28 September 2008
27 September 2008
And Yet Another Late Night Mutter
I really need some sleep. But I think I'll do a little mutterin' first.
- Hearing :: Impaired
- Aggression :: Animal
- Charged :: Electric
- Traveler :: ramblin' man
- Hydrate :: Me, I am always thirsty!
- Detox :: I could use some of that too
- Qualify :: for the race
- Prison :: break
- Frontal :: nudity : )
- Pep talk :: cheerleader
Want to mutter?
22 September 2008
The "Sisterhood"
I have been utterly shocked and disgusted with the response from some women in regards to John McCain's pick of Sarah Palin for vice president. I knew girls could be mean when I was in high school, but these are adults. Come on ladies, did you ever grow up?
I am a conservative woman. According to one “scholar” women who are conservative aren’t really women. I guess unless you are happy to murder your unborn children, you aren’t considered a woman in some camps. Isn’t it funny how they demand they have the right to kill their unborn children, but they don't think you should have the right to bear arms and defend yourself against someone who wants to do you or your family harm.
I guess I just do not understand the outrage. Isn’t feminism all about raising girls to be whatever they want to be? I used to believe that was what feminists were fighting for. My mom considered herself to be a feminist. She always told me and my sister that we needed to learn how to care for ourselves. We didn’t need a man to survive. My mom worked, full time, from the time I was about 4. I was put in daycare in NYC in 1972. I think it was one of the first day care centers open to the public. When we moved to Illinois, due to the transfer of my father within his company, one of the first things my mom did was get another job. I was a latch-key kid. I had an older brother and sister, but they were usually busy after school, so from 3rd grade on, I mostly came home to an empty house. But I could take care of myself. I knew how.
My mother also felt my brother needed to learn how to care for himself, so he didn’t treat a woman as a housekeeper. As soon as we could see the dials on the washing machine, we washed our own clothes. We learned how to cook for ourselves by age 8. We all got jobs as soon as possible. I was babysitting at 11 and cleaning offices by age 13.
Suffice it to say, my sister and I grew up knowing we didn’t NEED a man, and my brother grew up knowing he didn’t NEED a woman. We were self sufficient. The fulfillment of my mothers feministic dream. She raised her kids to be something she wasn’t. See, my mom married my dad at age 20. They dated since high school. She had my sister one year after her marriage, and my brother the next year after that. This was in the sixties, right when women were just getting their voice. She felt like she missed it. She wanted to be that bra burner, but she had two babies at home, and soon she had three (me). So she passed on her dreams to her children. Only we realized, or at least I realized, that her dream wasn’t reality. Feminists today are not the feminists of my mothers era.
It seems to me that all feminists care about today is abortion. Women must be allowed to kill their unborn babies. Under any circumstances. Babies are an inconvenience, a mistake. Girls shouldn’t be punished with mistakes, says Mr. Obama. If you don’t believe that, you can’t be part of their club. Nope, no conservative woman, who believes all babies are a gift from God could ever be a feminist. And if you happen to believe in that pesky savior, Jesus, and his teaching in the Bible, then you probably aren’t even a woman. No feminist woman could possibly believe in a a book written by men.
I was happy to see Hillary Clinton running for President. I certainly didn’t share her values or positions, but I did feel it was about time a woman had a chance to run for the highest office in our country. Many women around the world have already proven they have/had what it takes to lead : Margaret Thatcher, Indira Ghandi, Golda Meir, Benazir Bhutto, Angela Merkel, Mary Robinson and too many more to list.
Why is it that some women in this country keep saying “I wanted a woman to run (Hillary) but I didn’t want that woman (Sarah Palin)”. Pity, that as women we can’t just seem to support other women. We could agree to disagree and still be supportive. You can say to someone “Good for you, I applaud your accomplishments, but I don’t plan to vote for you, I don't share your views”. I think that is what many conservative women did in regards to Hillary. Sadly, the liberal women have all turned into attack dogs against Sarah. Guess their true colors are finally showing. It isn’t about supporting women, it’s about supporting their own selfish causes. And if a woman happens to be supporting their causes, hoorah. But if not, to hell with feminism and women's accomplishments, they'd rather take the man.
I am a conservative woman. According to one “scholar” women who are conservative aren’t really women. I guess unless you are happy to murder your unborn children, you aren’t considered a woman in some camps. Isn’t it funny how they demand they have the right to kill their unborn children, but they don't think you should have the right to bear arms and defend yourself against someone who wants to do you or your family harm.
