Friday Fragments (pets, books, teaching, news)

Friday Fragments is hosted by Half Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post.

Spunky Doodle

Spunky Doodle lived up to her name again this week. She cracked me up when I was getting Abby's dog food ready for the next day. She always jumps up on the kitchen counter where I'm working and tries to get some. Last night I tried putting her off and she jumped right back up over and over again about 12 times! She is one persistent cat and I finally gave up and let her stay. I emptied one bag into the other and she stuck her head all the way in trying to get crumbs. I really should have gotten Gerard to video this. Maybe we can do it again. She also got into some mischief this week but you'll have to wait for our Monday Mischief post for that.

Abby

Abby went to get groomed this week and didn't make a fuss, just walked right in but then couldn't get out of there fast enough! Boy, did the fur fly! She came home smelling real nice with a brand new pink bandana and all soft (softer than usual). Karen and Gerard found a car fence online for dogs to keep them safe in the car. I'm not quite sure if I'd like this contraption or not. Do any of you have this? Do you like it?

Good News

Got a call from my hubby at work yesterday saying that he can have off to help in our church sports camp too! He will be a blue shirt worker which is basically a "go-for" job. The blue shirt people assist the coaches, escort children to/from the restrooms and first-aid, set out the snacks, take care of attendance and giving out the free gifts each day. I'm glad he will be involved too. He also is going to help set up the Wednesday before camp starts.

Good Book

We both just finished reading Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline and liked it. Gerard didn't care for the ending but I liked it even though it wasn't very believable. I like happy endings! It's about a modern-day family of three, who are struggling in their marriage and have a teenage son, Ryan, who is a good student and a good basketball player hoping for a scholarship. When the father and son decide to keep quiet about the hit-and-run accident they were in, things go from bad to worse. Click the link to read our reviews.

New Class

Last Sunday, the new 6th grade girls were added to my class of new 6th grade boys for the summer. We still only had six so that's one reason it makes sense to combine classes. It went well and I think I'm going to like it. It certainly changes the dynamic of the class!

Opinions on the News

I am so sick of hearing about the "Gay Games" coming to Cleveland. I want nothing to do with this.

The President making deals with the Taliban is UNBELIEVABLE! How does he get away with this? Can anyone explain this to me?

In Cleveland, I like the talk about the "sin" tax which goes to help pay for the sports facilities. The talk is to have the teams "compete" for it. It may be based on the team's performance. I like that!

What say you?

Share this:

MLB Should Crack Down On The Dopers

I've got to wonder why using performance enhancing drugs (which is illegal) is so widespread among major league ballplayers.  It seems to me MLB really doesn't care but feels like when players get caught, they have to do something.  Personally, I think if they really wanted to put a stop to it they should suspend players for life from ever playing in the pros again.

Finally, according to USA TODAY, it seems as though they are finally getting serious.  See MLB Prepared to Ban A-Rod for Life, Suspend Eight Others.  I am excited to see that Jhonny Peralta of the Detroit Tigers (a former Indians player) is also facing possible suspension.  I never liked him.  Maybe this will slow down those Tigers.

In my opinion, using performance enhancing drugs is cheating. It spoils the game when people cheat and you have to throw a players stats out to be fair to the rest of the players who do not cheat.  I'm sure this happens in other sports as well and all of them should put a stop to it by kicking the offenders out.  It is either a rule or it isn't and if it is, then players need to abide by it.  It's just that simple.  No warning is needed because all the players are aware of the rule, I'm sure. 

Yes, I do see things in black or white.  So be it!  What do you think about this issue?

Share this:

What's The Big Deal? (Writer's Workshop)

Today I am doing Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop prompt to capture a conversation you had with someone that made you laugh.

My husband and I were discussing the birth of the royal baby which went something like this:

Gerard:  Was the royal baby born yet?

Karen:  Yes, I saw something about it on Yahoo News.  I don't get why it's such a big deal though.

Gerard:  It is a big deal!  He's royalty-he's going to be a future king and never have to work a day in his life..

Karen:  Oh, I think he will, he'd be bored.  Do they still have a king who rules over there?

Gerard:  No, the royal family doesn't make any governing decisions.

Karen:  Well then who does? 

Gerard:  The Prime Minister who is like our President.  The royal family is just a tradition.  Didn't you take history in school?

