We got an early start this morning on school. We did Math first, which is normal because both boys LOVE it. I abhor it. Thankfully I seem to hide this very well and they haven't picked up on that at all. I try to treat each subject as an adventure so that they think learning is fun. :) With Math I have to grit my teeth and smile but they are enjoying it. They took a test today and Judah got 100%. Thomas missed 2 out of 18. I thought that was GREAT!! He, however, was devastated. :( I tried to tell him that he did GOOD but he didn't believe me. He went off to play and a few minutes later I realized something that might encourage him. I called him back over and pulled him into my lap. I pointed to the test and said something like, "Thomas you are FOUR years old. Do you realize that this is 6 year old Math? You are 4 and you're doing first grade math and you only missed 2 problems out of 18. That's GOOOOD!" He smiled and went off to play. Apparently the perspective thing helped him a great deal. I was so glad. Both my boys really want to answer everything right. I have explained that it's OK to get an answer wrong because you haven't quite learned it yet. The only time I get upset and scold is when they miss an answer because they weren't paying attention. If you know the answer and fail to follow instructions or are goofing off and miss it or miss it because you're not concentrating...then that isn't smart.
Thomas has been thriving under the new, no pressure to learn thing. I am so grateful that I now know how to teach this kid in a way that he can learn. I didn't want to burn him out or cause him to be discouraged. Michael was VERY VERY discouraged during his public school life. He would get overwhelmed and then shut down. The teachers continued to pass him through the system and, because of that, the system failed him. The system only works if you understand what is being taught each year. If you don't understand 4th grade chances are 5th grade will be even more confusing and overwhelming to you. :):)
After Math we headed out to the store for an economics lesson. I like to think of this as practical schooling. :):) We have found a new GEM of a store. Bargain Foods in Pelzer, SC. (Jane, have you ever been there?) It's AMAZING!!!!!
The store is in a big warehouse. They sell outdated, OR overstocked, or almost outdated foods for a VERY low price. Here's where the economics lesson came in. We were getting juice. All juice there is 99 CENTS a bottle. (full sized 64 ounce bottles) 99 CENTS!!!!! Amazing. I had actually been buying very little juice for the last 3 years because it's SO expensive, even at Walmart. The exotic kinds of juice I found there cost about $2.65 a piece (sometimes almost 3 dollars) at Walmart. So, I put 4 bottles of one kind of juice in the cart and explained to the kids- "Look guys, (they came eagerly, waiting for me to explain why I was so excited) these are 99 cents a piece. At Walmart they are almost 3 dollars a piece. So, we just got 4 for a little over the price of 1 bottle of this stuff at Walmart!!!!" Their eyes lit up and they said what I had been saying, "That's a GOOD price Mommy! That's a GOOD deal!!" We also bought about 12 boxes of cereal. Most cereal there is 99 cents a box. AMAZING! They were about 2 months outdated but I'm sure they are fine. We'll see. If I have to throw a box or 2 away it was still worth it!! The choices at our Walmart that don't have partially hydrogenated veg oils ( and NO BHT!!!!!!) are quite limited. Actually I believe there are about 3 to choose from. Cheerios, Kix, Special K Red berries...you get the pic. Today at Bargain Foods they had quite a few organic ones on the shelf. We bought both boxes of organic cocoa puffs. Last month I figured that I had saved about 24 dollars on cereal for the month by getting it at Bargain Foods. :):):) Bread is also a GREAT DEAL there. I got 9 loaves of Pepperidge Farm bread (normally somewhere in the $2.79 range at Walmart for....are you ready for this????.... 89 CENTS a piece!!!!! Doesn't that BLOW YOUR MIND??? Now, the bread was supposed to be sold this week, but, like juice, bread can be frozen till you need it. :):):) They all went into our deep freezer. I got a couple boxes of Organic Poptarts. The kids have been asking me for YEARS to try Poptarts and I've said, "Nope!" every time because of the PHVOs (partially hydrogenated veg oils) plus all the sugar. :) I don't want them to develop tastes for things that are terrible for your body. We aren't fanatical. We eat at McD's every once in a while. We let them eat hot dogs about 3 times a year, etc. but we are teaching them that moderation is the key. Very limited intake on PHVOs, nitrites, nitrates, BHT BHA TBHQ, MSG is definitely the way to go. I don't ban them completely but we teach them that they are bad for our body. They understand this. They have never had soda. We tell them that they can try it when they are 10. heehee. :):) I drink maybe 3 per year, maybe. Michael drinks them every day but they are not with him most of the day so its OK. :) He can get away with it. LOL
Anyway, back to the economics lesson. We PILED 2 carts full of food, supplies, (both inside and underneath) and the grand total was 180.60 cents. AAAAUUUGGHHH!!! I LOVE when they tell me the price there. It makes me feel like I've won the lottery or something. :) There are still things I will need to pick up from Walmart but (save the weekly perishables like Milk, cheese, produce, etc.) shopping for the month of March is complete. It was so funny to hear the kids saying, "Mom LOOK! That box of pasta is only 39 cents. That's a good deal!" "Mom does this cereal REALLY not have bad stuff in it?" We had a pretty good time. Only had to deal with bad attitudes a few times. One boy wanted to push the cart but couldn't see over it and was very upset to learn that he wasn't going to be allowed to push it down crowded aisles. We had a couple of chats about thinking of others by doing what we could to not bump into them. :):) The older boys also had an argument at the checkout because they wanted to help each other unload and one was VERY possessive about unloading HIS cart-HIMSEEEELF!! But, overall I was proud of them and thought the day was a success. :)
I will say that the only frustrating things about the store are this: a) it's kind of like a huge indoor food yard sale. LOL Sometimes things are not grouped together very well. You have to hunt around for certain items, and because it's a store that sells near expired/overstocked items they don't always have the same things in stock. Instead of going to the store with a list you have to go to the store, find great deals, and build your menus from what you find. :) and b) because some things are outdated everyone is reading labels/cans and the aisles can get very crowded. That said, after all that and the length of time it takes to get through the huge store with three children, the best words in the world are "Ma'am your total is...!!!!" I LOVE that place!!
Gotta go!
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Blessings!- Angela :)
.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Is Anybody Surprised By This One?? LOL
You Are An Exclamation Point
!!!!!
You are a bundle of... well, something.
You're often a bundle of joy, passion, or drama.
You're loud, brash, and outgoing. If you think it, you say it.
Definitely not the quiet type, you really don't keep a lot to yourself.
You're lively and inspiring. People love to be around your energy.
(But they do secretly worry that you'll spill their secrets without even realizing it.)
You excel in: Public speaking
You get along best with: the Dash
http://www.blogthings.com/whatpunctuationmarkareyouquiz
!!!!!
You are a bundle of... well, something.
You're often a bundle of joy, passion, or drama.
You're loud, brash, and outgoing. If you think it, you say it.
Definitely not the quiet type, you really don't keep a lot to yourself.
You're lively and inspiring. People love to be around your energy.
(But they do secretly worry that you'll spill their secrets without even realizing it.)
