Watching futbol with CC
CC and I adopt a different mantra for each soccer game we go to. We sit with our friend Ish, who generally keeps quiet, huddled on a folded-over blanket to keep our butts from freezing to the aluminum bleachers.
She favors “It’s all psychological,” and I like “It all comes down to the midfield.” Of course neither of us know what we are talking about but we like to pretend, so it is good to have something to fake-opine about.
Tonight we noticed that the other team’s coach was yelling at one of his players, Beto, a lot, so we took up his cause and started yelling “Go, Beto, go!” or “BETOOOOOOOOOO.” Somebody has to look out for the little guy, even if he isn’t on your team.
At one point, a Black player was slightly injured and came to the sideline near us to have a trainer look at his leg. He pulled down his sock and shinguard and turned his foot out, giving us a perfect look at his beautiful, muscled young body from ankle to thigh.
It was so perfect. It looked like God had reached down into the stuff of creation and had sculpted the leg that all legs should be based on. Every muscle stood out in perfect relief under that perfect dark brown skin.
CC and I both let out an involuntary groan and I gasped “Wow.”
“That,” she said, “Does not leave much to the imagination.” Little beads of sweat popped out on our ladylike brows.
Should two 50-something spinsters be regarding a gorgeous young man with such unrestrained admiration? Oh, hell, let’s just say it – with lust – ? I don’t know. But I do know I couldn’t help it. I was like a hyena staring at the little gazelle.
Late in the game, our team put in a very tall, very very white player, whom CC immediately started calling “Guero.” So for the rest of the game, we yelled mainly for Guero, (in the white) who CC accused of being lazy and not wanting the ball enough.
In the end, it was a 1-1 tie. We came home with our throats sore and our butts cold, but a good time was had by all. I love that beautiful game.
Two amazing women at Evo
I love Jenny! (NSFW – language)
Mee Rah Koh on adventure
Eat Your Veggies: An Interview with an Expert (my mom)
Thanks to SUBWAY® restaurants for sponsoring my post about summer fun with my kids. Check out the Kids Eat Free program at any LA area location! Just purchase any two subs, two sides and two drinks, and you can get a kid’s meal FREE!
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Caveat: despite the above intro, I do not actually have children. But I grew up eating vegetables. Lots and lots of vegetables. So I decided to ask an expert, my mom, how she got all of us 5 kids to grow up to eat our veggies.
Suebob: What were your secrets for getting us to love vegetables?
Mom: Well, everyone didn’t always like vegetables. I got a face full of peas a couple times. (Mimes a toddler blowing out a mouthful of food). Ick.
Suebob: Yeah, there were always things some of us didn’t like…
Mom: Like Laura and her sweet potatoes.
Suebob: Oh, yeah, I remember.
Mom: (this is a story I have heard approximately 1000 times) I TOLD the school she would not eat sweet potatoes and that they should not try to give them to her. But that teacher made her eat them. And you know what she did? She threw up right there at the lunch table. Well, they didn’t listen, so that’s what happens.
Suebob: But we did eat a lot of vegetables.
Mom: We couldn’t always afford meat. So we had to do something else. We had cheese, we had macaroni, we had vegetables. It was only later that we got to have meat all the time.
(She fails to mention that, because we lived by the ocean, other diet staples were California lobsters, abalone and scallops. Dad had a rowboat and lobster traps and friends who SCUBAed. So it could have been worse).
Suebob: But we always had veggies.
Mom: Yes, Dad and I grew up eating them. So we just always put them on the table and we liked them.
Suebob: I remember eating asparagus and artichokes from the time I was very little. I had lunch the other day with a friend who is 40 and who had never eaten an artichoke.
Mom: Imagine that! But those were treats! They were kind of expensive, so they were for special occasions.
Suebob: Yes, you always made a big deal out of them. Maybe that’s why I liked them so much. To this day, I’d rather eat asparagus than ice cream.
Mom: You were always a little strange that way. You would never eat a hamburger, either. You’d rather eat nothing than a hamburger.
