tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81192593727520068802024-03-08T02:43:06.891-08:00Nisa the MomThis is the blog of Nisa Sharma, Mom to Zooey and Ike, Partner to Jon, and Art Director for Parent:Wise Austin magazine.starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-15728667360761823202009-09-01T10:27:00.000-07:002009-09-01T10:28:50.440-07:00Daily Dose of... movingI'm moving the Daily Dose stuff to a different blog.<br />It will now be at:<br />NisasDailyDose.blogspot.com<br />Go there now.starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-32680767237879244712009-08-31T10:22:00.000-07:002009-08-31T10:25:39.599-07:00Daily Dose of... ZooeyDad (sarcastically) - "So your new teacher is Mr. Richter? Did he tell you about his scale?"<br /><br />Zooey - "What scale?"<br /><br />Dad - "The Richter Scale..."<br /><br />Zooey (confidently) - "No, but I don't think he has one. He's not as self-conscious as the women teachers are."starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-57476140270211076172009-06-16T09:48:00.000-07:002009-06-16T10:09:11.248-07:00Oh my, oh my, oh Oregon!Has it really been since March since I last posted? Wow, what a slacker am I? Oh well, it just goes to show what a crazy life I lead, Momming my two kids and husband through Spring Break and end of school year events! We travel... alot! And for Spring Break we hit New York City... which I will discuss later (if I ever blog again!) For our first trip of the Summer, we went to San Francisco and Oregon. My camera stopped working after San Fran put a hex on it, so I will post photos from my phone for now. Although, I do have some great video Ike made on the Alcatraz tour... I'll get it up, but it may be August before that happens!<br /><br />Okay - Oregon!<br />We had a great time travelling with my extended family - my Team Porter plus my Mom and Dad and Team Greer, my sister and her 3 boys and husband. We all met up with "Grandma Wyoming who lives in Oregon and whose name is Georgia" ... we ended up shortening that to "Gramma George". Georgia lives in Medford, which is about an hour north of the California border. Beautiful country here - rivers and mountains abound! We headed north to Grants Pass to meet with aunt/cousin type folks. There, Uncle Steve let all the kids make paperweights in the Glass Forge where he works. All 5 kids thought it was pretty cool to play with hot lava. We day tripped to Crater Lake - a mountain lake, blue as the bluest sea, and completely still and reflective, caused by a volcanic collapse, long long ago. Went on a hike below this mountain and had a great relaxing time. Zooey and Jon (and 80% of Team Greer) went river rafting down the Rogue River, which they found extremely fun and exciting. I visited a Flagship Harry & David Store and drooled plenty. We also overnighted in Bandon, OR, a sea side village where huge rocks make the ocean really loud! There, Zooey and I rode horseback on the beach - something I'd always wanted to do! Then we drove south down the 101 and saw amazing scenery as we headed back to San Francisco for the night before flying home.<br /><br />A wonderful family getaway! Here are a few photos (hopefully more to come):<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SjfQT90hlVI/AAAAAAAABcc/g2Wg8D1-X-I/s1600-h/IMG_0817.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SjfQT90hlVI/AAAAAAAABcc/g2Wg8D1-X-I/s320/IMG_0817.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347972123956712786" /></a><br />My tree huggers at a Redwood Forest stop.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SjfQTjhisqI/AAAAAAAABcU/1OaugLOid0A/s1600-h/IMG_0816.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SjfQTjhisqI/AAAAAAAABcU/1OaugLOid0A/s320/IMG_0816.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347972116897772194" /></a><br />Ike and Zooey with Babe the Blue Ox.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SjfQTZo3dWI/AAAAAAAABcM/1n_Y262-g-g/s1600-h/IMG_0803.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SjfQTZo3dWI/AAAAAAAABcM/1n_Y262-g-g/s320/IMG_0803.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347972114244138338" /></a><br />The Greer boys and Zooey get ready to ride horses on the beach.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SjfQTKpRtgI/AAAAAAAABcE/PY4pJAtGOVo/s1600-h/IMG_0793.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SjfQTKpRtgI/AAAAAAAABcE/PY4pJAtGOVo/s320/IMG_0793.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347972110219326978" /></a><br />The kids at Crater Lake - notice the completely still lake and the reflection.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SjfQS_YEVfI/AAAAAAAABb8/SAwM_WcZCjM/s1600-h/IMG_0790.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SjfQS_YEVfI/AAAAAAAABb8/SAwM_WcZCjM/s320/IMG_0790.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347972107194357234" /></a><br />I had to get in a shot of Ike's t-shirt... funny!starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-51188761966209401132009-03-10T06:58:00.001-07:002009-03-10T07:11:21.663-07:00Journal Assignment - Oct. 25, 1983My favorite comic strip character is Opus the penguin from Bloom County. He is so smart and cute. His dreams are; to be Vice President of the United States; to fly in the space shuttle; and to be in the next Star Wars movie. His hobbies include snake hunting and putting together rock music festivals. I like him because he is sort of an idol for me. He is a dreamer and a fighter. He hates Mondays and tightly fitted schedules. He is almost just like me. Except, I'd never go snake hunting.<br /><br /><br /><em>Dearest 13-year-old Nisa - OMG! You totally grow up and MARRY Opus the Penguin!!! Seriously!!! How were you so wise? Hey, question - if you could see the future at age 13, why didn't you do more cool stuff - like say help invent the Windows Platform or maybe get in on the ground floor of Mac? Oh well... anyway - how awesome for you to actually have loved Opus from a young age, and be married to him now! He is the best husband and daddy in the universe (hands down) - oh, and he is so fine!</em><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SbZ04Reg9EI/AAAAAAAABOU/yhMxfUqvLmc/s1600-h/opus.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 284px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SbZ04Reg9EI/AAAAAAAABOU/yhMxfUqvLmc/s320/opus.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311561320642966594" /></a>starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-64593163848183658352009-02-24T07:36:00.000-08:002009-02-24T08:07:39.839-08:00The Faerie Garden!!!Hands down the most fun the kids and I have had on an art project! We found a small space in the backyard that is dappled sunlight for most of the day. We decided it was perfect for a faerie garden. We spent weeks painting houses (faeries have wings, makes sense they would like living in bird houses) and discussing what to plant. Zooey was the forman and creative director of the whole area - she chose what went where, and what our general color palette would be, but we all had freedom to paint as we chose. Ike was the fastest painter of all of us, Zooey was careful and diliberate, I spent the bulk of my time on just one thing, and Meagan handcrafted the "stained glass" window for the chapel (although its really fused glass). Finally, this past weekend, Jon got to contribute by doing some of the planting... Zooey has also sprinkled the area with native wildflower seeds and thyme... we already have some sprouts. Fingers crossed that it will grow in, and the kids will no doubt keep finding things to contribute - they have noted that the fairy tree-house for the crepe myrtle is not finished... Let's walk through the Faerie Garden now: <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SaQU6PciURI/AAAAAAAABJ4/jXTFQRtIW7o/s1600-h/IMG_0602.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SaQU6PciURI/AAAAAAAABJ4/jXTFQRtIW7o/s400/IMG_0602.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306389251760476434" /></a><br /><br />We start with the fairy door at the far right - it is the gateway between the magical world and our backyard - from right to left, you see the crepe myrtle (with our brass snail guarding the unfinished tree house), chapel, and dance hall. In the back, you see the bunnies marking the space where the watchtower will go (it is in production).<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SaQU50oQkYI/AAAAAAAABJo/yYt-dL1i7_k/s1600-h/IMG_0600.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SaQU50oQkYI/AAAAAAAABJo/yYt-dL1i7_k/s400/IMG_0600.