Tag: – Just sayin

New stuff!

When we finally moved into This Old House after the ressurection
was complete.. we bought a new couch and chairs for the “family room”.
I was going for a country look because we were in an old house, and truth be told…
when the furniture arrived eight weeks after purchase,
I was a little flustered at the big bold floral gold print I had actually picked out
for the two overstuffed chairs and the red couch was very pretty but not alot of room
for sitting.  It was a –what was I thinking– moment.
Have you ever done that with a major purchase?  ugh.
And you know, when you spend that kind of money
and the man who paid for it is standing next to you in the new family room
asking if you’re happy with the new furniture..
well, it’s kinda hard to say… I SCREWED UP!!!
So we lived with it.
No one was ever really happy with the arrangement, 
and the room got very little use, despite the fact that it is 
the most beautiful room in the house.  We all huddled in the mancave, 
a small room truly only fit for two-three people comfortably,
because the furniture in there was more casual, comfortable.
Last week the man who pays the big bills in this house
got tired of us all huddled in his mancave and agreed to 
go look at sectionals – the kind that would make the family room
more like a family room.  We went.. we looked, we found
and bought a reasonably priced sectional that accomodates a small crowd, hooray!
We all watched a movie together last night sprawled out and comfortable
together, the way a family room oughta be used. 
Country, it ain’t.  
Comfortable, functional, accomodating… it’s a beautiful thing.
The old gold chairs are now in our bedroom and they actually look inviting.
The red couch is in storage for when the kids get their own place.
 
It’s all good. 
By the way.. we watched Man of Steel last night.. because I have always been
a Superman Fan.  While he wasn’t hard to look at and there were many good
actors involved, the movie was nothing but Aliens having tumbling temper tantrums..
a big disappointment in my opinion. 
 
 

Agreed!

   I saw this on Facebook this morning… and while I do not follow a specific religion or God and I consider myself more of a spiritual person who gives a damn about my fellow humans and animals, I agree with  a lot of what he has to say. The Idols we worship today, some of the things we choose to take offense to.. are cringe worthy.  Who’s driving this ship, anyway? …  So  If you’re so inclined, read below…

   AN UPDATE TO EARLY POST:…. the following statement is not true, you can visit snopes to see for yourself.. however it has been a widespread rumor, thank you Vickie B. for clearing it up… Apparently the White House refers  to Christmas Trees as Holiday Trees now.   False statement.  But…something  prompted CBS presenter, Ben Stein,
to write  the following…. .or didn’t.  Regardless, I agree. 

 ”

My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does
not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit
up, bejewelled trees, Christmas trees. I don’t feel threatened. I don’t
feel discriminated against. That’s what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn’t bother me a bit when people say, ‘Merry Christmas’ to me. I
don’t think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a
ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers
and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn’t bother me at
all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near
my beach house in Malibu. If people want a nativity scene, it’s just as
fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don’t like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don’t think
Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think
people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around,
period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an
explicitly atheist country. I can’t find it in the Constitution and I
don’t like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we
should worship celebrities and we aren’t allowed to worship God? I guess
that’s a sign that I’m getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who
are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we
knew went to. 


In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a
little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it’s not funny,
it’s intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham’s daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane
Clayson asked her ‘How could God let something like this happen?’
(regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound
and insightful response. She said, ‘I believe God is deeply saddened by
this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of
our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our
lives.And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out.
How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we
demand He leave us alone?’ 

In light of recent events… terrorist attacks, school shootings, etc. I
think it started when Madeleine Murray O’Hare (she was murdered, her
body found a few years ago) complained she didn’t want prayer in our
schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible
in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal,
and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn’t spank our children when they
misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we
might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock’s son committed suicide). We
said an expert should know what he’s talking about. And we said okay.

Now we’re asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they
don’t know right from wrong, and why it doesn’t bother them to kill
strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it
out. I think it has a great deal to do with ‘WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.’

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the
world’s going to hell.
Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the
Bible says.

Funny how you can send ‘jokes’ through e-mail and they spread like
wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people
think twice about sharing.

Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through
cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and
workplace.

 Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on
your address list because you’re not sure what they believe, or what
they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us
than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit.

If not, then just discard it…. no one will know you did. But, if you
discard this thought process, don’t sit back and complain about what a
bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein”

Here’s looking at you, kid

We had a visitor in the perennial garden this afternoon…

The praying mantis is the only insect that can swivel its head 180 degrees.
If you come across one, you might notice it turns it head to look directly at you.

 Did you know that the female praying mantis sometimes rips her mates head off during or right
after mating?  Apparently the males are full of protein and it’s a good way to
get a jump start on nutrition needed to lay all those eggs.
I’m thinking prenatal vitamins would be easier… 
 who’s gonna help pay all those child rearing bills??

My husband, by the way… has been telling me for many years that
I look like a praying mantis.  I kid you not.
Perhaps thou shalt not close both eyes in thy sleep
should my mantis self decide to behave like one too….

Just sayin.

I heart Robert

Robert Redford sat down with CNN for an interview about his new movie (who knew?)…  but the conversation turned political.  I have to tell you, I like what he has to say very much, agree with it whole heartedly, especially (and here is where some of you will tune out)…  how he acknowledges why our President never stood a chance.

 For the full article, click HERE

For a brief excerpt at the end of the article regarding our current state of government affairs….. read below…

  “Something new is starting to happen that offers hope. Susan Collins, who is a
Republican, is saying: ‘Enough of this. This is not the job I signed up
for. I’ve got to do something,’ ” said Redford, referring to the U.S.
senator from Maine.  
“So she’s bringing a bipartisan group together of
women. I think the future should belong more to women and young people.” Women must save the
country “because a lot of men that were in control were behaving
stupidly,” Redford said. “I mean, sometimes you say: ‘Can we actually be
this dumbed down, or am I actually hearing what I’m hearing from some
of these people? Are they really, is that really happening?’ It’s sad.”


Does this mean Redford is already throwing his support behind Hillary Clinton in a 2016 White House bid?


“No, I wouldn’t single out one woman over another,” he said. “I think it’s time to give more women a chance.”
– Amen, brother.  Just sayin.

Say what you will….

 
The letter below is a facebook post I read this morning by Brooke Wilson.  I don’t care if you are an Obama hater, a Democrat, a Republican, a Right Winger, a Left Winger, a member of the Tea Party, a Socialist, a bleeding heart Liberal or a hermit living under a rock.  I urge you to read it, because in our constant need to rant and purge and point fingers, accuse and scorn… quite often we lose the truth.   When I post something with a political flavor, I realize it  may offend some of you. That’s not my intention,  but I found it to be an honest take on the current state of govt. affairs and I urge you to read it anyway.

 *******

People:

Before you begin your rant about how terrible everyone in Washington is, make sure you get the facts straight.

This is NOT about the President, who is asking Congress to pay for
expenses they’ve already approved, including the Affordable Care Act,
which was approved by two houses of Congress, signed into law, upheld by the Supreme Court, and, when made into a central issue of the 2012 election, was not overturned by the voters.

This is NOT about the refusal of Democrats to compromise. Obamacare IS
the compromise. It was the Republican counterproposal to the
nationalized health care plan from the Clinton administration. That’s
why Mitt Romney pushed it through in Massachusetts (yes, the economist
who wrote the Massachusetts plan said Romneycare is the same as
Obamacare). It’s a mandate for people to buy PRIVATE health insurance.
Nothing could be more Republican. Many Democrats hate/d the Affordable
Care Act because it didn’t nationalize health care, but they . . .
compromised . . . so 40 million more Americans, including people with
pre-existing illnesses, could get health care. There’s been no
Republican counter-proposal because OBAMACARE IS THEIR PLAN. Obama
adopted it because he thought they’d support their own plan. How crazy
was that?

This is NOT about “Congress.” The Senate — which
has brought the House resolution to the floor multiple times, and
amended and approved the amended bill by majority vote — has approved a
“clean” funding resolution, but the Speaker of the House WILL NOT ALLOW
THAT RESOLUTION TO COME TO THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE FOR A VOTE. Were it
to be voted on in the House, there’s a reasonable probability it would
pass with support of Democratic members and a significant number of
moderate Republicans.

