Category Archives: culture

Choosing a School or Why Cornerstone?

Posted on 08.Jul.09 by | 9 comments

A year ago, we were in the midst of trying to start a small city grammar campus – starting with just one class – of the local classical school that is sponsored by a large suburban PCA church. In a lot of ways, this was our ideal. School in the city, with an urban culture, but under the oversight of an established school and its board, with most of the factors such as curricula already decided for us. Michael taught at the upper school before law school, and we saw firsthand its many benefits and excellent results. However, the idea of sending our children 15 miles into the depths of the suburbs for 13 years of education (and driving our fair share of carpools there and back) was not that attractive. So the idea of a grammar school in the city (and then maybe a bus!) sat well with us, and we were very hopeful that we had a good chance of pulling it off.

Due to a number of different disappointing factors, things never coalesced, and we never reached the momentum we’d need to open with even ONE class. In mourning the loss of a great idea unrealized, I had a really hard time getting excited about the good and fine grammar school in the suburbs. Trying to think about how I would make it work even with carpooling, since Lexi’s preschool is 5 miles in the other direction (and it takes 40+ minutes to drive between the two), gave me a headache. And I feared the headache would continue every school day for the next two years as I drove non-stop, tiring myself out. Continue reading →

9 Comments

Posted in culture, parental ponderings

Covert Urban Gardening

Posted on 25.Mar.09 by | Leave a comment

Guerrilla Gardening sounds like a lot of fun. Anyone local in? I still think we need to put a rooftop garden at RMC.

Leave a comment

Posted in culture

Sharing the Love

Posted on 10.Mar.09 by | 5 comments

I love making stuff, so the first five people to respond to this post (from here or on facebook) will get something made by me.

This offer does have some restrictions so please read carefully:
– I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.
– What I create will be just for YOU.
– It will be done this year (2009).
– It will be something made in the real world and not something over the internet.
– It might be a mix CD, a knitted scarf, a quilted potholder, poem, baked goods, an original photograph, a poem or a photograph of a poem about baked goods and quilted potholders…who knows! There are other things it might be too, but I promise whatever it is, it will be made for YOU and with YOU in mind!

In return, all you need to do is post this on your blog or facebook and make 5 things for 5 other people.

Void where prohibited, use only as directed, for a limited time only, store in a cool dry place. Let’s keep it going!

5 Comments

Posted in crafting, culture

An Open Letter Regarding V-Day

Posted on 12.Feb.09 by | 5 comments

If you feel inclined to get a last minute gift, don’t believe the commercials: most women do not really want the big red box of Russell Stover’s chocolates. Buy good chocolate. Even a couple bars from a high end grocery store’s inventory is much better than that red box.

5 Comments

Posted in culture

Lexi on Her Favorite Movie

Posted on 07.Feb.09 by | 5 comments


Seepin Booty from Kristen Stewart on Vimeo.

5 Comments

Posted in culture, family life

Women Need Women I

Posted on 15.Jan.09 by | 14 comments

If you are an expecting mother, or ever expect to be a mother, there is one key factor I have observed for a successful, natural childbirth: having a woman who has been there with you. You can (and should) read the books, take a class and think of coping strategies. But I have seen that having a trusted friend, your mom, or even a professional attendant (doula) with you is unparalleled. That woman can look you in the eyes and talk you through labor in a way no one else can. I was listening to a friend’s account of being present for another friend’s birth (a VBAC) and I was so excited for the both of them to have shared that experience, together. When I was preparing for Kate’s birth, I thought I wanted an intimate delivery room, with just the medical personnel and Michael. I was lucky to have a great nurse and a friend who came when I called from the hospital and asked her to, though I ended up with an epidural, I remember how soothing and comforting their presence was to me. With Lexi, I had the midwife (who has 10 kids, most of whom were born at home, including twins) and my mother to talk me through things. I am glad Michael was there as well (they are his children!) but there’s something about having someone who has done it there with you to say, “You can do this, too.” I’d be glad to be there for anyone who asked, if I was logistically able, and I think most women who have had a natural childbirth feel the same way. Don’t be afraid to ask!

I’ve been thinking about some situations where women need women, I will probably write a few more posts on this.

14 Comments

Posted in culture, parental ponderings

Thanks, Publix

Posted on 22.Aug.08 by | 6 comments

I had a variety of errands to do this morning, which is always tiring with two children, and I was feeling very blah in general. So the thought of running into Publix for just a few things was not exciting me. But I did what I had to, and Publix came through. Not only did their superior race car carts delight my children, they played Ingrid Michaelson and Sufjan Stevens in the ten minutes I was there. I really needed to hear “Chicago,” it cheered me up immensely. “you came to take us / all things go, all things go / to recreate us / all things grow, all things grow…”

6 Comments

Posted in culture

Head’s Up for Locals

Posted on 14.Aug.08 by | Leave a comment

Reg’s Coffee House will have a special edition tomorrow morning from 7 a.m. to 10:05, then the new 100.5 will launch. I have no idea what the format will be, but we can only hope that leading off with Reg is a good sign, right?