Karen:  I didn't study England history.  Now I really don't get what all the excitement is about if they don't have any authority?  He's going to be a king with no authority??  Aren't there two brothers ahead of him anyway?

Gerard:  Actually there's a guy ahead of William but this baby passes up Harry because Harry is married.

Karen: Wait, that's not fair! That makes no sense at all! (laughing)

Gerard:  Good night.

Next day:

Gerard:  It's nice to have something happen that makes a lot of people happy for a change.

Karen:  True.

When I saw the pictures of all the people outside the palace on Yahoo news, I couldn't believe it!  People actually made a special trip to be there, even people from other nations!  I really don't see why this is such a big deal.  It did get me wondering how the birth of Jesus would have been different had he been born in this decade.  I wonder if He would have been in the news throughout the world.

What do you think about all the hoopla about the birth of the royal family baby, Prince George?

Share this:

Stress Stats For Your Information

What stresses you out?

According to USA TODAY last week, the issues people are most stressed about are:

(76%) work
(73%) Money
(59%) Relationships
(56%) Family Responsibilities
(55%) Economy

Work is definitely the biggest cause of stress for my hubby, but for me, can you guess what it is? Well, I'd say it's family responsibilities and money such as the doctor and vet appointments. Having to schedule them all the time and taking days off work for them gets to me, plus preparing our tax forms for our accountant, UGH! 

On my day off last week, we spent $1,670 which didn't even involve travel! (Had the Naturestone floor in our laundry room cleaned ($165), finally got our doorknob replaced ($40), picked up my Femara prescription for one month ($531) and Abby had her teeth cleaned and one extracted ($934)).  Manny Boy is due for a teeth cleaning next month! Times sure have changed. When I was a kid, I can't remember my parents ever taking our dog to the vet. This was by in the 60s. Pet insurance back then was unheard of. Today, I actually went online to www.embraceyourpet.com and got a quote. I'm still thinking about it.

Who is more depressed and anxious? Young adults or Older adults? Below is what was reported in USA TODAY:

Ages 48-60:
(12% depression & 7% Anxiety)

Ages 18-33:
(19% depression & 12% Anxiety)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. --Philippians 4:6-7  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. --I Peter 5:7

Young adults are more depressed and anxious than older ones. I am not surprised at this, are you? I think older people are more used to dealing with problems and have their past experience to learn from and know they can get through stuff. Also, for Christians, our faith in God gets stronger over the years so we know how to turn our cares and worries over to God better than when we were younger.

Fortunately, the expenses were all anticipated and that's what our savings is for.  What stresses you out most?

Share this:

Early Dementia For Retired NFL Players (Guest Post by Hubby)

I just read a very good article in the September 10, 2012 issue of Sports Illustrated: “The Other Half of the Story” by Melissa Segura. The article states that according to a 2009 University of Michigan study, retired professional football players may be five times more likely than other men their age to suffer from Dementia. Three wives of former NFL players who watched the men they loved slip away from them due to early on-set Dementia share their stories in the article. The players used to be very good, but the pounding they took affected them—one even killed himself!

I thought this article was very sad for the players and the wives and made me think. From now on, when I want to yell and get mad at the stupid plays and mistakes players make (and I do this very often, ask my wife), I will stop and think about how these men are paying a high price for my entertainment. Do you still really care about these guys after they stop playing for your team? I do, but I should care more!

Share this:

Devastating Monster Wildfire in Colorado--PRAY

image source:  Reuters/Rick Wilking

I am praying for the firefighters trying to get out the wildfire in Colorado and other western states as well.  It seems they are having an especially hard time because of the winds which keep changing.  The Waldo-Canyon fire has spread to Colorado Springs, a large city, causing 35,000 to leave their homes, probably to burn.  I feel so bad for these people and can only imagine the hurt, sadness, and devastation they are going through.

When I saw on Facebook that our youth minister's parents and sisters had to evacuate and are involved in this, that's when I started to pray.  Our youth minister is currently at Word of Life camp in New York with a lot of our youth this week and am sure this news has put a damper on his spirit.  I hope you will join me in praying for him, his family and the many other people who have been evacuated and will probably lose their homes as well as the firefighters in the effort to extinguish this "monster."   

I hear people knock Facebook but it really is a great tool to keep in touch with people you know and share quickly what is happening in your life with those who care.

(We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.) Share this:

Greedy much or Generous?

Greed
It just sickens me when I hear about greedy athletes, but Chris Singleton of the Washington Wizards, takes the cake!  He's 22 years old, a rookie basketball player making just under $1.5 million this season and is not satisfied.  He spent $10,000 on lottery tickets to win $640 million.  Talk about greedy!  He has so much money he doesn't know what to do with it and wants more?  He said it was a wise investment.  If he hadn't spent it on the lottery tickets, he would have just blown it in clubs.

This is a good example of plain old greed.  I am so glad he didn't win!  I'd much rather see someone win who doesn't have a lot of money already.  Hey Chris, if you have so much money that you don't know what to do with, how about investing it in a charity where it would do some good for others?  Did you ever think of that?  You do not need to get richer to help make the world a better place.  Start now with what you have!

I know it's his money and he has the freedom to spend it any way he wants, but greed destroys people.  I hope he doesn't become one of those athletes who end up bankrupt because of making so many poor spending decisions.  I'd say he's off to a pretty good start here.

What do you think about this? 

Generosity
On the other hand, we have the anonymous couple who paid $100,000 to spend the day with Tim Tebow. at an auction to raise money for Tebow's charity.  They planned to share him with their Florida community and let him meet and play with the kids.  This couple obviously must have a lot of disposable income to be able to do this, but I like that they use their wealth to help others. 

Any thoughts on this?  I'd love to hear what others have to say about these things.

(50 cents per legitimate comment during April goes to Paralyzed Veterans of America.)

Share this:

New Orleans Saints Screw Up Big Time!

When I first heard about the New Orleans Saints football team paid players $1,500 for knocking a player out of a game, and $1,000 for a "cart-off,'' or a player helped off the field I was shocked, angry and upset to say the least.  For playoff games, the incentive increased.

A team source familiar with the investigation told SI.com that Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma offered $10,000 to any defensive player that knocked Favre out of the 2009 NFC Championship Game.  (Source:  ESPN-NFL at New Orleans Saints Defense Had "Bounty" Fund

I think this is just terrible and it's apparently been going on for the last three seasons!  The Saints defense called it a "pay for performance" program but was actually a "bounty" pool that players contributed to. 

This is real life folks. not a book or movie.  Football is NOT war--it's a game!  It's bad enough when players get badly injured accidentally and that's the risk they are willing to take when the play; however, to have players intentionally inflict game-ending injuries is animalistic.  To play with a total disregard for the rules is inexcusable!  Where is the personal integrity?  Where is the human decency?  Where is the sportsmanship?  Where is respect in this?  Does greed and the love of money really become the motivation above all else? 

I think the coaches who implemented this practice and condoned it should lose their jobs and be kicked out of the league as well as the players who contributed to the "bounty" fund.  Furthermore, the players who intentionally hurt their opponents should pay all medical bills incurred.  Fortunately, the NFL commissioner is trying to clean up football by banning their coach Sean Petyon and their defensive coordinator is suspended indefinitely.  It is thought that some of the players will be suspended too to send the message that this practice is not going to be tolerated.    

I understand football is a contact sport and those who play expect to get hurt, but it should be within the confines and rules of the game.  To intentionally play to injure someone is just not right.  Those players who do that should switch to boxing or full metal jousting instead!  I think the Saints and the players who did this deserve everything they have coming to them. 

What are your thoughts on this?  Do you think the players are getting a bad rap and being made to look like thugs as the cornerback said?  I think they made themselves to look that way!

Read more: The Fallout of Saints Suspensions and New Orleans Saints Defense Had "Bounty" Fund

(50 cents per legitimate comment during March goes to The American Cancer Society by sponsoring Mrs 4444 and Lucky Lady in The Race For Life.)

Share this:

9 Things We Learned This Week (blogging, movies, reading,news, gifts, sports, health)

Funniest Christmas Present

Over at Mr. Puddy Merry Christmas and Happy New Year post, he demonstrated playing with his new toy: video games for cats on his iPuddy! It's hilarious! Now even our pets will have to work at staying active and not becoming addicted to video games!

Number Pad Does More Than Just Numbers

By holding down the ALT key and typing in numbers on the number pad at the right of the computer keyboard, you can get a whole lot of different special characters, symbols and even letters! See a whole list of ASCII Code List for Numpad Characters at CHEXED. Here are a few I might use: ♥ (alt-3), § (alt-21, Section sign), ► (alt-16), ♫ (alt-14).

Kindness In the News

Last Saturday in the PLAIN DEALER I read some 'Layaway angels" people who actually paid off individual layaway accounts that were full of toys to help out families they didn't even know. I thought that was so wonderful!

One guy at the Walmart in Cleveland Heights paid off $1,000 layaway account and bought $1,000 worth of $50 gift cards, gave them to his school age children to hand them out randomly to customers throughout the store! I love it! What a generous and wonderful thing to do and to allow the children to experience the joy of giving as well! As if that wasn't enough, the guy came back and paid off $1,700 of the store's layaway accounts.

Read more »

I Don't Love You Anymore--Bang!

In Saturday's PLAIN DEALER, I read Man, 86, Charged With Shooting Wife. This made me feel so sad! They were married for 66 years but argued that day. The wife, age 83, told him she no longer loved him so he shot her in the face when she was lying in bed. (No wonder she didn't love him anymore if that's how he treated her!) Then he called 911 for an ambulance and said he was going to kill himself too. The cops arrested him and the wife died about 15 hours later at the hospital.

I think this is horrible! How can someone be married for 66 years and then just shoot their spouse? I think having a gun in the house just makes it so easy to kill in the heat of an argument. If they didn't have a gun in their house, this would not have happened. Guns make me so nervous. Even when it's a security guard or policeman that is wearing it. Just on the bus Friday, there was a security guard with a gun that I noticed when he was getting off the bus. I am glad neither Gerard nor I have a gun and we never will!  At least I know my husband won't shoot me!

When I was a teen, we even moved when my mom saw our neighbor cleaning his rifle in his driveway. You can read all about it at my Writer's Workshop post for this week over at "My Funny Dad, Harry" blog: A Memorable Neighbor Who Scared Us Away.

What are your thoughts on this?

Check out Saturday Samplings for best posts of the week and link up yours!

An Alternate Bowling Style Lesson (Writer's Workshop)

Sometimes bowling can be quite frustrating. I learned to use the 5-step approach and aim at a spot on the lane such as one of the arrows to give me a closer target.  Bend your knee to get down low, keep your shoulders parallel to the foul line, keep your wrist straight, follow-through, etc.  Yes, lots to remember.  The goal is to do it right often enough that it becomes natural and you don't have to think about it.  

Yesterday I read Two-Handed Bowler Wows Way To Title With Weird Technique on Yahoo news about a high schooler, Tim Wolchko, who uses a two-handed technique only using the finger holes with great success. He has bowled 8 perfect games! I have bowled zero perfect games. I am amazed that he can throw it like this with such good control and with such great results! Next time I bowl and get frustrated when my tried and true method is not working, I may just try it this way even though this is how little kids sometimes bowl.

Here's a short video of him teaching his strange technique:




Lesson learned: Bowling doesn't have to be complicated as long as you can be consistent!

This is in response to Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop prompt, "Lesson Learned."

Is This Any Way To Treat Our Guests?

I was saddened to read in the CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER under Monday Moaning about a couple from Detroit who came to Cleveland to watch a Tiger/Indians ballgame. They told how awful their experience was because of rude people around them who not only teased them because they were Tiger fans but even threw food at them. They said even the ushers were rude to them. They mentioned that they spent a lot of money in Cleveland and didn’t expect that kind of treatment. This is the type of thing that gives Cleveland a bad name not to mention it's no way to treat people.

I'm sure if company came to visit the Clevelanders at their home, they would not treat them like that.  When out-of-towners and visiting teams come to the ballpark, we should treat them as our guests.  

I love this poem by John Wesley which was included in the book I read recently, Season of Life--A Football Star, a Boy, a Journey to Manhood by Jeffrey Marx:

Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.

Tweet This

Why Burn The Qur'an--That's Just Stupid!

