tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242206192024-03-12T22:42:51.100-07:00hope's glowtocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-56130296667162493862010-09-29T21:39:00.005-07:002010-09-29T22:30:49.898-07:00Tomorrow Rearranges All Of Today's ExpectationsWhen I started this blog, I had dreams of parenthood that stretched out as far as the miles that separated us from our daughter in China. A year went by, then two, and on it went as we waited to become parents through international adoption. Tired of the endless wait, we decided to apply for domestic adoption in 2009 but domestic opportunities seemed few and competition for those situations seemed high. Over time, the weariness borne from anxious waiting chipped away at our resolve, leaving in its wake anger and sadness instead of hopeful expectation. In recent months, our conversations had turned from speculation over how long we might have to wait for a referral to whether we even still wanted to be waiting.<br /><br />And then, in a matter of hours, everything changed. In mid July, we got "the call" at 6:00 p.m. that our son was born, and that we needed to be in another state to pick him up by noon the very next day. We had nothing - no nursery, no plane tickets, not a diaper in sight and most importantly, no clue that morning when we woke up that we would go to bed that night as parents.<br /><br />We had nothing, yet in under 24 hours, we would have - everything.<br /><br />Someone asked me the other day - so, was it all worth it? I expected to be able to say without hesitation - yes. But what came to mind instead was the years of hurt, the surgeries, the shots, the tests, the worry, the paperwork, the grind, just everything that this journey has brought. I look at our son and I value him as a only a parent can value a child. But, it saddens me that the joy is tinged with the fact that infertility changed me in ways I am both thankful and resentful to the core for. So, I guess I answer the question of "worth" like this...<br /><br />All of the persistence, all of the heartache, all of the tears and yes, all of the money, were paid for one thing. Hands down - it's not a baby. All of those things, the greatest debt we've ever known, were paid for something far, far more simple - they were paid for the chance to be normal - to just throw out all the crap that stands in the way and be like anyone else who ever wanted to parent a child. Should that chance have cost that much? That's debatable. What isn't debatable is that "worth" and a child should never be used in the same sentence.<br /><br />We're now the parents of an amazing little boy. To us, that is simply priceless.tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-53414491857189555482010-01-21T15:39:00.007-07:002010-01-21T15:58:08.312-07:00PrivilegeIt has been a long time since I posted. There's not been much to post about. Life, outside of adoption, continues. I've tried to tune adoption out, but it's everywhere. I see it when I look at my friends. I see it when I go to the mall. I hear about it from the many newsgroups I belong to. And now, as the U.S. prepares to allow certain Haitian earthquake refugees into the country for the purposes of adoption, it's even more prominent.<br /><br />Today I stumbled across the blog of a very angry adult Korean <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">adoptee</span>. She is upset at what she calls "adoption vultures" hovering around the rubble of Haiti before the dust has even settled. She's furious that black children are being adopted by white parents. She perceives that white privilege has reared its head in this, the most tragic of situations. I read her <a href="http://outlandishremarks.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/whites-make-pact-with-god-expedite-haitian-adoptions/#comment-76">blog post</a> with mixed emotions. She's partly right - in usual fashion, the U.S. has stepped in to be a "savior", where perhaps a lighter handed approach might have sufficed. Nonetheless, her post pissed me off, and now, we're both angry. I posted a comment to her blog, which she'll likely never publish. So I'm publishing it here.<br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote>"First off, let me be clear. I’m white. I’m not rich, I’m just white. I understand that no matter how much money I have or don’t have, my race makes me privileged. I don’t get to choose that part any more than you get to chose your racial heritage. I am adopting. It’s very possible I’ll be a parent to a child of another race. I don’t think I have a better home than a same-race parent. What I do think is that my home is better than no home at all. I KNOW that I will never understand what it’s like to be a non-white. I KNOW. It’s not my place to judge your anger. As a potential <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">transracial</span> parent, it’s my job to understand your anger. It’s my job to help a child find the resources they will likely need to deal with their anger at being adopted, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">transracially</span> or not. That said, how you feel is a choice. How you choose to react to a given situation is up to you. How sad to read that you’<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> judged me, when you don’t really know what my motivations are. I’m not evil because I’m a white person who wants to be an adoptive parent. I’m not naive. I’m not elitist. I’m not entitled. I do have a heart. And a home. And the means to parent a child who needs both. And I won’t apologize for that."<br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote>I'm fired up. <a href="http://outlandishremarks.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/whites-make-pact-with-god-expedite-haitian-adoptions/#comment-76"></a>tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-77159134677885128822009-01-14T09:32:00.002-07:002009-01-14T09:39:38.103-07:00SupportI know I haven't blogged in a while, and there's a variety of reasons for that, but this post isn't about me.<br /><br />Our friends Donna and Joe are in China right now, adopting beautiful baby Lauren. They are having a tough time with attachment, and smiles have been precious but very hard to come by.<br /><br />As incredible as adoption is, it's also incredibly difficult at times. You can follow their journey at <a href="http://www.waitingforlaurenelizabeth.blogspot.com/">http://www.waitingforlaurenelizabeth.blogspot.com/</a> - please head over to their blog and offer them up all the support you can. With love and friendship, all obstacles seem just a little bit easier to conquer.tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-43616980648576027652008-11-05T12:18:00.003-07:002008-11-05T12:42:32.848-07:00Everything Has ChangedIt has been a long time since I've posted. There are lots of reasons for that, but probably the main one is that it's taking so f*<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ing</span> long to get a referral that I've just kind of turned my back on adoption for a while. It seems easier, somehow (in a toddler's "you can't ignore me if I ignore you first" kind of way).