You excel in: Public speaking
You get along best with: the Dash
http://www.blogthings.com/whatpunctuationmarkareyouquiz
Friday, February 22, 2008
Internet Gossip
OK, this might come across a little strongly but that's just because I, personally, feel VERY strongly about it. Be not offended. :)
Most of us know the definition of gossip or the general gist of what it is:
Here is the American Heritage Dictionary's official definition:
GOSSIP
NOUN:
Rumor or talk of a personal, sensational, or intimate nature.
A person who habitually spreads intimate or private rumors or facts.
Trivial, chatty talk or writing.
A close friend or companion.
Chiefly British A godparent.
Definition of a RUMOR (also from the American Heritage Dictionary)
NOUN:
A piece of unverified information of uncertain origin usually spread by word of mouth.
Unverified information received from another; hearsay.
I COMPLETELY despise gossip of any form. I take great caution to stay away from it. That is not to say that I've never done it. I have. It ruined a friendship for me in high school and I never wanted to do it again. I slip every now and then and have to catch myself from saying something, stopping in the middle of a blurted sentence when I realized I was doing it, or find a way to graciously leave a conversation quickly going in the gossip, rumor, or hearsay direction.
That said, I have noticed that the new form of "accepted gossip/rumors" is through email forwards. I REALLY REALLY DISLIKE getting forwards such as this:
Love him or hate him, Bill Gates sure hits the nail on the head with this! To anyone with kids of any age, here's some advice.
Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6 : If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life. Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
It's not like this one even matters but I checked it out on snopes.com and it did NOT come from Bill Gates.
Among various other false information I have received via email I have received ones that warned about snakes in Burger King ball pits, poisonous spiders under toilet seats in bathrooms, many false viruses/statements.
While those things are generally not a big deal PLEASE DO NOT pass things on as fact UNLESS YOU CHECK THEM OUT FIRST!! When I first started really getting into the Net I was truly embarrassed to be called on the carpet about something I passed on as fact. The person gave me the snopes info and now I try to always check it out. The annoying thing to me is that people believe these false warnings and statements and never check them out before forwarding them on to me.
What really killed me what happened to me a couple of years ago. One of my friends kept sending me false info forwards via email so many times that I finally, kindly, directed her to snopes.com. Knowing this person I figured I wouldn't be bothered with false info so much anymore. Wrong. The next one she sent was one informing me that she hadn't yet checked it out but I COULD IF I WANTED TO!!! LOL I was dumbfounded. :) I couldn't believe that she still forwarded it to me, being too lazy to check it herself, and told me to check it out for validity.
That is gossip and that is rumor. GO TO THE SOURCE people. Don't pass things on as innocent stories when you know very well you would never do that in real life. You wouldn't pass on something (in the 3-D world) about someone as fact unless you first checked it out.
The one that really irritated me a while back was the Obama one where he "refused to have his hand over his heart" during the playing of a National Anthem. Now, while the photo was true. One photo does not tell the whole story: here is what Snopes has to say about it:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp
Not long after receiving this email as a forward I was in the breakfast area at our fairly large church when I overheard two older people discussing this. They were saying how horrible it was and how we certainly didn't want a person for president who "refused" to put his hand over his heart during the national anthem. I waited till they were done conversing and when I just couldn't keep my mouth shut any longer I turned to the woman (who I had not yet met) and asked her if she had gotten that as an email forward. She replied that she had and I told her that I had checked it out and while that photo was true, there were other photos of him placing his hand over his heart. She looked a bit taken aback and told me she had never thought to check out a picture. I smiled and said that pics could be spliced. She nodded in agreement and then we properly introduced ourselves. I don't support Obama and I won't vote for him but I could not stand by and let someone trash his character over a RUMOR that was circulating via email. Good grief there are more constructive ways to disagree over Obama than a half truth.
SO, check your sources every time!! It really does make a difference. We don't want to be people circulating rumors and half-truths. We want to be people of integrity.
I'm not on a high horse here...only a soap box. I'm reminding myself as well. That said, it's time to step down from my soapbox and go to bed. Goodnight!
Blessings!-Angela :)
Most of us know the definition of gossip or the general gist of what it is:
Here is the American Heritage Dictionary's official definition:
GOSSIP
NOUN:
Rumor or talk of a personal, sensational, or intimate nature.
A person who habitually spreads intimate or private rumors or facts.
Trivial, chatty talk or writing.
A close friend or companion.
Chiefly British A godparent.
Definition of a RUMOR (also from the American Heritage Dictionary)
NOUN:
A piece of unverified information of uncertain origin usually spread by word of mouth.
Unverified information received from another; hearsay.
I COMPLETELY despise gossip of any form. I take great caution to stay away from it. That is not to say that I've never done it. I have. It ruined a friendship for me in high school and I never wanted to do it again. I slip every now and then and have to catch myself from saying something, stopping in the middle of a blurted sentence when I realized I was doing it, or find a way to graciously leave a conversation quickly going in the gossip, rumor, or hearsay direction.
That said, I have noticed that the new form of "accepted gossip/rumors" is through email forwards. I REALLY REALLY DISLIKE getting forwards such as this:
Love him or hate him, Bill Gates sure hits the nail on the head with this! To anyone with kids of any age, here's some advice.
Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6 : If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life. Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
It's not like this one even matters but I checked it out on snopes.com and it did NOT come from Bill Gates.
Among various other false information I have received via email I have received ones that warned about snakes in Burger King ball pits, poisonous spiders under toilet seats in bathrooms, many false viruses/statements.
While those things are generally not a big deal PLEASE DO NOT pass things on as fact UNLESS YOU CHECK THEM OUT FIRST!! When I first started really getting into the Net I was truly embarrassed to be called on the carpet about something I passed on as fact. The person gave me the snopes info and now I try to always check it out. The annoying thing to me is that people believe these false warnings and statements and never check them out before forwarding them on to me.
What really killed me what happened to me a couple of years ago. One of my friends kept sending me false info forwards via email so many times that I finally, kindly, directed her to snopes.com. Knowing this person I figured I wouldn't be bothered with false info so much anymore. Wrong. The next one she sent was one informing me that she hadn't yet checked it out but I COULD IF I WANTED TO!!! LOL I was dumbfounded. :) I couldn't believe that she still forwarded it to me, being too lazy to check it herself, and told me to check it out for validity.
That is gossip and that is rumor. GO TO THE SOURCE people. Don't pass things on as innocent stories when you know very well you would never do that in real life. You wouldn't pass on something (in the 3-D world) about someone as fact unless you first checked it out.
The one that really irritated me a while back was the Obama one where he "refused to have his hand over his heart" during the playing of a National Anthem. Now, while the photo was true. One photo does not tell the whole story: here is what Snopes has to say about it:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp
Not long after receiving this email as a forward I was in the breakfast area at our fairly large church when I overheard two older people discussing this. They were saying how horrible it was and how we certainly didn't want a person for president who "refused" to put his hand over his heart during the national anthem. I waited till they were done conversing and when I just couldn't keep my mouth shut any longer I turned to the woman (who I had not yet met) and asked her if she had gotten that as an email forward. She replied that she had and I told her that I had checked it out and while that photo was true, there were other photos of him placing his hand over his heart. She looked a bit taken aback and told me she had never thought to check out a picture. I smiled and said that pics could be spliced. She nodded in agreement and then we properly introduced ourselves. I don't support Obama and I won't vote for him but I could not stand by and let someone trash his character over a RUMOR that was circulating via email. Good grief there are more constructive ways to disagree over Obama than a half truth.
