Freedom or Control

If you've been tuned in, you know that our daughter, April, and her family were here to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. We would like to have everyone of our kids here, but that is not possible.  We really appreciate that April comes to be with us regularly.  This year, Lauren opened her presents here since they were pressed for time. It was good to share that special joy with them.



I really can't tie this is with the layout in any way, but I'd like you to watch  Henson Ong, a legal immigrant testify before Congress. Henson is Anti-Gun control and states the facts indisputably.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyYYgLzF6zU

My Grandmother

My grandfather read everything he could get his hands on, but was quite bored in the one room school he attended. The teacher didn't like him because he was the 'class clown', so each year she failed him.  

He grew up and married Lillian, the beautiful girl in this picture taken in about 1918. 

I could write a lot about her life in Texas, but tonight I'll shorten it: Her family was lost in the Galveston, TX flood in 1900  when she was just a baby. She was raised by a wealthy family. But they disowned her when she married my grandfather. My father was the first of her seven sons.

Live Music

It's Caleb again. I am very thankful that his mom, Beth, supplies me with lots of cool pictures.

While it was still early, it is still difficult for me to tell you that her pregnancy failed today. We will be comforted by knowing that God knows best.

Letter Sounds

Surely a grandmother has the right to blog about anything she wants. It is still a free country. So, here we are with another Christmas day layout of Caleb.  The teacher in me fell in love with the magnetic letters that make the letter sounds when pushed. He's only two, but almost three and...oh well better to have them now than to never have had them at all.  

I did say it is a free country. Of course daily I hear of new challenges to that. Someone got in trouble for putting a comparison  on FaceBook of our president to Hitler with his confiscation of fire arms.

So you have free speech...unless 'liberals' don't like it.

Senators will not obey the Senate's own rules.  Those rules call for publishing a bill online at least 48 hours before they vote on it.  But Democrats will bring up a bill one morning, not put it online and vote on it the same day...even one that is 600 pages long. 48 hours are not even enough! Tell me how many of you would actually read a 600 page bill in a few hours and understand it well enough to make a decision that affects your country?  Oh by the way and attend to your other duties as well?  No wonder we are in a big fix. All sorts of things are becoming law without the benefit of Congress even knowing what they are doing.  A bill entitled one thing may include lots and lots of clauses that have absolutely nothing to do with it, but in some way increase taxes or inhibit the freedom of our people. No one knows until after  it is law. Like Nancy Pelosi said, "But we have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy." 

Sparkling

The triplets and their mother, Chelle, celebrated New Year's Eve in Florida at Greg's  parent's home, with a bottle of sparkling grape juice.

In Ohio, my hubby went to sleep early and I watched a surprise show of fireworks from my computer chair. They were set off by the lake right across the water from our house and were quite lovely for a private display. 

 New Year's Day was our time to celebrate together. I told about that on January 1. However, I failed to mention that friends brought sparkling grape juice. I love the stuff but try to drink in infrequently so that it remains a special treat.  

As the days  go by, I feel more and more concerned for our country's well being.  Please join Christians around the country in praying that God accepts our repentance once again and saves our nation from moral decay without turning us into a third world nation in the hands of a socialist dictator. Pray that we can preserve the Constitution and especially the second amendment which gives us the right to our guns for our own protection.

As we try to wipe our slates clean and start over each year with new year resolutions, God is faithful and His compassion never fails...He doesn't wait until a new year, but each day his compassion is renewed.

Lamentations 3:22-24

New International Version (NIV)

22. Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never               

      fail.

23. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Layout Redo

I enjoyed doing the layout at the top; but when I was finished, I wasn't satisfied. Generally, when that happens, I keep it anyway. But this time  I looked it over the next day and  decided that with the pink  trim, it may be a little more feminine than what I'd like for Caleb. It was at that point that I broke my own rule. I put Caleb's pictures back into  Photoshop Elements and took a different path. It is more to my liking and now I have a lavender layout all ready for a little girl.  At the time, I didn't know what I do now...

 

John and Beth are expecting a new little sibling for Caleb in the fall!  Either a boy or girl would be great. But I do have a lavender layout ready for  some girly pictures.

Seeing both the  pages here, I'm torn. I like them both  for Caleb. However, I'll keep the top one for a girl...just is case.

The WOW Gift

You'll need to read this layout to find out why Aussie is so Wowed by this gift. 

