Gift ideas

I hope you all had a great Christmas filled with laughter and many blessings. And now for the New Year celebrations. Woo hoo!

One last thought on Christmas though. If, like me, you despise Christmas shopping and leave it to the last minute, here's a way to think ahead for your 2008 Christmas shopping, take some of the pressure off, and feel good about it at the same time.

ChristmasFuture: Buy a gift differently....change the world

This year, I let my family know that whoever had my name (we draw names) should make a charitable donation in my name instead of buying me something I don't need. My niece, Jordan, had my name this year, and she used ChristmasFuture for my gift and I am very happy that she did. I was able to contribute to the Sierra Leone Women's Empowerment Program, Year 1.

Did you know that:

• For Christmas, Canadians (84%) would prefer to receive gifts that help others
• Eight in ten (77%) Canadians say they don’t need anything for Christmas this year

Of course, this doesn't have to be about Christmas. It's perfect for gift giving year around. ChristmasFuture is not affiliated with any religion or religious organization. They are faith-neutral.

Plus they are based in Calgary so I'm extra proud of them for that.

Here's the scoop from their website:
http://www.christmasfuture.org/

ChristmasFuture empowers people to give a new kind of holiday gift—one that helps eradicate extreme poverty and changes the way we think about giving.

On Nov. 5, 2007, ChristmasFuture released DonorTrust technology to North America. This technology makes it easy for people to refocus their holiday spending towards the eradication of extreme poverty. Gift givers can send what amounts to an online gift card to friends and family; the gift recipient then gets to choose from a database of poverty-eradication projects and then allocate their gift towards a project that interests them. DonorTrust helps people change the world for good.

ChristmasFuture is about change. Fundamental, meaningful, planet-shifting change. We are a passionate movement of people empowering a non-profit organization that advances us – all of us – everyday closer to eradicating extreme poverty.

We’re the non-profit you’ve been looking for—an organization that changes the world—because we help bring together everyone who wants to eradicate poverty into a powerful and functional network that produces and shows results.

Fab news!

I don't typically blog about other people's referral news because maybe they don't want all and sundry knowing about it, and besides, everybody else has already posted about it.

But.

I have to send a big shout out to my dear bloggy friend, chou-chou, who received THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT EVER!

And so, while I'm at it right now - big hugs to Barbara (not a blogger) who received her referral a few days before Christmas.

Gabriel's Message

Happy Holidays!

I wish you and yours all the best for the season, whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, Humbug Day (today!), or something else that you celebrate.

Have fun with family, eat lots, laugh lots, relax lots.

Here's to a wonderful 2008 for all of us, filled with joy and the best moments in life!


haze

Yipe! What have I done??!

Last night, at my yarn store, Make One, Stitch n' Bitch, I signed up for another knit class: Sweaters for Beginners.

This will be the first garment I will (attempt to) knit.

And it's another big first - my first time using circular needles. BIG GULP on that one! My fellow knitting friends swear I will love circulars and won't want to go back to straights. But then they are also evil, sock-knitting freaks so they can't be trusted. But, I have promised to knit a sock (and maybe even a pair of socks) in 2008.

I am still working on that baby blanket from way back when. I'm down to the last outside layer and then I'm apparently supposed to add some sort of meshuggenah border, which scares the bejesus out of me. After that 'practice' blanket (which I will send to Myfanwy at the foster home when I get my referral) I will make a 'proper' blanket that will go into her nursery.

I don't know if I would even attempt this sweater class if my friend, ALK, wasn't teaching it (and nagging encouraging me to do it). But I do want to make some clothing for M. There are some really cute kiddie sweaters in the yarn store window and I would also like to try a poncho for her, plus mitts & hats.

So, here is the Knitting Pure & Simple pattern I am using, the beautiful "Dark Earth" Malabrigo Merino Worsted yarn I selected, and the evil circular needles.


Wish me luck - I'm going to need it!

More links from Free Rice site

I just noticed a couple of interesting links off that Free Rice site.

This one is interesting - it graphically shows the progress of the G8 countries in their commitment to contributing .7% of their national income to world aid. I had posted about this previously (and at length) after this year's G8 summit.

It's interesting (disgusting) to see the apparent 'super powers' of the world are the ones falling down on their commitments the most.

From that same link, you can see the effect of poverty on the health of the human race. This one shows the effect of AIDS. Notice how the deaths don't come from the industrialized nations. People don't need to die from AIDS anymore - they just need the medication to live!

You can write a letter to your country leader, telling them to pull their finger out!!

Free Rice

Looking for something to do while waiting on hold, waiting for your referral, 'participating' in a teleconference call, or watching Dancing with the Stars*?

Check this out.



If you haven't seen this cirulating yet, where have you been?? :-)

I finally played it today* - I had to make myself stop as it's rather addictive and I had to get back to work.

I was a bit skeptical when I first heard about it, but after reading the FAQ I'm pretty sure it's an honest & worthy cause. Here are a couple of the answers that were important to me:

Who pays for the donated rice?
The rice is paid for by the advertisers whose names you see on the bottom of your vocabulary screen. This is regular advertising for these companies, but it is also something more. Through their advertising at FreeRice, these companies support both learning (free vocabulary for everyone) and reducing hunger (free rice for the hungry). We commend these companies for their participation at FreeRice.

If FreeRice has the rice to give, why not give it all away right now?
FreeRice is not sitting on a pile of rice―you are earning it 10 grains at a time. Here is how it works. When you play the game, advertisements appear on the bottom of your screen. The money generated by these advertisements is then used to buy the rice. So by playing, you generate the money that pays for the rice donated to hungry people.

Here are a couple of articles that I came across while researching the cause:

Web game provides rice for hungry

That Rice Really Isn't Free


Bottomline:
It's free, you don't have to login or give information, you expand your vocabulary, you help feed the hungry. What's not to love?

selam

* Evidence I had this post hanging about in my Draft folder for ages (like 3 weeks ages).

