Musing Simply

Trying to be Better

2008-03-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

I realize that I am really a poor diary writer. I haven't updated this blog since November of 2006. Can a person get much worse than that? Perhaps I need a better topic - like food, music, etc. But then that kind of limits the field I suppose.

Well, today I am paying attention to basketball as it IS that time of year again. Madness reigns! Also, I am really into this cool band called The Swell Season. If you haven't heard of them you may want to check them out on You Tube. There is also a link above to their My Space page. Perhaps you saw the movie Once? Glen and Marketa won the Oscar for Best Original Song - Falling Slowly. They really are excellent song writers.

Anyway, that's all for now.

Sarah

Whew!

2006-11-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

Well, all seems to be well here - I got a BIG check from my insurance company for the hail damage to the roof - they also found damage to the siding, so I must get that fixed too. I will just try to do it all in the spring (they don't really do siding in the winter right???).

I am also in the market to purchase a notebook computer and am having a hard time deciding what I want. I know that I would prefer a smaller model - easier to transport and travel with. However, I don't like the price tag at all! Considering that I want to get the latest-and-greatest technology - the Core 2 Duo processor, more storage and RAM, and Windows Vista capable. Oh well, I'll keep looking. There are a couple of Sonys that are around $1,400 or so - not TOO bad.

Well, that's all for now. Back to the grindstone!

Sarah

O.W.L.

2006-10-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

I did something kind of silly the other day after talking to my friend Marsha about the latest theories on Harry Potter. I took the IQ quiz on The Leaky Cauldron website! I know it's kind of corny, but it was fun. I did receive an O.W.L - barely squeaking by!

This was fun. I hadn't read the latest interview with J.K. Rowling about Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince even though I've read the book a few times. There are some interesting observations discussed - anything from Dumbledore's somewhat questionable thinking patterns to just who is "R.A.B". If you are a Harry Potter fan and haven't been on any of the websites, they are very...educational, not to mention interesting.

My favorite one is J.K. Rowling's Official Site, but then there are The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet.

Well, that's all for now! Cheers!

Ahhhhh....

2006-10-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm finally back online after two months. Wasn't really having problems, I was just too lazy to get the computer set up after I moved for the second time in five months.

I'm already having homeowner woes. There was water in the basement, but at least I know why. My inspector didn't notice that the downspout entrances are actually HIGHER than the rest of the gutters! They aren't pitched correctly and water pours out of where it shouldn't. I should be able to get that fixed.

And, there's mold in the basement from OLD water - the previous owner didnt' disclose this and actually tried to cover it up with paint, so there you go. We'll see if I can get him to fix it.

And...I need a new roof. Not a big deal, right? I just need to come up with $11,000 because it need a tear off and added protection from ice dams!!!!!!!!!! Jason had posted a reply to my last post, but his blog seems to not be on the server anymore. If you are out there anywhere Jason, I just wanted to say that I feel for you and I'm right there with you! My inspection was in the summer, though, so I am hoping that the inspector will make amends.

To top it all off, the previous owner took most of the perennial plants that were in the yard and the riding mower he "threw in" was a piece of crap that didn't work. It's still a great yard and lovely garden, though. I have about an acre with a pretty corn field behind me. I also have a huge maple tree - it's probably around 60 years old.

Anyway, that's all for now. I posted some new photos of the house on my photosite. Click here to go and see them.

Until later,
Sarah

First House

2006-06-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

Well, it's almost in the bag. I will hopefully close on my first home on July 31st! It's a sweet little house in Arena, WI about 30 miles west of Madison so it will be a little bit of a drive. That's alright, though - it's in the country with deer and wild turkeys running about. I will have a great yard - there are several mature evergreens already and beautiful landscaping, so I don't need to do much right away.

I just about signed my life away this morning when I finished filling out the loan application papers. Boy there are a lot of them! The inspection also went pretty well - the inspector was very thorough. However, is it normal on an inspection to have a lot of "fairs" as opposed to "satisfactories"? Believe me, I looked a several houses and some of them were literally falling down, so I'm not sure what to think about the things that he scored "fair". The only thing that I will have to address sooner than later is the roof and some of the wiring in the garage. All in all, I think that it's a great home and I'm really excited!

Anyway, that's the only big event that's happening right now for me. I don't have any international trips planned for a while - I have a mortgage now! So if anyone has any first-time-homeowner advice, please send it along!

Jessica's Mission to Uganda

2006-06-09T19:36:00.000-07:00

My friend Jessica is currently in Uganda for two years on missions! I have designed a website for her if anyone out in the blogging world is interested. She also has her own blog - so drop her some encouraging words!

Her website is JessicaHenthorne.org

Her personal blog is Jessica-in-Uganda

Down Under (Part 2)

2006-06-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

My 3 week trip to Australia was absolutely wonderful - it's the best vacation I have ever taken. For those bloggers out there who are thinking about going to Oz, I could give you a lot of travel advice being that I personally planned my entire trip.

The best part of the trip, I have to say, was Kangaroo Island. On a scale of 1-10, it was a "10" and the Great Barrier Reef was a "9". Kangaroo Island is a fairly large island off the coast of South Australia, easily accessible by plane or ferry. I did a private/shared tour with Adventure Charters with 4 other people - it was pricey but worth every penny! We saw kangaroos, koalas, fur seals, sea lions, fairy penguins, exotic birds, and about a million wallabies. I would highly recommend a visit to Kangaroo Island to anyone I know planning a trip to Oz.

I got a little adventurous and took the 4,352 km train journey from Sydney, NSW to Perth, WA on the Indian Pacific. The entire journey was 3 nights and 4 days, but I broke it up by staying in Adelaide, SA for 4 nights. In addition to visiting Kangaroo Island, I did a private/shared tour of the Barossa Valley wine region. We visited 6 wineries that day - Rockford, Penfolds, Charles Melton, Turkey Flat, Two Hands, and Torbreck.

Then it was on to Perth, WA. I pretty much relaxed for 3 nights and watched the Winter Olympics. Boring I know. I did take a couple of river cruises on the Swan River - one to a winery and one to Fremantle, a neat town that has been the host of the America's Cup.

I did get to see Ayer's Rock, or Uluru, from the air on my flight from Perth to Cairnes, QLD. I stayed in Port Douglas, a small fishing village-turned-tourist town on the Great Barrier Reef. I believe that President Clinton has stayed here twice. I spent 2 full days of snorkeling at the reef and one evening in the Daintree Rainforest, considered to be the oldest living rainforest in the world. We saw feral pigs, exotic birds, butterflies, wallabies, and possums on this trip - very enjoyable.

I was in for a treat when I decided to spend 2 nights at the Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa - a spa in the middle of the rainforest. The rooms are great - I had a Jacuzzi on my screened in porch. The spa treatment I had was wonderful - their signature treatment called "The Dreaming" - a must do. The owners were very sweet - I got the chance to meet them and even had dinner with them one evening.

Finally, it was back to Sydney. On my last night I decided to take a night tour of Sydney. I felt very silly being that I was the only person on the tour that night (it was the off-season you know) and the bus was painted bright orange and called the "Sydney Party Bus". The embarrassment was worth it though. I got a breathtaking shot of the Sydney Opera House while walking across the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

All in all, the trip was too short. 3 weeks sure flies by when you are having a fabulous time! I'm already planning the next trip!

G'day mate!

I'm Back

2006-06-09T18:12:00.001-07:00

I have been away for a while but now I am returning to the blogging world.

Two months ago, I moved to Madison, WI and I absolutely love it! For any of you out there who don't know, Madison is a great place to live. Sure, it will be cold in the winter, but the atmosphere is so relaxed with the lakes, the UW campus, and the Capital being so close to each other.

I also have just signed an offer on a great house about 30 minutes from town. This will be my first home - I must say that I'm excited and a little nervous all at the same time. It is a beautiful house and has a great 3/4 acre yard - there is even a cornfield in the back!

Well, that's all for now. Everyone stay cool!

Down Under (Part 1)

2005-11-01T11:31:00.000-08:00

I need to enlist the help of my readers. I will be going to Oz in January/February and am having the darndest time deciding what to do once I get there. I only have three weeks - not nearly enough time to fully experience what this great land has to offer.

I will be spending several days in Sydney and heading north to Cairns to snorkel or dive at the Great Barrier Reef. Beyond that, I cannot decide. Do I take the three day train ride to Perth in the West? Go to Kangaroo Island? Tasmania? What about Wine Country and the Outback? I think I will forgo the Red Center and Uluru due to the heat and the inevitable tourist trap, but the possibilities are endless.

