Another Brick In The Wall

I like reading blogs. Actually if I spent less time reading blogs I’d probably have more time to write at my blogs – what a concept. My favorite blogs to read are my crafting blogs. When I can’t sew or scrap it makes me feel good to read what others have accomplished. I also find them great motivators, along with a chance to learn different techniques. I understand though there might be times when one would like to spout off about another topic, I only wished they would take it to another blog – maybe run a separate one from the crafting blog as I have. I decided to drop two my sewing blogs that I generally read because of politics. I really don’t want to hear about their politics on my crafting blogs.

Now since they talked politics, and I am at my personal rants and ramblings blog I will give opinion to what they talked about.

This is my first one: http://sewingfantaticdiary.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-have-faith.html. I generally enjoyed learning about her techniques, even though I wasn’t overly inspired by her choices. She appears to be a gifted seamstress, but all of her ideas appear to be the same. Even if she takes a new pattern, by the time she makes the adjustments for her fitting, and her tweaks it appears to me to be the same as much of the rest of the items she made. But on to politics – she is an Obama supporter. I really don’t have a problem with it, but this post is not her first to go on about Obama. My issue is that she is not going on about his beliefs, about the changes he wants to make for the country, what makes him truly better to her than McCain. She goes on about small minded people who have short-sightedness about who Obama is. Even though I am not an Obama supporter, even I have corrected people who didn’t explore who Obama was but felt to believe bigoted emails. What surprises me is how I feel she makes this a race and/or color issue! In the beginning many of the blacks didn’t want to claim Obama as black – because his mother is white! He is not in line with the black race, this man was raised by a white woman, in private schools – can we say privileged. What makes anyone think he is special in knowing what it truly feels like to be the average Joe. I am not an Obama supporter; not because of any race issue (heck I don’t even think about it because he is half white!), I don’t like what he believes in for our Country. He is a democrat, he is for more government policies, bigger government as the government does more for us, provides us with more, which in turn increases my taxes. Look it was the democrats that gave us unemployment, welfare, social security, plus a host of other government entities that cloud my tax dollar, give to people that often don’t deserve it. I don’t want any more government entities such as these that fix things for people that don’t know how to nor want to fix things for themselves. If Obama has his way he will use our tax dollars to save all those people that didn’t know how to manage their money, got their homes foreclosed on, take away their repercussions to making bad decisions in life. He talks about more government laws to protect us, like I need more big brother! These are a few reasons why I don’t want Obama – heck this man doesn’t even have the experience to run our country! He has been a senator – not a governor – therefore hasn’t had to make the kind of decisions I think are necessary experience for the presidency.    

Now my second one: http://gorgeousthings.blogspot.com/2008/10/and-now-for-something-completely.html. This woman makes truly wonderful garments, her seamstress skills are truly amazing – but I am done reading her blog because I really get tired of the side items not sewing related. This particular post was a little song she wrote slamming President Bush. She obviously feels the problems with the economics of the country right now belong to President Bush. In reality Bush seriously didn’t have a thing to do with this. This folks is fallout of two items that are the thanks for President Reagan; the Trickle Down Economics Package and the changes in the banking rules of 1987. To think that George W could make the changes, and have them take effect within his term in really short sighted, these things take longer than that to cause these kinds of problems. She then goes on to call the wars stupid; I guess she doesn’t care about 9-11, about the fall of the towers, about our sons, husbands, and fathers over there in these wars fighting. I found her whole little giddy song simply insulting to my intelligence, to my husband’s military service, to my belief in our country. I believe that some people are too small minded to truly understand why we are in these wars, the extent of time these wars are going to take, and those that have lied to us – those that called us names are some of the same countries that supplied these weapons to people like Saddam. My personal belief is that the UN was weak, Saddam had broken his pact long ago, the UN should have gone into Iraq long before we did. The entire UN was created to stop rulers like Saddam after Hitler, yet we have people that want to believe in the Monroe Doctrine – think we should bury our heads in the sand. If we were not present in these wars folks there would be more bloodshed on our soil, these terrorist are busy right now, but if we try to bury our heads again we will pay the price.

I dropped these two blogs from my Google Reader now, no reason to get myself upset with them. I can get my panties in a bunch from the news alone, therefore when I want to de-stress I want to read those fun & easy blogs, my crafts without the other bs.

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.