Suebob: That is still the case. (I have been a vegetarian since 1986).
Mom: But we offered a lot of different kinds of veggies made different ways. Sometimes just raw and sliced up, sometimes sauteed or steamed. Back when I used to boil the heck out of things but I realized that isn’t good for the flavor or for the vitamins, so I was happy to find that bamboo Chinese steamer basket.
Suebob: Did we always have a big garden?
Mom: You know your dad. He loved to fool around growing things.
Suebob: The first thing he did when you bought a house was to plant a giant garden.
Mom: That was the best time. We loved being out there with all those plants and fruit trees, picking our own strawberries and watermelons.
Suebob: So what would your advice be to parents who want their kids to grow up eating vegetables and fruits?
Mom: You have to have them there on the table, every day. They have to see you eating them. Eat together so you can talk and enjoy the company. This eating in front of the TV is terrible.
Suebob: Anything else?
Mom: Yes. Learn to cook. It’s not so hard to peel a vegetable and to cook it, but people act like if it doesn’t come from a package, they don’t know what to do. They’ll eat all this junk but complain because vegetables are too expensive. Well, potato chips are $4 a bag. You save a lot of money if you just learn five or ten meals you know how to cook and can do over and over. I’m not a good cook. I never was, but nobody ever starved.
Suebob: And we all grew up eating lots of fruits and vegetables.
Mom: Thank goodness for that.
Curried Pea Soup
I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
We have a winner!
I had a hard time choosing between all of the three entrants in my birthday quiz contest. Stacy had the most right answers, knowing me since our college days. But Dave got special creativity points for my weight on my driver’s license (78 FLARRGS) and my least favorite floral scent (Carrion flower! That would definitely be in my bottom 3), but the randomizer (3 pieces of balled-up paper) chose Deb on the Rocks.
So Deb, hit me with your favorite charity out of the 49 on my list (I have an idea of what it will be) and your address, and I’ll send these iTunes cards off to you).
Edited to give the answers, since Deb requested them:
1. What floral scent do I hate? Lavender. Don’t know why. It makes me feel ill.
2. What vegetable would be served at Suebob’s last meal? Artichoke!
3. If I could have tickets to any event, what would it be? WORLD CUP
4. My favorite color? Indigo. No, sky blue. No, pink. Green. Arg.
5. How much does it say I weigh on my driver’s license? I do not remember and I’m not going to look.
6. What breed of dog do I call Goldie most often? (her nickname) Poodle!
7. Favorite san serif font that will out me as hopelessly stuck in the 1980s? Optima. Stacy nailed it.
8. Favorite cellist? Yo-Yo Ma. It’s fun to say, and he can play the hell out of that thing.
9. Where am I going on my next train trip? I thought it was San Diego but I drove. Maybe still San Diego.
10. How old is Goldie? I thought 15 but the vet says maybe 12. Yay for youth.
50 for 50 Day 50: Thanks! and a quiz
Where I want to sit and work on my novel. Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Ok, so here we are. Day 50 of this crazy journey, and my 50th birthday. Who knew I’d get to be a half-century old and still feel like myself? Weird, it is.
Who knew I’d be able to write 50 posts in a row on a schedule? Not me! I mean, it isn’t exactly climbing Everest, but it just isn’t something I have attempted or wanted to attempt before.
People kept asking me about what I was going to do for my 50th post. Ok, maybe 3 people asked. It may come as a surprise to you (especially if you don’t know me well) that I didn’t really have a Plan For That. Foresight is not my strongest point (but on the other hand, I’m generally excellent at living in the moment!)
The other day, my friend Laurie from Laurie Writes asked me which charity I would choose for her “friend” to donate to. Being as dense as a 1970s vegetarian nutloaf, I asked what issues her friend was into, at which point she admitted she was planning a donation for my birthday. D’oh!
I had to go back and look at the list of 49 charities. It was daunting. The list looked longer than I had imagined it would. So many needs – how to pick just one? What is most important?
