Our turkey dinner menu:
-Turkey
-Roasted potatoes
-Macaroni and cheese
-Corn
-Green Beans
-Sweet Potato Casserole (the kind with the brown sugar on top)
-Dressing (the bread crumb kind, not the cornbread kind)
-Gravy
-Rolls
-Apple Pie
-Pecan Pie
-Pumpkin Pie
-Fudge
-Pumpkin Cheesecake
Think we're expecting a crowd based on that menu? Yeah, it's just mom, dad, me and Joshua. We'll be eating leftovers for weeks! But I'm not complaining!! YUM!!!
It was my homemade apple pie! And it was good, according to Joshua. It turned out a little more watery than usual for some reason so I wasn't happy with it.
And, no, I didn't stuff myself. I ate just the right amount.
I did take a nap, but not until after the four of us throw the football around for a while first. And then mom and dad beat me and Joshua at Outburst. Mom is excited that they found a game they could beat us at. It was a good Thanksgiving! And it was made even better by mom paying for a bath for Bailey at U Dirty Dog (self wash dog groomer). She was in dire need of one.
It happened again. Joshua cut at least five inches off my hair Saturday. Not one single person yesterday at church noticed. Not even she noticed, but she did have other things on her mind. No one at work has noticed either.
Ok. Well apparently the trick to getting your hair noticed is doing nothing.
The lady who sits in the cube next to me at work is all the time asking what I've done to my hair. She says I just change the color all the time.
Nooo...not really. I did get my highlights/lowlights redone last week. She noticed the first day and said, "you are just changing your hair all the time aren't you!!!" My last hair appointment was more than two months before then. I walked in today and she said, "you changed your hair AGAIN!" Nope...nothing...
That reminds me of a story. Three or four months ago, I had to be at a morning meeting (you know how I love mornings...). I didn't set an alarm because the meeting time was well after e usually wakes up. That happened to be the one morning E&e slept in, and I woke up on my own with only 20 minutes to get where I needed to be. I had total droopy, nasty bedhead, too. I ran a comb through it the best I could in the five seconds I had to spend on it and flew out the door. When I got to my destination, at least two people complimented my "cute" hairstyle. I made a haircut appointment ASAP. 'Cause if you look better when you're all messed up than you do when you're put together, it must be time for a change.
UPDATE - our admin. assistant noticed a little bit ago.
I'm really just perplexed that no one has noticed since my hair was at mid-back and is now just below my shoulders. That's a pretty drastic change to me. But, maybe I just look the same no matter what.
On the bright side, Joshua said it makes me look even younger than I already look. So, I expect people to start asking if I'm ready for my freshman year of high school to be over. (For those who don't know, I'm 33 and I get asked at least once a year if I've graduated from high school yet.)
Emily, 24 starts Jan. 11. Maybe we should plan for a viewing party! Although, if we want Joshua to join us, it'll have to be before then since tax season starts Jan. 2 and this tax season looks like it's going to be rough.
When that happens to me I think either the change was too subtle and it looked too natural for anyone to comment, or it looked bad and everyone was being polite. At this point in my life, I don't mind slipping under the radar.
It's mornings like this morning (temps in the low 20s) that make me eternally grateful for knee high socks! Unfortunately, I have a field trip with work tomorrow that will primarily be outside so I had to save my last remaining clean pair of knee high socks for tomorrow. My legs are c-o-l-d today! Guess what will be put on my Christmas list!
So, here's a picture of Bailey just because she's so cute.
When my mom was here to help Joshua take care of me after my surgery, she put a mop bucket next to the couch for me use as a trash can. In my slower-than-I-was-expecting recovery, I didn't ever move the mop bucket back to the garage. Don't worry. Joshua did empty it once or twice for me.
We got home this past Sunday after church and Bailey was dying to go outside. I let her out and then went to check my email. Joshua went upstairs to change. I let Bailey back in and went back to the computer. Joshua came downstairs and I heard, "Dog! What have you done?!?"