In my life, my small little world very little personally was happening. In January 1962 my teenage parents had married, in July 1962 I appeared on the scene! Therefore anyone that can do math realizes that I was a child conceived out wedlock, but born in wedlock. Personally born in and or conceived wedlock is irrelevant to the love between the parents. Problem with my parents is they were teenagers! I was born in the summer between mom’s junior and senior year of high school, at least my father had graduated from high school about 6 weeks before I was born. My life started with my parents and myself living with my grandparents (my dad’s folks). For those interested in I was born in Kansas, a small town at the time outside of Kansas City.

Here I am as a new born, cute huh? Aren’t all newborns cute though, I think they are! You can see how young my mom is. They didn’t have a camera so they went to one of those film booths of the time where you got 4 pictures for a quarter or something like that.

Famous people that share my year of birth are:
Jim Carrey; Clint Black; Jennifer Jason Leigh; Garth Brooks; Lou Diamond Phillips; Adam Baldwin; Jon Bon Jovi; Emilio Estevez; Ally Sheedy; Tom Cruise; Brigitte Nielsen; Wesley Snipes; Melissa Sue Anderson; Joan Cusack; Evander Holyfield; Ralph Macchio; Demi Moore; Jodie Foster; Paula Abdul; Matthew Broderick; Sheryl Crow; Kelly Preston;

According to Chinese astrology I was born in the year of the Tiger:
Tiger people are difficult to resist, for they are magnetic characters and their natural air of authority confers a certain prestige on them. They are tempestuous yet calm, warm-hearted yet fearsome, courageous in the face of danger yet yielding, soft and mysterious. They enjoy a life full of challenges and unexpected events, like visiting unusual places and meeting interesting or outstanding people. Other people in their area are easily attracted by the tiger’s enthusiasm and way of life. Tigers find pleasure in the unpredictable, and while other people would rather make a backward step, they are not afraid to explore the new and unusual. But it is not that simple to interest the Tiger. What they really need is first-hand experience. Usually open and frank, these people are likely to withdraw and can be aggressive when trapped. As soon as the Tiger has regained their sense of security their confidence also returns, enabling them to set out once more. These people usually tend to trust their instincts, though there is another side of their personality, which assesses situations thoughtfully before they launch any actions. Their friends usually secretly admire their determination and optimism, though sometimes may find it complicated to share the Tiger’s enthusiasm and can be pushed away and left behind. Although Tigers can be courageous and generous friends, if they are not able to achieve what they want, they can be inflexible and self-centered. So if your friend was born in the year of the Tiger, there will be highs and lows in your friendship, but the friendship itself will remain firm. Ideal jobs for tigers include entrepreneur, military officer, politician, musician, writer, poet, artist, theater director, biological and environmental engineer, stockbroker, athlete, film star, trade union leader, company director, stunt person, explorer, and lawyer. Love interests for the Tiger are the Dog and Horse.

On Regular Astrology my Sun sign is Cancer the Crab:
Sun in Cancer natives have a strong survival instinct. They are protective of those they care about, and of themselves too. They are often quite reticent about sharing their inner selves to the rest of the world, and are often caught up in reminisce. Cancers have a reputation for moodiness, although this trait is most evident when the Moon is in Cancer. Cancer needs roots. They resist change to an extent, and concern themselves about being secure and safe in most everything they do. Cancers can be quite intrigued by objects with history attached to them — antiques, photos, souvenirs, and the like. Cancer is a very sensitive sign, and they don’t always appreciate it when you are blunt with them. Their reactions to hurt will depend on how thick a shell they have developed. Most Cancers react by withdrawing or retreating. Some have developed an ability to manipulate others to get what they want. They avoid direct confrontations almost as a rule. Cancers are, in fact, quite yielding and soft when you have them in the right mood. They are one of the more hospitable signs of the zodiac. Sure, they can be touchy and indirect, but they are also very dependable, caring souls.

Probably more about people born in 1962 then one wants to know, but I just so wanted to share as much as possible.

1962 was the beginning phases turbulent and decidedly moving years within the American history books.

The movement of the Vietnam war sucking the US this policing action. The US had set up military assistance in South Vietnam. U.S. troops were in Vietnam with the pretense of providing training and technical assistance. U.S. pilots were flying combat missions in Vietnam, unknown to the American public.

The US was in full swing with NASA heading toward the moon. Lieut. Col. John Glenn orbited the earth 3 times in space capsule Friendship 7, becoming the 1st American in orbit. Television beamed his flight to 135 million Americans. Glenn’s Mercury 6 mission is followed by two other Mercury flights. Ranger IV first U.S. space probe to reach the moon, where it crash lands by design. The American public was enthralled with the space travel, only imagining that we would be walking on the moon a few years later.

