Another Brick In The Wall

So let me review my ramblings, rants and raves today, let me start with the news.

Definitely not a rave, because this article just saddens me. It sounds as if an argument escalated into someone’s death. What happened to agreeing to disagree? When did we decide that everyone should be justified? And when did people decide that guns would solve problems?

South Carolina Mall Shooting Leaves 1 Dead, 1 Injured

Should we talk about more bad behavior? The following is another article for my rants column on this post. This woman exercises bad behavior on a flight, it appears other people place the blame on alcohol as she was drinking heavily prior to the flight. Personally drinking or not bad behavior belongs to the person that has no manors. This is world with an ever increasing population, with that manors should be playing a larger role in society not less as they appear to be. Isn’t it sad that someone would be restrained with duct tape on a flight because their behavior was so nasty?

Flight Diverted After Crew Restrains Unruly Passenger With Tape

This article is a rant and a rave all rolled into one! A gentleman in Missouri has been found guilty of hitting a construction worker with his car through a construction zone. It appears that the jury suggested 7 years for this drunken driver, too short if you want my opinion. I find this article a rave because YES he is going to prison for killing someone, but a rant because 7 years does not equal the life he took. I believe that he should get more time in prison, this guy was drunk when he decided – chose to get behind the wheel of a car – did the young college student get any choices? This should fall under a manslaughter charge smacked with at least 15 years.

Missouri Driver Convicted of Hitting and Killing Construction Worker With Car

The next article is more about judges that over-turn juries because they think the juries didn’t understand. I am really getting annoyed with these judges. Juries are people that have given their time for a duty for their country, they listen to all the information to make a decision in a case – and in cases like this for what? The smacks of a judge that feels the average person is too stupid to understand the decision they made about the law. I personally think too many judges are over stepping their boundary of presiding over cases, they are wanting to be the jury too.

Florida Judge Tosses Weapons Verdict in ‘Joe Cool’ Boat Slayings

What can I say about the next article? This is another teen who thought that he had some sort of rights in his mother’s home, that he became so enraged to stab her is vile. I blame the media, the left wing conservatives, and of course many parents for the problems with our teens these days. I remember when mine were young that other adults wanted to call the kids little people, like they were mini-adults with choices and decisions. I always corrected people, these are children, not little adults, they should be taught respect to other adults, to their parents, teachers, etc. There is a time for an opinion and a time to just get over yourself and deal with the situation.

Police: Idaho Teen Stabbed Mother Over MySpace Dispute

This article is just plain funny This guy steals women’s panties, he did have some assistance from a female accomplice. So what did they plan to do with all those panties? Did they have big plans to resale these and make money? Maybe the panties were for the female accomplice, his idea of getting her something sexy. In the end it is still theft which is just morally wrong – no matter what is being stolen.

Man Steals More Than 130 Panties From Dallas Victoria’s Secret

This article is from a nearby local paper. This 22 year old kid is getting the book slammed at him for manufacturing meth, the system has added another 8 years on top of his already 15 year sentence. Some real quick math shows that this guy gets 23 years for manufacturing meth – but go back to my article on the Missouri driver that killed the 22 year old college student. The guy that killed the construction worker / college kid gets 7 years and this guy gets 23 years without killing anyone directly? Hmm I am confused on the sentencing for drugs versus a person’s life. Don’t get me wrong the guy deserves prison, but the other guy that killed someone deserves a sentence more fitting the crime.

Towell sentenced to eight additional years in prison on drug charges

On a political note I was glad the election phase was over so I’d quit hearing all the bull passed around. Alas though now the Obama has been elected the bull keeps on coming across the news. The Indy Star wants to talk about how Obama won, and how he won the State of Indiana. Mostly he won the State of Indiana because we have plenty of not-so-brights living in this state. I seen my home state of Kansas was red, see those with real moral values live in the central plains states. I have seen more claims by the media that Obama brought out the black voters because they were tired of Bush. Personally I think that is lots of crap! The black voter came out because there was a black man running for office. I think this election was more about setting a piece of history than it was about the facts and where Obama stood. I still think it is ironic that Obama is only half-black with a strong white family raising him (remember his black father left the family when he was at a young age) that everyone is totting him as the great black man. I truly think the black voters will be disappointed with Obama in a few years as his white up-bringing shines through. I also thought is was interesting in another article I read that Obama is not truly the first black man in office. We have had several that were part black, with black heritage and/or linage similar to Obama’s. It appears simply that these men passed themselves as white same as Obama passing himself as black – because they looked the part. I seriously worry about where Obama will take us in the next 4 years.

