Your Vote is Too Precious to Waste!

Both Canada and the United States are countries built on immigration. People came from other countries to make one of these two countries their true home.

I am an immigrant to United States from Canada and even though many people think these two countries are very much alike, there are some differences, some of which I am reminded of daily.

For me personally, I think there two struggles I have each day, The first is with language – yes, people think I have an accent, even after twelve years – and the other is my choice of words. I know that my outlook is a little more (little “c”) conservative and old-fashioned than my American friends. Be aware that Texas is full of people who came here from other states. The common saying is, “I was not born a Texan, but I got here as fast as I could!” So I feel this is more an American thing than a Texas thing. Actually, I could not have come to a friendlier state than Texas!

My point that I want to convey is that immigrants work very hard to achieve citizenship status. I was seven years working to achieve all the rights an American citizen has. (I committed to memory a lot of information that people born in the United States forgot after completing their education.) One of those rights is the RIGHT TO VOTE!

I see that only 58% of Canadians voted in yesterday’s general election. Stephen Harper is back in with a minority government. Under the Canadian system, patterned after the British system, that means Mr. Harper will have to work very hard to get along with and secure support from the other parties. I am not sure that all reading this will know that a vote of non-confidence can turf out the Prime Minister in Canada and cause another election. There is not a standard four year term as in United States. So, sometimes, this type of result actually works for the good of the country because the elected officials have to work together, one hopes for the good of the country.

The result is not what bothers me; rather it is the 42% of Canadians who did not vote. Was there extreme weather that kept them from the polls? Not likely on October 14. Could the people not get off work? No, I think everywhere there are laws that employers must allow time off for voting.

APATHY! LAZINESS! “My vote won’t matter!”

Well, we are just under three weeks to Tuesday, November 4th, the date set for the United States General Election.

Will our turnout be better than Canada’s? Will it be worse?

The e-mails and comments indicate that everybody knows there is an election coming. More people are talking about this election than usual. Will they actually vote?

Every single vote DOES count so make sure yours is counted!

It is unforgivable that individuals cannot get out and actually vote for the candidate they think will do the best job for the country. Some people are saying that they just won’t vote because they don’t like either Presidential Candidate. That is not the answer! If you truly believe neither Candidate is better, than you best vote for the less offensive candidate. But, please vote!

(64% of eligible American voters voted in the U.S. 2004 Presidential Election, up from 60% in 2000.)

A Lot to Like About Texas!

When I visited Houston in 1990, I was impressed by the sprawl, politeness, friendliness and the intelligence. I should tell you that I was staying near NASA that time, so the people at the local bar were quite a bit above average!

All the songs about Texas speak well for the state, particularly its vastness! Texas is about 773 miles wide and 790 miles long, making it the second largest state by area.

Did you know that Texas has been under six flags? Those are Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States of America, and United States of America. That surely speaks to the diversity here.

In Lufkin (about 100 miles north of Houston), life is a little slower paced and very friendly! We are able to live in very stylish homes for a lot less than they would cost other places. We have an outstanding medical community with every discipline and all latest technology available. It does not take us very long to get to shopping, church or medical appointments.

It is not so surprising that Forbes Magazine (Oct.10) has an article that indicates if you want to be where the economy is a little better than the rest of the country, come to Texas!

Four of the ten cities where your dollar goes the farthest are in Texas! Those cities are Austin, San Antonio, Houston and Dallas.

(The other cities in the top ten are Indianapolis, Indiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Minneapolis/St.Paul, Minnesota; Denver, Colorado; and Portland, Oregon.)

http://www.forbes.com

New Ways for Older Folks

This morning’s AP story on Sarah Palin’s daughter, Bristol and the father of her unborn child, Levi Johnston makes me think. Well, it makes me think some more.

Hubby and I have been stretching our thinking for some time now, attempting to keep up with the “new ways” of the younger generation. Additionally, in the past few weeks, of course, we have the added brain strain of the current financial meltdown.

When we were young (seems like a cajillion years ago) the learning was that the Industrial Revolution had produced the most changes in the past 100 years that had ever happened.

[Lest you think I have gone a little too far in vocabulary today, I Googled it: cajillion. A number greater than any other number and close in magnitude to gazillion and bazillion.]

That was then, this is now. Even when I was a kid, I noticed that older people tended to dwell on the past and wished they would get with the current time.

Well, Hubby and I spend volumes of our time just trying to keep pace with current time and I think we do a pretty good job of it. And, of course, we spend considerable time taking care of our finances ourselves.

You probably have already figured it out that we pray extensively together every morning for our family, our friends, the nation and the world.

What we don’t do is spend enough time de-cluttering and cleaning and polishing away the dust around the house. We cannot go back to the Patty Days! You will have to read my book to learn more about our beloved Patty who became a member of our family. Patty was cleaning houses when we first knew her. She went to college and for several years now, she has been a Registered Nurse. She is a great story of how someone can improve their life. (Of course, now that she doesn’t clean our house, it is not as clean!)

As we older folks do, I digress! It is the dream of every parent and grandparent that their offspring will be happy, healthy and successful. The mistake we make is that we would very much like them to be happy and successful using the methods and milestones we used.

What Hubby and I have had to learn is that we must let the grandkids live their lives on their own terms, at their own speed and a la mode of today’s world. Once we grasped that concept, events started to fall into place and we began to enjoy the great-grandchildren and the milestones in our offspring’s lives.

Probably one thing that bothers people about Sarah Palin is that she and her family are really pretty typical of today. We must go on with our lives as we believe they should be lived and let the offspring do their own thing. They will do it anyway, so we may as well enjoy them as we see them and love them always.

Simpler times are not coming back anytime soon and it is folly to waste our golden years wishing them back.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Sometime today or tomorrow (The Actual Canadian Thanksgiving Day), our Canadian friends and relatives will gather round the table for the typical meal. We always had turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes and yes, turnip! In Texas, alas, there are many jokes about turnip. Lots of people used to turn the leftover mashed potatoes and turnip into "Bubbles & Squeak" which is, I think more of an English dish, and I can assure you - very delicious! Mom (and now, Mary Ann, of course)  always served cabbage salad - not coleslaw, but carefully chopped cabbage with onion, dressed with Miracle Whip or Real Mayonnaise as well. Dessert is Pumpkin Pie, with whipped cream on top.  

The reason for the different dates for Canadian and American Thanksgiving? The harvest is much earlier in Canada - it's just that simple! Happy Thanksgiving and Blessings to all! May your Harvest be Bountiful!

Paul Newman: The Tribute Today - All Day!

Today, Sunday, there is a Special Tribute to Paul Newman all day and evening on TCM (Turner Classic Movies). Checking the Canadian schedule, it looks as though we'll all be able to watch this. 

Now, I know some of you are diehard sports fans, but think of the relaxation and the wonderful concept of getting away from the economical news! Just contemplate closing the blinds, dimming the lights and breaking out an enormous bowl of Newman's Own popcorn. Sit back in the recliner and just enjoy commercial-free movie after movie with this legend!

So, I know you are at or on your way to church now, but when you come home, this will be your total getaway for today! 

Just Enough To Entertain Us!

Here in Texas, we have several Christian TV Channels and very often you can watch and listen to Bill & Gloria Gaither and their "family" of singers. In the photo, that is Bill Gather waving his hand and to the right of him is Mark Lowry.

In our church congregation and in choir, we have often sung songs written by Bill & Gloria and my favorite is probably Because He Lives which is especially appropriate at Easter. (Bill wrote this song after the birth of his son.)

The Gaithers are based in Indiana where their studios are located but they travel extensively giving concerts. Their concert tapes are not only available on TV but can be purchased online or at Christian bookstores.

