I don't have a lot of "spare time." Or maybe I do and I just fill it so full that I don't think I do.
I work a part time job out of the house. It's only a few hours a day. It's just that those particular hours aren't the nicest for having to work. I'm there by 5 a.m. and done around 7:30 most days. That leaves the rest of the day.
I have what amounts to two full-time jobs at home. I'm a web designer and an author. Both can take up 40 hours a week. Well, the writing takes more time, but the web designer pays (slightly) better. Either way, they keep me busy.
But I have hobbies. I raise bees. I knit. I spin. I sew. I embroider. I read. I bake.
I am an active member of organizations. That takes time for meetings and time for other duties that I end up volunteering for.
I don't seem to have time for exercise. Mostly because I don't like it. I used to walk three miles everyday, but that seems harder to fit in with this part-time job. I want to. I just don't make that time. Even though I know I should.
So that's how I spend my spare time. You?
Me
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Wednesday, October 09, 2013
Dear Congress,
I got a little fired up this morning and sent this to South Dakota's Congressional delegation. Will it do any good? Probably not. Made me feel better, though.
As most Americans, I am concerned about the current government shutdown. World War II vets were barred from visiting their own memorial. Park Rangers are preventing people from stopping on Highway 16 to take pictures of Mount Rushmore. And now CBS is reporting that disabled vets may not get their pay if this nonsense continues though late October.
This is disgraceful!
My husband proudly served his country in the United States Air Force. He is a 100% Disabled American Vet (DAV) and his income is the majority of our finances. We struggle to live within our means. And now he may not get paid?
I understand the position that members of Congress are in. The ACA is unacceptable and hurts Americans -- especially the working poor and middle class.
But this shutdown is going to cause more problems. Not paying furloughed employees. Not paying Survivor’s Benefits to families who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Not paying disabled vets. I have trouble believing that those are principles that would make our Founding Father’s proud.
If Congress can’t come to some type of agreement, would you be willing to halt your own pay until an agreement is reached? If this was affecting your pocketbook, the pocketbook of the rest of Congress, the President and Vice-President, not only would you have earned additional respect, but it would tell me, the rest of South Dakota, and the citizens of this Country that you care.
Truly, my husband’s annual VA payment pales in comparison to the $174,000 annual salary of a “rank and file” member of the Legislative Branch of our government (http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/governmentjobs/a/Annual-Salaries-Of-Top-Us-Government-Officials.htm).
Please don’t misunderstand me. I am a proud Republican, but that isn’t going to put food on our table or pay our bills come November 1. Tell the people you were elected to serve that you understand their plight and are willing to sacrifice as well.
Maybe if enough members of Congress do that, some kind of agreement will be reached.
Thank you for your time.
Me
As most Americans, I am concerned about the current government shutdown. World War II vets were barred from visiting their own memorial. Park Rangers are preventing people from stopping on Highway 16 to take pictures of Mount Rushmore. And now CBS is reporting that disabled vets may not get their pay if this nonsense continues though late October.
This is disgraceful!
My husband proudly served his country in the United States Air Force. He is a 100% Disabled American Vet (DAV) and his income is the majority of our finances. We struggle to live within our means. And now he may not get paid?
I understand the position that members of Congress are in. The ACA is unacceptable and hurts Americans -- especially the working poor and middle class.
But this shutdown is going to cause more problems. Not paying furloughed employees. Not paying Survivor’s Benefits to families who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Not paying disabled vets. I have trouble believing that those are principles that would make our Founding Father’s proud.
If Congress can’t come to some type of agreement, would you be willing to halt your own pay until an agreement is reached? If this was affecting your pocketbook, the pocketbook of the rest of Congress, the President and Vice-President, not only would you have earned additional respect, but it would tell me, the rest of South Dakota, and the citizens of this Country that you care.
Truly, my husband’s annual VA payment pales in comparison to the $174,000 annual salary of a “rank and file” member of the Legislative Branch of our government (http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/governmentjobs/a/Annual-Salaries-Of-Top-Us-Government-Officials.htm).
Please don’t misunderstand me. I am a proud Republican, but that isn’t going to put food on our table or pay our bills come November 1. Tell the people you were elected to serve that you understand their plight and are willing to sacrifice as well.
Maybe if enough members of Congress do that, some kind of agreement will be reached.
Thank you for your time.
