She was someone from MY generation that first got me interested in watching tennis. I look forward to watching her performances in the Australian Open.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Can I just say...
...that I am TOTALLY excited that Justine Henin is out of retirement?!
She was someone from MY generation that first got me interested in watching tennis. I look forward to watching her performances in the Australian Open.
She was someone from MY generation that first got me interested in watching tennis. I look forward to watching her performances in the Australian Open.
Living at home: The "New" Norm
Today I was watching a BBC report on how children in the West are, in increasing numbers, choosing to live at home with their parents after university instead of moving out to live on their own. Many of them live at home well into their thirties or forties. Some of it is based on the economic recession, some has to do with the ease that comes with living under mom and dad's roof. Living on your own, being responsible with your money, is an acquired skill. And most kids/adults of my generation are simply unprepared for living on their own.The problem with this method of living that Westerners are adopting is not the fact that they are back at home after college. All across the world, most families would consider the idea of their children moving out to live on their own before getting married as absurd. Why is that? Children help with the family expenses, and in a poor family, a child who can go out to work, no matter how measly the pay, can make life better for the family. For a man, it gives him a chance to save up so that he can marry. In Arab culture, particularly among Muslims, the man is the one to give the "dowry" to the woman, usually gold, so that she is provided for in case anything happens to him. Traditionally, he is also required to have a home ready for her, complete with furniture. This requires a LOT of money, and some men save up for years before they are able to marry. And a woman, living on her own, unprotected by a family member like a father or uncle or brother? It's totally ridiculous! Culturally speaking, it is simply not smart for a woman to live on her own in this society because with it comes certain... stereotypes and labels about her character.
The key point I'm trying to make is that all of this leads up to something -- the man leaving his home and clinging to his wife, or the woman leaving home to start a family of her own. There is a goal present, and there is an expectation in the community that the adult-child WILL marry eventually.
Not true in the West, and herein lies the problem. There are no expectations, no clear goal, for these children coming back to the nest after they've been away at college. They live at home, continue to spend their money on themselves without regard to the rest of the family's needs, and have no intention of moving out, since marriage has been so devalued in Western society. Or they bring home their "partner" to live under their parent's roof. And many parents are allowing this?! Does anyone else see a problem with this situation, how destructive it can be to the family?
I understand there is a significant financial and economic problem in the US, and many people are without jobs right now. I think that the unemployment rate for the 20-25 age bracket is 15%, compared with 10%, which is the national average. But I also believe that the view that people have of living at home with parents needs to change dramatically. It needs to be seen as a contribution to the family, not a drain.
Did you move home (or stay at home) after you finished college? What are your views on this culture shift in our generation?
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Photo of the Year
Well, for our family anyway. It captures perfectly the two year old "sass" that Mia frequently exhibits. Happy New Year, y'all!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
What I've been up to
Well, I managed to make it through another year! Glad to see that you have too. Here are some highlights of our first full year in Israel:
1. Traveling: This year has been filled with traveling plans. From hubby's PhD work in Scotland (through the Univ. of Edinburgh) to my brother's wedding, we sure have racked up the airline miles!!! Here are a some of the places we visited:
That last trip was this past weekend. My mother-in-law has some (distant) relatives that converted to Judaism and did Aliya (the immigration of Jews back to the land of Israel) two years ago, so we went down there to visit them. The coast was nice and warm, unlike up here, where it really is chilly at the beach! The kids had a blast playing in the sea.
2. Healing: Hubby's leg continues to heal from the accident in London last Thanksgiving. He is walking much better now, thanks to physiotherapy and some new shoes! He still has a very, very slight limp, but he can run around and chase the kids again.
3. Books: I read a LOT this year. Partly due to the book club, and partly due to not having cable for most of the year. The Book Thief and The Secret Scripture were two of my favorites, so check them out if you get the chance!
4. Schooling: Hubby passed his proposal review in November, so he is now OFFICIALLY a PhD candidate! Only two or three more years to go before I can call him "Dr. Miller". We continue to be thankful for his academic adviser; she has been pulling seemingly impossible strings to allow him to continue his work abroad. There were a couple of times this year where we thought that we might have to move to Scotland, but the Lord was gracious and used this amazing woman to help us stay in Israel. My son started kindergarten this year. School is completely in Arabic, and it is proving to be difficult for him, but not impossible. We have seen tremendous progress in his communication abilities. We're also working on reading and writing in English at home.
5. Plans for 2010: Personally, my goal was to finish every incomplete Beth Moore bible study that I had ever worked on. I only finished one, but I also got to start a new one with a group of English-speaking ladies from my church. So, I'm carrying over my goal from last year.
This next year might have us end up in the States, but who knows? Thanks for all of your prayers and support over the year. May God bless you richly in 2010.
