Doppelganger Week

I was sort of bummed when Doppelganger week stuff popped up on facebook as I really don't think I look like anyone famous.  Is it really that big of deal, no...but it would have been fun to participate.  I decided to do a myheritage.org celebrity collage, which turned up not much.  Apparently I resemble some guy I've never heard of, albeit a very feminine looking guy by 54% and also Josie Maran by 73%...I don't see it but whatever.  I don't even have the same hair color.

It then occurred to me that I have been compared a lot to Punky Brewster.  Not so much the actor now, but a lot while I was growing up.  I did and still love her character!!

Adam also took the quiz and he resembles Adam Brody and David Beckham!!!  Funny story, I don't really see how these 2 look a like, but oh well....I married a hottie!!

Just what I needed...

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. 

So throw off the bowlines. 

Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. 

Explore. Dream. Discover.

--Mark Twain

Question Consumption

I've been doing a lot of questioning lately...what do I want to get my Master's in, where do I want to work, do I want to join that, where will I be in 5 years (ahhhhhh), do I really need that??  The last question has been popping up a lot more often, especially when I visit big box stores like Target.  So on Sunday, while watching National Geographic's Taboo my ears perked up when they were talking about Freegans.  What is a freegan you ask..well:

Freegans are people who employ alternative strategies for living based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources. Freegans embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed. -from freegan.info

These particular people dumpster dive for their food, clothing, and basic needs.  Now, before you jump to a judgement, please realize that as a nation, we purchase way more than we need, and in turn, throw away A LOT!!!  Actually, we throw away enough garbage to fill 63, 000 garbage trucks each day!!!  It made me start to think a lot more about what I am buying, why, and all of the things that I have and think I need. 

Let's clarify, I love to shop, and I am a huge supporter of local and handmade artisans, I've been on Etsy all morning actually!  I know that there are some things that I do need and will have to pay for, but what I am hoping to do is to start thinking harder before I buy.  Do I really need a new dress to a friends wedding, when I have at least a dozen in my closet?  And how many tank tops does one human need, probably far less than the 35 currently in my closet.  I am by no means a hoarder, but I am a US consumer...in debt with a lot of "stuff".

Freeganism is an extreme life style, but one that we all could learn from.  While I'm not going to go dumpster diving for my meals, I have decided to join my local freecycle group.  Freecycle is a forum for people to more or less get rid of the stuff they don't need, and/or find the stuff that they do...all for free.  As the old saying goes: one man's trash is another man's treasure.  There are of course rules to this...and they make it very clear that this is not a place to dump your broken, worthless, worn out rubbish.   

There are millions of reasons that people use freecycle, to help out others, to reuse instead of make new, to get free stuff, to get rid of stuff...the list goes on and on.  Figure out what your reason is, and then look into joining:)  And let's all start questioning our consumption!!

photo credit: benterz from deviantart.com

One Word Answers

On this Saturday morning...Adam is in Maine for a fishing trip, the girls are sleeping, and I'm feeling ill, so I'm lying down and blogging, hoping that I'm not getting for real sick:(  I found this little one word survey somewhere in blog-world so I decided to do it:)  Maybe you should too!!

1. Where is your cell phone? Table

2. Your hair? Flat

3. Your mother? Organized

4. Your father? Republican

5. Favorite food? Chocolate

6. Your dream last night? Nope

7. Your favorite drink? Ice Tea/Lemonade

8. Your dream/goal? House

9. What room are you in? TV

10. Your hobby? Reading

11. Your fear? Moths

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? AAHHH*

13. Where were you last night? Home

14. Something that you aren't? Tall

15. Muffins? Tops!

16. Wish list item? JCrew

17. Where did you grow up? Greenville

18. Last thing you did? Walk

19. What are you wearing? Patagonia

20. Your TV? HGTV

21. Your pets? Sleeping

22. Friends? Missed

23. Your life? Unsure

24. Your mood? Ill

25. Missing someone? Adam

26. Vehicle? Subaru's

27. Something your not wearing? Shoes

28. Your favorite store? Target

29. Your favorite color? Navy

30. When/For what was the last time you laughed? Earlier/Blog

31. Last time your cried? Earlier/Earthquake

32. Your best friend? Sister

33. One place that I could go over and over? N.Maine

34. One person who e-mails you regularly? GM

35. Favorite place to eat? Outside

*I was asked the other day "where do you want to be in 5 years?" and I honestly didn't know what to say.  I don't even know where I want to be in the next 5 minutes, let alone 5 years!!!  I hate that question and to see it here, masked with a 6 instead of 5 made me literally scream out loud.  I have a hard time with commitment, except when it comes to my husband, family, and friends...how I've managed to keep them as long as I have is beyond me...but when it comes to myself I just don't know what/where to go next.  I know that I'm tired of teaching and moving...I want to stay here in MA, or at least New England, but I don't know what to do while I'm here...and am I really tired of teaching, or am I just scared of the change that has happened???...

