The Babbling Brooks

Fauna Pillows!

Spearmintbaby.com is hosting a contest to win a free Fauna Pillow. Visit Beddingsets.com for a wide variety of bedding for children and adults.

Celebrate America!

I hope everyone is celebrating their country today and teaching their children and grandchildren what it means to be an American. Be proud of our history, our present, and our future!

We'll be leaving St. George with Legend and heading for a week in Washington. We plan to spend the night in Boise and hope to enjoy the fireworks at the river front park. Happy 4th of July!

Could You Use A Bouncehouse At Your House?

Here's your chance to add the perfect summertime fun to your backyard!  J. Leigh Designs and Playhouse Bouncers have joined to give away this... the Pirates Bay Inflatable Play Park!

Wouldn't your kids or grandkids love this? I know ours would. Want to win it? Here's how! Click HERE to go to the contest page at J. Leigh Designs blog. Be sure to read the rules and directions carefully and get your entries in. Be sure to visit Playhouse Bouncers to take a look at the variety of bouncers they offer, click HERE to get there! Contest end August 3rd...Good luck!  

It's A Guaranteed Win For Bloggers!

 

Have you been wanting a custom signature for your posts or maybe a blog button? Me, too! I'd love to have a blog button, but just haven't had the time to learn how to do it myself. Here's the deal! April at April Showers is offering to design a signature or blog button for everyone who follows the directions she's left on her post for signing up. It's that easy! To get yours, click on the link after her name and it'll take you right to her post. Thanks, April! 

Response from Senator Max Baucus!

Wow, I received a response to my e-mail to the Senator in less than 24 hours! They must think we're stupid. It's the exact response I received to my e-mail regarding health care on June 12th...word for word. I still have the other response. Maybe a phone call is in order....

Twitter Party Tonight!

Letter to Senator Max Baucus

my e-mail to Senator Baucus today said this...

Are you kidding me??? I just heard that you, Senator Baucus, are proposing to exempt unions from taxation of health benefits should it be enacted for the rest of us. When are you going to start representing the citizens that elected you? You were not elected by unions, the Democrats, or the Obama administration. Stand up for what is right and represent what the people of Montana want. We do NOT want a health care system run by the federal government. We do NOT want our children and grandchildren saddled with back-breaking economic debt. We do NOT want our medical records digitized so that some government bureaucrat can look at them. We do NOT want to allow states the option of using federal taxpayer  money to provide health care to those who have entered our country illegally.That's right...it's our money, not yours. Stand up NOW, Senator Baucus and speak out. Get out of that back room and give us the details of the health care plans being proposed. Invite your fellow Senators from other parties to participate in the meetings and in the upcoming day-long "discussion" being aired on ABC. To not invite dissenting viewpoints and other ideas is like the author editing his own book. You'll see what you want to see and miss the errors. Come on Senator...you are a more honorable man than this.

O, America

Release date, June 23rd.....Enjoy!

(you can turn off the embedded music by scrolling to the player at the bottom of the right sidebar)

You could be a winner!

 

Check out the new web site, XTRA XTRA ! You can post milestones (births, weddings, etc.) to share with others and keep them posted on the happenings in your hometown. As part of their launch they are giving away an Ipod Touch and other prizes. Want to win? Click on the button to get to a giveaway site! 

Great Quote

'Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, 
tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it'

Ronald Reagan 

Great Giveaway!

I don't often blog about giveaways I enter, but here's one where you can win a Wii or an Ipod. The site looks really interesting and informative,too, so I'll be going back to spend some time looking around. The website is called Christian Personal Finance...click HERE to check it out! 

American Capitalism Gone With A Whimper

Yes, there are more than a minority of us Americans who recognize what is happening in America.. Please take one minute to read this editorial. It is from Pravda...a major newspaper published in RUSSIA. Here is the link to the English version.

http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/107459-0/

When you're done, sit and think about this for a minute, then send a letter to your senators and representative. Let them know what their vote should be on the upcoming issues of health care, taxes, etc. And think about where you want your vote to go next year when you elect your state and federal representatives. Do you really want the government running your bank, the car companies, your health care?

If the Russians can see it, why can't we???

Memo to Barack Obama #7

The following was reported today by ABCNews Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper...

POTUS on Sotomayor Flap: 'Nonsense' That 'Will Be Revealed for What It Is'

May 29, 2009 10:02 PM

NBC's Bri Wi asked POTUS about the Judge Sonia Sotomayor controversial quote from 2001 in which she said, "I would hope that a wise Latino woman, with the richness of her experiences would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

"I'm sure she would have restated it," the president said. "But if you look in the entire sweep of the essay that she wrote, what's clear is that she was simply saying that her life experiences will give her information about the struggles and hardships that people are going through -- that will make her a good judge. And you know, she was pointing out, in that same essay, that it was nine white males who passed down Brown vs. Board of Education, which is probably responsible for me sitting here.

"So, that's hardly the kind of statement that would indicate that she subscribes to identity politics," the president continued. "In fact, what she really subscribes to is the exact opposite. Which is the sense that all of us have life experiences and struggles. And part of the job of a justice on the Supreme Court, or any judge, is to be able to stand in somebody else's shoes, to be able to, you know, understand the nature of the case, and how it has an impact on people's ordinary day to day lives.

"And so her, as a Latino woman, part of her job is going to be to listen to the farmer in Iowa," he went on. "And you know, if he's upset about a farm regulation. And be able to understand how hard it is to farm. And what that means. And to be able to incorporate that into her decision-making. It means that she has an understanding of what a corporate CEO might be thinking. And she had those experiences as well. Having worked as a corporate litigator. That breadth of experience, that knowledge of how the world works, is part of what we want for a justice who's going to be effective.

"And I think that when she's appearing before the Senate (Judiciary) Committee, in her confirmation process, I think all this nonsense that is being spewed out will be revealed for what it is," President Obama said.

Mr. President...I've highlighted for you the portion of your statement that most concerns me. It's the part you have wrong. The job of a judge is not to determine the outcome of a case based on what the participants are thinking or feeling or what the impact on them is going to be. It is to determine the outcome of a case based on the application of the appropriate law. This is how we maintain a civil society.....by following the rule of law ("the rule of law means that people do not have to answer to the arbitrary decisions of governmental officials; instead, they guide their actions by what is prohibited by a clearly defined law. Freedom, therefore, means answering only to a well-defined, previously established law, rather than to the arbitrary and discretionary edicts of some", Friedrich A. Hayek -The Road to Serfdom). You should have learned this vital legal concept in law school, Mr. President. Perhaps you were absent that day???

A Note of Importance....

Yes, I know I am way behind on my blogging, but I'm working on getting caught up! In the meantime, this came into my Inbox and I wanted to pass it on.

My aunt sent me this and I am sharing it here because it's important reading. Please...take the time to read this woman's words and think about what is happening in America today. Some of you may think this woman is a "right wing extremist" or a "nut job" or whatever else you may want to call her. Let me say this...if she is, then so am I.

Pamela Geller began her publishing career at The New York Daily News and subsequently took over operation of The New York Observer as Associate Publisher. She left The Observer after the birth of her fourth child but remained involved in various projects including American Associates, Ben Gurion University and being Senior Vice-President Strategic Planning and Performance Evaluation at The Brandeis School .

By Pam Geller

I am a student of history.  Professionally, I have written 15 books in six languages, and have studied history all my life.  I think there is something monumentally large  afoot, and I do not believe it is just a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis.  Yes, these exist but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus.

Something of historic proportions is happening.  I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it.  Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about 10 - 15 years.  The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.

We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy.  Why?  We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving.   Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate.  Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity.  Why?

We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (now violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it wants marriage to remain between one man and one woman.  Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?).  We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream

Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic.  To what purpose?

Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, Social Security is nearly bankrupt, as is Medicare and our entire government.  Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and know precisely what I am talking about.)   The list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth.  It is potentially 1929 x 10.  And we are at war with an enemy we cannot name for fear of offending people of the same religion who cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so.

And now we have elected a man no one knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla , Alaska .  All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders?  No?  Oh, of course.  The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it.  Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe is more important.)

I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now.  This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life.  In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure.  Change is indeed coming.  And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again.

I thought I would never be able to experience what the ordinary, moral German felt in the mid-1930s.  In those times, the savior was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing..  What they did know was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory and promises..  Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker.  And he smiled and waved a lot.  And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts" would bully them into submission.

And then he was duly elected to office, with a full-throttled economic crisis at hand [the Great Depression].  Slowly but surely he seized the controls of government power, department by department, person by person, bureaucracy by bureaucracy.  The kids joined a Youth Movement in his name, where they were taught what to think.  How did he get the people on his side?  He did it promising jobs to the jobless, money to the moneyless, and goodies for the military-industrial complex.  He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe , and across the world.

He did it with a compliant media - Did you know that?  And he did this all in the name of justice and .. . .. change.  And the people surely got what they voted for.  (Look it up if you think I am exaggerating.)  Read your history books.  Many people objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and made fun of.  When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker.  He was right, though .

Don't forget that Germany was the most educated, cultured country in Europe .  It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities.  And in less than six years - a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency - it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors.  All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them.

Since many of you enjoy senior citizen status or will sometime in the not too distant future, I thought you might be interested in this information.

IN GOD WE TRUST

Every body that is on this mailing list is either a senior citizen, is getting close or knows somebody that is.

