Jan 31
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Organic Mama Book Review – Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover

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This Christmas, probably the best present Robert and I received was from his Uncle Sam. Don’t laugh – it’s a book about money. Specifically, Dave Ramsey’s book, The Total Money Makeover. I’d heard of Dave Ramsey before but hadn’t ever listened to him. I’d heard he was pretty hard core about his financial guidelines but reading the book, we realized we already follow most of his plan.

What words come to mind when you think about your money? Are you – Excited, confident or secure? Or do you feel fearful, anxious, defensive or angry? I’m not going to lie. Though we pay cash for everything – no credit cards, there have definitely been times that I didn’t really want to know the balance in my account. Unfortunately, we can’t escape money in our present culture.We need it to live. So, what if instead of feeling afraid or unsure of ourselves when we think about how our actual net worth, we could know exactly where we are and where we’re going? If that’s what you’re looking for, this book is for you. We loved it.

If you can’t afford to buy it – guess what? It’s available at the Phoenix Public Library – and I’d venture to guess it’s in the local library of whatever town you call home. But, in the meantime, here are some of the highlights of the book.

In “The Total Money Makeover”, Ramsey reminds his readers that if they are willing to “Live Like No One Else, Later They Will Live Like No One Else”. Meaning – if you’re willing to be a little (or a lot!) frugal now, you’ll find you have so much more to spend later down the road whether it’s for vacations or homes or for your kids’ college education. Dave explains that, as with excess weight, most of the problems people have have with money aren’t due to lack of knowledge but force of (bad) habit.

I love that Mr. Ramsey is honest about where he gets his ideas. He makes no claim to having created some kind of new system. In fact, he credits our depression-era grandparents for his plan, which includes the following novel ideas (for our society).

1. Save an emergency fund. If you have one of these, you won’t be tempted to spend on a credit card when crisis hits.
2. Don’t use credit cards. If you can’t afford to buy it with cash, you probably don’t need it. And, if you have an emergency fund, you don’t need them in emergency.
3. Pay off the debt you incurred rather than choosing bankruptcy or foreclosure. In the long run, he encourages you that it IS possible to pay off the debt and be free from that burden.
4. Contribute to your own retirement. It’s no secret that Social Security won’t fully fund all the living expenses of old age.
5. Pay off your house and invest the money you’re now free to use each month!

If these ideas sound crazy or out of reach in our culture, be encouraged. Not only are they possible, these are the ways our grand or great-grandparents survived what they called the Great Depression. They didn’t survive it by spending money they didn’t have to create an artificial “consumer confidence” index. They grew their own food, used and reused the same things over and over (original recycling), mended their clothes (and sheets) instead of tossing them and bartered or traded for things they needed. My grandparents definitely lived this way and I picked up a lot of their frugal habits from my parents, who also used them. Though, Robert did draw the line when he discovered I was saving old bread bags. Maybe a little extreme…hahaha!

The truth is, so many people in our culture are slaves to their credit card bills, to inflated mortgages and insecure natures that require them to try to keep up with the Jones’. Robert and I have never wanted to be stuck in that rut. As Dave says, the Jones’ may not have enough to live like they’re living either. Where Robert and I have fallen down on the job is in the area of savings. Since reading the book, we’ve decided to take on extra work that will allow us to have the margin we need to create more emergency and retirement savings.

While these are some of the basic ideas of this book, it’s worth buying or borrowing. Taking the time to read this and commit to the plan Dave outlines will give you the time to shift your mind into a new way of looking at money.

Since this is such an important topic to us, we’ll be exploring different ways to save money and use it wisely over the next few months.

Have any of you read this book? What have your experiences with saving money or getting out of debt been?

Jan 28
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Why I Like Funerals…

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This morning, I’ll be singing at the third memorial service I’ve attended in as many weeks. Some people might consider this depressing. But the truth is – I have a special place in my heart for singing at memorials. Maybe it’s because I’ve attended a lot of memorials for people in my immediate family. It meant a lot to have friends around us at that time. I always pray my song and presence will do the same for family and friends who are grieving their loss.

Taking time to go to a memorial sends a strong message of love and support for those left behind. When a person you love dies, time seems to stand still for you while you try to come to terms with their being gone from your life. Sometimes you feel like life just goes on around you. When my mom, dad and brother died, it meant so much to me to see the people who cared enough to stop what they were doing to support us at a memorial in a time when we felt orphaned by our loss. People took time off work, family members drove for several days – to offer us love, strength and encouragement when we needed it.