I finally took a deep breath and picked WriteGirl, a writing mentorship program for young women.
It doesn’t address the most pressing needs (I’d argue water and food come first) or the people in the world who are worst off. It doesn’t solve a tangible problem.
But I have been in the room with the mentors and girls as we all worked on our writing together, and I can say this: it brings magic into the world. It provides the writers involved – both the girls AND the mentors – with a bright clear path to better, braver writing, more joy and a world where possibilities sparkle and shine.
Hyperbole? No, I don’t think so. Something amazing happens when 140 women and girls get together and work hard on writing and cheer for one another. It is a banquet for the soul, and I wish every writer could have the experience. (I wrote a post about it a while back, when I could go to workshops, before I moved too far away).
The girls who go through WriteGirl are all bright, but they aren’t necessarily the girls who are headed to college before they become mentees. They attend some of the largest, toughest, most overcrowded urban Los Angeles high schools. So far, every girl who has gone through the program has gone to college.
WriteGirl introduces them to the idea that their words can influence people, make them a living, and bring them joy. And in return, the girls remind the mentors of what it was like to be young women writers whose talent hadn’t been smooshed down by editors and deadlines and paychecks – writers for whom the page is a playground of possibility. This is a priceless exchange.
Oh, and another thing? Every year, the program produces a book with writing in it by all of the girls and most of the mentors, so each girl leaves the program a published writer. Cool!
So…if you want to help the world, donate to any of the charities on my list, or any other charity you know is doing good work. But if you want me to pick one for you to honor my 50th birthday, I vote for WriteGirl.
A big thanks for playing along for the past weeks. I’m amazed that anyone would keep reading, and I appreciate those who did. My blog readers are the cherry on the sundae of my life. I’m grateful for each of you.
OK – now for a quiz. The winner gets to designate which of the 49 charities they’d like $50 donated to. AND $30 in iTunes gift cards. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn at random. And since these are random questions, extra points are given for creativity. Hey, it’s my contest.
Random Crap About Suebob: 10 Questions. I don’t think you can look these up anywhere, so wild guesses will suffice.
1. What floral scent do I hate? (not Patchouli. I don’t think Patchouli is even a flower. I think it is the smell of Satan’s toejam).
2. What vegetable would be served at Suebob’s last meal?
3. If I could have tickets to any event, what would it be?
4. My favorite color?
5. How much does it say I weigh on my driver’s license?
6. What breed of dog do I call Goldie most often? (her nickname)
7. Favorite san serif font that will out me as hopelessly stuck in the 1980s?
8. Favorite cellist?
9. Where am I going on my next train trip?
10. How old is Goldie?
50 for 50 Day 49: International Princess Project
It’s my 50th Birthday Celebration, Day 49. Here’s what this is all about, for the 49th time: because I feel so lucky and have pretty much everything I could ever need, I am asking people to get involved with charities, if they are so inspired, in lieu of any fabulous birthday presents you were planning on sending me (or not).
I am featuring a different charity every day for 50 days leading up to my 50th birthday to give you plenty of chances to get involved. I started on May 18. I wanted to give a voice to different good works around the globe. If you ARE inspired to take action, please leave me a comment and let me know that you did. This is all I want for my birthday – to spread some love and kindness. One thousand thanks.
As a human, there are few worse things I can think of than being enslaved. As a woman, the idea of being enslaved as a prostitute is even worse. The International Princess Project is an organization I found out about from the lovely Kristin Howerton of Rage Against the Minivan.
This organization not only seeks to end sex slavery, but they empower the women who have been exploited by teaching them a valuable trade that will help them live lives of freedom and dignity.
From their website:
International Princess™ Project currently implements two initiatives working towards the vision of restoring hope and dignity to women formerly enslaved in prostitution. The PUNJAMMIES™ initiative creates a self-sustaining enterprise which provides needed jobs for women and the resources for their healing and restoration. The Advocacy initiative raises awareness in the United States of the problem of prostitution and human trafficking around the world and helps mobilize people to take action.
