Happy New Year!

 Adjusting to life here in the UK has been an adventure. It's definitely challenging being so far from our families and friends in the US, but we're making the most of living abroad by traveling. A lot.

We started out small, with a weekend here and there spent in London. I got to show my family the London Eye, the Natural History Museum, the Tower. We hit the Science Museum and the V&A, as well.

Little Bug has become a champion train traveler.

We spent Thanksgiving in Dublin, enjoying all the holiday lights.

We saw Hogwarts in the snow!

We saw the White Cliffs of Dover as we took the ferry to Calais.

Mont Saint-Michel was very rainy, but worth it. And the crepes were delicious.

Christmas was rough, not having our family near, but Skype helps. Juniper got a rocking moose, some Mega Bloks, and about three dozen other gifts from her grandmother and great-grandmother. Spoiled Bug!

We've made some really wonderful friends, which has gone a long way towards alleviating the homesickness. And just before 2014 came to a close, we found out that we'll be welcoming a fourth member to our family. I have high hopes for 2015.

Bye Bye Birdies

 As part of our preparations for relocating to England, we had to find a new home for our hens. It's bittersweet, we will miss them so, but luckily a chicken-savvy friend offered to take them and integrate them into her own small flock and give them a forever-home. It definitely helps knowing that they're in good hands and will have good lives without us.

Ada really stepped up and became a good alpha hen after we lost Rosie and then Ruth to predation. She always looked out for Marie.

It was nice seeing them pal around the yard together after each had lost her best flockmate. Marie had been close with Rosie, and Ada with Ruth.

We spent their last day here hanging out with them in the sunshine.

June enjoyed watching the silly chickens scratching and pecking around in the grass.

We had most of the day with them, but then it was time for last goodbyes.

It might seem overly sentimental to some, being so attached to chickens, but they were our pets and we love them. Next week we'll be saying goodbye to our rabbit, Butters. This new adventure we're about to begin is exciting, but there is a lot we have to sacrifice to get there.

Not All Men

As I was waiting for the bus one evening, a trio of muscular, obviously inebriated, young men sauntered up to me and slurringly asked if I wanted to come back to their place and "drink some alcohol". I froze, and didn't respond. After a moment, one of them said to the others "C'mon, she probably has a boyfriend." Because that would be the only logical reason for my non-response, right?

The fact is, I have no way of knowing if they were rapists or not. They were probably very nice guys who were just a little too drunk and clumsily trying to flirt. There's every chance that if I had gone with them, nothing bad would have happened. 

Problem is, I live in a culture that tells me that if I went with them and was raped or murdered, it would have been my fault. They were drunk, it was night, I didn't know them, I shouldn't have been so stupid. What did I think would happen?

AT THE SAME TIME it tells me that I'm a horrible person for assuming that they would hurt me, just because they're men. I'm a misandrist, it's not okay to assume that all men are rapists. Not all men are rapists. They were probably nice guys, and if they retaliate to my rejection by raping or murdering me, it's my fault for rejecting and bullying them.

It's my fault. If they rape or murder me. Regardless of circumstance.

This is not something that women can fix alone. We need men to fix this with us. We need you to teach your sons respect and the concepts of bodily autonomy and sexual agency. We need you to demand comprehensive sex ed, so that women aren't valued solely for their sexual purity and viewed as single-use items. We need you to call out your friends on misogyny, even when there are no women around to hear it. We need you to stand with us and demand justice, so that a man who drugs and rapes his unconscious wife for years, films it, and confesses, doesn't get off with no jail time.

Not all men rape. Not all men murder. But all men have a responsibility and obligation to stop the ones who do. We need our male allies to tell other men who make rape jokes to stop. We need our male allies to care enough to stand up to other men who express misogynistic views. We need our male allies to get that so many women experience rape, assault, and intimidation at the hands of other men, instead of getting angry at women who say they are afraid of men.

