The Baker Clan's Wee Blog

Theodore Roosevelt - Citizenship in a Republic speech

2011-08-30T12:18:00.002-05:00

Full speech can be found here: http://artofmanliness.com/citizenship-in-a-republic-by-theodore-roosevelt/

An inspirational excerpt:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face in marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Inspirational: If by Rudyard Kipling

2011-08-30T12:17:00.000-05:00

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too:

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;

If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same:.

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings,

And never breathe a word about your loss:

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much:

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling

Fun: Impressionist Does Shakespeare

2011-07-22T09:57:00.001-05:00

Awesome impressionist reading Shakespeare as...well, just about everyone:

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/07/shakespeare_impressions.html

Dropping Keys by Hafez

2011-06-10T09:40:00.004-05:00

The small man

Builds cages for everyone

knows.

While the sage

Who has to duck his head

When the moon is low,

Keeps dropping keys all night long

For the

Beautiful

Rowdy

Prisoners.

Christmas Poem

2010-10-21T14:11:00.001-05:00

Christmas is near

Come let us see,

What will we find

Under the tree?

Something to read,

Something to wear,

Something you want,

Something to share.

Books or maybe

New magazines!

PJs or shirts

Socks that are green!

A secret wish

A special toy

Sure to bring you

Hours of joy!

But the best part

Of Christmas fun

To share something

With everyone.

Christmas: Keeping it real

2010-10-20T12:49:00.004-05:00

John and I are very concerned that our children understand the purpose and meaning of Christmas as a spiritual holiday rather than a prop to consumerism. Plus, we are blessed with having entirely too much *stuff* (a situation we are rapidly correcting), and all too often stuff we don't need or use. I mean, really, how many travel coffee mugs does one person need?

To that end, last year, last year we tried something we heard about that limited gifts to 3: "Something you want, something you need, and something special." It went rather well, but it was a little difficult trying to figure out the difference between "want" and "special" and it felt like something was still missing.

This year, I heard a variation of this: "Something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read." I liked this better, but still felt it was missing something. After thinking it over a bit, we've decided on four gifts, but with our own twist:

Something to read,

Something to wear,

Something you want,

Something to share.

I think this will be perfect for making sure the kids enjoy Christmas but that we all keep a perspective on a holiday that can, all too easily, get away from us.

Reading tea leaves..

2010-08-25T11:14:00.001-05:00

Reading tea leaves....ah, yes...it appears there will be little brown dots in my future.

Go Nels Go!

2010-06-10T15:34:00.002-05:00

My totally awesome cousin Nels is biking across America from LA to NY to raise money for Congenital Heart Defects. Check out his website www.athletes4heart.com. If he is coming through your town please cheer him on for me. Help him raise $100,000 for this important research. Thanks!

Thought for the day: How could you think that?

2010-04-16T10:38:00.003-05:00

When you start a discussion with "How can you think/believe/say that...", you automatically give up your right to have me take you seriously since clearly you're already not willing to listen.

Never argue with fools or fanatics. The first group can't listen and the second won't.

Passed: Introducing Dr. Becky Baker

2010-04-01T22:49:00.001-05:00

I have been trying to schedule my defense for over a month. My chair discovered she needed surgery, so March 31st was the first day she could do it (keep in mind, I had to finish it before April 9th or I'd have to wait to graduate until the summer). SO - everyone finally agrees to April 1st, 11am. I get there, and no one is there. There's a couple of grad students who want to observe, but no committee members. Finally, two of them bebop in about 10 minutes late, one of them saying "I've got to be across campus by 12:30, so let's get this going." My chair is still not there and one other committee member is also missing. At 11:30, we finally get my chair on the phone - she had the time wrong. She thought it was at 1pm and she's across town. She says "go ahead without me." ACK! We never get a hold of my other committee member, so they tell me "just do it. Oh, and since we're running late, keep it under 20 minutes." No pressure there, eh?

