tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41327713827536021232009-11-09T07:26:47.992-07:00"sell your clothes and keep your thoughts." ~thoreauC.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-25509342330236595902009-09-17T11:23:00.001-06:002009-09-17T11:23:49.090-06:00

You can now visit me at phytophiliac. Thanks for your support.

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-7857289787519040132009-08-27T19:17:00.003-06:002009-08-27T19:57:50.029-06:00

Some of you may have noticed that this site has been inaccessible. I took it down because I've decided to stop writing here. I made this choice for a few reasons.The first is that I'm really unhappy with the direction that my writing has taken. It's all angst and navelgazing and that is not at all what I intended when I started writing. Certainly introspection, but this is too much.I'm

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-83995914784308097372009-08-09T15:31:00.006-06:002009-08-09T21:32:39.192-06:00

I used to be one of those parents. I was one of those parents before I was even a parent. I was one of those parents who looked at other parents and judged them for being less of an awesome parent than I was. I judged parents for crimes such as:*using disposable diapers*bottle feeding*using formula*going back to work*having an epidural*being induced*giving birth while laying down*submitting to

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-65332005085309287682009-08-03T15:53:00.003-06:002009-08-03T16:33:31.384-06:00

While visiting family, I read an article written by a man diagnosed with ALS. I used to work in hospice care and I can say with some frankness that ALS is one of my most feared diseases. So I read this article with interest. He outlined his wonderful life, and how shocking it was to discover that he had this terrifying illness. He mentioned the progression of the disease and how it has

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-59272896344280736372009-07-17T17:48:00.007-06:002009-07-17T19:17:54.453-06:00

School starts in a month. This is the first time that Blueberry will on his own, without his father. This is the first time Bean will be in school at all. I don't know the teachers yet; I don't know the other children; I don't know any of the other parents or really anything at all about how they'll be spending their days.On the one hand, I don't worry. This is a Waldorf school; I know

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-42858566731082756652009-07-13T16:23:00.008-06:002009-07-13T17:30:25.566-06:00

So it might not be immediately apparent, but I have writer's block. I blame Facebook. Facebook utterly ruined me as a writer. See, on Facebook you can share all of the tiny thoughts that flit across the surface of your mind. You can say things like:"YUM! I am the best cook. Thank FSM for a thousand years of banana cultivation.""Some random person just threw gum in my hair. And then laughed

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-31016604617738449292009-07-09T10:00:00.004-06:002009-07-09T11:33:04.893-06:00

When Blueberry was born, I thought I'd be an attachment parent. I'd read a lot of the literature and it sounded pretty good to me. Then real life kicked in, like that I was too sick after the birth to feel safe sleeping with a newborn. Into the bassinet he went, and by the time I was reasonably healthy again, he was set in his solo-sleeping ways. I also didn't breastfeed. I tried, but I got

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-11708860464544792962009-07-08T06:49:00.000-06:002009-07-09T11:33:32.089-06:00

I'd like to share some news of my own. J. and I have left the Church. I know this is an abrupt announcement but it's been the case for some time. I've been afraid to tell you because I thought you would judge me harshly and make unfair assumptions about who I am and why I made this choice. I did not make this decision out of malevolence or frustration with the Church. It's true that I

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-35865880375129722182009-06-30T18:36:00.004-06:002009-06-30T18:51:49.394-06:00

Okay, I got kind of paranoid about this journal, so I switched some things around. First of all, no more first names will be used. I made up silly pseudonyms for my kids, based on their favorite foods (of course!), and I'll refer to J. and myself by our initials. I didn't bother removing really old pictures of our family but I won't be posting new ones. And I switched my food journal to a new

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-23492740945987613722009-06-22T19:45:00.006-06:002009-06-22T22:28:31.256-06:00

So the truth of the matter is that I could certainly be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder if I wasn't so afraid to leave the house and see a doctor.HA!I don't have a lot of the physical symptoms - I don't blush or stammer or have palpitations. But I do tend to sweat. I do get the shakes. And one of my cardinal signals of social anxiety is that my belly clenches terribly. I don't even

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-12783067751436947842009-06-10T08:11:00.002-06:002009-06-29T19:09:18.144-06:00

Now that we've moved, I'm not going to be working for a while. And this is really throwing me for a loop. On the one hand, I'm tremendously relieved to be able to have some time to myself, to not be panting after every last dollar, to rebuild my relationships. But it's true that I'm reluctant to give up this piece of self-sufficiency and become completely dependent on J. again. In retrospect, I

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-9151866698993407742009-06-03T14:13:00.005-06:002009-06-29T19:10:06.418-06:00

One of my many life-altering commitments upon this move was to take up meditation. I've been flirting with it for some time but haven't committed to a daily practice or even a weekly, monthly or yearly one. For me, meditation is just one of those things that I think about almost constantly and yet fail to implement. I think we all have these issues, these positive life changes that we obsess

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-91352351320851848972009-05-14T08:10:00.008-06:002009-06-29T19:08:06.237-06:00

Bean is now 2 1/2 years old and completely out of diapers during the day. As happened with Blueberry, as soon as we put her in underwear, she was dry during the day, which puts her in the category of "potty-trained." This is a label that I hate, for a few reasons. First of all, children are not dogs. Unfortunately, children are often treated like dogs while transitioning out of diapers,

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-1125500425012435692009-04-24T10:11:00.007-06:002009-04-24T11:37:14.100-06:00

It's a dharma wheel. Even though I'm still hesitant to identify as a Buddhist.And I'm hesitant because each time I have tentatively identified as a Buddhist, I end up stuck in an uncomfortable conversation. Like this one, with a regular customer:"Oh, is that a dharma wheel?""Yep.""Are you a Buddhist?""Um...I think so.""Oh, me too! Do you have a teacher?""Uh - well - I'm basically...

