He's taking some trees out around the edge of the flowerbed. Actually, just two little trees and then some branches from other big trees to get more sunlight in there. Tough looking, isn't he?
As it happens the nasty tent caterpillars were on one of the big branches I needed removed. So, problem solved there too.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Pink Dogwood
Mensa Boy wants to start going through the woods in our back yard and taking out the dead trees. Then he'd like to plant new trees back there to replace them.
After seeing this one in my neighbor's garden, I told him we should just fill each spot with white and pink dogwoods.
After seeing this one in my neighbor's garden, I told him we should just fill each spot with white and pink dogwoods.
EWWWW! WHAT ARE THESE?
I found myself underneath this a couple of hours ago. Are they friend or foe? Should I let them live or whack 'em? (yes, I've been watching reruns of the Sopranos lately)
A Little Sprout
I found this sprout, among many, in the garden last night when I started cleaning. I like his dual colors and he seems a little stronger than some I've found. I don't know what he is, but he seems like he deserves a chance to grow up to something. So I spared him. If I had come crashing into the garden with a big ole rake I could have missed him and plowed him under. He could very well be a weed. I guess I'll find out soon enough.
I found many promises yesterday when I started. Buried under the leaves from fall and winter were many little green leaves and sprouts emerging from the earth. I gently brushed away the detritus and tried to give them all air and light. I have one Azalea that is leggy but very full of blooms. I'll shoot it later. And my white Azalea is just starting to bloom. And still the guy I call "my deadbeat Azalea," who has not bloomed since 2003. This is his last year in my garden. If he doesn't produce, I'm kicking him out and changing the locks. I'm quite certain my neighbor Mary will take him in.
Some things, when you look at them up close, seem to get more beautiful. Like Dogwood blossoms. But other things are almost uglier up close. That's the way Azaleas are. I think they are best enjoyed from afar.
I found many promises yesterday when I started. Buried under the leaves from fall and winter were many little green leaves and sprouts emerging from the earth. I gently brushed away the detritus and tried to give them all air and light. I have one Azalea that is leggy but very full of blooms. I'll shoot it later. And my white Azalea is just starting to bloom. And still the guy I call "my deadbeat Azalea," who has not bloomed since 2003. This is his last year in my garden. If he doesn't produce, I'm kicking him out and changing the locks. I'm quite certain my neighbor Mary will take him in.
Some things, when you look at them up close, seem to get more beautiful. Like Dogwood blossoms. But other things are almost uglier up close. That's the way Azaleas are. I think they are best enjoyed from afar.
theVisitor
I watched this movie yesterday afternoon and I must say it is one of the best I've seen in a long time. This lonely, depressed college professor goes to New York to a conference and when he gets to his apartment (he's kept it for 25 years, despite living and teaching in Connecticut), he finds a couple of illegal aliens living there. After only a brief hesitation, he allows them to stay and ends up befriending them and becoming a big part of their lives. The man, a drummer/musician from Syria, is hauled in by immigration and the professor, played by Richard Jenkins, does his best to help him out.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
It's Thursday and I see Spring Break Slipping Away!
I am tired. A little less tired than yesterday, I think. I wasted the entire day yesterday napping and watching a movie. I did go to the grocery store and made a very nice supper. I wish I'd taken a photo of it. It was from Prevention magazine. Next time I make it (and I will make it often) I'll shoot it.
Today I'll go to yoga and then who knows? I may finally get that flower garden work done. But I'm not in a rush to do that today. It's supposed to warm up to the 70s tomorrow and over the weekend so that would be a great time to do some gardening. I also need to start working on my pots.