After I got over the initial "holy crap half my committee is missing and you want me to cram this into 20 minutes!?!?!" jitters, all went well and I am officially Dr. Baker (or as JJ says, Dr. Mommy)

Rant: Get out of my house

2010-03-29T03:42:00.002-05:00

It is not the job of government to ensure that I prosper rather it is the job of government to make sure that I have an opportunity to do so

So I say to both parties Get out! Get out of my kitchen, get out of my bedroom get out of my daily life! Stop trying to tell me that you know what's best for me like some kind of ube- parent and let me make my own mistakes. Stop telling me what I shouldn't eat, who I shouldn't sleep with, and what I shouldn't think. I rather suspect that both my moral compass and intellect are more developed than yours, but even if that were not the case, it is not your job or even your right to dictate to me what is right/wrong/healthy/unhealthy/moral/immoral outside the most basic "don't kill each other and try to get along." Go build a road or something useful. You've forgotten you're there to provide infrastructure - not to micromanage my life.

If you feel the need to legislate how I conduct myself on a daily personal level because it will improve my health then mandate sunscreen - that at least is based on real science unlike this "wellness" crap you seem bent on cramming down my throat.

Thought for the day: I'm not listening

2010-02-08T09:48:00.001-06:00

Stating a position you are unwilling or unable to defend but insist on bringing up on conversation automatically abdicates your right to be taken seriously. If you can't be bothered to think through your position I can't be bothered to listen to it

Passed with flying colors!

2009-10-22T09:47:00.001-05:00

Hooray! My committee had very few comments and was overall enthusiastic about the research. Now on to the data collection phase...

Proposal Defense tomorrow!

2009-10-21T16:37:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow afternoon, 2pm CST, I will be defending my dissertation proposal (Comparing the Readability of Text Displays on Paper, Ebook readers, and Small Screen Devices). This is the first and most important step in finishing my PhD and graduating next May as Dr. Becky :) I started thinking about everything I've done since I entered the program 10 years ago, and it's no wonder it's taken so long! I have:

Continued to work full time (40+ hours a week)
Have gone through 4 jobs at the same company (promotions and inter department career change opportunities)
Completed over 90 hours of course work, 2 written comprehensive exams, and a qualifying gauntlet of 4 research papers.
Lost both grandmothers, four cats, and three dogs.
Was separated three times, got divorced, dated, and remarried.
Have been pregnant three times (counting right now)
Have been through a late term miscarriage, a cancer scare, and major abdominal surgery (myomectomy)
Am raising an under-2 year old while pregnant

Wow!

I am so nervous I feel like I could throw up, which is just crazy because I have given dozens of presentations to considerably larger and more hostile audiences than this. Go figure!

First they came for...

2009-10-05T15:12:00.005-05:00

First they came for the smokers, and I did not speak out—because I did not smoke;
Then they came for the obese, and I did not speak out—because I was not over weight;

Then they came for the diabetics, and I did not speak out—because I did not have diabetes.

Then they came for the elderly, and I did not speak out—because I was not old;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Based on First They Came... by Martin Niemoller

The Senate Finance Committee has passed an amendment allowing employers to increase the cost of coverage to certain employees (as much as 50%) based on whether they meet certain "wellness" criteria, such as quitting smoking or losing weight.

Given that the links between things like obesity, cholesterol levels, diet, exercise, etc.and healthcare costs are nebulous at best and completely fictitious at worst, this comes down to one thing—government-sanctioned discrimination based on nothing more than aesthetics and pop-culture stereotypes. Which begs the question—when will they come for me?

Proposal submitted to committee!

2009-09-29T14:43:00.001-05:00

Hooray!

The long and nail biting journey of preparing my dissertation proposal for my committee is finally at an end. Of course, I still have many milestones ahead of me - the proposal defense, data collection and analysis, and the final dissertation defense - but it seems like I've been pushing for this one particular one forever. I cannot begin to describe my excitement and relief. I think I shall celebrate with a nap :)

The search for passion

2009-09-22T15:22:00.005-05:00

I've been thinking about the post I made a few days ago about finding a passion. I have to admit, I'm a bit stuck as to where to start. I know discovering something that moves me at my core will be a process of discovery - a journey, not a problem solving exercise. However, I find it difficult to approach as anything other than a problem solving exercise, since, well, that's kind of how I approach everything (just ask my sister :) ).

