Hey Congress, We The People...Remember Us???

Oh, my God.  Did we elect idiots or what?  This really is our fault.  We put these people in congress and look what they've done for us?  NOTHING!  Let's just wait until the last possible minute on New Year's Eve, but, you know what, I need to get a little beauty sleep, so why don't we meet back at, say, 11:00 am.  Okay? 
11:00am???? WHAT???  Hey, Congress...Yo, I really don't want to see less in my already meager paycheck and guess what, my husband's health insurance is changing and we now will have to pay a big deductible, which means I will put off going to the doctor now, because it'll cost me big bucks. 
In otherwords, OUCH! 
But, heck, you have a cushy job, nice salary, probably a most excellent health insurance plan, perhaps a company car to boot...but don't worry about us, the PEOPLE who elected you.  Nah, take your time, stick by that party line and relax, take it easy...anything to make Obama look bad would work.
Oh, this angers me that people can work like this, or not work like this. As Obama said, in any business this would not happen; people like this would get fired because there are plenty of people standing in line that could easily do their jobs. 
Why can't we let these people go; you're fired!
It's really truly unconsicionable what they are doing.  To not come together and do what is right and just, and is so simple, is well, disgusting and appalling.
Get a good night's sleep, men.  Rest up.  Enjoy your New Year's Eve brunch and dawdle in to work at 11:00am, while The American People, the people you work for sweat it out until an agreement is made.

Kick 2012 to Curb! I'm Done With You

Geesh! What a year. And I say that not in a good way. It’s been such a stressful year in numerous ways. I was watching the late morning Today show, which I never do, but was surprised hearing Kathie Lee Gifford remarking what a crappy year for so many people it had been and that a lot of people are looking forward to saying goodbye to 2012. I thought to myself, She, Kathie Lee? feels that way? Really? She has a good gig on TV, plenty of money that I was genuinely surprised that she remarked on that comment or even feels the strain the year has wrought to so many people. She explained that the Presidential race was stressful, the Storm, the latest events in the news, Newton, CT and almost everyone knows someone with cancer. Fool me. 


See? Money can’t buy you happiness and a stress free life. I, personally have been wrung out financially with me working in a private school that pays peanuts and my husband in the mortgage business that took a big hit this year thanks to the economy. Never in my life would I think I would have collection agencies dogging me for money! Never! It sucks.  I have always been in control of things, and feel totally out of control. 

I want to state one comment that I truly feel is true for most people.  The cost of living is way out of line with the average incomes out there.  It's like a bad mortgage deal where the debt to income ratio is out of whack.  We need to be earning three times the amount we do to pay our newfound, thank you technology bills.  And every car repair, or broken washing machine, or sudden pest problem, every problem that you encounter is hundreds or thousands of dollars.  God!  It's too much.  There isn't enough dollars.  This is a HUGE strain.

Then, I became the sandwich generation...caring for an elderly parent and my own children.
My father fell and broke his femur in two places, had surgery, triggered his Multiple Mylenoma to kick in big time and now has received Chemo for over a year now. Fear. Fear. Fear. Each step was riddled with fear and dread. Each and every step from the fall, to the surgery, to the transfusions pre-surgery, to post –op, through rehab, switching rehabs, 104 fever and cough during rehab….ugh…need I say more? Oh my God, what will we do when he comes home? How is he going to manage? Driving to chemo? On and on it went with worry and fear after fear.

Work stresses, home stresses, kids stresses, money, money, money…on and on it went.


So you know what I say to 2012? Adios to you! Good riddance! And Hello There, 2013! You look mighty fine, I must say. This might be the year, I’ll actually stay up and stick my head out the door and bang some pots and pans like a nutter at midnight!

Happy New Year!

Providence

I was thick into my work day inputing information in the computer when I CAME ACROSS A WORD, PROVIDENCE.  I STOPPED AND THOUGHT THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT WORD FOR ME.  I GOOGLED IT.  IT MEANT DIVINE GUIDANCE AND CARE.  I HAVE BEEN GETTING SIGNS ALL OVER  FROM BOKS FALLING OFF SHELVES, MY BIRTHDAY DATE SEEN OVER AND OVER...NOT TYPICAL.  FAITH IS ANOTHER WORD INSERTED INTO MY LIFE AS A NUDGE TO NOT DESPAIR.
capslock finally off. So I am attuned and feel like guidance from above is clobbering me over the head. Yoa! I,m here. Duh.   So it is with Providence I bid you good night

Faith and The Bells of St. Mary

I think a lot of people are feeling the wind sucked out of them as if Dementors have sucked out their very soul.  We trudge our souless, joyless bodies through the day feeling, well, buried with our woes.  I have discovered what is missing.  Faith.  Simply that.  If you have faith that you are where you are supposed to be, faith that things will get better, faith that there is meaning to our lives, faith in something greater than you, simply faith.  Hopeful versus hopelessness. 

