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 |  Fibro fog, pain, writing sandwiched in between. Quotes. Sermon notes. Encouragement. |
A Texas Sunrise  A friend, William Taylor, took this picture. He visits Surfside Beach with his dogs almost every morning, watching the sun rise while the dogs prance about at the water's edge. This is only about ten miles from where I lived in Lake Jackson, Texas. Sadly, I only visited this beach about four times in the six years I lived nearby. Each day is a challenge. A challenge to get by without thinking about the fibromyalgia pains. A challenge to stay awake when chronic fatigure wants to take over. And a challenge to navigate through fibro fog. I haven't been writing as much as in the past. For years, I wrote at least 500 words a day. Now, I'm lucky if I write 500 words in month. Sigh. For more information about what my day (or life) is all about with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, chronic pains, IBS, depression and everything else thrown in, check this out:
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| You know how some people put ♥s in all their writings? It's easy to do. Hold down the "alt" key and type a 3 on your keypad (not on the upper keys of the keyboard). Release both the "alt" key and the 3 and you should have this: ♥ |
| What's In Your Bucket? by Marilyn Mackenzie A few days before Christmas, as I stood in a long line with other Christmas shopping procrastinators, I heard the words of a grandmother using the time for a teachable moment. Her pre-teen grandaughter was obviously disappointed that some product was not available. The grandmother said, "Dear, what's in your bucket? We all have two buckets we can carry around with us. One has all the blessings we've received. The other has all the balogna that life throws at us." (Actually she said b.s., but I changed it to balogna.) "If you continue to dwell on the balogna, you completely forget that you also have a bucket of blessings. And usually that bucket is full to overflowing." I thought those were intriguing thoughts, and the grandma was wise to talk with her grandaughter while she had a captive audience. She also spoke loud enough for those around her to hear, so the message was one offered to others who would listen. I did. As I stood there, I realized how right that grandmother was with her assessment of life. We do usually have more blessings than balogna. The year 2008 has had both blessings and balogna in it for me. I lost my brother and an aunt this year. My health has not gotten any better, and once again I was denied disability and my attorney has to prepare another appeal. But my hubby's work was in the midst of changing retirement plans when the financial mess started happening around us, so the money was socked away during the change and no money was lost in the transition. The change made us realize how much money was in the account, and we were able to withdraw some to pay off bills. For the first time in many years - probably since my hubby was a young man - he has no car payment. My hubby received the usual raise this year again - nothing fantastic, mind you, but a raise nevertheless. We are blessed that he has a good job and that his company has never laid off anyone in it's long history. We have close and extended family members who love us. We belong to a church that we and hubby's 12 year old daughter love. We live in a neighborhood with very little crime. Yes, the value of our home went down like others around the country. But it also went back up a bit by the end of the year. All in all, we do have more blessings than balogna. I think I'll start carrying my blessing bucket with me, so that I can see the blessings we've already received and so that I can be ready to catch new ones. |
| At 56, I've spent some time in hospital emergency rooms, both for myself and for my son. But I can count on one hand the number of times I've been admitted to the hospital. Let's see... In about 1981 or 1982, I spent three days in the hospital after driving myself to the emergency room for unknown abdominal pains. I told the emergency room doctors that the pain was like having the worst menstral cramps, the worst constipation cramps, the worst flu cramps, and the gall bladder problems I had experienced about ten years prior, all rolled into one pain. I could not tell exactly where the pain originated because everything hurt. I was admitted and kept drugged for three days. They did tests on me, including a colonoscopy, which at that time was a horrible test (now it's much easier). And they woke me at 6 a.m. on the morning of the fourth day and said I could go home. The doctors were stymied about my pain source. They gave me psyllium to regulate my bowel movements. What?!?!? I had a C-section when I had my only son. But I was only in the hospital for 24 hours, back when most women stayed in the hospital for a week to ten days with that kind of delivery. We didn't have insurance and my mother was coming to help with the baby. So the doctor let me leave. Twice, I've been hospitalized overnight with chest pains - once in Texas and once in Michigan. Now I know that both incidences were actually related to my fibromyalgia, but I didn't know it then. The first time - in Texas - I had not yet been diagnosed with fibro. The emergency room doc and my own family doctor fought about whether my chest pains were caused by heart problems or gall bladder problems. I had tests for both, and it turned out it was neither. My family doc tried to tell me it was heartburn, but I knew that wasn't right. I had had heartburn before, and this was different. It felt like someone was holding my heart in his/her hand and squeezing it. The second time I had chest pains - in Michigan - I had been diagnosed with fibro, but I didn't know all that fibromyalgia brings with it. Obviously, neither did the cardiologist to whom I was assigned (by the county medical services). I had a heart catheterization and was scheduled for angioplasty, but when I woke up, the cardiologist informed me that I didn't have any blockage. Instead, I had annoying arteries and veins...that jumped out of the way whenever they darned well pleased. And closed up if poked. The doc said it was as if my veins and arteries had minds of their own. I later learned that this was not that uncommon with fibromyalgia sufferers. Know what else I learned? Not only to fibro folks have spasms in their skelatal muscles, but also in their organ muscles. Of course, that means that I do. I've had test after test - upper and lower GI series, endoscopy, colonoscopy, you name it. And the results are always that the doctors are scratching their heads, not really understanding, that I have inflammation and spasming - in my stomach, in my intestines, in my gall bladder, in my heart. Sigh. I also have stomach problems because of all the medications I take - pain relievers, muscle relaxers (skeletal and organ), for inflammation (although I can't tolerate those very often), for depression. I have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The definition I found said, "mild to severe abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating and alteration of bowel habits." Let's just leave it at that. If you want more information on IBS, you can look it up. Perhaps while I'm listing my maladies and symptoms, I should add that I had a back injury in 1997 and a knee injury in 2002. They both still cause me pain. In 2000, I had two car accidents - rear end collisions - that were not my fault. In one, I ended up with whiplash. Also in 2000, during my pain management for my back, the skin - especially on my hands and arms - was permanently thinned. Now they bruise or bleed at the slightest bump. On Monday, I had horrible abdominal pains. That's not all that unusual, as noted above. But this time was different. Not only did I have the symptoms of IBS, the pain that often accompanies my taking medications, and the "normal" (for me) spasming, I also was vomiting. And, did I mention that I was in horrible pain. I guess I did. The pain was great enough that I called my hubby at work and asked that he come home after lunch to take me to the hospital emergency room. I knew I couldn't even drive myself. We arrived at the emergency room about 1:45 p.m., I think. We waited and waited and waited. And we discovered that in our little part of the world, Mondays are the worst times for the emergency room. Who knew? The second worst time is Sundays. I found that rather odd. In most other places I've lived, Fridays and Saturdays (and some Sundays) have been the busiest at emergency rooms. But not here. I don't remember what tests were performed through the emergency room. Mostly x-rays, I think. But somewhere along the line, they informed hubby and me that I was being admitted. Still, that didn't happen very quickly either. I think I was finally in a room about 9 p.m. or thereabout. And I soon discovered that hospitals are much different than they were back in 1984 when my son was born. First, there was a plaque on the wall that asked me to be sure to recommend the hospital to my friends and family. Huh? Even though I was on a clear liquid diet on Monday and Tuesday, there were choices. And the menu was beautiful. It looked like it belonged in a fancy hotel (for room service) or restaurant. On Wednesday, I got to choose real foods, and boy where there choices. And it was delivered between 20 and 45 minutes from the time you ordered. None of this having cold foods delivered all at once on a food cart. Nope. Each meal was delivered specially. Wow. For breakfast on Wednesday, I tried having an English muffin with bacon, scrambled egg, and cheese, plus a banana, orange juice and coffee. For lunch, I had a huge mound of cottage cheese and fresh fruits. I could have had dozens of other things, but having had such a time with my tummy and having been on liquids for so long, I didn't want to be tempted to eat the wrong things. I have never seen so many employees in one hospital before. It's like someone pulled all the sales clerks off the sales floors (you know...you can never find one!) and trained them to work in hospitals. And they walk all over each other. Seriously. It's no wonder the costs of medical care are so high. There were three housekeeping employees who checked in each day. One emptied trash. One brought towels and changed linens. The third "cleaned up." Even fancy hotels don't bother you that much with that many employees. The nurse's aides (I forget what their new title is) were all over too. I think each one only had about 4-5 patients and mine was always coming in and asking what she could do for me or get for me. I was afraid to mention anything I wanted or needed...for fear that it would cost a fortune. They keep hospitals pretty cold now. The staff said it was to help keep germs away. But they were great about asking if you wanted another blanket (to add to the three already on the bed) or wanted to have a blanket warmed. That felt great. But who knows? It might also cost extra. I had a private room, and I hate to think what that might cost us. I was pretty miserable while I was there. Even though they were pumping me full of strong pain killers (which turned out to be too strong...and another reason why I kept vomiting), I would wake up every two hours in pain and not able to have more meds for another two hours. Grrr. And when I didn't wake up on my own every two hours, the staff helped that along. They gladly woke me up at midnight, 3:30 a.m. and 5:45 a.m. to check my vital signs. Grrr. I wondered why my own doctor didn't come to check on me. Instead, I had a different staff doctor at every shift change. It turned out that the doctor group to which my doc belongs does not have privileges anymore. I do wish the emergency room staff or admitting people had mentioned that before I was admitted. It's nice to know that your care is in the hands of someone who knows your quirks. Grrr. At 6 a.m. on Wednesday, I went for my last test - an ultrasound of my abdomin. I was told that the results of that test would determine if I went home for Thanksgiving. The doctor made his rounds about 10 a.m. (why do they do that earlier in the movies and TV shows?) and there were still no test results. About 2 p.m. some preliminary results came in, showing that I did have some inflammation around my pancreas, but nothing more serious. Around 4 p.m., I knew for sure I could go home, so I called my hubby to come and get me out! Okay. Hospitals are much nicer than they were 20+ years ago. I admit that. But they're still hospitals. I'm out and hubby and I had a nice Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant - The National Exemplar. (You can check their website to see how nice...) Still...I'm having pains. I'm not vomiting anymore, but the pains are still there. I finally figured out that one prescription they gave me to help get rid of the inflammation is making me ill. Figures. They were also pumping this into my system through an IV. Could be why I never felt I was getting better. Guess I'll be calling my own doctor this week. |
| Here are some of the things we're supposed to celebrate in November: American Diabetes Month Celebrate Empty Nester Month Diabetic Eye Disease Month Epilepsy Awareness Month Family Stories Month Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month I Am So Thankful Month International Drum (Percussion) Month Military Family Appreciation Month National Adoption Month National AIDS Awareness Month National Alzheimer's Disease Month National American Indian Heritage Month National COPD Awareness Month National Family Caregivers Month National Georgia Pecan Month National Home Care & Hospice Month National Inspirational Role Models Month National Life Writing Month National Novel Writing Month Link National Peanut Butter Lovers Month National Pet Cancer Awareness Month National Pomegranate Month National Roasting Month National Scholarship Month Prematurity Awareness Month Vegan Month Here are some celebrations for the second week of November: Pursuit of Happiness Week: 8-14 National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week: 9-15 Fraud Awareness Week: 9-16 World Kindness Week: 10-17 November 8 - Cook Something Bold Day, Dunce Day, Abet and Aid Punsters Day, International Tongue Twister Day, National Parents as Teachers Day November 9 - Chaos Never Dies Day November 10 - Forget-Me-Not Day, Area Code Day, Gingerbread House Day November 11 - Air Day, Veterans Day November 12 - National Pizza With The Works Except Anchovies Day November 13 - World Kindness Day, Sadie Hawkins Day November 14 - Loosen Up Lighten Up Day, American Teddy Bear Day, Operating Room Nurses Day November 15 - I Love to Write Day, America Recycles Day, Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day Food for thought: All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we often make troublesome changes without amendment, and frequently for the worse. ~ Benjamin Franklin He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money. ~ Benjamin Franklin He that lives upon hope will die fasting. ~ Benjamin Franklin Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~ Benjamin Franklin |
| Here in the Cincinnati area, there have been reports of scanning machines not working in many polling areas. The machines are spitting out the forms without recording the votes. Supposedly those ballots are being sent somewhere where they can be counted and recorded by hand. It was also reported on our news last night that there could be hundreds of thousands of people voting in more than one place. Our neighbor, Kentucky, has a law that says that even after a person moves and registers elsewhere that they have to keep their names on the voter registration rolls for two Presidential campaigns. That opens up the ability for people to vote in more than one place. And there are some who admitted to doing just that. I imagine that Michigan must have some similar law, since I moved from there in 2003 and still get information from them, even though I informed the county of my move in writing. Our news people also intereviewed one lady who decided that rather than voting in her new location (state), she chose to come back to Ohio to vote because her vote will count more in a swing state. You can't do that. You're supposed to vote where you live! A few weeks ago, some college students admitted to being registered in more than one state. One guy actually lives in