The Great Interview Experiement

Since I am the world's greatest sucker for a Canadian (long story) I jumped all over Neil Kramer’s “Great Interview Experiment” when Backpacking Dad brought up that he had signed up for it. When it comes to some things, I so love to be a follower. I was interviewed by Deb of San Diego Momma (if you really want to know more about me, go see), and I got the great pleasure of interviewing Amy of Doobleh-Vay (her blog name totally brings me right back to German class and Frau Winkles).

Your profile photo is very beatnik looking. Are you always that moody and cool?

Oh I think I would like to look moody and cool! I love the Beat era though! I think I kinda went through a beat stage in College. I wanted to go live in Boulder and go to the The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. I went off to live in Greece instead. If I were to be able to dress and look presentable each day it would be rad to look beat!

Your profile on Kirsty says you like radishes. What kinds? Red? Daikon? Horseradish?

I like them all. I eat them for snacks. I love veggies very much. I should be thin.

Speaking of Kirsty, what does an editor at Kirtsy do?

We scour the internet for cool and interesting links/blogs/sites and place them up on kirtsy for all the coolest to come and enjoy! It is really fun to find the best of the web and share! The women there are amazing and I have met wonderful pals.

Who did you add to your blogroll after BlogHer this year?

I am still working on it man...Many. I left with a stack of cards and a large heart.

What is your favorite kind of wood? Seriously, my dad was a carpenter, and between him and the rest of the family, I've found that everyone has a favorite if they have any exposure.

I love Maple. We make a lot of our products out of it at www.littlealouette.etsy.com
I also love scrap pine though bc when my husband and I were young and poor ten years ago- (nothing but the youth has changed) he would dig out scrap pine from the dumpster of a boss and make me mission style pieces for our tiny apartment. We have the coffee table still that was our first furniture and I love it as worn and old as it is. It holds history.

What crafty pursuit do you go to, other than writing, when you need to unwind?

I love to use sharpies and make crazy giant wall hangings for my house. I write tiny little words all over the piece or lyrics to cheesy old songs. I like to do this while I watch TV. I also love to paint and sew a bit.

Anything I should have asked that you're dying to tell someone?

I don't collect anything and this is odd bc my parents are hoarders and antique collectors and vintage Coca Cola and Texaco collectors. I don't collect anything and it kinda bums me out. Any suggestions?


Not yarn or fabric, because they will take over your life. Not that I would know personally or anything. I don't really collect anything specifically because I come from a long line of packrats and I don't want to go there. I did however become the keeper of the family photos (which I think is a good thing to collect), but I think that is just because I am the responsible one. Now I'm off to go stalk your etsy shop until I have another baby to buy something for.

Generous is as generous does

I struggle on a daily basis with the priorities of my life. I live comfortably in the middle class (most likely on the lower end, but who isn't these days). Bottom line, I have more than enough.

However, I didn't grow up like that, and I feel comfortable saying that I don't take it for granted. A number of the choices I've made in my adult life, good or bad, are a direct result of the situations around my growing up. While I always had enough, I know that it seeming like that was hard work for my parents. That they made sacrifices. They also made sure that when we had more than enough, we shared. When we didn't, we gave of our time. I was a regular volunteer at a number of events for as long as I can remember.

As an adult, I've tried to continue that. I donate when I can, I volunteer when I have time, and I even make time to do it. I'm fortunate to work for a company that takes community involvement very seriously and supports and encourages my generosity. I am lucky in so many ways.

When I became a parent, I thought long and hard about how to make sure I pass that on to my daughter. I've seen the other side, the people who think only of themselves or who volunteer and contribute, but never passed on those values to their kids. I know what I want to pass on to M. She is still a little young, since she's just starting to learn how to give you something when you ask for it, let alone share at will, but I have a plan.

We will do things to help others together. She will help make choices about what we do as a family to support our community. To help teach some good money management skills, as well as philanthropy, a portion of gifts she receives/allowances, will be donated where she chooses. Toys that we cull from her room (since I'm also trying to lead a less cluttered life), will be donated by her directly.

When she's older, hopefully she will do this and more without prompting.

In the mean time, we're working on sharing our toys, giving hugs, and this holiday season, I'll start making donations in her name. (she got her share of the stimulus to start her savings account) We're going to do our best to get off on the right foot because it is a long journey ahead.

This post has been brought to you by the letters PBN, since the Parent Blogger's Network is partnering with Generations Cures, and brought the whole darn thing to my attention. They're also running a very cool contest to get the word out, see their site for how to participate.

Because Every Little Bit Counts

I met Aaron when I was 13, maybe 14 (late summer birthday). I spent that summer doing a summer theater program in Columbus, Ohio with my dad's cousin Lisa. It was good. I was a holy terror, and I'd like to think that even though I drove the poor woman crazy, it was good for all of us. (I kind of wonder how she's doing now that she is the mom to a teen... hehe) Anyways, Aaron was working at a day camp in the same space. I thought he was awfully cute. We hung out at our cast party, and I got my second kiss ever from him. I had a week left in town, and my cousin, being the absolutely cool woman that she was, invited him to the concert she was taking me to. My end of vacation treat. Paul Simon. I don't remember much other than kissing him in the back row, and hickies. I flew home the next day with a single polaroid of him, his address, and phone number. We "dated" for a couple of months, writing and using my 1 hour of phone time a month. Not sure who broke up with who, but it doesn't matter. He was my best friend after that.

We called each other as often as we could. Usually in a crisis. I called him when my heart was broken, he called me when his mom died. I'm pretty sure he saved my life at least once. Email made contact better, and worse. We've gone too long without talking at times, but have seen each other a couple of times. The last time I saw him face to face was 2001. I was laid off and he had just gotten engaged. I had to meet her, so I flew out. I really liked her, and I told him if he screwed it up... well bad stuff would happen. I was done with dating, he told me to keep trying. He got married and I couldn't make it, I met A, got married myself. They had Cordy, we had M, they had Mira a month later.

I started blogging, and reading Christina's blog. We're back to keeping up regularly. Christina has been amazing. She's taught me the ropes of this whole blogging thing. She's helped me find great opportunities. Makes we wish that we all lived closer to each other. Especially cause it's been a sucky few months for them. And for a lot of the Internet peeps. Which is why that is a long story to get to a point.

Bloggers make money off of page views, and ads that are clicked through, and when you read them in a reader, while they adore any attention (we're all just asking to be loved), they don't get paid for reader views. Even if they're just blogging to get money for a new pair of shoes. So if you like them, click through the reader, leave a comment, click on an ad. Blog through the recession. It is all Kristen's idea, and I'm getting on board, with my little blog, because when I was 14 I made out at a Paul Simon concert and it changed my life for the better.

Haiku Friday: A Post In Two Parts

Part 1:

silence shut it off

will leave the leash in the bag

sweet quiet is mine

I've been on call for the day job this past week. Not a bad one, but enough. I'm happily leaving the crackberry in my bag when I get home, and not even bringing home the laptop. Woo Hoo!

Part 2:

the hummidity is

gonna kill me if the heat

doesn't do it first

may have to suck it

get a swim suit that fits me

and hide in a lake

minimum I will

give my weeds some love grass too

sprinkler running whee!

We had a mild spring. It was nice, I was in heaven. I love snow, I miss snow, it is freaking hot. We'd go to the pool and have some fun with M if we weren't so paranoid about her getting water in her ears (she has had tubes since May). We'll most likely get the sprinkler out and have some fun in the back yard, but he heat hasn't been good to my already struggling yard. It is mostly weeds, and some tomatoes (that are finally ripening).

How do you stay cool? Because I am melting.