Skylander's Tournament

Lots of kids are playing computer games and one of the really popular ones right now is Skylander. I've read an explanation of it and still don't get it, but I'll not be playing.  Of course at this age, I probably don't have the reflexes required anyway.  I guess we could have a granny's tournament if anyone cared.

Parents must be into this as well, because some of Greg's workmates got their children together for a tournament.  The triplets ended up being the oldest ones there, so they had an edge...and they did win...all three prizes.  That made mother a little uneasy. It just didn't seem fair.  But anyway, I'm supposing everyone had fun and they are all practicing for their next chance to be champion.

The Catholic Church is a champion in my book at present.  The Obama administration with their ominous health care bill had issued an order that the church must comply with their (UnChristian) requirement that religious-affiliated schools and organizations must cover contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs. The church is responding  with  bold proclamations  and fighting back.

The libs want their (made up) separation of church and state, until it runs counter to their own desires to suppress the church.

This goes for all Christians who take a fundamental view of the scripture. It is not the Lord's will to desanctify life.  We must all rebel against such a requirement.

I see that Obama himself is backing down on this one, but mind you...it is only until he gets himself reelected.  Once he is in the office for four more oppressive years, he will do as he pleases.  And he definitely wants to destroy Christianity in this nation that he loathes.

And why would I dare say such a thing?  Because he might  as well  have said it himself in some of his published work. And his actions speak.

Please pray for him that he sees the light and turns his life around.

Bath Time

I did try to post last night, but our internet was down. It could have had something to do with the huge upload I was attempting to MyPublisher.com.   Anyway, that got me to bed a bit earlier. but without posting to this blog.

This morning,  I was able to get the book uploaded  after fooling with the box...technical term for black thing that controls our access to the net. 

Then after conquering a few more computer related problems, with Ron's help, I realized I had not yet posted...so there will be two today.  Look for another one tonight, if you can take two in one day.

Love this still picture on the left and the three I captured from a video of Caleb Beth sent this morning. 

It involved using Quicktime and a desktop capture. Seems to have worked just fine.

It is a shame they cannot get the federal government to work right and the people 'to work', with jobs.  The phony numbers we are hearing about job growth are fallacious to say the least.  Manufactured might be a good term.   There are fewer people looking for jobs., since there are none to find. Many have found their opportunity for unemployment compensation has run out and they are no longer counted as unemployed.  (What sense does that make?) 

I think perhaps I've mentioned this on the blog before.  If I haven't, I should have.  The feds say that unemployment is down over the last couple of months...however, over that same period of time, over 2 million jobs have been LOST.

If you look at the plain facts instead of trying to figure out how they came up with their goofy figures, it is easy to see that with fewer jobs, there have to be more unemployed. Or should I go back to second grade?

He's Two

How many times a day do I say, I can't believe it has been that long? It gets more frequent as the weeks go by.  And I can't believe Caleb is two already.  He is a special little boy and I wish that we lived close enough to see him a couple times a week...at least.

Well I can believe I have another book deadline tomorrow night.  So I'll be working hard to 'get r done', as  some of my southern friends say.

God is in Control

The real reason I made this layout today... it was a challenge. "What are you looking at now?" I  wasn't exactly looking at that when I sat at the computer.  Even though I see the lake from here. I'm looking south.  When I got up to look out the living room window to the northwest, this is the view I had. I liked it better with no driveway or other less than beauty between me and the lake.  

We were surprised to see it snowing when we got up this morning. Yet when God wants snow, it snows!  It covered the ground, but melted fairly quickly. It is just too warm for that white blanket.

Speaking of warm...or more descriptive, hot.  Iran is getting even hotter now. With her nuclear capabilities, she seems to be anxious to start a skirmish in the guise of protecting herself from the evil west for wanting to diminish her war capabilities and stop her nuclear program. 

I understand that while targeting 'soft sites' in the US, such as Jewish synagogues and schools, her Revolutionary Guard began naval manoeuvres today in the Strait of Hormuz. She has threatened to close it down in retaliation against tough western sanctions.  

What a wonderful time to reduce our military and defund it substantially! May the living God in heaven be our shield and strength when our federal government fails us.

Living Life's Moments

The Catholic church in the US sent out a letter to be read before every congregation in the nation. Each Bishop gave it his own personal touches, but as an example of the letters, I'm  entering the text from the Bishop of Marquette (Michigan).

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just been dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people — the Catholic population — and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception. Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write. And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.

In so ruling, the Obama Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty. And as a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled to either violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so). The Obama Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.

We cannot—we will not—comply with this unjust law. People of faith cannot be made second class citizens. We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom. Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God given rights. In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties. I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same. Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.

And therefore, I would ask of you two things. First, as a community of faith we must commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored. Without God, we can do nothing; with God, nothing is impossible. Second, I would also recommend visiting www.usccb.org/conscience,to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty, and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the Obama Administration’s decision.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
+Alexander K. Sample
Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample
Bishop of Marquette

I suggest that all Christians join in this effort to perpetuate religious freedom here in the United States.

To demand or deliver...

Generally, I do not like to do layouts over because I can't keep up with all the pictures and I really want to make some layouts from pictures taken years ago. But because I have been making my pictures an exact size to fit more easily into My Publisher.com books, layouts that I'd already completed for the next book had to be reworked.  This one of Caleb was one I had never really liked. The color combination just didn't go well with the brown background I used; so when I redid it, I changed the background to chocolate chips. I'm happier with it now.

This project has been time consuming, since I had about 60 pages that had to be redone.  It was very difficult and time consuming at first, but now I have it down to a science and it goes quickly.   Now instead of having a book with 12x12 layouts, my pages are 3324 pixels x 2575 pixels.  I didn't like the look of them at first, but I'm adjusting fairly well...and the books are much easier to make online.

Adjusting is not easy, especially for  us "old timers", but I vowed when I was younger to keep up with the times.  My mother was my example and it was a very attractive quality to me.  I will listen to those with differing opinions and weigh them with the facts. Most of the time, I stick with what I've always believed, but not always. Facts are facts.

And one fact I know is that hiking the minimum wage is disastrous, especially in hard times when there are so many out of work.  When it becomes too expensive for a small business to hire unskilled labor, they don't. So jobs are lost.  When unskilled labor costs more than it is worth to a company, and they have to hire workers, they have to also raise prices for their goods or services so they can  pay the bills. The people who lose the most are those with minimum wage jobs.  They can't afford to pay higher prices.  This is a historical fact.  Many do not understand anything except that they want more money and many people think they are worth more than they are.  Most people do not work at minimum wages for ever.  Those are entry level jobs. If that worker shows he or she will work hard and can be trusted then he/she will work him/herself up the ladder to better and better jobs...with higher wages and benefits.

Instead of demanding, try delivering. It will bring you great rewards in time.

Determination

It will take a LOT of determination, but I'm going to try really hard to get rid of my extra weight. I don't need to be hauling it around.  So I've made goals and will be working towards them.  

I've lost the first 10 pounds so that gives me the desire to continue on the way to a healthier life.  

Making this public is one of my plans for keeping myself accountable. It should help give me the will power I need  to abstain from eating things I shouldn't have and to eat way less of what is good for me.

Angie at Scrapgirls.com has inspired me. It she can do it, I figure I can as well.

I have  made realistic goals  that should be within my ability to accomplish.

Now, I need to make myself believe that hunger is good.