I've heard two mentions of a new hate crimes law, but with an old monster really close to home sprouting a new head, I've had no time to look into the particulars of Orwellian rule, preferring to scour specific, state statutes pertaining to little people, and I don't mean Lemurians or fairies. So I'll try to choose my words carefully, because I don't wanna go to jail for purportedly hating or nuthin'. I'll go for Jesus, but I won't go for my own, paltry words or thoughts...
What a growing love affair with things ___ (starts with an "ev" and ends with an "l") there has been the past several years: witches, Harry Potter, and vampires being the most obvious and well received examples, and this is their day to be celebrated. I usually steer clear of even a mention of the unholy celebration days, sprinkled with unholy water, perfumed with incense, and served to the world in a glistening chalice: "It's good. Really. Try it."
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ~Romans 1:18-21
What a no-brainer day this one is, and they didn't even try to pretty it up. Weird.
Know God.
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. ~Ephesians 5:11
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:19
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. ~I John 1:6
I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. ~Psalm 101:3
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children. ~Ephesians 5:1
Abstain from all appearance of evil. ~I Thessalonians 5:22
When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. ~Deuteronomy 18:9-12
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thanks for the Cobbler, Zoomer
Zoomer phoned Friday afternoon. Lately, we don't talk or email as often as we once and long did, because we each and both have been especially busied on the homefront. So this was a nice, long catch-up call, and near the end she mentioned again her blueberry cobbler, which was now out of the oven. "I think I'll taste this and see how it turned out." I was treated to the interminable sounds of ruminating and mmms, followed by, "It's really good." You don't say.
"Well, you better check it again, like every ten minutes or so, to make sure it's not deteriorating before dinnertime."
She said she better let me go now, since the dinner hour was more quickly approaching in flyover country, where I needed to get somethingslammed lovingly prepared and set onto the table. "Yeah, I'm about to grill pork chops."
"Hey," she said. "Remember that time I called, and you had to call me back, because your hands were covered with the meatloaf you were mixing?"
"Oh yeah. I remember that."
"Well, just hearing that made me want meatloaf, so I had to scurry around and fix meatloaf that evening."
"You gotta be kidding. Ever since you first mentioned your blueberry cobbler, I've had fleeting thoughts of the blueberries in my freezer, then I had to listen to you eating it, and I'm probably going to have to make a cobbler now."
I chose a combo of blueberries and strawberries. I should have called Zoomer, whose dinner postdates ours by two hours, and made her listen to me eating it, while she was waiting to bury herself in her own. In fact, we loved it so much that I made another yesterday.
Thanks, Zoomer. ºÜº
"Well, you better check it again, like every ten minutes or so, to make sure it's not deteriorating before dinnertime."
She said she better let me go now, since the dinner hour was more quickly approaching in flyover country, where I needed to get something
"Hey," she said. "Remember that time I called, and you had to call me back, because your hands were covered with the meatloaf you were mixing?"
"Oh yeah. I remember that."
"Well, just hearing that made me want meatloaf, so I had to scurry around and fix meatloaf that evening."
"You gotta be kidding. Ever since you first mentioned your blueberry cobbler, I've had fleeting thoughts of the blueberries in my freezer, then I had to listen to you eating it, and I'm probably going to have to make a cobbler now."
I chose a combo of blueberries and strawberries. I should have called Zoomer, whose dinner postdates ours by two hours, and made her listen to me eating it, while she was waiting to bury herself in her own. In fact, we loved it so much that I made another yesterday.
| Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. ~Galatians 1:3-5 |
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Firebugs
SugarPlum and I made firebugs Thursday. Last year, I dipped pinecones in wax to serve the same purpose. Firebugs use less wax and take up considerably less space near the woodstove. I just don't have very many dead candles lying about right now, and space is an issue in this little house on the prairie, so the fires will be kindled with bugs this year.
If you need some firebugs, grab that former peach can from under the sink — the one in which you toss dead birthday candles and remnants of votive candles — and set it in a double boiler over low heat. Put water not only in the bottom of the double boiler, but also in the top. Surrounding the can with hot water will speed the melting, and there can never be too much water near melting wax, for wax is highly flammable. But we'll get back to that in a moment. Be glad for leftover wickbits in your melting wax, because firebugs thrive on stray wickbits.
Cut pieces of twine or cotton string about 5" long. Your goal will be to encircle your 1" newspaper cylinder, tie, knot, and have some dangling twine tails. If you have a plum to help you with this, she or he may be ruthless with those big scissors and warn, "Watch it, Nana! I don't wanna cut you!" and you'll heartily agree with that sentiment, so be ready to drop the stretched twine at any moment, lest you lose a digit to SugarPlum Scissorhands.