Memorials can be times of healing and even laughter. In the midst of commemorating a person’s life, we tend to remember the best of that person. Sometimes we choose to forgive wrongs we never righted while the person was alive. At memorials, we find humor lightens our hearts as we laugh over funny memories. Sometimes we learn something interesting or new about the person who died.

Most funerals and memorials aren’t depressing experiences in the general sense. They do tend to remind us of our mortality. They remind us that we are connected to each other in a powerful way in the sense that though we may travel through this life together, we’ll all face that moment of death – alone. Solidarity from others in the moments after a friend dies gives us hope that we too will be missed.

At memorials, as I sit quietly listening to the stories of the one who has moved past this physical plane of existence…I remember the importance of living life fully – now. I sing at all kinds of memorials. Some, thankfully, are for very old people – who’ve lived amazing, full lives. Some are for those who are not much older than me. Regretfully, some are for even younger people. None of us know the hour or the day we will be called beyond this life. A memorial tends to magnify the value of the present and remind us to make the most of this moment.

Memorials make my heart swell with gratitude for all the blessings in my life. I go home resolved to be more aware in every minute I am fortunate to be alive. I go home, infinitely thankful for the love of my life and my children. I go home determined to be the best version of myself – both for myself and my loved ones.

Of course, you don’t have to go to a memorial to feel grateful for your blessings or to resolve to let gratitude guide your choices. Why not take a moment now and think of all the gifts in your life? What will you choose to do with this moment?

Jan 25
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Zucchini/Apple/Carrot Oat Muffins (or, how to sneak veggies into your kids’ treats!)

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This recipe is a compilation of several muffin recipes I researched. But, I didn’t love any of them exclusively. So, I created something different. The results are a nutty, fiber filled and delicious muffin (Yes – you can have both!). I do use butter, not nasty canola oil. It just tastes better. However, in a pinch, you could use coconut oil. Also, as we’ve discussed before on this blog, when making muffins, keep the following tips in mind.

1. Start with room temp ingredients – eggs, melted butter. The best way to do this is just take them out as your start measuring so they’re ready when you need them.

2. Measure dry and wet ingredients separately and make sure they’re well mixed before you put them together. Then, just barely fold them together so you don’t end up with tough muffs!

3. Grease your muffin tins BEFORE you start making the muffins. Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, they need to go straight into your preheated oven.

Zucchini Apple Carrot Oat Muffins

Makes 12-14 good sized muffins – or, you can also use 2 med sized loaf pans (I ran out of muffin tins)

Ingredients
Wet ingredients
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup melted butter
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
1 t. vanilla (optional)
Dry ingredients
1 1/2 c. barley flour
1 1/2 oat flour
1 T. ground flax seed
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 c. chopped pecans (or walnuts, I just like pecans better)
1 c. shredded apples
1 c. shredded zucchini (squeeze out a little of the moisture or your muffins might be too wet)
1 c. shredded carrots
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Melt 1/2 c butter and set aside to cool
3. Measure and stir together all dry ingredients except shredded stuff.
4. After stirring together all the dry ingredients thoroughly, add the shredded fruit/veggies and completely coat with flour mixture. I find they mix with wet ingredients better this way – no clumping.
5. Whisk two eggs in wet bowl and blend with sugar, butter & vanilla.
6. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently stir minimally to combine.
7. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins and bake 25-30 minutes.

These taste great hot out of the oven. Just try to leave a few for the kids!!

Jan 17
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Is Arizona’s Political Climate Really Getting Worse? A History-based Response to the Backlash Surrounding Congresswoman Giffords’ Shooting

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After the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords and many of those attending her town meeting on January 8, 2011, we heard voices saying the current political climate in Arizona has reached a pitch unheard of in days past. One friend said she missed the Arizona of her youth. Similar comments, like those of Sheriff Dupnik and other political commentators, seem to conjure a nostalgic view of our past. But, I disagree with the idea that Arizona is seeing more extreme political language and violence than it did previously. In fact, history bears out the idea that what we saw last week is nothing new and that our country and our state have long struggled with issues of violent political language and racial strife.

One of the reasons we sometimes have this nostalgic feeling that things used to be better is that many voices within our own society were silent (or silenced) until the last century.

Pima County’s Sheriff seems to hold a rather uninformed nostalgic view. In his own words, “The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous. And, unfortunately, Arizona I think has become sort of the capital. We have become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry.”1 Sheriff Dupnik is in his 70’s so he should remember there have been some vitriolic controversies filled with bigotry and hatred in our country and our state since our earliest history.

