Alexis de Tocqueville, a French nobleman and political scientist, came to America in 1831, seeking to find just what made America so great. This is what he said:

"I sought for the key to the greatness and genius of America in her harbors; in her fertile fields and boundless forests; in her rich mines and vast world commerce; in her public school system and institutions of learning. I sought for it in her democratic Congress and in her matchless Constitution."

But Alexis did not find the cause for America's greatness in any of those assets. It was not until he visited America's churches and heard the preaching of righteousness therein did he, "understand the secret of her genius and power".

He concluded: "America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

Alexis' summation of our country was Scripturally sound. Proverbs 14:34 says, "Doing what is right makes a nation great, but sin will bring disgrace to any people."

"America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!"

We have had an amazing 232 years and I am thankful to have been born in this great country.

So, Happy Birthday America: may you continue to be great and good!


Adapted from a July 2006 posting on brookfield7

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here is now over the 1.27 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

Links: 

Last week, I watched The Journey of Natty Gann while making some muffins and cleaning up the kitchen. If you have never seen the movie, it is a period piece, set in the early 1930s, during the depression. An out of work widower must choose between staying with his daughter in Chicago, or going out to Washington state for a rare chance to work. He has little choice but to leave the daughter in the care of a floozy of a landlady. Natty, the daughter (14 years old?), runs away from the bad landlady and rides the rails all the way out to Washington. (Many adventures along the way. It ends happily.)

What struck me about the movie was the utter poverty and hopelessness of the great depression and the terrible choices people had to make back then.

While watching, I realized that my dad would have been around the same age as Natty during that difficult time.

Like so many other children, my dad had to quit school (8th grade) to go to work. My dad really loved to play baseball, but couldn't join his brothers and the neighborhood guys in a game after dinner because he had to go to bed early. You see, dad was fortunate to get a job in a bakery. Being a baker meant very early to bed and very early to rise in order to get the baking finished by the time the shop opened.

The wages were low, I think he earned around $1.15 a week, but the job had a big perk: he could take home all the day-old bakery he wanted. With 7 mouths to feed in the family, 2 parents and 4 siblings, that was a blessing.

His dad, my grandfather, had to wake my dad up in the wee hours of the morning to go to work. I think it nearly killed my grandfather to do so, because he himself was out of work. He knew my dad should have been allowed the few pleasures a poor kid could have--playing with his neighborhood buddies. But my dad had to shoulder the responsibilities of an adult at age 13 and go to work. Come payday, my dad gave his earnings to his family.

His situation was not as dire as some; he knew he was blessed to be in an intact family that had a roof over their heads.

Whenever I heard my father tell that story, I never heard any bitterness or anger in his voice in the telling. There always was an attitude of gratitude in the fact that he had a job that paid money and had the benefit of the extra food. 

Later he joined the CCC, and even though he could have had a deferment, he joined the Marines. (Photo is dad in his Marine days; he was an aircraft mechanic.)

After WWII, he married, had a family, and continued working hard until 1982, when he retired.

The poor guy, he barely cashed his first Social Security check when my husband and I purchased a rental property in the Riverwest area. It was a BIG old flat that needed painting. My husband and I worked on it, and a host of other things that needed doing there, but seemed to get nowhere fast.

Seeing our need, my dad offered to help. The irony was, he had his own large townhouse sided so he would never have to paint again! But there he was at our rental, climbing ladders with brushes and paint bucket in hand. Not one to sit back in his retirement, he saw a need, filled it, and remained cheerful until the job was finished.

My dad worked hard all of his life. Maybe that is why he was able to stay independent in his own home for so long. Even at age 88, when we had that huge snow in November of 2007, he was still helping snow blowing the neighbors out!

Being always ready to lend a hand, that characterized my dad. "Can't complain" characterized his attitude in all things. 

I think the people of his generation experienced so much hardship in the great depression and WWII, that it forever shaped them into people of great strength. Sometimes that can make people bitter and hard, but not my dad. He always put his trust in the Lord. Dad, like Job in the Bible, always had the attitude of, "The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." Job 1:21 Or, put another way, he would say, "You've got to roll with the punches."

Even now, with halting speech and gait, if you ask him how he is, he still manages to look at you with his blue eyes and say say, "Can't complain."

Happy Father's Day, Dads. Don't ever think you are not leaving your mark on your world.

(I am still learning Job 1:21 and to be like my dad.)

Past post: My Favorite Marine

Links:

Do you have Memorial Day traditions? Actually, we don't. July 4th seems to have its usual rhythm: Brookfield parade or auto show at Holz in the morning and fireworks at Elm Grove Park in the evening. But somehow with Memorial Day nothing has clicked.

Maybe this year we will catch the 10:30 AM parade in Elm Grove since we live close by. There is also that wreath ceremony at a Civil War Soldier's grave at Oak Hill Cemetery.  I noticed at the Elm Grove Library a flier for a pre-parade pancake breakfast at the Elm Grove Women's Club. These are at least some Memorial Day options. What I don't like to see are holidays that become just an excuse for retailers to hold special sales.

While driving today, I caught a bit of Vicki McKenna's show. She suggested watching some good patriotic movies this Memorial Day weekend. Listeners called in with their favorites and she posted a list.  I thought that was a good idea--especially if the weather is chilly. Memorial Day, after all, is about remembering those soldiers who died to protect our rights, liberate others, and make our country free.

I stopped at the library to get a few good movies and found one not on her list. It is D-Day with Robert Taylor, Richard Todd and Edmond O'Brian. I have never seen it.

I was hoping to find The Lost Battalion, a HBO movie, based on a true story, with Rick Schroder. That one I did see before and thought it excellent. It is very bloody, but tells of the amazing courage of one man who just refused to give up. His perseverance to hold the territory in the Argonne Forest resulted in defeating the Germans. He portrayed a very godly man who was just set on doing the job given to him. I love to read or watch movies of ordinary people who do courageous things.

Another good movie on the list is the Tuskegee Airmen. This movie was very interesting because it told of the first squadron of Black Airmen during WWII and the prejudice they encountered. These men were real heroes and if memory serves correctly, earned the reputation of best support fliers for the bomber squads. Look for them the next time you are at the library.

Please share any of your favorite movies or traditions. 

I hope you enjoy your weekend and if you are a person of faith, take a moment to thank God for the brave men and women who gave their lives to make us and others free.

Don't forget the Music Concert to Benefit Chinese Quake Victims, Saturday, May 31st, 10AM - 1PM, Brookfield Civic Plaza

Links:

My mom was an amazing woman. Her priorities were God, Dad, us, others, then herself. She was kind, generous, and a whiz at managing money. Since the economy is in the news so much these days, I will focus on her money management talents.

To use an expression I once heard, she could pinch a nickel so hard the Indian was riding the buffalo! That is no longer politically correct, but thankfully the nickels have changed now too. The updated version would be she pinched a nickel so hard Jefferson was riding the buffalo! I am sure if she had been sent to Washington, she could have balanced the budget.

I grew up in a blue collar household located in a gold coast suburb (Shorewood), yet my parents never argued about money. Mom elevated frugality to an art form. She used coupons and stuck to her budget. (She used an envelope system ala Dave Ramsey.)

Most mothers back then still cooked meals, and she was no different.  We ate up leftovers and did not waste food as many do today. Sundays we splurged and had lunch out at a modest restaurant after church and munched on popcorn for dinner. She would joke that it was against her religion to cook on Sunday! (I follow that same practice.)

Her philosophy of money management was to skimp on things that don't matter so you could splurge once in a while on something that would greatly improve your quality of life. That is how we ended up with a dishwasher back in the 1950s and a color TV in the mid 1960s. You may snicker at those two items being a luxury, but trust me, they were not the norm--even in Shorewood.

One of the items we saved money on were clothes. Mom sewed her clothes and most of my sister's and mine. She taught me to sew and I made my first dress in 3rd grade.

Another other area of savings were vacations. I think we started camping in 1958. Even though mom was not really the camping type, she saw that it was a relatively inexpensive way to see the U.S.A. We would pack up our huge cabin tent and head out to Mt.Rushmore, the Badlands, Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, etc. Those are fond memories.

I had some girlfriends who were from much wealthier families than mine. There wasn't jealousy or envy about that fact; that was just how life was. One in particular has been my friend since the 1st grade. Her parents owned a popular resort up north that was frequented by Green Bay Packers and other local celebrities. She spent each summer up there.

Her mom took her to Chicago each year to purchase all new school clothes. Because I was always interested in fashion, that was a wondrous thing to me. They also had a housekeeper who did all of their cooking. My friend seemed to have the ideal life at the time.

Recently my 1st grade friend mentioned how she thought I was the privileged one when we were growing up. She wished her mom sewed her clothes, made oatmeal cookies, and above all, she wished she could have traveled like we did on our camping trips!

In looking back at my life, I have to agree. I was privileged. I still am. So much of who I am and what I value was influenced by my Godly mother. If she were here today, I would rise up and call her blessed. She left a pair of large shoes to fill.

If your mom is still here, be sure to tell her all that is in your heart this Mother's Day.

Links:

Thursday, May 1st, is the National Day of Prayer , a day set aside to pray for our country.

When I look at the problems in our world, nation, state, community, and our schools, it becomes very clear to me that our intellect and financial resources alone cannot solve these problems. Our founding fathers realized this early in our country’s history too.

According to the National Day of Prayer website, “The National Day of Prayer is a vital part of our heritage. Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln's proclamation of a day of "humiliation, fasting, and prayer" in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual, national day of prayer.”

In recent years, there has also been an open invitation for people of faith to meet on this day at their local city hall from 12:20 pm – 12:40 pm for 20 minutes of prayer.

Last year was the first time I made it to City Hall for this special time. This is what happened in 2007.

I arrived at city hall a few minutes late and was rather expecting to see a small group at the 3 flag poles on the plaza but didn't. There just was a maintenance worker eating lunch at a picnic table and 2 people seated on the ledge by the POW memorial plaque. 

 

Although I did not really expect anything inside City Hall due to today's mistaken separation of church /state stance, I checked there anyway. Nothing there. Back outside, I thought I would walk past the man and woman seated by the plaque. I realized as I got closer the man was Cater Doering--the veteran who petitioned city hall for the city to fly the POW flag.

 

Carter recognized me and as I approached, I saw the woman was holding up a Declaration of Independence. They were reading it together and commenting about how many references there were about our Creator, etc. I asked if I could join them. Soon after, 2 separate vehicles pulled up and parked. A woman got out of each and asked if they could join us.

 

We then stood in a circle, joined hands and prayed. Each of us prayed at least once for our nation, city, soldiers, POW/MIAs, our country's youth, the president, etc. There was also thanksgiving for the foiled terrorist plots and the protection our nation has been blessed with since 9/11. It was a great experience.

 

Here I did not know the 3 women at all, but it did not matter because we were there for a common purpose. We must have prayed there about 15 minutes or so, then the 2 women had to get back to work.

Today is Earth Day, a day our family holds in special regard--in a tongue in cheek way.

You see, today is the only day of the year that Jiminy Cricket appears at Walt Disney World* in costume. We discovered that by accident on a family vacation about ten years ago. It has become a novel attraction if we happen to be there on this day ever since.

I dug out a pin and sticker from 2 Earth Day's of yore. The pin shows CFLs, saving water, and using bikes as ways we can be more environmentally minded, or as Jiminy says, Environmentality.

His sticker caption reads, "Every Little Bit Makes a Big Difference." 

That slogan reminded me of a German saying my grandmother used to quote, "Ya ya, every little bit helps said the frog as he peed into the Rhine" (River). She would say it in German, but that was the gist of the translation.

It was funny because it contrasted the sincerity of the frog's belief with the absurdity of the frog's actual contribution of his liquid making a difference to the Rhine River.

Yet this is the message of some environmentalists and global warming preachers. That by changing a light bulb or bringing your own cloth grocery bag to the store, that we can save the planet.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of things I think we should be doing better. We waste a lot in this country, and as a frugal person, I hate waste of any kind. But I think we only truly believe what we really put into action.

Do people's actions reflect their beliefs? Some people are trying to "green" up their lives. Others are not. Some people make no attempt to be environmentally friendly; some only talk a good line.

I caught part of Vicki McKenna's radio program today. It was all about Earth Day and Global Warming. Listen to her podcast for a sobering look at where all this Global Warming legislation is leading. (Tuesday Hour Two Part Two 4-22-08)

On a lighter note, she discussed an email that has been circulating that compares Al Gore's home to President Bush's Texas ranch. (I received a similar one last month but the photo of Al's house was not the same.)

The perception is that Al Gore is the environment's friend, while George Bush is the environment's enemy.  

So how do the two compare?

According to the Snopes Urban Legend site, the email is basically true: Al's house does use 12 times the amount of electricity as the average new American house. (Their mansion is only 4 times the size of the average new home.)

The Gore's say that they compensate for that in that they pay an additional $432 on their electric bills to get this power from Green sources. Their home's excessive energy use follows the same incongruity of the Gore's Nobel Peace Prize celebration dinner featuring foods flown in from all over the world.

So who really has Environmentality?

UPDATE: You really cannot make this stuff up. Take a look at Cindy Kilkenny's  Heh Heh. Al Gore caught faking evidence 

*Walt Disney World does use a number of environmentally friendly practices. Their mosquito control, for example, utilizes swallow birds and I think bats to consume the numerous pests.

Links: 4th Annual Weed Out, May 3rd, Mary Knoll Park

Kinsey Park Clean Up and Pier

Today is the day the Christians all over the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

While Christmas joyously proclaims Jesus' birth, Easter marks the completion of His mission.

Family Research Council sent out this email, Hallelujah! Christ Arose. It summarizes the events of Christ's last week very well. Here is an excerpt:

Indescribable love and unbearable suffering converged in the person of Jesus Christ on that Cross. And when Jesus completed the time of His suffering and anguish - His mission to set us free from our slavery to sin and its hellish consequences - He cried out from the Cross: "It is finished!" Three days later, God showed His resounding approval by raising His Son back to life, and His resurrection gave us an invincible hope.

To those of you who celebrate Easter, may you and yours have a joyous day.

Today is the first day of spring! Finally!

Even with an ice bag on his head, he can't bring down his spring fever.

Ironic that we are expecting more snow tomorrow, but I think this little guy's days are numbered just the same.

After all, daylight hours are growing, snowbanks are retreating, and more birds are singing. Life is good.

I snapped this picture in Trader Joe's parking lot on a 20 degree day about 2 weeks ago.

When I saw this convertible with its top down I wondered if he had spring fever that badly or was his top just stuck in the down position?

.

Links: Brookfield7, Betterbrookfield,  Vicki Mckenna 

Poor Saint Patrick. Almost everything we associate with the holiday today has little to do with the real Saint Patrick.

Saint Patrick's Day decorations and themes often consist of  leprechauns, 4-leaf clovers for luck, pots of gold, green snakes, and of course, green beer. Did I mention green beer?

None of these things have anything to do with Saint Patrick, who was a real man born in the 4th century.

Patrick was born in the area of Britain we now call Wales, somewhere around 372-397 AD.  Although he was raised in a Christian home, he himself was not yet a Christian. Kidnapped by Irish raiders as a teen, he was taken to Ireland as a slave for 6 years.*

"Patrick worked as a herdsman, remaining a captive for six years. He writes that his faith grew in captivity [through teachings and scripture he memorized as a child], and that he prayed daily.  After six years he heard a voice telling him that he would soon go home, and then that his ship was ready. Fleeing his master, he traveled to a port, two hundred miles away he says, where he found a ship and, after various adventures, returned home to his family, now in his early twenties.^[11] "

Feeling the call to return to Ireland to convert the Druids, Patrick studied the Bible. It is said however that he was not formally educated*--at least not in the traditional way of priests. He did not let this stop him from returning to Ireland.

"Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time." 

"They baptized many thousands, probably tens of thousands. Patrick's mission planted about 700 churches. Within his lifetime, 30 to 40 (or more) of Ireland's 150 tribes became substantially Christian." (The Celtic Way of Evangelism, page 23)

He preached salvation through faith in Christ and "fought against the start of Pelagianism, the denial of original sin and affirmation of man's ability to be righteous by the exercise of free will."*

"He died in Ireland in approximately 461 AD."* on March 17th. 

See, not a green beer in the whole story!

As for the other symbols:

...He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans. Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday.

One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

The shamrock representing the trinity always made sense to me. Not too surprising, even that got hijacked into a 4-leaf clover symbolizing LUCK. (Luck is not a Christian symbol in that it bypasses God's providence.) 

It is rather sad that a day honoring a great Christian missionary like Saint Patrick, who preached the Gospel of Christ so faithfully, has evolved into a day of drunkenness. But now at least you know a little more about the real St. Patrick. 

Links: Brookfield7, Betterbrookfield,  Vicki Mckenna 

I am not making this up. Today is Middle Name Pride Day.  

Some people have very unusual middle names. Sometimes they are rarely used.

Sometimes middle names are always used, as in George Washington Carver, Sara Jessica Parker, or Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Middle names can be in honor of a family member, a famous person, family name, or just another name--often one loved by one parent but not the other. A very popular middle name for men over 50 is John. (True in our family).

Often you never hear someone's middle name until some formal ceremony. The funniest middle name at our high school graduation was Gascoigne. Janet Gascoigne (- - - - -). None of us had ever heard it used before, so there was a bit of a titter in the crowd. 

Mine, by the way, is Kolleen, with a K, which is another thing people do with names--spell them differently. Colleen means girl and is of Gaelic or Celtic origin. Kolleen following Kyle, also of Gaelic or Celtic origin, would make you think I was Irish or Scots, but no.

It is rather enjoyable to look up the history and meanings of names.  I had always heard that Kyle meant church or church yard, so I guess the two together means Church Yard Girl. Maybe I should be on the landscape committee at church?

Enjoy the day!

Links: Betterbrookfield,  Vicki Mckenna 

When my son was young, we dyed eggs for Easter. Oh my, what chaos! But he had so much fun, how could I say no? My sister would come over and join in the festivities (and mess). Our favorite dyes were those oily swirl type paints.

Some of the eggs turned out so pretty, it was a real shame to destroy and eat them later. So we decided to dye either hollowed out real eggs or use the plastic type that split apart--that allowed us to keep them indefinitely.

Martha Stewart online has some great egg decorating ideas this month.

I decided that an egg tree would be the perfect place to display our works of art. The tree was easy to make. All I did was go into my yard and prune off a young scrubby tree. I think I use part of a dogwood bush. A young buckthorn would also work well. (Heaven knows there are plenty of those around!) You can purchase ready made trees too.

After you trim the little tree to a pleasing shape, spray with white spray paint and let dry. You will want to leave the lower trunk a little longer so it can fit into your "stand". (The trunk might need a little whittling to fit it into the stand.)

For the stand, I just used a plastic tub, like the kind Cedar-Crest ice cream comes in. I also took a short piece of metal conduit (make sure your tree trunk fits into it, but any tubular material would work: plastic, PVC, round toothbrush case, etc.) and held it perpendicular in the center of the tub and then poured some mortar mix in around it. I then let it cure overnight. Plaster of Paris would work too, I think.

I put the tree into the conduit tube in the stand (a few Popsicle sticks can take up the extra space and keep the tree straight.) 

The stand goes in a basket with some "grass" on top. I used some natural packing material that came in a food gift basket. You could use that shredded crinkle paper you get from a craft store too. If you do not have a basket, you could use a large circle of pretty fabric and gather it over the whole base and tie with a ribbon or even use wrapping paper.

My tree stand in the basket then goes onto a serving platter that I put more of that "grass" in.

Pick out the prettiest eggs you dyed and glue a narrow ribbon loop on top. I used the blow hole to poke the ribbon ends into and Tacky glue. A small silk flower can cover the hole if it got too large.

You may want to leave some eggs with longer, separate ribbons so you can tie them onto the branches that a loop won't slip over.

Now you are ready to decorate the tree! 

If the eggs are plastic, heat up a metal skewer or nail  in a candle (you can use a pliers to hold the nail so you don't get burned) and melt a hole in the end.  I then made a ribbon loop and knotted it through a bead so I could slip it through the hole to hang.

Here are some countdown ideas:

We hung the real eggs on the tree, but I left 1 to 2 dozen of the plastic ones for the basket top and serving platter.

I placed inside each plastic egg a jelly bean, malted milk ball egg, etc. and a Bible verse pertaining to Easter. If you were really ambitious, you could add a number to the egg, 1-24 and then put the Bible verses inside in chronological order: verses about needing a Savior, Palm Sunday, the arrest, Good Friday, and finally the resurrection. (I never got my act that together.)

I wrote the verses onto card stock and then cut with a pinking sheers. These days there are really fun scissors available--I'm sure children would enjoy making the verse strips. We put a sticker on each strip, but a rubber stamp would work too. You could use the computer and a printer to do this too.

Each day, the child picks an egg, reads the verse (we put the verse back in the egg), eats the treat, and hangs the egg on the tree!

By the time it is Easter, the whole tree is bedecked.

If you have more than one child participating, the eggs could be separated and stored in maybe half of one of those prettier white foam cartons or clear cartons. Or one child maybe has all blue and green eggs, the other pink and yellow, or one has the odd numbers, one the even. You will sort it out.  

Some people place something pertaining to Easter or the verse in each egg if they don't want to use candy: i.e. A cotton ball for Isaiah 1:18 Though you sins be as scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, They shall be as wool. Other items might be a heavy horseshoe type nail, a small lamb, a thorn, a small palm branch etc. I believe you can purchase a dozen of these eggs with the small item in them at Family Christian Stores .  

 





You can display your treasures in a basket too.

Brown eggs can be quite interesting.

So let the egg-citement begin!

(Sorry, I couldn't resist.) 

I store the bare tree upside down from a basement rafter when not in use--just twist a long wire loop around the trunk and hang from a nail.

Links: Betterbrookfield,  Vicki Mckenna 

Today is February 29th, a leap year. My son mentioned a classmate of his told him he had a leap year birthday. Poor kid, in actual Feb. 29th birthdays, today is this young man's 5th birthday. It could have been worse though. Had he been born a century earlier, he would have had only 4 actual Feb. 29th birthdays. How would that be possible for a 20 year old? Ask Pope Gregory.

Back in Julius Caesars day--45 BC--the concept of adding a day to the 365 day calendar every 4 years was introduced. It was known that an actual year was almost 1/4 day longer than 365 day year. So to compensate, Caesar added the leap year day to his Julian Calendar. This worked for a while.

Pope Gregory, in the 16th century, recognized that Julius' correction was not enough. "Eventually Easter would fall on Christmas Day unless the system was refined. The 'Gregorian Calendar,' still in use today, fine-tunes the leap year calculation by stipulating that century years (e.g. years ending in "00"), which would normally qualify as leap years, are an exception to the general rule and will have only 365 days."* But this still needed a little more adjusting.

If a century year is evenly divisible by 400, then it will have the extra leap year day. It is an exception to the exception and that is why the classmate is "5" today instead of "4"!

The amount of error in our Gregorian calendar is about 27 seconds (1 day every 3,236 years). I think we are safe for a while! 

Links: Betterbrookfield,  Vicki Mckenna 

Today is President's Day. Tomorrow is the Presidential spring primary. It's been an unusual campaign, to say the least.

When you consider the three major candidates in the running for president, think about how far we have come as a nation.  Back in 1789 when George Washington was inaugurated, African Americans and women did not have the right to vote much less run for public office. Not all white males had voting rights either; property ownership was required.