I guess I just do not understand the outrage. Isn’t feminism all about raising girls to be whatever they want to be? I used to believe that was what feminists were fighting for. My mom considered herself to be a feminist. She always told me and my sister that we needed to learn how to care for ourselves. We didn’t need a man to survive. My mom worked, full time, from the time I was about 4. I was put in daycare in NYC in 1972. I think it was one of the first day care centers open to the public. When we moved to Illinois, due to the transfer of my father within his company, one of the first things my mom did was get another job. I was a latch-key kid. I had an older brother and sister, but they were usually busy after school, so from 3rd grade on, I mostly came home to an empty house. But I could take care of myself. I knew how.
My mother also felt my brother needed to learn how to care for himself, so he didn’t treat a woman as a housekeeper. As soon as we could see the dials on the washing machine, we washed our own clothes. We learned how to cook for ourselves by age 8. We all got jobs as soon as possible. I was babysitting at 11 and cleaning offices by age 13.
Suffice it to say, my sister and I grew up knowing we didn’t NEED a man, and my brother grew up knowing he didn’t NEED a woman. We were self sufficient. The fulfillment of my mothers feministic dream. She raised her kids to be something she wasn’t. See, my mom married my dad at age 20. They dated since high school. She had my sister one year after her marriage, and my brother the next year after that. This was in the sixties, right when women were just getting their voice. She felt like she missed it. She wanted to be that bra burner, but she had two babies at home, and soon she had three (me). So she passed on her dreams to her children. Only we realized, or at least I realized, that her dream wasn’t reality. Feminists today are not the feminists of my mothers era.
It seems to me that all feminists care about today is abortion. Women must be allowed to kill their unborn babies. Under any circumstances. Babies are an inconvenience, a mistake. Girls shouldn’t be punished with mistakes, says Mr. Obama. If you don’t believe that, you can’t be part of their club. Nope, no conservative woman, who believes all babies are a gift from God could ever be a feminist. And if you happen to believe in that pesky savior, Jesus, and his teaching in the Bible, then you probably aren’t even a woman. No feminist woman could possibly believe in a a book written by men.
I was happy to see Hillary Clinton running for President. I certainly didn’t share her values or positions, but I did feel it was about time a woman had a chance to run for the highest office in our country. Many women around the world have already proven they have/had what it takes to lead : Margaret Thatcher, Indira Ghandi, Golda Meir, Benazir Bhutto, Angela Merkel, Mary Robinson and too many more to list.
Why is it that some women in this country keep saying “I wanted a woman to run (Hillary) but I didn’t want that woman (Sarah Palin)”. Pity, that as women we can’t just seem to support other women. We could agree to disagree and still be supportive. You can say to someone “Good for you, I applaud your accomplishments, but I don’t plan to vote for you, I don't share your views”. I think that is what many conservative women did in regards to Hillary. Sadly, the liberal women have all turned into attack dogs against Sarah. Guess their true colors are finally showing. It isn’t about supporting women, it’s about supporting their own selfish causes. And if a woman happens to be supporting their causes, hoorah. But if not, to hell with feminism and women's accomplishments, they'd rather take the man.
There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women.
~Madeleine K. Albright~
20 September 2008
Muttering Tired
Another late Saturday night mutter.....hope I'm coherent!
- Heist :: bank
- Hack :: up a hairball
- Dane :: someone from Denmark
- Stings :: bee
- Monkey :: Hey Hey we're the Monkees, and people say we monkey around, but we're too busy singing, (forgot the rest ; )
- Junkie :: junk food
- Pumped :: Hans and Franz
- Brass :: pair
- Fight! :: for it
- Vouch :: speak for you
Want to mutter too?
17 September 2008
Squirrels
I feed the squirrels. And the birds and any stray cats that wander by. But this is about squirrels.
I have been feeding one squirrel in particular since last spring. We call her Mama. She was obviously nursing when we first started seeing her, thus the name. She also has a slit in one of her ears, which is why we always know it is her.