One person associated with the Gaithers is Christian singer/songwriter/comedian Mark Lowry. On a tape we were watching tonight, he talked about summer camp in Nacogdoches, just up the road from us - the Oldest Town in Texas. I see that Mark was born in Houston but more importantly, I learned from his website that he has ADD - Attention Deficit Disorder.

Ty Pennington of Extreme Makeover Home Edition on ABC also has ADHD. Both these people are very cognizant of how hard it is for young people with ADD to focus and to learn.

So, not only are these people entertaining us, they are reaching out to educate and assist others.

Particularly on Saturday evenings, we like to listen to Bill & Gloria Gather's Homecoming as it is so calming and relaxing! Sunday evenings, we watch Ty Pennington and his Design Team build a new home in seven days for a special family.

These are programs that are interesting and fun to watch! So, why would you have CNN or any non-stop news channel going to make you miserable these days?

http://www.gaither.com
http://www.marklowry.com
http://www.abc.com
http://www.typenningtonstyle

Economics 101: Joel Osteen: Works for the Top Boss (God) and Refuses a Salary!

Today as I try to suppress thinking about our current economic meltdown, I am thinking of a person you might like to know a little something extra about. Joel Osteen, the Pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston stopped accepting a salary from Lakewood - probably two years ago. I thought about this because so many people in top jobs are receiving absolutely outrageous salaries and receiving bonuses, severance packages, and golden parachutes. 

Well, Joel Osteen has written at least two best sellers now and one assumes he has income from these. So, he can stay in his home, feed his family and tithe to the Lord. (Most people know that Joel took over when his father "went to be the Lord" against his confidence level. He really pushed himself to do the job and has turned into one of the most motivating preachers of all time.

I just want to point out that Joel is now Pastor of the largest church in the United States. As employment goes, Joel works for the top - that would be GOD! His congregation (or stockholders, if you will)  probably are for the most part, well off.

This man said, "No, no, I don't need the money. I do not need a salary from Lakewood Church!" 

Think about this!

Think About This . . .

An AP story talks about artist Laura Gilberts' print "The Zero Dollar" and how she distributed 10,000 of the fake greenbacks yesterday in front of the New York Stock Exchange. She apparently wanted to call attention to the economic crisis gripping the nation! 

Well, I hope that you too are able to think up some way to literally "make a buck" off the current crisis! Just shows you that given any circumstance, somebody will come up with some way to capitalize on it and realize profit for him or herself. 

Have a fine day - try to only peek once or twice at the TV news and keep smiling. This will make those you meet wonder just how you manage so well! Remember, history tells us that this too will pass!

GOOGLE 101: Was There Life Before Search Engines?

   If there is anybody who is not sure about how to use a search engine, here is a quick course.

   We’ll use Google for our purposes because it is so popular that it became a verb for searching on the internet. So, instead of saying you are doing a search, you can just say,

   “I’ll Google that!”

   You should, of course, have a shortcut on your computer for www.google.com. You just click on that and there is a space for you to type the words relevant to what you are looking for.

   This week, we made a few telephone calls to find a canopy for our booth at the Angel of Joy Fall Festival. We came up dry for what we thought we wanted.

   So, I went to Google and put in the words:

   “Outdoor canopy, 12 x 12.”

   Eventually, I found that a better size to find would be 10 x 10. I found that in my town, they could be had at Academy, Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, and K-Mart. Then, I added the words, “under $50.”

   Hubby purchased exactly what we want yesterday at K-Mart for $39.95.

   Now, it does not always have to be something to buy!

   The other day at Joe’s Italian Restaurant, our server’s name was Lola. Keith mentioned to me about that being an old-fashioned name which led to the song, “Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets”.

   I am a trivia nut, so I started to wonder where that song came from.

   “Damn Yankees – Gwen Verdon!”

   Hubby was a little skeptical, but of course, I came home to Google it. When you think you know the answer, you can just put it in and you will know if you are correct.

    Was there life before Google – well, yes! When I was a kid, there was a huge Set of Book of Knowledge on the living room shelves. Every time I would look up something, I would come across something else that was interesting. I always spent a long time finding my facts.

   One Friday night at Scrapbooking, a lady seemed surprised that I knew how to Google. (Perhaps she was teasing me?) Everyone should know how to find information quickly. Sometimes, I use it to find how long to cook something, or to refresh my memory about something in Toronto.

   By the way, when you are searching for something, you can just hit the ENTER button after inputting the words. If there are a huge amount of results, then refine your search a little more. Add a place or a date or a time period.

   In addition to Google, there is Yahoo, Ask.com, Dogpile,com, Alta Vista, and many others.

   Search engines have been around since the early 90s and that is exactly how I found widownet.org. I simply typed the word “widow”. Some of the results included information on spiders too but I knew I was looking for a Texas Hubby, so it was easy to see where to click!

   Sorry, I just thought everybody knew how to do this. It is a really useful skill! 

Kairos and Chronos - God's Time and Our Time

My knowledge of Greek is minimal and I never think about Greek without thinking of our friend, Rev. Tom Darr who is up in Pennsylvania now. Pastor Tom, an accountant, went to the Lutheran Seminary as his second calling in life and his nemesis there was the Greek language! 

Our church supports a ministry called Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. which is the parent organization of a "body of ministries addressing the spiritual needs of incarcerated men, women and children, their families and to those who work in the prison environment".  This same "Kairos" word is often used to refer to Christian retreats for young people and others. So, broadly speaking, "Kairos" is God's Time and "Chronos" is our time.

This morning, we awoke to a clap of thunder - the first since Hurricane Ike - rather than our alarm clock. So, I commented that we were waking to God's time! 

Then, I thought about applying these two words to our current Economic Nightmare.  Perhaps we will see it resolved in Kairos rather than Chronos!

If the Presidential Debate is more than your brain cells want to handle tonight, may I suggest again Turner Classic Movie Channel where the 1967 classic, The Graduate could take you away for a while. 

Now, Hubby will be playing his clarinet at practice tonight, so his mind will definitely be off Economics!

God Bless and have a peaceful day!

http://www.kairosprisonministry.org/

Economics 101: There will always be frivolity!

Yesterday, Disneyland was closed for the celebration of Hannah Montana a.k.a. Miley Cyrus' 16 birthday celebration. Now, her birthday isn't until November 23. That is not the point - and I do have one! Think about the movie, Cabaret! In the worst of times - war, natural disasters or financial - there will always be frivolity. More than ever, people will want to escape to forget or drink to forget, or whatever some people do to forget. Remember that and perhaps you can come up with your own answer to your personal economic concerns right now. Just create and market your own ______ to forget and you will be able to pay your bills! 

Yes, I am trying to be funny, but I also want all of us to keep plugging along. This too shall pass. Have a fine day and do stay away from the financial channels!

Good Night, Miss May

We first knew May after her beloved Wilbur was gone. She came from the less hurried times of the South. She didn’t seem very complicated. She was a straightforward lady with snowy hair and a strong Swedish background. She drove a pale blue Mercury Marquis that Wilbur bought before he died and would wheel into the church parking lot from her home every Sunday morning. 

Each child called her “Miss May” and she would take them around to the nursery during the sermon to the room painted like Noah’s Ark. May loved children. She knew children are a special gift from God. 

After church, she’d go back out and wheel down 59 South to the cemetery to talk to Wilbur. Guess she told him how things were maybe not as nice as when they were a young couple together. And I guess they weren’t. But she wouldn’t give up. 

She was first to a Wednesday Potluck and muttered about young folks putting less than natural ingredients into their foods. At her last Sister’s in Christ Banquet, she was first one sitting at my Patriotic table. She took the red, white and blue star necklaces from the trim and put them around her neck. May loved America. Wilbur had been a POW in the Air Force in WWII. He came home to work for the Post Office and paint pretty scenes she displayed around her home. 

She tended the flowers on her big corner lot until it was almost too much to do that. The children from church would go out and help clean up the yard in the spring. They all loved Miss May. 

