Born in America - NOT FAIR

It came up again in conversation this holiday season - if you were born in the United States of America, you're better off than half the world. For goodness sakes, poor people in the US have cell phones, air conditioning and running water!


There's a cute little saying that has become popular... "first world problems". We say this when we realize what we're complaining about is an issue that many humans don't know about. Like poor cell service or the dishwasher leaking or DirecTV cutting out during a storm... FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS!

On that note, can't we Americans be THANKFUL for these wonderful "first world creations"? Every day there are items in my home that I find nearly indespensible that didn't exist 100 years ago. On my FaceBook page (www.FaceBook.com/conservativehippiechick), I started a thread where we can be thankful for things other than "good health, a loving family, the sunrise..."

This will now be my ongoing list of First World Thankfulness. Add yours int he comments!

1. wireless trackball mouse
2. indoor pools in the winter months
3. disposable sponges for washing dishes
4. wireless internet
5. the USPS
6. calculators
7. Costco
8. chain saw
9. scotch tape
10. wood flooring
11. heated seats in my vehicle
12. 4 wheel drive
13. weather app
14. paved roads
15. business cards
16. the USPS
17. Mario Cart 
18. grocery stores
19. farmers markets
20. gas stations
21. gas powered leaf blower
22.  chiropractic care
23. fresh brewed coffee in my Bunn (4 minutes!)
24. the internet
25. the Constitution
26. free speech
27. the squeegee at the gas station
28. ziplock baggies
29. refrigerator
30. ball point pens
31. did I say the internet?
32. public library
33.  hot water
34. washing machine
35. sheets
36. pillows
37. disposable plates and cutlery
38. party store
39. color printers

Americans - come together!!

I am so frustrated by the decisiveness of this country!

I was just talking with an old friend who was raised a Democrat. Over the years, due to different work experiences and real life situations, he's opened his mind to other ways of political thinking. Our  conversations have been exciting and informational for the past 10 years.

Anyway, we grew up in Gainesville Florida. Our high school was fairly diverse - drawing not only different colors of people but also first generation immigrants with the ESL (English as a Second Language) program. The biggest bullying wasn't between blacks and whites, it was against gays, the weirdos and the obese - no matter the color. This statement is not in approval of the small-mided people who did the bullying, it's just an observation.

Getting back to today... my friend and I were drawing from our past in which we didn't experience racism (granted, I know we're white, but we're observant!), we didn't participate in racism and we are utterly confused and frustrated by the race divide that has been created by our government.

The Obama presidency was supposed to bring people together. Instead, it's driven a wedge between races that didn't exist 10 years ago. Another friend of mine, who refers to herself as "African American", and I spoke this weekend about how her kids don't know any different than the middle-class lifestyle they have in Kennesaw Georgia. They would not feel at home in the slums or Atlanta just because there are more black people there. It's a CULTURE thing, not a skin color thing. White trash is white trash, ghetto folk are ghetto folk and gangsters are gangsters, no matter the color.

So, why is there so much talk about whites vs. blacks? Shouldn't we all be tackling the culture of violence? The culture of government dependence? Shouldn't we all band together to stop crime, to protect our neighborhoods, to encourage independence, to build our children up to be productive members of society? Shouldn't we all be screaming mad that our unemployment rate is near double digits and it's even higher for the poverty stricken, low-income citizens?

Let's stand up for American values for all corners of this great nation. We Americans are strong-willed, hard workers, creative thinkers and freedom-loving. The longer we let the government divide us, the harder it will be to come back together.

The Best Pregnancy Ever!

My body's journey into my third pregnancy was quite different from the first two. First of all, I had switched to a Paleo lifestyle about 2 months before conceiving. Second, I was exercising in a way that my body thrived.

The first two pregnancies weren't bad - no morning sickness, no serious food aversions, no swelling - but they weren't great. I had problems with circulation that caused me to wake up in the middle of the night feeling as if my hands were being stabbed. I often had to walk around the house in the depths of darkness to regain feeling in my arms. It didn't happen with pregnancy #3!