Today I'll go to yoga and then who knows? I may finally get that flower garden work done. But I'm not in a rush to do that today. It's supposed to warm up to the 70s tomorrow and over the weekend so that would be a great time to do some gardening. I also need to start working on my pots.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Gone to Carolina Archive: April 15, 2005
| The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Fadiman, is the story of a Hmong child with epilepsy and the problems doctors and her family had communicating with each other. Lia Lee had such severe epilepsy and her doctors could not seem to gain any understanding with her parents about medications and treatments. The book was published in 1997 and I sincerely hope things are better for the Hmong people now than they were then. Carolinians aren't as familiar with the Hmong as Minnesotans are, so this book may not interest my local readers as much. But if you live in Minnesota you really should read this book. I gained not only a better understanding of the Hmong community but also a great deal of respect for them. "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" is the loose translation for the Hmong word for epilepsy. Hmong believe that a person with epilepsy has had their soul frightened away from their body and a spirit called a dab is catching her. If/when the soul returns then the illness will be resolved. Many Americans think of Hmong as "Laotians" but that is not the case. Laos is just the last place our Hmong were before being brought to the U.S. The Hmong have history in China, Siberia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. They were resistant to governments who tried to assimilate them and when things got to be too much they would pick up and move on. The Hmong were brought here by the U.S. as refugees after they helped the CIA with their "secret war" on North Vietnam by serving in the Armee Clandestine in Northern Laos. They were led by Hmong leader General Vang Pao and helped cut off North Vietnamese supply lines along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, supplied intelligence for US bombing missions and helped rescue downed US pilots. The book is about 50 percent Hmong/U.S. history and 50 percent the story of Lia Lee and her family's clash with the American medical system. I had a hard time putting it down. It does not sound academic at all...more like a very good story. |
Life's Not a Beach for Bear
We are back from the beach and I think Bear is glad. He didn't think much of it. After considering his behavior I concluded that he doesn't like it because there is no grass. Bear is a typical walker, stopping at many posts, mailboxes, trees and clumps of grass to leave a liquid note that he was there. But there are no such things on a long stretch of sand. And so he ranged back and forth in front of us, at the end of his rope, occasionally stopping to see if we would pick him up.
He didn't think much of the water, barely sniffing it as it wafted toward our feet. The beach was pretty clean of debris too, so no dead jellyfish to check out, not even any interesting garbage. As we headed back to the walkway that took us to the street, he perked up and almost sighed when we relief when he saw a clump of grass ahead.
It was a short, restful visit. It rained off and on and was fairly cool, so we really didn't spend any time by the water. We roamed around Barefoot Landing and had supper at The House of Blues. We read books and Taylor played video games on his Gameboy and watched videos of Corner Gas on the little DVD player. Monday we had our Easter dinner...ham, deviled eggs and salad. Fresh strawberries for dessert.
And so here we are at home. A mountain of laundry to do and the flower garden to gently clean out. I'll do some yoga and Jazzercise this week and some reading. I like Spring Break.
He didn't think much of the water, barely sniffing it as it wafted toward our feet. The beach was pretty clean of debris too, so no dead jellyfish to check out, not even any interesting garbage. As we headed back to the walkway that took us to the street, he perked up and almost sighed when we relief when he saw a clump of grass ahead.
It was a short, restful visit. It rained off and on and was fairly cool, so we really didn't spend any time by the water. We roamed around Barefoot Landing and had supper at The House of Blues. We read books and Taylor played video games on his Gameboy and watched videos of Corner Gas on the little DVD player. Monday we had our Easter dinner...ham, deviled eggs and salad. Fresh strawberries for dessert.
And so here we are at home. A mountain of laundry to do and the flower garden to gently clean out. I'll do some yoga and Jazzercise this week and some reading. I like Spring Break.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Happy Easter Everyone!
We are off the beach in a bit. We'll be gone only a couple of days. Taylor's not a big fan.
I bought some plants yesterday and planted them this morning after church. I picked up a plant called Plumbago that I'd never heard of before. It's got these great little pale blue flowers all over it. The plant is already showy just in the pot. There was NO INFORMATION about it all on or in the pot. I hate it when they do that. I picked it up and carried it around to pay for it. "So you're going to get that?" Rena asked. "Yeah. I like it," I told her. "But we don't know anything about what it is," she said. "I know," I told her. "I'll google it."
It turns out to be pretty much the perfect thing for an imperfect gardener like me. Hard to kill, likes sun, can handle shade. What more can I ask? I stuck it in the ground and watered it well. We had quite a bit of rain a couple of days ago, so it'll probably be fine without more watering until I get back Tuesday.
I also put dahlias and lantana in the corner planters of the patio again. And I bought a rosemary bush to put in the flower bed up at the top where the sun shines all morning and all afternoon. Everything I plant up there dies so I'm hoping the rosemary will do the trick. And it can get as big as it wants.
I also found some yellow poppies and I bought some sweet corn on a whim. I told Rena that Mensa Boy wanted corn but I poo-pooed it because corn needs so much room. "Buy him some corn Karen," she said. "If you don't get corn on it, you can just say it's a grass." And so I did that. Mensa Boy now thinks Rena is a hero. "Now we won't starve," I heard him tell Taylor. hmph.
I ordered quite a few perennials from Spring Hill Saturday morning. I'd love for them to arrive before spring break is over, but my luck they'll probably show up after that and it'll rain for several days. I invested $80 or so into them, so I'll have to get them planted whenever they arrive. I'll take some photos when I get back.
I hope everyone has a wonderful day today. I'm so glad we are having spring break. I can feel myself calming down and relaxing already.
I bought some plants yesterday and planted them this morning after church. I picked up a plant called Plumbago that I'd never heard of before. It's got these great little pale blue flowers all over it. The plant is already showy just in the pot. There was NO INFORMATION about it all on or in the pot. I hate it when they do that. I picked it up and carried it around to pay for it. "So you're going to get that?" Rena asked. "Yeah. I like it," I told her. "But we don't know anything about what it is," she said. "I know," I told her. "I'll google it."
It turns out to be pretty much the perfect thing for an imperfect gardener like me. Hard to kill, likes sun, can handle shade. What more can I ask? I stuck it in the ground and watered it well. We had quite a bit of rain a couple of days ago, so it'll probably be fine without more watering until I get back Tuesday.
I also put dahlias and lantana in the corner planters of the patio again. And I bought a rosemary bush to put in the flower bed up at the top where the sun shines all morning and all afternoon. Everything I plant up there dies so I'm hoping the rosemary will do the trick. And it can get as big as it wants.
I also found some yellow poppies and I bought some sweet corn on a whim. I told Rena that Mensa Boy wanted corn but I poo-pooed it because corn needs so much room. "Buy him some corn Karen," she said. "If you don't get corn on it, you can just say it's a grass." And so I did that. Mensa Boy now thinks Rena is a hero. "Now we won't starve," I heard him tell Taylor. hmph.
I ordered quite a few perennials from Spring Hill Saturday morning. I'd love for them to arrive before spring break is over, but my luck they'll probably show up after that and it'll rain for several days. I invested $80 or so into them, so I'll have to get them planted whenever they arrive. I'll take some photos when I get back.
I hope everyone has a wonderful day today. I'm so glad we are having spring break. I can feel myself calming down and relaxing already.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Uh OUCH!
I made a brisket yesterday. I read through the recipe (in "Fine Cooking" magazine)when I bought the meat, but apparently my reading comprehension was a little off. I saw the part about 2 1/2 hours, and the part about another 1 hour more, but I failed to notice the first 1 hour.So I started the brisket at 3:30 and then realized that this would mean eating at 8 o'clock.
Now, I can wait that long. I'm generally not that hungry in the evening. But my guys can not. Taylor said "We are going to have to eat 8 snacks to wait that long." So I suggested burgers. We'll eat the brisket today.
I know it's a waste of money to buy pre-formed burgers, but I do it anyway. I try to keep at least one packet of pre-formed patties in my deep freeze at all times. They come in handy in times like these. And having bread dough in the refrigerator all the time really has come in handy too. I pulled the brisket out, put it on the back of the stovetop, cranked the oven to 450 and baked off 4 burger buns. Lowered it back to 350 and put the brisket back in.
Taylor cooked the burgers. It's not optimal to cook meat from frozen but he made a mistake that caused them to come out perfectly. He lit the grill without opening the vents. By the time I notice that, the burgers had thawed nicely. I opened the vents and they finished cooking.