My inspiration right now

I LOVE this kid - every time I see him on Oprah I am so moved. God bless him and keep him safe. I found this documentary on YouTube. There are 5 parts to this video if you want to watch them. Fascinating!

Extraordinary People - The boy who sees without eyes



When I'm having a sucky day, Ben is a good reminder to put on my big girl panties and deal with it!

p.s. funny thing - the fellow introduced in Part 4, Dan Kish, looks an awful lot like my ex boyfriend. ALK can let me know if I'm nutz or not :-P

Pampers commercial

Don't you just love this advert? Sleeping babies are the most precious sight in the world. The way their little cherub mouths twitch all the time - too cute!

I can't wait till I'm able to watch Myfanwy sleeping in her crib.

I fart December

WHAT?

Did you say it's been 10 days since my last post?

You mean it's December 12th??

Huh???

How did THAT happen?

But then... DU DU DUHHHH!! That means there are only 13 days until Christmas!!!!

Wha?

But I have so much to do!

I haven't mailed out my international Christmas cards yet...or the Canadian ones...and I haven't decorated the house yet...

Christmas lights? Are you shitting me?

But I have company coming for drinks on Saturday and I'm no where ready yet...

Make my own appetizers? Are you shitting me again?...

But I have pictures to hang, new blinds to install, booze to buy, bathrooms to clean, and I need a rug for the front entrance...oh, and I need to buy more glasses...

What??

Go away.

I'm busy.

Meeting MFG

I know this was sooo 2 weeks ago, but I didn't go into detail about meeting Melissa Fay Greene for breakfast with my other posts so I'll do so now.



I did mention that her speech left me with tears of laughter. The first half of her speech she related how her family has grown through adoption and some of the times they have experienced together. Check out her Occasional Blog to read more and to catch her humor. Melissa then talked about her book and how Haregewoin Teferra came to take on the role of foster mother to so many children.

Having just finished reading the book myself a few days before the fundraiser, it was all fresh in my mind and made for a very enjoyable experience. The night was so busy that I didn't have a chance to introduce myself to Melissa until she was leaving. But that was ok as I knew I would have time with her the next day. Plus I was initially a little nervous about meeting her - as if she was a rock star or something. She knew I was on the organizational committee and so she made a point of saying hello as she left. After that very brief introduction, my nervousness abated.

We met up with her at her hotel for brunch on Monday morning. Lucky me - I was fortunate enough to have Melissa sitting next to me. Hopefully we didn't all assault her with a barrage of questions (she didn't quite get to finish her breakfast, I noted), but she was very solicitous and patient. I took away a feeling of great warmth from this lady. She is so down to earth. She was very honest about her experiences as an adoptive mother (as you can see on her blog) and she gave great advice.

The Face to Face Fundraising Committee with MFG:



One thing that she said stands out that I've heard before: Don't expect the first meeting with your child to be a perfect "Hallmark moment" - expect terror and uncertainty, and then if you feel love & other sappiness then it's a bonus.

Melissa signed our books for us (no time for that on Sunday night), took a bunch of pics with us, and then she was off (and yes, I hugged her goodbye).

I love this picture of her:

If you ever have the opportunity to meet Melissa, I highly recommend you hop to it.

Face to Face pictures

Pictures from the Face to Face Fundraiser

(Courtesy of the Davitts & Worths)

Greeting committee - Kerry's Mom and my Mom!:









The dinner blessing - presented and delivered in Amharic and English:









Dining room:









Some auction items:


















Calgary Flames auction items:









Books sales:









Canadian Humanitarian booth:









Amazing local Ethiopian dancers - my favorite part of the night, after Melissa:


















Local Ethiopian musicians providing live music:









Melissa Fay Greene:

*yawn*

I've been away from all things blogging for about a week. No writing, minimal reading. Work has been busy and I've been so tired lately. Good news is I think the acupuncture is helping with my insomnia because I can barely keep my eyes open past 8pm these days.

I have a draft post going about breakfast with Melissa Fay Greene and I have a bunch of pictures to upload - I logged into Blogger tonight to maybe see if I could finish it off but I'm totally bagged and will be hitting the sack PDQ (it's currently 7:03 in the evening). It's a drag because "Seven" is just about to start and it's a favorite movie of mine (even if it does star Pitt).

So, I tried.

This weekend - promise!

Face to Face review

As I mentioned, our fundraising event on Sunday night was a big success. I am so proud to have been part of the organizational team in support of such a worthy cause.

For this, our first annual Face to Face dinner and silent auction, we made somewhere in the region of $19,000+ dollars after expenses and that is how much we will be handing over to Sandra at Canadian Humanitarian. This money will be put to good use to help the kids in Ethiopia.

It's a bit of a shock still, since when we began planning we were sort of just worrying about breaking even. We also worried about ticket sales, since we didn't start planning and selling tickets until quite late in the year. We ended up sold out with people still asking us for tickets at the last minute.

The night was a busy one for those of us on the team and our wonderful volunteers. For this reason, I was not able to take any pictures. Well, I managed a couple but my camera was low on juice so I couldn't zoom, etc. I'm hoping to get some sent to me that I can post soon.

We had a group of local Ethiopian dancers perform prior to dinner - it was my first time seeing live ET dancing so I made a point to watch at least part of that. Man, were they fantastic! I tell you, if it were me doing all that shoulder shaking and popping I would have ended up in traction for a week.

During dinner, we kept the silent auction running, which was hilarious. It was so funny watching people pop up out of their seats to go check on their bid items. Some people were very into it, watching their competitors carefully! I had a great group at my table. I FINALLY got to meet Dianne & Chris, who were so much fun. It felt like I had met them before, and I guess in a way I had through blogging & email. My good friend Gena was with us - another single PAP. My hairstylist, Maxine, was there with her husband Steve and their friends Rena & Sascha. And my Mom, who also volunteered, was by my side.

I was also able to meet some other people for the first time, including people I've only 'met' on the message board. And of course, there was lots of catching up with the usual suspects, including Brigitte, Gina, Mareliese, Mary, and Sherry & Darren (who just got a referral for 3 more kids - they already have 2!), to mention just a few.

