50+ and Loving It!

Yes, I just stated my age! No I am not shamed to say it out loud. Yes, I belong to AARP (though I am not fond of their political agenda). Yes I use my discount when I can. I am happy, healthy, and loving my life. I have found many secrets to being happy at 50+.

Eating well: Yes, I know it costs two to three times more to buy fresh food than to buy the packages. We have become a country of "easy". I do have a couple bags of frozen veggies in my freezer, a couple jars of spaghetti sauce in my pantry, however I make mac & cheese, chicken noodle soup, stir fry, vegetable soup and many other things from scratch. Find a high fiber bread that you like, white bread is a killer (yes pb&j is always better on white). Today so much emphasis is put on low carb, high protein, no carb, etc. We as Americans have got to start eating well. That means five to seven servings of veggies and fruits a day, cut down on fried food, the prepared meals in a bag/box/carton. Bring your lunch to work, not only will you save time & energy you will have time to read a chapter, do the crossword, or maybe even find "me time" in your work day. Drink water, cut down on caffeine, cut down on soda and energy drinks (most are full of sugar and caffeine). Find easy recipes that you can do in a crock pot that are nutritious, and flavorful. I found that using sea salt has benefits, don't have to use much to get the flavor. 

Exercise/Play:  Most of us know that we have to stay in motion to keep going. Does this mean bulking up or hitting the gym 7 days a week? No it means taking time to go for a walk, stretching after work (10 minutes of gentle stretching relieves the stress of the day). Even dancing to some music as you clean up the kitchen after supper can be considered exercise. While I am NOT fond of game consoles in homes with young children (our children do not play outside like we did when we were kids), playing a game or two tennis, bowling, golf, or one of the dance games on a Wii, Play Station, or XBox can be challenging and fun, it also makes us stand up and move around. Find an activity you enjoy and do it, dance, walk, ride a bike, hike, wander a state park, it will keep you moving. 

Love: There are many types of love...Love of family, children, God, country, recipes, etc. However finding the "right" person to be with is most important. I was not seeking when love found me. It found me through a website, I answered a question he had posted on his profile. We began to talk, the more we talked, the more I liked. He said to me one night, "I am falling in love with you". It took me by surprise, and to be honest it shocked me a bit. Someone 'loved" me? WOW! It was a new concept, it took some getting use to, but it is the very best thing that has happened to me other than my children. He is kind, considerate, gentle, loving, opens my car door, he holds my hand, he whispers in my ear at the grocery store, and makes me giggle. And yes, I love him, deeply. 

Laughter:  "... I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner..." was said by Audrey Hepburn. She was right. I will be honest it took a good man to show me that laughter can cure anything. As I stated the love of my life makes me giggle, sometimes the giggles just turn to laughter. He counts the times a day he makes me smile, giggle, and laugh, what was a few times when we first met, has turned into at least 50 or more times a day. Laughter makes us young. 

Make Memories: Technology has made it simpler to take pictures, print & share them. I received a photo album for Christmas, every time my love and I do something fun (we toured St. Louis, out to supper at Schmidt's, walk in the park) we take pictures, print them, and put them in our photo album. Memories are meant to be shared so write a journal (notebook will do fine) of the times you want others to remember. It is especially important for us to do this with our parents & grandparents, their stories will live on as a testament of their lives. Take time to listen to what they are saying, write down the recipes, take pictures, and make memories. 

Last but not least, this quote says it all:

"Work like you don't need the money.

Love like you've never been hurt. 

Dance like nobody's watching."

-- Satchel Paige

REAL COST OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

THIS DOES NOT BELONG TO ME, IT IS A RE-POST FROM A FRIEND! 

Saturday, May 12, 2012

The Real Cost of Illegal Immigration

WHY is the USA BANKRUPT?

