Just a quick peek at the gorgeous Milo! Spending time with him and his mom and dad for a few days.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
He is on his way!
Looks like today is the day we get to meet our grandson and learn his name! That has been under wraps! And Joan, looks like you and this little guy will share a birthday!
(How fitting as Tom grew up at Little Fiddler with us!)
MILO THOMAS
was born at 9:00 this morning.
He is 7 lbs. 9 oz. 20" long
and gorgeous!
Pictures will soon be posted but for now I need to sleep. It was a long drive to Philly and longer without sleep. But, oh so worth it!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Happy Birthday, Joan!
A letter from my President
Seems that when you write a letter be it pro or con, the White House adds you to their mailing list. I truly believe that this means that they do not read what they receive or they would eliminate me from their mailings. Just got this note from our "Commander in Chief."
Dear Friend,
If you’re like most Americans, there’s nothing more important to you about health care than peace of mind.
Given the status quo, that’s understandable. The current system often denies insurance due to pre-existing conditions, charges steep out-of-pocket fees – and sometimes isn’t there at all if you become seriously ill.
It’s time to fix our unsustainable insurance system and create a new foundation for health care security. That means guaranteeing your health care security and stability with eight basic consumer protections:
• No discrimination for pre-existing conditions
• No exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or co-pays
• No cost-sharing for preventive care
• No dropping of coverage if you become seriously ill
• No gender discrimination
• No annual or lifetime caps on coverage
• Extended coverage for young adults
• Guaranteed insurance renewal so long as premiums are paid
Learn more about these consumer protections at Whitehouse.gov.
Over the next month there is going to be an avalanche of misinformation and scare tactics from those seeking to perpetuate the status quo. But we know the cost of doing nothing is too high. Health care costs will double over the next decade, millions more will become uninsured, and state and local governments will go bankrupt.
It’s time to act and reform health insurance, drive down costs and guarantee the health care security and stability of every American family. You can help by putting these core principles of reform in the hands of your friends, your family, and the rest of your social network.
Thank you,
Barack Obama
I responded promptly:
Mr. President;
Why does what you write not jive with what I understand to actually be in this bill??
I do not want counseling at the end of my life nor do I want it for my parents. I want elderly extended the same care as everyone else.
I don’t want the government involved in my care nor do I want them to access my records. You can’t control the records already in your care.
There is cost- sharing and it is on the backs of the employers and the tax payers. Do you really think you can offer healthcare without sharing the cost or are you going to print the money to pay those in the medical field??????
Why is there no mention of tort reform in this bill????
Are you wondering why your popularity is plummeting? Perhaps you are acting “stupidly” by promoting this plan.
I find it amazing that I remain on your email list. It shows me that no one at the White House reads these responses. I say NO government involvement in health care. I believe in the value and sanctity of life and this plan does not. You are attempting to solve a problem-not a crisis- by creating a total mess of things and by creating a crisis for our country.
Want to go up in the polls? Want to be re-elected? Abandon this health care idea!
Sue
Dear Friend,
If you’re like most Americans, there’s nothing more important to you about health care than peace of mind.
Given the status quo, that’s understandable. The current system often denies insurance due to pre-existing conditions, charges steep out-of-pocket fees – and sometimes isn’t there at all if you become seriously ill.
It’s time to fix our unsustainable insurance system and create a new foundation for health care security. That means guaranteeing your health care security and stability with eight basic consumer protections:
• No discrimination for pre-existing conditions
• No exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or co-pays
• No cost-sharing for preventive care
• No dropping of coverage if you become seriously ill
• No gender discrimination
• No annual or lifetime caps on coverage
• Extended coverage for young adults
• Guaranteed insurance renewal so long as premiums are paid
Learn more about these consumer protections at Whitehouse.gov.
Over the next month there is going to be an avalanche of misinformation and scare tactics from those seeking to perpetuate the status quo. But we know the cost of doing nothing is too high. Health care costs will double over the next decade, millions more will become uninsured, and state and local governments will go bankrupt.
It’s time to act and reform health insurance, drive down costs and guarantee the health care security and stability of every American family. You can help by putting these core principles of reform in the hands of your friends, your family, and the rest of your social network.
Thank you,
Barack Obama
I responded promptly:
Mr. President;
Why does what you write not jive with what I understand to actually be in this bill??
I do not want counseling at the end of my life nor do I want it for my parents. I want elderly extended the same care as everyone else.
I don’t want the government involved in my care nor do I want them to access my records. You can’t control the records already in your care.
There is cost- sharing and it is on the backs of the employers and the tax payers. Do you really think you can offer healthcare without sharing the cost or are you going to print the money to pay those in the medical field??????
Why is there no mention of tort reform in this bill????
Are you wondering why your popularity is plummeting? Perhaps you are acting “stupidly” by promoting this plan.
I find it amazing that I remain on your email list. It shows me that no one at the White House reads these responses. I say NO government involvement in health care. I believe in the value and sanctity of life and this plan does not. You are attempting to solve a problem-not a crisis- by creating a total mess of things and by creating a crisis for our country.
Want to go up in the polls? Want to be re-elected? Abandon this health care idea!
Sue
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Thank you to those who stand firm
I appreciate Americans who are well educated and stand up for what is right. This young man is one fine example.
Missing my garden
We did not plant a vegetable garden this year. There is just too much to do when you first move. We've decided where our garden will be and we will start prepping for it this fall. We have been away from home so often this summer that vegetables would never have survived. Instead I garden vicariously through blogs, magazines and my son's garden. He sure does grow beautiful things.
Monday, July 27, 2009
The story of the elephant
This may not be the greatest metamorphosis but it ranks right up there among great prodigal elephant stories....or among "how to recapture storage space in my basement."
A few years ago, after my son Joe was married, we were having a conversation about garage sales and stuff. Joe told us that the one thing he wished I had not gotten rid of was the plastic elephant. I was shocked and said "Really???" That elephant was, in my mind, a plastic monster that my mom had picked up at a yard sale years ago. It served well as a place to store toys next to the sandbox. Those years had long passed and I had even wondered why it followed us from the first house to the second. Since that time it sat in a corner of the basement.
About ten years before the conversation where Joe expressed regret over its loss I had sold it at a yard sale, never even thinking it would be missed by anyone. A few days after the conversation, my husband took an alternate route home from work, not quite sure why he did but he did. As he went down a side street he noticed a yard sale ahead and guess what was in the front yard....the elephant! Yes, it was THE ELEPHANT! My husband stopped, paid $5 for it and asked the guy where he got it from. The guy said, "Oh my wife got it years ago at a yard sale in Blandon." Guess where we lived....yep, Blandon. Here he is:
We put the elephant on the front porch for Joe and Sharon to see when they came by. He could not believe it. I think Sharon could not believe he wanted it. Guess where it remained. In the basement where it sat 10 years earlier. I offered it to Joe and Sharon before we moved but no, the elephant moved with us from PA to NC. He sat in our new basement until today. Now he is a she and she will be going back to PA so Hannah and her sister can keep their sand toys outside.
Isn't God great? He gives us the desire of our heart. Even elephants.
If you haven't already, head on over to Susan's place for some really great metamorphosis projects. I'm drooling over her deck metamorphosis.
A visit to Free Market Warrior
We drove to Charlotte on Saturday morning with the express intent to visit the Free Market Warrior kiosk at the Concord Mall. We were there shortly after opening and in the 20 minutes or so we were there they had about 30 customers and folks were buying. In fact, the young lady working that morning was running out of merchandise. I spoke with those shopping and they were there to support the shop because of what they had read. I saw nothing really offensive. I have seen more offensive materials in other shops with crass t-shirts,etc. When Bush was in office there were constantly ugly things plastered about against him. You can click on the picture to get a better look at some of the merchandise.
We bought some bumper stickers. I have never put bumper stickers on my car so not sure if I will put any of these on- probably just the RWE oval. I really like the one that reads: Why is it...if you have more than one wife you go to jail. If you have 10 kids with 8 different men-you get government assistance?
Had we gone to the mall on Sunday we could have been in on the protest that I just read about. I also read that the mall management sat down with the owner. I guess they are getting publicity over this that they did not expect to get. You can read more here.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Just what is being destroyed?
We are taking a road trip this weekend to Concord, NC to visit and shop at the Free Market Warrior. So much for a free market, the store is being evicted from the mall because of the conservative material it peddles. Agreed, a privately owned mall can choose its tenants just as we can choose where to shop and where not to shop. I know where I will spend some of my money this weekend. You can read about this here.
I found this article to be interesting. Here is a short snippet concerning passage of the heathcare legislation:
"Let's just lay everything on the table," Grassley said. "A Democrat congressman last week told me after a conversation with the president that the president had trouble in the House of Representatives, and it wasn't going to pass if there weren't some changes made ... and the president says,
'You're going to destroy my presidency.'
'You're going to destroy my presidency.'
I ask: What about destroying this country. I do think that this is a far greater concern than one man's presidency.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
More outrage
Everyday I am outraged over something that has happened in DC. Yep, I do believe we have a gangster government in control.
I think I need to do something relaxing or some sewing or some decorating. The problem is that these problems are too great and too important to push aside. I love my country too much to sit idly by as I watch it being taken over. I wish every American would realize the path we are on.
I think I need to do something relaxing or some sewing or some decorating. The problem is that these problems are too great and too important to push aside. I love my country too much to sit idly by as I watch it being taken over. I wish every American would realize the path we are on.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Favorite Spots
You see those two red chairs at the bottom of our yard? Yes, those two. They are quickly becoming one of our favorite places to sit. We like to take a glass of wine and sit there, listening to the frogs and birds in our woods while watching the bluebirds eating bugs. It is so peaceful. I think that the two trees behind the chairs are begging for a hammock, don't you?
Now for my question of the weekend: How much nectar does one hummingbird hold? We have two hummingbird feeders- one at our kitchen window and one at the front office window. There were hummingbirds at our feeders all weekend long and we have filled each of them twice in the past two days! I wanted to capture their antics as they chase,dive bomb and zoom all over the yard but they are rather camera shy. I had to maneuver between the slats in the blind to get the pictures I got and I really should have had a tripod. They are still flying all over as I type- no wonder they need so much sugar!! Or are they flying all over because they have had so much sugar?? I have never had this much activity with hummingbirds! What fun to watch. Judging by their play I think they are brothers and one is definitely in charge. Everyone clears out when he starts pushing his way in!
Now for my question of the weekend: How much nectar does one hummingbird hold? We have two hummingbird feeders- one at our kitchen window and one at the front office window. There were hummingbirds at our feeders all weekend long and we have filled each of them twice in the past two days! I wanted to capture their antics as they chase,dive bomb and zoom all over the yard but they are rather camera shy. I had to maneuver between the slats in the blind to get the pictures I got and I really should have had a tripod. They are still flying all over as I type- no wonder they need so much sugar!! Or are they flying all over because they have had so much sugar?? I have never had this much activity with hummingbirds! What fun to watch. Judging by their play I think they are brothers and one is definitely in charge. Everyone clears out when he starts pushing his way in!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Visit New York City while it still exists.
I guess if you want to see NYC you better go soon. The moves that the libs are discussing will destroy the city. As it is NYC is held together by a small number of earners who support those receiving government support. Those who are productive members of society (the workers=earners=the rich in Obama speak) are already leaving the city because they are being taxed to death. The city is feeling the loss of income from these citizens. This story makes me see the future of the city as even more uncertain.
Who in their right mind would work hard and give 57% away in taxes? I realize that many already do. In fact if you add all the taxes we pay, including sales tax, many of us probably pay close to that amount to our government. (I have always admitted that numbers are not my thing and I am sure someone has done the math so feel free to find it somewhere in our vast internet of information.) Do those proposing these taxes not realize that folks with half a brain will move out of the city to avoid the taxes?
Wake up people! Not only are the taxes required to fund this healthcare proposal going to drive many to the edge but if you are at all alert you have to have heard countless stories where government run healthcare has failed! Americans are used to receiving treatment they need when they need it. This new system will force you to wait and as you age your priority will be lowered. Are we really in a healthcare crisis? I think not! Why is our government telling us we are in a crisis everywhere we look?
We went out for a ride last night and despite our economic woes I saw cars in the lots of every restaurant and I am not just talking drive-thrus! How can this be? Yep, unemployment is up and I would be lying if I said I don't fear job loss but why are we losing jobs? Businesses are being taxed and regulated to death! Loosen the noose and we will see jobs opening up! Americans need to start being in the business of building and creating, not shipping those jobs overseas.
How did I stray from New York city to healthcare to unemployment and job creation? They are all connected by our government. A government that wants to grow and has taken on a life of its own. A government that forgets who its boss is- us, the American people. It is time that we tell this administration to stop. Stop creating a crisis. Stop spending our money. (look at how some of your tax dollars were spent recently) Stop rewarding those who don't work (did you hear that those on assistance in Colorado may be getting free cell phones??)and punishing those who produce. Stop appointing people with radical views to positions of power. It is time that we as Americans stop too. We need to stop seeing each other with labels and look at this mess with open eyes. Too many have worn the label Democrat or Republican on their lapel and refuse to listen to the other side simply because of that label when in fact the other side just might have some insight. My argument is with politics as usual. Idealists voted for hope and change. I don't know about you but the changes I see offer me very little hope for this great country.
