So sweet!

An adorable 15 inch Silver Dun Tovero foal was born 10 days ago at Riverdance Stud Farm in Victoria, South Australia. The vet gave her a clean bill of health and she is expected to grow to about 24 inches. I know what I want for Christmas!

feeling lucky?

I bought a mushroom ornament for the Christmas Tree from Pier 1 this afternoon. Then went to Myers of Keswick in the Village to get some Cumberland sausage... and... they gave me a bundle of steak pies for free! They were a little burnt - but very edible. Everyone should get a lucky mushroom :)

Tis the Season

In preparation for our move I have started to sort through all the clutter, boxes of old toys, clothing etc that litters my house. I wanted to share a great site for all you New Yorkers:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/mvc/html/donate/want_donate.shtml

It has a comprehensive list of places to donate everything you don't need. I believe in karma so for me it's a selfish act - anyone who has volunteered or donated will tell you it does you good to do good :) Especially in preparation for the onslaught of the family of Santas in the coming month.

Four is the new Seven

I read an article this morning and wanted to share it with you. In my case it definitely rings true. I've been married now for 4 and a half years and I do feel you hit a point where you realize things aren't what they were. Especially as the article suggests when you have children, you don't have the time or energy to make an effort to spend time with the one you used to devote all your energy to being with. In my case it's not that I wanted to leave, it's that I wanted to try harder to make time to be together with my husband. I think the issue with other couples is when one is trying all the time and the other doesn't want to try and so the one trying ends up "nagging" them to be with them. I think it's so sad when that happens, and in those cases often divorce becomes the only fair thing for all concerned. I for one could never be in a relationship unless I felt that love existed and that my husband was devoted to me. Without it, you might as well live with a friend, at least you wouldn't have all the arguing that goes along with the hate that abounds when love is gone.

"A professor from Wright State University surveyed husbands and wives once a year over the first decade of their marriages to observe how marital quality changes over time. The researcher, Dr. Larry A. Kurdek, found that couples often began their unions with high levels of marital quality, but that it appeared to decrease twice: once rather steeply over the first four years and again after about seven. (The pattern of change was the same for both husbands and wives.) He also reported that couples with children experienced the steepest declines. The research, in the September issue of the journal Development Psychology, began with a sample of 522 couples. Participants filled out an annual 32-item questionnaire on various aspects of marital quality. Sample questions included these: "How satisfied are you with your marriage?" "How affectionate is your partner?" and "To what extent do you do things together?" The husbands' and wives' responses were compared over time; 93 couples participated for the entire decade. Dr. Kurdek said "At the start of a relationship you can overlook the fact that he throws his socks around or that she leaves the refrigerator open. Over time, a sense of reality sets in. You'd started off making excuses for your partner. Then you don't. It's a natural evolution. "The second dip is more difficult to explain," he said. "It may just be the result of being in something for a long time. You start re-examining. It might just be the natural curiosity -- a sort of wondering about what else is out there." Dr. Kurdek also examined the factors that predict the rate of change. He looked at three major sets of predictors: divorce history, the presence of children and personality variables. He found that couples who have children together, not children from previous marriages, experienced the steepest decline. "There is ample evidence to indicate that having kids changes the overall quality of marriage," Dr. Kurdek said. "For the most part these couples are dealing with young kids, and they require extensive levels of supervision. You're spending less time together as a couple, may not have a lot of time and energy for sexual affection, and there's a lot more to argue about.

le sigh

It's a weird feeling. I feel uneasy. Time will tell.

Vote or Dont

Vote!! But don't vote, if you're going to do it just because the guy is the biggest celebrity in the world. Vote because you believe that person will handle the 3am call and the financial crisis. Vote because you want change of the right kind, not empty promises and a great smile. Vote or Don't. This broadcast is brought to you by me, a non US citizen, who cant vote, but lives here just the same. If you want to vote on my behalf - because you consider yourself my biggest fan - then do it (Just make sure you vote McCain) Thank you, and goodnight!