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306389244561887618" /></a><br /><br />This is a close up of the chapel. Isn't it lovely? Meagan was responsible for this project, and hand made the window at her fused glass studio. Zooey chose this fancier pot for the chapel to sit on, knowing it would add to the grandure of it. On the crepe, you can see the base of the treehouse, and below - next to the daffodil, you can see a wishing well - painted by the cutest 4-year-old in the neighborhood, a friend who helped us out.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SaQU569pafI/AAAAAAAABJw/uLwj5n-M9tw/s1600-h/IMG_0601.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SaQU569pafI/AAAAAAAABJw/uLwj5n-M9tw/s400/IMG_0601.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306389246262209010" /></a><br /><br />Here we see a few residences - Zooey's yellow house really shines here. You can see Ike's Fairy Prince castle - and really get a feel for what the garden will be when the thyme and flowers grow in. Behind the red house, we've got a "hens and chicks" succulent, and you can see some ruby grass and lavender here. You can also see that the Fairys are quite green - choosing solar power to help them with their wee electricity needs.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SaQU5hur3FI/AAAAAAAABJY/V8y9mdaMH78/s1600-h/IMG_0597.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SaQU5hur3FI/AAAAAAAABJY/V8y9mdaMH78/s400/IMG_0597.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306389239488568402" /></a><br /><br />Meagan's gazebo is worth showing because it was our first completed structure for the garden. It will be the home for fairy tea parties, and summer concerts.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SaQU5slPC7I/AAAAAAAABJg/POj6h1KtCac/s1600-h/IMG_0598.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SaQU5slPC7I/AAAAAAAABJg/POj6h1KtCac/s400/IMG_0598.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306389242401721266" /></a><br /><br />This was my main project - the hippy caravan. I really had fun, although at one point it was in danger of looking like the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo. You can see Zooey's park benches and fairy fences (to keep the mosquitos out), and her little blue house. The windmill was an ensemble piece involving Ike, myself, and Savannah, another neighborhood friend who helped out. You can see Zooey's favorite plant, the purple Pincushion flower, and Ike's Lambs Ear he chose for the garden. I forgot what that scrubby little plant behind the caravan is called, but I liked it because it looked kinda like a little mesquite bush (they will be Texan Fairys after all, right).<br /><br />You can see the work we put in and the fun we had. Zooey still plans to add a few small chipped upside down pots, for frog houses. We get quite a few toads in the Spring and Fall, so she's hoping they will move into the garden. Stay tuned - I plan on updating this post when the plants grow in - perhaps mid-Summer? Anyway... thanks for reading!starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-28803983554532928412009-02-17T08:16:00.001-08:002009-02-17T08:36:07.883-08:00Journal Assignment - Sept. 7, 1983<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SZrnBZ-78RI/AAAAAAAABJI/DfdXvL9GRRU/s1600-h/IMG_0596.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SZrnBZ-78RI/AAAAAAAABJI/DfdXvL9GRRU/s320/IMG_0596.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303805522522927378" /></a><br />It's fruitless to argue with my parents about my room. They think it should be cleaned every weekend. It's my room and I should be able to clean it when I want. I don't know what their problem is, FYI says that a child should be able to create their own environment. They say that the kid will do better in school and at home. They are sick of that excuse though. My new one is: When the time comes for me to clean it, its so dirty, I'll mess it up trying to clean it.<br /><br /><em>I've been searching for this journal entry!!! We've gone back in time about 6 months or so to address 13-year-old Nisa. I know you don't understand a parent's need for your room to be clean, but I do - I'm the parent to two slobby children, whose rooms are... well lets just say that FEMA is on stand-by. Its important for me for the rooms to be clean, mainly because... well its just that... look - cleanliness is important because... Drat! I can't think of a solid reason you should clean your room. I know that my kids don't have food trash in their rooms, so its not really a sanitary issue. And I know that you tried to keep the food trash out of your room too. I'd like to say that its easier to find stuff if your room is organized, but my kids, like yourself, seem to know where things are in those messy piles. I'd like to say that cleaning your room will make your folks happy - and it will, but its not the kind of approval you are looking for. Look - just try to be tidy, your messy room drives them crazy, even if they can't explain why. In the longrun, you will grow up and be driven crazy by messiness too! You will even develop a weird compulsion to organize the dishes in the dishwasher, and hang your clean clothes by style and color. But you'll keep your creativity - refusing to put books in alpha by author order! Why should you, when its more awesome to group them by size and color? And some piles will remain, but squarely in the closet, and out of sight. Good luck with the mess - don't strain yourself.</em><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SZrnBAiDIPI/AAAAAAAABJA/9Mt3vAqejaM/s1600-h/IMG_0595.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SZrnBAiDIPI/AAAAAAAABJA/9Mt3vAqejaM/s320/IMG_0595.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303805515690877170" /></a>starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-84759901080598988342009-02-09T11:31:00.000-08:002009-02-09T11:42:01.081-08:00The Kids have Wheels!I'm taking a break from the journal with this headline - both the kids learned to ride their bikes this past weekend (no training wheels in sight)!!!<br /><br />Everyone has been so excited about it, that I thought I'd post some photos. I hope you enjoy them!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SZCGliNZtPI/AAAAAAAABIo/0rKZlU0woQ0/s1600-h/Ike+bike+01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 248px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SZCGliNZtPI/AAAAAAAABIo/0rKZlU0woQ0/s320/Ike+bike+01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300884740811371762" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SZCGl2tGOdI/AAAAAAAABIw/0269iblTFBU/s1600-h/Ike+bike+02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SZCGl2tGOdI/AAAAAAAABIw/0269iblTFBU/s320/Ike+bike+02.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300884746313021906" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SZCGl7qv8rI/AAAAAAAABI4/Tcm2JIdXmxM/s1600-h/Ike+bike+03.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SZCGl7qv8rI/AAAAAAAABI4/Tcm2JIdXmxM/s320/Ike+bike+03.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300884747645350578" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SZCGlei3ZOI/AAAAAAAABIY/uKvozWCbWNI/s1600-h/zooey+bike+01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SZCGlei3ZOI/AAAAAAAABIY/uKvozWCbWNI/s320/zooey+bike+01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300884739827655906" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SZCGls7jlQI/AAAAAAAABIg/uJ4k9CfbWto/s1600-h/zooey+bike+02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 278px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SZCGls7jlQI/AAAAAAAABIg/uJ4k9CfbWto/s320/zooey+bike+02.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300884743689311490" /></a>starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-87110582535267230762009-02-03T14:08:00.000-08:002009-02-03T14:23:31.160-08:00Journal Assignment - April 18, 1984If I could have any animal in the world, I would choose a zebra. They are big and pretty and their stripes trip me out. They are totally unique and I just think it would be neat to have one that I could ride to places on. Its almos as good as showing up in a limo.<br /><br />I'm about to fall asleep. I know you care but anyway. I stayed up (couldn't get to sleep) until 2:00 am this morning. Woke up at 7:00 am (dead to the world) I'm still trying to wake up.