I'm not writing too much lately - too much school work...Some times I feel so completely overwhelmed.
But, then I have a day like today when, for some reason, it just clicks in my head. What I am reading, why I am studying...if you could see me, there are little light bulbs going off all over my head...
Parts of my family are in transition right now. They're changing rhythms! My daughter called and announced that she is scheduled to graduate on May 12, 2007 - FROM COLLEGE!!!!! How could it be that I am old enough to have a child graduate from college. I am so extremely proud of her - especially since her college experience started out on less than a good note. She's tough and she has an incredibly fabulous mind. Sometimes she just doesn't trust herself...and then there's this Italian teacher who is a perfect ass to her (never mind that she probably said some things to him she shouldn't have said but...). I hope she can keep herself focused on the few months ahead.
My husband came three weeks ago and announced that he would not be going back to his office - that he had come to an agreement with the President that he should do something different. My husband was a CEO (or something like that) in a company, attempting to do portfolio development and acquisitions,but he didn't feel this was a very good time, financially to be in that part of this business - he doesn't feel is productive. So, they parted ways - with my husband getting a phenomenal severance package...which means he could stay home for 1.5 years!!!! God help me if he does that. Anyway, it was a good decision! The interesting part, is that my hubby is in hot demand (a nice feeling) and the phone has not stopped ringing - people want him to come to work for them, people want him to consult with them/for them, people want him to come speak, to be on boards of directors. I may have mentioned here before but my husband is, without a doubt, the smartest man I have ever met. So, making another decision on what to do with the rest of his working life will be well thought out. I am lucky in that I don't have to worry that he will do something boneheaded...I mean, he will do something great. It's nice to not have to worry about where the mortgage payment is going to come from, or how we are going to pay for college for three. My attitude - my hubby has worked his entire life, made a great living, become very successful and he should do whatever he wants/needs to do.
That brings me to the weird part - like for at least the last 10 years - maybe more - I have been married to a man who travels almost three weeks out of four. Now that's been hard sometimes but the bottom line is that it has really allowed me to be my own woman. I tend to be rather independent, comfortable with myself and making my own decisions - plus when you have three children and a black lad you are never really alone and you are always so damn busy that you don't have time to really think about anything else except what needs to be done next...Now, I have a husband who is home full time. I have gone from sleeping alone about 20 nights a month to not sleeping alone at all..I feel terrible complaining about it but I don't have any private time anymore. Not that I am doing anything that really needs private time but there is no time to collect my thoughts, to think about the day, to check my U2.com, anything.
Anyway, my mom is freaking out too. Our cousin died and it just dredged up a whole lot of really sad and bad memories for my mom - when her mom died, when her brother died. She just got really upset and was trying to get involved in things she didn't need to be involved in. Resulting in her finally not going to the funeral. She was mad at our cousin's brother, our other cousin, for not coming to see his sister until almost two-three weeks after she had been hospitalized. It was so sad.
My youngest son is on the verge of taking one of his bands public. My middle child and oldest son is doing fabulously in college - fraternity, play, making A's in calculus (freaking scary) and playing the drums.
Me, I'm still just trying to keep up - I missed a submission deadline for the Geography Club constitution - can do it next month - too many papers to write and too many articles to read. Sometimes my eyes get so tired...
I was very disappointed that I was not selected to go to New York City to a book signing by U2. Not getting chosen really hurt my feelings - why, I couldn't tell you but I guess I really thought I would be selected, randomly, from about 5 million fans. I mean, really, I had even decided what flight I was going to take, what I was going to wear, where I was going to stay...really scary. So, naturally I was disappointed when I didn't get chosen. What can I say. However, the mind is a great thing - by the time I had finished reading the e-mail saying I had not been chosen, I had justified it in my mind by reminding myself that this band has huge numbers of fans, that there is really no way, realistically, that I will never, ever get to meet them one on one! Then I started the pity party - not rich enough, not famous enough, not supermodel beautiful enough, not smart enough...that made me sad. Then I got mad at myself. Mad for allowing myself to get way too involved with people I don't even know - for giving my heart away, for wearing my heart on my sleeve - for someone I don't even know. Good time for a reality check. I'm not one to camp out overnight - so I am limiting my opportunites to interact with these great guys but I'm just not the screaming, autograph seeking kind of fan.
