Summer weather brings wonderful fruit in season and it's time to have cool light desserts for the family. I just made cheesecake dip for the kids to dip their fruit into and it was the perfect ending to a nice grilled meal.
Try this recipe:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
Fresh Fruit Dippers: Whole Strawberries, Cut-up Peaches, Nectarines, Kiwifruit; Pineapple, Cantaloupe, Banana, Apples and even Grapes
Graham cracker crumbs for topping
1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream, sugar, milk and extract; mix until smooth. Spoon mixture into a serving bowl.
2. To Serve: Arrange fresh fruit on a serving platter around the bowl of Cheesecake Dip and sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top and you can add a bowl of graham cracker crumbs to roll their dipped fruit into for added crunch.
Makes about 2 cups dip.
*1/2 teaspoon almond extract can be used in place of the vanilla, if desired.
Family Best: Life, Family, Farm, Fun, Food and Everything Else Under The North Georgia Mountains Sun!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Adjustments
Ziggy is getting adjusted to his new home and he plays with all the energy he can muster running like a bolt of lightning, at least in his mind. He is hilarious to watch. He has no fear, in true chihuahua disposition and will stand up on his hind legs and nip and wrestle with the other dogs, even trying to take their toys from them. When he's expended all the energy he can muster he just passes out. He has kept us all quite entertained and laughing often the last two days.
He and Phoebe have gotten quite close, they wrestle and he jumps on her back but she loves every moment of it being the mommy dog and loving to nurture. She has missed not having puppies in the house since we got her spayed.
Smoochie is still trying to figure out if he likes the new puppy or not. He is beginning to play with him and is less concerned he will get the attention of everyone, but is still trying to take everything away from him and keeps a bit of a "I'm still the baby" attitude as you can see in his photo, he's sticking out his tongue at him!
When Ziggy has run out of energy he sleeps like a rock and is adorable! Who can resist a darling sleeping puppy or child? They are so sweet when they are sleeping aren't they?
He seems to be adjusting to the camera in his face all the time. He doesn't mind the flash but sometimes he does seem to think "Are you done yet?" I'm sure he feels like a celebrity being chased by paparazzi.
Who can resist loving this precious boy? He's just so photogenic and sweet and is going to be quite feisty as he continues to grow and adjust to his new home.
He and Phoebe have gotten quite close, they wrestle and he jumps on her back but she loves every moment of it being the mommy dog and loving to nurture. She has missed not having puppies in the house since we got her spayed.
Smoochie is still trying to figure out if he likes the new puppy or not. He is beginning to play with him and is less concerned he will get the attention of everyone, but is still trying to take everything away from him and keeps a bit of a "I'm still the baby" attitude as you can see in his photo, he's sticking out his tongue at him!
When Ziggy has run out of energy he sleeps like a rock and is adorable! Who can resist a darling sleeping puppy or child? They are so sweet when they are sleeping aren't they?
He seems to be adjusting to the camera in his face all the time. He doesn't mind the flash but sometimes he does seem to think "Are you done yet?" I'm sure he feels like a celebrity being chased by paparazzi.
Who can resist loving this precious boy? He's just so photogenic and sweet and is going to be quite feisty as he continues to grow and adjust to his new home.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Welcome Ziggy!
Introducing the new addition to our family our tiny Chihuahua, Ziggy! He is 7 weeks old and is full of energy when he's not sleeping. What an adorable joy he is already in our household and to our family.
He came home last night and the Dachshunds were very excited to get to know him. Phoebe, our female immediately wanted to baby him and mother him.
Delbert our older male dachshund was interested and probably was thinking "oh no, another baby" but very gentle and loving.
Smoochie was a little more weary being that he has always been the baby in the house the offspring of Delbert and Phoebe and very spoiled by everyone. However, he is trying to get to know Ziggy and just wants to take the toys from him but otherwise is getting adjusted.