Me
Tuesday, October 08, 2013
Why I didn't blog over the weekend
I had every intention of blogging on Friday. And Saturday. And Sunday. And even on Monday.
However, Mother Nature and Jack Frost combined to thwart my plans. However, I'm not calling defeat. It's not my fault that we were slammed with snow. No, really. We were.
I'm not talking about a few inches, and some wind. No. We had 21.5 inches.
I'll let that sink in for a moment.
Almost two feet of snow, not counting wind.
That would be a Jeep Cherokee and a Chevy Silverado under snow pile one and two respectfully.
As if the snow wasn't bad enough, there were massive power outages. Poles were snapped. Last I heard, there were at least 1,300 poles broken like the one up the road from my house. We're lucky. Our power is back on. (It was out from about 3 p.m. Friday until about noon on Monday.)
That's a lot of food that went bad. 48,000 people were without power at some point. That's a lot of spoiled milk. South Dakotans lost a lot of cattle. Some estimates are at least 5% of the state's entire cattle were killed in the storm. Not going to be good for beef prices.
So now you know why I didn't blog over the weekend. Clearly, the Universe had other plans.
Me
However, Mother Nature and Jack Frost combined to thwart my plans. However, I'm not calling defeat. It's not my fault that we were slammed with snow. No, really. We were.
I'm not talking about a few inches, and some wind. No. We had 21.5 inches.
I'll let that sink in for a moment.
Almost two feet of snow, not counting wind.
That would be a Jeep Cherokee and a Chevy Silverado under snow pile one and two respectfully.
As if the snow wasn't bad enough, there were massive power outages. Poles were snapped. Last I heard, there were at least 1,300 poles broken like the one up the road from my house. We're lucky. Our power is back on. (It was out from about 3 p.m. Friday until about noon on Monday.)
That's a lot of food that went bad. 48,000 people were without power at some point. That's a lot of spoiled milk. South Dakotans lost a lot of cattle. Some estimates are at least 5% of the state's entire cattle were killed in the storm. Not going to be good for beef prices.
So now you know why I didn't blog over the weekend. Clearly, the Universe had other plans.
Me
Thursday, October 03, 2013
Short post today....
Blogging day 3 and it's still hard.
Only this time it's hard because of the day I've had.
Worked this morning, and then friends who'd been visiting were heading back home so we had a "send off breakfast." Then I came home and did some various housework and web design work.
That's when I heard the snarling and yelp coming from the two "big boys" (a 9 year old yellow lab and a 10 month old rottweiler). That required a trip to the vet for the rottie.
Then a meeting tonight that went long.
All the while keeping an eye on the weather, which is supposed to get yucky. Let's hope it either doesn't get as bad as they predict or it doesn't hit until after I get home from work and picking up the puppy at the vet.
Yeah... one of those days...
Me
Only this time it's hard because of the day I've had.
Worked this morning, and then friends who'd been visiting were heading back home so we had a "send off breakfast." Then I came home and did some various housework and web design work.
That's when I heard the snarling and yelp coming from the two "big boys" (a 9 year old yellow lab and a 10 month old rottweiler). That required a trip to the vet for the rottie.
Then a meeting tonight that went long.
All the while keeping an eye on the weather, which is supposed to get yucky. Let's hope it either doesn't get as bad as they predict or it doesn't hit until after I get home from work and picking up the puppy at the vet.
Yeah... one of those days...
Me
Wednesday, October 02, 2013
It's not the music that bugs me....
Blogging day 2 shouldn’t be this hard. But it is.
Today’s prompt was something about what song annoyed you every time it came on. I don’t have one. Well, I probably do. I just can’t think of it. If I can’t think of it, I can’t write it.
Instead, I’ll write (complain!) about something I heard on the radio this morning. The morning DJ’s were talking about the government shutdown, which is a whole other post. What bothered me about it was the following comment:
“This is about ObamaCare. That’s a law. Get over it.”
Excuse me? You know, it was a LAW that women couldn’t vote. It was a LAW that alcohol was illegal. It was a LAW that 55 miles per hour was the fastest you could drive.
How many of those are still national laws? Um, none. Zero. Zip.
In South Dakota, the following are still laws:
- No horses are allowed into Fountain Inn unless they are wearing pants.
- It is illegal to lie down and fall asleep in a cheese factory.
