United Nations: Are We Really United?

Yesterday the Palestine Authority got voted into the United Nations. It doesn't get to vote, but it is recognized as a state. One hundred thirty-eight countries voted for Palestine, nine voted against, and forty-one abstained. This is turning into a pretty big deal from the U.S. perspective. The NY Times called it "a blow" to the United States.

Here's the deal: I don't understand why the U.S. feels like it gets to be upset that Palestine is getting recognized. We completely took their land after World War II to make Israel. How is it a surprise that they're upset? Granted, taking other peoples' land is something the U.S. is really good at, but why is it that we feel like we should decide whether or not Palestine gets to be part of the United Nations?

The more countries in the United Nations, the better! The whole point of the UN is to "unite nations," isn't it? I feel like the U.S. is that popular girl who is a major diva and tells other people not to talk to "that new girl" or something. Why can't we just get over ourselves and accept other people? It's not that hard.

Today I'm going to go out and mingle with people. I am going to say "hi" to five strangers. I think the more united our local communities are, the more united and tolerant our country will be. I challenge you to say "hi" to five strangers today! In our culture it's not normal, but you know, it's not too hard to start.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

The American Dream: Where Does Money Come In?

Last night the winning numbers for the largest Powerball jackpot of all time were announced. There were two winners and it's all over the news this morning. Everyone can't wait for the winners to come forward so we can see what they decide to do with the money.

I got to thinking about this: these people might be wonderful people with great intentions doing amazing things, but no one has heard of them; until now. Now that they have won a lot of money, suddenly the press will be watching what they do. Thinking about this was a stark realization for me: money gives you power.

I know that this is not exactly a bombshell; "money is power" is a saying that is common. But it made me sad to realize this. I feel like it's a very different "American Dream" than the one my ancestors had. It used to be that the American Dream was to work hard and earn enough money to provide for your family. Now, the American Dream (as I see it) is to have excess and not necessarily have to work hard for it.

I live the American Dream every day by fighting through the pain, the dizziness, the emotional instability, and everything else that comes with fibromyalgia. I live the American Dream by helping the victims of Superstorm Sandy even though I don't know them. I live the American Dream by taking an active part in my democracy. I live the American Dream by continuing to write even if I know only 50 people a day are reading what I write. I live the American Dream by continuing to have hope even while I receive rejection letters from all the sites I write to asking if they'll consider having me as a contributing writer. I live the American Dream by not giving up.

I want to be powerful before I get a lot of money. I want to be the voice of women who are struggling with fibromyalgia and anorexia and can't work. I want to inspire other people who have dreams and have to work to get them. I want to be the new face of the American Dream.

Getting interviewed as I left the polling location on Election Day.

"Be the change you wish to be in the world." --Gandhi

Dancing with the Stars Finale

Last night was the finale of "Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars." It was the only episode I watched this season. I used to watch DWTS religiously in high school and college, but after Season 8 I started ballroom dancing so I quit watching because I was so critical of the celebs.

*Spoiler Alert*

In Season 8, Shawn Johnson won and Melissa Rycroft came in third. They were both in this All-Star season, and Melissa Rycroft won last night. Shawn got second. I was so bummed out! Shawn was absolutely amazing! I was really happy for Tony Dovolani (Melissa's professional partner), though, because he's been on for 14 season and finally won. I think Derek Hough (Shawn's professional partner) has won twice. He is really a phenomenal dancer, though. The choreography he and Shawn did was really great.

Now I know all you hardcore DWTS fans who love the fact that Melissa won are about to say, "Shawn and Derek broke the rules in their last dance." I know. In the quickstep you can't break hold and they did. But it was brilliant. Would they have won if they hadn't gotten points docked by the judges for breaking the rules? Possibly. But they put on the show of a lifetime. Melissa wasn't as great, in my opinion.

I don't watch a lot of reality shows. I watch "Project Runway" and the season finale of DWTS. If I am sick and there is a "Top Chef" or "America's Next Top Model" marathon on, I'll watch those, too. The reason I don't watch reality shows like "The Bachelorette" or "Housewives of whatever-town-we're-in-this-time" is that they don't really require any talent. It's just watching people live their lives and fighting. Shows like DWTS, Project Runway, and Top Chef require a lot of skills. I like that. I think it's cool to see the best of the best in their field duking it out to get to the top.

Big congrats to all the finalists on DWTS! They all put in hours and hours of work to get that far and I know how much it meant to all of them. Can't wait until the next season finale for my next dose of DWTS!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

5 Low-Budget DIY Gifts

This year I am making gifts instead of buying them. I am on a very tight budget, so these are just some of the things I'll be making this year I haven't finished them yet, but I'm working on all of them. Family members, if you're reading this, you'll have a pretty good idea of what you're getting. :)

1. Stockings. This is my fiancé's and my first Christmas living together. We both have stockings from when we were kids, but they don't match. I'm headed to JoAnn's today to find fabric to make matching ones that we can use for the next 60 Christmases together.