<br /><br /><br /><em>Oh 14-Nisa... I still think that sounds fun. I NEVER dreamed I'd be driving a Mom-mobile back in those days. I had a poster of an electric blue Porsche 911 ragtop. It was beautiful! Now I drive a powder blue Nissan Quest minivan! Woo hoo! Not quite a zebra or a Porsche. But I don't think I've compromised too much as a Mom. There was that year I spent with a 5-yr-old and a 2-yr-old and had blue hair (electric blue wasn't available, so I went with midnight blue). I DO have electric blue toenails, though! There are the rockin' flames on the minivan - and the bumper sticker that implies we are all going to hell in a handbasket. There are my numerous t-shirts covered in skulls... I think I still show my zebra stripes from time to time, but I guess nowadays I do it in a more muted fashion. 39 is a long way from 14, but I still understand my 14-Nisa's idea about standing out in a crowd and stickin' it to "da Man." I just do it in a quieter way in my old age I guess! </em>starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-77516483213789160972009-01-30T05:46:00.000-08:002009-01-30T06:04:25.377-08:00Zooey's HaircutI'm taking a break from the journal today to share my 9-year-old's journey with you. If you don't know Zooey, she is an old soul, full of life, and a joy to be around. We both got our hair cut yesterday. We both had rather long hair, and she wanted hers cut short. We both have curly hair, and she had these long spiral locks. They are gone now, and she loves it! Here are some photos from the day.<br /><br />Here she is <em><strong>before </strong></em>- excited about what's to come!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SYMGWYC5KqI/AAAAAAAABHg/-HkaPAp3z-w/s1600-h/IMG_0535.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SYMGWYC5KqI/AAAAAAAABHg/-HkaPAp3z-w/s320/IMG_0535.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297084568199309986" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SYMGr6GtXQI/AAAAAAAABHo/7n3ACZQFQFk/s1600-h/IMG_0538.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SYMGr6GtXQI/AAAAAAAABHo/7n3ACZQFQFk/s320/IMG_0538.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297084938119372034" /></a><br />We decided it was enough hair to make a large WebKin (or a small poodle.) And here she is <em><strong>after </strong></em>- drumroll please...<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SYMHHJJIrUI/AAAAAAAABHw/zXhTkVzqSik/s1600-h/IMG_0540.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SYMHHJJIrUI/AAAAAAAABHw/zXhTkVzqSik/s320/IMG_0540.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297085406012550466" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SYMHX1reneI/AAAAAAAABH4/6ew_WrPT5Ak/s1600-h/IMG_0541.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SYMHX1reneI/AAAAAAAABH4/6ew_WrPT5Ak/s320/IMG_0541.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297085692845661666" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SYMHf1L65WI/AAAAAAAABIA/ESnHeTl1yJE/s1600-h/IMG_0542.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SYMHf1L65WI/AAAAAAAABIA/ESnHeTl1yJE/s320/IMG_0542.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297085830152250722" /></a><br /><br /><br />Sylist Cindy Herrera did an amazing job with both of us! She was extremely friendly and professional - and obviously, she knows what she is doing. She really enjoyed Zooey's joie d'vivre, and really talked to her at length before she did any cutting, just to make sure Zooey understood what she was going to do. I think we found our hair-stylist! By the way, she works with straight hair too! If you are in the Austin area, and interested in seeing her, just contact me for her info. I'm happy to recommend her!starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-63008513323817878112009-01-26T15:11:00.000-08:002009-01-26T15:27:49.470-08:00Journal Assignment - April 9, 1984If I could choose today's journal topic, I would write about summer vacation. I would write about sleeping until noon and stayin' up until 6 am. I would write about soap operas and swimmin' pools. And I'd write about guys and goin out to have fun. I'd write about life in the fast lane and so-on so forth, and music in the punk world. I'd write about the 4 things I believe in: Music, World Peace, War and guys.<br /><br /><br /><em>Ahhh, life as a 14-year-old... I can even picture 1984, but when I do, it is MTV style. I can hear what it sounded like and I can see the neon colors. 14 Nisa, although they are four very good things, you won't always believe in just those things. Eventually, life gets a little more complicated. Music ends up being about the business of Music. World Peace ends up being about age-old turf wars, religion and foreign relations. War ends up being about oil, security, and feeling safe. And guys end up being about pain, self-image, dieting, game-playing, exasperation, and finally/hopefully love. Enjoy being 14... I think 14 was my last fun and truly kid-like year. I wanted to be older so badly, but I just wasn't mentally equipped to be. Thankfully, I was allowed to be a kid when I was 14.<br /><br />Now... back to my MTV daydreams - remember when they still played music videos and music videos only? The dancing astronaut on the moon? The MTV theme music? Sting's voice singing, "I want my... I want my... I want my MTV."</em>starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-80173041613405953892009-01-16T06:11:00.000-08:002009-01-16T06:26:19.186-08:00Journal Assignment - Jan. 25, 1984If I were to write a book, it would be about life at Goddard Jr. High. It would be so massive and then it would be made into a movie. The movie would be a Box Office Smash. I would be the main character and so would Jennifer. I'd envite everyone to playthere own part in the movie. Especially you Mrs. Biggs. No-one could depict (vocab word) you as well as you do. Some of the teachers might be hard to believe though. (Mrs. Sigmon!!!)<br /><br /><br /><em>I keep seeing "Jennifer" in this journal, and sadly, I have NO idea who that is... I wish 14-Nisa would have given me more clues. Now, onto more important things - Mrs. Sigmon!!! Gosh, I haven't thought about her in a long time! This skinny, pale white, dyed-red curly haired goof-ball was completely, certifiably, crazy and my science teacher in 8th grade. She had also been a belly-dancing student of my mother's. (Yes, Mom was a belly-dancer... but that's a different blog entry all together!) Because she knew my mother, I guess she expected me to be a perfect student...? But as we all know, I was the class clown and way too bored in that class to behave myself. I tried though, I really DID try - but all my favorite "fine guys" were also in that class, and took pride in getting me into trouble with the White Carrot Lady.<br /><br />At one point, during a geology section lesson (this is how well I remember it) Donnie began talking to David Nickel and they both were laughing right behind me. The Siggy looked up and said "Nisa! To the Office!" Well... I was confused and asked why, and she said not to argue, that she had heard me laughing and she was tired of it. The whole class was stunned that David's deep-toned laughter could be mistaken for mine, but I shrugged my shoulders, gathered my stuff, and off I went to the office.<br /><br />When I arrived and explained my story, the vice-principle smiled and said, "She is a little crazy, isn't she?" And I was so releived that he understood and believed me, that I blurted out, "a LITTLE?!?" And he laughed and laughed and told me to help out in the attendance office until the next period. From then on, if Siggy sent me to the office, I went willingly, and it never made a difference "ON MY PERMANENT RECORD".<br /><br />Now, if I could just remember who Jennifer was!</em>starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-19514318958904043432009-01-13T07:07:00.000-08:002009-01-13T07:19:26.183-08:00Journal Assignment - Feb. 8, 1984Its been a long time since I've written to you and a long time since you've taken this up to read. I am an alien mutant. Not really, I'm a spy from another planet. You may have heard of it, Venus. I am here to prove that there is no intelligent life on earth. I haven't been able to prove it here in Texas yet but my report about Washington D.C. is promising. When the other spys and I collect enough data, we will attack and envage the Earth! Venician for ever. Peace - granola.