Long before Christmas, she baked the old Swedish recipe for shortbread cookies and froze them for Christmas dinner at Angel of Joy. Hers were not rough looking like the English recipe I make. No, no, May rolled them thin, and cut them perfectly  with little ridges round the edges. She froze them and kept them till it was time to bring them to church. They were light, and fluffy and their taste made you smile! 

She spoke her mind about all manner of things that perhaps she really did not understand. But she knew two things and knew them well: America and God. She believed. 

May wanted independence – after all that’s what America is about. She stayed in her home, she drove her car, she did her own thing. 

Sometimes we saw her at the Mall where she’d sit watching time go by. Younger women would invite her to home parties, lunch and even to the Tea Room. The peach tea was not quite natural enough at the Tea Room, but she sure loved the International House of Pancakes, even when she went by herself. 

She kept us “younger” ones in line, probably just because she thought of us as younger. She didn’t like me driving the long way around because I don’t like the loop. But she did want cream for her wrinkles, at the last home beauty party we had. 

As she became less sturdy on her feet, she liked to sit by the most handsome man who would escort her up to communion. She had her ways to get her way, that May!

She became more frail and some Sundays, she fainted, right during the sermon. (On questioning, she divulged she never ate breakfast before coming.)

More than once we called 911 and more than once someone drove Miss May’s car back to her home.

And more than once, the Pastors rode out the storm with her in the hospital. It was mostly heart-related. Did you take your pill, Miss May?

One time, they found her on the floor at the house, and I think she was there for more than a day. Independent Miss May!

Eventually they convinced her that it was time to move on. Her house was sold and she went to an apartment in a nice enough complex. But she didn’t take a bed, you know – just a recliner – because that was really just one room and she wanted no bed in there!

One Sunday morning, as she prepared for church, she fell and broke her hip. So, when they went to pick her up, she was lying in an ambulance, not standing by the door for her ride.

The ladies of the old neighborhood and ladies from church would look in on her but she really couldn’t go anywhere now, because she could not longer walk. She had just never healed. Somehow her other hip got broken. Now she was totally reliant on others and my, did Miss May hate that!

We’d take her favorite flowers and even sing her favorite hymn. She’d smile sweetly and pretend she remembered just who we were.

She drifted up to Heaven the other night and Miss May became one of the Children of the Heavenly Father.

Good Night, Miss May . . .

En Guarde!

Economics 101: That Doesn't Seem Right!

Well, our friend, Bonnie was chatting to her granddaughter, Juleah who is sixteen. She is a pretty smart teen who is good at her school work and the sport of fencing. 

Juleah says she has been studying economics and the bailout and concludes: 

“Grandma, that doesn’t seem right!” 

 Some hope for the future!

Explaining Sarah Palin

Well, of course, they are saying that Sarah Palin is lacking in experience and saying that is because she is from an isolated and less-densely populated are. 

So, I’d like to tell you why I personally think otherwise. In Canada, there many areas falling into this category and from my travels, I know a little bit about how these people think. 

I lived most of my life in a big city (Toronto) and although I have not been up to the vast north in Canada, I can set out some reasons why actually people from places like Alaska are in fact better on top of events. 

When you live in a highly populated area, you have a long commute to and from your work. A typical Torontonian used to have about two hours total commute every day and that can only have increased now. Hubby used to carpool when he worked in Houston and also talks about the long drive. 

In big cities, there are more people in competition for jobs and elected offices. Many fine people end up “lost in the crowd”. There are more opportunities for experience in real life situations in smaller areas. 

In Canada, people in more isolated areas were more likely to have computers and got online as soon as they could. They tend to read and observe more of what is going on around them and around the world. 

In a smaller town, a person has a chance to run for office, be on various committees, serve more causes and best of all: their children get to be on sports teams! And the games are played during the day! In big cities, 4:00 a.m. hockey practices for amateurs are pretty routine! 

I am just paraphrasing, but I think Sarah Palin has had a better and more rounded life experience already than her counterpart who has been doing a long train commute to and from his job for many years. 

