Rudolph - The Island of Misfit Toys

It has been a wild winter so far, and it isn't even officially winter yet. Last Saturday we were snowed in; we received 20 inches of snow and then it turned cold. Commuting has been nightmarish for me; one night it took 2 hours to finally make it home. But the snow is beautiful and it definitely adds to the spirit of the holiday season.

For the first time in two years I have decorated my home for Christmas by putting up my tree and displaying my snow village. I suppose it is all part of the healing process. I will be spending the holiday with family and am looking forward to it.

I hope you are snug and warm where ever you are and that you are blessed with the spirit of the Christmas season.

Update on the WAO Rescued Cats

They are such gorgeous cats.

Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving again. It seems to come around more often now that I am older. I can't help but think about previous Thanksgivings. The one where my mom dropped the turkey on the floor when she was taking it out of the oven. She always made the best Thanksgiving meals, with homemade gravy (wish I had that recipe, it was delicious), mashed potatoes from scratch, stuffing (the best! no turkey guts) and pie that was to die for. We used to put on our best outfits, use the good china and tablecloth and the crystal stemware. Family would join us from Detroit. Or we would go there. It was good times.

I hope this Thanksgiving finds you surrounded by people you care about.

If government run health care is so awful, why are Republicans refusing to give up their own Cadillac plan RUN BY THE GOVERNMENT! Some of the freshman Republicans are demanding to have their insurance before the 28 day waiting period is over. Isn't it nice to know that they place their own needs before the needs of their constituents? They want you to do without and have in fact sold you on the fact that the Affordable Care Act of 2010 is 'socialist' and a government takeover of health care.

Check this out.

Then check this out, this is the Federal Employees Health Plan

Midterm Election

The midterm election is over and the incoming Congress thinks that the message American voters sent is to cut spending. Now the battle begins. Where to cut? Shall we cut Medicare? How about Social Security? Remember when members of Congress wanted to privatize it? Wouldn't that have been disastrous considering the stock market crash of 2008? Wall Street is licking is chops to get at that money. But is that what is best for Social Security? Maybe we should make deep cuts to education. Or how about infrastructure, like roads and bridges (we had a bridge fall down here in Minneapolis a few years ago while Ted Stevens of Alaska used earmarks to construct a 'bridge to nowhere'). Cuts are not the only thing that needs to be done in order to slash the deficit. Maybe we should explore the issue of earmarks in Congress, both sides use them to get their 'pet' projects funded so they have something to show the constituents so they will continue to vote for them election after election. How about cutting taxes? That won't get us out of the mess we are in. Painful decisions are about to be made, are you ready for it? And why is it that those most vulnerable and with the least in this society have to bear the brunt of the cuts? Something to think about. It's time to put your money where your mouth is.

Deficits: Taxing The Rich - 60 Minutes - CBS News

Deficits: Taxing The Rich - 60 Minutes - CBS News

Outsourced

Tea & Crackers | Rolling Stone Politics

Tea & Crackers | Rolling Stone Politics

Jenny LeDoux Twins Game National Anthem.m2ts

I Want My Country Back

I want my country back. You know, the one where all men (and women) are created equal, the one that's a democracy, not a theocracy or oligarchy. I want my country, the one that is tolerant of everyone regardless of race, creed, gender, sexual orientation or financial status, back. I want my country, which refuses to invade another sovereign country, back. I want back the country where individuals care about each other, that puts people before profits. I want back my country where cooperation with civilized disagreement is the norm. I want legislators who care more about doing the right thing for their constituents and less about getting reelected. I want a country where everyone is a first class citizen, not just the chosen few. I want a country where the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. I want a country that cares for its most vulnerable citizens. I want a country where public education is the best in the world. I want a country with where health care is affordable and available for all citizens. I want my country back.