SO, check your sources every time!! It really does make a difference. We don't want to be people circulating rumors and half-truths. We want to be people of integrity.
I'm not on a high horse here...only a soap box. I'm reminding myself as well. That said, it's time to step down from my soapbox and go to bed. Goodnight!
Blessings!-Angela :)
Children's Perception Is AMAZING
I LOOOOVE talking to children. (children who aren't whining that is-LOL) I love hearing things from their perspective. They are often so innocently perceptive and I learn vast amounts from them. I especially like hearing things from my homeschooled kids thoughts because, other than church a few hours a week, they have no other peer interaction. That's not to say that I intend or ever intended it to be this way but we DO live out in the country and Michael and I aren't close to any other families with young children because there simply isn't time. :) So, anyway, when I ask my kids a question they are not going to answer like children who are exposed to intense peer pressure or trained to "fit into a mold" in society. They answer as who God made them to be and who they are in personality. Now, I will admit that Thomas is more swayed by others and will sometimes answer to please Judah but he's really getting better in that area. After many many discussions about being who God made HIM to be and not trying to be like Judah it seems he is starting to get it.
SOOO, ANYWAY, yesterday, I was doing Science and Social Studies with just Thomas while Judah laid on the couch with a fever. We were studying the forming of America in Social Studies and we were specifically studying the Mayflower Compact. (For those of you who have forgotten that was the laws that were made by the pilgrims in Plymouth. They used them to govern their new country.)
One of the oral questions I was supposed to ask him was this: What would happen if we didn't have any laws in our country?
Thomas thought for a minute and replied, "People wouldn't be very nice to each other."
You're right Thomas. They wouldn't. :)
I LOOOOVE KIDS!!!!
SOOO, ANYWAY, yesterday, I was doing Science and Social Studies with just Thomas while Judah laid on the couch with a fever. We were studying the forming of America in Social Studies and we were specifically studying the Mayflower Compact. (For those of you who have forgotten that was the laws that were made by the pilgrims in Plymouth. They used them to govern their new country.)
One of the oral questions I was supposed to ask him was this: What would happen if we didn't have any laws in our country?
Thomas thought for a minute and replied, "People wouldn't be very nice to each other."
You're right Thomas. They wouldn't. :)
I LOOOOVE KIDS!!!!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
SICKIES
Well we have apparently been hit with the bug that's going around. YUCK! We took a break from school for Judah's birthday on Tues (more on that later) and yest we were doing more birthday stuff (more on that later too). Today I knew that no matter how icky I felt we should at least attempt school. The boys tried their hardest but they were coughing, sneezing, and wiping their noses so much it was hard to get anything done. :) Judah took (I swear) at least 2 minutes to write the number sentence 2+3=5 on his paper because every time he would lean over to write he would sneeze, cough, have to wipe his dripping nose, etc. We stopped after Math. Math is the only thing we are behind in so I'm glad that we got that done. Science and Social Studies we are ahead in so that's OK. THomas actually did those with me later in the evening while Judah laid on the couch with a fever. Poor guy. He was the most miserable of all of us. Most of you know we drastically limit candy and any form of sugar here so you can just imagine that they weren't thrilled when I declared a ban on all sweets till they were better. (They had some candy from Judah's birthday pinata. From that batch of candy, they are allowed 2 small pieces of candy per day. That candy should last till about Christmas. LOL)
I must go and shower now because that has not happened all day. Not that I broke a sweat AT ALL today but I'm probably sporting snot on my clothing and in my hair. From the kids of course.
Hope that everyone has a terrific Friday!!
Blessings!- Angela :)
I must go and shower now because that has not happened all day. Not that I broke a sweat AT ALL today but I'm probably sporting snot on my clothing and in my hair. From the kids of course.
Hope that everyone has a terrific Friday!!
Blessings!- Angela :)
Monday, February 18, 2008
Another 15 Minutes or So
OK I only have about 15 minutes because I need to go and wrap Judah's birthday presents for tomorrow but I just wanted to share a funny family story with y'all.
A few weeks ago we had another family first...first call to the fire dept. LOL
This was not a call placed "accidently on purpose" by one of our sweet children it was placed by my husband --because the chimmney was on fire. :):)
I have pictures of this but I cannot show them because my computer crashed and I have to use Michael's until I get mine fixed. Anyway...
The day it happened it was about 5:00pm and I was taking a nap. I was EXHAUSTED that day and so I napped in the living room while the children played/yelled around me. Obviously it wasn't a very deep sleeping experience but it was OK.
So there I was lightly sleeping away in the living room when I heard Thomas yelling (from the basement) at Gideon to "GO BACK UPSTAIRS CUZ THERE'S A FIRE!! " I didn't think too much about that comment because I knew that Michael had gotten home from the route, was probably packing the wood stove and THomas was trying to make sure Gid didn't go near it. Common thing.
All of a sudden there was Michael thundering up the stairs with Thomas and Gideon behind him. I opened my sleepy eyes and asked what was wrong. He looked upset and said, "I think the chimney is on fire."
My first response was, "Are you just messing with me?"
He gave me a withering look and jerked the door open to go look from the outside. I looked out the window and it looked like the normal amount of smoke that follows us packing the stove. When he opened the door to come in I noticed there was a horrible smell though. Not good.
I asked him if he was going to call 911. He said he was going to try one of our friends first to see if they knew how to put it out without having to bother the fire dept. It was just a small chimney fire.
I called my dad (cuz Daddies know EVERYTHING) and calmly asked what to do if your chimney was on fire. My dad got a bit flustered and asked, "IS your chimney on fire?" (apparently he was confused because I sounded so calm) I was like ."Yeeees." :):) HE told me a couple of things to try but we had already tried them. Michael asked him if he could put something over the top of the chimney to snuff it out. My dad said to try it since fires need oxygen. We tried it. It didn't work. We looked up the non-emergency number to the fire station but you had to leave a message and we didn't want to wait that long- obviously.
By this time Judah was a little nervous but was adorably spouting his homeschool fire safety knowledge. "Mommy we need to check and see if the doors are hot before we open them. We need to crawl if there is smoke." etc. etc.
I was thinking, "Now how am i going to get dinner ready? We can't eat out because we just ate out the other day and we don't have money to eat out again tonight."
Michael was trying to get the fire out without having to call 911.
Finally he did place a call to 911. HE told me that the operator was VERY impatient and NOT the least bit compassionate. Here's how the call went...
Operator- 911 what's your emergency?
Michael- I think my chimney is on fire. Can you put me through to a non emergency number of the fire dept?
O- I'm not authorized to give out that number. Is this an emergency?
M- explained that we just wanted to try to get it out ourselves without having the fire dept go to all the trouble of bringing a truck out here for nothing.
