All my piggie ladies...

I am ordering a hog next week and I want some tips on butchering. I would love to have sausages and bacon made, but I'd also like to make some myself. I think it would be a cool thing for the kids to experience. once!

So, I know I have several readers that keep pigs and I would love to know your suggestions on a cut list and what I should ask the butcher for. (Do I ask the butcher to give me the casings?) AND your fave sausage and bacon recipes.


and think of me tomorrow. I'll be all nervous and shy at my new school all day.

My favorite things...slings

I'm a bit of a baby carrier addict. I love them. They make mommying so much easier and babying so much more comforting. With Ladybug, I purchased my first pouch sling from the amazing and talented Niki over at Coastal Slings. You really need to check out her website. You pick the fabrics email her your measurements and she custom makes your sling so it fits you perfectly. And she does it all quickly and frankly cheaply. Note that her prices are in Canadian.

Here's what I see when I look down into my sling at Sweeting...



and it doesn't take long until she looks like this...


With Sweeting, I ordered a ring sling from Raspberry Baby. What I like about the ring sling is its adjustability. And I like to be able to wear the baby on my chest kangaroo-ish style with the feet tucked in. She did a wonderful job the way she attached the rings is fabulous! and the fabric is beautiful. and she even switched it for me because I like to sling from left shoulder. Love it.


Here is brand spanking new Sweeting in my ring sling. She was the smiling-est newborn I ever saw...
and here's me, looking a little rough in the early days...


Both slings are from work at home moms and both are very professionally made. And I'm a bit of a snob about these things.

My Apologies

I have been so self absorbed lately that I have only been peeking into my dear friends' blogs and I have fallen very behind. My Bloglines shows that I have 567 posts to read! That kinda freaked me out so I marked all read. And will begin reading anew.

If something happened you want to tell me about post a link in the comments. I really don't want to miss anything!

When do we stop blaming familes on the state of the world?

So, today on MSN.com the "stars" have decided to discuss "When is a family too big?" Whatever. But, I find it ironic that the opposers of large families kept siting food and water shortages and environmental concerns as the reasons behind their opposition. Including calling people who have large families "selfish."

Now, please know I couldn't possibly care any less about what Lily Tomlin thinks about my family, but I would love to know how big her house is. Where is her house built? What are her utility bills? Does she have a pool? What does she drive? How often does she fly? How far? What does her menu look like? etc. etc.

The reality is that my family of soon to be 8 has a much smaller global footprint than my suburban friend who is in a family of 4. And I can guarantee that is waaaaayyyy smaller than Mary Wells.

Oh! This is so much better!

My darling friend Julie has come to your aid and had mercy upon you by sending me one of her old keyboards. So, send her wonderful beautiful thoughts and prayers tomorrow (Aug 1st) because she will be welcoming her new long awaited second son.

My Double Lives...

I've been feeling the duplicity of my life rather strongly lately. For one, is the relative anonymity of this blog. I keep it relatively anonymous mostly because of Chowder's job. He has one of those jobs that can actually be affected by the opinions and rantings of his wife. He has never tried to hush me, nor would he (he respects my opinions and work too much), but that doesn't mean that what I write couldn't make things uncomfortable or even difficult for him. Plus, when he applies now and again to other positions, I don't want them to google his name or church and find this place. I really shouldn't be a future employer's first impression of my husband. Plus, I share some things here that I think would go beyond the healthy boundaries of what parishoners should know about my inner workings and those of my family. Every church has it's batch of "mean old ladies" that can use such information poisonously against Chowder and I. But, there is so much about the city and neighborhood that I live in that I want to share with you and show you.

But beyond that, my family and friends (other than a couple I have slipped to) don't know about this place. My mom was telling me last night about my cousin's blog and I was so close to revealing this one but thankfully thought the better of it. I have voiced concerns about relationships I have with family members that could be taken to closely. I would have to go back and edit a lot of what I have written. And then edit myself in the future. It is tempting to want to share some of the things about my family with them, but then I'd have to share everything. (Perhaps I need to start a family-friendly blog)

And for two, I have the fortunate position of being a part of two very wonderful but distinctly opposite (in many ways) online communities. One of them is an IVF community I have been a part of for almost 7 years. The parenting after IVF board is a place that I go to several times a day and I have know many of these women for years. I love them and respect them and they can make me think or laugh so hard that I consider them a very important part of my life. But, I have never told them about Sweeting. Many know from reading my blog, but many more don't know. And the reality is I don't know how to tell them. Infertility leaves deep deep scars that can easily be popped back open, even by news that someone you care about is pregnant again. Especially when it's baby number 6. Yes, I have my own battle scars, but I was extremely fortunate. I was able to have a baby. have 6 babies. There are many women I love and care about who never even had that opportunity, or who have been blessed with one child and want desperately to have another. I am fully aware of my luck. And yes, I think it's luck. This board is a community that is safe from the real world of scar opening pregnancy announcements. But, it's also a sad feeling to be keeping a secret.

