I just saw a photograph of the CERN Headquarters, where the most advanced atomic research is done (think Hadron Collider) and outside the doors is a giant lighted statue of Lord Shiva. This is the third god of the Hindu trinity, he is the god of destruction and death. Brahma is the god of creation, and Vishnu is the preserver. So it makes me shudder to think of why Shiva was chosen to represent the research done there. I thought they were trying to find the first spark of life. The creation of the universe...so why pick out a god of death and destruction as your "mascot"?
Just curious....
As for me. I'll stick with the Christian Trinity and place my faith in the word of God, the Hope of Jesus and the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit, rather than a bunch of men outside Geneva smashing atoms together. I already know with certainty how the universe was created...it was the Breath of Life, literally.
Thursday, June 18
Wednesday, June 17
an open letter
I just heard this woman speak on the Glenn Beck program. She put many (all) my thoughts into words. I think many of us agree with her whether democrat or republican...Here they are:
I'm 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. 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 horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me?
Well, these are briefly my 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 isn't to be confused with legal immigration.
Two, the TARP bill, I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it.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 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 is more to say.
Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night and then go on break. Slow down!
Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real 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. Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census over with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with 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. 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? Why ‑‑ 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. 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 try ‑‑ please stop manipulating and trying to 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. Let's just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians 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'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 such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.
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 you to bring our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzword is 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 up at you. You have awakened us, the patriotic 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 when he 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 damn 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.
If this speaks to you, pass it on. It is an open letter and meant to be read by all.
I'm 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. 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 horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me?
Well, these are briefly my 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 isn't to be confused with legal immigration.
Two, the TARP 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 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 is more to say.
Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night and then go on break. Slow down!
Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real 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. Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census over with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with 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. 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? Why ‑‑ 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. 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 try ‑‑ please stop manipulating and trying to 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. Let's just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians 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'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 such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.
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 you to bring our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzword is 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 up at you. You have awakened us, the patriotic 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 when he 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 damn 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.
If this speaks to you, pass it on. It is an open letter and meant to be read by all.
Monday, May 25
celebrations
Happy Memorial Day!
To celebrate our friends in North Korea have tested an underground nuclear test and Iran has sent six warships into international waters.
Yippee!
Really though, we appreciate the celebrations, but we as a country are going low key theses days, so thanks, but no thanks! We'd appreciate it if you respected our wishes for privacy. Just family really. Noone else is invited.
So why not keep those very special party celebrations for another time. A very distant time.
To celebrate our friends in North Korea have tested an underground nuclear test and Iran has sent six warships into international waters.
Yippee!
Really though, we appreciate the celebrations, but we as a country are going low key theses days, so thanks, but no thanks! We'd appreciate it if you respected our wishes for privacy. Just family really. Noone else is invited.
So why not keep those very special party celebrations for another time. A very distant time.
Saturday, May 16
Game night!
Last night the sound of laughter echoed off the walls of our home. Screechy springs screamed across the lawn from the trampoline. Food smells wafted from room to room and dismayed laughs arose when the dog got his snout into the bowl off cheese puffs.
Last night was junior/senior youth group game night and we were the happy recipients of the crowd of kids. Emma pulled out at least twenty games, but I think they stuck to two, with a few breakoff groups playing on their own. Happily I might add.
What a true gift to have watched these kids grow from, for some of them, infancy or toddlers into the young adults they've become.
Hannah and Patrick and Stephanie and Eric brought their baby boys and it was interesting to watch the teenage girls' mothering instincts rise up and out and clamor for a cuddle with an infant. It was so sweet!
My own husband made me question his culinary tastes when he piled meatballs on top of Domino's Pizza. More than once.
But the laughing...how grateful I am to have heard the laughter of this crew. We'll have to have a least one more game night here before the girls take off for college.
Of course we'll still want the kids here in the next years as Jedd moves from junior to senior youth group, but this will be the end of this era and the start of a new one.
Change.
Last night was junior/senior youth group game night and we were the happy recipients of the crowd of kids. Emma pulled out at least twenty games, but I think they stuck to two, with a few breakoff groups playing on their own. Happily I might add.
What a true gift to have watched these kids grow from, for some of them, infancy or toddlers into the young adults they've become.
Hannah and Patrick and Stephanie and Eric brought their baby boys and it was interesting to watch the teenage girls' mothering instincts rise up and out and clamor for a cuddle with an infant. It was so sweet!
My own husband made me question his culinary tastes when he piled meatballs on top of Domino's Pizza. More than once.
But the laughing...how grateful I am to have heard the laughter of this crew. We'll have to have a least one more game night here before the girls take off for college.
Of course we'll still want the kids here in the next years as Jedd moves from junior to senior youth group, but this will be the end of this era and the start of a new one.
Change.
Wednesday, May 13
the perfect moment to start
Picking up one plump red strawberry at a time and rinsing it under cold water, gently shaking it and laying it in a growing puddle on the counter.
Reaching for the next berry and repeating until a nice pile lies in wait.
