Just another day in Paradise

Praying around the flagpole at public High School...

2010-09-22T10:13:00.003-04:00

I was so proud, this morning, to see prayers around the flagpoles at two schools in our county. WAY TO GO! Exercising our freedom to worship while we still can!

RINOs not invited

2010-09-20T10:54:00.004-04:00

My new cartoon.....

If you like it, please tweet it!!!

Our nation is under hostile occupation........

2010-07-16T10:40:00.006-04:00

I was so OUTRAGED at the choices on the registration information for KINDERGARTEN in PUBLIC SCHOOL. Look at my choices for ETHNICITY !!!!

I'd love to hear from others..........is this common all over our country?

Encouraging Illegal Behavior

2010-07-08T08:19:00.004-04:00

If someone were to assist in a bank robbery or murder, they woud be identified in court as an accomplice. Defined in law, an accomplice is a person who actively participates in the commission of a crime, even though they take no part in the actual criminal offense.

Our government officials under this administration are doing just that. They are providing support and encouragement of illegal behavior.

It shows their disregard for our country's well-being. These people (ILLEGAL immigrants) have broken law to enter our country....they have NO respect for ANY of OUR laws. Their country and culture is entirely different. They must often resort to violence and lawlessness to survive their own corrupt country.

Our citizenship requirements teach new prospects about OUR laws, language, history, & customs; thus providing a step towards assimilation. Daily, I see illegal immigrants breaking laws with no consequence.

Examples?
1. I have seen 10 adults and 8 children pile out of a vehicle at a store. I see this type of offense frequently. There is no way possible to utilize the correct children's safety seats in this situation.

2. I have seen adults and children working together to steal at yard sales.

3. I have seen them get prepared food at the deli counter in a store, then discard the bag elsewhere in the store after eating the food; thus leave without paying for the food. They do this with other packaged foods as well. This makes OUR costs rise.

These are just a few examples of complete lack of respect.

I consider our country occupied. A group of people have illegally entered our country and

1. utilized our healthcare system - to the point of bankruptcy in many cases

2. utilized our education system to the point of ruin. Many classrooms are forced to slow down the learning process because of the children that do not know or understand our language - thus sacrificing the education of our children

3. tried to force our country to become bilingual or spanish speaking

4. lawlessness, often petty laws in which police are unwilling to waste time and resources because they will never be able to track them down again (due to illegal status).

5. brought 'gang' activity to every corner of our country, often bringing drugs, prostitution, and other crimes with it

6. taxing our country financially to the point that we may never recover

7. expect Americans to conform to their customs and learn their language

If we, as Americans, were doing this to another country, I can assure you there would be an uproar.

Arizona, in an effort to protect itself, is being "sued" by Mr. Barack Hussein Obama and his administration. Are the votes really worth it Mr. President? You are causing so much division and hostility in this country; after promising unity. All the years of work to try to overcome racism in our country....and within a couple of years in office, you have destroyed much of it. I hope you are proud of yourself and your "heritage". Perhaps you could move back to your homeland and "fix" that country as you are trying to "fix" our country. You are attempting to bring the same corrupt governing to the United States as you have experienced and seen in other countries.

I am not against legal immigration; and have a great respect for diversity. Forcing my children to conform to Mexican language & culture, however, is testing my patience.

What happened to Journalism in America?

2010-05-19T10:10:00.015-04:00

I love micro-blogging.......and when you love twitter as much as I do, this is one of the most dreaded things you can see on your computer:

So, since I can't micro-blog right now, I'll have to create a long overdue regular blog post.

The founding fathers of our nation would be ashamed!

For if men are to be precluded from offering their sentiments on a matter, which may involve the most serious and alarming consequences, that can invite the consideration of mankind, reason is of no use to us; the freedom of speech may be taken away, and, dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep, to the Slaughter ~~~~~George Washington

Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny ~~~~~Thomas Jefferson

Our founding fathers were well studied in the history of dictatorship....after all, that is all the world had ever known. Their vision for a free people was new and radical. Furthermore, over time, we proved that free people are happy people. And happy people are successful people.

However, there will always be the feeble-minded that NEED dictatorship in their lives. They need someone telling them what they can say and when they can say it.

Woody Allen, who has lived a controversial life and produced, what I consider to be, rubbish films has now stated for the record that he feels Obama would make a nice dictator.

Read about Woody Allen's dictator statements here

And the Heritage Foundation shares all the details about the FCC's desire to take over and regulate the internet. WHAT????

Read about the FCC power grab here

And if that's not enough, Obama wants us to only trust what he says. All other information will just confuse you. Only trust what he says.........after all, he is so well versed and can speak with such eloquence.

Listen to Obama's speech here

So, he claims he doesn't know how to work an ipod, but

read here about his gift to the queen of England.....an ipod.

But back to the matter at hand, Obama's desire to socialize America. Social justice is what he wants & he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. His ability to ram through a healthcare bill that Americans overwhelmingly didn't want was his first mistake. And you can see here that our founding fathers realized that this could happen if the wrong people tried to gain too much power.

If the minority, and a small one too, is suffered to dictate to the majority, after measures have undergone the most solemn discussions by the representatives of the people, and their will through this medium is enacted into a law, there can be no security for life, liberty, or property; nor, if the laws are not to govern, can any man know how to conduct himself in safety. ~~~~George Washington

It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood ~~~~James Madison

So, what we have in Washington now are career minded politicians. People that realize the benefits of holding an elected position.....and the perks, privileges, and lifestyle. They are no longer servants of the people.

See for yourself.......these people will do whatever they must to get re-elected.

They will change parties....

Listen here, in his own words

They will lie! Blumenthal lies about his service in Vietnam.

Check out Blumenthal's lies

What else will they do to our beloved nation?

If you have NOT been involved until now, please become involved. Tell your friends, tell your neighbors. If not for yourself, think of the future generations. Our nation has always been the beacon........the standard that the world looks to for leadership & guidance.

Now, we are destined for a coup d'etat. For in the words of Thomas Jefferson:

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

and he also said

Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state.

And to end this post, I'll state that Arizona's law was short & understandable and that they are protecting their citizens. I think our forefathers would be proud of Arizona. And so am I.

Solving Crimes

2010-05-11T19:06:00.010-04:00

Okay, I don't want to be accused of racial profiling, so I'm including surveillance pictures when possible.

Here is a suspected bank robber.

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. - Authorities need your help today to identify the suspect in an afternoon bank robbery. He’s described as a black male wearing a black coat, blue jeans, white shirt, and black hat with “DC” on on the front

Link full story about this crime

And here we have another suspected bank robber

6-foot-2 white male, in his late 20s

And a link to this full story

And last, I don't have a link to a full story for these suspects. The quantity of suspects is a little overwhelming, so I decided to help Arizona out. These are suspected of illegally crossing the United States border from Mexico. If you can identify any of these suspects, I'm sure Arizona would appreciate your assistance.

Based on the pictures, I would guess that the suspects are Mexican and of varying heights & weights.

Politically Correct Racial Profiling

2010-04-28T08:32:00.003-04:00

This "racial profiling" law came about as a direct result of political correctness.

So, if we are to follow the letter of the law regarding racial profiling, I'm going to make up a "situation". This is a purely fictional situation, directly from my over-active imagination. So humor me.

A man goes through a sub-division one day and breaks into 30 homes. He vandalizes property and kills 15 people. The subdivision is 95% caucasion. None of the homes had security cameras; but one person managed to hide & escape harm without detection and managed to provide a description of the "alleged" person committing crimes. The person drove a white SUV and was African American.

Now, as the police begin looking for this criminal, will they randomly search all white SUVs to make sure they are not accused of racial profiling? Or will they pull every black man driving a white SUV? Or will they search every white vehicle? When the folks in the neighborhood hold a candlelight vigil for the lost loved ones, will they accuse them of being racists? Will they drill the one surviving victim for evidence of racial insensitivity? When the police set up roadblocks to try to find the criminal, will every black man stopped try to sue the police for racial profiling? Or will the citizens complain that they were inconvenienced and refuse to produce identification on the grounds of invasion of privacy?

This insanity has got to stop.

We KNOW, using scientific methods of predicting odds, that a caucasion 95 year old woman will not bomb a plane.

We KNOW, using scientific methods of predicting odds, that a blonde hair blue eyed mother driving kids to soccer practice is probably NOT an illegal immigrant in a border state smuggling drugs.

Why can't we even use common sense any longer to protect citizens? The political correctness in our society has taken dangerous steps and protects the criminals instead of protecting the legal law-abiding citizens.

If I lived in Arizona, I certainly wouldn't mind showing my I.D. at any time. That's right, in the Walmart or on the road in a random road check. If I thought it was being done to protect citizens, I wouldn't mind. The only people that DO have a problem are the ones BREAKING the law. So, why are we protecting criminals in America?

It has gone too far & someone needs to reign in the communists; and if they truly desire a state contolled country, ship them to Cuba or Siberia. Give them a taste on the bottom end of communism. It is NOT eutopia for the bottom class. Communism does NOT eliminate classes. They are even more distinct. Politicians & Police are TOP and everyone else at bottom. Politicians vote themselves BIG pay and will control the pay of everyone else (just like Obama administration is trying to do now, controlling the pay in the private sector).

Wake Up America.

IMMIGRATION comparisons

2010-04-27T08:56:00.027-04:00

There seems to be so much discussion about IMMIGRATION REFORM. I'm perfectly content with our laws as they stand....they just need to be enforced.

And what part of our laws are they talking about 'REFORMING'? They seem perfectly reasonable to me.

But, just to be fair, I'll give you some information I dug up and let you decide for yourself if our laws are "fair" or not. All of this information was researched by me and obtained using a variety of sources. However, if you are wishing to obtain more information or citizenship, please go directly to the country in which you desire to obtain citizenship.

UNITED STATES immigration laws allow the government to control population and make sure people have met requirements. We are learning what lack of population control leads to....chaos. When people come here legally and comply with our laws, they appreciate the true value of U.S. citizenship. It is an honor to be a legal citizen of this country. If anyone does not appreciate it, they should find another country in my list and make themselves at home somewhere else.

So, here are the Eligibility Requirements for citizenship in the U.S., taken directly from the official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.

To be eligible for naturalization under section 316(a) of the INA, an applicant must:

*Be 18 or older
*Be a permanent resident (green card holder) for at least 5 years immediately preceding the date of filing the Form N-400, Application for Naturalization
Have lived within the state, or USCIS district with jurisdiction over the applicant’s place of residence, for at least 3 months prior to the date of filing the application
*Have continuous residence in the United States as a permanent resident for at least 5 years immediately preceding the date of the filing the application
*Be physically present in the United States for at least 30 months out of the 5 years immediately preceding the date of filing the application
*Reside continuously within the United States from the date of application for naturalization up to the time of naturalization
*Be able to read, write, and speak English and have knowledge and an understanding of U.S. history and government (civics).
*Be a person of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States during all relevant periods under the law

Citizenship requirements in U.K., Australia, Canada, and Ireland are very similar to U.S. All require applicants "desire" to live in country, reasonable assimilation, and loyalty to the country.