AAAHHHH...there goes the screaming out loud thing again!

Dr. Martlin Luther King Jr....Thank You

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

                 Free at last! Free at last!

                Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

 

Picture credits: stanford.edu

Speech: segment from MLK I have a Dream; American Rhetoric Top 100 Speeches

HGTV Love

I am an HGTV junkie!  I dream of the day when I will have my own space to create and makeover, and I get my fix by watching others do this.  It's amazing how some spaces could be so awful, or how awful they turn out after professionals take over.  Sometimes they have what seems like a bottomless money bowl to use, and others create something spectacular from $500!!  I just can't get enough, buying, renting, indoors, outdoors, they cover just about everything, and I have gained so  much inspiration from watching.

My absolute favorite is Divine Design with Candice Olson.  She makes me want to be Canadian and live in Toronto, all so I can get a room makeover!  If I had a bottomless money bowl (and who doesn't wish they had one!?) I would hire her and her talented team to create my dream home.  I honestly don't think I've ever disliked a room she has done.  From spa like bathrooms, to super relaxing masters, to tech filled living rooms...she makes rooms come alive and look just like the homeowner dreamed, but didn't know they could ever have.  Here are just a few of my favorites:)   

(all photos from HGTV)

New Addition

Exciting news...we bought a car today!  We've been a one car family for a while now, 2 reasons: we didn't need one in NYC, and we didn't want to pay the money for one when we got to MA.  It worked fine in the beginning, Adam rode his bike to and from work and we were close to his office.  Now that the winter is here, the bike riding has ceased, and his office has moved a little further away and not as easily accessible by foot.  It's been tough, and though we've managed, we knew that something had to give.  Adam found a car, a Subaru of course, before Christmas and we decided that if it was still available when we got back we'd take a look.  Thankfully it was!

Love: it's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru

Adam's new ride: Maroon Outback from Central Motors in Wrentham, MA

Christmas 2009

What a fantastic end to 2009!  My husband and I spent our first Christmas together...just the 2 of us!  Of course we missed spending the day with family and friends, but we had such a special day...it even turned out to be a White Christmas!  We of course started with presents.  We not only had gifts from eachother, but also from Adam's family.  The girls were very happy with their stocking stuffers: a new ball, fleece tug, and peanut butter puppy cookies from Uncle Phil!

After presents we had a big breakfast and then took the girls for some play time in the field next to our house!  It was the perfect chance to break in our new North Face gifts to each other...Adam: a black fleece zip in for his winter coat, Erin: brown fuzzy hat and gloves to match my (sort of) new winter coat.

An accidental shot, but a fun one.

 

Maggie loves playing with sticks!  Look at her jump!

Libbey would much rather eat the treats in Adam's pockets!

After our hike we headed to the movie theater to catch the new Sherlock Holmes movie.  I thought it was fantastic, and I would highly recommend it.  Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law make a fantastic on screen pair.  The end leaves the doors open for a sequel and I certainly hope Guy Ritchie will deliver.  After the movie we came home to watch the Celtics beat up on the Magic and to cook a delicious Christmas Dinner: Herb Roasted Cornish Game Hens, Stuffing, Parmesan Zucchini, and a Sam Adam's holiday pack to top it off!  It was a perfect end to a perfect Christmas! 

The last days of 2009

Adam and I traveled to Ohio for Christmas this year.  I hadn't been to my hometown since my sister's wedding in 2007 so we were long over due for a visit.  While in Ohio we spent a few days at my sister's.  She and her wonderful husband have the best little guy in the world!  My nephew, who turned 1 on December 23, is amazing.  The last time we saw him it was about a week after his birth...WOW, a lot has changed!  Adam and I got to babysit him for 2 days and while we were exhausted by the end of it, we were so in love with him...and I think he was pretty in love with us too!!!

Look at that smile...melts the heart!

We taught him how to do "Touchdown!"

Adam and Sam, enjoying a morning beverage.

Future pitcher for the Boston Red Sox

His shirt said: "My aunt rocks!"

♥LOVE