Texas voters, you have until Friday to participate in early voting! (There is NO early voting this Saturday.) After that, you will only have Tuesday, and you'll be limited to your own precinct's polling place, so find out in advance where that is so you can work it into your day...sometimes these places are hard to find, not to mention the long lines. So if you think Tuesday may be hard, go today, tomorrow, or Friday to ANY polling place and cast your vote!

Labels: Political Action

Labels: Body of Christ, Books, Family, Food, Homeschooling, Political Action, Technology, Texas, TV

Bexar County Early Voting

Sample Ballot

(Thanks, Jeanie!)

Labels: Political Action

Labels: Family, Food, Homeschooling, Language, Movies, Political Action, Social Observation, Weddings

Please, make sure you are registered to vote, that you know where your voting site is, and that you make a plan to vote, either on November 2,  by absentee ballot, or during your state's early voting period. Without a plan, it's very easy to miss deadlines or let other things get in the way. Don't let this happen to you this year--I can't think of a time in the past half-century that your vote has been more important than it will be this year and in 2012. Talk to everyone you can about getting registered and getting ready. We can do this!

Labels: Political Action

27 days from now, CJ will be married and she and Tony will start their new life together in Oklahoma...and the population at Granny's House will decrease by one. Half of me is so excited I can't stand it, and the other half wants to pour molasses on the calendar to slow down the passing of days...

I know the next weddings will be here in an instant, so I'm trying to freeze some of these moments in time so they won't all be running together in my memory book. Where do the days go?

The polls ahead of the November election are beginning to look intoxicating and I'm trying not to hyperventilate. I'm hoping and praying that voter enthusiasm hasn't peaked too early.

REGISTER TO VOTE! TOMORROW!! Don't let your voice go unheard on November 2.

Oh, how I'm longing to feel the first zingy-crisp breeze of fall. I know, that's still two months away, but I'm waiting....

Our new landscaping is looking great and is going to be a nice frame for the wedding! Lots of wedding tasks to do this week, including finding a new pianist. Nothing is ever as smooth as it seems it's going be.

The upcoming departure of daughter #4, who has really been the primary caretaker of my kitchen during my years of immobility, is taking some of HER things with her (I know, the nerve, right?)--things I need to replace so we won't have holes in our kitchen. This week I bought a rolling kitchen island to replace the storage cart of CJ's that I've enjoyed using for the past few years. Now if I can just get The Papa to get it out of the box and put together!

Nathan did his first weekend of Air National Guard service and came home this afternoon tired as a dog but loving it. He is still waiting for a Basic Training date but it's look like he'll go right before Christmas and be away from us for the holidays. Much as I hate that part, I'm thrilled that things are moving for him!

I'm going into the new school week feeling terribly unprepared both on paper and emotionally. The weekend has been a nightmare and I've just begun to feel the soothing balm of God's grace fall around me. Unfortunately it comes a little too late to completely save our Monday. But then again, He is never late.

Have I told you that The Papa and I are going on a honeymoon after the wedding? Yep, our favorite Pacific island :-)

For my sweet daughter tonight (you know who you are):


~Dan Burgess for Selah

Labels: Homemaking, Homeschooling, Music, Political Action, Sundays, Weather, Weddings

Granny is on Day 3 of her visit with Lyric in southern California. So far we've watched three movies, walked and bought fruit and veggies at the Monrovia Street Fair, literally right outside her front door in Old Town Monrovia, cooked a wonderful meal with said produce, spent a morning at a Pee Wee scrimmage football game, visited with several other family members including sweet four-week old Asher, and gotten a little bit of work done.

And for the record, Lyric has one of the most gorgeous and elegant apartments I've ever seen. I feel very pampered.

If you want to see a fairly short, feel-good flick, get "Babies." Adorable.

This part of California can get pretty warm this time of year, though not as predictably as south Texas. But a ten-degree break is a welcome one. I'm hoping for an even bigger margin next weekend in northern California before I return to the furnace.

The Wedding is fast approaching! We're at 7 weeks and counting, with still a lot left to do but plenty of time to get it all done. It's going to be very memorable :-)

What is it with the olive craze, anyway? Accidentally getting one of those things in my mouth is just a step away in desirability from accidentally drinking a fly in my iced tea, but there seems to be a whole new industry springing up trying to convince people that they're edible! I think olives are meant to have the oil pressed out of them and that's it.

