SortaCrunchy

Better Late Than Never Poetry Jam!

Here we are - the last day of April, the last day of National Poetry Month.  Are you feeling inspired?  Maybe a little lyrical?  Are you up to reveling in the delights of the written word?

Whether you are in your pajamas rubbing sleep from your eyes or taking a short coffee break at work or sneaking in some blog reading while Sesame Street provides distraction for the little ones or just sitting down for some "me time" after having tucked in your children and your chores, let's all close our eyes for a second and pretend we've all pulled up a chair in a dimly lit coffeehouse and we'll do a little pass the microphone.

What did you bring to share today?  Original verse?  Favorite work from your favorite author?  Don't be shy - let's hear it!

There was no question for me what I wanted to share.  This poem has been my very favorite from the moment it first sang to me from the pages of a handout of works by e.e. cummings in tenth grade Honors English.  Tenth grade girls have been to known to fall in love hard and fast, and mr. cummings invited me to a lifelong romance that day.  He defied all the rules of grammar, and what sophomore isn't drawn to a little rebellion?  He confirmed for me what I already suspected - that poetry is so much more than pentameter and feet and couplets, that a few well-chosen words can penetrate far deeper than line after line of flowery verse, that I just might have a tendency to fall for a smooth-headed man . . .

I was a frizzy-haired fifteen year old who only thought I knew something of love and loss the day I clipped this poem from the pages of the poetry handout and carefully tacked it on the bulletin board in my room.  The heartaches and heartbreaks yet to come deepened my connection with this poem, and by the time I chose it as the subject for my first poetry explication in college as a sophomore English major, I knew it by heart.  It spoke to me then, it speaks to me now:

it is at moments after i have dreamed

it is at moments after i have dreamed
of the rare entertainment of your eyes
when(being fool to fancy)i have deemed

with your peculiar mouth my heart made wise;
at moments when the glassy darkness holds

the genuine apparition of your smile
(it was through tears always)and silence moulds
such strangeness as was mine a little while;

moments when my once more illustrious arms
are filled with fascination,when my breast
wears the intolerant brightness of your charms:

one pierced moment whiter than the rest

- turning from the tremendous lie of sleep
i watch the roses of the day grown deep.

*sigh*  Love it.  My two runners-up are Fleur Adcock's Things and William Carlos Williams's This is Just To Say.

So, who is next?  I would love for you to post your own favorites and use Mr. Linky tell us about it.  Pass the mike, bloggy style.  If you don't want to do your own post, won't you please share in the comments?  And hey Lurkey Loo Lurkers, what better motivation for delurking than to celebrate poetry?  We all have a favorite poem, right?

To all the slings I've loved before . . .

FIRST and foremost - an editorial correction from yesterday's post: Lis Garrett's newest project is titled Root and Sprout.  I had mislabeled it yesterday and I feel awful about it.  Thankfully, Lis is a kind, gracious, and understanding woman.  And really, it's just the most clever and perfect name.  Sorry for the confusion I may have caused!

Okay, so the second article in my babywearing series is up at Blissfully Domestic and it's got me thinking about all the carriers that I've slung over a shoulder or tied around my waist.  What have we had in our stash?  Where are they now?

The very first was The One We Do Not Speak Of - Snugli.  Except mine wasn't even that nice.  *shudder*  I hung on to this for a while, thinking I would freecycle it or something, but I just couldn't do that to someone else.  I pitched it.  It was not a good carrier, ya'll.

My first real sling was a Lucky Baby pouch.  Loved this one, as it was worlds better than the Snugli.  It was hunter green and reversed to a khaki camo because I was hoping/thinking/praying The Coach might wear D in it, too.  Ahem.  I soon discovered other kinds of carriers and decided a pouch style isn't the best choice for me.  Sold this one to my friend Keara.   

