Feeling domestic

Look what I made!

Happy Halloween

I couldn't help but dig up some old pictures of my childhood costumes. Unfortunately, one of my favorites — my brother and I as M&Ms, complete with the white gloves — is missing. Mom made all of our outfits ... she always did great!

Quote of the Day

"Our greatest strength as a human race is our ability to acknowledge our differences, our greatest weakness is our failure to embrace them."

~Judith Henderson

Halloween cartoon

A good laugh

Some funny photos to welcome in the weekend (although, the costumed characters don't look too amused).

Things I never tire of

In no particular order ... my top 30:

*) Subtle nudges from God
*) My husband's smile
*) Thunderstorms
*) Compliments from my dad
*) A glass of pinot noir
*) Hearing my grandmother's voice
*) Sleeping in
*) A hug from my mom
*) A new tube of mascara
*) Walking on leaves during a stroll in the fall
*) Taking photos of flowers (especially hydrangeas) and other scenes from nature
*) Flavored chapstick
*) Orbit gum, either Spearmint or Maui Melon Mint
*) Hazelnut lattes
*) Writing stories on those who have unselfishly given back — and aren't seeking praise
*) Receiving compliments for something I've written, either here or for work
*) House cleaning — it's stress-relieving
*) My dad's chocolate chip pancakes
*) Anything my mom cooks or bakes
*) Singing praise songs in my car — alone :)
*) Hearing how well my brother is doing — I am truly happy for his successes
*) Wandering around independent stationary stores
*) Picking out wrapping paper
*) Flipping through wedding magazines for dresses, even though my day has come and gone
*) Reading over favorite Bible verses
*) My husband's devotion & mine for him
*) Picturing our some-day ... babies and all
*) Encouragement from friends
*) Making my spinach & artichoke dip — and the 'oohs' and 'ahhs' that follow
*) Uncontrollable laughter

Home is where the Army sends you, Part III

It's been a long time since I wrote the last installment ... I've been too tied up with politics and the election that the next chapter of my childhood story got pushed to the back burner. When we last left off, I was living in Panama ...

After three years in the jungle, my family found out its next place of residence: the booming metropolis of Washington, D.C. — quite a contrast to our quiet quarters and the poor country just beyond the base's gates.

We lived about 20 minutes outside our nation's capital in Springfield, Virginia, renting a townhouse in a pretty neighborhood that was mostly made up of large homes. It amazed my brother and me because it had three floors (the third was actually a finished basement, but to two kids who had just come from a cramped, one-floor ranch, it was mansion-esque). My bedroom had a window seat that overlooked our back patio and the woods just beyond it (occasionally, our golden retriever, Blazer, would sneak up there, and I'd know because I would find his hair all over the pillow). I was in heaven.

For our first Christmas, it snowed — and for it to snow much in northern Virginia is pretty amazing. Still in our pajamas after opening presents, my brother and I dashed outside to let that white miracle fall upon us ... in the humid jungle, remember, we were riding our bikes on Christmas morning.

Now, before I go any further, let me preface that at this point in my life (seventh-and eighth-grade), I was bordering on dorkiness. You'll see why in a moment. I think this mostly has to do with that awkward transition from elementary school to middle school — and having to do it completely alone ... well, at least not with close friends I had known all my life. Anyway, don't judge — I'm being brave enough to reveal all of this.

After we moved, for some reason, I became very into Victorian decor: flowery wallpaper and bedspreads, anything pink, roses (I dislike them now) and hat boxes where I could store all of my pen pal letters. And I wanted it all in my bedroom. My mom made it happen, and my grandfather even made me a shelf with pegs from which we hung old-fashioned baby dresses. I also was into piano music, which made for the perfect backdrop to my imaginative world. I even wanted to change my name to Victoria Rose (stop laughing).

During this phase, my mom passed down some nightgowns of hers — they were actually more like long, sleeveless cotton dresses. I wore them all throughout the summer. One day, I stepped outside in one to greet my mom and grandparents who had just pulled up (they visited a few times during our two-year stay) and immediately regretted it. They (minus my grandma) had a field day, laughing until their stomachs hurt. If my grandpa was around today, I'd still be unable to live that moment down ... me and all of my Victorian greatness.

