I Pledge Allegiance

For those of you over a certain age, do you remember how you started the day when you were in school? First there would be roll call. On Mondays you’d turn in your $1.25 lunch money for the week. Then what? Everyone (and I mean everyone) in the classroom would stand at attention beside our desks, place our hands over our hearts, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. And before we sat down, we would bow our heads, and everyone would recite the Lord’s Prayer. Just another fond memory of The Good Old Days. Were there children from non-Christian homes in class? I’m quite sure there were. Did their parents come down with clenched fists, attorneys in tow, threatening to call the ACLU? Nah, most kids I know just recited it and accepted it as something you do. Part of the school day. In the small world in which I grew up, most families I knew went to church, and believed in God, regardless of what they might do on Saturday night. And for the ones who didn’t, nobody ever objected to reference to God or the Pledge to the Flag… my goodness, we even had a Bible Lady who came into the schools!!! How we loved the Bible Lady with her felt storyboards, which she magically turned into beautiful scenes from well-loved Bible stories. Learn John 3:16 and get yourself a New Testament. I always had my eye on that sparkling, glitter-laden wall motto (and I still like sparkly things!), but I never memorized enough scripture to earn it.

Times have surely changed, and while it is certainly the American, even the God-given right of any individual to accept or reject the existence of God, as well as a personal relationship with Him, it has long been more about politics than about religion. Or perhaps the mixture thereof. Regarding the Pledge thing, I learned only recently of a Supreme Court ruling back in the 1940s that said a person could not be “forced” into reciting the Pledge of Allegience. Back then, it was not the “under God” part of the text that gave cause for concern, (quite the opposite) rather the idea of “pledging” oneself to something OTHER than God, i.e. to the Republic or the Flag. Some people felt that to do so was to put another entity above God. Being a believer and follower of God myself, I guess I can kind of see that, although it never occurred to me that I might be undermining my “pledge” to God by pledging allegiance to my country, or the flag that represents her. In my mind, God is God is God and comes before and above my allegiance to anything else… ever. However- it is indeed a law that school children can’t be forced to stand and recite the pledge. That makes me sad. In the olden days we were taught morals, and were taught to love and respect our nation. Our President was someone to be looked upon with honor. Hopefully some of us also learned this at home too, and our mamas and daddys taught us to stand respectfully, with our hands over our hearts when we said The Pledge, or sang the National Anthem. It is such a powerful feeling, that even to this day I get a lump in my throat whenever I say The Pledge, or when I sing the National Anthem. At my church we will sing patriotic songs around July 4th, Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day. It is always a struggle to get the words out, because my throat constricts with that powerful feeling of love of country (in spite of all her problems today). The feeling of gratitude for my forefathers who bled and died to ensure our freedom and liberty. The feeling of sadness for families today who miss their loved ones as they serve our nation far from home.

I suppose the point of this post is to encourage young parents to please instill in your children the HONOR and PRIVILEGE to pledge their allegiance to this Republic and The Flag that represents our nation. It takes nothing away from your commitment to God. (Kids won’t even understand that anyhow.) Teach them that saying The Pledge is not a “duty” at school, like learning and reciting math formulas, but rather a way to show love and respect to a nation that (again, in spite of her problems today), is the best place on earth to live.

Parents, teach your kids to say The Pledge. When my grandchildren are just a bit older, I hope to have a little routine, like Whitney did in daycare, to pause for a moment, say a prayer, say The Pledge, and sing little songs to learn the days of the week. Teach them young so that it is a part of their lives, and when they go to school and find out that they don’t “have to say it”… that will seem a foreign concept to them. If you don’t teach them at home, when they get to school and find out they don’t “have to say it”, then how many of them do you think will take the time to learn it, and what will it mean to them? Especially when most of them will have seen that our current President holds exhibiting that manner of patriotism with such little regard.

And for those folks who don’t want to say it because your forefathers lived in caves and oppressed your female ancestors, or because your ancestors worked as slaves on a plantation, or because it goes against what you learned in the Koran, or if it offends your motherland, whether you arrived in this country through Ellis Island, or whether you came here illegally…. My thought is this: If you are sitting in an American classroom, paid for by American tax dollars, then if you won’t pledge your allegiance to this country, (and if you won’t go back to where you came from), you should at least drop your head and pray to whomever you pray to and thank your god for the opportunity to sit in that classroom, free of charge, and obtain an education. And you should keep your mouth shut if others in the classroom saying The Pledge offends you.

A few squeaky wheels were responsible for getting The Lord’s Prayer taken out of schools. There’s already a law protecting those who don’t want to say The Pledge. How many squeaky wheels (or ACLU attorneys) will it take to have The Pledge banned from our classrooms???

Oh Jimmy!

I've been called many things in my life, recently including a "terrorist". (here) But now the former President of the United States, a good ol' boy from Georgia, has called me a racist. Not me personally, not by name, but by virtue of generalization. He said "I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's African-American," Carter told "NBC Nightly News."

Get Out. Granted, there will always be those few who don't want him to be President because he is black. This goes back to many of my posts during the election campaigns. (That is supposed to be a BAD thing, while it is okay that zillions of black people voted for him only BECAUSE he is black. What's the difference? Racism is Racism.)

However. Disagreeing with with government policy doesn't make me a racist any more than it makes me a terrorist. I didn't agree with everything George Bush did. Does that make me a... racist against.... my own race? Seriously. You didn't see the Bush administration pulling the race card every time a black person criticized him. And believe me, that administration took its share of criticism. And still does.

Interestingly, the Chairman of the RNC is a black man. He disagrees with Carter, and states that those so quick to pull that race card are doing more harm to President Obama than they are good.

Ya'll "Racism" folks need to just get over it. We don't like his policy. I wouldn't like the policy if Ward Cleaver, Andy Griffeth, John Wayne or Charlton Heston were the president.

There are too many other urgent matters on the table to be wasting time on playing the race card, especially with the Joe Wilson thing. I'd venture to say that Mr. Wilson would have made his statement (however inappropriate in the setting), if Ward, Andy, John or Charlton had been the one doing the lying.

Mr. Obama, a great many Americans disagree with your policies, and do not trust you to tell the truth. It's just a fact. I'm sure you don't like it. But c'mon! Take it like a man. Don't hide behind the racism cry. You gotta know that in order to please one group of people, you're going to displease another. You and your folks need to stop pouting like kids on the playground. Get over it. We're not communists, terrorists, or racists. We're Americans, just voicing our discontent, an action that is protected by the Constitution. And we will continue to voice it. You work for us, remember?? Get busy with the real issues de-funding ACORN, requiring czars to undergo congressional hearings, and most important to the immediate future, revise the current health reform bill. Get at it. Stop whining.

And Jimmy... with all due respect... just go back to building houses and planting peanuts. You disappoint me. Put down your stick, and stop stirring the pot.

Something In The Water?

Wow!!! There's been lots of baby news lately! Gemma Claire is due to arrive in about a month. This morning we learned that Brandi is having a girl, Brooke Addison. And just this evening I learned that (my nephew) Ryan and Alissa are expecting a baby in March!! Such happy news!! We've been purging closets and the storage building lately, and I found myself wanting to snuggle a tiny baby again as we folded away the newborn outfits that belonged to Leyland and Corey. Now it looks like there are three new babies about to join the family. That being said, I'm glad we don't have to filter the water at The 409. No more babies here for sure. We'll just enjoy them from (not too much) afar. Congratulations ya'll!!! Can't wait to snuggle with the new little bundles.

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Czars

(Note: For some reason Blogger is choosing random words to underline and link. These are not my links, unless it says "click here", so don't click on any of those green underlined words. They're not my links.)

Czar. When I used to hear that word, it conjured up visions of Russia in the old days. Not the case any more. Now when I hear the word czar, and if you follow political news closely, you're hearing it an awful lot, I think of my own government. I had no idea that the president has the authority to appoint whomever he chooses to be advisors in certain areas. Apparently this practice isn't new. I believe it started with FDR, who created The Office of Price Administration, and its director was given the title of "czar" by the media. (Now, don't go getting too impressed about my knowledge, I'm just a huge Google fan!) So it's not a new practice, just an unfamiliar one to most folks, I'd bet.