<br /><br /><br /><em>Eighth grade must have been pretty boring to me. I can see from just flipping through this journal that many of the things I wrote were out of boredom, just to entertain myself. Mrs. Biggs, my 8th grade English teacher was phenomenal. Everyone had said she was the toughest in the Junior High, and that she could be really mean, but I never saw that. Many of these journal entries are written directly to her. She was smart, I remember that, and she was really interested in us doing our best work, never content with any of us slacking off and just passing through. Toward the end of the Spring, she stopped coming to classes, and we were told she was very ill. She came in about once a week, to check on us and let us know she was still reading our work, so there was no room for laziness. Then she stopped coming, and my parents let me know that she was dying of cancer. I did get to see her once more, at a restaurant with her family. She was quite frail and I hugged her and told her I loved her. She died that Summer. I don't think of her all that often, what with being involved in my own family and such, but she was ONE on that handful list of teachers who really knew what they were doing. She really liked my "Peace - Granola" sign-off, and even started using "Granola" as a nickname for me - which I LOVED, given the extraordinary lack of hippiness in Midland, Texas in the 1980s! Oh, and I STILL always always always feel like an alien... which is a good thing, as my children are definitely aliens as well!</em>starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-62600150211963394712009-01-12T08:52:00.000-08:002009-01-12T09:00:41.044-08:00Your Fondest Dream Assignment - April 13, 1984One day I woke up, looked into the mirror, and saw that I had turned into a giant beach ball. I just couldn't believe it. "A giant beach ball?" I said, who thought that up? I just couldn't believe it. It was such a dumb idea. Someone has just gone out of their brain. I mean me a beach ball I couldn't believe it. Then this really fine guy picked me up, and put me in a jeep. We went to the beach and he started throwing me to all these other fine guys. It was my lucky day. Someone likes me now. Gosh I believe it. Someone loves me now cause that was my fondest dream.<br /><br /><br /><em>Oh dear sweet 14-year-old Nisa... you are a silly little twit! I do love the use of the word "fine" over and over again, though! 14 Nisa, I need to tell you that having someone like you and even love you is so much better than having fun on the beach - its totally as if one of these fine guys stops throwing you around, and actually keeps you, introduces you to his family and buys you pretty things! For sure, I'm not yanking your chain!!! You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, sweetheart, but it is clear that We need to discuss a woman's sense of self-esteem at some point. Don't settle for being tossed around by fine guys!!! There is so much more to life than being colorful and full of air, a plaything for fine guys. Remember, YOU control your destiny, not some silly beach game.</em>starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-14739268413791208942008-12-04T13:16:00.000-08:002008-12-04T13:23:23.386-08:00Harsh RealityI DO intend to blog more than once every month... but alas, I've been failing at that task. Here is a Prose piece I recently wrote which is appearing in the December 2008 issue of <em>Parent:Wise Austin</em> magazine. This is the original piece, the one in the magazine has been touched-up by editor extraordinaire, Kim Pleticha. The magazine also features a great illustration by the insanely talented Aaron Romo, Illustrator-at-Large for P:WA. - Nisa<br /><br />Harsh Reality:<br /><br />“It took some doing, but I finally yanked that pesky toof out!” My daughter plops a giant, bloody molar into my hands and throws herself down next to me on the couch. She grins from ear to ear, pink toilet paper shoved into the left side of her smile.<br /><br />“Wow! Cool…” I mock enthusiasm for the thing now sitting lop-sided and bloody in my hand.<br /><br />Who would have thought when that wondrous first tooth came through, on Mother’s Day, of all days that after nine years and with two kids that teeth would finally bore me? Having a bloody bone bit plunked into my hand time and again, just because I am the Mom, well… that’s the kind of thing that is never boring and always disgusting. Makes me wonder what they would do should a toe suddenly fall off…<br /><br />“I guess you’ll have more tooth-fairy money for the weekend, huh?”<br /><br />The bloody grin becomes very serious, and my nine-year-old confesses: “Um, Mom – about that… see I don’t think the tooth-fairy is, you know, real and stuff.” She winces as she says it, and so do I, but the difference is my experienced poker face reveals no guilt, no shock, and no disappointment, though I’m feeling them all in spades.<br /><br />“Oh?” I ask, a little too curiously, I think it gives me away.<br /><br />“Yeah…” she’s obviously hiding something.<br /><br />“Why is that, Honey? Did someone at school say something?” I could just strangle that one girl with the teenage older sister who is always telling the kids what is what!<br /><br />“Yes, but also, I did a test.” (My logician) “See, I lost a tooth last week and didn’t tell you.” (I’m nodding, still revealing no shock at this sneaky girl) “And the tooth-fairy never came, so now I don’t believe in her.”<br /><br />“But… what about all those times she DID come… don’t those count?”<br /><br />“Of course, it felt good to think about earning money for my lost teeth.” (She is her father) “But really, thinking about some sort of human-bug thingy flying around my room is kinda creepy. And I have figured out that it was you coming in and putting money under my pillow.”<br /><br />She has a dead-pan face. She’s always been older than her years. She once told me that she sometimes felt that she was the Mom and I was the daughter. Right now, I’d like to trade, because while she is handling this with such poise, I’m a blubbering gelatinous mass inside, ready to shake her back into innocence.<br /><br />“Hmmm, so that’s it then? You just don’t believe?” She nods her head. “Okay, but just so you know, I confess to nothing – oh, and if you don’t believe in the tooth-fairy, then she doesn’t believe in you, which means no more money.” The wise one bites her bottom lip a bit.<br /><br />“Okay, I guess that makes sense.” She really IS growing up.<br /><br />“And I want all the tooth-fairy money you HAVE earned back!” I say, poking her in the ribs.<br /><br />“MOM!” she sing-songs, letting me know I’m being ridiculous. Then she grabs my face, “Mom, you seem sad, do you need a hug?”<br /><br />As we are squeezing it out, my husband comes in. “Hey girls, what are you two talking about?”<br /><br />“Oh,” says my daughter, in a completely casual way, “I was just telling Mom that I’m too old to believe in the tooth-fairy.” My wonderful man looks at her, then me, then back to her.<br /><br />“Okay – well… I guess you have to grow-up sometime.” He checks my face once more.<br /><br />“And just so both of you know,” the girl stands to make a big announcement, “I know all about Santa Claus, too – and don’t worry, I won’t ruin it for my brother.”<br /><br />I mock a huge faint into the couch with a loud squeal of disbelief!<br /><br />“Are you happy now?” Her Daddy hugs her with tiny tears in his own eyes, “You’ve just killed your Mother.”starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-62788641338245828152008-11-06T11:40:00.000-08:002008-11-06T11:43:22.164-08:00Reflections on Change:It’s kind of like breaking up with your boyfriend. You feel like crying, but you are more angry than sad. You feel justified and “in the right”. You can’t turn on the radio or TV without them reminding you of him and your mad/sad feelings. You have a stone in the pit of your stomach.<br /><br />This is disappointment. Disappointment mixed with worry. I know this feeling very well.<br /><br />I should start with full disclosure – I am a Democrat. With the exception of when I was wee, I always have been, having said that, in the 2000 primary races, I voted for John McCain to be the Republican candidate. I like John McCain.<br /><br />This is also why I’m so familiar with that feeling – disappointment describes how I have felt about this country, its Executive administration, and its Legislative branch, for about eight years now.