Telstar becomes the first communications satellite intended for regular service; relays television signals between North America and Europe

Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Los Angles home in 1962, ending a blond bomb-shells era in history. Marilyn Monroe’s death opened an entire box of parody with the government, the CIA, and the Kennedy’s within the following years.

The Cold War continued to worsen when the Russians placed Missiles in Cuba miles away from the coast of Florida. Kennedy threatened war unless they were removed which they were but for a short time the world was on the brink of nuclear war and self destruction. This was part of the height of the Cold War between the US, Russia, and Cuba. A U.S. embargo ordered by President Kennedy goes into effect on all imports from Cuba including tobacco, seafood, fruits and vegetables.

On other notes of society our president was John F. Kennedy, the great hope of the young American population.

The first Wal-Mart discount store is opened in Bentonville Arkansas; The first Kmart department store opens in Garden City, Michigan.

Oral Polio Vaccine developed by Albert Sabin given to millions of children to combat Polio.

By a vote of 6 to 1, the Supreme court bans prayer in public schools

What about the costs in 1962? Average Cost of new house $12,500.00; Average Income per year $5,556.00: Average monthly rent $110.00 per month; Average Cost of a new car $3,125.00; Eggs per dozen 32 cents; Gas per Gallon 28 cents; Minimum hourly wage $1.25; Pack of chewing gum .05¢; Candy bar .05¢; Ice cream bar .15¢; Soft drink .10¢; Fast food hamburger .20¢; 1st class postage stamp .04¢; Pay phone (local call) .10¢; TV set $400; Daily newspaper .10¢; Refrigerator $500; Tennis shoes $5.00; Doctors office visit $5; Movie ticket .50¢; Popcorn at the movie.20¢; 45 rpm record $1.00; Record album $3.00

With each year of my flashback on movies & music I generally will only give one song, unless is was a special year for me Although it was the year of my birth, in many ways 1962 isn’t that special because I simply don’t remember it

The music of 1962 is Johnny Angel by Shelly Fabares.

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Of course there were many other songs of similar style for that era, and I could list even give you preview of many more that I own. Personally though of the list this is one of my more favorite from the year. Some of the other songs of the year were: Blowin’ in the Wind, Go Away Little Girl, Days of Wine and Roses, The Loco-Motion, Sherry, Monster Mash, Big Girls Don’t Cry.

Movies that year contained several real hits. How about What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? with Bette Davis & Joan Crawford.

I am sure many of heard of To Kill a Mockingbird with Gregory Peck.

Maybe your memory is all about Elvis, at this point is making movies and singing. In 1962 his movie was Girls! Girls! Girls!

Another classic movie from the year is The Miracle Worker starring Patty Duke and Anne Bancroft. In this clip you can see how utterly young Patty Duke is. I actually remember watching this film in a class sometime in high school.

My final movie flashback in The Birdman of Alcatraz starring Burt Lancaster.

Now I picked these particular movies because they are movies I actually like from my birth year! I have seen all these movies more than once much to the shame of my children who can’t understand who watches movies in black & white! It just amazes them that color was not available when I was born - that makes me so utterly old in their eyes

Of course I can’t forget the television where the popular shows where: I’ve Got a Secret, Beverly Hillbillies, Route 66, The Flinstones, Price is Right, Ben Casey, The Dick Van Dyke show. But alas television was not on 24/7 in 1962, and reruns hadn’t caught on yet. 90% of US households own a Television Set

Maybe a book would be better to pick up: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee; Letting Go by Philip Roth; Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck; One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey; The Thin Red Line by James Jones; Happiness is a Warm Puppy by Charles Schultz

Does anyone else have ideas rumbling around their mind about items to discuss and post, but when sitting down to write all the rumbling ideas seem to run off into some long distance recess of a foggy brain? I have fabulous ideas to write about while I’m doing a hundred other things during the day, but put me in front of the keyboard my mind appears to take an immediate vacation. I’m hoping that my recent idea of flashbacks, looking at the past of what got me to here will help keep the flow of my thoughts together! I never thought of myself as scatter-brained but maybe it is a consideration I refuse to even consider it is an age factor. I am hoping to write daily about things within my life, but since I do go to college and have a family other travesties within my life can take priority. I want to look at a year at a time, but separate reviews of each. This is the outline I hope to follow:

Society in the Year, Music & Movies in the Year, Family in the year, Life in the year, Overview of the year

Of course all these in the years will be from my perspective because it is my reflections, reflections of my life. With my reflections will come my views, my opinions, how I seen life as I got to this point. I’m sure my point of life, my reflections of the fallacies of life will not be written as funny and humorous as the Creative Junkie. If you every really want to read life with a hoot you should read the reflections of her life! Check back, keep in touch, and I’ll start the posting.