These appointments do not require any vetting, nor any votes of approval by congress. These czars are not even accountable to the congress, the cabinet, the American people, nor anyone but the President of the United States. How scary is that! If we needed a Czar of Scrapbooking, I'd be just as qualified as anyone, and the president could choose me if he wanted to. I doubt seriously that Mr. Obama knows about the hazards of acid and lignen on photographs, or the best way to adhere vellum to a layout. He probably has no idea which adhesive works best for mulberry paper. I'm fairly certain he's never heard of a Cricut, and probably wouldn't know what to do with a Cuttlebug if it came up and bit him on the nose. I can only imagine what he would try to do with a corner rounder, and the only thing he could deduce about a Memory Makers took kit is that trying to board an airplane with it in your carryon would probably get you arrested. However, with a scrapbook czar by his side, feeding him information and showing him techniques, pretty soon he'd be able to make a scrapbook of his own. More likely, though, he'd grow weary of the process and just tell the scrapbook czar just to make the decisions, design the layout, do whatever necessary to make the process work, and then he would sign off on it as though it were his own creation.

Sound a bit far-fetched to you? Hmmm let's see. I wonder how much a junior senator from Chicago knows about the reality of health care, auto recovery, border control, green living, etc. How in the world will he be presidential and preside over so much that he knows so little about? Well, by appointing people to *help* him and advise him. Glenn Beck from FNN reports that there are currently approximately 32 czars, with several more yet to be appointed. To see a list of them, their salary (if known) and a brief *job* description, click here.

Now here's where it gets interesting. If you watch network news, you won't have heard much about this, but watch-dog news reporters such as FNN, have been all over this. Over the weekend, the appointed Green Jobs Czar, Van Jones, resigned his position. It seems that Mr. Jones is a radical, self-proclaimed communist radical. Don't believe me? Do your own Google or You-Tube search and see some of the outrageous statements he has made. Because of the watch-dog reporting, much attention has been focused on this man, which in turn brings about question and unease as to why the leader of our nation would appoint such a dispicable person to advise him on ANYTHING. Mr. Jones has lashed out against the reports, blaming it on the "republicans", even saying in a speaking engagement that republicans are "@ssholes". And that is a quote. Many were calling for his resignation for the past few weeks, just because of who he has aligned himself with in the past, STORM, the communist party, etc. However, the final nail in his coffin came at the end of last week when it was uncovered that in 2004, I believe it was, he signed a form stating that he believed the Bush administration was involved in a 9-11 conspiracy. When questioned about it, he claims that he "didn't read the report carefully". Huh? Here's another example: Excerpt from a Nov. 2005 interview in the East Bay Express: Jones had planned to move to Washington, DC, and had already landed a job and an apartment there. But in jail, he said, "I met all these young radical people of color -- I mean really radical, communists and anarchists. And it was, like, 'This is what I need to be a part of.'" Although he already had a plane ticket, he decided to stay in San Francisco. "I spent the next ten years of my life working with a lot of those people I met in jail, trying to be a revolutionary." In the months that followed, he let go of any lingering thoughts that he might fit in with the status quo. "I was a rowdy nationalist on April 28th, and then the verdicts came down on April 29th," he said. "By August, I was a communist." In 1994, the young activists formed a socialist collective, Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement, or STORM, which held study groups on the theories of Marx and Lenin and dreamed of a multiracial socialist utopia. They protested police brutality and got arrested for crashing through police barricades. In 1996, Jones decided to launch his own operation, which he named the Ella Baker Center after an unsung hero of the civil-rights movement.

At any rate, in a time when so many other issues of importance are at stake, the Obama administration doesn't need to spend time, energy and resources defending this reprehensible man, so his resignation was called for. His letter of resignation begins: "On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me. They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide."

Seriously??? No responsibility for his actions? Poor fella!! The big bad Americans who have the audacity to oppose Mr. Obama's proposals, are making up terrible lies about him. (I guess we fabricated the videos and written reports as well. Aren't we just creative like that!) These are the words of an arrogant man who was in the upper echelons of (appointed) government, who had the ear of our president. Sorta makes me question (again) the judgment of our leader!

Check it out for yourself. Do a Google search on the czar system, and especially these two names: Cass Sunstein, John Holdren. These are the people who are advising our president.

Pride

An awesome young lady in my church posted this on her Facebook page, and I wanted to share. Thanks, Anna.

Pride

My name is Pride.
I am a cheater.
I cheat you of your God-given destiny...because you demand your own way.
I cheat you of contentment...because you "deserve better than this."
I cheat you of knowledge...because you already know it all.
I cheat you of healing...because you're too full of me to forgive.
I cheat you of holiness...because you refuse to admit when you're wrong.
I cheat you of vision...because you'd rather look in the mirror than out a window.
I cheat you of genuine friendship...because nobody's going to know the real you.
I cheat you of love...because real romance demands sacrifice.
I cheat you of greatness in heaven...because you refuse to wash another's feet on earth.
I cheat you of God's glory...because I convince you to seek your own.
My name is Pride.
I am a cheater.
You like me because you think I'm always looking out for you.
Untrue.
God has so much for you, I admit.
But don't worry...If you stick with me,you'll never know.
-Broadman & Holman

Hello Blog

Remember me? I seem to have neglected writing for quite some time now. I remember when rarely a day would pass that didn't find me posting something. One of the reasons I haven't been posting as much is that I've become a Facebook Junkie. It's fun to click on there and see what folks are up to. Another reason is that life at The 409 continues to be crazy in a warp-speed kind of way. Whitney has been experiencing some post-childbirth, pelvic stress issues, and it was determined that she would have to undergo surgery. After carefully checking the calendar against The Snoops' travel agenda, my co-workers' vacation times and a couple of things I had scheduled, we narrowed it down to a two-week period that would coincide well with the above-mentioned plans. Unfortunately, none of those dates were available. Our choices were a date eight weeks in the future, or five days in the future. YIKES!! My parents were out of town, but we decided to go ahead and take the appointment anyway. She was just too uncomfortable to wait eight more weeks. So this past Wednesday found us at the hospital, where she underwent a hysterectomy. Such a drastic surgery indeed for one so young, but her ovaries were left intact, which will allow her to avoid hormone-replacement therapy. Believe it or not, she was discharged from the hospital 23 hours later, in a fair amount of pain, but far better than I was after having a similar surgery at age 33. Recovery has been slow and steady, with a minor, but excruciatingly painful, episode of ileus on Friday afternoon. Today she is still moving quite slowly, but I am amazed at how well she is doing. She is restricted from lifting anything at all for six weeks, which means no picking up the babies. Dustin and I will be tag-teaming it until she is able to resume her mommy duties. I'll be working second shift so that I can take care of the children until he gets home from his job, then he will assume the role of caregiver for Whitney and take care of the chidlren while I work. The kids know that things are wierd, and they're not quite sure what to make of it.

I've been reminded this week to count my blessings. I'm especially thankful for:

~My parents, who were sorely missed this past week.
~My parents, who are home now and will be helping out in the coming weeks.
~Whitney's cousin Tammy, who kept the children so I could be at the hospital the morning of surgery.
~The flexibility of my job to allow me to work 2nd shift during Whit's recovery, and my wonderful co-workers who are like an extension of family. Thanks, guys.. Ya'll rock!
~Whitney's grandmother, Nany, who stayed with her all day on Thursday while Dustin worked and I stayed home with the children.
~Family members and friends who called and e-mailed with thoughts, prayers, words of encouragement, and offers to help.
~To Dr. Campbell, the most wonderful physician/surgeon.
~And most importantly, to God for a safe and successful surgery.
CathyB