England and yet voted early in Ohio. There was also a news report a few days ago about an elderly woman in a nursing home whose son was trying to get her vote invalidated. She had no idea who was running or who she ended up voting for, but some "helpful" people had come to the nursing home to make sure she and the other residends were able to vote. Voter fraud is against the law and can be punished by jail and fines. It has to make you wonder if the results of this election will have as much or more controversy as the elections in 2000 and 2004. *************** On The View this morning, they commented about the touch screen voting in Florida. A while back, they mentioned that in early voting the elderly voters didn't get it. They weren't waiting for the screen to record their votes and were ending up voting wrong. My parents lived in FL when there was the chad problem. They admitted that they were confused. *************** Just now on the news was a report of Black Panthers standing in uniforms outside one polling place in Philadelphia where some voters felt intimidated. One of the Black Panthers was removed by police because he had a night stick that he was waving around. The news people were asked to leave by the polling people, but they checked with their legal department and found out they're allowed to be within ten feet of the polling area. *************** What's going on where you live? Or what have you heard on the news? |
| A Business Plans for the Future by Marilyn Mackenzie November 5, 2008 John Smith sat in his corner office, looking out the window and wondering what the next four years would mean to his business. He was resigned to the fact that Obama would be the next president. The pondering company owner knew that he would have to raise the prices on his products and services - probably about 8% - to accommodate the rise in taxes. Smith employed 35 employees. His company was still the size of one where everyone seems to be like family. He knew, though, that he would have to downsize. The figures in front of him didn't lie. In order to continue paying the wages he did to his employees, providing the minimal benefits he could, and offering raises for employees who were an asset to the company, he would have to lay off about 6 employees. The calculations in front of him were proof of that fact. As he looked out onto the parking lot again, sad at the prospect of having to let some people go and not enjoying the task of choosing them, something caught his eye. He rushed out to the parking lot and discovered 8 cars, trucks and SUVs with Obama bumper stickers on them. "That's the answer!" he thought to himself. After taking down the license numbers, he rushed back to his office and called the employee who served as his assistant and his only human resources employee. He started the process of letting go those 8 employees who had obviously voted for Obama. That was 2 more employees than he had anticipated laying off, but the lay off would mean that other employees had to work longer hours. The extra 2 lay offs would mean that he could compensate the ones who had to work harder. Feeling better now about his decision, he picked up the phone and started to call each one of the business owners in the group that met every Tuesday for breakfast. "Fred," he said. "I have the perfect solution to your lay off problem." And so it went that day. Each of the businesses in the breakfast club targeted the obvious Obama supporters for lay off. ********* Don't worry, folks. This is a fictional story, obviously. Obama has programs and policies to help every American. Right? Right. |
| Here's a test you can take - with 48 questions - about Obama's policies and record. It includes questions on healthcare, taxes, energy, social values, etc. http://barackobamatest.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.options I took the test. Here are the results: You DISAGREED with the Barack Obama position on 47 of the 48 test questions. This means you disagree with the Obama position 98% of the time. I'm not surprised. After you take the test and find out your score, you can also see how other Americans feel about these issues. In most cases, 50-60% of Americans disagree with Obama's stand. In some cases, it's as much as 70-80% who disagree. That I found interesting. I guess that some people are planning on voting for him even though they disagree on some of the issues...if you listen to the polls. |
| Have you heard? John McCain just announced that he is suspending his Presidential campaign and asking President Bush to call everyone back to Washington so they can deal with the financial crisis. McCain is asking that the debate next week be cancelled for now and rescheduled later. Talk about showing that America is more important than any campaign. That's the same thing McCain said about the surge - that America was more important than the election. |
| We have been without power since about 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Probably won't have any electricity until late this weekend or maybe even early next week. This really stinks. The library computer keeps logging me out wherever I go. Grrr. |
Do you ever visit GodTube.com? It has some great Christian and inspirational videos. One series has good and evil, and they might remind you of a commercial about Mac and PC.  Today I discovered this one about a baby preacher: http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9c69d4acc9dd49eaf89f |
I wrote something today:
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Hi y'all. Just popping in to let you know that my hubby, Incurable Romantic   is having a birthday today. It's a biggie. He's turning 60. Y'all go ahead and tell him what an old fart he is now. Okay? |
| I spend a lot of time at Gather.com. I went there after one of our Writing.com members was disrespected in ways no one deserves. I stayed because, as many of you know, I haven't been able to work for years. At Gather, I can post articles, photos and videos, plus comment on articles, photos and videos...and get paid for being there. You start out earning points for gift cards, but if you get enough points in a month, you can change to cash instead. I wasn't real active when I started there. But once I got a new computer that could actually view the videos, I decided to try for the cash option. Lo and behold, the month that I tried, I succeeded. Yippee skippy. I just checked this morning, and since March 26, 2008, I have earned $443. No, that's not much. But it's lots more than the programs that give you points for reading an email. (I've earned 5 gift cards in 3 years from MyPoints and $20 total from Memomail/Memolink.) Anyway, Gather just announced a new contest. It's an invite-a-thon. There will be a daily drawing for points (for both the inviter and invitee). Then there will be five winners where the inviter and invitee both get $100 in Gift cards. Sounds great to me. If you're interested in being invited, let me know. I have to send you an email. If you're curious, here's my Daily Whine & Shine: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?memberId=223207&articleId=281474977413590&... Don't forget. In order for both of us to be in the contest, I have to invite you by email. While we're talking about making minimal money, here's another one. Cash only.(Well, PayPal.) I don't spend much time there, and usually only earn about $10-15 a month. BUT.... I use the earnings from these places to keep my membership at Writing.com going. You could do that too. http://www.mylot.com/?ref=kenzie45230 |
| I received this message from The Illustrator's Partnership of America. I'm not sure how I got on their mailing list, but I'm glad that I did. If I'm understanding this issue properly, there is a bill proposed (by big businesses, of course) about copyright issues with works of art and photography. While it definitely affects professional artists, it also affects the general public. As I understand it, this bill was designed to protect those who want to use photos/art they "find". If they do a diligent search - as defined by them and the court if it goes there - to find the original artist or photographer and cannot, then they will be able to use the photograph in any way they choose, including advertising. Presently, all works of art and printed words, are copyrighted as soon as we create them. We can register them, but the casual writer/photographer doesn't want to register everything they do. This bill will change that, for art works. This should bother us all. If you have posted pictures on the Internet anywhere and a company finds a picture they like and they cannot find the original photographer, they'll be free to not only use that photo/art, but to have it registered with their copyright! And not only that. If this succeeds, I wonder if they'll try the same thing with our words. Below is the email I received. You can research this a bit more by clicking this link: http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/ And you can voice your displeasure with this bill by clicking the link that the Illustrator's Partnership of America has provided. ********************** FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS' PARTNERSHIP The Orphan Works Act: Warning to the Public Should the general public care about the Orphan Works Act? Yes, because the effects of this bill will expose any citizen's visual images to infringement, including infringement for commercial purposes or distasteful uses. Most people don't understand current copyright law. But under current law, they don't have to - the law itself protects them from not understanding it. Anything you create is considered your private property. But under this amendment, all citizens would be required to understand that they must now take active steps - not to actually protect their work (because registries won't protect it) - but merely to preserve their right to sue an infringer in federal court (in case they ever find out they've been infringed in the first place). Otherwise, ignorance of copyright law will be be no excuse against an infringer who has done a "reasonably diligent search" for a photo he found on a blog, photo sharing site, Facebook page, or other source. Proposal for Copyright Warning and Public Awareness Campaign If this bill is passed, copyright will no longer be considered the exclusive right of the creator. Therefore, Congress should direct the Copyright Office to commence an awareness campaign to be conducted in all media, explaining to all copyright holders the new terms of copyright protection. Public warnings should state at least the following: "Due to a change in US copyright law, citizens should now be aware that any creative expression they put into tangible form - from professional artwork to family photos - will be subject to infringement, including infringement for commercial uses, by anyone in the United States who is unable to locate them by what the infringer determines - and a court agrees - to be