Get some newspapers and lay out a stack of 6 to 8 sheets. Roll that stack as tightly as you can, so you end up with a firm, skinny newspaper stick. Have your helper hang onto that stick while you begin tying twine about 1½" from one end and approximately 3" apart down the length of the whole thing. You can slide your twine ties around a little bit when you get to the other end, so they'll all be equidistant from one-another. You're going to be cutting your newspaper stick midway between the twine ties, but this isn't microscopic surgery or anything, and you're just going to set fire to the little buggers, so don't be using a ruler. Just eyeball it. And you may want 4" or 5" firebugs; adjust accordingly.
Now it's time to slice-up that newspaper stick. If no one volunteers to go to the man room in the barn to get the jigsaw, you can use your new electric knife you bought in the spring, but it'll burn up the motor, and you'll have to throw it in the wastebasket, so I recommend you send someone to fetch the saw. [Is it growing ever clearer why CarolineNOT rarely publishes tutorials on her blog?] Cut that thing into pieces, and I can't tell you how many pieces there will be, because that eyeballing thing never works out the same twice.
Assuming your wax is melted, it's time to dip the bugs. Drag a chair to the range for your plum to stand in, and when she or he asks why there's water in the pan, explain that it helps melt the wax, and wax is highly flammable; then explain what highly flammable means. Go over this a couple of times, because flammable is a 3-syllable word not in everyday use by 4-year-olds. Be thorough. Don't be so thorough that when you tell your plum to pick up a bug by its twine and lower it into the can of wax, she'll get a stricken look on her face and say, "I don't want to. You can do it." If that happens, though, don't lose heart. Drop one bug into the wax and let it sit there for 5 to 7 seconds; remove it with an old pair of tongs and set it on the inverted donut box (mmmm, donuts ♥) to cool. When your plum sees that you didn't spontaneously combust, she or he will say, "Okay, I'll do it now, Nana."
When all your bugs are dipped and cool enough to touch, take some photos of your plum dangling one of the creepy little things, so you can post them on your blog.
If you need some firebugs, grab that former peach can from under the sink — the one in which you toss dead birthday candles and remnants of votive candles — and set it in a double boiler over low heat. Put water not only in the bottom of the double boiler, but also in the top. Surrounding the can with hot water will speed the melting, and there can never be too much water near melting wax, for wax is highly flammable. But we'll get back to that in a moment. Be glad for leftover wickbits in your melting wax, because firebugs thrive on stray wickbits.
Cut pieces of twine or cotton string about 5" long. Your goal will be to encircle your 1" newspaper cylinder, tie, knot, and have some dangling twine tails. If you have a plum to help you with this, she or he may be ruthless with those big scissors and warn, "Watch it, Nana! I don't wanna cut you!" and you'll heartily agree with that sentiment, so be ready to drop the stretched twine at any moment, lest you lose a digit to SugarPlum Scissorhands.
Get some newspapers and lay out a stack of 6 to 8 sheets. Roll that stack as tightly as you can, so you end up with a firm, skinny newspaper stick. Have your helper hang onto that stick while you begin tying twine about 1½" from one end and approximately 3" apart down the length of the whole thing. You can slide your twine ties around a little bit when you get to the other end, so they'll all be equidistant from one-another. You're going to be cutting your newspaper stick midway between the twine ties, but this isn't microscopic surgery or anything, and you're just going to set fire to the little buggers, so don't be using a ruler. Just eyeball it. And you may want 4" or 5" firebugs; adjust accordingly.
Now it's time to slice-up that newspaper stick. If no one volunteers to go to the man room in the barn to get the jigsaw, you can use your new electric knife you bought in the spring, but it'll burn up the motor, and you'll have to throw it in the wastebasket, so I recommend you send someone to fetch the saw. [Is it growing ever clearer why CarolineNOT rarely publishes tutorials on her blog?] Cut that thing into pieces, and I can't tell you how many pieces there will be, because that eyeballing thing never works out the same twice.
Assuming your wax is melted, it's time to dip the bugs. Drag a chair to the range for your plum to stand in, and when she or he asks why there's water in the pan, explain that it helps melt the wax, and wax is highly flammable; then explain what highly flammable means. Go over this a couple of times, because flammable is a 3-syllable word not in everyday use by 4-year-olds. Be thorough. Don't be so thorough that when you tell your plum to pick up a bug by its twine and lower it into the can of wax, she'll get a stricken look on her face and say, "I don't want to. You can do it." If that happens, though, don't lose heart. Drop one bug into the wax and let it sit there for 5 to 7 seconds; remove it with an old pair of tongs and set it on the inverted donut box (mmmm, donuts ♥) to cool. When your plum sees that you didn't spontaneously combust, she or he will say, "Okay, I'll do it now, Nana."