So, I need some suggestions. Who has been there and can tell me what to definitely see and what to forgo? Your thought are greatly appreciated. You can email me or just post a comment here. During my trip, I will hopefully have some time to post updates and a few photographs.

A Frightening Analysis

2005-10-11T23:36:00.000-07:00

My old roommate received this speech in an email and subsequently gave it to me. It is a speech given by former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm. Although this speech has been circulated widely on the internet, I think it makes for interesting reading.

A Frightening Analysis
We all know Dick Lamm as the former Governor of Colorado. In that context his thoughts are particularly poignant. Last week there was an immigration-overpopulation conference in Washington, DC, filled to capacity by many of American's finest minds and leaders. A brilliant college professor named Victor Hansen Davis talked about his latest book, "Mexifornia," explaining how immigration — both legal and illegal — was destroying the entire state of California. He said it would march across the country until it destroyed all vestiges of The American Dream.

Moments later, former Colorado Governor Richard D. Lamm stood up and gave a stunning speech on how to destroy America. The audience sat spellbound as he described eight methods for the destruction of the United States. He said, "If you believe that America is too smug, too self-satisfied, too rich, then let's destroy America. It is not that hard to do. No nation in history has survived the ravages of time. Arnold Toynbee observed that all great civilizations rise and fall and that 'An autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit suicide.'"

"Here is how they do it," Lamm said: First to destroy America, "Turn America into a bilingual or multi-lingual and bicultural country. History shows that no nation can survive the tension, conflict, and antagonism of two or more competing languages and cultures. It is a blessing for an individual to be bilingual; however, it is a curse for a society to be bilingual. The historical scholar Seymour Lipset put it this way: 'The histories of bilingual and bi-cultural societies that do not assimilate are histories of turmoil, tension, and tragedy. Canada, Belgium, Malaysia, Lebanon all face crises of national existence in which minorities press for autonomy, if not independence. Pakistan and Cyprus have divided. Nigeria suppressed an ethnic rebellion. France faces difficulties with Basques, Bretons, and Corsicans."

Lamm went on: Second, to destroy America, "Invent 'multiculturalism' and encourage immigrants to maintain their culture. I would make it an article of belief that all cultures are equal. That there are no cultural differences. I would make it an article of faith that the Black and Hispanic dropout rates are due to prejudice and discrimination by the majority. Every other explanation is out of bounds.

Third, "We could make the United States a 'Hispanic Quebec' without much effort. The key is to celebrate diversity rather than unity. As Benjamin Schwarz said in the Atlantic Monthly recently: 'The apparent success of our own multiethnic and multicultural experiment might have been achieved! Not by tolerance but by hegemony. Without the dominance that once dictated ethnocentrically and what it meant to be an American, we are left with only tolerance and pluralism to hold us together.'"

Lamm said, "I would encourage all immigrants to keep their own language and culture. I would replace the melting pot metaphor with the salad bowl metaphor. It is important to ensure that we have various cultural subgroups living in America reinforcing their differences rather than as Americans, emphasizing their similarities."

"Fourth, I would make our fastest growing demographic group the least educated. I would add a second underclass, unassimilated, undereducated, and antagonistic to our population. I would have this second underclass have a 50% dropout rate from high school."

"My fifth point for destroying America would be to get big foundations and business to give these efforts lots of money. I would invest in ethnic identity, and I would establish the cult of 'Victimology.' I would get all minorities to think their lack of success was the fault of the majority. I would start a grievance industry blaming all minority failure on the majority population."

"My sixth plan for America's downfall would include dual citizenship and promote divided loyalties. I would celebrate diversity over unity. I would stress differences rather than similarities. Diverse people worldwide are mostly engaged in hating each other - that is, when they are not killing each other. A diverse, peaceful, or stable society is against most historical precedent. People undervalue the unity! Unity is what it takes to keep a nation together. Look at the ancient Greeks. The Greeks believed that they belonged to the same race; they possessed a common language and literature; and they worshiped the same gods. All Greece took part in the Olympic Games.

A common enemy Persia threatened their liberty. Yet all these bonds were not strong enough to over come two factors: local patriotism and geographical conditions that nurtured political divisions. Greece fell.

"E. Pluribus Unum" — From many, one. In that historical reality, if we put the emphasis on the 'pluribus' instead of the 'Unum,' we can balkanize America as surely as Kosovo."

"Next to last, I would place all subjects off limits ~ make it taboo to talk about anything against the cult of 'diversity.' I would find a word similar to 'heretic' in the 16th century - that stopped discussion and paralyzed thinking. Words like 'racist' or 'x! xenophobes' halt discussion and debate."

"Having made America a bilingual/bicultural country, having established multi-culturism, having the large foundations fund the doctrine of 'Victimology,' I would next make it impossible to enforce our immigration laws. I would develop a mantra: That because immigration has been good for America, it must always be good. I would make every individual immigrant symmetric and ignore the cumulative impact of millions of them."

In the last minute of his speech, Governor Lamm wiped his brow. Profound silence followed. Finally he said, "Lastly, I would censor Victor Hanson Davis's book Mexifornia. His book is dangerous. It exposes the plan to destroy America. If you feel America deserves to be destroyed, don't read that book."

There was no applause.

A chilling fear quietly rose like an ominous cloud above every attendee at the conference. Every American in that room knew that everything Lamm enumerated was proceeding methodically, quietly, darkly, yet pervasively across the United States today. Every discussion is being suppressed. Over 100 languages are ripping the foundation of our educational system and national cohesiveness. Barbaric cultures that practice female genital mutilation are growing as we celebrate 'diversity.' American jobs are vanishing into the Third World as corporations create a Third World in America — take note of California and other states — to date, ten million illegal aliens and growing fast. It is reminiscent of George Orwell's book "1984." In that story, three slogans are engraved in the Ministry of Truth building: "War is peace," "Freedom is slavery," and "Ignorance is strength."

Governor Lamm walked back to his seat. It dawned on everyone at the conference that our nation and the future of this great democracy are deeply in trouble and worsening fast. If we don't get this immigration monster stopped within three years, it will rage like a California wildfire and destroy everything in its path, especially The American Dream.

Both Governor Lamm and the writer of the e-mail misidentify the author of the book Mexifornia, whose correct name is Victor Davis Hanson.

Let it Snow

2005-10-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

Well, we had several inches of snow here in Denver today. I had roughly 5 inches at my house and it's only October 10th! What craziness. Oh well, it will be gone by Wednesday or Thursday.

It's only guaranteed 3-4 months out of the year that Denver won't get snow, and that is pushing it. I have seen it snow in May and have heard of it snowing in June even! This is the earliest snowfall I have seen in Denver, but we ususally have some on the ground just in time for Halloween. Lights are out in parts of town, trees are down, and I-70 was closed earlier from Aurora east to Limon.

Not much else new here. I will be finished with school (sigh) by December and ready to face the world as an Advanced Practice Nurse, specifically a Clinical Nurse Specialist. I just keep telling myself just 2 more months!

Well, I'll sign off for now.

Jury Duty

2005-07-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry everyone that I haven't posted in a while.

Well, guess where I was for my Golden 30th birthday - serving as a juror on in a criminal trial. I must say that I was slightly perturbed considering that I was late for my own birthday party. However, I am extremely glad that I had the opportunity to do my civic duty.

I was very fascinated to see our justice system at work first hand and this experience has solidified my belief that we have the greatest justice system in the world. I say this even after seven hours of deliberation which resulted in a mistrial - we could not come to a unanimous decision as to the verdict. I was lucky in that my service lasted only three days as opposed to weeks, but I would have been glad to serve under those circumstances also.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Judge William Young

2005-05-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

I found this post at Babblings.

Powerful.

In December of 2003, Richard Reid, the man who admitted to trying to blow up a U.S. jetliner with explosives in his shoes, better known as "The Shoe Bomber", was sentenced to life in prison by Judge William Young. As he was dragged out of the courtroom, Richard Reid began yelling at Judge Young, repeating his allegiance to Osama bin Laden saying, "I'm at war with your country not for personal reasons but because you have killed so many innocents, so many children. ... My fate is in Allah's hands. ... I leave you to judge."

Here is the actual transcript of the exchange between Judge Young and Mr. Reid:

RICHARD REID: I start by praising Allah because life today is no good. I bear witness to this and he alone is right to be worshiped. And I bear witness that Muhammad Sa'laat Alayhi as-Salaam is his last prophet and messenger who is sent to all of mankind for guidance, with the sound guidance for everyone.