We have been hammered with the propaganda that it was the Iraq war and the war on terror that is bankrupting us. I hope the following 14 reasons are forwarded over and over again until they are read so many times that the reader gets sick of reading them. I also have included the URL's for verification of all the following facts...

1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year by state governments. Verify at: http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=iic_immigrationissuecenters7fd8 

2. $22 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens. Verify at:http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.HTML 

3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens. Verify at:

http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.HTML 

4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English! Verify at:http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt...0.HTML

5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies. Verify athttp://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt.01.HTML

6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens. Verify at: 

http://transcripts.cnn.com/%20TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt.01.HTML

7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens. Verify at:http://transcripts.CNN..com/TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt..01.HTML

8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social services by the American taxpayers. Verify at:http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.HTML 

9. $200 Billion dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens. Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRI

13. In 2006, illegal aliens sent home$45 BILLION in remittances to their countries of origin. Verify at: http://www/..rense.com/general75/niht.htm 

14. The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One million sex crimes committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United States. Verify at: http: //www.drdsk.com/articleshtml

The total cost is a whopping $ 338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, HAVING TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY; IT IS $338,300,000,000.00 WHICH WOULD BE ENOUGH TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY.

Posted by Ron Garland at 8:19 PM 

http://countervailingtruths.blogspot.com/2012/05/real-cost-of-illegal-immigration.html

BILL HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!!

This is a re-post from my FB page, it is honest and forthcoming, and given to all of us by a National Treasure, Bill Cosby, whom ALWAYS tells it like it is, period.

BILL HAS DONE IT AGAIN.

They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English.
I can't even talk the way these people talk:
Why you ain't,
Where you is,
What he drive,
Where he stay,
Where he work,
Who you be...
And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk.
And then I heard the father talk.
Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth.
In fact you will never get any kind of job making a decent living.
People marched and were hit in the face with rocks to get an Education, and now we've got these knuckleheads walking around.
The lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal.
These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids.
$500 sneakers for what?
And they won't spend $200 for Hooked on Phonics.
I am talking about these people who cry when their son is standing there in an orange suit.
Where were you when he was 2?
Where were you when he was 12?
Where were you when he was 18 and how come you didn't know that he had a pistol?
And where is the father? Or who is his father?
People putting their clothes on backward:
Isn't that a sign of something gone wrong?
People with their hats on backward, pants down around the crack, isn't that a sign of something?
Isn't it a sign of something when she has her dress all the way up and got all type of needles [piercing] going through her body?
What part of Africa did this come from??
We are not Africans. Those people are not Africans; they don't know a thing about Africa .....
I say this all of the time. It would be like white people saying they are European-American. That is totally stupid.

I was born here, and so were my parents and grand parents and, very likely my great grandparents. I don't have any connection to Africa, no more than white Americans have to Germany , Scotland , England , Ireland , or the Netherlands . The same applies to 99 percent of all the black Americans as regards to Africa.. So stop, already! ! !

With names like Shaniqua, Taliqua and Mohammed and all of that crap ......... And all of them are in jail.
Brown or black versus the Board of Education is no longer the white person's problem.
We have got to take the neighborhood back.
People used to be ashamed. Today a woman has eight children with eight different 'husbands' -- or men or whatever you call them now.
We have millionaire football players who cannot read.
We have million-dollar basketball players who can't write two paragraphs. We, as black folks have to do a better job.
Someone working at Wal-Mart with seven kids, you are hurting us.
We have to start holding each other to a higher standard..
We cannot blame the white people any longer.'

Dr.. William Henry 'Bill' Cosby, Jr., Ed..D.

WELL SAID, BILL
It's NOT about color...
It's about behavior!!!

Gun Safety??!!