2. Genealogy. My dad's side of the family has pages and pages of documents from our ancestors. There are stories typed on a typewriter by my great-grandmother, old photos, and family trees that almost line up if you have a big enough living room to lay them out on the floor. I know there has to be a better way to see the family tree, so I'm going to make one and send copies to all my relatives on that side of the family. My grandparents on that side spent an afternoon this summer with my fiancé and me telling stories and sharing memories. I think that this gift will mean a lot to my family, especially my grandparents.

3. Scarves. If you know how to knit or crochet, this is always the go-to thing if you're in a pinch! I've been making scarves for the victims of Superstorm Sandy, but I found some yarn that I think someone in my family will really like, so I'm going to make that scarf for them.

4. Memory Stories. This sounds almost too easy, but my dad has always said that all he wants is a page or two telling a favorite memory we have of us growing up. It doesn't have to be crazy, it doesn't have to be long, just something we want to share with him from our childhood.

5. Scrapbook. A few years ago I made my little sister a scrapbook of photos of us growing up. She absolutely loved it! I also made a scrapbook for my fiancé of our first road trip together from Kentucky up to North Dakota and back. It's a really sweet memento we can have on our coffee table.

These are just a few low-budget ideas that are tried and true. It's ironic: growing up I always wanted to have more money, but the best thing about not having a lot of money is that you learn to be creative. Now that I have more money, I'd rather make the presents that mean so much to the people who receive them. They take so much time to make, but it's worth it, because they are fun for you to make and you know the recipients will love them.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

'Tis the Season to Be...Shopping?

Black Friday that starts at 8pm on Thanksgiving night, Small Business Saturday that starts the evening of Black Friday, Cyber Monday that starts at 6pm on Sunday night...what's next? Opening presents on the 24th? Or New Year's Eve Eve parties?

Thanksgiving night I was playing cards with my future in-laws and getting ready to watch the Patriots game. We were laughing, eating too much, and talking football. The tall grandfather clock in the foyer struck eight and I laughed and said, "Oh good! Walmart's open; let's go start our shopping!" Everyone laughed and we all kind of took a minute to realize where we were and who we were with; we truly were thankful to be together in that moment.

I've done the Black Friday shopping thing before. While I understand the kinds of deals you can get when you shop on Black Friday, isn't it more important to spend time with your family instead of getting cheap gifts for them? And, let's be honest, how much of what you buy on Black Friday is really for your family? The two times I went Black Friday shopping, I did get most of the gifts on my list, but I also was sucked in by the amazing sales and bought a lot of things for myself.

It feels like we are pushed to buy buy buy for our family because that will show them that we love them. But are the presents what we really remember? I don't remember any of the gifts I got for my family on either Black Friday trip. I don't remember the things I got for myself on either trip. I don't really remember the gifts I've received for Christmases that aren't things I still use frequently (dress form, Cricut, sewing machine). I do remember the Thanksgivings and Christmases I've shared with my family in terms of conversations, dinners, and laughter.

I absolutely am about to take advantage of Cyber Monday to buy our Christmas cards. I love VistaPrint's selection and there are some great deals today. Other than that, my fiancé and I actually might be making all of the presents we give to people this year. I feel like homemade gifts mean more to family. My mom knitted me socks a couple of years ago; I still wear them and think about my mom every time I do. I've cross-stitched a couple of things for my grandparents and they framed them and hung them in their house. My dad wrote a book of poetry and gave it to us a few years ago and I still have it on my bookshelf. These gifts mean so much more than just running to the store, getting into a brawl, grabbing something off a shelf, and wrapping it.

My challenge to you (and myself) this holiday season is to take a second to stop, take stock of your family, and be grateful. My family isn't perfect, but I am so grateful to have every one of my relatives in my family. If you choose to give gifts this year, give something that you know means something both to you and the recipient of the gift.

Be in the moment every moment this holiday.

L to R: Emily (sister), me, Bridget (sister), Brandan (brother)

TV Violence: Is the News Taking It Too Far?

2:00 am
I don't think I've seen this hour in months! For some reason (*cough* new meds *cough*) I can't sleep tonight. I keep having nightmares and I'm absolutely exhausted, but I can't sleep. I decided to get up because I felt bad for waking up my fiancé every time I moved.

The nightmare I kept having was about something I saw on television today. I was flipping channels around 3 pm; I'd just finished listening to/watching an episode of America's Next Top Model and I needed something to bring my IQ back up. I went through the news channels and stopped on CNN. They were talking about the possibility of a cease-fire in the Middle East. I am all for peace, so I decided to watch the story.

