[My] Life in Wisconsin

Ø Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience. (Just another paraprosdokian sentence). XOXO, Me *hehehe

You Think You Work? My Tribute to a Wonderful Working Mom...



Good Morning Everyone;
I received this beautiful letter in my email last week.
In my book this family is Family of the Year! Any year. Every year.


Read this.  Then tell me your definition of work...

May Kristin forgive me...

***** Here is the letter I received, -edited for personal content-

Good Morning!
6:45am-
Kids in bean bags chairs, drinking chocolate milk, watching Little Einstein's.
I have a few minutes to touch base with you all.

Hard to believe summer is almost gone!
Not sure where it all went?  
We had a productive summer-  And I have been busy doing mom "stuff"-
Just trying to keep it all controlled chaos.

Kids start school Wednesday -the 1st of September. (My G-A-K squad had 4 weeks of prep for 4-year-old kindergarten).
It will be odd as it has been a LOOOONG time since I have not had "my" kids home for a few hours during the day.

Sean took Drivers Ed, & now has his temps! He will be able to get licensed in December. Hard for me to believe he will be 16 next week, & a Junior in HS this year! Of course he is bigger than mom, & looks manly. Not a little boy anymore.
I remember him, my little towhead, tagging the big kids around.  2 more years & he will be an adult  WOW! 
HS soccer has started already- One tourney done & regulation games have started.
I will be driver till Seth gets his license as his ride graduated; & so will be a bit of running for me this year.
We love Ashwaubenon school so far & don't regret our decision to school-choice the kids.

We did plant a garden-
Each child got to pick one variety of seed & watch it grow- 
BUT the pumpkins kind of took over the entire garden.
We have 2 large, already orange, pumpkins!

Our favorite is our BUTT pumpkin! (See top picture).
It grew through the chain link fence, & it looks like it is someone bending over!

We have not picked much- a few cukes & tomatoes, beans and carrots too. My raspberries didn't fare so hot. But it was fun to see a garden through little ones eyes again. 

Gabe's room got a new floor; & he chose blue for his wall color. Did a hard flooring in there too, wood look, (couldn't afford the real stuff), but 200% better than the old carpet!
Only one problem with that. Steve left
(brown) trim paint in there; & Gabe decided to paint the walls with it. So we still have a bit of "finish" work in there. 

We replaced our dinosaur fridge (at least 20 years old)! It gave off more heat than the AC could compensate for! LOL  

And our couches looked nice, but went to the curb. You couldn't get out of them. (Felt like Tim Conway on the old Carol Burnett show)!  You would either have to have someone pull you out, or make numerous attempts.

We had our mini-vacation; including one to one the many soccer tourneys we had for summer league.

We did our family camp and had a great time, in spite of a wicked storm one night.

10 kids in & out for foster care. [We] let one go after 8 months. It's odd, him not being here, but I do not miss the dissension he created.
I am a much calmer "mom" now. Just an incredible amount of stress removed! 

If all goes as planned an adoption will take place the 22 of Sept & we will have our little girl too. It has been a long year but our God has seen us through.
It is a "Good" battle to fight.

Cassie had another bout of rejection but seems alright for now. She spent a week in UW~Madison hospital.

Maria finished her teaching degree, and just needs a job. (Milwaukee let 600 teachers go, so it could be tough to find one).

Shane & Toni! (I am getting excited at becoming a granny in Oct). Her baby shower is this coming weekend.

I am a lead teacher for our Pre-K Children's Church program- And we are revamping the program, so a bit of extra work in my spare time.

Steve's knee is doing well after his replacement in April.
No pain. It still needs to strengthen as it feels tired if he pushes it. 

I have been seeing the chiropractor, as the reg doc just gives me meds, & I am not a fan of that.
I am doing exercises, -NOT MY STRONG SUIT, but I am regaining my strength in my legs. Balance too. I just think it is getting old, and my knees are wearing out with arthritis.

We are still half-done with our laundry room/bath on the main floor that Steve started. We have the walls done but no floor and are walking on concrete. Hope to get it in before winter as it is pretty cold already - & its still hot outside.

Hope this finds you all content in your life full of love, laughter, and the challenges that we all face as a part of our refining process.
Know I continue to remember you all in my prayers & thoughts throughout my day  

Love, Kristin

*****
My reply- Now. Very overdue and belated...

My Dearest Kristin;
First of all, forgive me for replying to you this way, but I needed to show you off a little. For all you do, - and for knowing that at times it is thankless work... You persevere and are so very happy!

