Today is a wonderful day!








Mr. D came home from India and brought sweets and ganthia.
My mom called to tell me she and my youngest sister are coming to see us on Mother's day weekend! I am so pleased.
The sun is back in California. I have been gardening.
And I finished the most lovely project of all- this felted ball for Sanbate. And it only took me 10 hours.
The agency also sent 4 more pictures of Sanbate, who is a serious little child. Now that I see her I am wondering if the clothes will fit her. She is only 17 lbs. but she looks bigger in the photos.



A fun movie I found on Jack and Jill.

Tag, You are it!
Brought to us by Are We There Yet?




Groups of 4

Jobs I have had:
1. Waldorf Teacher
2. Nanny for 6 children
3. Veternary receptionist
4. Foreign Rights and Permissions Coordinator for Shambhala Publications

Movies I watch over and over:
1. Secrets and Lies
2. Its a Wonderful Life (yes I am a card carrying SAP)
3. Groundhog Day
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

Places I’ve lived:
1. East Coast (MA, NH, ME)
2. California (Berkeley)
3. Chicago(Rogers Park, Lakeview, Wicker Park and Logan Square)
4. Annandale-on-the-Hudson, NY

TV Shows I watch:
1. We
2. Don't
3. Have
4. Cable

Places I’ve Been:
1. India
2. Mexico
3. Dominican Republic
4. Ethiopia (In 9 days)

People who email me regularly:
1. My sisters
2. My husband
3. Ethiopia adoptees
4. Waldorf School colleagues


4 Favorite things to eat:
1. Salt
2. corn
3. Greens
4. Chocolate

4 Places I’d rather be:
1. Here Now
2. With my family and friends
3. With Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
4. In bed reading a good novel

Things I look forward to this year:
1. Meeting Sanbate and bringing her home
2. Moving to India and being a family that lives together
3. Being a mom And an artist
4. Getting rid of more stuff when we move

Now it is your turn, that is if you haven't been tagged yet.

NOTHING IS INSIGNIFICANT

I took notes during our 2 hour "travel meeting" with our agency today.

We will meet our child on International Women's Day.
I learned the names of the caregivers who have been looking after the children; Eskidar, Askala and Theras. The names of the drivers that will be ferrying us about; Mulat and Yonas.
1$ is equal to 9.5 birr.
The agency told us to bring between 1 and 2 thousand dollars to pay for the guest house, gifts, trip to Sidama to see birth family, and shopping.
Altitude sickness may be an issue as Addis is considered high altitude.
Emailing may have to be done late at night or early morning.
I have to think of questions for Sanbate's birth family and questions for her caregivers.
Remember to bring insect repellent, 220 volt adapter, standard polaroid film, flip flops and walking shoes.

I spoke to my friend and fellow adopting mom whose daughter is all grown now. She told me to take a lot of pictures even of things we may not see as important, like the inside of a grocery store. She couldn't emphasize more this thought to keep in mind as we travel Ethiopia,
"Nothing is insignificant".


Situations

Maybe you will enjoy the music and maybe you will see why this man, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of Art of Living is so beloved.

One of these pieces of artwork is a chalk drawing on tile done by S. Hatch in our back yard.The other is a meditation in marker on paper towel by M. Hatch.

Just in:
A letter from Paul Newell, candidate
for New York State Assembly

Senator Clinton,

Thank you for your years of hard work representing New Yorkers. I have proudly voted for you twice. Thank you as well for your hard fought Presidential campaign. American democracy, and the Democratic Party in particular, require the dynamic exchange of ideas that this primary season has brought. It has been exciting and inspiring to have a woman and a New Yorker contest the Presidency so credibly. We are a stronger nation and party for your candidacy.

But that time has past. After Senator Obama's 10 straight wins this month, no realistic path remains for you to win the nomination without thwarting the clearly expressed preference of Democratic primary

voters. While it is clearly your "right" to continue this debate until the convention, as a New Yorker and a Democrat I ask you to withdraw.

The campaign has become increasingly negative. I fear that you are permanently damaging your relationship with Senator Obama, the likely nominee of our party, and the likely next President of the United

States. Poisoning this relationship will not only harm our party, but may harm New York State as well. It may also do harm to the goals of social justice and working families for which you have worked for so many years.

