Human Rights

As a staunch supporter of LGBT rights, I have ‘Liked’ the page on Facebook called “I Support Gay Rights”. On one of the posts was this picture:

(BTW, I LOVE this guy!)
Some person then commented on this picture with this:
“How could one be gay and support that bigoted tactless asshole? He has the right to freedom of speech but I also have the right to comment on it.”
Comments like this make me first question the intelligence of the human race, and sadly I question that intelligence quite often. Then the next question; how can one be pro-gay rights yet feel that people that are not pro-gay rights do not have the right to voice their opinion, or, in this case, have a gay person support that freedom of speech! If we as supporters of gay rights – which I completely believe are HUMAN rights – do not support ALL human rights, then is it not true that we then become the bigots?

Phil Robertson expressed his opinion, that was it. An opinion that he has a HUMAN right to have, and to voice. For people that are so intimately aware of bigotry and of having their rights denied them, isn’t it only proper for those people to support the rights of all even more so? There is no “it’s ok for these type of people, but not these type of people” when it comes to human rights – it is something that should be available to everyone – no matter their race, religion, gender, sexual preference or personal beliefs.

I am proud to be a single, Pagan, straight (which is a word I dislike because it infers that people that aren’t straight are crooked, or bent, or not right, but I have no other word that conveys what my intentions are that people will understand) woman that feels that the personal journey that each human takes is the business of that person, and that person only. It is not the business of the government, religious groups or other humans to judge or determine if their journey is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. Let us never forget the best line ever written in the Bible (which, of course, is my opinion!):

Luke 6:37: Judge not, and you shall not be judged: condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: forgive, and you shall be forgiven:

Please note that even though this states that we shall be forgiven, I in no way feel that anyone in the LGBT community should be 'forgiven' for being who they are!  But, I do believe we should never judge or condemn another person strictly on their sexual preference.

Which segues into my next subject on this touchy topic: Alan Turing. Now, although it is wonderful that the Queen has so graciously pardoned this extraordinary man for being a homosexual, in some ways the very act of pardoning him is a bit of an insult. This man was brilliant, helping to break Nazi Germany’s “unbreakable” Enigma code, invented the electromechanical machine (which was the forerunner of modern computers) and was, by all accounts, a brilliant guy. Yet, he was arrested and chemically castrated in 1952 for having sex with a man. Two years later he committed suicide because of this conviction and castration, and I’m sure because he was treated not as the brilliant man he was and with respect for his inventions and his accomplishments, but because the law said he was ‘bad’, ‘wrong’, ‘indecent’ – Oh wait, not just ‘indecent’, but ‘grossly indecent’!
The reason I feel that this pardon is in some ways an insult is that he has been pardoned 59 years after his death! Now rather than the Queen taking the time to express her respect and gratitude for his brilliant accomplishments, the fact that he was a homosexual has again overshadowed these accomplishments. Is the sexual preference of someone the only thing that defines them? If so, then why am I not completely defined by the fact that I am attracted to men? Why is the sexual preference of someone so important that it overshadows everything they do?
I have quite a few homosexual friends – and as I list some of them here (without their names), you may recognize yourself in my words:

J is an extraordinary chef that has been on many TV shows and is determined that Native American cuisine is a tradition that is not another thing Native Americans around the US will lose, teaching traditional recipes all over the country.

J is a funny, sweet person that makes me laugh and angry, sometimes in the same minute!

L is an excellent nurse that has a heart the size of the world and wants to heal it.

C is a wonderful mother and a grandmother that has kept her family close and safe.

C is probably the one I admire the most.  Growing up in a small town, with many small minds, and still holding his head up high and NEVER apologizing for who he was, never showing his fear or uncertainty I'm sure he felt throughout his childhood.   

S is a wonderful artist, athlete and an extremely generous guy.

We are human, each and every one of us. To be identified on one aspect of our lives is ‘grossly’ unfair. We all have many accomplishments, many failures and with hope, we will have more. Let us never forget that we are all individual, yet we are all one. We are Human.

Blessed Be

More Elf on the Shelf

Here are a few more!!!



Sitting on the ledge above the living room, spying!!!

 

 

Sitting in the window watching the sun rise!

 

 



Sitting on top of the lights in the bathroom!

 

 

Yesterday I bought a waffle maker so I can maker waffles for her breakfast rather than buying those Ego things (YUCK).  She saw it in the back seat of the car last night. 

 

G: Forget that you bought this waffle maker, K?

Me: What??

G: You need to completely forget that this waffle maker is back here.

Me: Why?

G: Because! Now just forget it's here!!!!!

 

Apparently I'm getting a waffle maker for Christmas!  LOL

 

Happy Holidays!!!!!

 

The Elf on the Shelf

My good friend, Jessica, introduced me to “The Elf on the Shelf”, we are in love with this book and our new elf, Kelsey. She is such a little character! Her first morning, she was hiding on the shelf.