Hooked on Fox

Different times in my life have found me "hooked" on many different things. Hobbies, movies, pets, crafts, primetime tv shows, etc. I was never much of a broadcast news-watcher, though, until 9-11. Like most of the world, I was glued to the tv for days and weeks. Ever since then, I have kept one eye on the news headlines most all the time. "Disaster or Catastrophe Watch", if you will. First thing in the morning if Fred is whistling (his s's) about a purse-snatcher at Lenox Mall, or Karen is telling me to pack my umbrella, then I'm confident no major news broke while I slept. It's a comforting feeling. I've long been a fan of Good Morning America, and most of ABCs primetime shows like 20/20, and all the variants thereof. I also realized many years ago that the media is HUGE in how we view life in America and in the world. They pretty much run the place, actually. We believe what we see and hear from Charlie, Katie, Brian and the rest of the bunch. If they say we're in a recession, we believe them. If they say the president's popularity numbers are rising... who are we to question? We believe them. We believe what we are fed, unless we question what we are fed. Recently I've been watching the Fox News Network, and I have been amazed at the polar opposite spin on the news. Yes, I know that many people think those folks on FNN are a bunch of raving lunatics, spewers of untruths bent on discrediting the government. I must say that these raving lunatics have become some of my favorite folks!! I'll admit that the real Truth probably lies somewhere between the leftist liberal media and the far right-wing conservative media... but I'm leaning waaaaaaaay toward the right. The motto of Fox News is "We Report, You Decide". I like that. Sure, they are "planting" information... but more than information, they are planting questions. Questions that somebody needs to be asking. For too long we have simply not questioned what our government is doing. We sit around the dinner table or the cafeteria at work and complain, but we don't ask the right questions to the right people. Which is one reason we are in the mess we are in. For some reason, we have been of the mindset that our government is going to take care of us, and over the years, we have entrusted our freedom and liberty into their hands. Now we find ourselves in a stinker of a mess, and some very brave, angry people are heeding the call to action. Enter the "astroturf, the angry, terrorist mobs," who are asking questions. Asking questions, and demanding answers. When supporters rally a cause they believe in, the politicians eat it up and it's all over the network news. When the opposition shows up, they are presented in the media as anti-American. Wait just a minute. I'd be willing to propose that those folks are more American than I am. They've taken their time, energy, and passion to let their voices be heard, while I just sit here and write a blog that very few people will read. The network news (which I still watch, by the way) will have us believe that those crazy folks over at FNN are the anti-American ones, along with the town-hall protesters. Though perhaps a bit zealous in their approach at times, I'm impressed that those folks are willing to risk ridicule, persecution, and sometimes personal safety, to give us The Other Side Of The Story. Quick to tell you what is fact and what is opinion, they provide information that government officials would much prefer we didn't know. Recently a group tried to eliminate The O'Reilly Factor, because Bill is just "out there" and isn't afraid to say anything.. yet he delivers stories to make you think... they tried to eliminate him by manipulating sponsors to remove ads from his show. Didn't work. Another group is now trying the same thing with Glenn Beck. Ringleader of this latest attempt is none other than the FCC diversity "czar"... in other words, someone from WITHIN the White House administration. Kind of makes me think of something my Bible teacher told me once: Satan will leave you alone as long as you are passive in your relationship with God. You are no threat to him. Start moving closer to God, or doing His work, and he will be after you like white on rice. Well, maybe she didn't say it just like that, but that was the gist of it. So if the folks at FNN are just a bunch of raving lunatics, and if there is no truth in what they tell us, why are the liberals trying so hard to shut them down? I invite you to turn the channel and check out Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, and Bill O'Reilly, for starters. You may not believe what you see or hear, and that's okay, but for sure you'll be exposed to thoughts and questions that you won't see anywhere on the network news. And besides that, you'll probably learn some things you didn't know, like how the healthcare bill includes a section that funds up to 1.6 billion dollars for "community transformation grants" to build jungle gyms and walking trails in community parks. Read about it here . If I were an uninsured American, fighting to support the healthcare bill, I would be furious at such blatant pork-barrel spending that somebody (probably the father of the jungle-gym manufacturer) is trying to push through in the name of healthcare. As an opposer of the bill, I am appalled. Makes me wonder what else is hidden in those 1000 pages that nobody seems able to read and decipher! Anyway, give FNN a whirl. Whether or not you like what you see/hear, perhaps you'll be intrigued to do some research on your own, and you may learn that they are closer to the truth than you might think.

And lest I be labeled as single-minded, I still listen to both sides. I read Time and Newsweek when possible, and I still love Good Morning America. I just enjoy them from the other side of the (media) fence now.

My friend Kelly passed this along today. If it weren't so scary, it might be funny.

Let me get this straight. Obama's health care plan will be written by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it and whose members will be exempt from it, signed by a president who smokes, funded by a treasury chief who did not pay his taxes, overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that is broke. What could possibly go wrong?

An Interesting Article

I find this article to be very interesting. From its content, it would appear to have been written during the 80s, when Reagan was in office, however, the facts hold true regardless of the time. What do you think?


(Disclaimer: As with any blog content I post and/or quote from another source, I cannot validate its accuracy. But this one sounds pretty good to me!!)
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The 545 People Responsible For All Of U.S. Woes
By Charley Reese

(Date of publication unknown)-- -- - Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits? Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does. You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does. You and I don't write the tax code. Congress does. You and I don't set fiscal policy. Congress does. You and I don't control monetary policy. The Federal Reserve Bank does.One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president and nine Supreme Court justices - 545 human beings out of the 235 million - are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank.I excluded all but the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it.No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislation's responsibility to determine how he votes.A CONFIDENCE CONSPIRACYDon't you see how the con game that is played on the people by the politicians? Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of Tip O'Neill, who stood up and criticized Ronald Reagan for creating deficits.The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating appropriations and taxes.O'neill is the speaker of the House. He is the leader of the majority party. He and his fellow Democrats, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetos it, they can pass it over his veto.REPLACE SCOUNDRELSIt seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts - of incompetence and irresponsibility.I can't think of a single domestic problem, from an unfair tax code to defense overruns, that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair. If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red. If the Marines are in Lebanon, it's because they want them in Lebanon.There are no insoluble government problems. Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take it.Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exist disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation" or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.Those 545 people and they alone are responsible. They and they alone have the power. They and they alone should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses - provided they have the gumption to manage their own employees.

This article was first published by the Orlando Sentinel Star newspaper

Don't get excited about the Obama administration's decision to back down on public-option health care. Don't be relieved to learn about the co-op. The co-op is just as bad, and will morph into public option. Keep speaking up, America! Don't settle for co-op as a tradeoff for public-option. It is ultimately the same thing. Just Say No.

Mama Jo

The past few weeks have been really tough for DJ's family. Many of you know, and have been praying for, Mama Jo and Delores. Mama Jo got her wings on Thursday, and passed from this life into eternity. It's never easy to relinqish those whom we love, but this is one of those times that we had been praying for a swift, merciful end. We said our final goodbyes yesterday to the body that once hosted the life of this woman who was loved by many. At the gravesite, my pastor made a comment that, for some reason, struck me. I'm sure I've heard it eluded to before, but hearing it yesterday was kind of different. Mama Jo and Papa used to be on the go all the time, and enjoyed camping and fishing, going to the moutains and the beach, and going to Gatlinburg. Brother Gordon was talking about how the family used to travel together and go to many places. It was this (probably paraphrased) quote that got to me: "But this is as far as you can go with her, on this earth". I wonder why that struck me so? I guess it is just the thought that the grave really IS as far as we go with our loved ones, until we see them on the other side. I know she is happy in her new home, rejoicing over being reunited with Papa, Samantha, Joshua, and other loved ones. We went as far as we could go with her, but the final journey was made without us.

I learned a few funny stories about Mama Jo through all this, and reminisced about others. It seems that she decided to join the military, because a good friend of hers had signed up. However, Mama Jo was under age. She swiped her sister Essie's birth certificate so she could qualify. After about a year, her friend had to leave for some reason, and Mama Jo decided she didn't want to stay either. The only way she could get out was by telling them what she had done... and to her delight... they sent her home straightaway!

Delores was a young thing when she got married, a few days shy of being "legal". In the olden days, you could post your intent to marry and if nobody objected, you could get married. So marry she did, to a fine, upstanding young man, and off they went for their honeymoon in Gatlinburg. What they didn't know was that Mama Jo, Papa, and DJ took off for Gatlinburg after them. I just learned that story this week, and think it's just the funniest thing. What would she have done if she had found them? I would venture to say that Donald has earned himself some treasures in heaven for sure. To have a mother-in-law like Mama Jo, and to live right next door, required the patience of Job, at times, I'm sure. (Said with love, ya'll!) It still just tickles me to think of them traipsing across the mountains, looking for the newlyweds. Ha! Papa saying "Now... Josie!!!" every few miles....