Why Indiana turned blue

Then I can’t let the Prop 8 issue drop, after all the homosexual community can’t take the voted failure they received. This is another reason I am sick of the homosexual community, they lost in a popular vote, the state constitution will state that a marriage is between a man and a woman, period. The homosexual community has already started filing all their legal bull trying to get this religious item (marriage was created from the religious sector) changed to fit their needs, trying to force a religious item to go against the religious principles. Maybe the homosexual community should be more creative and come up with their own type of union, having the drive add that to the choices instead forcing others to change their choice. The homosexual are claiming this is a civil rights issue – sorry don’t see it. Homosexual have made a choice in how they chose to live how does this follow any civil right? What about my rights? The right not to have their crap taught in my schools, to my kids? If I can’t talk about the birth of Christ in school then why does this left wing radical group get books about the King & the King read in schools? They talk about letting the children learn and decide, but it is a one sided teaching now.

Proposition 8 foes rush to file papers with court

Today I have said more than enough, and appears to be rants than raves in the news today. My raves today – I’m enjoying some Billy Joel on the computer, listening to his music that has followed me for many years. My youngest daughter is home sick today, I need to call the doctor because it appears she has strep throat. My darling hubby is still on vacation today, so besides sleeping (did another night with the Sheriff’s dept last night), we get some more family time with him. Actually since my darling is a telecommuter working from home every day we get more of his smiling face than other families probably do of their husband/dad. It is amazing that after 10 years of marriage I still love spending time with him, and since I don’t work I spend an extraordinary amount of time with him, day in and day out 24/7. He is still my best friend, and I never tire of talking to him. Remember the good things in life, and love always. Heck I still love my two older daughters, I simply don’t understand where they are in their lives right now. As their mother all I can do is pray for God to watch over them, to guide them back, and for the angels to keep them safe as they journey through these lessons of life. I heard this song the other day that so reminded me of my daughters. So listen, enjoy, and blessing until next time!

I have another news article that was ’starred’ in my Google Reader that is up for my commentary today. This particular article originally ran August 15^th, 2008 from Fox News, but still deserves my commentary opinion.

    “Murdered Gay Boy’s Family Blames School for Letting Him Wear Makeup”

“The family of a gay teenager who was fatally shot in class blames the school district for allowing their son to wear makeup and feminine clothing to school — factors the family claims led to the death.”

A little review on my part actually shows that I am late to this party! Even Ellen DeGeneres has discussed this on her TV show, I am sure though in a much different light than I look at it. After all Ellen is openly homosexual (not gay, gay is happy, not some un-condoned sexual orientation) a sexual orientation I don’t agree with. Am I a homosexual basher – no. I will not openly go out to bash, hate, of anything of that existence toward homosexuals, but I feel morally homosexuality in wrong. My morality probably runs from the religion in which I was raised, the fact of our God given anatomy, and how that anatomy is suppose to work. Now off my homosexuality is wrong issues, and onto this boy’s cross-dressing habits.

When a person dresses in drag, as a drag queen, or a cross dresser I would really expect they might see some ridicule. I surely expect they made the choice to dress in drag of their own free will. Let me say up front I DO NOT THINK IT WAS RIGHT FOR THIS HOMOSEXUAL CROSS DRESSING BOY TO BE SHOT! Murder is not okay in any circumstances! This is about the lawsuit his parent filed against the school district. Back to my own free will issue, if this boy dressed in drag of his own free will how is it the school’s fault that he didn’t dress per code? This wasn’t the first time the boy had dressed in drag, he knew the ridicule, I am sure. At 15 years old didn’t his parents know or see him with the dress-in-drag issue? Did he leave their house dressed in drag? Don’t the parents have responsibility for their own 15 year old child? Does the child as a teenager share in any of the responsibility? It truly bothers me that people so look to blame others for issues that need to be placed squarely within their own personal space, home, and shoulders. The death of their son does belong to the boy who shot him, no one else can take that blame; but the clothing he chose to wear was also his own responsibility.