1. What are the last three things you purchased?

• Groceries
  
• Light fixtures
  
• Paint brushes & rollers
  

2. What are the last three songs you downloaded? I don’t download music, not unless they remove all ‘Digital Rights Management’ junk. Until then I buy the CD allowing me to put it on all the computers, IPOD’s, & MP3’s in our home! So I’ll list the last 3 CD I purchased

• “Detours” by Sheryl Crow (I have every CD she has made!)
  
• “Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings” by Counting Crows
  
• “Rarities, B-Sides And Other Stuff, Volume II” by Sarah McLachlan
  

3. Where were the last three places you visited?

• Dayton, Ohio
  
• Daytona Beach, Florida
  
• St. Louis, Missouri
  

4. What are your three favorite movies?

• Valley of the Dolls
  
• To Sir With Love 
  
• A Summer’s Place
  

5. What are your three favorite possessions?

• My wedding band 
  
• My mother’ s wedding ring
  
• My photos & movies of my kids growing up
  

6. What three things can you not live without?

• Food (Ice Cream & Chips)
  
• Electricity
  
• Bed
  

7. What would be your three wishes?

• Enough money to clear all debt & let DH retire
  
• Wonderful futures for my girls
  
• A really long life
  

8. What are three things you have not done yet?

• Graduated from college
  
• Travel off the North American continent
  
• Watch all my kids grow up
  

9. What are your three favorite dishes?

• Anything Mexican
  
• Good Kansas City Bar-B-Que
  
• KC Strip Steak & baked potato
  

10. What three celebrities would you want to hang out with the most?

• John Travolta 
  
• Sandra Bullock 
  
• Audrey Hepburn (didn’t say they had to be alive!)
  

11. Name three things that freak you out.

• snakes 
  
• ticks 
  
• teaching a teen to drive
  

12. If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

• sassy
  
• confident
  
• happy
  

13. Name three unusual things you are good at.

• I have an exceptional memory
  
• I learn very fast, can teach myself most things
  
• I have never been truly lost, have a keen sense of direction
  

14. What are three things you are currently coveting?

• Could drop 40 lbs by getting an exercise routine set
  
• More education, would love several degrees
  
• A Ranch, raising horses
  

15. What three bloggers would you like tag?

• Anyone who wants to play.

The deal is to answer the following questions with one word answers.

1. Where is your cell phone? charging
2. Your significant other? Chuck
3. Your hair? curly
4. Your mother? heaven
5. Your father? distrustful
6. Your favorite thing? learning
7. Your dream last night? none
8 Your favorite drink? coffee
9. Your dream/goal? peacefulness
10. The room you’re in? computer
11. Your hobby? many
12. Your fear? falling
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? graduated
14. What you’re not? teen
15. Muffins? blueberry
16. One of your wish list items? traveling
17. Where you grew up? Kansas
18. The last thing you did? animals
19. What are you wearing? shorts
20. Favorite gadget? computer
21. Your pets? lots
22. Your computer? Dell
23. Your mood? tired
24. Missing someone? hubby
25. Your car? Honda
26. Something you’re not wearing? shoes
27. Favorite store? Kohl’s
28. Like someone? Love
29. Your favorite color? red
30. When is the last time you laughed? tonight
31. Last time you cried? yesterday

Meme a little meme of me.

1. What is your first name? Laura

2. What is your favorite food? Mexican

3. What high school did you attend? Olathe

4. What is your favorite color? Red

5. Who is your celebrity crush? Nicolas Cage

6. What is your favorite drink? Coffee

7. What is your dream vacation? Germany

8. You favorite dessert. Ice Cream

9. What would you like to be when you grow up? Computer Programmer

10. What do you love most in life? My family

11. What is one word that describes you. Unique

12. Your flickr name. Don’t have flicker name, generally Lauram62 everywhere, couldn’t find anything with Lauram62. Since already did Laura above search just m62.

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.