After closing the auction so the volunteers could pack up the items and notify the winners, Wendy and Kerry, our committee co-chairs came up to the podium. Wendy gave a short speech to introduce our keynote speaker, Melissa Fay Greene.

You know, I had expected to be all weepy and everything during her speech, but instead I was wiping tears of laughter from my eyes. Melissa is as engaging a speaker as she is a writer. I will write a separate post about her book and the breakfast. I DO have great photos from Monday that I'll post just as soon as I find my camera download cable.

After Melissa's speech, I had to go 'back stage' to help pack up the auction items so sadly I totally missed Dr. Richard Northcott, who was our second speaker. Dr. Northcott is the founder of Canadian Humanitarian. He presented a video and I am told he gave a touching and inspirational speech about the cause and why we were all there for the night.

Thanks again to everyone who came out, who donated to CH, who bid on items, our sponsors, and our volunteers - especially my Mom!

I had such a great time working with the organizational team: Wendy, Kerry, Anthea, Eileen, Suzanna, Janice, Bryce, and Ben. It was my first time participating in a fundraiser on this scale and I am looking forward to doing it all again next year!

Also, big congratulations to Lisa and Julie who held their very successful East coast fundraiser on the Saturday night. Great job! (they have pics posted).

National Child Day - Universal Children's Day

Canada's National Child Day

National Child Day is held November 20th each year as enacted in Bill C-371, otherwise known as the Child Day Act, by the Parliament of Canada in 1993.

It commemorates the United Nations adoption of two landmark documents concerned with the human rights of all children and youths.

On National Child Day, Canadians honour our children and The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of The Child on November 20th, 1959, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on November 20th, 1989.

The Convention spells out the basic human rights to which children (under the age of 18) everywhere are entitled.

National Child Day's purpose is to promote awareness in Canada of the Convention.

It is also a day to support Canadian children's rights by voicing your concerns about Canadian children's rights violations to the politicians of Canada and to educate our children about their rights and responsibilities.

source: Canadian Children's Rights Council

Universal Children's Day

After the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted in 1989, the UN General Assembly recommended that all countries choose a day to promote children's welfare. Although observance of the day varies from country to country, the Government of Canada designated November 20th as National Child Day, to commemorate the day on which both the Declaration on the Rights of the Child (1959) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) were adopted.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child addresses the rights of children and youth under the age of 18. It recognizes their basic human rights and gives them additional rights to protect them from harm. The Convention's 54 articles cover everything from a child's right to be free from exploitation, to the right to his or her own opinion and the right to education, health care, and economic opportunity.

The adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the creation of Universal Children's Day reflects the growing recognition that children are important and valued members of society, now and in the future. Universal Children's Day celebrates children just for being themselves. It reminds us that children need love and respect to grow to their full potential. It is a day to listen to children, to marvel at their uniqueness and all they have to offer.

A key objective of Universal Children's Day is to increase awareness of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Since its adoption by the United Nations, the Convention has been signed or ratified by more countries than any other international treaty. Over the past decade, the Convention has proven to be a valuable tool for promoting the rights of children everywhere around the world.

source: UNA-Canada

Vids

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child



And because I like both Robbie and Unicef:


More Precious Than Gold

RESULT!

OMG YA'LL!

I just called Children's Services - turns out the FedEx tracking # I was given was incorrect. One wee digit caused me big distress!

So, ACS had actually shipped my dossier off within 1 week, it arrived in Addis in 5 days, and Haregewain (the CAFAC rep in ETH) picked it up 9 days later. I now take back any nasty thoughts about ACS I had over the past few weeks. Turns out they are not wretched after all.

In other news, the fundraiser was AMAZING and a HUGE SUCCESS!! Details to follow about it and the lovely peeps I finally met, but I have to get back to work as I took the morning off to breakfast with Melissa Fay Greene (not that I'm bragging, but I did just give her a hug goodbye a couple of hours ago). The woman is amazing. I will report details, promise! I'll also have pics from today as soon as I can find my camera's transfer cable to download them. I'm hoping to get event pics from other people as I didn't have time to snap any good ones myself last night.

p.s. I don't really say "ya'll" in real life - I just like that excitable Britney-speak when I'm blogging something fun.

p.s.

tomorrow's fundraiser is SOLD OUT, BABY!!!!

Bloomin 'ell !!

*&@!`%^!!!!

My dossier is STILL not in the bloody FedEx system and thus not yet in transit to ETH.

I KNOW it will be sent very soon. I KNOW! I KNOW! I KNOW!

But I still feel like shouting "WTFIGO!!!" everytime I check on the FedEx site and it's not there!

Monday I will call Children's Services just to confirm they haven't lost it and hopefully I'll get an estimated departure date.

Ok. I feel better now.

As you were.

On pins and needles

Just so you know, despite the title, this post has absolutely nothing to do with the adoption.

I've been suffering with this blasted rotator cuff injury from this summer. Yesterday I went for my second acupuncture session to treat it. I started last week. My massage therapist up and left to St. Kitts to care for her ailing Dad for a while and since she left I've done nothing to heal thyself. The pain has come back pretty badly to the point I've lost strength in my right arm again and can't lift it past shoulder height without grimacing and whinging from the pain.

I've tried acupuncture a couple of times in the distant past - both times for whiplash and I had great results then too. I remember one session I had a cold so the acupuncturist also treated that by sticking needles in the top of my head. THAT freaked me out a bit. That plus the ones sticking out of the sides of my neck. I felt like Frankenstein.

This time I don't have needles in such odd places (just one in the back of my neck and one below my knee for whatever reason). The rest are around my shoulder and then my elbow and wrist.

Something new this time is my new acupuncturist, Zoe, is also treating me with Cupping and Herbal Patches. I had heard of cupping before. It's not without discomfort (OK, it's a bit painful - kind of like when you go for a mammogram and have your boobs compressed into the medieval vice contraption - it feels like that but, in my case, around my shoulder - not nice). The fact that there is a flame involved doesn't really phase me too much.

