Today, I fall into the apparently small minority in the United States that is NOT rejoicing that Barack Obama is the new president-elect. Yeah, yeah, it's historic that a man of color was elected & all that pap.
But I have serious concerns about Obama. I am concerned about his woeful lack of experience in navigating the dicey waters of international affairs. I am alarmed at his religious ambiguity. I dread the changes Obama has vowed to implement.
I was underwhelmed by McCain, as well. But I saw McCain as the lesser of two evils.
Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be one hell of a ride for the next four years.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Cotton Candy and Time Passing
Here's cutie Reilly with a big old hunk of cotton candy.Where do the years go? Reilly looks EXACTLY like her mother did as a child. I can remember Amy as a baby just like it was yesterday.
Yes, yes, I know that's what all old farts say...but daggone it, it's true...
More Cuteness
Amy took the kids to a friend's house for a visit. Andrew thought the dog's bed was a mighty fine place to chill out!Andrew's First Birthday!
Andrew turned one on July 10. Here's the birthday boy with his two great-grandfathers, Pop-Pop Kavanagh and Pop-Pop Hiltz.
Andrew with his daddy, Buster, and one of his grandfathers, Pop Buddy.
The birthday boy enjoying a french fry on his big dayCinderella - Steven Curtis Chapman
The inspiration for this song was Steven's youngest daughters, Stevey Joy and Maria.
Jennifer LOVES this song, and wanted it added here.
Listen to the words, with tissues in hand. You'll need them...
Bravery
A picture of a very brave man...singer Steven Curtis Chapman performed in concert tonight for the first time since the death of his daughter, Maria Sue.
He opened "with the first song that came to mind on the evening on May 21", (the day Maria died) "Blessed Be Your Name".
Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy 4th of July
A day for enjoying the simple pleasures. A beautiful sunny day. To the movies to see "Kit Kittredge - American Girl". A little shopping and dinner at Panera. Painting our fingers and toes with red and blue nail polish for the holiday. Talking to family back in Maryland. Jen and I enjoying our time spent together.
No need to seek out fireworks...our neighbors will be setting off plenty of them at dusk. We'll be entertained for hours.
And thankful, always thankful, for the blessings and freedom we enjoy.
Monday, June 30, 2008
All Fall Down
As I've mentioned before, our tiny house has eight huge trees in the back yard. Four are shade trees, four are pine trees.
One week ago, the dog and I narrowly escaped death when a huge pine branch plummeted to the ground, just after we had been in the yard. Initially, I thought it might have been a random rotten branch.
No more. We have had thunderstorms nearly every day this past week, and with every storm, more large, rotted branches are coming down. Thankfully, none have done any damage to the house, the electrical wires, or the AC unit.
One huge branch is hanging precariously above the back door, even as I write this. This one's a monster, and it will definitely produce the big bang when it falls.
When we moved in, the landlord mentioned that he should "do something" about the trees, but he never did. Now nature is taking its course, and the branches are coming down about us, and, with the house being foreclosed upon, the landlord isn't about to spend the money now to address the tree situation.
The forecast for this afternoon is for more thunderstorms with high winds. Hopefully, when the hanging branch comes down, it will clear the house as the others have...
One week ago, the dog and I narrowly escaped death when a huge pine branch plummeted to the ground, just after we had been in the yard. Initially, I thought it might have been a random rotten branch.
No more. We have had thunderstorms nearly every day this past week, and with every storm, more large, rotted branches are coming down. Thankfully, none have done any damage to the house, the electrical wires, or the AC unit.
One huge branch is hanging precariously above the back door, even as I write this. This one's a monster, and it will definitely produce the big bang when it falls.
When we moved in, the landlord mentioned that he should "do something" about the trees, but he never did. Now nature is taking its course, and the branches are coming down about us, and, with the house being foreclosed upon, the landlord isn't about to spend the money now to address the tree situation.
The forecast for this afternoon is for more thunderstorms with high winds. Hopefully, when the hanging branch comes down, it will clear the house as the others have...
Saturday, June 28, 2008
They're Finally Here!
From left, Maria, Sofi, Jennifer, and Haley.
Today we went to the MOSH for Sofi's ninth birthday party. The Birthday Girl is sporting a tiara and holding a Webkinz that Jen gave her. A wonderful time had by all.
Jennifer and I cut out of the festivities a bit early, because my mother and sister flew down to see us. They were supposed to come in April, but a family emergency forced them to cancel the visit the night before they were due to arrive. They'll be here until Tuesday. Jen has already decamped to the hotel, as she's a girl that has always liked a good hotel room.
Funny, everyone will say to me that this gives me time to myself. All I seem to do is rattle about the house, chatting to the pets, while trying to figure out what to do with my free time. Well, I did live large and paint my fingernails. Yes, it's great living the glamorous life!
I always tease Jen prior to the visits and say to her, "Let the spoiling begin." And so it has...She's already got her back to school wardrobe, courtesy of Mom-Mom, and two new bathing suits, thanks to Aunt Diane. Yes, two...one that's left at Uncle Paul and Uncle Ken's house. while the other stays at ours.
Tomorrow it's off to St. Augustine, our traditional trip every time the family visits, then back to the hotel to get in some swimming before the afternoon thunderstorms.
It's SO good to see my mom and sister. Now if we could just persuade everyone to move here...
Jennifer and I cut out of the festivities a bit early, because my mother and sister flew down to see us. They were supposed to come in April, but a family emergency forced them to cancel the visit the night before they were due to arrive. They'll be here until Tuesday. Jen has already decamped to the hotel, as she's a girl that has always liked a good hotel room.
