New Pics

I don't know what he was looking at... But he seems quite riveted.




Sleeping baby...


Lola thinks she needs to be wherever J is.

I highly recommend reading this....

If There Is No God- Dennis Prager

Swimming in "Newborn" Jammies

Book List

So, I've added a new feature to my little blog- a recommended reading list. I love, love, love to read & I love to tell other people about the books that I've read. So, I thought I'd add a little (or, not so little) list of some books that I think others should read. Right now, I'm sticking with non-fiction, though I adore good fiction.

If you read or have read any of the books on my list, please let me know what you thought of them! I LOVE talking books with people! It's truly one of my favorite things to do.

More Pics

With his great-grandmother, Winnie

With his great-uncles Jim & Phillip and great-grandmother Winnie

With his Poppi

I'm sitting in my bedroom, piled up on the bed with MASH playing in the background... and my son piled up on the bed with me. I haven't quite wrapped my brain around that concept. I feel a little as if I'm in the middle of a dream...

Instead of working on the stack of 'thank you' notes looming over my life (though I've done a couple!), I've been ruminating over this little creature sleeping beside me. I love this little boy so much. Much more than he will ever know, I think. And much more than I ever thought was possible.

And it astounds me.

Everything in my life now seems to be measured with a whole new yardstick. Stuff that I once thought was so very important now seems of so little matter. I am the happiest and most contented I have ever been in my life... but, at the same time, it's a bit disconcerting, this axis tilt my world has taken. But it's a good thing... a scary, one step at a time kinda of good thing. And I am so overwhelmed with thankfulness that I get to walk this journey.

We're Home

... and we're thrilled to be here! We got home late Monday afternoon & we've been relaxing and getting used to having a new little resident in the house!Lola is reacting well to her new "baby brother." She's very interested in him &, as long as she gets some attention, she seems content. I think he fascinates her a little. (But I can understand that, he fascinates me too!)

We are very thankful to have my mom here helping out at the house right now. She's spending some nights here so Michael and I (RE: me who has been an insomniac for the last 9 months) can get some much needed rest before we jump head first into the freezing water that is taking care of a newborn 24 hours a day. Thank you, Nana.... I can't begin to express how grateful we are for your help & your willingness to help! We love you!

And now.... some pictures!

He's Here

Introducing Jacob Winston Vaughan!
7lbs. & 12 oz.
20 inches long

Well, the little Mister Man has made his dramatic and long awaited entrance into this world! He's perfect in every single way! Michael and I are just crazy about him. We're in love!



Jacob and his great-grandmother, Winnie.

Jacob and his Nana Cynthia

Jacob and his Papa Pat

1 More Day!!!!

3 More Days, People!!!!!!

Yeah, so it's a quarter to 3 in the morning & I'm still awake. Fun times. I love insomnia that comes with pregnancy.

::big sigh::

I'm exhausted, but I can't sleep. Haven't been able to sleep through the night since November, but the last month or two have been murder. It's been normal for me to see 3 and 4 in the morning on a routine basis. Oy.

Well, since it's officially July 17th, I've got 8 more days till c-section day. Yea! I cannot even begin to explain the joy I feel. But, I'm knocking away at my to-do list. My mom and I have just about finished with Jacob's room. It looks wonderful. I love it. I still have to pack my bag & work some more on school work. That's the big one right now.

Friday and Sat. I have baby showers. (Which amuses me to no end, as I said originally that I probably wasn't going to have even one shower.)

Anyway- until later!

Can anyone square the so-called "Fairness Act" with the following passage?

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Just wondering....

Just a little update

So, I took little Jacob to his first politically conservative function this past Monday... Yes, yes, I know. He's not even here yet and I'm already indoctrinating him. Yes, we start 'em off early!

My mom and I went to a talk summit hosted by a local radio station, KSKY. Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, and Hugh Hewitt were the speakers. It was a lot of fun, but loooong. And the hard, plastic chairs did little for the sciatic nerve pain, but I wouldn't have missed it for anything.



Here's a pic from Monday... Me and Dennis Prager. Very. Tall. Man. I look like a hobbit standing next to him.

On to other matters, for those who are interested, Jacob's birthday should be July 25th. That's the date of the scheduled c-section. And I cannot wait. I am more than ready to have this kid on the outside of my body, thank you very much. As most who know me know, I have not enjoyed the whole pregnancy experience.... at all. There are some women (my sister/cousin, Jenn) who LOVED being pregnant... and then there are people like me (and my little sister/cousin Lindsay) who do NOT LOVE being pregnant... If I've said it once, I'll say it many more times, God invented adoption for people like me.