I was petrified on my first day of school ... I had really short hair, a mouthful of colorful braces (you'll notice I haven't posted any pictures of this – for good reason) and an insecurity I hadn't experienced before. The girl I left in Panama was cheerful, confident and pretty hyper. Where she went is still a mystery to me today.

My middle school, Washington Irving, was named like others in Fairfax County: after poets or writers of distinction. It had a famous rock from the '60s that today must have at least a thousand coats of paint on it. In its lifetime, New Year's welcomes have covered Christmas wishes, which have covered awareness symbols and class competitions. Yellow ribbons during wartime have topped peace signs from the early '70s. And goodbyes were sweetly spelled out at the end of another school year.

For those first few months, I mostly hung out with the girls I met on the bus ride to school. One of them, Erica, lived at the end of my street — her family had an enormous sheepdog on whose hair seemed to cling any meal her mother ever cooked — and the other, a red-headed, Kurt Cobain-adoring, grunge devotee named Nicole, in a neighborhood up the road.

On days when my mom picked out clothes that I didn't want to wear — one in particular was a bright orange blouse that bore the phrase, 'My name is Panama,' which kids in my new town would find not cool — I would sneak over to Erica's and change in the bathroom. My scheme worked for a while, until her annoying younger brother caught me pulling clothes out of my backpack and squealed to my brother, who then tattled to mom. I think I was grounded for a year (ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit).

At Erica's house, I also became addicted to Nintendo and Sony (I loved playing Sonic). We never had video game systems, so when I went over there, it's all I wanted to do. She quickly became bored with that.

The friends I made throughout both years were few, but the relationships were meaningful. I played the clarinet in seventh-grade — a mistake, because you could hear my squeaking during the winter concert — and left it behind in eighth-grade to join choir. My Vans-wearing friends and I got to go to Hershey Park — the air does smell like chocolate — to sing and perform with glittery top hats. I took a keyboarding class, looked forward to studying history and dreaded gym. We had a locker room to change into uniforms, which meant we were going to be doing a lot of moving. On days that we had to run the mile, our gym teacher would wear his silly bear head hat. Rumors would spread throughout the day if someone early in the morning saw it — I hated running those four laps. I had my first boyfriend in eighth grade — the funniest thing is Ben and I never really talked. We passed notes, but he was so incredibly shy that he clammed up whenever he stopped by my locker. Needless to say, that relationship didn't last too long. A kid named Jared moved to the neighborhood the summer before eighth-grade and we added him to our little gang. I think I had a brief crush on him, but he also had a smelly pet — a ferret that I could never warm up to. During those warm nights, we'd all grab our flashlights — including my little brother and his friends — to play hide and seek or capture the flag in the dark. The woods always made for a great hideout place.

In eighth-grade, one of my teachers assigned us to shadow a professional for the day. Now by this time, I was enamored with Washington, D.C. My dad worked down at the Pentagon and we'd done all the big tours: the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson, the Washington and the Capitol (do you know it has a little metro in its basement?), as well as the popular museums, including the National Museum of American History. My favorite section was dedicated to the White House (I wanted to live there) and the First Ladies. All of their inaugural ball dresses were on display. I'd go into a trance staring up through those glass cases, imagining what it would be like to spin around on such an historic floor.

Anyway, when I got the assignment, I knew exactly where I wanted to "work:" the White House. There was a number in the phone book (how about that!), so one afternoon, my mom called and asked if I could shadow the secretary to the president (at the time, it was Bill). I wasn't quite that lucky, but they did allow me to work with the woman who handled all of the mail the president received from children. Her office in the Executive Office Building was filled from floor to ceiling with letters. I don't know if I really had a specific task that day. Instead, she took me on a tour of the White House — I thought it was going to be the one that employees got, but instead I just cut in front of visitors in line. I wasn't terribly excited because we'd already done that, and at Christmastime. She did take me through the kitchen to get to the line, though ... ooooh. During my lunch break, I found a spot outside on the stairs that looked over the west wing of the White House. There were all kinds of media out that day, as well as the military color guard, and then I saw why: a limo pulled up and out stepped the president of Zimbabwe. On the other end of his handshake was the president himself. He looked much taller than on TV.

The woman I was shadowing later took me on a tour of the EOB and tried to introduce me to Al Gore, but he was tied up in a meeting (That's fine; he probably would have just taken credit for something during our conversation). Then, she was going to get Hilary to stop by. When she couldn't do that, they sent the next best thing: the stupid cat, Socks (nothing against cats here, people!). I tried to show excitement, reaching out to hold him. Then I realized that this cat might not be so dumb: in every way I tried to cradle him, he somehow wedged his claws into me ... my shoulder, my arm, my hair. When I got home, I declared to my parents, "He must have known I'm a Republican!"

I think it was the experience of being so close to D.C. and the White House that day that fueled a dream that I have long let go of: becoming the president's speech writer. I told my parents about it years ago and they still try to hold me to it today. Whenever I listened to W. talk or Clinton before him, I would always think, "I totally could have written that speech." One night, I caught a special on TV about the actual speech writer ... his small, windowless office is somewhere down in the basement of the White House. During the interview, he snuck out to Starbucks for a short time, and then returned to the dungeon — not quite as exciting as I imagined. I always pictured him as Michael J. Fox's character from "The American President."

We lived in the D.C. area once before I was in middle school, but I was too young to remember. That time, we were stationed on the military base, Ft. Belvoir. Then, after I graduated high school, my parents and brother were sent back and my dad worked in the Pentagon once again — until he retired in October 2001. I've gone back a few times since (during summers in between college breaks and for a wedding) and I've determined that it is my absolute favorite place to be — at least in this country. There is so much to do, see, be a part of ... the bustling city itself, Old Town Alexandria, preppy Georgetown, historic Williamsburg, and, of course, Pentagon City mall :)

Maybe I'll end up back there one day, after all. For good.

Quote of the Day

"Mark my words. Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy ... watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy. And he’s gonna have to make some really tough — I don’t know what the decision’s gonna be, but I promise you it will occur. As a student of history and having served with seven presidents, I guarantee you it’s gonna happen. I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate. And he’s gonna need help."

-Joe Biden, Democratic vice presidential nominee (yesterday)

So, Joe, does that mean that a McCain presidency will keep us all safe and out of another crisis???? You bet.

Oh, and JKF failed his testing: the Bay of Pigs invasion and a Vienna summit with Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev.

Today I'm loving ... hot apple cider

I'm shivering at my desk and it's quite brisk outside. If I didn't have so much to do today, I'd sneak out and get one myself. Anyone want to deliver?

A fall walk in the park

Quote of the Day

In honor of tonight's debate: here are what some people are saying about the Democratic presidential candidate. If you ask me, it borders slightly on insanity ... or zombism.

"Not just an ordinary human being, but indeed an Advanced Soul."

-Chicago Sun Times

"He walks into a room and you want to follow him somewhere, anywhere."

-George Clooney

"I'll do whatever he says to do. I'll collect paper cups off the ground to make his pathway clear."

-Halle Berry 

"Obama's finest speeches do not excite. They do not inform. They don't even really inspire ... He is not the Word made flesh, but the triumph of word over flest ... Obama is, at his best, able to call us back to our highest selves. "

-Ezra Klein 

"A Lightworker — An Attuned Being with Powerful Luminosity and High-Vibration Integrity who will actually help usher in a New Way of Being."

-Mark Morford, columnist 

"We just like to say his name. We are considering taking it as a mantra."

-Chicago Sun Times

"He communicates God-like energy."

-Steve Davis, columnist

"You'll have to measure time by 'Before Obama' and 'After Obama.' It's an exciting time to be alive now ... everything's going to be affected by this seismic change in the universe."

-Spike Lee 

"Barack Obama is the Platonic philosopher king we've been looking for for the past 2,400 years ... He won't just heal our city-states and souls. He won't just bring the Heavenly Kingdom — dreamt of in both Platonism and Christianity — to earth. He will heal the earth itself." 

-Micah Tilman, lecturer of philosophy at the Catholic University of America

"A light will shine through that window, beam of light will come down upon you, you will experience an epiphany ... and you will suddenly realize that you must go to the polls an vote for Obama."

-Barack himself 

Chicken

When I was freshman in college, Henry Hall, my dorm home for two years, hosted a blood drive for the American Red Cross. Somehow, I worked up enough courage and convinced myself that I would donate, dragging along a hall mate to hold my hand through the entire ordeal, my first. 

"This is how I'm going to begin to make a difference in the world," I declared. 

After all, you help save three lives with just one pint. 

I remember nervously awaiting my turn: filling out the necessary paperwork, getting my finger pricked to ensure I had enough iron, realizing if that little pinch hurt, I was in trouble, etc... I sat propped up on one of at least 20 full stretchers — such thoughtful students! — with my sleeve rolled up and my heart beginning to slow— despite the blood-filled bags all around me and faces turning a sickly shade of white — when one of the nurses came over to stick me. Her eyes grew wide when she looked at my arm and saw what she was going to be working with: I have very healthy, hearty veins ... no poking or prodding needed here.

In went the needle and the tighter my grip became on my friend's hand. Then my A-negative flowed — not trickled — out. 

"This isn't so bad," I thought, pinching the little red ball I was to squeeze to help along the life-saving process. 

 

I glanced over at my nurse to flash her a smile of confidence, which caused her to come over and check on me. When she did, her eyes grew wide again. 

"Don't squeeze the ball anymore, honey," she said, rushing over to another nurse.

They began to whisper and I looked down — the area where the needle was had turned black and blue. My hearty little vein was bruised. Still, I powered through and filled up my bag. 

The experience was a little frightening, but a few years later, for a blood drive held by current employer, I tried again. It was a breeze. So much so,  that I did it again the following year. But this time, after I finished and had sat down at the stopover table for a glass of juice, I felt my body going week. 

"I don't feel so good," I said to the co-worker who had coordinated the event — and still does. 

"You look a little pale, Amy. Drink some juice," she replied, a look of concern coming over her face. 

A few seconds later, things got dark and I began to pass out. A few nurses rushed over and made me put my head between my legs. Then they moved me to a room to lie down on a cot and breath into a brown paper bag. 

Since that ordeal two years ago, I have chickened out giving blood — both at the repeat drives at work and when the Red Cross itself calls to tell me about an upcoming event. 

In two days, nurses will show up again at work — and I have yet to sign up. I am "doing my part" in making food for the donors and volunteers. Still, something inside is calling me to try again. I know they need me ... but I remain a little frightened. I long to wear the little sticker that brags about my blood donation.

 

I guess tomorrow will tell. 

Election evaluation: health care

I really think that political ads should prohibit attacks on the opposing party — that way, we'd all know the facts and in the end, the candidates would feel a lot less battered and bruised. Unfortunately, most people don't do their research and rather, go off of these ads when they head to the polls. That's probably more damaging than the election battle scars.

One key issue is health care. We all need it, yet many of us don't have it. It's a sad story, and strange to comprehend living in the most prosperous country. I've been trying to weed through the muck and find out both candidates' plans for health care. I want to try to be as brief as possible, but also as informative. And I don't want to bore or confuse anyone in the process. Whatever you end up reading, my stuff or someone else's, just get informed.

Please go check out the full articles from which I'm citing. Here's what I've found (I'll start with Obama's plan):

Excerpts by Robert Laszewski of The Health Care Blog~
Barack Obama’s health care plan follows the Democratic template — an emphasis on dramatically and quickly increasing the number of people who have health insurance by spending significant money upfront.

The Obama campaign estimates his health care reform plan will cost between $50 and $65 billion a year when fully phased in. He assumes that it will be paid from savings in the system and from discontinuing the Bush tax cuts for those making more than $250,000 per year.

Highlights:
Obama would make the insurance markets more competitive and efficient by creating the “National Health Insurance Exchange” to promote more efficient competition and he would set a minimum health cost ratio for insurers—not defined in detail. Reducing insurance company overhead is important but constitutes only a small percentage of costs and those overhead costs have been increasing at the rate of general inflation while health care costs have been increasing by two to four times the basic inflation rate in recent years. The biggest cost containment challenge is in the fundamental cost of health care itself.

It would clearly get almost everyone covered sooner rather than later. The real question is how would it be sustained. Are their cost containment strategies going to support a system that is affordable in the long run?

No.

The Obama cost containment proposal is only an incremental cost containment proposal that is layered over $100 billion of upfront spending to cover tens of millions of more people—far too little cost containment for the new massive injection of money, almost overnight, into the health care system.

Obama offers us a long list of good cost containment ideas—most of which he shares with McCain. Most have been underway in the market for many years with limited success. Undoubtedly, a government infusion of resources or requirements aimed at a more efficient system would have a positive impact but it is hard to see how they would be enough fundamentally alter things and bring the system under real control.

More likely, a $100 billion infusion of new health care spending by an Obama plan would actually increase the rate of health care inflation and ultimately create an imperative for more draconian government intervention in the health care markets Obama would preserve.