Chilling on the shelf in the dining room.

This is morning 2.

I guess she got hungry!!!
Morning 3.

Looks like I have to dust pretty badly, since her little bum got all dusty trying to get up on the shelf!!!

If you have young children, or grandchildren, in your home – I highly recommend The Elf on the Shelf!!!

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Stronger.....Maybe??

I haven’t posted in a long time, obviously. I’ve been busy, but mostly because when I have free time, I usually spend it catching up on the TV shows I wanna watch!

Today was a good day! We are having more and more of them. I still sometimes feel like, “What did I get myself into???”, but overall, things are good.

The other day when I dropped her off at school she leaned down and grabbed something. So I asked her if she dropped something. She said, “No, I’m pulling down my pants!” I started laughing so hard, and she gave me such a typical Grace look that said, “You KNOW what I mean! I’m NOT pulling DOWN MY PANTS!” All that in one look.
I think her true personality is starting to show. That’s nice, because it is really a great personality. We still have to work on sitting still, paying attention, thinking before acting, and a bit of aggression. But, these things take TIME! I’m sooo impatient!!!!

She’s drawing me a picture of her day today. I love it!

My thing is to work on my anger management skills. It is extremely difficult during PMS, let me tell you!!!

Practice and patience. Two things I’m having difficulty with. Well, mostly the patience thing. I keep hearing Ma in my head saying, “Patience is a virtue!”, as she said for my entire childhood!!!

The support I get from my family and friends is tremendous. It makes me realize how strong the bonds are. D has been especially helpful, and is so patient! I can see that she will make an incredible mother some day!


My new position is wonderful. Better hours (until summer, which is our peak time), better pay and an overall better job. Right up my alley! Oh, and of course, a WAY better boss!!!

I have a new car, a house, a daughter a great job, a wonderful family and incredible friends. I have so much in my life. I can’t imagine it could get any better!

Blessed be!!

Hurdles and Walls!

So, this weekend was extremely difficult! It was nothing she did, it was all me!
I think adjusting to another person in my home has caught up with me!! I just couldn't let the "little things" go!
I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that I still just don't feel like a mom. I don't feel like HER mom!
Changing my thought process after years of knowing that I'd never be a mom, and never really wanting to be a mom, is taking much more thought and adjustment than I expected! Lack of sleep is also taking its toll.

I have to keep my eye on the long term and stop focusing on the short term!!
Remember that it isn't going to be this way forever! We will both adjust in time!

Blessed be!

Cats, Cats Everywhere!!!!

The little girl that said she was afraid of cats, screamed when they came near her, won't let them in her room, goes on and on about how her other foster mom said that cats give her ring worm, and didn't even want them in the same room as her -
well - Cole is sitting on her lap right now! :)

I'm so happy!!!!

Blessed Be!!!

Improvement is the word of the day!!!

So, things are getting way better. WAY better!
The other day she initiated an apology. She is also becoming more affectionate. These are very big steps for her.
I can see that she is trying. That is so important. I can see her thinking about things before doing them. I can see her trying to do the right thing.
On the 28th of January, I am to start my new position. When that happens, I will be able to get home earlier to spend more time at home in the evenings. Right now I don’t get home until about 5:30pm, and that leaves 2 hours for homework, shower, dinner and any quality time together. Not much!!
I’m just so glad that she’s with me, now. I’m so glad that she’s learning to accept me as her mother. It is slow going, as expected, but we’re improving and learning.
That’s the name of the game, isn’t it?

Blessed Be!

New Year, New Attitude!

Today was a good day. I think it was mostly my attitude! I was feeling like I wasn’t being fun enough, and too strict and rigid, so I decided to be less so!
Today we did quite a bit of fun stuff. We went for a hike, made cinnamon buns, homemade pizza rolls and brownies. She loves pizza rolls, the gross kind you buy in a bag. I told her we won’t be buying those, but we will make our own! So, we did! She loved them more. And they were so much fun to make!!!
She watched Alice In Wonderland and a bit of the Princess Diaries. Now she is a little upset because we are watching the History Chanel’s “How The States Got Their Shapes”. A little education won’t hurt!!!
I think we’re getting used to each other. I’m recognizing when she is testing to see if I’ll yell at her. Today she was doing things with the express purpose of trying to get me upset. So I calmly asked her if she wanted me to get angry with her. She said she did not. I then asked her why she was doing things that may cause me to get angry with her; she shrugs and stops doing it.
Learning new and out of the box ways to deal with her behavior is a challenge. My biggest challenge is trying to figure what behaviors are typical 8 year old behaviors, and which are due to her circumstances. Time and experience are the only things that will help me work these challenges out.
Patience. That is another challenge…Patience!!!

Blessed Be!!