<br /><br />And its why I’m here to give you the “cheer-up” speech that I never got. Cheer UP! I know its hard, because you believed in this guy, and his gal pal. You feel strongly about the same things they feel strongly about. You are a little worried that my crowd might just ruin everything for everyone… <br /><br />But I’m begging you – that’s right – BEGGING you to give my guy a chance. <br /><br />Please keep in mind that we didn’t vote AGAINST your guy, and we didn’t vote AGAINST what your guy feels strongly about. In fact, many of us feel strongly about those same things too!<br /><br />This is an extremely intelligent guy (way smarter than me, and I think the world of myself!) who cares deeply about our country. He has spent his life helping the downtrodden, and he has done it without a huge family fortune or the benefit of a father who was also President. It may be hard to believe, because this contest has been SO divided and SO bitter, but my guy is a lot like you and me. He has a family, he was raised in a single-parent household, he goes to church (yes, a Christian church) and he loves the United States of America.<br /><br />Heck, many of us didn’t even vote for our guy exactly, but in what he stands for. He stands for the American Dream – the pick yourself up by the bootstraps one. He stands for Hope. He stands for Youth, and he stands for Change. <br /><br />It’s kind of like when you’ve got a cold, and you take that same old nighttime shivering sneezing stuffy-head fever so you can sleep medicine… but you find that it just isn’t doing the trick… so you go to Walgreens and buy something new, perhaps the cheaper, generic brand, maybe with some expectorant in it… and then lo and behold – you feel better!<br /><br />Sometimes, change can be just what we need to get the junk out of our chest.<br /><br />Look, I’m not sure if his change will be the change that works, but something different is definitely better than more of the same.<br /><br />This is a historical time. I know that isn’t of comfort to you, but find solace in the notion that you’ve witnessed living history. And know that the historical value or your ticket was not lost on any of us either. What an amazing time to be a citizen of this Country! Anyway you sliced it, it would have been an astounding historical moment.<br /><br />Your guy is a great guy. I really and truly mean that. I like your guy, and I know he would have also done his best to help this country stand up again.<br /><br />All I’m asking is that you give my guy a chance.<br /><br />And speaking from experience, even when you resign to give my guy a chance, and I know you are not just doing it because I asked so nicely, which I appreciate… even when you decide to give my guy a chance, you will remain skeptical. It’s okay, these feelings are normal. You will remain on the fence about actually liking the guy. That’s fine… as long as you have actually climbed up from the other side, and are sitting on the fence watching the show – that is good enough for me.<br /><br />Please DO remain wary. Please DO continue to contact your Congressman and Senator. Please DO start emailing the White House. Please DO gather your friends and start a grass-roots movement to work for something you believe in. Please DO! This is what Democracy is all about, and we cannot be a Democratic society without dissention and dissatisfaction.<br /><br />Tell my guy what you don’t like. Tell him you don’t want to pay higher taxes. Tell him you don’t want to be laid-off of work because of a tanking economy. Tell him what you think. Tell him!<br /><br />And get ready to work. Because sitting on our butts and not doing anything to grease the wheels of this wagon is not going to get us anywhere.Like my guy or loathe him… Happy about things or worried… Ready or not for what comes next… Just do it… Stand up and make some noise!starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-40878470759247237592008-10-19T12:29:00.000-07:002008-10-20T13:06:25.995-07:00Catch Up Photos!I've been very lazy about photos lately! (bad mom!) But here is a good section so everyone can catch up on the lives of my children (growing just too fast!!!).<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SPuNTfL7yMI/AAAAAAAAANs/ZhaLQ2Jizxk/s1600-h/pumkinpatchzooey.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258952355813771458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SPuNTfL7yMI/AAAAAAAAANs/ZhaLQ2Jizxk/s320/pumkinpatchzooey.jpg" border="0" /></a>Zooey says it all in this lovely ensemble just right for the Fall. Here we visit one of our favorite (and most picturesque) spots in Texas, the Dallas Arboretum. What luck that Grammie lives very nearby and is a member! Here we see the hard work that goes into their annual pumpkin patch! So beautiful - and the pumpkin landscape is not bad either!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SPuNTifh4KI/AAAAAAAAAN0/VctvMIL1BBA/s1600-h/pumkinpatchgrammie.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258952356701266082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SPuNTifh4KI/AAAAAAAAAN0/VctvMIL1BBA/s320/pumkinpatchgrammie.jpg" border="0" /></a>Grammie never misses a chance to pose with the grandkids. Ike and Zooey had so much fun this day!</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258952366850951714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SPuNUITZyiI/AAAAAAAAAN8/nklaHIVHx1c/s320/statefair.jpg" border="0" />While in Dallas, we attended the Texas State Fair. That was lots and lots of fun and featured the nation's biggest Ferris Wheel. Impressive and not scary. The entire family shared a "bucket". It was fun for everyone and highly recommended... all the foods on a stick were a little too fried for me, but the first bites were good nonetheless.<br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SPuNH_DLlGI/AAAAAAAAANE/UdQf8x907MQ/s1600-h/youcheated.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258952158208562274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SPuNH_DLlGI/AAAAAAAAANE/UdQf8x907MQ/s320/youcheated.jpg" border="0" /></a>At our favorite hang-out spot (It's A Grind Coffeehouse in Cedar Park), Ike discovers for the first time that his Mom is a cheater... I myself can't believe it has taken him six years to figure this out! </div><div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SPuNIIsWZJI/AAAAAAAAANM/Ao6t0CV43CQ/s1600-h/balletaustinzooey.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258952160797156498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SPuNIIsWZJI/AAAAAAAAANM/Ao6t0CV43CQ/s320/balletaustinzooey.jpg" border="0" /></a>In the center, in the maroon shirt with the curly hair, you will find Zooey, working out with the dancers from Ballet Austin. I've continued to be an annual supporter of the ballet for several several years now, and here we see the rewards. The kids were tired this day, but a little bit o' ballet perked them right up. Just look at the joy on her face! </div><br /><div><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SPuNIfULhII/AAAAAAAAANU/QYakoUBEOjk/s1600-h/third+place.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258952166869795970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SPuNIfULhII/AAAAAAAAANU/QYakoUBEOjk/s320/third+place.jpg" border="0" /></a>My red belts attended their first "Karate Olympics" at their own karate studio. Here, Zooey shows us her third place medal for sparring. She was the only girl sparring in her division. She is quite proud of the results.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SPuNIWfasrI/AAAAAAAAANc/Sc-XWgvFK2Y/s1600-h/firstplacezooey.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258952164501009074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SPuNIWfasrI/AAAAAAAAANc/Sc-XWgvFK2Y/s320/firstplacezooey.jpg" border="0" /></a> Here, Zooey is even happier, showing her first place trophy for freesyle weapons kata. She demonstrated her Bo Staff, which is a long stick (taller than her) and is used like a baton, or for the nerds - like Darth Sidious' double ended light saber. She worked for two weeks on a routine, and her hard work earned her a trophy (which she cradled for the rest of the day!)</p><br /><p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SPuNIrrIm3I/AAAAAAAAANk/9lcQYuIkL8c/s1600-h/karatechamps.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258952170187299698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SPuNIrrIm3I/AAAAAAAAANk/9lcQYuIkL8c/s320/karatechamps.jpg" border="0" /></a> Here we see both my little champion red belts, pleased as punch with themselves! Ike earned a second place medal for his freestyle weapons kata - he demonstrated nun-chuks quite fantastically - and he earned a first place trophy for speed-kicking by side kicking the bag 52 times in one minute. They are my little grasshoppers, as their Grandpa so eloquently put it.