During Prego2, I was a vegetarian and I was ravenous ALL.THE.TIME. I couldn't eat enough. I felt sick because I was hungry. Rice, beans, tofu, veggies, fruit and nuts just couldn't satisfy me! Of course, I ate lots of processed sweets, too. I baked pans of brownies on a regular basis. What a sugar fix! I didn't have hunger issues with Prego3. I ate nourishing, filling, calorie-dense meals and rarely required snacks between. I did get hooked on all-natural ice cream during my last trimester which caused some fat gain at the end.

In the first two pregnancies I gained 40lbs each. Prego3: 25lbs.

Oh, and the acne! No pregnancy acne the third time around. None.

The dreaded heartburn? Only when I ate bread or carby sweets. Otherwise, I had no heartburn during Prego3. I remember keeping a huge bottle of Tums near by during the entire first pregnancy. I never once connected the dots between pans of brownies and heartburn! I always blamed it on the weight of the fetus and my changed body.

I hadn't been lazy during pregnancy, I just didn't push myself really hard. In the year prior to Prego3, I did Tabata Bootcamp twice a week, tennis twice weekly and walked as often as possible. I had dropped 14lbs and 6inches and was in the best shape of my life! Since I was active before I got knocked up, I continued through the full 10 moon pregnancy. My water actually broke at tennis practice when I was 41 weeks and 4 days pregnant! 

My third pregnancy was so much easier! I attribute better circulation to increased activity, regular stretching/yoga and chiropractic care. Everything else was a result of eating Paleo. If I could have such a different experience in my third pregnancy at the age of 35, imagine the benefits for the average human suffering from acid reflux, diabetes, heartburn, acne, lethargy or binge eating.

Prego1

39 weeks

29 years old

Prego2

39 weeks

33 years old

photo courtesy of Hailey Faith Photography

Prego3

39 weeks

35 years old

An old FaceBook post...

Wow, this year flew by! I haven't posted in so long - there's so much to share! No time for it now, but I wanted to save this FaceBook status I wrote back in March 2013. No better place than here.

***

Today is the day. It's the day that no one wants to remember and I'm certain those being remembered never want us to dwell on these days... it's the day of death. Today is the day I said goodbye to my mother's physical body. Today, four years ago, is the day I started my motherless journey.

It was Friday the 13th, just before her favorite holiday: St. Patrick's Day. It's all a haze from the 13th to the 20th when we celebrated my mom's life at a beautiful facility in Asheville NC. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the sunset was breathtaking. Her friends were there, loving her and giving love to our entire family. Our extended family was there, telling stories, hugging, laughing, crying and just loving each other. The young children were playing during the ceremony, just as she would have wanted them to. She was in their hearts, teaching them to sing instead of cry. Reminding us how grand life is, no matter how short.

Never will she be out of my heart or out of my head, but forever will I miss our conversations.

I was a tough teenager. I pushed the boundaries in life and in parenting. And I am so thankful that I was old enough when my mom passed (I was 31, she was 64) that we had a chance to reflect on it. And you know what? She didn't resent me! She was thankful! She told me that I pushed her to be a better person. All those times in the car when she'd put on the personal growth tapes, I cursed under my breath how annoying it was. And all this time later, I still use those lessons to grow. To stay grounded. To remember that life is what I make of it.

So, as I remember this day, the toughest day I've ever experienced, I also remember how fortunate I am to have had a mother who pushed back when I pushed her. Who always kept learning, who always stayed hopeful and who always said the things that made us step back and contemplate ourselves.

It's a good life.

5623

Bacon Wrapped, Pecan Stuffed Dates

Paleo pregnancy has given me such food inspiration!

(Oh, by the way... I'm pregnant with our third boy! Due in late August.)

This has been a busy week and I hadn't even thought of a potluck dish to bring to the Derby party last night. So I opened the fridge to review options for a side on the fly.

