My pick for President

I suppose I should say something about the Presidential election, and my opinions on the topic. I have probably led readers astray since I did mention Huckabee awhile ago, and have said nothing on the topic since.

In general, the choices for President depress me, so I was in fact putting off considering it for as long as possible. But when some of the state leaders in the Huckabee campaign began to contact me inquiring if I would campaign for him, I decided I need to delve in and consider the subject.

I was disposed to choose Huckabee, for the simple reason that many of my friends were supporting him, and urging me to do likewise. Also, Georgia Right to Life endorsed him, and abortion is certainly an issue for me.

The more I researched Huckabee, the more alarmed I became. As Governor of Arkansas, he raised taxes 47% and state spending increased by more than 65%. I'm not sure what Huckabee means when he says he left the Governorship with a budget surplus because he left 1 billion in new debt! The Cato Institute gave him a grade of "F" in fiscal policy i for 2006 and a "D" for his entire tenure as Governor of Arkansas.

As if all of that isn't enough, he was endorsed by the NEA, and calls "No Child Let Behind" the greatest education reform effort by the federal government. As Governor of Arkansas, he signed into law some of the country's most restrictive homeschooling legislation.

Furthermore, Huckabee flip flops on issues. Earlier this fall he came out against state human life amendments, but when GRTL endorsed him and invited him to speak at their yearly Together for Life, he issued a public statement in support of human life amendments.

As far as his pro-life record, he passed a Human Life Amendment that will come into effect if Roe V. Wade is overturned. He was governor of Arkansas for 11 years, and abortion mills are still cranking out dead bodies, so quite frankly, rip roaring wop dee do. In fact, the number of abortions in 1996 (reported) was over 26,000! I'm tired of singing the praises of truly powerful pro-life politicians who claim victory in the face of thousands of dead Americans in their state. Now that I've seen behind the scenes abortion industry in Georgia, the laws are un-enforced, and the abortion numbers are totally inaccurate. This is probably true in more places than Georgia. Let's use our pro-life Governor as an example. If Governor Purdue would simply stand up for law currently on the books, the vast majority of abortion mills would close today. Governor Purdue was endorsed by GRTL and is considered to be very pro-life. The guy frankly told the AJC that he would not pursue any prolife legislation, but should it make it to his desk, he would sign it. Isn't that nice. I'm feeling warm and fuzzy already. All these politicians give the abortion issue lip service, and a human life amendment that doesn't even attempt to challenge Roe V. Wade, but rather sits on the back burner waiting for some other piece of legislation to do so, is simply not impressive.

Also, Huckabee did two speaking engagements for Novo Nordisk, the world's leading emryonic stem cell research firm, for a pretty penny of $35,000. Yeah, I know, they also specialize in diabetes and Huckabee is the adult onset diabetes poster child. But to actively promote the world's leading embryonic stem cell research firm is more than a little distasteful to me. And it isn't like Huckabee was strapped for cash and his family was starving to death.

Concerning starving to death, Huckabee dropped over 100 lbs, went on a health kick and is now judgmental of everyone else's health habits--to the extent of wanting to instate a nationwide smoking ban. Excuse me?

I'm going to vote for the one and only candidate who firmly believes in the Constitution, and has the humility to see himself as subordinate to the Constitution. What a concept. My man is Ron Paul. If you are interested in learning more, just google him. You can also visit ronpaul2008.com

Food for Thought

I bought Gabriel and Oliver the complete set of Beatrix Potter books for Christmas. Isn't Beatrix a lovely name? If I were to have another girl, I would name her Beatrix. Back to my point: Oliver doesn't care much for quiet activities like book reading, but Charles & Gabriel happily settle onto the sofa with me for some reading several times a day. The Beatrix books are nicely illustrated, and make the reader wish to be a little rabbit cozily arranged in a sandy floored burrow with a snug fire place, and well stuffed easy chair. The funny thing is that the food these "human like" animals eat is not human food. The owls eat minced mouse pies, and the squirrels have acorn cocktails. I do wish Beatrix had considered this more carefully. When two moles are chatting with each other and then share a worm pie--it is quite gruesome. It would be different if they remained animal like, digging tunnels by day, joining little cool noses and twitching whiskers and then eat a worm of two. But to sit at a table all dignified and not have something delightful like a breakfast of fried ham and poached eggs--I don't know. There isn't something quite right about that.