No Budget, No Pay passed the House! 

 

Let's keep the momentum up and make sure the Senate passes it too -- click here to write your senators:  http://bit.ly/Vs43SG

 

Debt-ceiling bill would halt lawmaker paychecks if Congress doesn’t forge budget dealLawmakers agreed to freeze congressional salaries as part of the short-term deal they reached to avoid the fiscal cliff,
but a new debt-ceiling proposal introduced late last week could affect their pay more severely — at least in the short-term.

Santa

I seem to be aging more and more quickly now. It is only 11:30 and I am beat. Just want to crawl under those warm blankets and hibernate a day or two.

This is my contribution tonight...a layout of our precious grandson on Christmas morning.

"Love the Lord you God with all your heart and  lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

Haven't much to say tonight. Trying to keep my mouth shut for a while. Need some sleep. Just wanted you to see we've changed favorite Mexican Restaurants from El Rincon to El Fogon. It is closer home and classier.  We split the same fajita  dinner we are in the habit of eating. It is just as good or maybe a little better and the atmosphere is quite nice.

I'm not sure why it is named El Fogon. It means the bonfire.   We are standing in front of the fireplace.

Have a wonderful day tomorrow and may God bless you all.

New Movie

I'm at a point in my life when it is an effort to work 3-4 hours a day. But I remember my youth when there was energy on tap all the time. I really didn't sleep much at all... burned the candle on both ends as in the phrase used by my parents generation.  Maybe that is why I'm winding down really quickly now.  

Our granddaughter, Leah is young and vibrant.  In November she was in the cast of a movie shot in her new home town of Charlotte, North Carolina.  I'm pretty excited about the prospect of seeing the movie, called Hit Man, in the near future. It's good to see her getting a break after all her years in high school and college theater and a season in New York City. 

It isn't a life I would wish on anyone. It is a tough life.  But, it isn't my life to live and it is her desire. I just pray that all goes well and know that if she doesn't get the breaks she needs, she would make a great  college professor of theater; since she was an excellent student who finished her BA in 3 years.

Scrapbooker's Desire

As a scrapbooker, I really enjoy good photos. I took this one of Phyllis at Tomato Grill, when we girls got together to celebrate her birthday with a leopard theme. This is the first time we have used a theme and it worked out well. We found plenty of leopard things. Hope all the rest this year work out as well.

I have made a New Year's Resolution. Yes, it's late, but not too late to help me tonight. I have decided that no matter if I have a blog post that satisfies me or not, I am going to bed; so that I don't have to drag myself out of bed in the morning.

So, on that note, good night, sleep tight. Remember everything is new every morning. Great is His faithfulness. Lamentations 3:23    If you live in Ohio, don't blow away tonight.  I pray you'll have a worshipful Sunday.

Magical Moment

Can anything be more fun than Christmas for a little two year old?  If you've seen much of this blog, you know he is a big smiler.  Yet, in all the pictures I have of him from Christmas he is very serious. I can see the wheels turning in his head. 

When his daddy was a little boy, the neighbors nicknamed him, 'the judge' because he was so serious about everything.  Maybe there is a little of his dad coming out here.

On a more serious note: I am not an NRA member, never have been, will not likely ever be; but I'm praying they will be able to protect the 2nd amendment  and help get the 23 executive edicts concerning guns overthrown.

I understand that one of our long standing Senators, R.C.Soles (Democrat from North Carolina) is and has been for years anti-gun. But strange thing happened recently.  He shot one of two intruders at his home in North Carolina.  The 'bad guy' was taken to the hospital with a non life threatening injury.

And Soles was not arrested. 

Why do you think Senator Soles even had a gun?  He has made a career against  citizens in the general public owning guns.  Is he special?  Why is his life and property more valuable than yours and mine? It doesn't set well with me at all. How about you?

I think we should pray that this man realizes how  fortunate he was to have a gun to ward off these  trouble makers and decides that all citizens indeed do have the right to defend themselves, their families and their property.

Blocks

Was there ever a little boy who didn't like blocks?  They love to stack them. And many decide over time, that it is fun to knock them down.  

Our nation was built with building blocks or a set of beliefs. Among them was the idea that all people are created equal, all citizens have the same God given rights, such as freedom of religion, due process of law, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, rights to property, and the right to bear arms for protection.

