Whew, what a day! Today was the last day of school locally, and thank goodness for that. The natives were restless throughout the land.
Everything started off normally, but towards the end of my morning work, I had to send my husband off to Chicago (to research some machinery). This involves syncing the iPod, unloading all the accumulated stuff in the trunk of the car and moving the car seat over to Ol'Blue (our antique GMC pickup)to keep things legal. Naturally, this puts me behind getting back to the school to pick-up DS. Upon arrival, the kids are running wild, as expected. I pick up the spare set of clothes, the day's papers, and his "journal" before an almost sappy goodbye from his teacher. She's gonna miss my little stinkbug this summer - even said to call her if we need a sitter!
Next, we head home in Ol'Blue. I'll have to tell you all more about Ol'Blue sometime. For now, let me just say its not a quiet ride. Now, DS has been looking forward to mowing the grass since dawn today, and we argue on the way home over the road noise about whether I'm going to eat lunch before getting out the mower. We compromise by getting drinks and snack crackers before heading back outside.
DS has a John Deere electric tractor, and follows me in that as I hike up the hill to the barn where the riding mower is stored. He stopped for some reason before reaching the top, so I went it alone through the electric fence that we haven't turned on in months.
I arrive at the metal barn and pull open the gate, scaring the horse who is grazing on the opposite side of the barn...more of a huge carport, really. And I sat on a riding mower for the first time in my life. Yeah, you read that right. I have never done this before. I fiddled and fiddled and finally figured out how to control the thing. Its a good thing DS wasn't nearby so I could concentrate on operations. Mechanics are not my thing! Starting it was no problem, but figuring out how to brake was another. Anyhow....
I start mowing, and really had a pretty good time! I had the foresight to wear sunscreen and a cap, but still got a bit burned. It took me quite a while to mow the lawn, sides of the driveway, and part of the way around the ponds. I got stuck a couple of times, but Reverse was my friend. DS followed me on his John Deere round and round until he got hot, then retreated to our wonderfully shady front porch with the puppies, where he screamed updates to me about the horse, who had walked right across where our electric fence should have been.
This horse, Domino, had a great time eating the freshly mowed grass all the way down the hill to the yard, and I just laughed when he started rolling on the lawn. Its not something one sees often! After he made it all around the house a time or two, he got bored and found the metal trash can where his feed is stored on the front porch. He picked up the top with his teeth and set it aside and helped himself to the 10% sweet feed inside! At this point, DS was beside himself, waving his arms and screaming at me, which of course I couldn't hear over the lawn mower.
But I could see the 1000 pound animal standing in the shade by the house, eating off my front porch, so I braked the mower and ran over to keep him from getting colic. Silly Domino acts like he knew this was coming, and accepted the lid replacement and halter calmly, while DS says "Domino's in biiiiiig trouble!!". :) I said "yes, I'll have to take him back up the hill" - and so I did. Then I put the fence back up.
By this time, I had to get DS inside to wind down for his nap...which took a while. He did finally go to sleep, so I finished mowing and put the mower back in the barn, showered and checked email before getting ready to leave for the evening.
My evening included Teen MOPS and a leadership meeting at church. Teen MOPS has been a disaster for 2 weeks now, and I don't know if tonight was better or not because everyone showed up AFTER I was supposed to be at my other meeting! I arrived by 5 and set up everything, and waited on the food to arrive from the Homemakers club, which it did at 5:15. I hung collages on the wall, played with DS, made up a House Rules poster, etc...and then it was 6, time for my other meeting. Now normally MOPS starts at 5:30..but the van with the teens wasn't there and neither was the woman in charge. They all arrived by 10 after and I high-tailed it out of there with DS to the church. I do hope things went smoothly after I left! It was my last meeting, since my classes start June 9th and I won't have the time to commit.
We got to the church during a video presentation, a few minutes before Pastor Dave began to speak. It was short - speech, prayer, offering - then we waited as they counted the $$. We were trying to raise funds for the budget shortfall, and made quite a dent! (This shortfall was due to the fact that this was the first school year run on a budget in recent history - which means it was total guess work this time around.)
After that, we headed home, but DS wanted to go to the park, so we spend 30 minutes running around, swinging and climbing, then finally made it home. Whew, what a day.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
How safe are "green" cleaners?
Here is a scientific article followed by Dr. Mercola's take. Interesting - and something all consumers should be aware of.
I do some marketing on the side for a wellness company that has been producing safe, non-toxic cleaners for over 20 years - and I've been very happy with the results. I am allergic to bleach, and cannot use it in my home - but my home is as clean as any other due to these great products. If you are going to switch to green, please contact me so I can tell you more about the products that I use.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/05/24/how-safe-are-green-cleaning-products.aspx?source=nl
I do some marketing on the side for a wellness company that has been producing safe, non-toxic cleaners for over 20 years - and I've been very happy with the results. I am allergic to bleach, and cannot use it in my home - but my home is as clean as any other due to these great products. If you are going to switch to green, please contact me so I can tell you more about the products that I use.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/05/24/how-safe-are-green-cleaning-products.aspx?source=nl
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Won a Scholarship!!!