Most of you know by now that the Senate version (at least) of the "stimulus" bill includes provisions for extensive rationing of health care for senior citizens.  The author of this part of the bill, former senator and tax evader, Tom Daschle was credited  today by Bloomberg with the following statement.

"Daschle says health-care reform "will not be pain free." Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them." If this does not sufficiently raise your ire, just remember that Senators and Congressmen have their own healthcare plan that is first dollar or very low co-pay which they are guaranteed the remainder of their lives and are not subject to this new law if it passes.

Please use the power of the internet to get this message out.  Talk it up at the grassroots level.  We have an election coming up in one year and nine months.  We have the ability to address and reverse the dangerous direction the Obama administration and its allies have begun and in the interim, we can make our voices heard!  Lets do it!

I Heart Faces

 

 

This week at I Heart Faces the entry is a photo of our favorite face photo. Amy and Angie will be selecting some faces to be published in an I Heart Faces Blurb book. I love this photo of Legend! I took it last summer when we stayed at the Big Creek Baldy watchtower. He'd been playing with the slingshot and sat down on a rock just as the sun was starting to set. You may notice the evidence of campfire S'mores on his face :)

 

I am submitting this photo into the www.iheartfaces.com Blurb book photo contest. If chosen, I grant I ♥ Faces permission to use my photo in a printed version of a book for commercial use and possibly advertising of a photo book on both the Blurb and I ♥ Faces web sites.  

I Heart Faces

I have two entries for this week...one for kids, one for adults. The theme..."Laughter"!

I took this picture of Legend at Baby Beach in Dana Point, California. We were playing on the beach and he was having the best time with the sand toys and games and eating hot dogs (evidenced by the catsup smeared on his face!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took this one of John playing with Legend in the front yard on the last afternoon they were at our home in Washington before moving to Utah. It was a sad day for us cause they were leaving the next morning, but they still had loads of fun laughing and playing together.

You can see the other entries at I Heart Faces!

Home Visit!

We're leaving this afternoon for a quick trip home to Mountain Dreams! Our homeowners meeting is on Saturday and we really need to be there for this one. We'll have 3 full days to enjoy being home...no internet, no satellite TV...it's all been turned off. I'll be working on catching up on my photos and posts. See ya when we return!

Sunday Smiles

I Heart Faces (Adults)

I've got an adult entry for this week's theme, "Hats"! I took this photo in January on Denarou Island in Fiji. Hats don't get much better than this!

 

Remember that you can see the rest of this week's entries at I Heart Faces !

I Heart Faces (Kids)

This week it's all about faces and hats! Here's one I took of our little pirate last summer on the beach. Legend loves to role play and pirates are one of his favorite themes!

 

Be sure to stop by I Heart Faces for some fun photos! Click on the link or the I Heart Faces button. Enjoy! 

Sunday Smiles

We did a little snow skiing today with our friends, Tony and Tonya. I'm sure you'll recognize us here on the slopes!    

Another Surprise....Thanks Again!

Another blog award! This one is a gratitude award from Celeste at Etsy It Up ! She sent it to me for an "attitude of gratitude". I do try to be grateful for all the blessings in my life and I'm glad that it must be coming through here. Thanks Celeste...one of the things I'm grateful for is getting to know wonderfully kind people like you! 

Sunday Smiles

Well.........THANKS!

I've had a really nice surprise. Look what I've been sent by Annette at a Fairy Blog Mother Blog! It's my first blog award and I get to pass it on. So who gets it from me???

Two of the most entertaining blog writers I know...

Treasure the Moment Tracy! Step up and get your award. Thanks for sharing your life adventures in a humourous and real way. If anyone can find themselves in a 3 Stooges situation...it's you, girlfriend! And we love seeing your gorgeous photography. Thanks for sharing.

The Iowa Geek Jody!Come on up! Thanks for sharing your little ones, your travel adventures, your financial savvyness, and for keeping us informed on the political craziness of the day (share a little corner of the award with Doug, will ya?) Thanks to you!

Please visit these blogs and let them know you were there. I know you'll enjoy them!  

I Heart Faces

 

This was a challenging theme for the week, Self Portrait. The photo must be taken by you and you must be holding the camera, no tripods or anything else holding the camera. Short arms were not made for this :) I tried some outdoor shots which didn't work real well given the shortage of attractive backgrounds (didn't have time to go find a garden somewhere). I moved inside and took some using natural light coming through a couple of different windows. That worked pretty well and added some catchlights! Check out all the pretty faces this week at  I Heart Faces!

 

This is pretty much how I look everyday. Those of you that know me can see that my hair is shorter than I use to wear it. I've found the greatest hair stylist here that I have ever had. Love her! I'm trying to figure out how to get her to come back to Montana with us next spring!