a reasonably diligent search. "To preserve your right to sue infringers in federal court, you are advised to take active steps to assert authorship of every work you create. "These steps will include inserting meta-data in each work, marking each work with a copyright symbol and contact information and registering each work in commercial databases where infringers can search for your work. "Ignorance of copyright law will be be no excuse against an infringer who has done a "reasonably diligent search" according to guidelines established by Congress." This should be the minimum warning information and it should be issued to the public on an on-going basis to alert successive generations of the legal obligations they will have to observe as the price of creating art of any kind. We also ask Congress to direct the Copyright Office to establish and maintain local law clinics where creators and other citizens can seek clarification about their obligations under Orphan Works law. Don't Let Congress Orphan Your Work You can urge Congress to oppose these bills by linking here to a special letter. Tell Your Senators and Representatives to Oppose the Orphan Works Act at: http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/issues/alert/?alertid=11442621 Please forward this message to every artist you know. If you received our mail as a forwarded message, and wish to be added to our mailing list, email us at: ipa@twcny.rr.com Place "Add Name" in the subject line, and provide your name and the email address you want used in the message area. ***************** From what you've read above - and the Illustrator's Partnership of America web site, if you went there - am I wrong to be concerned?  "My Favorite Neighbor"  "Sharing Sunshine...It's What I Do!" "Admirable Women" "Whose Work Are You Stealing?" "The Potter's Cup and Saucer" |
| Here's a place where you can post articles and make comments...and earn a few pennies for each one. Active people do real well, I'm sure. http://www.myLot.com?ref=kenzie45230 |
| April Holidays April is: Alcohol Awareness Month Autism Awareness Month Holocaust Month Holy Humor Month Informed Women Month International Daffynitions Month International Guitar Month IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) Month (Oh come on!) Jazz Appreciation Month Keep America Beautiful Month National Anxiety Month National Child Abuse Prevention Month National Garden Month National Humor Month National Parkinson's Awareness Month National Pecan Month National Poetry Month National Sexual Assault Awareness Month National Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month National Welding Month Soy Foods Month Stress Awareness Month Uh-Huh Month First week is: Laugh at Work Week Golden Rule Week National Reading a Road Map Week National Straw Hat Week Egg Salad Week Library Week Second week is: Be Kind to Animals Week National Guitar Week Third week is: Bike Safety Week National Volunteer Week National Library Week National Inspirational News Week Fourth week is: National Television-Free Week Teacher Appreciation Week National Administrative Professionals Week (used to be National Secretaries Week) National Sky Awareness Week National Scoop the Poop Week National Volunteer Week April1 April Fool's Day National Sleep Day Sorry Charlie Day - Note: Different sites say different things about this day. One says it's to honor Charlie the Tuna. Another says it's a day for anyone who has lost in love and lived to tell about it. One Cent Day April 2 International Children's Book day National Peanut Butter Day (I'm so glad my favorite food has a day of its own! Some sites say this is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day.) April 3 American Circus Day National Find-A-Rainbow Day Tweed Day (go ahead and wear it!) National Don't Go to Work Unless It's Fun Day April 4 Hug a Newsman Day National Walk to Work Day (1st Friday) Walk Around Things Day (Makes sense, I guess. Walk around things as you walk to work?) April 5 Accelerate ACL Awareness Among Young Women Day National Road Map Day April 6 Twinkie's Birthday (introduction of "the cake" in 1930) Jump Over Things Day Drowsy Driver Awareness Day April 7 No Housework Day (I love this day!) Museum Day World Health Day National Teacher Appreciation Day April 8 International Bird Day Draw a Picture of a Bird Day April 9 National Cherish and Antique Day April 10 National Sibling Day Encourage a Young Writer Day April 11 World Parkinson's Day Eight Track Tape Day (Does anyone still have those???) April 12 Look Up At The Sky Day (Huh? And do what? Appreciate it? Paint it?) Thank Your School Librarian Day Licorice Day Walk on Your Wild Side Day Big Wind Day (Not so sure about this one. Are we telling the weather dudes...or the cooks and docs?) April13 My Birthday!!!! Write this one down! National Peach Cobbler Day Blame Someone Else Day April 14 National Pecan Day International Moment of Laughter Day (Note: One site said the 14th one the 16th, let's laugh on both, okay?) Reach as High as You Can Day (Note: One site says this day and the Look Up at the Sky Day are on the same day. You might want to observe them together so you can look up and reach up on the same day.) April 15 U.S. Pay Your Income Tax Day Rubber Eraser Day (Probably for those last minute tax preparers.) Take a Wild Guess Day (Hopefully, not on your taxes!) April 16 National Karaoke Day International Moment of Laughter Day (I wonder...at what time?) International Stress Awareness Day (Some say it's only