2960 Family Man Librarian comments

on the world of evil he sees around him, including the killing of children:

"I haven’t felt this way — highly concerned and anxious about the state of affairs around me — since September 11, 2001. I know who is the author and promoter of evil: Satan. I know that his power is great and that his weapons include fear, doubt, and destruction. But I also know that his power is in no way comparable to God's; that his efforts are ultimately fruitless; that the only sure thing I have in this world is the promise that God will never leave me or forsake me. Jesus said to his followers: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)" Family Man Librarian

2959 What's a Democrat to do?

Campaign issues are tough. The Democrats have no plan--not just for Iraq, but for anything. 1) The economy is going great guns, 2) The Dow nears 12000, 3) unemployment is very low--even older workers are in demand, 4) gasoline prices are down--they were below $2 here in Ohio last week, 5) there have been no new terrorist attacks on our soil--they seem to be killing only Muslims, 6) the Jew-baiting hasn't been successful and Joe Leiberman is pulling ahead. So what's left? Go after the gays! That's novel. It's never been tried in the time I've been following politics for a work-up to an impeachment.

Here in Ohio Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy is running against Republican incumbant Deborah Pryce. The ads have been negative all along, but Pryce's haven't been Miss Nicey-Nice either reporting how incompetent Kilroy has been in previous low level, local jobs. However, now Kilroy is accusing Pryce of being friends with Mark Foley! Even best friends. Now we all know, that if we have gay friends we're supposed to know what they are doing with their private sex life, right?

All Kilroy is trying to do is keep Republicans from showing up at the polls. I'm betting she even can say, "some of my best friends are gay," and keep a straight face. I don't know a single Republican who doesn't have a gay friend or gay relative, which may come as a shock to her ad agency, so this simply looks like gay bashing. John Kerry looked stupid when he did it, and so does Mary Jo Kilroy.

Mary Jo Kilroy
Mark Foley
negative campaigning
Democrat campaigns

2958 Friday Family Photo

Isn't this the most magnificent woodwork? It is called "pumpkin pine" and was used throughout my grandparents' home in Franklin Grove, IL. It is the heart wood from old growth white pine, so is extinct, I think. When I was a little girl, it had darkened, or may have even been stained dark, but my mother refinished every square inch in the house in the late 1960s. In fact, because she did it all by hand, she developed carpal tunnel and had surgery on her wrists. At one time there was a huge left over board in the garage--boards that width just don't exist anymore for pine.
My grandparents were lured back to Illinois from Kansas around 1908 with this farm (my interpretation) to help her father, then in his 80s. She was the only survivor of their four children, her oldest brother having recently died of blood poisoning from an injury on his farm near Ashton. The farm house was pieced together from a small house ca. 1850s, and a larger early 1900's style. Grandma completely remodeled it, adding this gracious dining room with a bedroom and balcony above it where she had hanging plants and flowers.

The photo was taken in July 1987 at an impromptu family picnic with a bunch of cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents and siblings from both sides of my family, some meeting for the first time and probably last time. For over a decade, Mother had used the house as a retreat center for church groups and family reunions, but by 1987, my niece was renting it from her and that very happy period of Mom's life was over.

Mother is the little one on the left--all the furniture you see--the oak dining room table and chairs, and the birch kitchen chairs--was refinished and recaned by her in the 1960s. Next to her is my father's cousin Sharon, her daughter Christie, then my sister and me. I think we had about 20 people at the picnic--played badminton, croquet and enjoyed the beautiful scenery, which might just look like soy beans, corn, towering pine trees and acres of blue sky to the rest of you, but looks like home to me.

HT to my niece Amy, who gave me this photo, languishing in the attic of the farm house for years.

2957 High tech, high touch

That's an old 80s expression for people who worked on computers all day then went home to eat tofu and quilt by the light of homemade candles. While I was on the road in California and Illinois, two new stores opened, side by side, near my home. Stitching Post Super Store and a Sunflower Market. Sunflower was very pleasant and had many nice items, but I think it is higher priced than Trader Joe's, but I'll definitely run in there from time to time just because it is so close. Stitching Post is amazing, but I think it is basically a store to sell robotic sewing machines with tiny human brains. There was one doing some fancy embroidery all by itself as I walked by. The store also has huge classroom all set up with cutting tables, machines, pressing stations, etc., and a large floor area devoted to cutting and sewing tables. I used to sew. . .

