Christopher Columbus

"To the modern complaint that Columbus brought slavery to the New World and that the Europeans' diseases wiped out indigenous peoples, a response is due. Slavery was a pervasive fact of life among the Europeans, but also particularly among the Arabs, the Africans, and the Indians themselves. In Asia, slavery had always existed. It seems hard to credit an attack on Columbus that singles him out for what was then a fairly universal practice. As much as we deplore slavery today, we cannot ignore the moral development of the West from our present vantage point outside the context of history. It was from the very experience of administering a far-flung empire that Spanish scholars began to elaborate universal doctrines of human rights that led, eventually, to the abolition of slavery in the West. A counter-challenge might be offered: Who, in Columbus’s time, did not practice slavery? One might conclude that far from being slavery’s worst practitioners, westerners led the world to end the practice.”

Excerpt from America: The Last Best Hope by William J. Bennett

Baby Love

Something people may not realize is how important it is to love on a newborn baby. A baby is born into the world knowing absolutely nothing. The only knowledge of love a baby has comes from his/her parent or caretaker. Everything that a parent does for and to their child teaches that child how to love themselves and how to love others.

When a parent holds their child and gives them kisses and cuddles with them and tells them "I love you," that parent is teaching their child that they love and desire their child's physical closeness. When a parent shows great concern when their child gets injured, they are teaching their child that his/her body is important and because the parent loves their child's body, they don't want anything to happen to it. When a parent feeds their baby when he is hungry, the parent is saying, "You have a need, and because I love you, I will meet that need." Thus the parent is teaching their child about physical love.

When a parent plays with their child and spends quality time with them, they are saying to their child, "You are important to me, I love and desire your company." When a parent listens to their child, they are saying, "You are important to me, I love to hear what you have to say." When a parent talks to their child and counsels them, they are saying, "I love conversing with you and helping you." And thus the parent is teaching their child about emotional love.

When a parent disciplines/spanks their child (in a righteous manner and never in anger), the parent is communicating, "I love you enough to teach you what is right and wrong and to not allow you to do something that will harm yourself or others."

There is so much more that could be said but for lack of time I must stop. However, if you are a parent, know that everything you do teaches your child. Everything. Everything your child learns and knows in his first years, comes directly from you. If you are constantly impatient with your child and bothered by his presence, you will teach him that he is a burden and not worthy of your time. And while you may not see the immediate results at the newborn stage or even at the age of three, they WILL follow in the pre-teen through adult years.

Government Violates Citizens' Constitutional Rights

The Fourth Amendment of our US Constitution states: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

There you have it, folks! The government is officially violating our Fourth Amendment Constitutional rights. How do you ask? With their unreasonable, unwarranted, sexually assaulting, and without probable cause airport pat downs/scans! There is too much to say in the short time I have to blog but let me just break it down to some matter-of-fact points:

1. The terrorists have won. We Americans are being treated unfairly and harassed in our own country.
2. Our government is exercising unlawful authority over us by violating our constitutional rights.
3. They need to profile. Period.
4. Profile, profile, profile.
5. Did I mention that they need to profile? Just checking!
6. Our government is NOT listening to we the people. PROFILE!!!!!

C'mon my fellow Americans! We, the people, do NOT have to put up with this! We need to take a stand and tell our government how we want them to run our country!! We want to be protected, not sexually assaulted at the airport! We want to be secure, not have our naked bodies depicted on a screen for airport officials to swoon over! We want to be heard, not ignored! We are the people of the United States of America where the government is for the people, BY the people!

Malted Milk Ball Mousse Crisis

So, I got this really awesome recipe from my super good friend, Jamie, called Malted Milk Ball Mousse. It's awesome. And it requires 3 ingredients: one giant chocolate bar, 1 container of cool whip, and malted milk balls. Now it only requires 3 simple ingredients, yes? You'd think that would be easy enough, wouldn't you? Well, I beg to differ!

After I fried the chocolate in the microwave (how does one do that you are wondering, I mean it's not like there isn't a timer or something), I decided to go to plan B--Baker's chocolate that has to be melted and sugar added to it over the stove. So, being the clever little cook I am, I measured out the exact ounces of Baker's chocolate as matched the oz. on the chocolate bar package and then added about 3/4 cup sugar. I melted this wonderful mix over the stove and then mixed it into my room temp cool whip and...what do you think happened?

Did it turn into the light, creamy makings of a mousse like substance that just need a little freezer tlc? Nope. Not a chance. Instead, I got rich, thick, black, chocolatey goo. So then I crushed up my half a box of malted milk balls hoping that this would somehow magically make my chocolate fudge turn lighter. Can you say wishful thinking? So, I call up Jamie, who gave me the recipe and makes it all the time,and I'm like, "Help! I'm having a Malted Milk Ball Mousse Crisis!" And Jamie's like, "Dude, there's like 3 ingredients! How do you mess that up?!"

Southern Charm

I always knew I should have been born in the south! I love Sweet Home Alabama and fried green tomatoes and super sweet tea, among other things. I also LOVE wisteria. And check out my dream living room below, like a page straight out of Southern Living! Watch out South! Here I come!

Undependable Instability

So…I get a text from my mom today and it reads like this: “Hey honey, I’m moving to the Virgin Islands and I want to see the kids before Oct. 1st, OK?”

Well, how’s that for shock value! Whatever happened to “Hey honey, I bleached my hair!” or “Hey honey, I got a tattoo all up and down my arm!” or “Hey, I’m taking up a new hobby and it’s sky diving!” No, no! It has to be, “I’m moving to the Virgin Islands! See ya!” Who does that? Seriously. Who’s mom spontaneously up and moves to the VIRGIN ISLANDS?!

To be fair, this move isn’t entirely without reason. She got a new job which apparently pays more than her current job which, by the way, she has held for all of about three months. It’s the same with the job before that…and the job before that…are you seeing the pattern here? Well, wait a minute, I think one of her previous jobs lasted for only a month. So that was a little variation. And so now she’s relocating herself outside the U.S. (well, OK, outside continental U.S.) for how long? I give it two months! Ha! If even.

I guess I really shouldn’t be surprised given my side of the family’s MO. Yep, that’s right. My family doesn’t really know the meaning of the word stability. Neither do they understand the concept of steady or dependability. No, somehow those life lessons got lost in the shuffle. Which is why I’m partially INSANE! Ha, ha. J/K.

No, seriously, I have lived in the same place for the past 9 years and I absolutely LOVE it. Unlike my mom, who has lived how many places over the past 15 years? I honestly don’t know. I’ve lost count. But when I was in highschool after my parents divorced, we moved three times in three years and she just never really did stop after that, you know what I mean? Well, my husband and I and our four beautiful children are moving in two weeks and I plan, God willing, on being there for a very, very, VERY long time!!! Praise the Lord for a stable, routine, steady, dependable home atmosphere! I love my mom, but, I just really don’t love her lifestyle, you know? :)

Glorious Motherhood

It is a glorious day indeed when a mother comes to the realization that she has the best job in the world! For the mother, there is no greater calling than to tend one's children FULL TIME. Boring paper work, advancements in the "work place," promotions/salaries are but dust and will eventually fade to nothing but the work of a mother in the souls of her children is eternal. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.