Non-gluttony

Last year I went to an event that made me feel awful.  It made me realize that no matter who guilts me into it, I must not attend functions if they are against my principles.  So, I skipped it this year.  And I felt so much better for it.   Because this year, on the way down to DC for Foto Week, I was not still in shock from the sight of people gorging themselves on food and throwing away half of it.  Instead, I basked in the glow of someone who did the right thing.

Foto Week was the best one I have attended - and I have gone to all five.  The exhibits have started to cover more of a variety of topics, not just documentary, photojournalist stuff.  There was eve a smattering of silver gelatin prints!  Hot damn!  I also love the inclusion of the Indie Photozine Library.  I could have sat in that room all day, but, all the other photos beckoned.  There is something about DC that I love so much.  I really wish I could live there.  It is so hard to move.  Hubby and I were never out of work at the same time and that would have made it ideal for changing locales.

With the holidays coming, I am trying to get all the work out of the way to just allow myself time to enjoy and relax.  I decorated the house today - always fun for me.  I have things I want to make to decorate more and i am trying to make sure i keep everything in an up mood.  So many people get so grouchy because of what they think they "have" to do.  Forget that.  I may not be there at the big box stores on Black Friday, I may not be buying the right gifts, but at least I am thinking of things to give that mean something and dammit, I am having fun!  I have a ton of burned out outdoor bulbs that I want to make into outdoor decorations to hang on the bushes.  I want to make wrapping paper decorations form old cards again.  I also want to make some traditional Hungarian pastries this year.  I went to the trouble to get the name of a shop from a co-worker and dad and mom never even went.  Screw that.  I will go, get the ingredients and do it myself.  I also want to go to the American Hungarian museum in New Brunswick when the Festival of Trees opens in two weeks.  Let's see if dad goes for that.  He's so blase about all this heritage stuff.  But I keep trying...

The election is today.  I cannot say any more than that because teachers in NJ are not permitted to discuss their political beliefs with current students.

If you are 18, you should have registered and you should vote.

Luddite

People make fun of me for living like a Luddite - no cable, save electricity, garden, compost, use rain barrels...  However, I think I was the only one not having a heart attack about the loss of electronics during this hurricane.  We lost power twice and the only thing that bothered me was that without heat, we couldn't be the warm house to go to.

This was an incredibly bad storm.  We slept in the living room and closed all the bedroom doors for fear that the windows would blow out.  But nearly a week later, we are a part of the small group with power.  We lost a whole week of school.  Things are really bad.

I am bringing hot chocolate powder and tea bags to offer hot drinks to kids who still have no power.  There is gasoline rationing.  And my local leadership dropped the ball on this one.  Completely.

Such a range of emotions this past week regarding feeling bad for some people and very angry with others.

At least we have Millie to keep things up!