So, how to take the first steps in the journey, to get my feet on the road instead of just sitting next to it with my GPS trying to map out a route to a destination I don't yet know? Perhaps to get started is to just list my excitements, those things that get me riled up and ready to do something, then try to sort out if any of them might be a passion, accepting that NONE of them might be. Couldn't hurt.

So here goes - my excitements today:

fighting subculture prejudice - specifically the cultural attitude of the US re: the elderly as disposable or troublesome, the overweight as disgusting and costly, children as commodities or trophies, and so on. Educating others about recognizing the unique value and contribution that each individual makes to society, regardless of age/race/sex/weight/religious preference/sexual preference/etc.

promoting cloth diapers - Educating people about how and why to use cloth diapers and the current trends and "technologies"

promoting living simply - reducing or eliminating the acquisition of unnecessary material goods, redefining the words "luxury" and "necessity", living within our means, then teaching others how to do the same.

promoting critical thinking - educating others on the skills of critical thinking, examination, etc. especially wrt evaluating information from various sources objectively.

promoting time management - educating others on how to maximize the time spent on meaningful activities and minimizing time wasted, as well as how to define "meaningful" and "wasteful" for each individual (recogizing that one person's meaningful is another person's wasteful - and neither is right or wrong)

Sense and sensibility

2009-09-17T12:32:00.002-05:00

I sometimes think that the saving grace of America lies in the fact that the overwhelming majority of Americans are possessed of two great qualities- a sense of humor and a sense of proportion.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

I'm left to wonder after viewing news story after news story detailing how people are being offended by the smallest unintended slight, panicked over imagined plagues, and taken in by grandiose claims of quick fixes to everything from weight loss to health care - when did we lose our senses?

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

2009-09-16T14:32:00.002-05:00

I was reading an interesting article dealing with finding your life's dream. The author talks about his findings from interviews with real people. His observations include finding your dream isn't something that just comes to you - it's something that you find after a lot of hard work and mistakes. And moreover, it's not necessarily something that's "cool" or "sexy" - rather, it's where your individual passion lies. He goes on to say that *thinking* about what you want to do may be just as obfuscating as not thinking about it. It leads you to mistake "intensity for passion" as Bronson puts it. It's the difference between looking for something fun or stimulating or admirable and looking for something meaningful.

As someone who has spent a fair bit of time analyzing what I want to do with my life on a regular basis, I can relate. I'm still looking for that meaningful thing. I think I keep getting closer, but just haven't quite gotten there yet. So perhaps my next goal needs to be exploring what is important to me, not from an intellectual and emotional standpoint, but from a moral and ethical one.

Interesting article in Good Housekeeping

2009-09-11T17:03:00.003-05:00

While at the dr's today, John found a very interesting article in Good Housekeeping on a family that had given up shopping for anything that wasn't depletable or editable for a year. It was fascinating to read exactly how they'd managed to get through typically materialistic-driven holidays - not just with 2 adults, but 3 kids!! - and how their creativity paid off in unexpected ways. This approach definitely fits with our goals and values and our quest to be less material-dependent - not an uncommon goal these day, I suspect.

Becky: Mission Statement and Values

2009-08-24T14:14:00.008-05:00

In addition to the family mission statement and values, we each have our own. I think this is important because you need to understand where you are coming from and what you stand for as an individual before you can help determine the larger ideals of the team that you are part of. So here's mine :)

Becky's Mission Statement

Every day, I strive to maintain and improve the gifts God has and will grant me and to use those gifts in His service.

Becky's Values

Integrity: I accept that I am responsible for myself and my happiness. I am considerate, reliable, and trustworthy. I take on tasks that are necessary even if they are unpleasant, and do not procrastinate.

Stewardship: I acknowledge and accept that I have been entrusted as a care taker of the world and all that it contains. My habits and lifestyle reflect this responsibility. I give my time and energy to help people and worthy causes. I do not pursue that which I do not need – rather I strive to make use of the abundance that is already before me.

