tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21107566863768817812024-03-14T00:31:10.337-07:00Bats in the BelfryC.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-83667690004882157922010-08-25T11:29:00.000-07:002010-08-25T11:36:47.476-07:00i hate marathons<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Having faith is easy when all of our needs - and even most of our wants - are being met. We readily attribute our blessings to God when things are good and we feel satisfied about our lives' direction.<br /><br />Exercising faith in the midst of suffering, loss or hardship - living it when our hearts' are breaking, or our needs are not being met, or our very souls are engulfed in cavernous doubt - that is really just the beginning when it comes to living a life of faith. The only thing we can do when we hit the wall in a long race is to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Some days we have to make one of two choices: to drop out of the race, or to trust God even though we are not sure there is still reason to have faith.<br /><br />Some days pushing forward is all there is.<br /></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-30146369873117532012010-07-06T18:30:00.000-07:002010-07-06T19:32:19.262-07:00This Summer - or BUST!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);">It's been too long, my friends. But hey- it's not like I get paid for this gig!<br /><br />We've moved twice in the past three months and I still have a bunch of junk to sort. We did take 800 lbs. of junk to the landfill and another couple hundred to Goodwill but there's still TOO MUCH STUFF. My thought process is that it should all be accounted for "in case anything should happen to me/us". I would hate for my relatives to have to deal with the rest of the misc. junk. that is currently piled in the garage. Ugh.<br /><br />Clean sweep, here I come!<br /><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 153, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><b><span style="font-size:x-small;">"Remember, stress does not come from being busy. Stress comes from being busy about things we don't want to do, or from not being busy about things we do want to do."<br /> --Patricia Sprinkle, Women Who Do Too much</span></b></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-62766651711659300632010-02-24T22:47:00.000-08:002010-02-24T23:07:46.913-08:00"BUH-leted!"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__uwFKklWthg/S4YfStVplbI/AAAAAAAAALk/7_w6aii69oU/s1600-h/sbemail20.PNG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 231px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__uwFKklWthg/S4YfStVplbI/AAAAAAAAALk/7_w6aii69oU/s320/sbemail20.PNG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442071605992330674" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I'm with Strong Bad on this one. My stupid <span style="font-style: italic;">Inbox</span> for my email had over 1,500 messages in it. I just quit checking email all together - it was like opening one of those closets where everything barrels out onto your head when you open the door. Since I've been decluttering everything else in my house I decided that the <span style="font-style: italic;">Inbox</span> was no exception. Without a second glance I deleted page after page of emails grunting, "BUH-leted!" in great satisfaction every time. If you are having a crappy day and want a quick pick-me-up I highly recommend this as a form of therapy. I guarantee that if you clean out your house, your car and your <span style="font-style: italic;">Inbox,</span> you will also lose at least 10 lbs. It's easy! "Buh-lete" it today!<br /></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-3746469620344137062010-02-13T16:24:00.000-08:002010-02-13T16:59:26.560-08:00Government Cheese<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 255);">Sorry it's been so long! We're back to having no Internet due to the spending freeze here at the homestead. "Involuntary simplicity" and all that bit...<br /> <br />There are days when I wonder if we are part of some strange social experiment: we are now familiar with things such as "short sales" and foreclosure; "Self-Sufficiency" Programs a.k.a. "Food Stamps"; and other services offered by the state or federal government.<br /><br />We are considering a tenement on wheels after the bank boots us out of the house so we'll be embracing the simple life on a whole other level. <br /><br />I find it somewhat amusing that we still believe in God at this point. (Yeah, yeah there are worse things to go through in life - I know that.) Every time we check the mail and get another buttload of bills I laugh. We can't pay most of them and God has decided to go to Tahiti for vacation or something. That's where I would be if I had thousands of people whining at me that they can't pay their bills. Sure, He throws us a bone once in awhile but mostly, this is one of those <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm-going-to-test-your-faith</span> type of deals. Last year the ongoing discussion between God and I was whether I was going to be Jonah or Job. Jonah, the disobedient whiner or Job, the guy with so much faith, who went through so much crap, and still chose to say, "Though He slay me yet I will praise Him." This year our ongoing discussion is about Moses and the constantly complaining Israelites he was stuck with for 40 years out in the desert. Talk about the worst job ever. I do not envy old Mo that's for sure. <br /><br />"Do you trust Me? What if I only give you enough for that day and no more? Will you still trust Me?" <br />What if it doesn't seem like He is providing? (Because it doesn't seem like it) All I know is that I do NOT want to spend 40 years wandering around in the desert like those guys did.<br /><br />What if the only thing God ever chooses to provide is a van down by the river?<br />What then?<br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-87941918181042363372009-10-13T00:08:00.000-07:002009-10-13T01:04:37.785-07:0010-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1<span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It's hard to believe that we're on the homestretch with this pregnancy-- or what I like to call the "fat-guy-in-a-little-coat" time. Funny how even most of the maternity shirts do not seem to quite stretch far enough. Thank goodness most women do not have hairy bellies!