Hummingbirds

This summer it has been such a joy to watch the ruby throated hummingbirds feed at my feeder located just outside my living room window. They are so amazing! They would zip around from my feeder to other feeders in the neighborhood in the evenings as I sat on my patio, and sometimes I would hear their wings beating furiously in my ear as they hovered near me. They are such endearing little birds. As the cooler temperatures settle in, they are stocking up on nectar for energy as they begin their migration south. This tiny little birds fly across the Gulf of Mexico to their winter home in Mexico, Central America and Caribbean Islands.

Bad Behavior Abounds

My sister went the the Philadelphia Eagles game on Sunday with her husband. They stayed until halftime. It seems they were surrounded by bad behavior; people were drinking and cursing and yelling at the field.

I happened across a show on MTV called "Jersey Shore". I could only stand to watch a few minutes of this train wreck of 20 somethings engaging in more bad behavior. I could barely understand the dialog; there were continuous bleeps throughout every conversation which means, I guess, that words were being said that are unsuitable for television.

During the President of the United States' state of the union address a member of Congress stood up and yelled 'You lie'.

Have decades of political correctness caused people to go haywire? Is this a grass roots movement of backlash or just bad behavior? It troubles me that people can no longer be civil with each other, they can't agree to disagree without name calling. This is especially evident on the internet where bad manners runs rampant. If you dare to disagree with someone you are verbally attacked, called a 'hater'.

The great thing about this country is our freedom of speech, guaranteed to us by the first amendment to the Constitution of the US. That freedom extends to pretty much anything an individual might want to say. However there is one caveat; you cannot use your freedom of speech to incite or inflame others. In other words, you can't yell 'Fire' in a crowded room if there is no fire. Politicians, celebu-wants and others have done this and it astounds me. People scream about wanting 'their country back'. Who took it away? I want civility back.

Last Sunday my nephew Matt graduated from Syracuse University with a BA in Political Science. It was a very nice ceremony with over 4,000 graduates. That's a long time to sit! I'm so proud of him.

Remember the black bear I posted about? Here she is with her cub. It is so cute. The cub is named Hope.

Happy Easter! Enjoy this video of the cats from The Wildcat Sanctuary.

Wow it's been a long time since I've posted. Life is good; work has gotten dramatically better thanks to the departure of some key people. Spring is here; temps last week reached into the '80s. Today is much more seasonal at 56 though. I'm spending Easter with my good friends which is always a good thing. In May my beloved nephew graduates from college (where did the years go? He was just an adorable baby last month it seems) and I will be traveling there to see the big moment. I hope this season of rebirth finds you and yours' well also.

Finally I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel for the winter of 2009-2010. Today was sunny and mild with temps in the 30s. We still have lots of snow, but the days are getting longer and the sun is climbing in the sky. I'm looking forward to spring and rebirth.

Cadillac Plans and Unions: Who Benefits?

Cadillac Plans and Unions: Who Benefits?

The Beatles: From Me To You

Happy Valentines Day!

Super What?

It's a sad day in Vikings Land. Thank you for a fun season!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Lily the black bear has a cub!

Today at 11:38 CST Lily, a wild black bear in Ely, Minnesota, had a cub! It's amazing. You can hear the cub cry.

Beginning on 1/13/10 I could no longer look back and think "a year ago today Mom was still with us". I miss you more today than I did yesterday Mom. Love you.

Happy 2010

I had a wonderful Christmas and New Years with my family in PA. I missed all of the terrible snow and most of the cold (though it's still cold here today). We did something every day. One day we went to the National Constitution Center to see the Princess Diana Exhibit. We saw her amazing wedding dress as well as other memorabilia. It was so much fun. We visited Winterthur which was decorated so beautifully for the Yuletide, and spent New Years Eve at Longwood Gardens, where we had a scrumptious buffet, toured the conservatory and watched a skating show. It rained during the skating show but that didn't dim the fun. I met most of my brother-in-law's family which was fun too. We shopped and spent time looking at photo albums and talking. It was a fun holiday.

I hope that all of my friends enjoyed time with family and loved ones too this holiday season.