Next in the stash was my first mei tai.  It was from mynestlings and I LOVED it!  It had khaki twill straps with a pink paisley on one side and reversed to purple paisley.  It was the perfect body length for me (I like a short body) and the construction was amazing.  Highly recommend her mei tais, but I've never had one of her pouches.  In the spring of 2006, I got really into fitteds and wool (a cloth diapering system that is arguably the cutest way to cloth diaper and is undoubtedly the most expensive) and I sold this to fund my new addiction.  *sniff sniff*  Wish I had hung on to it.

Then I decided it was time to try a ring sling.  I had borrowed a padded one from my sis-in-law and BOY did that not work for me.  Around this time, my friend Shannon was making and selling them, so I bought a CassieBeanie Ring Sling and I still use it!  In fact, my hometown friends have probably seen AJ in it recently - it's the cute pink plaid with the turquoise rings.  Simple and effective.  Love it.  Shannon doesn't make these anymore, but I am sure she could give you more info on the pattern she used.  Here's a little  twelve month old D in it:

I think around this time I also tried a wrap.  I found a Simple Piece Of Cloth wrap on a FSOT board.  Too complicated.  Maybe I'll try again someday.

Since I loved my first ring sling so much, I decided to splurge and get a "luxury" one.  I went with a Chicken Scratch Ring Sling because I just loved Laura Jane so much!  (And evidently LJ doesn't own Chicken Scratch anymore.  Did not know this.)  My first CSRS was the fun and chic Light Brights (and, um, they've raised the prices a bit since my purchase . . . and why shouldn't they?  These are awesome slings!  but I want you to know I didn't splurge *that* much).  THEN, not a month later, I won another CSRS in a drawing!!  It's called Lady Marmalade and it's her signature denim with an orange and cream toile-ish accent fabric.  I don't see it in her collection anymore.  Anyway, Light Brights was also sold to fund my fitteds and wool habit, but I still have Lady and yes, hometown friends have seen AJ out and about it in recently, too.  LOVE these ring slings!  Amazing construction and the fabrics she chooses are just so . . . hip!

Oh, hey!  I found a pic of Lady in my photobucket:

Gotta take a breather.  I'm getting worn out!

Okay, after that I got my heart set on a Napsack Baby.  I LOVED the design of this mei tai and HAD to have one.  The Coach indulged me for Mother's Day.  I waited and waited for my name to come up on the list (do they still have a wait list?  I don't know.  It's been almost two years now.) and carefully chose my fabrics.  It finally arrived and it was LOVELY.  Except just one thing bothered me - the straps were SO long.  Sold it to fund my Ergo.

Loooooooooooooooooooove the Ergo!  (ours is the organic denim) Love, love, love it.  I wore Dace in it tons and AJ is in it every day, at least once a day.  Could not live without it.  I want another soft-structured carrier, but I don't need one.  This one is pretty much the only thing I need.  I just wish it didn't showcase my mommy belly with quite such striking definition.  Oh well - the quality of life it brings me is totally worth the unflattering.

Oh, and also, I've raved about our Mei Tai Baby.  Really loved this when AJ was a newborn, but she does NOT want to face inward anymore, so it doesn't get any love these days.  I have finally learned my lesson about not selling carriers you love, so this will stay in the stash for baby numero tres.  Here's the print for our MTB:

Wow.  That's a lot of carriers, and yet I know many have stashes that make mine look minuscule.

What about you?  What carriers and slings have come your way?  What did you love?  What did you hate?  I REALLY need to know for my future articles in this babywearing series.  Tell me all about your stash in the comments - or, better yet, write up your own post and link me up!  I seriously need reader recommendations and if I choose to use your feedback, I'll link to you on Blissfully Domestic!

 

Week in Review

It's as though I just barely had a chance to breathe in April, and now here we are at the end of it and I don't feel quite ready for May. 

I sometimes feel as if all I do here these days is post pictures and share link love.  Ya'll, this is so unbearably trite but so exceedingly true - there just aren't enough hours in the day for me to do all that I want to.  So I focus on what I need to, and carve out time for the rest when I can.