Donate here. Or buy some gorgeous Punjammies here. (Quick there is a sale today!)
Previously featured organizations:
National Parks Foundation
Paradigm Project
ONE
Lupus Foundation of America
Scholarship America
Media Matters for America
Boys and Girls Club
Your Local Food Bank
Girls for a Change
Operation Smile
Wheels for Humanity
National Security Archive
Books for Africa
Seed Savers Exchange
MAP International
The Fresh Air Fund
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Arghand
Impact Personal Safety
Kristin Brooks Hope Center
Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund
Light Up the World Foundation
Planned Parenthood
Doctors Without Borders
Heifer International
Team Rubicon
Kiva
The Carter Center
Bikes Not Bombs
Friends of Maddie
ProPublica
Surfrider Foundation
Livestrong
United Through Reading
Operation Shower
The Liz Logelin Foundation
KidSave
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Kids Vs Global Warming
Help a Mother Out
Direct Relief International
WriteGirl
Accelerated Cure for Multiple Sclerosis
Women for Women
Epic Change
Amnesty International
50 for 50 Day 48: National Park Foundation
Yosemite National Park
It’s my 50th Birthday Celebration, Day 48. What is this? Well, because I feel so lucky and have pretty much everything I could ever need, I am asking people to get involved with charities, if they are so inspired, in lieu of any fabulous birthday presents you were planning on sending me (or not).
I am featuring a different charity every day for 50 days leading up to my 50th birthday to give you plenty of chances to get involved. I started on May 18. I wanted to give a voice to different good works around the globe. If you ARE inspired to take action, please leave me a comment and let me know that you did. This is all I want for my birthday – to spread some love and kindness. One thousand thanks.
Happy Fourth of July! Today’s organization benefits what documentarian Ken Burns calls “America’s Best Idea” – our national parks. The National Park Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports our great national parks. Why do we need a charitable organization to do something our tax dollars are supposed to do? Because you know how it is – there is plenty of tax money for bombers literally worth their weight in gold, but little to support our natural heritage that is enjoyed by millions of people every year (ok, end of political rant).
400 national parks cover and preserve 84 million acres for future generations and are some of the most beautiful places in the United States. I’m not sure how many I have been to…Yosemite, Yellowstone, Zion, Grand Canyon, Kings Canyon, Crater Lake, Lava Beds, Lassen, many of the national monuments in DC, Bryce Canyon, Devil’s Postpile, the Presidio, Golden Gate, the Grand Tetons, Illinois & Michigan Canal, Joshua Tree, Pinnacles, San Francisco Maritime Historical Park…I have a long way to go!
I know that some of the most breathtaking spots I have been to have been in national parks. It is hard to have a bad day in Yosemite or out on the Channel Islands. Our country’s history and natural beauty are preserved and protected in these places.
Donation page here. You can also make your vacation more meaningful by volunteering in a national park!
San Miguel Island, Channel Islands National Park
The Washington Monument and National Mall
Yosemite Valley
I started early (that’s me in the diaper). I believe this is Kings Canyon.
Previously featured organizations:
Paradigm Project
ONE
Lupus Foundation of America
Scholarship America
Media Matters for America
Boys and Girls Club
Your Local Food Bank
Girls for a Change
Operation Smile
Wheels for Humanity
National Security Archive
Books for Africa
Seed Savers Exchange
MAP International
The Fresh Air Fund
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Arghand
Impact Personal Safety
Kristin Brooks Hope Center
Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund
Light Up the World Foundation
Planned Parenthood
Doctors Without Borders
Heifer International
Team Rubicon
Kiva
The Carter Center
Bikes Not Bombs
Friends of Maddie
ProPublica
Surfrider Foundation
Livestrong
United Through Reading
Operation Shower
The Liz Logelin Foundation
KidSave
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Kids Vs Global Warming
Help a Mother Out
Direct Relief International
WriteGirl
Accelerated Cure for Multiple Sclerosis
Women for Women
Epic Change
Amnesty International
50 for 50 Day 47: Paradigm Project
It’s my 50th Birthday Celebration, Day 47. I had this bright birthday idea – because I feel so lucky and have pretty much everything I could ever need, I am asking people to get involved with charities, if they are so inspired, in lieu of any fabulous birthday presents you were planning on sending me (or not).