Ziggy seems to be quite happy with his new home and hasn't whined or cried once yet. He is eating well and sleeping a lot like babies do and is enjoying going outdoors every couple of hours with the other dogs. He is precious and tiny. He is about 12 ounces in weight and is 6 inches tall, if that! He is about the size of a soda can. Our daughter Keegan is his little mommy and shes taking very good care of him around the clock.
The entire family is enamored with this adorable darling and we can't believe how we all fell in love immediately. His personality is not quite showing through but you can tell that he will be quite feisty when he gets a bit older.
There will be many stories to tell and exciting adventures ahead for our family and Ziggy as he begins to grow up in our household and part of our family. We look forward to sharing them with everyone.
He came home last night and the Dachshunds were very excited to get to know him. Phoebe, our female immediately wanted to baby him and mother him.
Delbert our older male dachshund was interested and probably was thinking "oh no, another baby" but very gentle and loving.
Smoochie was a little more weary being that he has always been the baby in the house the offspring of Delbert and Phoebe and very spoiled by everyone. However, he is trying to get to know Ziggy and just wants to take the toys from him but otherwise is getting adjusted.
Ziggy seems to be quite happy with his new home and hasn't whined or cried once yet. He is eating well and sleeping a lot like babies do and is enjoying going outdoors every couple of hours with the other dogs. He is precious and tiny. He is about 12 ounces in weight and is 6 inches tall, if that! He is about the size of a soda can. Our daughter Keegan is his little mommy and shes taking very good care of him around the clock.
The entire family is enamored with this adorable darling and we can't believe how we all fell in love immediately. His personality is not quite showing through but you can tell that he will be quite feisty when he gets a bit older.
There will be many stories to tell and exciting adventures ahead for our family and Ziggy as he begins to grow up in our household and part of our family. We look forward to sharing them with everyone.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Adventure Begins
The adventure is just beginning although the search seemed exhausting. Wading through experiments with advertising on the Internet and emailing and visiting to see if we could find the new baby for our home has seemed tedious. Finally, a litter of three male Chihuahua's needing a home, in the right price range and from a home that was loving and a mommy dog that was just adorable found me. To save a lot of heartache and whining from the family, I did a little research on my own and any of the three baby boys would be perfect. Now, the excitement begins when we take the family to pick out which one we want and bring the new darling home to begin its new life.
This evening we will venture out and bring one of the boys home. What will we name him? Do you have any suggestions? All will be considered so please feel free to give us some name suggestions! That will be a large debate as the evening progresses and there will be arguing as the perfect name for our new baby boy rings true and sticks. The three dachshunds will be excited and perplexed with the new addition as I'm sure they have not paid any attention to the discussions on the new puppy. I am sure the evening will run late into the night with the family buzzing and rambunctious over our addition.
The first thing to do before going to get our new joyful baby is to make a stop at the store to gather some supplies. You have to be prepared for a new puppy and have some items on hand before we go and get him. Puppy food is the main thing we need first, and being that I've already done a little pre-puppy investigation, we know what kind we need to purchase. It's always good to keep the puppy on the same food it has been eating so that there aren't any tummy troubles right away. There is enough stress in the babies life living its mother and siblings and going into a new place you don't want to change its diet as well. A collar and leash to begin training early, although a new tiny puppy isn't going to wander off, it's always good to get them used to it as early as possible. Chew toys for those needle sharp puppy teeth to grind into and something soft and warm to cuddle up with makes the transition a little easier on the puppy. A package of puppy potty pads are a must with a new puppy in the house. I can't speak more highly of this product, having had puppies from my dachshunds, I know they work wonders and whatever makes the puppy go right to them is a miracle.
Some ground rules for the children need to be set beforehand so that there isn't a lot of stressful arguing and the puppy doesn't get scared. Everyone will want to hold him and have him with them at all times. Puppies need a lot of love and attention but don't need to be smothered. A schedule as close to the one the puppy has been living with will need to be worked into our schedule. Having the kids home during summer vacation is quite helpful for taking the puppy outside often when I don't have the time and by the time school starts the puppy will be used to its new routine. Puppies sleep a lot and need their rest as well, so making sure the new baby gets plenty of quality sleep and play time when he needs it will be mandatory.
