Elections Stink!!!!

******Warning.. Do not read this if you read political stuff one-sided. This is not meant to make anyone mad.. just my views....******

I mentioned in a previous blog that I hate politics. Well, you can't get away from it these days. I am just thankful we have less than 2 months to put up with campaigning. I think elections bring out the worst in folks. People tend to put blinders on and only focus on 'their side', whatever that may be. I see friends divided, work places divided, conversations strained. I have a lot of friends that are strong Democrats or strong Republicans. Some people seem to carry the 'my side is right and you are an idiot if you don't believe me' vibe. I get such strong e-mails on both sides, I delete most of them before I read them.

This election is particularly sad to me. Our economy is hurting, unemployment is at the highest rate in recent history, foreclosures are through the roof, we are in a war with no end in sight, etc. Our country needs a strong candidate. I don't think we have a great choice this year. I vote Democrat and Republican. I have never, and will never, vote a straight ticket. I agree and disagree with different views on each side. For instance, I am for gun control, strict gun control. I hate guns! Another example, I wish public schools allowed more freedom to express faith. I don't want the war. I don't think the war is currently for the original purpose and innocent lives are being lost (not real Pro-Life if you ask me). I guess I am really described as a moderate with no real political home.

Specifics: I don't think I can vote for Obama/Biden. Obama's relationship with Rev. Wright worries me. I don't like the church being used to preach hate and question how he did not know about Rev. Wright's views. Biden is old school Washington. I know I cannot vote for McCain/Palin. I was actually going to vote for McCain until he selected Palin. I cannot understand why Republicans are backing her??? She has owned a passport less time than my 7 year old son. That scares me. Her radical views such as banning books then firing the librarian because she would not ban the books is also scary. My biggest issue with Palin is that I feel she choose power over her family. If my daughter was pregnant and going through this tough experience, I would not have selected a nomination that would have thrown my daughter in the national spotlight. I would have declined for my families sake. I think her family values ploy is a crock. I also know that a child with special medical issues or disabilities needs a lot of care the first few years. Downs' babies are 50% more likely to have heart problems. Grant has cardiac surgery twice in his first 4 years. I know how demanding that can be. Why would she choose power over the care of her son? There is no way for the mom to give him the best care on the road campaigning or as VP. And there is McCain voting with Bush 90% of the time. That is not what we need going into the next 4 years.

According to Gilcrease Research Institute: MSNBC is bias to the left and Fox News is bias to the right. I did my own little test. I added comments to articles/blogs on both sites. I can say that MSNBC printed both the positive and negative comments towards the Democrat. Fox only seems to print the positive towards Republicans. They seem to miss the negative comments towards Republicans. I think you have to read both news channels, filter the extremes, and form your own opinion.

I am on the hunt for a write-in candidate. I do not want to vote but feel it is our obligation as a citizen to cast a ballot. People fought to give us this liberty and we must exercise this privilege... Now.. who do I vote for? I am thinking that I may vote for Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life dude. I think he is a man that truly has a heart for God. I think he would run this country based on Biblical principles. Any other ideas.. Send me your ideas.

CHRISTMAS PARTY 2008

SAVE THE DATE.............
Our Christmas Party will be on Saturday, December 13th at 7:00 (one day after my b'day- hint hint). Reserve your baby-sitters now. The focus of the party will to benefit A Fresh Hope. We will be collecting optional donations of Back Packs/School Supplies and/or items for the Chritmas Outreach event planned for 12-20-08. Invitations will come in November. If you are reading this and have never come to our party...come on. The more the merrier.

WAR EAGLE!!!!!!!!!!!!

College football has started. I can't wait to get to Auburn for a game. My dad and Grant went to the game last week. I think we will go to the Auburn v TN game and the Auburn v. UGA game. Grant is all into the games. He had to wear his Brad Lester jersey today and we had to get the shakers out. I almost watched most of the UGA game with him. For those that know me, that was a HUGE task on my part. I am trying to be more supportive for my dear husband's sake (he is a UGA grad). I can't say I actively cheered but I did not critize once... not even once. That is like a Italian Catholic from Boston sitting through a Mississippi Southern Baptist sermon without one snicker, snub, doubt or comment(or vice versa). I was very proud of myself. Actually, it is about time I grew up a little. I told my husband a few months ago that I would be more supportive of UGA. I can't say that I would be okay with one of my kids going there because that is probably more than I can swallow.... I mean ever! My Mom would probably have a fit. But I can watch a game on a Saturday. I promise to never bark (not real lady-like if you ask me)! I promise that I will not sing Auburn songs over the UGA band even though they ARE Auburn songs. I promise to not cheer when the other team scores.

A few tidbits about me.....