Another interesting thing about Mama is that she is a grey squirrel who had black babies. Her babies are so funny and pretty cute. She had three of them, and although they are bigger now and certainly don't look like baby squirrels anymore, they still play and fight with each other and are just downright silly. At first I thought Mama mated inter-racially, as I had occasionally seen some other black squirrels in my town, but not near me. I decided to do a little research, here is what I learned:
"Black squirrels are not a separate species at all, but a melanistic morpheme, casually known to scientists as a “color morph,” a fairly rare genetic variation. In the Midwest, as far as has been determined, all of the black squirrels are actually morphs of the gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis."
How cool, my Mama produced 3 rare genetic mutations and they are living in my yard!
So we have grey squirrels and now the mutated black, and we also have what looks like brown, but is really the American Red. But we don't have any white squirrels. That would be cool. I'd like a white squirrel.
Back to Mama. She is no longer afraid of us or our cats. Our back storm door screen is loose on the bottom, so she often will come right into our house if I have left the main door open. She knows I keep the peanuts in a bin by the back door, so she will help herself if I haven't fed her yet. The cats go crazy when they see her in the house, but she just grabs her peanuts and heads back out. Not caring one bit about the cats, who seem like that they would like to kill her, but when they get close just sniff her tail. She knows they are all meow and no bite.
Today, I was sitting out in my back yard enjoying the day and my eldest had just gotten out of the shower. Upon entering her room, she screamed. Loud enough for me to hear outside. I came running into the house only to hear her say "There's a squirrel in my room!" It was Mama. I was laughing, eldest daughter was not amused. The scream sent Mama into a tizzy and she started running around the house. Finally my youngest daughter and I got her cornered in the kitchen, so her only choice was to head back the way she came, out through the back door. I think she wanted to be our pet. She seemed kind of relaxed and happy in the house. Of course with the current pet load, I don't think my hubby would be pleased with that.
We currently have 4 cats inside that I claim as mine. One cat outside that I feed and while technically I suppose you could say it is mine, I have never claimed it. We also have the two undead mice. They are almost 7 years old. Wild mice, we caught their mom in our house in 2001, put her in a cage (because she was cute) she had babies shortly thereafter and they are still here! There were three at first, but one was not quite as hearty as the two that will not die.
If I were to add anymore pets to the current mix, I think my hubby would leave me. I like my hubby, so no more pets. At least not in the house.
“Fairies are not always in a people-like form. Fairies are sometimes birds, sometimes squirrels. They have welcomed the children into Enchanted Woods.”
~Elizabeth Nosek~
I have been feeding one squirrel in particular since last spring. We call her Mama. She was obviously nursing when we first started seeing her, thus the name. She also has a slit in one of her ears, which is why we always know it is her.
Another interesting thing about Mama is that she is a grey squirrel who had black babies. Her babies are so funny and pretty cute. She had three of them, and although they are bigger now and certainly don't look like baby squirrels anymore, they still play and fight with each other and are just downright silly. At first I thought Mama mated inter-racially, as I had occasionally seen some other black squirrels in my town, but not near me. I decided to do a little research, here is what I learned:
"Black squirrels are not a separate species at all, but a melanistic morpheme, casually known to scientists as a “color morph,” a fairly rare genetic variation. In the Midwest, as far as has been determined, all of the black squirrels are actually morphs of the gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis."
How cool, my Mama produced 3 rare genetic mutations and they are living in my yard!
So we have grey squirrels and now the mutated black, and we also have what looks like brown, but is really the American Red. But we don't have any white squirrels. That would be cool. I'd like a white squirrel.
Back to Mama. She is no longer afraid of us or our cats. Our back storm door screen is loose on the bottom, so she often will come right into our house if I have left the main door open. She knows I keep the peanuts in a bin by the back door, so she will help herself if I haven't fed her yet. The cats go crazy when they see her in the house, but she just grabs her peanuts and heads back out. Not caring one bit about the cats, who seem like that they would like to kill her, but when they get close just sniff her tail. She knows they are all meow and no bite.
Today, I was sitting out in my back yard enjoying the day and my eldest had just gotten out of the shower. Upon entering her room, she screamed. Loud enough for me to hear outside. I came running into the house only to hear her say "There's a squirrel in my room!" It was Mama. I was laughing, eldest daughter was not amused. The scream sent Mama into a tizzy and she started running around the house. Finally my youngest daughter and I got her cornered in the kitchen, so her only choice was to head back the way she came, out through the back door. I think she wanted to be our pet. She seemed kind of relaxed and happy in the house. Of course with the current pet load, I don't think my hubby would be pleased with that.