FRANCE naturalization will only be successful for those who are judged to have integrated into French society (i.e. by virtue of language skills and understanding of rights and responsibilities of a French citizen, to be demonstrated during an interview at the local prefecture), and who show loyalty to French institutions.

GERMAN citizenship can only be applied for after a number of years; and you generally have to fulfill most or all of the following conditions:

*a valid Aufenthaltserlaubnis or Aufenthaltsberechtigung residency permit
*legally resident in Germany for at least 8 years
*a livelihood-guarantee of you and your dependants without recourse to social welfare or unemployment benefits (excpetions are made for people under 23 years)
*adequate knowledge of the German language
*an oath on the German consitutionein
*you have to give up your former citizenship

German citizenship is determined by inheritance from parents and not by place of birth. Children with a German mother or father are automatically citizens at birth. But not all children born in Germany are automaically German; in face, there are 100,000 non-German children born every year. If both parents are foreigners, then the child only gets German citizenship automatically from birth if one or more of the parents ahs been legally living in Germany for a period of 8 years and has a valid Aufenthaltsberechtigung or has had an unbefristete Aufenthaltserlaubnis for a period of three years. These children get German citizenship, as well as that of their parents. Then, they will choose which citizenship they wish to keep at age 18.

In general, birth within the terriotry of IRAN does not automatically confer citizenship. Citizenship may be acquired upon fulfillment of the following conditions: Person must be at least 18 years of age, have resided in Iran for 5 years, not be a miliatry service escapee, and not have been convicted of a major crime in any country. The wives and minor children of naturalized Iranian citizens are also considered citizens.

****Note**** Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd, and Josh Fattal have been detained in Iran since July 31, 2009 when they accidentally crossed an unmarked border during a hiking trip in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan. They were in a peaceful region of Iraq that is increasingly popular with Western tourists. They are in prison and allowed limited contact with friends, family, and counsel desparately trying to get them released. These are three young persons that were simply hiking & enjoying nature. Just a note so you can see what kind of immigration enforcement Iran uses.

As of November 20, 2007, all foreigners, including foreign residents, get fingerprinted and photographed upon entering JAPAN as a measure aimed at preventing terrorism. People refusing to cooperate are not granted entry into the country.

*Foreigners, who wish to work in Japan, need to get a work visa from a Japanese embassy or consulate outside of Japan in order to enter the country on a status of residence permitting work.
*If you change jobs while you are in Japan and your new job falls into a different professional field (e.g. from education to engineering), you will need to change your status of residence.
*You MUST carry your visa with you AT ALL TIMES
*All foreigners, who stay in Japan for more than 90 days, need to apply for an alien registration card within the first 90 days of their stay. Applications are to be made at the local municipal office (e.g. city hall). The alien registration card is an important document required for opening a bank acount, obtaining a cell phone, and similar activities. Foreign residents are required to carry their alien registration card with them at all times
*Reside in Japan for at least 5 consecutive years (less if married to a Japanese National), have shown good conduct, have never plotted agains the Japanese government, have sufficient assets or ability to make an independent living and are willing to renounce any other citizenship held
*You must hand write in Japanese a letter stating why you desire citizenship

Now I'd like to address MEXICO requirements for citizenship or naturalization. Their constitution addresses all issues of citizenship and states that
• Immigrants and foreign visitors are banned from public political discourse. Article 33 “Foreigners may not in any way participate in the political affairs of the country.” Article 9 states, “only citizens of the Republic may do so to take part in the political affairs of the country.” Foreign-born, naturalized Mexican citizens may not become federal lawmakers (Article 55), cabinet secretaries (Article 91) or supreme court justices (Article 95).

• Immigrants and foreigners are denied certain basic property rights.
Article 27 states, “Only Mexicans by birth or naturalization and Mexican companies have the right to acquire ownership of lands, waters, and their appurtenances, or to obtain concessions for the exploitation of mines or of waters. The State may grant the same right to foreigners, provided they agree before the Ministry of Foreign Relations to consider themselves as nationals in respect to such property, and bind themselves not to invoke the protection of their governments in matters relating thereto; under penalty, in case of noncompliance with this agreement, of forfeiture of the property acquired to the Nation.Under no circumstances may foreigners acquire direct ownership of lands or waters within a zone of one hundred kilometers along the frontiers and of fifty kilometers along the shores of the country.”

• Immigrants are denied equal employment rights.
Article 32: “Mexicans shall have priority over foreigners under equality of circumstances for all classes of concessions and for all employment, positions, or commissions of the Government in which the status of citizenship is not indispensable. In time of peace no foreigner can serve in the Army nor in the police or public security forces.”

• Immigrants and naturalized citizens will never be treated as real Mexican citizens.
Article 32 bans foreigners, immigrants, and even naturalized citizens of Mexico from serving as military officers, Mexican-flagged ship and airline crew, and chiefs of seaports and airports: “In order to belong to the National Navy or the Air Force, and to discharge any office or commission, it is required to be a Mexican by birth. This same status is indispensable for captains, pilots, masters, engineers, mechanics, and in general, for all personnel of the crew of any vessel or airship protected by the Mexican merchant flag or insignia. It is also necessary to be Mexican by birth to discharge the position of captain of the port and all services of practique and airport commandant, as well as all functions of customs agent in the Republic.”
The president of Mexico, like the president of the United States, constitutionally must be a citizen by birth, but Article 82 of the Mexican constitution mandates that the president’s parents also be Mexican-born citizens, thus according secondary status to Mexican-born citizens born of immigrants

• Immigrants and naturalized citizens may never become members of the clergy.
Article 130 says, “To practice the ministry of any denomination in the United Mexican States it is necessary to be a Mexican by birth.”

• Private citizens may make citizens arrests of lawbreakers (i.e., illegal immigrants) and hand them to the authorities.
Article 16 states, “in cases of flagrante delicto, any person may arrest the offender and his accomplices, turning them over without delay to the nearest authorities.” Therefore, the Mexican constitution appears to grant Mexican citizens the right to arrest illegal aliens and hand them over to police for prosecution.

• Immigrants may be expelled from Mexico for any reason and without due process.
According to Article 33, “the Federal Executive shall have the exclusive power to compel any foreigner whose remaining he may deem inexpedient to abandon the national territory immediately and without the necessity of previous legal action.”

RACISM. The Great Contrast

2010-04-27T04:16:00.016-04:00

The mainstream media claims that ANY racism isn't tolerated.

WHAT?
WHAT?

I think they are telling a little white lie; which, in my book, is just as bad as a Big Black Lie.

For the record, I am ANTI-racism.

First, I'd like to address Imus vs. Toettcher

It hasn't been that long ago that Don Imus was harassed; yes, I said harassed. Al Sharpton, whom I consider to be a racist, pubicly stated that he would put pressure on CBS to fire Imus for comments he made.

Fast forward to April 2010: Fred Toettcher makes a reference to Tebow's draft party: “it looked like some kind of Nazi rally. . . . So lily-white is what I’m trying to say. Yeah, Stepford Wives,” No coverage so far from anyone screaming for his resignation.

Imus was BIG NEWS for weeks, with all the mainstream media milking it dry. Let's see if Toettcher issue even gets covered, much less to the personal harassment level as was in the Imus case.

And I'll quote the now famous words of Janeane Garofalo: "This is racism straight up"

The next issue I'd like to address is another item I saw on the news yesterday. Chicago asking for the National Guard to restore order in the city.

Now, if Fred Toettcher wants to look at a group of people and make a broad "categorize" by the color of their skin.....then I think we should be allowed the same privilege. However, I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself or the media might be camped out in your front yard harassing you for racism.

Click here to read the MSNBC "Deadly Weekend" story

I think much of the problem starts in the home. As I was researching for this post, I came across a website in which the author questions if "white kids" have enough "anti-racist education". Well, I'd like to pose the same question. Do black children have any anti-racist education? Seems they go into the world with a chip on their shoulder and expect the government to give them handouts in reparation for something that happened 200 years ago. They hear about it in their homes and in their churches.

My father passed away when I was only 14 years old, but I remember him mentioning "Soul City". We lived in North Carolina, so it was in newspapers and on the evening news. This was a test community, supported by the government and awarded $14 million in HUD grant money. It began in the early 1970s, and the model was touted as a Eutopia of socialism. Totally self-sustaining with all the infrastructure to maintain the population; housing, parks, schools, police, the whole nine yards. By the late 1970s, there were lawsuits being filed for misuse of funds. If you drive there today, you'll see just how much got accomplished with all the money they were given. Not much. Many projects began, but not much completed. There is not much written on this Eutopia experiment, but have fun with the research. I listened to people grumbling about tax money going to fund an black community when I was young.....

Now, I'm sure I'll be called a racist simply because I mentioned Soul City. Go right ahead. I would be embarrassed too - had I wasted the money that was provided by the government to start a socially progressive city. You had your chance, and wasted it.

TEA PARTY vs. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION SUPPORT rallies

Wow. I must say that I was impressed with the contrast in these groups. Yet the mainstream media has yet to point out the differences.

Allow me, please.

I have attended tea parties, in North Carolina and Washington, DC. They were generally peaceful with occassional loud chants such as "U.S.A." repeated over and over. I noticed people hugging each other, lots of American Flags, high fives, and exchanging of email addresses. They cleaned up behind themselves and respected the property they were on. No riotous or violence whatsoever.

In Arizona, the governor decided to take a bold step to protect the LEGAL citizens against what was proving to be a problem in their state; and one that the federal government was doing nothing to help with.

So, African Americans and Immigrants (many illegal) gather to protest the law. Destruction, Riots, and Violence.

So, the mainstream media focuses on the hostile "brandishing of placards" of the tea party protesters and glorifies the illegal immigrants.

Where am I? I have a feeling I'm not in Kansas any more.

Financial Reform: When mainstream media weighs in

2010-04-26T11:55:00.006-04:00

Okay, I generally watch our local news in the morning....and that leads directly to Matt, Meredith, Ann & Al. I've watched for years, growing ever impatient as they began to lean further and further towards 'anything politically correct'. It became apparent that they began to define "politically correct"; and during the political campaign before Obama's election, I was sickened beyond belief and decided that I can't trust their journalism any longer. At All.

Now, when the Today Show comes on, if it gets left on because I'm too busy to change it......well, it's really just to stay on top of my game & know what my opponents are thinking. Or sometimes their lack of balanced journalism makes for good entertainment. It's funny to watch Matt get red-faced & riled up when someone conservative challenges his political correctness. No longer are they a resource for current meaningful journalism. They are, in my opinion, socialists, quite possibly more intent on communism and their ability to control every aspect of our lives.

They decide when something is no longer a moral issue. Then, they force their opinions on the entire country, like it or not. Hmmmm. Sounds kinda like a dictatorship, huh?

Well today was just the icing on my little cupcake. I was busy in the kitchen when I heard them discussing the financial reform. Someone mentioned an email to an investor in which it celebrated how the housing crash was going to be a financial benefit.

Okay, for those folks that are unfamiliar with options, shorting, and hedge fund investing........this might seem shocking. Which is exactly what the media wanted. SHOCK media. They found someone to hang in order for the government to take more control and they will paint a picture for the public that will glorify government control.

Now, I'm not saying that everything all brokers do is right or moral, but to throw someone under the bus for making money on a legal gamble is wrong. This is all a part of our financial industry..........and is NOT intentionally preying on disaster. That, my friends, is reserved for the ambulance chasing trial lawyers. But the trial lawyers end up like, oh let's just say John Edwards as an example. And if they are holding elected positions, they will do whatever they can to defend their cronies. Most financial industry people love their work & love the action; despite the heartburn. I loved it.

So, before you listen to lamestream media and allow them to help form your opinion, do a little research. These investments are highly risky and not allowed for those that don't have huge disposable income and can afford huge losses. But if not for the risktakers, there wouldn't be many of the opportunities for the middle class. So, when they occassionally profit from one of their risks, we can't hang them. That's kind of like biting the hand that feeds you.

So, please...........
do research. I know there is a lot of wrong-doing in the inudstry. I'm firsthand witness to some of it. But a government takeover is not the answer.

Immigration: Should be Same today as yesterday & 1907

2010-04-20T13:35:00.005-04:00

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

10 Planks of communism: Are we enroute?

2010-04-19T10:47:00.005-04:00

Socialism is alive and well in America. PLEASE, don't take my word for it. Follow a couple of these links & read for yourself.

I did not have time to complete this post, so I'll update as I can.

I am reading the communist manifesto and will also provide more details of the movement of our America into the hands of Marxist admirers. Based on strictly observations, the people that strive for communism are the lazy with no skills or desire to be skilled, the artist that desires to make a living with art, or the intellectuals. These are people that don't know how to do an honest days work or have no desire to do an honest days work, but want their share of the wealth.

Are there any in communist societies that LOVE the communist way of life? Perhaps at the top of the food chain (the dictator). Maybe the artist that is supported by the government. Why must they SECURE their borders and punish or kill those that wish to leave? BECAUSE it is a miserable life for the majority.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest socialist organization in the United States, and the principal U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International. DSA's members are building progressive movements for social change while establishing an openly socialist presence in American communities and politics. It is easier for them to advance their causes under the disguise of democrat or "progressive" than coming out and openly stating they are socialists. Political correctness to achieve goals and attacking opposition are considered fair.

Democratic Socialists of America

Now, there are those that are very open about their political beliefs and do not hide behind the democratic party. Please, read here. They know they are moving forward quickly with their agenda and are proud of it. They support Obama.

Socialist Party USA

I have outlined the ten planks of communism as defined by Karl Marx as an test to determine if a society is communist. Socialism is on the ladder towards communism and makes it easier to achieve. I have highlighted some things that the current administration is doing to move our country towards socialism.

1. Abolition of private property and the application of all rent to public purpose.

The Federal Government owns nearly 650 million acres of land - almost 30 percent of the land area of the United States.

Here's your wake-up call for this plank:

More than a dozen pristine landscapes, wildlife habitats and scenic rivers in 11 Western states, some larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined, are under consideration by the Obama administration to become America's newest National Monuments -- a decision the administration can make unilaterally without local input or congressional approval.

Eminent domain is the right the government has to seize private property for public use - to build a road, a school or a courthouse. This right is being abused by cities across the country, taking private property against the will of the owners, and selling to private developers. So, how do they justify this as "public use"? They say the city benefits by obtaining higher taxes when the property is developed. WRONG? Yes, it is. And often, the property doesn't become developed.....it just swaps hands and the homes are essentially stolen.

2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.

Obama, then Illinois senator told a crowd in Dover, N.H. on Sept. 12, 2008: “I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increases,” “Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.”

Again, on Feb. 24, 2009 address to a joint session of Congress: “If your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single dime. I repeat: not a single dime,”

Here's your wake-up call for this plank:

President Barack Obama said he is “agnostic” about raising taxes on households making less than $250,000 as part of a broad effort to rein in the budget deficit.
V.A.T. (value added tax) is being seriously considered by congress.
There are many new taxes (or fees) assessed in the new Healthcare Law on EVERY SINGLE individual.

3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance.

4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.

5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.

Here's your wake-up call for this plank:

Obama has successfully taken over financial corporations, under the pretense of "rescuing" the entire economy. They are in the process of "discussing" a complete "overhaul" of the financial INDUSTRY. So far, politicians try to dictate how much money can be earned by financial executives....yet they don't hesitate to Vote themselves raises in pay.

What will it take before YOU realize where this path is leading?

6. Centralization of the means of communication and transportation in the hands of the State.

Here's your wake-up call for this plank:

This administration is trying desparately to regulate content of talk radio, which is one of the only platforms in which conservative views & values are transmitted. This is a direct conflict of our freedom of speech.

7. Extention of factories and instruments of production owned by the State, the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.

Here's your wake-up call for this plank:

Has this administration taken any ownership, either partial or in whole, of auto makers? And are they villianizing and trying to force OUT OF BUSINESS any other auto makers that might be competition for the government owned auto company? Folks, this is not an accident. These actions are calculated & intentional.

8. Equal liablity of all to labor. Establishment of Industrial armies, especially for agriculture.

Here's your wake-up call for this plank:

Have you noticed that the "jobs" being created & "stimulated" by the government are either government jobs or ones that benefit the government. It is being suggested that one pursue job in health sector..........and guess what just passed, a bill that allows government to takeover nearly every aspect of healthcare. Eventually, this administration hopes that this law will eventually lead to single pay system, which will give government complete control over your health & wellness. And we have to hope they don't run it as well as they have managed the post office, DMV, etc.

These are direct words from Barack Obama’s July 2, 2008 speech: "We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."

9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country by a more equable distribution of the population over the country.

10. Free education for all children in government schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, etc. etc.

Here's your wake-up call for this plank:

CPSIA law went into effect in 2009. Under the pretense of "harmful", our government has outlawed children’s books printed before 1985. Is it ironic that this was just about the time "political correctness" began to take hold of the publishing industry; especially in school text. They wish to control what our children read now. Many folks are not even aware that this law was so invasive.......basically dictating our ability to even MAKE the clothes our children wear. Snaps, buttons, and zippers must all be tested and this is VERY expensive. However, the Chinese imports are NOT being tested; they are basically forcing us to buy imported goods and they are not requiring the extensive testing on their products. China does not allow us to regulate THEIR manufacturing processes and will not allow someone to come in and inspect their facilities. Wonder Why??? But regardless, we are being forced, by law, to discontinue manufacture of our own childrens' clothes, and required to support the Chinese government & help their employment. And they wonder why all our jobs are going overseas. This law is very scary and will be even more horrific when they finally have in place the ability to enforce the law.
AmeriCorps is recruiting in our high schools. Here is a link with information on propaganda handed out in an Ohio public school. The actual form is displayed on this website and the actual signup form has the Obama logo on top. They are teaching kids to work "for the common good" (socialism).

Americorps propaganda document

There are currently commercials running on T.V. (I'll try to remember to look it up on youtube next time it airs) for colleges that are pointing troubling. I can't remember the college(s) at the moment. One of them implies that learning is subjective. One of them suggests you choose a career to "help the common good". The green movement is very progressive and involves many aspects of socialism. I read an article recently that also suggests good grammar is no longer necessary or good. "Ebonics" (or as I would describe, culture based slang) were supported as "intelligent" method of communication. They suggested that content was important and method of communication was not. This goes against all civilized culture. The ability to communicate in a civilized manner, through education, has always been important. But our "politicaly correct" attitude has abolished anything that goes against ANY culture. So, if they choose Lack of Education as a "cultural" choice....who are we to argue? Just as some are saying that being undressed in public (pants hanging below rear end) is a "cultural" phenomenon and anyone that disagrees is racist.

Just a couple more NOTES regarding the current administration and the progressive movement in general:

John Holdren, Obama's science czar, has co-authored a book highlighting eugenics. Forced abortions. Mass sterilization. A "Planetary Regime" with the power of life and death over American citizens.

Women could be forced to abort their pregnancies, whether they wanted to or not;
The population at large could be sterilized by infertility drugs intentionally put into the nation's drinking water or in food;

Single mothers and teen mothers should have their babies seized from them against their will and given away to other couples to raise;

People who "contribute to social deterioration" (i.e. undesirables) "can be required by law to exercise reproductive responsibility" -- in other words, be compelled to have abortions or be sterilized.

A transnational "Planetary Regime" should assume control of the global economy and also dictate the most intimate details of Americans' lives -- using an armed international police force.

One of the most powerful tools/instruments used by progressives (who have now taken control of the democrat party) is Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood receives federal funding.

Just in case you aren't familiar with Planned Parenthood, let me give you a quickie history lesson......and remember, the core values of Planned Parenthood advocate the continued use of abortion as a means of population control.

Margaret Sanger was the founder of Planned Parenthood. There is much published material by Ms. Sanger. She was a strong advocate for eugenics. Here are some of her writings:

On blacks, immigrants and indigents:
"...human weeds,' 'reckless breeders,' 'spawning... human beings who never should have been born." Margaret Sanger, Pivot of Civilization, referring to immigrants and poor people

On sterilization & racial purification:
Sanger believed that, for the purpose of racial "purification," couples should be rewarded who chose sterilization. Birth Control in America, The Career of Margaret Sanger, by David Kennedy, p. 117, quoting a 1923 Sanger speech.

On the right of married couples to bear children:
Couples should be required to submit applications to have a child, she wrote in her "Plan for Peace." Birth Control Review, April 1932

On the purpose of birth control:
The purpose in promoting birth control was "to create a race of thoroughbreds," she wrote in the Birth Control Review, Nov. 1921 (p. 2)

On motherhood:
"I cannot refrain from saying that women must come to recognize there is some function of womanhood other than being a child-bearing machine." What Every Girl Should Know, by Margaret Sanger (Max Maisel, Publisher, 1915) [Jesus said: "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep... for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in which they shall say, Blessed (happy) are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the breasts which never gave suck." (Luke 23:24)]

"The most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it." Margaret Sanger, Women and the New Race (Eugenics Publ. Co., 1920, 1923)

Fixing Problems begins at the border

2010-04-13T11:33:00.004-04:00

Our nation loves immigrants and we accept them with open arms. Americans generally do not have a problem with immigrants…..as long as they are here legally.This is my biggest single issue. The second biggest issue is RACISM. I am offended that anyone patriotic and waving an American flag is publicly lumped in with racist groups and branded as such. Patriotism is colorblind. Patriotism is on the inside.

