Book Giveaway!

I wanted to share with everyone about a book giveaway that Anita is doing over at her blog site:

http://anita-womanwifemom.blogspot.com/2009/03/book-review-and-my-first-give-way.html

Anita is giving away TWO books which will each include some chocolates (my personal Rx of choice!) If you are a blogger, you can enter two times to win (see details by clicking on the above link). There is a video by the author of the books over on Anita's site that is very powerful also. It really speaks to womanhood and it made me cry!

The book is called "The Middle Place" and it is a memoir. So link on over and check it out!

Friday Fifteen!!!

This has been a wicked, wicked week. I am attempting to pull myself out of a personal pit of worry and anxiety. Lord, please help me to be a vessel of your love ... thank you for all of my blessings.

1.) My children
2.) My parents
3.) Dh's family
4.) Family, family and family again (isn't family everything? I personally think so!)
5.) My friends in real life (life's ICING .... love ya Amy, Bridgett, Janet, Jennifer and others I see less often!)
6.) My friends online (some of the finest people I know in my life ... here's to Anita, Beth, Jennifer, Valerie, Nicki and others I talk to less often these days but I know are out there!)
7.) Good people out in the world who hold themselves to strong standards of character and stay the course through storms and whatever life brings their way. (Example: Short of survival for their family, NOTHING would keep these fine people from paying their share of American taxes ... Go Good People, Go!! You Rock and I am PROUD to play on YOUR team!)
8.) Dh's job
8.) The roof over our heads
9.) Good medical care
10.) Dave Ramsey (I just love him, what can I say?! Looooooove Dave!!!!!! Hugs to Dave!!!!!)
11.) Honest Abe (You are my inspiration!)
12.) Public School (It is free and the kids learn, AND they send a bus!)
13.) Daylight savings time (it has enhanced my life although I would never have guessed I would feel that way.)
14.) High Speed Internet (it is just GOOD!)
15.) Gardens (where food sprouts free from the earth for little cost.)

Amen!

Dinner Conversations

I really need to write out more of our dinner conversations with the girls. They are just so darn cute and here I am writing about politics and saving money and pay cuts and job losses .... such heavy, heavy stuff goes on in my mind during a given day while I empty little potties and repeatedly clear off the dining room table ...

But last night's dinner converation with the girls was cute and went like this --

Scene: Ellie is being three and decides she doesn't want her milk so she shoves it across the table at me, causing some to spill out on the table. (Has big scowl on her face.)

"Ellie, don't do that; that makes a mess and is not nice!!" I say.

Katie looks at Ellie. "YOU are a bad girl!" she tells Ellie.

"No I'm not!" Ellie said, looking back at Katie.

Katie said, "Yes YOU are!"

Ellie said, "Everybody (looks around to all of us at the table) I am NOT a bad girl!"

Guess she set the record straight, huh?! I am proud of her little self. She is so outspoken and I love how she doesn't take junk from others but goes right back at them and sets the record straight :)

Bets

O.K. I am betting that the Big O won't say no the Omnibus bill if it lands on his desk with the pork still in it.

I don't think he is enough of a leader to stand up to his campaign promises. I am not being critical. It is behavior totally expected of someone who has always voted present and not had any executive experience before becoming the leader of our entire country. The big O hasn't had to make those kinds of tough decisions and reap the necessary consequences that a leader must face when often standing up alone for what needs to be done in a leadership position.

I don't think the big O can stand the pressure of standing up TO his party and FOR his country. I hope I am wrong and I hope every single American holds him accountable if he doesn't not take this stand.

Idea for Congress

I have an idea for Congress. Let's take the issue of pig manure smells being a problem in a Congressperson's State during a national depression (Yes, I said National Depression because I believe we are in a Depression and not a Recession .... and if you read my blog, perhaps you will one day say that you heard it first here!)

So anyway, the Congress person wants trillions of national dollars to buy pig deodorant and wants the entire nation to foot the bill.

So I say this to the Congressperson: Have a state vote about it and see if the people in your own state want to ban together to sacrifice and pay (through state taxes) for their own pig deodorant!

Or maybe the fatter pigs can just take care of earning deodorant dollars for the smaller swine!

I am talking crazy tonight. It is just that I am so happy to finally feel some sense of hope and change that I finally believe in!

There is hope!!

I must admit that prior to just very recently, I haven't been feeling the hope and change that was supposedly elected into office in January 2009. But I watched Evan Bayh, an Indiana Senator (Democrat) being interviewed tonight on Fox News and I am soooo proud of him. With even just this one Democratic leader talking some sense out in the world, there is hope for a better economy ahead. Luckily there are a few other high ranking Dems with Evan Bayh on this. Bayh says to the big O, either cut the pork or veto the Omnibus bill. If the big O does either of these, then I think consumer confidence will begin to turn (begin I said.)