I think I would enjoy the conversation and maybe, even the friendship. Maybe one day!
nbb
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Atlanta ONE and Heifer International
Current mood: satisfied
Atlanta ONE is pleased to announce an evening with Heifer International on Saturday, October 7, 2006 at the Edgewater Cove Clubhouse in East Cobb.
The evening will begin at 7:00 with light refreshments, mingling, etc then a representative from Heifer will do a presentation for us. Please check out our website www.atlone.org and the Heifer International website, www.heifer.org for more information on what Heifer does.
I hope you can join us.
Atlanta ONE will also be participating in the voter pledges initiative - asking people to make a commitment to vote and to remind others to vote. It's our right!
Look forward to seeing everyone Saturday, October 7.
Nancy
Atlanta ONE is pleased to announce an evening with Heifer International on Saturday, October 7, 2006 at the Edgewater Cove Clubhouse in East Cobb.
The evening will begin at 7:00 with light refreshments, mingling, etc then a representative from Heifer will do a presentation for us. Please check out our website www.atlone.org and the Heifer International website, www.heifer.org for more information on what Heifer does.
I hope you can join us.
Atlanta ONE will also be participating in the voter pledges initiative - asking people to make a commitment to vote and to remind others to vote. It's our right!
Look forward to seeing everyone Saturday, October 7.
Nancy
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
9/19/2006
My cousin passed away today. She died from lung cancer at the age of 64. The hospital staff had decided to honor her wishes (after all) to not keep her alive on a respirator, so after her brother arrived and he was able to see her, they removed the respirator. She passed away 30 minutes later.
We were not especially close the last 25 years, but she was family and always around when I was growing up.
I hope she is at peace.
Nancy
We were not especially close the last 25 years, but she was family and always around when I was growing up.
I hope she is at peace.
Nancy
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Heifer Thailand
Tonight I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting the Director of Heifer International Thailand, Pramote Eua-amnuay. It was an awesome experience. Needless to say, his English was much better than my Thai (which is non existent). Pramote was in the States to meet with people in the national office and, to meet some of the regional staff. Fortunately, Heifer has an office in Atlanta. So, I went to meet and hear this man speak of the wonderful work they are doing in Thailand with Heifer...
The big project they are working on is in northern Thailand. The project is called Project Help - an acronym I can't remember the meaning of. Basically, Heifer is working with hill village people in remote areas of northern Thailand. They are working with small animals - frogs, rabbits, chickens, fish. They are teaching the villagers how to raise chickens, how to use all the products available from all the animals - including chicken dung. The chicken coops are built over catfish ponds - the chicken dung falls into the pond, grows plankton and the fish eat the plankton. The eggs and fish provide protein for the villagers. They are also teaching the villagers how to raise "kitchen gardens." With the money villagers save by growing their own vegetables, they have been able to start saving their money in banks. Most of the villagers wouldn't get credit on their own, but because of Heifer, they are able to take advantage of banking relationships that would not otherwise be available to them. Additionally, Heifer is working in conjunction with several other partners (i.e., the Rotary) to build schools for the villagers to send their kids to. Because some of the villages are so remote, they have also had to build hostels for the kids to stay in - they even have lights in them.
Each country that Heifer is involved in develops their own programs using the Heifer models. They use local people to run things - taking advantage of connections within the country and communities. Each country is able to utilize resources and partnerships they have within their own country. The emphasis is on sustainable development at the regional level.
It was unbelievable to hear this man speak of the corruption in the cities and with the politicians - how many of the children end up being sold as a way for their families to make money, how kids will turn to prostitution and drugs and move to the city just to make money. He also mentioned that the villagers don't have the right to own land so the government can come in and take whatever they want, whenever they want.
I think the most amazing thing is that there are 19 leper colonies in Thailand - most of them located in the villages - keeps everyone separated. Kids of the lepers are so afraid of the stigma that will be attached to them, that many just leave their homes and families. I don't even know how you get leprosy - hell, I can't even freaking spell it.
Pramote also spoke of how funny and sad it is now that the tsunami relief people (the NGO's - that's exactly how he put it) have left. According to Pramote, he said the NGO's came in waving lots of money, giving it to people without expecting them to do anything, without guidance on how to rebuild, develop a master plan on development and then, they were gone. Fortunately, groups like Heifer have come in and are now working with people on developing master plans - utilizing the resources they have, figuring out what resources they don't have and eventually, taking the responsibility to manage and improve their own lives.