As the top of the hour rolled by, they showed the most recent development in the escalation of violence: a group of Hamas men on motorcycles dragging the body of an alleged Israeli spy through the streets of Gaza while crying out, "God is great!" I was horrified! I am an extremely sensitive person when it comes to seeing violence and this crossed the line. I was absolutely blown away that they would show this at three o'clock in the afternoon. They did not preface it with, "This shows graphic images" or anything like that. How many kids had yesterday off from school and could have been flipping channels like I was?!

Around 8 pm or so, my fiancé and I were watching Anderson Cooper 360 and for some reason he or his producers thought it would be important to show a bunch of "graphic images" while Anderson talked about what had been going on lately. Anderson prefaced it with, "We are about to show some very graphic images..." While I appreciate the warning (I hid my eyes, but I wasn't quite quick enough), AC360 is a primetime show. How many families are flipping through channels on their first night of Thanksgiving vacation and accidentally see a baby wrapped in a Palestinian flag being lifted in front of a crowd for all to see?! At 10 pm when AC360 came back on after Piers Morgan's show, he did the same thing. I, again, didn't watch; but I wasn't as bothered by CNN showing those images at 10 pm than in the middle of the afternoon and during primetime.

While I understand that this is news and it needs to be shared, I really feel like the brazen reporting needs to stop. I am extraordinarily sensitive to this kind of thing, yes, but as a future parent, I take exception to this. I wouldn't want my children watching the news for a school project or something and all of the sudden see someone being dragged behind a motorcycle. What kind of message does that send to my kids? That the networks care more about the ratings they can get with shock value images than they care about the fact that the person being dragged has a family who might not even know he's dead?

What if it had been an American soldier being dragged behind the motorcycle? The networks would never have shown it! It would have been news, sure; but they would not have repeatedly shown the clip of it actually happening. They would have mentioned it and said something about how it is just immoral and horrifying that those heathens would do that to one of our soldiers. But someone who isn't an American? Sure, let's show that to the world. Some ally we are, showing our ally spy's body being desecrated.

I have immense respect for reporters and their crews. The job they have is incredibly difficult and sometimes dangerous. I don't want Anderson Cooper to take this personally (not that he'll read it; but maybe he will) because I think he's a brilliant reporter. I just want to bring awareness to the fact that just because something happens doesn't mean we need to see it in real time. Wait until after 9 or 10 pm and then show it if you really think it has merit.

Parents, please consider what your kids are exposed to. Even if you're "doing the right thing" and limiting TV time and making sure they're not watching R-rated movies, or whatever you think is the "right thing," pay attention to what they're watching. Remember that if you're watching it with them in the room, they're watching it, too. If the news gets too violent, turn the TV off, have a family game night or something, and watch the news online after your kids go to bed. Violence breeds violence. We need to breed a generation of peace.

Enough. Time for some sleep.

11:30 am
I just proofed what I wrote last night and think it's ready to share. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Medicine, Incoherence, and Love

Well, I feel like I need to have another personal post.

I have been late getting my posts up in the last couple of days and they haven't been very good, in my opinion. I just had to double the dose I'm taking of my pain meds. I am really feeling it. I am incredibly dizzy, very tired, nauseated, and forgetful. Honestly, I could deal with all of the side effects if I wasn't forgetful. One of my biggest assets is my memory. I was supposed to do laundry on Thursday. It's now Tuesday and I still haven't done it; not because I don't want to or something, but because I just forget.

I used to write my posts between 6:30am and 8:30am. It's now almost 10:30am and I'm just starting to become coherent. I'm trying to keep up with writing these posts in the morning, but I'm not sure how it's going. My page views have tanked and I'm incredibly unimpressed with my writing when I read it in the evenings when I'm actually awake. I don't have the energy or attention to look for sponsors for my site or promote it online.

It's affecting my amazing fiancé, too. I am our housekeeper, since he works a full time job, but lately I haven't done anything around the house. This morning I woke up after my fiancé was already up. I stumbled out and he looked upset and sad. I asked what was wrong and he said that he's worried about how this medicine is affecting me. I got upset because I really want to be the best fiancée ever for him, but the medicine is making it virtually impossible for me to be amazing. I am incredibly lucky because he loves me more than anything in the world, and he's worried because he loves me, not because he is upset about the effect the medicine is having on his life.

Please stick with my site; I'm probably going to start writing in the evenings and scheduling it to post in the mornings so my posts are a little bit more coherent. Also, check out the craft and food sections. I just updated those and there are some really nice things on there!

In terms of the morals of this post, be kind to people in your life; you never know what's going on in their lives. Yesterday when I went to the grocery store, I was getting some weird looks. I think I probably just looked really out of it. Be kind to each other.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi