Things that Make You go Hmmmmmm

Not only am I forwading this but blogging it. Please read it through and then think it through. Have a Great Day - Julia The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary. I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to. In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking. Billy Graham 's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" (regarding Katrina ) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?" In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK. Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem ( Dr. Spock 's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK. Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW." Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Are you laughing? Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us. Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in. My Best Regards. Honestly and respectfully, Ben Stein

Half The Sky

The HTS online auction is going on this week. Some of the special items include a tour of the set of hit TV show, Scrubs (in LA); a gourmet dinner for 8 (SF Bay area); and autographed books and artwork, Gpoing Home Barbies, and many other great items. We also contribute a few Yiyang calendars. http://missionfish.org/NPMMF/nphomepage.jsp?NP_ID= 3598 Half the Sky is very active in Abigail's orphange and helped fund her foster care until she could come home to us. They are now in Genevieve's orphanage to help improve the conditions for the children who are still waitng to go home to their forever families. Please take a look at all they have to offer. If you have ordered a 2008 Yiyang calendar, thanks for the support. If you haven't seen one yet, note that the Early Purchase price of $20 each ends Oct. 31. Afterwards it will be $25. This calendar starts on Nov. 1, 2007. Order now and enjoy it for 14 months! www.yiyangfund.org and click on the Store tab

Chinatown - friday

The girls and I along with some friends caught the train to China Town Chicago Friday. Poor little Abigail, by the time we were done, she was in a snow suit. I think she may be part lizard. The best part about the trip is the lunch it Lee Wangs. Yum, Yum, Yum. Genevieve helping her bud Chloe make her first store purchase without having a mommy stand over them. I was lurking in the doorway though. She and Chloe have just fell into a great friendship lately. They ask when they will see each other constantly. They are so funny.

October 17th,

My baby turned 26 yesterday. It seems like just yesterday that the Dr. handed me 10 lb 6 oz baby boy and said congratulations. It's been a long but wonderful 26 yrs watching him grow from a boy to a man. He was born old, so he never really was a child. Always wise beyond his years. He and I are equally as lucky for the wife he married. My first DIL would have a melt down anytime he even mentioned seeing his family, let alone coming over for his traditional birthday supper. My now DIL was ecstatic she didn't have to cook after a day at work and thanked me repeatedly. She is kind, generous, and VERY tolerant of his first wife. I believe he has found his true soul mate. This is a wonderful thing for such a wonderful person. This is a typical birthday dinner for all of my boys. They love this meal. Fried Chicken, Mac and Cheese, Greens, (the green beans are for the girls). I cook 13 lbs of fried chicken, 10 lbs of greens, and 2 lbs of mac and cheese. My boys can eat.

OK it did work.

The pictures below have been why I have had not had time to post lately. At least part of the reason. Allow me to introduce the latest member of the Trawick Clan - Meeko. When we got him, he had fleas and dread locks. Here is his story: We bought him from the Animal shelter in Benton Harbor MI, where they told us he was a Shi Tzu and about a year old. When I called the co. his chip is registered with they gave me the name of the Pound he originated at in Chicago, IL. Hmmmmm. We went to the Dr yesterday to be totally blown away by the info he gave us. The dog is about 3 1/2 old. So we are guestimating about the same age as Abigail. He is not a Shi Tzu but a Lhasa Apso. And he said judging by the shoulder width and the spacing in the eyes as well as the paw coloration a full breed. Hmmmmmmm The funny part about the whole Dr. visit is the fact that he is an ear dog. Chronic infections and inflammation. This dog is so our family. He has been to the groomer, where we will keep him going regularly, because I DO NOT like all that hair and the vet. Over all he's in great shape with the exception to the 5 lbs he's over weight. We are going to work on this because he will not walk up and down the steps, he has to be carried. The cat and him get along great. The best part is how tolerant he is of the children. We could not have asked for a better dog.

pics on blogger

Ok I have no idea if this is going to work or not. The picture portion of blooger is kinda screwy Before the grromer and after the groomer pics. The dread lock are ont he belly. The pund got the back ones cut off

Half the Sky and their great work in China

This email was sent to me so i am pasing it along. During the fall, we want to inform as many people as possible about the great work that Half the Sky does in Yiyang and elsewhere in China. The HTS on-line auction is coming up soon. If you blog or have friends who do, it would be great to have links for the HTS website and the Yiyang website on more blogs or websites. http://www.yiyangfund.org/ This website is selling the greatest calenders. They are all photos of children from YiYang SWI and CWI. Genevieve is from the SWI She is actually in 4 different places in the calender. The calender is put together nicely and has 14 months in it. There is also an area of information about the city of YiYang. http://www.halfthesky.org/ Note that there is a link to the HTS website on the Donate page of yiyangfund.org. The HTS website has a link on the home page for voting for Jenny Bowen and some HTS children to be to carry the Olympic torch in 2008. See below for when she said about that in her recent e-newsletter. SENT BY JENNY BOWEN 29Sep07 to HTS Email List Our volunteers in Wuhan had a great idea. It may be possible for some of our Half the Sky children to carry the Olympic torch next year. I've entered a contest sponsored by the China Daily Newspaper and, if I can get enough votes from netizens all over the world, I may be able to have that honor. If it happens, I will run with 8 children from 8 orphanages in China. Believe me, I am no runner. But I would dearly love to give the children a place at the party. We need a LOT of votes. Please pass this on to your friends and family. Please take a moment and vote for me right now: http://pub1. chinadaily. com.cn/olympics/ torch/members. shtml?mid= 212

internet de-tox

I have been down since Monday from the internet. GRRRRRRR. I am kinda still down because ATT has net been here to fix the problem. Thank Goodness for AWESOME neighbors. She called to ask me something and of course I was whining about my computer. She gave me her passcode and I can now get online. WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOO. Now I just wait for ATT to get here. So in the meantime I thought I would pass this along. Very True to Life. Those Born 1920-1979 TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!! First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because, WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms....... WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! If YOU are one of them.CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good . While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn 't it?!