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-68890820770454840372009-04-14T22:31:00.004-06:002009-04-14T22:51:06.391-06:00

I may be the only person living herewho has no ancestral roots.My ancestors were cousins withthe men and women who sneerindignantly at the golden legendthat nobody lived hereand nobody wanted it.What are we, invisible.Those old grandmothers partneredwith salt before exotic animuswas trendy. Their hands movedrestlessly in ephedra beforethe name was stolen.They must have giggled behinduncivilized

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-42231737965261849342009-04-07T09:11:00.009-06:002009-06-29T19:12:17.064-06:00

I've been reading a book called The Self-Esteem Trap: Raising Confident and Compassionate Kids in an Age of Self-Importance. I read a lot and very rarely do I ever write about what I'm reading. But I'd like to say a few things about the conceptions presented in this book.Recently I've become the sort of desperate parent whose babies grow into toddlers and suddenly she realizes that she has no

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-60645166663177783722009-04-04T11:06:00.007-06:002009-06-29T19:12:57.248-06:00

On the long trip home from Mendocino County, when we were driving past the salt flats and I was feeling as desolate as the landscape, I meditated upon the nothingness that lies at the core of Buddhism.As a Mormon, I was taught that I am a child of God. I have an individuated personality that preceded life and will persist after death. This life is but a blink of an eye in terms of the long

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-78862026163762754172009-03-22T21:16:00.003-06:002009-03-22T22:07:29.975-06:00

This is the final post in my series about adopting a plant-based diet. Here, I hope to give some background to my health history, which definitely shaped my decision to go vegan. Most of this is boring, but since this series was supposed to be informational and personal, here it is. Please be aware that every person has their own experience and their own approach. This is only mine. I wanted

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-52538721797571195202009-03-22T20:45:00.003-06:002009-03-22T21:15:31.571-06:00

To this point I have not succinctly addressed the reasons why I am a vegetarian. I didn't think I would bother posting about that. I think that even those who aren't vegetarian can think of some good reasons why somebody else would make that choice, and if one were so inclined, there are thousands of resources for learning about the destruction inherent in animal agriculture. Since beginning

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-30214468361976763842009-03-22T19:52:00.002-06:002009-03-22T20:44:36.029-06:00

Many people argue that vegetarianism is expensive. Processed, packaged foods are expensive, regardless of whether they contain soybeans or animal muscle. I've already addressed the point that packaged foods are helpful for the transition, but certainly not essential or even beneficial for the rest of a person's lifespan. The base foods for a healthy vegetarian diet are the cheapest foods

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-66900949779739600082009-03-22T19:14:00.002-06:002009-03-22T20:42:07.065-06:00

This is the most common question that I receive, and the irony makes me smile. I always want to ask, “If eliminating meat and dairy would leave you with nothing else to eat, then what are YOU eating?” I can't tell you what to eat on a plant-based diet, except plants. A person eats according to one's preferences, culture, income and availability. But I will give you an idea of what I eat.Our

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-30189327252402074562009-03-15T09:21:00.004-06:002009-03-15T09:44:58.263-06:00

It's become almost normal to see a famous actor play a gay man. I admit, it's still a little bit shocking to see a household name like Sean Penn making out fiercely with James Franco (who is so straight it's hardly believable). It's not shocking because it's disgusting or immoral, but because just ten years ago, it would have destroyed a career for an actor to be photographed kissing another man

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-41796232709686984552009-03-12T18:46:00.026-06:002009-06-29T19:16:11.063-06:00

I'm feeling awesomely depressed today*, so I thought I would share the wonderful experience of some medicine-making I did with our kids last week.For as long as I can remember, Bean has had a little rash on her cheeks that looks kind of like very mild acne. The back of her arms is also rough and red in the same way. Neither condition shows improvement or degeneration based on diet, clothing,

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-79037542037310469552009-03-05T09:11:00.000-07:002009-03-05T09:12:13.069-07:00

With everything you know about my family, which city would you choose for us? ( surveys)

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4132771382753602123.post-90763267454472911172009-03-05T07:15:00.001-07:002009-06-29T19:17:28.792-06:00

I've taken a break from the "Buddhist thing." I visited a couple of temples and had mixed experiences. Quite opposite experiences, actually. And I felt halfway very comfortable and halfway very confused.I visited a Jodo Shinshu temple which was very laid-back; the decor was simple, the people were casually dressed and the atmosphere was light. Participants sat in plain wooden pews and there

C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278966723822635150earthmother213@gmail.com3