Looking for Answers When You Don't Understand the Test

Greenland is melting and Iceland has frozen assets. AIG is broke but their executives seem to be keeping their spirits up by a refreshing time at a California spa. There are problems with gas distribution in Atlanta and some of our oil drilling platforms in the Gulf were destroyed in hurricane Ike but gas is selling for $2.99 at our local station. Banks are failing but I haven't heard any bad news about US Bank where our daughter in law works. Western nations are experiencing major financial upsets and Russia has shored some up with petrodollars. TV / radio nasty mudslinging ads are abounding but at least someone is willing to run for office. I can't imagine why. I'll bet life in Crawford, TX never sounded so good to the Bushes.

Bad news and more bad news probably leaves many people wanting to go back to bed and pull the covers over their heads. Yesterday I listened to a radio talk show talk about the stock market. One expert advised buying Caterpillar stock. (Is anyone buying?) He said it was solid. My mood was a little dark and I thought buying stock in pharmaceuticals might be a better plan. See who makes Valium, Xanax and the most common antidepressants and buy their stock.

We could use an FDR right now. We could use someone to soothe the public fear. Doesn't it seem likely that the slide south in our stock market is based on fear? Isn't that making it worse? "We have nothing to fear but fear itself". Consoling words spoken by FDR to a reeling world decades ago. Still true. We have a friend who looked at the bright side of this mess and said, "Now my kids will be able to afford to buy a house". You have to look for the silver lining.


God's word says, "Fear is useless. What is needed is trust". Trust whom? Trust the creator of the universe. He made it all without financing, advisory committees, computors or help. If you believe it all just happened, you will have trouble finding comfort. He still lives and waits to hear from us. My favorite scripture is James 4:8. "Draw closer to God, and he will draw closer to you". Might be time to hear a little less bad news on the telly and a little more good news from the one who watches over sparrows. He waits on our first move toward him.

Haunted House spotted in neighborhood

Roman Holiday

The real "Minnesota Twins" are back in action. Little Roman came home from the hospital last evening. This morning I am going to "help" for a couple hours. Actually, I am going to cuddle those sweet little babies. Both has been gaining weight nicely. Zoe is 5# 14 oz. Roman is 5# 10. More than you wanted to know, but heh. I am a grandma.
The Zo Ro Show. Here we go!

Pictures: I need a more recent one of Roman, (on the left). I am amused by the picture of Zoe in her carseat on her going home day. ?Why does her blankie say, "Do Abe"?

Happier Times

Homage to old Westerns. Remember these? My first love was Roy Rogers back in the days when heroes carried guns but only winged the bad guy.

http://oldfortyfives.com/thoseoldwesterns.htm

Frankenstein

Frankenstein was a horror story. Al Franken and Norm Coleman's senate race political commercials are another kind of horror. The race has become nasty. Ads are nasty from both sides.

As I write this I am listening to the radio. They are saying the third party senatorial candidate, an independent, is rising in the polls without running commercials or spending money. The cause? Most people are sick of the mud slinging and reject both of the guys slinging mud and look to a third choice. It breaks down to about a 1/3 or the population committed to each major party. 1/3 remain uncommitted. These bozos are not winning our votes.

Every time I get an email full of false claims or hear a nasty ad I am one step closer to voting for the other guy or looking for a third choice. Minnesota would not be in such bad shape having an independent senator. He would be courted by the other parties for his vote. Maybe he could get us a new bridge in Stillwater. Oink, oink, oink.

PVT Phone Home

I have seen drives to collect prepaid phone card. Here is a site that collects old cell phones to sell to a company that refurbishes them. The $5.00 the phone fetches goes to buying phone cards for troops abroad to call home. Good way to recycle and help our troops.

link: http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/

Bonds that Tie

They were right. Bonds are doing better than stocks. Savings bonds? Municipal bonds? No, human bonds. I am bonding with my new granddaughter. I babysat Zoe today so mom could run up to the hospital and see her twin brother.

Bonding with Zoe. It brings back memories of our other sweet granddaughter, Mina when she was a babe. Both--sweet little armsful of pink girl. It is much more fun to think of the new grandbabies than other things going on in the world now.

I had to tease Mary a little about their "charting". They have printed a graph to chart times of feedings, whether they are breast or formula, how much baby took, how long it took to feed her, diaper changes with results and my favorite category, "Burps". I thought that was funny. I also obnoxiously suggested something was missing from the list, "Farts". I need to back off and not be a pain in the neck mom/ mother-in-law, but Burps?? I hope she saves one of the sheets for the baby book so these little ones know how caring and attentive their parents were. God bless them. It is sweet to see the new family they have become.

I just finished reading a memoir about life in China in the 2oth century. Today my turn finally came up for the library book "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. Contemplating how difficult life has been for women in China and Afghanistan, I think I will be more optimistic about the future in America. We are blessed and our lives have been easy compared to most of the world. Time to be thankful and put worrying aside.