the business of being born

recently justin and i discovered that if you subscribe to netflix, you also get the ability to watch certain movies online, for free, at anytime. there are loads of documentaries that seem like they would be worthwhile. this last weekend, i watched 'the business of being born' directed by *cringe* ricki lake.

film explains that the US has one of the lowest percentage of home births in the world (less than 1%). and one of the highest rates for c-sections (around 40%). they discuss that there is a connection between the two, that OBGYN's over-medicate and over-operate.

being the recipient of a c-section myself, and LOADS of medications, i wonder if things would have turned out differently had i not agreed so quickly with the doctor's recommendations... but there is that fear, the fear that makes a birthing woman agree to just about anything. and i did. i don't regret the decisions made, i just wonder.

anyway, it was really interesting, and eye-opening, just another one of those things in life where i am under-educated, and would be interested to see all sides and all studies.

and ricki lake was not as annoying as i had thought she would be. check it out, especially if you can get it free thru netflix.

eggsactly

i really, really, really love this egg-salad-sandwich recipe, which includes a little tutorial on the "right" way to boil an egg.  hope you like it, too.

can't keep it together

figures.

his & hers/get your laughs

we have a new system: his & hers web browsers.  i use safari & store all of my info there; jay uses firefox.

last night we started watching some videos on youtube.  this was our favorite.

redneck women 

$75

for whoever finds a buyer for our house!!!!

the baby is coming soon. i am getting huge. taking care of a 30 lb. 2 year old is hard work for one person day in and day out. much less a pregnant person. must sell house some how.

afternoon

we used to have so many people coming in & going out of our house that i sometimes felt like my head was going to spin off & lift into orbit above the atmosphere.  and now here i sit, slowly tapping my foot, checking out the window ever-so-often (if only i had some sweet tea to make this picture more cliche) for the hot rod mini-van to pull up.  this is epic for me: to have friends visit.  

here's my open invite: come one, come all!!!

eat.

what i've been eating lately:

• hard-boiled eggs/english muffin
  
• oatmeal
• turkey wraps
• cheese & crackers
• peanut butter & apple slices
• honey mustard pretzels
  

you?

hail, gladdening light

Happy Easter, Whocares!

I ran across this hymn - the oldest recorded Christian hymn - which is said to have been sung in the catacombs by the early Church. It's the Phos Hilaron (literally, Hilarious Light), translated into English below. As early as the 4th century, a candle was kept continuously burning in Christ's tomb as a symbol of the living light of Jesus. When Christians gathered to worship, it was brought forth from the tomb, the flame calling the Church to celebrate the Risen Lord.

Hail, Gladdening Light

Hail, gladdening Light, of His pure glory poured
Who is th'immortal Father, heavenly, blest,
Holiest of Holies--Jesus Christ our Lord!
Now we are come to the sun's hour of rest;
The lights of evening round us shine;
We hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine!
Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung
With undefiled tongue,
Son of our God, giver of life, alone:
Therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, thy own. Amen.

Annual Whocares Weekend

This morning at breakfast (thank you again Cheryl and it was lovely to see those of you who were able to make it over) we discussed every so briefly our weekend away in August. Should we camp or should we B&B in the unpredictable midwest summer weather? Here are a few things that we came up with. *I give full credit in advance to Darci for her ideas and research - thanks!

Option A: Mark, Bob & Coralville (Iowa City as usual)


In this option, we would all stay in Iowa City at the Brown Street Inn (www.brownstreetinn.com) as usual. Two days, breakfast made for us each morning, Iowa City at our disposal to run around AND the option to go to Coralville Reservoir for Saturday festivities which may include laying on the beach, having a picnic, kayaking if possible etc. Sort of campy in a B&B, air-conditioned sort of way. Approx. 4 hours travel for those in Illinois and those in Omaha, roughly $65-$85 per person for 2 nights at the inn, and Bob's cooking.



Option B (1&2): A change of pace in Pepin, WI

This option is in Pepin, Wisconsin. A 6 hour drive for all parties, but these options are a full house rental on a lake. Downtown Pepin amenities can be found at (http://www.harborviewpepin.com/) with what appears to be fun shopping, lots of food options and a large lake in the area to hike around, kayak in etc. The first rental house you can all check out at (http://www.mariportpepin.com/). It is beautiful and spacious, swimming pool and deck that looks out over the lake, total privacy. My initial estimate of expense would be roughly $100 per person for 2 nights, but would also mean cooking for ourselves while we are there, so an additional grocery or eating out expense added on. The second rental house is hilarious and possibly right up our alley. You can check it out at (http://www.that-70s-place.com/vacation-home-rental.htm). All 70's decor, right on the water front, within walking distance to shops and entertainment etc. This little treat would be around $80 per person for 2 nights and once again, we would cook for ourselves or go out to eat. Longer drive, but change of pace and all under one roof of our own for the weekend, plus a waterfront view in either rental home.

