He Likes Dylan

Be Careful

We're Going Camping Now, We're on our Way....

Tuesday, August 11, We left for Itasca State Park. I was the guide in the backseat of Chris's CRV. Ahead of us, Katie's Element with her, Beth, and the hubs. A beautiful sunny day.

The men made the fire.

The gals cleaned up. As it should be.

At sunset, we saw Bigfoot near the shore.

We did a puzzle.

Katie and Beth found my camera and don't they regret it now.

I'm guessing there are some tax dollars involved in this lovely work of art.

We went to the headwaters.

And walked across the Mighty Mississippi.

We went on a hike. The longest 2 miles in the history of mankind. As you can see, we are experienced hikers. None of those fancy backpacks. Those are for city boys. We always opt for the Target paper bag. Much more eco friendly.

We hit the trail.

Oh, no. There was a tree across the path. Not to worry, Tim had his trusty Swiss Army knife. 3 days later, we were on our way.

A good mother always reminds her children to wear proper foot attire. As you can see, I forgot to remind Beth to go with the flip flops and instead she wore her hiking boots. This was a big mistake. After all, it's more important to look good than to feel good. I will try to do better next time.

Again, some grainy footage of Bigfoot. I think we're on to something.

The happy hikers.

Posing with the hubs.

My birthday fudge.

Singing the Happy Birthday song quietly (it was after 10:00 at the campground, so quiet hours had begun).

My birthday cherry cobbler, made over the fire in the Dutch Oven by the hubs.

I read a book at the dock. (The Magician's Nephew)

Chris and Tim fished, Beth looked on, and Katie, um, Katie took photos of herself.

Look what Beth caught. You should have seen the one that got away!

But all good things come to an end. Here is Chris packing his new card/picnic table. He just bought it. And, the cool thing is that a CRV came with it for FREE!

Finally, our trip would not have been complete had it not been for the metal moose in the trailer of the truck next to us at the Holiday Station in Little Falls. Can't wait for the next camping trip!

Mom

May 21, 1921-July 16, 2009

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4: 13 - 18

Psalm 62

Psalm 62

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

¹ My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.

² He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

³ How long will you assault a man?
Would all of you throw him down—
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

⁴ They fully intend to topple him
from his lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.
Selah

⁵ Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.

⁶ He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

⁷ My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

⁸ Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
Selah

⁹ Lowborn men are but a breath,
the highborn are but a lie;
if weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
together they are only a breath.

¹⁰ Do not trust in extortion
or take pride in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
do not set your heart on them.

¹¹ One thing God has spoken,
two things have I heard:
that you, O God, are strong,

¹² and that you, O Lord, are loving.
Surely you will reward each person
according to what he has done.

4th of July Memories (2006)

Freedom!

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Happy Birthday to Chris!

It's DOCTOR Evil!

Did anyone hear whether or not Senator Boxer called Brigadier General Walsh by his title "Brigadier General"? I'm thinking he worked a lot harder for that title than she did for hers.

The Homecoming

Waiting for the plane. Do you like Tim's sign?

Greeting daddy.

Meeting Samantha Rose.

How cute is this?

Waiting for luggage. Past her bedtime. (Meaning Grandma's bedtime.)

Opening the box that was shipped last week and handing out presents.

A great hat from the Aran Islands for dad.

Eating the brownie cake that Beth made and decorated at Angel's.
Up till 3:00 talking.
Now we are sleeping in.
Home sweet home.

I Want My Baby Back!

Welcome home balloons in place.

Hand picked bouquet made by Beth from the flowers in our yard.

Assortment of British foods and Nutella. Also a sheep for familiarity.

Fresh orange Gerberas and a funky coordinating pyramid shaped box of Kleenex on the nightstand.

Now all we need is Katie!

Really Nice Blog Post

I just read a recent and very nice blog post by Paul Sunde and recommend that everyone read it.

Here's the link.

Memorial Day

It's Memorial Day and instead of my usual Flander's Field post, I thought I would offer you a poem written by my dad...a man of many talents. Poetry writing was one that surprised me, but when you are in your 20's and in Europe fighting the Nazis, there comes a need to express yourself. Here is how he did it.

Night of Terror
Darkness is upon us.
The sun is down.
The moon shines, faintly,
From a cloud filled sky.

Slowly, cautiously, we move
Feeling our way about
In search of a spot
To make our beds.

Beds made of blankets
Upon a crimson, foreign soil,
Drenched by the rains and snows
Of storms of recent months.

We go to bed, knowing full well
That before the dawn
Our blood may spill
Upon this alien, slimy mud.

Silence reigns, broken only
By the changing of the guard,
A machine gun's rattle, or
Cracks of a rifle, sharp and clear.

The enemy is everywhere.
We toss, but sleep as best we can,
Waiting for the dawn to soften
Fear that darkness tends to magnify.

The night drags on.
Blackness at last gives way
To streaks of gray, and soon the
Welcomed dawn breaks, bright and clear.

I miss my dad. (He passed away on Election Day 2000...Bush/Gore...remember that day? We all went to the polls anyway, knowing he would have wanted that.)

I am grateful that I live in the USA and I am grateful for all the soldiers who have served to protect us.

God bless America.

30

The dilemma with posting birthday wishes on your blog on your children's birthdays is that sometimes you get confused about what day it is. I realized on March 16th or so that, while I had wished Nicole a happy Facebook birthday, I had neglected to wish her a happy blogspot birthday. "No problem," I thought, I will post my wishes on April 14th, the one month anniversary of her 30th birthday, but then April 14th came and went, so I thought, May 14th, that will work because March and May start with "M's". Well, that didn't work, did it? Then I got to thinking that I should just post while I am thinking about it. Hope you (and Samantha) enjoyed the crepes at the Sofitel on the day before your birthday when this photo was taken. Yum!

So, happy 30th birthday, Nicole!
Love you,
Mommy

21

Happy Birthday Katie!
Love you,
Mum

My Thoughts on Miss CA

Crunchy Con has a column that nicely sums up my thoughts on Miss California.

Here's the link.

Quote of the Day

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.
-Thomas Jefferson

Michelle Obama vs. Me

Last Friday, while at Sears paying the Discover bill, I noted these Land's End shoes were 50% off. I pondered whether or not a new pair of shoes for $20 would be a frivolous expense. I decided they would be worthwhile and nicely complement my $2.50 Old Navy flip flops for those times when I needed something more substantial in a foot covering.
Michelle Obama worked at a food bank in these babies. $540 by some designer I have never heard of. These people really tick me off.

Susan Boyle vs. Elaine Paige

Everyone must have already heard of Susan Boyle. I think Katie even saw it live on the T & V set in London. I first read of Susan on the Crunchy Cons blog. In her little speech at the beginning she mentions Elaine Paige, so I Googled. I love Google.

Elaine Paige. British musical theatre actress. I love wikipedia!

Thought you might want to compare the two and see if Susan Boyle is like Elaine Paige since she said she wanted to be.

Here's Elaine Paige singing "I Dreamed a Dream".

And now, Susan Boyle.

I gave you the link to the full clip, but when I read the Crunchy Cons article on Susan Tuesday night, the site I originally saw it on had 2 million views. When I showed it to Mr. D the next day, it had 8 million views, yesterday afternoon when Nikki, Beth, Tim, and I watched it, it was at 12 million views, and it currently has almost 19 million views.

Why I Watch Fox News

What idiotic "reporting". And, just who was being harrassed? The reporter, who kept interrupting the guy or the guy trying to answer and Fox News?