A gift in disguise

I just read that "This economic downturn is providing a gift in disguise for many young people. They’re learning that success has to be earned. Buying on credit isn’t free money, and a government that promises you everything will eventually come knocking at your door to pay the bill."

I thank my husband for caring enough to teach me to pay off my credit cards monthly, to retire the mortgage as soon as possible, to save for a rainy day and to only buy what I can afford. We tried to teach these lessons to our children. If they listened, they will probably make it through this deep recession far easier than those who overused credit cards and accumulated debt.

Our Great Adventure Begins

As of Tuesday, April 21, we became renters of the home in which we have lived for over 14 years. In less than two months, we will be on our way to Florida for a 180 degree environmental change.

March 22, Arne and I flew to Orlando and then spent a week at The Villages picking out what we wanted in our new home. It was a rather stressful week as so many things had changed since we picked things out last July. We were able to keep the lot we had picked out and are building the same model, minus a few things such as solar tubes, sound system, gas appliances and bird cage. We’ve been told there are few bugs in The Villages but EVERY home has a SCREENED-IN lanai (patio)...to keep out the geckos and patio stays cleaner. Yeah, right!!

For those who aren't sure where The Villages are located, here's a map. Look for the red star. Below the map are pictures of progress on our new home.

What a hike!

Saturday, February 28, began with a 7+ mile hike with Marla and 3 other friends. While we all vowed we'd never take this rugged hike again, I for one am certainly glad we did it. At the highest point, one of the gals noticed fresh mountain lion prints. A bit further and this same gal, perhaps a former Girl Scout??, told us that unpleasant smell was the cat spraying us. Not a comforting thought with safety so far away. And we had been concerned about being bitten by a rattlesnake. I'd rather deal with a snake than a mountain lion!

These pictures, taken by sister Marla, show the beauty of the area...Elephant Mountain trail in Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area north of Cave Creek, AZ. One picture was found on the Net by Marla. Guess which one. :-)





Could this cat be related to a kangaroo?



Above: Elephant Mountain did indeed look like an elephant as we got closer.

Where is this Country Headed??

It's been a quite a week for America. On Tuesday, President Obama signed the largest spending package in the history of this country. Yesterday, he was in Mesa, AZ, touting his $75 Billion mortgage package. I really feel for my grandchildren as they will be saddled with all of this debt.

Super Bowl Sunday!

What a day it was! We were invited to the home of our oldest grandson, Aaron, whom I had never met. Aaron was given up for adoption at birth as Lisa was in college and unable to give him the life she wished for him. We met Gary and Karen, who raised Aaron. He is their son and we are pleased that they chose to invite us to meet them. As soon as we arrived, Gary was there to greet us and then came Aaron. He gave a BIG hug to Lisa and then to me. Tears came to my eyes as I remembered those three days in November 1984 when Lisa and I held him at the hospital. It had been VERY hard to give him up and a phone call to Arne for support was needed as we were ready to keep him. Gary and Karen are wonderful people and Lisa did an excellent job in selecting them to raise her son.




The game was very exciting. While we were disappointed that our Cardinals lost, they made us proud and it was a great game. The final score was 27-23. There were MANY, MANY flags so the officials had a definite part in this game. No comment as to which side I thought they favored. :-)

A New President

I watched with pride yesterday as America peacefully moved from President 43 to 44. George W. Bush quietly slipped out of Washington after Barack H. Obama was sworn in as the new leader of the free world. I watched TV off and on all day and my favorite part was the Inaugural Balls. President Obama is a very sexy dancer. I felt sorry for the First Lady. She had on a beautiful dress but it had a train and didn't allow her to "move out." I'm sure we'll see more pictures of them dancing at different functions over the next four years.

Over a million people crowded the Washington Mall to witness the swearing in of our first "black" President. I find it ironic that he is actually half white and half black, a melding of the two races. I pray that he can truly change discourse in the country and bring us all together. President Obama talked about responsibility, which is on my list, along with shame and common sense.

One concern I have is that racism is still alive and not so much in the white community but among blacks. Rev. Lowery gave the benediction and I found the last paragraph offensive. "Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back . . . when brown can stick around . . . when yellow will be mellow . . . when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. ..." What does Rev. Lowery mean by "...when white will embrace what is right..."? Obama would not have been elected without millions of white voters.

Jack is Back!!

One of my favorite television shows, 24, is back after the writers' strike wiped out the '08 season. The hero, Jack Bauer, is played by Keifer Sutherland.

Because of the "real-time" storytelling approach to 24, and the series' willingness to directly address the threat of terrorism, the implementation of torture as a way to acquire information and the use and misuse of government authority, the series has generated a sizable critical reaction, both positive and negative. The series and the main character, Jack Bauer, have been accused of promoting the use of excessive violence and torture in the minds of the voting public, in part to support the policies of the current federal government. Slate magazine commented that the United States' torture policy has deeper roots in 24 than in the U.S. Constitution.