McCain and the card up his sleeve

What to do when you can't win the ticket on your own, pull in a Woman!! Not just any woman a mom of 5 children , one of which is enlisted in the Service and the other who has Down's Syndrome. That just about covers it right there. You have got the minority platform covered right there with this woman. What a wild card this decision is for McCain. I am still in shock over this. I knew he would have to do something tricky so as not to lose by a landslide but this does beat all. I need to pull my jaw up off the floor. 

Sarah Palin seems like a very nice lady and I am sure she has done a great job in Alaska but this just seems like desperate times that called for desperate measures. Seriously, if McCain being as old as he is were to have health issues she would be our President, not sure how I feel about that. 

Anyways, if this doesn't prove what a game politics has turned into I don't know what would.

What an interesting road we have ahead of us in this race for the White House. Can't wait to see how things shake down. 

Our Back to School Week(In a nutshell or a blog)

I have had to drop a class, add a class, go to the book store several times, got the wrong book, got the right book, found that I registered at the wrong campus for one class , and found that the right campus has a very boring instructor and that's all just in real life. I won't even go into the issues I am having online now that I have an Apple computer which IS better....when you know how to use it. I don't know how to use it that well. I am frustrated by that but learning  about it more and more and will conquer my lack of knowledge by making several telephone calls to the tech support on staff at TMCC.

The kids back to school week has been good. Already in full swing with homework and math problems in Emma's class that I can still understand which is a good sign. Chloe was the only one who got emotional for the first few days and I almost joined in but then thought if I did we both might not come back from our emotional trip down memory lane and grieving the end of one great summer. Solomon has a new/old buddy to play with at school. Having Dylan at the kids school has been awesome and seeing my friend Lolita every day has been great as well.

Isaiah and I have been enjoying having our own preschool here at home although, it was a bit of an adjustment for this already stubborn little guy he is doing better and I bribe him alot so that helps.

I am not as happy about being in school this time around as I have been in years past and I am still trying to figure out why that is. Normally, I love taking classes but this time I just was really feeling discouraged like I wish that I was already done. I need to stop that train of thought because I have some years ahead to finish up this silly thing they call an education.

Anyway, we made it through the first week of back to school madness and I have to say I am so glad it is Friday and that we have a three day weekend ahead. Yay, for Labor Day!!  Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Maybe some outside yard pick up would be good??

Apparently, our house from the outside looks like it could be the Burning Man youth Hostel. Last night I saw a car circling around outside our house and I just had a feeling the guy was not only lost but a burner because he had a few bikes on the back of his Honda and his backseat was loaded up with rubbermaid tubs of camping stuff. So being a good neighbor I went over  to ask,before I could say anything, with a smile on his face like he was happy to arrived he said, "Is this the Burning Man place?" TO which I replied "Um no, that would be down the street a few houses on your right" He seemed disappointed. 

I began to wonder why he would think our house was the place he was looking for and quickly realized, hmm....

Could it be that there are a few VW's outside or that we have a tree house with pirate decor or that we have a lot of bikes all over our lawn? I could see why he would be confused and in my defense it was dark.

At any rate our friends Jason and Tasha stopped by Monday night on their way out and said that we should at least drive out there one of the nights to see all the lights. Maybe we will inch our way over, maybe not. I hope they have a great time.

I have talked about this topic a lot on here. To go or not to go? Here are my final thoughts, if there was a way that we could go see all the amazing art work without all the debauchery, drug use, naked people, free loaders, pagan rituals, etc... going on then it would be a no brainer. I love art work that is obvious, but sometimes the artists are scary and I don't really want to spend a week in the desert with them. The jury is still out on this one but once again this year, I was not sad that we were NOT going.

Some more of Mo's Art

My very own TO DO list

I have only a few days left to get my house in order for this new year and all that it brings. I have signed up for 3 classes this fall and might possibly add another to that list. I am still at home for now and hoping  I won't have to get a job prematurely but if I do there will be that to be added to this already busy woman's life. I have to finish up my manuscripts and get the illustrations colored and send them all out before the school year begins. I have yet to get my house really cleaned all summer. I don't even want to know what lies beneath the surface in all our closets. I have to do some light back to school shopping for kids stuff and then all the shopping for supplies that they come home with on the first day of school. I am sitting here thinking, why didn't I finish getting my degree BEFORE I had children? Children who are in school at the same time as their parents is a tough gig. It can be done, and has been done it just would have been so much easier if ya know I did this like most people do, but then I have never been one to follow. Enough of the shoulda, coulda, woulda's for today. 

So there is my next few days all planned out and scheduled  for me. I think I will add to the list that I need to go on a diet. Maybe more on that later , maybe not.

Some late night thoughts

Tonight while watching Miami Ink there was a guy on there who was getting a tattoo to commemorate his Olympic experience in Athens Greece 4 years ago. He is a juno fighter and had worked very hard to make it to the Olympics. He said the population of people who ever make it to the Olympics is very slim and likened to those who go on to get their Ph.D's, something like 2% of the worlds population. 

What I found so incredibly sad was that he said that his flight home from Athens to the States was probably one of the saddest times in his life. Coming home wishing that he could have fought the fight over again made me think about the metaphor of life like that of a fight that we only get one chance to come up against. 

It also made me think of this fight we have in faith. I want to be one who at the end will be able to say, I fought the good fight, I finished the race.

In my life there has been time wasted much like any life I am sure, but I have to remind myself that there is also so much time that has been given to me that I have not wasted.

I have moments when I want to get up from even typing this blog and get doing other things but you can only do so much. I have to remember that it is okay. Even the moments that I feel were wasted, have a Redeemer. For that I am thankful. Eternally grateful for the Redeemer who makes all things new and gives fresh perspective when needed. 

Is this procrastination based in fear?

I have known for weeks now that a publishing company is interested in my children's picture books. I have known for weeks exactly what I need to do, but I am not doing it.

I have all the time in the world , being that I am still on summer break, but I keep putting it off. Last night Moses asked me what is up with that and I almost choked on my food from surprise. I am surprised by my own fear of failure. I didn't think that I would be so afraid to get that final yea, or nea but apparently I am or I would have sent in my manuscripts by now. I could at least dust them off and start preparing them. I can only guess that sometimes the fear of failure is greater than the never knowing. 

I am going to overcome my fears and I am going to send these books in it's just I wish I wouldn't have waited because now I know like everything else I attempted creatively that I have wasted more than just weeks in this department. I have wasted years. 

Our Last Lake Day :(

I had a goal to get to Lake Tahoe every Monday this summer. I did not accomplish this goal, but it did do what I thought it would which is get us up there more often than we would have gone if I didn't have a sudo goal in place.  We went for the last time this last Monday with family in tow. We managed to get up to Lake Tahoe 5 times this summer which is a lot better than in summers past. This last trip was extra special to have my Mom and Dad there because Lake Tahoe is where it all began for these two love birds.  In fact, I was born up there at Barton Memorial Hospital. That's right I am a California girl by birth so at least I was born outside of the state I probably will grow old and die in :) 

Anyway, it was a great way to end our trips to the Lake for the summer.  We also met cousins Jimmy, Rene, Savy, Aunt Kristen, Aunt Gina, Uncle Jeremy, Friends and Gramma B. We were a large group and took up a good portion of the Lake. A great time was had by all and once again I was so grateful to live by such beauty. 

My Dad and Politics

In conversations with my dad yesterday we did something we haven't done in a long time. We talked politics. Normally my dad has always been a no muss,  no fuss I am voting republican and that's it, kinda guy. He did say that he has to keep the issues simple for himself and the biggest issue that he faces with Obama is that he is pro-choice. 

I told him that I didn't think so, he obviously is pro-life he has two daughters himself. He laughed, but underneath I know it got him thinking. I told him I thought that it is such a shame that people would totally overlook a genuine good man in politics for that one issue. I understand how passionate the issue of abortions and pro-life vs choice is. Trust me, when I was a teenager I was one of the sign holders down town in Carson City who was spit on for my beliefs. Also, I am one who since the time I was a little girl I didn't have pictures of the teen idols hanging in my bedroom, Oh no it was pictures of cute little babies that was my choice for decor in those days. And anyone who knows me , knows I am a lover of babies, children, life in general and all things that promote that. 

Here is where my dilemma lies, just because on paper a person would say they are pro-choice is it that cut and dry? I don't believe that it is. I understand that for those that pick that box it is not just that easy. Just as for those of  us who pick the box that says life if when standing before us was a person in flesh in blood,  the woman who has been violated and is now found pregnant, and no one else can do that job of carrying that life for 9 months but her, would feel a tinge of at least, this is not as cut and dry as I thought. Neither box is an easy one to pick and for the record I still very much pick the box that says life but I do so with a great sensitivity toward those who don't, not an arrogance or self rightouesness. 

I would like to ask each and everyone of us that do pick that box when faced with the young lady in our lives who got pregnant before we thought they should have, how did we handle this situation?  Honestly, what was our first reactions? How supportive  were we of this young lady whose whole life has now been turned upside down? Recently, my heart was broken for a young lady at youth camp who has an almost one year old daughther now and  who was told she couldn't help out with the youth because "her walk with Jesus was not strong enough". Here is the girl who did the right thing and is now paying the price for it in the camp that checks the box "life". GO figure!!!  I told her I was sorry and that just because she didn't have the title leader she most certainly can and will lead by her actions and that God knows her heart.

Here is the question for me, because I  go vote for  someone who is not pro life on paper, does that then advocate or say I am in agreement with this persons box that says choice? I am pretty sure that the world of politics and the issues that we face are bigger and more complicated than that. 

This fall will be the first time I am voting democrat and it is because in years past I just kept it simple, stuck with that one issue and voted morally the way that I saw fit.  This year will be different. 

Unless a meteorite comes down and takes Obama out or he asks Hillary to be his Vice President I will be voting for him. I have been doing a lot of reading up about him and I believe what he has to offer our country at this time in history is of great value. I am still listening and watching for anything that would cause me to cast my ballot otherwise, right up until the day I will be praying about it but right now that is where I am at.

I understand completely if I get absolutely no comments on this blog because I realize it is a hot topic , these are just some of my thoughts take em or leave em.

This ones for my ladies :) Miss you.

Even though only two of these ladies will ever even read this I felt the need to get it out there so I can just move on.

I miss my birthday club girls!!!! I am sitting here tonight watching a late night girly show and it is making me miss my girlfriends in such a way that I wish I had a million dollars so that I could fly us all somewhere and keep us there for a week to celebrate life. 

These girls, my birthday club girls now consists of a Registered Nurse who has her master's degree lives here in Washoe Valley, A mother of 5 children who lives in Texas, A sister/friend who has lived out of the country for almost 2 years(bet you can't guess who that is?), A mother of 4 boys , who also lives in Texas, and recently the Mother of Twins who lives in Washington. We have one honorary guy member who's wedding 4 years ago was the last time we all saw each other, he and his beautiful wife live in Washington as well.

I miss them. We are good about keeping in touch once a month via email updates but it's just not the same. Sometimes I miss these girls so much it hurts.

Why do we have to grow up,  get jobs and move away?

Some end of this week thoughts

Here it is Friday of the first week of Moses' new job. He works normal hours now, 8-5p Mon-Friday and so far so good. 

- I need to share a funny story about Isaiah this week, we are taking a little detour from the blog  here so stay with me-

 When we were driving to the mall this week we passed where Mo's new job is and I pointed out to the kids that that is where daddy works now.  No one really said anything but by the time we got to the mall I noticed that Isaiah was really quiet. I said, "What's wrong Isaiah?" At which point he started literally balling his eyes out and saying, " I don't want daddy to work there, I want daddy to work at the church"  over and over again.  Right about the time I was starting to feel really like crying myself  he says,  "I want daddy to work at the church so I can get candy, now I can't get candy" Sheesh, what a relief !! I thought we were going to  have to take our 4 year old to therapy just cause daddy changed jobs.

So back to the topic at hand- This week has been pretty uneventful and normal for the most part, what has not been normal about this week is that almost every evening Moses has been tattooing.  Since last Saturday he has done 8 tattoos and there are still more to come. We will hit his 11th tattoo tonight and then have 2 more planned for Saturday. There is a new shop in town that opened July 1st that is looking for an artist and these guys seem pretty legit so if all works out he will be doing the Design company by day and tattooing by night.  Needless to say, it has been an interesting week. 

I have yet to succeed in the whole back to school schedule but come Monday we are kicking it in to high gear around here and seriously going back to all of it, chores, schedules, reading at bedtimes all that good stuff.  I mean it!! No kidding!! I am trying to convince myself here can you tell?

I have enjoyed this summer but I have also realized something about myself. If left to my own devices I turn into the biggest slacker of all time. I am serious there where times I was so in slack mode I think Moses was going to take my pulse to see if I was still alive.  :)  I realize for those of you who go 24/7 and have to remind yourself to take a day off to do nothing this doesn't seem possible but trust me it is. I really do not have the problem of needing to slow down it's speeding up that would be my problem.  I have realized that I have absolutely no problem doing nothing all week. Not a problem. It is kinda scary how lax I can become if there is no else around to motivate me to get out and get going. 

So to those of you have been my motivators over the years I say thank you , thank you very much. To my husband who has so many projects going right now that he doesn't know where to begin I say , we make a good team. He keeps me going and I keep him focused. 

I would also like to say thank you to everyone who has been praying for job situations for us and provision and stuff like that. Your prayers are appreciated and have been answered. God is good and so are His people. So thank you.  

One final note before the weekend if you have nothing else going on this weekend we will be tattooing both Friday and Saturday night for any looky loos out there you are welcome to stop by. Have a great weekend everyone.

Summer is almost over :(

I am going to have a really hard time getting back into the school schedule. The kids and I have been staying up so late that come Aug 25th I am getting worried our bodies will go into shock being on real time. 

Every summer it is my goal , my passion to de-program my children from all things school and work and so far it has been working out pretty well. I do believe that this summer's deprograming has been quite a success. We all stay up til at least 11 and sleep in sometimes until  11 the next day. This has been one of the greatest things about being able to be home with the kids because we just go on our own time. We eat when we want, sleep when we want , and wake up when we want. It really doesn't get any better.

But- every summer there comes a time right about now that I know have to start reeling in the troops. So last night and tonight it was my goal to get us all back on a better schedule. It didn't go so well. I am going to keep trying. Wish me luck.

Another Customer Down

James Ridge is now among the few, the proud, the INKED!! This is only his outline, it was getting late and Mo had to get up early for his day job :) so his color will come later, but I think it is a pretty good start.

This is what we did this weekend

We had some out of town guests come to visit this weekend. Our friend Dennis and his buddy Kile came from California for a visit and also to get some free ink. Mo did two tattoos each for these guys and I am pretty sure they walked away happy. Not only was the work amazing but it was free. Can't beat a free tattoo. After the weekend was over we figured we probably would have made at least an easy 500 bucks with all the work Mo had done.  Not too shabby for having fun and permanently putting your mark on someone. Mo said he could see himself doing this for a living but in the meantime it will be a great side job that will hopefully start bringing in some FAT CASH!! 

It was so awesome to see my Mr. Big using his amazing talent and having fun at the same time. I am happy he has finally found a genre to express himself in. 

He said he is going to do a full 20 tattoos for free so that leaves 12 more. Any takers?

 

The pics from top to bottom, 'Creighton' is Kile's brand new baby boy's name,  Symbol is a record adapter, DT is Dennis initials, Kile's wedding ring and then my Faith,Hope, Love symbol finally got some bright colors.

A Joke from a very funny friend

This little blurb got forwarded to me from one of the all time funny guys in my life Vinnie Oakes so to him I say , thank you Vinnie.