Think about how the major candidates don't fit the typical presidential candidate mold, yet each is winning primaries.

Very Liberal African American male: OK

Liberal middle-aged white woman: OK

Middle-of-the-road older white man: OK 

But what happened to the Conservative, young, white man who spoke Reaganese? He was REJECTED. Why? Because of his religion.

Many conservatives and Evangelicals like me were at first cautious about Romney, but as time went on, I realized Mitt stood for what I stood for: Freedom of religion. His Faith in America speech was outstanding in my estimation. It beautifully summed up the sentiments and intent of our Founding Fathers regarding the role of Faith in our nation.

Recall the early days of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, during the fall of 1774. With Boston occupied by British troops, there were rumors of imminent hostilities and fears of an impending war. In this time of peril, someone suggested that they pray. But there were objections. They were too divided in religious sentiments, what with Episcopalians and Quakers, Anabaptists and Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Catholics.

Then Sam Adams rose, and said he would hear a prayer from anyone of piety and good character, as long as they were a patriot. And so together they prayed, and together they fought, and together, by the grace of God, they founded this great nation.

In that spirit, let us give thanks to the divine author of liberty. And together, let us pray that this land may always be blessed with freedom's holy light.

God bless this great land, the United States of America.

Reagan conservatives were heartbroken when Romney delivered his concession speech. I found it rather curious, that this election seemingly indicates we have overcome racial, gender, and age bias. But when it came to religious discrimination, that was one hurdle we still could not jump as a nation.  

I do remember the controversy over Kennedy's Catholicism and where his allegiances would lie. Yet he managed to overcome those fears. When John Kerry ran in 2004, his Catholicism (allegiance) was not an issue. Perhaps in the future religious prejudice will no longer be an issue for Mitt Romney either?

Primary Election Picks: Sutton, Halmstad, and...Hillary?

Fountain Brook Crossing: Council votes on rezoning, Tuesday, Feb. 19 

Links: Betterbrookfield,  Vicki Mckenna 

 

 

One week down, 51 more to go in 2008. Already I am thinking, where did the first week go? (I started the new year out a little under the weather, so that may account for feeling I missed out on something.)

The end of the past year and start of the new naturally lends itself to being a time of reassessment. Being one of those Christmas letter people helps me sum up our highs and lows of the year. 

I get a pretty good look at our finances when I make our one time, year end donations to various causes rather than monthly donations (it just seems simpler to do it once).  I also render to Caesar by bringing my property tax payment to City Hall prior to year's end.

Some people clear out their Christmas decorations immediately after Christmas--they can't stand the clutter. Me, I leave my tree up until at least the end of January. I figure it takes me so long to put the thing up (if you saw it, you would understand) that I at least like to bask in its glow a bit before taking it down. Plus the decorations help chase the winter blahs away.  

Organizing seems to be a common theme of the new year. You can see it in the big box store ads. All sorts of organizational bins and boxes are on sale to get your stuff in order. 

New Year's resolutions are popular, but by now, some are already broken. I much prefer setting goals--something to strive for. The acronym J.O.Y. helps me keep my priorities straight. It stands for Jesus, Others, You. 

Setting a goal for the J, for example, might mean spending more time reading the Bible and praying every day. But make it a reasonable goal--maybe one chapter a day and 15 minutes of praying. (Keeping a prayer list really helps me.)

O for others could include your family. Maybe this is the year you will make family time and family meals a priority? Others also includes neighbors, community, school, volunteering, politics, charities, etc.

Finally You!  Getting/keeping fit and healthy living goals are always popular here. Again, don't start with something unreasonable like walking 5 miles a day. How about walking 3 times a week for 1/2 hour? (That is my goal this year. I know my dog will be happy about it too.) Saying you will never eat sugar again won't work, but designating a small sweet treat to once a day is something that could work for a lifetime. You also means taking a little time to do what you enjoy--maybe your You goal is to learn something new or go visit a place you always wanted to see. It might be as simple as saying you will make time to meet with a good friend once a week.

Well, it is time for me to get on with my day--must go ORGANIZE something!

Hope you reach your goals for 2008.

I received this very unique Christmas card and ornament from Papua New Guinea. My cousin Jason and his wife Kellie are missionaries there to the Tobo people. I found Kellie's explanation about the ornament touching.

"One day as I was sitting in a hut with some of the women from the Tobo Church, we got on the subject of traditions. One tradition that they just thought was SO funny was our American tradition of putting a dead tree inside our house at Christmas time and decorating it with "balls" and hanging things.

"Once the laughter finally died down, I explained that the ornaments we hang on the tree remind us of places we have been and the special people who had given them to us.

"The Tobo women made this miniature replica of the string bags they weave and carry their food and babies around in for you to hang on your tree, so that you may remember them and know that you have fellow brothers and sisters in Christ celebrating Christmas with you this year!"

 
The idea that these tribal people were celebrating Christmas too warmed my heart, and it struck me how the angel's message, some 2,000 years ago, was being carried out.

 Fear not: for, behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10, 11)

May you and your family have a Merry Christmas, or as the Tobo people would say, May you and your family have a merry "Yesu Winneyep Muat Nalia" (Time of Jesus Birth)

If you would like to read more about Jason and Kellie's experiences with the Tobo tribe in Papua New Guinea, they have chronicled their contact with the tribe since 2001 at Claypots.org  Kellie writes most of the postings, complete with pictures.  It is an amazing look at how the other half lives.

A number of years ago, my family decided to quit giving Christmas presents to each other. As my witty husband said, if I want a personal gift, I will buy it personally.

Seriously though, we decided that we already have so much, what else could we possibly need? It seemed foolish to rack our brains trying to come up with gift lists, so we decided we would no longer exchange Christmas gifts. The time and aggravation saved from eliminating all those frustrating shopping trips is priceless. (You could say that is the best gift ever--not needing to shop!) The money saved can be put to better use: donations to your local church, favorite charities, wounded Vets, or supporting missionaries.

We were not total Scrooges though. Since our son was young at the time, we decided he would be the only one to receive and give gifts (he paid for them himself). Now that he is older, he still gives and receives a few gifts, but at least he does his own shopping!

When I still have to go to the mall or stores this time of year, some of the conversations between shoppers seem to be all the more glaring since I am not in the frenzy too. I want to suggest, No, Aunt Peggy really won't like "The Clapper", or Don't get that set of scented candles just so Margie has something to open. 

The Christmas oriented ads of I'm giving such 'n such salon gift certificates, I hope I get some too seem to go against the whole spirit of giving. 

Another benefit of not doing the gift thing is that you'll never have to say, You shouldn't have (because it is the ugliest thing ever) and you don't have all that stuff to find places for after Christmas has passed.

Evidentially, we are not the only family thinking along these lines. In Martha Stewart's December issue (page 184) she had some "hassle-free" holiday suggestions. Here are her tips on gifts:

Before Thanksgiving or soon thereafter, send an e-mail to your family members: "Buying gifts for everyone has gotten overwhelming. Does anyone else feel that way?" Then suggest alternatives--pulling one name each out of a hat, filling stockings for everyone with little things, or instituting a spending cap. You might also think outside the holiday box. What about forgoing gifts altogether and putting the money toward a family trip next summer of a big dinner at a great restaurant?

These are still pretty much self serving, but at least if gives some ideas of how to broach the subject. Maybe the family could pick a charity or project and all donate to that cause? Or pool their finances to fly Grandma and Grandpa to see their grandchildren?

If you can't bear the thought of Christmas with no gifts to open, how about a White Elephant exchange? The gift you bring can either be the tackiest thing you have around the house or a very nice item that you just don't have a use for. (Be sure to designate ahead of time which type of White Elephant it will be.) Sometimes they call this White Elephant exchange "Nasty Santa." It is a gift game where guests pick the gifts one at a time. Each picker in turn then has the option of picking a new gift or one already opened. If your opened gift is taken, then you can pick another's open gift or select an unopened one. At the end, the first opener has the option of exchanging with anyone's gift. My homeschool group had a lot of fun doing this.

Stopping the gift frenzy was the BEST decision for our family. It has helped us put the focus on the real meaning of Christmas. I can only encourage you to think about it and maybe discuss this idea when you gather with your family this Christmas. It could make your Christmas 2009 the merriest ever!

Want a Red Kettle? Try the Pick 'n Save!  (See schedule below)

                                                                  
I used to shop at the Elm Grove Sentry store quite a bit--it was an easy place to run into to pick up a few items. Their prices and quality suited me and they had some items that the local Pick 'n Save did not.

One of the nicest things about that store was the willingness of management to support local charities and service organizations.

In the summer they frequently had some group grilling brats for a fund raiser. In the winter, the familiar Salvation Army Red Kettle bell ringer would be just inside the entryway, ready to greet you with a Merry Christmas.

A few years ago I recognized the bell ringer; it was Tom Wacker. (If that name sounds familiar, Tom is married to Mary Wacker, the Forensics coach from East High School.) After a nice chat getting caught up on old times, Tom said he had been ringing the Salvation Army bell for years. In fact, when they used to keep records of who produced the most in southeast Wisconsin, Tom was at the top of the list.

The old Elm Grove Sentry store is now history, replaced by the new Sendik's. It has all the glamor that the old Sentry lacked. But it doesn't have one very important item: the Salvation Army Red Kettle! No Tom Wacker. No bell ringer. No collection site for the needy in Wisconsin.

I asked at the service counter why there was no Salvation Army bell ringer at the store. The woman gave me a vague answer that the store was so new and there were four charities that wanted to use Sendik's, so the management opted to not support any.

