I have received so many emails from my Republican friends trashing Barack Obama, that I decided it was time to blog about the truth behind all those so called "facts" circulating via the internet. Here are a few facts from the following link, check it out as there is much more: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/fightthesmearshome

The truth about Barack's birth certificate

Lie:  Obama Is Not a Natural Born Citizen

Truth:  Senator Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961, after it became a state on August 21st, 1959. Obama became a citizen at birth under the first section of the 14th Amendment - “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

The truth about Barack Obama's faith

Lie:  Barack Obama is a Muslim.

Truth - Senator Obama has never been a Muslim, was not raised as a Muslim, and is a committed Christian. Further, this myth perpetuates unfortunate falsehoods about the Muslim-American community that are offensive to people of all faiths.

Passages from Barack Obama’s Books - A recent email forward allegedly quotes passages from Senator Obama's books related to race and religion. The majority of these are alterations, deliberate manipulations, and in one case, an outright fabrication, of Obama's words.

SMEAR EMAIL - From Dreams From My Father: 'I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mothers race.'

FACT - Nothing close to this quote appears in Dreams from My Father

SMEAR EMAIL- 'There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white.'

FACT - FULL QUOTE From Dreams From My Father:

"He offered to start me off at ten thousand dollars the first year, with a two-thousand-dollar travel allowance to buy a car; the salary would go up if things worked out. After he was gone, I took the long way home, along the East River promenade, and tried to figure out what to make of the man. He was smart, I decided. He seemed committed to his work. Still, there was something about him that made me wary. A little too sure of himself, maybe. And white--he'd said himself that that was a problem." [Page 142]

SMEAR EMAIL - 'I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa, that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself, the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela.'

FACT - FULL QUOTE From Dreams From My Father:

"All my life, I had carried a single image of my father, one that I had sometimes rebelled against but had never questioned, one that I had later tried to take as my own. The brilliant scholar, the generous friend, the upstanding leader--my father had been all those things. All those things and more, because except for that one brief visit in Hawaii, he had never been present to foil the image, because I hadn't seen what perhaps most men see at some point in their lives: their father's body shrinking, their father's best hopes dashed, their father's face lined with grief and regret.  "Yes, I'd seen weakness in other men--Gramps and his disappointments, Lolo and his compromise. But these men had become object lessons for me, men I might love but never emulate, white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa, that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself, the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela. And if later I saw that the black men I knew--Frank or Ray or Will or Rafiq--fell short of such lofty standards; if I had learned to respect these men for the struggles they went through, recognizing them as my own--my father's voice had nevertheless remained untainted, inspiring, rebuking, granting or withholding approval. You do not work hard enough, Barry. You must help in your people's struggle. Wake up, black man! "Now, as I sat in the glow of a single light bulb, rocking slightly on a hard-backed chair, that image had suddenly vanished. Replaced by...what? A bitter drunk? An abusive husband? A defeated, lonely bureaucrat? To think that all my life I had been wrestling with nothing more than a ghost!" [Page 220]

I think I blogged about my anonymous $100 money order didn't come last month & God was teaching me to look at that as a "gift" & not as "income" I could count on.  I immediately learned that lesson & felt pretty stupid not to have seen it that way to begin with.  Then 'Lo & Behold, last week I received another money order, unsigned.

Today I opened my mail to discover a sizeable check from one of my Spaces friends, although she was a personal friend before either of us discovered Spaces.  She dated my son, Jason, while he was stationed at Camp Spring, MD.  I won't mention her name because I don't know that she would want me to.  She's been on my prayer list ever since we re-discovered each other & when God touched her heart to "sow some seed," she didn't hesitate.  I know God will continue to bless & prosper her. 

