants, but for the most part it's a badge of pride.


*Which I think is a misnomer. It's really not terrible so much as baffling. I feel worse for B most times than I do for myself! And he's not two, but then I've heard from some people that the months leading up to 2 are worse than 2 itself. We'll see.