Old Friends.........

I WONDER SOMETIMES ABOUT THE PEOPLE I BEFRIENDED. I sometimes think about the women and men I met in the Army from basic to the time in the reserves and wish I could find a way to track them down. I tried classmates but unless someone signs up that is the only way. I need to find some kind of army tracker. I know the VA has a service but you need to know their social and most times I think the average person is NOT going to get that kind of info.

Good or bad.....I think that people who come into our lives add something to our personality, the way we review our life, our thoughts, dreams, finding the essence of who we are.

Congress Temporarily Avoids Government Shutdown

Thought this was interesting to post since I work for the federal government. I remember when there were spending issues before and an aunt of mine who works for social security had to go without pay because both parties could not make up their minds on how to fix the budget.

Now all this money is being finagled. Bush wants half to still be spent on the war and Democrats want more funding at the home front. WHO do you think I am siding with????

I wish that this war would end soon. It has so many mistakes and false claims made. Another Vietnam. Not in regards to soldiers' lives but just what it has cost a foreign citizenry and what is costs us emotionally, our $$$$$$$$$ and our reputation overseas. It feels like this administration KNOWS it is wrong but DOES NOT CARE! Some that serve in the highest offices seem to only want more money in their pockets, to irradicate people who believe differently in themselves and curtail those who believe that our government was wrong to go into Iraq.

I love my country so very much and it hurts to see what is happening to it. I want peace, I want for us to be respected again for all of our accomplishments, for what we did in the past to promoting science, medicine, and education, being on the forefront of space, technology....I love how we as a people are from so many ethnic varieties, creeds.........we are what make this country great. WE the citizens!

Campaign 2008: Get the latest news, video, and polls!
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Thursday passed and sent to President George W. Bush a temporary spending measure to keep the federal government running through November 16, giving Democrats and Republicans time to work out budget disagreements.
By a nearly unanimous vote of 94-1, the Senate approved the bill that is designed to avert government shutdowns that could have begun as early as next Monday if agencies ran out of money on the first day of the new fiscal year.
The legislation, which Bush is expected to sign into law, is needed because Congress failed to complete any of the 12 regular spending bills to fund government programs beginning October 1. The U.S. House of Representatives approved the temporary funds on Wednesday.
As they put off crucial spending decisions, the Senate on Thursday also agreed to raise the government's credit limit by $850 billion to $9.815 trillion. The added borrowing authority is needed because of huge budget deficits during Bush's presidency.
Over the next seven weeks, Democrats in Congress and the Bush administration are expected to negotiate over how much money should be spent next year on law enforcement, health care, education, domestic security, foreign aid and an array of other programs.
In his February budget plan, Bush asked for $933 billion for these programs, which must be renewed by Congress each year. He said any spending over that line would be vetoed.
Nearly half of the money Bush requested would fuel the military, including Pentagon weapons procurement. But it does not include the $189 billion Bush more recently has sought to pay for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, told reporters Congress will send three spending bills soon to Bush to "see what he does with them."
Democrats, who won control of Congress in last November's elections, want to add about $22 billion to Bush's request for these mostly domestic programs, saying they were shortchanged during six consecutive Republican budgets.
In an attempt to rally support, Democrats have contrasted the $22 billion with Bush's $189 billion war request for next year.

http://mj.z1077.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=104668&article=2716516

HAS America's civil liberties been compromised since 9/11

I hear a lot of rhetoric on the news and read it in newspapers regarding the loss of free speech in the USA. I believe we all have an innate right to free speech but we must also be responsible and accept the consequences of such rights as an adult. We cannot, for example, yell "fire" in a theatre without repercussions just like we cannot joke around about having a bomb on us when we are going through the multitude of security checks at the airport.

I think that the current administration has gone a little too far when it comes to expressing our rights of free speech. I think that no one should say anything in regards to hurting the president, that is ludicrous. Even if we do not like the guy any type of violence is wrong. I do have issues with the current administration regarding the following:

White House Policy Illegally Silences Americans Critical of Bush

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit against Gregory Jenkins, a former high-level White House staffer who enacted a policy that unlawfully excluded individuals perceived to be critical of the administration from public events where President Bush was present. The policy is laid out in an October 2002 “Presidential Advance Manual” obtained by the ACLU.