<br /><br />Most likely this kid will be arriving on <span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Oct. 21st</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">.</span> Due to <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/placenta-previa/DS00588">placenta previa</a> the doc. has me down for a C-Section. I cannot say that I'm looking forward to that although I was not looking forward to labor and delivery anyway. (who does, really?) I keep telling myself that it will be OK. Most days that works but some days the reality of it seems rather terrifying. It is a <span style="font-style: italic;">major</span> surgery, after all, with a fairly long recovery time. I mean, it's not like they can pull a kid out laparoscopically.<br /><br />I really should ask the doc if they can do just a little liposuction while they're at it. Can't hurt to ask, right?<br /><br />We will have one last ultrasound the day before to see if the placenta has moved any but if not we'll be up and at the hospital at 5:30 AM on Wed. Yep, I am definitely a little scared about it now that I think about it. No thinking about it. Go to your happy place.<br /><br />Other than that, I've been tempted to quit leaving the house due to the onslaught of, "Aren't you ready to pop yet?!" questions. Really. No more of the popping. Do I look like Orville Redenbacher? I do not recall any popping going on those other two times. Burning maybe, scorching even, but no popping.<br /><br />So, there you have it.<br /></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-91057596446941391802009-08-19T13:35:00.000-07:002009-08-19T14:15:44.546-07:00two dollars - I want my two dollars!<span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Man, did I hit the wall yesterday or what? I have not faced that level of sheer depression for a long while.<br /><br />A friend of ours told us about this church in California where the pastor challenged everyone to get rid of all but 100 things (not including furniture & necessities) in order to live more simply and have more time to do the things God is calling them to do. I don't think I could pare things down that far...<br />All night the other night I kept waking up hearing, "100 things, 100 things." It was eerily reminiscent of the newspaper boy on the movie <span style="font-style: italic;">Better Off Dead</span>: "Two dollars, I want my two dollars!" as he stalked John Cusak's character on his bmx bike chanting the refrain over and over.<br /><br />"I can't do it! Leave me alone! Leave me alone! I'm trying to sleep!" <br />No wonder I felt like crap the next day.<br /><br />Because we are now having to show the house ("Hi! Welcome to the bat cave!") we kind of need to clear out a lot of this crap. I've been going through Peter Walsh's book & workbook, <span style="font-style: italic;">It's All Too Much!</span> in order to keep myself on track. He's the guy who has been on the show Clean Sweep and he's also been on Oprah helping some of those hardcore hoarders clean out their homes. Walsh says: </span></span></span></span><strong style="font-style: italic;"></strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204); font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">My clients say things like, </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://www.oprah.com/article/home/homeimprovement/20081124_expert_messyhousetour">"I was buried under all that stuff," "I was drowning," "I feel like I'm suffocating."</a><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204); font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> We use those metaphors because clutter robs us of life. It robs us socially, when we're too embarrassed to have people over. It robs us spiritually, because we can't be at peace in a cluttered home. And it robs us psychologically, by stealing our ability to feel motivated in our space.</span><br /><br />I couldn't agree more- after awhile it starts to take psychic bites our of your soul. I read the book<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alchemist-Paulo-Coelho/dp/0061122416/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250715914&sr=8-1"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></a>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Alchemist</span>, a couple weeks ago and when I sat down to journal about it a few days later I realized that I had "lost myself" so to speak, and couldn't even remember what my dreams were. It might sound weird but I have literally gotten lost in all of the excessive clutter in my home. I don't work well in a messy environment. Even when I cook, I usually do all the dishes first and straighten up my workspace.<br /><br />Not only do we need to show the house but I also want to get all this done before the baby is born because I know it's not gonna happen then. I guess it just started to feel completely overwhelming. Being the firstborn perfectionist that I am, it's even worse.<br /><br />The only thing I wrote for a journal entry yesterday was:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"How do you eat an elephant?</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">One bite at a time."</span><br /><br />Now I need to go get rid of 100 things and peg that newspaper boy with a BB gun.<br /></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-9620496669251969512009-08-18T20:44:00.000-07:002009-08-19T13:34:40.051-07:00+ -<span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"It was the best of times and the worst of times."</span><br /><br />I cannot improve upon the eloquence of Charles Dickens. He has summed up my life in that one sentence.<br /><br />I feel like I am standing on the edge of a cliff and I can't go backwards- I can only go forwards and I don't want to. Normally, when someone stands on the edge of the Grand Canyon they oooh and ahhh over it's majestic beauty and sheer size. I have been walking along the edge for days now and have reached the conclusion that the only way to get across is to climb down one side and up the other. I am absolutely filled with trepidation and despair at the thought of such a huge undertaking. I don't have a mule; I'm 7 months pregnant; and it's dang hot out there. It's me and my 1 liter Camelback.<br /><br />Life itself is OK. Or maybe I'm in denial.<br /><br />-The girls are healthy and so am I.<br />-I have health insurance and a good doctor/midwife.<br />-We have food and shelter.