Happy Birthday to Me!

Growing old is inevitable.

Growing up is optional.

Tales from the Cafe

The times they are a changin' and we're doing our best to keep up.

So it's out with the old...

...and in with the new.

I do believe cubecraft Obama is pleased with Sunnyside Up's new, environmentally friendly, awesomely beautiful, marmoleum flooring.

In only SIX easy steps!

Want help explaining unschooling to your friends or family? Qacei wrote this little book back when she was 9 (and her name was still spelled Casey.) She uses the word homeschooling, but it's an unschooling primer for sure.

How to be a Homeschooler in Six Easy Steps
Step 1: Get one of your parents to quit his or her job to stay home.
Step 2: Ask your Mom or Dad if he or she can try teaching you at home for a day.

Step 3: If your Mom or Dad liked teaching you at home ask if he or she can do it again, but this time only do the subjects you like.
Step 4: Ask to do it again. But this time ask to do it with no subjects at all.
Step 5: Now find some homeschooler friends and have fun playing with them.
Step 6: Great! Now you're a homeschooler. Go have fun playing with your friends. Do whatever you want to.

The End

Sandra Dodd has had the text of Qacei's book on her site for years (Thanks Sandra!), but I FINALLY got it scanned in and wanted to put the whole book up here-- adorable pictures, cute 9 year old's handwriting and amazing unschooler wisdom.

Please note that this nine year old who ends her book "Do what ever you want to" chose to spend her time writing a book. She used the dictionary to look up some spellings (a new idea for her at the time) and even had illustrations. In an unschooling family, "Do whatever you want to" is when the learning happens.

Saturday Night Five

5 Lesser Known Paths to Salvation

1. Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping

Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir want us all to Put The Odd Back In God! Their 'way' involves stepping back from consumerism and towards each other. Just say no to a world centered around big boxes and yes to preservation of vibrant communities and local economies.

2. The Church of the Quivering Otter

So perfect and yet so hard to describe adequately. It must be experienced first hand. The Diet Coke of Fate told them we would come to them. "Spread the smiles, for the time of the Otter way is come."

3. The Church of the Sub-Genius

The Word of "Bob": J.R. "Bob" Dobbs

"Bob" is.
"Bob" becomes.
"Bob" is not.
Nothing is; Nothing becomes;
Nothing is not.

Thus: Nothing Is Everything.
Therefore: Everything is "Bob."
Abracadabra.

4. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

My own family's favorite deity. Yes, we have been touched by his noodly appendage.

5. The Church of Google

Is Google God? Googlists will make a compelling argument that Google is the closest thing to a God that humans can know and understand. They worship Google, and can prove that not only does Google exist, but unlike any other god, it exists as we know it.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Oh, I am so happy with our new cafe floor! (Pictures soon, I promise.)

2. I am working for changes, big and little.

3. During the concert that was held the night before the inauguration, I couldn't help but wonder why Jon Stewart wasn't one of the presenters.

4. Jon's long forgotten ex-girlfriend called him last week; are you kidding me??? Seriously bizarre woman.

5. Right now I'd like to be done with the workout that I'm about to go do.

6. The DVR, which recorded the season premiere of Lost this week, is my favorite gadget.


7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to doing a whole lot of nothing, tomorrow my plans include getting new carpet for the community table area at the cafe and Sunday, I want to do more nothing!

This one is just too easy

Mr. Potter, A Wonderful Life

Mr. Cheney, A Horrible Eight Years

A Report from the Inauguration

My friend Janice and her son Ethan had the good fortune to be able to attend yesterday's historic event. It was an amazing thing to watch on TV, I can only imagine what it must have felt like to actually be there, in the moment. She sent me this detailed description of her day and I'm reprinting it here. I hope that all of the experiences of all of the people who were there are being shared and will be remembered.

From Janice:

So glad we went.

Yesterday Ethan and I were a part of history. Make sure when you take on a big adventure; that you travel with an amazing person. I could not have chosen a better companion. Patient when it is hard and warm and loving when it is good.

Our adventure began as we drove out on Monday afternoon headed for our friends who live in Maryland. Naturally, we headed right into the snow storm. Our friends were also headed home and phoned us from the road. They were caught behind a 15 car pile up on I 78 and they suggested that we take the back roads.