National not International. Let's share this one!) National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day April 17 Ford Mustang's Birthday (1964) Blah, Blah, Blah Day April 18 National Animal Crackers Day April 19 Garlic Day National Hanging Out Day April 20 National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day April 21 National Office Professionals Day (used to be National Secretaries Day) Kindergarten Day (founded in 1837) National Chocolate Covered Cashews Day April 22 Earth Day (first observed in 1970) National Jellybean Day April 23 National Picnic Day Blue Day National Administrative Professionals Day (former National Secretaries Day) International Sing Out Day Take a Chance Day April 24 National Puppetry Day Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day April 25 Arbor Day Red Hat Society Day National Zucchini Bread Day April 26 Read Me Day National Pretzel Day Hug a Friend Day April 27 Tell a Story Day National D.J. Day April 28 Costume Day Great Poetry Reading Day Texas Wildflower Day Cubicle Day April 29 National Teach Your Children to Save Day National Shrimp Scampi Day April 30 National Arbor Day (Note: Some sites say the 25th, some the 30th. I think it's actually supposed to be the last Friday.) National Honesty Day http://scrapbooking.families.com/blog/calendar-of-strange-holidays-and-other-eve... Calendar of Strange Holidays and Other Events http://www.brownielocks.com/april.html Unknown, Crazy, Bizarre Holidays http://familycrafts.about.com/library/spdays/blaprdayslong.htm# April Holidays and Special Days http://www.suelebeau.com/april.htm April Holidays and Celebrations http://library.thinkquest.org/2886/apr.htm Bizarre April Holidays http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/april.htm Holiday Insights - April  "My Favorite Neighbor" "Sharing Sunshine...It's What I Do!" "Admirable Women" "Whose Work Are You Stealing?" "The Potter's Cup and Saucer" |
Incurable Romantic and I have been married three years today. Here's that ol' wedding photo.  He's lost lots of weight since then. |
| Wonder What Thomas Jefferson Really Meant by Marilyn Mackenzie Many people are under the mistaken notion that our founding documents use the phrase, "separation of church and state." They don't. The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Our Founding Fathers didn't want the federal government "establishing a religion." They also wanted to make sure the government did not, "prohibit the free exercise" of religion. The words, "wall of separation of church and state" were used by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptists, in Danbury, CT in 1802. Here is part of that letter: "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with solemn reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church and State." Jefferson was responding to a letter he had received from the Danbury Baptists, who were being subjected (locally) to persecution for their beliefs. Jefferson wrote to assure them they the government would not be adopting or establishing a religion - as had been done in England - and that they would be free to worship as they wished. As a Christian, when I read the First Amendment, I see these things: 1) The government will not establish a religion. 2) The governmetn will not prohibit me from exercising my religion freely - and that means that if I want to hold a Bible study in my office (even if I am a government official), I should be free to do so. I also cannot insist that anyone actually attend said Bible study. People who are not Christian read these words differently. But you really have to take into consideration who the Founding Fathers were and the beliefs they held to determine the meaning. Some claim that Jefferson had no faith. But the closing words of Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists debunk that myth: I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common Father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem. (signed) Thomas Jefferson Jan.1.1802. It's also interesting to note that Thomas Jefferson 1) attended Divine services at the Capitol throughout his presidency and had the Marine Band play at the services 2) during his administration, began to hold church services in the War Department and the Treasury Department, thus allowing worshippers on any given Sunday the choice to attend church at either the United States Capitol, the War Department, or the Treasury Department if they so desired 3) urged local governments to make land available specifically for Christian purposes, provided Federal funding for missionary work among Indian tribes, and declared that religious schools would receive `the patronage of the government' Does that sound like a man with no faith or one who was wanting to enforce a strict "separation of church and state" that people today consider to be right and proper? I think not. Items one through three above were taken from House Resolution 888, which is summarized as, "Affirming the rich spiritual and religious history of our Nation's founding and subsequent history and expressing support for designation of the first week in May as `American Religious History Week' for the appreciation of and education on America's history of religious faith." HRES 888 also reminds us that: 1) the first act of America's first Congress in 1774 was to ask a minister to open with prayer and to lead Congress in the reading of 4 chapters of the Bible; 2) Congress regularly attended church and Divine service together