Calling all pacifists... "The latest edition of Maxim magazine, in an alleged "humor" article headlined "Maxim’s Kick-Ass Workout," depicts a strapping man in a "Muscle" T-shirt beating up an image of Mahatma Gandhi. The three-page article includes 21 different scenes of the man hitting, kicking, choking and throwing Gandhi, who is named in the text, when the reader is urged to "ask Gandhi if he can see a change in your physique." (article and details at IndiaCause and more at Tolerance.org) One of my favorite Gandhi quotes is, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." I wonder what change Maxim magazine thinks they're having on the world. Go write them a letter and let them know this is unacceptable. Follow up as of 2/3: Maxim magazine gives a formal apology. 'Bout time.

(sigh) My goldfish, Archie, has passed away at the tender age of at least 12 (my mom thinks he was even older than that). We had an funeral outside; Paul dug a hole in the frozen backyard and we blew bubbles and said nice things about him. It's very, very strange to not have to feed him every morning when I've been doing it for at least the past 12 years... almost half my life. (sigh again)

Joyful things for today: Hearing the baby's heartbeat nice and loud at the doctor's office. Eating french toast with strawberries (frozen from the summer to be saved for a special occasion... which I realized was just that particular moment in time.) Realizing that the billion and one freckles on my (huge) tummy look just like cinnamon sprinkles. Clarity of thought for my art: both personal and at work. Hooray and amen for sketching. Defining my theme for 2003: HARMONY. Much more about this later.

My baby shower was this weekend! It was a lot of fun (though exhausting!) and filled with many well-wishers who happily rubbed my belly throughout the afternoon. We ate french toast (natch!) and Mom decorated the cake and little take-home bubble jars with my baby drawings, which really meant a lot to me, as I'm feeling more and more like a mini-bake oven waiting for the timer to go off, and less and less like an artist. We all played at Carolyn's wonderful home and had us a great time. I was overwhelmed with everyone's generosity and hard work... but I reminded myself that it wasn't for me, it's for the baby! Somehow, it's easier for me to accept the attention that way. A number of friends brought squares we've been working on for a Muppet Quilt... the results are just beautiful! I can't wait until we collect them all and put them together for the little one's room.

Spent the evening at Snowflake's, knitting and flipping back and forth between Gilmore Girls and American Idol and finally exchanging our Christmas presents. I look forward to every visit and social occasion I can muster up the energy for, since the clock is ticking and just sitting on her purple couch and dishing plain wore me out. (In a good way!)

I love PBS in general (hey, where else can you watch Sesame Street if you don't have cable?), and especially the whole style and design of PBS Kids. (Big surprise!) Check out Don't Buy It — making kids question advertising, TV, and the media. Very cool.

Why do I have a sinking feeling that the "new friend" is the baby and the "old routine" I'm breaking out of is this little thing called sleep? Check out this great new site: Divine Mother, Mortal Me. One woman's journey to balance her art and kids. I love where she says, "It is about finding a balance — giving myself the same gift I give my kids: the permission to become." Amen, sister.

This was an exciting weekend. Among visits and launch parties, we attended an all-day marathon birthing class at our hospital. We saw waywayWAY too many movies about the blessed event, but at least we know what's coming. Sorta. My favorite part was in one movie where the wife is doing her breathing, and her husband says, "Focus, honey! Look at the photo!" and he holds up a picture of their cat. It made for a welcome giggle in what was otherwise an overwhelming day. I'm torn between thinking this pregnancy is taking forever, and worrying that I'll have the baby in a couple of weeks. We're at 33 weeks (out of 40) so I'm not that off-base....I think.

It's the teeny little things that make my day... and for me today it was finally getting a copy of Harry Belafonte and the Muppets singing "Turn the World Around." Boy, did I ever want to just sing along, out loud, right in the office. Hmmmmm..... not sure why I didn't... the fact that people are around me has never shut me up before....

If you're a fan of the comic strip Mutts, you'll be thrilled to know that the official website is finally here (which my company and I worked on!) And if you live in a part of the country that doesn't get Mutts in their newspaper, trust me: this is a Big Thing. I quote: Mutts®, the internationally renowned comic strip featuring the humorous antics of the expressive and philosophical Mooch and Earl, unveils its official website today at www.muttscomics.com. First created in 1994 and featured in more than 500 newspapers worldwide, Mutts and its award-winning creator, Patrick McDonnell, have been hailed by Charles Schulz who called Mutts "one of the best [comic strips] of all time."

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm still searching for a theme for this year. Last year, my theme was to learn as much as possible. (I stopped chronicling in June, when I learned all sorts of stuff about being pregnant, but wasn't ready to share that with everyone yet. I will go back and fill in the rest of the year.) But as for this year.... I'm thinking maybe to have a theme of simplicity, which will be a real challenge with a new baby on board. Hmmmmmm...... While I saw in 2002 in a sequined evening gown, tiara, and long white gloves; 2003 arrived without me noticing, already asleep and in my pj's. The biggest thing that keeps playing over and over in my mind is that in 2003, there will soon be three of us. That's a little scary but mostly very, very exciting to me. We sang our duet in church for the 8th year in a row and spent New Year's Day getting a mattress for the crib and a little snowsuit for the baby to wear home from the hospital. (This because my mom asked what the baby was going to wear home and I completely drew a blank, since I had nothing for the baby to go outside in, and a half-finished blanket.) Of note: the new issue of Be Real Magazine is out and my artwork's on the cover! And in a couple of days, I'll be able to point to something else monumentallly creative online that I had a hand in....