I am featuring a different charity every day for 50 days leading up to my 50th birthday to give you plenty of chances to get involved. I started on May 18. I wanted to give a voice to different good works around the globe. If you ARE inspired to take action, please leave me a comment and let me know that you did. This is all I want for my birthday – to spread some love and kindness. One thousand thanks.
I love the simple idea behind the Paradigm Project and how well they quantify their results. Their simple idea? Stoves for people who cook over wood fires. This helps people and the environment.
Check out their beautifully illustrated intro to their work. They have a unique model in that they sell the carbon offsets created by this business to continue financing their work.
From their website:
We align ourselves with local business partners and global relief and development organizations that have a significant presence and a long history of success working in the developing world. We then work with these partners to identify and develop scalable emissions reduction project opportunities that drive economic, environmental and social value into the communities they serve. We handle all carbon asset development activities and work closely with our partners to build market-based supply chains that involve CBOs (Community Based Organizations) and other local stakeholders in the distribution and sale of Rocket Stoves.
$40 buys a stove. Here’s how to donate.
Previously featured organizations:
ONE
Lupus Foundation of America
Scholarship America
Media Matters for America
Boys and Girls Club
Your Local Food Bank
Girls for a Change
Operation Smile
Wheels for Humanity
National Security Archive
Books for Africa
Seed Savers Exchange
MAP International
The Fresh Air Fund
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Arghand
Impact Personal Safety
Kristin Brooks Hope Center
Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund
Light Up the World Foundation
Planned Parenthood
Doctors Without Borders
Heifer International
Team Rubicon
Kiva
The Carter Center
Bikes Not Bombs
Friends of Maddie
ProPublica
Surfrider Foundation
Livestrong
United Through Reading
Operation Shower
The Liz Logelin Foundation
KidSave
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Kids Vs Global Warming
Help a Mother Out
Direct Relief International
WriteGirl
Accelerated Cure for Multiple Sclerosis
Women for Women
Epic Change
Amnesty International
50 for 50 Day 46: ONE.org
It’s my 50th Birthday Celebration, Day 46. I had this bright birthday idea – because I feel so lucky and have pretty much everything I could ever need, I am asking people to get involved with charities, if they are so inspired, in lieu of any fabulous birthday presents you were planning on sending me (or not).
I am featuring a different charity every day for 50 days leading up to my 50th birthday to give you plenty of chances to get involved. I started on May 18. I wanted to give a voice to different good works around the globe. If you ARE inspired to take action, please leave me a comment and let me know that you did. This is all I want for my birthday – to spread some love and kindness. One thousand thanks.
My beautiful friend Karen of Chookooloonks, author of one of my favorite books of all time, suggested this organization. Karen is involved with ONE and is heading off to Kenya on a ONE trip soon.
Karen. She has many talents.
The cool thing about ONE is that it is an advocacy organization. They aren’t always fundraising – they are voice-raising.
From their website:
Backed by a movement of 2.5 million ONE members, ONE achieves change through advocacy. We hold world leaders to account for the commitments they’ve made to fight extreme poverty, and we campaign for better development policies, more effective aid and trade reform. We also support greater democracy, accountability and transparency to ensure policies to beat poverty are implemented effectively. ONE is not a grant-making organization and we do not solicit funding from the general public. As we have always said, at ONE, ‘we’re not asking for your money, we’re asking for your voice.’
ONE and its 2.5 million members, along with ONE’s predecessor organization DATA and other non-profit partners, have played an important role in persuading governments to support effective programs and policies that are making a measurable difference in fighting extreme poverty and disease. As a result of those programs, today nearly 4 million Africans have access to life-saving AIDS medication, up from only 50,000 people in 2002. Malaria deaths have been cut in half in countries across Africa in less than 2 years and 42 million more children are now going to school.
