28 April 2007
21 April 2007
A Decision
So, a decision has been made. The week after I finish my first year of teaching, I will be going solo to Oregon for four nights. Oregon certainly wasn't my first thought when I began planning my escape, but a very cheap ticket and a look at pictures of the coastline convinced me otherwise. Additionally, I have never seen the West Coast and I have some unexplained aversion to California. And to top it off, I found a cooking class for one of the days and a nearby winery. So beach, books, wine, and good food - sounds perfect to me!
20 April 2007
Interview Me
This has been making its rounds on the blogs for the last week so I had to jump on the bandwagon. Pam from American Spoken Here graciously agreed to interview me. Below are her questions and my answers. If anyone else wants to play just follow the rules.
The Rules:
Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me.''
I respond by asking you five personal questions (I will leave these questions for you in my comments) so I can get to know you better.
You will update your journal/blog /whatever, with the answers to the questions (please don't leave your answers in my comments unless you don't have a blog).
You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
So without further adieu (and Thank You Pam!):
1. How did you decide on 'Hexe' for your blog?
I had been to Austria and just fallen in love with the country. It was after that trip that my husband and I started the "what if" conversations. What if money were no object - where would we live then? What if we started to look for jobs overseas? What if I stopped practicing law and changed jobs so we could look for employment in two fields? What if we found jobs, could we move our kids overseas? As a result of these conversations, I began looking on-line for information about living overseas and stumbled upon blogs of expatriates. After months of being a lurker, I finally decided to start my blog. I didn't really have an intent or a plan other than to write about our hope to move soon. As we were not willing to announce to the world and my husband's job that we intend to leave in the next two years (now one year!), I needed a "code name." Because of my love of Austria, I used my German dictionary. I was just randomly flipping through it when I found the word "hexe" which is witch in German. It seemed to fit because some days I'm a good witch and I magically juggle home, work, husband, family, kids, and self and others I'm just witch (or substitute a "b" for the "w"). So Hexe I became.
2. If you could change any law, which one would you change?
Only one?! There are so many . . such as in Maine, you can marry your first cousin if you attend genetic counseling. If you're willing to marry your first cousin, then I have to imagine that genetic counseling is not the only counseling you need. Or that stealing a filled lobster trap is called molestation of a lobster trap! The tax code that more heavily penalizes the lower economic class. In Florida, if you kill a person through neglect and the deceased does not have a surviving spouse or children then no one can hold the negligent party responsible (e.g. drunken doctor kills 18 year old who is not married and has no children, parents can not bring suit). A minimum standard for universal health care. Laws that restrict the termination of parental rights - there is a presumption that the biological parent is in the best interest of the child. Biological parents who beat, torture, starve, and burn their children should not get a second chance. Okay, that's more than one - Sorry!
3. What experience of one of your grandparents do you want to make sure your children know?
My paternal grandparent's farm. As a kid I used to love to visit my grandparents and see the cows, the garden, and run in the fields. The cows are now gone but they still grow hay and keep a garden. It was great to see my kids riding on the tractor with my grandfather.
4. Your life story is a movie: who plays your part?
My husband says Felicity Huffman. I'd choose Dame Judi Dench.
5. What do you do when (you think)no one is looking?
Dance to the music in my head.
The Rules:
Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me.''
I respond by asking you five personal questions (I will leave these questions for you in my comments) so I can get to know you better.
You will update your journal/blog /whatever, with the answers to the questions (please don't leave your answers in my comments unless you don't have a blog).
You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
So without further adieu (and Thank You Pam!):
1. How did you decide on 'Hexe' for your blog?
I had been to Austria and just fallen in love with the country. It was after that trip that my husband and I started the "what if" conversations. What if money were no object - where would we live then? What if we started to look for jobs overseas? What if I stopped practicing law and changed jobs so we could look for employment in two fields? What if we found jobs, could we move our kids overseas? As a result of these conversations, I began looking on-line for information about living overseas and stumbled upon blogs of expatriates. After months of being a lurker, I finally decided to start my blog. I didn't really have an intent or a plan other than to write about our hope to move soon. As we were not willing to announce to the world and my husband's job that we intend to leave in the next two years (now one year!), I needed a "code name." Because of my love of Austria, I used my German dictionary. I was just randomly flipping through it when I found the word "hexe" which is witch in German. It seemed to fit because some days I'm a good witch and I magically juggle home, work, husband, family, kids, and self and others I'm just witch (or substitute a "b" for the "w"). So Hexe I became.
2. If you could change any law, which one would you change?
Only one?! There are so many . . such as in Maine, you can marry your first cousin if you attend genetic counseling. If you're willing to marry your first cousin, then I have to imagine that genetic counseling is not the only counseling you need. Or that stealing a filled lobster trap is called molestation of a lobster trap! The tax code that more heavily penalizes the lower economic class. In Florida, if you kill a person through neglect and the deceased does not have a surviving spouse or children then no one can hold the negligent party responsible (e.g. drunken doctor kills 18 year old who is not married and has no children, parents can not bring suit). A minimum standard for universal health care. Laws that restrict the termination of parental rights - there is a presumption that the biological parent is in the best interest of the child. Biological parents who beat, torture, starve, and burn their children should not get a second chance. Okay, that's more than one - Sorry!
3. What experience of one of your grandparents do you want to make sure your children know?
My paternal grandparent's farm. As a kid I used to love to visit my grandparents and see the cows, the garden, and run in the fields. The cows are now gone but they still grow hay and keep a garden. It was great to see my kids riding on the tractor with my grandfather.
4. Your life story is a movie: who plays your part?
My husband says Felicity Huffman. I'd choose Dame Judi Dench.
5. What do you do when (you think)no one is looking?
Dance to the music in my head.
12 April 2007
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE
SEND HELP! Mother in law has arrived with numerous bags of "treasures." Children are full of Easter candy and screaming "Gramma" repetitively. More candy has also been brought into the house. Please send reinforcements!
09 April 2007
Busy, busy, busy
The last week has been both relaxing and insane. My parents arrived Wednesday from Arizona. They are driving back to Maine after a few months of being snowbirds. Thursday, I took the kids to daycare and went to work for a few hours, then picked up the kids and brought them home to my parents, then I quickly threw some clothes into a suitcase and jumped back in the car and drove to pick up PH from work, then we drove a couple hours to the coast and checked in to a resort for forty-eight hours of child free time. In that 48 hours, we went for bike rides, went swimming, walked on the shore and stared at the ocean, went to yoga, went to a core class, ate at two restaurants, sat by the pool, had a manicure, graded papers, and read a book - it was great! Then we drove back and filled eggs and prepared for a visit from the Easter bunny. I got up at 6:00 A.M. to stop the chocolate hoarding and help find eggs. Next, we colored a dozen eggs and then spent thirty minutes and a lot of soap trying to scrub the dye off little finger. Additionally, I cooked a ten pound ham, a dozen potatoes and a meal for eleven people and then we went to my sister-in-law's house and did had an egg hunt for another fifteen plus children and I brought dessert for the meal for twenty plus people. In four days, I filled 84 eggs. Today, I said goodbye to my parents and then tried to prepare lesson plans and tests for the next week. Whew!
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