There truly is a fine line of acceptance of peoples’ differences. I truly don’t support homosexuality, cross-dressers, plus a huge host of other immoral activities, but not supporting is not lashing out. I would never lash out at their differences, on many levels it is their choice, not mine. I always feel that God works with each person, helping them find their way in this arena of life; it is not my position to play God, to demoralize those that have that battle of ‘doing the right thing’. But when one makes their choice to be whom or what they want they must accept the issues, and responsibilities that go along with that decision, period.

This could also go in my category of frivolous lawsuits, yet I feel others would take some sort of offense to it because of the issues at hand. I hope these parents don’t win this lawsuit. I do understand the pain these parents are going through at the loss of a child, trying to understand, but this is not the correct way to find solace. The better way to deal with the death of their son would be to deal with the child that shot him, sue his parent for neglecting an education of differences, of not liking something without persecuting others.

I read this article a couple of months ago, even ’starred’ it on my faithful Google Reader to write about here in blog world. Slowly I will get to my moral, value, and virtues of society, some through these different articles. This particular article may seem strange to save, but brings me to the heart of my thoughts on the death penalty.

This article at USA Today dated August 4^th, 2008– “Ohio inmate claims he’s too fat for execution” is appalling to me who cares how stupidly fat he has gotten himself he was given the death penalty now give it to him already!

“Lawyers for Richard Cooey argue in a federal lawsuit that Cooey had poor veins when he faced execution five years ago and that the problem has been worsened by weight gain.”

According to this portion of the article Coorey’s poor veins might cause it to take more time to hook him up to the equipment, an extra 15 minutes poking around to find the veins. Problem? I don’t see one, I think that extra 15 minutes tax dollars have to pay for is money well spent. Again hook him up.

“attorneys for Cooey say a drug he is taking for migraine headaches could diminish the effectiveness of the first of three drugs Ohio uses in its execution process.”

What it may take longer for this guy to die because he is on some medication the tax dollars pay for? I don’t think that is reason enough to stop the execution. Give this guy a choice keep taking the migraine medicine for those headaches now, okay so a little more pain at death or — go off the damn medication so death is faster. All a matter of choice, doesn’t take the Supreme Court to decide this, no reason for a tax dollar waste I mean an appeal. Of course then the idiot would probably scream his rights were being violated, like pieces of scum like this should have any rights what so ever!

“Cooey, 41, was sentenced to die for raping and murdering two University of Akron students in 1986.”

I am betting that this piece of crap didn’t show any mercy to the university students he raped and murdered. Did he think about their pain and suffering? Did he care what they might be going through before their death? I am sure he could have cared less as long as he was getting what he wanted at the time. I will never understand why bleeding heart liberals’ think pieces of crap like this should get any kind of reprieve from death. I personally think that lethal injection is too nice for the piece of garbage, death by the same means those university students died would make me feel better, let him feel the pain he inflicted upon them, a true ‘eye for an eye’.

When I reviewed for this blog post I found that the Ohio Supreme Court didn’t fall into his boat load of crap either. On October 9^th, 2008 CBS News printed this article “Ohio Inmate Not Too Fat For Death Penalty” stating that the Ohio Supreme Court doesn’t believe he is too fat to die!

“The Ohio Supreme Court has rejected arguments that a death row inmate is too fat to die by lethal injection.”

All I can say is YES!! This should have never even been considered an appeal. These death row inmates get far too much sympathy, including appeals!

I just can’t believe how the State of Ohio did the right thing, even following through with this creeps’ execution a few day later.

On October 14^th, 2008 CNN released the following article: “Inmate executed after Supreme Court rejects obese argument“. All those non-sense claims were not only thrown out of the courts but the execution went on!

“Richard Cooey was pronounced dead at 10:28 a.m. ET, said Andrea Carson, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Corrections. The execution went as scheduled, she said, with “no problems whatsoever.”"

Did I read that correctly? Did it say the execution had ‘no problems whatsoever’? I guess being obese and taking migraine medication doesn’t stop the lethal injection from working. Thank you Ohio for showing everyone that it lethal injection works! And just because he was claiming to be obese it didn’t stop him from a real pig-out prior to execution.