Please don't decide that this isn't your problem because you don't hurt women. Please don't decide this is only your problem because you feel offended when women say they are afraid of men.

I'm going to keep paraphrasing Margaret Atwood, because the importance of her words cannot be overstated:

Men are afraid women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them. #yesallwomen

Further reading from Slate:

 http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2014/05/27/not_all_men_how_discussing_women_s_issues_gets_derailed.html

From Eric Ravenscraft:
http://ericravenscraft.kinja.com/free-advice-for-guys-reading-about-the-ucsb-shooting-s-1581401068

From Feministe in 2012:

http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2012/01/04/why-yes-but-is-the-wrong-response-to-misogyny/
"When the topic of misogyny comes up, and men change the subject, it trivializes misogyny.

When the topic of misogyny comes up, and men change the subject, it conveys the message that whatever men want to talk about is more important than misogyny.

When the topic of misogyny comes up, and men change the subject to something that’s about them, it conveys the message that men are the ones who really matter, and that any harm done to men is always more important than misogyny.

And when the topic of misogyny comes up, and men change the subject, it comes across as excusing misogyny. It doesn’t matter how many times you say, “Yes, of course, misogyny is terrible.” When you follow that with a “Yes, but…”, it comes across as an excuse. In many cases, it is an excuse. And it contributes to a culture that makes excuses for misogyny."

Batman Dress

When I was pregnant, and we weren't telling anyone the sex of the baby, a dear friend made this amazing Batman layette set for us. Juniper has finally grown into it, and Mother's Day seemed the perfect opportunity to take it out for a whirl!

It's so gorgeous. Danielle hand-embroidered the bonnet with the Bat-signal. There are even little booties that say "BAM!" and "POW!" The bloomers have ruffles on the back.

She's pretty much going to be living in this until she grows out of it.

Photography fun!

I've been having loads of fun the past couple months since I started doing shoots!

 My favorite shot from last week's Mother's Day session.

As you can see, mostly little ones. It is the season for babies, and Mother's Day is fast approaching!
I've been having fun with my own little Bug, too.

She is the most photogenic baby.

And she has teeth now! That teething business is brutal. I would be upset, too, if the bones in my head were trying to force their way out through my face.

So many preparations still to make for our big move across the pond! In less than two months, we will be standing on British soil. It's kind of surreal to think about.

Introducing Bird Hearts Bug Photography!

After spending some time in front of the lens, I've decided to try branching out into doing some photography of my own! Mr. Bear spoiled me this past Christmas by getting me some photography equipment, and we turned the guest room into a studio of sorts. It started from a desire to continue with my pinup work as a compliment to my burlesque performing, but having trouble getting in with the pinup photographers. I figured why not set up a little studio and take my own pinup shots? DIY is kind of my thing.

 A Valentine-themed boudoir shoot.


My beautiful friend graciously allowed me to practice on her, and after a particularly productive afternoon, I had a collection of seventy edited photos for her to give her fiance on Valentine's Day. They were both pretty pleased with the results, so I'm heartened.
I'm hoping that there will be enough of a market at our next duty station for me to do more shoots. They're a lot of fun, and I'd like to be able to support my photography equipment habit! Backdrops are expensive.

Family shoot outdoors. The frost was so gorgeous that day.

My sweet chubby little pumpkin.


We'll see how it goes. I have a few more projects in the works, but I really have no idea how to go about marketing or building a clientele. I am enjoying the process a lot, though!

Check out Bird Hearts Bug Photography's Facebook page for updates! I'd be chuffed if you'd give it a like!

Junebug's Half-Birthday

So it's been six months since my life completely changed forever. It has been wonderful and amazing, and we're so in love with our little girl.

I was so puffy!

First family portrait.

She was so tiny!

We celebrated by giving her some of the homecanned applesauce we made a few months ago after a trip to Greenbluff. She seems to like it, though is a bit unsure.

My beautiful daughter.

She continues to be a delight every single day, and I'm loving watching her learn and explore her world.