Concerning what the Court said? I admit, I admit my actions and I further, I further state that I done them.

JUDGE WILLIAM YOUNG: I didn't hear the last. I admit my actions and then what did you say?

REID: I further admit my allegiance to Osama bin Laden, to Islam, and to the religion of Allah. With regards to what you said about killing innocent people, I will say one thing. Your government has killed 2 million children in Iraq. If you want to think about something, against 2 million, I don't see no comparison.

Your government has sponsored the rape and torture of Muslims in the prisons of Egypt and Turkey and Syria and Jordan with their money and with their weapons. I don't know, see what I done as being equal to rape and to torture, or to the deaths of the two million children in Iraq.

So, for this reason, I think I ought not apologize for my actions. I am at war with your country. I'm at war with them not for personal reasons but because they have murdered more than, so many children and they have oppressed my religion and they have oppressed people for no reason except that they say we believe in Allah.

This is the only reason that America sponsors Egypt. It's the only reason they sponsor Turkey. It's the only reason they back Israel.

As far as the sentence is concerned, it's in your hand. Only really it is not even in your hand. It's in Allah's hand. I put my trust in Allah totally and I know that he will give victory to his religion. And he will give victory to those who believe and he will destroy those who wish to oppress the people because they believe in Allah.

So you can judge and I leave you to judge. And I don't mind. This is all I have to say. And I bear witness to Muhammad this is Allah's message.

YOUNG: Mr. Richard C. Reid, hearken now to the sentence the Court imposes upon you. On counts 1, 5 and 6 the Court sentences you to life in prison in the custody of the United States Attorney General. On counts 2, 3, 4 and 7, the Court sentences you to 20 years in prison on each count, the sentence on each count to run consecutive one with the other. That's 80 years.

On Count 8 the court sentences you to the mandatory 30 years consecutive to the 80 years just imposed. The Court imposes upon you on each of the eight counts a fine of $250,000 for the aggregate fine of $2 million.

The Court accepts the government's recommendation with respect to restitution and orders restitution in the amount of $298.17 to Andre Bousquet and $5,784 to American Airlines.

The Court imposes upon you the $800 special assessment.

The Court imposes upon you five years supervised release simply because the law requires it. But the life sentences are real life sentences so I need not go any further.

This is the sentence that is provided for by our statutes. It is a fair and a just sentence. It is a righteous sentence. Let me explain this to you.

We are not afraid of any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid. We are Americans. We have been through the fire before. There is all too much war talk here. And I say that to everyone with the utmost respect.

Here in this court where we deal with individuals as individuals, and care for individuals as individuals, as human beings we reach out for justice.

You are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a soldier gives you far too much stature. Whether it is the officers of government who do it or your attorney who does it, or that happens to be your view, you are a terrorist.

And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not treat with terrorists. We do not sign documents with terrorists.

We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice.

So war talk is way out of line in this court. You're a big fellow. But you're not that big. You're no warrior. I know warriors. You are a terrorist. A species of criminal guilty of multiple attempted murders.

In a very real sense Trooper Santiago had it right when first you were taken off that plane and into custody and you wondered where the press and where the TV crews were and he said you're no big deal. You're no big deal.

What your counsel, what your able counsel and what the equally able United States attorneys have grappled with and what I have as honestly as I know how tried to grapple with, is why you did something so horrific. What was it that led you here to this courtroom today? I have listened respectfully to what you have to say. And I ask you to search your heart and ask yourself what sort of unfathomable hate led you to do what you are guilty and admit you are guilty of doing.

And I have an answer for you. It may not satisfy you. But as I search this entire record it comes as close to understanding as I know.

It seems to me you hate the one thing that to us is most precious. You hate our freedom. Our individual freedom. Our individual freedom to live as we choose, to come and go as we choose, to believe or not believe as we individually choose.

Here, in this society, the very winds carry freedom. They carry it everywhere from sea to shining sea. It is because we prize individual freedom so much that you are here in this beautiful courtroom. So that everyone can see, truly see that justice is administered fairly, individually, and discretely.

It is for freedom's sake that your lawyers are striving so vigorously on your behalf and have filed appeals, will go on in their, their representation of you before other judges. We care about it. Because we all know that the way we treat you, Mr. Reid, is the measure of our own liberties.

Make no mistake though. It is yet true that we will bear any burden; pay any price, to preserve our freedoms.