Photo source
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Remembering
The sunflowers are blooming and I think of her.
There are so many things that continue to remind me of my dear, dear friend Betsy. We shared fun times and sad times always knowing Who was in control. No matter what.
There are so many things that continue to remind me of my dear, dear friend Betsy. We shared fun times and sad times always knowing Who was in control. No matter what.
Betsy died fifteen years ago today. I was shocked when she first told me she had cancer and the Drs. did not hold out much hope. We spent three months sharing our deepest thoughts, hopes and dreams all the while knowing her health was steadily failing. I look back on that time and see how it served to grow me and shape me. I also look back and think about how much I miss her friendship. I can't wait to see her again!
As she lay in that hospital bed those last two weeks this Psalm became one of our favorites.
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills --where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip --
He who watches over you will not slumber;indeed,
He who watches over Israelwill neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you --the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm --He will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forever more.
So what is on your mantel?
Pennsylvania's Governor Rendell is another guy who has never been one of my favorites. Again, if you have ever seen him in action I can't imagine finding him appealing yet apparently voters in PA have. Pennsylvanians are fortunate that he will not be able to run again. Maybe knowing that he is not up for re-election has caused him to let folks know what he really thinks about himself. It takes quite an ego to declare that folks should put a statue of oneself on their mantels. This guy is nuts and he is spending taxpayer money without a care while looking for more of it to spend. Politics as usual. Hopefully PA will smarten up and look for real change during the next election, less ego and more money in individual pockets.
(Sorry if you were looking for decorating ideas for your mantel. I will get back to decorating but right now I am finding it hard to focus on decorating when our country is in the state it is in.)
(Sorry if you were looking for decorating ideas for your mantel. I will get back to decorating but right now I am finding it hard to focus on decorating when our country is in the state it is in.)
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
So how did you meet your spouse?
I met my husband on a blind date to an America concert. I remember it like it was yesterday although it was more than 32 years ago. Apparently our president does not remember where he met his wife. In a speech to college students in Moscow he said that he met her as a student in class. Apparently this is NOT where he met her- it was in a law office where she was employed and he was an intern. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt- someone else probably wrote the speech and he read it, either never really thinking about what he was reading or deciding that it was so much easier to just following the bouncing teleprompter ball than to ad lib with the facts. Which brings me to my point.
How can someone read something and not know what they are reading? How can you trust someone to have written what you want to say? Reminds me of one of our PA State Senators who I had speak before a group of childcare folks. He was a guy I never really liked- eely, creepy and an institution in the county. He arrived late to the event- his usual practice-and then had the nerve to ask me, "Who is this group I am speaking to?" Well fortunately for him someone in his office knew who the group was because as he walked to the podium he pulled a written speech from his breast pocket. (That sucker was a long speech too and he did not shorten it despite his late arrival!) The speech was well written and promised providers the world (at taxpayer expense). Of course he got applause while I politely covered my rolling eyes. The guy is still there, people still vote for him despite the joke most folks think he is. Why is that? (Surely it can't be for the free maps he is known to give away..free? taxpayer paid) Anyone who runs against him is put through the wringer that I feel he needs to be put through! Which leads me to my second point.
Had our past president forgotten where he met his wife, the news would be all over the place, on every network and there would be no let up until he made his next mistake. And you know, being human we do make mistakes. Why are some folks allowed to be human and others are not? Speaking of humans...
The choices our President has made and are making give me the creeps. Our next Supreme Court Justice is a case in point. (C'mon you know she is going to get in.) I despise what she stands for but what I despise even more is dishonesty. All her life she has been radical in her thinking yet when she faces this Committee she is not brave enough to stand and admit what she believes in. Instead she makes excuses for what she has said and done. If she was at least honest enough to admit what she believes I would have a little more respect for her- but never for what she stands!
And now about these Czars Obama is appointing. John Holdren,who he has nominated for the science czar, (what do we need this for? Another salary for us to pay!) is one scary guy. He has been a proponent of forced abortions to control population growth. What is going on in Washington? What is going on with Americans who sit idly by?
How can someone read something and not know what they are reading? How can you trust someone to have written what you want to say? Reminds me of one of our PA State Senators who I had speak before a group of childcare folks. He was a guy I never really liked- eely, creepy and an institution in the county. He arrived late to the event- his usual practice-and then had the nerve to ask me, "Who is this group I am speaking to?" Well fortunately for him someone in his office knew who the group was because as he walked to the podium he pulled a written speech from his breast pocket. (That sucker was a long speech too and he did not shorten it despite his late arrival!) The speech was well written and promised providers the world (at taxpayer expense). Of course he got applause while I politely covered my rolling eyes. The guy is still there, people still vote for him despite the joke most folks think he is. Why is that? (Surely it can't be for the free maps he is known to give away..free? taxpayer paid) Anyone who runs against him is put through the wringer that I feel he needs to be put through! Which leads me to my second point.
Had our past president forgotten where he met his wife, the news would be all over the place, on every network and there would be no let up until he made his next mistake. And you know, being human we do make mistakes. Why are some folks allowed to be human and others are not? Speaking of humans...
The choices our President has made and are making give me the creeps. Our next Supreme Court Justice is a case in point. (C'mon you know she is going to get in.) I despise what she stands for but what I despise even more is dishonesty. All her life she has been radical in her thinking yet when she faces this Committee she is not brave enough to stand and admit what she believes in. Instead she makes excuses for what she has said and done. If she was at least honest enough to admit what she believes I would have a little more respect for her- but never for what she stands!
And now about these Czars Obama is appointing. John Holdren,who he has nominated for the science czar, (what do we need this for? Another salary for us to pay!) is one scary guy. He has been a proponent of forced abortions to control population growth. What is going on in Washington? What is going on with Americans who sit idly by?
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Little things
Today we got lots of little things done around the house and in the yard. One that I am thrilled to have done is installing shelves into this little closet.
I laughed out loud when I first saw this "coat closet." Good thing our house has lots of other closets. We decided to put some shelves inside to provide storage for glasses. There is even enough room that I can unpack a few more boxes of glasses!
What a good feeling to get lots of little things done around the house!
I laughed out loud when I first saw this "coat closet." Good thing our house has lots of other closets. We decided to put some shelves inside to provide storage for glasses. There is even enough room that I can unpack a few more boxes of glasses!
What a good feeling to get lots of little things done around the house!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Happy Birthday, Joe!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
So What Purse Is Your Wallet In?
Michelle Obama is making news again. This time it is not over her shoes but instead over the purse she carried while in Moscow. (The White House denied that she was carrying the $5950 bag and said instead she carried an $875 bag despite a VBH rep IDing the bag as theirs.) Quite honestly I could care less what purses most folks carry. My attitude has always been, if you can afford it, spend it and stimulate this economy. My problem lies in the fact that we are being told by this administration that it is evil to be rich. We are also told that we need to conserve and be aware that our country is hurting.
Ahem...(clearing my throat)...psssst....Mrs. Obama, did you hear that? Why can't these people walk the walk we are supposed to do blindly? Oh...are there different rules for different folks? Could she have not settled for a bag from TJMax and given the difference to one of her favorite charities...like ACORN? Or perhaps this was a gift? I guess the giver had to buy it and it stimulated the economy somewhere along the way (probably provided more economic stimulation than her husband's efforts).
Don't worry, I won't be buying one of these bags. Soon the handbag industry may need a government bailout as none of us will have any money to carry around.
Family Times
We have been in PA. On Sunday there was a shower for our new grandson. I thought this gift was really unique. All of the clothes were clipped on a clothesline. There was note to pull on the end of the rope that was hanging out of the bag. Look at the great surprises that my son and his wife found on the rope! ( My fellow grandma is watching too!)
We finished our visit by taking a walk with Hannah. She waved bye as we left. It is always tough to say goodbye. It will be even more difficult to say goodbye when there are 3 grandbabies!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
A letter to our President
I wanted to share this. I received it from a PA friend. I have had the good fortune to meet Representative Rohrer. Although he was often frowned down upon by those receiving government funding, I found him to be a genuine, caring man. He spoke before a group of our local childcare providers and spoke from the heart while our other Representative promised providers the moon- at tax payer expense. (Rep. Rohrer also arrived on time knowing the group that he was going to be addressing!) His letter to the President is well worth reading and the You Tube clip is worth watching. I am shocked that I am posting ANYTHING from MSNBC!