Also, I got to go back this last Saturday afternoon to stay with Casey while Danny & Keri went out. The usual gang came over Sunday afternoon for more horseshoe throwing, but there was one more of Danny's friends this time.  This young man ran around with both my sons when they were kids. In fact, he & Danny both rode their first bulls the same night. I always had a bad opinion of this particular kid because of his love of heavy metal, his long hair & the fact that I knew he smoked pot.  That was back when I judged people for their image & rumors about them.  I don't do that anymore but I had to "eat crow" when he got there.  I haven't seen him in about 25 years & he's grown up to be a Christian, has a good paying job, has been married to the same gal for 15 years.  I had to admit to him that I was one of those who thought he'd never turn out to be worth a dime & I was so wrong.  He told me he knew there were a lot of people that thought that back then & did I want salt on my crow!  He spent more time seeking me out to talk than he did playing horseshoes & I made a point of hugging his neck when they left.  Our God is so good.

Plus, I get to go back next Saturday & stay with Casey overnight.  Meanwhile I brought home all of Keri's "yard art" to repaint because it was faded out or rusted.  That's how I'll be spending my days this week.  Don't figure I'll get bored for a change! 

Guess our national leaders didn't expect this, hmm? On Thursday, May 8, 2008, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton , Colorado , was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.

They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript:

' Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers. !

'The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the N CA , the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.

'In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent.

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy, it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,

Your words are empty air.

You've stripped away our heritage,

You've outlawed simple prayer.

Now gunshots fill our classrooms,

And precious children die.

You seek for answers everywhere,

And ask the question 'Why?'

You regulate restrictive laws,

Through legislative creed.

And yet you fail to understand,

That God is what we need!

'Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And, when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs, politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lie s within our own hearts.

'As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw  his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School , prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA, I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!

My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!'

Slow Dance
-Author Unknown

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round
Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down
Don't dance so fast
Time is short
The music won't last

Do you run through each day on the fly
When you ask "How are you?" do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores running through your head?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast
Time is short
The music won't last

Ever told your child, We'll do it tomorrow
And in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, Let a good friendship die
'Cause you never had time to call and say "Hi"?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast
Time is short
The music won't last

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away...

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

So, after being at Danny & Keri's for the entire weekend, can you imagine packing up & heading home to this? Well, I do & I praise God I have somewhere to stay while waiting on Social Security to schedule my first disability hearing. This sits in a friend's backyard & was once used as a fishing camp before they moved it here.  God put it on her heart to offer it to me, clear out of the blue & it prevented me from having to go to a shelter. Danny & Casey are the only members of my family that have ever been here to visit.

It's one room. The window on the left is right over my bathroom sink, the window on the left side of the porchis where my kitchen area is, along with my clothes rack. Window on right end is the sitting/bedroom area.

The building behind is a really big garage for parking their camper & storing stuff.  The metal building to the side is falling down, the pieces landing between me & the building. It rattles like crazy when the wind is high& I'm always afraid it's going to blow down & land on me. No one sits on the lounge on the porch because the view from there is nothing but huge cacti, dead grass & in the far distance the site of gas drilling cranes. It's also hot out there (my porch ceiling has a large hole in it right in front of the door) & when the weather is warm one has to fight the yellowjackets who visit in droves!

Small note: Danny tore off those steps to the porch & build some new ones for me. If you look at the bottom of the building on this side, you can see where the rats, rabbits & someone else's dogs (not to mention the area's coyotes) have torn big chunks of it away.

This picture was taken the first time I came out to look at the building. No one had stayed there in some time so it was filthy on the inside & in my present physical condition it was a hard task to make it liveable.  Still, it's home sweet home & I thank God every day that I have it.  Is it any wonder I get tired of staring at four walls all the time?  I also miss Keri's big screen tv with all the channels. I have rabbit ears & only pick upABC, CBS, NBC, and sometimes Fox. But so far, I've survived & hope to continue same. People say home is where the family is. In my case home is where God has led me.

When they told me I could come on Friday afternoon to "babysit" my 13 year old grandson because they were going to a rodeo, I was thrilled.  They were going to a rodeo & Casey did NOT grow up to be a cowboy, as planned.  He started out that way. I have pictures of him in his walker, wearing his Dad's cowboy hat, andat age one riding his Dad's old rocking horse & wearing the same hat.  Until he was about four he preferred his wrangler jeans & cowboy boots, but alas, somewhere along the way his older brother rubbed off on him. (Big Sigh!)