Over time, some have raised themselves up to positions of power who do not ascribe to those beliefs.

They have begun striking at them in an attempt to knock them down. Sad thing is, we have bred more and more of these ingrates with our educational system building egos instead of ability. We have catered to our young to the point that they expect everything without the necessity of doing anything more than holding out their hands. 

People once came to this country knowing that here, there was nothing to stop them from becoming a success at something if they worked hard enough.  That is the key: WORK HARD.  

Build yourself up by working, not but knocking others down.

Spaced Out

Okay, I know what spaced out has come to mean, but I really liked it with this picture of Caleb with his mind completely absorbed by what he was watching on PBS.

Webster defined 'spaced out' as under the influence of a narcotic or nonnarcotic drug...

This is one case when I find the Urban dictionary definition more to my liking than Webster's. At least this is the way we used it when I was young.

I can not republish the Urban Dictionary definition, as it is so poorly written. ( How did it even get the name dictionary?)  It sounds as if it were written by a kindergartner. The grammar and spelling are atrocious. Here is my translation of their definition:  Most of the time when people are 'spaced out' it means they are deep in thought about something that in interesting.

And my added thoughts... People are spaced out when they are focused, but  oblivious to their surroundings. Their minds are in another world, like Caleb's with the TV.

I don't think one who might liken that to many of our government  officials  would be out of line.  They are often 'spaced out'...focused on what they want to do and completely unaware of the reality of the world around them.

I know statistics are not necessarily fun, but they are informative, especially in this case.  We are better off here that we have been led to believe. Check over this list quickly to find the United States.

From the World Health Organization:

The latest Murder Statistics for the world:

Murders per 100,000 citizens

Honduras 91.6

El Salvador 69.2

Cote d'Ivoire 56.9

Jamaica 52.2

Venezuela 45.

US Virgin Islands  39.2

Guatemala 38.5Saint Kits and Nevis 38.2

Zambia 38.0

Uganda 36.3 

Malawi 36.0

Lesotho 35.2

Trinidad and Tobago 35.2Colombia 33.4

South Africa 31.8

Congo 30.8

Central African Republic 29.3

Bahamas 27.4 

Puerto Rico 26.2

Saint Lucia 25.2

Dominican Republic 25.0

Tanzania 24.5Sudan 24.2

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 22.9

Ethiopia 22.5

Guinea 22.5

Dominica 22.1

Burundi 21.7

Democratic Republic of the Congo 21.7

Panama 21.6

Brazil 21.0

Equatorial Guinea  20.7

Guinea-Bissau 20.2

Kenya 20.1

Kyrgyzstan 20.1

Cameroon 19.7

Montserrat 19.7

Greenland 19.2

Angola 19.0

Guyana 18.6

Burkina Faso 18.0

Eritrea 17.8

Namibia 17.2

Rwanda 17.1

Mexico 16.9

Chad 15.8

Ghana 15.7

Ecuador 15.2

North Korea 15.2

Benin 15.1

Sierra Leone 14.9

Mauritania 14.7

Botswana 14.5

Zimbabwe 14.3

Gabon 13.8

Nicaragua 13.6

French Guiana 13.3

Papua New Guinea 13.0

Swaziland 12.9

Bermuda 12.3

Comoros 12.2

Nigeria 12.2

Cape Verde 11.6

Grenada 11.5

Paraguay 11.5

Barbados 11.3

Togo 10.9

Gambia 10.8

Peru 10.8

Myanmar 10.2

Russia 10.2

Liberia 10.1

Costa Rica 10.0

Nauru 9.8

Bolivia 8.9

Mozambique 8.8

Kazakhstan 8.8

Senegal 8.7

Turks and Caicos Islands 8.7

Mongolia 8.7

British Virgin Islands 8.6

Cayman Islands 8.4

Seychelles 8.3

Madagascar 8.1

Indonesia 8.1

Mali 8.0

Pakistan 7.8

Moldova 7.5

Kiribati 7.3

Guadeloupe 7.0

Haiti 6.9

Timor-Leste 6.9

Anguilla 6.8

Antigua and Barbuda 6.8

Lithuania 6.6

Uruguay 5.9

Philippines 5.4

Ukraine 5.2

Estonia 5.2

Cuba 5.0

Belarus 4.9

Thailand 4.8

Suriname 4.6

Laos 4.6

Georgia 4.3

Martinique 4.2

                                     And

              The United States 4.2

ALL the countries above America have 100% gun bans

Smile

I had to go way back to Thanksgiving for this one. Love our grand daughter's sweet smile. It is authentic.  She is a naturally sweet girl.  She is a joy and we are very proud of her.