When we were teenagers, DJ would sometimes take different friends camping up to Tugaloo State Park. Now when you're a teenage girl, there are fewer things more important than scoping out the teenage boys when you enter new territory. The park was no exception. We didn't go in for our fellow-campers, the sons of neighboring campsites. Oh no. We aimed for the big time. We loved us some trash pickup boys. Ummm Hmmm. One hot summer weekend, we happened to meet up with two fine young specimens. One named Luke, and.... well.. the other name escapes me now, but... we were mighty excited when they paid us some attention. We went out boating, skiing and swimming that afternoon, and had a *date* planned for later that evening. After dinner DJ and I went up to the bath house, with all our girly stuff in tow, and we must have spent hours getting all gussied up for our date. I had some special smell-good stuff that I used only for special occasions, and this date sure seemed to merit a spritz or two. Finally satisfied with our supreme gorgeousness, we skipped back down to the campsite to find Papa just smiling that quiet smile of his, then choking on a chuckle, eyes all a-twinkle, he busted out laughing and said "Them boys waited around long enough for ya'll and then took off." Our enchanted evning was ruined. We were devastated. We moped around for hours, straining our ears, hoping to hear their car coming down the road. Mama Jo just shook her head and said "Awwww Debbie! Them boys don't care nothin' about ya'll!" We secretly decided that Papa probably scared them off. I mean.... what's not to like about DJ and me, huh???

Another time, when we were seniors in high school, I had this boyfriend that my parents decided was no good for me. And in retrospect, they were probably right, but I wasn't convinced at the time. As such, I snuck around a bit and dated him anyway. Friday nights usually found me at DJs house, or her at mine, or BJs, or any varied combination thereof. This particular Friday night, I was at DJs, and we had dates for the evening. Mama Jo and Papa had gone camping. Uh oh. Rule #1 No Boys Allowed Without Parents At Home. And my particular boy was the one my mama and daddy had forbidden me to see. Here we have a disaster waiting to happen. Feeling very grown up after our dinner, we were sitting on the front porch at Mama Jo's, when lo and behold... from afar we beheld... CAMPERS!!! The parental units were coming home!! In plain view of the road, there was nowhere to hide, nothing to do but own up to our crime. So horrified was I that Mama Jo would tell MY mama that she had not only caught me with *the boy*, but that we had snuck and had dates without chaperones, I sold my soul and forever indebted myself to her if she PLEASE just wouldn't tell. In hindsite, I suspect she never intended to tell on me at all, but rather enjoyed the fear instilled in me at the thought of such a travesty. About this time, a certain hole had been dug in the back yard. A hole that would one day soon transform into a swimming pool... of which I expected to become a frequent guest. In my haste to secure that Mama Jo wasn't going to rat on me, I promised with all my heart to work on the landscaping project. I toted and hauled rocks for days. And days. I probably fetched more glasses of tea and "Anything you need, Mama Jo?" for weeks. I'm sure the joke was probably on me. I can just hear her and Papa laughing about it. When we visited her a few weeks ago at Emory, I reminded her of that little incident, and how she "blackmailed" me so she would keep quiet. I wish I could have heard her laugh about it just one more time.

Joyce Baker helped to take care of her when she was a resident at Mulberry, and has been very sweet to check on her and pray for her these weeks since she had to leave the facility. Yesterday she posted this photo of Mama Jo taken while she was a resident there. Thanks, Joyce.

Mama Jo, we'll miss you! We'll see you soon! Thanks for some really happy memories!

Question of the day: Is the reaction of American citizens (in the form of town-hall protests) making a difference in President Obama's push for public-option healthcare? Perhaps so, as major networks are reporting today that the Obama administration is backing down. At one time, it was a public-option-or-nothing deal. Now that the outcry has resounded out the windows of the meeting places, and into our living rooms, perhaps it has reinforced other citizens to take up the battle cry and go to their local meetings, and have their voices heard. (My own local representative has CANCELED the remainder of his town hall meetings!! We can "call and talk with him on the phone." What???) Interestingly, though, it seems that, according to Sen. Conrad of North Dakota, that there weren't enough affirmative votes to pass the bill in the first place. Now that this news has come out, there are those saying that Mr. Obama knew it would never pass, and his administration was merely using it as a bargaining chip. Now they are saying that the public-option element is not crucial and not the backbone of reform. (And they called McCain wishy-washy????) I'm quite surprised that Howard Dean, a former practicing physician, has said "A public option is the only way to guarantee health care for all Americans and its inclusion is non-negotiable." Must be quite a while since he has tried to practice medicine in this country.

I'd like to think that the outcry of Americans who opposed it had a little something to do with the backing-down factor. Perhaps without the "terrorist, Nazi, mob" protests, this bill, like many others contributing to the detriment of our nation, would have been pushed through. Finally. It's about time folks started standing up to what they believe in, and not sit back and get steamrolled into something and THEN complain about it, which is what we've been doing for far too many years.

And just a reminder: I am not opposed to healthcare reform. I have been saying for years that something needs to be done about the black hole we are in. The focus needs to be on insurance companies, tort reform, and letting physicians get back to the basics of practicing medicine. Our schools are tax-payer supported (government-run). There's a good place to start. Serve healthier lunches at school, teach children the importance of taking care of themselves and making healthy food choices and exercise. For adults, offer educational classes at the local health department level, at government-subsidized hospitals to teach diabetics and hypertensive patients how to maintain their health. I took diabetic education classes myself, and the fee was astronomical. People without insurance can't afford that. There are many different ways to improve the situation. Focus on primary care. Maybe even consider having an internship in a public health setting in exchange for some student loan forgiveness for medical school debt. If every graduate coming out of medical school participated in a year-long internship at the local health department level, then (free, or sliding-scale) primary care could be expanded to include everyone who shows up at the doorstep, thereby eliminating the need for ER visits for non-emergency care. With all the ruckus going on, it has made me stop and consider my own health, and my own terrible habits. No matter what the outcome, whether (God forbid!) we go to a government-run health system, or continue down the black hole we're in currently, we all need to wake up and realize that our basic health is better controlled in our own hands than those of Uncle Sam, or the insurance companies who dictate how physicians practice medicine. One way to reduce medical costs nationwide would be for each of us to become proactive in our own behalf. Eat less junk (me, me, me...) and more fruits and veggies. Get up and move. Get more sleep. Learn to deal with stress. Keep a clean conscience. Practice random acts of kindness. Pay it forward. Learn to forgive those who hurt us. And that "do unto others" thing... give it a try. If we lived in such a manner, and treated our bodies and our minds with respect, a lot of the medical issues that plague us would resolve themselves. We don't need government-run healthcare. We don't need insurance-run healthcare (which is what we have now). Maybe someone, somewhere, will get it right. In the meantime, keep speaking up, America!

Note to self: Take your own advice!