<br />-The community garden is huge and we can go pick things from it every day.<br />-We have supportive family and friends.<br /><br />And then the parts I am trying to ignore:<br />-We are beginning the process of short-selling our house.<br />-We need to reduce the volume of stuff we own by at least half and it is in a giant jumble in our room and in the garage.<br />-My dear husband is facing medical problems with no stinking health insurance.<br />-We don't have enough income to cover everything and haven't for months.<br />-When we move out of this house we might be living in an RV.<br />-Oh yeah, and the Jeep's transmission konked out.<br /><br />I don't even want to get out of bed in the mornings. And no, I don't want to hear about how much tougher some orphan in Rwanda has it; or the fact that thousands of others in our country are facing similar things. That trick isn't working right now.<br />I'm not gonna lie to you - the past couple years have been rough and I am tired. The towers of doom stacked in my garage are sucking the life out of me and I want them gone. It's like a vampire cave out there.<br /><br />Hope your year is going better than mine.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-58337130506154914292009-08-04T23:44:00.000-07:002009-08-05T00:41:56.234-07:00The Doctrine of Heebie-Jeebies<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I was talking to someone about a church "denomination" recently and they expressed the hope that it was "fundamental holiness" in doctrine. This is the doctrine that I grew up with and still that of the person I was conversing with. I had never referred to it as such so it took me a few minutes to compute the meaning of those words.<br /><br />Those two words: fundamental and holiness make my skin crawl.<br /><br />Lord knows I've tripped over enough fundamentals to last me a lifetime. As for holiness, well that's just another way of saying that the doctrine is "works-driven". As in, "work out your salvation in fear and trembling." While I agree with the Apostle James that, "faith without works is dead," I tend to view that sentiment as another way of saying that actions speak louder than words when it comes to claiming faith. What I remember from my childhood church years is not so much actions based on faith but rather judging of others based on <span style="font-style: italic;">principles</span> of faith. If there is one thing that I have utter contempt for among humans it is when principles are valued over people. <br /><br />The phrase "they should know better" seemed to come up a lot in conversation when I was growing up. Even today I judge myself when I make mistakes based on the fact that I "<span style="font-style: italic;">should</span> know better." It is a graceless existence and, no doubt, has fueled the depression that I often struggle with. Worse is when I extend this graceless viewpoint to others because "they should know better" too. Then I really feel miserable. How the heck do I know if they should know better or not? Maybe they sincerely do <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> know know better!<br /><br />As holocaust survivor and Christ-follower, Corrie ten Boom once said, <span style="font-style: italic;">"If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. but if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest!"</span> Why? Because Jesus offers grace and forgiveness not a pile of guilt and shame. "Holiness" doctrine or not we simply cannot EVER measure up to be on God's level. No one can. Not even Billy Graham. God offers the hope that, in spite of our struggles and failures He <span style="font-style: italic;">can</span> and He <span style="font-style: italic;">will</span> make it right in our lives and best of all, He does not need our help in order to do so, just our permission and admittance as to where we went wrong. Sure, sometimes we have to actually do something more than just saying we are sorry - we have to make reparations to others because it shows that we love and respect them and that has everything to do with faith and love.<br /><br />I'm sure someone can point out to me where I am wrong and <span style="font-style: italic;">should know better</span> about the "fundamental holiness" movement - I'm just calling it like I've seen it. Moreover, I have no desire to join back up with that particular movement after the dozens of self-help books I've invested in and read trying to get that particular thorn out of my side.<br /><br /></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-62896272425662713732009-08-04T23:38:00.000-07:002009-08-04T23:44:12.036-07:00VeganSchmegan<span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">So much for saving my soul by becoming vegan. I'm sure that some manage to be vegan while pregnant but I am just too dang hungry to make it happen. Being vegan requires a lot of practice and discipline - it's a total life change. I will go back to it I'm sure but not right now. <br />Guess I'll have to hold off on wearing that plantasaur t-shirt, aye?<br /></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-7930320844860563212009-05-12T19:43:00.000-07:002009-05-12T20:02:40.038-07:00Boy or Girl?<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We went in for a check-up today but no amnio yet or ultrasound. Hopefully in a few weeks we will know if it's a boy or a girl. We will also know if he or she will be a card-carrying member of <a href="http://www.thearc.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=209">the ARC</a> . Not that there's anything wrong with that! I just want to know ahead of time. :o)<br /><br />So, what do you think:<br />for a boy: Kelikoa'elakauaikekai (rain sparkling on the sea)<br />for a girl: Uakinimakalehua (rain of countless lehua blossom faces)<br /><br /><br /></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-18754050135228664142009-05-07T01:08:00.000-07:002009-05-07T00:08:32.126-07:00mmm hmm... Can I get an Amen?<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Dreaming<br />I was thinking/praying for a friend half-asleep or maybe mostly asleep<br />when I found myself<br />in a black gospel choir<br />Now, I've heard of speaking in tongues<br />but this,<br />this was something else altogether:<br /><br />"My sista needs help!"<br />"mmm hmm"<br />"Can I get an amen?"<br />"Yes, God, I know you can help her!"<br />"Hallelujah! Amen!"<br />"She needs a job real bad, God!"