Story of this dress is at my pattern blog.

sewing machines, Crafts, organic produce, high tech high touch, Trader Joe's

2956 Checking the triggers

On September 28 I wrote a Thursday Thirteen on my food triggers, those items or events that make me hungry. I've done pretty good. By paying attention to this list and walking more, I've dropped 5 lbs., which could come back in a flash I'm sure with the first pizza. We were with family and friends this week, so that is a huge test. One day my niece brought over pumpkin donuts. OH my! One of my favorites. But I resisted.

When we went out to eat at Maxon's to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday (actually today), I ordered a Chef's salad--the only time I've ever seen sliced processed cheese on a bed of lettuce. Need I say more? I did eat a few low-cal desserts, one stale saltine, and sprinkled some salt on a few rice cakes she had in the cupboard (without the salt they taste like fresh wall board). Monday and Tuesday we had great weather, so I walked 3 or 4 miles each day. On Tuesday I had a breakfast date with a high school friend, so we walked in the park, then stopped at a restaurant and she had coffee and I had water. No use getting the taste of pancakes in my mouth. But I did leave a tip--the waitress doesn't need to suffer too.

Driving home yesterday I did discover that McDonald's has a fruit cup with yogurt which comes with a low cal granola sprinkle. It was really pretty good, strawberries and blueberries. And the price was right--$1.00. Not exactly the yummy sausage biscuit I usually get on long trips, but a nice treat.

Friday is my indiscretion day--we go out to eat with friends, and I get my Philly-cheese sandwich with french fries and a glass of wine. I'll dream about it all day! The sandwich is so huge I bring 1/2 home--but now I let my husband have it for Saturday lunch instead of enjoying it twice.

2955 Happy Birthday, Jerry Rice

Two "old" Jerrys have made it this far in Dancing with the Stars, Jerry Rice, and Jerry Springer. Rice is a decent dancer--probably his 15 years of running around and dodging other big guys on the football field. Springer is a talking clown, but his performance on Tuesday night pleased even the judges, who consistently rated him low. Because he has a lot of fans, his audience votes pull him through.

"Wide receiver Jerry Rice is the National Football League's all-time leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Rice played college ball at Mississippi Valley State, where he caught 310 passes for 4,856 yards and 51 touchdowns in 42 games. He began his professional career in 1985 when he was picked 16th in the first round of the draft by the San Francisco 49ers. With the 49ers he became one of the NFL's biggest stars, catching pass after pass from quarterback Joe Montana and then from Montana's successor, Steve Young. Rice played for the 49ers from 1985-2000, winning Super Bowls in 1989, 1990 and 1995. He later played for the Oakland Raiders (2001-2004) and the Seattle Seahawks (2004). . . Rice is credited with 38 different NFL records, including career totals of 1,549 receptions, 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns." From Answers.com.

Jerry Rice
Jerry Springer
Dancing with the Stars

No Thursday Thirteen this week

We're heading back to Columbus, so I don't have time to write a 13 (we'll be 9.5 hours in the car and then off to a meeting at church right after we get home). Actually, I did write one about the 13 people (10 relatives, 3 friends) I saw this week, but it looked a bit silly, since you don't know them. I deleted it. So I'll try to come up with something next Thursday. Have a good week.

2953 Freedom of thought control

Isn't this odd. Kooky I hope. Is "global warming" science so fragile, so insecure that it can't stand a little competition? I can be an advocate for saving trees and a proponent for safe and abundant water without believing puny human beings are changing the ever changing climate cycle. But some folks are just threatened by the idea that human beings aren't the end-all, be-all of the universe.

"A U.S. based environmental magazine that both former Vice President Al Gore and PBS newsman Bill Moyers, for his October 11th global warming edition of “Moyers on America” titled “Is God Green?” have deemed respectable enough to grant one-on-one interviews to promote their projects, is now advocating Nuremberg-style war crimes trials for skeptics of human caused catastrophic global warming. Grist Magazine’s staff writer David Roberts called for the Nuremberg-style trials for the “bastards” who were members of what he termed the global warming “denial industry.”