We currently have 4 cats inside that I claim as mine. One cat outside that I feed and while technically I suppose you could say it is mine, I have never claimed it. We also have the two undead mice. They are almost 7 years old. Wild mice, we caught their mom in our house in 2001, put her in a cage (because she was cute) she had babies shortly thereafter and they are still here! There were three at first, but one was not quite as hearty as the two that will not die.
If I were to add anymore pets to the current mix, I think my hubby would leave me. I like my hubby, so no more pets. At least not in the house.
“Fairies are not always in a people-like form. Fairies are sometimes birds, sometimes squirrels. They have welcomed the children into Enchanted Woods.”
~Elizabeth Nosek~
15 September 2008
Monday Muttering
Yikes, I am so busy I can't even keep up with my weekly muttering!
Here it is, a day late.
Here it is, a day late.
- Cut the crap :: you're driving me crazy
- Scent :: Lovely
- Vanishing :: wilderness
- Wetness :: what happens when I sneeze
- Cheap :: I do not like people who are
- Badges :: girl scouts
- Puppy :: love
- Problem solver :: my husband
- Gambling :: never cared for it much
- Sophia :: Loren
Want to mutter?
13 September 2008
Daughters
Ah, to be the mother of daughters.
My youngest took her first official step toward womanhood Thursday. And she is not happy about it. Suffice it to say, life has not been real pleasant in our house the last few days, LOL.
By some weird coincidence, actually my two daughters and I all ended up in the same predicament as of this past Thursday. Estrogen is flowing rapidly around here. I don't think I would want to be the only woman in a house containing 3 men full of Testosterone, so I can only imagine how my hubby feels living the reverse.
I was sitting around with my daughters late Thursday night and we were talking hormones and all those fun things women go through. I was explaining to my youngest how Estrogen is the female hormone. So my oldest chimes in with an oldie but a goodie: "If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests? Testicles!" LOL
Youngest daughter didn't get the joke, so I had to explain to her what testicles were. So of course then we started talking about boy anatomy. At this point dear husband comes up from the basement to go to bed (my daughters and I have the best conversations late at night before bed). Before he comes through the room, he says "Stop talking, I don't want to hear you, just let me go through and go to bed!". This made the girls laugh. Dad wanted nothing to with our conversation. So I yelled at him as he went past, "But we are talking about boy parts, your parts, you should join us!" I don't think so.
So, my babies are no longer babies. No matter how much we may resist, life moves forward. Youngest dear daughter has been resisting growing up since her body started changing. She is completely overwhelmed at the latest, biggest change. I only hope that time will bring her peace and acceptance with what her body can do. Women's bodies really are amazing. I would go through all the pain and aggravation of being a women 100 times over again, knowing it enabled me to give birth to the two beautiful daughters I have. 26 years of periods helped to bring two wonderful lives into the world. And hopefully someday it will enable my daughters to bring some wonderful lives into the world.
Of course, since my birthing days are over, I wouldn't really mind completely passing the torch to the younger generation and moving past this stage in my life. 26 years is long enough for me, thank you : )
My youngest took her first official step toward womanhood Thursday. And she is not happy about it. Suffice it to say, life has not been real pleasant in our house the last few days, LOL.
By some weird coincidence, actually my two daughters and I all ended up in the same predicament as of this past Thursday. Estrogen is flowing rapidly around here. I don't think I would want to be the only woman in a house containing 3 men full of Testosterone, so I can only imagine how my hubby feels living the reverse.
I was sitting around with my daughters late Thursday night and we were talking hormones and all those fun things women go through. I was explaining to my youngest how Estrogen is the female hormone. So my oldest chimes in with an oldie but a goodie: "If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests? Testicles!" LOL
Youngest daughter didn't get the joke, so I had to explain to her what testicles were. So of course then we started talking about boy anatomy. At this point dear husband comes up from the basement to go to bed (my daughters and I have the best conversations late at night before bed). Before he comes through the room, he says "Stop talking, I don't want to hear you, just let me go through and go to bed!". This made the girls laugh. Dad wanted nothing to with our conversation. So I yelled at him as he went past, "But we are talking about boy parts, your parts, you should join us!" I don't think so.
