Finally, a snow day

patio

My backyard patio attached to my garage. While we are having a snow day today, I am dreaming of the warm summer days spent on my patio. Listening to music, drinking whatever, having friends over. Can you feel the warm breeze? It is in the teens outside, but in my head it's summertime.

I will sit down and talk with my girls today. I need to apologize and go over a few things with them. My daughter and I are okay, we make up pretty quickly. But, my niece and I have never fought. It will be difficult. This is where I wanted the counseling to help. Neither girl will go with me. In the counseling session we are forced to sit and talk for an hour with no interruptions. At home, they run away from me.

Since I have become a member of the blogdom, I have been reading quite a few blogs here and there. I have some favorites and eventually may get around to posting them on my blog page. One of the things that strikes me as strange is the fact that most all of them do not care for President Bush. Probably with the exception of one blog that I read, most all of them mention at one point or another that they truly do not like this man. Many times they are downright hateful.

Most all of the people that I associate with do not like the man, either. So many people I know did not vote for him. I am in Ohio, and the election was quite an ordeal. At the time I mentioned that the Amish came out in droves to vote. It makes me wonder. Do we, as a people have much say in the Government anymore? My Mom told me that "they" all are corrupt, just Nixon got caught.

Was Jimmy Carter corrupt? Look at the good he is doing, now. I recall the election between Carter and Reagan. I was young and new to the voting arena. I talked with my big brother about the election. My entire family comes from a long line of democrats. Until the day my Mom died in 2000 she subscribed to the The Braxton Democrat that gave her the news of her home town in West Virginia.

My brother and I voted for Reagan. Why? I can recall he and I sitting watching television one evening and there was an advertisement for Reagan. It kept showing Jimmy Carter's face as sad with mouth downturned while the announcer made some negative comment and Reagan's face smiling and looking like a winner while the announcer made some positive comment. We laughed until we cried. I was totally swayed by the media. I didn't have a clue as to what kind of President Reagan would be. I had not done the research. I cringe at how I made my judgments back then. On a side note: I do not regret my vote.

It makes me wonder. People who keep an online blog. Are they more liberal? Or, am I drawn to the blogs who lean to the left? This could be the case. Perhaps when I read the profile, I am attracted to the personalities similar to my own. Or, the ones I admire. This is probably the case. If I begin reading a blog, and I find their views and thoughts unattractive, I probably move on. And, I don't bookmark them.

But, what of this country's government? Are you happy with it? Do you feel like you can do anything about it? Am I willing to take the time that it requires to research what really is going on? I haven't watched Fahrenheit 911, yet. Is the war just another Viet Nam? Does that make the military angry when we say that? Of course it does, and quite a few other people, too. They don't want to think that they are fighting for nothing. What really happened in Viet Nam? Were our boys (and girls) forced to play by the rules, when nobody else did?

They finally held some people responsible for the holocaust when some of the perpetrators were brought to trial. But, was that really enough? Is anybody responsible for all the lost deaths in Viet Nam? I keep hearing the phrase "Freedom isn't free". I don't think anyone said that it was.

Here is an interesting page. It states the cost of war. It also reminds me of the rainforest countdown I would see when I visited Cleveland's zoo and rainforest. Rather depressing.

And then there is Charlie Daniels' soapbox. I read that from time to time and I have to tell you. In some parts, I agree with him. In others, I think he tends to lump the democrats into one blob and he infuriates me. I, for one, believe there is another answer. No democrat or republican. We are a new breed of people - merging the best of both worlds into one.

And as a matter of fact, Charlie - I agree with what you are saying about being in the line of fire. If someone were shooting a gun at me and my family, you are damn right - I would fight back with everything I have. But, I also learned a long time ago about cutting your losses. When something is so big and it is a definite "No win" situation let's pull back and reanalyze the situation. Instead, we continue to feed the terrorists lunch in the disguise of our servicemen. In this respect, we are reminded of Viet Nam.

The terrorists? They are gleeful.

America is great. We no longer have to go there to kill them, they come to us!

And, please don't think that I am being disrespectful to the military. I am so grateful to them, I would kiss their boots. But, are they getting a fair shake? When all is said and done, IF all is said and done; are we going to be shaking our heads and wondering - Why? Why did we have to send so many in vain? Like we do now about Viet Nam? What did we accomplish there? What are we accomplishing here?

I am not republican, but I do agree with some of their beliefs. I am democrat, but I don't agree with everything left. I believe there is a better way. I don't feel that any one party is completely right or wrong. I think both have good ideas and perhaps there is a win/win situation.

Maybe I am a dreamer. By the way, I am not a John Lennon fan. That malarky "Let's all smokem' peace pipe and hug each other" doesn't fly with me. About the time you are hugging somebody, someone else is stabbing you in the back. Imagine there is no heaven? Most wars are about religion. My way or the highway. I'm right, you're wrong. Is there no end?