Industry: I constantly strive to explore and expand my talents and skills. I tailor my activities, keeping in mind that time is a precious, non-renewable resource that can only be spent, never saved.

Temperance: I do not indulge to excess in any activity and practice moderation in all things. I tailor my speech and actions to reflect the person I strive to be and do not give in to the passions of the moment that may lead to regret.

Serenity: I am at peace with myself and my Creator and demonstrate this in word and deed. I recognize that there is a place and time for everything and do not let trifles and accidents unduly ruffle me. I maintain a clean and healthy home, body, and appearance.

Recommendation: A "Must Read" Blog - Junkfood Science

2009-08-10T14:11:00.002-05:00

A few months ago, I stumbled across what I now consider one of the most thought-provoking and well-researched blogs dealing with medical science, practice, policies and myths available:

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/

Dealing with issues from obesity to elder care to government medical policies, Sandy Szwarzc explains, in plain English, how to sort out the media hype from the real facts, how government policies are often based on faulty interpretations of biased data, and how muchof our current cultural "common sense" is based on downright lies - all with links to the actual research papers to back it up. I took a few hours one afternoon to research one of her articles that seemed to fly in the face of what I had always "known" was "true" (whether obese and overweight pregnant women had a higher risk of complications wrt miscarriage, etc.) and found her facts to be completely accurate across the board (the "research" that lead to the conclusion that these women were at higher risk was irresponsible and misleading and the conclusions they drew were out and out lies). I've since had to seriously reconsider much of the "common knowledge" I have taken for granted over the years, such as the hazards of obesity, and find myself examining with a far more critical eye to anything I see in the news.

But don't take my word for it. Read her blog. Check out her facts. And be prepared to think. As usuall, we know a lot less than we think we do.

And thank you Sandy for restoring my faith in critical thinking.

Coming soon...

2009-08-05T15:17:00.002-05:00

"The Privilege and Responsibility Coin" (lessons from my Mother)

"The Sanctity of Your Word" (lessons from my Father)

"Things are Hardly Ever as They Appear" (lessons from my Father)

"How to Deal with a Blackmailer" (random thoughts occasioned by stories recounted from other blogs)

Children are amazing...

2009-08-05T15:12:00.003-05:00

It continually astounds me how much communication I can get from my 18-month old son when I am not fazed by his little outbursts. Frustration at this age is expressed immediately, negatively, and vocally. This is not unlike the workplace! If you can wait out the fuss-fuss, and ask an open-ended question, you get a lot back!

"What do you *want*, JJ?"

"Wah-tah!" (with directional pointing)

He means that he wants me to turn on the water feature in our bedroom so that he can cycle through each of the accompanying sounds. Then he says, "Off!" and once turned off, we move on to the next wonder.

Health Care Insurance "Coverage"

2009-08-05T14:41:00.005-05:00

A word to the wise...

From a business perspective, any person offering you treatment has a vested interest in your acceptance. From that business perspective, if you do not accept the proposed treatment, they will not get paid.

(This is, of course, without regard to the necessity of such treatment. I'm not talking about Botox here. If you refuse an immediate life-saving treatment, then obviously things will go worse for you. Some situations naturally do not allow you to weigh cost versus benefit. I am certainly NOT advocating that you should refuse life-saving treatment over so ephemeral a thing as money!)

But consider a less critical situation, where your acceptance might be based on whether or not a treatment is covered by insurance. You do yourself a huge favor by personally verifying actual coverage. You should verify your own coverage, in my personal opinion, regardless of what the practitioner or company's representative says they have done, or will do, in that regard.

You see, sometimes practitioners or representatives are mistaken. Sometimes the insurance company's treatment rules change or are altered by third-party auditors. (With the after-effects of Comparative Effectiveness studies only just starting to be felt, I predict this will be more and more the case.) And maybe, just maybe, the person you're talking to is being paid to get treatment started regardless of who's paying or how much it costs.

Final Note: The bottom line is that you'd do well not to start a treatment until you know your "coverage status." You may very well decide to go ahead with a treatment even if it's not covered. But it's certainly better to know that going in, than to find out in the middle after you've already incurred a lot of costs.