</p><p>So that is the update for now. I promise there will be more soon.</p><br /><p>- Nisa</p>starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-70832625394954935722008-10-13T21:04:00.000-07:002008-10-13T21:32:56.264-07:00Naked Without My Eyebrows - Reflections on Posing as a 1950s HousewifeTurns out I'm kind of sensitive about my balding eyebrows. I've never been the "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">girly</span>-girl" type, but after spending so much time with myself over the past two weeks, I've come to the realization that there are simply not that many hairs left on the thin parts of those brows! Oh, but I guess I've always known my eyebrows were a weak spot of the fortress of my beauty...<br /><br />There is so much to say about the past two weeks, and I hate rambling on and on, so I will try to be as concise as possible.<br /><br />My friend Cindi asked me what I liked most about the experiment. My answer was thoughtful and sweet - "I like the way my Dear Husband notices how good I smell and how nice I look. It is as if he has really shown me more affection than usual. I like having him kiss me and smell me and look approvingly at me." Then she asked what I disliked most about the experiment. My answer was short and sweet - "Everything else." But Cindi knows what I know - which is the truth is way more complex than all that.<br /><br />Let's start with what I did not like. What did I NOT like? This is a difficult question to answer. <br /><br />I didn't necessarily like the volume of child-related chores which are usually split between Jon and I but I LIKED making sure my children were clean and cared for.<br /><br />I had difficulty with the timing of after-school activities and the end of the day chores (cooking, freshening myself up, making a cocktail) but I LIKED being able to provide a clean, quiet, well-managed household for my Husband to come home to. I LIKED watching him relax for a change after a hard day's work.<br /><br />I also became increasingly uncomfortable spending so much time on my personal appearance and smell but I LIKED the way my Husband began flirting with me again, after so much time - it was almost as if we were in college again.<br /><br />I wasn't crazy about feeling so subservient most of the time, but I LIKED going with the flow of things and just being basically an employee for a while instead of upper management.<br /><br />It was nearly impossible to keep my smart-ass mouth shut and instead let a sweet, polite voice speak all of the time, but I LIKED the way people reacted to someone who was easy to get along with all of the time.<br /><br />Now what did I LIKE about the experiment, also a difficult question to answer.<br /><br />I liked having the day begin with clockwork and a sense of organized accomplishment, but I DISLIKED rising so early and having grumpy sleepy heads curse my very existence.<br /><br />I liked looking nice for a change and ditching the t-shirts for awhile, but I DISLIKED the fear of not being pretty enough or clean enough for people's expectations. PLUS, I disliked calling attention to myself by looking clean and nice in my little world of existence where <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">slackerism</span> and casual are king.<br /><br />I liked how my kids pitched in on chores, but I DISLIKED hearing them beg me over and over, day after day, to stop being 1950s Housewife and be normal mommy again. This one is self-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">explanatory</span> and the reason the experiment was an experiment and not a lifestyle change.<br /><br />I liked how the house looked and felt, but I DISLIKED how that look and feeling lasted only until the children returned at 3:00, at which time, the twister motion of their beings set things back on their regular tilt again.<br /><br /><br />Jon said many times that he felt useless throughout, and I tried to remind him about how useful he was - at the office. Turns out, he ENJOYS being my partner... and even when I begged him not to, he was sneaking around, behind my back, getting a few of my chores done. He has mentioned that he has enjoyed a vacation from some of his usual chores, but he really doesn't care for subservient <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Nisa</span>, which is why I punched him in the crotch first thing this morning, just to let him know his punk rock babe was back online.<br /><br />I have to say - I like taking more responsibility for the household chores as well, and will probably continue to make more and more of an effort to keep things running smoothly - beyond just the rearing of the children, my previous most important task. We have already talked about getting a chore schedule and chart up for each family member and also figuring out how we can share cooking duties. This weekend, we restocked all the cleaning supplies we needed, and this afternoon, I power-washed the back porch.<br /><br />And I've stowed away the make-up and perfume. But not the eyebrow liner... that one may have to stay. I think I'm entitled to it. It really is best for the world that we live in if MY eyebrows are completely filled in. After all, it's the polite thing to do.<br /><br />- <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Nisa</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Sharma</span> (formerly Mrs. Porter, but still married to Jon!)starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-43826127985660954782008-10-13T06:45:00.000-07:002008-10-13T06:49:44.318-07:00The 1950s Experiment EndsI'm sitting here in my Monday T-shirt (a green classic tee with a yoga buddha and its golden aura - from Old Navy) wearing my favorite thong (sorry Dad) and my best cut-off jean shorts that I decorated myself with Union Jack patches.<br /><br />I have no perfume on, no lip gloss, and no eyeliner.<br /><br />I told my family to get their own damn breakfast.<br /><br />I am myself again (well, I would never really say that to the kids, Jon yes, but not the kids) and it feels weird. I need time to process the past two weeks and write up the evaluation. Please excuse me and grant me a little bit of time to write something in conclusion of the experiment.<br /><br />I hope to post it this evening or tomorrow.<br /><br />THANKS for reading!<br /><br />- Nisastarring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-3015382414179008922008-10-09T06:32:00.001-07:002008-10-09T06:41:56.351-07:001950s Housewife - Days Ten and ElevenWell - day ten came and went without incident. It was just one of those harmonious days that moves like liquid from thing to thing. I had a number of 21st century chores to do for the magazine, and then the kids had a half day at school, which allowed us to spend some quality time and run some important errands. Then it was off to after-school classes and cooking dinner, having the kids take out the trash, and then putting them to bed. I'm sure Dear Husband was in the mix there somewhere, but its hard to recall when a day runs so smoothly.<br /><br />Oh yes, now I remember, Dear Husband had a hard time keeping his hands off the trash. It is typically his chore to do, and he jumped up when he heard me give the task to the children. I begged him to sit down and keep his hands off the trash, but he's really feeling useless during this experiment... his retort was, "1950s husbands took out the trash!" Since he insisted, what could I say? He was very helpful, and oh so handsome.<br /><br />Today is Day Eleven, and doing all this work is becoming routine. I noted last night, however, that the extra chores have made my favorite chore my least favorite chore right now. When we married, we agreed on a sharing of work at dinner - The person who cooks shall not clean. Well, during this experiment, I do all the cooking, all the time, and I also clean. I used to love the relaxing zen nature of cleaning the kitchen after dinner, whilst my husband got the kids clean and put them to bed. It had a natural order... NOW, I'm cooking for an hour in the hot kitchen, serving everyone before sitting myself down, clearing the table and getting the dishes organized and soaking, running upstairs to dry bodies, brush and braid hair, read books and get the kids down, and then running back downstairs to wash the dishes... it is simply exhausting and is a block of tasks that SHOULD be shared.