the interview...

Mo from Bike Ridin Mama has asked me the following questions:


1) What do you miss most and least about Portland living in NYC?

I miss the real estate, the trees, the beauty of nature, the sense of community, the ease of being organic and "green," instead of having to convince our co-op board to switch to green power because it's the right thing to do. I miss having a front yard, a back yard, excellent schools, and family being close.

I love that we don't need a car - for economic and enviromental reasons. I love living steps away from Central Park, THAI food, Fresh Direct (grocery delivery service), cultural diversity in the sense that it actually doesn't matter that Narda and I are a bi-racial Jewish couple with a black Jewish daughter. It really doesn't matter. Which is awesome. Because it would matter in many other places. I love our synagogue, the ease at being a gay family, BROADWAY, the fact that we can see the Empire State Building from our roof (when we sneak up there...)

2) What about being a mom has been different from what you expected?

Oh my goodness. It's SOOOO different than I anticipated. I thought with my experience with kids that it would be MUCH MUCH easier than it actually is! It's VERY hard work, and the amount of stress and worrying that I do amazes me. I realize now that I have inherited my grandmother's worry gene. Seriously. I used to reassure her ALL THE TIME, but now I get it. I worry about Malka's eczema, about her diaper rash, about if she's getting ENOUGH or TOO MUCH sleep, if she's going to the bathroom enough, it's amazing the amount of things I can worry about. I think that was my biggest expectation that was blown out of the water...

3) What are some of your hopes for Malka? (I know, kind of broad!)

I hope she grows up with self confidence and the ability to be grateful. I want for her to be mindful of other people's feelings and to be aware of her own, knowing that it's OK to express them. That's pretty much it, really. Although if she became a famous doctor, that wouldn't hurt...

4) What new craftiness are you dying to do when you have time?

I still have my quilt squares that I'm working on, and I'd LOVE to finish those! I'm also wanting to finish up all of my "started" projects and complete one! But I also want to finish decorating Malkas room, and cleaning ours, and getting her scrap book started. I'm really good at starting crafty projects, but finishing them is another story...

5) We talked about hydrangeas in my chemistry classes this week. Any guesses as to what we were talking about? (Alternate question: besides hydrangeas, what other plants/flowers do you think are pretty?)

Ha! Easy one from the science teacher! (Now remember, I worked for OMSI for 6 years! I created a "soil erosion" demo, and worked at Outdoor school as a Soil aide; so I'm kind of a secret science geek) You were testing PH of the soil. I keep ALL coffee grounds, and SLATHER the soil around my hydrangeas with it, in an effort to make BLUE Hydrangeas.

I'm also a BIG fan of roses, being from Portland and all. And I also like Lavender.

If you want to play too, leave me a comment saying "interview me." The first five commenters will be the participants.

* I will respond by asking you five questions.
* You will update your blog/site with the answers to the questions.
* You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
* When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.