<br />echo: "She needs a job real bad,God."<br />"I know that you can hear me, God!"<br />"Yes, we know that You can hear us, God!"<br />"You're the God of miracles and we're asking for your help."<br />"Amen! Hal-le-lu-jah, Jesus!"<br /><br />It was beautiful<br /></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-13886360159447688442009-05-06T22:03:00.000-07:002009-05-06T22:24:36.325-07:00Guess It All Depends...<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">We went to the doc last month for our first pregnancy check-up.<br /><br />The doc asked if I wanted to have an amniocentesis performed because of my age. Because, she pointed out, "you will be 38 when the baby is born." At least she didn't say, "because of your advanced age," like my friend's doctor said to her.<br /><br />I will probably get the amnio because I would rather be prepared than stunned, if there is something that I would have rather known ahead of time.<br /><br />The whole thing cracked me up though. I guess 38 is pretty old.<br /></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">"Now, going to the movies, that'll be economical: one child, </span><em style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">two seniors</em><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><span style="font-style: italic;">, thanks."</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">-George Banks (Father of the Bride II)</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Do I want an amnio?</span><br /><br />I dunno, do I also get a free pack of adult diapers when the baby is born in the likely event that I will crap my pants due to my advanced age?<br /><br />That's really not a bad idea; a lot of women have that problem.<br /><br />I think I will put those on the baby registry. Does Target carry those? Maybe someone will make me a diaper cake made of Depends cause I already have cloth diapers for the kid.<br /></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-54316803266185809212009-05-06T14:56:00.000-07:002009-05-07T00:12:40.777-07:00Born Again Vegan?<span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><span>It's back to the plant-based diet for me.... and the fam. Well, so the man of the house won't be entirely converted but he will eat plant-based stuff at home. At least he's willing to do that! Which is doing a lot, I think! I secretly hope that he isn't out there gorging on giant platters of meat topped with cheese when I'm not around. He's the type who orders a double-stuffed burger... "Oh and can I get a salad instead of fries, with the dressing on the side?" Yes, I have seen him do this. It's quite comical. After I told him that fries were the devil (because of the carcinogens in deep fried foods) he quit ordering them. </span></span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><br /><br />"Let me tell you something, Toula. The man is the head, but the woman is the neck. And she can turn the head any way she wants." - Maria Portokalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding)</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><span>Don't doubt it; I have influence.<br /><br />I've decided that I'm not gonna call myself a Vegan anymore though. Maybe a Plantasaurous? Calling yourself a Vegan is like calling yourself a Christian - you might as well just tack a "wacko" sign to your forehead! How about Jesus-Follower/Plantasaurous? See, I'm not a crazy animal rights activist like those <span style="font-style: italic;">vegans</span> are - you know: those who secretly think humans should be banned from the earth so that the nice animals can take over. Let's not eat any of the sweet cuddly animals, let's just let them overpopulate the earth and eat us. Makes sense, right?</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">After reading the book, </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html">The China Study</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, a person would have to be obtuse not to change their diet.... unless he, or she, actually likes cancer, obesity, heart problems, diabetes, adult diapers - to name a few. Yeah, it's tough to ditch the John Wayne stereotype that meat and potatoes make you a healthy red-blooded American but egads... all this food hasn't improved the health of anyone. People are still dropping like flies out there or devouring mounds of cash for all the medical procedures necessary to maintain their life forces. Some people would rather pop pills or get cut open than change their diet. We in America tend to get diseases that are known as "diseases of affluence". What does that tell you? I had a Japanese roommate who put on at least 15 lbs. within 6 months of moving to the US because she started eating the American college kid diet: hamburgers & pizza.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Yes, I do sound like a zealot for health because I am. And, NO I don't want to change your diaper when you have a stroke. Change your dang diet. Really, if you are a big fat hippo don't be knockin' on my door asking for cash to fund your freakin' gastric bypass surgery. </span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >Oh, do you want fries with that?</span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br />I'm not saying that I want to live forever but I do want the quality of my life in later years to be high. Of course, many people equate eating whatever they want to quality of life. All I'm saying is that I ain't changing those peeps poopy pants when that plan doesn't work out. Hope they buy a case of diaper rash ointment or get a colostomy bag. Better yet, I will offer to drop them off in the wilds of Idaho where I hear there is a thriving wolf population. "Nice doggie. Now doggie,down, doggie! Please don't eat me. HELP! AAAAAAAAAH!" crunch, crunch, rip, rip, growl<br /><br />Seriously, at least check out <a href="http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html">The China Study</a> website even if you don't read the book. It's fascinating research! Maybe you will at least consider eating more plants. Unless you're a fruitarian.<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >"Gosh, poor carrots!" (Notting Hill)</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-78993564597001720762009-04-16T22:19:00.000-07:002009-04-16T22:51:15.277-07:00Tough.