Opening a drawer and removing a sharp green knife from its sheath and slicing and dicing berries into a cheerful Emma Bridgewater bowl covered in polka dots.
Now a sprinkling of sugar to cover .
Stir gently and let the seeping juices drip throughout the bowl.
Lift spoon to mouth and savor the first bite of sweetness.
Try to eat them slowly, but it's an impossiblility.
This is how to enjoy even the smallest moments of life.
SAVOR the moments. Each and every moment. I know we can't really do this. We're human. We get caught up in all the moments instead of breaking them up into increments of loveliness. But we can try to keep reminding ourselves, and the beauty of a strawberry just may be the place to start all over again.
Reaching for the next berry and repeating until a nice pile lies in wait.
Opening a drawer and removing a sharp green knife from its sheath and slicing and dicing berries into a cheerful Emma Bridgewater bowl covered in polka dots.
Now a sprinkling of sugar to cover .
Stir gently and let the seeping juices drip throughout the bowl.
Lift spoon to mouth and savor the first bite of sweetness.
Try to eat them slowly, but it's an impossiblility.
This is how to enjoy even the smallest moments of life.
SAVOR the moments. Each and every moment. I know we can't really do this. We're human. We get caught up in all the moments instead of breaking them up into increments of loveliness. But we can try to keep reminding ourselves, and the beauty of a strawberry just may be the place to start all over again.
Tuesday, May 5
sheep
Here we go again...
In my memory it started with the pronunciation of Uranus.
Then it was the word, "harassment".
In the past years we've switched from things "disappearing" to all things "go missing".
And now the media is slowly giving us the British version of closing down stores, banks, you name it. Nothing, according to the media, is closing down anymore. It is all being "shuttered".
It is all so very pretentious.
pretentious.
There's my rant for the day....
In my memory it started with the pronunciation of Uranus.
Then it was the word, "harassment".
In the past years we've switched from things "disappearing" to all things "go missing".
And now the media is slowly giving us the British version of closing down stores, banks, you name it. Nothing, according to the media, is closing down anymore. It is all being "shuttered".
It is all so very pretentious.
pretentious.
There's my rant for the day....
Saturday, May 2
Bella Luna
Steamed mussels, gnocchi, olive tapenade, crusty bread, red wine, strong Italian coffee.
Yum.
This was my dinner last night made better only by the company of Anna and Cetta.
Bella Luna of Cambridge.
Try it.
Yum.
This was my dinner last night made better only by the company of Anna and Cetta.
Bella Luna of Cambridge.
Try it.
Thursday, April 30
countdown
19 minutes till the work day is through. Quiet, still, peaceful day. A few good sales to ring the till and make the bankers and accountants and taxman happy. I've swept the floor,reaaranged stock and made a timely addition to my window display. I've a sad sense of humor so until I'm scolded a black and white pig standing next to a few packs of tissues which read 'bless you' on them stand boldly on a pink bench. My nod to swine flu.
Wednesday, April 29
choas begets order.....
Our ukrainian friend Kolya is taking on Thom's "honey-do" list today. As you can imagine I'm thrilled. Our foyer has had peeling paint from past leaks for years. Today, it will be scraped and prepared for paint. The upstairs bathroom has been being stripped of wallpaper for over a year. A tug here, a pull there. It wasn't even a half-hearted effort. Today, it will be finished, and prepared for painting.
The kids have begged for a dishwasher for years. In this economy, the sales were too great for me to resist. Why, it's practically free! It will be delivered this afternoon. Kolya is preparing the space for it as I write.
So, I've been filling boxes from cupboards and emptying the bathroom for the big scrapdown. My house is now chaos.
My father-in-law will be here for dinner at five o'clock. sigh.....Luckily he's the type of man who comes to see us, not the house. I think he'll be forgiving of the wreck he'll find himself in. It would be more thoughtful, I'm sure to reschedule, but selfish me likes his company. So dinner is on!
The kids have begged for a dishwasher for years. In this economy, the sales were too great for me to resist. Why, it's practically free! It will be delivered this afternoon. Kolya is preparing the space for it as I write.
So, I've been filling boxes from cupboards and emptying the bathroom for the big scrapdown. My house is now chaos.
My father-in-law will be here for dinner at five o'clock. sigh.....Luckily he's the type of man who comes to see us, not the house. I think he'll be forgiving of the wreck he'll find himself in. It would be more thoughtful, I'm sure to reschedule, but selfish me likes his company. So dinner is on!
Saturday, April 18
Question...
Why is it that when I wake in the morning I feel "sugar-free? No need to rifle through the cupboards looking for a Reese Cup or other form of chocolate to melt in my mouth.
Why is it then that at 7 p.m. each night I feel like I'm going to hurt people if someone doesn't shove that brown gooey substance into my mouth thereby expanding my backside?!
Just wondering...
Why is it then that at 7 p.m. each night I feel like I'm going to hurt people if someone doesn't shove that brown gooey substance into my mouth thereby expanding my backside?!
Just wondering...
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