Helena has a downtown Trick or Treat so seeing as how it doesnt get dark until 7 and we live in a rural place, I went into work early and left early to take Logan trick or treating with the daycare provider's (Logan too) children (Keona & Zaden) Then we met up with another friend (Jen) and her children Grace & Andy with her oldest joining us later Jace). She also owns one of the best kid store I have ever been in Outdoor Kidfitter Co. You should check it out if you have never been in! Anyhow here are some of the photos-Logan is a horse, Zaden a dinosaur, Keona a poodle, and Grace & Andy were Thing 1 & Thing 2 adn Jace was the murder guy from Scream!.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Halloween!!
Monday, October 20, 2008
"Zane"
Bill took this photo of one of the neighbors helping his folks this weekend, I cropped it and played with the color-We thought it looked good so I figured I would post it here!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Logan Update
Ok, OK so I have been asked to stop ranting and talk about the munchkin! So Logan is getting big! He is 27 lbs and about 34". He runs non stop! He absolutely loves books! HE will grab as many as he can and come and sit in our laps just looking and listening! A friend of ours owns an outdoor kid store and Logan will be modeling at her 1 year anniversary party this friday. He has become such a little persona nd is so inquisitive that its amazing! He has an aquarium in his room and will just sit and look at the fish. As soon as we get home at night he immediately runs to his door and wants to visit his fishees. He also loves to be outside and gets very upset if we wont let him go outside. Its funny because he seems to enjoy the bad weather better than when its sunny (sort of like me and my "misty clouds"). I will try to post more Logan pics this weekend.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Have we ever truly been a democratic nation?
"Suddenly the door literally burst open and Whittaker burst in
like a tornado; some men followed him. We could see a crowd of
them on the porch. They were not in uniform. They looked as much
like tramps as anything. They seemed to come in-and in-and in.
One had a face that made me think of an ourang-outang. Mrs. Lewis
stood up. Some of us had been sitting and lying on the floor, we
were so tired. She had hardly begun to speak, saying we demanded
to be treated as political prisoners, when Whittaker said:
"You shut up. I have men here to handle you." Then he shouted,
"Seize her!" I turned and saw men spring toward her, and then
some one screamed, "They have taken Mrs. Lewis."
A man sprang at me and caught me by the shoulder. I am used to
remembering a bad foot, which I have had for years, and I
remember saying, "I'll come with you; don't drag me;
{197}
I have a lame foot." But I was jerked down the steps and away
into the dark. I didn't have my feet on the ground. I guess that
saved me. I heard Mrs. Cosu, who was being dragged along with me,
call, "Be careful of your foot."
Out of doors it was very dark. The building to which they took us
was lighted up as we came to it. I only remember the American
flag flying above it because it caught the light from a window in
the wing. We were rushed into a large room that we found opened
on a large hall with stone cells on each side. They were
perfectly dark. Punishment cells is what they call them. Mine was
filthy. It had no window save a slip at the top and no furniture
but an iron bed covered with a thin straw pad, and an open toilet
flushed from outside the cell . . . .
In the hall outside was a man called Captain Reems. He had on a
uniform and was brandishing a thick stick and shouting as we were
shoved into the corridor, "Damn you, get in here."
I saw Dorothy Day brought in. She is a frail girl. The two men
handling her were twisting her arms above her head. Then suddenly
they lifted her up and banged her down over the arm of an ironbench-twice."
From Jailed for Freedom by Doris Stevens
After receiveing an email today, I decided that on my lunch I would look into this as I didnt believe it could have happened here to women from powerful families (imagine the uproar if the LA Jail had even broken one of Ms. Hilton's fingernails!)! This did not happen in some russian country nor a backwards middle eatern place. This happened in the USA in 1917 to women who did nothing but stand outside the White House and hold signs asking to be allowed to vote. This was the worst but these women, a Vice Presidents; daughter, diplomats daughters and wives, women from weathly families, were subjected to this after being arrested (Sometimes with no law under which they were arrested) were starved, given wormy conmeal to eat, allowed to be ebaten by mobs while cops watched, etc..
As the current events (the election, the coverage of a woman being a VP candidate and shouldnt her place be at home raising her children) unfold on the news, I found it interesteing that I had never heard of this event. We werent taught in my school that this happened. Nobody ever mentioned that we did this to women nor have I seen this brought up presently when speaking about Palin and how she cant possibly be a mother and a VP (they told suffrages to go hom and have babies as well). The government seems to not want to tell us things that we may not like!