Obamacare

If we could all agree that nobody truly understands Obamacare, we could at least begin the process on common ground. I’m glad to see American citizens speaking up, and letting their voices be heard. It does concern me, however, that the opposers at town hall meetings are being portrayed in the media as hot-headed, ignorant rednecks. There are some pretty nasty rumors about Obamacare that even I, with all my Obabamacare opposition, have a difficult time believing. As the father of young children, I find it hard to believe that his plan would put a lesser value on children. Having just lost a grandmother, I can’t believe he will put old folks out to pasture. Now… that’s not to say that I don’t believe quality of care will take a nosedive, but I believe it will be for every person. Maybe a little worse for the elderly, but probably not so much for children. The point I am pondering is this: I wonder how many of these rumors are actually being generated by the Obama folks, in order to work the opposers into a frenzy? Think about it. His calm, smug demeanor is far more attractive and soothing than the shouting, shoving, sometimes obscenity-laden protests from the opposition. Brings out the shine on his halo.
I’ve worked in healthcare for 33 years, in many capacities, and the changes I have seen are incredible. Absolutely, reform is needed. Even physicians agree!! The cost of medical care is exorbitant, and something needs to be done, I don’t argue that point. However, there are a lot of hidden costs that the patient doesn’t see. When we are admitted to a hospital room for an overnight stay, the price of that room is all encompassing, paying for a myriad of things that we would never imagine. The room fee pays my salary, and the salary of my co-workers in transcription and Medical Records. It pays the janitors, the cooks, the nurses, the radiology techs, the maintenance guys, all of the administrative offices, insurance clerks, coders, the electric bill, the phone bill, gas and water bill, laundry bill so we can have clean sheets… and the list goes on. Same concept as a hotel bill, except there are more folks to pay. That $13.00 Tylenol we took pays for the pharmacists, the pharmacy techs, the nurse who gives it to us, the Dixie cup that holds our water. When our doctor bill arrives, we may say that he only popped into the room for five minutes. What we don’t see is the time it takes him to write up admission orders, make sure the mandated information is in the chart for every order, and all the required dictation is done. The chart may lie unfinished in Medical Records for a week or two, requiring multiple visits by the doctor, or multiple access to the file via computer from his office, to make sure all the necessary forms are completed and signed.
The same thing holds true when we go to the doctor’s office. Absolutely, the bill is far more than it should be. My last job afforded me a different point of view, though, in that I was the accounts payable person. My goodness. I never knew that running a medical office was so expensive. The cost for durable medical equipment, disposable medical supplies, utilities, salaries, general operating expenses, health insurance for employees (huge!) and then the big daddy… the malpractice insurance. Heavenly days! Yes, doctors make a lot of money. As well they should. When we or someone we love is injured or ill, we want the doctor to do whatever necessary to save them or make them well. They become God, sometimes. When the crisis is over, we get a letter from our insurance company saying “Sorry, we’re only paying X amount, because your doctor charges too much.” So, instead of becoming upset with the insurance company, we get upset with the doctor and complain that he charges too much. There’s something wrong with this picture! When an insurance company pays $1200.00 for an $8,000.00 procedure, that’s pretty shameful. Is $8,000.00 too much for the procedure? Yes, probably so. Back in the day when insurance payments were more proportionate to physician charges, that procedure might have been billed at $2,500.00. It is sad that many physicians and surgeons have to spend a portion of their work day writing letters and making phone calls to get permission to perform tests and/or procedures, and appealing payment amounts. Yet if the physician doesn’t order the round of tests, some attorney is out there foaming at the mouth, encouraging you to file suit against the physician. So the physician has to pay thousands and thousands of dollars for malpractice insurance. I could write for days and days about this issue alone, but suffice it to say… healthcare is one big, black, deep, dark hole, made worse every year by the constant threat of malpractice and litigation, by the insurance companies setting the acceptable ‘usual, reasonable and customary’ fees for services, and by the huge losses incurred by emergency rooms for primary care. Which brings us back to the reality that Americans need access to primary care. Just think about how many ER visits could be avoided, how many patients could avoid dialysis if their BP and diabetes were kept under control, how many hospitalizations for chronic illnesses could be avoided, if everyone had access to primary care.
I’ve tried to look at it from the other side. From the side of those people who don’t have insurance. A poster on the scrapbook board made the comment that many of us are all just one layoff away from being uninsured. Last year she would have been one of the Obamacare opposers, but because her husband lost his job, they now have no insurance, and have several small children. She is afraid of Obamacare, but she is more afraid to be without insurance. I can totally see that. It seems that most of those who oppose it currently have coverage, and most of those who support it do not have coverage. I don’t blame those without insurance for supporting Obamacare, they are being fed a line of bull and are being made to believe that his plan will take care of them. Granted, they may have access to healthcare that they don’t have now, but I absolutely believe that it is not what they are being promised. Don’t get me wrong, I am a TOTAL advocate for healthcare for everyone, but I am opposed to a single-payer system run by the government. There has to be another way.
I don’t know the answer. I wish I did. The whole thing is, I don’t think anybody knows the answer. Mr. Obama just wants us to think he knows (when he hasn’t even read the 1000 page bill his ownself). I believe what we need to focus on right this minute is making sure our representatives SLOW DOWN the process and not be bullied into a vote on this for yet a long while. Acting in haste will only result in the nightmare we all fear, I’m afraid.

Euna Lee and Laura Ling

Welcome home, ladies. I'm glad this incident turned out well. I'm glad that little girl will be tucked in by her mommy tonight. I love a good reunion, and this one was very sweet.

This whole incident causes me to stop and wonder about border integrity. How is it, that in countries like North Korea and Iran, that a few hikers or a couple of reporters can accidentally cross the border and be snatched into captivity? If the borders were clearly marked, then it wouldn't have been accidental, and I seriously doubt they would have made that mistake. I haven't been keeping up with these stories very well, but if they claim it was a case accidental "tresspassing", then obviously there were no border guards, no electric fences, no watch dogs, etc. So how is it that these countries can keep such a close watch on their borders and actually imprison violators, yet the United States can't effectively monitor our southern border? It's not a random accidental few people who cross into our country, but rather a flood of dam-break proportions of our southern neighbors who absolutely infiltrate our border. Granted, if we were to sentence each perpetrator to a prison sentence of 12 years (as in the case of Lee and Ling), then there wouldn't be enough space in all the college dorms in America to house them all. Oh, and then there's the issue that even if we did imprison them, no one from Mexico would come and get them, much less send a plane full of dignitaries to negotiate their release. All that being said, I think the USA needs to get hold of whatever technology it is that allows these jungle and desert-laden nations to so carefully watch their borders. We need some of that, and we need to use it. Not for the purpose of imprisoning them. No. We don't want them. We need to use it for the purpose of throwing them back. Or at least directing them to the nearest legal border crossing, where they can enter the country legally, with a one-way ticket to the nearest immigration office to apply for citizenship. Or a one-way ticket back home, whichever they prefer. That's all I've got to say about that.

Just For Fun

No time for a lengthy post today, so I'm going to share a video sent to me from my friend Mac. It's pretty neat. Just for fun.

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Ennio Marchetto is a world renowned and awarded comedian who has created his own theatrical language mixing mime, dance, music and quick change costumes made out of card-board and paper. In 18 years Ennio has performed in over 70 countries for more than a million people. His show has received numerous awards and international critical acclaim. .....He is from Italy. He does impressions of stars and singers using these paper costumes that transform from one person into another. He is a barrel of fun to watch!!

Click here to watch (about 6 minutes)

The Weekend

Busy weekend at The 409. We did score some bargains for Mary for school, but nothing like we did last year. Yesterday we partied with Peyton to celebrate her 3rd birthday. It was lots of fun, and Peyton was really cute. I always love being with the Bennett family. The children were tuckered out and went to bed fairly early, with fairly good cooperation. Whitney and I had steak and veggie kabobs on the grill for dinner. .....Sigh..... I don't know why I even bother to try. The meat was too brown for my liking. I should have known better. There's only one person, in my opinion, who can cook a perfect piece of meat, and that's David. One of these days I'll learn to save a poor slab of meat an unhappy ending, and stop buying it. Oh well. The salad, 'taters and grilled veggies were good. There are plenty of leftovers too. The house is a mess, as we've been trying to organize, separate and purge clothing for all three children. The drawers to Leyland's dresser are stacked in my room, partially child-proofed with those drawer-latch thingies. We have a little more work to do with that project. Leyland loves to play 'dress-up' in her own clothes, and no matter how neatly you fold them and put them away, she will open the drawers and strew them about her room. Thus the drawer-latch project. Thus the reason the clothes are also stacked in my room. With the drawers. The ironing board is still standing from the mad dash this morning to get the girls' dresses pressed before church. There's a giant empty box on my (unmade!) bed, waiting to be put in the attic. I do so dislike trying to work amid such untidy chaos, but there's nothing I can do about it right now. Hopefully Whitney can get everyone down for a nap and come in here and work on the clothes-sorting-purging project while I am working.

Children sure do say the funniest things, don't they? On the way to church this morning, Mary was holding my Bible. She said, "Grandma, what's with all these yellow marks in your Bible?" I exaplained to her that those were my favorite parts... the verses that I like very much. She thought for a minute and said.... "Wow. There's sure a lot of it that you DON'T like, isn't there!!" Such a funny little girl, that Mary.

Now it's off to get my work-week started. Be careful driving next week! School is starting in many counties this week!!

It's off shopping for school clothes for Mary! Last year we scored big at The Children's Place at the outlet mall in Commerce. Hoping for a repeat performance today.

Got this in the e-mail this morning. Gotta love it. Happy Friday!!!

