Why I Don't Believe in Bumper Stickers

A post came up on my friend's feed the other day (because apparently Facebook thinks my own feed isn't enough distraction for me). The post had a picture of a van showing some window decals and bumper stickers and went on to talk about how someone had asked the van's owner about the stickers and had some questions about them. The original poster was very excited that she got the chance to talk with this person and explain what her bumper stickers (and therefore her philosophy) were all about.

No, it was not a religion. 

Passover Macaroons

I spent the first few years of our marriage kinda freaking out about Passover every year. What meals could I make? What meals could I adapt? What would I have to give up?

It took a few years to get the hang of it, but I think I've gotten the whole diet pretty figured out by now. My husband and I are (semi) kosher (we eat white meat with dairy, but not red meat). We also follow the Sephardic rules of Passover, which means we do eat rice and corn and don't worry about getting the "special" Coke. After all, the Bible just said no leavening, not "no grains." (If grains weren't allowed, then matzo wouldn't be either! It's made from flour!)

Tonight's dinner was actually gluten heavy, because we managed to eat before sundown, but I managed to Jew it back up with one of my favorite Passover treats: coconut macaroons.

What Gay People Need to Know About Christians

In recent years (well, probably since forever, really), there has been a lot of debate about gay marriage. You know this already. You know there is the one side that supports gay marriage because this is an enlightened age and we have no place for hate and judgment. You know that there is the other side that is against gay marriage because they are hateful and don't understand anything beyond their own nose. 

You've got it all wrong.

How to Cope With Losing Your Baby

Step 1: 

Cry a few times.

Step 2:

Throw a lovely memorial service.

Step 3: 

Spend a month or two journaling and staring introspectively at the ocean.

Step 4: 

Take an exotic vacation with your husband to learn to have fun again.

Step 5:

Have "another baby." You know. The one everyone keeps reminding you that you can have.

Step 6: 

If previous steps were ineffective, take antidepressants.

You're right. I'm so NOT serious about this.

Is There Really a War on Christianity?

My husband and I consider ourselves to be moderates (not heavily liberal or heavily conservative), but we do watch mostly liberal news networks. (GASP! Shun the non-believers!) Whether you agree with our choice of dinner-time programming or not, I find that it unveils a lot about what's wrong with the GOP (and, because we watch The Daily Show, we hear a lot about what's wrong with politics in general).

And, sometimes, it gets me thinking.

Collectible (2.24.14)

I was watching a TV show
where a man owned a comic book,
a "collectible."
He was hoping to sell it,
but only for a million dollars.
"How much is it worth?"
he asked the expert, who answered
with a snide little twinkle in his eye,
"As much as the buyer is willing to pay."

Now,
I'm not that interested in comic books
or collectibles,
but, as a woman,
I know how it feels to be valued
based on whether enough people want you.
I know that you can be Limited Edition,
autographed by the
Author Himself
but if you have any "imperfections"
(the kind that prove you have an identity
or a past)
you might as well be thrown away.

My daughter was born missing
three toes
a radius bone
an ovary.
Her diaphragm was a tattered scrap of paper
torn out of the first chapter of her life.
She was the collectible comic book
that has been opened and read and pored over,
touched and loved until she fell apart,
her insides literally spilling out into a plastic sheath
that held her together.

The doctors had offered to take her off my hands,
cheap.
But she was worth so much more than that
and not because
I wanted her.

My daughter and I
are not collectibles.
You are worth more
than a comic book.

Our value lies
not in whether we are wanted
but in whether we
Are.

Do DIY Cleaning Products Really Work?

I like to think I hit a healthy medium when it comes to being "green." I drive an SUV (not even a hybrid one), but I get on my husband's case a bit for wasting paper towels and foil. So when it comes to cleaning, I'm all about DIY cleaning products because they're cheap and the ingredients are readily available. The whole "non-toxic" thing is an added bonus. But more important to me is cleanliness. After all, if you're not getting your house clean, does it really matter how much money you're saving?

Somehow, I stumbled onto Melissa Maker's blog over at CleanMySpace.com. And lemme tell ya. This lady knows her stuff. She actually owns a cleaning company in Toronto, but decided to put her expertise on the web where everyone can benefit. I trusted the cleaning maven to tell me that DIY products were the bee's knees, but also wanted to try it out for myself.