Living, Loving, Learning

Things are going really well here in snowy Michigan. We have had a GREAT weekend. First of all, like a dummy, I forgot to put a diaper on Griffin before I put him to bed on Thursday night (no, I had not cracked open a bottle of wine yet!) And ***insert drum roll here*** he woke up DRY! Yeah!! He was so proud of himself and said that he was done with diapers forever. We have not put one on since though he has had a few accidents at nap time. We are getting close to being totally done with potty training and I couldn't be more proud of my little dude. Bruce and I were able to go on a date Saturday night. It had been a LONG time since we had been out alone and we really enjoyed ourselves. It was only possible because of our fantastic friends, the Webber family, kept Griffin overnight. Thanks guys!!! Bruce and I had a great dinner out and had so much fun dreaming about all the things this year is going to bring, discussing what locations are the top choices for moving to, what our next

I am currently reading Bob Dylan's biography "Chronicles Volume 1". I am enjoying the parts in which he imparts emotion or reflection although much of the book so far has been an almost list like recollection of names, dates and places. I do not recognize many of his peers' names and not spending much time in Manhattan, I also do not have a grasp on the locations of all the music bars he mentions. His recollections of his feeling and lifestyle pre-musical success are very cool and exactly what you would hope for from such a legend. This passage hits home in so many ways: "In 1951 I was going to grade school. One of the things we were trained to do was to hide and take cover under our desks when the air-raid sirens blew because the Russians could attack us with bombs. We were also told that the Russians could be parachuting from planes over our town at any time. These were the same Russians that my uncles had fought alongside only a few years earlier. Now they had

Here are some recent moments for you all. This is what we are looking at inside the house. I am very proud of getting my Paphiopedilum orchid to rebloom...I have had it for 5 years and this is the second time it has bloomed for me. Griffin loves playing "monkey in the jungle" in our big schefflera tree...poor thing is starting to show the effects of all this "love and attention" Griffin is showing it. And this is what we are looking at outside. The icestorm that froze the midwest only slightly carressed our area. Just enough to frost all the tree with a layer of sparkly ice. When the wind blows the trees make an incredibly eerie creaky noise. We are just glad that winter has finally arrived.

Senator Barack Obama , originally uploaded by Stephen Voss .

Barack Obama is running for President in '08 ...things are about to get interesting friends!

So, Griffin is obsessed. I can't get overly concerned about it, I mean, I know he has come by it honestly. He LOVES the book series "No, David" and I mean LOVE. I have been able to sweep all the wood floors, clean the bathroom and put a casserole in the oven while he pores over the pages again and again. As a woman who can put a Danielle Steel novel away in a day, an Anne Lamott book in an afternoon and an Utne Reader in 1 1/2 hours I totally get this. Anyways, big thanks out to Julie, for sending David to us, in multiples, so that we never have to look very far for him!

So, an idea that a lot of bloggers have been working on "The Uberlist" has inspired me to create one of my own. Basically it is a list of all the things you would like to get done in the next year if it was a perfect world. Here is my first stab at it: Get the house ready to put on the market and... Sell the house Chose a location and home that nurtures our family and supports our future goals Give Bruce the organizational support needed to find a new job Have a second child Learn how to make a really good pancake like my Mom's Continue to reconnect with old friends through the phone, snail mail and internet Make 5 new friends Throw Bruce a graduation party Cook dinner 4 nights a week Continue to serve fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal, every day buy more organic foods learn to like to eat seafood learn to tie dye learn to cook more meals with whole grains and beans find more authentic international restaurants in our area make more of an effort to spend money in

Before Christmas, my Mom came down for a quick afternoon visit...lunch at our favorite restaurant and a little shopping. Anyways, Griffin sure was happy to have his Granny around. I added a picture to clue you into to where we were!!

I have become an Auntie again. My sister Jessica and her husband Anthony welcomed Alethia Ann Simone Amor (Aly) into the world yesterday evening. What an incredible way to welcome in '07 with this precious new treasure joining our family. Alethia is doing wonderful and Mama is hanging in there. It was a hard delivery and we send Jessica all of our healing prayers, thoughts and lots of good juju messages. We pray that Anthony will stay strong in mind and spirit and body to support his ladies. I would like to dedicate a traditional Irish blessing to my little niece. May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. And rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of His hand. May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live. Always remember to forget the things that made you sad. But never forget to remember the things that made you glad. Always remember to forget