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John Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock (made in Japan) for 6 am. While his coffeepot (made in China) was perking, he shaved with his electric razor (made in Hong Kong). He put on a dress shirt (made in Sri Lanka), designer jeans (made in Singapore) and tennis shoes (made in Korea). After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (made in India), he sat down with his calculator (made in Mexico) to see how much he could spend today. After setting his watch (made in Taiwan) to the radio (made in India), he got in his car (made in Germany), filled it with GAS (from Saudi Arabia ) and continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB. At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day checking his Computer (made in Malaysia), John decided to relax for a while. He put on his sandals (made in Brazil), poured himself a glass of wine (made in France) and turned on his TV (made in Indonesia), and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job in America. And now he's hoping he can get help from a President Made in Kenya.

Blogger Mystery Solved on Facebook

I have a confession to make. I have become a Facebook junkie. I used to laugh at people who couldn't be away from their computers or blackberry phones without going into DTs, because of Twitter and Facebook. I even posted about the silliness of tweeting. I must confess that I finally surrendered and signed up for Twitter. It was a special moment. Ha. Not really. I only did it thinking I could keep up with Whitney and her family while they were at the beach. But she was so busy having fun she didn't tweet at all. Apparently I signed up for Facebook a while back, but didn't remember doing so (Ain't senility grand...), because when I attempted to set up an account, that "email address already exists on Facebook." Whatever. At any rate, I signed up, and was a bit disappointed. It just didn't *feel* right, and I found myself confused at who could see what, etc. Finally I got the hang of it, and must admit that oftentimes during the day, I FEEL THE NEED to hop over there for just a minute and see what's going on. And to see if anyone has written me to say how beautiful my grandbabies are. It really has been fun to click on a friend, then see who their friends are, and who their friends are.... etc.... until I find myself so deeply embedded within the bowels of Facebook that I wonder if I'll ever find my way home. At least I don't have to worry with leaving bread crumbs. There's a handy-dandy little button up at the top of the page that says "Home". After all. There really is No Place Like Home.

But I digress. You probably want to know what the mystery is about, and how it was solved on Facebook. When readers post comments on this (most) blogs, there are several methods of identification. You can sign as an anonymous poster, or use your google sign in (on this one) and one other way... it escapes me right now. I have encouraged my anonymous-commenting friends to please type their name at the end of the comment, so I can know who in the world is reading my blog, and talking to me. I have a little widget at the bottom left-hand side of the blog that keeps a list of blog hits. Doesn't tell me the name, but the city or network of every blog hit. Man. That drives me crazy. I have people all over the world who pop in to read my blog. And I wanna know who they are!! Especially if someone posts a comment. Come on, ya'll... don't you know I inherited the Snoop Sister gene from my mom and aunts... I must know! Don't leave me in suspense!! Sometimes someone will come here from Google when searching for random things like "buzzards", or "carport makeovers". I sometimes wonder what these people think when they click on my blog and see pictures of my grandbabies or read my rant about the weatherman, or my rambling about childhood memories. I'd venture to say it probably wasn't what they were Googling for.

Back to FB. I have looked up many old school friends and reconnected. I've had some old school friends look me up and we've connected. What fun! Tonight I was going to make my routine "quick stop" on FB before showering and crankin' up the CPAP. Lo and behold, I had a new friend request!! I was delighted to accept, as I hadn't heard from this person in a very long time. Let's just call her Cindy P. When I signed onto FB to accept her request, there was a message that said something to the effect that she had been keeping up with me by reading my blog! How wild is that!! We did the live-chat thing for a few minutes... and whaddyaknow... she was one of the mystery commentors!!! It was such fun talking to her and catching up. Hope to do it again sometime soon. She was so sweet to ask about Delores and say that she had been praying for her.

So here's to you, my mystery friend... I mean Cindy P.. How wonderful to *see* you on Facebook!! Now, sign your name next time you post a comment, okay???

And speaking of Delores, please, please keep the family in your prayers. She is three weeks into the clinical trial, and the going is starting to get a little rough. To make matters worse, Mama Jo (her and DJs mom) is in very, very bad shape at Emory Eastside, with a very poor prognosis. Just a really tough time for them right now.

What a Great Day!

Today was a great day. Coffee on the deck with DJ & David to start out the day. Afterward, as I was getting ready to deliver a batch of work, Leyland said, "Where you goin' Greemaw?" When I told her, she said, "Can I go too?" So I had myself the cutest little helper today as I made the delivery. Some special Leyland/Greemaw time for just the two of us. She also "helped" me purchase some postage stamps and get into the mail a birthday card for a friend. She was so excited to drop the card into the slot, and was very proud of herself. After that, I got a few chores done, had a nap, and then back to DJ's for dinner (a David steak, giant baked potato and yummy salad.) More time on the deck after dinner, then home for some baby love and House marathon on tv. Now it's bath time, and I do believe I hear Mr. Sandman rambling about, so I'm hoping for a good night's rest, and sleeping in tomorrow morning. My goodness. I just love Fridays!!

Just Stuff

Okay, so I've got to post something. Anything. To get rid of the picture of the horrid fly that I see every time I open my blog. That's the thing about blogs. They just sit there dormant if you don't write something. So here's my blog post for today:
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Jesus love me this I know!

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong.

They are weak, but He is strong!
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That's way better, huh?

Crazy Flies

There are a lot of disgusting things in this world. Very high on my list of Most Disgusting Things Ever is the common housefly. And the not-s0-common ones. I'm not crazy about spiders either, but at least the spider has a good use. One being that he eats flies!! I can't think of one single thing a fly is good for. They are nasty, disgusting, creepy, maddening, gross, icky little critters. A couple of weekends ago, Whitney and Dustin had some friends over for a cookout/swim party. This meant multiple people in and out of my house on multiple occasions. All afternoon, and all evening. Some of our dear friends don't quite get the concept of In or Out. They seem to park themselves inside the door frame, with both the interior and the exterior doors wide open, as if to offer refuge for any poor insect who may be buzzing nearby. And I do believe that every winged flying creature for miles around found its way into my home that day. And I believe that they sent out little bug vibes to all their creepy little friends that this was a nice place to live, and to please hover about the doorway and sneak in every time someone enters or exits the house for the next two weeks. For two weeks I was a fly-swat wielding, foaming-at-the-mouth, Bug Terminating Fool, trying to rid the place of the nasty little things. Honestly. It was to the point that I was afraid the babies would start catching them at the window sill... and we know what babies do with things they pick up... EEEWWWW... I couldn't stand it! I don't know if flies actually sleep at night or not. I think what they did was congregate around a little fly campground somewhere behind my desk, and discuss ways in which to torture me the following day. They would dive at my head while I'm trying to work. They land on whatever it is you're trying to eat, or on the table top, or the trays to the kids' high chairs. N.A.S.T.Y. And it's not enough, to have one kind of fly. Oh no, there are many variations. You have your regular old housefly, that's just a nasty nuisance, but pretty dumb. He'll buzz against the window, trying to get out, and even with all those fly-eyes all over his head, you can still come up behind him with a paper towel, pick him up, and just squeeze the buzz right out of him. There's the Poop Fly, the one that you see partying around dog poop (But their favorite is fresh cow poop... I have seen them in the pasture when Daddy Bill used to have cows. They party like it's 1999.) The ones with the horrid looking green heads. Fortunately, there were none of those in my house, though I'm surprised... I mean we have a virtual poop factory here with a baby and a toddler: one who not-quite totally poopy potty trained yet, and one not at all... but thankfully those flies have left us alone. Then there is the Crazy Fly. I know that is the name of it, because I was telling my mom about them, and she said that's what Mamma Nay called them. So it's official. These flies are a bit larger than the common housefly. Their buzz is very loud, louder than a bee. And they are crazy. They fly at a frantic pace, and if in a small room, will flail themselves against the wall/mirror/window in an effort to.... an effort to what? I have no idea. Maybe they are trying to escape. Maybe they are trying to commit fly suicide. Surely they must know how badly we hate them. I mean, if I thought someone hated me as badly as I hate flies, I'd be flailing myself against the wall too. A few minutes ago I noticed a Crazy Fly in my kitchen, as I was preparing a lovely dinner in the crock pot. NOT what you want to see when you are preparing food!!! I swear... that fly HOVERED at my face. I thought it was a bee attacking me! I couldn't believe it. He followed me into my office and landed on my window, from where I was lucky enough to capture and destroy him. At least he wasn't kamakaze-ing all over the place. I think the next time one of those Crazy Flies gets in my office, I'll set up the video camera. I'm sure the picture of me chasing it with the fly swat, sometimes just swinging into empty airspace, could surely win the Funny Videos Contest. And if we can have sound, that would be great too. Although I might not want anyone to hear what I am saying as I am swishing my bright red swatter through the air....

