Can You Ever See Too Much of Your Elected Officials?

Seems like a timely day to post this old thing from the Chicago Moms Blog. It was originally published June 19, 2007.

We were hanging out at the local pool a couple of years ago when I spotted our congresswoman frolicking with her grandchildren. When we walked past each other I took that brief opportunity to introduce myself and thank her for her hard work.

Back with DH, I told him how badly I wanted to go back over to her and give her my two cents about a topic that always gets my panties in a bunch--how No Child Left Behind is ruining our public schools. “Give her a break. She’s enjoying her family,” he coolly advised. He was right.

She went on playing with her grandkids while I ignored my offspring, instead fantasizing about an audience with my congresswoman. Why, yes, Kim, I’d love for you to join me for a meeting with Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings.

Before I knew it, the pool was closing. I headed to the changing room and once again found myself face to face with the congresswoman, only this time she was taking off her bathing suit! I immediately averted my eyes. I mean, wouldn't you expect a member of congress to use one of those little changing stalls? It’s definitely possible to see too much of your elected officials.

Still, it’s good to know that the old saying is true. Congresswoman, Shmongresswoman! She puts her pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday: Tashlich

Last week after peaceful Rosh Hashanah services, we headed off to a favorite spot along the Chicago River for Tashlich.

When the boys were young and we didn't belong to a synagogue, we'd invite our friends to these woods and celebrate the "birthday of the world" with stories, songs, talk about what we'd try to do better in the new year and of course, eat challah with apples and honey.

Tashlich (tosh-leehk) is a ritual casting away of one's sins from the past year. This quiet spot in the woods is a great place for reflecting on the past and thinking about the one ahead. And as you can see there is a lovely body of water for dropping in bread crumbs and pocket lint (symbols of our misdeeds).

The problem is that no place is quiet and pensive if my boys are around.

Given their boisterous nature, I was surprised to spot another, calmer family in the forest preserve.
This time of year, it is customary to apologize to those you hurt, or may have hurt, through words and actions. The Jewish concept of sin, is taken from the word's Hebrew meaning, which is to miss the mark.

Surely you have missed the mark in some ways this past year. I certainly have. And I ask for your forgiveness.

I had a boss who once put it quite bluntly. He'd walk around the office saying, "Sorry for being an a**hole."

I like the way my rabbi put it in this Rosh Hashanah reading:

And let us face the honest truth of our humanity:
while we harbor a terrifying capacity for destruction and violence
we never, ever forfeit the ability to choose another way:
the path of forgiveness and reconciliation
the way of Shalom.


Wishing you the path of Shalom, peace, in the year ahead.

Updates: Nearly Wordless Wednesday

This is how far behind I am. I have yet to write about:

My keynote panel at the Sweets and Snacks Expo. Look at me all mic'd up like Britney Spears! (Note the tight pants due to the 8-pound media kit full of candy and snacks I needed to try in order to cement my role as "expert panelist.")

Also this:

A thank you note from my BFF, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, regarding my efforts to help pass health care reform. I excitedly shared this note with my 12-year-old after it arrived in the mail. Apparently, he's unimpressed by a personalized note from one of the most powerful women in the United States of America. Whatever.

And then there's the wonderful Chevy Traverse we drove up to Canada and back in record time. The Traverse provided a really smooth ride, worthy of more than a photo, which BTW was taken next to a lovely U-pick strawberry patch in Warrens, Wisconsin (also home to an interesting cranberry museum).

And I haven't written about our visit to the headwaters of the Mississippi River, which took us off the interstate for about six hours, adding several hours to our road trip home. But, look, they walked across the Mighty Mississippi!

Ack! How could I leave out the fabulous Aebleskiver event with the fab women of the MN Blog
Pantry? That write-up will go up on MomImpact.
Starting on Monday, the boys will both be in camp for 5.5 overlapping hours per day, so I hope to catch up on many aspects of my life in addition to blogging!

Lego then, Lego now

This is the kind of thing a very organized blogger would have posted, say, in November, before her readers squandered their hard-earned money on trendy toys that won't last into the new year. Behold the lasting power of Legos!

Over winter break we busted out some of DH's old Legos. Not only did my mother-in-law save them (to be clear, they were passed off to us as soon as we had a house of our own), but for the most part, the old kits were intact. God willing I have grandchildren, they may one day enjoy the giant bin of Legos bricks and bodies that my children enjoy. Let creativity reign, I say.

At any rate, take a look at a circa 1975 Lego helicopter and the one my son got for Chanukah 2009.



They've come a long way, baby.

What are your favorite timeless toys? Are you saving any of your children's toys for your theoretical grandchildren?

Cleaning where the sun don't shine

I've spent the last two days in the fog of a relentless headache, but it's finally clearing. Speaking of clearing, I've been doing a lot of clearing out and wiping down at Chez Moldofsky.

For some people Spring Cleaning means wiping the windows and waxing the floors, but for me it means digging deep into the spaces nobody sees. Which is odd that I'd spend my time that way, especially considering the improbable blob of bird poop stuck to the picture window outside of the living room. (How did it get there? Its placement seems physically impossible. Like this guy in the suit doing a trust fall.)

I'm cleaning out closets and junk drawers. I'm stowing away the mittens and scarves and breaking out the beach towels even though summer, like the bird poop, seems a physical impossibility given our recent weather.

I've amassed piles of clutter, some of which I might try to sell via Craigslist. We sold my car that way last year. I'm going to do a guest ClutterCast soon, but likely I'll drag much of the stuff (some of it's good) over to the resale shop, the path of least resistance that pays in its own way because we get a tax deduction for our donation.

I'm also digging into my old work files. Oh, my precious files. I used to develop programs- training programs, not computer ones-and I have loads of files on listening, goal setting, communications, team building, you name it.

Sure I've culled them over the last decade, but this week I looked at them and knew they no longer serve a useful purpose. And if I do need any of the information contained within, chances are I can find it online.

That said, a few bits and pieces caught my eye, caused me to reflect on where I've been and where I'm headed. A few of the papers I came across made me think and might even provide good fodder for this blog.

Still, I must have recycled a tree's worth of paper today. And I think about what Oprah's clutter-guru says. When we clean out our clutter, we make room for something new in our lives. I can't help but wonder what's in store for my family with all this space I'm creating.

Along with all those papers, I have a good number of team building supplies, or props. I cleaned out a bunch last fall and gave them to the PE teachers at school. This week, I decided to whittle down my collection even more. However, I still felt compelled to keep two dozen squishy balls, half a dozen Koosh balls, five 20-foot pieces of webbing, and two parachutes. After all, if a bird can poop on a vertical surface and the Mother Nature can deliver summer, maybe I'll be facilitate another team building session some day. (It was fun work. These pictures are from my long-defunct corporate teambuilding website.)

Speaking of long defunct, after six months of unemployment, DH starts a new job tomorrow. Can I hear an "Amen?" Sadly, it's only a temporary gig, but it seems like a great fit and it will be nice for him to get a proper paycheck, if only for a few months.

And speaking of cleaning where the sun don't shine, I don't want to disappoint you if you came here with, you know, certain expectations, so check out this scary/funny post at Red Dirt Woman. Two clues: 1) Lysol, 2) douche.