<span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">We've had a chance to regroup this past week - the pastor and I - and we may be experiencing a brighter picture soon. Or at least a lighter load. Suffice it to say, times are tough, money doesn't grow on trees, and tough times never last but tough people do. How's that for some pure cheese? Gotta love it!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">All I know is that is it good to have friends who can step into the fray and help point you in a different direction. Like my friend who said she was going to kick my ass if I didn't seek some help for depression back when I needed it. That was a good direction. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">There weren't any threats of ass-kicking this time but there were some intelligent words and helpful insights shared by this friend over the past week while we were on "retreat".</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">You mean the sky isn't falling?</span><br /></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-61740432744482171182009-03-30T15:46:00.000-07:002009-03-30T16:01:33.855-07:00Questions<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >I guess I haven't had much to say lately. Maybe there are enough blabbering bloggers out there who've said it all. I dunno. It probably has more to do with the fact that Life has presented some challenges lately. For instance:</span><br /><br /><ul style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><li style="font-weight: bold;">Exactly how long is the grace period on paying your bills before you find yourself living "off the grid" but not on purpose?</li></ul><ul style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><li style="font-weight: bold;">If you sell the good car, but the less-good car has bad brakes, how many kids can you fit on a bike? And can you still buy giant boxes of cereal at Costco and fit them on the bike too?</li></ul><ul style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><li style="font-weight: bold;">What if no one wants to buy either car?</li></ul><ul style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><li style="font-weight: bold;">At what point should you move in with your family members who also live in town or vice-versa? Or would it be better to live in a tenement on wheels?<br /></li></ul><ul style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >How fast can you get lettuce to grow in your kitchen window?</span></li></ul><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Good questions, all, and for once I do not have all the answers.</span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-41842595314802090612009-02-05T23:30:00.000-08:002009-03-30T15:45:46.787-07:00Radical Honesty Policy<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If you've been watching the new show <a href="http://www.fox.com/lietome/">Lie to Me</a>, maybe you're as fascinated as I am. Honestly, how can I get a job at the Lightman Institute? Seriously though, I actually have a copy of a book on handwriting analysis and now this show comes along about how the truth is always revealed on our faces in some form or another; handwriting analysis is much the same. If I could possess the skills to read both I would be some sort of superhero. Like, totally.<br /><br />One of the characters on the show has this policy of being radically honest at all times. Apparently, fear of rejection is not as high on his list as it is on most people's. It does help when one is a fictional character. I find his honesty to be delightfully endearing in a proverbial sense: <span style="font-style: italic;">Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. (</span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Proverbs 27:6)</span> Sure, there are other verses that talk about "love covering a multitude of sins" but I think that has more to do with forgiveness and a desire to honor others than it has to do with talking straight about things that need to be said. My best friends are people who talk straight, <span style="font-style: italic;">usually</span>. The small percentage of the time that they are not 100% honest has more to do with grace than with deceit.<br /><br />Since I do harbor at least some fear of rejection, alas I am not a fully integrated superhero yet. That fear lessens by the year (which explains why old men can wear white shoes and plaid polyester slacks) so by the time I'm 93 I will be ready to kick butts from here to Sri Lanka. If I watch all the episodes of <span style="font-style: italic;">Lie to Me</span> perhaps I will be permitted an honorary degree as a facial cues scientist. Do you need a degree to be a superhero?</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-637474351959929392009-01-25T18:44:00.000-08:002009-01-25T18:58:23.897-08:00Crazy Auntie Will Mow Down Thieves!<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-style: italic;font-family:courier new;" >Somebody Stole my Auntie's Christmas Lights!!</span><br /><span id="toolcolumn"></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span id="toolcolumn"><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/photos/sigeske-display-hawaiian-2270585-decorations-tiki"><img src="http://images.ocregister.com/newsimages/2008/12/31/b78450712z120081231084729000g3nfsun11_md.jpg" border="0" width="230" /></a></span></h2> <h2><span id="toolcolumn"></span></h2> <h2><span id="toolcolumn"></span></h2> <h2><span id="toolcolumn"></span></h2> <h1 style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-style: italic; font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Theft of tropical holiday display a deep personal loss for</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> family</span></h1> <h2 style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-style: italic; font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Leilani Sigeske is hoping for the return of Hawaiian-themed items she hoped would cheer up her Irvine neighborho<span id="toolcolumn"></span>od.</span></h2> <div style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-family:courier new;" class="byline"><span style="font-size:85%;">By SEAN EMERY</span></div> <div style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-family:courier new;" class="source"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Orange County Register</span></div> <span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span type="start" inlinediv="false" style="font-family:courier new;"></span></span> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">IRVINE – Leilani Sigeske had hoped her Hawaiian-themed holiday display would spread the good cheer the deeply personal decorations had brought to her da<span id="toolcolumn"></span>rkest times.