Anyway, enough griping.

Is it 2009 yet? I am more than ready for the last half of the final season of Battlestar Galactica... I am not a naturally patient person (hush, all those of you who are snickering) and this whole 'have the mid-season finale in June and wait until 2009 to air the last episodes' thing is from the devil. But, it does give me plenty of time to indoctrinate the hubby. Silver lining, I suppose.

Friday's Random Question

Okay... here's an off the wall thought I had....

If human mothers teach their babies how to walk...
And birds teach their young how to fly...

Do fish teach their baby fishes to swim?

Anywhoo.... I now return you to your regularly scheduled day.

It's official, my body is just whacked out.

I do not have gestational diabetes... again.

So, we're kinda back to square one on what the crap is going on with me. The thought now is that, perhaps, my body is just processing carbs straight into glucose..... and that's what is going on. Oy.

And just let me take a moment to whine and complain about the bruising on my inner elbows.... OUCH! And the lovely knot that has formed from the very last stick of the day yesterday.... all I can say is that it's a good thing that one was the last one! It hurt! The tech said that the needle was the same gauge as the butterfly needles that a different tech had been using on me... I think she lied to me.....

Needless to say, none of this has done anything for my needle phobia..... except to make it worse...

Little Boy

That really is a baby... and not an alien... At least that's what the doctor tells me. :-)

I found out this past Friday why I have been sooooooo inhumanly exhausted. I'm severely anemic. Great fun. So, I get to take 325mg of iron twice a day. And..... (this one is tons of laughs) although I passed the 1 hour glucose test that screens for gestational diabetes, my doc says that I am putting out glucose in levels that are freakin' him out. So, I get the great fun and dubious pleasure of going back for the 3 hour glucose test this coming Tuesday. Oh, the joy....

But, hopefully, that will tell us what in the world is going on with my whacked out body. I told my husband that I don't know why this surprised me. Nothing ever comes easy or without "issues" with me. The bum agreed.

Carson Skit #9

Toto, where are you?

California: Where compassion replaced wisdom

It has been said that the American government is, 'of the people, by the people and for the people.'

Hmmm...
But I say, Really? Is it really?

When is the last time you felt that the people who represented you really understood you? Knew where you were coming from? Felt the same struggles you feel?...

Or, actually gave a flying rat's hiney?

KA-BOOM

BELIEVE

WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR ANY U.S. PRESIDENT, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEECH?

'My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of the Iraq regime has been completed.Since congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraq is complete.This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq This action will be complete within 30 days.

It is now time to begin the reckoning. Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom , Spain , Bulgaria , Australia , and Poland are some of the countries listed there.

The other list contains every one not on the first list. Most of the world's nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening. Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war.

THEN EVERY YEAR THERE AFTER IT'll GO TO OUR SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM SO IT WONT GO BROKE IN 20 YEARS. The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hell holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.

Need help with a famine ? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France .

In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home.

On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth. Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France or maybe China .

I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France , Germany , and Russia . Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well. Bonne chance, mezamies.

I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I don't care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world. I love New York

A special note to our neighbors.

Canada is on List 2. Since we are likely to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not upset us for a change. Mexico is also on List 2 its president and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will have a couple extra thousand tanks and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to put 'em? Yep, border security.

Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty - starting now.We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we'll be drilling for oil in Alaska- which will take care of this country's oil needs for decades to come. If you're an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to List 2 above: pick a country and move there. It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, 'darn tootin.'

Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America It is time to eliminate homelessness in America .

To the nations on List 1, a final thought. Thank you guys. We owe you and we won't forget.

To the nations on List 2, a final thought: You might want to learn to speak Arabic.

God bless America .. Thank you and good night.'

Several people have asked me what kind of cravings I've had during my pregnancy... I have to say that I really haven't had any real cravings.... other than to eat without fear of puking.... It might be fair to say that I've had more aversions than anything else.

So... with that in mind....

What My Son Will Not Let Me Consume

1. Dr. Pepper... or Coke or any soda.... this has been murder.... My son and I will have a long talk about this in the future!