I was raised in a very patriotic home. I was taught to respect and take care of the American flag and to VALUE the blessing of being born in this great nation. I have relatives & ancestors that have served in nearly every conflict & war beginning with the Revolution. My father served in WWII aboard the U.S.S. Donaldson, a destroyer escort.

The problem I have now is that of immigrants coming into this nation illegally, then EXPECTING our nation to grant them immediate citizenship with no strings attached. They have drained our education system and closed many hospitals. They expect our nation to change the language to meet their needs because they do not wish to assimilate or learn our language. They risk the lives of women & unborn babies to cross the border immediately before labor begins so they can birth “anchor babies” in the United States. They carry the Mexican flag, put it outside their home, and expect us to “honor their heritage” without any respect for our laws. They are getting more aggressive; they come from a society of aggression, hositility, and lawlessness; And they bring much of that violence to our nation. We are seriously paying the price in the border states. They have no respect for our heritage, our history, society, or our way of life….but we must respect theirs! And in this climate of political correctness, when Nancy Pelosi will address a group of illegal immigrants and tell them what heroes they are…..I understand where they get the entitlement mentality. Tolerance is the politically correct keyword that will provide amnesty to a great many wrongs.

When folks say I have no compassion for the children, it’s just not true. Every parent must make decisions all day every day that will affect their children. When someone enters this country illegally, not only are they setting bad examples (lawlessness) for their children, but they are putting their children at risk of being sent back. That is the parents fault, not my fault and not my nation’s responsibility. When someone in America does something to endanger their children, the children can be taken away by social services. That law should apply to everyone! If a mother & father rob a bank & end up in prison, do you think the child suffers the consequences? Of course they do. It’s never FAIR, but life isn’t fair. The parents must be held responsible, not legal U.S. citizens carrying the burden of financial responsibility.

Due to the “political correct” agenda our government has adopted recently and media support, everyone is literally afraid to point out any problem. They certainly don’t want the mainstream media using them as an example of ‘hate’.

Our nation is in trouble. Illegal immigration has caused a great many of our problems. But nobody has the backbone to say it out loud and take care of the problem as our forefathers would have. Our safety has been compromised and our financial well-being is on the verge of collapse, mostly as a direct result of illegal immigration. What has not been caused by illegal immigration has not been helped by the government stepping into the private industry and trying to over-regulate, again based on “political correctness”.

Political correctness has now crossed the line of common sense. Everything is to be tolerated, whether right or wrong. Lawsuits of trivial matters clog our judicial system and civil rights are now used as a means of obtaining something.

The statue of liberty attests to our nations’ willingness to accept immigrants, but we MUST have laws regarding entry and citizenship.

As a Tea Party Patriot, my mission is just to get our country back one that is respected and admired for our courage, spirit, and love of country. I would like to see every American with a copy of the constitution in their hands (in English) and understand it. We are a land of many rights & privileges….but we should know the difference. I am NOT racist and I am NOT anti-immigration. We are a nation of laws and they must be honored and enforced beginning with citizenship.

I have a very simple, but common sense approach to getting our nation back in order.

1. Deport illegal immigrants and require LEGAL entry only.
• This will free up a lot of jobs immediately and will prove once and for all that there are NOT jobs that legal Americans won’t do. That is one of the arguments supporting illegal immigration. The issue isn’t that Americans won’t do the jobs, they just won’t do the jobs at slave labor rates. That’s right, compare to sweat shops and child labor in other nations. It’s happening right here on our own soil.

2. Serious penalties for ANYONE or any COMPANY that hires or allows habitation of
any illegal immigrant.
• If there are severe financial consequences for harboring & hiring, it will end

3. Secure our borders
• Build a fence & protect it. It can be funded with some of the pork that will be eliminated on number 4. There are many Americans that would volunteer to work on the project!

4. No government money on non-essential services
• Arts and other non-essentials will be supported by the community if they are wanted & needed. All money allotted to projects should be put before the public for scrutiny. We must stop all these “special projects” to buy votes and appease special interests (including unions).

5. No government money outside our country
• Stop supporting any government industry outside the U.S.
• Only in case of natural disaster would we assist other countries. If our private industry, churches, and charitable foundations wish to assist other nations, then that will allow citizens more control of where their money goes.

6. Serious tax advantages for every job kept in U.S. instead of outsourcing
• Substantial advantages.

7. Serious import regulations
• Make sure everything coming into the country is safe & legal. There are more regulations for U.S. made than imported. Absolutely outrageous.
• Penalties for companies that import things that could be made in the U.S.
• Ridiculous sanctions to protect tiny fish over the foodsources for humans must stop. If farmers need water for crops, the government should not be able to stop their water supply. Human life must be highest priority. Protection of wildlife must be done WITHIN COMMON SENSE REASON. Political correctness seems to have taken the place of common sense.

8. Stop over-regulating every aspect of life
• There is a new CPSIA law on the books that makes “Little Golden Books” produced earlier than the early 1970s illegal. That’s right. Illegal. According to research, if my child eats several of these books, she could get sick. WHAT? Where is the common sense? And would you like to know the REAL reason behind this law? Indoctrination of our children. Most books published after their time line of safety have been “politically correct”. Here we are with this political correctness.

9. Encourage self-responsibility
• Stop babysitting citizens
• Our government is now telling private industry what foods they can prepare. What kinds of grease they can use to prepare foods. How much salt they may include in prepared foods in restaurants as well as in boxes in the store. What they (limited number of individuals imposing their will on the entire nation) deem healthy is what they want to be law of the land. Like Salt? They want to regulate usage. Are you ready for food vouchers (like during WWII) so you can only obtain a certain amount of salt, ice cream, soda (like Pepsi or Coke), or chocolate per family? It’s coming unless we get control of our government. People that choose to eat too much will gain weight. But we shouldn’t reward them with “handicapped” tags so they can enjoy parking close to the building because of their choices to eat that much. Government interference WILL ALWAYS cause laziness, carelessness, and feelings of entitlement instead of encouraging people to take care of themselves and their families.
• Stop rewarding baby production by providing government assistance when one reproduces without financial means to support. If it happens once, okay. But to continue to reproduce with no intention of ever supporting is irresponsible and our government cannot continue to support it. That’s what social & charity organizations are for.

10. Encourage supporting U.S. made
• If they want to spend propaganda money, it should be spent encouraging folks to buy U.S. made products & services

11. Let free enterprise & capitalism work
• Have you ever heard the saying “everyone can be replaced”? Well, it’s true. And in America, if a company is fiscally irresponsible, they should fail. However, it cannot be a direct result of government over-regulation. For example, I remember when the government started telling banks they MUST lower standards for loaning money for homes. Loan money to folks that don’t qualify. It put banks in a terrible position because they now had to loan money to folks they KNEW wouldn’t pay it back and there would be too many foreclosures….causing banks to lose a great deal of money. But the government required it. They wanted more minorities in homes……nice homes that they couldn’t really afford……and they wanted the banks to support it. Then, the government realized they would have to go by the same rules. Now, years later, financial crisis. Why? Because the government stepped in to private industry and forced them to do something they KNEW was not good. Not good for business and not good for the people that would end up in foreclosure. There is no single company that can cause a collapse of the U.S. economy. It might sting a little, but unless we have a vested interest (like government take-overs), it will not collapse our country.

The Kenyan Hillbillies

2010-04-12T20:56:00.007-04:00

Well, I don't sit down & easily dream things up, but someone tweeted "The Kenyan Hillbillies" and I had to giggle thinking of the Beverly Hillbillies song. We still watch the VHS movies & my kids think they are a hoot.

So, here's my rendition of "The Kenyan Hillbillies" sung to the tune of the Beverly Hillbillies.

Come & listen to a story 'bout a man named Barrack
Ivy League, Multi-racial and a basketball jock
And then one day as he talked with residents
community organizing, then career as president
Black Soul, Kenyan Sweet
Well, the first thing you know, Barrack Hussein Obama
All the democrats said, Ignore your white grandmama
They said "The White House is the place you oughta be"
so he loaded the SUV and they moved to DC
Capitol Hill that is, Smithsonian, Lincoln monument
The Kenyan Hillbillies............

And a side note regarding the "Crash the Tea Party" site.

I think it's sad ...... Americans that are simply concerned about the integrity of the constitution are being characterized as racists & worse. I went to the first tea party in my local area and will be in DC this year. I'm a stay at home mom, with a background in Stock Brokerage AND manufacturing. 9+ successful years in both industries. I am intelligent, continue to educate myself daily, I love history, and I love my country. My father fought in WWII and my brother in Vietnam.

I actually find it complimentary that these people are so threatened that they feel they must "infiltrate" the ranks to try to "cause" problems. Why? Because they KNOW we are peaceful. Conservatives are, by nature, well....conservative. We don't like getting in people's faces. We don't like activism (look at our history; we had to learn from ACORN & SEIU how to actually BE activists).

Go to a couple of meetings. It's simply Americans that are truly concerned for our nation. If you look at the writings of our founding fathers, as they composed the Constitution, they warned of the 'power hungry' and foretold that we must stand together and never allow too much government.

Thomas Jefferson said "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."

Nuf Said?

Hate Addiction Clinic now OPEN for liberals

2010-04-09T11:30:00.008-04:00

Okay, the first step is admitting you have a problem. You realize that you are powerless over hate and it is becoming an ever-controlling part of your life.

Welcome to my HATE addiction Clinic. You can be cured, but it will take time. It is not something that can be done overnight. The amount of liberal indoctrination you have been exposed to will determine the length of time it will take to cure you.

You can easily determine if you are truly addicted to Hate, or just a casual user by answering a few simple questions.

1. If you hear someone say they are conservative, it makes you
A. Angry
B. Hate Them
C. Want to say something snarky
D. want to get to know them better

2. If you hear someone say they are republican, it makes you
A. Angry
B. Hate Them
C. Want to say something snarky
D. want to get to know them better

3. When you think of Global Warming, it makes you
A. Want to save a Polar Bear
B. Think of your Hybrid car
C. Change the lightbulbs in your sister's house
D. Want to understand more about the scientific evidence

4. When you think of Southern American History, you think about
A. How much hardship there must have been without the internet & cell phones
B. restitution for slavery
C. visiting a black history museum
D. all aspects of work, trade, education, transportation, and economics

5. When you think of early American History, you think about
A. visiting a casino on a reservation to support Native Americans
B. asking for federal funds to support tribal history research
C. tweeting about social injustices throughout U.S. history
D. founding fathers

6. You hear about an entreprenuer that started a company in his garage. The corporation is now a multi-million dollar corporation that hired hundreds of thousands and provides a product that is loved and desired by millions worldwide. Your immediately think
A. if they are providing enough benefits & nice work enviornment for employees
B. top executives must be making too much money. They don't need so much
C. how mad you are that EVERYONE can't afford to buy one of their products
D. how much they contribute to local economy & provide employment for so many

7. You hear someone say they went to church on Sunday and you
A. hate them
B. hate them and wish there were no churches anywhere
C. want to confront them and tell them how stupid they are
D. respect anyone's freedom to practice their choice of religion or lack thereof

8. You see a story on the news about gay marriage and you
A. want to go to the wedding
B. feel angry that everyone doesn't appreciate that lifestyle
C. want to pick a troll fight with someone online
D. want to understand both sides of the controversy

9. You see a child carrying a Bible in public school and you want to
A. contact school and let them know you found the sight offensive
B. file lawsuit against child & school because you had to see the Bible
C. conduct a wican ritual on the school grounds as restitution
D. appreciate more deeply our choices of literature available in the U.S.