But, if keeping the fly population at bay isn't an issue at your house (and I'm happy to report we are under control now, except for the occasional rogue one like today), and if you don't have the disgust for them that I do, then let me introduce you to a plush version of my winged nemesis. Yes, indeed. For a small monetary donation, you can be the proud owner of your very own STUFFED HOUSEFLY!!!! I'm sure that little jewel just flies right off the shelf at the toy store!!! (Hey... wasn't that the best pun ever!!!)

Oh no... I think I hear buzzing in the distance... I must retrieve my swatter and investigate...

Dictation Guidelines

So much of what happens in healthcare goes on behind the scenes. Things that the patients never realize. For example, there are rules of style that apply to my profession, and we are expected to abide by those rules. Our job security depends on it. For pretty much every function within a hospital or clinic, there are SOPs, or Standard Operating Procedures. While I had never seen this particular set of guidelines before, intended for the physicians who dictate our medical reports, I ran across it and thought I'd post it, just so you'd know that they, too, are held to certain expectations. (cough... sputter...)

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Dictation Guidelines for Physicians:


Adherence to these guidelines will assure the highest quality transcribed reports in the shortest amount of time.

~When your cell phone rings, please do not hit the pause button on the dictate station. We love to hear you fighting with your spouse, or yelling at your kids. It makes us work faster and more carefully. We don't want you mad at us.

~When certain bodily functions happen, please don't bother to be discreet, and by all means, don't bother to say excuse me. We rather enjoy the sound, and are so happy that you feel better.


~At the beginning of the dictation, take as deep a breath as you possibly can. Now, try to dictate the entire report before you have to inhale again.

~Gum? Sure! Pass it around to all your dictating doctor friends. The sound of your tongue carressing the wad in your mouth is a perfect background to the indecipherable lab results and bacteria species that you're dictating!

~When dictating a particularly difficult word or phrase, please turn your head and speak directly into your armpit.

~If you have to sneeze or cough suddenly, please remove your head from your armpit and sneeze or cough directly into the microphone.

~We charge per character, including periods. An effective way to cut your cost is to dictate your entire report as one sentence.

~If you must eat while you dictate, please stay away from foods such as marshmallows, bananas, and pudding. Apples, pretzels, and celery are much better choices.


~Please don’t stop dictating when you yawn. It throws off our rhythm.

~When dictating in your car, turn the radio up a little bit louder. We love to tap our feet while we're working. And when you forget to turn off your recorder, sing a little louder. You really have a nice voice.


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Most of the physicians in this town do pretty darn good with these guidelines!

Happy Anniversary Apollo 11

It was 40 years ago today that the infamous words were spoken: "The Eagle Has Landed". Last year on this date I posted about the moon walk. So, rather than re-write a post that would say basically the same thing, I decided to plagiarize myself. Happy Anniversary!
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(Originally posted July 20, 2008)

"Magnificent Desolation". Those were the words Buzz Aldrin used to describe the landscape on the surface of the moon as he stepped off the Lunar Module. A few moments earlier, Neil Armstrong had just planted the first human footprint on the face of the moon. His famous statement, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind", would become symbolic for that historic moment. (I kind of like the "Magnificent Desolation" remark my ownself!) I remember that date well. Not necessarily because I was so enthralled by history in the making, but because my parents made me stop playing and come watch the moon walk on TV. I remember that it was evening. Not because I looked at the clock, or because anything at all about the situation impressed me. I remember that it was evening because we were at the lake, and we had our clothes on. My cousins, Sharon and Jeff, and I were upstairs playing a board game. At the appointed time, we rolled our eyes at each other and very reluctantly left our game to go and watch "that stupid, boring, astronaut thing" on TV. We didn't even go all the way downstairs. I vividly remember crouching on the highest step possible (so as to return quickly to my play) that would afford me a view of the television. A little black and white number, it was, with rabbit ears. At that time the lake house was simply a weekend getaway, with few of the nicer comforts of home, like a big television set! At any rate, we were "forced" to watch the snowy image on the screen, as our parents, aunts and uncles sat leaning forward in their seats, holding their breath, taking in every second of the event. We watched him take a few steps, hop a few times, and then made a hasty retreat back to our fun. Our parents had informed us earlier in the day that we would be required to watch it. They told us that one day we would be able to say we witnessed the First Man On The Moon. Big, hairy deal. We were SO not interested… but we were at least relieved that it would not interfere with our swimming and skiing. You see, THAT's how I know it was in the evening. We were upstairs playing, out of our swimsuits, and not down at the water. Now, all these years later, I do think it is really cool that I'm able to say I witnessed the First Man On The Moon, and that I'm old enough to remember all the hooplah that went along with it... unimpressed though I was at the time. So today is the 39th anniversary of a big day for the United States of America. I suppose next year there will be a big 40th anniversary party, and I'll bet the 50th anniversary will be an even bigger bash. Way to go, Apollo 11 guys! Just like my mama said I would be, I'm really glad I watched. I'd love to know more about space travel, the stars, planets and the workings of the cosmos, but that will have to wait. I've got to get back upstairs and finish my game.

Yesterday

Saturday was probably my most favorite day of the year so far. First of all, I slept til 9:00. Yay!! I figured by sleeping so late, though I had probably missed out on Coffee On The Deck at DJs, but a quick phone call assured me that she was still enjoying the morning. I grabbed my flavored water, a SlimFast Bar, and headed over to what has become my favorite place... DJs deck. To my delight, David's breakfast run was also late- they were finishing up their biscuits and had one waiting for me. Man. Now, that's how to spoil a girl. The weather was absolutely perfect! Perfect temperature, perfect (hardly any!) humidity, and the perfect gentle breeze blowing through the trees. Normally we will sit and chat for an hour or so on Saturday morning, then get busy with our day. Neither of us was in a hurry on this particular morning, so we had a long, leisurely visit. Before we knew it the clock said 1:10 pm! What a lovely way to pass the morning. I'm so thankful for my extended family and the companionship we share. Love that deck, DJ!!! David, don't even THINK about cutting down that tree!!

Ahh Fridays!

Sleeping in was wonderful this morning! It is so nice to wake up without a headache every day, and I'm attributing that to the CPAP. The headaches would be especially bad on the rare mornings when I would sleep in. Today I feel well rested, headache free, and thankful for all my blessings! Even my messy room is a blessing- it means I have a home. But I'm having a hard time getting the motivation to clean it up. I do love a neat and tidy room. It's just getting it there and maintaining it that I have trouble with. I might even d.u.s.t. today. Don't tell DJ. She's got enough stress on her these days. Let's spare her the thought that I may actually lift a dustcloth. My mom will be pleased though. Now the question remains... will I actually do it? I think once I get moving and get things done, I'll want to go ahead and complete the project. There's a plethora of attic-bound things that must be dealt with, and some scrapbook items that need to be returned to the craft room. My bathroom needs some attention, and some laundry awaits folding. Hmmm. I think I shall have a busy day. I'll be doing the greemaw thing tonight- Whit and Dustin are going to see Harry Potter with some friends. That means lots of bedtime snuggles, and hopefully a quiet evening once they go to sleep.

I talked to Delores last night, and she was feeling okay. Rather tired, as they are keeping her busy at the center, and now she has officially started the treatments. Please remember her in your prayers. She'll be taking treatments twice weekly.

Happy Anniversary to DJ and David!! Sixteen years! And to think... they met because of me. Some days she loves me for it, and some days wants to sock me one. Nah.. just kidding. David's one of a kind, and I guess we'll keep him.

Happy Friday, everyone!! Have a safe and happy weekend!

Crown Me

The next time I hear any variation of the word "crown", I hope it has to do with a) checkers, b) i'm being coronated, c) Leyland is playing pretend, d) I'm singin' songs about Jesus. I hope I never again hear that word associated in any way, shape, or form, with my mouth, or with my dentist. It was determined a few weeks ago that the source of my jaw pain was a crack in tooth #19, or a right lower molar. This particular tooth had tons of silver in it, from having been patched and filled many years back. I've had crowns before, and even a root canal, so I pretty much knew what was in store for me today. Though I don't relish the thought of long, sharp, pointy things penetrating my gums and pumping me up with anesthetics, neither do I freak out at the thought, and willinglingly endure the brief discomfort to ensure that the procedure itself is painless. Nitrous oxide usually helps too, and I rather enjoy the euphoric, floating feeling that goes along with it.