2. Seafood.... especially shrimp... no shrimp for me.

3. Anything too surgary. ie: Central Market cake

4. Pork products- ie: pork loin.

5. Smoothies

6. Any of the fun coffee drinks at Starbucks

7. Orange juice.... or any other juice.

8. Beef... it's not what's for dinner for me.

9. Eggs... found this one out here recently.

10. 2% milk... it's a good thing I prefer skim.

11. Anything that's larger than a child's size portion...

President Carter

You know... it's not a really a big surprise to me that the people of the United States refused to re-elect this man... What truly astounds me, is that anyone ever took him seriously in the first place. Former President Carter has done some good things, please don't get me wrong.

But....

He again proves how dangerously naive he really is.

What is wrong with this man?

Mister Man

Face Profile
His face... kinda looks like an alien....

Go Stars!

Wheeling 2008

Grandpa, Dad, Me, Grandma
Me and Dad

Dad and Grandpa

The Birthday Boy! 88 years old!!!!!

A Timely Post

(As we are embarking on what is sure to be a less than lovely election season, I think these words are rather appropriate.... Take a moment & read.)

Farewell Address to the Nation Oval Office January 11, 1989
This was President Reagan's formal goodbye to the nation after the completion of two terms in office.3,302 words

This is the 34th time I'll speak to you from the Oval Office and the last. We've been together eight years now, and soon it'll be time for me to go. But before I do, I wanted to share some thoughts, some of which I've been saving for a long time.

It's been the honor of my life to be your president. So many of you have written the past few weeks to say thanks, but I could say as much to you. Nancy and I are grateful for the opportunity you gave us to serve.

One of the things about the presidency is that you're always somewhat apart. You spend a lot of time going by too fast in a car someone else is driving, and seeing the people through tinted glass--the parents holding up a child, and the wave you saw too late and couldn't return. And so many times I wanted to stop and reach out from behind the glass, and connect. Well, maybe I can do a little of that tonight.

People ask how I feel about leaving. And the fact is, "parting is such sweet sorrow." The sweet part is California, and the ranch and freedom. The sorrow--the goodbyes, of course, and leaving this beautiful place.

You know, down the hall and up the stairs from this office is the part of the White House where the president and his family live. There are a few favorite windows I have up there that I like to stand and look out of early in the morning. The view is over the grounds here to the Washington Monument, and then the Mall and the Jefferson Memorial. But on mornings when the humidity is low, you can see past the Jefferson to the river, the Potomac, and the Virginia shore. Someone said that's the view Lincoln had when he saw the smoke rising from the Battle of Bull Run. I see more prosaic things: the grass on the banks, the morning traffic as people make their way to work, now and then a sailboat on the river.

I've been thinking a bit at that window. I've been reflecting on what the past eight years have meant and mean. And the image that comes to mind like a refrain is a nautical one--a small story about a big ship, and a refugee and a sailor. It was back in the early '80s, at the height of the boat people. And the sailor was hard at work on the carrier Midway, which was patrolling the South China Sea. The sailor, like most American servicemen, was young, smart, and fiercely observant. The crew spied on the horizon a leaky little boat. And crammed inside were refugees from Indochina hoping to get to America. The Midway sent a small launch to bring them to the ship and safety. As the refugees made their way through the choppy seas, one spied the sailor on deck and stood up and called out to him. He yelled, "Hello, American sailor. Hello, freedom man."
A small moment with a big meaning, a moment the sailor, who wrote it in a letter, couldn't get out of his mind. And when I saw it, neither could I. Because that's what it was to be an American in the 1980s. We stood, again, for freedom. I know we always have, but in the past few years the world again, and in a way, we ourselves rediscovered it.

It's been quite a journey this decade, and we held together through some stormy seas. And at the end, together, we are reaching our destination.

The fact is, from Grenada to the Washington and Moscow summits, from the recession of '81 to '82, to the expansion that began in late '82 and continues to this day, we've made a difference.

The way I see it, there were two great triumphs, two things that I'm proudest of. One is the economic recovery, in which the people of America created--and filled--19 million new jobs. The other is the recovery of our morale. America is respected again in the world and looked to for leadership.

Something that happened to me a few years ago reflects some of this. It was back in 1981, and I was attending my first big economic summit, which was held that year in Canada. The meeting place rotates among the member countries. The opening meeting was a formal dinner for the heads of government of the seven industrialized nations. Now, I sat there like the new kid in school and listened, and it was all Francois this and Helmut that. They dropped titles and spoke to one another on a first-name basis. Well, at one point I sort of leaned in and said, "My name's Ron." Well, in that same year, we began the actions we felt would ignite an economic comeback--cut taxes and regulation, started to cut spending. And soon the recovery began.