I won a scholarship to get my MBA! I found out earlier this month, but realized I haven't blogged about it. Oops.
Here is an article about the program: http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0509/p01s02-usgn.html
Before I wrote my essay on why I wanted to continue my education and how it would change my life, I had to choose the school I wanted to attend from the ones listed in the article above. I chose AIU - more specifically http://www.aiuonline.edu - because they offer a 10 month MBA, which I had never even heard of before.
Classes start June 9th and I will graduate April 26, 2009, if all goes well. Hubby & I have both considered getting our MBA's in the past, but he is currently working on his CFP license and has completed other needed licenses for his financial practices. I put it off for financial reasons - plus having our son. The planets aligned this month though, and I know this is part of God's plan for my life.
Part of the acceptance package was that I agree to let them use my story for publicity for the school and for Project Working Mom. See more about them here: http://www.elearners.com/projectworkingmom/
Go me!!
Here is an article about the program: http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0509/p01s02-usgn.html
Before I wrote my essay on why I wanted to continue my education and how it would change my life, I had to choose the school I wanted to attend from the ones listed in the article above. I chose AIU - more specifically http://www.aiuonline.edu - because they offer a 10 month MBA, which I had never even heard of before.
Classes start June 9th and I will graduate April 26, 2009, if all goes well. Hubby & I have both considered getting our MBA's in the past, but he is currently working on his CFP license and has completed other needed licenses for his financial practices. I put it off for financial reasons - plus having our son. The planets aligned this month though, and I know this is part of God's plan for my life.
Part of the acceptance package was that I agree to let them use my story for publicity for the school and for Project Working Mom. See more about them here: http://www.elearners.com/projectworkingmom/
Go me!!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
I saw him!
I finally got to see the man himself. Dr. Ron Paul held a Freedom Rally in Louisville this afternoon, and DH and I attended with a couple of others from our town. Total attendance was well over 500, which didn't even come close to the attendance in Bowling Green last night, which topped out around 4000!
We saw the Secret Service just down the street (while walking around since we got there stupid early), and figured out after watching the evening news that the Clinton's were staying at the Hilton on 4th Street, just down from the Palace theater. Interesting. The turn-out she had in KY wasn't as good as Paul's.
I quite enjoyed listening to Dr. Paul speak, as well as the guy who read a poem "Tapping my own phone". It was hilarious. Also, a female trio sang the most beautiful rendition of Star-Spangled Banner, with both verses.
We saw the Secret Service just down the street (while walking around since we got there stupid early), and figured out after watching the evening news that the Clinton's were staying at the Hilton on 4th Street, just down from the Palace theater. Interesting. The turn-out she had in KY wasn't as good as Paul's.
I quite enjoyed listening to Dr. Paul speak, as well as the guy who read a poem "Tapping my own phone". It was hilarious. Also, a female trio sang the most beautiful rendition of Star-Spangled Banner, with both verses.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Ron Paul's Manifesto Against 'False Choice'
Below is the full text of one man's perspective on Ron Paul's new book. I read the book in its entirety on Mother's Day, and agree with just about every word. Since I have learned much about how our country works (or doesn't, rather) in the past 9 months or so, I didn't learn a lot of new things. However, I know most Americans will be shocked by what they read in this manifesto, and I'm very pleased to have such varied information all in one binding. Each chapter focuses on a major issue facing our country, and Dr. Paul doesn't mince his words. This is straight-forward talk, and he even offers solutions! A must-read, IMHO.
-Laurke
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How frustrating it must be to be Ron Paul.
The Texas congressman and Republican presidential candidate always said there was no justification for war with Iraq – no weapons of mass destruction, no threat to the United States – and his colleagues in Congress and most of the American people ignored him.
Ron Paul also saw that we were headed for a financial collapse and runaway inflation because of the Federal Reserve Bank – and his colleagues in Congress and almost all of the American people ignored him.
Now, Americans realize the war was wrong, and they want the troops to come home – but they still vote for candidates who won't promise to bring the troops home and who are ready or even eager to commit troops elsewhere.
Now, Americans know the economy's in a recession, if not a depression, and inflation worries loom – but still they vote for candidates who offer no serious monetary reform.
Apparently there is much educational work to be done – and now Ron Paul is taking up that challenge, too.
His new book, The Revolution: A Manifesto, presents his political philosophy and provides a blueprint for restoring a peaceful, prosperous American Republic.
Paul shows how Republican politicians pull the wool over conservatives' eyes. While campaigning, they'll pick on isolated instances of government waste and promise to abolish them, leading voters to believe they're supporting the small-government candidate. But once in office, the politicians invariably support greatly increased spending in other areas. "And," Paul writes, "nothing changes."
Democrats fool their voters, too. They oppose Republicans' wars, at least at election time, but they have a list of other wars they'd like to wage in different parts of the world. "And nothing changes."
Paul argues that voters need to reject the "false choice" between Republicans and Democrats. Whatever their superficial differences, both parties and their candidates will drive the country further down the path of ever-bigger government, empire and economic ruin.