I went rushing (as fast as my slower-than-I-was-expecting recovery state would allow) into the living room very confused. I had just walked past the area twice and didn't notice anything. And what could she have possibly done in the 60 seconds it took me to let her in and walk back to the computer? I met Bailey running towards me in the kitchen. I knew she'd done something bad by the look on her face. It was a pathetic mixture of guilt and penitence and fear.
When I got to the living room, I saw what I had missed the two times I'd walked by previoulsy. Bailey is generally a really good and obedient dog. She never chews on shoes or gets into food even if it's left on the coffee table within easy reach. But, occasionally, the call of discarded Kleenex is just too much for her doggie sensibilities. All over the living room rug was shredded up Kleenex. She never eats any of it. She just shreds it. I'm not exactly sure what this says about her psyche, but it's probably not a good thing.
As her punishment, Joshua pulled her out from behind my legs, slid her over to the rug (we have hardwood floors), put her nose in the shredded tissue, and told her "NO!". Then he banished her to her bed. She ran straight for her bed, sighed as she laid down, and curled up into a tight ball. She didn't move from it until two hours later when Joshua told her she could get up.
Poor thing. She has such a penitent heart when she gets into trouble. She's also very melodramatic when she's getting in trouble. I often have to turn my head away to laugh so that she doesn't think I'm not serious. It's just too much to see a big, old dog flop on the ground, roll on her back, cover her face with her front paws, and flinch her eyes as if she's about to be beaten within an inch of her life.
Anyway, at least I think I know who the major disciplinarian in our house will be if we have kids.
It's something about dogs because we've had interactions with Rotweillers, Border Collies, and Beagles that have done the same. I even had a dog stick her nose inside my pants pocket to get a tissue.
That's even an old picture. Add more white face and about 10 pounds to that picture and that's what she's looking like today. Oh, and old person's wart under her right eye. She'd probably chase you around the coffee table a few laps. :)
Luckily for us, she only grabs it out of a trash can on occasion. I'd hate it if she had a thing for toilet paper!
What a very sweet and loving pup up there. Claire loves her already! And I know you're right about "no"...but how do you choose who you tell no, and who you don't??? Oh well, we'll figure out all of life's mysteries one of these days. Hope you are feeling well!
What a sweet face! Growing up, our dog used to sit on her hind legs and reach up and unroll an entire roll of TP while we were gone. I love that they can look so sorry and guilty!
So, now that it's officially official that Obama is going to be our new President, where do we go from here?
I've seen a lot of comments across Pleonast and other sites with lots of hand wringing and 'it's the end of world' sentiments. I've seen people ready to give up in despair at the thought of 'that baby killer' becoming our nation's leader. I've seen people giddy with joy at the thought of Obama failing and getting kicked out of office in four years.
Well, here are my thoughts (warning: they'll probably not be very popular around these parts):
1. God is in control. He establishes authority and does so for our own good. We are required to respect and honor that authority. I remember my confusion at supposed Christians name calling and deriding Bill Clinton when he was elected. Are we not to honor our leaders? Where is the honor in calling our leader unflattering names? How does that affect our influence on others? I would think that it might dim our lights in the world a bit, no?
Romans 13:1-7 - Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
2. If one is going to call Obama a 'baby killer' and wring one's hands at how many babies he will be responsible for killing, then one MUST do the same for the previous Presidents who have done nothing to restrict abortion. What has George W. Bush done to abolish abortion? Why isn't he a baby killer? Is the goal to have a President who is pro-life or is the goal to reduce the number of abortions women have? Having a pro-life President who doesn't do anything to abolish abortion makes him just as much a baby killer as a pro-abortion President. I'll leave the debate for whether it's the government's or the individual's responsibility to reduce the number of abortions for another day.
3. I, for one, am excited that we have a person of color as our newest President! Forget political beliefs for a minute and take a step back. That's just cool to witness history in the making. And if one can't appreciate that fact, then perhaps s/he is not as 'patriotic' as s/he thinks.
4. Again, regardless of political beliefs, I, for one, am happy that we have a short respite from all the political backbiting, negativity and warring. I will enjoy the nation's current feelings of hope and positivity, even if I don't think it will last. Isn't it a much nicer feeling than all the political in-fighting we've been seeing for eight years?