Two years later another economic summit, with pretty much the same cast. At the big opening meeting we all got together, and all of a sudden, just for a moment, I saw that everyone was just sitting there looking at me. And one of them broke the silence. "Tell us about the American miracle," he said.

Well, back in 1980, when I was running for president, it was all so different. Some pundits said our programs would result in catastrophe. Our views on foreign affairs would cause war. Our plans for the economy would cause inflation to soar and bring about economic collapse. I even remember one highly respected economist saying, back in 1982, that "the engines of economic growth have shut down here, and they're likely to stay that way for years to come." Well, he and the other opinion leaders were wrong. The fact is, what they called "radical" was really "right." What they called "dangerous" was just "desperately needed."

And in all of that time I won a nickname, "The Great Communicator." But I never thought it was my style or the words I used that made a difference: It was the content. I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didn't spring full bloom from my brow, they came from the heart of a great nation--from our experience, our wisdom, and our belief in principles that have guided us for two centuries. They called it the Reagan revolution.

Well, I'll accept that, but for me it always seemed more like the great rediscovery, a rediscovery of our values and our common sense.

Common sense told us that when you put a big tax on something, the people will produce less of it. So, we cut the people's tax rates, and the people produced more than ever before. The economy bloomed like a plant that had been cut back and could now grow quicker and stronger.

Our economic program brought about the longest peacetime expansion in our history: real family income up, the poverty rate down, entrepreneurship booming, and an explosion in research and new technology. We're exporting more than ever because American industry became more competitive and at the same time, we summoned the national will to knock down protectionist walls abroad instead of erecting them at home. Common sense also told us that to preserve the peace, we'd have to become strong again after years of weakness and confusion. So, we rebuilt our defenses, and this New Year we toasted the new peacefulness around the globe.

Not only have the superpowers actually begun to reduce their stockpiles of nuclear weapons--and hope for even more progress is bright--but the regional conflicts that rack the globe are also beginning to cease. The Persian Gulf is no longer a war zone. The Soviets are leaving Afghanistan. The Vietnamese are preparing to pull out of Cambodia, and an American-mediated accord will soon send 50,000 Cuban troops home from Angola.

The lesson of all this was, of course, that because we're a great nation, our challenges seem complex. It will always be this way. But as long as we remember our first principles and believe in ourselves, the future will always be ours. And something else we learned: Once you begin a great movement, there's no telling where it will end. We meant to change a nation, and instead, we changed a world.

Countries across the globe are turning to free markets and free speech and turning away from ideologies of the past. For them, the great rediscovery of the 1980s has been that, lo and behold, the moral way of government is the practical way of government: Democracy, the profoundly good, is also the profoundly productive.

When you've got to the point when you can celebrate the anniversaries of your 39th birthday, you can sit back sometimes, review your life, and see it flowing before you. For me there was a fork in the river, and it was right in the middle of my life. I never meant to go into politics. It wasn't my intention when I was young. But I was raised to believe you had to pay your way for the blessings bestowed on you. I was happy with my career in the entertainment world, but I ultimately went into politics because I wanted to protect something precious.

Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with three little words: "We the people." "We the people" tell the government what to do, it doesn't tell us. "We the people" are the driver, the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which "We the people" tell the government what it is allowed to do. "We the people" are free. This belief has been the underlying basis for everything I've tried to do these past eight years.

But back in the 1960s, when I began, it seemed to me that we'd begun reversing the order of things--that through more and more rules and regulations and confiscatory taxes, the government was taking more of our money, more of our options, and more of our freedom. I went into politics in part to put up my hand and say, "Stop." I was a citizen politician, and it seemed the right thing for a citizen to do.

I think we have stopped a lot of what needed stopping. And I hope we have once again reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts.
Nothing is less free than pure communism, and yet we have, the past few years, forged a satisfying new closeness with the Soviet Union. I've been asked if this isn't a gamble, and my answer is no because we're basing our actions not on words but deeds. The detente of the 1970s was based not on actions but promises. They'd promise to treat their own people and the people of the world better. But the gulag was still the gulag, and the state was still expansionist, and they still waged proxy wars in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Well, this time, so far, it's different. President Gorbachev has brought about some internal democratic reforms and begun the withdrawal from Afghanistan. He has also freed prisoners whose names I've given him every time we've met.