"Five people were wounded in accidents at gun shows in North Carolina, Ohio, and Indiana on Saturday, according to authorities."--NBC News 

Three people were wounded in an accidental shooting at a gun shou in NC when a man unzipping the case of his 12-gauge shotgun went off wounding three people with bird-shot pellet. On Ohio, an exhibitor was removing a gun from a box when it went off hitting his partner. and finally a man in Indianapolis shot himself in the hand while unloading his gun. I am going to dissect all three of these, and maybe make some sense out of them. WARNING:  I may be sarcastic at times. 

Here is some background on myself. I was raised by a Marine, who was and avid hunter and fisherman. He had rifles and a shotgun, as well as a pistol he bought while he was in the Marine Corps during WWII (he had a permit issued in 1946 by the Onondaga County Sheriff Dept.).  My father was meticulous, never did he put any of his firearms away dirty or loaded. If he had not gone hunting for a year, he would take his rifles & shotgun out to clean them, one by one, he would remove them and put them back in the locked gun cabinet in our home. His .22 caliber Colt he kept loaded, however without one in the chamber  so an accident would not happen. Whenever he would handle his pistol the very first thing he did was remove the clip, and pull back the slide to make sure that the weapon was not loaded. My brother and I learned these lessons so if we ever chose to have a firearms we would know how to hand them safely. While at this time I do not own a firearm, I do know how to handle one if need be. I did not start attending gun shows until after I was married (when we divorced I still attended them), I loved seeing all of the different models, calibers, and gauges. I enjoyed seeing the 2nd Amendment at work.

WHAT WERE THESE PEOPLE THINKING???? Obviously all of them do not care for their firearms or their firearm would have never been put away loaded!! Ever hear of cleaning your firearm after you have been in the woods hunting buddy? By the way, how does one shoot themselves in the hand while unloading their firearm, clip fall outs, slide pulls back neither of these things will put your hand in front of the barrel, either will opening the chamber of a "six shooter". So now I ask how the hell were you raised? Did you not take a hunter safety course? Or a course on how to load and unload your firearms safely so no one gets hurt??? These people make Elmer Fudd look like "Firearm Owner of the Year".

In the case where the man shot his partner while removing a firearm from a box, my question is this: You have an FFL to buy and sell firearms, did you not remove the firearm from the box to examine it? Remove the clip, or open the chamber to examine them? Pull the slide back to see if it was in working order? Look down the barrel to make sure the barrel was not tampered with? If you failed to do any of these things then you fine sir should have your FFL revoked, permanently!!!

Yes, I know that there are really stupid people out there. At times I am one of them, for me they are my "Blonde Moments", however never are any of these moments when I am around or handling a firearm. Never would I hand someone a firearm that I knew was loaded. What would have happened if one or all of those injured was a child? Let's face it, those of us whom have kids have brought them to a gun show to show them the 2nd Amendment at work. We would hear from those in Washington, "Outlaw Gun Shows", "Revoke All FFL's Except the ATF", it would NOT be pretty nor would any of us be safe from the criminals. 

I will not step off my soapbox, and return you to your normally scheduled programming which is already in progress. 

Sandy Hook, The 2nd Amendment & Gun Control

This blog was begun a few days after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. I originally wrote it to relieve the pain I was feeling for all of the lives lost, and for the survivors. This is the finished piece, forgive the delay. 

First and foremost I am a mother, that means like every other mom & dad out there, I am grieving. Grieving for twenty children who will never graduate from high school or college, get married, have babies. My heart hurts for every parent who lost a child my prayers are with them. With that said I am also a patriot, that means I believe that the Constitution is the "Law of the Land" and should not be struck down because people choose tyranny over freedom.  

When are we going to stop talking about "GUN CONTROL" and begin to talk about the true underlying problem with the latest tragedy, and the rest of the mass shootings that have been in the news lately, "MENTAL HEALTH"? Last time I looked there is a question sections on most if not every gun permit/license form in the United States. The following questions are found on the OH Concealed Carry Weapons application*:

(13)  (a) Have you ever been adjudicated as mentally incompetent or mentally defective?

         (b) Have you ever been committed to a mental institution?