Going to meetings like this remind me of why I am involved! It reminds me that there are a whole lot of people who are working their butts off, on a daily basis, to imrove the world. I leave humbled by them and grateful for them, and it renews, my spirit and mind, to do what I can.
Oh another note, I left the house quite pissed off...I had asked my 16 year old to go with me tonight - I have always enjoyed his company. He couldn't be bothered. It really pissed me off. Right now, he's a spoiled rotten East Cobb brat who has everything given to him, has way more than he could ever need, use and he refuses to step outside himself for a few hours preferring instead to sit in the comfort of his home and play on the computer and play his bass. Anyway, when I got home, he asked all the right questions...and I told him that I thought he owed it to himself to go to outside events so he could experience, vicariously, what is happening in the world around him. It is so important for kids to realize that what they have is amazing compared to over 50% of the world - hell, let me go out on a limb, 75% of the world.
Gotta go to bed. I bike early in the morning.
www.heiferthailand.org
Nancy
The big project they are working on is in northern Thailand. The project is called Project Help - an acronym I can't remember the meaning of. Basically, Heifer is working with hill village people in remote areas of northern Thailand. They are working with small animals - frogs, rabbits, chickens, fish. They are teaching the villagers how to raise chickens, how to use all the products available from all the animals - including chicken dung. The chicken coops are built over catfish ponds - the chicken dung falls into the pond, grows plankton and the fish eat the plankton. The eggs and fish provide protein for the villagers. They are also teaching the villagers how to raise "kitchen gardens." With the money villagers save by growing their own vegetables, they have been able to start saving their money in banks. Most of the villagers wouldn't get credit on their own, but because of Heifer, they are able to take advantage of banking relationships that would not otherwise be available to them. Additionally, Heifer is working in conjunction with several other partners (i.e., the Rotary) to build schools for the villagers to send their kids to. Because some of the villages are so remote, they have also had to build hostels for the kids to stay in - they even have lights in them.
Each country that Heifer is involved in develops their own programs using the Heifer models. They use local people to run things - taking advantage of connections within the country and communities. Each country is able to utilize resources and partnerships they have within their own country. The emphasis is on sustainable development at the regional level.
It was unbelievable to hear this man speak of the corruption in the cities and with the politicians - how many of the children end up being sold as a way for their families to make money, how kids will turn to prostitution and drugs and move to the city just to make money. He also mentioned that the villagers don't have the right to own land so the government can come in and take whatever they want, whenever they want.
I think the most amazing thing is that there are 19 leper colonies in Thailand - most of them located in the villages - keeps everyone separated. Kids of the lepers are so afraid of the stigma that will be attached to them, that many just leave their homes and families. I don't even know how you get leprosy - hell, I can't even freaking spell it.
Pramote also spoke of how funny and sad it is now that the tsunami relief people (the NGO's - that's exactly how he put it) have left. According to Pramote, he said the NGO's came in waving lots of money, giving it to people without expecting them to do anything, without guidance on how to rebuild, develop a master plan on development and then, they were gone. Fortunately, groups like Heifer have come in and are now working with people on developing master plans - utilizing the resources they have, figuring out what resources they don't have and eventually, taking the responsibility to manage and improve their own lives.
Going to meetings like this remind me of why I am involved! It reminds me that there are a whole lot of people who are working their butts off, on a daily basis, to imrove the world. I leave humbled by them and grateful for them, and it renews, my spirit and mind, to do what I can.
Oh another note, I left the house quite pissed off...I had asked my 16 year old to go with me tonight - I have always enjoyed his company. He couldn't be bothered. It really pissed me off. Right now, he's a spoiled rotten East Cobb brat who has everything given to him, has way more than he could ever need, use and he refuses to step outside himself for a few hours preferring instead to sit in the comfort of his home and play on the computer and play his bass. Anyway, when I got home, he asked all the right questions...and I told him that I thought he owed it to himself to go to outside events so he could experience, vicariously, what is happening in the world around him. It is so important for kids to realize that what they have is amazing compared to over 50% of the world - hell, let me go out on a limb, 75% of the world.
Gotta go to bed. I bike early in the morning.
www.heiferthailand.org
Nancy
Monday, September 04, 2006
Andre
Andre Agassi lost his third round match at the US Open yesterday. He lost to a guy not many had ever heard of...some 25 year old German kid named Benjamin Becker who played college tennis at Baylor in Texas. He was good. Andre just couldn't keep up. His back was hurting, sometimes I didn't think he would be able to stand up. Low balls were almost impossible for him to get down to. I hurt for him! After the match, Andre cried, I cried, my daughter cried, my sister-in-law cried. I mean, it was Andre and it ended a remarkable career as a professional tennis player.
