Can't take credit for this one. But once you see it, the lessons learned should change nations.
Start seeing your self in a brand new way, not how others say you should be.
Just be better. Your 2009 is Just in time.
blessin's
cynth'ya
P.S. Shared from a YTB Colleague of ours out of Las Vegas.
MOVIE: THE RACE (worth the wait.)
31 December 2008
25 December 2008
Sea Chicks--Nassau Hatchlings at Sea
Well, at this moment I'm still sorting out the 115 pics from our Dec. 5-8 Cruise to Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas. It's my 2nd trip there this year and I cry when I come back to United States Indiana cold and boring weather. When all your town has is a reservoir just 7 miles from your house that's overrun with weeds because the city is too broke to cut its own grass, don't take too much for a sistah to want to book a flight to anywhere with a shoreline and miles and miles of sands and smiles.
But because I can go on forever and probably tick off some folks who never cruised because they just never thought about it much, here's a hint:
MORE FUN IN THE SUN WHEN THERE'S MORE THAN JUST ONE!!! Yes yes yes...I'm ready for a writers GROUP cruise. Honest to goodness it's cheaper than staying at a Holiday Inn, no joke. By the time you figure food, entertainment, parking, private butler service, 24/7 room service and buffets to boot you can't BEAT the economy of a cruise.
To get professional about this again, here's a neat article from a cruise junkie at About.com's Linda Paull Garrison. Linda is the About.com Guide to Cruises. Her contact link is here if you ever want to ask her something about cruising, but hey, ain't I a travel agent? Ask me, because most travel agents never get to travel much.
"Nada-zilch" is the case with this writer/travel agent hybrid! And, if you always wanted to be a travel writer, let's hatch a few articles together and get on Larry King Live. Personally, travel writing is more interesting than listening to Joe The Plumber softly promote his book. . . (no offense Joe...you need to join YTB! Make more friends that way. . . )
Oh well, He'r'r'r're's Linda! Personally I love how she tells the story about her own experience. And she, like me, is a flat out Sea Chick! The article text was taken from her cruise blog under "Nassau." I'm putting her link in because Linda does such a GREAT job on history!
(You Go Sea Chick!)
(The following article by Linda is found under Carribean Cruises and Ports of Call at the About.com website.)
Nassau or the Bahamas is the introductory destination that many cruisers experience on their first cruise. Three or four-day cruises leave from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, or Port Canaveral and sail the short distance to Nassau or to Freeport in the Bahamas, giving first-time passengers a taste of cruising.
I went on my first cruise in 1967, with a group from my high school senior class. About 90 of us rode a bus from our south Georgia homes to Miami and then did a three day cruise to Nassau. (Over 40 years later, my heart goes out to all the adults who were on that cruise ship with us!) I remember marveling at the spectacular colors of the Atlantic Ocean, the fantastic beaches, and the sights and sounds of the city. It was my first trip outside of the United States (other than to Canada), and I have been hooked on international travel since then.
The Bahamas are only 50 miles from the United States. There are actually over 700 islands in the Bahamian archipelago stretching over 100,000 square miles of sea from the eastern coast of Florida to the northern coast of Cuba and Haiti. The islands derive their name from the Spanish baja mar, which means shallows. Of the hundreds of islands in the group, less than 50 are inhabited, and cruise ships usually visit only two ports--either Nassau or Freeport.
Thousands of cruisers are in Nassau every weekend. The day we were there on the Regent Seven Seas Mariner, 4 other large cruise ships were docked. We had sailed in the evening from Ft. Lauderdale, and when I awoke in the early dawn, I peeked out the balcony door to see the giant mega-resort Atlantis looming over Paradise Island across the bay.
Nassau is a perfect combination of British heritage and colonialism along with modern resorts and picturesque beaches. Nassau is located on the island of New Providence, which is about 21 miles long and 7 miles wide. The city is compact and can be explored easily on foot in a few hours. Cruise ships dock at piers on the north side of the island, a 10 minute walk from the center of the city. The modern pier, known as Prince George Wharf, is only one block from famous Bay Street, the main shopping street of Nassau. When your cruise ship docks, you will find plenty of taxis waiting to take you around the island.
When you are in Nassau for the day, you can either take a shore excursion sponsored by the cruise ship, book an excursion on your own, or use the time to explore the city, the island or a beach. We used our half day in Nassau to take a boat to Sting Ray City, a small island near Nassau. There we snorkeled with a group of sting rays, petted them, and even fed them some squid, which they sucked out of a closed fist. Weird sensation! Other shore excursions including a tour of Nassau or the island, boat trips, snorkeling or diving, golf, swimming with dolphins, or exploring on a submarine. There is certainly something for everyone!
If you decide to not take an organized shore excursion, stop off at the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism near Rawson Square. They can help give you a really good sense of what to see and do in Nassau. You can't miss it--you will see it when you exit the cruise ship pier. They can provide maps, directions, and other information. If you are exploring the city on foot, it certainly helps to know what you are looking at!
Nassau is a wonderful place to visit for a short getaway cruise or as a port of call on a longer one. It's close to the U.S., but is "foreign" enough to be very interesting. Because of the thousands of visitors, there are many opportunities for activities, but the streets are often packed with tourists. All of the major cruise lines, along with many smaller ones and yacht charters, include Nassau as a port of call. I think you will enjoy the colonial history, the turquoise waters, and the many options for fun.
When we visited Nassau on the Regent Seven Seas Mariner, the ship was only in Nassau from early morning until 1:00 pm in the afternoon, so we didn't have time to do much. We took a three-hour shore excursion called, "Stingray City and Snorkeling". Ronnie and I both love snorkeling, and this trip to Blue Lagoon Island featured an opportunity to snorkel with many sea creatures, including some stingrays. The excursion was $32 per person in December 2001. Last December in Tahiti I had an opportunity to get "up close and personal" with some rays while snorkeling on Moorea, and snorkeled with sting rays at the famous sting ray city on Grand Cayman Island in the Caribbean.
Nassau -- Facts, Figures, and History
Nassau is the best-known city in the Bahamas, but can you name the island on which it is located? New Providence is the island home of Nassau, and it is located in the middle of the Bahamas archipelago of over 700 islands. These islands start within 50 miles of Miami and stretch hundreds of miles to the northern coasts of Haiti and Cuba. Only about 35 or so are populated, and Nassau, Freeport, and Paradise Island get most of the tourists. About two thirds of the population of about 260,000 live on New Providence.
Recorded Bahamian history starts with a date familiar to many of us--October 12, 1492. Christopher Columbus made landfall in the New World on an island in the Bahamas that he named San Salvador. Neither Columbus nor the explorers who followed him ever found gold or riches in the islands. European settlers first came to the Bahamas in 1648, but the late 17th century found the Bahamas full of pirates such as Edward Teach (Blackbeard) and Henry Morgan. The British managed to bring the islands under control by hanging many of the pirates, and the Bahamas became a colony of Great Britain in 1728. The islands are still part of the British Commonwealth of nations.
Since the Bahamas are so close to the United States, they have played an interesting role in the history of this country. In fact, the American captured Nassau and held it for two weeks during the Revolutionary War. The Bahamas also were involved with the United States during two storied eras of our past--gun-running during the War Between the States, and rum-running during Prohibition.
The relationship between the Bahamas and the United States may not be quite as exciting anymore, but Americans invade the islands each week via cruise ship or airplane bringing welcome tourism dollars into the Bahamian economy.
Exploring Nassau
Many tourists believe that Nassau is the best of both worlds. It is modern enough to have the tourism infrastructure work well, the economic conditions are better than much of the rest of the Caribbean, and nothing in the city is so "unfamiliar" to make less well-traveled tourists uncomfortable. At the same time, Nassau has just enough of the exotic side to make you realize you're not at home anymore. When you step off the ship and see the police, dressed in their "bobbie" uniforms and directing traffic that is driving on the left, you will immediately realize you've left home! The old colonial sites, the lilt of the British language influence, and the West Indian people and festivals help make Nassau a fascinating destination.
Nassau is stretched along the northern coast of New Providence. The city is compact and easy to leisurely explore on foot. As you stroll the city, absorb the colonial history and allow time to look for bargains in the shops and straw markets. Our ship, the Mariner, has a shore excursion ($32 per person) of Nassau and the famous Ardastra Gardens. This tour includes a walk down Bay Street to the Queen's Staircase and a visit to Fort Fincastle and Fort Charlotte before concluding at the Ardastra Gardens.
Outside of Nassau on New Providence Island
New Providence Island is only 21 miles long and 7 miles wide, so it is easy to see in a few hours via bus, car, or moped. Shore excursion tours often combine a tour of Nassau, some sightseeing, and time at the beach. If you have spent time in Nassau before, you might want to take an excursion outside the city. Our cruise on the Mariner included a glassbottom boat shore excursion ($24 per person) that tours Nassau Harbor and Paradise Island, allowing you time to see the historical sites from the water. In addition to the snorkeling with stingrays excursion that we did, a "dolphin encounter" shore excursion ($95 per person) allows swimmers an opportunity to view dolphins doing tricks while standing in the water with them. This trip is NOT a "swim with the dolphins" program, but might be fun for those who love these wonderful creatures.
Okay, that's the end of Linda's stuff. She also adds TEN Questions to ask yourself before you cruise. Created by Linda, and translated by yours truly...in a way those of you who know my writing will only be able to understand:
“Team Spectrum” family speak. . .
Linda's 10 questions every cruiser needs to ask.
These are great...and I had to ad lib a little. . .
TEN--Count Em'. . .TEN
Q1. Who is going…not thinking about going, but GOING?
Q2. How much after-your-paycheck-deductions moolah are you prepared to spend? With YTB whatever you spend, as a affiliate with your own booking site, 99.9999% of your travel is 100% tax deductible. For retail non-travel affiliates, a mainstream 4 day 3 night cruise to the Caribbean runs you about $80 per person per day on average, depending on how much you want to splurge. And this segways to the next question:
Q3. How long to you plan to be away from your bills, your dog, your cat, your plant, your boss?
Q4. What time of year do you want to go? (Antarctica in December is NOT a good idea!, leads to another segway for the next question:
Q5. Where have you always dreamed of going but were too scared to ask your boss for time off or else you would have gone there already? What is YOUR dream trip? Take along someone else who has the same dream trip. (If it’s your dream partner/significant other you want to cruise with you, dingdingdingdingdingding!!! DREAM COME TRUE!!!)
Q6. What types of things do you like to do? Study the shore excursions on your own or with your designated travel professional who knows from personal experience what to expect and what’s offered for all ages and abilities.
Q7. What type of cabin accommodations do you desire? Believe it or not, a family of four is more economical and comfortable with a suite. Kids love the ocean view cabins too!
Q8. When do you want to eat dinner? On some ships, this is anytime you select from a series of times…from early to late dinner hours. PLUS room service is 24/7 and typically free on most all fleets.
Q9. How will you get to your cruise ship? If you want an all in one convenience and don’t mind flying, book your flight tickets and your cruise tickets as a package deal. It’s best to arrive at least one day early to unwind, and make sure you don’t miss the boat if your flight happens to be delayed for some reason. And ALWAYS check 72 hours ahead of time to make sure that your flight has not changed. (Airlines can do some funny stuff!)
Q10: Do you wanna dress up or just chill casual? From tux and tails to sarong and bikini tops and bottoms…there’s a cruise ship for everyone…even you!
What are you waiting on? It’s tax deductible if you get your booking engine before it goes up by $250 more dollars by Coach Tomer’s birthday (Jan. 11, 2009). Go to the RTA who told you about YTB and get started. Even if you know us personally, if you were told about benefiting from YTB and that person is still active in their business, honor them…don’t backstab them by joining someone else’s team and they’ve given you back ground materials to become part of their team first.
YTB Travel Network International is built on a simple yet strong phrase:
Coach’s famous words: “If it ain’t true, don’t say it and if it ain’t right, don’t do it.” Flipped around they say the same thing!
But because I can go on forever and probably tick off some folks who never cruised because they just never thought about it much, here's a hint:
MORE FUN IN THE SUN WHEN THERE'S MORE THAN JUST ONE!!! Yes yes yes...I'm ready for a writers GROUP cruise. Honest to goodness it's cheaper than staying at a Holiday Inn, no joke. By the time you figure food, entertainment, parking, private butler service, 24/7 room service and buffets to boot you can't BEAT the economy of a cruise.
To get professional about this again, here's a neat article from a cruise junkie at About.com's Linda Paull Garrison. Linda is the About.com Guide to Cruises. Her contact link is here if you ever want to ask her something about cruising, but hey, ain't I a travel agent? Ask me, because most travel agents never get to travel much.
"Nada-zilch" is the case with this writer/travel agent hybrid! And, if you always wanted to be a travel writer, let's hatch a few articles together and get on Larry King Live. Personally, travel writing is more interesting than listening to Joe The Plumber softly promote his book. . . (no offense Joe...you need to join YTB! Make more friends that way. . . )
Oh well, He'r'r'r're's Linda! Personally I love how she tells the story about her own experience. And she, like me, is a flat out Sea Chick! The article text was taken from her cruise blog under "Nassau." I'm putting her link in because Linda does such a GREAT job on history!
(You Go Sea Chick!)
(The following article by Linda is found under Carribean Cruises and Ports of Call at the About.com website.)
Nassau or the Bahamas is the introductory destination that many cruisers experience on their first cruise. Three or four-day cruises leave from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, or Port Canaveral and sail the short distance to Nassau or to Freeport in the Bahamas, giving first-time passengers a taste of cruising.
I went on my first cruise in 1967, with a group from my high school senior class. About 90 of us rode a bus from our south Georgia homes to Miami and then did a three day cruise to Nassau. (Over 40 years later, my heart goes out to all the adults who were on that cruise ship with us!) I remember marveling at the spectacular colors of the Atlantic Ocean, the fantastic beaches, and the sights and sounds of the city. It was my first trip outside of the United States (other than to Canada), and I have been hooked on international travel since then.
The Bahamas are only 50 miles from the United States. There are actually over 700 islands in the Bahamian archipelago stretching over 100,000 square miles of sea from the eastern coast of Florida to the northern coast of Cuba and Haiti. The islands derive their name from the Spanish baja mar, which means shallows. Of the hundreds of islands in the group, less than 50 are inhabited, and cruise ships usually visit only two ports--either Nassau or Freeport.
Thousands of cruisers are in Nassau every weekend. The day we were there on the Regent Seven Seas Mariner, 4 other large cruise ships were docked. We had sailed in the evening from Ft. Lauderdale, and when I awoke in the early dawn, I peeked out the balcony door to see the giant mega-resort Atlantis looming over Paradise Island across the bay.
Nassau is a perfect combination of British heritage and colonialism along with modern resorts and picturesque beaches. Nassau is located on the island of New Providence, which is about 21 miles long and 7 miles wide. The city is compact and can be explored easily on foot in a few hours. Cruise ships dock at piers on the north side of the island, a 10 minute walk from the center of the city. The modern pier, known as Prince George Wharf, is only one block from famous Bay Street, the main shopping street of Nassau. When your cruise ship docks, you will find plenty of taxis waiting to take you around the island.
When you are in Nassau for the day, you can either take a shore excursion sponsored by the cruise ship, book an excursion on your own, or use the time to explore the city, the island or a beach. We used our half day in Nassau to take a boat to Sting Ray City, a small island near Nassau. There we snorkeled with a group of sting rays, petted them, and even fed them some squid, which they sucked out of a closed fist. Weird sensation! Other shore excursions including a tour of Nassau or the island, boat trips, snorkeling or diving, golf, swimming with dolphins, or exploring on a submarine. There is certainly something for everyone!
If you decide to not take an organized shore excursion, stop off at the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism near Rawson Square. They can help give you a really good sense of what to see and do in Nassau. You can't miss it--you will see it when you exit the cruise ship pier. They can provide maps, directions, and other information. If you are exploring the city on foot, it certainly helps to know what you are looking at!
Nassau is a wonderful place to visit for a short getaway cruise or as a port of call on a longer one. It's close to the U.S., but is "foreign" enough to be very interesting. Because of the thousands of visitors, there are many opportunities for activities, but the streets are often packed with tourists. All of the major cruise lines, along with many smaller ones and yacht charters, include Nassau as a port of call. I think you will enjoy the colonial history, the turquoise waters, and the many options for fun.
When we visited Nassau on the Regent Seven Seas Mariner, the ship was only in Nassau from early morning until 1:00 pm in the afternoon, so we didn't have time to do much. We took a three-hour shore excursion called, "Stingray City and Snorkeling". Ronnie and I both love snorkeling, and this trip to Blue Lagoon Island featured an opportunity to snorkel with many sea creatures, including some stingrays. The excursion was $32 per person in December 2001. Last December in Tahiti I had an opportunity to get "up close and personal" with some rays while snorkeling on Moorea, and snorkeled with sting rays at the famous sting ray city on Grand Cayman Island in the Caribbean.
Nassau -- Facts, Figures, and History
Nassau is the best-known city in the Bahamas, but can you name the island on which it is located? New Providence is the island home of Nassau, and it is located in the middle of the Bahamas archipelago of over 700 islands. These islands start within 50 miles of Miami and stretch hundreds of miles to the northern coasts of Haiti and Cuba. Only about 35 or so are populated, and Nassau, Freeport, and Paradise Island get most of the tourists. About two thirds of the population of about 260,000 live on New Providence.
Recorded Bahamian history starts with a date familiar to many of us--October 12, 1492. Christopher Columbus made landfall in the New World on an island in the Bahamas that he named San Salvador. Neither Columbus nor the explorers who followed him ever found gold or riches in the islands. European settlers first came to the Bahamas in 1648, but the late 17th century found the Bahamas full of pirates such as Edward Teach (Blackbeard) and Henry Morgan. The British managed to bring the islands under control by hanging many of the pirates, and the Bahamas became a colony of Great Britain in 1728. The islands are still part of the British Commonwealth of nations.
Since the Bahamas are so close to the United States, they have played an interesting role in the history of this country. In fact, the American captured Nassau and held it for two weeks during the Revolutionary War. The Bahamas also were involved with the United States during two storied eras of our past--gun-running during the War Between the States, and rum-running during Prohibition.
The relationship between the Bahamas and the United States may not be quite as exciting anymore, but Americans invade the islands each week via cruise ship or airplane bringing welcome tourism dollars into the Bahamian economy.
Exploring Nassau
Many tourists believe that Nassau is the best of both worlds. It is modern enough to have the tourism infrastructure work well, the economic conditions are better than much of the rest of the Caribbean, and nothing in the city is so "unfamiliar" to make less well-traveled tourists uncomfortable. At the same time, Nassau has just enough of the exotic side to make you realize you're not at home anymore. When you step off the ship and see the police, dressed in their "bobbie" uniforms and directing traffic that is driving on the left, you will immediately realize you've left home! The old colonial sites, the lilt of the British language influence, and the West Indian people and festivals help make Nassau a fascinating destination.
Nassau is stretched along the northern coast of New Providence. The city is compact and easy to leisurely explore on foot. As you stroll the city, absorb the colonial history and allow time to look for bargains in the shops and straw markets. Our ship, the Mariner, has a shore excursion ($32 per person) of Nassau and the famous Ardastra Gardens. This tour includes a walk down Bay Street to the Queen's Staircase and a visit to Fort Fincastle and Fort Charlotte before concluding at the Ardastra Gardens.
Outside of Nassau on New Providence Island
New Providence Island is only 21 miles long and 7 miles wide, so it is easy to see in a few hours via bus, car, or moped. Shore excursion tours often combine a tour of Nassau, some sightseeing, and time at the beach. If you have spent time in Nassau before, you might want to take an excursion outside the city. Our cruise on the Mariner included a glassbottom boat shore excursion ($24 per person) that tours Nassau Harbor and Paradise Island, allowing you time to see the historical sites from the water. In addition to the snorkeling with stingrays excursion that we did, a "dolphin encounter" shore excursion ($95 per person) allows swimmers an opportunity to view dolphins doing tricks while standing in the water with them. This trip is NOT a "swim with the dolphins" program, but might be fun for those who love these wonderful creatures.
Okay, that's the end of Linda's stuff. She also adds TEN Questions to ask yourself before you cruise. Created by Linda, and translated by yours truly...in a way those of you who know my writing will only be able to understand:
“Team Spectrum” family speak. . .
Linda's 10 questions every cruiser needs to ask.
These are great...and I had to ad lib a little. . .
TEN--Count Em'. . .TEN
Q1. Who is going…not thinking about going, but GOING?
Q2. How much after-your-paycheck-deductions moolah are you prepared to spend? With YTB whatever you spend, as a affiliate with your own booking site, 99.9999% of your travel is 100% tax deductible. For retail non-travel affiliates, a mainstream 4 day 3 night cruise to the Caribbean runs you about $80 per person per day on average, depending on how much you want to splurge. And this segways to the next question:
Q3. How long to you plan to be away from your bills, your dog, your cat, your plant, your boss?
Q4. What time of year do you want to go? (Antarctica in December is NOT a good idea!, leads to another segway for the next question:
Q5. Where have you always dreamed of going but were too scared to ask your boss for time off or else you would have gone there already? What is YOUR dream trip? Take along someone else who has the same dream trip. (If it’s your dream partner/significant other you want to cruise with you, dingdingdingdingdingding!!! DREAM COME TRUE!!!)
Q6. What types of things do you like to do? Study the shore excursions on your own or with your designated travel professional who knows from personal experience what to expect and what’s offered for all ages and abilities.
Q7. What type of cabin accommodations do you desire? Believe it or not, a family of four is more economical and comfortable with a suite. Kids love the ocean view cabins too!
Q8. When do you want to eat dinner? On some ships, this is anytime you select from a series of times…from early to late dinner hours. PLUS room service is 24/7 and typically free on most all fleets.
Q9. How will you get to your cruise ship? If you want an all in one convenience and don’t mind flying, book your flight tickets and your cruise tickets as a package deal. It’s best to arrive at least one day early to unwind, and make sure you don’t miss the boat if your flight happens to be delayed for some reason. And ALWAYS check 72 hours ahead of time to make sure that your flight has not changed. (Airlines can do some funny stuff!)
Q10: Do you wanna dress up or just chill casual? From tux and tails to sarong and bikini tops and bottoms…there’s a cruise ship for everyone…even you!
What are you waiting on? It’s tax deductible if you get your booking engine before it goes up by $250 more dollars by Coach Tomer’s birthday (Jan. 11, 2009). Go to the RTA who told you about YTB and get started. Even if you know us personally, if you were told about benefiting from YTB and that person is still active in their business, honor them…don’t backstab them by joining someone else’s team and they’ve given you back ground materials to become part of their team first.
YTB Travel Network International is built on a simple yet strong phrase:
Coach’s famous words: “If it ain’t true, don’t say it and if it ain’t right, don’t do it.” Flipped around they say the same thing!
20 November 2008
Diva Dust
Taco Salad. That's what I love to cook when I don't feel like cooking. And talking about cooking, unless it's about someone else doing it--makes me break out in psychological hives as the holidays approach.
Just as I was cleaning up today's dishes --- and I could kiss the woman who came up with the idea for an automatic dishwasher that a man more than likely got credit for inventing--this one truth flitted through my mind during my collective strawberry scented suds-busting session.
Those who entertain for the holidays, must also feel the pressure of cleaning EVERYTHING for the holidays.
So what's so merry about that? (Stop sitting there wondering. It was me who asked you first!)
The best holidays I can remember are the times when I was totally left alone and in a writing mood. You know there's something about the fact that in the times of habitually materialistic-seeking seasons just makes the writer in me want to find an abandoned spot at Mammoth Cave and hide out with a flashlight, a 10-pack of 99 cent store ball point writing pens, some Doritos, bottled green tea and a ream of freshly recycled paper to honor the forest in my midst. But back to the cleaning bit. . .
And my home would be dubbed by my relatives who think I'm "the weird one" as uninhabitable for the holidays. Truth be told, do any of us as writers really want to entertain anyway? I don't know about you but outside of my own children, I don't really care to pursue the acceptance of anyone's Martha-Stewart tastes who cannot accept me for the "comfy" person that I am. But I do have my limits.
If you, like myself, consider yourself a holiday homebody who has a favorite pair or shoes, robe, boxer shorts or even if you just like typing naked....(cover the chair others may be sitting where your bare butt left its cheekmarks) then you might appreciate my limits on "clutter vs. diva dusty clutter." Figure out the comfy for yourself. I'm gonna deal with the "diva dusty."
Diva dusty means there is so much dust in your home that the dust mites collaborate to formed a union.
Diva dusty means that the cat wants to go outside in the daytime.
Diva dusty means the roaches are evicting YOU!
Diva dusty means that your brand new upright vacuum cleaner is sagging.
Diva dusty means that every where you walk in your house, a stranger can come in and tell exactly where you've been.
Diva dusty means the dust-bunnies under your bed have become dust-zombies.
Diva dusty means your bookshelves have track marks.
Diva dusty means you really don't have an allergy to dust at all...you have an allergy to Endust.
And finally. . .
Diva dusty among writers is so popular that we could all collect it in a fruit jar and say we bought the ashes of Edgar Alan Poe. When dust moves from a comfortable clutter to a platform used for finger-art, it's time to call the family together not for the holidays, but for an emergency intervention.
So if you find yourself wanting to send the muse on vacation so you can "deck dem halls" for the holiday season, if the waxy buildup is more than enough to make a tea-light candle, don protective gear and a filtration mask.
Whatever you do, REMEMBER TO BE KIND TO THE BUNNIES! (YOUTUBE VIDEO)
That's my rap...now takin' a nap!
blessin's,
cynth'ya
Just as I was cleaning up today's dishes --- and I could kiss the woman who came up with the idea for an automatic dishwasher that a man more than likely got credit for inventing--this one truth flitted through my mind during my collective strawberry scented suds-busting session.
Those who entertain for the holidays, must also feel the pressure of cleaning EVERYTHING for the holidays.
So what's so merry about that? (Stop sitting there wondering. It was me who asked you first!)
The best holidays I can remember are the times when I was totally left alone and in a writing mood. You know there's something about the fact that in the times of habitually materialistic-seeking seasons just makes the writer in me want to find an abandoned spot at Mammoth Cave and hide out with a flashlight, a 10-pack of 99 cent store ball point writing pens, some Doritos, bottled green tea and a ream of freshly recycled paper to honor the forest in my midst. But back to the cleaning bit. . .
And my home would be dubbed by my relatives who think I'm "the weird one" as uninhabitable for the holidays. Truth be told, do any of us as writers really want to entertain anyway? I don't know about you but outside of my own children, I don't really care to pursue the acceptance of anyone's Martha-Stewart tastes who cannot accept me for the "comfy" person that I am. But I do have my limits.
If you, like myself, consider yourself a holiday homebody who has a favorite pair or shoes, robe, boxer shorts or even if you just like typing naked....(cover the chair others may be sitting where your bare butt left its cheekmarks) then you might appreciate my limits on "clutter vs. diva dusty clutter." Figure out the comfy for yourself. I'm gonna deal with the "diva dusty."
Diva dusty means there is so much dust in your home that the dust mites collaborate to formed a union.
Diva dusty means that the cat wants to go outside in the daytime.
Diva dusty means the roaches are evicting YOU!
Diva dusty means that your brand new upright vacuum cleaner is sagging.
Diva dusty means that every where you walk in your house, a stranger can come in and tell exactly where you've been.
Diva dusty means the dust-bunnies under your bed have become dust-zombies.
Diva dusty means your bookshelves have track marks.
Diva dusty means you really don't have an allergy to dust at all...you have an allergy to Endust.
And finally. . .
Diva dusty among writers is so popular that we could all collect it in a fruit jar and say we bought the ashes of Edgar Alan Poe. When dust moves from a comfortable clutter to a platform used for finger-art, it's time to call the family together not for the holidays, but for an emergency intervention.
So if you find yourself wanting to send the muse on vacation so you can "deck dem halls" for the holiday season, if the waxy buildup is more than enough to make a tea-light candle, don protective gear and a filtration mask.
Whatever you do, REMEMBER TO BE KIND TO THE BUNNIES! (YOUTUBE VIDEO)
That's my rap...now takin' a nap!
blessin's,
cynth'ya
Raindance
The resilience of spirit is far underrated in times of uncertainty and change. Never should any of us forget that we are bigger than our circumstances, and more factual about own own lives than Wall Street and CNN.
To move forward, we have to all continue to believe that we are not equal to the circumstances that surround us. God is not the author of junk nor of castaways. That's humanity's mistake, not God's. We all need to beware of the negative spirits that bring about death of the mind, soul and eventually body from the negative toxins that are created when we are stressed and frustrated. So what is one solution?
Well, you're reading it. They are words. Let them travel through your soul. I pray you find your journey most pleasant, and your destination one that welcomes the positive changes you are soon to discover. Just keep on the right road. Clouds may look loathsome in our lives, but it is the cloud that holds the rain of regeneration.
So let's all join hands, and dance in the rain.
P.S. Words are all around us. But words also have an ultimatum based on the purpose of those who put them out into the hard-copy and wireless universe. Somewhere in the bible there is a passage about the power of the princes of the air.
(Truth is I would look it up but then I'd lose my train of thought to the thief called "short term memory due to sleep deprivation-by-choice, or as I call it, "Muse overload due to massive invasions of inspiration." So I'll just keep on typing. Maybe looking up the passage might help people discover a spiritual truth or two,
God bless y'all. . . that's my rap.
cynth'ya
To move forward, we have to all continue to believe that we are not equal to the circumstances that surround us. God is not the author of junk nor of castaways. That's humanity's mistake, not God's. We all need to beware of the negative spirits that bring about death of the mind, soul and eventually body from the negative toxins that are created when we are stressed and frustrated. So what is one solution?
Well, you're reading it. They are words. Let them travel through your soul. I pray you find your journey most pleasant, and your destination one that welcomes the positive changes you are soon to discover. Just keep on the right road. Clouds may look loathsome in our lives, but it is the cloud that holds the rain of regeneration.
So let's all join hands, and dance in the rain.
P.S. Words are all around us. But words also have an ultimatum based on the purpose of those who put them out into the hard-copy and wireless universe. Somewhere in the bible there is a passage about the power of the princes of the air.
(Truth is I would look it up but then I'd lose my train of thought to the thief called "short term memory due to sleep deprivation-by-choice, or as I call it, "Muse overload due to massive invasions of inspiration." So I'll just keep on typing. Maybe looking up the passage might help people discover a spiritual truth or two,
God bless y'all. . . that's my rap.
cynth'ya
Surviving The Times
Oh those 1930s! If a family could survive & thrive back there you knew how to recycle your stuff. We didn't need any green commercials or foundations to teach us how to shake out a bread sack and put it over our shoes to keep our feet from getting wet because the boots were out of the budget. My parents, all three of them, were from that era. But what I wish I could have experienced was the resilience to deal with pain and tough times.
"Tough times don't last. Tough people do." Isn't that how the saying goes?
Well my friends, we need to correct ourselves. The times not getting tough. The times ARE tough! But what's that got to do with your success in anything?
Some of the most notable figures grew up in tough times. We read about them in success magazines. Do the names "Robert Kiyosaki" or "Donald Trump" or "Albert Einstein" ring a bell? How about "Oprah Winfrey?" Or "Sarah Breedlove (a.k.a. Madame CJ Walker, who was the first FEMALE millionaire in this country at a time when no one believed a black person living in America was any good for anything than cleaning a mansion and this woman owned TWO of them!
These men and women were not born in ideal situations. They didn't listen to the news around them that until things got better around them that they could not do better for themselves.
But there were born in times when they were taught that if you wanted something, they you have to go after it with a passion.
And if anyone tried to stop you from pursuing your passion with a vengence, or try to discourage you because of their own lack of a spine, then you just had to do what you had to do.
Maybe you are called "unrealistic" for wanting something that the majority of people never think they will ever achieve. Well I got a bit of news for your naysaying friends and family and neighbors.
NAYSAYING NIBBY-NOSE NEGATIVITY NEGOTIATING NON-ACHIEVERS ARE NOT YOUR PROBLEM. If anything, if their lack of belief in you is your kryptonite, then get away from them and surround yourself with people who will give you the Superman or Superwoman cape of protection you need to fly as high in the stratosphere of success as you choose to go.
The sky is not your limit....you 've got an entire galaxy to conquer. And if you don't go after it and discover what it is when everyone else is turning tail and running to hide behind the news, then I'll see you when you get there.
That's MY rap, blessin's 2 ya,
cynth'ya
P.S. Ever stop to ponder--and I could be mistaken--that perhaps the core reason our nation is in the shape it's in right now, exactly 70 years from the first GREAT DEPRESSION is that those values that forged our ancestors of the 1930s were no longer necessary. Everything because instant and automatic. We forgot as a nation how to wait on change. Perhaps we even forgot how to wait on God.
"Tough times don't last. Tough people do." Isn't that how the saying goes?
Well my friends, we need to correct ourselves. The times not getting tough. The times ARE tough! But what's that got to do with your success in anything?
Some of the most notable figures grew up in tough times. We read about them in success magazines. Do the names "Robert Kiyosaki" or "Donald Trump" or "Albert Einstein" ring a bell? How about "Oprah Winfrey?" Or "Sarah Breedlove (a.k.a. Madame CJ Walker, who was the first FEMALE millionaire in this country at a time when no one believed a black person living in America was any good for anything than cleaning a mansion and this woman owned TWO of them!
These men and women were not born in ideal situations. They didn't listen to the news around them that until things got better around them that they could not do better for themselves.
But there were born in times when they were taught that if you wanted something, they you have to go after it with a passion.
And if anyone tried to stop you from pursuing your passion with a vengence, or try to discourage you because of their own lack of a spine, then you just had to do what you had to do.
Maybe you are called "unrealistic" for wanting something that the majority of people never think they will ever achieve. Well I got a bit of news for your naysaying friends and family and neighbors.
NAYSAYING NIBBY-NOSE NEGATIVITY NEGOTIATING NON-ACHIEVERS ARE NOT YOUR PROBLEM. If anything, if their lack of belief in you is your kryptonite, then get away from them and surround yourself with people who will give you the Superman or Superwoman cape of protection you need to fly as high in the stratosphere of success as you choose to go.
The sky is not your limit....you 've got an entire galaxy to conquer. And if you don't go after it and discover what it is when everyone else is turning tail and running to hide behind the news, then I'll see you when you get there.
That's MY rap, blessin's 2 ya,
cynth'ya
P.S. Ever stop to ponder--and I could be mistaken--that perhaps the core reason our nation is in the shape it's in right now, exactly 70 years from the first GREAT DEPRESSION is that those values that forged our ancestors of the 1930s were no longer necessary. Everything because instant and automatic. We forgot as a nation how to wait on change. Perhaps we even forgot how to wait on God.
10 November 2008
People & Miracles
Like everyone else I could focus on the history of this amazing US Presidential Election. We could focus on the storms ahead of us. Or, we could focus on the rainbows.
It's our choice what we focus upon. So if the decisions we make end up being the wrong decisions, let us look in the mirror and blame ourselves for lack of vision.
However, if we learn nothing else about victories in politics, we need to be able to translate that into victories for ourselves and our families.
So if you never believed good can come from hopelessness, look at what we witnessed first hand. Don't get bored, it's really a "gotcha" kind of story.
And you will smile. . . God bless.
Here's the story. It's a great one. Click Here.
28 October 2008
Ted the Thief?
FOR ARTICLE CLICK HERE
Or copy cut and paste the following link in your browser window:
http://authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?id=43249
05 October 2008
Tears
Current time looking back: Three days.
A period of 72 hours. Period of grace or healing from an outpatient surgical procedure.
In three days I could be a grandmother for the second time as my son's girlfriend of three years (there's that "numero tres" again) gives birth to a little baby boy (grandson number 2) as soon as this coming week.
And three days ago, a tear drop left saline residue on my sleeve.
Flashback: Thursday Oct. 2, 2008
I was turning in my canvas sheets at our local Muncie "Vote For Change-Indiana" office.
COMMERCIAL BREAK: Muncie Indiana USA, a.k.a. Middletown USA, is a place that seems to has 3 kinds of people: 1) Realistic Achievers; 2) Pessimistic Pretenders, and 3) Clueless, yet caring. At least as a result of watching endless MSNBC we sometimes tend to forget that people don't read much and believe everything that the pundits spew on tv in terms of fear peddling to get a vote because no one who has represented an oppressed group of people in a house named after the oppressor: "White." (I guess if I was white I'd have it pretty easy getting along in the world...unless someone called me "white trash." ) But I digress. . . back to the point.
Walking out of headquarters I saw a woman crossing the street in beautiful 4 blocks long downtown Muncie. She came from the direction of the MITS bus station and the county courthouse. We'd parked on the same side of the one-way street (left) and her vehicle was two spots in front of mine.
Then, it happened. Boo-hoo city on a FEMA scale. This young woman just broke down, crossed her arms over her face and laid her head on top of her compact car.
First thing in my mind...."DON'T LET HER DRIVE!" This was too beautiful of an autumn mid-morning to go home only to see on the next day's news that a woman of the description that I'd seen was the victim of a mysterious one-car crash. So I walked up to her and said...."Are you gonna be okay?"
What a dumb question! Obviously all was NOT okay. The tears just kept on coming.
So I did what most women and non-threatening men would have done. . . I gave her a hug.
The hug worked. Took a minute, but it worked.
While the positive energy from the person-to-person-embrace was working its spiritual recipe I noticed my left shoulder sleeve was getting a bit soaked. I never did like being wet while wearing clothing, even a spot of wetness, and in my prime years I'd more than likely be disqualified from being a contestant in a wet tee-shirt contest while my wild college friends would throw caution and bras to the wind. But somehow, this was a spiritual tear.
As I made certain that this young woman (her name, Christa) assured me that she was okay she got on her cell phone.
As a maternal spirit I reminded her soberly, "Make sure you don't start this car until you are completely okay that you can drive it, alright?"
"Alright" she said. Then she proceeded to dial someone who was hopefully a friend on her vivid red cell phone.
As I got into my car, the wet sleeve became even more sensory to me. But not from a standpoint of waiting for my sleeve to dry. I found now that it was me that was unable to drive. I was crying from my soul. And as a result, tears came from my eyes only. My mind reflected.
It reflected as to what was it that tore at this woman's soul, creating the tears. This, I realize, was becoming a very deep homophonic/homographic experience.
(Wordwizard.com) 1 a : HOMOPHONE b : HOMOGRAPH c : one of two or more words spelled and pronounced alike but different in meaning (as the noun quail and the verb quail).
(Hey, did you know "quail" was a verb???) oh well...English, hmmph!)
What happens when one experiences tears in the non-spiritual sense? Well, we might surmise that usually, a sharp object catches a thread of a fabric that is either delicate or in the wrong place at the wrong time; and the sharpness of the edge of whatever the fabric (or skin) catches on creates a split. A rift. Thusly, a "tear." Yet that "tear" can produce a tear from the eye if the thing that was damaged from its original pristine form was of major significance in value, whether materially or psychologically.
Have you experienced a tear in your life lately that lead to the creation of a tear? Did the last 10-14 days, or perhaps the last THREE days of your life did you know anyone who was going thru a particularly tough time because of the economy? (Economy is a funny thing. When it's good, everyone treats each other well. But when the economy is NOT so good, that rips at the soul of everything that a person believes in UNLESS they are spiritually grounded in a faith so deep that nothing and no one can rip the belief from the believer....hence, the dreams of those aforementioned as Realistic Achievers.
But what about the wetness of the tear? Moisture is a symbol of health. Dryness is a symbol of an inability to thrive. We love our moist skin, especially when kissing and making love. When skin is moist, it resists cracking and peeling. And we can't stand it when a steak (if you are a meat-eater) is dry and heaven forbid if we experience a dry throat during a time when we desperately need to speak and be clearly understood.
Moisture, as in tears from the eyes lets us heal our dry spirits. When we undergo times of sorrow we still have to take into account that too much "drowning in our moist sorrows" will cause us to wither in other ways. We become too limp to be able to make sense of things that need executive decisiveness. When people do not like us we can NOT take it personally. To be on the attack is to allow that dryness to enter our souls. We must "refresh."
Things that tear us down, like a family member or friend who refuses to speak to us because they never got the whole story of something they never took time to truly understand; or people close to us who refuse to register to vote out of selfish spite because their vision is so limited for the greater good that they think that decisions don't effect their lives if they pretend issues do not exist; those are the kinds of things that make our spirits cry.
But you know the good thing about crying? . . . we can choose to get over it. We can CHOOSE to be a loner beating our own drum of a different rhythm. We CAN CHOOSE to change even if everyone else thinks we cannot. Sometimes we have to decide to be the only dove of peace when everything else around us wants to tear at us with the talons of a hawk.
I think Prince was right when he contemplated and wrote: "When Doves Cry."
A period of 72 hours. Period of grace or healing from an outpatient surgical procedure.
In three days I could be a grandmother for the second time as my son's girlfriend of three years (there's that "numero tres" again) gives birth to a little baby boy (grandson number 2) as soon as this coming week.
And three days ago, a tear drop left saline residue on my sleeve.
Flashback: Thursday Oct. 2, 2008
I was turning in my canvas sheets at our local Muncie "Vote For Change-Indiana" office.
COMMERCIAL BREAK: Muncie Indiana USA, a.k.a. Middletown USA, is a place that seems to has 3 kinds of people: 1) Realistic Achievers; 2) Pessimistic Pretenders, and 3) Clueless, yet caring. At least as a result of watching endless MSNBC we sometimes tend to forget that people don't read much and believe everything that the pundits spew on tv in terms of fear peddling to get a vote because no one who has represented an oppressed group of people in a house named after the oppressor: "White." (I guess if I was white I'd have it pretty easy getting along in the world...unless someone called me "white trash." ) But I digress. . . back to the point.
Walking out of headquarters I saw a woman crossing the street in beautiful 4 blocks long downtown Muncie. She came from the direction of the MITS bus station and the county courthouse. We'd parked on the same side of the one-way street (left) and her vehicle was two spots in front of mine.
Then, it happened. Boo-hoo city on a FEMA scale. This young woman just broke down, crossed her arms over her face and laid her head on top of her compact car.
First thing in my mind...."DON'T LET HER DRIVE!" This was too beautiful of an autumn mid-morning to go home only to see on the next day's news that a woman of the description that I'd seen was the victim of a mysterious one-car crash. So I walked up to her and said...."Are you gonna be okay?"
What a dumb question! Obviously all was NOT okay. The tears just kept on coming.
So I did what most women and non-threatening men would have done. . . I gave her a hug.
The hug worked. Took a minute, but it worked.
While the positive energy from the person-to-person-embrace was working its spiritual recipe I noticed my left shoulder sleeve was getting a bit soaked. I never did like being wet while wearing clothing, even a spot of wetness, and in my prime years I'd more than likely be disqualified from being a contestant in a wet tee-shirt contest while my wild college friends would throw caution and bras to the wind. But somehow, this was a spiritual tear.
As I made certain that this young woman (her name, Christa) assured me that she was okay she got on her cell phone.
As a maternal spirit I reminded her soberly, "Make sure you don't start this car until you are completely okay that you can drive it, alright?"
"Alright" she said. Then she proceeded to dial someone who was hopefully a friend on her vivid red cell phone.
As I got into my car, the wet sleeve became even more sensory to me. But not from a standpoint of waiting for my sleeve to dry. I found now that it was me that was unable to drive. I was crying from my soul. And as a result, tears came from my eyes only. My mind reflected.
It reflected as to what was it that tore at this woman's soul, creating the tears. This, I realize, was becoming a very deep homophonic/homographic experience.
(Wordwizard.com) 1 a : HOMOPHONE b : HOMOGRAPH c : one of two or more words spelled and pronounced alike but different in meaning (as the noun quail and the verb quail).
(Hey, did you know "quail" was a verb???) oh well...English, hmmph!)
What happens when one experiences tears in the non-spiritual sense? Well, we might surmise that usually, a sharp object catches a thread of a fabric that is either delicate or in the wrong place at the wrong time; and the sharpness of the edge of whatever the fabric (or skin) catches on creates a split. A rift. Thusly, a "tear." Yet that "tear" can produce a tear from the eye if the thing that was damaged from its original pristine form was of major significance in value, whether materially or psychologically.
Have you experienced a tear in your life lately that lead to the creation of a tear? Did the last 10-14 days, or perhaps the last THREE days of your life did you know anyone who was going thru a particularly tough time because of the economy? (Economy is a funny thing. When it's good, everyone treats each other well. But when the economy is NOT so good, that rips at the soul of everything that a person believes in UNLESS they are spiritually grounded in a faith so deep that nothing and no one can rip the belief from the believer....hence, the dreams of those aforementioned as Realistic Achievers.
But what about the wetness of the tear? Moisture is a symbol of health. Dryness is a symbol of an inability to thrive. We love our moist skin, especially when kissing and making love. When skin is moist, it resists cracking and peeling. And we can't stand it when a steak (if you are a meat-eater) is dry and heaven forbid if we experience a dry throat during a time when we desperately need to speak and be clearly understood.
Moisture, as in tears from the eyes lets us heal our dry spirits. When we undergo times of sorrow we still have to take into account that too much "drowning in our moist sorrows" will cause us to wither in other ways. We become too limp to be able to make sense of things that need executive decisiveness. When people do not like us we can NOT take it personally. To be on the attack is to allow that dryness to enter our souls. We must "refresh."
Things that tear us down, like a family member or friend who refuses to speak to us because they never got the whole story of something they never took time to truly understand; or people close to us who refuse to register to vote out of selfish spite because their vision is so limited for the greater good that they think that decisions don't effect their lives if they pretend issues do not exist; those are the kinds of things that make our spirits cry.
But you know the good thing about crying? . . . we can choose to get over it. We can CHOOSE to be a loner beating our own drum of a different rhythm. We CAN CHOOSE to change even if everyone else thinks we cannot. Sometimes we have to decide to be the only dove of peace when everything else around us wants to tear at us with the talons of a hawk.
I think Prince was right when he contemplated and wrote: "When Doves Cry."
It is up to each one of us individually, to be ready for the healing. For the healing is not a quick fix. The healing takes place so that we may teach others, thru careful listening, and not demanding, how to heal.
Let's look ahead as a community of people in a spirit of change for the better. Let's stop believing those who would terrorize us from wanting something better for ourselves, our families, our nation.
America: Stop looking back allowing yourself to be torn in fear. We are the home of the brave and should be brave to move forward into a brand new future--- TOGETHER.
Change cannot wait. Click the names.
02 October 2008
"Duh?"
Near Taylor University in Upland Indiana is an addictive little restaurant called "Ivanhoe's." Their specialty? Embarrassing the daylights out of Baskin Robbin's 31 flavors.
Ivanhoe's offers not just 31 flavors, but (as of last count) over 100 choices of terror for the lactose-intolerant. And they are flavors on that menu that would freeze up a vote in Congress as to "which one gets my vote today?" So for those who are first timer's at Ivanhoe's, you might want to study the choices, and go off of your diet for at least 4 weeks.
At various points in my life I've been akin to the phrase, "When one decides NOT to decide, the decision has already been made." And especially at this point in our electoral history as a snot-nose, barely-crawling nation, dare I say that those of us who pay attention are only lying to ourselves regarding our electoral choices.
It's amazing that most of us as Americans end up knowing the difference between right and wrong, basically. But when it comes to being truly honest with ourselves in matters of this nation and where it is headed, we tend to dummy down our choice. Unfortunately, someone out there will not vote. People are spilling blood overseas for us to vote, but some of us still won't vote. So be it.
Then again, there ARE others who look at war hero records when there are heroes overseas who did not use their daddy's influence to get ahead. They did not use their wife's billions to get ahead. They do not cheat on their spouses as both Republican candidates have done.
They do not research and learn about how Cindy McCain was dating her current husband when he was married to another woman, Carol McCain.
If anyone is undecided I have one question for them: What type of mind needs to think about who is best to bring a nation together? What kind of sordid racial tension in this country has so soiled us that we are too afraid to look at where we will be in the next four years if we put people who think only of their own personal and financial interests in office?
Probably the most critical question is this: Look at YOU right now. (Go on, find a mirror and STARE into it. Then look at your bank account. Look at your bills. Look at the experience of candidates who work with broke folks--i.e. about 90 percent of most American voters.
So now, to help you make your decision, “Where the heck do YOU want to be in the next four years?” You and I make up the country. Who is going to put us first?
Ivanhoe's offers not just 31 flavors, but (as of last count) over 100 choices of terror for the lactose-intolerant. And they are flavors on that menu that would freeze up a vote in Congress as to "which one gets my vote today?" So for those who are first timer's at Ivanhoe's, you might want to study the choices, and go off of your diet for at least 4 weeks.
At various points in my life I've been akin to the phrase, "When one decides NOT to decide, the decision has already been made." And especially at this point in our electoral history as a snot-nose, barely-crawling nation, dare I say that those of us who pay attention are only lying to ourselves regarding our electoral choices.
It's amazing that most of us as Americans end up knowing the difference between right and wrong, basically. But when it comes to being truly honest with ourselves in matters of this nation and where it is headed, we tend to dummy down our choice. Unfortunately, someone out there will not vote. People are spilling blood overseas for us to vote, but some of us still won't vote. So be it.
Then again, there ARE others who look at war hero records when there are heroes overseas who did not use their daddy's influence to get ahead. They did not use their wife's billions to get ahead. They do not cheat on their spouses as both Republican candidates have done.
They do not research and learn about how Cindy McCain was dating her current husband when he was married to another woman, Carol McCain.
If anyone is undecided I have one question for them: What type of mind needs to think about who is best to bring a nation together? What kind of sordid racial tension in this country has so soiled us that we are too afraid to look at where we will be in the next four years if we put people who think only of their own personal and financial interests in office?
Probably the most critical question is this: Look at YOU right now. (Go on, find a mirror and STARE into it. Then look at your bank account. Look at your bills. Look at the experience of candidates who work with broke folks--i.e. about 90 percent of most American voters.
So now, to help you make your decision, “Where the heck do YOU want to be in the next four years?” You and I make up the country. Who is going to put us first?
29 September 2008
Extra non scheduled ponderings
Had to share this from Writer named Kathleen Parker.
Subject: [AfricanaCAU YahooGroup]
You Know You Ain't Worth Sh*t When Your Party Doesn't Want You..
Subject: [AfricanaCAU YahooGroup]
You Know You Ain't Worth Sh*t When Your Party Doesn't Want You..
Okay, here is a hilarious critique of Palin and a final request to ask her to step down! By respected conservative columnist Kathleen. For those of you who "question" the source and if it is true. Check out the link. It's also in the LA Times
National Review Online
http://article. nationalreview. com/?q=MDZiMDhjY TU1NmI5Y2MwZjg2M WNiMWMyYTUxZDkwN TE=#more
September 26, 2008 12:00 AM
Palin Problem
She’s out of her league.
By Kathleen Parker
If at one time women were considered heretical for swimming upstream against feminist orthodoxy, they now face condemnation for swimming downstream — away from Sarah Palin.
To express reservations about her qualifications to be vice president — and possibly president — is to risk being labeled anti-woman.
Or, as I am guilty of charging her early critics, supporting only a certain kind of woman.
Some of the passionately feminist critics of Palin who attacked her personally deserved some of the backlash they received. But circumstances have changed since Palin was introduced as just a hockey mom with lipstick — what a difference a financial crisis makes — and a more complicated picture has emerged.
As we’ve seen and heard more from John McCain’s running mate, it is increasingly clear that Palin is a problem. Quick study or not, she doesn’t know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin should conditions warrant her promotion.
Yes, she recently met and turned several heads of state as the United Nations General Assembly convened in New York. She was gracious, charming and disarming. Men swooned. Pakistan’s president wanted to hug her. (Perhaps Osama bin Laden is dying to meet her?)
And, yes, she has common sense, something we value. And she’s had executive experience as a mayor and a governor, though of relatively small constituencies (about 6,000 and 680,000, respectively) .
Finally, Palin’s narrative is fun, inspiring and all-American in that frontier way we seem to admire. When Palin first emerged as John McCain’s running mate, I confess I was delighted. She was the antithesis and nemesis of the hirsute, Birkenstock- wearing sisterhood — a refreshing feminist of a different order who personified the modern successful working mother.
Palin didn’t make a mess cracking the glass ceiling. She simply glided through it.
It was fun while it lasted.
Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League.
No one hates saying that more than I do. Like so many women, I’ve been pulling for Palin, wishing her the best, hoping she will perform brilliantly. I’ve also noticed that I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent, my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful. Unfortunately, it often does. My cringe reflex is exhausted.
Palin filibusters. She repeats words, filling space with deadwood. Cut the verbiage and there’s not much content there. Here’s but one example of many from her interview with Hannity: “Well, there is a danger in allowing some obsessive partisanship to get into the issue that we’re talking about today. And that’s something that John McCain, too, his track record, proving that he can work both sides of the aisle, he can surpass the partisanship that must be surpassed to deal with an issue like this.”
When Couric pointed to polls showing that the financial crisis had boosted Obama’s numbers, Palin blustered wordily: “I’m not looking at poll numbers. What I think Americans at the end of the day are going to be able to go back and look at track records and see who’s more apt to be talking about solutions and wishing for and hoping for solutions for some opportunity to change, and who’s actually done it?”
If BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself.
If Palin were a man, we’d all be guffawing, just as we do every time Joe Biden tickles the back of his throat with his toes. But because she’s a woman — and the first ever on a Republican presidential ticket — we are reluctant to say what is painfully true.
What to do?
McCain can’t repudiate his choice for running mate. He not only risks the wrath of the GOP’s unforgiving base, but he invites others to second-guess his executive decision-making ability. Barack Obama faces the same problem with Biden.
Only Palin can save McCain, her party, and the country she loves. She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first.
Do it for your country.
— Kathleen Parker is a nationally syndicated columnist.
