The Rumors...

...are not true.
I am still alive.

I have just been busy at the tax office.
And running, walking, weight lifting.
And napping.
And going to church.
And playing on my computer.

In a fit of nostalgia and hubris, I have signed up to run in the 2009 Cotton Row Run this year.
It has been four years since I have joined the crowd.
But since I am running the course each week, I figured I might as well do it one more time, while I am still able.
The days will come when I cannot.

I managed to adjust to the new time without mishap.
I miss the brightness in my morning walks/runs that was developing.
But in another month or so, the longer daylight will catch me once again.

I was pleased to attend the birthday party of Caleb and Cathleen Nordstrom.
There was a cast of thousands in attendance including my own babies - Jef, Josh, and Tim.
In addition, there was Kristy (sp?) Jeni, Tesia, LeeAnn(sp?), Sam, Zachy, Rachael, Autumn, Brad, Mitchi, and Davis.
And there was LeeAnn's family and friends most of whom I do not know by name.
The new apartment of Tim and LeeAnn is on the top of a mountain and next to the Cotton Row course.
I find that ironic.

The birthday children were showered with food and presents to the point of overload.
I am convinced that children their ages (one to six or so) cannot process the accumulation of more than two or three small gifts.
After that, they just become dazzled and confused by all the excess.
I was amused by my own children when they were very young at Christmas, when they would find the gift and wrapping paper equally interesting.
Usually, they would prefer to play with the paper first.
Why this was so, I do not know.
But learning this, I was tempted to give them gifts of wrapping paper until they grew older and could find other objects more interesting than the packaging.

I am amused by the way many adults try to "manage" the party and the little people attending, to be sure that they do the things that are "fun" - even if the kids do not want to or care.
This makes me feel sorry for the kids and angry at the adults.

My personal preference is to let the kids play in whatever way they want (assuming they are acting respectful of each other and are not doing anything unsafe).
And when they get hungry/thirsty, just give them regular healthy food and maybe a small treat.
And present them with a gift of something useful - like clothes.
I am sure there are some who will deem me too practical to be much fun.
You are entitled to your opinion. (share it if you like)

I know this: many of the generation of lazy, self-important, selfish, agnostic, lovers-of-pleasure-more-than-lovers-of-God young people coming on the scene lately have no business having children.
They are the Obama generation.
They have been raised by part-time parents in daycare facilities and government-run schools and are emotionally aloof from the concept of family and personal responsibility.
They have had virtually every pleasure and convenience given to them and are possessed with a massive opinion of personal entitlement to more.
Welcome to the U.S.S.A. - the United Socialist States of America.

The Chaldeans have invaded.
The nation is being systematically stripped of every moral and spiritual treasure that remains.
The strategy for the transformation is emerging.
The additional taxes will be levied on businesses.
They will, in turn, pass the increased costs of doing business on to their customers - yoo and mee.
So, while the messiah/president vows to lower income taxes for the "middle class" and only raise income taxes on the "rich", he is quietly raising taxes of every sort (carbon use taxes, mileage taxes, property taxes, energy taxes, etc.) on businesses, which must pass along such increases in the cost of doing business to their customers.
This amounts to a sales tax which hits those with lower incomes the hardest - the very people the messiah/president says he is trying to help.

Get ready for massive price inflation.
You will see prices go up from 25 to 50 percent in the next five years.
Many small business persons will simply give up.

Get your medical care this year.
Soon you will have to get on a waiting list for a band-aid.

In God we trust...