- Movies that show police officers being struck, beaten, or treated in an offensive manner are forbidden.
Oh, and I’m sure they’re consistently enforced, right?
There’s also a debt-ceiling law which seems to get changed on the whim of the idiots in Washington, D.C.
Do I think a government shutdown is the right answer? No. But a revolt is probably not the “right answer” either.
Yes, ObamaCare is a law. No, I don’t like it. Yes, it’s costing the average working person much more than they anticipated. Yes, it’s going to cost jobs.
But to say “That’s the law. Get over it.” I’m sorry, but that’s shortsighted and one of the biggest problems in the United States right now.
So, Mr. DJ, pull your head out of the sand. Look at the state of the country, the state of the world. There are many things wrong, and being complacent isn’t going to help. Frankly, it’s what got us into this mess to start with.
Me
Tuesday, October 01, 2013
Blogging? Every day? For a month?
Sure, why not.
Okay, so I'm a lousy blogger. Mostly because I don't think I'm all that interesting. But I'm going to give NaBloWriMo a try. That would be National Bloggers Writers Month, for those of you who don't know.
Maybe with some prompts I'll be more consistent. Maybe since I can share across two blogs I have a chance at success. (Hey, no where in the rules did it say you had to write on one blog for the whole month!)
I like to blog. Truly, I do. I just hate the idea of writing a post that I think rocks and have no one read it. So I guess the reason I'm participating in NaBloWriMo is to get over that.
Plus, it's probably good practice for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writers Month), which comes up in November. At least, I hope so.
So here we go... My first blog post for the month which is really me just telling you I'll be blogging this month.
Hey, it's a start!
Me
Okay, so I'm a lousy blogger. Mostly because I don't think I'm all that interesting. But I'm going to give NaBloWriMo a try. That would be National Bloggers Writers Month, for those of you who don't know.
Maybe with some prompts I'll be more consistent. Maybe since I can share across two blogs I have a chance at success. (Hey, no where in the rules did it say you had to write on one blog for the whole month!)
I like to blog. Truly, I do. I just hate the idea of writing a post that I think rocks and have no one read it. So I guess the reason I'm participating in NaBloWriMo is to get over that.
Plus, it's probably good practice for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writers Month), which comes up in November. At least, I hope so.
So here we go... My first blog post for the month which is really me just telling you I'll be blogging this month.
Hey, it's a start!
Me
Monday, April 08, 2013
The Mystery of Jabez
In 2000, Bruce Wilkinson's book "The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life" was published. The book was based on the Biblical passage 1 Chronicles 4, versus 9 and 10.
The name Jabez means "pain." Interesting.
In my genealogy research, I've found a Jabez. And he's causing me some kinda pain.
Jabez Tuey is my 3rd great grandfather. His father is Isaac Knowlton Tuey. And the line begins there. I can't find any information on Issac's parents or Jabez's mother.
Jabez was born October 22, 1822, in Malahyde, Elgin, Ontario, Canada. In 1849, he married Matilda Kazire Smith. By 1861, he'd immigrated to Minnesota where, in 1865, he enlisted in the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment. (Although, here they have his birth year as 1824.) He was still living in Minnesota in 1880. He died in Tabor, Iowa, in 1900 and is buried there.
Jabez had a number of children; 10, I think. His son William married "the farmer's daughter" (Emily Alice McDaniel). Their only child was a daughter named Jennie May, who I'm named after. Jennie May's daughter was my maternal grandmother.
So I know a bit about the line from Jabez to me. But what about the line on the other side of Jabez? It seems to be nonexistent. It seems Jabez had a brother, James born in 1825. But that sums up what I know.
I've looked at some of the "Tuey" boards on ancestry and discovered that no one seems to find anything before Isaac. More than one person claimed their family "legends" included the story that Isaac changed his name to that of the women he married (an "Unknown Tuey"). I've tried just looking for Isaac Knowlton and that hasn't garnered any results either. Where did Isaac come from? HOW did he spell Isaac? Is a spelling error why I can't find anything? I don't know.
Another oft-repeated story is that a baby was left on the doorstep of its father, Isaac. Is this Jabez? Is that why the mother is never listed? Did the mother die in childbirth? Not an unusual thing in the 1820s. And it would be the ultimate in "birth in pain." But then how does one explain James? (Who, by the way, also has no mother listed.)