When all your bugs are dipped and cool enough to touch, take some photos of your plum dangling one of the creepy little things, so you can post them on your blog.
| How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! ~Psalms 139:17 |
We the People
The following preceded the 9/12 march on Washington (ergo "we are coming"), is posted on Glenn Beck's website, and is circulating via email. As an aside, I've a friend whose son-in-law is a Capitol Hill policeman, who was unexpectedly called to work on September 12, 2009, because they were expecting a crowd of 500,000, and prior to 1:00 p.m. EDT, the mass numbered 1.5 million. Estimates later in the day numbered greater than that.
June 2009
GLENN BECK: I got a letter from a woman in Arizona. She writes an open letter to our nation's leadership:
I am a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. Instead, we are burdened with Congressional Dukes and Duchesses who think they know better than the citizens they are supposed to represent.
There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now.
You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would feel so horribly disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut-job am I? Well, these briefly are the views and issues for which I seek representation:
One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I'm not a racist. This is not to be confused with legal immigration.
Two, the STIMULUS bill. I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you No, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.
Three, Czars. I want the circumvention of our constitutional checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution, and honor it.
Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There are many conflicting opinions and it is too soon for this radical legislation. Quit throwing our nation into politically-correct quicksand.
Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision that will burden me, my children, and grandchildren. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night without even reading it. Slow down! Fix only what is broken — we have the best health care system in the world — and test any new program in one or two states first.
Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. More is not better! Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real [Constitutional] obligations. Why don't you start there.
Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes — how did they pull that one off? Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with any of our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.
Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs — and that is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person! Why do you want me to hate my employers? And what do you have against shareholders making a profit?
Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.
Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Every company must sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. (Have you ever ripped off a Band-Aid?) We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.
Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please stop trying to manipulate and appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.
Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.
Take a breath. Listen to the people. Slow down and get some input from non-politicians and experts on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed-reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.
I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not. It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is needless urgency and recklessness in all of your recent spending of our tax dollars.
From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on bringing our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzwords like unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.
We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work, pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone...and we are now looking at you.
You have awakened us, the patriotic freedom spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office.
We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us who will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.
Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us. Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution, and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you.
If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole [snip expletive] congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming. - Janet Contreras
June 2009
GLENN BECK: I got a letter from a woman in Arizona. She writes an open letter to our nation's leadership:
I am a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. Instead, we are burdened with Congressional Dukes and Duchesses who think they know better than the citizens they are supposed to represent.
There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now.
You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would feel so horribly disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut-job am I? Well, these briefly are the views and issues for which I seek representation:
One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I'm not a racist. This is not to be confused with legal immigration.
Two, the STIMULUS bill. I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you No, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.
Three, Czars. I want the circumvention of our constitutional checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution, and honor it.
Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There are many conflicting opinions and it is too soon for this radical legislation. Quit throwing our nation into politically-correct quicksand.
Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision that will burden me, my children, and grandchildren. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night without even reading it. Slow down! Fix only what is broken — we have the best health care system in the world — and test any new program in one or two states first.
Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. More is not better! Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real [Constitutional] obligations. Why don't you start there.
Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes — how did they pull that one off? Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with any of our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.
Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs — and that is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person! Why do you want me to hate my employers? And what do you have against shareholders making a profit?
Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.
Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Every company must sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. (Have you ever ripped off a Band-Aid?) We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.
Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please stop trying to manipulate and appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.
Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.
Take a breath. Listen to the people. Slow down and get some input from non-politicians and experts on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed-reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.
I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not. It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is needless urgency and recklessness in all of your recent spending of our tax dollars.
From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on bringing our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzwords like unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.
We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work, pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone...and we are now looking at you.
You have awakened us, the patriotic freedom spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office.
We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us who will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.
Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us. Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution, and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you.
If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole [snip expletive] congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming. - Janet Contreras
| When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. ~Proverbs 29:2 |
Saturday, October 24, 2009
3 Dozen Eggs
That's all I wanted. I didn't really want them. There's just this little issue of having lost track of time while my chickens were aging. And aging. And apparently aging. Who knew the little egg factories were all done workin' now ... until the daily egg count nosedived [nosedove?] to between zero and two? Someone has to capture those wild, young chickens living with the CowNots and bring them to the coop. So far, no resident rodeo clown has volunteered.