When I first heard about a Pastor in Florida planning to burn the Qur'an today I was shocked and angry. I haven't heard if he went through with it or not, but I certainly hope he did not. I obviously am not Muslim but certainly people have the freedom to believe whatever religion they want without being persecuted for it. To purposely stir things up by burning the Qur'an serves no good purpose but wcould likely put a lot of lives at risk. This kind of foolishness by a Pastor is what gives Christianity a bad name. This is why I was angry when I read about this.

I discovered this video through Twitter yesterday and thought it was so good that I decided to post it here. I thought it was very well done and is a great reminder of what it means to be an American.




Tweet This

One Adventurous Woman—Katie Spotz!

I was so glad to see that Katie Spotz arrived safely at the end of her solo row boat trip across the Atlantic Ocean. According to the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, it took her 70 days. She is 22 years old, making her the youngest to do this. She raised $70,060 for the Blue Planet Run Foundation. $30,000 covers the cost of providing a lifetime of clean water for 1,000 people.

I think she is one brave lady! She is so adventurous! Among her other amazing accomplishments are biking across the country, running 150 miles through the desert, and swimming the length of the Allegheny River. I can’t even imagine doing any of those things!

I think the most daring thing I ever did was to swing on a vine over a creek and riding on a roller coaster. It definitely pales in comparison, I know. What’s the most adventurous thing you ever did?

Tweet This

Ignorance Is Bliss—Better Not To Know How Much Others Make

Everyone knows it is best not to discuss how much a person makes with anyone right? Wrong! The athletes do not seem to know this and what they make is often public knowledge. No wonder there is so much dissatisfaction over their contracts in spite of making a million dollars a year. All it takes is for them to compare themselves to someone who is making more and they become dissatisfied.

Josh Cribbs is an example of this. In my opinion, which I’m sure I share with many, he is the Cleveland Browns’ most valuable player. He agreed to a three-year contract but wants to get a new contract before next season. Yes, he is an awesome, amazing player with a great attitude who is a leader on the Cleveland Browns team and compared to other NFL players in his position, he certainly does deserve to be paid more. However, I wonder. What if he didn’t know how much others made? Would he still think $1.4 million a year was an “insult”? I sure wouldn’t and I don’t think he would either. I like Josh Cribbs and hope he will still play for the Cleveland Browns next season and many more. It seems though he and his agents are getting impatient.

I think when it comes to professional sports, the salaries are ridiculously high. They justify this by saying it is a high risk job in that they run a risk of injury each time they take the field that could paralyze them for life. I get that; however, if they didn’t get paid those exorbitant salaries, I think there would still be plenty people who would still be willing to be professional athletes. I don’t think professional sports would disappear because I believe most professional athletes play because they are good at it and like the game.

In the scheme of importance, sports is certainly a help to the economy. Many dollars are spent on sporting events and apparel throughout the country; however, the nation could go on just fine without sports. The country would suffer more if there were no doctors, teachers, restaurants, farmers, utility workers, sanitary engineers, architects, construction workers, day care workers, bus drivers, store clerks, truck drivers, political officials, clergy, firemen, policemen, paramedics etc. Just about any other job I can think of is more necessary than a professional athlete when it comes to living.

So, my advice to these highly paid athletes is to be grateful for whatever you get because there are many other people who work every day for much less whose jobs are more important than yours. Here is a little scripture to chew on too:

I Timothy 6:6-11 (KJV):

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things: and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Tweet This

N. Royalton Halts School Busing--Boo Hoo, Whine, Whine, Whine

Gerard wanted to share his views on an article he read in THE PLAIN DEALER on Tuesday, January 6, 2009 so here they are:

North Royalton High School, located in one of our local suburbs, had their first day without busing the students to school because the tax levy didn't pass. The levy that was defeated would have cost a $100,000 homeowner an additional $181 yearly. Here are the highlights:

1) Kids did not like it! (surprise, surprise!)

2) A girl who will be a freshman next year cried! (boo, hoo)

3) The principal said with lots more teen drivers on the road, we'll keep our fingers crossed! (Hello, knock, knock! If junior does not know how to drive, why is he behind the wheel?)

4) And, of course, another levy will be put to the vote in May.

5) Not only that, but they cancelled the talent show, musical and the Ski Club too! (Too bad, it's not like these are important!)

6) Students playing spring sports must pay now to play. (Oh well, join the club! Other schools already have been doing this.)