Rather disturbing cupping pictures here

The cupping does leave nice pepperoni bruises on my skin, but it's not just me with that side effect.

I'm not exactly sure why Gwyneth chose to wear that particular dress after a treatment. Me? I'm going to have to double check that the black dress I'm wearing to the fundraiser on Sunday covers up my luncheon meat shoulder.

Or maybe I should do whatever I can to show off my bruises? Maybe they are tres chic? Maybe I'm cooler than I thought?

I have one more treatment on Friday and Zoe will also treat me for insomnia as I mentioned to her that I have a problem with it. That might take extra sessions.

Has anyone else out there tried acupuncture? Have you had success with it? Permanent success?

The season is upon us

With the holidays around the corner, the thought of going out to try to find some thing for someone who doesn't 'need' any thing makes me literally sick to my stomach. And wading through the busy malls, surrounded by the over abundance and over indulgence - blech.

I decided a while back to stop buying birthday gifts for adults and instead make purchases on the intended's behalf from the World Vision catalogue.

I will also be doing that in lieu of stocking stuffers for everyone this year. My family draws names each year for one main gift each and I've also asked to have my gift in the form of a WV donation.

I will probably extend this idea in the future since everyone I know has so much and there are people around the world with so little.

There are so many organizations that make it easy to give with a clear conscience, either by gift buying that benefits the less fortunate or by making donations directly.

World Vision, of course

Heifer International The goal of every Heifer project is sustainability – project partners achieving self-reliance

CAMFED The Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) is dedicated to fighting poverty and AIDS in rural communities in Africa by educating girls

The Hunger Site was founded to focus the power of the Internet on a specific humanitarian need. There's a great section for gift ideas there too. Funds go to the hungry

And I also focus on Fair Trade retailers more during the holidays

Fair Trade Federation has a link to lots of retailers in Canada and the US

10 Thousand Villages

The Hunger Site has a fair trade-specific catalogue

Traidcraft is based in the UK

Don't get me wrong - I will likely over indulge somewhat over the holidays myself. I'm not planning on living with guilt because of what I have. I do live in Canada, after all. And I don't feel bad about renovating my house and buying nice things for it. But I am more sensitive to the fact that I don't need as much as I have, and that I could stand to share more of what I have with those less fortunate. Plus I always try to be moderate in every choice I make.

Tami wrote a good post along these lines recently and the commenting got rather heated - but most enjoyable :-) Tami is a great blogger - not afraid to write about the touchy stuff.

I guess with the season of giving coming up, I am just more aware that I don't want it to turn into the usual season of receiving free for all.

And even though I plan to spoil Myfanwy when she arrives, I'm going to ensure she always understands the importance of sharing with others and that it's not all about material wealth.

Interesting reading

The New York Times runs a blog called Relative Choices: Adoption and the American Family.

I found this particular post of interest and also ran across it on a few other blog friend sites.

Blind Date in Addis

The author is Dr. Jane Aronson, a pediatrician specializing in adoption medicine. In this article she talks about how she came to adopt her son from Ethiopia

Dr. Aronson runs the Worldwide Orphans Foundation and has another interesting site called Orphan Doctor. The site is a bit dated but still has some great information - especially on medical conditions and resources.

"Just a widdle more, a *widdle* more"

Sooo...

I was getting concerned as my tracking number isn't showing up in the Fed Ex system yet and I had expected my dossier to be in country by now. So I checked with CAFAC who said it actually goes to Alberta Children's Services first

Turns out this is an Alberta process. Not sure if all other provinces have an additional step, but Manitoba doesn't (thanks to Ramona for helping me understand that).

So, HERE, when your dossier leaves CAFAC for Ethiopia, ACS will process it AND THEN send it out (possibly in a package with other dossiers) via Fed Ex to Africa. And apparently it can take 2 weeks to 2 MONTHS to be sent out (depending on their backlog)!!!!

Imagine my surprise and dismay at this little nugget of information. Here I was thinking the darn thing would be in Africa by now....

Per CAFAC: "First it is sent to Alberta Children's Services to be processed. They then forward the original documentation on to the country. The tracking # you are issued is the number that that package will get sent in.

"Each province is different and has their own regulations and standards to meet. However, please be assured that this has no bearing or affect on the status of your file. Your information is known by our representative in Ethiopia and they are likely looking forward to receiving your file."

So, I wait some more.

BUT I am STILL OFFICIALLY WAITING, YA'LL!!

Despite this unfortunate bit of news, I am increasingly optimistic about an early referral.

My gut is telling me I will be getting my referral in around 8 months or less (instead of the currently estimated 10-14mths) and picking Myfanwy up and bringing her back home with me by October 2008-ish (instead of December 2008-ish). I've had that feeling for a long time and (believe it or not) events have occurred to reinforce that belief.

I am confident enough to blog about my optimism. Call it Manifestation, if you wish. I do.

So, despite a bit of pissy news, I'm feelin' good. I hope you are too.

selam

Get your tickets now!

We still have a few tickets to the Face to Face Fundraising Dinner, but they are very close to selling out. So if you've been considering attending, buy your tickets now!!

We have some wonderful items in the silent auction. There's something for everyone: from hockey tickets to dance performances, from artwork by acclaimed artists to artwork from Ethiopian children, from spa treatments to exotic beach getaways.

And you'll be able to meet Melissa Fay Greene live and in person! (and me, of course...)

selam

Purple Haze for Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Awareness Month (there had to be one) and November 17 is National Adoption Day in North America.

Here's some history on the month from adopting.org:

The first major effort to promote awareness of the need for adoptive families for children in the foster care system occurred in Massachusetts. In 1976, then-Governor Mike Dukakis proclaimed Adoption Week and the idea grew in popularity and spread throughout the nation. President Gerald Ford made the first National Adoption Week proclamation, and in 1990, the week was expanded to a month due to the number of states participating and the number of events.