On Saturday, some friends plus Keri's mom & step-dad would be over for awhile. Then Danny was running the friends off at 5 PM so he could fire up the grill & feed the family.

Danny & Keri in her entrance/living room

  Zenith & Pistol Always Come Up To Greet Me When I'm Outside Smoking

Casey Watering Keri's Begonia's

He never has to be reminded to do his chores

Watch Out Pistol (He Always Tries To Grab The Hose)

Saturday afternoon seven of Danny's buddies came over, as did Keri's mom & step-dad.  They spent four hours throwing horseshoes & talking trash.

  Danny's Happy Dance

Bragging About The $5 They Won

Gosh, it was hot out there that day...107 degrees in the shade, 113 in the sun.

I don't know how they managed to keep track of the money. They spent more time haggling over which guy got $1, who got the $5, who owed $3 to which person, etc. I should have used horseshoes when I was trying to teach to add & subtract.....maybe he would have learned it better back then. Seems to have no problem with math when you're talking horseshoes!

Casey's Dive

  Ready, set, Go Danny!

Looks like a goose shot

out of a cannon.

Casey's Somersault

And no, I did not push my body into a bathing suit.  I'd look like a bleached whale.  So there.  I was sitting in the shaded patio taking pictures of them!

Good, Fresh From the Garden, Food

I read Carol's blog about becoming a farmer, putting up fresh beets & tomatoes & it reminded me of a couple of things that happened to me.  I think everyone south of the Mason-Dixon line knows how much better fresh from the farm vegetables taste as opposed to what one can pick up at the grocery store.  Those who don't have enough room for a big garden, keep the produce stands in business all summer. I think most of us love good ol' fried okra, butter squash, black-eyed peas, wonderful tomatoes, cantaloupe, etc. 

When I was married to my first husband, I was going to cook that "first meal" and make him proud.  I spent over an hour in our tiny little kitchen (with no A/C) while he reclined in the bedroom/sitting room (only room in the apt. with A/C).

I fried fresh okra, had been cooking fresh black-eyed peas until they were almost done, boiled fresh squash & slathered it with butter, new potatoes right out of the produce stand, fresh cantaloupe, sliced & getting cool in the refrigerator, & fresh cucumbers & green onions.  I made cornbread & fixed sweat tea.  Carried each bowl to the table, called him in to eat.  He sat down & looked at this table crammed with garden fresh food & asked, "Where's the meat."  That should have been my first clue............

The next night while I was dining on the leftovers, he dined on half frozen fish sticks.  That should have been his first clue.....

Several years later I had a couple of friends visit from Michigan.  I prepared this same meal, only this time I fried chicken too.  They just sort of picked at the meal, except for the chicken and new potatoes.  I asked them if something was wrong, they didn't seem to be eating much & was told that up north "we feed okra and black-eyed peas to the cattle."

I think some of those northerners don't recognize GOOD food when they see it.  In Texas we never hesitate if a neighbor with a garden invites us over to cut all the okra we want, or offers us some fresh squash or tomatoes.  I can't count the hours I've spent shelling black-eyes peas to freeze for the winter (though they seldom made it that long!)

Getting ready to head to my son's for another weekend. They're going out somewhere tonight, so I'll be "babysitting" my 13 year old grandson.  Doesn't require much effort there. He's usually playing video games or on the computer.  But part of the time he actually decides to hang with me, especially if I'm watching true crime shows on tv.  He's as fascinated with them as I am.

I suppose I'll "get to" water all the plants out there, dragging that dang hose around & fighting with Pistol (the dog that likes to help), but after that it's just me and ALL THOSE CHANNELS on tv. I'd almost forgotten how much I liked A&E, Animal Planet, the History Channel, etc.  And they'll come in nice & clear too, unlike my three.  I wonder when we switch to HD tv next year if my little rabbit ears & the convertor box will bring me more?  Geez, I hope so.

Then tomorrow, I get to hang with them until late in the afternoon when Keri's parents are joining us for some outdoor grilling.  I may spend that night too, depending on how it's all going & what kind of mood I'm in at the time.  Otherwise, I'll be back here late Sunday.

Hope all of you have a great weekend too!