Anyway, can you handle a few more links?  A few more pictures?

Two women I admire and respect are each about to launch separate but equally exciting new ventures and I want to make you aware of them:

Lis Garrett, of both woolgatherings and Lis Garrett: Silver Tongued Writer, is launching a new online web site called Root and Sprout.  Get a little preview of the sort of content Root and Sprout will offer here to find out why I am so looking forward to her launch.  I know some of you are amazing writers - this may be just the opportunity you have been looking for!  She also has information available if you are interested in advertising at Root and Sprout.

Another writer I absolutely adore is Megan of Velveteen Mind.  (She had me at Victor Vito.)  I am quite excited about her upcoming roll-out of Blog Nosh Magazine.  (Nosh.  Delish.)  Even though my feedreader and blogroll and email subscriptions are already way more than I can ever manage, I still love to discover new-to-me writers who are putting great content out there.  (She's looking for posts and channel editors - think you might be interested?)

One post I came across this week has spoken to me deeply and I keep rolling it around in my mind, like a mental wine tasting, breathing it in and savoring the top-notes and nuances in each sip:  Ann Voskamp's Breathe.

I don't usually read keeping awake, but Karla shared this in her reader this week, and I am so thankful - if you have a minute, go check out Boothe's thoughts on the question, "What if better doesn't come?"

AND ohmygosh I almost forgot this one!  I have to tell you about one of my new favorite blogs - Small Notebook.  They don't come much cooler than Rachel.  To begin with, she's a Texas mama (with tops out the cool meter right off the bat), and not only that, she's all about living green in the city - complete with compost bin, herb garden, and clothesline.  She buys gently used clothes for her darling daughter and I just adore how her blog is a collection of amazing photography, sweet ink drawings, and helpful, practical insights.  Go see her.  Enjoy.

OKAY.  I feel so much lighter.  Thanks for indulging me.

SO.

I think about five or six of you commited to mentioned you'd be up for sharing some poetry on Wednesday in honor of the (now almost over) National Poetry Month.  If I can figure it out, I'll do a Mr. Linky.  Let's have a good old-fashioned-hippie-beatnik poetry read!  Roll out your original verses or share your favorite lines from your favorite poets.  I can't wait!

Wait!  Before you go. I have pictures.

D celebrated Earth Day by glorying in both nature and pink.  Because pink's awfully earthy, right?

(these were shot through the window screen as I was trying to catch her unaware)

(which lasted about as long as one camera click)

(and then the silliness started)

(and the posing)

And can you believe AJ started with the finger foods this week? 

And finally, as you know and I am sure you are sick of hearing about, I haven't slept a whole lot in the past week.  And so here's my mothering tip of the week - when you are smooth-runnin' exhausted but your preschooler is abounding with energy, I can't think of a much more relaxing, mama-doesn't-have-to-move-or-even-get-out-of-her-chair activity than letting little one loose with the face paints.

Behold.

I so wanted to photoshop those dark circles away.  But that wouldn't have been very truthy of me, right?

WEDNESDAY.  POETRY.  BE HERE.

API Speaks!

(Yes, it's nearly one in the morning and I really am up this late blogging.  Short story made long - AJ is still sick, and now has a croup-y cough (not real croup, mind you, just a croup-y cough) (can you do parentheses inside parentheses?  Anyone know?  I guess I just did.) ), and she also has a nervous mama who doesn't like the sound of all that wheezing and would rather just sit up and doze with her all night than toss and turn and worry in bed until morning.)

This more-than-normal amount of time being invested in some intense nighttime parenting reminded me that I've let nearly a week go by without mentioning the exciting news that Attachment Parenting International has introduced a new blog: API Speaks! 

How awesome is this?  I've had the gorgeous opportunity to meet so many wonderful AP mamas through online connections.  I look forward to hearing from more of them at API Speaks.  In fact, I already have a couple of favorite articles:

* Remember our recent discussion on wearing the new baby?  Check this out - Dr. Maria Blois will be writing feature articles twice a month at API Speaks and her first article is on wearing a newborn.

