"Shower"

This morning Linebacker Dude got out of his bath. Mom dried him off and presented him to me all wrapped up in a towel, ready for his diaper (Colleen was taking the older kids to school). I put the diaper on him. He followed me into the master bathrooom, and said "Shower, Dad." This from a young man who has never before taken a shower.He had already taken off the diaper. He went in the shower. I told him to come out until I got the water to the right temperature. Five minutes later I finally convinced him. I got the temperature right and helped him get in. He stayed in for a long shower. I turned it off. He did not want to get out. As far as I know he is still in there (just kidding; wishful thinking).

Continued Injustice

On the most recent release of the list of White House pardons and commutations, there are pardons for eight drug dealers, but not for border agents Ramos and Compean. Here are the White House numbers:

White House Comments Line: 202-456-1111
White House Fax: 202-456-2461
Email the White House: comments@whitehouse.gov.

Here is how to send cards and letters to Ramos and Compean.

Ignacio Ramos #58079-180FCI PhoenixFederal Correctional Institution37910 N. 45th AvenuePhoenix, AZ 85086
Jose Compean #58080180FCI ElktonPO Box 10Lisbon, OH 44432

Close Your Windows and Doors...Or Move To The Country!

Oh,oh...Are we all on our way to jail? The toilet was overflowing. She screamed obscenities at the toilet. An off duty cop heard the obscenities, and called an on duty officer, who issued her a citation.

A Chance For Canadians to Differentiate Themselves From the Jihadists

A sixteen-year-old Toronto girl was murdered by her father for not dressing the way he wanted her to dress. Chalk up another victory for the Religion of Peace. In Saudi Arabia this man would be praised. Let's see how Canadian justice handles him.

I am also waiting to hear from Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinham, the National Organization for Women, and all the other feminist spokespersons, who will be speaking out against this murderous barbarian.

Fred Thompson has a related post here.

Which Is It, Governor?

Governor Romney has some explaining to do. He claims to be against abortion, yet his RomneyCare Health plan in Massachusets provided for abortions. RomneyCare was the last major piece of legislation he signed as Governor. From the RomneyCare pdf:

Outpatient care
Office visit to your PCP $5

Office visit to a specialist $10

Radiology, imaging (x-rays), lab work $0

Outpatient surgery at a hospital or ambulatory surgery center $50

Abortion $50

Via Gary Gross at GOP Bloggers

Are We Wimps?

Is the word "Christian" synonymous with "wimps"? I hope not! Are there people in your life who are a threat to the safety of yourself and/or other loved ones? Then don't just pray for that person or persons; do something about it. If they are mentally ill, and refuse to follow though with psychiatric recommendations, get them committed to a mental hospital!

I know that is easier said than done. When I worked as a child protection caseworker, I saw judges commit people to a 72 hour mental health hold, and, as soon as the 72 hours was up, the person was right back in the community, not following medical recommendations! I saw that time and again. Don't give up! Persist until the person gets the help they need.

If the problem is more behavioral than mental illness, then make sure the person gets the tough love program they need. The Christian group Youth With A Mission was receiving hate mail from the killer. Did they call police? No! They probably prayed for the guy. Go ahead and pray, but also contact authorities!

A couple of days ago Colleen was standing in line at the post office (aren't we all?). The clerk was very friendly and helpful to everyone. Some woman comes in and, from the back of the line, starts shouting at the clerk, because her mail was not being delivered to the right place! Colleen turned to the woman and said,"For Pete's sake, this woman doesn't have anything to do with delivering your mail." The woman then angrily demanded to talk to the postmaster. The clerk told her the postmaster was not in.

The woman accused the clerk of lieing. Colleen said, "Lady, she is not lieing to you. She does not lie. My son lies on his science fair project, but this lady is not lieing!" The woman in line in front of Colleen burst into laughter. Turns out she is a science teacher!

The angry woman just kept spewing her hatred, until a man escorted her out of the door. When Colleen got home she called the police, and urged them to go interview the clerk, who knows the name of the angry woman. If the police then pay the woman a visit, maybe she will think twice about creating such a mad scene again. Or, if she has no consequence for her uncivilizwed behavior, maybe she will come in firing a gun next time. You just never know. The point is, Christians cannot be content just to pray, and then wimp out.

Does God Use Flawed People?

So it turns out that the heroine is a flawed person. During the press conference, which I reported live on this blog yesterday, she gave her age as 25. Turns out that she is actually 42. Also turns out that she was fired from the Minneapolis police department in the late 1990s over "truthfulness issues." She was asked if she used "derogatory language" in an encounter with a citizen. She said she didn't, but they had instant replay (a videotape) that proved otherwise.

Here's the point. Jesus said many times that He was not here on Earth to save the righteous. God is looking for flawed people like you, me, and Jeanne Assam. People who are willing to confess our sins, repent, and learn to love God. People who want God's help. People who ask God to use them here on this Earth. Jeanne Assam was fasting for three days, diligently seeking God's will in her life. She found it! Her words: "It was me, the gunman, and God!"

Who was it that ministered to Jesus when he was crucified and hung on the cross? Wasn't it a prostitute named Mary Magdalene?

UPDATE: The killer's death was a suicide. It doesn't change a thing regarding the heroism of Jeanne Assam.

Don't Forgive People Who Have Not Repented!

The killer was kicked out of the mission training program a few years ago. He has been writing hate mail to the mission ("Youth With A Mission"), which has offices at Arvada and Colorado Springs, the two campuses where the killer shot people.

When you get hate mail, involve law enforcement! These Christians may have made the same mistake that Mike Huckabee made as Governor of Arkansas, when he pardoned and gave clemency to hundreds of criminals. Don't forgive people who have not repented!

A Blogger Who Is Doing An Outstanding Job Providing Details On The Killings and The Heroine

There is a blogger who has done an outstanding job of reporting on the killings of Colorado Christians. Please go to Slapstick Politics to get the details.

Same Weapon Used in Both Locations

Police have confirmed that the same weapon was used in Arvada and Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Information About the Heroine

The heroine: "I took him down. I give the credit to God. I did not think for a minute to run away. "I prayed, Holy Spirit be with me." "My hands were not even shaking. My prior experience is in law enforcement. I have had to draw my weapon countless times before in my career, but never had to fire it."

The pastor: "Twelve armed security guards...always have at least six armed guards on duty. All are licensed. All are members of the church. All are screened and licensed to carry weapons."

The heroine: "I was just asking God...God this is You. God was with me. He never left my side. I was very focused. It was chaotic and so loud. I just knew I was not going to wait for him to do any further damage."

