Warning Gory Picture

Andrew REALLY wants me to post this so here goes. He was riding on the back of his friend's bike and going down a pretty steep hill and fell off, knocked himself out got up holding his eye and fell down again. This resulted in a pretty big gash just below his eye brow and major road rash on his cheek and stomach. Andrew calls them war wounds. Please pray he will make it living until his eighteenth birthday, he is quite the dare devil. I am thinking tackle football might curb his desire to do dangerous things a little bit. So after four hours in the emergency room, a ct scan and a whole bunch of stitches this is the results. It looks really good now and has mostly healed. He is quite the guy, the day after it happened he was riding his bike, skate boarding and running. Thank goodness skiing season is over.

The Ranch

Just Andrew and I went to the ranch this weekend and got to have some one on one time. Love of the ranch is one of the things we have in common. To some the ranch is just a piece of land that occupies rabbits, rodents, sage brush, rabbit brush a few cows, old windmills, broken houses and a very old horse. But to me it represents peace, tranquility and memories. Memories that I will forever hold in my heart whether or not the ranch changes. There is a old windmill by the old corral that I am obsessed with. It's literally falling apart the blades that are left on it are bent and corroded, but yet it still stands. When the wind blows you can hear it creak back and forth not sure what to do anymore. I have taken so many pictures of this windmill from every angle possible but I am not sure why, maybe just to understand it better. It may sound strange but I experience so much familiarity and commonality with this old windmill I think I understand it and it understands me.

Sunny days

Waiting impatiently for days like these. I feel it just around the corner. It's sad how we don't really appreciate precious time when it's present. Like I am doing now.

Soap Box 2

I consider myself open minded to the way people think and why they may think that way. I try to look without judgment and realize people do what they know, and sometimes what they know doesn't make sense to me, but that doesn't matter it makes sense to them. If someone doesn't know better they usually don't do better. Loving unconditional (myself and others) regardless of action or behavior is my forever never ending life time goal, and I am not even close to being where I want to be. I truly believe kindness can heal many hurts that ail this world. Meanness seems to be the "thing" lately. Sarcasm at someone else's expense is widely and readily accepted. Just turn on the TV. We are constantly being attacked by words and I am not sure we really even notice. So what I am having such a hard time understanding is why are we letting this happen? Why do children have to go to school and not only hear put downs from peers but from their educated more mature teachers also? I guess harsh words and sarcasm can only be expected from a society that deems it acceptable and in some ways cool. And when it's modeled so blatantly by adults and role models it seems like it's just the natural progression to really bad energy permeating throughout this universe, the same universe that we are supposed to care for, the universe AND the people in it. I am constantly falling into the lie that gossiping about others, using sarcasm, rudeness or judgment is better than just being authentic and expressing the true emotion we feel toward a specific person or event. Not having TV has helped some but I don't want to do that anymore ever. Words are powerful. They can be used to hurt or help. There is enough pain in this world why keep contributing? I would like to help.

The Dog Saga Continues

We had Midnight on a three week trial and as much as we wanted it to work out with him it just wasn't. He was just to much dog for us. Andrew was very sad but suddenly a three month old wheaten terrier named Bombo (Bo for short) changed his mind. Andrew's new best friend. And he doesn't try to eat Andrew. A big bonus after the Midnight experience. So we have officially adopted Bombo and Andrew is in love, so is Bo. Happy Valentines Day!

ADAM

What can I say about this little, well not so little boy that has a heart of gold. He has consistent, real conversations with God and his relationship with him is something I admire. He finds the good in everyone and everything. He is motivated and upbeat about almost everything in his world. He is a sensitive guy who considers the feelings of others. He has a temper and is learning how to express his feelings appropriately and I love watching him being able to control himself. He sings opera in the shower, kitchen, his bedroom, the car and has a beautiful voice. He still likes to hug and kiss his Mom and doesn't mind showing affection. He has a million "ideas" and a mind full of creative things he is going to accomplish and he will. He is a wiz at math. He hates cursive. He wants to save the world. He is learning to listen to his gut and follow his heart. There is so much more to say about him. Everyday with him is a privilege and I love him.

Soap Box

Mitt Romney spent roughly $600,000 a week, $10.2 million in the year 2007 on campaign commercials alone according to this article in cnn politics .com. http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/13/romney.ads/index.html. Just commercials not any of the other NECESSARY tactics and strategies needed to run an effective campaign. Romney's running mates aren't far behind.
A study recently done by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty states that approximately 3.5 million people in the U.S., 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2007).
Mitt Romney concedes the presidential race, it feels like a $10.2 million dollar gamble to me, and it didn't pay off. Some would argue there is absolutely no correlation between the amount of money political candidates spend on their campaign and the amount of homelessness in our country. Ask just one of the 1.35 million children that experience homelessness and I think they would tell you differently. Does anyone else think there is something wrong with this picture? One of the many questions I have that will probably never be answered.