Wind in the Willows is very different in this respect. Animals arrayed in British clothing of a more genteel era, have the most delightful luncheon baskets filled to the brim with crocks of pickles, bottles of root beer, tins of sardines, fresh bread and sweet butter, sausages, hardboiled eggs, and raspberry tarts. Mmmm. Raspberry tarts. Within a few short paragraphs I'm ready to roll up my sleeves, get out my tart pans and make some raspberry tarts. Then I remember that it will take me two hours to produce 8 good sized tarts, which will be devoured by my family of eight in less than 10 minutes. I content myself with another cup of hot tea, perhaps some shortbread or fudge, light a candle, and read on about Toad and Mole and the Water Rat.

Speaking of food, last night I actually had the presence of mind to consider breakfast for the following day. I decided to put steel cut oats in the crockpot--something I had been wanting to try for awhile. It turned the oats into the most delightful creamy mixture. It was very nice to finally emerge from my room a little before 8 this morning and have breakfast ready to be spooned out. With big pats of butter and nice scoopfuls of brown sugar, and a glass of orange juice--mmm. Quite lovely. Personally, I don't actually eat breakfast. I prefer several mugs of coffee first thing, and then a piece of toast around 10:30 or 11.

At some point I need to stop nibbling. A little ham, some summer sausage, a piece of dill havarti-oh, did you get out the caramel corn? I'd like just a bit. You should try a piece of this rosemary bread. Want a little butter? At this rate I'll have to resurrect some self-control of yesteryear and go on a shake diet.

I did get my bicycle out the other day and attached the baby seat to the back. My dad positioned Gabriel in the seat, and I put on his little helmet. We went three times around the neighborhood. It was very fun, and I discovered that I'm quite out of shape. Also, it is a little different riding a bicycle with a little one behind you. I don't generally think about crashing or trouble myself with extra caution. But when you add an innocent small rider, suddenly the pathway is fraught with possible danger. Maybe I should put Oliver on the back. I wouldn't feel quite as guilty to crash with him on board. He would in all likelihood enjoy the experience and ask to do it again.

Not working

If you would like to see our family Christmas photo, you'll have to go to my Facebook site because for some reason I can't upload the files here.

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning we all slept in. I had actually gotten each of the kids a gift the day before, but they didn't know that, so they weren't in any rush. When I emerged from my room with an arm full of presents, they were delighted! It is definitely a wise idea to lower expectation.

I gave each of the kids books. A nice quiet gift. For some strange reason the pictures are not all downloading. Arrgghhh.

Vacation time is here

Jon has arrived home from work. He brought Taco Bell, so dinner has been scarfed down in record time. He's on vacation until the end of the year. Since my desk is piled high with work, I'm jealous. But it will be nice for the kids to have one attentive parent for two weeks.

We are supposed to leave for a two week camping trip tomorrow. But unfortunately, I had a last minute work load come up, and a trip is quite out of the question.

The children have really been very good about the whole thing. I had a meeting for 1 hour 45 minutes this afternoon- they all sat in the car with lunch and a movie. Afterwards on the way home, they discussed the fact that this Christmas there will be no presents. They decided that it didn't matter at all, they would just be happy to have the attention of their parents for the entire day. This either means my kids are really neat people, or my husband and I have neglected them to the point that the bar has been reachably lowered.