On Tuesday, Nathan raised his hand and swore in to the Texas Air National Guard. He's waiting to find out when his date to report will be. Glad he'll be serving his country while finishing his degree.

Granny's House is full of teens and young adults these days...it's a good thing we currently have some grandkids living with us to keep the average age down for a while or I'd be feeling much older!

One of the late teen/young adults in our house is Shelley, who wrote this extraordinary little piece for her blog yesterday: Waiting on the world to change

And we just THOUGHT our lives would be free of Blago after this week.

From the files of "What Not to Wear"...I'm thankful I wasn't flying that day.

Just a reminder: if you haven't yet registered to vote, or you don't know when and where you can vote on November 2, please don't let this sneak up on you and deprive you of your chance to make your voice heard this year. Ten weeks to fire Congress!

Off to get another cup of coffee. Next week I'll greet you from northern California, where I'll rendezvous with The Papa for some more days of refreshment and visiting with friends. Have a lovely week!

Labels: Family, Food, Friendship, Fun, Political Action, Theater of the Absurd, Weddings

Returned from my WONDERFUL stay in Virginia last week and ended up going straight from the airport to the emergency room with a scare that was, thankfully, over in 24 hours. I was afraid my infection had returned or that I had again fractured something, but both those possibilities were quickly ruled out. Other than that, the trip was such a joy...got to spend some good time with Erin, Judah, new baby Savannah, and, of course, their parents.

Tomorrow, we start Year 26 of our homeschooling journey with only two (male) students. After missing so much of last year I am chomping at the bit to get started. Can't say as much for said male students, but I'll have 'em on my team in no time.

This week was momentous for our country, and not in a good way. We've now installed on the Supreme Court a woman whom I firmly believe is in the "enemy camp" as far as matters of morals, the Constitution, economics, and the role of government in our lives. Yes, elections have consequences...and those who were so keen on voting for Obama just to say we'd elected a black president forget that his choices for the court will outlive his term by a factor of ten. And we can't un-elect her.

At O'Hare airport last week, I made an uncharacteristic impulse purchase of a book I had seen on the bestseller list and started reading it during my trip. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (author of The Time Traveler's Wife) is a fairly mindless but pleasant modern "ghost story" with a lot of interesting characters and some occasionally inspired writing. It's been a nice foil for my rather plodding trip through Herodotus.

URGENT REQUEST: Please, please check now to find your state's voting schedule for November. If you want to vote early or need to vote absentee because you'll be out of town on November 2, then find out NOW what the deadlines are, mark them on your calendar, and send yourself email reminders with the pertinent dates. Then use your blog, Facebook, Twitter, and every other means you can think of to remind people in your state what those deadlines are. Every vote matters, and only by restoring a Congress who respects the Constitution can we have any hope of stopping our slide into the abyss. (Here's the schedule for Texas)

And at the risk of sounding like a broken (vinyl) record, download a copy of Atlas Shrugged onto your iPod, iPhone, iPad, or Kindle, or get the book from Amazon now and increase your awareness of just how close we are to a socialist state and how quick the trip will be to totalitarianism.

From the recent annals of nationalized health care in the country that our decision-makers (read: High Priests of Obamacare) worship, there's this tragedy, coming soon to a country and hospital very near you. May God have mercy on all the little humans born before 24 weeks.

Guacamole? Yes. Please.

I spent quite a bit of time this past week listening to clips of madrigals, an early music form that shaped much of my music education. Just listening made me feel young again.

Said I wouldn't do it, but I did. Signed up for Netflix again. I vowed that I wouldn't do it until they stop using pop-up ads to advertise, and they haven't stopped. But what they have done is made a lot of the stuff I want to see instantly available through streaming and I could no longer resist. Last night I watched the first episode of the mini-series Pillars of the Earth. I loved the book, and unlike with many book-to-movie/TV conversions, I was not disappointed. Looking forward to the next parts.

I'm off to finish up plans for tomorrow...I hope that whenever you're starting your school year, you're as enthusiastic about it as I am! Have a great week!

Labels: Books, Family, Food, Homeschooling, Music, ObamaNation, Political Action, Political Observation, Sundays

Five or six years ago, we began to be inundated with "special offers" and "urgent information enclosed" mail entreating us to join AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) and to let them speak for us in policy matters, discount negotiations, etc.

We never joined, partly because my face kinda crinkles up every time I see the word "retired" while we're still raising children. But I didn't have any concrete reasons not to join. Until last year.

When AARP bought into Obamacare Health Care Destruction and other Democrat Policy Disasters, I began researching some of the stands, past and present, of the organization. It took me about ten minutes to decide that I would NEVER join AARP...not now, not when we "retire", not any time before the Second Coming. AARP increasingly speaks for itself, not for, *ahem*, older Americans. And I want nothing to do with its positions.

Are you approaching or over 50? Expect to be 50 someday? Want representation for your interests as a conservative senior citizen? You do have alternatives, and there will probably be several more alternatives during the years that we Boomers cross the line from middle-aged to elderly. Don't reflexively join an organization that works to defeat your values. Look into these and any others you can find!

American Seniors Association

AMAC

Labels: Political Action, Political Observation, Social Observation

It was a good, if out-of-the-ordinary week at Granny's House. We've loved having the Slaughters with us, even though Dave was gone most of the week and Kristen spent much of the week getting their house ready to vacate. (Hey, does that mean it's a "vacation"?) Now things should settle down a little for the rest of the summer...

Even though we don't remember giving our permission, some stray cat had four kittens under our deck a few weeks ago, and we've had to figure out what to do with them. We've cleaned them up, fed them, medicated them, and are hoping to have them ready for adoption soon through the Human Society. Of course my kids are begging to keep one, or two, or three, or...

Is it November yet? No, not for the cool weather, not for Thanksgiving....for the ELECTION. PLEASE, look ahead now, and if you're not going to be in your regular voting location on November 2, make a note to request an absentee ballot or to take part in your state's early voting days. Some of the damage done in the past year and a half may be irreversible (Read: Elena Kagan), but some of it can be undone now if we act quickly. Remember November!

Aubrey is home from the hospital after her surgery. Thank you to those of you who are praying for her and ministering to her in other ways. She is still in some pain and having trouble sleeping, but so far no complications. I'm hoping she recovers quickly so I can see her...she can't come down stairs and I can't go up!

Five-year-old Sam doesn't want to drink after his mom, because he doesn't want to "catch your surgery".

We had a great wedding planning meeting this week, and thanks to our friend Cori we think we might actually be able to pull this off. She has that rare ability to hear a few sentences of what you want and be able to visualize the whole scene and be off and running. CJ is very relieved to have someone telling us what to do :-)

Last night we celebrated the birthdays of Molly (12) and Carrie (6). Since our youngest daughter just turned 18, it's fun to have some younger girls to share parties with. But I think we all agree that the best part of the party was Kristen's renditions of Pioneer Woman's Strawberry Shortcake Cake. Oh man, you have got to try this. And make sure it doesn't all get eaten the first day, because it really is better the second day. It might be better yet on the third day, but alas, we'll never know.

Trusting that soon I'm going to be able to travel without being in a wheelchair or stretcher, I've made some plans and some plane reservations. I'm going to Virginia at the end of this month to meet little Savannah Welty for the first time. She will, of course, be waiting with baited breath to see me so I'm doing my best. Then in August I'm going to fly to southern California for a week of relaxing with Lyric, and then up to northern California where I'll meet John (not for the first time, of course). We're going to speak to a group of homeschooling couples outside Modesto and then have a couple of days to just enjoy friends and enjoy being away together!

With the help of two excellent books that I've had for a long time, I made myself a list (on a Google Spreadsheet, of course!) of all the classics that I want to read before I die. No, I'm not in some morbid phase...quite the opposite. But I am taking seriously the Psalmist's plea, "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom." (Ps. 90:12) Proverbs tells us that "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10), and so I've made a renewed commitment to be in the Word to a greater extent. But I also believe that God has buried treasures of wisdom for us in many places and would rather have me reading great literature than playing a game on Facebook (which I haven't done, by the way, but in a vacuum I'm liable to succumb to things that are complete wastes of time). And I know myself well enough to know that without a plan, a lot of what I want to read will go unopened. So...armed with my literary "bucket list", here I go!