During the month, states, communities, public and private organizations, businesses, families, and individuals celebrate adoption as a positive way to build families. Across the nation, activities and observances such as recognition dinners, public awareness and recruitment campaigns, and special events spotlight the needs of children who need permanent families. It also includes National Adoption Day, traditionally a Saturday, which is observed in courthouses across the nation as hundreds of adoptions are finalized simultaneously. Read more here.

----------

And here's some info from the Adoption Council of Canada: http://www.adoption.ca/news/november.htm

Celebrate Adoption Awareness Month - this is a calendar of activities you can do to promote adoption awareness.

Elle has assigned a color to the month - purple! - one of my favorite colors (I've been called Purple Haze for many many years, of course). Thanks to chou squared for posting about Elle and her great button that I am proud to display. You can get the button on Elle's blog.

If you haven't already, I encourage you bloggers (adopting or not) to go purple for the month too! I kind of like the way it looks.

To M

DREAMS

I dream of you all day
Think of you while I sleep
Thoughts of you are always with me...
Dreaming of the day that we meet.

I wonder about the little things,
What color are your eyes?
What makes you smile?
What makes you cry?

Who do you call mommy?
And is she good to you?
I wonder do you need me...
As much as I need you?

I promise you I’m looking,
And one day soon we’ll meet.
Until then she’ll take care of you...
And I’ll see you in my dreams.

~Adoptmom

Plumpy'nut

Forget rampant peanut allergies in North America!

A Life Saver Called "Plumpynut"

This is an interesting 60 Minutes video about Plumpy'nut - It includes Anderson Cooper interviewing Dr. Milton Tectonidis, the chief nutritionist for Doctors Without Borders. There are some very interesting viewer comments on the site, as well.

The video focuses on Niger. The following links have info on Plumpy'nut in other African countries, including Ethiopia.

http://www.plumpynutinthefield.com/eng/index-eng.php

Doctors Without Borders

ECHO and UNICEF - another video

Me to We

I was flipping channels and came across a show featuring Me to We authors, Marc Kielburger and Craig Kielburger. They are also the founders of Free The Children. Talk about passionate people. Craig's the guy who became a children's rights activist at the ripe old age of 12 (10 years ago)! The TV show presented highlights from the show.


Here's the newswire blurb on the show:

Canada's leaders and socially conscious speakers inspire thousands of youth to take action

TORONTO, Oct. 11 /CNW/ - More than 7,500 student leaders from across
Ontario will unite at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto for the first National Me
to We Day. An initiative led by Canadian-based organization Free The Children,
this unique event combines the energy and passion of Canada's top socially
conscious speakers who will share the message that one person can make a world
of difference.

Highlights of the event:

- Presentations by Craig Kielburger and Marc Kielburger, founders of Free The Children, LGen Roméo Dallaire (Ret.), Irshad Manji, Mark Tewksbury and Justin Trudeau

- Celebrity host Ben Mulroney

- Musical performances by special guests Hanson performing songs from their inspirational new album The Walk, and also a performance by the 2007 Canadian Idol winner, Brian Melo

- Cast members of Degrassi: The Next Generation will speak about their volunteer experience this past summer building a school in Kenya. Michel Chikwanine, a war-affected child, will share his first-hand experience growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the Great War of Africa

"Me to We," the name of the event, is based on a philosophy coined by the Kielburgers. It is a way of living that celebrates volunteerism, community building and service to others. And that is the main message of National Me to We Day! Inspired by the Millennium Development Goals, National Me to We Day will educate and empower youth to 'THINK WE' and act as global citizens to create change for a better world.

It's stuff like this that gives me added hope for the future of the human race. It seems to me that is not the governments that will really make a difference to the lives to those less fortunate or the victims of war and other atrocities. We have seen them - all talk and no action. We can't count on them. It's everyday people, like you and me who will make a difference. And it is my hope that the 'young kids' of today will be the generation to truly stop paying lip service to philantrophic causes and actually TAKE ACTION to make a change on a global level. Me to We day was October 19th. http://www.metowe.org/

You can purchase items from them at http://www.metowestyle.com/. 50% of proceeds go to Free the Children.

Free the Children web site.

Free the Children shop. There are a whack of items for sale here to bring out the social activist in all of us, especially 'the youth of today' (boy do I feel old saying that).

I wonder if stuff like this is available in schools around the world? I think it should be in every Canadian school and they should show the videos to everyone. Maybe they already do. If this sort of stuff isn't being done by the time M is in school - look out!

I think this one would make a great Christmas gift:

It Takes a Child

It Takes a Child is an inspirational and educational video about Craig Kielburger ( the founder of Free The Children) and the work the organization does at the international level. It Takes A Child was a gold medal winner at the New York City Film Festival. It is an excellent educational resource for teachers & educators.

Time: 56 minutesPrice: (DVD) $21.95 USD (+$3.00 S&H)

***** Click here to watch preview *****

selam

And we're off!!

Yes, good news finally.

My dossier is on it's way to Ethiopia!!!

It has been sent to Alberta Children's Services who will send it on from there. So, I think it should arrive in Ethiopia in the next week or so - so hopefully by the end of October.

In the next couple of days I will receive a package from CAFAC in the mail that includes a copy of my dossier with information on how to track it to Ethiopia as well as my Travel Package.

I'm going to create my waiting ticker very soon but I have limited time on the Internets these days. I had to post this quickly just to let people know of my change in fortune. (Tasha, I will answer your email tonight - thank you!)

Thanks everyone for the supportive words :-) Funny how your mood can be lifted so dramatically one day to the next. I've been up and down a lot - even just today. But in other good news, I also heard from a dear friend that she received her referral and saw the first pictures of her beautiful daughter today - WOO HOO!!!!!

selam

Never judge a book by it's cover*

Wow, there are some amazing people out there.

Ex-centerfold is unlikely savior for Haitian kids

Here's another good article about this remarkable lady, in PDF format: http://www.haitichildren.com/RMN_3-6-2004.pdf

Also a link to the Foundation for Worldwide Mercy and Sharing.