Funny, everyone will say to me that this gives me time to myself. All I seem to do is rattle about the house, chatting to the pets, while trying to figure out what to do with my free time. Well, I did live large and paint my fingernails. Yes, it's great living the glamorous life!
I always tease Jen prior to the visits and say to her, "Let the spoiling begin." And so it has...She's already got her back to school wardrobe, courtesy of Mom-Mom, and two new bathing suits, thanks to Aunt Diane. Yes, two...one that's left at Uncle Paul and Uncle Ken's house. while the other stays at ours.
Tomorrow it's off to St. Augustine, our traditional trip every time the family visits, then back to the hotel to get in some swimming before the afternoon thunderstorms.
It's SO good to see my mom and sister. Now if we could just persuade everyone to move here...
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Gone, Baby, Gone -
- That would be the furniture we put out for the Dumpster Divers to help themselves to. Yes indeed, as of 4pm today, it's ALL been carted away. I made some woman in a blue SUV very happy...she snatched it up. And she made me happy as well. That's fewer items we'll have to move, once we find our new place.
She also spared our tender and delicate trash collectors. They are very choosy in their trash pickup. If they deem an item or a can too heavy, they won't take it.
Every Thursday finds me at the curb, lovingly staging my trash to make sure it gets picked up the next morning. Though I have three large trashcans, with wheels, I only put one bag in each of them. Any remaining bags, should there be any, are placed neatly beside the cans.
You see, it's too much of an effort for the collectors to wheel the cans five feet from the curb to the back of the truck. They would rather take the lids off the trashcans, throw them down into the storm drain, then lift the bags out of the cans one at a time and carry them over to the truck. Then, as a parting gift, they'll give the trashcans a toss, sending them into the storm drain with the lids. Occasionally, they'll surprise me, and just toss the lids and cans in the near vicinity of the driveway.
I've already staged the trash for tomorrow morning. I'm on a roll. Hmmm...what can I put out next for the Divers?
She also spared our tender and delicate trash collectors. They are very choosy in their trash pickup. If they deem an item or a can too heavy, they won't take it.
Every Thursday finds me at the curb, lovingly staging my trash to make sure it gets picked up the next morning. Though I have three large trashcans, with wheels, I only put one bag in each of them. Any remaining bags, should there be any, are placed neatly beside the cans.
You see, it's too much of an effort for the collectors to wheel the cans five feet from the curb to the back of the truck. They would rather take the lids off the trashcans, throw them down into the storm drain, then lift the bags out of the cans one at a time and carry them over to the truck. Then, as a parting gift, they'll give the trashcans a toss, sending them into the storm drain with the lids. Occasionally, they'll surprise me, and just toss the lids and cans in the near vicinity of the driveway.
I've already staged the trash for tomorrow morning. I'm on a roll. Hmmm...what can I put out next for the Divers?
Bon Jovi - Living on a Prayer
Just because it's time for an 80's flashback and because Jon Bon Jovi is still so darn cute!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Go Figure...
The Big Purge has started. Now that we know we definitely have to move, we're starting to get rid of things we don't want to take with us.
Early this morning, I hauled several items to the curb. Our trash pickup is every Friday, but we have a lot of Dumpster Diver traffic that passes through the neighborhood, so I figure most of the goodies I'm putting out will be long gone by the time the trash truck rolls through on Friday morning.
Today I put out two small wood tables, two chairs that were used in the back yard, and the kitchen chairs. Nice stuff, but I just don't want to move them yet again. This time, we're traveling with only what we really want and use. Oh, I also put out a stack of broken flowerpots...about 6 of them.
The flowerpots were at one time quite lovely. I had sealed, painted, and decorated them. Then a neighbor hit them with his lawn mower. Don't ask; you don't want to know the details. So you could say they were basically a pile of painted terracotta chunks that had once been flowerpots.
I was sure the furniture would be gone by now. Just a few minutes ago, I looked out the window. The only thing missing from the pile is the flowerpot shards! Yeah, yeah, one man's trash is another man's treasure; I KNOW that. But go figure...
Early this morning, I hauled several items to the curb. Our trash pickup is every Friday, but we have a lot of Dumpster Diver traffic that passes through the neighborhood, so I figure most of the goodies I'm putting out will be long gone by the time the trash truck rolls through on Friday morning.
Today I put out two small wood tables, two chairs that were used in the back yard, and the kitchen chairs. Nice stuff, but I just don't want to move them yet again. This time, we're traveling with only what we really want and use. Oh, I also put out a stack of broken flowerpots...about 6 of them.
The flowerpots were at one time quite lovely. I had sealed, painted, and decorated them. Then a neighbor hit them with his lawn mower. Don't ask; you don't want to know the details. So you could say they were basically a pile of painted terracotta chunks that had once been flowerpots.
I was sure the furniture would be gone by now. Just a few minutes ago, I looked out the window. The only thing missing from the pile is the flowerpot shards! Yeah, yeah, one man's trash is another man's treasure; I KNOW that. But go figure...
Oh, NO! A Sequel Is Coming!
Late yesterday, after work, I was feeding my mind and reading People magazine online. To my horror, I read that Disney is planning a sequel to the dreadful "Camp Rock". Thankfully, it won't be released until sometime next year.
The first one was bad enough...and that stinkeroo is going to be eventually released on DVD!
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