The economy is really bad with no relief in sight any time soon. Naturally, people don't want to vote for tax increases. The schools are just going to have to realize this and adjust. When I was in high school, I had to take three buses and walked a few blocks, thinking nothing of it. I don't see what the big deal is here.

What do you think about this huge tragedy? Your comments are welcome.

Boo On Halloween?

Today would be my mom's birthday if she were still alive, so Happy Birthday, Mom!

This is a picture of my mom at a Halloween party in 1977 when she was Jr. High youth group leader and I assisted her. (Sorry picture quality is not good but it is a picture of an old picture.)

TRICK-OR-TREAT!:
I loved dressing up and going trick-or-treating in our neighborhood, mostly because I liked candy! As a kid, I used to "judge" how nice people were by how decorated their house was. Usually, the better decorated, the better treats we got. The houses that didn't have the light on, I viewed as housing grumpy old people. The ones having a light, but no decorations I viewed as people who liked kids, but weren't into decorating (this is the category I am in today). The ones who went all out with house and yard decorations I figured probably had kids living there and we would get really good treats. Some people even dressed up when they handed out the candy. I remember one time, the person looked so scary that my little brother wet his doggie costume! I used to dress up as a ghost to give out candy until I saw some little ones being afraid, so I changed to being a clown instead.

I see nothing evil in dressing up and collecting candy from generous people who like kids! I was always so proud of my dad because even when he was in his 80s, he still bought candy for the trick-or-treaters and passed it out. He really enjoyed seeing the kids come in their costumes so you see, the kids are actually a blessing to the elderly (like me, well old at least if not elderly) and it's fun to give to the kids.

We never played any pranks on anyone. We never damaged any one's property or even rolled any one's house with toilet paper. I think these activities are wrong for Christians to participate in because it's not showing any love to others and it's not how I would want people to treat me.

HALLOWEEN PARTIES:
It's so much fun to plan and go to Halloween parties because you can do so much with the theme. We have old home movies of a party my parents had when we were just little and everyone was having fun. Some of my best party memories were from Halloween parties which include: Great looking cakes, lots of candy, dunking for apples, scavenger hunts, spook walks, costume contests, games like murder where the lights go out and the murderer tags someone, they scream, the lights come on and the others have to figure out who the murderer was, touchy-feeling games and donuts and cider. I remember one really church youth group party where we started at a home of a couple kids in the youth group and then we had someone dress up (I forget who it was now) and come in to take us all hostage. One kid thought it was real and actually tried to hit the guy! It was funny, but I always gave that kid credit for trying to protect everyone. We were all transported then to another location for a spook walk in the attic of a person only a few of us knew--our Hi-BA leader. (Hi-BA stands for High School born-againers which was a club for teens geared to witnessing about Jesus to our friends.)

HOW TIMES CHANGE!
When I was growing up, the church never boo boo'd Halloween, at least not mine. I never sensed the Holy Spirit convicting me that it was wrong to participate. It seems though, that in the last 30 years, there's been sort of a movement among Christians to boo it based on its history and its connection to things opposing God. Frankly, I don't get it. How is it for years it was not a big deal. God doesn't change. When I celebrate Halloween by decorating, dressing up, trick-or-treating or handing out the candy to trick-or-treaters, or planning or attending Halloween parties (as opposed to festivals as the church refers to them now as an alternative to Halloween), I have absolutely no thought about honoring the spirit world, Satan or witchcraft in any way.

Therefore, to me, it's similar to a non-Christian celebrating Christmas because it's a fun time. Giving and receiving gifts is nice to do. Many people who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior participate in Christmas celebrations without any thought to it being the day we celebrate Christ's birth on Earth. If I were convicted by the Holy Spirit of God that participating in Halloween festivities is wrong and something God really doesn't want me to do, then I wouldn't; however, so far that has not happened so I will continue to enjoy the trick-or-treaters and may even plan a Halloween party one day.


There you have it. My thoughts regarding Halloween from my Christian perspective. Certainly, if I had parents who were against it and didn't let me participate, I would have obeyed them in this and I realize there are some Christian parents who do feel that Halloween is not good to celebrate. I respect that and believe that is the reason why at least my church has modified the way they handle Halloween activities.