But life has a way of reminding you of big things through small incidents. Once, during the heady days of the Moscow summit, Nancy and I decided to break off from the entourage one afternoon to visit the shops on Arbat Street--that's a little street just off Moscow's main shopping area. Even though our visit was a surprise, every Russian there immediately recognized us and called out our names and reached for our hands. We were just about swept away by the warmth. You could almost feel the possibilities in all that joy. But within seconds, a KGB detail pushed their way toward us and began pushing and shoving the people in the crowd. It was an interesting moment. It reminded me that while the man on the street in the Soviet Union yearns for peace, the government is Communist. And those who run it are Communists, and that means we and they view such issues as freedom and human rights very differently.

We must keep up our guard, but we must also continue to work together to lessen and eliminate tension and mistrust. My view is that President Gorbachev is different from previous Soviet leaders. I think he knows some of the things wrong with his society and is trying to fix them. We wish him well. And we'll continue to work to make sure that the Soviet Union that eventually emerges from this process is a less threatening one. What it all boils down to is this. I want the new closeness to continue. And it will, as long as we make it clear that we will continue to act in a certain way as long as they continue to act in a helpful manner. If and when they don't, at first pull your punches. If they persist, pull the plug. It's still trust but verify. It's still play, but cut the cards. It's still watch closely. And don't be afraid to see what you see.

I've been asked if I have any regrets. Well, I do. The deficit is one. I've been talking a great deal about that lately, but tonight isn't for arguments. And I'm going to hold my tongue. But an observation: I've had my share of victories in the Congress, but what few people noticed is that I never won anything you didn't win for me. They never saw my troops, they never saw Reagan's regiments, the American people. You won every battle with every call you made and letter you wrote demanding action. Well, action is still needed. If we're to finish the job, Reagan's regiments will have to become the Bush brigades. Soon he'll be the chief, and he'll need you every bit as much as I did.

Finally, there is a great tradition of warnings in presidential farewells, and I've got one that's been on my mind for some time. But oddly enough it starts with one of the things I'm proudest of in the past eight years: the resurgence of national pride that I called the new patriotism. This national feeling is good, but it won't count for much, and it won't last unless it's grounded in thoughtfulness and knowledge.

An informed patriotism is what we want. And are we doing a good enough job teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the long history of the world? Those of us who are over 35 or so years of age grew up in a different America. We were taught, very directly, what it means to be an American. And we absorbed, almost in the air, a love of country and an appreciation of its institutions. If you didn't get these things from your family, you got them from the neighborhood, from the father down the street who fought in Korea or the family who lost someone at Anzio. Or you could get a sense of patriotism from school. And if all else failed, you could get a sense of patriotism from popular culture. The movies celebrated democratic values and implicitly reinforced the idea that America was special. TV was like that, too, through the mid-'60s

But now, we're about to enter the '90s, and some things have changed. Younger parents aren't sure that an unambivalent appreciation of America is the right thing to teach modern children. And as for those who create the popular culture, well-grounded patriotism is no longer the style. Our spirit is back, but we haven't reinstitutionalized it. We've got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom--freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise.

And freedom is special and rare. It's fragile; it needs protection.

So, we've got to teach history based not on what's in fashion but what's important: Why the Pilgrims came here, who Jimmy Doolittle was, and what those 30 seconds over Tokyo meant. You know, four years ago on the 40th anniversary of D-Day, I read a letter from a young woman writing of her late father, who'd fought on Omaha Beach. Her name was Lisa Zanatta Henn, and she said, "We will always remember, we will never forget what the boys of Normandy did." Well, let's help her keep her word. If we forget what we did, we won't know who we are. I'm warning of an eradication of the American memory that could result, ultimately, in an erosion of the American spirit. Let's start with some basics: more attention to American history and a greater emphasis on civic ritual. And let me offer lesson No. 1 about America: All great change in America begins at the dinner table. So, tomorrow night in the kitchen I hope the talking begins. And children, if your parents haven't been teaching you what it means to be an American, let 'em know and nail 'em on it. That would be a very American thing to do.

And that's about all I have to say tonight. Except for one thng. The past few days when I've been at that window upstairs, I've thought a bit of the "shining city upon a hill." The phrase comes from John Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined. What he imagined was important because he was an early Pilgrim, an early freedom man. He journeyed here on what today we'd call a little wooden boat; and like the other Pilgrims, he was looking for a home that would be free.