Thanks Tasha for your post on this ("butternut squash figure..." - BWA HAHAHHA!).


*Funnily enough, I often judge books by their covers - literally. Whilst strolling the aisles at Chapters, I am more likely to grab a book and read the back cover if the front cover looks 'nice.'

Come to think of it, I'm sure that's true for everyone.

It's called marketing.



Oh, shut up.

Sir Bob

Has anyone seen this?

Geldof in Africa

I can't remember if I heard about it before but I just stumbled across the last half of the last episode on Sunday night and I was very intrigued. He was talking about Ethiopia in this one - the land, the people, and the history. The imagery is stunning and I always love to hear Bob talk about Africa. I plan to pick up the DVD ASAP.

Some of you might also appreciate Bob's other documentary work (Rated R for language) ...

Blah de blah blah blah

I know I said I was fine, but I'm feeling more and more bummed out about the delay with my dossier. Mostly because I don't know when it will be sent off. I hope it's by the end of October. I am losing my sense of ha ha.

BTW, I heard yesterday that the Medicine Hat fire that burned 5 businesses actually surrounded the CAFAC office in a U-shape! It is some kind of wonderful that CAFAC didn't burn (and my dossier and the dossiers of a number of other people!!). I would say there was some divine intervention there! It was a devastating fire, requiring 40 firefighterss and 8-hours to put it out.

In other news, my new floors are almost done. All that remains to be finished is about 3/4 of the stairs and they should be finished tomorrow when some replacement pieces arrive. The floors look wonderful - especially with the new baseboards in place.The painters were to have started today but they will be a week late. The floor should have been done already and I'm getting tired of the dust, debris, and tools lying around. But, I shouldn't complain. It's all going to be done within a month, so it's really not that bad. My floor guy is a lot of fun and he's doing a fantastic job. I just want my house back - the way I imagined it months ago.

The painters had better not delay again because with time to second guess my choices I have now changed the green kitchen paint color a couple more times, and I threatened to change the blue master bedroom too. But no more. I am so done looking at paint chips and paint patches on the walls... Except in the nursery. I have found a great pink to go with the yellow and I meant to test it on the wall tonight but ran out of time. I will paint it on the walls myself at a later date as I'm not sure how much I want to use or how I want to apply it.

I will post some reno pictures to document the Before and Afters. I meant to do so earlier but I've just been so busy. I can not believe it's already the middle of October.

I think part of why I'm feeling a bit down these days is because of the work being done on the house - my nesting is kicking in big time. Once the contractors are out, it's just me there to decorate with my old stuff and start buying new stuff for Myfanwy's room. I've chosen the nursery colors and I'm now thinking about how to furnish it. I even test drove a glider and ottoman at Sears today (and dayum, it was comfy. I could have easily taken a nap). I wasn't shopping for one either - it was just there. I'm pretty sure I won't be one of those people who waits for the referral before decorating.

Also, I'm hearing wonderful referral news from friends near and far and it makes me impatient. Even knowing full well I have a long wait ahead of me. I could be bringing Myfanwy home around Christmas time (next year) - talk about a shock to her poor system. yuck

So as not to end on a fun-less note, I think I'll blow a raspberry: http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/54954/detail/

Da boys

A couple of months ago I gave my two cats, Midge Ure and Ripley, to a new home.

It was a very tough decision for me and one that I had been struggling with for months prior.

I won't go into too much detail, but I just wanted to acknowledge that da boys are gone.

Up till now, my boys had been just that - my boys. They helped me feel less alone on those days when I was sick of coming home to an empty house and wanted somebody's love and affection.

But over time, things changed - I've changed. And I don't know if the decision to adopt was part of my reason for making this choice. I suspect it played a factor.

I still miss those two crazy cats. I miss them sleeping under my bed. I miss walking through the door and having them sitting there, waiting to greet me. I miss having Midge attack my bare toes every morning as I brushed my teeth. I miss Ripley flopping down right in front of me as I walked down the stairs. I miss their meows as I prepared their food. I miss Midge's back talk whenever I asked him to 'come' so I could close a bedroom or bathroom door behind me. I miss Ripley reaching his paw out to touch me as I walked by the cat tree. I miss laffing out loud at their antics and wrestling matches. I miss silently shaking my head as they tore full steam around the house like a couple of crazy kids.

The family that adopted them are a young couple with two young kids. They brought their little boy over to see the cats before they accepted them. I am proud to say they were very well behaved. I couldn't have been prouder of them for patiently tolerating the little guy's clumsy strokes and high pitched squeals of excitement. And for coming when I called them back the few times he was too much for them and they retreated to the basement.

I will always love them, but I know I made the right decision. And I know they are in a good home where they will be be very active and happy. Their new mom informed me they have settled in nicely, they are behaving as if they have always lived there, and they are exhibiting their usual behaviours and individual charactistics/habits.

I still have moments of guilt - mostly because I failed them. But I don't feel like 'oh, I can't commit to my cats, why do I think I can commit to a kid?' or anything like that. I realize it's two different things. And I am grateful to those of you (family & friends) who shared your personal thoughts & experiences with me and let me know you don't think any less of me for making this choice. That meant a lot.






selam

Bummer!

I had expected my dossier to be in Ethiopia by now. It is not. But there is a good reason why it is not, and I am thankful that things weren't worse.

A couple of weeks ago, there was a fire in downtown Medicine Hat (the location of one of CAFAC's offices - and the location of my dossier). The fire occurred close enough to the office to cause minor smoke damage but, fortunately, no fire damage.

However, the office has had to move temporarily while the building is cleaned and repainted. This has put the usually efficient CAFAC team behind in their paperwork. Thus the reason for the delay with my file.

As I said, I'm thankful the damage wasn't worse. I don't know how I would have handled it if my file had been destroyed and I would have had to redo my dossier from scratch! Sadly, there were 5 businesses that did lose everything so my heart goes out to them while I thank my lucky stars for small favors.