You can join up here.
Previously featured organizations:
Lupus Foundation of America
Scholarship America
Media Matters for America
Boys and Girls Club
Your Local Food Bank
Girls for a Change
Operation Smile
Wheels for Humanity
National Security Archive
Books for Africa
Seed Savers Exchange
MAP International
The Fresh Air Fund
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Arghand
Impact Personal Safety
Kristin Brooks Hope Center
Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund
Light Up the World Foundation
Planned Parenthood
Doctors Without Borders
Heifer International
Team Rubicon
Kiva
The Carter Center
Bikes Not Bombs
Friends of Maddie
ProPublica
Surfrider Foundation
Livestrong
United Through Reading
Operation Shower
The Liz Logelin Foundation
KidSave
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Kids Vs Global Warming
Help a Mother Out
Direct Relief International
WriteGirl
Accelerated Cure for Multiple Sclerosis
Women for Women
Epic Change
Amnesty International
50 for 50 Day 45: Lupus Foundation of America
It’s my 50th Birthday Celebration, Day 45. I had this bright birthday idea – because I feel so lucky and have pretty much everything I could ever need, I am asking people to get involved with charities, if they are so inspired, in lieu of any fabulous birthday presents you were planning on sending me (or not).
I am featuring a different charity every day for 50 days leading up to my 50th birthday to give you plenty of chances to get involved. I started on May 18. I wanted to give a voice to different good works around the globe. If you ARE inspired to take action, please leave me a comment and let me know that you did. This is all I want for my birthday – to spread some love and kindness. One thousand thanks.
Erin with a hangover. This picture makes me laugh so hard!
I tried not to do many disease-specific organizations, because there are just so many diseases and who is to say which is more deserving? Cancer? Diabetes? Blindness?
But I had to do this one for Erin, my friend who is also known by her blog name, the Queen of Spain.
I have seen Erin battle Lupus for several years now and have seen how it has turned her life upside down. She has gone from a nonstop dynamo to someone who has to guard her energy carefully, never sure when she is going to run out and collapse. I have seen her lose her memory and get attacked by internet trolls who claim she is lying about her illness. I have seen her lose weight to a scary degree and then, full of disease-calming steroids, bloat up to a point where she looked nothing like her former self.
She has handled this all with strength and honesty and focus. It humbles me and makes me proud to call her a friend.
Lupus is the most baffling, weird, quirky, obnoxious disease. It can manifest in so many ways and comes out of nowhere. So, for Erin, today’s post features the Lupus Foundation of America.
From their website:
The LFA was established in 1977 when local lupus organizations came together to bring national attention and resources to lupus. Since that time, the LFA has evolved into the field’s preeminent nonprofit lupus organization with nearly 300 chapters, support groups and community representatives nationwide.
The LFA plays a key role in bringing together all stakeholders — researchers, clinicians, elected officials, policy makers, industry leaders, other national organizations, and people affected by lupus — to address lupus on the federal, state and local levels.
Donate here. They are also looking for people to be Lupus advocates.
Previously featured organizations:
Scholarship America
Media Matters for America
Boys and Girls Club
Your Local Food Bank
Girls for a Change
Operation Smile
Wheels for Humanity
National Security Archive
Books for Africa
Seed Savers Exchange
MAP International
The Fresh Air Fund
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Arghand
Impact Personal Safety
Kristin Brooks Hope Center
Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund
Light Up the World Foundation
Planned Parenthood
Doctors Without Borders
Heifer International
Team Rubicon
Kiva
The Carter Center
Bikes Not Bombs
Friends of Maddie
ProPublica
Surfrider Foundation
Livestrong
United Through Reading
Operation Shower
The Liz Logelin Foundation
KidSave
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Kids Vs Global Warming
Help a Mother Out
Direct Relief International
WriteGirl
Accelerated Cure for Multiple Sclerosis
Women for Women
Epic Change
Amnesty International