Al Mohler has a valuable blog post this week on why today's men and women are finding so little happiness in being parents. Here's a taste, but you should definitely read the whole thing:

Christians must see children as gifts from God, not as projects. We should see marriage and parenthood as a stewardship and privilege, not as a mere lifestyle choice. We must resist the cultural seductions and raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and understand family life as a crucible for holiness, not an experiment in happiness. [Emphasis mine]

I continue to make good progress in my tenth week of physical therapy and look forward to the day when I don't need it any more. I can still say this has been my quickest recovery ever from a major leg or hip surgery and for that I am grateful. I'm enjoying cooking, light housework, and even driving myself to the grocery store, and now looking forward to travel!

Bethany has now been in Virginia with Annie for ten days and I am SO missing her! John Caleb will get his turn tomorrow as he will fly out with The Papa, who is going out for business as well as to see the kids.

And that's all, folks...may God give you a wonderful week!

Labels: Family, Food, Grandkids, Health, Political Action, Sundays, The Papa, Weddings

Recovery is coming along very nicely. The Papa commented a few minutes ago that he's still amazed at how different this one's been compared to all the other surgeries when it took so much longer to bounce back. I appreciate the thousands of prayers that have been prayed for me in the past six months and I believe that THIS is the reason behind the positive outcome. Because there's no other explanation for it. (And even if there were, I'd still believe that God was listening to the prayers of his people!)

Despite the smooth sailing the past couple of weeks, I became aware during the first few days of walking that the difference in the length of my legs is significant enough that I will not be able to walk without shoe lifts. And I don't mean inserts...it's more of a difference than I can compensate for with anything inside the shoe. While I'm not happy about this, I will certainly accept the inconvenience in trade for the pain I've been in for so many years. It won't be easy to give up flip-flops and bare feet, though...

Years ago I played the cello. And I would still rather hear it played than any other instrument except the piano.

I'm deep in books at the moment, getting school all planned for the fall and ordering supplies. I've said before how much I LOVE this part of homeschooling and will have to find a way to get this "fix" even after my kids have all graduated. Maybe I'll hire myself out for school planning, or maybe I'll just force my way into my grandkids' education. The job already takes me a lot less time than it used to: our last remaining students are 9th and 11th grade boys this year. Honey, we shrunk the school!

So as if we didn't already KNOW Tiger was a mere mortal....

While it's been a given for several months that the Democrats will lose a lot of seats in Congress in November, this week it seemed there was a tipping point where an avalanche of observers believe they could lose both houses. I believe this is so important that every voter should be planning now to make sure his/her voice is heard, not only by voting but by writing letters, volunteering, and praying. I'll be using my voice in a variety of ways to install a Senate and House that has the muscle and the guts to repeal every tenet of Obamacism passed in 2009-10.

I'm enjoying the new Next Food Network Star and HGTV's Design Star seasons.

Wedding plans here continue. This week we ordered bridesmaids' dresses and made some other decisions. What a joyful time!

Last night we shared a neat experience with all of our kids and grandkids who are 10 years old and up. We went to a Brasilian "churrascaria," Chama Gaucha, and had one of the most wonderful dinners I've ever eaten. We used this opportunity for an early celebration of Father's Day and my birthday, both falling on the same day this year. This night out was a gift from our dear friend Steph K., via gift cards that we received for Christmas but because of certain unfortunate circumstances was delayed for six months. The waiting only made it sweeter and it was better than we could have imagined. Thank you, Steph!



It's the longest day of the year...Carpe diem!

Labels: Food, Health, Holidays, Music, ObamaNation, Political Action, TV, Weddings

Labels: Political Action, Political Observation

Labels: Political Action

Congressman Miller:

I am watching with interest and a great deal of concern the attempts by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to push her health care bill through Congress. This is not solely about health care; it is about power and control. If it were truly about what is best for the United States, then Speaker Pelosi and those in her camp would not be shutting out the myriad voices opposed to this takeover.