I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it and see it still.

And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was eight years ago. But more than that; after 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home.

We've done our part. And as I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women across America who for eight years did the work that brought America back. My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger. We made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.

And so, good-bye, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

Introducing....

Introducing the newest member of the family....

My New Car!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, that's right, the time has finally come to say goodbye to the Mighty DirtDobber & hello to the beautiful chariot that is my new car. I am so excited. I think I love this car a little more with each passing day.

Tonight I went over to Wheeling Island with my parents, Aunt Maryanne, Uncle Tom and Grandma.... I wasn't going to go originally, because they were going to go gamble at the big casino. Playing the machines is not really my favorite thing to do, but I thought I might have to some fun hanging out with my aunt, mom and grandmother.

And have some fun, I did.

I won $50 on the 5cent machines! This is was very exciting for me. The most I've ever won is $10!

The amusing part of this story is that I hardly ever gamble. My favorite place to vacation is Las Vegas, but I rarely gamble more than $10 or $20 while there.

Anyway, I cashed out immediately after winning my $50... I know better than to not quit while I'm ahead. I told my mom, "I came, I saw, I gambled, I conquered.... and then I left."

Well, I'm coming to you here from my grandparents' kitchen in beautiful Wheeling, West Virginia. My parents and I made the trek up here for Grandpa's 88th birthday tomorrow. We're having a big ol' shindig, complete with a spaghetti dinner... we wouldn't be good Italians if we celebrate (anything) without pasta.

And, when I get back home I should have a rebuilt fence (stupid April storms blowing down our fence) and a planted honeysuckle bush in the backyard! Yea!!!! Thank you, Husband for buying my new plant!!!!!!

FYI- It is so not fun to get on a plane when you're 6 months preggers and still getting morning sickness at all hours of the day and night. Just saying.... makes for a rather "interesting" flying experience, complete with plastic bags stolen from loved ones.... 'just in case!'

Lola Belle

This is my current favorite picture of her.... it just seems to capture her rare essence! :-)

Here in Camelot

Gee... wonder what they'll say...

Teachers union to decide fate of homeschooling?
Court solicits input from educators' labor groups

Obama's pastor: 'Not God Bless America, but God d--m America'

If this isn't scary, then I don't know what is...

Question

Has anyone else noticed their car mileage go down as the price of gas has gone up?

Just a little observation I've made here as of late...

“So when your backs up against the wall and there's no tomorrow, just take one day at a time, and remember the bigger they are, etcetera, etcetera.”

Plumb:

Fleetwood Mac - Landslide

This could be my all-time favorite song... I love it more and more with every year that passes.

Yeah, they fell through a bunny hole

Palestinians claim that Biblical hero Joseph was really a Muslim

(And this is one bunny hole I intend to stay far, far away from. 'Cause they're nuts!)

California Exodus

Check this out.

Say, What?!

Archbishop of Canterbury calls for Islamic sharia law to operate in Britain

Update

So, as one might guess from my last post, I think my brain is broken.... either that, or in serious need of a reboot. In other words, I'm tired. Really, really tired.

My school wraps up tomorrow... and the lovely graders just kicked back 3 assignments for me to revise... did I mention that they sent back 3 the day before yesterday? No? Well, they did. Yea. So, I'm just trying to get it all redone (again....) and sent in because I really don't want to have to finish any of it when I return in March. (Oh, yeah.... taking Feb. off.)

My laptop still isn't back.... so I'm still stuck having to use my hub's computer..... Which wouldn't be so bad if I didn't get sick (as in morning sickness) at night... Each. And. Every. Night. Fun, huh? Not that I'm complaining. Oh, wait. Yes, I am.

Let's see... the Christmas decorations are still up, inside and out. Yeah, I'm about ready to say it's Christmas all year long at our house... Leadership meeting at church...

Our middle bedroom, which will be converted into a nursery, is a disaster area.... Seriously, I don't even look in there if I don't have to.

Back to work.
Thanks for stopping by.

Can Someone Please Hit the Reboot for my Brain??

glitter-graphics.com

MasterCard MacGyver

Cause I need something to make me smile.....

Evil! Evil, I say!

Who is evil, you ask? Fry's Electronics. Trust me, DO NOT buy stuff from them. They will bend you over the table any way they can instead of dealing with warranty issues. And now, I swear to you, I think they are holding my laptop hostage.