OK Friends! Let me know!!! Right now I am picking with weekend of August 9th & 10th out of my hat. I would imagine I would need people to tell me by the first week of May if they are "in" or "out" to make our reservations. Love you guys!!!

help is coming

my friend richie sent me a mix cd last week that included "one day late," by sam phillips. check it out. i guess some could read it pessimistically, but i don't. i think it's pretty great. and good for spring. got it on repeat this morning as i review "ali's cosmic to-do list" and try to decide where to start.

spring sale!

there's a sale going on over at threadless.  $9 for a shirt!  sweet.  i got this bike one for christmas...you should get it, too.  we could wear them to daphne's wedding.

take heed, take heed of the western wind

last summer annabelle & i saw emmylou harris play a show at the st. louis arch. it was unforgettable.
she wanted to write e. harris a letter ever since that hot august concert...and when carin came to visit us in november (!) she helped AB write a letter, color a picture, & drop a stick of gum in an envelope. we mailed it.

today we received an autographed photograph in the mail from the singer & i have never seen annabelle as excited (ha, or me!).

God's iPod?

so i was looking just now for a podcast of a one year bible. thought it would be nice to listen during breakfast or something. there is some weird stuff out there, including acted readings of the bible and a bible reading podcast called "God's iPod." i always wondered what God's mp3 player preference was. i'm glad to know now. anyway, the real reason for this post is to ask whether any of you subscribe to anything like this and if you do, would you recommend one? i'm having trouble figuring out which version people are reading, too. all so confusing.

introducing julie!

i wanted to introduce you guys to our newest member, julie. she also happens to be one of my greatest friends! julie and her husband, matt, served with word made flesh in nepal for two years before returning to the US so matt could go to law school.

matt is in his second year of law school at creighton. the fam just moved to omaha last august ...matt transferred from cooley law in michigan after the first year. i am so happy their family now lives in omaha! it's been a dream of mine for years. :)

they have an adorable two-year-old named finley. he's pretty darn smart and so cute you want to pinch him.

julie is an amazing artist, seamstress and home decorator. she has an art degree from asbury college. julie stays home (midtown!) with finley and works in her studio stocking her etsy shop, chuli buli.

welcome to who cares juls, i hope you like it here!!

Caron was right. This is one of the best books that I have read.
This does not mean I have changed my mind about Bob Dylan.

"" A child may ask, "What is the world's story about?"
And a grown man or woman may wonder, "What way
will the world go? How does it end and, while we're at
it, what's the story about?"
I believe that there is one story in the world, and only
one, that has frightened and inspired us, so that we live
in a Pearl White serial of continuing thought and won-
der. Humans are caught - in their lives, in their
thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their ava-
rice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity
too-in a net of good and evil. I think this is the only
story we have and that is occurs on all levels of feeling
and intelligence. Virtue and vice were warp and woof of
our first consciousness, and they will be the fabric of
our last, and this despite any changes we may impose
on field and river and mountain, on economy and man-
ners. There is no other story. A man, after he has
brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left
only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it
evil? Have I done well - or ill?""
John Steinbeck - East of Eden

visit Pulp!

Has anyone been to Pulp in benson? they have great cards, stationery, creative books and items of beauty. They also have a great little gallery space. its right up the who cares alley.

The owner is a cool, beautiful woman named brigitte. caleb and i met her last week. we really hope this store takes off. let's help make it happen!

she mostly stocks handmade, recycled paper items. she even has work for sale from one of caron's favorite etsy artists (and mine), swallowfield.

SXSW

if we were in austin, if we had babysitters, if we drank enough coffee...this is where we could be tonight.

South By Southwest Music festival

No pressure, no pressure.

Just wanted to post a little reminder that WhoCaresCooks still exists and is hungry for your recipes. (sorry) I just made some paneer from Daphne's recipe. And, wow!!!, it worked.

fascinating or freaky?