You are a goddess my dear! 
I don't know how you do it?!?  I couldn't, that's for sure.
My 'semi-educated' guess, (from raising only 4 children), is that 99% of the population couldn't keep up with the 2 of you either. (By keeping up, I mean physically, mentally and emotionally)!
I cannot believe the only problem you have is your knees with arthritis! I would be insane, and sequestered in a quiet, warm, dark room -with lots of Kleenex! hehehe

I am happy that Steve's knee is doing so well. Many many people have that same surgery and only regret it.   He is very fortunate.
As you both are, to have each other!

Allow me to recap...
  • You have a garden
  • You cook 3 square meals a day
  • 3  Four-year-olds that start kindergarten today
  • 1  Sixteen-year-old in Drivers Ed that must to be taken out for driving lessons
  • 1 that was at Madison for her potential kidney rejection
  • 1 that has graduated college
  • You are remodeling the bath and laundry
    • You must do a zillion loads of wash every day?
  • Repainting Gabe's room-  hehehe 
    • (I can laugh, it didn't happen to me).
  • You have traveled to many soccer tournaments throughout the state
  • You have also had 10 extra children in and out of your home all summer long
  • You have taken your vacation with all of the above children and hubby-
  • You are in the process of yet another adotion
  • Shortly, you will be Grandma too!
  • And, you are volunteering to revamp the Pre K Church Programs, in your "spare time"


To you both- Thank you for being so wonderful- and happy- and loving! 
The example you set for all of the children is a legacy to be so very proud of!  (
But you sure raise the bar for the rest of the world).

Know how proud I am to have you all as part of my family. I could not have handpicked any better!

Please give my love to everyone, and kiss those triplets for me too!


Kristins Triplets


Know too that you are all always in my own heart and prayers.


All my love. Always.

XOXO
Me


PS 
You wrote, "
we are revamping the program, so a bit of extra work in my spare time."
How in the world is it possible that you even have any "spare time" ???

*****


And now, to all of my friends on here- Are you fortunate enough to have such inspiration and love around yourselves?
It is my most sincere hope that you do!


I thought I knew how to work and be busy.  Now?  I beg to differ with myself.

XOXO
Me


Have a 'wunnaful' Wednesday!


XOXO
Me


Women Drivers!

Rating:★★★★
Category:Other
Written by a man... (of course). hehehe

This morning on the Interstate, I looked over to my left and there was a Woman In a brand new Cadillac Doing 65 mph
With her Face up next to her Rear view mirror
Putting on her eyeliner!


I looked away For a couple seconds...
...to continue shaving

And when I looked back she was Halfway over in my lane,
... Still working on that damn makeup.

As a man, I don't scare easily.

But she scared me so much;
I dropped My electric shaver

Which knocked The donut Out of my other hand.


In all The confusion of trying To straighten out the car
Using my knees against The steering wheel,
It knocked My Cell Phone Away from my ear

Which fell Into the coffee Between my legs!
Splashed,
... And burned Big Jim and the Twins,

Ruined the damn phone,
Soaked my trousers,
And disconnected an Important call.

Damn women drivers!



Red States, Blue States, Poor States, Rich States…


http://bearmarketnews.wordpress.com/2010/08/22/red-states-blue-states-poor-states-rich-states/

Good Morning-
I suppose I'll be upsetting more than one of you with this.
Too bad, so sad.

As I wind my way through news stories and others, I am reminded that too many do not know the truths that lies beneath the color of states.
I am posting this to get these truths out.

Also, (and
again) please have it known that the word "Republican" has been interchanged with the word "Conservative".
This is a misnomer, Folks...
To borrow a quote from Frederick Douglas, "I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels."

Can't believe what you are reading? Links are listed below for your verification purposes.

XOXO
Me

PS
Never judge an article by its title. (So, yes Tess, you must read the whole thing).

______________________________________


For decades, the Democrats have been viewed as the party of the poor, with the Republicans representing the rich. Recent presidential elections, however, have shown a reverse pattern, with Democrats performing well in the richer blue states in the northeast and coasts, and Republicans dominating in the poor red states in the middle of the country and the south.


Summary of results of the 1996, 2000, 2004, an...

Summary of results of the 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 presidential elections.


It will come as a surprise to some, but not to others, that there is a fairly strong statistical relationship, but that the direction is the opposite from what you would think if you were listening to rhetoric from Republican conservatives:  








The red states (those that vote Republican) generally receive more subsidies from the federal government than they pay in taxes; in other words they are further to the right in a graph. 

It is the other way around with the blue states (those that vote Democratic).