Our president is now 'confident' that he can outlaw guns with an executive order...like he has done again and again with other issues.  However, it would be an impeachable offense to overside the second amendment by an executive order. Does he care? Wait and see.

If that isn't enough to get you thinking, this next subject should really scare you, because it probably involves you. It does me!

I think we have an instance of censorship. I had a link to show you. It works for me right now, but when I put it on here, it says it is not a working address and it won't work when they do whatever censoring they do.  Why censor, do you ask?  It is a video about a mind reader, a super mind reader.  when you get to the end, totally impressed and scared at how much he knows about these people, they pull back the curtains and show how he knew.  FaceBook, Twitter...  All the info, no matter how private it should be, was found on the social media.  At one time, we might have surmised that info was  safe with our friends.  Now it is public knowledge.  I"m hoping you haven't written anything you would be ashamed for a future  friend or spouse or an employer  to see.  Privacy is a thing of the past.

Cat Heaven

Chipper, the cat, stays out doors all day long in the warm months. In the last few years, she has been determined to stay indoors practically all the time during the cold months, and her definition of cold seems to be changing as the years go by... 

When indoors each winter, she chooses her own space. It is usually a particular chair, since I don't allow her on the sofas.  But this year, due to us having so many house guests every week, I decided to keep her off the chairs. I knew that would present a problem, so I panned ahead. I went shopping, looking for what I thought she would find acceptable. I hit it on the first try. It is this plastic basket. I have no idea for what it was made, but with a towel folded inside, it makes her a perfect bed, especially since it  is now in front of the hot air vent in my scrapbooking room.  She can be near me and the heat at the same time. It is like cat heaven.

Now for a more serious subject. I received an email today saying that prescription drugs, especially anti-depressants, play a big role in most mass shootings, even shootings where there are not so many involved.  It was frightening to read that, since so many, many people these days are taking them.  I had to check it out. I read and read and have come to the conclusion that something must be done about that problem. It is not the guns.  Because as we know, guns don't kill people.  It seems people, and especially people on drugs, kill people.  

According to Martha Rosenburg, a Chicago based health writer, "It is no secret that prescription drugs, notably antidepressants, can make psychiatric patients worse, not better, and even precipitate violence."

"Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants like Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil are so linked to violence that they were given the FDQ's highest warning, a black box, in 2004 for the suicidal risks they can create in young adults."

Most of the mass murderers are depressed.  We need to treat the real problem...that of mental illness, and fight to retain the ability of  the law abiding citizens to protect themselves and others...from the mentally ill.

Contentment

If my  posts get any shorter, they may disappear.   It seems like my mission to do a layout a day is starting to wear on me.  Of course, the health of our nation, or lack of it, is also causing me some concern.

I do want to keep a good mind set though.

The Bible  says,  "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

In Phillippians 4:11 Paul tells us he had learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I choose to do that.  After all, there is still no place in the world I'd rather live than here in the USA.

A healthy attitude is contagious. Be a carrier.

Sweet Treats

Mason at one time wanted to be a chef. I'm not sure whether or not he has changed his mind, but I do know that he likes to work with food, perhaps because he likes to eat it. Boys  need those calories to keep active.  And that is no surprise.



What might be a surprise , however. is this quote.

"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, "the buck stops here." Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve  better."    

~ Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006

Are you still shaking your head?  Did he just hang himself on his own gallows?

Remember: "There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation.  

One is by the sword.  The other is by debt."

~ John Adams, 1826

It's Like a Nightmare

Since I am so far behind on scrapping my pictures and I've had a rough day, I just decided to have a little fun with this one. 

We went to Phyllis' house last week for a  little after Christmas, Christmas party.  I chose the setting for this picture poorly and in order to salvage the pose, I had to get creative. So, I decided to put us in a new setting...one that is more in tune with the season. It probably would have been better if we were all wearing elves outfits, but that was a little far fetched for all of us, but Robin, who can pull off that roll quite successfully. 


