Okay. tonight I may step on some toes but the heavy fundamentalism and uber conservative Christianity that is emerging and blurring the line of separation of church and state upsets me. Anyone who reads this blog knows that faith is part of my inner core but i do not say a person must agree with my faith to have value. So many now use "faith" as a guideline for decisions but is it faith, fear or ignorance that is guiding them.

Condemning one who holds another faith is what gave birth to the holocaust and yes dang I do believe there was one. Muslims are not all bad, neither are Jews and anyone with a mind know s that not all Christians are good. People are people and if they are to be judged ( which by the way is God's job in any of the three great World faiths) they should be judged as people not as archetypes of their particular faith. Do not condemn a faith until you study it. The Koran contains the same stories as the old testament and preaches moderation in all things. Read some of it, people. You Need not believe but do not believe without thinking all the negative things said about it.

With some conservatives talking about no choice as to birth control ( i don't believe abortion is a proper after the fact birth control) and legitimate rape prevents conception. Even more idiotic are laws stating that life begins two weeks before conception.( yes at least two states have this on the books), I see a a revisionist attempt to put women back 50 or more years. One Ks. state senator a female by the way has stated if men took care of women , women would not need to vote and the 19th amendment which has wrecked families would not be needed. Whoa! lady i beg to disagree.

Priests and preachers are telling us how to vote. Some christian radio speakers. condemns those who do not strictly follow their policies. states are trying to give private ( church ) school vouchers for education and the money comes form public school funding. HMMMM. does any one see a theocracy in our future.? IF MY PREACHER INSERTS VOTING ADVICE INTO HIS HOMILY THEN MY CHURCH NEEDS TO SURRENDER ITS TAX EXEMPT STATUS ON ALL ITS PROPERTIES EVEN THOSE THAT ARE NOT STRICTLY CHURCH BUILDINGS.

OK1 it is off my chest and my mind you do not have to agree or even read this but I feel a whole lot better,

Totally amazed at how calm my world is right now. Not at all sure why it is but going to enjoy it while it lasts and hope heavily that mentioning this calm does not jinx it away.

My class schedule helps with this. Five days a week I am at the high school teaching French which I love. I also teach for the local junco and this semester it is two nights a week. The break between is around five hours and I have to let down my high
school mindset and readjust for the college level.

The dogs give me exercise--- have to walk them. They give me laughter and they give me love. At times the love is a bit much as Winston my 60 lb 8month English bulldog wants to be in my lap with a paw on each shoulder and his head cuddled next to my neck. It is a habit that I am breaking. He is just too much of a load.

Am about to embark on an adventure at the end of October-- the gals in the sweater class all wanted to go the Yarn hop ( 12 shops in Kansas) but none of us wanted to go alone. Talking about this brought out our mutual desire and next we checked dates and made plans, Now we are going together and are going Saturday and returning on Sunday. Such random events can create friendships.

Time to put the dogs up and think about going to McPherson and my comp 1 class. tomorrow night it is Newton and comp 2. Friday is a day off at the high school. Might
think about hitting the new Kohls.

knitting lessons

Waiting for the repair man, it is Monday and I am not in school and he is not here. emailed him last night and talked to him at 8,>M. this morning. Wondering now if I will get to parent teacher conferences. I am not really patient o this type of thing. I want it done now.Guess I will have to offer the wait up as a lesson in living with things you cannot control. We all need schooling in this are at times.

Knitting teaches me this lesson every time I pick up my needles. It takes time to produce a garment and it takes patience to do it right. Of course like all knitters i usually have several projects going so I can switch from one to another. Believe me boredom does not produce patience. At the moment I am doing a wingspan scarf and two sweaters. There are two things on needles that I have laid aside more less permanently, but I console myself that I can do them when I fully retire.

Knitting has taught me fellowship. At Yarn everyone is welcome so teachers, teens,men, spinners, and old babes like me sit around a table needles clicking and tongues talking. Ideas good and bad are explored about life and of course projects. each one teaches one also. few leave that place not feeling renewed and cared for.Andrea the Knitting savant and Shannon the owner have the knack of blending groups and making individuals feel good at the same time.

Knitting has taught me pride in my work. Binding off a project signals its end and my feeling of accomplishment. Even with my individual variations( others may call the errors) I have achieved a goal and there is innate pride in that.

My grandmother James taught me to knit> Little did she know the gift she gave me. Each stitch I knit is a bitof gratitude to her and brings her nearer in my memory.

the me in me

Been pondering what makes me me for a story circle prompt due by the end of the month. When I look in the mirror I see the physical me---- a bit wrinkled and a bit skinnier than last year. Happy about the latter and to tell the truth the first does not bother me as I have earned every one of them. But that is not all of me?

Genetically i am 73% British Isles, 13% northern European and 13% southern European. How can I state that? Sent my DNA in for the ancestry, com test. The results put paid the native american myth in our family unless is in the missing!%. Guess it could be as the Kistlers and Baileys moved west with the early settles pre-revolution. James, Shubert and Burns all came later.When I lived in South Dakota i was teased about my Lakota Momma shape. As my genetic pool is Welsh, German,Scottish and English I guess if it is a 1% native american from way back when it would be eastern woodland not Lakota.

