CapitalismAmerica

Lately, I have had capitalism on the brain...okay, well more than lately. I feel (more than slightly) irked while walking through our neighborhood grocery store and thinking about the prices of products and what is available. Then reading articles in the news about how in approximately 50 years, because the world population will be 9 billion, there will be a world food shortage crisis. Now, I honestly do not believe that there will be a shortage because of population. I believe it is because we are a society of convenience, born of capitalism.

How many of us out there prefer to buy a frozen pizza, or other frozen meal, instead of making it from scratch? Now, yes, I suppose you could argue that it was not due to convenience but rather time restrictions. Sure, go ahead. But really people? I prefer my homemade pizzas, and (asides from proof time) it takes 30 minutes to make a pizza - less if you don't shred your own mozzarella yourself (I only buy the blocks because it's cheaper, and frugality is a good quality to practice/behold). Or, how many of buy pre-made baby food instead of making our own? Yes, I do realize that you may be a working parent and therefore your time is precious, but what is 10 minutes compared to spending ~$1/jar of baby food, and that's not even the organic stuff (don't get me started...)

I digress, back to capitalism. I have had this topic on my mind as I visit my local butcher shop. Oddly enough, it's prices are better than even Wal-Mart...and it's a local business (I love, love, love local businesses...please, please give me more).

What happened to gardening, even? I realize the trend that is living in cities, suburbs, and exurbs and that land may be in short supply...but what about using window boxes, or putting pots in front of windows? Surely that could save money, help with the impending food crisis, or just save you a couple bucks or more.

I keep thinking that if I turned my whole backyard (.5 acres) into a giant garden, I would have enough produce to supply the houses on my street. And just think, if they all pitched in with the planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting....you would be taking a part in your produce. You would inherently know what sort of chemicals are, or are not, being sprayed on your fruits and veggies.

I eventually want chickens. My husband and I have a compost bucket under our sink and an ever-growing compost pile out in the yard...that will make great fertilizer and soil once we get our garden up and running next spring. And the chicken can eat some of the compost and help the whole process along as well. And all the while, I will know how my chickens are treated, what they've been eating, and have delicious eggs. Plus, they make delightful pets for children!

I dream of finding enough friends/acquaintances so that I could have my own dairy cow and make my own yogurt, cheeses, butter, milk, etc. But I do realize that is just a dream, but perhaps one day I shall find a willing farmer...hmm...

Capitalism. It has efficiently killed off local businesses. What happened to visiting the butcher, baker, farmer, etc etc. every week for our needs?? Instead, we shop at Wal-Mart, Target, [insert "local" (if you look up your local grocery store, it is, generally, owned by a large, national corporation / food distributor) grocery store here].

I have never forgotten, nor do I think I ever shall forget, a passage I read in a book about a girl who went on a medical missions trip in Uganda. She went to one of the (few) restaurants and ordered a chicken entrée for dinner...it took her a few minutes to understand why the kitchen boy was chasing after a chicken in the streets; he had to catch it for her meal. Or that milk used to come straight from the cow; not from the dairy section of the grocery store, in a plastic - or sometimes glass - bottle.

Sure, you can call me liberal. However, if there is ever a world food shortage, I know that, God willing, I will have plenty of produce that I grew in my garden and ate fresh/frozen/canned, meat from the local butcher, eggs from my chickens, and hopefully dairy from a local farmer. And I will be more than willing to share my garden's bounty. I believe God calls us - okay, I know he calls us - to share with the less fortunate. And that is my ultimate goal: I want to share what I have with others, I want to be a servant to those in need, I want to bring a smile to the face of a small child / mother / father / grandmother / grandfather...I think you get the picture. I want my actions to bring joy, hope, love, peace, and less worry.

And I honestly believe capitalism does not help this situation...

Per our local pastor's homily yesterday morning at Mass, when he was talking about our local church's budget and mentioning more than 50% of the members give between $0-100 per year, and even less give between $100-200...where is our call for "time and talent" people?? When Fr. Joe asked how many of us go and buy a drink each day (or even just once weekly) from Caribou coffee, or have a bottle of a some good beer, or put money towards going to sporting events or putting our child in a sport... I was really struck by how selfish we all are. $4 for a nice frappuccino...yes, it is a nice occasional treat, I agree. But what happened to making your own coffee/tea at home? Even better, sharing that coffee/tea time with a friend/spouse/significant other, in the comfort of one another's home? Not having to worry about seating space at the coffee shop, or what the kids/pets/etc. are getting themselves into...

I guess I am just frustrated with the way our society, and government, behaves and functions today. I miss those simpler times. I miss them because they create a community; it's not a wonder why so many new mothers, or newcomers to a new town, have so much trouble meeting, and making, new friends. We are creating a society of isolation - no man is an island! I find it sad when I get excited about going to the grocery store because my first conversation with an adult all day would be with the service clerk - that is, if I don't choose the self-checkout because Collin is having a meltdown in the store...