They ended up sitting still for three hours before they and hundreds of other people turned around and drove backwards on the highway to get to the nearest available exit.

We took back roads to Gettysburg. Snow, ice and FOG. Ethan controlled the musical selections. We made it safely. We bedded down at our friends house at midnight. I think I fell asleep before the alarm went off at 2:30 am……

So we drove to the Shady Grove Metro. The parking lot opened at 3:00 am. The station was scheduled to open at 4:00. At3:30, there were already more than 50 people lined up to get in.

We got our tickets and got on the train. It was not jammed. By the time we got into downtown, the train was packed. We got out, the platform was JAMMED. Everyone was so patient. Not once in the day did I hear ANYONE get nasty or impatient or rude.

We walked with many others towards the Capitol. AT 5:00 am; it was pitch dark except for the Capitol building lit up and shining. It was gorgeous. We got over to where people with silver tickets were supposed to go in and there was already a line half a mile long.

We waited shoulder to shoulder with hundreds, maybe thousands of people until the gates opened at 8:00. The good thing about being so crowded was it kept you warm! Warmer anyway. Within 5 feet of me, there were people from: California, Michigan, Tennessee, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Detroit. The security checkpoints actually went pretty quickly.

We got to our spot and both lay down for awhile, Yes the ground was cold, but our backs needed the relief. We were dressed very well, with toe warmers in our shoes and hand warmers in our gloves.

We could see the Capitol clearly from our position, but not individuals. We were standing near the first Jumbotron. So that was OK. Standing around us were people from Kansas, California, and DC. There was a gentleman who works on Capital Hill. He is an aide to a Congressperson (I forgot who , my bad) He had given his wife and 6 year old son his two tickets to the seated section and so was standing back with us. There was also a man who was a field organizer for the campaign. HE had given his two tickets for the seated section to two elderly volunteers who had worked for him.

Both these people knew Barack Obama from working with him. The Aide had been a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and had represented his boss on that committee for one year. They said, what you see is what you get. Obama is not a showboater. In meetings, he does not hog the limelight. He sits and takes notes. He lets others have their say and asks pointed and pertinent questions.

During the ceremony, people were focused and reacted to a number of different things. There was such diversity. Some people on the mall were upset with Rick Warren,, not a lot. But they were respectful. There were things that were especially meaningful to the African American in the audience. Statements made about the environment were cheered loudly. Statements about the rule of law were cheered loudly. When THE PRESIDENT spoke about “putting away childish things” People were very excited. There was a strong sense that everyone there knew we have a lot to do and that they were ready to work to solve problems as a nation.

I was probably one of the most emotional people around (not a big surprise to you all) The crowd was not as emotional as I had anticipated. There was lots of cheering, but not super demonstrative, as it was on Election night. It was mellow from my perspective. I guess people were more solemn, grateful and ready for what comes next. People just felt like they needed to be there to mark the moment.

Getting out was a nightmare. I think the security measures stayed in place to control access to the parade, so it was incredibly slow getting off the mall. Again, people were so patient, polite and good to one another. Then we all slowly walked towards the METRO.

We got there and it was closed. Evidently it got so crowded that is was dangerous and they had to close. It was actually amazing. There were THOUSANDS of people wandering aimlessly and not a cop in sight for blocks in every direction. No one had accurate information about what to do and where to go. No one, nothing. And the crowds were amazing. We were frustrated, but NO ONE got mad, there was no yelling, people were just so calm and patient. Finally I got 5 or 6 blocks away and saw a cop near the highway. (which was open only for pedestrians. He told people to walk through the tunnel to Union Station. For those who don’t know, that is like Penn Station. HUGE. I thought fine. At least we can get out of the cold and sit until the crowds thin out. We go there….and they had just closed it down! This is when I started to get frustrated. As I said, travel with a wonderful person. Ethan was amazing.

Finally a couple of cops got people organized and got things moving into the METRO station. We got down to the platform, there was a train waiting, we got in and got seats! As soon as we sat down, we smiled at each other and said, “well, that wasn’t so bad after all!”

Long ride home last night, but no snow storm.

Ethan and I are so glad we were there. It was certainly not for the faint of heart, but it was great seeing so many people be so wonderful to one another and celebrating and hopeful for better days for our country. I know there are people in that crowd who would disagree vehemently with one another about so many things; religion, finances, homosexuality, drugs, literature, music, childrearing, education, environmental policy, capitalism, socialism.