If Americans want to get something different from what they've always gotten from Washington, they need to demand radical changes now. The book explains what those changes should be.
In foreign policy, Paul proposes bringing the troops home not only from Iraq, but also from all the places they're stationed around the world. He shows how this was the policy of the founding fathers and explains why it would work today.
He documents well his claim that we face terrorist threats only because of our Middle East meddling. "When our government meddles around the world, it can stir up hornet's nests and thereby jeopardize the safety of the American people," he writes.
Recognizing that isn't a matter of siding with terrorists – it's "just common sense."
The book's penultimate chapter may be its most important, as it discusses what Paul calls the "forbidden issue in American politics": our monetary system.
People know we have a Federal Reserve and that it somehow affects our economy, but they know little about how it works. Paul clearly explains how the Fed's printing more money makes everyone's dollars worth less – and why higher prices then hurt workers long before their wages catch up. He also explains how the Federal Reserve's inflationary policy creates economic booms and busts.
The solution? Stop printing more money and allow people to use money backed by gold and silver, as all our money was not so long ago.
Will enough people read and heed Ron Paul's words to change our course? It's hard to say.
One thing's certain, though: If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten. The failure to grasp that simple fact is a strong indicator of insanity.
But for some time now, America has been an insane asylum, with the inmates running it.
Isn't it about time for the American people to wake up and take the crazies out of office, and move them to a padded cell where they can't hurt themselves or anyone else?
Ron Paul's book can go a long way in helping to accomplish all that and more.
And that's why the crazies have such great fear of Ron Paul and his revolution.
May 12, 2008
J. H. Huebert is an award-winning attorney, a former clerk to a judge of the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and an adjunct faculty member of the Ludwig von Mises Institute. Visit his website.
-Laurke
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
How frustrating it must be to be Ron Paul.
The Texas congressman and Republican presidential candidate always said there was no justification for war with Iraq – no weapons of mass destruction, no threat to the United States – and his colleagues in Congress and most of the American people ignored him.
Ron Paul also saw that we were headed for a financial collapse and runaway inflation because of the Federal Reserve Bank – and his colleagues in Congress and almost all of the American people ignored him.
Now, Americans realize the war was wrong, and they want the troops to come home – but they still vote for candidates who won't promise to bring the troops home and who are ready or even eager to commit troops elsewhere.
Now, Americans know the economy's in a recession, if not a depression, and inflation worries loom – but still they vote for candidates who offer no serious monetary reform.
Apparently there is much educational work to be done – and now Ron Paul is taking up that challenge, too.
His new book, The Revolution: A Manifesto, presents his political philosophy and provides a blueprint for restoring a peaceful, prosperous American Republic.
Paul shows how Republican politicians pull the wool over conservatives' eyes. While campaigning, they'll pick on isolated instances of government waste and promise to abolish them, leading voters to believe they're supporting the small-government candidate. But once in office, the politicians invariably support greatly increased spending in other areas. "And," Paul writes, "nothing changes."
Democrats fool their voters, too. They oppose Republicans' wars, at least at election time, but they have a list of other wars they'd like to wage in different parts of the world. "And nothing changes."
Paul argues that voters need to reject the "false choice" between Republicans and Democrats. Whatever their superficial differences, both parties and their candidates will drive the country further down the path of ever-bigger government, empire and economic ruin.
If Americans want to get something different from what they've always gotten from Washington, they need to demand radical changes now. The book explains what those changes should be.
In foreign policy, Paul proposes bringing the troops home not only from Iraq, but also from all the places they're stationed around the world. He shows how this was the policy of the founding fathers and explains why it would work today.
He documents well his claim that we face terrorist threats only because of our Middle East meddling. "When our government meddles around the world, it can stir up hornet's nests and thereby jeopardize the safety of the American people," he writes.
Recognizing that isn't a matter of siding with terrorists – it's "just common sense."
The book's penultimate chapter may be its most important, as it discusses what Paul calls the "forbidden issue in American politics": our monetary system.
People know we have a Federal Reserve and that it somehow affects our economy, but they know little about how it works. Paul clearly explains how the Fed's printing more money makes everyone's dollars worth less – and why higher prices then hurt workers long before their wages catch up. He also explains how the Federal Reserve's inflationary policy creates economic booms and busts.
The solution? Stop printing more money and allow people to use money backed by gold and silver, as all our money was not so long ago.
Will enough people read and heed Ron Paul's words to change our course? It's hard to say.
One thing's certain, though: If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten. The failure to grasp that simple fact is a strong indicator of insanity.
But for some time now, America has been an insane asylum, with the inmates running it.
Isn't it about time for the American people to wake up and take the crazies out of office, and move them to a padded cell where they can't hurt themselves or anyone else?
Ron Paul's book can go a long way in helping to accomplish all that and more.
And that's why the crazies have such great fear of Ron Paul and his revolution.
May 12, 2008
J. H. Huebert is an award-winning attorney, a former clerk to a judge of the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and an adjunct faculty member of the Ludwig von Mises Institute. Visit his website.
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