So, my babies are no longer babies. No matter how much we may resist, life moves forward. Youngest dear daughter has been resisting growing up since her body started changing. She is completely overwhelmed at the latest, biggest change. I only hope that time will bring her peace and acceptance with what her body can do. Women's bodies really are amazing. I would go through all the pain and aggravation of being a women 100 times over again, knowing it enabled me to give birth to the two beautiful daughters I have. 26 years of periods helped to bring two wonderful lives into the world. And hopefully someday it will enable my daughters to bring some wonderful lives into the world.
Of course, since my birthing days are over, I wouldn't really mind completely passing the torch to the younger generation and moving past this stage in my life. 26 years is long enough for me, thank you : )
Without accepting the fact that everything changes, we cannot find perfect composure. But unfortunately, although it is true, it is difficult for us to accept it. Because we cannot accept the truth of transience, we suffer.
~Shunryu Suzuki~
07 September 2008
Only One Word!
Got this from Stephanie.
I have often been told I talk too much, so this exercise was a wee bit difficult for me : )
YOU CAN ONLY TYPE ONE WORD!
Not as easy as you might think. Now copy or forward to at least 10 people. Change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It's really hard to only use one word answers. Let me know if you're doing one! I'd love to see your answers!
1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your significant other? John
3. Your hair? changes
4. Your mother? dead
5. Your father? dead
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? weird
8. Your dream/goal? money
9. The room you're in? computer
10. Your fear? death
11. Where were you last night? home
12. What you're not? tidy
13. Muffins? blueberry
14. One of your wish list items? housekeeper
15. Where you grew up? Illinois
16. The last thing you did? potty
17. What are you wearing? sweats
18. Your TV? on
19. Your pets? cats
20. Your computer? slow
21. Your life? ok
22. Your mood? moody
23. Missing someone? many
24.Your car? van
25. Something you're not wearing? bra
26. Favorite store? target
27. Your summer? short
28. Do you love someone? yes
29. Your favorite color? changes
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? awhile
32. Who will repost this? anyone
I have often been told I talk too much, so this exercise was a wee bit difficult for me : )
YOU CAN ONLY TYPE ONE WORD!
Not as easy as you might think. Now copy or forward to at least 10 people. Change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It's really hard to only use one word answers. Let me know if you're doing one! I'd love to see your answers!
1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your significant other? John
3. Your hair? changes
4. Your mother? dead
5. Your father? dead
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? weird
8. Your dream/goal? money
9. The room you're in? computer
10. Your fear? death
11. Where were you last night? home
12. What you're not? tidy
13. Muffins? blueberry
14. One of your wish list items? housekeeper
15. Where you grew up? Illinois
16. The last thing you did? potty
17. What are you wearing? sweats
18. Your TV? on
19. Your pets? cats
20. Your computer? slow
21. Your life? ok
22. Your mood? moody
23. Missing someone? many
24.Your car? van
25. Something you're not wearing? bra
26. Favorite store? target
27. Your summer? short
28. Do you love someone? yes
29. Your favorite color? changes
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? awhile
32. Who will repost this? anyone
06 September 2008
Mutterin' and Utterin'
- House :: Home
- Think :: therefore I am?
- Clot :: blood
- Believe me :: I do not lie
- Fumigation :: fleas
- Bore :: me
- Luck :: of the Irish
- Patient :: sick
- Tremors :: the shakes
- Pickles :: only dill!
Want to mutter and utter? Unconscious Mutterings
Memories
Last night for whatever reason my girls and I got on the subject of high school yearbooks. They asked me if I had any. "Yes, I do, and you have seen them before" was my reply. "We don't remember looking at your yearbooks" was their reply. So off we went to hunt down my high school memories.
I have a ratty old chest that I keep old stuff in. It's like a cardboard box covered in a vinyl/plastic that has metal reinforcements and a lock. It's all dented in and the lock has been broken for some time. That's where I keep my memories. (hmm, should the container tell me something?)
Anyway, first out came the yearbooks. We spent some time laughing at how goofy I looked 22-26 years ago. Then my girls spied my prom dress, which was also folded up in my box. They wanted to try it on. Now I have to tell you, when I was in high school I always thought I was fat. There were such teeny tiny skinny girls in my high school, and they were the ones all the boys were always after. I was always on a diet and my self esteem was pretty low. At 16, when I went to prom, I was 5'6" tall and about a size 8.
So my 13 year old puts on my prom dress. At first we can't even get it zippered. I already know her bust is way bigger than mine ever was. But she is a slim girl, she has a very nice balanced figure. We finally get it on and it it fits, almost perfectly. She is currently only 5'3", so it was a little long. But it fit!