So I went to Aldi to buy eggs. I should have known better than to pass up the shopping cart, but how hard can it be for three people to carry a dozen eggs each? Those eggs weren't the problem, though. The problem was the 4 boxes of frozen, Chinese stick-it-in-the-oven food, two bags of bagels (plain and cinnamon raisin), a bunch o' bananas, two cartons of whipped cream cheese with chives, 3 packs of cream cheese, a sack of Yukon gold potatoes, and a bag of spicy piggy-pops. Kinda cumbersome. So I grabbed a little box to help corral the littler bits. Luggin' this load and standing in line with our prizes even supplied me a Charlie horse smack in the middle of my back, which I grimaced and bore. "I came in for 3 dozen eggs," I said to the cashier. "How'd I do?" This was not our most pleasant trip to Aldi, and let me tell you, the word pleasant has never before been employed in tandem with trip to Aldi, so you get the picture.
Purrle loved me for it, though. I guess it was worth it. To him.
So I went to Aldi to buy eggs. I should have known better than to pass up the shopping cart, but how hard can it be for three people to carry a dozen eggs each? Those eggs weren't the problem, though. The problem was the 4 boxes of frozen, Chinese stick-it-in-the-oven food, two bags of bagels (plain and cinnamon raisin), a bunch o' bananas, two cartons of whipped cream cheese with chives, 3 packs of cream cheese, a sack of Yukon gold potatoes, and a bag of spicy piggy-pops. Kinda cumbersome. So I grabbed a little box to help corral the littler bits. Luggin' this load and standing in line with our prizes even supplied me a Charlie horse smack in the middle of my back, which I grimaced and bore. "I came in for 3 dozen eggs," I said to the cashier. "How'd I do?" This was not our most pleasant trip to Aldi, and let me tell you, the word pleasant has never before been employed in tandem with trip to Aldi, so you get the picture.
Purrle loved me for it, though. I guess it was worth it. To him.
| But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. ~I Corinthians 1:27-29 |
Friday, October 23, 2009
Have You Seen the Avocados?
They were on the kitchen counter.
More photo upload surprises for Mom. Thanks, fellas.
More photo upload surprises for Mom. Thanks, fellas.
| Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. ~Matthew 11:4-6 |
Thursday, October 22, 2009
For the Love of a Stick
| Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. ~John 15:4, 5 |
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Sleepykittyboy
| For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. ~I Thessalonians 5:2-11 |
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The Boys
| For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. ~Proverbs 2:6-9 |
Monday, October 19, 2009
It Looked Like Fabric
To me.
Before I turned 50, I'd never been purple.
I think I became purple in December, 2006.
Not just any purple.
Not gumball purple, and definitely not lavendar.
Mostly eggplant or thereabouts.
Little Loo's wedding, and the dress I was making was clearly presenting itself as ugly and ill fitted to the occasion, so I made a MAD dash to the bridal shop in TOE-peka a few days before the affair in neighboring Colorado. Lovely, floaty, eggplant-hued gown with handkerchief hem and a perfect, feminine swish with every step. Who knew — before 5:30 p.m. on December 16, when she arrived at the venue — McKrunk's mother, a whole state away, had chosen the same gown. Go home! Go home right this minute, and change your clothes!
In spite of my eggplant nightmare, I'm still keen on the color, and a purplish fleece throw leapt off the shelf and into my cart last week, because somewhere inside that throw is a cozy shawl or cocoon wrap. Someday. I have a propensity for spying clothing in yard goods and storing them for the day said clothing may magically appear itself from the flatliness.
I wrestled and folded and folded and wrestled, trying to find the wrap in that throw. Discouraged by my anemic creative abilities, I walked away, just short of a headache.
Enter Purrle.
Fat cat thinks it's a blankie.
He's probably right.
Bet his head doesn't hurt.
Kinda looks like gumball purple, eh? It's not gumball purple, and my walls aren't blind-you-make-you-throw-up yellow either. Just thought you should know. ºÜº
Before I turned 50, I'd never been purple.
I think I became purple in December, 2006.
Not just any purple.
Not gumball purple, and definitely not lavendar.
Mostly eggplant or thereabouts.
Little Loo's wedding, and the dress I was making was clearly presenting itself as ugly and ill fitted to the occasion, so I made a MAD dash to the bridal shop in TOE-peka a few days before the affair in neighboring Colorado. Lovely, floaty, eggplant-hued gown with handkerchief hem and a perfect, feminine swish with every step. Who knew — before 5:30 p.m. on December 16, when she arrived at the venue — McKrunk's mother, a whole state away, had chosen the same gown. Go home! Go home right this minute, and change your clothes!