<br /><br />Tonight, Dear Husband has told me he will be going to a movie with a friend, which is fine with me. It allows me to make a simple meal for the kids and enjoy left-overs myself and perhaps I can watch a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">girly</span> show on the television...<br /><br />- Mrs. Pstarring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-83673304823945170142008-10-07T12:31:00.000-07:002008-10-07T12:39:18.110-07:001950s Housewife - Day NineMy Mom said the patio charcoal grill became hugely popular in the late 1950s, and so Dear Husband will be grilling chicken tonight. Don't worry, I'm doing EVERYTHING else, he literally has to get the grill going, slap the chicken on, turn it once, and bring it inside - that is all. I am very excited about him "sharing" the duties tonight.<br /><br />I made a great Pot Roast yesterday - even the boy (who can find something each meal to complain about) loved it, although not the carrots. The girl (who is vegetarian) also enjoyed the potatoes and carrots over rice with her soy chicken. I was very excited - it was my first pot roast and it came out exactly as I wanted.<br /><br />It is these small victories I'm enjoying during this experiment - like rediscovering the iron and spray starch and finding a certain zen in sweeping the kitchen floor. The hum of the laundry and the look of sparkling kitchen <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">counter tops</span>. The welcoming look of a taught, just made up bed. Being able to locate the television remote, with just a glance from across the house because it is where it should be... Uh-oh... I think it is happening - I'm becoming a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">neatnik</span> zombie!<br /><br />This, I'm sure, will be welcome news to my Dear Husband. We will see how life progresses next week, when I'm no longer living in the 1950s.<br /><br />- Mrs. Pstarring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-19301924817865740632008-10-06T07:27:00.000-07:002008-10-06T07:41:40.503-07:001950s Housewife - Day Eight beginsThe weekend was a marvelous way to spend time with Dear Husband and Lovely Children. The Honey-Do list was completed, and Dear Husband did not make too big a mess when he made pizza for Sunday football. The children and I were able to complete some errands and grocery yesterday whilst Dear Husband watched his team - I enjoy taking the children out of the house during this time, so as to limit their exposure to the colorful language Dear Husband sometimes uses. Thankfully, his team won, and he was in a good mood for the rest of the day.<br /><br /> After spending so much family time, however, my "to-do" list seems a little bit long today. I need to get going on it soon. First, some observations from the first week of the experiment:<br /><ul><li>Girdles emphasize back fat. There, I've said it. Look - these undergarments, throwbacks to the dark ages when women needed to be imprisoned within their own clothes, do amazing things for my waistline and are great at minimizing less desirable frontal areas... but they DO emphasize and area that naturally downplays itself without the undergarment. That pesky back-fat hangs over the top - not unlike the muffin-top one gets when one squeezes into an old (and no longer well-fitting) pair of jeans. So you get a muffin-top, but its in the middle of your back!!! Its gross - I hate it... I've eliminated the mid-drift girdle because of it, and I'm only now wearing the one that starts at my belly-button.</li><li>Make-up gives me zits... big, gross, painful ones.</li><li>The dishes are NEVER done... ever... I'm convinced there is a dish dragon lurking within the kitchen somewhere, and as soon as I step away from a clean, empty sink, it comes out and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">dirtys</span> just one spoon and goes back into a cupboard, giggling... stupid dragon!</li><li>Cooking and thinking about cooking and trying to be healthy - oh, and incorporating the one vegetarian in the family into the mix is challenging and hard and not in a good way. This is probably the most taxing task on the list.</li><li>I know myself, and I now know that I would never, ever be successful at this experiment if either of the children were younger and still at home during the day... I just don't see how it would be possible with one or even both of them still at home and really too young to help with the chores (they've been great helpers) and needing more of my attention.</li><li>Where does all this dust come from? I mean really?!? </li><li>I will never look around at a semi-clean house and think it is clean again... not after what I've seen, not after I know how much cleaner it can be.</li><li>Why do boys miss the potty? How hard can it be to hit the water? I don't understand.</li></ul><p>- Mrs. P</p>starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-47272361941279617072008-10-04T11:59:00.000-07:002008-10-04T12:16:00.679-07:001950s Housewife - Day Six<div align="left"><strong>THE WEEKEND HONEY-DO LIST:</strong></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">My Dearest Husband -</div><div align="left">If it is to your liking and works into your schedule this weekend, please do the following tasks for me. I cannot possibly do them as well as a big, strong man can. Thank you. Sincerely - Your Loving Wife</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><ul><li><div align="left">Hang the new hammock in the backyard. *I know you can do it without letting our neighbors know that you have a vocabulary that can sometimes come in handy if you are ever with the sailors down on the docks.*</div></li><li><div align="left"> </div></li><li><div align="left">Refill the bird feeders and rehang them. *I so admired the way you took them down before the big storm and how brave you were when surrounded by the swarm of hornets who had taken up residence in one of the feeders - please dispose of any hornet carcasses left behind.*</div></li><li><div align="left"> </div></li><li><div align="left">Dig up the Summer Garden. *What a great season it was - with the tomatoes really growing in like thunder! I know that next year will be the year your award-winning casabas grow in nice and round - sorry they were used as bowling balls by the boy this time around... perhaps he can help you dig it up today?</div></li><li><div align="left"></div></li><li><div align="left">Speaking of the boy, do you think you can get him out of the house for just a little errand or something this weekend? Anything will do. It is just a small request from your daughter and myself for a moment of peace in the household.</div></li></ul><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Thank you for doing these chores, Dear Husband. You are so very busy and intellectually engaged during the week - it really does a body good to do some manual labor on the weekend. It is no wonder that you continue to inspire me with your good looks and strong arms. Let me know if you need a glass of iced lemonade at any point during these chores, my love.</div>starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-53475885604854244242008-10-03T07:24:00.000-07:002008-10-03T07:39:01.637-07:001950s Housewife - Day FiveYesterday was a quiet day - I had a meeting with my magazine staff, and I got all gussied up for it. We did our chore very quickly and I headed back home. Really just grocery was the key job for yesterday, so it wasn't nearly as busy of any of the previous days.<br /><br />And the truth is, I'm getting bored. I think that the family has fallen into acceptance of this experiment and the way I'm "serving" everyone, and this has lulled us all into this dull hum of the way things are going. I realize the novelty of my strange behavior has worn off, but I'm also not willing to allow this to become the norm. <br /><br />I have realized that I have more time in the day than I thought - which is a great outcome of this experience. And also on the plus side: the kids are required to help out around the house more, and they are doing it willingly! So I hope that doesn't go away... BUT...<br /><br />But what I'm finding is that I feel I'm becoming a fixture in the house. By which I mean that while I'm cleaning and cooking and serving, conversations are happening around me but are not including me - nor would I dare contribute, as would not be polite in the 1950s unless asked to contribute, and even then, only to reiterate Dear Husband's opinion.