Did I ever mention that I used to work for Evan Bayh? I know, it is a bit of a stretch, but I did actually work for Evan Bayh for about seven weeks in late 1996 when Indiana's Adoption Initiative was born. The Adoption Initiative was an outreach program that brought many adoptive parents and special needs children together over several years after Bayh left the office of Governor here in Indiana. I was the program director and it was my dream job. Bayh made it happen and he made it happen fast for a government contract program. WE (Bayh's office and the agency I worked for) put it together seven weeks before he left office.

If Evan Bayh runs for the office of president someday, watch him and vote for him! He is the kind of Democrat I used to see myself as being. He can get things done without being fiscally fat, yet he cares about social issues and people too. I am thinking the Big O needs to stand up and show some leadership here. I hope he has it in him. He is a newbie so it might be tough. But I hope and pray the big O will fight for America in this way for us! Don't vote "Present" again Big O man!! Just say no big O!!!! It isn't hard. We teach kids to say no to drugs. Show us your stuff big man! No Omnibus bill! No Omnibus bill! No Omnibus bill!!! Oh where is the tea party? I want to be there! Jobs everywhere are at stake! Congress must Stop. Spending. Our. Children's. Future.

Btw, I love how Bayh said Congress was basically wrong for trying to push this bill on the big O. Congress just is a problem and I love to hear a high level Democrat admit this since Congress is made up of way too many Democrats, and many crazy ones at that. Oh, and Congress is also made up of some really dumb Republicans too. George Bush was a wimp and not a leader either.

Btw, if Evan Bayh ever runs for office, I will change my tune about being a Republican. Did I mention that I am probably more of a very outspoken Independent. (Did you realize that I am outspoken and opinionated?) Yeah, I am. And politically Independent. Those lawmakers aren't going to put me in a box as long as freedom of speech still lives here in America. If only my vote would ever really make a difference .... as if Congress cares what I think .... LOL!

It's that time of the year ... hurray!!!

I love this time of the year ... the weekend we "Spring Forward."

I admit that I am tired today due to my girls' not sleeping well last night (it is no longer possible for my youngest to have a nap in any form during the day if I want to get any sleep at night,) but Springing Forward is so worth the lost hour of sleep in my opinion. I never thought I would love observing Daylight Savings Time as much as I do.

For one thing, changing our clocks once again means Spring is practically here. And, oh how I love the longer evenings of daylight outside.

It is time to dust off my walking shoes, because Spring is on the way!!!!! Hurray!!!

Awful

Has anyone been watching the news? It is just awful. America is losing its wealth. And it is not new news that "the borrower is the slave to the lender." What will this mean for America?

From the day BO stepped into office, the U.S. stock market has done nothing but drop. Anytime BO speaks, mortgage rates go up or the stock market goes down ... or both.

Finally, three key Democratic Senators are standing up for what is right against Obama's spendulous madness. I am proud to say that Evan Bayh of Indiana seems to be finally getting a clue. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that when times are tough, you don't drive the country further and further into debt without end.

I mean, if dh and I lose all of our income, should we just compile a collection of new credit cards and get charge happy? NO! We should stop spending. It is a novel idea that Congress just can't get a handle on. I don't know about you, but I think the study of pig manure odors can wait until our nation gets out of this mess. But the BO thinks it is important right now?????! Whatever.

So much for the idea of having a president with character. That died with good 'ol Honest Abe. BO has barely been president two months and has already looked out of my television set and lied to me. Is this a special Democratic technique? Who does it impress? Thoughts of Bill Clinton flooded back to me. All of BO's spendulous plans have pork and earmark spending in them, yet he claims there have been none? Lies, lies, and more lies.

How am I supposed to teach my children to be good people when this is what our leaders are made of? It is becoming clear to me that those who lie and steal and deceive others clearly rise to the top. I refuse to take part in it and condone it myself. I will teach my children the same and pray for their future.

I said it before BO was elected and I will say it again ... BO's election just might have been the most carefully crafted terrorist attack on our nation of all.

Words for today

I am tired to write too much right now, but here are some words to describe my day today --

Tired
Relief
Blessed
Sleep
Prayer

To Do!!!

I am procrastinating from doing some things I need to do around my house today (and tomorrow). I thought I would stop working and make a list to keep me focused. These tasks are things I want to accomplish before our house appraisal on Tuesday. Why do these things seem to sit on my list for all of eternity?

The nice thing is that when they are done, they will finally be off my mental list of things that need to be done.

Updated 3/2/09:

1.) Declutter all surface areas in my bedroom and girls bedroom.
2.) Clean bathrooms.
3.) Clean crayon off remaining surface areas (fireplace, check walls)
4.) Wash all bath mats and floor carpets
5.) Wash ds's sheets and make up both of his beds (bunk beds)
6.) Get clothes put away and finish girls' laundry.
7.) Talk to dh about what to do about totes; deal with totes
8.) Clean up computer and basement area
9.) Clear basement shelving clutter
10.) Floors -- clear, clean, whatever is needed!

Ten things are plenty. That wasn't so bad. O.k., getting back in gear now ....!