Why won’t the President and the Senate
accept the Republican proposal to delay a year? Because it’s already
been delayed. The Republicans are trying to stall until after the 2014
elections, hoping to win both House and Senate so they can overturn the
law. They also are terrified that once people sign up and get
healthcare and like it, they’ll think — as they did with Medicare and
Medicaid and Social Security — that it’s a pretty good thing. THAT,
Senator Cruz, is the real message of “Green Eggs and Ham,” which you
completely misunderstood.

This IS about a small group of about
30 legislative terrorists who would rather blow up the government than
permit legislation they don’t like, even when approved by majority vote,
to be enacted. It’s also about a Speaker of the House who will not
permit a bill to come to the floor for a vote unless the terrorists
approve.

This is really about whether we believe in democracy
— in majority rule — or not. You don’t get to wreck the country every
time you don’t get your way.

If all the Border Patrol officers
— who as of this morning are working without pay — would go home, I
wonder how long it would take the Senators from Texas to get the
message?

 

When common sense goes out the window

   …first, let’s kill all the lawyers.   Just kidding, some of them do an excellent job.  Others take on cases that are clearly absurd for the sole purpose of acquiring money and fame…and horridly, they win.  And then there are the plaintiffs who bring on the absurd case in the first place.  Remember the woman who sued McDonalds for coffee that was too hot and burned her mouth when she drank it?  She won a lot of money.

  There is a case once again before the Supreme Court right now stirring in Connecticut. It’s caught the attention of many because of its absurdity and the possible affect it will have on the horse industry at large.

 Blog friend Cindi sent me this article, which tells me news of this ridiculous ruling is  reaching all over the country.  I’m glad.    Read newest information HERE .




HARTFORD – The Connecticut Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in
a case that may result in horses being declared “vicious” animals. The justices are hearing the appeal of
a ruling in which the owner of a Milford horse farm was found
responsible for one of his animals biting a child back in 2006.
The appeals court ruled that signs and
fencing did not sufficiently protect the child, especially since horses
are inherently and naturally vicious.


The owners of horse farms and equestrian businesses
say that if the new labeling sticks, insurers will no longer cover their
businesses and they’ll be forced to close down. 

   In a nutshell, a father was visiting a horse farm and held his 1.5 year old son up along a fence to give a horse some grass. There were signs posted along this fence… Please don’t feed the horses.  Using his own poor judgement, the father did anyway… and the horse reached over the fence and nipped the kid on the cheek.   The first case threw the family’s claim out because hey, the signs were posted, it was a stupid move on the fathers part. There was no record of malice on the part of the farm owner or his animals.   On Appeal, the court ruled all horses inherently vicious, overturning the ruling.  If this newruling sticks …. it will change the face of the horse industry forever, at least in this state.

   I am thoroughly disgusted every time I hear a case like this, where the plaintiff is seeking damages for their own poor judgement, seeking financial gain by punishing those who are so undeserving of the punishment. The farm owner took the proper precautions.  There are no precautions for stupidity.

    I’ve worked with and owned horses for 30 years now.  Never have I seen a vicious horse. Some have been abused and are not as trusting of humans and caution should be used around them.  Can you blame them?  And.. anything with teeth has the potential to bite. Humans are far more vicious than any animal.

   What a shame it would be for one idiot who decided to hold his infant child up to a large horses mouth to be able to demolish an entire horse industry.  I sure hope the Supreme Court demonstrates common sense this time around.

 Vicious?  My A**. 
Common Sense.. now there’s a concept. 
 Being awarded for not having any?
 Please, Connecticut… Say it ain’t so.  
Just sayin.

Small Town

    My message today is for the people of my town who might read this blog. However, the ideas can be applied all over the country.  Do I like politics?  Hell no.  Many don’t bother with it at all for a myriad of reasons.  It’s important, though, people.  Part of the reason we are in such a political mess in the good ole US  is apathy.  Not enough people are paying attention, not enough people are taking the time to really know candidates and make an informed decision, not enough people are showing up to vote.  Especially in small towns like ours.   I’m posting this everywhere I can today, because we have a truly ugly situation here in town and if nothing is done about it, it’s not going away. 
 

