Kids these days

I have a 14 yr. old daughter …she watches (watched) Hannah Montana….she wanted to go to her concert (tho more for the Jonas brothers than for Miley aka Hannah) …she is aware of the racy Miley Cyrus photo controversy ….her quote of the day regarding the pics, “She’s an idiot”. My daughter is not one to mince words….trust me.

Why is it that whenever a young entertainer wants to ‘transition’ into adulthood, she (and it’s always a she here folks) feels that it's necessary to take her clothes off? Is that our idea of maturity? Act like an adult sweetie….strip! We need you to appeal to a wider demographic…take off some clothes! You would have thought that the Britney calamity would have taught us something.

Ms. Liebovitz, you should be ashamed of yourself. With your incredible talent, this is the best you could come up with? What risk was there in doing these? You could have done something different, given us a fresh new perspective on Miley but you settled for the same old garbage.

For her part, Ms. Liebovitz says she is sorry that the photo of Miley (wearing just a sheet) has been misinterpreted….obviously it was meant to portray the millions of starving and naked homeless people throughout the world….didn’t you notice the lack of make-up? How exactly were the uneducated masses supposed to ‘interpret’ a photo of a 15yr. old girl holding fabric to cover her bare breasts?

And here's a thought….shock and controversy don’t always equate with artistic and groundbreaking…sometimes the reaction you get from the peons out here..... actually means that there is something terribly wrong.

Three Things to Ponder:
1. Cows
2. The Constitution
3. The Ten Commandments


C O W S

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.


T H E C O N S T I T U T I O N

They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore.


T H E 1 0 C O M M A N D M E N T S

The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this: You cannot post "Thou Shall Not Steal," "Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery," and "Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians. It creates a hostile work environment.

tee hee....thanks Uncle Al:)

Thanks for sending this Mom!

1. The trouble with life is there's no background music.

2. I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.

3. Some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them

4. I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.

5. Don't take life too seriously, no one gets out alive.

6. You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me.

7. Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.

8. I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are just missing.

10. God must love stupid people, he made so many of them.

...to be continued :)

My Future ...or lack thereof

I've been writing for the local, small town, rinky dink, comes out once a week, newspaper for the past month, as well as taking pics. Does this make me a 'photojournalist'? Wow, that's either really cool or incredibly pretentious (and slightly delusional :)
I got the temporary job because the regular gal is on maternity leave and I can finish a sentence.....those were the qualifications (literally). My husband is an English teacher, so I know that being able to put together a legible paragraph is a rare and much coveted skill these days. I never thought of myself as a writer, but I do like to read....alot....so I guess it kind of rubs off on you. And you'd think I would have a point here but alas I really don't, except to say that after doing this for a few weeks I am finding that I want to keep doing it. I like the extra money and I love seeing my stuff in print, except when they edit it incorrectly (and my name is on it!).....so now the praying starts. Where do I go from here? Do I ask for a more permanent position? Do I look to the bigger, daily newspaper in Visalia? Eeeek the mere thought of trying to get a 'real' job scares me to death.... ok, not to death maybe....but it does make me sick to my stomach.

yeah...definitely...go for it...I'm ready...I can handle it.......

Live and learn?

I had an interesting Bible study the other day; one of the main points was learning to not put our expectations onto others (specifically Christians). I have a terrible habit of thinking ....a Christian should/would/could________(fill in the blank) and if they don't, their Christianity is suspect. I think it's valid to expect that a Christian should have certain definite standards (like not being a porn star or a puppy killer) but so often I put MY concerns onto others and think that if they don't share those concerns then they are obviously going straight to .....ahem... Hell.

And I am learning this at 50?!?!?

Natural Highs

Think about them one at a time

before going on to the next one.

(It Does Make You Feel Good)

1. Falling in love.

2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.

3. A hot shower.

4. No lines at the supermarket .

5. A special glance.

6. Getting mail.

7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.

8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.

9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.

10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.

11. Chocolate milkshake (vanilla or strawberry).

12. A bubble bath.

13. Giggling.

14. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.

15. The beach.

16. Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter.

17. Laughing at yourself.

18. Looking into their eyes and knowing they Love you

19. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.

20. Running thru sprinklers

What a load of Crap...

