RIP Chickie, Black, and Red (3/25/06-6/24/08)

In order to make room for the new chickens, we had to (ahem) "retire" the old ones.  We all knew this day was coming, and that this was "fulfilling the measure of their creation", but it was still difficult for me.  I'm glad they had a good life, not like battery cage chickens.

My sweet Mister took care of everything, making sure I didn't see anything that would be upsetting.  He came and told me after that he vocally thanked each chicken for providing us food before killing it, which made me feel better.

The boys wanted to see them (after they were plucked and cleaned) and were surprisingly not upset- although they thought it was gross.  We talked about how we were so grateful to the chickens for giving us eggs and now meat.  I think it's good for them to see where their food comes from.  

Mr. Gordon, Fred, Mario, and Little Jerry all seem to be doing well, and as far as we can tell, are all hens (although we're not so sure about little jerry (which is especially funny if you're a seinfeld fan)).  They are getting huge and are really hard to feed in the pen in the garage, because when you take the top off the fly up at you.  It's a little scary, and I've thought about wearing safety goggles (my eyes! my eyes!).

They'll be thankful for the larger pen out in the fresh air and sunlight. 

Joining the Circus

My sis (Hi M!) and I signed up for an aerial dance class together.  It isn't something I would have ever done on my own, so I'm especially grateful to M for asking me....

I love it.  Ever since our class last night, I've been trying to figure out how to hang silks from the ceiling in my house.  We decided that we need a barn.  

Note... This picture is not me, and I didn't do anything that interesting, but it gives you an idea of what I'm doing.  It didn't seem all that difficult, exercise-wise, except that I could tell my hands were going to be sore, but by the time class was over, I was out of breath and felt like I'd had a pretty good work out.  

Why I still read the Trib comments....

Usually the comments on articles are mormon bashing, and I try (unsuccessfully) to not read them.  This article, although not funny in itself (I don't advocate laughing at people who get attacked with shovels, really!), had the best comments.  My Mister and I sat last night (granted it was late) and laughed so hard we were nearly crying.

Check out the articleHERE, and if you need a link directly to the comments it's HERE

Rereading them this morning, they're not quite so rolling-on-the-floor-funny, but still amusing.

Here are the comments just in case they disappear from online...

This is the kind of headline newspaper people fantasize about!

A shovel? He may have been planning on more than urinating. (having a dog that we do poop scoop duty for, this one is my favorite)

It will be interesting when the name of the criminal is released.

I wondered where all my neighbors moved to.

Never bother a man urinating on your lawn while he is holding a shovel.

Looks like someone needs to be more discreet with their public urination. Its a skill that takes time, but once mastered, the world can become your urinal..

Not for the women :-(

Men have the power to water down bugs while camping and can write their name in the snow with urine. Maybe thats why "MEN" think they should rule the world.

Yard Updates on the house blog

House Blog Updates

Things that make you think it will all work out.

We've had a difficult time adjusting to having J home during the day. It feels a little bit like he is always in trouble, and I have been wondering if I need to let some things go, or keep doing what I'm doing in hopes that eventually he'll start listening and obeying. It's nice to know that even though they argue and yell and sometimes even hit each other, that they still love each other. (at least during cartoon time)

Rule of the Day...

If it looks nasty, put cheese on it.

I warmed up some spinach that I had frozen awhile back, and ran it through the food processor. I mixed it with baby rice cereal because CP seems to eat anything if it's mixed with rice cereal.

It looked disgusting. I didn't even want to test it to make sure it wasn't too hot. So I melted some cheese into it. It actually tasted okay. Not something I'd seek out for lunch or anything, but better than mashed up green beans for sure. He ate several bites and enthusiastically signed for more. Then all of a sudden he must have realized I was trying to pull one over on him because he signed "all done" and wouldn't take another bite, not even when I flew the spoon at his mouth with appropriate motorcycle and/or airplane noises.

We'll try again at lunch tomorrow.

Raise your hand if you had soggy cereal this morning.

I think it must be a mom thing. As soon as I pour milk on my cereal, all of my children start needing something, and by the time I get back to my bowl of whatever cereal was on sale, it's nothing but a soggy mess. I either need to learn to eat cereal dry, or hide in a closet to eat.

Today, A wanted a snack (really, a snack? I haven't even had breakfast yet!) and I had of course, just poured the milk. I told him I'd help him after I ate my cereal. He suggested putting it in the fridge so it wouldn't get soggy. He wouldn't give up. Thankfully I had just shoved the last bit of food in my mouth when I saw him scooping yogurt into a bowl, and was able to "help" him before we had a yogurt table cloth.

I'm not sure speed eating beats soggy cereal. Maybe, but just barely.

Today's A-ism

Did you know that, "Mindiana Jones has a bendy whapper"?

A says so.

If you can't figure out what a bendy whapper is, just ask.

My own About You non-email forward

You know how it goes... Copy and paste, then replace my answers with yours. You can thank me for not sending an email forward later (just kidding, I like getting those from friends!).

1. What does your spouse call you? Al

2. What do you bake/cook that you do better than anyone you know? I like most of the food I make, but especially my stir fry, and my cheesecake and orange rolls, and swedish pancakes, and butter mints (although I get the orange roll/cheesecake/butter mint talent/recipes from my mom (who got them from other family members).

3. What is the most important thing you do for yourself? I use to go running, but I've gotten a bit lazy about that. Now it's probably having time to myself to blog or read or play online scrabble.

4. What is your favorite thing to do with your kids? I love bedtime. I love how they smell after a bath, with clean damp hair while they sit with me and read a book. I also like to run around with them on the grass until we get so tired that we all fall down. I also love listening to them play together or by themselves and hearing the things they come up with.

5. What was the last date you went on with your spouse? I think we maybe went to Ikea? We usually get movies and have popcorn and smoothies at home. We are going to see two plays in June in Cedar City, which I am super excited about.

6. What made you smile recently? On tuesday night, I was at YW's, and my Mister was out in the yard. The kids were supposed to be in bed. My Mister had just mixed cement for the basketball stand when he heard A screaming. By the time he had the cement in place, and made it inside, A was in his bed asleep. He asked J why A was screaming, and J said that A went to the bathroom and needed help wiping. Since no parents were there to do the job, J helped him. I'm so proud of my boy! He does things like that fairly often, and it makes me think that he's growing up just fine, even if sometimes he doesn't listen as well as I think he should.

7. Where would you most like to be right now? Home with my family, during a power outage (as long as it was only a couple of hours before the power came back on).

8. What is your favorite job to do around the house? Vacuuming, maybe? I'm not so fond of doing jobs around the house, but I love how the house looks when it is clean, and there is something satisfying about having the lines from the vacuum all match up (OCD anyone?).