The ACLU filed today’s lawsuit, Rank v. Jenkins, after obtaining a heavily redacted version of the Presidential Advance Manual from the Justice Department. This manual is the Bush administration’s guide for planning presidential events around the country, and it repeatedly instructs organizers about “the best method for preventing demonstrators,” “deterring potential protesters from attending events,” “designat[ing] a protest area . . . preferably not in view of the event site or motorcade route,” and the like.

The lawsuit names as plaintiffs Jeff and Nicole Rank, who were arrested at a Fourth of July presidential appearance at the West Virginia State Capitol because they were wearing T-shirts critical of the president, and Alex Young and Leslie Weise, Denver residents who were thrown out of a town hall meeting with President Bush because they had an anti-war bumper sticker on their car.

http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/protest/silenced.html

What is wrong with having an anti-war sticker at a town hall meeting? Isn't that going a little too far, a little too big brother? This country was founded on the foundations of freedom, against the tyranny of the British Empire. What happened to the unwavering American pioneer spirit? What are our brethren fighting for if not at least to guarantee our rights to free speech (at the very least). I wish our soldiers were home, I WISH we could all get along, the billions spent were used here at home. I WISH I WISH. I live in a country where I can still say these things and post them on my blog. Sadly other countries have so much censorship that even their blogs can be banned. I hope my country does not resort to that.

Welcome!

Get a Voki now!

PHOTOGRAPHY

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED WITH PICTURES AND HOW IT TELLS A STORY.

A dream I have had is to travel the world and just take pictures of famlies from around the globe. I really want to feel interconnected with the humanity of this planet and then afterwards focus on the environment. I feel that this earth of ours is so precious so unique that we need to try and preserve it, preserve each heritage and practice conservation.

I think that saving such images on film is crucial to retaining pieces of human history.

I would also love to see how children see the world through the eyes of photography from around the globe. WOW, what an awesome project that could be! I wonder how something like that could be started??????????????????????

My kingdom for a literary agent!!!!!!!!!!!

Finding an agent is HARD. However I do highly recommend for the serious writers out there the following website: http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/

They give you the lowdown on the current hot and not so hot agents and editors out there. A newbie in this field should consider this site their bible. Keep it in your favorites and use it often since the site is updated to reflect changes.

I am revamping an already published book...I retain the copyright so I can do this. ;-) I am so motivated to get this book to a publishing house...that is how much I believe in it. I love the story...the morality in it...the love, the hate, the perseverance of the human spirit. Now...........if I can only find me an agent who will love it like I do!!

The Essence of Blogging

Wow, when I read this I was like amazed....always impressed at the human spirit, where it will reach, whose heart it will touch. I know Cambodia was a worn torn country due to the Vietnam war and then when it faced its own political internal strife. Reading this story makes me realize how priviledged I am to live in the USA where electricity and yes blogging......is as easy to me as breathing:

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- A Cambodian blogger asked recently whether former King Norodom Sihanouk should be considered the country's founding father of blogging.

Young, tech-savvy Cambodians are embracing blogs.

He got no definitive answer. Cambodian blog watchers say the 84-year-old monarch may not have known he was blogging when he unveiled his Web site, updated daily by his staff since 2002 with his views on national affairs, correspondence with his admirers and news about his film-making hobby.
But it is clear that young, tech-savvy Cambodians are joining Sihanouk in embracing blogs. The trend is changing their lives and their communication with people abroad -- even as electricity remains an unreachable dream for most households in this poverty-ridden nation of 14 million.
"This is a kind of cultural revolution now happening here in terms of self-expression," said Norbert Klein, a longtime resident from Germany who is considered the person who introduced e-mail to Cambodia, through a dial-up connection in 1994. "It is completely a new era in Cambodian life."

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/09/24/cambodia.blogs.ap/index.html

The winds of change

Just got out of a meeting with my team. Yet AGAIN we are going to have changes implemented to the way we do things. NARA is downsizing and getting rid of positions. Therefore, the tasks that these displaced workers were doing will fall on us archivists. Will be interesting. Wonder if a raise will insue next year when Congress gets theirs???????????????????????????????????