In light of that, I ask you to end your candidacy for President this week. I look forward to your continued representation in the Senate. Thank you.


Sincerely,


Paul Newell

Wouldn't it be wonderful if good manners made a comeback? Can someone send this man's parents a fruit basket or something?

These primaries are killing me! I feel like I am back in school waiting for test results. There was an embarrassing moment on cnn last night with the Texas senator Kirk Watson. When asked to cite some of Barack Obama's legislative accomplishments he went blank. Poor guy. You can read about it in the blog jackandjillpolitics.

I set up the crib today, not without the occasional &*%$ but it makes our bedroom look so...domestic. It gives me a squishy feeling. And now all of Sanbate's clothes are in the drawer. After all those years of being a nanny, a day care provider and teacher, I can launder my own child's clothes.

I have been a little weepy this week, first with the Humane Society investigation and then tonite with the wrenching Israeli movie, Kadosh, starring Yael Abecassis. We rented it because she was also in the beautifully moving adoption film, To Live and Become, (about an Ethiopian boy who pretends to be Jewish to escape his ravaged country).

13 days left to do everything.
And a list to prove it. What are those things Hamish? The black ground covering you put around your garden to keep the weeds at bay? I think they are made of fiberglass. I don't know but I have got to get on the garden before the girl comes home. Our landlord is being pretty cool about letting us go month to month if we need to and I want the garden to look good for the new tenants.

There is this beautiful adoption blog called 3 continent family and the photographs in it are just... can I say it? Delicious. The blogger uses some kind of filter on her camera, probably a very commonly used device, to make her photos storybook pretty.

I just need to say it.
I love the H****'s. Melanie is gone this week and her Mr. has the flu so I invited the kids over for pancakes and a walk at Point Isabel. I knew it was a mistake to leave the camera. It was rainy and wet but they didn't care. At one point I turned around to see them, all 4 children, attached sleave to sleave (no hands showing)as one big monster.

You get extra points when you eat ALL the pancakes.

How is Obama going to win the Democratic primary? I have no idea. Although he is ahead by delegate counts, one needs 2,025 delegates to win the primary. Even if he wins the rest of the states by a healthy margin he still won't have that winning number. Maybe you politicos can help me. Is it the superdelegates that will throw him the needed numbers to get him to the magic 2,025? So, whoever is closest will get the superdelegate support?
Help me somebody.

New link added for the Ceo and President of The Humane Society below right. Why did I add this link? Without going into detail, the Humane Society investigation of the Hallmark/Westland Meat company in California and revealed heart ripping cruelty done to cows that were unable to walk to the slaughterhouse. I think it is important.

Nobel Peace prizewinner Dr.Wangari Maathai speaks about Resources and Conflict.

The second sock has finally joined the first today.
Mr. D was given the first for Christmas and now his gift is complete. The question still remains whether he will wear them.
But more important to me, I know how to knit socks!

LANGUAGE is a powerful tool:

"At First Baptist Church of DeKalb, members passed out red ribbons to several dozen people who attended a morning service. The Rev. Joe Sanders offered prayers for the families of victims and relatives of the gunman who killed five students and wounded 16 other people in a lecture hall Thursday before taking his own life."

FAMILIES of victims and RELATIVES of the gunman.
Family implies people that love you and care for you.
Relative implies only that you were legally tied to another by name.

Until we can change this kind of thinking-that we are not responsible for each other (strangers and friends alike) we will continue to experience these kinds of tragedies.
Blame Divides.
We must learn to belong before we can conquer alienation.
I believe it is the thoughts of "I am alone" that lead to these acts of violence. I look at myself when I am committing small acts of violence (on the road, in the grocer's) and I recognise that I am acting out of an impulse of disconnection.

I want to make life easier for others, even people I don't know.
Even people who don't think like me.
This is my prayer.

Shoes for Horizon House

My bud Melanie and I have been gathering donations and supplies for a project, (woven bag shown here) to offer to the waiting children at the orphanage. I am going to need to make the cardboard "looms" and draw out instructions as these children don't speak much english. I hope this little handwork project is fun for them.