O- (said completely without compassion) Well I can't tell you how to put it out, and I can't give you the number; so I can't help you. Do you want me to call the fire dept as an emergency?
M- Not yet, we'll call you back.
click
About 10 minutes later we called 911 for real and got the children out of the house. I let them each grab a stuffed animal ;although Judah informed me- "You're NOT supposed to stop and grab anything. You're supposed to get out!!" (Darn it! Who taught him fire safety anyway?!)
I told him that since the actual house wasn't on fire that it would be ok. I grabbed my digital camera and my Bible, oh and a box of Godlfish crackers. The boys grabbed an animal and their Awana books and we went outside away from the house.
We heard the siren in the distance and I got a pic of them as they came up to our house.
They got out, went inside the house to check things, said it was no big deal and told us just to let it burn itself out. They were extremely nice about it. They didn't make Michael feel stupid which was helpful. I did get to meet a few of our neighbors that way. Note to self- a good way to meeet neighbors in the country is to set your chimney on fire. :):):)
We went back in about 20 minutes later and I was making a quick dinner when Michael came up from the basement looking nervous.
When I asked what was wrong he told me that the stove pipe was now red hot. NOT GOOD.
I kept making dinner and he went to take a shower.
It was fine later. Nothing bad happened.
But it sure does make for an entertaining story!
Blessings!- Angela :)
A few weeks ago we had another family first...first call to the fire dept. LOL
This was not a call placed "accidently on purpose" by one of our sweet children it was placed by my husband --because the chimmney was on fire. :):)
I have pictures of this but I cannot show them because my computer crashed and I have to use Michael's until I get mine fixed. Anyway...
The day it happened it was about 5:00pm and I was taking a nap. I was EXHAUSTED that day and so I napped in the living room while the children played/yelled around me. Obviously it wasn't a very deep sleeping experience but it was OK.
So there I was lightly sleeping away in the living room when I heard Thomas yelling (from the basement) at Gideon to "GO BACK UPSTAIRS CUZ THERE'S A FIRE!! " I didn't think too much about that comment because I knew that Michael had gotten home from the route, was probably packing the wood stove and THomas was trying to make sure Gid didn't go near it. Common thing.
All of a sudden there was Michael thundering up the stairs with Thomas and Gideon behind him. I opened my sleepy eyes and asked what was wrong. He looked upset and said, "I think the chimney is on fire."
My first response was, "Are you just messing with me?"
He gave me a withering look and jerked the door open to go look from the outside. I looked out the window and it looked like the normal amount of smoke that follows us packing the stove. When he opened the door to come in I noticed there was a horrible smell though. Not good.
I asked him if he was going to call 911. He said he was going to try one of our friends first to see if they knew how to put it out without having to bother the fire dept. It was just a small chimney fire.
I called my dad (cuz Daddies know EVERYTHING) and calmly asked what to do if your chimney was on fire. My dad got a bit flustered and asked, "IS your chimney on fire?" (apparently he was confused because I sounded so calm) I was like ."Yeeees." :):) HE told me a couple of things to try but we had already tried them. Michael asked him if he could put something over the top of the chimney to snuff it out. My dad said to try it since fires need oxygen. We tried it. It didn't work. We looked up the non-emergency number to the fire station but you had to leave a message and we didn't want to wait that long- obviously.
By this time Judah was a little nervous but was adorably spouting his homeschool fire safety knowledge. "Mommy we need to check and see if the doors are hot before we open them. We need to crawl if there is smoke." etc. etc.
I was thinking, "Now how am i going to get dinner ready? We can't eat out because we just ate out the other day and we don't have money to eat out again tonight."
Michael was trying to get the fire out without having to call 911.
Finally he did place a call to 911. HE told me that the operator was VERY impatient and NOT the least bit compassionate. Here's how the call went...
Operator- 911 what's your emergency?
Michael- I think my chimney is on fire. Can you put me through to a non emergency number of the fire dept?
O- I'm not authorized to give out that number. Is this an emergency?
M- explained that we just wanted to try to get it out ourselves without having the fire dept go to all the trouble of bringing a truck out here for nothing.
O- (said completely without compassion) Well I can't tell you how to put it out, and I can't give you the number; so I can't help you. Do you want me to call the fire dept as an emergency?
M- Not yet, we'll call you back.
click
About 10 minutes later we called 911 for real and got the children out of the house. I let them each grab a stuffed animal ;although Judah informed me- "You're NOT supposed to stop and grab anything. You're supposed to get out!!" (Darn it! Who taught him fire safety anyway?!)
I told him that since the actual house wasn't on fire that it would be ok. I grabbed my digital camera and my Bible, oh and a box of Godlfish crackers. The boys grabbed an animal and their Awana books and we went outside away from the house.
We heard the siren in the distance and I got a pic of them as they came up to our house.
They got out, went inside the house to check things, said it was no big deal and told us just to let it burn itself out. They were extremely nice about it. They didn't make Michael feel stupid which was helpful. I did get to meet a few of our neighbors that way. Note to self- a good way to meeet neighbors in the country is to set your chimney on fire. :):):)
We went back in about 20 minutes later and I was making a quick dinner when Michael came up from the basement looking nervous.
When I asked what was wrong he told me that the stove pipe was now red hot. NOT GOOD.
I kept making dinner and he went to take a shower.
It was fine later. Nothing bad happened.
But it sure does make for an entertaining story!
Blessings!- Angela :)
I Have 15 Minutes
OK I have 15 minutes and I'm bound and determined to let you catch up on at elast a few things that have gone on here in the last month.
As a Family- We hired a driver about 10 days ago and so far he seems to be working out great.
That's a blessing!! The boys have really been missing hteir time with Daddy and I tell you it certainly is showing in the behavior issues we are dealing with. They have just been even more hardheaded than normal lately. Yesterday Michael let me take a nap in the afternoon and took the boys to LAvonia McDonald's to play on the indoor slide. That was a welcome thing for all of us. :)
Homeschool- Pretty much same old same old. The boys are doing great with Science and Social Studies. I enjoy teaching those subjects and they seem to enjoy learning about people and the world. They are both doing pretty well in the Math Cirr. we just started. I know it's a bit late to start a cirr. but I took my sweet time picking out a Math one. We are just using Saxon Math. 1.
Gideon is finding more productive ways to amuse himself lately during school and other than the black eye he gave himself today (falling into something most likely. We don't know. He didn't come and show me) he was pretty well behaved. He climbs up to the table and "colors" on paper while we do school.
Judah is really taking off with reading to himself. He read the entire 136 page Dick and Jane (something or other) in 4 days- UNPROMPTED. He will just get the book, go sit in a corner, and read to himself. This is a wonderful alternative to irritating his younger siblings so I'm pleased in more ways than one.
Thomas is less lazy these days. He used to say things were TOOOOOO HAAAARD before we even started. Lately he is attacking things with more gusto. RIght about the time I just decided that it didn't really matter how much he was learning since he's only 4 he just took off. LOL
He is starting to be able to blend sounds into words. We had gone as far in Phonics as he could go without that skill and then I just left him alone for a couple of months without doing any and one day asked him to blend a 3 letter word and -BINGO- the light went on and he got sooo excited. Probably because I let out a HUGE SCREAM and swept him into a gigantic hug!! LOL Judah was excited for him too. :) He LOVES Starfall.com . Judah does too. That has been a huge blessing while we've been teaching reading.
