no discussion today about unhappy or troubles in the area……am head’in to a trade show and fun is to be had by all. Add to the fact that 4 good friends are going with me….makes it even better. Lots of giggles, funny stories, just like we’re in out 20’s instead of in our 60’s ad 70’s…..lots of shopping, some bartering, with credit cards fluttering about…..yipppeee!
Although we will be dead on our feet by 4, will rise again to be there for the doors to open each day. Feet may hurt, but twinkling glitter of jewelry will help us overcome. Although we have enough purses to start a Macys, we will look over each and every color and style, knowing times change, and we refuse to be out of the loop regarding fashion.
This trek has been going on for more than 15 years……twice a year ….and we are still going strong.
Women rule at these shows……the moolah flows and credit cards whiz thru machines. These astute buyers can make or break businesses who bring in material not to their liking… Your local stores will be brimming with new items this fall, thanks to these gals who give their all…..to make you look your very best.
Been trying not to comment on Planned Parenthood, but I have to. At least I’ll start out and see what happens.
I have sensed for a long time the ‘agenda’ of who ever wants to stir the pot of problematic indecision. I guess I can only discuss it from my point in living these past 70 plus years.
My most bitter disappointment is having to face the fact that religion comes in many forms and is used as a sledgehammer to address situations some people don’t care for, to enhance their agenda. I see some of you wincing, some exclaiming how wrong I am, and others shrugging.
There are lots of things in life aimed at making people wince, scream, and walk away. If it happens next door, you are ready to stand and push the morality you live by. If it happens in Egypt, Germany, England, Syria, or Iraq, we think ‘oh no, when will it ever end’….and then go on living our day. ‘Well, it’s kind of numbing after awhile’, you say…..and you are right.
When a politician becomes a part of criminal activity, we gasp, knowing that we expected more….and sure enough, got less. And we go on….
When there is an auto accident that claims lives in another state, we think ‘what a shame’ and we go on….
When a couple become parents to a newborn who lives only a few hours because of birth defects, it does touch us…for awhile, and we go on.
WHY?……….
Me thinks it is because we really don’t have the answer and therefore can’t handle the problem thinking through our own personal moral and character beliefs and ADMITTING we don’t have the answer.
Playing God is always a good way out….think how many times a day we rate others actions and reactions. Think how we smirk at their dress or their language. Think how we roll our eyes when their opinions don’t quite match ours. And then there is religion…..we really don’t like to get involved with that, do we. We and they…..We think, they think, we believe, they believe.. We forgive this way, they forgive that way. We think this law is okay, they think that law is okay. We think they tread on us, and visa versa.
Now we don’t really play god with the big stuff…..mostly it is small time, cause we are educated enough in our every day living to make those decisions. Oh, please, you know that is wrong…..we are God all the time, otherwise confession and prayer would not be so important. We know we screw up….but there are small ones and big ones….right!
LET’S LOOK AT ME…..
I’m here to say I’ve had a pretty wonderful life, compared to most people. And yet, there have been some bad times. I’ve often said that some people could not have handled some of the things that happened to me…..and visa versa. I know of some pretty bad things that others have incurred, and they have survived, continuing to become wonderful human beings, with souls of gold. But let’s use me…… and I’ll go right to the core of this post…..I aborted at home at almost 6 months, and prior to that had 4 miscarriages. A year later we adopted a wonderful little boy thru state where we lived. We had him until he was twenty and because of his fetal alcohol syndrome, he felt his life would be better if he went out on his own and cut all communications with his family, and friend. We did not know he had this syndrome and neither did he.
AND OTHERS…….
I know of a wonderful gal who had 5 children and 5 abortions….why? Was it because of money, anger, molestation, fear, her health, the fetus’ health…..who knows. Maybe all of them……it is not for me to judge. Her shoes weren’t mine and mine were not hers. We all know of girls who ‘went away’ when were in high school in the 50’s and 60’s. Their shoes weren’t mine and mine were not theirs. Lives so young, so full of trauma. Decisions had to be made….and they were.
Many wonderful souls have died because of disease, time, starvation, and lifestyle.
Other pregnant women in countries whose names we cannot pronounce, or sadly even remember, lose their babies to lack of good nutrition, or good drinking water, a warm place to sleep, and most often, poor sanitary conditions when giving birth.
COMMON CAUSES…STILL PROBLEMATIC
Many families have children with diseases that should some day be eliminated.
Stem cell research shall become a ‘giver of new life’ for children of birth defects that have stalked generations.
Good nutrition, water, and being in a safe place should be put into operation at once, for everyone.