I thought I would share because not only is it funny in it's own right but the fact that I am posting it being that I am an Obama supporter and I usually don't care for all things Texan should make it even funnier for ya'll!!

A Little Feller In East Texas

Barack Obama, is for banning all guns in America. He is considered by those who have dealt with him as a bit more that just a little self -righteous.

At a recent rural elementary school assembly in East Texas, he asked the audience for total quiet. Then, in the silence, he started to slowly clap his hands once every few seconds, holding the audience in total silence.

Then he said into the microphone, 'Children, every time I clap my hands together, a child in America dies in gun violence.'

Then little Bubba Earl, with a proud East Texas drawl, pierced the quiet and said: "Well dumb ass, stop clapping!!

The Olsteen's

I read this morning that Joel Olsteen's wife is currently in a lawsuit for assaulting a flight a attendant. I read the whole article and at the end I thought this is just so crazy. First of all on the end of being disgusted with his wife for over reacting I am also disgusted with the flight attendant for suing for reasons like her faith was now weakened and she now needs counseling because of all of  this.  Both made me want to vomit in my mouth. 

Why is it that people look to other people for spiritual guidance?  You should never be willing to let a person  speak into  your life in a way that only God should be doing. It's one thing to learn from other followers of Christ, it's a whole other thing to depend on them for your spiritual growth and or lack there of.

ON the other hand there are very strong warnings for those that step into that position of teaching others about Christ. The minute you step into that role you are held, like it or not, to a higher standard. So if you don't want that job description or responsibility then step off.  Like in this case, if she, Joel's wife just wanted to be another bitchy passenger on a plane ride flying in first class and thinking that the whole world should stand up and take notice of the fact that something was spilled on her chair then she shouldn't be married to the man of faith and power who never frowns and gives all credit to Jesus for his shiny happy life.  I don't know , does that seem a bit harsh?

This article really made me think of the times in my life when I have been disappointed with those who say they follow Christ and then really blow it big time. Myself included in that category. Sometimes I think the reason the bible tells us to lead a quiet life is because God knew if we were out there publishing the fact that we follow Christ we would surely screw up His good name for Him.  Don't know about that theology being solid but I think in my own life that is where I am at. I just want to live my life, raise my kids, love my husband, and be a bit more quiet about my faith. 

These are just my thoughts for the day. Enjoy.

A blurb that encouraged me

This blurb from My utmost for His highest really spoke to me a while back.  I am so in love with the Person of Jesus. Every teaching, every interaction with people in the scriptures, every gentle nudge he has ever given me , makes me love Him even more. I want to love Him better, He deserves better and better, and better. Here's to forward motion in my relationships and especially the one that means the most to me.

"If the closest relationships of life clash with the claims of JesusChrist, He says it must be instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person, Our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a difference between devotion to a Person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause; He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted love-slave of the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not devoted to Jesus Christ. No man on earth has this passionate love to the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Ghost has imparted it to him. We may admire Him, we may respect Him and reverence Him, but we cannot love Him. The only Lover of the Lord Jesus is the Holy Ghost, and He sheds abroad the very love of God in our hearts. Whenever the Holy Ghost sees a chance of glorifying Jesus, He will take your heart, your nerves, your whole personality, and simply make you blaze and glow with devotion to Jesus Christ."

Oh to be a real Author

Oh how I would love to be a writer for life. It is just so easy to sit and write , and write, and write, or should I say type. The topics of life that I love to type about - books, family, kids, politics, pets, you name it, I could write about it. What I have always found so interesting is how people, very fortunate people end up getting paid to do this.  That is what motivated me a while back to just go for it in the writing department and see what happens.
So I thought for a minute or two of what would be the easiest thing for me to write about and came up with some children's characters that are chess pieces. I could attempt to write a novel, a autobiography, or some other adult type book, but in the end I just don't think I am geared for that kind of writing. I much prefer the land of make believe and entertaining children.  Maybe someday when I grow up I will think that my thoughts are valuable enough for the adult audiences but until then I think I will stay in the kids department.