Church- The boys are still enjoying Awana. I haven't been as diligent as last year but they are both still doing well and are caught up where they need to be. Sometimes it's just that we learn the verses last minute and I hate doing that. I don't want them to learn and dump. I want them to retain. Because of the great program Awana is I decided not to do a Bible class during homeschool. They are learning so much Scripture in Awana and our Science and Social Studies are Bible based so they get it there too.
Well my 15 minutes is up so I have to go. More later I hope. I have a really funny story that i've been saving till I can tell it in detail. Gotta go!- Angela :)
As a Family- We hired a driver about 10 days ago and so far he seems to be working out great.
That's a blessing!! The boys have really been missing hteir time with Daddy and I tell you it certainly is showing in the behavior issues we are dealing with. They have just been even more hardheaded than normal lately. Yesterday Michael let me take a nap in the afternoon and took the boys to LAvonia McDonald's to play on the indoor slide. That was a welcome thing for all of us. :)
Homeschool- Pretty much same old same old. The boys are doing great with Science and Social Studies. I enjoy teaching those subjects and they seem to enjoy learning about people and the world. They are both doing pretty well in the Math Cirr. we just started. I know it's a bit late to start a cirr. but I took my sweet time picking out a Math one. We are just using Saxon Math. 1.
Gideon is finding more productive ways to amuse himself lately during school and other than the black eye he gave himself today (falling into something most likely. We don't know. He didn't come and show me) he was pretty well behaved. He climbs up to the table and "colors" on paper while we do school.
Judah is really taking off with reading to himself. He read the entire 136 page Dick and Jane (something or other) in 4 days- UNPROMPTED. He will just get the book, go sit in a corner, and read to himself. This is a wonderful alternative to irritating his younger siblings so I'm pleased in more ways than one.
Thomas is less lazy these days. He used to say things were TOOOOOO HAAAARD before we even started. Lately he is attacking things with more gusto. RIght about the time I just decided that it didn't really matter how much he was learning since he's only 4 he just took off. LOL
He is starting to be able to blend sounds into words. We had gone as far in Phonics as he could go without that skill and then I just left him alone for a couple of months without doing any and one day asked him to blend a 3 letter word and -BINGO- the light went on and he got sooo excited. Probably because I let out a HUGE SCREAM and swept him into a gigantic hug!! LOL Judah was excited for him too. :) He LOVES Starfall.com . Judah does too. That has been a huge blessing while we've been teaching reading.
Church- The boys are still enjoying Awana. I haven't been as diligent as last year but they are both still doing well and are caught up where they need to be. Sometimes it's just that we learn the verses last minute and I hate doing that. I don't want them to learn and dump. I want them to retain. Because of the great program Awana is I decided not to do a Bible class during homeschool. They are learning so much Scripture in Awana and our Science and Social Studies are Bible based so they get it there too.
Well my 15 minutes is up so I have to go. More later I hope. I have a really funny story that i've been saving till I can tell it in detail. Gotta go!- Angela :)
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Lack of Family Posts
Sorry for the lack of family posts lately. I have a bunch of stuff to share but every time I sit down at the computer I am WORN OUT!! So, I just end up enjoying everyone else's blogs and putting mine off again. I promise to do better next week and at least get a couple of family updates posted. I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend!!
Blessings!-Angela :)
Blessings!-Angela :)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
I Really Cannot Even Imagine
Dear God,
Please be with those who are hurting today. Touch these women and children with your healing power. Cause conviction to fall on the men who are victimizing them. Please bring healing to this nation. Show them Your Son. Amen
Rape is weapon in Kenyan violence
By KATY POWNALL, Associated Press Writer Wed Feb 13, 2:03 PM ET
NAIROBI, Kenya - Looting, arson and murder have become hallmarks of Kenya's conflict over a disputed presidential election. Another, less talked about tactic in the violence that has degenerated into ethnic clashes: rape.
Dr. Joseph Osoo, who runs a tin-roofed, two-room clinic in Nairobi's Mathare slum, said he was overwhelmed by the number of women and girls who came for treatment and by the brutality of their ordeals.
"During the days immediately after the election I was treating up to 45 rape victims a day," he said. Usually, he treats one rape victim a week.
One 10-year-old girl suffered a ruptured cervix as the result of her attack, another woman was cleaved across the top of her thighs with a machete and left to bleed to death, he said.
"What is unusual is that most cases are gang rapes, which I have never seen before," he said.
Lucy Kiama, who heads the Gender Violence Recovery Center at Nairobi Women's Hospital, said she also has seen "a huge increase in incidences of sexual violence in the postelection period."
The hospital treated 135 sexually assaulted women and children — one just 2 years old — in the three weeks after the Dec. 27 election that the opposition accuses the president of stealing.
Kiama said the numbers may be even higher. The general violence and lack of transport during skirmishes mean many victims never make it to the hospital to report rape, she said.
More than 1,000 people have died and some 600,000 have fled their homes in the violence that has followed the disputed election. Much of the upheaval has pitted ethnic groups linked to politicians against one another, including members of President Mwai Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe, long resented for their prominence in Kenya's politics and business.
High-level talks may soon offer a solution to the dispute between Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga over the election. But the consequences of the turmoil are likely to be far-reaching in a country long seen as one of Africa's most stable.
Many of the thousands of Kenyans displaced by ethnic violence may never return home, meaning the tribal map of the country has been altered and stability undermined. The rapes, too, are likely to weigh on the social and family life of Kenya for years to come and could even set back the fight against AIDS.
"The perpetrators target females from other tribes to hurt their dignity," Kiama said. "Life will never be the same for a woman who has been raped, the stigmatization is there and her marriage may break down."
One Kikuyu widow said she received a cell phone text message: "They are coming to get you. Get out." When the anonymous sender failed to answer her calls, she dismissed it as a hoax.
But two hours later, the woman was gang-raped in front of her 4-year-old son — just hours after the election results were announced. Luo attackers "shouted no Raila, no peace," she recalled, twisting a handkerchief in her hands.
"This attack was tribal, because we are Kikuyu. We even knew some of them, they pass us on the street," she said.
She shares a house with four other Kikuyu women in the Mathare slum, an area which has seen some of the worst urban violence since the election result was announced. All five were raped and beaten for three hours, she said.
Since the night of the attack, the widow, her son and her friends have lived in a makeshift Red Cross displacement camp in Mathare. She says they take turns keeping watch at night.
UNICEF has reported a rise in child rapes in Kenya and warned that escalating sexual violence would eventually show up in the country's HIV statistics.
Even in the relative safety of displacement camps preliminary U.N. reports show that girls and women are forced to trade sex for food and protection. Opportunistic attacks occur during the night on the way to the latrine.
In its annual global appeal for funding released Tuesday, UNICEF noted women and children in conflict zones around the world were increasingly victims of rape and sexual violence, creating treatment, counseling and other needs humanitarian agencies needed to address.