Why did I start blogging? Honestly, it looked like fun. I do kind of enjoy blogging and I love to read other peoples' blogs. I think blogging can help make us transparent. I can use a little help in that area. One about blogging is that it requires upkeep. I didn't need another thing on my list at all but here I have it... keep up blog.

My friend did a blog where she made a list of interesting things about her. It was a neat way to learn more about her. So.. in my effort to keep my blog up, be more transparent, AND have fun.. I am going to list some things about me (I hope I do not offend anyone).

* My middle name is Waverly. Jennifer Waverly Strickland Gilcrease . I was named after my grandfather, Waverly, who died before I was born.
* I have a problem... I laugh when people fall. I don't mean a smile then say "Are you okay". I mean a fall on the floor, bust a gut, snot on yourself sort of laugh. I know it is wrong but I can't help it. I laugh at myself when I fall too if that makes you feel any better.
* I hate guns. I do not want anyone but the police and soldiers to own guns. I know.. a very liberal view being so close to Kennesaw but I see very little good come from gun ownership.
* I love to sleep. I am one of those people that need 8-10 hours a night. Watch out if you call me past 9:20 on a school night.
* I love Auburn University.. not just for the football, in fact that is a small part of it. It is part of me.. part of my family. My 96 year old grandmother went there when she was 16. My mom graduated from Auburn. I have been going to Auburn my whole life.
* My buddies Paige and Sheila have been my buddies for over 20 years. We don't talk every week but when we do, it is like sisters. I love them.. they love me.. We love each other unconditionally.
* I love spaghetti, Diet Coke with Lime, sweet tea, tomatoes, chocolate, and watermelon.
* I have worked for Liberty Mutual for 17 years. It is an unbelievable company to work for. They provide health coverage for Grant and that is my driving force. That kid is uninsurable otherwise.
* I can't stand Styrofoam. It gives me the creeps.
* I cannot touch a cotton ball. Again.. the creeps. I once had a headache for hours until Skip could get home and get the cotton ball out of the bottle.
* I have space issues.. If you know me.. I know you just said DUH to yourself. I don't know why but I am working on hugging. My kids all kiss me right on the lips when they leave for school or at night. I think that is their way of making my personal space shrink.
* Skip and I have been married for 13 1/2 years. We met at Liberty Mutual. Our cubicles were next to each other..say ahhh.
* I chew on things.. straws, end of pens.
* I open containers with my mouth.
* Butter over margarine any day.
* I am ADHD, self diagnosed but got the doctor to agree so I could try meds. They work.. I can now read a book and stay on task.
* I twirl my hair. I even put my hair in my mouth at times. Gross.. I know but I have done it my whole life. My parents even gave me a Dorothy Hamil to make me stop, it did not work.
* I wrecked my family's MGB into my family's station wagon in the drive way when I was 15. Not a smart move..
* Anytime I have a nightmare.. it involves a large wave. I love the ocean but can't handle large waves. I can't watch surfing on TV.
* I swam for Swim Atlanta growing up. You would think the wave thing would not be such an issue.
* I am a horrible cook. My husband does the cooking in the house.
* My closet is a mess.
* I like to fix problems. If someone tells me a problem.. my mind starts working immediately on how I can fix it. I don't have a lot of patience when it comes to fixing problems either.
* I am not a great communicator. Ask my husband.. I am working on it but it is painful for me. "Fine" is one of my more frequent words.
* Okay.. this is a kicker. I hate politics. I could write a whole blog about this. I am tired of the left vs. the right. Here is my point of view..If Jesus were supporting a party.. it would not be either party. He agrees in feeding the poor (D), He is pro life (R), Against War (D), Healthcare for everyone (D), Prayer in school (R)... I never vote a straight ticket. I do not have enough faith in either party to click one button. I vote for the person, not the party. Who am I for this year? I thought I knew until the VP was selected.... now I am undecided again. Enough of this. I will just hold my breath until November. I really hate the commercials, the debating, the lies.. who knows what to believe? I think the candidates are all power hungry folks with less than adequate integrity.
* Technology has made society's issues front and center. I at a point where I will have to explain to my YOUNG daughters what things in the limelight mean. I have banned channels on TV, the news and now will have to ban the election. I did not have to face so much of this junk growing up, partly because we did not have media everywhere but I think society expected more. This saddens me... I wrote this Thursday night. The first words out of Kendall's (9) mouth this AM is "Do you have to be in love and married to have a baby?" So sad... I resent that this is thrown in America's face.
* I love photography.
* Quality Time is My Love Language
* I bought my car off ebay.
* I love New England in the fall. Skip and I lived in New Hampshire for 4 years. The fall is breathtaking. Spring in NH stinks..
* I love the show HOUSE. I think I am a doctor and love the diagnosis part.
* I love my house. It is not the Governor's Mansion but it is perfect for us. It is our HOME. My street is wonderful too. I have incredible neighbors.
* I am a homebody. I like to travel but if I am not traveling... I like to be home. Come visit anytime but I am not great at visiting others.
* I took 3 scuba classes for PE at Auburn. I enjoy scuba diving but we don't get to go much anymore.
* I turned 40 this year. It was over-rated.
* I talk to my parents every day or every other day. They are the most incredible parents.
* I can't keep any plants alive; inside or out.
* Chicken drumsticks make me sick to my stomach.. Too many parts.
* I hate the dentist. I would rather give birth than have a filling.
* Speaking of giving birth.. I have quick labors. All 3 kids wree born in 3 hours or less. I didn't have an epidural with 2 of my kids and then the last one I got an epidural for 5 minutes, ouch.
* I am a horrible singer but I love to sing.
* Ebay rocks!
* I love my church. West Ridge Church.. That can be it's own blog one day.
* I wish we didn't see Rebel flags anymore. That must really make some folks feel excluded.
* I am scared of heights. I cried like a baby on the Eifel Tower in high school
* My family is my world. I love my husband. I love my 3 children. They are God's greatest blessing.