The excitement is brewing and I know the family will be head over heels in love with our new baby boy. I am so excited I can hardly wait for this evening for all of us to go and get him. This journey will be exciting and there will be frustration ahead, happiness, entertainment and humor not to mention late night crying and going outside in the middle of the night for potty trips and most of all a lot of little kisses from our new joyful addition.
Stay tuned for updates and new adventures as our life begins this new journey with our new addition!
This evening we will venture out and bring one of the boys home. What will we name him? Do you have any suggestions? All will be considered so please feel free to give us some name suggestions! That will be a large debate as the evening progresses and there will be arguing as the perfect name for our new baby boy rings true and sticks. The three dachshunds will be excited and perplexed with the new addition as I'm sure they have not paid any attention to the discussions on the new puppy. I am sure the evening will run late into the night with the family buzzing and rambunctious over our addition.
The first thing to do before going to get our new joyful baby is to make a stop at the store to gather some supplies. You have to be prepared for a new puppy and have some items on hand before we go and get him. Puppy food is the main thing we need first, and being that I've already done a little pre-puppy investigation, we know what kind we need to purchase. It's always good to keep the puppy on the same food it has been eating so that there aren't any tummy troubles right away. There is enough stress in the babies life living its mother and siblings and going into a new place you don't want to change its diet as well. A collar and leash to begin training early, although a new tiny puppy isn't going to wander off, it's always good to get them used to it as early as possible. Chew toys for those needle sharp puppy teeth to grind into and something soft and warm to cuddle up with makes the transition a little easier on the puppy. A package of puppy potty pads are a must with a new puppy in the house. I can't speak more highly of this product, having had puppies from my dachshunds, I know they work wonders and whatever makes the puppy go right to them is a miracle.
Some ground rules for the children need to be set beforehand so that there isn't a lot of stressful arguing and the puppy doesn't get scared. Everyone will want to hold him and have him with them at all times. Puppies need a lot of love and attention but don't need to be smothered. A schedule as close to the one the puppy has been living with will need to be worked into our schedule. Having the kids home during summer vacation is quite helpful for taking the puppy outside often when I don't have the time and by the time school starts the puppy will be used to its new routine. Puppies sleep a lot and need their rest as well, so making sure the new baby gets plenty of quality sleep and play time when he needs it will be mandatory.
The excitement is brewing and I know the family will be head over heels in love with our new baby boy. I am so excited I can hardly wait for this evening for all of us to go and get him. This journey will be exciting and there will be frustration ahead, happiness, entertainment and humor not to mention late night crying and going outside in the middle of the night for potty trips and most of all a lot of little kisses from our new joyful addition.
Stay tuned for updates and new adventures as our life begins this new journey with our new addition!
Don't Get Fooled With Puppy Advertisements
Don’t Get Fooled!
Jaymie Pierce
On our ever-ending search for that perfect addition to our family, I answered a few advertisements with our newspaper Atlanta Journal Constitution online. This paper is highly regarded and I enjoy reading it quite often.
One out of ten replies that I received back were touching, heart warming stories from these poor souls in Cameroon trying to find homes for their Yorkshire terrier puppies. My heart ached for them as I read through the long drawn out replies I received. No, I’m sorry I’m not so gullible to think that all Yorkshire terriers come from Cameroon. These emails they send out are hilarious and you know with the first sentence this is a scam. How can they truly think that someone would send them loads of cash in order to get their precious pups shipped to them from another country? Do they expect that I will stand at the airport excited and ready to take the darling home and find that the crate never comes off the airplane? I have to laugh to myself at their gumption. I have to feel sad for those that obviously fall prey to this trickery. There must be people that do believe these stories and send in their money, or they would not be so persistent and have so many advertisements for puppies on the classifieds. As I write this I’ve scanned many, many websites on the Internet warning people of the puppy scams. How can one not do a little research about foreign puppies before handing over their money? I know that when we want a new darling for our family we become frenzied in our search for that special puppy. I don’t think that I will ever get to a point where all my common sense will fly out the window and I will start sending out cash all over the globe and wait patiently at the airport for any puppy. It saddens me that people fall for these scams and they get hurt and lose their money. But, if there are those out there that will send them money, they will never stop!
