New American Tea Party

I got this email today and thouggt the best way for lots of people to see it would be to post it. I loved the idea! So here it goes!

There's a storm abrewin'. What happens when good, responsible people keep quiet? Washington has forgotten they work for us. We don't work for them. Throwing good money after bad is NOT the answer. I am sick of the midnight, closed door sessions to come up with a plan. I am sick of Congress raking CEO's over the coals while they, themselves, have defaulted on their taxes. I am sick of the bailed out companies having lavish vacations and retreats on my dollar. I am sick of being told it is MY responsibility to rescue people that, knowingly, bought more house than they could afford. I am sick of being made to feel it is my patriotic duty to pay MORE taxes. I, like all of you, am a responsible citizen. I pay my taxes. I live on a budget and I don't ask someone else to carry the burden for poor decisions I may make. I have emailed my congressmen and senators asking them to NOT vote for the stimulus package as it was written without reading it first. No one listened. They voted for it, pork and all.

O.K. folks, here it is. You may think you are just one voice and what you think won't make a difference. Well, yes it will and YES, WE CAN!! If you are disgusted and angry with the way Washington is handling our taxes. If you are fearful of the fallout from the reckless spending of BILLIONS to bailout and "stimulate" without accountability and responsibility t hen we need to become ONE, LOUD VOICE THAT CAN BE HEARD FROM EVERY CITY, TOWN, SUBURB AND HOME IN AMERICA. There is a growing protest to demand that Congress, the President and his cabinet LISTEN to us, the American Citizens. What is being done in Washington is NOT the way to handle the economic free fall.

So, here's the plan. On April 1, 2009, all Americans are asked to send a TEABAG to Washington , D.C. You do not have to enclose a note or any other information unless you so desire. Just a TEABAG. Many cities are organizing protests. If you simply search, "New American Tea Party", several sites will come up. If you aren't the 'protester' type, simply make your one voice heard with a TEABAG. Your one voice will become a roar when joined with millions of others that feel the same way. Yes, something needs to be done but the lack of confidence as shown by the steady decline in the stock market speaks volumes.

This was not my idea. I visited the sites of the 'New American Tea Party' and an online survey showed over 90% of thousands said they would send the teabag on April 1. Why, April 1?? We want them to reach Washington by April 15. Will you do it? I will.

Send it to: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington , D.C. 20500

Forward this to everyone in your address book. Visit website "'New American Tea Party'" for more information I would encourage everyone to go ahead and get the envelope ready to mail, then just drop it in the mail April 1. Can't guarantee what the postage will be by then, it is going up as we speak, but have your envelope ready. What will this cost you? A little time and a 40 something cent stamp.

What could you receive in benefits? Maybe, just maybe, our elected officials will start to listen to the people.. Take out the Pork. Tell us how the money is being spent. We want TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. Remember, the money will be spent over the next 4-5 years. It is not too late.

Bumper Stickers

This Saturday Rachel and I had the pleasure of taking in the ballet. The small local theater in town was hosting The South Carolina Dance Theatre. Rachel has recently showed an interest in taking dance lessons. As a former dancer myself (10years) I was thrilled with the idea of my little girl as a bellerina. I thought this would be a good little test to see how much she liked it.

We absolutly loved it. The beautiful girls in elegant costumes dancing gracefully across the stage. After the performance the dancers joined the audiance for a garden party where we were able to meet the dancers. I think this was the best part of the day for both of us. We got to talk to the dancers and took many pictures. Rachel loved meeting the girls and seeing them and their costumes close up. This made my little princess want to be a dancer even more. So starting in the fall we will have a little ballerina in the family!

I was tagged!

I got tagged for a fun meme from Fraizerbaz


The rules:


1. Respond and re-work: answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.


2. Tag other un-tagged people.




What is your current obsession: grass for my yard...I HAVE NONE!



What are you wearing now: Jeans, blue sweater, no shoes



Who was the last person you hugged: My daughter



Who is the last person who kissed you: My Husband



If you were a tree, what tree would you be: A peach tree



What’s for dinner: Spagetti



What was the last thing you bought: My son's birthday present



What are you listening to right now: High School Musical 3 is playing in the background



What is your favorite weather: sunny, upper 70's.