The other online community I belong to is for families with 4 or more children. Again, I love this community because people can safely announce pregnancy number 6 or number 12 and not have to listen to all of the negative comments and judgments that usually come along with these joyous announcements. Here families are celebrated no matter what their size. But even there, there is a group of women who are struggling to conceive and find it difficult for woman after woman announcing their pregnancies while they seek medical intervention to conceive (yes, even baby #10). Sometimes the rest of the community cannot begin to understand (I know I didn't until I went through it), but they are so supportive and loving and sure sometimes inadvertently they say something that turns a knife but they try. And sometimes I have to try and explain why their sister-in-law with only one child might be responding to their pregnancy announcement with a certain amount of bitterness or why infertility treatments are only morally black and white when you don't have to face them yourself.

I don't know that there is an answer to these double lives, this blogging world is such a strange place to be. But, I am so thankful to the internets. It has opened my world to people and experiences from around the world. I have mothers in South Africa telling about the troubles they are having there with the bigotry. And mothers in Israel telling me about there troubles there. And mothers in Gaza. and mothers in Canada. and mothers in Ireland. and Australia. even mothers in the U.S. living totally different lives with totally different beliefs from my own etc. etc. What can I say, maybe there is just too much of me for any one place.

Whaddya' Think?

I needed a change. I'm getting into those winter blahs. I'll be tweaking the sidebar and stuff (I lost all my widgets), but I I really like the colors. And I had to add the pets because my children saw my blog and were indignant that I didn't have the pets' pictures up there with us. So, there they are. I need more distinction between the posts, too. I'll work on that later.

My name is Cakes and I'm a social buffoon...

Don't you love the word "buffoon?" Can anything describe itself so well? I mean it's almost an Onomatopoeia! (and yes, I had to look up the spelling of that word. I thought it started with an "A.")

If you have added me as a friend on various social networking sites, thank you. That was very kind. But, now what? I'm a total introvert anyway, and in real life I have a handful of good friends that I hold close and with everyone else? well. I do the best I can. But, I have to admit that my best is not very good. I'm awkward and stumbly when acquaintenceships get past a certain point and I can come off as either a loud, ridiculous know-it-all or else as standoffish and smug. And now I'm trying to get my bearings in the cyber socialsphere.

So, if anyone wants to guide me through the expected behaviors that I am supposed to be doing I would really appreciate it. I have a Blog 365 page and some very nice women have "friended" me and I'm not sure what the social protocol is. I, of course, accepted the invitation to be friends but do I then add them? I enjoy looking over their pages and have added some new blogs to my daily reads, but what about these comments? What do people normally do here? Someone help an old gal out. I'm afraid I'm coming across as a pompous ass or a cold fish or whatever and that's not the case, I am just an idiot.

Not too shabby for a non-college grad, huh?

I stole this from my friend Dani...

The beauty of the Internets

I have loved reading all of your responses to my post about major life impasses in marriage. Your stories have all touched and encouraged me. Life is like that, isn't it? Relationships are like that, aren't they? We do our best to muddle through with grace and love.

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

Whenever Chowder goes looking at jobs, even international jobs, chances are that I have a "friend" there or near there. It is very comforting and makes the prospect of leaving my community not so scary but more adventurous!

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

At night when we pray with the children, or when we do petitions at church, my children always ask me who are these people I am asking prayers for and I get to tell them that they are special people I know from around the world. It's amazing how much of your goofiness, and your trials, and your joys, and your lives touch me and stay with me throughout the week.

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

I'll post about my trip to college later, I have so many blogs to catch up on. My bloglines account is actually laughing at me, I think.

Total Voyeur...

I can't help it. I'm a total voyeur. Not that kind of voyeur, a boring voyeur. I love to peek in on people's everyday lives. Love. it. I still go back and visit Shazia's video about celebrating Eid with her family. I can't get enough of this stuff! So. I am officially starting a new bloggy thingy to feed my voyeuristic tendencies. And you are going to help! please please please please.

