Anxiety over letting go and moving on...

Melancholy. A little strange yes, but that is exactly how I'm feeling at this moment.

I feel anxious too. After all, I still have things on my "To Do" list for 2009 that have NOT been crossed off yet. How on earth am I supposed to get it all accomplished in a measly 24 hours? Even if I didn't sleep, I still don't think I would be able to accomplish all I had hoped to do by the end of the year.

Even my "cleaning" chores are adding to my anxiety. It's not like I had planned to scrub the place from top to bottom, but I would like to ring in the new year feeling less cramped in my place.

Part of my problem is that I don't like to leave things undone. A strange comment for a procrastinator such as myself, and yet, when it comes down to the wire, I can usually pull things through and complete them on time. Even if it's a self-imposed deadline. I really hope I don't bring this "stress" into the new year, but I'm afraid that's what is going to happen.

Are there any goals/projects/deadlines that you still need to accomplish this year?

Fall Into Reading Challenge 2009 Wrap-Up

It's hard to believe that Fall has flown by and Winter is now here. It's times like these that I'm very grateful to live in Florida, especially when I see the snow storms hitting up north. (Thank you Lord for the sunshine and humidity.)

In any case, when the Fall Into Reading Challenge began this year, I made a short list of books I wanted to read, which you can find at this posting. Needless to say, I was able to read all three of the books, as well as several others during the reading challenge. Now I know you're thinking, three books, really? But truly, with all of the craziness in my life lately, three books is a BIG deal.

In any case, I'm glad I didn't over plan my list because I always feel terrible when I'm not able to read all of the books on my list. Call me an overachiever, but when I set out to do something, I always want to go above and beyond what is expected--even if it is a challenge I issue to myself.

I hope everyone else had the same feeling of success that I did after this challenge was over. Thank you to Katrina at Callapidder Days for hosting this event each year. (If you've never participated in one of her reading challenges, they're great fun and she usually holds giveaways each week from various publishing houses.)

Until the next challenge--Happy Reading!

Merry Christmas...

...from our family to yours!
Love, Madison and Heather (aka Dynamic Uno)

Pink Glove Dance

I know it's a few months late, but I just received this link in an email and wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!

A Letter to Obama

I received the following email from a dear friend of mine. I've actually researched the information and found that this letter to our "President" is indeed sent by Harold Estes. I have to say, I whole-heartily agree. Thank you Mr. Estes for your willingness to tell Obama exactly what you think. Please know that you are not the only one out there that feels our "President" is a schmuck. Here is the letter:

This venerable and much honored WW II vet is well known in Hawaii for his seventy-plus years of service to patriotic organizations and causes all over the country. A humble man without a political bone in his body, he has never spoken out before about a government official, until now. He dictated this letter to a friend, signed it and mailed it to the president.

Dear President Obama,

My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert. I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor, allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country. One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man. So here goes.

I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish. I can't figure out what country you are the president of. You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:

" We're no longer a Christian nation"

" America is arrogant" - (Your wife even announced to the world,"America is mean spirited. " Please tell her to try preaching that nonsense to 23 generations of our war dead buried all over the globe who died for no other reason than to free a whole lot of strangers from tyranny and hopelessness.)

I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.

After 9/11 you said," America hasn't lived up to her ideals."

Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British? Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom.

I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.

Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man. Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue. You were elected to lead, not to bow, apologize, and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.

And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts, who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid, but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.

One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.

You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president.

You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now.

And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle.

Sincerely,
Harold B. Estes

When a 95 year old hero of the "the Greatest Generation" stands up and speaks out like this, I think we owe it to him to send his words to as many Americans as we can. Please pass it on.