9. What is your least favorite job around the house? Folding laundry. I don't do it. (Thank you Mister)

10. What should you be doing right now, instead of answering my silly about you questions? Cleaning my house. :)

Coffee Tables are not for the belly

A said to me, "My teacher said we shouldn't drink coffee".

I said, "That's right, we don't drink coffee".

He said, "Then why do we have a coffee table?".

He suggested we call it a water table, or a milk table, or an orange juice table.

Baby Vampire

Racing Dad

The boys like to ride their bikes to the park, it's especially fun racing dad on the way home! (J is in the stroller with the CP because losing his bike riding privilege is one of the more effective consequences to not obeying).

In the second picture A is about to crash, but he immediately hopped up and said, "I'm Okay".

Baby Fauxhawk

CP is the puppy. He loves everyone and gives smiles to anyone who passes within his range of vision. LG is the kitty, who makes you work for his attention.

We had so much fun seeing LG (and his parents) during their break from school!

Story Time

We were late getting to bed tonight, so instead of reading a book to A, I told him a short story, and then he told one to me...

"Once there was a dinosaur, and his name was Bip-G and he was digging for treasure. He digged and he digged, and he found....nuffing! Then he digged another hole, and more and more and more and more holes, and then he found a mom dinosaur, and her name was Bip-D, and they looked for treasure and they found some...little teeth (said as he saw me smiling at him, because he was so adorable) and some little eyes, and HUGE dinosaur bones, and a house.

The End"

As I said goodnight, I told him to have some good dreams about his dinosaurs, and he said he'd dream about a huge dinosaur named Bip-A.

I have no idea where those names came from, but at least he has a theme going.

The Pain and the Joy (maybe that should be the Joy then the Pain?)!

The landscaping company finally came to grade our lot, which means we can start doing stuff in the yard. My Mr. had built three raised beds awhile back (back when we thought we could start on our yard stuff...) and the landscapers actually filled them with dirt* while they were grading, which was very nice, and saved us a lot of money and time.

Yesterday I planted Amish Paste tomatoes, a cherry tomato (I don't know how that one got in my cart, I didn't mean to buy it), a grape tomato, and one heirloom big slicing tomato that I can't remember the name of at the moment, and 6 beefsteak type tomatoes. I also planted 6 bell pepper plants and 6 anaheim peppers. We're planning on lots of salsa this fall.

Today I planted one long hill with several Kabocha squash seeds (I use to think my favorite squash was acorn, but I think kabocha's are edging them out), corn, beans, peas, two hills of zucchini, and pumpkins. I can hardly wait for things to start sprouting.

You'll notice (or not) that a chunk of the raised bed in the front of the picture isn't planted and doesn't have compost added to it (if you didn't notice, it's not planted and doesn't have compost added to it), you also may notice that the raised beds are HUGE, and way too wide to get at the center without stepping into the garden. It's not ideal, but it was necessary for the chicken coop to be able to fit inside the raised beds- no more dead grass (hopefully) surrounding the chicken coop, since the chickens won't be able (hopefully) to reach the grass from up in the bed. We'll also rotate the coop each year to spread the "fertilizer" around.

All the digging and bending has made my back REALLY sore, but it's a good pain.

*dirt, not soil, because the stuff we have out here is very heavy clay with little to no organic matter. It's going to take a lot of amending to turn it into soil.

Support Kyle

As anyone who reads my blog must already know, Kyle (My Mister) is running for the House of Representatives in district 20. He is doing it because he believes that it's time for more of us (you know us, regular citizens) to get involved in our state government. We have to remind the current legislators that they are not doing their job (representing us), and that we deserve and expect better.

Kyle supports public education, ethics reform, and affordable health care for all Utahns. For more information see his blog, and coming soon, his campaign website.

Please make a donation to support Kyle, also consider becoming a fund raiser, go to Act Blue to send emails to your friends and family.

Every dollar matters.

You can donate using the act blue donation box in the side bar of my blog.

BPA and Fear Mongering

I somehow missed the original hubub over BPA or Bisphenol A, and have continued as with my previous two children, to feed my baby with bottles that could cause cancer.

Part of me figures, my other kids drank from those bottles and they're fine, this is just fear mongering, trying to get consumers to toss all their plastic stuff and go shopping for "safer" products. The other part of me wonders if I should join in and go buy some glass baby bottles.

From the things I have read, it seems that putting boiling water in the bottles, microwaving them, and washing them in the dishwasher are what we should be most concerned about, although I can't find anything that says whether the plastic continues to leach the chemical after one washing/microwaving, or if it just leaches at a higher level while it is hot. If that is the case, it seems like it would be fine to just stop microwaving the formula in the bottle (which I know I'm not supposed to do anyway).

I found an interesting article called Truth and Rumors Muddy Plastics Debate and it says that in the rat research, the rats are injected with BPA, which our bodies would deal with very differently than the way we would absorb the chemical, which makes me think it's not a big deal for adults. The article also says that in infants and fetuses, because their bodies don't metabolize things the same was as an adult, it didn't make a difference if baby rats or rat fetuses were injected with BPA or if they swallowed it, it was equally harmful.

I guess the good news is that my baby just turned one, and really shouldn't be drinking from bottles anymore anyway, so I just have to make sure his cups are safe and we're good to go

Until the next scare.

What do you get when you cross a Pear and a Carrot?

A Parrot!

A says they make good snacks, at least the pear part, since he didn't really want to eat carrots.

A. A Wash Cloth, A Bandaid, A partially emptied Kit Kat Wrapper and the Camcorder charger cord

Q. Things CP tried to eat this morning, so far.

I saw him with the bandaid and wondered where he got it, until I saw the wash cloths all over the floor and the box of bandaids dumped out into the drawer. Just prior to that, I heard rustling sounds and peeked over at him and saw him trying to devour a mini kit kat wrapper, which for some strange reason had just a bit of kit kat left in it (Someone else must have eaten that kit kat, because I would never leave a partially eaten kit kat sitting around).

In other news, A told me recently that we needed to purchase two more humans.

Originally he wanted to buy a blue car, but I told him that we wouldn't all fit in a car, he then pointed out that we have two empty seats in the van. He's been trained well (maybe) that we shouldn't waste resources, so naturally he wanted to fill those empty spots right up. "We need to buy two humans mom".

Hmmm, good luck with that.

Finally, on Sunday I saw the most adorable little girl I think I have ever seen. Maybe not the most adorable, but there was something about her that caught my attention. Maybe she reminded me of me. Whatever it was, she made me really want a little girl. Almost bad enough to forget that I already have a baby, and that I've got my hands full at the moment (CP just tried to eat his daddy's glasses, and everything else left out on the night stand- I think our house needs to be more clutter-free).