In my frustration with the advertisements, I’ve decided to stop wasting my time. It seems that most of them on the Internet in the classifieds are some sort of scam and a waste of time to research. I will continue our search with local breeders and try to go with word of mouth through other breeders in our area. I’m sure that I will find that perfect addition to our family soon, hopefully before my daughters birthday, but then again a nicely wrapped collar and leash might just have to suffice as a promise for a puppy to put it on if we are still searching by mid-July.
As I continue on this journey I will keep good notes and I hope that when I am all finished with our search and we have our baby in hand, my adventure will be good use to others out there ready to find that new addition to their family.
Remember, stay local in your search, don’t get excited with advertisements in your local newspaper or on the Internet that are way below market price for the animal or seem to good to be true. Know your breed you are shopping for and what the going rate is and when you see a price that stands out to you that seems like a deal, run the other direction. Even if the dog is local this could be a puppy mill animal or an unhealthy animal. You always want to go where you can see the parents on premises at least the mother of the puppies and you want to see the puppies interact with the litter and the mother as well as with you and your family. Even when getting a gift for a child or family member, it’s not a good idea for this to be a surprise gift because the puppy needs to interact with everyone. Take the entire family with you when you go to visit your new puppy to be and if you don’t feel it’s the one then walk away and continue the search. As hard as it sounds when you are ready to take that puppy home, it’s always better to wait and get the perfect pet for your family then taking one out of impulse at the moment.
Jaymie Pierce
On our ever-ending search for that perfect addition to our family, I answered a few advertisements with our newspaper Atlanta Journal Constitution online. This paper is highly regarded and I enjoy reading it quite often.
One out of ten replies that I received back were touching, heart warming stories from these poor souls in Cameroon trying to find homes for their Yorkshire terrier puppies. My heart ached for them as I read through the long drawn out replies I received. No, I’m sorry I’m not so gullible to think that all Yorkshire terriers come from Cameroon. These emails they send out are hilarious and you know with the first sentence this is a scam. How can they truly think that someone would send them loads of cash in order to get their precious pups shipped to them from another country? Do they expect that I will stand at the airport excited and ready to take the darling home and find that the crate never comes off the airplane? I have to laugh to myself at their gumption. I have to feel sad for those that obviously fall prey to this trickery. There must be people that do believe these stories and send in their money, or they would not be so persistent and have so many advertisements for puppies on the classifieds. As I write this I’ve scanned many, many websites on the Internet warning people of the puppy scams. How can one not do a little research about foreign puppies before handing over their money? I know that when we want a new darling for our family we become frenzied in our search for that special puppy. I don’t think that I will ever get to a point where all my common sense will fly out the window and I will start sending out cash all over the globe and wait patiently at the airport for any puppy. It saddens me that people fall for these scams and they get hurt and lose their money. But, if there are those out there that will send them money, they will never stop!
In my frustration with the advertisements, I’ve decided to stop wasting my time. It seems that most of them on the Internet in the classifieds are some sort of scam and a waste of time to research. I will continue our search with local breeders and try to go with word of mouth through other breeders in our area. I’m sure that I will find that perfect addition to our family soon, hopefully before my daughters birthday, but then again a nicely wrapped collar and leash might just have to suffice as a promise for a puppy to put it on if we are still searching by mid-July.
As I continue on this journey I will keep good notes and I hope that when I am all finished with our search and we have our baby in hand, my adventure will be good use to others out there ready to find that new addition to their family.