<br /><br />That said, this whole election thing has brought me out of my shell. Yesterday was a historic day - both for our country, and for our daughters. America voted in our first <em>minority</em> president. Why should our Chinese daughters care? Because as Caucasian parents, we can never understand what it's like to be not white. Like it or not, white <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">privilege</span> is a very real phenomenon. This election heralds change for all of us - both in our views on race as a country, and in the dreams of minority children everywhere. If an African American can become president, then why shouldn't a Chinese American be able to achieve anything she sets her mind to? Finally, the proof is in the pudding.<br /><br />One other political soapbox to rant on from yesterday and then I'll step down again into my life of adoption denial...<br /><br />Arkansas is out of it's mind. Yesterday, voters in AR passed Initiated Act 1 -- banning all non-married couples from adoption or foster care. This covers 'em all - co-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">habitating</span> couples, straight or gay, from parenting adopted or foster kids. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Hmm</span>.....Let's pass a law that prevents willing folks from providing desperately needed homes to children just wanting to be loved. Makes a lot of sense to me....NOT.<br /><br />Then again, pretty much nothing in this whole adoption thing makes sense to me right now.tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-13291462576878748662008-08-09T18:08:00.002-07:002008-08-09T19:00:49.002-07:00Olympic PrideYesterday was a big day for China. As the torch lit signifying the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games, China turned a corner. The world watched as the stereotypical Chinese regime incorporated an impressive display of solidarity, tradition, and hope for the future into what will likely be one of the most memorable opening ceremonies in the history of the Games. <br /><br />I watched the opening ceremony with fellow waiting adoptive parents, some toting children already back home from China, and one Chinese National who recently immigrated here to the U.S. All of our faces were touched with pride as we watched, knowing that a tiny bit of China has already burrowed its way into each of our hearts, if not yet our homes.<br /><br />So, it caught me by surprise to hear that some adoptive parents are "boycotting" the Olympics. Many of them are bitter that so much money, time, and media attention has been spent on something other than processing China's orphaned children through the system and into their waiting arms. I understand their feelings of hopelessness and frustration at a system that promised the hope of parenthood in approximately 18 months and now dangles 48 months as an elusive carrot. <br /><br />Nonetheless, that kind of ire masks the wave of positive change the Olympics have brought to China, politically, socially and environmentally. I'm certain that the Games will cost me months (if not years) of additional time waiting for our referral. But, I'm also hopeful that the forward momentum initiated by these Olympics will carry through to the future of China and its children - a future that my daughter will eventually be born into. <br /><br />I'm hopeful that in the spirit of the Olympic Games, those waiting parents can find a way to set their bitterness at China and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">CCAA</span> aside. At the end of the day, teaching our internationally adopted children to be proud of where they came from is the responsibility of every parent. If the LED scroll pages turning and the silk costumed dancers twirling and the 2008 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">tai</span> chi performers swaying in perfect synchronicity didn't move you to feel the tiniest sense of pride that you get to be a part of it all some day - albeit a some day much further in the distance than you thought - then please step to the side now. It is a privilege to adopt one of China's daughters. May we honor it as such.tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-36965647123387503552008-07-02T00:04:00.002-07:002008-07-02T00:54:40.708-07:00OK, I'll say it. I hate pregnant people. Well, not really <em>hate</em> in the true sense of the word. More like an intense sort of envy that I am not proud of. And sometimes pregnancy - and envy - can interfere in otherwise perfectly healthy, happy friendships.<br /><br />Case in point - I have a friend who's incredibly fertile. She's on her sixth baby, two of which have been born since we started trying to have a child. The funny thing about fertile people is that they never know how to act around folks who can't have children. I absolutely hate it when folks walk on eggshells around me just because pregnancy and my body can't find a way to get along. I don't have leprosy, I'm just infertile. News of your pregnancy won't kill me. Yes, I really am truly happy for you, even as I'm sad for me. I'll cry - just a little bit - on the day your child is born, wishing it could have been me in your place. And then I will happily celebrate your child's birth because I care about you just as much as I always have. Ah - but I'm off track - this post has taken a turn I had not intended -back to the story at hand...<br /><br />My friend is cavalier about the whole pregnancy thing, which rankles me in a way I can't begin to explain. Over time, our friendship has dissolved under the weight of trust issues, distance, her lack of support of our adoption, and my envy. So, it caught me by surprise tonight when I stopped by her blog and saw that her family was weathering a tough time. After consultations with multiple doctors, her second youngest son has been given a unanimous diagnosis of autism.<br /><br />Dealing with a special need on top of caring for six young children must be quite a struggle. So, tonight, I ask that you please send positive energy her direction. Hopefully now that their son has a definitive diagnosis, they can start down the road of research and treatment options. C., we pray that your little one finds the light within, again.tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-74789189404367650052008-06-11T22:05:00.002-07:002008-06-11T22:21:46.394-07:00I'm one of those people who generally doesn't feel old. Yes, I get creaks and aches and fine lines, but still, I try not to dwell on the fact that I'm getting older each year. <br /><br />D. travels a lot, so at least one night a week I find myself spending time in my local yarn shop, weaving and talking to other weavers and knitters. I was discussing yarn with the daughter of another regular last night, and the topic turned to knitting children's sweaters. I mentioned that I had lots of suitable yarn, but no kids to dress up in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">handknit</span> clothing.