Archived Site – 2007 to 2011
December 31, 2007 3 Comments
According to the information I get via daily email from “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”, our little baby has doubled in size in the last 4 weeks, and it sure feels like it! Week 26 brings some exciting changes for the little one. It begins to open its eyes and can react to light changes. At this point, it is approximately 9 inches tall and weighs 2 pounds. Only two more weeks and I’ll be in the third trimester!
December 25, 2007 3 Comments
Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday! We are happy to be celebrating Christmas this year with Alan and Dahlene who came to visit us from Kyiv, Ukraine. We have enjoyed the past few days strolling around Bristol together (although there is no snow).
Tomorrow is Boxing Day here in England, and much will be closed for the extended holiday. We will perhaps do some tourist-type things tomorrow, such as visiting the SS Great Britain . We are heading to London for two days on Thursday before Alan and Dahlene return to Kyiv.
Here is a photo of Jason and I standing in front of the Bristol Suspension Bridge.
Go to the pics tab at the top of the page for a few more Christmas pictures of us together.
Wishing you all a safe, happy and loving holiday! Best Wishes, Terra, Jason, Alan and Dahlene.
December 21, 2007 3 Comments
Hey everyone. Jason scanned the ultrasound pictures, so you can now view them by going to the top of this page, and clicking on ‘photos’ to enter the photo-album area. From there, click on the ultrasound picture. Then, click on a picture to see a bigger version and read the captions. Enjoy!
December 20, 2007 5 Comments
Disclaimer: Ignore this if you are a staunch supporter of G.W. Bush or a strong supporter of choice or if you do not care for didactic banter.
Today, I had the awful pleasure to listen to George W. Bush’s press conference as I ate lunch. I have thought for a long time that the man was a country club idiot and today only further solidified that view. I find I dislike G.W. even more than I disliked Clinton and I did not think that possible. When asked about Iraq, Lebanon, Russia and Afghanistan, he kept repeating, “I believe that freedom is what every person wants and through freedom they will have a better life.” What a crock of crap that statement is and shows he has very little understanding of societies that do not hold individualism, choice and expression in the same regard that people in American do.
December 18, 2007 2 Comments
Terra and I had a great time at the Portishead concert Saturday night! To see Portishead in concert was a real treat!! The music was good and the combination of modern electronica, with a heavy bass guitar and haunting vocals certainly gave a melancholy feel to the evening. The stage show was wonderful with closed circuit television cameras focused on the musicians’ hands and then blended with other coloured images to give a multi layered affect rivalling the music. The only down side was the fact the venue had no seats so we had to stand for three four hours.
The Bristol Evening Post reviewed the show if you are interested to hear what the professionals had to say about the return of Portishead. I feel luck to be able to have been in the right place a the right time to see their return to the stage.
It is interesting for me to see how much I have changed since 1995 in regards to my tastes. I must admit I had a pretty dark view of the world when I was 19 and that is why some of the Portishead songs resonated. Frankly, life is much brighter and vibrant now and I do not find the downbeat mood of the music as liberating and comforting. However, you still have to marvel at the combination of styles and there is nothing like it for a dark dreary night when you simply want to bury yourself in your thoughts.
To give you a sample of my favourite songs, I have included a couple below. Click them and listen. If you like it, let me know.
December 17, 2007 1 Comment
Every morning that I go to university, I leave the house at 6:35 AM to walk about one and a half miles over the hill to the bus stop to catch the first bus. I do this so I can be in the gym by 7:45 AM which allows me a workout of about 75 minutes before class. This activity in the morning is vital for me to keep my stress at a manageable level. I find that if I am sedentary, I have no energy, I get sick much more often and my stress rises. In short, I am happy to report while I have not seen a change in my weight, I have seen an improvement in my strength. I am a long way from the strength I had when I was 19 years old but I hope to regain much of what I have lost over the past 11 years.
To get to the point of this post, Terra and I live in a very urban setting some two miles from any amount of large green space. However, if you have ever been to England, you will know that the hedgerows are very dense. I have never seen quite this dense of vegetation anywhere I have visited. This vegetation is being used against me by a crafty little fox!
On three occasions, in my early morning sprint over the hill to catch the bus, I have come face to face with Mr. Fox! He likes to hide in the thick undergrowth and as I approach he will jump down right in front of me. He did this the first time in October. I thought it might have been a dog except for the tail and the fact I have never seen a dog jump from a standing position over a 5 foot wall with such ease. During the second week of November, from my desk, I saw him enter our back yard. We live one mile west of where I saw him in October. I quickly pointed him out to Terra and we watched him leap over our garden walls as if they were small hurdles. He prowled on top of the walls for about a minute before triggering a motion sensor light and darting off into the shadows.
