Late again! I know Mother's Day was yesterday. No matter what my true intentions are, I'm chronically three to five minutes late in getting somewhere, and at times a day late or a dollar short when it comes to acknowledging special days and events. My husband says he knows how I LIKE to do things, but it's not that I LIKE to do things that way. Normally it has to do with trying to get too much done in too little time. I digress... Anyway, I really wanted to say something about being a mother and what Mother's Day represents to me. There is nothing that compares to being a mother, and no feeling that bonds two people together as fully as the parent-child relationship. When I said that to my daughter, she said children change your life forever. They really do. And all the changing diapers, wiping snotty noses, kissing scraped knees, washing dirty faces, helping with homework, setting curfews, checking up on their friends and the challenges that come with raising them is well worth it. A child can melt your heart when she looks at you with love, completely forgetting she was so angry with you earlier in the day that she screamed for what seemed like forever, and then gives you a … [Read more...]
Which photo would catch your eye first?
Things are progressing with the book publishing, and I am again looking for some input. I have two photos that I am considering for the front cover of the book. Though I have already pretty much made up my mind which I want to use, I would like to know which you would pick up first. Keep in mind the title No Time to Quit with the subtitle Life in a Broken Package. Let me know which you would pick up first, the child or the plant. ?Use the comment section below this post. Thanks! … [Read more...]
Immigration
With the Minnesota Senate passing a bill that gives financial aid to illegal immigrants for college educations, I sit back and wonder where their minds are. Don't get me wrong. I understand the logic of helping these kids who have grown up here grow and learn. And since many have been here most of their lives, in many ways they are U.S. citizens. But, become citizens before we pay for their education. In order to get a job they are supposed to prove they have the ability to work here. Evidently, the parents have worked here for a long time, whether legally or illegally, in order to support the family. Are illegal immigrants paying taxes toward the financial aid? Do they file income taxes? If they want to live here, why not go through the process of becoming a citizen? I agree with one senator who voiced concerns about paying for the education and then the student not being able to work. With the current economic climate, and the fact that our country is in such debt, it ticks me off that I may be paying for illegal immigrants to get a college education. In essence I will be paying for people of other countries to gain an education while our country continues to go into … [Read more...]
Senseless Act
As I hunched over the StarTribune, attempting to give my tired body a rest, a co-worker looked at the big-screen TV in horror and asked if that was a bomb. I turned to see "Terror at the Boston Marathon" above a photo as the news reporter was talking about the incident. The break room was noisy - someone speaking loudly on his cell phone, people punching in, others punching out, lots of greetings and conversations. I couldn't hear anything the news reporter was saying, so I stood next to the TV until the room cleared out as people went on their way. I was mortified and in shock. Two bombs had exploded at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, injuring and killing spectators and runners. I hurt for those who were injured or killed, and for those who love them. I hurt for those who witnessed the carnage and will have those images imprinted on their minds forever. I hurt for our nation and the impact this will have on other events. It doesn't matter who did this, whether it was a locally born psychopath or a foreign terrorist, the fallout will be the same. Our way of life will continue to change. We stand and say we will be strong and will not let these acts of terror change … [Read more...]
I’m off and running!
I am finally publishing my book, which has kept me very busy over the last few weeks! Though I never thought I would work with self publishing, that is the direction I am going. I had never wanted my work associated with self publishing, except in the book arts arena. I worked at a small press for a while and some of the self published garbage that came through gave me no respect for the industry. Anyone can publish anything, no matter how bad it is. I felt that self publishing would not lend any respect to my work. But the publishing industry is changing, and I guess I am changing with it. Print on demand is more popular, even with the large publishing houses, and working with authors who self publish also appears to add another dimension to their business. It started with me submitting the manuscript to a Women of Faith writing contest. I was hoping to win a publishing package, but I didn't, so I dismissed the whole thing. Then I got a call from WestBow Press, the company working with Women of Faith on the contest. I said, "Thank you but I'm not interested." A few weeks later, I got a another call while I was sitting in the hospital room with my mother. For some … [Read more...]
