Hiatus

Well, I'm back after a 3 year hiatus.

For those of you following along I've left the corporate machine, adopted two children, moved out of the city to the lake, discovered my kids have significant emotional disturbances due to early trauma, learned a whole new parenting style to help them adjust and have hopeful futures, started a camp, film, book and list of programs to support, mentor and advocate for other adoptive Moms who realize (post adopt) their children have complex post traumatic stress disorder.

So those are the cliff notes – the good news is my marriage has survived it, my husband and kids are amazing and believe it or not I want to adopt again...

here are some photos of my two scrappy little seraphs.

Infertile Irony

I recently accepted the role of board president for RESOLVE of Houston and I am loving it.

RESOLVE is a "support group" for families with infertility issues. I've gained much wisdom from being a part of the organization already - and it's been a very short period of time.

Being President is tons of work and takes a lot time that I really don't have, but it's a great resource and it makes me feel really great to be able to help others going through the same infertility woes we're going through. I just love this group because it's less about group hugs and misery and more about pro -activity and solutions.

Last night was our first educational meeting for 2005. The topics were "Affording Fertility" and "The Mind Body Connection". There were speakers for both topics and each brought literature and "swag" related to their specific topic. It was quite informative and really interesting.

My first official meeting as president went off without a hitch... except when my husband called my cell phone in the middle of a deep, visually guided meditation...

"whatda ya gonna do?"

...since that was our only glitch - I was very happy.

As we were packing up for the evening I grabbed a handful of the giveaway pens that one of the speakers brought for our members. Since "marketing and promotions" is my bag, I always check out logo's on tote bags, t-shirts and pens in this case.

My heart sank and then I was overcome with laughter when I saw the logo for a contraceptive drug on the pens we had been using at our INFERTILITY support group!

It's the inappropriate equivalent to passing out combs and brushes at a Rogaine support group.

Something tells me the branding opportunity was lost on our crowd :-)

Go Figure.....

Leading the charts at number one...

PRIDE

Well, tonight we had our last PRIDE class. For those of you who don't know - they're CPS adoption prep classes and they have been draining, tragic, empowering, enlightening and just down right amazing. We don't know what we will end up doing - but I am so thankful and grateful we participated in this program! I feel like we are better people and will be better parents because of them.

Hate Nation

I woke up this morning and checked the radio trades like I usually do and I suddenly realized that I need to change my routine.

The first story I see boasts Glenn Beck’s clever stunt inviting listeners to chip in to buy Robert Redford a plane ticket to Dublin after he apparently vowed to move there if Bush was re-elected.

Oh so funny Glenn, you really told him…

I understand all too well that Glenn and his show are about entertainment and shock factor, controlled messages and ratings…..blah, blah, blah….it’s just so sad to me to see my parents concerns and fears about the direction of our country so poignantly illustrated first thing in the morning.

It shakes me to the core that we are becoming a nation of hate and bullies. You would think that in the year 2004 we would be free-er from hate than in the past but that doesn’t seem to be the case does it?

Okay – so Robert Redford doesn’t want to live here if Bush is going to be leader. My Dad says we have become a country in which it is no longer okay to express our feelings and positions on political matters without being charged with sedition and anti-patriotism. When did this happen and how?

In his clever radio stunt, Glenn Beck goes on to sarcastically suggest that Redford doesn’t support our troops because of his position – how ridiculous…I have to confess I have considered moving out of the country because of the results of this election (among other things) and it has nothing to do with our troops.

But I think my biggest issue with the whole thing is the ridiculing, bullying, hate filled method in which Beck, Limbaugh and others convey their positions and messages to those who think differently from them.

What’s that all about?

Psychologists say that all hate is rooted in fear... so what exactly are Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the bullying right-wingers out there afraid of? Exactly what threat do Robert Redford and his little film festival raise to any of us?

Perhaps some answers can be found in this article I ran across when I searched psychologists, fear and hate –

Please note: I did not search by political criteria at all and this was the first thing that came up.

Decision 2004 - Four More FREAKIN' Years

I can't seem to make myself take the Kerry sign out of my front yard...I'm bummed and Canada is looking really good right about now.

ANYWAY DAY WITH RENEE

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.

If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies; Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.

Associated with Mother Teresa, adapted from The Paradoxical Commandments by Kent Keith (1968)