Now, for why I had such a rough day...Ron talked me into going to the Y for water arthritic exercises. It changed my definition of hell!  I'd say more about that, but I can't risk being sued  by the Y for defamation.

Actually, I just hadn't thought far enough ahead and totally messed up while I was there. I was so embarrassed that I have said I'll not go back, but I probably will with a little encouragement on the home front.  However if I can't get it to a place where it is less time consuming, I might decide to chop the ice in the lake and do those exercises  right here.

Okay, although it was a totally strange occasion for me, I will tell you the very worst thing that happened.  However, I might drop a line about this day every now and then for the rest of my life.

The worst thing is.......... in the locker room there were a million empty lockers and I had to choose one.  They loaned me a key lock, since I hadn't thought to take one. I chose a locker that I knew I could remember.  It was my house number! Now wasn't that clever?  Okay, so I got dressed in my swimsuit, put my clothes, etc in the locker and locked it.  So far, so good...as far as I knew.

After class I went  into that same locker room. Whereas there were three of us in there when I came, the place was full when I came out. I glanced around to see my something borrowed, something blue lock. There was no blue lock ANYWHERE!  So, I started searching for my house number. I found it just fine, but it had no lock on it. I opened it and there was someone else's  things in it.  I went into shock.  A lady came up to me and I said,  'My lock is gone and someone's things are in my locker."  She said, that is my locker and they cut the lock off it.
I was so stunned, it was like a nightmare. It didn't feel real. I was there in a large locker room, so not me,at my age with a lot of people I had never seen before and hoped to never see again. I still couldn't get it to register. Then she told me my things were in the next locker. I opened it and there they were. I didn't get that either. How did she know where my things were? I still don't know that. I'm just glad I hadn't brought in anything of value and they had held my car keys at the desk until I brought back  the lock.

I have spent LOTS of time trying to figure out how that  happened today and wondering how I can avoid driving by the Y in case someone might be standing out front there who would recognize me. lol

A Dog and His Boy

Caleb and Rado are friends and very good friends at that. Rado welcomed Caleb into the world almost three years ago and Caleb has no idea what it would be like without a dog.

It is a special blessing to have a dog friend. And I'm looking forward to bringing one home some time before my birthday. I just have to decide what kind I want. We're looking for one that does not shed and is small enough to jump up on my lap and cuddle. I'm anxious to have one meet me at the door when I come home and sleep at my feet at night. I will train it to not be yippy, but I do want  it to let me know if there is danger that I haven't sensed.  Does anyone have a suggestion?

Perhaps not on the subject, but on my mind tonight is this  quote of Corrie Ten Boom:

The measure of life, after all,

 is not its duration, but it's donation.

Joyful Treasure

Joyful...that is us. We've been so full of joy with all the Christmas season offers that we hadn't been able to get together for our celebration, gift exchange, dinner and special desert.  But we were determined to do it.  So on January the 3, we all met at Jane's for dinner  with the main dish being her famous chicken pot pie, which is not really pot pie at all, but chicken and gravy with biscuits on top. Whatever one wants to call it, it is marvelous. We no longer wonder why her family wants it year after year.  Then we progressed to Phyllis's house where we had desert or deserts for some of us.  Sali's gift for making sweet  dishes is something we all covet.  She made a chocolate cream pie.  Robin made Butter cake which was quite a hit as well.

I'm not sure if the season has been good to me or not...you see, I have eaten lots of delightful dishes and desserts starting at Thanksgiving, but now I'm carrying 6 more pounds.  So, starting this next week, I hope to take them and more off my short frame.

 I don't have much. I don't need much.  But I am richly blessed to have these friends. This group is my treasure.  This is the kind of treasure a person needs. Read Matthew 6:19-21:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

My friends are here on earth, but when the time comes for us to go, we will all be going to the same place...a much better place in heaven where our Father has prepared us rooms.

New Year's Day

I'm not even able to  tie in this layout with the topic of the  blog and nothing here is in my own words. Just lucky to get something on  here before I fall asleep. 

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. -Benjamin Franklin

Even 230+ years ago our founders were perceptive enough to realize that democracy was a dangerous form of government. How so? Because the citizens of a country can become just as corrupt as any government. We have seen evidence of this throughout history.

 When Senator Feinstein orPresident Obama talk about taking your guns, you need to think about something. Are they honoring their sworn oath to uphold the constitution?

the second amendment:A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.