While watching the debate last night, I couldn’t help thinking about the Hockey Mom/Pit-bull lipstick line. Watching Mr. Biden’s body language, I was thinking he seemed he was impressed with Ms. Palin and might even vote for her! If we are going to recall our favorite dog stories, I was looking at Lady and the Tramp! 

Fall Festival Time!

Angel of Joy Lutheran Church Fall Festival 2008

Saturday, November 15, 2008

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 

ANGEL OF JOY LUTHERAN CHURCH

College Drive & Daniel McCall

Off Hwy 59 South in Lufkin, Texas

(Across from Angelina College) 

Church Sponsored Food Booth $4.00 Plate Lunch

Bake Booth for Take-Home Cakes, Cookies ++

Booths include jewelry, crafts, beauty, honey, household

**Special Children’s Activities ** 

(Vendors are not limited to crafts but no garage sales) 

To inquire about booth space and price,  call Charlotte Squyres at (936) 824-2653 

It won’t be the same without YOU!

How to Follow The Seasons in Texas

When I was a kid in Toronto, my upper floor bedroom window overlooked our backyard. When it was fall, the leaves fell off the maple tree. That started in mid-October. Later, in December, when it snowed, the branches of the lilacs, hedges and the maple were trimmed in white. It was beautiful . . . from the window! The ground was a blanket of white.  By Christmas, it looked just like a Courier and Ives greeting card. 

Of course, in order to go outside, we had to bundle up and there would be a muffler (or scarf) tied across your nose and mouth, because it was COLD outside! 

Come Easter, it was still not too green but when May came, the lilacs were blooming and we would cut those and bring a bouquet inside for my birthday. 

Our roses in Ontario started blooming late June and that last rose of summer was in September.

By late May and early June, there were colorful flowers (annuals and perennials) in our rock gardens and some bushes were in bloom.  Summer was colorful and then, of course, autumn rolled around again. 

So, by looking out the window, you knew pretty much what time of year it was. 

In Texas, even after almost twelve years, I still find myself looking at the calendar to see just what season we are in. 

So, when we have a Fall Festival, that tells you it is autumn on the calendar. People – like me - from other areas are reminded of their Oktoberfest, their hayrides, bazaars and so we organize them here. 

A really big difference is Thanksgiving! In Canada, it is the second Monday in October and here in United States, it is the last Thursday in November.  People often ask why this is and the answer has to do with when the harvest is.  The Canadian crops are all in long before here in the South.  Of course, Thanksgiving is when we give thanks for the fine crops we have harvesting. 

I think that most people appreciate what they remember from their childhood and so, even in Texas, we have many people from many areas, all honoring their roots. 

Economics 101: Macaroni & Major League Baseball

In our continuing effort to insulate ourselves from the current fiasco, here are suggestions for today. We hope this helps you in your endeavor to achieve some sort of peace by keeping away from financial news. 

The Major League Baseball Playoffs will commence this afternoon and there will be several games to choose from during the day. You can go to MLB.com for schedules. Now, we know that our Houston Astros did not make it – truly because of Hurricane Ike and their having to play “Home Games” away - but we still enjoy baseball. This is the sport where you can kick back and not have to watch intensely. Heck, you can even fall asleep in your recliner which might also be a good thing! 

Today we do have a couple of appointments, like hairdo and church meeting. One errand we have is delivering our letters to the Troops to our local Legion where they will be put in boxes to our troops. Anyone can do that and is really appreciated! We have a few cards and letters to send to friends and shut-ins and you can do that too! 

Speaking of Troops, in honor of our granddaughter PFC Meghan (Stationed in S.Korea), we will be eating her fave food, macaroni, tonight. Macaroni is still relatively inexpensive and tends to calm one. A piece of chocolate after wouldn't hurt! 

So, there you have it for today to keep your mind occupied. Believe it, there will be an interruption of any programming when the United States is back on track.

Have a fine day!