Dave Ramsey is my enemy!!!!!!!!!!

Okay.. Skip and I signed up for FPU which actually stands for Financial Peace University. I won't tell you what I think it stands for.. Perhaps Freakin' Poor now University. Now, I know the program has some good ideas. It wants to help couples get on a budget, get out of debt, invest properly and save for retirement. On the surface, what could be wrong with that??? Well, I will tell you what is wrong with that.. You can't live for the time period you are doing the 'baby steps'.

Onto Baby Steps.. that's a joke too. Baby Step 1 was to save $1k. It should be set up as an emergency fund. That was fine and the idea is fine. We just did not have it separated which is a DR must. Baby Step 2, get out of debt. We haven't gotten to that part of the course but I read ahead out of anxiety. When he means debt, he doesn't mean your Target card (which I actually don't have, proud to say), Visa or even Car loan. He means it all. I think you can graduate from Baby Step 2 when you only have your mortgage left, that means no car loan, no debt whatsoever. In order to get to Baby Step 2, you are to do what it takes. He has a saying on eating just rice and beans. Now, I am a starchy sort of eater. If he said bean burritos from Taco Bell, rice with thick butter, pasta and mashed potatoes, we would be in business. He also says no vacations. If anyone out there knows me.. I like to vacation. In fact, I proudly call vacationing my hobby. That ain't gonna happen Dave! Baby Step #3 is to save for 3-6 months of your salary for emergencies. Sounds reasonable if you survive Baby Step #2. I haven't read #4 or on because I am a nervous wreck over the first 3.

I am a shopper, a spender, a bargain hunter, a go out and have fun, have a party, book a flight sort of gal. In fact, I can't think of a hobby of mine that is strictly free. Maybe I should taken up hiking? But don't you need fancy shoes for that? Maybe I should take up Bird Watching, oh yea, I saw THE BIRDS in 3rd grade when I had a fever and never really liked the feathery creatures since then. Maybe I should take up sewing, nope.. gotta buy stuff for that. So.. Here I am.... looking for a new hobby, missing my last hobby, planning a trip to Alaska in June (shhhhh), and eating starches.

Here is the ironic thing about Mr. Ramsey... As Waverly put it "He wants to help people save money but you have to spend $110 for his book?". Yep, that dude is making millions off us po' folks. But I tricked ole' Dave.. I bought the kit on ebay for $50. So what if it is 3 years old and doesn't EXACTLY follow the course. Check out his website header:

Does anyone else see anything wrong with that. I even found the Dave Ramsey store on ebay. I didn't notice much of a deal there.

So.. don't be surprised if you see more posts about me ranting/raving about Mr. Ramsey. I will admit that his program is sound, it just doesn't seem to fit my personality. Stay tuned.. we will see if I mature through this torture or if I just get sneakier.

PLAY BALL....................

Our precious nephew's, Levi Gilcrease, little league team made it to the World Series. Levi probably doesn't want me calling him precious but he is such a great kid. My brother-in-law, Doug, is one of the coaches. The Doug Gilcreases are very athletic. Mom- Stephanie- had a full ride tennis scholarship at Michigan. Dad-Doug- had a full ride at Auburn for baseball and then went to the Kansas City Royals. He now is the chaplain for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Levi's team, Southeast, plays today at 2:00 on ESPN.
Here is a link to the schedule:
http://www.littleleague.org/series/2008divisions/llbb/series.htm



Here is Levi (see isn't he precious):


Doug looks a lot like Skip, doens't he?


Cheer for the boys!!!!!! GO LEVI!