Look around this courtroom. Mark it well. The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here. Day after tomorrow it will be forgotten. But this, however, will long endure. Here, in this courtroom, and courtrooms all across America, the American people will gather to see that justice, individual justice, justice, not war, individual justice is in fact being done.

The very President of the United States through his officers will have to come into courtrooms and lay out evidence on which specific matters can be judged, and juries of citizens will gather to sit and judge that evidence democratically, to mold and shape and refine our sense of justice.

See that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America. That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag still stands for freedom. You know it always will. Custody, Mr. Officer. Stand him down.

REID: That flag will be brought down on the Day of Judgment and you will see in front of your Lord and my Lord and then we will know. (Whereupon the defendant was removed from the courtroom.)

YOUNG: We'll recess. All rise.

To Filibuster or Not to Filibuster

2005-05-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

I am a Republican and proud of it. But I must admit that it really saddens me that this nation which I love so much is at such odds over politics. I think that we ALL tend to forget that as Americans, we should be proud and grateful that we live in a country of such great diversity. Our forefathers fought for each and every American, past and present, to have the right to his or her own beliefs and that we should respect each other's RIGHT to those beliefs.

So should my fellow Republicans in Congress stop the practice of filibuster - no. By doing so, yes, it would end the gridlock that has plagued our government. However at the same time, they would be abolishing just one of many checks and balances that is in place to prevent one political party from steamrolling the other. It would aid Republicans to usher through the judicial nominees, but mark my words, if this goes through, it's going to come back and bite the party in the butt!

From Common Cause - Holding Power Accountable

"The filibuster has a long history in the Senate of fending off actions supported by a bare majority, but deeply offensive to the minority. If an individual senator were to abuse the privilege of the filibuster, he or she could be over overridden by a super majority of 60 votes.

To remove a long-standing parliamentary maneuver to serve immediate partisan goals violates core democratic values and is an anathema to the Senate's long standing commitment to consensus and a bipartisan deliberative process.

It is wrong to jettison a longtime Senate procedure simply because it is inconvenient to one party’s goals. It is an abuse of power to strip the Senate minority of a tool designed to protect its rights – rights both parties have vociferously defended throughout the Senate’s history".

Living in the Shadows

2005-05-19T02:30:00.000-07:00

When I was in Antigua, Guatemala a few weeks ago, we encountered a very sad situation with some Mayan children from high in the mountains suffering from a severe skin condition called Xeroderma Pigmentosum. These children cannot repair their skin after exposure to UV light and have skin cancers as a result. They usually only survive until about age 14.

There is a geneticist in Guatemala City working with the village, but there really isn't much to do to help them. These poor children live with the pain of skin ulcers daily and some are blind. The Aldara Cream that helps alleviate some of the skin irritation is very expensive - some of our mission team members purchsed a four month supply for the village children, and it cost $300. Unfortunately, this cream doesn't cure the disease.

There is no cure.

The treatment is to stay out of the sun - pretty difficult to do when you're poor in Central America.

If you want to help, go to the XP Society Guatemala Project site - there is a list of items that are needed and an address where to send supplies or funding.

Patient support: To make a donation for research and U.S. programs, contact the XP Society, 437 Snydertown Road, Craryville, NY 12521; telephone or fax, (518) 851-2612, or toll-free (within the United States) (877) XPS CURE or (877) 977-2873

Guatemala project: To make a donation, contact Good Samaritan International, P.O. Box 1622, Sultan, WA 98294; IRS employer identification number, 13-4234349, application on file for tax-exempt nonprofit, 501(c)(3), status; telephone, (425) 232-8932; fax, (360) 793-7549; samaritanos@aol.com.

Faith in Practice is the organization I go to Guatemala with.

And Then There Were Two

2005-05-19T02:23:00.000-07:00

How does everyone feel about Bo and Carrie being the finalists on American Idol? I definately think that the voters did the right thing this season - after all, they are both better singers than the past idols.

I wish all of the contestants luck and can't wait until Bo's rock album and Carrie's country album hit the stores.

Welcome

2005-05-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

to my web blog. I hope you find something of interest here.

Please visit my webpage and photosite. I have tons of pictures from here in Colorado, my mission trips to Ecuador and Guatemala, and my vacation to Greece.

I have tons of genealogy links on my genealogy pages site - lots of resources and web sites to help you in your quest for knowledge.