  • People in red states are less healthy than those in blue states.
  • People in red states earn less than those in blue states.
  • People in red states are less educated than those in blue states.
  • More people in red states live in mobile homes than those in blue states.
  • The red states have higher birth rates among teens than the blue states.
  • More people are killed by guns in the red states than in the blue states.
  • The red states have:
    • Higher rates of poverty, both generally and among the elderly,
    • Higher rates of crime, both general and violent,
    • Have higher rates of infant mortality,
      • and divorce,
    • And have fewer physicians per unit of population than do the blue states.


These statistics do not paint a pretty picture.
And since the red states are commonly referred to as the conservative heartland, one would think that the people who live in these states would vote against conservative candidates merely on the basis of their own rational, self interests. But they don’t. (Please insert a 'duh' here).


There’s an obvious clash here, for the red states are the home of that group that calls itself “moral America.”

  • How can a moral viewpoint countenance poverty, crime, and infant mortality?
  • What kind of morality is it that doesn’t care for the welfare of people?
  • Just what moral maxim guides the lives of these people?


Certainly not the Golden Rule, the Decalogue, or the Second Commandment of Christ.
From what I have been able to gather, moral America needs a new moral code. The one it has is, to use a word the members of this group dislike, relative.

When Red States get their social problems under control, and things such as teen pregnancy down to nationwide lows, then they can try and foist their solutions on the rest of the country.

But as things currently stand, on this issue (as well as others like divorce), the Red States have no ground to stand on. Those crazy New England liberals are running circles around them in this tangible measure of their residents’ “values”.

The top ten bottom feeders at the federal trough in 2005 were: New Mexico, Mississippi, Alaska, Louisiana, West Virginia, North Dakota, Alabama, South Dakota, Kentucky and Virginia.  
(Sarah Palin’s home state of Alaska ranks number one if measured in terms of federal spending per capita.  Alabama Senator Shelby evidently gets goodies for his state, ranked 7, by indiscriminately holding up votes on administration appointments.

The top ten milk cows were: New Jersey, Nevada, Connecticut, Minnesota, Illinois, Delaware, California, New York, and Colorado.

Perhaps in determining how the federal government redistributes income across states one should view its role more expansively than is captured in the budget numbers.  In the western states there are federal water projects that subsidize water for farmers, artificially low grazing fees for ranchers, and leases for hard rock mining and oil drilling on federal lands that have historically charged artificially low prices.  

Perhaps the biggest federal redistribution program of all is massive agricultural subsidies.  The four congressional districts that receive the most in farm subsidies are all represented by “conservative” Republicans, located in Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Texas. 
(Michele Bachmann’s family farm apparently received $250,000 in such farm payments between 1995 and 2006.)

The most commonly ignored area of geographical redistribution is the federal government’s permanent policy of “universal service” in postal delivery, phone service and other utilities (electricity; perhaps now broadband…).  Universal service means subsidizing those who choose to live in remote places like Alaska, where the cost of supplying these services is much higher than in the coastal cities.   Perhaps they should move…

If I were cynical, I might suspect that the reason that Glenn Beck, Michele Bachmann, and some Republicans are not enthusiastic about getting the most accurate numbers possible, from the census and otherwise, is that they don’t want people to know who is getting federal handouts and who is paying.
But, more likely, the truth is that they don’t want to know themselves.

In particular, in rich states voting patterns show little correlation with income. The poor of Connecticut, in other words, vote pretty similarly to the rich of Connecticut. This isn’t the case in poor states, where poor people are dramatically more likely than rich people to vote Democratic. The difference is that the rich people in the rich states are much more culturally liberal than the rich people in the poor states. The result is the famous “culture war” waged not between yuppies and the working class, but between the wealthy residents of wealthy states and the wealthy residents of poor states.

Much media confusion about American politics then stems from what’s essentially a coincidence—political journalists are heavily concentrated in places like Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and California that exhibit the voting behaviors of rich states.
It is true in those places that voting behavior features little income polarization and that wealthy people are generally well-disposed toward the Democrats. Political commentary from David Brooks on the right to Tom Frank on the left is often dominated by the assumption that you can extrapolate from political patterns in places like Maryland out to the country as a whole.

It’s an understandable mistake, but also a serious one. And everyone interested in political activism owes it to themselves to understand the truth and everyone interested in the media owes it to the world to correct the record.

*** Sources:

Red States, Blue States and the Distribution of Federal Spending

Why the Wars can’t be Won

FDL Book Salon Welcomes Andrew Gelman: Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State

Teen pregnancy in the Red States

______________________________________

Inspired by a story By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, as posted on Heidi's site.

photo from Google search