But yesterday, they stood in the cold and treated one another with the utmost courtesy. To be a part of so many people who were from so many backgrounds stand together was a terrific thing.

Oh yeah, when the helicopter flew overhead to take Bush to Andrews Airforce Base. The crowd spontaneously began to sing, “Nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, Hey hey, Goodbye!”

We were a part of history. I cheered and clapped and shouted and prayed for all you who had asked me to think of you in the moment.

So now let’s do all that we can to bring our country back from the brink.

Love to you all,

Janice

It's the end of the world as we know it...

...and I feel fine!

Tales from the Cafe

There's nothing like a relaxing Sunday afternoon with the family.

Good bye ugly old carpet.

It's time to make way for something new. Something beautiful, easy to clean and environmentally friendly.

Stay tuned for What's Next!

Thank you Kim

Did you ever have someone that you felt an instant connection with, right from the start? There's a casual ease to communication and an understanding of each others lives that flows so gently, it's like it's always been there. It's one of those inexplicable phenomenons that leaves you feeling like you've met this spirit before.

From day one I have had that feeling about the lovely Kim from Our Heart Centered Life. Now mind you we've never met, but no matter, I can feel her spirit through her words and it's one I can relate to so well. Someday our paths will cross in real time, but for now our blog friendship has given me so much.

So imagine my delight to find that Kim has given me this cool blog award.


All I can say is right back at ya , my friend.

Urban Dictionary Meme

I saw this on Qacei's blog.

Rules:
a) Go to urbandictionary.com and type in your answers to the following questions.
b) Post your favorite definition it gives you -- or just post the first one. (or multiple answers if it's just too funny.)
c) Tag 4 people. Leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged.
d) Those people, if so inspired, should do the same.

1) Your Name?
Zenmomma: Zenmomma isn't defined yet.

Mary: A name gay men use to refer to each other. It was used extensively in 1960's Greenwich Village to piss off the cops. Also, while cruising, it's an inconspicuous way to ask someone if they 're up for it.

"Mary, you look FABULOUS"
"Hey, Mary! quit eating so many donuts, you fat fuck!!"
"Hey Mary, you lookin' for a good night?"

2) Your age?
49: Among Native Americans, an after pow wow party featuring socializing with booze, drugs and snagging.

Buck got so wasted at the 49 last night that he passed out in the back of his pickup.

3) Your favorite drink?
Latte: A handjob at Starbucks. Idiocracy

Man, that was a good latte!

4) Favorite color?

Purple: Wow check it out. Old people wear Purple. they don't bathe. they don't drive very well. they wear purple. check your parents.

5) Birthplace?
New York:

I am from New York. I curse a lot. I say mad instead of wicked. I like the YANKEES. I know what REAL pizza tastes like, and I know that a bagel is much more than a roll with a hole in the middle. They're sprinkles...not jimmies. I play BEER PONG not beirut. I judge people by what exit they get off the highway. It's not called the shore, it's the BEACH. Its a wedge or a sub NOT a hoagie! It's not New York City or Manhattan, it's 'THE' CITY. Two words...MOTHER FUCKER. I know that 55 mph really means 85. When someone cuts me off, they get the horn AND the finger. i'm a new yorker bitch

6) Month of your birth?
January: National Hangover Month. Because of the recent holidays and massive partying, the general population spends the month hungover.

Crap I have to go back to work. Wait, Its January which means my boss will be hung over too.

7) Where you live now?
Corvallis:Corvallis can safely say it's the only town out there that is lucky enough to host DaVinci Days. The few days during the summer when the hippies get to do their thing while street performers, bands, and kinetic sculptures roam the downtown.

Corvallis inhabitant walking down campus, sees friend: heyyy hannah! wanna hang out later? Lets head to American Dream and catch an artsy movie at the Darkside.

9) Your super power if you had super powers?
Astral Projection: The ability to project your subconscious mind forward, in the form of an astral body. Not a proven phenomenon.

I'm going to use astral projection to kick your ass remotely.

10) Best insult:
I Fart In your general direction! :

A common French taunt. Used by John Cleese in Monty Python's Holy Grail. Also accompanied by "Your mother is a hamster, and your father smells of old elderberries!" Now go away, before I taunt you a second time!