I have decided to celebrate the first evening with candles and a glass of wine. The kids are watching a movie on the nativity. What happened to nightly Christmas specials this month? Last year, CBS Family did 25 days of Christmas, and we were really looking forward to it this year. We have already watched The Christmas Story this month, the one based on the novel, We trust in God, all others pay cash--a family tradition since Jonathan was 3. I really need to get a version that doesn't have so many cuss words.

So next week, we'll go to the zoo, bake cookies, roast marshmallows in the fireplace, and most importantly, on Christmas day, get all the train tracks out, and set up a train track all over the downstairs. The kids are exceedingly excited about that prospect.

On the one hand, I'm a little sad not to have a pile of wrapped presents and a Christmas tree. But on the other hand, this is what Christmas really should be all about. Giving. We have given all that we are and have these last 7 months, and will continue to do so, until Georgia re-establishes the right to life. The children will always remember the sacrifices that we made for our Georgia and our country. I hope they grow up to become useful humans, eager to leave the world a better place than they found it, and give God's love, not on the end of a long handled silver spoon, but by holding people close, and helping them reach their Savior, and experience their full potential.

These past 7 months have shown me that working full time in this great work has not pulled me from my family--it has instead brought all of us closer together, recognizing the gift a big family is, and the joy of working together on an important task.

Enough warm fuzzy gushing.

Back to my "normal" self

Yesterday afternoon I took a two hour nap, and then went to bed at 9:30. I woke up refreshed and ready for new trouble. So I've stirred up a couple of lovely things for the next four days of combating the world of evil, which I think will be fun and rejuvenating. Now if I could just get through this paper work.

This afternoon when I went to pick up Charles from school, Jonathan and caroline asked me to please pick up bread and milk. I tried to get them to believe that it would be very fun to see how long we could possibly go without buying groceries. They weren't interested until I added that if we could manage to go for the next two weeks without darkening the door of a grocery store, I'd be willing to take them to the restaurant of their choice for dinner. Caroline immediately said with great enthusiasm," Like Golden Corral?" Jonathan's sense of taste was a bit more developed--his vote, Maggianos.

Back when I only had two kids I had a little contest with myself to see how long I could go with spending only $25 a week on groceries. Jon's parents came for a visit during one of those weeks. There was no half and half, no butter, no milk, no OJand several other staples were not available. Margaret opened the fridge to discover bare shelves. When you think of it like a contest, it is practically a badge of honor to survive on so little.

If I had a best friend who lived next door, it could add to the excitement. We could try all sorts of things. How long can we go without refilling the gas tank, buying groceries, talking on the phone. A whole new book of Guiness world records would develop.

When I was pregnant with Jonathan and we were so very poor, I remember plugging in each appliance one at a time, and running out to check the electric meter to measure just how much electricity it was costing us to run certain items. I did stop using some things just for that reason. And yes, we were truly that poor.

I'm officially desensitized

Which could of course, be a good thing. This morning in a very tired stupor, I was going through the accumulation of "stuff" deposited in the kitchen as a result of cleaning out the car. I think it would be more productive to simply open the back of the car, speed up and slam on the brakes. I could do this at a dump yard so as not to pollute the general neighborhood environment.

Anyway, back to my story, though at this point I would like to delve into pontificating on all the meaningless bits of property we own that eats up what little time we have, as we pick it up and place it somewhere else repeatedly for years on end. I was going through the stuff on the little desk in the kitchen when I observed a very large cockroach. To the blog audience, this will not surprise you since Oliver has been bringing them in, and occasionally forgetting to take them back out, for years. Anyway, this particular roach was so large and still that I figured it was a plastic bug toy. I stood looking at it very carefully, gave it a little nudge with a magazine, and when the antenna twitched, realized that it was very much alive. At this time I was enjoying observing it, and noticed how it climbed up and seemed to look around to discover from whence the nudge had come.