What is on your bedside table: Alarm clock, nail clippers, a book, hair scrunchie, an empty tissue box, bottle of lotion



What is your most challenging goal right now: selling my old house



Say something to the person who tagged you: Great Mom



If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished, where do you want it to be: Middle of no where surrounded by lots of trees



Name the things you cannot live without: My children



What would you like to have in your hands right now: The winning lottery ticket.



Hot or Cold coffee: hot coffee, with cold milk.



What would you like to get rid of: All this clutter in my house



If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go: Cape Cod to see my grandparents



What is your favorite book: Savannah Blue



What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery? Buy a Mustang





I am tagging EVERYONE who reads this. Send me a link so I can read your answers!

St Patrick's Day Symbols and Traditions

The Shamrock

The shamrock, which was also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure with English rule.

Irish Music

Music is often associated with St. Patrick's Day—and Irish culture in general. From ancient days of the Celts, music has always been an important part of Irish life. The Celts had an oral culture, where religion, legend, and history were passed from one generation to the next by way of stories and songs.After being conquered by the English, and forbidden to speak their own language, the Irish, like other oppressed peoples, turned to music to help them remember important events and hold on to their heritage and history. As it often stirred emotion and helped to galvanize people, music was outlawed by the English. During her reign,Queen Elizabeth I even decreed that all artists and pipers were to be arrested and hanged on the spot.
Today, traditional Irish bands like The Chieftains, the Clancy Brothers, and Tommy Makem are gaining worldwide popularity. Their music is produced with instruments that have been used for centuries, including the fiddle, the uilleann pipes (a sort of elaborate bagpipe), the tin whistle (a sort of flute that is actually made of nickel-silver, brass, or aluminum), and the bodhran (an ancient type of framedrum that was traditionally used in warfare rather than music).



The Snake

It has long been recounted that, during his mission in Ireland, St. Patrick once stood on a hilltop (which is now called Croagh Patrick), and with only a wooden staff by his side, banished all the snakes from Ireland. In fact, the island nation was never home to any snakes. The "banishing of the snakes" was really a metaphor for the eradication of pagan ideology from Ireland and the triumph of Christianity. Within two hundred years of Patrick's arrival, Ireland was completely Christianized.

Corned Beef

Each year, thousands of Irish Americans gather with their loved ones on St. Patrick's Day to share a "traditional" meal of corned beef and cabbage. Though cabbage has long been an Irish food, corned beef only began to be associated with St. Patrick's Day at the turn of the century.
Irish immigrants living on New York City's Lower East Side substituted corned beef for their traditional dish of Irish bacon to save money. They learned about the cheaper alternative from their Jewish neighbors.


The Leprechaun

The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is "lobaircin," meaning "small-bodied fellow." Belief in leprechauns probably stems from Celtic belief in fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. Though only minor figures in Celtic folklore, leprechauns were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure. Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick or the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, a Catholic holy day. In 1959, Walt Disney released a film called Darby O'Gill & the Little People, which introduced America to a very different sort of leprechaun than the cantankerous little man of Irish folklore. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, but has quickly evolved into an easily recognizable symbol of both St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general.

My Husband takes a Detour

My husband was on the way to the store when he took a detour to his friends house. While at his friend's house they decided to go to an animal auction. ("What else are you going to do on a rainy Saturday night," he said.) A couple hours later he walks through the door and hands me a baby white rabbit. What! Who is this for? He said our little girl had been asking for a baby rabbit so he got her one.


After the shock wore off I realized the bunny was very cute and so soft. But did I mention we already have a bunny and 8 (yes 8) dogs. Six of which are rabbit hunting dogs. Did I also mention that you can't tell the sex of a rabbit until they are about 3 months old, but they start breeding at about 2 1/2 months old. So I guess we will be keeping the 2 bunnies separated until further notice. I think we will also be keeping this new one, named Cotton, inside. I heard you can train them to use a liter box. I will let you know how that goes.

The New Girl Next Door

Ever imagined being Hef's new girl next door?

If you have an extra $27.9 million lying around, that dream can easily be a reality! The home next door to the Playboy Mansion is now on the market!

The seven-bedroom mansion has been inhabited by Hef's second wife, Kimberley Conrad and the former couple's two children since 1996. But the Hefner teens are heading off to college in a matter of months. I guess the economy is even hitting Hef hard.

