TravelingMel

May 11, 2008

Mother's Day is like having another birthday. Only this time, instead of being on New Year's Eve and having the whole world party and celebrate--but not for you--it's in May, when nothing else is going on. Instead of people trying to pass off Christmas/birthday presents as adequate gifts, you get a one-holiday gift. The presents don't come from as many people, but at least they are just for this one day.

Like last year, we headed over to Henry's Parent's place in Ennis for Mother's Day to celebrate Henry's mom. Of course, the day was more about Anders than anyone else, but I got a lovely gift certificate to Rosedale Gardens, some yummy jam and a handmade box. More importantly, I felt appreciated. Although, Henry makes sure that happens every day of the year.

My Mother's Day breakfast courtesy of Henry.

Anders gets his hair done before heading out for the day.

Anders actually really likes being vacuumed. He thinks it is hilarious when the vacuum chases him around the house.

Big H and GranMogie enjoy the Anders show.

Anders gets photographed from all angles.

Playing with spoons is a favorite activity. Whenever we go to the MT Cup Anders goes behind the counter and brings back spoons.

Anders and Big Henry in the grass in front of the Harrison house in Ennis.

Anders frolics.

Big Henry and Henry help Anders jump over the bushes.

During a short break in the wind and greyness, we take a break on the deck steps.

Big Henry teaches Anders how to dumpster dive.

May 9, 2008

After waiting three weeks, I finally got my car back. We bought a 2004 Passat VW Wagon in December and it has been nothing but trouble. We've had several expensive fixes, had to jump start it a handful of times and had a rock come crashing through the sunroof on the highway. We took it back to the dealership and they agreed to take the lemon back and trade us for a better car--one that runs.

Three weeks later I couldn't take the waiting anymore and Henry got them to to do the latest fix for free instead. Cross your fingers.

All that is to say, we had to drive to Bozeman on Friday to pick up the car. And since we all had to go, we stopped by the Children's Museum of Bozeman to get in a little play time before hopping back in the vehicles and heading over the hill.

Anders loves being carried through the beads, too bad they aren't long enough to reach the floor so he could walk through them himself. He giggles like crazy when they graze his face.

This was Anders' first time playing the piano. Can you believe how good he is?

In a previous post I mentioned how much Anders' loves the rice table (technically I think it is a sand and water activity table) and although he tried out a couple other activities this time (with a little prodding) the rice table is still the most alluring thing in the museum.

The rice table is Anders' all-time favorite activity at the Children's Museum. I don't know why these other kids were there, getting in the way of Anders' play and my picture taking.

May 9, 2008

There is a new game on the Internet (which I found via Ecorazzi) that lets you spend $3 trillion--the projected cost of the Iraq War according to Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and Harvard lecturer Linda Bilmes.

I gave it try. Here's what I spent it on:

Gave all single mothers a helping hand
Increased sustainable organic produce in the U.S.
Provided food, shelter and vet care for unwanted pets
Gave every teacher a raise
Ended third world debt
Helped Iraqi children
Gave $1 million to the needy
Doubled the National Park Service budget for a year
Paid for the world to comply with the Kyoto protocols
Achieved universal literacy
Gave universal health care to every American
Ended world hunger for a year
Housed America's homeless
Cured 2 deadly diseases
Switched the U.S. to solar power
Ended hunger and poverty-related diseases
Helped all orphans

And all that only cost $2,840,784,003,071.51. I had money left over to buy some rawhide bones for the dogs and add a room onto the house for the new baby, plus much, much more.

What would you buy for $3 trillion? Play the game here.

May 6, 2008

Rigby has a lovely, thick double coat of fur. It keeps him snugly warm on the coldest of winter days. It even keeps him coolish in the summer, although you wouldn't know it from all the panting.

Every spring, my sweet malamute sheds his winter undercoat and grows a summer undercoat, which he then sheds in the fall. Don't be misled, he sheds every day of the year, but there are two big blowouts annually that last about a month each.

We are in the middle of one now.

I wanted to get him shaved, but Henry cherry-picked pieces of information off the internet to defend his opinion that Rigby should not be shaved. (The double coat helps keep him cool, shaving damages the hollow hair shafts, it is psychologically damaging to mals...etc.)

During his online search, Henry stumbled upon The FURminator. (The second picture on the website even shows a malamute--not as cute as Riggy--sitting in all the hair removed by the FURminator.) This brush promises to remove more hair than any other shedding tool while not damaging the fur and reduce shedding by 90%. 90%!!!!

Big Henry was kind enough to pick up the FURminator in Bozeman this morning on his way over to Livingston. I only brushed Rigby for a few minutes since the fur was flying and I didn't want to inundate my neighbors with mal fur. Tomorrow we'll head to the dog park and really give it a workout.

Let the deFURminating begin...

A quick lesson in deFURminating: don't stand downwind of the dog you are brushing.

If the dandelions or the holes in the lawn aren't enough to drive our neighbors crazy, maybe this will do it.

May 5, 2008

As many of you know, I've been a vegetarian since I was 16 years old. That's 17 years meat-free. Although in the last few years I've been eating a little salmon. I was lured into it by a friend at Cooper Park who is a fishing guide in Alaska during the summer. He gave me my first sample of smoked salmon for free. I've been paying for it ever since.

Everyone always wants to know why I became a vegetarian. Why I choose to stop eating meat isn't as important as why I don't eat it now. To misquote Bill Clinton's adviser, "It's the environment stupid."

Last week I spent two nights enjoying films at the Rural Route Film Festival here in Livingston. The first night, I met up with my good friend Seonaid (that's "Shona" if you don't read Gaelic), and the second night Henry and I went--and met up with Seonaid again.

A short tangent--Henry's parents came to watch Anders while we went to the film festival. You would have thought we were doing them a favor! They drove 1.5 hours each way to hang out with the little guy, bathe him and put him to bed. We did buy them pizza, but we did not allow them to talk on the phone. They thanked us repeatedly and even called the next day to thank us again!

Back to the movies. The feature film was called King Corn (you can get it on Netflix) and followed an acre of corn from seed to cattle feed lot and high fructose corn syrup production.

Here's the trailer for the movie:

I know I am rambling here, but eating meat is just plain bad for the environment. Whether it is the millions of acres given over to growing feed corn (and the chemical fertilizers, water, transportation etc. that goes with it), or the methane and nitrous oxide used in production, when you eat meat your carbon footprint grows with each bite.

A lot of people, including myself, blame transportation for the carbon influx attributed to meat production, but a recent article in Science News--titled "It's the Meat Not the Miles" debunks that myth.

That's not to say that eating local isn't important, it is. (If you haven't read The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen, run out and start devouring it now), it's just that what you eat is just as important as where it is from.

Now, if you are growing your own food and eating wild game you shot yourself--that's great. If not, it might be worth doing a little research into food production in this country--both meat and non-meat.

I know that was a bit of a rant, but I've really been thinking about what I'm eating and how it affects the bigger picture. If I was a sentimental person I'd bring up wanting to leave a better planet for Anders and the fetus, but I'm not going to do that.

I will mention that it isn't an all or nothing situation. According to the article,
"For the average U.S. consumer, getting the equivalent of one-seventh of a week’s calories from chicken, fish or vegetables instead of red meat or dairy will do more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions than buying all local, all the time, the researchers say. "

Now go pick something from your garden and enjoy a yummy snack.