5. I am thankful that we have the political system that we do. If Obama's policies turn out to be bad for America, we have an opportunity to do something about it in just four short years.
6. And, finally, I am ecstatic that I do not have to endure one more political ad. At least until 2010.
I, for one, find your comments appropriate and thought provoking for the day after the election. You and I must be o nthe same wavelength, because we posted similar topics at almost the same time this morning. I appreciate the points that you made about the positive aspects of this situation. Thanks for shedding some good light on it. I agree with all 6 of your points, but especially #6!
I have read several blogs last night and this morning sharing similar thoughts as yours and I agree. I am struggling with feeling hope and positivity, but am resolved to support and respect our leader nevertheless. Hope you're doing well!
LOL! I am just glad it's over. Like Elizabeth on the view says, "Okay, let them have a turn and when things do work out perfectly, it'll all be their fault!" =)
Wow. We are having a lot of the same thoughts. My blog this morning was about how it is our individual responsibility to spread the gospel and fix society's ills, and not depend on the government to do it for us.
Great points Leah. This is Adam K-B, by the way. I especially appreciate your point #5. I am so thankful, and mindful at the moment, that I do not live in Zimbabwe as some of my family and many brethren I know and love still do. They do have the chance to vote every four years to change their president, but even when they want a change, it doesn't work. I feel so blessed here!
Hope you are feeling better. Esp. agree with #5 and #6 and the last comment of Adam (outofafrica). We had a baptism last night so we had good reason to rejoice over the best kind of news!
excellent post! i remember how much it hurt me to see the "M: THE MORON" bumper stickers and to hear people trash bush...where was the respect for the office? i hope those of us who didn't vote for obama can show class and dignity!!!
While I have not accused Obama of personally being a baby-killer (although he did once refer to a hypothetical baby as a "punishment," but I digress), I will be happy to take on your question in #2. One of GWB’s first acts upon taking office was to reinstate the "Global Gag Rule" which in a nutshell cuts off U.S. aid to foreign groups if they provide abortions. He then asked Congress to pass--and he then signed into law--the first federal ban on an abortion procedure since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. Court cases Gonzales v. Carhart and Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood upheld said law and could very likely have been decided "the other way" if the GWB appointees had not been on the court at the time. He also signed the Unborn Victims of Violence Act (Laci and Connor’s Law) and has worked to prevent discrimination by local and state agencies against health care providers and insurers that do not provide/cover abortions.
Did any of those things totally abolish abortion? No, of course not. But neither is it nothing. When you contrast that with Obama’s proposed health care plan that he said will “cover reproductive health services” and a spokesperson for his campaign later confirmed that includes paying for abortions, it is clear that there is a material difference between the parties on this particular issue. (Also, see the ruffled feathers and doomsday predictions on the N.O.W. website in regard to all of the actions mentioned in the previous paragraph).
Now, politically or constitutionally one may have a dissenting opinion about whether those things are correct actions or decisions, but that is not the question you asked...
There is also a big difference in what a president (or the Congress for that matter) can do to stop abortion versus what he can do to promote it. With Roe v. Wade in place, there are strong limits on what can be done to prevent abortions, and I believe President Bush has done a fairly good job working within those confines to help in this area. On the other hand, there is nothing standing in the way of Obama and a heavily pro-abortion Congress doing plenty to make abortions easier to obtain, funded by the government, and forced upon private insurance providers. So there is no comparison in what Bush has done and what Obama would be expected to do based on his prior voting record and political allegiance. And regarding the most important abortion-related issue - Supreme Court nominees - Obama made it clear in the last debate where he stands on that issue. Bush's appointment of strict constructionists to the court has been one of his greatest achievements, and liberal appointees by Obama could be a huge setback to the protection of innocent life in America.
So don't let the "baby-killer" hyperbole cause us to lose sight that there is substantive difference in what George Bush has accomplished and what Obama could potentially do as a President with large majorities in both the House and Senate (something required to effect significant change on an issue this divisive, and something Bush nor any other Republican has had).
Also, there is the matter of using federal tax dollars to pay for embryonic stem cell research. Obama is all but guaranteed to reverse existing executive orders about that.