...excuse my language, but come on, this is some seriously idiotic garbage being spouted by a very influential (and extremely self-aggrandizing) woman. We need to Pray and we need to speak out....the Truth needs to be told.....repeatedly and loudly.


ps thanks to my Mom for sending me this video.

Trip to the Coast

I took Annie and two of her friends to Pismo for a couple days during Spring break. We stayed in a hotel (always a treat for my kids:) and spent our time shopping, taking pics, shopping, playing in the sand, and shopping. I believe we went to every single clothing store in San Luis...wish I was kidding....seriously.

Annie and friend

I prefer being in the dugout to being around parents who seem to forget that I'm the coaches wife when they start complaining about decisions made during the course of a game. And the upside is that I'm able to get better shots, I get to see Steven in action, and Annie is earning clothes money keeping score for her dad. It's a win-win situation.





From finding Common Ground by Tim Downs.....
“'Courage is not simply one of the virtues,' wrote C.S. Lewis, 'but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means, at the point of highest reality.' Courage is the willingness to hold all of the other virtues--love, mercy, honesty, faithfulness--even when there is danger or personal risk. 'Pilate was merciful,' said Lewis, 'till it became risky.' Courage will always be the cornerstone of all Christian virtues because courage makes all the others possible. Courage makes sure that a Christian is not just a 'fair weather friend' but a faithful servant regardless of the consequences. It's difficult to overestimate the value of courage in the Christian life."

thanks to Julie, my sister my friend, for sending me this....and reminding us all.

...Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God...

Rejected by Readers Digest....

…and I could’ve really used that $100…

While waiting for a table in a fairly expensive restaurant in Long Beach, my dad and very pregnant mother took up residence in the bar with another couple. After waiting for over an hour and a half to be seated the waiter finally announces their name and begins to lead them to their table. As they are walking he turns to my dad and asks….“Have you been waiting long?”, to which my father, pointing to my mom, replies…”She wasn’t even pregnant when we came in.”

Tee hee…I miss my dad :)

Apologies

There was a commercial years ago…..starts out with a close-up of a surly teenage girl (is there any other kind?) who is rolling her eyes and saying, “I’m not gonna be grounded for this, am I?”…camera cuts to parents looking fairly exasperated and stunned….back to child who sarcastically says…”I said I was sorry”….then the camera pans out to reveal a car crashed thru the living room wall.
I loved this commercial, it still makes me laugh thinking about it. What seems so evident in this case is how silly the teenager sounds, we all get that …right? So when an adult says basically the same thing with that exact amount of actual remorse, I’m not fooled. Words mean nothing if not voiced with a degree of sincerity. I’ve said to my kids, “Sometimes ‘sorry’ just isn’t enough”….it applies to adults as well.

An apology doesn’t give you a pass on taking responsibility for what you’ve done. In fact, that’s the hallmark of a genuine apology, being willing to accept the consequences. If you’re apologizing in order to get amnesty for your crimes….that’s not an apology, that’s a sham.

For Those Who take Life too Seriously

From the slightly off kilter mind of Stephen Wright...


1. Save the whales...collect the whole set.
2. A day without sunshine is like...night.
3. I just got lost in thought, it was unfamiliar territory.
4. Remember, half the people you know are below average.
5. Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains?
6. He who laughs last thinks slowest.
7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
8. Borrow money from a pessimist, they don't expect it back.
9. If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
10. For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism.
11. No one is listening until you make a mistake.
12. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism: to steal from many is research.
13. Two wrongs are only the beginning.
14. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
15.The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.
16.I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges.
17. Honk if you love peace and quiet.
18. I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe.
19. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
20. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say will be misquoted and used against you.

Marines in Berkeley

Free Speech is alive and well in California....Sometimes I so want to move :)

Well I've been out walking
I don't do that much talking these days
These days
These days I seem to think a lot
About the things that I forgot to do
And all the times I had the chance to

And I had a lover
It's so hard to risk another these days
These days
Now if I seem to be afraid
To live the life that I have made in song
Well it's just that I've been losing for so long

Well I'll keep on moving
Things are bound to be improving these days
These days
These days I'll sit on corner stones
And count the time in quarter tones to ten, my friend
Don't confront me with my failures
I had not forgotten them.

Jackson Browne