“Ohio does not serve a “last meal,” as death-row inmates are given the opportunity to eat breakfast before a scheduled execution, Carson told CNN. But on Monday night, she said, Cooey ate a “special meal” consisting of a T-bone steak, hash browns, french fries, four eggs over easy, onion rings, four pieces of toast, a pint of Rocky Road ice cream, Mountain Dew and bear claw pastries. He did not eat breakfast Tuesday, Carson said.”

Personally if I ate that much in one sitting I would have keeled over from massive coronary brought on by over-eating! But at least he got to feel ’special’ before he died – did his victims get this kind of mercy? This article explains a little more as what the crime was that got him the death penalty.

Cooey and a then-17-year-old accomplice were convicted of the brutal murders of Wendy Offredo and Dawn McCreery, students at the University of Akron. The men had been tossing concrete slabs onto Interstate 77, and one of them struck Offredo’s car.

Pretending to “rescue” the women, Cooey and Clinton Dickens took the victims to a remote field, according to prosecutors. There the students were subjected to a three-and-a-half-hour period of rape, torture, stabbings and fatal bludgeonings. Cooey carved an “X” into the stomachs of both women, prosecutors said.

Did anyone else read that portion which stated he tortured these young women for three and a half hours? I personally think that the death penalty of lethal injection was too good for this creep! Whatever happened to Judge Roy Bean, and his motto “Hang’em first, try’em later”? Okay I would give the creeps trials but I really think some good ole’ fashioned hangings would slow some of this down. I am far from the concerned liberal for these creeps! I hope the families of the victims rest a little better with Cooey’s death, only to bad, so sad that his buddy didn’t get the same punishment – who cares if he was 17 years old when he committed murder!

Sound harsh? Think not! I am sick of mercy for creeps; it appears we just keep breeding creeps in this world.

It has been an interesting week on a personal side, a week that blew up this weekend, and with all that turmoil I find trouble sleeping tonight. I find when there is turmoil my mind goes around like a never ending merry-go-round, complete with the carousel horses moving up and down. I tried laying in bed looking under each horse on that carousel, but alas I still did not find my answers, therefore I am up staring at my computer screen, playing another computer game (Beach Party Craze) trying to make some sense out of other peoples actions and my feelings. In my mind I try to determine when is it time to draw a line on another person’s actions, is okay to allow them to use hurtful words to you, is it enough for them to constantly place blame upon you, when is it enough that the yell at you instead of speaking civilly. Where is my line? As I ponder those question it becomes of great importance for me to contemplate more moral beliefs and values, do I maintain those beliefs and values if it means that I may not see another person that means something to me? If someone close to me was a drug addict or a criminal would I remove them within the closeness of my life because of my personal moral fiber I feel they would infringe on. As I think about this I think about a stranger, or a friend, would I accept being treated badly from either? Would I accept bad behavior from someone I called a friend? No I would not. I have lost friendships in the past and/or simply chose not to have a person as a friend that did not fit into my moral beliefs and values. So why do I look at those carousel horses hoping it would appear different when these people are my children.