We are also bringing beeswax and kite paper for stars, just in case.

Happy Valentine's Day!
My two loves are in Ethiopia
and India.
I hope they are having a heart day.

Last night before turning in I checked my email just to see if the early birds at the US Embassy in Ethiopia had responded to my plea and lo and behold. They had! Our V37 isn't lost after all.
Roller.
Coast.
Her.

Hello Representative Miller,
We know you are busy so we will keep this short.
We are adopting our FIRST child from Ethiopia and our V37 visa has not arrived at the US Embassy in Addis Ababa,Ethiopia.
The National Visa Center has informed us that it WAS sent on February 6, 2008.
We are scheduled to fly on March 6 but we cannot adopt our child (we have been waiting for 17 months) without this confirmation.

Our agency is not able to step in to this governmental matter but has suggested to us that perhaps you can.

Thank you for your time,

*****************************
Here is the email we received:

Dear Family:
I wanted to inform you of a situation that needs your immediate attention. The US Embassy in Ethiopia has informed us that they have NOT received your updated fingerprint clearance. We do understand that you have had your fingerprints recently updated AND that the new approval (called a V 37 cable) should have been sent from the NVC (national visa center) in New Hampshire to the US Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The problem is that the US Embassy in Ethiopia is stating that they have NOT received confirmation of this amended V 37 cable for your family.

Why is this important? The US Embassy in Ethiopia will not issue the visa for your Ethiopian child unless they have this cable for your family. This would then mean that a family would need to either delay travel to Ethiopia OR understand the possibility of an extended stay in Ethiopia.

What now? The agency has emailed the US Embassy to ask them if the cable has arrived for your family. Unfortunately, we have not had a response from them. Therefore in order to prevent any delays, we would like to recommend that you take the following actions:

Contact the NVC in NH immediately and request that they please recable your approval and fingerprint clearance as soon as possible to the US Embassy in Ethiopia. Please ensure that you ask them for your case number AND the date that the cable was resent to Ethiopia.

Did this.

Send an email to the US Embassy in Ethiopia. Please provide them with your family name, your date of travel and appointment at the US Embassy. Please ask them to check the status on the amended V 37 cable that was sent from the NVC for your family. If you have your case number (the NVC can give you this number) and the date the new approval was cabled, please include this info in the email.

Did this.

You may also want to contact your local Congressman to advocate on your behalf w/the NVC.

See letter above.

WASHINGTON - The Senate has joined the House in voting to prohibit the CIA from using waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods.

The Senate approved an intelligence bill Wednesday that restricts the CIA to the 19 interrogation techniques outlined in the Army field manual. That manual prohibits waterboarding, a technique that makes a suspect feel he is drowning.

CIA Director Michael Hayden has said waterboarding may not be legal under current law. President Bush has threatened to veto any bill that limits CIA interrogation techniques.

If P.Bush thinks waterboarding isn't torture why doesn't he try it out for size and be the judge?

The doctor's appointment has been made for our return.
All the paperwork we need to submit to the Ethiopian embassy is complete.
Our home study agency has sent all the readoption paperwork necessary to finalize the US readoption.
Our landlord has agreed to extend our lease in case we need more time.
Have I forgotten anything?

I purchased a car seat today. I chose the type and brand on the advisement of my youngest sister, who is the pro in matters of children and children's products. I say this in seriousness as she is a school social worker, mother of 2 and was a co-worker of mine at a home day care.

She is someone I like to talk to about raising children, which is I admit my favorite subject. Perhaps it is hers as well. I also spoke to my mom and oldest sister in Maine yesterday about buying clothes for our long but underweight child.

You know, I felt somehow included in our family circle for the first time. I finally had a reason to discuss mothering with my mother and sisters. Not that my longtime teaching and caregiving experience didn't count. It is just different.

And I like it.
I YIKE it mummy.

Today we received our travel dates:
We leave for Ethiopia late on March 6 and arrive Saturday morning March 8! It is a 23 hour journey and Addis is 11 hours ahead of us so...

My trembling hands and racing mind can't stop to believe we are moving closer and closer to Sanbate.

We will have one week to start our relationship in Addis Ababa before we take her away from her country, her understanding of life. I am so sad for her and so excited for us.
Is this feeling even possible?