Molestation, lack of money, anger, and no family support….should be a thing of the past..
But alas, after all these years, they still remain.
TO ACT.. IS TO REACT… AND NOT OVER-REACT….
Traumatic ‘you tube’ film shows in households all over the world. Ugliness is always around….but how we handle it proves our character and worth.
Would I have a tough time watching an amputation…..you bet. Would I have a tough time watching war and the horrendous pain inflicted on men and women….couldn’t do it. Would one wince while pulling critically injured people from auto wreckage….of course. Would it be easy for me watch the caring of severe burns…couldn’t do it. BUT PEOPLE DO…..BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO….to help, aid and assist the strangers they come to care for.
And so it is with research…..and religion…..They need to cross and match. The realization that human beings are helpful and helpless has to be discussed. We cannot hide our beliefs any longer. We need to take them out and look closely at why we believe what.
Planned Parenthood should be a place to learn and discuss openly optional birth control methods. We can continue to scare one another into not getting pregnant. How well has that worked…..?
Most of all Planned Parenthood should be planned for and around adoptive parents to receive babies that because of personal reasons, the mother chose to do so. I say personal reasons, because I know there are many….and ‘walking in shoes’ is not for discussion here.
Having adopted, and watching the process with others today, it has become much more of a business than ’tissue’ donations ever were. Who is to say who will be a good or bad parent…..and how do those rules apply to ‘anyone’ who becomes pregnant…there isn’t any is there…except and until the child is hurt or found not to be cared for, or starved, etc. I remember seeing scrapbooks potential families had to design to show their home and back yard and family and how the room would be furnished, and all the outdoor swings, etc. WHAAAAT!
Are you getting the picture now about what is moral to who….The laws governing parenthood are kind of not working, right. ‘Don’t tread on me’… it is my right to get pregnant….and the laws say yes. How we work thru this ….should be a part of planned parenthood.
SO ….WHAT DO WE DO….
We change our attitude on who can be a parent and why. We modify our reasons when it becomes a moral disaster to get pregnant within today ‘s lifestyle. We encourage good healthcare, before pregnancy, and birth control to avoid another moral disaster, finally admitting that we can’t make everyone into the same mold, that is to act, look, live, and believe like us.
We gently understand the loss of children, and further research the reasons for birth defects, in order to negate those defects. We do not sensationalize pain, sadness, loss, and death when it comes to abortions or miscarriages….but instead encourage families of unwanted pregnancies to pass on their ‘gift’ to a family unable to have children.
We make adoption available, and don’t charge 2o% minimum of your yearly gross earnings…..We charge for prenatal care and having the baby, period.
We understand that some people do not want or need children…..and teach them that it is okay. Birth control is a gift to people who don’t want children, just as the opposite is of families who do, can’t, and want to adopt.
And maybe we take a second look at research of human tissue of all kinds, knowing that we already donate cadavers, eyes, lungs, brains, virtually everything we have to find the answer… Everything that God has made helps us understand everything that God has made, better, especially when we do it with kindness, understanding, and tenderness to others just like us.
Still behind you, but Don, tone it down. I know no one has done anything with the VA, and that includes Congress…..pick on them all, not just McCain. Name-calling is fun, but I like facts better. Let them answer to ‘facts’ not ‘ funny names’. I notice many of those in the running are not saying a thing. For the most part they agree with you regarding problems w/no solutions they have come up with. That’s why they are quiet. Sell them on your beliefs… Ask them why they are not concerned about the same things you are….Understand they won’t be too interested in answering because they are in the business of politics and not solving the nation’s problems.
The VA problem has been around since way before the Bush’s and Clinton….they didn’t work on the problem…republican or democrat..That’s why they won’t touch it now….they would have to admit that both sides are ashamed of their inability to solve. If it is hard to fire government workers, change the law….gee, it isn’t too hard to fire us when we do a lousy job!!
You and Chris can do it……and leave planned parenthood alone….let them solve it themselves, unless there are laws broken….maybe they need a speech writer too.
It is very hard to ‘let go’ what news is saying about the ‘statements’ and ‘opinions’ of Don and Chris. Misrepresented statements are common place on the news shows…and fears that ‘these two’ will be destructive to the Republican Party are unending. While it makes for ‘argumentative news’, it does nothing but fan the fire of uneasiness and needless arguments.
In today’s San Diego U-T there is an article about Raied Darwood, age 45 and his trek to this area from the bloody streets of Iraq. He too, is an immigrant. He and his family struggled under the realm of Hussein….in spite of his ability to have a good business and care for his family. As times became worse, so did his livelihood, as gunshots, fire, death and dying became an everyday occurrence.
