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Monday, January 30, 2017
Cecil Amos Thompson (1926-2017)
Friday, May 21, 2010
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Blake is walking!!
I have attached a video clip of Blake walking. He started walking the day after Mother's Day! We captured this video on the following Tuesday, and ever since he has been walking. Although he still prefers to crawl, he is able to get up on his own and walk a short distance. Such an amazing step for him! Enjoy the video clip :)
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Disposables have got to go
Americans need to stop the disposable paper and plastic mentality! In my
conscious effort to slow down global warming by reducing the CO2
emissions, my "carbon footprint", I decided to ban paper and plastic
disposables as an experiment today. At Starbucks, during an unexpected
stop when I had to wait for a certain store nearby to open in half an
hour and baby Blake was awake and demanding breastmilk, I decided to sit down and have a drink to pass my time. Instead of getting disposable
cups (which greatly harm the environment with the production of paper
and plastics that emit a lot of CO2, and most of which aren't recycled
by consumers), I wanted to buy a permanent starbucks mug which I'd leave
in the car for every SB visit. Upon ordering my tea, I asked through
speech to have it poured into my new mug. Instead, the employee used a
paper cup and a plastic lid, thinking I only wanted to buy but not use
the mug (huh??). I then wrote down to clarify, and this was worse... she transferred the contents into my mug and then THREW away the paper cup,
hence nullifying my fight against global warming if that paper cup was
already "disposed of" on MY account. Not only this happened, but I had
also wanted to buy a large glass jar for loose leaf tea infusion. Without asking me, this same lady immediately wrapped the jar in lots of tissue paper. She had only just begun with a slight wrap without yet crinkling or folding the paper when I halted her and asked not to. BUT
then she CRUMBLED and and THREW the entire pack of tissue paper (in almost perfect condition) that she had barely used! AND then, she
quickly took out a gift bag for the jar, but I stopped her right away, insisting that I'll just wrap it myself with the receiving blankets I already had in my tote bag, and to simply put it in the bag (Duh!). I failed my effort to zero out my "footprint" today. Looking back, I should have accepted the paper cup, declined to purchase the new mug (since I'd already have the disposable when it was too late), and with restraint, accept the tissue paper (so I could re-use it myself later, a lesser evil than seeing it go to waste). The message of conservation needs to get across to all Americans, so those of us who do care, don't need to struggle to NOT do harm.
Weeks later, at a GAP, where I was exchanging Niel's gift shirt for a different size, I had brought in the shirt already folded in a little "Baby Gap" box. I clearly asked the sales lady to use the same box for packaging that I had brought, and she agreed to do that. When I glanced away (of course to my sweet baby near me) and then back to the lady, I caught her trying to slip a darn store plastic bag over the box, struggling to get the bag over without ripping it. I couldn't help but yell, "No! I don't need that, thank you!" I obviously didn't have a problem arriving without a bag, so why should I need help leaving the store with a bag? I had my stroller with me, where I could conveniently place the box without the bag after the exchange.
Today, I am proud to have walked into Ralphs and out with a lot of groceries without consuming any bags - paper or plastic. I simply asked the bag boy to put all my groceries in the cart without any bags, and then at the car, I transferred everything into my tote bag that I had forgotten to take out in the first place. It was easy! What about those fruits and veggies in the produce section? Don't I need those little plastics for covering 'em? Nope. No bags at all . . . I wash my produce before eating or cooking them, so why the bags? I'm wasting a LOT LESS plastic or paper bags now than I ever did before, and feel exhilarately great about it!