Roberts wrote in the online publication on September 19, 2006, "When we've finally gotten serious about global warming, when the impacts are really hitting us and we're in a full worldwide scramble to minimize the damage, we should have war crimes trials for these bastards -- some sort of climate Nuremberg.” Read full account here. It will supply links.

Hat tip Amy

2952 Not Cheap

No wonder so many people depend on the internet to do genealogy. Yesterday I went to the court house and got copies with the official stamp of 8 birth certificates, 3 death certificates and one marriage license, and it cost $97! Wow. I had no idea. We went in the wrong building first, made some inquiries about genealogy, and were ushered into a small room with a film reader. But when I said I wanted birth certificates she said I had to go to the "county building" (I thought I was there), that she had only the criminal stuff! So I must have looked like someone checking out the skeletons in the closets. We said we didn't think we'd find any relatives in her department and went across the street.

I think everyone around here goes to Rockford or Freeport (different counties) to die, so the sources were limited, which is probably good considering how much I had to pay.

2951 A brief genealogy trip

We're here in the county seat this week, so we plan to take a trip to the court house and see what relatives we can dig up. I'm not sure what resources are here, but I think getting all your information from the internet probably isn't the best way to do it.

Had a nice long walk at a park in Mt. Morris today with a high school friend. The weather has changed and it is quite nippy today. We got a lot of nice autumn photographs yesterday when the sun was out. My niece and great-niece came by today bringing pumpkin donuts for tea time, and my brother came for dinner last night. We visited my aunt Muriel in Mt. Morris yesterday. She will be 90 soon but looks good.

Tiny Library

I think I'm in the country's smallest public library--in Oregon, Il. May add some photos later. The sign says I must register at the desk. Good old fashioned library rules. Gotta love 'em.

Updated October 14:

Oregon, IL Public Library

The building is on the historic register which is probably working against getting a larger facility for a thriving small town.

Monday Memories

For some reason, when I was in my 20s I thought a home wasn't complete without a piano. We bought our second home (keeping the first as a rental) in 1965 when I was a graduate student in library science at the University of Illinois, and I was spending my graduate stipend making payments on a piano! I didn't even play--had stopped taking lessons in grade school. After I bought it, my husband and I both took piano lessons from a grad student, but very briefly. I think we must have broken the poor girl's heart, we were so bad.


Our son could play piano by ear and even did a little composing, and our daughter took lessons in elementary school. When I stopped lessons around age 10 or 11, I just rarely played, but after she quit, she would play the piano almost every evening after supper for an hour or so for her own enjoyment. I was careful not to tell her how much I loved it, because you know how teens are! When she would come to visit (with her laundry) after she had her own apartment, she always spent time playing the piano. After she bought a house in 1996, I gave her the piano. And now it is just as lonesome and quiet in her house as it was in ours.

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2948 We've arrived

We rolled into Oregon about 1:30 p.m. and worked our way through streets jammed with cars for the "Autumn on parade." I'm not sure how strangers get through not knowing the streets and detours, but we finally made it to my sister's house on the other edge of town. We unpacked a few items, then went back to watch the parade, which seemed to be about 2 hours long.

The craft booths, as I understand it, are all by people from Ogle County, and we saw some wonderful items and great food (too bad, since I'm watching that). We would have stayed longer, however, there was a drill team from Chicago in the parade with amplified, canned music (no instruments that I could see). They were so loud that I could feel the vibrations through the sidewalks even a block away. We finally had to leave the area to get away from them. I think it is a form of child abuse to subject teenagers to that level of decibels, which must be like standing next to a jet plane holding a chain saw if you are in the group!

Later my Uncle Gene and Aunt Betty stopped by for a visit. Always good to see them. He is the next to youngest of my Dad's siblings. This week, I have some friends and relatives to see, but each time I come, there are fewer and fewer people I know.

I'm using a borrowed machine--can't find a spell check, so will just have to trust my instincts.

2947 Gitmo prisoners getting fat and well read

The detainees at Guantanomo Bay have access to a nice Arabic language library according to ABC News (HT Conservator):

"Nonfiction particularly philosophy, biographies and Arabic history is most popular, the librarians say. But fiction is also big. Popular authors include Khalil Gibran, a Lebanese-American; Agatha Christie; and J.K. Rowling, who penned the Harry Potter series about an English wizard in training.