"I am not married. I have no kids. I will be married some day. God is going to find me the perfect man."

"I was finishing a three day fast. I was asking God for his Will. I was weak. I am honored that God chose me. He gave me His strength. I was on duty, and I was directed to carry my weapon. What was going through my mind was how awesome and powerful God is. I took cover, and was tremendously outweaponed."

Heroine is 25. Her name is Jeanne Assam. "I thanked God. I am in more awe of God than I was even before."

Information Update

The killer had over one thousand rounds of ammunition. He had an assault rifle and two pistols. He was formerly (five years ago) a member of Youth with a Mission.

The heroine who shot him will hold a press conference at 4:30 Colorado time this afternoon.

The killer was the son of a prominent Colorado neurosurgeon.

Facts Are Emerging About the Case of the Killer Of Christians in Colorado

I am going to post information that becomes available about the case of the killer of Christians in Colorado. The woman who killed the killer "walked into a hail of bullets." She was a security guard. Two men who also were security guards "froze." A Viet Nam veteran begged the two men to give him their weapons. The Vietnam vet was shot.

How did the woman do it? She "prayed for the guidance of the Holy Spirit." She calmly walked directly toward the killer, as he was shooting.

The killer "hated Christians."

A news conference will occur at 4 p.m. Colorado time.

Redneck Skiing

Redneck Skiing is where you sit on yer butt and try to hold on while being pulled around by yer ma in the pick up. Ya have to keep holding on, even if the sled don't keep up!

Viva Tancredo!

They had a Republican debate tonight. All of the candidates showed up, except Colorado's own Tom Tancredo. Oh, and the debate was in Spanish!

"Deny Oxygen To This Terrible Fire".

Mona Charen, writing in the National Review Online, suggests that it is time for the media to quit giving mall killers what they so desperately want: fame. She suggests that killers' names, pictures, coats, etc. be deleted from stories about their massacres. Fame does seem to be the one thing they all want more tnan anything. Fellow deranged fools seem to notice the publicity. What do you think?

History Repeats Itself

Russia now is enlisting children in youth groups to support Putin and oppose democracy movements. Thirty thousand children rallied near the Kremlin to celebrate Putin's reelection. Does that remind you of another figure in history? Publius Pundit has the story.

Passionate Words About Faith and Country

The next time Mitt Romney gives a speech about faith and patriotism, here is a suggestion. He can quote from this letter written by Nathanael Greene to Samuel Ward on January 4, 1776.

Heaven hath decreed that tottering empire Britain to irretrievable ruin and thanks to God, since Providence hath so determined, America must raise an empire of permanent duration, supported upon the grand pillars of Truth, Freedom, and Religion, encouraged by the smiles of Justice and defended by her own patriotic sons...Permit me then to recommend from the sincerity of my heart, ready at all times to bleed in my country's cause, a Declaration of Independence, and call upon the world and the great God who governs it to witness the necessity, propriety, and rectitude thereof.

This quote was taken from the book, 1776 by David McCullough. Greene and others had just received word of King George's address to parliament, and he was righteously pissed off!

And Now For A Lighter Touch

Irony

I find it ironic that the Hollywood guy is probably the most substantial candidate, yet he seems to be having the hardest time getting publicity and selling his ideas! I am speaking, of course, of Fred Thompson. He knows who he is, knows what he believes. His ideas are very solid. Look up any important issue, and he has a solid, conservative idea of what to do.

He is comfortable in his own skin. He doesn't pander to any group. He is not all puffed up about himself. He is not playing a role. He just says, "This is who I am. I think I am the right man to be the next President, and I hope you will vote for me." Oh, and one more thing; he actually seems to be honest! Moreover, rather than brag, and b.s., he seems to underplay his accomplishments.

Does anyone have an idea why he is having such a hard time getting traction with Republican primary and caucus voters? Maybe we really want someone who is not a conservative. Maybe we are all used to the big spending, big government, rather than relying on our own initiative!

"I Don't Want Your Recipe!"

Via Virginia Girl

What Kind Of Leader Will Our Country Need in 2008?

Mr. laid-back Presidential candidate Fred Thompson was asked if he planned to talk about his faith. He replied that he is not a regular church-goer, and

Me getting up and talking about what a wonderful person I am and that sort of thing, I'm not comfortable with that, and I don't think it does me any good," he said. "People will make up their own mind about that, and that's the way I like it."

Thompson is going to be his own man, no matter what the consequences. The more they harass him, the more laid-back he seems to get. Kind of refreshing, don't you think?

What will our country need in 2008? A street-fighter like Giuliani? A laid back thinker like Thompson? An efficient manager like Romney? A military hero like McCain? Or a fast-talking preacher like Huckabee?

I do realize there are candidates on the Democrat side, also. They are so weak on national defense and border security, that they hardly deserve serious consideration.

Are You Offended By These Ads?

These two videos were banned by NBC. NBC refused to run the ads, because they decided that the ads were "too controversial!" We are living in insane times.




Via Ace of Spades

Not To Be Trusted

Boo hoo, cry the MSM pundits. Romney did not mention atheists, skeptics, or doubters!
He is exclusionary! Waaah! And, he mentioned Mormonism only once! The leftist MSM and the conservative evangelicals seem to have one belief in common: Mormonism is a bad word! Of course, to the MSM, anyone who practices any religion is not to be trusted.

What do you think of Romney's most memorable line about you can't have freedom without religion, and you cannot have religion without freedom? Very thought-provoking.

"I Navigated His Career"

Hillary Clinton last night, answering a question by ABC's Charles Gibson.

Is Huckabee Dukakis?

Governor Huckabee has issued more pardons and clemencies than sll seven neighboring states combined! Dan Riehl did some digging, and found this in the Arkansas Leader.

___Governors seldom reduce sentences in other states – and almost never for murderers serving life without parole or for rapists or for habitual drunk drivers, while in Arkansas it's a regular habit with Huckabee.
___ Other governors use their clemency power only rarely, while Huckabee has made it routine. As we've told you before, he has issued more than 700 pardons and commutations during his eight years in office – more than 137 this year alone – and more than his three predecessors combined.
___ Here are the figures for neighboring states since 1996, when Huckabee took office (and keep in mind the population of these states is nearly 20 times ours):
___ >> Louisiana – 213.
___ >> Mississippi – 24.
___ >> Missouri – 79.
___ >> Oklahoma – 178.
___ >> Tennessee – 32.
___ >> Texas – 98 (in-cludes 36 inmates released because they were convicted on drug charges with planted evidence).
___ Total: 624 vs. Huckabee's 703.
___ Governors in neighboring states almost never grant killers clemency, while Huckabee has commuted the sentences of a dozen murderers.
___ "That is extremely rare here," said one corrections official in a neighboring state.
___ She recalled one case in the early 1990s when the governor commuted a killer's sentence and none since then.
___ In Texas, we could find only one clemency case for a killer.

Priorities, and Bias

Mitt Romney gave his speech on religious faith today, and, while he was doing so, CNN obnoxiously filled the left side of the t.v. screen with controversial facts about the Mormon Church. No bias there!

Romney is a good guy. The Mormons are good Republicans, and many are great family people. We need to keep our eye on the ball, which is to make sure the likes of Billary, Edwards, and Obama do not win the White House.

Once again, Ace of Spades says it far better than anyone else I have seen:

Were you listening to Romney or reading the dirt CNN was putting up on the left side of the screen?

I know which I was doing.

There's nothing wrong with noting the controversies surrounding the Church of LDS. But I don't seem to remember CNN running a similar graphic while Joe Lieberman was speaking during his 2000 VP run noting, for example, "The Jews rejected Christ." This is a true fact about Judaism, of course, a helpful little reminder about the differences between Judaism and Christianity, and yet CNN really didn't feel the need to inform Christians of their doctrinal differences with Lieberman's faith.

Nor do I recall CNN adding helpful graphics when Muslim Keith Ellison was running for Congress, noting, say, "Islam teaches that Christians are infidels and hell-bound."

To run this during Romney's speech shows bias. No one's going to listen to a wholesome call for religious tolerance when there's scandal and skullduggery being flashed at the same time.

Governor Romney's speech can be viewed here.

No Longer Unbroken

Greg gets to be the first one to ride previously unbroken Precious!

Knock, Knock, Who's There?

I heard someone knocking at the door. I looked ou the window and saw that it was Colleen. I thought,why is she knocking? She does know how to open the door! I went to the door, and guess who tried to walk right in? Precious, our unbroken three-year old horse! Colleen was training him, and thought it would be funny to have him come to the door to ask if he could come in and play with all of the other unbroken three-year-olds!

Naievety

benning's Writing Pad has a terrific post here about Pearl Harbor and September 11, 2001. He features photos and the address to Congress and the American people by F.D.R. I hope our nation never returns to the level of naivety that existed prior to December 7, 1941, "The Day That Will Live In Infamy."

Strategy

There are many Americans who would like to see America win the war against the Islamic terrorists. Yet, Clinton, Edwards, and Obama criticize the President for trying to win the war. More than criticize, they actually oppose efforts to provide funding for the troops who are fighting the war! Would someone please explain to me how these Democrat candidates are going to earn the support of Democrat voters who want America to win the war?

Bush finally got the right general to direct the fight. Yet, the principal power and money group that funds and directs Democrat candidates, moveon.org, puts an ad in the New York Times (at a discounted rate) calling General Petraeus "General Betray Us," and the candidates refuse to condemn the America-haters who bought the ad.

How is that a winning strategy for someone who wants to be our Commander in Chief?

Quagmire

Texas Rainmaker says that the Democrats are in a quagmire on how to pander to competing groups of victims! Many Hispanics are not all that in favor of tougher border enforcement. Many "blue collar" whites and blacks, on the other hand, do want stricter enforcement of our borders. Concerns over illegal immigration are widespread among both Democrats and Republicans, and the Democrat candidates are weak on this, as they are on winning the war in Iraq.

Barack Hussein Obama: a Book Review

Bruce Bawer writes in Pajamas Media "Why I Haven't Caught Obama Fever." Bawer recently read Obama's memoirDreams From My Father, and found much of it very disturbing. Obama was raised mostly on the beaches of Hawaii by an "unfailingly selfless and loving mother" and devoted grandparents, all of whom happen to be white. Yet, he mostly ignores them and spends all of the book praising his black father, who abandoned him when Obama was two!

His father, Dr. Obama, went back to Africa, where he was a high ranking official in the Kenyan government. He was a polygamist, and "lousy husband to all his wives." However, to Barack, he was a heroic, near mythic figure. Bawer writes,

One can, of course, well understand why a small boy – or even a young man – might idealize out of all proportion the father he never met. But Obama shows few signs in this book of recognizing that he’s doing this. Meanwhile, perversely, he treats his mother and grandparents, who by his own account raised him with extraordinary devotion, all but dismissively.

Perhaps most discouraging is that Obama reveals himself to be "unbearably self-absorbed – yet, at the same time, astonishingly short on self-knowledge." He seems to feel owed something by the world, and is obsessed with racial injustice of whites against blacks.

"The Last Ax-Swinging Pastor Standing"

To win over the people, a politician must have good press. Republicans have talk radio and Fox News. Democrats have all the major newspapers and national television news. The print media has been very friendly to Huckabee, because he is affable and accessible. However, it would be a great mistake for Huckabee to assume that the press will remain friendly to him when the chips are all on the table. The writers in the print media and television news are overwhelmingly liberal, as are their editors.

I noted yesterday that I heard both Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly warn that the press will turn on Huckabee, if he actually does become the nominee. Here is an example from today's Rocky Mountain News writer Mike Littwin, who is following Huckabee in New Hampshire. "There is no secret what happened in Iowa. In a state with a significant number of Christian conservatives - a significant number of whom couldn't find a candidate to back - they finally settled on the last ax-swinging pastor standing."

The full page article is supposedly favorable to Huckabee. The headline says "Huckabee Finds Stride With "Little Guy." However, it is just as Bill and Rush warned yesterday; the not-so-subtle sarcasm is just below the surface. Here's how Littwin, who obviously thinks he is a very funny writer, sums up Huckabee. "To wrap it up: He's pro little guy, anti-plutocracy, nostalgic for dirt floors."

This One Stinks

I have written about this before, but since I believe it is possibly going to become a national story, I am updating. The Denver Post has assigned a reporter, Karen Crummy, to cover the on-going developments, but talk radio show host Peter Boyles is the one who has kept the story alive.

The man who is now Governor of Colorado is a Democrat named Bill Ritter. His previous job was that he was the Denver D.A. Former Congressman Bob Beauprez was the Republican who ran against Ritter to try to replace Republican Bill Owens, who was term-limited.

During the campaign Beauprez revealed that as D.A., Ritter routinely allowed illegal immigrants with long criminal records, who committed crimes in Denver, to get off scott-free by pleading guilty to a manufactured charge of "agricultural trespass." They entered their plea, then went on their merry way committing crimes wherever they went in the U.S.

The person who supplied Beauprez with the information about the criminal illegal immigrants was Cory Voorhis, a federal immigration agent. Ritter cleverly turned the heat back on Beauprez, saying that the information about the Mexican criminals had been obtained by someone who illegally accessed a government crime database. It was a successful tactic for Ritter, who won the election in a landslide.

Charges were filed against Voorhis. However, he was not the only person who accessed the database. So far the case reaches to Texas and Pennsylvania, where additional persons accessed the database. Beauprez is not standing with the man who tried to expose the truth about Ritter. No one is willing to step forward and tell the truth about their own involvement with accessing the crime database. Everyone is willing to let Voorhis be the fall guy. Voorhis is an agent with an outstanding record of going after Mexican crime individuals and groups.

Voorhis is soon coming into federal court to face three misdemeaner charges of using the National Crime Information Center to track down the aliases of an illegal alien with a long criminal history, who had been given the phony "agricultural trespass" plea deal by Ritter. As they say in talk radio, stay tuned!

Rush and Bill On The Same Page Today

I caught pieces of both Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly on their radio shows today. Both men, regardless of whether you agree with them, are veteran observers of the American political scene. What I found fascinating is that both men said exactly the same thing about the media's current buzz about the Huckabee candidacy.

Here is what both men said. They both believe that the media is holding up Huckabee in hopes that he might become the Republican nominee. If he wins the nomination, they will then turn on him to make sure the Democrat wins. I thought it was very interesting that both men would say the exact same thing about the media on the same day.

O'Reilly believes that Giuliani is the strongest candidate for the Republicans, in terms of competing in the general election, but he also believes Romney, Thompson, and Mc Cain could be formidable candidates. He does not believe Huckabee would be competitve in the general election. Rush believes Thompson is the most conservative candidate among the front runners, which I take to mean that Thompson is the one Rush hopes is the candidate, although he did not say that.

Tonight's Sunset

The entire sky was beautifully lit up tonight in all directions. I took as many pictures as I could, before the camera posted a message, saying "change battery pack." It was the most spectacular sunset I have seen since we moved out here to the high plains in July. It lasted at least a half-hour.

Is Liberty Obsolete?

Hillary Clinton says,

“We can talk all we want about freedom and opportunity, about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but what does all that mean to a mother or father who can’t take a sick child to the doctor?”

Maggie's Farm has an answer. My favorite quote:

I believe that she is saying that "liberty and opportunity" are obsolete. Show me one sick child in America who is denied medical care, but, before you begin looking, I will warn you that you will not find one. (Me? I just want free legal care when I get my DUI. And free gas, please, for my truck - and would you throw in free car insurance, please?)

The Stem Cell Debate Is Over: Vindication (Again) For President Bush

Surprsingly, I have not seen much on the web about the recent announcement of an amazing discovery by two scientists, James Thomson and Shinya Yamanaka, that has ended the stem cell debate. Now, instead of having to destroy human embryos for research, scientists know that they can produce genetically matched stem cells by injecting only four genes (from "de-differentiating" adult stem cells), creating a stem cell that can become "bone or brain or heart." I am quoting from a column I read today by Charles Krauthammer of the Washington Post. He was a member of the bioethics commission appointed by President Bush. Remember when President Bush was villified by the left for insisting that moral considerations be given as much importance as scientific possibilities? As Krauthammer points out, President Bush has been completely vindicated for the moral stand he took.

Isn't She Just So Presidential?

Now the MSM will be talking about how wonderfully Hillary Clinton handled the hostage crisis in her New Hampshire office, although whe was hundreds of miles away. Clarice Feldman, writing in The American Thinker, has some pertinent analysis here. My favorite quote about the hostage-taker:

He'd been scheduled that afternoon to make an appearance in a domestic violence hearing and I suppose this notion of making himself the center of the drama was a more appealing choice to him than punishment for banal, anti-social behavior alone.

Idle Hands ARE The Devil's Workshop!

Usually we eat altogether as a family. Tonight we ate in two shifts. First, Mom and Dad sat down with the two littlest ones, Mau and Linebacker Dude. Then, the two little ones got down and the other group sat down for supper. It was a great supper, so I stayed on for both shifts. The two little ones went downstairs to the rec room.

Now, let me ask you a question. How do you buy your eggs? We used to just buy them by the dozen, but for some time now we have been buying them in cartons of eighteen, since we eat so many of them. Before dinner I noted that we were down to one carton, and we would need to replenish the supply tomorrow, Why do I interrupt this story to talk about eggs?

Actually, it is not an interruption. After a few minutes, we decided to go down and check on the two little ones. One of them had opened the refrigerator door and taken the last carton of eighteen eggs. When mom arrived downstairs, she found that they had thrown all eighteen eggs on the carpet and against the wall. They both got early bedtimes, and I sure do hope they enjoy the Rice Krispies, Cheerios, toast and orange juice that they will be served for the next several months!

Nivera R.I.P.

Our beautiful paint horse Nivera died last night. She had a history of being colicky. We were always very careful how much grain we gave her. Yesterday was a warm day, then it drizzled and turned very cold overnight; thus the frost on the trees, as seen in my last post. Colleen had given her a small amount of grain, which she had not had for several days. Now we are told that sudden changes in the weather, along with something different in the diet, can quickly kill this powerful, majestic animal.

We all loved her. Actually, I especially admired her beauty, and often remarked to Colleen what a great job she did in picking this beautiful horse to purchase. She was a beautiful, reddish brown, along with the white. Naturally, Colleen is feeling terrible guilt, for having given her the small amount of grain. She does not want me to tell her mother, because she believes that her mother believes that Colleen can never measure up to what she thinks Colleen ought to be.

After she died, the coyotes picked up the scent of death, and came into the paddock area to tear apart the carcass. She died sometime after midnight. Colleen discovered the body this morning. We paid a company to remove the body while we went to church.

The sermon in church was about the Lamb of God, Jesus, who was in the Beginning, long before Bethlehem, but was sent by His Father to this earth, and by His death and resurrection, wiped away the sins of all who believe in Him and seek to do His will on this earth.

Jack Frost Comes A'Nippin

These Australian Pines, or, as we like to call them out west, Ponderosa Pines, were touched up by Jack Frost last night. It is a beautiful morning!

"The Hunted, Not The Hunters"

Webutante brings us a wonderful piece (although nine days old) in the New York Post by Ralph Peters. My favorite line: "Contrary to the myths of the left, peace can only be built over the corpses of evil men." Peters points out that

Fanatical enemies: We lucked out when al Qaeda declared Iraq the central front in its war against civilization. Our monstrous foes alienated their local allies so utterly that al Qaeda in Iraq is now largely a spent force - the hunted, not the hunters. The terrorists have suffered a strategic humiliation.

Read the whole thing here.

Precious

Precious is our new three-year-old horse who has never been ridden. Mom and daughter both sat on her this afternoon. She held steady, perhaps because there was a wonderful patch of green, green grass right there next to the corral. Mom and daughter both described the experience as "freaky, yet exhilarating!"

Bad Words

This morning a friend called and asked if her six-year-old son could come over for the day, because he was too sick to go to school, and too sick to go with her to a doctor appointment. He wasn't really very sick, and played non-stop with our kids.

At one point, I asked the kids to go downstairs and put on a movie, because they were keeping Mau Mau awake when she needed to be napping. The little boy apparently knows our movie selection, and said he did not want to watch our "baby" movies. "I just want to watch adult movies that have bad words." They watched Peter and The Wolf.

Sorry, young man, it is the best we can do!

CNN: A Very Unfunny Joke

Everyone is all abuzz about CNN letting Democrat operatives pose as Republican questioners in last night's debate. You expected CNN to be fair and balanced? You expected them to google questioners, to make sure they were not Clinton, Edwards, or Obama plants? They really should be renamed The Democrat Network. Still, from what I can gather, the Republican candidates answered the questions well.

CNN is dwindling, spiraling downward to become a very unfunny joke, except for Glenn Beck, of course. I love Glenn Beck!

Atheism's Answer To Narnia?

Confessions of a Closet Republican has this to say about Hollywood's latest anti-God effort:

There seems to be an on-going tug of war between those atheists who want a world devoid of God, and those who believe a God-less world will be the downfall of humanity. And atheists seem to be gaining ground in that battle- including in the realm of Hollywood. On December 7th, 2007 a children's film entitled "The Golden Compass", starring Nicole Kidman and other major players, is being released. It's based on the first novel "Northern Lights" in Philip Pullman's trilogy "His Dark Materials". Seemingly innocuous, it's actually atheism's answer to the Narnia Trilogy. And although all religious (or rather anti-religious references) have been removed, Christian groups are still calling for a boycott. Their main concern is that children will be inspired to read the trilogy after viewing the film (in its watered-down version), and that unsuspecting parents will then purchase the books, which have a decidedly anti-Church, anti-religious theme. In fact, God is portrayed as a drooling, senile old man, and is killed off at the end, by the young protagonists. Pullman, an avowed atheist makes no apologies for his writings, and has openly admitted:
"My books are about killing God."
And:
"I don't profess any religion; I don't think it's possible that there is a God; I have the greatest difficulty in understanding what is meant by the words 'spiritual' or 'spirituality."

Is The MSM Feeling Guilty For Covering for Him?

The Oprah is hitting the campaign trail with Barack Hussein Obama this week! Not to be outdone, the Clintons will have Barbara Streisand at their side! I think I know who is going to win this match-up. The Clintons are getting desperate, and this move is not going to help much.

The press is enamoured of Obama this time. The MSM may even feel a bit of guilt for all those years they covered for the sociopathic Mr. Clinton. They are even pointing out that he seems a bit self-centered and contradictory. In an effort to placate the Moveon.Og leftist base of the Democrat party, which he must do in order for her to get the nomination, the master liar is now saying that he has always been opposed to the war in Iraq. Unfortunately for him, though, because he is an ex-President, when he speaks, people record or write down what he says. When the Iraq war began, he and Hillary were making statements in favor of the war.

Mr. Clinton is a rapist, and a serial molestor of women. The feminists don't seem to care about that, but the rest of us ought to. And, who hires the private detectives to find dirt on the women he molests? Hillary! For the life of me, I cannot understand how anyone would want this couple to return to the White House. Can you help me on this?

Children Floating In Plastic Bins

The Rocky Mountain News today has a story (not yet online) about a little girl's body washing ashore in a plastic bin near Galveston, Texas. The mother has already confessed that she and her "partner" beat the little two-year-old girl with leather belts, held her head underwater in a bath tub, and then Mr. Partner threw the child across the room, slamming her head onto a tile floor.

The plastic bin in water reminds me of a case I had in my career as a child protection worker. A cocaine dealer was married to a woman who had bipolar disorder. I found the child in squalid conditions.

To get a child to safety, you must appear before a judge and present evidence. I met with the father right before the temporary custody court hearing. He proudly showed me pictures of him and his wife placing the two-year-old in a plastic bin that appeared to be a small wading pool, and floating her down a roiling mountain stream. The photos showed the man placing her in the bin about 100 yards upstream from the mother, whose job it was to catch the child when she came downstream. I asked the man if I could have the pictures. He said, "Sure!" I then gave them to our attorney, who put the man on the stand and questioned him about the pictures. The judge removed the baby from this couple. I placed her with the woman's brother and his wife, a loving couple with two small children.

The father was later arrested and jailed for some other crime in another county. The mom got appropriate medical treatment, including the right drugs (not cocaine), got a good job, and, with help from her mom, got stable enough to resume caring for the child.

Who Cares?

This morning Sara was throwing a tantrum, and said, "Nobody cares!" Greg immediately replied, "What you just said is not true. Everybody cares about everybody in this family!"

Unfortunately, Sara then replied, "I don't care!"

A School That Rewards "Core Virtues"

Jon came home tonight with an award from school for Respect and Responsibility. "Students who achieve this honor exhibit a disposition or willingness to forgive." Do you see why we like this school? This one's going on the refrigerator!

The Language of a Twenty-first Century Child

Sara said to me today, "I don't care what you say!" For that she earned one swat on the seat of her pants. She cried, and said, "Mommy." I informed her that if she said that to Mommy, Mommy would also spank her. Sara replied, "No she wouldn't. She doesn't know the password!"

Oh, and by the way, if you misbehave in the supermarket, you have to ride in the cart like a two-year-old, even if you are a four-year-old.

"A Strange Noise"

One of the foster chidren who came to live with us was a baby who lived his first three days in a box in a closet. His mother had put him in a box in her uncle's closet shortly after his birth. She had pretended not to be pregnant. The uncle's girlfriend heard "a strange noise" in the closet, and went to take a closer look. The baby had been kept alive and nourished by the umbilical cord. He spent a night in the hospital, then came to us.

We put the little guy in a crib in our master bedroom. His cries at night were so pitiful. He stayed with us a couple of months, until the parents of his father were approved to become his foster parents.

The mother was criminally charged, but beat the rap by pretending to be crazy, and going to a mental hospital. She has probably had a couple more babies since then.

"Undecided Voters" or Party Activists and Employees?

Dinocrat.com has done some homework. It seems that the people asking questions at the last Democrat debate were described by CNN as "undecided voters. Here's who these undecided voters actually were:

A Democratic Party bigwig
An antiwar activist
A Union official
An Islamic leader
A Harry Reid staffer
A radical Chicano separatist

Looks to me like they are a little more likely to vote Democrat than Republican. Blogs like this one will eventually be the demise of dishonest networks like CNN.

Newest Family Member

Jon seems to like our newest family member, whose name is Lightning. He is our first buck. After the photoshoot, Lightning was on his way down the hill to spend the night with our three female goats, Snap, Crackle, and, you guessed it, Pop.

The family member with the biggest smile, though, is Colleen, who is well on her way to achieving what she has always wanted, family life in the country, with lots of animals.

Earth's Future in a Petri Dish?

The Purple Avenger at Ace of Spades brings us this story from the L.A. Times. "You don't like bacteria? Get off the planet! This is the planet of bacteria!"

A Story About Some Terrific Teens

I grew up in Soux City, Iowa, so this story caught my eye.

Just Tryin to Relate

Tonight I asked seven-year-old Jon if he was enjoying his vacation from school. He put his hands on his hips, got a big smile, and said, "That's the stupidist question I have ever heard!" We both laughed heartily, and I said, "Yeah, I guess it is!" Jon just loves to play, play, play. He is wonderful with the foster children, and he and Greg just thoroughly enjoy each other.

A Few Million Here, A Few Million There

Have you heard? The United Nations have admitted that they misestimated the number of AIDS cases worldwide by six million cases. In India alone, they had estimated that there were six million cases, when in actual fact there were three million cases.

What Do You Think?

Tonight on talk radio I heard about a four-year-old boy being suspended from preschool in Houston, because when his teacher gave him a hug, he buried his head in her breasts! Did the school do the right thing?

What Do You Think?

Today on talk radio I heard about a nine-year-old boy whose father died two months ago. The boy was riding in a vehicle with his mother on Thanksgiving night. They had some sort of accident, and the mother was killed. They were in southern Arizona, near the Mexican border. The boy was wandering dazed in the desert, when a Mexican man came upon him. The Mexican man was illegally entering into the U.S. He gave the boy his coat, continually assured the boy that things would be okay, and stayed with the boy all night until authorities came the next morning. In other words, the man thought not of himself, but of this boy, and what he needed. What action should we take toward this man?

Liberated From Cages

Patterico has a post about some children who were raised in cages for the first five years of their lives. The foster parents with whom they were placed have recently adopted them. Read the post to see how the children have blossomed!

Put Your Vocabulary To Good Use!

How's your vocabulary? If you click on http://www.freerice.com/index.php you can generate a donation of ten grains of rice for every word you get correct!

"There's Gold In Them Thar Hills!"

Be sure to click on the picture to get a better view of the mountains.

A Courageous Man

Today in the Denver Post there is an article about a remarkably bright and courageous man who works for the city of Denver. The man's name is Dennis Supple. He is a heating, ventilation and air conditioning mechanic. Mr. Supple is angry that the city is making all employees watch a "diversity video" in which a white employee is portrayed as a racist, sexist ignorant man.

Mr. Supple is considering taking the equity in his house to file a lawsuit to stop the city from showing the video. "Diversity, to me, doesn't mean hammer the white guy, Supple said. "Diversity means you have respect for everyone, regardless of their race, their gender, their religion, their sexual orientation." When Supple raised his concerns about the video during his diversity training class, he was brushed off by the city's diversity manager. He has written to her and Mayor John Hickenlooper to ask them to stop showing the video.

I have quoted quite a bit from the article, because it is not available online. The story was written by Daniel J. Chacon. It is rare for an article like this to appear in the Denver Post. Perhaps that is why it is not yet available online!

A Politician Who Eats His Own Ear Wax

Tomorrow is election day in Australia. A friend of America, John Howard, has been a wonderful Prime Minister. He is locked in a close battle with a person who picks the wax out of his ear, then eats it. Gateway Pundit has the story covered, as usual, including video proof that Howard's opponent is a wax-eater.

Update: Mr. Howard has conceded defeat. Let us hope that the new prime minister, Kevin Rudd, will somehow get an infusion of courage to enable him to lead Australia to continue to stand tall in the world, as it did under Mr. Howard.

No Positive Spin

Have you read about the latest stunt pulled by the Red Chinese Communists? The Power Line blog has the story:

A naval officer writes:

Wire services and some newspapers have reported that China, at the last possible minute, denied USS Kitty Hawk and her battle group access to Hong Kong for a pre-planned Thanksgiving port visit.

What hasn't been widely reported yet is that several hundred families of the Kitty Hawk crew, who live here in Yokosuka, Japan, had flown to Hong Kong to spend the holiday with their spouses. I personally know three wives who made the trip, taking their small children with them. Ever spent $2500 on airfare to fly 10 hours round trip by yourself with two kids under age 4, then found out it was for nothing?

PRC's cancellation of the post visit basically destroyed Thanksgiving for thousands of U.S. military personnel and family members. Apart from actually inflicting casualties, there is not much more China could do to hurt military-to-military relations with the US than a stunt like this...
The latest Financial Times story on the subject notes that on Thursday the Chinese government reversed its decision to bar the Kitty Hawk carrier group from visiting Hong Kong, but did so too late to save the Thanksgiving holiday for 8,000 American sailors and airmen and their families. The Los Angeles Times story finds the Chinese somehow inscrutable. Admiral Keating reduces the range of possible meanings in an interview with the AP: "It's hard to put any kind of positive spin on this."

"Americans Are Our Protectors and Our Saviors"

Instapundit links to this post in the Chicago Tribune about a Sunni man who killed the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, and now commands a paramilitary force of 600 men, financed by the American taxpayers. The new leader remarked, "You can even see women without head scarves, wearing tight jeans!"

The Real Reasons Kids Love Thanksgiving!

Leftovers

When you have two pieces of cherry pie and almost a whole apple pie, you have to get up real close to sniff the aromas carefully!

Five New Family Members

These five baby Lhasa Apso puppies were born a few days ago, and now have their eyes open. Our two teens own the mama and papa, and will receive the proceeds of their eventual sales to new homes, when they are about eight weeks old.

And We Are Still Celebrating!

The Thanksgiving story, according to six-year-old Greg: "There were these people called Pilgims. The government where they lived wouldn't let them play the way they wanted." Seven-year-old Jon interrupted Greg to offer a correction, "They wouldn't let them pray the way they wanted." Greg replied, "Yeah, that, too." Greg proceeded, "They got in a boat called the Mayflower, and looked for land. A big wave came, and they found the land. They called it America, and there they could play and pray any way they wanted!"

Happy Thanksgiving!

C'mon Baby, Rescue Me!

Via Gayle at Dragon Lady's Den

Vomit?

Colleen and the four older children went to muck the horse stalls owned by a woman who writes books describing in great detail the location of horse trails. When Colleen and the kids were finished working their butts off in 20 degree weather, they drove in to the suburbs to buy lots of food for Thanksgiving.

I decided this would be a good time to clean out the refrigerator, and throw away stuff that has been in there a long time. Of course, the three little ones were home with me. While my back was turned, one of them grabbed the parmesan cheese sprinkler can. It was on the kitchen floor with everything else that I had taken out of the refrigerator.

Colleen, who has a marvelous ability to smell things, walks in the front door, and immediately says, who has been throwing up? Then, we look at Mau. Her hair is covered with parmesan cheese, as is Linebacker Dude's shirt.

We don't need to buy toys from China. We have everything we need right here in this house to keep little children happily occupied.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Fresh Snow On The High Plains!

Can you tell what these boys have been doing? It is eight a.m., and they have just returned from a romp in the fresh-fallen snow! We got about four inches overnight. Should make for a fun Thanksgiving. They have a friend coming over for Thanksgiving. His dad is in Iraq. His mother kindly dropped a bag of cookies on our front porch the other day. That never happened to us in the city!

"I Came To America To Better Myself"

Here is a positive story about an immigrant. One of the waiters who served Colleen and children on their four day trip to the mountains was a young man from Canada. He told Colleen that he moved to America because he did not like the government in Canada. Colleen asked, "You don't like the socialist government? He replied, "There is no incentive to better yourself. I came to America to better myself!" He knows that it will not be easy, but he likes the American spirit. He sees people trying hard and succeeding. He finds that to be a more attractive and challenging life than having the government provide for all his needs in Canada.

Notta Much

The rest of the family is back home safely after four days in the mountains. Last night they "dined" at Taco Bell in the ski resort town of Winter Park. There was a bit of a problem, or should I say problema? The order-taker got Greg's burrito wrong, forgot Colleen's tea, and got the size of the mashed potatoes too small. Colleen went to the counter and explained that she had ordered a pint of potatoes. No one knew what she meant. Finally, she saw a picture of three sizes of mashed potatoes, and told them she wanted the one in the middle. The all Spanish-speaking staff was impatient, surly, and rude, but the supervisor finally explained it to the order-taker in Spanish.

Seeing only Hispanics among the other diners, Colleen asked if any English-speaking people come to the restaurant. The supervisor replied, "Notta Much." Colleen asked if they ever have English-speaking people come to the restaurant, and the supervisor replied, "tomorrow." Colorado's ski resorts are heavily dependent on illegal aliens in their workforce. The surrounding counties have huge child welfare caseloads. The Highway Patrol is kept busy with vehicles unsafe and unequipped for the mountain roads. If they pull over a van of illegals, they often just abandon the van and run for cover.

Enjoying The Outdoors

Colleen and the four oldest children are up in the mountains, where Colleen is mostly working, and the children are mostly playing. I am here on the high plains with the three youngest children...and my camera. Let's go outside and feed the animals, water the trees, and dig up some weeds.

Corral fences are for climbing.

Mau seems happy to stand in the little sand box, while Linebacker Dude enjoys a good climb.

We check on the goats.

A Dainty Young Lady Ventures Outside

Sara will never be accused of being a tomboy. She is as dainty and feminine as they come. She would rather dress up in pretty clothes and sniff her "giggy" (blanket), than any other activities...

but even the daintiest among us can enjoy a good swing...

and can enjoy climbing on a corral fence!

Appreciation

Three days ago I wrote a post entitled "I Love Your Land. I Know the Laws and the Judges. I Think I Will Take Your Land." Today the Denver Post, under the headline "Lawyers awarded property next door," finally picked up the story. One notable fact: The property owners bought the land in 1984 for $55,000, but it is now worth more than $800,000!

Almost Broken, But Now On The Mend!

Most of you are familiar with the extremely popular blog called PostSecret. People make homemade postcards and write on them some secret, then mail them in to a blogger named Frank. I was surfing there today and found this:
"I saw you speak this week at UK. You said "the children the world almost break become the adults who save it". That is my secret. Thank you for giving it voice. I did not break. I did survive and now I am a therapist working with the most disturbed, most abused, but the most incredible children. I believe they can all be saved. I believe they are all worth saving. I am trying one at a time."

That is my prayer for Sara, Mau Mau, and Linebacker Dude, all of whom fit the description of children the world almost broke. Sara was born to a prostitute who used all kinds of illegal drugs during her pregnancy. Linebacker Dude was constantly abandoned by his prostitute mom. Mau's mother broke Mau's leg in a fit of rage. All of these children have within them the capacity to save this world, by not repeating the cycle of abuse and neglect from which they came.

What Our Heroes Give Us

via Theo Spark

Our Two Newest Family Members

This is our newest kitty. She lives in the barn, where she will eat any and every mouse who happens by, we hope!

This is our newest horse. Her name is Precious. Her daddy was a bay, and her mommy was a paint. She is shorter than our other horses, and perhaps will be better for the kids to ride.

Victory!

Webutante links to a Michael Yon story about worship services at St. Johns Catholic Church in Baghdad. Muslims sat in the front rows, hoping that their Christian friends would return to Iraq.

A War Zone

One of my favorite radio talk show hosts is Glenn Beck. Do you ever hear him? He is funny and brilliant and courageous. Not bad qualities, wouldn't you agree? Glenn is presently preoccupied with a nationwide tour of Christmas shows, but when the holidays are over, expect him to go hard on a border issue.

It seems that some seventy American citizens from the town of Laredo, Texas have one-at-a-time crossed the border into Mexico to go to the larger town of Nuevo Laredo. All of them have been kidnapped. Only a small number have ever come back to their families in Laredo.

Laredo is the busiest inland port in the United States, handling 2.8 million trucks a year and more than 275,000 rail cars. It is one of the nation's fastest growing cities with 190,000 people and an estimated 500,000 residents in Nuevo Laredo. It is also a war zone, where drug criminals kidnap or kill anyone they don't like.

For focusing on this loss of American citizens, Glenn has been called a racist by the corrupt political officials in the Laredo area. Those officials are Hispanic, but so are the American citizens who have been kidnapped in Nuevo Laredo. Have you noticed how anyone who speaks out against illegal immigration is called a racist? Stay tuned to hear more about this incredible story from Glenn Beck.