The Rest of The Rest

The Rest

I was having a hard time uploading pictures of C's birthday party, so I stopped, meaning to go back and add the ones of the cake eating, but forgot.

So here are some, since I'm still having a hard time uploading pictures

Best of 2008

I got an email from Salt Lake City Weekly letting me know that my diaper store won "Best Diaper Dandies". I'm not sure if I should be honored or if it's just because I'm pretty much the only place around here that sells cloth diapers locally.

Still, it's very cool.

Best of 2008

I'm seventh down on the page.

Happy First Birthday C!

If you can't tell, it's a bumblebee sitting on a flower.


In case you think I forgot the stinger (which I did) here it is...


Opening Gits...


Help blowing out his candle...

Too much

I just read that New Kids on the Block are getting back together.

I'm speechless.

(My seventh grade locker partner (hi K!) loved them, so maybe she'll be excited!)

April Fools

J&A weren't sure what to think about the weird breakfast dad made them this morning, until they realized it was a Dr. Suess Breakfast.

You do not like them so you say, try them try them and you may, try them and you may, I say.

Updates...

Updates to our house.  We're finally getting things put on the walls, and it's feeling more and more like home.  

Updates to my Mr's already busy schedule.  My Mr. is running for the House of Representatives.  I'm so proud of him.  Anyone interested in volunteering in the campaign should email him (his contact info should be on his site- follow the link).  As a quick primer in all things political (just kidding) we watched Mr. Smith Goes to Washington a couple of nights ago.  Look out Utah State Legislature!  

Updates on the new chickens:Clock-wise from the top: Mario, Fred, Little Jerry and Mr. Gordon. (and yes, they are all hens (as far as we know)).  The bigger they get, the more I think about having to put the old chickens in the freezer.  It's not the freezer part that has me worried.  It's the what happens before they can go in the freezer.  I'm letting my Mr. take care of that part, because while I think I can handle eating them, I know I would have a hard time killing something that we named.  (and sorry to anyone we have named chickens after- killing them isn't some sort of statement about our relationship)

Updates on C.

We bought 12 of these totes to store eggs in for our city youth council's easter egg hunt. We figured we had close to 7000 eggs this year, and probably got 5-6000 back at the end. Our goal is 10,000 eggs next year.

Hey, what a fun box to be in!

I'm not so sure about the whole being-buried-in-eggs-thing... If he turns out to be deathly afraid of the easter bunny and refuses to participate in easter egg hunts, we'll know where it came from.

Well, mom and dad are smiling, maybe it's not so bad... (he was really happy when we pulled him out though)

Being a kid's a dangerous job...

...And safety's important (especially when you're watching cartoons)...

Map to NSL Easter Egg Hunt

Here's a map of where Hatch Park is, if you're interested in bringing your children to the NSL Easter Egg Dash


View Larger Map

Funny Quote of the day...

Republicans aren't for less government. They are for less effective government.

-Obi Wan Liberali

(My apologies for perpetuating stereotyping and being divisive.)

North Salt Lake Easter Egg Hunt

The North Salt Lake Youth City Council is holding this year's Easter Egg Dash, this saturday (the 22nd) at 10am at Hatch Park.

The Dash is open to all children ages 2-12.

Bring a basket and don't be late. Once the signal goes off, it's only a matter of seconds until the fields are picked clean.

Almost a year old!

I lost my camera somewhere in the move, so I haven't been talking pictures lately, but my Mr. left a camera home today.

Hard to believe C's almost a year old already.

Babies! Babies!

After a couple of days of waiting, the chicks are finally here! They are adorable, and are settling in nicely in the laundry room. The darker two are Aracauna's (the kind that lay blue or green eggs) and two are the same as our old chickens, Rhode Island Red's. In the first picture they're cold and nervous, but it didn't take long for them to warm up and start exploring their new home.

Not voting for Hillary Clinton doesn't mean I don't care about women!

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

I am astonished by the number of 20-, 30- and 40-something women who don't support Hillary Clinton for president. Have they forgotten (or never learned) that it took brave, strong women working hard to get us the rights we now have? Do they not see that electing a woman will help get us the pay equity we deserve, break the glass ceilings and dismantle the good ol' boy network? Electing a woman who shares our values will make tremendous strides in obtaining equal footing with the men who run this country.
Clinton is just that woman. She has worked hard for women and children during her entire career. She was instrumental in getting the Children's Health Insurance Program legislation passed. She has the best plan for universal health care. She is leading the effort in the U.S. Senate to get equal pay - women are still making 77 cents for every dollar of our male counterparts. From her days at the Children's Defense Fund, she has been an advocate for children with special needs. Her list of accomplishments is deep and important to me as a woman.
She'll be a great president, and it's our time.

Lisa Tzovolos Allcott
Salt Lake City

Lisa Allcott may be right on some points, but voting for HIllary Clinton just because she is a woman, doesn't cut it (for me). I'm supporting Obama because I think he's the better candidate and it bothers me that people think I ought to vote for Hillary Clinton because I am a woman and she is a woman. It has nothing to do with being loyal to my sex, or breaking through the glass ceiling. It has to do with voting for the PERSON who will do the best job. I'd love to see a woman president, but I don't currently see one that inspires me.

Another reason to not drink soda...

Drinking Cola Now Could Hurt Women Later
Visit The Health Section
Reporting
Molly Hughes
DENVER (CBS4) ― The cola you drink today could come back to haunt you decades from now. That's the message doctors are trying to get out to young women who confess to a cola compulsion.

Visit any mall food court on any given day and you will have no difficulty finding women who admit they drink more cola than they probably should. They call themselves cola fans, cola aficionados and cola addicts.

They like the taste, they like the fizz and they like the caffeine. And their habit can add up.

Drink four colas a day and by the end of the week, you will have tallied a grand total of 28 high phosphorous, high acid, caffeine-laden drinks.

But University of Colorado Medical School's Dr. Michael McDermott points out that all this cola could come back to haunt young drinkers.

"It very well might. And at that point," McDermott adds, "It's too late."

An estimated 10 million Americans have osteoporosis -- a disease where bones become fragile and break easily. Usually, we think of the disease as one afflicting elderly women, but it can begin decades earlier when we drink colas.

The phosphorous which makes the cola fizzy stimulates a hormone that pulls calcium out of bone. The cola is acidic and our bodies seek calcium to offset the acid. Finally, the caffeine in the cola takes that leached-out calcium and sends it out of our body in our urine.