Raied represents many immigrants, both here and in countries that don’t care about them. He represents those only looking for a quiet and safe place to rest, and food for their families. He represents different colors and beliefs of those who have come before him and those whose greatest desire is to be ‘in America’, regardless of the price, be it dollars, loneliness, hunger, and even rape.
The Hispanic folks of these states know and understand Raied’s experience. So do those of Central and South America, of Vietnam, and Cambodia, Northern Africa, and Iran. So please do not speak as though these people do not count and will not follow men who understand their plight. Don and Chris can produce a great following of the Hispanic population….those who have fought and struggled to enter legally into the US and to become a part of our democracy and its freedoms, in spite of it not being perfect.
Whether one is from Iraq, or Venezuela, Ecuador, or Ghana, those traveling here have come to understand there ‘is’ a fair way to enter our States. It is this population that should be cheering for the ‘change’ talked about by these two men, and I think, if presented properly, they will realize the importance of their presence.
Freedom does not ‘just happen’….democracy does not ‘just show up one day’. People of all beliefs, and backgrounds need to join together and prove the ‘prejudice’ of the news/press wrong. It is ‘exciting’ to hear of unrest….in a democracy. It is pathetic to cause ‘unrest’ just for the sake of news making.
Listen carefully as you make your choices…listen to their plan, their idea, their solution. Drop them if their ‘promise’ is only of ‘change’. And, because you are free to do so…..ask questions, as for solutions, demand your vote…..and use it. Your country….that YOU chose, incidentally, needs your support, your voice, your willingness to work for solutions. ‘Free’ is not free. It must be fed with character, morals, honesty, drive, and love of this country we call the United States of America.
Been waiting to see the comments begin after Don and Chris came into the running for the next Republican President. Have long enjoyed their banter, full of truths that no one will come near to discuss. Their desire is strong, their character more open and upstanding than those so quickly to either attack or walk away from their statements. I am not so dim that I do not see they are in need of speech writers who are cut from the same cloth. Not everyone in this fair democracy has the ability to give thrilling speeches full of a meat and potatoes agenda that Don and Chris speak about. Most of those vying for the possibility of being president tell stories of past presidents, and their failures, of poorly fought battles in years past, and then go on to say how well they will handle the same.
Don and Chris speak of what exactly is failing in these United States. We all know the borders are open. We all know that people flow freely. We also know that within a few days or months, a new plan for a safer place to live, can be in place. If you know it and I know it, and there are laws in place to address it….you get my picture.
Americans are just tired…..and the reason they are tired, is that they are smart. They listen, they learn, they discuss, and they know what is going on. It is refreshing to hear Don and Chris acknowledge what we know….as a problem. And, even more importantly, they want to do something about it! They even have plans!! They even tell you exactly what some of them are and how easy they are to implement!
Shame on NBC and Univision, etc. for being so chicken as to not stand up for what is true….even tho it is not popular. Truth is sometimes not popular and these two men don’t really care. Tell your shareholders you really don’t like the plight of illegals inside the United States and that the country’s hands are tied by the current administration. Where is your character…..your backbone…..Where are your true colors? It is time you changed your minds….and stood for the people you represent and present to…..those Spanish speaking people who come to hear they are indeed welcome, and are well thought of……when they work under the rules and freedom afforded them by these United States. It can’t be one way for some and another for others…..and that is exactly what is going on.
Be brave Don and Chris……we are counting on you……(but look in to the speech writers)
1. The following rules were in force at Mt. Holyoke College in 1837:
“No young lady shall become a member of Mt. Holyoke Seminary who cannot kindle a fire, wash potatoes, repeat the multiplication table and at least two thirds of the shorter catechism.
“Every member of the school shall walk a mile a day unless a freshet, earthquake, or some other calamity prevent.
“No young lady shall devote more than an hour a day to miscellaneous reading.
“No young lady is expected to have gentlemen acquaintances unless they are returned missionaries or agents of benevolent societies.” …..(School Activities)
2. Intimation of Immortality….
A veteran nurse (quoted in The American Magazine): It has always seemed to me a major tragedy that so many people go through haunted by the fear of death—only to find when it comes that it’s as natural as life itself. For very few are afraid to die when they get to the very end. In all my experiences only one seemed to feel any terror — a woman who had done her sister a wrong which it was too late to right.
Something strange and beautiful happens to men and women when they come to the end of the road. All fear, all horror disappears. I have often watched a look of happy wonder dawn in their eyes when they realized this was true. It is all part of the goodness of nature and, I believe, of the illimitable goodness of God.