This is about my tax dollars -- and yours -- being spent to fund abortions, to end lives of Americans who are being deprived of their vote by virtue of being deprived of their lives. She may not -- indeed many in Congress may not -- feel abortion is murder. Fine, let their money fund it. I feel it is, and do not want my money spent on it. And you are there to represent me.

This is about the government giving itself the right to come into homes and check up on responsible citizens, just because it wants to. My forefathers - -and yours -- would roll over in their monument-marked graves.

This is about my daughter, a Type 1 diabetic, having her best care determined not only by her doctor, but by whatever government bureaucrat decides on her care, based on the government's and said bureaucrat's convenience. This is about the government someday being able to decide how many test strips I can get to test her sugar daily, and how much insulin she needs. The government! Think about your own child, who could be diagnosed with diabetes -- or cancer -- tomorrow. Do you want her care at the mercy of government deciders? Is this truly the America you know, and -- indeed -- aspired to Congress to serve?

Isn't the government you pledged to uphold one where the representatives of the people thoughtfully determine how to best implement the will OF THE PEOPLE? NOT one where an entire group in Congress is pushed aside so that a bill can be rushed through, without a hint of the transparency once promised by this administration, because someone in a high office thinks it is best for us, and thus the end justifies the means?

I am writing this letter to ask you, Congressman Miller, to stand up for the nation you want your own children to live in: one where the people's voices -- and not just the politicians' -- are heard and regarded. Please stand up for us -- and make us glad we sent you to Washington.

Sincerely,
Darlene R(xxxx)

Milton NC

Labels: Political Action, Sanctity of Life

After a full week of vigorous (euphemism for "torturous") physical therapy, I am definitely much stronger than I was last week. Thank God for some really good therapists and a location very close to our house.

Despite my semi-isolation, it's been a fun, loud week at Granny's House. Baking marathons, shopping trips, little-girl sleepovers, late movie nights, water fights in six inches of a splash pool, and the annual swapping of sister clothes and shoes have brought all the smiles we're used to when we're blessed enough to have all the kids and grandkids in the same place for even a few weeks.

I can't claim to get in Sarah Palin's head and know all the reasons that prompted her to make the decision to resign. What I do know is that as I've watched her since the election, I've often wondered if I'd be willing to stay in a situation that continues to devastate her family. Ironically, the very "ethics" rules she put in place to combat a state full of corrupt politicians became the weapon of choice of her enemies as they have slowly and painfully drained her family of resources, forcing her to defend herself against ridiculous charges. But whatever her explanations, she will continue to be ridiculed and marginalized by the left and by elements of the so-called "big tent" right who are embarrassed by her very existence. At least now she can breathe and take some time to think about whether she wants to continue to subject herself and her family to more of the same in the run-up to 2012...

Planning an airline trip this summer or fall? Check out this handy comparison of the fees charged by the different carriers for checking bags, changing itinerary, sending unaccompanied minors, etc. The fees can really make a difference! (Click on the chart to enlarge.) The State of the American Airline Industry

The Papa has been monitoring the attendance and activities at the Tea Parties around the country this weekend. Not that you'd have heard much about it anywhere else, what with all the MJ-All-The-Time coverage and the mainstream media's reluctance to even acknowledge the rising discontent in the country over the economic "fixes" we're enduring. But it is interesting to see how many folks braved heat and rain yesterday to make sure their voices were heard.

And speaking of weather, San Antonio is experiencing one of the hottest, driest summers on record. The upside is that our economy here is one of the best in the country--not that it's great anywhere right now, but if you're willing to endure three-digit days and brown lawns, you can live in a place with fairly low unemployment, still-booming housing and hotel industries, a state with no income tax and no budget deficit, and a business environment that is attracting employers coming from both coasts. But did I mention it's really hot?

I'm enjoying a little book called Life's Little Annoyances: True Tales of People Who Just Can't Take It Anymore. There's something therapeutic about hearing other people's strategies for dealing with phone menu loops, rude clerks, junk mail, rejection letters, etc. Amazon has it for a bargain price, so get a copy and make yourself feel a little better :-)

Last night I dreamed that I went out with the kids in the yard and did cartwheels. Hope your dreams for the summer are just as fun but more realistic ;-) Have a great week!