-An Open Letter to the President-
July 3, 2009
Dear Friends,
In just another day, we will all observe Independence Day. Yet, like you, we all realize that our freedoms have never been so threatened both from within and without. We wonder what actions we should take. We wonder what happens if we wait too long? I know we all wish for some clarion call from some leader with a response commensurate to the challenges we are seeing. A recent news analysis from Rachel Maddow (MSNBC News) of a major policy speech made by our President in May prompted me to write this open letter to the President as my next step. As you watch this news clip, you will likely find that the President’s attitude toward the Rule of Law and the Constitution is even more alarming than what he is proposing. I hope that this video and my letter will further develop your thinking as we celebrate Independence Day. While I stop short of suggesting a specific collective action that American citizens can take, I believe that history lays out the pattern.
Please watch this video, and then read my “Open Letter to the President.”
Dear Mr. President,
I write to you as one elected official to another on behalf of average American citizens. We listen to your words and measure them carefully. With hope, we watch your actions. We then look to history and compare the events of our day with the events of yesterday. We look to our Founders and read carefully their intellectual discourses and their moral debate. They ultimately concluded that the actions of the king were best described as tyranny, because they could not be honestly described any other way. Having come to such a serious and reasoned conclusion, their path was charted—unknown as to its outcome—but certain as to its demand upon them. Mr. President, we are doing what Americans have done before.
Many of your words, at face value, inspire and offer some level of hope. This is why many Americans cast their vote for you. Yet, now that you are in office, your actions are inspiring fear and distrust. At nearly every level, Americans, regardless of political party, are being forced to walk down the same road our Founders were forced to walk – questioning, analyzing, and looking deep within their souls. The similarities between the past and the present are amazing. If you desire to test the American people’s resolve and challenge their patience, you are accomplishing your goal. You know what is happening within the hearts and minds of the average American. That is why state legislatures are offering and passing resolutions, re-affirming the 10th Amendment and state sovereignty issue. That is why the Tea Party movement is growing by the day and is attended by rich and poor alike. That is why you and Congress are hearing from the American public in record numbers on an increasing range of major issues including the bail-out, the stimulus plan, “cap and tax”, and government intrusion into health care.
Your speech sounds sensitive to the economic and emotional needs so heavy on our people. Yet, your continued references to being guided by the “Rule of Law” (our Founders knew this meant God’s Higher Law and the Highest Law of the Land – the Constitution) are hollow and disingenuous. Your recent speech in front of the original Constitution of the United States of America in the National Archives makes it all so clear that your words mean nothing. Your agenda and you yourself appear to be that “rule of law” – effectively setting aside all Constitutional constraints. It’s unfortunate that I must be so direct, but you are leaving the American people with very few options.
Mr. President, it is clear by your speech and actions that your oath to the Constitution is not binding to you and, therefore, is a broken oath. On many fronts, so much of significance has happened in such a short time. You (and the Congress) are overriding state sovereignty and encouraging the states into unsustainable programs through Stimulus Funds: this will force them to beg you and the elite in Washington for help when the funding runs out. Your policies are destroying the wealth of hard-working Americans by plunging this nation into inescapable debt to our enemies and by justifying the disastrous printing of trillions in fiat money. What you and the Federal Reserve do not destroy immediately by exploding our debt, will be completely devoured by the ensuing hyper-inflation. What an insidious way for you and Congress to spend what you do not have by robbing it from every hard-working American who has responsibly worked and saved!
You have violated historic contract law by choosing who wins and who loses, while Chrysler and General Motors is eviscerated and turned into ‘Government Motors’. You have thumbed your nose at the ‘Balance of Power’, so carefully conceived and implemented by our Founders, by appointing unaccountable “Czars” to function as your direct emissaries over fundamental areas of public policy, thereby blatantly by-passing the checks and balances of Congressional oversight. You pursue special interest agendas motivated by the faddish science of “Global Warming” or “Climate Change”, or whatever it will be called next. In the ‘cap and tax’ plan, you justify the biggest tax assault on the American people ever conceived. Yet, you boldly assure the American people that it will cost them nothing, since only the “polluters” will pay. But, in the process you will destroy thousands of truly sustainable jobs (in exchange for temporary “green” jobs – like insulating buildings and re-caulking windows). Bringing America to its knees in financial dependence, in energy dependence, and a gutted manufacturing sector is sadly what’s happening. It appears that in reality, the “Change” you promised is just your personal change—clearly not what the American people so desperately hoped for.
