Pickin' People

Pickin' Place

We went blueberry picking at Hatcher Pass with some friends this summer and took advantage of the late harvest from the cool temperatures. Paulo and I hadn't been picking since we were kids and it was the first time for our own children. It's one of the best memories I have from this summer. We picked until our hands and the seats of our pants were stained purple and it turned to dusk. Jacob was the "Great Blonde Bear" of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, foraging for blueberries from my bowl. He ate them faster than I could pick them, the little stinker. We're looking forward to making blueberry muffins for breakfast some frosty cold winter morning. Looking out at the mountains surrounding us, I remembered why I love living in Alaska. I think this land is God's masterpiece.

A Fair Time

Our boys love the state fair and the begging for rides began the minute they saw the equipment being set up three weeks before it started. Only 11 1/2 more months of asking when they can go again!

First Day of First Grade

New backpack... $15.00

Spiffy "guitar" shirt... $18.00

Buzz cut and freckles... priceless!

Vintage Children's Fabrics

I came across the cutest website today called WarmBiscuit, through another blogger (Scribbit), that has really neat vintage children's fabrics. We have such a puny selection in Alaska- pretty much limited to 2 stores that move their inventory very slowly and don't offer much variety. But this site is so fun! My personal favorites are the Retro Rocket and the Dick and Jane series. They even have oilcloth (it would make a great tote bag for the van!). I started sewing this summer and now I am itchin' to make some things for my boys and my nieces and nephews. My youngest niece might have to have a wardrobe update via Auntie. Wouldn't a little pullover dress or apron made out one of the fabrics below be so cute? This is how I get my "pink" fix (aka I must have something that does not involve Star Wars, Superheroes, Dinosaurs or Matchbox cars). Check it out- it's sweet.

http://warmbiscuit.com/fabricsall1.html

Ah Ha!

As a coincidence, I found this article on "the search for rational voters." This offers an interesting perspective on how the perceptions of voters influence our national policies...

http://www.newsweek.com/id/158224/page/1

Just for the Record.

I do not care what Barack Obama's middle name is, or what color his skin is, or that his pastor is distrustful or angry towards whites, or that he is endorsed by Oprah, or that he used the term "lipstick on a pig."

I do not care if John McCain dated a stripper and drove too fast 50 years ago, or that his wife's hair is considered "too shelacked" or that he appeared to be checking Palin out or sleeping while reading her teleprompter.

I do not care if Sarah Palin was runner up in a pageant or that she doesn't like Harry Potter books or that she enjoys mooseburgers or that she posted the jet on ebay, but it ended up selling privately. I don't even care if she ousted the commissioner for not firing her deadbeat and dangerous brother-in-law. I don't care about Todd Palin's DUI from 20+ years ago.

I don't care about Joe Biden's... hey? How come I don't know the dirt on Joe? Never mind!

What I care about is the fact that my husband must use (as opposed to wants to use) public transportation to commute to work- and it adds an extra 1 1/2 hours a day that he can't be with his children, because gas prices are so high we can't afford for him to drive every day. Our only other option is to move closer to his work, in a town with more congestion, more crime, more traffic accidents, and less of the things we enjoy where we are.

I care that our country is teetering towards relying solely on foreign oil. Energy controls our lives- the small day to day things like the cost of a gallon of milk, as well as the ability for an airline to stay in business, or the security of our nation. I care that I live in a state that is full of untapped oil. And also the fact that we are awfully close to Russia, China, and North Korea, and our relationships with these countries is- well, not so good.

I wonder how long it will take for our country to begin exploring, developing, using alternative energy sources so that we don't have to use as much oil.

I care that we are in a precarious position being a one income family and that I may have to go back to work and dump my children in subsidized day care for 10 hours a day in order to pay our bills. And we're not talking iTunes fees, hair extensions and a new car- more like a 22% increase in natural gas and expensive groceries and $4.26 for a gallon of gas (and that's after prices dropped).

I care about my friend's son, diagnosed with cancer at age 6, who will not be eligible for medical insurance when he turns 18. Or the fact that, although she wanted to quit her job to spend time with her son and care for him during his treatment, she couldn't afford the $5,000 per month premium for carryover insurance until her husband's insurance kicked in.

I worry about my 3 sons and whether or not they will be shipped off to war in one of a dozen places that we are currently battling or will battle with in the near future. Are we fighting these wars for the right reasons? Are we spread too thin? Do we have a president who really understands and supports why we are there in the first place?

I wonder how long our children will be stuck in a mediocre education system, where we have to cross our fingers for our kids to win the lottery for the school of our choice, or we have to hope that the latest bond passes for our kid's school that will buy them a new roof to repair the one that leaks on their desk. Will our kids recieve the education they need to function in the career of their dreams? Will we be able to afford skyrocketing college costs to get them there?