We haven’t left some kind dreamy American wonderland where everyone got along a lot better in the past and people behaved better “way back then”. Several college friends of mine (who should know better based on their education) have voiced this complaint lately and it sticks in my craw. If you’re one of them, this is for you.

For those of us too young to actually remember the events of the 1950’s and 1960’s, today is the perfect day to remember Martin Luther King Jr., a leader who encouraged non-violent, civil disobedience to bring attention to the injustices suffered by African Americans in this country and win for them equal rights. Older friends of mine who lived in the South during the Civil Rights movement remember “Colored bathrooms” signs as well as the darker elements of those times.

My pre-college MLK education was either slim or slanted against honoring Dr. King as a champion of rights. I do remember the controversy in Arizona over honoring MLK day though I was only 12 when it started. Then Governor Evan Mecham said, “I guess King did a lot for the colored people (emphasis mine), but I don’t think he deserves a national holiday.” Even after that comment, a referendum for the holiday failed. As a result, we lost the honor of hosting Super Bowl XXVII.2 In 1992, Arizonans finally voted in favor of an MLK holiday. Not exactly a more “civil” time in our history.

If those dates seem like ancient history to you, think of a meaningful event in your life – death, miscarriage, divorce, etc in the last ten years – and tell me if you’re over it yet. Then, pretend for a moment that you are a person of color – enslaved, spit on, ignored, verbally, physically or sexually abused because you’re not a “real” person – and tell me how long it would take for you to get over that.

Some of you may be annoyed (“That was so long ago, Monna!”) that I’m bringing up the past and including it as part of what’s going on now -but, remember in the overall view of history, it hasn’t been that long. It’s been only 150 years since the Civil War – when brother fought brother over the passions that started the conflict. It’s been only 91 years since woman gained the vote. And, despite the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1869, many minority groups were denied the right to vote either by local law or intimidation until well into the late 1900’s.

Returning to a local perspective, the earlier days of Arizona history were not marked by peaceful coexistence with people of non-European descent either. From segregated schools to the persecution of Japanese farmers, Arizona – like many other places in the United States, had its share of racist and violent language and behavior.

In  the early 1900’s African American and Mexican students were frequently kept from attending schools with white students. Multiple lawsuits, including Gonzales vs. Sheely and one by African American Samuel F. Bayless challenged practices that kept students of Latino and African American descent from attending school with white children. The final 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision declared that the concept ‘separate but equal’ had no place in education.3

Families of African American or Mexican descent were not the only groups targeted by intolerant whites in recent Arizona history. In the 1930’s, white farmers protested the presence of Japanese farmers who’d managed to avoid obeying the anti-Japanese Alien Land Law and deed land to their Nisei children. Action against the Japanese farmers started with 1500 white farmers demonstrating through Phoenix with anti-Asian banners and progressed to dynamite attacks on Japanese homes and drive by shootings of the Japanese and their families.4 Thankfully, the farmers weren’t very good shots and no one died.

If anything, in Arizona’s current political climate more voices are allowed to participate in the conversation and it’s creating a lot of noise. Women not only vote in elections, they are Congresswomen, Senators, Governors, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security and hopefully, someday – President. Native Americans and Mexicans, who existed here prior to our European ancestors but were not technologically advanced enough to push them out – were subdued, enslaved and even killed, along with the African Americans who came with the Europeans to this “new world”. Those “troublesome” folks (sarcasm here) have gained their voice and are now allowed to be part of the conversation. Could it be that the same racist attitudes that motivated our ancestors to silence the voices of color in the past – now motivates those who wish they’d just go away?

Those who reminisce about the good old days of their peaceful youth in Arizona may really be remembering a day when there weren’t as many voice permitted to speak. The lack of loud disagreement, created by repression, can sometimes create the illusion of peace. Clearly, this is an uninformed view of Arizona’s past. So, recent shooting aside and considering the more inclusive nature of our current political conversation,  contrary to the view that Arizona’s political climate has suddenly become filled with hate and violence, it’s possible we’re actually making progress.

Copyright (c) 2011

1 Shafer, Jack. “In Defense of Inflamed Rhetoric.” Slate, January 9, 2011. http://www.slate.com/id/2280616/

2  Tapper, Jake. “The Complicated History of John McCain and MLK Day”. ABC New, January 10, 2011.  http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/04/the-complicated.html

3 Robert V. Hine and John Mack Faragher, The American West: A New Interpretive History (New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 2000), 394.

4 Goddard, Terry.”The Promise of Brown v. Board of Education A Monograph.” January 13, 2011. http://www.azag.gov/civil_rights/Brown%20v%20Board%20Monograph.pdf