Aunt Marvel Salad

The 411 of Moving

I had a horrible dream the other night that I was moving and my Aunt Judy came over to help and chewed me out for not telling my mother I was moving. I woke up and promptly called my mother to tell her I was, in fact, moving.

That's right, we're moving.

Five miles up the very same street on which we already live.

With the birth of Bonnie last year, we no longer fit in our current home. Glen and Grace actually moved into the second home on our property last fall, in order to give us enough room. Granted, my parents raised 5 children in a three bedroom home, then expanded it to five bedrooms when baby number 6 was on the way, followed closely by babies 7 and 8. Jeff worries constantly about the kids in the other house. He's certain something will happen to them over there. Me? I just upped their life insurance policies and popped a Xanax. (Joking. I don't have any Xanax!)

Also, I am married to a packrat who is the only child of two packrats. Need elbow length leather gloves with delicate stitching for your lady? In five colors? Check! How about a collection of discontinued Avon perfume bottles in various novelty shapes? Check! Or, are you interested in an issue of National Geographic from the year 1918? Check! How about any issue ever made since 1918? Double check! (Actually, I love the leather gloves and the National Geographics, but I believe I've made my point.)

So, there you have it.

We got the opportunity to rent a home up the street for less than our current mortgage. It's a large home, with more than enough room for us and our treasures. In the meantime, we'll rent out both of our homes to cover our mortgage. The woman we are renting from lives in the Bay Area and plans on retiring to this home in 5 years. In five years, we'll be down to two kids (and hopefully fewer things, as every year, I serreptitiously weed out more and more "treasures") and able to move back into our home.

Lastly, and on a somewhat soapbox note, when Bonnie was born, ole Meaty and I were determined that she would not go to daycare. When our older kids were babies, we were lucky to arrange our schedules to avoid daycare and we were determined to do the same with Bonnie. In order to make this happen, Jeff cut his hours to part time in the evenings and stays home with Bonnie during the day. After working and going to school while the older kids were babies, he absolutely relishes his time with her and does a fantastic job of taking care of his family as the housewife/husband/person/gnome. However, this cut in his hours results in an cut in our income. Taking some of the pressure off of us financially just makes sense, especially with the economic conditions of late. (Don't worry Mom, both of our jobs are solid.)

We're excited to move. Wouldn't you be, if you were moving here?

This is what I am currently addicted to

Live video chat by Ustream

My office mate is currently working on a blog about these puppies. I predict she will say this:

1. The sounds from those puppies freak me out!

2. I would swat them with newspapers if they were mine!

3. LAME

4. JERILYN NEEDS TO GET SOME WORK DONE ALREADY.

I can't argue with number 4.

Annie is a ham

Bookshelf

People keep sending me invitations to join an online book service that lets you share what you're reading so people can judge you get inspiration for books to read.

I never join these things, mainly because what I read is incredibly boring. I read a lot of technical manuals and biographies. (And trashy magazines.) I do have a stack of books to read that are mostly fiction, but I need to set aside a lot of time to read any kind of fiction because I lack the self control to use a bookmark when I'm too tired or need to do something like feed my children or shower.

For example, here are two books Amazon delivered to me today that I'm dying to read. (Please note, I say "dying to read" without any sarcasm whatsoever. I also say "without any sarcasm whatsoever" without any sarcasm whatsoever. I SWEAR.)

Book 1: Real World Color Management by Bruce Fraser

Book 2: Mastering Digital Printing, Second Edition by Harald Johnson

Finally, lest I appear completely nerdy, here is the last book I read, much to the chagrin of my family who thought it was WAY above its intended audience:*

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? by Dr. Seuss

*Audience aged 7.5 months.

Day Two: RULES

I keep a list of Things I Should Blog About (TISBA), or, if I were concerned with proper grammar, Things About Which I Should Blog. Guess what's NOT on it? POLITICS. I am going to leave politics alone all month. In fact, my only mention of politics will be my announcement of my non-mention of politics.

Also, not to whine on DAY TWO, but seriously? November? Why not blogging every day during one of the months that doesn't include a major holiday and shopping for the next major holiday? (As if I'm that organized, despite the DNA from my mother that states I must shop for Christmas at least 15 months in advance.)

Ok, rules over, rant over. Here is an item from the list of TISBA. It has come to my attention that my childrens' friends don't think we have any rules. In fact, it has been said in front of me "Pools have no rules."

As evidence to the contrary, I offer the following:

POOL RULES
1. be nice to each other or the Mom will beat you with a sock full of spare change
2. no TV or computer until jobs are done
3. two hours of computer, tops
4. don’t tease the Dad because he is a delicate flower—a poppy, perhaps
5. teasing the Mom is perfectly fine, since she can both dish it out and take it
6. only Bonnie is allowed to poop in her pants

NaBloPoMo

I've had this blog for five years now. (I started another one in 2000, but abandoned it fairly quickly.) I used to really love blogging, and then I got busy in other areas of my life. I've had a hard time getting back into the groove, so I decided I would join NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). I'll be posting every day during the month of November, which I hope will help me get back into the routine.

This post feels like cheating, but hey! One down, 29 more to go!

Screaming To Be Heard

I had a dream last night I was trying to tell this woman about all the ways the government has helped me. Like how Pell Grants helped to pay for my education, how Medicaid helped provide health care for my children when we couldn't afford it ourselves while we were in college, and how I'm grateful that my kids can get a good education.

Only, she wouldn't listen to me. She kept talking and talking and talking and her voice was SO ANNOYING.

I kept trying to yell over her, to get her to listen to me.

That's when I woke up and realized a Sarah Palin speech was being played on TV.

Will it really be over in a week? Doubtful.

Sunday afternoon, I attended a birthday party. When I was invited, knowing that there were people with strong and opposing political views attending, I suggested that perhaps we should make politics a forbidden subject so that we could just enjoy one another's company. I was told everyone agreed with my suggestion, however, when I showed up, there were two people wearing political tshirts, one an unkind and untrue dig at Barack Obama, the candidate for whom I have chosen to vote. I decided to ignore the shirts, because I wanted to honor our agreement and not create contention, but I left feeling disrespected and very sad.

I'm still sad.

In a week, we're going to have a new President-elect. What is going to happen to this country when the smaller half of the voters hates the new guy? The vitriol coming from people reminds me of two verses from the Book of Mormon, in 3 Nephi, chapter 11, verses 29 and 30, "For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away."

One of my favorite Obama stories is that when Obama supporters at a recent rally merely "booed" at the mention of McCain's name, Obama said, "No. We don't do that. We vote." That, folks, is not stirring anyone up in anger.

While I don't think John McCain or Sarah Palin are the right choice for our country, I will not denigrate them. If they are who the American people choose to lead the country, I will support them as such and pray for their success.

In the last couple of weeks, I feel like I've been blindsided by people I thought I knew who have said ugly things about my candidate or questioned my integrity when I stated my political opinions. I even had someone question my dedication to the church.

To avoid further surprise from my friends and loved ones, I state the following without apology and need for defense:

I vote(d) for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

If you disagree, there is something you can do. Vote. And pray for whomever we wind up with. Our country will need it.

My Favorite Joe

FEED ME!

In order to keep Bonnie from putting her hands in her mouth and making a huge mess while we feed her, we put a dishtowel around her like a bib and she doesn't move her arms. However, last night, I put the food down to do something and this is what she started doing: