The Callousness

I almost threw up when I saw this photo. It was taken at the March for Life in DC, of course by some anti-life protesters.

I'm shocked and appalled at the callousness shown towards this precious boy's life (talk about exploitation...see post below). This sign insinuates that this child's life was not a blessing from God, but was instead at the mercy of his mother and father. It implies that he (and all unborn children) is not a unique and special being, with his own soul, created in the image and likeness of God, but instead a simple decision to be made, depending on how his existence would affect the convenience of his parents. Ugh. I found this image months ago on a blog and it haunts me still. However, I do think it exposes the real mindset of the pro-aborts. Children AREN'T blessings and special individuals with their own souls and purpose. They're simply a by-product of sex whose entire existences are able to be determined by our conveniences. Please pray for this child's parents.

Sick Exploitation

Planned Parenthood has hit a new low (Is that a surprise? They kill children.). A fellow pro-lifer brought this to my attention today. Here was her email:

I just visited Planned Parenthood of Delaware's web site and guess what? They are hosting a Pledge-A-Picket fundraising drive! People sign up to pledge $X for each day pro-life folks picket PP organizations between April 5 - June 5 of this year. Whee! Isn't that special??

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/delaware/index.htm

This is ultra sickening. Exploiting (well, let's be honest, it's not new that PP exploits something) our right of free speech to raise money to perform abortions. We have a group of brave pro-lifers who vigil outside of PP on Friday mornings. This email was circulating among us and it was tossed around that we should stop vigiling while this heinous fundraising drive was going on. That could be the worst course of action. This "cutsie" little pledge drive isn't going to make much of a difference for them monetarily. They get loads and loads of money from the government. Money isn't what we, the pro-life movement is concerned with. We know that one save infuriates them more than any amount of money makes them happy. We can't play into their vile little games. That's exactly what they want - for us to recede so women don't actually have a choice. We have to stay the course...it's obviously working!!

View from the kitchen

Aahh...it's a beautiful day all around (note sarcasm). This is the current view from my kitchen window:

I don't know why it came out looking like a TV screen. I apologize. Couple this view with a sick kid, very little sleep, a cold coming on myself, and miscellaneous other maladies, and you've got yourself a party! I need some sun. And I should bookmark this.

Eggin'

Since the Disney Pixar CARS Easter Egg Decorating Kit has been sitting in my kitchen cabinet for over a year, I finally decided it was time to put it to good use. Jack was so excited to "make" Easter eggs! I thought the kit was going to include something a little more interesting, but all it was was dye and Cars stickers. Oh well. He's 3 - it's all the same to him!

Final Four, Schminal Schmour

So clearly I'm a tad bitter about this year's Final Four. And admittedly, I should be excited about Butler being in it, seeing as how they're the small school Cinderella team from Indiana (my home state). I just can't get past the fact that Purdue isn't!! I know, I've said this before, but I'm really, really bummed for my Boilers. True, they got farther than any pundit thought they'd get under the circumstances and I'm really proud of them for that. It's just a shame for them to have lost their best player so late in the season and have their Final Four hopes shattered. It's very disappointing. It was the first year in recent history that they had such high expectations on them. Even more frustrating is that Purdue has beaten two of the teams in the Final Four this year! We beat WV by about 26 points! We beat MSU once during the Big Ten season, and came close to beating Duke in the Sweet Sixteen. Oh well. I guess I should just be glad that Ohio State is OUT! They were finally exposed for the overrated frauds that they were! Sorry. Anyway, best of luck to everyone who has a team going to Indy. I think I'll be rooting for the Mountaineers this year.

Aaaahhh...Confession

Better late than never. I finally went to my Lenten confession today...the last available weekend before Easter...phew. I decided that this time I'm going to actually prepare for confession instead of winging it and not being able to think of anything (not for lack of material) when I got there. However, obviously I'd never really done an examination of conscience before, so I had to Google it. Yep...Google CAN save your soul! Ahem...sorry. I did, in fact, find a really great beginner's Examination of Conscience here. It was nice to go through it fairly quickly. It called to mind many sins that I might not have recalled on my own. I really like how detailed it is...even down to a few things you might not think of every day as sins! I highly recommend skimming through it prior to practicing the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

I Heart Kickboxing

Just a quick little blurb on one of my favorite workouts - kickboxing! I started doing it regularly about a year ago at the Y (my second home) and really enjoyed it. It's an amazing cardio workout that gives me a whopping 9 activity POINTS (which is a LOT for those of you who don't do Weight Watchers)! I enjoyed it so much that I bought a kickboxing DVD to do at home when I don't make it to the gym. I did it for the second time today and realized that it's not nearly as hardcore as the fitness class at the gym, but it's still good in a pinch. I bought the Quick Fix: Total Cardio Kick DVD. Years ago I had a Quick Fix Abs video and loved it. For the most part the Cardio Kick is decent, and like I said, good in a pinch. But I noticed that sometimes the instructor mirrors you and sometimes she doesn't which is hard to keep up with. I can't remember which side I'm supposed to be on! In class the instructor always mirrors you, so you always know you're going the same direction they are. (Since she faces you, she tells you to go right, but she's actually using her left.) But in the DVD, when she's not mirroring, you have to remember to go the opposite direction and then what side you've already done, etc. It's too much thinking for a physical workout. On the upside, all the Quick Fix DVDs include 3 different 10-minute workouts. You can do 1, 2, or all 3 of them at a time. Which is really nice if you're in a rush. And Cardio Kick even includes a 4th bonus session, which I found was the most intense one! So...that's part of what I did today. What about you? Does anyone have any at-home kickboxing - or any other fitness - DVD they really enjoy? I'd love to get some more ideas!

How are WE always "anti-"??

NPR brass apparently had a meeting to decide how to address pro-lifers and pro-aborts on-air. I must admit - I'm surprised that in the memo issued by David Sweeney, NPR's managing editor, he uses the term "pro-life" at all. But of course, in the end, the pro-LIFE side ends up with the negative connotation. They decide to use the terms "abortion rights supporter(s)/advocate(s)" and "abortion rights opponent(s)" or derivatives thereof. Somehow in the media, the pro-life side is always referred to as either ANTI-abortion, ANTI-choice, or abortion rights OPPONENTS. All of them portray a negativity. Which is ironic since we're actually PRO-life, PRO-child, and PRO-woman.

Ingrid!

Ok, so that's actually Mat. THIS is Ingrid:

And no, I didn't take the Ingrid photo. But I can't believe that this tiny, grainy cell phone photo of Mat is all the proof I have of being there! My sister-in-law and two neighbor friends went to a Mat Kearney/Ingrid Michaelson concert in Baltimore last weekend and it was a BLAST!! I guess I wasn't planning on blogging about it, plus it's hard to get a good photo (on anything, let alone a blackberry) at a dark concert. Just...take my word for it!! Mat was really great, but Ingrid was amazing! If you like the singer/songwriter style of music, check them both out. They will NOT disappoint! And if you get a chance to see them live, I even recommend that more highly. (And since the concert, I've found out that Mat is a diehard Christian...which makes him more appealing to me!)

I'd been wanting to go to a small-venue concert for awhile. I hate those enormous, stadium-style maniac concerts. And this was perfect! One main thing I noticed was how GOOD they both sounded live. I've been to a lot of concerts and it's a lot of times disappointing because they either sound terrible, the acoustics are bad, or they're lip-syncing. Not the case with either of these folks. The acoustics at Ram's Head were amazing, and so were their live - not lip-synced - vocals.

Since the concert, I've checked out some more in downtown Baltimore. They actually have some really great, non-stadium-style concerts, especially in the summer. Ram's Head is a lot like House of Blues in Chicago. There are some great upcoming acts there. They also have a seasonal outdoor venue, Pier 6, that has some, what look to be, good acts on the agenda. You can check out Ram's Head here, and Pier 6 Pavilion here. Ben Harper and Heart are even coming! (Not together!) Despite my husband's complaints about the city, I think Baltimore is a pretty cool place. It's true I might not want to live there, but it's a cool place to live a short drive away from.

Oh...and one more great thing about our night was dinner! I have to tell you about this. Via Center'd in Baltimore on Twitter, I came across several Restaurant.com gift certificates to some cute little places in town. ($25 for $10!) I took a complete shot in the dark when I ordered the gift card. I had NO idea what kind of restaurant this was, but I was feeling adventurous. Based on the website it looked pretty cool, but you never know. The photos could have been 20 years old! Plus, I had no idea where in the city the place was. I mean, I could see it on the map, but had no idea what kind of neighborhood it was. I ended up ordering a gift certificate to a little place called Maisy's. It was in a great neighborhood, not far from the Inner Harbor, and the restaurant itself was FANTASTIC!! I dim, quiet little place, it looked fairly new. Trendy decor and friendly staff. The menu didn't have gourmet selections, but it had interesting little pasta, salad, and sandwich selections for very reasonable prices! I got the "Powerhouse" sandwich, which was a bunch of yummy veggies on some thick, yummy bread! Also...best part...all bottles of wine are $20! Sure...they're bottles that cost like $7 in the liquor store, but when you're out, a $20 bottle is a good deal! It was a beautiful evening and we sat by the windows in front, which were open to let the air in. I think with the gift certificate we each ended up spending about $16 including tip! I highly recommend a visit to Maisy's. It's a great place for a casual first date, a night out with the ladies, or even a weekend dinner with your spouse if you're looking for good food, nice atmosphere, without the financial guilt!! Here's their Restaurant.com page where you can also get your handy little gift card! Enjoy! And get to Baltimore!

PS: I found out about both of these artists on Pandora Radio. If you don't know wonderful, amazing, Pandora and you're a music lover (even if you're not), your life is not complete. You can enter a song, artist or album, and they create a station based on that style. You can add variety to stations, pick genres, well...I'll just let you experience the awesomeness for yourself!

Loving this cake for our pirate party next month!

So, I don't get Family Fun magazine, but all the moms at school rave about it. So instead of subscribing, I checked it out online. And...voila! It's awesome! We're having a pirate party next month and I'm in love with this cake!

How cute is that?? Love it! And it seems super easy. If you'd like the instructions, click here.

And a little humor for the day...

Last night we were saying prayers with our 3..almost 4...year old son. After a few traditional prayers he always says his own. They're really pretty hilarious. He asks Jesus for people to help mommy bake cookies, things of that immaterial nature! :) Last night we said a few prayers for people who need help, grammas and grampas, poor kids...then a stall while thinking of something else. My husband interjected, "The president." My son replied unconsciously, "Yeah, the president." Then he seemed to realize what he had said, perked up, and corrected himself, "But I don't like that guy. Nobama! Nobama! Nobama!" Oops! Perhaps the hubby and I should contain our political talks to apres-bedtime!

Fidel

So, my husband just sent me this quote that sent chills down my spine. I'm not sure if Fidel just doesn't GET the hypocrisy or if he really believes that Cuba is a free nation. Hmmm. But I wonder if Obamelosi gets it?? What's scary is that they probably do.

"It is really incredible that 234 years after the Declaration of Independence ... the government of that country has approved medical attention for the majority of its citizens, something that Cuba was able to do half a century ago," Castro wrote.

My husband's comment: "Maybe he's right. It's amazing it took only 234 years to stomp on the declaration like this."

And they called GWB stupid

Ah, Joe Biden never stops giving...to conservatives! I'm sure everyone has seen this, but I just HAVE to post it here!



Uuuuuugh. Jackass.

What happens when parents' rights are usurped for the inalienable "right to choose"

If you're a parent, especially of a teenage daughter, this article should absolutely infuriate you. A high school in the Seattle area arranged for and transported a teenage girl to have an abortion WITHOUT HER PARENTS' KNOWLEDGE!! Perhaps it's not all that surprising to you in 2010, but it should still infuriate you! This is exactly the goal of the pro-abort movement. They want to usurp parental rights for an absolute "right to choose." They believe a teen, even pre-teen, young girl's right to choose to kill her unborn child is paramount to her parents' knowledge, support, and direction. Because if the parents aren't in control - guess who is? The school and the school's environment. And guess who is penetrating school environment more and more every day? PLANNED PARENTHOOD.

This is no joke, folks. A DRTL member attended a focus group in January held by Planned Parenthood AND the State of Delaware (which, in itself is scary, that they're working together). But scarier still is what came out of the meeting. Here are his notes:

We were all given "resource packets" from PP. I will provide more details later but for now here are some of the things we have to look forward to in a parent mini-course.

According to PP:

By age five your child should:

Know that touching yourself for pleasure is normal,

That a woman does not have to have a baby unless she wants to,

Ages 5 - 7:

Should know that people experience sexual pleasure in a number of ways,

Should know that sexual identity includes sexual orientation - lesbian, gay, strait, or bisexual.

Ages 8 - 12:

Should know that sex is pleasurable, not only a way to have a baby,

Should know how to protect against sexualy transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy

Should know what abortion is,

Should know about contraceptive methods,

Should know that a woman does not need to have sex to get pregnant,

Should know that no one has to become a parent,

Should know that contraceptive options are available including emergency contraception,

Should know how to get contraceptives,

Should be able to talk about how pregnancy can be avoided

Should be able to name a variety of contraceptives

Again - this is not a joke! This is the content that PP is pushing onto public schools. And with all the funding they receive from this federal government - especially now via the "healthcare" bill - they should have no problem passing through the doors. And we wonder why teenage pregnancy rates are so high???

Please, please, please know what your children are learning in "health" classes at school. KNOW what they're being told and given in the nurse's office. KNOW what's happening in the health clinic. Because clearly, when it comes to learning about sex in school, its not just the other students we have to worry about.

This comes as no surprise

It seems Bart Stupak's "pro-life" compromise on healthcare was brokered with a former abortion lobbyist! White House counsel Robert Bauer worked with Stupak to draft this agreement. Bauer, it seems, is a former Planned Parenthood lobbyist and EMILY's List counsel. Wonderful!! If you were on the fence about whether or not this executive order meant anything in the pro-life arena, I think you have your answer.

Boiler Up!

By the way, since I'm blogging again, I can't believe I haven't given a giant shout out to my BOILERS!! Way to go guys! Sweet Sixteen! For non-Boiler fans, all the "experts" didn't think they'd win the first round game. The boys had been ranked in the top 10 all year (except for once around #14, during a 3-game losing streak; and at the end of the season basically in the top 4 mostly), were expected to be a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, and get to the Final Four in Indy. Then they lost their best player, Robbie Hummel, to an ACL tear with 4 games left. Needless to say, their ranking dropped and everyone thought that was it and basically didn't give them any benefit of the doubt. We ended up getting a #4 seed (not bad, considering a horrendous loss to Minnesota in the Big 10 tournament), won the first round game, then just Sunday beat the #5 seed, Texas A&M to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Now we'll play Puke...er...Duke, the #1 seed in our region. If we play & shoot well, we can win easily. The problem is, the guys are up & down a lot so I'm praying for an "on" game!

BOILER UP!!!

You're KIDDING.

It's shocking, utterly SHOCKING that Obama has already gone back on a promise! What?? WHAT?!? (Sarcasm alert.) So apparently Obama joyfully signed the healthcare bill into law today (no surprise there), but COMPLETELY IGNORED the executive order that was supposed to magically take abortion funding out of healthcare. "No really, Bart, I promise." I can't believe that Stupak would agree to something like this without the executive order being signed BEFORE his traitorous vote on healthcare. I guess he figured that since Obama hasn't ever gone back on ANY promises, he could trust him on this too! Oh...wait... The most transparent, ethical, honest Congress ever...right?!?

"Freedom dies a little bit today."

It's fitting that after a warm, sunny, beautiful weekend, today is rainy and gloomy. I think someone is sending us a message regarding last night's vote. As Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn said, "Freedom dies a little bit today. Unfortunately some are celebrating." So true.

Most disappointing was Bart Stupak's caving to a phony executive order "compromise." A News Journal reporter called me last night and wanted my opinion on the executive order, and if I truly thought it would stop abortion funding in healthcare. My short answer - no chance. For many reasons:

1. Any executive order can be rescinded as fast as it's signed.

2. I've read the EO. It says nothing. All it does is essentially say "here's what's in the healthcare bill and I, as president, am going to make certain people aware that it says that." Pointless.

3. The EO does not prevent insurance companies that cover abortions from participating in the exchange.

4. Any budgetary issues with legislation have to be amended through legislation. An executive order can't do anything to funding issues. Which brings me to my next point...

5. If Obama & Co. were serious about not using federal dollars to pay for abortion, they would have explicitly and clearly put that kind of language in the bill ages ago.

6. Obama & Co. are SO beholden to Planned Parenthood and the abortion lobby, there's no way he's going to disappoint them.

Then the reporter asked me why I thought Stupak finally gave in. Quite simply: The "D" behind his name. I now don't believe he ever had any intention of voting no on the bill. He just had to hold out for the purpose of coming across as pro-life for his supporters. All he needed was that tiny sliver of light and he always intended to give in. Plus, I told the reporter that I'm certain there were just more backroom payoffs involved. Then I came across this. Coincidence? Wow, less than a million dollars for millions of unborn lives. He's a cheap vote!

So what now? I'm not sure. There's talk of repeal, lawsuits from individual states, etc. I haven't had a chance to let it all sink in yet, but I hope there's hope to turn this around. Otherwise, we can go ahead and change our name to Amerika.

UPDATE: Just came across this video from last year, when Stupak didn't know he was being recorded. Looks like he's had no principles all along!

I think I might want to start blogging again

Would it be worth it?