But this post is about the OUCH! When I went to pull the brisket from the oven, my carefully sealed foil lifted off the edge of the pan and I steamed two of my fingers. Left Index, Left Middle. And of course I was carrying the heavy pan from the oven to the island at the time so I had to just keep going. No dropping that pan.
There was SIGNIFICANT pain last night. I iced it for about 2 hours, took 400 then 400 more mg of Ibuprofen, and tossed down a sleeping pill at the same time. This morning I woke 10 hours later and the fingers don't hurt. But that middle finger has a terrible blister on it.
So I have no moral tale to tell you about this. Wait. I do.
1. Read the entire recipe a couple of times and maybe underline the cooking times before you start.
2. Always keep a backup meal in the freezer.
Now, I can wait that long. I'm generally not that hungry in the evening. But my guys can not. Taylor said "We are going to have to eat 8 snacks to wait that long." So I suggested burgers. We'll eat the brisket today.
I know it's a waste of money to buy pre-formed burgers, but I do it anyway. I try to keep at least one packet of pre-formed patties in my deep freeze at all times. They come in handy in times like these. And having bread dough in the refrigerator all the time really has come in handy too. I pulled the brisket out, put it on the back of the stovetop, cranked the oven to 450 and baked off 4 burger buns. Lowered it back to 350 and put the brisket back in.
Taylor cooked the burgers. It's not optimal to cook meat from frozen but he made a mistake that caused them to come out perfectly. He lit the grill without opening the vents. By the time I notice that, the burgers had thawed nicely. I opened the vents and they finished cooking.
But this post is about the OUCH! When I went to pull the brisket from the oven, my carefully sealed foil lifted off the edge of the pan and I steamed two of my fingers. Left Index, Left Middle. And of course I was carrying the heavy pan from the oven to the island at the time so I had to just keep going. No dropping that pan.
There was SIGNIFICANT pain last night. I iced it for about 2 hours, took 400 then 400 more mg of Ibuprofen, and tossed down a sleeping pill at the same time. This morning I woke 10 hours later and the fingers don't hurt. But that middle finger has a terrible blister on it.
So I have no moral tale to tell you about this. Wait. I do.
1. Read the entire recipe a couple of times and maybe underline the cooking times before you start.
2. Always keep a backup meal in the freezer.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Bear is Moping
We finally have fixed his bark collar so that it is about 90% effective. We thought we'd fixed it before, but his barking has gotten worse with the nicer weather. Finally last night I told the guys that we needed to adjust things again. He was on my lap and went into a barking fit. I held him and pressed on the collar and he really yelped mid-bark.
"He needs to have some hair on his neck cut," I told them. "Someone that doesn't love him as much as me needs to do it. Maybe Dad."
I'm always teasing Mensa Boy about how he doesn't kiss the dog like the rest of us do.
Today I got a text while in yoga. "The bark collar is finally working!" Taylor said.
"Yay! what did you do?" I asked.
"Tightened it two notches and Dad shaved his chin like you said," he replied.
He's been pretty quiet now. A minute ago he ran to the door barking quietly when the ice cream truck came, but then cut himself off with a shriek.
Poor him. But good for us!
"He needs to have some hair on his neck cut," I told them. "Someone that doesn't love him as much as me needs to do it. Maybe Dad."
I'm always teasing Mensa Boy about how he doesn't kiss the dog like the rest of us do.
Today I got a text while in yoga. "The bark collar is finally working!" Taylor said.
"Yay! what did you do?" I asked.
"Tightened it two notches and Dad shaved his chin like you said," he replied.
He's been pretty quiet now. A minute ago he ran to the door barking quietly when the ice cream truck came, but then cut himself off with a shriek.
Poor him. But good for us!
Monday, March 30, 2009
uh...er...Thanks!
Yesterday morning Mensa Boy was still sleeping at 9 a.m. Since he's usually on the way out the door to Sunday School by then, I figured he must still be too sick. He's had a terrible cold since he got back from Uruguay.
"How do you feel?" I asked.
"Somewhat better, I think" he said.
"Do you feel like bacon?" I asked.