"We must make sure that children and women are protected as much as possible from these atrocities, and that those responsible for these crimes are eventually brought to justice," Hilde Johnson, UNICEF's deputy executive director, said at a news conference in Geneva on Tuesday.
Please be with those who are hurting today. Touch these women and children with your healing power. Cause conviction to fall on the men who are victimizing them. Please bring healing to this nation. Show them Your Son. Amen
Rape is weapon in Kenyan violence
By KATY POWNALL, Associated Press Writer Wed Feb 13, 2:03 PM ET
NAIROBI, Kenya - Looting, arson and murder have become hallmarks of Kenya's conflict over a disputed presidential election. Another, less talked about tactic in the violence that has degenerated into ethnic clashes: rape.
Dr. Joseph Osoo, who runs a tin-roofed, two-room clinic in Nairobi's Mathare slum, said he was overwhelmed by the number of women and girls who came for treatment and by the brutality of their ordeals.
"During the days immediately after the election I was treating up to 45 rape victims a day," he said. Usually, he treats one rape victim a week.
One 10-year-old girl suffered a ruptured cervix as the result of her attack, another woman was cleaved across the top of her thighs with a machete and left to bleed to death, he said.
"What is unusual is that most cases are gang rapes, which I have never seen before," he said.
Lucy Kiama, who heads the Gender Violence Recovery Center at Nairobi Women's Hospital, said she also has seen "a huge increase in incidences of sexual violence in the postelection period."
The hospital treated 135 sexually assaulted women and children — one just 2 years old — in the three weeks after the Dec. 27 election that the opposition accuses the president of stealing.
Kiama said the numbers may be even higher. The general violence and lack of transport during skirmishes mean many victims never make it to the hospital to report rape, she said.
More than 1,000 people have died and some 600,000 have fled their homes in the violence that has followed the disputed election. Much of the upheaval has pitted ethnic groups linked to politicians against one another, including members of President Mwai Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe, long resented for their prominence in Kenya's politics and business.
High-level talks may soon offer a solution to the dispute between Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga over the election. But the consequences of the turmoil are likely to be far-reaching in a country long seen as one of Africa's most stable.
Many of the thousands of Kenyans displaced by ethnic violence may never return home, meaning the tribal map of the country has been altered and stability undermined. The rapes, too, are likely to weigh on the social and family life of Kenya for years to come and could even set back the fight against AIDS.
"The perpetrators target females from other tribes to hurt their dignity," Kiama said. "Life will never be the same for a woman who has been raped, the stigmatization is there and her marriage may break down."
One Kikuyu widow said she received a cell phone text message: "They are coming to get you. Get out." When the anonymous sender failed to answer her calls, she dismissed it as a hoax.
But two hours later, the woman was gang-raped in front of her 4-year-old son — just hours after the election results were announced. Luo attackers "shouted no Raila, no peace," she recalled, twisting a handkerchief in her hands.
"This attack was tribal, because we are Kikuyu. We even knew some of them, they pass us on the street," she said.
She shares a house with four other Kikuyu women in the Mathare slum, an area which has seen some of the worst urban violence since the election result was announced. All five were raped and beaten for three hours, she said.
Since the night of the attack, the widow, her son and her friends have lived in a makeshift Red Cross displacement camp in Mathare. She says they take turns keeping watch at night.
UNICEF has reported a rise in child rapes in Kenya and warned that escalating sexual violence would eventually show up in the country's HIV statistics.
Even in the relative safety of displacement camps preliminary U.N. reports show that girls and women are forced to trade sex for food and protection. Opportunistic attacks occur during the night on the way to the latrine.
In its annual global appeal for funding released Tuesday, UNICEF noted women and children in conflict zones around the world were increasingly victims of rape and sexual violence, creating treatment, counseling and other needs humanitarian agencies needed to address.
"We must make sure that children and women are protected as much as possible from these atrocities, and that those responsible for these crimes are eventually brought to justice," Hilde Johnson, UNICEF's deputy executive director, said at a news conference in Geneva on Tuesday.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Interesting TAG!
The rules were:
Find the nearest book and turn to page 123.
Find the fifth sentence, and post the next 3.
The nearest book to me happened to be a NKJV Bible. (not even my translation of choice-LOL)
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.
In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. "
I tag whomever wants to do it. I know that's the easy way out but so many of you are busy right now. :)
Leave me a comment that you did it and I will some a visit you!
Thanks Terry for the TAG!
:)
Find the nearest book and turn to page 123.
Find the fifth sentence, and post the next 3.
The nearest book to me happened to be a NKJV Bible. (not even my translation of choice-LOL)
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.
In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. "
I tag whomever wants to do it. I know that's the easy way out but so many of you are busy right now. :)
Leave me a comment that you did it and I will some a visit you!
Thanks Terry for the TAG!
:)
Monday, February 11, 2008
BOOK IT Program
For you homeschool moms who are interested in the Pizza Hut Book It program- here's the information...
Sunday, February 10, 2008
I Think We All Need A Laugh
My dad sent me this forward via email and I thought it was HILARIOUS!!!
Enjoy!
Everyone concentrates on the problems we're having in this country lately; illegal immigration, hurricane recovery, alligators attacking people in Florida . . Not me. I concentrate on solutions for the problems. It's a win-win situation.
+ Dig a moat the length of the Mexican border.
+ Send the dirt to New Orleans to raise the level of the levies.
+Put the Florida alligators in the moat along the Mexican border.
Any other problems you would like for me to solve today ?
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Read Before Viewing the Following
This should be the last political post for awhile unless John McCain gets the nomination and then I may mention something. So, Lea, April, and all you McCain supporters, rest assured, I am not going to turn this into a bash McCain blog. This is the last for awhile. But I did want to bring out a few things about his "conservative voting record" that I thought were important.
Here's the deal. I don't like either Hilary or Barak's platforms either. Both, I believe, hold views and ideas that are dangerous for our country in the freedom areas. I'm not even going to go into which ones. However, those who are claiming that John McCain is the conservative choice for our country are, IMO, wrong. He's consistently gone against conservativism for a long time. I think I stopped liking him around the "gang of 14" time. He was instrumental in stopping/holding up Bush's nominees for judges. He has flip flopped on the border fence issue. He says he has, and I quote, "always been for tax cuts" yet voted against the Bush tax cuts "for the wealthy" and I have seen him undermine Bush in many positions. Once, I saw an interview with him after one of the State of the Union addresses in which he pretty much bashed Bush. That's when the rest of my respect for him went away. Now, I'm not saying that he has to agree with everything Bush says, or does. I don't. But, I think there is an honor in respecting your leader. You can disagree with someone without sounding so disrespectful. Some of his voting record, abortion for instance, is good. However, I wouldn't consider him pro-life because he supports embryonic stem cell research. He claims to be tough on terror but then flops on the border issue. There are terrorists coming into our country through Mexico. We HAVE to close the borders. Lately, he says he will... do I believe him?... I don't know. He said at one point that he would support us keeping troops in Iraq for 100 years. sigh. He says that he is against big spending which is good. Very good. I'll have to check out the background on that one.