What does Easter mean to you?
Tell me what Easter means to you. … [Read more...]
New writing haven
I have always wanted a roll-top desk. Not just any roll-top desk. A big one like the old post office desks with lots of small cubbies or drawers. Now I have one. When we set up our small office two years ago my desk was shoe-horned into the 50 inches between the side of the closet in the wall, and Ron spread out on the opposite wall. I chose that area because of the window. The small desk, which is the one Ron and his brother shared when they were children, fit nicely under the window and a tall bookcase filled the narrow space on the left, keeping my writing books, copies of my published articles, my creative journals and other important items nearby. I didn't care that there was barely enough room for my laptop, let alone a keyboard conducive to continuous writing on large projects. I could look over my laptop and out the window to my woodsy back yard, which is always food for the soul. That lasted a while, but I began to feel like a sardine every time I wanted to work. It was easier to remove myself to another space. That is when my in-laws ran across a small roll-top desk without the cover. Two drawers on one side and a pencil drawer were its only features beyond getting … [Read more...]
Gun control, or not?
I have been sitting back watching the debate about tightening the gun control laws following the shootings in Newtown and wondering where people's heads are. Let me preface this blog by saying I have never liked guns. When my children were young, the only guns I would allow them to play with squirted water. They were told not to use their hands as pretend guns, and that guns were never to be pointed at people. Then we moved out to rural Minnesota and there were guns in every household. Nearly everyone hunted, so rifles were the most common. I understand using guns to bring home food, and told my childre that when they were old enough, if they were interested in guns, I would send them to gun safety classes so they would at least gain some respect for the tool. I felt they would be safer knowing how to use them rather then stumbling upon guns and someone getting hurt. Fast forward to today and my attitude has changed a little. I don't know if I have been "desensitized" or what, but there are times when I would like to be trained to use a gun. I believe I have that right and I don't want to see it taken away. Has gun control ever stopped criminals from getting guns? I … [Read more...]
What does our future hold for health care?
Now that we are in 2013 and many of the Affordable Health Care Act provisions and welfare reform are in place what do you think? Do you think the new laws are making it easier for people to get health care or more difficult? So far, my experience is things are going to be more difficult for a large portion of people. On the surface, it sounds great: Easier access to health care for those with pre-existing conditions, lower out-of-pocket costs for preventative visits, the opportunity for small businesses and those without insurance to participate in health insurance "exchanges" to get lower premiums and better coverage, the elimination of spending caps, etc. Those things are great, but they don't necessarily make health care "more affordable". For instance: Do you think insurance companies, which are for-profit companies, are going to take a hit on preventative visits? If the client pays less for the visit, will premiums increase? Or will there be more micro managing? This year our health insurance company changed because my husband's employer selected a different company to cover its group. We were told there would be no changes to the coverage, but there have been … [Read more...]
Holiday traditions
Thanksgiving rolled on through, like a freight train through a sleeping city. The day was pleasantly spent with family, sharing traditional food and catching up on all the mundane things that happen between family gatherings. There also was planning for the future, watching grandchildren play and a general atmosphere of comraderie. Though it sounds a bit droll, it really wasn't. I love the holiday season and the time spent with family. It's nice to take a day and stop the business of everyday life to relax with people I really care about. But it rolls through too fast. If I blink, it's gone and the business of living continues. With Christmas coming, I hope to be able to slow things down enough to enjoy the full season. I love the Christmas decorations, the giving, the colors and lights, the music and most of all, the reason for the season. When I was growing up, we always put up the tree and decorations over Thanksgiving weekend, sometimes after dinner on Thanksgiving. We had one of those artificial trees where you pegged each bough into a hole in the wooden trunk, starting at the top and building down. The eclectic decorations were a diary of family milestones, many made … [Read more...]