I have a publishing company interested in all my manuscripts and they also want me to send the illustrations that Mo drew up as well. I am surprised by the response because I just didn't think it would happen this fast. So this is it. This is a publisher that will either say yea, or neah. 

I have no idea what to expect from this point on but I am excited and just trying not to get to hopeful so as not to be devastated if they say neah.  I wish I could be more of a realist in that department because in all reality I just expect good things to happen to me all the time so when it's not good I am truly and utterly surprised and taken back for a while.  

A side note to all of this- The other day I was found by an old high school acquaintance who is now a published author. You can see all her covers of her books in her facebook gallery. She is in the romance novel dept.  I find it so interesting how that can just happen and before you know people are reading what you have written. Anyway, it really encouraged me to keep going with this writing stuff.

So this blog is dedicated to all the other fellow aspiring authors out there to keep going because you never know. We have all seen the stuff on the shelves that is selling at Barnes and Nobles and we have all said to ourselves, I could do that, SO DO IT!!  Go for it !!

Hit the ground running

This week Moses and I have been on 5 interview/job opportunities combined.  Three of those have been mine. I have to say that after being out of the work field for quite sometime I was a little nervous but so far it has been for no good reason. Every interview I have been on so far has basically been saying that I am overqualified which is good for the ego but not so  good for wallet.  What I am wondering is this, don't you want as a business owner want someone who not only knows what they are doing but has done it for a very long time and is overqualified? Can you ever be too qualified for any position? If I was the owner/director of a preschool and came across a teacher such as myself who is supposedly over qualified I would make a position happen for that person because isn't that the kind of person you want caring for your children. You can never have too much experience when working with kids. You can however , not have enough in which case breeds for some pretty ugly situations. 

Anyway, Moses will meet again with some people on Thursday and hopefully if all goes well his job will be secured and being that he will still be the major bread winner for our family right now that is a good thing. My last interview today sounded very hopeful and said that they would for sure  be calling so we shall see. 

I am just extremely grateful for the fact that every prayer that I asked God for this morning He once again has provided for. Literally this morning I woke up with a long list and again His faithfulness can not be matched. He is so good. He better stop this or I might start to get spoiled.  Again He has reminded me you have not because you ask not. 

Camping Highlights

Camping this week with the family has now come and gone. We were with my mom and her brother my Uncle Gene and Aunt Linda, my cousin Cheri and her husband Chris, their two boys Noah and Samuel and my brother Greg and his girlfriend Tanya. We tried another campsite this time and it was really nice. We were right outside of Quincy CA at Bucks Lake. It was truly beautiful. So far this summer we have camped three times and have yet to luck out with a site that has shower facilities. That is a bummer but then when you get home you sure do have a whole new appreciation for all the comforts of home.

 One all time highlight from this trip that we all will never forget is when Isaiah when flying down the hill on three wheeler and ran smack dab into a very large tree. We thought for sure we would be making a trip to the Quincy Emergency room when we saw his little 4 year old body going flying but miracle of all miracles that boy walked away without a scratch. He has some very big guardian angels is all I have to say about that.

 Another highlight would be when my brother the fireman almost set the campsite on fire by putting a half a dead tree stump(with the help of Moses) in the fire pit. We had fire hose in hand and thought for sure it was going to get ugly but all it did is burn ALL night until the wee hours in the morning.

Also our neighbors this time were very interesting. Right next to our campsite was a group of young people married and with kids, babies and dogs. All of which was very normal what was ab-normal was that when asked everyday how they were doing the response from all of them and not in a sarcastic manner was,  "Oh you know, just living the dream". Who says that and really means it? Seriously, who says that without being totally full of crap.

Anyway, we are glad to be home and what we have ahead of us this week is some serious job hunting.

The Moses and I have several interviews lined up for this week. Life will soon be looking very different for our family and although part of me is sad and nervous about this there is another huge part that is very excited. I didn't realize until I just typed that last sentence that I lived my life so compartmentalized :)