Goal Progress: Sustainable Lifestyle

2009-07-28T15:40:00.002-05:00

Step: Find a creative use for something you would normally throw away once every two months.

This has been a very fun goal so far, as well as being darn useful. This month, we are collecting old T-shirts for John to use as gun cleaning rags. Not really a "new" use, but we're combining this with cleaning out the closets, so it's kind of a "twofer." :)

New Family Tradition: Christmas in July

2009-07-28T15:24:00.002-05:00

It was a total success!

The food was great - we did a summer spin on Christmas favorites. We grilled the turkey, instead of roasting (used an Earl Grey type brine solution - delicious!), had pickled green beans instead of green bean casserole, did a cold sweet potato salad instead of the marshmellow concoction you would normally have, cranberry spritzers instead of cranberry sauce, plus rolls, dressing, pumpkin pie and cherry pie.

For gifts, we did a homemade "dirty Santa" gift exchange that went over really well - items included delicious looking fudge, Godiva brownies, chocolate "bark", homemade liqueur, a bottle of wine, a cool mix CD, beaded wine glass markers, and lovely beaded champagne glasses.

Finally, in keeping with the spirit of the season, we did a charity recycle auction. We asked folks to bring something from home they no longer wanted that was in good repair and we auctioned it off. Anything that didn't sell was to go Goodwill and the proceeds from the auction were designated for the North Texas Food Bank. We raised $110 for the NTFB, and all the items sold! We had a really fun selection of items too: an old cat drinking fountain, an aromatherapy candle/scent set, an "as seen on TV" pasta cooker, a collection of bath items in a decorative shell holder, a napkin holder/silverware set, a flavored sake, and a DVD. And the bidding was so fun and funny! I think the sweetest thing was that folks who bought stuff for $1 or $2, wrote checks for $20 or $30 because they wanted to give more to the charity. So nice!

Everyone had a really good time and enjoyed themselves - they kept saying "wow! I can't wait for next year!" I'm already scheming on things we can add in for next time like cookie decorating :) What a great new family tradition!!

Medical Care and Individual Critical Thought

2009-07-09T10:40:00.005-05:00

After reading some truly disturbing posts related to the current public thinking about National Healthcare, I am reminded of some quotes from books and articles I've read recently.

From the book, "Freakonomics": Correlation does not necessarily indicate causality. That two or more factors are present when a thing happens does not necesarily mean that one causes the other. It's a VERY important distinction, and one completely lost on many people. I think that this is one of the primary reasons that so many people have developed irrational fears of things like "chemicals."

From an article I read yesterday in Junk Food Science (Becky notes the article in her previous post) there is a stark difference between "coverage" and "care." And the relative "quality" of your coverage or even your care says nothing about the "outcome" of that care. You have to ask what are the measures being used to determine that quality. A government accountant's view of healthcare "quality" will likely be radically different from your own, until he comes down with whatever you've got!

That you have healthcare coverage says nothing of the treatment you may, or MAY NOT, receive under that coverage. After all, the people who signed up for HMO's in the 80's and 90's had "coverage" - sometimes just not for the stuff with which they found themselves afflicted! Oregon, Massachusetts, and Merry Olde England - they already know what happens when you let someone else decide what your care options will be. You get limited health care options because of the limited budgets.

Need cataract surgery or expensive ophthalmic medicines? Maybe you'll have to wait until you lose the sight in one eye first....

Ask yourself this question: What, or who, are you willing to lose because the needed treatments aren't considered cost-effective?

We're going to have to think, ask questions, and be willing to question the answers. Here's a potential litmus test: If you read it, and you like what it says because you agree with it, it's probably time to start asking some pointy questions.

Here's an applicable situation now: There's a proposal bouncing around in Congress just now that those citizens who have highly-valuable health benefits from their employers should be taxed on those benefits. The tax revenue will be used to (help) fund the edtimated $1 trillion healthcare reform.

And now for some pointy questions:

Who decides what "highly-valuable" means? what's the dollar value?
Who decides how much the new tax will be?
Will that new tax be taken from after-tax dollars, effectively taxing the same income twice?
If it is taken after-tax, will I get a tax-credit when I file my return? (You can bet not!)

