Sunday, November 30, 2008

fat, full, happy and home.

Ah yes, another Turkey Feast has come and gone, and I definitely feel that we did our fair share of cooking and consuming. We spent Thursday at Oma & Pops' house with the most delightful company. And then we headed up the mountain for a couple days this weekend with Grandad & KK.

Some of you might remember the stunning show Floyd put on last year. Are you wondering, did he top it? Was there some fabulous activity that could have trumped the '07 episode? Well... just you wait. I'll wet your appetite with this:

The annual Christmas Tree Hunt just gets more interesting. Especially when you don't end up with a tree.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

current going ons



here are a couple more shots from Rebekah's incredible hand... and camera that makes me salivate...

these two amigos are quite the pair. JH obviously only wants love and attention... and someone to touch him. RM thinks JH is his personal playground, and loves to climb all over him, sink his fingers into his fur, and giggle with delight.



This game has kept RM entertained oh, i don't know, for at least a third of his awake time at home in recent days... shut the door, open the door, go through the door, repeat. Ah, developmental learning... and time for momma to get stuff done.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Got (Goat's) Milk?



I am so proud of myself that I must announce to the world wide web RM has officially found a beverage of choice that one, he likes; two, he isn't allergic too; three, is good for him; and four, relieves me of my duties as physical sustainer of his caloric intake. Yippee for all of those pros. This week i packed up the pump once and for all, and the remaining bottles that were still in the cabinet... it's nice to just be on our way with sippys only for now. Hurrah!

PS - Rebekah caught this shot, and it also captures pretty clearly the "party-in-the-back" hairstyle RM is sporting these days... Thoughts? hee, hee.

Monday, November 17, 2008

the old man gets his due.

my friend, a cool artsy photographer one, yeah she photographed the old man. Made him look all regal and wise. And managed to perfectly capture the language that he speaks - that lonely labrador language of the heart, begging for affection at every turn...

check 'em out.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Ode to the Locksmith

Oh Locksmith, Oh Locksmith,
You're such a great guy.
When we're in distress,
You reach for the sky.

In just six weeks time
You've come to our aid
Not once, not twice...
But three times indeed.

With a switch of your ladder,
and a shimmy and shake,
You sneak in our house
with ne'er a mistake.

Oh Bradley, Our Locksmith,
The favors you lend,
Please never leave the neighborhood,
Our dear wonderful friend.

PS - Lauren, Thanks for lending your hubby out so often!!!

Saturday, November 08, 2008

the leaves have past their peak...




and therefore 80% of them are in our front yard. Floyd thinks it looks like a massacre. For me there is something so beautiful about seeing the entire world covered in yellow and red and brown... today it was windy but warm enough to play outside for a while. It was so fun to feel like we were in the middle of an autumn 'snow globe' of leaves.

William F. Gibbs & Kevin Heuer playing live together at Gottrocks



for those of you who missed the show last night - well, i'm sorry. it was a fun show! Here are a couple shots... for whatever reason i didn't think to take a video... sorry!

Republicans Must Fight for Freedom to Regain America's Trust

Republicans Must Fight for Freedom to Regain America's Trust
By Sen. Jim DeMint, OpEd Contributor
- 11/8/08

They say that elephants never forget, but that's exactly what the Grand Old Party has done.
Between the 1950s and 1970s, Rockefeller and Nixon Republicans kept the party in a seemingly permanent minority with a "me-too" philosophy that allowed Democrats to balloon the size and scope of government.

But, when Ronald Reagan ran unashamed on conservative principles in 1980 and Republicans in Congress embraced bold conservative reforms in 1994, America responded with overwhelming approval.

Since then, many Republicans have run for office as conservatives but governed as scandal-plagued big-spending moderates. They stopped offering common-sense solutions and broke promises with Americans by overspending and wasteful earmarking to special interests.

In the name of bipartisanship, our leaders supported amnesty, big new entitlements, more federal control of education, and compromises on energy. And too often Republicans shied away from defending values of life, family and faith.

The final straw for many was a series of Wall Street bailouts that cost over a trillion dollars and looked more like knee-jerk socialism than confident conservative leadership.

No wonder Republicans have lost a dozen Senate seats and nearly 50 House seats in two years.

Democrats will likely mistake Republican failures as a mandate for their liberal policies. Obama promises to "spread the wealth" and repeal all restrictions on abortion.

Nancy Pelosi wants trillions in new federal spending. Barney Frank promises higher taxes and massive military funding cuts. Harry Reid will kill the secret ballot for union elections. Patrick Leahy yearns to pack federal courts with activist judges who are hostile to traditional values.

Americans know little about these far left plans because Democrats didn't run on their liberal agenda, they ran against George Bush.

Yet, a strong majority of Americans are conservative and support the principles of freedom our nation was founded on.