<br /><br />With a straight face she turned to me and said, "well, at <em>my</em> age, it seems like everyone is falling pregnant and having kids." I stood there stunned, suddenly feeling older than I've felt in a long while. I still can't shake the image in my head of pregnancies falling down upon 19 year <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">olds</span> like manna from heaven.<br /><br />Not knowing what to say, I mumbled that we're in the process of adopting. "Really, adoption?", she asked. "I was adopted...well, I grew up with my <em>real</em> mom. But my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">stepdad</span> adopted me."<br /><br />Now I feel old, and decidedly like an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">un</span>-<em>real</em> mom. Yippee.tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-41707782769407839872008-05-04T23:55:00.011-07:002008-05-05T00:35:06.752-07:00Our Nation's CapitalI think, for the most part, Americans take living in America for granted. This was especially clear to me last weekend as we toured Washington, D.C. Even though we used to live in the area, I had forgotten how diverse the population in D.C. at any given moment can be - how varied the economic backgrounds, the skin tones, the languages spoken, the religions practiced - of all of the people who come to our capital to take in the sights.<br /><br />I watched as tourists snapped photos of the monuments, school children poured off of buses into museums, and commuters read newspapers on the subway on their way to work. I felt an incredible sense of - well, pride - as hundreds of truckers held a rally, blaring their horns in protest of high gas prices. How honored I felt to be a part of a country where such demonstrations are allowed, even encouraged. Our daughter was very much on my mind as I stood in front of the White House, thinking of China and its seeming rigidity, of how lucky I am, and of how much I look forward to sharing America with our child.<br /><br />After 13 years of being away, I felt a little trepidation on the flight back to D.C. I missed it terribly when we left, and it took years for me to start to appreciate the stark beauty of the Arizona desert. So, I was quite relieved when I got there and it felt a little bit like seeing an old boyfriend after many years of no contact. There's always that tiny still smoldering spark, but at the end of the day, you're glad you let them get away. I've grown to love the relaxed pace of the desert, the way the light falls at sunset, the ocotillos in bloom. And, while the city continues to beckon softly, I think of it now like a dear old friend I'd like to see again sometime.<br /><br />There's nothing quite like springtime in bloom, though - here's a few photos of our trip:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4r-14SqXXidMpHEHcyyiQz4767C2XXjda4Vlkk8RBl4kxoP5RCTXc-BBKf-QK0tXunAmBgyyZvS2U5KpFCD8_frK31imgpoR2VE6vJ80Me94XUMVQqOd3On-k5goLToT9p6V/s1600-h/042608_Washington+DC_0759.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196789283381956274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4r-14SqXXidMpHEHcyyiQz4767C2XXjda4Vlkk8RBl4kxoP5RCTXc-BBKf-QK0tXunAmBgyyZvS2U5KpFCD8_frK31imgpoR2VE6vJ80Me94XUMVQqOd3On-k5goLToT9p6V/s320/042608_Washington+DC_0759.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufRM2tADLk2C0xOvi9-gCw5szBPD5eSbtngacwnKItEgikoWTnf1tCl_7Do1-Pvja1d2VaAXu7lPF8h-9sjbcqgGsRquVjevQrnqYDJamW-4uxBdJJclo2XKtZwaP-nR5SWRp/s1600-h/042608_Washington+DC_0750.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196792564736970498" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufRM2tADLk2C0xOvi9-gCw5szBPD5eSbtngacwnKItEgikoWTnf1tCl_7Do1-Pvja1d2VaAXu7lPF8h-9sjbcqgGsRquVjevQrnqYDJamW-4uxBdJJclo2XKtZwaP-nR5SWRp/s320/042608_Washington+DC_0750.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />These tulips were growing in a park.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWgmfItuazNgNzfqURjUHoyOFOBlHgXzQwG9Kf5rkdAUFtv-iSbS9LiouSwq5NU3mtdthjTvDtFeUr90yav2btkm9XMwbewujCFqJvIC-F1oI6B_M7Mh3GYAy_XGLmzZYDp_o/s1600-h/042708_Washington+DC_0153.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9HDsSescgXldGAmx5GLaWQYOizUbWlio3OeQzS9SIKCrBGoWwCwkSQvOQM1OU1i0Fw971_6YEGzq7AaqT0a4Zt13hmhBiK_8gzFMLuG3Rf4JrLDznHuEk_7qHpaOTs8Spj5l/s1600-h/042808_Washington+DC_0013.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Wo7aFBwW1mdPH5tmlG6wfpYgGTDegiYIfPwx1k4FBXK4zvwpew4YUV8FvxJr0wM1xkNoqZ86tUJGhS966B83PbAiz3HRmLXLksQZOTvCSApRavNaMCrJ2VWUllbOSMoj_AJk/s1600-h/042708_Washington+DC_0161.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196789291971890898" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Wo7aFBwW1mdPH5tmlG6wfpYgGTDegiYIfPwx1k4FBXK4zvwpew4YUV8FvxJr0wM1xkNoqZ86tUJGhS966B83PbAiz3HRmLXLksQZOTvCSApRavNaMCrJ2VWUllbOSMoj_AJk/s320/042708_Washington+DC_0161.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This orchid was in the National Botanical Garden.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpg2nyigpBd4n7VUdpAzMcIhPxoZF3sDC6lQznvpRHsBJ1WM7gPFm48rksNVRs0x9YwirDBbZDn_fmA5kACCfgdzTaM0GtcovIdQIfm4VxYWfzxJPLkqj39PcSwfqXRG0dQa-r/s1600-h/042808_Washington+DC_0095.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196789468065550066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpg2nyigpBd4n7VUdpAzMcIhPxoZF3sDC6lQznvpRHsBJ1WM7gPFm48rksNVRs0x9YwirDBbZDn_fmA5kACCfgdzTaM0GtcovIdQIfm4VxYWfzxJPLkqj39PcSwfqXRG0dQa-r/s320/042808_Washington+DC_0095.jpg" border="0" /></a>Believe it or not, these are regular metal and white paper clothes hangers - used as art. This exhibit was in the <a href="http://hirshhorn.si.edu/">Hirschorn Museum</a>, which houses an incredible collection of modern art.tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-31250018034077506002008-04-22T09:10:00.004-07:002008-04-22T09:19:52.095-07:00Marina at Sunset<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbpKR9t4pKpBgnDzThTcOV1cH4dbyyHN9Nq0Tf-7KRte4K1-MsFJJSnKI6ltY4cZAu1eEDKJjOSkkSQRKWRVp9WgWgpZFOMPNVQER6AAkTbYd3u7eJHQjNpbjILAB1v0eUNVq/s1600-h/04_20_08_Sheraton_Marina_Night_1079.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192102898536402594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbpKR9t4pKpBgnDzThTcOV1cH4dbyyHN9Nq0Tf-7KRte4K1-MsFJJSnKI6ltY4cZAu1eEDKJjOSkkSQRKWRVp9WgWgpZFOMPNVQER6AAkTbYd3u7eJHQjNpbjILAB1v0eUNVq/s400/04_20_08_Sheraton_Marina_Night_1079.jpg" border="0" /></a>D. took this picture of the San Diego marina at sunset this weekend. Being in San Diego always reinforces my desire to eventually live near the ocean (although not necessarily in San Diego).