Last week, he scared me as I have not been scared by an animal in my adult life. It was a particularly dark morning and I was rushing to make the bus loaded down with my laptop bag, my gym bag and my lunch bag. As I passed the thick overgrown hedges of Cotham Hill, no more than five feet in front of me he jumped into my path. He obviously had very little fear of me. He took one sniff and standing with all four paws on the ground elegantly bounded over a six foot wall into another hedge.
Evidently, Mr. Fox lives in our neighbourhood. I assume he lives off the garbage that is left out by the 45,000 residents of our neighbourhood. Due to the fact that hedges are so thick and most are unmaintained, he has many places to sleep the day way without being bothered.
Most English cities are surrounded by green space and Bristol is no different. I am amazed with the variety of wildlife that surrounds us even in a highly urbanized environment. This is in stark contrast to the lack of animals we saw in the Armenian highlands. It is nice to be able to see a bit more nature every day than I have been seeing.
If you decide to come visit and you are on a walk after dark near Cotham Hill, do not be surprised if Mr. Fox jumps out for a quick hello.
December 16, 2007 1 Comment
Some definite growth this week and the baby is getting more and more active. I go to the midwife this Thursday for a regular checkup. Will take measurements and listen to the heartbeat!
Baby enjoyed the Portishead concert last night…Jason and I did, too. It was great, and we were thankful to be able to attend such a rare event.
December 13, 2007 1 Comment
I realized that there are plenty of pictures of my belly on this website, but none of my face! I added a photo album of some recent pics taken in class and at the end-of-term party. Just go to the very top of the page and find the tab marked photos. Click to enter, then click on the album “Terra and her classmates” to see the rest of them.
December 10, 2007 1 Comment
Hi folks! Sorry, no ‘belly picture’ for week 23…my tummy wasn’t feeling so photogenic this weekend. I am continuing to feel good and attending pre-natal yoga classes to work on stretching and strengthening muscles.
Recent changes include a ‘lina negra’ on my lower belly – that’s a dark line that’s common among women at this time in the pregnancy – and, my belly button is starting to pop out! It looks so funny! I’ve outgrown all but one pair of slacks that I brought with me, but have some pregnancy jeans. Will be hitting the shops soon for some roomier shirts. Thanks, Mom, for the ones you sent awhile back…they’re getting lots of use.
Our little baby is over a pound already and the 8 inches in length (size of a standard sized envelope) from crown of the head to rump. It’s moving all over the place and Jason can feel it bopping around in there now.
My next pre-natal appointment is on Thursday the 20th, but it will just be a quick one with the midwife to listen to the heartbeat and take measurements.
Will continue to keep you posted as the baby grows. Love to you all!
December 8, 2007 Leave a Comment
Why am I doing an MBA? That is a question I am challenged with on a daily basis as I wade through the journal articles, chapters on marketing, material on how to turn unhappy employees into attentive team members and so on so forth. I figured the MBA would turn me back to my previous thoughts which would be considered conservative by today’s definition. However, I find myself becoming increasingly unhappy with the models of today’s world. I find myself struggling with the idea of marketing a product not because it will make the world better and help someone but because it will return value to shareholders.
Our good friends, Brett and Laura Holt, have shared with us a website which plays a short film that has struck a chord with Terra and I. I would highly recommend you visit the website: The Short Story of Stuff. Watch the video and think about the ways you can change your lifestyle with just a bit of planning and forethought.
For some time now, Terra and I have said, “We rather have experiences over possessions.” Fifteen years ago, I aspired to have stuff. Now, I aspire to have a life rich in experience and a lifestyle that allows me the ability to spend time with my family and help others. To avoid poor economic choices, we have looked hard at our consumption both as a function of budgeting and as a function of being a good global citizen. Did you know that in the US and UK that the average family throws away 50% of their monthly food purchases? Much of which is unopened and could still be used. The examples of waste are astounding and it truly is having a devastating effects on our world.
As the Holiday Season approaches, I would kindly ask that you think about your purchases very carefully. Your act of purchasing tells the establishment so many things. Do not buy something because you feel obligated. Be creative and look for ways to create an experience especially for those people who have everything. How does a new plastic gadget really improve life?
By the way, for my MBA program, I have already been reading some of the articles from the 1950’s that this woman in the film speaks of. Our definition of life really has become based on consumption. Regardless of your views, I implore you to watch this short film. It is only 20 minutes of your life and may start you thinking about how you too can be a better global citizen.
Feel free to post ideas below for others about ways to be less consumption oriented if you have already thought about how to change your lifestyle.