10. You see someone carrying the American Flag and you
A. feel Angry
B. feel hatred towards anyone THAT patriotic
C. want to grab a Mexican flag and confront them
D. feel a sense of pride in your country

11. You see a Christmas Tree and you
A. feel angry
B. hate the person that erected the tree
C. want to coax a "Merry Christmas" out of employee so you can threaten to sue
D. respect all holidays of all religions & our freedom to celebrate

If your answers were mostly
A or B. You need help and my new clinic is designed to assist you with overcoming your feelings of hostility and hatred. We can teach you to discuss differences with compassion and open-mindedness. If your answers leaned more towards B, then your recovery time will be more lengthy.

C. You are a smarty-pants liberal. Your recovery won't take long. If unable to tame your hostile sense of humor, you might consider future in comedy

D. You can be treated in your own home with my comprehensive online process

*******DISCLAMIER**********
This is a joke. This is only a joke. If it were an actual clinic, emergency information would have been provided to assist you in seeking treatment.

The author of this post is a conservative (cured liberal) and will accept any donations to help in the quest to cure others through blogging, tweeting, and other social network applications. Humor, teaparties, literature, and any other means are often necessary to reform hardcore liberals that are addicted to hate.

Curing Hate, One Liberal At A Time

A STROLL DOWN etsy LANE

2010-04-08T08:19:00.006-04:00

The world is a different place today. We can be sad or we can stand up for what we believe in.

There are many debates about the 'why' and 'how' we got to this state, but the fact remains that there is little hope of turning back. We must train up our children in the ways that are right so they can make good choices when faced with 'situations'. The public school system and our elected officials in office right now have an entirely different view of right and wrong.

As a Christian mother, the health & welfare of my children are of great concern to me. I have two girls and one boy.

Looking back throughout history, a young woman was considered 'ripe' for marriage at a very young age. Why? Because they are strong and have the energy to keep up with children and all the demands of motherhood. In early Bible literature, women were very young when they married. But today, we find it appalling when a young woman wants to marry and begin a family. There was a recent story about young ladies coming into puberty at younger ages than in previous years. But what are they comparing it to? Typically throughout history, if women were not bearing children by late teens, they were often considered barren.

But society today promotes promiscuity. Young men don't suffer the dire consequences of this behavior......only the girls and women. But they (society) continue to promote self-indulgent and immediate gratification attitude. What are the results? Suicide. Too many of our young people are suffering the consequences of these behaviors that many people are encouraging. The school system is NOT on the side of purity. Unfortunately.

A PURE woman has always been coveted. Even today, men desire women that are PURE. And when a man marries, the fact that a woman has saved herself specifically for him will make a man feel special and MORE emotionally attached to his wife. More 'responsible' for her well-being because she has put all her trust, life, and soul into their relationship. So, why don't we teach more of our young women purity? Why?

This pendant on etsy would be such a wonderful reminder for a young person that many of us still encourage purity and KNOW that it is a healthier lifestyle.

see PURITY PENDANT here

I don't understand folks that have been introduced to Christianity and still turn away from it. Here's the way I think.....I'd rather be a 'wrong' Christian than a 'right' anything else. The joy that comes from knowing someone loves you so much they'd die for you; what else can compare?

So, someone that does NOT believe in God thinks that when you die, there is nothing. So, let's look at the option that they might be right.......okay, nothing. They are able to live life in a self-indulgent manner. Their CARE for others is little, because they place no value on anything other than self-indulgence; that being their priority because this life is all they have. But what if they are wrong.......Hell. That's one BIG UGLY consequence for eternity; and ask anyone older than 50 how quickly life passes.

Now, let's assume we are wrong. Nothingness after death. But we have loved our brothers and sisters during our lifetime. We try to help others. We live our lives based on love, kindness, and generosity. We fail often; we are not perfect. But we strive to do better each day. We cry when we lose loved ones. We have the same trials that non-Christians have; but we have comfort and love to get us through. We have brothers and sisters in Christ that will pray for us and help us because they care. Now, assuming we are RIGHT, we get to spend eternity in heaven.

So, to re-cap:
If they are right, Nothingness. If they are wrong, HELL.
If we are right, Heaven. If we are wrong, nothingness.

Hmmmmm. Just logically speaking, I think I'll choose the option where ETERNITY will be heavenly.

view QUILTED JOY here

There are so many things we are being faced with today.

I am a teaparty patriot. I love my country and believe that our founders were inspired by God to create our constitution and all of the foundations they established for us to be a great nation. Society has determined that it is more important to satisfy the flesh and have turned their back on God. Our nations elected leader has announced to the world that we are not a Christian nation.

I love to tell others about my faith, but let God handle the conviction and salvation. I love the sinner, but hate the sin. I will not "tolerate" my children being told that sin is okay. And not only can I justify my beliefs in my faith, but also scientifically. After all, God invented all things, including science. It is possible to be a Christian scientist.

So, continue to teach your children right from wrong. If this administration continues down this path and we are unable to take our country back, well it's my opinion that it's the will of God and there is nothing we can do short of prayer. I love this earth and all the beauty God has provided. I would like to see even more of the United States. But if the time has come, we must try to lead as many others to the goodness of God and salvation as we can before the trump sounds. The ones of us that are familiar with the Bible and believe in the teachings can see the signs, more clear than ever.

Teaching our children, and especially our young women, modesty is so important. I made several of these skirts for my daughter and they are her favorite. I can't make enough of them. When she wears them to school, her friends all beg for her mom to make them one. :) Here favorites are in either bold colors or spring pastels; but I like the colors in this one.

view PATCHWORK SKIRT here

I have lots of errands to run today and too much that I want to get done (and not enough hours in the day), so I must end this post.

I am always willing to debate any subject as long as you are willing to do it without name calling, hate, or using profanity. I love defending my beliefs and trying to help others. My desire is for everyone to understand the love of God.

I want to go camping!

2010-04-07T09:43:00.011-04:00

So the Frolic is a far cry from being ready to go camping. But I had a few minutes this past weekend to work on her. It's really amazing what a little elbow grease and the right combination of chemicals will do!

Check it out!!!
This is one of the light fixtures. Can you see the difference?

All this spring weather has me eager to go camping. I just love the outdoors & travel. But another thing that spring brings around is our celebration of the risen savior, Jesus Christ. My youngest daughter got saved on Easter Sunday. How wonderful is that? Now, my heart is at ease knowing that when the trump sounds, all three of my children will be with me in heaven. I can't wait to see Mama & Daddy again.

As if that weren't enough excitement, I finally hooked up with my local teaparty group. That is VERY exciting. I've been meeting folks through the Winston-Salem groups and Asheville tea party, but now.......I'm in my own neighborhood! And I'm most likely going to the BIG Tax Day Tea Party in Washington on April 15. I went to the one in Winston-Salem last year because I couldn't afford the trip to DC. I'll be sure to post pictures & lots of commentary on the event....so stay tuned.

If you're planning to be there, let me know. Great to meet like-minded people.

YADKIN VALLEY TEAPARTY website

Good Friday, Happy Easter

2010-04-02T12:09:00.006-04:00

The kids are out of school today, so we did our eggs today. This is a tradition that I will never outgrow.

I hope your Easter weekend is everything you desire it to be.

Just a Few things today.....

2010-04-01T09:44:00.011-04:00

I love my old newspapers. I love holding a newspaper that I know was held by someone in another era. I often try to imagine what the ladies or men were wearing or what they did when they laid the paper down.

So, here is a Scientific newspaper that gives details of the NEW mail system in New York City.

These are some close up pictures of the lithograph. I just love the artwork of that era. I just can't imagine how difficult it was to get a newspaper out without the technology we have today.

Too bad the post office was unable to continue utilizing technology to stay ahead of the game. I can assure you, there is much waste in that organization.....after all, it is a government entity. And they want to handle our healthcare. Hmmm.

My daughter begins kindergarten in the fall. So, here I am filling out all that paperwork yet again. Kind of a sad time, but just as I was prepared to be depressed while doing all this paperwork to send my last child off to school........well, I'd like to express my appreciation to our government for getting me out of the depression mode and into anger.

I live in rural North Carolina. Little country school. CHECK THIS OUT!!!! They have created a "required" line in which I must declare that I am either hispanic or non-hispanic. So, is this a politically correct way to "not hurt the feelings of the illegal hispanic immigrants" OR a way to say that they have managed to take over our country and we are now the United States of Mexico.

And on a lighter note..........I needed something to cheer me up after that. So, I headed over to etsy.

One of my favorite Christmas gifts was the Susan Boyle CD that hubby got me. I found this lovely print:

Click here for details about this print

The title made my heart smile and I'm going to listen to the CD as soon as I'm done with this blog post.

Hoping you have a wonderful Easter weekend.

Made Myself a T-shirt today

2010-03-31T12:16:00.005-04:00

Here's a t-shirt I designed for myself today!

AMERICA, the beautiful

2010-03-29T16:25:00.007-04:00

The limited travel I have gotten to experience has been blissful.

I love my country. I love my state.

I can't imagine a better place to live. Here in North Carolina, we have moderate seasons. I can take a day trip to the beach OR the mountains.

And if you don't know by now, I am a history nut. Yep, I can't get enough of history or historic things. Here is one of my favorite possessions, my victrola. I just love playing a 78 rpm.....the sound is something I find beautiful. My husband and kids prefer the digital age with absolutely no distortions.

Yet, this used to be one of the simple pleasures in life. Sometimes, the main (or only) source of entertainment for a family. Often families sat around and sang or danced around the victrola. Here is my victrola and one of my 78 records, America the Beautiful. I had just stepped out of the shower, so ignore the dripping wet hair.

Click here to see my youtube video

Click here to see details of RECORD Clock

The Easy Job - Homemaker

2010-03-26T14:38:00.016-04:00

Well, folks will try to make you believe that I am not being a very productive citizen - being a homemaker. But I'll tell you one thing, it sure is exhausting!

It all began early today, around 6am. I fixed myself a cup of coffee, checked my emails, and took a quick peek at twitter.