The detainees are avid readers, according to the librarians. With detainees largely confined to cramped cells most of the day, reading provides an outlet and can help take their minds off the prospect that they may be jailed for years or even the rest of their lives with no trial."

But they are also getting fat because they can choose from a selection of about 4200 calories, one guy blimping up to 410. They get special cuisine and meals for holy days. The defenders will complain about lack of exercise, but we all know what taking in too many calories will do. And they can't even blame McDonald's or the fast food industry. They are choosing to over eat. What other bad Western habits are they absorbing?

"Most of the prisoners at Guantanamo picked up in Afghanistan and other conflict zones were slightly underweight when they arrived. Since then, they've gained an average of 20 pounds, and most are now"normal to mildly overweight or mildly obese,"according to the most recent measurements, he said.

The meals include meats prepared according to Islamic guidelines, along with fresh bread, vegetables and yogurt. With nearly all detainees fasting in the daytime during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, authorities have arranged for a post-sunset meal and a midnight meal. Traditional desserts and honey also are served during the Ramadan observances."

Guantanamo Bay
Terrorists
Muslims
libraries

2946 We're back

My blog has been displaying a blank page; have no idea why, but that's certainly scary. I periodically save my template as a text file, but I'm not sure I'd know how to reload it if I had to. I've made a bazillion changes in it over the years, some of which I don't know how to undo.

But actually, we're leaving again. First to Lake Erie, then to Illinois. I never know if I'll be able to log in somewhere. Maybe the library in Oregon (IL) has Wi-Fi. Oregon is having its "Autumn on Parade"--not sure we'll see much of it except for the traffic jam. Fall events are nice. There's one at Lakeside and Marblehead next week-end too, but we'll miss that.

"AUTUMN ON PARADE
Corner of Rt 64 & Rt 2, Oregon
Autumn is celebrated with enthusiasm in Oregon, Illinois at the annual Autumn on Parade (AOP) festival. Autumn on Parade features a Farmer's Market, with homemade items from over 100 vendors, plenty of live entertainment, a variety of food, and the ever popular Harvest Time Parade held on Sunday afternoon. Most of the activities and vendors will be found at the Ogle County Courthouse Square located at the corner of Ill. 64 and Ill. 2 in downtown Oregon." Oregon site

2945 Ross has been Rathered

So a blogger got the identity of the 21 year old former Congressional page (who was 18 at the time of the IM exchange with Foley) from the ABC servers which kept it available for 5 days. Hmmm. And the former page has hired a lawyer. Do you suppose he'll go after a penniless blogger or a deep pockets network television station for ruining his career? (He's working for an Oklahoman pol.) Hmmmm?

And the media and Democrats and even Republicans running for cover are still calling Foley's behavior "sick," even though it was with a consenting adult. What is this? Bash the nearest gay week?

Now that Hastert has brought in the big guns "for a thorough investigation," and we've found out the identity of the page who blew the whistle, and that some of the pages who knew Foley was gay were egging him on as a joke, I have this observation:

We wasted months on the Clinton sex scandal which probably did distract him from protecting the country--not his encounter with an intern, but the mess Republicans made of it trying to impeach him. Let's not tie up our very expensive talent in Washington with another consenting adults picadillo.

Only the lawyers are laughing. All the way to the bank.

Brian Ross
Dan Rather
Mark Foley
Dennis Hastert

Thursday Thirteen

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Thirteen things about the Thursday Thirteen I deleted.
1) I started working on it several days ago.
2) When I saved it in draft, I changed the date and time to read Oct. 5, 8:15.
3) Began polishing it yesterday afternoon.
4) Went to Google and found just the right photograph to illustrate it.
5) Brought up the photo, and for once was able to get the words "Thursday Thirteen" in the right size and color just where I wanted it, first try.
6) Decided it was sort of lengthy, so I cut one entire introductory paragraph.
7) At 6 p.m. Columbus had a huge storm with tornado warnings.
8) We talked to both of our kids twice.
9) Our daughter who lives a few miles west of us had baseball size hail in her yard.
10) Then it hit here.
11) To be really cautious and not lose my work, I turned off the computer, and watched that TV show about people who disappear on TNT.
12) When I rebooted after the storm, my carefully crafted TT really didn't look that great.
13) So I hit the delete key and went to bed.