There are some black diamond slippery slopes coming, folks. Hope you've got your skis on!

Caring now and later

2009-07-08T16:55:00.000-05:00

A powerful and touching essay on our attitudes towards elder care - well worth the read.

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2009/07/remembering-care-in-healthcare.html

Goal Progress: Family Traditions

2009-07-06T17:08:00.002-05:00

Step: Create a family tradition of Christmas in July

I love the idea of Christmas in July. Keeping the celebration of love and giving and charity to one time of year only seems a bit miserly, so we thought why not have a Christmas in July. We'll be sending out our cards this month, putting up a tree, and having a party with all the holiday fixin's (with a summer twist - like grilled turkey!). As part of the party, we will have a gift exchange. Everyone will be asked to bring one homemade gift - it can be anything from a plate of brownies, to a CD burned with your favorite playlist, to poem you wrote, to a hand knit scarf....anything as long as you made it. And we'll do a "recycle" auction. Everyone brings something useful that they no longer want/need - a scarf that doesn't go with your wardrobe, a chair that doesn't fit your new decor, a toaster that works but not as well as the one you're using....and we'll auction them off to the highest bidder. This year all proceed will go to the Texas Food Bank, and anything that doesn't get sold gets taken to Goodwill. I can't wait!

Goal Progress: Decluttering

2009-06-19T15:11:00.001-05:00

Step: Declutter master bedroom closets.

We started the decluttering process by going through our closets and culling out clothes we never wear and packing them up for Goodwill. Currently, we've got the clothes culled, but still need inventory them (for tax purposes) and haul them off. One step at a time! :) It's amazing how much space I have in my closet now! Whoohoo!

Goal Progress: Healthy Living

2009-06-15T15:13:00.001-05:00

Step: Eat at least 1 vegetarian dinner every week.

This is mostly because we recognize we don't eat enough fruits and vegetables and need more of that kind of variety in our diet. We've managed to maintain this for about a month and a half now (hooray!). Next, we plan on moving up to trying two vegetarian dinners a week. This has the added advantage of saving money because apparently cows, pigs, chickens, fish, and other tasty creatures are made out of gold! Talk about grocery store sticker shock - yikes!

Fear of chemicals

2009-06-10T17:06:00.000-05:00

Care for a cup of butanol, iso amyl alcohol,hexanol, phenyl ethanol, tannin, benzyl alcohol,caffeine, geraniol, quercetin, 3-galloyl epicatchin3-galloyl epigallocatchin and inorganic salts?

That is to say, would you care for a cup of tea?

I've got to admit, I've fallen victim to the fear mongering being done by so many "environmental" and "health" organizations (all of which, as I come to notice, seem to have a fairly healthy agenda of products that will help me detox and protect myself...). I've bought products because they were "natural" or "plant -based". I've done my best to avoid "environmental toxins." Whatever those are. And in the back of my mind, I had a niggling little suspicion that I ought to really take a closer look at this whole scary thing. Well, I finally had enough time to do just that, and boy do I feel silly. When I drill down to find the actual research that some of these scary articles in the media are based on, I find, lo and behold, that what the research paper says is not at all what the media said it says! In fact, it's like they took the part that sounded good and just ran with it, without reading the whole piece. Nutty.

So, while I'm sticking with my cloth diapers (they are so much cheaper!), my local organic produce (promotes sustainable farming practices and it's fresher), and my free trade coffee, I'm going to stop worrying so much about my makeup poisoning me, my household cleaners emitting cancerous fumes, and my clothes causing toxins to soak into my skin.

If you don't have time for drill down search at the library, I found this entertainingly written piece a very solid and sensible take on the whole thing: http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/pdf/MakingSenseofChemicalStories.pdf

Goal Progress:Sustainable Lifestyle

2009-05-08T16:56:00.001-05:00

Step: Find a creative use for something you would normally throw away once every two months.

