I don't think so. Telling people only what they want to hear can make a weak person weaker. A strong friend will be truthful -- even if that means saying something that isn't popular or easy to hear.
And here is a little gripe I have lately --
If you truly want advice, then accept what is offered to you, thank those who offer it and move on. If you would rather just state what you think so that others will agree with you and and give you kudos for a job well done, then fine. Say so. Don't disguise it as a looking for advice.
It seems like there are so many people who think
What should I do? = Tell me what I already did was right.
End of gripe session today.
:)
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Am I weird?
There seems to be fascination with Ninjas and Pirates. The obsession has even filtered into my favorite online game, Pack Rat.
Well, I hate Ninjas and Pirates.
What's wrong with me?
Well, I hate Ninjas and Pirates.
What's wrong with me?
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Always time for a good giggle...
One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Spencer standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque.
It was covered with names and small American flags mounted on either side of it.
The six-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy.
And said quietly, 'Good morning Spence.'
'Good morning Pastor,' he replied, still focused on the plaque. 'Pastor, what is this? '
The pastor said, 'Well son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.'
Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque.
Finally, little Spencer's voice, barely audible and trembling with fear asked,
Which service, the 8:30 or the 10:30?
It was covered with names and small American flags mounted on either side of it.
The six-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy.
And said quietly, 'Good morning Spence.'
'Good morning Pastor,' he replied, still focused on the plaque. 'Pastor, what is this? '
The pastor said, 'Well son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.'
Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque.
Finally, little Spencer's voice, barely audible and trembling with fear asked,
Which service, the 8:30 or the 10:30?
Friday, October 3, 2008
An Overdue Update on Janey and the 504 Plan
After a series of meetings, Janey's 504 Plan is in place at the Middle School. She is doing great! Her grades are excellent and more importantly, she is proud of the work she is doing and the progress she has made. Jeff and I are so proud of her!
The process of finding her disability and then getting the appropriate accommodations in place for her is a journey that has been difficult and rewarding.
Here is what I have learned:
1. If you suspect that your child may have a learning disability or a behavior disorder have them tested. You cannot help them if you don't know what exactly is wrong.
2. Parents who have children with ADHD or any other disability need to get all of the information they can about their children's rights on their own. Do not depend on the doctors of the schools to give it to you -- they won't.
3. Don't be afraid to stand up and be an advocate for your child. The school officials like to portray themselves as experts (which some of them are) but the ONLY expert on YOUR CHILD is YOU.
4. Don't be intimidated by titles like Principal or Superintendent. Their titles don't make it alright for them to be rude or disrespectful. Remember who pays their salaries.
5. Keep records. Write everything down.
6. Don't be afraid to ask for help. You never know who might have some valuable advice!
7. Don't underestimate the power of your support for your child. Janey has shown us a side of herself that we didn't know was there. She is stronger, more confident and self assured because she knows that we have her back no matter what. That doesn't mean she can slack off -- she's tried that! It means that we believe in her and she continues to prove to us that we are right to do so!
Thanks to all that have helped us with this process. Your support and advice have been so wonderful.
The process of finding her disability and then getting the appropriate accommodations in place for her is a journey that has been difficult and rewarding.
Here is what I have learned:
1. If you suspect that your child may have a learning disability or a behavior disorder have them tested. You cannot help them if you don't know what exactly is wrong.
2. Parents who have children with ADHD or any other disability need to get all of the information they can about their children's rights on their own. Do not depend on the doctors of the schools to give it to you -- they won't.
3. Don't be afraid to stand up and be an advocate for your child. The school officials like to portray themselves as experts (which some of them are) but the ONLY expert on YOUR CHILD is YOU.
4. Don't be intimidated by titles like Principal or Superintendent. Their titles don't make it alright for them to be rude or disrespectful. Remember who pays their salaries.
