Contrary to what the weather thinks, it's the Holiday Season. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and soon Christmas upon us. This year has me a bit stressed for a couple of reasons. One, this is the first year we are on a tight budget for the holidays and two, I have family coming for the holidays. My family doesn't stress me out in a bad way, just the "really want them to have fun and enjoy themselves" way. The budget on the other hand....ugh. With my son's birthday being a few days before Christmas and our anniversary being a few days after it has always been an expensive time of year. Truly though we have never worried to much about it because between our two jobs we were able to spend what we wanted. This year, with one less job, that isn't so much the case. I've been looking into more personal, less materialistic gifts trying to find something people might really want or need instead of "this will work, don't care how much it is". I've been stressed however about what people, mostly my kiddos, will think when their gifts obviously aren't as expensive as they have been in the past. And yes, they will notice - they are 12 and almost 17. But then I was reminded of something....
Growing up we didn't have much money. And by not much I mean none. One Christmas was particularly lean and my Mother kept saying "don't expect much". The age I was at the time, I didn't really register what that meant and thought I'd only get two or three gifts instead of 5. Christmas morning came and we had stockings like always and my sister and I each had a couple of gifts. One of my gifts was a very large purple velvet frog. My Mother had made it out of some scraps of fabric she had found and an old pillow. I LOVED IT! Not just a little bit, I loved it A LOT! That frog lived on my bed until, when I was 15, our new puppy decided to use it as a chew toy and it had to be thrown away as it was completely ruined. I was heartbroken. I've always remembered that Christmas very clearly because it was such a great present.
As that story was brought back to my mind I let some of the stress go about my kids and Christmas. My extended family won't care if I spend a little less on them this year and honestly, I don't think my kids will either. They are old enough to understand economics and if I try really hard to find things they love...that is all that will matter. Now I'm off to find my kids their very own "Purple Velvet Frog".
Monday, November 15, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Soapbox
Today is Election Day. A day when we can change our government to better serve us. Right. If you believe that I have a bridge to sell you. What today really should be called is "$300 Million down the drain" Day, or "I'll tell you whatever you want to hear" Day. Yeah today makes me a little grumpy.
I used to be a political junky. Election days were my Superbowl Sundays. I watched all the news channels endlessly to listen to the most up to date information and evaluations. I LOVED IT! Oh how silly and naive I was. Sadly what I learned during the Bush administration was that all politicians are liars. Oh not just Republicans...ALL of them! Repubs, Demos, Indi's are all made from the same cloth. The politician cloth. They spend millions on research to find out exactly what people want to hear and then spend millions more getting "their" word out. They don't care about you or your views. They care about power and money. Perfect example: Kevin Yoder is running for office in Kansas. Kevin Yoder is a republican. Kevin Yoder was first a democrat and when asked why he changed parties he said "Democrats can't win in Kansas". Not that he'd changed his views or grown into a different person with age and felt the repub party fit him better. Oh no, Democrats can't win in Kansas. Way to learn how to play the game Kevin.
Now I don't think all politicians start out this way. I do feel that some, on a smaller local level, really do feel like they want to make a change. That they can do some good. However the further up the chain you go, the less you find this attitude. Why is that, you may ask. Well, let me just tell you. You know how those stupid girls in Hollywood soon discover the more tabloid magazines your face is in, the more popular you get? Same concept for politicians. As they move up the food chain of politics they soon discover that Washington is just a game to be played. You scratch my back, I'll give you money. You vote for my lobby, I'll help you get the bigger office on capitol hill. Favors, money, power are all passed around like Halloween candy and it has destroyed our government.
So what is my solution other than starting a revolution? I've had an idea that I wish, somehow some way, would happen. I call it Citizen Review Commission. I think there should be a new section of government, made up of ordinary American citizens that review and either approve or deny all governmental bills/laws/taxes etc. They wouldn't be elected, instead using a lottery much like the our jury system. Mandatory attendance, jobs not allowed to refuse to let you go, exceptions following the same lines as jury duty, 1 year terms, small salary...you get the idea. Here's the kicker. All information sent to the CRC has to have NO NAMES OR PARTY AFFILIATION anywhere on it. You vote on the information without any outside influences. Call me crazy but I think it could work. You may not agree but you have to admit, what we have doesn't work and at least I'm trying to find a way to fix it. I know I know, I've thought way to much about this but if you have an idea I would love to hear it. Seriously! I think its time for some brainstorming.
Something has to give and soon. The blame game is exhausting, the money being spent on campaigns is insane and I'm sick of the bullsh*t. I mean do you have ANY idea what $300 million (the amount spent on campaigns this election) could do? Feed hungry children, health clinics, police officers, fire departments, education-it infuriates me. The current state of our country isn't Obama's fault nor Bush's. It is years of money ruling the roost and no one standing up against it. Its the fact that most Americans would rather fight about a cause than do something to further it.
I promise all of you I won't speak of politics in my blog ever again. I'm putting my soapbox away for good.
I used to be a political junky. Election days were my Superbowl Sundays. I watched all the news channels endlessly to listen to the most up to date information and evaluations. I LOVED IT! Oh how silly and naive I was. Sadly what I learned during the Bush administration was that all politicians are liars. Oh not just Republicans...ALL of them! Repubs, Demos, Indi's are all made from the same cloth. The politician cloth. They spend millions on research to find out exactly what people want to hear and then spend millions more getting "their" word out. They don't care about you or your views. They care about power and money. Perfect example: Kevin Yoder is running for office in Kansas. Kevin Yoder is a republican. Kevin Yoder was first a democrat and when asked why he changed parties he said "Democrats can't win in Kansas". Not that he'd changed his views or grown into a different person with age and felt the repub party fit him better. Oh no, Democrats can't win in Kansas. Way to learn how to play the game Kevin.
Now I don't think all politicians start out this way. I do feel that some, on a smaller local level, really do feel like they want to make a change. That they can do some good. However the further up the chain you go, the less you find this attitude. Why is that, you may ask. Well, let me just tell you. You know how those stupid girls in Hollywood soon discover the more tabloid magazines your face is in, the more popular you get? Same concept for politicians. As they move up the food chain of politics they soon discover that Washington is just a game to be played. You scratch my back, I'll give you money. You vote for my lobby, I'll help you get the bigger office on capitol hill. Favors, money, power are all passed around like Halloween candy and it has destroyed our government.
So what is my solution other than starting a revolution? I've had an idea that I wish, somehow some way, would happen. I call it Citizen Review Commission. I think there should be a new section of government, made up of ordinary American citizens that review and either approve or deny all governmental bills/laws/taxes etc. They wouldn't be elected, instead using a lottery much like the our jury system. Mandatory attendance, jobs not allowed to refuse to let you go, exceptions following the same lines as jury duty, 1 year terms, small salary...you get the idea. Here's the kicker. All information sent to the CRC has to have NO NAMES OR PARTY AFFILIATION anywhere on it. You vote on the information without any outside influences. Call me crazy but I think it could work. You may not agree but you have to admit, what we have doesn't work and at least I'm trying to find a way to fix it. I know I know, I've thought way to much about this but if you have an idea I would love to hear it. Seriously! I think its time for some brainstorming.
Something has to give and soon. The blame game is exhausting, the money being spent on campaigns is insane and I'm sick of the bullsh*t. I mean do you have ANY idea what $300 million (the amount spent on campaigns this election) could do? Feed hungry children, health clinics, police officers, fire departments, education-it infuriates me. The current state of our country isn't Obama's fault nor Bush's. It is years of money ruling the roost and no one standing up against it. Its the fact that most Americans would rather fight about a cause than do something to further it.
I promise all of you I won't speak of politics in my blog ever again. I'm putting my soapbox away for good.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Leaves...
"How silently they tumble down
And come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet, rich and rare,
Beneath the trees without a care,
Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colors gleaming in the sun.
At other times, they wildly fly
Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow."
- Elsie N. Brady, Leaves
And come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet, rich and rare,
Beneath the trees without a care,
Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colors gleaming in the sun.
At other times, they wildly fly
Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow."
- Elsie N. Brady, Leaves
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