A Ruthless Game

There is another Colorado story that has national implications. Here is some background, as I understand it. In 2006 the Colorado governor's job was up for grabs, as I believe Republican Bill Owens was term-limited out. Denver DA Bill Ritter won the Democrat nomination, while Congressman Bob Beauprez got the Republican nod.

One of the issues that emerged in the campaign was that while serving as Denver D.A., Ritter was incredibly soft on large numbers of criminal illegal aliens. If they committed rape, murder, sex crimes, assault, robbery, etc. they were all given plea bargains and agreed to plead guilty to one thing: "agricultural trespass," and were allowed to go free!

A man named Corey Vorhees worked for the Department of Homeland Security, and saw what was happening. He thought the public should know, so he forwarded the case info to the Beauprez camp. They used the information. Ritter saw to it that Vorhees, not himself, became the villain. He used the liberal press to denounce Mr. Vorhees and demanded that charges be filed against Vorhees. Vorhees was suspended without pay. Ritter was elected Governor of Colorado.

Over one year later, charges are still "pending" against Vorhees. Nobody from the Ritter campaign or the Beauprez campaign will talk about the case. One talk radio show, hosted by Peter Boyles, continues to hammer away at the case, believing that a horrible injustice has been done to Mr. Vorhees, similar to the cases of Ramos and Compean, the two border patrol agents doing hard prison time for shooting a criminal thug from Mexico who tried to smuggle drugs into our country. That criminal thug was still bringing drugs into our country while he testified agains the two border agents!

The political game in this country is incredibly ruthless.

Another Homeland Security employee was in charge of prosecuting sex offenders. One day at a mall he pulled down his pants and exposed himself to a sixteen-year-old girl. He was suspended with pay. He continued to receive his paycheck for six months until he entered a guilty plea.

Have Trouble Deciding What Lane To Use?

If you click on the photo, you will be able to read the signs and decide which lane you want.

Via Finestkind Clinic and fish market

The Religion of Peace

"In the mind-numbing aftermath of 9/11, who would have guessed that within just a few years American politicians would be campaigning on promises to ensure the comfort of incarcerated terrorists... that Hollywood writers would be generating reams of scripts replete with noble Muslim characters persecuted by fictitious American bigots... that footbaths would be making their way into airports and public universities... or that Muslim travelers would be chasing lawsuit dollars by scaring the hell out of fellow airline passengers with deliberately provocative behavior?"

So begins a post at the Religion of Peace blog, which keeps track of the number of people killed by jihadists. This week the death toll since 9-11 reached ten thousand human lives lost to the religion of peace.

I Love Your Land. I Know The Laws and The Judges. I Think I'll Take Your Land

It hasn't hit the dinosaur media (daily newspapers and t.v.) yet, but it is on talk radio. A retired judge from Boulder, who was formerly Boulder's mayor, and his wife, a former chairperson of the Boulder Democrat Party, and is a board member of the "open space" commission, successfully filed a court action to take property away from the owneres of the land! they first went to court on a Friday afternoon and got a temporary restraining order to prevent the lawful owners of the property from putting up a fence. They asked for a "reverse possession" hearing.

The landowners had planned to build a retirement home on the property after their children left for college. The property was adjacant to land that the landowners presently live on.

The ex-judge and his wife live in a house 200 yards away from the vacant land. They built and maintained a path across the vacant land to their land. The land stayed vacant, while the owners raised their family. They always paid their property taxes, sprayed for weeds, and took good care of it, although they never put up "No Trespassing" signs. Hikers, a common activity in Boulder, walked across the property to gain access to the beautiful views that could be seen from neighboring greenbelt areas. The judge awarded the property to the ex-judge, becasue he and his wife showed that they had developed a love for the land! I kid you not! Only in Boulder (I hope)!

If this were in New Orleans or Watts, it would be called looting!

Are We Looking For Perfection?

I was frankly shocked the other day when I visited one of my favorite blogs and learned that he was thinking about forming an anti-Rudy blog. Among the things he cited, when he stated his extreme dislike for Rudy, were Rudy's smile and his thick skin. I actually thought those were two of his best attributes, along with his ability to think quickly on his feet. The way he cleaned up crime in New York City should be something that all social conservatives should admire. He also got rid of the porn industry around Times Square, which is another accomplishment that social conservatives should find to be significant. His indefatigable work after 9-11 was certainly worthy of praise. No one doubts that he would be formidable in defending and keeping America secure. I do not understand all the hatred of Rudy by some of my colleagues on the right.

Good News For America, Bad News for Democrats

The Iraq war is going very well. Al Qaeda is out of Baghdad. The German Chancellor is hanging out with George Bush, and the British and French Prime Ministers are falling all over themselves to say how much they love America. What are the Democrats going to say now? If they are lucky, maybe the economy will turn sour.

Let's Leave That One Up To God

Six-year-old Greg, shown here in the darker shirt, with brother Jon, has a unique perspective on the world. Almost daily, he comes up with Gregisms, some original thinking that is unique only to Greg.

When I put the little kids' shoes on them in the morning, I tell them that whoever climbs up on the freezer first gets their shoes put on first (a backsaving idea). Two-year-old Linebacker Dude always wins that contest. Four-year-old Sara says, "That's because he is a boy. When I become a boy, I will be the first one to climb up on the freezer." Greg immediately informed her that she will never become a boy, but that when she gets to Heaven, she can ask God about it. "Only God can make you be a boy or a girl."

Sara, of course, has figured out that if she moves a chair over to the freezer, she can sometimes beat Linebacker Dude.

Fired!

The Sunday School teacher who complained about Sara's hair has been fired! We got an incredibly supportive response from the church. This has been quite a learning experience for Sara.

November Beauty

Tonight I was hurrying home for Sara's birthday party, but I pulled off the road to snap this photo of God's painting in the sky.

Last year at this time we were buried in snow. This year the mum plants are still thriving!

Never Give Up!

Via The New Editor

Will Iowans Be Offended?

The Clinton campaign has admitted planting questions at Iowa town meetings. Have you read about this in your newspapers? Have you seen it on t.v. news other than Fox? (Major Garrett of Fox News broke the story.)

Let Us Not Forget

This Veterans Day we have many fine people to honor. The people currently serving in our military are truly our best and brightest.

My dad was not one of the people who fought World War II. He was a principal, coach and teacher in a small town in Iowa, and was stricken with Rheumatic Fever. They had to hire three people to replace him. My uncle was a tail gunner in WWII. Dad was so kind and helpful to his brother when he returned. Dad helped set him up in business as a restaurant owner.

ROTC in college was as close as I came to serving in the military. I was also classified 4F. Anyway, the world was calling me to save it as a social worker!