"Do we have any?" he asked.
"No. But IHop does," I replied.
And so we hatched a plan to go to the church of the almighty pancake instead of the little Methodist church down the road. We got the guys up, called Erin to wake her up, and drove to IHop, taking care to go out the back way so we wouldn't go past the little Methodist church.
We arrived home a little while later to a message on our answering machine from my bff Cassie. "Hey. Missed you guys at church. Hope [Mensa Boy's] ok. We prayed for him because Harold said he was real sick."
!
On a related note, I called Cassie the other day and told her that Harold and the church were getting a little bit personal with the church sign on the highway. On the back side? The side you can hardly see because of the tall Leland Cypresses? It says "Go to church weekly, not weakly."
At least he didn't put my NAME up there...
"How do you feel?" I asked.
"Somewhat better, I think" he said.
"Do you feel like bacon?" I asked.
"Do we have any?" he asked.
"No. But IHop does," I replied.
And so we hatched a plan to go to the church of the almighty pancake instead of the little Methodist church down the road. We got the guys up, called Erin to wake her up, and drove to IHop, taking care to go out the back way so we wouldn't go past the little Methodist church.
We arrived home a little while later to a message on our answering machine from my bff Cassie. "Hey. Missed you guys at church. Hope [Mensa Boy's] ok. We prayed for him because Harold said he was real sick."
!
On a related note, I called Cassie the other day and told her that Harold and the church were getting a little bit personal with the church sign on the highway. On the back side? The side you can hardly see because of the tall Leland Cypresses? It says "Go to church weekly, not weakly."
At least he didn't put my NAME up there...
Sunday, March 29, 2009
My Mom Built Me Some Socks!
This morning I went out to walk the dog and get the paper and realized I had not checked the mail yesterday. Inside the mailbox was a little package for me from my mom.
A pair of gray, hand-knit socks tumbled out of the package. A rather professional-looking job, if I do say so myself. I'll add a photo when the sun comes up.
THANKS MOM!
A pair of gray, hand-knit socks tumbled out of the package. A rather professional-looking job, if I do say so myself. I'll add a photo when the sun comes up.
THANKS MOM!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Yoga: Definitely Not for Sissies
When I mention yoga to people, they tend to say, "that's nice." And they sort of click off at that point. There are two main opinions I get from people about yoga: "Eastern, mystical philosophy," and "Not really a workout."
The truth is that yoga, while it does have history dating back to 3,000 BC (Stone Age) shamanism, and there is a lot of Hindu philosophy associated with it, is as personal a philosophy as can be. The benefits of yoga to the mind and body surpass any cultural and religious boundaries that I can think of.
I became interested in yoga when I entered menopause and began to suffer depression. My general practitioner mentioned it to me as a way to learn how calm the mind and settle the body. He himself said he was surprised to find himself recommending it to me and other patients. Later he began practicing it himself when his family acquired a Wii Fit! You see, yoga is largely about breathing. And medical practitioners now know that breathing can do a lot to calm the central nervous system and reduce stress.
I began by learning a couple of very basic, short routines from DVDs. I've written about them here.
But now I've stepped it up a notch and am taking a yoga class at our local gym. And I have to say I've found that class to be as challenging, if not more so, than some of the jazzercise sculpting classes I've taken. My Saturday morning routine now includes a 60-minute jazzercise class and then a 75-minute yoga class. Yes, there is some "laying around and breathing." But there are also some very challenging poses that take you to the end of your strength and stretching ability. Last week we did some poses with planks and then lowering ever so slowly to the floor...like a very long fully-stretched-out push-up. And then we had to get ourselves back up. After doing that for a dozen times, our shoulders and upper backs were definitely fatigued.
Today we practiced a couple of balance poses where we balanced our legs on our arms and held ourselves up off the ground with our hands. Called the Crane Pose, this pose makes you feel almost as if you are pitching forward on your face before you hit the right balance. We also did a pose similar to this Warrior III pose, except we started from a forward bend and came up, instead of starting standing and bending down.
