GainesvilleMoms.com

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What is the next home project you wish to tackle?

I have a list in order of importance! We really want to make our house as green/energy efficient as possible!

1. New A/C Unit
2. New Windows-make a few into bay windows
3. Remodel Kitchen-huge remodel knocking down a wall etc.
4. Add crown molding throughout and replace base boards
5. Build an outdoor kitchen and sitting area

Of course, w/ the housing market in the toilet most of this will wait as we do not want to do anything that we may lose money on!

Are you still a vegetarian?

What do like most about being a mom? the Least?

If you could change one thing what would it be?

What do you most regreat not doing?

Elizabeth

I eat chicken fish and dairy. I do not eat red meat. I do cook it for my husband though and my kids love steak . We try to buy organic poultry/meat and do not eat any farm raised sea food.

I enjoy watching my children grow into healthy well adjusted little beings. However, I hate the thought of them growing up the most

This message has been edited. Last edited by: LEW,

I would stop world hunger. The thought of a hungry child kills me. The thought of a parent w/ children and not able to feed them kills me. There is no need for hunger. We should stop wars and start feeding people.

I regret not traveling more before I had children. Having children so late, I had the time and resources to do it. However, did not travel as much, internationally, as I should have.

You said you were raised by hippies. Could you expound on that more? What made your household a "hippie" one?

I love asking this one, but what is one of your most embarrassing or funny moments?

Where is your favorite place that you've traveled?

My parents are hippies in every sense of the word! My childhood was a cross between Family Ties and Darma and Greg. My father grew up in Manhattan as the son of a successful optometrist in a long line of optometrists. He graduated from Optometry school himself and is a licensed (non practicing optometrist). My mother was the daughter of a Medical Dr. and grew up on Long Island. My parents fell in love at 17 (freshman year of college.) They married at 23. My mother was a 6th grade English Teacher. They later moved to CA-where they proceeded to chase the hippy dream of communing w/ nature, spreading peace and love wherever they went. They moved to Washing State and lived on a commune w/ other hippies w/ similar backgrounds and interests. They grew their own food, built their own log cabin, wore their hair as long as it would grow and baked their own bread. When they had children (eventually 4), they named us all sorts of “far out” names and decided the world was full of corruption and they wanted to shelter our young, fragile minds from it. They began home schooling us. We were surrounded by other families dong the same thing and it did not seem odd. When I was 6 years old, we moved to FL. We lived on a 10 acre Orange Farm on a lake. My parents had many friends, most of which were dancers (modern and ballet-not exotic), musicians, poets, writers, artists etc. All my life, I was surrounded by books, music and the constant lectures of my father about making the world a better place, anti materialism, anti establishment etc. My father was a musician and a photographer (still is) and thanks to a nice trust fund was able to support his family in a comfortable lifestyle. My mother never worked outside of the home, while we were children, however, sure worked hard inside the home! My parents are now 67 years old, still vegetarians, ride their bikes 15-30 miles regularly, will not eat anything non-organic, and are in better physical shape than people ½ their age. I guess that clean living does work! While officially “retired” now, they watch our children 4 days a week and manage to keep up with them!

We always knew they expected us to live a clean life focused on family and making the world a better place. Of course, like most children and like our parents themselves, we totally rebelled and all ended up working for large corporations after college and chasing the “American Dream”. I do think there is a little Hippy in all 4 of us though if you look close enough.

OK. Embarrassing moments is easy! If I had to pick one it would be this. As a young person, I was very shy. I HATED public speaking (I do it for a living now-so very ironic). In my first speech class at UF, I had to give a 5 minute instructional speech. My heart began palpitating as I waked to the front of the room, I got dizzy and started to feel faint. As I began the speech, I began talking so fast that I started to lose my breath. This threw me into a panic and I forgot my speech. Eventually, I had to tell the professor (in front of the class) that I had to stop as I could not remember the rest of my speech! He was a very kind man and after class advised me that I could have a "do over". I explained that I hated public speaking and it really freaked me out. He gave me a few relaxation pointers (that I use to this day). I then (the next week) had to go up in front of the same class! I did O.K. well, at least I was able to finish it. I felt like such an idiot though and was VERY embarrassed .

My favorite place is NYC. I know that is not that exciting as it is right here in our own country! However, I LOVE everything about NYC. I love the culture, the fast pace, the food, shopping, people..just everything!

LEW, do you notice that ornganic food has a different taste? We have thought about trying to buy more organic foods, so I was just curious if there was any kind of a taste difference.

It actually tastes much better!

Thanks LEW!