I have to admit, that answer made me bristle. That is usually the answer given when a business has no intention of doing anything.

Explaining that this location was a prime site for the charity and that the Red Kettle was an perennial fixture in Elm Grove, I let her know I was disappointed in Sendik's for having such a policy. She quickly said they might allow it next year. I said I would be watching.

Don't despair though, Tom Wacker is still ringing the bell. Starting today, he will be at the Pick 'n Save on Bluemound, just west of Calhoun Road. (See schedule below.)  Tom is sure to get you in the Christmas spirit, so stop by and throw something in the pot!

If Sendik's elimination of the Salvation Army Red Kettle is an important issue to you, please contact the Sendik's store in Elm Grove at 13425 W. Watertown Plank Road, 252-784-9525.  The best way to get a store to change their policy on things like this is to let them know you are disappointed in their position. Disappointment for me usually translates into not shopping there as much. Don't forget to thank the Pick 'n Save for still allowing the Salvation Army to use their locations as a collection site.

TOM WACKER'S BLUEMOUND Pick 'n Save SCHEDULE

TODAY, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 3-6pm

Thursday, Dec. 13, 3-6 pm

Thursday, Dec. 20, 3-6 pm

Saturday, Dec. 22, noon - 6pm
 

My dog just received a Christmas card! He is a popular dog with our local dog sitter. (She was kind enough to also include us.)

When we got our dog in 2001 we were faced with that common problem of what do you do with them while on vacation?

Through word of mouth we found out about a local woman who dog sits in her home. It has proven to be a very nice arrangement for both our dog and us. 

I am sure there are very nice kennels out there, but we really like leaving Zipper, our 13# Maltese mutt, with the neighborhood sitter, who we affectionately refer to as "Grandma". Our pooch has a blast at her house when we are on vacation, which helps us to enjoy ours as well. (It is like doggy camp for him.)

Entrepreneurship is one of the things that makes our country great. I like to support local businesses and entrepreneurs as much as possible. Often they provide a better level of services and do it with a more personal touch--like sending customers personal notes. 

Zipper, by the way, was obtained from the Wisconsin Humane Society. We put in a request for a small, no-shed dog and a few months later received a call that "Walter" was available. (That was the temporary name given him.)

One look was pretty much all it took. He came home with us that day and has been a wonderful addition to our family ever since.

The Wisconsin Humane Society is a very good place to adopt dogs from. They do extensive personality testing to make sure the dog does not have aggression issues.

Just one month before Zipper, we had a very bad experience with the Waukesha Humane Society adopting an older dog. That dog had to be put down for biting. We later found out he was surrendered for aggression reasons. A pretty traumatic experience for the whole family. (He was our first dog.)
 

Warning: DO NOT go to a Humane Society just to look! That is how it all starts. We really had no intention of getting a pet until we went to the Wisconsin Humane Society on a homeschool field trip. The rest, as they say, is history!

This is Buddy, I believe one of the dogs rescued from a puppy mill by the Elmbrook Humane Society. Buddy now brightens the days of residents of Fairview Senior Homes. (This picture does not do Buddy justice.)

Thanksgiving, like many other holidays and historical events these days, is losing its original significance. Christmas has de-evolved into a holiday gift getting frenzy--totally ignoring the birth of Christ, the original reason for the holiday. Easter no longer celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ but instead is a time of Easter egg hunts, bunnies and ham dinners.

Thanksgiving lately is either skipped over entirely as the world of retail moves immediately from Halloween to Christmas Holiday decorations and catalog ads. If the November holiday is mentioned, it is now a time set aside for "Turkey Day" and thanking those around us. My son was given a children's music tape by Steve Chapin that had a whole song about Thanksgiving being a time to have a family dinner and thanking the earth for food! This is not what Thanksgiving was ever intended to be.

Thanksgiving is a holiday celebration set aside to thank the Almighty for His providential care for us. Not to thank the earth. Not to thank your wife or neighbor or baby sitter. I don't have a problem with thanking people; I think we should thank those who work hard or are helpful. It is just that thanking those around us was not the original intent of the holiday.

Lest you think I am indulging in a little revisionist history of my own, read this post from Thanksgiving 2006 to see what our first president had to say about this holiday. 

“The father of our country understood that every action he took while president would establish a precedent for future officeholders, and he kept that in mind throughout his eight years in the White House. He wanted to make certain that future presidents acted with humility and respected the separation of powers among the three branches of government.”

That quote came directly from, The Everything American Government Book. Keep that quote in mind, that George Washington understood that every action he took established precedent, as you read his Thanksgiving proclamation of 1789.

Other presidents have made Thanksgiving proclamations since Washington. Tom Gehl included excerpts from Lincoln’s proclamation in his excellent blog piece from last year, For The Giving of Thanks.