I won't bore you with the LONG story of me trying to get my laptop fixed and them damaging it further and them refusing to fix the thing. Trust me, you would want to become one of those crazy people who stands outside of businesses with signs...

I HATE this company. Fire of a thousand suns, hate this company.

Observation

So, it's no big surprise that I love to watch history shows on tv. I'm a big history buff.

I also love watching crime shows... real ones. Here's something that I have noticed lately when I've watched shows about real-life criminals. Experts almost always try to go back into that person's life and try to find a "reason" for that particular person going nuts and committing truly evil acts. (Though, oddly enough, it never seems to occur to them that this dude or chick may just be evil... hmmm) Anyway, the favorite reason is because when the person was a child, their parent (most often a mother) was a "religious zealot"......

And what, you may be tempted to ask, is a "religious zealot" according to these experts? They read the Bible to their children every day.

Not kidding. That's where the explanation ends.

Just a little observation.

• I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship.
Louise May Alcott

Go...

Military blogger's last message.

The Major was killed January 3rd. I dare to get to the end of this blog unchanged.

Just Weird...

Does this strike anyone else as a little... um... strange??

Israel bars Jews from moving lips in prayer on Temple Mount. Even slightest 'sign' of Jewish worship prohibited at Judaism's holiest site

Worth a Read

Secular Europe or Religious America? By Dennis Prager

What a Wonderful Example

Okay... so, your 6 year old daughter wants to win tickets to a Hannah Montana show.... as her mother, what do you do? Well, if you're this mother, you tell her to lie through her teeth.

What a great example. This woman told her daughter to write an essay about how her father died in Iraq this year. And then the woman gave the contest people false information. When they were caught, the mother had to come clean. The child's father had not died in Iraq, in fact, no one with the information she gave has died in Iraq. Thankfully, the contest people decided that lying was not going to get this child what she wanted... a lesson her mother apparently missed somewhere along the way. Another child is getting the tickets.

We wonder what's wrong with our society. Why we have children and young adults who have no personal sense of right and wrong... no moral compass. It's a disgrace to be sure, but when these children have no adult over them... showing them the right way, then what do we expect? If adults are not willing to govern themselves, then how do we expect our children to? When we teach our children, by our actions and words, that the ends always justify the means... then what? When we teach them that anything goes and that there is no clear right and wrong... what do we expect to happen?

I think we loose our credibility. I know we loose our moral authority. And, in the end, when we've lost our moral compass... our ability to know and do what is right and honorable... then what do we have left? What is there left to honor and cherish? Precious little, I think.

But if you look around, there are very few around who will take any kind of moral stand.... and those who do are labeled as bigots... or worse. When did this happen? When did the idea of universal truth go by the wayside? When did we sell our souls? When did we decide that someone's feelings were more important than their moral code of conduct?... I thought what we do defines us.... not what we happen to be feeling at any given moment.

Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Christmas Song

One of my fav Christmas songs! A true classic!

Natalie grant held

One of my all-time favorite songs... Enjoy

Some Thoughts...

(Thanks, Mom.)


Number 9 Life is sexually transmitted.

Number 8 Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

Number 7 Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.

Number 6 Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.

Number 5 Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.

Number 4 All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

Number 3 Why does a slight tax increase cost you $200.00 and a substantial tax cut saves you $0.30?

Number 2 In the '60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

AND THE NUMBER 1 THOUGHT FOR 2008: We know exactly where one cow with Mad-cow-disease is located among the millions and millions of cows in America , but we haven't got a clue as to where thousands of illegal immigrants and terrorists are located. Maybe we should put the Department of Agriculture in charge of immigration.

Stargate Sg1, The best clip ever.

Evanescence

Peaceful Religion... yeah, right

Crowd Calls for the Death of Jailed Teacher

It is unbelievable to me that this poor woman was convicted! People want to get up in arms about injustice??? Well, here you go. Get up in arms about this. These people are some of the worst humanity has to offer and they have the gall to say that this woman incited hate and insulted their "prophet." What a crock! All they know it hate.

All because she let her classroom full of kids name their teddy bear, Mohammad.

This is beyond crazy. This is evil.

This

Are we doing this right?

By this, I mean life... and all the stuff that gets thrown into the blender. Are we really living? Or are we just following the pattern, like a world full of over-grown lemmings?