"Sodas in excess probably promotes significant bone loss over a lifetime," warns McDermott.

But how do you define excess? A 2006 Tufts University Study showed that women who drank four or more colas a week had lower bone mineral density in their hips.

By the time today's young women hit middle age, they will find themselves at University Hospital getting a bone scan with Deborah Johnson.

"It's time to check these old bones out," said Deborah as the scanner quickly and painlessly passed over her body. And now that she knows more about the connection between cola an osteoporosis she's planning to cut out all cola from her diet.

"Not even one!" she laughs.

A-isms

Today I asked A if he was going to be my good helper unpacking boxes. I told him that I thought he was a good helper, and asked him if he was a good helper. He said, "I'll have to think about that one for a little while".

Wildlife at the new house

Our neighbors saw a deer a few weeks ago, and today I saw what I think was a zone tailed hawk. It was a little more brown looking than pictures of zone tailed hawks I've seen online, but it had the band across the tail and I can't find any other hawks with the same stripe. If anyone knows what else it could have been let me know, since it doesn't look like zone tailed hawks actually live in northern utah.

The Zone-tailed Hawk is a slender bodied buteo with long wings and tail. It is in appearance much like the Common Blackhawk and nests in the same habitat but is much different in habits.

The Zone-tail is 19-22 inches long and has a wingspan of 48-55 inches. The plumage is a dark black except for a gray ring around the eye, and the tail which is banded black and white alternately; tail ends with a broad black band and a narrow white tip. The undersides are black. Immatures are similar in appearance to the adults, but differs in color. The plumage overall is more brownish; the undersides are spotted white, as well as the upper sides, which are spotted more sparingly. The tail is brown striped with black.

Nests are built in deciduous and coniferous trees; often the nests are built in the highest tree around. The nests are build of sticks, loosely. The nests are reported to be reused from year to year. 1-3 white to bluish white eggs are laid, sparingly spotted with brown. The eggs are incubated primarily by the female for 35 days. The male hunts for food while the female tends the nestlings. The nestlings will fly in 6-7 weeks.

The Zone-tailed Hawk is at home near mountains, valleys or other "rugged" areas. Hunting usually takes place in open spaces such as desert grasslands or in sparse forests. The Zone-tail soars and glides in circles in search of food, which is primarily birds and lizards. It will also eat large insects and small mammals. The Zone-tail is very much in appearance and in flight similar to the Turkey Vulture, and some claim it uses this resemblance to come closer to prey and catch them unaware.

The Zone-tailed Hawk is found throughout Mexico and Central America, as well as southern and central Baja California, southern California, central and southern Arizona, much of New Mexico and southern Texas.

What is it really about?

I was talking to a friend about SB 267, which would do away with Ralph Becker's domestic registry. She said it's about defending marriage and standing up for families, because our families are failing, and are causing society to fail.

I agree that we have some real problems in our society, and I believe many of those problems come from homes where children are not getting all the things they need to become healthy, productive members of society*. There's just been something that didn't sit right with me and I couldn't figure out what until today.

"Standing up for marriage" and "Defending Marriage" are terms I associate with the LDS church. My church. I believe it was Elder Oaks who said that sexual intimacy outside of marriage is a sin. It doesn't matter if it is homosexual activity or heterosexual activity, it's the same seriousness sin-wise. The thing that gets me is that with SB 267, and anything else like it that I have ever heard talked about, the justification for it is that we can't allow homosexuals to have too many rights. Granted, this bill would affect unmarried heterosexual couples as well, but no one talks about that, leading me to think that the main reason the bill is brought up at all is because people are scared or grossed out or whatever by homosexuality.

If we're so concerned about legislating morality, lets at least be consistent.

Or we could follow Jesus' example of love and compassion. In our rush to deny rights to anyone different than ourselves, we're missing out on an opportunity to make sure that more families and more children are protected. From the Tribune article: Melanie Schertz, who insures her ailing mother under the city's adult-designee provision, said the Legislature should not have the right to determine what constitutes a "family."
"If they're going after this because a few gay people get benefits," she said, "they're not seeing the whole picture."

*I've heard that decent health coverage helps children become healthy productive members of society, regardless of the sexual preference of their parents...

Dear Friends.... A Message From Dave Matthews

Dear Friends,

I hope this finds you well.

A question, a reflection, and an endorsement.

Why is our country divided?
Why has this division been growing?

Can we not all agree that we are a country that supports its families, that protects its citizens and respects its neighbors?
A country that educates its children?
Are we not a country that can lead by example rather than by force?
Is ours a government of the people, by the people, for the people?

I would like to think so.
But I believe that corporate greed and its involvement in policy making, along with political cronyism have made it nearly impossible for the people to govern.
So we fight amongst ourselves over the spin of political slogans and half truths.
And so we are divided.

It is time for a change and that is why I support Barack Obama for President.

Respectfully,

Dave Matthews

A comes up with some funny quotes...

When we were at our new house and some people were working there- he yelled, "Hey worker! Hey Worker! I love you worker!". The worker ignored him until the last part, which got a smile in A's general direction.

While visiting family: "Hey dad! See that old guy over there? He's my uncle!"

I'll add more when I remember more or we get some new ones...

Why I Think Obama's Great!

He sums it up so well...We are one nation, we are one people and our time for change has come.

Consumerism

This time of year I always think I have too much "stuff". This year, it's epsecially sad that I think I have too much "stuff", since the majority of my "stuff" is packed away in boxes waiting to be able to move into new "stuff" (aka "new house").

My Mr. and I are having a contest to see how long we can go without spending any money. It's proving to be difficult though, since yesterday we had to go buy a new bike helmet to replace the one that santa brought our 3-year-old (the one who apparently does not have a 3-year-old sized head). I don't count that since we returned something first.

Today we have to buy some trim to finish up a bit of molding in our old house that is still unfinished (anyone want to buy a house with some minor finish work to do on the trim?).

It seems never ending, this need to acquire more stuff. In my need to compartmentalize things, I'm temped to stop buying anything made in China. That accomplishes two things- less chance of lead in our "stuff" and stops supporting a country which is still (I believe) the worlds top polluter. It's hard to have principles like that when you have children. Sorry kids, no more matchbox cars for you, they're made in china. Sorry kids, you'll have to play with these crude wooden cars that I fashioned out of old twigs. That doesn't sound so bad to me, but my kids are having a hard time not buying into whatever commercial they see on TV (maybe we need a TV made out of twigs).

I guess we do what we can, but I have to say that the best gift any of my sons received for christmas was the small wooden saw that my dad made (with my 3-year-old helping) the day after christmas.