I want to create change

a positive change

Tippy Top

Well, apparently my iPod is unable to let me post on here...and, I haven't tried it before tonight, no. Am I lazy? Partially. But honestly,

Time sure flies.

I mean, sometimes I think Einstein had a point when he came up with his theories on relativity and the time continuum. It feels as if everything is happening so fast, these day especially.

So I apologize for my long departure from blogging. I got caught up in Collin, and finding more furniture for our home, making friends, and a getting a new kitten in an attempt to satiate my ever-growing feelings of sadness and dismay that my little boy is growing up so quickly,

and my increasing desire for another child.

Already.

Uhh...am I slightly crazy?

(I thought that was already obvious to anyone who reads

my helter-skelter posts (you're welcome U2))

So, yes. My new kitten. My newest baby. A girl. Now I'm not being overrun by testosterone anymore - shh...don't remind me she's fixed. She's still got the parts!

Tonight while doing some "6 Deep Creepin'" (you're welcome John Legend...yeah, music quotations in my blog kind of tonight...yes, please) on Facebook, I came across a blog written by a new friend (another Laura...I think God has decided that for me, being friends with Lauras is a good thing) and she had an interesting article about the expectation of today's mothers.

It is interesting to think of the bar that we, as a society on the whole, have set for mothers. So many are looked down upon for choosing the low road and staying at home, instead of continuing in their career. I distinctly remember my husband coming home from work one night and mentioning his co-workers were surprised that I had chosen to be a SAHM because I am a chemist (please note the use of am, not was) and they consider that to be a "profession," not just a career, apparently. Which is, to be quite honest, somewhat flattering that others acknowledge the strains of acquiring of chemistry degree, but also irksome that women who have pursued said degree (or that of a similar nature) are expected to stay in the work force.

And a clean home! Spotless. Ha. Right. And yet I still valiantly try - I think it's that idealism that if my home is clean, it means the rest of my life is under control.

So, so not true.

At all. Really!

I remember as a girl promising myself to never become like my mother and clean/pick up before company comes over, and I find myself doing it now, over and over again. Epic fail, self, epic fail.

Pardon the random ramblings of this post, my train of thought keeps getting interrupted by my new kitten, Mahl, attacking the laptop, or the plant, or my toes, or goodness knows what else.

Anyways...where was I?

(Mahl has curled up under the crook of my arm,

insert "Awwww" here)

While I am quipping songs this evening, I propose that I make an impromptu parody of "There ain't no rest for the wicked" (for those of you who do not know, God had a wonderful sense of humor the day I was conceived, and blessed me with the ability to make impromptu parodies - they usually even rhyme...just ask me to sing some... e.g. one of the Alleluia's our church will sing occasionally (I forget which Mass it comes from) I have changed to "Collin Collin Collin Beeeeaaaarrryyyyy, rinse and repeat....or "Come to the Water" (Laura Tepen, I hope you remember my (improved???) rendition)) to "There ain't no rest for a mother" because let's face it people...the wicked (usually) end up in jail, and I'm not sure what actually occurs there, but I'm guessing they don't do much while in their cells...so I think they rest a lot. Me, ha, sometimes I dream of being wicked so I can go to jail and get some rest from the mayhem.

I have a very organized mind. I constantly make To-Do lists; if you don't believe, come look in the top drawer in my kitchen where I keep my pens and a pad of paper. In college, I even approximated time to each task. I also had 6 highlighters : 5 meant the day of the week, and I would highlight the due date of an assignment, and use the typical yellow highlight when I had completed said task. I would start from the most-immediately due and work my way out. Now, I am also a huge procrastinator...I believe I would have failed out of college were it not for my Type A, almost OCD, need for organization in my little corner of the world.

But control? How much control do we really have? I am so often reminded of God's control in our lives (I am not trying to say we do not have free will because, oh boy, do we ever). And I love the control He does have in our lives. "Let Go and Let God." How true.

Okay, people who actually read my blog (yes, Courtney, I saw your email that you miss it :), I have so many topics on my mind...I just think I need to stop here for the evening - especially in light of the fact that I just tried to spell "stop" as "spot" ...dyslexia does run in the family, or are my fingers going faster than my synapses??

But I am back, and please, dear readers, if you know me in real life, please harass me - you can harass me about anything and everything, honestly - but please harass me about keeping up with this blog. I sincerely believe it reduces the amount of time I spend tossing and turning my head on my pillow each evening, and gives me a port for my thoughts as I go through my newest existence as a mother, and always as a daughter (of my parents, and of God), sister, wife, aunt, friend, and frenemy (sorry had to use that ridiculous word to remind myself that I am getting older (and thus "uncooler" with every passing day - and that is a-okay by me).

I would say Adieu, but in light of my love for German,

Gute Nacht!