See the enclosed link to a power point slide about the harm plastic bags are doing to our environment. I happened to get it recently from a friend and from my mother through email, and thought it was appropriate to share in this post. http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/MULTIMEDIA02/80505016
conscious effort to slow down global warming by reducing the CO2
emissions, my "carbon footprint", I decided to ban paper and plastic
disposables as an experiment today. At Starbucks, during an unexpected
stop when I had to wait for a certain store nearby to open in half an
hour and baby Blake was awake and demanding breastmilk, I decided to sit down and have a drink to pass my time. Instead of getting disposable
cups (which greatly harm the environment with the production of paper
and plastics that emit a lot of CO2, and most of which aren't recycled
by consumers), I wanted to buy a permanent starbucks mug which I'd leave
in the car for every SB visit. Upon ordering my tea, I asked through
speech to have it poured into my new mug. Instead, the employee used a
paper cup and a plastic lid, thinking I only wanted to buy but not use
the mug (huh??). I then wrote down to clarify, and this was worse... she transferred the contents into my mug and then THREW away the paper cup,
hence nullifying my fight against global warming if that paper cup was
already "disposed of" on MY account. Not only this happened, but I had
also wanted to buy a large glass jar for loose leaf tea infusion. Without asking me, this same lady immediately wrapped the jar in lots of tissue paper. She had only just begun with a slight wrap without yet crinkling or folding the paper when I halted her and asked not to. BUT
then she CRUMBLED and and THREW the entire pack of tissue paper (in almost perfect condition) that she had barely used! AND then, she
quickly took out a gift bag for the jar, but I stopped her right away, insisting that I'll just wrap it myself with the receiving blankets I already had in my tote bag, and to simply put it in the bag (Duh!). I failed my effort to zero out my "footprint" today. Looking back, I should have accepted the paper cup, declined to purchase the new mug (since I'd already have the disposable when it was too late), and with restraint, accept the tissue paper (so I could re-use it myself later, a lesser evil than seeing it go to waste). The message of conservation needs to get across to all Americans, so those of us who do care, don't need to struggle to NOT do harm.
Weeks later, at a GAP, where I was exchanging Niel's gift shirt for a different size, I had brought in the shirt already folded in a little "Baby Gap" box. I clearly asked the sales lady to use the same box for packaging that I had brought, and she agreed to do that. When I glanced away (of course to my sweet baby near me) and then back to the lady, I caught her trying to slip a darn store plastic bag over the box, struggling to get the bag over without ripping it. I couldn't help but yell, "No! I don't need that, thank you!" I obviously didn't have a problem arriving without a bag, so why should I need help leaving the store with a bag? I had my stroller with me, where I could conveniently place the box without the bag after the exchange.
Today, I am proud to have walked into Ralphs and out with a lot of groceries without consuming any bags - paper or plastic. I simply asked the bag boy to put all my groceries in the cart without any bags, and then at the car, I transferred everything into my tote bag that I had forgotten to take out in the first place. It was easy! What about those fruits and veggies in the produce section? Don't I need those little plastics for covering 'em? Nope. No bags at all . . . I wash my produce before eating or cooking them, so why the bags? I'm wasting a LOT LESS plastic or paper bags now than I ever did before, and feel exhilarately great about it!
See the enclosed link to a power point slide about the harm plastic bags are doing to our environment. I happened to get it recently from a friend and from my mother through email, and thought it was appropriate to share in this post. http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/MULTIMEDIA02/80505016
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Caleb says Grace
At dinner a few days ago, as we got ready to say grace, Caleb was ready with his hands
pressed together in prayer before we were, as he usually does. What was
new tonight was that when Niel began saying grace, Caleb interrupted,
saying "Caleb's turn" so Niel stopped and asked Caleb to begin. Caleb
signed "Thank you for family- Mommy, Daddy, and Blake. Amen." My eyes
watered with warm joy and surprise!
Ever since, Caleb has been interrupting or insisting on saying grace himself. He'd list the things he's grateful for, or at least observes in his day. He'd go like this in ASL: "JESUS, FAMILY, MOMMY, DADDY, BLAKE, NANA HERE, TIME-OUT, SLEEP, MOUNTAINS, BIRDS, TREES, FOOD, AMEN." Starting our dinner has never been this endearing.
pressed together in prayer before we were, as he usually does. What was
new tonight was that when Niel began saying grace, Caleb interrupted,
saying "Caleb's turn" so Niel stopped and asked Caleb to begin. Caleb
signed "Thank you for family- Mommy, Daddy, and Blake. Amen." My eyes
watered with warm joy and surprise!
Ever since, Caleb has been interrupting or insisting on saying grace himself. He'd list the things he's grateful for, or at least observes in his day. He'd go like this in ASL: "JESUS, FAMILY, MOMMY, DADDY, BLAKE, NANA HERE, TIME-OUT, SLEEP, MOUNTAINS, BIRDS, TREES, FOOD, AMEN." Starting our dinner has never been this endearing.
Monday, June 09, 2008
You are my sunshine!
Here Caleb is singing his version of "You Are My Sunshine" on his new banjo that his grandpa gave him.
Caleb fingerspells his name!
What you are seeing is Caleb fingerspelling his name for the first time, well, not the first first time but you know what I mean? :) He has done the ABCs quite well (and for some time now) and knows how to sign all the letters, very clearly and fluently, but has not been able to fingerspell any words, with the exception of signing bus, car, ok, etc. So, this is really his first fingerspelled word, CALEB! Wow, pretty exciting. Enjoy the video! Love, Niel
Monday, April 07, 2008
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