Much like the bill that was passed last year that paid off FHA loans by the government and allowed banks to reap the profits. Also the legislation that was passed that allowed people who own half million dollar houses to be bailed out of their mortgages. And now today, the House may vote to approve a bill that from what I have read and heard on teh radio, in the newspaper, etc.. the American people have told their Senators and Congressman that they dont want. The Senate already did it! What ever happen to "government of the people, by the people, for the people?" Is that only SOME People? Maybe we do need this Bill, maybe it is a good thing to teach our children to overindulge adn the government will bail you out. But is we do need it, why isnt it being explained? Why does it include decreasing a tax on Puerto Rican rum for goods sake? Arent these people supposed to be representing their constuents in Washington? If 85% of American are saying dont approve this bill in this manner (and yes I acknowledge that surveys can be scewed), why isnt Washington trying to explain it to us so that more will buy off on it? Do they believe that we are too stupid to understand? Or that we will just get in the way if they tell us? What ever happened to democracy?
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
What is this world coming to?
What is this world coming to when you can make $170,636, have a half million dollar house AND STILL GET THE GOVERNMENT TO BAIL YOU OUT! I was horrified to see that this is going on! I mean hey I get bailing out soemone who tried to get thier family out of the projects and got stuck with a $200,000 mortgage but jesus! I guess we should have been irresponsible and bought that $400,000 house we couldnt really afford!
http://www.hud.gov/fha/home080730.cfm
Fact Sheet: FHA to Provide Additional Mortgage Assistance to Struggling Homeowners
Information by State Print version
The President has signed into law legislation that will allow HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to continue providing targeted mortgage assistance to homeowners. The Hope for Homeowners program will continue FHA's existing and successful efforts to provide aid to struggling families trapped in mortgages they currently cannot afford. Under the program, certain borrowers facing difficulty with their mortgage will be eligible to refinance into FHA-insured mortgages they can afford. The program will be implemented on October 1, 2008.
Homeowners May Already Be Eligible For Assistance
Families should not wait to seek mortgage relief. Right now, homeowners can determine if they are already eligible for mortgage assistance through FHASecure, FHA's existing refinancing program. They can obtain information through any of the following options:
Contact a local, HUD-approved housing counseling agency at HUD.gov;
Contact the HOPE NOW Alliance at (888) 995-HOPE; or
Call FHA at (800) CALL-FHA.
Sustainable, Affordability Homeownership
Hope for Homeowners maintains FHA's long-standing requirement that new loans be based on a family's long-term ability to repay the mortgage. FHA only allows owner-occupants to be eligible for FHA-insured mortgages. Borrowers must also meet the following eligibility criteria:
Their mortgage must have originated on or before January 1, 2008;
Their mortgage debt-to-income must be at least 31 percent;
They cannot afford their current loan;
They did not intentionally miss mortgage payments; and
They do not own second homes.
Features of FHA-insured loans under the new program include:
30-year, fixed rate mortgage;
Maximum 90 percent loan-to-value ratio;
No prepayment penalties;
$550,440 maximum mortgage amount;
Extinguishment of any subordinate liens; and
New home appraisals from FHA-approved appraisers.
HUD, Treasury, FDIC and the Federal Reserve will form the Congressionally-mandated Board of Directors and work together to establish additional program standards.
Voluntary Lender Participation
FHA will continue to offer lenders an alternative to foreclosing on borrowers. Similar to FHASecure's recent expansion, lenders will be encouraged to write-down the outstanding mortgage principal balances to 90 percent of the new value of the property. In many cases, reductions in principle will cost lenders less than the losses associated with foreclosure.
Market Stability and Liquidity
By continuing to slow the rate of foreclosures, this program will support FHA's existing effort to stabilize local housing markets. From September 2007 to June 2008, FHA has guaranteed more than $93 billion of mortgage capital.
Funding
FHA will insure up to $300 billion in new loans. Borrowers will pay an upfront premium of 3 percent of the original mortgage amount and an annual premium of 1.5 percent of the outstanding mortgage amount. Any additional costs incurred by FHA will be reimbursed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Program Timeline
The program will last from October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2011. Since September 2007, FHASecure has helped more than 290,000 families obtain safer, more affordable mortgages. FHASecure is on pace to help 500,000 families by the end of the year.
Something to think about
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.
My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to p ut me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrati ng this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a crïeche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling G od to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about.& nbsp; And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why theydon't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully, Ben Stein
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