So yesterday we loaded up the kids & went on a Sunday drive to parts of Omaha we've never explored before....we ended up going thru Florence, up north to Canyon Road, Hummel Park, & Boyer Chute. I was super curious about Hummel Park (heard ghostly and crime-filled stories), but we drove several yards in, remembered the stories, got freaked out & left. Which is really too bad, because it could be such a pretty park, especially when things turn green again.

Anybody been there? Avoid it like the plague? Dared to poke around the park? My curiosity is getting the better of me today. Michael & I found ourselves wishing that there was something that could be done to improve that park & make it fun for people to visit and enjoy again. Any ideas?

baby legs

i'm not brave enough to wear legwarmers myself (yet), but they're great for ben. his legs are really long, and we had two problems with his clothes: 1.) there's always a big gap between the cuffs of his pants and his socks where his legs get cold, or 2.) he's often pushing the limits of his pjs with footies. i saw my friend katherine's baby, max, wearing legwarmers, and decided to try them. there are lots of places to get them, but here's one link: babylegs. you can pop them on with just a onesie, or use them to bridge the gap between his pants and socks. i love em.

a hearty welcome

to our new member, "b".  mysterious "b".  

Freebie

We've replaced some curtains. Would anyone like 4 tab-top red curtain panels in great condition?

Item of the day that I take for granted: dishwasher

For some reason my dishes have been coming out of my dish washer SO dirty that we've deemed it not even worth using. (We've cleaned it, run with vinegar, etc.) So, today I'm up to my neck in dishes and have spent the time I was hoping to do other things with my hands in soapy water. Anyway, thank God for dishwashers and being able to be a homemaker in the era of washing machines, frozen pizza dough, and all the other beautiful things that allows women & men who stay home to run the household also able to pursue other interests.

7 year stretch

the great thing about not getting your teeth cleaned for 7 years...is that you really notice how much of a difference that scratchy metal pick can make. i went to this clinic yesterday & thought for sure i'd have a million cavities, but i only have one (the same one i had 7 years ago & never got it filled).

you know those little pink tablets they give you [when you're a kid] that help you see where you're missing when you brush your teeth? well, this clinic gives a little mouthwash like that & it stained the corners of my mouth bright pink...and i can't get it off. i've never exfoliated my mouth before, but i'm about there.

into the wild

it's hard to write about the loss of youthful energy, optimism, idealism, & black/white-ism (there's gotta be a word for that?) without feeling overcome.

we started watching "into the wild" last night. you know those films/movies/books/people that remind of a passion you once had, or of the youthful energy that has gone from you, or of the reality that all of your dreams will not come true...or have not come true...? i read "into the wild" at least 6 or 7 times when i was in college. i could identify with the alexander supertramp--felt forced into college studies, longed for adventure & peace within, and wanted nothing to do with riches or anything associated with it. the appearances that people kept up were making me more resolute that i would get away from it all & would make a simple, peaceful, observant life.

after watching half of the film, i woke up this morning feeling a bit unarmed for daily life...not ready for the present requests of small children.

cursed!

our coffee maker died on saturday.  today, when i was doing dishes, i dropped the press pot in the kitchen sink, shattering the glass carafe.  aah.  i am smooth.

kate saved the day.  she came by, we worked out together, had pizza, & talked about stuff light-heartedly.  man, a friend can save the day.  

and now...i'm sitting here with a DVD i've been waiting to watch for months--"into the wild". and do i think it's a coincidence that kate & i saw a yellow datsun in the parking lot near the pizza joint?  i think not!

could there be anything more annoying?

i just caught a minute or two of "news".  i heard rosie o'donnell & fran drescher are working on a show together.  could there be a collaboration of more annoying celebrity personalities?  

My carpet looks fine now.

This weekend I found myself googling "cleaning poop off carpet".

playlists

we have two mix CDs for our kids, called "adult music for kids".  they're my sanity CDs.  the kids like the songs & know them...and so do i!!  here's the most recent playlist:

• gone, gone, gone - robert plant & alison krauss
• new slang - the shins
• hotel yorba - the white stripes
• sweet escape - gwen stefani
• american music - violent femmes
• maps -  yeah, yeah, yeahs
• move along - all american rejects
• rebellion (lies) - the arcade fire
• all i want is you - barry louis polisar (juno soundtrack)
• hey jude -  the beatles
• what i like about you - the clash
• there's a higher power - buddy miller
• shot through the heart - bon jovi
• i need all the friends i can get - camera obscura
• should i stay or should i go now - the clash
• wind it up - gwen stefani
• need a love - dakoda motor company
• ocean avenue - yellowcard