What Is Going On With This Blog?

Good question!  My anonymity has been compromised so I’ve had to remove the majority of my posts. Whether this blog will continue at all, or whether I will have to trash three years of blogging and begin again under another pen name, I haven’t decided yet.  This is all too fresh and I am very very very distressed about this.  Any suggestions?

Why You Will NEVER See Me (Or My Children) at the Circus

New startling photographs prove what has been known for a long time, that Ringling Brothers tortures elephants.  It is not ok to torture animals for our amusement!  My children have never been to the circus, and will never go as long as animals are abused in this way.  Don’t shut a blind eye to this. Please look at these pictures taken by a former animal trainer for Ringling Brothers.

Seriously?

Really? Eat fried chicken and cure cancer?

This is Susan B. Komen Campaign’s latest idea. I’ve had it with the “buy this and cure cancer” crap.  Maybe I would feel differently if I had cancer, but I’d much rather give the 50 cents to fight cancer than buy this.  I think I really lost my faith in this pink campaign when I saw a pink vacuum cleaner for sale.  “Clean for the Cure,” oy!  Isn’t this all just not-for-profit run amok?

She’s Disgusting, I’m Disgusted

“She’s disgusting,” said my girlfriend, as she talked about her ex-boyfriend’s wife.  “Don’t you think she’s disgusting?” she asked.  “Ummm . . . ” was all I could say.   I was at a loss.  I understand my friend’s feelings of jealousy over the ex who chose someone else (ten years ago and my friend is happily married to another).  I’m not a saint and I do engage in gossip now and then, but I’ve been trying really hard to stop doing that.  My biggest challenge comes when, as in this case, I’m playing catch-up with a girlfriend who lives out of town and with whom I haven’t talked to for a year.   She was calling someone disgusting and I wanted to support her because girlfriends should support one another, right?  But  I knew this alleged “disgusting” person.  I had nothing against her and, in fact, I didn’t know one thing disgusting about her.  But what harm would there be in validating my girlfriend’s insecurities by agreeing with her?

It’s all that negative energy out there.  I don’t want to be a part of it.  I have so much negative energy floating around me because my husband’s family has ousted us that I just can’t go there at all.   The upshot of it all was that I didn’t agree with her and clearly, she was disappointed in me.  I was particularly unyielding to her persuasion in this case.  There was something in particular about that phrase, “she’s disgusting” that got under my skin.  While I was in the shower just a few days later, it hit me — Donald Trump.

I’ve been watching Celebrity Apprentice and during a recent episode, Cyndi Lauper brought up the name of Rosie O’Donnell.  Trump and O’Donnell had a well-publicized tiff a while ago.  On Apprentice, Trump’s reaction to the mere mention of her name elicited this harsh response:  “She’s disgusting.” Trump said this to Lauper, even after knowing she was  O’Donnell’s dear friend.  My response?  Money and power does not guarantee class.  Indeed, Trump has no class.  On national television, he tells O’Donnell’s friend that O’Donnell is disgusting.  What happened to, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”?  I’m constantly telling that to my children.  Shouldn’t we, as adults be practicing it ourselves?  When someone acts out on national television, I always assume that their bad behavior must be ten times worse in private.  After all, they know they are on camera.  I’d hate to see how Trump behaves when the cameras are off!  I was so disgusted by Trump’s performance (note:  I am not calling Trump disgusting, I am calling his actions disgusting, there is a BIG difference here), that when I heard the same words coming out of a friend’s mouth it felt very, very wrong.

What should we do when  a friend is behaving badly in this way?  Should we call her out on it? Stay silent? Go along for the sake of getting along?  I still remember something that happened to me fifteen years ago when I was in my twenties.  My roommate was driving me crazy and I had just found our her checks were bouncing to our landlord.  As I was venting my frustration by bad-mouthing my roommate to my girlfriends, one of them put me in my place.  She called me out on my poor behavior.  She said, “[your roommate] is also my friend and you shouldn’t be telling us all of this.”  Immediately, I knew she was right.  Even though everything I was saying was true, I had no business talking about another person that way.  It was disrespectful and beneath me.  I’m not going to say that I have been a perfect person since then, but I learned a valuable lesson that day and it was one I hope to never forget, especially if I’m ever on television.

