Sunday's w/ Grammy

When I was younger, I used to spend that night at my Grammy's house. Me and my cousins would go Saturday evening, and stay up late with our grandmother and play Tetris until the wee hours of the morning. I loved it....can you believe that my grandmother was so awesome that she played Tetris with us. She actually went out and bought a Nintendo after she played one of the grandkid's systems. I loved it. She was one of the most stylish person I know. She always had the latest and greatest gadgets. I have no doubt that if she were alive today she would have an Ipod.
My cousins and I would sleep in the back middle room, and scare and dare each other to go to the formal living room. My grandmother's house was huge, and to us little kids it gave us a little bit of a scare. We never really went to the back den, that was my granddad's room. He was always watching some show, and he always fell asleep while the TV was, and it was so late there was nothing but snow on the screen. He was hard of hearing so there was nothing but loud noises coming out of that room. There was a picture out great-grandmother painted in the middle bedroom, it was of a clown. The clown always had such a weird smirk on his face, and of course we little ones were a little scared of him. I remember the bed we all slept on the headboard was blond, and that bed creaked and squeaked so bad every time we moved. Gran-gran (my grandad's "common" name) knew we were awake when he could hear the squeaking. I think they only reason they kept the bed was to keep us in check. My grandad always slept with a revolver on his nightstand. He taught us the respect of guns. He was never happier than when he would pull out his rare and common guns and give us the story of each. We just sat there on the couch handling the guns with big beady eyes fascinated by the stories of these jewels. We would sleep in until 7:00 am, that was sleeping in to us. Then around 8 Gran-Gran would bring in the magical box of the best doughnuts on earth. We loved the Doughnut Stop, and the three of us would down the dozen in 3.5 seconds. But there were some rare instances when Grammy would get us all dressed up and then load us all up in the Lincoln Continental and take us to the Mc Donald's drive though to get us all "The Big Country Breakfast" meals. We loved being at Grammy's, she never said no. Then after lunch, which was always a sandwich we would go out and swim in the pool. THAT was living to us, and we could not get enough of the chlorine induces coma that proceeded. Grammy would sit out by the pool in her signature patio dresses, and just watch us and laugh at our jokes, and warm us up when our teeth would chattering. She would tell us stories from her childhood. She was an amazing basketball player, and she would get us all tickled when she talked about how she met Gran-Gran. We would shout, "ooo, Gross Grammy." She would just smile and say, "Well that is love." When I was in 7th grade she was diagnosed with serosis of the liver, and she had to have a liver transplant. She died the following year, but I will never forget the times we spent at the Carter Manner. Grammy I love you! You taught me things I carry in my heart to this day.

The problem with Rosie...