Then, I had to get the kids up & moving.......in the shower as I fix breakfast & school lunches.

As I sat at the top of the driveway waiting for the school bus, I got to enjoy some beauty. I value my ability to savor God's handiwork in nature. A wonderful combination of rain during the night, early morning fog, and dew created this beautiful site:

Can you see how the tiny drops of water are hanging on the very tip of each pine needle? With the early morning sun captured in each little droplet of water, reminded me of the little fiber optic Christmas Trees.

The fog was thick this morning, but by the time I got up to the bus stop, it had lifted a little. When my 13 year old was a very young boy, he asked me "what is fog"? I tried to think of a way to explain that he could understand.....so I told him that fog is when clouds want to come down to earth and play on the ground a little bit. They especially love to run through grassy fields........then when the sun comes up, they must return to the sky and do their cloud jobs.

Flowering Trees..........beautiful signs of spring's arrival.

And dew on spiderwebs makes me hope I never lose my sight.

After the kids are off to school this morning, my list of things to do was so long it almost left me breathless just looking at it. So, I got a little housework done, jumped in the shower to clean myself and my daughter (yeah, sometimes she has to shower with me when we are running), and hit the ground running. Someone made a purchase in my etsy store yesterday, so I had to get that packaged & ready to go.

Food Lion is the only store that carries the type of dispenser soap I like to use in the kitchen. It has a lemon scent.... and my son loves the Quaker Cinnamon & Spice Oatmeal. Wal-mart does not carry that flavor, so I have to get it at Food Lion.

From Food Lion, it was off to the post office to mail my package.

Then, Walmart. I am NOT one of those Wal-mart haters. I love Walmart. They not only have really low prices (which I MUST take advantage of), but they really have helped the community a great deal. Picked up the few things I needed there.

Ran home to put groceries away.......then back into the car.

A friend from church is giving a bridal shower for her daughter and I had to run into Winston-Salem to pick up a gift (she's registered at Target). Target is in Winston-Salem and I live in Mocksville. 30 minute drive. Then Walgreens to refill my ink for my printer. The Walgreens in Mocksville doesn't have the refill center yet, so since I was in Winston-Salem, I took care of that errand.

And I can't resist the temptation of Krispie Kreme doughnuts.......especially since I have the card to buy one, get one free. Yum.

Back home again. Let chickens out to free range a little in the yard.

So now, I have a few moments before I have to start getting things ready for dinner. What do I do? Post a Blog entry.

Did I mention that a friend from church was having surgery today. I had planned to visit while I was in town (our county doesn't have a hospital, his surgery is in Winston-Salem as well). So, I called while I was in town and surgery was running a little late........so I'll have to go back in tomorrow.

I still give "get well" cards. I still visit those folks that aren't feeling well. I wish more people would do that. I know that hospitals force us to leave quicker nowadays, but do we really have to stop giving folks cards when they have surgery or aren't feeling well? Why has our society just stopped with a lot of the little things we used to do for one another?

So, I peeked on etsy to find some cute cards........and next time a friend or relative of yours isn't well, think about giving a card. I've provided a link under each card if you'd like to see all the details and maybe check out other works from these artists.

Here is a link to this cute card with quilling

Click here to check out details on the bird card!

Here's a link to the daisy card

A Day at the Park

2010-03-25T10:05:00.029-04:00

Well, I promised my daughter a visit to the park. There is an awesome park in Rowan County that is amazing and there are so many people that don't even know about it.

Unfortunately, I forgot that during the winter, they only run the rides on weekends. But they still have an awesome playground.

Dan Nicholas Park is so much fun for almost any age. Here are some pictures of our trip yesterday.

Sometime during April, all the activities will be available all day.

I included a link to their website, but if you live in North Carolina and have never been, it's worth the trip if you have kids. I'll go again next month and include pictures of the other activities.

They have a little gas train that takes kids (and adults) through a ride in the woods (real RR tracks, bridges, & tunnels). There is a carousel and pedal boats. You can fish (with license) and feed the ducks (one our our favorite things to do). They have a gem mine (boys can get a seashell bucket & mine for shark teeth & seashells). They have a reptile house (with snakes, turtles, and alligators) and a little barn area that has small animals & birds. Then, there's the big zoo with bears, fox, bald eagles & more. It really is a great little park. There are picnic shelters and a CAMPGROUND!!!! YAY. I think that's going to be one of the first local campgrounds where we'll give our '72 Frolic a test run before making a longer trip.

But just the playground is amazing. I didn't get pictures of NEARLY all of the equipment. They have a nice long (handicap accessible) playset, then fenced off - they also have a younger child play area (ages 1-6) - and yet another sanded area with benches for parents, a tree to climb in, a rope spiderweb orb for climbing, a rock climbing wall (short), several more ladder/slide playsets, and swings. Several LARGE (real) boulders are great for kids to climb and play "King of the Mountain". There is also a miniature golf course.

Most of the activities are only $1 per person, but I think the golf and boats are a little more.

Such a nice little park.

Did you ever play marbles on the playground. I guess I'm giving my age away....but that used to be a favorite playground activity.

This artist captured the essence of the game....remember going home with an AWESOME marble? Tiger-eye marbles were always a favorite, but I also liked the milky ones with swirls of color.

Click on over to this artists studio on etsy:

CLICK ON OVER TO THIS ARTIST'S STUDIO

A child's world

2010-03-23T20:54:00.005-04:00

My daughter is tender-hearted. She makes new "best friends" with every trip to the Wal-mart (which is daily!). Well, yesterday she met a little girl at the Walmart. We kept running into each other on every other aisle. Before we left, I had given the mother my phone number and she was going to call me today & arrange a play date for the girls. My husband was aprenhensive, as normal, when he thinks there is a possibility of disappointment. I, the optimist, trusted the lady at her word. So, my daughter is so excited she can hardly sleep. This morning, she was up at the crack of dawn........asking every 20 minutes if she was going to call. Well, the lady never called. I used this as a learning experience. She cried a little from the shear disappointment, but I pointed out that some people have no values. Some people feel no remorse when they lie. Some people don't think it's wrong to lie. So, I asked her how a lie feels. She said "bad". I pointed out that you should never lie because someone could end up feeling like that. She agreed. Lying is bad. I did feel a little bad for her, so I took her to the dollar store & let her pick out two things. I also promised to take her to a bigger park tomorrow. I'll try to post some pictures. I finally got a little video clip of her playing with our rescue dog. She absolutely LOVES animals. I mean really loves animals....more than me. And that's saying a lot. Our little rescue dog is so good. We think he's pitbull & dalmation and has the sweetest personality and disposition. Smart as a lab (maybe smarter if you can imagine that). And adorable too!

Click here for Video

Yeah, I'm slightly technology challenged....but hey, I learned to type on a manual typewriter that "strikes" the paper. So, everything I've learned is self-taught as computers progressed. I'll get these videos on my blog eventually. Just gotta figure it out.

Enough Already

2010-03-19T19:32:00.005-04:00

So, I'm going to share with you some history. This is not textbook history. This is from a real magazine that real ladies were reading.

I know I've been ranting quite a bit lately about the horrible socialist takeover of our country. I'd like for it to be permanent record that I warned folks BEFORE the election that this is what these folks were up to. It was all over the internet on the progressive sites. They had one goal and one goal only.....socialist state.

So, although I'm not abandoning the fight, I am going to take a break and share a little history.

Our country is great. But it was built on the backs of our forefathers and the blood of our soldiers. I refuse to let them sacrifice in vain.

These pictures came from an issue of McCalls dated September 1942. Yeah, I have a fetish for old publications.

When we are faced with conflict, we should look back in history and see how our nation SHOULD face a war. Although we never WANT to send our soldiers into hostile environments, we need to support the efforts. If our nation is threatened, we must stand together and face that threat with strength, courage, and determination to defeat.

This said, we should understand what it means to sacrifice. The soldiers sacrifice, the families sacrifice, so we should all realize that sacrifices are necessary. Why can't the government recycle steel, like in days of old.......instead of just raising the debt ceiling, printing more money or adding to the deficit, and just spend the money.

Seems our elected officials THINK they found that money tree my dad always promised I'd never find. Money doesn't grow on trees.

So, what if the government had issued war stamps. What if they encouraged the youth to round up all the tin cans for recycling? What if. What if.

No bother. They can just spend our grandchildrens' money. We don't need to bother with any change of lifestyle.

That is, until they ruin our economy.

Follow my tweets and you will see I stand for Americans. Legal Citizens that are PROUD of their country. Proud of the history. Proud of our founding fathers and their God inspired foundations they worked so hard to establish and defend.

If we would just stand firm on the constitutional roots and value based society, we would remain the greatest world power. God would continue to bless our nation....

Eggs, Easter and otherwise

2010-03-15T09:15:00.008-04:00

So this morning I decided that I might try a new approach to blogging. Perhaps instead of trying to blog once a day and remember all the things I wanted to share.....that I could just do quickie blog posts when something relevant comes up that I wish to share.

This morning I have a little "craft" time set aside. I decided I wanted to mess with my eggs. Crafting with eggs is fun. I like making Christmas ornaments, but there are so many other ways to use eggs throughout the year.

Now, I'm not talking about my fresh hen eggs.....

But instead, I wanted to work with my tiny quail eggs today.

I got out my paints & my eggs and am ready to begin.........but looked at the time and realized I have to do my daily workout first. When I'm totally exhausted & have showered, I'll get back to the eggs.

But first, gotta get dishwasher unloaded & reloaded and the washing machine unloaded & reloaded.

I found this on etsy and I LOVE IT!!!!! They are FABRIC. Is this not awesome? CUTE. CUTE. CUTE.

You can click on the picture to go to the store to see them in person! I'm sure the artist would appreciate the peek.

THE POLKA DOT TOT SPOT

Too much to do on a Saturday

2010-03-13T16:50:00.003-05:00

Worked on the windows in the Frolic Camper today. Dremel working great. I also did a little hunting through my fabric stash to find red & black to make curtains and cover my cushions. Found some, but not enough. Ran out of time.

In addition, I let my chickens out to 'free range' in the yard for a while. But I'm a little nervous because just three houses down from me, they killed a rabid fox; I think about a week ago. Chickens happen to be a favorite dish for fox. You can imagine my concern.

Since I didn't have time to do my normal hour workout with Gilad, I decided to run up the driveway & back. Gotta get my heart rate up and do some kind of exercise. This was after working on my camper most of the morning.

Shower and grocery.

I admire folks that can do their grocery shopping once a week. My mom did it the entire time I was growing up (she didn't drive). I can't seem to do it. I've tried. So, tell me your secret.

My coffee is wearing off and I guess I'll make another pot to maintain enough energy to get me through all the things I still need to get done today.