Remember, stay local in your search, don’t get excited with advertisements in your local newspaper or on the Internet that are way below market price for the animal or seem to good to be true. Know your breed you are shopping for and what the going rate is and when you see a price that stands out to you that seems like a deal, run the other direction. Even if the dog is local this could be a puppy mill animal or an unhealthy animal. You always want to go where you can see the parents on premises at least the mother of the puppies and you want to see the puppies interact with the litter and the mother as well as with you and your family. Even when getting a gift for a child or family member, it’s not a good idea for this to be a surprise gift because the puppy needs to interact with everyone. Take the entire family with you when you go to visit your new puppy to be and if you don’t feel it’s the one then walk away and continue the search. As hard as it sounds when you are ready to take that puppy home, it’s always better to wait and get the perfect pet for your family then taking one out of impulse at the moment.
Monday, July 6, 2009
A New Addition To The Family
We Are Adding A New Baby To The Family
By Jaymie Pierce
When a child announces that they want a puppy there are several emotions that run through a parent. First, you immediately think this is not going to happen. Then later as you mill it through your mind you think of the puppy and the child and the sweet moments that will make your heart melt. You know that the middle of the night crying and getting up with a new puppy to take it outside is not forefront in your heart warm moments you push the truth and facts behind the sweetness of watching your child interact with their very own baby. Now, you have convinced yourself this is a great idea and you begin to consider a new addition to the family.
With the warm and fuzzies circulating throughout your head you begin to consider a breed. Of course a young boy would probably want a rough and tumble, stick-fetching dog to play with outdoors. The great clips of “Lassie” and “Homeward Bound” play in your mind. A daughter of course wants a frilly foo foo dog to dress in cute clothing and brush its silky hair to put bows in and paint it’s tiny toenails. Being that our daughter is the one that has wrapped her parents around her finger we started searching for information on small dog breeds. At first she said she wanted a Chihuahua and we both had childhood memories of one sort or the other, my husbands being a nice nip on the lip by the cute darling. We then started looking at the breed and realized that the aggression of Chihuahua might not fit our family. We already have three loving warm-hearted dachshunds and didn’t want to have a war on our hands. We decided to move towards a more laid-back breed that would blend in with our brood and be more of a sofa princess along with our adorable phoebe. So, we decided on the Yorkshire terrier.
This breed is small and petite and adventurous. This breed seems to be just what we want in our family to play with our dachshunds. They can be very good dogs in a pack family with the adults being the leaders. We believe that you should integrate the right breeds into a family to suit your lifestyle. We take the dogs out quite often our male dachshunds avid ball chasers and love to get exercise. Our female very laidback and much more suited to lounge in the sun. Doing my research to make sure we are making the right choice I find that the Yorkshire terrier has a lot of energy but is well suited for apartment living, not that we live in an apartment but that tells me that we don’t need a farm for the dog to run. Now we have to decide on the sex of the dog. We are still working on that and deciding whether a male or female would better suit our family. We have one female and two males now. I’m on the side of another female would probably even out the balance in the dog world. Being that dachshunds were originally bred to hunt badgers in small holes and the Yorkshire terrier was bred to hunt out rats that infested the badger and foxholes, these two breeds seem to mix well together.
The first step is to find a puppy that is healthy and well adjusted. That is our process now, looking to find the right puppy. A healthy well rounded puppy will be playful have clear shiny eyes and a wet nose. They will lay on their back when you hold them and not go wild and try to tear away. You will see their tail wag and they will have great concentration on playing with you. If the puppy is growling and trying to bite and seems aggressive or lethargic and not eager to seek out adventure, this puppy is not a healthy pup. As we continue on our quest I will update this topic so that the journey continues. The goal is to find a healthy happy puppy by the middle of the month, our daughter’s birthday. The journey will begin with a new addition to the family that I know will be both exciting and tedious as we get through all the milestones.
By Jaymie Pierce
When a child announces that they want a puppy there are several emotions that run through a parent. First, you immediately think this is not going to happen. Then later as you mill it through your mind you think of the puppy and the child and the sweet moments that will make your heart melt. You know that the middle of the night crying and getting up with a new puppy to take it outside is not forefront in your heart warm moments you push the truth and facts behind the sweetness of watching your child interact with their very own baby. Now, you have convinced yourself this is a great idea and you begin to consider a new addition to the family.
With the warm and fuzzies circulating throughout your head you begin to consider a breed. Of course a young boy would probably want a rough and tumble, stick-fetching dog to play with outdoors. The great clips of “Lassie” and “Homeward Bound” play in your mind. A daughter of course wants a frilly foo foo dog to dress in cute clothing and brush its silky hair to put bows in and paint it’s tiny toenails. Being that our daughter is the one that has wrapped her parents around her finger we started searching for information on small dog breeds. At first she said she wanted a Chihuahua and we both had childhood memories of one sort or the other, my husbands being a nice nip on the lip by the cute darling. We then started looking at the breed and realized that the aggression of Chihuahua might not fit our family. We already have three loving warm-hearted dachshunds and didn’t want to have a war on our hands. We decided to move towards a more laid-back breed that would blend in with our brood and be more of a sofa princess along with our adorable phoebe. So, we decided on the Yorkshire terrier.
This breed is small and petite and adventurous. This breed seems to be just what we want in our family to play with our dachshunds. They can be very good dogs in a pack family with the adults being the leaders. We believe that you should integrate the right breeds into a family to suit your lifestyle. We take the dogs out quite often our male dachshunds avid ball chasers and love to get exercise. Our female very laidback and much more suited to lounge in the sun. Doing my research to make sure we are making the right choice I find that the Yorkshire terrier has a lot of energy but is well suited for apartment living, not that we live in an apartment but that tells me that we don’t need a farm for the dog to run. Now we have to decide on the sex of the dog. We are still working on that and deciding whether a male or female would better suit our family. We have one female and two males now. I’m on the side of another female would probably even out the balance in the dog world. Being that dachshunds were originally bred to hunt badgers in small holes and the Yorkshire terrier was bred to hunt out rats that infested the badger and foxholes, these two breeds seem to mix well together.
The first step is to find a puppy that is healthy and well adjusted. That is our process now, looking to find the right puppy. A healthy well rounded puppy will be playful have clear shiny eyes and a wet nose. They will lay on their back when you hold them and not go wild and try to tear away. You will see their tail wag and they will have great concentration on playing with you. If the puppy is growling and trying to bite and seems aggressive or lethargic and not eager to seek out adventure, this puppy is not a healthy pup. As we continue on our quest I will update this topic so that the journey continues. The goal is to find a healthy happy puppy by the middle of the month, our daughter’s birthday. The journey will begin with a new addition to the family that I know will be both exciting and tedious as we get through all the milestones.
We the people of the United States
Can the government implement a single payer health care system without taking the Americans into socialized medicine? That is debatable rhetoric but look closely at the other countries that have socialized medicine. Do we want to risk our lives waiting for some government peon to decide if we are worth another day on this earth or not? You can look at H.R. 676 (http://kucinich.house.gov/UploadedFiles/HR_676_111th.pdf) and read the bill that has been put out there for Americans to see, but is that the bill that will be voted on and made into law? I personally doubt it, there will be middle of the night amendments that will shape and squeeze the bill so that it turns right into socialized medicine with benefits to the power players and taxes to the people.