1. Traveling: This year has been filled with traveling plans. From hubby's PhD work in Scotland (through the Univ. of Edinburgh) to my brother's wedding, we sure have racked up the airline miles!!! Here are a some of the places we visited:
Edinburgh
Taba, Egypt
Crete
Denver, CO
San Diego
Jerusalem
Ashdod
That last trip was this past weekend. My mother-in-law has some (distant) relatives that converted to Judaism and did Aliya (the immigration of Jews back to the land of Israel) two years ago, so we went down there to visit them. The coast was nice and warm, unlike up here, where it really is chilly at the beach! The kids had a blast playing in the sea.
2. Healing: Hubby's leg continues to heal from the accident in London last Thanksgiving. He is walking much better now, thanks to physiotherapy and some new shoes! He still has a very, very slight limp, but he can run around and chase the kids again.
3. Books: I read a LOT this year. Partly due to the book club, and partly due to not having cable for most of the year. The Book Thief and The Secret Scripture were two of my favorites, so check them out if you get the chance!
4. Schooling: Hubby passed his proposal review in November, so he is now OFFICIALLY a PhD candidate! Only two or three more years to go before I can call him "Dr. Miller". We continue to be thankful for his academic adviser; she has been pulling seemingly impossible strings to allow him to continue his work abroad. There were a couple of times this year where we thought that we might have to move to Scotland, but the Lord was gracious and used this amazing woman to help us stay in Israel. My son started kindergarten this year. School is completely in Arabic, and it is proving to be difficult for him, but not impossible. We have seen tremendous progress in his communication abilities. We're also working on reading and writing in English at home.
5. Plans for 2010: Personally, my goal was to finish every incomplete Beth Moore bible study that I had ever worked on. I only finished one, but I also got to start a new one with a group of English-speaking ladies from my church. So, I'm carrying over my goal from last year.
This next year might have us end up in the States, but who knows? Thanks for all of your prayers and support over the year. May God bless you richly in 2010.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Never again
Hubby pulled out some sort of canned fish this morning - sardines maybe? - and fed them to my daughter. They made the whole house stink.
That's fine, I can deal with a bit of smell for a while. Just open the windows and let it air out. HOWEVER, I don't think her hands got washed after she ate the fish, and there is a distinct odor in the living room now. I gave her a bath, scrubbed her hair and body, so it's not her. She must have touched something in here, and I am now on my and and knees, sniffing around and preparing a bucket of bleach water to remove the hideous odor. Uck.
I am banning sardines from this house.
That's fine, I can deal with a bit of smell for a while. Just open the windows and let it air out. HOWEVER, I don't think her hands got washed after she ate the fish, and there is a distinct odor in the living room now. I gave her a bath, scrubbed her hair and body, so it's not her. She must have touched something in here, and I am now on my and and knees, sniffing around and preparing a bucket of bleach water to remove the hideous odor. Uck.
I am banning sardines from this house.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Our first family vacation
Aside from our honeymoon, our first real family vacation (with me, hubby, little man, and my MIL) was to my husband's old stomping grounds: Puebla, Mexico. He spent five years there with his mom - junior high and high school - and many of his friends were (still are?) living there. I got to meet a lot of his buddies, as well as their families, and got to sample real Mexican food. To this day, I maintain my stance that Mexico has THE BEST STREET FOOD EVER. And I've traveled to a lot of countries, and eaten a bunch of street food. I've also gotten sick from a lot of street food, but we can talk about that another time :-)
Puebla is located southeast of Mexico City, and is a popular tourist destination for Mexicans and what my hubby calls "the historically minded," due to its traditional, colonial feel downtown. Lots of historical buildings, old style haciendas, and the like. It's a beautiful city, and I'm hoping we can go back to visit sometime!
Street vendor preparing tacos (al pastor, if I'm not mistaken)
View of the square
Random street shot
Cathedral on the main square downtown
Church in Cholula, just outside of Puebla (and yes, that's the place that the sauce comes from, for all you South Texas people)
Inside the church
Ixtacihuatl, an extinct volcano close to Puebla
Popocatepetl, Puebla's most famous mountain (try to say it out loud... Yeah, it's okay, I can't do it either)
This next picture was taken from the bus on our way back to Mexico City from Puebla. We kept seeing all these people walking on the street with pictures hanging on their backs. I had asked my husband what they were doing, and he explained that they were on pilgrimage. Some of these people had been traveling for days, many on foot, to celebrate the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City. According to the legend, Mary, the mother of Jesus, appeared to an indigenous Indian man, and she was dressed as a Indian woman and Indian facial features. This, in turn, led to the voluntary conversion of a great number of the indigenous Mexican people.