Cost containment is the big missing link here.

~~~~~~~~
Over the past month, three independent assessments of the candidates’ plans have been issued from nonpartisan organizations: the Tax Policy Center, jointly run by the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution; The Lewin Group health consulting firm; and Health Systems Innovation, another consulting practice.

All have have found that the deceptions aired by the Obama-Biden camp are completely that - deceptive. Read the full article at National Review Online (http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=N2E0ODM2ODYyNTUyMWFiNDMzNTgyZDczMWVjNWEzNGY=here). It's author notes that the ads claim that McCain's plan would leave households worse off than they are today and “tax health benefits for the first time ever."

The author, James C. Capretta, continues: "Today, when an employer pays $9,500 for family health coverage, that’s $9,500 that can’t be paid to the worker as cash wages. Exempting that $9,500 health premium payment from federal income tax is worth a lot less than $5,000 for most workers. For instance, for a couple in the 25 percent marginal tax bracket, it’s worth $2,375. The McCain plan would give that couple $5,000 instead of $2,375. Moreover, with the tax credit in place, it doesn’t matter if the employer continues to pay for premiums or gives the worker cash income instead. Either way, the worker will come out ahead. The Tax Policy Center estimates that the average household would enjoy a $1,200 boost in income from the McCain plan."

Ads also claim that McCain's plan would unravel job-based insurance coverage. All three studies show that it actually reduces the number of uninsured, even as coverage through the workplace remains the norm. "HSI estimates the McCain plan would expand insurance coverage to more than 27 million people, or more than half of those currently uninsured. Much of this coverage would come from individuals using the tax credit to buy into the non-group market, but HSI believes even employer-sponsored coverage would expand, not contract."

Here's what the Wall Street Journal has to say about McCain's plan. Read it here (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122333750424809705.html?mod=googlenews_wsj)
"McCain's proposal —to give every American the tax credit businesses get for buying health insurance — is the right prescription for what ails our health-care system.

McCain recognizes that a large part of the problem is that the tax code favors employer-funded health insurance. The system, which began as a response to FDR's wage and price controls, is built on tax breaks that allow employers to buy health insurance with pretax dollars.

McCain doesn't want to scrap employer-based insurance. He would keep part of the tax deduction in place. But he wants to fundamentally change the way the system works and instead give the self-employed and individuals a tax break for buying their own insurance. There are several advantages to this approach:

Choice. About half of those with employer-financed health insurance have a choice of exactly one plan -- and that plan is often designed to suit the needs of the employer, not the employee. In contrast, under the McCain proposal, families could opt out and join another plan -- perhaps offered by their church, union or trade association -- if it better suited their needs.

Portability. Presently, changing jobs means changing health plans and, often, family doctors. It also means that if a worker loses his job, he can also lose his health insurance. Under Mr. McCain's plan, job status wouldn't necessarily affect health coverage.

Labor mobility. By freeing workers of the need to stay in a job to keep their health insurance, Mr. McCain's plan would help create a more flexible workforce. A study by University of Wisconsin economist Scott Adams found that 20% to 30% of non-elderly men worry enough about losing their health benefits that they stay in jobs they would otherwise leave."

Quote of the Day

He said it himself four years ago, and then two years later, started his presidential exploratory committee. Interesting.....

Date Night

I look forward to it each week, either Friday or Saturday. Tonight, I'm in the mood for a nice dinner, a glass of Pinot Noir and a good laugh — in the midst of everything going on around us (just remember, God is in control). I think I've found the perfect remedy ... at least for one evening. Here's a sneak peak (or you can go watch it yourself).

Today I'm loving ... dessert

It's that time again ... for sweet, comfort treats on chilly nights. Here a few that are making my mouth water. Bon appetit!

Chocolate Harvest Cake














Pumpkin Cherry Upside-Down Cake

















Apple Cinnamon Upside Down Cake


















Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

Quote of the Day

“America, this is what a feminist looks like."

~Shelly Mandell, the president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization for Women introducing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin over the weekend in California.

Neat. Listen to the brief clip below for the complete intro. It included, "She cares about our children and she cares about women's lives."

Quote of the Day ... sort of

Oh, how the tables turn. So Chris Matthews, now uber-Obama fan, what has the senator done?

(This is when Hillary was running against him in the primaries, just a few months back)

Today I'm loving ... wreaths

I need a new one for autumn for the door to our apartment. Maybe I'll try to be crafty this weekend.

This one is made of candy!

Life worth choosing

On Monday, my husband's sister found out she is going go have a baby girl. She sent us a picture (via cell phone) of the ultrasound and I couldn't help but gaze in wonderment. At barely four months old, her little body is already so developed ... her teeny arms, her tiny heart. It's amazing what technology allows us to see. I am so excited to meet her.

Then yesterday — ironically — I was reading National Review Online and came across an article that I originally thought was on Obama's faith. It instead mentioned that he had kicked off a "Faith and Family Values Tour" in late September. One part of this outreach has been to insist that the Democratic candidate would promote "abortion reduction" policies, or those that would reduce the number of abortions performed. The article's author, Douglas Johnson, says — and I agree — that Obama is actually "firmly committed to an agenda of sweeping pro-abortion policy changes that could be expected to drastically increase the numbers of abortions performed." See: the Freedom of Choice Act. It's a bill that "would establish a federal abortion 'right' broader than Roe v. Wade and, in the words of the National Organization for Women, “sweep away hundreds of anti-abortion laws [and] policies.” And, at a Planned Parenthood event in July 2007, Obama said, "The first thing I’d do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That’s the first thing that I’d do.”

