Officer, I Can Explain

Last week I dished out close to 300 plates of spaghetti, actually it was probably a few more because several people came back for seconds.  It was the 2nd annual People First of Henry County spaghetti dinner and it was such a blessing to be able to play a small part in the event.  This year participation was better than last and in addition to the food, there was a silent auction and several raffles so even more money was raised for the group to provide activities and events for special needs families in the area.

My mother-in-law organized the dinner. She has worked tirelessly for several months garnering donations and gathering people willing to make a crockpot of spaghetti sauce.  There was a brief fear that the 30 crockpots would not be enough, but in the end there were two pots left over and I got to take one home with me, well almost home.  The crockpot made it but we lost about half the sauce when a deer leaped in front of us on the way home.  You know the old junk in the trunk saying, yeah well, now it's spaghetti sauce coated junk.

Lulu, our dog, knew she was in for a treat as soon as the trunk lid popped open.  Her tail  and tongue both started wagging and I hoped the clean-up would not be the problem I had anticipated.  She was a great help but didn't quite get the job done.   I, in my one of my ever so brilliant ideas, decided to hose the thing out to finish it. Well, I thought it was a brilliant idea until the next day when the delicious aroma of spaghetti sauce had been replaced by an odor like no other I've ever known. ICK! There were quite a few adjectives bandied about in the describing of it: rotten, gross, disgusting, rancid, putrid, nasty, etc., (FYI...trunks have no drainage system). I hope we never get pulled over  and searched while driving the car, the tomato sauce staining might cause some serious problems.  It looks like a scene straight out of CSI in there.

On the plus side it did effectively deter the 16 year old driver from borrowing my car for several days. After a can of Lysol, some special odor neutralizer, carpet refresher, and bathroom cleaner with bleach, the smell is not so bad although there is still some kind of indescribably weird, funky odor that hits you smack in the face when the door is opened.  Okay, so maybe it is still a little bad, hopefully, time will cure that too.

A Ministry Pool

It's been said, "you've got to know your audience".  My husband is a godly man who given the opportunity will do and give anything to evangelize. After many years of pleading for a swimming pool with a laundry list of reasons why we should have one, I finally hit my husband with the one that persuaded him to come to the wet side.  It will be a MINISTRY TOOL!! I told him.  Think of the youth and children's gatherings we could host, I said, and he agreed. That was five years ago. The first three years we held several with the youth group but only a couple with the children's. The last one being a children's group party. One of the guests apparently did not want to leave when it was time and to show his dissatisfaction with the idea proceeded to use one of our bathrooms to display this. Number 2 was his tool and the damage was, while not permanent, disgusting. I have been leery of pool parties since that time two years ago.  Especially ones where there's an element of unknown about the attendees.

With 20 years of parenting under my belt I have also just become tired of dealing with kids en masse, especially poorly behaved whiny ones.  Not a very Christ like attitude, believe me I'm aware and convicted of it. We haven't offered to host anything since "the incident" and up until now haven't been asked....Friday night the kids are supposed to come.  When Sparta told me we'd been asked, I hemmed and hawed and caved to the request (albeit begrudgingly). I know, I know it's a very petty not pretty picture.

So, y'all say a prayer for me to have a positive attitude, for the safety of these kids as they come to swim, and that I can fully forgive the one who redecorated the bathroom last time. The Good Lord knows I've smeared enough poop in my own life and been forgiven.

Why Vote for Mitt Romney

When Barack Obama was elected president, it wasn't with a a vote from me.  It's not the first time my choice didn't win and I'm sure it won't be the last. Did I wish for him to be the dismal failure he has been? No.  I was as filled with hope as the next person. Transparency and a spirit of cooperation were promised and not delivered. The economy stinks and he OWNS it now.   Mitt wasn't my choice in the primary but like mold on cheese, he's growing on me.  Here's what I know about him....not from his own fictional account of life but public record.  Yes, I watch Fox sometimes and I read the New York Times too.
Oh, and I really like his wife Ann.

About Mitt:


His full Name is: Willard Mitt Romney   He was Born: March 12, 1947 and is 65 years old. 
His Father: George W. Romney, former Governor of the State of Michigan 
He was raised in Bloomfield Hills , Michigan 
He is Married to Ann Romney since 1969; they five children. 
Education: B.A. from Brigham Young University , 
J.D. and M.B.A. from Harvard University 
Religion: Mormon - The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints 
Working Background: 
After high school, he spent 30 months in France as a Mormon missionary. 
After going to both Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School simultaneously, he passed the Michigan bar exam, but never worked as an attorney. 
In 1984, he co-founded Bain Capital a private equity investment firm, one of the largest such firms in the United States . 
In 1994, he ran for Senator of Massachusetts and lost to Ted Kennedy. 
He was President and CEO of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. 
In 2002, he was elected Governor of the State of Massachusetts where he eliminated a 1.5 billion  deficit. 
Some Interesting Facts about Romney: 
Bain Capital, starting with one small office supply store in Massachusetts , turned it into Staples; now over 2,000 stores employing 90,000 people. 
Bain Capital also worked to perform the same kinds of business miracles again and again, with companies like Domino's, Sealy, Brookstone, Weather Channel, Burger King, Warner Music Group, Dollarama, Home Depot Supply, and many others. 
He was an unpaid volunteer campaign worker for his dad's gubernatorial campaign 1 year. 
He was an unpaid intern in his dad's governor's office for eight  years. 
He was an unpaid bishop and state president of his church for ten years. 
He was an unpaid President of the Salt Lake Olympic Committee for three years. 
He took no salary and was the unpaid Governor of Massachusetts for four years. 
He gave his entire inheritance from his father to charity. 
Mitt Romney is one of the wealthiest self-made men in our country but has given more back to its citizens in terms of money, service and time than most men. 
And in 2011 Mitt Romney gave over $4 million to charity, almost 19% of his income.... Just for comparison purposes, Obama gave 1% and Joe Biden gave $300 or .0013%. 
Mitt Romney is Trustworthy: 
He will show us his birth certificate 
He will show us his high school and college transcripts. 
He will show us his social security card. 
He will show us his law degree. 
He will show us his draft notice. 
He will show us his  medical records. 
He will show us his income tax records. 
He will show us he has nothing to hide. 
Mitt Romney's background, experience and trustworthiness show him to be a great leader and an excellent citizen for President of the United States . 
You may think that Romney may not be the best representative the Republicans could have selected. At least I know what religion he is, and that he won't desecrate the flag, bow down to foreign powers, or practice fiscal irresponsibility. I know he has the ability to turn this financial debacle that the current regime has gotten us into. We won't like all the things necessary to recover from this debt, but someone with Romney's background can do it. But, on the minus side, He never was a "Community Organizer", never took drugs or smoked pot, never got drunk, did not associate with communists or terrorists, nor did he attend a church whose pastor called for God to damn the  US.



*****The healthcare thing in Massachusetts doesn't really bother me anymore because it's what the people of the state wanted.  As their governor he listened to the will of the people. It was a state's right issue and I say more power to them.*******  ( an afterthought)