Professionally I am an educator but I have been more than that. I have reported for three newspapers and did photos for them too. I have worked at the Powderhorn pizza , a hospital, and sold Avon. I was also a farm wife for twenty-five years and that is work. All honest ways to turn a buck and each satisfying in its own way. To tell the truth I have never had a job I did not like. Those coal miner genes kicking in.

I am a mother and proud of it. My three daughters fill me with pride and they are the best things I have ever done. Their families add to my stash of things to smile about. Raising them was not easy but they are strong women who continue to bless my life.

I am a lover of spring and fall. books,children dogs, and knitting. Not sure if there is an order of preference as i love them all. Time for all seems to be there.


Somewhere along the road to me, i became color blind and a person who strongly believes that money is nice but mankind's welfare is ultimately more important. If that makes me a liberal , my friends will have to live with it If someone treats me with respect I return respect no matter their color, religion or sexual orientation.We are all god's creations and trite as it sounds he does not make junk. Oh how i would like to jab Romney here. guess i am really liberal.

Enough of me. Like Popeye I am what I am.

back again

Wow,time has passed and here i am wondering where it went. Winston, school, and college classes seem to steal away my days and some of my nights also. Not a bad thing to be busy at my age but my writing is not getting done. So I am determined to make time for it and to set up a personal website. Bear with me as i attempt to get these things done.

Knitting is keeping me semi sane as it is how I relax. those needles click and worries go away. PRAYER IS STILL A DAILY NO HOURLY THING BUT KNITTING IS THERE TOO!
Oct 1 the shop is doing a sky scarf----2 rows a day the color of the sky at a time that is fairly consistent for a year. I am doing the 5:30 to 6:am sky so mine will be on the dark side/. I am also working on two cabled projects for myself.It is a verity that a true knitter has projects in progress and yarn on hand for planned ones.

My story circle prompt for this on this yourself and I am pondering this. what made me, me? Genes, nurture, choices I made, life experiences, choices made by others --- all of these are part of me. wait for the developments.

Have been in a slump lately---could be the summer classes. The English 100 is such a mixed group. achievers are there in abundance, but dropped out in the third week. Three high school class members come to class and do nothing. One has turned in one paper and incomplete research paper; the others nil for out of class papers. Oh wait one did turn in three late papers which in the no grade zone the day the research papers are due. One has no text and can not do online as she has no net and will not come to attendance center or the library to type a paragraph. In class assignments are rushed, poorly done and incomplete. They say the class will allow them to graduate early. Surely they have to pass it.

Spanish 1 is a delight. Eight women one of whom is 82 and semi deaf laugh and learn.No failure except for number 9 who dropped out. Tuesday and Thursday are great

The thing that gets me is the waste of money. Those who dropped did not withdraw so it is an automatic "f" . Also they stopped coming after the money back date. Several hundred dumped for nothing. Amazes me is a mild description though it happens every semester.

The heat is also getting to me.I am a definite cold weather person. 30-70 degrees is my comfort zone. South Dakota fit me better that way, but Kansas has been good to me.

Enough of the downers, life is good. I have much to be thankful for and I am always aware of that. He is good and He is the one who leads me. I may make decisions but i Know they are part of His plan for me.

the fourth

Story circle had celebrations as the July prompt. I have already replied to that but am having thoughts about the fourth of July. So here goes. First it begins here on the 3oth of June which is the first legal sale day of fireworks. Rather it begins that night as neighbors begin firing them as soon as it is dark enough usually around 9pm and continue it for an hour or so. It ends the fifth( if they have not oversupplied themselves.). EACH NIGHT IT GOES LONGER AND THE LAST NIGHT OFTEN RUNS UNTIL 12 OR LATER.

This year it is dry, dry, dry and that is due to the triple digit weather we are having. Fire hazards abound and just last night a house in Wichita burned due to fireworks misuse. People need to be careful but many won't be as it is their American right to do what they want in the way that they want. Others however are like one young man I know who is doing it right. Lawn is cut short,watered down and dirt is handy to toss on stray sparks. He is planning a huge display from looks of the loot on his Facebook page, but he is doing it in the right way.

Fire is not the only thing that can bother neighbors. My yard becomes a collection point for spent fireworks and debris carried by wind from other yards--especially from those yards where it is not picked up and taken care of properly.Now I do sound rather witchy but dang it is annoying.

Noise is another factor. Past eleven is enough already. Booms and yelling several nights in a row gets old.It also can disturb small children and pets. Last night Winston was out for his before bed walk in the backyard. The whistles and small frizzling sounds made him sit and listen. His head turned almost every second as he tried to locate the origin of each sound. I stood by him giggling at his reactions. BOOM!! A huge thunder bombshell went off and so did Winston right for the door. 30+ lbs of running bulldog pup nearly pulled me off my feet as he drug me behind him to the door. Inside he went to sit under my computer chair but then ran to his kennel and went inside without a treat. Funny , yes it was, but he was scared. The chis were in the house so they just shook.

Now this is somewhat of a rant and it did to start out to be so negative. I love fireworks in the sky, my heart swells as they bring lines form our anthem to my inner vision but they need to be done safely, with consideration of others and in a size appropriate for their location.