The LIfe You Can Save

I don't have much the time of day for the animal rights movement. But what I can do about world poverty is a topic that does catch my attention.

I'm sure I'll disagree with a significant minority of what he might say, but I'd going to read The Life You Can Save. The interview (I'm listening to on the radio right now) is intriguing. I'm especially intrigued by the idea of tithing, since that's a concept I'm familiar with, it really works in my church.

http://www.thelifeyoucansave.com/
On the site you an pledge to give an adjusted percentage of your income to decreasing world poverty.

I discover Houzz.com

It's like a cool decorating magazine, full of pictures, but online.
http://www.houzz.com/

My houzz scrapbook

Last Week in February

Chicken pot pie or Tofu Pot Pie

Acorn squash rings
meatballs
cornbread muffins
Green Salad

Rice
tofu fried in garlic black bean sauce
Trader Jo chinese BBQ Pork
Watermelon

Leftovers?

Pizza

hard to pin down style

I'm putting in a bid on a post-war ranch house, with wood plank ceilings. It looks like you could shoot a catalog in it.

I'm having a hard time figuring out what kind of furniture I'd want in it. Easy to imagine Ozzie and Harriet in it, or Cary Grant with Myrna Loy, but that's not quite how I want to go.

Latest thoughts, triangulate between these:

Sundance catalog
Shabby chic (though shabby chic in general does not necessarily seem fresh to me.)

I love Midcentury, and that's around when the house was built, but it's hard to imagine the delicate lines under those big ole beams.

And this has me wondering if I should pull out of buying this house.
http://www.raincityguide.com/2009/01/11/dont-buy-a-house-that-you-like/

When Mom checks out, everyone checks out.

The day back to school after a long weekend is hard. Even if you've kept fairly close to the normal schedule, even if you didn't travel over the holiday weekend, the logistics of getting lunches and socks and out on a bike on time challenge everyone.

During the school day, I needed to take one kid to a dentist. Additionally, I dropped over at someone's house to work on a Relief Society project I wanted to participate in, something for an orphanage in another country.

I knew I was maybe pushing it, stopping by for socializing and quilting. I should have been doing chores or maybe catching up on sleep. But, I wanted to have a normal life, by my measurements. even if I had just pulled a couple weekend days as the only parent at home.

Right after school I needed to take one kid to tutoring. Which was also aggravating, because the tutor cut back her hours and the institution providing the tutoring couldn't schedule with me with an appropriate replacement. I've paid for the ten-session block in advance. The other child's tutoring, which we usually drive to after this one's, had been cancelled for their spring break.

On the way home we were talking about picking up the monopoly game the smaller children and I had laid out on the game table in the morning. But I was so tired driving, my head kept nodding.

Luckily when we got home, a toy my son had ordered from eBay had arrived. We cancelled monopoly. He played with his new toy, and she played some computer games. And I took a nap. I was out for three hours. Three prime hours of after-school time.

Now everyone is cross. They don't like the hot dogs I offered for dinner, my backup for when I didn't make anything good. They haven't done their homework or chores, so now they're overwhelmed and cross about being asked to do so.

I don't consider my lapses character flaws anymore. I consider them flaws in managing my time and resources. Still, even with greater attention to my limits, sometimes I am taken by surprise when I've collapsed.

Progress Report

I'm working through Shrink Yourself. It's starting to settle into my brain stem. I read the book but couldn't seem to concentrate on it, so I signed up for the paid online program.

I'm listening to Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani as an audiobook. It gives me a reason to stay in the kitchen long enough to clean up or do laundry.

Between my iPod Things application, consulting with an organizational expert, and reading advice books, all the things I juggle are pretty much staying in orbit and rarely anything falling. Oddly, getting a little better at this and I'm less enjoying public confession about all the things I don't do well.

My brother introduced me to Stanza, and I'm reading some Bruce Sterling-ish author.

I worry about my kids.

I'm a little stressed out when I should buy a house.

Today, I'm going shopping.

With a young teen. Recently I've given her control over her clothing allowance, and she has embraced the task. But all that investment in choosing the best style and at better prices than I would, has resulted in her NOT WANTING HER MOTHER LOOKING OVER HER SHOULDER.

Thank heaven for cell phones. Since I need to be in some other part of the mall. I'm not brave enough to drop her off and drive away--the affordable malls are not that close to home. Maybe I'll find something for my own Valentine Date tonight. Or maybe I'll play a lot of suduko.