I called CAFAC yesterday and the director replied that my dossier coordinator is away this week and so they are running very slowly right now. But my file will be sent off at some point. I'm just not sure when yet. sigh.

What Kind of Blogger Am I?

I haven't had home 'interweb' access for a few days because my PC and wireless network have been sitting in the basement in boxes. But that's good because it means I've been getting my floors installed. It started 2 days late and should have been completed last week but he'll have to come back Friday/Saturday to finish the stairs and baseboards.

But, the floors look great so far. Now, this morning my painter called to say his team will have to start a week late. sigh. I suppose these delays are normal. As long as they don't hike the prices...

So, I'm back on line and will catch up with my blog reading this week.

Here's an old post I had in draft from ages ago. I got this from Sprout. What Kind of Blogger Am I?

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary.
If it happens, you blog it. And make it as entertaining as possible.

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

I'm happy with my categorization.

However, my "French Name" is Voletta Poisson - go figure.

Dear Carol

Dear Carol,

Wow. It's been a year since you left us and I'm still adjusting to the fact that you're no longer here. There have been so many times when I have wanted to pick up the phone and call you. Just to say "hi," or to vent about the adoption, or life in general; you were always a good listener. Or just to be there for you. I now know how much you needed me, and I don't think I was there for you as much as I should have been. I'm so very sorry for that. I will always regret it.

And here comes another big family dinner and again we'll miss you and the sound of your laughter. You know, I still hear it all the time. I remember last Christmas, people saying we could almost hear you amongst all the noise and chaos. Like you were just in the other room, laughing at something somebody said. Probably one of those old childhood stories we always rehash at every family event. You left such a huge void in our family. One that can never be filled because there will never be anyone like you again. You were one of a kind.

I still have the Thank You card you sent to me after your 50th birthday - no one else would have done that. You were the one we all counted on to remember every birthday and anniversary. The keeper of every phone number. We are all trying our best to live up to your high standards in your absence.

I know you will always be there for me; you will always be my big sister. I know you would be so supportive of me and my newest adventure. I so wish that Myfanwy could meet her Aunty Carol. I will tell her all about you. Especially how you were the woman who inspired me to follow my dream of being a mother. I can't thank you enough for that gift.

I miss you, Carol. I pray that wherever you are you are safe, painfree, and happy.

Give Dad a big hug from me.


Love always,

Hazel

Authentication by embassy - check!

My dossier was sent back to CAFAC from the Ethiopian Embassy in Ottawa. It took exactly 3 weeks.

So next step, it will be sent off to Ethiopia, and when it arrives in country (in a week or so, I hope) I will be officially waiting!!

Unfortunately, the referral timeline has been changed for the worse. It's now an average 10-14 month wait from the time the dossier lands in country (it used to be 1-9 months).

So. I could get my referral anytime from July on. Or, I could get lucky and get a faster referral. I'm still optimistic that I won't have to wait that long, but that's probably just the silly musing of a woman who's still early on in the process....

However, if I expect a long wait, I'll probably get a long wait. So I won't. I'm a firm believer in the Law of Attraction. It's worked for me many many times before.

selam

p.s. I'm on Day 17 and the cleanse is going really well. I'm on target to lose the promised 21-lbs. That being said, I can't wait to cook some real food. I am scouring cook books for cakes and breads to bake.

Also baked mac 'n cheese casserole.

And dry, salt & pepper ribs, which I have never cooked before.

My plan, once the cleanse is over, is to allow myself one decent meal a day and follow the rest of the plan for my other meals. At least for a while longer as I want to lose some more weight and I think if I follow this idea I'll keep my caloric intake low. We shall see.

Simplifying life

I just have to mention a great post on the adoptionblogs site from the wise Owlhaven.

Simplifying your life after your child comes home

The top things she suggests new adoptive parents make sure to do are:

1) Lower your housekeeping standards
2) Stock your kitchen and pantry
3) Go to bed at a decent hour

Obviously, these tips work for non-adoptive new parents too.

I highly recommend you read the full post. It's all common sense, of course, but it helps to have someone spell it out. Especially the mother of EIGHT children.

Some great news for Ethiopia

Indian Company Inaugurates 10 $ MLN Worth Pharmaceutical Plant

Cadila Pharmaceuticals, an Indian pharmaceutical company, is building its first international project in Ethiopia, just outside of Addis.

They plan to diversify their products to include antiretroviral drugs "... which would be available to the public at affordable prices, as early as next year."

In addition they "...will be launching a personal HIV diagnostic kit that will tell if a person is positive or not in 3 minutes."

This plan will create approximately 100 jobs for Ethiopians.

Love this!

A professor stood before his Philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

"The golf balls are the important things - your God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

"The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.

"The sand is everything else--the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

"The same goes for life.

"If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.
Play another 18.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter.
Set your priorities.
The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.

"It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a cup of coffee with a friend."

Toxic

More about that detox diet I mentioned earlier.

I've been feeling a little sluggish lately. Not to mention heavy. I know that I need to really pay more attention to my diet and start preparing healthier meals. Plus I can't have M eating crap out of a box all the time. So I purchased the "21 Pounds in 21 Days: The Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox" package in order to flush the sugar, processed foods, and other garbage out and to give my system a jump start. My sister-in-law, Pat, was kind enough to accept delivery in NYC for me and then ship the package to Canada. (Note: Pat just moved to Barbados - how cool is that? When can I afford another trip...?)

The diet package comes with fruit and vegetable drink mixes, supplements, and a protein mix for transitioning off the diet. Can I just say how absolutely VILE the drink mix is? My gag reflexes were kicking in big time. So, because I have about as much willpower as a crack addict, and because I want to succeed at this, I have 'modified' the plan a bit.

I've switched to store-bought 100% juice mixes, and when I stop being bone idle I will prepare my own juices at home in the juicer I brought a few years ago and used for about 3 months. I'm also 'eating' my home-made veg soup. You're actually not supposed to chew anything on this plan but my one attempt at pureed soup was DIS-GUSTING. (See picture for evidence. It tasted as bad as it looked. I can't wait until I can make a nice pureed pumpkin soup with some cream in it- yum).