5. Keep records. Write everything down.
6. Don't be afraid to ask for help. You never know who might have some valuable advice!
7. Don't underestimate the power of your support for your child. Janey has shown us a side of herself that we didn't know was there. She is stronger, more confident and self assured because she knows that we have her back no matter what. That doesn't mean she can slack off -- she's tried that! It means that we believe in her and she continues to prove to us that we are right to do so!
Thanks to all that have helped us with this process. Your support and advice have been so wonderful.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Dave Ramsey - The Common Sense Fix
Years of bad decisions and stupid mistakes have created an economic nightmare in this country, but $700 billion in new debt is not the answer. As a tax-paying American citizen,I will not support any congressperson who votes to implement such a policy. Instead, I submit the following three step Common Sense Plan.
I. INSURANCE
a. Insure the subprime bonds/mortgages with an underlying FHA-type insurance.
Government-insured and backed loans would have an instant market all over the
world, creating immediate and needed liquidity.
b. In order for a company to accept the government-backed insurance, they must do two things:
1. Rewrite any mortgage that is more than three months delinquent to a
6% fixed-rate mortgage.
a. Roll all back payments with no late fees or legal costs into the
balance. This brings homeowners current and allows them a
chance to keep their homes.
b. Cancel all prepayment penalties to encourage refinancing or
the sale of the property to pay off the bad loan. In the event of
foreclosure or short sale, the borrower will not be held liable
for any deficit balance. FHA does this now, and that
encourages mortgage companies to go the extra mile while
working with the borrower—again limiting foreclosures and
ruined lives.
2. Cancel ALL golden parachutes of EXISTING and FUTURE CEOs and
executive team members as long as the company holds these
government-insured bonds/mortgages. This keeps underperforming
executives from being paid when they don’t do their jobs.
c. This backstop will cost less than $50 billion—a small fraction of the current proposal.
II. MARK TO MARKET
a. Remove mark to market accounting rules for two years on only subprime Tier III
bonds/mortgages. This keeps companies from being forced to artificially mark down bonds/mortgages below the value of the underlying mortgages and real estate.
b. This move creates patience in the market and has an immediate stabilizing effect on failing and ailing banks—and it costs the taxpayer nothing.
III. CAPITAL GAINS TAX
a. Remove the capital gains tax completely. Investors will flood the real estate and stock market in search of tax-free profits, creating tremendous—and immediate—liquidity in the markets. Again, this costs the taxpayer nothing.
b. This move will be seen as a lightning rod politically because many will say it is helping the rich. The truth is the rich will benefit, but it will be their money that stimulates the economy. This will enable all Americans to have more stable jobs and retirement investments that go up instead of down.
This is not a time for envy, and it’s not a time for politics. It’s time for all of us, as Americans, to stand up, speak out, and fix this mess.
** Jeff and I have been Dave Ramsey fans for a while now and we both have forwarded this plan to our Congressmen and Senators. For moth info on Dave Ramsey and his philosophy, visit http://www.daveramsey.com/
I. INSURANCE
a. Insure the subprime bonds/mortgages with an underlying FHA-type insurance.
Government-insured and backed loans would have an instant market all over the
world, creating immediate and needed liquidity.
b. In order for a company to accept the government-backed insurance, they must do two things:
1. Rewrite any mortgage that is more than three months delinquent to a
6% fixed-rate mortgage.
a. Roll all back payments with no late fees or legal costs into the
balance. This brings homeowners current and allows them a
chance to keep their homes.
b. Cancel all prepayment penalties to encourage refinancing or
the sale of the property to pay off the bad loan. In the event of
foreclosure or short sale, the borrower will not be held liable
for any deficit balance. FHA does this now, and that
encourages mortgage companies to go the extra mile while
working with the borrower—again limiting foreclosures and
ruined lives.
2. Cancel ALL golden parachutes of EXISTING and FUTURE CEOs and
executive team members as long as the company holds these
government-insured bonds/mortgages. This keeps underperforming
executives from being paid when they don’t do their jobs.
c. This backstop will cost less than $50 billion—a small fraction of the current proposal.