The strongest reason for people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. -Thomas Jefferson

Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and keystone under independence … From the hour the Pilgrims landed, to the present day, events, occurrences, and tendencies prove that to insure peace, security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable . . . the very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference – they deserve a place of honor with all that is good. -George Washington

The Constitution shall never be construed….to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms. -

Samuel Adams

I love my Christmas trees, but this is the third year I've put up only one... the angel tree. I love the simplicity of white and gold on the green tree. (I also love my child charming tree filled with working Hallmark ornaments. But it has become more difficult for us to get the tree upstairs and all the boxes of ornaments, some of which must be 'fixed' each year.)

I like to put off dismantling Christmas, since I could enjoy it through February perhaps, but it just doesn't seem right, so it has to come down.   I started yesterday and finished the chore today. I call it a chore, but I really enjoy handling each ornament. This year  I packaged them all in pretty Christmas gift boxes I had purchased at JoAnn's.  It will be even more fun to get them out again soon after Thanksgiving.

Have you ever had to be on a budget or at least understand the purpose of one?   The following is pretty interesting as well as puzzling.  Someone decided to use the federal government budget amounts and remove 8 zeros from it.
We'll pretend it's a household budget:

*Annual family income: $21,700 (remember we've removed 8 o's from these numbers}
*Money the family spent: $38,200
*New debt on the credit card $16,500
*Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710
*Total budget cuts so far: $38.50

Wouldn't work at home, would it?  It doesn't work anywhere. With a family budget, one would lose their home, car, etc.  With a federal budget, there is much more at stake.

East Coast/ West Coast

Always having been in the Eastern time zone, I had never once thought about what they do on the west coast.  But I just learned that people out west now have the option of watching the ball drop real New York time or of waiting until it is midnight in their own time zone.

That makes it quite convenient to celebrate early with the kids and then again when your own clock strikes 12:00, if that is important to you.  

Our son and daughter in law were planning to attend a friend's New Year's Eve party, but at the last minute the hostess became ill and had to back out of the party.  Beth saved the day and had the guests over to their house. It worked out well. Caleb and Euan celebrated early.

Wish I were in more of a celebratory mood. I'm just not that anxious to see what this New Year will bring.  If it were not for God, His grace and favor, I would be scared out of my mind.  But God has promised to take care of us. I choose to trust Him for inner peace. I pray you can do the same.

A Big Tent

Caleb has very special parents. They built this  lighted tent for him. It is pretty clever and he LIKES it. 

I remember when my kids were little, their tents, or forts as they called them, were blankets bridging two pieces of furniture.  We've come a long way baby.

While progressing so much in many ways, we've also regressed or digressed into a strange desire to give up freedom for...for what I don't know...oh, it is a world view as one of Obama's fellow students from Hawaii has said.  They don't realize that the world has been blessed by all that has been done in America and shared with them.  But it doesn't help to explain that. Their  eyes and ears have been blinded to facts.  

I remember my teachers, especially my 7th grade and high school teachers teaching us to think for ourselves.  That does not happen in most schools these days.  They are taught to group think, they just follow along with the crowd.

One example of resulting behavior of this type of brainlessness is the fact that when Al Gore's ' Current TV' cable channel was failing so miserably and up for sale, Glenn Beck and his group at the Blaze approached the station to buy it.  They were told that "the legacy of who the network goes to is important to us and we are sensitive to networks not aligned with our point of view." I think we can all understand that.  No problem, right.  However, this is the zinger...they have now sold that network to...drum roll... Al Jazeera TV. Does this mean Al Jazeera is aligned with Al Gore?  I would have guessed that by the way, but I would have never expected them to admit it in public.

These are scary times.

Paving

This is the big project that I did not expect  Ron to do.  The sea wall had been so very hard for him, that he said he would not do another big project. I thought he meant forever, but evidently he meant...not for a few days, because on December 1st, he started road building.   I think he may have underestimated the amount of work involved.

 I would think that he might start acting his age and leaving this type of thing for the younger guys, but then his ego would probably suffer.  So, I do expect he'll find similar things to do next summer...if not before.

If everyone was such good workers, our country would not be in the financial mess it is today.  Too many people would rather lay around watching TV, playing video games, getting high, starring at the wall, whatever. So they vote for people who promise to give them everything. Sad, so very sad.