<br /><br />Although we seem to be on a slow track towards moving, for now I'm thankful that the coast is just a short trip away. Seeing and hearing the tide roll in refreshes my spirit in a way that nothing else quite does. I can't wait until we can set our child on the sand and watch as she takes her first glimpse of the mighty sea.tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-13844831235572447212008-04-16T13:53:00.005-07:002008-04-16T15:29:33.869-07:00Warming TrendSpring is definitely upon us - we've hit 90 degrees here in sunny AZ already.<br /><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoT6sH9J6sfT49Y3Gg5OTXlWgrSctgNhsDp2tNbHzaGL29goBW5Uscr1Y3FcIZdpzXIhAs9gXPInrtAND-esdMya2tLefBxDAfmT1Rr9xOHx-U0wtcVWlhmtnZrIZEzxIoiE2H/s1600-h/mallard-duck-6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189949512156847410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoT6sH9J6sfT49Y3Gg5OTXlWgrSctgNhsDp2tNbHzaGL29goBW5Uscr1Y3FcIZdpzXIhAs9gXPInrtAND-esdMya2tLefBxDAfmT1Rr9xOHx-U0wtcVWlhmtnZrIZEzxIoiE2H/s400/mallard-duck-6.jpg" border="0" /></a>We're still seeing ducks stop by for a dip in our swimming pool on a regular basis. Usually, it's a single male duck, sometimes two, and on occasion, a female duck also joins in the fun. </div><div></div><div>Three ducks swimming and quacking all at once really, really aggravate our cats. Who, in turn, aggravate the ducks. We're quite the happy zoo :-)</div><div></div><div>Not much else is going on here - all is quiet on the adoption front, so we planned a few trips to escape the early heat. I'm meeting D. in San Diego this weekend for a little R&R. I have been truly missing the ocean! Later this month, we're headed to a conference in Washington, D.C. We haven't been back to the D.C. area since moving from there to Arizona almost 13 (!) years ago. It will be interesting to see if we still miss it in reality like we do in our memories. </div><div></div><div>Next month we're off to New Mexico for a co-worker's wedding, and then in June we'll be going to Tampa for a weaving convention, which I'm super excited about (and which D. is being a trooper about). Lots to keep us busy - and keep our minds off of the wait!</div>tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-2626382402287832392008-03-25T17:25:00.001-07:002008-03-25T17:32:06.369-07:00Food for Thought<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181840213657224210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxS6DONkj7Msaqo0x6FHq8UeCEdEwIYpsvV-_7NpgixUQxc6n-mp2QGFWb75ZSsNzmmJ7TeDubnUsGFS805ttJ4XQtoSLHnUMlbjnCKIwULOmjNy5srI-NKd8TcJ1CsvEK_-T_/s200/wolves.jpg" border="0" />I received the story below from one of my weaver friends. Never are these wise words more true in my life than now....<br /><br /><strong>The Two Wolves</strong><br /><br />One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all..<br /><br />One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.<br /><br />The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."<br /><br />The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"<br /><br />The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-60958223136432965602008-03-20T14:26:00.003-07:002008-03-20T14:52:31.948-07:00SpringtimeWow - it's been a long time since I've posted. I think I've subconsciously been avoiding it - something along the lines of "another month - no new news". Our only adoption-related achievement for the past month was to complete our home study renewal. We're now hoping to drag out the fingerprinting process as long as possible. In the back of my mind, I know we'll have to redo our paperwork a third time, but for now, I'm deluding myself into thinking that if we stall on the front side, maybe, just maybe, it will buy us enough time on the flip side to avoid filling out that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">flippin</span>' I-600A form one more time.<br /><br />Truthfully, this long wait has gotten to me, and I've had to check out of the adoption process for a little while to maintain my positive outlook on life. It just seems like becoming a parent shouldn't be this hard....<br /><br />Thankfully, the sunny spring weather has brightened my spirits a bit lately. Even though the early warmth heralds the blistering summer to come, I'm still thankful for the season change. Everything just seems more doable in the springtime.<br /><br />On that note, nothing says "spring" more than butterflies - here's a few shots we took at the Natural Science Museum in Houston, TX. They have an incredible butterfly exhibit - very worth the trip if you are ever in the Lone Star state. I also threw in a shot of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">exhibit's</span> resident iguana, who, while photogenic, is light on patience (which I found out firsthand when he took exception to me standing quite so close!)<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179940717125927890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIW7EuDFfsS7-5Y4wetoQVBWtB1gSqQIDfSJocSwPX112Lw-b7VmhCfJt6VFDZdtRmd-uO6Z8NyKL8ljXSLPpz6iQxScXcfwrQ9IRDS9M9qpXDlcXTbJo0i6akVe9-PuwJqW-2/s320/12+26+07_0390.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179940725715862498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLVFpqEMUKtRrFh7mKI3vtG-yTWtjNVO_xJlGiAN96ovR0JvesShxQwlEkTBAE4jh0zrpUCXkrQik1-HhTIXVMRCOSkELLo9ssH8gk_jtZ4DFGXGXokTkjeI7kGiaVf-wEfmm/s320/12+26+07_0337.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179940738600764418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDH5J9enhTQ2yvSwIkx0fSF9AhBt8-4o7yF5C5y3ietKpTTBCa40PVn7bZh5wq2KWIVeCweAQGCdOANbwMEyJiS9W7_ayX1uE0g2HhEII12cZLN2awWp881ecBoqFdXBxOPPJE/s320/12+26+07_0122.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p>D.'s mom is coming in town this weekend to celebrate Easter with us. We're hoping to spend some time hiking and enjoying this beautiful weather. I know many of my fellow waiting adoptive parents can relate when I say that our faith in adopting from China is being tested. May the spring sunshine bring renewed hope for all of us.</p>tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-76421246191815720392008-02-26T23:23:00.005-07:002008-02-26T23:32:34.298-07:0016 Months and Counting...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipfQMLqFW7V1YUZGP5Ib_SQF13EFU4NYaiF0E5ohXt0TscjfPftlBnRCz6dGi9AnSTTddCgWWgPeMd10VXFVbfZwTA6wdMrbXo82HDS-1sHdb_H6Qtu9UeDBY2-Nap9DsfK9OJ/s1600-h/16.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171542139030228706" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="130" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipfQMLqFW7V1YUZGP5Ib_SQF13EFU4NYaiF0E5ohXt0TscjfPftlBnRCz6dGi9AnSTTddCgWWgPeMd10VXFVbfZwTA6wdMrbXo82HDS-1sHdb_H6Qtu9UeDBY2-Nap9DsfK9OJ/s200/16.jpg" width="218" border="0" /></a> Tomorrow, we'll have been waiting 16+ months to adopt from China.<br /><div></div><br /><div>Today, the "good luck" ducks that arrive for a dip in our swimming pool every year made themselves at home, more than a month early. Maybe, hopefully, it's a sign of positive news coming soon.</div><br /><div></div><div>We could use some right about now...