Videos

Dragonfly Rock Art

~ katiebonn ~ 1 Comment

 

Since our new school relies on parent participation, with each family expected to work one shift per week per child, I’ve been leading an art enrichment in R’s class every Wednesday. It’s a lot of work and can be stressful at times, but I’ve come to realize that I do it as much for me as I do for them. This past decade as a SAHM/writer has made me realize that I need meaningful work. Not paid work, necessarily (hello privilege!), but meaningful work for mental health.

So as soon as the school closed, I shifted from classroom planning to remote planning: how to demonstrate over video, what supplies might parents have at home, what supplies can be made using items parents are likely to have at home, how long will it take for me to get over my fear of being in front of the camera?

For the first remote project, I decided to start with something that would be fun for me to make and not stress about technique or how best to make a fool of myself in a recording that will last millions of years and one day be studied by anthropologists eager to understand culture during the 2020 pandemic.

We had been working on painting rocks, especially with bugs and flowers, in previous weeks so I went with a demo of a dragonfly. I searched for a model to work from and found this dragonfly rock. (I’m not affiliated with the Etsy shop, just liked the pic.)

I’m hoping to find more time to make videos between schoolwork meltdowns, writing my novel at a consistent snail’s pace and scolding my parents for leaving the house. Maybe I’ll even show my face and do some awkward talking.

How have you kept up with meaningful work during #stayhome2020?

Fun With Paperclips

~ katiebonn ~ 1 Comment

I watched the above video recently, after a friend sent me the link. Sir Ken Robinson makes many keen observations about the public school system that leaves me, once again, wondering not only about my education and how it affected my current success, but also about what to do about my son’s education. There are too many reactions to the whole presentation swimming around in head for me to embark on an intelligent discussion of it now, but I did find myself clinging to one small piece that is worthy of discussion now.

How many uses can I think of for a paperclip? Continue reading →

10 Things I Won’t Miss About Being Pregnant, Part II

~ katiebonn ~ 2 Comments

I had started a post months back relating the things that I would not miss about being pregnant. I wasn’t able to finish the second half by the time Sidd was born and afterwards…well, for a while there I was lucky to find the time to eat and shower, not to mention sleep. Now that things have calmed down a bit (Sidd is two months old already!) I have bits of time here and there during which I can reflect on how great it is to be un-pregnant. Continue reading →

Does Holding Your Baby Make You a Bad Person?

~ katiebonn ~ 7 Comments

I don’t usually post on Thursdays unless I’m running a little behind, but since I missed Monday of this week, I think I can swing a little bonus post.

Today someone posted on Freecycle asking for a Baby B’Air flight vest. I didn’t know what it was and since I’m more aware of baby products lately, I was curious. After a quick search on the Google I found a Youtube video.

Two questions: Continue reading →

Permanent Marker Could Save Your Life

~ katiebonn ~ 2 Comments

At the New Years Eve party I told Elizabeth that I would post this video because it’s hilarious. It also happens to be a fun way to learn about the cultural significance behind certain adornments of Indian women.

The commercial came up because we were discussing whether I still wore sindoor (red powder) on the part in my hair as a symbol of my marriage. I did stop wearing it a while ago as I always knew I eventually would. I have a hard time keeping up with daily habits and too many people asked me if I had hurt myself. Basically, It just got to be too much of a hassle.

Despite this, I’m sure I will pick up the habit again the next time we are in India. At least then I won’t have to deal with the questions and I’ll definitely get daily reminders from family. Plus, I’m already used to being stared at constantly when I’m there so it’s not like it will make people stare at me any more than they already do.

Enjoy the video and feel free to take this opportunity to ask me about marrying into an Indian family, our trip to India, or any other related topics. As I always say, people love to talk about themselves. ;o)

You Don’t Live in a Police State? Guess Again.

~ katiebonn ~ 6 Comments

I’m a bit tardy in posting this due to the holiday, but as it’s important to discuss it and will remain important to remember for years to come, I’m bringing it up again, even though some may unfortunately already feel it’s old news.

Apparently, someone within the Twin Cities local government felt it was within their rights to threateningly enter the homes of innocent people against whom they have no evidence of wrongdoing and proceed to terrorize said people at gunpoint and apparently a judge agreed with them.

Make no mistake, they were indeed terrorizing them. Speaking as someone who has been harassed by a group of police officers, I can tell you without hyperbole that it is terrifying to be forced to listen to the taunting jeers of those with unquestionable authority, especially when they’re armed. I can only imagine how much worse it would be if they forced their way into my home (where I generally hope to feel safe) dressed in riot gear, refused to show a warrant, handcuffed me while I stared speechless at the barrel of a semi-automatic weapon, and forced me to lie on the ground while they referred to each other as the “terminator” or the “exterminator”.

This is NOT a Republican issue and please do not do yourself the disservice of assuming it is. The point is that “democratically” elected officials have the power to do this and we do not believe we have the power to stop them. This is not the behavior of the governing body of a true democracy. This is the behavior of a state in which the government and the people are separate.

Please also do not make the mistake of thinking that this will not happen to you because you are law abiding. Again, there was no evidence against these people. Maybe you assume you will not be the victim of this kind of abuse because you do not put yourself in the position these people did by planning to exercise their rights to assemble and speak freely? Then I ask, are you willing to give up those rights? What happens when you do find yourself faced with a situation in which you feel you need to speak out?

These immoral raids only serve as a reminder that you’re safe, as long as you remain complacent.

The text links in the article I’ve copied below won’t work so check out the original article from Salon.com for more details. Videos are embedded. Continue reading →

Virgin America Makes Less Boring Flights

~ katiebonn ~ 1 Comment

Having recently taken a flight to MN with NWA and being an avid traveler, I can say with some authority that Virgin America runs a comfortable ship. Our trip started with a personal greeting from one of our flight attendants who made rounds of the lounge introducing herself and shaking hands. Although not a terribly meaningful gesture for a 5.5 hour flight of hundreds of people, it was still a nice touch.
Continue reading →