3. AMERICANA…..Excerpts from The American Mercury
Intellectual government in Los Angeles is progressing as shown by the Associated Press….”For two hours the City Council argued the question of whether dogs can read, then delayed action on the subject because no expert opinion can be found. The argument was over a proposed ordinance requiring dogs, chickens, cats, turkeys, canaries and donkeys to be silent in the city between 10 pm and 6 am. Councilman Bryan Brainard precipitated the argument with the question” “Can dogs read? How will they know when they should not bark?”
(MORE)
Colorado: The Colorado Springs Independent issues a statistical report on petting conditions in the Great Open Spaces:
A story is being told of a tourist who at nightfall found himself lost in the Garden of the Gods and finally resorted to firing a gun he was carrying, in the hope that the sound might bring aid. Imagine his surprise, following the report of the gun, to be able to count the headlights of 159 automobiles, just turned on.
(MORE)
District of Columbia: Results of one of the highly important investigations undertaken by bureaucrats, as reported in “Uncle Sam’s Diary” a magazine for federal employees:
Work habits of field mice have been clocked by federal scientists: 6 am, reveille: breakfast hunting, until 7:30 am; rest period until 11 am; lunch 1 pm,; general nosing about until 2 pm; dinner, 4:30 pm; half hour for napping, and then to bed at 5 pm.
(It is now time to smile…..and know that things never change)
We have begun Eastertime and Passover…It is quiet, pensive, painful, and joyous. It reminds Christians…no human beings, that “I AM” remains at the pinnacle of everything we know and seek. “Thy kingdom come, THY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN”….How many times have those words crossed our lips? How many times have we looked at this earthly home and said….’Oh Lord, what can I do? I’m just one person, living in my one little person space. How can I make that difference that I pray about?”
At the end of Maundy Thursday’s service, there are many churches who choose to ‘wash the feet’ of those who attend….a gentle reminder of the days before the crucifixion, an ‘equalizer’ in the eyes of men.
The act is humbling…so much so that there are probably many people who won’t do it..not to mention those who don’t want to have it done to them. What do feet have to do with ‘on earth as it is in heaven’….read on.
We have big and little feet, feet smooth from oils, and feet rough from walking on gravel. We have feet that suffer from dancing, or kicking balls. We have feet that wear too small a shoe, or no shoe at all. We have feet that are bloody from being beaten. We have feet that are massaged to give relief. We have feet that make us laugh when they are tickled. We have feet that make us irritable when they are tickled. We have feet that ache from high heels after a days work in the office and feet that have blistered from the hot sun on the sidewalk we live on.
For THY KINGDOM COME, THEY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN to occur, taking care of one another’s feet might just be the beginning. I think a good massage and pedicure would do wonders. We want our feet (life) to be well taken care of like others we know. We need to recognize the better our feet are (life) the better we are. All feet want a life of fluffy slippers, and a weekly massage. All feet want shoes for work and shoes for fun…. All feet want to enjoy daily use and not be overused and cause irritability. All feet want some kind of safety when it comes to the tough elements of this earth…just like the people who own them.
So, if your feet need some toenail pruning…..or massaging in order to make your life better, open up. Either raise yourself to heights you are not used to, or lower yourself to a commonality you usually shun. We all need a pedicure now and then. Our feet (life) need the gentleness of a loving, caring, world. We know what needs to be done….for ‘thy kingdom to come’.
Our lives need to be dedicated helping ‘thy kingdom come’ by ‘doing unto others’ and ‘loving thy neighbor as thyself’. Having ‘thy will be done’ will always, always bring the ‘on earth, as it is in heaven’ part.
Most of the time my blogs have some kind of subject…Not today. Our local weekly paper has a ‘funnies page’…For those of you not old enough….the cartoons in the newspapers used to be called ‘the funnies’. Hence, we always read the ‘funny papers’ in the Sunday edition when they were the largest.
Here are a list of one-liners that show American humor….hope you enjoy.
1. One tequila, two tequila, three tequila…..floor.
2. If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?
3. If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?
4. Would a fly without wings be called a walk?
5. If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish is wages?
6. What was the best thing before sliced bread?
7. Where do forest rangers go to ‘get away from it all’?
8. If a turtle doesn’t have a shell, is he homeless or naked?
9. Can an atheist get insurance against acts of God?
10. Why do shops have signs ‘guide dogs only’. the dogs can’t read and their owners are blind!
Science, of any shape is not only entertaining but spell binding. Things that were not even on the horizon, when I was young, are now every day occurrences. I am trying to keep up but there are certain ‘old way’ ideas I still enjoy. Still, some things never change…
Adolescence never changes…..and I’ve got a lot of questions about it when I meet God…or his rep, or associate, or secretary.