</div>tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-3029432094897019582008-02-05T23:58:00.000-07:002008-02-06T00:21:23.695-07:007 Things MemeTook a cue from <a href="http://www.uskeepingitsimple.blogspot.com/">Daniella's</a> blog and decided to participate in the 7 Weird/Strange Facts About Yourself meme. Here goes:<br /><br /><ol><li>I have am funny about where I sit in a restaurant. I'm ok with being given the worst table in the place, as long as I don't have to sit with my back facing the door. And given a choice, I'll pick a booth every time.</li><li>I like going to concerts, and to date have been to at least 100 shows. I have flown across the country more than once to see a favorite band. I once painted a building in exchange for concert tickets. The first concert I ever saw by choice (I don't count a Neil Diamond show my parents dragged me to) was Prince. White carnations fell from the ceiling of the concert arena when he played Purple Rain.</li><li>I am not a big dog lover. However, most dogs absolutely LOVE me.</li><li>The job I wish I had that actually pays money: writer.</li><li>The job I wish I had that I wish paid money: artist.</li><li>My three biggest pet peeves about other people = people that can't drive, people that can't spell, and people who think that rules don't apply to them.</li><li>I'm a die-hard hockey fan (and my team actually has a shot at making the playoffs this season). Go Coyotes!</li></ol><p>So, that's about it for me - consider yourself tagged!</p>tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-17961746608417231062008-02-02T00:07:00.000-07:002008-02-02T00:33:17.661-07:00Highs and LowsI've always been the sort of person who has a hyperactive conscience. From a very young age I was taught to make moral choices, never tell a lie, and most importantly, to stand up for the underdog.<br /><br />So, that's how I was feeling when we were approached earlier this week with a possible foster / adopt opportunity. A family member of a friend was looking for someone to foster a baby born into an unfortunate situation, and thought of us. Our chance to be parents was suddenly - incredibly - right in front of us. In typical fashion, I barged into the situation with both feet wearing rose tinted glasses, intent on proving that we were the right family for this child in need of a loving home.<br /><br />And then, my damn conscience had to step in. The family chose us to foster this baby....and we turned them down. In the interest of keeping the family's confidentiality, I can't share exactly why, but we decided we simply weren't comfortable with parts of the situation, and the right thing to do for us, but more importantly for the child, was to walk away, at least for now. <br /><br />Sometimes the hardest thing to do and the right thing are the same. It has been a tough week.tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-58766954356276849842008-01-29T16:03:00.000-07:002008-01-29T23:16:26.858-07:00XVWell, our 15 month anniversary of waiting for referral came and went this weekend. I didn't realize it until today (which should tell you how eventful I subconsciously felt it was).<br /><br />Funny story about our recent home study visit - Derby, our normally very shy kitty, decided he had a crush on our social worker. He was insistent on being near her, going so far as to inquire (and not politely) if he could share her chair with her (which was a dining room chair - i.e., no room for an adult-sized rear and a cat intent on being petted). Frustrated that she wasn't paying him enough attention, he jumped onto her papers and started attacking her hair (which was flying around as she talked). I wanted to crawl under the table. It's a good thing she likes cats. So much for his shyness....here he is showing off for the camera....<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161043306185078674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNN3scGcfu6hBCI2Fqzh5bRnSrM1umE3Z78oz-76sdJHRGSQ2QvI8xG0hrT4RB_VPFZOaopTx7VA3LeubYnnz05MqSjdP5r9UNPKGvG2mcgUoD3xrzpStFvbbNuo-62-XN1Jy/s400/Mt+Lemmon+005.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />His brother Demo was comparatively a little angel. He went and laid on our bed after saying a quick hello... <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161044461531281314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qUgpJz3W5SKulcyyIQ1B1OCurRdacVr-13VgVNoLp-DlaF_gU_FMo7tgsqm13WLVe2j1HG20_uBTCvBr_vpi36oOGkx7wgVmkhfy-TQ5UNTg9pLqXuShSYQ1ANdkKL5LeUWz/s400/070807+Sedona+and+Prescott+008+Large+Web+view.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />All in all, our home study update visit went well, medical appointments have been completed, and financial statements are done...hmmm...what's left? Ah, the cats need their shots updated, and we still have to get our fingerprints redone, other than that we're almost officially approved to adopt again. Funny how almost two years later it feels much the same as it did on day one...tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-6745239361159426982008-01-16T17:57:00.000-07:002008-01-16T18:17:25.021-07:00Mopping It Up<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mEHm920K_wz0AySnUpQgHsOJz5TLv9s7_guXjNu2TeffTFmmERpKN7vIVBp-i0D8l73NjLmXXucJeNcmmkzD2-lRRmejEBhzU1x7BKUCUsfVXERmybamyJ5Jc62dowwi_khyphenhyphen/s1600-h/mop.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156245856968789090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mEHm920K_wz0AySnUpQgHsOJz5TLv9s7_guXjNu2TeffTFmmERpKN7vIVBp-i0D8l73NjLmXXucJeNcmmkzD2-lRRmejEBhzU1x7BKUCUsfVXERmybamyJ5Jc62dowwi_khyphenhyphen/s200/mop.jpg" border="0" /></a>I'm cleaning our house.<br /><p>Not the 'tidy up, dust and sweep type' of cleaning. The 'can you eat off of the baseboards' type of cleaning.</p><p>Why? Because our social worker is coming for a visit to update our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">homestudy</span>. Yes, our eligibility to adopt is about to expire. And even though it will expire again before we're all said and done, I just can't let it lapse. It's important to me to be able to adopt at any moment, even if our moment is still several years in the future.</p><p>So, I'm cleaning my house from top to bottom. Well, from top to...lower middle. I don't mop. I can perform pretty much any other type of housework, some of it quite well, but I don't mop.</p><p>When I first met D., we were working together at an ice cream parlor. Every night at closing, the shop floor involved two jobs to get it clean - one person had to get down on their hands and knees and scrape all of the chocolate bits and spilled ice cream off of the floor, while the second employee came behind them and mopped it all up. I used to cajole, trade duties, and sometimes bribe fellow employees to mop the floor for me when it was my turn. Needless to say, when you are 15 and trying to get someone to go out with you, D. did a lot of mopping. We got laminate wood floors earlier this year. Twenty-one years after we met, and D. still does a lot of mopping.