AND

* I am loving Scylla's article Spare the Crib, Spoil Thyself as it speaks to exactly why I am an AP mama!   

Think you might like to contribute to the AP community by telling your story at API Speaks?  I do believe they are open to submissions right now and you can find their guidelines here.

Do you have a favorite AP resource (either online or off) that has encouraged you in your parenting journey?  I would love to hear about it! 

Winner!

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway for The Vaccine Book.  Winner is Tanya!

Thinking Thoughts

(Before I commence, I must say this post's title is totally inspired by Camaschick's Thinking Things.  If I had thought of it first, I would have totally opted for that as a blog title rather than SortaCrunchy . . .)

I don't watch the news much anymore.  I find the news to be difficult for us sensitive types who are prone to bawl their eyes out in the shower over a fifteen-second news story detailing some horrific, devastating act perpetrated against an innocent child garishly sandwiched between "Which Pump Has The Cheapest Gas Prices in Town?" and "What YOU Need to Know Before You Shop for Your Summer Wardrobe."

What very, very little news I am watching these days has to do with, of course, politics.  I've never been and probably never will be much of a political activist.  I find politics on the whole to be confusing, perplexing, and disappointing.  As a theologically conservative Christian, it becomes even more difficult to sort through what the talking heads report as Truth while those who are supposed to be preaching what I know to be Truth tread ever further past that long-ago crossed boundary line that separates Here Is What I Propose You Consider from Here is How You, Bible-Believing Christian, Must Think/Act/Speak/Vote.

I am extremely intrigued by this book my friend Mandy recently reviewed.  The description alone speaks to me.  It has moved to the very top of my "next to read" list.

In the meantime, yesterday my dear friend/writing partner/all-around-mind-twin Laura wrote a brilliant essay that puts eloquent and passionate words to some thoughts I've been chewing on for a long time.  I do hope you'll take a few minutes to go read it.  I wonder how many feel the same way?  And yes, I did ask before I linked because I am aware that linking to this will possibly open her up to some criticisms from those who agree with us on most things, but do not agree with us on this thing.

(And to be sure, Laura is not all about seriousness.  Check her toothpaste post as evidence of that!)

Thoughts?

Earth-Mother's Day Giveaway!

You'll want to check this out, mamas . . .

Crunchy Domestic Goddess is holding a huge giveaway to honor and celebrate both our earth and the mamas who make this planet go 'round.  There are many, many delightfully green and crunchy and delicious prizes to be won.  (None of them are edible, although that last sentence may have led you to believe otherwise.)  The giveaway runs from now through May 11th, so make sure you stop by her place soon to peruse the goodies!

Of Earth and Poetry

Happy Earth Day everyone!

What will you do to celebrate? 

Sometimes the idea of going green or saving the planet can be a little overwhelming.  Sometimes it seems too big, and it's much easier to just be content to let others make the changes.  (And I can be Queen of the It's Too Hard, so I am speaking primarily to myself here!)

But there are lots of little things we can all do to make little changes.  And you know what?  Lots of little changes can motivate you to make some big changes.

Here are some little changes we've been working on:

* Almost 100% kitchen cloth use instead of paper towels and paper napkins.  One roll of paper towels (that I use primarily for wiping up meat juice messes) lasts for weeks and weeks and weeks around here.

* Switched to  Country Save detergent.  It's the best stuff I've ever used - safe for cloth diapers and safe for the earth!

* FREECYCLE - we've been known to nearly fill a dumpster after a round of spring cleaning or pre-move decluttering.  Now I try to list any and everything we want to get rid of on Freecycle.  It is uhMAZing what people will be happy to take off your hands for you!

* And one BIG, HUGE change we are about to undertake - getting rid of the plastic water bottles!  Yes, ya'll, I think we are about to take the pledge.

