"I'm just saying..." Blog by LBCAT

A new year is upon us and I am hopeful that it will bring better times to us all.  What else can one do but hope for the best when things look so scary.  I want to focus on doing the right things for myself, friends and family.  Just a few ideas for myself would be to be more active physically and make a commitment to read more books.  My writing has suffered a set back and by reading more it may bring inspiration.

My first book I read will be "Shantaram" a novel about India.  Johnny Depp has bought the rights and will star as Lindsay the main character.  Filming is on hold for now. 

I am planning a trip to Savannah for St Pats is all goes well.  I also hope to reunite with some long lost people who were once close friends with whom I have some unfinished emotional business.  Closure with some trouble from the past should be good for my soul.

Happy New Year indeed.

Well is almost over. 2008 feels like it has overstayed its welcome. With the exception of the election most of the year we would all rather forget. So let us all welcome 2009 with hope and confidence. As we bid Bush farewell I predict a relief of sorts. He unashamedly left us in a horrific situation.

God bless this mess.....

Today my father in law is being laid to rest.  Ed passed on Friday and was 97 years old.  All nine of his children and spouses and a dozen of his grandchildren and great grandchildren have traveled days to attend the services in Ft Myers today.  I wanted to be there too but have volunteered to stay behind to tend to 2 households of pets.

Ed was pretty amazing in all the years I knew him I never saw anything but joy and happiness in his heart.  I have heard people say the pain of missing a loved one will ease with time but so far for me it seems to be increasing rather than fading.  Mostly due to the approaching holiday season celebrations where I dread his empty chair at our family gatherings.

Rest in Peace, Ed and we all love and miss you.......

This morning in the sand hills it is 24 degrees!  Daisy, Zeke and the 2 kitties all slept close to me last night.  I tucked in the goats and chickens in their houses. I don't worry too much about the goats with their regular body temp of 104 they are surely warm enough.  The chickens should be okay too. 

My real concern over the tortoises is valid as the early freeze we had in late October claimed at least 3 baby turtles from this years hatch.  Daisy brought them to me completely frozen and intact from her morning walk.  They were so small they had no means to dig a tunnel deep enough to escape the bitter cold of that morning.  I hope that the really big tortoises are okay.

I was inspired by Bob Marley's' words from "War" 30 yrs ago

What life has taught me
I would like to share with
Those who want to learn...

Until the philosophy which holds one race
Superior and another inferior
Is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned
Everywhere is war, me say war

That until there are no longer first class
And second class citizens of any nation
Until the colour of a man's skin
Is of no more significance than
the colour of his eyes
Me say war

That until the basic human rights are equally
Guaranteed to all, without regard to race
Dis a war

That until that day
The dream of lasting peace, world citizenship
Rule of international morality
Will remain in but a fleeting illusion
To be pursued, but never attained
Now everywhere is war, war

And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes
that hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique,
South Africa sub-human bondage
Have been toppled, utterly destroyed
Well, everywhere is war, me say war

War in the east, war in the west
War up north, war down south
War, war, rumours of war

And until that day, this continent
Will not know peace, we...

It has happened. There are millions of people, good citizens of this country who have felt left out either in actuality or by mental suppression.  The equality of these people has been compromised for hundreds of years.  I don't mean just blacks but Hispanics, Asians and women too.  I see this new chapter as one of redemption and yes, hope for the silent war to come to an end.  These people have been encouraged and in some cases forced to remain in a place where they neither contributed to society or benefited from opportunity available to others simply because of their color or gender.  If you don't believe this to be true this is one of the major problems of thought in this country.  The denial. The illusion that everyone has had the same chances to succeed.  The truth is many have not. Generations of families, remember what was exposed to the world after Katrina.

Now with a boost in pride and a leader who as lived through same prejudices many people have a different attitude about themselves and the future.  We could not continue as a nation with any success as long as we exclude what is soon to be HALF...

I truly hope citizens are hearing both sides of this campaign.

I have a feeling the campaign ads that tout only good about McCain (I wonder if there is any) and bad about Obama are being given too much weight.  Obama being elected will balance the tilted government we have been subjected to for too long.  Bush is an evil man who sold us out and stole our most basic freedoms and I am not okay with that.  Don't let anyone influence your vote, even me or others around you, just hear all the facts. 

All this fear mongering going on from the Republicans is an attempt to keep us all down.  I for one will not be scared into MORE OF THE SAME.  Obama has the vision of restoring our dreams as Americans with NEW IDEAS for the future of our country.  Honestly I am terrified of the OLD GUARD and their unwillingness to even consider changing the way we do business and how we deal with our allies and our enemies.  Just look where they have taken this country-to war and to ruin with closed doors, secrets and taking care of themselves.

You have to realize that...

Tim and I are planning a short trip to St. Augustine!  It has been a while since we got away together and a really long time since we have been to the old city.  I will have a new page of photos of our trip posted in a week or so.

Other than that we will be celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary....

What the heck is going on with the Gov't?  Are they insane?  Well of course they are!  I hope for everyone's sake that a plan will emerge that truly serves the people and the financial health of the country.

As for us we fall in that category of folks who have no debt, don't borrow anymore and live on a very frugal budget plan.  We are growing alot of our food and buy everything else from local farmers.  Our little town is was poor before and will be poor after all this mess is over.  I don't have enough money in my savings to worry that it is not insured.  Everythng I need is within 5 miles so the price of gas is not threatening as of yet.

This is the first time I still feel safe when the country is in turmoil.