Please Forgive Me

This is in NO way a political blog and quite frankly, I usually try and keep my head firmly in the sand around election time, lest I go insane with the barrage of political ads, cartoons, talking heads, etc. This I could not pass up.

Tomorrow I promise to put my head back in the sand. Probably...

This Is A Hoot

I guess Obama's writers work for The Washington Post. Or maybe they just steal from it...


Obama's statement on 9/9/08:

"Watch out, George Bush, except for economic policy, health care policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy and Karl Rove-style politics – we're really going to shake things up in Washington!' That's not change ... you know, you can put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig."


Washington Post cartoon from 4 days earlier...

Quite Appropriate For Today

I snagged this from my friend Jamie. When will we start listening to the ones who are actually defending us? I do not know who this soldier is (Marine, sailor, airman?), but I wish I could thank him in person. It is short, so watch it until the end...

We Remember You...

Doing The Happy Dance

I made sure to pull the curtains first and then happily danced around the office (which technically is our formal living room, but I love saying I have an "office") in celebration the other night. I now have another RSS feeder, thanks to Mr. Clean getting annoyed at my constant whining about the failure of the old one and the evils of Firefox (which I actually love).

So "phhhhh" on you Firefox (just kidding, I love you Firefox, it's all for show), I went with a Google reader instead (and then I used a Firefox add-on to track it; see I still love you Firefox...). So there!

Blog away bloggers, I missed you and now I will once again be able to happily stalk track you.

A True Amurikan Girl

This morning, C'sa came to me and asked, "How do you say 'hello' in Spanish?"

"Hola", I replied.

A minute later she was back, face all bright and shiny, "Hola!" she exclaimed.

"Hola! ¿Qué tal?", I replied.

She blinked, completely blank and replied in true American fashion, "Si!"

"Wow, What Great Tan!"

These words were uttered this summer about Iggy, quite in jest, as his melanin is a bit more pronounced than ours. I was in no way offended as the person was simply admiring his beautiful coppery caramel skin tone, but it got me thinking.

If it is in the Lord's plan for us to adopt Iggy we will probably be faced with this topic again. We have already faced several curious questions about where he is "from" (I would love to reply and say, "a uterus", but I have not gotten up the nerve. Yet.), what his nationality is, and what race he is.

They are all valid questions and nothing by which to be annoyed. Frankly, none of us in this little clan have the same skin tone. Xena looks like she stepped off a Viking ship, C'sa has a lighter, but similar copper shade of my father's skin, K.Z. is one big freckle, Mr. Clean is the captain of Xena's viking ship, with ruddy, sea tanned skin, while I am a crazy cross of an Indian father and a blonde mother, leaving me with dark hair and pale skin. We are all different.

But we are all the same as well. If we do adopt him (and we see it this way now anyway), we will be a family. First and foremost. All creations of the Lord and all a part of the Mr. Clean clan. We do not focus on a daily basis that our skin is a different hue or that Mr. Clean's Danish, German and Canadian genes are vastly different from my own Cherokee, Scot and English ones. Nor that Iggy's Latino genes are different from my own. I will be (am) Iggy's mother and that is all that will matter.

Don't get me wrong. I am not so naive to think that his genetics and heritage will not be important to him later. We all go through a period of wondering where we are from, what our ancestors did and who they were. I myself am thoroughly intrigued my own genealogy and we will do our best to help foster any interests he may have in that. We will not however, allow it to be his "idol". Culturally, my Iggy will be an American. After all, he was born in Pennsylvania. Home of the first Capitol City and where our country was officially "born". How more American can you get? Beside perhaps, eating apple pie while watching baseball?

I am proud of my heritage, but I decided long ago not to wear it as a badge of honor. Besides, carrying bag pipes and a peace pipe, all while wearing a buck skin kilt would be tough while doing the dishes and changing diapers. It's the same for Mr. Clean. Imagine our kids in the same scenario, except they'd have to wave St. Andrew's Cross, Union Jack, the Maple Leaf, Schwarz-Rot-Gold, Dannebrog and Old Glory, while balancing the Seal of the Cherokee Nation. It' s a heavy load to bear. Pride is one thing, obsession another. So we wrap it all up in a nice neat package and hang it on a peg hook. Underneath the Cross.

The fact of the matter is that while we are now a global society, we all still have allegences. To our God, to our countries and to our families. That comes long before our skin tones. I am just thrilled to be a part of such a diverse family. An American family.

Resistance Is Futile

If you do not find this absolutely ridiculous, no matter what side of the argument you are on, please come on over and let me school ya. Teachers being intimidated by a 15 year old's questions? Hmmm. Shouldn't students be able to ask questions?