UPDATE: The new station: live 100.5 is “Birmingham’s Modern Music” and according to the News, will be an AAA station (very Reg-like.) Please listen and support this station! Because it’s owned by a big radio conglomerate, ratings matter more than anything else.

Leave a comment

Posted in culture

Tagged

Posted on 30.Jul.08 by | 2 comments

Back in MAY, Dolly tagged me for 7 random things about me. Elizabeth recently tagged me for 6 quirky things about me. Here are some random and/or quirky things about me.

I delivered my second baby in my parents’ bathtub (on purpose.)

I don’t experience thirst. Seriously, I am almost never thirsty. Since I don’t experience thirst, I have to make myself drink. Vitamin Water is a big drink of choice. So much so that my children call it “mama juice.”

I was on nationally-syndicated local TV show called Action News for Kids as a reporter and anchor when I was about 11, and had to quit when we moved away.

On the one hand, I am a foodie, I love good food, I have an italian chef grandma, it’s in my blood. On the other hand, I think fast food is really good *in moderation* I just love all food.. Except for Chef Boyardee. I have never tasted it because my mother and my grandmother finds it abhorrent and never bought it and neither have I. So maybe I love that too, but I’ll never know. There are definitely some things from my vegetarian youth I don’t care for at all. Lima Beans. TVP. Carob. But for the most part, food makes me happy.

If I could have any job in the world (and be a good mother, etc. or maybe before I had kids…) I’d be Mo Rocca. He just gets to do so much fun stuff.

I vomit at least four or five times a year. I don’t know why, I am just prone to throwing up.

I really like making lists. Lists of Bests and 43 things are cool, but nothing beats a good old fashioned list on paper.

If you need blog fodder, consider yourself tagged. That means you, Noah.

2 Comments

Posted in culture

Short Rant

Posted on 28.Jul.08 by | 8 comments

Dear Brad and Angelina,

Congratulations on the twins and all of that. It’s great to have a big family. The nannies must be nice. But, how dare you steal my firstborn son’s name*! First, you are going to popularize it, or at least, moreso than it is now. And the percent of the population who doesn’t believe we are naming him for a reformer will think we are naming him that because of you.

Someday Perpetually Misunderstood,
me

*It’s been my firstborn son’s name for at least 14 years. And no, it’s not for the reformer. It’s a very prominent family name.

8 Comments

Posted in culture

The City

Posted on 13.Jul.08 by | 6 comments

Since we’ve returned from the beach, our move is more or less imminent, even in the minds of our children. The first time we drove back into the city, I heard behind me Kate exclaim, with a joyous sigh, “the city! We get to live here!” It was the sort of tone children might use when describing Disney World. To our children, the city means living near friends and our church, being in closer proximity to museums and other fun parks and places for adventure. In some ways, we will all miss our idyllic small town street, big yard and sweet bungalow. But we are looking forward to our new home in our new neighborhood, a true urban neighborhood with shops, restaurants and mixed income housing, with a rich and important history. We are blocks away from a research university and hospitals, and within a mile or two of the all of the business district and museums. It is a neighborhood I could see us growing old in. Believing that we needed our time in the bungalow and God used it to grow us and heal us, we are still looking forward to moving to the city, for more reasons than these. The city has drawn us in.

6 Comments

Posted in culture, family life

Kip Said It Best

Posted on 12.Jul.08 by | 3 comments

We’ve been planning to buy the next release of the iphone since Bush declared he’d send us some cash, so we joined the throngs Friday. I’ve definitely used some great features and apps already, and will get a lot of use out of them, but I am not buying games or spending time finding the perfect app for x or y, so I think my time fiddling is already minimizing a great deal. Some of my favorite finds were jott (why was I not using it before?) and save benjis. I really enjoyed being out and about and saying, “Let’s do something fun. Hey, I think there’s a drive-in somewhere nearby.” And being able to quickly find out the location and what was playing so that we could go straight there, no fuss.

Moving is always a hassle, and we are supposed to start next weekend. Unfortunately, we are still waiting on final appraisal numbers, eleven days before closing. Please pray that all goes well. Moving has inspired me to sell some things, including the nursery furniture. Lexi and Kate are camping out on their floor until my parents have a chance to bring the bunk beds that my siblings and I used growing up. Hurrah for classic furniture that stands the test of time. They must be almost thirty years old now, and still going strong.

3 Comments

Posted in culture, family life