Elizabeth A. Leib

by Elizabeth A. Leib

I found a cheaper hand lotion this week thanks to my new online friends at momslikeme.com. If I join a buying club I can save 50 cents per half gallon on organic milk, $4 on the 48 popsicle pack and $5 on a 100 piece dinosaur shaped chicken nugget package. So maybe it takes us 6 months to regain the $44 membership fee. But where will we put all these popsicles and dinosaur nuggets? In the new freezer! Ok, my neighbor tells me I can get the best deal on a freezer at Buddy Bi-Rites for about $100. So now I’ve got to wonder how long will it take to recoup the $144 investment? Hmmmmm, does anyone know how long this storm will last?

From everything I’m reading, we’re in the midst of the mother of storms that will alter forever our way of life. In this morning’s NYT’s Thomas Friedman quotes Paul Gilding, the Austrailian enviromental business expert who says, “When we look back, 2008 will be a momentous year in human history. Our children and grandchildren will ask us, ‘What was it like? What were you doing when it started to fall apart?’”

MitzvhBoy might remember of this time that his family planted a hydroponic garden, that he spent time with his mommy and daddy playing board games and kayaking; and that he learned that the toys his neighbor friend receives with no effort comes to him from his own earnings. He’ll have memories of earning money by helping his mom at Tampa Bay Parenting events. From this time in his young life, I would like him to learn about courage and fearlessness and resourcefulness. Setting that example for him is what keeps me clear-eyed and calm in this nightmarish storm.