My grandmother is gone now, so I can't pick her brain about the mystery of Jabez. I'm not sure she would know anything more than I've found, but I do regret never asking her. My mother mentioned once that she heard Grandma say the "Prayer of Jabez" was tied to her family, so I think Grandma at least knew a rumor of some kind. I wonder if she would have shared.
I guess that's another mystery that can't be solved.
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. (NIV)The book was a bestseller and the author encouraged Christians to pray the prayer daily.
The name Jabez means "pain." Interesting.
Jabez Tuey is my 3rd great grandfather. His father is Isaac Knowlton Tuey. And the line begins there. I can't find any information on Issac's parents or Jabez's mother.
Jabez was born October 22, 1822, in Malahyde, Elgin, Ontario, Canada. In 1849, he married Matilda Kazire Smith. By 1861, he'd immigrated to Minnesota where, in 1865, he enlisted in the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment. (Although, here they have his birth year as 1824.) He was still living in Minnesota in 1880. He died in Tabor, Iowa, in 1900 and is buried there.
Jabez had a number of children; 10, I think. His son William married "the farmer's daughter" (Emily Alice McDaniel). Their only child was a daughter named Jennie May, who I'm named after. Jennie May's daughter was my maternal grandmother.
So I know a bit about the line from Jabez to me. But what about the line on the other side of Jabez? It seems to be nonexistent. It seems Jabez had a brother, James born in 1825. But that sums up what I know.
I've looked at some of the "Tuey" boards on ancestry and discovered that no one seems to find anything before Isaac. More than one person claimed their family "legends" included the story that Isaac changed his name to that of the women he married (an "Unknown Tuey"). I've tried just looking for Isaac Knowlton and that hasn't garnered any results either. Where did Isaac come from? HOW did he spell Isaac? Is a spelling error why I can't find anything? I don't know.
Another oft-repeated story is that a baby was left on the doorstep of its father, Isaac. Is this Jabez? Is that why the mother is never listed? Did the mother die in childbirth? Not an unusual thing in the 1820s. And it would be the ultimate in "birth in pain." But then how does one explain James? (Who, by the way, also has no mother listed.)
My grandmother is gone now, so I can't pick her brain about the mystery of Jabez. I'm not sure she would know anything more than I've found, but I do regret never asking her. My mother mentioned once that she heard Grandma say the "Prayer of Jabez" was tied to her family, so I think Grandma at least knew a rumor of some kind. I wonder if she would have shared.
I guess that's another mystery that can't be solved.
Monday, January 21, 2013
A few thoughts on MLK Day and the Inauguration
I make no secret of the fact that I'm a Republican. I disagree with much of President Obama's basic politics and I didn't vote for him in either election. However, I listened to a lot of commentary on the Inauguration Ceremonies today. It amazed me how many commentators made such a big deal that the public ceremonies fell on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
The "I Have A Dream" speech is amazing. Dr. King was an amazing man. (Years ago, I actually had the opportunity to talk with a man who knew Dr. King and was in a jail cell with the civil rights leader.)
But so many people on television today made a point to mention that Dr. King would be proud that an African-American is holding the highest office in our land.
I disagree.
The way I understand Dr. King's speech, he wanted people judged on their ability, their character, their achievements. I don't believe he'd be happy with the correlations made today because society is still making a big deal about the amount of pigment in President Obama's skin.
Until we lose those hyphens (African, Italian, German) and just see people as American, we haven't realized Dr. King's dream.
Lose the hyphens, America. Judge people by the quality of their character and not the quantity of their skin's pigmentation. Only then will we have achieved Dr. King's dream.
The "I Have A Dream" speech is amazing. Dr. King was an amazing man. (Years ago, I actually had the opportunity to talk with a man who knew Dr. King and was in a jail cell with the civil rights leader.)
But so many people on television today made a point to mention that Dr. King would be proud that an African-American is holding the highest office in our land.
I disagree.
The way I understand Dr. King's speech, he wanted people judged on their ability, their character, their achievements. I don't believe he'd be happy with the correlations made today because society is still making a big deal about the amount of pigment in President Obama's skin.
Until we lose those hyphens (African, Italian, German) and just see people as American, we haven't realized Dr. King's dream.
Lose the hyphens, America. Judge people by the quality of their character and not the quantity of their skin's pigmentation. Only then will we have achieved Dr. King's dream.
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