Book Recommendation

I received several new books for Christmas. My brother gave me a book titled Look Me In The Eye by John Elder Robison. John Robison grew up with aspergers before anyone knew what aspergers was. He had some amazing life experiences that he shares in the book, but weaves them together with his insights and the things he learned about acting "normal".

I couldn't put it down, and read it all day Christmas day, and finished it up this morning. If you're looking for a good book to read, I highly recommend this one.

Simpsonize Me

You can Simpsonize you too

The Least of These

My heart aches for people who, for whatever reason, are without a warm place to sleep, a place to feel safe this winter. Sometimes it feels overwhelming that there are so many people who are in need of help. I can't fix much of anything for these people.

The North Salt Lake City Youth Council is holding a drive to benefit the Road Home. They are collecting blankets (any size), bath towels, gloves, hats, and other items.

Fleece blankets are on sale 3 for $9.99 at Albertsons, and I understand that Family Dollar has similarly priced blankets.

Donations can be left at the NSL City building (20 South HWY89, North Salt Lake), or can be dropped off to me (email me at alliegator321atgmaildotcom).

It may not be much, but maybe a warm blanket will bring some comfort to those who have so little.

Here are some recipes for some fancy gourmet baby foods (and you can say you made them yourself!)

Making homemade baby food is difficult...

Peach Pie

Combine the following: Baby cereal, a scoop of formula (used as a weight gainer), mashed peaches (home canned), and water or breast milk.

Green Bean Casserole

Baby cereal, a scoop of formula (used as a weight gainer), mashed beans (home canned), and water or breast milk.

Banana Bread Pudding

Baby cereal, a scoop of formula (used as a weight gainer), mashed bananas, and water or breast milk.

You get the idea.

Next week we're trying a sweet potato dish. (steamed sweet potatoes, peeled, mashed, and thinned with a bit of water or breast milk (with some formula as a weight gainer).

(My baby wasn't gaining weight fast enough if you were wondering. He's fine though.)

To the Women of the Church

From President HInckley:

Some years ago President Benson delivered a message to the women of the Church. He encouraged them to leave their employment and give their individual time to their children. I sustain the position which he took.

Nevertheless, I recognize, as he recognized, that there are some women (it has become very many in fact) who have to work to provide for the needs of their families. To you I say, do the very best you can. I hope that if you are employed full-time you are doing it to ensure that basic needs are met and not simply to indulge a taste for an elaborate home, fancy cars, and other luxuries. The greatest job that any mother will ever do will be in nurturing, teaching, lifting, encouraging, and rearing her children in righteousness and truth. None other can adequately take her place.

It is well-nigh impossible to be a full-time homemaker and a full-time employee. I know how some of you struggle with decisions concerning this matter. I repeat, do the very best you can. You know your circumstances, and I know that you are deeply concerned for the welfare of your children. Each of you has a bishop who will counsel with you and assist you. If you feel you need to speak with an understanding woman, do not hesitate to get in touch with your Relief Society president.

To the mothers of this Church, every mother who is here today, I want to say that as the years pass, you will become increasingly grateful for that which you did in molding the lives of your children in the direction of righteousness and goodness, integrity and faith. That is most likely to happen if you can spend adequate time with them.

For you who are single parents, I say that many hands stand ready to help you. The Lord is not unmindful of you. Neither is His Church.

May He bless you, my beloved sisters who find yourselves in the situation of single parenthood. May you have health, strength, vitality to carry the heavy burden that is yours. May you have loving friends and associates to bear you up in your times of trial. You know the power of prayer as perhaps few others do. Many of you spend much time on your knees speaking with your Father in Heaven, with tears running down your cheeks. Please know that we also pray for you.

Do the best we can, we know our circumstances, the Lord is mindful of us all. Read Sister Beck's talk, see what you can take from it to grow and learn, but know that God is mindful of us. Know that he wants us to do our best, not more than we are able. He loves us and doesn't want us to drown in the despair which satan would sneak into our minds.

Man (and woman) is, that he (and she) might have joy.

Blame the Men!

Continuing off of my last post about Sister Julie Beck's conference talk, Women Who Know, I'd like to talk a little bit more about why it is that so many women feel overwhelmed by what they view their roles as being as a woman in the church, and no I'm not blaming the men (entirely anyway).

Conner Boyack has a post right now that talks about the role of men in the family. After reading from an article by Brent Barlow, he says, Barlow notes several trends that are still (if not more so) applicable 35 years later. One such trend is the diminishing of the role of fatherhood in the family. A prime example of this situation is found in modern sitcoms that revolve around a family. Whether it be The Simpsons, Everybody Loves Raymond, Family Guy, or Home Improvement, the father is portrayed as a witless buffoon. He is just another one of the children that the wife/mother has to look after and care for. If women are viewing their husbands as an extra child to clean up after and care for, no wonder so many of us are feeling overburdened and under-appreciated.

I'm blessed to be one of six sisters-in-law in my husband's family. While this may not always be easy for our mother-in-law, it is wonderful for us to get together and share joys and frustrations (especially where many are the same), over Thanksgiving the we talked about the need to ask our husbands to watch the kids. I talked about it more with my parents recently and they have experienced something similar. Fathers, when they have an activity they want to take part in, have a much easier time going and participating. Mothers in similar situations either end up taking children with them, or asking fathers to watch the children, because it is assumed that the mother is the main caretaker. In the discussions with my sisters-in-law we one of us mentioned how her husbands first thoughts when planning anything revolve around his needs, and he's not doing that to be selfish, at least not intentionally, while her thoughts revolve around how the activity will affect the children.

How do we get to where we are truly equal partners? Equal doesn't mean that we do all the same things. Connor quotes Elder Oaks saying, "The family proclamation gives this beautiful explanation of the relationship between a husband and a wife: While they have separate responsibilities, “in these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners". I think equality means that we recognize each other as having equal worth and value in our separate responsibilities (and by separate responsibilities I am referring to however a couple has worked things out for themselves).

I truly don't mean to male bash. I have a wonderful husband who does so much to make my life easier. I think, most of the time, we have things right. We're partners working together trying to get through life as easily and happily as possible. I do think that men and women need to be careful and make sure they are sharing the burdens and the joys that come along with raising a family in the church.

Julie Beck and Women Who Know

I just re-read sister Beck's talk, after reading a post at Red State Blues. I remember when I listened to it the first time thinking that people were going to be upset over it, but reading it just now, I don't think there's really anything to be upset about. Church leaders have said repeatedly that individual circumstances require people to do what works for them. Sister Beck is just highlighting what our priorities ought to be if we are in a circumstance that allows it.

Have children if you can. Only an individual (Or couple) can determine what "can" means to them in the context of what our church leaders have said.