Book Reviews: Annabel Karmel’s Top 100 Baby Purees and Top 100 Finger Foods

Participants at Chicago Moms Blog and our sister sites were fortunate to receive free copies of two of  Annabel Karmel’s books, Top 100 Baby Purees and Top 100 Finger Foods which, I believe, were originally published several years ago in the U.K..  These books contain beautiful photographs and the recipes are user-friendly because they clearly set out the ingredients and the time it will take to make the recipe.   The baby puree book, in particular, describes appropriate ages for particular foods, but I would suggest consulting your pediatrician on these matters.

In regard to the baby puree book, unfortunately. and maybe this is my own “thing,” but I simply can’t endorse any baby puree book that doesn’t stress the importance of using organic ingredients.  I scoured the book and could not find any mention of “organic” in any of the recipes.  Her “quick and easy meals for a healthy and happy baby,” will not, in my opinion, result in a healthy baby without explaining to mothers why using organic ingredients is so important.  Karmel discusses “nutritional needs,” allergies, and lactose intolerance in children quite a bit, why not discuss organic ingredients as well?  Furthermore, her recipes incorporate many purees with beef and chicken [we don't eat this at all in our family], with no mention of the dangers of bovine growth hormone or the unhealthy amount of antibiotics found in non-organic beef and chicken.  I don’t think this is a problem in the U.K. as they don’t use bovine growth hormones there but since she has decided to bring her book here to the U.S. this issue, in my opinion, must be addressed  for new mothers.

I was ready for some new ideas for my children, so I was excited to receive the Top 100 Finger Foods book. There is not a lot in there for vegetarians like our family.  I did make one recipe that was almost a success.  I tried the Baked Parsnip and Sweet Potato Chips recipe.  Baking took a long time and although the edges got brown, those were the only crunchy parts.  This was the first time my husband ate parsnips so I will be making it again.  My children preferred the baked sweet potato I prepared in case it was a flop.

Overall, I was disappointed by the lack of creativity in some of the dishes.  I was hoping to add some new items to our tired repertoire.  However, some of the dishes featured were commonplace recipes for pancakes, french toast, pizza, and quiche.  I was surprised she included nachos as one of her “healthy” finger foods.  The recipe was not a revamped nutritious version.  Karmel uses real store-bought tortilla chips.  Indeed, the recipe is similar to the very same nachos we are desperately trying to get off the cafeteria menus of our public schools.   At one point, even she concedes that she can’t think of anything else to make the number of recipes add up to the 100 the title promises “for a healthy, happy child,” stating, “I have included recipes for brownies and mini jam tarts [not even whole wheat by the way!].  After all, you are only a child once.”   Her jam tart recipe has two “ingredients” which are jam and store-bought pie crust.

I’m sorry to say that I’ve been disappointed by these two books.  I expected something comparable to Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron.  No matter how many books Karmel has published and no matter how many beautiful photographs she includes, Yaron will, and still remains, my “go to girl” for all things food, babies and toddlers.

No Parents Allowed for Pre-School Party

Read what I wrote here at Chicago Moms Blog about a party to which Charlie was invited, but was effectively uninvited when we found out no mommies and daddies were allowed.  I thought I was the only one uncomfortable with  the whole idea, but apparently I wasn’t the only paranoid one!

Mercury News on Chicago Moms Blog

Thanks to Mike Cassidy for such a wonderful article about my other blogger home, Chicago Moms Blog’s umbrella group, Silicon Valley Moms.  You can read the article here.

How Do I Treasure My Children?

Read my latest post on Chicago Moms Blog here on the importance of living in the moment with your children.  We all know we should do it, but how?