As is typical of the man that Andre has become, he gave a beautiful speech on what it meant to him to know that he had the support, generosity and loyalty of a large group of people who have supported him through good times and bad. He talked about how the fans had given him their shoulders to stand on to reach for his dreams.
Yes, I was one of those fans. I loved the young flamboyant, "image is everything" kid that Andre was. He lived large, he dreamed out loud and he has lived his life with passion and determination. (Sound like anyone else you know?) I love the man he has grown up to become.
I can't imagine what it would have been like to grow up in front of millions of people. People that care about you, hate you - and you don't even know their names. I can't imagine being able to do anything so well that anyone really cared about whether I was good at it or not...whether I won or not. And, yet, by virtue of the fact that he was/is a public figure, many people feel comfortable dissecting his life, his decisions. Private life is relative when you are someone like Andre.
Celebrities have a really large trade off in their lives That money for privacy thing. That everyone knows your business (or at least they think they know your business) for the really huge home with gates around it. I'm not sure I would be able to handle it so gracefully. I wonder what it would feel like to have so many people that you don't know wanting something from you...and, on the other hand, having access to financial resources that allow them such a great lifestyle. A dichotomy!
So, it makes me feel good when I get that thanks - me and millions of others. I will never know Andre Agassi (or some other prominent celebrities that I would love to get to know) but I am glad that my shoulders were strong enough and broad enough to help you reach your dreams. They were great dreams - thanks for sharing them with us.
nbb
As is typical of the man that Andre has become, he gave a beautiful speech on what it meant to him to know that he had the support, generosity and loyalty of a large group of people who have supported him through good times and bad. He talked about how the fans had given him their shoulders to stand on to reach for his dreams.
Yes, I was one of those fans. I loved the young flamboyant, "image is everything" kid that Andre was. He lived large, he dreamed out loud and he has lived his life with passion and determination. (Sound like anyone else you know?) I love the man he has grown up to become.
I can't imagine what it would have been like to grow up in front of millions of people. People that care about you, hate you - and you don't even know their names. I can't imagine being able to do anything so well that anyone really cared about whether I was good at it or not...whether I won or not. And, yet, by virtue of the fact that he was/is a public figure, many people feel comfortable dissecting his life, his decisions. Private life is relative when you are someone like Andre.
Celebrities have a really large trade off in their lives That money for privacy thing. That everyone knows your business (or at least they think they know your business) for the really huge home with gates around it. I'm not sure I would be able to handle it so gracefully. I wonder what it would feel like to have so many people that you don't know wanting something from you...and, on the other hand, having access to financial resources that allow them such a great lifestyle. A dichotomy!
So, it makes me feel good when I get that thanks - me and millions of others. I will never know Andre Agassi (or some other prominent celebrities that I would love to get to know) but I am glad that my shoulders were strong enough and broad enough to help you reach your dreams. They were great dreams - thanks for sharing them with us.
nbb
More Home Training Notes - 8/25/2006-9/10/2006
8/25/2006 - Spin
8/26/2006 - Spin and Yoga
8/27/2006 - Day Off
8/28/2006 - Ellipse
8/29/2006 - Day Off
8/30/2006 - Spin - Race Day
8/31/2006 - Domestic Bliss (doesn't that count?)
9/1/2006 - Spin Class upper body (real light - like 4 exercises)
9/2/2006 - Spin and Yoga
9/3/3006 - Day Off
9/4/2006 - Walk, Ellipse + weights
9/5/2006 - Day Off
9/6/2006 - Spin
9/7/2006 - Day off
9/8/2006 - Spin, upper body
9/9/2006
8/26/2006 - Spin and Yoga
8/27/2006 - Day Off
8/28/2006 - Ellipse
8/29/2006 - Day Off
8/30/2006 - Spin - Race Day
8/31/2006 - Domestic Bliss (doesn't that count?)
9/1/2006 - Spin Class upper body (real light - like 4 exercises)
9/2/2006 - Spin and Yoga
9/3/3006 - Day Off
9/4/2006 - Walk, Ellipse + weights
9/5/2006 - Day Off
9/6/2006 - Spin
9/7/2006 - Day off
9/8/2006 - Spin, upper body
9/9/2006
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