Make sure that those children know that you love the gospel (she's not saying we have to have perfectly dressed children, that was just an example of how some women in poor countries were showing their children that sacrament meeting is important to them).

Take care of your children and your homes. She's not saying that men have no part in those things. She's just saying it's important.

Be strong, and lead by example.

Don't miss out on opportunities of teaching your children the things that you value.

Don't get so busy doing good things that you miss out on essential things.

Be strong, and do the best we can. When Sister Beck says that we should be "the very best in the world at upholding, nurturing, and protecting families" she means because we have been given so much knowledge about how to do those things, we have been well prepared. Where much is given, much is required. She's not saying that we should do more than is possible or feel like failures because we are not perfect.

It's interesting to me that the only times I have felt discouraged about my ability as a mother has come from other women. Women in general put a lot of pressure on each other to look good, and have well behaved children, perfectly decorated homes, etc... I have never felt that coming from the church, so I think we need to be less up in arms about the words Sister Beck spoke and listen to the spirit of what she was saying. It's easy to grasp onto one sentence that we don't like on turn off our ears to what is really being taught.

I think if women in Utah really listened and embraced what Sister Beck said, there would be far less need for antidepressants. We don't have to do it all, we don't have to be perfect. What we can do as mothers to really make a difference in the lives of our children is simple, and doesn't involve perfect hair, expensive clothes, perfectly decorated homes, children who always have their hair combed and their clothes ironed. It involves simply loving, teaching, and not giving up.

Power of Suggestion...

A's life is a musical. He sings everything. Today he was singing "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know what I can do" to the tune of Mary Had A Little Lamb. As I was getting ready for the day, I sang, "A knows how to listen to mom, listen to mom, listen to mom. A knows how to listen to mom, because he is a smart boy!".

It didn't take long for him to mix a bit of that into his song.

Maybe I should sing the multiplication tables or something. He'd be the smartest 3-year-old around.

(I'm really thinking about signing him up for a kindermusic class. There's a teacher close to our new house, so that would be really convenient.)

Worth every penny?

The Tribune has a follow-up story on Paul Moore defending his $214,000.00 Salary from the BSA Great Salt Lake Council.

Here's a gem...

Wiping away tears during an interview, Moore was worried that public disclosure of compensation could hurt fundraising efforts and other activities. Scouting ''is a treasured part of this community, and I would hate to think that my compensation damages in any way our ability to make a difference in kids' lives,''-- Paul Moore

If he cares, perhaps he should take a pay cut.

Just a few weeks ago, I donated to our local Friends of Scouting drive. I kind of always figured that the money I donated went to pay for our local scout troop and their activities. After talking to a scout leader, I discovered that is not true. The local troops don't see any of that money, at least directly, and even indirectly it's questionable.

The troops still have to come up with $1600 a year just to be an official troop. All books, awards, and uniforms purchased are done so by the troop, and are not purchased at cost, or anywhere near to cost. It's interesting that I can go to the distribution center and pick up a manual for cost, or very close to cost (I don't know, I haven't researched it, all I know is that they are inexpensive) but if I want to pick up a dinky little merit badge book, they're at least $3. That adds up fast.

H.R. 676

The United States National Health Insurance Act establishes a unique American national universal health insurance program. The bill would create a publicly financed, privately delivered health care system that uses the already existing Medicare program by expanding and improving it to all U.S. residents, and all residents living in U.S. territories. The goal of the legislation is to ensure that all Americans will have access, guaranteed by law, to the highest quality and most cost effective health care services regardless of their employment, income, or health care status. With over 45-75 million uninsured Americans, and another 50 million who are under- insured, the time has come to change our inefficient and costly fragmented non- health care system.

Who is Eligible

Every person living or visiting in the United States and the U.S. Territories would receive a United States National Health Insurance Card and ID number once they enroll at the appropriate location. Social Security numbers may not be used when assigning ID cards.

Health Care Services Covered

This program will cover all medically necessary services, including primary care, inpatient care, outpatient care, emergency care, prescription drugs, durable medical equipment, long term care, mental health services, dentistry, eye care, chiropractic, and substance abuse treatment. Patients have their choice of physicians, providers, hospitals, clinics, and practices. No co-pays or deductibles are permissible under this act.


Here's a link to the full bill: H.R.676

Contact your representatives and ask them why they don't support health care for all.

If you'd like to, please sign the petition at HealthCare-Now.org in support of H.R. 676

Wordy?

One more thing you don't have time to be doing.

I'll admit that I only made it to 41 (which is several points lower than some of my gardening friends). I'd not do well in scrabble against my sister(s).

Friends of Scouting not so Friendly Afterall...

Voice of Utah posted about the salary for Great Salt Lake Council Executive Paul Moore.

I don't personally enjoy sending money to support exorbitant salaries, so I think I might just say no thank you, or pass along a note explaining why I'm not donating the next time the friend's of scouting drive comes along.

I'll happily buy scout shirts for boys who need them, and I'll do anything else I can to support scouts. I'm sure as a mother of three boys, I'll be sending plenty of money along to scout headquarters. But really, $215,000?

I thought there was some sort of salary cap on non-profits...

Lets go eat school lunch, e-coli is on the menu...

This story from the Chicago Tribune appeared in the Trib this morning.

WASHINGTON — One federal inspector calls it the "E. coli loophole." Another says, "Nobody would buy it if they knew." The officials are referring to the little-discussed fact that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has deemed it acceptable for meat companies to cook and sell meat on which E. coli, a bacterium that can sicken and even kill humans, is found during processing. The "E. coli loophole" affects millions of pounds of beef each year that tests positive for the presence of E. coli O157:H7, a particularly virulent strain of the bacterium. The agency allows companies to put this E. coli-positive meat in a special category—"cook only."

...Some cooked beef products end up in the National School Lunch Program, which is administered by the USDA. The agency bought 2.8 million pounds of cooked beef in 2006, according to USDA records.

School Reform To Really Leave No Child Behind

I posted this over at One Utah in a post about the fall of vouchers and what comes next. If we don't come up with some ideas (and likely, even if we do) vouchers will be back.

Of course we want to privatize public education! It works so well with health care. A few people are getting really rich and the rest of us are out of luck. Lets do that to our kids too!

Here’s my suggestion (besides smaller class sizes and paying teachers more)… There is a charter school near me that is grouping kids into “pods” for various subjects. If a student excels at reading but is struggling in math, the “pod” they are in for reading will include other students who also do well in reading, and their math “pod” will be with other children of a similar ability so that the teacher can focus on the needs of that group of students instead of trying to teach to everyone and leaving some students bored and some confused.


