sarah's blog

Just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to those of you who gave to my birthday charity:water campaign. We raised $131 which will provide clean drinking water for 6 people.

Because the money was collected during September there is a good chance our contributions will go to the Bayaka people of the Central African Republic, with a goal of eventually providing clean drinking water for every member of that displaced people group.

I love doing campaigns for charity:water and I don’t plan to stop. In fact, maybe when the twins are born they can help me and we’ll do a family campaign. I would love for them to grow up with an awareness of the needs of others and that they would hold their money in open hands as a resource to care for people in need.

I think that’s a good thing to model to kids. So thanks for modeling generosity to me, again.

Charity:water is doing it again this year, their forth annual September Campaign, a tradition since their founder first gave up his birthday four years ago. This year they are doing a live well drill at 4:30pm EST, the first of their committed efforts for the Bayaka people of the Central African Republic.

I’m still raising money for my birthday, I’ve got 23 days left and we’ve raised $131 of my $280 goal. I’d love to see our goal reached, but in the mean time, check out this video about the well that will be drilled in a matter of hours, and the people whose lives it will change.

charity: water 2010 September Campaign: Clean Water for the Bayaka from charity: water on Vimeo.

If you’d like to donate to something like this, you can give through my birthday campaign here. 100% of our donations will go towards a well, very likely drilled for the Bayaka people of C.A.R.

Watch the live drill at 4:30pm EST

I turned 28 on Thursday. As you know from years past, it is becoming an annual tradition for John to be away at training the whole week of my birthday. This year he was again across town in a dorm room with a pile of people but was able to come home on Wednesday night, beautiful flowers in hand, so he could wake up and say happy birthday to me on The Day. Coming in a close second was an early morning text from my mommy!

Last week my in-laws were here and we went out to dinner as an early celebration – I picked Swiss Chalet. My family knows what I’m talkin about. Then we had ice cream cake. I saved the cards I got in the mail to open on my birthday, so thanks Grandma H and Grandma and Grandpa B.

It wasn’t as bad to have John away this year because circumstances aligned to make Thursday an incredibly busy day with work and I ended up having to go in to the office to pick up packages and to do a million last minute things for the this conference I am helping to organize. All this kept me nice and distracted from the fact that my birthday was whizzing by.

But then some people in the office found out it was my birthday and ran out and got a cake and my sister-in-law, brother-in-law and nephew stopped by with desserts. I was starting to feel quite spoiled on a day that is considered to be postponed and will likely be celebrated again when the dust of conferences settles.

All in all it was a very full day and a very good one. I wouldn’t say relaxing, but productive, which can have a similar affect. Not much time to reflect on another year gone by, maybe in August I can think like that!

Hey, if you’re interested, I did a charity: water campaign for my birthday like I did at Christmas, just an opportunity to give a gift to someone who really needs it instead of me who has too much stuff in my house already. The campaign is still open for awhile longer so please consider helping me reach my goal of $280, clean water for 14 people. You’ve heard me go on and on about charity: water before but they’re good people, and 100% of your donation will go directly to the projects.

And don’t feel bad for me not getting gifts. My husband is buying me an iPhone 4.

Remember when I made New Years resolutions? Ya, me neither.

Okay I do remember. And I know I haven’t been keeping them all and least of been keeping up with blogging about them. Last time I mentioned how I was faring it was February and I was already failing at least one. So you can guess how much better I am not doing now that it is the end of June and I have sort of had some major life change to distract me from my goals. Yes, I am going to blame it o the kids.

My resolutions amounted to this.

Get regular physical activity.
Learn new skills or develop old ones.
Read the classics.
Write my Grandma.
Eat less processed sugar.
Raise money for charity: water.
Get away and clear my head.
Give the first part of my day to Jesus.

And now the almost halfway mark verdict.

I do get regular physical activity now through my weekly Aquafit class and by going for walks. I’m not suppose to increase my activity at this point and I have found recently that my back and feet get pretty sore from longer walking but I make it a point to walk to the store and carry my groceries so I’m out of the house almost daily doing something.

I haven’t taken another class since belly dancing ended and I don’t know if I’ll have time. Can I count the prenatal classes as learning a new skill?

Now the reading, here I have been doing pretty good I’d say. Yes, I have broken down and read some more recent fare but you have to understand: I accidentally got introduced to the works of Margaret Atwood one day when I couldn’t get to the library. Once you read one you have to read another. Handmaid’s Tale was my favorite but I just finished Moral Disorder and it did not disappoint. So far this year I have also read Anna Karenina, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Tale of Two Cities and Passage to India.