         (c) Have you ever been involuntarily committed to a mental hospital or facility for purposes             other than observation?

         (d) Have you ever been adjudicated as mentally defective (which includes having been adjudicated as: incompetent to manage your own affairs or ever been committed to a mental institution?

When are the powers that be going to understand that more "GUN CONTROL" only works when every illegal gun comes off the street? Chicago has the toughest "gun laws" in the country, yet they have the highest murder rate per capita of any city in the United States. I am NOT talking about the "justifiable homicides" in which a homeowner, business owner or person whom was being threatened by a "criminal", I am talking about the homicides that were committed with ILLEGAL FIREARMS. 

CRIMINALS DO NOT OBEY THEY LAW!!!! They obtain firearms from other criminals, shady dealers, or through thefts of homeowners and gun/pawn shops. The firearms the criminals obtain often have had the serial numbers ground of or have been obliterated by acid. The sellers DO NOT do background checks, wait three days, or sell trigger guards, barrel locks, lock boxes, or gun safes. They sell ILLEGALLY obtained weapons from the street corner, a trunk in a parking lot, someone's brother, uncle, aunt, sister, etc. The criminals also have someone rework many firearms to become automatic, which by the way every RESPONSIBLE firearm owner knows are illegal to obtain or own. Criminals have networks to dispose of  these "ILLEGAL FIREARMS" after they have been used in a crime.   

The U.S. Constitution is like the Ten Commandments....they ARE NOT suggestions. The are rules we all live by. The first is the law of  the land, the second is about personal responsibility. 

Owning a firearm comes with responsibility!!! It is the owner's responsibility to get training on the firearm he or she possesses; it is also the owner's responsibility to keep the firearm under lock and key, which includes a trigger lock and/or a lock box. While my good friends & family whom know me well, know I do not hunt, however they know how feel about my 2nd Amendment rights. 

Do NOT take 2nd Amendment rights away from the responsible gun owners because of a few who. Does it become a slippery slope to revoke other Amendments to the Constitution because they are not good for us?  

__________________

*http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/OhioAttorneyGeneral/files/50/5004c87b-40b8-43a6-b249-ed50419220b0.pdf

Newtown...

Every morning across America, parents put their children on the school bus, car pool or drop them off at school on their way to work. While we know we have to let go of them, part of us wishes they would stay small in some way so we can shelter them from the "outside world", however this cannot be done. Children should NOT have to worry about anything more than learning, lunch, recess. Yes, I had a teenager (she is now 20), it is also about dating, driving, prom, boyfriends or girlfriends, etc. 

As I watched the coverage of the shooting in Newtown, CT. So many feelings rushed over me, rage, hurt, fear, sadness. I saw the parent's some relieved at knowing that their children were safe and sound, and others whom lost children. While my heart breaks for every parent who lost a child, my heart rejoices in the heroic actions of the teachers whom saved many other children's lives. As I lie in bed, I thank God for my child, and the men and women who have called me "mom" over the years. 

I also prayed for the men and women who rushed in as everyone was "rushing out" the many police officers, firefighters/EMT, dog handlers, SWAT. Responding to anything they see is often tragic, however this is beyond words. I also pray for the men and women who work in the Medical Examiner's office who while working may see an occasional child pass through their midst, having this many small lives lost at one time may shatter their stoic facade. 

Being a mother, my heart breaks for the families who are living every parent's worst nightmare: having to bury their child. Parents should not outlive their children, period. Many of you are questioning God at this time, "Why?" the following article by a father of a child that was killed in Columbine may help us make some sense of this tragedy. I have copy and pasted this from a Facebook friend whom is a "Firearms Instructor" in Colorado: 

A MUST READ... we need the lord above.

Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's sub-committee.

What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful. They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert!

These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript:

"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers." "The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field.

The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart. "In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA.

I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent."

"I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy-it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room.

Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. "I wrote a poem that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today:"

Your words are empty air.