If evolution is absolute, then why dear teacher can you not slam dunk these questions? Yep, we are sending our 15 year old evil children into the schools to ask you hard questions, but then again, we're right. Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated...

I Could Just Cry

I am moderately technologically literate. I can figure things out on my computer and online if I pot around for a while. So I was REALLY proud of myself for getting all my favorite blogs on a RSS feed with a nice little counter that kept track of them and a simple button to click on to see all of them. Something happened...

I do not know what exactly, but my little link is gone and I can no longer have instant access to all the blogs I like to check in on. I am blaming all on Firefox, for it cannot be MY fault. So if I am quiet on comments lately, please forgive me. I guess I have to rebuild it.... ugh.

"Mini Me" Has Completed Her Transformation

Yesterday we went to take Xena's cast off and all was right with the world. I even got great shots of her at the doctor's office, but alas, I cannot share them with you since I forgot the bleeping media card was NOT in the camera. I assure you however, the photos were most excellent.

On the way out we got to walk through an enclosed bridge from the doctor's office to the parking garage where I spotted a spider hanging out on the wall. Deciding that since we were on neutral territory (not outside in the spider's environment nor in my house), I would not stomp poor Charlotte or run screaming in terror. I decided to act like an adult (one who can tolerate spiders).

I called the children over to check out the spider and K.Z. was the first there and got about an inch from her (him? it?). I was waiting for the arachnid to pounce on his glasses. I mean after all, the boy got close! Xena, more cautious, came to look but kept a good distance. I turned to attend to Iggy and the stroller when I heard Xena exclaim, "Cccc'sssaaaa!"

I turned in time to see my precious 4 year old carbon copy, grind her foot into the ground. She apparently kicked the poor spider off the wall and proceeded to obliterated it with her shoe.

"Why did you kill the spider C'sa", I asked stiffling a laugh.

"Because I did not like it", was her simple reply.

A woman passing by applauded her. Watch out world. She has kid size 10 1/2 Sketchers and she knows how to use them. I was so proud.

I Must Keep Muttering....

"The Lord's timing is perfect, the Lord's timing is perfect..."

I know this is true, but I want it NOW!! Iggy's case is "this close" to being transferred to the adoption unit (where the process to terminate parental rights will begin), except that someone had the nerve to go on vacation, halting the process until next week at the earliest when she returns.

"AARRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!"

Just knowing that it is so close yet not quite there yet is killing me.

It's Not Really Monday...

In my brain it is Monday. Probably because Mr. Clean took an extra vacation day off yesterday and stayed home. Now my week is all discombobulated. So I am still pretending it is Monday. In my brain it is just easier that way...

Last week our friend Derrick suffered the death of his very young wife and we are still reeling from it. Derrick and Amy had only been married just over a year and a half and were in their early 20's. So far there is no explanation of her death. She was not feeling well and went to lay down. Derrick found her unconscious later and she never woke up. She died soon after. Needless to day, Derrick is devastated.

Derrick served for a while as the worship leader at our church before obtaining a full time ministry position in New Hampshire and relocating with his new bride. Amy had grown up in PA and her family are members of our congregation. Her death has deeply affected two families, two churches and their many friends.

Since we were in New York I missed Sunday's services after Amy's death but I was told that our Pastor scrapped his planned sermon and addressed death in the body of believers. I have not had a chance to download the sermon, but I will try and listen today. I have heard it was excellent.

What impressed me the most was the fact that our pastor and his wife got in their car and headed to New Hampshire for the services on Monday and Tuesday. Out of all the funerals I have been to, I have rarely seen a former pastor make more than a brief appearance at the wake, and that was if he was a local pastor. Not to clap too loudly, as I think our pastor did the right thing, but no one would have blinked had he simply sent his regards from afar.

This is one of the passages that he preached on this past Sunday. It certainly gives you something to chew on...

The righteous perish,
and no one ponders it in his heart;
devout men are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.

Those who walk uprightly
enter into peace;
they find rest as they lie in death.

Isaiah 57:1-2

I Just Gotta Say...

I decided a while ago not to get real political on this blog. Many of my family member disagree with my politics (I am the Alex P. Keaton of my family), and we will not be voting for the same candidate. I am not terribly thrilled with either candidate, but you can bet your booty I will NOT vote for the one who supports abortion.

So I just have to put this out there. I cannot wait for November 5th. If I see one more Facebook tirade from family members and old school mates who went liberal, against the GOP, I will scream. And it is a safe bet that wherever you are, you just might be able to hear me!

Notice I have blogged this instead of putting it on Facebook where more people will see it, because I am a tad wimpy. But it's coming. Probably sooner than later.