en masse; 3) throughout the American Founding, Congress frequently appropriated money for missionaries and for religious instruction, a practice that Congress repeated for decades after the passage of the Constitution and the First Amendment; 4) in 1777, Congress, facing a National shortage of `Bibles for our schools, and families, and for the public worship of God in our churches,' announced that they `desired to have a Bible printed under their care & by their encouragement' and therefore ordered 20,000 copies of the Bible to be imported `into the different ports of the States of the Union'; 5) in 1782, Congress pursued a plan to print a Bible that would be `a neat edition of the Holy Scriptures for the use of schools' and therefore approved the production of the first English language Bible printed in America that contained the congressional endorsement that `the United States in Congress assembled ... recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States'; 6) in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin declared, `God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? ... Without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel'; To read the House Resolution 888 and discover facts you probably never knew about including the fact that in 1870, "the Federal government made Christmas (a recognition of the birth of Christ, an event described by the U.S. Supreme Court as `acknowledged in the Western World for 20 centuries, and in this country by the people, the Executive Branch, Congress, and the courts for 2 centuries') and Thanksgiving as official holidays;...and beginning in 1904 and continuing for the next half-century, the Federal government printed and distributed The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth for the use of Members of Congress because of the important teachings it contained" click here: http://capwiz.com/afanet/webreturn/?url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c1... To send an email to your member of Congress about supporting HRES888, click here: http://www3.capwiz.com/afanet/issues/alert/?alertid=10912441&PROCESS=Take+Action... There are lots of facts to read and ponder over, and while you're doing that you might want to contemplate what Thomas Jefferson really meant in that letter to the Danbury Baptists. The religious heritage of our country exists and much of what we should already know is being lost as these facts are hidden from us. Our children and our grandchildren and their children and grandchildren deserve to know about that rich heritage. And yet, even as we sit here today, people are trying to re-write our country's history. In fact, they are - if you read some of the history books now being used in public schools. |
| Here's what I wrote about it. http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977239276&nav=Namespace There are two things in my port about him. I don't have time to look for the ID#'s. One is called, "He Walks Your Streets." The other is "What They Don't Tell Us." Funeral is Monday in Pittsburgh. Lots to do before tomorrow when we start driving. |
| Our pastor has started a new sermon series. These are my notes from part one, Sunday, January 13, 2008 Reclaiming Your Identity Reclaiming Series (Part 1)  The Basics God is the owner.1 Corinthians 10:26 NIV The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. Genesis 1:25 & 31 NIV And God saw that it was good… God saw all that he had made and it was very good. Jesus talked more about stewardship than anything else. In the Gospels, one of every six verses mentions stewardship.  Stewardship: The responsibility of managing someone else’s assets, affairs, property.Man’s Distinctives: Difference in character. Difference in career. Genesis 1:28 MSG God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of the Earth.” Man is the manager.We forget our purpose. We forget that we don’t own everything. We’re just supposed to manage it.The Changes:Genesis 1:28 MSG “Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of the Earth.” Bad reversal: We’re possessed by our possessions. Good reversal: We can partner with God. Benefits of partnering with God:You manage what He gives you and enjoy it. You manage what little He gives and you enlarge your trust. Matthew 25:21 NIV “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” Romans 14:12 NIV So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Reminder: Everything we have is on loan.My True Identity:I am manager of everything - environment, time, physical fitness, finances, salvation, family, home, business, friends, time, wealth.I get to enjoy 90 percent of everything He have me.Tithing is a reminder that everything belongs to God. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 MSG If you start thinking to yourselves, “I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!” - well think again. Deuteronomy 14:22-23 MSG Make an offering of ten percent, a tithe, of all the produce which grows in your fields year after year. Bring this into the Presence of God, your God, at the place he designates for worship and there give the tithe from your grain, wine, and oil and the firstborn from your herds and flocks. In this way you will learn to live in deep reverence before God, your God, as long as you live. Daily Bible Verses: Monday 1 Corinthians 10:26 Tuesday Matthew 25:21 Wednesday Romans 14:12 Thursday Deuteronomy 8:17-18 Friday Deuteronomy 14:22-23 Saturday Genesis 1:28 |
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