So, dude... what happened today??? First of all, the nitrous tank was empty. Bummer. I patiently endured the bee-sting sensation of the (three) injections. Dr. Al was ready to roll, but at the first flow of air from one of the instruments, I nearly came out of the chair. Uh oh. Two more injections needed. My gums were numb, so fortunately that didn't hurt. Waited a bit and tried again. Still no go. THREE more injections, and the warning that he couldn't give me any more. We waited another 15 minutes. So there I was, an hour and eight injections later, dreading the next attempt. Yep, I still had feeling on the inside part of my tooth. It wasn't unbearable, though, and I just sucked it up and let him have at it. Oh, my friends... it was not fun. By this time the entire right side of my face felt like a blimp, the corner of my mouth was drooping, and drooling freely. Yet my tongue was not numb, nor the inside portion of my jaw. How crazy is that! After bending the metal on the arm rests and squeezing my eyes tightly shut, and curling my toes so tightly my shoes nearly flew off, he told me "we" were almost done, but he thought "we" needed one more injection for the last portion of the procedure. Okay, Dr. Al, whatever you say. Just shoot me. Anywhere. Just hurry up and make it stop. After "we" were finished, he explained that the lower molars can sometimes be difficult to anesthetize, as there are several nerves supplying the area. Apparently mine are deeply buried under my collarbone. No wonder it hurt so badly, the tooth was cracked in four places. I sure hope this crown thing fixes it and "we" don't end up needing a root canal. I don't think "we" can stand another adventure like this.

Georgia Honors A Fallen Soldier

I remember hearing about this on the local Atlanta news, but the magnitude of this story hit me a few minutes ago when I received this e-mail from my friend Mac. If you have a moment, please click on the link and watch. This is absolutely incredible. cathyb.

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Killed in action the week before, the body of Sergeant First Class John C. Beale was returned to Falcon Field in Peachtree City , Georgia , just south of Atlanta , on June 11, 2009 . The Henry County Police Department escorted the procession to the funeral home in McDonough , Georgia. A simple notice in local papers indicated the road route to be taken and the approximate time.

Nowadays one can be led to believe that America no longer respects honor and no longer honors sacrifice outside the military. Be it known that there are many places in this land where people still recognize the courage and impact of total self-sacrifice. Georgia remains one of those graceful places. The link below is a short travelogue of that day's remarkable and painful journey. But only watch this if you wish to have some of your faith in people restored. Please share widely.

Click here to see how some wonderful people in Georgia honored one of their own. (When the video opens, you may need to click once on the picture.)

Expo, Here We Come!!

This time tomorrow morning will find me sitting outside the doors of the exhibit hall, waiting for the signal to enter. Yay! One of my favorite days of the year! Girlfriend day at the Expo! This year it will probably just be DJ and I. Delores is in Texas, Tangela can't go, and Barb has a previous commitment. Mary Kay and Marynell are planning to attend, and we will meet up with them at the center. I've saved some pennies for shopping, and have a couple of things in particular that I'm hoping to find. My Expo bag is almost ready- I have energy snacks, a paper protector to avoid crumpling of any paper I may purchase, a tiny purse to hold my phone and personal items. Tomorrow morning I'll add my PBJ sandwich and some cold water to complete my Expo Survival Kit. There is food available on site, but it's expensive. We decided years ago that we'd rather save that ten bucks for shopping! After the expo we'll go out to dinner, so not to worry, we won't deprive ourselves of some good food to round out the day. The first few years are rather overwhelming, with so much to see, so many new techniques and products available. A lot of the vendors are repeats year after year, so while I love to look and see what is new with them, it has become a little easier to manage in terms of taking it all in. That's a good thing, because it leaves the brain a little room to process and enjoy the new vendors who might be there. There are all types of people at the Expo, and I enjoy the people-watching aspect of it as well. I particularly enjoy seeing the different T-shirts worn by some of the scrappers. My favorite last year was one that said "My husband lets me buy all the scrapbooking supplies I can hide!" I thought that one was cute. Elissa sent a link to a website that has all those cute shirts for sale. It was too late to order one for this year, but maybe I'll get one for next year. Of course the "husband" one doesn't apply to me, but there are other cute sayings, such as "What happens at the crop stays at the crop", "Anything you can scrap I can scrap better", "Been there, done that, have the layout to prove it", "Scrapbooking life's moments, one page at a time", etc. We will leave the Expo pumped and ready to schedule a day of scrapping down at the church, most likely with some newly-purchased supplies, just burning a hole in our pockets to be used.

Please remember to pray for Delores, who has had yet another delay in beginning treatment.

Happy Birthday tomorrow to Mama Jo!

Video Clip of Departure

Because of having to spend the afternoon in the ER a few weeks ago, I was unable to catch the band at Wild Bill's. I'm pretty sure most of you missed it too. :-] Someone videotaped one of their numbers, and posted it on YouTube. Of course, the sound quality isn't like a studio recording, but you'll get the idea of just how good they are, and how much fun they are to watch. Click here to watch. Enjoy!

Daddy Bill's Garden

When I was in 2nd grade, my parents built a house next door to my grandparents, Mama Nay and Daddy Bill. How lucky can a kid be, to live next door to Mama Nay??? I have so many fond memories of growing up in her shadow, and whatever goodness that may be found in me is, in part, certainly due to her influence. Life wasn't always a bowl of cherries, though. From mid to late summer, many of my mornings started very, very early, and my brother and I would sleepwalk our way up the path, with the dew gathering between our bare toes, to fall onto the couch at Mama Nay's house while she and our mom set about the task of canning and freezing the vegetables. Oh yeah, Daddy Bill (and my dad) had a huge garden, and every summer would find them harvesting the goods, shelling, shucking, silking, and peeling them, and then doing whatever it was they did in the kitchen to ensure that everyone had veggies for the winter. There was no air conditioning in the house, so it was necessary to start the process very early, before the heat became too oppressive. She had this big blue fan on a stand with wheels that would be moved into the kitchen, and those small, old-fashioned oscillating fans to keep them cool. Michael and I would snooze for a while, then watch Captain Kangaroo and Mister Rogers on channel 8, before going outside to play in the all-dirt front yard. I can still remember the smell of the fresh beans and peas, and how I longed to have my own personal knife and cobb of corn to play with. I was fascinated at the neat, perfectly symmetrical little "rows" of corn that slid into the bowl with each pass of the knife. And I particularly loved when the cobb was bare, my grandma would take the knife and scrape it over the cobb (I still don't know why she did that), and little pieces of corn would fly everywhere and spatter on her glasses. My fingers would itch to get into the "blanching" sink and wash the peas and butterbeans. I enjoyed watching the little plastic freezer bags being filled to the exact mark, and how happy everyone was at the neat little rows of peas sitting on the counter when the day's work was done. At the time, like most kids, I wasn't so fond of eating my vegetables, but I do remember how I loved to "work" in the garden. Daddy Bill would borrow Mr. Raymond's mule and plow up the garden each spring. I loved the smell of the freshly-broken earth, and how it felt to walk barefoot in the cool dirt. He would let me "help" plant the seeds, and taught me how to cover each little one carefully with the soil. MMM mmmm. Now I love those veggies and can still see in my mind the rows and rows of okra, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, cabbage, corn, green beans, peas, butterbeans, watermelons, peppers, and my favorites as a child... the tall, smiling faces of the sunflowers.

My dad and my Uncle Gene kept the garden going for years after Daddy Bill died, but now the patch of land lies unused. Dad stopped using it a couple of years ago, and now has a smaller garden closer to the house. I worried about him being out in the hot sun, out of view from my mom, working such a large garden anyway. Uncle Gene has a smaller garden at his house now too.

Yes, many of my childhood summer mornings were spent in this fashion. Though I didn't realize it at the time, growing one's own food supply is something to be proud of, and I'm thankful for all the sweat and labor (and the memories!) that went into the preparation, maintenance, harvest and preservation of Daddy Bill's Garden.