I ran across this article this morning and thought I would pass it along. I did not write this!

5 Facts About Friday the 13th

If Friday the 13th is unlucky, then 2009 is an unusually unlucky year. This week's Friday the 13th is one of three to endure this year. The first came last month. The next is in November. Such a rare triple-threat occurs only once every 11 years. The origin of the link between bad luck and Friday the 13th is murky. The whole thing might date to Biblical times (the 13th guest at the Last Supper betrayed Jesus). By the Middle Ages, both Friday and 13 were considered bearers of bad fortune. In modern times, the superstition permeates society.

Here are five of our favorite Friday-the-13th facts:

1. Fear of Friday the 13th - one of the most popular myths in science - is called paraskavedekatriaphobia as well as friggatriskaidekaphobia. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.

2. Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor and some airline terminals omit Gate 13.

3. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal. Napoleon and President Herbert Hoover were also triskaidekaphobic, with an abnormal fear of the number 13.

4. Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. "It was bad luck," Twain later told the friend. "They only had food for 12." Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest.

5. The number 13 suffers from its position after 12, according to numerologists who consider the latter to be a complete number - 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus, 12 days of Christmas and 12 eggs in a dozen.


I have to admit that Friday the 13th is usually a pretty good day for me. I hope you all have a great day!

Extra! Extra! Kent Loses First Tooth!

Yeah! Kent finally lost his first tooth! The tooth has been loose for about a week and everyday we would "wiggle it just a little bit. . . come on and wiggle it just a little bit." (OK sorry) Last night it was hanging on by a thread and he actually let me pull it out. He was so excited. Most of his friends from school had already lost a tooth and both his older brother and younger sister had had visits from the tooth fairy. (Rachel's were pulled but the tooth fairy still came) My little boy is growing up so fast. Sometimes I wish i could just bottle them up and keep them little. but at the same time it is so awesome to see them grow into little men and women. The tooth fairy at our house gives $1 per tooth. I have heard of some kids getting up to $20 a tooth. I think I got $1 for mine but who can remember back that far. Kent was very happy with his money and I think he's already got it spent! Congratulations Kent!

Petition against Chris Brown

On my way to the store this morning I heard the DJ talk about Chris Brown's myspace page. He is asking kids to please vote for him and his song for Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards. This on the same day he is expected in court for resent allegations. This makes me think he doesn't fully get what he is being charged with. How dare he ask our children to vote for him when he has lost all our trust. He is not the kind of man I want my children looking up to. I don't want my boys thinking this is how you treat a girl and I don't want my daughter to think its okay for someone to treat her this way. If you agree with me go to the link below and sign a petition to MTV to remove Chris Brown from the nominations!

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/petition-sign.cgi?cbrh1968

If you Don't Like the Weather . . .

If you don't like the weather in South Carolina just wait a day or two. OK, so my last blog was Monday and the kids were home from school with a snow day. Last weekend the weather was cold and rainy and just plain miserable. What a difference a week makes. Today it is a nice balmy 78 degrees outside. There is not a cloud in the sky and just the slightest breeze. Last week we were wearing heavy coats with hats and gloves and this weekend we are running around outside with shorts, t-shirts and bare feet. The windows are all open so the light breeze can blow threw the house but if it gets much warmer we will have to put the air on. I love the weather in South Carolina. Remind me I said this in about two months when its in the 910's with 100% humidity. But I will worry about that then. Right now I'm just going to enjoy the beautiful day sitting on my deck with a cold glass of ice tea and the sound of the kids playing baseball in the back ground.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

SNOW DAY

Today was the third straight day we were all stuck in the house. Saturday and Sunday it rained and rained and rained. Today the kids are home from school with a snow day even though we did not get any snow. So I sent the kids outside. That lasted about 10 minutes. They said it was too cold. So we are back to being stuck inside again. To keep from going crazy I suggested Hide-n-Seek. Why didn't I think of this before. This game can usually keep us busy for hours. This was the first time we had played Hide-n-Seek at our new house and the kids found some great spots.

Rachel in my kitchen cabinet!

Rachel in my laundry basket!

Kent in my laundry basket!

You can see Kent's arm and his red shirt.

Hunter in my kitchen cabinet. I don't know how he fit in there!

Then the kids helped me make lunch. There is not much better than home made pizza! It was YUMMY!