Quotes

It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.

- Church billboard in Kentucky

Thomas Jefferson once said, 'We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.' And ever since he told me that, I stopped worrying.
- Ronald Reagan

About the time we think we can make ends meet, somebody moves the ends.
- Herbert Hoover

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
- Lester B. Pearson

Quotes

Blessed is he who speaks a kindness; thrice blessed is he who repeats it.

- Arabian proverb

Every increased possession loads us with new weariness.
- John Ruskin

Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.
- Robert Frost

The only paradise is paradise lost.
- Marcel Proust

Summer

Ok, so I really hate the Texas heat, but there is no denying there is nothing in the world like summer produce. The local produce stand (which just happens to be a block from my house!!!) opened yesterday and for $23 I was able to walk away with 4 bags full of tomatoes, Serrano peppers, onions, red potatoes, zucchini (my fave!), yellow squash, peaches, and a cantaloupe. So I came home and made 4 jars of salsa (with enough left over for a nice snack) and my favorite summer dish--sliced summer veggies and turkey kielbasa covered in dry Lipton onion soup mix and steamed in the oven for 45 min on 425F. I love my MIL for sharing that recipe with me. So simple and easy and sooo... yummy!!!

Last week I grated some zucchini and yellow squash, diced an onion and jalapeños, and tossed them with some cilantro, lime juice and shredded cheese and used it as a filling for quesadillas. They were so light and yummy. Perfect for a hot summer night. (My tip for perfect quesadillas is to spray the pan with butter spray, cook over med-low heat, and keep on a plate in the oven until ready to serve).

Last night was a perfect night. I love simplicity. After listening to an internet radio show a couple of friends host, I turned up the radio and just crafted until the wee hours of the morning. I have an afghan I'm making (and hope to have finished by July 12!) for someone as a thank you for something wonderful they did for us at Christmas. Then I'm going to start making baby items!!! I have a whole list of stuff I want to do, hopefully I can get it all done, if not there is at least one special item I want to complete.

Anyway, off to work more on the afghan...

Oklahoma Declares Sovereignty

STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2nd Session of the 51st Legislature (2008)
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 1089

By: Key
AS INTRODUCED

A Joint Resolution claiming sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over certain powers; serving notice to the federal government to cease and desist certain mandates; and directing distribution.

WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads as follows:

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”; and

WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment defines the total scope of federal power as being that specifically granted by the Constitution of the United States and no more; and

WHEREAS, the scope of power defined by the Tenth Amendment means that the federal government was created by the states specifically to be an agent of the states; and

WHEREAS, today, in 2008, the states are demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government; and

WHEREAS, many federal mandates are directly in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court has ruled in New York v. United States, 112 S. Ct. 2408 (1992), that Congress may not simply commandeer the legislative and regulatory processes of the states; and

WHEREAS, a number of proposals from previous administrations and some now pending from the present administration and from Congress may further violate the Constitution of the United States.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE OF THE 2ND SESSION OF THE 51ST OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE:

THAT the State of Oklahoma hereby claims sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States.

THAT this serves as Notice and Demand to the federal government, as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers.

THAT a copy of this resolution be distributed to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate of each state’s legislature of the United States of America, and each member of the Oklahoma Congressional Delegation.

http://www.okhouse.gov/51LEG/Leg_Votesxx.aspx?include=okh01983.txt

http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08HB/HJR1089_int.rtf

It's been a while...

In an effort to streamline all the projects I'm working on I figured I'd delete all of my old blogs and just keep one. This one may be a bit eclectic with a wide array of topics, but I hope it'll be fun.

A quick update on me, I am no longer just a housewife. My favorite farm & ranch retailer is opening a new store in town and so on a whim I applied and got hired! Once we open in a couple of weeks I'll just be part time in the evenings, so I'll still have plenty of time to devote to my other endeavors.

I have a couple of friends that I absolutely adore who have an internet radio show called "Ghostology" on Saturday nights and I have been inspiration to start some research on the correlation between dreams and the deceased using our dreams as a means for contacting us. I am a skeptic when it comes to all things supernatural, but I can't deny that there may be something when I, as well as others I have encountered, have had dreams involving a deceased relative interacting with with us but unable to communicate with us verbally. I do understand it could simply be our subconscious manifesting frustrations of the person being gone and not being able to physically speak to them anymore, but I can't help but wonder if there is something to it. So that's the basis of the investigation and paper. Check out Ghostology at http://www.para-x.com/.

I'm also active in local politics because I am absolutely appalled and angered at the path our country has been on and is continuing down. There is so much corruption it's unnerving. I keep hearing over and over why bother because my one vote or my one voice won't make a difference, but all great revolutions started with the actions of a few. Civil disobedience. I was unable to make it to the Texas GOP state convention even though I was voted as a delegate, but the convention is not the end of the fight. We will continue on to change the face of politics. Now for a few of you who want to lump me together with other evil Republicans I just want to make clear that I do not consider myself a Republican, rather more of an Independent Populist, I am simply using the current established system as a means to help make a difference.

I am still knitting and crocheting. I have several projects going at the moment. I'm working on an afghan for a very special person that helped us in a time of need who I will get to meet for the first time in July. Then my dear Ghostology friends are expecting a wee little spook in a few months, so as soon as I am done with the afghan I have a few projects I would like to do for them. Then maybe I can think about the holidays!!!

As for my garden, I was not able to get my land tilled in time for a spring garden, so hopefully soon I can get it tilled for a fall garden, and many of the little seedlings I started in March just didn't make it. I do still have a few pumpkin plants, a couple of carrots, onion, garlic, and an array of flowers and herbs. This spring has been sooo... hot though, so I'm not sure how everything is going to fare in the long run.

Tony and I have also been trying to reduce our bills, including our electric bill by turning off the central a/c unit and running 2 window units in the front 2 rooms of the house, essentially cooling about 300 sq ft vs 900 sq ft, but this past week with the temps reaching upper 90s and low 100s I have been absolutely miserable. So we are going to break down and get one more unit to use up front and move one of the current ones to a back bedroom for our dogs. Our bill from Oct to April was only $130 each month, and for May it only increased $30 to $160 running the 2 units, so I'm hoping adding the 3rd won't take us too much over $200/mo which is still MUCH better than our $400-550 bills we had last summer running the central unit. Just this weekend the back of the house reached at least 97 degrees while the front was approximately 85, even though I suspect it was warmer than that. I'm trying to handle the heat, but it's very hard when I'm a cold lover by nature. The new job is helping me lose weight so hopefully that will help with me tolerating the heat this summer.

Ok, enough babble for now...

Hiatus

Well, I haven't posted in a while. I've completed several projects and taught myself how to knit since my last post. I'll try to get some photos up soon!!!

Baby Granny Square Afghan

Since it's the middle of the night and I have all the lights off except one lamp, this isn't the best photo, but this is the start of an afghan I'm making for my childhood friend Liz. She's due to have a little boy in April. She said she's doing a Jungle theme, so I figured I'd do something a little more boyish that he can grow up with. Here are the links for the yarn and pattern:

Yarn (from Hobby Lobby): http://www.craftsetc.com/store/item.aspx?dep=20&cat=60&subcat=12&IsOnSale=0&IsFeatured=0&IsNew=0&ItemId=77422

Pattern: http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/granny-lg.html