Oh, it’s been a long long long week, at the beginning of the summer I stopped doing a lot of our ‘activities’ so that life could slow down just a bit…and for about a week, yes. Lovely.

Now, we are in the vortex of a whirlwind of park days, beach days, free movies, Shakespeare in the parks, and get this, next week TWO mother-in-laws in a row. Back to Back. God love ‘em.

We’ve also been barely sleeping because of some strange bitey things that itch like crazy (on the youngest of us) and that I’ve been tearing apart the house looking for and VOILA! this morning 6 black dots on my ankle. Yay! fleas. And we have no pets (except despereaux and pi-rat, the rats that don’t get fleas. Oh wait! Wasn’t that what the whole bubonic plague was based on? yeesh.) Okay, today will be spent on the beach and then vacuuming, and steam-cleaning and trying to decide how deep into the world of chemicals we really want to go.

But still, today is better than Wednesday was, because on Wednesday I had NO IDEA what was biting us. I had only about 4 hours of sleep, baby had less. and THEN, we went to go see a movie I’ve seen too many times before (Open Season) and so because I was bored and grumpy and overly tired, I picked a text-message based political argument with my brother. Not a good idea. So anyway, Today the whole family slept in to almost 8! holy crap! and the day is wondrous, awesome, fabalicious, even with the black specks of itchy-psychosis on our ankles.

How’s your Friday?

Love,
Heather

Did I ever tell you that I used to live in England? My father was stationed there in the Air Force when I was a wee lass. I moved back here at 5 and for a while I was the cool 1st grader (you heard me, ADVANCED because of the superior British kindergarten!) with the british accent. I would have been HOT if it hadn’t worn off by 2nd grade, and now I have not one ounce of mimicry ability. I can’t sound british even when I try, and hey, my English ain’t so hot either ;oP

Something about those formative years has made me an anglophile though (A few of my British fans have written to me over the years and they’re answered with “Hey, can I come visit you?” so be careful lest you gain a houseguest!), and I’ve been back to visit twice. Once, to celebrate my graduation from college I went on a all-by-myself galavant around England and Scotland in search of all things Mary Queen of Scots (dreaming of writing that screen play) for a month. The second time I convinced my dearest Husband to go there on our honeymoon, staying in youth hostels, in December! It was fabulous, 43 pubs in 21 days. Ah, England! Near and dear to my heart.

But now this Legislation Against Love… (thanks Anna!) And there’s a petition (alas, only UK citizens can sign ;o( and there’s a RALLY planned Calling All Lactivists! (I already checked plane tickets, boo hoo $850 round trip from LAX. Sigh. I’ll just have to be with you in spirit.) Anyway I hope you guys have a fabulous rally, let me know if there is anything I can do from way over here and more comics on the way!

Love,
Heather

Dear Reader,
my week has been full of fun and birthday bashes, my baby turned 4! Which is quite something…I’m not sure what yet. I’ve been barely posting comics and feel totally behind, but I have finally made the comic about baby which I wanted to make all week. Hope you enjoy. Next stop, the UK’s new ‘equality law’ heard about it? ooooh, you’re gonna!
and in the meantime, I FINALLY have a whole pile of books ready to send, I have the Birth of Hathor, I have the Milk of Hathor, I have Zines, Slings and DIY Things!
xox,
Heather

Home Made; Inside Baltimore’s Home-Birth Underground by Michelle Gienow Really good. Long, in depth, presenting homebirth in a positive light. I especially like this part, in which a Dr. attempts to explain his ‘practice’:

Well, yes, says Khouzami. “If you are here long enough, we are going to do something to you. It’s a matter of time. I will be the first one to admit that,” he says. “The trade-off is that I am going to make sure that nothing happens to you or to the baby.

wow! and hmmmm? how ’bout someone look into Dr. Khouzami’s practice percentages…c-sections? How much infant or maternal mortality? how many dire outcomes? How many hysterectomies after cesareans? I’d like to know.

If you have a few hours ;o) to while away this happy unassisted homebirth week, you could spend them perusing the comments below the article where a lively debate between some homebirth advocates and a certain “dr” who appears whenever the word ‘homebirth’ is uttered are head to head. At the bottom there’s even a comment by a certain *ahem* cowgoddess.

I hope you have an awesome 4th of July, don’t forget to read the Declaration of Independence!

Love,
Heather

I think ;o) at least my calendar says so. (the one I made, so it must be true!) Alas, I find no mention of it on-line and can’t remember where I heard it. If you can find something corroborating will you please let me know? In the meantime, I’m still recovering from my daughter’s 4th birthday and the capes and hooded towels and mermaid tails and waldorf-y crowns that I made in a fit of ‘o my goodness, my baby is a kid’ creative angst. I’ll post photos soon. Oh how time marches on…

It just dawned on me that the corporate-friendly hospital comics are perfect for unassisted homebirth week! cool!

xox,
Heather