So, Happy Halloween!
(Sorry to report no one won the scavenger hunt--even I couldn't find it and I kind of knew what the post looked like! I think it was a blog I normally don't look at, one I found on someone's blog roll and they didn't return my EC drop.)

5 Things I'd Like To See Changed In U.S. Politics

I am not big on politics but do have some strong feelings regarding Presidential campaigns and the actual election. The following is a short list of things I'd like to see changed:

1. Abolish political parties. The government is supposed to be about the people, not political parties.

2. Give each candidate a set amount of money with which to campaign from taxes. This amount should be equally divided among the candidates. No adding your own funds or other contributions should be permitted.

3. Limit advertisements to just what they would do if elected and just their own credentials. No comment or information at all should be given about their opponent.

4. If they have any political experience, their voting record should be included in their advertising.

5. Finally, I wish the electoral college would be "tossed out the window and into the lake"! I believe the President should be elected based on all the votes, not just representative votes of the states.

I told you it was a short list--what about you? What changes would you like to see?

Let the Teens Play Whiffle Ball in Greenwich Field!

I read an article by Connie Schultz in the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER yesterday about a community in an uproar over some teens who just want to have fun. In the wealthy community of Greenwich, Connecticut, about 10-15 teens spent about a month cleaning up an overgrown lot which no one cared about. They fixed it up into a whiffle ball field and many teens play there now. I was glad to see some upbeat news for a change and it brought back some great memories. It's really rare nowadays to see kids creating their own fun and having a good time without adults organizing their activities.

When I was a little girl, I thought it would be cool to have nine kids so we'd have enough for a family baseball team. (This idea died around age 12.) I dreamed about making a ball field in my backyard one day. I used to love baseball! These teens actually did it! BRAVO!!

It's hard to believe everyone isn't thrilled and applauding these teens that are not in gang warfare, or selling drugs to little kids, or being promiscuous. They are not vandalizing or bullying people. All they are doing is having some fun playing whiffle ball. A whiffle ball is plastic and a plastic bat is used to hit it. We used to play home run derby in our driveway on occasion with a whiffle ball. It is unlikely that even if it hit a window, it would break.

I can't believe how grouchy some people are. One neighbor actually hired a lawyer to shut down the field. A town meeting about this whiffle ball controversy is set for tomorrow. I'm pulling for the teens! Thankfully, the community response is mostly for the kids. I really think sometimes older people are just plain jealous of the fun kids and teens have so they complain "they make too much noise." These teens cleaned up an eyesore and should be appreciated and congratulated for their initiative! Go Teens!

Great news story, Connie! Thank you.

Take Away The Guns Already!

When I read in the news about people getting shot during arguments, it just seems as plain as day that people should not be permitted to own guns. I know, all the hunters get riled when they hear this, but isn't the value of human life more important than hunting for pleasure? IT SHOULD BE!

Anyway, the latest here is the story of neighbors not getting along. One is a firefighter, family man with a young child. The other are people who like to party and have some fun. On the Fourth of July, the "partiers" were shooting off fireworks late at night while the firefighter's child was trying to sleep. In the firefighter's own words, "I snapped." He got his gun, went outside and killed three people and shot two others--just like that.

I can't help but think that if he didn't have a gun, three people would still be alive today and the other two would not be wounded. Furthermore, the firefighter (Hough) would not be in jail away from his family facing the death penalty. The families of the victims would not all be grieving.

The firefighter was convicted on three counts of aggravated murder and two counts of attempted murder. He received a sentence of life in prison.

This is just one episode, it happens a lot! People always get angry, it happens. But without a gun in hand at the time, the consequences would be far less severe. I would not have a gun in my house, ever! If you have one, please rethink this and don't take the risk of something similar happening to you.

A couple good fiction books about this topic are "Nineteen Minutes" and "Perfect Match" by Jodi Picoult. I highly recommend them both!

Related Article: "Alternative to Over Crowded Prisons" by Karen Zemek on http://karen.pnn.com (politics section).

UPDATED 1/11/09:
Over and over I hear about more gun related accidental deaths. A friend shoots her friend, a 4 yr. old shoots his older brother and on and on it goes. The 4 yr. old even announced he was going to get a gun and his family assumed he would come back with his toy gun. They were wrong. He loaded a real gun that was in the house and came back out and shot his brother because he had stood on his foot!