I think that implementing this type of ability grouping would require smaller class sizes, or at least some teaching assistants so that classes can be mixed and broken down into small groups of children.

As children master a concept as a group, the group can advance, as children master concepts individually, they can move throughout the different groups as needed. No on gets lost in the classroom, and no one sits bored because they have already mastered what is being taught.

It will be interesting to watch test scores at this particular charter school over the next few years.

Quote of the day

“When the people fear their government, there is Tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”
– Thomas Jefferson

Us and Them

I was reading this article on MSNBC about Nancy Pelosi and Iraq financing and troop withdrawl and thought to myself, how did we get this way? The House wants one thing, the president vetoes it, half of the senate wants to pass something, and the other half does all they can to block it. Why do we pay these people?

I'm registered as a democrat. I have family who are registered as republicans. Does it really matter? No one is ever going to agree with another person on 100% of issues 100% of the time, but partisan fighting does nothing to improve our country, or make life easier for the citizens here.

We can disagree on issues and how issues ought to be handled, but when the disagreeing prevents us from getting anything done, it's time to watch Mr. Rogers reruns and learn how to compromise and work together.

It seems like it's time to stop worrying about labels and start worrying about the health and safety of people.

Interpretations

Connor has a great post on President Hinckley's War and Peace talk. I too have heard the same talk used to justify the war and to oppose it, so I really appreciated his thoughtful post.

On President Hinckley's War and Peace.

A One-Issue-Voter

In the last presidential election, I know many people who voted based on one or two issues: Abortion and Same Sex Marriage.

Those were the driving factors behind choosing who to vote for. It seems that strategy really hasn't done much for us. I'm proposing a new one-issue.

Health Care.

Here's a letter I sent to my governor, senators and congressman.

I have been watching my health insurance premiums go up, as the level of service goes down. I watch friends who find out they have illnesses and are told they are no longer covered by insurance because their condition was preexistent (even though they had never had symptoms or been treated before).

People seem to think any sort of socialized medical care is evil, but what is truly evil is the system we have now, where people are going bankrupt because of medical bills, or people are suffering or dying because they can't afford treatment and CEO's are getting rich.

I don't have a problem with people making money doing their jobs, but when CEO's of insurance companies are making millions and those who the insurance is supposed to help are struggling to get the care they need, something is wrong.

Health care has to change. I'm at a loss as to what I personally can do about it, so I'm writing to everyone who represents ME in our government to tell them that access to quality health care for everyone is my number one issue. Too many voters in Utah have made abortion and same sex marriage their number one issues, those things are diversions from issues that we should really be working on.

If you want my vote in the next election, I expect something radical to make sure that all Utahns are taken care of.

I've been laughed at for suggesting we do something here like what Canada has. People can say what they want, but it works there, it should be able to work here too. We should be able to take care of each other. It sickens me that in Utah, a state where we pride ourselves on caring for the least of those among us, that we continue to go about business as usual, and let people slip through the cracks. If we don't see it happening, life is fine, right?

Barack Hussein Obama: Oh what a evil man!

I got this email forward today:

Senator Barack Obama, Governor Bill Richardson, Senator Hillary Clinton and Ruth Harkin stand during the national anthem.
Barack Hussein Obama's photo (that's his real name)......the article said he REFUSED TO NOT ONLY PUT HIS HAND ON HIS HEART DURING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, BUT REFUSED TO SAY THE PLEDGE.....how in the hell can a man like this expect to be our next Commander-in-Chief????



First off, I find it incredibly irritating that the email assumes we should all be outraged at Obama's name. If he has a name like that he's probably a terrorist, right? Maybe President Bush should just lock him up as a preventetive measure.

Second of all, what does the picture really tell us? It bothers me that things like this are forwarded soley to be divisive and lead people to jump to conclusions.

At Snopes.com I looked up the picture and discovered that Senator Obama wasn't refusing to say the pledge. The picture wasn't even taken during the pledge.

From Snopes: The photograph itself is real, one of several images of the Iowa steak fry event published by Time, and shows Barack Obama standing with his hands clasped just below his waist, while New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, New York senator Hillary Clinton, and Ruth Harkin (wife of Iowa senator Tom Harkin) stand with their hands held over their hearts. It's difficult to judge exactly what's going on from a single still image (it's possible, for example, that the photograph captured an instant just before or just after the national anthem was played, and Senator Obama had not yet raised his right hand or had just lowered it), but other accounts (including the following ABC News video of the event) indicate that the picture is as described:



(It's also not clear from the photograph or the video just what the candidates are looking at. The Flag Code advises that they should be "standing at attention facing the flag," but none of them is facing the flag displayed behind the platform on which they're standing. Presumably there's another flag off to the right of the platform, since most of them are facing that direction.)

Such an act would be consistent with Senator Obama's response when he was asked in October 2007 interviews about his not wearing a U.S. flag pin in his lapel, a gesture which he said he had abandoned in favor of actions he considered more meaningfully patriotic:
The truth is that right after 9/11 I had a pin. Shortly after 9/11, particularly because as we're talking about the Iraq war, that became a substitute for, I think, true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security. I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest. Instead I'm gonna try to tell the American people what I believe what will make this country great and hopefully that will be a testimony to my patriotism.

Somebody noticed I wasn't wearing a flag lapel pin and I told folks, well you know what? I haven't probably worn that pin in a very long time. I wore it right after 9/11. But after a while, you start noticing people wearing a lapel pin, but not acting very patriotic. Not voting to provide veterans with resources that they need. Not voting to make sure that disability payments were coming out on time.

My attitude is that I'm less concerned about what you're wearing on your lapel than what's in your heart. And you show your patriotism by how you treat your fellow Americans, especially those who served. You show your patriotism by being true to our values and our ideals and that's what we have to lead with is our values and our ideals.

As for whether this incident was an "accident," whether Senator Obama habitually declines to perform the hand-over-heart gesture, or whether there's any particular meaning to the (non-)action, an Obama campaign spokesperson said:
Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. In no way was he making any sort of statement, and any suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous.

We could not find any information substantiating the claim (made in the text accompanying some versions of the e-mailed photo) that Senator Obama "refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance."

We all want what is best for the children

I'm moving, and my son will be in a different school's boundaries. We're keeping him where he is for the rest of the year. Moving causes enough trauma, so I'm trying to limit it where I can.

My dilemna has been what to do about next year. The "neighborhood" school that he should be going to next year is nowhere near our neighborhood, and he will have to ride a bus. The school also scores lower on the yearly testing than his current school, as well as both of the charter schools in the area. I'm thinking about applying to the charter schools, but I've tried to get him in before and his name wasn't drawn in the lottery, so who knows.