A friend from church just had a baby Wednesday night and I sneaked by her house yesterday to tie a bow & "it's a girl" balloon on her mailbox. Of course, there was a monsoon last night, complete with huge earth moving thunder. I'm guessing it won't look pretty when she gets home. I guess I'll have to fall back on the "it was the thought that counts".

So, now I've got dinner in the oven. One of the worst things I have to do daily is coming up with what I'm going to fix for dinner. My husband is a picky eater and prefers junk food. He's passed this picky eating on to his three children. Help.

I wanted to sew a little today, but time is running out for that.

I've been advised by my husband that tomorrow after church, we have to open the pop-up camper and get it on craigslist (to pay the mortgage). I'm starting to think I won't be able to take my kids camping this summer.......even though I'm knocking myself out trying to get this Frolic fixed up. Looks like finances aren't cooperating.

However, if I can manage to get some paintings completed and on etsy......

Or I could sew some things.............

But instead, I'm taking that time to post on my blog. Imagine that. And I like to check my twitter account too. Always enough time to take a few minutes to tweet.

And what drives me crazy are the people that think you must be a liberal democrat to be an artist. Who says??????

And if you happen to be someone that does it all...........tweets, posts on Facebook, blogs, housework, parenting, and art.......PLEASE, tell me how you do it.

Friday....

2010-03-12T11:54:00.004-05:00

People anxiously wait for Friday. I remember when I used to get excited about a Friday.

Just another day.

I can't say I don't miss going out to dinner. Maybe going dancing. Or just looking forward to watching a late movie because I could sleep in on Saturday.

But instead, I get to watch the depressing news of the day. Just thankful that we have food on the table.

And in the midst of a terrible economic depression, our government is focusing all their attention on a bill that will raise taxes for middle Americans. Hows all that 'Hope & Change' working out for you? Well, I personally think it STINKS!

I was trying to find a picture of Nancy Pelosi, and I think I found it:

A week of reflection, remembrance, & Appreciation

2010-03-11T12:18:00.010-05:00

This week has been even more crazy than the last, and one that has ruined my goal of posting to my blog daily.

Monday, there was a press conference to address the healthcare bill that is causing so much strife in our country right now. I got my older kids off to school, jumped in the shower, and got myself and my 5 year old ready. Loaded my video camera and eagerness to hear what everyone had to say.

Upon arriving, my daughter began to complain of ear ache. I thought perhaps she had some fluid buildup from her congestion and told her to "be tough". Just as the speakers were being introduced, I could see the look on her face that was a full fledged cry beginning to happen.....so I quickly grabbed her up and rushed her into the hallway just in the nick of time.

I packed up quickly and went to the store to get eardrops (to dry up fluid) and some pain-relieving ear drops. This didn't help much and by Tuesday morning, I realized I must take her BACK to the doctor. Glad I did. She has an inner ear infection and they got her on antibiotics. The medication seems to be clearing up her cough as well (which they originally diagnosed as viral, but I'm considering that they could have been wrong).

During these past few days, I've tried to self-diagnose my irritability, lack of energy, and soreness. I considered the fact that I am experiencing an unusually high frequency of cycles (peri-menopausal) might be causing a little shortage of iron. So I got a bottle of iron, a big jug of orange juice and decided to occassionally take the iron pills. Just one a day, maybe every other day. Well, it's working. My energy level picked up and I'm feeling much better. I know I'm in for possibly many years of body changes, so I'm just trying to attack the most severe with as natural as possible remedies.

I heard from my little brother this week, which doesn't happen as often as I'd like. It made me want to be near my family.........and miss the ones I don't have any more.

I thought of my dad. What a great man. He passed away when I was only 14 years old, and this forced me to grow up quickly.

My dad served in World War II aboard the U.S.S. Donaldson. The U.S.S. Donaldson was a destroyer escort and my dad was a gunnar's mate.

I posted on a site for servicemen to "re-connect" and got a couple of responses. I have daddy's shipmate autograph book that his brother gave to him. It has many signatures and I was hoping to find some of the men that signed his book.

Because I was so young when he passed away, I was not privileged to hear him speak of his service.

I heard from a couple of folks. One told me of a typhoon that was one of the worst in naval history and they miraculously survived. I posted my message reaching out to shipmates several years ago, and the day before Christmas (2009), I received this message:

Dear Julianne. I was a Yeoman on the USS Donaldson and knew your father quite well, and considered him to be a good friend and shipmate. In addition to being a Gunner's Mate, and a good one, he was ship's mail clerk for several months. He [prepaired, separated and delivered outagoing and incoming mail in the ship's office, and he and I became good friends, and learned about each other. Some times he talked about his life in his Georgia homedland.He was always was a good shipmate, friendly, considerate, and helpful if his shipmates had problems or help.He Loved his family and homeland. I believe you would be proud of your Dad

I see that you live in North Carolina, my home state (now we migrated to Lancaster,South Crolina). I saw your notice on the Distroyer Escort program, dated in April, 2003. Sorry to have missed it eaarlier. I an Coleman Hanson,and was a second class yeoman on the DE44.

Merry Christmas to you and your family, and God bless.

What a great Christmas gift!!!!!

Any time I see veterans, often wearing a ballcap - and no matter where I am, I thank them for their service. I encourage you to do the same.

If you have a wonderful story of service, please share it. Now, more than ever, we need to hold them up and give them the praise and thanksgiving they deserve.

He raised us to be patriotic and respectful of our nation and all it stood for.

This week has been difficult

2010-03-05T10:29:00.009-05:00

Well, as far as weeks go, this one will go down in the books as a nightmare.

My daughter had a cough that greatly concerned my husband and myself. Since we don't have insurance, we always carefully consider if a doctor's visit is really necessary or not. In this case, after a night of temperatures rising as high as 104 degrees, I decided it was necessary. Fearing the worst, we headed in as soon as I got my older daughter on the school bus.

Good news, just viral. Bad news, money paid to doctor that we really couldn't afford.

Oh well, what's done is done.

My husband had to go in for an upper G.I. and a colonoscopy yesterday. So, one day of fasting & emptying, then one day of procedure. Diverticulitis and polyps in stomache & colon.

I'm not one that complains, but the migraines that I'm getting due to hormones from peri-menopause are the pits. I had a 4-day migraine this week which Over-the-counter meds were unable to subdue. I've been blessed with four cycles in the past 6 weeks, so the depletion of iron is really draining my energy. I grabbed some Iron in the vitamin section yesterday and hopefully will regain my hyper-activity level of energy soon.

Now that I'm done with the belly ache.....

The eggs that my hens lay are wonderful, but I decided today that the roosters must go. I love animals, and I've grown to love the personality of my roosters as well as my hens. I like the feisty attitude and "cockiness", but they are just getting too mean and making it hard for me to care for my hens.......not to mention I have to keep my daughter inside when I let them out to free-range in the back yard. I already have to keep an eye on them because we have some pretty hungry & active hawks, but the roosters are very agressive towards my daughter.

Tomorrow is my husband's birthday and we're broke. So, I bartered and got him an easy up canopy to put over his VW Bug so he can get it fixed. Got it home and the tarp part had holes and a broken seam. I've been very fortunate to deal with honest people. This is the second time that I've gotten something home and it was not in good shape. But, same as last time it happened, this fella not only agreed to replace, but brought the replacement to me. Very honest.

So, I've got to play 'catch up' on some chores, then I want to look for fabric for the curtains in the Frolic camper. I'll let you know what I find in my stashes.

Another upside of doctor's office waiting rooms and hospital waiting rooms is TIME. I took my watercolors and finished one & worked on others. Here's what I got done.

I know it's not a popular subject, but one thing that's had my blood boiling all week is the current administration's determination to force something on the American people that they don't want. All the polls (from all sources) show that this is something that we know will be harmful to our country, citizens, and healthcare as we know it.

Sad that we must FIGHT our elected officials that are supposed to be representing us. You try to call their offices or set up appointments, but they are afraid of their constituents because of their rebel behavior. Shame, shame, shame.

Well, I'm hoping for a fun & productive weekend. I hope the same for you!!!!

Monday, Monday

2010-03-01T09:23:00.007-05:00

As a mother, one of the worst things that can happen is for one of my children to be sick. It just breaks my heart.

My five year old daughter has been coughing for a couple of days and started running a fever last night. Just like when they are infants, seems that maternal instinct never goes away. Every time she coughs, I wake up and get up to check on her. She got more sleep than me, but neither of us got enough.

After I got school lunches packed and both kids off to school, I tackled a load of dishes and laundry. Made the mistake of going to my daughters' bedroom (they share a room) and the mess made me sick to my stomache. Decided that possibly tomorrow, if time permits, I will get it cleaned up. Always a day long project.

After I finish this blog post, I'll do my exercises, shower, and run to the post office & grocery. My daughter is not looking forward to getting out, but unfortunately there is nobody else to run the errands for me.

We're expecting possibly more snow this week, so I'm going to let my chickens out to free range a little in the yard today. Taking care of four hens and two MEAN roosters has its rewards:

And I'm really hoping to get home with enough time to work on the camper a little bit. I went to a hardware store over the weekend (my husband took me).....I was in heaven. I can't believe they had stuff SO CHEAP!!!! I got this great accessory kit full of bits that I can use on my dremel. And the entire set cost less than I normally pay for ONE dremel brand bit. Wow. It was like Christmas.

I only had a few minutes on Saturday to work on the camper, but used the dremel to work on the aluminum window casings. I'm cleaning first, then polishing. They are looking GOOD!!!

I'll try to get some pictures posted tomorrow of the window progress.

Children's Clothing Exchanges in Triad of North Carolina

2010-02-28T09:23:00.002-05:00

The one I went to this week (at the fairgrounds) was not as good as I hoped. Didn't find anything.

Lewisville United Methodist Church, Lewisville, NC
Saturday, March 6 from 8am - 1pm
Monday, March 8 from 9:30am - 11:30am & 5pm - 8pm
(Pink highlighted items are half price on Monday only

Cornerstone Christian Church, 1585 Hwy 801 North, Mocksville, NC
Saturday, March 6 8am - 11:45am & Noon - 2pm. Most items 1/2 price after noon

Fountain of Life, 323 Hopkins Rd. Kernersville, NC
March 4 5-8pm (this might be for volunteers, you might call?)
March 5 9am - 2pm
March 6 7am - 1pm (Most items half on March 6)

Mt. Tabor UMC, Robinhood Rd. Winston-Salem, NC
Sale days are Thursday March 4 - Satruday March 6. Not sure of hours.

I have three children and always find great deals at these clothing exchanges.

If you know of additional sales, let me know and I'll add 'em to my list!

Cornhuskers in North Carolina????

2010-02-27T17:22:00.008-05:00

My in-laws came from Nebraska. Both attended the University of Nebraska during the 1950s. My father-in-law played football there.

Now from what I've learned about this university and this it's football program, the entire state REALLY supports the team. Really. And even if you leave, you will always be a Cornhusker and will continue to support the team.

