Marlene Dotterer's Blog, page 43

Look What My Grandson Did

Francisco is an official United States Marine. We missed his graduation, but a lot of family members were there, including my son, Francisco’s Uncle Jon, who is a nurse and a captain in the reserves:

They really look alike. They even share a birthday, 15 years apart.

We’re proud of this kid. He wanted to do this and he made it through. My grandma’s heart will continue to hope that he makes it through his entire enlistment. Love and success, Francisco!

A Loaf of Bread, A Jug of Wine

I know it’s Wednesday night, which isn’t usually a bread-and-wine night, but I’m on vacation! We just limped back to our Barcelona apartment after a full day of tours, museums, and sightseeing. We’ve been here two-and-a-half days. I wasn’t up to posting sooner, due to jet lag, lost luggage, and heat. Humidity, too. Like this:

That, folks, is the face of a weary woman, wearing the same sweat-soaked clothes for the third day.

Ah, but the luggage arrived at last, on Tuesday evening. I dug out the...

The Subject We Avoid

Here in America, we don’t talk about death. Death is something that “happens,” usually to other people, and nearly always in other places. Even when it strikes a relative, it’s usually in a hospital and all the details are managed by the “professionals.”

This is a recent development, of course. Like nearly everything else about our lives, the rituals and knowledge of death went through a change sometime around the turn to the 20th century. There’s not an exact date – just a gradual shifting aw...

Allow Me to Complain

Earthquake, anyone? I have a few to spare around here…

Yes, last night was all over sleepless. For the second night in a row I woke up at 12:59 a.m. Why?

No seriously, I want to know -why?

I was arguing with my brain about going back to sleep, when at 1:07 a.m., I heard (or felt? not sure) this distantweirdness, as if something were coming. You know how you hear something in the distance and you instantly become alert to look for whatever it is? That’s what it felt like. I stopped arguing with m...

Interview with an Adjunct Organizer: “People Are Tired of the Hypocrisy” | Dissent Magazine

When I was an undergrad, we had an adjunct professor teaching my chemistry class. She had a PhD in chemistry, and was driving all over the Bay Area to teach classes at three universities. She made less money, per hour, than I did as a part-time student employee for the USGS. She had no benefits of any kind from any of the universities.

I could not fathom it then, and I certainly can’t now.

Interview with an Adjunct Organizer: “People Are Tired of the Hypocrisy” | Dissent Magazine.

A Cooking Post: Vegetable Enchiladas

In a frenzy of guilt over the small amount of vegetables we’ve been eating, I went almost vegetarian tonight. Not stuffed with grains and cheese vegetarian… I meanloads of vegetablesvegetarian. Also… clean out the frig-in-preparation-of-vacation vegetarian. This was literally leave no leaf unturned!

I started with a combination of food from my freezer, produce drawer, and shopping trip:

After 20 minutes ofmise en place:

We have chopped onions, garlic, mushrooms, summer squash (green and yellow),...

BigAl’s Books and Pals: The Time Travel Journals: Shipbuilder / Marlene Dotterer

BigAl’s Books and Pals: The Time Travel Journals: Shipbuilder / Marlene Dotterer

Holy cow! Shipbuilder made Big Al’s Five Star Week reviews.

Fighting the fight for birth rights

This is very important. Each of these practicesmaybe helpful or life-saving in a small number of labors. Allof them can be dangerous, when applied to every laboring woman regardless of her condition or the condition of her baby. This is exactly what happens in almost every L&D unit in almost every hospital. And if these standard practices are used and something goes wrong? The doctor or hospital are rarely held responsible. They did “everything they could, which is all the insurance company c...

Mama Birth: Infant Sleep Obsession

I wish I could get every parent to calm down about sleep or the lack of it. Seriously.

Mama Birth: Infant Sleep Obsession.

Wearing All My Hats

What a week it’s been. No time for dramatics, just jump in and get it done. Highlights:

I am now a dual member of two (2!) branches of the California Writers Club. This was done so that I could participate in Tri-Valley’s new Social Media Group. It’s sort of like a critique group, but we help each other with the marketing/media side of things. Our first meeting was Monday, and I haven’t had a chance to do anything yet, like look at fellow members’ websites or follow them on Facebook or anythin...