So, after 2.5 hours of some pretty hard working out this morning, I did some puttering around and then took a nice nap. I'll have to do some serious stretching tonight and tomorrow to keep the body from seizing up like an engine out of oil!
Oh, and I didn't mention the Jazz-to-the Max class I took yesterday at 5:15! 45 minutes of cardio and strength training, but mixed up...instead of 30 minutes of cardio and then cooling down to do 30 minutes of strength, we did cardio, lifting, cardio, lifting. Totally kicked our butts. I may not be able to lift my arms for a week! And then it will be time to do all of this over again...
The truth is that yoga, while it does have history dating back to 3,000 BC (Stone Age) shamanism, and there is a lot of Hindu philosophy associated with it, is as personal a philosophy as can be. The benefits of yoga to the mind and body surpass any cultural and religious boundaries that I can think of.
I became interested in yoga when I entered menopause and began to suffer depression. My general practitioner mentioned it to me as a way to learn how calm the mind and settle the body. He himself said he was surprised to find himself recommending it to me and other patients. Later he began practicing it himself when his family acquired a Wii Fit! You see, yoga is largely about breathing. And medical practitioners now know that breathing can do a lot to calm the central nervous system and reduce stress.
I began by learning a couple of very basic, short routines from DVDs. I've written about them here.
But now I've stepped it up a notch and am taking a yoga class at our local gym. And I have to say I've found that class to be as challenging, if not more so, than some of the jazzercise sculpting classes I've taken. My Saturday morning routine now includes a 60-minute jazzercise class and then a 75-minute yoga class. Yes, there is some "laying around and breathing." But there are also some very challenging poses that take you to the end of your strength and stretching ability. Last week we did some poses with planks and then lowering ever so slowly to the floor...like a very long fully-stretched-out push-up. And then we had to get ourselves back up. After doing that for a dozen times, our shoulders and upper backs were definitely fatigued.
Today we practiced a couple of balance poses where we balanced our legs on our arms and held ourselves up off the ground with our hands. Called the Crane Pose, this pose makes you feel almost as if you are pitching forward on your face before you hit the right balance. We also did a pose similar to this Warrior III pose, except we started from a forward bend and came up, instead of starting standing and bending down.
So, after 2.5 hours of some pretty hard working out this morning, I did some puttering around and then took a nice nap. I'll have to do some serious stretching tonight and tomorrow to keep the body from seizing up like an engine out of oil!
Oh, and I didn't mention the Jazz-to-the Max class I took yesterday at 5:15! 45 minutes of cardio and strength training, but mixed up...instead of 30 minutes of cardio and then cooling down to do 30 minutes of strength, we did cardio, lifting, cardio, lifting. Totally kicked our butts. I may not be able to lift my arms for a week! And then it will be time to do all of this over again...
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Slumping
I just don't have anything at all to say.
I'm finding that to be the case more and more lately.
And I think I'm in an "end-of-the-book" slump. It took me nearly 2 weeks of reading every spare minute to finish "World Without End" by Ken Follett. Now the story is over...all 1100+ pages of it...and I miss it. It's like when "West Wing" went off the air. There's a hole in my life where that book was. And I don't really have anything tantalizing to read right now.
But I am catching up, slowly, on my TV watching. The DVR has been quite full of the last 2 weeks of "House," "Brothers & Sisters," "24," "Gilmore Girls," "The Last Restaurant Standing..." all that.
I'd love for someone to make some book recommendations.
I'm finding that to be the case more and more lately.
And I think I'm in an "end-of-the-book" slump. It took me nearly 2 weeks of reading every spare minute to finish "World Without End" by Ken Follett. Now the story is over...all 1100+ pages of it...and I miss it. It's like when "West Wing" went off the air. There's a hole in my life where that book was. And I don't really have anything tantalizing to read right now.
But I am catching up, slowly, on my TV watching. The DVR has been quite full of the last 2 weeks of "House," "Brothers & Sisters," "24," "Gilmore Girls," "The Last Restaurant Standing..." all that.
I'd love for someone to make some book recommendations.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Is Sanford Really a Nut?
I'll tell you right now, so as to spare some of my readers the few minutes it will take to read the rest: I don't think so.