After trying on my prom dress, they wanted to try on my gym shorts, which for some reason I also saved. Those fit my 13 year old as well.
After we were done looking at my past and fighting over the color of my prom dress, (when I bought it they called it Dusty Rose, my girls kept saying "It's Pink!" ), I got to thinking.
I spent so many years belittling myself. I never thought I was good enough in high school. Not popular enough, not thin enough, not pretty enough. And here I am 25 years later, and my 13 year old, whom I view as beautiful and having a figure to die for, can fit into my old prom dress and gym shorts.
I am hopeful that my own daughters will not suffer the same low self-esteem as I. Maybe they have learned not to judge themselves against others, but on who they are instead. I think homeschooling has helped. They haven't been around girls who like to tell other girls how they look or how they should look. Girls who think no one is perfect unless you are like them.
As I start my 40's I am so much more confident at this time in my life than I ever have been before. Wisdom with age I suppose. I wonder how different my life and experiences would have been had I enjoyed this confidence when I was 16?
I have a ratty old chest that I keep old stuff in. It's like a cardboard box covered in a vinyl/plastic that has metal reinforcements and a lock. It's all dented in and the lock has been broken for some time. That's where I keep my memories. (hmm, should the container tell me something?)
Anyway, first out came the yearbooks. We spent some time laughing at how goofy I looked 22-26 years ago. Then my girls spied my prom dress, which was also folded up in my box. They wanted to try it on. Now I have to tell you, when I was in high school I always thought I was fat. There were such teeny tiny skinny girls in my high school, and they were the ones all the boys were always after. I was always on a diet and my self esteem was pretty low. At 16, when I went to prom, I was 5'6" tall and about a size 8.
So my 13 year old puts on my prom dress. At first we can't even get it zippered. I already know her bust is way bigger than mine ever was. But she is a slim girl, she has a very nice balanced figure. We finally get it on and it it fits, almost perfectly. She is currently only 5'3", so it was a little long. But it fit!
After trying on my prom dress, they wanted to try on my gym shorts, which for some reason I also saved. Those fit my 13 year old as well.
After we were done looking at my past and fighting over the color of my prom dress, (when I bought it they called it Dusty Rose, my girls kept saying "It's Pink!" ), I got to thinking.
I spent so many years belittling myself. I never thought I was good enough in high school. Not popular enough, not thin enough, not pretty enough. And here I am 25 years later, and my 13 year old, whom I view as beautiful and having a figure to die for, can fit into my old prom dress and gym shorts.
I am hopeful that my own daughters will not suffer the same low self-esteem as I. Maybe they have learned not to judge themselves against others, but on who they are instead. I think homeschooling has helped. They haven't been around girls who like to tell other girls how they look or how they should look. Girls who think no one is perfect unless you are like them.
As I start my 40's I am so much more confident at this time in my life than I ever have been before. Wisdom with age I suppose. I wonder how different my life and experiences would have been had I enjoyed this confidence when I was 16?
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
~Dr. Seuss~
03 September 2008
Just Not Enough Time
It's official, summer is over. Maybe not meteorologically, but since all the schools have started, the world seems to have declared "summer is over!"
I have so much I'd like to blog about, but once I again I have over extended myself. I have things to do for our homeschool co-op, I have things to do for Girl Scouts, I have things to do for the Animal Society I work with, and I just started working for a friend cleaning offices. That is only a few hours a week, but when you really only have a few extra hours, it doesn't help. And of course I have my girls home, and they need my attention more than anything else.
I need to learn to say no. But it seems everyone else says no, and then there is no one to step up, and then nothing will get done. Who will collect donation items for the fundraiser? Who will run the product campaign for the Girl Scouts? Who will help the homeschool co-op pick the classes and organize the field trips? I suppose all these groups could get along without me, (I know they could, I don't think that highly of myself.) If no one else stepped up, they would either have to do without or come up with another plan. But if I do have a wee bit of time, and can offer a bit of help and wisdom, I feel better knowing I did my part.
I think this country survives because of it's volunteers. There are so many people doing so many things to help make the lives of others (or animals) better. I feel good about myself knowing I helped in some small way. I just wish I could add a few more hours to my day.
A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens - citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.
~George H. W. Bush~
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