</p><p>It's a good thing I'm an expert at folding laundry.... </p>tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-54586711952013777872008-01-10T01:24:00.000-07:002008-01-10T01:35:21.828-07:00How Important is a Box?I always thought I'd see our referral date in it. I thought I'd print it out, save it for our daughter, maybe even put it in a scrapbook someday.<br /><br />It's the infamous box.<br /><br />For those who're not in the know about these things, the box was a source of information on the CCAA website that let us know each month what the referral cutoff date was, and what month the review room was on. Adoptive parents checked this box daily (and sometimes more often that that!), hoping for news that more LIDs had been referred, or that their file was finally in the clear.<br /><br />Now the box looks like this:<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153761733784128578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoe9QLnChhwrfKxa8wsVrwl0BmWrBPGgHHSIuSDC767mHFqUeokTDN1Voq1t4XLnH1FvFTid8EkUP372GbnlOu7eXpikR1dsGxah6GA3QEn3dj8O0Xgin6N7Y-VJJep6cmLZ0r/s320/CCAA+Update+Box.gif" border="0" />China has again stepped in to stem the flow of public information to adoptive families. I am very thankful that my agency is generally forthcoming with accurate information about the state of adoption in China. That said, I can't help but be saddened that China feels the need to restrict yet another one of our lifelines to what the future might bring - - and when.tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-45487006373996303522008-01-02T14:06:00.000-07:002008-01-02T17:51:46.856-07:00Finally, A New Year<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIx5bjg0A2_LpUeBHaWVuaYyBmsibyJdkedAtfOi6XgVxBEs5KV8WOhyk-yLVl6spj7DtUFGeRJrRN6hM-owYisxycTrK8QKzTxAv_vJ3R8kb7ksEfAu08ylmX2WMbbyU4DTs3/s1600-h/Clock1.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5151043135449877554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIx5bjg0A2_LpUeBHaWVuaYyBmsibyJdkedAtfOi6XgVxBEs5KV8WOhyk-yLVl6spj7DtUFGeRJrRN6hM-owYisxycTrK8QKzTxAv_vJ3R8kb7ksEfAu08ylmX2WMbbyU4DTs3/s320/Clock1.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu98wyeGA9wHa86x9q8P80zQY_3VkA6wtLtI7v8S1YaIcXNotNYWy3b4U3GrNsDENFRjB3NnHvJbnL9VttKlUdQE92pFHqYf97qpDIevy5AQ8H7Gv51nNsa1wuTDys2NWsKEA/s1600-h/HapNewYr_slo.gif"></a>I, for one, am extremely glad it's a new year. 2007 felt like a roller coaster ride, in more ways than one.</div><div></div><br /><div>I'm trying to start 2008 with a positive attitude (despite finding out today that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">CCAA</span> limped along this month, issuing a measly few days worth of referrals). I'm trying to remind myself that since we're going to be waiting a whole hell of a long time, I'd better start living life the best I know how in the meantime. Here's to cranking up the optimism and moving forward one day at a time....</div><div></div><br /><div>On that note, our holiday trip to Texas was nice, although we were sick almost the entire time. I always love spending a little time with family - we don't get to see ours as often as we would like. My nephew, who's about to turn 4, is on a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Spiderman</span> kick. We spent a LOT of time pretending we had webs coming out of our hands. I can't wait until he's got a little cousin to play with (which will hopefully happen before he decides that playing with girls is "icky"). </div><div></div><div>Next on our our plate is a trip to Portland, OR later this month to see if we can hack the rainy season there. We're both anxious for a move, so we're hoping we'll find home in the Pacific Northwest. It's a bit different from the everlasting sunshine of AZ, though, so we're tiptoeing into things at the moment. Not sure where we'll ultimately end up, but wanting to live close to water really narrows things down. I prefer the ocean, but am willing to consider lakefront, as well, if anyone has any affordable-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ish</span> suggestions.</div><div></div><div>Change is in the air, in this new year - I am hopeful that good things are headed our (and your) way!</div><div></div>tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-14576221625781511072007-12-19T09:59:00.000-07:002007-12-19T10:23:03.393-07:00An Early Present<span style="color:#000000;">It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquKWLOZa2d_5HBBmhcYVbEqBoXNDlgIAOAB03FzbP0Pi9mHkeKegut05rxjBGXlDZOqOkzVGb8IHVWVd37Cm9ypMjouA-6uJOlzvHpZ8wD9Xsx-j28AoG6AxRyLOT-pCzImKw/s1600-h/holly-leaves-2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145735517944695810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquKWLOZa2d_5HBBmhcYVbEqBoXNDlgIAOAB03FzbP0Pi9mHkeKegut05rxjBGXlDZOqOkzVGb8IHVWVd37Cm9ypMjouA-6uJOlzvHpZ8wD9Xsx-j28AoG6AxRyLOT-pCzImKw/s200/holly-leaves-2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><blockquote><p><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="color:#660000;">The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before October 31, 2006.<br /></span><br /></span><span style="color:#660000;">The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before December 14, 2005. </span></p></blockquote></div>tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-88197294023670731752007-12-18T10:22:00.000-07:002007-12-18T10:55:23.503-07:00The True Meaning of ChristmasThe presents have been bought, wrapped, and shipped off to their final destinations. The bags are starting to be packed to accompany us to the Lone Star state, where we'll spend the holidays with our families, with friends, and with the memories of those we've lost. <br /><br />I read the most moving blog post I've seen in a long time today. I sat and read and cried for longer than I care to admit. This <a href="http://www.kowalskijourney.blogspot.com/">post</a> is a beautiful tribute about the power of family - a love letter between father and daughter - a reminder to us all to treasure the here and now. I saw a little bit of my own father in her post - both of the man he was, and the grandfather he could have been to our little girl. What a touching and timely reminder to celebrate moments shared, rather than mourn things missed.tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-30841046004005088172007-12-12T10:46:00.000-07:002007-12-12T11:00:13.749-07:00DelusionI don't know whether to laugh, or to sob uncontrollably. I contacted an agency to ask about possibly switching programs recently, and got this as a response:<br /><blockquote>If I understand what you said correctly, you have a LID that is over one<br />year old. My understanding is that it is possible that you could get a<br />referral the end of 2008. Since the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">CCAA</span> has a rule that the newest child<br />must be in the home for one year before you can receive a referral, it seems<br />that if you processed through the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">XXXXX</span> program, you would need to put<br />the China program on hold. </blockquote>I'm furious that there are still agencies out there selling the idea of quick referrals to clients. I'm even more furious that this is an agency with its own China program, so they should know better! I know there are financial considerations involved, but please - don't delude yourself or me that somehow the 43 weeks from now until October 27, 2006 are going to be referred out before the end of 2008. That would mean that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">CCAA</span> would have to start referring full months, which seems almost beyond the realm of possibility at this point.