These changes alone should be enough to help me flush my system and drop a few pounds. And I hopefully won't turn into a raving bitch in the meantime. I'm on Day 10 today and it's actually not bad (although I daydream about having a toasted Subway BLT - ALL THE TIME). I've lost about 10 lbs (of water, I guess) and I haven't had any real physical symptoms from the detoxing other than a couple of extra pimples.

Looking forward to eating bread again, I did finally make some freezer jam from my BC fruit, I froze some peach slices in syrup, and of course, you already saw the plum puree.

(I erroneously labelled my apricot jam as nectarine jam - duh!) I don't eat bread that often so I'll probably be giving a couple of jars away at Christmas time (after I test it myself).

I was in at Community Natural Foods the other day and spoke to a very friendly employee who recommended a good digestive enzyme for me (as part of the detox diet), some wild yam cream, and Bromelain. Has anyone out there tried this stuff? Or has anyone else tried a detox and seen good results?

Jena 6 Day of Action: TODAY!

Updated: CNN is airing a special tonite at 8pm ET. http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/siu/

On Thursday, CNN’s American Morning, CNN Newsroom and Anderson Cooper 360° will carry live reports from Jena on all of the latest developments. At 8 p.m. (ET), CNN will premiere a one-hour documentary, CNN: Special Investigations Unit – Judgment in Jena, an investigation reported by Kyra Phillips examining the complex issues of this case.
Source: http://insidecable.blogsome.com/2007/09/19/jena-6-cnn-coverage-notes/
-----------


Further to my September 6 post, here's hoping something good comes from the activities and vigils today. Please keep the Jena 6 in your thoughts and prayers.

Following is part of the last email update I received from the Color of Change organization. It looks like all the attention is making a difference.

------
Last Friday's initial victory for the Jena 6 made it clear that the growing, national awareness about what's happening in Jena is making a difference. But the fight is just beginning. You can help make sure the word continues to spread by attending or hosting a vigil or rally in your community on September 19th or 20th.

Click below to find or create one, near you:
http://colorofchange.org/jena/event_find.html?id=2076-311784

The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana surprised everyone on Friday when it ruled that Mychal Bell shouldn't have been tried as an adult and nullified his conviction. It's a huge win, but the fight is not over. District Attorney Walters is appealing to the state Supreme Court, and if that fails, he'll almost certainly try Mychal and the others as juveniles.

Most people believe that the court's decision to move so quickly was a direct result of hundreds of thousands of voices speaking out and bringing pressure at all levels of the state. That's why it's critical that we keep building awareness and focusing national attention on the injustice unfolding in Jena.

Rallies and vigils are a great way to introduce others to this issue locally, in addition to being educational and personally fulfilling. Even a dozen people gathering on an issue will usually get the attention of local press, especially when it connects to a national story as it does in this case. If a rally or vigil doesn't yet exist in your community, create one. It's easy. We'll give you the materials you need and suggestions on how to make it a success.

National day of action
The rallies, vigils and other activities of the national day of action are planned to coincide with the rally in Jena. We're also giving people a way to download flyers to post in their communities and make phone calls into state officials on the 20th. Learn more and sign up for other activities, here:
http://colorofchange.org/jena/action.html?id=2076-311784

Thank you again for standing up and using your voice to defend these young men. We hope that you'll find a way to step things up further this week in your community, in Jena, or wherever you'll be.

selam

My top 10 "git 'er done" list

A while back - actually ages ago - Tami posted a list of things she wanted to do for herself before her child joins her family. She tagged me to post my own list.

Laura rose to the occasion and posted her list. Like Laura, I'm not sure how best to approach it - is this 10 practical things I need to do in preparation of M coming home, or is it 10 things to do as the last acts of my single, childfree life?

Well, I'll just start writing and see how many I have of each. I actually started this list a while ago but didn't get around to completing it until tonight. So here goes.

1. Go for a hike in a previously undiscovered location - I want to find another good, child-friendly route to take M in a backpack.



2. Take another pottery class - I start next week.



3. Dance class - I hope to do this soon with an AP friend of mine.



4. Prep garden for next year - I did finally get my bulbs planted. I still need to properly install my composter and also cut, aerate & fertilize the lawn. Now that the weather has cooled (chance of snow flurries tonight!), those buggery aphids are gone and I can get out there again without being grossed out.



5. Laser eye surgery - I had started to get the heebie jeebies about going through with this. Fortunately, I was speaking with the ladies at Stitch n' Bitch about it tonight and Heather convinced me to go for it. I will. This year.



6. Detox diet & lose weight - I've started this.
   


7. Get a child-friendly house - House - check. My new 2-storey is much more practical than the 5-level split townhouse (oh but it was sooo pretty). Renos to make the house perfect for M and me are on the go. Funnily enough, Laura is considering covering her hardwood floors with carpet while I can't wait to put wood floors down. I know I'll have to invest in some good area rugs because my poor knees won't be able to handle it.



8. Get off my butt & find a daycare so I can get M added to its waiting list - Why do I keep putting this off?? Why??



9. Budget - I have Quicken now installed. I just need to start plugging in my numbers and getting going with it so I can nail down how long I can really afford to be on parental leave, etc.



10. Take a CPR and first aid refresher course - For obvious reasons.

I guess my list turned into mostly stuff on the practical side. Maybe one of the benefits of my age is that I feel that I have done a lot of the things I've always wanted to do (skydive, run a half marathon, drink umbrella drinks on a tropical beach, sled dogging, buy a house...).

And hey - the biggest thing I have always wanted to do is be a mother. Looks like I've almost got that one covered!

Tami, thanks for tagging me to make this list - it was a worthwhile task. It helps me to write stuff down. And to blog about it? Boy, NOW I'm committed.

p.s. Tasha, you haven't posted your list yet. Just a friendly reminder. You're welcome.

selam