If you ever make a trip down to Mexico - I mean real Mexico, not border towns or high school party cities - I highly recommend visiting Puebla, and perhaps you can make your way over to Veracruz while you're there. It's only a four hour drive by car, and it's one of my hubby's favorite places to visit when he's there.
What are some of your favorite places that you've visited, either in the USA or outside the country?
Puebla is located southeast of Mexico City, and is a popular tourist destination for Mexicans and what my hubby calls "the historically minded," due to its traditional, colonial feel downtown. Lots of historical buildings, old style haciendas, and the like. It's a beautiful city, and I'm hoping we can go back to visit sometime!
Street vendor preparing tacos (al pastor, if I'm not mistaken)
View of the square
Random street shot
Cathedral on the main square downtown
Church in Cholula, just outside of Puebla (and yes, that's the place that the sauce comes from, for all you South Texas people)
Inside the church
Ixtacihuatl, an extinct volcano close to Puebla
Popocatepetl, Puebla's most famous mountain (try to say it out loud... Yeah, it's okay, I can't do it either)
This next picture was taken from the bus on our way back to Mexico City from Puebla. We kept seeing all these people walking on the street with pictures hanging on their backs. I had asked my husband what they were doing, and he explained that they were on pilgrimage. Some of these people had been traveling for days, many on foot, to celebrate the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City. According to the legend, Mary, the mother of Jesus, appeared to an indigenous Indian man, and she was dressed as a Indian woman and Indian facial features. This, in turn, led to the voluntary conversion of a great number of the indigenous Mexican people.If you ever make a trip down to Mexico - I mean real Mexico, not border towns or high school party cities - I highly recommend visiting Puebla, and perhaps you can make your way over to Veracruz while you're there. It's only a four hour drive by car, and it's one of my hubby's favorite places to visit when he's there.
What are some of your favorite places that you've visited, either in the USA or outside the country?
Monday, November 9, 2009
I (heart) soup
One of the reasons I like fall is the change in menu. Cool, refreshing fruits and light salads make way for hearty stews and soups, served with homemade dinner rolls or biscuits. No wonder we all gain weight during the winter!!
This is one of my favorite winter soups, courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens. Three reasons I like it:
1. It has six ingredients (seven, if you want to use molasses)
2. It's fast
3. I love pasta, but I get tired of eating ravioli with sauce. Putting it in a soup makes things a bit more interesting.
* 2 lbs butternut squash
* 2 14-1/2-ounce cans vegetable broth
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 tablespoon butter or heavy cream
* 1 9-ounce package refrigerated cheese ravioli (or tortellini)
* 1 tablespoon molasses (optional)
Directions
1. Peel squash. Halve lengthwise. Remove seeds and discard. Cut squash into 3/4-inch pieces.
2. In a large saucepan, combine squash, broth, water, and cayenne pepper. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 20 minutes or until squash is tender.
3. Transfer one-fourth of the squash-and-broth mixture to a blender container. Carefully blend, covered, until smooth. Repeat until all of the mixture is blended. (Or, you can use a hand blender. Just be careful not to splash yourself. Ouch!)
4. Return blended mixture to large saucepan. Bring just to boiling. Immediately reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add the butter or cream, stirring until just melted.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the ravioli according to package directions. Drain. Ladle hot squash mixture into bowls. Divide cooked ravioli among bowls. If desired, drizzle with molasses. Serves about four people (unless you're feeding college-aged boys, in which case, you might want to double the recipe!!!).
What are some of your fall food favorites?
This is one of my favorite winter soups, courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens. Three reasons I like it:
1. It has six ingredients (seven, if you want to use molasses)
2. It's fast
3. I love pasta, but I get tired of eating ravioli with sauce. Putting it in a soup makes things a bit more interesting.
* 2 lbs butternut squash
* 2 14-1/2-ounce cans vegetable broth
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 tablespoon butter or heavy cream
* 1 9-ounce package refrigerated cheese ravioli (or tortellini)
* 1 tablespoon molasses (optional)
Directions
1. Peel squash. Halve lengthwise. Remove seeds and discard. Cut squash into 3/4-inch pieces.
2. In a large saucepan, combine squash, broth, water, and cayenne pepper. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 20 minutes or until squash is tender.
3. Transfer one-fourth of the squash-and-broth mixture to a blender container. Carefully blend, covered, until smooth. Repeat until all of the mixture is blended. (Or, you can use a hand blender. Just be careful not to splash yourself. Ouch!)
4. Return blended mixture to large saucepan. Bring just to boiling. Immediately reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add the butter or cream, stirring until just melted.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the ravioli according to package directions. Drain. Ladle hot squash mixture into bowls. Divide cooked ravioli among bowls. If desired, drizzle with molasses. Serves about four people (unless you're feeding college-aged boys, in which case, you might want to double the recipe!!!).
What are some of your fall food favorites?
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