<br /><br />I wish that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">CCAA</span> and our agencies understood one simple fact - all adoptive parents are looking for is the truth. If the wait is 1 year, 3 years, or 5 years, tell us that - we'll wrap our heads around it and make the appropriate decision for each of our families. It's the limbo that's changing us, binding us, hurting us. I turned to adoption partly to get off the "maybe someday, maybe never" train of infertility treatment. Ironically, I seem to have bought another ticket.tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-59706894656079280972007-12-11T17:59:00.000-07:002007-12-11T18:32:47.770-07:00Book MemeI ran across this book meme, and thought I'd give it a go. Sometimes reading adoption books when we are so far out from receiving a referral is less than inspiring, so I'm trying to catch up on some old classics I haven't yet read. Consider yourself tagged!<br /><br />Bold the ones you've read, italicise the ones you might read, leave the ones you won't, and underline the ones on your book shelf!<br /><br /><strong>The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown</strong><br /><strong>The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger</strong><br /><strong>The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams</strong><br /><strong>The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald</strong><br /><strong>To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee</strong><br /><em>The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger</em><br /><em>His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman</em><br /><strong><u>The Harry Potter Series - J. K. Rowling</u></strong><br /><strong>Life of Pi - Yann Martel</strong><br /><strong><u>Animal Farm - George Orwell</u></strong><br /><em>Catch-22 - Joseph Heller</em><br /><strong>The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien</strong><br /><u>The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon</u><br /><strong><u>Lord of the Flies - William Golding</u></strong><br />Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen<br /><strong><u>1984 - George Orwell</u></strong><br /><em>One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel García Márquez</em><br /><strong><u>Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden</u></strong><br /><em>The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini</em><br /><strong>The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold</strong><br />Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut<br /><strong>Angels and Demons - Dan Brown</strong><br /><strong><u>Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk</u></strong><br /><em>Neuromancer</em> - William Gibson<br />Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson<br />The Secret History - Donna Tartt<br /><em>A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess</em><br /><em>Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte</em><br /><strong>Brave New World - Aldous Huxley</strong><br /><strong>The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis</strong><br /><em>Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides</em><br />Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell<br /><strong>The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien</strong><br />Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë<br />Good Omens - Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman<br /><em>Atonement - Ian McEwan</em><br />The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon<br /><strong>The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway</strong><br /><strong><u>The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood</u></strong><br /><em><u>The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath</u></em><br />Dune - Frank Herbert<br /><strong><u>The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand</u></strong><br /><strong>Where the Red Fern Grows - Wilson Rawls</strong><br /><strong><u>The Light in the Forest - Conrad Richter</u></strong><br /><strong><u></u></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#3366ff;">How many books do you have?</span></strong><br /><br />Wow - I have no idea. More than I can count (but hopefully not more than I can read someday). At least three bookshelves full, and some stacked in piles here and there.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#3366ff;">What's the last book you read?</span></strong><br /><br />My Friend Leonard by James Frey - a semi autobiographical tale of living with addiction. An interesting, albeit controversial, read. I found myself wondering if I enjoyed the book more when I thought it was non-fiction, or when I found out it wasn't entirely an accurate account.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#3366ff;">What’s the last book you bought?</span></strong><br /><br />The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - a non-fictional account of a woman who's parents were homeless by choice. I haven't read it yet, but I'm interested to understand what makes someone choose that kind of life for themselves and their families.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#3366ff;">Five Meaningful Books</span></strong><br /><br />This is a tough one - narrowing my favorites down to five is nearly impossible. There are so many books I love in my ever-growing collection, but here's five that make me feel:<br /><br /><em>Into the Wild</em> - I wish I were half as brave as Chris McCandless.<br /><em>The Fountainhead</em> - The imagery and detailed prose in the book are worth the inordinate amount of time it takes to read.<br /><em>Where the Red Fern Grows</em> - It makes me cry, every time.<br /><em>Bridge to Terabithia</em> - It reminds me that it's ok to believe in something you can't see.<br /><em>Rebecca</em> - Because I didn't see the twist coming....