Game 1, Southeast 10 Midwest 0
Southeast plays again on Sunday. Here is a photo from ESPN of Levi.


Southeast lost Sunday to Hawaii. They won last night against the Northeast 8-2.
They play again Thursday night, 8:00 ESPN.

Great pitching Levi!

Check out this awesome photo from the Tampa newspaper of Levi catching a potential homer.

Summer 2008

School started this morning... Great time to reflect on the summer... This summer was filled with fun, excitement and hard work. Our family was dedicated to A Fresh Hope and the Back to School drive this summer. I thought I would write some thoughts about this summer:
* My church is an incredible church with a heart for Outreach
* Kendall is more compassionate than I gave her credit. She has really jumped on board with A Fresh Hope. She even feels bad if we walk into a store and don't buy anything.
* My parents are fantastic grandparents. They are 100% on board with A Fresh Hope and Waverly's dreams.
* People like to support kids
* Cardboard boxes are hard to crush
* We need fundraising ideas
* Peoples lives were changed this summer
* Follow-thru is important.. we need to connect with the back pack kids at Christmas
* An SUV holds approximately 100- 104 back packs
* Pencil boxes are $.77 at Target, $.57 at Wal-mart. Filler paper is $.50 at both places. Reinforcement labels are $.99 at Target and $1.69 at Wal-Mart
* It is hard to get money from large corporations for local outreach projects. Waverly delivered letters to many large stores and grocery stores. She received less than $100 total from all her deliveries and follow-up calls. That was disappointing.
* I wish we had more coupons in the goodie bags for the Back to School Drive. We will work on that for next year.
* My biceps are more defined than they were in May.. Still nothing to write home about but a little improvement from toting back packs.
* After looking at thousands of back packs, none were quite what my son was looking for. We eventually gave him $20 to use the same back pack for the 3rd year in a row. It is all about negotiating.
* Friends rally behind your children. Hillary Clinton may not be a hero to a lot but it does take a village to raise a child. Our village was incredible and I thank God for our friends and family.
* We you have a cart loaded with school supplies, people ask you how many kids you have or if you are a teacher. Happened more times than I can count.
* We went to Rockmart to look at coats and winter clothes for our next project. Rockmart is beautiful. Love the mountains.
* I worried about the Back to School Drive too much. I should have let God do His thing.
* I did not talk to my friends as much as I would have liked this summer. I will make up for it this fall.
* We need mobile back pack delivery next year. See the Fresh Hope blog for an incredible story.
* Little kids love back packs with characters on them.
* MY HUSBAND ROCKS!!!! He has been there every step of the way. He has carried more heavy stuff than I care to imagine.
* We did a community make-over project at a friend's home. It blessed us more than you will ever know. See Crumbs in my Butter blog for photos.
* Waverly is still 10. As much as she appears older at times.. I would go downstairs to see how the back packs were going and she would have a Barbie house set up. It is hard to step back and let her be a kid but it is necessary so her heart will not burn out. We want her compassion for others to stay strong.
* You cry a lot when serving others.
* You cry a lot when you get very little sleep.
* You cry a lot when you give a beloved dog away. See prior post.
* I cried a lot this summer.
* Waverly and Kendall's friends were so supportive. A friend from church even had a lemonade stand to help A Fresh Hope.
* KIDS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
* As adults, we need to follow our hearts blindly as kids do.
* Jamie Sizemore is a wonderful woman who has a heart for others.
* My neighbors are incredible... You know who you are!
* Kids love to get school supplies. They love to open a back pack and see goodies inside.
* More people in the community need help. There are more hurting people in a 15 mile radius from our house than I ever dreamed. It comes with a feeling of guilt.
* Stacy Brown is a great woman who is taking A Fresh Hope to a new level and starting a ministry for teenagers. We need prom dresses. More to come....
* We met some great folks this summer.. Tytus and Kim at Bargain Station in Rockmart.
* Grant stuffed 2 back packs this summer. Yep, 2, not a typo. It is not his time.
* Jane Swanson was so awesome with the signs.
* The Haights are the best folks... They will do anything for anyone.
* It is hard to be on a radio show.
* From Waverly "Coats will be more fun to shop for than back packs". From the mouth of a girl.
* I read THE SHACK. Unbelievable. It cleared up a lot of questions for me.
* Pastor Paul Richardson is such a Godly man. He has the purest heart for people. All people. He is a mentor to us all.
* Pastor Brian was so wonderful allowing A Fresh Hope to partner with West Ridge.
* If you don't go to church, try West Ridge one Sunday. I'll help you get there and get your kids in the right place. I'll even pick you up. It will change your life.
* Panama City is too crowded on July 4th. Too many crazies with fire works. Watch out..
* We did our annual boat ride. Always a great time!
* A Fresh Hope is now established. Watch out for more.