Now probably all the people who think I'm not entitled to my opinion have probably left this blog.
I read this story in The State newspaper this afternoon. (sorry, you may have to register to read it) I'm sorry to say I have to agree with Sanford's reasoning on his request to use PART of the stimulus money to pay down debt. I emphasize PART because some (ok, many) of my colleagues at work keep saying "Sanford wants to turn down the money," as if he saying NO to ALL of it. Read the story, people. That's all I'm sayin' about that.
Sanford would like to use $577 million to pay down school bonds and additional $125 million to repay unemployment loans (I admit, I don't know what unemployment loans are. But I know what a loan is: money you owe and pay interest on until it's repaid). That's out of the approximately $8 Billion South Carolina should be getting. The story says "Doing so, Sanford said, would free up $162 million in debt payments the next two years and an additional $125 million over the next 13 years that could be put to other uses."
The story quotes Sanford thus: “I’ve made clear my position to using debt to solve a problem created in the first place by too much debt — and I don’t believe this to be an unreasonable position,” Sanford wrote. “We believe this course of action will do more to ensure South Carolina’s long-term economic strength than would other contemplated uses of the funds.”
I just don't see the problem with his reasoning. I really really don't. Am I just that stupid? If I got a windfall? I'd pay off my mortgage and my home equity loan and THEN I'd think about something new. And I'd also figure out what I wanted to do with the $1,600+ a month in payments I currently pay to service those two loans.
Apparently I, a proponent, am not the only one using my home mortgage as an example to bolster my argument. "Kershaw County superintendent Frank Morgan compares Sanford’s spending plan to a parent paying off a house mortgage when their children are starving."
Well, we aren't STARVING, but we should would eat a lot better if we weren't paying this mortgage payment each month. Morgan says they are struggling to pay teacher salaries and all that. Well...yeah. Like a family that struggles to make their car payment because they have to pay their mortgage and car payment.
The story goes on: "State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex said Sanford’s idea ignores more pressing short-term needs for schools over the next two years. Spending $700 million on debt would mean money could not go to classroom programs or teachers."
Maybe that's what I don't understand. The story (and Sanford) probably could have gone on to say where the money is that is not going to classroom programs or teachers. Well, actually? I'll step out here: Most Carolinians know that the money left when our legislature, despite examples of other states trying it and failing, restructured education funding to be from the sales tax instead of property tax. Now here we are with almost the highest unemployment in the country, nobody can buy anything, and yet the majority of us still have our houses upon which we are now paying less property taxes.
South Carolina reminds me of AIG. Without the bonuses to the executives. They've managed our finances terribly and now want bail-out money.
I wish the story gave us Sanford's proposal is to help out those situations of the crumbling schools and laid off teachers with with the debt service money he's freeing up.
Time to lob the tomatoes, my friends.
Now probably all the people who think I'm not entitled to my opinion have probably left this blog.
I read this story in The State newspaper this afternoon. (sorry, you may have to register to read it) I'm sorry to say I have to agree with Sanford's reasoning on his request to use PART of the stimulus money to pay down debt. I emphasize PART because some (ok, many) of my colleagues at work keep saying "Sanford wants to turn down the money," as if he saying NO to ALL of it. Read the story, people. That's all I'm sayin' about that.
Sanford would like to use $577 million to pay down school bonds and additional $125 million to repay unemployment loans (I admit, I don't know what unemployment loans are. But I know what a loan is: money you owe and pay interest on until it's repaid). That's out of the approximately $8 Billion South Carolina should be getting. The story says "Doing so, Sanford said, would free up $162 million in debt payments the next two years and an additional $125 million over the next 13 years that could be put to other uses."
The story quotes Sanford thus: “I’ve made clear my position to using debt to solve a problem created in the first place by too much debt — and I don’t believe this to be an unreasonable position,” Sanford wrote. “We believe this course of action will do more to ensure South Carolina’s long-term economic strength than would other contemplated uses of the funds.”