Here's how this is going to work. I'm calling it "Peek In Mondays" and every Monday I will post a short video clip peeking in to our everyday life. Nothing orchestrated, nothing set up, all completely natural. And in return, you will do the same and post a link to your clip in the comments section. If you don't have a blog (get one!) you can just post a link to You Tube or wherever else you want to upload it.

I mean anything. Making breakfast, bedtime rituals, meeting friends for coffee, sitting in class, going to the dry cleaners, hubby reading to the kids, laying around the park, walking to school, baking bread. whatever! I want to see it! and I know I am not alone. I'm giving you a week to get your first clip. We'll start next Monday. Join me so I don't look like a complete loser and curl up in a ball and regress back to 6th grade.
Edited to add that Leslie has a sweet little video of her two up on her blog.

“There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside of the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy, and a tragedy.” ~Mark Twain

I love you guys...

I get tons of comments on posts about Chowder being "The Buttwiper" or the fact that we have official rules requiring pants at the dinner table, but when I post about my 16 yr old and birth control you all remain so politely silent.

To the person who found me after Googling "Its too much for me"

Please know that I am holding you in my heart. I hope the words of the angel to Elijah strengthened you and I'm praying for you prayers of God's hope and peace.

My blog and I aren't speaking right now.

*sigh*
It's nothing Blog did or didn't do. It's nothing personal, really. I just...do this. I'm a really bad friend. Blog and I were getting along just fine. I couldn't wait to tell Blog all about what I had done that day, and some days I even walked around thinking about how I would tell Blog this story and how funny it would be. Just like I do with all new friends. And then, well. I just started avoiding Blog. I mean consciously avoiding Blog. I'd click down on my bookmark menu, and there Blog would be at the very top. And I would quickly click on something else as I inwardly groaned, and hope that Blog didn't see me and notice I clicked elsewhere...

I was actually just talking to Dr. Steve (he's Chowder and my therapist) about this on Thursday. He suggested I might have some intimacy issues. (As if!) I am lucky that the group of friends I have don't really need me so much. Oh, they love me and enjoy being with me, and they are wonderful friends, but when I do this to them, they shrug and wait for me to come back around. We've been friends for long enough that they call it my "Hermit Mode." It's very cyclical. But, Chowder found my Blog avoidance rather humorous. "You know, you're really just avoiding yourself, right?" hmmmm. that is rather pathetic.

I can't really explain what happens. I just suddenly burrow. out of nowhere. for no good reason. And then just as suddenly a few months later, I look around and wonder where everyone is and why nobody likes me and I don't have any friends! But, luckily I do. I have wonderful friends. Even here. Thanks Kellylynn for giving me a nudge. As my penance I will post a picture of Chowder and I at Junior and then Senior Prom.

be nice. The 80's were a bitch for everyone...

What I've been up to on the internet...

First, if you have noticed the two banners on my page toward the bottom, they are for Kiva loan applicants. I love love love the whole premise behind Kiva. Go check it out NOW! I have decided to make a loan every week. The beautiful thing about this program is that once your loan is repaid, you can turn around and re-lend it to someone else. So, your money just keeps working. I'm like my own little Gates Foundation. Check out my lending page.

And second, I have become an addict. I am having to carefully pace myself. I have been watching from afar and have finally taken the plunge into swapping. When I put together my first two packages to send out to other people I was so excited! But then I received my first two packages in the mail of cool stuff from all over the world, I was hooked. So, if you want (but I have warned you) go check out Swap-bot. Here is my member page. I signed up for a fun swap of a letter describing 24 hours in your life. Sounds so cool! and then there was the one where you just put a little box of joy together for someone... and then someone put together a swap honoring Kurt Vonnegut (one of my favorite authors) using one of my all time favorite quotes! What am I supposed to do? I signed up!

A little warning, it can seem a bit intimidating when you are new because there seems to be a general lack of trust of newbies. But, that comes from a lot of people flaking out and not sending anything to their partners. So, you have to "prove" yourself first. Just ignore all that and do the swapping. You'll have fun!

I'll do a little experiment for you...

I have just finished reading this book. And I'm ready to start my paid survey experience. I can't imagine this will really be worth it, but for you, I will give it a try. Barbara Webb and Maureen Heck of Mom(dot)com, has given a list of Paid Survey companies that are on the up and up that I will start with. I'm supposed to get a new email that is strictly for the survey work. I am picking 5 of the companies that they listed and I'm going to see what really ends up happening. I will keep you posted...