How can the American people trust our congress to do the right thing and represent the people? By their behavior and the bills that have been past in recent times there is no trust left in our congress. You can call yourself republican or democrat even liberal or conservative it doesn’t matter what you label yourself, you have to look at the bigger picture and see that corruption runs rampant in our congress and there is no representation for the people by either party. Term limits would be the right thing to be writing into law for the people. (http://www.termlimitsforcongress.com/) Show us something of value and stop playing games with our lives. Congress has done nothing but spent money that we don’t have and made more laws and more rules that are going to cost us our children and their children for years to come. With unemployment nearing ten percent now in the United States does congress really think they will be able to tax Americans to receive the funds to pay for all these things they want to implement? How can we pay taxes when we can’t even feed our children or keep a roof over our head any longer? They sink into their cozy beds at night and dine on fine foods and wine as we struggle to scrape up a pan of hamburger helper. Fancy parties and all access chat salons for $25,000 offered up by the Washington post (http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/nation/2009/07/03/0703post.html) as insiders to the white house to cuddle up to lobbyists and politicians and play like everything is happy and fine when there are people having to live in tents with their families because they’ve lost their jobs, cars and homes? Is this reality? Do politicians truly have a grasp on what is going on in America? When the Washington post is called on their swift idea they call it a mistake and ask to be forgiven. Now we are to be happy they want to take over health care and they are suddenly going to have our best interests at heart? I don’t think they will, I think it will turn out to be a nightmare just as everything else they stick their hands into does!
Times have become dire in America, our nation is a mess and the politicians continue spending money like there is a special tree out there somewhere where money grows rampant. Big business is continuing to give out bonuses and spend frivolously out of control because they can get away with it. Small companies are suffering and the so-called stimulus package that was to create more jobs is just sitting on the sidelines and there are no new jobs for Americans. The House just passed the Cap and Trade bill H.R. 2454 (http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090515/hr2454.pdf) that is going to have Americans spending loads more on their utility bills and building of new houses if they could afford one. Now implementing California standards on building and living greener. That has really paid off for California hasn’t it? (http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/state&id=6636740) They are now out of money and issuing IOU’s to all the people that they owe money to. This is exactly where American is heading as a whole, out of money and up a creek. I wonder what legislation they will be able to stick to us with at that point? New taxes could be collected on the paddles for the creek?
How can the American people trust our congress to do the right thing and represent the people? By their behavior and the bills that have been past in recent times there is no trust left in our congress. You can call yourself republican or democrat even liberal or conservative it doesn’t matter what you label yourself, you have to look at the bigger picture and see that corruption runs rampant in our congress and there is no representation for the people by either party. Term limits would be the right thing to be writing into law for the people. (http://www.termlimitsforcongress.com/) Show us something of value and stop playing games with our lives. Congress has done nothing but spent money that we don’t have and made more laws and more rules that are going to cost us our children and their children for years to come. With unemployment nearing ten percent now in the United States does congress really think they will be able to tax Americans to receive the funds to pay for all these things they want to implement? How can we pay taxes when we can’t even feed our children or keep a roof over our head any longer? They sink into their cozy beds at night and dine on fine foods and wine as we struggle to scrape up a pan of hamburger helper. Fancy parties and all access chat salons for $25,000 offered up by the Washington post (http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/nation/2009/07/03/0703post.html) as insiders to the white house to cuddle up to lobbyists and politicians and play like everything is happy and fine when there are people having to live in tents with their families because they’ve lost their jobs, cars and homes? Is this reality? Do politicians truly have a grasp on what is going on in America? When the Washington post is called on their swift idea they call it a mistake and ask to be forgiven. Now we are to be happy they want to take over health care and they are suddenly going to have our best interests at heart? I don’t think they will, I think it will turn out to be a nightmare just as everything else they stick their hands into does!
Times have become dire in America, our nation is a mess and the politicians continue spending money like there is a special tree out there somewhere where money grows rampant. Big business is continuing to give out bonuses and spend frivolously out of control because they can get away with it. Small companies are suffering and the so-called stimulus package that was to create more jobs is just sitting on the sidelines and there are no new jobs for Americans. The House just passed the Cap and Trade bill H.R. 2454 (http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090515/hr2454.pdf) that is going to have Americans spending loads more on their utility bills and building of new houses if they could afford one. Now implementing California standards on building and living greener. That has really paid off for California hasn’t it? (http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/state&id=6636740) They are now out of money and issuing IOU’s to all the people that they owe money to. This is exactly where American is heading as a whole, out of money and up a creek. I wonder what legislation they will be able to stick to us with at that point? New taxes could be collected on the paddles for the creek?
