Code Pink Chaos

Yesterday's congressional hearing of the General Petraeus' testimony was, more than once, interrupted by a few of the Code Pink lunatics. I was actually embarrassed for these women - their actions were shameful and made them appear as crazed, menopausal nutcases.

Listen up Code Pink, I think it's time for a LITTLE PINK CHILL PILL - along with a lesson in manners. Yes, free speech is a right - but there is a time and place - and your actions showed complete disrespect for General Petraeus' time to speak. You were disgraceful and an embarrassment to our country.

And to the woman who was holding up her cell phone - taking pictures of her cohort being escorted out by the police as if she was gathering damning evidence - your resulting pictures only served to show how professional the police were in having to deal with a raging idiot.

I'd like to further exercise MY right of free speech by saying, "Code Pink, lose the tiaras - tiaras are for princesses and LADIES - and you, for sure, do not behave like ladies!"

We Will Never Forget...

ILLEGAL LEFT TURN

Okay, so I think I'm a pretty darn good mother - certainly not a carbon copy of the saintly woman of Proverbs 31 - but I love my kids fiercely and am passionate about protecting them and providing for their needs (and wants). I have, however, discovered an area where I have fallen short and what prompted this discovery will be a memory most likely shared forever by me and my teenage son.

Today I failed at teaching driver's ed by failing to notice a sign that said "NO LEFT TURN". As a result, my mere 15 year old son got to experience the blue light special - being pulled over by the Hall County police.

As we anxiously awaited the arrival of the officer at the driver's side window, we could only speculate as to what earned us this visitation. We were clueless - my son swore he was driving under the speed limit. After the policeman was handed my son's learner's permit, he explained that we had made an illegal left turn out of the Eckerd's parking lot - at which I gasped "Oh my, I feel SO BAD because I am the one who told him to turn left!" Clearly we had never seen the sign that the officer said was there. The officer then walked back to his patrol car - my son's coveted permit in hand - after instructing us to wait. This allowed me the time to profusely apologize to my son and for us to fret about what was next. A ticket before he even had a chance to earn his license?!

The officer soon returned with a yellow slip of paper and offered the following words: "I'll let you off with a warning this time, since your mother told you to do it..." I detected a hint of a smile on his face during those last few words. My sweet, respectful and RELIEVED son then blurted out "Thank you so much and I am so sorry about that Officer" and offered his no-doubt clammy and shaking left hand for an awkward "shake" with this very kind policeman. As for me, I just sat there - also thankful - but humbled and corrected.

Something tells me that my other son, a 12 year-old who quietly observed the whole incident from the backseat, will be looking to DAD to do the teaching when HIS student-driver days finally arrive.

Hear, Hear! More Substance...Less Sound Bites!

Governor Huckabee wasted no time in accepting Presidential-race latecomer Fred Thompson's invitation to participate in some serious debates! ("Serious" meaning more depth and less of the 30-second sound bite commercials we've been growing accustomed to...) Bring it on Mr. Thompson - you have lots of catching up to do here since you took your sweet time in announcing your candidacy - and, in the meantime, Governor Huckabee has been winning the hearts of many! I do look forward to some exchanges with substance - time to move on from the "woulda, shoulda, coulda's" to hearing the Presidential hopefuls' hopefully well-thought-out plans for moving this great country onward and upward.

(Please visit mikehuckabee.com to view and "co-sign" his letter to Mr. Thompson)

Paul vs. Huckabee on the surge.

Hmmm...Huckabee!

Governor Huckabee had me with "hello" last night! He said just what I needed to hear to spark the flame of interest in this next Presidential election. Check out this video of the exhange between him and Ron Paul and perhaps you will understand why I've decided "I LIKE MIKE"...

