Mar Vista Mom

Go Green Or Go Home!

 

Well, I guess I'll go Green, then. To the Go Green Expo, that is. It starts this Friday, January 23rd, downtown at the LA convention center. And guess who's speaking at the keynote? Ed Begley, Jr. OMG.

But I digress. 

The point is that Mar Vista has some very green folks, and a few of them are trying to get a solar situation going here in our neighborhood, so I am heading to downtown this weekend to see what the state of the art is all about these days. You can read more about the neighborhood plans here in Open Mar Vista.

I'll have a wrap-up for you next week, so stay tuned...

Milestone!!

I am watching history happen with my friends around me and I am thrilled beyond belief! I raise a glass to America! The good stuff, too!! Proud to be an American is not something I have always felt or said out loud, but I say it today.

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH......

That's the sound of relaxing, the sound that comes after the screaming and yelling and rejoicing for the victory of Barak Obama, which I spent the evening doing.

Now I am excited for the future! And ready to get some rest!!

Free Stuff

When you vote tomorrow, as you ALL SHOULD BE DOING, take your "I have voted" stickers and march yourself over to Starbucks, where they will reward you with a lovely FREE coffee beverage.

And then, after dinner, from 5 - 8pm, Ben and Jerry's will give you a beautiful free scoop of ice cream. 

Now don't you think, if it's important enough to these companies to give away free product JUST BECAUSE YOU VOTED, that you should go ahead and vote? And then go and get the free product? Of course you should.

Day Of The Dead

Dia de Los Muertos is a Mexican celebration that we have adopted since our kids started attending a Spanish Immersion school. It's a day of remembrance of family members who've passed away. So I'm taking the opportunity to honor my mother and father.

Mary Ethel Craft Auerswald, known as Ethel, born July 29, 1922, died February 5th, 1979 of complications due to breast cancer. She'd been an actress in New York in the 50's and then became a housewife and mom. She taught me to sew and to cook. I was 16 when she died, so the truth is I never knew her as an adult woman knows her mom. She didn't like having her picture taken, so I don't have that many. This one was from her acting days.

Edgar Henry Auerswald, known to the world as Dick, was born December 27, 1925 and died October 23, 1997 of liver cancer. He was a psychiatrist and worked as a family therapist in New York City and Maui. When he retired he moved to San Francisco where he got to spend his time writing, which was one of his great loves and great gifts. Retirement afforded him the time to drink lots of good wine and eat lots of cheese, of which he was inordinately fond. He taught me about learning and wonder, and he had a great sense of humor. I got to know him longer than my mom, but it was still not long enough.

Here we are on the day they brought me home from the adoption agency.

I miss them both all the time, and I have a deep sadness that they won't know my children. And that my children won't know them.

Mar Vista Mom Gets in Costume!

Here I am, ready for trick or treating with my fake tattoos and fake nose ring.  

Donors Choose Bloggers' Challenge Final Days!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is it! Final call! The Fat Lady will sing on Friday night for the October Donors Choose Bloggers' Challenge, so now is the time to whip out your credit cards and offer up a donation to a worthy cause, oh and ps, win some extra brownie points for our Los Angeles Moms Blog.

See, every time you donate through our widget, we move up the ladder a bit, a teensy bit closer to the top, a teensy bit closer to being able to claim the title of "Most Awesome Fund-raisers Through Use Of A Blog", which is a title we have been coveting.

No, no money comes to us, the bloggers. It all goes to the classrooms you choose (hence the name, Donors Choose, see? You're the donor -- and you choose. It's so beautiful that way.) 

And these classrooms are really in need! One needs storage room because they don't have proper desks, and many of them need books.  It's just a crying shame that this is the state of public education funding in America today. But we can't waste time feeling badly about it, we need to act! We need to fund these projects!

I urge you to give what you can afford. I urge you to help the LA Moms Blog win the most brownie points. And I gotta tell you -- there are a couple of great projects right here that aren't listed in our widget -- SO WE WON'T EVEN GET CREDIT FOR THEM -- and yet, I still want you to consider funding them. A few dollars can make a difference: The difference between getting books or not; the difference between getting a good education and getting a great one. 

One class has a proposal for a dvd/vcr (for educational purposes, of course!),  another has a need for markers (MARKERS, for' God's sake, somebody help get them markers!), and the same class wants pedometers to get the kids walking and getting healthier -- can anyone argue with this?

So please, people! Help our LA Moms get brownie points -- I mean, please help fund these worthy programs in classrooms right here in Los Angeles. And thank you!

Going, Going, Not Gone Yet

I'm selling off my towel inventory! It's all got to go! Prices are SLASHED, people! Check it out at my etsy shop.

Look at the towels -- so cute, so perfect for babies and toddlers. SO gotta go outta my house.

And for those of you who didn't even know I HAD an etsy shop, what a lovely surprise for you! 

Loads more colors available, just check out my etsy shop here. Thanks!

(Yes there was a previous incarnation of Mar Vista Mom, and she could sew!)

Halloween Costumes 2008: Day One

We are really into Halloween around here (see previous post), and that includes costumes. We were invited to a costume/birthday party last night, and since we can't repeat costumes -- are you kidding? -- we will be wearing something different come Friday night. But here's us making our entrance at the soiree last night:

I'm dressed as Spider Mom, in case you can't tell. Here's a close up of the wig:

(Not my real hair. No spiders were harmed in the making of the costume: all plastic and hot glue.)

More costume pix to come on Friday and Saturday next week!

Halloween Is Big At My House

The men folk got the yard all decorated over the weekend, although I wouldn't put it past them to add more over the next 10 days. It's pretty impressive, I must say.