Here is my first Youtube video.
I made it after I got home from dropping Mr. D off at the airport. We were supposed to be flying to Ethiopia today to visit Sanbate but instead he is gone to India for 3 weeks. It is a gorgeous day here, warm and sunny, which makes it worse for missing Mr. D and Sanbate.

Hatchje's new bag.
My design.
Wide eyes in class 3.
"You made that!"
"I did."

Hilary Clinton better back off the "superdelegate" count.

Pledged delegates are those won in primaries and caucuses. Superdelegates are party big-shots. Superdelegates are designed to protect front-runners and make sure dark horses don’t run away with things.

Superdelegates grow in number as the party gets more successful: They include all Democratic members of Congress, members of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic governors.

They also are the party warhorses and include “all former Democratic presidents, all former Democratic vice presidents, all former Democratic leaders of the U.S. Senate, all former Democratic speakers of the U.S. House of Representatives and Democratic minority leaders, as applicable, and all former chairs of the Democratic National Committee.”

Being a superdelegate is usually just a way of getting to go to the convention, cast a meaningless vote and have a good time.

But that could change this year.

And that’s because superdelegates make up one-fifth of all the delegates at the convention, and this year they could determine the nominee.

Full article here.

The system of superdelegates was invented not just to reward party fatcats, but to make sure “fairness” did not get out of hand.

HA HA HA the Gods are having a hootenanny with us!
We just received word that Sanbate's adoption will be finalized within the next day or two. Which means we WON'T be travelling to Ethiopia this weekend and we WON'T be getting the IR3 visa.

This doesn't necessarily mean that we will be travelling within the next month to bring Sanbate home because California's CIS cable did not go through on the first sending.

MERCY!

Poor Mr.D had purchased his plane tickets through work and they are non-refundable.

There is a mumps epidemic at the orphanage and we are feeling a little paranoid now that they have called off our trip. Did they push the case through just so we wouldn't come out? Were they worried about the legal implications if we came down with the mumps and became very sick?


HA HA HA!

I went to vote this morning and the ballot box got jammed.

And no one is calling us back from the adoption agency.

WE are getting the distinct feeling that many people don't really understand that adoption is "having a baby". That the process of adoption is as fraught with pain and difficulties as childbirth. That sometimes you will be unavailable or need to change your schedule at a moments notice.

But if my husband told his new colleagues and boss at work that I was pregnant and due next month they would understand completely and give him all the room and allowances possible.

Instead, they just conveniently "forgot" that we are in this adoption process and became upset today because Mr. D is flying into a "Not safe for business travel" zone.

One who adopts must be in a constant state of vigilence, educating people whether they care or not. Like those that have different physical needs-

Today I had tea with a friend who is deaf, and has a severe physical ailment that is not always active. When she lived out east she had a collie that was a certified assist dog.She was very well known in the community and didn't have to explain herself when she went into shops or needed to take time off. She misses this and is planning on training her sheltie puppy to get certified.

People who are adopting need this sort of thing- a button or something that says, "I am going far away very soon to bring home our child from ***". That way if people want to discuss it they can, if not they will notice the pin and keep it in mind.

I believe in Obama. I am trusting that, yes we can make sacrifices too as Obama clearly suggests. And that those that are on fire with his words will continue to carry the flame when we are slogging through the work of repairing the damages brought on by the current administration.

Here we come Addis Ababa!
There you are
waiting for us.
Children of this earth
Soon we will carry one of your own.

And never before have we seen this homeland.
And never before have taken such risks of the heart.
For surely we will be touched and moved by the pulse of yours.
Ethiopia.

****************************************
We have booked flights to Ethiopia for Saturday the 9th, flying from San Francisco to Washington, DC to to Rome and then to Addis Ababa arriving Sunday night. We plan to visit with Sanbate on the following Monday-Thursday.

I am going to bring some crafts as well for the older children; clay, beeswax, kite-paper for making stars, weaving boards. We won't be bringing the fine child home with us this trip but soon (next month?) we will. yes, say it is so.

I will return home on the 15th and Mr.D will travel on to Bangalore returning home at month's end.