Okay, so Rosie has been quite of a figure on her latest gig on "The View." I have never seen the show, nor do I think it sounds appealing. I have however seen clips in the media, and on youtube. I don't have a problem with the things she says, because she has a perfectly good right to say as she chooses; she, after all has the right to in the 1st Amendment in the constitution. I think she is a large figure in the media, and that wasn't a slam, I have no interest in doing that. She has taken a lot of heat over some of her comments. I think it is interesting she doesn't think with a large mouth saying provocative things that somehow she will not have to worry about having people that disagree with her speak their side. I do agree with her that many of her comments are skewed in media. She is edited in a way that makes it seem like she says something she does not. She blames this all on FoxNews, which obviously is a little ironic since many of the things she says about FoxNews is edited to look worse than it appears. She is loud, and she is opinionated, but I wouldn't put in some of the categories that her critics do. She uses "The View" as a pulpit for to talk about her views. The show is set up to be, I think, to showcase views of people from different places and dissenting points. OF COURSE you are going to have spats on the show, it is written in the annuls of the show. She was once hailed as the "Queen of Nice." I think her current job is trying to shatter that title, and she definitely has. She doesn't agree with President Bush, the war in Iraq, the way 9/11 was/is handled, and she doesn't EVER agree with Elisabeth Hassellbeck, (a co host on "the View") Elisabeth is the "conservative" pundant on the show, and truthfully she is the only one. She is one of those people in a society that always questions what is said everywhere. She doesn't just drink the Kool-Aid, which I respect. Recently, on May 17Th she made a comment that brought her even more of a backlash. She said, and I am going to try to quote it 100% ( i might be a conservative Christian, but I believe twisting what someones says to prove a point is not right or ethical) "655,000 Iraqi civilians have died, who are the terrorists?" (posed the question to EH) Then the media picked it up, and spun it. "They" claimed that Rosie said the United States Military are terrorists. I don't think that is what she was saying; instead I think she was calling the government and more exclusively the President a terrorist. Honestly, I have heard her say some things I agree with her about. Rosie has said, "I hate it when they call them a troop, it dehumanizes them; we should refer to them as soldiers." I agree; we should refer to them as humans. She has been very vocal about her disdain for the war, but I have never heard her say anything bad or negative about the subject of the troops. She, in my opinion, has said quite the contrary, "I love the American Soldiers, I want them to come home." So Wednesday there was quite a feud on the subject of the terrorist comment. Rosie, ask Elisabeth the question, "Do you, who are my friend think that I think the the troops are terrorists." Elisabeth, who usually doesn't argue, said, "It isn't my responsibility to tell people your innuendo." Elisabeth was trying to get Rosie to SAY she didn't think the soldiers were terrorist, and Rosie wanted to hear it from Elisabeth's mouth. It got very heated, and both of them were very angry. The truth is, both of them were very stubborn, and I think it is a little sad. I think their friendship is over. Rosie has made comments that offended me, like when she equated radical Muslims to radical Christians, which are really insane. Radical Christians SHOULD be instincted by love, and not motivated by hate. Christians SHOULD only hate one person/existence, satan. I understand why Rosie feels this way; I am sure she has come across alleged Christians who mock her and berate her. It is no secret she is a lesbian, and of course that puts her right smack dab in the opposition with Christians, and Christ's teachings. It is unfortunate she has come across our bad apples and I am sure that has done nothing by leave a bad taste in her mouth. I apologize, on behalf of Christians everywhere, what ought not be the way we live. Christ taught of LOVE, it is Christ's love that set each of us free. How can someone know God and be lead to God is we lead them to doubt His existence through our actions and speech. Now, what some in Rosie's circle do misinterpret are people like me, who disagree with homosexuality, BUT love people where they are in hopes and faith of seeing them move forward towards Christ. We just have to love each other, and even though Rosie doesn't really agree with anything I believe, doesn't mean she is out of the reach of God's arm. If that were true, then so are ALL of us. Peace with each other creates and environment for God's love to flow, and after all isn't that what we want? Deuces!

Vaya Con Dios
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I am sick of lemonade

You know the saying...when life hands you lemons.... You know, the one that makes you want to grab someone by the shirt and threten their exsistance. I am pretty much sick of always making lemonade. I am facing a huge decision in my life. It's HUGE! I don't know what to do, and no one wants to listen. It is okay, I know I have God, and more importantly God has me. I just am on the verge of a major life decision. I am afraid I might be a little over my head if I choose one thing, and I am afraid that I might go crazy if I choose the other. That is a little bit of a debacle. I can't make up my mind. I know it sounds crazy, but I, for the first time don't have an opinion. If you know me, then you know how rare that is.

Please pray for me. I know God has plans for me, and they are to prosper and not fail.

Vaya Con Dios
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From where I sit...