<br /><br />Leave me a comment if you've got a favorite not on my list above - I'm always looking for a great read!tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-40005336053507214972007-11-26T10:25:00.000-07:002007-11-26T10:56:27.054-07:00An Unconventional Thanksgiving<div>We do it every year - eat and eat and drink until we've stuffed ourselves sick. It's a Thanksgiving tradition. This year, however, we decided to do something a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">little</span> different. We cancelled our brunch reservations, and headed with D.'s mom into the mountains for a weekend of communing with nature.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-AptKNy6nL9ufAboDwDBtP-uuMhZTe4vmBLaKXVyTEaC5m50NsJDoSvyaRFj53R-kN9Eo7jNJO3s5Pm7N2y33XyckRNa10WSl1lGiQN9DWTMY33KQRizhXhKtr7JhRy_pW2w/s1600-h/Bigroom.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137203135981004162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-AptKNy6nL9ufAboDwDBtP-uuMhZTe4vmBLaKXVyTEaC5m50NsJDoSvyaRFj53R-kN9Eo7jNJO3s5Pm7N2y33XyckRNa10WSl1lGiQN9DWTMY33KQRizhXhKtr7JhRy_pW2w/s200/Bigroom.jpg" border="0" /></a>First stop was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Kartchner</span> Caverns, about an hour south of Tucson. We've been wanting to go for ages, but tickets (and time) have proven elusive until now. Thanksgiving morning dawned cold and clear, and made for perfect driving weather. Touring the caverns was an incredible experience. It truly makes you think about the passage of time, and how small a blip we are in the cosmic scheme of things. </div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-VlbbD3gceY0lcgnv50FLufo5GYpYAMrOFxNmq-KBjYkoICqmEBq3v3HaDHt7DGvQdxE1280h3FHORXINEXh5OPtYmMd0nttKY01kp2QaZEjB8xZLR9vMlyzLW6wDemLwHk4/s1600-h/Up-the-Creek-LG.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137204806723282322" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-VlbbD3gceY0lcgnv50FLufo5GYpYAMrOFxNmq-KBjYkoICqmEBq3v3HaDHt7DGvQdxE1280h3FHORXINEXh5OPtYmMd0nttKY01kp2QaZEjB8xZLR9vMlyzLW6wDemLwHk4/s200/Up-the-Creek-LG.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Our next stop was Mount <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Lemmon</span>, which tops out at 9,000 feet, and offers a welcome respite from the desert heat. The drive up the mountain is truly beautiful - saguaro cactus at the bottom give way to aspens and pines as the elevation changes. The leaves have started to change colors, and it finally felt like fall in the crisp air.</div><div> </div><div>Normally, it's about 20 degrees cooler on the top of Mount <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Lemmon</span> than it is in the city. We were expecting it to be about 50 degrees up there, and dressed accordingly. Much to our surprise, it actually was 36 degrees on the top with a hefty breeze, and we froze. I'm so thankful that I had stuffed a hat into the truck (a leftover freebie from a hockey game), otherwise my ears would have frozen off. Nonetheless, we had fun hiking and taking lots of pictures of the scenery. It was a great day.</div><div> </div><div>Somehow, spending Thanksgiving in nature (or really, any day in nature) breeds contemplation in me. I guess I feel small when faced with splendor all around me. I want to share all that this beautiful earth has to offer with our daughter. I want to see her dunk her fingers in a mountain stream and marvel at how cold snow runoff can be. I want to see her climb a boulder and beam proudly when she reaches the top. Somehow, this Thanksgiving, the wait for referral seemed possible. Nature takes her own sweet time, but the results can be spectacular.</div>tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24220619.post-15167104563886885762007-11-13T10:15:00.000-07:002007-11-13T10:56:37.098-07:00Random Ramblings<p>Woke up this morning and my thoughts are in an agitated jumble....<br /></p><ol><li>After a nice lunch this weekend with friends <a href="http://www.waitingforlaurenelizabeth.blogspot.com/">Donna and Joe</a>, and <a href="http://www.ourdesertlily.blogspot.com/">Nancy, Brian and their </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4fpLzmBr2KEKnO5YDbnfT_pVxbQGRgpldxkEYA1WQWA_RFmJOoj-aO-asrzc4jZLdKmyhpYqbaZ2cZ2p9L2H0nqlhd0h2dYkdhBKbbHvAY9R_dQnbCrIw3HPdcqGR88os6Fd/s1600-h/head_calendar.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132384647600401218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4fpLzmBr2KEKnO5YDbnfT_pVxbQGRgpldxkEYA1WQWA_RFmJOoj-aO-asrzc4jZLdKmyhpYqbaZ2cZ2p9L2H0nqlhd0h2dYkdhBKbbHvAY9R_dQnbCrIw3HPdcqGR88os6Fd/s200/head_calendar.gif" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.ourdesertlily.blogspot.com/">daughter Lily</a>, we all went to a seminar on how to incorporate Chinese culture into our children's lives. It was an interesting discussion about the Chinese calendar, traditions, language, and education. It was also a lot of fun to see all of the beautiful Chinese children in tow - they are a tangible reminder of what we're waiting <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUUxm_lgwuNYNar9Z5fBiwYbx-Ee1n9vAKmiGgRek7mEXUu4sdEjQWqod_upOL5_CtX8_Z3C2G3jXxmbfbhchqVQ4MNep0mffdGSFWkJx8MddsKU6S6hyzJ0npHW7u7EkPI4-/s1600-h/head_calendar.gif"></a>for. That said, I never feel so far away from becoming a parent as when I'm in a room full of families with kids.</li><br><br /><li>Our dossier is in the review room. We know this because other folks with our agency who share our LID date have been asked for additional information. Unfortunately, they were questioned about items falling under the new rules, which we were led to believe wouldn't happen for dossiers logged in prior to May 1, 2007. Needless to say, we'll be very relieved when we make it past review, and are sending our positive energy to those folks who are scrambling to supply even more documentation that they are fit to parents.</li><br><br /><li>We heard from our "partner in waiting" last week. Our agency assigns each family a staff member who checks in every so often to see how we're doing. Ours was candid enough to say that although the current wait for those just matched was 24 months - the wait would continue to grow and that she didn't know to how long. I was grateful for her honesty. I think if one more agency says that the wait is two years, I'm going to scream. That's like standing in front of a factory that has just burned down, then answering "We made $1 billion in profit last year" when asked for sales projections.</li><br><br /><li>We're about to have to renew our paperwork. I've been putting it off. The mere thought of it makes me annoyed. Not only did we have to prove that we're suitable parent material once, but now we have to do it again. And all signs point to the fact that we'll have to do it a third time before all is said and done. It makes me crazy to know that all this time we're waiting, children who've been left behind are waiting, too.</li></ol><p>Sometimes it just helps to write it all down. Sometimes I wish my heart wasn't in China, so we could move on to another program. Application forms have been on my desk for months. I just can't bring myself to sign them... </p>tocspawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09714932894424514816noreply@blogger.com4