© 2008, Washington Post Writers Group
Shared from a friend now sharing with you. I voted already.
cynth'ya
Subject: Fwd: URGENT!!! PBS is doing a poll to see if people think Palin is qualified to be VP,,,
Republicans are doing a big emailing to get people to
vote yes- and it's working. Please go to this website
and vote NO- it only takes a second! and forward this please
thanks,
and vote NO- it only takes a second! and forward this please
thanks,
28 September 2008
"Re-do"
This morning I was quite pleased not to be awakened by the alarm clock, but by the telephone. Thinking it would be yet another bill collector looking for money from a bank that had gone out of business, I was unwilling to jeopardize my financial peace of mind. But you know, it wasn't a bill collector at all. Instead it was a woman whom I'd never met, but found online because I was facing a painful sciatica situation.
Colleen called at 9:43 a.m. ET. Since all three of those numbers equal "16" that to me meant a pair of "8's" and the number "8" means new beginnings. So this was going to be a very special call.
It had been at least 30 days since I contacted her about her massage services for my leg pain. In fact I "googled" Colleen just from looking up a school in Alexandria, IN specializing in massage. But her website stood out front and center. So like a nosy journalist, I called her.
Colleen has been featured in Indianapolis Woman magazine and is quite on the go. Her wonderful husband Pat must be a gem of a man, sharing just 1 day with her because of her work. Love knows no obstacle and will always find time for itself. I appreciated learning that about Colleen. But our conversation was incredible because when she found out I'm now seeing another massage therapist recommended by my Chiropractor, and she still spoke with me for at least 15 minutes, I know she was a person who just wanted people to do well.
Today Colleen and I talked as if we were sisters. She shared--but didn't have to--about having to replace at least 22 windows to the pricetag of $7,000. She shared that she had to close her Muncie office because of the economy. She shared that people literally trashed a beautiful home with oakwood accents whom she trusted as decent renters. No one should be abused that way, but that's the way life is. We just never know.
What I appreciate about Colleen is that she DID NOT GIVE UP! The price of gasoline is not going to deter her from going from Fort Wayne to Indianapolis to carry on her wonderful healing profession. The fact that renters did not appreciate having a decent home who chose to "cut and run" did not kill her spirit of what I'd like to call "The Spirit of the Re-do."
Sometimes in life, we just have to re-do things. As difficult as the climb to our goals may become, we have to sometimes get down and dirty on our hands and knees, starting from scratch all over again.
There IS NO executive multi-million dollar bail out package for us. There IS NO ONE on Capitol Hill who will just give us free credit with unlimited benefits for an unlimited time.
But y'all know somthin', there are champions out there who are not covered in the Beijing Summer Games. They will never be featured on MSNBC or CNN or FOX news. They are the people like Colleen who, against all the odds, believes that life is worth the effort even if it means bloody knees, scabbed elbow and chapped hands.
There are people just like that on this video that will be available in audio format only at this website: Saturday Leadership Call Archives (give it a minute to load up, lots of files here)
(Click September 27, 2008 when posted--"Good Enough to Win; Tough Enough Not To Quit part 2.)
Source: http://www.yourtravelbiz.com/confcalls_with_archives.htm
I just encourage everyone, whenever you feel stressed, take a little look at Colleen's website under "NEWS" for a great ACV remedy during these stressful times. (She recommends Bragg ACV because of "The Mother" in it.)
To learn more remedies to keep you safe from stress, check out this link.
Also More Safe Natural Cures: Click Here.
Have a wonderful life...not the life that the world predicts. Reactivate your "Spirit of The Re-do."
That's MY rap....blessin's to ya,
cynth'ya
Colleen called at 9:43 a.m. ET. Since all three of those numbers equal "16" that to me meant a pair of "8's" and the number "8" means new beginnings. So this was going to be a very special call.
It had been at least 30 days since I contacted her about her massage services for my leg pain. In fact I "googled" Colleen just from looking up a school in Alexandria, IN specializing in massage. But her website stood out front and center. So like a nosy journalist, I called her.
Colleen has been featured in Indianapolis Woman magazine and is quite on the go. Her wonderful husband Pat must be a gem of a man, sharing just 1 day with her because of her work. Love knows no obstacle and will always find time for itself. I appreciated learning that about Colleen. But our conversation was incredible because when she found out I'm now seeing another massage therapist recommended by my Chiropractor, and she still spoke with me for at least 15 minutes, I know she was a person who just wanted people to do well.
Today Colleen and I talked as if we were sisters. She shared--but didn't have to--about having to replace at least 22 windows to the pricetag of $7,000. She shared that she had to close her Muncie office because of the economy. She shared that people literally trashed a beautiful home with oakwood accents whom she trusted as decent renters. No one should be abused that way, but that's the way life is. We just never know.
What I appreciate about Colleen is that she DID NOT GIVE UP! The price of gasoline is not going to deter her from going from Fort Wayne to Indianapolis to carry on her wonderful healing profession. The fact that renters did not appreciate having a decent home who chose to "cut and run" did not kill her spirit of what I'd like to call "The Spirit of the Re-do."
Sometimes in life, we just have to re-do things. As difficult as the climb to our goals may become, we have to sometimes get down and dirty on our hands and knees, starting from scratch all over again.
There IS NO executive multi-million dollar bail out package for us. There IS NO ONE on Capitol Hill who will just give us free credit with unlimited benefits for an unlimited time.
But y'all know somthin', there are champions out there who are not covered in the Beijing Summer Games. They will never be featured on MSNBC or CNN or FOX news. They are the people like Colleen who, against all the odds, believes that life is worth the effort even if it means bloody knees, scabbed elbow and chapped hands.
There are people just like that on this video that will be available in audio format only at this website: Saturday Leadership Call Archives (give it a minute to load up, lots of files here)
(Click September 27, 2008 when posted--"Good Enough to Win; Tough Enough Not To Quit part 2.)
Source: http://www.yourtravelbiz.com/confcalls_with_archives.htm
I just encourage everyone, whenever you feel stressed, take a little look at Colleen's website under "NEWS" for a great ACV remedy during these stressful times. (She recommends Bragg ACV because of "The Mother" in it.)
To learn more remedies to keep you safe from stress, check out this link.
Also More Safe Natural Cures: Click Here.
Have a wonderful life...not the life that the world predicts. Reactivate your "Spirit of The Re-do."
That's MY rap....blessin's to ya,
cynth'ya
14 September 2008
"Else"
"Who knew?"
This abbreviated yet surging question is one I ask myself often. Like most baby boomers it is not difficult to admit that I've lived more years than I will have left. Therefore, it is time to do something "else."
But the difference, even after having been in this writing frame of mind for my entire life, and finally embracing it in the mid-1990s--after realizing that corporate America can never love me than I love myself--is that I do things for ME now. It's not that I do not love those who surround my life, but when I do something "else" at this point in my brief terrestrial history, it's the "else" that makes me feel whole.
When we as a culture of human beings realize that doing something "else" should not be for reasons of public community, or even private familial approval, then we'd probably all be much happier doing our own "else" and staying out of everyone "else's" business.
That's MY rap, blessin's 2 ya,
cynth'ya
P.S. Celebrate you.
This abbreviated yet surging question is one I ask myself often. Like most baby boomers it is not difficult to admit that I've lived more years than I will have left. Therefore, it is time to do something "else."
But the difference, even after having been in this writing frame of mind for my entire life, and finally embracing it in the mid-1990s--after realizing that corporate America can never love me than I love myself--is that I do things for ME now. It's not that I do not love those who surround my life, but when I do something "else" at this point in my brief terrestrial history, it's the "else" that makes me feel whole.
When we as a culture of human beings realize that doing something "else" should not be for reasons of public community, or even private familial approval, then we'd probably all be much happier doing our own "else" and staying out of everyone "else's" business.
That's MY rap, blessin's 2 ya,
cynth'ya
P.S. Celebrate you.
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