Christmas Woes

My husband worked up enough courage (or guilt?) to go to his mom's on Christmas, and take her a gift.

When he got there, she asked, "Did you see what my friend gave me?" and pointed to the porch. He looked out the window and saw a little plaster fellow on the porch, and said, "Oh, yeah, it's cute."

When he left he saw the sign it was holding - "Friends welcome, Family by appointment only."

Huh. Real sweet.

Just a Thought....

Realized tonight I'm raising a couple little liberals. One moreso than the other, but both fit this description fairly well...

."“If by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people-their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties-someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal", then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal.”"
― John F. Kennedy, Profiles in Courage

Very interesting to watch them grow and form their opinions, from my POV, having been raised in a VERY conservative home....I find their thoughts on certain topics enlightening, to say the least. ;)

But WHY???

"Met my old lover in the grocery store
The snow was falling Christmas Eve

Stole behind her in the frozen foods
And I touched her on the sleeve....


etc, etc.....

WHY is this song mixed in with Christmas music? Just because it includes the words "Christmas Eve" ONCE?

This is, in my opinion, the absolute most depressing song EVER foisted upon listeners!

They meet, drive around in her car drinking (HELLO? ), and talk about how miserable they are.

Merry Freakin' Christmas. Wake me in 2012.

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/dan+fogelberg/same+old+lang+syne_20035792.html

It's a SUPPLEMENT, Okay?

I started a comment on a blog post, but decided I'd better move it here, to my own soapbox. ;)

The blog post in question complained about going to a food pantry for help, and getting only one box of food, and cooking most of it that night.

I'm sorry, really sorry, for those having financial problems, but service organizations are there to supplement what you already have, not to re-stock your cabinets.

Regarding the one box of food you received at the food pantry. I am stock manager at a food pantry, and it is very difficult sometimes to have enough food to even give out that one box. Our pantry serves over 500 families (540 in October) each month, and we usually get two truckloads of food a month, and that food costs around $1500 each time. When donations from churches and individuals fall off (extremely low sometimes) we can only afford one truck. Imagine, if you will, 6 pallets of food that have to be divided between 540 families. No one is going to get very much. We do the best we can, stretching it as far as it will go. I have seen the volunteers at the pantry bring food from their own houses so we could make it through one more day. I've done it myself.

Climbing down off my soapbox now....

Spankings

One of my cousins posted on facebook a pro-spanking message....and facebook didn't see fit to put it on my news feed. ;)

I guess it knew I wouldn't "like" that kind of post? ;)

I'm thinking about going to her page and commenting....but that feels just a bit like stalking.

I'll leave a few links here, though, in case someone else might want to re-think hitting their kids...

http://www.stophitting.com/

http://www.parentinginjesusfootsteps.org/

http://www.awareparenting.com/twenty.htm

http://www.neverhitachild.org/noframes.html

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/discipline-behavior/spanking/10-reasons-not-hit-your-child

http://www.physorg.com/news189367630.html

(And, heck yes, that judge that beat his sixteen year old daughter should AT LEAST have the same thing done to him. AND all the parents who told their kids that they'd eaten all the halloween candy while the kids were sleeping should get a good kick in the pants.)

Ah...I love having a little soapbox over here in the corner....

A Book Giveaway

A book giveaway!


The book is: To Be Perfectly Honest: One Man's Year of Almost Living Truthfully Could Change Your Life. No Lie. by Phil Callaway.

It looks SO interesting! I've enjoyed books like this (dudes and their year-long challenges) before, so I think I'd like this one. :)

Decluttering....and Re-cluttering... ;)

Inspired by my good friend's blog posts (last one) about decluttering, I tried to dispose of a few things last month.

It worked.....somewhat. ;)

I cleaned out my closet and got rid of two trash bags full of shoes, clothes, and purses. I've also brought in two new-to-me purses, but I'm still ahead, right? ;)

I've been sorting books, too. When we moved I boxed all the girl's books and they've been boxed ever since, for lack of a shelf. We've been slowly going through the boxes (5, I think, so far) and each of us choose the ones we simply *must* keep, and sending the rest away....except the ones I keep to take to the homeschool used curriculum sale next year......yeah....it's difficult to get rid of books. :)

I'm planning on working in the attic and my closet a bit more today. I boxed up clothes when we moved that I haven't even gotten out of the attic, so those need to go somewhere today (hoping Anna's grown enough to wear them, if not, out they go!) and I'll try to get all my clothes in the closet, instead of in piles around the bedroom. :) Neat, folded piles, but still, piles must go!

Next week I'm going to tackle Anna's room....I have plans to take down her bed - she sleeps in the living room - and then they'll have room for their Barbie houses and all their dolls. I hope they have enough room for them all! :)

Plans, plans.....the planning comes easy.... ;)