You've stripped away our heritage,

You've outlawed simple prayer.

Now gunshots fill our classrooms,

And precious children die.

You seek for answers everywhere,

And ask the question "Why?"

You regulate restrictive laws,

Through legislative creed.

And yet you fail to understand,

That God is what we need!

"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, soul, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and reek havoc. Spiritual influences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact.

God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties.

We do not need more restrictive laws." Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.

Political posturing and restrictive legislation are not the answers. The young people of our nation hold the key. There is a spiritual awakening taking place that will not be squelched! We do not need more religion. We do not need more gaudy television evangelists spewing out verbal religious garbage. We do not need more million dollar church buildings built while people with basic needs are being ignored.

We do need a change of heart and a humble acknowledgment that this nation was founded on the principle of simple trust in God!" "As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, He did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right!

I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA- I give to you a sincere challenge.

Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone! My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow this to happen.

"When Guns Are Outlawed....The Outlaws Will Have Guns" this is a bumper sticker. It is becoming truer by the minute. The people whom commit crime with a firearm, think they are above the law. I am not talking about the shopkeeper, the homeowner whom while defending his property shot an thief, or would be thief. I am talking about the men and women who have obtained firearms illegally, and use them for illegal purposes. Responsible firearm owners are NOT the problem.  

Day of Infamy...

The USS Arizona Memorial grew out of wartime desire to establish some sort of memorial at Pearl Harbor to honor those who died in the attack. Suggestions for such a memorial began in 1943, but it wasn't until 1949, when the Territory of Hawaii established the Pacific War Memorial Commission, that the first real steps were taken to bring it about.*

FDR stated that, December 7th was a day that would go down in history as a "Day of Infamy," maybe it has, maybe it has not. I choose to think that "We" as Americans who have forgotten many things lately should NEVER forget the Men and Women who fight and fought for us so bravely. 

Yesterday was December 7th, and when I asked some people what is special about the day many looked at me puzzled. Yesterday, was the 71st anniversary of the bombing at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In less the time it takes us to wait in the drive thru at a fast food restaurant, over 2,000 men died. It puzzles me that we are raising our children to forget these "anniversaries" exist, but to remember facts such as who has the highest scoring percentage in baseball, football, hockey, basketball or soccer. 

"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it," by George Santayana resonates today with me so much. Have we forgotten what is important? Have we forgotten the lessons that WWI, WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, Desert Storm taught us? Did the men and women who fought and lost their lives in these wars, do it all for naught? Have we forgotten that we, the UNITED STATES of AMERICA is still the best place to live on earth? Maybe when all of us, begin an honest dialogue about the past, our children will never repeat what has happened in the past. 

While there are those who claim that the America of today is better than the one of yesteryear, is it, really? Our children are spoiled with technology, they are overweight, have Type 2 diabetes, bulimia, anorexia, and have a myriad of self esteem problems because we have forgotten that being a public figure is an honor, not a given. We have forgotten that Sunday is a "family day", the time that we spend with our families, eating, talking, laughing, playing, most of all loving. Playing outside was a given on any day, "being bored" was a reason for you cleaning, dusting, raking, or doing chores because you said it to your mom. Don't laugh, I only said it once to my mom, that day I ended up polishing every piece of furniture in our house, when my friends came to the door to ask if I could come out and play, they were told, "No I'm sorry she has chores." Believe me playing outside is much better than polishing furniture any day of the week. 

I was raised by a Marine my dad served during WWII, he like many other men and women saw things that even today still haunt them. My dad from the time I was very young until the day he died, always took time to look at OUR flag, the one that so many have shed their blood and lives for so that we, the UNITED STATES of AMERICA can live as a republic. 

So today as you go about your busy day, when you see an older person today proudly wearing their VFW or American Legion jacket or hat, walk up to them, shake their hand, and day "Thank You".

* The U.S. Park Service