Perhaps I was drawn into this because of my deliriously tired state having gone to bed at 2am and gotten up at 7am (not the kind of work one does sitting at a desk, but the kind of work one does washing dishes, pans, etc from a fundraiser dinner for 35). Whatever the case, I finally shook the brainwebs from my cob, stopped the curiosity on the personalities of bugs and called Oliver in to personally escort the bug to the backyard-which he joyfully did.

In other news, Vivian recognizes the name Ron Paul. She has this very adorable Ron Paul chant. Today when I was running some errands, whenever I walked past the Ron Paul bumper stickers on the back of the car (yes, that was stickers, plural) she would immediately begin chanting Ron Paul. I experimented with different signs and Ron Paul type to see if it was really the lettering and not the coloring. I feel fairly confident that she recognizes the name.

A short update-Well, hopefully short

Oliver has been very upset because the lizard hunting has been scarce. But Charles discovered a lizard in the house this morning. I guess it has been surviving indoors for two weeks now. It was left in Oliver's pocket, and thankfully escaped before the washer machine got it.

I left the children with a sitter all day today, since I had so many meetings in downtown Atlanta. Oliver was releasing and recatching the lizard for fun. The sitter, Ms. Jean, went to get a drink, and suddenly Oliver was gone. He had wandered over to Bo's to check his bushes for lizards, but of course, Jean didn't think to check there. She frantically checked the house hollering. I think Oliver enjoyed the fact that someone noticed he was gone.

Sunday night we went to Jon's parents' house because his grandmother was dying. Monday night we went again. Tuesday night just Jon and the kids went over. Wednesday night Little MorMor died. Thursday morning I explained to the children that Little MorMor had died. They were ready for it and just listened and accepted the news. We went over to Jon's parents' house Thursday night, and the children and I wandered around Little MorMor's apartment. She had little Bible verses written out and pinned to things here and there. It was strange that she wasn't sitting in her little chair with her reading lamp on, knitting or doing crossword puzzles. No one cried, but we were all sad and felt a little empty and strange being in the cozy apartment with the big AGA stove radiating heat without having Little MorMor there.

Her death prompted a lot of discussion and questions. Was she underground yet? Would she be buried in a pine box like Big Grandpa? Did she like heaven?

Vivian has a new trick of chanting "Ron Paul, Ron Paul". She grins real big and claps her hands excited. Little MorMor would think it was the cutest thing. When she held a great grandbaby in the kitchen she would say, "The best we have we put on the table," and then she would put the baby on the table.

Little MorMor will be missed. Maybe we didn't burst into tears, but there is a little achey hollow for the warmth and joy the children had when sitting on the little footstool by her special chair, chatting with her, or looking at her giant picture books, or just watching her knit. We have joy that we will all be reunited in heaven one day.

I have heard and will answer!

My audience has responded and blog entries are too long. I guess it is better to write a single paragraph daily, rather than a weekly epistle.

Yesterday, Oliver and Charles caught a great big spider which they carried around in a container all morning. I heard Oliver say to Charles, "Ok, Let's say we put an ant with the spider. What do you think? Would the ant be the winner or the spider?" Not all that funny, but rather cute.

I was putting Oliver's suit on last night for the 3rd time this week, and he said, "Mom, we never do anything fun." I responded," What are you talking about. I took you to a funeral on Monday, a conference tonight, and tomorrow night we're going to a wedding."

I've been sick since late Sunday night. Not the sort of illness that is the gift that keeps on giving. Rather it's what I get whenever I am completely worn down. Sore throat, constant headache, general fatigue. Unfortunately, I did not write in my calendar to be sick this week, so there hasn't been an opportunity to get enough sleep, much less extra rest. I know if I just rested for a day, I'd be back to "normal". Aaaaarrrrggghhh.

On a very happy note, I found a highschool friend on Facebook. I was in 8th-12th grade with Jake, I think....maybe it was 9th-12th.

Mmm. Lemon Zinger tea. Would you like some?