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">But those hopes were dashed with the recent theft of several 6-foot tiki god statues, pink flamingos and plastic fish from the Sigeske's front lawn. </span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Now, the family is left wondering why a display meant to bring laughter in the midst of a dreary economic time became a target for thieves.<span id="toolcolumn"></span></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The Sigeske's have adorned the lawn of their Northwood home with what Leilani described as "silly" decorations for several years, but this season's display seemed to hit a chord with the neighbors, she said.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"This year really sucks for a lot of people and we really thought we were doing something good for the neighborhood," Sigeske said. "People actually came over with food thanking me for putting up the display."</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Drawing heavily from her own Hawaiian heritage, Sigeske avoided the traditional "winter wonderland" themes of many holiday displays, instead creating a tropical paradise complete with palm trees swaying in the wind, lighted sea creatures, a fire-breathing dragon wearing a Santa hat, a Hula Girl and the ever-present tiki gods. Anchoring the display were signs reading "Mele Kalikimaka," Hawaiian for "Merry Christmas."</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Many of the items, including those stolen, had an intensely personal connection for the Sigeskes. Bill bought them to cheer up Leilani, who suffers from Lupus, during several serious health scares.<span id="toolcolumn"></span></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"I was so sick, and he would come back home with this stupid item that made me laugh so much," Sigeske said. "They were in the family for years, and I would look at them and think about how I almost died. But no matter how bad I felt it always made me laugh."</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The theft apparently took place during the evening hours of Dec. 19, Sigeske said. While no one got a look at the suspects, several neighbors reported hearing a truck pull up in front of the house. </span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Due to the size of the decorations, partic<span id="toolcolumn"></span>ularly the tiki gods, she believes several people must have taken part in the theft.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The family kept the rest of the display up for a week, hoping that the thieves would return the stolen items. But, nothing has yet been returned, and they plan to finally take down the rest of the tropical decorations th<span id="toolcolumn"></span>is week.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Despite the setback, Sigeske vows that they will put the display back up next year, no matter what.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"I'm going to sit out there with a shotgun and mow down anything that slows down," she joked.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">She also offered her own warning to the thieves about the karmic dangers of their actions.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"You do not take a tiki god, because it is bad luck. It is like sacrilegious in the Hawaiian culture," Sigeske said. "They should have taken anything else."</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Anyone with information about the stolen items can call the Irvine police at 949-724-7000.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-family: courier new;"></span><br /></span></p>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-60287438728617843582008-12-28T19:29:00.000-08:002008-12-29T14:31:30.175-08:00Compare and Despair<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Was just checking my email - finally - and got one of those update letters that sounds like some sort of braggadocious "I'm almost as awesome as Mother Teresa" type deals:<br /><br />"We're saving the souls of shop-a-holic desperate housewives;<br />We're rescuing all the dudes living in vans down by the river;<br />We're hand-quilting baby blankets made from used training pants and burlap coffee sacks and sending them to naked heathens in the tropics;<br />We're leaving tracts about Jesus in <span style="font-style: italic;">every</span> public bathroom in our city;<br />In short, we are the wonder-children of our town and our mom has the bumper sticker to prove it!<span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br />Well, I am not doing any of that stuff but I did, in my shallow way, add red and blue streaks to my hair. I wonder if that counts as doing a good deed so that my stylist could afford Christmas presents? But seriously, I got depressed for a minute reading the "top 10 good deeds list" in that email. You know how it is - you start thinking that you've got to be a superstar too - next thing you know, you're face-down in a vat of red wine singing UB40 songs.<br /><br />Then I came to my senses and thought, "Feeling like an inadequate failure in comparison to those guys is stupid. Now I'm going to go look at cupcake blogs and feel happy: <a href="http://vegancupcakes.wordpress.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Yay! Cupcakes!!</span></a></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> so there."<br /><br />I might even make some tomorrow and give a couple to a dude who lives in a van down by the river. Maybe I should throw in a bobble-head Jesus for his dashboard and one of those "Christian" t-shirts, like the orange one that says, "Jesus' Pieces".<br /><br />All I know is that if my cupcakes don't turn out like the pictures in my cookbook I am really going to be pissed.</span></span></span><a href="http://vegancupcakes.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></span></span></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-39185374046805873812008-11-30T20:41:00.000-08:002008-11-30T21:38:56.640-08:00Christmas Music: CENSORED!!