When I look at John McCain I, personally, see a man who is in this for mostly personal gain. I think John McCain is in it for John McCain.
If you agree with him on amnesty, closing Gitmo, not "torturing" people (which I happen to agree with at the moment), maybe closing the border, tax cuts or not, taking up resisence in Iraq, global warming, then please vote for him. Just don't call him a conservative...because, in the majority of issues, he's not.
He has even undermined the First Amendment in the McCain Feingold thing.
He was recently critisized, even by liberal media, for what he did in Florida. One day before the 30 day "no advertisment for candidates" he advertised a lie about Romney. Romney then had no means to refute the lie by advertising. He had to do it by word of mouth. Is this the character of someone I want running the highest office in the land- no.
Other than Hilary's horrible "universal healthcare and universal pre-k" ideas; McCain, Clinton, and Obama are pretty much on the same voting plane- minus abortion.
He is not a conservative.
For those who are all caught up on the "war hero" thing...
Yes, he served our country. Yes he should be applauded for what he went through. Yes I respect that part immensly. BUT that doesn't qualify him to lead our troops or our country any more than an Employee of the Month is automatically qualified to lead a store or become a district manager.
Just remember this:
OK, I'm done. I think. All you McCain supporters can now breath a sigh of relief after you watch the following videos.
Y'all have a good day!!
Here's the deal. I don't like either Hilary or Barak's platforms either. Both, I believe, hold views and ideas that are dangerous for our country in the freedom areas. I'm not even going to go into which ones. However, those who are claiming that John McCain is the conservative choice for our country are, IMO, wrong. He's consistently gone against conservativism for a long time. I think I stopped liking him around the "gang of 14" time. He was instrumental in stopping/holding up Bush's nominees for judges. He has flip flopped on the border fence issue. He says he has, and I quote, "always been for tax cuts" yet voted against the Bush tax cuts "for the wealthy" and I have seen him undermine Bush in many positions. Once, I saw an interview with him after one of the State of the Union addresses in which he pretty much bashed Bush. That's when the rest of my respect for him went away. Now, I'm not saying that he has to agree with everything Bush says, or does. I don't. But, I think there is an honor in respecting your leader. You can disagree with someone without sounding so disrespectful. Some of his voting record, abortion for instance, is good. However, I wouldn't consider him pro-life because he supports embryonic stem cell research. He claims to be tough on terror but then flops on the border issue. There are terrorists coming into our country through Mexico. We HAVE to close the borders. Lately, he says he will... do I believe him?... I don't know. He said at one point that he would support us keeping troops in Iraq for 100 years. sigh. He says that he is against big spending which is good. Very good. I'll have to check out the background on that one.
When I look at John McCain I, personally, see a man who is in this for mostly personal gain. I think John McCain is in it for John McCain.
If you agree with him on amnesty, closing Gitmo, not "torturing" people (which I happen to agree with at the moment), maybe closing the border, tax cuts or not, taking up resisence in Iraq, global warming, then please vote for him. Just don't call him a conservative...because, in the majority of issues, he's not.
He has even undermined the First Amendment in the McCain Feingold thing.
He was recently critisized, even by liberal media, for what he did in Florida. One day before the 30 day "no advertisment for candidates" he advertised a lie about Romney. Romney then had no means to refute the lie by advertising. He had to do it by word of mouth. Is this the character of someone I want running the highest office in the land- no.
Other than Hilary's horrible "universal healthcare and universal pre-k" ideas; McCain, Clinton, and Obama are pretty much on the same voting plane- minus abortion.
He is not a conservative.
For those who are all caught up on the "war hero" thing...
Yes, he served our country. Yes he should be applauded for what he went through. Yes I respect that part immensly. BUT that doesn't qualify him to lead our troops or our country any more than an Employee of the Month is automatically qualified to lead a store or become a district manager.
Just remember this:
OK, I'm done. I think. All you McCain supporters can now breath a sigh of relief after you watch the following videos.Y'all have a good day!!
Mccain and Hillary are A LOT Alike
I am no Romney fan but I SURE don't want McCain. No, I don't want Hilary or Obama either but really folks. Those who keep saying, "Look at his voting record- cannot have looked at his voting record.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
I Think I'm Going to Be Sick...
When I turned on the computer this morning and saw the results of Super Tuesday on the Republican side I actually got sick to my stomach.
I have been very very quiet on this blog about the election thing simply because there is not one candidate out there on either side who I can totally throw my support behind. However, I had to put that aside and think about who would be best for our country. There is so much at stake right now. We need a good leader at this time and, honestly, I'm saddended by the choices. I don't think Hillary Clinton is Satan and Barak is the anti-Christ. LOL I just don't agree with many of their stands so I can't support them. However, I can't support McCain either. I believe that he would be a bad choice for America as well. sigh.
I will echo something I read on another blog (can't remember which one). Even if you don't support Clinton or Obama-isn't it neat that we have both a woman and a black man running for the highest office of our country when, not that long ago, women couldn't even vote and our brothers were being treated like animals. Amazing!!
I will just say this one last thing that's bugging me and it doesn't have to do with any particular candidate. I noticed that the words "Pro-Life" were used over and over again by those who support stem cell research. I'm sorry but am I the only one who thinks that being anti-abortion doesn't make you pro- life? Being for stem cell research does NOT make you 100% Pro-life. Stop being so political and just be honest. Say I'm anti-abortion but pro-stem cell research. Don't say you're Pro-Life when you're not. End of rant.
***edited to add
I'm speaking of embryonic stem cells here. I wish the candidates would be clearer on that one. They could say they are anti-embryonic stem cells and pro adult stem cell
research.
Here is what I am talking about: this is taken from ontheissues.org
Quotes from John McCain
Abortion issue shows what kind of country we are. (Aug 2007)
Concerned if women undergo illegal dangerous operations. (May 2007)
Supports federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. (May 2007)
Full quote:
Q: Would you expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research?
A: I believe that we need to fund this. This is a tough issue for those of us in the pro-life community. I would remind you that these stem cells are either going to be discarded or perpetually frozen. We need to do what we can to relieve human suffering. It's a tough issue. I support federal funding.
Source: 2007 GOP primary debate, at Reagan library, hosted by MSNBC May 3, 2007
Prosecute abortion doctors, not women who get them. (Jan 2000)
“Family Conference” if daughter wanted an abortion. (Jan 2000)
Abortion OK if raped; and no testing for rape. (Jan 2000)
Supports fetal tissue research; against over-intensity. (Jan 2000)
Overturn Roe v. Wade, but keep incest & rape exceptions. (Jan 2000)
Support adoption & foster care; work together on abortion. (Oct 1999)
Wants Roe vs. Wade made irrelevant, but would not repeal it. (Aug 1999)
Opposes partial-birth abortions & public financing. (Aug 1999)
Nominate justices based on experience, and values. (Jun 1999) Restrict abortions; no partial-birth; no public funding. (Jul 1998)
Romney's is even more confusing: He appears to have a change of heart. He probably did BUT he is still saying to allow the surplus to be used: again taken from ontheissues.org
In New Hampshire on Thursday, he deflected conservative concerns about his record on gay marriage and abortion. He said he now describes himself as "firmly pro-life," despite citing his tolerance for abortion rights during his 2002 gubernatorial campaign, after researching the embryonic stem cell issue.