I thought I was a person who liked older books and classic stories but like the time we tried to watch that ridiculous indie film Coffee and Cigarettes, I have realized the classics I do like made me think I was more cultured and deep than I really am. I’m pretty focused in my preferences and topics outside that – like Passage – don’t capture my imagination.

And I’m just going to say this, think what you like about me, but Breakfast at Tiffany’s was stupid. Nothing about the writing makes one sympathetic for any of the characters and the plot is just pathetic and pointless. How they made a movie out of that (and by the way the girl in the book is kind of more of an alcoholic slut than the Hepburn type) I’ll never know.

Moving on.

Oh writing my Grandma. I saw her at my brother’s wedding, can that count for something? I’m a bad granddaughter. I’d love to tell you that instead of concentrating my efforts on writing her I have been reducing my processed sugar intake and raising hundreds for charity: water but I’d have a hard time doing that in good conscience while eating my fifth chocolate truffle.

The truffles were worth it though, just so you know. Like the Atwood books.

I’ll get back to you on getting away for a day, I am not sure how I’m going to pull that off yet. I have enjoyed the time I have set aside most days to read my Bible and be quiet long enough to listen to God. I’d like to get better at starting my day that way as so many times I find myself anxious and trying to control my circumstances and end up retreating to read my Bible to get back on track again instead of getting my focus right to begin with.

All in all not terrible. But not great either. I think I’d like to work on a couple resolutions specifically to try and accomplish them and reduce the number to work on for the rest of the year. I’d like to raise money for charity: water again at my birthday in July and finish reading one more classic book.

Any suggestions on which book to finish up with? Remember my guidelines for choosing them. And if it’s about French or English royalty you get bonus points because I love that crap. Seriously, I’m a nerd for it.

Today was Worldwide Water Day. In honor of this day I wanted to share with you the newest campaign of Charity: Water, appropriately called Unshaken.

The people of Haiti need long-term infrastructure and in the rural areas where people have fled from the cities they need clean water. Watch the newest video explaining (more…)

As we’ve started another month I thought I’d give an update on how I’m doing with my New Year’s Resolutions.

In original order.

1. Belly dancing class is going well. I’ve been twice and learned how to do hip lifts, shoulder shimmies (though my year on drillteam already taught me those. Hey Charity, remember doing shoulder shimmies in the stands and being warned this did not mean to shake “other things inappropriately”? Ya, turns out it’s the same in belly dancing), belly dancing hands as well as several other moves and some abdominal exercises.
2. Four more weeks and I will have completed my first class at the community centre. I think I’ll just go straight into my next class when this one is over since I’m in a routine. Not sure which one though… (more…)

I only have one more day to reach the goal I set before Christmas, of raising $500 for clean water in developing countries. It’s not much in comparison with the $80,000-something someone recently raised. But it’s big to me, and to each person who gave.

It’s big to the 25 people who by this time next year will take a drink of water that will nourish their bodies and not make them sick.

If you’ve got 20 bucks, or 10 or 50, put it towards changing life for the people of the Central African Republic, and many other communities who have been through so much.

Donate to my campaign here and watch my favorite new video from charity: water. So good.

charity: water promo featuring “Time Bomb” by Beck from charity: water on Vimeo.

You are probably wondering why the word Christmas has shown up on my blog just a few days before the end of January. For exactly that reason actually: there are only a few more days in January people!!! That means the campaign I started in November to raise funds for water well projects in developing countries will come to an end and I’ll have raised $360 of my $500 goal.

I’ve mentioned Charity: Water before and several of you have given to the campaign (I also mentioned it in a post on giving back at Christmas time. I know that Christmas is a time when many worthwhile charities compete for your dollars and in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti it might be overwhelming to think of another need. But if you’ll indulge me, I want to tell you why I fundraise for Charity: Water and why you might want to get involved. (more…)

Every time I tried to post today I realize how spoiled and sheltered I am in light of what other people are facing at this very moment. And it’s the reality of their world every day while I babble on about dryclean-only scarves in the washer and headaches and what to cook for dinner from my overflowing kitchen.

My heart just breaks for the people of Haiti. I can’t begin to put myself in their place, if tomorrow I woke up on the streets with nothing but the clothes on my back. No water, no food, no money. If I have any money or anything of value it is worthless, who would trade me food or water for it? There are no stores, no transit, just chaos and death and fear. (more…)

Lest you begin to suspect that I don’t follow through on things (no comment, Mom, Dad or husband) I will update you on my very real progress regarding my New Year’s Resolutions, in original order. (more…)