In spite of my eggplant nightmare, I'm still keen on the color, and a purplish fleece throw leapt off the shelf and into my cart last week, because somewhere inside that throw is a cozy shawl or cocoon wrap. Someday. I have a propensity for spying clothing in yard goods and storing them for the day said clothing may magically appear itself from the flatliness.
I wrestled and folded and folded and wrestled, trying to find the wrap in that throw. Discouraged by my anemic creative abilities, I walked away, just short of a headache.
Fat cat thinks it's a blankie.
He's probably right.
Bet his head doesn't hurt.
Kinda looks like gumball purple, eh? It's not gumball purple, and my walls aren't blind-you-make-you-throw-up yellow either. Just thought you should know. ºÜº
| She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. ~Proverbs 31:22 |
Thursday, October 15, 2009
☺
But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children. ~Psalm 103:17
Twenty-eight-and-a-half excruciating months.
Rescued at last.
Twenty-eight-and-a-half excruciating months.
Rescued at last.
| How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. ~Psalm 36:7 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. ~Psalm 145:2, 3 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. ~Matthew 18:6 |
Monday, October 12, 2009
They Don't Tell Me These Things
So I find out about them, when I upload the umpty-hundred photos sitting in the camera. This time there were 28 thumbnails of a stick. A stick in the pond. A stick in the pond? What's the attraction?
Now picture thumbnails. You just don't get very much information from a thumbnail. In this instance, I wasn't getting any wiser with the full-size images. In full size, this photo of the pond seemed pretty. Nice glint from the sun on the water's surface.
What's up with the stick?
Someone's chucking things at it?
Repeatedly?
Zoom.
Oh.
Ew.
Now picture thumbnails. You just don't get very much information from a thumbnail. In this instance, I wasn't getting any wiser with the full-size images. In full size, this photo of the pond seemed pretty. Nice glint from the sun on the water's surface.
Someone's chucking things at it?
Repeatedly?
Zoom.
Oh.
Ew.
| And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. ~Genesis 1:31 |
Sunday, October 11, 2009
October Rose
| For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. ~Psalm 135:5, 6 |
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Dressmaking
I ordered flannel fabric for winter SugarPlum dresses. When she came for a visit, and we'd finished a game of Spelling Bee, my thinking cap was on crooked: "Hey, SugarPlum, Nana bought fabric to make you dresses. Would you like to see it?" Six prints, plus their companions. I like the chickens and pigs. SugarPlum liked the snowman fabric, my least favorite. She liked it a lot.
"Nana, can we make it now!?"
"Now? Right now? Oh...um...well, okay."
Better nanas are always ready to put their hands and bodies to work. Notsobetter nanas, who've developed a pesky habit of awakening for the day at 3:30 a.m., sometimes can't believe what they've gotten themselves into in the mid-afternoon, when a sitdown with yarn and needles sounds ever more inviting than wrestling tissue paper and snowman flannel.
"Are you ready for another nail?"
"Almost. Those are pins."
"Here's another nail, Nana."
"Pin. Thank you."
Jabbing myself the third time with a nail, this plunge drawing blood, SugarPlum instructed, "Nana, you really shouldn't do that. Don't do that any more."
You don't say.
I told Zoomer, if I had a quarter for every time SugarPlum said nail, and I responded pin, I could hire someone to sew the ugly little dress for me. Absent those quarters, I have to try to make myself stitch that thing together before Wednesday, when the plum will be back. Worse things have happened.
"Nana, can we make it now!?"
"Now? Right now? Oh...um...well, okay."
Better nanas are always ready to put their hands and bodies to work. Notsobetter nanas, who've developed a pesky habit of awakening for the day at 3:30 a.m., sometimes can't believe what they've gotten themselves into in the mid-afternoon, when a sitdown with yarn and needles sounds ever more inviting than wrestling tissue paper and snowman flannel.
"Are you ready for another nail?"
"Almost. Those are pins."
"Here's another nail, Nana."
"Pin. Thank you."
Jabbing myself the third time with a nail, this plunge drawing blood, SugarPlum instructed, "Nana, you really shouldn't do that. Don't do that any more."
You don't say.
I told Zoomer, if I had a quarter for every time SugarPlum said nail, and I responded pin, I could hire someone to sew the ugly little dress for me. Absent those quarters, I have to try to make myself stitch that thing together before Wednesday, when the plum will be back. Worse things have happened.
| But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. ~Jeremiah 9:24 |
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