Word to the Wise

Do not watch the news with a MEDIUM bag of these in your hands.



Just.

Don't.

*Of course, I could always claim that the extra pounds were a result of M&Ms predatory advertising, availability, and deliciousness. Then it would be their burden - oh, no...YOURS - to pay for my Jenny Craig membership. Yes! America the Beautiful.

Have You Seen This?

(Photoshop credit: Leo Alberti)

For My Houston Pals:

The Houston Tea Party
Join us in Protesting the Stimulus Package No Taxation without Deliberation!
When: Friday, February 27, 2009
Time: 11:00am - 2:00pm
Location: Fondren Green at Discovery Green Park!!! Right in front of Amphitheatre!! http://www.discoverygreen.com/
City/Town: Houston, TX
Bring a sack lunch and a pitcher of iced tea to “share” with Porkulus.

Friday's news will be interesting, I think.

The Sun Shines in North Carolina

I looked back and February of last year had more posts than any other month (except for December and my daily Christmas post!) It was Iowa. I was inside with a toddler and bored to tears while we had sub-human temperatures outside. Not so this month...hence the lack of posting. It has been super nice here and we're outside every minute we can be. While I was on my blogging vacation, I still managed to take pictures now and then. So here's the promised kid video in place of my political rantings.


Springtime in February from Julie Berg on Vimeo.

P.S. I'm on a "news vacation" this week. No news. No Fox. No Glenn Beck. No Hannity. It's really quite healthy. I'll start back slowly next week, or maybe the next. It's been nice not to have such a bad headache at the end of the day. :)

Random LOVE List

Last year I did a list of "Ten Random Things I LoVe" in honor of Valentine's Day. I thought I'd do it again this year...maybe make a new tradition of it. It's good timing too, because I keep getting tagged like crazy to do the "25 Random Things" survey on Facebook and there just aren't 25 things. On to the list - oh, and please remember that I do love my husband and kids first and foremost, but that's not random. :)

1. Lately I love Swedish Fish. Apparently one of Addie's nursery teachers loves them too, because she's come home from church with them a few times this year which is why I've even remembered how delicious they are. Nothing sticks to your teeth like a good Swedish Fish. I can't even eat one without considering my dentist.

2. I love that it is February and I am hearing birds outside. I'm pretty sure that didn't happen in Iowa until April. The warmer weather in February is just what I've been needing.

3. I love having a good babysitting network. I was not very about getting sitters until this year. If you don't have regular sitters and you think you are okay with it...try, try again. It's like I didn't even know I was sitting in the dark until someone turned the lights on.

4. I love running. Sometimes, in the middle of a cold spell in January I forget that I love it and seem to loath the very idea of getting out and running. Then a week of amazing weather comes like this week and I remember how much I love it and nothing really holds a candle to it!

5. I've already mentioned this once this month, but I really love having a two year old with an ever expanding vocabulary. Last night, after singing "I Am a Child of God" with Addie at bedtime (which she knows every word to and sings pretty much all day long) I started to walk out and she asked me to stay. Then she asked me to sing "I'm A Child God Home" (no idea why she can't kick calling it this) again. I told her she could sing it to herself after I left and she said, "I forgot the words! You sing to me." Very clever. Maybe soon she'll remember NOT to sing the song word-for-word right before claiming to not know the words?

6. Organization. Love it. Need it. Don't have it right now. This probably explains why my head hurts at some point every day. I'm definitely reaping the rewards of halfway unpacking myself in this house and it's not pretty. The blank slate on my blog makes me feel like something is clutter free.

7. I love to travel. I just have this need to have a trip planned somewhere in the future at all times. It feels so good just thinking, "well, we when we go to XYZ we can do this...or I'll need these shoes for my trip to..." Love it. :)

8. I love cooking to match the changing seasons. Asparagus and lemon are on my mind right now. I cook with and eat both all year, but for some reason I'm craving them this week with our 65 degree sunshine days. Wierd, I know.

9. This one's for Holly - I love Facebook. There, I said it. They have word games (last year's love list) and it's pretty cool that I have been able to catch up with so many friends from highschool (or earlier) and see how their lives have turned out. I'm not saying I hang out there every day and say "how r u?" and "you look just as gorgeous as ever" to people I haven't seen in 12 year (why does everyone say that?)...I just think the connection part is pretty amazing.

10. I love grass green. Yesterday I bought a new grass green t-shirt and 3/4 sleeve cardigan. I think that may put me at 10 tops in that color...but they are all different styles and serve different purposes so it's okay.

I tag...well, I started to make a list but it got long. Anyone who wants to do a fun Valentine's post can copy this idea! Leave me a comment if you do so I can see what your list looks like!

I Promise

I promise that in the next week I will post something about a diaper blowout, teething woes, retell the funny 2-year-old-ism of the week, or take a picture/video of Jack in an exersaucer with Addie trying to poke his eyes out.

Until then...

Betsy McCaughney has my attention with her headline: "Ruin Your Health With the Obama Stimulus Plan." There's some serious nonsense that was added to the health care provision portion of the "stimulus" plan. You can see the full document here. It's pretty disturbing.

I've written my Representative as well as NC Senators. Here are the links on how to find yours & write them:

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

I also wrote Bill O'Reilly...just for kicks! :) I'm a dork, yes. I miss having the super liberal Daily Iowan to write to. I think my thoughts were so original compared to the rest of their writers, it was easy to make the paper. Glory days I tell ya.

On a more positive note, I did just get a coupon in the mail for 20% off at Piperlime. Stimulate the economy...stimulate my wardrobe. It's a win-win.

P.S. I totally LOVE hearing your thoughts too...so share away. If you disagree, just say it nicely...no profanities, etc. and I'll allow your comment to stay and get it's own comments. If I ever have the time, maybe I will come up with a blog of my own on this stuff.

Truth

In light of the news coverage of the 900 Billion dollar bailout I watched during this morning's workout, here's a quote that's hard to argue with:

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931-2005

The damage of this is already happening as people who have money are starting to hang onto it instead of spending, creating, taking entrepreneurial risks, etc. in preparation for the higher taxes and legislation ahead. So, so sad.

Thanks Dave for the email!

Terrible Twos?

I'm loving my two year old these days and just had to post (MORE) about it. She talks non-stop about almost anything. I've stopped bothering to interject. I just say yes, uh huh, etc. She sings to her brother when he's upset and entertains him when I leave the room. Today we went out to run a few errands for a whopping 4 mile round trip. On our way, we passed the mall, a bank, and a hospital.

Hospital:

"Daddy's far away today. Far away at the hospital (hocital). People are sick. Daddy's helping people are sick."

Mall:

"We going to the mall today? We go play at the mall with the kids? Yeah? Would that be fun? Yeah! That sounds great." I did not ever respond...just listened with a smile as we drove by.

Bank:

"That's where I put my money. Keep it safe." She's been out with her father I guess? Maybe she can show me how to balance a checkbook.

Faces of Jack