Is it just me or is are the political campaigns starting really early? I am already sick of Hillary, Barak, Mitt, Rudy, McCain, Mitt, Bill, and Edwards. It is so annoying to me that these people act like they hate each other, but then after the primaries.....love each other. I feel like I am living in WWII, and the politicians are the Japanese. Everywhere you turn, there is bashing of the current administration. Okay, that is fine not to agree with your opponent, but no one is saying what they would do. Yes, they say they will end the war, but they don't tell you how. They waste their time telling you how great they are, but they are missing the one key that will swing my vote; what do they bring to the table, what are they good at, who do they know. I guess partly they have not said much because they are starting so early. Then Nancy Pelosi goes over to Afghanistan to influence foreign policy? I didn't know that was in her job title? Probably because it isn't. Yes, Iraq is a mess, but how do we fix it? I watch the news and see how much trouble there is over there and I think....America has crimes too. Just today a mother and father were arrested for putting their child in a dumpster with their drugs. I am sure there was a murder or 30 today. So, part of me wonders if what we see on the TV is a reflection of this country or if it really is different. Troops are dyeing and that is a horrible tragedy but don't people get murdered here for shoes? Aren't their mass murders here? I just think we only get to see what people want us to see. I think stories and accounts of things are edited to meat someones agenda. CNN says one thing and Fox News says another. My question is..what is the complete truth? People say Fox makes up news. People say CNN and MSNBC are liberally biased. It has become so hard to tell. Then others say, bring the troops home, but they don't say how to keep Iraq from falling into the wrong hands. People say stay the course but they don't see how much money it is taking to fight this war. War causes problems, didn't we know that going in? Innocent people die, didn't we know that going in? The troop death toll is over 3,000 now; it is sad that 3.000+ families will have one less person for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Sunday dinner. Some say President Bush lied to get into this war, and he says the intelligence of many countries including America showed otherwise. I don't know a lot about all the going's on in Iraq at the time we invaded, but I do know that Saddam Hussein was a crazy, mentally deranged, dictator that lived the life of privilege while the people in his country lived in squallier. He ate what he wanted while other starved in the streets. I am beginning to HATE politics. We can blame it on global warming, the President, Republicans, Democrats, Red, Blue, Rosie O'Donnell, Rush Limbaugh....but the TRUTH is.....Politics are ruining America.

Vaya Con Dios
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Rainy days and mondays.....

Always get me down! Okay people...I am feeling a little down! I suppose I shouldn't put exclamation points at the end of my sentences. I really don't know what is going on...I am just in the funk. I suppose it has to do with my job. I do love it, but an opportunity has come up and I am super interested, and I would triple love to move up in the organization. I don't know, I am praying about it...it isn't an easy decision. My past experience with moving for my company....not so good.....not so good AT all. It was the toughest time of my life. I grew I suppose, but I would rather do that in the confines of a place where I feel at least a little bit comfortable. I am sure that is why God actually moved me there, because I couldn't learn those lessons in the Rilla. I don't know. Clovis was not an easy pill to swallow, but I survived it and I guess I am better for it. Does anyone know what I am going through? Let me know how you did what you did.

Vaya Con Dios

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So you want to work for a non-profit?

I am fortune to be doing a job that I absolutely love. I work for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. People say rarely do you get the job you want right out of college, or as young as I am. Well, I always say to those people; I didn't know this is what I wanted to do. I thought to work for a non-profit you just had to accept that you were going to work for peas and carrots, meaning for not much. While, I am not a millionaire, I make better money than I did in my former career. There is tons of room for growth and development; and what I love about MDA is that you make your own career path. You develop a program and you do it well, you can really do anything. There are a lot of perks doing what I do. I can lay my head on my pillow at night and know that I made a difference in the lives of people we serve. That is better than any retirement package you can get, and we have those too!
The non-profit world is very different that the for profit world. We are relationship oriented and we love EVERYONE. I love the thrill of know the next person you shake hands with could be your next major sponsor. Innovating is my goal, and making programs that raise tons of money, and the event brings on more sponsors, is my goal. You just cannot ever let yourself get comfortable. You have to get to the point where you integrate the organization into your daily life. I am MDA's representative at all times. That isn't always easy when the guy in the Hummer H3 pulls out in front of you, but I remind myself that not only might he be the next big sponsor, BUT also I am a representative of Christ. So, it isn't always easy being able to be seen, but it is worth it when you get to hand out medical equipment to those who need it, or you get to share your faith to someone who wonders what you are reading while you sip on the latest brew at Starbucks. I must admit, it is tougher than I thought it would be. People like to get you to show you your bad side. I do have one, and I have a little bit of a temper, and I do like to go out with my friends. It is the price you pay; it is part of the job. I love it. That doesn't mean I always love my job, there are times when I hate it, or think I wish I had another job. Then I talk to one of our clients, or worse one of them passes away, and I think to myself.........what do I have to complain about? NOTHING!!!!!

Vaya Con Dios

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