Now, before I go any further, let me preface: I'm going to be bold here, because lately so many things have been weighing on my heart, and I think God has been putting them there.

I came across a blog a few weeks ago by a young woman, married and trying for four years to get pregnant. And there are many others like her — linked from her page — all in their 20's and in the same boat. They've spent thousands of dollars, praying and hoping for a miracle. They worry about every move they make, every suspicious feeling ... it breaks my heart. Each year, thousands and thousands of women discover they can't conceive. And each year, millions of women dispose of their unborn babies, 95 percent as a means of birth control (only 1 percent are performed because of rape or incest; another 1 percent because of fetal abnormalities; and 3 percent are due to the mother's health problems).

I don't think Roe v. Wade will ever be overturned — if it is, it should go to states to figure out — and maybe that's best so women aren't hiding out in an alley with a coat hanger.

But I also think that FOCA is a radical piece of legislature. It would do the following: 1)It will be impenetrable, even if Roe v. Wade goes away 2) it creates a 'fundamental right' to abortion throughout the nine months of pregnancy, including a right to abort a fully developed child in the final weeks for undefined health reasons; 3) it would permit the public funding (i.e. tax-payer dollars) of abortion care for poor women or counseling and referrals for abortion services; and 4) It would take away the need for minors to provide parental consent. The NOW's own Web site says "Parental consent or notification statutes have been used as a tool to deny access to abortion services for minors. When such laws deny or interfere with the ability of minors to access abortion services, they would violate FOCA."

Fabulous.
Of course, Obama doesn't have a problem with the last two issues:

He already voted once to block a bill to require that at least one parent be notified if a minor had an abortion in another state.

He told a group in April that he doesn't want his two daughters, if they "make a mistake," to be "punished with a baby." First off, we're all taught to learn from our mistakes — it builds character. And if they ever make a "mistake," he'll likely never know about it. The girls will know what's expected of them. Secondly, if Obama says he's a Christian and believes that God is the creator of all things, isn't he basically slapping Him in the face?

In July 2007, Obama made a controversial pledge to require private insurers to cover abortions: "In my mind reproductive care is essential care. It is basic care, and so it is at the center, the heart of the plan that I propose ... we’re going to set up a public plan that all persons and all women can access if they don’t have health insurance. It’ll be a plan that will provide all essential services, including reproductive services ... We also will subsidize those who prefer to stay in the private insurance market except the insurers are going to have to abide by the same rules in terms of providing comprehensive care, including reproductive care." After the speech, an Obama spokesman said that included abortions.

Also, he voted three times in the Illinois Legislature to stymie legislation designed to keep alive newborn survivors of abortions.


Just think about this: We cannot reduce abortions by promoting abortion, or by insisting that every program supporting women in childbirth and child care support it, or by making it easier, especially for teenagers.

I realize there are many important issues in the election — health care, social security, energy, family safety — and I hope we are all doing our research on the candidate's stance on them. But I still think that there are core issues that deserve attention ... core issues that could lead to a snowballing effect of others. The president will be appointing at least one new Supreme Court justice and could be appointing another three. I don't want such radical changes in FOCA to lead to even more, like taking God out of the Pledge or redefining marriage. I mean, is there something wrong with protecting values ... for future generations?

I think that we should have a deep love for anyone struggling with anything — and that would be each of us. I'm not talking about the nowhere-in-Scripture "love the sinner, hate the sin" concept, but rather the idea being compassionate, full of mercy and love. I don't think women who want abortions should be condemned. I also don't think women (or men) who don't agree with abortions should be condemned. However, I also don't think that the issue of abortion should be brushed aside or so plainly accepted.

I commend my sister-in-law for choosing to have her baby. The pregnancy hasn't happened at the most opportune time, but in the few years I've known her, she's never seemed so happy, so responsible, so driven to care for another. I know that God has a plan in all of it, something that we are just beginning to see.

I'll end with this.

Norma McCorvey gave birth to a baby girl in the early 70s, claiming the pregnancy was the result of rape. She gave the baby up for adoption, later confessing the rape wasn't true. She gave birth to two more children years later. In her book, "Won by Love," McCorvey reveals that she became a Christian in 1994 and came to the realization one day that "Abortion wasn't about "products of conception." It wasn't about "missed periods." It was about children being killed in their mother's wombs. All those years I was wrong. Signing that affidavit, I was wrong. Working in an abortion clinic, I was wrong. No more of this first trimester, second trimester, third trimester stuff. Abortion–at any point–was wrong. It was so clear. Painfully clear."

McCovery is also known as Jane Roe.

Today I'm loving ... toile

We are still very (very, very, very) far from starting a family, but we will welcome a beautiful niece in March. So, I thought, what a perfect way to share my decorating desires for our one-day (far, far from now) nursery.

I love anything in toile — blankets, chair covers, pillow shams, you name it. I'd really like to wallpaper the room in yellow toile and accent it with black furniture and decor. Classic, but still cute.

Quote of the Day

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.

~Albert Einstein

Picture Page ~ the pumpkin patch

We headed out to Miller's Orchards Saturday ... not too far from home, despite my original intention. Still, the brisk temps, staple fall snacks and "u-pick" crowds were just what we needed.

Donuts — yummy. Cider — tasty. Pumpkins — plentiful.