Secretary of Agriculture Vilsak Not Serious Enough about Child Nutrition Reform

I just got off the phone on a conference call with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsak and my “sisters” at the Silicon Valley Moms Group where I blog for Chicago Moms Blog.  He claimed to be seriously concerned about childhood obesity, confiding that he was overweight as a child.  However,  when he was asked whether high fructose corn syrup (“HFCS”) will be eliminated as an acceptable ingredient in child school lunches under the soon to be revised Child Nutrition Act, he said, “I honestly don’t know if we would be as prescriptive as eliminating this . . .” and suggested that there would be a “push back” from Congress or a “push back politically.”    I had the opportunity to ask him why government surplus food with high fructose corn syrup and dairy with artificial hormones and antibiotics are being “dumped” on our schools.  I also asked him why it is more expensive to buy an organic apple than a cheeseburger at a fast food restaurant.  His response showed me that he is not really serious about reducing the obesity rates and that it is more important to support and subsidize powerful corporate groups like the Corn Refiners Association, the American Corn Grower’s Association, the National Corn Grower’s Association and the like.     He said that we will always be growing corn in our country and “we won’t stop providing resources to those who grow corn”.  He said nothing about the dairy industry (perhaps my question was too long anyway).  I wish I had a chance to follow up on his praise of corn and corn farmers.  I would have suggested that we turn to a much better, much more nutritious and hardier crop – hemp.  Yes, hemp oil contains wonderful omega 3s to feed our brain, while corn is a grain to bulk up in our tummies and feed to cattle which should be fed grass anyway.  Growing hemp (which is illegal in our country)  can also  help with our deforestation of the globe as it is a hardy fast growing  plant (no need for pesticides!) to use for making paper products and many many other useful things.  Indeed, the Declaration of Independence is written on hemp. Vilsak had some promising things to say about the USDA’s plans to help to improve school lunches, but it all comes down to business as usual in politics.  Those who have the money (corn lobbies) will always win over those who don’t (children receiving free lunches).  Who will pay the cost?  All of us.  If any of these politicians will just look to the bigger picture here.  What cost should we bear?  The cost of losing the money from the corn growers or the cost of losing human lives to obesity and diabetes?  There is no middle ground here.  We need a Secretary of Agriculture who is committed to the people of the United States of America not to the corporations of America.  Mr. Secretary, I implore you, stop the U.S. tradition of catering to our corn industry.  Give our children healthier food and give our farmers a better crop to grow!

Me, Naked? (and a Book Review of Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky)

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky by Chris Greenhalgh is the latest book experience shared by those of us who blog at Chicago Moms Blog and its sister sites (disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy). In the novel, Chanel first seduces Stravinsky by appearing in his music studio completely naked. At this time in her life, she is in her thirties. This encounter made me stop and think, what would be the best way for me to seduce someone? Would I choose to stand before my potential lover naked in broad daylight like Chanel? No. I don’t even feel comfortable completely naked in the privacy of my own bathroom mirror! I’m actually kind of sad about that. I don’t expect my body to be perfect. I’ve had two children, I’m at least ten pounds overweight, and I’m now forty. Can’t I simply embrace my own nakedness as beautiful? Why can’t I imagine that someone else might think I’m beautiful too? I wish I could.

Now I’m curious whether many women would do what author Greenhalgh has Chanel do? The author is male, after all. I’m wondering whether a female author would have written about Coco and Igor’s first sexual encounter this way. Perhaps, but I think it is more realistic that a woman in her thirties in those days (’cause now 30 is the new 25 right?) would be wearing some of her best French lingerie. After all, isn’t that what sexy lingerie is for? I mean, don’t we need a bit of lifting in a couple of places and a bit of camouflage in others? For the women who can completely embrace their own nakedness, I applaud and envy you.

As for the rest of the novel, I truly enjoyed learning about Chanel’s business sense and biographical information. In fact, my favorite part was the chronology of events at the back of the book. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into the romance, which was 95% of the book. I believe that one of the problems is that Chanel is seducing another woman’s husband while his wife is convalescing in Chanel’s own home. This was so distasteful, that I had trouble getting past it. Furthermore, so much of the novel seemed to be straight out of a cheesy paperback romance, though I have never read one of those:

They undress rapidly and form a rocking knot that has them both grunting furiously with all the relief of a passion no longer strangled but given voice at last. The whole wood seems to catch the vibration. Birds answer from the topmost branches. A distant dog barks (p. 148).

Um . . . I just rolled my eyes at passages like this one. I’m not a prude, really. I just disliked these characters so much that I could not find myself taking any pleasure in theirs. My mom and dad have seen the movie and enjoyed it very much. As for me, I think I would have been better off with something non-fiction on Coco Channel.