No power this morning? We're so lucky!

I was originally going to write today about our experience of having the power shut off (a rarity) this morning as there was some needed maintenance performed on the power lines in our neighborhood.  I thought of the many ways this could be a positive experience, especially for my oldest -- who was quite tearful when the power was cut during the middle of her VeggieTales show.  I reflected on the numerous things we could do that didn't require power, and was thankful to have a forced opportunity to teach gratitude in the blessings we do have.  I was going to write about all these things, right after I checked my e-mail.  And then I checked my e-mail.

I subscribe to a weekly newsletter from an organization called Population Research Institute and happened to receive their latest today, after my power flicked back on.  After reading today's post, I decided that my measly little sacrifice of 4 hours without power paled in comparison to the sufferings of people halfway around the world.  For those who don't know, there are atrocities such as forced abortions, forced sterilizations, and human trafficking that occurs in China as a result of its very strict "One Child Only" policy.  Unfortunately, certain organizations find the "battle against overpopulation" to be ideally modeled by the Chinese (communist) government's atrocious policies and coercive enforcement methods.

I find it interesting, too, that there was a recent post by fave blogger Jennifer Fulwiler (who also blogs here) that took a lighthearted look at the subject of "overpopulation."  (For an enlightening, and at times entertaining, snapshot at other people's views on the subject, be sure to read the 200+ comments on that post.)  Personally, I get blown away every time someone suggests that the answer to the problems supposedly caused by overpopulation is to decrease the population.  These problems, of course, usually occur in very poor parts of the world, where the governments of wealthy countries haven't seen a good enough reason (i.e., enough important resources) to send meaningful aid.  Difficulties such as lack of good food, clean water, appropriate medicine, and suitable clothing and shelter are all problems that could merely be solved if "all these poor people would just stop having so many babies."  And so, entities such as the U.N., W.H.O., and Planned Parenthood (among others) decide to swoop in with the "benevolent" intention of lowering the birth rate by handing out all manner of contraception.  (The logical conclusion, of course, is where China currently sits.)

What always puzzles me, though, is that I have yet to receive an answer from an "overpopulationist" that can explain to me how it is better to tell people in impoverished conditions that it is better for them to accept articial birth control (and therefore fewer children) than to accept clean water and adequate food (which is, by the way, cheaper and causes less waste and environmental pollution).

But I digress... from a practical standpoint, I would like to take the money we saved from not using any power today for 4 hours and send it to some family in need, though I'm not exactly sure how.  (I really don't have a clue on how to quantify how much the electricity we didn't use would have cost us.)  If any of you have some insight, let me know.  If I can figure it out, I'll update my post.  In the meantime, I will look with gratitude upon my three children (especially the one I can't yet see) and upon all the resources I so easily take for granted.

This Kitchen's a Mess! (but so is everything else...)

I spent all day yesterday cleaning my kitchen.  I mean *all* day.  Now, you might ask yourself, "Was her kitchen really that dirty?  Does she have a really large kitchen?  Was there some kind of food explosion that necessitated scrubbing down cabinets?  Was she expecting some VIP for company?  Did she get lost in the Tupperware drawer?"

To put it simply... no.  And the sad part is that I didn't even really finish (really finish!) the job.

Perhaps you can relate... If you're like me, you have an area in your house (or, in my case, several) that are undesignated "dumping grounds."   As in, "Well, this bit of mail can wait a few days, so I'll just add it to the stack of loose change, lost buttons, broken toys, children's vitamins, and partially-eaten baggies of kiddo snacks for later."  And, of course, these are *sacred grounds* in that they can't be touched! until you've had a chance to actually sort through it all, lest you accidentally drop the phone bill in the garbage.  (oops.)   So, of course, the stack grows to a pile... which grows to a mound... which eventually overtakes every square inch of the lovely new countertops you *swore* would be kept in "pristine condition" once you actually acquired them.

Until one day, you walk into the kitchen (or, *ahem*, whatever room stores your particular dumping ground) and have realized that the kitchen is unrecognizable as a kitchen and could, instead, be declared a "state of emergency" in the aftermath of a Category 5 tornado.

Now, to be fair, we do have a 2-foot-tall tornado that lives in this house and that varies between categories 1-5 on a regular basis.  (And he isn't confined to the kitchen, either.)  And, yes, chasing young 'uns all day, especially while pregnant, is exhausting to the point where one could really use a glass of wine (or 12) by 8 p.m. but passes out on the couch instead.  (Can't really have the alcohol now, anyway ... a post for a different day!)  However, I really can't use that as an excuse to justify the state of my kitchen.  Instead, I have to acknowledge that I do allow the clutter monster to move about my house without restriction and that I really only do something about it when sufficiently motivated.

Like, needing space to prepare dinner.

So that was my goal for yesterday: to get the kitchen in shape, and to be able to actually see (and use!) the glorious counters that we had worked so hard to obtain in the first place.  Luckily, the nesting instinct runs strong in my blood and the energy to carry out such a massive undertaking was boosted by a lift from the 2nd trimester energy gnomes and a small cup of coffee.

My plan of attack was simple.  I would clear off each section of counter space, wipe it down, and reorganize it, placing everything that didn't actually belong in the kitchen into some sort of recepticle for later distribution.  Ahh, what a glorious feeling to clear the dust and see the beauty of solid surfaces that I knew lingered underneath the clutter!  It only took 8 hours... after several interruptions from the 2-foot-tall tornado and his 4-foot-tall sidekick, both of whom, you know, actually need attending to for things like eating, toileting, sleeping, and entertaining.

In the end, the kitchen looked and *felt* as refreshing as the warm breezes wafting through the open windows on a lovely, warm, spring day.  Of course, the sink didn't get bleached.  And the banana muffins didn't made.  And the floors remind me more of a sandy beach (emphasis *sand*) than the lovely hardwoods they are.  Now, finally, I could cook dinner: leftovers!

As for that recepticle for later distribution... it's a laundry basket overflowing that has been placed in another room, blending in nicely with the other mountains of "things-I'll-get-to-later."  But at least I can close the door!