I don't know... but I can't help but think that we've missed the boat, somewhere along the way. When is the last time any of us just stopped to ask, "Why?" Why do both of us have to work? Why do my kids need the newest and best? Why is that vacation in the new 'it' place to vacation so darn important? Will I really "just die" if I don't get the latest whatever?

What are we teaching the people around us? Perhaps, that all we care about is ourselves?

I heard it once said that you can identify some one's priorities by how they spend their money. And, I think there's something to that. I've checked myself on more than one occasion by what was written in the subject line of by check book register. We spend our money on that which we love the most. And, I think, more often than not... it's ourselves.

And in the mean time, what are we sacrificing? Who are we sacrificing?

Can Anyone Explain This to Me?

9 Year Old Suspended for "Hate Crime"

Who am I - Casting Crowns

Alrighty then,

Cross Dressing Day at School

This Poor Little Boy

Student defends his teacher over naming of bear.

Eww! Eww! Eww!

California town starts to turn toilet sewage into drinking water

The World Doesn't Hate America, the Left Does: By Dennis Prager

New Fiction Book in the Works

Kennedy agrees to pen memoirs in lucrative deal

Find a Rope & a Tree

Mother of 'Baby Grace' Told Police She Tortured, Beat Daughter to Death, Court Documents Show

This is Sick

British Teacher Facing 40 Lashes for Naming Teddy Bear 'Muhammad' Awaits Judge's Ruling

Well... this is a problem.

Mideast oil state now top shareholder of largest U.S. bank

Fleetwood Mac Gypsy

Leann Rimes - Probably wouldn't be this way

I'm not gonna tell you how to raise your kid, but I've always found that sticking your fingers in your ears and humming loudly solves a whole slew of problems.”

Let it Snow...

This was awesome. It snowed a little bit here in the Dallas, Texas area.

My God...

Iraqi school guard & wife beheaded while their children are forced to watch.

Wow... I'm Kinda Speechless

Eco Warrior Sterilized to Protect the Planet

Happy Thanksgiving

glitter-graphics.com

Croakin' The Toads

I'm sorry, but why haven't we croaked these toads? Seriously? Why is this such a radical thought??? If someone wants to kill you, you kill them first! I do not know why in hell we haven't made a parking lot there! This is frickn' ridiculous!

Suicide Bomb In Iraq Kills 6

Yeah, I Feel Safe...

Good, Lord.... if we can't even have security in the body of officials who are charged with our security and safety....

Double Agent at FBI and CIA

My favorite part? The fact that we paid this chick no small amount of money to bend us over the table.

Why don't we just put out a frickin' big sign at all the borders....

"Welcome to the United States. Spank us. We like it."

What seems wrong here???

Why Saudi punished the rape victim

If this isn't barbaric, I don't know what is. Do we really need to be aligning ourselves with a country that treats its' women in such a fashion???

Church Bulletins (Thanks Mom)

Thank God for church stenographers with errant keyboard skills. These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at St. Martin's Church. Please use the large double doors at the side entrance.

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water."
The sermon tonight "Searching for Jesus."

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale.
It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house.
Don't forget your husbands.

The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "Hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir.
They need all the help they can get.

Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Father Jack's sermons.

The Priest will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing "Break Forth Into Joy."

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church.
So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?"
Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled.
Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM -
prayer and medication to follow.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind.
They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church.
Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM.
All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM.
Please use the back door.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

The Priest unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday:
"I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours!"

Stargate Quote of the Week...

JACKSON: You said Hell, right?

O'NEILL: Well, I'm going to end up there sooner or later. Might as well check out the neighborhood, huh?”

Her Eyes - Lorelai and Luke

A note to those who comment:

Every once in a while I get a comment from someone who takes issue with something that I have said or posted.

Let me tell you something, I have a really hard time taking someone seriously when they criticize and then don't even have the intestinal fortitude to sign their name. I have no respect for drive-by "shooting" in the blog world. And I have even less respect for people who hide behind "Anonymous" postings.

So, here is what I have to say to the lovely person who tried to police my blog, "Grow up. If you have nothing better to do than to try to pass judgement on me, then you need a hobby... Quick. And if you want to be taken seriously, then sign your damn name & take responsibility for what you say."

Jeff Dunham - Achmed the Dead Terrorist

Memo...

School is kicking my butt.
Our refrigerator crapped out.
and...
Facebook is highly addictive.

That is all.