People may think I'm crazy, but I told my husband that the word that I've been searching for is
Faith.  Even more crazy is Tim Tebow's tweet before Sunday's Jets game was: James 1: 2-5, which I looked up to be titled, Testing of Your Faith.  It basicly says, feel joy because your trials that you are going through make you stronger.  Being stronger in all things, especially faith is an awesome thing. 

I feel for Tim Tebow...he is being tested.  His good graces are being tested by sitting on the sidelines and not using his talents to its fullest.  Pacing like a boxed in stallion wanting to fly when all he can do is crawl.


He reminds me of Sister Mary Benedict in the movie, The Bells of St. Mary's (with Ingrid Bergman and Bing Crosby) where she is told she has to move to another school right after her prayers were answered and St. Mary's is going to be moved to a new beautiful building thanks to Mr. Bogartus.  She thinks, surely, this can't be right.  She finally has the school of her dreams, but she is told as nuns and priests must do, move on to whereever they are told.  She can't help but feel bitter and confused.  She kneels in the church before she departs, and with tears streaming down her face, she prays, "Dear Lord, please remove this bitterness from my heart." She then prays to please help her understand the Lord's plan.  Please help her understand.  She finally is ready to depart and starts walking away with the other sisters, still with a heavy heart filled with hurt and confusion yet steadfast in her duty as nun to do and go to where she is told.  Suddenly, Father O'Malley calls her back and then explains that it is due to her touch of Tuberculosis that she has to take it easy in a different climate and can come back when she is well.  Sister Benedict smiles so broadly and looks up and says, "Thank you.  Oh, Thank you."  When the tides turned so badly for her, she didn't know the greater plan.  They kept it from her for her "own good." But, in the end, she discovered the reason and knows...the hopelessness turned to hopefulness.  FAITH in the plan.

Get Mad, Tim Tebow, Get Mad - Just Once, for me

I’m a little bit obsessed with the man that is Tim Tebow. I know a little and obsessed don’t go together, but he is a heck of a mystery to me and I’m trying to figure out what it is about him that lures me.

Is it his unshakable character?

Is it his spirituality and blind faith?

Is it his pure physical strength?

His charming smile?

Or, is it his invisible shield he puts up when the crowd boos, or veteran quarterbacks mercilessly criticize him (Boomer, Elway, Young, etc…) and how he doesn’t flinch, get mad, or complain? He faces his critics with poise, respect and a smile. Is it his blessedness?

I really don’t know. It could be all those things as all of the above are extraordinary for one individual to possess, almost inhuman. I see John Elway as the devil throwing Tim Tebow to the sharks to get eaten up by locker room dissent, Mark Sanchez who couldn’t possibly think another quarterback is a good thing, and with Coach Rex Ryan who thrives on the media spotlight, the attention, call him Broadway Rex. Yet, Tim Tebow is happy to be a Jet, happy to help any way he can and is having fun with Mark Sanchez and the boys of green.

Really?

The bummer is he wants to be a quarterback; it’s what he knows, it’s who he is. He craves being the leader of the pack, to motivate, energize and fire everyone up to greatness. What he did this past Sunday was absolutely not good football. Coach Rex Ryan had him bulk up to 250 lbs. so Tim Tebow can play any position. Why? What a waste. Commentators are saying stupid things like he has to stop doing the “Curls for the Girls.” It’s not his choice, dummies. Blame Rex for his new heft. (Besides, he always had those amazing biceps.) There is no way Tim Tebow is ever going to improve on being a quarterback with The Jets. The Jets have him as this extra little sideshow, doing not even noteworthy football. You’ll never see Tim Tebow throw a pass in this strange oddball setup. So, how will he ever improve his game and be the best quarterback he can be in the NFL world? He won’t with The Jets.

Tim Tebow keeps praying and keeps his bible verses motivating him, but at some point, I’d really like to see him say, “Come on, guys. I can do more than this. And this Wild Cat stuff isn’t really me.” Or, stomp his feet and say, “I WANT TO BE A REAL QUARTERBACK!”

But that’s not Tim Tebow, or could it be on the inside? Is this why he has to pray for strength to keep him going in a sea of green that is infested with sharks with absolutely no chance of being the quarterback and team leader that he wants to be?

(I’d ask to be traded, if I were him.)

I admire him because he deals with the cards he is given, and don’t forget he gets a nice paycheck to do whatever it is he is asked to do. His stoic faith gets him through. He laughs off things, too. Maybe he gets how crazy it all is, but the only one benefitting from the mayhem is Mark Sanchez, who I guess needed a little healthy competition to put some fire in his play.

We are blessed to know you, Tim Tebow. I can’t wait until you find a home where you can show John Elway what you really got!

Poppies in Blue - Fourth of July Art Burst