Sparrow Over Water

A sparrow over water
A soul that finds no rest
Searching for new meaning
While remembering I am blessed

Blessed to be a mother
Perhaps that's all I'll be
Maybe time has closed the door
To what I thought was me

An author and musician
Changing lives with pen and song
Someone who'd make a difference
Perhaps my dreams were wrong

But then I gaze upon my sons
And husband, who's a friend
And tearfully I realize that
I'm not at my end

This sparrow will keep on soaring
With wings that will protect
The family my God gave me
They are my best gift yet

My soul will find its gladness
Helping boys become great men
I'll write when spirit leads me
And make music now and then

But in the end, I'm finding out,
It isn't about me
There is something so much bigger
and acceptance sets me free

Free to be just mother
And, too, a loving wife
For what could be a greater job
A more important life

The World Through My Son's Eyes

Yesterday my teenage son and I had a talk.

This "talk" took place just after a male adult verbally attacked my son for nothing more than the innocent act of reading a sign. I had left my son outside of a Publix grocery store to finish his ice cream cone while I made a quick trip inside. Apparently he was reading a sign on the glass window and a the male half of a couple who was leaving the store was under the impression that my teen was eyeing his wife. This ignorant redneck emerged from Publix gesturing and raising his voice at my unsuspecting son - yelling "What are you looking at?". My son thankfully was able to answer firmly and honestly "I'm not staring at anything" despite the shock he felt at being approached in such a manner.

Anyway, this situation led to a mother/son discussion about how unfortunate it is that we must proceed with real caution when it comes to people. It seems there are many dangers lurking outside of the safe haven of home. We really don't know who we are dealing with anymore - appearances quite often "lie". Titles can "lie" too. You know what I'm talking about - the "titles" we used to be able to trust. "President", "Pastor", "Coach", "Teacher", "Senator", "Doctor","neighbor" - even "mother", "father" and "friend". It is a sad state of affairs when an adolescent says he wishes it was "like in the old days". My heart aches when I hear him utter these words - silently agreeing and, at the same time, fearing that our society is on the most slippery of slopes straight to hell. My son asks if people were truly different in decades past. I tell him that, on the whole, I believe things were better - but that there have always been elements of evil and perversion. I tell him that people's constant exposure to violence (through television,film and video games), and easy access to pornography (through internet) have probably made everything worse. I tell him that sick and twisted things still occurred in the "good old days" - but we just didn't hear about it like we do now in the age of instant, continuous news.

CNN provides me with new material daily - information that falls under the category of "What to Forewarn the Kids About". This drug, that drug, this trend, that trend, this perversion, that perversion...all this to watch out for while, at the same time, we live with the underlying and continuous threat of terrorism.

Raising children in the current state of the universe unfortunately requires a different skill set than my own parents needed. I pray every day now for the wisdom and strength I will need to do what is the most important job I've ever been blessed with - that of being a mother.

Yesterday my teenage son and I had a talk.

Michael Vick Finds Jesus

(originally posted by Cricket on the blog "Corvidae" on 8/27/07)

Michael Vick, today you officially admitted your guilt and attributed it to "immaturity". Listen, Michael, "immaturity" is launching spit balls - not murdering pit bulls. What you did can be chalked up to an evil nature. But, I guess you've got that covered now, since you've "found Jesus" and turned your life over to God and "aksed" forgiveness. Now you can be clothed in His righteousness - right?

One can only hope and pray that you truly will turn your life around - it's too late for those dogs that you tortured to death - but I believe they are in a better, kinder place.

Now that you have invited the Lord into your heart I suppose you'll be reading The Good Book. Here's a good verse for you to meditate on: "A righteous man regards the life of his animal." (Proverbs 12:10)

I do believe in forgiveness and redemption - and I do believe that God can dramatically change people's lives - so I hope you are sincere and I do wish you the best in your new life in Christ. Once you have served your time, and I hope you do get a sentence that sends a loud message, I believe you should be allowed a fresh start. Your past actions have at least increased awareness of the horrors of dog fighting - now, I think that rather than continuing to crucify you, our energies are best spent educating the public, hopefully bringing this brutal practice to an end once and for all.

Posted by cricket at 2:16 PM 8 comments Links to this post

Labels: Jesus, Michael Vick, pit bulls