I just don't see the problem with his reasoning. I really really don't. Am I just that stupid? If I got a windfall? I'd pay off my mortgage and my home equity loan and THEN I'd think about something new. And I'd also figure out what I wanted to do with the $1,600+ a month in payments I currently pay to service those two loans.
Apparently I, a proponent, am not the only one using my home mortgage as an example to bolster my argument. "Kershaw County superintendent Frank Morgan compares Sanford’s spending plan to a parent paying off a house mortgage when their children are starving."
Well, we aren't STARVING, but we should would eat a lot better if we weren't paying this mortgage payment each month. Morgan says they are struggling to pay teacher salaries and all that. Well...yeah. Like a family that struggles to make their car payment because they have to pay their mortgage and car payment.
The story goes on: "State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex said Sanford’s idea ignores more pressing short-term needs for schools over the next two years. Spending $700 million on debt would mean money could not go to classroom programs or teachers."
Maybe that's what I don't understand. The story (and Sanford) probably could have gone on to say where the money is that is not going to classroom programs or teachers. Well, actually? I'll step out here: Most Carolinians know that the money left when our legislature, despite examples of other states trying it and failing, restructured education funding to be from the sales tax instead of property tax. Now here we are with almost the highest unemployment in the country, nobody can buy anything, and yet the majority of us still have our houses upon which we are now paying less property taxes.
South Carolina reminds me of AIG. Without the bonuses to the executives. They've managed our finances terribly and now want bail-out money.
I wish the story gave us Sanford's proposal is to help out those situations of the crumbling schools and laid off teachers with with the debt service money he's freeing up.
Time to lob the tomatoes, my friends.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Rainy, Restful Weekend
It's drab and rainy here. In the 40s and dark. But my camellia is blooming all over the place, so I have this spot of color right outside my window. I really need to go out there and shoot it. But it's wet!
Mensa Boy and I watched "Lars and the Real Girl" last night. We'd watched it before and fell in love with it. It's sad and poignant at the same time. This lonely guy orders an anatomically correct doll from the internet and treats her like a real person. The entire town gets in on it, even electing her to the school board.
I finally finished reading "Rabbit, Run" by John Updike. Holy cow, what a book. This 26-year-old loser, who was a basketball star in high school, just up and walks away from his family. But he doesn't even do that well, ending up in a town just a bit away shacking up with a part-time prostitute. His minister befriends him, although I kind of felt like the minister was a bit of a loser too. I was glad to be done with the book. It's for our book group that meets this afternoon. But I will probably go back and read "Rabbit Redux" eventually. I bought the two in a volume together. Right now I'm on to Ken Follett's "World Without End."
So today will be church, reading and some serious yoga. I'm very sore from jazz and yoga yesterday. I used 8 lb weights at all three classes last week and now my arms are screaming. The screaming is competing with my abs' noise, as Sarah put in a real ab-buster in her set this week too. But? It's all good!
Mensa Boy and I watched "Lars and the Real Girl" last night. We'd watched it before and fell in love with it. It's sad and poignant at the same time. This lonely guy orders an anatomically correct doll from the internet and treats her like a real person. The entire town gets in on it, even electing her to the school board.
I finally finished reading "Rabbit, Run" by John Updike. Holy cow, what a book. This 26-year-old loser, who was a basketball star in high school, just up and walks away from his family. But he doesn't even do that well, ending up in a town just a bit away shacking up with a part-time prostitute. His minister befriends him, although I kind of felt like the minister was a bit of a loser too. I was glad to be done with the book. It's for our book group that meets this afternoon. But I will probably go back and read "Rabbit Redux" eventually. I bought the two in a volume together. Right now I'm on to Ken Follett's "World Without End."
So today will be church, reading and some serious yoga. I'm very sore from jazz and yoga yesterday. I used 8 lb weights at all three classes last week and now my arms are screaming. The screaming is competing with my abs' noise, as Sarah put in a real ab-buster in her set this week too. But? It's all good!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Balloon Man
Well, you could try it at home if you have an 80 inch balloon made in South America.
Don't forget the glasses!
I hope he had someone else there videotaping and wasn't doing this unsupervised.
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