These are the things that plague my mind as a mother and a wife and a citizen of the United States of America. I may not have a degree in political science or history or law. I may not keep up with all the latest news. But I do have a desire to tell the media "SHUT UP! WE'RE NOT THAT STUPID!" So I'm on a mission. It may be pointless, being only one individual. But my mission is this... To stop listening to the news when they circulate the same insignificant story for 72 straight hours. To trash (or recycle!) the newspapers and magazines that analyze to the nth degree the things that don't matter and yet ignore the important issues. To ignore websites and blogs and emails that talk about things like "faked pregnancies" and "anti-Christ in disguise." It's not that these things don't deserve some bit of thought. It's just that they don't deserve all the brain cells that are being wasted on them at the expense of the bigger, more relevant ideas. I'll be waiting to hear the candidates speak, in their own words (so long as you can call pre-written speeches by others "their own words") during upcoming interviews and debates before I make my final decision. So join me, people! Let's have a common sense revolution! :)

Dear Bristol...

Dear Bristol,

I don't know you personally, but I was a 17 year old once, too. I remember how hard it was to feel confident in my own skin. I always felt I was a little bit less than everyone else; I wasn't a straight A student, I wasn't particularly athletic, I wasn't super popular or the prettiest girl in school, I wasn't the most talented or voted the most likely to succeed. I thought my legs were too pale, my tummy too flabby, my nose too big, my essays not eloquent enough, my car- oh, wait. No car. I worried if this boy liked me or if that boy didn't, and if my zero on my last math assignment would get found out by my parents. If I could relive my teenage years all over again, well... I wouldn't. Ever.

And so I cannot imagine what must be going on in your beautiful head. The normal high school angst that helps us all grow into the adults we need to be has been replaced by what must be an agonizing sense of criticism and guilt regarding your own "failures" as well as your mother's "inability to control" you. Today I read a statement in a magazine that quoted, "It is possible that the entire GOP has just been toppled by a 17 year old." Such blind and ugly blame to place on such a young girl. You have cameras capturing your every expression, outfit, flash of emotion, awkward attempt to hold hands with your boyfriend and protect your growing belly. All for the benefit of millions of people to speculate on your mother's ability to parent and lead a nation. Or your own ability to turn a moment of weakness and poor judgement into a life that is carved from the context of your faith. Like wolves feeding on a moose calf carcass- everyone wants a bloody piece of the story.

I remember hearing about "spotlight syndrome" where someone becomes overly and unnecessarily self-conscious, thinking that everyone around them is focusing on their short comings. Well- you unfortunately and literally do have the spotlight on you right now. Is this your mother's fault? No. I believe John McCain and your mother honestly thought that Americans would be more concerned with our families having homes foreclosed on them or losing jobs, or our young men and women losing limbs and lives overseas, or the kid down the street who has cancer and whose parents are going to have to declare bankruptcy to pay his medical bills... I guess they were wrong. All Americans want is a quick fix, like a druggie- to feel they do life better than you, or your mother, or her party. That if they were in charge- perfection would reign. They are searching for the speck in your eye.

All this hits at a time when you should be embraced and nurtured by your loved ones and your community. It should be a time to get serious and make hard decisions about your relationship with your child and his/her father and what your adulthood will bring. Will you have an epidural or not and who will be your birth coach? You should have the time to sit and ponder whether you will breast feed and how to balance that with taking classes. Who will babysit and throw you a shower? Where will you and Levi live and how can you best support yourselves? Instead, you are left worrying about what millions think of you and your young love, what millions think of your mother and her parenting and whether or not you let her down and ruined her career- the first potential Republican woman vice president. You don't need the weight of the world on your shoulders- you need to be lifted up.

Let me shoot some straight talk with you... You're gonna have to square up your shoulders, stick your chin out, and be proud of who you are. You know all those self righteous, stuck up kids at school that sneer when you walk by? Or the ones who throw litter out their car windows and shoot up highway signs? Or the ones who turn everything into a joke, even when it's important? Or the ones who gossip about their friends behind their backs? Or the ones who use other people's mistakes as grounds to humiliate them? Well- they rarely change. They just become adults who continue to do the same thing. And what you get is a person who wants to use your pregnancy as a chance to tout their other political party with its better sex education stance (as if it's only possible for teens from conservative or religious families to get pregnant); You get people who claim to be open minded and educated on the issues, but stop talking about solving big problems in order to chat about the latest supposed conspiracy in a blog or tabloid and pass it along like wild fire; You get people who want to see the ugliest thing they can find in any situation.

I'm sorry you have to find this out so young and in such a big way. But I hope and pray that it makes you a stronger, more resilient mother who can stick up for your child... Like your own mom. I hope it helps you find your calling in life and to seek out those who love you. I hope it bolsters your faith and allows you to feel the true power of Christ's unfaltering love and forgiveness for you. I hope it helps you to develop a strong sense of confidence and peace with who you are. My own grandmother had my dad when she was only 16, and she led a wonderful life and was greatly loved and admired by her children and grandchildren.... I wish the same for you, and as a mom, I am so proud of your decision to nurture your baby.

He gives beauty for ashes, strength for fears, gladness in mourning, peace for despair... Adapted from Isaiah 61

Hang in there, kiddo.

Love, the other Sarah