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);">Oh boy! It's December and time for the annual slide down into holiday insanity. I am one of those geeks who listens to the all-Christmas-music radio station and I have a few tips as to how to make the holiday season better:<br /><br />No really, I can't even tell you how much better radio would be without these songs:<br /></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">* <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Same Old Lang Syne</span></span>" by: Dan Fogelberg - You know the one:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> "Met my old lover in the grocery store</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> The snow was falling Christmas Eve</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> I stole behind her in the frozen foods</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> And I touched her on the sleeve..." </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > <br />In my opinion this song should <span style="font-style: italic;">never</span> be played again. It should be given a closed-casket ceremony and laid to eternal rest. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"><br />* Absolutely no</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Mannheim Steamroller</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);">. None. That cheesy synthesizer music belongs in a</span> pink padded cell <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);">in the 70's, 80's, 90's and so forth.</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"><br />* <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">"</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Where Are You Christmas?</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">"</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);">This song is OK when Cindy Lou Who sings it on the Grinch but when that grown lady sings it (you know who you are, Faith Hill) it's like, "SHUT UP and get some freakin' prozac already, woman!!"<br /><br />* This is more of a personal preference but can we limit the number of <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Beach Boys</span> tunes that are being played?<br /><br />* Don't forget about WHAM!: George Michael belting out <span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">"Last Christmas I gave her my heart..." </span> </span> Spare us. Keep a blog instead, dude.<br /><br />No offense <a href="http://www.delilah.com/home/home.html">Delilah</a> and John Tesh but I'm just gonna have to change the station when that stuff is being played. I can't afford to up the dosage on my meds so turn that racket down!<br />Love your show!<br /><br />Delilah, that is.<br /><br />John, "<a href="http://www.tesh.com/ittrium/visit?path=A1xc797x1y1xa5x1x76y1x2449x1x9by1x244ex1y5xc64ex5x1">qwerty tummy</a>?" For reals?<br /><br /><br /></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-51489785381272275632008-11-13T22:10:00.000-08:002008-11-13T22:40:49.711-08:00Top 10 Reasons to Become a VEGAN<span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />1. No more handling raw meat! YAY!<br /><br />2. Losing weight. (so I hear!)<br /><br />3. It can get your blood sugar levels back to normal and reduce high<br /> cholesterol, to mention a few health benefits.<br /><br />4. You get to try out a whole bunch of yummy new recipes.<br /><br />5. You get to use all kinds of weird food items that you've never used before:<br /> kombu, mellow miso paste, kudzu, egg replacer, nori, tempeh, amaranth,<br /> shoyu, mochi, tamari paste... oh boy!<br /><br />6. You get to eat salad and bread for breakfast when you forget to bring your<br /> own darn food when eating out.<br /><br />7. People admire your dedication and tenacity (secretly they think you are<br /> whacked!).<br /><br />8. Did I mention the hummus is homemade? More beans?<br /><br />9. The rest of your family gets food poisoning from bad burritos and you don't.<br /> (if only you could get off barf clean-up duty!)<br /><br />10. It's subversive. I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> about that!<br /></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-63661702971044333782008-06-12T16:49:00.000-07:002008-09-10T16:52:34.111-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Gone for summer vacation -</span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">see ya when the weather gets cold again!!!</span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span></span></div>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-82258341666001859382008-06-10T22:09:00.000-07:002008-06-10T23:11:29.762-07:00Sticks and Stones<span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">Today I was thinking about how Jesus called the religious nutballs some pretty harsh names: brood of vipers, hypocrites, white-washed sepulchers (fancy mausoleums full of smelly rotten corpses; in other words, you look good on the outside but inside you are putrefied). I had to laugh when I thought about the names Jesus called people. He didn't say they were <span style="font-style: italic;">like</span> vipers He said they <span style="font-style: italic;">were</span> vipers. Remember, snakes were associated with <span style="font-style: italic;">e-vil</span>. In modern day SNL speak Jesus might sound like Mike Myers calling someone the <span style="font-style: italic;">dev-il</span>.<br /><br />All of this got me thinking: we are supposed to be imitators of Christ. So when do we get to start calling people names like He did? Mark Driscoll rips on people who talk about Jesus like He was some lily-livered diaper-wearing pansy. For sure, those pale-skinned blue-eyed Jesus pictures are retarded.<br /><br />I'm not going anywhere with this train of thought. No "Deep Thoughts" here. Just don't be surprised if I jump up on a chair someday and tell it like it is to a few folks.<br /><br />So git yer ugly, <span style="font-style: italic;">yella</span>, no-good kiester off my property before I pump yer guts full of lead!!<br /></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-91624194234908008952008-05-03T14:22:00.000-07:002008-05-03T14:54:56.972-07:00Woof<span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">Finally the barf-fest is over and the subsequent cough and cold-fest!