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Getting Kids to read
Do you ever find it almost an impossible task to get your kids to read? I think they like the idea of reading but then don't want to take the time to sit down and actually put it in practice. I have had this hard fought battle for years and while I am an avid reader, thinking all along being a role model would make it just fall into place, I am still left with kids that like to read but aren't doing it! I have been taking them to the library more often, there is something about going to the library and checking out a book that seems to help get them reading. They have their cards and the responsibility of making sure they read the book in time to return it. Making evening time television free time gives them the incentive to read more. If they have no other distractions, they are more apt to pick up a book! I have been playing more trivia games with them and this has created a hunger to read to learn more things so they can win more frequently. At least with them being competitive the games are helping to push them in the right direction without them realizing it.
My entire point with reading is that it is a way to open their imaginations and fill their head with new vocabulary that will allow them to move forward into adulthood with some semblance that they are educated even if I do have to compete with the likes of the internet, television and video games. I think that I have after years of battling the reading blues, found some new avenues that are helping me to win. It may just be a small battle but in the long run I hope that I win the war and raise three well rounded adults that enjoy the art of literature and reading.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Teenagers
Having teenagers can be quite trying for parents, ages ranging from 14 to 19 are very different phases and a new learning experience I am finding. I have a 14 year old and a 19 year old and I am learning new things from them every day. Both of my teenagers are boys, my youngest is 10 and she can be difficult in her own right.
The mood swings of the younger teen are coming more frequently and the sighs, grunts and eye rolls, as if I have never been a teenager myself nor have another one older than he is and have been there already, are coming more frequently. He finds everything I say dull and old fashioned and every request a personal insult to him and his attitude can go from excellent to that of a temperamental three year old in a matter of seconds. I understand that there are more challenges for teens now days and that there are expectations of them to learn to be quality young adults that put pressure one them, but being their parent is a challenge all in itself.
My older teen is teaching me there is a new parenting role that I am having to learn about, the young adult to adult relationship that sometimes feels very strong and positive and others quite frustrating as he can resort to that mentality of the 14 years old in a matter of moments. This can be quite aggravating when you are trying to treat the young man as an adult. These new times and new challenges in parenting teens can be quite frightful when you worry about drugs and gangs and violence that appears everyday in their lives and we can only hope that although sometimes difficult with their attitudes they are hearing something we are trying to teach them and will learn the values and morals we want to instill them to keep them away from the dangerous side of life. So far, a few little bumps in the road but for the most part my boys are good boys and are showing me they do have values that I want them to take into adulthood. This makes all the frustration worthwhile in the long run and allows me to sit back and ponder the pride I feel for the young men I'm watching grow.
The mood swings of the younger teen are coming more frequently and the sighs, grunts and eye rolls, as if I have never been a teenager myself nor have another one older than he is and have been there already, are coming more frequently. He finds everything I say dull and old fashioned and every request a personal insult to him and his attitude can go from excellent to that of a temperamental three year old in a matter of seconds. I understand that there are more challenges for teens now days and that there are expectations of them to learn to be quality young adults that put pressure one them, but being their parent is a challenge all in itself.
My older teen is teaching me there is a new parenting role that I am having to learn about, the young adult to adult relationship that sometimes feels very strong and positive and others quite frustrating as he can resort to that mentality of the 14 years old in a matter of moments. This can be quite aggravating when you are trying to treat the young man as an adult. These new times and new challenges in parenting teens can be quite frightful when you worry about drugs and gangs and violence that appears everyday in their lives and we can only hope that although sometimes difficult with their attitudes they are hearing something we are trying to teach them and will learn the values and morals we want to instill them to keep them away from the dangerous side of life. So far, a few little bumps in the road but for the most part my boys are good boys and are showing me they do have values that I want them to take into adulthood. This makes all the frustration worthwhile in the long run and allows me to sit back and ponder the pride I feel for the young men I'm watching grow.
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