My philosophy is go with the flow. It is a job. I understand that governmental red tape is par for the course. Sigh....just give me a raise. What I do now and if there was a comparable job in the private sector.........I would be paid MORE than what I make now. I guess compensation is serving one's country with job security but higher pay would help. Rent went up, gas is up, basic essentials are rising. Please! Ay MAMI!

Drinking Tea

I WAS NEVER MUCH OF A TEA DRINKER. Being American coffee was my thing. When I was dating my ex he was very much into tea, milk tea, green tea, all sorts....I got used to it. Every evening (especially when it was cold), he would make tea with milk and boy oh boy I loved it.

I now own tiny little glass demitasse tea cups with their tiny little saucers.....so when I make tea my daughter loves to drink out of them due to the novelty. I will have to find a picture and post it here.

Dealing with Racism

I have had to deal with this since I was a child. First in school and now as an American. I have seen a lot of hostility against Americans since the onset of 9/11. I am one who does not like to overgeneralize or stereotype people. I know what is feels like on the receiving end. So when I hear people criticizing the American people for what the Bush Administration has done regarding our country's reputation and our hard work to be a super power yes I get pissed.

America is the land of opportunity and is the melting pot of the world. There are so many wonderful nationalities here...I love that I can walk down a street and see people from all over. In college I was active working with international students. I think being around people from different walks of life is a privilege and a wondrous opportunity to learn from one another. What hurts is that when I was traveling to the Middle East some friends I know told me not to mention my nationality since people are starting to hate Americans. Just sad.

Unfortunately, it appears that we Americans are being labeled as war mongers and plain sadists. Makes me sad.

Of course there is the racism I see against Arabs and Muslims. Reminds me of WWII when people were angry with the Germans here and the Japanese (internment camps for the latter).

Since the horrific terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, Security concerns have understandably increased, but so too has racial profiling, discrimination etc. In the early aftermath of the attacks some Americans that were understandably outraged and horrified, even attacked some members of the Sikh community where at least one was even killed, because they resembled certain types of Muslims, with beards and turbans. Various people of Middle East or South Asian origin have faced controversial detentions or questionings by officials at American airports. This web site’s section on the war against terror has more details on these aspects. http://www.globalissues.org/HumanRights/Racism.asp#RacisminNorthAmerica

I wish that we could focus on the oneness of humanity, in working together to bring about more positive contributions to science, medicine, the social services....nice dream to have.....

STRATEGIES TO REDUCE RACISM:
http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/362.html

Why is it important to reduce racism? This may seem obvious. Racism is bad, so of course it should be reduced. But there are more thoughtful answers to this question than just that.
1. Racism impedes or prevents the recipient of racism from achieving his or her full potential as a human being.
2. Racism impedes or prevents the recipient of racism from making his or her fullest contribution to society.
3. Racism impedes or prevents the person or group engaging in racist actions from benefiting from the potential contributions of the recipient of those actions.
4. Racism increases the present or eventual likelihood of retaliation by the recipients of racist actions.
5. Racism goes against many of the democratic ideals upon which the United States and other democracies were founded.
Racism is illegal, in many cases.

In other words, there are both moral and sometimes legal reasons to act against racism. There are also strong pragmatic reasons as well. Racism can harm not only the recipient of the racism, but also the larger society, and indirectly the very people who are engaging in the racism.
What's more, some important new research suggests that in some cases, racist actions can cause physiological harm to recipients. For example, a recent review of physiological literature concludes:
"Interethnic group and intraethnic group racism are significant stressors for many African-Americans. As such, intergroup and intragroup racism may play a role in the high rates of morbidity and mortality in this population." (Clark, Anderson, Clark, and Williams, 1999).

