Peeling Mom Off the Ceiling

CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES!

After 8 delightful months and dozens of wonderful shows, the time has come for the I'm Thankful Network and I to amicably part company. My last ITN show will be Monday, June 26th. 

What am I doing after that?  To be honest, I'm not sure! Lots of big changes happening in this year: 

• jobs have ended
• our youngest graduates from high school
• we'll be empty-nesters this fall
• we're selling the house we've lived in for 11 years

Please know, as I write this, that all is WELL! We have health, we have love, we have financial stabiity (knock wood) ... AND we have a lot of change. I'm grateful to be able to see it, recognize it, and accept it. It doesn't feel like time to make any big decisions. My only firm plans are to ride out this very transitional time with as much grace and humor as I can. 

I have visions of podcasts dancing in my head ... stay tuned!  Even better, make sure I've got you on my mailing list so I can keep you posted when my newest incarnation manifests itself. (God, I've been hanging out with my woo-woo friends too much!)

Love,

Leslie

Happy Spring!

I love new beginnings. 

(Read the story behind this fabulous picture here.)

Moms Need Ceilings! A fundraiser for Japanese tsunami victims

Look, in some ways this angst I address through Peeling Mom Off the Ceiling is one which comes through abundance. We've got homes, we've got food, we've got shelter, we've got cars, we've got soccer practice ... and we're stressed out from it all.  But right now in Japan there are moms who have had those problems washed away, and are now faced with simple survival.  Moms need ceilings (so we have something to peel them off of).  Let's help our sisters in Japan.

ShelterBox is an amazing program which assembles and ships boxes containing survival materials to people in disaster zones.  They are a very strong presence in Haiti after their earthquake, and now they are doing their work in Japan.  Each shelter box costs about $1,000 to assemble, pack, and send, and contains a tent, cookstove, blankets and bedding, dishes, tools and more.  Click here for a link that explains what goes in to each box. 

I'm setting a goal to raise $5,000 through the team Moms Need Ceilings.  We could make a big change in five families lives.  Please donate as much as you can, and know that EVERY BIT HELPS.  If everyone who has "liked" our Facebook page donated a mere dollar, we would easily exceed our goal.  

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW.

Happy World Read Aloud Day!

It's here! It's here!  Happy World Read Aloud Day, everyone.  This is a day set up by LitWorld.org to bring attention to world literacy.  They ask the question:

What would you miss most if you could not read or write? 

I would miss all of the opportunities for human interaction.  From the cuddle-time I remember as a child (and as a mommy!) reading aloud before bedtime, to the wonderful way I'm able to keep in touch with friends and family all over the world via Internet, it's frankly really hard for me to imagine not being able to read or write.  I'm very grateful that I can.  Thanks to my parents, grandparents, and teachers for making that possible!

For today only, our good friends at Jackson Fish Market's A Story Before Bed have made their book "The Frog Princess" available for FREE.  Here's a link showing yours truly (in my PJs with no makeup on ... you know, for authenticity's sake!) reading the book aloud:

Leslie reading "The Frog Princess"

A Story Before Bed and World Read Aloud Day

World Read Aloud Day is in two days, and I'm super-stoked about the super generous offer made by Hillel Cooperman of A Story Before Bed on today's "21st Century Children's Books" show:  

On World Read Aloud Day (Wednesday, March 9th), A Story Before Bed will be offering its book "The Frog Princess" FREE to Peeling Mom Off the Ceiling fans for that day only.

From LitWorld.org: 

"World Read Aloud Day is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another, and creates a community of readers advocating for every child’s right to a safe education and access to books and technology. By raising our voices together on this day we show the world’s children that we support their future: that they have the right to read, to write, and to share their words to change the world."

What is A Story Before Bed? It's a really cool web application that allows you and your loved ones to read children's books aloud to your children over the internet.  There's video of the reader and the pages move right along in time with the recording.  It's really cool and something you have to see to fully understand.  Why not head on over there right now and see how it works (for free)?

World Read Aloud Day is March 9, 2011

I'm honored and proud to have been named the Seattle ambassador for World Read Aloud Day.  

LitWorld.org created World Read Aloud Day to promote worldwide literacy through transformational reading and writing experiences that build connection, understanding, resilienceand strength. Educated citizens are far more likely to be healthy, raise healthy children, hold steady jobs and contribute to the social, intellectual and emotional welfare of their communities. LitWorld vigorously campaigns for the rights of children to learn to read and write so they can grow up safe, secure and productive, and become socially and environmentally responsible engaged members of their local communities. LitWorld  is led by renowned literacy educator Pam Allyn, who will be the featured guest on my"Peeling Mom Off the Ceiling" radio show on Monday, February 28th, 2011.

 Global Literacy Saves Lives

In SubSaharan Africa, providing every mother with secondary education would save the lives of 1.8 million children each year.

Global Literacy Improves Family Planning

Lack of education for women is strongly associated with early marriage, larger family sizes and poor health and nutrition.

Global Literacy Decreases Child Mortality  

A child whose mother cannot read or write is 50% more likely to die before the age of five and 200% more likely to suffer from malnutrition than a child whose mother completed primary school .

Global Literacy Impacts Maternal & Child Health

Women with six or more years of education is three times less likely to seek prenatal care, assisted childbirth and postnatal care, reducing the risk of maternal and child mortality and illness

Global Literacy Increases Economic Prosperity

A map of areas of high illiteracy in the world corresponds with a map of high levels of poverty, and literacy competence is an essential learning outcome contributing to economic development. Literacy is one of the features – but a universal one – that is linked with poverty reduction, economic growth and wealth creation. 

Stay tuned to this website for details on local World Read Aloud Day events in the Seattle area.

How Meditation May Change the Brain - NYTimes.com

Over the December holidays, my husband went on a 10-day silent meditation retreat. Not my idea of fun, but he came back rejuvenated and energetic.

via well.blogs.nytimes.com

Well, yesterday marked the end of my "108 days of meditation", and I'm sorry to say I fell pretty hard off the wagon. I managed to meditate maybe once every two weeks or so, instead of daily. I would like to try again, especially since I found this article about the benefits of meditation really motivating!

This wasn't the equality I was hoping for.

Very interesting article in today's New York Times about how dads are catching up in the stress wars.  Can "Peeling Dad off the Ceiling" be far behind?

Now, Dad Feels as Stressed as Mom

Father’s Day brings this offering of a dubious milestone: Husbands are now just as stressed out as their harried wives.

For decades, the debate about balancing work and family life has been framed as an issue for women. Many studies have shown that motherhood is more taxing than fatherhood; mothers typically reported higher levels of unhappiness than women without children or men in general. [click here to read the rest of the article.]

Happy Father's Day to all you stressed-out dads!  (And the calm ones, too.)