Longing for some Italian Grandma-esque advice and nagging.... I am really missing my Grandma and Paul's Nana right now. In my family, usually a pregnant woman would get all sorts of unsolicited advice from her Italian Grandma somewhere along these lines: Grandma: You know what you need? You need to eat some fish. Look, I made you some special. Pregnant Granddaughter: Grandma, I really don't want fish. G: YOU may not want fish, but the baby wants it. PG: Grandma, nobody wants the fish. Thank you but no. G: I heard about a lady who didn't eat fish when the baby wanted it... and then the baby was born with a fish head! Do you want that to happen to you? Eat the fish! PG sighs and starts to eat the darn fish. I have witnessed this in my own family, but now that I'm the pregnant one, I don't have anyone to nag me in quite that special way. So I'm asking you to throw on the mantle of Italian/Jewish/Polish-ness (all Grandmas are the same at heart) and please send some old-fashioned nagging and superstitions my way so my child won't grow up deprived.

Our Christmas was wonderful, but tiring due to the amount of snow falling and the continuing spell of exhaustion the little one puts on me. I got to spend it with both wonderful families and my fairy godchild, Joey. It was lovely going to Mass with the snow all around, giving thanks for the baby Jesus, and finally winding up in front of a roaring fire with my hubby and baby. listening to (great music for me and the little one): Pied Piper by Donovan (thank you, Paul) The Muppet Show 25th Anniversary Collection (thank you, Craig)

I always used to say it wasn't Christmas until I heard "Wonderful Christmastime" on the radio. I haven't heard it this year, not once. I have it on tape, but that doesn't count... now I'm actually searching the airwaves (and netwaves) to hear it. All this so I can gleefully sing, "The word is out... about the town... the dog just died... the house burned down.... we're simply having a wonderful Christmastime." more! more! The history of the "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" special. The year in review, Google-style. Just fascinating. I'm a little surprised "french toast" didn't make the top lists. Better luck in 2003, eh?

And more presents and goodies for you are here.

Good news! I am more than halfway done knitting my baby blanket — now I get to decrease and the rows will start getting shorter, making my mandate to knit 2 rows every day, no matter what, a whole lot easier. I have some fuzzy purple yarn that I think I want to crochet around the border when I'm all done so it's more colorful. You can make your own! Get the pattern here. The description reads: "Since it is knit on the bias, the blanket tends to stick on the baby, at night, when the mother is asleep, which is a Good Thing." Anything that involves sleep sounds like a Good Thing to me.

We spent a fun day with my brother and his family — it was Joey's 5th birthday. His latest obsession is Def Leppard, which he pronounces with an "a" as in, "Daddy, can we please play the Def-a-Leppard CD now?" After the 20th request, daddy gave in, and we were all treated to seeing Joey jump joyously up and down and sing to the music. Daddy also didn't have a blank videotape for the camera, which is a shame because it was absolutely hysterical. I asked Joey, "But what about the Beatles?" (his last obsession.) He assured me that he still liked them. Phew. All is not lost.

My husband's piano studios are at our house. They're soundproof.. But what I didn't realize is that people in the waiting room can hear me singing in the kitchen. The other day, I stepped out to ask him a question, only to find a mom in the waiting room grinning at me. "Was that you singing Age of Aquarius in there?" Well, actually, it was, and I was pretty loud because I happen to love that song and it was on the radio. So I fessed up but was inwardly embarassed.... who else heard me? Then last night we had a recital/party for all the adult students, and I related this story. Three of them said right away, "Oh, we hear you singing in there all the time!" Good grief! Thank God I play the oldies station while I make dinner... otherwise they might have heard me singing about how hot is was getting in here and that I needed to take off all my clothes. Yeesh. [Side note: I actually sung ON that station a couple of years ago. No fooling.] singing along with in my car: The Muppet Movie Soundtrack (sadly, out of print!) My mix tape entitled More Roger Miller Than You Can Shake A Stick At Billy Joel's Turnstiles and Streetlife Serenade Beatles for Babies: because you gotta start them on the right track early on

Last night we had a "passing of the torch" ceremony for Cornerstone (from our team to the new one who will run the weekend in Feb.) and I was recruited on the spot to do a reading. It turned out to be the one where the angel comes to Mary and tells her she's going to have a baby. Everyone asked me later if that was on purpose, and I have to say honestly that I think it just worked out that way. :) And then this morning, I woke up from a dream I don't remember. But I did wake up sure that I had just been holding the baby in my arms. It was a really wonderful way to wake up. reading/just read: Nothing Left Over: A Plain and Simple Life — I am so into this beautiful book. The Fiery Cross — The latest in the Outlander series. The Right Words at the Right Time — When simple words can change your life.

Had a lovely but exhausting weekend with buddies from college and then was in a Christmas concert at my church. Being exhausted and singing in front of people, combined with extra pregnancy hormones, made it very difficult to keep from bursting into tears from sheer emotion. One of the solists sang "Mary, Did You Know?" and from there on it was all I could do to not weep openly in front of everyone. There's something amazing about being pregnant at Christmas — I feel such a link with Mary. I can understand some of the feelings she must have had; being pregnant and uncomfortable, scared at what's ahead, and still loving this baby inside her and marveling at what he'll become. And then just as I got myself under control... the children's choir sang. Good grief. ;) So I put a huge smile on my face and just sang my heart out. linkage: Elf Bowling 3 is out! Woo hoo! Download the whole series for free here (and expect your productivity to go down the drain).