Taking up Tae Kwon Do

YES YOU READ IT RIGHT............I am ready to get into better shape, focus and even earn a belt. I am excited. There is a gym near where I live that offers classes for $173.00 from November through January to start off...so psyched. And since my work gym is free I plan on going there after work for about a half hour on Monday's and Thursdays (NO WAY am I staying late on a Friday for ANY reason).........and do the martial arts classes on Wednesdays. I hope I can "get it" where I am half way coordinated and not flaying all over the place with my hands and feet like a chimpanzee. :-p

GOOGLING and YAHOOING

OH MY GOD IS IT HARD TO FIND ANYTHING ON THE NET! I remember "fondly" my first experience utilizing the Internet. This was back in college in the early 90's. I was totally addicted (hmmm...like I am NOT now??)....I have to admit that the search engines are better. However, there is so much CRAP on the net it is hard to filter through sometimes in finding what you are seeking. I do love exquisite convenience of it...just when you get like a trillion hits on something like: generation x clip art...makes you want to pull your hair out.

Now I have seen the slow downward spiral of Yahoo. It was my favorite search engine until I was introduced to Google. Then, when my yahoo email account was being bombarded with a gazillion junk mail I had to sadly leave it. This was my first email account established in 1994 and I was hard pressed to leave it and for some reason the spam folder did not work so I switched to google. The only thing I do not like about gmail is how it cache's your emails and makes it a tad confusing in trying to find an email or answering a prior request. All in all I am content with google and love to search for obscure items. Good luck to all who have the patience and fortitude to weed through all the hits! :-)

Typical Friday Night

Am I getting old or what????? I feel like my head is spinning as to what to do. Much like the lovely confusion of this sign I took a picture of at the Science Center.

Was debating going to Borders to just sit, enjoy the ambiance, have some coffee and watch the cuties while reading a book but man...after being up since 4am, working, getting my car fixed and then renewing my Missouri driver's license I am pooped. Watching St. Elmo's Fire and it harkens me back to the 80's when I was a kid and then joined the army. Is it me or did kids seem more innocent back then?? I know every generation thinks theirs was the most naive.

Tomorrow I am off to global food market: http://www.globalfoodsmarket.com/ to buy my ingredients for my rice entree regarding next week's potluck. I want to take a picture of it but cannot find my %$#@ camera software to upload the pictures.

You know when it is time to buy a new computer when your old ancient degenerate hand me down takes more than ten minutes to post a simple blog.............ay caramba!

Now my daughter is home from a shopping extravaganza at the mall with a friend who is spending the night. They were taking pictures of each other in dress up. Now, if I can find that software I will be able to upload all these cute photos of my kid. (Here is one taken some time ago)...too cute:

Working for Uncle Sam

I admit working for good ol' Uncle Sam has its advantages. I do receive approx 10 federal holidays a year which can equate to many 3 day weekends. Job stability at NARA is priceless. I can take off whenever I want as long as I have the leave. I receive 4 hours of sick leave every pay period and 6 hours of annual leave for the same. I find it hard to see receiving such benefits so quickly anywhere else. For 2007 alone we have the following paid holidays:

Monday, January 1
New Year's Day
Monday, January 15
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Monday, February 19*
Washington’s Birthday
Monday, May 28
Memorial Day
Wednesday, July 4
Independence Day
Monday, September 3
Labor Day
Monday, October 8
Columbus Day
Monday, November 12**
Veterans Day
Thursday, November 22
Thanksgiving Day
Tuesday, December 25
Christmas Day

The only downside is the pay. Government worker salaries are really not reknown for their generosity in pay. What we do here in the public sector a private sector employee can be paid double or triple that amount.

Yet, there are still some who think we civil servants have cash coming out of our a$$. HAH...do not think so. I pay quite a bit for my health insurance and taxed. Ironic in some aspects because those taxes also pay my salary.

It depends on where you fall on the GS pay scale. Of course GS9's and higher do have a nicer salary and we have our steps. Check out this website for those curious as to how we US federal employees are paid: http://www.opm.gov/oca/07tables/html/RUS.asp (mind you this is for the St. Louis region and certain areas of the USA.)

All in all, I do love the job security and hope that in time I can move up to a higher level position if not in NARA then another government agency where I can retire in peace.

The death of the mighty USA Dollar(?) against the Euro

Seems to me Americans need to take more responsibility regarding their own credit and quit trying to back out of their responsibilities. According to the current US market rates, the U.S. dollar has hit a new all-time low against the euro on Thursday, with the euro trading above $1.40 for the first time since the common European currency was introduced.

The euro was trading above $1.40 for the first time since the common European currency was introduced.