Want some great ideas on how to celebrate Earth Day as a family?  Go visit Crunchy Domestic Goddess's Making Earth Day a Family Day for an excellent list of ideas.

*********************************************************************************

Now, on a slightly different note . . . did you know that April is National Poetry Month?  Yes, it is indeed.  I was wondering . . . would anyone want to join me in celebrating?  I thought maybe we could do a bloggy poetry read-along next Wednesday, April 30th.  You could share your favorite poem(s) either on your blog or in the comments.  Self-composed poetry would be welcome, as well as favorite poems from your favorite writers. 

Anyone? 

If there's enough interest, I might try to do the Mr. Linky thing, so let me know if you would want to play along!

Bloggy Giveaway!

 

Hello!  Welcome to the Spring 2008 edition of bloggy giveaways.  Such a fun week this is!  If this is your first visit to SortaCrunchy, let me tell you I am so glad you stopped by.  Feel free to take a minute to snoop around - the doors are always open around here.

This week, I am giving away one copy of Dr. Bob Sears' The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child.  Vaccine information awareness is a topic I am passionate about.  Dr. Sears has spent thirteen years researching vaccines and has put together invaluable information on each vaccine on the market today coupled with up-to-date information on the diseases these vaccines are designed to protect our children against.  His approach is one of advocating for vaccination while encouraging parents to make careful, informed choices about when and why each vaccine should be given.

I cannot say enough good things about this book!  I think it is one each parent should have on the bookshelf as a guide and go-to reference.  Even if you are past the years of having to worry over vaccine schedules, you may perhaps want to win a copy to pass on to friends and family who are in the "havin' babies" season of life.

*Important giveaway note - The Vaccine Book is written for parents in the U.S.  and contains information unique to the Centers for Disease Control/American Academy of Pediatrics vaccine schedule.  Therefore, this giveaway is for residents of the United States only.  BUT, I don't want to leave my dear blogging friends in Canada and other parts of the world out of all the fun, so if you are not a resident of the U.S., go ahead and leave me a comment telling me where you live and if your name is chosen, I bet I can come up with a little somethin' to send you instead of this book!

* To enter, all you need to do is leave me a comment.  Make sure the email address you enter in your comment is accurate!  I will draw a winner on Friday, April 25th, sometime during nap time (mid-afternoon).

By the way, you can find the complete list of bloggy giveaway participants here.  (And would you believe when I posted this at 5:45 this morning, there were already over 140 giveaways listed?  Ay-yi-yi!  Bless your heart for making it by to see me.)

Have a gorgeous week, and thank you again for stopping in!

COMMENTS CLOSED!  THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

Heads-Up

If you are new here via Blissfully Domestic or Megan's super fab Havin' It Made In Your Shades post at Chic Critique - please know that I really do post content, sometimes ever regularly.  I'm just keeping it low-key this month as I work on some things around here.

This here little post was actually going to be much more involved, but I was up for quite literally most of the night with a sickly Little Sister.  (Here's your freebie parenting tip o' the day: If your seven month wakes up in the middle of the night with a 104.3 temp, don't - just don't - Google "seven month old 104 fever."  You're not going to find what you are looking for, but you will find a whole bunch of info that will scare you into not going back to sleep.  Just go ahead and call the 24 hour nurse hotline number your pediatrician office gives you.  The sweet and comforting RN you talk to will assure you that unless your baby's temp gets up to 105, you probably don't need to take her into the ER.  Good to know, yes?  You're welcome.)  So I'm a bit groggy.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know I'm gonna be playing along with the Spring 2008 round of Bloggy Giveaways.  It starts Monday morning and I've got my giveaway all planned out and ready to roll, so be sure to check back then.  And of course, you'll want to check the plethora of other giveaways happening next week, too!

One last heads-up - my delayed vaccination schedule article and the first in a series of babywearing articles are up over at Blissfully Domestic.  Feel free to pop over there and check them out!  In fact, there are all kinds of great articles that go up daily over there, so make sure you get your daily fix.

See you Monday!