I look at this picture and think of my middle daughter, the beautiful giggle, the lap climbing, blankie hugging, kisses for mommy girl and my heart breaks. She is presently making choices I just can’t deal with, maybe another could but I just can’t because her choices are against my moral fiber. I worry that some of my feelings are the dreams I had for my girls growing up, and I don’t understand what happened to those dreams, they were the typical mom dreams to me. I know I can be a strict mother, but I simply wanted so much for my daughters. I wanted them to be smarter than some of the other girls, to dream and hope to accomplish things for themselves in life. I wanted to see them succeed, to not get caught in a too young relationship in high school, to graduate high school, to go to college, to earn a degree they could be proud of. I had visions of them graduating from college, finding a good job, and somewhere in there finding that nice man. The man that treated them like queens, bought them flowers and jewelry to make their eyes tear with love; a man that loves them to such a depth he would trade his life for theirs. More dreams of them getting married, the white dress, the hugs, kisses, and tears; then of course the grand kids. All my dreams for my daughters are very idealistic, straight from my generation’s mommy book. I wonder if kids today see those dreams that differently, and if they do, why they do. This daughter is 18 years old now, a senior in high school, a time we should be laughing, enjoying. Twice now I have lost this time with daughters, my first daughter and now my second; both would be over moral values and issues. I believe society is much to blame, I do not now nor will I ever begin to understand when it was decided homosexuality was okay? Did our children lose this when it became okay on television, when Ellen decided to ‘come-out’ in prime time, or when we as parent quit taking them to church? How conflicting for them to understand sexuality when is incorrectly displayed on television and within society. I am more miffed that this daughter thinks and/or feels she is lesbian when she has always been interested in boys and/or guys. I think that a great number of society’s children are confused, as this daughter is. I think she is afraid of men, forgetting and/or not understanding that men have tender sides, sweetness to show a woman if and when it is the right man. I have tried to let her relationship with this other girl not affect me but it has, and it has her too. I wonder if all her angry words at me, her new hateful attitude toward is because I do not accept her girl friend nor her sexuality. I will not accept it within my home, it is against my moral beliefs. I have asked her to leave, to move out, it really shouldn’t be that hard for her anyway she had not been home most of the week. I only top the issues off when she not only doesn’t come home, but doesn’t call. When I was trying to bend my own moral beliefs to work with her, I still felt she wasn’t coming to terms with the rest of my rules. I see this as my house, and as long as I am paying the bills I expect respect (no yelling, cussing, or screaming), I expect someone that will help around the house, I expect consideration (phone calls, communication), I expect at 18 that she can take personal responsibility for her own choices without blaming someone else. I find it ironic that she wants to be the adult yet doesn’t appear to take responsibilities for those choices. We bought this girl a car, nothing fancy a used $4000 car, with that we set the ground rules that were in-turn broken, plus we were lied to; we took the car back. She seems to think we are the bad guys in this, as if we owed her that car, we felt the car was something in response to her doing good in life. I am odds emotionally regarding this girl.

I think back to my oldest, and wonder what has made her choose what she has? Educationally she is doing well, about to earn her college degree, but she left my house at 18, about 8 weeks before high school graduation. She too had gotten in relationship with another girl, now she can’t decide if she wants a relationship with a guy or a girl, so she going to do both. Now I can’t begin to determine in my mind how any kind of committed relationship can be worked when you are talking about a 3 person relationship. I still am lost that she doesn’t plan on getting married because she thinks a committed relationship can be had without any paper or commitment to God. Of course it is tonight that she shares with me that ‘ole loser boyfriend’ (the I have a problem with authority, I like to sleep as a favorite pastime, and I don’t know what a shower is) boyfriend, is moving back in with her – eee gads – I thought when she sent him to stay with his father, to think about what he was doing with his life, to think about a career, that she might actually be thinking in a way I consider level headed; but obviously I was thinking all wrong. I am only guessing that the reason he left is really because my daughter wants a girlfriend and a boyfriend – she wants to live with both! Talk about a break in my moral beliefs. This isn’t even on the other side of the street of my beliefs, this one is on another street in a whole different city!

I have spent so much time trying to determine what is right and wrong in this, how at this point I just don’t feel good about seeing my daughters. I’m not sure how other parents deal with these sorts of things, or had they even feel, but I am not dealing well at all – after all I am not sleeping tonight! I wonder if I am a bad mother when I don’t want to see my children, when the disappointment weighs so heavy on my heart and soul, on my moral values, that seeing them only makes issues worse for me. I thought tonight about telling them ‘when you have nice husbands that know how to wear nice clothes, shower, have jobs, then come and see me; until then call me a couple of times a year to let me know your around’. I doubt I’ll have my daughter’s home for Christmas this year, I just don’t think my brain will be up to that merry-go-round ride.

I often ponder items about our society, the moral standards, responsibilities to each other, where I think we are going, and what I feel are our failures. I am sure I am not the only person to make these ponderings, but I truly wonder if people think about their actions, take moral responsibility for those actions. When I started this personal blog, I wanted to cover my opinions on morals, items in the news, and life in general. Lately I have been starring items through my Google Reader to post responses to on my blog. This article in the Indianapolis Star caught my attention:

     Mom accused of neglecting kids at McDonalds

State police arrested an Indianapolis woman Monday after she allegedly left three small children alone in a vehicle for more than a half hour while she was inside a fast-food restaurant.