The euro bought $1.4023 in early European trading, up from its previous high of $1.3987, hit in New York late Wednesday.

The dramatic half-point cut in U.S. interest rates announced this week, aimed at shoring up U.S. credit markets, also had the effect of further weakening the dollar by reducing its cash yield.

The euro has benefited from healthy economic news in the euro zone and the European Central Bank's campaign of gradual interest rate increases.

However, its current strength is widely seen primarily as a result of problems afflicting the dollar.

The dollar also fell against other currencies, reaching parity with the Canadian dollar for the first time since November 1976.

It dipped against the British pound to $2.0082 compared with $2.0025 late Wednesday, after UK retail sales in August rose by 0.6 percent from July.

The dollar slipped against the Japanese currency to 114.96 yen from 116.09 late Wednesday.

In Washington, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress that the credit crisis had created "significant market stress" and he offered fresh assurances that regulators would take steps to curb fallout related to the mortgage mess.

I think as Americans we need to empower our citizenry and take responsibility for our own actions. If we have a credit card, pay it off, don't have two or three. If you have a house, get a good rate and pay it on time, same as with a car. Quit spending more than what you have. Remember that our actions will fall upon future generations that are innocent. The children of today will be reaping our sins of tomorrow.

My work desktop

Decided to take a snapshot of it :)

Bringing culture closer to home

I WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES....RAISED IN 2 CULTURES=AMERICAN AND PUERTO RICAN. Of course growing up in the midwest-the middle of corn country--the kids in school tried to make feel ashamed of being mixed and for a while I was...until I realized as I grew older that I should be and am proud to be from such a rich culture. I have two countries to be proud of and two languages I have mastered.

Since I live in the midwest it is pretty homogenous as far as ethnic diveristy. When I attended college I wanted to surround myself with people from all over the world. I was lucky to help co-found the International Student Organization at Indiana State University. (Picture included of some of us at a friend's apartment. The couple were originally from the Caucus)We had people from all over and man, what fun we had. I was the MC for an international fashion show, we had students create delicious dishes of their favorite home cooked meals, a dj to play songs from around the globe, just a simple communal gathering celebrating life.

Now that as I grow older I find myself missing these things and need to get out more, to explore my Midwestern roots, my world...to once again find people who entrance me so, motivate me...I want to bring a piece of the world back into my heart as I did so long ago. I think it is important for children to learn about the world out there---technology has brought everyone closer...we can scan for unlimited resources on the 'net...computers, planes, anything that involves the advancement of human beings in science and the medical realm have brought our countries together---almost blurring borders--almost I say because we still retain our ethnic pride and culture identities....I believe that as human beings we should all try and understand people who believe differently than we do and celebrate life in other ways than our own.

http://www.indstate.edu/IAC/Student%20Scholar%20Service/ISO.htm

What is UP with the news latley???????????

IS IT JUST ME OR HAS CNN AND OTHER BROADCASTING NETWORKS "DUMBED" THEMSELVES DOWN??????? God forgive me but WHO CARES about Brittney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, or even OJ. There are more important noteworthy news stories out there and I would like to see a greater focus on improving primary education for kids here, better health care for the elderly and more innovations in the medical field especially for women...............

One example of scare tactics to keep us Americans firmly rooted in fear is what is going on overseas:

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Osama bin Laden will release a new message soon declaring war on Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, al Qaeda announced Thursday.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's second-in-command, is seen on a tape released Thursday.

The announcement of the upcoming message came as al Qaeda released a new video in which bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, boasted that the United States was being defeated in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places.
Officials in Pakistan confirmed Thursday that Musharraf, who also is Pakistan's military chief, would seek a second five-year term as president.
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Osama bin Laden will release a new message soon declaring war on Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, al Qaeda announced Thursday.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's second-in-command, is seen on a tape released Thursday.

The announcement of the upcoming message came as al Qaeda released a new video in which bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, boasted that the United States was being defeated in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places.
Officials in Pakistan confirmed Thursday that Musharraf, who also is Pakistan's military chief, would seek a second five-year term as president.