I could look into a private school, but I'm not aware of any local private schools that are so superior as to make them worth the extra money (vouchers or no).

I've kind of decided that he will be fine no matter where he goes to school. Partly because he's very bright, happy to be in school, and because we (his parents) are involved in his education. I think more parents, when finding themselves in a difficult situation with their children's education, instead of trying to find a better school, ought to first ask themselves how involved they themselves are in their child's education (but what do I know, my kids aren't struggling).

On the up-side, I discovered that the bus drop off is just at the corner of our street, three or four houses down.

Ugly Chickens

I went out this morning to check for eggs (there weren't any yet today, or any from yesterday), and it looked like a chicken had exploded. Feathers everywhere! The chickens are molting, and boy are they ugly...

Mobility

The baby has two new tricks. Yesterday he started clapping, and recently he's started scooting to reach things. It's fun to be mobile.

Curbside Recycling in North Salt Lake

Awhile back there was a message from the NSL Mayor about garbage cans being like recycling cans because the garbage in Davis County (except for Bountiful I believe) goes to the burn plant, which sells energy to Hill Airforce Base. I'm glad that the burn plant is able to harness the energy from the garbage. I'm also glad that disposable diapers are not putting fecal material (that's poop) into landfills where it can leach into our water supply untreated.

I think calling garbage cans recycling bins is stretching things a bit though.

There must have been others who agreed with me, because on the NSL Website there is currently a poll asking residents if they are in favor of a 3.35/month utility bill increase for a city wide curbside recycling program. Even more interesting, is that of the the 73 votes (as of 10am this morning) 64 of them were in favor. $3.35 a month would save my family some money, since we signed up with with a private curbside recycling company at a price of $10/month.

I would like to know more about the city program. Who would operate it? Where would the recycled materials go?

I Love You Batman

Today A and I were walking to school to pick up J. A said, "I'm Batman, and you're my boss, because batman has a boss to tell him what to do".

"Okay", I say.

"Hey Boss?"

"What Batman?"

"I love you boss."

"I love you too batman."

Then a few minutes later as we crossed the street, he held my hand and said, "Batman always holds his bosses hand to cross the street".

Later, getting ready for bed, batman became Jeepman (because his batman pj's were dirty, but his jeep pj's were available).

I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon, not in spite of it.

Thanks to Frank for the link to Harry Reid's talk at BYU.

If you haven't read it, take a few minutes to do so.

Harry Reid at BYU

Tasty Lunches

Yesterday a photographer in our ward, along with the bishop, bishop's wife and two nice sisters came over to bring me some treats (and to take a picture of it- it's for enrichment night or something, I can't remember- I heard treat and said okay to the picture).

One of the sisters brought some homemade flan. I'm not a huge fan of flan, but I'm going to try some because it was a gift. The other sister is from Japan, and she brought battered and fried vegetables and a few pot-sticker type things (I think they're fried won tons). I'm having them for lunch. This picture isn't exactly what they looked like, but you get the idea. I ate the fried won tons first, then the vegetable things (what are they called, I'm having a mind blank, even though I just googled for the image!). Some were onions, and some were green beans and carrots in fried little pile-o-vegetable-goodness.

(are you jealous Adam?)

(I just realized I don't have a "food" label. How can that be!)

Hateful Comments and Being Neighbors

As far as local news sources, I prefer the Salt Lake Tribune. I read online, and occasionally check out the Deseret Morning News website, but for the most part, I like the Trib better. By now, I should have learned to stay away from the online comments. It's a guarantee that anytime there is an article that is even remotely related to the LDS church (maybe someone in the article had a cousin's friend's uncle who was a member) the comments that follow are numerous and hateful.

What's the point? If the LDS church bothers someone so much, why would they spend so much time thinking about it?

I know there's a frustrating level of mixing of church and state because so many of our state officials get "carried away" and forget that their positions are to represent the residents of utah, not the members of the church.

Glendon Brown over at One Utah has a really good post about the liquor laws and how mormons and non-mormons talk around and around but never really talk to each other.

It would be really nice if we could start talking to each other instead of at each other. It would also be nice if LDS people could remember that not everyone wants to be preached to, no matter how good the intentions, and if non-LDS people could be content to simply not be a member and not constantly attack the church or it's members for their apparent short-commings. (I realize that not all people fall into the two groups I just listed, but the people that don't aren't the ones causing problems.)

I recently received a new list of Relief Society sisters to visit. There was one sister whom I had never met before, so I stopped by one day and left a plate of cookies since no one was home. I tried again a couple weeks later and her husband answered the door. He was holding a beautiful baby girl, and from what I saw, he looked like a pretty cool guy, about the same age as my husband. There aren't a ton of neighbors our age, so I was happy to see one. Unfortunately he and his wife didn't want to be visited and he yelled at us until we apologized for bothering him and left.

I really didn't mean to bother him. I didn't want to bother him. Perhaps there needs to be a better way of letting people know if someone with records in the church doesn't want to be visited.

I would like to be friends with the family. It seems really sad that because we belong to different churches, that we can't be friends. I really don't like perpetuating the views that LDS people only want to be friends with non-LDS people if they can somehow get a convert out of the deal. I don't care what religion these people are, they're neighbors and it would be nice to be friends.

I just have to get over my fear of getting yelled at again and introduce myself as a neighbor who is not there to convert them, but just to be neighborly, and hope that they listen long enough to hear what I have to say before yelling.

If someone doesn't want to be my friend because they don't like me, that's okay, but I'd like to not be dismissed just because I'm mormon. I'm sure lots of non-mormons feel the same way.

Be on your guard people....

Liberals in Washington are coming after you and your parental choice.

I was talking to a friend the other day and she asked if I was in favor of vouchers or not. Honestly, I don't think vouchers are going to severely damage our public schools. I do think that the Utah voucher program is seriously flawed. If you claim to want to give parents a choice in education, make sure that the vouchers go to people who because of finances, don't currently have a "choice" not to people who can already afford to send their kids to private schools.

The radio ads that warn us of liberals in Washington make me simultaneously feel like laughing and screaming. They'd be hilarious if I didn't think that way too many people believe them.

Anyway, I told my friend what I thought about vouchers and she said that she felt like the anti-voucher group was telling people what to think instead of presenting reasons and letting people think for themselves. My comment was, "and how are the pro-voucher ads any better?"

So, this election, lets all remember to get past the rhetoric and scare tactics and use our brains when we decide how to vote. Or, if you don't have a brain, borrow mine.

Time goes by way too fast...

Can you believe this onesie was my nephew's? (He's 12 now I think)