Staring back at me: dried dates, raw pecans & a half a pack of bacon. After only two experiments, perfection! We ate all the samples before the afternoon was over, so hubby hit the grocery store and picked up more ingredients. One of the great things about this treat is that you can make as few or as many as you want without excessive cleanup.

When we got home from the party last night, my 5 year old realized he was too busy playing that he didn't eat a bacon wrapped date! Major melt down before bed... so together we made them for a mid-morning snack today.

Assembly line makes the process quick. Husbands and kids and help!

Prep your ingredients first. Might as well count out each, including toothpicks, since your bacon hands will contaminate anything you touch.


INGREDIENTS

• dried dates
• raw pecan halves
• bacon

PREP

• slice dates up the middle (stick paring knife tip in the end of each date and cut only one side)
• break pecan halves in half lengthwise
• cut bacon slices into quarters lengthwise
• line baking dish with tin foil, place some sort of rack on top to allow drainage
• wooden toothpicks 
• 350°

ASSEMBLE

• place pecan quarter inside date, close
• wrap 1/4 slice of bacon around date, cover the open side of the date with middle of bacon
• slide wooden toothpick through ends of bacon to secure
• arrange on baking rack with open bacon side down

Cook :15 then keep an eye on them. Length of time depends on type of bacon used. We used thick sliced, maple bacon this morning and it took :25 to cook 14 of them.

Gay Rights Debate

What is the "gay rights" debate about?

It's about two people being legal partners, legal beneficiaries and legally bound. Already, many churches marry same-sex partners "under God"; this cannot be taken away by government. The only thing that can be taken away by government are rights that should not be given by government. DOMA is offensive and government has no role in marriage. Marriage is between two people who choose to live their lives together.

My husband and I are agnostic and were married by my father (who is a notary) under the law. Instead of marriage, we could have drafted a legal agreement that outlines and specifies our arrangement.

Instead of fighting for the government to okay gay marriage, we ought to be fighting for the government to get the hell out of our marriages. Marriage is a decision that two people make to share responsibilities and households. When a marriage falls apart, it's a legal battle. Married couples should not get a tax break, or a tax hit.

In my opinion, we're spending time on the wrong fight.

First, repeal DOMA.

Second, repeal the income tax.

Third, make sure that your significant other is your beneficiary on everything.

You don't have to be married for your life insurance benefits to go to your partner. Make sure your significant other is specified on your living will so that they can help you in your time of need. If a straight person is not married, they can have someone not-related in their hospital room if they have specified it. So what's the difference if you are gay?

The "goodbye" day

Today is the day. It's the day that no one wants to remember and I'm certain those being remembered never want us to dwell on these days... it's the day of death. Today is the day I said goodbye to my mother's physical body. Today, four years ago, is the day I started my motherless journey.

It was Friday the 13th, just before her favorite holiday: St. Patrick's Day. It's all a haze from the 13th to the 20th when we celebrated my mom's life at a beautiful facility in Asheville NC. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the sunset was breathtaking. Her friends were there, loving her and giving love to our entire family. Our extended family was there, telling stories, hugging, laughing, crying and just loving each other. The young children were playing during the ceremony, just as she would have wanted them to. She was in their hearts, teaching them to sing instead of cry. Reminding us how grand life is, no matter how short.

Never will she be out of my heart or out of my head, but forever will I miss our conversations.

I was a tough teenager. I pushed the boundaries in life and in parenting. And I am so thankful that I was old enough when my mom passed (I was 31, she was 64) that we had a chance to reflect on it. And you know what? She didn't resent me! She was thankful! She told me that I pushed her to be a better person. All those times in the car when she'd put on the personal growth tapes, I cursed under my breath how annoying it was. And all this time later, I still use those lessons to grow. To stay grounded. To remember that life is what I make of it.

So, as I remember this day, the toughest day I've ever experienced, I also remember how fortunate I am to have had a mother who pushed back when I pushed her. Who always kept learning, who always stayed hopeful and who always said the things that made us step back and contemplate ourselves.

It's a good life.