Ahhhh....sometimes I also am afraid of watching or reading the news in regards to Iraq and Iran. Everyone has their own personal opinion regarding the current administration but I for one will be quite happy once Bush and his cronies leave. Seems to me that the heart of America has been ripped to pieces on so many levels. I keep wondering if we will go to war with Iran and if we do I assure you that it will be WWIII. Invading that country will just ensure every fanatic will grab arms and destroy everything & anything remotely related to the West.

I have plenty of friends who come from all walks of life...religion, creeds etc....and it hurts me to no end to always see negative coverage on Muslims. I also hope that Muslims can stand in a united voice and ring true the peace that Islam is. Just seems that those fanatics who think bombing and killing innocents is the only voice to be heard. I think NOT!

To exercise or not to exercise

I just found out that my gym at work with the National Archives no longer has those anal supervisors that you had to beg and plead to join. Well, they wanted all these letters from my doc saying it was okay to join and all this red tape, blah blah blah....now I am going to go twice a week and then starting November take up Tae Kwon Do so I can be in better shape.



The thing is...just STARTING this and not wavering. I hate to exercise but as I get older and I DO see some changes occurring on my muscle tone etc...if I want to look good as I creep into middle age I need to be pro-active. I see the positive correlation to working out and keeping fit but should this be done because of vanity or for health?? I know I am vain and is a curse but I also know I am tired of being tired.............so I will keep my blog posted to my illicit progress and HOPEFULLY my energy will return and I will look good to boot! ;-)

I hate cars...& other rants

OKAY...I know they are needed...especially here in the Midwest where everything is so darn spread out. My 2006 Ford Taurus MIGHT have a brake fluid leakage. I just had the car in the dealership about two weeks ago or so to replace the A/C. This car only has 24,000 miles. I was taking it in this Friday for the routine oil change (I DO keep up with these sorts of things)....I mean a car is a woman's independence, and for me as a single mom, my avenue to work. I cannot afford to NOT keep up with its mantienance.

Anyway....I will be filing a formal complaint with Ford Motor Company regarding this vehicle I purchased because WHY should it be having all these problems?????????????????? MAYBE I will hear something back from BIG CORPORATE AMERICA! I just had to vent because I bought this new car due to my old Altima finally giving out. (It was 12 years old) and yeah I know I was due for a new one but raising a kid and my rent going up each year (which just pissess me off to NO end)....I am taking some classes hopefully in October to learn how to manage my finances better and buy a home so I do not have to deal with landlords and their "analness."

Okay, I feel a LITTLE better now. :)

Puerto Rican Recipes

I just love Caribbean food. Man oh man...I remember as a little girl spending my summers in Puerto Rico and my abuela (grandmother) cooking up some arroz con pollo (rice and chicken) and with some lip smacking beans...GOD it is making me sooo hungry right now. Found this website on food and is a great quick link to a variety of Puerto Rican delicacies and simple dishes.

http://www.recipehound.com/Recipes/puertorico.html

I am planning to make this dish for a potluck lunch at my work on the 27th. I pray it turns out alright:


Chicken with Rice Aibonito (Arroz con Pollo a lo Aibonito)
Servings: 10-12 people

INGREDIENTS:
2 whole bone-in chicken breasts with skin, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 recipe traditional garlic dipping sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup black olives, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup green peas
1 6-ounce jar pimientos, drained and cut in strips
4 cups long-grain rice
4 to 5 cups chicken stock
generous pinch saffron, soaked in an additional 1 cup boiling chicken stock
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Marinate the chicken pieces in the dipping sauce for 30 minutes. Drain and discard the liquid. In a skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil, lightly saute the chicken pieces, and set aside. Heat the remaining olive oil in a Dutch oven. Saute the olives, raisins, peas, and pimientos for 5 minutes. Stir in the rice. Add enough chicken stock, including the cup with saffron, to cover the rice, and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and add the chicken. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice and chicken are cooked.

Today I turn 39

WOW....hard to believe. My mom called and had my grandmother on the line. They sang Happy Birthday to me in Spanish. I love the songs:

Estas son Las manañitas
(These are the morning songs)
que cantaba el Rey David. (that King David sang.)
Hoy por ser día de tu santo (For today to be the day of your saint)
te las cantamos así. (we sing to you like this.)
¡Despierta, mi bien, despierta! (Wake up, my dear. Wake up!)
Mira que ya amaneció. (See that it is already dawn...)
Qué linda está la mañana en que vengo a saludarte...
(How beautiful is the morning in which I come to greet you...