Contessa M. Irvin, 25, was held in the Marion County Jail this morning on initial charges of child neglect after police say she left her three children ages 5, 3 and 10 months, alone in a vehicle in the McDonald’s parking lot in the 3800 block of West Morris Street, Indiana State Police Sgt. Anthony Emery said. …. “

Even though the article itself was appalling the thought that mom could go inside, sit down, eat lunch, while leaving her 3 small children in the car; I found some of the comments left even more appalling. Obviously there is a sector of our population that feels this mother was just in leaving her kids in the car, after all she was right inside the restaurant. But it is not that she could see them mind you, obviously not when you read this section of the article:

Witness Robert Shoulders told Sunier that one of the children climbed out of an open window and onto the vehicle’s roof.

“Shoulders stated that he had went into the restaurant approximately 20 minutes prior to Trooper Sunier’s arrival announcing to the patrons for the parent of the children to come outside and retrieve them,” Emery said in a statement. “He stated that no one responded.”

Either she didn’t notice her children climbing out the window of the car, or she simply did not care. I assume there was an absence of caring since she didn’t take ownership of the children when the witness went looking for the mother before the police showed up.

Some of the commenter’s suggested mom obviously needed a break is all, they shouldn’t be so hard on her. EXCUSE ME! I am a mother of three children, two of my children were from my first marriage, and predominately counted on me as literally their everything. There were times I wanted to scream, times I wanted to run away from all the work and responsibility, but I took those on when I decided to have these beautiful children. Parenting is taking the good times with the tough times, staying home when there is no sitter, giving up an extra because the kids need something. If a mother needs a break there is something called a ‘babysitter’, which is a real person that sits with the kids, takes care of the kids in a similar fashion as the parent would (or should).

Other commenter’s suggested this was okay because their parents had left them in cars when they were growing up. Oh I see, no matter how wrong something is if our parents did it to us then it is okay for us to do it to our children! I must have missed this lesson!! My parents left me in cars when I was young, by age 7 even left me home by myself (this is another topic about teenagers having children!) – does this mean I did it to my children. No I didn’t leave my kids in cars, or home alone like I was because I knew it was inherently wrong, imagine using God given judgment. How can a parent do the job of protecting their small children if they aren’t even there! This mindset is just wrong, it is simply saying if our parents beat us, then it should be okay to beat our children – my goodness people think about this concept.

I am also struck at how people haven’t realized how life has changed. Maybe there was a time it was okay to leave kids in cars, towns were small, neighbors were people we knew, families that knew families, trust that was a bond in a community; but that time is no longer. We live on blocks that where we don’t even know the people within the houses closest to ours let alone the entire neighborhood. Towns are rarely small, and even the small towns don’t boast families, and neighbors of the old towns; they aren’t towns full of citizens that you can trust your life and property with. When the communities are so different, don’t people see that parenting also has to take on another role? Parents need to be the protectors of the children; I sure wished this woman would have remembered that before she enjoyed her Big Mac.

I seen on another blog where they did a listing, kind of a quick inventory of who they were, I found it interesting. Here is my version of who I am.

1. I am white – I could say Caucasian but I am seriously white, that fair skin-don’t look at legs in the winter white. There is not much to say about this item, as it is simply a fact.

2. I am female – I enjoy being female, I have never desired to be a male. I don’t find myself a feminist as I find some of their thoughts too anti-male, and too over the top of the fact we are female. I do believe that a female deserves equal pay for equal work. I believe we should be able to obtain credit as a man even while married. I believe that as a female we are often the stronger sex, not physically but emotionally as we often tend to the house, the kids, and all of the rest of life’s curve balls. I personally don’t care for most females, never have I usually relate better to males. I feel most females lead their lives emotionally opposed to logically, and I find this habit an irritating trait of the female population.

3. I am heterosexual – I believe that God created man & woman, with man & woman we create children; there is no male-male or female-female way to create children naturally so therefore God never intended for it to be any other way. I am not blatantly anti-homosexual; I do not picket, post signs or go out of my way to offend any homosexual. I do not believe that homosexuality is a genetic issue for the majority of the population. I believe the majority of the population has lost the moral virtues and sense of what is right and wrong simply put.