II. MARK TO MARKET
a. Remove mark to market accounting rules for two years on only subprime Tier III
bonds/mortgages. This keeps companies from being forced to artificially mark down bonds/mortgages below the value of the underlying mortgages and real estate.
b. This move creates patience in the market and has an immediate stabilizing effect on failing and ailing banks—and it costs the taxpayer nothing.
III. CAPITAL GAINS TAX
a. Remove the capital gains tax completely. Investors will flood the real estate and stock market in search of tax-free profits, creating tremendous—and immediate—liquidity in the markets. Again, this costs the taxpayer nothing.
b. This move will be seen as a lightning rod politically because many will say it is helping the rich. The truth is the rich will benefit, but it will be their money that stimulates the economy. This will enable all Americans to have more stable jobs and retirement investments that go up instead of down.
This is not a time for envy, and it’s not a time for politics. It’s time for all of us, as Americans, to stand up, speak out, and fix this mess.
** Jeff and I have been Dave Ramsey fans for a while now and we both have forwarded this plan to our Congressmen and Senators. For moth info on Dave Ramsey and his philosophy, visit http://www.daveramsey.com/
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
So almost 12 years ago...
Jeff and I got married. And then it seems like the next day he went on the road and hasn't really been home on a regular basis since. Well, now he is. He leaves for work anytime between 3 and 5 in the morning and gets home between 2 and 4 in the afternoon.
I have to say, this is a change in our lives that really made me nervous. We haven't lived together like this -- ever. He's home for dinner every night. He's home over the weekends. Can I deal with that? Initially, it sounds wonderful, but actually, after forcing myself to deal with basically being a single parent for years I was really nervous about having him around so much.
Well, I'm so happy to report that the transition has gone beautifully! The whole family has really gotten along well with this positive, but yet still stressful change. It's been so wonderful to have Jeff's help with parenting and cooking. He's had a lot more time for his music and Greenstreet (his band.) He even takes Joey to Cub Scouts!
I have always loved Jeff. From our first date I knew that he was the one for me. But over years of being apart so much I have trained myself to get along with seeing him in small doses. Less than 48 hours at a time. Our time together was so short that we had to focus on the needs. He needs to spend time with the kids. He needs to mow the lawn. He needs to change the oil on the car. And on, and on. When so many needs have to be met in such a short time, it doesn't leave much time for fun stuff.
I had forgotten how much fun he is to be around. We are having such a great time just doing stuff together. Shopping, walking the dogs, even cleaning up around the house. It's so neat to have him here!
Monday, September 29, 2008
The Family Curse
Migraines.
My Mom has suffered with Migraines for her entire life. They put her in bed for at least a day at a time. She can't look at the light, sounds ring in her head, nausea takes over. She has tried all kinds of meds, home remedies, chiropractic care, acupuncture, reflexology -- you name it. Nothing has ever really done the trick every time.
Last February, I experienced my first Migraine. I was in tears from the pain. and then the nausea kicked in. Wow. Since then I have had a couple more - one of them put me in the ER.
Now it looks like Joey has the same issue. He's so young, but his headaches seem to be so intense and all of the Migraine symptoms are there as well (sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, severe pain.)
Yet another thing for me to feel guilty about.
My Mom has suffered with Migraines for her entire life. They put her in bed for at least a day at a time. She can't look at the light, sounds ring in her head, nausea takes over. She has tried all kinds of meds, home remedies, chiropractic care, acupuncture, reflexology -- you name it. Nothing has ever really done the trick every time.
Last February, I experienced my first Migraine. I was in tears from the pain. and then the nausea kicked in. Wow. Since then I have had a couple more - one of them put me in the ER.
Now it looks like Joey has the same issue. He's so young, but his headaches seem to be so intense and all of the Migraine symptoms are there as well (sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, severe pain.)
Yet another thing for me to feel guilty about.
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