The bipartisan Battleground Poll has found every year since 2002 that 60 percent of Americans identify themselves as conservatives and only 30 percent call themselves liberals. That's why Obama and the Democrats talked so much about conservative themes of tax cuts, spending restraint, second amendment rights and energy independence.

Americans haven't changed, Republicans have.

Recent Republican leaders said earmarks proved we could deliver for our districts and higher spending demonstrated our compassion. But a recent Club for Growth poll found that 66 percent of Americans favor candidates who will cut federal spending even if it means less local funding.

They said fighting for values that strengthen families and protect life is outdated, but ballot propositions to protect traditional marriage still pass overwhelmingly, most recently in California. Numerous polls on abortion reveal most Americans value life and want fewer abortions.

Republicans can regain America's trust only by acting on our conservative principles and offering real solutions.

First, we must lead by example and limit our own power in order to guard against corruption, starting with a unilateral, two-year earmark moratorium.

Then, let's end the seniority system that turns too many Republican outsiders into Washington insiders. This requires term limiting our conference leader and appropriations committee members, then choosing committee heads on merit, not seniority.

Second, Republicans must reestablish ourselves as the Party of Ideas with new, principled solutions for today's challenges. We offer more jobs, more take-home income, and more opportunity to succeed.

We offer more choices, personal control, and better quality in health care, education, and retirement. We offer more protection of life and the family, freedom of political speech, and respect for the right to bear arms. As global threats increase, Republicans offer a stronger national defense and secure borders.

Third, we must do everything in our power to stop President-elect Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Senator Reid from enacting liberal policies that reduce freedom. Democrats and Republicans should work together, but not when it hurts the American people. As the minority, we don't control the Senate agenda, but we still have a moral responsibility to fight for freedom and liberty in our great country.

Finally, we must recruit new leaders. We're never going to reshape the way Americans see Republicans with the same old faces. There are good conservatives in Congress now, but our bench is not nearly as deep as the Democrats, who have plenty of career politicians.

We need more Sarah Palins - moms, dads, teachers, doctors and business owners who want to defend liberty and solve big problems, not become part of the Washington establishment. We must find them, encourage them and fight for their elections.

These are painful times for the party of Lincoln and Reagan, but we have a golden opportunity to demonstrate its character and its convictions, and rebuild stronger than ever. So let's get going.

Sen. Jim DeMint is a Republican from South Carolina.

a recent dinner fav.



I realize this dinner is a little more summer and a little less fall, but heck, it was 79 degrees here this week. So while I'm enjoying the autumn color and leaves completely covering our lawn, I'm also not keen on cranking up the oven and making our house any warmer. It was a good excuse to whip up Cooking Light's "Grilled Chicken Tostadas" (from their April 2003 mag). Yum!

Let me also brag that my dishes rarely make it to the table looking ANYTHING like the chef prepared pictures... except in this case. I was feeling quite proud when i realized, 'Hey! mine looks just like that professional pic.'
-- Insert self-pat-on-back Here. --

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

reflections...

I've got a lot of thoughts running through my mind today. Disappointment with a party I thought I believed in, but that has failed miserably to truly serve the good of the people. Pride and honor in being alive and a voting citizen during such a time in our country. Concern for my son's generation. Hope that my skepticism will disappear with the inauguration of President-elect Obama.

No organization to these thoughts really, but I did want to list a few things, lest I forget the gravity of this day, and the tremendous awe of being a part of such a poignant day in history. First, an excerpt from Senator McCain's speech last night:


The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly.

A little while ago, I had the honor of calling Senator Barack Obama to congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love.

In a contest as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance. But that he managed to do so by inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving.

This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight.

I’ve always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Senator Obama believes that, too.

But we both recognize that, though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation’s reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound.

A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt’s invitation of Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage in many quarters.

America today is a world away from the cruel and frightful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States.

Let there be no reason now … Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth.

Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. I applaud him for it, and offer him my sincere sympathy that his beloved grandmother did not live to see this day. Though our faith assures us she is at rest in the presence of her creator and so very proud of the good man she helped raise.

Senator Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed. No doubt many of those differences remain.

These are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.
Some musings around the web that I've enjoyed today:

A Little Thomas L. Friedman for ya...

Today we can Boast

A good little historical timeline on the racial divide around the world...

A good election analysis, with quote from Rep. Jeff Flake

Watching God at Work

My Boss' Statement on President-Elect Barack Obama

My Boss' Sentiments on Where Republicans have gone Awry

Monday, November 03, 2008

The Fire Marshall goes Trick-or-Treating



RM looked super in his costume this year. He wore it to pre-school - and fortunately he could be pretty mobile in it! We hung out with the Buczkowskis and Joanna for dinner at the house, but did manage to make it over to the neighbor's house for one official "trick-or-treat" visit!

Thank you David & Dee for the wonderful outfit for Christmas last year, it fit perfectly!!