Source: CNN.com, "Inside Politics" Dec 22, 2006
Romney's views would permit for research the use of embryos about to be destroyed by their parents; this puts him at odds with President Bush's more restrictive position. Romney has never supported state-funded research on embryonic stem cells, and is a believer in the efficacy of alternative methods of producing stem cells. Source: A Mormon in the White House?, by Hugh Hewitt, p.111-114 Mar 12, 2007
Q: Would you expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research?
A: It certainly will. Altered nuclear transfer, I think, is perhaps the best source.
Q: Embryonic.
A: Altered nuclear transfer creates embryo-like cells that can be used for stem cell research. In my view, that's the most promising source. I have a deep concern about curing disease. I have a wife that has a serious disease that could be affected by stem cell research and others. But I will not create new embryos through cloning or through embryo farming, because that will be creating life for the purpose of destroying it.
Q: And you won't take any from these fertility clinics to use either?
A: It's fine for that to be allowed, to be legal. I won't use our government funds for that. Instead, I want our governments to be used on altered nuclear transfer.
Source: 2007 GOP primary debate, at Reagan library, hosted by MSNBC May 3, 2007
Q: You previously stated: "[the] United States House of Representatives voted for a bill that was identical to what I proposed. They voted to provide surplus embryos from in vitro fertilization processes being used for research and experimentation. That's what I said I support." Do you still support that?
A: I have the same position. From a legal standpoint, I would outlaw cloning to create new stem cells and I would outlaw embryo farming. I would allow, on a private basis, the use of surplus embryos from in vitro fertilization. In terms of funding, I think the best source of our funding application should be in what are known as alternative methods. And this just recent. I've been fighting for this for some time. But this recently saw a major breakthrough with direct reprogramming of human adult cells to become stem cells that can be very potent cells applied to help cure disease and serious conditions.
Source: Meet the Press: 2007 "Meet the Candidates" series Dec 16, 2007
That's what I was talking about. Thanks Terry. Your comment helped me explain it better.
I have been very very quiet on this blog about the election thing simply because there is not one candidate out there on either side who I can totally throw my support behind. However, I had to put that aside and think about who would be best for our country. There is so much at stake right now. We need a good leader at this time and, honestly, I'm saddended by the choices. I don't think Hillary Clinton is Satan and Barak is the anti-Christ. LOL I just don't agree with many of their stands so I can't support them. However, I can't support McCain either. I believe that he would be a bad choice for America as well. sigh.
I will echo something I read on another blog (can't remember which one). Even if you don't support Clinton or Obama-isn't it neat that we have both a woman and a black man running for the highest office of our country when, not that long ago, women couldn't even vote and our brothers were being treated like animals. Amazing!!
I will just say this one last thing that's bugging me and it doesn't have to do with any particular candidate. I noticed that the words "Pro-Life" were used over and over again by those who support stem cell research. I'm sorry but am I the only one who thinks that being anti-abortion doesn't make you pro- life? Being for stem cell research does NOT make you 100% Pro-life. Stop being so political and just be honest. Say I'm anti-abortion but pro-stem cell research. Don't say you're Pro-Life when you're not. End of rant.
***edited to add
I'm speaking of embryonic stem cells here. I wish the candidates would be clearer on that one. They could say they are anti-embryonic stem cells and pro adult stem cell
research.
Here is what I am talking about: this is taken from ontheissues.org
Quotes from John McCain
Abortion issue shows what kind of country we are. (Aug 2007)
Concerned if women undergo illegal dangerous operations. (May 2007)
Supports federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. (May 2007)
Full quote:
Q: Would you expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research?
A: I believe that we need to fund this. This is a tough issue for those of us in the pro-life community. I would remind you that these stem cells are either going to be discarded or perpetually frozen. We need to do what we can to relieve human suffering. It's a tough issue. I support federal funding.
Source: 2007 GOP primary debate, at Reagan library, hosted by MSNBC May 3, 2007
Prosecute abortion doctors, not women who get them. (Jan 2000)
“Family Conference” if daughter wanted an abortion. (Jan 2000)
Abortion OK if raped; and no testing for rape. (Jan 2000)
Supports fetal tissue research; against over-intensity. (Jan 2000)
Overturn Roe v. Wade, but keep incest & rape exceptions. (Jan 2000)
Support adoption & foster care; work together on abortion. (Oct 1999)
Wants Roe vs. Wade made irrelevant, but would not repeal it. (Aug 1999)
Opposes partial-birth abortions & public financing. (Aug 1999)
Nominate justices based on experience, and values. (Jun 1999) Restrict abortions; no partial-birth; no public funding. (Jul 1998)
Romney's is even more confusing: He appears to have a change of heart. He probably did BUT he is still saying to allow the surplus to be used: again taken from ontheissues.org
In New Hampshire on Thursday, he deflected conservative concerns about his record on gay marriage and abortion. He said he now describes himself as "firmly pro-life," despite citing his tolerance for abortion rights during his 2002 gubernatorial campaign, after researching the embryonic stem cell issue.
Source: CNN.com, "Inside Politics" Dec 22, 2006
Romney's views would permit for research the use of embryos about to be destroyed by their parents; this puts him at odds with President Bush's more restrictive position. Romney has never supported state-funded research on embryonic stem cells, and is a believer in the efficacy of alternative methods of producing stem cells. Source: A Mormon in the White House?, by Hugh Hewitt, p.111-114 Mar 12, 2007
Q: Would you expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research?
A: It certainly will. Altered nuclear transfer, I think, is perhaps the best source.
Q: Embryonic.
A: Altered nuclear transfer creates embryo-like cells that can be used for stem cell research. In my view, that's the most promising source. I have a deep concern about curing disease. I have a wife that has a serious disease that could be affected by stem cell research and others. But I will not create new embryos through cloning or through embryo farming, because that will be creating life for the purpose of destroying it.
Q: And you won't take any from these fertility clinics to use either?
A: It's fine for that to be allowed, to be legal. I won't use our government funds for that. Instead, I want our governments to be used on altered nuclear transfer.
Source: 2007 GOP primary debate, at Reagan library, hosted by MSNBC May 3, 2007
Q: You previously stated: "[the] United States House of Representatives voted for a bill that was identical to what I proposed. They voted to provide surplus embryos from in vitro fertilization processes being used for research and experimentation. That's what I said I support." Do you still support that?
A: I have the same position. From a legal standpoint, I would outlaw cloning to create new stem cells and I would outlaw embryo farming. I would allow, on a private basis, the use of surplus embryos from in vitro fertilization. In terms of funding, I think the best source of our funding application should be in what are known as alternative methods. And this just recent. I've been fighting for this for some time. But this recently saw a major breakthrough with direct reprogramming of human adult cells to become stem cells that can be very potent cells applied to help cure disease and serious conditions.
Source: Meet the Press: 2007 "Meet the Candidates" series Dec 16, 2007
That's what I was talking about. Thanks Terry. Your comment helped me explain it better.
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