Tag! You're it! I'm tagging: Anyone who feels like doing this. Let me know if you decide to play!

The Top 25 Bushisms

As seen on Slate. As an unschooler, my favorite has got to be #3.

1. "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."—Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

2. "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family."—Greater Nashua, N.H., Chamber of Commerce, Jan. 27, 2000

3. "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"—Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000

4. "Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across the country."—Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004

5. "Neither in French nor in English nor in Mexican."—declining to answer reporters' questions at the Summit of the Americas, Quebec City, Canada, April 21, 2001

6. "You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.''—Townsend, Tenn., Feb. 21, 2001

7. "I'm the decider, and I decide what is best. And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the secretary of defense."—Washington, D.C., April 18, 2006

8. "See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."—Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005

9. "I've heard he's been called Bush's poodle. He's bigger than that."—discussing former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, as quoted by the Sun newspaper, June 27, 2007

10. "And so, General, I want to thank you for your service. And I appreciate the fact that you really snatched defeat out of the jaws of those who are trying to defeat us in Iraq."—meeting with Army Gen. Ray Odierno, Washington, D.C., March 3, 2008

11. "We ought to make the pie higher."—South Carolina Republican debate, Feb. 15, 2000

12. "There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again."—Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002

13. "And there is distrust in Washington. I am surprised, frankly, at the amount of distrust that exists in this town. And I'm sorry it's the case, and I'll work hard to try to elevate it."—speaking on National Public Radio, Jan. 29, 2007

14. "We'll let our friends be the peacekeepers and the great country called America will be the pacemakers."—Houston, Sept. 6, 2000

15. "It's important for us to explain to our nation that life is important. It's not only life of babies, but it's life of children living in, you know, the dark dungeons of the Internet."—Arlington Heights, Ill., Oct. 24, 2000

16. "One of the great things about books is sometimes there are some fantastic pictures."—U.S. News & World Report, Jan. 3, 2000

17. "People say, 'How can I help on this war against terror? How can I fight evil?' You can do so by mentoring a child; by going into a shut-in's house and say I love you."—Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2002

18. "Well, I think if you say you're going to do something and don't do it, that's trustworthiness."—CNN online chat, Aug. 30, 2000

19. "I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep on the soil of a friend."—on the prospect of visiting Denmark, Washington, D.C., June 29, 2005

20. "I think it's really important for this great state of baseball to reach out to people of all walks of life to make sure that the sport is inclusive. The best way to do it is to convince little kids how to—the beauty of playing baseball."—Washington, D.C., Feb. 13, 2006

21. "Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream."—LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000

22. "You know, when I campaigned here in 2000, I said, I want to be a war president. No president wants to be a war president, but I am one."—Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 26, 2006

23. "There's a huge trust. I see it all the time when people come up to me and say, 'I don't want you to let me down again.' "—Boston, Oct. 3, 2000

24. "They misunderestimated me."—Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000

25. "I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office."—Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008

Friday Fill-Ins

1. It's January; my birthday is just around the corner!

2. Peace is what I crave most right now.

3. Cork and wine go together like... okay I have nothing. Is this an SAT question?

4. My morning latte is so nourishing. No really it is. I'll bet it's even more so when paired with some nice crispy bacon.

5. Let us dare to do what is necessary to support our children as they navigate this world.

6. I like to hide out in my home.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching episodes from last season's Lost, tomorrow my plans include a birthday dinner for my friend Wendy and Sunday, I want to relax before the work week starts again!

Let the Merchandising Begin!

You Barack My World pin

Van-Go-Bama

Obama Bag

TowelBama

Barack O'Buddha candle

Barack O'Brownie from Sunnyside Up
Want one? Just ask, we'll ship it to you!!

Happiness is...

...long and helpful conversations with good friends.
...kids back safely at home after wonderful adventures abroad.
...seeing hard work and small changes paying off.
...discovering even more music to love.
...finally coming to terms with what is.
...loving where I am, who I am, and who I am still to become.



And of course...


Happiness is...


Finding yourself on the 25 Sizzling Hot Bacon-Inspired MUST-Haves For Fall list on Lists Galore! Check it out. I'm right under the Maple Bacon Lollipops and right before the WWBD? Folder.

I have arrived.