OK locals – this one’s for you -Our town has managed for all these years to be a
community of residents who work in relative harmony regardless of party
affiliation without the kind of animosity a certain new group have
created and appear to thrive on. Personal attacks, misleading
information and false accusations are their hallmark and if we don’t
stop our apathetic approach to not paying attention and not turning out
to vote, we will pay the price.

There is no Utopia, but as
long as there is simple decency and a willingness to work together,
there can always be solutions that are satisfactory to the majority. I
ask all registered Republicans to please get to know your candidates and
their qualifications, show up on October 1st and VOTE in this second Republican primary which is totally unnecessary and at a cost to  we the people, the taxpayers. We are a small
town, every single one of your votes MATTER!!!…  

 

Things that make me go… Hmmm….

  Long time blog buddy Deborah got me to thinking the other day… in a polite way she sorta called me out on perhaps my own judgemental behavior in my recent Litchfield County Pizza post. It was intended as a kind of tongue in cheek post, but I may have made an unfair observation regarding the plethora of high end cars and clothing a certain Connecticut Townsfolk arrived in at their local pizza joint while we sat out on the porch of the place, enjoying dinner.  I also noted that even though the interior of the place was stifling hot , they all chose to sit inside to eat their dinner, rather than the much more comfortable porch where we were. I implied  it finally occurred to me that  it might be a snub, because we are of a darker ethnicity in flip flops and t-shirts.  

  Well, in hindsight, wasn’t I judging them just as unfairly as they might or might not have been judging me?  Yes, absolutely.  And lets throw  hypocrisy in there as well-  we drive nice cars/trucks at This Old House, and I do have a linen dress or two hanging in the closet.   And hey, maybe the “inside” people know the waitress personally and didn’t want her to have to step outside the door to take orders, so they were being polite by keeping it all inside.  They are an affluent community, and with affluence usually comes the high end autos and clothes, even at the grocery store and local pizza place.  That’s not a crime against anyone.

 There are several ways to look at any situation, and I like to think I’m one of those who recognizes this. Sometimes I get it wrong.   My example here is just a small  one… but the idea can be applied to so many much more important arenas in life.  Now if only everyone would be open to it. 

 – Just Sayin

… something funny happened on the way home from the Falls….

   If you stop here often you may have seen my recent post on a trip to Kent Falls on the other side of the state. Beautiful place, it is.  Kent Falls lies in the upscale Litchfield County  – which is a mix of beautiful rural landscape , upscale dairy farms, some modest  and some ultra lux homes.  I’ll share some of those photos with you tomorrow….my husband now wants some cows.
   On the way back through the county, heading home, we decided to stop at a quaint looking Pizza place in a charming New England town. It was a hot day, and we noticed they have a lovely porch where you can sit and enjoy your food.  We went inside to place our order and right away the heat inside was stifling.  I felt bad for the waitress and the cooks.  So naturally we opted to sit just outside the door on the porch where there was a pleasant breeze. Because it was now late afternoon into the evening, the dinner crowd began to roll in.  First thing I noticed were the caliber of cars… Mercedes, Porsche, Cadillacs, range rovers.   Also, in our shorts, t-shirts and flip flops we were apparently under dressed.   The women wore linen or Cotton dresses in Lilly Pulitzer prints and the men were in khakis and Izod’s.  
   In the stifling heat we encountered inside, one would think SOME of those people would come out and join us on the porch. There were several tables available.   Not a one. They all chose to sit inside in the sweltering dining area.  Across the street there is a grocery store, it’s own brand, not a Stop & Shop or IGA. The same dress code was evident in the people who came and went from the store.
    Finally, as we were about to leave, it occurred to me that perhaps we were a little more ethnically diverse than this particular crowd was comfortable with, hence our lone status on the porch.  Personally,I’d rather keep company with the cows 🙂