Pictures

I finally found the cord that hooks up our camera to the computer after losing it... again. Anyway, here are some photos of Lucy from the last few months.

Trying out her new coat on our trip to DC.

While Alan prefers the iron, Lucy likes to get out

those stubborn wrinkles with a hand mixer.

Getting ready to go trick-or-treating.

At the Wilmore Halloween fair.

Look at those candy-crazed eyes!
This is after a good hour or so of Lucy dragging us around the street fair.
She insisted on carrying her own bucket of goodies.

Wearing her ballet slippers and leotard from Auntie Alex, among other things.

Visit to Michigan

We were fortunate enough to be able take a trip to Michigan this past week to see my sister. An 8 hour car ride, once a seemingly impossible task, is now taken in stride. Alan and I consider long stints in the car to talk things over very therapeutic.

It was nice to see Alex and Stephen, of course, and good to be in a different place if only for a few days. In Grand Rapids you can drive for 15 minutes and still be in GR; if you drive that long in Wilmore you end up in the next county! We took advantage of the big city experience by eating hippie food and taking in the local culture (i.e. Alex let us watch a rehearsal of her upcoming show). She'll dance the Arabian solo in this year's nutcracker, a part I always thought she'd be good at and she is.

When you enjoy the company of your syblings you don't need to do much to have a good time. We just ate a lot, watched TV, helped Alex and Stephen around town. Stephen kindly showed us his studio at Calvin so we could see his latest painting series. Lucy had a good time with both of them, bossing Auntie and "See-wee" around whenever they let her.

It is a meloncholy time of year, in my opinion, so it was nice to get away and spend time with my sister. I'm looking forward to advent, am nervous about Alan getting into a good program, and can't decide if it is more important to use my free time to sort out the clutter in my house or in my sorry little head! Such is the coming of winter.

"A Stroke of Good Fortune"

The sad state of things never seems to end these days. I have frequently come across the "childfree" movement online. Like landmines, these blogs lie in wait-- I'm searching for some commonplace topic on Google and wham! a "child free by choice" blog. Well good for you lady, is all I think and then usually move on.

Today I was in a curious mood and perused one of these sites. Oh dear. It seems many ever-childless people who make a conscious effort not to have kids call people with children "breeders." Once again I am reduced to the status of livestock! One page had a whole list of "good reasons" why people choose not to have kids, most of them being ecological. Another posted a list of retorts for people who ask nosy questions about why one doesn't have kids.

Now I have to confess, I left harassing messages on most of the blogs I found (shame on me). I know, dear readers, many of you are thinking "But Sarah, that is their choice." Sure, I find their choice rather selfish but according to the list the proper response to that is that I'm being selfish for unleashing more resource consumers on the world.

But people, they are clamoring for rights! How come every kind of personal choice requires activism? Rights for the intentionally childless? Oh please! There are lots of supposed rights I'd like because I chose to live in Kentucky, send my husband through school, or work as a writer. I can see it now: the Defense League for those Who Ghost Write, Live in Rural America, and Help Educate a Spouse. Kinda catchy.

I know these folks are confident their 401ks alone will take care of them when they are old; however when inflation has ruined them financially I hope my kids are around to forgive their nastiness, help them by paying taxes, and perhaps give them just a little kick in the shins when no one is looking.

(Read "A Stroke of Good Fortune" for Flannery O'Connor's perspective on people who are terrified of children.)

S.P.M. hearts S.D.

"Give her some funked up music, she treats you nice
Feed her some hungry reggae, she'll love you twice
The girls don't seem to care tonight
As long as the mood is right
No static at all
FM, no static at all." -Steely Dan

When I was a child there was a Steely Dan CD rattling around in my parents collection. While systematically checking out all of their music I came across it and was taken by the song "Deacon Blues." It is about a free wheeling saxophonist and his live fast, die young philosophy. Why I thought this was so great as a third grader, I don't remember.

Steely Dan haunted me from then on. It didn't take many conversations about the duo before I learned being their fan wasn't something you talked about-- the criticisms seemed harsh and unnecessary. Was a smooth sound so bad? Was bringing rock and jazz into a harmonious pop sound so evil?

After realizing I didn't want to be one of "those people"-- the kind that control their old-school musical tastes to what is totally ironic at the time (aka the indie sheep)-- I relaxed and enjoyed.

So a few days ago I heard them live for the first time. It is risky paying money to see a band known for their studio recording perfection, but it was well worth it. My sister graciously accompanied me and didn't look too embarrassed when I was dancing in my seat. The guitar solos, the brass, the cheeky back up singers all brought my favorites to life. And to see a theater full of other fans, many of them young women like myself, confirmed I was not alone in my appreciation for the static-free styling of Steely Dan.

Being a Good Citizen... blah blah blah

In college I claimed to be apolitical. In truth I was too distracted by other things to care much. Bush made me nauseous, starting the war in Iraq seemed pointless, the House and Senate looked like a two ring circus.

Not much has changed. Now Obama makes me nauseous, escalating the war in Afghanistan seems pointless, and the House and Senate.... well that really hasn't changed. But I've decided to have a go at being involved, thinking it may be part of my responsibility as a citizen after all.

The proposed national health care plan, what a topic these days. Some say its about time, others say it'll be our ruin. The Catholic Church said, whatever it is it can't include abortion coverage. I agree. It is bad enough my tax dollars have to go to killing people overseas and sacrificing our military-- I'd really rather that it not go to fund more killing at home. As I've said before, the abortion industry in America has such implicit racist and classist overtones that I don't know how any person with a heart could support it with more federal money, even if many do believe an unborn child is not a person with rights.

So I called my congressman about the recently passed Stupak-Pitts Amendment, rallied some friends and family to do the same, and was pleased when it passed the House. Planned Parenthood saying the USCB "hijacked" the health care bill is just silly. And really, the bishops are great but give the Catholic people their due credit. They didn't have to tell me to call, I did it on my own. I just think it is funny that when Catholics help vote in PP's preferred candidate for president they are called open-minded, and now that those same people are speaking their minds about abortion they are compared to terrorists. Not the "fair mindedness" Obama called us all to, is it?

"Picket lines, sister
And picket signs, sister
Don't punish me with brutality
Come on talk to me, sister
So you can see
What's going on."
-Marvin Gaye

Baby #2

Today my midwife came over for my first appointment. The baby's heart rate sounds great (a happy little swoosh swoosh) and I seem to be in good shape. Having a home visit is so nice, a very personal alternative to the clinic I went to last time. She gave me the green light to start running again, and the midwife was hardly out the door before I had on my shoes and was out for a jog.

I am just out of my first trimester so it will be another 6 months of leg cramps, stomach troubles, and the like. But as long as we are healthy and the birth goes well I have nothing to complain about.