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2943 Democrats are circulating a list

of gay Republican staffers. Nice touch. The magnanimous supporters of gay and lesbian rights, the folks pushing gay marriage legislation, seem to be saying there should be no gay Republicans, or that before a Republican hires a staffer, he much check into his or her sexual preference. Or maybe they'd prefer no gays at all in the government if it would bring down Bush?

"It would seem that if you can't win an election on the issues, you win it on outing the gay members of the opposite party. Color me not surprised. Politics as pure perversion. If the moderates of this country have come to believe that the Republicans are "capable of anything," just wait until they get a load of what the New! Improved! and Even More Degenerate Democrats can do." American Digest

The motive, of course, is to win congressional seats so they can impeach Bush. But does the gay community want to take the fall for this?

Here's what Gay Patriot has to say to Mr. Corn (the liberal with the list):

"Did it ever occur to Mr. Corn that the representatives and Senators he mentions that may or may not have gay staffers do not care about their sexual orientation yet value their participation as public servants? Is it not rational that you can hire a gay staffer, but at the same time oppose PUBLIC POLICY POSITIONS that you are morally or philosophically opposed to without being labeled a homophobe?

Perhaps Mr. Corn is ignoring the fact that most gay conservatives identify more strongly in our American Identity than our Gay Identity. Did that ever cross your mind, Mr. Corn? Probably not since you seem to have had no problem outing a CIA agent and then letting others take the fall for your actions." Gay Patriot on the Democrats' Witchhunt(Just an idiomatic expression for burning at the stake--I have a Witch who comments here)

Remember when John Kerry decided to "out" Dick Cheney's daughter--he personally doesn't care I'm sure, but he wanted to divide and conquer the Republicans so he threw her overboard. I see a pattern of gay intimidation here.

Mark Foley
Democratic Party

2942 Homophobia in Washington

Sometimes "homophobia" is just disgust by non-homosexuals; sometimes it is throwing your natural gay allies over the side of the boat for the sharks for political gain; and sometimes it is hate by fellow gays for homosexuals who pretend to be something else. All this and more is going on in the Halls of Congress and the Closets of the DNC and GOP.

I find it interesting and disgusting that a U.S. Congressman who happens to be a Republican, gets more press inches and words on cable and network news and pixels on blogs for his perverted Instant Messages than a heterosexual pervert who planned to tie up and rape little girls, but instead murdered them. If the little girls hadn't been Amish so that half of the story could be a popular culture rehash about the quaint Amish custom of forgiving enemies, that story would have been even smaller. If the pervert had gone after little boys, it might have been a match for the Foley story for a day or two. But girls and women are assaulted, raped, fondled and receive attention from "dirty old men" in positions of authority and power every minute of the day, and the press just looks the other way; as does Congress. (Unless it happens in Aruba.)

And even though the age of consent is 16 in DC, and the "children" were mature teens considered the best and brightest, able to live away from home in a sexual cesspool of political intrigue, and so far there is no evidence of kiddie porn being sent, groping, touching, fondling or oral sex with a subordinate, the Democrats continue with their phony outrage and real outing. They want every Republican who knew to resign.

Buried in the stories, usually at the bottom where stuff like this belongs, is the information that there's quite a political in-crowd of influential gays in DC whose loyalty transcends party. Sort of a bi-partisan, bi-sexual, buy-me-for-information-or-sex sort of club. Maybe it's not as dicey as the Barney Franks' lover running a gay sex-for-sale house, or Congressman Studds and his young page lover getting a wrist slap. But they are protecting each other, and obviously were protecting Mark Foley from harm. The Democrats, in hopes of disgusting the conservative base, have "outed" the whole smarmy mess.

So who are the real homophobes?

Update: I heard an interview this morning with the guy who took the Instant Messages off AOL and figured out who MAF54 was and who the page was, then tracked him to MySpace. At the time of the IMs, he was 18 and no longer a page and living in Oklahoma. Hmmm. Have they outed all these folks for consensual sex between gays?

2941 Old Aprons

Last November I started a memory blog using an old apron as my idea to jog my memory. Now here's a really cute apron blog. I think the whole blog's about this and using thrift store items for decorating. She's really good at using the colors and themes. The 40s and 50s colors, fabrics and dishes look a lot better in the 21st century than they did in the 20th!