Labels: Books, Family, Health, Political Action, Political Observation, Vacations, Weather

I'm becoming increasingly disturbed about the looming UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. I've tried to stick my head in the sand and avoid learning too much about it, because I instinctively know that it's the next step in removing our ability to raise our children as God says we should. But in truth I haven't wanted, in this age of Obama, to get exercised about one more thing. Unfortunately, though, they go hand in hand and it's high time that Christians stand up, for what could be the last time, in opposition to this dangerous move by our country.

I'm going to post here a list of The Top 10 Things You Need to Know about the CRC, but I urge you to go to ParentalRights.org and read more about it. The younger your children (or grandchildren) are at this moment, the more serious the impact will be on their lives and we can't afford to ignore it any longer.

Ten things you need to know about the substance of the CRC.

1. Parents would no longer be able to administer reasonable spankings to their children.
2. A murderer aged 17 years, 11 months and 29 days at the time of his crime could no longer be sentenced to life in prison.
3. Children would have the ability to choose their own religion while parents would only have the authority to give their children advice about religion.
4. The best interest of the child principle would give the government the ability to override every decision made by every parent if a government worker disagreed with the parent’s decision.
5. A child’s “right to be heard” would allow him (or her) to seek governmental review of every parental decision with which the child disagreed.
6. According to existing interpretation, it would be illegal for a nation to spend more on national defense than it does on children’s welfare.
7. Children would acquire a legally enforceable right to leisure.
8. Christian schools that refuse to teach "alternative worldviews" and teach that Christianity is the only true religion "fly in the face of article 29" of the treaty.
9. Allowing parents to opt their children out of sex education has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC.
10. Children would have the right to reproductive health information and services, including abortions, without parental knowledge or consent.

Don't allow yourself to be fooled: no matter how many "good" things the UN CRC purports to do, nothing removes the threat to you and that little one sitting beside you right now. If you read nothing else today on the ParentalRights website, please make time to read this:

The Threat: Attacks on Parental Rights

Labels: Children, Political Action, Social Observation

Note especially the last sentence:

House Bill 1393 and Senate Bill 68, both of which are currently moving through the legislature of the State of Texas, contain language that will intensify the regulation and licensing of all sports in the state of Texas.

This move, if allowed to go through unimpeded, would effectively kill private youth sports institutions such as select league hockey, baseball, softball, soccer, gymnastics, cheerleading, swimming, dance, martial arts, and any program that is designed to teach a skill, talent, or athletic development.

The TLCCA (Texas Licensed Child Care Association) is currently lobbying to protect the Day Care industry. The political position they are taking is to have all sports comply with the same standards they must comply with. The effort is designed to provide a level economic playing field.

See how the motive isn't even children's safety, misguided as that would be? It's TO GIVE DAYCARES A LEVEL ECONOMIC PLAYING FIELD! They don't want your children in sports, they want them in daycare. And they figure that if they can call the state's bluff on the regulations on sports programs, they'll either put them out of business or get the regulations on THEM removed! Because it's only fair!

(You've read about this before as the "Equalization of Opportunity Act" in Atlas Shrugged.)

Texans, PLEASE contact your representatives and pass this information on. The linked website has a plea for you to also contact Gov. Perry. We have seen that he does not tend to be moved (a la Gardasil) by issues involving the rights of parents to direct their children's educational and medical decisions, so it's especially important that he feel the weight of insulting the state's parents with ridiculous bills like this.

Youth Sports Under Attack by Day Care Industry and
The State of Texas Department of Family Protective Services

Hat tip: Dina W.

Who is my Texas State Representative?

Labels: Children, Political Action, Political Observation

Would that the U.S. had a man of courage who would speak plain, obvious truth directly to our leader as this man has just done to his. The emperor has no clothes.

Labels: Money, Political Action

Read Dan Phillips today.

Why I'm voting for...gulp...John McCain

Labels: Political Action

Karl Rove, one of the smartest (and kindest, despite his reputation on the Dem blogs) men in politics, has this advice today:


Don't Let the Polls Affect Your Vote
They were wrong in 2000 and 2004.

hat tip: Pam Y.

Labels: Political Action