Feliz, feliz en tu día,Amiguito(a) qué Dios te bendiga,Y qué reine la paz en tu día,Y qué cumplas muchos más.

Happy, happy on your day,Friend, may God bless you,May peace reign on your day,And may you have/complete many more (birthdays, years).

Luxury of owning a pet

I read on cnn http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/09/14/pets.zimbabwe.ap/index.html regarding the sad situation in Zimbabwe on how pets are being slaughtered for food. What has happened to this poor nation that people are starving and resorting to this behavior??? I am aghast. I think about the state of the world and cry for it. I know one person cannot go at it alone but man, I can see dollars well spent helping others survive instead of blowing them up with bombs and underhanded political deals. I come home every day to my two precious cats and wonder if it had to come to it---to kill my pets in order for me to survive could I do it? Thankfully I live in a nation aplenty...albeit too plentiful with the obesity rate rising and alarmingly so in children.

I just see the world's priorities being heavily skewed and wonder where we are heading morally?

Dating

DATING CAN MAKE ONE FEEL SO UTTERLY ALONE. Especially when it seems so freaking hard these days or is it because I am older??????????

Dating as a single mom has its advantages and disadvantages. Positive in that you can usually weed out the a$$holes who could care less you have a kid and negative in that those people CAN be such a$$holes.

Also, dating at 38 (going on 39 9/18/07) is interesting in a sociological perspective. I do, yes feel a kind of rush to hurry up and find Mr. Right...but at 38 I also know how to sift through the bull$hit so as I do not waste my time on Mr. Wrong. My ex still calls me, wanting me to re-visit him but I know he needs to get on with his life and find his Omani Mrs. Right. Just being realistic. Of course it hurts to know 8 years of togetherness is no longer viable but we should take the good with the bad, learn from our mistakes and treasure the good times. Life is far too short and precious to be negative.

And WHY is there such an obvious discrimination between the sexes in regards to dating and the older woman? I mean, seems to me women these days are taking better care of themselves, do not have that ugh...old maid look about them. I think that society has placed some unrealistic goals on older women as compared to men. Hey, maybe I am wrong but compare a single 38 year old man to a single 38 year old woman and see where the chips may fly when it comes to which is seen as being more attractive and pleasing in the dating world realm??

The best solution is just to enjoy your life, live for the beautiful moments, work through the hard ones (find solace in being you....)enjoy your youth and your middle years--accept growing older...life is just too invaluable to waste on pettiness and men who think your age is equivalent to an expiration date. Vincit qui se vincit - She/he conquers who conquers her/himself.

Something I have learned about life...

I NOTICED THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO TEND TO LIVE LIFE ON THE EDGE...WHO DO NOT EMBRACE IT. These people do not delve deep into their consciousness (afraid or lazy) to discover out who and what they really are. Instead.... they go through life pretending to be someone they are not. I am not that kind of person. Never was. I think people short change themselves when trying to mold into something they think society wants or their family desires. I believe, as long as you are a good person, respectful then who is to say otherwise about one's character? Embracing life is the fountain of youth I think.

Embracing One's Faith

SOMETIMES I WONDER WHAT JESUS WOULD THINK OF MODERN CHRISTIANITY? Have we floundered from his mission, his true calling of bringing humanity together in the name of God, of peace? Sometimes I wonder about this and sometimes I wonder if I am following in God's footsteps as Jesus taught us to do. I have debated over and over whether or not to remain a Catholic. I struggle every day with my faith in God. I know that God exists but does He exist the way Modern Christianity has dictated? And by dictated I mean the political dilemmas this world is facing, a crisis of conscience. Am I raising my child properly to uphold the teachings of Jesus Christ? I will return to church but in my heart I wonder always if this is what and how we are suppose to be following God and revering him? Am I wrong to have my doubts. HAS Christianity been compromised by the bottom dollar ($$$$) by politics and other worldly means? What kind of path am I following? Will I even get to where I am going? As the pop culture saying goes: What Would Jesus Do??