<br /><br />So being shut-off into myself, I'm becoming bored... and so today, I've been stalling on getting started on the daily chores. I think, since it is Friday, that I will share a cocktail with Dear Husband tonight. I sure do feel I've earned it.<br /><br />The other strange observation I have at this point is this: I spend time on beautification of myself, and smelling nice - all for Dear Husband... and after a day of hard work and house chores, thinking of nothing but ensuring my family has it easy when they arrive home from their daily routines, and cooking over a hot stove, I then liquor Dear Husband up... and he smells me, and sees how nice I look... and he has no chores to do - so naturally, he decides he'd like to cuddle and maybe do more... but honestly - I'm exhausted. I don't see the point of being appealing to Dear Husband at the end of the day - it is not logical to me. I would much rather repel him at this point - not that I don't have passion for Dear Husband, I do, but I need him to want me when I'm well-rested. <br /><br />It's almost the same as the stay-at-home mom's thoughts here, when there is a new baby in the house and Dear Husband wants to get back to "normal".<br /><br />Anyway... my poor Dear Husband... he says he is feeling useless, and wants me to write up a "Honey-Do" list for the weekend, which I certainly plan to focus on today. And he forbade me from making the traditional Sunday football game pizza - as his territory, so I've shopped for the essentials, and he will be allowed in my kitchen for the first time all week on Sunday morning.<br /><br />I will share the Honey-Do list and more magazine goodies on Monday - I'm planning to take a break from this future box for the weekend.<br /><br />More Later - Mrs. Pstarring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-17733351764666624742008-10-02T05:35:00.000-07:002008-10-02T05:51:44.056-07:001950s Magazine Goodies<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SOTAX5p9QxI/AAAAAAAAALc/tImeJiuFuNk/s1600-h/Admiral+Fridge.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SOTAX5p9QxI/AAAAAAAAALc/tImeJiuFuNk/s400/Admiral+Fridge.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><p>These are all from the June 21, 1954 issue of Life Magazine. The cover features a photo of the "Prettiest Chorus Girl in Las Vegas: Kim Smith" who is quite fetching in this close-up of her cute face and showgirl feather hat.</p><p>This Admiral Fridge has the freezer on the bottom! Amazing! And it can hold over 120 lbs of food! This freezer can "sharp-freeze foods and store them at 52 degrees below freezing - coldest cold ever produced in a home refrigerator unit"! (costs as low as $179.95 and never needs defrosting!)<br /></p><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SOTAYPFGQzI/AAAAAAAAALk/0OxvjksURTQ/s1600-h/GE+Freezer.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SOTAYPFGQzI/AAAAAAAAALk/0OxvjksURTQ/s400/GE+Freezer.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><p>This GE Freezer can really help out. By keeping a full storage of frozen items, you can shop only when you want to. It also has a special "Ice Cream Conditioner" that "keeps a gallon and a half of ice cream at scooping temperature!" It can hold 525 lbs of food and prices begin at only $299.95 (although model shown is $498.37). Wow, that's only about $5.04 a week!</p><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SOTAYNQauGI/AAAAAAAAALs/XJGlPmeih_w/s1600-h/GE+Stove.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SOTAYNQauGI/AAAAAAAAALs/XJGlPmeih_w/s400/GE+Stove.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="left">GE again - they LOVE the Housewife! Here they try to make more out of a small kitchen space with the Big Oven Spacemaker for only $229.88 (only about $2.38 a week). It takes up 16 inches less than a 40-inch range and can hold a meal for 24! (24 what, it doesn't say). Here's an idea - use TWO Spacemakers at each end of your kitchen, "this is just one of many interesting combinations you can have with two Spacemakers."<br /></div><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SOTAYdLlo3I/AAAAAAAAAL0/l1CufV05uso/s1600-h/Frigidaire.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XBcz8SJdHpk/SOTAYdLlo3I/AAAAAAAAAL0/l1CufV05uso/s400/Frigidaire.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="CLEAR: both; TEXT-ALIGN: center">"Never before so much of everything you've wanted - so much value in every way!"</div><div style="CLEAR: both; TEXT-ALIGN: center">(best ad copy ever - what else could I possibly add?)</div><div style="CLEAR: both; TEXT-ALIGN: center"> </div><div style="CLEAR: both; TEXT-ALIGN: center"> </div><div style="CLEAR: both; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>starring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119259372752006880.post-71353096285479409122008-10-01T05:47:00.000-07:002008-10-01T06:45:43.230-07:001950s Housewife - On to Day 3I had some failures yesterday, and I'm trying to figure out why... oh, thankfully, I did sleep without making lists last night, only to be awoken at 5:30 this morning by the boy - seems he wanted to talk things over...<br /><br />My chief failure yesterday was not freshening up before serving dinner. So Dear Husband had to eat with a whole day's worth of odors and hair and such - I'm sure he was disgraced... BUT, I did manage to make him a strong Vodka Martini, so he may have been unnerved by my appearance at first, but I'm sure once dinner was done, he didn't care so much - about anything anymore! Gee - I hope this two weeks doesn't turn Dear Husband into some sort of lush!<br /><br />My other failure included just generally running late in the evening due to the kids' lessons. An issue we face again today. I did have dinner ready, and just needed to reheat it... but I used the microwave, which I had initially put on my list of no-nos for the experiment. Today, I'll try a different strategy...<br /><br />This is what I'm finding as the toughest part of the day - juggling lessons and dinner and the self-grooming that must be involved. Going back to yesterday's comment - a 1950s housewife would not have this issue, as lessons would be done directly after school, and within walking distance for the kids to go to alone - leaving ample time for cooking, making cocktails, and beatification. But the 1950s housewife always deals with what she's got - so here I am, and I have to figure out how to make it work (or just miss lessons next week if I can't figure it out.)<br /><br />I must note that in the hour and a half between homework and lessons yesterday, my Dear Daughter was able to read half a book - so I think that is a good - no great! - thing.<br /><br />All this extra careful hygiene is also working my nerves. I'm someone used to my work-at-home mom uniform: t-shirt and shorts. SOMETIMES I take a shower and comb out my hair. RARELY I apply make-up. And I'm lucky to find an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">unsmelly</span>, unholy bra. Look, its not like I live in squalor, I just usually find other ways to spend my time, rather than on myself. Here, I've spent more time in the last two days cleaning myself than I have doing any one other thing! I'm annoyed by it, but I'm also intrigued. It has me spending time looking at myself in the mirror - and taking stock (mostly in a good way). It also gives me time in the morning to really organize those crazy mid-night mental lists into some sort of schedule for the day.<br /><br />It has also made me realize that my make-up is two years old... I think this might be yucky, but I have no context, not being a very <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">girly</span> sort of girl. I can't bring myself to spend any budget on anything fresh, so I will make do with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">blecky</span> make-up for the rest of the experiment.<br /><br />Soon, I will be adding a slide show on the right. I've found these super-excellent magazines from 1952 and 1954. They are Life and the Saturday Evening Post. I LOVE them, they really tell a story here. I'm going to be scanning and showing things I find interesting, as I have time. Today we will see ads to make my 1950s kitchen more efficient and make my life easier - which falls exactly where my problem currently lies!<br /><br />Today I need to get off the future-box and get on the ball as I have a luncheon and need to work my daily chores around that appointment. I wonder what I should wear?<br /><br />- Mrs. Pstarring Nisa as "The Mom"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14548158299626626654noreply@blogger.com1