So, for the very merry month of May, our creative idea has been to cut pictures out of magazines and make our own birthday cards. It's also a lot of fun! Before the magazine goes in the recycle bin, we go through and cut out interesting pictures, then put them in a shoe box. When it's time for a birthday, we get it out and with a trusty glue stick, make a card! I've gotten several compliments on our cards already - and I was little worried people would think we were being cheap. So good news all around!

Family Goals

2009-04-15T14:02:00.002-05:00

Baker Family Goals

We are free of credit card debt. Values: Resourcefulness, Integrity

We give 5% of our time (146 hours) and 1% of our after-tax income annually to charities/causes. Values: Health, Stewardship

Our home has a place for everything, a time for everything, and has been decluttered. Values: Tranquility, Resourcefulness

We have habits and rituals that support a healthy lifestyle. Values: Health

We have habits and rituals that support a sustainable and ethical lifestyle.This includes recycle/reduce/reuse of resources, considering the source of our goods, opportunities. Values:Tranquility, Resourcefulness, Integrity, Health, Stewardship

We support our family values with traditions and rituals. This includes an annual examination of ideas for new traditions and evaluation of ideas from last year. Values:Tranquility, Resourcefulness, Integrity, Health, Stewardship

Becky: Goals are the concrete ways we actively explore and enact our values. They are the things we can do on a daily basis to become more the people we want to be. We have lots of steps behind how to enact these (I'll put that up in another post), so that they are achievable. It is through small steps that great journey's are made.

Family Values

2009-03-08T13:59:00.001-05:00

Baker Family Values:

Integrity: We are honest and just in our thoughts, actions, and words. We resolve to perform our duties, and carry through those duties without fail. We take responsibility for ourselves and our happiness.

Stewardship: We acknowledge and accept that we have been entrusted as care takers of our world and all that it contains. Our habits and lifestyle reflect this responsibility. We give our time and energy to help people and worthy causes. We strive to waste nothing – be it money, material goods, time, or energy.

Resourcefulness: When possible, we learn do things ourselves and we work together to do them. We constantly strive to explore and expand our talents and skills.

Health: We take care of our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits through regular exercise, healthy diet, reading, service to others, meditation, and prayer.

Tranquility: Our home is a place of order, tranquility, and welcome. We take this sense of peace with us every day as we go into the world.

Becky: Values are the supports of the mission statement. They're a concrete statement about what is important to us as a family. By writing them down, we're able to consistently look at our actions and activities and see whether we're really being the family we want to be, rather than just sort of drifting along, directionless.

Family Mission Statement

2009-02-20T17:00:00.001-06:00

Baker Family Mission Statement: We strive, every day, to be responsible and compassionate citizens, actively respectful of the gifts God has granted us.

Becky: Before John and I got married, he was very interested in the idea of mission statements and ended up writing one for himself. It was pretty cool because we were able to have something concrete we wrote about ourselves and our ideals of behaviour that we could then discuss. It helped us a lot as we went through various trials (like his mother going into a nursing home with dementia and our late term miscarriage) because we knew the basis from which the other person was acting. We were also able to agree on short and long term goals (have a child, buy a house, pay off our credit card debt, paint the nursery, plant a garden) and prioritize them in our time and money budgets based on our shared values. As we were discussing parenting decisions, it became clear we needed a family mission statement that talks about family values. It gives us a chance to talk about and negotiate our expectations *before* we have to act on them. For example, one part of our statement has to do with celebrations. We want celebrations to be about joy and giving, rather than materialistic things. As a result, part of our statement is about service being part of celebration, about time being the most precious gift. Another part is about our interaction with the environment - treading lightly and with respect. Another part deals with how we will respond to each other and JJ - being supportive, holding one another responsible for commitments made firmly but without judgement, communicating effectively and clearly. Once we got the statement done, we wrote up some goals for the family (still working on this). I know one is going to be to give back to the community through gifts of our time at least once a month. There will be another dealing with physical activity, one about family meals, etc. When JJ gets old enough to participate, we'll have him help write the mission statement and goals. In my mind, everyone in the family has to be involved in creating it, otherwise it's not a mission statement, it's just a dictum. For my part, I can't imagine trying to base something like this on rules or religion - for us, it's about self-examination, taking responsibility for one's own happiness, and being proactive.