So Mr. President, these things that I and the American people have come to observe and conclude are bringing this nation to a point closer each day that resembles the circumstances that forced the hearts, the minds and then the hands of our Founders. As we quickly approach the remembering of Independence Day – July 4, 2009, please remember that as you make your choices, so must we. May you and all the American people reread the Declaration of Independence – very carefully. Identify the principles they clearly stated and then apply them to today. Feel the intensity of the letter sent to the King. Understand the careful steps they undertook to make the moral case for freedom and independence in the context of the history of mankind. Note in particular the foundational precepts woven into paragraph two, written as much for the benefit of Americans yet unknown and unborn as it was a message to King George. As the President who holds the highest elected position in both honor and responsibility in this Republic, place yourself in the position of the King, look in the mirror, and then look across this great land at the faces of our great people and listen to their pleas. The King didn’t know for sure all that Declaration Letter would mean for him, but I am certain that he knew he had ignited the will and passion of a freedom-loving people for which only time would prove the outcome.
So it is today. Now, we have the Constitution against which to compare the words and actions of those in public office. The people, Mr. President, are awaking. They are realigning their priorities, purifying their motivations, and galvanizing their wills. Their freedom and their families are what they love and, thankfully, what they will defend. As to what comes next, I cannot say. I do know that another Declaration Letter is not necessary since this country already belongs to us. Our freedom and this republic are already ours. It is the return of freedom they demand. It is nothing less than the adherence to the Constitution and to the oath we have both taken that they demand. We, continuing to carefully note and compare as our Founders did, are also coming to serious and reasoned conclusions. Our path is charted – unknown perhaps as to its ultimate outcome – but certain as to its demand upon us.
From all those who love their Freedom,
State Representative Sam Rohrer
District 128 – Berks County, PA
-An Open Letter to the President-
July 3, 2009
Dear Friends,
In just another day, we will all observe Independence Day. Yet, like you, we all realize that our freedoms have never been so threatened both from within and without. We wonder what actions we should take. We wonder what happens if we wait too long? I know we all wish for some clarion call from some leader with a response commensurate to the challenges we are seeing. A recent news analysis from Rachel Maddow (MSNBC News) of a major policy speech made by our President in May prompted me to write this open letter to the President as my next step. As you watch this news clip, you will likely find that the President’s attitude toward the Rule of Law and the Constitution is even more alarming than what he is proposing. I hope that this video and my letter will further develop your thinking as we celebrate Independence Day. While I stop short of suggesting a specific collective action that American citizens can take, I believe that history lays out the pattern.
Please watch this video, and then read my “Open Letter to the President.”
Dear Mr. President,
I write to you as one elected official to another on behalf of average American citizens. We listen to your words and measure them carefully. With hope, we watch your actions. We then look to history and compare the events of our day with the events of yesterday. We look to our Founders and read carefully their intellectual discourses and their moral debate. They ultimately concluded that the actions of the king were best described as tyranny, because they could not be honestly described any other way. Having come to such a serious and reasoned conclusion, their path was charted—unknown as to its outcome—but certain as to its demand upon them. Mr. President, we are doing what Americans have done before.
Many of your words, at face value, inspire and offer some level of hope. This is why many Americans cast their vote for you. Yet, now that you are in office, your actions are inspiring fear and distrust. At nearly every level, Americans, regardless of political party, are being forced to walk down the same road our Founders were forced to walk – questioning, analyzing, and looking deep within their souls. The similarities between the past and the present are amazing. If you desire to test the American people’s resolve and challenge their patience, you are accomplishing your goal. You know what is happening within the hearts and minds of the average American. That is why state legislatures are offering and passing resolutions, re-affirming the 10th Amendment and state sovereignty issue. That is why the Tea Party movement is growing by the day and is attended by rich and poor alike. That is why you and Congress are hearing from the American public in record numbers on an increasing range of major issues including the bail-out, the stimulus plan, “cap and tax”, and government intrusion into health care.
Your speech sounds sensitive to the economic and emotional needs so heavy on our people. Yet, your continued references to being guided by the “Rule of Law” (our Founders knew this meant God’s Higher Law and the Highest Law of the Land – the Constitution) are hollow and disingenuous. Your recent speech in front of the original Constitution of the United States of America in the National Archives makes it all so clear that your words mean nothing. Your agenda and you yourself appear to be that “rule of law” – effectively setting aside all Constitutional constraints. It’s unfortunate that I must be so direct, but you are leaving the American people with very few options.