<br /><br />For some crazy reason we decided to adopt a stray dog. Of all the oddball breeds he is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redbone_Coonhound">Redbone Coonhound</a> like the dogs in <span style="font-style: italic;">Where the Red Fern Grows. </span>He is a friendly and easy going dog but he can't seem to understand that defecation on the carpet is unacceptable. Back to that putrescence word, eh? He also chews through leashes and other stuff in a matter of seconds. I've been working with him on doggie obedience. We are training him with voice commands as well as hand signs. The other night when it was bedtime for the little girls I gave my two-year old the command and hand sign for "lie down". She followed suit. Awesome!! So, in order to make my life less stressful I will be training all three of them the same way. Who says you can't teach little kids new tricks?! Whining? No problem! Do you three want to go out in the kennel/dog run or would you like to play dead? Bored? You can either go play ball or chew on some rawhide. Don't want to relieve yourself in the right place? I suggest that you don't urinate where you sleep. Want to sleep in my bed? No way! It's your bed or the floor! See, it's all about keeping the choices simple.<br /><br />Now I gotta go replace the Gentle Leader head collar that he chewed up.<br />I'll try to get a photo of him to post soon. He is very cute even if he is dumber than a box of hair.<br /><br /></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-42729260666386188972008-04-04T12:25:00.000-07:002008-04-04T12:29:35.173-07:00Queen of Refuse<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">This place is brimming in vomit and other forms of nastiness. The washer has been going for days though I am doubtful of its germ warfare capabilities.</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">Of course I have the dread illness as does everyone else in the house. It really ticks me off because I still have to drag my sorry carcass around the house cleaning up all the ka-ka. It’s like battling the R.O.U.S.es in the Fire Swamp.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">Meanwhile, the other adult in the house gets to go back to work in the outer world where he is expected neither to wipe people’s butts nor clean the privy after they are done using it. All this while I am trying to cram in a self-directed study of Early Childhood Education, Phonics, Classical Education & How to Keep the Home Organized While Teaching at Home. There have been moments when I’ve thought that what I’m doing at home as a mother is not important. (Shame on me!) Now that I am finally beginning to catch my stride I challenge anyone to get their regular job done and manage children at the same time. (Unless they are a teacher) I don’t have a personal assistant. I don’t have a bookkeeper or a management team. I don’t even have a team of volunteers. I do have some help with house cleaning and that was a step in the right direction.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">Sometimes you just need an epic tale to lift your spirits and remind you that there are worse things out there than copious amounts of puke and potty chairs filled with stinky goo. There’s no shortage of worse things out there as we all know.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">So I am finding inspiration from an old classic: The Princess Bride. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">Nestled among its clever script are such gems as:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">“Life <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> pain. Anyone who says otherwise is selling something.”</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">“Get some rest. After all, if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.”</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">“So <span style="font-style: italic;">Bow</span> to her… <span style="font-style: italic;">Bow</span> to the queen of slime, the queen of rubbish, the queen of putrescence…”</span><br /></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110756686376881781.post-60779388506668266492008-03-25T22:44:00.000-07:002008-03-25T23:12:58.592-07:00Voting, Schmoting: Who to Vote For & Why<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Some of need a little help when it comes to voting. For instance, many people do not have time to listen to all the political speeches or to do research on every candidate. Further, how can we be sure that what we are reading is accurate? We know that every candidate has speech-writers and spin-doctors. This makes it very difficult to separate truth from fiction. So, I've decided to help everyone out by telling you who I am voting for and why. If you want to vote for this person, I guarantee that if he gets into office he will not mess things up any more than they already are. In fact, I feel quite certain that things will improve under his direction.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What I want in a leader is: Integrity, Wisdom, Maturity, Experience, Compassion, Love, Strength & Humor. (sounds like an ad for e-harmony) While this is not an exhaustive list, these are the most important qualities.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">I happen to know two men who fit the bill. Either one of them will do a cracker-jack job of running this country which is more than I can say for <span style="font-style: italic;">any</span> of the current candidates. These men possess all of the above character traits as individuals. If one could be President, and the other Vice President, that would be even better. Between the two of them, one has served our country in the military; the other has vast experience overseas and is fluent in several languages. One has run several successful businesses of his own. The other has served in high-ranking positions within the organization that he works under. Both have spent time teaching and counseling. Both men are respected within their communities and have put in hours of volunteer work with people of all ages. Both men are straightforward and honest. Both are adept at managing conflict and mediation. Both are highly intelligent, self-motivated, hard-working individuals.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">In short, I believe that we should all vote for these two men. You can write it in on your ballot:<br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >VOTE FOR DAD!<br /><br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>C.A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15403451409729312302noreply@blogger.com1