I’ve watched people bump along thru their growing years into adulthood and can’t, for the life of me, understand some of the terrible things all have to go through, partake of, choose, be embarrassed by, or just walk away from. One would think after all these years there would be a ‘book’, but no, none to cover the questions we all want answered. I speak of the growing up years from 12 to 18, the age from hell, the time when everything works or nothing works, and all at the most awkward time.
Life seems pretty good up to 12….we’ve learned to walk, talk, and eat with a spoon. We can recognize colors and shapes, and know stop and go. We have learned what yes and no means, however, it will be two words we struggle with the rest of our lives. That goes hand in hand with ‘sharing’….absolutely no fun at all, regardless of ones age.
We are still under someone else’s roof…and don’t have to work for a living…food is usually there 3 times a day, there is a bed, a TV, and someone to keep us clothed.
Then comes adolescence …. one day hair appears. For guys it is crazy good…for gals, it is something to shave or pull out. Both sexes will be that way forever in this regard.
We find our baby powder smell has disappeared…..Again, it is the male side who really doesn’t realize the fragrance of his body odor. The gal, however, is immediately out shopping for wonderful soap, (bar and bath), deodorant that matches, and perfume that overpowers the first two. A little later, she will find that toning down soap and deodorant goes a long way when wearing perfume as a third layer. Still,the guy will be out and about, never realizing the women falling at his feet are doing so because of his smell. The good news is sooner or later, he will be advised by an understanding gym coach that hygiene is necessary.
Admiration of one another will happen without warning. One minute, guys are, as they have been, steering away from anyone of the opposite sex, remarking on all the negative aspects of being a girl. It is understood that being one of the guys and being WITH those guys is the most important thing one can do each day. But in a whisper of the wind, a blink of an eye, a mockingbird melody, their lives will change forever. A heart will be smitten, dedication to other males will be forgotten, and the ability to speak will revert back to that of a 4-year-old.
Girls, on the other hand, will be lucky enough not to have to suffer exactly in that way. They will have been on the lookout for a long time. Their hearts will have been broken more than once….and no one will know except them. Each will work her magic, dazzle the special one with her appearance, delight him with her charm and innocence, and weave the web that will someday become matrimony. (if all goes well)(I repeat someday…)
Truth be known, the male species huffs and puffs, but the female is the pure creation of life. Rules that began, who knows when, continue to curse adolescents…. Why….they just don’t know how or why or when to apply them.
Emotion is the part that God needs to explain….I mean, the poor adolescent is to be felt sorry for sometimes…they walk without falling, unless they are looking at someone they love. Even tho their language is pretty well-defined as are their communication skills it is the emotional rollercoaster that knocks teens for a loop. I know, cause I were one! One day life is the best, no, one hour. The next the emptiness is overwhelming. One morning the sun is shining brightly, and by second period, there are tears in the restroom. One day mom is the best and the next, she is a controlling viper. Dad is the soft touch on a Saturday morning, and by afternoon, after seeing the report card, his daughter is not only studying more, but the computer and phone use are limited. Dang, what happened to age 9? Those were the good ole’ days.
Emotions are given to adolescents at a very difficult time. They are growing, sometimes too fast, sometimes too slow. One is clumsy and one is lithe. One has a beard and one has a hair. One can dance, the other will trip. One will love, the other will long for love.
One will understand, the other will have a temper tantrum. One will drink, the other will stay sober. One will do drugs, the other will walk away. One will forgive, the other will hate. One will be kind, the other will be a bully. And why…what a terrible list of things to endure… Let’s face it, a teen can’t even control what is happening physically, let alone the mental disaster that comes moment by moment with his emotions. It is kind of like the Hulk…
I know there is a plan God…and I know it is too late to change the rules of nature in the next few hundred years. Adolescents will continue to perform and reform. She will be Daddy’s girl one moment and the daughter who considers opening Pandora’s box of horrors the next. He will be the son ‘every mother wants’ who vomits inside the front door because of his first 3 beers in 5 minutes in order to get home by curfew.
And so it goes…..Maybe there is one thing we can do….as adults. We can remember…..with clarity, how we wandered thru the maze of those teenage years, feeling so all alone and desperate, just to make it to the next smile we got from a girl or guy we longed for.
seriouslyscorpio 