Mr. President, it is clear by your speech and actions that your oath to the Constitution is not binding to you and, therefore, is a broken oath. On many fronts, so much of significance has happened in such a short time. You (and the Congress) are overriding state sovereignty and encouraging the states into unsustainable programs through Stimulus Funds: this will force them to beg you and the elite in Washington for help when the funding runs out. Your policies are destroying the wealth of hard-working Americans by plunging this nation into inescapable debt to our enemies and by justifying the disastrous printing of trillions in fiat money. What you and the Federal Reserve do not destroy immediately by exploding our debt, will be completely devoured by the ensuing hyper-inflation. What an insidious way for you and Congress to spend what you do not have by robbing it from every hard-working American who has responsibly worked and saved!
You have violated historic contract law by choosing who wins and who loses, while Chrysler and General Motors is eviscerated and turned into ‘Government Motors’. You have thumbed your nose at the ‘Balance of Power’, so carefully conceived and implemented by our Founders, by appointing unaccountable “Czars” to function as your direct emissaries over fundamental areas of public policy, thereby blatantly by-passing the checks and balances of Congressional oversight. You pursue special interest agendas motivated by the faddish science of “Global Warming” or “Climate Change”, or whatever it will be called next. In the ‘cap and tax’ plan, you justify the biggest tax assault on the American people ever conceived. Yet, you boldly assure the American people that it will cost them nothing, since only the “polluters” will pay. But, in the process you will destroy thousands of truly sustainable jobs (in exchange for temporary “green” jobs – like insulating buildings and re-caulking windows). Bringing America to its knees in financial dependence, in energy dependence, and a gutted manufacturing sector is sadly what’s happening. It appears that in reality, the “Change” you promised is just your personal change—clearly not what the American people so desperately hoped for.
So Mr. President, these things that I and the American people have come to observe and conclude are bringing this nation to a point closer each day that resembles the circumstances that forced the hearts, the minds and then the hands of our Founders. As we quickly approach the remembering of Independence Day – July 4, 2009, please remember that as you make your choices, so must we. May you and all the American people reread the Declaration of Independence – very carefully. Identify the principles they clearly stated and then apply them to today. Feel the intensity of the letter sent to the King. Understand the careful steps they undertook to make the moral case for freedom and independence in the context of the history of mankind. Note in particular the foundational precepts woven into paragraph two, written as much for the benefit of Americans yet unknown and unborn as it was a message to King George. As the President who holds the highest elected position in both honor and responsibility in this Republic, place yourself in the position of the King, look in the mirror, and then look across this great land at the faces of our great people and listen to their pleas. The King didn’t know for sure all that Declaration Letter would mean for him, but I am certain that he knew he had ignited the will and passion of a freedom-loving people for which only time would prove the outcome.
So it is today. Now, we have the Constitution against which to compare the words and actions of those in public office. The people, Mr. President, are awaking. They are realigning their priorities, purifying their motivations, and galvanizing their wills. Their freedom and their families are what they love and, thankfully, what they will defend. As to what comes next, I cannot say. I do know that another Declaration Letter is not necessary since this country already belongs to us. Our freedom and this republic are already ours. It is the return of freedom they demand. It is nothing less than the adherence to the Constitution and to the oath we have both taken that they demand. We, continuing to carefully note and compare as our Founders did, are also coming to serious and reasoned conclusions. Our path is charted – unknown perhaps as to its ultimate outcome – but certain as to its demand upon us.
From all those who love their Freedom,
State Representative Sam Rohrer
District 128 – Berks County, PA
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Working hard!
Hannah and I played while her mommy and daddy visited the hospital where Norah will be born. Afterward we got to visit Aunt Gina and Uncle Tom. Grandma thought that this was a funny picture to take but I really think the work is just beginning!
It was so good to spend a day with ones I love. I sat back looking at the four of them wondering where the years have gone. Wasn't it yesterday when I was carrying them?
Monday, July 6, 2009
Spending the day with a princess
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Thomas Paine Wisdom For The Fourth
He who dares not offend cannot be honest.
When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.
Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.
When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.
Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.
I am always grateful to those who have gone before, affording me the privelege to think and share honestly.
I am thankful for those now serving to safeguard our freedom and liberties. May our great country continue to be a beacon of liberty.
God bless America!
Sue
Friday, July 3, 2009
Biltmore
We enjoyed a visit to Biltmore in Asheville, NC. I was completely impressed and can't wait to return! Our visit was even more delightful as we shared it with some dear friends. Thought you might enjoy some pictures. (Pictures are not allowed inside the house.) I found it hard to imagine one family actually living here and owning all of this land. Forty three bathrooms! I have a hard time using and keeping 4 clean!
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