4. I am Christian – I was raised in the Episcopal Church taken every Sunday until my mother died when I was 7 years old, then by my grandparents. I believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I believe that God created the Heavens and the Earth. I believe that our sins will be atoned for when we die and meet our maker. I do not believe it is my duty to be judge or jury of another person’s sin, only God, our Father, has the right as judge. I do not believe our God is a punishing Father, but an understanding one allowing us to learn through our mistakes. I believe this life is simply our classroom of learning in God’s way.

5. I am honest – I have been told I am overly honest, telling someone things that surprise some people. If you need a shower or deodorant, I am one to let you know. I know some people I worked with would laugh and say a little less honesty might be nice. The problem is I grew up with a father that was a pathological liar; he lied about even the simple things like his age. I went completely the other way, because I found it hard to keep up with all the lies and stories he told, and watch out if I told someone the wrong story. I personally believe that honestly is the best policy, the truth is always so much easier to remember. With that a liar is one thing that in a person that I can’t stand or deal with.

6. I am responsible – I believe that people are responsible for their own consequences in life; it is all based on the choices one makes. If I over-extend myself financially, no one is blame but myself, it is up to me to deal with the outcome, no one else. I don’t believe in saving someone from his or her own consequences. If I save someone from their own consequences and/or choices then I take away their ability to learn, their ability for God to direct them in life. I expect my children to act responsibly, which includes living within the laws of our land, maintaining moral virtues, and simply being someone to be proud of in all aspects of life.

7. I am a worker – I believe in a days’ work for a days’ pay. There is nothing in life that is free ride. I believe we all pay our dues and/or owe for our purchases of life. No one in life is promised a bowl of cherries and/or that everything is wonderful, life is about the hard parts too, the dues we pay. This is also apparent on the daily grind, I believe everyone should have a job to do, a paycheck to earn. For the wives and mothers the daily grind is less about monetary payment and more about the respect and appreciation shown by the husband and children. I believe in the old saying my grandfather always told me, ‘idle hands are the hands leading to trouble’. I believe when one is not busy it will lead them all too often down the wrong path of life. I find it rewarding to see a job or project completed, it gives me fulfillment.

8. I am committed – when I commit to someone, I am totally committed. I will guarantee that this has not been my entire life, but an item I came to learn & understand with maturity. I am committed to my husband. I believe in the matrimony of two people the paper and words that honor that love and commitment of two people. My commitment to my husband comes from love but also respect and honor. My husband is man that also honors his commitment. He is the kind of person I can count on, day in and day out. He is a man that shows me respect, is my best friend. I do not believe that ‘living together’ can compare to the complete commitment of a marriage.

9. I am a snob – I know I am, and I seriously doubt I will change at this date. I am not a material-designer name snob; I personally could care less whose name is on my apparel or other items. I am a snob in life. I have never been to prison; therefore, I have never hung out with anyone that has. Since I pay my bills regularly, don’t do drugs, and try to be a parent to my children I don’t want to hang out with people different. I’m not hanging out with people that always have bill collectors after them, who spend free time deciding which drug is the escapism for the night, or people that think a cell phone is some sort of parenting while they tend to their own lives. I do like my house clean, I do not enjoy going to some one’s house that is dirty, I feel uncomfortable. I also believe there is proper attire for each occasion, and can be a snob regarding this.

10. I am a conservative republican – can’t you tell? I believe in George W. Bush. I believe going into Iraq was the right thing to do. I support our military troops, people that defend our freedoms with their lives every day. I don’t believe the government should give free handouts to people that will only increase our government’s size. I don’t believe the government should tell us how to live our lives, I believe the government has already meddled in our lives enough. The government does not have a right to tell me how to raise my children, including punishing them.

This part of who I am, the top 10 things at this point at least that came to my mind. I have more I want to think about and share, but we are about to leave for a court hearing regarding our middle daughter. I believe in ‘tough love’ and the rules in my house are the rules, simple. Our 17 year old daughter believes we should be more flexible to her, and show her respect – sorry but I say BS. There is more to the whole issue but that is for another post. I also believe that the best things come in life for those that wait, for patience is a virtue to be rewarded.