I've also learned that this is a generational obsession. My husband and all four of his siblings are Huskers fans. Not only that, but the grandchildren (well, the male grandchildren) of my in-laws (all of them) are pretty much Huskers fans as well. That includes my son.

I moved around a lot when I was young. I learned to adapt to my environment quickly. Because of my extensive and short stays, I learned to support UNC, Clemson Tigers, and Georgia Bulldogs. Many of my "kin folks" live in Georgia and both of my parents are buried there, so I guess if I had to choose a team, it would be the Bulldogs. But alas, I really have no loyalty.

But my husband is a HUSKERS fan to the bone. You have no idea what my life is like because of this addiction.

I like to thrift shop. There is absolutely no huskers merchandise at yard sales or thrift shops in North Carolina. So, when my husband gets something he really likes, he tries hard to hang onto it.

He has a windbreaker that he's had a long time. Really long time. Years & Years! It has definately seen better days. I wouldn't give it to a homeless person. Yeah, it's that bad.

But he loves it. He loves the style and the fact that it's lightweight.

So, armed with my fabric paint and permanent markers, he set out to give his windbreaker new life.

And when he was done, he admired it and proclaimed that "it will last another 10 years!!!"

He did a pretty good job, huh?

And if you know somebody that has a XXL Nebraska Cornhuskers windbreaker at thrift shop prices, PLEASE, for Goodness Sake, let me know!!!

Running Errands Today

2010-02-26T09:22:00.007-05:00

Seems today is the day that I will be running.

Meetings with folks to drop off things, pick up things, Children's Clothing Exchange, grocery shopping, & pick up kids after school. I've already done my vacuuming, kitchen cleanup, and planning for dinner.

I did only 1/2 hour of exercise this morning at 5:15am, before I woke up the kids. My husband was sweet enough to record the Gilad exercise programs that I like (he's recording every day so I can have a variety).....that way I can exercise when I have time, not when FIT TV decides to air them. He tells me he'll reshape my body. Okay, I'll trust that the reshape he's promising is so I'll look like those gorgeous girls that workout with him, not the reshape that menopause has provided. The workouts are sometimes brutal, especially if you fast forward through the commercials. :) But I hope the rewards will be equally wonderful.

In between all my errands, if I have time, I need to run by Lowes Home Improvement and get a dremel tip that will help me cleaning & polishing the windows on the camper. Maybe I'll go ahead & get the weather stripping too while I'm there.

I'll try to post some pictures of the Children's Clothing Exchange too. If you have children and like a good deal, you'd love these.

I think that would be a great service I could provide here; a list of the Children's Clothing (& toy) exchanges.

The one today, tomorrow & Sunday is at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds. I've never been to this one, so I'll have to give you a report this afternoon/evening.

Same Stuff, Different Day

2010-02-25T10:44:00.012-05:00

So, I'm a homemaker with a LOT of hobbies & passions.

But homemakers today get a bad rap.

From the time I was 15 and obtained a workers permit, until I was 40, I worked. I worked full time from age 17, rarely taking vacation days or time off. I worked when I was sick and when I was pregnant. I decided at 40 (when I had my last child) to stay home for a bit and put any career ambitions on hold.

Maybe, considering the state of the economy now and the difficulties we're facing as a family, in retrospect, it may not have been my most wise decision. Regardless, here I am.

Some of the things I've read and seen the mainstream media say about homemakers are:

LAZY
Well, I beg to differ. I've had some pretty challenging positions in my lifetime, but none that compare to maintaining a home and raising three children. Speak to any "house husband" that has been laid off and has assumed the role and they'll tell you. This is no cake walk.

UNEDUCATED
Again, this is such a false "label". Some ladies choose their husband based on his ability to provide for his family so she can stay home and raise children. Some women leave promising careers to raise a family. Some women leave college, but work out of their home so they can devote time to their family. And some homemakers (me included) continue their education by reading and expanding their horizons on a daily basis. I love to learn new things and the internet is not only the world's largest encyclopedia, but also provides theories and opinions from educators, leaders, and professionals to add "real world" knowledge and experience to book knowledge. How awesome is that?

UNPATRTIOTIC
I have actually seen the media portray educated & experienced women that choose to stay home as unpatriotic. Not contributing anything of value to society. It's sad they don't consider the next generation a significant contribution. But I've also seen that they have little respect for human life.

Sorry for the little Rant. Every day is busy for me. I have so many interests, hobbies, and responsibilities that there is never a dull moment.

As I mentioned in the previous post, one of my new passions is vintage campers. I shared pictures of our ROAD camper that I'm restoring, the Frolic. Now I'm searching for a 1972 COOL car to pull it with. :)

I hope to include some reviews of campgrounds that we visit this year and LOTS of pictures. I belong to a great Vintage Trailers Group and have learned so much from the members. I'm also hoping to go to a vintage trailer Rally.

But before I acquired that one, and the camper that got my passion started, is my 1951 Imperial Mansion. I realize this one is going to take several years to restore (and loads of cash), so I'm going to take my time. In the meantime, it is going to serve as my studio for my arts, crafts, & sewing. I have to get a minimal of changes taken care of as soon as the weather warms up a bit to start actually using it for a studio.

So, although I might have decided to stay home, I am far from lazy. Quite the opposite. I stay so busy that I'm probably not the best example of a homemaker.

I think back over my career and all my accomplishments. Why, then, is it so hard to keep my home organized and clean. I seem to always be rushing here and there, to and fro. I run a hyper household. I don't mind dropping everything & running the kids to the park (or the mountains or the beach if we can afford it).

I think of all the things I want to accompish in a day and how easy it is to get distracted. It is much more difficult than being at a rigid corporate environment where you don't have time to get distracted. They set your agenda and you follow it. Even in management, you develop a daily routine.

One of my distractions (A Good Distraction) is teaching my five year old a weekly Bible verse. Here she is with her latest trophy. Our church youth leaders give these trophies as a reward after about 3 or 4 months of weekly verse recitals. You can tell she is very proud (and she works hard!).

And my family goes through laundry at a phenomenal rate. I remember growing up, I would wear a pair of jeans for a week or two. I also remember helping to hang laundry on the line outside (no clothes dryer). In the spring, summer, and fall I have started hanging out the laundry to save on the power bill......and it's a job. But even with a dryer, laundry that has to be folded & put away gets out of hand.

And in addition to everything else, I love my arts, crafts, & sewing. And how do I have time? I don't know. I just impulsively make time. I often have to pick up my son at school and the wait for the school bell to ring is often long. I always have something with me to occupy my time. Never a dull moment. In the evenings when I go to bed, I have been enjoying watching the olympics......and that inspired my latest desire to paint. So here is some of the stuff I've been working on.

And now, I must go feed my daughter lunch. So updating my blog has been added to my daily routine. I'm working on a REAL routine that will help me balance my responsibilities with my fun and hobbies. Unfortunately, a super-clean house never was one of my mom's greatest ambitions, but she was still a great mom. I'm trying to strike a balance. Maybe my home isn't spotless, but it's "lived in". I don't freak out when the kids leave a toy on the floor. I don't have a heart attack when they go from one activity to the next without cleaning behind themselves. And I don't curse and swear if dirty shoes track dirt on my floor.

When I get discouraged, I just remind myself that childhood is fleeting and I have plenty of time to create a sterile environment. Right now, I just want my kids to play and have fun while they can. And I want to have fun with them.

My Newest Passion: Vintage Campers!!!!

2010-02-24T07:47:00.011-05:00

I'm going to ease into this slowly, to allow my husband a smooth transition. Sometimes my hobbies get a little out of control.

Okay. Folks that know me well know that sometimes my hobbies get a LOT out of control.

In an effort to get my husband more excited about the project, I've promised to make the camper a "Nebraska Cornhuskers" camper. Any ideas or suggestions are appreciated. Being in North Carolina, my access to reasonably priced used Huskers things is limited.

This will provide more space for our family when we're camping, but if this one turns out nicely, I can't say I won't try to get another. The vintage camper bug has bitten me and I'm smitten with them. There are some CUTE campers out there. So much more personality than the white boxes that are manufactured these days.

So, I've done a lot of research and I'm ready.

These pictures show the camper after I got it home and did a little cleaning. Trust me, you didn't want to see the "before". I put on some rubber gloves, grabbed my cleaning caddy, and began work.

So, with my five-year old badly in need of schooling (learning ABCs to prepare for kindergarten), a house to keep clean, laundry, cooking, and exercise.......I have added a new set of duties to pull at my time.

I've also added the one hour exercise routine daily.

So, how many hours does that leave in my day? Not enough.

A preliminary "once over" of my new camper and here are some things that I have to do:

Clean ceiling (heavy smoking has left it tar-stained)
I cleaned the carpet, but hoping to find a small piece of RED carpet to replace it.
Rip out the mixture of '70s and '80s wallpaper. Paint.
Deep clean in all cabinets, under benches, & closet
Scrub bathroom with toothbrush & bleach (Ick)
Make curtains
Remove all screens on windows & door
Use steel wool to clean all the louvred windows metal parts
Replace all the weather stripping on windows & door
Replace screens on windows & door
Make cushion covers
Find fouton mattress for top bunk
Clean back storage area completely
Paint a HUSKERS logo on the door (outside)
Tape off outside for husband to paint (one section at a time)
Create a permanent closure for the Vent area at furnace since we will not be using one. This area will be come storage/closet space. Our very small space heater works great.
Interior painting if we decide to paint any of the wood

Things my husband has offered to do:
Complete update of plumbing
replace one light fixture
Remove furnace (non working)
Remove large holding tank (for homesteading) and replace with water line
Remove A/C unit (non working) and put in a sliding window
Build a frame for the vent on outside at sink area
Pressure wash, check seams, & cool seal?
Paint each area outside
Replace door window
Replace one piece of plywood in the rear outside storage compartment
Get tail lights operational

I'm trying to find a used awning that I can barter for. That will be quite time-consuming. Mike and I will install together if I can find one. Is there such thing as a Huskers awning?

I'm sure more will come up as we get further into the project.

This will be our camper that we use this summer to replace the pop up. The pop up had plenty of sleeping space, but when it rains, we were super-cramped in it.

So, let me know what you think. I'm planning to keep the white area white (with a new shiney coat of paint), and paint the middle stripe red. I'm going to have a huskers logo on the door. I am going to repaint the Frolic logo (on front of camper) in Huskers colors too! That front window cover is in pitiful shape....any ideas on where to get a good condition used one cheap? Or any suggestions for alternatives?

Looking forward to updating as I make progress.

Need to get back to daily exercise

2010-02-23T15:47:00.005-05:00

With spring and summer right around the corner, I realized that my winter body needed a facelift so my kids won't be embarrassed to be seen with me.

So, I enjoy working out daily with Gilad. He kicked my butt the first day, but by day 4, I'm okay and can do two 30 minute segments on FIT TV.